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. 
  PAL4-03I 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Arcane Shadows 
   
  A One-Round D&D LIVING GREYHAWK®  
  Theocracy of the Pale Introductory Adventure 
  Version 1.1 
  by Donovan Hicks 
   
   
  With power comes responsibility: the responsibility to register yourself! In the Theocracy of the Pale, the 
  Church of the One True Path keeps an unwavering eye on arcane spellcasters. But what happens when a 
  foreign arcanist does not know the law? A Theocracy of the Pale Introductory Adventure for adventurers 
  who feel strongly about whether arcanists in the Pale should be registered. 
   
  
  Arcane Shadows 
   
  Page 1 
   
  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, but the actual playing time will be closer to 
  three and a half hours. The rest of the time is spent 
  in preparation before game play, and record-
  keeping 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. 
   
  Keep in mind that you must have at least four 
  players (not counting the judge), for the game 
  session to be a sanctioned RPGA event. As well, 
  you cannot have more than six players participating 
  in the game. 
  Playing the Game  
   
   
   
   
  Instruct the players either to prepare their 
  characters to participate in the adventure before the 
  session begins, or wait until you read the 
  introduction, depending on the requirements of the 
  scenario as described in the introduction. 
   
  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 judge) 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 judge 
  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 bold italics. 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. 
  Tracking 
   
   
   
   
   
  After the players have completed the scenario or 
  the time allotted to run the scenario has run out, 
  the players and judge fill out the RPGA Tracking 
  Sheet. The judge should complete the top of the 
  form and list his name and RPGA number. The 
  players should each list their name and RPGA 
  number. After the form is filled out it should be 
  given to the Event Coordinator. 
  LIVING GREYHAWK 
   
   
   
   
  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, 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 discussed in the 
  Preparation section above 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 
  
  Arcane Shadows 
   
  Page 2 
   
  # 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 
  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. 
  Nevertheless, if a character has the Mounted 
  Combat feat, he may bring a single warhorse, 
  light or heavy, with him in the adventure and it 
  will not count toward the APL calculation. 
  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 and 
  gold a PC may gain at the end of the adventure. If 
  a player character is three character levels or more 
  either higher or lower than the APL at which this 
  adventure is being played, that character will 
  receive only one-half of the experience points for 
  the adventure. Further, if the PC is three character 
  levels or more lower than the APL at which this 
  adventure is being played, that PC will receive 
  simulates the fact that either the PC was not 
  challenged as much as normal or relied on help by 
  higher-level 
  characters 
  to 
  reach the objectives. 
   
  Further, a PC who is four 
  or more levels higher than 
  the highest APL supported 
  by the adventure may not 
  play the scenario unless the 
  highest APL supported by 
  the adventure is APL 12. 
   
  Note: LIVING GREYHAWK 
  adventures are designed for 
  APL 2 and higher. Four or 
  five 1st-level characters may 
  find 
  difficulty 
  with 
  the 
  challenges 
  in 
  a 
  LIVING 
  GREYHAWK adventure. If a 
  group is APL 1 there are two 
  things that the group 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 move action (spoken 
  command) that may be attempted each round. 
  If the animal is wounded or has taken any 
  nonlethal damage or ability score damage, the 
  DC increases to 12. 
  Time Units and Upkeep  
   
   
  This 
  is 
  a 
  standard 
  one-round 
  introductory 
  adventure, set in the Theocracy of the Pale. 
  Characters native to the Theocracy of the Pale pay 
  one Time Unit per round, all 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. 
  Characters that fail to pay at least Standard 
  Upkeep will retain temporary ability damage until 
  the next adventure, must buy new spell component 
  pouches and healer’s kits, and may suffer other in-
  game penalties (or possibly gain in-game benefits) 
  as may be detailed in this scenario. 
   
  A character who does not pay for at least 
  Standard Upkeep may also avoid the above-
  
  Arcane Shadows 
   
  Page 3 
   
  described penalties by living off the wild. If the 
  character possesses four or more ranks in the 
  Survival skill and succeeds at a Survival check 
  (DC 20), the character will heal temporary ability 
  damage as if he or she paid for Standard Upkeep, 
  may refill spell component pouches and healer’s 
  kits, and may restock up to 20 arrows or bolts if the 
  character has at least four ranks in Craft 
  (bowmaking). The player is allowed to Take 10 on 
  this roll. 
   
  More information about Lifestyle and Upkeep 
  can be found in the “Lifestyle and Upkeep” section 
  of Chapter 3 of the LIVING GREYHAWK Campaign 
  Sourcebook. 
  Adventure Background 
  A young sorceress, Aliana, recently discovered her 
  abilities and has journeyed to the city of 
  Hawkburgh from her small logging village near the 
  northern edge of the Gamboge Forest just over the 
  Nyrond border. She is a simple peasant woman 
  and thus has little knowledge about the laws the 
  Church enforces in the Theocracy. She is merely 
  looking to make a few coins with her minor tricks. 
   
  On her way to Hawkburgh, she unwittingly 
  bought a faulty dimension door scroll for a few gold 
  coins from a crooked merchant. The merchant had 
  a wizard partner of minor talent make bogus 
  scrolls for him that only appeared magical. 
  Unbeknownst to the merchant, though, the scroll 
  he sold Aliana has just enough true magic in it to 
  actually cast a dimension door spell, although one 
  which the caster has no control over. The caster 
  will arrive at a random location; in this case, the 
  random location will be the PCs’ room at the 
  nearby Inn of the Twilight Hearth. 
   
  To add to the web of trouble weaving about 
  Aliana, some evil cultists want to kill her. When 
  Aliana was wandering in the Gamboge Forest one 
  day before her arcane powers manifested, she 
  saw some Flan persons apparently hunting and 
  gathering. She waved to them, but they ignored 
  her completely. Little did she know this was a 
  group of Ur-Flan devotees, on a mission for some 
  dark purpose. Worried that Aliana may have seen 
  something incriminating and could ruin their plans, 
  the cultists have summoned a band of assassins 
  to kill her. 
  Adventure Summary 
  This adventure starts with the PCs in the city of 
  Hawkburgh in the southwestern Theocracy of the 
  Pale. If the PCs do not have another reason for 
  being here, they may have heard of the great 
  market squares of Hawkburgh and are hoping to 
  pick up some decent adventuring equipment. 
   
  The city is crowded, as winter is coming on 
  and many merchants are hoping to do a last bit of 
  business before the roads leading deeper into the 
  Theocracy become thick with snow. This has left 
  rooms in the inns hard to come by, so the party 
  has been forced to share a room at the Inn of the 
  Twilight Hearth. 
   
  As the party members arrived the night before, 
  some of them noticed a young Flan woman 
  performing minor tricks on the street in front of the 
  inn; this was Aliana. 
   
  The next morning as the PCs are all preparing 
  to go their separate ways into the city, the City 
  Watch arrives to check the young girl’s arcane 
  registration. Aliana is near the Inn of the Twilight 
  Hearth and notices the watch heading her way. 
  She’s not sure whether they are coming to arrest 
  her, but having no understanding of Pale law, 
  doesn’t want to find out. As they near her, she is 
  pulling out the scroll of dimension door. The 
  guards think she is pulling out her arcane 
  registration papers and so make no rush to stop 
  her until it is too late.  
   
  She intends to come out several blocks away 
  in order to escape from the City Watch; instead, 
  the dimension door carries her into the room of the 
  PCs, embroiling them in Aliana’s web of trouble. 
  Aliana will be as scared of the PCs as they may be 
  surprised by her. If they show her any kindness, 
  she immediately begs them for their help. In any 
  event, she is hysterical and the party may not 
  understand what is going on at first.  If the PCs are 
  about to turn her in, then three other people jump 
  into action to help Aliana escape, and the PCs may 
  need to track her down on behalf of the city watch. 
   
  If they are helping Aliana, the party has to 
  determine what to do with her. They might suggest 
  various ways to help her, including the Coven of 
  White Light, the Arcanist Guild, or other means to 
  avoid time in a New Dawn Camp. If the party 
  suggests the Coven, they have to figure out how to 
  locate this secretive group. If the party suggests 
  the Arcanist Guild, they have to find a way to get 
  her to the local Guild House without being noticed 
  by the guards. 
   
  Escaping from the inn without being noticed by 
  the City Watch is a challenge. If the City Watch 
  notices the PCs, they will be forced into a position 
  of either having to surrender to the guards and 
  
  Arcane Shadows 
   
  Page 4 
   
  facing Pale justice with Aliana, or fighting their way 
  out, which will be an improbable task. 
   
  If the party escapes the City Watch around the 
  inn, they will have to proceed to wherever they 
  think the girl will receive the most beneficial aid. 
   
  Along the way, the assassins (evil shadowy fey 
  called shadar-kai) strike and the PCs have to 
  protect Aliana.  If Aliana escaped the PCs in the 
  beginning, 
  the 
  PCs 
  stumble 
  upon 
  the 
  assassination attempt as it is happening. 
   
  After the assassination attempt, an agent of 
  the Coven who wants to know what happened with 
  the girl in the square contacts the PCs. The party 
  is probably wary after the last encounter. If they 
  can overcome their suspicion, they now have a 
  lead to the Coven if they are searching for it, or at 
  least a new option besides the Arcanist Guild. 
   
  Depending on the party’s goal and success, 
  the adventure may end with Aliana in a New Dawn 
  Camp, free to go home, allied with the Coven or 
  the Arcanist Guild, or even (in the worst case) 
  dead.  Similarly, the PCs might have to answer in 
  court for any harm done on this eventful day. 
  Preparation for Play 
  All judges should read Player’s Handout #1. 
  Player’s Handout #1 should be given to players at 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  scenario 
  before 
  the 
  introduction is being read to ensure they are aware 
  of Pale law and the way its justice system works. 
   
  Judges running this scenario should read the 
  Arcanist Guild and Coven of White Light meta-
  organization documents before play, specifically 
  the background sections to become familiar with 
  how both organizations operate. Briefly, the 
  Arcanist Guild is a lawful group, sanctioned by the 
  Church and loyal to the Pale; the Coven is an 
  ancient and secret group of sorcerers and bards, 
  working to improve the lot of all arcanists in the 
  Pale. 
   
  You should have all players pre-roll a Spot and 
  Listen check for their characters for use in 
  Encounter Two. This will keep the players off their 
  guard, since saying, “Roll a Spot check!” tends to 
  make players wary. 
  Introduction 
  The evening air was chilly last night as you 
  made your way to the Inn of the Twilight 
  Hearth. You had heard this inn would still have 
  a room or two left where you would be able to 
  spend the night. You might have had to stay 
  outside last night otherwise. The snow you see 
  out the window this morning probably makes 
  you glad you found this room, even though 
  you did have to share it with about ten other 
  people. 
  You should let the players introduce their 
  characters to each other and talk for a few 
  minutes.  There are seven other people in the 
  room besides the PCs, as described in Encounter 
  One.  Three have PC classes—their names are 
  Volstag, Turelo, and Ildriana—and four are generic 
  commoners or experts. 
   
