TEXT: An adventure for characters of levels 10-12
  SECRET OF THE 
  MOON-DOOR
  by Richard Baker
  
  SECRET OF THE MOON-DOOR
  An adventure for characters of Levels 10–12
  CREDITS
  Design: Richard Baker
  Development: David Noonan
  Cover Art: Lucas Durham
  Interior Illustrators: Jason Engle, Micah Epstein, and Klaus Pillon
  Cartography: Corey Macourek
  Art Direction: Richard Baker
  Graphic Design: Corey Macourek
  Production Specialist: Nissa McCormack
  Based on the Primeval hule Campaign Setting by Richard Baker, 
  David Noonan, and Steve Schubert
  Secret of the Moon-Door is published by Sasquatch Game Studio, 
  LLC, under the Open Game License version 1.0a Copyright 2000 
  Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Sasquatch Game Studio LLC, the 
  Sasquatch logo, and Primeval hule are trademarks of Sasquatch 
  Game Studio, LLC. All characters and the distinctive likenesses 
  thereof are property of Sasquatch Game Studio LLC. his material is 
  protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. 
  © 2015 Sasquatch Game Studio, LLC.
  Product Identity: he following items are hereby identiied as 
  Product Identity as deined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, 
  and are not Open Content: All trademarks, proper names, dialogue, 
  plot, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress.
  Disclaimer: Sasquatch Game Studio is an independent game 
  publisher. his game is not licensed, endorsed by, or authorized by 
  any third party.
  Sasquatch Game Studio, LLC 
  Auburn, WA
  sasquatchgamestudio.com
  
  THE MOON-DOOR
  3
  T
  he gods of hule are ancient and myste-
  rious. Over the centuries new gods have 
  arisen, and old ones have fallen into ob-
  scurity or been abandoned altogether. One of these 
  forgotten gods is Selene, the goddess of the moon. 
  A thousand years ago her shrines dotted the city-
  states and holy places of the primeval continent, 
  but over the course of generations her worship died 
  out, and her temples fell into ruin.
  One such ruin is the Temple of the Moon-Door, 
  located on the southern shores of Lake Haal. 
  Behind its horned altar stands a great stone door 
  carved in the likeness of the crescent moon and 
  decorated with mysterious sigils. Even though the 
  temple has long been abandoned, explorers and 
  treasure-seekers occasionally visit the place with 
  some idea of opening the “Moon-Door” and un-
  covering the legendary treasure said to be hidden 
  behind it.
  No one has managed to open the Moon-Door yet, 
  but that is soon to change. he wizard Dhargo Maath, 
  a member of hran’s Black Circle, made contact with 
  the vile creatures known as moon-beasts. From them 
  he learned the secret of the Moon-Door. To win the 
  moon-beasts’ allegiance, Dhargo Maath must recover 
  the Moon-Door’s mystic key. As for what use the 
  monsters intend to make of the temple’s ancient door-
  way, the Black Circle wizard could care less.
  Adversaries and Treasure: Secret of the Moon-Door 
  is intended for a party of four 10th- to 12th-level 
  characters. he monsters and villains featured in this 
  adventure can be found in either the core rulebooks 
  or the 5e Primeval Thule Campaign Setting. If your 
  party is smaller or made up of lower-level characters, 
  you may need to adjust some of the combat en-
  counters to be less lethal by reducing the number of 
  monsters involved or providing the PCs with op-
  portunities to use stealth or clever play to bypass the 
  more dangerous encounters.
  
  THE MOON-DOOR
  4
  ADVENTURE 
  SUMMARY
  he adventure begins when the heroes learn that 
  the famous sage and seer Ghilean has disappeared 
  under mysterious circumstances. She was apparently 
  abducted from her library in the heart of Katagia by 
  monstrous assailants. Upon investigation, the heroes 
  learn that Ghilean had recently come into posses-
  sion of a strange key of white metal. A curio dealer 
  named Turjak Bom—secretly an agent of the Black 
  Circle wizard Dhargo Maath—came to see Ghilean 
  soon after she obtained the key, ofering her a king’s 
  ransom, but Ghilean refused. he next night, mon-
  strous creatures appeared, ransacked the library, and 
  then carried of Ghilean to parts unknown. 
  In Part I, when the PCs look more closely into 
  Ghilean’s studies and her scattered notes, they 
  learn that she was speciically interested in a jungle 
  ruin known as the Temple of the Moon-Door. he 
  temple is known for a mysterious portal or vault 
  that no one has ever managed to open, and it’s clear 
  that Ghilean suspected that her newly acquired key 
  might be able to unlock the Moon-Door. he PCs 
  also learn that Dhargo Maath is not yet inished 
  with the library; when the PCs investigate, the wiz-
  ard’s servants attack. 
  Armed with the key that unlocks the legendary 
  Moon-Door and the knowledge that someone is very 
  interested in the place, the PCs’ next step is to try to 
  beat the villains to the temple. Part II of the adven-
  ture takes place in the Temple of the Moon-Door. 
  Naturally, it’s a monster-infested ruin. Fighting their 
  way to the Moon-Door, the PCs learn its true secret: 
  It doesn’t lead to a vault illed with treasure. Instead, 
  it’s a mystic doorway that leads to the Moon, and 
  Dhargo Maath is ahead of them.
  In Part III, the heroes venture through the door 
  to rescue Ghilean and deprive Dhargo Maath of his 
  prize. he Moon to which the door leads is not the 
  barren, airless Moon of the later Earth. his is the 
  Moon of a dream-Earth, a parallel world, and it 
  is a strange but not lifeless place. he Moon-Door 
  leads to a forbidding island in one of the lunar seas, 
  the Isle of Screams. Here the PCs confront Dhargo 
  Maath and his moon-beast allies.
  BACKGROUND
  As a sage of great erudition, Ghilean was well 
  acquainted with descriptions of the Temple of 
  the Moon-Door and speculations about what the 
  ancient priests of Selene hid behind the portal. A 
  month ago, a freeblade wandered into Katagia and 
  sold a strange key to a merchant named Jangar. 
  No one recalls the freeblade’s name; he was a 
  down-on-his-luck mercenary who found the key in a 
  jungle tomb (in fact the burial site of the last of the 
  temple’s high priests, although the mercenary had 
  no idea whose tomb he was plundering). 
  Jangar brought the key to Ghilean to ind out 
  what it was. Ghilean recognized it as the “Moongold 
  Key” mentioned in some of her old tomes about the 
  Moon-Door and paid Jangar richly for it. Unfor-
  tunately, not all of Ghilean’s apprentices were loyal 
  to her. One of them, a young man named Plooth, 
  had been bribed long ago to report any interest-
  ing developments to a Black Circle agent. Plooth 
  reported Ghilean’s acquisition, and news swiftly 
  reached Dhargo Maath. Maath quickly arranged for 
  his agents to buy the key. Ghilean, however, did not 
  wish to sell it.
  Because the sage was not inclined to be reasonable, 
  Dhargo Maath decided to remove her. He chose to 
  use summoned monsters (a pair of moon-beasts) to 
  do his dirty work, hoping to disguise his involve-
  ment. he moon-beasts seized Ghilean and terrorized 
  the scholars of the library, but they missed the key. 
  Dhargo Maath still wants the key—if nothing 
  else, he wants to make sure no one else can make use 
  of it. However, with Ghilean in his hands and his 
  own magic, he can open the doorway without it. As 
  the adventure begins, he is on his way to the Temple 
  of the Moon-Door, leaving his agents to tidy up 
  loose ends in Katagia.
  BEGINNING THE 
  ADVENTURE
  Noble goals such as foiling the Black Circle or 
  saving people from a moon-beast invasion may not 
  be suicient to engage a party of mercenaries unless 
  those events impact them directly. Find an adven-
  ture hook that works best for your players from the 
  suggestions below.
  Old Friend in Trouble: If any of the PCs has 
  a relationship with a sage, astrologer, or educated 
  patron who helped in earlier adventures, then 
  replace Ghilean in this adventure with the PCs’ old 
  friend. You can shift Act I of the adventure to any 
  library or sage’s tower in hule without afecting 
  the story. he PCs become involved when they hear 
  that their old friend disappeared under mysterious 
  circumstances.
  Ofer of Employment: Ghilean realizes that she’ll 
  need hardened adventurers to explore the Moon-
  Door. She sends a message to the most well-known 
  PC explaining that she wants to mount an expe-
  dition to a mysterious ruin, promising the equiva-
  lent of a small treasure hoard as payment (roughly 
  10,000 gp). When the PCs arrive to take her up on 
  the ofer, they ind her missing.
  
