TEXT: 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 the author.  To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 
  system license, please visit www.wizards.com/d20 
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK and RPGA are registered trademarks of Wizards of the 
  Coast, Inc. LIVING GREYHAWK is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.  ALL RIGHTS 
  RESERVED. This scenario is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without 
  approval of the RPGA Network.  
   
  SHL04-06 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  A One-Round D&D LIVING GREYHAWK®  
  Shield Lands Regional Adventure 
  Version 1.0 
   
  Round 1 
   
  By Jeffery A. Dobberpuhl 
   
   
   
  The Council of Lords called for the Banners (Ancient Writs of Title) of the Lords to be presented. This 
  adventure of redemption and hope for tables of adventurers of APL 2 through 12 involves the aftermath 
  of the presentment ceremony. This adventure is a follow up to SHL03-06 “A Chink in the Armor”, SHL03-
  7 “Noble Intentions”, SHL04-02 “In the Service of the Lady” and SHL04-03 End of the Path”. 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 2 
  Introduction 
  This is an RPGA® Network scenario for the 
  Dungeons & Dragons® game. A four-hour time 
  block has been allocated for each round of this 
  scenario. The rest of the time is spent in 
  preparation before game play, and scoring after 
  the game. The following guidelines are here to 
  help you with both the preparation and voting 
  segment of the game. Read this page carefully so 
  that you know and can communicate to your 
  players the special aspects of playing an RPGA 
  scenario.  
   
  Preparation 
  First you should print this scenario. This scenario 
  was created to support double-sided printing, but 
  printing it single sided will work as well. There is 
  enough room along the inside margin to bind the 
  adventure, if you desire.  
   
  Read this entire adventure at least once 
  before you run your game. Be sure to familiarize 
  yourself with any special rules, spells, or 
  equipment presented in the adventure. It may help 
  to highlight particularly important passages.  
   
  When you run an RPGA D&D adventure we 
  assume that you have access to the following 
  books: the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. We also 
  assume that you have a set of dice (at least one 
  d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20), some scrap paper, 
  a pencil, an RPGA scoring packet, and your sense 
  of fun. It is also a good idea to have a way to track 
  movement during combat. This can be as simple 
  as a pad of graph paper and a pencil, as handy as 
  a vinyl grid map and chits, or as elaborate as resin 
  dungeon walls and miniatures. 
   
  Instruct the players either to prepare their 
  characters now, or wait until you read the 
  introduction, depending on the requirements of the 
  scenario as described in the introduction.  
   
  Keep in mind that you must have at least 
  three players (not counting the DM), for the game 
  session to be a sanctioned RPGA event. As well, 
  you 
  cannot 
  have 
  more 
  than 
  six 
  players 
  participating in the game. 
   
  Once you are ready to play, it is handy to 
  instruct each player to place a nametag in front of 
  him or her. The tag should have the player’s name 
  at the bottom, and the character’s name, race, 
  and gender at the top. This makes it easier for the 
  players (and the DM) to keep track of who is 
  playing which character. 
   
  The players are free to use the game rules to 
  learn 
  about 
  equipment 
  and 
  weapons 
  their 
  characters are carrying. That said, you as the DM 
  can bar the use of even core rulebooks during 
  certain times of play. For example, the players are 
  not free to consult the Dungeon Master’s Guide 
  when confronted with a trap or hazard, or the 
  Monster Manual when confronted with a monster.  
   
  Some of the text in this scenario is written so 
  that you may present it as written to the players, 
  while other text is for your eyes only. Text for the 
  players will be in gray boxes. It’s strongly 
  recommended that you paraphrase the player text 
  instead of reading it aloud. Some of this text is 
  general and must be adapted to the specific 
  situation or to actions of the player characters. 
   
  Scoring 
  After the players have completed the scenario or 
  the time allotted to run the scenario has run out, 
  the players and DM score the game. Complete the 
  RPGA scoring grid with names and RPGA 
  numbers only, and the event information at the 
  top. RPGA no longer uses voting for any reported 
  results. Give the Scoring Packet to your event 
  coordinator.  
   
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 3 
  # 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 
  This is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure. As a 
  LIVING adventure it is expected that players bring 
  their own characters with them. If players do not 
  have a LIVING GREYHAWK character generated, 
  get a copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK 
  character generation guidelines, and a character 
  sheet from your convention coordinator or the 
  RPGA Web site, ant then have any players 
  without a character create on. Once all players 
  have a LIVING GREYHAWK character, play can 
  begin. 
   
  Along with the other materials that you are 
  assumed to have in order to run a D&D game, it is 
  also recommended that you have a copy of the 
  LIVING GREYHAWK Gazetteer. 
   
  Living Greyhawk Levels of Play 
  Because players bring their own characters to 
  LIVING GREYHAWK games, this adventure’s 
  challenges are proportioned to the average 
  character level of the PCs participating in the 
  adventure. To determine the Average Party Level 
  (APL): 
   
  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 being war horses, 
  dogs trained for war), other than those brought 
  by virtue of a class ability (i.e. animal 
  companions, familiars paladin’s mounts, etc) 
  use the sidebar chart to determine the number 
  of levels you add to the sum above. 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 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. 
   
  By following these four steps, you will have 
  determined the APL. Throughout this adventure, 
  APLs categorize the level of challenge the PCs 
  will 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 
  you may gain at the end of the adventure. If your 
  character is three character levels or more either 
  higher or lower than the APL this adventure is 
  being played at, that character will receive only 
  half of the experience points awarded for the 
  adventure. This simulates the face that either your 
  character was not as challenged as normal, or 
  relied on help by higher-level characters to reach 
  the objectives. 
   
  Note: LIVING GREYHAWK adventures are 
  designed for APL 2 and higher. Three or four, or 
  sometimes even five 1st-level characters may find 
  difficulty with the challenges in a LIVING 
  GREYHAWK adventure. If your group is APL 1 
  there are two things that you can do to help even 
  the score. 
   
  1. Attempt to create a table of six 1st-level 
  characters, or try to enlist higher-level 
  characters to play at that table. 
  2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help 
  protect them, and fight for them. All riding 
  dogs are considered trained to attack. PCs 
  who want their dogs to attack must succeed at 
  a Handle Animal or Charisma check (DC 10). 
  Failure indicates that the animal will not attack 
  that round. This is a free action (spoken 
  command) that may be attempted each round. 
  If an animal loses half or more hp in a single 
  round it flees, unless another check is 
  successful. 
   
  Time Units and Upkeep 
  This is a standard one-round Regional adventure, 
  set in the Shield Lands.  Characters native to the 
  Shield Lands pay one Time Unit per round, all 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 4 
  others 
  pay 
  two 
  Time 
  Units 
  per 
  round.  
  Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12gp per 
  Time Unit.  Rich Upkeep costs 50gp per Time 
  Unit.  Luxury Upkeep costs 100gp per Time Unit. 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 5 
  Adventure Background 
  This adventure may be confusing to some players. 
  Care on behalf of the Dungeon Masters should be 
  taken to read the background carefully to be able 
  to answer player questions as thoroughly as 
  possible. 
   
  Despite being a year 4 module taking place in 
  the adventure that appears to ACTUALLY begin 
  one year in the future in CY 595. This module 
  deals with a dream, a portent if you will, of a time 
  line in which the Shield Lands has fallen to Iuz.
   
  Gildor Arcanix is an ancient gold dragon who 
  believes he owes the Shield Lands a favor. 
  However, he does not want to be TOO directly 
  involved in influencing the outcome of events. 
  Therefore, he selects a party of brave adventurers 
  and sends them into a magical dream-like state. 
  He is able to do this, in part, by harnessing both 
  his own powers as well as the hidden powers lying 
  deep within the Sidhee forest (To be further 
  detailed in CY 595). 
   
   
   
   
  In this dream state, the Council of Lords of the 
  Shield Lands vote to call for a “showing of the 
  Banners”. The Banners were the names of the 
  ancient writs of title and land ownership parceled 
  out centuries before. These were essentially 
  bearer bonds in nature: I.e. In order to be a titled 
  noble, you would have to be granted your title by 
  the Council. In order to own lands, you would first 
  need to be titled, and then given possession of a 
  Banner for the land in question (author’s note – 
  this is a precursor to the ‘deed’ system of land 
  ownership we are currently familiar with).  Over 
  the centuries, this has led to some petty, but 
  deadly, versions of capture the flag as various 
  lords would go to steal the banners of other lords 
  by hook, crook, and show of violence. 
   
   
  Such deeds, however are a thing of the past 
  and the ceremony has not been held in over 100 
  years – for one thing, it’s a mere formality as 
  EVERYONE knows who holds what particular 
  Banner. Many have been passed from generation 
  to generation to generation… For another thing, it 
  requires a 2/3rds vote of all council members (the 
  council is usually lucky to get a simple majority on 
  any vote). Finally, no lord is typically bold enough 
  to challenge the land ownership of any other lord.
   
  However, after Lady Katarina fell, Lord Lardon 
  called for a vote on the Banners. In part supported 
  by the desire of the nobles to show proof of their 
  power after the invasion, and in part supported by 
  a desire to make a positive statement after the 
  unexpected loss of Lady Katarina, Lord Lardon 
  managed to get a 2/3rds vote! Upon presentment, 
  Lord Torkeep was unable to come up with his 
  banner. The council was about to vote for a 
  replacement banner to be issued in his name 
  (after all, it is not at all unlikely for a banner to be 
  missing after the occupation) but amazingly, 
  Count Lardon then presented Torkeep’s banner in 
  addition to his own!  
   
   
   
   
   
  The Council was in an uproar! Count 
  Lardon refused to back down and turn the Banner 
  over to Torkeep. This tore the council apart. 
  Torkeep left for his keep and took his army (and 
  many pathfinders) with him. 
   
   
   
   
  Just less than half of the lords vowed to 
  ‘get even’ with Lardon, while just over half 
  supported his claim (the law is the law). Lardon 
  was given command of the Standing Army of the 
  Shield Lands to march to Torkeep to take 
  possession by force.  
   
   
   
   
   
  That was when Iuz attacked from the east. 
  Storming out of wilds, armies overran South Keep. 
  Unsupported by the bulk of the army, Gensal was 
  quickly surrounded. The army was forced to be 
  pulled back to Critwall. In the mean time, Torkeep 
  managed to entrench and hold at bay the hordes.
   
  The ultimate destruction was inevitable. Iuz’s 
  forces managed to crush Gensal. Then he turned 
  his sights on Critwall. It fell within a month. 
  Diplomacy with his nation fell on deaf ears as he 
  stated he never relinquished his claim after 
  occupying the Shield Lands. The remaining 10 
  months have been spent by him taking over Bright 
  Sentry and positioning himself for one final smash 
  against the walls of Torkeep. 
   
   
   
  Again, this is all a dream state of a future that 
  may or may not come to pass. However, Gildor is 
  not explaining this to the party, not yet… and so 
  this is where the party finds itself – a year in the 
  (dream) future facing a demon-bolstered horde on 
  the walls of Torkeep… 
   
  Adventure Summary  
  Introduction 
  The party stands in front of the gates of Torkeep. 
  Torkeep himself has taken Torkeep’s Twenty (a 
  group of Knights of Holy Shielding) out on a sorte 
  to drive back the hordes long enough for a group 
  of soldiers who fought their way through the Iuzian 
  hordes to make it into the keep. As Torkeep brings 
  his Knights back to Torkeep, they are pursued by 
  demons. The party must fight off the demons or 
  Torkeep will be lost.  After fighting the first wave, 
  is clear this is a completely hopeless position: 
  within a day, no more, Torkeep the man and the 
  keep will be no more.   
   
   
   
  As a new wave of demons charge the party, a 
  portal opens behind them. In it stands an 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 6 
  unassuming man in simple leathers carrying a 
  quarterstaff. He says his name is Gildor Arcanix 
  and if the party wishes to see evil thwarted and 
  good prevail, they need to step through the portal 
  with him. Gildor is actually an ancient gold dragon 
  who was captured by Iuzians two years ago (See 
  SHLINT03-02 Amidst the Smoke and Flames).
   
  Stepping through the portal, the party will find 
  themselves near the town of Lardon. Gildor will 
  say that a great wrong was committed here. His 
  power is limited, but he can give the party one 
  single shot to avoid this disaster. He tells the party 
  he can use a wish spell to send the party back in 
  time for 48 hours – back nearly 20 years to when 
  Count Lardon stole Torkeep’s Banner for use 
  during a future time. The party will need to 1) 
  Locate the stolen Banner. 2) Substitute a new 
  document for Lardon’s stolen Banner. 3) Return to 
  their present time with the real Banner without 
  anyone in the past knowing of the switcheroo. 
   
   
  Gildor does not know what exactly this will 
  do, but he believes it will at least give the Shield 
  Lands a chance at surviving. If the party agrees, 
  they proceed to … 
   
  Encounter One 
  In this encounter, the party believes they have 
  traveled back in time. There they learn they can 
  only travel in a 10 mile radius of their drop off 
  point. They need to get to Lardon and find out 
  where the Banner is stored.  
   
   
  That is when they meet the succubus Black-
  hearted Zhayne. Zhayne has actually plagued the 
  Shield Lands for decades. She is appearing to the 
  party, and tells them this is all a dream. Gildor has 
  tricked them, and that none of this is real. She 
  does this in a form similar to that of a projected 
  image. She got wind of Gildor’s ‘dream’ and used 
  all the magic at her disposal to appear to the 
  party. She cannot directly interact with them in 
  any manner. Nor can they directly interact with 
  her. Further, the party is the only group that can 
  see or hear her.  
   
   
   
  Zhayne follows the party throughout the rest 
  of the module attempting to dissuade the party 
  from success by words alone. 
   
   
  The party gets a chance to scout out the 
  perimeter of Lardon. After they get the lay of the 
  land, they go into the village. 
   
  Encounter Two 
  This encounter subsists of a detailed village with a 
  number of places for the party to explore. 
   
  Ultimately, the party needs to learn the 
  following:  
   
   
   
   
   
  1) Count Lardon hates Franz Torkeep and 
  wants to embarrass him. 
   
  2) Count Lardon recently attended a knighting 
  ceremony at Torkeep. Lardon returned early. 
   
  3) Lardon tends to spend a lot of time in the 
  tavern. He has full run of the place. 
   
   
  4) In the basement of the tavern is a secret 
  panel. Inside the secret panel is a box. This is 
  where the party needs to swap papers. The papers 
  will be recovered by the party in SHL03-07 Noble 
  Intentions. 
   
   
   
   
  After going through the town, the party can 
  return to the meeting point where they will be 
  transported into the future and their own time. 
   
  Encounter Three 
  Upon returning to the site, they will find that it is 
  being tampered with by Zhayne’s minions. Zhayne 
  will advise them she has managed to tamper with 
  the dream to allow a few ‘friends’ of hers she 
  discovered to ruin the party’s dream-journey. The 
  party must fight the minions to get to the 
  time/dream portal. 
   
  Encounter Four 
  Returning to a point in time just before the 
  presentment ceremony, the party discovers the 
  world has not yet changed. They are now awake, 
  somewhere near Critwall. If they managed to 
  acquire the banner, they have it in their 
  possession. They are in time to try to get back to 
  Critwall for the presentment ceremony (holding 
  the real Banner). On the way, they are attacked 
  one last time (for real this time) by minions of 
  Zhayne. The party manages to over come the 
  minions and make it to Critwall in time to get the 
  Banner to Torkeep. 
   
