TEXT: A Plea from Beyond the
  Grave
  A One-Round D&D Adaptable LIVING GREYHAWK™ Adventure
  version 2
  by Nicholas Tulach
  A poor, lost soul is locked away from his final peace. His efforts to avenge his family’s deaths have cost him his
  life, and now must haunt his tower until he can achieve a symbolic victory over his murderers. Can you free
  him from his torment? An adventure for characters level 1-6.
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK, ROLE PLAYING GAMES ASSOCIATION and RPGA are registered trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast,
  Inc. LIVING GREYHAWK and the D20 system logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and
  the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Any reproductions or unauthorized use of material or artwork
  contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.  This scenario is intended for organized play use
  only and may not be reproduced without approval of the RPGA Network. 
  © 2001 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. 
  Visit our Web site at:
  www.wizards.com/rpga
  ADP1-08
  
  GETTING STARTED
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  1
  T
  his is an RPGA® Network scenario for the DUNGEONS &
  DRAGONS® game. A four-hour time block has been allocated for
  each round of this scenario, but the actual playing time will be
  closer to three hours. 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 par-
  ticularly 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 require-
  ments of the scenario as described in the introduction. 
  Keep in mind that you must have at least four players (not
  counting the DM), for the game session to be a sanctioned RPGA
  event. As well, you cannot have more than seven players partici-
  pating 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 rule books during cer-
  tain times of play. For example, the players are not free to consult
  the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide when confronted with a trap or haz-
  ard, 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 allot-
  ted to run the scenario has run out, the players and DM score the
  game. The RPGA has three ways to score its games. Consult your
  convention coordinator to determine which method to use for
  this scenario:
  1-No-vote scoring: The players write their names and RPGA 
  numbers on the scoring packet grid. You fill in the top of the
  grid. That is all. No one is rated. This method is used for 
  people who are just playing for fun.
  2-Partial scoring: The players rate the game master and the 
  scenario on their player voting sheet, and provide personal 
  information, but don’t vote for other players. The game 
  master rates the scenario and completes personal and event 
  information, but does not rate the players as a team or vote for
  players. This method is used when there is no competition, 
  but the event coordinator wants information on how 
  the game masters are performing, or the game master wants 
  feedback on his or her own performance.
  3-Voting: Players and game masters complete the entire packet, 
  including voting for best player. If this method is used, be 
  sure to allow about 15-20 minutes for the players to briefly 
  describe their characters to the other players, and about 5-10
  minutes for voting. This method is used when the players 
  want to know who played the “best” amongst the group, or 
  when the adventure is run in tournament format with 
  winners and prizes. 
  When using voting, rank the players in order of your voting
  choice while they are completing their forms, so that you are not
  influenced by their comments on your abilities. It’s a good idea to
  have the players vote while you determine treasure and experi-
  ence awards for the scenario. 
  After voting, give the Scoring Packet to your event coordinator.
  
  GETTING STARTED
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  2
  T
  his is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure. As a LIVING™ adven-
  ture, it is expected that players will bring their own charac-
  ters with them. If players do not have a LIVING GREYHAWK char-
  acter generated, get a copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK char-
  acter generation guidelines, a character sheet, and a LIVING
  GREYHAWK log sheet from your convention coordinator or the
  RPGA Web site, and then have any players without a character
  create one. 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 Tier Structure
  Because players bring their own characters to LIVING GREYHAWK
  campaigns, this adventure is tiered. Basically, the challenges in this
  adventure are proportioned to the average character level of the
  characters participating in the adventure. To determine the tier that
  you will use to run this adventure, add the character levels of all the
  characters. In addition, add the levels of any cohorts or animals
  according to the values on their certificates. Cross-reference the
  total and the number of players participating in the game using the
  chart below to determine the tier used for this adventure.
  4 players
  5 players
  6 players
  7 players
  Lvl Cap
  T1:
  4-12
  5-13
  6-14
  7-15
  4th 
  T2:
  13-22
  14-24
  15-26
  16-28
  6th 
  T3:
  23-32
  25-35
  27-38
  29-41
  8th
  The level cap indicated is the highest level of character allowed to
  play this adventure. Characters of levels higher than the highest
  level shown for the highest tier cannot be played.
  Is it a Full Moon?
  Since the hazards of lycanthropy are a current part of the LIVING
  GREYHAWK campaign, it may be necessary to determine if this
  adventure takes place during a full moon. For game purposes, the
  full moon lasts three days of each month. For a given scenario that
  does not state the phase of the moon, roll 1d10 before play begins.
  On a result of 1, the first day of the scenario is a night of the full
  moon (roll 1d3 to determine where in the sequence of three nights
  it falls).
  Lifestyle
  At the beginning of every scenario, each PC is required to
  pay upkeep costs matching the level of lifestyle they wish to
  maintain. The lifestyles, and the effects that each has on play,
  are:
  Destitute
  You have no living space, and must carry all your
  gear everywhere. You eat poor quality food. You
  wear a peasant outfit, your only change of clothes.
  Poor
  You sleep in poor accommodations, and eat poor
  quality food. You wear a peasant outfit, and have
  two sets of clothing.
  Common
  You have common lodgings, and eat common
  quality food. You have normal clothing for your
  profession (adventuring); nothing fancy. You prob-
  ably have two or three sets of clothing.
  High
  You stay in good quality lodgings, and eat good
  quality food. You wear anything in value up to
  courtier’s outfits, and generally buy a new set of
  clothing every two weeks.
  Luxury
  You have luxurious accommodations (twice the
  cost of good accommodations), and you eat excel-
  lent foods. You can throw a banquet for your
  friends every day, and frequently do. You wear
  clothing up to the value of noble’s outfit, and buy
  a new set of clothes every week. 
  Lifestyles come with bonuses or penalties to Diplomacy,
  Intimidate, Disguise, and Bluff skill checks. These penalties,
  shown below, should be applied at the DM’s discretion, and can
  sometimes backfire—for example, a PC with a poor lifestyle
  would not have a penalty when talking to a beggar, but would
  when talking to a city official. A PC with a high lifestyle should
  have a penalty when dealing with a group of street thugs, where
  a PC with a destitute lifestyle might not.
  DMs are encouraged to role-play these reactions whenever
  possible.
  Lifestyle
  Cost
  Skill Modifier
  Destitute
  14 sp
  -2
  Poor
  43 sp
  -1
  Common
  12 gp
  0
  High
  250 gp
  +1
  Luxury
  500 gp
  +2
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  3
  About Adaptable Scenarios
  This is an adaptable LIVING GREYHAWK scenario. Contact your
  Regional Triad (contact information available at www.livinggrey-
  hawk.com) for specific information on how to adapt this adven-
  ture to your home region. Your triad will provide you with an
  Adaptation Sheet, which will dictate needed changes to make
  this adventure playable in your Home Region. 
  Some adventures simply are not appropriate for all regions.
  It’s possible that your Regional Triad will not wish to adapt this
  adventure to your region. In that case, or in case you cannot or do
  not contact your Regional Triad, you may run this adventure as a
  “Default Core” adventure set in an unassigned or wild region. In
  this case, run the adventure essentially “as written.” Do not
  attempt to “change history” in a nation that is not an assigned
  Triad region. 
  An Adaptable Scenario played as a “Default Core” scenario
  costs 2 Time Units. An Adaptable Scenario played as a regional
  event per the Triad’s Adaptation Sheet costs 1 time unit for native
  characters, and 2 time units for visitors.
  DM’s Introduction
  Plague of the Third Season
  In the years leading up to the Greyhawk Wars, a group of mania-
  cal priests unleashed an agenda of terror, disease, and famine
  known as the Plague of the Third Season. In the face of the
  Scarlet Brotherhood’s revealing, and the skirmish that pitted
  Aerdy’s southern province against Nyrond, a monastic order ded-
  icated to Incabulos, named the Bronze Cabal, arose with a goal to
  furthering their god’s call—they planned to unleash the most ter-
  rible plague and famine ever to occur on Oerth. These priests
  were dispatched in search of a number of holy relics and ancient
  artifacts that were necessary to their infernal plot. Disguised as
  priests of Rao and Pelor, the Cabal enlisted the aid of numerous
  unknowing “followers” to help them find the unholy ingredients
  for their planned terror.
  After the god Vatun’s historical “appearance” (Iuz in disguise)
  to the northern barbarian tribes, the priests of the Bronze Cabal
  entered the barbarian lands, and sought artifacts rumored to
  reside there. The barbarians caught the priests attempting to steal
  the timeless treasures of the northlands. Finding themselves
  trapped in the barbarian lands these desperate and seriously out-
  numbered priests executed their rituals prematurely and
  unleashed their plague onto the unsuspecting barbarian tribes.