  THE MOON-DOOR
  5
  Find Our Sage: Monsters tearing up libraries and 
  a prominent sage abducted from the heart of the city 
  certainly gain the attention of Katagia’s ruler. he 
  PCs are hired by Lord Protector Denoch Saursane 
  to ind out what happened to Ghilean and to get 
  her back if possible. he pay is equivalent to a small 
  treasure hoard for the characters’ level (roughly 
  10,000 gp).
  ACT I: 
  THE LYKEION
  he adventure begins at the scene of Ghilean’s 
  disappearance: the Lykeion, a renowned academy 
  in Katagia’s Temple Ward. he Lykeion is home to 
  seven “masters”—sages and philosophers of note—
  and sixteen “aspirants,” students who live on the 
  grounds. Another thirty or so “novices” live in the 
  city nearby, spending most of their days in studies 
  at the Lykeion but returning home each evening. 
  Most of these novices are young, high-born men and 
  women whose families were able to secure appoint-
  ments for them to study here.
  If you prefer to begin this adventure in Quodeth, 
  then use Onther Tower (PTCS, page 188) instead of 
  the Lykeion. If you choose to set this adventure in a 
  diferent city, simply add the Lykeion (or an insti-
  tution like it) to Ikath, Orech, or Lomar. Scholarly 
  institutions are rare in hule, but most of the larger 
  cities boast one or two.
  The Lykeion, home to the sage Ghilean and the foremost 
  academy in Katagia, stands in a park-like enclosure in the 
  middle of the city. It is a grand stone building of three 
  stories with a golden dome, surrounded by paths winding 
  through well-trimmed myrtle trees and elegant statuary. 
  Five bored-looking Katagian soldiers guard the front door.
  In addition to the front door, the Lykeion has ive 
  more ground-level doors, plus numerous windows 
  in its upper loors. Two more guards patrol the 
  grounds, keeping an eye on the other entrances (and 
  likely noticing if the PCs try to avoid the guards at 
  the front door).
  he Guards: he squad standing watch consists 
  of 4 guards and 1 veteran, a noble-born Atlantean 
  oicer named Veox. he city watch posted them 
  here to reassure the nervous scholars of the Lykeion. 
  Privately they scof at the idea of monsters carrying 
  of people, and they believe that Ghilean was prob-
  ably just murdered by a rival. hey can conirm that 
  no one suspicious has entered or left the building 
  since the afternoon after Ghilean’s disappearance 
  (several days ago). 
  he guards do not impede the PCs unless the 
  PCs behave in an extremely suspicious manner. If 
  the PCs inform Veox that they’re here looking for 
  Ghilean, he’s reasonably helpful:
  “Ghilean, you say? Well, that’s the mystery of the hour, it 
  seems—good luck with that. I’ll take you to Master Hes-
  toth. He can tell you more than I can.”
  Veox personally leads the PCs to meet Hestoth. 
  Continue with he Master’s Welcome, below.
  Building Layout: Exact details of the loor plan 
  aren’t important, but players interested in thor-
  oughly searching the Lykeion may visit some or all 
  of these locations:
  Cellar Level: Kitchen, servant quarters, store-
  rooms, alchemical laboratory, workrooms.
  Ground Floor: Entry hall (also serves as a debate 
  hall), refectory, museum hall (mostly natural history 
  with interesting animal remains), classroom-like 
  lecture halls.
  Second Floor: Library, workrooms, aspirant quarters.
  hird Floor: Restricted library (for valuable or 
  dangerous tomes), Masters’ Hall (a small debate hall 
  and council room), masters’ chambers.
  Roof: Observatory, pigeon coop (for messenger birds).
  THE MASTERS’ 
  WELCOME
  Characters asking about Ghilean or looking for 
  someone who can tell them what happened are 
  quickly directed to Master Hestoth. With Ghil-
  ean missing, he is the most senior of the Lykeion’s 
  masters. He meets the party in the Masters’ Hall, a 
  private council room.
  You enter a council chamber on the Lykeion’s third loor, 
  where three scholars wait for you: a stoop-shouldered 
  Atlantean scholar with a long white beard, a venerable 
  Kalayan woman in green robes, and a dwarf who wears 
  a leather apron that serves as a toolbelt over her brown 
  robes. The white-bearded scholar speaks irst. “Wel-
  come, friends. I am Hestoth, Master of Collections. This is 
  Nimira, Master of Philosophy, and Thurannifer, Master of 
  Laboratories. I understand you’re here about Ghilean. We 
  are very glad to see you.”
  Hestoth does most of the talking. As Master of 
  Collections, he’s responsible for the Lykeion’s various 
  curios and artifacts. He tends to ramble and get 
  distracted; Nimira, the Kalayan woman in green, 
  keeps him on track and inishes sentences for him by 
  getting to the point. hurannifer the dwarf is taci-
  turn and adds little, but she’s friendly enough when 
  asked a direct question.
  
  DIVINING GHILEAN
  The PCs may attempt to use divination magic to locate Ghilean. Their success depends on which spell they use to locate her. Ghilean is 
  currently alive on the Isle of Screams, which is on a dream-dimension Moon. It’s on a different plane. She is under the slave-stupor of 
  the moon-beasts and can’t muster the volition to think a coherent thought.
  Locate creature and locate object fail because the range is too short. Scrying fails because she’s on a different plane. A sending is likely 
  to reach her, but she can’t form a coherent reply. The sending does reveal that Ghilean is alive but very distant, and she manages to 
  mumble, “Help me, please...they took me through the moon-door...help.”
  Commune, contact other plane, and divination can also reveal the truth about Ghilean’s condition. Depending on the questions the 
  caster asks, the responses suggest that she is a captive of moon-beasts, she is on the Moon, she is in danger, and the best way to get to 
  her is to ind the Moon-Door and go through it.
  The masters of the Lykeion are sages and philosophers, not high-level spellcasters. They may suggest that the PCs perform divina-
  tion magic, but they lack the ability to do it themselves.
  THE MOON-DOOR
  6
  When prompted, Master Hestoth gets to 
  the story:
  “The attack was three nights ago, two hours after sunset. 
  Ghilean was alone in the restricted library, just down the 
  hall there. Her research has been keeping her up late 
  for weeks now. Several people in nearby rooms heard a 
  sudden commotion—glass breaking, furniture falling over, 
  heavy thumps and footfalls, and Ghilean screaming in 
  fright and calling for help. Plooth, one of Ghilean’s stu-
  dents, was the irst to reach the room. He said he saw two 
  huge, terrible monsters holding Ghilean between them; 
  the creatures and Ghilean all turned to mist and lowed 
  away out the window.”
  Master Hestoth is anxious to aid the PCs’ inves-
  tigation—Ghilean is a close friend of his, and he is 
  beside himself with worry over her fate. He can lead 
  the party to any spot they wish to investigate in the 
  Lykeion, including the restricted library, Ghilean’s 
  personal quarters, or even the personal quarters of 
  other masters. He can also arrange for the PCs to 
  speak to anyone they want (including Plooth).
  Some speciic questions and answers Master Hes-
  toth might provide at this time include:
  What kind of monsters took Ghilean? “I don’t know. 
  Plooth had the best look at them; perhaps he could 
  describe them in more detail.”
  You’re all masters of something. What was Ghilean 
  master of? “Histories. She knows more about the 
  hule of yesteryear than most know about the hule 
  of today.”
  Did Ghilean have any enemies? “Not that I know 
  of. She was well regarded by all here.”
  What was Ghilean working on? “A month or so 
  back she became very interested in lore pertaining 
  to temples dedicated to the goddess Selene. We can 
  show you some of the texts she was studying if you 
  think that might help.”
  Wait…the goddess Selene? “An ancient folk-religion 
  that died out centuries ago. Selene was associated 
  with the moon, I believe, and eventually her priests 
  merged with those of Ishtar. Ghilean could tell you 
  more—if she were here...”
  Did anything out of the ordinary happen recently? 
  “Not that I can think of—no, wait, there was some-
  thing. A dealer in curios came to see her a couple of 
  weeks ago and wanted to buy some old relic or an-
  other in her possession, but she didn’t wish to sell it. 
  She didn’t seem alarmed, but she did mention it to 
  me. What was his name...Turjak Bom, that was it.”
  What old relic? “She didn’t say, but Plooth might 
  know. He is an aspirant to the Lykeion—and Ghil-
  ean’s leading student.”
  Development: If the players don’t know what to 
  do next, Hestoth suggests that they might begin 
  by looking at the scene of the attack or perhaps 
  interviewing the aspirant Plooth, one of Ghilean’s 
  students.
  THE SCENE 
  OF THE CRIME
  he restricted library is where the scholars of the 
  Lykeion store books and scrolls that shouldn’t be left 
  in the academy’s general library. Master Hestoth, 
  Plooth, or Veox can conirm that Ghilean spent 
  most of her time here over the last month (although 
  in Veox’s case, he is simply summarizing the results 
  of his own inquiries since Ghilean’s disappearance).
  Signs of a struggle are clear in this small library. A heavy 
  table lies overturned on its side, a big bookshelf lies 
  where it toppled over with dozens of tomes and scrolls 
  scattered about, and the frame of one of the large win-
  dows is broken, although a heavy canvas cover has been 
  nailed up over the opening. 
  he Lykeion masters have held of on tidying up 
  until they’re certain they have found every clue pos-
  sible, though they begin to clean up after the PCs 
  view the damage. Important inds here include:
  he Door: Sturdy and undamaged, though it creaks 
  loudly when opened. he Lykeion masters are certain 
  
