TEXT: 1 
   
  G1401.2 
  Game of Kobolds 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Dungeon Module B2.1 
  A Political Fantasy Option for 
  “The Keep on the Borderlands” Adventure Module B2 
  Originally written by Gary Gygax 
  Additional Material by GagMen RPG Podcast 
  Cover Art by Seth Stephenson 
  Artwork by Corbett Kirkley, Tyler Davis, and public domain supplements 
  January 2014 
   
   
  
  2 
   
  Contents 
  Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................................... 4 
  What Came Before ........................................................................................................................................ 5 
  Recommended Materials for Play ................................................................................................................ 5 
  Introduction to Political Fantasy ................................................................................................................... 5 
  Through Eyes of Evil ...................................................................................................................................... 6 
  Layers aren’t just for Cakes (or Onions) ........................................................................................................ 6 
  Cut scenes ..................................................................................................................................................... 8 
  Hamartia (Fatal Flaws) .................................................................................................................................. 8 
  Random Hamartia Table ....................................................................................................................... 9 
  Creating Political Factions ............................................................................................................................. 9 
  Talking and Fighting (When to do which) ..................................................................................................... 9 
  Proposed Sequence of Event ...................................................................................................................... 11 
  Reading along with “Keep on the Borderlands” ......................................................................................... 15 
  Starting at the Keep ................................................................................................................................ 16 
  1)  Jim & Glen ...................................................................................................................................... 16 
  Random Intelligence Table.................................................................................................................. 17 
  15) Mike & Liz...................................................................................................................................... 17 
  17) Curate Huveran ............................................................................................................................. 18 
  26) Scribe ............................................................................................................................................ 19 
  Advisor ................................................................................................................................................ 20 
  27) Castellan ........................................................................................................................................ 21 
  Wandering through the Swamp .............................................................................................................. 22 
  1) Lizard Men ...................................................................................................................................... 22 
  2) Spiders ............................................................................................................................................ 23 
  3) The Raiders ..................................................................................................................................... 23 
  Uric ...................................................................................................................................................... 23 
  4) The Mad Hermit .............................................................................................................................. 24 
  The Caves of Chaos ................................................................................................................................. 25 
  a) The Kobolds ..................................................................................................................................... 25 
  5. KOBOLD CHIEFTAIN’S ROOM ...................................................................................................... 25 
  Ak-ak ............................................................................................................................................... 26 
  
  3 
   
  Dokeen ............................................................................................................................................ 26 
  Keeble ............................................................................................................................................. 27 
  Duke Mermee ................................................................................................................................. 27 
  Yarmsul ........................................................................................................................................... 28 
  b and c) Orcs ....................................................................................................................................... 29 
  Gajjab .............................................................................................................................................. 29 
  Gorp ................................................................................................................................................ 29 
  Umogra ........................................................................................................................................... 30 
  Zorfu ................................................................................................................................................ 30 
  d) Goblins ............................................................................................................................................ 31 
  Krench ............................................................................................................................................. 31 
  Nort ................................................................................................................................................. 31 
  Ralnad ............................................................................................................................................. 32 
  Skreeb ............................................................................................................................................. 32 
  Wambly ........................................................................................................................................... 33 
  e) Ogre ................................................................................................................................................ 33 
  f) Hobgoblins ....................................................................................................................................... 34 
  Kawkaw ........................................................................................................................................... 34 
  Gudoch ............................................................................................................................................ 34 
  Lenark .............................................................................................................................................. 34 
  g) Owlbears ......................................................................................................................................... 35 
  h) Bugbears ......................................................................................................................................... 35 
  Lormf ............................................................................................................................................... 35 
  Nannat ............................................................................................................................................. 36 
  Sutram ............................................................................................................................................. 36 
  i) The Minotaur ................................................................................................................................... 37 
  j) Gnolls ............................................................................................................................................... 38 
  Garrrr .............................................................................................................................................. 38 
  Ragar ............................................................................................................................................... 39 
  Rraaw .............................................................................................................................................. 40 
  k) Cultists ............................................................................................................................................. 40 
  Hershal ............................................................................................................................................ 40 
  
  4 
   
  Lionel ............................................................................................................................................... 41 
  Quinn ............................................................................................................................................... 41 
   
   
  Acknowledgments 
   
  This is monster of a module that lies before you was originally written on a dare issued to us by 
  the Save or Die Podcast (Wildgame Productions).  A few months ago, Corbett Kirkley (of the Gagmen) 
  wrote in to Save or Die with an insane question: how could someone run a classic Dungeons & Dragons 
  adventure in the style of George R.R. Martins’ “Songs of Fire and Ice” series (more commonly known as 
  “Game of Thrones” series on HBO).  The intrepid hosts of Save or Die gave Corbett a couple suggestions, 
  but they ultimately concluded that no one was crazy enough to try it before.  It was then that they issued 
  their “dare” (whether they realized it or not): If Corbett really wanted a political fantasy D&D campaign, he 
  should write it himself.  
    
