TEXT: WRITING AND DESIGN: Cam Banks
  Editing and dEVELOPMENT:
  rOBERT j. sCHWALB with Jay Spight
  Proofreading: Kara Hamilton and Jay Spight
  ART DIRECTION: 
  hal mangold and rOBERT j. sCHWALB
  LAYOUT and Graphic Design: kara hamilton
  Cartography: Cecil Howe
  ILLUSTRATION: Eric Lofgren, Mirco Paganessi,
  and Todd Wilson
  The Gorgon’s Tears is ©2016 Schwalb Entertainment, LLC. 
  All rights reserved.
  Shadow of the Demon Lord, The Gorgon’s Tears,
  Schwalb Entertainment, and their associated logos 
  are trademarks of Schwalb Entertainment, LLC.
  SCHWALB ENTERTAINMENT, LLC
  PO Box #12548, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
  info@schwalbentertainment.com       www.schwalbentertainment.com
   An Adventure for Expert Characters
  ~Credits~
  Ashrakal the Witch-King had many brides when he 
  ruled in ages past, queens whose beauty and cruelty 
  surpassed any in his kingdom. For their vanity, 
  the Witch-King cursed them to become gorgons, 
  binding them to his will and service through bonds 
  of dark magic. Of these queens, Lachrymosa was 
  regarded as the most cunning, a reputation she 
  secured when she slipped away to the north as 
  he Witch-King succumbed to the swords and 
  pells of the Kalasans. She fortiﬁ ed a place for 
  herself among the petty kingdoms she found 
  there. Over the centuries, she stayed in the 
  hadows, preferring to move her own pawns 
  in the games she plays with her sister-brides 
  across the face of Rûl.
   The unrest created by the emperor’s 
  apparent death oﬀ ers opportunities for 
  ven greater power for those with the 
  ill and strength to seize it. Lachrymosa, 
  hoping to exploit this time of chaos, has 
  begun the process to undo the curse that 
  weighs heavily upon her, to free her from 
  the darkness in which she lives to stake her 
  claim on the north as a new and terrible 
  itch-Queen.
   
  e Gorgon’s Tears is an adventure for 
  xpert characters that might either 
  roduce a major player back into the 
  olitics of the world under the Shadow of 
  e Demon Lord, or strike a blow against 
  he darkness by eliminating her. It makes 
   an ideal bridge between expert and 
  aster levels of play. The characters 
  mplete the adventure when they 
  onfront Lachrymosa in her lair and either 
  at her or join her in conquering the city 
  nder which she lives.
   An Adventure for Expert Characters
  Ashrakal the Witch-King had many brides when he 
  ruled in ages past, queens whose beauty and cruelty 
  surpassed any in his kingdom. For their vanity, 
  the Witch-King cursed them to become gorgons, 
  binding them to his will and service through bonds 
  of dark magic. Of these queens, Lachrymosa was 
  regarded as the most cunning, a reputation she 
  secured when she slipped away to the north as 
  the Witch-King succumbed to the swords and 
  spells of the Kalasans. She fortiﬁ ed a place for 
  herself among the petty kingdoms she found 
  there. Over the centuries, she stayed in the 
  shadows, preferring to move her own pawns 
  in the games she plays with her sister-brides 
  across the face of Rûl.
   The unrest created by the emperor’s 
  apparent death oﬀ ers opportunities for 
  even greater power for those with the 
  will and strength to seize it. Lachrymosa, 
  hoping to exploit this time of chaos, has 
  begun the process to undo the curse that 
  weighs heavily upon her, to free her from 
  the darkness in which she lives to stake her 
  claim on the north as a new and terrible 
  Witch-Queen.
  The Gorgon’s Tears
  expert characters that might either 
  introduce a major player back into the 
  politics of the world under the Shadow of 
  the Demon Lord, or strike a blow against 
  the darkness by eliminating her. It makes 
  for an ideal bridge between expert and 
  master levels of play. The characters 
  complete the adventure when they 
  confront Lachrymosa in her lair and either 
  defeat her or join her in conquering the city 
  under which she lives.
  
  Background
  Gateway, a thriving port city of canals and commercial 
  ventures in the Northern Reach, has of late been rocked 
  with riots and uprisings after word of the emperor’s 
  death spread. Whipped into a frenzy, citizens gather 
  in mobs and demand the city break from the Empire’s 
  provincial government and become an independent 
  state. Many members of the city’s elite stand to gain 
  much from the unrest and have lent aid to the agitators 
  and rabble-rousers to force the city leaders into action. 