  Conclusion 
  Lardon opens his chest at the presentment 
  ceremony, fully expecting it to contain Torkeep’s 
  Banner. Instead, it contains Gildor’s laundry list, 
  as well as a used scroll of bad jokes.  
   
  Introduction – Riders in the 
  Storm 
   
  The adventure begins in front of the Last Siege of 
  Torkeep, CY 595… Read or paraphrase the 
  following to the party: 
   
  Iuz won. The Shield Lands are no more. The 
  sky is dark, filled with boiling, rolling clouds, 
  and lightning crashes down on the horizon. A 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 7 
  storm is brewing…  
   
   
   
  You now stand just inside the gates of 
  Torkeep with about a half-dozen other brave 
  souls, 
  watching 
  at 
  Lord 
  Franz Torkeep 
  thunders past you out of the gates of Torkeep 
  to the demon-filled horde of bandits, demi-
  humans, giants and worse.  
   
   
  With Torkeep rides Torkeep’s Twenty, a 
  mighty band of Knights. They are making a 
  desperate charge to rescue a small group of 
  soldiers who got trapped outside of the keep. 
  You watch as Torkeep’s Twenty smashes 
  through a shield wall of goblins and charges 
  past a group of orc spear to reach the 
  embattled soldiers. 
   
   
  Torkeep’s plan is desperate but not 
  foolhardy. He hopes the surprise of charging 
  out will keep the horde off balance long 
  enough to rescue the soldiers and ride back to 
  the safety of the keep.  
   
  Amazingly, Torkeep seems to succeed. 
  The charge of the mighty knights drives back 
  the forces of evil long enough for the soldiers 
  to regroup and make their way back towards 
  the keep. The knights begin to fight a holding 
  action, slowly retreating as the soldiers work 
  their way towards the keep.   
   
  But then you see that the plan will not 
  succeed. The archers and arcane casters have 
  lining the walls of Torkeep have managed to 
  keep a small area of land in front of the keep 
  free from the enemy. However, as you watch, a 
  number of horrible demonic shapes are 
  moving to a position just behind and to the 
  right of Torkeep’s Twenty. It is clear the troops 
  on the walls will not be able to effectively 
  engage the demons before these fiends 
  engage Torkeep’s knights from behind. Once 
  engaged, it is certain the brave lord and his 
  knights will be overwhelmed.  
   
   
  It becomes crystal clear to you in a split 
  second: If Torkeep is to survive, only you and 
  those standing with you, are in a position to 
  quickly take out the demons. What do you do?  
   
  The party will undoubtedly have MANY questions. 
  What happened? How did we get here? Why did 
  this come to pass? Hand the party Player’s 
  Handout 1 – “A short history of the final fall of the 
  Shield Lands”. Give them a moment to read it, 
  then proceed with the encounter. 
   
  Demonic Pinning Force 
  APL 2 (EL 4) 
  Dretch (2): hp 13 each; see Monster Manual page 
  42. 
   
  APL 4 (EL 6) 
  Dretch (2): hp 13 each; see Monster Manual page 
  42. 
  Quasit (2): hp 13 each; see Monster Manual page 
  42. 
   
  APL 6 (EL 8) 
  Chaos Beast (1): hp 44 each; see Monster 
  Manual page 33. 
  Dretch (2): hp 13 each; see Monster Manual page 
  42. 
  Quasit (1): hp 13; see Monster Manual page 42. 
   
  APL 8 (EL 10) 
  Chaos Beast (1): hp 44 each; see Monster 
  Manual page 33. 
  Vrock (1): hp 115; see Monster Manual page 148. 
   
  APL 10 (EL 12) 
  Hezrou (1): hp 138 each; see Monster Manual 
  page 44. 
  Vrock (1): hp 115; see Monster Manual page 148. 
   
  APL 12 (EL 14) 
  Hezrou (1): hp 138 each; see Monster Manual 
  page 44. 
  Glabrezu (1): hp 174 each; see Monster Manual 
  page 43. 
   
   
  Tactics: The demons (if they have the ability) 
  will not summon in further demons. If attacked by 
  the party, they will savagely throw themselves at 
  the 
  adventurers. 
  However, 
  these 
  are 
  not 
  “summoned” outsiders for purposes of spells and 
  effects. 
   
  Treasure: None. 
   
  Development: Killing the demons will allow 
  Torkeep to make it back into the keep. 
   
  Presuming the party went to assist Lord Torkeep, 
  read of paraphrase the following.  
   
  Defeating the demons, you have a brief 
  moment to resurvey your surroundings. Lord 
  Torkeep and his knights have managed to 
  disengage from the horde and are now 
  retreating past you into the keep. As they ride 
  by, each of the knights raises their helm and 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 8 
  dips their lances, a sign of great thanks. 
   
  As you now look to the safety of the walls 
  of Torkeep, there are popping sounds coming 
  from around the battlefield. You can see more 
  and more demons magically coming into the 
  fray.  This must have been some pre-arranged 
  signal, for the horde, previously held at bay, 
  now shouts as one “SOULS FOR IUZ” and 
  begins to charge forward. 
   
   
  As you weigh your chances, there is a 
  bright light appearing between you and the 
  keep: it is a circle of light and inside stands a 
  scrawny human, maybe 6’ tall, with corn-silk 
  hair and piercing blue eyes. He has an 
  incredibly likeable grin on his face and seems 
  nimble as a mountain lion. He is dressed in 
  traveling boots, sturdy dark-grey cotton pants 
  and a loose white cotton shirt. Over one 
  shoulder he carries a quarterstaff which he 
  alternatively twirls with one hand or just rests 
  on his shoulder. 
   
   
   
   
  “I am Gildor Arkanix,” he says “and if you 
  want to set right that which went horribly 
  wrong, please come with me.” He looks 
  around and grins “…unless you’d rather play 
  some more with your friends!” 
   
  If the party did not go out to assist, read or 
  paraphrase the real aloud text below. 
   
  As you watch, the demons charge in and pin 
  Torkeep and his knights from behind. Left with 
  no room to maneuver, they are trapped and 
  the horde overwhelms them. Mercifully, their 
  fate is shielded by the evil bodies swarming 
  over them…  
   
   
   
   
  But then, as Torkeep falls, a bright light 
  appears behind you: it is a circle of light and 
  inside stands a scrawny human, maybe 6’ tall, 
  with corn-silk hair and piercing blue eyes. He 
  has an incredibly likeable grin on his face and 
  seems nimble as a mountain lion. He is 
  dressed in traveling boots, sturdy dark-grey 
  cotton pants and a loose white cotton shirt. 
  Over one shoulder he carries a quarterstaff 
  which he alternatively twirls with one hand or 
  just rests on his shoulder. 
   
   
   
  “I am Gildor Arkanix,” he says “and if you 
  want to set right that which went horribly 
  wrong, please come with me.” He looks 
  around and somberly adds “Feel no remorse 
  for Lord Torkeep, you could not have saved 
  him but would only have thrown away your 
  lives. This is your chance to save him!” 
   
  What happens if the party questions Gildor? 
  Gildor will answer questions for four rounds. As 
  they party questions him, he will get more and 
  more agitated as the horde gets closer and closer. 
   
  1) Who are you?  Gildor Arcanix was 
  introduced in SHLINT03-02 Amidst the Smoke 
  and Flames. He will NOT reveal he is actually an 
  ancient gold dragon. However, he will not deny it, 
  either. Knowledge (Local) or Knowledge (History) 
  or a Bardic Lord check (DC 15) will remind party 
  members who do not know this npc of the 
  following: 
  � About 2 years ago, the Iuzian army tried 
  to burn down the Sidhee Forest.  
  � The Iuzian Army was bolstered by a 
  strange man of great power – Gildor  
  Arcanix.  
  � Gildor challenged the entire Shield Lands 
  army to single combat.  
  � Three 
  pathfinders 
  came 
  forward 
  to 
  challenge the man (Mangram, Colin, and 
  a dwarf who was not seen since). Colin 
  managed to break a domination spell that 
  was on Gildor.  
  � As the spell broke, it was revealed that 
  Gildor was an ancient gold dragon that 
  had been dominated by the forces of evil.  
  � Gildor basically shredded the evil army in 
  his fury and believes he owes the Shield 
  Lands a debt. 
   
  2) Why are you here? Gildor is very grateful 
  to the Shield Lands for rescuing him a couple of 
  years ago and has been waiting the proper time to 
  repay that assistance. This appears to be the best 
  opportunity for him to satisfy that debt. 
   
  3) Where are you taking us? Gildor will smile 
  and say “Ah… that is best not answered on this 
  battlefield where evil ears can hear.” He will add 
  he is taking them to a place of relative safety 
  where they can talk. 
   
   
   
   
   
  4) Any other questions? Consult the 
  Adventure Background above. Gildor would know 
  most of the details of the history of the Shield 
  Lands over the last year. 
   
   
   
   
   
  5) What is this shining portal? 
  Gildor has used one of his three wish spells per 
  day to open a gate between his location and the 
  party. It will close very, very soon... 
   
  What happens if the party doesn’t go with 
  Gildor? 
  Gildor will not give the party hours to question him 
  at this time. If the party does not move through 
  the portal in 30 seconds, he will look sad and tell 
  the party he will seek out other adventurers. With 
  that the portal will close. Let the party fight wave 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 9 
  after wave of demons, orcs, etc. until they teleport 
  away or are killed. These fights are not 
  established in this module, nor are they detailed in 
  any way. This is because it is not expected that 
  the party will actually decide to not go with Gildor. 
  If they really do not want to, just grab the Monster 
  Manual and have fun! Unlike the later part of the 
  dream (see below) during this battle, any party 
  deaths will NOT be permanent. Other than that, 
  refer to the notes on the dream state in Encounter 
  One, below. See the Conclusion below for more 
  information. 
   
  What happens if the party goes with Gildor? 
  Please proceed to Encounter One. 
   
  Encounter One – 
  Lardon/Lardon 
   
  Read or paraphrase the following to the party: 
   
  Stepping through the portal you arrive at a 
  patch of land void of all life. Its cracked 
  surface reveals it was blasted, as if by a great 
  heat, which burned away anything that would 
  have been here. A chilling wind blows across 
  the field. In all directions, until your vision is 
  blocked by hills, the view is the same. 
  “Welcome to Lardon”, says Gildor, bowing 
  low before you. 
   
  As mentioned above, Gildor is actually an ancient 
  gold dragon who was captured by Iuzians two 
  years ago (See SHLINT03-02 Amidst the Smoke 
  and Flames). After being freed from his servitude 
  by Pathfinders, he now wishes to repay his debt.
   
  Gildor will now take the time to freely answer 
  the party’s questions as best he can, having 
  access to everything detailed in the Adventure 
  Background, above, as well as Player’s Handout 
  1. If the party will not ask questions about the last 
  year of events, Gildor will explain the gist of the 
  information 
  contained 
  in 
  the 
  Adventure 
  Background, making sure they understand about 
  Lardon, Torkeep and the Banner. 
   
  Three other questions may arise: 
   
  1) What happened here? This is the town of 
  Lardon. About 8 months ago, Count Lardon sent 
  some of the army here along with a number of the 
  Arcanist’s Society in an attempt to free it from 
  Iuz’s grasp. It was a foolish idea and the land was 
  utterly devastated by the Lesser Boneheart Vayne 
  as a result. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  2) Why us? Gildor will advise the party 
  that he was drawn to either a) the heroism of the 
  party if they rushed out to help Torkeep or b) the 
  wisdom of the party if they chose to stay inside the 
  keep. 
   
  3) You said we could help? How? 
  Read or paraphrase the following: 
   
  “Ah, how can you help?” Gildor ponders. He 
  turns around slowly looking at the vast 
  devastation that has occurred here. “That is a 
  difficult 
  question 
  to 
  answer. 
  You 
  must 
  understand there is nothing you can do to 
  help here and now. However, I am capable of a 
  few parlor tricks. Old Wicked will rue the day 
  his followers made me an enemy. 
   
   
  “What would you say if I could tell you that 
  I could send you back in time…. Back to when 
  Count Lardon stole Torkeep’s Banner for his 
  own?” Without waiting for an answer, Gildor 
  takes a step, grabs his quarterstaff in both 
  hands, and takes a swing at a dirt clod, 
  powdering it. He looks up at you and 
  continues:  
   
   
   
   
   
  “I can do it, you know. Send you back in 
  time, I mean. It’s funny how magic works. I 
  have immense power but I cannot use it to 
  directly 
  defend 
  against 
  the 
  evil 
  one’s 
  successes for fear of the repercussions it 
  might bring. Yet, it will let me send you back 
  in time to where your freedom of will may 
  affect countless lives.”  
    
  Let the party ask questions of Gildor. Here are 
  some of the questions that may come up. 
  1) To what exact time are we returning? 
  Gildor will send them back 22 years. His 
  research shows this is when Lardon stole 
  the Banner.  
  2) Where will we find the Banner? This is 
  unknown.  
  3) What do we do when we find it? Try NOT 
  to raise suspicions that it has been taken. 
  Gildor will give the party a couple of 
  sheets of parchment in a scroll tube that 
  he assures the party is a reasonable 
  facsimile of the scroll tube with the 
  Banner in it. If the party looks, it contains 
  it contains Gildor’s laundry list, as well as 
  a used scroll of bad jokes. 
  4) If we are going back in time, why here, 
  why this event? Why not to any other 
  time, like to try to convince the Shield 
  Lands to ally with Furyondy and avoid the 
  first 
  invasion? 
  Because 
  Gildor 
  has 
  consulted great magics and is convinced 
  that the smallest interruption in time is 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 10 
  necessary. Trying to cause a larger 
  interruption in time might not work and 
  could have disastrous consequences. 
  5) Why don’t you do more to help? Gildor 
  has his reasons. If pressed he will state 
  that he does not directly interfere with Iuz 
  for a couple of reasons. First, he is afraid 
  of drawing more attention to the Shield 
  Lands than necessary. Second, he thinks 
  that all of the spells placed on him while 
  under the domination of the Iuzians may 
  not be gone and he is afraid of them 
  gaining control of him again (and using 
  him against the Shield Lands). Finally, he 
  has been working on gaining certain 
  alliances with higher powers and his direct 
  intervention may damage those alliances. 
  6) SPECIAL NOTE: Gildor is, of course, not 
  sending the party back through time. 
  Instead, the party is journeying through a 
  dream state he has created. He has 
  created this dream state by using his vast 
  stores of magic as well as tapping into the 
  power of the Sidhee forest (which will be 
  explored more fully in CY 595). Anyone 
  can Sense Motive (DC 1D20+27 opposed 
  Bluff check). If they manage to Sense 
  Motive, they will know that Gildor is not 
  being entirely truthful. If pressed on this, 
  he will only say “You can either trust me 
  on this, or you can go home…” If a person 
  chooses to go home, the adventure is 
  over and they wake up in a featherbed in 
  Gensal. 
  A SPECIAL NOTE ON THE SCROLL TUBE: 
  The original scroll tube was actually recovered by 
  a party in SHL03-07 Noble Intentions. Some party 
  members may have looked at it. In that module, it 
  is described merely as ‘a variety of legal papers’. 
  Any player that did actually open the tube in that 
  module should have the ‘Ire of Lord Lardon’ on 
  their AR from that adventure. Such players will 
  remember that one of the documents did look like 
  a deed to land of some sort. 
   
