TEXT: THE DARKEST HOUR
  TM
  
  
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  CREDITS
  WRITING
  Loren Dean
  COVER ART
  Lee Smith
  INTERIOR ART
  Ben McSweeney
  CARTOGRAPHY
  Loren Dean, Jeff Preston
  EDITING, GRAPHIC DESIGN, & LAYOUT
  Patrick Kapera
  PLAYTESTERS
  Walter Christensen, Nathan Devonshyre, Charles 
  Etheridge-Nunn, Amy Gillespie, Brandon Gillespie, Robert 
  Harris, Lisa Murray, Jason Olsan, Andrew M. Popowich, 
  Unit 13 (Alex Flagg, Travis Herron, Evan McLeod, Kevin 
  Ripka, Jimmy Taylor, and Tyler Johnson), Bill Whitmore, 
  and the unwitting victims of GenCon 008.
  TABLE OF  
  CONTENTS
  Introduction  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3
  Scene One: A Quiet Evening Interrupted  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .4
  Scene Two: Village of the Damned  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .4
  Scene Three: To Face the Fiend  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .4
  Adventure Timing  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .4
  Menace  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .4
  Sliding DCs  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .4
  Dramatic Personae .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .4
  Scene 1: A Quiet Evening Interrupted  .  .  . 5
  Action  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .6
  Cast .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .8
  Scene 2: Village of the Damned  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 9
  Action  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .10
  Cast .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .14
  Scene 3: To Face the Fiend  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 15
  Action  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .15
  Cast .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .17
  Rewards and Penalties  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 18
  Handouts
  Traveling Journal of Hertiger .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .19
  Excerpts from the Journal of Barald Rocobienne .  .  .  .19-21
  Maps
  Tipsy Wyvery Coaching Inn  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .22
  Village of Andra  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .23
  Sidebars
  The Soul Star .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .4
  OGL/OGC  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 23
  CRAFTY GAMES PRODUCT 0601
  Fantasy Craft and all related marks are ™ and © 2009 Crafty Games LLC. 
  All rights reserved.
  All characters, names, places, and text herein is copyrighted by Crafty Games. 
  Reproduction without Crafty Games’ express permission is expressly forbidden,  
  except for the purpose of reviews and when permission to photocopy is clearly stated.
  The mention of or reference to any company or product in this release is not a  
  challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.
  WWW .CRAFTY-GAMES .COM
  FANTASY CRAFT CREATED BY SCOTT GEARIN, 
  ALEX FLAGG, AND PATRICK KAPERA
  
  3
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  INTRODUCTION
  You hold in your hands the first adventure for Fantasy Craft . 
  This product is geared to do two things . First, like any adventure, 
  it hopefully shows everyone a good time . The action comes fast 
  and furious, with great potential for heroics . Second, it showcases 
  some of the things that set Fantasy Craft apart from other OGL 
  adventure games, including a comprehensive skill system that 
  supports any style of play, simple yet tactical combat rules, magic 
  that refreshes at the rate of the story, scaling enemies, greater 
  control of the action, and a distinctly cinematic flair . 
  The Darkest Hour is designed for a 4- to 5-hour convention-
  style timeslot, though it’s equally useful in a home game, 
  especially as the introduction to a new campaign . 
  The action initially takes place in the village of Andra, a 
  quaint little community in a mountain valley known as Fels Cut . 
  The town is mundane in nearly every respect . The villagers are 
  god-fearing folk . They farm and work in nearby quarries, and 
  generally live small, quiet lives . 
  Two other sites stand out in Fels Cut . First is a coaching inn, 
  the Tipsy Wyvern, which is five miles from the village on the 
  other side of the valley . The local thoroughfare passes through 
  the inn at the base of the area’s tallest mountain before running 
  through Andra and winding up the next ridgeline .
  The second is a local graveyard, where a long-dead sorcerer 
  and local hero named Paschel is buried . Paschel’s tomb is the 
  graveyard’s centerpiece and his descendants in the village still 
  bring flowers a few times each year . 
  Two days ago a corrupted knight entered the valley looking 
  for the tomb . He avoided the inn and village, moving in the 
  dead of night . He went by no name other than “Master” and he 
  commanded a wicked rootwalker named Wiltweevil . Together 
  they dream of conquest, establishing a kingdom that would 
  spread over all the lands now tainted with virtue . 
  Master had no interest in Paschel but rather wanted 
  something buried with the hero — a necromantic artifact called 
  the Soul Star, which has the power to animate and control the 
  dead . Paschel’s party had wrested the artifact from the clutches 
  of a demon — the beast that turned Master’s heart to shadow 
  — and they knew it couldn’t be destroyed . They also knew no 
  one was strong enough to withstand its twisted calling, so they 
  buried with it Paschel, who’d given his life to secure it . 
  Master and Wiltweevil broke the tomb’s ancient seals and 
  found the Star . They used it to raise the harbinger of the dead, 
  a monstrous thing called the Grave Wurm, and set it about 
  its foul business . The Wurm consumed corpses and expelled 
  a form of walking dead called ‘raveners,’ and through the Star 
  Master controlled them all . He placed the first of the raveners 
  in Wiltweevil’s command and ordered them to scour the 
  surrounding lands of all living humanoids . 
  Last night an adventuring party came to the Tipsy Wyvern 
  Inn, acting on behalf of the High Church of the Realm . . .
  • 
  Barald Rocobienne, a human sage, and leader of the troupe
  • 
  Sister Falthene, a human warrior-nun in the dedicated 
  service of the High Church
  • 
  Engtas Whisperthorn, an elf tracker and expert archer
  • 
  Hertiger, a human crossbowman and mounted scout
  • 
  Hasafti Gurion, a dwarf wizard
  • 
  Ekrajmez, a saurian burglar
  The High Church had charged the party with finding and 
  capturing Master, who had been one of the noblest Soldiers of the 
  Cross before his fall from grace . They tracked Master to the valley 
  and Barald surmised from research that the villain might be after 
  the Soul Star . The party rushed to the graveyard late last night, 
  only to be waylaid by Master and his growing army of raveners, 
  and faced with overwhelming odds they fell back to warn Andra . 
  Master summoned Wiltweevil and ordered a full-scale assault on 
  the village and grisly deaths for all the Church agents . 
  Ekrajmez was the first to fall, skewered by one of Wiltweevil’s 
  boughs before the party even reached Andra . The raveners chased 
  the rest of the adventurers into the village and for the rest of the 
  night and through the next day it became a brutal battlefield . 
  Wiltweevil hung back, blending into the tree line to prevent 
  anyone from leaving as the raveners tore the villagers to shreds . 
  A few survivors barricaded in houses . The biggest group 
  included the adventurers, who fortified themselves in the 
  mayor’s home, a large two-story structure at the center of the 
  village . However, it eventually became obvious that the building 
  wasn’t defensible, and just after nightfall the group made a break 
  for the village church, which sits on open ground just outside 
  Andra . Hertiger volunteered to ride to the Tipsy Wyvern and get 
  help, which would also create the diversion needed for the others 
  to escape the mayor’s house . 
  As is the way, the plan immediately went wrong . With the 
  sun setting an unnaturally thick fog rolled in (due to the Master’s 
  use of the Soul Star), and with the night’s new moon it dropped 
  visibility to almost nil . The flight to the church was a confused 
  mess . Hertiger made for the inn, raveners hotly pursuing 
  him every step of the way . Barald was badly wounded in the 
  attempted flight and Engtas stayed with him until the raveners 
  broke through the remaining defenses at the mayor’s House . 
  Both were killed, leaving the raveners in Andra to focus entirely 
  on the group heading for the church . 
  Raveners are much faster than typical zombies — in fact, 
  they’re much faster than typical humans — and the last two 
  adventurers knew the enemy would reach them well before 
  they reached safety . So they mounted a final stand, telling the 
  remaining villagers to run for the church and never look back . 
  Falthene and Hasafti valiantly faced the ravener horde, their last 
  breaths taken when Wiltweevil joined the fray . 
  
  
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  As the adventure begins, Wiltweevil has directed his raveners 
  to find the escaped villagers and scour the rest of the area for 
  survivors (the villagers huddle in the church, which they’ve 
  feverishly fortified against attack) . Master continues to build his 
  ravener army at the graveyard and Hertiger streaks through the 
  night on a last ditch mission for help . 
  The Darkest Hour consists of three scenes . . .
  SCENE ONE: A QUIET  
  EVENING INTERRUPTED
  En route through the area, the characters have just finished 
  dinner at the Tipsy Wyvern coaching inn . Hertiger breaks 
  through the fog, offers a brief warning, and falls unconscious . 
  The raveners reach the inn seconds later and lay siege to the 
  building . The inn is overwhelmed far too quickly for its staff to 
  properly secure the buildings, leaving the party to salvage the 
  situation . 
  SCENE TWO:  
  VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED
  Hertiger’s warning leads the party to Andra’s church, where 
  the survivors can explain what happened . They know Barald had 
  more information about the raveners but he was left back at the 
  mayor’s House . The village is crawling with raveners collecting 
  corpses for the Grave Wurm and the church survivors warn 
  that the land itself may be turning against them (they’re actually 
  just noticing the tree line “change” every so often as Wiltweevil 
  moves around) . Assuming the party gets to Barald’s body they 
  can recover his journal, which points to Paschel’s tomb and 
  explains how to steal control of the raveners from Master (by 
  taking the Soul Star from him) . 
  SCENE THREE:  
  TO FACE THE FIEND
  The action culminates in a fight to the death with Master and 
  his Grave Wurm slave . While taxing and potentially corrupting 
  (should any character try to use the Soul Star himself), the fight 
  can be won, earning the party accolades from the Church (and 
  Hertiger, if he lives) . 
  ADVENTURE TIMING
  Scene Two is far and away the most complicated (as Scenes 
  One and Three consist mostly of direct confrontation with little 
  lead-in and few plausible options beyond violence) . You should 
  keep this in mind and budget time accordingly . Scene One 
  should be a fast, kinetic introduction and take no longer than 
  a quarter of the overall play time . Half the playtime is probably 
  required for Scene Two, leaving the remainder for the final battle 
  with Master .
  MENACE
  The Darkest Hour assumes a Menace of II (Routine) or III 
  (Challenging), though you can easily adjust that if you like . Keep 
  in mind that a higher or lower Menace will adjust the number of 
  Dramatic scenes .
  SLIDING DCS
  To allow for play at any Threat Level, this adventure features 
  sliding DCs (see Fantasy Craft, page 370) . 
   DRAMATIS PERSONAE
  Bastian: One of six survivors holing up in the Andra church . 
  He’s the village cobbler and the survivors’ de facto leader . A 
  simple country man, Bastian just wants to see another dawn . 
  Brigit: One of six survivors holing up in the Andra church . 
  She’s Bastian’s wife, a tough country woman, and the best fighter 
  among the survivors . She and Bastian make a good couple, 
  fighting together (and dying together as well, if need be) . Brigit 
  is also a descendant of Paschel, the storied hero of Andra . She 
  makes regular trips to the tomb to pay her respects, so she can 
  offer precise directions .
  THE SOUL STAR
  This fist-sized, multi-faceted amethyst is shaped 
  like a four-pointed star and set in a silver medallion. 
  Its origins have washed out over history but a few 
  know its power. It can be used to summon the Grave 
  Wurm, which animates the dead in service to the 
  artifact’s owner. Unfortunately, it does this by sapping 
  the owner’s strength of will — his Wisdom — which 
  in turn makes it harder to resist the Star’s influence. 
  Eventually the owner becomes the owned, a slave to 
  the Soul Star with no goals of his own except spreading 
  its undeath across the whole of the world. 
  The adventuring sorcerer Paschel gave his life so 
  his party could obtain the Soul Star and they buried 
  it with him. So long as it remained out of living hands 
  its threat was neutralized. Unfortunately, clues to 
  the Star’s location were passed down in local history, 
  and eventually fell into the wrong hands — agents 
  of a malevolent demon that corrupted Master. The 
  Church-sponsored party sent to capture Master also 
  found these clues and Barald the sage wrote of them 
  in his journal (see page 20). This information may be of 
  great help to the characters in the final battle against 
  Master and the Grave Wurm. 
  
