(.

}REAt:ER COLlMA
(C)JapteR 1)
PopulatiON: I 03 8. All ane O·IEVEI NORMal people UNlESS Ot)JERWiSE NO tEO.
AbjaceNt villaGe: D]is sMall settleMeNt, built bEfORe tt)is towN, t)as 1 04 people. 11 is oepicteo iN HWA2,
NiGI}tRaGE. AlOOf, Class-CONSCiOUS REiatiONS)Jip betWEEN t)JE tWiN COMMUNities.
ECONOM-y: BanteR ONly. SubsistENCE aGRi CUltURE (W)Jeat, nye, fRUit, cattlE, fiS)JiNG); StONECaRViNG; SOME
tnaOE Witt) MERCt)aNtS fROM MERRY Pinate Isles. PenioOiC epiSOOES Of NOMaOiC waNOERiNG (NOt OUE fOR
aNOt)JER GENERatiON).
BeliEfS: ANCEStRal StONECaRVER CUltURE )JOIOS t)Jat CaRViNG )JUG€ statue fROM CliffSiOe Will GUanO t)Je
villaGERS' tnail ONCE t)Jey leave tne anea Statue site lies a Mile to t)Je west, oepicteo iN HWA2.
{JOVERNMEN1: OccasiONal tOWN MEEtiNGS iN MaRket place, Ott)ERWiSE NONE. Ras)JaN 'CWiNC)JiSEI, OIOest
citizeN (see HWA2 ), exencises iNfORMal a u tt)onity.

I<EY
See Map ON back Of SCREEN.
StoNe Valley: Lies betweeN isolateo Mesas; ovenall tennaiN bEYONO tt)e valley is clean GRasslaNO witt)
occasioNal fOOt)Jills Of t)Je AztlaN MouNtaiNs. Steep cliffS to eitnen sioe Of tne valley, 1oo' )JiGIJ iN places.

HOUSES: WOOO aNO stONE CONStRUCtiON. MaNy )Jave GaROENS; all )Jave PRiViES. Most S)JOW OaMaGE
fROM pinate naios.
1. BoaRbiNG t}ouse: "RatiM's Rest;· lanGE two-stony )Jouse witt) attac)Jeo stable aNO waGON yano. RatiM
(F I , 4 )Jp, ALL) liVES ON lOWER flOOR Witt) t)is SMall faMily; up to six bOaROERS RESiOE iN ROOMS ON UPPER
flOOR. REN1E0 by tt)E MONtt) (COStS EQUiValENt Of 4 Sp). RENtERS aRE OftEN jOURNEYMaN tRabESMEN. SUCt)
as banbens, canpeNtens, wooocutteRs. etc.; soMe stay fOR yeaRs. RatiM keeps bees iN )Jives be)JiNt> )Jouse.
2. POttER: ){ala (3 t:Jp, ALL) is a SMall, bURlY WOMaN, aGEO 45; t:JER t)USbaNO, 'COMOR, WORkS at RatiM'S
Rest. 'CWO YOUNG appRENtices. ExceptiONally fiNE WORk.
3. SMitt}y : ONCE a MeOiUM·SizeO, Well eQUippeO blaCkSMith'S fORGE aNO WORkShOP, RUN by Pnatey tt:JE
SMit)J (F2, 6 t)p, AL N) aNO t:Jis laRGE faMily. DestROYEO iN RECENt pinate RaiO. (SMitt:Jy iN aOjaCENt VillaGE
still staNOS, pnotecteo by tt:Je Spell Of PnesenvatioN, see HWA2.)
4. FRuit ORct}aRb: Apples, peans, cnennies. RuN by AMan H etixo, baken aNO UNOentaken, Ricnest MaN iN
tOWN. LaRGE faRM NEaRby is t)OME to Hetixo aNO tt:Jnee faMiliES Wt:JO WOn!{ fOR t)iM. Its iRRiGatiON CaNals,
Wt:Jict) lOWER tt:JE StONEOROp's lEVEl, ROUSE t t:Je COiiMaNs' aNGER
5. H etixo's b akeRY: MaNaGEO by t:Jis cousiN, t:ealaiN.
6. H aNOyMaN: 00MiNOal Reyt (SECREtly F4, I 2 )Jp, ALL), MakES bROOMS, CaNOIES, soap, leatt)ERWORk,
nope, wt:Jeels. Solitany, nespecteo but NOt likeO. ClaiMs to coMe fROM Conescos iN t:naJOan RiNGOOMs.
Secnetly a netineo fiRst Mate fROM a Menny Pinate st:Jip; t:Jateo pinates' Rutt)lessNess. Couto be necRuiteo
fOR PC panty if )Jis SECREt CaME OUt.
]. caRpENtER: }UNN SilkiN (Fl. 5 t)p, AL N). AlSO WOOOCUttER, fURNitURE MakER, EtC. SiNGlE, aNtisocial.
Rules t:Jis two appRENtices like a tynaN1.
8. Mill. COMMUNally OWNEO aNO MaiNta.iNEO, pnoviOiNG MEal aNO flOUR fOR tt:JE ENtiRE VillaGE.
9. Sla u Gt}tERt}o u se aNb t:aNNeny. MaloOonous, especially fOUl iN not, Ony weatt)en witt) a sliGt:Jt wiNO.
1o. 'COWN bRUNk: GolbuN, 4o-yean-o10 bact:Jelon. I<Nows Banki well aNO caN GUiOe PCs to nen (see
C)Japten 1). Has stnaNGE bneaMs fillet> witt) pnop)Jecies (all false).
 TM

An Official DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Game Supplement

NIGHTSTORM
by Allen Varney

Pan Three of the Blood Brethren Trilogy

Table of Contents

Introduction . . .. . . . ..... .... ....... . ................ 2 Chapter 7: Avatar of Dakka ....... .... ......... . ..... .43
Adventure Overview Chapter 8: Emerald River ..... . ...... .... .. .... .. ... .48
Adventure Summary Chapter 9: The Hollow Promise . ...... . .. ....... . .... . 53
For New Players Chapter 10: Aftermath .............................. 59

Chapter 1: Getting There . .... ....... ... ....... ....... 5 Appendices: NPCs, Monsters. and Magic....... .. . ...... 61
Chapter 2: A Chain of Dreams ............... . ...... .. 10 Non-Player Characters
Chapter 3: Shahjapur. ............................... 14 New Magic
Chapter 4: Dharsatra ................................ 20 New Monsters
Chapter 5: The Temple of Eight Sweet Winds ............ 2 5
Chapter 6: The Yantra of the Emerald River ............. 29 Monster Summary Table ......... ...... .Inside Front Cover

Credits

Design: Allen Varney Graphic Design: Stephanie Tabat

Editing: Jon Pickens Typography: Gaye O'Keefe
Cover Art: Fred Fields Keylining: Sarah Feggestad
Interior Art: Tom Baxa Special Thanks: Aaron Allston, Rob Correll,
Cartography: Dennis Kauth Warren Spector, Rick Swan, and Don Webb.

TSR Inc. TSR Ltd.

POB 756 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton
Lake Geneva Cambridge CB 1 3LB
TSR, Inc::.
WI 53147, USA f'ftOOUCTS 0,. YOUR I M AOI HATION.,. United Kingdom

«>t 991 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, and AD&D are registered trademarks owned by TSR , Inc.
HOLLOW WORLD, PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION , and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
Distributed in the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc. and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd.
Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd.

This module is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohib-
ited without the express written permission of TSR Inc.

ISBN 1·56076-064-8
9311XXX9301

1
INTRODUCTION ========= offers notes on how to stage a scene-that is, how to
pace it, create an appropriate mood, and produce cer-
tain dramatic effects. Use this advice to create a vivid,
Nightstorm is the third module in the DUNGEONS
& DRAGONS® Blood Brethren adventure trilogy in memorable adventure for the players.
the HOLLOW WORLD'u campaign setting. To use Not every chapter has all of these entries; some
this adventure, you need the D&D® Basic, Expert, chapters contain extra entries not listed here. Charac-
and Companion sets and the HOLLOW WORLDm ters and events described in a chapter can appear in
boxed set. various orders, and your storyline may depart from
This series began in module HWAl, Nightwail, the default sequence this module assumes.
and it continued in HWA2, Nighuage. However, Any text in a box should be read or paraphrased for
within broad limits the three modules can be played the players. All other information is for you alone.
in any order. Though part of a series, this adventure Reveal it only in response to PC actions.
can stand independently with some adaptation . If THACO: In statistic listings , this stands for "To Hit
you are playing tthis module alone, see the lead-in Armor Class 0." Subtract the target's AC from this
description in the next section, "Adventure Over- number to get the roll needed to hit.
view." Ability checks: The adventure sometimes calls for
Nighcstorm works best for a party of four to six PCs to make an ability check. Roll ld20 and compare
player characters (PCs), levels 8-10. Everything that the result to the character's appropriate ability
follows is for the Dungeon Master's eyes only. Players (Strength, Dexterity, etc.). If the roll is equal to or
should stop reading here. less than the ability score, the action succeeds. If the
roll is greater than the ability score, the action fails.
Preparing the Adventure
DM Note: A correction to the module screen of
In HWAl, the PCs' quest began in the outer world HWAl, Nightwail-replace references to "No-
and Jed them to the Hollow World. (Though nomi- marys volcano" with "the Nithian Empire."
nally beginning in t;he D&D Known World, this
trilogy adapts easily to any existing campaign set-
ting.) This part of the adventure takes place entirely
in the Hollow World; if you play it alone, you can
ADVENTURE OVERVIEW ===
even use PCs native to the Hollow World , according As outlined at the beginning of Nightwail, this
to the guidelines given in the boxed set. In this mod- trilogy details a plot by the Entropy Immortal Thana-
ule, native PCs could plausibly be Merry Pirates, or tos to corrupt the Hollow World and parts of the
perhaps Azcan prisoners of the pirates. During the outer world. He has set in motion several schemes-
adventure, new PCs might come from the new land in the Azcan Empire, the Nithian Empire, and, far
introduced in th is module, Shahjapur. overseas, the land of Shahjapur (a new culture -intro-
Because this module ranges across 3,000 miles of duced in this module).
the Hollow World and through a complex storyline, The previous adventures described the Azcan and
read all of the text before starting play. Also, it helps Nithian portions of the plan: the first, a scheme to
to familiarize yourself with the following sections corrupt the magical energy that pours from the cen-
from the HOLLOW WORLD'M DM's Sourcebook: the tral sun; and the second, an elaborate plot to tunnel
Atlas entry on tlhe Merry Pirates, and the Immortals the anti-magical World-Shield, allowing the cor-
section, particularly the entries for Thanatos and rupted energy to beam outward through the world's
Asterius. crust and affect the Known World as well.
This module details the third vital element of the
About the Text conspiracy: the means by which Thanatos keeps the
other Immortals from interfering with his plan.
The adventure's plot is described in a sequence of
chapters, each keyed to a single setting or idea. The
chapters are summarized in the following Adventure THE DECOYED IMMORTALS :
Overview. Most of the chapters contain the following As detailed in HWA 1, Thanatos has staged a clever
entries. ruse to divert almost all the world's Immortals into the
How They Get Here: Ways the PCs can reach this distant past. When they left, the Immortals set up a
place, including a list of dues from other chapters magical "time marker" to mark the instant of their
that point here. deparcure. The marker, a standard but trivial conven-
The Scene: General physical description. ience, would tell the returning Immortals where to re-
Investigation : The paths the players can take to find enter the timestream.
dues leading them further into the adventure. The Immortals had no reason to suspect Thanatos's
Events: Occmrences that may happen with the PCs treachery; after all, he sent a simulacrum of himself
present. Some are optional, some mandatory. with them on their journey. After their departure, he
Where Next?: This entry summarizes the chapter's quickly neutralized the sole remaining Immortal
clues and the places they lead. Just as important, it guardian, the relatively young Asterius. Then Thana-
summarizes the facts that you must convey to the tos cast an enchantment on the time marker, slowing
players before the PCs leave this area. the passage of time around it. Then he removed the
Staging Hints: From time to time, the adventure

2
marker to the Temple of Eight Sweet Winds in Shah- construct a magical symbol, or "yantra," of unknown
japur, and he set guardians over it: ruthless Shahja- function and purpose .
puri assassins called the Kirranta, and the trans- Chapter 6, The l:ancra of the Emerald River: This
formed Glantcian minister Irila Kaze (see HWAl). chapter, a set of mini-scenarios, follows the PCs as
In this way Thanatos has delayed the Immortals' they get the various components needed to make the
return for some months. Therefore, for the duration magical symbol.
of this adventure, no clerical spells above 2nd level Chapter 7, Avatar of Dakka: Within the most
are available! The only exception applies to clerics of sacred and inaccessible part of the Temple of Eight
Thanatos himself, including Simm of the Blood Sweet Winds, the PCs must make the yanua while
Brethren (and chief villain ofHWAl.) fending off attack from a monstrous servant of Than-
Clerics can cast 1st and 2nd level spells as usual, atos. (Importan t note: If you intend to play the other
but higher-level spells are granted by their patron parts of this trilogy but have not done so, the Shahja-
Immortals, and the Immortals won' t rerum until the pur section of the adventure ends here . The PCs
end of this module . must play out the other two modules now, before the
Asterius: One Immortal, Asterius, has remained in yantra's magic activates and sends them to the climax
the present-but Thanatos captured him and has of the trilogy).
imprisoned him in Shahjapur, using a powerful de- Chapter 8, Emerald River: The yantra sends the
vice called a vampire sheath . Asterius sent out a frac- PCs into the rime-stream, where they try to rescue
tion of his awareness to rescue the PCs in HWA 1, for Asterius, alert the other Immortals to return to the
he recognized that as outsiders in the Hollow World present, and face the Immortal might of Thanatos
they would have the best chance of freeing him. In himself.
this adventure, he can do no more than send them a Chapter 9. The Hollow Promise: The PCs and the
few enigmatic dreams. Immortals decide the fate of the Hollow World.
OptionaHy, you may decide that Asterius (substi· Chapter 10, Aftermath: Wrapping up loose ends
turing for the PCs' patron Immortals) grants PC from this and the other two modules.
clerics spells higher than 2nd level. However, only
PCs gain this advantage; NPC clerics still cannot cast
high-level spells. Note that PC clerics have no clue
FOR NEW PLAYERS========
why this should be! If you are playing this module alone, or as the fusr
in the series, use one of the following openings for
ADVENTURE SUMMARY=== this adventure. If you have already played Nighrwail
or Nightrage, skip this section and go to Chapter 1.
The adventure begins near Atacalpa, the ruins de- lf the PCs are already in the Hollow World: ln an
scribed in Chapter 6 of Nightwa.il as the PCs' arrival encounter with the ruler of some powerful nation,
point in the Hollow World. Chapter 1 offers alternate preferably the Azcan Empire, the PCs learn that a
beginnings according to the PCs' whereabouts at the smaJI but valuable caravan has vanished in transit
ends of the other modules in this trilogy. In most cases berween cities. The ruler may ask the PCs to locate it
the PCs find their way to the coastal town of Colima. as a favor, or order them to find it on pain of death.
Clues there send them across the Northern Atlass The trail leads to the western coast of the Azcan
Ocean and into the adventure. The action proceeds Empire, across the Aztlan Mountains to the ruins
with the following chapters: of Atacalpa, and then to the port town of Colima.
Chapter 1, Getting There: The PCs must make their At some point on the journey, the characters
way from their current Hollow World location across realize that all clerical spells above 2nd level are
hundreds of miles of ocean to Shahjapur. gone, and so, inexplicably, are the Immortals. G o
Chapter 2, A Chain of Dreams: En route to Shah- to Chapter 1.
japur, the PCs experience strange dreams, sendings lf the PCs begin in the outer world: At the end of
from the Immortal Asterius- and from Thanatos. an adventure, preferably when the PCs are away from
The dreams first provide clues and a goal, then help , the party's clerics wake up one morning to
danger. realize they have not received spells above 2nd level .
Chapter 3, Shahjapu r: An overview in the style of Prayers to patron entities go unanswered. A few days
the Hollow World Atlas. This new culture is inspired later, a human figure materializes before them in a
by India during the 16th-century Moghal period blinding flash.
(with borrowing from other periods). This is Damelio, a 7th level thief from some likely
Chapter 4 , Dharsaua: An overview of the largest city near the PCs' current location. Damelio, an
city in Shahjapur, a crowded metropolis mixing in- adventurer of rather amoral tendencies, has already
credible filth with unearthly beauty. This city is the journeyed into the Hollow World with a band of
site of this module's adventure. This chapter also explorers.
details the evil cult of assassins that hunts the PCs How did Damelio's parry reach the Hollow World?
during the module. He summarizes events that closely resemble " That
Chapter 5, The Temple of Eight Sweet Winds: At Sinking Feeling," the first scenario in the HOLLOW
a beautiful magical monument in Dharsatra, the PCs WORLD'Mboxed set's Adventure Book. When his
meet assassins, rescue a holy man named Chatterjee, ship, the Sea-Gallop, was swept into the whirlpool
and learn the next step to their goal. They must near the lerendi Islands, the party's wizards and most

3
of their magical items were swept overboard. The
remaining adventurers had no choice but to ride out "Now, I didn 't see anyone else there with her,
the long journey into the Hollow World. so I don't know who she meant with 'we.' But our
Once there, Damelio's party fared well ... until cleric-Father Barg, rest his spirit!-he'd been
they encountered Irila Kaze. Damelio says: saying he hadn't felt the presence of his patron,
Tarastia, for days now."
"We'd made our way as far as this little pon
town-Colima, they call it. Right away I sported This jibes with PC clerics' experience as well. This
this Kaze woman in the market square; those alone may make the PCs volunteer to go with Dantello
Glantrian robes she wore made her stand out like to the Hollow World; if not, he asks for their help,
a frost giant. Then I saw she was carrying a gold saying, "This Kaze is wrapped in something too big for
statuette. So I fetched it." me. I need help, and I need it fast! Join me! "
To encourage the PCs to join him on the trip,
Dantello shows a small statuette of curious make. Damelio gives them the pendants ofmany tongues.
(PCs who have been to Sind recognize it as the or- He tells them about the Hollow World's obvious
nate, highly stylized Sindian manner.) The statuette features, such as its central sun, dinosaurs, floating
depicts an ugly woman with eight arms, wild hair, continents, and many peoples. He makes it sound
and many weapons. She stands in what looks like a exciting! But he isn't aware of the land's restrictions
ceremonial pose, like a dancer. on magic .
When the PCs are ready, Dantello activates the jump
Damelio continues, "Only trouble was, Kaze rod's last charge. After moment of disorientation, the
caught me. What a grip she had, for such an old characters reappear on the cliffs above the rocky beaches
biddy! My friends rushed in to save me. What's of the Bay of Colima, west of the Azcan Empire on the
that saying, about fools rushing in? They got her Northern Aclass Ocean. Read this aloud:
to turn me loose, but then she fried them with
magic like I've never seen. What a slaughter! I'd Your whole idea of the world has changed-
be one more body among my friends, but that I expanded. The solid ground you've walked all
found this secret." your lives has turned out no more solid than a
nutshell. The world is hollow.
Damelio turns the statuette upside down and This is a huge spherical cavern in the core of your
reveals a secret compartment in the base. He pulls world, thousands of miles across, with a brilliant red
out several magical items called pendanrs ofmany sun floating at its center. You stand on the inside of
tongues, one pendant for each PC. These let the PCs this sphere, looking out at a horizon that bends
speak and understand the Hollow World's many upward-at huge islands floating by in the sky-at
languages (but not written words). distant oceans and continents, homes to ... who
Dantello's party perished less than an hour ago, in knows what? Suddenly you must rethink everything
battl~ with Irila Kaze. Only Damelio escaped, using
you knew before.
a devtce of Immortal magic that he found inside the
statuette: a jump rod. Damelio gasps in pain. The jump rod is cursed! A
Thanatos gave the jump rod to Irila Kaze and the character of non-chaotic alignment who uses the item
Brethren to let them travel between the Known and is horribly struck down a short time later. (Chaotic
Hollow Worlds. (He also provided the pendants.) characters are immune to this curse.) Unless you
The finger-length silver rod originally had three would like Damelio to remain with the PCs as an
black gems inlaid in the handle. Now there is only NPC advisor, healing or resurrection magic cannot
one left. Each gem represented a charge for the item, prevent his death. If the PCs have taken the rod and
and allowed the user and his companions to teleport jumped to the Hollow World without Damelio, ig-
between the worlds. (Immortal magic can circumvent nore the curse.
the restrictions of the Spell of Preservation.) Before he dies, Damelio tells the PCs, "Looks like
Kaze and the Brethren used one charge to reach that old biddy did me in after all. The rod must have
the Hollow World. Dantello used the second to es- been cursed. Ah well, not much of a life was left me,
cape, but since he was unfamiliar with the device, he I think, if Kaze has managed to pull off what she
ended up where the PCs are. The remaining charge bragged about. Not much life left for you, either, I'd
must carry Dantello and the PCs to the Hollow say.
World. The thief explains: "Look, we're not far from Colima. If you can get
there and find Kaze, maybe you can stop whatever
"I thought this would be a routine job. But some she's doing-succeed where I failed. Get her, get-"
of the things that Kaze woman said during the He falls dead. The evil jump rod, now out of
battle keep sticking in my mind. She said, charges, disintegrates.
'Fools' -see, she's one of those rypes that calls The mountains beyond the cliffs afford loamy
people 'fools ,' and that's a bad sign already- ground suitable for Dantello's burial. Once that is
'Fools,' she says, 'how can you hope to fight us, over, clear trails lead down and along the bay to the
when we have beaten the Immortals themselves?' town of Colima, where the adventure begins in
Chapter 1.

4
 This chapter outlines the ways the PCs get into From the Conclusion of HWAl
this adventure. It takes the player characters to the
port town of Colima, where they can pick up clues If th.e players have already completed HWA 1,
that lead them further on the trail of Irila Kaze- the flytng boat or a surviving gridbug can fly them
the trail that leads to Shahjapur. down fr?m the wreckage of the Smoking Mirror.
The vanous methods of descent are discussed at
the end of HWAl. Once they reach Colima, the
HOW THEY GET HERE ==== vehicle breaks, dies, or disappears.
If you want to skip the next two chapters, the
Upon Arrival in HWAl vehicle can take the PCs to Shahjapur itself, or
If the PCs are heading this way fresh from their perhaps to ~ Mer~y Pirate island close to Shahja-
arrival in the Hollow World in HWAl (Chapter 6, pur. On. a ptrate tsland you can convey vital clues
"Emergence"), their suspicions of Irila Kaze are by runnmg encounters roughly similar to those in
still fresh in their minds-as is the dramatic warn- this chapter. If the PCs go straight to Shahjapur,
ing from Asterius. they should receive another sending from Aste-
The Immortal's flaming touch indicated the rius, tel~ing them to seek out a holy man named
island of Shahjapur on the bowl-shaped shrine ChatteCJec at the Temple of Eight Sweet Winds in
map in the Atacalpa ruins. So the PCs already D harsatra. The sending may also pass along the
know the direction they must go, if not the name clues about leila Kaze from this chapter. Go for-
of their destination; and Colima, 110 miles away, ward with Chapter 3.
is the most obvious point of departure for that
place . . From the Conclusion of HWA2
From Atacalpa a slender trail winds through the As feathered serpents, the characters can fly
grass and down the rocky mountainside. Though down co most any spot in the Hollow·World from
parts of it betray frequem: use (by Azcan scouts Ashmorain. The Queen Mother of the feathered
spying on Colima), other parts cross such difficult serpents can point them in the proper direction
slopes that it seems only goats could traverse for the next step of the quest; perhaps she has
them. received a sending from Asterius that the PCs are
Ten miles along, the travellers must inch their not sensitive enough to get.
way down a narrow cliff trail to a rocky beach. In this circumstance, the PCs can more easily
Once down on the shore of the Bay of Colima, the bypass Colima, since they' ve already seen it at the
PCs must traverse 40 exhausting miles of watery stan of HWA2. However, make sure the clues
beach. Then rhe moumain coasr gives way ro below and in Chapter 2 are available in Shahja-
foothills and gentle beaches of white sand, mak- pur. The serpen.t PCs can fly directly to Dharsatra;
ing the remaining 60 miles to Colima much easier. refer to the. secuon above for another sending
The trail is clear; there's nowhere else to go. from Astenus to convey vital exposition, and then
These mountains, a habitat type known as continue with Chapter 3.
paramo, feature grassy plains, heavy rainfall, and
varied wildlife that is markedly different from the
jungles of the Azcan plains. Here the PCs see THE SCENE ~=========
small herds of vicuna and gigantic flocks of gray
finches. They even spot a few ducks, which dote As explained in HWA2, Colima was found ed by
on the paramo's puna grass, lupins, and succu- shipwrecked refugees of the Stonecarver cultu re, a
lents. small semi-nomadic tribe that settles in one place
Most wildlife here presents little threat. The for a few generations to carve a huge sculpture,
spectacled bear, so called because of its white fa- then moves on. Azcan attacks fail because of the
cial markings, roams the foothills, as do a couple town's strong terrain advantage, but Merry Pirate
of red-winged mamicores . These steer clear of any raids fare better. These keep the town on the rag-
humans or demihumans. ged edge of survival.
As per the Wilderness Travel rules in the Expert Read the following description {taken from
Rulebook, reduce the part y's movement to half HWA2) when the PCs first approach Colima:
normal in the mountains, cliffs, and on the rocky
?caches. As long as the PCs stay on the trail, there As you head down a path by a cliff, the breeze
IS no chance to get lost. On the gender beaches, from the bay is fresh and cool. You can see the
movement increases to the normal rate. surf crashing against the beach below you.
. In staging this j.ourney, take the opportunity to Then you round an outcropping of rock, and
Introduce new arnvals to the Hollow World's you see the town of Colima.
many peculiarities: the eternal noon; the peculiar, This is a small port right on the inmost edge
more-vivid-than-life colors; and the Floating Con- of the bay. About two dozen low wooden
tinents. (If you intend to play HWA2, refer to b':lildings trail inland between two towering
Chapter 1 of that module for a foreshadowing cltffs. Beyond a narrow pass between the cliffs,
encounter with the continent of Ashmorain.)

5
 But if the PCs have already played either HWAl
more buildings sprawl across a wide valley. or HWA2, Kaze's trail is cold, perhaps weeks old.
The near cliff is a sheer precipice, separated And if they have played both the ear~er mo.dules
from the water by a wide gravel beach. But the in this trilogy, Kaze hasn't been seen to Cohma
farther cliff... it makes you stop in your tracks for months. Adjust the time according to ho:v
and stare. long it took the players to complete the prevtous
The rock of the far cliff is being carved into adventures. But the PCs needn't worry; they can
an enormous statue. It hardly looks more than find all the dues they need in Colima at any time.
halfway finished-you can see the outlines, but
only the lower half shows any detail. It's a fig-
ure of a giant man lying curled against the
Stoneworkers' Market
cliff, as though he's sleeping. The workman-
ship looks primitive. This market is busy for such a small town-not
The head hasn't even been roughed out. As crowded but certainly vigorous. About two
you watch, you see half a dozen small, very hundred' merchants and shoppers are haggling
small figures of human sculptors walking back at the tops of their lungs, trading eggs, fish,
and forth across the chest, measuring it by fishhooks fishnets, woven mats, wooden
pacing it out. It looks like they've .been wor~­ stools, fn:its and vegetables, bone flutes, skin
ing on this monument for generauons, and tt drums, and saddle blankets. They don't use
could easily take them generations more to money, just barter.
finish it. About a dozen statues around the market-
place. They' re big, looming stone figures,
carved like people but with the eyes large and
The statue is not magical and serves purely as bulging.
local color. Nightrage described the port area of In every deal, the seller displays the purchase
Colima; this module describes the section of the and the item offered in trade to one of these
town beyond the pass. (See the map on the mod- statues. Nothing happens that you can tell, but
ule cover.) then they conclude the deal. Sometimes, one
trader decides the deal is off.
INVESTIGA TION =======
The statues an old Collman custom, are called
This chapter uses the map of the main town o~ "observers." Though they are not magical, super-
Colima on the module's inside cover. This area hes stition claims they ensure fairness in all transac-
to the east (i.e., the left) of the original, much tions. The custom of presenting the trade to the
smaller village of Colima depicted in HWA2. statues lets each bargainer mull over the deal. In
If the PCs have not been to Colima before, practice. a trader who has made an unfavorable
stage an encounter with a shepherd or other wan- bargain can use the observers as an excuse to back
dering citizen before they enter ~e town proper.
out of the deal .
The citizen, bitterly resents the rruds and thetr The PCs can purchase basic supplies at this
effect on Colima. The town is kept just on the marketplace, such as food and clothing, but no
borderline of starvation from frequent pirate raids; one sells armor, weapons, or magical items. Since
kept just from perishing, without being let to Colimans use no money, the players must role-
recover more than necessary for brute survival. play their characters' transactions with the slightly
The townspeople are peaceful by nature, and crazed merchants. In general, magical items and
they display curiosity about strangers who don' t exotic outer-world objects fetch good prices, but
look like Azca or Merry Pirates. When they see the nearly everyone in Colima is too poor to offer the
PCs, Colimans are instantly remind.ed of the last
PCs a decent deal.
stranger who went through here: Inla K~e. But Play this for comic relief, as the merch:mts ~n-.
they don't have much co say about her; 10 fact, gage in frenzied bargaining, complete wtth htstn-
they seem reluctant to talk about her at all. PCs onics ("Oh, to think that my. beleagu~red mother
who ask around are soon referred to the market- must wait still longer to rebutld her ptllaged
place: "That's where everyone goes when the(re home!"). Then, as the deal is almost concluded,
looking for something, be it food or stone or t.n- the merchant appeals to the observers and backs
formation ." out!
All merchants and customers here are 0-level
How long ago was it?: When did Kaze pass normal people, unless the story requires otherwise.
through Colima? That depends on when the PCs See the maps of Colima in this module and .
arnve. HWA2 for notable citizens who may be wandenng
If you use the "For New Players" sequeD:ce in the the marketplace.
Introduction, or the players have chosen thts path Asking about Kaze: The market sellers remem-
from the PCs' arrival in HWAl, then leila Kaze was ber Irila Kaze. When she came through, she asked
here as recently as three or four sleeps back. the local wine sellers for "Treesblood ,'' a liqueur

6
 they'd never heard of. (PCs from the Known time when she tried to bring one of those dinos
World recognize it as a strong brandy distilled in right into her home! Like a pee or something!
Darokin.) Kaze, who appeared quite intent on "Well, I don't have to tell you, we drove her
finding something similar, lee the market sellers out of town. Now she lives out there like a hermit.
sniff her lase, nearly empty bottle. We still calk about her now and chen, mainly as a
The odor reminded them of the pungent brews spooky story to keep the liccle ones in line.
of Barki , a tough old woman who lives in the hills "But I'll say this, she brews the finest ale I've
south of town. Kaze, now desperate for the li- tasted. Lots of other strange brews, coo. I hear she
queur, headed that way. Nobody saw her after tries new recipes all the time, because she's look-
that. ing for a potion to heal those dang lizards she
If you are using the "For New Players" set-up: cares so much about."
The sellers all remember the strange gold statu-
ette. "She was showing that around," they say, Barki's Lair
"asking whether we get much trade from the
place where it was made. No, not us." Some old Should the PCs announce an intention to meet
merchants may recognize the statuette's make: Barki, nearly anyone in town can (reluctantly) give
"That's that Shahjapur working, that is. Haven't directions to her cave. Everyone warns the PCs
heard from those western folks for cycles and about "Old Olin," a huge dinosaur that rules the
cycles." southern hills. The citizens of Colima don't know
As for the battle with Damelio's party, citizens what species it is, just that "it walks upright, fast,
silently direct the PCs to the local graveyard out- and with teeth Hke for carving scone!"
side town. The five members ofDantello's party Since there is a trail (marked but slightly over-
lie there in fresh graves marked with simple Stone- grown) to Barki's cave, the uneventful journey
carver symbols. If exhumed (a practice likely to south lases only half an hour.
elicit protests from the Colimans), the bodies
appear to have been incinerated, as by a fue ball. The trail ends in a narrow grotto becween cwo
If you have played HWAl: Good questioning mountains. This is a dead-end gorge, cue long
by the PCs can elicit one more piece of informa- ago by overflow from a mountain lake that has
cion, though the superstitious townspeople are since dried up. It's wide enough for a large
reluctant to bring it up. Kaze wore a voluminous dinosaur co tu rn around in- barely-and this is
cloak that she kept wrapped around her. The convenient, because there are a couple here.
Glanuian minister, who stood trim and erect back There's a small wooden hut, and beside it an
in Glantri, walked hunched over, and she con- iron cauldron filled with something steaming
stantly rubbed at her ribs. that smells like old laundry. There's a corral
At one point a gust of wind blew open the made of wooden logs, and in the corral there
cloak. " Merciful skies!" the PCs' informant says are dinosaurs- about a dozen small ones, slow
with a shiver. " I saw her body. Nice clothing, but ones with horns and armor, fast ones with long,
ripped and ragged along the sides-because there springy hind legs.
were little hands growing there, right out of her Behind them all, against the rear wall of the
ribs, stubby pink hands with wriggling fingers like canyon, sits one really huge dinosaur, maybe
a baby's. I still have dream-haunts about it." forty feet long, colored mottled green, with a
("Dream-haunts" is a common term for night- body like a barrel, and a neck as long and thin
mare, since night is unknown in the Hollow as its tail. It fills your view.
World.) But the big dinosaur, and all the small ones,
DM Note: Kaze, a servant of Thanatos, was are sick or wounded . Some have bandages on
beginning the transformation that Thanatos de- their long necks; others are missing an eye or a
sired, into an avatar of a Shahjapuri Immortal, foot . The big one's cwo front legs have cloth
Dakka. This transformation is now complete, and dressings the size of bed sheets.
it has unbalanced Kaze's mind. The PCs meet her In front of the hut stands a fat, hunched old
in Chapter 8 . The players won't learn the explana- woman wearing what looks like a burlap sack,
tion for her change until the end of the adven- tied at the waist with rope. This must be Barki.
ture, if then . She's swinging an old, rusty battle axe, trying
to protect the corralled dinosaurs from an
About Barki attacker-a monstrous dinosaur, with what may
Everyone in Colima over age 40 knows Barki's be the biggest teeth you've ever seen and the
history: "She's a crazy lady who fell off a wagon loudest roar you've ever heard. You decide at
when she was 16 and was never the same after- once this must be "Old Olin."
ward . Got really interested in those dinosaurs,
those critters that run around in the mountains This is correct. Barki is defending her patients,
south of town. She got stranger and stranger, like injured and diseased dinosaurs chat she nurses to
a dog with the foaming-tooth sickness, until the health. The big dinosaur is a brontosaurus (apato-

7
saurus); seep. 21 of the HOLLOW WORLD"' retreats when it sustains more than 25 points of
Advenrure Book. Old Olin is an allosaurus, de- damage.
scribed on p. 20 of the Adventure Book. Show the Allosaurus (Old Olin): AC 4; HD 16*; hp 75;
players its picture , then ask what they want to do. #AT 1 bite or 2 claws + pin; Dmg 3d8 or 2d8/
Rwuli.ng: The PCs can flee without attracting the 2d8 + pin; MV 210' (70'); Save F16; ML 10; AL
allosaurus's attention. Barki quickly perishes, and N; THACO 7; XP 2,300. The pin attack is made
the PCs cannot learn the clues in this encounter. with one claw. If it hits, the victim must save vs.
(See the troubleshooting advice under "Where Paralysis or be pinned (prone and unable to attack
Next?" below.) Since leaving Barki to die is not or cast spells). Another save, for escaping the pin,
heroic, give the players a chance to reconsider their is allowed each round.
cowardice; if they refuse to help, consider reducing
their XP award at the adventure's end. Using the dinosaurs: The other dinosaurs are
Fighting: The PCs can charge to Barki's rescue plant-eaters and have no fighting ability against
in time to prevent Old Olin from eating her. Olin Old Olin. They're scared to death. However,
first tries to pin the nearest character. If this suc- clever PCs may try freeing and stampeding the
ceeds, Olin rends the victim on the next round. If corralled dinosaurs. Most of them can't run, but a
the pin attempt fails, on subsequent turns Olin few can; these confuse Old Olin, and then he runs
tries to bite or pin the PC who was last to hurt it. after them. (They look less threatening than
It has no sense of tactics and is quite stupid, but it Barki.)