   
   
  In this dream-state, it is possible for players to 
  tinker with the papers inside the scroll tube. Gildor 
  put in a laundry list and a couple of pages from 
  ‘101 Dragon Jokes’, a book he happens to like. 
  Players can add or subtract what they like but then 
  the Dungeon Master will have to adjust the 
  language 
  in 
  the 
  conclusion. 
  If 
  the 
  party 
  successfully completes the mission, the dream 
  state will merge with the real world and allow the 
  switch of tubes to take place. 
   
   
  After the party has asked its questions, read 
  or paraphrase the following: 
   
  “I can wish you back in time, but I will not 
  know when to wish you to return. In fact, if 
  you get in any trouble, you may not return at 
  all!” Gildor reaches inside his shirt and 
  withdraws a flat, shiny gold disk. “What I have 
  done is to imbed into this dragon scale a 
  single, special wish. When you arrive in the 
  past, bury it in the ground. This will establish 
  a zone of disrupted time about five miles 
  across. You can move freely in that zone. You 
  will not be able to move beyond the borders of 
  the zone. If you do not bury the scale in the 
  earth, it will not be able to be properly in 
  contact with Oerth to establish the zone. 
   
   
   
   
  “When you are done 
  with your quest, come back and unbury the 
  scale. A few moments after it is unburied, the 
  latent wish contained within and anyone 
  touching it will be sent forward in time to just 
  before the Banner Presentment ceremony. You 
  will then have to hurry as fast as you can to 
  Critwall, to give Torkeep his stolen Banner.” 
   
  Gildor will give the party the dragon scale and 
  allow them to prepare for their journey. He will 
  also give them a thick iron ring. It will stretch or 
  shrink to snugly fit on any player’s finger. Etched 
  into the ring are a series of stars and moons. He 
  tells the party it is a ring of spell storing, minor. 
  Currently it contains a Nystul’s Magic Aura cast at 
  9th level.  He tells them they may find the ring 
  useful on their trip even if the spell is not. When 
  they are ready, he will use a wish to send the 
  party back in time. Read or paraphrase the 
  following to the party: 
   
  As you fade away, journeying to the past, you 
  hear Gildor say “Zhayne! What are YOU doing 
  here?”   
   
   
   
   
  The sky is blue, the grass is green and the 
  smell in the air is rich with healthy growing 
  things. You have arrived in the past.  
   
  You stand on the top of a hill. Lardon is 
  not far away, and you can see parts of the 
  town between the trees gentle hills that mark 
  your approach.   
   
   
   
   
   
  It does not take a historian to remind 
  you this part of the Shield Lands is the 
  heartland of the nation.  Along with Gensal, it 
  is the breadbasket of the land. Harvests from 
  this region will fill the bellies of Shield 
  Landers everywhere and plenty left over for 
  trade beyond the borders.  
   
   
   
  Obvious farms are scattered throughout 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 11 
  the area. A few farmers can be seen in the 
  distance, working on getting the fields ready 
  for planting. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Let the party get their bearings and work on 
  burying the scale. If the party chooses not to bury 
  the scale it will start to hum and glow brightly. The 
  party will need to bury the scale (even an inch 
  below the surface) within just a couple of minutes 
  or the dream state they are in will be unraveled. 
  See the Conclusion, below. 
   
  As the party finishes burying the scale, read or 
  paraphrase the following: 
   
  “What’cha doin’?” asks an overly pleasant 
  girl’s voice. You did not see or hear anyone 
  approach! 
  Looking 
  around 
  you 
  see 
  materializing in your midst a young girl of 
  perhaps thirteen years, dressed in peasant 
  clothes. She seems… transparent some how. 
   
  This is Black-hearted Zhayne. She is an evil 
  succubus who has plagued the Shield Lands for 
  years. Refer to the Appendix for details about her 
  history.   
   
   
   
   
  Zhayne is appearing to the party via a 
  powerful illusion. She is correct, the party is not 
  actually in the past, nor is she showing up from 
  the future. She has instead, through her magics, 
  joined the dream in order to appear to the party. 
  Consequently, only the party can see and hear her 
  (or so she will say – actually she can appear to 
  whomever she wants, but right now she only 
  wants to appear to the party).   
   
   
   
  Zhayne will come and go as she pleases, 
  tormenting the party. She will definitely show up 
  where indicated in the module. PLEASE NOTE: It 
  is  important to play her as an irritant rather than 
  as an obstruction to having fun in the module.  
   
   
  Let the party interact with her. She will 
  answer just about anything they ask. She does not 
  believe the party will succeed at their task and is 
  torn as to whether she hopes they do or not! After 
  all, with Iuz winning the war, all of those people 
  she enjoys tormenting will have worse things to 
  worry about if they are subjugated.  Zhay
   
  ne is a pathological liar. She will have a result 
  of 32 for any Bluff checks she is required to make.
   
  Here are some of the questions she can 
  answer: 
   
  1) Who are you? She is Zhayne, the Black-
  hearted. She is a succubus from the 
  Abyss. 
  2) What are you doing here? She is here to 
  enjoy the show and to taunt the mortals.  
  3) Is that how you really look? She will 
  GLADLY do a number of quick shape 
  changes to find a form pleasing to the 
  members of the party: A young school girl, 
  a bookish wizard, an exotic dancer, a 
  demure peasant girl, etc. When she does 
  this, she will be very catty towards any 
  women in the party, using her sharp 
  tongue and sense of wit to insult them 
  about their appearance, intellect, tactics, 
  etc. Again, be careful not to lay this 
  aspect of her personality on too thickly. 
  4) What happened to Gildor? She will giggle. 
  She tells the party she thinks Gildor is just 
  the cutest thing for a gold dragon. In fact, 
  when he was captured, she got to use him 
  as a servant for a while and thought he 
  was just too much fun to be with! She did 
  nothing to Gildor. She just showed up to 
  say ‘hi’ to him. 
  5) Really? She did NOTHING to Gildor? 
  Well, she did convince him to tell her his 
  plan. She can be VERY convincing – 
  even to a gold dragon…He would never 
  have revealed his plan except he thought 
  there was nothing she could do to stop it. 
  6) What can you do to stop it? She’s not sure 
  she wants to! At this point in time, Zhayne 
  is not  quite sure what exactly Gildor 
  intends to accomplish, so she is more 
  than content to follow along and cause 
  chaos. 
  After your party has had a moment or two to 
  get acquainted with her, she suddenly gives 
  you a look of amazement and says “Wait a 
  minute… You think all this is real? Oh, this is 
  too funny! You realize Gildor is lying to you, 
  don’t you? None of this is real! All of this is a 
  dream!” Zhayne starts pacing back and forth, 
  her hands behind her back. Turning her head 
  towards you she continues “You don’t really 
  believe that he has the power to alter time 
  itself, do you? That’s too fantastical to believe. 
  No, no my friends, you are in nothing more 
  than a dream. If you want to wake up, just do 
  it! But I’d recommend against it. I’m curious to 
  see just how well Gildor got the details...” With 
  that she sweeps one hand out in front of her 
  towards the town… “Should we…?” she asks, 
  implying the party should lead the way. 
   
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 12 
  Encounter Two – We Built 
  this City 
   
  The party can make their way down into Lardon. It 
  is about 10:00 in the morning. 
   
   
  When the party is ready to move down the hill 
  into town, read or paraphrase the following to the 
  party: 
   
  Zhayne, appearing as a druid with green hair 
  and eyes, wearing a dress of leaves and 
  flowers, looks down into the town and grins. 
  “You know, I don’t think you’re going to make 
  it.”  
   
   
   
   
   
  When it is obvious to her that you do not 
  know what exactly she’s talking about, she 
  claps her hands together in joy. “Oh! I forgot 
  to tell you! I tampered with Gildor’s dream 
  magic. You don’t have an unlimited amount of 
  time here. You only have until midnight to 
  return. At that point, the magic in the scale will 
  unravel with or without you.” She tilts her 
  head down and looks up at you through thick 
  green lashes and with a pout to her lips 
  inquires “Was that wrong of me?” 
   
  NOTES ON THE DREAM STATE 
   
  1) Zahne, is not lying about the dream state. 
  The party is truly in a dream world created 
  by Gildor to represent the past. 
  2) Regarding her tampering with the scale, 
  on that part she IS lying. She did not 
  tamper with the ‘spell’ Gildor put on the 
  scale. She will later lie again to the party 
  to tell them the scale will actually release 
  its magic even earlier. The party can learn 
  of this other deception later in the Golden 
  Stag Inn, below. Actually, the scale is a 
  trigger Gildor put into the dream to allow 
  the party an opportunity to escape the 
  dream state he has created. 
  3) In the dream, any charges or expendable 
  items the party uses are not actually used 
  in reality. However any spells used or 
  damage taken is treated as real. Also, 
  using abilities that can be called on a 
  limited amount of times, such as a die 
  reroll from the luck domain, is used up if 
  called upon. The list specifically is as 
  follows:  
  a) Charges from items – not used 
  up. 
  b) Items destroyed – not destroyed. 
  c) Favors off of ARs – used up and 
  crossed off. 
  d) Spells cast, powers and abilities 
  used – used up and crossed off. 
  e) Damage taken – considered real. 
  f) 
  Death 
  of 
  a 
  character/follower/familiar, etc. – 
  considered 
  real. 
  However, 
  if 
  anything 
  would 
  cause 
  an 
  unrecoverable body or similar, at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  dream 
  the 
  deceased will be discovered in a 
  feather bed in Gensal. 
  g) This should be used as a guide. 
  Essentially, permanent items are 
  not used up, while things effecting 
  the person are.  
  4) This dream state cannot be dispelled, per 
  se, from within the dream. However, if a 
  party member no longer wants to be in the 
  dream, they can attempt to ‘wake up’ by 
  disbelieving the events. The player makes 
  a Will save versus a mind effecting 
  illusion of DC 28. If the player succeeds, 
  that player wakes up and for them the 
  adventure is over. 
  5) The party cannot go beyond 10 miles in 
  any direction from the center of town. The 
  dream area created is only so big… 
   
  Lardon is a medium size town of about 500 
  people. Lardon Keep sits on a hill above the town 
  and unlike the town has a stout stone wall 
  strengthened by several towers and gate houses.
   
  Most of the town is constructed of wood with 
  brick foundations. A few are of piled stone or 
  entirely of brick. The party is less than a mile from 
  Lardon. They will pass by a number of farm fields 
  on their way to town. As they get closer, they will 
  many opportunities to talk to any of the locals they 
  chose.  
   
   
   
   
  As the party enters the town, read or 
  paraphrase the following: 
   
  The town of Lardon is busy with activity. 
  Citizens can be seen hard at work: Some are 
  working on buildings, some are moving carts 
  of food, and others are busy coming to and 
  from some of the shops. Compared to the 
  state of devastation and rebuilding you are 
  used to, the wood and brick buildings seem 
  amazingly alive. 
   
   
   
   
   
  As you enter the town, Zhayne appears 
  in front of you, dressed as an especially 
  innocent looking cleric of Pholtus. She says 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 13 
  “Oh! Lardon! I remember this town. Why I had 
  no idea you were coming here. That Gildor – 
  he should have said something. Oh well. You 
  know, I spent some time here. I know, lets see 
  if he got his research right. Why don’t I give 
  you a tour of some of my handiwork!” With 
  that she gives you a heartwarming grin. 
   
  At this time, Zhayne will not specifically say what 
  she means by ‘her handiwork’ and will only say 
  “you’ll see” with a giggle and a wink. 
   
  Here are a few things to keep in mind while 
  the party is in Lardon and interacting with Zhayne. 
   
  1) A dispel magic will keep Zhayne from 
  interacting with the party for 30 minutes. 
  2) Any spells or effects that block the ability 
  to detect thoughts will prevent Zhayne 
  from interacting with that particular party 
  member. 
  3) Any spells or effects that block scrying will 
  stop Zhayne from interacting with that 
  particular party member. 
  4) Gildor did a good job constructing the 
  dream. Still, the party’s clothes will look 
  slightly different because of the apparent 
  time-line difference. The cut of the fabric 
  will be off, the color choices and patterns 
  perhaps different. This may cause a few 
  of the locals to inquire as to where the 
  party is from. 
  5) Similarly, coins in the party’s possession 
  will probably be of too new of a vintage. 
  The Shield Lands created new coinage 
  when they reestablished control from Iuz. 
  As an estimate 7 to 8 out of every 10 
  coins will be of an unfamiliar mint. This 
  will cause the coinage of the party in 
  general to be worth approximately 25% of 
  what it normally would be. It also may 
  raise questions as to where the party is 
  from. 
  6) No one in this part of the module will 
  believe the party is from the future or a 
  dream or that Iuz will attack the Shield 
  Lands or any other predictions from the 
  future. If the party insists on continually 
  pestering people with such stories, the 
  townsfolk will completely ignore them or 
  call for the guards. 
   
  General knowledge anybody in town will know: 
  1) Who lives in the mansion? The Lardon 
  family. 
  2) Where is Count Lardon? This will be 
  responded 
  with 
  “in 
  his 
  mansion”? 
  However, the locals will definitely be 
  confused as Count JANEK Lardon (the 
  one the party would be familiar with) is 
  now only 34 years old and his father Lord 
  JAREK Lardon is still alive. His father is 
  known as Count Lardon and the son is 
  known as Young Master Lardon. To 
  confuse matters, Count Lardon also has 
  the title of ‘Lord’ which is also used. Jarek 
  Lardon, the father, actually dies during 
  Iuz’s invasion 
  3) Ok, where can we find Young Master 
  Lardon? He tends to frequent one of four 
  locations: 
  A) Lardon Mansion (but not too 
  often) 
  B) The Iron Hammer (a smithy) 
  C) The Stables 
  D) The Golden Stag Inn 
  4) Do you like the Lardons? The current 
  Count Lardon has a 70% approval rating. 
  He is very well liked by the local. His son 
  however would have only a 30% approval 
  rating by the locals. Most feel the son is 
  too arrogant and proud to be a good 
  leader. They are concerned because the 
  son will not listen to any of the father’s 
  admonitions. 
   
  The rest of this encounter is broken down into 5 
  events and 6 locations. Each of the events can 
  only happen once, although the order of these 
  events is not critical. It is recommended that one 
  event occurs after the party finishes investigating 
  any particular location.  
   
   
   
  It is also possible the party will manage to 
  stumble onto Young Master Lardon’s hiding place 
  for the Banner right away! This is ok and does not 
  ‘ruin’ the module in any way. Let the party 
  succeed at good investigations and role playing. 
  However, if the party does ‘succeed’ quickly, 
  make sure to have them face at least the first 3 of 
  the events.  
   
  Events: 
  1) The Family. Read or paraphrase the following 
  to the party: 
   
  A strikingly beautiful woman of slight build 
  and long brown hair walks through town with 
  a backpack full of supplies. Following right 
  behind her is a small (maybe three or four 
  years old) girl carrying a stuffed cat doll. 
  Zhayne appears before you as a Halfling 
  warrior and points to the pair. “Oh! These 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 14 
  folks were interesting. Watch them for a 
  minute…” and with that becomes quiet. 
   
  If the party watches, read or paraphrase the 
  following: 
   
  As you watch, you see the woman and her 
  daughter walk towards a strong looking man 
  also carrying a backpack. He is leading a 
  donkey that has a number of saddlebags and 
  supplies strapped to it. As they approach, the 
  girl’s face will brighten and she will run up to 
  the man screaming “Daddy!” Her stuffed cat 
  will lay forgotten in the dust.   
   
