TEXT: KEO7-07 
   
   
   
   
  The Stalkyard 
  A One-Round D&D® LIVING GREYHAWKTM  
  Keoland Regional Adventure 
  Version 4.4.1 
   
  by Charles Skidmore 
  Reviewer: Keoland Triad 
   
  Circle Reviewer: Steven Conforti 
  As an unusually hot Keoish summer fades into autumn, events on the western border of the Empire 
  continue to smolder. The truth is now filtering to the ears of Keoish citizens: war has come to the western 
  marches and with every passing day marches eastward to Niole Dra. As the Keoish Empire reels from 
  this sudden onslaught, a bold counterattack is planned on the heart of the assaulting forces: Godakin 
  Keep. But is the assault a diversion, a suicide mission, or a stroke of genius? Only time will tell, because 
  only the survivors author the histories. 
  A Keoland regional adventure for APLs 8-12, and Part Four of the To the Last Man Standing series. This 
  is a direct sequel to KEO6-04 Old Sins Cast Long Shadows, KEO7-04 Castlefall and KEO7-06 Bright 
  Scaled Horror. It is recommended that those adventures be played first if possible. 
   
   
  Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
  ® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & 
  DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. 
   
  This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission of 
  Wizards of the Coast. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 SYSTEM license, please visit 
  www.wizards.com/d20. 
   
  This is an official RPGA
  ® play document. To find out more about the RPGA and to learn more on how you can sanction and run 
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game events of all sizes, visit our website at www.rpga.com. 
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK, LIVING GREYHAWK, D&D REWARDS, RPGA, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc, in the US and other countries. This material is 
  protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork 
  contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. 
  Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. © 2005 Wizards of the Coast, Inc and the 
  adventure author or authors. 
   
  Visit the LIVING GREYHAWK website at www.rpga.com. 
  For questions specific to this document and your region please e-mail your triad point of contact (POC) at 
  keolandpoc@adelphia.net.  For LIVING GREYHAWK campaign questions email rpgahq@wizards.com. 
  
  RPGA SANCTIONED PLAY 
  Most likely you ordered this adventure as part of 
  an RPGA even from the RPGA website, or you 
  received it from your senior gamemaster. To play 
  this adventure as part of the LIVING GREYHAWK 
  campaign—a worldwide, ongoing D&D campaign 
  set in the GREYHAWK setting—you must sanction it 
  as part of an RPGA event. This event could be as 
  elaborate as a big convention, or as simple as a 
  group of friends meeting at the DM’s house.  
   
  To sanction an RPGA event, you must be at 
  least a HERALD-LEVEL gamemaster. The person 
  who sanctions the event is called the senior 
  gamemaster, and is in charge of making sure the 
  event is sanctioned before play, runs smoothly on 
  the date sanctioned, and then reported back to the 
  RPGA in a timely manner. The person who runs 
  the game is called the table Dungeon Master (or 
  usually just DM). Sometimes (and almost all the 
  time in the cases of home events) the senior 
  gamemaster is also the table DM. You don’t have 
  to be a HERALD-LEVEL GM to run this adventure if 
  you are not the senior GM.  
   
  By sanctioning and reporting this adventure 
  you accomplish a couple of things. First it is an 
  official game, and you can use the AR to advance 
  your LIVING GREYHAWK character. Second player 
  and DMs gain rewards for sanctioned RPGA play 
  if they are members of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 
  REWARDS program. Playing this adventure is worth 
  two (2) points.  
   
  This adventure retires from RPGA-sanctioned 
  play on December 31, 2007.  
   
  To learn more about the LIVING GREYHAWK 
  character creation and development, RPGA event 
  sanctioning, and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS REWARDS, 
  visit the RPGA website at www.rpga.com. 
  PLAYERS READ NO 
  FARTHER 
  If you are planning on playing this adventure, stop 
  reading now. The rest of the information in this 
  adventure is for the DM only. If you read farther 
  than this section, you’ll know too much about its 
  challenges, which kills the fun. Also, if you’re 
  playing this adventure as part of an RPGA-
  sanctioned event, reading beyond this point 
  makes you ineligible to do so.
  PREPARING FOR PLAY 
  To get the most out of this adventure, you need 
  copies of the following D&D books: Player’s 
  Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the 
  Monster Manual.  
  Throughout this adventure, text in bold italics 
  provides player information for you to paraphrase 
  or read aloud when appropriate. Sidebars contain 
  important information for you, including special 
  instruction on running the adventure. Information 
  on nonplayer characters (NPCs) and monsters 
  appear in abbreviated form in the adventure text. 
  Full information on NPCs and monsters are given 
  in the Appendices.  
  Along with this adventure you’ll find a RPGA Table 
  Tracking sheet. If you’re playing this adventure as 
  part of an RPGA-sanctioned event, complete and 
  turn in this sheet to your senior GM directly after 
  play. You’ll also find a LIVING GREYHAWK 
  Adventure Record (AR).  
  LIVING GREYHAWK LEVELS 
  OF PLAY 
  Because players bring their own characters to 
  LIVING 
  GREYHAWK 
  games, 
  this 
  adventure’s 
  challenges are proportionate to the modified 
  average character level of the PCs participating in 
  the adventure. To determine this modified Average 
  Party Level (APL) follow the steps below: 
  1. Determine the character level for each of the 
  PCs participating in the adventure. 
  2. If PCs bring animals that have been trained for 
  combat (most likely dogs trained for war), 
  other than those brought by virtue of a class 
  ability (such as animal companions, familiars 
  paladin’s mounts) or the warhorse of a 
  character with the Mounted Combat feat, use 
  the sidebar chart to determine the number of 
  levels you add to the sum of step one. Add 
  each character’s animals separately. A single 
  PC may only bring four or fewer animals of 
  this type, and animals with different CRs are 
  added separately.  
  3. Sum the results of step 1 and 2, and divide by 
  the number of characters playing in the 
  adventure. Round to the nearest whole 
  number. 
  4. If you are running a table of six PCs, add one 
  to that average. 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 1 
  
  Throughout this adventure, APLs categorize the 
  level of challenge the PCs face. APLS are given in 
  even-numbered increments. If the APL of your 
  group falls on an odd number, ask them before the 
  adventure begins whether they would like to play a 
  harder or easier adventure. Based on their choice, 
  use either the higher or the lower adjacent APL. 
   
  APL also affects the amount of experience 
  and gold a PC can gain at the end of the 
  adventure. If a player character is three character 
  levels or more either higher or lower than the APL 
  at which this adventure is being played, that 
  character receives only one-half of the experience 
  points and gold for the adventure. This simulates 
  the fact that either the PC was not challenged as 
  much as normal or relied on help by higher-level 
  characters to reach the objectives.  
   
  Furthermore, a PC who is four or more levels 
  higher than the highest APL supported by the 
  adventure may not play the adventure. 
   
   
  LIVING GREYHAWK adventures are designed for 
  APL 2 and higher. Four or five 1st-level characters 
  may find the challenge of an APL 2 adventure 
  difficult. Suggest the following to these groups to 
  help increase their chances of success:  
  1. Enlist a sixth player. 
  2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help 
  protect them, and fight for them. 
  TIME UNITS AND UPKEEP 
  This is a standard one-round Regional adventure, 
  set in Keoland.  Characters native to Keoland pay 
  one Time Unit per round, all others pay two Time 
  Units per round. 
   
  Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12 gp 
  per Time Unit.  Rich Upkeep costs 50 gp per Time 
  Unit.  Luxury Upkeep costs 100 gp per Time Unit. 
  Characters that fail to pay at least Standard 
  Upkeep will retain temporary ability damage until 
  the 
  next 
  adventure, 
  must 
  buy 
  new 
  spell 
  component pouches and healer’s kits, and may 
  suffer other in-game penalties (or possibly gain in-
  game benefits) as may be detailed in this 
  adventure. 
   
  A character who does not pay for at least 
  Standard Upkeep may also avoid the above-
  described penalties by living off the wild.  If the 
  character possesses four or more ranks in the 
  Survival skill and succeeds at a Survival check 
  (DC 20), the character will heal temporary ability 
  damage as if he or she paid for Standard Upkeep, 
  may refill spell component pouches and healer’s 
  kits, and may restock up to 20 arrows or bolts if 
  the character has at least four ranks in Craft 
  (bowmaking).  The player is allowed to Take 10 on 
  this roll. 
  # of Animals 
  Mundane 
  Animals Effect 
  on APL 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  1/4 & 1/6 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  1 
  1/3 & 1/2 
  0 
  0 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  2 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  3 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  6 
  4 
  4 
  6 
  7 
  8 
  5 
  5 
  7 
  8 
  9 
  6 
  6 
  8 
  9 
  10 
  CR of Animal 
  7 
  7 
  9 
  10 
  11 
   
  More information about Lifestyle and Upkeep 
  can be found in the “Lifestyle and Upkeep” section 
  of Chapter 3 of the LIVING GREYHAWK Campaign 
  Sourcebook. 
  ADVENTURE BACKGROUND 
  The Empire of Keoland has begun to face its 
  darkest hours. Without warning an unknown force 
  of creatures assaulted and sacked Godakin Keep 
  on the western border. These creatures have 
  begun a systematic move eastward, and the 
  Empire is desperate for time while it sends out 
  recall orders and requests for assistance to its 
  neighbors in the Sheldomar Valley. 
  In KEO7-04 Castlefall a group of enterprising 
  heroes rescued an important artifact from a secret 
  vault constructed beneath Godakin Keep, thereby 
  thwarting some of the invader’s plans. In KEO7-06 
  Bright Scaled Horror another group of heroes 
  rescued the kin of the vault’s guardian, a Brass 
  Dragon who made its home in the Good Hills.  
  The invading forces have now begun to spread 
  their advance, marching on Cryllor and sacking 
  several small outlying towns in the Good Hills. The 
  Keoish Royal Standards have begun to fortify the 
  town of Black Top in the Good Hills in order to 
  make a strong bastion in the region to operate 
  from. 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 2 
  
  In Niole Dra, Field Marshal Vandon Neheli has 
  decided to put the troops under his command to 
  better use. After consulting with his distant 
  relative, Count Orloc Neheli, the two brought a 
  plan to the attention of the master of the Silent 
  Tower; the Wyrd. This plan is simple; Field 
  Marshal Neheli will use a magical portal created 
  and owned by the Neheli family to lead his Royal 
  Standards on a direct assault of Godakin Keep. In 
  order to assure the maximum confusion the Field 
  Marshal will have a diversionary assault on one of 
  the towns overrun by the Horde; the town of Kilm. 
  The town of Kilm was once a small farming 
  satellite of Godakin Keep. In the months since 
  Godakin Keep fell, it suffered no calamity until a 
  sudden message was delivered to Niole Dra 
  claiming that the town was being assaulted in the 
  night. No further communications from Kilm 
  ensued and magical scrying has revealed a 
  horrible tableau; the town of Kilm has been turned 
  into some sort of grand magical experiment, with 
  captive Keoish citizens being tortured and 
  experimented upon. The town is now under the 
  direct command of a small force of Marru, led by 
  the fallen Hound Archon Gustavren. 
  ADVENTURE SUMMARY 
  In the Introduction, the heroes are brought up to 
  speed on the latest goings on in the Empire and 
  are approached by Field Marshal Vandon Neheli, 
  who is in charge of the forces detailed in Niole Dra 
  proper. The Field Marshal thanks the heroes for 
  their service to the Empire and then asks the 
  heroes to accompany him for a meeting of special 
  importance. The heroes are reintroduced to the 
  Wyrd and to Count Orloc Neheli, who have 
  requested the heroes’ aid in creating a secondary 
  target for the assault. This target is actually the 
  town of Kilm, which has been sacked and turned 
  into an enemy bastion. The Wyrd and Orloc 
  believe that Kilm is being used as a crèche, or a 
  breeding ground for the Marru. They will ask the 
  heroes to lead an assault on the crèche to kill an 
  old nemesis, a fallen hound archon, and to attempt 
  to destroy the crèche. 
  In Encounter One the heroes prepare for battle 
  and use a teleport circle owned by house Neheli to 
  gain entrance to the town of Kilm. As they arrive 
  they watch a sizeable force of Marru teleport out, 
  presumably to rush to Godakin Keep’s aid.  
  In Encounter Two the heroes will be able to 
  reconnoiter the current town of Kilm and either 
  bypass or overwhelm a small group of defenders 
  who are processing a prominent Keoish citizen for 
  a transformation into a Marru within the crèche. 
  In Encounter Three the heroes will enter the 
  Stalkyard, an interior maze that protects the Kilm 
  crèche.  
  In Encounter Four the heroes will have the 
  opportunity to loot the Kilm school of magic for 
  information and determine some more of what the 
  Marru intend to do. 
  In Encounter Five the heroes will meet the figure 
  who controls the forces of the Marru, a being who 
  will call himself The Returned. They will see for 
  themselves that the forces he controls are far 
  more than a few simple creatures and he will offer 
  the heroes a choice: they may join his forces and 
  help lead his armies to victory in exchange for 
  overwhelming power.  
  In Encounter Six the heroes return to Niole Dra to 
  find that The Returned’s forces have crushed the 
  Keoish counterattack at Godakin Keep.  
  PREPARATION FOR PLAY 
  Determine if any hero is a Knight of the Watch. If 
  they are, prepare Player Handout One. They will 
  have an additional set of instructions. 
  Determine if any hero is a Knight of the Malagari 
  (Darkwatch). If they are, prepare Player Handout 
  Two. They will have an additional set of 
  instructions. 
  Determine if any hero is a Silent One. (All heroes 
  who are Woestaves are considered Silent Ones 
  for the purpose of this determination). If they are, 
  prepare Player Handout Three. They will have an 
  additional set of instructions. 
  Have any PC who can make a Knowledge 
  (Monstrous Humanoid) check and record this 
  result. This indicates the PC’s knowledge of Marru 
  physiology. This is particularly necessary to know 
  in Encounter Two, where the PCs may be 
  surprised by the Marru. Any PC who has the AR 
  item Desert Dissection from KEO7-04 Castlefall 
  knows all general details of Marrutacts and 
  Marrusaults, as listed. Refresh the players’ 
  knowledge before Encounter One.  
  Finally, the introduction contains a large amount of 
  read-aloud text. This is necessary in order to 
  convey a lot of the newest changes in Keoland to 
  the heroes. After the introduction the adventure 
  becomes 
  much 
  more 
  adaptable, 
  so 
  it 
  is 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 3 
  
  recommended that you prepare to adjust events 
  on the fly for your table.  
  INTRODUCTION 
  As the sun makes its way down the western 
  path towards the Jotuns, the heat from an 
  unusually intense Keoish summer begins to 
  fade with it. Everywhere you look, the common 
  folk of the city are preparing to end another 
  day. They are closing up shops, they are 
  mucking out stables, they are headed to their 
  homes and families. 
  A precious few understand how fragile their 
  existence is. Keoland, the Lion Throne, 
  mightiest of the nations of the Sheldomar 
  Valley, has been invaded. At this very moment, 
  the western border is embroiled in fighting 
  such as has not been seen on a scale since 
  Keoland’s imperialistic phase hundreds of 
  years ago. 
  Every 
  day 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  people 
  who 
  understands grows larger. Every day another 
  son is conscripted into the Royal Standards, 
  every 
  day 
  another 
  shop’s 
  products 
  are 
  purchased by the newly formed Ministry of 
  Keoish Security.  
  The rumors have finally reached an inevitable 
  chorus: Godakin Keep is gone, Black Top is a 
  staging ground, and no word has come from 
  Cryllor in weeks. It is even rumored that the 
  long-disused Dragon Rock has had a nocturnal 
  visitor within the last few nights. Few in Niole 
  Dra sleep well these days. 
  You and your companions have escaped the 
  growing sense of dread in the common folk by 
  deciding to take dinner at the Beaten Black, a 
  recently 
  constructed 
  tavern 
  that 
  caters 
  specifically to those who label themselves with 
  the dangerous title of adventurer. The tavern 
  itself is unremarkable save for its namesake. 
  Hanging over the bar is a massive tooth carved 
  with runes and topped in a gold cap. It is easily 
  over seven feet long and the proprietors claim 
  that it is an actual incisor pulled from the 
  mouth of a Black Dragon slain in the 
  Dreadwood. 
  The tavern is full to overflowing and you find 
  yourself at a mixed table of people like 
  yourself. 
  At this point have the heroes introduce themselves 
  and make any decisions about how they came to 
  be in this place. Prepare any applicable player 
  handouts. When the heroes are settled in they will 
  each be approached by a serving girl with a 
  message for them. 
  As the steaming plates of your food begin to 
  arrive, a pretty young serving girl crouches 
  down to eye level. Smiling at you, she talks 
  just loud enough to be heard over the din of 
  the tavern. 
  “I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m to ask you to 
  follow me to one of our private suites. There’s 
  someone who wishes a moment of your time.” 
  The girl knows nothing of who sent her to the 
  heroes, only that she was specifically told by her 
  boss the tavern keeper who to talk to. The tavern 
  keeper is nowhere to be found at this point (he is 
  upstairs tending to his guests).  
  If the heroes are reticent to go, the serving girl will 
  offer to bring their meal with them. Further 
  hesitation will resort to the serving girl almost 
  pleading with the heroes to go, as she does not 
  wish to get in trouble. If a hero refuses to go to the 
  private rooms, they are at risk of missing the 
  adventure.  
  The heroes are taken to a well appointed private 
  suite which the tavern keeper is just leaving as 
  they arrive. In the front room is a figure of the 
  Keoish military, Field Marshal Vandon Neheli. 
  Dressed in a stylish parade uniform, the Field 
  Marshal cuts an impressive figure. Standing well 
  over six feet tall, he is obviously Suel but appears 
  to have traces of some other bloodline from a 
  distant relative which gives him a slightly exotic 
  and appealing look. The Field Marshal is friendly 
  and smiles at the heroes before ushering them in 
  and offering them refreshments while apologizing 
  for having their meal disturbed. 
  A Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) DC: 15 will 
  tell the heroes that the title of Field Marshal is one 
  recently created by the Royal Standards, with only 
  a handful of postings. The two most well known 
  Field Marshals are Perrinac Rhola and Vandon 
  Neheli, whom are both intensely loyal to King 
  Kimbertos. 
  A Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) DC: 20 will 
  tell the heroes that Vandon Neheli is rumored to 
  be a distant relation of Holphin Neheli, from a 
  branch of the family that was recently elevated in 
  order to help restore the prestige of the family 
  name. 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 4 
  