8
 The trouble is, a brave PCs must suffer at least Shoppa-joor. Something like that. Asked if traders
one and perhaps two free attacks by Olin while ever came here from there. Said I, I didn't know,
rushing toward the corral. If Olin pins the PCs, cause I didn't! She said, well, not likely you'll see
this would be an opportune time for Barki to land any from there now-soon, she says, they'll have
a battle axe blow (negligible damage, but an ex- plenty to worry about at home! Then she laughed,
cellent distraction), or for the brontosaurus to and then, then she tips over my pot! Mark my
make a frantic long-necked lunge at Olin and words, that wench is crazy!"
startle it for a round. Barki has much more to say, all abusive but
Dinosaurs (12): Select the brontosaurus plus none helpful. However, back in Colima, older
three or four kinds of small dinosaurs from the natives can identify the name "Shahjapur." Trad-
Adventure Book. None have useful combat abil- ers from there, "cheerful brown folks;' visited
ity. Colima over a decade ago, before Merry Pirate
Barki: AC 9; HD 2; hp 7; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4; raids ruined it as a commercial port. The Colimans
MV 120' (40'); Save F2; ML 10; AL N; THACO know it lies many days' sail due west, but little
19. If the PCs rescue Barki, go to the next subsec- else.
tion. If they don't rescue her, they can't learn
anything here. An Expedition
The PCs can hire a small sailing ship in Colima:
Talking With Barki the Big Catch, a single-masted fishing vessel be-
Barki is a strange old hermit. She's slightly longing to Turvy Top-net, a local eccentric. The
deaf; her eyes jerk in odd directions as she talks; PCs can hire Turvy's fishermen as crew, so long as
she fingers the PCs' amulets and talismans with- the men's families are amply provided for. The
out asking permission. But though she's not so- ship and crew cost the barter equivalent of the gp
cially adept, Barki feels well disposed toward the prices in the Expert Rules. Of course, the "ob-
PCs after they rescue her. server" statues must approve the deal!
"You listen here," she says sternly. "You did me If the PCs don't have the wherewithal to hire an
good. Yes. You did good for me, and I don't for- expedition, there are alternatives:
get it! I don't! Are you paying attention? What
can I do for you?" • Colima's ruling council may have deduced
The clues: So Barki is friendly toward the PCs. that Kaze has something to do with the apparent
Does this help? Yes, for Kaze dropped clues that departure of the Immortals. They beg the adven-
Barki can pass to the PCs. turers to follow her, and they're willing to donate
"She wanted that, that, that Treesblood. a beaten-up sailing ship and crew to help. Use the
Lizard-drool, it sounded like. Couldn't help her, Big Catch, but give it only three-quarters of its hit
not me, no. Then she asked for seasick balm- points and top speed when new.
medicine for the sea-travel sickness. That, I helped • A Merry Pirate ship, commanded by the half-
her with, and sorry, sorrrrrrry am I that I did! Are ling Barrowbras Spoke, sails into the bay to raid
you attending what I say, man? Kaze, that Colima yet again. See the next chapter for a de-
woman-kept looking out over the western ocean. scription of Spoke and his crew. The PCs can de-
Asked questions about pirates. Pirates! As though fend Colima, take over the ship, and enlist
I know pirates ... you! Pay attention!" Spoke's crew for a visit to distant Shahjapur.
Barki is deeply furious at Irila Kaze. Kaze stole
the warding brew that Barki used to fend off Old
Olin and his kind, a foul simmering potpourri
made of many repulsive ingredients. "She just
WHERE NEXT? =========
Troubleshooting: If the PCs fail to connect with
knocked over the cauldron! No reason! Just to be Barki and learn her clues, they should run into a
indecent, that's her, that's her, indecent! Are you Coliman citizen on good terms with Barki, such as
listening to me, young man? It all spilled out! Maida the Herbalist (mentioned on the Colima
How will I make more?" map in HWA2). Maida, or the citizen of your
This offers a mini-scenario: collecting potion choice, visits Barki to bring her muffins or collect
ingredients. These include pterosaur guano from dinosaur scales. The informant has heard from
the highest cliffs along the bay, venom from a Barki about what Kaze did and where she's going.
flying viper, and the sweat from Colima's cantan- The clues should establish leila Kaze, her evil
kerous blacksmith, Oleg the Smithy. This may nature, her great interest in the distant island
take the PCs far out of their way. . . but helping nation of Shahjapur, and (not least) her great
Barki in her quest may be the only way they can magical power.
get her most important clue. And even if they Having gained these clues, the PCs now under-
help her, they have to treat her dinosaurs nicely! take the long crossing west across the Atlass Ocean
The most important clue: "She, that Kaze per- toward Shahjapur, starting in the next chapter.
son, she asked about some place away overseas.
Now, what was it, what-what-what? Shoddy-purr.

9
 In this chapter the PCs cross the ocean, cross the positions where the deadly vipers cannot bite
sky, ride the Floating Continent, or use whatever them. If the ship has sails, the viper attack may
means they like to get to Shahjapur. The last damage them.
chapter outlined the likely options. This chapter Such viper attacks are a recent development on
assumes an ocean voyage, but it still works regard- the bay. The feathered serpents once kept the
less of the means of transport. viper population in line, but now the vipers are
During the trip the PCs have a series of enig- breeding in huge numbers. Use this encounter if
matic dreams. Most of these are sendings from the you also intend to play HWA2 , in order to fore-
Immortal. Asterius, who is trying to circumvent shadow the mystery of the feathered serpents'
his captivity and convey vital clues to his chosen disappearance.
instruments. Unfortunately his captor, Thanatos, Flying vipers: AC 6; HD 2**; hp 8; #AT 1 bite
eventually realizes what Asterius is doing. So or spit; Dmg 1d6 or 1d4, save vs. Poison for half
Thanatos starts sending deadly dream-visions of dmg; MV 60' (20'), Fl 300' (100'); Save F1; ML
his own. 10; AL C; THACO 16 (18 when spitting); XP 30.
See HOLLOW WORLD"' Adventure Book, p. 29 .
HOW THEY GET HERE=== Merry Pirate Raid: The PCs are called on to sur-
The PCs' ship must set out from Colima, sail render by pirates in a small galley- AC 8, 85 hp,
out the mouth of the bay, then travel some 3000 40,000 en capaciry, with one light catapult. The
miles across the Merry Pirate Seas and the Anathy ship, the Home Base, is cr:ewed entirely by 90
Archipelago to Shahjapur. In the Known World, a halfling pirates.
comparable journey would stretch from the Minco- There are 20 2nd level marines (AC 6, 8 hp,
thad Guilds to the eastern coast of Alphatia! THACO 19, Dmg 1-6); 10 sailors of 1st level (AC
8, 4 hp, THACO 19, Dmg ld6); and 60 halfling
The Expedition rowers. Their captain is the rotund halfling swash-
buckler Barrowbras Spoke (5th level, 28 hp, AC 4,
Use the Waterborne Adventures and Weather THACO 17, Dmg 1d8 spear and 1d6 short sword,
rules from the Expert Rules. The weather is calm ring of spell turning and potion of
until the PCs' ship reaches the mouth of the Bay invulnerability). All are neutral and worship
of Colima. Thereafter, roll 2d6 for each day's Korotiku the Trickster.
journey, as described in the Weather rules. Should the PCs refuse to surrender to the pi-
Provisions are no problem. The fishing in the rates, Captain Spoke attacks. He retreats when
bay is excellent; fish of unknown species leap at half his crew is defeated or when he himself takes
the PCs' bait as though no one had ever fished more than 5 hp damage. If captured, Spoke offers
these waters before. PCs who dine on the fish a ransom of 5,000 gp for safe delivery to the pirate
experience many new tastes, mostly pleasant. city of Baraga; Spoke can be bargained up to
The rou te: If the PCs command their own ship, 7,500 gp. This offer is legitimate- ransoms are a
they obviously select their own route. If they are routine custom in the Merry Pirate Seas- but it
under another's authority, the captain sails straight takes the PCs quite a distance out of their way.
south-by-southeast ("southeast" by the Hollow Any NPC captain of the PCs' ship automatically
World's compass, that is). tries to surrender. If the PCs refuse to surrender, .
Captain Spoke attacks. If the PCs' ship surrenders
Encounters or is defeated, Spoke courteously loots them of
whatever looks valuable. He comments, "Don' t
The 3000-mile journey can be as detailed (or see many out this far, gents. Thank you kindly.
not) as you wish. You can simply tell the players, Glad indeed I am to see you were less trouble than
"You sail for about ten days and arrive at this
that old biddy some time back. Just about toppled
stretch of coastline." Alternately, insert encounters
my masts, that one."
at your discretion, such as the following: Yes, this was leila Kaze. Adjust the time interval
according to how long the PCs have been in the
Seagoing dinosaurs: A pod of eight sea-green
Hollow World. Spoke tried to loot Kaze's ship,
plesiosaurs- one huge male, three smaller fe-
but she casually threw a fire ball that almost incin-
males, and five young. The male, protecting his erated the Home Base. Only then did Spoke see
territory, trumpets a threat from a good distance.
her. "Thought she was an ore for a moment, she
If attacked, the male tries to hold off the PCs'
was so bulgy about the shoulders, so discolored.
ship while the rest retreat; once they get away, he
And her eyes! Nothing there but crazy, just-
tries to flee as well.
what's the word- torment. Not used to thinking
about torment, myself, but by Korotiku she put
Flying vipers: A cloud of 3d6 hissing reptiles de-
that thought right into my head."
scends on the ship, perhaps diverted from overseas
Spoke did not see any other deformities about
migration by the smell of food. The PCs should Kaze, but she was wrapped in an expensive cloak.
retreat to sheltered quarters, fighting from safe

10
"Could have been anything under there, I sup- Also, some of the elves wandering the streets
pose," he finishes, disquieted. have had their hair sculpted to resemble pointed
pink domes, such as one might see on a building.
This is a foreshadowing of the Temple of Eight
THE DREAMS ============= Sweet Winds, a building described in Chapter 5. In
"I could be bounded in a nutshell and both these cases, Asterius is trying to overcome
count m yself a king of infmite space, Thanatos's powerful dream-illusions.
were it not that I have bad dreams." If the PCs point out any of these inconsistencies,
- Hamlet, II.ii the elves call this further hallucination. (More op-
portUnities for a crafry DM to play with the players'
During four successive sleeps on the journey, perceptions!) However, roll a second secret saving
the PCs dream. Everyone asleep at the same time throw for affected characters-success cancels the
has the same dream and cannot be roused from it effect (see below).
until it's over. In the other modules in this trilogy, If the dreaming characters go along with the
these dream visions provide vital clues sent by the elves, they witness a flying disk race and a banquet
PCs' Immortal ally, Asterius. But in this section, in their honor. During the banquet, the elves keep
Thanatos has realized Asterius's tactic, and is offering the wine to the characters. Regardless of
fighting a subtle war of lies with his captive. whether they drink or not, the dream dissolves into
In order to lead the PCs astray, Thanatos tries to a vague blur of revelry and contentment. Thanatos
distort the dreams as the PCs have them. But as will end the dream when it is obvious all those who
this fails, Thanatos raises the stakes and terrorizes will willingly drink the wine have done so.
the PCs instead. By the power oflmmortal magic, Those who are affected by the wine believe that
the dreams have real effects. The spells and magic they must seek out the Valley of the Blacklore Elves
that spellcasters employ are really used up, just as (tell those affected they feel "enlightened" by the
during regular play; and the damage these dreams dream); Thanatos has planted the knowledge of
inflict is actual, physical damage to the PCs' how to get there. Victims will actively persist in this
waking bodies! delusion for three sleeps.

Dream # 1: Side-Trip to Blacklore Valley Dream #2: Rotten Service

The PCs (seem to} awaken on a flying disk of the
You're eating in a crowded, dirty restaurant.
Blacklore elves. (See the HOllOW WORLD"' You're having bowls of lentil soup seasoned with
Sourcebook). The elves, one per PC, lean over strange, pungent spices. Dark wooden walls are
them with expressions of concern. They say things
covered with food stains, and the ceiling is too
like, "We can never thank you enough for coming
low. The place is filled with thin brown-skinned
here and saving our world." The elves try to con-
men and women, all eating soup.
vince the PCs that their mission was to restore a A waiter wearing only a turban and a loin-
huge machine necessary to the Hollow World. Now cloth approaches your table. He says, "Sirs, the
that the PCs have completed the quest, the elves
owner has tOld me that your meal is compli-
are taking them to a flying disk race in their honor.
ments of the house. We are most sorry that you
The elves offer the PCs soothing flasks of yellow-
have come so far for nothing. Our Temple has
green wine. Secretly roll a save vs. Poison for all been repaired by a group of local heroes, with
those who drink the wine. Success means the wine
the assistance of the most high Immortals. We
has no effect. Failure has an effect when they
all wish you well on your future journey."
awaken (see below). There's a scuffle outside. An old white-haired
If you feel ambitious, weave an elaborate back- man in a loincloth is trying to enter the restau-
story that plausibly leads to the PCs getting amne-
rant. The waiter runs over and yells, "No un-
sia, falling into a coma, and having lengthy touchables here!" The old man insists that he
hallucinations. The "hallucinations" are the adven-
must deliver a message for "them" -and he
tures the PCs have had so far. With good work and points at you. The waiter shouts to you, " He
fast talking, you might convince your players that
will kill you! Flee, quickly!"
the adventure so far has been an elaborate mind
game, and this dream sequence is the PCs' real
world! This dream, and the waiter's lies, come from
However, small details give the lie to the situa- Thanatos. The restaurant is in Dharsatra. The old
tion. The elves' colorful clothes have written mes- man represents another try by Asterius to reach the
sages as pan of their pattern. Among the bright PCs.
patterns are phrases like , "I can't get through to If the PCs do nothing, the dream ends as the old
you ... You must seek out Shahjapur... Seek to man is forced away from the restaurant. If they flee
remember the name Dharsatta ... I can barely out the back door, the dream ends. But if they tty
touch your minds." The elves themselves don't see to muscle their way outside to the old man, Thana-
these. tos gets the upper hand over Asterius in the dream:

11
the customers and staff of the restaurant turn into The "Brotherhood" refers to the league of Shah-
ghouls! japuri assassins called the Kirtanta. The PCs will
The ghouls attack at once. PCs wounded in the meet many Kirtanta in this adventure.
battle bear those wounds when they wake up! If
"killed;' they awaken reduced to 1 hp. However, Dream #4: Foreshadowing of Dakka
this dream damage heals twice as fast as regular
damage. (By the same token, they also get full XP You're standing under a vast dome. All around
for the ghouls they defeat.) If the battle spills out you is an ugly spider web-except that the
of the restaurant, the surroundings match the strands seem to be iron bars. The air smells of
Workers' Quarter of the city of Dharsatra, described fire, sweat, and powdered bone. Your own
in Chapter 4. bodies seem to be rippling, or is it the space you
In any case, the PCs recognize the old man when occupy that is rippling?
they meet him again in Chapter 5. This is a holy Chatterjee is tracing a figure on the floor. As
man named Chatterjee, a vital NPC in the coming you watch, it changes from two-dimensional to
adventure. (See "NPCs" in the Appendices for his three-dimensional-to four-dimensional.
description and background.) A dark figure with many arms leaps up from
Ghouls (40): AC 6; HD 2*; hp 7; #AT 2 claws/1 nowhere, carrying a corroded scythe. You can't
bite; Dmg ld3/ ld3/ ld3 + paralysis; MV 90' (30'); see the body, but the face is that of a old woman
Save F2; ML 9; AL C; THACO 18; XP 25. with long white hair.

Dream #3: Quick-Change Artist

This is Irila Kaze, as the PCs may know. In this
dream she has actually contacted the sleeping PCs,
You're standing in an eight-sided hall, a temple via Thanatos, and can converse with them.
of some sort. Devotees, who look like the restau-
Talking with Kaze: Her conversation is calm but
rant customers in your previous dream, cluster
quite insane. She begins with threats, then moves
around eight idols. Some chant, some sing, to gloating. Madly confident, she can fill in gaps
some contort their bodies in crazy postures, and players may have about previous installments in
some just stand silently. this trilogy. However, she reveals nothing of her
The old man from the previous dream ap-
own plans beyond enigmatic references to "Shahja-
proaches and lays his hand on your shoulder. He pur," "Dharsaua;' and "the Kirtanta." She may
says, "My name is Chatterjee. I feared you also refer to herself as "Dakka;' without explana-
would be too late."
tion. She is magically prevented from saying the
Suddenly he collapses. A dagger with a cop- name "Thanatos:'
per blade protrudes from his back. Try to establish a personal rivalry between Kaze
A voice behind you says, "A pity I could not and the PCs. Perhaps they taunt her. They may
have strangled him and felt him die in my arms. comment on her craving for Treesblood, and that
The Brotherhood looks forward to meeting you."
makes her furious. They may attack; see the appen-
You turn and see that many people could have dix for her statistics. She, in turn, seems to know
spoken-an old woman, an exotic-looking wiz- something about them (via Thanatos); if possible,
ard, a soldier.
dredge up some mistake a player has made during
previous adventures in the Hollow World, and wave
All of these people look like citizens of Shahja- it under his character's nose.
pur, who are described in the next chapter. The When everyone is mad at everyone, Kaze finally
temple is a distorted dream vision of the Temple of cries, "Your puerile 'yantra' will do no good-
Eight Sweet Winds. Consult Chapter 5 for more except that it may destroy you, when I destroy it!
detail. Haaah!" And she leaps at the pattern, the "yan-
No matt er which NPC the PCs approach, that tra," wielding her scythe.
character runs from the Temple into a crowded, Fighting: They may not know why, but in the
fllthy city (Dharsatra; see Chapter 4). The quarry dream the PCs feel it is important to protect this
sheds disguise after disguise. For example, the old yantra. Encourage the PCs to engage Kaze in battle
woman takes off her mask, and she's a young male to preserve the yantra.
priest; he runs into the crowd to make his getaway, This is not a full-scale battle. Instead, run it
but moments later the PCs spot him removing the strongly weighted in Kaze's favor. Adjust her attack
young cleric mask and revealing that he's a filthy rolls and saving throws to make her an insuperable
old beggar, and so forth . force. In the dream this does no lasting harm, but
Keep this up until the PCs are about to nab the it creates tension later in the adventure, as the PCs
fugitive. Then he removes his last mask. There is move toward a real confrontation with her.
nothing at all beneath. The dream ends, and the Have Kaze "slay" one or two PCs; they awaken
characters awaken exhausted. They feel like they've in their ship, reduced to 1 hp (but the damage
really run through the dusty, smelly streets of Dhar- heals twice as fast as normal). Then, in the dream,
satra! the surviving PCs see her bring down her rusty

12
scythe on the yantra. When it hits the glowing
pattern, everyone is abruptly sucked into infinite
space. There seems to be a green river flowing
through the stars, far below.
The dream ends and the characters awaken.
(This symbolically foreshadows events in Chapters 8
and 9.)

LANDFALL IN SHAHJAPUR :
Eventually the PCs arriv·e at the island nation of
Shahjapur. (Consult the large color map included
with this module.) Next, they should find Dharsa-
tra Port.
There are several ways to Guide the PCs' choice
of ports toward Dharsatra. Its sheltered harbor is by
far the best on the island. Also, they may stop
briefly for supplies at a smaller port and gain a clue
pointing to Shahjapur. If nothing else, a sudden
windstorm may blow up, driving them toward that
port. Or you can let the PCs pick a port, and shift
the Dharsatra adventure to that port.
Whatever port they choose, read this as they sail
in. (If they're flying, or even swimming, adjust the
description accordingly.)

You smell the port before you see it. Even from
far away, it smells like spices and garbage and
people. Then you see brownish-gray water lit-
tered with trash, and crowded piers in the dis-
tance ... and in between, a dozen men
scattered around the harbor, standing on its
deepest waters.
You look again. No, they're not standing on
the water; they're perched on long, springy
wooden poles that stick up about eight feet
above the water. Each pole has a small peg just
above the waterline , and the men stand one-
footed on these pegs, holding onto the poles
one-handed.
The men have long hair, long beards, and
they're dressed in long dirty smocks. They're all
staring at the sun. None of them move, except
to breathe. They barely notice you; then they go
back to looking at the sun. unity. Seek the life force." That's alL
Stage this as an exotic, even creepy, introduction
These are fakirs, intensely spiritual Shahjapuri to the alien land of Shahjapur.
who devote their lives to this fanatical practice in
order to gain enlightenment. They are men of all
ages from 20 to 60, in wretched health but un-
WHERE NEXT? =========
mindful of pain. They stand one-legged on these In this chapter, try to establish that Irila Kaze is
poles for days or weeks at a time, staring upward, still ahead of the PCs on this journey. More impor-
never changing position. Some have been doing it, tantly, use the landfall sequence to show the players
with only brief breaks, for years. this new land is unlike any their characters have
The fakirs represent no harm to the PCs. But seen.
they don't do much good, either. Trying to con- Before continuing with the port sequence, read
verse with these searchers is like shouting to some- about the background and culture of Shahjapur in
one in another dimension. Their concerns are so the next chapter. Mter that, Chapter 4 opens by
different from everyday life that communication is resuming the port sequence, then moves to an
impossible. The fakirs say, "Join with all. Strive for overview of Dharsatra.

13
SHAHJAPUR ==========
Technology: Iron Age, steel forged.
five sleeps, bringing clouds heavier, darker and
more full of water than anywhere else. It starts to
rain-solid sheets of water, as heavy as any storm
Life-Style: Theocratic, intensely spiritual, densely the player characters have seen, and it just never
crowded city-dwellers and primitive villagers; stops. Within seven sleeps all the rivers, creeks,
highly diverse polytheistic cultures, caste system, ponds and pools are overflowing. Muddy streams
extremes of wealth and poverty. fill with dead or drowning creatures of all types.
Population: 2,500,000 in many large cities and Roads turn into impassable rivers of mud. Even
countless villages. Capital city is Amtha (pop. elephants and dinosaurs are trapped in the mire.
200,000); largest city is Dharsatra (pop. 450,000). Cloth turns black with m.old, leather turns green
Outer-World Origin: Sind, ca. 400 AC. with algae, and fine boots sprout mushrooms.
And the rain continues. At the height of the

DESCRIPTION =========
Terrain: Shahjapur is the largest island in the
storm, after about twenty sleeps, water and air
elementals often appear, cavorting in the down-
pour.
chain running westward from the Merry Pirate After another twenty sleeps, the storm slowly
Isles. Like all land along the Hollow World's equa- begins to die down. In ten more sleeps it is a light
tor, this island is mountainous; however, on Shah- rain, then patchy rain. At last the sunny weather
japur the towering peaks of the World's Spine returns and the floods recede.
have given way to steeply descending ranks of
high plateaus. THESHAHJAPURI======
This geography produces various environments.
The upper plateaus are windswept grasslands, with The natives of this land come of Neathar and
fields of wild mountain rice, herds of mountain Oltec stock. The Shahjapuri have nut-brown skin,
goats and mountain yaks, snow leopards, and no shiny black hair, black eyes, and tend toward com-
human habitation beyond the occasional shepherd pact, wiry builds. They resemble the Ylari of the
or hermit. Known World; of the Hollow World's peoples, the
Further down, the grassy fields give way to the Nithians resemble the Shahjapuri most closely,
tropical rain forest that covers most of Shahjapur: but the Shahjapuri are slightly duskier.
Sprawling forests of teak, bamboo, and broad- Most Shahjapuri are very thin, but this is not a
leaved plants. Wildlife gathers here in unparal- racial characteristic; it's a result of poverty. For all
leled profusion-tigers, long-snouted crocodiles the bounty their land provides, nine in ten Shah-
called gavials, wild dogs, elephants with rather japuri live in loathsome, degraded conditions:
small ears, baboons, mongooses, palm civets, sarus crowded huts, rotting food, polluted water, and
cranes, and an amazing variety of snakes. Dino- filth that spreads deadly diseases. The situation is
saurs are also common here. A few human villages worst in cities, where half of all infants are still-
here fight constantly with more numerous human- born and the typical worker dies before age 40. In
oids, especially primitive pygmy-like gnomes and the countryside health improves, but food is
goblins. harder to find. In city or country, the vast majority
A small part of one plateau at this altitude is of workers cannot read or write.
the Deccania Desert, kept dry and windy by Im-
mortal magic. This rocky desert serves as a preserve Customs
for gazelles, wild boars, sloth bears, a huge short- Shahjapuri culture is exceptionally diverse.
horned antelope called a nilgai, jackals, hyenas, Consider a single block in the Artisans' Quarter in
and porcupines. No intelligent beings live here Shahjapur's largest city, Dharsatra.
except a few nomadic bands of gnolls. At the street corner are three beggars, two hu-
The lowest altitudes of Shahjapur, the bands of mans and a gajanta gnoll. All are male; their
coastal territory, vary widely in their environments. wives are home in the Domain of the Untoucha-
The jungle reaches the sea at some points, but bles. One of the humans has a horrible disfiguring
other coastal stretches are lifeless salt bogs. An disease; all have brass bells they continually ring.
excellent river system allows the Shahjapuri to This warns members of higher castes of their pres-
cultivate rice paddies, fruit orchards, and fields of ence, lest the priests be contaminated by standing
millet and jute (a fibrous plant), as well as numer- downwind of them. All appear very poor, but
ous and characteristic formal gardens (see below). one, a twelfth-generation beggar, has so honed his
Climate: For seven or eight months a year, skills that he takes in good wages every day and
weather in Shahjapuri is sunny and stable. Toward actually has a palatial home in the Domain of the
the end of that season, the endless sunshine dries
Untouchables.
the rivers and cakes the mud , and the weak, hu- A merchant tosses a copper piaster ( 1 cp) into
mans and animals alike, begin to die of thirst. Just one of the beggars' bowls. He leaves his shop,
when it seems the land must break under the where he sells firewood, to toss a coin every sleep;
strain, comes the monsoon. his folk have done so for generations. Entering his
The monsoon winds blow strongly for three to

14
shop behind him is a servant from the house of a Above the restaurant is a woodcarver's shop
princeling namedJawall Nesotra. The servant, featuring brightly painted figures of many of the
who unlike most can read and write, is carrying a Immortals in all of their aspects. In the back room
list of exotic woods he must buy to burn for his of the shop, a Kirtanta master assassin is instruct-
master's birthday party. Because he is dressed in ing a roomful of novices in the fine art of strangu-
the proper livery, he can pay amounts that would lation.
equal many people's lifetime wages , and no one In the middle of the block a seller of saws has
bats an eye. closed his shop temporarily. His wife is having a
In the next shop a man haggles with a party of baby, and he is paying runners tO find a midwife.
outcasts for their services. His father died two In addition to these people , more than 300
sleeps ago, and he needs to have someone carry others live on this block alone.
the body to the crematory outside of town. Out- Compared to the simpler societies found in the
casts alone can handle the polluting corpse. The rest of the Hollow World, Shahjapur seems to be
entire funeral will cost two piasters. closer to the living cultures of the Known World.
Across the street-past the oxcart delivering a Although the Shahjapuri live in a teeming
load of teak to yet another shop-a holy man, a nation-state, with great diversity and an apparent
samdu, rises after having knelt on the roof of this wealth of choice, almost all of these people live
building for twelve years, and begins to announce small lives. They work at their parents' trade .
his revelations to the world. Only a pair of vul- With the exception of a pilgrimage once or twice
tures are listening, but he preaches to them with in their lifetimes to a religious site (such as the
endless energy and sincerity. famous Temple of the Eight Sweet Winds) these
In the next building , a first floor restaurant folk may never know what lies in the next village ,
(like the one the PCs dreamed of in Chapter 2) is or even the next city block. The man on the street
packed with artisans enjoying onion bread and a does not answer those basic human questions,
dish of lamb and spinach. None have come from "Who am I?" and "Why am I here?" In fact,
more than three blocks away, yet the restaurant is they have never occurred to him. The only Shahja-
always filled during the glaring endless noon. puri who consider such questions are the samdus.

15
Samdu then what use is there in improving his physical
circumstances, when the spirit goes untended?
"Samdu" (pronounced SAHM-doo) is variously Better to endure, and hope for rewards in the next
translated as "ultimate being" and "accomplish- life.
ment." The word embodies not only Shahjapur's This fatalistic spirit show up in two ways:
predominant faith but that faith's goal: achieve-
ment of unity with the common spirit of all life. 1. NPC reactions: A bloodthirsty slaughter can
For the followers of samdu, themselves called take place at one end of a block, and if there is no
samdus, all living things partake of holiness. Sam- danger to the people down the street, they won't
dus do not pay homage to specific Immonals, but get involved. Not only that-if they're busy, they
rather to the life spirit as it shows in the Immor- won't even bother to watch!
tals, monals, and all crearures. Since the Shahja- The concept of asking for local help to fight evil
puri believe one cannot conceive of this life spirit is foreign to this society. Locals are blind to the
without some specific embodiment, they have degradation of their society; if the PCs point out
created an endless pantheon of Immortal flagrant examples of social injustice, the Shahja-
"aspects" -different incarnations of the true Im- puri simply won't understand. Characters may be
mortals to represent various different ideas. able to pay beggars to start a disrurbance, but they
So for instance, the samdus pay homage to won't motivate citizens to take up arms.
Ilsundal, the Greater Immonal in the Sphere of 2. Information gathering: Shahjapuri tend to
Energy (see the DM's Sourcebook in the answer questions very directly. Since everything is
HOllOW WORLD"' boxed set). But nowhere in destined to be so, they won't pick out special data
Shahjapur can the visitor find a temple devoted to as being more significant in the course of a chain
just Ilsund:al, the Immortal. No, instead there are of occurrence.
temples of Ayodhya, the aspect of Ilsundal de- For example, if asked, "Are the Kirtanta assas-
voted to abstract thought; to Sita, Ilsundal's sup- sins active in this neighborhood?" a Shahjapuri
posed female aspect devoted to contemplation of would not tell the PCs all he knows. ("Not only
narure; to Laksman, one of the embodiments of are they active, but I think the baker at the end of
Ilsundal's opposition to Atzanteotl. ... The sam- the block is a member, and I'm pretty sure they
dus even revere separate aspects of Ilsundal accord- have meetings there.") Instead, he'd answer,
ing to which aspect of Atzanteotl he is opposing! "Yes."
Samdu claims 33,333 separate Immonal as-
pects. Many of them represent actual Immortals
active in the Hollow World. Many more have no
Caste
connection to acrual Immortals, but are simply The term "caste" originally meant "enslaved
creations that the Shahjapuri originated to em- ones." When humans first migrated to ancient
body an imponant idea. In samdu, the distinction Sind, the land was infested with gnolls. Rather
is not important; the central idea is that all these than exterminating the humanoids, the humans
aspects, whether of true Immortals or fictitious, enslaved them, creating a social underclass. Even-
are paths to appreciation of the holy life spirit. rually human criminals were also demoted to this
Fatalism: That holy spirit pervades every Shah- underclass.
japuri's whole life. To set aside a particular activity With the arrival of the ruling shapeshifters (see
as worship would be meaningless in Shahjapur. As "History;' below), the original purpose of polariz-
they would say, every contact one has with other ing society changed into one of stratifying it. The
life, whether prayer or eating or whatever, is a shapeshifters believed this made an efficient soci-
form of worship. ety, and so the practice evolved from custom to
To a foreign visitor, the Shahjapuri live in a law to (what was finally seen as) the narural order.
bewildering mixrure of what might be called the Castes create boundary lines across which mar-
sacred and the profane. Temples of srunning riage cannot occur; even friendly social intimacies,
beauty stand beside the most degraded slums. like drinking from the same cup or sitting down to
Ascetics of breathtaking piety walk through the same meal, are taboo. To be born into a caste
muddy streets, stepping over sleeping children is now seen as the action of fate and accepted as
who live in doorways. The Shadjapuri believe the part of one's lot in life.
world cannot be improved, and that attempts to In Shahjapur there are four distinct castes:
do so are doomed. All must endure this life with- priests (brahmats), nobles and rulers (shaktin),
out protest; some do so in hopes of gaining a artisans ( vasin), and unskilled workers (sudyar).
better station in the next life, while others concen- This last caste also includes most common crimi-
trate on achieving improvement in the "inner nals.
world" -that is, the enlightenment of their own In Shahjapuri society, the priest caste holds the
spirits. highest rank. Only males can be priests. Women
To many Shahjapuri, compassion for one's fel- of this caste, though theoretically due equal re-
low citizens is meaningless. If he has achieved spect, remain in seclusion in their homes, seldom
enlightenment, then no amount of degradation contacting any male outside their immediate fami-
can interrupt that state of bliss; and if he has not, lies.

