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. 
   
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  ® play document. To find out more about the RPGA and to learn more on how you can sanction and run 
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game events of all sizes, visit our website at www.rpga.com. 
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK, LIVING GREYHAWK, D&D REWARDS, RPGA, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc, in the US and other countries. This material is 
  protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork 
  contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. 
  Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. © 2006 Wizards of the Coast, Inc and the 
  adventure author or authors. 
  Visit the LIVING GREYHAWK website at www.rpga.com 
   
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  skerrit@wi.rr.com
   
  ; for LIVING GREYHAWK campaign questions email rpgahq@wizards.com. 
   
  HIGD-03 
   
   
   
   
   
  A New Day Dawns on 
  Weeping Willow 
   
  A One-Round D&D LIVING GREYHAWK®  
  Highfolk Introductory Adventure 
  Version 1.0 
  Round 1 
  by Joshua B. Grace 
   
   
  A small hamlet, Weeping Willow, has suffered more than its share of tragedy. Now just as it seems that 
  peace and prosperity might return, a small band of heroes stumbles across a fight that threatens to 
  destabilize the region. Will the adventurers discover what secrets lie in Weeping Willow? How will they 
  steer the future of the region? An introductory adventure set in Highfolk for 1st level characters.
  
  RPGA SANCTIONED PLAY 
   
  Throughout this adventure, text in bold italics 
  provides player information for you to paraphrase 
  or read aloud when appropriate. Sidebars contain 
  important information for you, including special 
  instruction on running the adventure. Information 
  on nonplayer characters (NPCs) and monsters 
  appear in abbreviated form in the adventure text. 
  Full information on NPCs and monsters are given 
  in Appendix 1.  
  Most likely you ordered this adventure as part of 
  an RPGA even from the RPGA website, or you 
  received it from your senior gamemaster. To play 
  this adventure as part of the LIVING GREYHAWK™ 
  campaign—a worldwide, ongoing D&D campaign 
  set in the GREYHAWK setting—you must sanction it 
  as part of an RPGA event. This event could be as 
  elaborate as a big convention, or as simple as a 
  group of friends meeting at the DM’s house.  
   
  Along with this adventure you’ll find a RPGA 
  Table Tracking sheet. If you’re playing this 
  adventure as part of an RPGA-sanctioned event, 
  complete and turn in this sheet to your senior GM 
  directly after play. You’ll also find a LIVING 
  GREYHAWK Adventure Record (AR).  
   
  To sanction an RPGA event, you must be at 
  least a HERALD-LEVEL gamemaster. The person 
  who sanctions the event is called the senior 
  gamemaster, and is in charge of making sure the 
  event is sanctioned before play, runs smoothly on 
  the date sanctioned, and then reported back to the 
  RPGA in a timely manner. The person who runs 
  the game is called the table Dungeon Master (or 
  usually just DM). Sometimes (and almost all the 
  time in the cases of home events) the senior 
  gamemaster is also the table DM. You don’t have 
  to be a HERALD-LEVEL GM to run this adventure if 
  you are not the senior GM.  
   
  LIVING GREYHAWK LEVELS 
  OF PLAY 
  Because players bring their own characters to 
  LIVING 
  GREYHAWK 
  games, 
  this 
  adventure’s 
  challenges are proportionate to the modified 
  average character level of the PCs participating in 
  the adventure. To determine this modified Average 
  Party Level (APL) follow the steps below: 
   
  By sanctioning and reporting this adventure 
  you accomplish a couple of things. First it is an 
  official game, and you can use the AR to advance 
  your LIVING GREYHAWK character. Second player 
  and DMs gain rewards for sanctioned RPGA play 
  if they are members of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 
  REWARDS program. Playing this adventure is worth 
  one (1) point.  
  1. Determine the character level for each of the 
  PCs participating in the adventure. 
  2. If PCs bring animals that have been trained for 
  combat (most likely dogs trained for war), other 
  than 
  those 
  brought by virtue 
  of a class ability 
  (such as animal 
  companions, 
  familiars paladin’s 
  mounts) 
  or the 
  warhorse 
  of 
  a 
  character with the 
  Mounted Combat 
  feat, 
  use 
  the 
  sidebar chart to 
  determine 
  the 
  number of levels you add to the sum of step one. 
  Add each character’s animals separately. Animals 
  with different CRs are determined separately 
  using the chart; then, take the highest CR animal 
  (or animals), and add 2 (drop fractions). This 
  result is the effective character level for a mixed-
  CR group of animals. A single PC may only bring 
  four or fewer animals of this type.  
  CR 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  1/4 
  and 
  1/6 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  1 
  1/3 
  and 
  1/2  
  0 
  0 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  2 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  3 
  3 
  5 
  6 
  7 
  4 
  4 
  6 
  7 
  8 
  5 
  5 
  7 
  8 
  9 
  6 
  6 
  8 
  9 
  10 
  7 
  7 
  9 
  10 
  11 
   
  To learn more about the LIVING GREYHAWK 
  character creation and development, RPGA event 
  sanctioning, and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS REWARDS, 
  visit the RPGA website at www.rpga.com.  
   
  PLAYERS READ NO 
  FARTHER 
  If you are planning on playing this adventure, stop 
  reading now. The rest of the information in this 
  adventure is for the DM only. If you read farther 
  than this section, you’ll know too much about its 
  challenges, which kills the fun. Also, if you’re 
  playing this adventure as part of an RPGA-
  sanctioned event, reading beyond this point 
  makes you ineligible to do so.  
   
  PREPARING FOR PLAY 
  3. Sum the results of step 1 and 2, and divide by 
  the number of characters playing in the adventure. 
  Round up to the nearest whole number. 
  To get the most out of this adventure, you need 
  copies of the following D&D books: Player’s 
  Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the 
  Monster Manual.  
  4. If you are running a table of six PCs, add one 
  to that average. 
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 1 
  
  Throughout this adventure, APLs categorize the 
  level of challenge the PCs face. APLS are given in 
  even-numbered increments. If the APL of your 
  group falls on an odd number, ask them before the 
  adventure begins whether they would like to play a 
  harder or easier adventure. Based on their choice, 
  use either the higher or the lower adjacent APL. 
   
  APL also affects the amount of experience 
  and gold a PC can gain at the end of the 
  adventure. If a player character is three character 
  levels or more either higher or lower than the APL 
  at which this adventure is being played, that 
  character receives only one-half of the experience 
  points and gold for the adventure. This simulates 
  the fact that either the PC was not challenged as 
  much as normal or relied on help by higher-level 
  characters to reach the objectives. 
   
  Furthermore, a PC who is four or more levels 
  higher than the highest APL supported by the 
  adventure may not play the adventure. 
   
  LIVING GREYHAWK adventures are designed for 
  APL 2 and higher. Four or five 1st-level characters 
  may find the challenge of an APL 2 adventure 
  difficult. Suggest the following to these groups to 
  help increase their chances of success:  
  1. Enlist a sixth player. 
  2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to 
  help protect them, and fight for them. 
   
  TIME UNITS AND UPKEEP 
  This is a standard one-round regional introductory 
  adventure, set in Highfolk.  Characters native to 
  Highfolk 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 that does not pay for at least 
  Standard Upkeep may also avoid the above-
  described penalties by living off the wild.  If the 
  character possesses four or more ranks in the 
  Survival skill and succeeds at a Survival check 
  (DC 20), the character will heal temporary ability 
  damage as if he or she paid for Standard Upkeep, 
  may refill spell component pouches and healer’s 
  kits, and may restock up to 20 arrows or bolts if 
  the character has at least four ranks in Craft 
  (bowmaking).  The player is allowed to Take 10 on 
  this roll. 
   
  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 
  In CY 591, a bitter vampire and priest of Nerull 
  plotted his revenge against his former home, the 
  small village of Weeping Willow, but a small, 
  intrepid band of adventurers managed to foil his 
  plots and remove the taint of Nerull from the 
  hamlet. 
   
  Or did they? 
   
  For years, a cult of Nerull has worked in the 
  surrounding area, little concerned by the farmers 
  of Weeping Willow. One of their higher-ranked 
  members, a necromantic wizard, found a series of 
  natural caverns near Chirping Creek and built a 
  lair in them. In his lair, he quietly stockpiled 
  dozens of dead orcs from the neighboring lands 
  and began a series of morbid experiments and 
  animations that led to his eventual discovery of a 
  method by which he could breech the barrier 
  between Highfolk and the Plane of Shadow. Much 
  to his chagrin, however, the machine he built to 
  power his portal didn’t work as nicely as he liked. 
  He could open a gap, but not one that he could 
  use as he intended (for travel and summoning). 
  Instead, he could only open small rifts that shifted 
  along a mithral ring. Over time, however, the 
  continued generation of these rifts tainted his lair 
  with the shadow energies, and one or two 
  creatures managed to cross into the material 
  plane while the machine was unattended. 
   
  These breaches in the fabric of the plane have 
  disturbed many of the more sensitive fey and 
  elementals connected to the region. They have 
  grown irritable and reclusive. 
   
  A number of wood elves have noticed the 
  changes in these “nature spirits” and blame it on 
  the sudden influence of dwarves in Weeping 
  Willow who, of course, have begun mining along 
  the Chirping Creek. 
   
  Brottor Holderhek, the leader of the dwarven 
  miners, bought land after the deaths of several 
  locals in CY 591, and, after a failed stint as a 
  farmer, found rich veins of ore in the hills along 
  Chirping Creek. He invited his clan mates to help 
  him mine. Neither he nor the residents of Weeping 
  Willow had any trouble regarding the mine until a 
  bunch of wood elves showed up and accused him 
  of disturbing the balance of nature. 
   
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 2 
  
  Adventure Summary 
  The adventure begins as the PCs arrive at the 
  hamlet of Weeping Willow on their way back to 
  Highfolk from a failed treasure hunt. 
   
  In the town, they may stop a fight between a 
  number of dwarves and wood elves and learn 
  about the source of the tensions from the dwarves, 
  wood elves, and townsfolk alike. 
   
  After evening falls, the party helps defend the 
  town from a sudden incursion of orc skeletons. 
   
  Taking counsel from the town leaders, 
  dwarves, and wood elves, the party helps the town 
  spokesman decide to ally with the dwarves or the 
  wood elves as each group proposes a separate 
  path for the future of Weeping Willow. 
   
  Dwarven Path: The party accompanies the 
  dwarves to their mine, to root out whatever evil 
  lurks within. On their way through the caverns 
  behind the mine tunnels, however, some of the 
  dwarves get scared, requiring the PCs to scout 
  further ahead on their own. 
   
  Arriving at a large iron door at the end of a 
  natural cavern, the heroes face a couple of traps 
  before finding their way into a temple of Nerull 
  occupied by a large, loud, odd machine. 
   
  The PCs find a secret door and move deeper 
  into a necromancer’s complex, only to be attacked 
  by a skeletal ogre amid a mass of orc corpses. 
   
  Their foe defeated, the heroes continue 
  through the complex only to find the dwarves 
  badly wounded from their own fight with the 
  necromancer secretly in charge of the entire 
  complex. 
   
  The heroes and dwarves return to Weeping 
  Willow to rest and celebrate. As they are about to 
  leave, the party learns the dwarves have 
  discovered adamantine in their mines! 
  Elven Path: The party accompanies the wood 
  elves to their encampment where they summon an 
  earth elemental to seal the caverns near the 
  dwarven mine forever. The elemental demands 
  the death of a beast from the shadow plane in 
  return for its services, and the leader of the wood 
  elves, Mythrinnor, asks the PCs to slay the 
  shadow beast. 
   
  Their pursuit of the shadow beast leads the 
  PCs to a dryad’s grove where the suspicious 
  dryad meets them with bow in hand. In a situation 
  calling for quick thinking, the PCs can escape the 
  dryad’s wrath through clear diplomacy or swift 
  combat. 
   
  Parties who successfully assure the dryad 
  they mean her no harm learn that she wants the 
  head of an orc to the east of her grove. In return 
  for his head, she’ll offer them a magical item to 
  help them defeat the shadow beast. 
   
  The PCs continue through the woods until 
  they come to an incongruous land of rocky hills 
  and dried earth. While they move in search of the 
  shadow beast, it stalks them from the treetops and 
  sets its ambush. Finally, it springs, and the party 
  has to draw upon all its resources to defeat it. 
   
  Returning victorious to the elven encampment, 
  the party discovers the elemental already sealed 
  the mine. The wood elves thank the PCs for their 
  efforts, and Weeping Willow and its surrounding 
  lands are neatly restored to a balance with nature. 
   
  Preparation for Play 
  This is introductory module set in the region of 
  Highfolk for first-level characters only.  Only first 
  level characters may participate.  Magic item 
  creation is not allowed at the end of this module.  
  As this module is an introductory module, it is 
  primarily designed as a role-playing introduction to 
  the region of Highfolk.  Much of the outcome of the 
  module is left to the imagination and adjudication 
  of the DM.  Reasonable plans should be offered a 
  good chance of success.   
   