   
  Her mother gets a big grin and picks up 
  the stuffed cat. “Anana Dara! You dropped 
  your snuggling kitty.” She hands the cat to the 
  girl. “Sorry mommy,” she says with a grin. 
  “That’s ok, dear: just be sure you hang on to 
  it. You don’t want to lose it. We have a long 
  walk if we are going to make it Critwall and I 
  don’t think Snuggling Kitty will make it 
  without you.” At that point Zhayne interrupts 
  your observations. “This is fun. You know I 
  remember these folks. I found them on the 
  road probably two days from now. I killed the 
  mother when she went off the road and then 
  took her place for a day. I then used her form 
  to trick the father into following me into the 
  marshes.” She grins.  “The troll took a long 
  time picking him apart.” She looks confused 
  for a moment. “I don’t know what ever 
  happened to the girl…” 
   
  The party can certainly try to interfere with the 
  family’s travel plans. The father is Winet Dara. His 
  wife is Gini Dara, and their daughter is Anana 
  Dara. The family will be understandable nervous 
  about strangers trying to interfere with their lives. 
  They are off to Critwall to take on new jobs as 
  tenders of one of the gardens owned by the 
  Church of Holy Shielding inside the city (Gini has 
  good skills with plants and has been hired as a 
  caretaker, with Winet assisting her). It would take 
  a Bluff or Diplomacy check (or similar skills) of DC 
  20 or better to make them change their plans. 
  However, if the party gets them to make any 
  significant change in plans (take a different route, 
  travel with merchants, etc.), Zhayne will appear 
  before them depressed and say something like 
  “Phooey. I really enjoyed ruining their lives… 
  Hmmm… of course, this is all just a dream. I’m 
  sure your efforts were wasted…” 
   
  2) The woman and the well. Read or paraphrase 
  the following to the party: 
   
  As you move through town, Zhayne appears 
  before you. She is dressed in a stunning black 
  silk evening gown and has her flowing black 
  hair held neatly in place by a tiara. “Oh, did 
  you notice the peasant?” she says, gesturing 
  towards a woman carrying two earthen 
  buckets. “She’s a member of the local militia. 
  She gets too nosy a few weeks from now... Er, 
  I mean if this was real. Heh. You know, I can’t 
  believe she actually catches me in my actual 
  form landing behind a building one night. I 
  had to kill her before she could raise the 
  alarm. I ended up throwing her body down the 
  town well so it looked like an accident.” With 
  that, Zhayne will sigh, as if full of deep regret. 
   
  Let the party interact with the woman. Her name is 
  Ilya Fon. She is off to the town well to get water 
  for the next two days. She is a member of the 
  town militia. She is INCREDIBLY perceptive and 
  will not easily be persuaded to take unusual 
  courses of action. A character would need to 
  make a Bluff or Diplomacy check (or employ 
  similar skills) of DC 20 or better to make her 
  change her plans.  If the party can approach her 
  with any reasonable tale they will learn that as a 
  favor she is planning on taking the night watch 
  over for a buddy of hers, Gaerth. There are other 
  militia members Gaerth could ask, but he just 
  talked to her first. If the party manages to change 
  her fortune, Zhayne will appear before them and 
  laugh, saying “Ah, much better to help her live. 
  That way she will be slowly tortured to death by 
  orcs when they invade this land. My death for her 
  was much too quick. Wait a minute, what am I 
  saying. She’s dead. I killed her. This is just a 
  dream.”  
   
  3) The Dwarf. Read or paraphrase the following to 
  the party: 
   
  The party sees a dwarf pushing a wheelbarrow 
  full of bricks. His ruddy complexion is in stark 
  contrast to his thick mane of grey hair. He is 
  dressed in heavy work clothes and wears a 
  thick leather apron, similar to those worn by 
  blacksmiths or masons. As he pushes the cart, 
  he continually wheezes and gasps for air. 
   
  Zhayne appears in front of you as doughty 
  female dwarf with golden tresses and heavy 
  looking plain brown leather clothes. She 
  grimaces. “Now there’s a fun memory! You’d 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 15 
  never know it, but he really wanted an 
  apprentice and lucky for me I was willing to be 
  one. The blasted dwarf just would not be 
  seduced! I finally had to drop an anvil on him, 
  literally!” 
   
  The dwarf is Thundar Quickcinder, a blacksmith. 
  He used to be a mercenary warrior and spent 
  decades selling his axe skills out to the highest 
  bidder. He could care less about any warnings the 
  party might have. However, he is here because 
  despite his age he wanted to feel useful and many 
  of the locals need a good blacksmith. The 
  problem is that he is not a good craftsman and his 
  work just is not up to par (He, sadly, knows it). The 
  party could possibly convince him (Diplomacy or 
  similar skills check DC 22) to move to a different 
  community because this one has a blacksmith. 
  Alternatively, they could more easily convince him 
  he should really focus on teaching his militia skills 
  to others (the DC would be lowered to 18). 
  Thundar is a devotee of the dwarven gods so any 
  holy person (Cleric, Paladin or similar) of the 
  dwarven gods will have a +4 circumstance bonus 
  on any Charisma based skills used on him).  
   
  If the party changes his life path, Zhayne will 
  appear and say “Must you meddle with everyone? 
   How do you know that saving him helped the 
  Shield Lands? A dwarf of his stubbornness might 
  be a liability to those around him, regardless of his 
  skill! In any event, none of this is real, I guess... I 
  just don’t know WHY you bother!”  
   
  4) The man and the cart. Read or paraphrase the 
  following to the party: 
   
  As you move through the town, you manage 
  to overhear someone yelling “Shelton! Get 
  your lazy self over to the cart. I need you to 
  help unload this load!” Looking towards the 
  commotion, you see a frustrated looking man 
  struggling with sacks of grain. He is trying to 
  unload an entire cart full of similar sacks into a 
  shed. Dancing – no darting – around the shed 
  is a young man, perhaps 14 years of age, 
  swinging an imaginary sword into equally 
  imaginary foes.  
   
   
   
  The teenager looks admonished for only a 
  moment, then with a brush of his hand moves 
  a heavy mop of brown hair out of his eyes and 
  flashes the man a huge grin. “But dad, I 
  haven’t killed all the orcs yet!” 
   
   
   “Shelton, I told you, now’s not the time to 
  play at adventuring,” counters the man. 
  “Besides, that’s dangerous stuff. I don’t want 
  you playing with such nonsense. Now’s the 
  time to help get work done.  With yer ma dead, 
  I can’t do it all myself! ‘Rules are Rules’ 
  Shelton, always remember that.” 
   
  “Ok, ok, keep your blade sheathed. I’m 
  coming…” and with that the son puts his back 
  to it, helping to unload the cart. 
   
  Any party member who has played SHL03-06, or 
  07, or SHL04-02 or 03 will recognize the youth 
  after a moment’s hesitation. This youngster will 
  one day become Shelton Halfhand, secretary to 
  the Council of Lords. His father is Davon Tillson, a 
  devotee of Heironeous and very much in favor of 
  following rules. 
   
  Zhayne appear behind the  youth, as herself, a 
  succubus, 
  her long reddish hair barely 
  covering her otherwise naked form. Her hands 
  appear bound with rune encrusted chains 
  submissively in front of her and a summoning 
  circle surrounds her feet. She speaks very 
  demurely, refusing to look up. “Ah, the young 
  master. How smart he is, how wise. He knows 
  what is best for the Shield Lands. He has 
  taught us the wisdom of his ways.”  
   
  But then, just as quickly as the blink of an 
  eye, the demon changes form and appears as 
  Lady Katarina, the Knight Commander of the 
  Shield Lands. She gives you an all too evil 
  smile “Sadly, the young man exceeded his 
  station years ago (well years from now, 
  actually).  He thought by bravely questing he 
  could catch the eye of the beautiful and 
  powerful lady only to learn she was already in 
  love with another… a most patient lord in dire 
  need known as the Shield Lands. He was 
  never the same after that.” She looks at you… 
  “Of course it didn’t help that I appeared to him 
  as your precious Lady Kate and professed a 
  secret love to him. Oh! The wonderfully 
  delicious rage that fostered when the real Lady 
  Kate 
  later 
  spurned 
  him!” 
  She 
  laughs 
  maliciously and fades from view… 
   
  The party can interact with both Shelton and his 
  dad. Both will instantly sense the party is 
  composed of adventurers and consequently both 
  will interact with them differently.  
   
  Shelton will be obsessed with the party, asking 
  them about their adventures and skills with a great 
  passion. He will believe ANYTHING they tell 
  him…  His father, on the other hand, will not 
  believe a word the party says and believes them 
  to be trouble of the worse form.   
   
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
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  The party can help unload the cart which will 
  loosen the father’s unhappiness a notch. A 
  successful Diplomacy Check (DC 25) or use of a 
  similar 
  skill 
  will 
  reveal 
  that 
  Davon 
  hates 
  adventurers because his wife was one and she 
  died on an adventure (she was going after some 
  fabled lost treasure), leaving him to raise Shelton 
  alone. Some party members may want to kill or 
  injure Shelton. He is, in this dream world and at 
  this stage of his life, an innocent youth. Killing him 
  is definitely an evil act.   
   
   
   
    
   
  5) The crazy prophet of doom! The party will 
  encounter a crazed old man who is Gildor’s 
  attempt at warning the party of Zhayne’s 
  interference. Based on the temperament of the 
  party, Panis can be as toned down or as nutty as 
  desired. Read or paraphrase the following to the 
  party: 
   
  Staggering through the streets towards you is 
  a man, ancient by all appearances, and 
  completely destitute. His dirty strands of white 
  hair are few and far between, and his clothes 
  are tattered, filthy, and torn. Through cataract 
  encrusted eyes he stares at you, then with a 
  rasping voice shouts “You should not be here! 
  You walk with EEEVVVIIILLL! Gather to me 
  people of Lardon. The future is here and it 
  brings with it an evil from the past – one that 
  haunts us today and will plague us in the 
  future!” Despite his ramblings, no one else in 
  the area seems to be paying any attention to 
  him. 
   
   
   
   
   
  Zhayne, appearing as a human scribe, 
  looks at him through bespectacled eyes and 
  says “Uh, I think I must be the evil he’s talking 
  about, and you must be the future, but how is 
  this ‘one-dretch-short-of-a-horde’ even seeing 
  me?” 
    
  The man is Panis, a devotee of Istus. He took a 
  vow of poverty ages ago to show his love for his 
  goddess. As a result, he sometimes can prophesy. 
  In this case, his devotion has allowed him to see 
  (and hear) Zhayne clearly and can tell that the 
  party is from the future, an awful future… 
   
  At this point in the adventure, Gildor has 
  learned that Zhayne is tampering with his dream. 
  Panis is Gildor’s (failed) attempt at influencing the 
  dream to try and force Zhayne out.  
   
   
  Sadly for Gildor, and for Panis, nobody in this 
  area listens to him. In the (dream)minds of the 
  locals, he has rambled on about events that never 
  seem to occur on endless occasions and so he is 
  genuinely ignored.  
   
   
   
   
  If the party questions Panis, he will keep 
  pointing at Zhayne, calling her the “Demon-
  tounged Evil that shall slay us all!” or “that Vile 
  Mistress of Lies and Evil” or “the Slayer of Truth 
  and Love” or “Holy Shielding’s Bane” and similar 
  sorts of recriminations. However, the party, if 
  persistent, can extract the following from him: 
  1) “The Lady Sleeps. You can wake the Lady 
  if you dare to face the Fires of Order.” 
  2)  “The master is the servant and the 
  servant is the master.” 
  3) “The breath of Iuz shall plague you all.” 
  4) “Seek the Sleeper.” 
  These cryptic ramblings will possibly be explained 
  in SHL04-07, 08, and 09. 
   
  The problem for the party is that he will 
  continue to follow the party around, loudly 
  proclaiming their status as being from the future 
  and in the consort of demons until the party can 
  get rid of him, or 10 minutes have passed (at 
  which time he will find someone else to bother). 
  Zhayne will personally be a little bit concerned 
  why he can see and hear her, but this aspect will 
  be outweighed by her amusement at the 
  embarrassment and delay this is causing the 
  party. She will feed into Panis’ confusion by 
  making menacing faces at him, telling him she is 
  here for his soul, and other minor torments. 
   
  Locations: 
  Distel’s Grainery 
   
  Distel’s Grainery is actually two buildings. The 
  first is a squat one room affair about 30’ on a side. 
  The building is completely made of brick and the 
  doors have impressive looking locks on them 
  (Open Locks DC 30 to pick). During the day, 
  inside and out is a mass of activity as farmers 
  deal with the various issues of selling and buying 
  grain. At this time of year, the farmers are looking 
  at buying seed for their farms. 
   
  The other building is a 30’ by 50’ brick and 
  wood structure. There are massive doors set into 
  each of the thirty foot ends, and a wide ramp 
  leads up both of the fifty foot sides. These ramps 
  are used for hauling grain in to the warehouse. At 
  the top is a wooden roof with removable doors. 
  There are buckets and ropes around to haul out 
  grain as well.  
   
  The current proprietor is Hona Distel, a crusty 
  middle aged woman who seems as if she can 
  count the number of grains of wheat in a mule 
  pulled cart from 200 paces. Anything that 
  interrupts her business cannot be good.  
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
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  At any given time during the day there are 
  1D10+5 farmers here, most with carts to get grain. 
  It is a laborious process and most do not want to 
  really spend time “chatting” with adventurers. 
   
  That said, successful Diplomacy, Gather 
  Information or similar skill checks (DC 24) will 
  reveal the following information from Distel or the 
  farmers: 
  1) Janek Lardon, the son, never stops by to 
  inquire as to the state of the grain. His 
  father, Lord Jarek Lardon, always does. 
  2) Lord Jarek Lardon, while Heironean, also 
  is rumored to be a devotee of Zilchus. 
  3) The most interested anyone ever over 
  heard the Young Master get over grain 
  production was whether last year’s crop 
  would affect the local brew! 
   
  The party can get a +4 circumstance bonus to 
  the checks if they are able to come up with a 
  method to control the mouse and rat problem the 
  warehouse always seems to suffer. 
   
  Lardon Mansion 
   
  This building is also referred to as ‘House 
  Lardon’. It stands out as out of place as a bright 
  red rose among dandelions. It is located on a hill 
  about a half-hour to an hour’s walk to the west 
  (depending on whether there are a number of 
  petitioner’s coming and going to the ‘House”.
   
  The building is set on a large (225’ tall) hill 
  overlooking the city. It has 15’ tall stone walls 
  carefully set around the perimeter, leaving a court 
  yard about 45’ feet from the main building in all 
  directions. The building itself is actually three 
  buildings attached to each other: A main hall two 
  stories tall (and made with a layered stone lower 
  level and a wooden upper level and a flagstone 
  roof), a servant’s quarters (actually the OLD 
  manor) built of ancient timbers, and a stables 
  (relatively new and built mostly of sturdy planks of 
  oak).   
   
   
   
   
  Today the Count, Lord Jarek Lardon, is 
  hearing claims in what is called the “Petty Court”, 
  essentially acting as the local magistrate. He will 
  do this from approximately 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 
  p.m. and then cease for the day. Anyone who acts 
  respectfully is allowed admission to his hall. 
   
  If the party seeks entry during this time period, 
  it will be allowed. If they seek entry during any 
  other time, it will be denied. Messages will be 
  respectfully taken by the gate guard and delivered 
  in the morning. If the party makes a success 
  Diplomacy or Bluff skill check (DC 25) or use a 
  similar skill, they will have their message 
  immediately taken to the Count.  
   
   
   
  If the party gains admission to the halls, 
  read or paraphrase the following: 
   
  The walls of House Lardon are made of 
  stone and stand 15’ tall. They are about 5’ 
  thick and apparently have a walkway across 
  their top as you can see a few guards walking 
  patrolling back and forth.  
   