16
 Note that not all members of the priestly caste
are clerics. Although this is the most common
profession of male members of this class, its ranks
CULTURE =============
The strange and teeming world of Shahjapur
also include teachers and wizards (but usually not has excelled in certain sciences and arts.
fighters or thieves). Medicine: Despite the often unhygienic condi-
The lowest of the low are the outcasts, called tions here, nonmagical medicine and surgery have
"untouchables" or "unclean" (gajanta). They live reached their highest development in the Known
in sprawling ghettoes outside city walls. They are or Hollow Worlds. Abundant herbal and mineral
considered so polluted that they can never interact medicines actually remove fevers and pain. Physi-
with society. cians belong to the artisan caste.
Magical healing is normally reserved for the
Ranks of Shahjapuri Castes (Highest to Lowest) priestly and noble castes. Since spells are at a pre-
Priests and spiritual leaders mium during this adventure, only the highest
Moguls, administrators, leaders, and warriors ranks of the priest caste will receive any magical
Landowners, merchants, tradesmen, and arti- treatment.
sans The ans: Distinctive features of Shahjapuri
Servants and laborers architecture include the minaret or spire, the
Outcasts or untouchables (not a caste) pointed arch, the bulbous dome, and a Strong use
of horizontal lines and elaborate ornamentation.
The visual arts are highly developed, especially in
The Status of Women the painting of miniatures. Most homes, even
Women in Shahjapur hold few rights. They those of the poor, contain small pieces of illus-
have no right to equal standing in court, to inherit trated parchment, landscapes and especially por-
money, to enter the skilled trades, to learn priest- traits, executed with meticulous realism. (Recall
craft or spellcasting, or even to express themselves that accurate portraits can sometimes be
artistically. clues .... )
Wealthy families keep their women at home. Although literacy is low, calligraphy enjoys the
The women of the priestly and administrative status of a fine art, and exotic lettering is used as a
castes are seldom seen. Among the merchants and decorative device on screens (absolutely essential as
artisans, women are active in their husbands' room dividers in the crowded environment) and
business in inverse proportion to the business's upon the facades of buildings.
economic success. Only among the outcasts do Fatalism has affected both drama and music.
women enjoy anything near equal rights, and that Since Shahjapuri view the world as an unfolding,
is only because outcasts of both genders have no predetermined drama, they prefer their plays,
rights. ceremonies, and festivals to reflect that long dura-
tion. A village may spend eight or nine sleeps on a
Demihumans single dramatic retelling of a mythological event.
Everyone is apt to have a part, and the entire
The Shahjapuri population is almost all human. performance drags on, hovering between ecstasy
Nonhumans are only found in the large cities. and boredom.
Villages are almost all human, with the occasional Shahjapuri music, played on sitars (twangy
shapeshifter in the fold . stringed instruments) and drums, tends to run
Among the outcasts, some of the original popu- through every possible variation on the mood of
lation of enslaved gnolls remains, comprising an endless string of time. Shahjapuri philosophers
about one percent of the population. This group see existence as a slow dance to the music of time,
is unlike gnolls found elsewhere in terms of cul- lasting tens of millions of years. For them all
ture, language, or alignment. For example, they things are the least possible dust on the great lake
have no particular dislike for elves or dwarves. of eternity, including the brief play called "Man-
Another one percent are shapeshifters, long a kind."
part of Sindian society: dopplegangers, rakshasas,
bhuts, and others. These live at all levels of soci-
ety, from wealthy beggars to established artisans to
Government and the Army
leading clerics. A final percent are demihumans, If you ask any Shahjapuri who leads a given city,
almost all of whom are artisans. village, or even the nation, he or she names the
All of these groups think of themselves as Shah- highest-ranking cleric. The influence of the priest
japuri. They do not speak the languages associated caste is paramount- they are believed to represent
with them in the Known World, and if the PCs the will of the Immortals. However, if you asked
approach them as long-lost brothers, they become who runs the area, a Shahjapuri names the
confused. Conversely, demihuman PCs are as- highest-ranking member of the nobility.
sumed to belong to the artisan caste. The Grand Mogul: This all-but-omnipotent
ruler has absolute control of the army, the courts,
and public works. His office is theoretically inher-

17
ited, but in fact the sons of the Great Mogul often citizen earns. A greedy member of this breed may
kill each other, leaving the next Mogul to be try to tax the PCs!
named from survivors closest in rank to the royal Most of these taxes directly enrich the moguls
family. The only powers in Shahjapur greater than and the panchat councilors. The wealth of these
the Grand Mogul are the priests, who seldom nobles doesn't directly mirror their social power or
exercise their influence. their ability level. The priests, who usually live
The reigning Grand Mogul, Koriktodeva Raya, simply, possess far greater power.
dwells in a white marble palace in the Nobles'
Quarter of the capital, Amtha. He owns one of Economy
the most valuable treasures in the Hollow World,
the Peacock Throne. With its many inlaid dia- Money: The excellent Shahjapuri currency fol-
monds, rubies, emeralds and other precious lows that of Sind. The basic coin is the piaster
stones, its worth is inestimable. (abbreviated Pr), worth one copper piece. A pias-
Raya himself is far from inestimable. He is ter buys a good meal, and 2 Pr buys a night's
young (28 years old), vigorous almost beyond comfortable lodging with servants in attendance.
belief (Con 18), an excellent fighter, and firmly in Ten piasters make one khundar (Kh), worth a
control of the government. However, he and his silver piece. A frugal low-caste worker may save 2
followers have no desire to improve society. Since Kh a month. Ten khundars make a bhani (Bh;
Raya delegates authority well to his provincial worth 1 gp or 2 ep). This is about a year's savings
moguls, he can spend almost all his time in his for a large family.
favorite activity, tiger hunting. Five bhani make a rupee (Rp; 5 gp ), more
Mansabdars: Nobles are ranked by a bureau- money than most people in Shahjapur ever see. A
cratic system called the ma.nsa.bda.ri. Each rank is a rupee buys a small dwelling, with enough change
number, meaning the number of soldiers the to hire a servant for months. Five rupees make the
leader controls and (by implication) the number common coin of rulers and potentates, the guru
of citizens he is responsible for. (Gu; 25 gp). A guru, a heavy and attractive gold
For example, the lowest rank, a 10, controls ten coin, could feed a whole village for a week-if it
cavalry soldiers and is responsible for the welfare were not promptly taken by government tax col-
and control of 1000 citizens. The highest rank lectors.
beneath the Grand Mogul is that of mogul, a
provincial governor. Each Mogul is ranked 25, 000 Magic
in the mansabdar system, for each controls an The caste system has greatly affected the distri-
army of 25,000 horsemen. bution of spellcasting talents in Shahjapur. Clerics
Mansabdars act as soldiers, police, civil engi- are only found among the priest caste or in a few
neers, jailers, magistrates, assistants to tax collec- rare instances among the outcasts. The later group
tors, and so on. Each receives a salary from the includes gnoll wokani.
state. There is no special qualification for Magic as a philosophical art is highly respected
appointment- mansabdars can be transferred among the priest caste, and some magic-users
from one duty to another of an entirely different achieve great ability. These mages seldom put
narure, making for some administrators skilled in their art to practical use, and would much rather
all areas, and others who spread their incompe- spend time talking about the significance of magic
tence throughout the system. and what it means to the eternal life spirit. How-
The pa.nchac: A mogul rules a province, but ever, such magical artifacts as do remain, souvenirs
his power is not absolute like the Grand Mogul's. of the Known World, generally remain with this
The provincial mogul rules with the aid and caste for safekeeping.
consent of the highest-ranking mansabdars under Among the administrative caste, magic use is
him, in a council called the pa.ncha.t. Each city's sharply limited. Seldom do noble magicians ad-
panchat represents different local interests, but vance beyond the middle levels. Low-level spells
in general panchats are large, disorganized, and among the artisan caste figure in the lore passed
corrupt. from father to son, and becomes a type of trade
Panchat councilors have great latitude in day- secret. There are almost no magic-users among the
to-day affairs, something like cabinet ministers. workers or outcasts.
The office is regarded as a license to get rich,
particularly through the efforts of the da.rma.ni.
Darmani: Shahjapur's tax collectors, the de- HISTORY ON THE OUTER
spised da.rma.ni ("hyenas"), earn peculiar wages:
they keep whatever they collect beyond the state's WORLD ==================
Shahjapuri civilization originates entirely from
specified fee for their district (and whatever a
panchat councillor rakes off the top). Ergo, a the Known World land of Sind.
greedy darmani is a successful darmani. Since they Hundreds of miles west of the westernmost
have great power to enforce lawful tribute, the .reaches of the Atruaghin Clans, across the roasting
darmani rake in almost all the hard currency a sands of the Sind Desert, lies a great nation-state.

18
In the eastern lands this country takes its name About two centuries later, Sind encountered
from the desert nearby, and scholars and travellers early trading expeditions from the west. Ka the
know it as Sind. However, the name derives from Preserver recognized that this contact would irrev-
the Sindai language's word for "desert," making it ocably alter Sindian culture, so the Immortal
both redundant and inaccurate-Sind is extrava- transplanted a section of Sind to the Hollow
gantly fertile. World, to preserve this unique blend of culrures.
The natives of this land, though they recognize
the name "Sind" and use it with foreign visitors,
actually caJI their own land Shahjapur, or " do- HISTORY IN THE HOLLOW
main of the Immortal King." The name's true WORLD ===================
origin is lost in Sind's ancient history, though a
hundred myths explain it in a hundred different As with most other cultures transplanted here,
ways. (If the name was ever accurate, certainly it is after the initial shock of transition wore off the
no longer. Sind's current archcleric, Chandra ul Sindians (now the Shahjapuri) adapted and even
Nervi, is not Immortal.) flourished in the Hollow World. The already
The name of Sind did not appear in Known strong trends to cultural fatalism and stasis rein-
World histOries until about six centuries ago, when force and complement the Spell of Preservation.
intrepid explorers reached and named the area. Exploring the "inner world" (as opposed to the
However, Sind has a long history stretching back Hollow World) through contemplation became
sev~r_al millennia. 1!1 its early centuries, tiny princi- the goal of life. Skills such as cartography and
pahnes squabbled m endless, futile warfare. Those navigation have vanished. Since this gives little for
tiny states survive as Sind's provinces ... and some the ~my to do, not only are they a poorly trained
of their rivalries also survive. But by 400 BC (Before fighuog force, but their reputation and influence
Crowning) a conquering army had united most of decrease with each passing year, creating a power
modern Sind-an army of monsters. vacuum.
The Reign of the Chambahara: The so-called A century ago Thanatos began to .influence this
"chambahara" ("deformed animals") were intelli- land. He touched certain individuals at random.
gent shapeshifters who displayed uncommon am- From these subtle influences came the new force in
bition and organization. They included bhuts, Shahjapur, the Kirtanta-the society of assassins
rakshasas, yaksh asas, were-tigers, dopplegangers, (see the next chapter and the NPCs Appendix.)
and other shapeshifters.
It is unknown how long they plotted this ta- RELATIONS WITH OTHER
keover, whether they acted alone, or whether they
were guided by some evil influence from beyond. RACES =============
In their six centuries of power, they created a sta-
Shahjapur is unaware of most other peoples of
ble_. fatalistic society unlikely to revolt; a populous the Hollow World and has no desire to meet them.
soctety that could feed those chambahara that
They do know about the Merry Pirates, due to
dined on human flesh; a diverse society, so that no
frequent pirate raids. Those raids create predictable
smaJI group could rise to power. The chambahara animosity, yet the Shahjapuri have erected few
crushed all invading armies, but tolerantly incor- defenses against the pirates. In their view, the raids
porated them into the existing system; to these
are part of this imperfect life, and attempts to
monsters, all people were simply cattle.
protect against them are doomed from the start.
Their fall: Around 180 AC a member of the
Shahjapur has no navy, but of lat·e a few large
n?ble caste, Thombara the Daring, decided that
ships have been fitted to carry elephants. Some of
hts countrymen should not be fodder for such evil
the Grand Mogul's sons consider mounting an
beings. He began to organize hunts, careful to let
att~ck on the Merry Pirates. Normally such an
his chambahara masters think that this was one
acnon would be unthinkable in fatalistic Shahja-
mo~e idle div~rsion for the human nobility. In
pur. Perhaps the Kirtanta assassins wish to expand
realtty, he uamed adventurers and, with the aid of
their sphere of influence.
magical weapons, .fmally led a rebellion against
When_foreign visitors arrive on Shahjapuri
the chambahara.
shores, e1~er as ttaders for teak and spices or
In the year 199 AC Thombara was crowned as
through shipwreck, they are tolerated by this fatal-
Grand Mogul ("liberator"). He institutionalized
istic society-but if they violate caste restrictions,
the organization he had set up for the conquest,
such a;; by associating with untouchables, no one
which remains today in Sind as well as Shahjapur as
else will speak to them. They can't enter restau-
the mansabdar system. Defeating the monsters rants, rent lodgings, or even buy from street ven-
proved easier than changing attitudes; Sindian
dors.
society remained very diverse and conservative.
. ~f course, Sha.J:ljapur is a big place with many
Thombara attempted to introduce the idea of pro- cmes, so the unwtse visitor can often hide from a
motion through merit, but the fatalism the cham-
past indiscretion. One of the best places to hide is
bahara had introduced remained strong in Sind.
the land's biggest city, Dharsatra.

19
 This chapter explores the least livable city in After dealing with Sarjoo, the PCs may explore
Shahjapur, Dharsatra. Once called "an archetype the port and secure transportation for the 10-mile
of holiness and filth, mingled like blood and trek to the city proper.
offal," Dharsatra displays the extremes of life in
Shahjapur. This section also describes the assassin Every berth of this vast port is filled; there ate
cult known as the Kirtanta, now the greatest ships of all sizes. The air is overpowering with
power in the city. spices- cinnamon, cloves, allspice, pepper-
and with the smell of filth and the crematoria
HOW THEY GET HERE=== of the city. The water is polluted, unspeakably
foul- and yet religious samdus bathe in its
Consult the color map of Dharsatra included foulness, proclaiming themselves pure and
with this module. holy. Most of the other ships come from other
If the characters have chosen to arrive elsewhere cities of Shahjapur.
than the port, skip to the Typical Encounters Two types of guides present themselves. Both
under Events, below. If they arrive at the port, groups ate lean, almost emaciated natives with
one Sarjoo Singh, a low-ranking member of the diseased-looking camels. One group seems a
administrative caste, meets their ship. little better fed, and their camels have ornate
harnesses and tack. The other group has plain
harnesses.
A thin brown-skinned man approaches your The plain-harness guides will take you to the
vessel. He has black hair and eyes, sharp fea- city for two silver pieces. The others charge two
tures, and he looks like he's in his mid-thirties. gold pieces. No one seems to see anything odd
He wears a loose-fitting, slightly dirty linen shin in this. They don't find you odd either, though
and pants, and has a white silk turban set with a you are the only foreigners around.
small reddish stone, probably a cheap ruby. He
carries a leatherbound ledger and pen.
Whatever he's about to do, his bored air The plain group are outcasts, untouchables. If
makes it cleat it's routine. From the dock he the characters choose to go with them, they arrive
hails the captain. "Hello! You will be stating in Dharsatra via the Street of Misery (see the color
for me your point of origin, please?" map). If they enter tne city this way, reduce their
Charisma by 6 when they deal with non-outcasts.
If the PCs choose the more expensive guides
Sarjoo is barely past 20; they age fast in Shahja- (who belong to the administrative caste), they
pur. He records the number of people arriving, enter Dhatsatra by the Street of Wealth. If they
their cargo, and their purpose in coming. As long decide to walk, or if they brought their own
as the characters provide plausible answers, there mounts, they probably enter the city by the Street
is no problem. If the characters give suspicious of Vigor. The latter two entrances do not affect
answers, they will have frequent encounters with Charisma.
the city guard. The 10 or so miles to the city, over a well-worn
Sarjoo is a busy man; he provides courteous but cobblestone road, pass through a jumbled coun-
rushed answers to the characters' questions. If the tryside. There ate piles of rubbish; patches of
characters show no visible signs of wealth and no brilliant jungle flowers; cenotaphs and religious
trade goods, Satjoo advises them to stay out of the statues beautifully worked in white marble; huts
administrative district and to keep their stay as and shacks devoted to untouchable trades forbid-
short as possible. He charges a 10 gp docking fee. den in the city (butchering camels and sheep,
If the characters molest him, he yells for a squad tanning leather) ; and blazing crematoria. Crema-
of guards, who arrive in three rounds. tion, followed by dumping the ashes in the river,
Sarjoo: 2nd level magic-user; AC 9; hp 5; #AT is the preferred funerary practice.
1; Dmg 1d4 or by spell; MV 120' (40'); Save
MU2; ML 7; ALL; THACO 19. Administrative
caste, mansabdat rank 20; dagger, canteen; ledger THE SCENE===========
book doubles as spellbook. Spells: light, shield. The largest port in Shahjapur, Dhatsatra actu-
City guards (10): AC 5; hp 12 each; #AT 1; ally lies a few miles inland from the Northern
Dmg 1d8 + 1 (sword and strength bonus); MV 90' Atlass Ocean. The city rests in a bend along the
(30'); Save F2; ML 9; AL N; THACO 18. Adminis- wide, slow, muddy gray river called the Monbobo.
trative caste, unranked. Each carries long sword Fetid salt marshes lie to the north and west,
and short mahogany truncheon (ld4). ideal breeding grounds for mosquitos and various
City guard mage: AC 9; hp 8; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4 diseases. Bamboo groves and open fields of rice,
or by spell; MV 120' (40'); Save M2; ML 7; ALL; jute, and sesame reach south. Beyond them, .rain
THACO 18. Spells: light (x2), web. Administra- forests, home to tigers and orangutans and gtant
tive caste, mansabdar rank 10. Carries dagger and pythons, stretch to the distant cliffs.
sometimes a mahogany staff.

20
History of Dharsatra underground at the center of the quarter. Courts
are in the one-story buildings near che Temple of
When Ka the Preserver relocated a section of Eight Sweet Winds.
Sind to che Hollow World , Dharsatra was brought AU buildings, including administrative build-
along as a kind of Sind in miniature, reflec~g ings, hold extended families , usually one per
the mix of high piety and developed arcs wtth the story. All members of che family panicipate in the
worst of living conditions. family 's business.
The outer-world Dharsatra began as a small If the PCs have not identified themselves with
river village near an excellent seapon. An early the outcasts, they can obtain training here in
Grand Mumal, Hooghily, developed che port and fighting or spellcasting.
opened up a trade in jute, bamboo, teak, and
sptces. Artisans' Quarter
Just before its transfer to the Hollow World, Buildings here are narrower and taller (up co 12
Dharsatra had undergone rapid growth, for these floors) than those in che Warriors' Quarter. Open
trade items were beginning to sell to the trade sewers run through the cobblestone streets, which
caravans from the east. Since the transfer to the are extraordinarily crowded with wacer oxen bear-
Hollow World, Dharsatra continues to trade heav- ing loads of teak, wagons wich brass wares, etc.
ily with the rest of Shahjapur, and what little Each block consists of a cluster of buildings
trade goes on with the rest of the world flows housing one trade- tinsmiths or rug weavers, for
through this vast city. example. Prices and quality vary widely; haggling
is a necessary and much admired skill . Foreigners
Layout of Dharsatra and members of the artisan caste can always find
Even at a miles' distance, Dharsatra's stench of low-paying jobs as apprentices- simply set out
overcrowding rises with the heat waves. Yet along the Street of Knowledge with a picture of
through che gaps in the slum buildings, the PCs the kind of work you're looking for.
can make ouc bands of green . Potions are occasionally available in the bazaar.
Dharsacra is a roughly circular cicy sharply di- Magical items can fetch good prices here as well.
vided into four quarters. Each quarter is domi- All thieves who are not omcasts belong to the
nated by one of the four castes of Shahjapuri Thieves' Guild here , which has its headquarters
society. The mazes of narrow streets in each quar- beneath a jute rope factory. As in the Domain of
ter contrast with the four broad avenues which the Untouchables , inns, taverns, theaters, and
separate them. camel rental agencies abound.
Each avenue has a lush parkway with fountains
and statuary between two streets, each 40 feet Priests' Quarter
wide . Why are they so wide? So the castes do not Buildings here are as tall and narrow as in the
suffer pollution by contact wich one another. Quarter of the Workers, but they are kept white-
In the center of the city, where the four avenues washed and scrupulously clean. So are the spotless
meet, lies the Temple of Eight Sweet Winds. For a streets, with sewers sanitarily enclosed beneath
description of the Temple, see the next chapter. (cleanliness and purity are the obsessions of the
priest caste).
Staging Notes Many of the priests here live in almost monastic
conditions, gladly spending their lives in medita-
In describing Dharsatra, always emphasize the tion and prayer. A few use their position and pres-
vast number of people; the contrasts of wealth and tige to enjoy a worldly life. Their houses, built
poverty, cleanliness and filth, beauty and ugliness. around gardens and pleasure domes, are conspicu-
Any street near the center of town affords plenty ous in this pristine environment.
of diversity, no matter what quarter it's in. And Several priests maintain large libraries that con-
it's always crowded, far more densely than most tain information about the Temple of Eight Sweet
cities the PCs have seen. Winds, tracts on the nature of the Immortals, or
That said , the different quarters offer different leads to further adventures, such as treasure maps.
perspectives on Shahjapur's society. Here are cap-
sule descriptions. Workers' Quarter
The buildings are taller and for the most part
Warriors' (Administrators') Quarter uglier in this quarter. Those nearest the Temple of
In this clean quarter the narrow wooden build- the Eight Sweet Winds begin ac chree stories in
ings are covered in stucco and whitewashed. The height (contrasting with the one-story buildings in
streets are cobblestone, and the sewers are en- the other quarters). These buildings are gaily
closed. painted and carved, hoed-like structures, houses
The buildings at the outer edge are ten stories for multiple noble families.
tall; those near the Temple, one story. The city Housing quality falls off sharply in the next
guards live in the tall buildings at the outer edg~ blocks outward- unpainted (and often unsafe)
of the quarter. Extensive, hellish jail complexes lie

21
wooden buildings, each rising a little higher than
its predecessor, tower to block out the sunlight in
between. On the darkened streets below, grim
underfed people scurry off to their duties.
The only businesses here are large, cheap, very
bad restaurants. Money seldom changes hands
here; the restaurant owners maintain tally sticks
on their patrons, collecting by the month. No
lodging is available here.
If characters throw around large sums of money
in the restaurants here (or offer to buy informa-
tion for a gold piece), they are met with suspicion
rather than gratitude. Everyone talks about them,
and this leads to daily meetings with the City
Guard or even a Kirtanta ambush.
This is the only area besides the Domain of the
Untouchables where one sees children. Children
normally don't begin work until they are ten or
11, and since they are not apprenticed to a partic-
ular trade as in other quarters, here they have a
childhood. Small gangs of kids run unattended
through the streets. Unlike their parents, they
have lively curiosity, and gather around foreigners
asking many bright questions.

Domain of the Untouchables

A tremendous slum lies around the edge of the
city, safely out of contact with any quarter. The
unclean dwell here, the invisible and
untouchable- the outcasts.
Although there are few among the outcasts who
are extremely wealthy, their stone houses stand out
like palaces. Most of the wooden buildings here and religious union with Thanatos and began to
are unpainted and of poor construction. Fire is a spread their influence among a larger group.
constant hazard; indeed, there is a fire in this area Outcasts, foreigners , thieves, demihumans, and
every few sleeps. humanoids now belong to this powerful secret
The buildings here were built on marshy society. It offers certain advantages to its initiates.
ground, so everything is pervaded by a wet, rot- Through cultural and disguise training, outcasts
ting smell. The outcasts scavenge from the rest of may assume the roles of merchants or administra-
the city, and wagons full of dung for sale to tors . Thieves may gain access to great treasures and
farmers (for a few coppers) roll down the muddy, always have a safe house to which they can retire .
unpaved streets. Leprous beggars sit everywhere Those few foreigners who have been stranded in
pleading for alms, and the sight of dead bodies in Shahjapur, by shipwreck or other mishap, never
the streets is not uncommon. quite fit into the caste structure . The Kirtanta
Money goes a long, long way here. The PCs can offers them a sense of belonging and possibilities
easily raise tatterdemalion armies to create diver- for advancing their status and wealth. Humanoids
stons. (particularly gnolls) are treated by society as out-
casts and can receive the same bounties.
THE KIRTANTA ======== Methods and Victims
History The Kirtanta do not share all the fatalism of
K.irtanta means "finisher." Centuries ago, a Shahjapuri culture. They believe in active change
group of philosophers, priests, and wizards began a and have long-term goals of ultimate destruction.
serious study of the process of Entropy. Their initial Thanatos has influenced them, making them
study focused on destruction as the prelude to new highly dangerous to the established order.
growth or rebirth. Thanatos sensed their studies The Kirtanta believe that every killing speeds
and isolated them from the balancing effect of the the universe to its destined end. However, since it
Temple of Eight Sweet Winds. As they became is as easy to kill a rich person as a poor one, they
estranged from the balance and mainspring of prefer the former. . . because the Kirtama also
Shahjapur culture, they came to see destruction as a like wealth.
liberating force. The initial group formed a magical Kirtanta act in groups-usually four Kirtanta
(levels 1-4), one master Kirtanta (level 7-10), and

22
one doppleganger. They use various acts, such as a the Shahjapuri culture-if they don't fit in-this
family distraught that their youngest child has just alienation appeals to the Kirtanta. They may in-
been injured by a teak wagon. The "child" is the vite the PCs to join their society! Exotic foreigners
doppleganger, the master Kirtanta one of the can be powerful allies or wealthy victims. A Kir-
weeping brothers. The master strangles the victim tanta recruitment attempt and low-levellair can
while the others hide this crime with their bodies. provide an evening's fill-in adventure.
If need be, the doppleganger takes the victim's A member of the order contacts the PC and
form to sneak into his house and take more trea- mentions a group "that could vastly increase your
sure for the Kirtanta organization. social standing." If the potential recruit pretends
To capture a victim, the Ki.n anta usually put a interest, the member escorts him to a secret gath-
sleeping drug in the target's food and spirit away ering where he meets several successful Kirtanta.
his or her sleeping body to one of their lairs. There At this point, the Kirtanta finally realize the char-
a master Kirtanta assumes the victim's form and acter's decent nature, and they attack!
spends a few hours interrogating or torturing the Third, if the PCs openly use magic not found in
victim. The master Kirtanta uses his silver pickaxe the Hollow World , the Kirtanta leader may hear
to age the victim 30 or 40 years, then assumes the of it. If so, he wants the magic and its secrets. A
victim's place by the end of the sleep. The aged strong band of Kirtanta attempts to capture the
victims are easier to control and, should they es- character within ld4 sleeps.
cape, probably cannot resume their roles in society. Fourth , due to some prior encounter a Kirtanta
assassin becomes duty-bound to track down and
The Kirtanta Now kill a particular PC. Have this spooky fanatic show
up many adventures later-even outside the Hol-
When the time came, a year or so ago, Thana- low World-to attempt his revenge .
tos sent dreams to all the Kirtanta of the coming
"avatar of Dakka, black mother of doom" who
would lead them to power over the Hollow World. EVENTS=============
The Kirtanta dedicated themselves totally to
"Dakka." This section describes typical encounters on the
After Irila Kaze arrived and was transformed, streets of Dharsatra. Before they find Chatterjee
their belief moved into the realm of fanaticism. and the Temple of Eight Sweet Winds (in the next
Now they recruit and slay as never before. For chapter), or whenever they wander the streets, the
PCs may meet one or more of the following:
instance, they have stepped up infiltration of the
noble and priest castes. Back when clerics got Fabro Jehail, a wandering samdu , daims immu-
spells every sleep, it was hard to impersonate a nity to cobra venom and says he can foretell the
priest; now it's easy! future.
In addition, the Kirtanta ofDharsatra have a The first claim is true. Jehail asks for a coin "to
special mission to protect the Temple of the Eight further his studies." He opens a woven basket and
Sweet Winds (see the next chapter). Some of the sticks his hand into a swarming mass of five black
society are at work "restoring" the Temple of the cobras. They either bite him or spit in his eyes.
Eight Sweet Winds. The Kirtanta make it their This has no effect on him, but the cobras are real
job to kill off any foreigner who asks too many and quite venomous. Perhaps he was simply born
questions. immune.
The Kirtanta have no idea why this is impor- For a second coin, Jehail enters a prophetic
tant. They follow their orders fanatically-after trance. Although he believes in his p owers, his
all, how else can you throw over the whole of the predictions are completely wrong. "You will gain
order of the world? Only the highest ranking a great treasure if you go to the Priests' Quarter
Kirtanta know that Dakka, the transformed leila and sit in front of a certain fountain." (Actually,
Kaze, dwells in the Temple's floating dome. And they'll get into a fight with the city guard; it's a
only leila Kaze and Thanatos know that Thanatos sacred fountain.) "Later you will battle ore tribes
has hidden the time marker there, preventing the in the desert. You will discover what you seek
Immortals from returning until his plots have run beneath the sea ...." And so on.
their course.
Fabro Jehail: 1st level cleric; AC 9; hp 5; #AT
Interacting With the PCs 1; Dmg ld4; MV 120' (40'); Save Cl; ML 5; AL
N; THACO 19.
The PCs interact with the Kirtanta at the Tem-
ple of Eight Sweet Winds in the next chapter- Jawaharlal Asutosh and his crew of five trainers
but even away from the Temple, the Kirtanta can lead ten elephants through the crowded road to a
provide excitement, true or false leads, and a basis palace building project in the Warriors' Quarter.
for further adventures in Shahjapur. Two trainers are dwarves, professionals in the art
First and most likely, the PCs could witness a of elephant-assisted stonemasonry. If someone
Kirtanta assassination attempt and intervene . buys them a cool drink from a nearby drink ven-
Second, if characters express great revulsion at dor's cart, they talk amiably, mainly about stone-

23
working and the problems of keeping elephants nature would impress a Kirtanta chief. If suffi-
fed in a large city. They can provide general expo- ciently intimidated, the swine tell everything they
sition about Dharsatra and Shahjapur. know about the Kirtanta, and they make up many
The dwarves, Rami and Akdar, are lawful 1st lies as well.
level dwarves with 6 hit points apiece. The others If the need arises, they use the wand in self-
are all 0-level humans. defense. Remember that devil swine in the Hollow
World cannot cast a charm person spell; however,
Maidan Nakhoda, an apothecary of the artisan
caste, has just had his bag of fever-reducing herbs these swine can change form in daylight.
Devil swine (3): AC 3/9; HD 9*; hp 25; #AT 1
stolen. He was visiting a sick friend and had
gore or blow; Dmg 2d6 or weapon; MV 180' (60'),
hoped to get the herbs to him soon. Just a minute
120' (40') in human form; Save F9; SD harmed
ago and a block away, the characters saw a
only by magical or silver weapons; ML 10; AL C;
disappointed-looking man dumping dried leaves THACO 10. Worker caste. Adjust the number of
from a leather purse. Maidan can offer helpful
swine according to the PCs' strength. The swine
PCs a sleeping place in his tiny shop in the Arti- retreat if their ambush attracts attention (unlikely
sans' Quarter. He is overworked, so he wants
in Dharsatra).
someone to watch the shop for him.
Rabindra Braharti and his rwo assistants, all 0-
level normal men of the worker caste, are inspect-
INVESTIGATION=======
ing public cisterns and rain catches. Braharti has a The PCs, lured by their dreams, should be
set of keys that open stone cisterns and unlock the looking for a holy man, a samdu named Chatter-
safety grilles over wells. He has a glass helm that jee, whose appearance and name they learned in
holds enough air for a couple of minutes, several the dream sequences of Chapter 2. They can track
items with continual light cast on them, and lots their quarry by the following methods.
of rope. His assistants lower him into the dark
waters so that he can make inspections. 1. They can approach and ask other samdus.
After the characters have seen this procedure The characters learn that Chatterjee can usually be
once or rwice, Rabindra is lowered into a particu- found in the Temple of the Eight Sweet Winds in
larly large cistern. Then something tugs the the center of town. They also hear a derisive com-
rope-and pulls in one of the assistants! Six giant ment: Chatterjee is too oriented to the ways of the
toads live here. world-he isn't tranquil enough for someone truly
Toads, giant (6): AC 7; HD 2+2; hp 9; #AT 1 on the path. (This turns out all to the PCs' good!)
bite; Dmg 1d4 + 1; MV 90' (30'); Save F1; ML 6; 2. If they describe to any native Dharsatran the
AL N; THACO 17. The toads attack anyone who scene of the third dream, the native quickly iden-
invades their territory. Adjust the number of toads tifies it as the Temple of the Eight Sweet Winds.
according to the strength of the party. They have Of course, the Temple is too holy for a murder
no treasure, but there are piles of garbage around like that to occur. . . .
them. If the PCs handle the garbage, they suffer
losses of Charisma and may be regarded as un- 3. Chatterjee has had dreams of his own as well.
touchable. He has contacted his family; although they
spurned him when he became a samdu, they trust
Bhavan Nehru and his two fat brothers, Ghavan his wisdom. If the group wanders the Warriors'
and Dhevin, have come to Dharsatra from the tiny Quarter, two men approach who look like youn-
village of Tagra, seeking work as chandlers (candle ger, richer versions of Chatterjee. These young
makers). Their tiny village cannot support them in men, Chatterjee's nephews, tell the PCs to go to
their trade, which was their father's trade and his the Temple of the Eight Sweet Winds and seek
father's trade before him. They strike up conversa- out their uncle. If Chatterjee wants to speak to
tions with foreigners about how difficult it is to get these foreigners, it must be for a good reason, but
a place in the city, how broke they are, and so on. it's way too mysterious for them!
These poor, obese, dumb-looking lads are really
devil swine (from the Expert Rules). They don't
know the city, but they've heard of the Kirtanta
and want to join them. All they know about the
WHERE NEXT? =========
Let the players form an idea of life in Shahja-
Kirtanta is that they are wealthy, powerful, and pur, and let the characters either get into trouble
have some sort of shapechanging ability. If the with the caste system or avoid it. You may even
swine can kill and eat a group of powerful for- want to make an early mention of the Kirtanta as
eigners, that should improve their chances for dramatic foreshadowing. Soon after their arrival in
membership. Dharsatra, the PCs should notice the most promi-
The three swine have two gifts for the Kirtanta nent landmark around, at the city's exact center.
chief if they should find him. One is a wand of This takes them to the Temple of Eight Sweet
polymorphing with six charges left; the other is a Winds, and Chapter 5.
helm of alignment change. They have had both
items identified, and assume that their duplicitous

24
 When the Immortals decided to preserve a part found nowhere else in the Hollow World. Indeed,
of the culture of Sind, they also created a perfect this place might well be mistaken for paradise-
symbol of that culture: the Temple of Eight Sweet were it not for the throngs of worshippers.
Winds.
Situated in the center of Shahjapur, the Temple Exterior
embodies the highest principles of $indian archi-
tecture, aesthetics, geometry, and philosophy. Its Within the eighth garden stands an eight-sided
alluring presence affects all who see it. Even the rower of thick red sandstone . Its walls reach a
lowliest street sweeper is struck afresh by its beauty height of 240'.
every day. Each wall has two openings. At the base of each
Buildings near the Temple are low; each succes- side is a large trapezoidal doorway, inlaid with
sive ring of buildings is built higher, so as many many-colored scenes demonstrating one of the
windows as possible view the red sandstone octa- eight cardinal virtues of samdu (see below). The
gon and its mysterious floating dome. Even the second opening, near the top of the wall, is a large
sprawling, filthy Domain of the Outcasts has a few eye-shaped window permitting winds from every
12 -story tall tenements, so that even the most compass point to swirl inside, cooling the devotees
wretched can climb up and gaze upon this won- and bearing away sweet incense on the breeze.
der. Above the roof, which seems to curve down-
Though the PCs see the Temple's great beauty, ward and inward, floats an onion-shaped dome of
they cannot partake of its soothing and vitalizing a sm ooth pink stone. Twenty yards of air separates
properties as do the inhabitants. It does not reso- the seamless dome from the inward curving roof.
nate so perfectly with their values (unless, of It appears that if the Immortal magic holding the
course, they are from Sind in the Outer World). dome up should ever fail, the dome would fit
Because of the Temple's perfection, every holy exactly into the roof's cavity.
man and philosopher in Shahjapur is drawn to Describe the exterior of the Temple to the play-
study here. Many practice complex spiritual disci- ers, in the most electrifying terms possible for
plines here, trying to shut out all thoughts save their characters' backgrounds and personalities.
those of the Temfle. Thus, when they achieve Then read the following:
understanding o the Temple's ideals, their values
and outlook correspond with the original culture The magnificence of the Temple almost made
of Sind (circa 400 AC). They can return ro their you forget yourself and your quest. As you
homes, maintaining the culture in its original come to yourself and glance around the garden,
form. you see two elements that look out of place.
Some of the samdus reach a still higher state of Around the Temple, although not blocking
awareness. They apprehend the eighrfold principle the great doorways, are at least 100 samdus.
of Sindian culture and are transported into the They sit or stand in weird postures, gazing
Temple's inaccessible floating dome (see the fol- without a blink on this masterpiece of magic
lowing description). There the Immortals may and art. Some stand on their heads. One holds
consent to commune directly with the samdus. his arm aloft-and has done so for so long that
Although the holy men do not achieve Immortal a parrot has nested in his outstretched hand.
status, they develop a wisdom and scope of vision StiJl another lies on a bed of spikes with a huge
beyond ordinary mortals. rock on his chest.
The man in the street, and in fact many of the From within the Temple come clouds of
samdus themselves, know nothing of this. It has marble dust and incense along with the sounds
been ar least ten thousand sleeps since anyone of hammering, sawing, and chiseling. Obvi-
achieved this feat. Since then dark forces have ously a lot of renovation is going on.
come to dwell in the Temple of Eight Sweet
Winds.