  Choosing Sides: Please note that the PCs 
  have the very real option of choosing to side with 
  either the dwarves or wood elves they meet in 
  Weeping Willow. After the attack of the orc 
  skeletons, the adventure path splits in half. No 
  table will play both halves. Players will either work 
  with the dwarves or with the wood elves. The 
  story, experience, and treasure have all been 
  created to accommodate the finality of the players’ 
  decision in Encounter Three. 
   
  Introduction 
  You are on your way back to Highfolk after a 
  failed treasure hunt in the Sepia Uplands. 
  There is, perhaps, no disappointment so 
  palpable as that which follows a wild goose 
  chase after ancient treasure, and the heat that 
  has dogged your return has only exacerbated 
  the matter. Two days of sunny, uneventful 
  travel along a dry and dusty road have brought 
  you to a series of small, rolling hills, tilled and 
  furrowed in rows of various grains. Now the 
  sun is setting, red on the horizon ahead of you. 
  In the setting sun’s molten glow lies the 
  silhouetted hamlet of Weeping Willow. A dozen 
  buildings stand in a cluster amid the fields. 
   
  Your new companions march alongside 
  you. Only over the past couple days, have you 
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 3 
  
  Tharivol Galanodel: Male wood elf Rgr2/Exp2; 
  hp 22; see Appendix One. 
  begun to get used to some of their quirks and 
  personalities. 
   
  Wood elf Trapper (3): Male wood elf Exp1; hp 
  3; see Appendix One. 
  DMs should allow the players to introduce their 
  PCs at this time. The party has been together for 
  at least a week.  Once their introductions are 
  complete, continue to Encounter 1. 
  Essentially two things can happen here: The PCs 
  can either use Diplomacy or Intimidate to break up 
  the fight (and DMs are encouraged to give 
  circumstance bonuses or penalties to their checks 
  based on role-playing), talking them down from 
  hostile to indifferent, or they can fail to break up 
  the fight, in which case the town speaker 
  (effectively the mayor) and his back-up will arrive 
  shortly to break it up and take the dwarf and elf 
  leaders into custody for questioning. 
   
  Encounter One: Weeping 
  Willow 
  Crickets chirp as you continue along the road, 
  but as you get nearer the hamlet, you hear 
  other sounds, voices raised in argument. 
  Shortly, the words become distinct, and you 
  can see a handful of dwarves quarreling with 
  roughly as many wood elves as a number of 
  townsfolk look on, leaning on their hoes, 
  rakes, and pitchforks. 
   
  Diplomacy 
  Treat the wood elves and dwarves as hostile to 
  each other and indifferent to the PCs. At 1st level, 
  it is unlikely (though possible) the PCs will be able 
  to talk the two parties down from hostile to 
  indifferent (DC 25Diplomacy check); instead, if the 
  PCs succeed at a Diplomacy check (DC 15) with 
  either of the leaders, Brottor Holderhek or Tharivol 
  Galanodel, the leader will become friendly toward 
  the PCs, attempting to recruit them to his side of 
  the argument by explaining, as rationally as 
  possible, his people’s concerns. 
   
  A tall and red-bearded dwarf waggles his 
  finger in the face of one of the wood elves. 
  “The land ain’t yours,” he snarls. “It ain’t your 
  place to tell us what we can or can’t do.” 
   
  One of the wood elves responds, his voice 
  the very embodiment of impersonal disdain, “I 
  do not know how you came to the High Vale, 
  but you must not unbalance the sacred lands 
  at the edge of the forest. How must we 
  convince you? The spirits of these lands are 
  temperamental. Your mining will disrupt their 
  balance. You must cease.” 
   
  Brottor 
  Holderhek: 
  Brottor’s 
  primary 
  contention is that he has a legal right to mine the 
  land. He bought it with money he earned from 
  adventuring back in the day, and he suspects the 
  wood elves are simply jealous that they didn’t find 
  the vein of ore before he did. He doesn’t care 
  about nature spirits. He points out every dwarven 
  city that’s ever existed as examples of how little 
  nature spirits care about dwarven mining. 
   
  “You can take yer temperamental spirits 
  and shove ‘em,” says the red-bearded dwarf 
  holding the deed. “We don’t need ‘em in our 
  mine anyway. And if you’re gonna be prissy 
  about your balances, I’m gonna have to ask 
  you 
  to 
  stay 
  off 
  my 
  land.” 
  The 
  dwarf 
  emphasizes 
  his 
  words 
  by 
  patting 
  the 
  warhammer hanging from his belt, and a 
  number of wood elves and dwarves respond 
  by moving their hands to the hilts of their 
  weapons. 
   
  Some players may wish to roleplay a short 
  question and answer session with Brottor, and 
  several of the likely questions and answers are 
  listed below. 
  • 
  What’s going on here? “Can’t ye see for 
  yerself? Soon as a dwarf starts minin’ near the 
  woods, they make up stories of nature spirits 
  to stop us from diggin’?” 
   
  The two parties lock steely gazes as the 
  villagers back away. A couple of the villagers 
  look to your party, clearly hoping that you 
  might be able to help. 
  • 
  Who are you? “Name’s Brottor. Brottor 
  Holderhek. I see yer all adventurers. Well, I 
  used ta be an adventurer, too, ‘til I got tired of 
  it. Bought me some land and settled down 
  here in Weeping Willow. Turned out farmin’ 
  was no life for me, but lucky me, I found a 
  good vein of ore just up the ol’ Chirping 
  Creek.” 
   
  Creatures: The dwarves and elves are so focused 
  upon each other, the PCs can approach 
  unmolested. 
  Brottor Holderhek: Male dwarf Ftr2/Exp2; hp 
  36; see Appendix One. 
  • 
  Are you worried the mining might upset 
  nature? “Bah! The mine’s a mine, and the 
  trees is trees. I’m just cutting some rock out o’ 
  Dwarven Miner (4): Male dwarf Exp1; hp 5 
  each; see Appendix One. 
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 4 
  
  some more rock. Besides, unlike those 
  buttinsky elves, I’m actually a resident of this 
  town.” 
  • 
  What do you want us to do? “Dwarves are a 
  stubborn lot and do not listen to us. Speak 
  sense to them. No small amount of ore, no 
  matter how precious, is worth the destruction 
  of the balance of nature in the whole region.” 
  • 
  Who are the other dwarves? “They’re me 
  mates. Come to help me mine.” 
  In turn, if the PCs speak with one or both of the 
  leaders and assume responsibility for helping 
  arbitrate the matter, they will need only a DC 15 
  Diplomacy check with the other leader to convince 
  his side to settle this matter without violence. 
  Additionally, if the PCs stall until the town speaker 
  arrives with his back-up (after 3 minutes), they will 
  receive a +2 circumstance bonus to their 
  Diplomacy check as neither the dwarves nor wood 
  elves wish to agitate relations with the local 
  authorities. 
  • 
  What do you want us to do? “Get those 
  elves off our backs, if you can. They got no 
  right to tell us what we can and can’t do.” 
   
  Tharivol 
  Galanodel: 
  Tharivol’s 
  primary 
  contention is that, regardless of the dwarves’ legal 
  right to the land, the mining operation threatens 
  Weeping Willow and the surrounding area. The 
  wood elves’ priest has had numerous dark visions 
  of something stalking the woods, and since the 
  dwarves started mining, his visions have turned 
  darker and repeated more frequently. The wood 
  elves 
  define 
  “nature 
  spirits” 
  not 
  only 
  as 
  elementals, but fey, plants, and even some 
  undead tied to the land. A DC 15Knowledge 
  (religion) check confirms that some undead, such 
  as ghosts, form ties to areas and incomplete tasks 
  that bind them to the land even beyond death. 
  Tharivol expresses sympathy for the dwarves and 
  their mining (though a DC 5 Sense Motive check 
  suggests Tharivol’s sympathy is formal rather than 
  heartfelt), but his first concern is for the land and 
  its inhabitants, not for ore. 
   
  If the PCs convince the two parties to stand 
  down, when Myrindil Riverstone (a member of the 
  high elven Clan Krysalyn), the town speaker, 
  arrives, he will congratulate them for their cool-
  headedness, thank them for their efforts, and ask 
  them to make themselves at home in Weeping 
  Willow and enjoy themselves while he discusses a 
  resolution to the matter with the factions’ leaders, 
  Brottor and Tharivol. He then speaks to each of 
  the leaders in turn in order to make sense of the 
  argument. 
   
   
  Some players may wish to role-play a short 
  question and answer session with Tharivol, and 
  several of the likely questions and answers are 
  listed below. 
  Intimidate 
  PCs may choose to Intimidate either side’s leader. 
  If the PCs succeed, they may treat the leader as 
  friendly (as above), gaining the opportunity to hear 
  that 
  leader’s 
  rational, 
  though 
  one-sided, 
  explanation of the situation. If the PCs attempt to 
  Intimidate one of the leaders and fail, that leader 
  becomes hostile toward the PCs as he assumes 
  they have taken allegiance with the other group. 
  • 
  What are you doing here? “We’re here to 
  prevent those dwarves from angering all the 
  spirits of the land. The nature spirits have 
  been angry of late, and we see that the source 
  of their anger is the dwarven mine. It must be 
  closed.” 
   
  • 
  What are “nature spirits”? “Many spirits 
  have close ties to the land that can be 
  damaged by mercenary mining. Animals, 
  plants, fey, and even elementals are angered 
  by the disruption to the land.” 
  Failure to resolve conflict 
  If the PCs fail to talk the dwarves and wood elves 
  down from hostile to indifferent after 2 minutes, 
  one of the dwarves at the edge of the crowd will 
  think he sees bared metal glinting off a wood elf’s 
  longsword (as though he was drawing it), and he’ll 
  rush at the wood elf with a punch, starting a larger 
  brawl. The brawl turns into a sprawling fistfight, 
  with some members wielding weapons, but no one 
  strikes for lethal damage unless first attacked for 
  lethal damage. 
  • 
  Who are you? “I am Tharivol Galanodel, the 
  lead hunter of our small tribe. We have 
  traveled from the outskirts of the region, 
  guided by our priest, Mythrinnor, to find the 
  cause of the recent disturbances, and now we 
  have.” 
  • 
  Who are the other elves? “They are my 
  companions, other trappers of our tribe. Each 
  of them can attest to the distortion of the 
  balance of the region. The animals are angry. 
  The plants are angry. The fey play angry 
  music.” 
   
  Any remaining villagers quickly move away 
  from the combat, watching from a distance. 
   
  The combat lasts 10 rounds as some 
  members from each side knock each other out, 
  and the two leaders circle about like boxers, 
  looking to land blows roughly every other round, 
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 5 
  
  when they think they spot a weakness in the 
  other’s defense. 
   
  Some PCs may join in the combat. So long as 
  they use only non-lethal damage, they’ll only get a 
  stern reprimand from the town speaker when he 
  arrives. If any of the PCs draws a weapon to 
  attack for lethal damage, one of the hamlet’s old, 
  gap-toothed farmers will call out to him or her, 
  “There ain’t no call for that weapon, son/girly.” If 
  the PC continues to press a lethal attack, he or 
  she will be “mysteriously” disarmed as someone 
  bumps into him/her (Reflex DC 20 negates, if the 
  player complains). If the PC still fails to get the 
  hint, allow the attack. This will effectively end the 
  brawl between the dwarves and elves as they turn 
  on that PC (not the entire party) in order to beat 
  him/her into submission. However the combat 
  resolves, that PC’s adventure is over. No one will 
  be willing to work with someone who attacks with 
  lethal force in a fistfight. 
   
  The town’s speaker, Myrindil Riverstone (Male 
  high-elf Rgr2), will arrive 3 minutes after the PCs 
  initially engaged with the dwarves and wood elves 
  (or 10 rounds after combat breaks out) to see 
  what the commotion is all about. He arrives 
  flanked by two of the town’s sturdier farmers (Male 
  Com2), and, if the negotiations have devolved into 
  combat, they will quickly disentangle the brawling 
  parties, taking each of the leaders aside for 
  discussion. Myrindil will speak with each leader in 
  turn in order to make sense of the matter.  
   
  Furthermore, if the PCs engaged in the 
  combat, they will be thoroughly scolded, and just 
  as Myrindil is about to tell them to “get gone and 
  stay gone,” one of the younger villagers will state 
  that his family heirloom, a masterwork silver holy 
  symbol of Phyton, went missing during the 
  skirmish (this is actually true, but he just dropped it 
  and hasn’t yet found it). In this case, Myrindil will 
  pause, scratch his head, and shrug, saying, “Well, 
  then I guess maybe you better stick around until I 
  get to the bottom of all this. But if any of you starts 
  causing trouble, I may have to knock your heads 
  and send you limping away.” 
   
  Encounter Two: Late Evening 
  of the Walking Dead 
  After Myrindil asks the leaders to accompany him 
  to speak with the priest, Derith, a pair of dwarves 
  rushes down the street, chased by a dozen orc 
  skeletons. Their mining has opened an old 
  network of caves. They promote some excitement 
  that continues until a number of zombies attack. 
  The PCs have to help defend the townsfolk 
  alongside 
  the 
  dwarven 
  miners 
  and 
  elven 
  woodsmen. 
   