  After several weeks of trying to emulate Martin’s writing, Corbett became frustrated by just how 
  large the game world would be.  The natural solution was to make the story smaller, or to ‘sandbox’ the 
  idea, to make it manageable as a campaign.  While looking back at old game books, “B2 The Keep on the 
  Borderlands” (originally written for Basic D&D, by Gary Gygax) seemed like the perfect solution to his 
  ‘sandbox’ idea.  There were several factions in close proximity of each another, and the module was 
  originally written to allow the DM to add as much or as little extra story as needed.   
  What began as a small project soon blossomed into what would become the GagMen RPG 
  Podcast, a show dedicated to writing crazy ideas into RPG adventures. Understandably, the task of 
  founding a Podcast, creating associated web pages, assembling a cast, and writing episodes proved to be 
  mildly distracting, and as such the original task of a Game of Thrones D&D adventure was delayed.  As 
  the GagMen are a group of writers putting out adventures every month, the natural solution was to 
  include this adventure in the show itself; and “Game of Kobolds” was born.  All our thanks go out to Gary 
  Gygax, the Save or Die Podcast, and most importantly George R.R. Martin, for giving us something to rip-
  off and make ridiculous so that it can be ignored by all. 
   
   
  
  5 
   
  What Came Before 
      The Keep on the Borderlands was 
  originally written in 
  1980 by Gary Gygax, 
  and was commonly 
  distributed with the 
  original boxed Basic 
  Dungeons & Dragons 
  game set.  The module 
  was one of the most 
  iconic adventures 
  produced, thanks to 
  both its distribution 
  with the starter set and 
  its deceivingly simple 
  design.  Gary Gygax intended that the 
  adventure be built upon and expanded 
  to create an entire campaign 
  world.  This adaptation is not meant to 
  take anything away from what the 
  original writer intended, but rather add 
  to the story aspects of the game while 
  offering rules options that could be 
  used in our readers in their home 
  games.   
  Recommended Materials for Play 
      A copy of the Dungeons & Dragons 
  Basic rules, a copy of B2 “The Keep on 
  the Borderlands”, dice (or chits or any 
  random number generator), pencils & 
  paper, and a few good friends will be 
  required to put this optional adventure 
  to proper use.  Listening to GagMen 
  Episode 7 - “Game of Kobolds”, may 
  also help to give 
  insights into the 
  thought process behind 
  the game (copies can be 
  found at gagmen.net, 
  iTunes, and 
  rpgpodcasts).  This 
  adventure is merely an 
  addition, and will not 
  have many monster or 
  Non-Player Characters 
  (NPC) stats, as these 
  can be found in the 
  module rulebook, and so that the levels 
  and stats can be changed as 
  needed.  In the interest of theatrical 
  role-playing, the Dungeon Master (DM) 
  would be well advised to prepare any 
  props or costuming if desired.   
  Introduction to Political Fantasy 
      A political fantasy is similar to a 
  regular fantasy world, but with a focus 
  on the interactions between the 
  characters and their reactions to 
  political situations and plot 
  points.  Commonly, this style of fantasy 
  has the characters at odds over which 
  faction (or family) should take, or win, a 
  position of power.   
  
  6 
   
  George R.R. Martin’s “Song of Fire and 
  Ice” series (more commonly known as 
  the HBO television series “Game of 
  Thrones”) illustrates this concept of 
  factions vying for political control of 
  their world.  
   A typical role-playing game focuses on 
  the story of the players, and thus the 
  game world revolves around 
  the player’s current 
  situation.  In a political 
  fantasy, players will find 
  that world events continue 
  to transpire around them 
  regardless of whether they 
  get involved.  The players 
  and DM would be well 
  advised to create alternative 
  characters in order to see 
  different parts of the story 
  that may not always be 
  accessible to regular 
  players’ characters. 
   
