TEXT: Frog God 
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  By Kevin Wright
  By Kevin Wright
  The Covered Bridge
  The Covered Bridge
  
  Frog  
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  Quests of Doom 4
  The Covered Bridge
  
  2
  Quests of doom 4
  GENERAL RESOURCES 
  Swords & Wizardry Complete S&W 
  The Tome of Horrors Complete PF, S&W 
  Tome of Horrors 4 PF, S&W 
  Tome of Adventure Design
  Monstrosities S&W 
  Bill Webb’s Book of Dirty Tricks 
  Razor Coast: Fire as She Bears PF 
  Book of Lost Spells 5e, PF 
  Fifth Edition Foes 5e 
  The Tome of Blighted Horrors 5e, PF, S&W
  Book of Alchemy* 5e, PF, S&W 
  THE LOST LANDS 
  Rappan Athuk PF, S&W 
  Rappan Athuk Expansions Vol. I PF, S&W 
  The Slumbering Tsar Saga PF, S&W 
  The Black Monastery PF, S&W 
  Cyclopean Deeps Vol. I PF, S&W 
  Cyclopean Deeps Vol. II PF, S&W 
  Razor Coast PF, S&W 
  Razor Coast: Heart of the Razor PF, S&W 
  Razor Coast: Freebooter’s Guide to the Razor Coast PF, S&W 
  LL0: The Lost Lands Campaign Setting* 5e, PF, S&W
  LL1: Stoneheart Valley PF, S&W 
  LL2: The Lost City of Barakus PF, S&W 
  LL3: Sword of Air PF, S&W 
  LL4: Cults of the Sundered Kingdoms PF, S&W 
  LL5: Borderland Provinces 5e, PF, S&W
  LL6: The Northlands Saga Complete PF, S&W
  LL7: The Blight 5e, PF, S&W
  LL8: Bard’s Gate 5e, PF, S&W 
  LL9: Adventures in the Borderland Provinces 5e, PF, S&W
  QUESTS OF DOOM 
  Quests of Doom (Vol. 1) 5e 
  Quests of Doom (Vol. 2) 5e 
  Quests of Doom (includes the 5e Vol. 1 and 2, but for PF 
  and S&W only) PF, S&W 
  Quests of Doom 2 5e 
  Quests of Doom 3 5e, S&W
  Quests of Doom 4 5e, PF, S&W
  PERILOUS VISTAS 
  Dead Man’s Chest (pdf only) PF 
  Dunes of Desolation PF 
  Fields of Blood PF 
  Mountains of Madness PF 
  Marshes of Malice PF
  Other Products from Frog God Games
  You can find these product lines and more at our website, froggodgames.com, and on the shelves of many retail game stores.  
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  * (forthcoming from Frog God Games)
  
  3
  The Covered Bridge
  Table of Contents
  Credits ........................................................................ p. 1
  The Covered Bridge ........................................................p. 4
  Chapter One: A Murder of Crows ......................................p. 9
  Chapter Two: A Manse Loga ........................................... p. 13
  Chapter Three: The Menagerie .........................................p. 16
  Chapter Four: The Awakening ..........................................p. 19
  Chapter Five: The Murder of The Blessed............................p. 22
  Map Appendix ..............................................................p. 24 
  Legal Appendix .............................................................p. 28
  
  4
  Quests of doom 4
  The Covered Bridge is a Pathfinder adventure designed for a party 
  of four to six characters of 4th to 6th level. Any character classes work 
  in this adventure, but the standard fighter, magic-user, cleric, and thief 
  will work exceptionally well. Many of the opponents the characters may 
  fight require magic weapons to strike; the GM may want to either include 
  additional magic weapons to the treasure listed, or save this adventure 
  until the characters have magic weapons of their own. The adventure is 
  concerned with solving the centuries-old murder of a historic hero. Within 
  the adventure, the characters are caught up in the haunted memories of the 
  ghostly knight and help him to accomplish his heroic deeds. While doing 
  so, the party becomes familiar with his world and the murder suspects, 
  picking up clues to their motivations and actions along the way. At the end 
  of the adventure, an enraged spirit confronts the characters and demands 
  that they name his killer. If they can do it, they are richly rewarded; both 
  in treasure and the knowledge that they let a good man finally find rest. 
  If they fail, they must face the chilling wrath of the deathless phantom. 
  The adventure occurs in a little-traveled valley off the main roads 
  that was once the prosperous fief of the Loga family. It fell into ruin and 
  abandonment long ago and has since become a part of another lord’s 
  larger domain, though it remains uninhabited, its fields fallow. Of the few 
  travelers it sees, many of them tend to disappear mysteriously (no doubt, 
  attributed to bandits or wild animals), so it is even more desolate as a 
  result. If you are playing this as part of the Lost Lands campaign setting 
  by Frog God Games, then Saymere Valley lies north of Nains on the 
  western fringe of the Kingdom of Foere, in the rolling ground where the 
  Elderwood meets the Old Tors. The old road once provided a means of 
  travel between Nains and distant Panetoth in the Grand Duchy of Reme 
  but has long since fallen out of regular use.
  Adventure Background
  Some four hundred years ago, a heroic knight by the name of Varral 
  et-Casan was poisoned, foully murdered by someone very close to him. 
  The horrendous betrayal left Sir Varral’s potent spirit unable to travel to 
  its reward and find eternal rest. Worse still, Sir Varral’s spectre does not 
  even know the identity of the murderer; it only knows that its hunger for 
  vengeance must be sated. 
  To that end, the spectre of Sir Varral now haunts a covered bridge in 
  the Saymere Valley. On occasion, it draws people into the memories of 
  its misty past in the hopes that they might uncover the truth behind its 
  murder and bring his killer to light. Though hundreds of hapless people 
  have been drawn into the shade’s desperate scheme over the long years, 
  none has uncovered the truth. For their failure, they suffered the ultimate 
  penalty: the spectre of Varral et-Casan murdered them and carved another 
  notch into the bridge. The characters are only the latest in a long line of 
  the spectre’s victims.
  In the Time of Varral et-Casan
  The household of the Manse Loga was traditionally a happy place; its 
  masters were an old and wise family of good reputation dating back to the 
  days of the Hyperborean emperors. They treated their servants well and 
  governed their small demesne with measured judgment and kind hearts. 
  There were flaws within the social structure of the manse’s inhabitants of 
  late (the young heir-apparent of the manse was impetuous and prone to fits 
  of temper, the house steward lusted after one of the young maids, etc.), but 
  overall nothing disturbed the equanimity of the household. 
  That all changed when Cnid came to visit. Cnid had been an ordinary 
  cloaker in the Under Realms, wandering the perennial night of the 
  plutonian underworld and indulging the peculiar urgings of its odd brain. 
  One day, Cnid floated through a nameless hollow where it discovered a 
  rent in the cavern floor it had never noticed before. Entering the tear in 
  the earth, it discovered a large grotto empty but for the skittering of pale, 
  faceless crickets and a strangely glowing node jutting from the living rock.
  Cnid’s brain was overwhelmed by the node’s emanations, wave after 
  wave of bizarre energy deranging its already warped mind. The node was 
  an extension of the Dimension of Dream, and it fundamentally altered 
  the cloaker to suit its own tastes. Cnid became a nightmare creature and 
  was granted awful power to shape and taint the dreams of other sentient 
  beings. Cnid left that grotto a full century after it entered and immediately 
  searched for slaves to work its will. The creature soon found a tribe of 
  duergar that suited its needs perfectly. Speaking through the dreams of 
  the tribe’s shaman, the cloaker established itself as the “god” of the sullen 
  dwarf-kin and sent them to unearth the node from its resting place.
  With this accomplished, the cloaker and its worshippers made their 
  arduous way toward the surface world. Cnid wanted to see what dwelt 
  in the world above. Cnid wanted new playthings, beings with dreams 
  undimmed by the eternal night below. Cnid wanted to corrupt such 
  playthings into his nightmare version of existence, and Cnid knew no 
  limitations to achieving its desires.
  Unfortunately for the Loga family, the duergar broke surface in the 
  basement of their mansion. Soon thereafter, the nightmare cloaker 
  began to defile the dreams of the people above, to dreadful result and 
  to the cloaker’s fiendish glee. As tragedy piled upon tragedy, the lord of 
  the manse, Erard Loga sent out messengers asking for aid. The duergar 
  warriors, who now surrounded the mansion, slew them all — all save one: 
  the messenger sent to Sir Varral et-Casan, called The Blessed.
  Adventure Summary
  In The Covered Bridge, the characters crossing an old covered bridge 
  find it carved with score-marks and inscribed with a cryptic message. 
  Though they don’t know it, they have been transported into the memories 
  of Sir Varral et-Casan, a hero foully murdered more than 400 years in the 
  past. The characters come upon a battlefield at the tail end of the fighting. 
  Making their way across the field, they encounter a force of duergar and 
  eventually save Sir Varral and his party from destruction. Varral is on 
  his way to the Manse Loga where he has been summoned to save them 
  from an unknown evil. The characters accompany him to the manse and 
  discover a household in the cold grip of terror. They hear their tale of woe, 
  and when they go to sleep, encounter devilish terror in their own dreams.
  Screams wake the characters from their shared nightmare. The son 
  of the lord of the manse has been driven insane, and, in his madness, 
  slew one of the servants and fled into the family’s old menagerie. The 
  characters are entreated to find him and bring him back alive. Later as 
  the characters search the manse for the source of the supernatural malady, 
  they find evils festering within the very house that need to be expunged. 
  Eventually, their search leads them to the basement where they discover 
  the entrance to the lair of Cnid, a cloaker twisted by his discovery of the 
  Nightmare Node. The monster must be slain for the people in the manse 
  above to be saved. The next time the characters sleep, they awaken on the 
  bridge and must use the sum of what they have learned to save the soul of 
  a long-lost paladin or join him in eternal damnation.
  Dramatis Personae
  Within The Covered Bridge, the characters encounter and interact 
  with several long-dead personages who play a part in this centuries-long 
  passion play that has repeated itself through the restless dreams of Varral 
  et-Casan, inflicted upon countless hapless victims. These personalities 
  The Covered Bridge
  
  5
  The Covered Bridge
  are described below. If any of these NPCs are slain during the course of 
  this iteration of Sir Varral’s remembrance, they simply reappear at some 
  later point as if nothing happened. Remember: These aren’t living or even 
  ghostly people. They are the memories of a stricken spirit, organized by 
  his anguished mind to help unravel a centuries-old mystery that haunts 
  him through his undeath. 
  Sir Varral et-Casan the Blessed 
  Sir Varral is a man on the cusp of greatness. Called by the divine Thyr 
  to a life of service, Sir Varral has striven to be worthy of his calling: 
  protecting the innocent, promoting justice and mercy, and opposing evil 
  wherever it rears its ugly head. At this point in his life, Sir Varral has 
  made significant headway in his heroic career. He was instrumental in the 
  downfall of Lord Elva, the dread Marquis of Eauxe, freeing the thousand 
  slaves sickening in Elva’s mines. He averted the destruction of Rennier’s 
  Stronghold by befriending the Giants of Weld, persuading them to repair 
  the dam of Lac Nylam before it burst. With his own hand, he slew the 
  Singed Man, a vampire who had plagued the realm of Kear for nearly two 
  centuries.
  In his travels, Sir Varral made many friends, some of whom became his 
  permanent companions. The Demoiselle Arbasa was to be the next item 
  on the menu for the Singed Man before Sir Varral arrived and saved her. 
  She then claimed the life-debt and swore to travel with him until she could 
  repay him by saving his life. Since that time, she has saved his life at least 
  twice, but declared that none of those actually counts. 
  Joln was a condemned man, found guilty of theft and cowardice by his 
  own tribe of the Thunderbearers on the Haunted Steppe. Convicted on 
  evidence discovered by Sir Varral, the sentence for his crime was death. 
  Joln’s life was forfeit, but Sir Varral redeemed it by defeating the half-
  beast Vangror the Ogre and winning the convicted man’s freedom. Joln 
  has been Sir Varral’s right-hand man ever since. 
  Dari is Varral’s pet, a large raccoon. Sir Varral picked the creature up in 
  a bazaar in distant Ang for two copper zhu coins.
  In recent months, some mysterious creature or organization calling 
  itself “The Faceless” has turned its attention toward Sir Varral and his 
  companions. Attacks have come in the form of wilderness ambushes by 
  bandits and assaults by hired thugs. None has been overly daunting, but 
  they have increased in frequency of late, and Sir Varral fears that they may 
  be somehow involved in the troubles in Saymere Valley. He does not fear 
  “The Faceless” but is growing concerned at the apparent extent of their 
  reach.
  SIR VARRAL ET-CASAN THE BLESSED 
   
  CR 4
  XP 1,200
  Male human paladin of Thyr 5
  LG Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +0; Perception +3
  Aura courage, good
   
  AC 21, touch 10, flat-footed 21 (+8 armor, +3 shield)
  hp 52 (5d10+15 plus 5)
  Fort +10; Ref +4; Will +10
  Defensive Abilities divine grace (+3); Immune disease, fear
   