   
  Inside the walls, the courtyard is an 
  immaculately kept green, perhaps a total of 
  150 across. There is a 45’ perimeter of the 
  neatly cut grass between the walls and the 
  main buildings of the manor.  
   
  The manor itself is actually three buildings 
  attached to each other: A main hall two stories 
  tall (and made with a layered stone lower level 
  and a wooden upper level and a flagstone 
  roof), a servant’s quarters (actually the OLD 
  manor) built of ancient timbers, and a stables 
  (relatively new and built mostly of sturdy 
  planks of oak).  
   
   
   
  You are pointed in the direction of the two-
  story manor. At the front of the building is a 
  pair of heavy oak double doors. On either side 
  stands a guard wearing a chain shirt and 
  armed with a spear and a long sword. They 
  seem uninterested in you and you are able to 
  enter the building unquestioned. 
   
  Inside, you see the main floor is a 30’ long 
  hallway, 25’ across. There are four stone 
  pillars on each side of the hallway and 
  between them are stretched  massive woven 
  tapestries (alternatively of the symbol of the 
  Shield Lands and the Holy Symbol of 
  Heironeous). You suspect there is at least a 
  five foot walk space behind the tapestries. 
   
   
   
  The room is lit with globes of 
  magical light cast on stone long swords 
  affixed to the pillars. At the far end is an oak 
  chair, almost throne-like in appearance. Sitting 
  on it is a man, perhaps 50 years of age, 
  perhaps more. He is a bit on the thin side and 
  wears excellently tailored clothes. His dark 
  eyes are piercing and his smile is warm and 
  friendly. He has dark hair, combed neatly back, 
  streaked heavily with grey. 
   
   
  This is Jarek Lardon. As long as the party is 
  respectful, he will talk to them for up to ten 
  minutes before he announces ‘other duties’ to 
  attend to and asks them to leave. If they party is 
  here when there are other petitioners seeking 
  claims to be heard, there will be 2d6 petitioners 
  and half as many guards. The party will have to 
  wait their turn to speak (about 5 minutes per 
  petitioner). The claims will typically include 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 18 
  contract disputes between the locals, adjudicating 
  a divorce, minor criminal offenses (stealing an 
  apple for example) and other minor matters. Jarek 
  decides quickly and as fairly as he can.  
   
   
   
  He will not believe any fanciful 
  tales of time travel or dreams or disastrous wars 
  with Iuz or the like. If the topic turns to his son, he 
  will sigh momentarily and explain that his son is 
  not here. He has returned since his visit to 
  Torkeep, but has not ‘checked in’ at the manor. He 
  has no idea where his son could be, but is 
  probably staying in town. 
   
   
   
   
   
  During 
  the 
  entire 
  encounter, 
  Zhayne will appear completely bored (if present). 
  She will be dressed in one of the guard outfits, 
  even if the chain shirt seems to be impossibly 
  form fitting… 
  At any given time, the wall will 
  have 1D6+4 guards in chain shirts, with spears 
  and long swords. The grounds do not typically 
  have any guards patrolling it, but there will be 1d4 
  servants wandering about performing chores 
  (carrying laundry, going to/from the stables, 
  working on the yard, carrying food to the guards, 
  etc.) 
   
  The Axe of Justice (A temple to Heironeous) 
   
  As the party approaches, read or paraphrase 
  the following: 
   
  You see a building constructed of thick 
  oak planks. It has been painted blue with white 
  trim. The building is about 30’ feet on a side 
  and stands 20’ tall. On the front of the 
  building, painted carefully onto the twin 
  doors, is the holy symbol of Heironeous. You 
  can see an old man sweeping dust off the 
  stone slabs that make up the entry way. He is 
  dressed in a cleric’s garb: a white robe 
  trimmed with blue. 
   
  The cleric is named Rownri. He is actually 
  only about 30 years old, but, due to some 
  unfortunate encounters with ghosts, he has 
  become aged beyond his years (he will explain 
  that when he faced the ghosts, their very image 
  seemed to age him…).   
   
   
   
   
  He is genuinely a friendly soul and 
  absolutely devoted to Heironeous. He is currently 
  collecting funds as it is his goal to afford an all 
  stone church. He will not notice Zhayne at all. She 
  will appear dressed all in black, as if in mourning, 
  and be very agitated if the party enters the church. 
  In fact, she will fade out if the party goes in and 
  only reappear after they leave. When they do, she 
  will be extremely cross with them, giving them lots 
  of “humph” and “Ugh, I can’t believe you kept me 
  waiting” type comments. 
   
   
   
  As to Rownri, he can relay the following to any 
  polite person: 
  1) He has not seen Janek in weeks. He 
  knows the Young Master went to see 
  Torkeep in keep Torkeep (he thinks this is 
  a funny phrase). He believes he has come 
  back but does not know where he is.  
  2) Rownri suspects Janek is no longer a true 
  devotee of Heironeous but instead may be 
  worshipping Zilchus.  
  3) He thinks there are only three other 
  worshippers of Zilchus in town: Cooper 
  Iron Hammer (the town smithy), Quelda 
  the 
  stable 
  owner, 
  and 
  Caln 
  Arwa, 
  proprietor of the Golden Stag Inn.  
  4) He has heard that Janek will sometimes 
  stay with these folks (detailed in 3, above) 
  rather than live in the mansion. This may 
  be because his father keeps trying to 
  groom him for leadership and Janek 
  seems to not take his father’s tutelage 
  very well.  
   
  The Iron Hammer (a smithy) 
   
  Read or paraphrase the following to the party: 
   
  The Iron Hammer is name you see carefully 
  printed on the wood sign hammered into the 
  ground. The building behind the sign is made 
  of brick and contains a square building, about 
  20’ on a side, with an open air attached work 
  area of equal size. The forge is fully ablaze and 
  a Halfling, standing on a set of stone steps, is 
  busy hammering away on something. 
   
  The Halfling appears well muscled for one 
  of the small folk, and is using hammer and 
  tongs with a passion on some unseen item. 
  With a grin, he uses the tongs to pull a 
  glowing red short sword from the heat of the 
  forge and turns towards you. “It’s a beauty!” 
  he says proudly. You aren’t quite sure if he’s 
  talking to you or himself. 
   
  The Halfling is Cooper Iron Hammer. He is 49 
  years old (and proudly states that fact, as if it’s a 
  badge of honor) and has worked here in Lardon 
  for about 20 of those years. Cooper is actual 
  name, while Iron Hammer is the title given to him 
  by his former master Tongs Iron Hammer (Cooper 
  will sadly tell them that Tongs has been dead now 
  6 years, having died peacefully in his sleep). 
   
  Cooper is a follower of Zilchus. There is a holy 
  symbol of the god (hands clutching a bag of 
  money) made from hammered metal (copper) 
  over the doorway between the work area and the 
  main building.  
   
   
   
  Cooper knows Janek quite well and counts 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
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  him as a close friend. If the party is respectful and 
  does not seem to pose any threat to Janek, 
  Cooper will relate the following (and do so 
  proudly!):  
  1) Janek helps Cooper market his goods 
  beyond the borders of Lardon for what 
  Janek calls “a wee bit of spending coin”. 
  2) Janek sometimes stays here when he is 
  not staying at the mansion. In fact, he 
  came here last night after closing down 
  the local tavern. He went out riding west 
  of town early this morning. 
  3) Janek recently came back from Torkeep. 
  Cooper did not go with, but hears the time 
  there was very boring.  
  4) Janek was there for a meeting with Lord 
  Torkeep over some sort of a land matter. 
  From what Cooper has overheard, Janek 
  wanted Lord Torkeep to give him a 
  section of land on which to build his own 
  manor. Lord Torkeep was unwilling to do 
  so. Janek claimed he was entitled to it as 
  there was some old document that said 
  Janek’s family, not Torkeep’s should own 
  the land. 
  5) Janek mentioned he made his god proud 
  and Torkeep would end up with ‘kobolds in 
  the pantry’ when all was revealed. (Note: 
  “Kobolds in the Pantry” is a local 
  colloquialism similar to “egg on his face”. 
  The reference to making ‘his god proud’ 
  has to do with Zilchus being a god of 
  trickery. Cooper will not volunteer this 
  information 
  because 
  he 
  thinks 
  it’s 
  common enough knowledge about both 
  Zilchus and the phrase.)  
  6) He 
  knows 
  Thundar 
  Quickcinder 
  but 
  doesn’t think he’ll get much work as Janek 
  sends most of the local work to ‘his good 
  friend Cooper’. 
   
   
  The party may or may not notice, but Cooper 
  never calls him “the Young Master” but always 
  refers to his friend merely as Janek. 
   
  Zhayne will appear as a female goblin warrior, 
  complete with a nasty jagged battle axe and a set 
  of heavy leather armor. She will stomp around 
  here (unseen by Cooper) and seem unhappy 
  about something. If pressed on the subject she will 
  tell the party that Cooper never would fall for her 
  charms, and as far as she knows, actually made it 
  out of here alive when the Iuzians attacked. She 
  hates Cooper because he managed to thwart a 
  number of her little plots for the region. She 
  further curses Gildor under her breath as she 
  cannot figure out how he can make this dream so 
  real! 
   
  If the party somehow manages to 
  get into Cooper’s house, they can easily find the 
  guest room. This is where Janek stayed last night. 
  On the night table is a wooden drink coaster from 
  the Golden Stag (See below).  
   
  The Stables 
   
  Ahead of you is a barn with a good sized 
  fenced in area attached to it. The barn has a 
  stone 
  foundation 
  and 
  a 
  wooden 
  upper 
  structure. There are barn doors on the front of 
  the building and, presumably, on the back 
  side (leading into the fenced in area) as well. 
   
  There are a couple of men in the fenced in 
  area, walking a horse around. The barn doors 
  are ajar, but just barely. 
   
   
  Across the road is a small wooden 
  building about 20’ by 30’. Coming out of the 
  door is a half-elven woman with bright red 
  hair. Her freckled face frames a large smile and 
  her green eyes sparkle. She is dressed in a 
  sturdy riding outfit. As she approaches she 
  looks at you and says “Say, you’re new to 
  town.” 
   
  This is Quelda. She is the owner of the 
  stables. Inside are 10 riding horses. There are two 
  empty stables. One belongs to the horse out back 
  (who the men are currently inspecting for possible 
  sale) and one that belongs to Janek’s personal 
  horse “Divine Favor”. That horse is currently 
  missing. 
   
   
   
   
  Quelda is hardly suspicious of anyone. In fact 
  she is way too trusting. She will happily blather on 
  about how fun it is to be a stable owner: buying 
  selling and trading horses. Janek is a customer of 
  hers as well as a friend. She will reveal the 
  following: 
  1) Janek loves to ride horses. He stopped by 
  early this morning to ride around the 
  surrounding lands. He loves to go riding 
  by himself. 
  2) Janek really doesn’t care for his father too 
  much. He thinks his father is trying to 
  control his life and does not approve of his 
  lifestyle (remember, Janek’s 34 years old 
  and has not yet taken a wife or settled 
  down. This is somewhat scandalous as he 
  should be working on creating the next 
  generation of Lardons rather than just 
  frittering away the days). 
  3) Janek just came back a few days ago 
  from visiting Lord Torkeep. There was 
  some sort of a party at Torkeep.  
  4) Janek hates Lord Torkeep. Apparently the 
  Magistrates in Critwall ruled against him 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 20 
  on a land claim. Janek believes the 
  Lardon’s are the true owners of a large 
  section of land near Torkeep, and 
  Torkeep won’t recognize his claim. 
  5) Janek spent yesterday in the Golden Stag 
  and last night at his friend, Cooper’s (the 
  Smithy).  
   
   
  The Golden Stag Inn 
  Read or paraphrase the following to the party: 
   
  The hand painted sign swinging from the 
  building in front of you shows a mighty stag, 
  standing on its rear hooves. In one of its front 
  hooves, it holds a single gold coin. The 
  building itself is a three story affair. The lower 
  level is made of stone with the upper two 
  levels being made of oak. The outer surface of 
  the wood has been stained to a golden brown.
   
  Windows appear every ten feet on all 
  levels of the building (which is 40’ across and 
  60’ long). On the east front the building is a 
  wide set of stairs leading up to the door. A 
  sign on the door states “No Tavern Service 
  before 2nd Prayers”. A smaller sign just under 
  it says “All deliveries to the rear of the 
  building please”. 
   
  On 
  the 
  North 
  side of the building is a small pen where some 
  pack animals (a mule and two pack horses) are 
  tied up. The rear (west) end of the building has 
  a large (20’ square) fenced in area and a wider 
  10’ door set into the building. It’s clear that 
  gate on the fenced area can be pulled out to 
  allow for carts to come in and out of here, 
  probably with deliveries. 
  Outside of the inn there will be 2d4 commoners 
  milling about. If asked, they can advise that this is 
  the Golden Stag Inn. 
   
   
   
  The sign discussing “no service” relates to the 
  church of Heironeous’ second prayer service of 
  the day, typically held around 2:00 p.m. It is a 
  local custom not to serve (for sale) food and liquor 
  after 9:00 am or before 3:00 p.m. This is not really 
  Heironean dogma, but has been part of local 
  custom as long as anyone can remember. 
   
  Common Room: 
  The common room of this inn is quite large 
  and is ornate. The stone and woodworking 
  show a high level of craftsmanship and talent. 
  Numerous expensive tapestries hang from the 
  walls (all showing pictures of heroic battles – 
  hidden in each picture, somewhere, is a stag 
  with a gold coin in one hoof). There are a 
  dozen tables neatly organized in four rows of 
  three. At the west end is a bar with a large 
  book on it. 
   
   
   
   
  You see two doors that exit the room, one 
  that must lead up to the inn’s upper floors and 
  the other (behind the bar) that must lead to the 
  kitchen. 
  If the party enters before approximately 3:00 p.m. 
  read the first text below to the party, other wise 
  read the second. 
   
   
   
   
   
  (If between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.) 
  No one seems to be here. The grand fireplace 
  is not lit and all the tables are barren. Then 
  you see a woman backing into the room 
  through a door behind the bar. 
  (If after 3:00 p.m.) 
  The tavern has about a dozen men and women 
  sitting at tables and a few more milling about. 
  They 
  are 
  engaged 
  in 
  some 
  pleasant 
  conversation and enjoying food and drink. The 
  grand fireplace is not lit. You see a woman 
  standing behind the bar.  
  The woman is Caln Arwa. She is 38 years old and 
  has short cropped brown hair. She is pleasant 
  enough, but is so thin she looks as if she’s missed 
  a few too many meals.   
   
   
   
  Upon the party seeing her, Zhayne will 
  reappear as a buxom barmaid, wearing a short 
  green apron over a nearly as short white dress 
  and blouse. Her blonde hair is tied in pig-tails.  
   
  Zhayne will tell the party not to trust this 
  woman. She tells the party that Caln is nothing but 
  trouble and a well known devotee of Zilchus (who 
  is, Zhayne will remind the party, a god of trickery 
  and deceit!). Actually Caln is fairly trustworthy.
   
  Caln is happy to see visitors and will offer 
  them a room. The book on her desk is a guest 
  book and flipping through it will show Janek 
  Lardon’s name MULTIPLE times. Caln has not 
  seen “the Young Master” today and does not 
  expect him back.  
   