THE SCENE =========== INVESTIGATIO N =========

If the characters question the samdus, they
The central block of the city is a vast circular receive polite bur pointless lectures on the impor-
garden. Within this garden is a second circular tance of "fixjty of consciousness," "all reality is
garden on a higher tier, a third garden on a still but an illusion," and so on.
higher tier, and so on. Withi~ th~ eighth garden, Samdus: AC 9; HD 3-5; hp 7-20; II AT 1; Dmg
towering above the surroundmg ctty, stands the Id6; MV 120' (40'); Save C3-C5; ML 11 ; ALL or
Temple of Eight Sweet Winds. N; THACO 19-18.
Flowers, trees, and brightly colored parrots grace
this highest garden. The stairs between the tiers, Other bystanders can tell the characters more.
the stone bridges over tiny lily ponds, and the They believe that all the renovation within the
benches and pathways display an exquisite beauty Temple is the work of the priestly caste-holy men

25
devoted to the maintenance of the Temple. They
have been working hard since clerics lost their of polished dark-green stone.
spells. Perhaps if they renovate the Temple cor- Suddenly small red flowers descend from the
rectly, the divine balance will return! r<>?f ~f the Temple, appar~ndy materializing in
People of all castes have brought food, drink, mtdrur. The red flowers, ttny roses , vanish as
money, flowers, and home-crafted items to sup- soon as they touch anything. Flute music seems
po_n the priests in their holy work. Yet though the to come from everywhere. As you watch, the
pnests labor ceaselessly, nothing has improved and statue begins to slowly flex its trunk. The wor-
the magic is still gone. No doubt it is fated to be shipers give ecstatic cries and kneel down.
so, the people say. The statue raises its arms in benediction.
In reality most of the Temple priests have been Chanting and prayer stops at the other shrines
~ people turn to watch. Some people are run-
replaced by the Kirtanta, who are altering the
Tem~le in subtly evil ways. They are gradually mng toward the statue, a few are running out
turmng the Temple, the symbol of Shahjapur's of the Temple, but most are spellbound.
culture, into a symbol of Entropy. The ?gure raises its trunk and trumpets a
deafentng note. It makes your ears ring and
trickles of blood run from your noses. S~me of
Interior the scaffolding across the Temple collapses.
Eac~ of the eight doorways is surrounded by Fortunately, no one was on it, but those be-
bas-rellefs demonstrating one of the Eight Virtues: neath it barely got away without injury.
to the North, Charity; Northwest, Knowledge; But instead of running, now many people
West, Fortitude; Southwest, Law; South, Benevo- are actually praying harder to this terrible
lence; Southeast, Purity; East, Courage; and thing! The samdu who sat in the middle of the
Northeast, Vigor. Temple has stirred from his meditations. He
In each of the sections stand statues portraying looks very frightened, because the statue has
these virtues. The statues are in turn surrounded statted to walk right toward him.
by small flowers and tiny incense burners placed
there by devotees. Beyond this line of offerings
The hidden leader of the Kirtanta has cast a
stand chanting and praying worshippers.
phantasmal force to create the rain of tiny roses.
Each virtue has its particular set of followers.
These flowers are considered sacred to Ganetra
For example, beggars crowd around the statue of and impress the populace. Four flutists conceal,ed
~udesha , Giver of Wealth, where they are receiv-
behind canvas dropcloths provide the musical
tng alms from wealthy merchants; sick and old
sound effects. Both effects end after the blast.
peo~le are making piteous appeals to Runar, Giver
leila Kaze has replaced the non-magical statue
ofVtgor; and elephant-headed Ganetra, Giver of
of Ganetra with a special golem of her own con-
~n~wledg~. is surrounded by scholars seeking his
struction. Its first mission is to kill Chatterjee-
rud 10 findmg lost texts. The atmosphere is hectic.
not because Kaze is aware of him as a threat but
simply because she despises his calm presenc~.
Scaffolding stands between and above the
statues where the "priests" are working on the
But the gole~·s main function is to disrupt the
marble inlays behind canvas. Devotees place trays
cul~ re of ShahJapur. After all, if something this
of food on the scaffolding, where young boys
ter~tble ha~pens in the Temple of Eight Sweet
snatch it up and carry it to the workers.
Wmds, ulumate symbol of balance, then nothing
Yet in the Temple's exact center, amid the din
nothing is certain. It is, for her, a masterstroke of '
and confusi~n, ?ne samdu sits cross-legged, eyes
cultural terrorism.
cl~sed, medttattng peacefully. The PCs recognize
F~g~ting the Ganetra golem: For the golem's
thts man as Chatterjee, the man in their dreams.
stattsttcs, see "New Monsters" in the appendix.
U: the characte.rs ignore him, have them recognize
The golem is relatively slow-moving. If the
him when he ts startled out of his meditation
characters run up, avoid the golem's slow effect
during the ensuing attack.
and drag Chatterjee from the Temple, they can'
g~t ':way. The golem s~eks out Chatterjee if he is
EVENTS ~=========== wtthm 240 yards, but 1t has no other tracking
powers.
The Attack However, the golem then wanders around the
. A fe':" moments after the characters arrive (or city, destroying everything in its path. Its sonic
tmmedtately after they recognize Chatterjee) the attack (equivalent to a horn of blasting) does not
Kirtanta make their move. ' affect the Temple, but a single blast brings down a
block of ramshackle buildings in the Workers'
Quarter, and two or three blasts can bring down
Near the doorway of Knowledge stands the any other building in Dharsatra.
figure of Ganetra. This is a statue of an .T~e best thing for the city is to keep the golem
elephant-headed man, 16 feet tall, and made wtthtn or near the Temple area. The golem re-

27
sponds to taunts, ranged attacks, and ?t~er lures. Words of Wisdom
In this way, clever PCs may maneuver tt tnto some
trap, such as a fall from one of the garden walls to At a safe time and place, Chatterjee tells the
a lower level. Such a fall would not shatter the characters his story (see the Appendix). He ~ods
golem, but might cripple it. Then the PCs ~an understandingly at the PCs' own story-or, tf they
wear it down from a distance or, more herotcally, don't tell it, he appears to know it anyway.
try to shatter it with massive blows. "I was visited in sleep by the undying Murtijai,
Although there are almost 40 Kirtanta working Lord of Thieves," Chatterjee says . (Murtijai is a
here, they do not join in the golem's attack or Shahjapuri name for one aspect of :Asterius.) "He
come to its defense. But if characters who are said that his fellow spirits have vamshed, but that
fighting (or fleeing) actually come onto their scaf- you are able to restore them. Murtijai revealed to
folding, a doppleganger may try to take a charac- me the solution to your quest: the Yantra of the
ter's place. Emerald River."
As Chatterjee can tell the PCs, a yantra is a
Consequences of the Attack diagram that the samdus use co meditate. Yantras
If the PCs don' t rescue Chatterjee from the have different functions and magical powers.
golem, Chatterjee uses his samdu training to feign Chatterjee has used many yantras in his sp_iritual
death. When the golem is safely gone, he rises up explorations , but he doesn't know how thts one
and seeks the PCs. would be useful to the PCs, nor has he ever heard
Others may also seek them . If the PCs used of an "Emerald River." (No one else in Shahjapur
magic unknown in the Hollow World, the leader recognizes the term, either.) Nonet~eless, Chatter-
of the Kirtanta tries to kidnap the spellcaster, jee is convinced that the yantra can rn some way
hoping to secure the knowledge for himself. let the PCs contact the Immortals.
A few hours after the attack, the leader of the The old guru cannot turn over the_j?b entirely,
Kirtanta uses a rope of climbing (see Chapter 7) to for the PCs need his wisdom and trammg to actt-
enter the Temple's floating dome and report to vate the yantra.
Irila Kaze. (He hides his disappearance from the
Temple behind a canvas sheet ~anging ~rom the "Heed now the components you are needing to
scaffolding). If the characters dtd anythmg except construct the yantra: On a drawing surface
run away, the paranoid Kaze suspects them. ~he bathed in the sweat of a beggar king, you must
gives orders that they be followed; the assassms be drawing the diagram with a paste of fangs of
must destroy the PCs if they appear to endanger the white cobra. All the while, you must chant
Thanatos's scheme (for instance, by collecting a mantra.
items relating to the Yantra of the Emerald River). "I am being most sorry to say that I am not
Meanwhile, if the Ganetra golem goes unde- knowing the diagram, or the mantra. But ..
feated , it wipes out large portions of the Worke~s· among the seekers of truth, great Amravatt ts
Quarter of Dharsatra. Mter an hour of devastatton said to be knowing all symbols and mantras.
it wanders over to the Warriors' (Administrators') You must be seeking him out."
Quarter- and then the city guards are called _o~t
in force! After much struggle and many fatalmes,
the guardsmen finally topple and destroy the
golem.
Although the fatalistic Shahjapuri accept these
WHERE NEXT? ============
Once the PCs have talked to Chatterjee and
strange events as destiny working out its course, realize that they must construct the yantra to pro-
many assume that the end of time has come. Busi-
ceed further, send them to the next chapter. There
nesses close as people send their final farewells to they undertake to collect the cobra fangs, the
one another. Property grows very cheap, and the sweat of a beggar king, and the diagram and man-
people crowd the streets, hoping to apologize to tra they need.
someone they might have hurt in times past.
Some wealthy families give away all they own;
some beggars become wealthy. Many seek _out .
members of the priestly caste to ask wh~t ts gomg
on. A few begin to demand that the pnests be
driven away. After all, if the priests had kept the ~

faith, they would have spells and certainly the ...

~

Temple wouldn't have gone to chaos! •

The Kirtanta begin to infiltrate all castes, .
-.--.. ut~:
classes, and institutions. Within months, they wtll
control Dharsatra and, by extension, Shahjapur.
All this happens, unless the PCs act.
~- -
=+.- . ~=~
28
 This chapter details the PCs' search for the compo- alike must stand downwind.
nents of the magical yantra. These include the pow- • Eating meat is forbidden.
dered fangs of a white cobra, used to draw the • Fires may not be lighted in public, except during
pattern of the yamra; the perspiration of a Beggar holy ceremonies.
King , used to wash the floor of the floating dome of
the Temple of Eight Sweet Winds (on which the Usually, when a PC violates a taboo for the first
yanua is to be drawn); and a yogin named Amravati, time, he is politely but sternly reprimanded. If a PC
who knows how to diagram the yantra. Each compo- persists in violating a taboo, or if he shoplifts or com-
nent is keyed to a separate mini-scenario, each set in mits a similar crime, he and his companions are at-
a different section of Dharsatra. The scenarios can be tacked by a contingent of law enforcement officials
played in any order. (or angry citizens). Such a contingent typically con-
If the party consists of only low-level PCs at this sists of 2d4 above-average villagers plus 1d4 excep-
point in the adventure, or if their strength has been tional villagers. The NPC contingent attacks the PCs
significantly reduced from the events of previous with the intention of killing them, ignoring protests
chapters, consider adjusting some of the encounters of innocence.
in this chapter to make them less deadly. For in- If the PCs escape and elude the NPCs for about 10
stance, reduce the number of monsters, increase the rounds, the pursuers give up the chase. If the PCs
likelihood that adversaries retreat or withdraw, or engage the NPCs in combat and half of the NPCs
make traps and weapons less lethal. lose half or more of their hit points, all of the surviv-
ing NPCs flee.
TYPICAL CITIZENS ========= FANGS OF THE WHITE
Unless otherwise indicated, use these statistics for
NPCs encountered in Dharsatra. Feel free to vary
their hit points, weaponry, and alignment.
CO BRA ======================
To obtain white cobra fangs, the PCs must first
Typical villager: Normal man; AC 9; hp 3; AT 1;
D 1-2 (rock or small club); MV 120' (40'); Save as find a white cobra. No shopkeeper in the city carries
normal man ; AL N; THACO 20. cobras or fangs . There are no zoos or museums hous-
Above-average villager: 1st level fighter; AC 9; ing such creatures. Drawn by the excessive rat popu-
lation , hungry cobras are relatively common in the
HD 1; hp 6; AT 1; D 1-4 (dagger); MV 120' (40');
Save Fl; AL N; THACO 19. garbage-strewn alleys of the slums, but these all
Exceptional villager: 2nd level fighter; AC 8; HD prove to be the com mon brown and black varieties.
2; hp 12; AT 1; D ld6 (scimitar); MV 120' (40'); Cobras also lair in the marshes and woodlands sur-
rounding the city, but none are of the type the PCs
Save F2; AL N; THACO 19.
need.
The typical statistics can be used for beggars, labor- The best-known lair of white cobras is near a large
ers, and other ordinary citizens. Use the above-above mangrove tree by the Monbobo River just outside the
city's Warriors' Quarter. The PCs can find out about
average statistics for artisans, merchants, and other
this lair from an explorer or hunter, who tells the PCs
characters more formidable than a typical citizen. The
exceptional statistics are resetved for local officials, where to find the mangrove tree, and also tells them
administrators, and other noteworthy citizens. that the tree is supposedly haunted, warning them to
be careful; he has no other information.
The characters might also learn the cobras' location
Reactions of the Citizens from a friendly pandic (wise man). He also tells them
The citizens of Dharsatra tend to regard the odd- that the mangrove tree is a religious shrine, admon-
looking PCs with a mixture of curiosity and defer- ishing them to be respectful. He has no details about
ence. Assuming the PCs are friendly and courteous, the tree or its worshippers, admitting that he's never
most citizens speak with them freely. actually visited the tree himself.
However, numerous cultural and religious taboos Finally, the PCs can learn about the white cobra
prevail in Dharsatra. If the PCs openly violate these lair as a result of the Greedy Guide encounter in the
taboos, the citizens' reactions will become decidedly Optional Encounters section below.
negative. At best, the offended citizens may refuse to When the PCs learn about the mangrove tree,
speak with them at all. At worst, the citizens may proceed to the "Cobra Tree" section.
decide that violence is necessary to teach the PCs
some manners. Optional Encounters
The taboos observed in Dharsatra, and how strictly
they are enforced, are up to you. Some possible ta- Depending on the actions of the characters, their
boos: perceived caste, and your own preferences, the PCs
may experience some, all, or none of the following
• Females must walk behind their male companions. encounters. The Helpful Merchant and Bania's Offer
• Speaking with untouchables for more than a few encounters most likely occur in the Artisans' Quarter,
seconds is forbidden. whereas the Workers' Quarter is the best setting for
the Greedy Guide encounter. Optional encounters
• When addressing a priest, citizens and visitors
can take place in any order.

29
Helpful Merchant Meeting with a bania: "A fascinating display, is it
A smiling man pushing a ramshackle wooden can not?" says a rasping voice behind the PCs. The voice
approaches the PCs. He wears a long robe made of belongs to a short, fat man wearing a silk suit and a
dungri (a rough fabric favored by the poor) and has a cloth turban (use above-average citizen statistics).
thin black moustache and short black hair. He bows Two beefy thugs (use exceptional citizen statistics)
to the PCs, then identifies himself as the merchant with bald heads and grim expressions flank the fat
Obak Ayub-din (use above-average citizen statistics). man.
Obak says he overheard the PCs asking about cobras. The fat man snaps his fingers, and one of the
"If you are to hunt such creatures, then I have sev- thugs scoops the coins from the clay cup. He tosses
eral items that you will most definitely require. I two coins back into the cup and gives the rest to the
have many debts to pay, so I am forced to offer them fat man. The snake charmer nods to the fat man
at bargain prices. My bad luck is your good fortune." while continuing to play.
Obak has the following items for sale. He asks the The fat man eyes the PCs, then smiles. "It is al-
listed prices, but can be talked into half-price. ways a pleasure to meet foreign visitors," he says. "I
Three large sacks made of heavy burlap. Price: 2 Pr am Chandkhan Taya. This talented performer works
(2 cp) each. "Perfect for holding captured cobras. for me."
They cannot bite through this material." One sack is Taya is one of the city's most notorious banias, or
large enough to hold a 7-foot snake. And he's moneylenders. Although he works strictly within the
right- snakes can't bite through them . boundaries of the law, he exploits his clients merci-
Four snake snares. Each snare is a 6-foot bamboo lessly. Dozens of artisans, including this snake
pole with a heavy cord strung through it. The cord charmer, are hopelessly indebted to Taya. Accompa-
forms a loop at one end of the pole . "By carefully nied by his bodyguards, Taya makes daily visits to his
draping the loop over a snake's head, then pulling clients to collect interest payments.
the cord tight on the other end, the snake is safely Taya engages the PCs in friendly small talk, asking
restrained ." Price: 4 Preach. The snares work as de- their names, their homelands, and their business in
scribed; when using the snare to catch a snake, make the city. If asked , Taya says he's a local businessman
a normal attack roll with a + 1 bonus. The flimsy of modest means. He introduces his associates as
snares are useless as weapons. Since the snares are Barwani and Rutirah, " my bodyguards. Our city, I'm
quite simple to make, clever PCs could probably afraid, is filled with criminals."
manufacture their own after seeing these . About the cobras: If the PCs ask about the white
Poison salve. This is a thick milky liquid that substance on the cobra, Taya laughs. " I won't pre-
smells like rotten fish. Obak has three doses. " If you tend I can fool people as sophisticated as you. The
are bitten, rub this on the wound. It will make you bottom of the basket is ftlled with chalk dust to
feel much better." Price: 1 Kh (1 sp) per dose. The make the snake look white. White snakes bring in
salve numbs the pain of a bite, but doesn't neutral- more money than common gray ones."
ize the poison-snake bite victims die just as quickly If the PCs themselves mention anything about
and as assuredly without the salve. If questioned, white cobras, Taya's interest perks. "A genuine white
Obak sheepishly admits this, then quickly reduces cobra would increase revenue considerably," he says.
the price to 2 Pr. If the PCs don't buy any of the "I would pay handsomely for such a creature." Taya
salve, Obak gives them a dose as a gift if they buy says he will pay 2 Kh (2 sp) for a healthy white cobra.
anything else. Taya will not supply men or equipment, nor has he
Obak doesn't know where to locate white cobras. any idea where to find such creatures.
He has no other useful information . If the PCs decline to do business with Taya, he
shrugs and wishes them luck; the encounter is over.
Bania's Offer If they express interest, Taya tells them to meet him
A thin man, wearing only a ragged dhoti (a long or his emissaries here any time; for every healthy
cloth worn between the legs and wrapped around the white cobra they bring him, he will pay 2 Kh. Taya is
waist), sits cross-legged on a dirty blanket, playing a telling the truth . If the PCs return here with healthy
slow, eerie melody on a wooden flute . Before him, a cobras from the Cobra Tree encounter, he pays the
small cobra rises from a basket of woven reeds, sway- promised fee.
ing in time with the movements of the flute. A day Though Taya doesn't know where to find the white
cup containing a few piasters sits next to the snake cobras, he directs them to a specific location in the
basket. The cobra's scales are dull white. Workers' Quarter where they can find a man named
If the PCs approach, the man's eyes dart nervously BharJawah, "the finest guide in all ofDharsatra. If
from side to side, but he continues to play. He does anyone can find white cobras, he can." If the PCs
not stop playing to answer questions. If they drop a have previously experienced the "Greedy Guide"
coin in the clay cup, he nods in acknowledgement, encounter below, they've already met Bhar; other-
but doesn't interrupt his performance. If they take wise, if they follow Taya•s directions, proceed to
his flute, he continues swaying silently. (His motion, "Greedy Guide."
not his music, hypnotizes the cobra; snakes are deaf.) If the PCs don't mention why they want a white
If the PCs study the cobra, they notice that its cobra, Taya asks them. Taya accepts whatever the PCs
scales are not really white. Rather, the snake is actu- choose to tell him. If they tell him about the fangs,
ally dull gray, covered with a chalky dust. . Taya offers to have Barwani defang the cobra for

30
them. He gestures to Bacwani, who then snatches the tiable. "And please be understanding-! am agree-
chalky cobra from the basket and squeezes its head to ing only to be showing you to the cobras. You are on
reveal its fangless mouth. your own if you are wishing to be catching one."
"All of the snakes are defanged for the safety of If the PCs decline to hire Bhar, he shrugs and
the performers," says Taya. "All it takes is a quick wishes them luck; this encounter is over.
snip of the scissors." (Taya will honor this offer to If the PCs agree to hire him, Bhar asks when
defang any healthy white cobras captured by the they'd like to get started-he's ready any time , even
PCs. Bacwani will grab the snake behind the head, now. Whenever the PCs decide to begin the hunt,
squeeze open its mouth, then snip out its fangs with Bhar asks for his fee. After he's paid, Bhar gathers a
a pair of scissors. Taya will give the fangs to the PCs.) walking stick, a cloth bedroll ("in case we are need-
Loan shacking: Before the PCs leave, Taya offers to ing to spend a sleep in the wilderness"), two sleeps'
lend them money. "I know that travelers are often supply of food and water (for himself only), and a
short of funds," he says. "I would be happy to help small wooden cage containing a weasel-like animal
you out." Taya loans the PCs any amount of money about a foot and a half long with stiff brown hair.
up to 10 Kh (10 sp), with a minimum loan of 2 Pr (2 "This is being Sacha," says Bhar. "She is being an
cp). If the PCs accept the loan, they must repay it in excellent snake hunter."
its entirely, plus 50 percent (that is, they must repay Sacha (mongoose): AC 6; HD 1; hp 7; AT 1; Dmg
a loan of 2 Pr at 3 pr), in two sleeps! ld6 (bite); MV 180' (60'); Save Fl; AL N; THACO
The PCs can find Taya here most any time to make 19; SA + 3 to attack rolls when fighting snakes;
the payment. If the PCs don't pay within two sleeps, when an attack against a snake is successful, the
then Bacwani and Rutirah, along with six compan- mongoose attaches to the snake's body and chews,
ions (use exceptional citizen statistics), hunt down automatically inflicting ld6 points of damage per
the PCs within 48 hours, if they're within city limits. round thereafter.
Barwani demands twice the amount of the loan. If If the PCs don't have suitable gear for a wilderness
the PCs don't pay, Barwani and his companions at- trek, Bhar leads them to merchants in the Artisans'
tack the PCs; the NPCs fight until half of their num- Quarter where they can purchase whatever they like.
ber has lost half or more of their hit points, at which A bedroll costs 3 Pr (3 cp ), a sleep's worth of rations
time all surviving NPCs flee. If the PCs escape and costs 2 Pr (2 cp ), and a small tent costs 2 Kh (2 sp ). If
elude the NPCs for 10 rounds, the NPCs give up the the PCs want to buy snake-hunting equipment, Bhar
chase. takes them to the " Helpful Merchant" (see the
encounter above).
Greedy Guide Wild cobra chase: When everyone is supplied,
After the PCs have spent a few hours asking about Bhar leads them to a wilderness area about three
white cobras, they are directed to a specific location miles from the outskirts of the Warriors' Quarter. He
in the Workers' Quarter where they can find a man says their best chance of finding a white cobra is to
named Bhar Jawah, alleged to be the finest guide in look for rat holes along the banks of streams ("Rats
the city. The PCs may also be directed to Bhar as a are being the cobra's favorite food") and in areas
result of the "Bania's Offer" encounter, above. filled with rotten vegetation ("where they are liking
Bhar's home is a small but tidy wooden lean-to to make their nests").
with a tin roof. A small man with a thin nose and With Bhar in the lead, the PCs spend several hours
big black eyes (use above-average citizen statistics) tramping through high weeds and thick mud, pok-
sits contentedly near the entrance of the lean-to, ing in rat holes and prodding piles of rotten leaves.
whistling a pleasant tune while he stirs an iron cook- They turn up nothing. Bhar encourages them to
ing pot. Spotting the PCs , he smiles broadly and continue the search.
rises to his feet. "Welcome, strangers," he says, bow- Although Bhar is indeed a skilled guide, he in-
ing politely. "How am I being of service?" tends to draw out the hunt as long as possible- the
Hiring the guide: If the PCs say they're looking for longer they hunt, the more money he makes. He
a guide, the man invites them to have a seat on the cheerfully reminds everyone when it's time to pay
ground near the cooking pot so that they may discuss him again, and he assures them that they're getting
business while they eat. He introduces himself as closer to their prey. "This is being an excellent loca-
BharJawah, then asks the PCs' names, their business tion for white cobras. We ought to be finding one in
in Dharsatra, and how he can help them. Bhar offers just another hour or two."
each PC a wooden bowl of hot dal (a watery lentil To keep up his patrons' interest, Bhar peppers his
soup) and a stone plate of chap:mis (chewy wheat conversation with the following facts about cobras.
cakes). The food is delicious and quite filling. All are true, applying to common and white cobras
If the PCs express an interest in white cobras, Bhar alike:
nods and says that such creatures do indeed exist,
"But it is taking an experienced hunter to find them. • "Many people are mistakenly believing the
White cobras are being quite elusive. Fortunately, I cobra to be aggressive. Nothing could be further
am knowing where to find them." Bhar says his fee is from the truth. They are being actually quite cow-
2 Pr (2 cp) per hour, payable in advance; the charac- ardly. If they can, they are always running from a
ters may hire him for as long as they like, with a fight. Ever be seeing a cobra flare its hood? It does
minimum fee of 24 Pr (24 cp). The fee is not nego- not mean anything-just a cobra's way of bluffing."

31
 • "There are being few creatures more poisonous the cobra and kept going through the north hole.
than a cobra. Even the babies can be killing you. If Cobra: AC 7; HD 1*; hp 7; AT 1; D 1-3 (bite) +
you get bit, you are feeling dizzy and sick to your poison ; MV 90' {30'); Save Fl; AL N; THACO 18;
stomach for about 10 minutes before you are faint- SA poison (victim must save vs. poison or die in 1-10
ing . In another 10 minutes, you are being dead. And turns) .
you be forgetting about sucking out the poison- it is Bhar says he can't walk; the PCs will have to drag
only taking about a hundredth of a drop to be killing him out of the cavern. " Don' t be going near the
you, and you are not able to suck it all out." cobra!" he warns. " If you are not bothering it, it will
• "The best way to be catching a cobra is to be not be attacking!" ·
pinning its head to the ground with a forked stick. As soon as any PC moves toward Bhar, the PC
Then you are reaching down and grabbing him be- steps on the pebbles covering the floor, which crunch
hind the head-hold tight! Then you are putting under his feet . The sound alerts six baby cobras hid-
him in a bag, and you get him. But be making sure den in the nest. The six babies, each about a foot
you are using a heavy bag. Cobras can be biting long, rise beside their mother, spread their hoods,
through a cloth bag like it is being made of tissue." and begin to hiss.
Baby cobras (6): AC 8; 2 hp each; AT 1; D 1-2
The lair: When Bhar senses the PCs are reaching the (bite)+ poison ; MV 30' (10'); Save F1; AL N ;
limit of their patience, he decides the time has come THACO 19; SA poison (victim must save vs. poison
to produce . He leads the searchers to the bank of a or die in 1-10 turns).
stream and looks for a large hole. Within an hour of If the PCs don't come within five feet of the cobra
searching, Bhar locates a four-foot diameter hole. He nest, neither the mother cobra nor the babies will
studies the hole, then smiles at the PCs. " Is being a attack, though they will continue to sway and hiss.
cobra lair," he says. "Don't be knowing what color it By staying near the east wall, they can safely drag
is, but we'll soon be finding out." Bhar opens Bhar out of the cavern. Bhar doesn't weigh very
Sacha's cage and releases her. The mongoose dashes much; any PC with a Strength of 10 or better can
into the opening. move him easily.
Ten minutes pass, then twenty. Bhar grows con- If the PCs come within five feet of the cobra nest,
cerned. "Sacha should have been being back by or if they attack or otherwise intentionally disturb
now." He listens at the hole. " I am not hearing any- any of the cobras, all of the cobras leave the nest and
thing." attack. The cobras fight to the death; however, they
Obviously worried, Bhar announces he's going in never leave the cavern, nor move further than five
after his mongoose. "Be waiting here;· he says. "I feet from the nest.
am being right back." If one or more PCs insist on If the PCs destroy all the cobras, they can search
accompanying him, Bhar agrees. The rest of the the nest. It contains only rodent bones; there is noth-
encounter plays out as described below. ing of interest.
About five minutes after Bhar enters the hole, he Goodbye, Bhar: Once rescued, Bhar thanks the
shrieks in desperation from deep underground. PCs profusely. Using his walking stick as a crutch, he
"Help! I am spraining my ankle! And there is being rises to his feet and takes a few tentative steps (he
a cobra down here! Hurry!" If the PCs listen at the was too frightened to attempt this in the cavern).
hole, they hear the faint sounds of hissing. While Bhar practices walking, Sacha scampers out of
If the PCs decline to enter the hole, the shrieking the brush and returns to his side . "Where have you
and hissing stops 15 minutes later; the cobra has been going?" reprimands Bhar, as the mongoose
attacked Bhar and killed him. The PCs can still enter rubs against his leg.
the hole to recover Bhar's body (and possibly engage Bhar has had enough adventure for one sleep. "I
the cobras, as described below), but the encounter is am going home. If you are still being interested in
over. They can't find the mongoose, and they'll have white cobras, I am knowing where you can be find-
to find some other way to locate a white cobra. ing a whole family of them. Er, it is just occurring to
If they go in: The hole leads to a passage that me, that is." He tells the characters about a man-
winds about 15 feet into the earth, ending in a 20- grove tree near the bank of the Monbobo River,
foot diameter cavern. The passage opens in the south about five miles from their current location. "The
wall of the cavern. Against the west wall is a large white cobras are living under the tree. It is being a
nest of pebbles and refuse; a hissing gray cobra has religious shrine . I am never going there, so I am not
risen from the debris, weaving from side to side with knowing much about it." Bhar has no more informa-
its hood spread. Bhar huddles on the floor against tion about the tree or the cobras. If the PCs follow
the east wall, clutching his right ankle. his directions, proceed to the "Cobra Tree" section
When Bhar entered the cavern, his footsteps al- below.
erted the cobra; when the cobra rose from its nest, Bhar refuses to accompany the PCs to the cobra tree.
Bhar panicked and tripped, spraining his ankle . A He also sulkily declines any offer to help him get home.
one-foot diameter hole opens near the base of the While he uses the walking stick crutch, he finds the
north wall. Sacha left the cavern through this hole, mongoose cage too awkward to carry. " Are you being
which leads to the surface about 30 yards distant. interested in buying Sacha?" he asks. "She might be
Like all mongooses, Sacha spots prey by sight, not by being helpful to you." (Bhar has no sentimental attach-
smell ; when she entered the cavern, she failed to see ment to the mongoose-he can always get another.)