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 shortsword +10 (1d6+4/19–20) or lance +8 (1d8+3/
  x3) or dagger +8 (1d4+3/19–20)
  Special Attacks channel positive energy (DC 15, 3d6), lay on 
  hands 5/day (2d6), smite evil 1/day (+3 attack and AC, +5 
  damage)
  Spell-like Abilities (CL 5th):
  At will—detect evil
  Spells Prepared (CL 5th):
  1st—bless weapon, lesser restoration
   
  Str 16, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 11, Wis 17, Cha 17
  Base Atk +5; CMB +8; CMD 18
  Feats Cleave, Power Attack, Shield FocusB, Weapon Focus 
  (shortsword)
  Skills Diplomacy +9, Heal +9, Knowledge (nobility) +5, 
  Knowledge (religion) +5, Ride +8
  Languages Common
  SQ divine bond (weapon +1, 5 minutes, 1/day), mercy 
  (fatigued)
  Other Gear +1 short sword, lance, dagger, half plate, heavy 
  steel shield, silver holy symbol, heavy warhorse with chain 
  barding
  For the GM: As you roleplay Sir Varral, keep certain things in mind. 
  He exudes self-assurance and calm joy. He laughs often and has a zest for 
  life few people know. He is intensely curious about the world and takes 
  genuine interest in and concern for the people in his life. He is willing to 
  sacrifice himself on behalf of others, yet has no desire to be a martyr. Sir 
  Varral sees Joln as a real friend and trusted ally, and is conflicted about his 
  feelings for Arbasa. He doesn’t know if his calling gives him the freedom 
  to love her. 
  Demoiselle Arbasa
  A tall woman, rangy and beautiful with deep copper skin and hair as 
  unfettered and tawny as a lion’s mane, Demoiselle Arbasa is the sixth 
  daughter of the Comte de Tourne, her five older sisters sacrificed before 
  her to the Singed Man. Arbasa is gracious and well-mannered, yet has 
  learned to be taciturn in speech and immediate in action. She rarely 
  displays emotion, and is reticent with strangers. Arbasa is deeply in love 
  with Sir Varral and scared to death he will find that out and send her away.
  DEMOISELLE ARBASA (NOBLE SCION) 
   
  CR 2
  XP 600
  hp 20 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Game Mastery Guide 
  “Noble Scion”)
   
  Other Equipment short sword, dagger, quality robes, jewelry 
  worth 250gp
  For the GM: As you roleplay the Demoiselle Arbasa, remember that 
  she is of the nobility and used to the attention and devotion of others. 
  She is reserved, intelligent and brave, but not an adventurer by nature. 
  Her beauty often attracts unwanted attention which causes her no end of 
  vexation, though she is not above using this for her own ends. A gray 
  thread of fatalism runs through the core of her character, dulling what 
  would otherwise be a radiant beauty.
  The Truth of the Matter: For months now, the imp disguised as 
  Dari has been subtly feeding Arbasa’s fears that Sir Varral has risen too 
  far too fast. He has defeated every foe that he has faced, and she now 
  believes that with too many powerful enemies left behind his eventual 
  defeat and corruption is almost assured. With the recent assaults by “The 
  Faceless,” she fears that the time is near at hand. She knows that should 
  some monster of the likes of The Faceless ever capture Sir Varral, the 
  tortures he will endure will be ceaseless and without restraint. She sees Sir 
  Varral as a shining soul of purity and fears that such ruthless treatment will 
  surely darken his spirit and cause him to lose faith. She cannot bear the 
  thought of Sir Varral falling from faith and losing his eternal reward with 
  Thyr. Through Xola’am’s insidious manipulations, Arbasa has reached the 
  conclusion that she would rather see the man she loves and idolizes die a 
  martyred saint rather than live a fallen sinner.
   Joln of the Thunderbearers
  Joln is a cheerful barbarian at heart, content to eat, drink, wench when 
  possible, and serve his master well. He has been a liar, a backstabber, 
  and a thief, and though Sir Varral has preached to him virtue, it is slow in 
  coming. Rescued from a death sentence among the tribes of the Shattered 
  Folk, Joln has trouble understanding the ways of civilization and tends to 
  act before he thinks. He is as loyal to his master as he knows how to be. 
  Joln can almost always be found smoking a foul-smelling, hand-rolled 
  cheroot cigar — a custom of his tribe that he carries with him. As a result, 
  a near-constant miasma of the eye-watering, acrid fumes surround him. 
  
  6
  Quests of doom 4
  Anyone who tries to smoke one of Joln’s cheroots must make a DC 18 
  Fort save or be nauseated for 1d4 minutes.
  JOLN OF THE THUNDERBEARERS 
   
  CR 2
  XP 600
  Male human barbarian 3
  CN Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +1; Perception +5
   
  AC 12, touch 10, flat-footed 10 (+2 armor, +1 Dex, +1 dodge, 
  –2 rage)
  hp 40 (3d12+12 plus 3)
  Fort +7; Ref +2; Will +2
  Defensive Abilities uncanny dodge, trap sense +1
   
  Speed 40 ft.
  Melee  shortspear +8 (1d6+6) or handaxe +7 (1d6+4/x3)
  Ranged longbow +4 (1d8/x3)
  Special Attacks rage (6 rounds/day)
   
  Str 19, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8
  Base Atk +3; CMB +7; CMD 16
  Feats Dodge, Endurance, Weapon Focus (shortspear)
  Skills Acrobatics +7, Climb +10, Perception +5, Stealth +4, 
  Survival +5,
  Languages Common
  SQ fast movement, rage power (swift foot)
  Other Gear shortspear, handaxe, longbow, 40 arrows, 
  leather armor, 15 cheroot cigars
   
  Note Joln has the following abilities when not raging: AC 
  14, hp 34, Fort +5, Will +0, Melee shortspear +6 (1d6+3) or 
  handaxe +5 (1d6+2), Str 15, Con 14, CMB +5
  For the GM: As you roleplay Joln, picture him as a happy-go-lucky 
  rogue whose only loyalty seems to lie with Sir Varral. He is distant to 
  the characters at first, but eventually sees them as brothers-in-arms. Joln 
  is constantly on the lookout for treasure and is as greedy as any ordinary 
  adventurer.
    The Truth of the Matter: The raccoon Dari has been subtly working 
  on Joln from several angles. First, he has correctly guessed Joln’s true 
  nature as a selfish and flawed man. He can see that Joln genuinely likes 
  Sir Varral but that this fondness and the debt of gratitude that he owes goes 
  only as deep as the next opportunity to enrich himself. Joln struggles with 
  this and does not yet fully recognize the true extent of his own failings 
  in his loyalty to the man who saved his life. At the same time, Joln is a 
  naturally petty man and cannot help but feel some resentment toward the 
  uppity knight. Sure, Sir Varral saved him from a death sentence, but Sir 
  Varral likewise presented the evidence that caused that death sentence to 
  begin with. A tiny voice in Joln’s mind (largely the telepathic whispers of 
  Dari) wonders if maybe Sir Varral didn’t expose Joln’s crimes for the sole 
  purpose of gaining an indebted henchman. Finally, Joln is beginning to 
  worry about these incessant attacks by “The Faceless” in recent months. 
  The fact that he recently received a personal message that not only ensured 
  his own safety but offered a substantial profit for assisting that group has 
  him mulling over many options in his mind.
  Dari is Sir Varral’s raccoon companion. He tends to get underfoot and 
  take things that don’t belong to him. He eats whatever he gets his hands 
  on and chitters oddly at inappropriate times. Most of the time, Dari rides 
  on Sir Varral’s shoulder and intensely dislikes Joln. He is also clearly 
  something more than an ordinary animal. Dari has survived things no 
  normal raccoon could survive (fireballs, crossbow bolts, etc.) and always 
  manages to find Varral if he becomes lost. Sir Varral believes Dari to have 
  been a druid or ranger’s animal companion whose master was lost in some 
  accident of violence and is happy to inherit the unique animal’s loyalties.
  DARI [XOLA’AM] (IMP) 
   
   
  CR 2
  XP 600
  hp 16 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Devil, Imp”)
  For the GM: As you roleplay Dari, use him as comedy relief. He is 
  constantly underfoot, sometimes at the worst possible moment. He steals 
  food and other shiny objects the characters might have, and has been 
  known to give away Joln’s position when he is trying to hide. 
  The Truth of The Matter: Here lies the true mastermind behind the 
  downfall of Sir Varral the Blessed. Dari is no raccoon; he is a vicious and 
  crafty imp working his way up the infernal ladder by seeking to destroy a 
  truly good man. His true name is Xola’am. For over a year, Xola’am has 
  posed as Sir Varral’s innocuous pet. During that time, he has studied his 
  prey and its companions intensely. The imp didn’t want to merely murder 
  Sir Varral; he wanted Varral’s most beloved friends to destroy him. To 
  that end, he has worked hard to convince Sir Varral, Arbasa, and Joln 
  that they are being harried by a secretive organization known as “The 
  Faceless.” Xola’am has employed mercenaries and thieves to aid him in 
  his deception, and eventually he will convince Arbasa and Joln to murder 
  Sir Varral. 
  Xola’am discovered that the Demoiselle Arbasa fears that all the contact 
  with supernatural horror and evil is tainting the purity of Sir Varral’s 
  immortal soul. Using his telepathy, the imp has fed these fears to the point 
  where Arbasa genuinely believes that killing Sir Varral will save him from 
  the Abyss and send his soul to the heavens. 
  The crafty imp has also played on the weaknesses of the barbarian Joln. 
  Simply put, Joln loves money. Through various intermediaries, Xola’am 
  has promised to make Joln filthy, filthy rich if Sir Varral dies by his hand. 
  This is, of course, a huge lie, but Joln hasn’t the wit to see it. 
  Upon arriving at the Manse Loga, the imp infects the off-kilter 
  mind of Turo to poison Sir Varral. To seal the deal (and to gain some 
  personal satisfaction), the imp intends to inject Varral with his own 
  deadly venom. 
  
  7
  The Covered Bridge
  Turo Loga
  Turo is the son of the lord at the Manse Loga. Cnid and the Nightmare 
  Node (see below) drove him horribly insane, sinking him into a veiled 
  suicidal frenzy. He is one of the first to greet the characters when they arrive 
  at the manse, and, using his telepathic abilities, Xola’am immediately 
  finds a tool to aid in the murder of Sir Varral. Turo slips a slow-acting 
  poison into Sir Varral’s wine before supper is served on the first evening.
  TURO LOGA (NOBLE SCION) 
   
   
  CR 2
  XP 600
  hp 20 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Game Mastery Guide 
  “Noble Scion”)
   
  Other Equipment +1 dagger, regal robes, ceremonial 
  jewelry worth 150gp
  Beginning the Adventure
  In the course of their travels, the characters come upon a covered bridge. 
  This innocuous looking span is the gateway through which a long-dead hero 
  seeks justice. The characters are swept up into this spectre’s memories to 
  encounter him and his companions and to help uncover the identity of his 
  murderer — a crime that has gone unsolved for four long centuries. 
  Lying in a remarkably serene valley in the northern extent of Barresque 
  County, this covered bridge has spanned the Upper Saymere River for 
  more than four hundred years. It is constructed of nigh-indestructible 
  athewood, but the thing that really keeps the bridge in good repair is the 
  curse of the man nefariously slain centuries ago. This bridge is the entry 
  point into the tragic story of the murder victim.
  A large, covered bridge spans the brightly flowing river, 
  its surface worn smooth by years of wind and weather. Its 
  shingled roof looks to be in need of repair, but the bridge 
  itself seems sturdily built. A weed-strewn track leads to the 
  span’s entrance; it hasn’t seen traffic for some time. 
  Running a Mystery
  Mystery adventures have great potential to go awry both from a player’s 
  and a GM’s standpoint. Players have a pesky habit of doing the unexpected 
  and ruining your surprises. To prevent this from revealing the game that 
  is afoot too early (and substantially reducing the fun of the adventure), 
  certain limitations are placed on the characters by the very nature of Sir 
  Varral’s haunted memories into which they have been drawn. During the 
  course of the adventure, the spell detect magic will not function. Likewise, 
  spells that seek answers by trying to circumvent the investigation process 
  will not function either (GM’s discretion). Finally alignment-detecting 
  spells, such as detect evil give only ambiguous results regardless of whom 
  they are cast upon. Alignment-sensitive spells such as protection from evil, 
  for instance, function normally, however. In addition, the spells neutralize 
  poison or cure spells function only if cast upon a character. No NPC in the 
  adventure receives any benefit from these spells.
  However, players do not provide the only foibles to a mystery-based 
  adventure. Sometimes the way the game plays out simply doesn’t 
  provide the players with the information necessary to make the proper 
  deductions in their investigation. To help the characters uncover the 
  murderers of Sir Varral, several clues are given to indicate the several 
  guilty parties. You should strive to make sure that the characters have 
  opportunities to discover most or all of these.
   