  THE MOON-DOOR
  7
  the monsters did not come in this way, because they 
  didn’t hear the door creak until after the commotion 
  started. On the loor inside the library near the door 
  is a rolled-up map of the Lake Haal region. (Plooth 
  dropped it in terror when he saw the moon-beasts.) 
  he Window: he broken window looks out over 
  a 30-foot sheer drop. It would be a diicult climb. 
  Debris from the window lies inside the library room, 
  suggesting that the window was broken from the 
  outside. he window frame is quite large (8 feet tall 
  and 5 feet wide). With a successful Intelligence/
  Investigation check (DC 15), a PC studying the 
  window notes claw scrapes on the framework con-
  sistent with something about the size of a large bear 
  forcing its way inside.
  Tomes and Texts: After a careful look at the 
  books on the loor and the toppled bookshelf, a PC 
  can sort the books into those that were probably 
  sitting out on the table and those that were shelved 
  (DC 15 Intelligence/Investigation check). Studying 
  the tomes to determine what Ghilean was specif-
  ically researching requires 1 hour, and the ability 
  to read High Atlantean, Dhari, and Kalayan helps. 
  Make a Intelligence/History or Intelligence/Reli-
  gion check with a +5 bonus for sorting the books 
  irst and a +2 bonus for literacy in each of the three 
  languages. he character examining the tomes learns 
  the following:
  • Result of 10+: Ghilean was gathering lore per-
  taining to something called “the Moon-Door,” a
  mysterious barrier in a ruined temple of Selene.
  • Result of 15+: All of the above, plus the Temple
  of the Moon-Door lies near the village of
  Ayanari on the southwest shore of Lake Haal.
  • Result of 20+: he above, plus the Moon-Door is
  supposed to be impossible to open, but there is
  a key: a strange rod of white metal, about a foot
  in length, said to be made of “moongold.”
  • Result of 25+: he above, plus the texts hint at
  some kind of “chamber of power” behind the
  Moon-Door.
  On a failed check, the book’s esoteric writings 
  stymie the character, who can spend another hour 
  and make another attempt.
  Magic: No magic auras linger in the room. (At 
  your discretion, some of the tomes in this room might 
  be arcane spellbooks or even spell scrolls; the Lykeion 
  scholars may agree to let the PCs make use of them.)
  he Moongold Key: No key is in evidence here 
  (Ghilean kept it in her own room). If the PCs ask 
  Master Hestoth about the key mentioned in the text, 
  Hestoth remembers that the key was the old relic 
  that Turjak Bom asked Ghilean about. If the PCs 
  ask Plooth about the key, he tries to lie about it (see 
  he Eyewitness, below).
  THE EYEWITNESS
  When the PCs indicate that they want to speak to 
  anyone who witnessed the attack or to someone 
  who worked closely with Ghilean, Master Hestoth 
  sends a student to fetch Plooth, an aspirant (senior 
  student) who studied under Ghilean.
  The student proves to be a young man of about twen-
  ty-ive years, tall and gangly with tangled dark hair. He 
  wears the robes of a Mithran acolyte, and he seems 
  badly rattled—he is pale and his eyes dart nervously from 
  side to side. “I am Plooth,” he says. “Mistress Ghilean 
  was my mentor. Tell me that you can do something to 
  help her!”
  Plooth has good reason to be nervous, although 
  the PCs might not know that when they begin their 
  interview. Turjak Bom pays Plooth to inform him of 
  any interesting inds at the Lykeion. When Ghilean 
  obtained the Moongold Key from Jangar, Plooth 
  reported it to Turjak Bom. He suspects that Turjak 
  Bom had something to do with the abduction.
  If asked about the attack or the monsters he saw, 
  Plooth relates the following:
  “Late in the evening, Mistress Ghilean sent me down 
  to the main library to fetch a map for her. It took me 
  some time to ind it. As I returned, I heard a terrible 
  commotion from the room where she was working. I 
  ran ahead and threw open the door, only to see her 
  caught between two huge, pallid monstrosities. Each of 
  them had her by an arm. They looked like big, faceless 
  toads, with tentacles squirming where their faces should 
  be...I shudder to recall it! I stood petriied in terror for a 
  moment, then the monsters and Mistress Ghilean turned 
  to white mist. The mist streamed out the window and 
  vanished into the night.”
  Plooth knows quite a lot more, if the PCs question 
  him further. He knows that Ghilean was looking 
  for information on the Temple of the Moon-Door 
  and that the recent acquisition of the Moongold 
  Key from the merchant Jangar spurred her interest. 
  He avoids any mention of Turjak Bom, although he 
  suspects that Turjak Bom was somehow behind the 
  moon-beast attack.
  he Map: If asked about the map he was re-
  trieving, Plooth stammers and says, “It was an old 
  map—of the Lake Haal region.” PCs can ind the 
  map on the loor of the restricted library (if they 
  haven’t already).
  Plooth’s Lies: Plooth denies any knowledge of 
  Turjak Bom and claims not to know where the key 
  is now, but he is not a good liar. A character skepti-
  cal of his story may attempt a Wisdom/Insight check 
  (DC 10) to discern that Plooth is hiding something.  
  