  A Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) DC: 25 will 
  tell the heroes that the Field Marshal is rumored to 
  be in command of the Royal Standards stationed 
  in Niole Dra proper, and that the established Royal 
  Standard hierarchy was none too pleased with the 
  recent creation of the posting. 
  Allow the heroes to introduce themselves to Field 
  Marshal Vandon. When they are all in the room he 
  will make a great show out of locking the door and 
  closing the curtains from prying eyes before 
  speaking. Read or paraphrase the following. 
  “Thank you gentlefolk for interrupting your day 
  to hear me out. I am Field Marshal Vandon 
  Neheli, and it is my duty to charge you with a 
  task in the name of the Lion Throne. First, 
  some background. 
  As you may have heard, Godakin Keep on our 
  western border has fallen. Keoland herself has 
  been invaded and faces dire peril. Despite 
  what you may have heard about the prowess 
  of the Royal Standards the harsh reality is that 
  we are currently fighting a holding action while 
  we attempt to buy time to organize our 
  defenses. The Good Hills are becoming a 
  battleground and all communication from 
  Cryllor has ceased. 
  I 
  have 
  received 
  approval 
  for 
  a 
  daring 
  counterattack, which is where you come in. 
  Before I can explain any more, I must have 
  your agreement. If you cannot give it, I 
  understand; but I will have to ask you to leave 
  and say nothing of what has transpired here. 
  Can you agree to lead a force of Royal 
  Standards in this counterattack? 
  The heroes may agree, decline, or ask for more 
  details. Some potential questions are listed here. 
  “How large of a force will we be leading?” 
  “You will be responsible for the leading and 
  protection of twenty Royal Standards while 
  they accomplish their mission.” 
  “What mission will they be performing?” 
  “I cannot answer that until you agree to lead 
  them, unfortunately. Now you see why I 
  needed people of a certain moral fiber.” 
  If the heroes repeat this question after reciting the 
  oath, Vandon will tell the heroes that the Royal 
  Standards are tasked with the destruction of 
  valuable enemy supplies within Kilm. If the heroes 
  press, tell them whatever is necessary to move 
  them along. The Royal Standards won’t be making 
  the fulltrip with the heroes.  
  “Where will we be going? Niole Dra is a bit far 
  from the fighting.” 
  “Magical transportation will be provided for 
  you. In fact, it will be necessary for the 
  success of your goals. Other than that, I 
  cannot tell you exactly where you will be going 
  until you agree.” 
  If the heroes ask for more general information: 
  “The only other piece of information that I can 
  give you is that your task will be very 
  dangerous. Should you require it, you can be 
  compensated accordingly. The Lion Throne is 
  not without gratitude.” 
  Answer any other questions the heroes may have. 
  If they agree, proceed to the following introduction. 
  If they cannot age to these terms, Field Marshal 
  Vandon will voice his regret, attempt to persuade 
  the heroes one last time, and then finally show any 
  who wish to leave out. 
  Once the heroes agree: 
  Field Marshal Vandon nods briskly and smiles. 
  He clears his throat meaningfully and speaks, 
  taking the time to look each of you in the eyes 
  while the syllables roll from his tongue like 
  honeyed water. 
  “Please repeat after me: I swear an oath by my 
  blood to never reveal the proceedings here, in 
  the name of the Lion Throne. Let Dalt lock my 
  tongue should I fail.” 
  If the heroes are suddenly antsy about swearing 
  an oath by their blood, they have good reason. 
  Vandon will explain that it is something he is 
  required to ask for this situation “by his superiors.” 
  Any hero who balks at this will be given another 
  chance to recite the oath. Refusal will mean that 
  the hero will be shown the door while Vandon tells 
  them that he understands their reluctance. 
  Finally, once the heroes are done swearing 
  ominous oaths, Vandon will introduce them to two 
  more important pieces to this puzzle. 
  As you repeat the oath, the slight sound of 
  bells tolling rings through the building. Seven 
  bells, then silence. Field Marshal Vandon 
  smiles at you warmly, a twinkle reaching his 
  eyes. It is easy to see why he has quickly built 
  a reputation as a man others would die to 
  follow. He moves to the suites’ other door, 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 5 
  
  opening it soundlessly, and then dropping to 
  one knee. 
  Soundlessly, two men enter the room, each 
  touching 
  Field 
  Marshal 
  Vandon 
  on 
  the 
  shoulder as they pass. The first is tall and 
  appears of moderate build, wearing floor 
  length white robes. His face is covered with a 
  black iron mask. Piercing blue eyes show 
  through the eyeslits, decorated to appear as 
  though trails of tears run down his cheeks. 
  The second is short and hunched, skin 
  emaciated and as dry as sun-kissed desert. 
  Dirty, dull black robes puddle around his feet 
  as he lurches alongside his companion. His 
  fingers are long and filthy, nails crusted with 
  unknown detritus. He is completely bald, 
  making his piercing blue eyes stand out all the 
  more on his pale face. 
  These two men are a pair of Keoland’s most 
  powerful magical practitioners. The first is the 
  Wyrd, master of the Silent Tower and leader of 
  those known as the Silent Ones. Heroes may have 
  met him in several recent adventures, including 
  KEO6-04 Old Sins Cast Long Shadows and 
  KEO7-04 Castlefall.  
  The second is Count Orloc Neheli, famous and 
  secretive wizard of House Neheli. The heroes may 
  have met him through several Keoland regionals 
  and interactives, including KEO4-03 Lasting 
  Deeds and KEO5-05 Burning Brightly. 
  Both of these men can be identified with a 
  Knowledge (Metaregion 1/Sheldomar Valley) 
  DC: 15.  
  The Wyrd will greet the heroes. Read or 
  paraphrase the following. 
  “Peace to you, travelers. We do not have much 
  time, so I shall endeavor to make this short. As 
  the Field Marshal can tell you, Keoland is in 
  dire straits. The western border as we know it 
  no longer exists, and magic more powerful 
  than any I have seen in many years prevents 
  accurate scrying attempts.  
  Within the last day, however, we have made a 
  breakthrough. 
  Count 
  Orloc 
  here 
  has 
  discovered that a certain kind of ritual scrying 
  of his own devising is capable of breaking 
  through the mists that prevent our normal 
  attempts. 
  In 
  exchange 
  for 
  sharing 
  his 
  knowledge on the matter with us, the Silent 
  Tower has agreed to assist with a task the 
  Neheli ask of us. 
  Normally the Silent Tower would refuse any 
  task that might make us seem partisan in the 
  politics of the Empire, but the seriousness of 
  the situation requires immediate action.” 
  With a wave of his hand and a mumbled 
  syllable, the Wyrd creates a frozen tableau on 
  the table of the suite. A walled city teems with 
  violent activity. Armed men fight on the walls 
  against a besieging force. Siege towers in the 
  process of disembarking inhuman foes are 
  nestled against the wall. Above a central keep, 
  the Keoish lion flies proudly from a flagpole. 
  Black smoke pours up from several portions of 
  the city. 
  With a second and third wave of the Wyrd’s 
  hand, the view changes, becoming such that it 
  might be seen through a hawk’s eye. The city 
  is surrounded by a besieging force on three 
  sides, and a huge flowing river on the fourth. 
  From this vantage point you can see the 
  besieging force carries seven large banners. 
  Field Marshal Vandon’s words echo faintly off 
  the walls of the suite as he speaks. 
  “Now you might understand why we need your 
  silence. Word of this cannot reach the ears of 
  the populace, for they would panic. Cryllor is 
  under siege.” 
  Allow the heroes a chance to digest this 
  information. Answer any questions the heroes 
  might pose within reason. Below are some 
  possible questions they might have, along with 
  who answers them. 
  “How recent is this view?” 
  (The Wyrd)  
  “This was seen less than an hour ago, by 
  Count Orloc and myself.” 
  “What are those things attacking the city?” 
  (The Wyrd) 
  “There are more than a few men and 
  demihumans in the attacking force, but the 
  bulk of the attackers seem to be made up of an 
  ancient race known as the Marru. Additionally, 
  we have seen more than a few true giants 
  among the attackers. Here, on the north side of 
  Cryllor, you can clearly see at least a half-
  dozen stone giants in charge of pushing these 
  siege towers.” 
  “The Marru? What are they?” 
  (Count Orloc) 
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  The hunched form of Count Orloc bobs as he 
  abruptly cuts off the Wyrd. His voice is raspy 
  and weak; you have to strain a bit to hear it. 
  “The Marru are thought to be magically created 
  in ages past, although they now breed true 
  without magic. What is very odd is that the few 
  pieces of lore we have about them indicate that 
  they prefer much harsher climes than Keoland 
  has to offer. They have been known to keep 
  their enclaves in the harshest of deserts 
  environments.” 
  “How large is the attacking force/how many 
  defend the city?” 
  (Field Marshal Vandon) 
  “If the attackers use a fairly traditional military 
  division, each large banner is a separate army, 
  composed 
  of 
  roughly 
  a 
  thousand 
  men…marru…giants…what 
  have 
  you. 
  It 
  appears that Cryllor faces an attacking force of 
  over seven thousand foes. Count Manz 
  regularly holds a swordfighting competition at 
  this time of year called the Tocsin of Kelanen, 
  which 
  attracts 
  quite 
  a 
  large 
  temporary 
  population of capable swordsmen from around 
  the region.  
  The Royal Standard detachment in Cryllor 
  numbers less than four hundred, as the Count 
  prefers to hire mercenaries for the city’s 
  safekeeping. We have no accurate numbers for 
  his forces at this time. Either the siege was 
  timed in order to coincide with the Tocsin in 
  order to sap the strength of any militia we 
  might draw from the area, or the attacking 
  force was unknowledgeable of the event. In 
  either case, we estimate the number of truly 
  capable defenders in Cryllor at less than two 
  thousand.  
  If it comes to it, I’m sure that the cityfolk will 
  fight bravely, but they are not skilled in the art 
  of war.” 
  “Can Cryllor hold out/How long can Cryllor hold 
  out?” 
  (Field Marshal Vandon) 
  “Cryllor 
  is 
  exceedingly 
  well 
  situated 
  defensively, however as you can see the 
  attackers have already topped the walls. Once 
  a siege breaks the walls, it quickly becomes 
  mass butchery. 
  For all purposes, Cryllor no longer exists.” 
  When the heroes ask what their part to play in this 
  affair is, or the conversation lags, move onward to 
  the following: 
  Field Marshal Vandon clears his throat. 
  “King Kimbertos has been made aware of the 
  situation. 
  He 
  has 
  authorized 
  a 
  counteroffensive with the Royal Standards 
  based in Niole Dra. Cryllor is lost to us, but 
  there are a pair of targets that he feels will 
  cause the invaders to slow their advance if we 
  attack. 
  The first of these is Godakin Keep itself. We 
  have reliable knowledge that the Keep is the 
  nexus for their leadership. We are still unable 
  to break the scrying covering Godakin, but we 
  feel that with so large a force at Cryllor that 
  Godakin must be nearly empty. The Royal 
  Standards will use a Neheli teleport circle to 
  assault Godakin Keep. We know that Marshal 
  Praal of the Royal Standards turned traitor and 
  we believe he is still in charge of the Keep. It 
  will be the duty of the Royal Standards to 
  cleanse the stain on their honor. 
  The second of these is a small town southeast 
  of Godakin Keep called Kilm. Here we have 
  been able to break the scrying wards. Count 
  Orloc, can you please show them?” 
  The Count mumbles some arcane phrases and 
  the tableau on the table changes. A small 
  farming community is now the scene. Farmers 
  work their plots while armed guards oversee 
  them. The center of the small town itself has 
  been razed and a diamond shaped edifice 
  stands in its place. It appears to be fairly large, 
  standing three to four stories. 
  The Count whispers; 
  “In the lore we have, it is indicated that the 
  Marru build such structures when they create a 
  new home for themselves. They are called 
  crèches, and their purpose is believed to be a 
  spawning ground and school for accelerated 
  magical training.” 
  Suddenly the tableau zooms in, and a trio of 
  figures is caught frozen while walking towards 
  the 
  crèche. 
  One 
  is 
  a 
  hulking 
  marru 
  abomination, clad in vicious looking plate mail. 
  The marru drags an unconscious oerdian man 
  in its massive arms. The unconscious man’s 
  head hangs down, a long ornate braid of hair 
  falling past a visibly scarred neck. 
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  The final member of the trio is similar to the 
  marru in that he bears canine traits, but even 
  though he walks next to undeniable evil he 
  carries himself with poise and presence. His 
  head is that of a powerful hunting hound’s, its 
  features set for the chase. Strapped to its back 
  is a pair of greatswords, one bent nearly in 
  half. 
  The Count continues his sibilant whispering; 
  “That one is known to us. He is a Hound 
  Archon whose name is legend among magical 
  circles. His name is Gustavren, and he and his 
  pack were cast out of Acheron when he failed 
  in his duties. 
  It will be your task to enter the crèche, stalk 
  and kill Gustavren, and destroy anything of 
  that you find.” 
  The heroes undoubtedly have some questions, do 
  your best to answer them, although the rest of the 
  information the NPCs have is quite sparse. They 
  have no reliable information on the interior of the 
  crèche, no idea how large a force lies within, and 
  no idea of Gustavren’s capabilities. The heroes 
  will be using a Neheli teleport circle in the same 
  manner that the Royal Standards will.  
  If the heroes ask for general information on Kilm, 
  the NPCs will tell them the information contained 
  in the beginning of Encounter Two.  
  The Field Marshal will ask the heroes to be ready 
  for an assault to begin shortly after sunrise. As the 
  heroes are in Niole Dra they may use this 
  opportunity to purchase items per the LGCS 
  before the assault. Heroes who are in need of a 
  full night’s sleep in order to change spell 
  selections will be able to do so. 
  Eventually the heroes will be escorted out of the 
  suite, and thanked by all three NPCs.  
  ENCOUNTER 1: HALFWAY 
  THERE 
  In this encounter the heroes use a Neheli teleport 
  circle to travel to Kilm, where they witness what 
  the town has become and watch as a large force 
  of Marru teleports out, presumably to go to 
  Godakin Keep’s aid. The town appears ripe for the 
  picking. 
  If any hero has the AR item Desert Dissection 
  from KEO7-04 Castlefall, refresh that player’s 
  knowledge of the Marrusaults and Marrutacts now. 
  Note that Marrulurks are excluded from that 
  knowledge.  
  Additionally, heroes who belong to several 
  organizations will receive additional orders from 
  that organization. 
  Hand out Player Handouts One, Two and Three 
  to applicable heroes.  
  The heroes arrive at the assigned staging area: 
  It is shortly after daybreak when you arrive at 
  the assigned staging area, a series of 
  warehouses owned by house Neheli. Huge 
  stone circles have been erected in each room, 
  ringed with arcane runes. As you arrive, a 
  group of robed men finish a chant and a 
  tensquad of heavy cavalry sitting in the middle 
  of a circle winks out of existence. 
  Feel free to describe the area in more detail to the 
  heroes if necessary. A force of nearly a thousand 
  Royal 
  Standards 
  has 
  assembled 
  for 
  this 
  counterattack, representing a major investment of 
  forces on the part of the Empire. Everywhere the 
  heroes look there are armed men and battle 
  clerics readying themselves for battle.  
  The heroes will quickly be met by a harried looking 
  junior officer who will convey them directly to the 
  Wyrd, who is awaiting their arrival. The Wyrd will 
  ensure that the heroes are ready for transport by 
  giving them each a small polished piece of quartz 
  and telling them the following; 
  “When you wish to return, take this stone and 
  hurl it to the ground while thinking of where 
  you wish to travel to. I recommend thinking of 
  someplace exceedingly familiar to you, such 
  as right here. I cannot stress this enough, if 
  you lose the stone, or break it, we have no way 
  to return you reliably. We will simply be too 
  busy with everything today to watch you 
  closely.” 
  The squad of Royal Standards that the heroes are 
  supposed to lead is assembled and ready. They 
  await transport with the heroes.  
  When the heroes are ready for transport, Count 
  Orloc and the Wyrd will usher them into the circle 
  and begin to chant. 
  The Wyrd utters some arcane phrases and the 
  warehouse simply disappears from your sight. 
  Suddenly your world is filled with searing pain 
  and your vision is filled with two tunnels. At 
  the end of one tunnel is a fanged maw 
  reaching out to destroy you, at the end of the 
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  other is the town of Kilm as you saw it in the 
  tableau. With a sense of horror, you feel 
  yourself 
  being 
  pulled 
  in 
  two 
  separate 
  directions! 
  Ask each hero for their Will save modifier, and 
  then roll a d20 for them out of sight, to simulate a 
  Will save they would not know the result of. After 
  you have done that, read the following. 
  With a wrenching gasp of mental effort, your 
  body tumbles down the tunnel towards the 
  town. The fanged maw grazes you as it 
  attempts to reach you. With an audible pop, 
  you find yourself seated in the middle of a corn 
  field on a small hill overseeing Kilm. 
  Each hero takes damage based off the following 
  chart. 
  APL 8: 10 damage 
  APL 10: 15 damage 
  APL 12: 20 damage 
  There is no save against this damage, and each 
  hero is marked and scratched as though they had 
  been bitten.  
  When the heroes gather themselves and move 
  into line of sight of the crèche, read or paraphrase 
  the following. 
  From your vantage you see two things 
  occurring simultaneously. A small handful of 
  Marru is herding a shuffling line of peasants 
  through a set of rapidly closing doors in one 
  side of the crèche. On another side of the 
  crèche a sizeable force of Marru is standing in 
  orderly ranks, clasping wrists. A smaller Marru 
  standing among them raises an oddly shaped 
  staff and the entire group winks out of 
  existence. The stone doors of the crèche 
  swing shut behind the last of the peasants and 
  the sounds of nature slowly resume as you 
  look down upon the town of Kilm. 
  ENCOUNTER 2: ALL THAT 
  REMAINS 
  Use DM AID 1 for the map of Kilm.  
  In this encounter the heroes have the option of 
  exploring Kilm for clues as to what is going on in 
  the town and may encounter a small group of 
  Marru who are preparing a prominent, long-lost 
  Keoish citizen for transformation into a Marru. The 
  heroes may then choose to attempt to free the 
  detainee or bypass the Marru. 
  Kilm 
  Any hero who succeeds at a Knowledge 
  (Metaregion One/Sheldomar Valley) DC 15 will 
  know the following basic information. Additionally, 
  any hero who asks one of the NPCs from an 
  earlier encounter about Kilm will receive this 
  information. 
  The town of Kilm is a fairly typical farming 
  community. Before the insurrection began, Kilm 
  served as a small farming satellite where 
  merchants would gather to arrange for the 
  purchase of food, which would then be shipped 
  elsewhere for a profit. The town boasts little that 
  would attract people more accustomed to city life, 
  but it was quite successful in serving as a goods 
  relay station. 
  In the year CY 588 the town was razed by 
  unknown forces. This prompted a surge in patrols 
  into the Jotuns in order to ward off these raids. 
  The town was rebuilt in CY 591 and until CY 595 
  was garrisoned with a small force of Royal 
  Standards.  
  The town has the following areas: 
  Area 1: Farms/Fields 
  This area appears to be a typical farmstead. A 
  diverse mixture of crops takes firm root in the 
  healthy Keoish soil. Cows and pigs appear 
  healthy behind well constructed pens. 
  These areas have little of value or note. The 
  houses on these areas are one room affairs 
  suitable for peasant life only.  
  Area 2: Councilman’s House 
  This house has no farmland attached in its 
  fenced in area. It is larger than the other 
  houses in the area and appears well appointed. 
  A small signpost outside the house reads 
  “Councilman Herbrook: all traveling merchants 
  please register within.” 
  The front door swings wide on a broken hinge. 
  This house was the home of Councilman 
  Herbrook, apparently an official in charge of 
  keeping track of merchants traveling through Kilm. 
  The interior of the house is a shambles and 
  appears to have been recently ransacked. 
  A Search DC 25 will turn up a ledger from 
  underneath a rotted out floorboard. The ledger has 
  names and dates of merchants who arrived in 
  Kilm, whether they were buying or selling, and 
  what goods they moved. Every entry with the 
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  exception of the following two is in regards to 
  livestock or crops. 
  “Arrived; Gillen of Mill Creek. Delivered two 
  crates with the Keoish crest to the Happy 
  Hooligan.” 
  “Arrived; Adrienne of Mill Creek. Delivered four 
  crates with the Keoish crest to the Happy 
  Hooligan.” 
  A Knowledge (Metaregion 1/Sheldomar Valley) 
  DC 15 will tell the heroes that the Mill Creek 
  Barony of Keoland is largely a hunting reserve but 
  that there have been rumors through the past year 
  of political strife in the region. Several powerful 
  Neheli families take sport there yearly and the 
  Baron is a strong supporter of King Kimbertos. 
  Area 3: The Happy Hooligan 
  Use DM AID 2 for the cellar of this area.  
  The squares numbered 1 2 and 3 are the three 
  Marrusaults, the square numbered 4 is the 
  Marrutact. 
  The burned-out remains of a large tavern 
  reside on what passes for the main road 
  through 
  Kilm. 
  A 
  well-preserved 
  signpost 
  declaring this to be The Happy Hooligan 
  stands within sight of a pried open set of 
  doors leading underground into what appears 
  to be a cellar. 
  If the heroes enter the cellar: 
  This cellar is very large, appearing to take up 
  the entire footprint of the space the tavern 
  used to occupy above it. In contrast to the 
  above ruins, the cellar is well preserved, with 
  high ceilings. Closed casks and sealed boxes 
  create a series of dim passages through the 
  cellar. 
  Have the heroes make Listen DC 15 checks. 
  Success indicates that they hear the following. 
  A muffled groan echoes from somewhere in 
  the cellar. A rattle of chains accompanies it, 
  followed by a burst of maniacal laughter. 
  Once the heroes reach the indicated area of the 
  map, they must make opposed Hide and Move 
  Silently checks against the occupants of the 
  cellar. In this manner the heroes may move to 
  within thirty feet of the Marru. Once the heroes are 
  within thirty feet, the Marru’s Discriminating 
  Hearing comes into effect, and the heroes will be 
  detected unless they use magical means to 
  silence themselves. 
  If the heroes are detected by the Marru, the Marru 
  will let them come a bit further in an attempt to 
  draw them into a trap. Read the following. 
  Against the cellar wall you see the source of 
  the noise. A pair of men are suspended from a 
  roof beam by long chains. Each man shows 
  signs of being beaten and both are slumped 
  down as far as their chains permit. Standing 
  near the men are several of the Marru. 
  If the heroes manage to somehow completely 
  catch the Marru unawares, read the following. 
  Against the cellar wall you see the source of 
  the noise. A pair of men are suspended from a 
  roof beam by long chains. Each man shows 
  signs of being beaten and both are slumped 
  down as far as their chains permit. A group of 
  Marru are standing with their backs to you, 
  periodically delivering punches and kicks to 
  the men and laughing lightly to themselves. 
  APL 8 (EL 11) 
  Marrusaults (3), Hexar, Nekkef, Suile, hp 62, 
  See Appendix 1 
   