   Foremost of the factions pushing the city toward 
  independence is the wealthy and decadent Gogenthaler 
  Clan who comprise numerous branches and oﬀ shoots 
  of ancient families who trace their lineage back to the 
  men of Gog. The clan has fomented riots and protests 
  throughout the city, drawing on their considerable 
  fortunes to keep their agitators loyal and active. The 
  clan leaders don’t hide their hand in present troubles, 
  for they hope to sway the populace with riches and 
  promises of a new independence. 
   This chaos has created opportunities for other 
  darker powers hidden in the city. Five hundred years 
  ago, Lachrymosa, a gorgon bride of the Witch-King, 
  settled in the city, staking claim to a great vault beneath 
  the Ophidian Theater in the city’s Gold Quarter. From 
  the shadowy depths, she built a crime ring using 
  harvesters almost as old as herself to act on her behalf 
  and build a network of crooked merchants, guild 
  masters, mercenaries, and thugs to carry out all manner 
  of criminal enterprises. Proﬁ ts from this enterprise go 
  directly to Lachrymosa, who then doles them out as 
  she needs and uses much of it to keep the city’s leaders 
  under her thumb.
   Sensing an opportunity from the unrest, Lachrymosa 
  now intends to come out into the open and stake her 
  claim on the city. Being a gorgon means it is unlikely 
  the people will accept her, so she has begun the process 
  of unraveling the curse that horriﬁ cally transformed 
  her. After extensive research and experimentation, she 
  discovered a way to revert to her mortal form. It requires 
  her to wash her body in tears harvested from those with 
  the purest bloodlines of the ancient families of Gog. 
   To gather the vital ingredients, she’s dispatched 
  a cadre of tear thieves, whose loyalty she gained by 
  keeping them and the other harvesters in her employ 
  with fresh organs to sustain their unnatural existences. 
  With the city in chaos, her agents can move through its 
  troubled streets and make their grisly harvests from the 
  unsuspecting nobility.
  Getting Started
  Come up with a reason for why the group has come to 
  Gateway. Some suggestions follow, each one leading 
  directly to the ﬁ rst event: 
  • One character is a distant relative of the Gogenthaler
  clan and receives an invitation to come to Gateway to
  join the glorious revolution.
  • The group reaches the city’s port by ship after an
  eventful voyage, protecting a shipment of cargo for
  money.
  • The player characters heard rumors of a powerful
  crime boss in Gateway who holds ancient magical
  knowledge or artifacts in a vault.
  • The group tracks down a stolen book or scroll that
  once belonged to the Witch-King, and the item was
  last known to be in Gateway.
  Any number of these rumors or hooks can give the 
  player characters the impression that the Gogenthalers 
  are  the crime lords in question, which can introduce as 
  much or as little mystery as you choose to allow before 
  you reveal the true mastermind.
   Alternatively, you could run this adventure as a sequel 
  to Beware the Tides of Karshoon. If so, you could have 
  the player characters become involved with one of the 
  factions prior to the events described in this adventure 
  or thrust them in the thick of things.
  Gateway
  This adventure takes place in the fractious and 
  ever unruly city named Gateway that was revealed 
  in Shadow of the Demon Lord and expanded 
  on in Beware the Tides of Karshoon. While this 
  adventure’s plot uses the chaos and upheaval of 
  the citizens demands for independence from the 
  Empire, you can set the adventure anywhere that 
  ﬁ ts into your campaign by changing some of the 
  details. A slave revolt in Dis, the City of Chains or 
  orcs marauding through the streets of Caecras 
  could provide sufﬁ cient cover for Lachrymosa’s 
  activities.
  Canal Street 
  Riot
  The adventure begins with the player characters caught 
  in a full-scale riot between a mob of citizens and the 
  city watch. An agitator and member of the Gogenthaler 
  clan named Marcello whipped a crowd into a frenzy, 
  which has resulted in damaged property and looting. 
  Captain Riza led the city watch to the scene to disperse 
  the mob and restore order. The clash of the two forces 
  has erupted into open conﬂ ict.