  The room is 30 ft. by 20 ft. (6x4 squares), with 
  two columns in the middle, each 10 feet (2 
  squares) from the nearest wall.  There is a door in 
  one long wall, two windows in the opposite long 
  wall (looking out toward the street), and a window 
  in the short wall (looking out to the adjacent 
  building). 
   
  Determine which of the PCs may have noticed 
  Aliana on the street, either because of high Spot 
  skills, being an arcane spellcaster themselves, or 
  simply randomly. 
   
  You and your accidental roommates are 
  talking as you get ready to leave the room and 
  go 
  your 
  separate 
  ways. 
  One 
  of 
  your 
  roommates is sharing a story about a young 
  woman they saw performing minor magic-
  tricks across from the inn last night. She was a 
  raven-haired lass with almond-shaped eyes of 
  green, captivating in her way.  She called forth 
  swirling motes of red and gold while invisible 
  bells jingled and copper coins danced on her 
  hands. There may have been some real magic 
  in these tricks, but only of the most basic sort. 
  A few children paused briefly before their 
  parents ushered them on down the street.  
   
  Encounter One: A Visitor Out 
  of Thin Air 
  While the PCs are getting ready to embark for the 
  day, down on the street Aliana, the young girl from 
  the story about the night before, is once again 
  performing her tricks on the street. The City Watch 
  has been tipped off by a faithful Pholtan about the 
  girl, and they are coming to check her registration 
  papers, since they have not seen her before a 
  couple of days ago. 
  
  Arcane Shadows 
   
  Page 5 
   
   
  Across the way from the Inn of the Twilight 
  Hearth, the shadar-kai assassins hide, carefully 
  observing the girl and hoping to kill her later today. 
   
  As the guards approach Aliana, she notices 
  them and panics. She pulls out her scroll of 
  dimension door. The guards assume the scroll to 
  be registration, so they are not alarmed. They 
  realize the truth as she begins to read it, but are 
  too late to stop her from stepping through the 
  magical portal. (She succeeded at her caster level 
  check.) 
   
  Read or paraphrase the following: 
  Just as you and your roommates finish 
  preparing to embark for the day, you hear a 
  sudden commotion on the street outside. A 
  man yells, “Halt in the name of Pholtus and the 
  Theocrat!” 
   
  A young woman responds loudly, though 
  unintelligibly, and immediately several people 
  scream in panic. 
  If any of the PCs go to a window to see what is 
  going on, they see several people moving quickly 
  away from the square below while shouting. The 
  words “demon” and “possessed of evil” can be 
  heard with a Listen check (DC 10). Mixed among 
  the people are four guards and their officer, 
  spreading out in nearby alleyways, as if looking for 
  someone. 
   
  Proceed with the following after describing the 
  street scene, or immediately if no one looks out the 
  window: 
  Shortly after the screams begin, a doorway 
  shape, glowing faintly blue, appears in the 
  middle of your room. From the strange 
  doorway 
  spills 
  a 
  raven-haired 
  girl. 
  The 
  doorway flickers, audibly sputters, and fades 
  away. The young woman stares at you and 
  immediately her eyes dart toward the door, 
  then to the windows. Her body tenses as she 
  starts to move to the door. 
   
  The girl is Aliana. When setting up the room, 
  Aliana should appear near the window in the short 
  wall. A Suel man, Volstag, is between her and the 
  window. To either side of Volstag and slightly in 
  front of him are his travelling companions, Ildriana 
  and Turelo. The common sleeping quarters are 
  further occupied by four others who should be 
  placed in varying locations among the two parties, 
  but not blocking the window or Aliana from the 
  NPC party. 
   
  If any PC challenges Aliana, she immediately 
  falls to her knees and begins sobbing, succumbing 
  to her fate. She can be calmed down with a 
  successful Diplomacy check (DC 15). If the PCs 
  approach her with kindness, she still collapses to 
  the floor and begins sobbing, but she can be 
  calmed with an easier Diplomacy check (DC 10), 
  since she is not afraid. 
   
  Aliana does not want to be arrested by the City 
  Watch and believes they are after her for begging 
  or vagrancy. She has no idea they were coming to 
  check her Arcane Registration Papers, nor does 
  she even know about the Arcane Registration 
  required by the Theocracy of the Pale. 
   
  If the PCs suggest she turn herself in without 
  any other kind of help, she once again becomes 
  despondent. She is resigned to her fate if the PCs 
  are not willing to help her escape. Three of the 
  others staying in the room with the party, however, 
  do not want to turn her in; see the Troubleshooting 
  section for more information. 
   
  If the PCs want to help Aliana, they can 
  suggest a few different possibilities. She goes 
  along with whatever option they believe best. The 
  most obvious option is to take her to the local 
  Arcanist Guild house here in Hawkburgh. She 
  does not want to surrender to the guards, but if 
  anyone explains to her how the Arcanist Guild 
  might help her, she is willing to turn herself in to 
  the guild. If PCs cannot think of ways in which the 
  Arcanist Guild might intervene on her behalf, they 
  may make a Knowledge (local – Nyrond and Her 
  Environs) check to know the following information. 
  An Intelligence check works too, at the second DC 
  listed: 
  • 
  DC 5/DC 10: The Arcanist Guild is an 
  organization that seeks to help promote 
  arcane magic in the Theocracy of the 
  Pale. 
  • 
  DC 10/DC 15: The Arcanist Guild may be 
  able to intercede with the City Watch to 
  explain Aliana’s ignorance of the law. They 
  could reduce her punishment to a warning 
  instead. 
  • 
  DC 15/DC 20: The Arcanist Guild helps to 
  regulate the registration of arcanists in 
  cooperation with the Church of the One 
  True Path, and could thus help Aliana the 
  best. 
   
  Another option is to help Aliana make contact 
  with the Coven of White Light. If PCs are not 
  aware of the Coven of White Light, a Knowledge 
  
  Arcane Shadows 
   
  Page 6 
   
  (local – Nyrond and Her Environs) check (DC 15) 
  is required to even have heard of them. If PCs 
  cannot think how the Coven of White Light may be 
  able to help, the following options can be realized 
  with a successful Knowledge (local – Nyrond and 
  Her Environs) check. Again, an Int check works, at 
  the second DC listed: 
  • 
  DC 10/DC 15: The Coven of White Light 
  helps unregistered arcanists sneak out of 
  the Theocracy of the Pale and thus avoid 
  registration. 
  • 
  DC 20/DC 30: The Coven of White Light is 
  rumored to have a barrister who defends 
  unregistered arcanists when they are 
  arrested. 
   
  The final option would be for the PCs to 
  attempt to help Aliana sneak out of the Theocracy 
  of the Pale on their own. If the PCs suggest this, 
  Aliana will require very little convincing. She is 
  more than willing to let the PCs help her back to 
  Nyrond, so she can return to her village. 
   
  If PCs are willing to help Aliana escape the 
  City Watch, they have to figure out how to sneak 
  her out of the inn and past the guards. There are 
  two windows leading out of the PCs’ room (corner, 
  third floor) as well as the door. 
   
  One window leads out to the main street below 
  where the guards are already searching. The 
  second window leads out over an alleyway. The 
  door leads to the hallway where some guards can 
  already 
  be 
  heard 
  banging 
  on 
  doors 
  and 
  demanding entry. If PCs peek out the door, they do 
  not see any guards, but they can hear the guards’ 
  voices from the level below. 
   
  The building on the other side of the alleyway 
  is five feet from the inn and so could easily be 
  crossed to using a rope or some other means. 
   
  The PCs may also disguise Aliana and try to 
  walk right past the City Watch with her. The Spot 
  check of the City Watch to see through the 
  disguise is 13. They are considered to be taking 10 
  to find Aliana and have a +3 to Spot. 
   
  You should allow the PCs to be creative in 
  trying to escape from the inn without confronting 
  the City Watch. You should also make sure to 
  emphasize that confronting the City Watch would 
  quickly become futile, as any fight with them would 
  surely bring reinforcements. 
  Aliana: Female human (Flan/Suel mix) Sor1; hp 
  5; see Appendix One, Encounter One. 
  • 
  Description: Aliana is a young woman of 
  mixed Flan/Suel blood. Her hair is raven-
  black, worn long and loose, and her 
  almond eyes are emerald green. She 
  wears a simple dress of green wool and a 
  pair of worn boots. Aliana is around 5 feet 
  tall, with a lithe build. 
  • 
  Motivation: Aliana seeks to learn more 
  about her new magical power and make a 
  new life for herself. She had grown bored 
  with her life as the daughter of a 
  woodsman and travelled to the nearest city 
  (Hawkburgh). She is naïve and knows very 
  little about the laws outside of her home 
  village in Nyrond. She only wishes to avoid 
  trouble with the City Watch now, but is 
  unsure of how to do this. She is in a panic 
  and will accept any help she can get. 
  • 
  Personality: Aliana is a simple peasant 
  girl from a logging village of approximately 
  25 people. Many of those people are her 
  family, so she is quite unused to dealing 
  with strangers. She has no true concept of 
  what the Theocracy of the Pale is like. One 
  of her cousins joined the Valorous League 
  of Blindness (a Pholtan fundamentalist 
  group) and spoke highly of the mighty 
  Pale. Since the Pale buys much of 
  northern Nyrond’s food, Aliana expected to 
  find a land of prosperity and plenty. She 
  has never heard the terms “Registered 
  Arcanist” or “New Dawn Camp”. She has 
  never even met another sorcerer and does 
  not know what a familiar is. She is 
  distraught and has had a hard time just 
  feeding herself since she came to the 
  Theocracy. 
   
  City Watch Guards (5): hp 12 each; see 
  Appendix One, Encounter One. 
   
  Tactics: The listed City Watch Guards are not 
  meant to be combat adversaries for the PCs. 
  Should the party engage the City Guards in 
  combat, 
  one 
  immediately 
  runs 
  to 
  get 
  reinforcements. Reinforcements arrive two rounds 
  after the combat begins. The intent is for the PCs 
  to escape from the City Watch with Aliana, not 
  fight them. The PCs gain experience either way, 
  but the adventure is probably going to end for them 
  if they fight the City Watch. 
   
  Troubleshooting: Should the PCs choose not 
  to help Aliana or, even worse for Aliana, choose to 
  call for the City Watch immediately, others in the 
  
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  room will help her. If this is the case, you should 
  proceed to ”Fighting Your Roommates”, below. 
   
  Development: If the PCs choose to help 
  Aliana escape to the Arcanist Guild, proceed to 
  Encounter Two once the PCs escape from the Inn. 
   
  If the PCs choose to help Aliana seek out the 
  Coven of White Light, they probably want to 
  Gather Information to find an agent of the Coven of 
  White Light. You should allow them to do so and 
  use the Judge’s Aid to give them rumors about the 
  Coven of White Light. Proceed to Encounter Two 
  once they feel they have enough information to 
  proceed. 
   
  Fighting Your Roommates 
  The party will arrive at this point if they have 
  chosen not to help Aliana. Read or paraphrase the 
  following: 
  Just as you’ve decided what to do with the 
  young girl who mysteriously appeared in your 
  room, it would seem others have different 
  intentions. 
   