  Marrutact, Lorien, hp 58, see Appendix 1 
  APL 10 (EL 13) 
  Marrusaults (3), Hexar, Nekkef, Suile, 
  Fighter 2, hp 85, See Appendix 2 
  Marrutact, Lorien, hp 80, see Appendix 2. 
  APL 12 (EL 15) 
  Marrusaults (3), Hexar, Nekkef, Suile, 
  Fighter 4, hp 103, See Appendix 3 
  Marrutact, Lorien, hp 90, see Appendix 3.. 
  Tactics: 
  If 
  the 
  heroes 
  are 
  detected, 
  the 
  Marrusaults will attempt to spread out and shield 
  the Marrutact behind them so that he can cast 
  spells offensively.  
  If the heroes are undetected, the Marru will simply 
  attempt to focus their attention on any hero that 
  they might be able to kill with combined attacks 
  and creative flanking. 
  After the encounter, the heroes will have a chance 
  to interact with the captives and search the cellar if 
  they so desire. 
  One of the two men is dead, victim to dehydration 
  and torture. The other man is on the verge of 
  breaking under the stress his captors have placed 
  upon him. Wild eyed and dirty, he appears to be of 
  the mixed Oerdian stock common to the region. A 
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  Spot DC 15 will reveal that the man’s skin is a 
  horrible tapestry of burns, scars and bruises of 
  varying ages. This prisoner has been being 
  tortured for a very long period of time.  
  The man rants and raves whenever someone 
  comes close, straining weakly against the chains 
  that bind him. The keys to the locks on the chains 
  are nowhere to be found, but the lock may be 
  picked with an Open Lock DC 20.  
  If a hero performs a Heal DC 20 or any level of 
  magical (hp) healing, the man will come to his 
  senses and thank the heroes profusely for their 
  assistance. He will then straighten himself up and 
  introduce himself as Lord Garson Elgarin, son of 
  Countess Allita Elgarin of Flen.  
  Lord Garsin Elgarin 
  In the year CY588, after the razing of Kilm, Lord 
  Garsin led an expedition into the Jotuns with the 
  goal of determining the source of the recent (at the 
  time) raids on the county of Flen. Unfortunately for 
  Lord Garsin, he found exactly what he was looking 
  for. Literally stumbling across an uncharted series 
  of valleys, he and his expedition were the first 
  Keoish to encounter the Marru. 
  The expedition was rapidly attacked and mostly 
  destroyed. Lord Elgarin and several of his 
  surviving men attempted to flee but were captured 
  after several days of dogged pursuit. Not wanting 
  to call attention to his noble rank, Lord Garsin 
  divested himself of all his accoutrements that 
  spoke of him as the scion of a powerful house. 
  One of his loyal men-at-arms, who was soon to die 
  with a festering wound, agreed to don Lord 
  Garsin’s clothes, so that should the group be 
  captured they would not realize the real Garsin’s 
  importance. 
  As they feared, the group was eventually captured 
  and most of the men were killed, including the fake 
  Lord Garsin.  
  Back in Keoland, the Countess Elgarin was 
  distraught over the loss of her son. In her grief, 
  she turned to magical augury in an attempt to 
  determine the fate of the expedition. Seeking only 
  the best aid available, she sent a missive to the 
  Silent Tower in an attempt to enlist the aid of the 
  Silent 
  Ones. 
  When 
  her 
  message 
  went 
  unanswered the Countess Elgarin turned to other 
  nobility, and eventually found herself requesting 
  the assistance of one of Keoland’s most powerful 
  practitioners of magic Count Orloc.  
  Count Orloc’s divination was easily able to locate 
  the focus of his search, the enchanted blade that 
  Lord Garsin took great personal pride in. This 
  greatsword, known as Irid Iriun (“Foul Temper” in 
  Oerdian), was located by Orloc near the fallen 
  body of Garsin’s man-at-arms. When informed of 
  her 
  son’s 
  fate 
  the 
  Countess 
  Elgarin was 
  inconsolable and refused to believe the evidence 
  presented. Despite her efforts to the contrary, 
  rumors of Lord Garsin’s demise filtered through 
  the realm’s nobility. 
  Lord Garsin’s life in the intervening years has 
  been anything but pleasant. The Marru who lived 
  in the valleys of the Jotuns used captive humans 
  as slaves, and such was Garsin’s fate. Lord 
  Garsin spent the next nine years being slowly 
  worked to death in the Marru’s iron mines.  
  The Marru, being the product of magical 
  experimentation and breeding themselves, quickly 
  saw the way the captive humans in the iron mines 
  were drawn to Lord Garsin’s demeanor and 
  bearing. Despite his hardships, he managed to 
  keep a good many people alive through his simple 
  refusal to let his hope die. Using magical 
  divinations of their own, the Marru determined the 
  truth of Lord Garsin’s heritage and earmarked him 
  and several others for their grand design. 
  Secretly, Lord Garsin was attempting to organize a 
  great breakout from the Marru’s Iron Mines. The 
  slave population was growing, and most of the 
  slaves looked to Lord Garsin as a leader. After 
  several years of careful planning, the slaves 
  revolted and attempted to escape. Unfortunately, 
  the slave plans were well known by the Marru, and 
  the revolt was squashed mercilessly. After that, 
  Lord Garsin was brought to Kilm, where he now 
  crosses paths with the heroes. 
  Interacting with Lord Garsin Elgarin 
  If Lord Garsin is brought to a sensate state, he will 
  quickly plead for the heroes to release him, seeing 
  that they have defeated his captors. He knows that 
  he is in Kilm, and that means his family’s holdings 
  are in great danger. Some basic interactions are 
  listed below. In some cases, a DC is listed after 
  Garsin’s text. This is the DC for a Knowledge 
  (Sheldomar/Metaregion One) check to confirm 
  that it is truth. Entries without a listed DC cannot 
  be verified as true or false through this manner. 
  “Who are you?” 
  “Although I know I don’t look it, I am Lord 
  Garsin Elgarin. I am the son of Countess Allita 
  Elgarin of Flen.”  
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  Page 11 
  
  (DC15: The Countess of Flen did have a son 
  named Garsin who went missing almost ten years 
  ago.) 
  “How did you come to be here?” 
  “In CY588 this town, the town of Kilm, was a 
  successful hobniz village. The town was razed 
  by creatures that we tracked to the Jotens. I 
  led an expedition to attempt to find and enact 
  revenge 
  against 
  these 
  attackers. 
  Unfortunately, I found them.” 
  (DC10: Several failed expeditions to the Jotuns 
  attempted to curtail humanoid raiding. The 
  stabilization of Sterich has helped this cause but 
  not eradicated the problem entirely) 
  “You have been captive for almost ten years?” 
  “Yes, much to my hatred. My men and I were 
  ambushed after we discovered several valleys 
  in the Jotens that these creatures called home. 
  We fought and tried to escape but we were 
  caught or killed. They imprisoned the rest of 
  us, forcing us to work in the iron mines the 
  creatures used. I tried to lead an escape 
  attempt, but we were brought low by a traitor 
  in the slave pens. After the revolt was put 
  down, I was brought here. I have been here for 
  about a month or so now I would wager.” 
  “Who is this man?” 
  “This is Gregor, the last survivor of my original 
  expedition. He attempted to escape with me. 
  “Do you know where the Marru make their home 
  in the Jotens?” 
  “I know exactly where their valleys are. 
  Assuming you gave me a map; I could lead 
  you there or give directions to another.” 
  “Did the Marru know who you are?” 
  “No, the Marru do not know who I am, other 
  than the leader of the revolt. When we were 
  about to be captured a man of mine who was 
  mortally wounded offered to switch clothes 
  with me so that I could not be identified as 
  nobleborn.” 
  “Why are you here? How do you know where you 
  are?” 
  “After the Marru crushed our revolt, they 
  brought some of us here. I know this area of 
  Flen well, and though it has changed through 
  the years it is unmistakable to me. I have 
  longed to see it nearly every day for the last 
  ten years.” 
  “Is there anything you can tell us about the Marru 
  of this town? Do you know anything about the 
  (crèche)?” 
  “I know that some important Marru come and 
  go from the…crèche, did you call it? I also 
  know that recently the Marru have begun 
  consorting with other folk from the Jotens, 
  giants and the like. A few days ago some giant 
  procession came through, all dressed in the 
  finest of fancy jewels. Their footsteps shook 
  the ground like thunder. Gregor and I were 
  brought before them for some reason, though I 
  don’t understand a word of what was being 
  said. The giants seemed to be on good terms 
  with the Marru. I didn’t see any unease in 
  either group. 
  As for that building…I don’t know anything 
  about it other than that they put some other 
  strange Marru in charge of it. In ten years he’s 
  the only one I’ve met who could speak with 
  me.” 
  “Can you describe that Marru?” 
  “Well he is shorter than the real big ones, but 
  bigger than these or the ones who wear the 
  fancy regalia. Wears a suit of Full Plate like he 
  was born to it and his face looks a bit different. 
  Most of these look like jackals or hyenas. He 
  seemed more like one of my uncle’s hunting 
  hounds.  
  (Tell the heroes that this fits the description of 
  Gustavren, should they ask) 
  Garsin is polite and humble to the heroes, 
  thanking them profusely for ending his suffering. 
  Once talk turns to what to do with him, Garsin will 
  speak again. 
  “Give me a few minutes to scrounge some of 
  these weapons and I’ll fight with you if you 
  desire. Unless you have the means to get me 
  out of here magically and back to Flen, I’m 
  coming with you. These Marru are going to 
  find out what it feels like to have a true son of 
  Keoland owe them something.” 
  The heroes are free to do with Garsin what they 
  please, and they have several options. If they 
  wish, he will accompany them. Garsin will be 
  window dressing for any fights that occur, 
  providing no useful help. 
  Alternately the heroes can send Garsin away. If 
  they have some from of magical transportation he 
  will gladly accept it. If a hero gives Garsin the 
  stone that was given to them by the Wyrd, he will 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
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  use that to teleport to Flen. Unless that hero has 
  another way to magically leave Kilm at the end of 
  this adventure they will earn the AR item Behind 
  the Front.  
  The Garsin Dilemma – Is he an impostor? 
  Heroes 
  who 
  have 
  adventured 
  in 
  Keoland 
  frequently will know that several years ago Lord 
  Garsin was freed from captivity by several 
  prominent adventurers – some of the adventurers 
  may even be directly present. These heroes will 
  undoubtedly know that this scenario has played 
  out in a similar fashion in the past and will want to 
  determine who exactly Lord Garsin is. 
  Any hero, who asks or tells Garsin about this 
  previous encounter, including meeting him in the 
  past, will be met with an incredulous stare and 
  disbelief. Lord Garsin will claim to have been 
  captive for this entire duration and never to have 
  met the heroes before. Any magic used to 
  determine truth will yield that Garsin is telling the 
  truth, 
  leaving 
  some 
  potentially 
  interesting 
  questions for Keoland’s future. Is Garsin insane? 
  Is there someone or something out there 
  masquerading as Lord Garsin? If so, what 
  damage has it done to the Kingdom? These are 
  questions with answers for another day. Right now 
  the heroes have only the immediate options of 
  how to deal with Lord Garsin in front of them.  
  If, after all this, the heroes search the basement 
  they will find several broken crates. With a Search 
  DC 25 they will find that one of the broken crates 
  has what appears to be a family crest on it. The 
  crest is the Keoish lion set on a red and green 
  diagonal field. 
  A Knowledge (Sheldomar/Metaregion One) DC 
  15 will tell the hero that this is the family crest of 
  the Syn’Andolyn family, rulers of the Earldom of 
  Gand. 
  A second Search DC 35 will turn up a simple 
  wooden spoon half buried in the dirt floor under 
  the broken crates. This spoon is a myrlund’s 
  spoon, and will also be found if any hero casts 
  detect magic while in the cellar. 
  Area 4: The Crèche 
  The area around the crèche itself is a swept-clean 
  remnant of the town of Kilm. It is obvious that 
  several 
  structures 
  were 
  torn 
  down 
  to 
  accommodate the creation of the crèche.  
  The crèche itself is a very large structure which 
  occupies a disproportionate amount of what used 
  to be the center of Kilm. The crèche has four 
  gently sloping sides that come to a point some 
  sixty feet above the ground. The walls are made of 
  what appears to be a single sheet of stone, and 
  the edges are the only parts that show any sign of 
  being worked with tools. 
  A Knowledge: (Architecture and Engineering) 
  DC 30 will find only the tiniest of imperfections in 
  the three sides without doors, these likely made 
  from exposure to the elements.  
  Any dwarven heroes can make a stonecunning 
  check against DC 10. Success indicates that the 
  hero knows that this architecture matches against 
  several dwarven styles, all of which have fallen out 
  of favor as being inherently unstable. The stone 
  itself is a type of bedrock found only in mountain 
  ranges that abut deserts. It is very resistant to 
  heat, reflecting the sun’s warmth and leaving the 
  interior cooled. 
  When the heroes look for an entrance: 
  Three sides of the building bear no visible 
  means of entry. The fourth has a pair of very 
  tall double doors. The doors extend at least 
  thirty feet up the crèche’s height. 
  The doors themselves are unlocked, untrapped, 
  and unguarded. There are many tracks going into 
  and out of the doors, too many to make any real 
  sense of.  
  Magical 
  transportation 
  into 
  the 
  crèche 
  is 
  impossible because the crèche is not strictly part 
  of the prime material plane. The Marru crèche 
  located in Kilm was created in such a manner that 
  it is coterminus with the Elemental Plane of Earth. 
  The door itself radiates conjuration (teleportation) 
  magic.  
  A hero who casts detect magic may make a 
  Knowledge (Planes) DC 35. Success indicates 
  that the hero knows the following information. 
  1. The crèche itself is not entirely part of the Prime 
  Material 
  Plane. 
  It 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  partially 
  coterminus with the Elemental Plane of Earth. The 
  most likely reason for creating something in this 
  manner is to prevent magical transport or 
  divination into. 
  2. 
  The 
  door 
  itself 
  may 
  be 
  destroyed or 
  permanently barred. If that occurs, it should be 
  impossible to ever enter or leave the crèche again, 
  barring divine intervention. 
  3. The doors cannot be destroyed by simple brute 
  force. The assistance of some form of powerful 
  extraplanar creature will be necessary. 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 13 
  