  
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  Brother Sevrin: One of six survivors holing up in the 
  Andra church . He’s the assistant to Andra’s priest, and a recently 
  ordained minister . This is his first assignment, so he’s a shade 
  unprepared as the survivors’ ecclesiastical leader . His faith is 
  shaken, but if the party can help him regain his confidence he 
  can provide divine aid . 
  The Grave Wurm: A disgusting and bloated white worm 
  the size of a horse-drawn wagon . It’s a slave to the Soul Star, 
  compelled to seek out and consume bodies, expelling them as 
  raveners under control of the artifact’s owner . As the adventure 
  begins the Grave Wurm is still harvesting from the Andra 
  graveyard . 
  Hertiger: The last survivor of an adventuring party sent 
  by the Church of the Realm to find and capture Master . He’s a 
  crossbowman by trade and has only a few conscious breaths left 
  as he reaches the Tipsy Wyvern . He uses them to explain that his 
  friends and others are at the Andra church, and that they need 
  immediate help . The raveners attack immediately, preventing 
  further discussion, and by the time the fighting is done Hertiger 
  is out for the duration . 
  Maja Weaver: One of six survivors holing up in the Andra 
  church . She’s a dwarf widow and Andra’s weaver . She can 
  offer several items to the party, drawn from the small stash 
  of treasures left behind by her husband (who died before the 
  ravener assault) . 
  “Master”: The villain of the adventure . His true name is 
  never learned and he doesn’t parlay with anyone long enough for 
  introductions to be made . Once a righteous warrior in service to 
  the Church of the Realm, Master was lost to the dark enticement 
  of a depraved demon . The demon told him of the Soul Star, 
  which he now wields . Master’s megalomania is deep-seated and 
  irreversible . The party’s only recourse is to put him down before 
  he stages a holocaust . 
  Theodor: One of six survivors holing up in the Andra church . 
  He’s 10 years old and helped Brother Sevrin and his superior 
  as the church altar boy . His father was the town sheriff, who 
  remained to defend it from the raveners . Theodor doesn’t know 
  if his parents still live and pleads with the characters to check 
  when they head to the village . Sadly, the boy’s father is indeed 
  dead, though his mother lives and can offer the party a weapon 
  left by Paschel’s teammates in case the Soul Star should ever be 
  used . The weapon was forged to destroy undead, including the 
  raveners and the Grave Wurm . If you want to speed things up 
  Theodor’s mother can also show the characters a series of secret 
  tunnels under the village, allowing (relatively) safe travel between 
  locations other than the church and graveyard . 
  Wiltweevil: The Master’s henchman and general of his undead 
  army . Master has ordered Wiltweevil to use the first raveners to 
  exterminate everyone in Andra and prepare the village as a staging 
  ground for the next wave of devastation . Wiltweevil revels in gore, 
  deriving sadistic glee from demolishing “flimsy sacks of blood and 
  water .” He attacks without mercy or scruples, referring to all but 
  himself and Master as “it .” As the adventure begins, none of the 
  church survivors have seen Wiltweevil, though they’ve noticed 
  the tree line “shift” from time to time . They assume dark forces 
  have taken hold in the area and are warping the landscape, and 
  warn the characters not to trust the terrain . 
  Zerun: One of six survivors holing up in the Andra church . 
  He’s the town rat-catcher and knows a variety of ways to move 
  around in Andra without being seen . He might also know about 
  the tunnels under town .
  SCENE 1:  
  A QUIET EVENING  
  INTERRUPTED
  The Tipsy Wyvern Inn, just after sundown
  OBJECTIVES
  • 
  (Optional) Save Hertiger from imminent death
  • 
  Fight off the raveners
  CHALLENGES
  • 
  Hertiger’s wounds defy conventional healing techniques
  • 
  The raveners aren’t like any undead the PCs have seen before
  SYNOPSIS
  Scene Type: Standard
  GM Briefing: Play begins in the taproom of the Tipsy 
  Wyvern, where all is normal . The characters are given a brief 
  chance to roleplay with the locals before Hertiger races into the 
  courtyard, his horse ridden lame . It dies, pitching him onto the 
  inn’s porch just as the first sounds of ravener pursuit are heard 
  through an approaching fog bank . The characters have a slim 
  chance to save Hertiger but only if one or two of them do so 
  during the first few rounds of combat . The resulting fight is the 
  players’ first taste of this adventure’s undead, which are fast and 
  chaotic rather than slow and lumbering . Once the undead are 
  dispatched, the characters are left to decide how to proceed to 
  the Andra church, where Heritger’s friends are barricaded . 
  Gear: The PCs begin the scene relaxing with much of their 
  gear stored up in their rooms . All they have on their persons are 
  their clothes, armor, incidentals, and pouch contents .
  LOCATION
  The Tipsy Wyvern is a coaching inn, which differs from a 
  regular inn in that it exists outside a population center, providing 
  a self-sufficient place of lodging not dependent on a nearby 
  village . The inn has a main building containing a taproom and 
  several guest rooms (as well as some small servants’ rooms), a 
  staff building where the innkeeper and his family live, and an 
  
  6
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  expansive stable (with grooms’ quarters attached and a small 
  smithy for shoeing and tack) . Palisade walls join all three 
  buildings, creating an enclosed central courtyard, and this 
  coupled with the lack of outward-facing ground floor windows 
  means that the Tipsy Wyvern can be fortified easily should the 
  need arise . Unfortunately, the speed of the raveners’ attack is 
  more than any of the staff expect, leaving several points of entry 
  open during the assault .
  Ambiance: The air smells faintly of hay and animals (but at 
  least they’re clean) . There’s usually a fair volume of noise, from 
  the whinny of horses and conversation of the grooms to the 
  clinking of crockery and jovial conversation in the taproom . The 
  whole place feels comfortable and welcoming .
  Terrain: Indoors/settled
  Cultural Interest: The Realm
  ACTION
  Begin the adventure by reading the following aloud .
  Lizabet remembers the previous group of adventurers 
  well and may mention them, excited that the Tipsy Wyvern is 
  attracting such interesting visitors . Should the characters inquire, 
  they can learn more about the party, including their names, 
  species, classes, and perhaps a few particulars of your device . 
  When the roleplaying peters, read the following . 
  Your party is enjoying the taproom of the Tipsy 
  Wyvern, a coaching inn at the base of a mountain on 
  one side of Fels Cut, a narrow valley. The Tipsy Wyvern 
  lies five miles from the village of Andra, the largest 
  local settlement. As a coaching inn, the Tipsy Wyvern 
  is largely self-sufficient and features a solid outer wall 
  and stone construction characteristic of the buildings 
  in an area with profitable quarries. Staff members are 
  simple and clearly lead unremarkable lives, though the 
  barmaid looks like she might be open to a little taste of 
  adventure later this evening. 
  The sun has just set and you’ve just finished dinner, 
  a hearty if unspectacular mutton stew accompanied by 
  pleasantly dense hunks of bread. 
  The players can take a few minutes to introduce themselves 
  and roleplay a bit, perhaps make a pass at the barmaid . Her 
  name is Lizabet and she was raised at the inn . Her father was an 
  adventurer who spent a loving night in the arms of her mother, 
  also a barmaid . Sadly, she never met him, as he continued his 
  quest the following day and never returned . Lizabet is a pretty 
  young woman, shapely and fit, with dark curly hair and striking 
  ice blue eyes . She’s fascinated by adventurers and drawn to their 
  rugged bad-boy nature . Tales of their journeys outside Fels Cut 
  are especially interesting to her . She is, however, strong-willed and 
  witty, and happily trades verbal and physical jabs with anyone . 
  Turning Lizabet’s head is simple for any of the party so long 
  as they treat her with respect — a successful Influence check 
  (average DC) is all that’s needed . If more than one character 
  competes for her attention, an opposed Influence check is in 
  order . Once smitten, Lizabet takes every opportunity to be near 
  her crush, intimating that she might be free for the rest of the 
  night once the last of the patrons are gone . 
  There’s a commotion in the courtyard — a panicked 
  horse and men shouting...
  If the PCs immediately investigate, read the following .
  A lathered horse hurtles toward the inn, collapsing 
  several feet away and pitching its rider onto the porch 
  at your feet. The rider is covered in dust, sweat, and 
  blood, and his breathing is raspy and labored. 
  “Help them!” he croaks. “They’re at the church in 
  Andra. You have to help them — before they’re found!” 
  The rider goes limp and his breathing shallows out. 
  He’s still alive but won’t be for long. 
  In the distance you hear the sounds of hot pursuit, 
  within a heavy fog bank that’s rolling with unnatural 
  speed toward the courtyard gate. 
  The rider is Hertiger, a member of the adventuring party that 
  visited the inn last night . Lizabet can identify him . He’s close to 
  death from several claw and bite wounds and requires immediate 
  attention if he’s to survive . Stabilizing him is a Complex Medicine 
  Task (3 Challenges, each taking 2 rounds with a tricky DC) . 
  Moving Hertiger before he’s stable immediately kills him . Sadly, 
  nothing can be done for his horse . 
   The wounds are as unnatural as the fog bank . They weep sickly 
  green ichor and though fresh exhibit deep-rooted infection . Black 
  tendrils visibly creep away from the wounds as veins wither and 
  the surrounding muscle dies . No matter how high the characters’ 
  Medicine skill bonuses none of them have seen anything like this 
  before, though with a successful Knowledge check (hard DC), for 
  which Medicine grants synergy, the characters learn one thing: 
  the wounds were inflicted by humans . 
  A second Knowledge check (easy DC) reveals from the 
  Hertiger’s gear that he’s a military scout of some kind, probably 
  a mounted archer . With a comfortable saddle, leather armor, 
  a light crossbow, and a goat’s-foot loading arm, he’s kitted for 
  speed and skirmishing rather than strength and staying power . 
  The courtyard gate is currently open . Two grooms rush to 
  close it but it requires 3 full rounds for them to do so . The raveners 
  arrive at the start of Round 3, so unless at least two characters 
  immediately move to help them the undead push through the 
  doors, killing the grooms and reaching the main building by the 
  start of Round 4 . If two characters help the gates close just as the 
  fog bank reaches the inn’s outer wall and the closest characters 
  get their first glimpse of the raveners .
  