  THE MOON-DOOR
  8
  he Moongold Key: After the moon-beast attack, 
  Plooth went to Ghilean’s room and removed the 
  key (he’d seen where Ghilean was keeping it). he 
  Moongold Key is now hidden in a trunk beneath 
  Plooth’s bed in his quarters on the Lykeion’s second 
  loor. Plooth knows that Turjak Bom wants the key 
  and he hopes to sell it to the “curio dealer” later.
  Creature (450 xp): If threatened with punish-
  ment or exposure, Plooth does his best to lee the 
  scene and seek Turjak Bom’s protection.
  • Plooth (priest)
  GHILEAN’S 
  QUARTERS
  Master Hestoth does not object if the PCs decide to 
  make a thorough search of Ghilean’s quarters. he 
  sage’s room contains many interesting mementos 
  and minor valuables—a collection of knick-knacks 
  and curiosities from all over hule. Most are not 
  relevant to her disappearance. However, thorough 
  and attentive characters may turn up one clue on a 
  successful Intelligence/Investigation check (DC 10):
  Among the clutter and curiosities decorating Ghilean’s 
  rooms, you ind something out of place: an old case 
  made of black, lacquered wood. It’s lying on the loor 
  near the sage’s desk. The interior is illed with beeswax 
  so old it’s as hard as stone. The wax holds a large, key-
  shaped depression about a foot long.
  Plooth slipped into Ghilean’s room shortly after 
  the attack and took the key, but he was so rattled 
  that he neglected to put the case back in its place. 
  If the PCs show the case to Master Hestoth, he can 
  conirm that it held a strange key of silver-white 
  metal that Ghilean recently acquired. A charac-
  ter studying the case itself can determine that the 
  craftsmanship appears to be Dhari (human), several 
  centuries old, with a successful Intelligence/History 
  check (DC 20).
  THE WIZARD’S 
  MINIONS 
  While Dhargo Maath has Ghilean, he realizes that 
  the Moongold Key is not yet accounted for. After 
  a careful interrogation of the captive scholar, he di-
  vines the location of the key (and Plooth’s role in the 
  afair) and dispatches more monsters to the academy 
  to get it from the student. Maath’s minions arrive 
  while the PCs are conducting their investigation.
  Run this encounter at any time while the PCs are 
  searching the Lykeion or studying Ghilean’s books. 
  At your option, you can run this encounter when the 
  PCs are interrogating Plooth, interrupting the conver-
  sation with the sudden arrival of Maath’s monsters.
  A sudden crash echoes through the halls of the Lykeion, 
  followed by cries of alarm and the angry roar of some 
  great beast. “Monsters! They’re back!” someone screams 
  in the distance. It sounds like the commotion is coming 
  from the student quarters on the second loor.
  Creatures (5,400 xp): Two winged apes swoop 
  down to the second-loor balcony outside the 
  quarters reserved for the aspirant and break into the 
  building in search of Plooth. he winged apes have 
  only two commands—slay Plooth and get his key. 
  However, they are free to slaughter anyone unfortu-
  nate enough to cross their path, and they do so with 
  savage glee.
  • 2 winged apes (PTCS page 242)
  Development: If the PCs have so far missed 
  Plooth’s involvement or don’t realize they should 
  be looking for the key, they discover Plooth among 
  the dead, torn limb from limb by the apes before 
  they reached the scene. he Moongold Key is lying 
  beneath a cabinet just out of his reach (he was trying 
  to hide it when the winged apes caught him).
  
  ENTER THE BLACK CIRCLE
  Depending on the adventures the PCs have had in Thule so far, they 
  may or may not be familiar with the Black Circle, wizards who rule the 
  city of Thran. They’re described in Chapter 4 of the Primeval Thule 
  Campaign Setting, but almost everyone in Thule whispers of them as 
  powerful, sinister igures who lord over Thran from an immense, black 
  orb that hovers over the city.
  Dhargo Maath isn’t the most powerful wizard in the Black Circle, but 
  he’s among the most ambitious, and he has more than his fair share of 
  rivals. That’s why he avoids Thran in favor of his new domicile on the 
  Moon (described in Part III).
  THE MOON-DOOR
  9
  TURJAK BOM
  If the PCs decide to follow up on Ghilean’s myste-
  rious visitor from a couple of weeks past, they ind 
  that no one at the Lykeion knows Turjak Bom or 
  where to ind him. However, a few hours of asking 
  around in the city districts outside the Lykeion (or 
  the right divination spell) proves more useful—
  Turjak Bom resides in one of the city’s mercantile 
  districts, dealing in curios and collectibles out of 
  his home.
  The home of Turjak Bom is located on a high hillside in 
  Katagia’s market district. It is a ine stone courtyard-style 
  house on a corner; the door is closed, and the few exte-
  rior windows are shuttered.
  It’s easy to scale the outer wall, cross the roof, 
  and drop into the courtyard. However, Turjak 
  Bom’s guards assume that anyone sneaking into 
  the house is an assassin or robber, so they attack 
  immediately. If the PCs approach the house openly 
  and just knock at the door, read:
  A servant answers the door, and shows you in. A 
  well-maintained garden lies in the middle of the house; 
  two guards keep watch by a door leading into a sitting 
  room just off the garden. “Please, wait here,” the servant 
  tells you. “I shall fetch Prince Bom.”
  Turjak Bom is a short, burly man of 40 years, 
  with mixed Kalay and Dhari heritage. He is 
  secretly an agent of the Black Circle, a skilled assas-
  sin and spy who passes himself of as a moderately 
  prosperous merchant. (Prosperous enough to get 
  his servants to call him “prince,” at any rate.) He 
  attempts to maintain this guise and delect the 
  PCs’ questions, while subtly questioning them 
  about why they’re here. He openly admits that he 
  visited Ghilean and attempted to buy “the white 
  key,” since he trades in such things. He denies 
  knowledge of any attack on the sage (his Cha-
  risma/Deception check is a 15).
  Creatures (10,500 xp): When Turjak Bom 
  determines that the PCs know too much, he gives 
  the command to attack. His two legionaries are 
  well-trained and need only one sharp look from 
  him to make their move. Allow the PCs to make 
  Wisdom/Insight checks (DC 15); those who fail 
  are surprised for the irst round of the ight. Tur-
  jak’s lover and mystic advisor, a Lomari woman 
  named Deema, is elsewhere in the house. She 
  appears and joins the fray at the end of the irst 
  round. 
  • Turjak Bom, Black Circle Agent (PTCS
  page 226)
  • 2 legionaries (PTCS page 79)
  • Deema (cult fanatic)
  Treasure (2,400 xp): Turjak Bom runs a pros-
  perous business, and he receives secret funds from 
  hran to use in the Black Circle’s interests. A search 
  of the house reveals two chests containing a total of 
  4,400 sp and 1,700 gp. In addition, there are two art 
  objects worth 750 gp in value (a copper statuette and 
  an ornamental mask), and four more worth 250 gp 
  each (a bracelet worn by Deema, a small tapestry, a 
  ceremonial scepter, and a collection of scrimshaws).  
  Development: A desk in Bom’s study contains 
  a locked drawer (DC 10 Dexterity check to open 
  with lockpicks, or easily forced). Inside is a stack of 
  reports and letters. hese make it clear that Turjak 
  Bom works for a wizard of hran by the name of 
  Dhargo Maath, and that Bom is an agent of the 
  Black Circle. Bom learned of Ghilean’s acquisition 
  of the Moongold Key from her student Plooth, and 
  later reported to Maath his failure to buy the key. 
  He requested permission to assassinate her and take 
  it, but Maath informed him that “he would take 
  care of it” and that Bom was to do nothing more 
  that might put Ghilean on her guard.
  he most recent communication from 
  Maath reads:
  Our allies failed to ind the key when they car-
  ried of the sage. My divinations suggest your friend 
  Plooth may have it. I am sending new assets to rectify 
  that oversight. hey will bring the key to your house. 
  Unfortunately I cannot have them simply bring me 
  the key, so you must do so once you have it in your 
  possession. Send a report when you know your travel 
  arrangements—I will meet you at the Moon-Door.
  he drawer also contains a map of the Lake Haal 
  region (similar to the Lykeion’s map). It has the tem-
  ple’s location marked with a handwritten “X.”  
  