   
   
  She tells the party that Janek keeps a regular 
  room upstairs on the third floor. She will not 
  normally let the party in to see the room. 
  However, if anyone in the party uses a successful 
  Diplomacy, Bluff or similar skill (DC 30) on her, 
  she will take them up to see the room. Otherwise, 
  the party will have to figure out how to sneak up to 
  his room. She is more than willing to rent them a 
  room (2 silver for the night) which could give them 
  access upstairs.  
   
   
   
  She is not above calling for the city militia 
  (who appear in 1d4+2 minutes) by going out the 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 21 
  back door of the kitchen and using a heavy gong 
  set by the door for just such purposes.  
   
  Behind the bar is a small stack of wooden 
  drink coasters. Each has been cleverly carved 
  with the words “Golden Stag”.   
   
  Speaking to any of the patrons will reveal that 
  Caln runs a respectable business here. Everything 
  shuts down just before midnight and Caln scoots 
  everyone outside at that point. They also reveal 
  the front door is not locked as sometimes guests 
  have to get up during the night to inspect their 
  animals or the like. Theft is not considered as 
  Caln (or one of her staff) takes all of the valuables 
  off the site each night. 
   
  If the party is looking for work, Caln does have 
  some battered pans, metal beer steins, etc., they 
  can take over to Cooper Iron Hammers to be 
  fixed. She’d give them a hot meal if they do so. 
   
  Caln and the cooks will not allow folks to 
  running around tearing up the place on some odd 
  quest… However, if the party is clever, perhaps 
  show a good deed or the like, they may be able to 
  convince her they need to see the basement area. 
  Caln is unaware of young Lardon going downstairs 
  at any specific moment, but if asked she will say 
  he has the run of the place and it would not be 
  unusual if he did go to the basement to get some 
  supply or another. 
   
  Kitchen: 
  When the party enters for the first time, read or 
  paraphrase the following: 
   
  The kitchen is in much the same condition as 
  the common room and appears to contain a 
  stove and cooking utensils of the highest 
  quality. There are two barrels of something set 
  over what appears to be a trap door set into 
  the floor. There is also a heavy gong set next 
  to the door leading out back.  
  The room contains lots of excellent food supplies. 
  There is a full larder of grains, breads, fruit and 
  the like, and Caln gets whatever food hunters or 
  farmers bring in. Today they are working on two 
  deer. There are two men and a Halfling woman in 
  here working on getting food prepared (Kulver, 
  Macad, and Quivereen, respectively).  
   
  One barrel contains apples and the other is 
  filled with brine and pickles. It would take a 
  strength of 12 to move the apple barrel or a 
  strength of 14 to move the pickles. Otherwise a 
  strength check (DC 12 or 14 respectively) is 
  required to move the barrels. Underneath them is 
  a trapdoor. Lifting it up reveals a set of stairs into 
  the basement. 
   
  Basement: 
  When the party enters for the first time, read or 
  paraphrase the following (presuming the party has 
  some light source available): 
   
  The basement seems to be mostly unused. 
  There are a few small cobwebs in the corners 
  of the ceiling. There basement stairs end in 10’ 
  by 10’ room. Each wall of the room has 
  centered in it a 5’ wide corridor running 10’ to 
  a door.  
  There is no map for this room. It is basically a 
  ‘plus’ sign. The center is a 10’ x 10’ room and 
  each door at the end of the plus is unlocked. 
  Behind each door is a storage room about 10’ 
  across. All of them contain seldom used supplies 
  (extra 
  bedding, 
  cooking 
  utensils, 
  cleaning 
  supplies, and the like). However, along the wall 
  directly across from the stairs, there is a secret 
  door (more of a panel, really as it is 3’ by 3’). 
   
  Secret Stone Door: 4 in. thick; hardness 8; hp 
  60; AC 5; Break DC 28, Search DC 18 + APL. 
  The door is not trapped, per se, but does have a 
  Leomund’s Trap cast on it by a 10th level mage.  
  Behind the stone panel is a room: 3’ by 3’ by 3’.  
  Inside the room is the silver bound oak chest.  If 
  detected for, it does glow with strong magic. It is 
  Nystul’s Magic Aura cast by a 10th level mage. 
  Janek owns a magic ring that lets him cast this 
  spell once per 10 days. Note that Gildor’s ring 
  contains a spell of Nystul’s Magic Aura. 
   
  Aside from the chest, there is nothing of value 
  in this room. 
   
   
   
   
  Inside the chest is a heavy ivory scroll tube. It 
  is just big enough to contain the various papers 
  given the party by Gildor (and happens to look 
  IDENTICAL to the one currently held by the party). 
  When the party finds the map, read or paraphrase 
  the following to the party (the party can interrupt 
  this text with actions or comments, but this is the 
  gist of what Zhayne says to them): 
   
  Zhanye looks frustrated. She shakes her head 
  slowly back and forth and then says “I can’t 
  believe he’s that big of an idiot. You know, I 
  took him for being smarter! I should have just 
  seduced him straight off and been done with 
  it. It would have been a LOT easier. What a 
  fool. Well, it won’t really matter. I lied when I 
  told you I messed with Gildor’s magic. 
  Actually the spell should be wearing off any 
  time now” She looks at you and continues 
  “you know, just in case, maybe I should… yes. 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 22 
  I’ve got to run now! I’ve got to see a man 
  about a shovel. Have fun!” And with that, she 
  is gone… 
   
  The Rest of the Inn: 
  The rest of the inn is in much the same condition 
  as the common room, all of it is excellently made.
   
  The Second floor contains seven guest 
  rooms, the Third floor contains four. The room 
  right across from the stairs on the Third floor is 
  rented by Janek. The door is locked. 
   
  Wooden Doors: 1 in. thick; hardness 5; hp 10; 
  AC 5; Break DC 18, Open Locks DC 25. 
   
  If the party makes it into Janek’s room, read or 
  paraphrase the following: 
   
  As you open the door, you see that it is 
  possibly 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  more 
  egotistically 
  designed rooms on Oerth. There is a massive 
  mirror on one wall and three of the walls 
  contain paintings of what must be Janek 
  Lardon. One is of Janek as mighty knight, 
  slaying hordes of dark creatures. Another is of 
  Janek as a holy man, breaking through the 
  darkness with light emanating from his very 
  being as various noble women look on 
  fawningly. The final portrait is of Janek the 
  might hunter, riding a white horse as Janek 
  drives a spear into the throat of an especially 
  nasty looking dire boar. 
  There are a half-
  dozen trinkets lying around: all minor statues 
  of Janek cast from iron or carved from stone. 
  The bed itself has expensive looking silk 
  sheets on it with a hand stitched comforter. 
  Standing against one wall is a wardrobe chest, 
  partially open. 
  If the party wishes to steal from Janek, they are 
  more than welcome to. However, Gildor’s spell will 
  not let them bring anything back through the 
  dream-state other than Torkeep’s Banner (the 
  party does not need to know this at this time). In 
  the wardrobe chest, it is a simple matter (no 
  search check necessary) to discover a note lying 
  on the floor (it looks as if it may have fallen out of 
  a pocket). The note says on it “Golden Stag 
  Basement. Go forward 15 paces. Third stone from 
  top, fourth from left.” Following these instructions 
  will take the party directly to the Secret Door in the 
  basement and give them a +4 circumstance 
  bonus to searching for it. 
   
  Encounter Three – Just Dig It 
   
  As the party returns to the site of the buried scale, 
  they will notice that despite it being day or night, 
  there are not any peasants or farmers in the area. 
  Depending on how the party approaches, they 
  may see the minions of Zhayne already at the site 
  where they buried the scale from up to 200 feet. 
  There are too many brushes in the way to see 
  them earlier than this (although flying party 
  members or others using unusual movement may 
  see them sooner). 
   
  The important thing for the party is that Zhayne 
  lied. She never tampered with Gildor’s spell. The 
  only way it can go off is if it is removed from the 
  earth. 
   
  Read or paraphrase the following to the party 
  when they get close enough to notice the 
  creatures at the dig site (Note this is an open 
  battlefield with the party moving uphill): 
   
  As you approach where you buried the scale, 
  the unanswered question that hangs in the air 
  is “What every happened to Black-Hearted 
  Zhayne?” After she left you at the Inn there 
  has been no further sign of her. That’s when 
  you notice the burial site is not abandoned. 
  There is something up there, something that 
  appears to have just lifted a scale sized object 
  from the ground. 
  The minion listed below has just recovered the 
  scale. The magic on it will expire in exactly 2 
  minutes (20 rounds). The party must be within 15’ 
  of it when the spell unravels or the documents 
  they took from the basement of the Inn will not 
  merge with the real world. They will still reappear, 
  but none of their hard-fought for changes will have 
  taken place. 
   
  Note also that if this encounter takes place prior to 
  9:00 p.m. the reason there are no farmers in the 
  area is they have fled back to their homes in fear 
  of these creatures. In such a case, about the same 
  time the party discovers these minions, the 
  townsfolk will have raised an alarm. The party can 
  hear some sort of horns being blown back in the 
  town. Militia will arrive in 1D10+10 minutes. 
   
  Minions of Zhayne 
  APL 2 (EL 4) 
  Ogre (1): hp 29; see Monster Manual page 199. 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 23 
  Goblins (3): hp 5 each; see Monster Manual page 
  133. 
   
  APL 4 (EL 6) 
  Fensir (1): hp 26; see Appendix B. 
  Gnolls (2): hp 11 each; see Monster Manual page 
  130. 
   
  APL 6 (EL 8) 
  Hill Giant (1): hp 102; see Monster Manual page 
  123. 
  Fensir (1): hp 26 each; see Appendix B. 
   
  APL 8 (EL 10) 
  Stone Giant Elder (1): hp 119; see Monster 
  Manual page 124. 
  Fensir (2): hp 22, 30; see Appendix B. 
   
  APL 10 (EL 12) 
  Stone Giant Elder (1); hp 119 see Monster 
  Manual page 124. 
  Hill Giant (4): hp 102 each; see Monster Manual 
  page 123. 
   
  APL 12 (EL 14) 
  Sarkrith Spelleater (1): hp 202; see Appendix B. 
  Sarkrith Thane (1): hp 148; see Appendix B. 
   
   
  Tactics: The monsters are all Chaotic Evil 
  (see Development, below). All of them will use 
  fairly straight forward attack tactics, using ranged 
  attacks and spells as best they can to target no 
  more than two party members at a time, if 
  possible. Note that some monsters can turn the 
  ground to mud, delaying parties while thrown 
  rocks batter characters from afar. At APL 12, the 
  Thane’s ability to create an anti-magic field cannot 
  be underestimated. The Thane and Spelleater will 
  look to set up flanking situations.  
   
  The Fensirs will, if it is daylight, be in a really 
  tough situation due to their sunlight vulnerability. 
  In such a case, they are ONLY out because of the 
  sheer willpower Zhayne is able to exert. During 
  the daylight they will be wrapped in heavy cloth, 
  almost mummy-like, that protects them from the 
  sunlight (but not spell effects – see the description 
  of Fensirs in Appendix B, below) but gives them 
  an additional arcane 5% spell failure. Further, 
  players who know anything about these creatures 
  may be able to use other creative methods 
  (grappling to pull the cloth away from them, gust 
  of wind, etc.). The Fensir ability to “Sense Twin” 
  plays no part in this adventure.  
   
  Treasure: The treasure is not listed as it will 
  not travel to the future. See Encounter Four, 
  below. 
   
  Development: All of these creatures are 
  Chaotic 
  Evil 
  in 
  alignment 
  (overriding 
  the 
  alignment given in their descriptions where 
  appropriate). They are all loyal to Iuz. When 
  Zhayne discovered she could not directly dispel 
  the dream magic, she again tampered with the 
  magic of the dream, inserting these monstrous 
  villains as if she found them scouting the Shield 
  Lands and brought them here to grab the scale.  
   
  If the party cannot defeat the monsters in 20 
  rounds, the scale’s embedded magic will go off. 
  Any of the party within its 15’ radius will be sent to 
  Encounter 4 along with the documents from the 
  basement of the inn. All others will be sent to 
  Encounter 4, but without any documents from the 
  basement of the Inn. In other words, if the 
  documents do not get within 15’ of the scale when 
  the dream unravels, they will not be able to affect 
  the real world.  
   
   
   
   
  If the monsters are defeated, the party can 
  grab the scale. As it gets closer to the two minute 
  mark, it will glow a brighter and brighter gold. As 
  the spell unravels, read or paraphrase the 
  following to the party: 
   
  Zhayne appears before you in her ‘natural’ 
  state. She looks quite cross. “I know your 
  game. I’ll see you later….” With that you fade 
  from sight, only to reappear in the dead of 
  night on a hilltop. 
  Encounter Four – Like a 
  Demon 
   
  The party has appeared on a hill about a half days 
  march north from Critwall. From their location, 
  they can’t see the lights of the city twinkling on the 
  horizon. A Knowledge (Geography) (Local – Iuz 
  Metaregion) or Survival check DC 25 will tell the 
  party exactly where they are. Otherwise they will 
  have to figure it out. The party has 10 hours to 
  make it to Critwall before the presentment 
  ceremony.  
   
   
   
   
   
  If they check their possessions, any items they 
  took from the dream, with the exception of the 
  Scroll Tube and the Banner of Torkeep, has faded 
  away because it was never real. This is regardless 
  of whether it was stored in an extraplanar area 
  (Such as a bag of holding). Their own possessions 
  are fine. A Knowledge Arcana check (DC 24) will 
  reveal the reason for this is most likely because of 
  the nature of the dream. Specifically note that the 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 24 
  ring of minor spell storing that Gildor gave them is 
  now gone as well. 
   
  Read or paraphrase the following to the party. 
   
  As you get your bearings, the ghostly image of 
  Gildor appears before you. “Well done, my 
  friends, well done. I understand Zhayne told 
  you that your adventures were merely in a 
  dream world, and not truly in the past. I 
  apologize for not being entirely truthful with 
  you, but I was worried the magics would 
  otherwise not work. Know that the magic of 
  the dream has returned you to less than 12 
  hours 
  before 
  Torkeep’s 
  deadline 
  for 
  presenting the Banner. You were supposed to 
  wake up in Critwall, but that pest, Zhayne 
  tampered it. I’m more afraid that she will have 
  trouble waiting for you! Beware…” with that, 
  his image fades away… 
  Give the party a couple of minutes to get their 
  bearings. Just as they are ready to leave (be 
  teleporting or walking or whatever), there will be 
  lots of popping noises around them. 30’ away, 
  they 
  will 
  see 
  a/some 
  demonic 
  form(s) 
  materializing. Read or paraphrase the following: 
   
  Zhayne’s image appears again. “I cannot 
  believe you got this far. Do you know HOW 
  MANY FAVORS I’ve had to trade in to track 
  you down? You have cost me FAR TOO 
  MUCH! Here are some friends for you to play 
  with. May I see your souls in the Abyss very 
  soon…” 
  It is important to remember that the party is back 
  in the “Real World”, so to speak, as they have 
  escaped the dream realm. 
   
  Zhayne’s Demonic Friends 
  APL 2 (EL 4) 
  Quasit (2): hp 13 each; see Monster Manual page 
  46. 
   
  APL 4 (EL 6) 
  Babau (1): hp 66 each; see Monster Manual page 
  40. 
   
  APL 6 (EL 8) 
  Babau (2): hp 66 each; see Monster Manual page 
  40. 
   
  APL 8 (EL 10) 
  Beblith (1): hp 150; see Monster Manual page 
  142. 
   
  APL 10 (EL 12) 
  Beblith (2): hp 150 each; see Monster Manual 
  page 142. 
   