32
Bhar asks for 1 Kh (1 sp) for Sacha, but he'll settle for Acolyte Circle)? What's happening to them?: "They
as little as lO Pr (10 cp). are the acolytes of Jaucama who have bound with his
spirit in the sacred tree. Their death here assures
Cobra Tree them eternal happiness in the afterlife."
Why don' t you bind with the spirit ofJautama
A 75-foot tall mangrove tree rises from a barren and take your place among the acolytes?: "When the
field near the bank of the Monbobo River, its rancid time is right, we will all find peace withJautama."
water polluted with raw sewage and rotting garbage (Actually, most of those in the Observation Area lack
dumped by careless Dharsatra residents. A dozen the courage to approach the tree.)
white cobras with fiery red eyes writhe near the trunk
of the tree, their hoods spread and their thick bodies Examining the Acolytes
erect. The cobras are about seven feet long. The The PCs can examine any of the acolytes if they
cobras always remain within a 50-foot radius of the wish. The acolytes ignore the PCs, continuing co
tree; for convenience , this area is called the Snake scare at the tree. Any PC who makes a successful
Circle. Intelligence check realizes that the acolytes are starv-
White cobras (12): AC 6; HD 2*; hp 15 each; IJ ing themselves to death. The acolytes refuse all offers
1; D 1-4 + poison; MV 90' (30'); Save F1; AL N; of food and water, clamping their jaws tightly to-
THACO 18; SA poison (victim must save vs. Poison gether. (When a potential acolyte climbs the man-
or die in 1-10 rurns). grove tree, the spirit in the tree overwhelms his
Just outside the Snake Circle, dozens of men and mind, compelling him to sit in the Acolyte Circle
women (use typical citizen statistics) sit on the where he will eventually die of starvation . See the
ground and stare blankly towards the tree. The peo- Non-Believer section below for more about the tree
ple are emaciated and sickly, with bony bodies and spirit.) Dispel magic has no effect on the enchanted
protruding bellies. Several people lie motionless on acolytes, but remove curse negates the enchantment
the ground, and a number of human skeletons litter as described below.
the area. All of the people and skele- If the PCs carry an acolyte out of the Acolyte Circle
tons are within a 150-foot radius of the tree; for con- within 10 minutes of his enchantment (that is,
venience, this area is called the Acolyte Circle. within 10 m inutes after the acolyte climbs out of the
A crowd of nearly 200 people from all castes (use tree), the enchantment is immediately negated . The
typical citizen statistics) surround the Acolyte Circle, former acolyte has no memory of anything that hap-
straining to see the writhing cobras. The crowd al- pened after he climbed the tree. However, if the PCs
ways remains outside the Acolyte Circle; for conven- carry an acolyte out of the Acolyte Circle who has
ience, the area occupied by the crowd is called the been enchanted for more than 10 minutes, the aco-
Observation Area. lyte remains enchanced . At the earliest opportunity,
Occasionally, one of the crowd dashes through the the acolyte staggers back to the Acolyte Circle and
Observation Area, winds his way through the bodies resumes staring at the tree .
in the Acolyte Circle, and tosses a rat into the Snake
Circle. While the man dashes back to the Observation
Area, the hungry cobra buries its fangs in the rat, then
The Non-Believer
gulps down the dying rodent. Before the PCs have a chance to approach the uee,
Shortly after the PCs arrive, they see a man in the a voice rings out through the crowd. "Cease this
Observation Area walk confidently through the Aco- blasphemy!" cries the voice. " You must leave this
lyte Circle and into the Snake Circle; the cobras hiss evil place!" The voice belongs to aged man with a
and recoil, but don't strike. The man climbs the tree head of curly gray hair and a troubled face. He wears
and straddles a high limb. A murmur ripples a white cotton robe and carries a staff of black wood.
through the crowd as the man raises his hands to the The crowd ignores the man , who becomes increas-
sky, then slowly climbs back down . The man now ingly frustrated. " Won' t anyone listen to me?" he
seems dazed ; he staggers through the Snake Circle, pleads. "Please ... before it's too late!" He spots the
then collapses into the Acolyte Circle. With great PCs and hurries towards them. "I beg you," he says.
effort, the man pulls himself to a sitting position and " You must hear me out!"
begins to stare blankly cowards the uee. The crowd If the PCs ignore the aged man, he advances to-
erupts in a roar of approval . ward the tree as described below. If the PCs agree co
listen, he identifies himself Haja Rai, "a true priest
Questioning the Crowd of Ilsundal." Haja says that the cobra tree is occupied
The PCs can question anyone in the Observation by the evil spirit of a blasphemer named J autama.
Area. They answer as follows and will not elaborate. "These people are being deluded by a cruel fable.
What is this place? What is the purpose of the tree This is not the way to find peace. This uee does not
and the cobras?: "This is the sacred tree of the omni- represent Ilsundal." (Haja speaks the truth .)
scient )aucama, the chosen disciple of the Immortal Haja Rai: 2nd level cleric; AC 9; hp 6; HIJ 1; 0
Ilsundal . The serpents are the sons and daughters of 1-4 (staff); MV 120' (40'); Save C2; AL G; THACO
Jaucama. We have come co worship." (The worship- 19. Spell: remove fear.
pers have the story wrong; see the Non-Believer sec-
cion below for the truth aboutJautama and the uee.) If asked, Haja tells the story of the tree. A hun-
Who are those people (referring to those in the dred years ago, he explains, a man namedJautarna

33
Dhirshu was rejected from the priesthood for disobe- Cobra Catch
dience. The bitterJautama came to this mangrove
tree and, in a fit of anger, renounced llsundal as a The white cobras are nervous and easily fright-
false entity. ened, making them reluctant combatants at best.
"Ilsundal responded by transformingJautama into They cannot fight as a team, nor do they leave the
a loathsome serpent spirit," says Haja, "and binding Snake Circle. Typically, a cobra attempts one strike at
the spirit to the tree. A family of white cobras were an attacker, then retreats as quickly as possible to one
also bound to the tree, commanded to serve asJauta- of three small holes near the base of the tree. All of
ma's congregation." As the old cobras die, the off- the holes lead 15 feet into the ground, ending in a
spring take their place. "Over the years, the legend 20-foot diameter cavern that serves as the cobras' lair.
of)autama has become corrupted by a cult of well- As soon as one cobra is attacked, the remaining co-
meaning but misinformed followers. They believe bras will attempt to slither away into their lair as
thatJautama promises them eternal life, when in fact quickly as possible.
he delivers nothing but an empty death." If a cobra is restrained or is prevented from escap-
The demonstration: When he finishes speaking ing into its lair, it fights to the death. Similarly, if the
with the PCs, Haja turns to the crowd. "This is a PCs find a way to follow a cobra into its lair (for
false patron that you worship!" he cries. "Watch, instance, by consuming a potion of diminution) the
and I will demonstrate how one who knows the true cornered serpent fights to the death.
llsundal can resist the lure of the evilJautama!" Other relevant information:
Haja determinedly marches past the motionless
bodies in the Acolyte Circle and through the hissing • No one in the Observation Area helps the PCs
serpents in the Snake Circle. If the PCs try to stop catch a cobra. They watch with curiosity throughout.
Haja, he tells them to stand clear. "llsundal will • A PC can pin a cobra to the ground with a
protect me," he says with assurance. forked stick or similar object if he makes a successful
Haja climbs the tree and sits on the limb. He sits Dexterity check. Otherwise, the snake wriggles free.
passively for a moment, then grimaces and clamps If the PC (or a companion) now succeeds in a
his hands to his ears. He climbs back down the tree Strength check, he can safely put the snake in a bag
a.nd stumbles into the Acolyte Circle, his face expres- or other suitable container. Otherwise, the snake
siOnless, his eyes glassy and lifeless. He sits on the wriggles free and tries to bite the PC.
ground and stares blankly towards the tree; he has • If the PC puts the snake in a bag that is not
succumbed to the enchantment of the tree. Haja made of heavy burlap or equally coarse material, the
remains enchanted unless the PCs pull him from the snake gets one chance to bite through the bag. Make
Acolyte Circle within 10 minutes; if they do, the a normal attack roll; the bite is directed at the PC
enchantment is negated, and Haja has no memory of holding the bag.
what transpired after he climbed the tree. Visibly • If the PCs have Sacha the mongoose (from the
shaken by the experience, Haja flees the area as fast "Greedy Guide" encounter), Sacha attacks fero-
as he can, never to be seen again. ciously, attempting to kill as many snakes as it can.
The mongoose fights to the death . Don't bother
What Next? with attack rolls in the fight between Sacha and the
cobras; instead, assume the mongoose has a 90%
What happens next depends on the actions of the chance of killing the cobra and a 10% chance of
PCs: being killed itself. Sacha also pursues fleeing cobras
Climbing the tree: A PC who climbs the tree and into their lair; all but one cobra in the lair (Sacha's
sits on a limb hears a strange sound in his head, like victim) return to the surface within a round after the
that of a hundred hissing serpents mixed with a ca- mongoose enters. Sacha returns to the surface 20
cophony of whistles. The sound persists for one minutes later, after it has eaten. The mongoose does
round. The PC must make a successful save vs. Spell not drag a cobra's remains from the lair.
or become completely deaf for the next 1-4 turns. • To flush the cobras from their lair, the PCs can
(Ordinarily, hearing this sound causes the victim to either turn the mongoose loose (as described above),
become an enchanted acolyte of the tree spirit; fortu- pour water down a hole, or stuff burning torches or
nately for the PCs, only natives of Dharsatra are sus- other flammable material down a hole to smoke
ceptible to the enchantment.) them out.
The PCs attempt to catch or kill a white cobra: • Defanging a dead cobra requires scissors or an-
Refer to the "Cobra Catch" section below for details. other sharp instrument. Defanging a live cobra is
Three rounds after the PCs make their initial attempt difficult, requiring a Strength check; if the check
to catch or kill a cobra, the Acolyte Reaction is trig- fails, the snake squirms free and makes a normal
gered; two rounds later, the Tree Spirit is released attack roll against the PC. If the PCs return a live
from the tree (see pertinent sections below). snake to Taya (from the "Bania's Offer" encounter),
The PCs attempt to damage the tree: Proceed he can clip the fangs with no danger.
immediately to the "Tree Spirit" section. Three
rounds after the PCs make their initial attempt to Acolyte Reaction
damage the tree, the Acolyte Reaction is triggered Three rounds after the PC attempt to catch a cobra
(see below). or damage the tree (whichever comes first), all of the
conscious acolytes in the Acolyte circle begin to emit

34
eerie sounds, a combination of hissing and whistling dazed and confused as if waking from a dream; they
similar to the sounds the PCs heard if they climbed have no memories of their experiences as acolytes.
the mangrove tree . The disillusioned crowd in the Observation Area
The sounds grow louder and more grating. After rapidly disperses; they avoid contact with the PCs ,
five rounds of chanting, the sounds are so disturbing whom they now regard as strange emissaries of the
that the PCs must make their attack rolls at a - 1 supernatural who are better left alone.
penalty unless they cover their ears or otherwise pro- If the PCs haven't yet caught a snake, they can
tect themselves. The sounds and the penalties con- now attempt to do so, following the guidelines in the
tinue until the PCs destroy the tree spirit (see below) Cobra Catch section above ; neither the crowd nor the
or abandon their quest for the cobras and leave the former acolytes will interfere.
area.

Tree Spirit
SWEAT OF
Five rounds after the PCs attempt to catch a snake, THE BEGGAR KING ========
or as soon as the PCs attempt to damage the tree The Beggar King is a legendary figure who controls
(whichever occurs first), the ground begins to vibrate and exploits Dharsatra's multitudinous beggars.
and the tree branches sway as if being blown by a Though rumors abound concerning his identity and
strong wind . All surviving white cobras immediately base of operations, only a few know the truth.
slither into the holes near the base of the tree to the Questioning shopkeepers, farmers, priests, and mem-
safety of their lair. As the crowd in the Observation bers of all castes at laborer level or higher is futile; most
Area gasps in astonishment, an aura of blue light dismiss the PCs' inquiries as nonsense. Some sneer, " If
envelops the tree. you seek the kin g of the beggars, perhaps you should
A moment later, a monstrous creature, resembling speak with the beggars themselves."
a ghostly white cobra with a human skull for a head, In fact, chatting with Dharsatra's beggars is the
slithers from the trunk. The creature is SO feet long; best way to learn the whereabouts of the Beggar
its tail is fused to the trunk of the tree. It snaps and King. Beggars of all ages are easy to find-there are
hisses at the PCs. thousands of these homeless wretches sleeping in
Tree spirit: AC 0; HD 10*; hp 7S; AT 1; Dmg 1- alleys and seeking handouts in the streets (use typical
10 (bite); MY 180' (60'); Save M-U 10; AL C; citizen statistics). The better-off citizens routinely
THACO 11 ; SD immune to sleep , charm, hold, ignore beggars, but begrudgingly accept them as an
deach magic, and cold-based spells; cannot be unavoidable fact of life in Dharsatra.
turned by clerics; can only be hit by + 1 or better When the PCs approach a beggar, he looks plead-
weapons; health is tied to that of its tree (see text ingly at them and extends his hand. The beggar does
for details). not speak to them unless they give him an offering,
such as a scrap of bread, a cowrie, or a piaster. If the
The tree spirit attacks viciously, attempting to kill PCs make an offering and ask about the Beggar
as many PCs as possible. Its long body enables it to King, roll ld20 and consult the Beggar Response
reach anywhere within the Snake Circle; however, it Table (seep. 42) for the beggar's answer, or select a
is unable to leave this area. If all of the PCs leave the specific response of your own choice. If they give the
Snake Circle , the tree spirit immediately withdraws beggar an especiaHy generous offering (at least 1 Kh ,
into the tree; it instantly reappears as soon as any PC or its equivalent in goods), add S to the die-roll. If
sets foot in the Snake Circle. you choose a response instead of rolling randomly,
No one from the Observation Area will assist ei- the beggar never remains silent.
ther the PCs or the tree spirit; they're too frightened . The PCs may interview as many beggars as they
However, the crowd cheers wildly whenever the tree wish . Alternately, the PCs may learn information
spirit makes a successful attack against a PC. about the Beggar King as a result of the encounters
The tree spirit's health is tied to that of the man- in the Optional Encounters section.
grove tree. The tree has aU of the vulnerabilities of When the PCs learn the Beggar King's location,
normal wood; for instance, it can be set on flfe or proceed to "Audience with the King," below.
chopped with edged weapons. Assume the tree has
an AC of S and SO hit points. The Token From the Azca
If the tree is destroyed (reduced to 0 hp) or envel- In HWA1, Nighrwail, the PCs may have received a
oped in flames (which takes 10 rounds after it is set small token from an Azcan beggar nicknamed
afire), the tree spirit begins to Jose hit points at the "Noseless" (p. 31). This scratched metal disk is a
rate of 2- 12 (2d6) per round ; this loss is automatic, token of protection among some Beggars' Guilds.
regardless of whether the PCs are in the Snake Cir- Here in Dharsatra, it helps the PCs find the Beggar
cle. King. If they show the token to a beggar, he auto-
matically leads them to the King's palace (below). If
Aftermath you like, the token can also influence the King's
If the tree spirit is destroyed, it dissipates in a flash mood for the better.
of blue light, and the tree crumbles into a mound of
black ash. The conscious acolytes rise to their feet,

35
 of charcoal. The object of the game is to eliminate all
of the other contestants by lunging at them, marking
their foreheads with the charcoal, and shouting "hu-
turu!" A marked contestant must leave the game.
The last remaining contestant is the winner.
The PCs notice that the tallest contestant (a boy
named Drysu) is easily the most agile of the five. In
short order, he eliminates the last of his four oppo-
nents, then raises his hands in triumph as the crowd
screams their approval.
At the end of the game, Drysu announces there's
time for one more game. Two shorter boys quickly
join him. "Anyone else?" shouts Drysu. There are
no more volunteers from the crowd.
If none of the PCs volunteer, the game ends, and
the crowd breaks up; this encounter is over. If two of
the PCs volunteers, the crowd applauds enthusiasti-
cally. Two PCs must participate for the game to pro-
ceed; if only one PC volunteers, the game breaks up
and the contest is over.
Faceoff: The two PC contestants join the other
three contestants in the playing circle, an area about
30' in diameter. Drysu gives each PC contestant a
piece of charcoal. When all of the contestants are.
ready, Drysu shouts "hururu!" and the game begms.
Each round, each contestant can try to mark a
contestant of his choice. The NPCs always attempt to
mark a PC. To mark an opponent, the contestant .
must succeed in a Dexterity check. Drysu 's Dextenty
is 14, and each of the shorter boys has a Dexterity of
10. If the attempt is successful, the contestant who
made the attempt shouts "hurutu!" and the de-
feated opponent leaves the circle; if the contestant
fails to shout, the tag doesn't count, and the oppo-
nent remains in the circle.
The PC contestants are free to attack each other,
although this is bad strategy if other opponents are
available. If all the contestants except the two PCs
are eliminated, the PCs may continue the contest to
determine a winner, but this has no effect on the
O ption al Encounters outcome of this encounter.
Results: Regardless of the outcome, the crowd
The PCs may experience either or both of the fol- acknowledges the winner with enthusiastic cheers. If
lowing encounters as they search for the Beggar both PC contestants are defeated, the winner thanks
King. The encounters are most likely to occur in a them for participating, then melts into the crowd.
slum area of the Artisans' Quarter. The encounters None of the teenagers answer the PCs' questions
may occur in any order. about the Beggar King, and the encounter is over.
If a PC contestant wins the contest, Drysu congrat-
A Round of Hututu ulates him on his prowess. If the PC asks Drysu
On a busy street-in Dharsatra, almost all streets about the Beggar King, Drysu says he knows him
are busy-a large crowd of ragged teenage boys gath- well. "I work for him. In fact, he might have work
ers in a circle. Inside the circle are five more ragged for you too, if you're int:erested. He's always looking
teenagers, engaged in some sort of game. The crowd for people with quick hands." Drysu tells the PC
ignores the PCs, including their questions, as they're where the Beggar King lives. But if the PCs tell the
focused on the game, cheering their favorite contest- Beggar King that Drysu sent them, ~e K~ng isn't
ants. particularly impressed; as far as the ~ng ts con-
Use above-average citizen statistics for the teenag- cerned, Drysu is just anothe.r underlmg. .
ers. All of the teenagers are beggars, but they're If the PCs knew the locauon of the Beggar King
exceptionally skilled ones, most supplementing their prior to experiencing this encounter, then Drysu
income with pickpocketing and thievery. (Many of shares some other helpful information about the
them work for the Beggar King.) King. Choose response 16, 17, 18, or 19 from the
The rules: Characters who observe the game Beggar Response Table.
quickly catch on to the rules. The game, called hu-
tutu, is similar to tag. Each contestant holds a piece

36
Toothbrush Seller The temple was abandoned about a century ago
As the PCs question Dharsatra's beggar population when city officials declared the occupying sect illegal.
for information about the Beggar King, they encoun- Avoided by Immortal-fearing citizens ever since, it is
ter an old man (use typical citizen statistics) with now the home of the Beggar King and about 200
greasy hair and a toothless grin. He clutches a dirty outcasts, whom he ruthlessly rules and exploits. In
clay pot to his bony chest, and he claims to know all exchange for a place to live, the beggars tithe him a
about the King. portion of their meager earnings and serve as his
If the PCs offer the old man money for his infor- attendants and guards.
mation, he shakes his head. "I don't need your
money," he wheezes. "I've got a way to make all the The King's Temple
money I need." He reaches into his pot and produces If the PCs approaches the entryway, one of the
a foot-long twig, caked with filth and crawling with beggars rises to his feet and scampers inside to alert
insect larva. "It's a toothbrush !" he says. "And the Beggar King. The remaining beggar refuses to
there's plenty more where these came from. I just speak with the characters, but they can almost feel
need somebody who has teeth to show my customers his craziness.
how it works." When the characters enter the hall , read this:
Before the PCs can respond, the old man begins to
cty, "Gather round! Toothbrushes here! Best you'll Entering the building, you pass between two gran-
ever find!" In a matter of moments, a curious crowd ite pillars, each nearly 25' high, riddled with chips
of all castes has gathered around. and cracks. Beyond the pillar stretches the main
The old man brushes the larvae off the twig and hall , 150' long and 100' wide. An overpowering
thrusts it towards the most squeamish PC. "Brush!" stench comes from piles of decaying garbage
he says. "Brush so the people can see how good it heaped against the walls. Refuse also litters the
works. Do it, and I'll tell you what you want to tile floor, its once glossy surface now marred with
know!" If none of the PCs volunteers to brush his or scuffs and scratches. Sloppily rendered frescoes
her teeth with the twig, the old man curses at them with flaking paint cover the walls and ceiling. The
under his breath, then asks for volunteers from the frescoes show an immense fat man in various poses
crowd (there aren't any). The old man won't tell the towering over tiny beggars dressed in rags.
PCs anything about the Beggar King; the encounter Two crude wooden thrones painted orange and
is over. purple stand against the far wall. Behind the
A PC who volunteers must brush his or her teeth thrones are a pair of large doors.
with the filthy twig for two consecutive rounds to An immensely overweight man sits in the right
satisfy the old man. The twig tastes like a nauseating throne, his huge belly hanging nearly to his knees.
combinacion of dirt, rotten fish , and oil. After He wears a billowing robe of coarse burlap and
" brushing" with the twig for one round , the PC drinks yellowish liquid from a chipped glass vase.
must save vs. Poison. Failure means the character About a dozen wiry beggars surround his throne.
feels sick and is unable to continue. If the saving
throw is successful, the PC feels nauseated, but can The doors behind the throne lead to a series of
choose to stop or continue. chaityas (halls of worship) that now serve as dormito-
If the PC continues brushing for one more round, ries for the King's army of beggars.
the old man slaps him on the back, takes the twig, The man is Vascha Vijanagul , more commonly
then crows to the crowd about his remarkable device known as the Beggar King. He's drinking panch, a
"for sale at a price of only one piaster." There are no sickly-sweet mixture of alcohol, sugar, lemon, and
buyers, and the crowd quickly breaks up. spices.
Though discouraged by the lack of sales, the old Vascha Vijanagul, the Beggar King: 4th level
man is true to his word and tells the PCs where the fighter ; AC 8; hp 28; Dmg ld6 (club embedded
Beggar King lives; if they follow these directions, with nails); MV 60' (20') (movement reduced due to
proceed to Audience with the King, below. If the excessive bulk); Save F4; ALN; THACO 17.
PCs knew the location of the Beggar King prior to Attendants: Use above-average citizen statistics for
this encounter, then the old man shares some other the beggar attendants.
helpful information about the King (response 16, 17,
18 or 19 from the Beggar Response Table). On the left throne sits a thin, dirty woman with
Before they leave, the old man offers each PC, by shore brown hair. She wears a sari, a long piece of
way of thanks for his or her cooperation, a free tooth- cloth wrapped around the body like a dress. Most
brush. It works no better than an ordinary twig. Shahjapuri women wear a sari made of silk, but
this one is made of brown burlap. Tarnished brass
Audience with the King bracelets jangle on her arms and legs.
A half-dozen beggars surround her. One of
In the midst of the worst slum in the Artisans'
them stands behind her, rigorously massaging her
Quarter stands an ancient temple, its crumbling stone
scalp. The woman moans loudly as the beggar
walls laced with cracks, its wooden doors and window
massages her; it 's difficult to tell if she's moanjng
sills reduced to rotting timber. Two ftlthy teenage from pain or pleasure.
beggars (use typical citizen statistics) slump against the
wall near the entrance, staring impassively.

37
 . The woman is Astad, the hypochondriac concu- the PCs approach the officials with information
bme of the Beggar King; use above-average citizen about the King, the officials promise to look into it
~tatistics for Astad and her attendants. Though Astad later, but won't ever do anything.
~s perfectly healthy, h.er endless list of imaginary Convince the King to help them: The PCs must
dlne:SSes annoy the King to no end. The massage is a accomplish rwo of the three following goals. Neither
special scalp stimulation technique known as the King nor Astad gives the PCs any direct hints
cha.mpo. It's quite relaxing, but has no particular about these goals. If they ask the King what it would
healing effects. take to get his cooperation, he sniffs, "Nothing you
hav~ to offer, I'm ~u re of that." The PCs must rely on
Reception and Inquiry theu own observations of the King and Astad, or on
"Step forward!" barks the King when he sees the information acquired from the Beggar Response
PCs. If the PCs hesitate, the King says, "If you wish Table or the Optional Encounters. The goals:
an audience, then do as I say!"
• The PCs can bribe the King with at least 2 Rp
If the PCs approach the King, he studies them
(10 gp) or its equivalent in goods or equipment.
closely. If they speak, he interrupts. "Quiet! Let me
Role-play this, as the vain King asks for suitable
have a l~ok at you." The King snaps his fingers, and
shows of obeisance with the gift.
one of his a~tendants p~oduce~ a large fragment from • The PCs can attend to Astad's "illness." No
a broken rrurror. The King smiles as he admires his
actual medical treatment is required; in fact, she will
reflection, stroking his many chins and brushing
rejec~ offers of actual first-aid, as well as porions of
flakes of filth from his hair. "A more handsome man
healmg and other forms of magical healing (which
you've never seen, am I right?" he asks. But he
won't affect her anyway, since she's not really sick).
bursts into loud guffaws before they can answer.
For the purpose of convincing the King to cooperate,
Regaining his composure, the King dismisses the
Astad responds only to pampering; acceptable
attendant with the mirror, then asks the PCs for their
"treatments " include attempts at cha.mpo, soothing
names and homelands. The King accepts whatever back or foot massages, and elaborate but phony heal-
they have to say.
ing rituals-the more imaginative, the better.
"Are any of you doctors?" whines Astad. ''I'm not
If the PCs perform a satisfying treatment (that is,
feeling well today."
their efforts impress you), Astad tells the King that
"Shut up!" snaps the King to his concubine.
s~e feels much better. "The~e are excellent healers,
"There's nothing wrong with you. You're just sick in
bipsy. Reward them for makmg me feel better." The
the head." Then, turning to the PCs, he asks,
henpecked King will be inclined to comply with the
"What's your business? Looking for work? I'm not
PCs' request.
hiring right now, no, no."
~ The PCs can appeal to the King's ego. The King
T?e PCs do~ 't look like beggars to the King; he's
believes he is unusually intelligent and crafty. He is
not Interested m working with people that might be
also particularly proud of his massive bulk, which has
hard to control. The King refuses to answer questions
taken him years to acquire. If the PCs flatter the
about the temple or the beggars ("not your con-
King well, he complies with their request. Note,
cern"). Astad has no information for the PCs· she
however, that the King is used to routine groveling
responds to all questions with a moan of pain~ 'T m
from his army of beggars, such as " How handsome
too ill to think straight."
and strong you ace" and "I have never met such a
If the PCs tell the King the real reason why they've wise man as you." Only exceptionally creative flattery
c~me- th~t they need his sweat-his jaw drops and
impresses the King, such as "Your stomach is a work
his eyes widen. He c~nvulses with laughter, his belly
of art, as much as the sun is a work of art made by
shaking so hard that lt threatens to drag him off his
the Immortals."
throne. "My sweat!" he roars. "I have been asked for
many things in my life, but never have I been asked Results
for perspiration!" When the King recovers, he says
The King tolerates the PCs' presence for no more
flatly, "No. Now get out of my temple. Now."
than a few minutes. If they haven't convinced him to
Convincing the King help by then, he orders them to leave, calling on as
many beggars as necessary to enforce his command.
Some standard tactics the player characters might
try: The PCs may return for a second audience with the
King after a sleep or rwo.
Attack the King: He soaps his fingers rwice and
If the PCs achieve rwo of the goals above, the King
dozens of beggars pour through the double doors
agree~ to cooperate. It's easy to get the King to
b.ehind his throne; enough beggars appear to con-
persp1re-be cause of his excessive weight, he works
vmce the PCs that attacking is futile. It's not that the
up.a good sweat by merely walking a few yards at a
beggars are great fighters; rather, endless slaughter of
these starvelings should sicken the PCs. Play up the qutck pace. However, it's up to the PCs to decide
how to collect his perspiration. They can wipe his
battle for maximum pathos, until the PCs decide to
use less murderous methods. brow with a rag or handkerchief, but the sweat dries
out within a few hours. Collecting his perspiration in
Threaten to expose the King's operation to the
a bottle or flask is difficult but possible, though the
local o~cials: The King laughs. "Go right ahead!"
PCs may risk evaporation of the fluid or breakage of
The Kmg makes regular pay-offs to the officials. If
the container.

38
 The best solution is for the King to go with the horse broke loose and ran away. She's telling the
PCs to the Temple of Eight Sweet Winds and sweat truth, but the PCs cannot locate the horse.
directly onto the floor. If they asks the King co ac- Lydra has just come from the Vhashta colony
company them, he agrees. En route to the temple, where her sister, Orishi, was a resident. "She died
the King is cooperative but obnoxious: He insists this morning. I promised to give her a proper fu-
that they take innumerable breaks so he can rest; he neraL" The cart holds her sister's body. Suspicious of
stops to admire his reflection in windows and pud-
dles; and he consumes so much panch (which he
brings along in several large flasks) that he becomes
staggeringly drunk.
the strangers, Lydra declines to answer any other
questions. "I have far to go," she says. If the PCs tag
along behind, they may follow her and observe the
funeral ritual (see below), but Lydra won't supply
5:!
tr1
any additional information. If the PCs abandon Ly-
dra, the encounter is over.