  As the twilight sky darkens, Weeping Willow’s 
  town speaker, Myrindil Riverstone, nods and 
  mutters something in a quiet voice to the 
  dwarven leader, Brottor Holderhek. Then 
  Myrindil walks to the middle of the street and 
  scratches 
  his 
  head. 
  “Well,” 
  he 
  says, 
  addressing both the dwarves and wood elves, 
  “this one’s beyond me. Why don’t you, Brottor, 
  and you, Tharivol, come with me, and we’ll 
  seek out our priest’s advice. Every once in a 
  while, Derith offers good counsel.” A slow 
  murmur sounds; then Brottor and Tharivol 
  step forward, eying each other warily. 
   
  The remaining dwarves and elves move 
  apart to opposite sides of the street, and the 
  on looking villagers depart for their homes. All 
  is calm for a moment, and then the sounds of 
  rapid footfalls carry loudly from just down the 
  road. Then as an eerie clatter sounds behind 
  the footfalls, and a low-pitched huffing, and a 
  dwarf emerges from the edge of the darkness. 
  “Skuh-skeletons!” he wheezes. 
   
  Even as the dwarves and wood elves stand 
  to ready themselves for combat, a dozen 
  skeletons run out of the darkness. Six of them 
  are headed right for you! 
   
  APL 2 (EL 3) 
  Orc Warrior Skeletons (6): hp 7 each; see 
  Appendix One. 
   
  Tactics: The skeletons are mindless warriors 
  and rush forward to join the nearest living creature 
  in combat. The dwarves mount a defense on the 
  left side of the road while the wood elves hold fast 
  on the right. Both groups manage to hold off their 
  undead foes while the remaining villagers flee to 
  safety. All of this leaves the PCs to contend with 
  only the 6 skeletons nearest them. 
   
  Treasure: The PCs may claim the rusty armor 
  and weapons that still cling to the skeletons rotting 
  corpses. 
   
  APL 2: Loot – 22 gp, Coin – 0 gp, Magic – 0 
  gp. 
   
  Development: After the battle, Keldon, the 
  dwarf who ran into town reveals that the skeletons 
  came out of the new dwarven mine. Their mining 
  bore into a series of natural caves, and shortly 
  after they began to explore them, a horde of 
  skeletons emerged. Four dwarves were slain in 
  the immediate combat, and Keldon ran to town for 
  help. He thought he might have given the 
  skeletons the slip, but it seems they spotted him. 
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 6 
  
   
  Encounter Three: Taking 
  Sides 
  If the PCs successfully talked the dwarves and 
  wood elves down from the earlier combat, read or 
  paraphrase the following text: 
   
  As the last of the skeletons are destroyed, 
  Myrindil rushes to the site, wielding a 
  longsword. Brottor and Tharivol follow shortly 
  behind him, also armed. As a small boy, in 
  priest’s robes jogs forward, huffing and 
  puffing, Myrindil takes a moment to survey the 
  destruction, then looks over the dwarves, the 
  wood elves, and your party. He grins, then 
  addresses you. “It seems Weeping Willow is 
  doubly fortunate to have you here this 
  evening.” 
   
  If the PCs failed to talk the dwarves and wood 
  elves out of their earlier skirmish, read or 
  paraphrase the following text: 
   
  As the last of the skeletons are destroyed, 
  Myrindil rushes to the site, wielding a 
  longsword. Brottor and Tharivol follow shortly 
  behind him, also armed. As a small boy, in 
  priest’s robes jogs forward, huffing and 
  puffing, Myrindil takes a moment to survey the 
  destruction, then looks over the dwarves, the 
  wood elves, and your party. He grins, then 
  addresses you. “It seems Weeping Willow is 
  fortunate to have you here this evening after 
  all.” 
   
  If the PCs have not spoken to Brottor and/or 
  Tharivol about the dwarven mine at the root of the 
  tensions between the dwarves and wood elves, 
  Myrindil explains: 
   
  “Brottor and Tharivol have been expressing to 
  me their concerns about this region. It seems 
  that after Brottor moved here, he discovered a 
  vein of ore north of town and shortly upstream 
  along Chirping Creek. Like any good dwarf, he 
  summoned his clan mates to come and help 
  him mine. They say the vein is rich, and the ore 
  is of a high quality. However, as Tharivol has 
  explained to me, the woods beginning along 
  the Chirping Creek are delicately balanced. His 
  people claim the nature spirits in these parts 
  are temperamental. They say there are dark 
  forces at work, and the dwarves’ mining will 
  only lead to a disruption of the region’s 
  precarious balance. For my part, I have been 
  unable to get either side to make concessions. 
  Brottor is a citizen of Weeping Willow. He 
  bought several farms after the previous 
  residents, bless their souls, were slain in the 
  misfortunes of CY 591. I’m at a loss what to do, 
  my friends. Derith, too, was unable to bring our 
  dwarven and elven friends to see eye to eye.” 
   
  In any case, after the PCs have a chance to 
  respond 
  to 
  Myrindil’s 
  comments, 
  read 
  or 
  paraphrase the following text: 
   
  “Now could someone explain to me what these 
  skeletons are doing here?” Myrindil steps 
  forward and reaches for one of the skulls. 
  “Orcs! Curse their dead bones.” 
   
  Allow the PCs a chance to respond and explain 
  what happened. 
   
  A moment passes quietly as Myrindil examines 
  the scattered bones. “They came from the 
  mine?” says Myrindil. “Then we must do 
  something. Immediately.” 
   
  “Cleanse it!” calls Brottor. “Root it out. 
  There’s good ore in them caves!” 
   
  “Cleanse it?” scoffs Tharivol. “It is clear 
  that these mines are wholly disrupting the 
  balance. They must be sealed forever. Our 
  priest can close them with a ritual.” 
   
  “But…” calls Brottor, nearly moaning, “but 
  did you not hear me, elf? There’s good ore in 
  there!” 
   
  “It matters not.” 
   
  Again, both the dwarves and wood elves 
  stand from their positions at the opposite 
  edges of the street and eye each other over. 
  Myrindil holds up his hands and calls, 
  “Enough! I’ve heard enough from both of you. I 
  will make this decision. I will take short 
  counsel from you, Brottor. Then from you, 
  Tharivol. Then from Derith and our friends, 
  here,” he says, pointing at your party. 
   
  The DM should role-play the remainder of this 
  encounter as Myrindil quickly consults with Brottor, 
  Tharivol and Derith, in turn, becoming only more 
  frustrated as the pre-existing difficulties continue 
  ad-nauseum. Then he consults with the PCs, 
  hoping to gain their insight. 
   
  Essentially, if the PCs, as a group, agree to 
  side with the dwarves or with the wood elves, 
  Myrindil listens for a while and then agrees, glad to 
  be done with the matter. If the PCs consult 
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 7 
  
  Myrindil for his opinion, he clearly expresses that 
  his first concern is for the good of Weeping Willow. 
  He acknowledges Brottor’s right to live in the 
  hamlet and states that he doesn’t know of any 
  legal reason why Brottor wouldn’t have the right to 
  mine along the creek. He believes that Brottor has 
  been a good citizen, and though his clan mates 
  have sometimes been noisy since they arrived 
  three weeks ago, they have made fast friends with 
  the innkeep and several of the villagers. In fact, 
  they’ve performed some excellent blacksmith work 
  for the local farmers. If the PCs were to cleanse 
  the mines, it would likely be a dangerous task. 
  Myrindil has little taste for such skulking about the 
  bowels of the earth, but he would be comforted to 
  know that whatever forces lurked beneath the 
  mines had been rooted out and destroyed. 
   
  However, as an elf, Myrindil is loath to tempt 
  the spirits of the woods. Fey, animals, magical 
  beasts, and elemental spirits all live in the 
  neighboring woods, and if the wood elves are 
  right, the dwarves’ continued mining could lead to 
  the eventual downfall of Weeping Willow. But it’s 
  hard to say whether or not the wood elves are 
  right. He believes they think they’re telling the 
  truth, and they’ve always been allies of the village. 
  In his travels, Myrindil has often wandered across 
  the bodies of dead orcs and goblinoids, their 
  backs pierced by arrows. If the wood elves were to 
  seal the caverns for good, Myrindil would be 
  relieved 
  to 
  have 
  the 
  crisis 
  averted 
  while 
  maintaining the natural balance of the region. He 
  is uncertain what such a ritual requires, but he 
  expects the PCs could make themselves helpful. 
   
  Once the PCs persuade Myrindil to ally 
  Weeping Willow with either the dwarves or the 
  wood elves, Myrindil announces the decision to all 
  those involved. 
   
  If the PCs choose to ally with the dwarves, 
  follow the Dwarven Path, Encounters Four D 
  through Conclusion D. 
  If the PCs choose to ally with the wood elves, 
  follow the Elven Path, Encounters Four E through 
  Conclusion E. 
   
  Encounter Four D: The 
  Dwarven Path 
  When Myrindil announces your decision to 
  clear out the mine and caverns, the dwarves 
  clap their hands, tug their beards, and cheer. 
  “Yer alright. That’s fer sure,” says Brottor, the 
  red-headed leader of his clan. 
   
  Tharivol, the wood elf leader, walks quietly 
  to Myrindil and speaks in tones so hushed, 
  you can barely hear them, but even so, the 
  edge in his voice is unmistakable. “You have 
  made your choice, Myrindil. And the fate of 
  Weeping Willow and this region is on your 
  head. My people will not stay to struggle 
  against the spirits of the woods.” 
   
  Myrindil says nothing, but nods farewell. 
   
  Then the dwarves introduce themselves to 
  you and lead you to the mine entrance. 
  Nothing in your short career as an adventurer 
  could have prepared you for what you see. 
  Across the creek, below a rocky hillside dotted 
  with towering trees, a clearing lies before the 
  mouth of a giant hole in the mud and rock. A 
  tent houses mining equipment. Outside the 
  tent and all across the clearing lie scattered 
  bones and the tattered, bloodied remains of 
  four dwarves. The stink is overpowering. 
   
  Brottor directs two of the dwarves to start 
  digging graves and tells the other three to start 
  donning their armor. He lifts his warhammer 
  and swings it twice through the air. Turning to 
  your party, he says, “We’re coming with you.” 
   
  The DM should take a moment to have Brottor 
  regard the PCs. He’s looking them over for 
  standard caving gear: light sources, ropes, 
  climbing harnesses, pitons, water skins, 10-foot 
  poles, tools, and the like. Ask the players what 
  gear their characters own. If they are well 
  prepared for underground adventuring, Brottor will 
  make a congratulatory remark and ask them what 
  their plan might be. If the PCs seem to lack some 
  of the requisite tunnel-crawling materials, Brottor 
  will pause and ask the PCs, “Ye have been in 
  tunnels before, haven’t ye?” However the PCs 
  respond, have Brottor react with some suspicion 
  and slowly relax and continue to regard the PCs 
  warmly. He is appreciative of their aid even if they 
  aren’t particularly well prepared for adventuring in 
  tunnels. Fortunately for the PCs, Brottor’s clan 
  have some supplies in their tent which they can 
  loan the PCs for this adventure only: 5 sunrods, 50 
  feet of knotted silk rope, 3 climbing harnesses, 1 
  crowbar, 1 toolset (thieves’ tools), 3 shovels, 1 
  ten-foot pole, and 6 pick axes. 
   
  Allow the PCs a chance to introduce 
  themselves to the dwarves and make preparations 
  if they choose. The dwarven miners know very 
  little about the caverns, but they’re willing to share 
  all the information they have. The dwarves names 
  and some pertinent details are listed below: 
   
  Keldon: A pot-bellied dwarf with a thick, 
  gnarled brown beard, Keldon is the dwarf who fled 
  the mines earlier when the skeletons attacked. He 
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 8 
  
  Encounter Five D: A Dwarf’s 
  Gotta Do What a Dwarf’s 
  Gotta Do 
  saw them as they first exited the caverns into the 
  mine. They didn’t seem to know what they were 
  doing at first, but their general malice soon 
  provoked them to attack the nearest dwarves. 
  Despite his potbelly, Keldon was the fleetest of the 
  dwarves at the mine, so the others sent him to get 
  help. The memory of his companions’ cries haunts 
  him as though he hears it in the air. He has an 
  ashen, wild look to his face. Diplomacy might 
  prompt him to act bravely, but nothing short of a 
  heal spell will relieve him of the evening’s trauma. 
  Keldon stays behind to dig graves for his fallen 
  companions. 
  The caverns wind through tunnels 10 feet 
  wide. Two natural offshoots proved to lead to 
  dead ends. Cobwebs hang from the walls and 
  ceiling. As you walk forward, the dwarves, 
  other than Brottor, appear to tremble and peer 
  cautiously into the dark. They start at the 
  sound of something scuttling away into the 
  dark. Brottor turns to them and laughs, “Ye’ve 
  been living on me farm too long, boyos. What 
  happened to yer dwarven spines?” But none of 
  the dwarves answer him. They just lower their 
  heads and plod through the caves. 
   