   The battle takes place over one of the city canals in the 
  Gold Quarter, which is presently blocked by a collection 
  of gondolas and barges roped together. Rioters hurl 
  bottles of ﬂ aming alcohol across the canal at the city 
  watch and into the windows of canal-side businesses 
  and eateries. Brawls tumble into side streets or onto 
  the rocking boats. A ﬁ fteen-foot tall ﬂ agpole beside the 
  canal ﬂ ying the banners of Gateway and the Empire is 
  being torn down, crushing hapless citizens beneath it 
  and splintering the carts of vendors.
  join the glorious revolution.
  2
  
  Choosing Sides
  The player characters ﬁ nd themselves in the thick of the 
  conﬂ ict and have the opportunity to throw in with one 
  side or the other. The leaders of each side are in plain 
  view, so the characters can force their way toward either 
  leader, provided they do no violence along the way.
   Marcello calls for his mob to bring down the tyranny 
  of the Empire and liberate the thousand-year-old city 
  of Gateway from its oppressors. A young ﬁ rebrand with 
  obvious wealth judging by his clothing and good teeth, 
  Marcello nevertheless has won the hearts of many 
  citizens. He urges the player characters to join him in 
  forcing the city watch out of the canals and back to 
  their garrison.
   Captain Riza orders his city watch to beat the snot out 
  of the unruly rioters, who have been causing unrest and 
  initiating violent acts of vandalism. A veteran of several 
  petty wars, he is a middle-aged man with a battle-scarred 
  face etched with fatigue. At some point in the battle, 
  he loses his tall feathered helm, which only makes him 
  angrier. He urges the PCs to help him drive back the 
  mob and bring order to the canals.
  The PCs might choose the wisest course of action and 
  not get involved. In this case they can either watch the 
  violence continue for a while until the battle ends in a 
  bloody stalemate with both sides withdrawing, or you 
  can have one group or the other turn on them and force 
  the issue.
  MARCELLO 
  DIFFICULTY 10
  Size 1 human
  Perception 12 (+2)
  Defense 13; Health 28
  Strength 10 (+0), Agility 13 (+3), Intellect 12 (+2), Will 12 (+2)
  Speed 10
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Rapier (melee) +3 with 1 boon (3d6 plus Exploit 
  Opportunity on attack roll 20+)
  Dagger (melee or short range) +3 with 1 boon (1d3 plus 
  2d6 plus Exploit Opportunity on attack roll 20+)
  Exploit Opportunity Once per round, Marcello can take a 
  second turn at any point before the end of the round. 
  SPECIAL ACTIONS 
  Agitation Marcello uses an action or a triggered action on 
  his turn to start an inﬂ ammatory speech, which lasts as 
  long as he concentrates. During the speech, he shouts 
  and exhorts his allies to ﬁ ght. Each other creature within 
  medium range that is friendly to him and can hear him 
  deals 1 extra damage on attacks with weapons.
  Nimble Recovery Marcello uses an action to heal 7 damage 
  and then moves up to half his Speed without triggering 
  free attacks. Once he uses this talent, he cannot use it 
  again until after he completes a rest.
  MOB OF CITIZENS 
  DIFFICULTY 10
  Size 3 human
  Perception 9 (–1)
  Defense 10; Health 44
  Strength 11 (+1), Agility 10 (+0), Intellect 9 (–1), Will 9 (–1)
  Speed 10
  Mob A mob takes half damage from attacks that target 
  individual creatures and double damage from attacks 
  that affect areas. The mob acts as a single creature, but 
  it counts as ten creatures for the purpose of choosing 
  targets. A mob makes Strength, Intellect, and Will 
  challenge rolls with 1 boon.
  Creatures can move through a mob’s space, but they 
  treat the area as difﬁ cult terrain. The mob can squeeze 
  through openings large enough to permit the passage 
  of an individual member and can move through spaces 
  occupied by other creatures.
  Spawn When the mob becomes incapacitated, it dissipates 
  and 1d6 human commoners appear in open spaces within 
  the space it formerly occupied. They can take the next 
  available turn.
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Club (melee) +1 with 2 boons (1d6 plus 2d6 if not injured)
  SPECIAL ATTACKS 
  Flaming Bottles The mob hurls ﬂ aming bottles of alcohol 
  that fall within 2 yards of a point within short range, 
  dealing 1d6 damage to everything in the area from the 
  ﬂ ames. Creatures in the area must make Agility challenge 
  rolls. On a success, a creature takes no damage, and on a 
  failure, a creature catches ﬁ re (Shadow 201).