  Much of the barbarian forces were fighting in the lands of
  Stonehold and Tenh, but the remaining forces fell victim to the
  plague and were unable to keep the armies in the south rein-
  forced. This created a state of affairs that lead to the fall of the bar-
  barian forces soon after their southern excursion began. The
  priests’ demise was soon to follow. Discovering their plot to
  unleash a horrible disease unto Oerth, a group of heroes named
  the Defenders of the Light quested to the north and destroyed
  the Bronze Cabal’s faction there. But some damage was already
  done. For their remaining years, the heroes traveled throughout
  the Flanaess in search of the Bronze Cabal’s remaining mem-
  bers and stop the group’s evil plans from ever being set into
  motion again.
  In the years following the Greyhawk Wars, the Defenders of
  the Light completed their mission. They destroyed all known
  remnants of the Cabal and removing any threat to the countries
  of the Flanaess that foul organization might have posed. In 587
  CY, the Defenders fell upon their final encounter with a demon
  that was summoned by the last great priest of the Bronze Cabal—
  Feroxius the Plague-bringer. Defeating the priest and his foul
  minion took the lives of six of the seven members of the band.
  The only survivor was a young priest of Rao named Ploellin.
  Ploellin returned to his home, knowing that the threat had been
  extinguished, and has since led a life devoted to spreading the
  word of his god.
  The Bronze Cabal
  The Bronze Cabal was a loosely organized group of priests and
  followers of Incabulos. They preferred to use rituals and divine
  powers granted to them by their god instead of physical violence
  and confrontation to achieve their goals. They’ve been known to
  ally with lycanthropes at times. These cursed monsters assist the
  Cabal in combat and in searching out new followers. After the
  Greyhawk Wars and the Cabal’s failed attempts to spread terror
  and disease across the Flanaess, they were forced to fracture their
  organization. Records of the rituals that were used to unleash the
  Plague of the Third Season were never found and are believed
  destroyed. Rumors of the Cabal’s reformation and rise have sur-
  faced from time to time in different regions of the Flanaess, but
  none have proven to be true. 
  The History of Nzevorikin
  Nzevorikin began his study of Incabulos’s scripture after con-
  tracting a terrible disease, which he survived, but it left horrible
  scars all over most of his face and torso. He believed his scared
  body was a sign from Incabulos, who chose him to prepare a new
  infested dawn and complete the previously failed attempt to
  spread the god’s disease and faith across the Flanaess. Nzevorikin
  has moved throughout the Flanaess in search of the artifacts that
  were amassed during the Greyhawk Wars for use in rituals by the
  Bronze Cabal. He has been thwarted a number of times while
  pursing artifacts in Furyondy, Veluna, the Vesve Forest, and the
  Lands of Iuz. Still, he continues to search lands across the
  Flanaess for the relics. Some believe that Nzevorikin possesses a
  number of the scriptures that were thought lost or destroyed dur-
  ing the Greyhawk Wars. These scriptures detail rituals that, when
  invoked, spread disease, and plague and call upon the divine
  powers of Incabulos to control the dreams of victims, instilling
  them with horrible nightmares that cause delirium or catatonia. 
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  4
  Nzevorikin is rumored to consort with remnants of the
  Bronze Cabal, and may be a member himself. Some have said that
  his activities point to an alliance with the Cabal while others
  believe him to be an extraneous and insane follower of
  Incabulos. Though they may disagree about his associations,
  good power groups agree that he is not to be taken lightly. His
  efforts have been brought to the attention of numerous groups in
  the countries of the Flanaess. Divinations have been used to track
  his movements, but recently such scryings have turned up little
  valuable information.
  The Black Stone of Harrowing Dreams
  One of the major artifacts that Nzevorikin is searching for is the
  black stone of harrowing dreams, one of the components taken by
  the Defenders of the Light during their raids against the Cabal.
  The stone disappeared about a decade after the wars ended.
  Among the stone’s powers is a strange curse placed upon it caus-
  ing nearby creatures to wildly attack any living creature near the
  stone. Just who bestowed this curse and why is a mystery. Also,
  anyone who comes into contact with the stone and lives suffers
  the most horrible nightmares on every quarter-mooned night. 
  The stone is approximately six inches tall, five inches wide,
  and an inch and a half thick. It has archaic runes engraved upon
  it. The runes were written in the blood of its first victim. Legend
  says anyone who can master the runes and read them back may
  command the powers of the stone (Bardic Knowledge, DC 25). 
  Adventure Synopsis
  The heroes begin this adventure by encountering an odd, float-
  ing hand that beckons them to follow its gesture. It leads each of
  them to the door of an old and rundown tower. 
  When the heroes enter the tower, they are confronted by the
  spirit of Weslin Fraimekkian, actually a well-devised illusion by
  an evil priest of Incabulos. The priest is looking for unknowing
  minions to carry out his unholy tasks. Completion of these tasks
  will aid him in finishing his unsettling ritual. The illusionary
  ghost asks for the heroes’ help in finding items that have recent-
  ly been looted from his tomb. He informs the PCs that the items’
  theft is the reason for his haunting, and their return will reunite
  him with his family. The items are the black stone of harrowing
  dreams and a holy relic, the holy chalice of Rao.
  As the heroes search outside of town for the stone, they come
  upon a desecrated church. The cemetery graves have been dug
  up and the corpses placed onto the ruined altar within. The stone
  is at the site, there is also a book hidden away within a small shed
  outside of the church. Inside the book are dark and strange reli-
  gious parables written in blood. The night after leave the church,
  creatures attracted by the powers of the stone attack the PCs.
  When the PCs search for the relic, they find that the sup-
  posed shady merchant’s house is unguarded and easily plun-
  dered. The shady merchant is really Ploellin, a holy man devoted
  to Rao. Ploellin does not know that the relic can be used as a com-
  ponent for an evil ritual. He has possessed it for years and it
  serves as a reminder of friends who had made the ultimate sacri-
  fice for the greater good of the Flanaess. 
  If the heroes return both items to the illusionary ghost, or if
  they question the validity of the “spirit” too aggressively,
  Nzevorikin drops his cover and springs a trap that sends the PCs
  to his dungeon. There, they witness the torturous death of anoth-
  er captive and must find a way to escape.
  After the characters escape the holding chamber and defeat
  the guards, they ascend to the top of the tower in search of
  Nzevorikin. When they reach his chamber, Nzevorikin flees
  with the help of a spell he has prepared and leaves his finest
  henchman, Duruuk, to battle the PCs. 
  If the heroes defeat Duruuk and return the items to Ploellin,
  the priest tells them that he is not comfortable keeping the stone.
  He hopes that they can have it destroyed before it falls into the
  wrong hands. 
  Player’s Introduction
  As the PCs are performing their daily activities a ghostly hand
  interrupts them. The “hand” seems very anxious and is trying to
  get the PCs to follow it. The “hand” is actually a helping hand spell.
  The DM should read the following passage to the players:
  You notice, out of the corner of your eye, an odd, floating hand
  that seems eager to grab your attention. The hand approaches you
  and begins frantically waving in your face. It floats off, pausing
  here and there to ensure that you follow.
  The characters each encounter the hand and, in each case, it
  annoys them until they follow, or the hand can beckon them as a
  group (though it chooses one person in the group to harass, as
  per the spell’s description, Player’s Handbook, page 213). The hand
  leads the PCs from their respective locations across the town in
  seemingly random directions. The hand twists turns down side
  streets and out of the city through a neglected hole in the city
  wall, and then leads the PCs into the wilderness. The hand then
  follows a trail for a short time, and the PCs are eventually lead to
  the door of a strange, dark tower:
  After being led throughout town and into the wilderness, you
  come upon a mysterious, dark and twisted tower. The wind
  whips around the tower, creating a ghoulish moan.
  After allowing a brief period for player introductions, if neces-
  sary, continue with the following passage:
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  5
  As you approach the large wooden door, you can’t help but notice
  two large statues of great warriors flanking the ornate entrance.
  Above there are two rather grotesque looking gargoyles, which, if
  they were living creatures, would be poised to strike out at any-
  one daring to trespass upon this eldritch manor. As your gaze
  moves from the imposing statues to the door in front of you, the
  portal mysteriously creaks and moans and finally swings open,
  like a bizarre invitation.
  When the characters enter the tower, proceed to Encounter 1.