  THE MOON-DOOR
  10
  PART II: 
  TEMPLE OF THE 
  MOON-DOOR
  he mystery of Ghilean’s disappearance from the 
  Lykeion points at one obvious lead: the Temple of 
  the Moon-Door. Unfortunately, it is quite a long 
  way from the heart of Katagia. he temple stands 
  about ten miles southeast of the village of Ayanari 
  on the Katagia-hran track. 
  he Journey: As the crow lies, Ayanari is about 
  300 miles from Katagia; for characters who choose 
  to follow the established track, it’s closer to 400 
  miles. A party on foot can make the trek in about 
  three weeks; a mounted party can do it in two 
  weeks. (If the PCs are anxious about reaching the 
  temple swiftly, magical means will be required.)
  Feel free to complicate a long overland journey 
  with “random” encounters along the way—no 
  track in hule is truly safe, after all. A band of 
  serpentmen, a hulean cyclops, or a small herd of 
  angry mammoths on the plains of Nar would be 
  appropriate.
  Arrival: When the PCs reach the area, they ind 
  that the Temple of the Moon-Door is a well-known 
  local landmark.
  A few miles south of the village of Ayanari, a disused track 
  splits off from the main trail, leading toward the shore of 
  Lake Haal. A short march brings you to a forest-covered 
  hillside overlooking the lakeshore. The ancient temple 
  stands at the top of the hill, surrounded by trees that must 
  be centuries old. The winding causeway climbing up to its 
  entrance is cracked and broken by roots, and vines cover 
  the once-elegant marble dome. The building seems most-
  ly intact, although heaps of rubble and dark issures in the 
  walls show its age.  
  Vines partially choke many of the old windows 
  in the building, but missing stones in the walls 
  and holes in the roof admit light from outside. he 
  illumination inside depends on the time of day. 
  he loors are carpeted with plaster debris, leaf 
  mold, and tumbled masonry that has fallen from 
  overhead.
  1. THE PORTICO
  The front of the temple is a portico about 100 feet wide 
  and 15 feet deep. Four large columns spaced evenly 
  across the front of the building are decorated with carv-
  ings that depict the Moon in its four phases. A once-im-
  pressive double entrance leads to the temple interior; one 
  doorway is merely a heap of rubble, while a broken stone 
  door lies on the ground in the other doorway.
  No particular force destroyed the front door—it 
  was ruined by the simple passage of time. If the PCs 
  make a lot of noise out here, they may alert the can-
  nibals in area 2, who will hide and  observe the PCs.
  2. HALL OF STATUES
  The temple’s entrance leads to a large foyer that spans 
  the width of the building. Two stone doors at either end 
  of the foyer lead east into the temple interior. Four large 
  statues stand along the curving eastern wall between the 
  doors, depicting a tall, beautiful woman in robes. Each 
  statue shows her in a different pose and profession—a 
  wise healer, a caring mother, an amorous lover, and a 
  huntress armed with a bow. Dead leaves and dirt cover 
  the loor.
  he statues depict Selene, the moon goddess, in 
  four of her aspects. A character studying the statues 
  identiies them with a successful Intelligence/Reli-
  gion check (DC 15).
  Creatures (300 xp): Two Tcho-Tcho cannibals 
  (sentries from the band encamped in area 6) are 
  lurking in the shadows of the statues, keeping watch. 
  If the PCs made a lot of noise in area 1, the Tcho-
  Tcho are well-hidden (DC 20 Wisdom/Perception 
  check to spot them). Otherwise, the DC is 16.
  
  THE MOON-DOOR
  11
  he Tcho-Tcho intend to observe the party for a 
  few rounds, then slip away to the south (area 5) to 
  warn their fellows in area 6. If they need a distrac-
  tion, one tosses a pebble toward the northern corner: 
  Let the players see you roll a die, and tell them, “You 
  hear a clatter of stone near the door to the north.” 
  Any character reacting to the noise doesn’t notice 
  the Tcho-Tcho slipping out, but any other character 
  with an average Perception score of 16 or better sees 
  them make a break for it. If the cannibals manage 
  to get away, they warn the Tcho-Tcho in area 6 to 
  prepare an ambush for the PCs.
  If spotted, the Tcho-Tcho lee immediately.
  • 2 Tcho-Tcho cannibals (see appendix)
  3. SERPENT’S DEN
  It looks like this chamber might once have been a robing 
  room or sacristy, but this part of the temple is heavily 
  damaged. A large portion of the northern wall has col-
  lapsed, leaving a ten-foot wide issure in the side of the 
  building. Another doorway leading into a dark chamber 
  to the south has also collapsed. Stone doors at the east 
  and west end of this room remain intact. A heavy, musky 
  odor hangs in the air.
  his room has become the lair of a giant viper, 
  which found the issure in the wall leading outside 
  and took a liking to the dark, cool den. he Tcho-
  Tcho found out the hard way that the viper laired 
  here, and they now avoid this room.
  Creature (2,300 xp): he viper is curled up, 
  dozing among the debris and leaf-mold near the 
  eastern doorway, and is a little hard to see (DC 12 
  Wisdom/Perception check). Characters who wish to 
  pass through this room without rousing the creature 
  can attempt to do so with Dexterity/Stealth checks 
  (DC 12).
  • Giant viper (PTCS page 221)
  4. PRIESTS’
  QUARTERS
  Dank and dark, this chamber is illed with mildew-cov-
  ered furniture and debris from a partially collapsed 
  ceiling. Puddles of standing water indicate several spots 
  where the roof leaks. Among the ruined furnishings are 
  a sagging bed frame, a damaged armoire, a collapsed 
  bookshelf, and a debris-covered table.
  his room once served as the personal chambers of 
  the temple’s intendants. It’s been picked over by pre-
  vious explorers, but they missed something—a secret 
  compartment in the wall. A successful Intelligence/
  Investigation check (DC 10) reveals the old cache.
  Treasure (2,400 xp): An ebony cofer in the 
  hidden compartment contains 260 pp, seven ine 
  black pearls worth 500 gp each, a potion of vitality, 
  and an arrow of slaying extraterrenes (substitute a 
  crossbow bolt or sling bullet if you prefer).
  5. THE FONT
  CHAMBER
  A large font of white stone, about six feet in diameter, 
  stands in the middle of the eastern end of this chamber. 
  It appears to be full of clear water. Peeling murals along 
  the walls show priests performing ceremonial ablutions 
  under moonlight. Stone doors lead north and west from 
  this room, but a doorway to the east is badly dam-
  aged—a  path through the rubble opens up into a larger 
  room beyond.
  As the murals suggest, this room was used for 
  ceremonial puriication before participating in rites in 
  the main chapel (area 6 to the east). he basin water is 
  pure and wholesome, renewed by an ancient blessing.
  he Font: Any good-aligned character who 
  washes his or her hands or face in the basin receives 
  the beneit of an aid spell (no character can beneit 
  more than once per 24 hours from the efect).
  
  THE MOON-DOOR
  12
  6. SHRINE OF THE
  SILVER LADY
  This large semicircular chamber lies beneath what was 
  once a magniicent dome, although partial collapses 
  now show glimpses of sky overhead. Tall windows high 
  above the loor in the dome’s eastern side look down 
  on a twenty-foot-wide mosaic of silver and black tile 
  depicting a crescent moon, and four large pillars support 
  the dome overhead.
  To the west, a low dais about twenty feet wide leads up 
  to an altar-stone of white marble. Behind the altar, a huge 
  stone disk stands in the middle of the western wall of the 
  chamber. It appears to be covered in strange carvings.
  Characters who studied Ghilean’s notes in the 
  Lykeion instantly recognize the Moon-Door (the stone 
  disk standing against the western wall). When the PCs 
  take a closer look, read the description for area 7.
  he shrine was formerly one of the foremost tem-
  ples of Selene in all of hule. For centuries pilgrims 
  journeyed here from distant cities, until the worship 
  of Selene died out and none but a few forgotten 
  priests remained to tend her holy places. he win-
  dows in the eastern part of the dome align with the 
  rising Moon at various times of the year, serving as a 
  lunar calendar of sorts. (Any character with the Seer 
  narrative notices this automatically; others must 
  study the mosaic and succeed on a DC 15 Intelli-
  gence/Religion check to make the connection.)
  Anything valuable in this chamber was long since 
  looted, except for the altar block itself—a ine slab of 
  marble weighing more than 5,000 pounds.
  Creatures (7,500 xp or 9,600 xp): Dhargo 
  Maath arranged for some unsavory allies to guard 
  the shrine until he concludes his dealings with the 
  moon-beasts. A dozen Tcho-Tcho tribesmen—de-
  generate subhumans devoted to the Great Old 
  Ones—keep watch here, ready to waylay intruders.
  If the PCs did not notice the Tcho-Tcho scouts in 
  area 2, there are two additional cannibals here. he 
  Tcho-Tcho are all hidden, ready to spring an ambush. 
  hey conceal themselves behind the altar and among 
  the rubble piles in the corners of the room, apply 
  poison to their weapons, and strike as soon as two 
  characters are in the room. Any PC whose passive 
  Perception is 15 or better is not surprised. he Tcho-
  Tcho also have time to ready an ambush if the party 
  makes a lot of noise in areas 3 or 5.
  • 2 Tcho-Tcho lamas (see appendix)
  • 8 or 10 Tcho-Tcho cannibals (see appendix)
  If the PCs found the Tcho-Tcho in area 2 or ind 
  a way to reach this room without making much 
  noise, it’s a fair ight—the cannibals can’t ambush 
  the party.
  Development: he Tcho-Tcho are extremely sullen 
  and would almost rather die than spill information 
  to outsiders. However, if the PCs succeed in ques-
  tioning the surviving Tcho-Tcho, they learn that this 
  group of Tcho-Tcho hail from a village a day’s march 
  away. hey agreed to help Dhargo Maath and serve 
  as the Moon-Door’s guardians in exchange for his 
  help in recovering some long-lost idol, which now 
  resides in a place of honor in their squalid village. 
  he Tcho-Tcho know that the Moon-Door is a 
  magical portal and that it leads “to a place of the 
  Great Old Ones,” but they do not know how to 
  open it and they have not been to the other side. 
  hey can conirm that Dhargo Maath and a small 
  number of hranish soldiers have been coming 
  and going from the temple for months, and that a 
  prisoner matching Ghilean’s description was dragged 
  through the Moon-Door a couple of weeks ago. 
  7. THE MOON-
  DOOR
  When characters examine the stone disk at the 
  western end of the chamber more closely, read the 
  following:
  The disk with the carvings is a single piece of pale stone, 
  housed in a strange archway. The design on the disk 
  appears to be a complicated chart showing the move-
  ments of the Moon in the sky. About six feet above the 
  loor there is a large keyhole in the disk, which otherwise 
  appears to be solid stone.
  Opening the Moon-Door: he portal can be 
  opened simply by inserting the Moongold Key. 
  Other methods require careful examination and 
  access to the right sort of magic. A character who 
  studies the disk’s carvings can attempt an Intel-
  ligence/Arcana or Intelligence/Religion check 
  (DC 20) to devise an alternate method. hese 
  include:
  • A passwall or stone shape spell cast upon the
  Moon-Door activates it for 1 hour instead of
  creating its normal efect.
  • he sigils covering the door provide enough
  information to make the Moon-Door’s far end
  the target of a teleportation circle spell.
  When the portal opens, read the following:
  The stone disk begins to glow with a pearly light, and 
  one by one, bright gleams of silver shine from the sigils. 
  Within the span of ten or ifteen heartbeats, the white 
  radiance from the disk ills the chapel. Then the stone, still 
  glowing, seems to become insubstantial. You cannot see 
  through the misty stone—but suddenly a huge, monstrous 
  form bursts out of the mist!  
  