  Through Eyes of Evil     
  While the concept “Monsters are the 
  bad guys” is a foundational principle of 
  Dungeons & Dragons, this idea should 
  be placed aside for this adventure.  Not 
  every orc will wake up each morning 
  and plan out the evil that they intend to 
  spread through the world.  Most 
  sentient creatures spend the majority of 
  their day hunting, farming, reading, 
  playing games, living in their parents 
  basement, eating cheese puffs, and in 
  general carry on in ways that may (or 
  may not) seem alien to player’s normal 
  lives.   
  Past interactions with 
  monsters in module B2 
  should be reconsidered, and 
  the DM should emphasize 
  that every creature the 
  players meet is more than 
  just a pile of experience and 
  gold waiting to happen.  A 
  simple way to help the 
  players would be to allow all 
  monsters to speak in 
  common, however this should 
  be treated as a local 
  phenomenon only (unless this 
  is conducive to your ongoing game 
  world).  With communication open, the 
  DM can focus more on the political 
  story and character interactions. 
  Layers aren’t just for Cakes (or 
  Onions) 
      Political fantasy may start with a 
  simple rivalry between two 
  factions/families, but it will often 
  expand quickly. While the Montagues 
  
  7 
   
  and Capulets and their conflict were a 
  focal point of Romeo and Juliet, the 
  Mayor and town guards were also key 
  players, despite being in the 
  background throughout most of the 
  play.  Likewise, a political fantasy 
  should branch out from a single conflict 
  and slowly begin to affect and change 
  the world around it.   
  To better understand, it may help to 
  imagine a small pond with several large 
  rocks popping just over the surface of 
  the water.  When a pebble is dropped in 
  the pond, ripples will begin to spread, 
  eventually reaching all points in the 
  pond including those large 
  stones.  Each of these stones can 
  represent different factions in your 
  world, while the pebble represents that 
  initial conflict presented at the 
  beginning of the story.  At some point 
  each faction should feel the effects of 
  the initial conflict, even if only 
  indirectly.   
    Each NPC should have a goal or a 
  mode of operation; for example, we can 
  expect Mrs. Millet to make a pie, while 
  we can usually expect Timmy to try and 
  sneak a taste.  Timmy may be stopped 
  by the PC’s, or the players may decide 
  to steal the pie first.  Most characters 
  follow certain patterns. However, the 
  more complicated the NPC, the more 
  involved they will be in the PC’s 
  adventures.  Be careful, presuming that 
  a character will always repeat the exact 
  same actions can be an easy trap to fall 
  into. Unlike a videogame, your 
  characters can do much more than 
  repeat the same mindless action 
  forever. 
   
   
  
  8 
   
  Cut scenes 
      Telling the entire story to the players 
  will be difficult without ‘cut scenes’: 
  scenes that the normal 
  player characters 
  would not normally 
  see, but are important 
  to the story.  The 
  simplest way to involve 
  players in these cut 
  scenes is to write the 
  scene as an optional 
  and playable mini-
  adventure in which the 
  players portray the 
  involved NPCs. This 
  style of storytelling 
  gives the players the opportunity to 
  experience a part of the story that 
  would normally be out of their reach, 
  while giving insight into some of the 
  non-player character’s motivation. 
      Each cut scene should add to the 
  story and build the world for the 
  players to enjoy; however a DM must be 
  careful to not reveal too much 
  information, as this could spoil the 
  story.  Pacing is an important aspect of 
  the story and the game; the story must 
  maintain a certain cadence to avoid 
  boring the players.  Likewise, if the 
  story dwells too long on one element, or 
  glosses over important points, the 
  players may become disinterested or 
  even annoyed.  By preparing an events 
  list, the DM can better maintain a 
  constant and steady pace, 
  better allowing player’s 
  reactions and the DM’s quick 
  responses to advance the 
  story without wandering off 
  topic.   
   
  Hamartia (Fatal Flaws) 
      All well thought out 
  characters should have a 
  flaw; this brings humanity to 
  the story while elevating it to 
  a more emotional level.  Characters 
  without flaws are usually heroes, and a 
  political fantasy thrives on the frailty of 
  life and the folly of mortals.  Each 
  character (NPC or other) should have 
  an imperfection, and the more basic the 
  flaw, the more captivating the character 
  
  9 
   
  will seem.  For example, a character 
  with the flaw of pride should exhibit a 
  level of arrogance that leads often the 
  character into dangerous situations.  If 
  a character seeks revenge, he will 
  ignore his own personal safety in order 
  to secure it.   
  The table below randomly generates 
  hamartia for characters in your own 
  political fantasy campaigns, or for your 
  own player characters, and was 
  inspired by the NPC Personalities list, 
  from the Non-Player Characters section 
  of “Keep on the Borderlands.”  
  Random Hamartia Table 
  1 
  Ambition 
  11 
  Independence 
  2 
  Cowardice 
  12 
  Love 
  3 
  Cruelty 
  13 
  Lust 
  4 
  Delusional 
  14 
  No Flaw 
  5 
  Envy 
  15 
  Pettiness 
  6 
  Gluttony 
  16 
  Pride 
  7 
  Greed 
  17 
  Revenge 
  8 
  Hatred 
  18 
  Selfishness 
  9 
  Hypocrisy 
  19 
  Selflessness 
  10 
  Ignorance 
  20 
  Perfectionist 
   