  The bearded Suel man—Volstag, he called 
  himself—immediately grabs Aliana and leaps 
  through the window with her. 
   
  Another of your roommates, a stout 
  scholar with curly dark hair, begins speaking 
  arcane syllables. 
   
  At the same time, a sober young Oeridian 
  woman holds up her hands and says in her 
  contralto voice, “Now wait a minute, friends; 
  perhaps we should all think about what we’re 
  doing here.” 
   
  Four other people in the room are 
  scrambling to get away from the flurry of 
  activity. They didn’t count on sharing the room 
  with a rowdy bunch of adventurers! 
   
  Creatures:  (EL 5; adjusted to EL 3 for tactics) 
  Volstag: Male human (Suel) Bbn2; hp 21; see 
  Appendix One, Encounter One.  
  Turelo: Male human Cjr2; hp 12; see Appendix 
  One, Encounter One. 
  Ildriana: Female human (Oeridian) Clr2 – 
  Boccob; hp 15; see Appendix One, Encounter 
  One. 
  Tactics: Volstag and his comrades Ildriana (the 
  Oeridian priestess) and Turelo (the wizard) are 
  trying to save Aliana. Volstag uses his surprise 
  round action to grab Aliana and leap through the 
  window to the next building. He’s incredibly strong 
  and does not foresee a problem with this tactic. 
  His first action is a surprise to everyone and his 
  second is the surprise round where his two 
  companions will act. Ildriana tries to stall the party 
  by talking them down, while Turelo is casting 
  obscuring mist. All of these actions take place in a 
  surprise round, which the party gets no chance to 
  react to, since none of them have thought about 
  the possibility of other occupants in the room 
  aiding Aliana. 
   
  The party may roll initiative for the round 
  following this sequence of activity. On the first 
  regular round, Aliana runs (as instructed by 
  Volstag) along the roof across the way. At the end 
  of the building, she leaps down into a hay-filled 
  wagon and escapes into the crowd. Ildriana and 
  Turelo then seek to escape themselves through 
  the window or out the door of the room, whichever 
  path seems most logical. They defend themselves 
  as necessary, but they do not want to engage the 
  party in a prolonged fight or hurt anyone, only to 
  escape. The other four NPCs here just want to get 
  out of everyone’s way, but being caught inside the 
  obscuring mist should add to the confusion. 
   
  Volstag wants only to cover Aliana’s and his 
  party’s escape. He fights using non-lethal means 
  only. He does not want to risk a death sentence 
  even though he is willing to risk time in a New 
  Dawn Camp to help this young woman. 
   
  Treasure: Upon their arrival the City Watch 
  will confiscate all possible treasure from this 
  encounter. 
   
  Development: If a prolonged fight breaks out 
  in the room, the City Watch arrives at the end of 
  the fifth full round. If any of the NPCs has been 
  stopped from escaping, he/she will be arrested 
  based on the PCs’ testimony. If they have all 
  escaped, the guard listens patiently to the party’s 
  side of the story until the sergeant arrives. 
   
  The sergeant asks the PCs to help apprehend 
  the escaped arcanist (Aliana). He promises each a 
  reward of 100 gp if they actually capture her and 
  return her to the offices of the City Watch on the 
  next street over. 
   
  If the party accepts this task, proceed to 
  Encounter Two B. If the party refuses this task, the 
  adventure is over for them; the City Watch thanks 
  
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  them for the assistance they have rendered so far 
  and bids them farewell. 
   
  Encounter Two: Shadows of 
  Light 
  The party should be either proceeding toward the 
  Arcanist Guild or looking for an agent of the Coven 
  of White Light. The shadar-kai assassins who 
  were watching the events of Encounter One 
  noticed the party sneaking out with Aliana and 
  have been trailing the party throughout the 
  morning. If the party has been travelling along the 
  rooftops of the city, the assassins are following 
  from the ground. If the party does not say they are 
  travelling on the rooftops, they are assumed to be 
  using alleyways and other less travelled paths 
  through the city and the assassins are following 
  along on the rooftops. In this area, though, the 
  roofs are too steep and rickety for the PCs or the 
  shadar-kai to stand on, so everyone is back on the 
  ground.  
  You have been sneaking through the city for 
  the better part of the morning and are now 
  passing along a shadowy side street to avoid a 
  patrol of guards. The street is wider than a 
  fugitive might like, but the crates and boxes at 
  the back doors to some businesses line the 
  street. These provide fine cover to keep the 
  guards from seeing you. 
   
  Draw a map of a twenty-foot-wide street with 
  various boxes and crates, as described above, and 
  have the players place their PCs on the map.  The 
  shadar-kai start 30 feet down the street from the 
  PC in front.  They have been hiding behind the 
  boxes and crates along the street.  Roll Hide and 
  Move Silently checks for them modified for 
  distance as usual. 
  Heard: The PCs who succeeded at the Listen 
  check called for in “Preparation for Play” hear the 
  shadar-kai moving into position for shooting and 
  get to act in the surprise round. 
  Spotted: If any of the PCs succeeded at the Spot 
  check, read the following: 
  Just as your party is moving from one crate to 
  the next, you notice three shadowy figures 
  approaching. 
   
  These humanoids might be elves, but they 
  are as tall as humans and are dressed entirely 
  in clothing of deep grey. Even their skin 
  appears dusky. 
   
  Without a word, they aim shortbows at you. 
  The PCs who spotted the shadar-kai get to act in 
  the surprise round. 
  Undetected: If none of the party succeeds at their 
  Spot or Listen checks, the assassins gain surprise 
  on the party. They shoot at Aliana with their 
  shortbows. Read the following: 
  As you make your way along the street, arrows 
  streak toward your party from the shadows! 
  When the PCs finally see the shadar-kai, describe 
  them to the PCs using the text under “Spotted” 
  above (second paragraph). 
   
  Creatures: (EL 4, adjusted to EL 3 for tactics) 
  Shadar-Kai (3): hp 10, 9, 8; see Appendix One, 
  Encounter Two. 
  Tactics: The shadar-kai use their surprise attack 
  to shoot at Aliana with their bows. If they see her 
  drop from the arrows, they move in to verify her 
  death. Their employers do not want any mistakes; 
  their plans are too important. If Aliana does not 
  drop from the bow shots, the shadar-kai move in to 
  finish her off with their spiked chains. 
   
  The shadar-kai care little about the party and 
  only seek to kill Aliana. This does not mean they 
  will not fight the party, but they will try to maneuver 
  closer to Aliana throughout the combat. They will 
  not take attacks of opportunity from PCs, but will 
  use flanking and other such tactics to accomplish 
  their goal. 
   
  The shadar-kai will not surrender. They fight to 
  the death. 
   
  Treasure:  
  Loot – 243 gp (20 per PC), Coin – 1350 gp (225 
  per PC), Magic – 1875 gp (3 +1 gal-ralans) (156 
  per PC). 
   
  Development: If the party captures any of the 
  shadar-kai alive and tries to interrogate them, they 
  have little to tell. They will say they have their 
  reasons for their actions and those reasons are 
  none of the party’s business. (Use the standard 
  rules for Intimidate or Diplomacy; the shadar-kai 
  are Hostile.) They do not know the identity of their 
  employer and never dealt with him directly. They 
  come from the Gamboge Forest. Their mission 
  was to kill the girl.  
  
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  The shadar-kai will attempt to escape from the 
  party at every opportunity, even if it means 
  possible death. 
   
  Proceed to Encounter Three. 
  Encounter Two B: Shadows 
  of Light (Alternate) 
  This encounter occurs after the party has been 
  sent out by the City Watch to look for Aliana. They 
  have been following clues all day, which have 
  finally led them to a side street with several crates 
  stacked up along its length. Read or paraphrase 
  the following:  
  You have been moving through the city 
  throughout the day trying to locate Aliana. 
  Your search has recently led you down a side 
  street. The street is approximately twenty feet 
  wide, but there are several crates and boxes at 
  the back doors to many businesses lining the 
  street. This makes it a perfect area for a 
  fugitive to try and hide. As you look down the 
  street you see a shadowy figure moving 
  towards the opposite end of the street. As she 
  turns towards you, you notice her face and 
  recognize the woman from this morning in 
  your room. 
   
  As you’re watching her and considering 
  what your options may be at this time, three 
  more figures climb down from boxes between 
  you and the girl. They have shortbows in hand 
  and appear to be about to fire at the girl. These 
  humanoids might be elves, but they are as tall 
  as humans and are dressed entirely in clothing 
  of deep grey. Even their skin appears dusky. 
   
  Draw a map of a twenty-foot-wide street with 
  various boxes and crates, as described above, and 
  have the players place their PCs on the map on 
  one end of the street.  Place another single figure, 
  Aliana, on the opposite end of the street. The 
  shadar-kai (the other three figures) are halfway 
  between the party and Aliana. 
   
  The shadar-kai have been pursuing Aliana and 
  just caught up to her in this street. They are 
  already moving down to attack her when the party 
  turns onto the street. They notice the party at the 
  same time the party notices them. Two of them 
  break off to stall the party while the third fires at 
  Aliana. Aliana should be the only one surprised at 
  this point; both the PCs and the shadar-kai are 
  equally surprised by each other and so they react 
  normally. Have the PCs roll initiative at this point 
  and proceed as per normal combat. 
   
  The 
  shadar-kai 
  shooting 
  at 
  Aliana 
  concentrates on killing her, but always defends 
  himself. The other two shadar-kai try to stall the 
  party from stopping the assassination of Aliana. All 
  three flee as soon as the one moving to Aliana has 
  successfully slain and verified her death. 
   
  The statistics for the shadar-kai are the same 
  as in Encounter Two, as is the treasure. 
  Development: If Aliana survives this encounter, 
  the party may try to capture her; use the statistics 
  for Aliana as presented in Encounter One. If Aliana 
  is slain here, the adventure is finished, but the 
  party can still turn Aliana’s corpse over to the 
  authorities and explain to them what happened. 
  Proceed to Conclusion Seven. 
   
  If the party succeeds in capturing Aliana, they 
  have to take her back to the City Watch offices. 
  Proceed to Encounter Three B. 
   
  Aliana may also escape from the party again. 
  If she does, proceed to Encounter Three C. 
  Encounter Three: Agent of 
  White Light 
  The next encounter occurs either four blocks from 
  the Guild House (if the party is headed there) or in 
  the middle of the afternoon if the party is doing 
  something else with Aliana. 
   
  You should refrain from influencing the party’s 
  attitude; let the encounter happen, as the party 
  prefers. 
  It has been a couple of hours since your 
  encounter with the strange elves. You have 
  continued to make your way through the city, 
  avoiding the City Watch as you go and have 
  been lucky so far. 
   
  You’ve just arrived at the end of another 
  side street, when someone turns onto the 
  street you are about to exit. 
   
  This man, middle-aged and fair-haired, 
  looks squarely at you as he rounds the corner. 
  He raises his hands in your direction and says, 
  “You don’t want to go out that way. 
   