  THE MOON-DOOR
  13
  In the door’s ghostly state, a character can walk 
  right into the Moon-Door. his instantly transports 
  him or her to area 1 on the Isle of Screams (see 
  Part III). However, the Isle’s denizens know about 
  the potential of the Moon-Door and keep a sentry 
  posted by its lunar terminus. 
  Creatures (8,550 xp): A moon-beast and its 
  bodyguard (a lanky, pinkish-purple moon-thing 
  equivalent to a troll) are warned by the silvery glow 
  that the portal is about to open. Dhargo Maath 
  has informed the creature that no friends should be 
  expected to journey through the Moon-Door, so 
  the moon-beast decides to investigate for itself. he 
  moon-beast and the PCs are equally surprised, so 
  roll initiative normally.
  • Moon-beast (PTCS page 245)
  • Guardian creature (troll)
  Using the Moon-Door: A character that moves 
  into the Moon-Door while it is insubstantial is 
  transported to the other side. If the portal is acti-
  vated by the Moongold Key, it remains open for 
  1 minute after the key is removed. It can be opened 
  from either side by means of the right spell or 
  the key.
  PART III: THE ISLE 
  OF SCREAMS
  he Moon to which the Moon-Door leads is not the 
  airless, lifeless rock one might expect. Instead it’s 
  the Moon of an alternate Earth in a sort of dream- 
  dimension. It is weird, dangerous, and alien—but 
  it’s a place where humans can survive. he air is cold 
  and quite rareied; it’s roughly similar to an altitude 
  of 15,000 feet on Earth. Nights are bitterly cold, but 
  during the long lunar day the temperature rises to 
  a level comfortable for a lightly dressed human and 
  remains there until night falls.
  he speciic locale linked to the Earth through 
  the Moon-Door is a place called the Isle of Screams. 
  Once it was home to a mystic Selenite oracle, but 
  after that place fell into ruin, moon-beasts took it 
  over and built a horrible laboratory in the island’s in-
  terior. he terrible shrieks of the laboratory’s subjects 
  (humans who fell into the moon-beasts’ clutches) 
  can be heard miles away through the clear, cool air.
  Dhargo Maath igured out how to open the 
  Moon-Door using his spells, but his moon-beast 
  allies want the Moongold Key so that they can use it 
  whenever they want. Maath intends to trade the key 
  for their future cooperation.
  Environment: Due to the light gravity, PCs can 
  lift twice the normal amount of weight and jump 
  twice the normal distance. he thin air is equivalent 
  to high altitude.
  1. THE MOON-DOOR
  When a PC traverses the Moon-Door from the 
  Temple, read the text below:
  Stepping through the misty silver doorway, you ind your-
  self standing on a stone terrace beneath a dark, starry sky, 
  even though the sun is low on the horizon. The Moon-
  Door looks the same from this side—a misty barrier in the 
  shape of a great stone disk.
  The terrace stands in a clearing about a hundred yards 
  across. Ahead of you there is a ield of scarlet grass lead-
  ing up to a low bluff, which looks out over a strange, dark 
  sea. To your right stands an old ruined chapel of white 
  stone, which looks out over the sea. The air is thin and 
  cool, and you feel oddly light on your feet.
  On all other sides of the clearing a bizarre purple jungle 
  presses in close, although you can make out two distinct 
  trails leading away from the clearing—one by the ruined 
  chapel, the other behind you to your left.
  Characters who still haven’t igured out where 
  they are might recognize the moon-beasts’ home 
  with a successful Intelligence/Arcana check (DC 
  20). A few obscure tomes, such as those Ghilean was 
  studying, provide enough of a description to identify 
  