  
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  The raveners can leap to the top of the walls and climb the 
  rest of the way but it slows them down, keeping them from the 
  main building until the start of Round 6 . The characters can 
  use the two extra rounds to stabilize Hertiger and summon the 
  stable hands and other staff into the main building, or if they’re 
  callous they can start blockading doors and windows, leaving the 
  hapless NPCs to distract half the raveners for 2 rounds . 
  A map of the inn is provided on page 22 . Don’t be afraid to 
  take the combat all over the inn as the raveners spread out to 
  kill everyone on the premises . Describe the action as a chaotic 
  swirl . Barmaids shutter windows only to find raveners right 
  behind them . Grooms try to keep panicking horses in their 
  stable stalls only to be pinned down by raveners at the building’s 
  only entrance . Every time the action cools down in one place you 
  should introduce a new problem somewhere else, perhaps two . 
  Ratchet the tension to a fever pitch until you feel the need for 
  the scene to wind down, at which point the characters can start 
  winning without further incidents cropping up . 
  The raveners are fast and strong enough to scramble up to 
  the second floor, so even if the Tipsy Wyvern staff are able to 
  secure the ground floor before their arrival there’s still plenty of 
  opportunity for them to get into the building . Most of the NPCs 
  are panicked anyway, making it difficult for the few who aren’t 
  to properly defend the inn . Unless the characters are quick on 
  their feet and very lucky the scene likely plays out less like a siege 
  scenario and more like a frenetic bloodbath (perhaps grinding 
  down to a creepy guerilla horror scenario if it drags out long 
  enough) . 
  Here’s a short list of ideas to get you started . 
  • 
  An upended lantern starts a fire, perhaps across the only exit 
  for several NPCs . The characters can save them, but only if 
  they act fast and either put out the fire or find another way 
  for the NPCs to escape . If left unchecked the fire spreads, 
  potentially consuming the entire inn . Raveners rush through 
  the fire to get at victims; they collapse a few rounds later but 
  in the meantime they inflict an additional 1d6 fire damage 
  with each attack . 
  • 
  The horses get loose from the stable, rushing through the 
  inn looking for a way out . Characters and NPCs in their way 
  must make a successful Jump check (average DC) to avoid 
  being trampled for 1d10 lethal damage . 
  Figures rush through the fog, their motion frenzied. 
  They move with inhuman speed, as if driven by unholy 
  need. There are humans, dwarves, elves, pech, and 
  others, but they all share the same signs — signs of 
  death. Skin sloughs off the eldest of them and putrid 
  rot clings to the rest. Their eyes are glassy yet they focus 
  with single-minded clarity. They are here for nothing 
  short of murder — and you’re next. 
  • 
  Seeing no other way into a blockaded location, a group of 
  raveners burrow through the earth or floor . Call for a team 
  Notice check (easy DC) . With failure, the raveners gain a 
  surprise round . 
  • 
  The fog plays tricks with the characters’ minds . When 
  characters critically fail Notice or Search checks to see or 
  hear something through the mist they sense something 
  entirely different (e .g . raveners where they hear or see NPCs, 
  or vice-versa) . 
  Liberally award action dice to characters who risk themselves 
  for others, who promote the action and enjoyment of the scene, 
  and who offer creative ways to enhance play or solve problems . 
  Leaping through the aforementioned fire to help the trapped 
  NPCs is an excellent example, as is leaping onto one of the racing 
  horses to calm it down (Train Animal check, DC 18) . Taking 
  charge and heroically directing a small group of NPCs to success 
  in a skirmish against the raveners, kicking the legs out from 
  under an ale keg to send it thundering toward the monsters, or 
  just taking the time in battle to calm a terrified staff member 
  — all of these actions and more are worthy of an action dice 
  reward . 
  The fog creeps across the inn throughout this scene, fully 
  covering the compound by Round 20 . In the fog visibility drops to 
  1/2 normal (rounded down), which is both a boon (the raveners 
  have just as much trouble seeing through the thick cloud as 
  anyone else, though they can sense living characters by smell) 
  and a burden (it keeps the characters from finding each other, 
  as well as NPCs, and as mentioned it can distort perceptions) . 
  You’re encouraged to use the fog to heighten the horror of the 
  scene, keeping the characters off guard and unaware of their 
  surroundings — including what may be lurking just out of sight . 
  As it doesn’t obey the laws of nature it can seep in around doors 
  and creep up walls, leaving the characters to wonder whether it’s 
  a sentient monster . It isn’t, and it can’t harm the characters in any 
  way, though their nerves may disagree . 
  The number of raveners is left to the needs of the combat . 
  Given the size and scope of the coaching inn fights can erupt 
  practically anywhere without notice, or the action can die down 
  suddenly, leaving the party in eerie, apprehensive stillness as NPCs 
  hide and raveners hunt . The scene should involve just enough 
  quiet to make the characters jumpy, then plenty of running and 
  screaming to cleanse the palette for the next go-around . 
  The raveners are blunt in their work . They’re attracted to the 
  nearest living targets and mindlessly split up to take on multiple 
  enemies . They don’t bother with cover, flanking, or other tactics 
  unless the opportunity is obvious . They’re faster than a normal 
  human, though, and they can climb and jump better that most 
  as well . They’re bright enough to find new ways into buildings 
  when they can’t get through a barricade, and they play on fear 
  and panic . They’re mildly cunning, but also bloodthirsty and 
  savage, and fight to the death with no regard to danger . 
  
  8
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  NPCs at the coaching inn aren’t trained fighters but they’re 
  not helpless either . They use improvised weapons as they find 
  them (see their stat blocks for some examples), and they try to 
  be smart about keeping themselves alive and defending the 
  inn (in that order) . Use the NPCs to pace the action . When the 
  characters are having too easy a time of it, introduce a wounded 
  or terrified NPC for them to save (perhaps in the current fight, 
  perhaps nearby) . If a character gets into trouble and needs a 
  break, a ravener that’s attacking him can savage a screaming 
  bystander instead . Alternately, an NPC could get in a lucky 
  shot and pull an enemy off the characters at a crucial moment . 
  Lizabet is especially good for this; she grabs a wood axe almost 
  immediately and takes her place next to whichever characters 
  flirted with her most successfully . She’s not the best fighter, but 
  she’s tenacious and feisty . 
  DIRECTION
  Here are some questions you might be asked, and answers 
  for you to offer . 
  Q: Why are we here? 
  A: You’re adventurers — does it matter? Seriously, you’re 
  just passing through and stopped for the evening at the Tipsy 
  Wyvern, an inn you’d heard good things about . 
   
  Q: Have any of us been to Andra? 
  A: No . You were headed in that direction since you’re passing 
  through the valley but didn’t expect to see it until you continued 
  your journey tomorrow . 
  Q: Are the wounds on Hertiger and the horse consistent 
  with these undead things?
  A: Yes . 
  Q: Does anyone recognize the rider?
  A: Yes . The rider is an adventurer named Hertiger, who 
  visited the inn with five companions last night . Their party also 
  included a human scholar, a human Church warrior-nun, a 
  saurian, a dwarven wizard, and an elven archer . The staff recalls 
  that the group was pleasant enough, didn’t cause trouble, paid 
  their bill, and were otherwise model guests . They didn’t secure 
  a room, racing into the night after talking to Lizabet . According 
  to her, the last thing they talked about was Paschel, a local hero 
  buried in the Andra graveyard . 
  Q: What time is it?
  A: Early evening . The sun has just set .
  Q: How long to get to Andra? 
  A: At a decent pace, just under two hours . Horse travel takes 
  slightly less time unless you move fast (though you’d make quite 
  a commotion in the process) . 
  CAST
  TIPSY WYVERN STAFF (STANDARD NPCS) 
  “Can I help you, good sir?”
  Description: Inn staffers wear simple clothes, nothing fancy . 
  They present themselves well in the sweat of a hard day’s work . 
  Nonetheless they smile like it’s the first day of spring and greet 
  every new customer like royalty . 
  Motivations: In the main, the staff at the Tipsy Wyvern 
  serves customers well and makes money doing it . They consider 
  themselves prepared for trouble but the raveners give them 
  much more than they bargain for .
  Tipsy Wyvern Staff (Medium Folk Walkers): Str 10, Dex 
  10, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10; SZ M (1×1, Reach 1); Spd 30 
  ft . ground; Init I; Atk II; Def III; Res IV; Health V; Comp II; Skills: 
  Athletics III, Notice III, Ride III, Search III; Qualities: None
  Attacks/Weapons: Improvised club (dmg 1d8 subdual (useless 
  against undead), error 1–2, threat 20, qualities: none), hand axe 
  (dmg 1d6 lethal, error 1–2, threat 20, qualities: AP 2, hurl, trip)
  Gear: None
  Treasure: None
  RAVENERS (STANDARD NPCS, ADVERSARIES) 
  “Bleargghhiss!”
  Description: These crazed undead creatures come in as 
  many species, shapes, and sizes as adventurers . They wear the 
  tattered remains of what they were buried in, scorched and 
  brittle from exposure to the Grave Wurm’s acidic stomach . The 
  raveners frequently make savage bite attacks, causing their facial 
  flesh to tear and their teeth to crack and splinter, leaving jagged 
  maws where their mouths once were . 
  Motivations: Raveners are consumed with hatred for all 
  living things, which they can sense by smell . They slay all living 
  creatures that cross their paths with unnerving speed and 
  ferocity, and when all their enemies are dead, they bring the 
  remains of their victims back to the Andra graveyard so the 
  Wurm can consume and convert them . 
  