  Encounter 1: 
  Spirit of Weslin Fraimekkian
  The tower’s main  floor takes up a 30-foot diameter circle. There
  is a large fireplace opposite the door with a mantle above it. There
  are ornate tapestries hanging all around, depicting a family of
  great wealth. On the floor, there is a large rug of mangy fur. To the
  left of the entrance is a stairway that leads up, and, to the right, a
  doorway. Soon after initial investigation, an apparition—the
  “spirit” of Weslin Fraimekkian—greets the PCs.
  Suddenly, you are frozen with fright, as a ghastly figure appears
  right before your eyes! With burning orbs of fire for eyes and
  chains dangling from its incorporeal limbs, the spirit moans a
  deep, chilling sigh before ascending to the ceiling. It speaks: “I
  am Weslin Fraimekkian, son of Jeriah Fraimekkian and owner of
  this decrepit manor. I have called upon you to assist me in aveng-
  ing my family’s unjust and cruel death.”
  Sobbing and broken, Weslin continues to describe the
  events that led to his family’s demise: “A gang of bandits came
  upon my humble home with the intent to destroy all that I had
  gained in life. Though I never learned their intent, I assumed
  that the bandits were hired by a rival merchant house. They took
  my wife and young daughter, Lenla, from me! I pursued them,
  out of my blinding love for my family, and found that my wife
  and daughter were murdered by the bandits. Those murderous
  thugs set an ambush for me. I did not resist, for I had nothing
  left to live for. Little did I know that I would not find peace in
  death. Instead I roam, seeking revenge against what these terri-
  ble men committed unto me!”
  Weslin pauses to regain some composure, his ghastly fea-
  tures distorting under the torturous recounting of his tale.
  He continues:
  “After my death, the bandits came again to my burial site and
  took from me the holy possessions that I had been given by my
  family and my faith. I have been imprisoned to haunt these halls,
  apart from my family for all eternity, until those symbols of my
  love and faith can be returned to me here.”
  Weslin gives the heroes information regarding both the stone
  and the chalice and their locations. 
  He believes that the stone is somewhere in a graveyard at an old
  temple site about a half-day’s journey southwest of the town. He has
  heard that the bandits once used the site as a base of operations.
  The relic, he informs them, had been sold to a corrupt and
  greedy merchant named Ploellin. Any PCs with Knowledge
  (local) who succeeds at a check (DC 20) will recognize the name,
  know that he lives in town, but not much more. The “ghost” is
  lying about his personality (but not his identity). Ploellin does
  have the relic in his possession, but for an entirely different rea-
  son; he is the last remaining member of the Defenders of the
  Light—the group that set out to destroy the evil Bronze Cabal.
  If asked, Weslin gives the following descriptions of the items:
  “The stone was given to me by my daughter. She had found it
  while playing as a young child and thought it to be the most curi-
  ous stone she had ever seen. It is a smoky gray hued stone with
  some writing on it. I was never able to read the writing, nor could
  I find anyone else who could.
  “The other item was a relic given to me by my church for my
  unending faith in Rao. It is a beautiful chalice encrusted with
  jewels and blessed by the clergy of my faith.”
  This story is actually a well-devised plot by Nzevorikin. He has
  used his spells and a powerful magic item in his possession to cre-
  ate an uncanny illusion of Weslin’s ghost. PCs using their
  Spellcraft skill to attempt to discern if this is indeed a creation of
  magic can make a check at DC 25. A successful Spellcraft check
  or detect magic spell reveals the magical presence, but the pres-
  ence of numerous magical effects confuses the aura’s source and
  type. Heroes succeeding at a Sense Motive (DC 20) will deter-
  mine that, though his intentions are somewhat muddled, the
  ghost does have a sincere desire to have these items returned.
  After a short time (3 minutes) the magic creating the spirit runs
  out. At such time, if the PCs are still present, Nzevorikin’s cre-
  ation feigns that demons that are hounding him, are pulling him
  away. The illusion screams in agony as his pursuers haul his
  trapped soul back to the Ethereal Plane. 
  PCs now have two paths that they may follow: They can fur-
  ther investigate to find the sacred stone (Go to Encounter 2), or
  they can pursue the lead to find and return the ghost’s holy relic
  (Go to Encounter 5).
  What happens if the PCs search the tower? It is extremely
  possible that the PCs may decide to search the tower before
  searching for the stone or the relic. If this happens, all is not lost.
  The  action in this adventure will just be played out in reverse.
  Nzevorikin will use his mage hand spell to release the floor trap
  and drop the PCs into the dungeon (See Encounter 7). He will
  make his escape when the PCs confront him. Run the rest of the
  adventure as a mystery, as the PCs attempt to find out the reasons
  why Nzevorikin needed the stone and the chalice. Ploellin will
  
  help PCs put the pieces together where necessary, and will
  reward them with his favor and his masterwork flail at the end of
  the adventure. 
  Encounter 2: Decrepit Church
  The decrepit church is located about a half-day’s journey from
  town. The trip to the site is uneventful, except that the weather
  takes a turn for the worse—grayish clouds rolling in and the mist
  turns to light rain as they approach the church and its graveyard. 
  Mist becomes light rain and you’re soon soaked. You can hear
  thunder crackle in the distance from the approaching storm. As
  you come over a small ridge, you see a peculiarly dense grove of
  gnarled and twisted oak trees that seem eerily out of place in this
  lightly wooded area. As you approach the thicket, the trees seem
  to turn toward you, engulfing you in their dark canopy, and
  blocking what little daylight there is. Traveling a short distance
  into the twisted woods you see a mangled, ruined church almost
  completely engulfed by the evil looking overgrowth. The ceiling
  of the main building has collapsed and, here and there, the
  branches of the enormous oaks have pierced and shattered the
  old stained-glass windows. You see a small cemetery just to the
  north of the church.
  Upon approaching the site, the PCs may notice (Spot, DC 15)
  that not only has the forest overtaken this church, but the site has
  also have been rampaged by creatures. 
  The Churchyard: As the PCs approach and investigate the
  churchyard, signs of desecration become obvious. The church
  building is barely standing; its walls are slowly crumbling in on
  themselves, and its roof has long since collapsed. Around the
  churchyard the PCs will find that the holy statues have all been
  removed from their pedestals and smashed into pieces. Many of
  those pieces are scattered all around the church’s grounds. 
  There is a small shed behind the church. Within this small
  building, the PCs will find interesting sets of runes inside, along
  the rickety door–vile markings written in dried blood. A PC who
  is able to read Infernal can read these markings. Give PCs that are
  able to read Infernal (and have examined the writings) Players’
  Handout #1. There is also blood dried on the floor and staining
  the walls. Succeeding at a Search check (DC 22) reveals a well-
  hidden book beneath the floorboards of the shed. The book has a
  plain charcoal-black cover adorned with gouges here and there.
  The tome is trapped. A needle, coated with an infectious disease,
  shoots out of the spine of the book, coated with an infectious dis-
  ease. The judge should consult the Dungeon Master’s Guide, pages
  74-75, for the effects of disease on a character.
  Tier 1 (EL 4)
  Disease needle trap: +8 ranged (1) + filth fever disease (Fort save
  THE ADVENTURE
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  6
  Map 1: Decrepit Church
  1. The Church
  2. Small Shack
  3. Grave Yard
  Tree
  Each Square = 20’
  3
  1
  2
  N
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  7
  to resist [DC 12]; incubation 1d3 days; 1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con dam-
  age); Search (DC 22); Disable Device (DC 20).
  Tier 2 (EL 6)
  Disease needle trap: +10 ranged (1) + shakes disease (Fort save
  to resist [DC 13]; incubation 1 day; 1d8 Dex damage); Search (DC
  25); Disable Device (DC 22).
  Tier 3 (EL 7)
  Disease needle trap: +12 ranged (1) + slimy doom disease (Fort
  save to resist [DC 14]; incubation 1 day; 1d4 Con damage); Search
  (DC 29); Disable Device (DC 25).
  The tome contains many pages that are still intact, but several
  pages have been torn out and a few have been destroyed by flame.
  The text is written in Infernal. PCs who can read Infernal can
  read the book. 
  The Graveyard: Investigating the graveyard reveals that all of
  the graves have been crudely and hastily dug up—the contents
  are nowhere to be found. 
  Even closer investigation of the graveyard reveals numerous
  tracks of many types of animals. Succeeding at a Track check (DC
  15) reveals that the tracks are mostly wolf and bear, but also some
  large rat tracks. PCs searching the graves will see that all the
  headstones have been overturned. Closer examination (Search
  DC 10) also reveals that some headstones are scarred with deep
  scratch marks, and that the graves appear to have been dug up
  with claws rather than tools.