  END OF THE ROUND 
  Overwhelm If the mob is not injured, each creature that 
  isn’t a swarm or a mob that is in the mob’s space or 
  within 1 yard of it must get a success on an Agility 
  challenge roll or take 2d6 damage.
  CAPTAIN RIZA 
  DIFFICULTY 25
  Size 1 human
  Perception 9 (–1)
  Defense 17 (mail, large shield); Health 22
  Strength 13 (+3), Agility 10 (+0), Intellect 9 (–1), Will 11 (+1)
  Speed 10
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Sword (melee) +3 with 1 boon (2d6 + 2)
  Longbow (long range) +0 with 1 boon (2d6 + 1)
  3
  
  CITY WATCH 
  DIFFICULTY 10
  Size 3 human
  Perception 11 (+1)
  Defense 14 (hard leather, small shield); Health 44
  Strength 11 (+1), Agility 11 (+1), Intellect 10 (+0), Will 10 
  (+0)
  Speed 10
  Mob A mob takes half damage from attacks that target 
  individual creatures and takes double damage from 
  attacks that affect areas. The mob acts as a single 
  creature, but it counts as ten creatures for the purpose 
  of choosing targets. A mob makes Strength, Intellect, 
  and Will challenge rolls with 1 boon.
  Creatures can move through a mob’s space, but they 
  treat the area as difﬁ cult terrain. The mob can squeeze 
  through openings large enough to permit the passage 
  of an individual member and can move through spaces 
  occupied by other creatures.
  Spawn When the mob becomes incapacitated, it dissipates 
  and 1d6 patrollers appear in open spaces within the 
  space it formerly occupied. They can take the next 
  available turn.
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Sword (melee) +1 with 2 boons (1d6 or 3d6 if the mob is 
  not injured)
  END OF THE ROUND 
  Overwhelm If the mob is not injured, each creature that 
  isn’t a swarm or a mob that is in the mob’s space or 
  within 1 yard of it must get a success on an Agility 
  challenge roll or take 2d6 damage.
  Riot Aftermath
  The losing side ﬂ ees the scene, broken and bloodied. 
  The leader of the group aided takes the opportunity to 
  catch the PCs up on recent events. However, if Marcello 
  or Captain Riza died in the riot, one of their seconds 
  steps up to take charge and reveals the information 
  instead. If the characters agree to work with the NPC, he 
  becomes their patron for the duration of the adventure. 
   The characters might step forward to take charge of 
  a side with a fallen leader, in which case someone in 
  their ranks steps forward to ﬁ ll them in on what has 
  been happening.
  Sided with Marcello
  Marcello informs the group that he and his comrades 
  are freedom ﬁ ghters and liberty seekers protesting the 
  brutal yoke of the Empire and demanding independence 
  for Gateway. He notes that while his Gogenthaler-related 
  family is well oﬀ , it has always stood beside the common 
  citizens of the city. Captain Riza and his soldiers are 
  the last gasp of Imperial jack-boot rule in this city 
  quarter, and with their defeat, the pathway to freedom is 
  assured. He oﬀ ers the characters 30 gc to join his cause 
  and sweetens the deal with increased inﬂ uence and 
  connections in the city.
  Sided with Captain Riza
  Captain Riza tells the group that violent mobs such 
  as this one have been springing up all over the city in 
  recent months, growing in intensity. He says they are tied 
  to the wealthy Gogenthaler clan, whom Riza describes 
  as inbred monsters who grow fat oﬀ  the hard work and 
  labor of the citizens, which makes them act against their 
  best interests. Captain Riza is aware that the Empire is 
  crumbling but hopes that the city leadership ﬁ nds a way 
  toward just and fair rule in the future, as it always has 
  in the decline of empires and kings. Marcello’s family 
  is provoking unnecessary anger and outrage where 
  none is needed, to the detriment of the citizenry. He 
  oﬀ ers a 30 gc stipend to the group if they aid him in 
  ending the riots.
  Sided with No One
  A street vendor or shopkeeper beckons the members 
  of the group following the riot and updates them with 
  information drawn from the above. The shopkeepers 
  and other canal-side merchants have had enough of the 
  ﬁ ghting and appeal to the PCs to do what they can to put 
  a stop to it. They can pool together a meager collection 
  of funds, amounting to 15 gc, and give it to the group 
  if they can resolve the unrest. As well, they oﬀ er a 15% 
  discount on all goods and services purchased in the city.