  THE MOON-DOOR
  14
  the place; the DC is only 10 for a PC who read those 
  books in Part I.
  2. RUINED CHAPEL
  This small building is a surprisingly familiar sight in such 
  a strange place. It’s an ordinary temple much like you 
  would see almost anywhere in Thule. In fact, it looks like 
  the Temple of the Moon-Door near Lake Haal, with sim-
  ilar architecture and design motifs. It seems that it was 
  abandoned long ago—a large statue of a beautiful robed 
  woman lies broken in several pieces on the loor inside 
  the temple, next to an empty pedestal. 
  he statue depicts Selene, the goddess of the 
  Moon. A character can identify the idol with a 
  successful Intelligence/Religion check (DC 15). 
  he statue was pulled down of its pedestal by 
  the moon-beasts when they took over the island. 
  A lingering blessing of Selene makes extraterrene 
  creatures uncomfortable near the chapel, so this can 
  serve as a safe place to rest if the PCs need to.
  3. LUNAR SEA
  The sea ringing the isle is oddly dark and viscous, more 
  like a thick wine than water. It has a rich, almost musty 
  smell. The waves are quite small, and there is no debris or 
  tidal range on the shore.
  he water is fresh and drinkable, if a little strange 
  to taste. No other land is in sight; characters who 
  decide to sail of in search of new lands to explore 
  can ind them after a voyage of a hundred miles or 
  so. What they ind there is outside the scope of this 
  adventure!
  4. LUNAR JUNGLE
  The jungle is like nothing you’ve ever seen in Thule. Most 
  of the vegetation is a vibrant purple in color, with bizarre-
  ly thin trunks and a profusion of feathery leaves. A sweet, 
  heady aroma spills from huge, pale blossoms that sway 
  softly with no breeze.
  he jungle is dangerous. Characters who stray 
  from the paths or clearings ind that the jungle im-
  pedes movement, and is treated as diicult terrain. 
  Anything more than 10 feet away from a character is 
  lightly obscured by the foliage, and anything more 
  than 30 feet away is heavily obscured.
  Hazard: Each time a character moves 10 feet or 
  more through the jungle, roll a d10. On a roll of 1, 
  the character stumbles into a patch of brown mold. 
  On a 2, the character stumbles into a patch of yellow 
  mold. A character trained in Nature or Survival 
  notices the danger and can avoid the mold if his or 
  her passive Perception score is 15 or better.
  Once a character has encountered both varieties 
  of mold, he or she knows what to look for and can 
  avoid this hazard in the future.
  5. THE QUAY
  The jungle path leads downhill to a strange harbor on 
  the dark sea. Several stone piers jut out into the water, 
  although no vessels are present now. A group of large, 
  bulbous buildings that look like giant examples of puffball 
  fungi stands near the waterfront; strange, round door-
  ways lead into each one.
  he moon-beasts are notorious for their gluttony 
  and avarice, sending their more warlike slaves out 
  as corsairs against other lunar civilizations. he Isle 
  of Screams serves as a base for this piracy, although 
  none of the moon-beasts’ corsairs are present when 
  the PCs visit. 
  he Doorways: he doors are made of living 
  fungal tissue as strong as hardwood; they dilate open 
  at a touch from a living creature’s hand (or tentacle, 
  as the case may be).
  he Buildings: he three large buildings located 
  near the quay are warehouses where stolen goods 
  are stored until they can be shipped back to moon-
  beast cities. he small building at the west end 
  of the harbor is the moon-beast equivalent of a 
  harbormaster’s oice, and it features a number of 
  strange wooden tablets covered in weird, dot-like 
  indentations (moon-beast cargo manifests and 
  inventories).
  Creatures (10,500 xp): A small crew of lunar 
  creatures long enslaved by the moon-beasts toil in 
  the warehouses, rearranging the cargo stored here. 
  he lunar creatures are pallid, bestial humanoids  
  equivalent to quaggoths; they are iercely loyal to 
  their masters and attack any intruders that appear 
  in the area. heir overseer is a moon-beast, keep-
  ing watch over this area from the small solitary 
  building. Any commotion (such as a pitched ight) 
  in the warehouse brings the moon-beast out to 
  investigate; it shows up at the end of the second 
  round of combat. Likewise, a ight against the 
  moon-beast brings the quaggoths hurrying to 
  defend their master.
  • Moon-beast (PTCS page 245)
  • 3 quaggoths
  Treasure (2,400 xp): Most of the cargo stored 
  here is bulky and not very valuable—for exam-
  ple, fungal timber cut from lunar forests, barrels 
  of pitch, iron ingots, and sacks of gray, oily grain. 
  
  THE MOON-DOOR
  15
  However, a group of three iron chests in the moon-
  beast’s lair hold treasure recently dropped of here 
  by moon-beast corsairs: 4,000 sp, 7,200 gp, and 
  900 pp, along with a small leather sack containing 
  nine yellow sapphires worth 1,000 gp each.  
  6. MOON-BEAST
  SLAVE STOCKADE
  A large clearing in the center of the island contains a 
  strange-looking stronghold of some kind: a group of bul-
  bous, dome-like buildings huddled together like a patch 
  of puffball fungi. Jungle paths lead away from this clearing 
  to the north, south, and west. Strange, round doorways 
  lead into each building. From somewhere inside comes 
  a horrible, thin piping sound, along with the tortured 
  groans and baying of some large beast.
  his area is the center of the moon-beast’s activi-
  ties on the isle, and it’s the reason why this place is 
  known as the Isle of Screams. he three southern 
  domes of the structure serve as the moon-beast 
  equivalents of a barracks, shrine, and mess hall. 
  he doorways leading into the domes (and the 
  doors between the domes) are the same as those de-
  scribed in area 5—living fungal tissue that dilates 
  open at a touch.
  Barracks: Humanoids from hule might not 
  recognize this room for what it is, because there are 
  no bunks. Instead, this chamber (the largest of the 
  southern group) is illed with two dozen “resting 
  pools”—shallow pools of foul water surrounded 
  by nest-like walls of slick, gray stone, perfect for a 
  moon-beast to wallow in.
  Shrine: his small chamber, the smallest of the 
  southern group, features a foul idol depicting an eye-
  less, faceless three-legged thing—a depiction of the 
  Great Old One Nyarlathotep (a successful DC 20 
  Intelligence/Arcana or Religion check identiies 
  the idol). 
  Mess Hall: he chamber with the doorway facing 
  east is the moon-beast mess hall. It consists of 
  larders stocked with dismembered bodies preserved 
  in a strange pickling jelly—some human, some from 
  lunar beasts no human has ever seen.
  Creatures (11,700 xp): he facilities here could 
  easily support a couple of dozen moon-beasts, but 
  at the moment the Isle hosts nothing more than a 
  skeleton crew. Two moon-beasts are resting in the 
  barracks area, although they quickly rouse them-
  selves to investigate any commotion in the other 
  portions of this complex. hey attack any intrud-
  ers they ind, hoping to capture useful slaves—or 
  tasty meals.
  • 2 moon-beasts (PTCS page 245)
  7. THE PIT
  This large dome is clearly the origin of the strange piping 
  music and bestial howls you heard from outside. The loor 
  is hollowed out into a huge, shallow pit illed with oddly 
  shaped stone tables and bizarre machines of sinister 
  purpose. A huge, pallid moon-beast squats on the loor 
  of the pit, clumsily playing a pipe-like instrument in its 
  paws. A blue, winged beast with scales, feelers, and a 
  long stinger is chained to a table next to the moon-beast. 
  It writhes and hisses in misery.
  his portion of the moon-beast base is given over 
  to the monsters’ favorite pastime: torturing things 
  that fall into their power. he loor of the pit is 
  about 10 feet below the rim, which forms a 10-foot 
  wide path just inside the wall of the dome. he stone 
  tables are itted with shackles that can be adjusted 
  to it creatures of a variety of sizes and body forms; 
  the strange machines are the moon-beasts’ iendish 
  torture implements.
  Creatures (9,300 xp): he creature being tor-
  tured by the moon-beast is the lunar equivalent of 
  a wyvern. It is more brightly colored and insect-like 
  in appearance than a terrestrial example, but it’s 
  otherwise the same. When the moon-beast becomes 
  aware of the presence of intruders, it uses an action 
  to yank a lever that releases the wyvern from its 
  bonds. Instead of attacking its tormentor as one 
  might expect, the creature springs at the nearest 
  intruder in sight.
  • Moon-beast (PTCS page 245)
  • Wyvern
  Development: If any PCs fall into the moon-
  beasts’ clutches elsewhere on the isle, the moon-
  beasts bring them to this room and chain them up 
  in preparation for hideous torture. 
  8. HOUSE OF
  DHARGO MAATH
  At the northern end of the isle, the jungle gives way 
  to a clearing of scarlet grass. Here stands a stone villa 
  at the cliff-edge, overlooking the dark sea. Close by, a 
  small tower stands at the very point of the headland. The 
  villa and the tower are well-maintained, with manicured 
  gardens and freshly painted shutters and doors. They 
  appear to be examples of typical Thulean architecture, 
  similar to the houses of the wealthy in places such as 
  Ikath or Thran.
  After striking his bargain with the moon-beasts, 
  the wizard Dhargo Maath had his servants repair 
  and refurbish an ancient Selenite retreat to serve 
  