  Arbasa
  • Be sure to have her and the characters engage in a conversation 
  wherein she shares her fears about Sir Varral’s possible damnation. 
  She closes the conversation with, “I almost think he’d be better off 
  dead than …” and then lets the sentence trail off. 
  • The demoiselle also carries with her the poison with which she 
  intends to kill Sir Varral: a face powder box full of poisonous dust 
  (treat as burnt othur fumes from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  Ultimate Equipment). 
  • Careful questioning reveals that she loves Varral deeply. 
  • A secret doors check, made when Arbasa is speaking about him, 
  shows her gazing at him with love admixed with sorrow, as if she is 
  gazing at him for the last time…
  Joln
  • Be sure to play up Joln’s greed. Have him do something unscrupulous 
  for money such as blatantly cheat at a friendly game of dice. If caught, 
  he laughs ruefully and says, “Old habits die hard, friend.”  
  • He carries with him two fairly incriminating items: First, he carries a 
  sealed vial full of oily vapors: deathblade poisonSecond, he (foolishly) 
  carries with him a missive from “The Faceless” offering him 5,000gp 
  to kill Sir Varral. 
  Dari (Xola’am)
  • Play up the intelligence and seeming indestructability of the 
  raccoon. He seems like an animal companion, but it is unclear as to 
  why Sir Varral, a paladin-knight, would have such a companion. The 
  others think little of it, seeing him as their good-luck charm, but he is 
  obviously no normal raccoon.
  Turo
  • Turo is difficult; the characters may suspect him only because he 
  meets them on the bridge at the end. He poisons Varral’s wine at 
  supper, but that is before the characters have a chance to see him do it. 
  Later, if his room is searched, a small, empty vial holding residue of 
  viscous poison can be found. In addition, he mutters some odd things 
  when confronted in the menagerie …
  The Poisons
  • If the characters detect and identify all four poisons used on Sir 
  Varral at the end of the adventure, this too, may clue them in that all of 
  the suspects are guilty.
  • The presence of the poisons on the NPCs above, however, is not 
  sufficient to solve the mystery until the death of Sir Varral. With the 
  exception of Turo, none of the suspects has actually committed any 
  crime or poisoned the good knight. If the characters manage to find 
  and confiscate the poisons, they discover that the memories of Sir 
  Varral simply cause additional doses of the poison to appear in the 
  NPCs’ possession. Likewise, attempts to keep them all completely 
  away from Sir Varral in order to save them (including by even killing 
  the NPCs) are doomed to failure as well. Remember, this is not an 
  adventure about preventing a murder but rather solving a murder. 
  The characters have to allow the events to resolve themselves in 
  order to try to discover what actually occurred. Attempts to interfere 
  only find that Sir Varral’s memory thwarts them and prevent such 
  strategies from working.
  
  8
  Quests of doom 4
  As soon as the characters see the bridge, they are caught within the 
  caul of the cursed shade. If they avoid the bridge or refuse to cross it, they 
  encounter it again over the next ridge. And again. And again. As many 
  times as it takes until the characters come onto the bridge itself. If you do 
  not wish to force the adventure on the characters in such a railroad manner, 
  then you can allow them to avoid the bridge (without it reappearing before 
  them); however, by doing so, they miss the adventure until such time as 
  they approach the bridge to cross and see the inscription. The bridge 
  measures 15 ft. wide by 100 ft., and the peak of the roof is 12 ft. from the 
  bridge’s surface.
  As the characters step onto the bridge, they notice that its interior — 
  floor, beams, and ceiling — is covered in dozens of score-marks. There 
  are hundreds of these marks. The bridge is an anchor point for an angry 
  spectre, and a detect magic spell reveals the overwhelming aura of 
  necromantic magic. 
  Carved into the floor-planks in the middle of the bridge is an inscription 
  in the common tongue that is easily spotted. It says: 
  In whose hand did the poison lie?
  When the inscription is read, the next phase of the curse comes to pass. 
  It is suddenly night (even if it was much earlier in the day when the bridge 
  was approached) with no natural falling of evening — night is just come 
  and the land is swathed in darkness. The stars are out in full force and 
  the primary moon, Narrah, is a full, silver sphere in the sky; the smaller, 
  dark moon Sybil is just visible peeking above the trees, but it is also full. 
  A druid or ranger identifies that the stars in the sky show that it is now 
  autumn. A druid or ranger that makes a saving throw recognizes by the 
  stars and full phases of the double moons that the characters are now 400 
  years in the past. A final clue to the change is that all of the score-marks on 
  the bridge have disappeared as if they had never existed. 
  The lighting outside is dim under the full moonlight; normal, unaided 
  vision is only 10 ft.
  
  9
  The Covered Bridge
  Though they seem to have remained in the same geographic location 
  they were in before, the party has been swept into the remembered past 
  of the murdered dead. Here, they stumble upon a battlefield and must 
  confront many foes to succor Varral and his escorts. 
  When Sir Varral the Blessed received Loga’s message, he and his 
  friends were guests of the Comte de E’stil. Sir Varral decided to travel to 
  the manse immediately and the comte granted him an escort of 50 men-at-
  arms to accompany him and assist in any way they could. Yet the evil that 
  lurked in the Sieur Saymere’s dreams divined his plan and sent out a party 
  of duergar to intercept and destroy Sir Varral and all those with him. The 
  characters stumble onto the battlefield as the majority of the battle itself 
  is drawing to a close. 
  The events of this chapter are laid out as a series of encounters. Apart 
  from Encounter 1 and Encounter 8, any of the other encounters can 
  occur in any order, any number of times. You may pick and choose which 
  and how many encounters are appropriate for your group. 
  Encounter 1: Camp Invasion 
  This is the first event that the characters encounter after they move 
  away from the bridge deeper into the Saymere Valley (regardless of which 
  direction they travel from the bridge).
  The night is clear and cold, the Pale Sister looming large 
  and ominous in the starry expanse above, the Dark Sister 
  skulking low on the horizon. The wind is a torrent of darkness 
  amid the gusty trees. Suddenly, a shadowy form bursts 
  through the underbrush and falls to the ground.
  This is Alfosne, one of Sir Varral’s cohorts. He has been done almost 
  to death by the raiding duergar and has just fallen 20 ft. from the bridge. 
  Two rounds after he appears, 5 duergar burst from the brush in pursuit 
  and immediately attack upon sighting the party.
  ALFOSNE (SQUIRE) 
   
   
  CR 1/3
  XP 135
  hp 5[currently 0] (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Game 
  Mastery Guide “Squire”)
   
  Other Equipment broken leather armor
  DRUEGAR (5) 
   
   
  CR 1/3
  XP 135
  hp 8 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Druegar”)
   
  Other Equipment no crossbow or bolts, only 1d6 sp
  Development: Alfosne doesn’t know much about what is occurring. 
  He knows that he and his compatriots were escorting someone important 
  and that they were travelling to the Manse Loga farther up the valley, 
  but knows little else. Alfosne implores the characters to help him find his 
  commanding officer. 
  The Battlefield
  Shortly after leaving the bridge, the characters come upon the battlefield. 
  Most of the encounters for this chapter occur while the characters cross 
  this battlefield.
  Corpses of men and dwarves are strewn like crushed leaves 
  across this moonlit meadow. The only word to describe it is 
  ”broken”: broken spears, broken pennants, and broken bodies. 
  Nothing moves except for a solitary crow. It glides from the 
  shadows to land and peck the eye from a motionless body.
  While crossing the battlefield, the characters have a chance to encounter 
  various creatures and situations that test their mettle. Roll 1d20 every 5 
  minutes and consult the table below. Unless otherwise noted, each of these 
  encounters can occur only once.
  1d20
  Encounters
  1–3
  Encounter 2: Looters
  4–6
  Encounter 3: The Banner
  7–8
  Encounter 4: Archon
  9–10
  Encounter 5: Wolves
  11–12
  Encounter 6: Dying Duergar
  13–14
  Encounter 7: Dying Soldier
  15–20
  No encounter
  Encounter 2: Looters 
  This encounter can occur multiple times.
  Stout figures move among the dead, stripping them of 
  weapons and other valuables. A groan rises from a pile of 
  bodies, a muffled cry for help. One of the dwarves moves 
  to the pile and drags a human soldier from its midst. The 
  soldier feebly grasps the dwarf’s arm in gratitude. His hand 
  is knocked aside as the dwarf pulls a dagger from his belt and 
  brutally cuts his throat. 
  Victorious, these 6 duergar are looting the bodies of the slain and 
  helping along those who have not yet departed this mortal coil. 
  DRUEGAR (6) 
   
   
  CR 1/3
  XP 135
  hp 8 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Druegar”)
   
  Other Equipment no crossbow or bolts, only 1d6 sp
  Chapter One:  
  A Murder of Crows
  
  10
  Quests of doom 4
  Treasure: So far, these looters have collected a total of 2d6gp, 2d20sp, 
  1d4 longswords (10% chance one is +1), 1d2 suits of chainmail, and 1d3–
  1 potions of cure light wounds.
  Encounter 3: The Banner 
  A lone human man-at-arms stands surrounded by his 
  dead companions. He holds a bared blade in one hand and 
  a tattered banner showing three pinecones in the other. 
  Three of the strange, dark dwarves advance on him slowly, 
  confident of their prey. One of them holds a chain bound to a 
  huge, misshapen beetle. 
  The man-at-arms is Gan, the standard-bearer that carries the Comte de 
  E’stil’s banner. His companions are slain, and he stands alone against 3 
  duergar and their trained giant beetle.
  GAN (SQUIRE) 
   
   
  CR 1/3
  XP 135
  hp 5 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Game Mastery Guide 
  “Squire”)
   
  Other Equipment longspear (banner), dagger, leather armor
  DRUEGAR (3) 
   
   
  CR 1/3
  XP 135
  hp 8 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Druegar”)
   
  Other Equipment no crossbow or bolts, only 1d6 sp
  GIANT STAG BEETLE 
   
   
  CR 4
  XP 1,200
  hp 45 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Beetle, Giant 
  Stag”)
  Development: Gan was one of the cohorts accompanying Sir Varral. He 
  tells the characters of the escort’s purpose and of the ambush, though he 
  can tell them little else. Gan wants to rejoin Sir Varral and his commander, 
  and encourages the characters to do the same. 
  Encounter 4: Archon 
  An eerie light flits through the trees, shedding a watery 
  glow in the black night.
  This is a lantern archon angel, drawn to the battlefield by the valor 
  of the warriors and the evil of the duergar. It has slain five of the vile 
  dwarves already, but knows its limitations. If possible, the archon follows 
  the characters out of curiosity and helps them if it can. 
  LANTERN ARCHON 
   
   
  CR 2
  XP 600
  hp 13 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Archon, Lantern”)
  Encounter 5: Wolves 
  Black canine forms pick their way through the battlefield. 
  On occasion, they stop to consume particularly tasty bits, 
  then move on. 
  These 2 wolves have come to feast and are led by a worg. The worg 
  directs his followers to surround and attack the characters, eager for more 
  bloodshed. If the wolves are killed and he is wounded, the worg flees into 
  the night.
  WOLVES (2) 
   
   
  CR 1
  XP 400
  hp 13 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Wolf”)
  WORG  
   
  CR 2
  XP 600
  hp 26 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Wolf”)
  Encounter 6: Dying Duergar
  Lying here are 1d2 duergar. They are dying, and continue to bleed out.
  DRUEGAR (1d2)  
   
  CR 1/3
  XP 135
  hp 8 [currently 0] (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Druegar”)
   
  Other Equipment no crossbow or bolts, only 1d6 sp
  Encounter 7: Dying Soldiers
  There are 1d3 human men-at-arms here. They are dying, and are 
  bleeding out.
   