~
DIAGRAM OF THE YOGIN== If the PCs offer to help Lydra with the wagon, she
North of the city, beyond the untouchable slums, gratefully accepts. She tells them she's taking her
lies a large colony of citizens afflicted with Vhashta 's sister's body to a valley of violets about three miles
disease. The disfigured and crippled victims of this away. "Orishi and I spent many pleasant sleeps there
wasting disease are permanently banished to this as children. This is where I will perform her final
colony as required by Dharsatra law. rites."
Though it is commonly accepted that Vhashta's Any PC who makes a successful Strength check can
disease is deadly, it is, in fact, rarely fatal in itself. puJl the cart. Any two PCs working together can pull
Likewise, most believe Vhashta's disease is highly the cart automatically. If they pull the cart, they earn
contagious. However, it is quite rare that exposure Lydra's trust. She answers questions as follows. All of
results in the affliction of an otherwise healthy per- her information is accurate; she learned it in a life-
son. Still , the misconceptions linger. The yogin time of caring for her sister.
Amravati is among the few Dharsatran citizens with What do you know about Vhashta's disease?: "It is
the courage to help ease the victims' misery.
The PCs have little trouble learning about
a vicious disease that attacks the body by twisting it
into grotesque shapes. Many victims become blind or 0
Amravati, since every priest in the city knows who he
is and where he lives. "He considers himself a mira-
crippled. Others lose all feeling in their skin."
Is the disease fatal?: "No. The lives of its victims ~
are shortened by the brutish conditions under which
~
cle worker," a priest says, his voice dripping in sar-
casm. He gives the PCs directions to a specific they are forced to live ."
location about 10 miles beyond the outskirts of the Is the disease contagious?: "It is nearly impossible
Artisans' Quarter; proceed to "Temple in the Hill,"
below.
for a healthy person to contract the disease from an
infected person. No one knows how the disease acru· ::r=
Before the PCs leave, the priest warns them that
entering the colony is risky. " The disease drives its
ally spreads." (Actually, the disease is hereditary.)
What happened to your sister? Can we see her?:
tr1
"She died of an untreated infection." Reluctantly,
victims crazy and makes them very violent. And if
one of them so much as breathes on you, you be- Lydra pulls back the covering and shows her sister's tr1
~
come infected coo!" (None of this is true.) horrible body. The emaciated corpse is covered with
Though most members of the lower castes haven't thick lumps. Its right arm is bent and twisted like the
heard of Amravaci, virtually all of them can tell how gnarled branch of a tree.
to get to the Vhashta colony. The PCs may learn How did the disease get its name?: "From a Dhar- tr1

~
more about Amravati and the disease victims as a satran administrator who was the first recorded victim
result of the encounters in the section below. of the disease over two hundred cycles ago."
What do you know about the colony?: " It is a
Optional Encounters wretched place, unfit even for vermin. Diseased vic-
tims are forced to live there by law."
Both of the following optional encounters occur on What do you know about Am.ravati?: "A wonder- t-4
the dirt path that winds through the desolate coun-
tryside and leads to the Vhashta colony. If the PCs
are to experience both encounters, run the Two Sis-
ters encounter first.
ful, selfless man who has devoted his life to caring
for Vhashta victims. Ask any of the colonists. They
can tell you where to find him."
tJ
~
Lydra eventually leads the PCs to a shallow valley
filled with violets and surrounded by small cherry
Two Sisters trees. Lydra asks the PCs to bring her sister's body to
After the PCs have traveled a few miles on the
road leading to the Vhashta colony, they see a frail
woman (use typical citizen statistics) coming in their
direction, struggling to pull a cart which contains a
the center of the valley. Lydra gathers armfuls of
twigs and brush, laying them gently on the body
until it is completely covered. She then sets the twigs
on fire. As gentle flames envelop the body, Lydra
<
tr1
~
man-sized object completely wrapped in white cloth. says that the fire will purge all traces of evil from her
The woman looks about 60 years old; she can barely sister's spirit. "An afterlife of peace will then be

~~
budge the heavy cart. hers." Lydra bows her head in silent prayer as the fl!e
This is Lydra, a rug weaver from Dharsatra. If the burns.
PCs ask why she's pulling the cart, she says that her The PCs are free to wait with Lydra or to leave; the

39
fire burns for about two hours. At the end of the cliffs and hills of sold rock. The air reeks of disease
ceremony, Lydra thanks the PCs, then says she must and death.
rerum to her home in Dharsau a. She refuses The slum is a collection of hundreds of mud
donations-"give them to Amravati instead." She shacks, separated by damp sueets laced with rivulets
will not accompany the PCs to the Vhashta colony. of raw sewage. Emaciated women , their bodies cov-
ered with lumpy nodules and thick scabs, pick aim-
Deadly Spy lessly though piles of rotting garbage. Their
When the PCs are within a mile of the Vhashta slime-caked children with twisted arms and swollen
colony, they notice a figure lurking in a clump of bellies paw listlessly at circling flies. A legless man
bushes near the dirt path. The figure , who is about lies unmoving in a puddle of filth ; a huge rat scam-
50 feet away, appears to be a young man dressed in pers from a shack and sniffs his greasy hair.
f.tlthy rags. If no one takes action, the figu re with- For the residents of the slum , use typical citizen
draws into a nearby woods and disappears, and the statistics; modify their hit points, movement rates,
encounter is over. and attack capabilities as necessary to reflect their
If anyone shouts at the figure or approaches him , weakened condition. They regard the PCs with either
the figure bolts into the woods. The figure is a Kir- mild curiosity or outright indifference. However, the
tanta assassin, sent to spy on the PCs by his fellow residents gratefully accept offers of food, water, or aid.
assassins, who are hiding out in the Vhashta colony. All are infected with Vhashta's disease, which causes
Kirtanta assassin: 7th level thief; AC 5; hp 22; weakness and skin nodules at best, and blindness,
#AT 1; Dmg 1d6 + 1 + special ; MY 120' (40'); Save crippled limbs, and grotesque disfigurements at worst.
T7; ML 11; AL C; THACO 17. Carries dagger and (The PCs run no risk of contracting the disease by
silver pickaxe, which works as long sword + 1 and, interacting with the residents.)
once per day, as a sraffof withering. Residents respond warmly and politely to conversa-
If the assassin eludes the PCs for three rounds, tion, asking strings of questions about the outside
assume the assassin has disappeared into the woods; world. They' re particularly interested in the PCs'
the PCs cannot to locate him, and the encounter is experiences and news from Dharsau a. If the PCs ask
over. Otherwise, if the PCs catch up him, the assassin about the multi-armed female on the wall, the resi-
attacks, using the weapon concealed inside his dents say it represents an evil Immortal named
clothes. If the assassin appears to be on the verge of Dakka, avatar of destruction. "The paintings mark
losing the fight-for instance, if he loses half or more this colony as a place of death."
of his hit points, or is hopelessly outnumbered- he The residents have no information about the assas-
shouts a strange imprecation: "The avatar of Dakka sin the PCs may have met in the D eadly Spy encoun-
will destroy your unclean souls in the Nightstorm! " ter. Any resident can direct the PCs to Amravatl,
Then the spy speaks a short incantation, and on who lives in a cave on the far side of the colony.
the back of his hand, a tattoo glows red . It's a picture
of a spider, but as the PCs watch , it turns into a real Rescue in the Rocks
spider and bites the assassin's hand! He screams, in
surprise as well as pain, and the spider vanishes. As the PCs make their way through the slums,
The assassin was told the spell would carry him to they notice hundreds of relatively healthy residents
safety. Instead, the spider has injected him with a wielding crude pickaxes and shovels, working hard to
special poison known only to the Kinanta. In- excavate a rocky hiJiside. Closer examination reveals
stantly, the assassin's body begins to shake, and dark that the residents are attempting to excavate an im-
smoke curls out of his ears. The assassin's body mense temple, apparently buried by a landslide or
glows red for two rounds, then explodes in a flash of volcanic eruption hundreds of years ago.
fire, leaving only his charred skeleton behind! Any Sections of the temple are already exposed. Breath-
character within five feet of the body when it ex- takingly beautiful alabaster walls are inlaid with
plodes m ust save vs. Spell or suffer 1d6 points of silver mirrors and marble panels. Tiny multi-colored
d am age. stone statuettes of humans and animals line terraced
ivory platforms.
If the PCs ask about the excavation, the workers
Temple in the Hill tell them that they are attempting to uncover an
The dirt path ends at a rock wall , hundreds of ancient temple built centuries ago in honor of Taja-
yards long and nearly twenty feet high . The wall is lore, "the Maimed One." The residents of the colony
covered with ornate carvings of a multi-armed female discovered the temple by accident a few years ago.
with ebony skin, tusk-like teeth , and a fierce expres- The workers anticipate that the excavation will re-
sion. These carvings represent the dark legendary quire several more decades to complete, " but we are
figure of Dakka. (Establish these carvings now, and determined to see it through. If we restore the tem-
let the PCs ask bystanders about them. The charac- ple, perhaps Tajalore will take pity on us and end our
ters face an avatar of Dakka in Chapter 9.) misery."
A rickety wooden gate marks the only passage While the PCs examine the ruins, they hear the
through the wall. There are no guards; the PCs are sounds of a rock slide com ing from beyond the near-
free to enter the unlocked gate. est hill, followed by cries for help. Workers nearby
Beyond the wall sprawls a vast slum of mind- drop their tools and rush in the direction of the
boggling decay, isolated from the rest of the world by sounds.

40
 If the PCs ignore rhe sounds, rhe encounter is soaks a cloth in a bowl , then gently sponges the boy's
over; proceed co the Meeting with Amravari section. body. (The old man is the yogin Amravati.)
If the PCs investigate, they see dozens of workers Amravati: 3rd level cleric; AC 9; hp 10; NAT 1;
hastily removing rocks from a large pile obscured by Dmg 1-4 (stone dagger); MV 60' (20') (movement
clouds of dust. A closer look shows a worker buried rate reduced due to old age); Save C3; ALL; THACO
in rocks from the waist down, his face wrenched in 19. Spells: detect evil, cure light wounds.
agony. If the PCs speak or otherwise draw attention to
If the PCs choose not to help the workers uncover themselves, Amravari turns and puts his finger to his
the victim of the rock slide, the workers free their lips. "Just a moment, please." He then resumes
comrade in about 20 minutes, then carry his bleed- treating the boy. After another gentle application of
ing body to a nearby shack to rest and recover. The the cloth, Amravati rises to his feet and approaches
encounter is over; proceed to Meeting with Amravati . the PCs.
If the PCs offer to help, the workers gratefully " He's resting now," says Amravati, motioning for
accept. With the PCs' assistance, the rock slide vic- the PCs to sir with him on a chacpoy on the floor.
tim is freed in just a few minutes. The victim's body Amravati appears co bear least 80 years old . He
is covered with clusters of nodules, and his face is so walks with effon and is nearly toothless, but his eyes
disfigured that he is unable to speak. His legs have are bright, and he has no symptoms of Vhashra's
been buci~d by the rock slide, though the damage is disease. He introduces himself as a caretaker of the
not excesstve. colony. "I welcome you ro my home. I seldom
When all bu t the last of rhe rocks are removed, encounter visitors from rhe ourer world." By rhis he
several of the workers move to pull the victim free, doesn't mean outside rhe Hollow World, but simply
but they are held back by the largest of their num- outside rhe colony; bur rhis may startle the PCs!
ber, named Brahsu (use above-average citizen statis- If asked about the colony or the diseased residents,
tics). "Let the suangers do it," Brahsu says. He stares Amravati tells them anything they wish to know; for
at the PCs with steely eyes. "With your bare hands, details about the disease , refer to Lydra's comments
please. Surely you ace not afraid." Brahsu is testing in the Two Sisters encounter above. Amravati isn't
their mettle. afraid of getting sick-"I have been treating Vhashta
If the PCs decline to touch the victim, or if they victims for half a century. The passage of years has
insist on wearing gloves or other protection, Brahsu taken its toll, but I am otherwise in fine health."
scoffs at them. "See?" he says to the orher workers. If the PCs ask about the boy Amravati is treating,
"All strangers ace the same. They see us as animals ro he explains that the boy accidently burned himself.
be shunned, nor men to be respected ." The workers "It happens often to Vhashta victims. Many have no
take the victim away to a nearby shack to recover. feeling in their skin. If they become distracted when
Brahsu spits at the characters, then turns away; nei- close to a fire , they may burn , since they cannot feel
ther he nor any of the other workers will speak fur- the flames." Amravati treated the boy with a sooth-
ther with them. The encounter is over. ing liquid made of cinnamon and other herbs, an
If the PCs touch the victim with their bare hands effective fust-aid treatment for Vhashta victims.
and pull him free of the rocks, Brahsu smiles and If the PCs ask Amravati why he lives in the colony,
extends his hand in friendship while the workers he says modestly, "There is no higher calling than to
carefully carry the victim away to a shack to rest. serve others. I am a drop of water struggling against a
"You are as compassionate as you are courageous," raging fire." Amravati labors incessantly to comfort
says Brahsu. "Your presence honors us." Brahsu then and heal rhe residents of rhe colony.
excuses himself, saying that he and his companions Amravati asks the PCs their names and their
need to continue with their work. "Perhaps we will homelands, accepting any informacion about them-
meet again." (For the purposes of The Assassins selves they're willing co share. He asks them co ex-
Strike section below, note that the PCs have made plain their mission in derail. When Amravari
friends with Brahsu.) understands their need for the yantra pattern, he
rubs his jaw and shakes his head. " You are well-
Meeting with Amravati intentioned strangers, but you ace strangers neverthe-
less. I am not cenain it is wise to share rhis secret
Following the residents' directions, the PCs locate with newcomers."
a five-foot opening in a cliff on the far side of the The PCs can convince Amravari to reveal the yan-
colony compound. The opening leads to a 30-foot rra pattern if they offer to improve the lives of the
d iam eter cave. The scent of cinnamon drifts from the colony residents. Acceptable offers include a substan-
cave, easily the most pleasant aroma that the PCs tial sum of money (250 + gp), tools or equipment,
have encountered since they entered the colony. medical supplies, or technical innovations for the
Several charpoys (mats made of string) cover the colony, such as designs for irrigation ditches or simple
floor of the cave. The walls are lined with simple sewer systems. If the PCs provide evidence that Kir-
wooden shelves filled with clay pots and dishes. The ranra assassins ace after them, Amravati immediately
pottery contains a variety of colorful herbs and pow- agrees co help them. Amravati despises the Kirtanta.
ders.
Against the far wall of the cave, a withered old
man wearing nothing but a white dhoti bends over a
moaning boy resting on a charpoy. The old man

41
The Assassins Strike Amravati (or his disciple) demonstrates the dia-
gram by tracing it in the dirt with a stick. After the
Negotiations with Amravati stop with the sudden PCs have memorized the diagram- an intricate pat-
appearance of six ragged figures in the mouth of the tern of circles and arcs-Amravati wipes it away,
cave (if the PCs defeated the assassin the Deadly Spy wishing the PCs good luck on the rest of their mis-
encounter above, there are only five.) The figures, sion.
Kirtanta assassins, quicldy scan the cave, then charge
inside.
Kirtanta assassins (5): 4th level thieves; AC 5; hp
12; #Kr 1; Dmg 1d4 + 1; MV 120' (40'); Save T4;
ML 11 (9 without leader); AL C; THACO 19. Each
carries dagger + 1 that only works for that individual
Kinanta.
Kirtanta assassin leader: 7th level thief; AC 5; hp
22 ; II AT 1; Dmg 1d6 + 1 + special; MV 120' (40');
Save T7; ML 11; AL C; THACO 17. Carries dagger
and silver pickaxe, which works (for leader only) as
long sword + 1 and, once per day, as a staff of with-
ering.

The assassins have dressed in rags so that they can

mingle unobtrusively with the residents of the col-
ony. They have tracked the PCs to the cave and now
intend to kill both Amravati and the PCs.
The Kirtanta leader moves directly to Amravati
while the followers converge on the weakest-looking
character. If the PCs cannot stop the leader, he strikes
and withers Amravati on his second try. The assassins
fight until half are killed ; the survivors bolt from the
cave and attempt to escape. If the escaping assassins
elude the PCs for three rounds, the PCs lose sight of
them.
If the PCs made friends with Brahsu in the Rescue Beggar Response Table
in the Rocks section above, then five rounds after the 020
assassins appear (or later, at your option), Brahsu and Roll Response
about two dozen of his companions appear in the 1-5 The beggar says nothing.
cave entrance, brandishing shovels and pickaxes. 6-9 Claims that he's never heard of the Beggar King.
10-11 Runs away, cries to vanish into the crowd. If PCs
Clearly outnumbered, all surviving assassins immedi- pursue immediately, they catch him; beggar gives
ately bolt from the cave, pushing their way past one of the responses below. (Roll Id20 and add 11
Brahsu and his men. Brahsu and his men can't stop to the result, or choose a response.)
the assassins, nor do they make effective attacks 12 "The Beggar King is an lmmonal, the son of
against them. The PCs may pursue; the assassins llsuodal. He lives in the clouds." (False.)
escape if they elude the PCs for three rounds. "The Beggar King is dead. Eaten by a tiger."
If the PCs capture an assassin and attempt to ques- (False.)
14 " He lives io a tree house in the jungle, about 50
tion him, the assassin makes only cryptic statements miles west of the city." (False.)
about "the Nightstorm" and "the wrath of Dakka." 15 "The Beggar King lives in an abandoned temple
"You will pay for your insolence at the Temple of in a slum somewhere in the Artisans' Quarter."
Eight Sweet Winds!" (llue.) Doesn't know exact location.
At an early opportunity, the assassin speaks the 16 Says the King is protected by city officials. " He
incantation that activates the spider tattoo on his pays off the panchac (local council). They make
sure he stays safe." (True.)
hand. (He refuses to believe that this will kill him.) 17 As 16; also knows the King lives with a concubine
The poison kills him in the dramatic manner de- named Astad. "He is smitten with her. He does
scribed above under Deadly Spy. Remember that any whatever she says:' (True.)
character within five feet of the body when it ex- 18 As 17 , but adds, "Astad always believes she's sick,
plodes must save vs. Spell or suffer 1d6 damage. when in fact she is very healthy. The Beggar King
spends much money looking for healers. But it is
very difficult to heal someone who is not ill."
The Diagram Revealed (True.)
If Amravati hadn't agreed to help the PCs prior to 19 Has heard that the King is greedy and vain. "His
love of money is matched only by his love of him-
the appearance of the assassins, he readily agrees to self." (True.)
help if the PCs defeat the assassins or save his life. If 20+ Knows where the Beggar King lives, and gives the
Amravati dies during the attack, one of the residents PCs directions to a location io the Artisans' Quar-
steps forward and reveals himself as Amravati's disci- ter. Proceed to the "Audience with the King"
ple; he also knows the yantra diagram. section.

42
 Before proceeding, make sure the PCs have Shahjapuri despise. So Dakka is a much revered
completed all three mini-scenarios from the last figure in local mythology.
chapter. If they failed to reach any of the goals The statue is nor magical. However, a concealed
there, you can run them through the same or compartment in its base holds a thin 100' jute
similar scenarios again. For instance, the PCs hear rope of curious weave . Any extended investigation
rumors of another nest of white cobras, or another uncovers the compartment and the rope; option-
pandit with the required mantra. ally, detection requires an Intelligence check or a
If you prefer not to repeat the scenarios, then chief's find traps ability.
Chatterjee can procure the needed materials Keeping the rope: The main problem is not
through his family connections or his greater finding this rope , but keeping it. Any examina-
knowledge of rhe city. However, use this method tion of the statue may provoke the citizens' wrath,
as a last resort, since if you do players may feel unless the PCs deflect that anger with plausible
their efforts have been pointless. Reduce their XP lies, threats, or stirring appeals to virtue. But once
awards at rhe module's conclusion if they haven 't the PCs pacify or drive off the crowd, they must
done it themselves. face the Kirtanta .
The assassins close in quietly as soon as the PCs
HOW THEY GET HERE ==== find the compartment. The Kinanca are happy to
let the crowd harass the PCs as long as feasible,
The Kirtanta may stage additional attempts on and may even try to rouse the citizens' anger with
the PCs' lives as they return to the Temple of shouted taunts against the PCs. Failing that, the
Eight Sweet Winds (or wherever they decided to assassins move in for the kill .
rendezvous wi rh Chatterjee) .. These are left to To start with, rhe Kirtanta send in one 4th level
DM's discretion. assassin per PC. In the lead is a bearded fanatic,
The Temple is as before. Chatterjee is ready to Dahrabi, their 7th level leader who wields the
instruct rhe PCs in the proper construction of the ominous silver pickaxe. After combat begins, one
Yantra of the Emerald River; the instruction takes more assassin joins the battle on every second
about five minutes. If something has happened to round. The Kirtanta flee if two-thirds of their
Chatterjee during the adventure, the old guru can forces fall . If the PCs demonstrate magic unknown
visit the PCs in a dream-vision, expedited by Aste- in the Hollow World, the assassins flee if only one-
rius, to convey the necessary information. third of them are defeated. However, Dahrabi
After Chatterjee has explained how to make the always fights to the death.
yantra, he adds, "As ro the place you must be Mrermath: The lesser Kirtanta, like the ones in
drawing it, I have been receiving another dream . Chapter 6, uy to activate their spider tattoos
It must be done within the dome." He casts his (thereby explosively poisoning themselves, all
eyes skyward. unknowing). If the PCs restrain them, these Kir-
This may intimidate the PCs, for they may have ranta know little except that they muse protect
heard that no one in living memory has entered "the avatar of Dakka" who "crouches like a spi-
the dome. This is the common legend in Shahja- der, guarding the Emerald River." They don 't
pur; in fact, Chatterjee says, rhe dream has re- know what this means.
vealed to him char many have secretly entered the Dahrabi, if he survives, speaks of the reshaping
dome: rhe Kirranta assassins! of the pantheon to make Entropy paramount, and
"the spell that stretches moments without end."
Rope Trick This is an obscure reference to the time-altering
spell that Thanatos has cast on the Immortals'
How did the assassins enter the floating dome? time marker. The PCs see this marker in the next
"They used a device of some kind ," says Chatter- chapter.
jee. "My dream is revealing that it is having some- Dahrabi also taunts rhe PCs: "You are being
thing to do with rhe srarue of Dakka." smaller than mice beneath the heels of Dakka.
In a crowded alcove of the Temple stands a You are cowering upon her outstretched palm. She
large , threatening statue made of finely polished can be grinding you beneath her fi ngertip ." (The
cherrywood. The statue, artfully carved, depicts PCs discover what this means later in this chapter.)
the eight-armed Dakka, who embodies the Shah- "Go and be facing her now," says Dahrabi, curi-
japuri principle of destruction. This is the statue ously smug. He even instructs the PCs in how to
Chatterjee saw in his dream . Over forty Dharsa- use the rope to enter the Temple's fl oating dome!
rrans of all castes are paying homage to the statue,
laying offerings of candles and grain at its base.
The Passage
In contrast to the Known World, the Shahjapuri
regard destruction as a positive idea: that all mate- The rope's magic becomes evident when the
rial things must, in the fullness of time, decay in holder throws one end into the air. The rope end
order to free their portions of the life spirit to take spirals upward and vanishes just below the ceiling.
new forms. It is only premature destruction, such The rope hangs down from nothingness. Any
as that fostered by Entropy Immortals, that proper character can climb it like a rope of climbing.

43
 Public reaction: Recall that all this occurs while
the Temple is crowded with acolytes and Kirtanta. can't locate. The floor curves upward to be-
They may all disapprove of the PCs' magical entry come the walls, which are all covered with bi-
into the floating dome, if it is performed openly. zarre, beautiful abstract designs.
(The Kirtanta climbed the rope while concealed It's dark overhead, but the chamber looks
behind scaffolding.) Do the assassins whip up the much taller than it is wide. You see a confus-
crowd's resentment of this "sacrilege"? Do fren- ing, spider-web framework of thin rust-colored
zied samdus try to muscle their way past the PCs pillars. They support the dome, starting in a
and climb the rope? Or does everyone flee this circle halfway up the wall. They converge from
magic, thinking it will bring down the wrath of all all angles on a central support, a round metal
33,333 Imm ortals? disk about ten feet across. It's about fifteen feet
The difficulty of the passage is up to you. above you.
Should a crazed fakir or other bystander beat the A thin, foul-smelling breeze blows from
PCs up the rope, he or she becomes an early vic- nowhere. You wet a finger, but you can't tell its
tim of the menace inside the floating dome, al- direction. The place smells of garbage and old
ready beyond rescue as the PCs arrive (see below). liquor. Suddenly you recognize that smell: it's
If the crowd riots and tries to prevent the PCs the odor of the Darokinian liqueur, Treesblood.
from climbing, discourage the PCs from assaulting
the crowd (but not from attacking any Kirtanta
rabble rouser). The preferred technique is for the INVESTIGATION==========
players to make inspired speeches that dissuade
the crowd from attacking their characters. Decide The floating dome exhibits strange gravity. One
the success of this approach according to how well can walk high up on the curve of the floor, yet it
the players orate and role-play. still feels like normal gravity, pulling outward.
Climbing the rope: Once the PCs reach the top The effect reaches halfway up the dome to the arc
of the rope, the ceiling seems to stretch further where the lowest pillars begin. Beyond that, nor-
away and the rope to lengthen. As they climb mal gravity returns; the PCs must climb around
higher, dense white mist envelops them. They feel on the pillars to proceed higher.
dizzy for a moment, and it causes them co let go Pillars: These are iron poles six inches in diame-
of the rope. They fall one inch to the floor of the ter, rusty but still strong. They fill the upper half
floating dome of the Temple of Eight Sweet of the dome in a confusing pattern; despite the
Winds. They have been teleported by long- small size of the dome, characters climbing
standing Immortal magic. around up here can easily get disoriented. Built by
Immortal magic, they are invulnerable to all mor-
Troubleshooting tal attacks.
Residents: Not even the most diligent search
If the PCs refuse to climb the rope, Asterius can detects anyone in the dome. However, unknown
send another dream vision. So can Thanatos, to the PCs, the transformed leila Kaze is observing
which may convince the PCs that proceeding with them from the dark network of pillars overhead.
the mission is their only respite from his night- She has shrunk to the size of a fly, making her
mares. impossible to spot. She appears at her own choos-
The PCs might also make their way into the ing, below.
floating dome under their own power, depending Trash : Around the dome lie dozens of broken
on the plau sibility of their plan. However, the glass bottles. These were flasks ofTreesblood, the
dome is protected with Immortal magic of your liqueur that leila Kaze dotes on. A strong residual
choosing, such as a permanent prismatic wall odor lingers on them. Should the PCs look for an
(from the Master Rules). Only extreme cleverness, intact bottle, one or two of the empty flasks re-
power, or trickery lets the characters penetrate the main unbroken.
dome. The metal disk overhead measures 10' in diame-
'llickery? Yes, within the dome lives the avatar ter and an inch thick. It holds piles of dirty fabric,
of Dakka, the transformed leila Kaze. She can peacock bones and fruit rinds, and other leav-
permit intruders to bypass the dome's defenses, so ings ... and an array of small figurines.
that she may toy with them inside (see below).
Terror in Miniature
THE SCENE=========== The central disk is usually leila Kaze's perch and
lair. The floor here is covered with miniature fig-
You're on the marble floor of the floating ures of people and animals, each a few inches
dome above the Temple of Eight Sweet Winds. high. Shahjapuri peasants, horses , local monsters,
This is an onion-shaped hollow room about 30 noble administrators, and mansabdars crowd to-
feet across, dimly lit from some source you gether, mostly in postures of terror.
Though immobile, these are living beings. The

44
Kirtanta kidnapped them, and Kaze has shrunk
them with powder of oak-in-acorn, a rare magical The horseflies vanish . At that moment, a slen-
powder she used previously in Chapter 4 of der figure appears, as though from nowhere,
HWAl, when she shrank the Glantrian caravan . and walks forward into the light. For an instant
PCs who played HWAl instantly notice and it looks like an old woman with white hair
recognize that caravan : a train of ten small wearing a simple black sari with gold trim.' But
wooden wagons heaped with crates and chests, from behind her back she unfolds six extra
drawn by fine Glantcian horses and surrounded by arms!
human guards and drivers. The whole caravan She's carrying rwo long swords, and rwo of
could fit on a large footstool. (If the party has not her arms are poised to gesture like a spellcaster.
played HWAl, there is no caravan .) Around her neck she wears a necklace made of
If PC wizards try to dispel the magic that re- many small copper rubes.
duced the figures, they can restore only one figure For a moment the monstrous woman weaves
at a time. Treat the enchantment as if cast by a drunkenly, but she quickly recovers herself.
20th level magic-user. If the PCs succeed in restor- " Hist! Mayhap a storm will blow away your
ing one figure to full size, they have no time to lovely pattern," says leila Kaz~ .
interrogate the rescored victim; Kaze attacks as
described below. Talking With Kaze
Like her Blood Brethren companions (in HWAl
EVENTS ============= and HWA2), leila Kaze is completely insane. The
shock of transforming into the horror the PCs
Creating the Yantra see-:-the "rewar~" Thanatos gave her for her loyal
When the players are ready to proceed, read: servtce- has unhmged Kaze's mind.
In addition to her insanity, Kaze has also re-
With Chatterjee's guidance, you wash the floor, treated into drunkenness, a problem she success-
make paste from the cobra's fang, wd draw the fully staved off in the outer world. Her
yantra of the Emerald River. All the while, the conversation is as disjointed as her awareness. One
old guru chants the words you learned. As soon moment she treats the PCs as intruders in her
as you finish drawing the symbol, it starts to glow home; the next, they are her honored guests; then
with a dlm green light, the color of a new leaf. she treats them as her pupils in the art of magic;
Chatterjee speaks the mantra louder and and then as vermin to be exterminated. All the
faster, and he gestures for you to join in. As while, her arms wave drunkenly, hypnotically.
you do so, the yanua glows brighter. The If the player characters engage her in conversa-
breeze strengthens, bringing a tantalizing smell tion before battle, try to keep them off balance
of salt. Chatterjee's forehead is shining with with Kaze's constant non sequiturs: "Is that the
sweat now, and he is bending over in concen- wind? Nay, a ghost of a memory of a seem. What
tration. The energy is building; you can feel it. lovely amulets! Those who wear black, you know,
And then a horsefly buzzes past your ear. must die. How lovely the moon."
Then there's another, and another. In a mo- But like the Blood Brethren, Kaze Still enjoys
ment, you're surrounded by a cloud of horse- gloating. She is enjoined from speaking the name
flies , as though you'd stepped into a swamp. of her patron Immortal , but she can still congratu-
Their buzzing echoes strangely. late herself on her role in the grand scheme of
"the Eldest One" (Thanatos). She can provide
exposition that the PCs should have uncovered by
This is a phantasmal force spell. leila Kaze, who now, as well as the following clues that become
has shrunk to horsefly-size herself, is creating this important in later chapters.
illusion from a hiding place overhead. When the
The vanished Immortals: "Do you hope for
PCs are distracted , she flies down among the illu- help from the great Immortals?" Kaze asks. " How
sory insects and sprinkles powder of oak-in-acom, simple it was for the Eldest to dispatch them.
the shrinking powder, in a circle around the PCs. They are beyond mortal reach, at the headwaters
This takes one round per character in the PCs' of the Emerald River. Despair! You cannot hope to
group. (Kaze carries the powder in a series of ftnd them ."
copper tubes worn as a necklace.) . The Emerald River: "Do you draw that pretty
Give the PCs Intelligence checks to spot her or ptcrure so you can reach the Emerald River?
the trail of powder. If they don't spot her, they Phaugh! You are no more than children! You are
hear her incantation, but it's too late; they must the~e ~ready. ~II the yantra would do is set you
make saving throws vs. Spell to avoid being adrift tn the Rtver, easy prey for the vortices. A
shrunk! Shrunk characters become immobile and kinder fate awaits you here in this dome."
helpless, so try not to shrink all the PCs; for exam- The miniature figures: "Here I reign supreme,
ple, let a few escape the circle at the last minute. as the Eldest reigns supreme over all humanity. My
If they avoid being shrunk, read this aloud: tiny figures learn to fear me as I feared-well-

45
enough. I rule them. Kaze, the All-Powerful! damage, then fleeing to the shadowy upper
Kaze, the - " Her voice cracks, and her arms reaches of the dome and healing herself. She flies
weave impotently. "Kaze the many-armed, Kaze back down in small form, then grows large in-
the terrifying, the mortal- And you will join my stantly behind the PC who last injured her. She
legions! Haaraaah!" With the cry, she attacks. attacks from surprise on 1-4 on ld6.
Kaze thrills to command her tiny, immobile Optionally, Kaze can also speak the word that
army, but the feeling is tinged with neurotic bit- restores a shrunken figurine to full size. Usually
terness. She recognizes that she herself, now that she picks an animal and enlarges it from a safe
she is transformed, will never attain Immortality. distance, as the restored victim always hates her.
But she intends to transform the PCs, so that she By choosing elephants, tigers, horses, and the like,
can be like unto an Immortal to them. Kaze creates diversions to occupy the PCs. The
animals chosen are left to you.
Kaze Attacks Though this sounds like insuperable opposition
for a mid-level party, the PCs have several fortu-
For Kaze's abilities and statistics, see the Ap- nate advantages.
pendix. In this battle, she fights to the death . Defeating Kaze: First, Kaze is completely in-
Kaze in her Dakka form can attack with all sane . Rather than destroying the PCs with ranged
eight arms in each round. Her long swords each spells, she prefers to engage them hand-to-hand
require two hands to wield . With two arms free , (-to-hand!). This is, to her, a demonstration of
she casts spells as a 25th level magic-user; note valor worthy of the Immortals.
that she can attack with the weapons while Playing on her insanity, or her drunkenness, the
spellcasting , but she cannot cast more than one PCs can goad Kaze into rash moves. For instance,
spell per round. by taunting her monstrous appearance, they pro-
She uses her ability to change size to great ef- voke her berserk rage, so that she attacks anything
fect , growing small every time she sustains serious

46
in her path co the caunrer-including the invul-
nerable steel pillars, a waste of effort. And if the and you begin the same word a dozen times.
PCs produce Treesblood (real or illusory), chis But in every repetition , the yantra's green
distracts the thirsty Kaze, reducing her to AC 9 light grows brighter and brighter, until ...
until hit.
Kaze may waste a round or more during the The spell is complete. The effect depends on
battle by attempting to shrink a fallen PC while how you choose to send the PCs into the Emerald
arrogantly ignoring those who are still active. River. See below and in the next chapter for de-
Finally, the avatar of Dakka has a special vulner- tails.
able spot on each arm . (It amused Thanatos to If Chatterjee or the yantra is injured during the
arrange it so; this is a trait of Dakka in Shahjapuri battle, the damage triggers the spell prematurely,
legends, as Chatterjee can tell the PCs.) The throwing all the combatants into the Emerald
limb's vulnerable spot is visible as a tiny freckle. River " accidentaUy." (Leave the players to wonder
The character who tries tO hit the freckle automat- how they would have entered had the characters
ically loses initiative for that round and attacks at completed the yantra successfully.
a - 4 penalty. A hit inflicts normal damage and
paralyzes that limb for the rest of the combat.
Once all eight arms are paralyzed, Kaze hysteri-
cally attempts to bite until defeated.
WHERE NEXT? =========
The PCs suddenly recall the enigmatic dream
Restoring shrunken characters: The oak-in-acorn from Chapter 2, and they understand how the
enchantment can be dispelled normally, but the yantra lets them contact the Immortals: by taking
PCs can restore their small comrades more easily them directly to the Immortals' realm, the time
by speaking the command word of restoration. stream- the Emerald River! But what does that
Chatterjee knows a general-purpose word from feel and look like? See the next chapter.
Shahjapuri folklore that brings back the PCs.
However, the other victims require a different
word. After the events of the next two chapters,
Are They Ready to Go?
the Immortals can restore any shrunken victims. If you intend to play HWA 1 or HWA2 but
Restored NPC victims recall nothing of their haven' t completed them yet, the yamra works
ordeal and have amnesia extending several hours differently. The next chapters describe the climax
before they were shrunk. None have been harmed of the entire trilogy. Before they can go on, the
by being shrunk. PCs must wrap up the plodines from the other
If Kaze wins: If no PC remains conscious and two adventures flCSt.
full-size , Kaze moves roward Chatterjee. But the Until they do so, the yantra simply doesn' t
old guru completes the yamra without the PCs' work yet. Nothing happens in the ceremony.
help, through tremendous spiritual effort. Kaze Chatterjee divines a magical interference, either
destroys him- but she and the PCs are trans- from the sun or from deep beneath the ground (or
ported to the Emerald River as described below. both}, locating the source in either the Azcan or
There, outside the dome's influence, they re- Nithian Empire.
sume full size and consciousness. Meanwhile, You have two options. In the first, more time-
Ka.ze grows bewildered and flees to fetch Thana- consuming option, the PCs must take a ship back
tos. The chapter proceeds as written. to Colima, a journey of some weeks, or fly back as
feathered serpents, which takes three or four days.
Completing the Yantra From there they continue with HWAl or HWA2 .
A second option caJis for an Immonal plot
During the combat, Chatterjee tries to complete device, an enchantment that some prescient Im-
the yantra ceremony. Build tension as the battle mortal laid upon the Temple for just such an occa-
endangers both the old guru and the diagram . sion : the yantra instantly ce/eporrs the entire
The outcome , though , should allow the ceremony group of PCs to a site near the beginning of the
to finish at a dramatic moment, as follows : appropriate module. This plot convenience speeds
the adventure along.
The yantra's lines of powdered bone turn into One recommended way to increase the pace:
lines of pure green light. A strong wind blows Make the yantra works on a time-delay basis. That
around you . For a moment you feel like you've is, as soon as the PCs dispose of the interference
been here before. And then you have the same preventing it from working, the yantra then trans-
feeling again , and again: a sense of deja vu ports them to the Emerald River. That way, the
multiplied . You' ve lived this instant a hundred PCs need not make the tedious rerum journey to
times before ... Dharsatra and re-enact the yantra ceremony. (Give
The same moment flips past over and over, them a little time to prepare before you throw
like a deck of cards riffled in front of you that them into the time-stream, though!)
always shows the same card . You try to speak,