  
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  Notes: A ravener bite is truly dangerous . Its jagged teeth and 
  ichor-infused maw cause terrible wounds that refuse to heal . 
  Worse, a ravener can spit a wad of ichor and tooth fragments 
  at nearby enemies, which accounts for their bite’s increased 
  Reach . Unlike a zombie, a ravener’s condition isn’t spread as an 
  infection, though party members may not realize this when they 
  first encounter the creatures .
  Raveners (Medium Undead Folk Walkers — 6 XP): Str 
  12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 6, Wis 6, Cha 6; SZ M (1×1, Reach 1); Spd 
  40 ft . ground; Init VII; Atk V; Def III; Res V; Health III; Comp 
  I; Skills: Athletics V; Qualities: Devour, dread, feat (Wolf Pack 
  Basics, Wolf Pack Mastery), monstrous defense I, light-sensitive
  Attacks/Weapons: Bite II (dmg 1d8+1 lethal, threat 17–20, 
  qualities: bleed, reach +2), Slam I (dmg 1d6 lethal, threat 20)
  Gear: None
  Treasure: None
  NEXT STEPS
  With the fighting over, the characters can search Hertiger and 
  find his journal (see page 19) . He also carries a poorly stored ink 
  pen (which is leaking though his pouch), a flint and steel, 16 silver 
  pieces, and the armor and weapons mentioned in the Action 
  section . The inn staff frown if the characters take Hertiger’s gear 
  while he still lives but they don’t stop them . They’re also less eager 
  to offer gear from the inn stores, which can otherwise be used to 
  equip the party if it plans to deal with the raveners . 
  The party has an obvious destination: the church in Andra . 
  Time is clearly of the essence, and should the party delay (“Let’s 
  wait until dawn” or “Let’s wait for some troops to get here”), the 
  surviving inn staff assault them with pleas for immediate action . 
  Many of them have family and friends in Andra, and all of them 
  realize that more attacks are coming unless something is done . 
  Lizabet in particular will push . She’s a little starry-eyed about 
  the adventuring lifestyle and if the PCs don’t bravely march off 
  to Andra she becomes furious with them . She maligns their 
  manhoods, calls them cowards, lays the death of the village at their 
  feet, and worse . She’s got plenty of spunk and more endurance, so 
  she can and will keep the tirade up all night long if necessary . She 
  knows what heroes are supposed to do here and she’s not above 
  making the party feel small for ignoring such an obvious need . 
  Should the PCs persist the atmosphere in the inn turns toxic 
  in a hurry . The staff grows cold, refusing to look the characters in 
  the eye . The other barmaids try to comfort Lizabet, whose ranting 
  can be heard everywhere in the main building . The innkeeper 
  tries to be polite but it’s clear he’s lost his respect for the heroes . 
  The grooms are sullen, even near the party’s horses . Ultimately, 
  the PCs may head for Andra just to salvage their egos . 
  The staff can describe Andra and even provide a map (see 
  page 23) . The other inn travelers are happy to ride out of the 
  valley to warn of a possible undead outbreak but none of them are 
  adventurers; they won’t venture into the village with the party . 
  SCENE 2: VILLAGE  
  OF THE DAMNED
  The village of Andra, late at night
  OBJECTIVES
  • 
  (Optional) Save the survivors at the church
  • 
  (Optional) Save Theodor’s mother 
  • 
  (Optional) Recover Barald Rocobienne’s journal
  • 
  (Optional) Defeat Wiltweevil
  • 
  Proceed to the graveyard to confront Master
  CHALLENGES
  • 
  The survivors are terrified and paranoid 
  • 
  Andra is crawling with raveners and Wiltweevil lurks in the 
  trees
  SYNOPSIS
  Scene Type: Standard
  GM Briefing: Ideally this scene begins with the PCs getting 
  into the church, where the surviving villagers fill them in on 
  what’s happened and direct them to the wrecked mayor’s house 
  to find the sage Barald Rocobienne . They sneak through the 
  ravener-infested village and find Barald but he’s already dead . 
  Fortunately, his journal contains clues the party can use in the 
  final battle with Master . 
  The party may also find the remains of Falthene and Hasafti, 
  who gave their lives so the villagers could make it to the church 
  without pursuit . The sheriff’s wife, Frida, who is also the mother 
  of one of the survivors (Theodor), hides in her home in Andra 
  and may be rescued, perhaps offering the team much needed 
  support . Neither of these encounters is necessary to continue 
  the plot, however - the characters could simply skip Andra and 
  head directly for the graveyard, though doing so would stake the 
  odds heavily against them . 
  Gear: Anything carried out of Scene 1
  LOCATION
  The unnatural fog grows thicker as the characters approach 
  Andra, dropping visibility to 1/4 standard (rounded down) . The 
  terrain dips en route, which would normally give the characters 
  a bird’s eye view of the sleepy community, but instead the party 
  must be nearly upon the outermost buildings before they loom 
  out of the fog . The picturesque cottages are hollow shadows 
  stained and scarred by signs of battle . Doors and shutters lean 
  drunkenly in their frames, bashed in or shattered in the attack . 
  Tattered curtains billow listlessly in the night breeze . Bodies yet 
  to be dragged off by the raveners hang limply out of windows or 
  lie sprawled in the streets . The rest . . . gone . 
  
  10
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  Ambiance: All is quiet; there are no animals or other night 
  noises . Smell is the characters’ most powerful sense here and the 
  charnel aftermath is crushing . The copper scent of freshly spilt 
  blood blends with the sticky acid-mint flavor of the unearthly fog 
  to leave the characters simultaneously queasy and lightheaded . 
  There’s a sense that you shouldn’t sit still for too long, lest the 
  very air crust around you . This place hates the living . 
  Terrain: Forest/jungle and indoors/settled
  Cultural Interest: The Realm
  ACTION
  This scene involves the characters sneaking through and 
  around Andra seeking clues to what’s happening — and eventually 
  ways to end the threat . The area is overrun with raveners and 
  Wiltweevil lurks in the trees . Attracting the attention of even 
  one adversary can be devastating, as the sounds of combat can 
  attract more, and more, and… 
  It should be clear from the outset that the area is not safe, 
  that those responsible for the carnage are probably still close . 
  The bodies of men, women, and children — even animals — are 
  still fresh (and many have not yet been dragged off) . Tracks are 
  chaotic and recent . The characters may ignore the signs, in which 
  case they learn the hard way . 
  The first time the characters enter Andra, and each time they 
  head out for a new location in the village, they may make a team 
  Sneak check opposed by the raveners’ Notice (using the lowest 
  Sneak bonus among them) . If they fail, or if they move without 
  Sneaking, they attract 1d3 raveners . There’s no surprise round 
  — the raveners rush into sight and initiative is rolled normally . 
  If the raveners are slain quickly and quietly (in 3 rounds or 
  less with no noise above typical swordplay), no more of them 
  notice the party and the PCs may continue to their destination 
  unmolested; otherwise, and additional 1d3 raveners enter the 
  fray and the process repeats . If after 6 rounds the combat is 
  still going it attracts Wiltweevil, who lurks just out of sight and 
  watches with interest (note his low-light vision) . The rootwalker 
  also arrives if the party suffers a critical failure with any Sneak 
  check . 
  Wiltweevil’s reaction to the party depends on their 
  performance in battle . If the characters do well he lets them 
  continue, shadowing them through the area (they’re worthy 
  opponents and that intrigues him — at least, until they truly 
  threaten Master’s plans) . Wiltweevil is bored with any party that 
  struggles against the raveners and he emerges to rid the world of 
  them . This may result in an early demise for Master’s lieutenant 
  (and/or one or more characters!), though you still have plenty of 
  raveners to throw at the characters if you like . 
  At all times, strive to instill in the party a sense of imminent 
  fright and danger . Ominous sounds from just out of sight and 
  ghastly glimpses of things best left unseen are among the tools 
  of the day . This is an excellent time to invoke stress damage (see 
  Fantasy Craft, page 211) . 
  GOING TO THE CHAPEL . . .
  Though the church is the closest of Andra’s structures to the 
  coaching inn, the fog keeps the characters from spotting it easily . 
  Finding the south road off the thoroughfare requires a successful 
  Notice check (DC 15), though the party can circumvent the roll 
  by keeping to the eastern side of the creek and heading south 
  (the road becomes visible about halfway to the church, where it’s 
  closest to the water) . 
  As the party approaches the church read the following . 
  The church is built of heavy stone blocks with a 
  slate-tiled roof and was clearly meant to last. It’s also 
  highly defensible, with windows that are too narrow for 
  any average human to squeeze through. The windows 
  are still intact, though tightly shuttered from within. 
  The open grass surrounding the structure shows few 
  tracks. It hasn’t been breached yet — perhaps it hasn’t 
  even been attacked…
  To get into the church the characters must first acquire the 
  attention of the survivors within . They could simply knock on 
  a shutter or door, though this yields no response (the survivors 
  don’t dare reveal themselves, lest the newcomers be raveners… 
  or worse) . Following the knock with intelligible words, however 
  — that gets the survivors’ attention . “Who’s there?” comes the 
  whispered response . 
  Convincing the survivors to let the party into the church 
  requires a bit of roleplay and an Impress check opposed by 
  Resolve . The survivors are on a razor’s edge, so the PCs suffer 
  a –4 penalty, though this penalty is negated if they mention 
  Hertiger by name . 
  Failure doesn’t keep the characters out of the church 
  but does cause the villagers to hesitate long enough that 1d3 
  raveners notice the discussion . They rush toward the church just 
  as the villagers open the door to let the characters in and while 
  the party can get inside and shut the door before the raveners 
  get close enough to attack they may realize it’s tactically unwise . 
  Left to their own devices outside, the raveners beat on the doors 
  and windows, clawing and growling, and draw 1d3 more after 10 
  minutes . Another 1d3 arrive every 10 minutes thereafter until 
  the area is swarming with them . 
  Fortunately, fighting raveners outside the church is a great 
  way to bond with the survivors . They grab their crossbows and 
  find the nearest crevice to fire through, supporting the characters 
  as best they can from behind cover . Best of all, the characters are 
  welcomed into the church with open arms after the fight, and 
  the villagers are that much more eager to help them in any way 
  they can .  
  As brothers in arms or fellow survivors the characters enter 
  the church to meet the last six Andra villagers: Bastian (formerly 
  the village cobbler — now technically the mayor), Brigit 
  