  The Eyeless 
  Corpse
  Shortly after the riots break up, the characters’ allies 
  make a grisly discovery in one of the side streets that 
  extends away from the canal. The corpulent body of 
  a noble lies amid the rubbish, his bloody eye sockets 
  emptied and his face twisted in a rictus of agony in 
  death.
   The group’s patron can identify the remains as having 
  been Gregorio Undzy, a Gogenthaler guild boss. His is 
  the latest in a series of similar murders targeting aﬄ  uent 
  members of the Gogenthaler clan; in each case, their 
  eyes were missing. The ﬁ rst such body was discovered 
  three weeks earlier, and a new one has been found every 
  three days.
   Marcello claims this is a plot by the city leadership 
  to weaken the clan’s eﬀ orts to foment rebellion, while 
  Captain Riza thinks it’s a sign there is a faction war 
  within the Gogenthaler’s organization. Gateway’s 
  shopkeepers and vendors think it’s some kind of serial 
  killer or monster, maybe even a demon, sent to prey 
  on the wealthy and a sign the rich are headed down a 
  dark path.
  On the Trail of the Killer
  Magic might reveal Gregorio’s killer to be a tear thief. 
  Lacking such means, investigating the corpse reveals 
  the eyes were carefully removed with a sharp knife 
  or instrument used by a surgeon. Whoever did it was 
  remarkably quick, precise, and eﬃ  cient. The eyes are 
  nowhere to be found.
   If Marcello is the group’s patron, he can provide 
  details about the other victims and the locations of 
  their deaths. All of them were found in this quarter of 
  to the wealthy Gogenthaler clan, whom Riza describes 
  4
  
  Gateway, in an area about a half-mile in diameter. If the 
  player characters want to stake out the canal and its side 
  streets, Marcello can provide a few additional people to 
  act as lookouts.
   If Captain Riza is the group’s patron, he says his 
  city watch is overwhelmed and reduced in number by 
  the riots and other incidents, but he can spare some 
  patrollers to help them stake out the area. He has no 
  love of the Gogenthaler clan but feels the deaths are an 
  added mystery he would prefer to solve.
   If neither the Gogenthaler clan nor the city watch act 
  as the group’s patrons, they can rely on those businesses 
  operating at night, such as lamplighters and bakers, to 
  keep an eye out.
  Caught in 
  the Act
  On the following evening, the player characters have 
  an opportunity to catch the killer. The tear thieves have 
  two potential victims: a young socialite named Alanza 
  DiMargo and the agitator Marcello.
  The Socialite
  At some point in the evening, Alanza DiMargo (as a 
  commoner) stumbles out of a dance hall not far from 
  the canal. She foolishly left her bodyguard behind 
  after being embarrassed by one of her rivals and so she 
  drunkenly cries as she ambles along the canal. If the 
  player characters are out watching, they spot her at once, 
  though unless they have a patron, lookout, or patroller 
  with them, her ties to the clan aren’t evident.
   Unless stopped, she walks under a bridge, where a 
  tear thief and 3 mercenaries step out from a door to 
  confront her. If the player characters are with her or 
  hear her scream, they discover two more mercenaries 
  and another tear thief standing in their path to give the 
  others time to extract her tears. 
  The Agitator
  The tear thieves also single out Marcello and move to 
  take his eyes the same night they go for the socialite. 
  The attack can occur at any point, though the tear 
  thieves prefer to strike when their victim is alone or 
  with just one or two other characters. If the PCs think 
  to guard him, use him as bait, or are there when the 
  harvesters attack, they face 3 tear thieves who ﬁ ght to 
  draw characters away from Marcello so one can cut out 
  his eyes.
   If the tear thieves manage to make oﬀ  with Marcello’s 
  eyes, the player characters could be implicated as having 
  been responsible for his and other deaths, especially if 
  they are ﬁ rst on the scene and not aﬃ  liated with Riza or 
  Marcello. Threats of hanging or imprisonment should 
  prompt them to ﬁ nd who is responsible for the attacks 
  and why.