  The heroes would have to use extraordinary 
  measures in order to permanently destroy the 
  doors. Any such attempt must include an 
  extraplanar being with either the earth or air 
  subtypes and that being must have at least 14 HD. 
  If the heroes are capable of controlling such a 
  being and wish to destroy the doors, award them 
  full 
  XP 
  for 
  the 
  adventure 
  and 
  move 
  to 
  Conclusion: Destroying the Creche Doors. 
  If the heroes attempt to open the doors, or search 
  it, read the following. 
  As you close to within a few feet of the doors, 
  you feel the earth beneath your feet shudder 
  slightly, almost as if it were your skin crawling 
  in disgust. When the shuddering is finished 
  after a few seconds, you can see that the 
  crèche has grown in height by about a foot. A 
  fine layer of grey dust floats away from the 
  base of the crèche. 
  The heroes should now realize that unless they 
  find a way to do some serious damage to the 
  crèche, that it will continue to get larger. 
  Eventually the heroes will need to open the door. 
  Without sound, the tall doors swing wide, 
  revealing a cool stone passage covered with a 
  fine layer of sand. The passage quickly 
  descends into total darkness. 
  From here on, the crèche is considered to be dark. 
  Heroes must provide their own light sources. 
  Since is it important for the heroes to not 
  necessarily know what is going on outside of their 
  sight range inside the crèche, you should make 
  sure to keep track of the light each character 
  carries or can see in. 
  ENCOUNTER 3: THE 
  STALKYARD 
  The interior of the crèche is comprised of two 
  portions. The first is the Stalkyard, which is where 
  young marru are tested for their abilities and the 
  flawed are destroyed. The second is a school at 
  the far end of the Stalkyard where the marru 
  practice their foul magics and create more of their 
  kind. 
  The Stalkyard is a series of linked encounters that 
  shows the heroes what marru society is as well as 
  providing them with some challenges.  
  The interior of the crèche is large, easily the size 
  of a small town in itself, simply submerged 
  beneath kilm. It would be an incredibly tedious 
  affair to have the heroes attempt to search every 
  room and corridor, so there is a means to have the 
  heroes traverse the Stalkyard. 
  There is a pair of mandatory encounters in the 
  Stalkyard, followed by a series of optional 
  encounters. The number of optional encounters 
  each party faces will be determined off of the 
  highest wisdom modifier in the party. 
  Each party will face a number of optional 
  encounters equal to 4 minus the highest wisdom 
  modifier in the party. So a party where the highest 
  wisdom score is 14 would face 2 optional 
  encounters while a party where the highest 
  wisdom score is 18 would face 0 optional 
  encounters. 
  The optional encounters are designed to wear 
  away at the party’s resources a tiny bit, in order to 
  simulate the wear they suffer as they cross the 
  Stalkyard. 
  The Stalkyard itself resembles a worn down and 
  ancient city, abandoned to the ages. This is 
  primarily because the vast majority of the marru 
  are out attempting to conquer Keoland or 
  responding to the Keoish counterattack.  
  In describing the Stalkyard, attempt to give the 
  heroes the feeling that they are in the house of 
  someone who has just stepped away. Many areas 
  will have the signs of hastily abandoned work daily 
  activities. 
  Encounter 3A: The Welcoming Committee 
  (Mandatory) 
  Proceeding down the passageway, you hear 
  the sound of running water. The passage 
  opens up into a large room with several wells 
  spaced around it.  
  Trotting towards the entrance is a group of 
  heavily armed Marru. Seeing you, they appear 
  surprised, momentarily unsure of what to do. 
  APL 8 (EL 10) 
  Marrusaults (3), Hexar, Nekkef, Suile, hp 62, 
  See Appendix 1 
   
  Marrutact, Lorien, hp 58, see Appendix 1 
  APL 10 (EL 12) 
  Marrusaults (3), Hexar, Nekkef, Suile, 
  Fighter 2, hp 85, See Appendix 2 
  Marrutact, Lorien, hp 80, see Appendix 2. 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 14 
  
  APL 12 (EL 14) 
  Marrusaults (3), Hexar, Nekkef, Suile, 
  Fighter 4, hp 103, See Appendix 3 
  Marrutact, Lorien, hp 90, see Appendix 3. 
  The heroes gain a surprise round in this combat. 
  The EL of this encounter has been adjusted by -1 
  to account for this. 
  There is no included map for this room as it is an 
  unremarkable area. Start the heroes and Marru 
  60’ apart form each other and let the fight begin.  
  The marru attack single-mindedly, attempting to 
  focus on heroes who look weak or easily defeated. 
  The marru will use their size advantage when 
  possible to threaten and kill spellcasters in the 
  rear ranks. 
  When the heroes are finished with the marru and 
  they prepare to look around: 
  Looking out from the well room, you see 
  several paths leading down into a stonework 
  maze. The maze spreads throughout a giant 
  bowl-shaped depression at least a mile across. 
  On the far side of the bowl you see a pale 
  green light emanating from a squat stone 
  building. Immediately ahead of you is a small 
  plaza. 
  Encounter 
  3B: 
  The 
  Marru 
  Oracle 
  (Mandatory) 
  Ahead of you the maze opens into a small 
  plaza. In the center of the plaza is a small 
  raised platform such as the ones street 
  performers beg for coins from in Niole Dra. 
  Seated on the platform is a Marru wearing long 
  white robes and cradling an ornate staff. From 
  your vantage you can see that the Marru’s face 
  and hands are wrapped entirely in white linen 
  bandages. The Marru turns towards you, 
  perhaps hearing your footsteps or picking up 
  your scent. He raises his hand and points at 
  you. 
  The Marru seated in the plaza is named Hralen, 
  and he is a curious sort of test for young Marru. 
  Hralen is a leper, which is commonly known 
  among the crèche. If a Marru contracts a disease 
  such as leprosy, they are considered an unfit 
  bloodline and killed. When the crèche went to 
  carry out this justice on Hralen, he started 
  spouting out prophesies of a great war and 
  cleansing, espousing the victory of the Marru. 
  Being a superstitious people, the Marru decided to 
  let Hralen live and support him. Exceptionally 
  daring Marru whisper their name in his ear, and he 
  is sometimes possessed with visions about their 
  life. 
  Hralen is a noncombatant and (except for the 
  danger of leprosy) completely non-threatening. If 
  Hralen suffers any damage at all, subdual or 
  lethal, he collapses and dies. “Heroes” should be 
  made to feel especially valiant about their defeat 
  of a sick and dying old Marru. 
  If the heroes attempt to talk to him, Hralen will 
  speak in common. 
  “A pleasure it truly is to listen to sounds other 
  than the Marrutongue and the sounds of the 
  Stalkyard. Who are you and why do you test 
  yourself here?” 
  Hralen is a crazy old Marru with a touch of 
  prophecy in him. He is an opportunity for the 
  heroes to interact a bit and get an insight or two 
  about Marru culture but other than that he is 
  largely unimportant. If this encounter drags on, 
  Hralen will simply roll over and fall asleep. 
  Below are some possible questions and answers 
  for Hralen. 
  “Who are you?” 
  “I am called Hralen, Jarleye of the Halfsun 
  bloodline. Last of my line I am.” 
  “What are you doing here?” 
  “The Marru of the Sunstrong crèche keep me. I 
  am a prophet, a curiousity.” 
  “How did you get here? Why can you speak 
  Common?” 
  “It is uncommon for Marru to have what 
  humans 
  describe 
  as 
  wanderlust. 
  As 
  a 
  youngling, I had it in quantites to spare. Marru 
  who leave their crèche are branded outsiders 
  and should they ever return they are killed.” 
  “Why aren’t you dead then?” 
  “I was to be executed when I returned, and 
  indeed was on the path to the tablet when I 
  was seized with a fit of visions. The Returned 
  saw fit to grant me my life and now I sit in the 
  Stalkyard as a test for the young. They whisper 
  in my ear to see if I see anything about them, 
  and run before my sickness consumes them.” 
  “What sickness?” 
  “I am a leper.” 
  “The tablet?” 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 15 
  
  “That is where Marru go to die. I gather you are 
  here to breach the tower, the tablet is inside.” 
  “The Returned? Who is that?” 
  “He is the master of the tower. For untold 
  years we Marru have lived in hidden valleys in 
  the Jotens, away from prying eyes. Several 
  years ago a powerful figure found us and 
  began to cultivate my people’s hatred of the 
  outside world. Today they march under his 
  banner.” 
  Eventually the heroes should be done with Hralen. 
  If any hero is daring or foolish enough to come into 
  physical contact with Hralen, have them make a 
  Fortitude save DC 20. Failure yields the AR item 
  Leprosy! 
  Encounter 3C: Living Quarters (Optional) 
  The maze of passages eventually leads you to 
  a well traveled corridor. A door in one wall of 
  the passages lies broken off its hinges. 
  If the heroes choose not to investigate, they may 
  skip this encounter. If they enter, they are walking 
  into a typical marru dwelling. 
  The area behind the door is a chaos of life 
  gone awry. The area is obviously a living 
  quarter, with several beds along one wall and 
  the trappings of everyday life evident. A table 
  near the center of the room is broken into large 
  chunks, which then appear to have been 
  partially burned in a firepit. Broken pieces of 
  crockery and small bits of refuse lie strewn 
  about the room. It appears as though the 
  occupants left in a great hurry. 
  This living area was emptied when the marru were 
  forced to respond to the keoish counterattack. 
  Searching the area yields nothing of value. 
  Encounter 3D: Sandworm Pit (Optional) 
  As the heroes move through the crèche, they 
  come across a pit of juvenile sandworms.  
  The floor just ahead of you widens out, 
  resembling the top half of an hourglass. A 
  circular 
  pit 
  descends 
  into 
  darkness. 
  A 
  dilapidated rope bridge spans the pit, swaying 
  gently in a barely felt breeze.  On the far side of 
  the pit you see a small unmoving form lying on 
  the ground. From the bottom of the pit you can 
  hear a gentle echoed hissing. 
  Crossing the pit is an exercise in skill checks, 
  magic, or ingenuity. A Balance DC 20 + APL will 
  get a traveling hero across. Flight or teleportation 
  will suffice as well, as will many other means of 
  transport. Heroes may attempt to help each other 
  across by steadying each end of the bridge, 
  adding a +2 circumstance bonus to the roll of the 
  person crossing (+4 maximum).  
  Failure to succeed on this balance check while 
  crossing the bridge means the hero starts to fall in. 
  a Reflex save DC 18 will allow the hero to catch 
  on to the bridge without falling. Failure on the 
  reflex save means the hero falls in, suffering 2d6 
  falling damage and landing among several hungry 
  juvenile sandworms. 
  A hero in the pit may then climb out of the pit 
  without needing any rolls, but suffers 10 damage 
  as the juvenile sandworms bite them mercilessly. 
  If any form of area damage more than 20 points is 
  thrown into the pit, the sandworms will die. 
  The form on the far side of the bridge is a dead 
  marru. The cause of death is obvious, as it is 
  missing both its legs, with a bloody smear trailing 
  down into the sandworm pit.  
  Any hero with the Desert Dissection AR item will 
  note that this marru appears to be rather immature 
  and oddly formed. Its arms appear to be too long 
  for its body, and its face is misshapen. 
  Encounter 3E: The “University” (optional) 
  This corridor opens into a large amphitheatre. 
  The bowl shaped structure is empty but for 
  tiered rings of seats looking down on a central 
  podium. Among the seats you can see stacks 
  of parchment and bound books. 
  The amphitheatre appears capable of seating 100 
  or more comfortably, and upon entering it 
  becomes apparent that the acoustics are perfect 
  for hearing whoever stands at the podium.  
  The books are all written in marru, and can only be 
  truly translated with the use of magic. Other 
  means of transcription will simply require too much 
  time. A Spot DC 20 (or specifically asking) will 
  note that the glyphs on the books appear to be the 
  same, indicating some advanced form of copying 
  them. 
  There is nothing else of value in the area. 
  Encounter 3F: The Corridor Trap (optional) 
  This corridor demonstrates the ingenuity of the 
  Marru in setting a trap. 
  The corridor widens in front of you as it 
  approaches a set of iron doors in the distance. 
  The floor becomes cut marble of the highest 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 16 
  
  quality. Ten feet in front of you the marble is 
  stained a horrid shade of brown that very 
  much resembles dried blood. 
  A pair of marrulurks are watching the heroes from 
  covered alcoves high in the wall. As the heroes 
  make the obvious choice of searching the area for 
  traps, the marru begin studying whatever hero 
  searches the area. Any search checks the hero 
  make, make them for the hero and tell them that 
  they find no evidence of a trap.  
  If the hero searches for three rounds, the 
  marrulurks will fire a single volley from hiding and 
  then retreat through the back of their alcoves and 
  disappear. 
  The marrulurks are NOT using their death attack 
  as listed in their appendix entry, they are simply 
  attempting to inflict damage and then flee.  
  The targeted hero will receive ranged attacks at 
  the listed values per APL. Mechanically, this is 
  listed as a trap for ease of bookkeeping.  
  APL 8 (EL 5) 
  (2) Atk +12 ranged (1d8 plus poison, arrow); 
  poison (Large monstrous scorpion venom, DC 
  14 Fortitude save resists, 1d4 Con/1d4 Con); 
  APL 10 (EL 7) 
  (2) Atk +15 ranged (1d8 plus poison, arrow); 
  poison (Large monstrous scorpion venom, DC 
  15 Fortitude save resists, 1d4 Con/1d4 Con). 
  APL 12 (EL 9) 
  (2) Atk +18 ranged (1d8 plus poison, arrow); 
  poison (Large monstrous scorpion venom, DC 
  16 Fortitude save resists, 1d4 Con/1d4 Con). 
  ENCOUNTER 4: THE 
  ARCANICA 
  The Arcanica is detailed in DM AID 4. 
  After the heroes have moved through the 
  Stalkyard and gained some insight into marru 
  ecology, they eventually will reach the Arcanica, 
  which is where the magically inclined marru are 
  taught. 
  All doors in the Arcanica swing closed 
  automatically unless propped open.  
  Area 1: Entry Hall 
  Finally, the strange maze ends as you 
  approach a large pair of iron doors set into a 
  squat structure built into the wall. The doors 
  are decorated with images of robed marru with 
  twisted staves, each performing acts of magic. 
  The doors themselves radiate a sickly green 
  glow. 
  The doors are untrapped and unlocked. When a 
  hero opens the door: 
  Inside the doors you see a large entry hall. 
  Small doors sit in the east and west walls, an 
  ornate set of double doors seals the north wall. 
  Area 2: Materials Storage 
  This room is a jumble of tables and shelves. 
  The former are piled high with boxes and 
  crates, the latter with jars and vials. A fine 
  layer of dust covers most of the materials, 
  indicating that these rooms do not see 
  frequent use. 
  Area 3: Library and Alchemy Laboratory  
  This room is filled wall to ceiling with 
  bookshelves. Set throughout the room are 
  long marble tables, each covered with beakers 
  and vials. A complex arrangement of tubes 
  runs from the beakers to copper pipes which 
  in turn run to the ceiling. A foul odor lingers in 
  the air near the tables. 
  At a central lectern in the room sits an open 
  book. In the north wall a single black iron door 
  sits sealed.   
  Any hero with an alchemy related skill will 
  recognize this setup as a complicated distillery of 
  unknown liquids. The pipes run into the ceiling, 
  then into the beakers, and then back into the 
  ceiling. 
  Any hero who reads the book may read Player 
  Handout 4. 
  The filled vials in the room are examples of the 
  Marru zymes. Any hero foolish enough to attempt 
  to drink one is wracked with nausea for a minute 
  as their body fights the concoction. Until they are 
  analyzed and examined they cannot be properly 
  used.  
  Finally, among the materials are six potion vials 
  each marked with a common rune for “healing”. 
  They are each a potion of cure serious wounds. 
  Area 4: Milo and the Machine 
  This room is entirely given over to two eye 
  catching sights. The first is a large machine 
  crafted of burnished brass. Chained to the 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 17 
  
  machine are nearly a dozen men, each in 
  various stages of decrepitude. The second is a 
  large basalt slab set before the machine. On 
  the slab lies an unconscious man. 
  Complex tubes and wires fill the room. Each 
  man chained to the machine has several tubes 
  running into their arms which then feed into 
  copper piping overhead. Hanging from the 
  ceiling over the unconscious man on the slab 
  is a dizzying array of syringes, each filled with 
  a different colored fluid. A large tome sits open 
  on a small end table. 
  A simple wooden door sits closed on the 
  eastern wall.  
  Anyone reading the tome may read Player 
  Handout 5. 
  The machine in the room is, again, clearly 
  recognizable 
  as 
  a 
  sophisticated 
  alchemy 
  apparatus. The men strapped to the machine are 
  all of mixed oerdian stock and wear simple 
  clothes, appearing to be natives to the area.  
  A Search DC 25 will reveal that several of the 
  men have painful looking deformities, all similar in 
  that they resemble pieces of a marru attached to a 
  normal man. One has sharp incisors; one has 
  knees that are bent backwards, et cetera.  
  Several of the men are dead, and the survivors 
  are on death’s door. No amount of healing, 
  magical or otherwise, can save them. 
  The man on the basalt slab is a different case. 
  When a hero examines him: 
  The man on the slab appears healthy except 
  for some fading bruises. If it were not for his 
  location, he might be taken as being asleep. As 
  you watch, a deep inhalation shakes his body. 
  His features are primarily oerdian and he has 
  long dark hair that has been bound into a 
  braid. Examining more closely, you see a 
  horrifying sight. 
  Starting on the sides of his neck, running 
  down over his chest and then continuing down 
  the sides of his legs the man has a series of 
  holes that have been punched in his skin. The 
  horrifying aspect is that threaded through each 
  hole is a fine golden thread coated in just the 
  barest hint of the man’s blood. Having seen 
  your share of wounds, you quickly recognize 
  what has happened to the pour soul on the 
  slab. 
  He’s been stitched back together. 
  Most Contrite Ironclad Mauler Milo Astra, 
  Knight of the Watch 
  Heroes who have been adventuring in Keoland for 
  many years may recognize the man on the slab as 
  Milo Astra. Any hero who participated in KEO3-03 
  Will of the People will immediately recognize him. 
  Milo perpetrated an attempt on the Earl of Linth’s 
  life in an effort to cause a civil war which would 
  topple the Linth house and prevent an ancient 
  prophecy from coming true. He was slain by the 
  Earl’s guards, a group of hired adventurers. 
  Afterwards, his body was secretly taken away to 
  the Linth manor house, where it was stuffed and 
  mounted as a personal trophy. After the events of 
  KEO4-05 A Last Dance at Midnight, Milo’s body 
  was recovered and he was resurrected by the 
  Knights of the Watch and returned to duty. 
  Milo served as a bridge in the gap between the 
  largely suel order and the oerdian people it 
  protects. When the troubles began on the western 
  border, Milo asked for and received permission to 
  travel and offer assistance. Unfortunately for Milo, 
  he was overwhelmed by a Marru patrol and 
  brought to the crèche. 
  Milo radiates a strong aura of conjuration (healing) 
  at all times. 
  If any hero touches Milo (making a heal check is 
  considered automatically touching him), he will 
  awaken and speak. 
  Suddenly roused, the man on the slab pulls 
  away from your hands, rolling to a fighting 
  crouch. His eyes cast about for a weapon. In 
  the light of the chamber you can see the blood 
  that runs on the thread that binds him begin to 
  move faster. 
  “Who are you? Where am I?” 
  If any hero wants to kill Milo he may be struck 
  down without a fight. He is unarmed, unarmored, 
  and the victim of countless experiments.  
  If 
  the 
  heroes 
  talk 
  to 
  Milo, 
  the 
  following 
  conversations are possible. 
  “Who are you?” 
  “I am Most Contrite Ironclad Mauler Milo Astra, 
  Knight of the Watch.” 
  “What are you doing here?” 
  “I am a captive, I came west to aid with the 
  upheaval in the Good Hills, but these creatures 
  ambushed 
  me 
  and 
  I 
  was 
  knocked 
  unconscious.” 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 18 
  