  “The City Watch has just passed and aren’t 
  completely gone yet…and you don’t want to 
  run into them, unless I miss my guess about 
  why you are sneaking along side streets. 
  Maybe you can tell me what happened earlier 
  
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  this morning. I heard about it from some 
  friends, but it seems rather bizarre to me in 
  general.” 
  This is Mezrin. He is a member of the Coven of 
  White Light and has heard through some of his 
  contacts a version of what happened earlier. He 
  has been seeking the party most of the day and 
  finally heard rumors of their location and caught up 
  to them here. He wants to know what’s really going 
  on and wants to help, but tells the party who he is 
  only after he feels he can trust them. Throughout 
  this conversation, Mezrin uses Sense Motive to 
  make sure the party is telling the truth. 
   
  The party is probably suspicious. Allow them to 
  be skeptical of Mezrin’s words, but make clear that 
  he is not threatening them. If the PCs ask for 
  Sense Motive checks, success indicates Mezrin is 
  sincere in his curiosity. A very high Sense Motive 
  check might make a PC believe Mezrin is not 
  being completely truthful, but this is unlikely given 
  Mezrin’s high Bluff modifier.  
   
  The version of the story Mezrin heard is as 
  follows: A young girl was practicing magic in the 
  streets when the guards came walking towards 
  her. She pulled out a scroll as they were 
  approaching and had this look of fear on her face. 
  She then read the scroll and stepped through a 
  magical doorway to somewhere. The guards yelled 
  for the girl to stop when they saw she was casting 
  a spell, but it was too late. They searched nearby 
  buildings with no luck and are now searching the 
  entire city for her. 
   
  Mezrin just wants to know the truth. If the party 
  or Aliana reveals she ran from the guards because 
  she is unregistered as an arcanist, he asks her 
  what they are trying to do about the situation. If the 
  PCs say they are heading for the Arcanist Guild, 
  he tells them they will probably be able to help the 
  girl, but might not keep her out of a New Dawn 
  Camp. If they say they are looking for another way 
  to help her, he asks how they plan to do this. 
   
  Mezrin gives more information about the 
  Arcanist Guild based on questions asked of him. 
  He has lived in the Theocracy of the Pale most of 
  his life and knows most of the information about 
  the Arcanist Guild listed in the Arcanist Guild Meta-
  Organization document. 
   
  If the party mentions the Coven of White Light, 
  he feigns ignorance and asks the PCs what that is. 
  Mezrin pursues a line of questioning to find out 
  how much the party knows about the Coven. If 
  he’s convinced they don’t really know that much, 
  he leaves off the questioning but finishes by asking 
  what they think the Coven can do for them. If the 
  party says they hope the Coven will be able to help 
  Aliana, he hints that he might know how to put 
  them in contact with the Coven. 
   
  Mezrin never reveals himself as a member of 
  the Coven but will offer to take Aliana to the house 
  of a friend who can help her to make contact with 
  the Coven. If the party and Aliana agree (Aliana 
  will acquiesce to the party’s wishes), Mezrin takes 
  Aliana off their hands and helps her to sneak out of 
  the Theocracy using the Coven’s safehouses and 
  allies. 
   
  If the party mentions the attack on them by the 
  shadar-kai, he expresses concern but does not 
  know anything about it. He has never seen shadar-
  kai himself. 
    
  Mezrin: Male human (Suel/Oeridian) Sor4; hp 
  21; see Appendix One, Encounter Three. 
  • 
  Appearance: Mezrin is a man of mixed 
  Suel/Oeridian bloodlines. He has clean 
  flaxen-yellow hair and bright blue eyes. His 
  olive skin shows his Oeridian heritage. He 
  is an accomplished orator and has acted 
  as a mediator for many minor arguments 
  between 
  the 
  lower-born 
  persons 
  of 
  Hawkburgh. Mezrin has an owl familiar, 
  which is perched on the gutter of a nearby 
  building while the PCs talk. 
  • 
  Motives: Mezrin is a member of the 
  Coven of White Light. He seeks to help all 
  arcanists he meets, but like all members 
  of the Coven, this is primarily directed at 
  sorcerers and those of the blood of 
  dragons. He truly wants to help Aliana if he 
  can, but he does not know the whole story. 
  He had planned on speaking to her today, 
  but the Watch got to her first. 
  • 
  Personality: Mezrin is a stern man. He 
  was raised in the city of Rakervale and 
  spent most of his life as a scribe’s 
  apprentice before his sorcerous abilities 
  manifested. He enjoys helping other 
  sorcerers (male or female) but is cautious 
  about revealing exactly who he is. If the 
  Church of the One True Path returned to 
  its conservative roots, he fears it might 
  attempt to crush his organization beneath 
  its religious zeal. 
   
  Tactics:  
  If the party is hostile toward 
  Mezrin, he defends himself as necessary. Mezrin 
  does not wish to fight with the party, but, as a 
  
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  sorcerer of some power, is not afraid of them 
  either. Mezrin never attacks to kill; he only seeks to 
  escape by any means necessary. He may call for 
  the City Watch if his life is in danger, using his owl 
  familiar to get them if necessary. He is a lawfully 
  registered arcanist and does not fear the City 
  Watch. 
   
  Development: If the party does not get help 
  from Mezrin and proceeds to take Aliana to the 
  Arcanist Guild, proceed to Encounter 4A. 
   
  If the party does not get help from Mezrin and 
  tries to sneak Aliana out of the city by themselves, 
  proceed to Encounter 4B. 
   
  If the party gains aid from Mezrin, proceed to 
  Conclusion One. 
  Encounter Three B: Agent of 
  White Light (Alternate) 
  This encounter occurs after the party has captured 
  Aliana while working for the City Watch. Read or 
  paraphrase the following: 
  You are escorting your prisoner, Aliana, back 
  to the offices of the City Watch when a figure 
  steps out of a nearby alley and waves to you. 
   
  He calls out, “Please, might I speak to you 
  for a moment?” 
   
  This is Mezrin. He is a member of the Coven 
  of White Light and has heard through some of his 
  contacts a version of what happened earlier. He 
  has been seeking Aliana most of the day as well. 
  He wants to know what’s really going on and wants 
  to help Aliana, but he also knows who the party is 
  and what their role has been so far. Throughout 
  this conversation, Mezrin uses Sense Motive to 
  make sure the party is telling the truth. 
   
  The party is probably suspicious. Allow them to 
  be skeptical of Mezrin’s words, but make clear that 
  he is not threatening them. If the PCs ask for 
  Sense Motive checks, success indicates Mezrin is 
  sincere in his curiosity. A very high Sense Motive 
  check might make a PC believe Mezrin is not 
  being completely truthful, but this is unlikely given 
  Mezrin’s high Bluff modifier.  
   
  The version of the story Mezrin heard is as 
  follows: A young girl was practicing magic in the 
  streets when the guards came walking towards 
  her. She pulled out a scroll as they were 
  approaching and had this look of fear on her face. 
  She then read the scroll and stepped through a 
  magical doorway to somewhere. The guards yelled 
  for the girl to stop when they saw she was casting 
  a spell, but it was too late. The guards were 
  notified of the girl’s presence in an upper room of 
  the Inn of the Twilight Hearth, but she escaped 
  again. He understands the PCs were then 
  employed to aid in hunting the girl down and 
  capturing her. 
   
  Mezrin wants to help Aliana, but not at the cost 
  of his own freedom. He mentions to the party that 
  perhaps they could help the girl in some way, while 
  still upholding Palish law. For example, they could 
  take her to the Arcanist Guild instead of straight to 
  the City Watch. He can give them any information 
  about the Arcanist Guild they wish to know, based 
  on the meta-org document for the Arcanist Guild. 
   
  Mezrin: Male human (Suel/Oeridian) Sor4; hp 
  21; see Appendix One, Encounter Three. 
  For further information on Mezrin, see his 
  Appearance, Motives, and Personality under 
  Encounter Three, above. 
   
  Development: If the party agrees to take 
  Aliana to the Arcanist Guild, proceed to Encounter 
  Four A. 
   
  If the party does not take Aliana to the Arcanist 
  Guild, and delivers her to the watch, proceed to 
  Conclusion Eight. 
  Encounter Three C: Enemies 
  of the White Light 
  This encounter occurs if Aliana escaped from the 
  party and the shadar-kai. Read or paraphrase the 
  following: 
  The girl Aliana escaped from you again during 
  the fight with the strange elves and you have 
  had to waste another two hours looking for 
  her. 
   
  You have finally got a lead that she may be 
  in a nearby home and have come to investigate 
  the home to see if the lead proves to be true. 
  As you are nearing the house, the door opens 
  and out steps a fair-haired man dressed 
  warmly in drab clothing, with an owl perched 
  on his shoulder. Right behind the man is the 
  woman you have been looking for. 
   
  The man is Mezrin and he is a member of the 
  Coven of White Light. He intercepted Aliana shortly 
  after her escape from the shadar-kai. He is about 
  to escort her to a safe house where she can stay 
  
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  until the pursuit by the City Watch calms down. He 
  brooks no interference from the party, now that his 
  aid has been given to Aliana. 
  Creatures: (EL 4; adjusted to 3 for tactics) 
  Mezrin: Male human (Suel/Oeridian) Sor4; hp 
  21; see Appendix One, Encounter Three. 
   
   
  Tactics: Mezrin does not wish to engage the 
  party in a prolonged fight. His goal is to help Aliana 
  to get away and himself as well. He uses his spells 
  and other abilities in order to affect this escape 
  and at no time will he be fighting to kill the party. 
  He thinks they do not understand the truth of the 
  events of the day. 
   
  Development: Should the party defeat Mezrin 
  and capture Aliana, proceed to Conclusion Eight. 
   
  If the party fails to defeat Mezrin and thus fails 
  to capture Aliana, proceed to Conclusion Nine. 
  Encounter Four A: Arcanist 
  Guild 
  If the party is helping Aliana to reach the Arcanist 
  Guild, they reach an alleyway across the street 
  from the Hawkburgh guild house shortly after the 
  encounter with Mezrin. 
  You have been able to avoid the City Watch 
  throughout the day and can finally see your 
  objective. The Arcanist Guild’s guild house 
  stands across the street, less than one 
  hundred yards from you. It stands out even 
  among the buildings of this affluent district. 
  Built of stone in a Nyrondese style, but with 
  less ornamentation, the three-story guild 
  house must be the work of master masons or 
  even magic. But there is a problem. 
   
  A City Watch patrol has positioned itself 
  less than a block past the front of the guild 
  house, with a clear view all around it. It would 
  be hard to get past them to the safety of the 
  Arcanist Guild without being seen. 
  You should allow PCs to be creative in devising a 
  way to successfully sneak Aliana into the guild 
  house. To help, you may want to remind the party 
  the City Watch does not know who the PCs are or 
  even that they are involved. 
   
  Any reasonable plan should be allowed to 
  succeed, except for attacking the guards outright. 
  You should add suspense as necessary, but the 
  real problem here is inside the guild house. 
   