  Creating Political Factions 
      A story without conflict will not 
  progress very far, however making every 
  faction mortal enemies can limit 
  interactions.  Instead, start with an 
  underlying mistrust between the 
  factions, then slowly build tension 
  between them as the story 
  unfolds.  Create a minimum of two 
  faction/families in the beginning, then 
  introduce new factions as the story 
  unfolds.  A political fantasy should 
  progress much like an avalanche, 
  starting with just a few small pebbles of 
  trouble at first, but eventually growing 
  in size and complexity as it rains down 
  problem after problem onto the 
  audience. 
  Talking and Fighting (When to do 
  which) 
      The most natural reaction from 
  players in a role-playing game is to 
  attack as soon as possible, and this can 
  be frustrating to deal with in any long 
  term story, luckily experienced 
  campaign players are more likely to 
  look before they stab.  There are several 
  methods that the DM can use to stop 
  the killing: playing down your NPC’s, 
  make NPC’s valuable, avoid NPC 
  stereotypes, and/or simply catch the 
  PC’s off guard. 
  
  10 
   
      Playing 
  down the 
  NPC is a 
  preferred 
  method, 
  allowing the 
  players to 
  presume 
  that the NPC 
  is a victim or 
  being 
  persecuted.  This usually leads to the 
  NPC being invited into the party, if only 
  for a short time.  Gollum from Tolkiens’ 
  “The Lord of the Rings” series achieved 
  this, as did Scorpius from Sci-Fi 
  Channels “Farscape”, or Medea (from 
  Greek Legends) who joined with Jason 
  to help him steal the Golden 
  Fleece.  While these examples are 
  villains, they demonstrate that villains 
  are characters, and should have just as 
  much depth as the PC’s, thus helping 
  the players to perceive them as equals 
  instead of experience and loot waiting 
  to happen. 
      Making an NPC too valuable can lead 
  to trouble.  A common mistake DM’s 
  make is to give the NPC items that 
  make them very valuable to the party. 
  But items can be stolen, destroyed, or 
  cut off.  The best practice here is to 
  simply let the PC’s know that the NPC 
  has information 
  that they might 
  be willing to 
  share.  Of course, 
  don’t give the 
  information away 
  immediately, but 
  rather dole out 
  useful tips and 
  advice over 
  time.  Underplaying the importance of a 
  character gives the DM the freedom to 
  demonstrate the NPC’s personality and 
  goals.   
  Stereotypes are difficult to avoid, and 
  even the best DM’s can’t always evade 
  this pitfall.  In a normal adventure 
  there are three to six characters that 
  need to be portrayed, and a talented 
  DM will use stereotypes to quickly 
  convey the idea of a character.  With 
  several NPCs in play, a DM could 
  accidentally mix up characters, 
  thinking “is this old man the same as 
  the last old man?” Keep in mind that a 
  professional actor performing a one-
  man-play can portray over twenty 
  characters, which is not far off from 
  how many characters the DM could 
  play in this adventure.  The best 
  strategy is to plan ahead, think through 
  what the NPC would be like, and try 
  
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  your best to avoid repeating yourself 
  with a stereotype. Preparing 
  personalized notes for reference may 
  also help your performance. 
      Catching the PCs off guard or by 
  surprise is an effective tactic, but it can 
  be utterly humiliating to the players if 
  used too many times.  If the DM 
  decides to use this tactic, the simplest 
  method is to ambush the players, and 
  very quickly establish that they are 
  surrounded and outnumbered, forcing 
  them to listen to whatever the NPC 
  needs to tell them.  But remember, 
  such an event is forced, and a caged 
  animal will lash out at its captors. A 
  trapped PC is less apt to listen to, or 
  sympathize with, the NPC.  Another 
  variation on this tactic is a show of 
  power.  Some whimsical examples 
  include:  a wizard appearing from 
  nowhere, a warrior riding up on an 
  impressive steed, or the ever popular 
  “something explodes and that guy did 
  it!”  Impressing your PC’s could frighten 
  them however, and a frightened party 
  may start stabbing sooner.  Imagine 
  standing next to an elephant; while the 
  beast is enormous and commands 
  respect by its size alone, a normal 
  person standing right beside such a 
  behemoth may suddenly realize what 
  would happen to them if the animal 
  made a sudden turn.  Important DM 
  Note:  Fear can be effective to remind 
  us not to mess with dangerous things, 
  but it is also a trigger mechanism for 
  survival. 
  Proposed Sequence of Event  
  1.  The characters have been on the 
  road for several days when suddenly, 
  just half a day from the keep, they are 
  attacked by a group of Lizard 
  men.  This will be the Character’s first 
  conflict, so prepare a battle that they 
  are likely to win.  If the characters are 
  still overwhelmed and close to defeat, a 
  squad of patrolling guardsmen from the 
  keep may rush in to rescue the party 
  and defeat the remaining Lizard 
  men.  Either way the squad will appear; 
  once the battle has finished, the squad 
  will escort the party to the keep.   
  