  Inside the Church: Searching the church reveals even more
  disturbing and gruesome scenes. Within the church, the stench
  of rotting flesh is overpowering, enough to force to make the PCs
  attempt a Fortitude save (DC 12). Anyone who fails is sickened,
  and suffers a -1 penalty to all rolls for the next 1d8 hours. Upon
  entering the church, the heroes immediately notice a horrific
  pile of corpses stacked nearly to the ceiling in place of where the
  altar must have once stood. The dead bodies are in various states
  of decay, from skeletal remains to rather fresh corpses.
  Succeeding at a Heal check (DC 15) reveals that some of the bod-
  ies have been placed on the pile as recently as the previous night. 
  If the PCs inspect the corpses further, succeeding at a Search
  check (DC 20) reveals an interesting stone shoved into one of the
  body’s gaping stomach wound. The stone is a four-inch by four-
  inch smoky dark gray hued and jagged-edged stone. A single
  word is chiseled on its face, and written in Infernal: “nightmare”.
  If a hero in possession of the stone speaks that command word
  aloud, take the player of that character aside and let the player
  know that their character feels a strong compulsion to keep the
  stone, and may act aggressively towards those that wish to take it
  from him or her. The hero may not voluntarily give up the stone
  at any time (even if they are the subject of a charm or command
  spell, but they can give it up if subject to a remove curse spell. That
  spell does not remove the curse from the stone itself, though). 
  Development: The PCs are likely to spend a considerable
  amount of time searching this site. If they decide to stay the
  night the PCs encounter a group of beasts dragging fresh kills to
  the site. This encounter is similar to (and replaces) Encounter 3.
  Combat ensues as the PCs are potentially surprised (Spot or
  Listen, DC 15). See Encounter 3 for details.
  Encounter 3: Dire Situation
  When the PCs leave the site, and if they haven’t rested at the
  church, they will need to on the way back to town. If they have
  found the stone, they will be awaken in the middle of the night
  by a number of creatures that emerge from the wilderness to
  attack—dire wolves, rats, or both depending on the Tier.
  Strangely, some of them dragging freshly killed kobold corpses. 
  Quickening from the shadows, you see several animals emerge
  from the brush. Some of them are clutching what looks like dead
  humanoids in their jaws. Gore drips from their mouths as they
  begin to frenzy and charge at you in a bloodlust.
  Tier 1 (EL 3)
  Dire Rats (6): hp 7, 6 (x3), 5 (x2); Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 56. 
  Tier 2 (EL 5)
  Dire Rats (3): hp 7, 6 (x2); Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 56. 
  Dire Wolf (1): hp 45; Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 57. 
  Tier 3 (EL 8)
  Dire Rats (6): hp 7, 6 (x3), 5 (x2); Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 56. 
  Dire Wolves (2): hp 49, 45; Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 57.
  Tactics: The rats and/or wolves are in a frenzy. They will fight to
  the death and will not break to flee. They will always charge the
  nearest PC and will be unaffected by enchantments spells, spell-
  like abilities, or supernatural effects.
  Encounter 4: Return to the Tower
  If the heroes return to the tower after finding one of the items
  but not both, the “ghost” speaks to them, reiterating the informa-
  tion that he had told them before. 
  If they have not yet visited the home of Ploellin, the ghost
  gives them directions to the priest’s home. He also tells them that
  it is best to approach at night, since Ploellin lives in a busy part of
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  8
  town and that it would be best to not draw attention to them-
  selves while searching for the chalice. 
  If they have not yet searched for the stone, he tells the
  PCs that he believes  that the stone may be in a glade south-
  west of town where an old church sits about a half-day’s jour-
  ney from town. 
  Sobbing mournfully again, Weslin speaks: “For helping me
  find my peace and returning me to my family’s side, you have
  my unending gratitude. Go now and seek out the final piece to
  my salvation and return here with it so that I may be set free of
  this horrible curse. Make haste, for the tortures of this exis-
  tence are unbearable.” 
  Development: If the heroes voice skepticism about stealing the
  relic, which is likely if there are lawful good or adventurers of
  conscience, Nzevorikin casts charm person (Will save, DC 14) on
  one of them. Weslin then implores charmed hero to help and
  convince the party that it is right to return the lost soul’s relic and
  allow the ghost his final peace. If possible don’t alert the PCs to
  the charm. It may be a good idea to take each player aside and
  roleplay Weslin’s pleas, the other PCs can wrestle with their con-
  science, while target of the spell must succeed at the saving
  throw. If that person fails explain to him or her that her or she
  feels compelled to aid the ghost. If the spell fails the PCs who was
  charmed will know an attempt was made, and Nzevorikin will
  know it failed. The villain then springing his trap and send the
  heroes tumbling into the dungeon. Proceed to Encounter 6. 
  If the PCs decide to confront the ghost on the issue of the
  relic, the priest drops his cover and surprises them, sending them
  tumbling to the dungeon, if possible. If not he alerts Duruuk and
  the bugbears who will make haste to confront the PCs. Go to
  Encounter 6.
  If the PCs accept the mission (either they have no problem
  stealing the relic, or they have been successfully manipulated by
  Nzevorikin’s wit and spell), the ghosts fades away. Its fading is fol-
  lowed by a horrible groan that echoes throughout the chamber.
  Encounter 5: Rectory of Rao
  The PCs may attempt to retrieve the relic a couple of different
  ways: they will approach the priest’s rectory at night, under cover
  of darkness, or they may want to confront Pleollin. 
  The PCs might also be compelled to check up on Ploellin’s
  background using the Gather Information skill (DC 12).
  Attempting the check will cost 1d4 gp worth of drinks and
  bribes, and succeeding at the check reveals that Ploellin is not a
  merchant at all, but rather he is a devote priest of Rao. He does,
  though, reside at the location given to the PCs by the ghost—a
  part of the city that hosts many religious buildings, but also the
  homes of some lesser merchants. A successful Gather
  Information check will not yield any information about the relic,
  but a successful Bardic Knowledge check may (DC 25) remind
  bards that the a small rectory of Rao in this city is rumored to
  house a holy, gem-encrusted chalice. 
  Approaching at night: If the PCs approach Ploellin’s residence
  at night, read the following:
  You approach the building that the spirit directed you to, finding
  it to be much less grandiose than you had expected. The house’s
  weather-beaten exterior seems to be out of place among the sur-
  rounding temples. The flicker of candlelight from the second-
  story window cuts through the darkness that surrounds the
  building and a howl in the distance makes the tiny hairs on your
  neck stand on end. A moment later, the light from the window
  goes out and all is now dark below. Stairs lead up to the front
  porch of the residence and a small step in back leads to a door at
  the rear.
  Regardless of which way the heroes enter the house at night,
  Ploellin does not wake. He is a very sound sleeper. The characters
  quickly locate the relic sitting in Ploellin’s den atop a bookshelf. 
  Atop the bookcase, you spot a bronze chalice, emeralds encrust
  its base. The stunning item stands out as the only ornate article
  on the old dust-covered bookshelf.
  Any characters that search the area do not find any evidence that
  Ploellin belonging to a merchant guild, merchant family, or other
  trade organization. The entire dwelling is rather Spartan. The
  only telling items in the den are several manuals written in
  Common, each devoted to the teachings of Rao, and all of which
  are arranged in alphabetical order on the bookshelf.
  In the Daylight Hours: If the heroes decide to confront Ploellin
  during the day, read or paraphrase the following:
  You approach the building that the spirit directed you to, and
  find it to be much less grandiose then what you had expected to
  find. The house’s weather-beaten exterior seems to be out of place
  among the surrounding temples. The streets are filled not with
  merchants, but with clergymen and those persons who wish the
  services of priests. Stairs lead up to the front porch of the resi-
  dence and a small step in back leads to a door at the rear.
  If the PCs decide to approach Ploellin, he invites them in as his
  guests. If asked he shows them the relic, and explains to them
  that it was found during his adventuring days in the marshes of
  the Vast Swamp in southern Sunndi. Other than its powers as a
  minor relic to Rao, he is not aware of any other significance the
  item might have. Ploellin has holds the relic in this rectory in
  remembrance of his fallen comrades. 
  Development: If the heroes suspect Weslin (Nzevorikin) is up
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  9
  to no good, and shares these thoughts with Ploellin, the priest
  will express his concern. He is willing to help a poor soul in need,
  but flinches at the thought that the ghost could want the relic for
  some evil end. He tells the PCs of the relic’s powers and how to
  use them. He encourages the PCs to take the relic and to use it if
  necessary. Ploellin tells the PCs that he would like the relic
  returned when the PCs are done, if such a return is possible.