  Torbin: Torbin is Keldon’s younger brother 
  and stays behind to dig graves with him as the 
  party enters the caverns. The dwarves’ handyman, 
  he spends time during the party’s preparations 
  helping the other dwarves put on their armor, test 
  their weapons and instruments. He knots ropes 
  and sorts out all the dwarves’ inventory into neat, 
  orderly piles in their tent. While he works, he casts 
  occasional glances at his brother, to remain aware 
  of his state. A quiet, young dwarf, Torbin has 
  deep, purple shadows under his eyes and a large, 
  hooked nose. 
  Your path takes you deeper into the tunnels 
  until they fork. One passage continues straight 
  ahead. The other curves left. 
   
  As the PCs head deeper into the caverns, the 
  walls slowly, and subtly change from natural 
  caverns to rough-hewn (apparently just enough 
  stonework to modify the tunnels for passage). PCs 
  with 
  stonecunning, 
  Profession 
  (miner), 
  or 
  Knowledge (dungeoneering) might notice this 
  change with a successful DC 15 check. 
   
  Dungar: A grey-bearded, old dwarf with arms 
  nearly thick as tree trunks, Dungar is the senior 
  miner among the dwarves. He knows rock. During 
  the party’s preparations to enter the caves, 
  Dungar keeps looking thoughtfully and wistfully at 
  the mine, sometimes muttering that he knows 
  there’s something rich in there. “There’s good 
  rock.” Every once in a while he might use a pick to 
  remove a piece of stone, taste it, and stare 
  meaningfully into the dark of the caverns. 
   
  On a successful DC 10 Listen check, the PCs 
  hear a faint moaning further down the tunnel 
  straight ahead. 
   
  If at least one of the PCs makes the listen 
  check, read or paraphrase the following text: 
   
  As you stand at the fork in the tunnels, trying 
  to decide which way to go, you hear a faint 
  clanking and groaning further down the tunnel 
  straight ahead. Apparently, a couple of the 
  dwarves hear it, too, because they take a few 
  steps backward, holding up their shields. 
   
  Wort: The youngest of the dwarves, is 
  Dungar’s apprentice. As such, he tends to follow 
  Dungar around and stare where Dungar stares, 
  but a DC 15 Sense Motive check recognizes that 
  he’s just mimicking the old dwarf’s actions, not 
  fully aware of what he’s doing. Wort is the only 
  dwarf who is openly afraid to enter the caverns, 
  yet he is brave enough to face his fears. 
   
  Brottor looks at them and frowns. “What’s 
  the matter now, milk for courage?” 
   
  “No offense, Brottor, but these caverns is 
  unnatural, sir,” says Dungar, the grey-bearded 
  dwarf. “And if I had any fighting days in me 
  when I was a whelp, Brottor, well, those days 
  is long past.” 
   
  Taklinn: The tallest of the dwarves with a fine, 
  golden beard, neatly trimmed and braided, Taklinn 
  has come to the mine hoping to get rich quickly. 
  He’s bold and brash and eager to get into the 
  caverns and clear them out. A strong, stocky 
  dwarf, Taklinn spends some of the party’s 
  preparation time practicing his swing with a heavy 
  mace. 
   
  Wort, the youngest of the dwarves, points 
  to your group and tells Brottor, “Maybe we 
  should just stay here and cover their backs.” 
  The other dwarves nod and express their 
  consent, much to Brottor’s discontent. 
   
  Eventually, PCs who choose to work with the 
  dwarves head into the caverns, accompanied by 
  Brottor, Dungar, Wort, and Taklinn. 
   
  “Well, heroes, it looks like ye’ve got a 
  rearguard worth a pile of spit to protect you. I’d 
  get me boyos to follow you down the tunnel, 
  but some battles aren’t worth fightin’.” 
   
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 9 
  
   
   
  If none of the PCs succeeded at their Listen 
  check, read or paraphrase the following text: 
  You continue down the cavern tunnel, and the 
  clanking 
  and 
  groaning 
  becomes 
  louder, 
  though it seems somehow muted. Finally the 
  tunnel bends left, and around the corner you 
  find that the tunnel ends abruptly at an old, 
  slightly 
  rusted 
  iron 
  door. 
  Whatever 
  the 
  clanking and groaning is, it clearly comes from 
  something behind the door. 
   
  As you stand at the fork in the tunnels, trying 
  to decide which way to go, a couple of the 
  dwarves suddenly take a few steps backward 
  and raise their shields. 
   
  Brottor looks at them and frowns. “What’s 
  the matter now, milk for courage?” 
   
  There are several things worth noting at this point. 
  The iron door is 4 inches thick, but the fact that it 
  is slightly rusted affects its sturdiness (Hardness 
  5, 100 HP). Its locking mechanism is also a little 
  rusty (DC 25 Open Lock check). Finally, the door 
  is trapped. PCs who have been looking for traps 
  might have noticed several small gaps in the 
  ceiling 10 feet back from the door (DC 15 Search 
  check). Heavy iron bars fall from each gap when 
  the door’s insanity mist poison trap is triggered, 
  effectively forming a portcullis. Each iron bar is 4 
  inches thick (Hardness 8, 120 HP) and rises 
  mechanically whenever the door is opened. 
  Typically, this allows the Necromancer to respond 
  to the alarm. His plan is to be able to leave the 
  other iron door and walk through the caverns to 
  attack intruders from the rear, casting spells 
  through the portcullis. However, in this case, if the 
  PCs trigger the alarm, which they almost invariably 
  will at this APL, the Necromancer ends up 
  encountering Brottor and the dwarves (see 
  Encounter 8D). 
   
  “No offense, Brottor, but these caverns is 
  unnatural, sir,” says Dungar, the grey-bearded 
  dwarf. “And I heard some magical sounding 
  clanking and groaning down that corridor.” He 
  points straight ahead. “And if I had any 
  fighting days in me when I was a whelp, 
  Brottor, well, those days is long past.” 
   
  Wort, the youngest of the dwarves, points 
  to your group and tells Brottor, “Maybe we 
  should just stay here and cover their backs.” 
  The other dwarves nod and express their 
  consent, much to Brottor’s discontent. 
   
  He pauses for a moment and listens. “Well, 
  heroes, it seems there’s something giving off a 
  bit of noise down thataway. And it looks like 
  whatever it is, ye’ll have to face it on yer own. 
  I’d get me boyos to follow you down the 
  tunnel, but some battles aren’t worth fightin’. 
  At least, these spineless half-fey will have yer 
  backs well-covered.” 
   
  Of course, the PCs do not have to go straight 
  down the cavern tunnel. It’s just the “obvious” way. 
  PCs who choose to go left may continue down the 
  tunnel, unobstructed, until it ends a large iron 
  door. Unfortunately for the PCs, this door is both 
  locked mechanically (DC 30 Open Lock check) 
  and magically. It is also trapped in the same 
  manner as the iron door at the end of the other 
  corridor (see Encounter 6D). It is 4 inches thick 
  (Hardness 8, 120 HP), and if the PCs attempt to 
  break it, they will inevitably alert the Necromancer 
  (see Appendix C) who lairs behind the door. 
  Should the PCs insist on breaking down the door, 
  they will enter a room the Necromancer will have 
  fled by the time they succeed, having ordered the 
  undead ogre from Encounter 8D to this room 
  before fleeing for the surface through the secret 
  door opposite the iron door. 
   
  The iron door actually has two separate traps 
  on it, each of which is triggered and/or disabled 
  separately. 
   
  The insanity mist poison and portcullis trap is 
  triggered whenever anyone stands on either of the 
  squares directly in front of the iron door. The 
  portcullis drops immediately. Four rounds later, 
  hidden vents release insanity mist poison, which 
  affects anyone between the iron door and 
  portcullis bars. 
   
  Insanity Mist Poison and Portcullis: CR 2; 
  mechanical; location trigger; repair reset; gas and 
  portcullis; never miss; onset delay (4 rounds); 
  poison (insanity mist, DC 15 Fortitude save 
  resists, 1d4 Wis/2d6 Wis); multiple targets (all 
  within 10-ft.-by-10-ft. room); Search DC 15; 
  Disable Device DC 15; Market value: 1,900 gp. 
   
  The alarm trap has been modified to trigger 
  whenever anyone comes within 5 feet of the door. 
   
  Encounter Six D: What’s 
  Behind Door Number One? 
   
  Alarm Trap: CR 1; magic device; proximity 
  trigger; automatic reset; spell effect (alarm, 1st-
  level wizard); Search DC 26; Disable Device DC 
  26; Market value: 550 gp; 80 XP. 
  If the PCs continue straight down the corridor, they 
  find that it ends at a large iron door. 
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 10 
  
   
  Finally, not only is this door trapped, but it’s 
  heavy and a little bit stuck! If unlocked, it requires 
  a DC 15 Strength check to open. 
   
  Encounter Seven D: The 
  Strange Machine 
  Once the PCs get past the door, they find 
  themselves in a seemingly abandoned evil temple. 
  They have a chance to search the area, but along 
  with some necromancer’s journal, there are a 
  couple traps. 
   
  Behind the door lies a circular room, roughly 
  40-feet in diameter. At its center is a large, 
  slightly-rusted brass machine, a giant tangle of 
  gears, levers, hooks and chains; it clanks and 
  whirs and groans as its chains cause various 
  arms to spin in circles, lifting one lever as 
  another descends. Connected to the machine 
  by a wire running along the floor, a hoop of 
  mithral 
  sparks 
  with 
  energy 
  at 
  irregular 
  intervals. The purpose of this strange brass 
  machine has got you stumped, but as you 
  survey the rest of the room, the various 
  depictions of a skeletal figure wielding a 
  scythe that adorn the walls reveal this room to 
  be a shrine of sorts to the Reaper. Tattered 
  tapestries hang from the walls. The marbled 
  floor is stained with blood. You see hooks 
  hanging from the ceiling and a grate in the 
  center of the floor, near the loud, strange 
  machine. On the far side of the room sit a chair 
  and table, and a desk littered with papers. 
   
  See Appendix Two for a map of the room. 
   
  A DC 10 Knowledge (religion) check confirms 
  that the skeleton and scythe imagery that covers 
  much of the room does, in fact, represent Nerull, 
  the Reaper, Neutral Evil god of Death, Evil and 
  Trickery. Nerull is the Foe of All Good, Hater of 
  Life, Bringer of Darkness, King of All Gloom, and 
  Reaper of Flesh. 
   
  A DC 25 Knowledge (arcana) check suggests 
  that the strange machine is somehow meant to 
  power a portal (the mithral hoop). It does not 
  appear to be functional at this time. 
   
  A detect magic reveals magic in two places: 
  on the mithral hoop (DC 21 Spellcraft, moderate 
  necromancy) and on something inside the chest 
  (DC 16 Spellcraft, faint illusion). 
   
  The chest is locked (DC 30 Open Lock) and 
  trapped. Touching the chest triggers a scything 
  blade, which swings horizontally, at a height of 3 
  feet (some halflings fiddling with the chest might 
  simply be too short to get hit), from the wall behind 
  the chest. 
   
  Scything Blade Trap: CR 1; mechanical; 
  touch trigger; automatic reset; Atk +8 (1d8x3); 
  Search DC 21; Disable Device DC 20; Market 
  value: 1,700 gp. 
   
  The chest, however, is merely a distraction. 
  Inside the chest, there is nothing more than a 
  black rock with Nystul’s magic aura cast on it. 
   
  The papers on the desk, though, contain the 
  Necromancer’s arcane notes. They are written in 
  Abyssal. If any PC can read them, they detail the 
  Necromancer’s attempts to create a portal to the 
  Plane of Shadow. His attempts have so far proven 
  unsuccessful, though there appears to have been 
  an interesting side effect. The machine seems to 
  be able to transfer some of the strength from live 
  victims which he tortured on the strange machine 
  to undead he created near the mithral hoop, 
  making them tougher and, also, easier for the 
  Necromancer to command. It has also infused the 
  Necromancer’s underground complex with a small 
  degree of negative energy, effectively infusing the 
  complex 
  with 
  the effects of a permanent 
  desecrate. 
   
  On the table are a number of instruments 
  obviously dedicated to the sciences of dissection 
  and torture as well as a few grisly pictures 
  indicating as much. Old caked blood and dried up 
  flesh line a gutter that rings the table. 
   
  In the southeast curve of the room, a tapestry 
  conceals a secret door. A DC 20 Search check is 
  required to find the door. It is unlocked and swings 
  open with the slightest touch. Directly in front of 
  the tapestry concealing the secret door is a 10-ft 
  long pit trap, 5-ft. wide. DMs please note that, 
  unless the PCs state they are using 10-ft. poles to 
  move the tapestries or otherwise state a specific 
  course of action that allows them to search behind 
  tapestries without standing next to them, the 
  Search 
  check 
  that 
  finds 
  the 
  secret 
  door 
  necessitates that at least one PC steps onto the 
  pit trap. 
   