  Once the party reaches the guild house, read 
  the following: 
  You have finally made it to the door of the 
  guild house. A young man—an apprentice, by 
  the look of studious insomnia about him— 
  opens the door and bids you welcome. He 
  listens dazedly to your request to speak with 
  someone of importance and eventually goes 
  and fetches the house master. In a few 
  minutes, a tall, heavyset Oeridian man of about 
  fifty enters the room. He is dressed in a purple 
  silk shirt and cotton trousers. He has a dagger 
  strapped on his belt and a small pouch on the 
  other side. He speaks with a strong voice.  
   
  “Mekros tells me you wished to speak to 
  someone of importance. I am Faran, master of 
  this guild house. What can I do for you?” 
  You should allow the party a chance to respond 
  and tell their story. When they are finished, Faran 
  responds based on his knowledge of the 
  Theocracy of the Pale and her laws. 
   
  He will say something to this effect: “Well, a 
  violation of the laws of the Theocracy requires 
  some kind of penance be done by this young 
  woman. Also, you misunderstand the purpose of 
  the Arcanist Guild. It is not our place to question 
  the laws of this land, but to help preserve the ability 
  of arcanists to live peacefully here and be 
  accepted by the Church of the One True Path as 
  an asset to the Theocracy and not a threat. For 
  this reason, I have no choice but to call the City 
  Watch here to take Aliana into custody—and you, 
  too, for assisting her in her escape.” 
   
  Faran listens to reason, of course, for he is not 
  an unfair man. If the party wants to dissuade him 
  from this path, they must make a Diplomacy 
  check. Faran starts off Indifferent to the PCs. You 
  should add situational modifiers as you see fit 
  based on arguments given by the party, but no 
  more than +2 for each argument. All PCs who 
  speak may assist in the Diplomacy check. The 
  results of the Diplomacy check are as follows: 
   
  DC 0 or less: What the PCs say makes Faran 
  even angrier! The PCs and Aliana are under 
  arrest, and Faran will argue for the harshest 
  sentence allowed under the law. 
   
  DC 1: Faran is not swayed. He calls the City 
  Watch to arrest Aliana and the PCs. 
   
  DC 10: Faran calls the City Watch to arrest 
  Aliana but intercedes on the party’s behalf. He 
  explains how the party misunderstood the purpose 
  of the Arcanist Guild. 
  
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  DC 15: Faran calls the City Watch to arrest 
  Aliana but intercedes on her and the party’s behalf. 
  He explains what happened and how the party 
  misunderstood the purpose of the Arcanist Guild. 
  Faran also explains to the City Watch how Aliana 
  was ignorant of the laws of the Theocracy; he will 
  accompany her and the guards to speak to the 
  magistrate. 
   
  DC 20: Faran will take Aliana to the magistrate 
  himself and the party may accompany him if they 
  wish. He will explain the circumstances to the 
  magistrate and ask for leniency. Faran will 
  recommend Aliana be held only overnight in the 
  local New Dawn Camp, to be taught the laws of 
  the Theocracy of the Pale. 
   
  DC 25: Faran will go with Aliana to register as 
  an arcanist in the Theocracy of the Pale. He will 
  take responsibility for educating her on the laws of 
  the Theocracy and allow her to avoid a New Dawn 
  Camp stay by placing her under house arrest in 
  the guild house for two weeks. 
  Mekros: Male human (Oeridian) Wiz1; AL LN. 
  Faran: Male human (Oeridian) Wiz10; AL 
  LN(G). 
  • 
  Appearance: Faran is a pureblooded 
  Oeridian man, about fifty years old. His 
  hair is chestnut brown (only barely greying) 
  and his eyes are coal black. He is a big 
  man, standing over six feet tall but not very 
  athletic in build. 
  • 
  Motives: Faran seeks to run the Arcanist 
  Guild House here in Hawkburgh in an 
  orderly manner. He is not in charge of 
  anything 
  in 
  truth 
  other 
  than 
  the 
  maintenance of the guild house itself. He 
  has no hidden motives, since the PCs or 
  Aliana have come to him. 
  • 
  Personality: Faran is a plain-spoken man, 
  a devout Pholtan, and incredibly orderly. 
  He believes arcane registration is a 
  necessary law in the Theocracy. He has 
  seen what the corruption of magic has 
  done in other lands and does not want that 
  to happen in his homeland. Still, Faran 
  follows the spirit of the law rather than the 
  letter of the law, so he can be convinced to 
  help stray arcanists who have ran afoul of 
  the law, as long as they answer to 
  someone (such as the Arcanist Guild). 
  Development: Proceed to Conclusion Two, or 
  Conclusion Four if the PCs are arrested. 
  Encounter Four B: The Last 
  Hurdle 
  This encounter takes place if the party is trying to 
  sneak Aliana out of the city themselves. 
  You have finally made it to the gates of the city. 
  All you have to do is get through the heavily 
  guarded gate with a fugitive from the law and 
  this day will be over. The guards are obviously 
  searching every wagon going out of the city, 
  so you probably cannot sneak Aliana out that 
  way. They are also forcing everyone wearing 
  hooded cloaks to pull back their hoods and 
  reveal their faces. 
  There are twenty guards at the gate and they are 
  searching everyone and every cart/wagon going 
  out of the city. All gates out of Hawkburgh are 
  being guarded like this. The party may still attempt 
  to get Aliana through the gate, but you should 
  adjudicate the situation as necessary based on the 
  party’s plans. Failure here will result in the party 
  being jailed in a New Dawn Camp for a week 
  reviewing the laws of the Theocracy of the Pale. 
  Aliana will be there with them, though, if it helps 
  soothe their pride. 
   
  Make up a plausible map of the gates, so the 
  players know what they are dealing with. If the 
  guards discover the PCs, you should make sure to 
  emphasize to the players how futile it would be to 
  fight the City Watch at the gates of the city. 
   
  Creatures:  
  City Watch Guards (20 to start with): hp 12 
  each; see Appendix 1, Encounter One. 
   
  Tactics: The City Watch guards strike for non-
  lethal damage unless one of them is killed. If a 
  guard is killed, the guards strike for lethal damage 
  in order to better defend themselves, but they still 
  try not to kill anyone. 
   
  Development: If the party succeeds in getting 
  Aliana out of the city without being pursued by the 
  City Watch, proceed to Conclusion Three. 
   
  If the guard captures the party without a fight, 
  they are arrested for harboring a fugitive. Proceed 
  to Conclusion Four. 
   
  If the party actually fights but does not kill any 
  of the guards, they are arrested and charged with 
  Deadly Assault. Proceed to Conclusion Five. 
   
  If the party engages in combat and kills one or 
  more of the guards, any survivors are arrested and 
  charged with Chaotic Murder. Hope that the 
  
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  players weren’t attached to these PCs. Proceed to 
  Conclusion Six. 
  Conclusion 
  There are many ways for this scenario to end.  The 
  actions of the PCs in the encounters should have 
  directed you to one of the conclusions described 
  here.  If a particular case is not covered, use these 
  conclusions as guidelines for the unique case. 
  Conclusion One: 
  The party has succeeded in making contact with 
  an agent of the Coven of White Light and they 
  have secreted Aliana out of Hawkburgh and into 
  Nyrond. 
  You sit in the Inn of the Twilight Hearth sharing 
  a meal with your new comrades. The food is 
  good and thankfully the day has ended with 
  none of you spending time in a New Dawn 
  Camp. As you talk, a young boy approaches 
  your table and sets a small wooden box down 
  on the table. He says, “I was asked to bring 
  this to you by a friend of my family,” and shyly 
  scurries off. 
   
  Inside the intricately carved box are a bag 
  of coins, a note, and a few small silver 
  brooches. The brooches, one for each of you, 
  are carved in the shape of a stylized dragon’s 
  head. 
  Give the players Player Handout 2 for the contents 
  of the note. 
   
  Conclusion Two: 
  The party has succeeded in helping Aliana to avoid 
  the City Watch and make it to the Arcanist Guild. 
  You sit in the Inn of the Twilight Hearth sharing 
  a meal with your new comrades. The food is 
  good and thankfully the day has ended with 
  none of you spending time in a New Dawn 
  Camp. As you talk, the apprentice Mekros 
  comes up to your table and sits down with you. 
  He rubs his eyes and yawns, then says: 
  “Faran asked me to deliver this to you. He says 
  you did well today even if you didn’t 
  understand the way things worked. He hopes 
  this will help you move forward in your chosen 
  paths.” 
  Mekros sets a small bag on the table in front of 
  you and you hear the jingle of coins inside. 
  Muttering about his abjuration lessons and 
  powdered something-or-other, he gets up and 
  leaves the inn. 
   
  Conclusion Three: 
  The party has succeeded in sneaking Aliana out of 
  the City of Hawkburgh without incident with the 
  City Watch. 
  You sit in the Inn of the Twilight Hearth sharing 
  a meal with your new comrades. The food is 
  good and thankfully the day has ended with 
  none of you spending time in a New Dawn 
  Camp. 
  As 
  you 
  talk, 
  you 
  overhear 
  a 
  conversation nearby. 
   
  “Seems they caught that witch out near 
  Pilgrim’s Gate. They say she was trying to 
  sneak back down to Nyrond where she pro’lly 
  came from. They took her to the magistrate and 
  he tossed her in the camp to learn how wrong 
  it is to consort with fiends and the like.” 
   
  The atmosphere in the inn seems to close 
  in on you. You go back to your meal, perhaps 
  less jovial than before. 
   
  Conclusion Four: 
  The party has failed to help Aliana and has been 
  arrested. 
  You stand in front of the magistrate. The girl, 
  Aliana, has been found guilty of practicing the 
  arcane 
  arts 
  without 
  registering 
  in 
  the 
  Theocracy of the Pale as an arcanist. She was 
  sentenced to two weeks’ penance in a New 
  Dawn Camp. 
   
  The magistrate now reads your verdict and 
  sentence. 
   
  “You have been found guilty of aiding a 
  fugitive 
  from 
  the 
  law. 
  You 
  are 
  hereby 
  sentenced to one week’s penance in a New 
  Dawn Camp.” 
   
  You are escorted from the courtroom and 
  transported to the nearest New Dawn Camp 
  where you are taught the error of your actions. 
  The PCs must spend one additional TU for this 
  sentence, but at no additional Lifestyle cost. 
   
  Conclusion Five: 
  
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  The party has failed to help Aliana escape the city 
  and in the process attacked the City Watch. They 
  have been arrested along with Aliana. 
  You stand in front of the magistrate. The girl, 
  Aliana, has been found guilty of practicing the 
  arcane 
  arts 
  without 
  registering 
  in 
  the 
  Theocracy of the Pale as an arcanist. She was 
  sentenced to two weeks’ penance in a New 
  Dawn Camp. 
   
  The magistrate now reads your verdict and 
  sentence. 
   
  “You have been found guilty on both 
  counts: aiding a fugitive from the law, as well 
  as the more severe crime of Deadly Assault. 
  You are hereby sentenced to three weeks 
  penance in a New Dawn Camp. May Pholtus 
  guide your benighted souls to clarity during 
  that time.” 
   