  “What happened here?” 
  “I 
  don’t 
  know, 
  really. 
  I 
  remember…..a 
  little….just ah, no. Hmm, I don’t want to talk 
  about it.” 
  At this point Milo isn’t of much use to the heroes. 
  He is unarmed and armored, but he will ask the 
  heroes to allow him to accompany them. If they 
  offer the use of the Wyrd’s magic he will decline, 
  just asking for an escort out of the crèche. 
  Other than Milo and the Machine, there is nothing 
  else of value in the room. When the heroes move 
  through the eastern door, proceed to encounter 
  five. 
  ENCOUNTER 5: THE SEED 
  OF THE NEW FLESH 
  Opening the eastern door, you are greeted with 
  an odd sight considering the room it adjoins. A 
  simple study complete with a writing desk and 
  moderately sized table awaits you. A pair of 
  statues depicting fierce marru warriors are the 
  only notable décor. 
  Seated at the table are a pair of forms. One you 
  recognize as a particular man with a hound’s 
  head, the other is much stranger. Wearing 
  robes the color of a magnificent sunset, the 
  second figure’s face is completely obscured 
  behind a shifting riot of colors.  
  Seeing you enter, the two turn to you. The 
  voice that comes from the robed figure sounds 
  as though it is a combination of a dozen 
  people. 
  “I’ve been awaiting your arrival eagerly, 
  extarasi. Won’t you sit?” 
  The heroes may choose to launch themselves into 
  immediate action. If they do so and attack, 
  proceed to the combat below. 
  If the heroes choose to sit, or at least to speak to 
  the figure without attacking, he will continue. 
  “I’ve brought you here today to show you my 
  might. I am known by many names, but the one 
  that suits me best at this juncture is The 
  Returned. For lack of a more discerning title, I 
  am Keoland’s new Emperor. 
  You see, the empire as you know it has 
  become weak and toothless, subject to the 
  whims of its vassal states. Quite simply, this 
  angers me and this angers my deity, whom has 
  charged me with correcting this injustice. 
  Your king is a reluctant one, barely above a 
  commoner’s blood, and he has proven himself 
  to be a remarkable statement on the proof that 
  virtue is not hereditary but that madness runs 
  in families.  
  It is my hand on the rudder that moves the 
  marru and many others, and it took much 
  doing to bring you here. Even now the Royal 
  Standards who assaulted Godakin Keep are 
  being hunted down in the hills. Today shall be 
  remembered as a dark day for such a noble 
  fighting force, squandered by those who do 
  not know any better. I, however, know how to 
  use my resources. 
  Resources like the stitched man with you. In a 
  fortnight he will be my creature in soul as he is 
  in body, and he will become a fine general for 
  my armies. 
  This is the same offer I extend to you.” 
  Milo yells out, “I shall never be your creature, 
  servant of a bad master!” 
  The figure reaches out its hand, gesturing at 
  you. 
  “I have searched you out because you are 
  some of Keoland’s most valuable weapons. 
  The Lion Throne will simply misuse you as 
  they have misused so many others. I will not 
  underestimate you as they will. 
  Become the generals of my army as the 
  stitched one will. Keoland deserves to be a 
  realm of tolerance between its inhabitants, a 
  realm where those who have different blood 
  are not simply shucked off to work in labor 
  camps near a pitiless swamp.  
  There will be shed blood, and not all of it will 
  be the guilty’s, but at the end of this 
  insurrection, Keoland will no longer be the 
  laughingstock of the world. 
  Sadly, I must press you for an answer.” 
  The heroes are being offered a terrible bargain. If 
  any hero accepts, make sure they understand that 
  this will mean the removal of their character form 
  the campaign. They receive the AR item Extarasi. 
  Once the heroes dither, refuse, or attack the 
  following occurs. 
  “A waste. Reconsider your choice as you await 
  my returning you to this world. Death, you will 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 19 
  
  see, is no bar to entering my service.” With 
  that the robed man simply disappears. 
  Gustavren shudders uncontrollably, his eyes 
  changing colors from flat black to a fiery red 
  and then back again. He whispers in a horrible 
  voice as he draws a greatsword coated in ice 
  from a sheathe. 
  “You are too late! I must obey!” 
  APL 8 (EL 11) 
  Gustavren the Packmaster, Male Outsider 
  Ftr7: hp 130; see Appendix 1 
  APL 10 (EL 13) 
  Gustavren the Packmaster, Male Outsider 
  Ftr9: hp 150; see Appendix 2 
  APL 12 (EL 15) 
  Gustavren the Packmaster, Male Outsider 
  Ftr11: hp 170; see Appendix 3 
  There are three primary ways of dealing with 
  Gustavren. The heroes can kill him, they can run 
  from him, or they can attempt to break through 
  whatever control The Returned obviously has over 
  him.  
  Killing Gustavren: 
  Simple as it is to say, it is not so simple to do.  
  Gustavren fights to the death, unlike his previous 
  run-ins with the heroes. This fight is the ultimate 
  test of the heroes’ resources, because any time 
  Gustavren is wounded below 50% total hit points 
  he will use the next opportunity to separate from 
  the heroes via teleport to a hidden cache of 
  potions in order to heal himself and return. For 
  every 20 hp of damage he must heal, Gustavren 
  will be gone for one round. Gustavren has enough 
  potions stocked to heal himself a total of hit points 
  equal to his maximum, depending on the APL. 
  Gustavren’s teleport is a supernatural ability, so it 
  does not provoke an attack of opportunity and 
  does not require concentration checks. 
  When he returns, Gustavren will teleport to a point 
  that he can see when he left that will not allow any 
  of the heroes to get him in an unduly unfavorable 
  situation. He will then resume crushing heroes one 
  by one while muttering various things. 
  Fleeing from Gustavren: 
  This combat has a high probability to send the 
  heroes fleeing. If it does, use normal movement 
  speed until the heroes reach the Stalkyard. Once 
  they reach the Stalkyard it will take them a number 
  of minutes equal to double the amount of 
  encounters they had to cross it in reverse. 
  (minimum four minutes) If the heroes have some 
  way to avoid getting lost (find the path, etc) the 
  time required to cross is halved. 
  For every minute required to cross the Stalkyard, 
  Gustavren will attack them once by teleporting in. 
  Draw a map to your liking but always ensure that 
  the area is cramped (no wider than 10’). 
  Gustavren will pick the terrain carefully for his 
  return. 
  Breaking The Returned’s Control 
  Fighting Gustavren is an important piece of a 
  future puzzle because it hints to the heroes that 
  The Returned has some form of powerful mind 
  control as a tool. Why this is important, what this 
  mind control is, and where The Returned obtained 
  it will become a plot point in a future adventure. 
  Since this is the first hint that the Hound Archon is 
  potentially controlled against his will, it is important 
  that you make it visible to the players that 
  Gustavren is fighting for control and that he is 
  conflicted. 
  In 
  the 
  round-by-round 
  encounter 
  scenario detailed below, there are some things 
  that Gustavren will say in order to make this 
  apparent. 
  The primary means of breaking the mind control 
  must be through roleplaying, assisted with a 
  diplomacy mechanic. Perceptive heroes may try to 
  break Gustavren’s state with the use of dispel 
  magic or greater dispel. Unfortunately for the hero, 
  the 
  source 
  of 
  the 
  magic 
  is 
  of 
  nearly 
  incomprehensible power, and such efforts will be 
  unsuccessful. Any hero who casts a dispel-type 
  spell will immediately know that the magic is 
  beyond their ability to simply lift. 
  Any hero may attempt to make a Diplomacy DC 
  18 + APL. Success indicates that Gustavren 
  openly hesitates, his sword wavering while he 
  fights for control. 
  In order for this effect to last however, the heroes 
  must roleplay their attempt to reach through to 
  Gustavren. Several themes are good ways for the 
  heroes to resonate empathy from Gustavren. 
  • 
  Chivalry. As an Archon, Gustavren used 
  to be a paragon of chivalric thought. 
  Appealing to his desire to return to that 
  path is a good way into his psyche. 
  • 
  Duty. Hound Archons in particular are 
  creatures that are duty bound. Appealing 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 20 
  
  to Gustavren’s ingrained sense of duty is 
  also a good path into his head. 
  • 
  Mercy. This is particularly useful if the 
  heroes are still wounded or obviously 
  outmatched. Hounds love sport, and there 
  is no sport in killing weaker enemies.  
  After the heroes make the initial successful 
  diplomacy check, they must then follow it up with 
  two more of increasing difficulty while also 
  continuing to roleplay their attempt. 
  The second Diplomacy check is DC 23 + APL. 
  The third is DC 28 + APL. During this period, 
  Gustavren will not attack unless he is directly 
  attacked or a diplomacy check is failed.  
  If the heroes complete all three diplomacy checks, 
  read the following. 
  As quickly as the rage sets upon Gustavren, it 
  passes. His eyes become clear blue, and then 
  they roll up into his head as he slumps to the 
  ground, unconscious.” 
  Award full XP for the encounter.  
  Round 1: Full Attack a weak looking hero if 
  possible. If not, teleport to area 3 and ready an 
  action to attack anyone opening the door.  
  Gustavren yells the following: 
  “Impure thoughts lead to profane actions! I am 
  unclean!” 
  Round 2: If still in an advantageous position 
  (getting a full attack on one hero while not facing 
  the full brunt of the heroes’ attacks) or if a hero is 
  potentially killable, press the attack. If wounded, 
  teleport to the cache and begin healing. 
  Yell the following: 
  “I am not some simple jester! I am Gustavren 
  the packmaster!” 
  Round 3: If not in need of healing but positioning 
  is becoming bad, teleport to area 5 or area 1 in 
  order to flank and attack a weak looking hero.  
  Gustavren yells the following: 
  “I want this nightmare to be over!” 
  Killing a Hero: 
  Gustavren will yell the following when he kills a 
  hero, one at a time. 
  “Back to the cold dark with you!” 
  “Your reach exceeds your grasp!” 
  “You will show the proper respect!” 
  “Torment me no more!” 
  “I shall split your thoughts open!” 
  “I feel the hand of the unseen upon me!” 
  The goal when playing as Gustavren is to use hit-
  and run tactics to wear the heroes down. It should 
  be almost impossible for the heroes to prevent you 
  from teleporting away, so you should take 
  advantage of your powers to whittle down a 
  superior force.  
  Whenever Gustavren teleports away to heal, you 
  should do your best to prevent metagaming by 
  falling out of initiative rotations and allowing the 
  heroes to act until they have taken enough actions 
  for Gustavren to return. 
  Every time Gustavren teleports out to heal, he will 
  yell one of the following when he returns. 
  “I’ll show you this beaten dog still has some 
  teeth!” 
  “I am reinvigorated. Are you?” 
  “How much more can you withstand?” 
  If the heroes get involved in a hit-and-run fight, 
  have Gustavren yell as he attacks. Use the 
  following as a guideline to instill some fear into the 
  heroes. 
  “I smell your fear!” 
  “There is no place to hide from one who tracks 
  across the cosmos!” 
  “Even if you get outside, where shall you run 
  to?” 
  In the event any heroes are killed or captured, 
  they are not permanently lost. They gain the AR 
  item A Mysterious Return.  
  ENCOUNTER 6: RETURN TO 
  NIOLE DRA 
  After defeating Gustavren the heroes will find that 
  the crèche is empty and they will need to return to 
  Niole Dra. Whatever manner they accomplish this 
  in is immaterial. When they return: 
  Upon your arrival in Niole Dra you are 
  immediately met by Count Orloc and the Wyrd. 
  Orloc looks even more haggard than usual 
  even the wyrd’s shoulders are stooped from 
  fatigue. All around the city has taken on the air 
  of 
  a 
  funeral 
  as 
  badly 
  wounded 
  Royal 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 21 
  
  Standards moan and thrash by the hundreds 
  on the cobblestones. 
  Orloc speaks. 
  “It was an ambush. Somehow they knew what 
  was planned and our teleport circles were 
  compromised. Many of our troops just never 
  arrived, and those that did and survived say 
  that something attacked them as they crossed 
  over. Until we know otherwise we have to 
  assume that our foe can somehow assault us 
  while we use teleportation magic. It is an 
  incalculable advantage. 
  What did you find? Were you successful?” 
  Allow the heroes to report whatever they wish, and 
  those heroes who have an additional objective to 
  report their success or failure. After all is said and 
  done, the day was a loss for Keoland. 
  CONCLUSION: SUCCESS 
  Your mission complete, you count yourselves 
  fortunate to have survived one of the worst 
  days in Keoish history. The news of the 
  counteroffensive is not good; less than one in 
  ten returned from Godakin Keep, and the use 
  of 
  teleportation 
  magics 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  compromised. 
  Through this dark day, the light of hope 
  shines. Returned to the ranks of Keoland’s 
  finest warriors are one missing for ten years 
  and one renowned for his martial prowess. 
  Additionally, a wealth of knowledge about the 
  specifics of the Marru army has been brought 
  back.  
  The one who calls himself The Returned 
  accused the Lion Throne of hubris, but 
  perhaps today he has sealed his own fate by 
  failing to kill Keoland’s most powerful allies. 
  CONCLUSION: DESTROYING 
  THE CRECHE DOORS 
  It takes the enlistment of some powerful 
  extraplanar muscle, but the work goes quickly 
  enough once they arrive. The crèche doors 
  seem to attempt to resist the efforts to destroy 
  them but against your minions thereis no 
  respite.  
  It starts with a single squeal of tortured metal 
  and suddenly the top half of the doors fold and 
  bend over on each other. In an eyeblink the 
  doors are bent and mutilated. In a second 
  eyeblink the doors are reduced to the size of a 
  Keoish Sparrow and fall into the dust, leaving 
  a smooth blank slate of wall behind them. 
  Whatever is in the crèche is no longer within 
  Keoland. 
  The End 
   
  EXPERIENCE POINT 
  SUMMARY 
  To award experience for this adventure, add up 
  the values for the objectives accomplished. Then 
  assign the experience award.  Award the total 
  value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each 
  character. 
  Encounter 2 
  Rescue Elgarin. 
   
  APL 8: 330 xp. 
   
  APL 10: 390 xp. 
   
  APL 12: 450 xp. 
  Encounter 3 
  Defeat the Marru. 
   
  APL 8: 300 xp. 
   
  APL 10: 360 xp. 
   
  APL 12: 420 xp. 
  Encounter 5 
  Kill/Escape From/Redeem Gustavren. 
   
  APL 8: 330 xp. 
   
  APL 10: 390 xp. 
   
  APL 12: 450 xp. 
  Story Award 
   
  APL 8: 300 xp. 
   
  APL 10: 360 xp. 
   
  APL 12: 420 xp 
  Total possible experience 
   
  APL 8: 1,125 xp. 
   
  APL 10: 1,350 xp. 
   
  APL 12: 1,575 xp. 
  TREASURE SUMMARY 
  During 
  an 
  adventure, 
  characters 
  encounter 
  treasure, usually finding it in the possession of their 
  foes.  Every encounter that features treasure has a 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 22 
  
  “treasure” section within the encounter description, 
  giving information about the loot, coins, and magic 
  items that make up the encounter’s treasure. 
   
  The loot total is the number of gold pieces each 
  character gains if the foes are plundered of all their 
  earthly possessions.  Looting the bodies takes at 
  least 10 minutes per every 5 enemies, and if the 
  characters cannot take the time to loot the bodies, 
  they do not gain this gold.  If you feel it is 
  reasonable that characters can go back to loot the 
  bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., not carted 
  off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the 
  scene by the local watch, and so on), characters 
  may return to retrieve loot.  If the characters do not 
  loot the body, the gold piece value for the loot is 
  subtracted from the encounter totals given below. 
   
  The coin total is the number of gold pieces each 
  character gains if they take the coin available.  A 
  normal adventuring party can usually gather this 
  wealth in a round or so.  If for some reason, they 
  pass up this treasure, the coin total is subtracted 
  from the encounter totals given below. 
   
  Next, the magic items are listed.  Magic item 
  treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because they 
  are varied and because characters may want to use 
  them during the adventure.  Many times characters 
  must cast identify, analyze dweomer or similar spell 
  to determine what the item does and how to 
  activate it.  Other times they may attempt to use the 
  item blindly.  If the magic item is consumable (a 
  potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the item is used 
  before the end of the adventure, its total is 
  subtracted from the adventure totals below. 
   
  Once you have subtracted the value for 
  unclaimed treasure from each encounter add it up 
  and that is the number of gold pieces a characters 
  total and coin value increase at the end of the 
  adventure.  Write the total in the GP Gained field of 
  the adventure certificate.  Because this is a 
  Regional 
  adventure, 
  characters 
  may 
  spend 
  additional Time Units to practice professions or 
  create items immediately after the adventure so this 
  total may be modified by other circumstances. 
   