  Encounter 6: The Ghost Revealed
  When the PCs return to the tower, the Nzevorikin is expecting
  them to have the items in their possession. When they enter the
  tower, Weslin’s voice instructs the heroes to place the items on
  the mantle above the fireplace. 
  A voice booms throughout the room as you enter. “You have
  retrieved my items, for that I am grateful. Leave them here now,
  so that I may rest in peace.” You recognize the voice as that of
  Weslin, but his incorporeal form is nowhere to be found.
  If the PCs place the items on the mantle: As soon as they
  place the items on the mantle, Nzevorikin begins to walk down
  the stairway toward the heroes. If the heroes have returned both
  items, read or paraphrase the following:
  As you place the items upon the mantle, you hear the clicking of
  footsteps from staircase above. A dark figure in a black robe
  trimmed with bronze emerges from around the corner and stops
  about halfway down the stairs. Glaring in your direction he spits,
  “I’ve been expecting your return! I see you’ve succeeded in bring-
  ing what I need to complete my ritual. Since you have been so
  cooperative, I would like you to be my guests for the culmination
  of my work.” 
  The evil man sneers at you as he pulls a lever on the wall,
  cackles, and retreats to his upper abode. 
  If they do not place the items on the mantle: If the PCs
  return to the tower after speaking with the relic’s rightful keeper
  and decide not to place the items on the mantle, the priest uses a
  mage hand to spring the trap on the heroes from a distance. 
  The floor of the room begins to shake. You are jarred and tossed
  as a pit opens in the middle of the room, sending you sprawling
  to avoid falling into the darkness below. 
  Nzevorikin springs a trap on the PCs by pulling a lever on the
  wall on the staircase. 
  Trap: Any PCs that have entered the tower and are standing atop
  the floor trap must succeed a Reflex save or fall into the dungeon
  below the tower. 
  Tier 1-3 (EL 4)
  Trap door trap: No attack roll needed (Reflex save to avoid
  (DC 20); 1d6 subdual damage); Search (DC 18); Disable
  Device (DC 20).
  Nzevorikin quickly retreats to his upper chamber and dispatches
  Duruuk from the basement dungeon if the remaining PCs give
  chase. The remaining PCs may act, but are hindered by the unsta-
  ble floor. Movement is halved and attacks and skill checks suffer
  a -4 circumstance penalty, and spell casting requires a
  Concentration check (DC 10, the –4 circumstance penalty
  applies to this roll as well) in order to succeed. If the PCs try to
  pursue Nzevorikin up the stairs, Duruuk bursts from the door
  and engages the PCs (See Encounter 7 for Duruuk’s stats).
  PCs who are outside: Any PCs remaining outside hear the rum-
  ble and commotion from within. They find the door locked. There
  are no other entrances, visible or otherwise. The PCs who are out-
  side must either pick the lock (DC 15) or bash open the door; oth-
  erwise they are trapped outside, helpless to aid their companions.
  Encounter 7: Capture and Escape
  After the trap is sprung, some heroes will undoubtedly end up in
  the large circular holding room under the floor trap. The floor is
  covered with old and moldy straw (reducing the falling damage,
  so that Nzevorikin's victims live just a little longer…). 
  As you come to your senses again, you realize that you are now
  trapped in a damp and musty stone circular cell. Flickering light
  enters the chamber through a small grate in the wall, and screams of
  agony come from outside the cell.
  Nzevorikin’s henchmen are busy torturing their latest victim in
  the torture chamber. If a PC looks at what lies beyond the grate,
  read the following:
  Various torture implements line the walls of this dungeon. A large rack,
  stained red with the blood of many victims, is propped in the corner of
  the room. A human-sized casket-like box also stands in the room.
  Though it is closed, ominous crimson contents dripping down its sides
  and onto the floor, suggest as how the box may be employed.
  A man lies face down on a flat stone slab. Two large and hairy
  goblinoids flank the man. Each has wedge-shaped ears, a mouth
  full of fangs, and is wearing light armor. From behind one of the
  goblinoids, a man covered nearly head-to-toe in gore strides toward
  his victim on the stone slab. He carries a large hook in one hand and
  a serrated blade in the other. After a skilled flick with his serrated
  blade his victim’s mouth bubbles over with blood, his eyes roll back,
  and his body falls limp. The gore covered man cackles evilly, just
  before he glances your way.
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  10
  Development:The man (Duruuk) calls for the bugbears to guard
  the new prisoners while he finds out what Nzevorikin wants to
  do with the new dungeon inhabitants. He then exits the room.
  The PCs must come up with a creative way to escape their
  captivity. You may want to roll initiative here and take it round by
  round. The bugbears are distracted by the dead man’s corpse (con-
  tinuing to poke and prod it, as well as making grotesque jokes in
  Goblin about the dead man) and pay the heroes only a passing
  interest. The heroes can use the bugbear’s ghoulish distraction to
  their advantage. Still, a fight is a very possibility as the PCs
  attempt to escape. The heroes should then find their way out of
  the dungeon and up to the top of the tower.
  Tier 1 (EL 4)
  Bugbear (2): hp 16 (each). See Monster Manual page 27. 
  Tier 2 (EL 6)
  Bugbear Ftr2 (2): CR 4; Medium-size Humanoid (Goblinoid);
  HD 3d8+6 + 2d10+4; hp 35 (each); Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 19
  (Touch 11, Flatfooted 18); Atks +7 melee (1d10+3/19-20, bastard
  sword) or +5 ranged (1d6+3/x3, half spear); SQ Darkvision 60 ft.;
  AL CE; SV Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +1; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10,
  Wis 10, Cha 9.
  Skills and Feats: Climb +3, Hide +2, Listen +3, Move Silently
  Map 2: The Tower
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  11
  +6, Spot +3. Bugbears have a +4 racial bonus to Move Silently
  checks; Alertness, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword),
  Power Attack.
  Possessions: Studded leather armor, large wooden shield, bas-
  tard sword, half spear. 
  Tier 3 (EL 8)
  Bugbear Ftr4 (2): CR 6; Medium-size Humanoid (Goblinoid);
  HD 3d8+9 + 4d10+12; hp 58 (each); Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 22
  (Touch 13, Flatfooted 19); Atks +10 melee (1d10+5/19-20, bastard
  sword) or +9 ranged (1d6+3/x3, half spear); SQ Darkvision 60 ft.;
  AL CE; SV Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10,
  Wis 10, Cha 9.
  Skills and Feats: Climb +2, Hide +3, Listen +4, Move Silently
  +7, Spot +4. Bugbears have a +4 racial bonus to Move Silently
  checks; Alertness, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword),
  Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bastard sword), Weapon
  Specialization (bastard sword).
  Possessions: chain shirt, large wooden shield, bastard sword,
  half spear. 
  The PCs still have their equipment, and may cast spells or fire
  ranged weapons at the bugbears. The bugbears aren’t intelligent
  enough to remain out of line of site of the heroes until the PCs
  starting firing. The trapped heroes see no conceivable exit from
  the cell other then trying to climb back up the way that they
  came in. A Search check (DC 18) reveals a one-way door leading
  to the torture chamber (it opens from the torture chamber’s side,
  of course) that the PCs can open with a knock spell or bashing it
  open. If they enter the room, the bugbears attack. 
  One Way Door: 2 inch thick; hardness 5; hp 20; AC 5, break
  DC 20. 
  Their best chance at escape is to climb back up the way they fell.
  The bugbears are distracted and do not pay much attention to the
  PCs unless they are directly harassed. If the PCs attempt this,
  they should succeed at a number of climb checks equal to the
  Tier the PCs are playing at (DC 12) in order to climb back up.
  When they reach the top of the tunnel, there is a large, wooden
  trap door that they can pound on to try to gain the attention of
  the PCs above. The PCs above should be able to open the trapdoor
  by force (DC 25), or by pulling the lever on the staircase. 
  Heroes that didn’t fall: For the heroes that didn’t fall, they have
  numerous options. 
  If there are heroes outside the tower, the heroes inside will
  need to open the door to let them back in. It is a simple lock (DC
  20) that can be opened from the inside.
  If the heroes decide to give chase up the stairs after
  Nzevorikin, Duruuk bursts forth from the door opposite the
  staircase and engages them. See Encounter 7 for Duruuk’s stats.