  11
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  (Bastian’s wife), Maja (a dwarven weaver), Brother Sevrin (the 
  church acolyte — now the village priest, heavens preserve him), 
  Theodor (the altar boy), and Zerun (the town rat catcher) . 
  The survivors can help the characters in several ways . First, 
  they can explain what happened to Hertiger’s party . 
  “We were in the mayor’s house and sister Falthene 
  and Engtas said we needed to move. The house was 
  too big, they said, and too open. So we agreed to take 
  a chance and head here. Hertiger would ride like mad 
  for the Tipsy Wyvern while the rest of us made a break 
  across town. 
  “The rest is sort of a blur. The sage hurt his leg before 
  we got out of the house. The elf stayed with him and 
  told us to keep running. We fought our way out of the 
  village but as we got to the creek the deaders started to 
  catch up. Hasafti and Sister Falthene held back to hold 
  the line and we kept going. We made it but… Such a 
  terrible price…
  “A couple of us have been thinking we should head 
  back and find the others, see if they’re still alive. They 
  deserve that much, and more. They saved us. Plus, 
  that sage fella kept checking his journal like it was 
  important. I think it might be. They said they were here 
  for the Church and they seemed to know things about 
  the deaders but… There are just so many of them. I 
  don’t know. We just don’t know.”
  If the characters get to know the survivors personally, they 
  may earn some additional support . 
  • 
  Brigit is a descendant of Paschel and each year on the day the 
  Church honored him for his valor she places a single orchid 
  on the steps of his tomb . She can direct the party there, and 
  can also point them to a small game trail leading up to a rise 
  overlooking the graveyard . 
  • 
  Brother Sevrin is a trained Priest and can cast spells 
  — or he could, if his faith wasn’t shaken by the day’s events 
  (including the death of his mentor, Father Karenus) . Rousing 
  Sevrin out of his fugue requires time, compassion, and not a 
  little skill at reading and responding to deep human frailty . 
  Church-related characters can use Impress to fill the void 
  left by Father Karenus, inspiring Sevrin as a new makeshift 
  mentor . Others can use Sense Motive to walk Sevrin through 
  his feelings or Bluff to inspire him with stories of heroes who 
  acted despite fear, re-igniting his sense of duty . In all cases 
  the challenge is overcoming Sevrin’s sense of doubt, so the 
  character’s skill check opposes his Resolve . Sevrin’s healing 
  spells are included with his stat block (see page 14) . 
  • 
  Maja Weaver, widow of a former adventurer, can direct 
  characters to her home near the mayor’s house, where she 
  keeps a small stockpile of gear . 
  • 
  Theodor, a 10-year old altar boy, has been at the church 
  since the initial attack and worries for his parents . If he learns 
  that the characters are heading back to the village he pleads 
  with them to look for “my da,” adding that, “He’s the sheriff .” 
  Theodor’s father is in fact dead, his body already dragged 
  off to the graveyard, but his mother is hiding in their home 
  next door to the mayor’s house . If rescued, she can gift the 
  characters with an undead-slaying weapon Paschel’s party 
  forged just in case the Soul Star was ever unearthed . If the 
  situation is dire, you may also use her to inform the characters 
  about a series of secret tunnels under the village . 
  • 
  Zerun is Andra’s rat catcher and can help the characters get 
  around town without being spotted . Using his advice the 
  team gains a +2 bonus with all Sneak checks made to avoid 
  the raveners . He may also know about the tunnels . 
  If the adventure is running long or you want to simplify the 
  narrative, feel free to exclude some or all these NPCs . 
  At this point the characters may have several options: head 
  to the mayor’s house or Maja’s stockpile; search for the rest of 
  the first adventuring party, or the sheriff and his wife; head to 
  Paschel’s tomb; and/or evacuate the survivors, who are split on 
  all options save the last (which they all agree is a bad idea) . They 
  can be won over without a skill check, but only after plenty of 
  resistance . They fear the raveners but worse, they fear the land 
  itself is turning against them . “The trees…” they warn, “they 
  move .” Brigit and Maja, who’ve spent the most time on watch, 
  can point at parts of the tree line they swear were different 
  before . They can’t explain it and everything looks fine now . 
  In truth, they spotted Wiltweevil playing one of his games, 
  lurking in wait for some unlucky villagers to approach the church . 
  If the party has already fought the rootwalker they can perhaps 
  put the survivors’ minds to rest on the topic, especially if they 
  claim to have killed the wretched general . 
  THE FALLEN PAIR
  Again, the characters must make a team Sneak check as they 
  move through Andra . If Zerun has revealed his secrets about the 
  town’s less traveled paths they gain a +2 bonus with this check . 
  (The tunnels lead to many places in Andra but the church is not 
  among them .)
  Sister Falthene and Hasafti died at the creek along the most 
  direct route from the church to Andra, though for the sake of 
  the story you can place their bodies anywhere between the 
  locations . Assuming the creek location the pair lies in a foot of 
  slowly running water, surrounded by what’s left of the half dozen 
  raveners they took down before they died . 
  Sister Falthene was a tall, striking brunette clad in chainmail 
  with a Church Guard tabard . She carried a beautiful, ornately 
  adorned and filigreed broadsword that now lies in the water 
  beside her . She was brought down by a vast array of tearing and 
  gaping wounds, having lost too much blood to continue . 
  
  1
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  Hasafti the dwarf wizard is identifiable only by his squat 
  stature and mage’s robes . His head has been ripped from his body 
  and lies a dozen feet away . Many of his bones have been broken, 
  as though he was savagely beaten with something extremely 
  large and heavy (Wiltweevil’s feeder boughs) . 
  The scene is disgusting and more than enough to prompt 
  stress damage (see Fantasy Craft, page 211) . 
  While distasteful, searching the bodies yields some gear and 
  clues as to what’s going on in town . In addition to Falthene’s 
  broadsword (dmg 1d10 lethal, error 1, threat 20, qualities: 
  massive) and Hasafti’s spellcasting components, there’s a sturdy 
  metal drinking flask labeled with the dwarven script for “comfort .” 
  It’s filled with a single dose of a sweet-smelling healing potion 
  (see Fantasy Craft, page 163) . Hasafti’s corpse also clutches in its 
  hand a hunk of what appears to be black tree bark, though none 
  of the nearby trees match the color . 
  Patches of semi-dry earth are available should the party wish 
  to bury the bodies in makeshift graves . While you may wish to 
  roll a few dice or even ask the players for Sneak checks to be 
  cruel, there’s no chance the raveners find the characters while 
  they’re performing this remarkably compassionate act . 
  THE MAYOR’S HOUSE  
  AND THE TREE IN THE SQUARE
  Again, the characters must make a team Sneak check as they 
  move through Andra . If Zerun has revealed his secrets about the 
  town’s less traveled paths they gain a +2 bonus with this check . 
  (The tunnels lead to many places in Andra but the church is not 
  among them .)
  The mayor’s house faces the town square, which places 
  it directly in the area of highest ravener concentration . On 
  Wiltweevil’s orders the zombies still stalk Andra’s streets and 
  houses looking for survivors . 
  As the party approaches or passes the town square (which 
  they must do no matter how they come to the house), read the 
  following .
  Barald’s haversack contains his journal and reading through 
  the last few entries yields a player handout (see page 19-21) . This 
  is the best information the party can gain about the challenges 
  facing them in Scene 3 . 
  Unless the characters have already dispatched Wiltweevil, he 
  arrives while they’re in the mayor’s house . He may be shadowing 
  them, in which case he lurks outside until they emerge . Either 
  way, he decides he’s had enough fun with them and prepares 
  to put them down once and for all . He attempts to move 
  to a position from which he can pounce on the party as they 
  leave the area — perhaps an empty patch of grass in the town 
  square, where he can sit still and hopefully be mistaken for a 
  tree the party failed to notice on its way into Andra . For this 
  Wiltweevil makes a Sneak check opposed by a team Notice or 
  Search check, as appropriate . This can result in a truly creepy 
  situation if the party wins this check, with one of them spotting 
  a tree that wasn’t there before (stress damage) . With failure they 
  don’t notice until they’re headed to their next destination, with 
  Wiltweevil benefiting from a surprise round . 
  The raveners know better than to interrupt Wiltweevil, so 
  they steer clear of the combat, though some hiss at the party 
  from nearby buildings . If Wiltweevil falls, however, a mob of 
  ambitious raveners moves to avenge him . Victory against the 
  mob keeps the rest of the raveners at bay; they’re possessed of 
  enough reasoning to know better . 
  Fleeing Wiltweevil results in a foot chase, the winner 
  determined by the best two out of three opposed team Athletics 
  checks (unless the party adopts an “every man for himself” 
  approach, in which case the action may get as complicated as 
  you prefer) . Any chase through the fog immediately becomes 
  a frenzied, blind dive into the unknown . You can highlight this 
  with unexpected obstacles like buildings, wagons, bodies, trees, 
  boulders, and other things that must be leapt or clambered over . 
  Sudden drop-offs and steep inclines occasionally change the 
  pace of the party’s flight and you can ask the players for quick 
  descriptions when the characters reach them . Though obstacles 
  and terrain don’t apply any modifiers to the chase — both sides 
  have to deal with them equally — they’re the best way to spice 
  the rolls up with a little description . 
  Sadly, there’s no opportunity to busy the heroes in the mayor’s 
  house (or anyone else in town) — not until after the adventure, 
  at least . 
  OTHER LOCATIONS IN ANDRA
  Again, the characters must make a team Sneak check as they 
  move through Andra . If Zerun has revealed his secrets about the 
  town’s less traveled paths they gain a +2 bonus with this check . 
  (The tunnels lead to many places in Andra but the church is not 
  among them .)
  Maja Weaver’s house stands next door to the mayor’s . It’s a 
  simple single-story affair that was largely spared from the fighting 
  because it was unoccupied when the raveners arrived . The 
  The mayor’s house, which faces onto the enormous 
  town square, is a wreck. Its windows are all torn open 
  and the barricades on the doors have been breached. No 
  fewer than a dozen bodies litter the ground around the 
  building — some villagers, some raveners. The area was 
  clearly the scene of a pitched battle but it’s quiet now.
  There’s no need to explore the mayor’s house, as Engtas and 
  Barald are found in the first room the party enters . They made 
  their last stand in the room, unable to escape with the others . 
  Their corpses lie amongst eight pin-cushioned raveners stapled 
  to the walls and cluttering the floor . The room is a bloody mess — 
  Engtas’ throat is torn out and Barald is gutted — which is enough 
  for additional stress damage (see Fantasy Craft, page 211) . 
  
  13
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  stockpile is located in the basement, beneath a pile of firewood . 
  It consists of any 3 non-magical items the party might want 
  (within reason and with your approval) . Thankfully the house is 
  empty, though if you’re feeling devious you might play the scene 
  up as a potential trap (e .g . describing very recent ravener tracks 
  through the building, having a cat or other small animal knock 
  objects over in adjacent rooms, and the like) . 
  The sheriff’s house is located where the road from the Tipsy 
  Wyvern enters Andra, a short walk away from the mayor’s 
  house and out of line of sight from the town square . Theodor’s 
  mother, Frida, is hiding in the attic, hoping the raveners near 
  the house will leave soon so she can go looking for her son . One 
  of the fiercest battles in the village was fought right outside the 
  building and the raveners have only just started to drag the many 
  corpses away . Frida nearly gave herself away when they took her 
  husband . The sight of his mangled body trailing through the dirt 
  like that… He taught her well, though, and she kept her calm, 
  clutching the hooded lantern she’d taken with her into the attic 
  like the very lifeline it is . 
  Should the party come close enough to the house for Frida to 
  see them, she lights the lantern and tilts the attic window open 
  far enough to point the light in their direction . Both the raveners 
  and the party make Notice checks (DC 15) to spot the light, 
  and if the raveners see it they leave the corpses and head for the 
  house . There are a dozen of them — more than enough for to 
  challenge the party — and they do their best to swarm a couple 
  targets rather than spread out . Saving Frida could prove difficult, 
  but it’s also quite rewarding . 
  Recognizing the threat of the Soul Star, Paschel’s party 
  specially commissioned a magic broadsword with an increased 
  threat range when used against undead (18–20) . Better yet, 
  when the wielder scores a critical hit against an undead creature 
  using the sword, all other undead within 30 ft . are struck with 
  holy light, suffering 1d10 divine damage . The weapon is called 
  ‘Spirit’ and its existence has been a secret shared by every mayor 
  and sheriff of Andra since Paschel was buried . No one else was 
  supposed to learn of it, but Theodor’s father respected Frida too 
  much to keep secrets from her . Perhaps in the grand scheme of 
  things this was the work of some beneficent power — or just 
  a fluke of good fortune . Either way, Frida happily retrieves the 
  weapon from its hiding place and gives it to the characters if 
  they liberate her . 
  If the characters also mention that Theodor is alive at the 
  church, Frida declares she’s heading there immediately . Letting 
  her go on her own is an option, though not the most heroic one; 
  a less callous party sees that she’s reunited with her boy before 
  heading elsewhere . The players may worry that they’re on a 
  clock, which is a valid fear and one you shouldn’t dismiss, but 
  the reality is that Scene 3 unfolds the same way regardless . 
  DIRECTION
  Here are some questions that might be asked of the church 
  survivors, and their answers . 
   