  Deeper Pit Trap: CR 1; mechanical; location 
  trigger; manual reset; hidden switch bypass (DC 
  25 Search); DC 15 Reflex save avoids; 20 ft. deep 
  (2d6, fall); multiple targets (first target in each of 
  two adjacent 5-ft. squares); Search DC 20; 
  Disable Device DC 23; Market value: 1,300 gp. 
   
  The switch to deactivate the pit trap is located 
  in a secret panel behind the tapestry to the right of 
  the trap. 
   
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
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  Encounter Eight D: It’s Big 
  and Mean and Coming 
  Straight For Us! 
  As your battle with the giant skeleton draws to 
  a close, you hear the sounds of battle echoing 
  down the hallway behind the door in the north 
  wall of the room. 
   
  PCs who find the secret entrance gain admission 
  to the complex’s morgue where the necromancer’s 
  greatest creation, a skeletal ogre, guards a 
  number of dead orc bodies and a chest filled with 
  black onyx gems. While the PCs fight the skeleton, 
  they suddenly hear the sounds of combat from far 
  off, 
  where 
  the 
  dwarves 
  are 
  fighting 
  the 
  necromancer himself! 
  Allow each PC to make a DC 20 Listen check to 
  recognize Brottor’s voice as he shouts commands 
  to his fellow dwarves. 
   
  Conclusion D: New Riches 
  for Weeping Willow 
  When the PCs head down the hall toward the 
  sounds of combat, they pass a plush bedroom, 
  draped in black and scarlet velvets where an iron 
  door, like the one through which they entered the 
  necromancer’s complex, stands open. In the 
  caverns outside the door, the dead body of the 
  Necromancer lies face down, a dwarven axe 
  clearly lodged in the back of his neck. Brottor 
  stands bloodied and winded, but alive. Two of the 
  other dwarves survived, but the third is nothing 
  more, now, than an emaciated corpse. 
   
  Your light shines into the room beyond the 
  secret door. The room is large, nearly 50 feet 
  long by 30 feet wide, and it appears to be 
  completely lined with dead orcs. The stench is 
  overpowering, and just as you stifle your first 
  impulse to gag, you see something moving 
  toward you from the far end of the room, 
  something skeletal, something very, very 
  large! 
   
   
  DMs please note that the entire complex is 
  effectively desecrated (effective caster level 7). 
  The effects have been taken into consideration for 
  the ogre skeleton’s stat block in Appendix C. 
  Additionally, all PCs in the room must make a DC 
  10 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1d3+1 
  rounds. If a PC uses a move action to wrap a cloth 
  around his or her nose, allow the PC to retry the 
  save with a +2 circumstance bonus. 
  You find Brottor standing in the caverns, 
  looking at the body of the fallen necromancer. 
  It doesn’t take an experienced priest to 
  determine that the cause of the necromancer’s 
  death is the dwarven war axe lodged in the 
  back of his neck. At first it appears that all the 
  other dwarves are dead, but then you hear 
  muttering coming from around a bend in the 
  tunnel. When you go there, you find both Wort 
  and Dungar alive, though they are so badly 
  weakened, they can hardly lift their arms to 
  remove their armor. Poor Taklinn, however, did 
  not fare so well; the dwarf who was once so 
  proud of his golden beard is nothing more now 
  than an emaciated corpse. Brottor bends over 
  his body and closes his eyes. With sadness 
  evident in his voice, he asks you what you’ve 
  found in the complex. 
   
  APL 2 (EL 3) 
  Ogre Skeleton: hp 30; see Appendix One. 
   
  Tactics: The encounter level has been 
  adjusted to include the influence of the room’s 
  stench and the complex’s desecrate effect. The 
  skeleton is mindless and simply attacks the 
  nearest creature until it drops, then moves to the 
  next living target. 
   
  Treasure: The chest at the far end of the wall 
  is unlocked and contains 6 black onyx gems, each 
  worth 50 gp. 
   
  A character who investigates Taklinn’s body may 
  determine, with a successful DC 19 Spellcraft 
  check, 
  that 
  Taklinn 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  emaciated by negative energy, such as caused by 
  an enervation spell. 
   
  APL 2: Loot – 0 gp, Coin – 50 gp, Magic – +1 
  chainmail (108 gp). 
   
  Development: As the PCs fight the skeleton, 
  the DM should allow them to spot a door, slightly 
  ajar, in the north wall and a chest in the northeast 
  corner of the room. After the battle ends, or if it 
  has clearly turned to the PCs’ advantage (as a 
  DM, you expect the PCs to finish off the skeleton 
  within 1 round), read or paraphrase the following 
  text: 
   
  This is a chance for the PCs to role-play 
  and/or go back to any treasure they might have 
  left behind and collect it. Once they’ve done so, 
  they help escort the dwarves back to Weeping 
  Willow. 
   
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
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  Treasure: The dead necromancer’s cloak and 
  tunic radiate as magical. He has 60 gp on his body 
  as well as a masterwork spiked gauntlet. 
   
  APL 2: Loot – 25 gp, Coin – 10 gp, Magic – 
  cloak of resistance +1 (83 gp), ring of protection 
  +1 (167 gp) 
   
  Your return to Weeping Willow is longer and 
  harder than it ought to be. With every step, you 
  carry the weight of both the fallen dwarves and 
  of the enfeebled Wort and Dungar. 
   
  When you explain your discoveries to 
  Myrindil, he expresses his gratitude, and the 
  rest of the hamlet soon follows. You are 
  feasted and celebrated while you rest to heal 
  your wounds. Myrindil declares Brottor and his 
  clan mates the true friends of Weeping Willow, 
  and the hamlet holds a moving funeral for the 
  fallen dwarves.  
   
  Meanwhile, when he can get free from the 
  formal events, Brottor takes out his sorrow 
  and anger with a pick against the rock of the 
  newly opened caverns. The day you are 
  scheduled to leave, he meets you in the street 
  to tell you that his dwarves have made an 
  astonishing discovery: the caves hold traces 
  of adamantine. It looks like the hamlet of 
  Weeping Willow will become a rich mining 
  town, and it seems likely, too, that the area will 
  soon host an influx of dwarves and gnomes. 
   
  The End. 
   
  Encounter Four E: The Elven 
  Path 
  When Myrindil announces your decision to 
  seal the caverns and mine, Tharivol steps 
  forward and addresses you. “You have chosen 
  wisely. Perhaps in the years to come, even 
  these dwarves may appreciate how your 
  wisdom will safeguard this city.” 
   
  Brottor, the red-bearded dwarf, scratches 
  his jaw and walks quietly to Myrindil and 
  speaks in tones so hushed, you can barely 
  hear them, but even so, the edge in his voice is 
  unmistakable. 
  “Ye’ve 
  made 
  yer 
  choice, 
  Myrindil. And the fate of Weeping Willow and 
  this region is on yer head. Me and my mates 
  aren’t going to stay to be farmers. We’ll seek 
  our riches elsewhere.” 
   
  Myrindil says nothing, but nods farewell. 
   
  Then the wood elves introduce themselves 
  to you and lead you through the woods to a 
  nearby camp. Obviously a temporary site, it 
  consists of eight tents sitting in the moon light 
  piercing the forest canopy. A half-dozen elven 
  women sing melodious tunes while they gut 
  rabbits, crush herbs, and boil water. In the 
  center of the camp, a very old elf sits near a 
  fire that gives off a purplish smoke. His hair is 
  white as snow, and he looks up at you as you 
  arrive. He lifts one bushy eyebrow and asks 
  Tharivol, “Who are these guests of yours?” 
   
  “They are friends of the balance. They 
  helped me convince Myrindil to seal the mine 
  for good.” 
   
  The old elf smiles, “Then you have my 
  thanks, 
  adventurers. 
  Perhaps 
  there 
  is 
  something else you can do for us. We may yet 
  need your help.” 
   
  The old, white-haired elf’s name is Mithrinnor. A 
  priest of Ehlennestra, he has an old scroll of 
  planar binding that he intends to use to call an 
  earth elemental to seal the mine and caverns. 
  However, the nomadic wood elves have little to 
  offer in return. Mithrinnor’s dreams have not only 
  shown him that something stalks the woods, but 
  they have seemed to indicate that his dark, 
  mysterious predator is somehow connected to the 
  nature spirits’ recent disquiet. Thus, he expects 
  the earth elemental may request that the elves kill 
  this predator, and Mithrinnor hopes to enlist the 
  PCs’ aid in this matter, fearing that its defeat is 
  beyond the capabilities of his small band. Of 
  course, this is merely his speculation, as he 
  doesn’t know how his negotiations with the earth 
  elemental will fare. 
  At this point, DMs should allow the players a 
  chance to introduce themselves to the wood elves. 
  The wood elves names and some pertinent details 
  are listed below: 
   
  Rythillin / Alavin: These young brothers (97 
  and 89 years of age, respectively) have noticed a 
  recent decline in the number of orcs in the 
  surrounding area. They’re not exactly discouraged 
  by the orcs’ declining number, but they find it 
  curious. It doesn’t make sense to them, given what 
  they’ve been taught about orcs. Lacking a better 
  explanation, they suppose that the enraged nature 
  spirits may have begun to slaughter the green-
  skinned monsters. 
   
  Navarel: An experienced tracker, trapper and 
  tanner, Navarel is the elf who most recently 
  encountered the tracks of the “dark predator.” He 
  expects the predator is a cat somewhat larger 
  than an elf. He wears a wooden holy symbol of 
  Ehlennestra as well as some handcrafted wards 
  made from wood and dried berries. A DC 20 
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  Knowledge (religion) check identifies these wards 
  as the product of old, ineffectual superstitions. 
   
  Melthane: Melthane was once chosen to 
  follow in Mythrinnor’s footsteps as the tribe’s 
  priest, but he was too impatient for the training. A 
  highly solitary and reclusive individual, Melthane is 
  reluctant to spend time with the PCs even after the 
  elves have befriended him (unless the PCs 
  succeed at a DC 15 Diplomacy check). Initially, he 
  regards the PCs with skepticism, doubting their 
  commitment to nature and its delicate balance. 
  However, 
  Melthane 
  is, 
  perhaps, 
  the 
  most 
  intelligent and well traveled of all his tribe. He can 
  describe all of the surrounding lands in detail, and 
  if the party takes the time to acquaint themselves 
  with Melthane (and succeeds at the Diplomacy 
  check), they gain a +2 circumstance bonus to all 
  of their Knowledge (geography) and Survival 
  checks related to the surrounding area (including 
  those to Track the shadow panther). 
   
  Allaura / Nytheria / Lysieria: These women 
  cook, perform chores, and care for the children 
  among this patriarchal tribe of elves. As such, they 
  have not seen much that can help the PCs, but 
  they have noticed, lately, that the animals their 
  husbands have had slightly less flavor than they 
  should. They have had to use herbs and spices to 
  flavor their meals. Even the vegetables they’ve 
  gathered have proven mysteriously bland. Allaura 
  will even mention that it is as though the color has 
  started to fade from the land; everything she’s 
  cooked of late has started to look grayer and 
  grayer. When she mentions this, the other women 
  reflect for a moment, then quietly confirm that 
  Allaura’s observations match their own, now that 
  they think of it. 
   
  Encounter Five E: 
  Negotiations with the Nature 
  Spirits 
  As you watch, Mithrinnor draws an old scroll 
  from a wooden case. The scroll is written on 
  tanned animal hide, and as Mithrinnor reads 
  the words, the air around you begins to hum 
  with magic, and the earth, itself, trembles. 
  Then Mithrinnor finishes, and for a moment, 
  there is silence. The elves stand around him in 
  a circle, watching and waiting. The elven 
  women cast glances toward their children. 
  Then there is another rumbling, coming from 
  near the center of the circle, and a creature 
  made all of rock and mud seems to form itself 
  from the very ground before the old, white-
  haired elf until it towers above him, at least 
  twice its height. Vaguely humanoid, the lump 
  that would be its head bows down to look at 
  the old elf, and the rumble that is its voice fills 
  the air. Mithrinnor addresses it in a similar 
  series of rumbles and growls, though they 
  sound strange coming from the thin wood elf. 
  Unmistakable, though, is Mithrinnor’s respect 
  for the massive elemental. 
   
  If any of the PCs speak Terran, allow them to 
  listen to the conversation between the elemental 
  and Mithrinnor. The elemental’s first words are, 
  “Who summoned me? Why do you call me here?” 
  Mithrinnor’s reply is, “My name is Mithrinnor. I am 
  chosen by my people to help restore balance to 
  this land.” Beyond that, the DM has freedom to 
  role-play the negotiations between the caster of 
  the planar ally spell and the large earth elemental. 
  However, the negotiations proceed quickly, and 
  any PC attempting to cast comprehend languages 
  will catch only the final words spoken by each 
  party. 
  Mythrinnor: “It is as I suspected. It will be 
  done.” 
  Elemental: “I will know and return when the 
  task is completed.” 
  Mythrinnor: (As the elemental begins to sink 
  back into the earth) “Until then, farewell.” 
  At that point the elemental disappears into the 
  ground, only to return to clear the caves once the 
  shadow panther has been destroyed. 
   