  If the heroes try to assist the trapped PCs, they will likely search
  the room and may (Search, DC 20) find the trap door in the mid-
  dle (where the heroes fell) and or (Search DC 25) another door
  that leads to a staircase going down. There is a secret door in this
  staircase opposite the stairs going down that leads up to
  Nzevorikin’s chamber, which Duruuk uses to get to the top of the
  tower If the PCs don’t give chase. If the remaining heroes go
  down the passage to the basement, they end up in the torture
  chamber with the bugbears. A battle ensues and the PCs that are
  in the cell can here the battle and try to assist.
  If the heroes remain in the foyer, they can assist the trapped
  PCs’ escape through the trap door by opening it with the lever. 
  Front Door: 1 inch thick; hardness 5; hp 10; AC 5; break DC 18. 
  Development: During the actions taking place in this
  encounter, the stone and relic both begin to emanate an eerie
  green glow. Nzevorikin has begun his ritual and the stone and
  relic need only be within within the tower to begin the ritual. If
  the relics are not inside the tower, Nzevorikin will send Duruuk
  and the bugbears to find them and get them within the tower.
  Encounter 8: Villain’s Flight
  Upon reaching the top of the tower, the heroes finally see the
  priest’s evil plot in all its horrific repulsiveness. Read the follow-
  ing passage:
  As you enter the chamber atop the tower, you see a repulsive
  sight. The room is walled with human skulls, all of which seem to
  glare at you as you enter. A large pool of crimson fills the middle
  of the room. Stone statues of winged and fanged creatures from
  another time and place flank the pool. 
  If the PCs have not faced Duruuk already, he is with Nzevorikin
  to aid with the ritual. 
  Two men are standing on the other side of the pool. The dark
  robed man stands next to a shimmering oval of blue light. The
  other man, whose brawny and scared frame swaggers like a sell-
  sword, scowls at your entrance. As soon as they notice you, the
  chanting man steps through the shimmering vertical gateway.
  The other draws his serrated blade. His eyes full of fury as he lets
  out an enraged battle cry.
  If the PCs have already defeated Duruuk, read the following pas-
  sage instead.
  A solitary, dark robed man stands on the other side of the pool,
  next to a shimmering oval of blue light. As soon as he notices you,
  the chanting man steps through the shimmering vertical gateway
  and disappears, leaving you in this horrific, unholy place. 
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  12
  The heroes must battle Duruuk while Nzevorikin uses the oppor-
  tunity to escape (Nzevorikin gets a free partial action before ini-
  tiative is rolled, giving him enough time to escape); the gateway
  he opened closing quickly behind him. The ritual has amplified
  the stone’s power and whoever picks it up at this point is subject
  to its curse, even if the command word has not already been spo-
  ken. Be sure to pull the player aside and explain the effect to him
  or her. If the heroes did not return the stone to Nzevorikin, the
  ambient evil within this room triggers the curse on whoever now
  holds the stone. 
  Tier 1 (EL 4)
  Duruuk, male human Ftr 4: Medium-size Humanoid; HD
  4d10+4; hp 32; Init +6; Spd 20 ft.; AC 16 (Touch 12, Flatfooted 14);
  Atks +8 melee (2d4+3/18-20, falchion); AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +3,
  Will +1; Str 16, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 10.
  Skills and Feats: Climb +10, Escape Artist +5, Intimidate +3,
  Jump +10, Speak Goblin; Cleave, Expertise, Improved Disarm,
  Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (falchion).
  Possessions: Scale mail, falchion.
  Tier 2 (EL 6)
  Duruuk, male human Ftr 6: Medium-size Humanoid; HD
  6d10+6; hp 46; Init +6; Spd 20 ft.; AC 16 (Touch 12, Flatfooted 14);
  Atks +10/+5 melee (2d4+5/crit 18-20, falchion); AL CE; SV Fort
  +5, Ref +3, Will +1; Str 16, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 10.
  Skills and Feats: Climb +12, Escape Artist +6, Intimidate +4,
  Jump +12, Speak Goblin; Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Expertise,
  Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Weapon
  Focus (falchion), Weapon Specialization (falchion).
  Possessions: Scale mail, falchion.
  Tier 3 (EL 8)
  Duruuk, male human Ftr 8: Medium-size Humanoid; HD
  8d10+8; hp 60; Init +6 (Dex, Improved Initiative); Spd 20 ft.; AC
  16 (Touch 12, Flatfooted 14); Atks +12/+7 melee (2d4+5/15-20,
  falchion); AL CE; SV Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +1; Str 16, Dex 15, Con
  12, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 10.
  Skills: Climb +14, Escape Artist +7, Intimidate +5, Jump +14,
  Speak Goblin.
  Feats: Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Expertise, Improved Disarm,
  Improved Critical (falchion), Improved Initiative, Power Attack,
  Weapon Focus (falchion), Weapon Specialization (falchion).
  Possessions: Scale mail, falchion.
  Conclusion
  After defeating the priest, it is likely that the heroes will return to
  Ploellin’s dwelling to bring him the relic and report their find-
  ings. He tells the heroes the following:
  “This is very disturbing indeed. This horrible ritual sounds strik-
  ingly similar to my encounters with the Bronze Cabal in the past.
  I do not know what actions you should take now. It is very dis-
  heartening that this evil priest still roams free. Please, take this
  stone, as I cannot guard it from the evils that pursue it. It needs
  to be destroyed as soon as possible, for it is obviously a compo-
  nent to this terrible plot reborn. I trust you as bearers of good to
  follow through and destroy the stone as soon as you can.”
  If the heroes inquire as to how they can destroy the stone,
  Pleollin tells them that it will take powerful magical invocations
  that he is not able to call upon. He thanks them for their efforts
  and warns them that the stone emanates a great amount of evil.
  The bearer of the stone should be under the influence of the
  curse and will be happy to “hold on to it for safe keeping.” If the
  heroes have concerns that their companion is potentially cursed,
  Ploellin informs them that he is not able to help them but that
  they should seek out the services of another, more powerful
  priest to assist them. The cursed character may likely protest any
  action taken against him.
  If the heroes return the relic to Ploellin, he thanks them
  and gives them his flail and offers them his favor should they
  seek him out in the future. The PCs are only awarded the
  favors and the flail if they return the chalice to Ploellin to con-
  clude the adventure.
  The favors can be used at this time by the PCs to cure diseased
  characters by pooling three of the favors together, or the favors
  can be saved for a later date.
  THE END
  
  EXPERIENCE & TREASURE
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  13
  Experience Point Summary
  To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the
  objectives accomplished. Then assign the discretionary roleplay-
  ing experience award. The roleplaying award should be given for
  consistent character portrayal and contribution to the fun of the
  game. You can award different roleplaying amounts to different
  characters.
  Award the total value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each
  character.
  Encounter 1
  Revealing that magic is at work
  25 xp
  Encounter 2
  Finding the Black Stone
  50 xp
  Finding the book
  25 xp
  Deciphering the runes
  25 xp
  Encounter 3
  Defeating the dire animals
  75 xp
  Encounter 5
  Waking Ploellin and talking to him
  25 xp
  Revealing concerns about the “ghost” 
  50 xp
  Encounter 7
  Escaping the dungeon (individually awarded)
  25 xp
  -Or-
  Helping trapped PCs escape the dungeon
  (individually awarded)
  25 xp
  Defeating the bugbears
  50 xp
  Encounter 8
  Defeating Duruuk
  75 xp
  Conclusion
  Returning the relic to Ploellin
  25 xp
  Discretionary roleplaying award
  0-50 xp
  Maximum possible XP award:
  500 xp
  Treasure Summary
  Player characters may keep items from the scenario that are list-
  ed on the treasure list below or which meet the following condi-
  tions: 
  1) The item must be non-magical and specifically listed in the
  text of the adventure (e.g armor on foes). If it is not listed in the
  text, the characters cannot keep it. Items of this nature can be
  sold for 50% of book value, or recorded on a log sheet. 
  2) Animals, followers, monsters, henchmen, and so forth (any liv-
  ing being, basically) may not be kept from a scenario for any rea-
  son unless the treasure summary lists the being specifically. It is
  okay for the player characters to form relationships with NPCs,
  but these will not be certed and cannot bring material benefit to
  the character. Contacts (sources of extra information) must be
  specifically certed.
  3) Theft is against the law, but may be practiced by some player
  characters. Items that are worth more than 250 gp that are of per-
  sonal significance to the owner (including family heirlooms),
  and all magical items, will be discovered in the possession of the
  character by one means or another. The character must return the
  item and pay a fine equal to three times the value of the item
  stolen. In addition, the PC caught receives campaign-decided
  penalties for being known as a thief, such as Infamy. For other
  stolen items which meet the criteria in #1 above, use your judg-
  ment and the circumstances within the game to determine
  whether a PC thief gets away with the theft or not. 