  APL 12 (EL 14) 
  Nalfanshee (1); hp 175; see Monster Manual 
  page  
  45. 
   
  Tactics: These beasts will advance and try to use 
  their abilities to neutralize the party. For example, 
  the Nalfanshee has many spells at its disposal and 
  does not mind using them. All of these demons, 
  unlike those in the dream state, are summoned in.  
  Treasure: None 
  Development: With the fiends dead, the party is 
  free to travel to Critwall. No matter how hard the 
  party searches at this time, they will not find Black 
  Hearted Zhayne. 
   
  Conclusion – Critwall: Gem 
  of the Nyr Dyv 
  First Conclusion – if the party chose to stay at 
  Torkeep and fight to the death: 
   
  After the last party member falls, read or 
  paraphrase the following: 
   
  As the last of your party falls, the darkness 
  and pain become overwhelming. There is a 
  sense of nothingness, timelessness, and 
  perhaps a sense of eternity. But then, 
  consciousness reclaims you. You are sitting at 
  a table in the Jousting Mug, a tavern in 
  Gensal. You cannot remember how you got 
  here, or why you are sitting at this table with 
  the other, equally confused looking persons. 
  The look of the bartender tells you that you 
  have, however, overstayed your welcome… 
  Leaving the Jousting Mug you step outside to 
  the bustling village of Gensal. You can see to 
  the north the mighty walls of Gensal Keep, and 
  the flags of the Shield Lands flying defiantly in 
  the afternoon sun.  You get the distinct 
  impression 
  that 
  you 
  missed 
  a 
  grand 
  adventure, but then you notice, lying in the 
  ground at your feet, a small leather pouch. 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 25 
  Inside is a note: “Friends ~ your loyalty to 
  others, even when all hope is lost, is 
  commendable! Others have helped me while 
  you sacrificed your all. Best wishes… G” 
   
  The adventure is over for the party. 
   
  Second Conclusion - If the party went with 
  Gildor and had a grand adventure: 
  The trip to Critwall is seven hours by foot, less if 
  the party uses magic. The party can make it back 
  without any further difficulties. 
   
  Read or paraphrase the following to the party: 
  Gildor must have been good to his word. 
  Critwall is unassailed by Iuz or his minions. 
  The walls still stand, the populace blissfully 
  unaware of the horrors to befall them within 
  the next few months.  
   
   
  You can easily navigate the streets to 
  Critwall Keep. As you near the center of 
  government, you can see four members of the 
  Standing Army of the Shield Lands guarding 
  the doorway.   
   
   
   
   
  In the courtyard is also a sad reminder of 
  the failures of this year. Lady Katarina’s body 
  lays in state in a glass coffin resting on an 
  altar of stone. 
  Any commoners in the street can tell the party it is 
  594 CY and wonder why anyone would ask. It is 
  common knowledge about Critwall that Torkeep 
  must present his Banner today or the Council will 
  have to decide what exactly to do. 
   
  These guards are under specific orders not to 
  let anyone enter. It really depends on what time 
  the party gets here as to their reaction. If it is still 
  early morning, the guards will tell the party to 
  return in a few hours if they wish to seek an 
  audience with the council. Do not forget the party 
  has probably not slept in over 24 hours.  
   
   
   
  If the party arrives during later in 
  the morning (8:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m.), the 
  guards will not let them in but will take a message 
  to whomever the party desires if the party does 
  not appear with some far fetched tale but seem to 
  have some official reason for showing up. If the 
  party mentions they have Torkeep’s Banner (or 
  the like) they will be immediately ushered in to the 
  Council Chambers.  
   
   
   
   
   
  If the party arrives early and wants to see 
  Lord Torkeep or Lord Lardon advise them of the 
  following: 
   
   
   
   
   
  1) Lord Torkeep is staying at his Critwall 
  home. He will, upon being given the message as 
  to why the party wants to see him, meet with 
  them, take the Banner, and invite them to Council.
   
   
  2) Lord Lardon is not in town. He is in 
  Bright Sentry and will be teleported to the Council 
  Chambers just before the meeting along with Lord 
  Natan Enerick.  
   
   
   
   
  The party will ultimately be admitted to the 
  Council of Lords. The Council chamber is very 
  opulent in stark contrast to the remodeling and 
  lack of materials in the rest of the Shield Lands.
   
  The council chamber will be full except for 
  Lady Katarina’s missing spot. Shelton Halfhand, 
  secretary to the council, will glare at the party but 
  will keep his tongue. 
   
   
   
  Taking careful note of how the party gets here 
  (with Torkeep, coming in at the last minute, etc.)  
  read or paraphrase the following to the party: 
   
  The Council members look at you, their stares 
  telling you your business here had best be 
  proper with no tomfoolery. It is a serious 
  matter for them to even consider removing a 
  Lord from power. Lord Torkeep stays silent 
  and gestures for you to hold your tongue for a 
  moment as well. You see in front of Lord 
  Lardon a familiar chest, one you left 21 years 
  in the past. 
  Let the party either act or wait for Lord Torkeep’s 
  cue. 
   
  Torkeep looks at Janek Lardon “Well Janek, 
  this is it. All your petty desires come to a 
  single dagger’s point. I’m advised these 
  adventurers have information on my missing 
  Banner.” 
   
   
   
   
  “Preposterous, 
  Torkeep. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  “Banner of Torkeep”. Your family stole it from 
  mine nearly 200 years ago! Your carelessness 
  during the war lost you something you never 
  should have had.” With that he opens the 
  chest in front of him and pulls out a scroll 
  tube. The room is deathly silent as he 
  unscrews the cap on one end and takes out a 
  stack of papers. He tosses them to the dwarf, 
  Lord Bladehome. “Good and Noble friend, 
  please 
  advise 
  the 
  council 
  what 
  these 
  documents say.”  
   
   
   
  The dwarf looks at them confused for a 
  moment… “You sure ‘bout this?”  
   
  “Positive! Read on and learn the matters I 
  have presented to the Council.”  
   
  “Ok…” 
  Bladehome 
  pulls 
  out 
  some 
  spectacles and stretches the first paper in 
  front of him. “Remember to pick up tunic from 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 26 
  laundry. Make sure they got out soup stain on 
  sleeve. Go to tailors and get socks darned…”
   
   
  Lardon explodes! “WHAT! LET ME SEE 
  THAT!” 
  and 
  snatches 
  the 
  paper 
  from 
  Bladehome’s 
  hands. 
  The 
  other 
  council 
  members begin to snicker. 
   
   
  “Oh wait, Janek, this must be what you 
  were looking for,” Bladehome exclaims and 
  reads the next sheet. Lardon looks up 
  expectedly. “Why did the red dragon wear 
  green shoes? It wanted to hide in the trees. 
  Why did the red dragon wear (snicker) a green 
  hat? It wanted to hide in the grass. What do 
  you know if you see (heh heee hee) a bunch of 
  red dragons walking towards you wearing 
  green hats and shoes? They are all on the 
  same team! (Chortle – snicker) What did the 
  paladin say when he saw the red dragons 
  walking towards him wearing green hats and 
  shoes? Look! Here come the dragons!” With 
  this the council bursts out laughing. Lord 
  Lardon’s face become as red as the dragon’s 
  in the joke. 
   
   
   
   
  Torkeep raises one eyebrow and turns to 
  you. “Do you kindly adventurers actually have 
  my Banner?”  
  If the party has the Banner, they cannot actually 
  use it as they are not recognized by the Council as 
  able to become Lords. Thus holding it will do them 
  little good. If they refuse to turn it over, destroy it, 
  etc., they will be accused of theft and sentenced 
  to visit the Deep Rock (Critwall’s Jail) for 1D4 TU. 
  They gain a point of Infamy for each TU spent 
  visiting the Deep Rock. Mark this on the player’s 
  AR.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
  If they give it to anyone OTHER than 
  Torkeep, that lord will turn it over to Torkeep. 
   
  “Thank you. I do not know why Janek Lardon 
  has hated me these years for any reason other 
  than greed. I also suspect there is quite the 
  tale in how you came by this document. That 
  tale will have to wait. Nonetheless, I am in your 
  debt. You will be rewarded for your efforts. 
  Now: to the Council, may I present the Banner 
  of Torkeep? Is all in order?” Without really 
  looking for an answer, Torkeep gets up and 
  leaves the chamber, done with this foolishness 
  and getting back to business of defending his 
  home. 
  The day after the council meeting, as long as the 
  party returned the Banner to Lord Torkeep, Lord 
  Torkeep will provide the party some magic items 
  as thanks: 
  Treasure 
  APL 2 magic: wand of burning hands, necklace of 
  fireballs type I (600 gp) 
  APL 4 as above plus magic: mithril shirt (183 gp) 
  APL 6 as above plus magic: elixir of fire breath 
  (183 gp) 
  APL 8 – as above plus magic: slaying arrow: 
  demons (380 gp)  
  APL 10 – as above plus magic: ring of 
  counterspells, arcane scroll of passwall  (854 gp) 
  APL 12 – as above plus magic: wind fan (916 gp) 
   
  After the adventure, read or paraphrase the 
  following: 
   
  A week has gone by since your adventure. 
  Anyone you might have told of your travels 
  alternatively 
  thinks 
  you 
  are 
  daft 
  or 
  dangerously fey-touched. Then, as you walk 
  the lands outside of Critwall, Gildor is 
  suddenly 
  in 
  your 
  midst, 
  swinging 
  his 
  quarterstaff and showing a very sly smile on 
  his face. “Thank you all for your efforts. I know 
  it must be frustrating to you to go to such 
  lengths only to have none believed you. Well, 
  nobody said adventuring was all about the 
  fame, eh? But listen, know that I know what 
  you went through and I appreciate it. You have 
  my favor and I promise that will be no small 
  thing.” 
  The party can ask Gildor any number of 
  questions, like why did he lie to them about the 
  dream, etc., but Gildor, while apologetic, will only 
  say he was doing what he believed was right (and 
  what was necessary for the dream to work). 
   
  He looks at you for a moment, pauses, and 
  then continues, “Chances were very good 
  your memories of this adventure would have 
  faded by now, you understand. Dreams have a 
  way of fading with the light of dawn. That you 
  remember is an amazing gift more than I can 
  ever give. I do not know what all you learned 
  in the dream, but it seems to be important to 
  your future. Use this treasure well… and for 
  now, goodbye my friends!” and with that, he is 
  gone… 
   
  The End 
   
  Experience Point Summary 
  To award experience for this adventure, add up 
  the values for the objectives accomplished. Then 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 27 
  assign the experience award.  Award the total 
  value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each 
  character. 
   
  Experience objective 
   
   
  Introduction 
  APL2 120 xp;  APL4 180 xp; APL6 240 xp;  
  APL8 300 xp;  APL10 360 xp; APL12 420 xp. 
   
  Encounter Three 
  APL2 120 xp;  APL4 180 xp; APL6 240 xp;  
  APL8 300 xp;  APL10 360 xp; APL12 420 xp. 
   
  Encounter Four 
  APL2 120 xp;  APL4 180 xp; APL6 240 xp;  
  APL8 300 xp;  APL10 360 xp; APL12 420 xp. 
   
  Story Award 
  Objective(s) met: 
  For each of the first three Events in Encounter 
  Two where the party successfully changed the 
  person’s life: 
  APL2 30 xp each, 90 total; APL4 45 xp each, 135 
  total; APL6 60 xp, 180 total; APL8 75 xp each, 
  225 total; APL10 105 xp each, 315 total; APL12 
  120 each, 360 total. 
   
  Total possible experience:   
  APL2 450 xp; APL4 675 xp; APL6 900 xp; APL8 
  1125 xp; APL10 1350 xp; APL12 1575 xp. 
   
  A special note: If the party fought at Torkeep until 
  dying, they gain 30 xp for each EL of monsters 
  defeated, to the maximum of the following: 
  APL2 360 xp; APL4 540 xp; APL6 720 xp; APL 8 
  900 xp; APL10 1080; APL12 1260 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 “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 
  scenario, 
  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. 
   
  Conclusion:   
  APL 2 M: 600 gp 
  APL 4 M: 783 gp 
  APL 6 M: 800 gp 
  APL 8 M: 1250 gp  
  APL 10 M: 2100 gp 
  APL 12 M: 3000 gp 
   
  Total Possible Treasure 
  APL 2 M: 600 gp 
  APL 4 M: 783 gp 
  APL 6 M: 800 gp 
  APL 8 M: 1250 gp  
  APL 10 M: 2100 gp 
  APL 12 M: 3000 gp 
   
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 28 
  Special  
  There is no treasure for characters that did not 
  accompany Gildor. 
   
  For assisting Lord Torkeep, he will speak on your 
  behalf. You may have one point of Influence with 
  the Shield Lands metaorganization of your choice. 
  __________. 
   
  Hatred of Janek Lardon. You have earned the 
  hatred of Janek Lardon. This may affect you in the 
  future. 
   
  Dreamlore: Travelling in the realm of dreams has 
  revealed unexpected information to you. As a 
  result, you may choose to have access to one of 
  the following feats or spells (Circle one and cross 
  off the others): Foe Specialist (MH), Second Wind 
  (MH), Curse of Impending Blades (MH), Quick 
  March (MH).  
   
  Favor of the Dragons. For assisting Gildor 
  Arcanix, you now have access to a pseudodragon 
  familiar. You must be able to take the feat 
  Improved 
  Familiar 
  to 
  gain 
  access to the 
  psuedodragon (psuedodragons are not normally 
  available in the Shield Lands). 
   
  Minor Ring of Spell Storing. You are considered to 
  have access to a minor ring of spell storing for 
  magic item creation purposes. If you have the 
  cursed ring from SHL03-06 A chink in the armor, 
  Gildor will cast a Remove Curse on it. In addition 
  to allowing you to remove it, after you have had 
  the ring in your possession for 1 year after playing 
  A Chink in the Armor, you discover the ring has a 
  latent power.  You may pay to have its magic 
  abilities altered to that of a Minor Ring of Spell 
  Storing. The cost to do so is ½ of its normal cost. 
   
  Items for the Adventure 
  Record 
  Item Access 
  APL 2  
  wand of burning hands (adventure, CL1, DMG) 
  necklace of fireballs type I (adventure, DMG) 
   
  APL 4 as above plus mithril shirt (adventure, 
  DMG) 
   
  APL 6 as above plus: elixir of fire breath 
  (adventure, DMG) 
   
  APL 8 – as above plus: slaying arrow: demons 
  (adventure, DMG) 
   
  APL 10 – as above plus: ring of counterspells, 
  arcane scroll of passwall (adventure, DMG) 
   
  APL 12 – as above plus: wind fan (adventure, 
  DMG) 
   
   
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 29 
   
  Appendix or DM Aid 
  Appendix A – Map1: Lardon 
   
   
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 30 
   
  Appendix A – Map 2: The Golden Stag Inn 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 31 
   
  Appendix B 
   
  Fensir (From the Fiend Folio) 
   
  Large Giant (Extraplanar) 
  Hit Dice: 4d8+4 (26 hp) 
  Initiative: +1 
  Speed: 40 ft. 
  AC: 18 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +6 natural, +2 leather), touch 10, flat-footed 17 
  Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+12 
  Attack: Huge greataxe +7 melee, or rock +4 ranged 
  Full Attack: Huge greataxe +7 melee, or rock +4 ranged 
  Damage: Huge greataxe 2d8+7, rock 1d6+5 
  Face/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. 
  Special Attacks: Rock-throwing, spell-like abilities, spells 
  Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, rock catching, sense twin, sunlight vulnerability 
  Saves: Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +2 
  Abilities: Str 20, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 7 
  Skills: Climb +9, Hide +1, Listen +5, Spot +5, Survival +6 
  Feats: Brew Potion, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot 
  Climate/Terrain: Any land (Ysgard) 
  Organization: Solitary, pair, family (4-6), or village (11-20 plus 35% noncombatants) 
  Challenge Rating: 5 
  Treasure: Standard 
  Alignment: Always Chaotic Neutral 
  Advancement: By character class 
  Level Adjustment: +5 
   
  Fensirs range in size from nearly human stature to that of a hill giant. They are unattractive beings with 
  huge heads and enormous noses. Most fensirs have warty skin and deep black eyes that are often 
  misaligned. Fensirs typically wear fine leather armor, vests, and big-black rabbit-fur hats of varying 
  styles. 
   