  FOOT SOLDIERS (1d3) 
   
   
  CR 1/3
  XP 135
  hp 8 [currently 0] (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Game 
  Mastery Guide “Foot Soldier”)
   
  Other Equipment longsword, dagger, shortbow, 20 arrows, 
  leather armor, heavy wooden shield
  Encounter 8: The Lord of Crows 
  This encounter occurs at the conclusion of the characters’ exploration 
  of the benighted battlefield
  This is the heart of the battlefield. The dead — both human 
  and dwarven — are piled higher here. Across the glade, a small 
  group of humans has formed: a last line of defense against 
  their enemies. However, a larger group of the dwarves has 
  them surrounded. This looks like a doomed last stand. 
  Sir Varral the Blessed and his men are in a tight spot and desperately 
  need help. Varral is accompanied by Demoiselle Arbasa, Joln, Dari and 
  3 men-at-arms. Everyone in his group is wounded (at half hit points). Dari 
  stays out of the fighting as much as possible, crouching on Varral’s shoulder. 
  Surrounding them are 20 duergar warriors who close in to attack. 
  SIR VARRAL ET-CASAN THE BLESSED 
   
  CR 4
  XP 1,200
  hp 52 [currently 26] (see Sir Varral et-Casan the Blessed)
  DEMOISELLE ARBASA (NOBLE SCION) 
   
  CR 2
  XP 600
  hp 20 [currently 10] (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Game 
  Mastery Guide “Noble Scion”)
   
  Other Equipment short sword, dagger, quality robes, jewelry 
  worth 250gp
  JOLN OF THE THUNDERBEARERS 
   
  CR 2
  XP 600
  hp 40 [currently 20](see Joln of the Thunderbearers)
  
  11
  The Covered Bridge
  DARI [XOLA’AM] (IMP) 
   
   
  CR 2
  XP 600
  hp 16 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Devil, Imp”)
  FOOT SOLDIERS (3) 
   
   
  CR 1/3
  XP 135
  hp 8 [currently 4] (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Game 
  Mastery Guide “Foot Soldier”)
   
  Other Equipment longsword, dagger, shortbow, 20 arrows, 
  leather armor, heavy wooden shield
  DRUEGAR (20) 
   
   
  CR 1/3
  XP 135
  hp 8 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Druegar”)
   
  Other Equipment no crossbow or bolts, only 1d6 sp
  Development: If the characters take part in the battle, they do not 
  have to defeat all the duergar, but they should feel as if they have 
  to. The characters should be somewhat depleted and beat up by this 
  point, and they have one more big battle to fight. As a GM, merely 
  make the situation look absolutely hopeless. Just when things look 
  their bleakest, a murder of crows appears and besets the duergar force. 
  Read the following.
  A violently fluttering, inky black mass descends from the 
  skies and falls upon the strange dwarves. It appears to be an 
  inky black murder of crows. Hoarse screams erupt from the 
  deadly flock. The birds rise again into the air, leaving behind 
  grisly, beak-pecked corpses, and then turn to attack. 
  The raven swarm attacks the characters and disperses if defeated, after 
  which the Lord of Crows approaches.
  RAVEN SWARM  
   
  CR 3
  XP 800
  raven swarm (Tome of Horrors Complete “Swarm, Raven”)
  N Tiny animal (swarm)
  Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +11
   
  AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 size)
  hp 18 (4d8)
  Fort +3; Ref +6; Will +3
  Defensive Abilities half damage from piercing and slashing; 
  Immune swarm traits
  Weaknesses swarm traits
   
  Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)
  Melee swarm (1d6 plus eye-rake)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
  Special Attacks distraction (DC 11), eye-rake
   
  Str 2, Dex 15, Con 8, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 7
  Base Atk +3; CMB –; CMD –
  Feats Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Finesse
  Skills Fly +10, Perception +11
   
  Eye-Rake (Ex) Any living creature damaged by a raven 
  swarm must succeed on a DC 11 Reflex save or be blinded 
  as the swarm scratches and tears at the victim’s eyes. The 
  blindness lasts for 1d4 days or until healed with a remove 
  blindness or a successful DC 11 Heal check. The save DC is 
  Constitution-based.
  After the swarm disperses, the Lord of Crows appears.
  The remaining crows fly away, filling the cold air with their 
  harsh calls. A group of large forms flutters to the ground. Two 
  of them are crows of enormous size, the size of small dogs, 
  but the third is a true specimen. A crow the size of a man, 
  this massive bird is seemingly cloaked and hooded in a cloak 
  of glossy black feathers. A beak extends from the front of its 
  head and a pale, vacant eyes peer from its brow.
  The Lord of Crows has descended with his retinue upon the battlefield 
  as its rightful owner. A spirit of death and carrion, he views all living 
  creatures to be unwelcome intruders upon his demesne, and immediately 
  moves to dispatch them. The Lord of Crows is a murder crow of truly 
  ancient mien that has haunted the eves of the Elderwood for years, taking 
  its share from among the fallen and always escaping the slings and arrows 
  of the land’s occupants. On this night, it is accompanied by 2 giant ravens 
  that serve as its attendants and intends to take its share directly from the 
  two-legged walkers themselves. The Lord of Crows does not retreat from 
  battle. However, if it is killed and its death throes swarm dispersed, the 
  other two giant ravens retreat into the night sky, cawing their lament, and 
  do not return. The spirit of the Lord of Crows enters another raven and 
  begins the slow transformation over many years to swell it in size until it 
  takes on the true proportions of the Lord of Crows once again.
  THE LORD OF CROWS (ADVANCED MURDER CROW) 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400
  Male murder crow (Tome of Horrors Complete “Murder 
  Crow”)
  CE Medium undead
  Init +11; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +12
   
  AC 21, touch 18, flat-footed 13 (+7 Dex, +1 dodge, +3 
  natural)
  
  12
  Quests of doom 4
  hp 85 (9d8+36 plus 9)
  Fort +7; Ref +10; Will +10
  Immune undead traits
   
  Speed 10 ft., fly 70 ft (average)
  Melee 2 claws +9 (1d4+3), bite +9 (1d6+3)
  Special Attacks death throes, eye rake
   
  Str 16, Dex 24, Con –, Int 2, Wis 18, Cha 18
  Base Atk +6; CMB +9; CMD 27
  Feats Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Toughness, 
  Wingover
  Skills Perception +12, Stealth +12
   
  Death Throes (Su) If a murder crow is reduced to 0 hit points 
  or less, it explodes into a murder of standard crows. Use 
  the statistics for the undead raven swarm found below. 
  These smaller crows continue to relentlessly attack all living 
  creatures within sight.
  Eye Rake (Ex) If a murder crow hits an opponent with both 
  claws in the same round, the victim must succeed on a DC 
  17 Reflex save or be blinded as the crow scratches and 
  tears at the victim’s eyes. The blindness lasts for 1d4 days 
  while the eyes naturally heal, or until healed (with remove 
  blindness or a successful DC 15 Heal check). The save DC is 
  Charisma-based and includes a +1 racial bonus.
  UNDEAD RAVEN SWARM  
   
  CR 9
  XP 6,400
  undead raven swarm (Tome of Horrors Complete “Swarm, 
  Raven”)
  NE Tiny undead (swarm)
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +24
   
  AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural, +2 size)
  hp 105 (14d8+28 plus 14)
  Fort +8; Ref +8; Will +13
  Defensive Abilities half damage from piercing and slashing; 
  Immune swarm traits, undead traits
  Weaknesses swarm traits
   
  Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)
  Melee swarm (3d6 plus eye-rake plus disease)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
  Special Attacks distraction (DC 18), eye-rake (DC 18)
   
  Str 2, Dex 15, Con –, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 12
  Base Atk +10; CMB –; CMD –
  Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning 
  Reflexes, Skill Focus (Perception), Toughness, Weapon 
  Finesse
  Skills Fly +10, Perception +24
   
  Eye-Rake (Ex) Any living creature damaged by a raven 
  swarm must succeed on a DC 11 Reflex save or be blinded 
  as the swarm scratches and tears at the victim’s eyes. The 
  blindness lasts for 1d4 days or until healed with a remove 
  blindness or a successful DC 11 Heal check. The save DC is 
  Constitution-based.
  Disease (Su) Raven plague: Swarm–injury; save Fort DC 18; 
  onset 1 day; frequency 1/day; effect 1d4 Con damage and 
  1d2 Str damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is 
  Charisma-based.
  GIANT RAVENS (2) 
   
   
  CR 3
  XP 800
  hp 26 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Eagle, Giant”)
  Treasure: Around the neck of one of the giant raven attendants hangs a 
  ring of telekinesis claimed from some past battlefield. 
  A Field of Victory
  With the defeat of the Lord of Crows, Sir Varral and the others are 
  effusive in their gratitude and eager to reach the (debatable) safety of the 
  manse. Sir Varral tells the characters about the purpose of his journey, 
  though he knows little himself. He still holds the missive he received from 
  Lord Loga and gladly shows it to the characters. 
  Esteemed Sir Varral et-Casan, 
  Liberator of Eauxe and Slayer of the Singed Man,
  Greetings!  I pray this letter finds you hale and firmly 
  affixed in the favor of your god. I and my family can claim 
  no such favor. A curse has fallen upon my household; a 
  miasma of terror creeps into our nightly dreams. And dark 
  forces are seen at night marshalling upon the surrounding 
  lands. Many have died. Many more will die unless we can 
  somehow find deliverance from the evil which clings so 
  cloyingly to us.
  I have heard tales of your valor and resourcefulness. 
  More importantly, we have heard of the grace of Thyr 
  which works so powerfully within you. You are a man of 
  conviction and power: SAVE US!  We beseech you to fly to 
  our aid. Do not stay your haste. Make no delays. Our lives 
  slip away every moment salvation is denied us.
  Very sincerely,
  The Sieur Saymere, Erard Loga, 9th of the Line
  Varral knows no more about Lord Loga or his family but is adamant in 
  his desire to help. 
  None of those on the battlefield knows anything unusual about the 
  covered bridge (or the message and score-marks), though they crossed 
  it earlier. If asked what year it is, they respond truthfully that it is the 
  year 3133 in the Imperial Reckoning, but give the asker a strange look. 
  (The characters’ current year is 3517 I.R.) Anyone making a DC 20 
  Knowledge (history or nobility) check may recognize the Loga family as 
  the Foerdewaith lords of the Saymere Valley until some 4 centuries ago 
  when the family line ended and the lands were absorbed into the County 
  of Barresque. Any claims by the characters that they are from the future 
  brings laughs initially and uncomfortable looks if the claim persists. 
  Regardless, none of these NPCs or those at the manse takes such claims 
  by the characters seriously under any circumstances.
  The journey to the Manse Loga takes over an hour from the vicinity 
  of the Upper Saymere River bridge, but it should prove an excellent 
  opportunity for the characters to interact with Sir Varral, Demoiselle 
  Arbasa, Joln, and Dari. The players need to have a sense of the 
  personalities with whom they are dealing, and this need only grows in 
  the coming adventure. Unbeknownst to anyone (at this point), Sir Varral’s 
  compatriots are suspects in his murder, and the characters should develop 
  specific ideas about them.
  Though Varral and the others play a major role in this adventure, they 
  will not play an active role. The characters are still the stars of the drama. 
  Various things are built into the adventure to keep the characters in the 
  forefront of the action.
   
  
  13
  The Covered Bridge
  The characters arrive at the house of Loga and are greeted outside by 
  Turo and one of the sentries, Arta, who quickly usher them inside. The 
  manse itself is not an imposing structure. It stands in a pleasant meadow 
  and is surrounded by a short, 5 ft. wall. It is not designed to repel invaders; 
  peace has lingered long in this region. The burnt remains of a large house 
  (the servants’ quarters) stand next to the manse. The smell of old soot and 
  ash pervades the place. A surprisingly well-kept menagerie lies a quarter 
  mile to the north of the manse.
  Though this chapter takes place within the static confines of the Manse 
  Loga, it is still an event-driven chapter. As a result, less information is 
  given to location/room descriptions to provide more description of the 
  events. The rooms of the house are described in a sidebox below with 
  only general information about each room. Flesh out these descriptions as 
  necessary for your game. The house in general has tasteful décor though 
  of a somewhat dated, classical Hyperborean style. Add furnishings and 
  décor as you see fit or use the tables in Book Three of The Tome of 
  Adventure Design by Frog God Games. If the characters choose to loot 
  the contents with the house, they will be met with hostile resistance by the 
  occupants (whom they are ostensibly there to save), so try to discourage 
  that sort of behavior.
  The Manse Loga
  First Floor
  1. Front Porch: Several large statues stand guard on this sandstone 
  porch — marble maidens garbed in chaste robes. 
  2. Side Porches: A load of firewood is stacked on each of these. 
  3. Grand Hall: This hall is magnificent, its vaulted 10ft ceiling painted 
  in frescoes of ancient heroes and its floor covered in alternating tiles of 
  marble and sea green. A large fireplace blazes in the southern wall, a 
  moose’s head hanging above the oaken mantel. The male servants bed 
  down in here at night since the servants’ quarters burned down. During the 
  day, their bedrolls are stored in the cloakroom by the front door.
  4. Receiving Room: A small table stands in the middle of this room, 
  surrounded by four chairs. A large bay window opens up to the south and 
  east. 
  5. Ballroom: This parlor is well-appointed. Several couches and 
  comfortable chairs line the edges of a floor large enough to waltz upon. 
  A small fireplace stands in the northwestern wall, but the hearth is cold. 
  6. Library: Shelves of leather-bound books line the walls. Two pub 
  tables stand to the north. A small fireplace stands in the east wall. It is lit 
  only when occupants are present in the chamber.
  7. Dining Room: A splendid oak dining table stretches the length of 
  this room. Two golden candelabras shed light on the half-eaten repast on 
  the table. A large fireplace stands on the north wall. Above the mantelpiece 
  is a portrait of a decorated naval officer.   
  8. Kitchen: Tables, sinks, and chopping blocks fill this large kitchen. 
  Stairs in this room lead down to the cellar. The female servants bed down 
  in here at night around the banked embers of the hearth ever since the 
  servants’ quarters burned down. They store their bedding in the closet next 
  to the library during the day.
  9. Pantry: This pantry’s shelves are filled with various foodstuffs: salt, 
  flour, a salted ham, onions, potatoes, etc.
   