  Q: What do you know about the other adventuring 
  party? 
  A: Bastian says, “There were five . The sage Barald Rocobienne 
  was their leader . There was a woodland scout named Hertiger, 
  an elven archer named Engtas Whisperthorn, the soldier-nun 
  Sister Falthene, and a dwarven wizard named Hasafti Gurion . 
  They arrived just after the raveners — not a second too soon, I 
  might add . They did their best to save us but… There were just 
  too many . Too many…”
  Q: What do you know about Paschel? 
  A: Brigit says, “He was an ancestor of mine, a bunch of 
  generations ago . My family always taught that he was a wizard 
  who went into the world and did good . When he retired here, he 
  had enough money to build this church and he made sure it was 
  built to last . He had a little chest, just a couple feet across, and his 
  Will ordered it to be buried with him . Nobody knows what was 
  in it but there’ve been treasure stories ever since .”
  Q: How did Hertiger find a horse to ride to the Tipsy 
  Wyvern? 
  A: Maja says, “The Mayor’s house had an attached stable . 
  Hertiger found the horse when we were barricading the place . 
  It was a magnificent animal, and well behaved, too . The mayor 
  must have paid top dollar for it .”
  Q: Where’s the village priest? 
  A: Theodor the altar boy says, “He died . He was tryin’ to help 
  people and the deaders killed him . Sevrin’s the priest now but he 
  hasn’t said much for a while . He just kind of sits there .”
  Q: The church is on the edge of town. Why haven’t you 
  fled? 
  A: Zerun says, “‘Cuz there’s sommat in the trees, I says . The 
  deaders done bewitched ‘em, the trees . There was people what 
  tried to get a-runnin’ when the deaders first attacked . Some came 
  back out of the forest sayin’ there was ghosts and other such 
  things in there . Others didna come back a-tall . There’s sommat 
  evil in the trees, I says . We’re safer here behind good stone .”
  
  1
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  CAST
  ANDRA VILLAGERS (STANDARD NPCS) 
  “Did you hear something?”
  Description: Before the ravener attack the people of Andra 
  were warm, welcoming, well groomed, and a bunch of other “Ws” 
  that set them apart from your garden-variety villagers . They lived 
  comfortable lives and extended that pleasure to all who visited . 
  Many came to join them, settling in to retire like Paschel’s party 
  of old . Today, however, the PCs find Andra under siege by an evil 
  its people can’t even fathom and it shows in their beleaguered 
  appearance . The few survivors wear the same clothes they put on 
  yesterday morning . They cling to the things they were holding 
  when the monsters came, seeking solace in the familiar . They’re 
  like phantoms in their own home . 
  Motivations: The survivors are tired, battered, and paranoid . 
  They still wear comfortable clothes but they’re shredded almost 
  beyond recognition . Beneath dirt and blood their sullen faces 
  betray abject defeat . Andra’s children wait to die . Still, the light 
  of life burns deep in them and if the characters offer them even a 
  glimmer of hope they latch on with both hands . 
  Andra Villagers (Medium Folk Walkers): Str 10, Dex 10, 
  Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10; SZ M (1×1, Reach 1); Spd 30 ft . 
  ground; Init I; Atk II; Def III; Res IV; Health V; Comp IV; Skills: 
  None; Qualities: None
  Attacks/Weapons: Shortsword (dmg 1d8 lethal, threat  
  19–20, qualities: keen 4), light crossbow with 10 standard bolts 
  (dmg 1d6 lethal, threat 19–20, range 50 ft . × 6, qualities: AP 4, 
  load 5, poisonous)
  Gear: None
  Treasure: None
  Two of the villagers stand out from the rest . 
  • 
  Brigit is a tougher fighter than the rest, with an Attack Grade 
  of IV and a Defense Grade of V . She also has an axe (dmg 
  1d10 lethal, threat 20, qualities: AP 4) . 
  • 
  Brother Sevrin has the Spellcasting Signature Skill (Grade 
  III) and the Bless, Cure Wounds I, and True Strike I spells 
  (see Fantasy Craft, page 228) . 
  RAVENERS (STANDARD NPCS, ADVERSARIES) 
  “Bleargghhiss!”
  Description: These crazed undead creatures come in as 
  many species, shapes, and sizes as adventurers . They wear the 
  tattered remains of what they were buried in, scorched and 
  brittle from exposure to the Grave Wurm’s acidic stomach . The 
  raveners frequently make savage bite attacks, causing their facial 
  flesh to tear and their teeth to crack and splinter, leaving jagged 
  maws where their mouths once were . 
  Motivations: Raveners are consumed with hatred for all 
  living things, which they can sense by smell . They slay all living 
  creature that cross their paths with unnerving speed and ferocity, 
  and when all their enemies are dead, they bring the remains of 
  their victims back to the Andra graveyard so the Wurm can 
  consume and convert them . 
  Notes: A ravener bite is truly dangerous . Its jagged teeth and 
  ichor-infused maw cause terrible wounds that refuse to heal . 
  Worse, a ravener can spit a wad of ichor and tooth fragments 
  at nearby enemies, which accounts for their bite’s increased 
  Reach . Unlike a zombie, a ravener’s condition isn’t spread as an 
  infection, though party members may not realize this when they 
  first encounter the creatures .
  Raveners (Medium Undead Folk Walkers — 6 XP): Str 
  12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 6, Wis 6, Cha 6; SZ M (1×1, Reach 1); Spd 
  40 ft . ground; Init VII; Atk V; Def III; Res V; Health III; Comp 
  I; Skills: Athletics V; Qualities: Devour, dread, feat (Wolf Pack 
  Basics, Wolf Pack Mastery), monstrous defense I, light-sensitive
  Attacks/Weapons: Bite II (dmg 1d8+1 lethal, threat 17–20, 
  qualities: bleed, reach +2), Slam I (dmg 1d6 lethal, threat 20)
  Gear: None
  Treasure: None
  WILTWEEVIL (SPECIAL NPC, ADVERSARY) 
  “I’ll gut you like a fish, you flimsy sack of blood and water!”
  Description: Except for the hide of Ekrajmez the saurian, 
  which dangles high in his branches like a horrible hat, Wiltweevil 
  looks just like a natural tree — though perhaps an elder one with 
  scarred bark . Wiltweevil keeps the seams of his face closed most 
  of the time, only cracking them to watch where he’s moving 
  and stare down opponents in battle . Wiltweevil excels in war 
  primarily due to his ability to outthink the enemy . His amber 
  eyes glisten with keen wit . 
  Motivations: Wiltweevil long ago parted ways with reality . 
  Long traveled with Master and accustomed to victory, he believes 
  he’s unstoppable . This leads to him to view all others but Master 
  as ‘things,’ mere obstacles to be torn down at a whim . Wiltweevil 
  feels no remorse for the countless lakes of blood he’s spilt, nor 
  the awful future Master plans for the world . He’s content with 
  the constant opportunities provided to toy with Master’s foes . 
  Wiltweevil’s favorite tactic is to sow fear and discord in the 
  enemy’s ranks, reveling as they break down . In forest terrain like 
  this, he frequently plants his feet and sits still; when he’s lucky, 
  the enemy is blind enough to make camp under his branches . 
  Notes: Wiltweevil prefers to ambush opponents and usually 
  opens with a Slam attack, plowing his boughs into both sides 
  of a victim (this is just one attack — the fact that he’s using two 
  branches is just flavor) . When fighting more than one opponent, 
  he Grapples one and uses it as a Screaming Club on the others 
  (see Fantasy Craft, page 220) .
  
  1
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  Wiltweevil (Large Plant Walker — 130 XP): Str 22, Dex 
  14, Con 18, Int 18, Wis 16, Cha 12; SZ L (2×2, Reach 1); Spd 30 
  ft . ground; Init IV; Atk VI; Def VI; Res V; Health VIII; Comp 
  II; Skills: Athletics IV, Blend VI, Resolve VI, Sneak VI, Tactics 
  VI; Qualities: Achilles heel (fire), chameleon II (forest/jungle), 
  damage reduction 2, darkvision I, feat (Ambush Basics, Two-Hit 
  Combo), rend
  Attacks/Weapons: Slam III (dmg 2d8+6 lethal, threat 19–20, 
  qualities: grab, trip)
  Gear: Grotesque saurian-skin hat
  Treasure: 1G, 1T
  NEXT STEPS
  Eventually the party will decide to head for Paschel’s tomb . 
  Scene 3 begins as they leave Andra . 
  SCENE 3:  
  TO FACE THE FIEND
  Paschel’s Tomb, a few hours to just before dawn
  OBJECTIVES
  • 
  Kill or capture Master
  • 
  Defeat the Grave Wurm
  CHALLENGES
  • 
  The arrival of Master brings on a Dramatic Scene
  • 
  Master’s no slouch and the Grave Wurm is downright 
  nightmarish
  • 
  Master knows the Soul Star’s weakness and fights tooth and 
  nail to keep the artifact in his possession
  • 
  Those pesky raveners just keep coming!
  SYNOPSIS
  Scene Type: Standard (but becomes Dramatic when Master 
  arrives)
  GM Briefing: As the characters arrive at the graveyard 
  Master is in Paschel’s tomb and the Grave Wurm is burrowing 
  beneath the headstones, swallowing a couple previously buried 
  bodies . The only enemies on the field are a small group of 
  raveners dragging corpses from Andra to Paschel’s tomb so the 
  Wurm can convert them . The characters can attack the raveners 
  and likely defeat them easily, though Master and the Wurm 
  notice the fighting and use it to their advantage . Waiting until 
  the Wurm surfaces is the sounder plan, allowing the party to 
  potentially catch the beast by surprise . 
  Master arrives late to the combat unless the party sneaks 
  directly into Paschel’s tomb (unlikely — remember that the 
  tunnels can’t take them there) . Should the characters manage 
  this feat anyway, the Grave Wurm bashes its way in though the 
  subterranean walls (a slow process, though exciting) . Defeating 
  Master is tough but if the party can steal the Soul Star from him 
  he loses control of the Wurm and the raveners, evening the fight 
  significantly . 
  Gear: Anything carried out of Scene 2
  LOCATION
  The tomb is grandiose for a village as small as Andra, carved 
  directly into the mountainside and adorned with sculptures 
  of Paschel and his fellow adventurers . It’s the graveyard’s 
  centerpiece, typically visible from anywhere close . In the fog it 
  looms over the area like the home of a judgmental god . 
  Ambiance: The tomb’s stone portal is breached, shards of 
  it scattered about the entrance, which is a pitch-black pit . The 
  scent of freshly dug earth is powerful here, as is visual evidence 
  of the Grave Wurm’s tunneling . The air is deathly still and the fog 
  billows thickest and most pungent everywhere in the area .
  Terrain: Indoors/settled
  Cultural Interest: The Realm
  ACTION
  The characters may arrive directly from town or use the 
  game trail to get an idea what’s going on ahead of time . Either 
  way read the following aloud . 
  Andra’s cemetery occupies a narrow band of land 
  about 60 feet deep and 300 feet wide, stretching along 
  the base of a mountain a mile outside the village. Its 
  centerpiece is an impressive tomb cut directly into the 
  mountainside and decorated with life-size sculptures 
  of an adventuring party. The tomb’s entrance has been 
  shattered, pieces of its stone door littering the area. No 
  light is visible from within; indeed, it almost seems like 
  the tomb is consuming light from around it. 
  The ground is uneven everywhere in the cemetery — 
  shallow depressions and small mounds are everywhere. 
  The air is deathly still and the fog billows thicker than 
  anywhere you’ve been before.
  Through the mist you catch sight of a half dozen 
  undead dragging bodies toward the tomb. They seem to 
  have arrived from Andra. 
  If the PCs enter the graveyard directly, add the following .
  The smell of fresh earth is strong here. The dead 
  have been busy…
  The game trail is too far from the cemetery to fire arrows, but 
  surprising the raveners is simple — they’re focused on the task 
  at hand and distracted by Master and the Grave Wurm being so 
  close . This translates to a +2 bonus with the party’s Sneak check, 
  which may grant a surprise round . 
  