  L = Looted gear from enemy; C = Coin, Gems, 
  Jewelry, and other valuables; M = Magic Items. 
  Encounter 2: 
  APL 8: L: 4,900 gp, C: 2,500 gp, M: 3 +1 
  Great Falchions (3,450 ea),  Headband of 
  Intellect +2 (4,000), Gloves of Arrow Snaring 
  (4,000) Cloak of Resistance +2 (4,000) 
  APL 10: L: 5,500 gp, C: 5,200 gp, M: 3 +1 
  Great Falchions (3,450 ea),Headband of 
  Intellect +2 (4,000), Gloves of Arrow Snaring 
  (4,000) Gauntlets of Ogre Power (4,000), 
  Cape of the Mountebank (10,080). 
  APL 12: L: 8,600 gp, C: 8,800 gp, M: 3 +1 
  Great Falchions (3,450 ea), Headband of 
  Intellect +2 (4,000), Gloves of Arrow Snaring 
  (4,000) gp), Gauntlets of Ogre Power (4,000), 
  Cape of the Mountebank (10,080) Stone Salve 
  (4,000), Staff of Fire (17,750). 
  Encounter 3: 
  APL 8: L: 4,900 gp, C: 2,500 gp, M: 3 +1 
  Great Falchions (3,450 ea),  
  APL 10: L: 5,500 gp, C: 5,200 gp, M: 3 +1 
  Great Falchions (3,450 ea),  
  APL 12: L: 8,600 gp, C: 8,800 gp, M: 3 +1 
  Great Falchions (3,450 ea), Gauntlets of Ogre 
  Power (4,000),  
  Encounter 5: 
  APL 8: L: 0 gp, C: 1 gp, M: Mithral Full Plate 
  +1, +1 Frost Greatsword 
  APL 10: L: 0 gp, C: 1 gp, M: Mithral Full Plate 
  +1, +1 Frost Greatsword 
  APL 12: L: 0 gp, C: 1 gp, M: Mithral Full Plate 
  +1, +1 Frost Greatsword, Belt of Giant 
  Strength +6 
  Total Possible Treasure (Maximum Reward 
  Allowed) 
  APL 8: L: 9,800 gp, C: 5,001 gp, M: X gp – 
  Total: (1,300 gp). 
  APL 10: L: 11,000 gp, C: 10,401 gp, M: X gp – 
  Total: (2,300 gp). 
  APL 12: L: 17,400 gp, C: 17,601 gp, M: X gp – 
  Total: (3,300 gp). 
  ITEMS FOR THE 
  ADVENTURE RECORD 
  Special 
  Leprosy!: Didn’t your mother teach you not to play 
  with rotting people wearing linen bandages? You 
  should have listened, because now you’re a leper. 
  If this remains uncured (cure disease at 7th lvl will 
  suffice) at the end of a scenario, you lose a small 
  but memorable piece of yourself. Each piece lost 
  gives you a cumulative -1 penalty to your 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 23 
  
  charisma. If cured, all lost charisma is restored 
  without further magic. Luckily for those around 
  you, you’re not further contagious. 
  Dark Knowledge: You have discovered the secret 
  behind the recent explosion of the numbers of 
  Marru. Don’t allow anyone to be captured by them.  
  Zyme Machine: You know what’s in that Zyme. 
  You can drink any Zyme you come across in your 
  future travels and they will have the listed effects.  
  Extarasi: Evil beckons! You have answered the 
  call of The Returned and accepted your place as 
  his destroying fist. Your character is removed from 
  the campaign and becomes property of the 
  Keoland Triad. Please send all pertinent character 
  information to keolandplots@hotmail.com. Don’t 
  worry about telling your friends farewell, you will 
  be seeing them again when they bow at your feet.  
  A Mysterious Return: You were defeated by 
  Gustavren 
  the 
  Packmaster 
  in 
  a 
  stunning 
  showcase of the powers granted to him by The 
  Returned. However, when you next open your 
  eyes you are no longer in the crèche and that 
  horrible sword is no longer chopping you to 
  pieces. You have no explanation for this. Report 
  this AR item to every Keoland Regional adventure 
  you play until KEO8-06. 
  Item Access 
  APL 8 (all of APLs 2, 4, 6 plus the following): 
  • 
  Staff of Fire (Adventure; DMG) 
  • 
  Cape of the Mountebank (Adventure, DMG) 
  • 
  Mithral Full Plate +1 (Adventure, DMG) 
  • 
  Crystal 
  of 
  Adamant 
  Weaponry 
  (Lesser) 
  (Adventure; Magic Item Compendium) 
  • 
  Crystal of Energy Assault (Lesser, Cold) 
  (Adventure; Magic Item Compendium) 
  • 
  Crystal Echoblade (Adventure, Magic Item 
  Compendium) 
  • 
  Belt 
  of 
  Priestly 
  Might 
  (Kord/Hextor/Heironeous) (Adventure; Magic 
  Item Compendium) 
   
  APL 10 (all of APLS, 6, 8 plus the following): 
  • 
  Holy Surge Weapon Upgrade (Adventure; 
  Magic Item Compendium) 
  • 
  Fleshgrinding Weapon Upgrade (Adventure; 
  Magic Item Compendium) 
  • 
  Foxhide 
  Armor 
  (Adventure; 
  Magic 
  Item 
  Compendium) 
  • 
  Shield of Mercy (Adventure; Magic Item 
  Compendium) 
  • 
  Shattermantle Weapon Upgrade (Adventure; 
  Magic Item Compendium) 
  • 
  Rod of Surprises (Adventure; Magic Item 
  Compendium) 
   
  APL 12 (all of APLs 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 plus the 
  following): 
  • 
  Amulet of Retributive Healing (Adventure; 
  Magic Item Compendium) 
  • 
  Angelhelm 
  (Adventure; 
  Magic 
  Item 
  Compendium) 
  • 
  Belt 
  of 
  Battle 
  (Adventure; 
  Magic 
  Item 
  Compendium) 
  • 
  Goggles of Foefinding (Adventure; Magic Item 
  Compendium) 
  • 
  Robe of Retaliation (Adventure; Magic Item 
  Compendium) 
  • 
  Rearguard’s Cape (Adventure; Magic Item 
  Compendium) 
  • 
  Spellmight Bracers (Adventure; Magic Item 
  Compendium) 
  • 
  Skirmisher Boots (Adventure; Magic Item 
  Compendium) 
  • 
  Transposer Cloak (Adventure; Magic Item 
  Compendium) 
  • 
  Vest of the Master Evoker (Adventure; Magic 
  Item Compendium) 
   
   
   
   
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
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  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 25 
  
  APPENDIX 1 – APL 8 
   
  ENCOUNTER 2 AND ENCOUNTER 3  
  M AR R U S AUL T,  F TR2 
  CR  7 
  NE Large monstrous humanoid 
  Init +1; Senses Listen +7, Spot +3 
  Languages Common, Marru 
  AC 23, touch 10, flat-footed 22 
   (+1 dex, +8 armor, +5 natural, -1 size) 
  hp 62 (8 HD)  
  Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +5 
  Speed 20 ft. Full Plate (4 squares) 
  Melee Great Falchion +15/+10melee (1d12+10/15-20) 
  and bite +5 melee  (1d8+5); 
  Ranged none 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +8; Grp +18 
  Atk Options Pounce, Howl of Defiance 
  Combat Gear Full Plate, Great Falchion +1, Gauntlets 
  of Ogre Power.  SS Great Falchion – Sandstorm page 
  96-97 
  Abilities Str 20, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 14 
  SQ none  
  Feats Cleave, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Great 
  Falchion), Great Fortitude, Power Attack, Weapon 
  Focus (Great Falchion) Improved Critical (Great 
  Falchion). 
  Skills Listen + 7, Search +1, Spot +3 
  Possessions combat gear. 
  Howl of Defiance (Su): Once per day, a marrsault 
  can loose a terrifying howl as a free action. All 
  creatures except other marrusaults within 30 feet 
  must succeed on a DC15 Will save or become 
  fatigued. Those within 10 feet who fail their save 
  become exhausted. The save DC is Charisma-
  based 
   
  Pounce (Ex): If a marrusault charges, it can make 
  a full attack, including its bite attack 
   
  Ferocity (Ex): A marrusault is such a tenacious 
  combatant that it continues to fight without penalty 
  even while disabled or dying 
   
  Marruspawn Traits 
   
  Discriminating Hearing (Ex): A marruspawn can 
  hear across great distances with ease, gaining a +4 
  racial bonus on Listen checks. A marruspawn’s 
  hearing is so sensitive that it can sense the presence 
  of most creatures merely by the sound of their 
  breathing, their heartbeat, or their movement if they 
  are within 30 feet. 
   
  When a marruspawn detects a noise, the exact 
  location of the source is not revealed – only it’s 
  presence 
  somewhere 
  within 
  that 
  range. 
  A 
  marruspawn can take a move action to note the 
  direction of the sound. Whenever a marruspawn 
  comes within 5 feet of the source, it can pinpoint the 
  sound’s location. Undead, constructs and other 
  creatures that have no metabolism are not subject to 
  being detected by discriminating hearing unless they 
  move – in any round when they move, they are 
  detected by the sound they make while moving 
  through the air or shuffling along the ground. Only 
  incorporeal creatures are completely undetectable, 
  unless they wish to be detected. 
   
  Resistance to Dessication (Ex): Centuries of life 
  in the waste afford marruspawn the ability to cope 
  with thirst and reduced fluid intake. A marruspawn 
  thus gains resistance to dessication damage 10. 
  Whenever a marruspawn is subject to magical 
  dessication damage, that damage is reduced by 10 
  before being applied to the marruspawn’s hit points 
   
  A marruspawn also takes no nonlethal or lethal 
  damage from failing Constitiution checks to avoid 
  becoming dehydrated, although it still might become 
  fatigued if it fails a check. If a marruspawn ever 
  becomes dehydrated, whether due to natural causes 
  or another effect (such as a spell), it needs to drink 
  only a mouthful of water to lose that condition. A 
  marruspawn also requires only half as much water in 
  a day as is normally required for a creature of its size. 
   
  Resistance to Fire (Ex): Bred to withstand magic 
  artillery, a marruspawn enjoys an inborn resistance to 
  fire 5 
   
  Low-Light Vision (Ex): A marruspawn can see 
  twice as far as humans in conditions of poor 
  illumination 
   
  Languages: Marru. 
   
   
  M ARRUTACT,  W I Z2 
  CR  7 
  NE medium monstrous humanoid 
  Init +5; Senses Listen +10, Spot +0 
  Languages Common, Marru 
  AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18 
   (+1 dex, +4 natural, +4 mage armor) 
  hp 58 (9 HD)  
  Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +12 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) 
  Melee staff +8 melee (1d6) 
  Ranged none 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +6; Grp +15 
  Atk Options Pounce, Howl of Healing 
  Combat Gear Staff, Robes, headband of intellect +2 
  Abilities Str 11, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 16 
  SQ Spell Resistance 16  
  Feats Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Initiative, 
  Scribe Scroll, Improved Toughness 
  Skills Concentration +13, Hide +13, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +16, Knowledge (history) +16, Knowledge 
  (geography) +16, Listen +10, Spellcraft +118, 
  Survival +6(+8 to avoid getting lost or avoid hazards) 
  Possessions combat gear. 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 26 
  
       Howl of Healing (Su): Once per day, a marrutact 
  can loose a regenerative howl as a free action. All 
  marruspawn pledged to the howling marrutact within 
  30 feet heal 3d8+5 points of damage. Those within 
  10 feet heal an extra 1d8+1 points of damage. 
       Spells: A marrutact casts spells as a 5th level wizard 
       Marruspawn Traits 
       Discriminating Hearing (Ex): A marruspawn can 
  hear across great distances with ease, gaining a +4 
  racial bonus on Listen checks. A marruspawn’s 
  hearing is so sensitive that it can sense the presence 
  of most creatures merely by the sound of their 
  breathing, their heartbeat, or their movement if they 
  are within 30 feet. 
   
  When a marruspawn detects a noise, the exact 
  location of the source is not revealed – only it’s 
  presence 
  somewhere 
  within 
  that 
  range. 
  A 
  marruspawn can take a move action to note the 
  direction of the sound. Whenever a marruspawn 
  comes within 5 feet of the source, it can pinpoint the 
  sound’s location. Undead, constructs and other 
  creatures that have no metabolism are not subject to 
  being detected by discriminating hearing unless they 
  move – in any round when they move, they are 
  detected by the sound they make while moving 
  through the air or shuffling along the ground. Only 
  incorporeal creatures are completely undetectable, 
  unless they wish to be detected. 
   
  Resistance to Dessication (Ex): Centuries of life 
  in the waste afford marruspawn the ability to cope 
  with thirst and reduced fluid intake. A marruspawn 
  thus gains resistance to dessication damage 10. 
  Whenever a marruspawn is subject to magical 
  dessication damage, that damage is reduced by 10 
  before being applied to the marruspawn’s hit points 
   
  A marruspawn also takes no nonlethal or lethal 
  damage from failing Constitiution checks to avoid 
  becoming dehydrated, although it still might become 
  fatigued if it fails a check. If a marruspawn ever 
  becomes dehydrated, whether due to natural causes 
  or another effect (such as a spell), it needs to drink 
  only a mouthful of water to lose that condition. A 
  marruspawn also requires only half as much water in 
  a day as is normally required for a creature of its size. 
   
  Resistance to Fire (Ex): Bred to withstand magic 
  artillery, a marruspawn enjoys an inborn resistance to 
  fire 5 
   
  Low-Light Vision (Ex): A marruspawn can see 
  twice as far as humans in conditions of poor 
  illumination. 
   
  Languages: Marru, Common. 
   
  Spells Prepared (Caster level 7th) (4/6/4/3/2, save 
  DC = 15 + spell level): 0 – Daze, Disrupt Undead, 
  Mage Hand, Resistance; 1st – Mage Armor, Magic 
  Missile x4, True Strike; 2nd – See Invisibility, Mirror 
  Image, Scorching Ray x2; 3rd – Fireball x2, Dispel 
  Magic. 4th – Wall of Ice, Enervation 
   
  Spellbook: 0 – Daze, Disrupt Undead, Mage Hand, 
  Resistance; 1st – Mage Armor, Magic Missile x2, True 
  Strike; 2nd – See Invisibility, Mirror Image Scorching 
  Ray; 3rd – Fireball, Dispel Magic, Lightning Bolt. 
  Major Image 4th – Wall of Ice, Enervation 
   
  ENCOUNTER 5 
   
   
   
   
  G U S T AV R E N,  P AC K M AS T E R 
  F AL L E N  H O U N D  AR C H O N 
  CR  11 
  Male outsider Ftr7 
  LN Medium outsider (Archon, Extraplanar, Lawful) 
  Init +4; Senses Listen +11, Spot +11 
  Languages All 
  AC 29, touch 11, flat-footed 19 
   (+9 armor, +9 natural, +1 dex) 
  hp 130 (13 HD)  
  Fort +10 (+14 vs. poison), Ref +7, Will +8 
  Speed 30 ft. mithral full plate +1 (6 squares) 
  Melee +1 greatsword +22/+17/+12 (2d6+12+1d6 frost / 
  17-20, x2) and bite +15 (1d8+5) or Bite +19(1d8 + 5) 
  and 2 Slam +14 (1d4+4) 
  Ranged none 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +13; Grp +19 
  Atk Options Spell-like abilities 
  Combat Gear mithral full plate +1, +1 frost greatsword, 
  belt of giant strength +6 
  Abilities Str 23, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 12 
  SQ Aura of Menace, change shape, damage reduction 
  10/magic and silver, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to 
  electricity and petrification, scent, spell resistance 23, 
  teleport, tongues  
  Feats Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Track, Weapon 
  Focus (greatsword), Improved Critical (greatsword), 
  Weapon 
  Specialization 
  (greatsword), 
  Greater 
  Weapon Focus (greatsword), Quicken Spell-Like 
  Ability (teleport) 
  Skills Concentration +10, Diplomacy +4, Hide +9*, 
  Jump +18, Listen +11, Move Silently +9, Sense 
  Motive +10, Spot +11, Survival +10* (+12 following 
  tracks) 
  Possessions combat gear 
  Spell-like abilities: at will—aid, continual flame, 
  message (caster level 6th) 
  Aura of Menace (Su): A righteous aura surrounds 
  archons that fight or get angry. Any hostile creature 
  within a 20-foot radius of an archon must succeed on 
  a Will save to resist its effects. The save DC varies 
  with the type of archon, is Charisma-based, and 
  includes a +2 racial bonus. Those who fail take a -2 
  penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or 
  until they successfully hit the archon that generated 
  the aura. A creature that has resisted or broken the 
  effect cannot be affected again by the same archon’s 
  aura for 24 hours. Will DC 16 negates. 
  Change Shape (Su): A hound archon can assume any 
  canine form of Small to Large size. While in canine 
  form, the hound archon loses its bite, slam, and 
  greatsword attacks, but gains the bite attack of the 
  form it chooses. For the purposes of this ability, 
  canines include any doglike or wolflike animal of the 
  animal type. 
  Fallen from Grace: As a celestial who has been cast 
  out, the Fallen Hound Archon has lost all alignment-
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 27 
  
  dependent special abilities that depend on a good/evil 
  axis. The Fallen Hound Archon has had its DR 
  changed to 10/magic and silver and has lost the 
  ability to detect evil and the ability to project an aura 
  of protection from evil. 
  Teleport (Su): Archons can use greater teleport at will, 
  as the spell (caster level 14th), except that the 
  creature can transport only itself and up to 50 pounds 
  of objects. 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 28 
  
   APPENDIX 2 – APL 10 
   
  ENCOUNTER 2 AND ENCOUNTER 3  
  M AR R U S AUL T,  F TR4 
  CR  9 
  NE Large monstrous humanoid 
  Init +1; Senses Listen +7, Spot +3 
  Languages Common, Marru 
  AC 24, touch 10, flat-footed 22 
   (+1 dex, +9 armor, +5 natural, -1 size) 
  hp 85 (10 HD)  
  Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +5 
  Speed 20 ft. Full Plate (4 squares) 
  Melee Great Falchion +18/+13 melee (1d12+13/15-20) 
  and bite +11 melee (1d8+6) 
  Ranged none 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +10; Grp +21 
  Atk Options Pounce, Howl of Defiance 
  Combat Gear Full Plate +1, Great Falchion +1, 
  Gauntlets of Ogre Power.  SS Great Falchion – 
  Sandstorm page 96-97 
  Abilities Str 24, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 14 
  SQ none  
  Feats Cleave, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Great 
  Falchion), Great Fortitude, Power Attack, Weapon 
  Focus (Great Falchion) Improved Critical (Great 
  Falchion) Weapon Specialization (Great Falchion). 
  Skills Listen + 7, Search +1, Spot +3, Climb +3 
  Possessions combat gear. 
  Howl of Defiance (Su): Once per day, a marrsault 
  can loose a terrifying howl as a free action. All 
  creatures except other marrusaults within 30 feet 
  must succeed on a DC15 Will save or become 
  fatigued. Those within 10 feet who fail their save 
  become exhausted. The save DC is Charisma-
  based 
   
  Pounce (Ex): If a marrusault charges, it can make 
  a full attack, including its bite attack 
   
  Ferocity (Ex): A marrusault is such a tenacious 
  combatant that it continues to fight without penalty 
  even while disabled or dying 
   
  Marruspawn Traits 
   
  Discriminating Hearing (Ex): A marruspawn can 
  hear across great distances with ease, gaining a +4 
  racial bonus on Listen checks. A marruspawn’s 
  hearing is so sensitive that it can sense the presence 
  of most creatures merely by the sound of their 
  breathing, their heartbeat, or their movement if they 
  are within 30 feet. 
   