  Second Floor
  1. Hallway: This hallway circles the interior of the second floor. A 
  window and door open out onto the east balcony.
  2. Southwest Bedroom: The southwest corner of this room is a turret, 
  most of its floor space filled by a circular bed. A large wardrobe, chest 
  of drawers and writing table make up the rest of the room’s furnishings. 
  There is a secret door in the closet.
  3. Southeast Bedroom: As the room above, but with the turret and bed 
  in the southeast corner of the room. 
  4. East Bedroom: A simple bedroom with a small closet, a bed with a 
  chest at its foot and a sofa. A door in the eastern wall leads to a balcony. 
  5. Northeast Bedroom: As the room above. This is normally Turo’s 
  room, but he moves into Room 16 once the guests arrive.
  6. Balcony
  7. Master Bedroom: This expansive room has a woman’s touch. 
  Tasteful tapestries cover the walls — scenes of ice-covered mountains 
  and picturesque lakes. A curtained four-poster bed stands in one corner. A 
  disheveled cot lies at its foot and a huge wardrobe stands in the corner. A 
  comfortable couch sits along one wall. Double doors open to a long closet. 
  Lord Erard Loga has been sleeping on the cot since his wife’s malady 
  began. Turo begins sleeping on the couch with the guests’ arrival.
  8. Storage: This room is stacked with boxes and chests. A trapdoor in 
  the ceiling leads to the attic. 
  Attic
  The ceiling of the attic is sharply slanted; the characters may have to 
  bend over near the eaves. It is filled with racks of old clothes, various 
  chests and dressers, a cracked mirror, two busted chifforobes, a huge, old 
  spinning wheel, piles of moth-eaten curtains and a great deal of other junk. 
  It also holds an undead horror (see below).
  Cellar
  See Chapter 4. 
  Only 12 people still reside on the premises: 
  • Erard Loga, the Sieur Saymere;
  • Erard’s comatose wife Elaise and teenage son Turo (see Dramatis 
  Personae);
  • 2 sentries, Arta and Bellerby who double as stable hands and gardeners;
  • the chief steward Branwaith Tod; 
  • the cook Kora;
  • 2 housemaids, Nella and the desirable Cherette; 
  • 2 household servants, Arran and Stod; 
  • the gamekeeper Gerrad. 
  The living exist in an anguish of fear, and the rest are dead. The 
  inhabitants have tried to flee many times, but their dreams and the duergar 
  turned them back. Fearing the gray dwarves and their dreams, they will 
  not leave the manse until the evil is defeated. 
  Chapter Two:  
  A Manse Loga
  
  14
  Quests of doom 4
  Event 1: The Dinner
  The characters, Sir Varral, and his companions are greeted at the 
  gate to the Manse Loga by two nervous sentries who demand to know 
  their business and seek to bar their entrance. However, when the guards 
  recognize that Sir Varral has come to help, the heroes are greeted with 
  open arms. The sentries escort them directly to Lord Erard who is sitting 
  down to eat with his family.
  An oppressive dread has fallen over the household, but Sir Varral and 
  the characters are welcomed with tears of gratitude and a desperate hope. 
  Servants rush to place settings for the newcomers as introductions are 
  made, while any surviving men-at-arms are prepared places in the kitchen. 
  Turo makes it a point to serve the wine. At table, the Sieur Saymere blesses 
  the meal in the name of Archeillus, the household god, bids them all to eat, 
  and asks about the heroes’ wounds. As he hears the tale of the battle to get 
  to the manse, his head bows grimly.
   
  “It is no wonder that no other help could get through to aid 
  us, if we are hemmed in by such dangerous foes. Thanks be 
  that you managed to get through at all!”
  He is mystified by the appearance of the duergar and by the characters’ 
  experience on the bridge, but unsurprised. Loga sees himself as a man 
  accursed and sees that curse as infecting anything and everyone around 
  him. When they have imparted their story, Sir Varral asks Loga what has 
  befallen in the manse. Lord Erard tells them:
  “A month ago, one of the servant’s children died. Crib-
  death, or so we thought. The mother told us that the girl had 
  slept fitfully, crying in her sleep … We thought nothing of it. 
  Tragic, of course, but hardly uncommon. The following week, 
  one of the cooks died in her sleep. We were disturbed by this 
  but didn’t know what to think of it. My wife increased her 
  prayers. None of us was sleeping well by that point, though 
  none of us could articulate why that might be.”
  The Sieur Saymere sighs and rubs his forehead as he 
  continues, “A week later, the servants’ quarters burned down. 
  Eight people perished in the blaze. Then, my … my youngest 
  son, Altais … he climbed to the rooftop and threw himself off. 
  We were heartbroken and felt as if the hand of Death itself 
  had fallen upon us. Perhaps … perhaps it has. We knew then 
  that we were accursed. 
  “Our household chaplain resolved that he would put an 
  end to the evil, seeking help from blessed Archeillus. He 
  disappeared the following night. The serfs who worked our 
  land abandoned us. We sent out messengers pleading for 
  succor. They went to liege lord, to family … without reply. 
  Our messengers never returned. We feared that they had 
  fallen prey to the evil that haunts us.
  “More people died. We fasted, we prayed…to no avail. My 
  wife…my wife fell ill. She fell asleep and would not awake. 
  I feel as if a silent battle is waging within her. One last 
  messenger was sent out. Apparently, the fates have finally 
  smiled upon us, for you all have come. Tell us, please: Is there 
  any hope for us?”
  Sir Varral grimly assures Lord Loga that he will do all he can, that hope 
  is not lost. He asks to see Loga’s wife. She is at rest in the master bedroom 
  (Room 16), attended by two fretful maids. No stimulus can wake her 
  slumber and she looks wan and frail. Cnid has trapped her in her dreams 
  and is draining her away bit by bit. 
  Sir Varral goes to see to the lady, and the characters are welcome to 
  come with him. However, nothing can be discerned from observing her 
  comatose body. Though her pulse seems normal, her skin is warm and dry, 
  and her breast rises and falls evenly as she breathes, she neither wakes nor 
  responds to any stimulus. No curative or magic provides any relief or clue. 
  Sir Varral pulls the characters aside at some point.
   
  “I have no clue what ails the lady,” he says. “With a good 
  night’s rest and morning prayers, perhaps something can be 
  unveiled tomorrow. I should also be able to provide healing 
  for you when the sun rises.”
  Several undercurrents of emotion run through the inhabitants of the 
  Manse Loga and can be sensed during the meal. Obviously, everyone is 
  tense and afraid, yet other emotions can be detected by the canny observer. 
  • Branwaith Tod continually and uncomfortably watches Cherette as she 
  serves the meal, positioning himself for the best view whenever she bends 
  over. 
  • Careful observation shows that Joln is enjoying an eyeful of the maid 
  himself.
  • Nella the maid is preoccupied with something above her. She surrepti-
  tiously glances upward often and mutters to herself. The only word that 
  can be made out is “Bett.” 
  • Arbasa hangs on every word out of Sir Varral’s mouth. Also, she slightly 
  resents any attention given to him by the female staff of the Manse Loga. 
  • Turo has something important on his mind. He does his best, but still 
  misses the occasional social cue and forgets the thread of conversation. 
  Occasionally, his eyes stray to Sir Varral.
  After dinner, servants arrive to show everyone to their rooms. Sir Varral 
  and Joln stay in Room 13, and Arbasa is given Room 14. The characters 
  are given Rooms 11 and 12 to stay in. Any men-at-arms that accompanied 
  the characters to the manse can bed down in Room 3 with the male 
  servants. Female servants sleep in Room 8.
  GM Note: This is another excellent time for the characters to interact 
  with the players in the drama, discovering motivations and relationships 
  that will lead to them solving the murder. 
  Event 2: The Big Top 
  As the characters fall asleep, each of them seems to be haunted by the 
  same horrific dream. In reality, this is Cnid reaching out to them through 
  their dreams to infect them with soul-sapping night terrors. As each 
  character falls asleep, describe the following to them separately.
  You are woken by an odd sound piping through the 
  darkness — the jarring, jangling tune of a calliope playing. 
  The smell of carnival taffy fills your nostrils. 
  When the characters fall asleep, the nightmare cloaker enters their 
  dreams and engages them in a dream-time assault. The transition from 
  slumber to nightmare is seamless; the characters shouldn’t know that they 
  are dreaming, though there are certain clues that might tip them off. In the 
  nightmare, all of their wounds are healed and all spells and class abilities 
  are restored to them (as if they spent a full night resting).
  After every sleeping character has gotten out of bed (in the dream), 
  they each find themselves falling into a circus tent and all of them landing 
  together on a canvas trampoline (suffering no damage). Above them, they 
  see two trapezes, a tightrope, and the colorful roof of the tent. The stands 
  surrounding them are filled with a crowd of spectators who commence 
  oohing and aahing. Give the characters a round or two to orient themselves 
  before the decapi descend. 
  A ripping sound catches your attention. Looking up, you 
  see a hole torn in the top of the tent. A huge clown face fills 
  the hole, its wide mouth splitting in a drooling, lunatic grin. 
  
  15
  The Covered Bridge
  The face belongs to a decapus. One round later, another of the vile 
  creatures enters through the tear, each one’s face painted like a clown. 
  They enter through the ceiling of the tent, climb down the 
  tent poles, swing on the trapezes and attack the characters. 
  The tightrope is 15 ft. high and trapezes are 20 ft. off the 
  ground. The roof of the tent is 50 ft. above.
  DECAPI (2) 
   
   
  CR 3
  XP 800
  decapus (Tome of Horrors Complete 
  “Decapus”)
  CE Medium aberration
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
   
  AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, 
  +4 natural)
  hp 26 (4d8+8)
  Fort +3; Ref +2; Will +4
   
  Speed 10 ft., climb 30 ft.
  Melee 9 tentacles +6 (1d4+2 plus grab)
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with 
  tentacles)
  Special Attacks constrict (1d4+2)
  Spell-like Abilities (CL 5th):
  At will—minor image (DC 13)
   
  Str 14, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 12
  Base Atk +3; CMB +5 (+9 to grapple); CMD 16 (32 vs trip)
  Feats Alertness, Weapon Focus (tentacle)
  Skills Climb +15, Perception +9, Sense Motive +4, Stealth +8, 
  Survival +7
  Languages Decapus
  SQ brachiation, sound imitation
   
  Brachiation (Ex) A decapus can move through trees at its 
  base climb speed (30 feet per round) by using its tentacles 
  to swing from tree to tree. Trees used by the decapus in this 
  manner can be no further than 10 feet apart.
  Sound Imitation (Ex) A decapus can mimic any creature 
  it has previously encountered with near total accuracy, 
  though it cannot mimic humanoid speech longer than two 
  or three words at a time. A DC 13 Will save detects the ruse. 
  The save DC is Charisma-based.
  The crowd reacts positively to the ensuing battle, laughing and 
  screaming, applauding wildly to the ups and downs of the melee. They 
  are obviously rooting for the clown-faced decapi. On occasion, one of 
  the decapi might swing over and munch on one or two of the spectators, 
  much to the joy of the crowd. Nothing exists outside the tent itself. Gray 
  nothingness stretches from horizon to horizon.
  Development: The characters each awaken from the nightmare when 
  all of the decapi are dead or all of the characters are dead. If a character 
  dies during the encounter, he receives no benefit from his rest — no hit 
  points recovered, no spells regained, etc. In addition, he suffers a –2 
  morale penalty on all rolls when facing the nightmare cloaker in the final 
  encounter. Any character that survives the encounter receives the benefits 
  of a full night’s sleep and acts as if he is under the effects of a bless spell 
  when facing Cnid and the Nightmare Node. 
  Event 3: Murder Most Foul
  The characters awake from their violent dream to the sound of 
  hysterical screaming. Tracking the source of the sound leads to a gory 
  sight: a man’s body lies on the floor at the end of the hallway, covered 
  in blood and head hanging on by only a few strands of flesh. It is the 
  remains of the servant Stod. One of the maids (Nella) kneels next to the 
  corpse and howls her fear into the night. Striving to stave off slumber, 
  Nella was wondering the halls until she rounded the corner to see a 
  naked form sawing a knife through a servant’s neck before leaping out 
  the nearby window.
  As the characters 
  approach, they hear 
  her muttering, “Turo, 
  it was Turo.”
  The 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  household comes running soon 
  after the characters arrive at the scene. 
  They are all horrified by what they 
  see. The Sieur is ashen-faced and visibly 
  shaken. If the characters have not already done 
  so, Sir Varral interrogates Nella and she tells 
  him what she saw. One of the sentries runs up 
  to say, “I just saw Master Turo running naked 
  across the lawn!” When asked where he was 
  headed, the sentry tells them that it looked like 
  Turo was heading toward the menagerie.
  Sir Varral confers with the characters. He is grim faced with what he has 
  seen and heard in the house of the Logas, and volunteers his companions 
  and himself to guard the family if the characters bring Turo back from 
  the zoo.
  “Alive,” Lord Erard interjects. “Please, bring him back alive!”  
  Sir Varral feels (correctly) that the new arrivals in the manse have 
  caused the unnamed evil to intensify its attacks. He wants to make sure 
  the Logas and their servants are safe and feels responsible to ensure that 
  it is so. Sir Varral is right to fear further reprisal. Assuming the characters 
  agree to his plan to retrieve the murderous Turo, soon after they depart a 
  gibbering mouther — a foul accumulation formed by the horrific dreams 
  of the household and the Nightmare Node — appears and tries to kill 
  Arbasa (see Event 5).
  