47
HOW THEY GET HERE ==== You see a man walk by, "across the screen"
you might say.. . and in his path he leaves a.
How should the PCs transcend their own plane
scream of duplicates, in a long tube shaped ltke
and enter the Emerald River? Choose your ap-
him . A crowd of people leaves tubes that inter-
proach according to the effect you want.
twine and rebound from each other as the peo-
If you want to speed the adventure along, the ple move forward. Even things that stand still
PCs notice that the dome appears subtly larger;
leave duplicates; they recede away from you
they see a doorway, outlined with bright green
into a scrambled mass of color. You hear
light. The archway seems to lie just around a
sounds, but the sounds are muffled, as though
corner-ye t there are no corners in this dome! Even
by a blanket. You can't smell anything.
so, the PCs can go "around the comer" into the
You haven 't moved, and the flat screen of
higher dimension and enter the Emerald River.
images hasn't come any closer. Yet all these
In a more theatrical approach, the floating dome
ongoing paths remind you of the current of a
might rocket upward from the Temple toward th~
Hollow World 's central sun. The sun, usually a ptn· gently flowing river.
point gate to the Sphere of Energy, now becomes a
gateway to the Emerald River. The PCs feel them- Looking Aro und
selves bum up in the red sunlight; their bodies ex-
Give the players time to absorb aJI chis ..If they
plode with the pressure of their boiling fluids ; and
hazard a guess that their characters are seetng the
chey awaken intact in the Emerald River.
world as it moves through time, confirm this. Tell
them anything they need co know to help them
THE SCENE ==== ==== === visualize this strange realm.
The PCs can see each other. They appear to
The Emerald River is the time stream, the meta- float in green emptiness. Each character is always
space through which this plane and the entire directly facing a "screen" (that is, the leading
mulciverse flows. It is undetecta ble by monal edge of the present moment as it leaves the past
beings, who perceive their movemen t through this behind). When the character moves, the screen .
realm as the passing of time. effect shifts co the new angle; always, the effect ts
Those using Shahjapur i disciplines can see the of the scene ahead flowing straight toward the
time stream via the yantra. Thus it is, to them, an viewer.
"Emerald River;' an idea imponant to $indian It doesn't matter if the PCs are looking in dif-
mythology and magic. The effect the yantra cre- ferent directions; the yantra's effect is subjective
ates is given below. A different, non-Shahjapuri for each viewer. The different views need not be
spell would produce a different sight. The " true" reconciled.
appearance of the time-stream, insofar as that Also, the PCs cannot see further than they ordi-
means anything, is quite far beyond any mortal's narily could, nor through objects they couldn't
perceptions. ordinarily see through. So they cannot see the
When the PCs leave the Temple's floating outer world.
dome, by whatever means, read this aloud: Side and rear views: But no matter how the
character is facing , the side and rear views over the
You feel the same: you're in your own bodies, shoulder look the same. To the side, a hazy, deep
and you're wearing and carrying what you had green nothingness like the Astral or Ethereal
before. But all else around you is different. Planes.
You're outside the floating dome of the Behind the PCs, an odd, uneven terrain
Temple of Eight Sweet Winds. This is still stretches vertically above and below them, like a
Dharsacra. You see crowded streets, and the relief map set on end. Looking over their shoul-
Hollow World's patchwork sky. People are ders, the PCs perceive irs color as an absence of
crowding around the Temple, pointing upward color, a negative space, different from the noth~
toward the dome in panic as though something ingness between it and the bright world screen tn
had happened co it. But except for the dome, front of the PCs.
the whole scene looks flat, two-dimensional, Unknown to the PCs, this is the vampire sheath
like colored shadows moving on a screen. You that holds the lmmonal, Asterius, prisoner. If
and the dome are floating "in front or· the they try to reach the sheath, their ea~ly ~ttc:mpts
city, in a deep green nothingness. fail. When they turn around to face tt, tt stmply
Everything you see in front of you-peop le, moves with them to remain behind. Tell persistent
things, even the ground-l ooks like it's surging players to wait until you have described the rest of
forward toward you . But it never gets any the scene. You want them to forget about the
closer. Everything except the dome is leaving a sheath until later in this chapter.
long stream of color behind it, like an infinite The dome: The yantra has also affected the
series of duplicates. floating dome, so the structure does not produce
the same effect as buildings still within the time

48
flow. The dome has vanished from normal sight, though using a fly spell. They can enter the
creating the panic the PCs noticed above. "screen" and journey across the Hollow World.
The PCs can re-enter the dome normally, but The land's perspective shifts dizzily beneath them
they cannot return it to the time scream. Fortu- as they cross gulfs of distance at unheard-of
nately, its absence from Dharsatra produces in- speeds.
tense prayer within the Temple, but no riots or Restrictions: The PCs remain in the present-
calamity. that is, at the head of the flow along the Emerald
If the PCs examine the dome, read this aloud: River. They are not travelling through time, but
(as it were) beside it. Also, the PCs can affect each
Suddenly you notice a new feature of the other and Chatterjee, but they cannot interact
dome: a suange, bright object sticking out with anyone or anything that was not in the origi-
from the point on top. It's a thin rod about a nal yantra enchantment. Treat them as being in
hundred feet high. With the onion-shaped astral form, though they move much faster than
dome under it, the rod looks exactly like a they could in the Astral Plane.
buoy, a floating channel marker of the type you Note, though, that the PCs cannot penetrate
see in many harbors. the World-Shield. The yantra's magic won't let
The buoy leaves no trail of duplicates behind the PCs return to the outer world.
it, unlike the objects around it.
Awareness
This is actually the Immortals' time marker, the With their new perspective, everything still
device that they use to mark their return to the seems to be rushing toward the PCs at the head of
time-stream. The device doesn't really look like a a receding series of duplicates. The PCs have no
buoy, of course; it appears this way to the PCs movement restrictions; they can pass through solid
because of the yantra's enchantment, which trans- objects, even down into the ground, so they might
lates their surroundings into something their mor- see dinosaur skeletons, great annelids tunneling,
tal senses can comprehend. and Schattenalfen caverns. Should one PC draw
There are no duplicates of the marker because away from the others, the others see the moving
Thanatos has enchanted the marker to stretch time character remain vivid and distinct, without an
around it. In the months since the Immortals left attached tube of duplicates.
for the past, this marker has experienced the pas- How fast are they moving? The speed of
sage of only a moment. thought seems to be the only limit. The characters
Nothing the PCs do can affect the marker. De- can spot a distant point, and at once (as long as it
tect magic indicates that this must be Immortal doesn' t pass through the World-Shield), they are
magic. there. This can lead to an interesting tour of the
NPCs: Chatterjee simply withdraws into medi- Hollow World, as described below .
tation upon the immensity of this dimension. If However, you don't have to let the characters
the Beggar King or other NPCs accompanied the reach an area that you haven't mapped or devel-
PCs here, they retreat inside the dome and refuse oped yet. The yantra's magic can have a certain
to come out. If forced out, they refuse to explore range, a preferred direction of influence, or just
or be useful. unknowable restrictions that keep the PCs in the
Leaving the Emerald River: They can't. The PCs areas you prefer.
are stuck here until the events of the climax are Empathy: As soon as a character brushes up
played out. The only way out is temporary, via a against any particular person's "life-tube," the PC
time vortex (see below). has a sudden empathic sensation of that person's
Staging note: Stress the screen's hugeness and perceptions and circumstances. Optionally, you
the depths of the green river. Play up the unusual can use this phenomenon to convey many of the
higher-dimensional movement illusions (described scenes from the Hollow World cultures that the
below). This should be a transcendent experience PCs have not yet visited.
for the PCs, an amazing culmination to a long Time vortices: These palpable but invisible
adventure. And it's not over yet! chrono-storms occasionally sweep the PCs (tempo-
rarily) back down into the time stream at some
new location. There they see and interact nor-
INVESTIGATION ========== mally. This provides an excuse to run any number
Moving of small fill-in adventures using some of the cul -
tures in the Hollow World boxed set.
Since the PCs are in the midst of the Emerald For example, a vortex might throw the PCs
River, everything appears chaotic. But they can among the ·Icevaie Elves or the Gentle Folk, for an
move around to get a better perspective-at aston- hour or a day-just long enough to tun a mini-
ishing speeds! scenario or whatever you fed like showing them.
The PCs are not standing on a solid surface, yet These side trips have no effect on this adventure.
by the yantra's magic, they can move freely as They are just a practical way co use material in the

49
boxed set that otherwise might be difficult to fit Thanatos has trapped him here to reduce Aste-
into your campaign. rius's interference with the Entropy Immortal's
Once the side trips are over, the PCs get swept scheme. The odd shape is the sheath's conformity
back up into the time stream , at the same instant to Asterius's colossal body. (Remember, everything
they left it, and this adventure continues. the PCs perceive is filtered through the yantra's
enchantment. This is not the Immortal's true
A Goal form, though it comes closer than any the PCs
might have seen before.) . . ,
After the vonex mini-scenarios, provoke the The vampire sheath saps 1ts capuve s power as
players' curiosity about the huge, misshap:n bar- soon as he tries to use it. For more about the
rier their characters see behind them. The un- sheath's workings and why it appears to recede ,
mense terrain, though visible behind the PCs no see the Appendix.
matter where they are in the Hollow World, seems The sheath is the only conspicuous landscape
to be centered on and above the Temple's floating feature in the Emerald River. If the players don' t
dome and the lmmonal time marker. realize this is their goal, Asterius can send a pow-
Rolling hills, crooked crevasses, sudden angular erful dream-vision calling the PCs here.
points and shallow jagged creases-this is hardly Approaching the sheath: Because the shearh
an ordinary landscape. An ethereal wind blows exists in a scill higher dimensional space, the char-
over these colorless folds in space, creating a thin, acrers must make Wisdom checks co figure out
distant whining. Whereas everything else in this how to approach it. The greater che margin of
realm appears to flow forward toward the PCs, this success, the more easily the character learns the
sheet of terrain seems to recede from them as they conceptual shift that allows movement toward the
approach-the only object in this dimension that sheath . Successful characters can help their less
does so. wise fellows learn the proper technique, so that all
As mentioned above, this is the vampire she:uh the PCs can approach the sheath at once.
holding the life force of the Immortal Asterius.

50
 If everyone fails the check, Chatterjee can in-
struct the PCs, or they can simply move backward not contain my power for long."
He doesn't ask your permission ; that's not
until they touch the sheath. Upon contact, they
the Immortal way. Suddenly you feel like
penetrate the sheath as though it did not exist.
you're jerked out of your body, and you see ir
(Technically it doesn't, except in relation ro Asre-
floating below you like a tiny insect. Then you
rius.) Moving beyond this barrier, the PCs witness
sense a huge version of yourself floating over-
the undisguised life force of an ImmorraJ.
head, looking down on you as you are looking
down at your smaller self. And there is a larger
EVENTS ============= you above that one, and a smaller you below,
in an infinite series ... you feel your mind
Visions in the Sheath dissolving ...
And then you are outside the sheath. The
There is a low crackling sound as you pierce the light is gone, you think- but then you realize
barrier, and you think of thin silk rearing. Be- it's inside you.
yond, you see pure white light so bright it
blinds you- and even after you're blinded,
somehow you still see it. It stretches into the New Visions
distance in all directions. The PCs, now gifted (temporarily!) with the
There is nothing here except the light. But power of the Immortals, have been transformed.
you feel much more than you see. You feel At first they look like weirdly enlarged, distorted
you're being watched, being analyzed down to versions of their former selves, all doughy lumps
your bones. It's like something is riffling and webs of protoplasm. The newly empowered
through your mind and casually examining PCs can restore their appearances with a successful
your deepest secrets. After all you've seen, this Wisdom check.
frightens you more than you can bear. You turn The greater the check's margin of success, the
to run , but there is nowhere to go. The barrier more control the character has over his or her ap-
is gone. pearance. A great success means the character can
A voice sounds in your mind, the voice you modify his or her appearance at will (such PCs can
use to think your own thoughts. It says, "I am also restore their fellow PCs who fail the check.)
Asterius, who has guided you on the long jour- The vampire sheath now appears small and
ney here. You have done well, but the end is withered, since much of Asterius's power has
not achieved. The worlds you know, beneath passed to the PCs. But the sheath and the time
the sky and within the core, remain in peril. marker remain indestructible, for Thanatos's
"Those who protect this plane have gone power is still far greater than the PCs'. Now,
into the past, lured away by guile and treach- though, they can perceive Asterius's words
ery, lured by the Eldest One of all our number: through the sheath. He whispers, "Now you must
Thanatos!" learn control of the power, or it will control you.
Practice. Make haste!"
This should be the first time in the trilogy that The PCs should look around. To their new
the PCs hear Thanatos named. Asterius seldom senses, the look of the Emerald River has changed
speaks the name, and he warns the PCs against it, drastically :
roo, for fear of attracting the Entropy Immortal's
attention. You're floating high above a beautiful green
Asterius can briefly answer questions, and he river that stretches away on either side of you,
can tell the PCs about the time marker and the into infinity. The current just beneath you is
sheath. The PCs are helpless to destroy either of turbulent and unpredictable. Behind that
these Immortal magicks. frontier, however, each rivulet is ftxed and
unmoving, as though made of glass.
"These devices, the sheath that traps me and This is the time stream: The present moment
the marker that delays the return of my fellows, is under you, and behind that lies the history
are beyond your power to influence ... even of all places, of everything that has ever been.
beyond my power. Yet there is hope. If you could slice across the river, the cross-
"Take a part of my power," says Asterius. section would be the entire universe at one
"You can escape this prison, for it is nor tuned moment of time .
to your spirits. Do not think to engage Thana- Overhead, as distant as the stars, you see
tos, for he is as far beyond even my strength as bright threads of light stretching across a bril-
I am beyond yours. Rather, go back to the liant green void. Each of those threads is an-
headwaters of the Emerald River, alert the Im- other universe like this one, but even now you
mortals there, and bring them back. They will don't have the power to reach them.
foil him. But quickly! Your mortal forms can- Beneath you, you see your own little pebble

51
 Also, the PCs lack the ability to change the
of existence flowing through the current- one past. When they travel back in history, they can
little world, small as a coin. You can pick out only experience history, not alter it. See the
little life-paths on that dot, the lives of individ- next chapter for details.
ual people and creatures. You can sense what • XP awards: While they have Immortal power,
they are and where they've been. the characters collect no experience points,
And what about the future? You try to look except for those you award for clever thinking
ahead of the river's flow, but it's all misty gray. and good role-playing. Their power renders the
The river is flowing, and you realize you can PCs superior to all mortal opposition, so the
change its course. risk required to win XP is missing. The only foe
that can threaten them is Thanatos.
IMMORTAL POWER===== And speaking of Thanatos.
In game terms, the PCs' temporary Immortality Approaching Oblivion
is superior to 36th level. Theoretically, they can cast
any spell they like, regardless of character class, and Give the players time to have fun with their
can teleport without restriction in the present. They characters' new power. If you like, let them make
always succeed in saving throws against mortal drastic changes to the world; the real Immortals
attacks and heal all damage just by taking a round can always fix the damage at the end of this ad-
to think about it- in theory, anyway. venture (see Chapter 10, Aftermath). In particu-
However, the PCs face several limits: lar, the PCs may revisit the sites of the recent
"time vortex" mini-scenarios, so they can tie up
• Time limit: Their bodies cannot withstand this loose ends and pulverize hated enemies.
power for long. When they use Immortal-level Remember, though, that the more Immortal-level
magic, they immediately have an episode of power the PCs exert, the more drastic are the side
grogginess, intense pain, overwhelming fea~, or effects. What's more, though they cannot know it,
similar crippling effect. Their eyes glow wh1te, powerful exertions attract the attention of Thanatos.
and for a moment their skin bulges painfully, as When the PCs have done one or more deeds of
though something within them is hammering monumental scale (preferably one apiece), or when
to get out. they decide to travel back in history, bring their
Make it clear to the players that their charac- practice to a dose with the following:
ters can't last long like this.
• Lack of control: The PCs have the power, but This is great! You're seeing everything in the
not the experience to control it. When they do Hollow World like a shelf of books in a case, or
anything within their ordinary mortal power a gallery of paintings. This must be what it's
and character class, there is no restriction, and like to be an Immortal: to know you can reach
success is automatic. But when trying some- down on anything you dislike and, poof, it's
thing of morral power, but outside character gone. You feel like doing some of that now.
class (for instance, when a fighter tries to cast a There's a sharp noise, which surprises you
spell), a character must succeed in a Wisdom since the sounds you've heard here were
check to use the ability. muted. It sounds like the clang of sword
A successful attempt to use Immortal-level against sword, and under that the low, sibilant
power requires a Wisdom check at -4 (or even whisper of a dying breath. Then comes the
greater penalties, depending on the size of the crack of breaking bones, and a howl like the
task). A failed check means the character under- wind off a forest fue.
goes an episode of grogginess, fear, or pain, as You sense a huge, invisible presence floating
described above. across the Emerald River toward you.
• Movement: The PCs have too little understand- Within his sheath, Asterius warns you,
ing of the multiverse to travel inter- . "Flee! To the past! It is Thanatos!"
dimensionally, and of space to leave this world.
They are confined to this plane and (optionally)
to this world. However, within those bounds
they can move at the speed of thought.
WHERE NEXT? ============
• Subjects of influence: Let the players have fun In the next chapter, the PCs retreat into the
sending their characters around the Hollow past, with Thanatos himself in pursuit.
World, showing off their new power in small
ways. They can bestow wealth on old friends, In the very hazy far distance, the river's course
toy with hated enemies, and smash monsters. seems to narrow, by a trick of perspective, to a
However, significant deeds, such as murdering single point. This is the beginning of time, the
an evil emperor or reshaping a continent, create headwaters of the Emerald River.
painful episodes of the type described above.

52
 In this chapter the characters, gifted for the Give the players a chance to try evasion tactics,
moment with nigh-Immortal power, must journey such as turning invisible, creating illusory dupli-
up the Emerald River toward the earliest history of cates, and so on. Even the cleverest idea can't fool
the Hollow World. Meanwhile, Thanatos pursues Thanatos for more than a round. He closes the
them. gap, driving the characters almost to the surface of
A confrontation with the decoyed Immortals the Emerald River. Inevitably, one falls in.
ends with the flight of Thanatos into a dangerous
alternate dimension, with the player characters in Flashbacks
hot pursuit. The chapter concludes with a final
battle in which Thanatos will be either captured or This means the character experiences a scene of
finally escaped. the Hollow World's history, a "flashback" (see the
previous chapter's description of the time vorti-

HOW THEY GET HERE ==== ces). During the chase, the characters should expe-
rience one or more of these scenes, because they
provide valuable exposition and clear up long-
Troubleshooting: If the characters decide to
standing mysteries.
stand and fight Thanatos, try to make clear how
What's more, the characters' dips into the Em-
foolish this is. Thanatos turns visible, looming
erald River temporarily throw Thanatos off the
over them like the night sky. The Immortal
trail. He must look into that cross-section of time
reaches them and says in a quiet, hoarse voice,
and search the entire Hollow World, wasting valu-
"You should never have left your happy time-
able seconds while the quarry experiences the
bound life. I shall make you suffer in ways that
flashback. Though at first the characters fall in by
stretch your comprehension."
accident, they should soon learn to dive into the
Thanatos brooks no discussion or threats-and,
river voluntarily to evade capture. Mter every
it need hardly be added, the PCs cannot harm
evasion, though, Thanatos is closer and more
him. If they still stand their ground (or their visible ....
space, above the river), he makes good his threat.
Gaming the flashbacks: Run the scenes that
Thanatos cannot destroy the characters at once.
follow in the order given. They occur in reverse
They are Immortal, if only for the moment, and it
chronological order; that is, as the characters jour-
takes much time and forethought to kill an Im-
ney farther back in history, they experience scenes
mortal. He will fust trap the loudest player's char-
that occurred earlier and earlier in time. Some
acter in a vampire sheath. This takes one round,
scenes rely on incidents specific to your campaign.
giving the other characters a chance to flee. Aste-
rius prompts them: "Your only refuge is the past.
Other scenes resolve mysteries raised in the other
modules of this trilogy.
When he gets too close, hide within time. And go
Because of the characters' Immortal power, they
back, back, to find our allies!"
can comprehend long stretches of history in sec-
Thanatos traps one more PC each round until
onds, when necessary. They can also sense back-
they finally get the message. When the survivors
ground details (motives, feelings, dreams) that
fly up the Emerald River into the past, read the
would not be evident to mortal senses.
following:
Ending each flashback: The character should
know when Thanatos has tracked him down. In
The Emerald River stretches away before you. the form of a large black raven, Thanatos flies into
You're flying into the past with the speed of the scene, cawing, aiming straight for the PC(s).
thought-but these are distances, and spans of No matter how incongruous the setting, the raven
time, that your thoughts cannot comprehend. always appears (usually as soon as you have given
In the extreme distance. at the headwaters of the necessary exposition for that scene).
the river, you make out what seem to be moun- The PCs should flee back out of the time stream
tains. But you know somehow that these must and resume the flight back in history. If anyone
be the Immortals. stays to fight, Thanatos seizes the foolish PC, lifts
You travel easily inco the past, as if you're him out into the time sueam , and encases him in
flying over a rolling meadow. Your speed in- a vampire sheath.
creases with each second, if that idea means Here are the suggested scenes. Feel free to drop
anything here. You wonder how much history or amend these, or to add new scenes.
you're covering.
Behind you, the invisible presence ofThana- 1. Exposition
tos grows visible-darker with each moment, Use the first scenes to fill any gaps in the play-
large as the sky. He looks like dusk, with the ers' understanding of recent events. For instance,
night spreading across the sky from the hori- if you played HWA 1, show the early incidents in
zon. You can see spots of light inside his form, the Blood Brethren's resurrection and seizure of
colored brown and yellow. An awful smell the goblin princes, and their journey into the
reaches you as he approaches. Hollow World (seep. 18 of HWAl, What Really
Happened Here.)

53
 .Also, players of HWA2 should appreciate
glunpses of the great annelids burrowing through will tunnel toward the outer world. In Nithia,
the World-Shield, with patrols of Schattenalfen the angry citizens will smash monuments, de-
moving behind them to collect their valuable ore face inscriptions, and remove almost every trace
castings. The newly Immortal PCs may sense the of evidence that the Brethren ever lived here.
dream-sendings that the Schattenalfen thought Beyond that, your awareness grows less clear;
were from the Immonal Atzameod; the characters but you realize that these Brethren will safely
realize that these were in fact from Thanatos who reach the Broken Lands and rule its goblins as
wished to conceal his own involvement. ' tyrants, starting a dynasty that reaches down to
~rince Kano and Prince Udan in your own
As they recognize this, the raven appears,
meaning Thanatos has found them. The chase ttme. The Brethren themselves won't see it· a
continues. band of adventurers will finally trap their s~ir­
its under Barleycorn Monastery.
2. Nostalgia
. After you have ftJled in gaps of exposition,
dtstract the players from Thanatos's gradual ap- Another dive out of the time scream, and a
proach, using flashbacks of incidents from their rapid plunge back into it, just a few years up
characters' own early careers. The Immortal PCs the line:
should not be able to change their history, but The Brethren are making major trouble
they might gain new insights into old events. throughout the Nithian Empire. You see pyra-
Characters with mysterious origins might see the mids scarred with their monograms, innocent
truth of their beginnings now, in a transcendent citizens turning into silhouettes and vanishing,
moment of realization. But then the raven ap- and great Pharaoh himself bowing to the
pears, sending them on .... Brethren as they sit on the rwin thrones in the
Royal Palace.
3. Sightseeing In the shadows behind the thrones, an el-
Now Thanatos looms as high as the sky's zenith derly wizard in white robes is looking up at the
and his sinister laughter echoes in the characters' Brethren nervously. You sense that he's think-
ears. But scenes from the history of various Hollow ing back on an ancient experiment gone
World cultures give insights into the places the wrong-the creation of the monsters called
characters have already seen, and foretastes of gnolls. The Nithians created them as servants,
lands they might visit later. The history in the but the servants rebelled. This wizard, named
HOLLOW WORLD"' Sourcebook timeline (pp. Socaris, is mumbling to himself, "Would that I
10-17) may offer inspiration. These culminate in had learned from my forefathers' mistake."
the fifth flashback sequence, below.

4. The Brethren Mystery Solved (Optional) Once more Thanatos drives you out of the time
If you have played the other parts of this trilogy, stream, and in evading him you dodge high
describe the scenes from the background of the into the emptiness above him, then rwist
Blood Brethren that explain their creation. Con- around and dive down, far back in the stream,
sider splitting up these scenes among several PC many years before the last time.
observers, if convenient. This should be easy, since The Nithian sorcerer that you saw before is
Thanatos is so close that nearly every PC must dive stooped over a crucible in a dark, smelly alche-
for cover at the nearest spot in the River! mist's laboratory. He seems to be torturing a
pair of goblins. Sensing more deeply, you real-
This.' you sense, is over 200 years in the past, ize he's transforming them into the Brethren.
outstde the Nithian Empire's capital city of A dark figure stands behind the sorcerer,
Tanh is. inStructing him. "As the magical energy flows
You see the Brethren, rwo thin, rwisted gob- from me to you," it says, "so let that energy
lin figures, climbing into the mouth of a great flow into these insensible forms. When you are
annelid. It's as big as a cavern, and they look through, they will command magic beyond
ragged and tired, but they seem to be in full reason, as your obedient servants." The figure
control of it. Behind them come the sounds of looks like another Nithian wizard-to mortal
an angry mob. Nithians by the dozen are chas- eyes, that is. With your new senses, you detect
ing the Brethren, armed with torches, wands, the aura of power around him. This is Thanatos
and rods. himself!
The annelid closes its mouth, swallowing the As you realize this, he turns to stare right at
Brethren. You sense them inside, safe in sus- you. Before your eyes, he transforms into a
pended animation. As the mob comes into huge black raven! Thanatos chases you back out
view, the giant worm slithers away into a tun- of the time stream, and the pursuit continues .
nel. You sense, with your new awareness, that it

54
 This, then, is the solution of the mystery raised
in the previous modules. The Brethren, created by The headwaters of the Emerald River bulge in
Nithian sorcery as were the gnolls before them, ~ounded curves and sprays, like a rapids ftxed
caused havoc in Nithia until rebellious citizens 10 one moment. Within its depths you see

drove them out. (In fact the Immortal Rathaoos, frozen explosions and turbulent masses of
alarmed at the Brethren's corruption of Nithia, color. It looks, not merely beautiful, but awe-
temporarily allowed the populace to overthrow the inspiring.
tyrants.} So do the figures that loom around you.
As Thanatos inspired the creation of the Breth- Large as you are, these are like mountains: the
ren, so he arranged their escape from the Hollow true Immortals. You see a long dinosaur tail
World. Using one of his newly awakened annelids, stretching across your field of view like a ridge
Thanatos guided the Brethren to the outer world, of land, and behind it, a tree that reaches up as
where they started their new career of tyranny. high as you want to look. And there are others.
(The rest of their history is recounted in HWAl.} You speed toward them. . .
-And in front of you, Thanatos looms up
5. The Spell of Preservation from the river! You're going too fast to stop,
By now, the PCs are moving back through mil- and he's too large to avoid. You collide at full
lennia with every minute. Though Thanatos is speed.
breathing foul breath on their necks, the PCs have B.ut yo~ don't hit anything. His body just
reached the origin of the Spell of Preservation. vamshes hke black smoke, leaving you feeling
dirty and smelly. You look back at what's left,
and yoll: see the ~eal Thanatos still pursuing
The surface of the Emerald River is like a sea of you. W tth your tncreased awareness, you in-
green glass. There are a few ripples, here and stan~ly realize he sent a phantasmal duplicate
there, but they don't move. You dip down of htmself here to the start of time, so the other
below the surface to escape a particularly close Immortals would not grow suspicious of his
swipe from Thanatos, and you're hit with a absence.
strong vision: Before you can call the other Immortals'
Cenruries of war-of brutal slaughter. " Bru- attention to the illusion's disappearance, the
tal" is right; it's the tribes of Brute-Men, the real Thanatos moves into its place, occupying it
savages of the polar wastes. In this time they exactly. You look around; the other Immortals
l!ve all over the Known World. The great aooe- seem not to have noticed. And now Thanatos is
ltds and other monsters, even worse, lived be- spreading out, preventing your escape back
neath them . into the future. What do you do?
New civilizations rise. The Brute-Men are
pushed back, their numbers dwindling. Then
The players should realize it's time to talk.
you feel the new order, sweeping around you Quickly!
like a wind: the Immortals pluck forth some of
the doomed creatures and transport them into
a new land sealed with mighty protective THE SCENE ==========
magic. The new arrivals would flourish like
orchids in a hot-house. Before running this sequence, re-read the sec-
The raven appears behind you, gigantic, and tion on the Immortals in the Sourcebook, pp. 94-
you sweep back out of the time-stream and 120, with attention to the Immortals' appearances
over the Emerald River. High up, you see the and personalities.
dividing line: Before you, further back in his- Though their Immortal power has given them
tory before the Spell, the Emerald River is gargantuan size, the PCs are still dwarfed by the
coarse, turbulent, and barren. You look behind colossal forms of the true Immortals. Here in the
you, past Thanatos, past the line when the time scream , the Immortals need not confine
Spe/1 took effect. The Emerald River runs plac- themselves to the little avatars they use to walk in
idly, peacefully, its rivulets forming a beautiful the world ; here, they wear forms more suited to
pattern. their magnitude. (The yanua's enchantment is
still filtering everything for the PCs, so do not
assume that the forms seen here are the Immor-
Rendezvous With Immortals tals' original, actual bodies.)
After tha.t, time speeds by ever more quickly. Bring in any or all of the Immortals from the
The early htstory of the planet is turbulent and S~urce~k. Magnify ~eir appearances in keeping
incomprehensible, making entry into the river wtth ~~~larger-than-l ife setting. Here are sample
impossible for the PCs. As they pick up speed, descnpuons of a few major Immortals-the four
they rapidly approach the "mountain range" they most closely involved with the history of the Hol-
saw before. These terrain features are, of course, low World:
the Immortals. Ka the Preserver: Chief guardian of the Hollow

55
World, this Greater Immortal of Matter now looks thought to join you."
like an amber-colored saurus of cosmic The crafty Thanatos is interfering with the char-
proportions-like Old Olin (from Chapter 1) acters' message, using subtle, word-twisting Im-
magnified to city size. His alert reptilian eyes mortal magic. The enchantment takes the words
occasionally seem to pop out and scrutinize indi- from their mouths and transforms them en route
vidual PCs. to the other Immortals.
Ixion: The Ultimate Immortal of Energy ap- The spell shows every sign of working: Ka the
pears as a huge golden disk as bright as the sun, Preserver says, "Welcome, fellows of the Unend-
spoked like a wheel. When it turns to face the ing." ("The Unending" is one of the names the
PCs, they can see a face. To each observer, the Immortals use for themselves.) "We are glad to
face's features are those of a male from the observ- have visitors. One of our number, Thanatos, has
er's own race-a human sees a handsome human told us of great evils that arose in this era and lay
face, a dwarf sees a dwarf, and so on. But in all dormant until our own; we hope to learn about
cases, the eyes are flaming yellow. them. Cast forth your awareness as you will."
Ordana: This Greater Immortal of Time seems The players must use cleverness to circumvent
to be a vast oak tree beyond the horizon, miles Thanatos. For instance, their characters can create
tall, with beautiful branches reaching far along illusions of themselves speaking the words they
the horizon. Green light from the river highlights want to say. Other methods also work, if they
the branches from below. sound practical. Or, if the players aren't clever,
Korotiku: Most insightful thinker of the Sphere Korotiku or another Immortal can see through his
of Thought, this Greater Immortal appears as a tactics.
spider's silhouette, thin as a shadow, stretching Once the Entropy Immortal's trick is exposed,
beneath the PCs across the face of the Emerald the characters can speak their piece. The Immor-
River. (Now and then-preferably just after a tals soon stop them, saying, "Hold. Let us read
dramatic moment-he moves one segmented leg your auras." A moment of silent concentration,
beneath a PC and playfully bumps the character and the Immortals have learned every detail. They
upward. He tries this on Thanatos, too, but the all sweep back to the present, with the PCs in tow.
leg never reaches close enough to touch).
Add other Immortals as you wish. Any Immor- Thanatos Escapes
tals that you would rather not deal with are out of
sight within the time-stream itself, investigating Back in the present, floating above the Emerald
scenes from the early history of this dimension. River with the time marker glowing brightly be-
As for the Emerald River, assume for conven- neath them, the Immortals free Asterius from the
ience that the PCs lack the ability to enter it here. vampire sheath, but they do not yet retrieve his
If you want them to enter it, the universe at that power from the PCs. The characters should feel by
early stage of existence is little more than a huge, now that the power is starting to break loose from
nebulous ball of energy, with only a few scattered their bodies. But the Immortals take no time to
pockets of order and intelligence (the first Immor- control that power; instead, they will directly
tals, including Thanatos). Nothing relevant to the confront Thanatos.
adventure happens here. "So, Eldest," says Ka, "in this you have passed
far beyond your usual worm-like gnawing at the
edges of Order. Strong as you are, we are all
EVENTS============= massed against you, a power that even you cannot
long withstand. Have you anything to say before
Staging notes: Try to convey the grandeur, the punishment?"
size, and the immense power of the Immortals. "Yes," Thanatos responds quietly. "Having
They fear nothing, except, perhaps, Thanatos. pressing business elsewhere, I regrerfully decline
Aside from formalities such as granting clerical the engagement. Follow me, those who dare!"
spells, the Immortals pay no attention to individ- With that, his shadowy form distorts, twists like a
ual mortals in most circumstances, any more than tornado, and funnels down into a glowing oval
the characters would pay attention to an individ- that appears from nowhere-a gate of some kind.
ual ant in an anthill. But right now the PCs have It hangs in the emptiness after he departS.
Immortal power, so the Immortals must attend to Following Thanatos: The other Immortals rec-
their words-for the moment. ognize the portal and are aghast. "Nightstorm!"
they cry. "He cannot be so desperate!"
Blowing the Whistle Almost as one, the Immortals turn to the PCs.
No doubt the characters try to tell the Immor- "Listen closely," the weakened Asterius tells them.
tals about Thanatos's plot. Imagine their surprise "There are realms where even the Immortals fear
when, no matter what they attempt to say, the to go. The nature of law in those dimensions is
first words out of their mouths are, "We a.re such that our power evaporates, leaving only a
visitors to this plane. We heard of your investiga- husk behind. Thanatos has chosen such a refuge,
tions here at the dawn of existence, and we thinking to discourage our pursuit. He gambles