  You are escorted from the courtroom and 
  transported to the nearest New Dawn Camp 
  where you are taught the error of your actions. 
  The PCs must spend three additional TU for this 
  sentence, but at no additional Lifestyle cost. 
   
  Conclusion Six: 
  The party has failed to help Aliana escape the city 
  and in the process attacked the City Watch. During 
  the fight with the City Watch, the party also killed 
  one of the guards. They have been arrested along 
  with Aliana. 
  You stand in front of the magistrate. The girl, 
  Aliana, has been found guilty of practicing the 
  arcane 
  arts 
  without 
  registering 
  in 
  the 
  Theocracy of the Pale as an arcanist. She was 
  sentenced to two weeks penance in a New 
  Dawn Camp. 
   
  The Magistrate now reads your verdict and 
  sentence, with a stern gaze of deepest 
  disapproval. 
   
  “You have been found guilty on both 
  counts: aiding a fugitive from the law, as well 
  as the heinous crime of Chaotic Murder. All of 
  your property is hereby forfeited to the Church 
  of the One True Path. You will be hanged 
  tomorrow. Any family you have may collect 
  your remains at the office of the magistrate two 
  days hence, for burial in your respective 
  towns.” 
   
  You are escorted from the courtroom and 
  back to your cell to await your fate. 
  All members of the party are put to death.  
   
  Conclusion Seven: 
  The party failed to capture Aliana, but recovered 
  her corpse after the shadar-kai slew her. 
  You have returned to the offices of the City 
  Watch. The only thing you have to present to 
  them is the corpse of the young girl who 
  mysteriously appeared in your room at the inn 
  this morning. 
   
  The watch sergeant who recruited you to 
  help him is glad to see you followed through 
  on your task, but he is disappointed you failed 
  to capture the girl alive. He takes down your 
  statements about the battle with the assassins 
  and files it away for the magistrate to look at 
  later. He also calls for a priest, who will give a 
  proper burial to the girl. 
   
  For your efforts this day, you are rewarded 
  with some coin and the thanks of the 
  Hawkburgh Watch. 
   
  Conclusion Eight: 
  The party has captured Aliana and turned her in to 
  the City Watch, despite Mezrin’s suggestion to 
  take her to the Arcanist Guild. 
  With the girl, Aliana, in custody, you have 
  arrived at the offices of the City Watch to turn 
  her over to the authorities. The sergeant from 
  this morning is not on duty, but another officer 
  gladly takes the girl into custody. 
   
  You are asked to testify at the trial of the 
  girl, which takes place a few days later. The 
  defending barrister presents her case as one of 
  ignorance, not malice. Some whispered rumors 
  among the crowd say the barrister was hired 
  by a secret society of arcanists. When all have 
  finished speaking the magistrate retires to his 
  chambers to pray for guidance from Pholtus in 
  make his decision. 
   
  He returns after an hour to issue his 
  decision. When the magistrate issues his 
  decision, he speaks with authority, “Aliana, 
  you have been found guilty of violating the 
  Arcane Registration Act of the Theocracy of 
  the Pale. Your only defense is ignorance. 
  Pholtus tells us one must have knowledge 
  
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  before he ventures forth and thus you have 
  shown a lack of knowledge of the one true god 
  of Oerth. Your barrister, Gelren, seems to 
  think, it is a failure on our part for not having 
  ensured this knowledge was available to you 
  and has proven through the laws of Pholtus 
  that we are indeed partially at fault. Thus, with 
  the divine guidance of Pholtus and the power 
  placed in me by the Theocrat in the name of 
  Pholtus, I hereby sentence you to two days in a 
  New Dawn Camp. During your stay in the New 
  Dawn Camp you will be instructed in the laws 
  of the Theocracy. Once you are released from 
  the New Dawn Camp, you will report to the 
  Temple of Strength to serve the will of Pholtus 
  in cleaning his temple for two weeks, during 
  which time you will learn the tenets of Pholtus. 
  This is in lieu of the normal four week stay in a 
  New Dawn Camp for your crimes. Thank 
  Pholtus 
  for 
  blessing 
  Gelren 
  with 
  such 
  knowledge of Palish law as to gain you 
  leniency. 
   
  ”You are further ordered to lawfully 
  register as an arcanist with the Church during 
  your stay at the New Dawn Camp. This hearing 
  is adjourned.” 
   
  Outside the trial, you are greeted by the 
  watch officer to whom you turned Aliana over, 
  and he rewards you with the promised coin. 
   
  Shortly after, Aliana’s barrister approaches 
  you and introduces himself as Gelren from 
  Wintershiven. He thanks you for saving Aliana 
  from the strange assailants and hands each of 
  you a fine black brooch. The brooch is in the 
  shape of a stylized dragon’s head and is 
  crafted from enameled steel.  With a nod and a 
  bow, Gelren departs down the snowy street. 
  If Mezrin was captured as well, he receives a four-
  week sentence in a New Dawn Camp and is 
  represented by the same barrister as Aliana. 
  Gelren: Male human (OeridianFlan mix) Exp13 
  (Barrister). 
  • 
  Description: Gelren is a middle aged man 
  with a touch of white just beginning to 
  show in his brown hair. The stern gaze 
  from his brown eyes warns most people 
  not to trifle with him. When Gelren speaks 
  in his bass tone, it is with the utmost 
  articulation of his words so none may 
  claim to have misunderstood him. When 
  speaking in the offices of a magistrate, 
  many of the common people find his 
  words confusing as he switches rapidly 
  between quoting the laws of the Pale in 
  their original Celestial or Oeridian forms 
  and then to common for his actual 
  arguments. 
  • 
  Motivation: Gelren serves as the barrister 
  for the Coven of White Light. He has been 
  on retainer with the organization through a 
  contact for almost ten years now. As the 
  son of an Oeridian sorcerer and a Flan 
  druid he has a sympathetic spot for any 
  who are persecuted by the Pale for their 
  abilities alone. Gelren has no magical 
  talent of his own and so pursued a course 
  of trying to understand the Pale’s laws to 
  protect his mother and father. He does not 
  appreciate those who break the law 
  purposefully but believes those ignorant of 
  laws “unique to the Pale”, like Arcane 
  Registration, deserve a chance to prove 
  they meant no intentional harm to the 
  Pale. He often defends arcanists being 
  prosecuted  by the Theocracy for failure to 
  register. 
  • 
  Personality: Gelren is a very orderly man. 
  He believes in the Theocracy and her laws 
  for the most part but does not understand 
  the need to prosecute those ignorant of 
  the law to its fullest extent. He prefers to 
  deal fairly with all he meets. He dislikes 
  those who support the Arcane Registration 
  Act of the Theocracy and will always 
  defend those who are not evil against this 
  law before the Theocracy’s magistrates. 
  He also believes in prosecuting those who 
  break “criminal laws” with a vengeance, 
  this persecution of “true criminals” is what 
  has earned him the respect he has 
  amongst 
  the 
  magistrates 
  of 
  the 
  Theocracy. 
  • 
   
  Conclusion Nine: 
  The party has engaged in a fight with Mezrin over 
  Aliana and lost. Thus, they have failed to capture 
  the girl for the City Watch. 
  You sit in the Inn of the Twilight Hearth 
  considering the events of the past day. No one 
  was able to locate the girl once you lost her in 
  the fight against that fair-haired sorcerer. You 
  are unsure of what to do at this point, you have 
  failed to make any coin to pay for new 
  equipment and you are not sure if today was 
  not just a total waste of your time. 
  
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  Maybe you should reconsider how you 
  react to scared young women in the future, but 
  only you can decide this. 
   
  As you sit there, a young boy approaches 
  your table and sets down a small wooden box. 
  He says, “An old lady asked me to bring this to 
  you good sirs (and/or ladies). She says you 
  deserved this for all your work today.” The boy 
  then turns and walks away. 
  Inside the box is a brooch, made of black-
  enameled steel and shaped like a dragon’s head, 
  for each PC. There is a small scribbled note inside 
  the box as well. It says simply, “Wear them 
  proudly.” 
   
  The End 
   
  Experience Point Summary 
  To award experience for this adventure, add up 
  the values for the objectives accomplished. Then 
  assign the experience award. Award the total value 
  (objectives plus roleplaying) to each character. 
  Encounter One 
  Not being killed or arrested by the City Watch (this 
  includes fighting the three NPCs to stop Aliana 
  from escaping) 
   
  90 xp 
  Encounter Two 
  Defeating the shadar-kai 
   
  90 xp 
  Encounter Three 
  Talking peacefully with Mezrin 
   
  90 xp 1 
  Securing Mezrin’s aid to help Aliana escape from 
  the Theocracy of the Pale 
   
  90 xp * 
  Encounter Three C 
  Defeating Mezrin and capturing Aliana for the City 
  Watch 
   
  90 xp 1 
  Encounter Four A 
  Securing the aid of the Arcanist Guild without 
  Aliana going to a New Dawn Camp 
   
  90 xp * 
  Story Award 
  Helping Aliana to make contact with the Coven of 
  White Light or to get to the Arcanist Guild. The 
  party does not receive this XP if they turned Aliana 
  over to the City Watch. 
   
  45 xp 
  Discretionary roleplaying award 
   
  45 xp 
  Total possible experience: 
   
  450 xp 
  * The PCs may get only one of these awards. 
  1 The PCs may get only one of these awards. 
  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 
  
  Arcane Shadows 
   
  Page 18 
   
  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. 
  Encounter Two: 
   
  L: 20 gp; C: 225 gp; M: 156 gp  
  Conclusion One or Two: * 
   
  L: 0 gp; C: 50 gp; M: 0 gp  
  Conclusion Seven or Eight: * 
   
  L: 0 gp; C: 100 gp: M: 0 gp 
  Total Possible Treasure 
   
  L: 20 gp; C: 275 gp; M: 156 gp.  Total 451 gp 
  (cap 450 gp) 
  * The PCs may get only one of these awards. 
  Special 
  The party may receive only one of the two special 
  items listed below. If they helped Aliana, they 
  receive the Silver Brooch. If they did not help 
  Aliana, they receive the black brooch. 
  Silver Brooch of the Coven: For your behavior 
  toward the sorceress Aliana, you have received 
  this silver brooch in the shape of a stylized 
  dragon’s head. 
  Black Brooch of the Coven: For your behavior 
  toward the sorceress Aliana, you have received 
  this black brooch in the shape of a stylized 
  dragon’s head. 
   
  
  Arcane Shadows 
   
  Page 19 
   
  Appendix One
  Encounter One 
   
   
   
   
  Aliana: Female human (Flan/Suel) Sor1; CR 1; 
  Medium humanoid (human); HD 1d4+1; hp 5; 
  Init +6 (Dex, Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft.; AC 
  12, touch 12, flat-footed 10; Base Atk/Grp +0/+0; 
  Atk +0 melee (1d4, dagger) or +2 ranged (1d4, 
  thrown dagger); Full Atk +0 melee (1d4, dagger) 
  or +2 ranged (1d4, thrown dagger); SA spells; 
  SQ —; AL N(G); SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +1; Str 
  10, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 15. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +6, Concentration +5, 
  Craft (furniture) +5, Listen +1, Spot +3; 
  Alertness, Improved Initiative. 
   