  Consequences
  If the group defeat the tear thieves and their 
  ercenaries, the player characters can 
  ttempt to extract information from them. 
  he tear thieves are completely loyal to 
  achrymosa, and the mercenaries are paid 
  enerously for their work, so the best the 
  haracters can get from their prisoners 
  s a location—the old Ophidian 
  Theater—and likely only with 
  signiﬁ cant eﬀ ort such as torture or 
  the use of magic. 
  ailing to extract useful information 
  rom prisoners, the characters can gather 
  information from their lookouts. Someone might have 
  seen the harvesters and the mercenaries moving through 
  the streets. The characters could deduce a few potential 
  locations from this information, some of which might 
  harbor other threats and dangers.
   If the tear thieves ﬂ ee, the characters can chase them 
  back to the Ophidian Theater or track them by speaking 
  with witnesses who saw them as they raced through 
  the streets. 
  DiMargo and the agitator Marcello.
  5
  operating at night, such as lamplighters and bakers, to 
  keep an eye out.
  Caught in 
  confront her. If the player characters are with her or 
  hear her scream, they discover two more mercenaries 
  and another tear thief standing in their path to give the 
  others time to extract her tears. 
  The Agitator
  The tear thieves also single out Marcello and move to 
  take his eyes the same night they go for the socialite. 
  The attack can occur at any point, though the tear 
  thieves prefer to strike when their victim is alone or 
  with just one or two other characters. If the PCs think 
  to guard him, use him as bait, or are there when the 
  harvesters attack, they face 
  draw characters away from Marcello so one can cut out 
  his eyes.
   If the tear thieves manage to make oﬀ  with Marcello’s 
  eyes, the player characters could be implicated as having 
  been responsible for his and other deaths, especially if 
  they are ﬁ rst on the scene and not aﬃ  liated with Riza or 
  Marcello. Threats of hanging or imprisonment should 
  prompt them to ﬁ nd who is responsible for the attacks 
  and why.
  Consequences
  If the group defeat the tear thieves and their 
  mercenaries, the player characters can 
  attempt to extract information from them. 
  The tear thieves are completely loyal to 
  Lachrymosa, and the mercenaries are paid 
  generously for their work, so the best the 
  characters can get from their prisoners 
  is a location—the old Ophidian 
   
  Failing to extract useful information 
  from prisoners, the characters can gather 
  
   If the characters are not present for either character’s 
  death or are there to investigate them, they might 
  encounter the ﬂ eeing harvesters or just have to wait 
  for another person to die before they can ﬁ nd the 
  information they need to put a stop to the killings.
  The Ophidian 
  Theater
  The gorgon bride of the Witch-King lives in a forgotten 
  vault underneath the abandoned Ophidian Theater, 
  which takes up most of its own island at the edge of the 
  Gold Quarter. It is central to all of the murders, close to 
  the Gogenthaler clan’s palatial residences and homes, 
  and upon identiﬁ cation as the likely location, either 
  Marcello or Captain Riza aﬃ  rms it was abandoned 
  years ago.
  Theater Level
  Characters can access the theater from the rear, the 
  former stage doors, or the front. All entrances are now 
  locked and boarded up. The interior is a classic theater 
  in the round, with two upper  balcony levels that look 
  down upon the stage and common ﬂ oor. Rooms for 
  actors to change and prepare are located to the west side 
  of the lower ﬂ oor; space for vendors to hawk their wares, 
  now ﬁ lled with crates and barrels, can be found on the 
  east side.
   The theater is unlit. Dark shadows make it look as if 
  there are audience members and actors present. If the 
  player characters bring a source of light, they can see 
  that various levels in the theater have been decorated 
  with dozens of exquisite marble statues in various 
  reposes that look down toward the stage. These are all 
  Lachrymosa’s handiwork.
   If the PCs chased a tear thief to this location, it turns to 
  face them here. Otherwise, the theater is unguarded.
   A concealed stairway access leads down to the Upper 
  Vault Level of the theater, which has signs of constant 
  use. A locked vault door bars entry to the lower level 
  requiring a success on a Strength challenge roll with 2 
  banes (to break it down) or an Agility challenge roll with 
  1 bane (to pick the lock) to bypass. A failed eﬀ ort draws 
  the mercenaries described below to investigate.
  Upper Vault Level
  This level consists of ﬁ ve vaulted chambers linked by 
  3-yard-high, 2-yard-wide corridors. Each chamber boasts 
  intricately carved marble walls that an architect has 
  down upon the stage and common ﬂ oor. Rooms for 
  6
  
  fashioned to resemble people crammed shoulder to 
  shoulder three rows tall. All of the faces are serene and 
  open mouthed, as if chanting or singing or screaming.