  THE MOON-DOOR
  16
  as his own secure hideout and sanctum sancto-
  rum—a wise precaution, given the bitter rivalries 
  dividing the Black Circle. Here Maath is far out 
  of the reach of his enemies back home, and he can 
  indulge his scholarly interests in the bizarre lora and 
  fauna to be found on the Moon.
  he Manor: Maath’s home is comfortable, not 
  luxurious; ferrying rich furnishings through the 
  Moon-Door is tedious and diicult, especially with-
  out the Moongold Key. here is a bedchamber with 
  a rather plain bed, a dining room with a ine table 
  and only two chairs (salvaged from the old Sele-
  nite ruins here), a kitchen stocked with rich viands 
  and preserves (Maath is a gourmand and dines 
  well when he is here), and several guest rooms (all 
  empty). When the PCs arrive, Maath is engaged in 
  research in his tower, a humble structure separated 
  from the manor itself by a ifty-foot path.
  he Tower: he tower consists of three stories: 
  a laboratory on the ground loor, a conjury on the 
  second loor, and an observatory on the third loor. 
  he third loor is the only loor with windows. 
  When the PCs enter the tower, add:
  This appears to be a wizard’s workroom. Alchemical ap-
  paratuses are arranged on worktables by the wall; scrolls 
  and texts are scattered about in disorder, along with jars 
  of strange reagents and odd keepsakes. In one corner, an 
  upright, cofin-like chamber of glass holds the uncon-
  scious body of a human woman in scholar’s robes, about 
  60 years of age. A light of steps leads up to a conjury 
  above, guarded by a ierce-looking minotaur.
  he woman in the glass chamber is Ghilean. She 
  is currently sufering from the slave-stupor caused 
  by the touch of a moon-beast, and the magic of 
  Maath’s glass chamber keeps her in that state until 
  she is removed. If questioned, she remembers little 
  of her ordeal after the moon-beasts attacked her in 
  the Lykeion.    
  Creatures (13,650 xp): A minotaur stands watch 
  in the laboratory. he creature is fanatically loyal 
  to Dhargo Maath, roaring a warning the instant it 
  detects a threat. Dhargo Maath himself is upstairs in 
  the conjury, making preparations for a scrying rite.
  • Black Circle wizard (PTCS page 227)
  • Minotaur
  If combat appears inevitable, Maath begins by 
  casting visions of madness. If things appear to be 
  going poorly, he attempts to escape by climbing to 
  the observatory and slipping out the window, in-
  tending to make his way to the Moon-Door or seek 
  the aid of his moon-beast allies.
  Roleplaying Maath: While Maath greets any 
  would-be assassins with every spell at his command, 
  he is not unwilling to negotiate if the PCs. If warned 
  by his minotaur, Maath descends halfway down the 
  stairs and demands, “Who are you, and what are 
  you doing here?” He wants to know how the PCs 
  found him and determine whether they are a threat 
  that must be neutralized.
  Maath is conident and unapologetic; he feels 
  little remorse at reports of deaths or damage at the 
  Lykeion. Above all, he is pragmatic and eicient, 
  which means that he is perfectly willing to pay the 
  PCs to make them go away. Speciically, Maath is 
  willing to trade Ghilean in exchange for the Moon-
  gold Key; he igures that once he delivers the key 
  to his moon-beast allies, his position will be secure 
  enough that Ghilean’s knowledge will no longer 
  pose a threat to him.
  Treasure (2,400 xp): Dhargo Maath does not 
  bother to keep much in the way of conventional 
  wealth in his lunar refuge. A sturdy wooden cofer 
  in the manor’s bedroom contains 800 gp and 
  220 pp, plus six assorted gemstones worth 100 gp 
  each. He carries a potion of invisibility and a potion 
  of healing on his person, and the curios in Maath’s 
  library include two rare magic items of your choice. 
  
  THE MOON-DOOR
  17
  CONCLUSION
  Rescuing Ghilean from the Isle of Screams solves 
  the mystery of her disappearance from the Lykeion 
  and completes the PCs’ initial mission. Whether 
  the PCs go on to defeat Dhargo Maath (and per-
  haps destroy the Moon-Door) is up to them. If the 
  PCs rescue Ghilean but leave Dhargo Maath free 
  to make use of his moon-beast allies, the wizard 
  soon makes use of that relationship to climb the 
  ranks of the Black Circle and concoct even more 
  threatening plots.
  For her own part, Ghilean is deeply grateful to 
  the PCs for rescuing her. As soon as she comes out 
  of the stupor afecting her, she urges the characters 
  to destroy or block the Moon-Door in order to 
  prevent the moon-beasts from traveling to the Earth 
  by that means. She also provides the PCs with a 
  scroll, tome, or map pointing them toward a future 
  adventure to express her gratitude.  
  APPENDIX
  THE TCHO-TCHO
  Hateful and depraved, the Tcho-Tcho are a race 
  of near-humans given over to the worship of dark, 
  prehuman deities. hey are zealous servants of the 
  Great Old Ones, and unlike the more alien beings 
  that also worship the primordial gods that ruled 
  over the Earth, they are just human enough to carry 
  out missions for their masters among the more 
  civilized peoples of hule without attracting undue 
  attention. Most huleans believe the Tcho-Tcho to 
  be nothing more than a clannish, unfriendly tribal 
  people with peculiar religious traditions.
  he Tcho-Tcho are short, wiry, and hirsute, 
  with long arms, wide mouths, and surprising 
  strength for their slight statures. Most other 
  people ind the Tcho-Tcho to be unpleasant at 
  best. In turn, Tcho-Tcho hate other peoples, espe-
  cially true humans.
  he Primeval Thule Gamemaster’s Companion 
  describes the Tcho-Tcho in greater detail.
  TCHO-TCHO CANNIBAL  
  CR 1/2 
  CE Small humanoid (human) 
  XP 100
  Senses average Perception 13
  Languages Dhari, Tcho-Tcho 
  BASE STATS
  AC 15 (leather)
  hp 22 (4d6+8) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  ABILITY SCORES
  Str 13 (+1), Dex 16 (+3), Con 15 (+2)
  Int 10 (+0), Wis 13 (+1), Cha 8 (–1)
  TRAITS
  Skills Perception +3, Stealth +6, Survival +3
  Hateful Tcho-Tcho gain tactical advantage on saves 
  against being charmed. Deception and Persuasion 
  checks against Tcho-Tcho are made with tactical 
  disadvantage.
  Poison Use The cannibal can use an action to apply 
  poison to a weapon. The poison remains potent for 1 
  minute. Any creature hit by a weapon coated in Tcho-
  Tcho poison must make a Con save (DC 10) or take 
  1d6 poison damage and be poisoned for 1 minute. The 
  creature may make a new save at the end of its turn 
  each round to end the effect, but if it misses 3 saves, it 
  falls unconscious for 1d4 hours.
  Sneak Attack The cannibal deals an extra 1d6 damage 
  when it hits a target and has tactical advantage on the 
  attack roll or when the target is threatened by an ally of 
  the Tcho-Tcho.
  Equipment leather armor, short bow, bronze handaxe, 
  3 doses of Tcho-Tcho poison.
  COMBAT ACTIONS
  Handaxe (melee weapon) Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. 
  or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6+1 slashing 
  damage.
  Shortbow (ranged weapon) Attack: +5 to hit, range 
  80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6+3 piercing damage.
  TCHO-TCHO LAMA  
  CR 4 
  CE Small humanoid (human) 
  XP 1,100
  Senses average Perception 16
  Languages Dhari, Mi-Go, Tcho-Tcho 
  BASE STATS
  AC 16 (none)
  hp 49 (9d6+18) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  ABILITY SCORES
  Str 11 (+0), Dex 14 (+2), Con 15 (+2)
  Int 12 (+1), Wis 19 (+4), Cha 12 (+1)
  TRAITS
  Saves Dex +4, Int +3, Wis +6, Cha +3
  Skills Medicine +6, Perception +6, Religion +3, Stealth +4 
  Hateful Tcho-Tcho gain tactical advantage on saves 
  against being charmed. Deception and Persuasion 
  checks against Tcho-Tcho are made with tactical 
  disadvantage.
  Spells The lama is a 7th-level caster. Its spellcasting abil-
  ity is Wisdom (save DC 14, +6 attack).
  At Will: guidance, ray of frost, resistance
  1st level (4): bless, command, protection from good
  2nd level (3): cure wounds, hold person, pass without 
  trace
  3rd level (3): animate dead, bestow curse
  4th level (2): blight, summon nightgaunt*
  * see Primeval Thule Campaign Setting, Chapter 7
  Equipment robes, fetish stick 
  COMBAT ACTIONS
  Multiattack The lama attacks twice with its open hand 
  technique.
  Open Hand (melee weapon) Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 1d6+2 bludgeoning damage. If the 
  lama hits a creature twice in the same round with open 
  hand attacks, the creature must make a Con save (DC 
  14) or be stunned until the end of the lama’s next turn.
  Fetish Stick (ranged spell) Attack: +6 to hit, range 30 ft., 
  one creature. Hit: 2d6+4 psychic damage, and the 
  target must make a Cha save (DC 14) or be frightened 
  until the end of the lama’s next turn.
  
  THE MOON-DOOR
  18
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