  16
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  The Grave Wurm notices any fighting immediately and 
  burrows in that direction . It erupts under the center of the fight 
  at the start of Round 2, forcing everyone within 5 ft . to make 
  a Balance check (DC 18) . Any who fail, including raveners, 
  suffer 1d6 lethal damage and become sprawled in the nearest 
  undisturbed and unoccupied squares . As the fight continues 
  the Wurm acts on single-minded impulse, trying to grab and 
  swallow each closest living being in turn .
  Unless the characters sneak into the tomb, Master emerges 
  at the start of the round after the Wurm arrives, spreading 
  his arms and bellowing, “Enough!” The Grave Wurm and the 
  raveners all freeze and even the fog seems to freeze in mid-air . 
  Master addresses the party that’s dared to enter “his domain .” 
  The conversation may unfold something like this . 
  Master: “Bow, for you are in the presence of greatness .”
  Player Characters: “Yeah… Who are you again?”
  M: (with an evil smirk) “You may call me Master .”
  PCs: “Um  . . . What are you doing here?”
  M: “Laying the foundation of my reign . You will swear your 
  fealty to me . Now .”
  PCs: “The rootwalker one of yours?”
  M: “Wiltweevil is the captain of my army . You will speak of 
  him with respect . Now kneel!”
  PCs: “I don’t think so . How about—”
  M: “Cease your prattle! All I wish to hear from you are oaths 
  of fealty!”
  PCs: “Bite me .”
  M: “Enough insolence! Die!”
  Master’s end of the conversation is driven by one thing — 
  sating his insatiable ego . Characters who stroke him may well be 
  kept alive (for a while), but the whole group must swear fealty 
  to avoid renewed fighting . In the unlikely event that the party 
  acquiesces, he demands to know who they are, where they’ve 
  come from, and what they can offer him . To their benefit he’s even 
  more vulnerable to praise while engaged and the party might be 
  able to learn a thing or two about his plan in the process . This 
  option can fill in blanks left by careless or impetuous play earlier 
  in the adventure (heading directly to the tomb, for instance, 
  or failing to find Barald’s journal), but it’s fraught with danger . 
  Master’s people skills are a little erratic; he could decide at any 
  time that the PCs are lying, or have lied, in which case they must 
  pay the price for their bitter betrayal . Even if the party manages 
  to satisfy his twisted logic, he’s not about to just lay it all out 
  for them . All sensitive inquiries, like those about the Sun Star, 
  the Grave Wurm, and Master’s weaknesses (“our weaknesses” 
  would work better) must be framed as questions from concerned 
  subjects rather than interested adventurers . Otherwise the whole 
  ruse falls apart and the fighting sparks up again, this time with 
  more fury than ever . 
  The final combat is intense, with Master, the Grave Wurm, 
  and any remaining raveners assaulting the characters at once . 
  Three additional raveners are brewing inside the Wurm and 
  arrive on Rounds 3, 5, and 7, dripping with rank ooze and hungry 
  for their first kills . Any characters killed and swallowed by the 
  Wurm (or swallowed live, only to die in its gullet) may also come 
  back, should the combat continue for long enough . 
  Remain mindful of the fight’s pacing . The onus is on you 
  to make this a suitably climactic battle and if things are going 
  too easily for the party you may want to consider adding a few 
  more raveners . Sinkholes can open under characters, caused by 
  the Wurm’s tunneling, and the fog can be used to confuse and 
  obscure the fight, perhaps even splitting it into smaller combats 
  as needed . These last two options can also be used to help the 
  characters if needed (sinkholes opening under enemies or the 
  fog obscuring the PCs or their actions) . 
  All opponents fight to the death — Master is undaunted, 
  assured of his ultimate victory no matter the odds, and so long 
  as he wears the Soul Star the Wurm and raveners follow his lead . 
  This is his true weakness — if the characters can remove the Star 
  from Master, he loses control of all its creations . A foolhardy 
  character may even try to use the stolen artifact, though doing so 
  places him in mortal jeopardy (see below) .
  Alas, separating Master from the Soul Star is no easy feat . 
  It’s buckled to his chest and a character must apply 2 Handle 
  Item Grapple Benefits to remove it (one to unbuckle the Star 
  and another to pull it free) . The characters may come up with an 
  alternate plan and you should consider anything they propose, 
  especially if it’s fun for everyone . 
  The Soul Star goes dormant when not worn, in which case 
  the raveners go inert and the Grave Wurm becomes enraged . 
  This may result in the Grave Wurm attacking Master . If the 
  characters avoid the ensuing fight, you can just make an opposed 
  attack check to determine the winner (describing the action with 
  appropriate flair, of course) . The loser is killed and the winner’s 
  vitality drops to 1/2 the previous total (rounded down) . With any 
  luck dispatching the winner becomes a trivial exercise . 
  USING THE SOUL STAR
  The Soul Star has no intelligence, though its corrupting 
  influence compels the owner to perform actions that may make 
  the artifact appear intelligent . When a character first dons the 
  item, and at the end of each week he wears it thereafter, he must 
  
  1
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  make a Will save (DC 10 + 1 per full week the item has been 
  worn) . With failure, the character’s Wisdom is impaired by 1 
  and he becomes irrationally protective of the item, going so far 
  as to attack anyone who attempts to take it from him, until he 
  succeeds with a future Will save . Should the character’s Wisdom 
  drop to 0 while he wears the item, he loses conscious control 
  and becomes obsessed with creating new raveners — even if that 
  means finding corpses the old-fashioned way .
  The Soul Star becomes dormant when not worn . Should the 
  Grave Wurm still live when this happens it becomes enraged and 
  remains so until it’s slain or the Soul Star is worn again . While 
  enraged, the Wurm considers all living beings targets — even the 
  Soul Star’s former wearer . 
  While the Soul Star is dormant, raveners become inert . 
  PASCHEL’S CHEST
  Should the characters investigate Paschel’s tomb, they find 
  the remains of a middle-aged human and a small metal chest 
  containing 2 Treasure Rolls (1C, 1M) . 
  CAST
  RAVENERS (STANDARD NPCS, ADVERSARIES) 
  “Bleargghhiss!”
  Description: These crazed undead creatures come in as 
  many species, shapes, and sizes as adventurers . They wear the 
  tattered remains of what they were buried in, scorched and 
  brittle from exposure to the Grave Wurm’s acidic stomach . The 
  raveners frequently make savage bite attacks, causing their facial 
  flesh to tear and their teeth to crack and splinter, leaving jagged 
  maws where their mouths once were . 
  Motivations: Raveners are consumed with hatred for all 
  living things, which they can sense by smell . They slay all living 
  creature that cross their paths with unnerving speed and ferocity, 
  and when all their enemies are dead, they bring the remains of 
  their victims back to the Andra graveyard so the Wurm can 
  consume and convert them . 
  Notes: A ravener bite is truly dangerous . Its jagged teeth and 
  ichor-infused maw cause terrible wounds that refuse to heal . 
  Worse, a ravener can spit a wad of ichor and tooth fragments 
  at nearby enemies, which accounts for their bite’s increased 
  Reach . Unlike a zombie, a ravener’s condition isn’t spread as an 
  infection, though party members may not realize this when they 
  first encounter the creatures .
  Raveners (Medium Undead Folk Walkers — 6 XP): Str 
  12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 6, Wis 6, Cha 6; SZ M (1×1, Reach 1); Spd 
  40 ft . ground; Init VII; Atk V; Def III; Res V; Health III; Comp 
  I; Skills: Athletics V; Qualities: Devour, dread, feat (Wolf Pack 
  Basics, Wolf Pack Mastery), monstrous defense I, light-sensitive
  Attacks/Weapons: Bite II (dmg 1d8+1 lethal, threat 17–20, 
  qualities: bleed, reach +2), Slam I (dmg 1d6 lethal, threat 20)
  Gear: None
  Treasure: None
  THE GRAVE WURM (STANDARD NPC, ADVERSARY) 
  “<wet huffing breathing>”
  Description: This bloated white worm is the size of a 
  horse and wagon, with grotesque purple veins shot through 
  the tissue beneath its semi-transparent skin . It has no eyes nor 
  grasping limbs; the only feature breaking its freakish exterior 
  is its horrifying mouth, a circle of gripping teeth wide enough 
  to consume a man whole . The stench that rises from this awful 
  cavity can bring even the fiercest warrior to his knees . 
  Motivations: The Grave Wurm exists to serve the Soul Star’s 
  owner . It has no true will of its own, being a creation of ancient 
  evil forces made flesh . 
  The Grave Wurm (Huge Beast Undead Burrower —  
  XP): Str 18, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 8; SZ M (4×4, 
  Reach 2); Spd 30 ft . burrow; Init I; Atk V; Def VIII; Res VIII; 
  Health VI; Comp I; Skills: Athletics V; Qualities: Blindsight, 
  condition immunity (baffled, stunned), damage reduction 3, 
  death throes (divine damage), dread, tough 3
  Attacks/Weapons: Swallow III (dmg 4d8 divine, threat —, 
  qualities: none; notes: grapple benefit — when a character dies in 
  the Grave Wurm’s gullet, or the Grave Wurm swallows a corpse, 
  the beast’s vile digestive tract takes over, converting the victim 
  into a ravener; the process takes 5 rounds, after which the new 
  ravener is unceremoniously expelled from the Wurm’s posterior; 
  the Wurm can process up to 6 victims at a time)
  Gear: None
  Treasure: 1A, 3T
  MASTER (SPECIAL NPC, ADVERSARY) 
  “I will rule from the heavens to the seas! None shall stand 
  before me!”
  Description: Master is an imposing figure, standing well 
  over 6 ft . tall and covered shoulder to toe in black lacquered 
  plates with a fiery red, sable-trimmed cloak billowing behind . 
  He goes without a helmet, inviting discourse during battle, and 
  he pins his hair back with a regal silver circlet so his view of the 
  battlefield is never obstructed . Master’s piercing eyes flare with 
  imperious arrogance, all the more when he aims them down the 
  bridge of his patrician nose . He is every inch the model of a dark 
  and sinister king, forged for a life of unforgiving rule . 
  Motivations: The Soul Star is the perfect vehicle for Master’s 
  greatest desire: bloody, apocalyptic conquest . Every life taken and 
  every soul corrupted is another glory in his impending legacy of 
  doom — one from which he might spare the characters, should 
  they swear fealty to him . 
  