   Long ago, Lachrymosa had the vault fashioned 
  entirely from willing sycophants and servants whom she 
  had pose in supplication and honor of her. The spaces 
  between them were mortared in plaster and chunks 
  of marble before being polished. The result is an awe-
  inspiring construct of cold, unfeeling death. A success 
  on a Perception challenge roll with 2 banes reveals these 
  aren’t actually statues if a PC decides to examine them 
  closely.
   Four chambers surround and feed into a central 
  chamber in which circular stairs lead downward to 
  Lachrymosa’s Sanctum; the stairs from the theater level 
  open into the northmost chamber revealing a coat rack 
  and sidetable. The chambers have been furnished in 
  comfortable, overstuﬀ ed couches, divans, bookshelves, 
  and wardrobes. Harvesters gather here from all around 
  Gateway once a week to discuss their activities and pay 
  their respects to the gorgon in the sanctum below.
   In one of the rooms, 4 organ ﬁ lches swaddled in 
  blood-stained and gore-ﬂ ecked cloaks and robes recline 
  while they wait for the group to arrive. An equal number 
  of mercenaries attend them in case of violence. As the 
  player characters descend, one organ ﬁ lch gestures to 
  a table with an array of decanters and goblets, oﬀ ering 
  drinks.
   At this point the group might attack instantly, but the 
  organ ﬁ lches oﬀ er an opportunity for discussion. They 
  state their case clearly: they are members of an ancient 
  sect that has lived in Gateway for centuries, and their 
  leader, Lachrymosa, has been terribly ill. They claim 
  they are merely harvesting the necessary ingredients for 
  her cure, from rich and pompous humans who nobody 
  likes anyway.
   If present, neither Marcello nor Captain Riza approves 
  of the harvesters and their story. Marcello demands 
  revenge for the killing of his kin, and Captain Riza 
  demands justice for the citizens. The player characters 
  can attempt to assert control over their patron, but if 
  left to his own devices, the patron draws a weapon and 
  charges forward to be cut down by the scalpels of the 
  organ ﬁ lches.
   If the player characters converse, they learn 
  Lachrymosa seeks to rise from her long self-exile in the 
  vault and take over the beleaguered city, bringing order 
  and the full weight of her extensive business enterprise 
  (AKA her crime ring). The player characters are invited 
  to join her organization, perhaps as high-ranking 
  leaders.
   Alternately, if the organ ﬁ lches decide the player 
  characters are not interested in a business agreement, 
  they resort to violence to eliminate the threat to their 
  mistress.
   At some point in any ﬁ ght or extended discussion, 
  one organ ﬁ lch slips down the central stairs toward 
  Lachrymosa’s sanctum unless stopped.
  Lachrymosa’s Sanctum
  The sanctum is a huge octagonal room the size of 
  a cathedral. More of the statue-like carvings and 
  structures give shape and a baroque beauty to it, forming 
  a series of eight pillars that support the ceiling and line 
  the walls. The ﬁ gures crouch and stand and reach up in 
  uncanny poses. The ﬂ oor is slick with an inch of foul-
  smelling water with rose petals ﬂ oating upon it as if to 
  oﬀ set the odor.
   The slithering of Lachrymosa weaving between the 
  pillars is the ﬁ rst sound the characters hear. If they have 
  been announced or heralded, she waits, a veil over her 
  face. If not, they might have time to use an action before 
  she reveals herself.
   Lachrymosa is a gorgon, but the treatment she’s 
  received from the harvesters has stripped her snaky hair 
  and diminished her petrifying gaze.
  7
  
  LACHRYMOSA 
  DIFFICULTY 250
  Size 1 monster (gorgon)
  Perception 17 (+7); darksight
  Defense 18; Health 120
  Strength 12 (+2), Agility 16 (+6), Intellect 12 (+2), Will 17 
  (+7)
  Speed 8
  Immune gaining Insanity; charmed, compelled, dazed, 
  frightened, stunned
  Diminished Petrifying Appearance On ﬁ rst seeing 
  Lachrymosa, a creature must make a Will challenge roll. 
  On a failure, the creature gains 1 Insanity, cannot avert 
  its eyes from her, and becomes slowed for a number 
  of rounds equal to its Insanity total. Whether it gets 
  a success or a failure, it cannot again be affected by 
  Lachrymosa’s Diminished Petrifying Appearance until 
  after it completes a rest.