  16
  Quests of doom 4
  Four decades ago Piron Loga, the great-grandfather of Lord Erard Loga, 
  constructed this small menagerie to house the exotic animals he collected 
  on his foreign travels. Over the years, it has become the symbol of the 
  prosperity and affluence of the Logas, and the family has been careful to 
  maintain the zoo. The family jokingly refers to it as “the petting zoo” as 
  only a fool would attempt to pet many of the beasts.
  When Turo’s hellish night-terrors drove him to insanity and murder, he 
  fled from the manse to the menagerie. Turo burst into the gamekeeper’s 
  hut and kidnapped the poor man, hurling him into the hippopotamus pool. 
  He then released the peryton and other animals from long imprisonment 
  and hid himself in the back of an abandoned cage where he promptly had 
  a mental breakdown, entering a catatonic state. 
  As the characters move through the menagerie, they encounter several 
  enraged and hungry beasts. They have the opportunity to save the 
  gamekeeper, fight the peryton and capture the mad Turo. The menagerie 
  lies a quarter mile north of the manse. It includes a combination of 
  encounter areas and events.
  Event 4: The Peryton 
  Turo released several dangerous creatures when he came to the 
  menagerie, but none more deadly than the peryton. Captured three 
  years ago, this malicious creature sought to escape several times, but 
  never met with success. Though mistaken for a dumb, albeit dangerous 
  animal, its rage grew more with each passing day. When it was released, 
  it immediately went to slay the one creature it feared and hated in the zoo: 
  the lion. It now lingers in the zoo, seeking to slay whomever it encounters, 
  venting its wrath in a storm of goring antler and ripping fang.
  PERYTON 
   
   
  CR 4
  XP 1,200
  hp 42 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2 “Peryton”)
  Tactics: The peryton may attack the characters at any time the GM finds 
  opportune, though to build tension, it would be best to spread the battle 
  over several encounters if possible. The creature uses hit-and-run attacks 
  and looks for weaknesses before committing himself to a full attack. 
  The Menagerie
  1. Entrance
  A large, green archway rises above the entrance to the 
  menagerie, its faded surface covered with fanciful images of 
  birds and beasts. Beyond the arch, a dark, ill-tended pathway 
  winds past several cages. A raucous bellow reverberates 
  through the darkness. 
  2. Fountain 
  A circular fountain stands in the middle of an open square, 
  the carvings on its side weathered and covered with creeping 
  ivy. Several stone benches surround the fountain, and the 
  water within it is pure and clean. 
  A lioness lurks on the other side of the fountain with total cover. The 
  peryton killed the lion that was caged with her, dropping it elsewhere in 
  the zoo, then came back for her. Enraged and frightened by the attack of 
  the peryton and the loss of her mate, she stalks the party and attacks at an 
  opportune time, preferring prey that is separated from the rest or bringing 
  up the rear.
  LIONESS  
   
  CR 3
  XP 800
  hp 32 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Lion”)
    
  3. Aviary
  A fine, metal mesh covers the bars of this cage. Inside, 
  scores of brightly plumed birds are going mad, flying in 
  frenzied circles, ramming headfirst into the mesh, and 
  squawking in abject panic. 
  Chapter Three:  
  The Menagerie
  
  17
  The Covered Bridge
  This flock of exotic birds from lands as far as distant Chi’en and Irkaina 
  is maddened by the presence of the vicious peryton. If they are released, 
  they fly helter-skelter into the night. 
  4. The Corpse
  Two statues stand over a small shrine — a goat-legged, 
  horned man playing the pipes and a beautiful faun dancing 
  nearby. A dark form lies at the foot of the shrine. It lies 
  unmoving and silent. 
  This is a small shrine to the ancient Hyperborean faith of Pan. The form lying 
  on the ground is the body of a lion, recently slain by a peryton. The body has 
  been bitten, gored and dropped from a great height, and it bears the marks of all 
  of these wounds. Any character succeeding at a DC 25 Knowledge (nature) or 
  Survival check is able to discern from the wounds that a peryton killed it. 
  5. Open Cage
  The door of this unusually large cage stands unlocked and 
  wide open. Inside, a large tree trunk lies propped against 
  the eastern side of the pen. A trapeze hangs from the ceiling, 
  swaying in a slight breeze. Straw and dung cover the hard-
  packed dirt floor. The stench of the place is overbearing. 
  This cage held the peryton. The inside of its thick bars are nicked and 
  scored from the beast’s ferocious attempts to escape. Now, the cage holds 
  only the skeletal remains of its former meals (mainly opossums) and 
  blood-smeared droppings. 
  6. Oryx Paddock 
  This large enclosure seems to be a pasture dotted with 
  small trees and shrubbery. Shadowy shapes flit across the 
  grass in the moonlight. 
  The enclosure houses a small herd of 17 oryxes, a type of long-horned 
  antelope native to far Libynos. The recent events in the menagerie 
  disturbed them, leaving them very flighty. 
  ORYXES (17) 
   
   
  CR 1/2
  XP 200
  hp 6 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3 “Herd Animal, 
  Antelope”)
  7. Hippo Enclosure 
  This fenced-in area holds a pool of deep water, and what 
  looks to be a small island on the far side. Harsh sobbing 
  echoes from the darkness across the water.     
  Two hippopotami lurk under the surface of the water in this 20 ft.-
  deep pool. They were resting peacefully there until Turo Loga hurled old 
  Gerrad, the menagerie’s gamekeeper, into the water of their pen. The old 
  man immediately swam to the dry land on the other side of the pen, where 
  he now huddles, crying in terror of his situation. If he hears the characters 
  approach, he immediately and stridently cries for help. The hippos have 
  done nothing to harm Gerrad. They have been disturbed enough tonight, 
  however, and attack anyone else who enters their domain. 
  HIPPOPOTAMI (2) 
   
   
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  hp 59 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2 
  “Hippopotamus”)
  If the party rescues Gerrad, he gifts them with his gamekeeper’s axe: a 
  +1 handaxe.
  8. Amphisbaena Cage 
  This cage holds a jungle of oak trees and thick undergrowth. 
  The cage’s open door squeaks noisily in the night breeze.
  This is the lair of an amphisbaena. Turo unlocked and opened the cage, 
  but the fearsome creature has yet to exit its lair. It immediately attacks 
  anyone who enters the cage. If the characters do not enter the reptile’s lair, 
  it may come out and hunt them later at the GM’s discretion.
  AMPHISBAENA  
   
  CR 4
  XP 1,200
  amphisbaena (Tome of Horrors Complete “Amphisbaena”)
  N Large magical beast
  Init +2; Senses all-around vision, darkvision 60 ft., low-light 
  vision; Perception +9
   
  AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +6 natural, –1 size)
  hp 42 (5d10+10 plus 5)
  Fort +6; Ref +6; Will +2
  Defensive Abilities split; Immune petrification; Resist cold 10
   
  Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
  Melee 2 bites +8 (1d8+3 plus poison)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
   
  Str 17, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2
  Base Atk +5; CMB +9; CMD 21 (can’t be tripped)
  Feats Lunge, Toughness, Weapon Focus (bite)
  Skills Acrobatics +2 (–2 jump. +6 when balancing), Climb 
  +11, Perception +9, Stealth +9, Swim +11; Racial Modifiers +4 
  Acrobatics when balancing, +4 Perception, +4 Stealth
   
  Poison (Ex) Bite–injury; save Fort DC 14; frequency 1/round 
  for 4 rounds; effect 1d3 Con; cure 1 save. The save DC is 
  Constitution-based.
  Split (Ex) An amphisbaena functions normally even if 
  cut in half. If dealt a critical hit with a slashing weapon, 
  the creature is cut in half, but continues to function 
  as two separate creatures. Each with half the original 
  amphisbaena’s current hit points (rounded down). Once 
  split, an amphisbaena cannot be split again. If left alone 
  for 1 minute, the split amphisbaena can rejoin its two halves 
  and become a single whole creature again (add the two 
  creatures’ hit points together). If one of the split creatures is 
  
  18
  Quests of doom 4
  slain, the amphisbaena can regrow the lost portion over the 
  course of a few weeks.
  9. Wolf Pen 
  The ground falls away behind the fence railing. Several 
  canine forms prowl around the perimeter of the enclosure, 
  yellow eyes shining in the black. 
  Like the other animals in the zoo, these 3 wolves are highly agitated. 
  Being well fed, they try to avoid the characters unless they sense weakness 
  or get one by themselves. If cornered, they fight.
  WOLVES (3) 
   
   
  CR 1
  XP 400
  hp 13 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Wolf”)
  10. Broken Cage
  The ground within this pen forms a pit 10ft deep. The iron 
  bars on top of the cage have been torn apart. Blood covers the 
  dirt floor within. 
  This was the lions’ den. The peryton tore its way into the cage to get at 
  the lions within. The lioness escaped and now roams the zoo. 
  11. Empty Bat Roost
  This cage is covered in fine mesh, but the door stands open 
  and the cage empty. 
  A bat swarm once made its home within this cage, but Turo released 
  them and they now flit throughout the menagerie out of sight of the 
  characters. 
  12. Blood Hawk Aerie 
  This cage is extremely tall. A winged shape swoops through 
  the air and alights on a tree branch within. 
  This cage contains a blood hawk. It seeks to flee the area if freed, but 
  attacks if it feels threatened.
  BLOOD HAWK 
   
   
  CR 1
  XP 400
  blood hawk (Tome of Horrors Complete “Blood Hawk”)
  N Small magical beast
  Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; 
  Perception +6
   
  AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size)
  hp 6 (1d10+1)
  Fort +3; Ref +4; Will +2
   
  Speed 10 ft., fly 80 ft. (average)
  Melee bite +4 (1d4), 2 talons +4 (1d3)
   
  Str 11, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6
  Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 13
  Feats Weapon Finesse
  Skills Fly +4, Perception +6 (+14 in daylight); Racial Modifiers 
  +8 Perception in daylight
  13. Monkey Cage 
  This pen is full of screaming, manic monkeys. They seem 
  torn between trying to escape the cage and trying to avoid 
  something within the cage itself. 
  The monkeys are manic because Turo let himself into the cage, locking 
  himself inside, and killed two of them. If the door is opened, the monkeys 
  swarm anyone in their path, but attack only for 1 round before scattering 
  throughout the menagerie and into the surrounding forest.
  MONKEY SWARM 
   
   
  CR 2
  XP 600
  hp 22 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2 “Primate, 
  Monkey Swarm”)
  Development: Turo Loga is slumped in the back of the cage, naked 
  but for a pair of tall riding boots. He rocks back and forth, muttering to 
  himself and bursting into tears or giggles. He still carries the dagger with 
  which he slew the servant. Turo is in the grip of madness and will not give 
  himself up. He attacks the characters on sight. It will be no easy thing to 
  bring him in alive. 
  TURO LOGA (NOBLE SCION) 
   
   
  CR 2
  XP 600
  hp 20 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Game Mastery Guide 
  “Noble Scion”)
  Tactics: Turo’s night-terrors triggered the primal rage within him, and 
  he behaves as if he were under the effect of a potion of heroism. During 
  combat, Turo alternates between muttering and shrieking, “He’ll be dead, 
  damn you!  Dead! And all flame dies with him!” He is referring to Sir 
  Varral, but in his madness he is unable to expound more than that. 
  Event 5: Return to the Manse
  The characters return to a house in chaos. While they were gone, a 
  creature composed of bulging eyes and wailing mouths (a gibbering 
  mouther) invaded the manse. Sir Varral and the others defeated it, but its 
  death left a wide, sooty stain on the hallway floor that smells of charred 
  flesh and cannot be removed. If any of the men-at-arms survived from 
  Chapter 1, they were all killed in the battle against the creature and now 
  lie in shallow graves behind the house.
  If the characters return with Turo’s body: The household is wracked 
  with even more grief. They held no hostility toward the boy, knowing 
  that his action was only a result of the terror they all faced. The Sieur 
  Saymere is more than grieved; he is angry at the characters for killing his 
  son and compounding his sorrow. He verbally pours his wrath upon the 
  characters and treats them with ill-concealed contempt hereafter, though 
  he still treats them honorably for any service they render.
  If the characters capture Turo alive: They have decisions to make: 
  What should they do with the boy? Where will they keep him? How will 
  they treat his madness? If they treat the boy well, they earn the undying 
  love of Lord Erard and the rest. 
  