  When a marruspawn detects a noise, the exact 
  location of the source is not revealed – only it’s 
  presence 
  somewhere 
  within 
  that 
  range. 
  A 
  marruspawn can take a move action to note the 
  direction of the sound. Whenever a marruspawn 
  comes within 5 feet of the source, it can pinpoint the 
  sound’s location. Undead, constructs and other 
  creatures that have no metabolism are not subject to 
  being detected by discriminating hearing unless they 
  move – in any round when they move, they are 
  detected by the sound they make while moving 
  through the air or shuffling along the ground. Only 
  incorporeal creatures are completely undetectable, 
  unless they wish to be detected. 
   
  Resistance to Dessication (Ex): Centuries of life 
  in the waste afford marruspawn the ability to cope 
  with thirst and reduced fluid intake. A marruspawn 
  thus gains resistance to dessication damage 10. 
  Whenever a marruspawn is subject to magical 
  dessication damage, that damage is reduced by 10 
  before being applied to the marruspawn’s hit points 
   
  A marruspawn also takes no nonlethal or lethal 
  damage from failing Constitiution checks to avoid 
  becoming dehydrated, although it still might become 
  fatigued if it fails a check. If a marruspawn ever 
  becomes dehydrated, whether due to natural causes 
  or another effect (such as a spell), it needs to drink 
  only a mouthful of water to lose that condition. A 
  marruspawn also requires only half as much water in 
  a day as is normally required for a creature of its size. 
   
  Resistance to Fire (Ex): Bred to withstand magic 
  artillery, a marruspawn enjoys an inborn resistance to 
  fire 5 
   
  Low-Light Vision (Ex): A marruspawn can see 
  twice as far as humans in conditions of poor 
  illumination 
   
  Languages: Marru. 
   
  Description: Jacketed in coal-black full plate and 
  clutching a prodigious scimitar, this jackal-headed 
  humanoid looks like a juggernaut of death. 
   
  M ARRUTACT,  W I Z4 
  CR  9 
  NE medium monstrous humanoid 
  Init +5; Senses Listen +10, Spot +0 
  Languages Common, Marru 
  AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18 
   (+1 dex, +4 natural, +4 mage armor) 
  hp 80 (11 HD)  
  Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +13 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) 
  Melee staff +9/+4 melee (1d6) 
  Ranged none 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +9; Grp +15 
  Atk Options Pounce, Howl of Healing 
  Combat Gear Staff, Robes, headband of intellect +2 
  Abilities Str 11, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 20, Wis 18, Cha 16 
  SQ Spell Resistance 16  
  Feats Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Initiative, 
  Scribe Scroll, Improved Toughness. 
  Skills Concentration +15, Hide +15, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +18, Knowledge (history) +18, Knowledge 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 29 
  
  (geography) +18, Listen +10, Spellcraft +20, Survival 
  +8(+10 to avoid getting lost or avoid hazards);  
  Possessions combat gear. 
       Howl of Healing (Su): Once per day, a marrutact 
  can loose a regenerative howl as a free action. All 
  marruspawn pledged to the howling marrutact within 
  30 feet heal 3d8+5 points of damage. Those within 
  10 feet heal an extra 1d8+1 points of damage. 
       Spells: A marrutact casts spells as a 5th level wizard 
       Marruspawn Traits 
       Discriminating Hearing (Ex): A marruspawn can 
  hear across great distances with ease, gaining a +4 
  racial bonus on Listen checks. A marruspawn’s 
  hearing is so sensitive that it can sense the presence 
  of most creatures merely by the sound of their 
  breathing, their heartbeat, or their movement if they 
  are within 30 feet. 
   
  When a marruspawn detects a noise, the exact 
  location of the source is not revealed – only it’s 
  presence 
  somewhere 
  within 
  that 
  range. 
  A 
  marruspawn can take a move action to note the 
  direction of the sound. Whenever a marruspawn 
  comes within 5 feet of the source, it can pinpoint the 
  sound’s location. Undead, constructs and other 
  creatures that have no metabolism are not subject to 
  being detected by discriminating hearing unless they 
  move – in any round when they move, they are 
  detected by the sound they make while moving 
  through the air or shuffling along the ground. Only 
  incorporeal creatures are completely undetectable, 
  unless they wish to be detected. 
   
  Resistance to Dessication (Ex): Centuries of life 
  in the waste afford marruspawn the ability to cope 
  with thirst and reduced fluid intake. A marruspawn 
  thus gains resistance to dessication damage 10. 
  Whenever a marruspawn is subject to magical 
  dessication damage, that damage is reduced by 10 
  before being applied to the marruspawn’s hit points 
   
  A marruspawn also takes no nonlethal or lethal 
  damage from failing Constitiution checks to avoid 
  becoming dehydrated, although it still might become 
  fatigued if it fails a check. If a marruspawn ever 
  becomes dehydrated, whether due to natural causes 
  or another effect (such as a spell), it needs to drink 
  only a mouthful of water to lose that condition. A 
  marruspawn also requires only half as much water in 
  a day as is normally required for a creature of its size. 
   
  Resistance to Fire (Ex): Bred to withstand magic 
  artillery, a marruspawn enjoys an inborn resistance to 
  fire 5 
   
  Low-Light Vision (Ex): A marruspawn can see 
  twice as far as humans in conditions of poor 
  illumination. 
   
  Languages: Marru, Common. 
   
  Spells Prepared (Caster level 9th) (4/6/4/4/3/2, save 
  DC = 15 + spell level): 0 – Daze, Disrupt Undead, 
  Mage Hand, Resistance; 1st – Mage Armor, Magic 
  Missile x4, True Strike; 2nd – See Invisibility, Mirror 
  Image, Scorching Ray x2; 3rd – Fireball x2, Dispel 
  Magic. 4th – Wall of Ice, Enervation, Ice Storm 5th – 
  Transmute Rock to Mud, Cone of Cold 
   Spellbook: 0 – Daze, Disrupt Undead, Mage 
  Hand, Resistance; 1st – Mage Armor, Magic 
  Missile x2, True Strike; 2nd – See Invisibility, 
  Mirror Image Scorching Ray; 3rd – Fireball, 
  Dispel Magic, Lightning Bolt. Major Image 4th – 
  Wall of Ice, Enervation, Ice Storm; 5th – 
  Transmute Rock to Mud, Cone of Cold. 
  ENCOUNTER 5 
   
   
   
   
  G U S T AV R E N,  P AC K M AS T E R 
  F AL L E N  H O U N D  AR C H O N   
  CR  13 
  Male outsider Ftr9 
  LN Medium outsider (Archon, Extraplanar, Lawful) 
  Init +4; Senses Listen +11, Spot +11 
  Languages All 
  AC 29, touch 11, flat-footed 19 
   (+9 armor, +9 natural, +1 dex) 
  hp 150 (15 HD)  
  Fort +11 (+15 vs. poison), Ref +8, Will +9 
  Speed 30 ft. mithral full plate +1 (6 squares) 
  Melee +1 greatsword +24/+19/+14 (2d6+14+1d6 frost / 
  17-20, x2) and bite +17 (1d8+5) or Bite +21(1d8 + 5) 
  and 2 Slam +16 (1d4+4) 
  Ranged none 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +15; Grp +21 
  Atk Options Spell-like abilities 
  Combat Gear mithral full plate +1, +1 frost greatsword, 
  belt of giant strength +6 
  Abilities Str 23, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 12 
  SQ Aura of Menace, change shape, damage reduction 
  10/magic and silver, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to 
  electricity and petrification, scent, spell resistance 25, 
  teleport, tongues  
  Feats Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Track, Weapon 
  Focus (greatsword), Improved Critical (greatsword), 
  Weapon 
  Specialization 
  (greatsword), 
  Greater 
  Weapon Focus (greatsword), Quicken Spell-Like 
  Ability (teleport), Greater Weapon Specialization 
  (greatsword), Cleave 
  Skills Concentration 11, Diplomacy +4, Hide +9*, Jump 
  19, Listen +11, Move Silently +9, Sense Motive +10, 
  Spot +12, Survival +10* (+12 following tracks) 
  Possessions combat gear 
  Spell-like abilities: at will—aid, continual flame, 
  message (caster level 6th) 
  Aura of Menace (Su): A righteous aura surrounds 
  archons that fight or get angry. Any hostile creature 
  within a 20-foot radius of an archon must succeed on 
  a Will save to resist its effects. The save DC varies 
  with the type of archon, is Charisma-based, and 
  includes a +2 racial bonus. Those who fail take a -2 
  penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or 
  until they successfully hit the archon that generated 
  the aura. A creature that has resisted or broken the 
  effect cannot be affected again by the same archon’s 
  aura for 24 hours. Will DC 16 negates. 
  Change Shape (Su): A hound archon can assume any 
  canine form of Small to Large size. While in canine 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 30 
  
  form, the hound archon loses its bite, slam, and 
  greatsword attacks, but gains the bite attack of the 
  form it chooses. For the purposes of this ability, 
  canines include any doglike or wolflike animal of the 
  animal type. 
  Fallen from Grace: As a celestial who has been cast 
  out, the Fallen Hound Archon has lost all alignment-
  dependent special abilities that depend on a good/evil 
  axis. The Fallen Hound Archon has had its DR 
  changed to 10/magic and silver and has lost the 
  ability to detect evil and the ability to project an aura 
  of protection from evil. 
  Teleport (Su): Archons can use greater teleport at will, 
  as the spell (caster level 14th), except that the 
  creature can transport only itself and up to 50 pounds 
  of objects 
   
   
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 31 
  
  APPENDIX 3 – APL 12 
   
  ENCOUNTER 2 AND ENCOUNTER 3  
  M AR R U S AUL T,  F TR6 
  CR  11 
  NE Large monstrous humanoid 
  Init +5; Senses Listen +7, Spot +3 
  Languages Common, Marru 
  AC 24, touch 10, flat-footed 22 
   (+1 dex, +9 armor, +5 natural, -1 size) 
  hp 103 (12 HD)  
  Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +6 
  Speed 20 ft. Full Plate (4 squares) 
  Melee Great Falchion +20/+15/+10 melee (1d12+13/15-
  20) and bite +13 melee (1d8+6) 
  Ranged none 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +12; Grp +23 
  Atk Options Pounce, Howl of Defiance 
  Combat Gear Full Plate +1, Great Falchion +1, 
  Gauntlets of Ogre Power.  SS Great Falchion – 
  Sandstorm page 96-97 
  Abilities Str 25, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 14 
  SQ none  
  Feats Cleave, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Great 
  Falchion), Great Fortitude, Power Attack, Weapon 
  Focus (Great Falchion), Improved Initiative, Improved 
  Critical (Great Falchion) Weapon Specialization 
  (Great Falchion). 
  Skills Listen + 7, Search +1, Spot +3, Climb +5 
  Possessions combat gear. 
  Howl of Defiance (Su): Once per day, a marrsault 
  can loose a terrifying howl as a free action. All 
  creatures except other marrusaults within 30 feet 
  must succeed on a DC15 Will save or become 
  fatigued. Those within 10 feet who fail their save 
  become exhausted. The save DC is Charisma-
  based 
   
  Pounce (Ex): If a marrusault charges, it can make 
  a full attack, including its bite attack 
   
  Ferocity (Ex): A marrusault is such a tenacious 
  combatant that it continues to fight without penalty 
  even while disabled or dying 
   
  Marruspawn Traits 
   
  Discriminating Hearing (Ex): A marruspawn can 
  hear across great distances with ease, gaining a +4 
  racial bonus on Listen checks. A marruspawn’s 
  hearing is so sensitive that it can sense the presence 
  of most creatures merely by the sound of their 
  breathing, their heartbeat, or their movement if they 
  are within 30 feet. 
   
  When a marruspawn detects a noise, the exact 
  location of the source is not revealed – only it’s 
  presence 
  somewhere 
  within 
  that 
  range. 
  A 
  marruspawn can take a move action to note the 
  direction of the sound. Whenever a marruspawn 
  comes within 5 feet of the source, it can pinpoint the 
  sound’s location. Undead, constructs and other 
  creatures that have no metabolism are not subject to 
  being detected by discriminating hearing unless they 
  move – in any round when they move, they are 
  detected by the sound they make while moving 
  through the air or shuffling along the ground. Only 
  incorporeal creatures are completely undetectable, 
  unless they wish to be detected. 
   
  Resistance to Dessication (Ex): Centuries of life 
  in the waste afford marruspawn the ability to cope 
  with thirst and reduced fluid intake. A marruspawn 
  thus gains resistance to dessication damage 10. 
  Whenever a marruspawn is subject to magical 
  dessication damage, that damage is reduced by 10 
  before being applied to the marruspawn’s hit points 
   
  A marruspawn also takes no nonlethal or lethal 
  damage from failing Constitiution checks to avoid 
  becoming dehydrated, although it still might become 
  fatigued if it fails a check. If a marruspawn ever 
  becomes dehydrated, whether due to natural causes 
  or another effect (such as a spell), it needs to drink 
  only a mouthful of water to lose that condition. A 
  marruspawn also requires only half as much water in 
  a day as is normally required for a creature of its size. 
   
  Resistance to Fire (Ex): Bred to withstand magic 
  artillery, a marruspawn enjoys an inborn resistance to 
  fire 5 
   
  Low-Light Vision (Ex): A marruspawn can see 
  twice as far as humans in conditions of poor 
  illumination 
   
  Languages: Marru. 
   
  Description: Jacketed in coal-black full plate and 
  clutching a prodigious scimitar, this jackal-headed 
  humanoid looks like a juggernaut of death. 
   
  M ARRUTACT,  W I Z6 
  CR  11 
  NE medium monstrous humanoid 
  Init +5; Senses Listen +12, Spot +0 
  Languages Common, Marru 
  AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18 
   (+1 dex, +4 natural, +4 mage armor) 
  hp 90 (13 HD)  
  Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +14 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) 
  Melee staff +10/+5 melee (1d6) 
  Ranged none 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +10; Grp +15 
  Atk Options  Howl of Healing 
  Combat Gear Staff, Robes, headband of intellect +2 
  Abilities Str 11, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 21, Wis 18, Cha 16 
  SQ Spell Resistance 16  
  Feats Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Initiative, 
  Scribe Scroll, Improved Toughness. 
  Skills Concentration +17, Hide +17, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +20, Knowledge (history) +18, Knowledge 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 32 
  
  (geography) +18, Listen +10, Spellcraft +22, Survival 
  +8(+10 to avoid getting lost or avoid hazards);  
  Possessions combat gear. 
       Howl of Healing (Su): Once per day, a marrutact 
  can loose a regenerative howl as a free action. All 
  marruspawn pledged to the howling marrutact within 
  30 feet heal 3d8+5 points of damage. Those within 
  10 feet heal an extra 1d8+1 points of damage. 
       Spells: A marrutact casts spells as a 5th level wizard 
       Marruspawn Traits 
       Discriminating Hearing (Ex): A marruspawn can 
  hear across great distances with ease, gaining a +4 
  racial bonus on Listen checks. A marruspawn’s 
  hearing is so sensitive that it can sense the presence 
  of most creatures merely by the sound of their 
  breathing, their heartbeat, or their movement if they 
  are within 30 feet. 
   
  When a marruspawn detects a noise, the exact 
  location of the source is not revealed – only it’s 
  presence 
  somewhere 
  within 
  that 
  range. 
  A 
  marruspawn can take a move action to note the 
  direction of the sound. Whenever a marruspawn 
  comes within 5 feet of the source, it can pinpoint the 
  sound’s location. Undead, constructs and other 
  creatures that have no metabolism are not subject to 
  being detected by discriminating hearing unless they 
  move – in any round when they move, they are 
  detected by the sound they make while moving 
  through the air or shuffling along the ground. Only 
  incorporeal creatures are completely undetectable, 
  unless they wish to be detected. 
   
  Resistance to Dessication (Ex): Centuries of life 
  in the waste afford marruspawn the ability to cope 
  with thirst and reduced fluid intake. A marruspawn 
  thus gains resistance to dessication damage 10. 
  Whenever a marruspawn is subject to magical 
  dessication damage, that damage is reduced by 10 
  before being applied to the marruspawn’s hit points 
   
  A marruspawn also takes no nonlethal or lethal 
  damage from failing Constitiution checks to avoid 
  becoming dehydrated, although it still might become 
  fatigued if it fails a check. If a marruspawn ever 
  becomes dehydrated, whether due to natural causes 
  or another effect (such as a spell), it needs to drink 
  only a mouthful of water to lose that condition. A 
  marruspawn also requires only half as much water in 
  a day as is normally required for a creature of its size. 
   
  Resistance to Fire (Ex): Bred to withstand magic 
  artillery, a marruspawn enjoys an inborn resistance to 
  fire 5 
   
  Low-Light Vision (Ex): A marruspawn can see 
  twice as far as humans in conditions of poor 
  illumination. 
   
  Languages: Marru, Common. 
   