  Languages: Common, Nyrondese. 
   
  Sorcerer Spells Known (51 per day; base 
  DC = 12 + spell level): 0—dancing lights, ghost 
  sound, mage hand, prestidigitation. 
  Note: Although Aliana is a Sor1, she has not yet 
  learned any first-level spells. She has only one 
  cantrip left for the day when she first meets the 
  party. 
   
  Possessions: Traveler’s outfit, dagger, spell 
  component pouch, 5 cp. 
   
  City Watch Guard: Male or female human Ftr1; 
  CR 1, Medium humanoid (human); HD 1d10+2; 
  hp 12; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 19, touch 11, flat-
  footed 18; Base Atk/Grp: +1/+3; Atk +4 melee 
  (1d8+2/19-20, masterwork longsword) or +3 
  ranged (1d8/19-20, masterwork light crossbow); 
  Full Atk +4 melee (1d8+2/19-20, masterwork 
  longsword) 
  or 
  +3 
  ranged 
  (1d8/19-20, 
  masterwork light crossbow); AL LN; SV Fort +4, 
  Ref +1, Will +1; Str 15, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, 
  Wis 12, Cha 8.  
  Skills and Feats: Craft (weaponmaking) +4, 
  Handle Animal +3, Jump +4, Listen +3, Spot +3; 
  Alertness, Cleave, Power Attack. 
   
  Possessions: Banded mail, heavy steel 
  shield, masterwork longsword, light mace, 
  dagger, masterwork light crossbow, 10 crossbow 
  bolts, potion of cure light wounds. 
   
  Volstag: Male human (Suel) Bbn2; CR 2; 
  Medium humanoid (human); HD 2d12+2, hp 21; 
  Init +2; Spd 40 ft.; AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 
  15; 
  Base 
  Atk/Grp 
  +2/+7; Atk +7 melee 
  (1d8+5/x3, masterwork warhammer) or +4 
  ranged (1d8/x3, longbow); Full Atk +7 melee 
  (1d6+5/x3, masterwork warhammer) or +4 
  ranged (1d8/x3, longbow); SA rage 1/day; SQ 
  fast movement, illiteracy, uncanny dodge; AL 
  CN; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will -1; Str 20 (18), Dex 
  14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 8. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +10 (+7 in armor), 
  Intimidate +4, Jump +10 (+7 in armor), Ride +7, 
  Swim +10 (+4 in armor); Dodge, Mobility. 
   
  Languages: Common. 
   
  Possessions: 
  Masterwork 
  breastplate, 
  masterwork warhammer, longbow, 20 arrows, 
  quiver, explorer’s outfit, gauntlets of ogre power. 
   
  Description: Mostly Suel and hailing from the 
  far north, the thickly-muscled Vorstag cuts an 
  impressive figure, if a somewhat scary one in the 
  civilized Pale.   He is in his late twenties and 
  wears his wavy reddish hair cropped short, but 
  his long braided beard would be the envy of 
  many a dwarf. 
   
  Turelo: Male human Cjr2; CR 2; Medium 
  humanoid (human); HD 2d4+5; hp 12; Init +2; 
  Spd 30 ft.; AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10; Base 
  Atk/Grp +1/+1; Atk +1 melee (1d6, quarterstaff) 
  or +3 ranged (1d4/19-20, dagger); Full Atk +1 
  melee (1d6, quarterstaff) or +3 ranged (1d4/19-
  20, dagger); SA spells; SQ Conjuration specialist 
  (Abjuration and Necromancy opposed schools); 
  AL CG; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 
  14, Con 13, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 8.  
   
  Skills and Feats: Concentration +6, Decipher 
  Script +7, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge 
  (the Planes) +7, Knowledge (local – Nyrond and 
  her environs) +4, Spellcraft +7 (+9 for Conj, +2 
  for Abj/Nec); Scribe Scroll (B), Spell Focus 
  (Conjuration), Toughness. 
   
  Languages: Common, Draconic, Goblin. 
   
  Wizard Spells Prepared (5/4; base DC = 12 
  + spell level; C 13 + spell level for Conjuration): 
  0—acid splashC (x2), detect magic, flare, 
  prestidigitation; 1st—greaseC, mage armorC, 
  obscuring mistC, summon monster I C. 
   
  Possessions: 
  Quarterstaff, 
  2 
  daggers, 
  traveler’s outfit, spellbook, spell component 
  pouch, several fancy gold rings. 
  
  Arcane Shadows 
   
  Page 20 
   
   
  Description: With his curly dark hair and 
  babyish features, Turelo may appear soft at first 
  glance, but this stocky young scholar is quite 
  resilient and quicker than he looks.  He enjoys 
  the easy comforts of Conjuration magic, but his 
  tastes are far richer than those of his two 
  traveling companions. 
   
  Ildriana: Female human (Oeridian) Clr2 – 
  Boccob; CR 2; Medium humanoid (human); HD 
  2d8+4; hp 15; Init +3; Spd 20 ft.; AC 18, touch 9, 
  flat-footed 18; Base Atk/Grp +1/+2; Atk +2 melee 
  (1d6+1, masterwork quarterstaff) or +0 ranged 
  (1d10/19-20, masterwork heavy crossbow); Full 
  Atk +2 melee (1d6+1, masterwork quarterstaff) 
  or +1 ranged (1d10/19-20, masterwork heavy 
  crossbow); SA spells; SQ turn undead 4/day, 
  spontaneously cast cure spells; AL N; SV Fort 
  +5, Ref -1, Will +5; Str 13, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 10, 
  Wis 15, Cha 12. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +6, Concentration +7, 
  Spellcraft +5; Extra Turning, Improved Initiative. 
   
  Possessions: Half-plate, heavy steel shield, 
  masterwork quarterstaff, heavy crossbow, 10 
  bolts, bolt case, cleric’s outfit, wooden holy 
  symbol (tucked away), spell component pouch. 
   
  Cleric Spells Prepared (4/3+1; base DC = 12 
  + spell level): 0—cure minor wounds, detect 
  magic, guidance, read magic; 1st—disguise 
  self*, bless, cause fear, command. 
  *Domain spell. Domains: Magic (Use scrolls, 
  wands, and other devices with spell completion 
  or spell trigger activation as a wizard of one-half 
  your cleric level); Trickery (Add Bluff, Disguise, 
  and Hide to your list of cleric class skills). 
   
  Description: Ildriana is a tall and sober-faced 
  young Oeridian woman with straight brown hair 
  and brown eyes.  Her voice is about half an 
  octave lower than you might expect. She resents 
  not being smart enough to be a wizard, but 
  serving the god of magic is replacement enough. 
   
  Encounter Two 
   
   
   
   
  Shadar-Kai: CR 1; Medium Fey; HD 3d6; hp 
  varies; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16, touch 13, flat-
  footed 13; Base Atk/Grp: +1/+1; Atk +4 melee 
  (2d4, spiked chain) or +4 ranged (1d6/x3, 
  shortbow); Full Atk +4 melee (2d4, spiked chain) 
  or +4 ranged (1d6/x3, shortbow); Space/Reach: 
  5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with spiked chain); SA sneak 
  attack +1d6; SQ hide in plain sight, shadow 
  curse, superior low-light vision; AL NE; SV Fort 
  +2, Ref +7, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 
  11, Wis 10, Cha 9. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Hide +9, Listen +8, Move 
  Silently +9, Search +6, Spot +8, Survival +6 (+8 
  following tracks); Alertness, Exotic Weapon 
  Proficiency (spiked chain), Weapon Finesse. 
   
  Possessions: Studded leather, spiked chain, 
  shortbow, 20 arrows, +1 gal-ralan, 450 gp in 
  black opals. 
   
  See Appendix Two for more detail about the 
  shadar-kai. 
  Encounter Three  
   
   
   
  Mezrin: Male human (Suel/Flan) Sor4; CR 4; 
  Medium humanoid (human); HD 4d4+8; hp 21; 
  Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 
  11; Base Atk/Grp: +2/+2; Atk +3 melee (1d6, 
  masterwork sickle) or +5 ranged (1d6/19-20, 
  masterwork light crossbow); Full Atk +3 melee 
  (1d6, masterwork sickle)] or +5 ranged (1d6/19-
  20, masterwork light crossbow); SA spells; SQ 
  owl familiar, empathic link, share spells; AL CG; 
  SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 
  14, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 17.  
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +7, Concentration +10 
  (+14 defensively), Knowledge (arcana) +5, 
  Sense Motive +6, Spot +1 (+4 in shadowy 
  lighting); Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, 
  Skill Focus (Sense Motive). 
   
  Owl familiar (partial stats): This creature 
  grants its master a +3 bonus on Spot checks in 
  shadowy lighting. It also grants Alertness as long 
  as it is within 5 feet. The familiar uses the better 
  of its own and its master’s base save bonuses. 
  CR —; Tiny Magical Beast; HD 4; hp 10; Init +3; 
  Spd 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (average); AC 19, touch 15, 
  flat-footed 16; Base Atk/Grp +2/-9; Atk +7 melee 
  (1d4-3, talons); Full Atk +7 melee (1d4-3, 
  talons); Space/Reach 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.; SA —; SQ 
  deliver touch spells, improved evasion, low-light 
  vision; AL CG; SV Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +6; Str 4, 
  Dex 17, Con 10, Int 7, Wis 14, Cha 4. Listen 
  +14, Move Silently +17, Spot +6 (+14 in areas of 
  shadowy illumination). 
   
  Sorcerer Spells Known (6/7/4 per day; base 
  DC = 13 + spell level): 0—acid splash, detect 
  poison, detect magic, disrupt undead, mending, 
  prestidigitation; 1st—grease, mage armor, sleep; 
  2nd—summon monster II. 
  
  Arcane Shadows 
   
  Page 21 
   
   
  Possessions: 
  Masterwork 
  sickle, 
  masterwork light crossbow, 10 crossbow bolts, 
  spell component pouch, ring of protection +1, 
  potion of cure light wounds, potion of cure 
  moderate wounds, potion of eagle’s splendor. 
   
  Any guards summoned at other times during the 
  adventure will have the same stats as those in 
  Encounter One. 
  