  Mythrinnor and the elemental speak to each 
  other for a few short moments. Then the 
  elemental suddenly begins to sink back into 
  the earth. As it disappears, the old elf stands 
  straight and addresses Tharivol. “It is as I 
  suspected. The nature spirits are offended by 
  the dark predator. They wish it slain. Then our 
  noble earth friend will close the caverns 
  forever.” 
   
  “Then we will slay it,” says Tharivol. 
   
  “No,” says the old elf. “In my dreams, 
  when you have hunted the dark beast, our 
  women and children swim in a sea of red. 
  There is something else in the woods. I fear 
  you must not abandon the women and children 
  to hunt the beast.” 
   
  “Then,” says Tharivol, “perhaps we can 
  ask these heroes to aid us.” 
   
  The old elf nods. “That is what I had 
  hoped.” Mythrinnor turns to you. “I will not 
  deceive you, heroes. This predator may be 
  dangerous, and the nature spirits nearest it 
  may be turned to anger. Yet this land must be 
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  Page 14 
  
  restored to balance. If the spirits turn against 
  us, then all of this land will be lost. But it 
  seems 
  your 
  gods 
  may 
  have 
  allowed 
  Ehlennestra to bring you to us. I can give you 
  little aid, but to what I can give, you are 
  welcome. I have a couple scrolls, and from my 
  younger days, I still have a spear that may 
  serve you in your efforts. Will you slay this 
  beast?” 
   
  If the PCs do not agree to slay the beast, their 
  adventure is over. They are allowed to leave the 
  elven village and gain experience only for 
  encounters 1 and 2. 
   
  If the PCs agree to slay the beast, they most 
  likely will have a number of questions for the wood 
  elves. Below are listed some of the likely 
  questions and responses: 
  • 
  What is the beast? / Has anyone seen the 
  beast? Mythrinnor: “I do not know. In my 
  dreams, I see only a dark shape and eyes of 
  red. It is a predator. It stalks. When I wake, I 
  feel my heart shadowed by its menace.”  
  Tharivol: “Our scouts have found prints in the 
  woods that look as though they would belong 
  to a cat, but one much larger than any I have 
  ever seen. Judging from the distance between 
  the prints, the beast is fast. Very fast.” 
  • 
  Where can we find the beast?  Tharivol: “We 
  have seen tracks in the deeper woods to the 
  north of us, roughly one hour’s march. We fear 
  to scout much further north because the 
  nature spirits have been so irritable. They 
  make it difficult for us to travel. Nonetheless, 
  the dark beast’s tracks have come closer and 
  closer to us. It is expanding its territory.”  
  Mythrinnor: “I know the monster is a creature 
  of the night, and you must hunt it at night. You 
  will not find it during the day.” 
  • 
  You mentioned that you could help us. / 
  What did you say about scrolls and a 
  weapon?  Mythrinnor: “I can offer you four 
  scrolls. They are old, from my days as a 
  young adventurer, but they should serve you 
  well. Two are scrolls of magic weapon, one is 
  a scroll of protection from evil, and the other is 
  a scroll of shield other. If I remember correctly, 
  shield other requires the use of two rings. I will 
  have Tharivol find them for you. The weapon I 
  mentioned you may also borrow. It is my 
  greatest souvenir of my younger days, a 
  magical longspear. Many times it has saved 
  me, and I hope that it will aid you as well.”  
  (Note: The scrolls are all divine, written at 
  caster level 3rd, and the longspear is a +1 
  longspear that sheds light like a torch – 20 ft 
  radius, 40 ft shadowy illumination.) 
  • 
  What payment will we receive for this task? 
   Tharivol: “Look around you. Look at what little 
  we have to offer. Are your hearts not moved to 
  know that you will help bring peace to these 
  woods and to the hamlet of Weeping Willow 
  across the creek?”  Mythrinnor: “I apologize if 
  Tharivol’s words seem harsh, but he is right. 
  We have little to offer. What scrolls you do not 
  use, you may keep. Perhaps, if all goes well, I 
  may be willing to part with my longspear.” 
  • 
  We need to rest to prepare for the battle.  
  Mythrinnor: “You know yourselves best, 
  though I fear the dark stalker comes closer 
  and closer. My dreams are full of red. Blood 
  will soon be spilt.” 
  • 
  Can any of you come with us?  Tharivol: 
  “Mythrinnor’s dreams show that our women 
  and children are weak. We dare not leave 
  them. We need all our strength to defend our 
  camp.” 
  The PCs are free to do as they wish. If they set out 
  that night in pursuit of the predator, Tharivol will 
  direct them to the edge of the woods where he last 
  spotted the beast’s tracks. From there, the PCs 
  may Track it with a DC 20 Survival check or simply 
  head north as Tharivol suggested. Either way, 
  they will walk toward the dryad’s grove (Encounter 
  5E) and ever closer to the dark predator. 
   
   
  PCs who go any other direction get lost before 
  finding their way back to camp shortly before 
  dawn. When they return, they find an elven guard 
  dead, as below. 
   
  If the PCs choose to rest, let them. However, 
  during the night, shortly before dawn, one of the 
  wood elf hunters at the opposite edge of camp is 
  attacked while he stands guard. He manages to 
  sound a hunting horn before he dies. When the 
  PCs find him, he is already dead, but with a DC 15 
  Heal check they identify the wounds that killed him 
  as claw and bite marks. A DC 13 Survival or 
  Knowledge (nature) check identifies the claw and 
  bite marks as those that would belong to a 
  medium size cat. The wood elves, meanwhile, are 
  duly saddened by the guard’s death, but they do 
  not blame the PCs, only encourage them not to 
  delay any further and to pursue the beast that 
  following night. 
   
  Encounter Six E: I’m Not a 
  Lumberjack and I’m Okay 
  As the PCs head north, they approach a ring of 
  trees in the center of a steep valley on the far side 
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  Page 15 
  
  of a small stream the PCs must cross to hunt the 
  dark beast. 
   
  Your journey northward through the woods is 
  haunted by strange lights that twinkle and 
  disappear. Drifting on the slight breeze, as 
  though from far away, you could swear you 
  hear a fiddle melody, but then the leaves rustle 
  in the breeze, and the sound is gone. The stars 
  and moon shine, but the deeper you head into 
  the woods, the colder they appear to be. 
   
  The thick foliage and underbrush slows 
  your pace, and you have to hold your hand 
  before your face to keep the branches from 
  slapping it. Then, when you crest a small hill, 
  you see moonlight dancing off the slow 
  current of a small brook running below you. 
  The hill slopes downward to the brook and a 
  flat expanse of tall grass and a ring of trees. 
  Clearly imprinted in the mud near the edge of 
  the brook are the paw prints of a large cat. 
   
  If the PCs carefully search the area near the brook 
  (DC 20 Search or Survival check) they will find not 
  only the paw prints, but they will find a set of 
  booted humanoid prints further down the way. If a 
  PC with the Track feat succeeds at a DC 15 
  Survival check, he or she can determine that both 
  sets of prints appear to head toward the ring of 
  trees. 
   
  As the PCs approach the ring of trees, allow 
  them to make DC 20 Spot checks. To any who 
  succeed, read or paraphrase the following text: 
   
  The grove of trees forms almost a perfect 
  circle. A shape off to your left lies on the 
  ground and looks roughly humanoid. As you 
  study it, out of the corner of your eye, you 
  catch a remarkable sight. A creature blossoms 
  out the bark of a large oak tree, at first 
  appearing as a new branch before solidifying 
  into a decidedly female shape. She has a wild, 
  unfathomable look in her large eyes, and her 
  hair has a pronounced, leafy texture while her 
  skin looks like burnished wood. As you watch 
  she notches an arrow to her bow and barks a 
  few words at you in a language almost too 
  fluid for the task. 
   
  To the PCs who failed their Spot checks, read or 
  paraphrase the following text: 
   
  The grove of trees forms almost a perfect 
  circle. The moonlight catches on the leaves of 
  the hardwood trees, like sun glinting off water. 
  The place is almost too beautiful to hunt an 
  evil monster. As you walk forward with your 
  companions, you suddenly hear harsh words 
  spoken in a language almost too fluid for the 
  task. Looking about you, you see a humanoid 
  figure in the shadows. It appears to be female, 
  holding a bow with an arrow notched and 
  pointed right at you. 
   
  The “roughly humanoid” form on the ground is the 
  body of one of two dead orcs near the dryad’s 
  grove. It has already been looted by the dryad. 
   
  The dryad speaks Common, Elven, and 
  Sylvan. It first speaks in Sylvan. Any PC who can 
  understand her, hears her warn them, “Bring your 
  blades near my trees, and I will slay you.” 
   
  Have the PCs roll initiative. If the dryad beats 
  them, she readies an action to attack the first PC 
  who takes a threatening action (draws a weapon, 
  moves toward her in a threatening manner, begins 
  casting a spell, etc.). 
   
  APL 2 (EL 3) 
  Dryad: hp 14; see Monster Manual 90. 
   
  Tactics: Many parties will attempt to negotiate 
  with the dryad, even if they do not initially 
  understand her. Let them. The dryad begins the 
  encounter 
  as 
  Unfriendly 
  and 
  immediately 
  becomes Hostile (and attacks the PCs) if any of 
  the PCs take a threatening action. Once she 
  becomes 
  hostile, 
  she 
  prefers 
  to 
  use 
  her 
  suggestion (in Common) to send away the 
  character with the biggest blade. In this matter, an 
  axe counts as larger than a sword of the same 
  size. Her suggestion is worded reasonably (“If you 
  wish to save your people, leave the woods and tell 
  them their weapons are not welcome here.”), so 
  any PC who is not Chaotic Neutral, selfish, and 
  slightly crazy (DM’s judgment as to how the PC 
  has been played to that point) will suffer a –2 
  penalty. After she uses her suggestion, she will try 
  to find cover in the trees, and disable the 
  remaining PCs through use of her deep slumber, 
  charm person, and entangle abilities. She avoids 
  resorting to ranged or melee attacks until her other 
  options are depleted. If any PC actually attacks 
  her tree (the largest oak, near the center of the 
  ring), she will focus her attentions toward that PC 
  as if her life depended on it (because it does) and 
  will absolutely no longer participate in any 
  negotiations. Meanwhile, if the PCs attempt to 
  negotiate with the dryad, they may attempt 
  Diplomacy check to bring her to Indifferent. The 
  DC is 15 if the PCs have not yet made her hostile. 
  If the PCs have provoked her to hostility, the DC 
  increases to 25, and PCs must take the –10 
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  penalty to make the check as a full-round action. If 
  they choose to speak a language the dryad does 
  not understand, increase the Diplomacy check DC 
  to 25. If a PC attempts to negotiate with the dryad 
  in Sylvan, give that PC a +2 circumstance bonus. 
  At that point, she will lower her bow, but she will 
  still demand an explanation for the PCs’ presence. 
   
  Treasure: 
  As 
  noted 
  below 
  in 
  the 
  “development” section, the dryad has hidden a 
  wand of enlarge person with 10 charges 
  remaining. PCs who search the dead orc bodies 
  find them both dressed in chain mail armor, lying 
  next to masterwork great axes, and carrying a total 
  of 30 gp in coins and gems. 
   
  APL 2: Loot – 78 gp, Coin – 5 gp, Magic – 
  wand of enlarge person (12 gp). 
   
  Development: If the PCs enter discussions 
  with the dryad, she may mention their “green-
  skinned brethren’s” hostility to her grove (which 
  may confuse the PCs), and through role-playing, 
  the PCs should be able to determine that a 
  number of orcs were threatening the woods not 
  long ago. They cut down many trees not far away, 
  and the dryad destroyed a couple that approached 
  her grove. She believes (falsely) the orcs are 
  connected to the shadow cat she once saw 
  prowling the area at night. She has just slain two 
  out of three members of a band of orcs and fears 
  the remaining member will return to destroy her 
  trees. However, she will not leave her grove. 
  Instead, she asks the PCs if they will help her by 
  slaying the orc and bringing her his head as proof 
  he’s dead. If the PCs are willing, she will send 
  them on their way toward the orc (one half-hour 
  east). If the PCs mention that they intend to kill the 
  dark, predatory cat, the dryad offers to help them if 
  they kill the orcs. She has seen it and knows that it 
  is not natural. It clings to the shadows as though it 
  is one of them. It does not belong in the forest, 
  and she will allow the PCs to continue traveling 
  through her grove to destroy it so long as each of 
  them swears not to harm her trees. If the PCs kill 
  the orc for her, she will offer them a wand of 
  enlarge person (30 charges remaining) she found 
  on one of the dead orcs and had hidden in her 
  grove (DC 35 Search check to find it in the grove if 
  the PCs kill her). 
   
  Encounter Seven E: There’s 
  Always Time to Kill an Orc 
  Parties who chase the orc for the dryad find him 
  roughly one-half hour east of the dryad’s grove. 
  He is actually a half-orc cleric. He has used the 
  last of his scrolls and potions to cure the wounds 
  suffered during his previous encounter with the 
  dryad and ha started eating just before the PCs 
  arrive. 
   