56
that his great power will let him survive long
enough to make his way to safety on his home But when he notices you, he speaks with the
plane. same quiet confidence. "So they send children
" We cannot follow. But you, mortals, can make for the labors they could not face themselves?
the journey safely and survive there with your own TypicaL" He laughs and goes back to his
abilities. Within Nightstorm, you can briefly face spellcasting.
Thanatos as one of your own. Will you try to de-
feat him and return him here? Choose quickly; The Battle
moments count!" The gate to Nightstorm is start-
ing to evaporate. Nightstorm has indeed reduced Thanatos's
Give the players only ten or 15 seconds of real power immensely, though not permanently. He
time to make their decision . If they refuse, go to had much to lose, and so it went quickly. The
"Where Next?" below. Presumably, though, they PCs, who had a small degree of Immortal power
accept; they should have built up too great a themselves, are losing it more slowly, and are actu-
grudge against Thanatos to let him get away! ally not much weaker than Thanatos himself.
For playability, you can adjust the characters'
Nightstorml Immortal power against Thanatos as you desire. In
the battle, the characters use their own mortal
Once the PCs consent , Ka the Preserver in- abilities, statistics, and saving throws without
stantly creates a dimensional transport device, a adjustment. For the much weakened Thanatos,
small wand that he hands to the group's leader. usc the statistics for the Average Manifestation
"This will return you and Thanatos here, should Form given in the Immortals section of the
you succeed." Meanwhile, the other Immortals are HOLLOW WORLD"' DM's Sourcebook, p . 96;
bathing the PCs in power, strengthening them make the following changes, which are caused by
still more. "Against the remnants of the Eldest's the peculiar nature of this realm:
power, you will need it all ," they say.
Passage through the portal is easy enough, • Thanatos has no Anti-Magic here, and is not
though slightly disorienting. Beyond it. . . immune to mortal magic. He can be hit with
any weapon or spell , but all mortal attacks do
You're tossed in a rift of stormy darkness, yet minimum damage. Only an artifact docs nor-
your vision is unimpaired . The gulfs above and mal damage, and the characters probably don't
below flash with lights that explode in stark have one!
and frozen color. In the distance you see lurid If reduced to 0 hp, Thanatos does not die,
bands of darkness that swirl through the void , but he also doesn' t disappear back to his home
splitting and merging like wind-tossed waves. plane. llis indestructible body goes inert, allow-
There 's a smell of candle wax on a cold wind. ing the PCs to carry it back to the Immortals for
You also spot huge wavering translucent their just retribution.
spheres in the air, wobbly mirror-like bubbles If a player character drops to 0 hp, the PC
that appear from nowhere in an instant, then does not die either. The body explodes as de-
vanish. One appears not far away; it makes the scribed below under "Where Next ?" The char-
hair of your arms prickle, like lightning about acter returns with the other demolished
to strike. You feel a wave of weakness and pain, characters at the start of the next chapter.
but it passes as the bubble snaps taut and • Neither the characters nor Thanatos can teleport
bursts. Half of your Immortal power is gone! in this dimension. They can only cross to other
planes after a lengthy spellcasting process; the
PCs have caught Thanatos in the middle of his
Large concentratjons of magical power create attemp t.
these bubbles. A single bubble can drain half the
magic from all characters in the vicinity, so power- Thanatos continues to create the gate to his
ful characters lose magic much more quickly than home plane while he battles the PCs. Once the
weaker ones. For more about the bubbles, see the gate is complete, he will escape and seal the portal
next subsection .
behind him. This takes 12 rounds minus the num-
ber of characters in the banle ; for instance, if
Thanatos is hovering not far away, apparently there are seven characters, Thanatos needs only
trying to create another dimensional gateway. fi ve rounds before the gate is finished.
He looks different, a flickering shadow, pul- (In this Manifestation Form, Thanatos is created
sating malignantly. He looks much smaller, as a 36th level magic-user. Consider him to have a
too, hardly larger than your worst nightmare, score of 18 in alJ abilities and to know all skills. If
and he seems to be having trouble making the you don 't have the Master Rules, Thanatos has a
portal. saving throw of 2 vs. aJI special attacks.)
Fighting Thanatos: The Entropy Immortal
hardly thinks the PCs much threat to start with,

57
which may save their lives. He also doesn't bother Rest uneasy, heroes, for I shall have my revenge."
to finish off a weakened opponent; as soon as a With that (and probably with the characters'
target takes extensive damage, Thanatos shifts the own taunts ringing in his ears), Thanatos steps
attack elsewhere. This reflects his tendency to toy through the gate and is gone, leaving only a smell
with fallen foes, and his reverence for subtlety of carrion behind.
over brute force.
The energy-draining bubbles may also rescue a
character or two. These appear every ld6 rounds
or as you need them. When a bubble appears,
WHERE NEXT? =========
If Thanatos has escaped, the PCs must use Ka
every character must make a saving throw vs. Spell the Preserver's wand to return to the Emerald
at -4. (Thanatos needs a 6 or better to succeed.) River. If none of them are conscious, the wand
Successful characters are unaffected. Those who triggers automatically, returning them safely. If
fail the saving throw lose half their current hit they have lost the wand, allow the characters to
points (minimum 10 hp). use their last vestiges of Immortal magic to make
A character can predict when and where the the return trip.
bubble will appear next by meditating, doing The characters are feeling very bad now. Pain
nothing else for one round. A meditating charac- courses through them, beyond their power to
ter can defend and make saving throws normally, heal. They have just enough time to gasp out a
but cannot attack. Thanatos can also meditate this brief account of the battle to the Immortals; they
way, even though he is casting his gate spell; but probably ask for help and healing as well, but the
he cannot attack on the round he does so. Anyone Immortals wish to know more details before they
who predicts where the bubble will appear can do so. Play up the continuing agony as they make
evade its draining power automatically (no saving the request. Stage th is as a down-to-the-wire fin-
throw needed), and with trickery or clever tactics ish, building suspense before (the players think)
can even lure an opponent into its range. you actually allow them to heal.
Use the bubbles to even up the battle when In fact , it's too late. In a surprising finish, the
necessary, preferably against Thanatos, in order to power proves too much for the characters' fragile
increase the players' excitement and fun. Thanatos mortal forms. The Immortals can do nothing.
should miss a saving throw automatically if it With the last vestiges of their Immortal awareness,
improves the adventure. the characters sense themselves enlarging, distend-
Ending the battle: The characters probably ing, burning from the inside out- and, at last,
can't defeat Thanatos. This encounter is more a exploding in a series of brilliant fire balls, like
way to let the players blow off some steam and get fireworks!
in some vengeful blows against the villain who has But it's not over yet! Go to the next chapter.
caused them such trouble. Show him moaning
with pain, cursing the characters, and wondering
(perhaps with growing panic) how these mortals
can damage him, as no entity has damaged him in
eons. This should give the players some satisfac-
tion, even as he finally departs.
However, if they do well against him, Thanatos
tries to break off the battle and bribe the charac-
ters. He knows their innermost hearts and mo-
tives, and he can promise anything with the
smoothness of a master liar. This, too, serves more
a dramatic than a practical purpose. The players,
unlikely to be swayed by his blandishments, feel
nobler for refusing them. (If anyone does accept
Thanatos's bribe, he creates the desired item or
effect on the spot. Then Thanatos escapes, and
the bribe disappears .)
If Thanatos defeats all the PCs, he leaves with-
out destroying them. That happens shortly any-
way, and the tactic would show no subtlety. If he
fights them off long enough to finish his gate, he
steps through with these parting words:
"For now, you may draw satisfaction that you
have fought me, as no other entity has in the life
of your civilization. But think on this: I am older
than the stars in your sky. I know ways to torment
you that you cannot conceive. And I am patient.

58
 that the giant wormlike great annelids made
HOW THEY GET HERE=== through the World-Shield. The Immortals look
The PCs awaken-intact, healed of damage, and upon this with great severity. After all, millennia
restored to their normal mortal condition-on the ago, the burrowers were the main reason the Im-
slopes below the ruins of Atacalpa, where they mortals created the Spell of Preservation!
began the adventure in HWAl (or the cliffs above If the PCs alert the Immortals to the problem,
Colima, if you are playing this module alone). The Ka the Preserver agrees to hunt down the annelids
Immortals of the previous chapter commune freely and put them back to sleep. Repairing the World-
with them, speedily wrapping up this adventure. Shield is tricky, even for Immortals; but Ka volun-
teers to take on the job. He won't rest until,
somehow, he can fix the damage.
LOOSE ENDS ========== Meanwhile, a couple of small annelids may still
be active here and there. And for the time being,
leila Kaze and the Kirtan ta there are plenty of ready-made tunnels connecting
If leila Kaze survived, Asterius finds her, restores the Outer and Hollow Worlds. This offers prime
her to her human form, and returns her to Glanrri possibilities for future adventures.
(or charges the PCs to do so). Kaze is now totally
insane and evidently powerless, so she finishes her Corruption from the Smok ing Mirror
days in one of the nightmarish Glantrian asylums
for the ill. (You may wish to bring her back as a If you have not played HWAl, skip this section.
"mad wizard" in a later adventure.) In HWA 1, large sections of the Hollow World
The Immortals deal far more harshly with the became corrupted by strange radiation from the
Kirtanta, who subverted the symbolism of the Smoking Mirror. This corruption heals naturally
Temple in Dharsatra. The Immortals (especially once the mirror is gone (and if the PCs failed to
the Twelve Watchers, who helped design the Tem- destroy it, the Immortals Ilsundal, Ixion, and
ple) transform the Kinanta, one and all, into true Pflarr do). The corruption's after-effects are felt
dopplegangers, and scatter them across the Hollow only in certain areas, and for only a few years at
World . The former assassins retain no abilities or most- like a single breath to the Immortals, not
memory of their previous existence ... but they worth the trouble of correcting.
do retain a propensity for impersonating the lead- When you run Hollow World adventures in
ing members of the societies they discover. your own nations, the PCs may encounter certain
after-effects of the Smoking Mirror, such as ruth-
less exploitation of the landscape or peculiar indi-
The Blood Brethren viduals who seem little affected by the Spell of
If you have not played the other modules in this Preservation. However, none of the territories
trilogy, skip this section. described in the HOLLOW WORLD"' boxed set
Presumably the PCs defeated both Simm of the s~stain any damage of this kind; the corruption
Grasping Dark and Koresh Teyd, and destroyed d1d not take root there.
both the Smoking Mirror and Nightrage foundry,
in HWAl and HWA2. If either of the Brethren Friends and Enemies
escaped, the Immortals track them down and-
then what? Colima: If the PCs plead for the Colimans, the
The Time Immortal Rafiel might confine the Energy Immortal Tarastia gladly strengthens this
Brethren again in Barleycorn Monastery; remove small port by placing a special guardian. ("It's
them to another plane, to serve Thanatos forever ; only just," she says.) In the future, the town can
or even set them loose again on the outer world! prosper, suffering less from Merry Pirate raids and
To the Immortals, the Brethren are agents of En- Azcan war parties.
tropy, necessary to the cosmic balance. Having Dael the shepherd: Dael helped the PCs at the
seen the balance in their trip up the Emerald start of HWA2, despite the curse of the ring of
River, the PCs may find this hard to dispute. In truthfulness he wears. If the PCs ask, any lawful
any case, although the Immortals don't want the Immortal casually removes the curse.
Brethren in the Hollow World interfering with the The feathered serpents and elementals from
Spell of Preservation, they won't simply destroy HWA2: The Immortal Ixion restores the feathered
the Brethren. That is a job for PCs. serpents' Ashmorain hatching ground intact; his
This means the Brethren , if they survived the fellow Immortal Rathanos transports Koresh
previous adventures, can return to bedevil the PCs Teyd's captive fire and earth elementals back to
in future adventures. their respective Elemental Planes. If you desire,
Ixion can adjust the abilities of the feathered ser-
The G reat A nnelids pents and their natural enemies, the flying vipers,
so that the serpents flourish once more in the
If you have not played HWA2, skip this section. Hollow World.
HWA2 raised a serious problem: the tunnels

59
 80,000 the thief needs to reach 9th level.
Give 10-20% extra XP to individual players
who role-played well, devised clever plans, and
otherwise increased everyone's enjoyment of the
game. Adjust all XP awards to reflect your per-
sonal play style and the needs of the individual
players.
Optionally, if you have the Master Rules, the
PCs' long association with the Immortals has pro-
duced great benefits. Asterius, in particular,
grants each PC a wish, subject to the guidelines on
page 10 of the Master Player's Book. This is a
strictly optional reward; don't use it if you don't
feel comfortable giving the players such power.
Clerics who wish to follow Asterius instead of
their original patron can change without level
penalties-though this choice should have conse-
quences in the campaign (the cleric's former lead-
ers may harass him, etc.). Other Immortals may
make the same offer to PC clerics, if you wish.
GETTING HOME==========
Ka the Preserver, perhaps uneasy at the intru-
sion of the outer world into his beloved preserve,
-OR STAYING =========
Perhaps the PCs want to stay in the Hollow
gives the PCs a one-charge jump rod (see "For
New Players" in the Introduction). They can tele- World. Ka the Preserver at first commands them
port without error directly to Barleycorn Monastery otherwise. "Your presence here would endanger
(or their last position on the outer world). this preserve," he says.
Encourage the players to protest. If they sound
The Caravan persuasive, Korotiku the Trickster intervenes.
"Come, come, 0 Great-Tail Long-Tooth;' he says,
Use this sequence if you played HWA 1. "how else may the lands we preserve here gain new
Asterius retrieves the shrunken caravan from the legends? These younglings look the type to make
Temple of Eight Sweet Winds, and he gives PC some, I should say. Watching them should be fun."
magic-users the command word to enlarge it. The Ka relenrs, but he gives them the one-charge
PCs can easily carry the whole shrunken caravan in jump rod mentioned in the previous section. "This
a single bag; the enlarged version would be diffi- will return you home at once. Feel free to use it." Ka
cult to transport! neglecrs to mention that it's a one-way trip!
Once they reach the Outer World, the PCs can That business done, the Immortals wish the PCs
carry the caravan back to Glantri City (or wherever good adventuring, then they rocket upward and
they started) and collect the reward. The war be- are lost in the red noon. The PCs are left alone,
tween Glantri and the tribes of High Gobliny has on the shore of a new ocean, with all the lands of
been raging since the PCs left-perhaps weeks, history spread out around and above them like
perhaps months. After much bloodshed, both fresh fruit ready for tasting.
sides are entertaining second thoughts, and condi-
tions are ripe for a truce. The return of the caravan
encourages this truce. The grateful rulers of Glan-
tri increase the promised 15,000 gp reward by
another 5,000 gp. (Adjust the reward to your
campaign standard.)
Stage the restoration of the caravan as a public
spectacle in the palace court, a dramatic punchline
to the adventure.

Further Rewards
In addition to the gp reward for the successful
rerum of the caravan and the .usual experience
points for defeating opponents, make a bulk
group XP award at least large enough to raise one
player character halfway to the next level. For
example, if the party includes an 8th level thief,
award each PC up to 40,000 XP, half of the

60
N 0 N-PLAYER CHARACTERS =============================
IRILA KAZE
As human: Female, height 5'4", weight 120 lbs., swords (one on each side), and she uses two more
age 59. Thin ; long full white hair, blue eyes, alert hands to gesture in a spell. The remaining two
look; immaculate wizard 's robes. hands can grapple, seize and hold objects, or
As avatar of Dakka: As above, but six extra strangle , though the last counts as one of her three
arms with clawlike fingernails; longer torso; dirty attacks per round .
uncombed hair; crazed look; filthy Shahjapuri Thanatos has also given Kaze an ability that
clothing. Carries two black two-handed swords Dakka has in Shahjapuri legends, the power to
without scabbards. shrink to the size of a fly. Changing size takes
Irila Kaze made excellent impressions early in Kaze no time, but she can do nothing else on the
her studies at Glamri's Great School of Magic . By round she changes size. (However, sudden "ap-
her late teens her command of magic was such pearances" before startled PCs may give her an
that she appeared likely to graduate and directly initiative bonus on the next round.)
enter the civil service at a high level. leila showed At small size Kaze can fly as per the spell. Her
spirit , originality, and a consuming curiosity. AC becomes -2, but she cannot attack with
But that curiosity led her into independent weapons. She can cast spells normally; however,
searches in the school library. Wheedling favors the mad Kaze seldom casts spells while small, as it
from a friendly but unwise library guard , Irila robs her of the feeling of supremacy she craves.
ventured into an area of the library normally off. She uses her shrinking power only to evade an
limits to everyone: the N ight Collection . She felt attack or escape from a trap.
the lure of its sinister tomes, many written by Powder ofoak-in -acom : Kaze wears a necklace
inhuman hands, some m umbling and chuckling made of vials of this shrinking powder. Most of
to themselves as they sat on their shelves. leila the vials are now empty; there is one full vial for
opened one at random; that led to another, and each PC, and each vial holds enough powder to
another.. . and Irila Kaze gradually changed . shrink one PC. Kaze prefers this powder above all
From then on , she still achieved fair success in other attacks, but the victim must be motionless
magic , but no longer exceptional breakthroughs- for it to work. So when she has overcome an oppo-
that her instructor knew of, at any rate. In fact, nent, she may stop and try to shrink the victim,
she made enormous progress in secret, guided by a even when others are still attacking.
profound supernatural intelligence. For in ana- leila Kaze / Dakka: 25th level magic-user; AC 7
tion where worship was outlawed, Kaze had be- (incl Dex bonus); hp 50; #AT 2 weapon/ 1 spell;
come a worshipper of the most evil of Immortals : Dmg ld10+2/ld10 + 2/byspell; MV 120' (40'),
Thanatos. Fl 240' (80'); Save M25; ML 12; AL C; THACO 9
Thanatos eventually enlisted Kaze in his subtle (Srr bonus). Str 16, lot 17 , Wis 12, Dex 16, Con
plot. She lured the two goblin princes into place, 12, Cha 15.
allowing the Blood Brethren to possess them, then
journeyed with them to the Hollow World. She Kaze's Spells
separated from them and journeyed to Shahjapur, 1st level darkness (x2), detect magic, magic
where Thanatos has "rewarded " her with a new missile, read languages, read magic,
body. She commands the Kircama assassins, who sleep
follow her fanatically as the "Black Mother," the 2nd level continual darkness (x2), detect good,
incarnation of Chaos. With the assassins, Kaze knock, levitate, phantasmal force, web
guards the time marker in the Temple of Eight 3rd level dispel magic (x2), fire ball, lightning
Sweet Winds. bolt (x2), protection {com normal
Driven insane by her transformation, Kaze has missiles
turned to alcohol, including the Treesblood li- 4th level polymorph others (x2), polymorph
queur to which she was already addicted. Now she self, curse, wall of fire, wizard eye
commands the Kirtanta to bring her living victims 5th level cloudkill, dissolve, pass-wall , telekine-
from the streets of Dharsatra; she shrinks them sis, wall ofstone
with powder of oak-in-acorn (see below) and pre- 6th level anti-magic shell, disintegrate, pro-
tends that they are her wo rshippers. Kaze knows, jected image, flesh to stone, stone to
but refuses to admit, that her transformation has flesh, wall of iron
left her unable to continue on the path to Immor- 7th level magic door, power word stun, reverse
tality. gravity, sword
Abilities: As Dakka, Kaze can attack with weap- 8th level clone, dance, force field, polymorph
ons ordinarily prohibited to magic-users. In one any object
round she can attack with her two two-handed 9th level meteor swarm, heal , shapechange

61
 THE KIRTANTA
Kirtanta advance as thieves in THACO, hit dice,
and saving throws. They can climb , hide in
shadows, and strike from behind like normal
thieves. However, they lack the chiefs ability to
pick pockets, open locks, read languages, or cast
spells from magic-user scrolls. They have other
special abilities that compensate for these lacks.
Only males are allowed to join the Kirtanta.
At 1st level, a Kirtanta learns Ramasi, the secret
CHATTERJEE language of the society; the use of the Kirtantese
Appearance: Wearing only a clean white loin- garrote; and the "silent language."
cloth, this thin, apparently middle-aged samdu The garotte: The Kirtantese garrote is made on
radiates peaceful commitment and trustworthi- the spot from a silver piece and an ordinary-
ness . His hair is silver, long, and braided . Like looking silk handkerchief or scarf. The silver piece
most Shahjapuris, his eyes are brown. is dropped in the center of the silken square . The
Background: Chatterjee was born to wealthy four corners are gathered in one hand, the silk-
parents of the priest caste. As a young man, he covered silver piece in the other. A couple of quick
studied widely in philosophy and the arts before twists, and the assassin has a stranglecord.
taking up a career as a wizard. His talent and Kirtanta have the thiefs ability to strike from
perseverance caused him to rise quickly to great behind ( +4 to hit). Once the garrote is in place,
power (the equivalent of lOth level). the victim cannot cry out because of the pressure
One day while laying flowers before Ganetra's on his throat. The victim is allowed one Strength
statue, Chatterjee saw a samdu in the northeast ability check each round to break free. If these
doorway vanish into thin air! Moments later, the fail, the victim suffocates and dies in four rounds.
holy man reappeared with a look of profound While strangling his victim, the Kirtanta loses all
wisdom and enlightenment in his eyes. Moved by Dexterity bonuses to Armor Class. If the victim is
this amazing experience-remember, there are no freed before four rounds of strangulation, he suf-
invisibility or teleport spells in the Hollow fers 1 hp damage per round due to bruising.
World- Chatterjee became the chela (student) of The "silent language": This is a subtle system
the holy man, the guru Dhala Bho. of gestures. If two Kirtanta whose arms and hands
Chatterjee learned disciplines of diet and exer- are free are within sight of one another, they can
cise that extended his youth. (Despite his appear- send simple messages invisibly to one another,
ance and obvious good health , he is nearly 80.) even if they are both engaged in normal conversa-
He learned to give up material possessions, such as tions with other people. The language works best
his fortune and his spell books. Abandoning the in matters of choosing victims, killing methods ,
ways of magic, he learned the Path of the Eight and other types of violence; it is less effective in
Virtues. other subjects. The silent language cannot be used
Dhala Bho left Dharsatra and is now traveling during an attempt to hide in shadows.
through Shahjapur spreading his teachings. (He Disguise and shapeshifting: At 5th level , a
does not appear in this adventure, unless you need Kirtanta undergoes th e "Ceremony of Mirror and
a substitute or replacement for Chatterjee.) In his Shadow." His superiors give him a transfusion of
absence, Chatterjee experienced strange dreams. doppleganger blood and teach him acting and
These dreams warned that the dome was no longer disguise . The acting and disguise abilities allow
a place where one could commune with the Im- him to pass undetectably as a member of any
mortals, but instead was occupied by an evil be- human caste or class, with a percentage chance of
ing. The dreams told him to seek the Immortals success equal to (80 + level).
"on the Emerald River" and to wait for the arrival The doppleganger blood enables him, through
of foreigners. Since then , his meditations have a painful hour-long process, to imitate another
revealed a way to reach the Immortals: the Yantra being as well as a doppleganger can. For the trans-
of the Emerald River. formation to be complete, he must remain in the
DM Note: Chatterjee has long since lost the presence of his victim for a full hour. Thus a Kir-
ability to learn new spells or even read magic. But tanta can become a perfect replica of anyone, even
if the party needs help in a tight battle, Chatterjee those of the other gender or other species. How-
might remember some spell memorized decades ever, the assassin lacks the duplicate's memories
ago and cast it for his or the party's well being. and abilities.
Stage this for maximum surprise or even comic (Dopplegangers are well paid for this "blood
effect. brotherhood." They like the Kirtanta, and any
Chatterjee: AC 9; hp 13; #AT Nil; Dmg Nil; party of five or more assassins usually includes a
MV 120' (40'); Save MlO; ML 11; ALL; THACO doppleganger ally.)
Nil. Spells carried: None, except as plot requires.

62
 Withering weapons: At 7th level, a Kinanta the current leader. If the challenger has better
receives the silver pickaxe. This weapon in their stats, the leadership is invested in him and the old
hands acts as a long sword + 1, but it can be easily leader turns to dust. If the challenger has les::~r
concealed within loose clothing. The pickaxe also stats, then he is aged to dust.
has certain magical abilities, but these only func- Typical Kirtanta assassin: 4th level thief; AC 5;
tion for the individual for whom the axe was hp 12; /I AT 1; Dmg ld4 + 1; MV 120' (40'); Save
forged . The Kirtanta cannot use their ability to T4; ML 11 (9 without leader); AL C; THA.CO 19.
strike from behind with the pickaxe. Carries dagger + 1 that only works for that indi-
Once per sleep (that is, per day), the silver vidual Kirtanta.
pickaxe can act as a staff of withering (as in the Kirtanta assassin leader: 7th level thief; A.C 5;
Expert Rules). The aging occurs during a success- hp 22; #AT 1; Dmg ld6 + 1 + special; MV 120'
ful hit (a saving throw vs. Wands negates the ef- (40'); Save T7 ; ML 12; AL C; THACO 17. Carries
fect), and the withering occurs in addition to the dagger and silver pickaxe, which works (for leader
damage of the blow. only) as long sword + 1 and , once per day, a staff
At lOth level, the silver pickaxe may be used as of withering.
a scaff of withering three times per day.
A. Kircanta never draws his silver pickaxe in Kirtanta master: lOth level thief; AC 4 (Dex
bonus); hp 33; #KI 1; Dmg 1d6 + 1 + special; MV
front of innocent bystanders, except by dire neces-
120' (40'); Save TIO; ML 12; A.L C; THA.CO 14
sity. Each Kirtanta swears an oath of hatred upon
(Dex bonus). Equipment as leader above, but
his pickaxe: If he does not slay the individual he
have drawn the pickaxe against, he will track that pickaxe works three times a day.
individual down and kill him , even if it takes the Doppleganger: AC 5; HD 4; hp 20; #KI 1;
rest of the assassin's life. D mg l d12 ; MV 90' (30'); Save FlO; ML 10; AL C;
Leadership: At 15th level , a Kirtanta confronts THA.CO 16. Immune to sleep and charm.

NEW MAGIC ================================

VAMPIRE SHEATH POWDER OF OAK-IN-ACORN
This device can only be created by Ultimate- Rare to the point of extinction in modern times,
level Immortals; Thanatos is the only Im mortal this "shrinking powder" once achieved popularity
known to have used it. among chaotic mages. The silvery powder, made
The sheath can imprison an Immortal victim. It from essence of homunculus and other esoteric
draws on the victim 's own power to trap the pris- components, shrinks a specified target to a hun-
oner in a pocket dimension , accessible only dredth (or less) of its original size for an indefinite
through the time stream. Whenever the victim time. The magic-user using the powder can recall
tries to exert power, the sheath feeds on that the target to normal size with a word. Living crea-
power and shifts the victim back a few seconds in tures who are shrunk fall into stasis, neither aging
time to the point before he or she decided to use or deteriorating until recalled to normal size.
the power. Thus the victim remains perpetually on Objects of any size can be shrunk , but larger ob-
the verge of action, without acting. jects require more powder.
To an onlooker in the time stream, the shift Powder of oak-in-acorn is found (when found at
backward in time makes the sheath appear to all) in a sealed one-ounce copper vial, a quantity
recede. All other objects that move forward in sufficient to shrink a large man to beetle size.
time appear to approach the observer, as described Trying to prepare an ounce of powder requires
in Chapter 8. Alchemist skill at the + 2 level, takes two weeks,
Thanatos trapped the Immortal A.sterius in this and costs 4,000 gp . The caster must spend a full
sheath shortly after the other Immortals were round sprinkling the powder in a complete circle
lured back to the headwaters of the Emerald River. around the target while doing nothing else. Un-
Asterius, though , cleverly foiled some of the wil targets receive a saving throw vs. Spell to
sheath's restrictions. By reciting certain spells shrunk. The effect can be countered
backwards, Asterius provoked the sheath's move-
ment back in time- and that, in turn, repeated
the recitation of the spell forward, triggering its
effects. This allowed Asterius to rescue the PCs
upon their emergence in the Hollow World (in
HWA 1). and to send the various dream visions
they experienced during the trilogy.
However, this method allowed Asterius to use
only a fraction of his Immortal power, since the
sheath absorbed most of it. So the Immortal could
not help the PCs any more than he did.

63
NEW MONSTERS=============================
GANETRA GOLEM
Armor Class: 0
Hit Dice: 24** (120 hp)
Move: 90' (30')
Attacks: 3 (fist I fist I trunk
squeeze) + special
Damage: 2d612d613d6
No. Appearing: Unique
Save As: F12
Morale : 12
Treasure Type: Nil
Alignment: Chaotic
THACO: 4
XP Value: 8750
With the help of Thanatos, leila Kaze en-
chanted this huge, elephant-headed figure, a
statue in the Temple of Eight Sweet Winds. The
statue represents the legendary Shahjapuri Immor-
tal called Ganetra, the incarnation of Knowledge.
Its stone is an unusual dark green form of jasper,
finely and reverently polished.
Like most golems, the Ganetra golem is im-
mune to non-magical attacks, poisons , gasses, and
sleep, charm, and hold spells. It reflects lightning If the golem makes a successful hit with its
bolts back toward the caster, but other magical trunk attack, it can continue squeezing automati-
attacks such as fire and ice do normal damage. cally in later rounds. The victim must make a
Normal fire does not affect it. successful Strength check at - 6 in order to break
This golem has two special attacks. Once every free. Success means the character breaks free and
three rounds, its trunk can sound a blast equiva- can act normally that round. Failure means the
lent to a horn of blasting. This creates a 100' long, victim takes further squeezing damage and cannot
20' wide cone of effect that inflicts 2d6 damage do anything else that round.
and deafens for one turn those who fail to save vs. The Ganetra golem fears hostile magic. If the
Spell (see Expert Rules). It cannot blast while golem has a victim in its trunk when attacked by a
squeezing a victim or making any other attack. ranged spell within 120', the golem throws its
The second special attack is a sort of magical victim at the caster (normal range penalties ap-
radiation. Persons who come in contact with the ply). The victim takes 1d6 points of damage. The
statue (including those making a successful hit spellcaster, if hit, takes the same damage.
with a hand-held weapon) must save vs. Spell or The golem is well-balanced and does not trip
be slowed for 1d6 + 1 rounds. This does not affect easily. However, its great weight (two tons) may
those using missile weapons, ranged spells, or c~use it to crash through wooden bridges or into
other ranged attacks. pit traps.

64
931 "

TSR
POB
LakE
WIS
TSR
120 '
Cam
Unit'
 THE TEMPLE of EIGHT SWEET WINDS
Floating Dome (Interior)
Web of

-
2 0 Feet

1nds

1nds

only
Temple Floor

-
Doorway of Charity

10 Feet
N
IJS,

thy

NOTE: Maintenance
scaffolding (not shown)
around most statues.

lUne
c and

Doorway of Benevolence
MONS'CER SUMMARY 'CABLE
'CI)is t ab le ptteseNts v ita l sta tistics fOtt SOME Of tl)e MONstetts f Ea tutteb iN tl)is ab,VeNtutte. Refett to t l)e
v a ttious D~D® ttulebookS ott tl)e appeNbix to tl)is Mobule fOtt Motte betaileb iNf ORMat io N.

NaMe AC HO l}p 'CHACo NA'C DMG MV AL ReMaRkS

Amravati 9 C3 10 19 1d4 60' (20') L detect euil, cure light wounds
Allosaurus 4 16 75 7 2 or 1 2d8/2d8 210' (70') N save vs. paralysis or pinned
+pin or 3d8
Beggar King 8 F4 28 17 1d6 60' (20') N move reduced due to bulk
Chatterjee 9 13 Nil Nil Nil 120' (40') L save as M10
Cobra 7 t• 3 18 1 1d3+poison 90' (30') N save vs poison or die in 1d10 rounds

Cobra, white 6 2* 15 18 ld4+poison 90 (30')

I N save vs poison or die in 1d10 rounds

Dakka- see "Kaze, lrila"

Doppleganger 5 4 20 16 1d12 90' (30') c immune to sleep and charm spells

Devil swine 3/9 9* 25 10 2d6 or weapon 180' (60') c hit by silver or magical weapons only

Flying vipers 6 2* 8 16 1d6 (1d4 spit) Fl300' c save vs. poison for half damage,
(18 spit) (100') spit range 30'

Ganetra Golem 0 24** 120 4 3 2d6/2d6/3d 6 90' (30') c save as F12, hom of blasting, slows,
squeeze; see New Monsters
Kaze, lrila 7 M25 50 9 2 weapons 1d10+2/1d10+2 120' (40'), c size change, shrinking powder
11 spell /by spell Fl 240' (80')
Kirtanta
Common 5 T4 12 19 1d4+ 1 120' (40') c garotte, silent language
Leader 5 n 22 17 1d6+1 120' (40') c shapeshift, withering 1/day
Master 4 no 33 15 1d6 + 1 120' (40') c pickaxe + 1, withering 3/day
Merry Pirates
Marines 6 H2 8 19 ld6 120' (40') N halflings
Sailors 7 H1 8 19 ld6 120'(40') N halflings
Rowers 9 HI 8 19 ld6 120' (40') N halflings
Captain 4 H5 28 17 1d8 or ld6 120' (40') N ring of spell turning, potion of
inuulnerabilily
Mongoose 6 7 19 1d6 180' (60') N +3 vs snakes
Shahjapuri
Citizen,
exceptional 8 F2 12 19 1d8 or ld4 120' (40') N administrators, officials, noteworthy
citizens
Citizen,
above-average 9 Fl 6 19 1d4 120' (40') N artisans, merchants
Citizen, typical 8 NH 3 20 ld2 120' (40') N normal human; workers, untouchables
Guard 5 F2 12 19 1d8+ 1 90' (30') N + 1 to hit bonus
Guard Mage 9 M3 8 19 1d4 120' (40') N light (x2), web
Priest 9 Cl 6 19 ld4 1 20' (40') N many of these will be unarmed
Toad, giant 7 2+2 9 17 1d4+ 1 90' (30') N
Tree Spirit 0 to• 75 11 ldlO 180' (60') c + 1 or better weapons to hit, immune
to sleep, charm, hold, death magic and
cold-based attacks
9311 XXX1401 $9.95 US £6.50 UK

Official Game Adventure

NIGHTSTORM
Third A dventure in the Blood Brethren Trilogy

ISBN 1-56076-064-8

TSA, In c .

TSR, Inc.
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