  19
  The Covered Bridge
  One unexpected benison occurs when the characters return with Turo: 
  His mother Elaise awakens from her enforced slumber. After Turo is 
  dealt with, one of the servants rushes to tell the Sieur that his wife has 
  regained consciousness. He immediately rushes to her side. She is weak 
  and groggy, and can only vaguely recall that her dreams were dark and 
  horrifying. She has no clue that she has slept for so long. Lord Erard is 
  ecstatic. He orders the servants to bring her broth and milk, and spends 
  what is left of the night hovering over her anxiously. 
  Sir Varral examines Elaise but can find nothing telling about her 
  experience. He claims that he got no rest earlier and must get some sleep 
  to recover his spells. He goes to his room taking the raccoon with him. 
  Joln and Arbasa follow suit, though they both look extremely worried. 
  When he falls asleep, Sir Varral comes under the sway of Cnid and 
  the Node and cannot be awakened by any means. Cnid has chosen his 
  prey and will not release him until one or the other is dead. When this is 
  discovered, Arbasa is distraught, but seems fatalistically resigned. Joln 
  will not leave his master’s side. The stupid raccoon sits on the headboard 
  of Sir Varral’s bed and cleans his paws. To save Sir Varral and break the 
  curse, the characters must destroy Cnid and the Nightmare Node. 
  Though they have no initial ideas as to the true cause of these events, 
  they may nonetheless suspect that something hidden within the house may 
  be the source. If they do not come to this conclusion on their own, have 
  servants and other household members mention hearing strange bumps in 
  the walls or footfalls in empty rooms to spark the idea that all is not well 
  within the confines of the house itself. The result of this prodding is that 
  the characters should begin a systematic search of the manse itself to try 
  to save Sir Varral and the Loga household.
  Encounters  
  within the Manse
  The deadly dreams of the nightmare cloaker have had dread effect on 
  the residents of the manse, bringing madness and death to some, giving 
  life to the dark dreams of others, and twisting the very nature of still more. 
  While the characters search for the entrance to Cnid’s hidden chamber, 
  they may encounter some of these. They are tied to specific locations 
  within the house and are encountered only when those areas are entered.
  Encounter 1: Dream Lolita 
  This encounter occurs in Room 9. Whenever the characters are near the 
  pantry, they hear the following:
  A loud thump and a muffled scream come from behind the 
  closed door of the pantry. 
  The licentious dreams of Branwaith Tod have finally boiled over into 
  waking life. For months the hapless steward lusted after the innocent young 
  housemaid Cherette, but he kept his desire under tight rein. The tawdry 
  visions sent him by the Node have recently frayed Branwaith’s rigid control. 
  In his nightly dreams, the beautiful Cherette taunts and teases him, flaunting 
  her nubile body, but keeping him at a distance. Even in his dreams, he could 
  look but not touch. All the tension in the home has finally driven Branwaith 
  over the brink. As the poor maid passed him in the kitchen, naively desirable 
  yet untouchable, the exasperated steward shoved her into the pantry and 
  locked the door behind him. The time had come to make her his own. The 
  characters come to the doorway just as he is struggling to force himself upon 
  the frightened girl. The characters must get through the locked door to rescue 
  the girl (DC 20 lock on a good wooden door, hardness 5, 15 hp, break DC 18).
  If confronted in the act, Branwaith’s body warps and changes into that 
  of an incubus, the bitter fruit of sinful dreams come to life. 
  BRANWAITH TOD  
   
  CR 6
  XP 2,400
  hp 76 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3 “Demon, 
  Incubus”)
  Encounter 2: A Head for Numbers 
  This encounter occurs in the upstairs hallway (Room 10). When the 
  characters near it, proceed with the following:
  An unearthly shriek shreds the quiet of the household. 
  Bursting through the window above the bloodstain marking 
  where the servant Stod was murdered, three horrific beings 
  — twisted, blackened heads flapping on sluggish batwing ears 
  — swoop into the hall and look for prey to sate their hunger. 
  As Cnid poisons the dreams of the manse’s inhabitants, the Nightmare 
  Node uses this sour miasma to give birth to living nightmares. These 3 
  vargouilles are the Node’s most recent creations. They entered the house 
  through the portal in the basement last night, but were unable to open the 
  basement door. A hapless servant (Arran) released them earlier in the day 
  and paid for the mistake with his life. His body now lies on the top steps 
  of the basement. The vargouilles managed to escape the house but have 
  now broken back into the upper floor, sensing prey.
  VARGOUILLES (3) 
   
   
  CR 2
  XP 600
  hp 19 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Vargouille”)
  Encounter 3: Wanted: A Playmate 
  This encounter occurs when the characters explore the Attic.
  The attic is drafty and cold, full of dusty chests and old, 
  unused furniture. Moth-eaten sheets cover several bulky 
  objects. A child’s giggle burbles from out of the gloom.
  Within the first week of Cnid’s arrival beneath the Manse Loga, the 
  creature sent its night-terrors into the slumbering thoughts of Bett, the 
  3-year-old daughter of Nella, the manse’s head cook. The child died within 
  days. Brokenhearted, Nella has dreamt of her lost daughter every night 
  Chapter Four:  
  The Awakening
  
  20
  Quests of doom 4
  since. The Nightmare Node has fed and used her grief-stricken dreams, 
  eventually using her anguish to create an allip. This creature — pathetic 
  and deadly — now lurks in the attic, longing for a playmate to call its own. 
  ALLIP 
   
   
  CR 3
  XP 800
  hp 30 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3 “Allip”)
  The Cellar
  When Cnid and his duergar breached the surface, they found themselves 
  in the basement of the Manse Loga. Recognizing the wine cellar as part of 
  a civilized habitation, Cnid reined in the murderous urges of his minions, 
  and withdrew into the natural caverns beneath the basement. There, he 
  began to weave his accursed will upon the sentient beings above him.
  1. Main Cellar 
  Rickety wooden stairs descend into sullen darkness. The 
  air is redolent with soured moisture. A cautious whisper 
  and a hesitant shuffle sound from below, then all is silent. A 
  dead body lies halfway down the stairwell. By its clothing, it 
  appears to be one of the household servants, but the bloody 
  and brutalized condition masks its identity. 
  Arran, one of the manse’s servants, opened the door to the basement 
  earlier today only to encounter and release the vargouilles (see Encounter 
  2 above). The foul creatures fell upon the poor soul, ravaging him with 
  their fangs, biting him, and injecting their poison. His body is bloated 
  and purpled with their venom, requiring a careful check by someone who 
  knew him previously to correctly identify him. A cleric or magic-user can 
  determine that vargouilles killed him. 
  Racks of wine fill the wine cellar (to the south), but the walls of the 
  main basement are lined with crates and barrels. Most of them are empty, 
  but sundry goods fill others. In the cellar beyond the door, the Nightmare 
  Node created a magical gate to cover the hole in the cellar’s wall, and 6 
  duergar were set to guard the entrance when it opens. These duergar turn 
  invisible as soon as anyone comes down into the cellar and do not reveal 
  themselves unless they or the portal are discovered. 
  DRUEGAR (6) 
   
   
  CR 1/3
  XP 135
  hp 8 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Druegar”)
   
  Other Equipment no crossbow or bolts, only 1d6 sp
  The Portal
  The entrance to the caverns below is hidden behind various barrels and 
  crates. It is opened only if Cnid has presently trapped his chosen prey (as it 
  is with Sir Varral) in an inescapable caul of dreams. Otherwise, it appears 
  merely as the image of an elaborate doorway etched into the stone itself.  
  In that case, for all intents and purposes, the doorway doesn’t even exist.
  2. The Stuff Dreams are Made of 
  The rough floor of this cavern is sprinkled with gravel 
  and nodules of stone. A soft mist curls around your feet. A 
  shimmering ball of light appears, and flickers and bounces 
  along the dirt ceiling. As you watch, the sphere turns a moody 
  claret color and stretches until it splits only to reform into a 
  single globe moments later. 
  As the Nightmare Node opens seams into the Dimension of Dreams, 
  bits of dream-stuff have squeezed into the Material Plane in the form of 
  a will-o’-wisp. This being is pure chaos and eager to interact with the 
  characters. Unfortunately, its mere touch is damaging to Material Plane 
  creatures, and its actions may be perceived as hostile. It reacts to any 
  violence with violence of its own.
  WILL–O’–WISP 
   
   
  CR 6
  XP 2,400
  hp 40 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Will-O’-Wisp”)
  3. Darkling Dregs 
  Rough earthen excavation gives way to well-crafted 
  granite tiles lining the floor, walls, and ceiling. This room 
  looks well lived-in — a short table stands against the wall, 
  its stone surface littered with odd stones and the remnants 
  of an expansive meal. Several stools surround it. A fire-pit 
  stands in the center of the room, its ashes dark and cold. Two 
  low doorways exit the room, one to the left and the right. A 
  large archway stands on the north wall, strange luminosities 
  glimmering from its depths.
  This room has been used as a dwelling place for Cnid’s duergar. 
  Unfortunately, the constant exposure to the Nightmare Node has 
  transformed them into 6 duergar shadows. One round after the characters 
  enter the common room, 2 duergar shades enter from the east doorway 
  and attack. One round after that, 4 more duergar shades enter from the 
  west doorway and join the fray. They immediately attack anyone bearing a 
  light source, trying to douse any illumination and slaughter the characters. 
  Without any character light sources, the room has dim illumination due to 
  the glimmer entering from Room 4.
  SHADOWS (6) 
   
   
  CR 3
  XP 800
  hp 19 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Shadow”)
  3a. East Side Room 
  This room contains 5 stubby beds, each with a stone chest at its foot. 
  The room is otherwise unadorned. Each chest contains 20 silver ingots 
  worth 20gp each.
   
  3b. West Side Room
  This room contains 5 stubby beds, each with a stone chest at its foot. 
  The room is otherwise unadorned. Four of the chests are empty, but one is 
  full of 100 neatly stacked, cut and polished agates worth 10gp each. 
  4. The Nightmare Node 
  Viscous moisture drips like syrup from the stalactites that 
  cling to the ceiling of this natural grotto. On the north side 
  of the room, sickening lavender light pulses erratically from 
  a large, crystalline node that juts up from the cavern floor. 
  A seemingly humanoid figure sits atop the crystal, its legs 
  akimbo and head bowed. 
  This is the festering heart of the horror that has descended upon the 
  Manse Loga. From this place, Cnid the nightmare cloaker uses the 
  Nightmare Node to inflict its madness upon the hapless denizens above. 
  The cloaker is presently hiding among the stalactites on the ceiling 50 ft. 
  above. It knows that the characters have arrived and lurks above to see 
  what it can make of them. The broken floor of the cavern is considered 
  difficult terrain. 
  
  21
  The Covered Bridge
  The figure atop the node is the corpse of the household priest, Arvis 
  Yanto. Two weeks earlier, he discovered the entrance to this area and fell 
  in battle with some of the duergar. Cnid had its servants place the body on 
  the crystal for its own amusement, but the corpse may serve as a decoy for 
  the characters. Any attack on the body knocks it behind the node. 
  As soon as the characters enter the cavern, the Nightmare Node emits 
  a burst of purple light that washes over them and affects each character 
  in the room. Consult the table below to determine the effects of the light. 
  A successful save neutralizes the Node’s effects for that character. Every 
  round thereafter, there is a 1-in-4 chance that the Node bursts again, 
  emitting another spell-effect determined by the chart below. 
  1d6
  Node Effect
  1
  As charm person (DC 14) (character considers the 
  Node and its allies as friends)
  2
  As confusion (DC 17)
  3
  As sleep (DC 14)
  4
  As levitate
  5
  As obscuring mist centered on the Node 
  6
  As darkness centered on the Node
  Tactics: The cloaker remains hidden above as long as possible, using 
  its moan and shadow shift abilities to weaken and disrupt the characters 
  below. It descends only when forced into combat, attempting to engulf the 
  character it perceives as the greatest threat.
  CNID, THE NIGHTMARE CLOAKER 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  hp 51 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Cloaker”)
  When Cnid is in physical contact with the Nightmare Node, he gains 
  additional abilities. Through the Node he has the ability to invade and 
  influence the dreams of 4d4 people each night within a 1-mile radius. 
  The nightmare cloaker has used this ability to observe and analyze the 
  psyche of each individual at the manse, learning their hopes, fears, and 
  motivations while tracking the fault lines of each personality. It then puts 
  their dream-selves through harrowing trials and horrific situations to sate 
  the monster’s vile curiosity and to test the depths of human weakness. 
  These dreams normally leave the victims shaken and questioning their 
  sanity, character, and identity. Prolonged exposure to these dream-
  invasions can lead to madness and suicide or, sometimes, supernatural 
  transformation. The Nightmare Node itself uses all of the negative 
  emotions and psychic pain created by Cnid to craft those nightmares into 
  reality, creating monsters and illusions of its own. 
  Development: The nightmare isn’t over until Cnid is slain and the 
  Nightmare Node itself is destroyed. The Node is AC 20 and has 25 hit 
  points. If the Node is destroyed, it shatters into lavender dust. A single 
  splinter survives the impact and hovers above the floor as a dusty rose 
  prism ioun stone.   
  Treasure: Arvis Yanto’s corpse still wears a suit of chainmail and carries 
  a light mace at its belt. Tied around his neck is an amulet against scrying. 
  Event 6: Return from the Cellars
  When the characters emerge from the basement, Sir Varral and the 
  others greet them. As the characters defeated Cnid and destroyed the 
  Nightmare Node, Sir Varral emerged from his nightmare coma. He looks 
  wan and exhausted, having battled his own fears all night, yet is elated that 
  the characters conquered the evil below. 
  The Sieur Saymere is extraordinarily grateful to the characters for 
  all of their help. As reward, he brings them up to the dining room and 
  feasts them royally. He leaves them there to fetch their reward. Sir Varral, 
  Arbasa, and Joln (and Dari) want desperately to know what transpired 
  beneath the manse. Lord Erard returns and offers each of them a golden 
  torque bearing the insignia of the Loga family. This torque is worth 500gp, 
  but when the characters return to their own time, the historic and antique 
  value of the items triple. In addition, Lord Erard also offers some of his 
  household’s treasures: a heavy silver ring set with a square-cut carnelian 
  that is a minor ring of spell storing ( currently empty), and a spear crafted 
  of one seamless piece of engraved steel (a +1 spear).
  Privately, he gives Joln a sack of 100pp; a beautiful, gold-threaded scarf 
  (that functions as a ring of protection +2) to Arbasa; and for Sir Varral, the 
  promise of a pilgrimage and offering in honor of Thyr.
  The Loga family and household are weary and heart sore, but they have 
  weathered the worst. In their future, the family would rise to prominence 
  in the Kingdom of Foere if this past were the one that had transpired, but 
  in reality the line diminished and fell on hard times, being absorbed in the 
  County of Barresque by the time of the characters. 
  