  Tell the PCs they see the glow of a fire over 
  the crest of a hill. Make a Listen check for the half-
  orc cleric. If the PCs try to Move Silently, use his 
  Listen check to oppose their move silently checks. 
  See the map on Appendix Three to judge 
  distances and assess penalties accordingly. 
   
  The dryad’s directions have led you uphill 
  through the woods until you see the glow of a 
  campfire before you in an open clearing 
  roughly 30 feet in diameter. A canvas tent sits 
  back in the dark. A small kettle boils over the 
  campfire, causing a terrible stench to carry to 
  you on the slight breeze. 
   
  If the PCs’ Move Silently checks beat the half-orc 
  cleric’s Listen check, read or paraphrase the 
  following text: 
   
  Dipping a ladle into the foul concoction is a 
  big, burly, green-skinned orc. He wears full 
  plate armor. A massive shield and spear lean 
  against a tree to his left. 
   
  If the half-orc cleric’s Listen check beat the party’s 
  Move Silently checks, he casts enlarge person as 
  the PCs move toward him. Read or paraphrase 
  the following text: 
   
  As you move carefully toward the fire, a low 
  voice cries out, “Me can hear you racket stomp 
  through woods. Now me dinner gonna be more 
  good!” 
   
  From behind the tent steps a giant orc, 
  roughly 12 feet tall, wearing full plate and a 
  shield and wielding a massive spear. 
   
  APL 2 (EL 3) 
  Half-orc Cleric: hp 21; see Appendix One. 
   
  Tactics: If taken by surprise, the half-orc 
  cleric casts shield of faith before engaging the 
  PCs in melee combat. If he hears the PCs’ 
  approach and enlarges himself, he will use his first 
  round action to cast shield of faith. As soon as he 
  has cast both spells, he will rage and attack the 
  PCs in melee combat. If possible, he will first 
  attack PCs in light or no armor. He uses his 
  Strength domain’s feat of strength on his first 
  melee attack against a heavily armored character, 
  increasing both his attack and damage for that 
  round by one. Once in a rage, the half-orc cleric 
  fights to the death. 
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 17 
  
   
  Treasure: The half-orc cleric has a coin purse 
  containing 60 gp in gems. 
   
  APL 2: Loot – 151 gp, Coin – 10 gp, Magic – 0 
  gp. 
   
  Encounter Eight E: Here, 
  Kitty, Kitty, Kitty! 
  This encounter happens either after the PCs’ deal 
  with the dryad or after the PCs defeat the dryad 
  and head north. PCs capable of Tracking the dark 
  predator must succeed at a DC 20 Survival check 
  to follow it north; otherwise, a party may simply 
  continue north from the druid’s grove. A party that 
  heads north without having successfully Tracked 
  the shadow panther takes 1d6+1 hours to find the 
  altered forest described below. If they take more 
  than 3 hours, the sun begins to rise, and the party 
  will not find the beast that night. They will have to 
  either return to the elves’ encampment or set up 
  their own camp near the hardened, rocky hills. 
  This could potentially lead to an ambush if the PCs 
  do not establish a watch or fail to beat the shadow 
  panther on Listen checks against its Move Silently. 
  However things play out, the party eventually 
  confronts a shadow panther (templated leopard) in 
  mortal combat. 
   
  Heading north from the dryad’s grove, you find 
  that the land starts to change. The air feels 
  colder, and the stars and moon seem further 
  away. The forest canopy shrivels, and the 
  silhouetted leaves appear shriveled and rough, 
  almost blurry. The ground dries. Clay and 
  loose rock take the place of soil. Then the thick 
  forest comes abruptly to an end. Before you 
  lies a clearing that runs as far back into the 
  darkness as you can see. Numerous small 
  hillocks, like sand dunes, rise from the earth. 
  They are covered in rocky soil and weeds. The 
  small trees that dot the clearing are gnarled 
  and black. Once again you think you hear the 
  eerie sound of a far off fiddle, but this time it 
  seems to play a sad, haunting tune. Again, it 
  stops so suddenly you’re left wondering if the 
  tune had ever truly sounded. Striding forward, 
  you are left with the definite impression that 
  you are being watched. 
   
  Though the trees in this clearing are much smaller 
  and weaker than those outside of it, they still loom 
  as high as 30 or 40 feet above the ground. Some 
  of them are as much as 5 feet in diameter. The 
  shadow panther watches the party as they enter 
  from its perch 10 feet up on the branch of a larger 
  tree. Silently it stalks the party as they move 
  forward, looking for a chance to catch a straggling 
  party member in the rear or to the side of the main 
  group. 
   
  The DM should have the PCs make some 
  Listen checks and compare them to the results of 
  the shadow panther’s Move Silently checks. 
  Remember to account for the penalties the PCs 
  suffer to their Listen checks due to distance. 
   
  If any of the PCs hear the shadow panther’s 
  approach, then they may turn and see a pair of red 
  eyes in the tree branches 10 ft above them and 30 
  ft away. Just as the PCs notice the eyes, a 
  shadow form leaps from the branches and attacks 
  an unwary PC in the rear of the group (or away 
  from the party). This is the surprise round. PCs 
  who succeeded at Listen checks may take their 
  partial actions in this round. 
   
  As the shadow panther springs forward, read 
  or paraphrase the following: 
   
  Suddenly, a pair of glowing red eyes appears 
  in the dark, rushing toward your party. With a 
  snarl, 
  you 
  see 
  something, 
  almost 
  indistinguishable from the shadows around it, 
  leaping through the air at (PC’s name)! 
   
  APL 2 (EL 3) 
  Shadow Panther: hp 19; see Appendix One. 
   
  Tactics: The shadow panther has total 
  concealment in conditions other than total daylight. 
  It uses its surprise round to attack an unwary PC 
  standing apart from the rest of the party (or the 
  straggler in the back). If it succeeds at its bite, it 
  uses his Improved Grab to try to gain two rake 
  attacks. It will not remain in a grapple after it takes 
  it rake attacks, releasing the PC from the grapple 
  as a free action. An unintelligent, but natural 
  predator, it prefers hit and run tactics to a straight-
  up fight. Additionally, it will attempt to flee if 
  dropped to 5 or fewer hit points. Its preferred 
  method of attack is to charge one PC apart from 
  the group, getting its bite, claws, and rakes, then 
  to spend the next round fleeing into the dark and 
  shadows before charging back in on the following 
  round. If the PCs form some sort of a line or use a 
  strong tactical formation, the shadow panther is 
  unlikely to charge at the group at all. The hard 
  ground requires a DC 15 Survival check to Track 
  the shadow panther if the PCs scare it off. Each 
  time the PCs need to Track the beast, they spend 
  5 minutes between combats (enough to cause 
  many spells to end). If the party does not have a 
  PC with the Track feat (or fails their Survival 
  checks), they may follow the shadow panther with 
  DC 20 Search checks, though this increases the 
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 18 
  
  time between combats to 45 minutes. The shadow 
  panther will continue to fight with the same tactics, 
  retreating three times, if possible, before the PCs 
  manage to corner it in a 20 ft by 60 ft clearing 
  between a wide river and a tall cliff. 
   
  Dawn breaks, and you return wearied to 
  Weeping Willow. The villagers feast you and 
  celebrate your efforts. You find your rest 
  sweet. Once you are set to leave, Myrindil 
  approaches you and with a smile says, “Now, 
  look at what you’ve done!” He waves his hand 
  at the farmers in their fields. The crystal blue 
  sky seems to bless them. The green fields 
  bend in the wind. “All is as it was meant to be,” 
  says Myrindil. “Thank you, heroes. You have 
  our gratitude.” 
   
  Treasure: The shadow panther, itself, has no 
  treasure, but as a show of their gratitude, 
  Mythrinnor gives the PCs his magical longspear, 
  and allows them to keep whatever scrolls they did 
  not use. 
   
  APL 2: Loot – 0 gp, Coin – 0 gp, Magic – 2 
  scrolls of magic weapon (2 gp each), scroll of 
  protection from evil (2 gp), scroll of shield other 
  (12 gp), +1 longspear (192 gp). 
   
  The End. 
   
   
  Development: Once the PCs defeat the 
  shadow panther, they may return to the wood 
  elves. By the time they arrive, the elemental will 
  have already acknowledged the dark predator’s 
  death and will have concluded its negotiations with 
  Mythrinnor, setting about its task to seal up the 
  caverns. 
  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 
  Conclusion E 
  Negotiating peace between the dwarves and elves 
  You return to the wood elf encampment, 
  wearied from your battle, only to learn that the 
  earth 
  elemental 
  already 
  concluded 
  its 
  negotiations with Mythrinnor as you traveled 
  back. Tharivol takes you to the former mining 
  site. The dwarves’ tent stands open. Several 
  tools, picks and pitons, still lie on a long 
  wooden table, but the tent is mostly empty. 
  Apparently, the dwarves were quick to begin 
  packing up to leave the area. 
   
  APL 2: 30 xp 
   
   
  Encounter Two 
  Defeating the orc skeletons 
   
  APL 2: 90 xp 
   
   
  Encounter Six D 
  Disabling or encounter the portcullis and insanity 
  mist trap 
   
  APL 2: 60 xp 
   
  The most astonishing sight, though, is the 
  large rocky mound that stands where once 
  there was a gaping hole in the earth. The mine 
  is completely sealed. Tharivol tells you that not 
  only is the entrance closed, but there literally 
  is no more mine. It has been completely 
  sealed. In fact, the elemental had found several 
  other entrances to the caverns and had sealed 
  them as well. Once it had finished its task, but 
  before it returned to the earth, it had told 
  Mythrinnor that inside the caverns, it had 
  encountered worked stone. Whatever was in 
  there, though, was sealed in forever, behind 
  dozens of feet and thousands of tons of rock. 
  Disabling the alarm trap 
   
  APL 2: 30 xp 
   
   
  Encounter Seven D 
  Disabling or encounter the scything blade trap 
   
  APL 2: 30 xp 
   
  Disabling or encounter the deeper pit trap 
   
  APL 2: 30 xp 
   
  Encounter Eight D 
  Defeating the ogre skeleton 
   
  APL 2: 90 xp 
   
   
  Dwarven Path Story Award 
   
  You can spot the white-haired old elf 
  sitting with a pair of young elves, maybe only 
  30 or 40 years old, and even from a distance, 
  you hear from them the call and repeat of low, 
  rhythmic rumbling. With an awesome respect, 
  the young elves learn the old ways from their 
  elder. 
  Clearing the caverns: 
   
  APL 2: 45 xp 
   
  Dwarven Path Discretionary role-playing 
  award 
   
  APL 2: 45 xp 
   
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 19 
  
  Dwarven Path Total possible experience: 
   
  APL 2: 450 xp 
   
   
  Encounter Six E 
  Defeat the dryad with violence  
   
  APL 2: 90 xp 
   
   
  Or  
   
  Negotiate an alliance with the dryad 
   
  APL 2: 150 xp 
   
   
  Encounter Seven E 
  Defeating the half-orc cleric 
   
  APL 2: 90 xp 
   
   
  Encounter Eight E 
  Slaying the shadow panther 
   
  APL 2: 90 xp 
   
   
  Elven Path Story Award 
  Restoring Weeping Willow to balance: 
   
  APL 2: 45 xp 
   
   
  Elven 
  Path 
  Discretionary 
  roleplaying 
  award 
   
  APL 2: 45 xp 
   
  Elven Path Total possible experience: 
   
  APL 2: 450 xp 
   
  Treasure Summary 
  During 
  an 
  adventure, 
  characters 
  encounter 
  treasure, usually finding it in the possession of their 
  foes.  Every encounter that features treasure has a 
  “treasure” section within the encounter description, 
  giving information about the loot, coins, and magic 
  items that make up the encounter’s treasure. 
   
  The loot total is the number of gold pieces each 
  character gains if the foes are plundered of all their 
  earthly possessions.  Looting the bodies takes at 
  least 10 minutes per every 5 enemies, and if the 
  characters cannot take the time to loot the bodies, 
  they do not gain this gold.  If you feel it is 
  reasonable that characters can go back to loot the 
  bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., not carted 
  off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the 
  scene by the local watch, and so on), characters 
  may return to retrieve loot.  If the characters do not 
  loot the body, the gold piece value for the loot is 
  subtracted from the encounter totals given below. 
   
  The coin total is the number of gold pieces each 
  character gains if they take the coin available.  A 
  normal adventuring party can usually gather this 
  wealth in a round or so.  If for some reason, they 
  pass up this treasure, the coin total is subtracted 
  from the encounter totals given below. 
   
  Next, the magic items are listed.  Magic item 
  treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because they 
  are varied and because characters may want to use 
  them during the adventure.  Many times characters 
  must cast identify, analyze dweomer or similar spell 
  to determine what the item does and how to 
  activate it.  Other times they may attempt to use the 
  item blindly.  If the magic item is consumable (a 
  potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the item is used 
  before the end of the adventure, its total is 
  subtracted from the adventure totals below. 
   