  Arcane Shadows 
   
  Page 22 
   
  Appendix Two: New Monster 
  The following is a transcribed copy of the Shadar-Kai entry from the Fiend Folio. It has had all 3.5 
  conversions from the 3.5 Fiend Folio update document by Wizards of the Coast applied to it. The sections 
  entitled “Shadar-Kai Society”, “Shadar-Kai Items” (except for the sub-section on the Gal-Ralan), and 
  “Shadar-Kai Characters” were not transcribed, as they are not necessary for this scenario. 
  Shadar-Kai 
  Medium-Size Fey (Extraplanar) 
  Hit Dice: 3d6 (10 hp) 
  Initiative: +3 
  Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares) 
  AC: 16 (+3 Dex, +3 studded leather), touch 13, flat-footed 13 
  Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+1 
  Attack: Spiked chain +4 melee (2d4) or shortbow +4 ranged (1d6/x3) 
  Full Attack: Spiked chain +4 melee (2d4) or shortbow +4 ranged (1d6/x3) 
  Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with spiked chain) 
  Special Attacks: Sneak attack +1d6 
  Special Qualities: Hide in plain sight, shadow curse, superior low-light vision 
  Saves: Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +4 
  Abilities: Str 10, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 9 
  Skills: Hide +9, Listen +8, Move Silently +9, Search +6, Spot +8, Survival +6 (+8 for Track) 
  Feats: Alertness, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain), Weapon Finesse 
  Climate/Terrain: Any forest and underground (Plane of Shadow) 
  Organization: Solitary, patrol (3-6), or raid (7-12) 
  Challenge Rating: 1 
  Treasure: +1 gal-ralan plus standard 
  Alignment: Usually neutral evil 
  Advancement: By character class 
  Level Adjustment: +1 
   
  The shadar-kai, or shadow fey, are a race of bitter, determined folk whose souls are poisoned by shadow. 
  Gray skinned and dark-eyed, the slender shadar-kai stand slightly taller than average humans, and their 
  soft movements exude grace and uncanny stealth. Shadow follows the shadar-kai wherever they go. 
  Shadows cast by the folds of their clothing seem deeper than those on humanoids, and a shadar-kai can 
  seemingly fade out of sight by simply stepping into any common shadow. 
   
  The shadar-kai prefer light weapons suited for grace and agility, especially spiked chains. Many 
  shadar-kai favor a variety of piercings and tattoos. 
   
  Long ago, the shadar-kai thought to preserve the world from the rising humanoid races. Skilled in 
  shadow magic, the shadar-kai made a pact with a dark power of the Plane of Shadow to cast the world 
  into an endless twilight in which the shadow fey would rule supreme. But he experiment went awry, and 
  the shadar-kai were left bound to the Plane of Shadow, cursed to lose their souls in its dark depths. This 
  shadow curse affects shadar-kai to this day, and every member of the race is engaged in a lifelong 
  struggle to stave off inevitable doom. 
   
  The continuous pull of the Plane of Shadow has left he shadar-kai grim and embattled. Few races 
  understand the plight of the shadow fey. Even the temporary solutions the shadar-kai have found leave 
  them struggling with constant pain, making them vicious. Their willingness to commit acts of cruelty and 
  violence has increased with each generation. 
   
  Shadar-kai speak Common, Elven, and Sylvan. 
  Combat 
  Cursed and blessed with a great affinity for the Plane of Shadow, the shadar-kai are subtle and deceptive. 
  They steal without being detected when they can, striking from ambush when necessary. Spellcasters 
  among the shadar-kai favor shadow and illusion magic, and few groups of the shadow fey are without a 
  powerful spellcasting leader. Skilled at stealth and gifted with visual acuity greater than that of most other 
  creatures, the shadar-kai have little trouble making sure that combat occurs on their terms. 
  
  Arcane Shadows 
   
  Page 23 
   
   
  The shadar-kai described in the statistics block wears a +1 gal-ralan (see Shadar-Kai Items, below). 
   
  Sneak Attack (Ex): Anytime a shadar-kai’s target is denied a Dexterity bonus, or when a target is 
  flanked by a shadar-kai, the shadar-kai deals an additional 1d6 points of damage on a successful melee 
  attack. This damage stacks with sneak attack damage from other sources, such as rogue levels. 
   
  Hide in Plain Sight (Su): Shadar-kai can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as 
  they are not illuminated by natural daylight, the daylight spell, or a similar magical light, shadar-kai can 
  hide themselves from view in the open without having anything to actually hide behind. 
   
  Shadow Curse (Su): The Plane of Shadow exerts a tremendous pull on shadar-kai’s soul, which is 
  only tenuously connected to its mortal body. Any time a shadar-kai is stunned, dazed, staggered, or 
  unconscious (other than from natural sleep), the shadow fey must make a Will save (DC 15) or lose a 
  portion of her soul to the Plane of Shadow. The shadar-kai must also attempt a save any time she 
  removes a gal-ralan, if she has one (see Shadar-Kai Items, below). 
   
  A shadar-kai with a damaged soul gains one negative level that cannot be removed until she restores 
  her soul completely. If exposed to another event that requires a save against the shadow curse, a shadar-
  kai may gain additional negative levels. A shadar-kai on the Plane of Shadow can transfix her soul to her 
  body again with a greater restoration spell. A shadar-kai on the Material Plane (or elsewhere) must use a 
  wish or miracle spell to restore her soul. 
   
  A shadar-kai afflicted with the shadow curse cannot be raised from the dead or resurrected, and 
  cannot gain experience. The touch of the shadow curse galls a shadar-kai, filling her heart with an icy 
  emptiness that eventually drives all but the most determined individuals to capitulate and leave the 
  Material Plane altogether. 
   
  A shadar-kai who goes to the Plane of Shadow and remains there ameliorates the effects of the 
  shadow curse and suffers no ill effects. However, if she leaves the Plane of Shadow without restoring her 
  soul, she suffers the effects of the shadow curse until she returns to the Plane of Shadow or restores her 
  soul. 
   
  Superior Low-Light Vision (Ex): Shadar-kai have extraordinary vision in low-light conditions. They 
  can see four times as far as a human in low-light conditions. 
   
  Skills: *Shadar-kai have a +10 racial bonus on Hide checks made in dark or shadowy conditions 
  (anything other than daylight or the area of a daylight spell). 
   
  Shadar-Kai Items 
  The shadow curse haunts every aspect of shadar-kai culture, and remaining on the Material Plane is a 
  constant struggle for these creatures. Most shadar-kai use a gal-ralan (described below) to fix their souls 
  to their bodies and stave off the shadow curse. 
   
  Gal-Ralan: When this cold-forged iron armband is donned (taking up the spot where a bracer would 
  be worn), it pierces the wearer’s forearm with long needles of the same metal. The device fixes its 
  wearer’s soul to her body but also causes never-ending pain. As long as a character wears a gal-ralan, 
  she takes 1 point of Constitution damage that cannot be healed until after the gal-ralan is removed. 
   
  A gal-ralan provides its wearer with a +1 to +5 resistance bonus on her saving throws. This bonus 
  increases by an additional +2 against death effects, energy drains, and effects that affect the wearer’s soul 
  (such as the shadow curse). For example, a +2 gal-ralan provides +4 resistance bonus against these 
  effects, a +3 gal-ralan provides a +5 resistance bonus against these effects, and so on. 
   
  Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, resistance, caster level must be three times 
  that of the gal-ralan’s bonus; Market Price: 625 gp (+1), 2,500 gp (+2), 5,600 gp (+3), 10,000 gp (+4), or 
  15,600 gp (+5). Weight:--.  
  
  Arcane Shadows 
   
  Page 24 
   
  Judge’s Aid – Coven of White Light Rumors 
   
  • There’s an herbalist outside of town who is friendly with arcanists. 
  • Old Fenmarel in Thistledown can do magic and isn't as friendly to the Church as 
  some. 
  • I heard there is a secret group of witches who fight with the Church and the 
  Arcanist Guild. They say they’re good people, but only to the Flan of whom they 
  are all born. 
  • I can tell you where some witches met once, it was in a small grove of trees 
  south of the City. 
  • I heard there used to be a group of witches who refused to register. They say 
  they practice their magic late at night and are up to no good in the Theocracy. 
  • My mother told me an ancient family story about how when the Theocracy was 
  still in its infancy, a group of witches waged war against each other here. The 
  good witches won and the evil ones were imprisoned, but no one knows the 
  truth. 
  • All I know is this group of herbalists showed up near the Gamboge when the 
  Green first started threatening Nyrond. One of them was robed, but I got a look 
  at him and he had silver scales all over his body. They helped us set up 
  defenses and a warning of what to do if the Green came for us. 
  
  Arcane Shadows 
   
  Page 25 
   
   Player Handout #1 
  Arcane Registration in the Theocracy of the Pale 
   
  As many should know, the Theocracy of the Pale is distrustful of arcanists. The belief is generally held 
  by most Pholtans of the Theocracy that since arcane magic does not come from Pholtus it must come 
  from some fiendish source. The Arcanist Guild has stemmed this belief to a degree by demonstrating to 
  the Church the aid arcanists are capable of providing the Theocracy. The Church thus has adopted a 
  stance as follows: Arcanists may not be evil by default, but since their magic still comes from an unknown 
  source in many instances, they must be tracked in case the arcane power proves to come from some 
  fiendish power. This registration will allow us to keep track of those who may become enemies of the 
  Church of the One True Path and the Theocracy of the Pale. 
   
   
  This being the case, all arcanists are required to register with the Arcanist Guild, the law enforcement 
  authorities of the Theocracy, or the Church of the One True Path before practicing their arcane arts inside 
  the borders of the Theocracy. The three groups maintain their own logs to have arcanists print their 
  names in before issuing them their registration documents (these are papers with the seal of the Church 
  of the One True Path, the Arcanist Guild, or the Prelatal Army) from the registering office. Once a month, 
  the books are compiled into a single log, which is kept in the local high temple of Pholtus for the village, 
  town, or city. 
   
   
  All legal authorities of the Theocracy are authorized to verify an arcanist’s registration at any time they 
  choose to do so and often do when they see an arcanist practicing his art. Some higher level and more 
  well known arcanists are not checked due to personal recognition by the authorities, but even these 
  persons are subject to verification of registration if the authorities choose to do so. 
  
  Arcane Shadows 
   
  Page 26 
   
  Player Handout #2 
   
  This is the letter in the small box the party receives if they helped Aliana to make contact with the Coven of 
  White Light. 
   
  My Friends, 
  You have done me a great service in helping me to make contact with my new benefactors. 
  They have gotten me out of the Theocracy of the Pale and have taught me about the Pale’s 
  laws concerning sorceresses like me. 
  I have also made the acquaintance of another sorceress of some ability. She is teaching me 
  more about my abilities and the heritage they say gives me my powers. 
  The most amazing thing is the dragon sorcerer I met. His father was actually a silver dragon! He 
  says he searches the reaches of the Raker Mountains for a relative who has been missing for a 
  couple years now. He also told me to be wary of evil dragons, as they are not always what they 
  seem. 
  Remember those creepy elves who tried to kill me? They are called shadar-kai. They are 
  apparently cursed due to some strange agreement they made with a dark power from the 
  Plane of Shadow. My new friends say they have some ideas about who the shadar-kai were 
  working for and why they were after me. And I thought the Gamboge Forest couldn’t get any 
  more dangerous! 
  My new friends have sent a silver brooch for each of you. They say you should wear them with 
  pride, but discreetly. I have enclosed a small sum of gold for each of you, as well, to repay you 
  for your kindness. It is actually a gift from my father and not me. 
  Thank you so much for your assistance again,  
  Your friend, 
  Aliana 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/3rd Edition (3.x)/RPGA/Living Greyhawk/Nyrond and Her Environs/Theocracy of the Pale/PAL4-A03 - Arcane Shadows.pdf