  22
  Quests of doom 4
  After the Sieur Saymere presents his gifts — victory seemingly in 
  hand — the murderers strike. While the characters are in another room or 
  another part of the manse, Xola’am telepathically goads his puppets into 
  action. While Sir Varral is in the dining room relaxing after a satisfying 
  meal and sipping wine with Joln, the imp overwhelms Arbasa with the 
  thought that Sir Varral’s soul is on the brink of damnation, that one more 
  encounter like this will condemn him for eternity, and that the only way 
  to save him is to kill him. The poor woman dons gloves and then applies 
  her poisonous extract to them. She enters the dining room, places her 
  poisoned hands on either side of Sir Varral’s face and kisses him deeply. 
  The poison takes effect 1 minute later.
  Meanwhile, the imp’s telepathic sendings coerced Joln into dousing Sir 
  Varral’s cloth napkin in his own poison. When Sir Varral dabs his mouth, 
  he inadvertently inhales the deadly fumes. Wanting to be sure of his kill, 
  Xola’am (as Dari the raccoon) has been riding on the doomed man’s 
  shoulder. When the imp sees Sir Varral’s reaction to the poisoned napkin, 
  he drives his claws (poisoned with the venom of his own stinger) into the 
  back of Sir Varral’s neck, injecting him with again with poison. 
  The characters see none of this, but they do hear the hideous shriek of 
  the dying man. When they get into the dining room, they find him alone 
  and flailing on the floor. The others have all departed the room unseen. 
  Sir Varral is dead within seconds. He has four different poisons coursing 
  through his body. The characters are unable to save him.
  The characters have exactly 1 minute to examine the body. By doing so, 
  they can uncover the following information. Each attempted check listed 
  requires 1 round.
  • A cursory check reveals the purpled welts left by Arbasa’s extract on the 
  paladin’s cheeks in the shape of five slender fingers on each side. A clos-
  er inspection notes the telltale mark of lipstick on his lips where Arbasa 
  kissed him. Any character succeeding at a DC 20 Heal check is able to 
  identify the type of poison that caused it.
  • A DC 15 Perception or Heal check uncovers the deep and angry wounds 
  left by Dari’s claws. A DC 20 Heal check reveals that these wounds are 
  coated in deathblade poison. 
  • A DC 10 Perception check also reveals the bitter-smelling, stained linen 
  napkin clutched in the knight’s hand. A closer inspection (DC 15) reveals 
  mottled, black smudges in and under Sir Varral’s nose, the residue of the 
  poisonous fumes. Any character making a DC 20 Heal check identifies the 
  type of poison on the body as the same as on the napkin. A DC 15 Percep-
  tion check, however, detects a subtle aroma of some other stench clinging 
  to the napkin. If this odor is detected, a DC 20 Perception or DC 15 Heal 
  check identifies it as the lingering smell of cheroot smoke.
  • Finally, a successful DC 25 Heal check reveals that Sir Varral has amaz-
  ingly bloodshot eyes and swollen glands. Any character making a separate 
  DC 20 Heal check recognizes the symptoms of poisoning that would have 
  had to have been ingested a full day earlier to take effect now.
  When the 1 minute time limit is up, the world once again goes black 
  around the characters, and they find themselves on the covered bridge 
  where they started.
  Incident at  
  Saymere River Bridge
  Once again, you find yourself on the covered bridge where 
  you began, though it is not as you have seen it before. The 
  ends of the accursed span stretch as far as you can see in 
  either direction, lost in infinite space. It no longer rests 
  in a wooded valley across a tranquil stream. Rather, the 
  bridge hangs suspended in a night-blue sky, the star-strewn 
  cosmos whirling slowly around it. A dark figure approaches, 
  the rod he uses as a cane thumping rhythmically on the 
  wooden surface. 
  The characters return to the bridge fully rested and with their full 
  complement of spells, hit points, etc. Any resources that they used during 
  the adventure are gone, however. The approaching figure is the spectre 
  of Sir Varral et-Casan, now cursed to undeath by the nature of his foul 
  betrayal and murder. He looks the same as he did when the characters 
  originally encountered him, though if they look carefully they can see the 
  stars shining dimly through his body. Sir Varral’s eyes are no longer full 
  of hope; they seethe with righteous indignation.
  When he reaches the characters, Sir Varral asks them a single, tense 
  question, “In whose hand did the poison lie?” and looks back along 
  bridge. Four other figures approach: the Lady Arbasa, drooping with grief 
  and anguish; Joln, hanging his head and refusing to look anyone in the 
  eye; and Turo Loga, looking pale and confused. Dari the raccoon rides 
  silently on Arbasa’s shoulder. 
  When they near, the spectre of Sir Varral turns back to the characters:
  “Centuries foregone, I was most foully murdered, struck 
  down in my prime by a spiteful and malevolent hand. I cannot 
  — will not — rest until the murderer is named. Heaven is 
  denied me so long as my murderer escapes justice. For weary 
  and countless years I have drawn those I thought could help 
  me into my world and shown them my ruin, hoping beyond 
  hope that one of them could unmask my assassin. For weary 
  and countless years I have found nothing but disappointment. 
  Those who failed me have paid with their lives.”
  As he says this, the spectre gestures to the planks of the 
  bridge and their peculiar ornamentation of score-marks.
  “You have walked through my past. You have witnessed 
  my death. The guilty party,” he says, pointing at his ghastly 
  companions, “stands before you. I beg of you; name for me 
  my murderer. Release me — us — from this endless torment. 
  Tell me, tell me, tell me who it is.”
  After delivering his monologue, Sir Varral then waits for the characters’ 
  answer. Spells such as commune or legend lore have no effect in guiding 
  their decision; the characters must figure this out on their own based on 
  the clues they have uncovered.
  Chapter Five: The Murder 
  of The Blessed
  
  23
  The Covered Bridge
    They may question the suspects as much as the GM sees fit, though the 
  truthfulness and completeness of the answers are up to the GM. None of 
  them comes out and confesses to the crime.  
  The answer to the dilemma, of course, is that all of them — Arbasa, Joln, 
  Turo, and Dari (Xola’am) — are guilty of killing Sir Varral the Blessed. 
  Several pieces of information that the characters may have gleaned should 
  help them determine that this is true: 
  • The sheer number of score-marks on the bridge is a clue. Each score-
  mark represents someone who tried and failed to discover the truth. With 
  only four options to choose from, chance alone should have named the 
  killer. After all those attempts, the answer must not be an obvious one. 
  • Joln and Arbasa both appear to be weighed down with guilt. Even the 
  homicidal lunatic Turo Loga seems distressed. 
  • Four different types of poison were used, indicating four possible 
  murderers.
  • The many clues and inferences that the characters doubtlessly picked up 
  during their interactions with the suspects at the Manse Loga. 
  The Verdict
  If the characters Guess Wrongly 
  This would be any answer to Sir Varral’s question other than naming 
  all four of the suspects as guilty of his murder. If this occurs, the suspects 
  look immensely relieved. The spectre of Sir Varral, however, becomes 
  enraged. He casts imprecations at the characters, and the dead attack. 
  The semblance of life drops away from Arbasa, Joln, and Turo, and they 
  attack as 3 ghasts. The illusion of Xola’am (in raccoon form) runs around 
  the bridge chittering gleefully and staying out of the way, exulting in the 
  misery he has wrought. This is merely a representation. The imp himself 
  is alive and well to this day, continuing in his mission to vex and condemn 
  the feeble mortals of the Material Plane.
  ARBASA, JOLN, TURO (GHASTS) (3) 
  CR 2
  XP 600
  hp 17 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Ghoul, 
  Ghast”)
  SIRE VARRAL ET CASAN (SPECTRE) 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200
  hp 52 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Spectre”)
  Development: Obviously, not discovering the true murderers leads 
  to a very dark place for the characters. If some manage to survive, they 
  reappear on the bridge with little or nothing to show for it. Even if the 
  characters defeat these undead horrors, the mystery remains unsolved. 
  The shade of Sir Varral reappears in 1d4 months, continuing to lead 
  unsuspecting travelers to their doom and anguishing over his own demise.  
  If the Characters Guess Correctly
  However, if the characters correctly accuse all of the killers, the spectre 
  of Sir Varral smiles beatifically, and a glorious sun appears among the 
  stars. Dari the raccoon transforms into the imp that he is, and he and the 
  others cry out in agony and relief, fading away into nothingness. The sun 
  grows so bright that the characters are blinded … then it diminishes and 
  the characters find themselves back on the covered bridge in their own 
  time.
  The shade of Sir Varral stands before them, peace and calm suffusing 
  his face. He looks gratefully at each of the characters and says, “For these 
  long years I have suffered an agony beyond knowing. Betrayal, grief, and 
  maddening indignation had etched themselves into my soul. But you — 
  you! — have delivered me from myself. You have saved me. Thank you, 
  my friends. Beyond all measure, may you be blessed.”
  With that, he reaches out and draws something on each of their palms. 
  Placing all of their palms together reveals a magically drawn map that 
  leads them to his tomb: a beautiful granite structure hidden in the hills not 
  far to the west. In Sir Varral’s sarcophagus, the characters find his remains 
  and his armor, now +1 half plate, a worthy reward for their labors. 
  Further Adventures
  If your players have enjoyed their time questing in the Saymere Valley 
  on behalf of the spectral paladin, other tasks remain unfinished that you 
  could build further adventures on if you wish.
  The Tomb of Sir Varral: Perhaps the journey to the tomb and 
  reclamation of his treasures isn’t as easy as all that. Giving Sir Varral his 
  final rest may agitate a tribe of duergar who reside beneath the valley and 
  consider the tomb of the paladin to be their own trophy. For the characters, 
  claiming their prize may become an adventure in itself.
  The Imp: The murder of Sir Varral at the hands of his own compatriots 
  was a huge coup for the forces of Hell, and Xola’am has prospered 
  greatly in the 400 years since. Now that the characters have uncovered 
  the truth, they may seek to bring justice to the little devil (who may not 
  be such a little devil anymore, having been promoted through the ranks 
  of devilkind). Worse yet, Xola’am may become aware that the characters 
  freed Sir Varral’s spectre from his torment and decide to come calling, 
  perhaps with some infernal henchmen of his own
  
  24
  Quests of doom 4
  
  25
  The Covered Bridge
  
  26
  Quests of doom 4
  
  27
  The Covered Bridge
  
  28
  Quests of doom 4
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  Quests of Doom 4: The Covered Bridge © 2017, Frog God Games, LLC;  
  Author: Kevin Wright
  
  29
  The Covered Bridge
  Frog God 
  Games
  Quests of Doom 4
  Quests of Doom 4
  ISBN 978-1-62283-422-8
  The Covered Bridge is an adventure designed for a party of four to six characters  
  of 4th to 6th level. 
  Some four hundred years ago, a heroic knight by the name of Varral et-Casan was 
  poisoned, foully murdered by someone very close to him. The horrendous betrayal left  
  Sir Varral’s potent spirit unable to travel to its reward and find eternal rest.   
  The characters are only the latest in a long line of the spectre’s victims.
  The Covered Bridge
  The Covered Bridge
  QoD4c
  QoD4c
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/3rd Party/Frog God Games/Quests of Doom 4 -  The Covered Bridge - Pathfinder.pdf