  Once you have subtracted the value for 
  unclaimed treasure from each encounter add it up 
  and that is the number of gold pieces a characters 
  total and coin value increase at the end of the 
  adventure.  Write the total in the GP Gained field of 
  the adventure certificate.  Because this is a 
  Regional scenario, characters may spend additional 
  Time Units to practice professions or create items 
  immediately after the adventure so this total may be 
  modified by other circumstances. 
   
  L = Looted gear from enemy; C = Coin, Gems, 
  Jewelry, and other valuables; M = Magic Items. 
   
  Encounter Two:   
   
  APL 2: L: 22 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp 
   
  Encounter Eight D:   
   
  APL 2: Loot – 0 gp, Coin – 50 gp, Magic – +1 
  chainmail (108 gp). 
   
  Conclusion D:   
   
  APL 2: Loot – 25 gp, Coin – 10 gp, Magic – 
  cloak of resistance +1 (83 gp), ring of protection 
  +1 (167 gp) 
   
  Dwarven Path Total Possible Treasure 
  APL 2: L: 47 gp; C: 60 gp; M: 358 gp  - Total: 465 
  gp (450 gp max) 
   
  Encounter Six E:   
   
  APL 2: Loot – 78 gp, Coin – 5 gp, Magic – 
  wand of enlarge person (12 gp). 
   
  Encounter Seven E:   
   
  APL 2: Loot – 151 gp, Coin – 10 gp, Magic – 0 
  gp. 
   
  Encounter Eight E:   
   
  APL 2: Loot – 0 gp, Coin – 0 gp, Magic – 2 
  scrolls of magic weapon (2 gp each), scroll of 
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  Page 20 
  
  protection from evil (2 gp), scroll of shield other 
  (12 gp), +1 longspear (192 gp). 
   
  Elven Path Total Possible Treasure 
  APL 2: L: 251 gp; C: 15 gp; M: 222 gp  - Total: 488 
  gp (450 gp max) 
   
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 21 
  
  Appendix One – APL 2
  Encounter One 
   
   
   
   
  Brottor Holderhek: Male Dwarf Ftr2/Exp2; CR 
  3; medium humanoid (dwarf); HD 2d10+2d6+16; 
  hp 36; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 18; touch 11; flat-
  footed 17; Base Atk +3; Grp +9; Atks +7 melee 
  (1d8+2/x3, masterwork warhammer) or +5 
  melee (1d3+2, unarmed strike) or +5 ranged 
  (1d10/19-20, masterwork heavy crossbow); SQ 
  dwarf traits; AL LN; SV Fort +7, Ref +1, Will +2; 
  Str 14, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 10. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +1, Listen +6, 
  Profession (blacksmith) +4, Profession (miner) 
  +4, Profession (farmer) +0, Search +5, Spot +6; 
  Alertness, 
  Improved 
  Grapple, 
  Improved 
  Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus (warhammer) 
   
  Possessions: 
  masterwork 
  warhammer, 
  masterwork chain shirt, masterwork heavy steel 
  shield, masterwork heavy crossbow, acid flask 
  (2), tanglefoot bag (2), alchemist’s fire (2) 
   
  Notes: When the PCs first encounter 
  Brottor, he is not wearing any armor or carrying 
  his shield. His AC is 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10. 
   
  Dwarven Miner: Male Dwarf Exp1; CR 1/2; 
  medium humanoid (dwarf); HD 1d6+1; hp 5; Init 
  +0; Spd 20 ft.; AC 14; touch 10; flat-footed 14; 
  Base Atk +0; Grp +0; Atks +0 (1d8, heavy mace) 
  or +0 (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SQ dwarf 
  traits; AL LN; SV Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +2; Str 11, 
  Dex 10, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8 
   
  Skills 
  and 
  Feats: 
  Appraise 
  +4, 
  Craft 
  (metallurgy) +4, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +4, 
  Profession (blacksmith) +4, Profession (miner) 
  +7, Search +4; Skill Focus (profession: miner) 
   
  Possessions: heavy mace, light crossbow, 
  chain shirt 
   
  Notes: When the PCs first encounter the 
  dwarven miners, they are not wearing any 
  armor. AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10. 
   
  Tharivol 
  Galanodel: 
  Male 
  Wood 
  elf 
  Rgr2/Exp2; CR 3; medium humanoid (elf); HD 
  2d8+2d6+4; hp 22; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16; 
  touch 13; flat-footed 13; Base Atk +3; Grp +6; 
  Atks 
  +5 
  melee (1d8+3/19-20, masterwork 
  longsword) 
  and 
  +5 
  melee 
  (1d4+1/19-20, 
  masterwork dagger) or +6 melee (1d6+3, sap) 
  or +7 ranged (1d8+3/x3 masterwork composite 
  [str +3] longbow); SQ elf traits, wild empathy; AL 
  CN; SV Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +3; Str 16, Dex 17, 
  Con 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 8. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Hide +10, Knowledge 
  (nature) +3, Listen +11, Move Silently +10, 
  Profession (hunter) +4, Spot +11, Survival +10; 
  Alertness, Skill Focus (survival), Track, Two-
  weapon Fighting 
   
  Possessions: 
  masterwork 
  longsword, 
  masterwork dagger, masterwork studded leather 
  armor, masterwork composite [str +3] longbow, 
  sap 
   
  Elven Trapper: Male Wood elf Exp1; CR 1/2; 
  medium humanoid (elf); HD 1d6-1; hp 3; Init +1; 
  Spd 30 ft.; AC 13; touch 11; flat-footed 12; Base 
  Atk +0; Grp +1; Atks +1 melee (1d8+1/19-20, 
  longsword) or +1 ranged (1d8/x3 longbow); SQ 
  elf traits; AL CN; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2; Str 
  13, Dex 12, Con 9, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Hide +5, Knowledge 
  (nature) +3, Listen +6, Profession (trapper) +4, 
  Spot +6, Survival +4; Track 
   
  Possessions: longsword, dagger, longbow, 
  leather armor 
   
  Encounter Two 
   
   
   
   
  Orc Skeleton: CR 1/3; medium undead; HD 
  1d12; hp 7; Init +5; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16; touch 11; 
  flat-footed 15; Base Atk +0; Grp +3; Atks +3 
  melee (1d12+4/x3, greataxe) or +3 melee 
  (1d4+3, 2 claws); SQ damage reduction 
  5/bludgeoning, darkvision 60’, immunity to cold, 
  undead traits; AL NE; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will 
  +2; Str 17, Dex 13, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Improved Initiative 
   
  Possessions: 
  studded 
  leather 
  armor, 
  greataxe 
   
  Encounter Eight D  
   
   
   
  Ogre Skeleton: CR 2; large undead; HD 
  4d12+4*; hp 30*; Init +4; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15; 
  touch 9; flat-footed 15; Base Atk +2; Grp +11; +7 
  melee (1d6+6, 2 claws)*; SQ damage reduction 
  5/bludgeoning, darkvision 60’, immunity to cold, 
  undead traits; AL NE; SV Fort +2*, Ref +2*, Will 
  +5*; Str 21, Dex 10, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Improved Initiative 
   
  Possessions: +1 chain mail 
   
  *Notes: The ogre skeleton’s stats reflect the 
  presence of a desecrate-type effect caused by 
  the necromancer’s complex’s weak tie to the 
  plane of shadow. Additionally, Charisma checks 
  made to turn the ogre skeleton suffer a –3 
  profane penalty to the roll. 
   
  Necromancer: 
  Male 
  human 
  Wiz7 
  (necromancer): CR 7; medium humanoid 
  (human); HD 7d4+27*; hp 49*; Init +1; Spd 30 
  ft.; AC 16*; touch 12; flat-footed 15*; Base Atk 
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 22 
  
  +3; Grp +4; +5 melee (1d4+1, masterwork 
  spiked gauntlet) or +4 touch ranged touch; SQ 
  summon familiar (rat); AL NE; SV Fort +9, Ref 
  +4, Will +6; Str 12, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 
  10, Cha 8. 
   
  Skills 
  and 
  Feats: 
  Concentration 
  +12, 
  Knowledge 
  (arcana) 
  +13, 
  Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering) +9, Knowledge (religion) +13, 
  Listen +2, Spellcraft +15, Spot +4; Alertness, 
  Extend Spell, Great Fortitude, Greater Spell 
  Focus (necromancy), Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus 
  (necromancy), Split Ray 
   
  Wizard Spells Prepared: (5/6/5/4/2; save DC 
  13 + lvl; his prohibited schools are Evocation 
  and Transmutation); 0—detect magic, light, 
  mage hand, read magic, touch of fatigue (DC 
  15); 1—cause fear (DC 16), charm person, chill 
  touch (DC 16), protection from good, ray of 
  enfeeblement, 
  shield; 
  2—blindness/deafness 
  (DC 17), command undead (DC 17), extended 
  mage armor, false life, glitterdust; 3—dispel 
  magic, halt undead, ray of exhaustion (DC 18), 
  split ray of enfeeblement; 4—animate dead, 
  enervation 
   
  Possessions: masterwork spiked gauntlet, 
  cloak of resistance +1, ring of protection +1. 
   
  *Notes: Stats include bonuses for extended 
  mage armor and false life. 
   
  Encounter Seven E 
   
   
   
  Half-orc Cleric: Male half-orc Bbn1/Clr1: CR 
  2; 
  medium 
  humanoid 
  (half-orc); 
  HD 
  1d12+1d8+4; hp 21; Init +5; Spd 20 ft.; AC 21; 
  touch 11; flat-footed 20; Base Atk +1; Grp +4; +6 
  melee (1d6+3/x3 masterwork shortspear) or +2 
  ranged (1d10/19-20, heavy crossbow); SQ 
  darkvision 60’, feat of strength 1/day, rage 
  1/day; AL CE; SV Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +3; Str 
  17, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 6. 
   
  Skills 
  and 
  Feats: 
  Concentration 
  +3, 
  Intimidate +2, Listen +5, Survival +5; Improved 
  Initiative, Weapon Focus (shortspear) 
   
  Cleric Spells Prepared: (3/2+1; save DC 11 
  + lvl); 0—create water, detect magic, detect 
  magic; 1—enlarge person*, protection from 
  good, shield of faith 
   
  *Domain spell; Deity: Gruumsh; Domains: 
  Strength (feat of strength 1/day); War 
   
  Possessions: masterwork shortspear, full 
  plate armor, heavy steel shield, heavy crossbow 
   
  Power-up Stats (enlarge, raging, shield of 
  faith): 
  large 
  humanoid 
  (half-orc); 
  HD 
  1d12+1d8+8; hp 25; Init +4; Spd 20 ft.; AC 21; 
  touch 11; flat-footed 20; Base Atk +1; Grp +11; 
  +8 melee (1d8+6/x3, masterwork shortspear) or 
  +0 ranged (2d8/19-20, heavy crossbow); SQ 
  darkvision 60’, feat of strength 1/day, rage 
  1/day; AL CE; SV Fort +8, Ref +1, Will +5; Str 
  23, Dex 10, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 6. 
   
  Encounter Eight E  
   
   
   
  Shadow Panther: Fiendish shadow panther 
  (leopard) 
  CR 
  3; 
  medium 
  magical 
  beast 
  (extraplanar); HD 3d8+6; hp 19; Init +4; Spd 60 
  ft.; AC 15; touch 14; flat-footed 11; Base Atk +2; 
  Grp +5; Atks +6 melee (1d6+3, bite) and +1 
  melee (1d3+1, 2 claws); SA improved grab, 
  pounce, rake 1d3+1, smite good; SQ damage 
  reduction 5/magic, darkvision 60 ft., low-light 
  vision, resist cold 8 and fire 5, shadow blend, 
  spell resistance 8; AL NE; SV Fort +5, Ref +7, 
  Will +4; Str 16, Dex 19, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, 
  Cha 6. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Balance +12, Climb +11, 
  Hide +8, Jump +11, Listen +4, Move Silently +8, 
  Spot +4; Iron Will, Weapon Finesse 
   
  Improved grab (Ex): To use this ability, the 
  portal guardian must hit with its bite attack. It 
  can then start a grapple as a free action without 
  provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the 
  grapple check, it establishes hold and can rake. 
   
  Pounce (Ex): If the portal guardian charges 
  a foe, it can make a full attack, including two 
  rakes. 
   
  Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +6 melee, damage 
  1d3+1. 
   
  Smite good (Su): Once per day, the portal 
  guardian may make a normal melee attack 
  against a good creature which, if successful, 
  deals an extra 3 hit points of damage. 
   
  Shadow blend (Su): In conditions other 
  than full daylight, the portal guardian can 
  disappear into the shadows, giving it total 
  concealment. Artificial illumination, even a light 
  or continual flame spell, does not negate this 
  ability, but a daylight spell will. 
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 23 
  
  Appendix Two: Map of the Mine 
   
   
  Appendix Three: Map of the Woods 
   
  A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow 
   
  Page 24 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/3rd Edition (3.x)/RPGA/Living Greyhawk/Iuz's Border States/Highfolk/HIG4-A03 - A New Day Dawns on Weeping Willow.pdf