  Spells Prepared (Caster level 11th) (4/6/5/5/4/3/1, 
  save DC = 15 + spell level): 0 – Daze, Disrupt 
  Undead, Mage Hand, Resistance; 1st – Mage Armor, 
  Magic Missile x4, True Strike; 2nd – See Invisibility, 
  Mirror Image, Scorching Ray x2; 3rd – Fireball x2, 
  Dispel Magic. 4th – Wall of Ice, Enervation, Ice Storm 
  5th – Transmute Rock to Mud, Cone of Cold x2. 6th – 
  Chain Lightning 
   Spellbook: 0 – Daze, Disrupt Undead, Mage 
  Hand, Resistance; 1st – Mage Armor, Magic 
  Missile x2, True Strike; 2nd – See Invisibility, 
  Mirror Image Scorching Ray; 3rd – Fireball, 
  Dispel Magic, Lightning Bolt. Major Image 4th – 
  Wall of Ice, Enervation, Ice Storm; 5th – 
  Transmute Rock to Mud, Cone of Cold. 6th – 
  Chain Lightning 
   
  ENCOUNTER 5 
   
   
   
   
  G U S T AV R E N,  P AC K M AS T E R 
  F AL L E N  H O U N D  AR C H O N   
  CR  15 
  Male outsider Ftr11 
  LN Medium outsider (Archon, Extraplanar, Lawful) 
  Init +4; Senses Listen +11, Spot +11 
  Languages All 
  AC 29, touch 11, flat-footed 19 
   (+9 armor, +9 natural, +1 dex) 
  hp 170 (17 HD)  
  Fort +12 (+16 vs. poison), Ref +9, Will +10 
  Speed 30 ft. mithral full plate +1 (6 squares) 
  Melee +1 greatsword +27/+22/+17 (2d6+17+1d6 frost / 
  17-20, x2) and bite +20 (1d8+5) or Bite +24(1d8 + 5) 
  and 2 Slam +19 (1d4+4) 
  Ranged none 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +18; Grp +24 
  Atk Options Spell-like abilities 
  Combat Gear mithral full plate +1, +1 frost greatsword, 
  belt of giant strength +6 
  Abilities Str 24, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 12 
  SQ Aura of Menace, change shape, damage reduction 
  10/magic and silver, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to 
  electricity and petrification, scent, spell resistance 27, 
  teleport, tongues  
  Feats Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Track, Weapon 
  Focus (greatsword), Improved Critical (greatsword), 
  Weapon 
  Specialization 
  (greatsword), 
  Greater 
  Weapon Focus (greatsword), Quicken Spell-Like 
  Ability (teleport), Greater Weapon Specialization 
  (greatsword), Cleave, Improved Sunder 
  Skills Concentration 12, Diplomacy +4, Hide +9*, Jump 
  19, Listen +11, Move Silently +9, Sense Motive +10, 
  Spot +12, Survival +10* (+12 following tracks) 
  Possessions combat gear 
  Spell-like abilities: at will—aid, continual flame, 
  message (caster level 6th) 
  Aura of Menace (Su): A righteous aura surrounds 
  archons that fight or get angry. Any hostile creature 
  within a 20-foot radius of an archon must succeed on 
  a Will save to resist its effects. The save DC varies 
  with the type of archon, is Charisma-based, and 
  includes a +2 racial bonus. Those who fail take a -2 
  penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or 
  until they successfully hit the archon that generated 
  the aura. A creature that has resisted or broken the 
  effect cannot be affected again by the same archon’s 
  aura for 24 hours. Will DC 16 negates. 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 33 
  
  Change Shape (Su): A hound archon can assume any 
  canine form of Small to Large size. While in canine 
  form, the hound archon loses its bite, slam, and 
  greatsword attacks, but gains the bite attack of the 
  form it chooses. For the purposes of this ability, 
  canines include any doglike or wolflike animal of the 
  animal type. 
  Fallen from Grace: As a celestial who has been cast 
  out, the Fallen Hound Archon has lost all alignment-
  dependent special abilities that depend on a good/evil 
  axis. The Fallen Hound Archon has had its DR 
  changed to 10/magic and silver and has lost the 
  ability to detect evil and the ability to project an aura 
  of protection from evil. 
  Teleport (Su): Archons can use greater teleport at will, 
  as the spell (caster level 14th), except that the 
  creature can transport only itself and up to 50 pounds 
  of objects 
   
    
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 34 
  
  DM AID: MAP #1 – KILM EXTERIOR 
   
   
   
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 35 
  
  DM AID: MAP #2 – KILM BASEMENT 
   
   
   
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 36 
  
  DM AID: MAP #3 – THE ARCANICUM 
   
   
   
   
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 37 
  
  DM AID #4 – A PICTURE OF MY CAT IN A BUCKET 
   
   
   
  “Can I cast fireball from in here?” 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  No felines were harmed in the making of this adventure. 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 38 
  
  DM AID: NEW RULES 
  NEW MONSTERS 
  Marrusault (Sandstorm, page 171) 
  Large Monstrous Humanoid  
  Hit Dice: 6d8+18; hp 45 
  Speed: 20 ft (Full Plate) 30 ft base. 
  Armor Class 23, touch 10, flat-footed 22 (+5 natural, +8 armor, +1 dex, -1 size) 
  Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+15 
  Attack: Great Falchion +11 melee (1d12+7/18-20) or Bite +10 melee (1d8+5) 
  Full Attack: Great Falchion +11/+6 melee (1d12+7/18-20) and bite +5 melee  (1d8+2) 
  Space/Reach: 10ft./10ft. 
  Special Attacks: Howl of Defiance, pounce 
  Special Qualities: Ferocity, Marruspawn traits 
  Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +5 
  Abilities: Str 20, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 14 
  Skills: Listen +7, Search +1, Spot +3 
  Feats: Cleave, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (great falchion), Great Fortitude, Power Attack, Weapon Focus 
  (great falchion)  
  Environment: Warm Deserts 
  Challenge Rating: 5 
  Treasure: Standard 
  Alignment: Usually Neutral 
  Advancement: By character class 
  Level Adjustment: +2 
   
  In ancient days, armies of marrusaults darkened the once-green plains, fighting for the will of the marru. 
  Bred for fighting, each marrusault knows its worth in any conflict. Hardy survivors, marrusaults eked out 
  existence where many of the weaker or more specialized spawncrafted creations of the marru perished 
  with heir masters. Still, a marrusault depends on the equipment and other resources it gains from 
  swearing service to a marrutact. Sometimes a marrusault goes rogue – these creatures often find death 
  in the waste, their bones posing a mystery to travelers who come upon them. 
  Individually, marrusaults are known for the ability to withstand wounds that would drop a lesser creature. 
  Of course, such fortitude is another gift of spawncraft. 
   
  Like all marruspawn, a marrusault relies on its discriminating hearing to pinpoint hidden enemies. Once 
  identified, a marrusault uses its howl as it pounces on its target, bringing its mighty blade to bear 
   
   
  Howl of Defiance (Su): Once per day, a marrsault can loose a terrifying howl as a free action. All 
  creatures except other marrusaults within 30 feet must succeed on a DC15 Will save or become fatigued. 
  Those within 10 feet who fail their save become exhausted. The save DC is Charisma-based 
   
  Pounce (Ex): If a marrusault charges, it can make a full attack, including its bite attack. 
   
  Ferocity (Ex): A marrusault is such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty 
  even while disabled or dying. 
   
  Marruspawn Traits 
   
  Discriminating Hearing (Ex): A marruspawn can hear across great distances with ease, gaining a 
  +4 racial bonus on Listen checks. A marruspawn’s hearing is so sensitive that it can sense the presence 
  of most creatures merely by the sound of their breathing, their heartbeat, or their movement if they are 
  within 30 feet. 
   
  When a marruspawn detects a noise, the exact location of the source is not revealed – only it’s 
  presence somewhere within that range. A marruspawn can take a move action to note the direction of the 
  sound. Whenever a marruspawn comes within 5 feet of the source, it can pinpoint the sound’s location. 
  Undead, constructs and other creatures that have no metabolism are not subject to being detected by 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 39 
  
  discriminating hearing unless they move – in any round when they move, they are detected by the sound 
  they make while moving through the air or shuffling along the ground. Only incorporeal creatures are 
  completely undetectable, unless they wish to be detected. 
   
  Resistance to Dessication (Ex): Centuries of life in the waste afford marruspawn the ability to cope 
  with thirst and reduced fluid intake. A marruspawn thus gains resistance to dessication damage 10. 
  Whenever a marruspawn is subject to magical dessication damage, that damage is reduced by 10 before 
  being applied to the marruspawn’s hit points 
   
  A marruspawn also takes no nonlethal or lethal damage from failing Constitiution checks to avoid 
  becoming dehydrated, although it still might become fatigued if it fails a check. If a marruspawn ever 
  becomes dehydrated, whether due to natural causes or another effect (such as a spell), it needs to drink 
  only a mouthful of water to lose that condition. A marruspawn also requires only half as much water in a 
  day as is normally required for a creature of its size. 
   
  Resistance to Fire (Ex): Bred to withstand magic artillery, a marruspawn enjoys an inborn resistance 
  to fire 5 
   
  Low-Light Vision (Ex): A marruspawn can see twice as far as humans in conditions of poor 
  illumination 
   
  Marrutact (Sandstorm, page 171) 
  Medium Monstrous Humanoid  
  Hit Dice: 7d8+7; hp 38 
  Speed: 30 ft. 
  Armor Class 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18 (+4 natural, +4 mage armor, +1 dex, -1 size) 
  Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+7 
  Attack: Masterwork Staff +8 melee (1d6) 
  Full Attack: Masterwork Staff +8/+3 melee (1d6) 
  Space/Reach: 5ft./5ft. 
  Special Attacks: Howl of Healing, spells 
  Special Qualities: Marruspawn traits, spell resistance 16 
  Saves: Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +9 
  Abilities: Str 11, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 16 
  Skills: Concentration +11, Hide +11, Knowledge (arcana) +14, Knowledge (history) +14, Knowledge 
  (geography) +14, Listen +8, Spellcraft +16, Survival +4(+6 to avoid getting lost or avoid hazards) 
  Feats: Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Initiative.  
  Environment: Warm Deserts 
  Challenge Rating: 5 
  Treasure: Standard 
  Alignment: Usually Neutral 
  Advancement: By character class 
  Level Adjustment: +3 
   
  Howl of Healing (Su): Once per day, a marrutact can loose a regenerative howl as a free action. All 
  marruspawn pledged to the howling marrutact within 30 feet heal 3d8+5 points of damage. Those within 
  10 feet heal and extra 1d8+1 points of damage. 
   
  Spells: A marrutact casts spells as a 5th level wizard 
   
  Marruspawn Traits 
   
  Discriminating Hearing (Ex): A marruspawn can hear across great distances with ease, gaining a 
  +4 racial bonus on Listen checks. A marruspawn’s hearing is so sensitive that it can sense the presence 
  of most creatures merely by the sound of their breathing, their heartbeat, or their movement if they are 
  within 30 feet. 
   
  When a marruspawn detects a noise, the exact location of the source is not revealed – only it’s 
  presence somewhere within that range. A marruspawn can take a move action to note the direction of the 
  sound. Whenever a marruspawn comes within 5 feet of the source, it can pinpoint the sound’s location. 
  Undead, constructs and other creatures that have no metabolism are not subject to being detected by 
  discriminating hearing unless they move – in any round when they move, they are detected by the sound 
  they make while moving through the air or shuffling along the ground. Only incorporeal creatures are 
  completely undetectable, unless they wish to be detected. 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 40 
  
   
  Resistance to Dessication (Ex): Centuries of life in the waste afford marruspawn the ability to cope 
  with thirst and reduced fluid intake. A marruspawn thus gains resistance to dessication damage 10. 
  Whenever a marruspawn is subject to magical dessication damage, that damage is reduced by 10 before 
  being applied to the marruspawn’s hit points 
   
  A marruspawn also takes no nonlethal or lethal damage from failing Constitiution checks to avoid 
  becoming dehydrated, although it still might become fatigued if it fails a check. If a marruspawn ever 
  becomes dehydrated, whether due to natural causes or another effect (such as a spell), it needs to drink 
  only a mouthful of water to lose that condition. A marruspawn also requires only half as much water in a 
  day as is normally required for a creature of its size. 
   
  Resistance to Fire (Ex): Bred to withstand magic artillery, a marruspawn enjoys an inborn resistance 
  to fire 5 
   
  Low-Light Vision (Ex): A marruspawn can see twice as far as humans in conditions of poor 
  illumination. 
   
  Languages: Marru, Common. 
   
  Typical Spells Prepared (Caster level 5th) (X/X/X, save DC = 14 + spell level): 0 – Daze, Disrupt 
  Undead, Mage Hand, Resistance; 1st – Mage Armor, Magic Missile x2, True Strike; 2nd – See Invisibility, 
  Mirror Image Scorching Ray; 3rd – Fireball, Dispel Magic 
   
  Spellbook: 0 – Daze, Disrupt Undead, Mage Hand, Resistance; 1st – Mage Armor, Magic Missile x2, 
  True Strike; 2nd – See Invisibility, Mirror Image Scorching Ray; 3rd – Fireball, Dispel Magic. 
   
  NEW WEAPON 
  Great Falchion (Sandstorm, page 97) 
  Exotic Weapons 
  Cost 
  Dmg (S) 
  Dmg (M) 
  Critical 
  Range 
  Weight 
  Type 
  Great Falchion 
  100g
  p 
  1d8 
  1d12 
  18-20/x2 
  -- 
  12 
  Slashing 
   
  This heavy executioner’s sword has the same basic profile as a falchion, albeit with a much greater blade 
  surface. Because it is an executioner’s weapon, it is often crafted as a masterwork weapon, marked with 
  a royal seal, and created with one or more gems in the hilt. 
  . 
   
   
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 41 
  
  PLAYER HANDOUT #1 – KNIGHTS OF THE WATCH 
   
  The following message is delivered to you overnight. 
   
  Loyal One- 
  Our agents within the Royal Standards have alerted us to the mission the arcane ones have set before you. Above all, use 
  caution, for we believe the schools of magic to have a traitor amongst them. When in the area of Kilm, be on the lookout 
  for a member of our order who was in the area at the time of the attacks. Most Contrite Ironclad Mauler Milo Astra can 
  be easily identified by unusual markings on his neck that you shall recognize if you see. Treat him as your lost brother 
  and ensure that he is returned safely at all costs.  
   
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 42 
  
  PLAYER HANDOUT #2 – KNIGHTS OF THE MALAGARI 
  (DARKWATCH) 
  The following message is delivered to you overnight. 
   
  Loyal One- 
  Our agents within the Royal Standards have alerted us to the mission the arcane ones have set before you. Above all, use 
  caution, for we believe the schools of magic to have a traitor amongst them. When in the area of Kilm, be on the lookout 
  for anything that could be considered banned materials. In particular we have heard reports of the Marru using some sort 
  of elixirs brewed from mysterious substances. Obtain a sample if you can. 
   
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 43 
  
  PLAYER HANDOUT #3 – SILENT ONES 
   
  This message is delivered to you overnight. 
   
  Loyal One- 
  We know where the Wyrd sends you, and we fear for his expanding powers. Remember that your loyalty is to the order, 
  not to a single man. When in the area of Kilm, be on the lookout for any esoteric lore regarding the Marru and return it 
  to us. Such secrets are not meant for the commoners. 
   
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 44 
  
  PLAYER HANDOUT #4 – ZYME NOTES 
   
  The pages of this tome are yellowed with age and brittle to the touch. The following 
  page is open. 
   
  4 Sunsebb 
  …when combined in the proper doses and heated alchemically, a variety 
  of effects are possible. The keystone to these efforts is always a strong 
  sample. Failure rates increased as the quality of the original sample was 
  reduced or replicated. For this end I judge that the best base possible is a 
  captive human of pure bloodtype who is kept healthy with magic and 
  repeatedly siphoned… 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 45 
  
  PLAYER HANDOUT #5 – NOTES ON THE CREATION OF 
  MARRU 
   
  The following text is new, its pages are crisp and white. 
   
  …lost secrets of the creation of this powerful race are now open to me like the doors of Niole Dra.  
  Originally when the Marru were created they were self-reproducing like any race. This is a curious trait to add to a 
  creation since most slave races tend to desire freedom and an uncontrolled population is a dangerous population. 
  Indeed, the earliest legends I could pry from these Marru indicate a great leader of theirs creating a revolt and freeing the 
  Marru from some shadowy master race. 
  Their histories are mundane until a point several hundred years ago where a great tragedy apparently took place. From 
  what I can deduce, several powerful Marru attempted to add their blood to that of a divine being, and were met with 
  rather disastrous results. The created creature broke free of all bonds and single-handedly destroyed the Marru 
  civilization. 
  As unlikely as that is to believe, I have spoken to several Marru here who claim to have seen the creature with their own 
  eyes. Great Marru cities were laid to waste and their people were scattered. 
  After a time, Marru started to re-gather, only to find a horrible problem: they could no longer procreate naturally. Every 
  child was born stillborn and the secrets of their original creation were lost.  The Marru as a people were doomed to a 
  withering death. 
  Indeed, when I first found the crèche in the mountains, they were numbering less than a hundred, every one a survivor 
  from the days of the great Marru civilization. Apparently their lifespan rivals that of the elves! 
  I saw in the Marru an opportunity. Who else has access to the most powerful and forbidden of lore other than me? With 
  the aid of my students it was almost trivial to unlock the secrets to reinvigorating the Marru race. 
  Since then there have been many trials. Many races simply lack the fortitude necessary to survive the transformation 
  into a Marru, or survive only for a period of months afterwards. Kobolds and goblins were particularly unsuccessful, 
  Orcs were fairly successful and humans…well…can I say I am surprised that humans meld so easily into this new 
  mask? 
  Now that I have created a bond with some of the giants of the region I have been given leave to attempt the transformation 
  on some of their outcasts.  
  I eagerly await the trolls. Their regenerative capabilities will be amazing if I can harvest them properly. Until then, there 
  is more than enough fodder in Flen and Cryllor. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 46 
  
  CRITICAL EVENT SUMMARY: KEO7-07 THE STALKYARD 
  . 
  1.  Were any of the heroes part of an organization that had additional instructions? If so, did they 
  complete the instructions and what did they do with the information/goods/person they found? 
   
  Yes  
  No 
   
   
   
  2. How many optional encounters did the heroes face in the Stalkyard? 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  3. How did the heroes deal with Gustavren? 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  4. Did any heroes accept The Returned’s offer and receive the AR item Extarasi? If so, Who? 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Yes 
   
  No  
   
   
   
  5.   How did the heroes deal with Lord Garsin Elgarin? 
   
    
   
  6. Isn’t that a cute cat? 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Yes 
   
  No 
   
   
   
  Notes: (Add anything that happened that might be considered out of the ordinary – Strange occurrences, 
  results that may not fit the above, etc): 
  KEO7-07 The Stalkyard 
   
  Page 47 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/EXTRAS/Greyhawk/Living Greyhawk - RPGA/KEO (Keoland)/KEO7-07 - The Stalkyard (3E).pdf