  18
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  Master (Medium Folk Walker — 13 XP): Str 18, Dex 14, 
  Con 16, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 12; SZ M (1×1, Reach 1); Spd 20 ft . 
  ground (including armor); Init V; Atk VII; Def V; Res X; Health 
  VIII; Comp VI; Skills: Athletics VII, Intimidate IX, Resolve VIII, 
  Survival V, Tactics VII; Qualities: Class ability (Paladin: stand 
  in judgment I, take heart), dramatic entrance, feat (Glint of 
  Madness, Misdirection Basics), frenzy II
  Attacks/Weapons: Zweihander (dmg 1d12 lethal, threat 19–
  20 (18–20 vs . special characters), qualities: guard +1, massive)
  Gear: Partial plate armor with light fittings (DR 5, Resist 
  Blunt 1, DP –4, ACP –4, Speed –10 ft ., Disguise obvious), Soul 
  Star
  Treasure: 1A, 1C, 1M
  NEXT STEPS
  Ideally, the characters contain the Soul Star, slay the Grave 
  Wurm, and either capture or kill Master . The King’s troops 
  follow the next day, cleansing the valley of raveners and helping 
  to rebuild Andra . Peace returns to Fels Cut and in time its 
  reputation heals . It’s much longer before the valley’s population 
  returns to normal but assuming the church survivors escape 
  there’s a solid foundation for the future . If saved, Frida may take 
  up her husband’s mantle, enforcing law in the area . If Brother 
  Sevrin’s faith is restored, he may wind up Andra’s priest in the 
  next few years, offering a unique insight unavailable to many 
  people of the cloth . Bastian’s role as leader in the crisis awakens 
  a powerful need to serve and he steps up as Andra’s next mayor . 
  One day, Theodor follows in his footsteps . 
  Zerun? He catches rats for years to come . Some folks realize 
  their potential early . 
  Barald’s journal mentions the Church’s interest in Master 
  and the Soul Star, and locals who spoke to the adventurers heard 
  the same . If the characters fulfill this quest, they make powerful 
  allies in the clergy and receive invitations to take on more 
  missions for the church, which you can use as a springboard for 
  greater adventure . 
  REWARDS  
  AND PENALTIES
   Don’t forget to add XP for adversaries (listed in their stat 
  blocks) . 
  SCENE 1: A QUIET  
  EVENING INTERRUPTED
  A . Turning Lizabet’s head 
  25 XP
  A . Stabilizing Hertiger 
  50 XP
  A . Saving few (25% or less) of the NPCs needing help 
  25 XP
  B . Saving most (26–75%) of the NPCs needing help 
  50 XP
  C . Saving all of the NPCs needing help 
  75 XP
  SCENE 2:  
  VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED
  A . Earning the Andra survivors’ trust 
  25 XP
  A . Getting to know the Andra survivors personally 
  25 XP
  B . Helping Brother Sevrin overcome his fugue 
  50 XP
  A . Burying Falthene and Hasafti 
  25 XP
  A . Recovering Barald’s journal 
  50 XP
  A . Rescuing Frida 
  50 XP
  B . Reuniting Frida with Theodor 
  75 XP
  SCENE 3:  
  TO FACE THE FIEND
  A . Defeating Master by using the Soul Star 
  75 XP
  B . Defeating Master without using the Soul Star 
  150 XP
  
  1
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  THE TRAVELING JOURNAL OF HERTIGER
  Only the first couple pages of the journal are filled. The entries aren’t dated and the handwriting is inexpert. The 
  journal itself seems fairly new.
  Barald told me I’d do well to keep a record of my travels, so I bought this book to write them in. 
  We’re off to a village called Andra in Fels Cut. The Church contacted Barald through Sister Falthene and set us up with 
  a nice little tomb-robbing job. Of course, it’s the Church, so they call it reclamation or something. A wizard named Paschel 
  died out there and he supposedly took some holy relics to the grave. Now the Church wants them back. 
  We leave in the morning. Tonight we’re staying at a nice inn called the Tipsy Wyvern. There’s a good-looking barmaid 
  here I may have to double back for. It’s been a while.
  EXCERPTS FROM THE JOURNAL 
  OF BARALD ROCOBIENNE
  As regards one Paschel, an alleged wizard of dubious note:
  Paschel was, according to the tax rosters of Valespire, an “adventuring wizard.” This appellation is not borne out by 
  examination of the Mage’s Guild rosters, which never list Paschel with a rank higher than apprentice. That he may have 
  been a tale-spinner, however, is neither here nor there. The point stands — he went into the world, returned with a chest of 
  treasures, lived a fine “retirement” in his home village where he was regarded as a local hero, and had his chest entombed 
  with him. 
  This chest is the sticking point. While the Church of course believes Paschel may possess one or several holy relics 
  (and why the Church cannot keep track of its sacred property continues to boggle the mind), he had one adventure that 
  continues to bear note. 
  The only apparent mention of Paschel beyond official rosters of the tax and guild-membership variety (hardly 
  a promising sign for an “adventuring wizard” seeking to lead a life of renown) lies in the story circulated in a coastal 
  town called Hondel. This town, it would seem, was suddenly and unexpectedly invaded by a horde of the undead, and 
  subsequently saved by an adventuring company including a bold but naïve wizard named “Passle.” The company to which 
  he belonged fought off the horde and recovered from its leader an item named in the legend (for the story is generations 
  old) the Soul Stone. This item is never mentioned in any further histories of the area and indeed is mentioned in regional 
  texts as “lost to us.” Given Paschel’s apparent proximity to the Soul Stone, and its subsequent disappearance, one is given 
  to wonder whether his fingers were perhaps stickier than his reputation. 
  Paschel appears to have been brave but unable to think a problem through to its end. It plausibly follows that he 
  kept the Soul Stone (along with holy relics the Church couldn’t keep their hands on, and whatever other treasures large 
  or small would fit in his alleged chest) for bragging rights or some other mundane purpose. If this is the case, his village 
  could be sitting on an artifact of extreme power and the Church would rightly wish to see his chest removed and returned 
  to Valespire for safekeeping. 
  Perhaps the Churchmen aren’t the fools I thought. Not entirely. 
  
  0
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  EXCERPTS FROM THE JOURNAL 
  OF BARALD ROCOBIENNE
  On the Soul Stone:
  According to Guichard, what the villagers of Hondel called the Soul Stone is in fact called the Soul Star. It is a fist-sized 
  amethyst cut into a four-pointed star, set in a silver medallion conforming to the gem’s shape. The medallion is apparently 
  rung for a chain or ribbon or other band, though such an addition would not be part of the item itself. Guichard notes that 
  the reverse of the medallion is featureless and that this has led scoundrels to create fakes, knowing it would be harder to 
  reveal their fraud. 
  On the power of the thing Guichard is vague and I suspect he has no real experience with it. Montoni, however, describes 
  plainly an experience with the Soul Star and while his writings smack of tenuous sanity his discussion of a great white 
  worm in service to the Soul Star cannot be entirely discounted. Apparently this worm creates ravening undead fiends of 
  both speed and cunning — not the best news, as this is borne out in the legend from Hondel.
  Tarant’s writings support the white worm as well, naming it the Grave Wurm (the spelling is likely more a product of 
  Tarant’s time but I note it here on the chance it will prove useful). Tarant describes the monster as an immense scavenging 
  beast whose bodily processes create fodder for the Soul Star’s necromantic magicks. Further information is not forthcoming, 
  though the obvious conclusion is grotesque almost beyond contemplation. 
  Fortunately, Tarant’s notes also include a faint glimmer of hope for containing the Soul Star, should such a need arise 
  (and I hope to the heavens that it does not, and that this errand is entirely as it seems). Tarant draws comparisons from the 
  Grave Wurm’s power over the dead and concludes that the Soul Star may ironically require a tie to the living.
  
  1
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  EXCERPTS FROM THE JOURNAL 
  OF BARALD ROCOBIENNE
  On the last page, in a hurried hand:
  We are besieged.
  I have seized a moment to organize my thoughts before fully displaying them to my companions, who are too consumed 
  with fighting off the creatures in the streets to listen to my mental meanderings — they need something simple, and I must 
  first simplify the concepts to myself. Tarant’s discussions of the artifact drawing reason from its wielder (like a lamprey 
  draws life force from a shark) quickly grow mind-numbingly esoteric but the principal point bears note: The Soul Star may 
  well need to be possessed to work its magic, which leads to an obvious weakness…
  The undead in Andra do not spawn from mere death. We’ve been watching for Ekrajmez’ animated corpse but have 
  yet to see it among the attackers, nor have we seen any disquiet corpses. We have, however, seen the undead dragging some 
  corpses away — perhaps to the graveyard. If we survive this assault, the graveyard must be our next destination. 
  I believe what we are seeing here is the Soul Star’s corruption of the one called “Master,” whom the Church sent us to 
  capture. They forbade us from recounting our mission and I am tempting my soul in writing this, but I feel death is all 
  too close and should we fail someone must take up the charge. Together or apart the Master and the Soul Star must be 
  returned to the Church. Only they have the facility to deal with this permanently. 
  
  
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  
  3
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  
  
  THE DARKEST HOUR
  OPEN GAME LICENSE
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