  Any item retained according to these rules, which does not have
  a certificate will not ever have a certificate issued for it. 
  The campaign staff reserves the right to take away any item or
  gold acquired for things it later finds unreasonable but which
  were allowed at the time.
  Encounter 2
  The Black Stone of Harrowing Dreams (500 gp, weight —, stone,
  rare): This stone is a four-inch by four-inch smoky dark gray-
  hued and jagged-edged stone. A single word is written in blood
  on its face in strange cuneiform script. The stone emits a strong
  aura of evil that can be detected by detect evil or another similar
  effect. Unless the command work is spoken by its possessor, the
  stone summons  vile beasts that hunt down creatures near the
  stone and then , once those creatures are killed, piles their bodies
  atop the stone. Each night if the possessor of the artifact does not
  recite the command word there is a 50% chance of attracting a
  beast from the chart below. The attracted creature shows up
  sometime around midnight. The beast will not act aggressively
  toward the possessor unless the possessor attacks that creature.
  The creature will attack any creatures around the possessor. The
  possessor may not voluntarily give up the stone, even if her or
  she is the subject of a charm person or command spell, but he or she
  can give it up if subject of a remove curse spell. That spell does not
  remove the curse from the stone itself, though. 
  
  EXPERIENCE & TREASURE
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  14
  1d10 roll 
  Resulting monster
  1-6 
  Dire rat (see Monster Manual, page 56).  
  7-9 
  Dire bat (see Monster Manual, page 57).  
  10 
  Dire wolf (see Monster Manual, page 57).  
  Command Word: The command word is written in blood on the
  face of the stone in the Infernal language. A PC that speaks the
  command word while he or she is in possession of the stone
  (directly held or carried on his or her person) is cursed and com-
  pelled to keep it on his or her person, and will defend it aggres-
  sively if anyone attempts to take it away from him or her. The PC
  will always deny any claims that he or she is cursed, claiming that
  he or she is the stone’s rightful keeper. 
  Also, the PC suffers from horrific nightmares on each quar-
  ter-moon night. 
  Book of Torment & Torture, Volume I: (50 gp, 3 lbs, leather, wood,
  paper, unusual): The Book of Torment &Torture, Volume I is bound
  with a charcoal-black cover that has numerous gouge marks on it.
  There are several pages torn out and a few that seem to have been
  burned, but for the most part the tome is intact. 
  The tome’s text is written in Infernal. PCs must have the abil-
  ity to read Infernal in order to gain the insight bonuses the book
  provides. This text gives the owner a +2 insight bonus to
  Knowledge (religion) skill checks involving the unholy faith of
  Incabulos. If the owner of the text does not possess the
  Knowledge (religion) skill, that individual can still make a
  Knowledge (religion) skill check for matters involving Incabulos
  (without the +2 bonus mentioned above, but this ability is con-
  sidered an insight bonus). It takes at least 5 minutes of reading to
  gain the insight bonus. The book must be read no more than 5
  minutes before the check that the PC wishes to gain the insight
  bonus for is made.
  Encounter 5
  Holy Chalice of Rao: (400 gp/100 gp after the charges have been
  spent, 3 lbs, bronze, emeralds, unusual): This chalice is made of
  fine bronze and is encrusted with small but beautiful emeralds
  around its base. It has been blessed by high priests of Rao.
  This relic allows the user to cast bless or prayer as a spell com-
  pletion effect. Only a spell caster of good alignment who has
  both of these spell on their spell list may use this item. It has 12
  charges remaining. Casting bless with the relic uses a single
  charge, casting prayer uses three charges. 
  Conclusion
  Favor of Ploellin, Priest of Rao
  For returning the relic and defeating the evil priest’s infernal
  plot, the characters receive a favor from Pleollin, a priest of Rao.
  This favor grants the holder a single spell, should he/she seek out
  the services of Ploellin in the town of ___________________________. 
  This favor is used as follows: if one is used, Ploellin grants
  either a cure light wounds or a bless water spell, if two are used, he
  grants either a cure moderate wounds or a delay poison spell, and if
  three are used, he grants a cure serious wounds or a cure disease spell.
  No more then three can be combined together at a time. 
  The judge should fill in the name of the town in which
  Ploellin was found during the scenario, as it varies from region to
  region.
  Masterwork Light Flail (308 gp, 5 lbs, wood and steel, common):
  Returning the relic to Ploellin after their harrowing encounter
  with the minions of Nzevorikin earns the PCs this weapon,
  which Ploellin never expects to use again. This flail is finely craft-
  ed with a ram’s head hilt and a twisted ivory handle. 
  
  APPENDIX
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  15
  Major NPCs 
  Nzevorikin, The Villain
  Nzevorikin (pronounced ZEH-vor-EH-kin), male human
  Clr7 (Incabulos)/ Wiz2(lllusionist): Medium-size Humanoid;
  HD 7d8-8 + 2d4-2; hp 35; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Atks +6/+1
  melee (1d4/19-20, dagger), +6 ranged (1d4, sling); SA Command
  undead; AL NE; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +11; Str 10, Dex 11, Con
  9, Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 14.
  Skills and Feats: Alchemy +6, Concentration +2, Heal +10,
  Intimidate +6, Knowledge (the planes) +6, Knowledge (arcana)
  +14, Knowledge (religion) +14, Scry +6, Speak Draconic, Speak
  Infernal, Spellcraft +14; Craft Wondrous Item, Extend Spell,
  Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (illusion), Spell Penetration, Silent
  Spell, Still Spell.Divine Spells Prepared (6/5+1/4+1/3+1/1+1;
  Spell DC = 13 + spell level): 0—cure minor wounds, detect magic,
  guidance, light, resistance, virtue; 1st—cause fear, cure light wounds,
  doom, obscuring mist, protection from good*, sanctuary; 2nd—death
  knell, enthrall, hold person, shatter*, undetectable alignment; 3rd—
  bestow curse, contagion* (x2), helping hand; 4th—poison, unholy
  blight*.
  * Domain spells; Domains: Destruction: Nzevorikin can use a
  smite power once a day. It is a supernatural ability to make a sin-
  gle melee attack with a +4 attack bonus and a damage bonus equal
  to his cleric level (+7, and only if he hits). Evil: You cast evil spells
  at +1 caster level.
  Arcane Spells Prepared (4+1/3+1; Spell DC = 12 + spell level):
  0—arcane mark, daze, ghost sound, mage hand, read magic; 1st—
  charm person, shield, sleep, ventriloquism.
  Description and personality traits: Nzevorikin is a ghastly,
  grotesque man, with a bent stature and an icy glare. He chooses
  dark vestments trimmed with copper, as is typical for a follower
  of Incabulos. What he lacks in appearance, he makes up for sub-
  stantially in force of will and intimidation. Though his demeanor
  is typically calm and calculating, he is known to go into furious
  fits of rage that can prove very disparaging to those that surround
  him. He tends to shy away from close alliances with others and
  prefers to work in command of small groups of humans or
  humanoids.
  Nzevorikin has a notorious history of ruthlessness. Torture
  and pain are his tools when dealing with his captives. Typical
  forms of torture include infecting his captives with slow-work-
  ing, deadly diseases and watching them slowly die, noting every
  detail in his personal journal devoted to the subjects of torture
  and disease. There have been numerous accounts of him sacrific-
  ing his prisoners in bizarre rituals aimed at increasing his divine
  power in the eyes of his god.
  Nzevorikin’s weakness lies in his devotion to his god. He is
  blindly move to the furthering of Incabulos’s cause to the detri-
  ment of his own personal wellbeing. He tends to become
  enthralled by his plans and schemes and underestimates his foes’
  abilities to thwart his efforts. His power has grown considerably
  in the last few months, and as a result he has grown even more
  careless and distracted, despite being closer then ever to com-
  pleting his series of diabolical rituals. In preparation for his ritu-
  als, Nzevorikin uses defensive precautions to protect him, as he is
  well aware of the cost that distractions could cause.
  Encounters: Characters typically encounter Nzevorikin by
  hearing about the remains of his gruesome rituals and seeking
  him out to stop his plans before they escalate to uncontrollable
  proportions. Nzevorikin typically has a host of henchman at
  his disposal and more often then not he has prepared traps and
  defensive wards against intruders into his domains.  He rarely
  takes offensive actions toward others, preferring to allow curi-
  ous parties to stumble upon him and using them for his bizarre
  experiments. If confronted directly, he will not typically fight
  unless provoked or directly threatened. He will use all his
  divine magical ability to escape, while sacrificing his hench-
  man to do so. 