  ATTACK OPTIONS 
  Scimitar (melee) +6 with 3 boons (2d6 + 1)
  Longbow (long range) +6 with 3 boons (2d6 + 1)
  SPECIAL ATTACKS 
  Twin Strike Lachrymosa attacks twice with her scimitar or 
  longbow. She makes each attack roll with 1 bane.
  END OF THE ROUND 
  Epic Recovery Lachrymosa removes one afﬂ iction from 
  herself.
  Diminished Petrifying Gaze Each creature within medium 
  range of Lachrymosa that can see her must either use 
  a triggered action to avert its eyes or make a Strength 
  challenge roll with 1 boon. 
   For 1 round, a creature that averted its eyes makes 
  attack rolls with 2 banes and grants 2 boons to creatures 
  attacking it.
  A creature that did not avert its gaze and got a failure 
  on the challenge roll takes 2d6 + 10 damage and becomes 
  slowed for 1 minute. If the creature is already slowed, it 
  becomes immobilized for this time instead. A creature 
  that would become incapacitated by this damage 
  transforms into a stone statue and dies.
  Epic Adversary Roll 1d3 +1 to determine how many actions 
  Lachrymosa can use during the next round. She can use 
  these actions during any turn and can do so before her 
  enemies act. Each time she would use an action, she can 
  move up to her Speed before or after the action.
   The characters can engage her in dialogue to try to 
  bargain with her. 
  Lachrymosa responds well to the following:
  • Appeals to the importance of her elder role
  in the history of Gateway
  • Compliments or ﬂ attery about her power,
  status, or investments
  • Oﬀ ers to help her build and grow her empire
  • Oﬀ ers to turn over Marcello or another
  Gogenthaler to complete her treatment
  • Oﬀ ers to take down the current city government
  She responds poorly to the following:
  • Referring to her as a monster or evil
  • Asking her to leave Gateway or relocate her
  crime ring
  • Insults or accusations about her activities
  • Oﬀ ers to eliminate all of the Gogenthalers
  • Demanding that she hand over her riches or
  knowledge
  The characters might come up with of plan to bring 
  down the vault. The water on the ﬂ oor is the result of 
  frequent leaks and ﬂ ooding that Lachrymosa needs her 
  harvesters to repair because her remarkable petriﬁ ed 
  audience isn’t the most stable of ediﬁ ces. However, they 
  would need to engage her in battle for at least a round or 
  two to pull oﬀ  this feat, which might be fatal for one or 
  more of them.
   The PCs might also run away. Lachrymosa lets them 
  go but commits her spies in the city toward ensuring 
  the characters don’t further attempt to thwart her plans. 
  If they do, she sends harvesters and mercenaries after 
  them until they return to stop her or they leave the city.
  Aftermath
  If Lachrymosa’s plans are allowed to continue, she rids 
  herself of her petriﬁ cation abilities entirely after three 
  more treatments. In their place, she increases her Power 
  and learns spells from traditions you deem appropriate. 
  Use the Magic table on page 264 in Shadow of the Demon 
  Lord to determine the number of spells she learns for her 
  Diﬃ  culty. Her crime ring inﬁ ltrates and then subsumes 
  the city leadership, and within six months, Gateway is 
  entirely hers.
   If she is stopped, her organization falls apart. The 
  harvesters ﬂ ee back to the four corners of the city. 
  Without a leader, they are eventually hunted down and 
  killed by the city watch. The Gogenthalers have partial 
  success in gaining control over the city if only by placing 
  a stranglehold on all commerce until the leadership is 
  rendered impotent. Within a year, a new city government 
  is formed, with strong Gogenthaler representation and 
  inﬂ uence.
   Many other outcomes are possible based on what the 
  group does. By the time they choose master paths, they 
  might have gained extraordinary inﬂ uence and control 
  in one of the most well-defended and powerful cities in 
  the north. Gateway is a suitable base of operations for 
  master characters, one they can potentially shape and 
  direct in the future.
   Lachrymosa’s collection of treasures is almost entirely 
  composed of precious works of art and thousands of 
  books and written works, worth 100 gc or more to an 
  interested buyer. The lore contained in these works 
  could explain the decision to select a magic-using master 
  path for characters who study them. She also has a small 
  coﬀ er containing 100 gc.
  8
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Shadow of the Demon Lord/Adventures/Expert/SotDL - Gorgon's Tears (expert).pdf