  Fensirs speak Giant and Common. 
   
  Rock Throwing (Ex): An adult fensir has a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls when throwing rocks. A 
  normal fensir can hurl rocks weighing 40 to 50 pounds each (Small objects) up to five range increments. 
  The rocks have a range increment of 120 feet. 
  Rock Catching (Ex): A normal fensir can catch Small, Medium-size, or Large rocks (or projectiles of 
  similar shape). Once per round, a fensir that would normally be hit by a rock can make a Reflex save to 
  catch it as a free action. The DC to catch a rock is based on the rock’s size (See the table below). If the 
  projectile has a bonus on attack rolls, the DC increases by that amount. The fensir must be aware of and 
  ready for the attack. 
  Rock Size 
  DC 
  Small 
  15 
  Medium-size 
  20 
  Large 
  25 
  Sunlight Vulnerability: If a fensir is caught out in sunlight, it turns into stone as if by a flesh to stone 
  spell without a saving throw. If in the area of a sunbeam or sunburst spell, a fensir must make a Fortitude 
  save or be turned to stone, in addition to the normal effects of the spell. Fensirs can sense automatically 
  when the sun is about to set or rise up to 1 hour ahead of the event. 
  Transmute Rock to Mud/Transmute Mud to Rock (Su): All fensirs have the ability to transmute mud 
  to rock, which they use to keep a steady supply of rocks on hand to hurl at opponents. They also use 
  transmute rock to mud to bog down the enemy. This ability can be used at will at caster level 5. 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 32 
   
  Spells: A fensir can cast arcane spells as a 5th-level wizard (4/4/2/1; save DC 11 +spell level). A fensir 
  has the normal arcane spell failure chance for the armor it wears (10% in the case of leather armor). A 
  typical spell list: 0-detect magic, ghost sound, ray of frost, read magic; 1st-color spray, magic missile, 
  obscuring mist, protection from law; 2nd-bull’s strength, darkness; 3rd-lightning bolt. 
  Sense Twin (Ex): A fensir knows the location and health of his or her twin as if by the status spell with 
  no range limit. If the death of the twin happened through malicious intent by another being or beings, the 
  surviving fensir can track those individuals as if by locate person with no range limitation. 
   
   
  Sarkrith - Spelleater (From the Fiend Folio) 
   
  Large Monstrous Humanoid  
  Hit Dice: 15d8+135 (202 hp) 
  Initiative: +4 
  Speed: 40 ft. 
  AC: 23 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +2 large steel shield, +4 masterwork chain shirt, +4 natural), touch 13, flat-
  footed 19 
  Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+27 
  Attack: Masterwork longsword +23 melee, or masterwork mighty composite longbow (+4 Str bonus) +19 
  ranged 
  Full Attack: Masterwork longsword +23/+18/+13 and bite +17 melee, or masterwork mighty composite 
  longbow (+4 Str bonus) +19/+14/+9 ranged (+17/+17/+12/+7 with Rapid Shot feat) 
  Damage: Masterwork longsword 1d8+8, bite 1d6+4, masterwork mighty composite longbow (+4 Str 
  bonus) 1d8+8 
  Face/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. 
  Special Attacks: - 
  Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., dispelling ray, mask scent, scent, spell absorbtion, SR 25 
  Saves: Fort +18, Ref +13, Will +8 
  Abilities: Str 26, Dex 18, Con 29, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 7 
  Skills: Climb +17, Hide +5, Jump +24, Search +20, Spot +19, Survival +19 (+21 following tracks) 
  Feats: Dodge, Iron Will, Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run (B) 
  Climate/Terrain: Warm forest and underground 
  Organization: Solitary or with a squad of thanes 
  Challenge Rating: 13 
  Treasure: Standard 
  Alignment: Always lawful evil 
  Advancement: By character class 
   
  The heart of the sarkrith race, spelleaters drive the sarkrith’s hatred of magic and its effects. Spelleaters 
  rarely travel without a squad of thanes for protection. Like thanes, spelleaters are physically powerful, 
  scaled humanoids with reptilian features, and they stand over 9 feet tall. Spelleaters have light blue skin 
  that dulls almost to gray as they age. 
   
  Other creatures find it almost impossible to negotiate with spelleaters. Spelleaters expect obedience 
  from other creatures and they have a difficult time even grasping the concept of an exchange of equals. 
  One is simply stronger or weaker than another, and thus the chain of command is established. Since 
  spelleaters are so obsessed with individual might, powerful creatures such as dragons sometimes 
  attempt to establish dominion over groups of them, but spelleaters are never loyal to other races – in 
  their eyes, all nonsarkriths are tainted by magic’s foul touch. 
   
  Sarkriths speak Common, Draconic, and Infernal. 
   
  Combat 
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 33 
   
  Spelleaters are as cold and calm about battle as they are about everything else. Never seeming hurried 
  and never making decisions based on emotion, spell eaters always direct thanes and their own attacks 
  against spellcasters or other individuals obviously using magic. 
   
  When fighting in groups, spelleaters coordinate their attacks: Half their number strip their foes of magic 
  with their dispelling rays, while the others attack with their bows. 
   
  Dispelling Ray (Su): Spelleaters can generate a ray that cancels magical effects on anything it touches 
  at will. The spelleater must make a ranged touch attack against the target. If the ray hits, it affects the 
  target as a targeted greater dispel magic spell cast by a 20th level sorcerer. The range is 300 ft. (100 ft. + 
  10 ft. per level). 
   
  Spell Absorbtion (Ex): Anytime a spell fails to beat a spelleater’s spell resistance, the spelleater gains 
  hit points equal to the level of the spell. These hit points first heal damage that the spelleater has taken. 
  Extra hit points are treated as temporary hit points, and expire after 1 minute. 
   
   
  Sarkrith - Thane (From the Fiend Folio) 
   
  Large Monstrous Humanoid  
  Hit Dice: 11d8+99 (148 hp) 
  Initiative: +0 
  Speed: 30 ft. (masterwork full plate); base 40 ft. 
  AC: 24 (-1 size, +8 masterwork full plate, +2 masterwork large steel shield, +5 natural), touch 9, flat-
  footed 24 
  Base Attack/Grapple: +11/+23 
  Attack: Masterwork greatsword +19 melee, or large masterwork mighty composite longbow (+4 Str 
  bonus) +11 ranged 
  Full Attack: Masterwork greatsword +19/+14/+9 and bite +13 melee, or large masterwork mighty 
  composite longbow (+4 Str bonus) +11/+6/+1 ranged 
  Damage: Masterwork greatsword 2d6+8, bite 1d6+4, masterwork mighty composite longbow (+4 Str 
  bonus) 1d8+4 
  Face/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. 
  Special Attacks: - 
  Special Qualities: Adaptive resistance, adrenaline boost, antimagic field, darkvision 60 ft., mask scent, 
  resist blows, scent, SR 23 
  Saves: Fort +16, Ref +7, Will +3 
  Abilities: Str 26, Dex 10, Con 28, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 9 
  Skills: Climb +14, Jump +14, Survival +12 
  Feats: Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Power Attack 
  Climate/Terrain: Warm forest and underground 
  Organization: Solitary or squad (10) 
  Challenge Rating: 11 
  Treasure: Standard 
  Alignment: Always lawful evil 
  Advancement: By character class 
   
  Thanes are tasked with guarding the sarkrith protectorates from physical attack. Like all sarkriths, thanes 
  hate magic. Fierce, loyal, and cruel, thanes understand nothing but orders. When confronting those they 
  deem less powerful, they speak only in the imperative, and when dealing with spelleaters and other they 
  have been bred to obey, thanes respond with instant obedience. 
   
  Scaled humanoids with heavy, reptilian heads, sarkrith thanes stand 9 feet tall and weigh close to 800 
  pounds. 
   
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 34 
   
  Sarkriths speak Common and Infernal. 
   
  Combat 
  Brutal and efficient in combat, sarkrith thanes use size and numbers to crush smaller foes. Unless an 
  adept orders otherwise, thanes pick one foe (usually the closest) and concentrate their attacks until that 
  foe is down; then they move to the next foe. This simple tactic makes them predictable, if dangerous, 
  adversaries. 
   
  Adaptive Resistance (Ex): Any time a thane takes damage from a spell or effect that deals energy 
  damage, the thane gains resistance 10 against subsequent attacks involving the same energy type. This 
  resistance lasts for one day. 
  Adrenaline Boost (Ex): A thane can take an extra move or attack action once during a round. A thane 
  can use this ability action once during a round. A thane can use this ability a number of times a day 
  equal to its Constitution bonus (9 for an average thane). 
  Antimagic Field (Su): Once per day as a free action, a thane can create an antimagic field around itself. 
  The field is always centered on the thane and has a 5-foot radius. The field lasts for a number of rounds 
  equal to the thane’s Constitution bonus (9 for an average thane). 
  Resist Blows (Ex): Sarkrith thanes treat all damage dealt by bludgeoning weapons as subdual damage. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 35 
   
   
   
   
  Appendix C 
  A short history of Black-hearted Zhayne 
   
  Any of this information can be discovered with a Bardic Lore check of DC 30 or a Knowledge History 
  check of DC 35. Or a person could just ask her… she isn’t shy! 
   
  Many, many centuries ago, there was a young woman named Zhayne. She was madly in love with a 
  knight named Khev. The knight did not know she even existed. Instead, he only had eyes for Kelana, a 
  beautiful blonde-haired woman who Zhayne despised. Kelana learned of Zhayne’s infatuation with Khev. 
  In order to push Zhayne away so Kelana could have a life without Zhayne always being around, Katarina 
  arranged to have Zhayne publicly humiliated. Kelana truly believed this would make Zhayne leave the 
  region and her embarrassment behind her.  
   
  Instead, being publicly humiliated only stoked the fires of hatred inside of Zhayne. She bargained with 
  dark powers and promised her soul if they would deliver Khev to her. To seal the bargain, she captured 
  Kelana and planned on sacrificing her. However, Khev learned of the plot and rushed to save his love. 
  He managed to show up at the ritual and slew Zhayne. Zhayne’s spirit was given over to the dark forces.  
   
  Who knows how long she suffered? She was reborn as a lowly dretch and as such served abominable 
  masters. However, her hatred for Kelana, now for Khev, for the people of her village that witnessed her 
  humiliation, for her new masters, all of this acted as a forge and hammer her soul. She kept getting 
  stronger. After untold periods of time, she eventually advanced enough to become a succubus.  
   
  As a succubus, she was finally allowed sufficient freedom from her masters to seek the prime material 
  plane. She eventually escaped to Oerth and sought out her old home region, now called the Shield 
  Lands. Here she has lived for at least 100 years, sowing dissent and causing grief wherever she could.  
   
  However, it was not until Iuz came to power that opportunities for great misdeeds came to light. Offering 
  her services to the evil one, she now used her powers to foster not just minor evil, but great tragedies. 
  She is a consummate liar. She will admit to just about any crimes leveled against her, true or false. 
   
  It is known that she definitely turned Burryne Arbas against his family and made him the traitor that he 
  ultimately became (See SHL01-03 In the Name of the Father, SHL03-06 Chink in the Armor, and 
  SHLInt03-03 Top Secret). She also, using the name Jeenverreia, seduced her way into the Church of 
  Holy Shielding (See SHL02-04 Secrets Within). 21 years from now, she convinces Lardon to use the 
  missing Banner not to merely embarrass Torkeep, but to depose him. It is suspected that she does not 
  just work to ruin the lives of good folk, either. It is believed she also has worked at fostering animosity 
  between Waquonis and Vayne, feeding them half truths and outright lights just for the sheer fun of it. 
   
  Zhayne hates all living things, but hates women most of all. She enjoys seducing men and making them 
  humiliate themselves and betraying their true loyalties.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  SHL04-06 The Banners of Torkeep 
   
  Page 36 
   
   
   
   
  Player Handout #1 
   
  In CY 594, the Council of Lords of the Shield Lands voted to call for a “showing of the Banners”. The 
  Banners were the names of the ancient writs of title and land ownership parceled out centuries before. 
  These were essentially bearer bonds in nature: I.e. In order to be a titled noble, you would have to be 
  granted your title by the Council. In order to own lands, you would first need to be titled, and then given 
  possession of a Banner for the land in question (author’s note – this is a precursor to the ‘deed’ system of 
  land ownership we are currently familiar with).  Over the centuries, this has led to some petty, but deadly, 
  versions of capture the flag as various lords would go to steal the banners of other lords by hook, crook, 
  and show of violence. 
   
  Such deeds, however are a thing of the past and the ceremony has not been held in over 100 years – for 
  one thing, it’s a mere formality as EVERYONE knows who holds what particular Banner. Many have 
  been passed from generation to generation to generation… For another thing, it requires a 2/3rds vote of 
  all council members (the council is usually lucky to get a simple majority on any vote). Finally, no lord is 
  typically bold enough to challenge the land ownership of any other lord. 
   
  However, after Lady Katarina fell, Lord Lardon called for a vote on the Banners. In part supported by the 
  desire of the nobles to show proof of their power after the invasion, and in part supported by a desire to 
  make a positive statement after the unexpected loss of Lady Katarina, Lord Lardon managed to get a 
  2/3rds vote! Upon presentment, Lord Torkeep was unable to come up with his banner. The council was 
  about to vote for a replacement banner to be issued in his name (after all, it is not at all unlikely for a 
  banner to be missing after the occupation) but amazingly, Count Lardon then presented Torkeep’s 
  banner in addition to his own!  
   
  The Council was in an uproar! Count Lardon refused to back down and turn the Banner over to Torkeep. 
  This tore the council apart. Torkeep left for his keep and took his army (and many pathfinders) with him. 
   
  Just less than half of the lords vowed to ‘get even’ with Lardon, while just over half supported his claim 
  (the law is the law). Lardon was given command of the Standing Army of the Shield Lands to march to 
  Torkeep to take possession by force.  
   
  That was when Iuz attacked from the east. Storming out of wilds, armies overran South Keep. 
  Unsupported by the bulk of the army, Gensal was quickly surrounded. The army was forced to be pulled 
  back to Critwall. In the mean time, Torkeep managed to entrench and hold at bay the hordes. 
   
  The ultimate destruction was inevitable. Iuz’s forces managed to crush Gensal. Then he turned his sights 
  on Critwall. It fell within a month. Diplomacy with his nation fell on deaf ears as he stated he never 
  relinquished his claim after occupying the Shield Lands. The remaining 10 months have been spent by 
  him taking over Bright Sentry and positioning himself for one final smash against the walls of Torkeep. 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Shield Lands/594/Normal Scenarios/SHL4-06 - The Banners of Torkeep (APL 2-12)/SHL4-06 - The Banners of Torkeep.pdf