  Nzevorikin has been known, at times, to call upon adven-
  turous types to perform tasks for him. He uses any number of
  methods to attract the unknowing visitors to his lair and
  entices them with charm spells and false promises of reward
  for their efforts. His efforts usually include some means of con-
  cealing his true appearance as well as his identity, since he is a
  fairly infamous villain.
  He prefers to live in towers and typically has a number of tor-
  ture devices at his disposal at any given time. This includes a
  chamber devoted to the “art”. He also usually fashions a dungeon
  beneath his towers to keep any captives at bay while he prepares
  his evil plots. 
  Ploellin, Cleric of Rao
  Ploellin (pronounced PLOH-lin), male human Clr6 (Rao):
  Medium-size Humanoid; HD 6d8; hp 33; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC
  16 (Touch 10, Flatfooted 16); Atks +5 melee (1d8+1, light flail), +5
  ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA Turn undead; AL LG; SV
  Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +8; Str 12; Dex 13; Con 10; Int 12; Wis 16;
  Cha 11.
  Skills and Feats: Heal +12, Knowledge (history) +4, Knowledge
  (the planes) +4, Knowledge (religion) +14, Scry + 6, Spellcraft
  +10; Alertness, Extra Turning, Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus
  (Knowledge [religion]).
  Spells Prepared (5/4+1/4+1/3+1): 0—create water, guidance,
  purify food and drink, read magic, resistance; 1st—bless, bless water,
  divine favor, protection from evil*, shield of faith; 2nd—augury, aid,
  detect thoughts*, shield other, zone of truth; 3rd—clairaudience/clair-
  voyance*, daylight, magic vestment, searing orb.
  *Domain Spells: Domains: Good: Ploellin casts good spells at
  +1 caster level. Knowledge: All Knowledge skills are class skills for
  Ploellin. He also casts divination spells at +1 caster level.
  
  APPENDIX
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  16
  Equipment: Light flail, light crossbow, crossbow bolts (10),
  chain shirt, small wooden shield, cleric’s vestments, healer’s kit,
  vial of ink, ink pen, paper (3 sheets), belt pouch, waterskin.
  Description and personality traits: Ploellin is a stout, portly
  man with a good sense of humor and booming voice. He did a lit-
  tle adventuring in his youth (he is well past middle aged) and
  loves to tell the tales of his days spreading Rao’s word throughout
  Flanaess. He is compassionate and cooperative toward people he
  deems to be good folk. He is kind and caring to those that he
  holds dearest to him and to the members of his church and
  priestly order.
  Ploellin, during his journeys,/ acquired a holy relic of Rao,
  which he believed to be a sign from his god that he should give
  up adventuring and begin preaching to the masses about the
  Shining One. Unknowing of the relic’s significance, Ploellin has
  left the item unguarded in his rectory for quite some time. The
  object had no discernable powers until the priest blessed it, but
  is needed as part of a twisted ritual that a dark cleric of Incabulos
  is trying to complete.
  
  APPENDIX
  A Plea from Beyond the Grave
  17
  Quick Statistic Reference
  Encouter 2: Decrpit Church
  Tier 1 (EL 4)
  Disease needle trap: +8 ranged (1) + filth fever disease (Fort save to
  resist [DC 12]; incubation 1d3 days; 1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con damage);
  Search (DC 22); Disable Device (DC 20).
  Tier 2 (EL 6)
  Disease needle trap: +10 ranged (1) + shakes disease (Fort save to resist
  [DC 13]; incubation 1 day; 1d8 Dex damage); Search (DC 25); Disable
  Device (DC 22).
  Tier 3 (EL 7)
  Disease needle trap: +12 ranged (1) + slimy doom disease (Fort save to
  resist [DC 14]; incubation 1 day; 1d4 Con damage); Search (DC 29);
  Disable Device (DC 25).
  Encouter 3: Dire Situation
  Tier 1 (EL 3)
  Dire Rats (6): hp 7, 6 (x3), 5 (x2); Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 56. 
  Tier 2 (EL 5)
  Dire Rats (3): hp 7, 6 (x2); Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 56. 
  Dire Wolf (1): hp 45; Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 57. 
  Tier 3 (EL 8)
  Dire Rats (6): hp 7, 6 (x3), 5 (x2); Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 56. 
  Dire Wolves (2): hp 49, 45; Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 57.
  Encounter 6: Ghost Revealed
  Tier 1-3 (EL 4)
  Trap door trap: No attack roll needed (Reflex save to avoid (DC 20);
  1d6 subdual damage); Search (DC 18); Disable Device (DC 20).
  Encounter 7: Capture and Escape
  Tier 1 (EL 4)
  Bugbear (2): hp 16 (each). See Monster Manual page 27. 
  Tier 2 (EL 6)
  Bugbear Ftr2 (2): CR 4; Medium-size Humanoid (Goblinoid); HD
  3d8+6 + 2d10+4; hp 35 (each); Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 19 (Touch 11,
  Flatfooted 18); Atks +7 melee (1d10+3/19-20, bastard sword) or +5
  ranged (1d6+3/x3, half spear); SQ Darkvision 60 ft.; AL CE; SV Fort +6,
  Ref +4, Will +1; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 9.
  Skills and Feats: Climb +3, Hide +2, Listen +3, Move Silently +6, Spot
  +3. Bugbears have a +4 racial bonus to Move Silently checks; Alertness,
  Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Power Attack.
  Possessions: Studded leather armor, large wooden shield, bastard
  sword, half spear. 
  Tier 3 (EL 8)
  Bugbear Ftr4 (2): CR 6; Medium-size Humanoid (Goblinoid); HD
  3d8+9 + 4d10+12; hp 58 (each); Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 22 (Touch 13,
  Flatfooted 19); Atks +10 melee (1d10+5/19-20, bastard sword) or +9
  ranged (1d6+3/x3, half spear); SQ Darkvision 60 ft.; AL CE; SV Fort +7,
  Ref +7, Will +2; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 9.
  Skills and Feats: Climb +2, Hide +3, Listen +4, Move Silently +7, Spot
  +4. Bugbears have a +4 racial bonus to Move Silently checks; Alertness,
  Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Power Attack, Weapon
  Focus (bastard sword), Weapon Specialization (bastard sword).
  Possessions: chain shirt, large wooden shield, bastard sword, half
  spear. 
  One Way Door: 2 inch thick; hardness 5; hp 20; AC 5, break DC 20. 
  Front Door: 1 inch thick; hardness 5; hp 10; AC 5; break DC 18.
  Encounter 8: Villain’s Flight
  Tier 1 (EL 4)
  Duruuk, male human Ftr 4: Medium-size Humanoid; HD 4d10+4; hp
  32; Init +6; Spd 20 ft.; AC 16 (Touch 12, Flatfooted 14); Atks +8 melee
  (2d4+3/18-20, falchion); AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +1; Str 16, Dex
  15, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 10.
  Skills and Feats: Climb +10, Escape Artist +5, Intimidate +3, Jump
  +10, Speak Goblin; Cleave, Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved
  Initiative, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (falchion).
  Possessions: Scale mail, falchion.
  Tier 2 (EL 6)
  Duruuk, male human Ftr 6: Medium-size Humanoid; HD 6d10+6; hp
  46; Init +6; Spd 20 ft.; AC 16 (Touch 12, Flatfooted 14); Atks +10/+5
  melee (2d4+5/crit 18-20, falchion); AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +1;
  Str 16, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 10.
  Skills and Feats: Climb +12, Escape Artist +6, Intimidate +4, Jump
  +12, Speak Goblin; Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Expertise, Improved
  Disarm, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (falchion),
  Weapon Specialization (falchion).
  Possessions: Scale mail, falchion.
  Tier 3 (EL 8)
  Duruuk, male human Ftr 8: Medium-size Humanoid; HD 8d10+8; hp
  60; Init +6 (Dex, Improved Initiative); Spd 20 ft.; AC 16 (Touch 12,
  Flatfooted 14); Atks +12/+7 melee (2d4+5/15-20, falchion); AL CE; SV
  Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +1; Str 16, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 10.
  Skills: Climb +14, Escape Artist +7, Intimidate +5, Jump +14, Speak
  Goblin.
  Feats: Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Expertise, Improved Disarm,
  Improved Critical (falchion), Improved Initiative, Power Attack,
  Weapon Focus (falchion), Weapon Specialization (falchion).
  Possessions: Scale mail, falchion.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Adaptables/591/ADP1-08 - Plea from Beyond the Grave (APL 2-6)/ADP1-08 - Plea from Beyond the Grave.pdf