  12 
   
  2.  It is important that the PC’s are 
  aware that they were ordered by the 
  royal courts to discover why the Keep 
  has stopped sending the regular 
  shipments of Spider-Steel.  Spider-Steel 
  is an elusive metal that is very strong 
  and when used in weapons can have 
  extra hardened sharp edges.  The PC’s 
  will have a note from the courts 
  showing their authority in the matter, 
  however on the walk back to the keep 
  the guards should complain of 
  confusions from the castellan and how 
  anyone who butts in usually ends up 
  missing.  This may discourage them 
  from revealing themselves too early.  As 
  the group approaches the keep, they 
  should try to discover what has 
  changed, by talking with the guards or 
  even with other traveling NPC’s.  
  Gathering clues from the Lizard men 
  attacks could also help move the party 
  along.  They will have a written 
  document from the courts to prove they 
  were sent, however the Party has been 
  advised to disclose this only if no one is 
  willing to talk or if they are refused 
  entrance to the keep. 
  3.  The Player should take this time to 
  Talk with townsfolk and learn about the 
  castellan’s unreasonable and 
  unrealistic demands on the people of 
  the keep.  Start with Jim & Glen, the 
  gatehouse keepers, who will have lots to 
  say about the town and what they have 
  seen.  They should also give the party 
  directions around the castle areas and 
  give tips for dealing with the local 
  creatures. 
  4.  If the party makes known that they 
  were sent as a royal inquest, the curate 
  will contact the Player characters and 
  order them to clear out the swamp.  If 
  not, he may still seek them out as 
  swords for hire to clear out the swamps 
  and surrounding forests, telling the 
  party that the Lizard men attacks have 
  been disrupting the keep’s trade 
  connections with the caves. 
  5.  Once they are deep in the swamps, 
  the characters should meet the mad 
  hermit.  If they should talk to him, they 
  may learn that he was a priest of the 
  chapel, or at least has priestly robes.  
  The hermit will appear similar to the 
  original write up in “Keep on the 
  Borderlands.”   
  
  13 
   
  6   After their encounter with the 
  hermit, the Characters meet the Lizard 
  men. If they attempt to communicate, 
  the Lizard men will invite the Party 
  back to the mound to meet 
  Yarmsul.  The Lizard 
  men will only 
  take the party 
  to meet 
  Yarmsul 
  if they 
  agree to 
  surrender 
  their 
  weapons.  When 
  the Party is brought 
  before Yarmsul, she will explain the 
  problems of the cave and claim that the 
  humans in the keep cannot be trusted, 
  especially those with a symbol of the 
  law. 
  7.  When they have finished their visit 
  to the lizard mound, the party will 
  march to the Caves of Chaos, a short 
  trip, to meet the new king of the 
  kobolds.  At first the kobolds will be 
  threatened by the player characters 
  appearance, but the Minotaur will 
  assist the guards to bring the party into 
  the kobold chieftains’ room.  While 
  there the party should 
  learn about the 
  general metals 
  and spider-silk 
  used to make 
  Spider-Steel 
  and the 
  special 
  materials 
  needed from 
  the Goblins, 
  Hobgoblins, Orcs, 
  and Bugbears for the 
  process.  These materials are 
  then combined with the spider silk that 
  is ‘milked’ by the kobolds.  Mermee will 
  not react well if the party talks down to 
  him or ignores his sovereignty.  Mermee 
  should discourage the party from 
  contacting any of the other cave 
  faction’s leaders, as he speaks for all.   
   
  
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  8.  At this point in the 
  story, the players need to 
  decide who to side 
  with.  Mermee will display 
  his power over the 
  Minotaur of the caves and 
  his intentions.  If the 
  party doesn’t show 
  respect for Mermee, he 
  will imprison the 
  characters (shortly to be 
  freed by Ak-ak, with 
  hopes that they will fix 
  the problems of the caves).  Ak-ak will 
  then be caught and executed for his 
  disregard for Mermee’s authority. 
  9. Kargle gets his curse removed, by 
  Gajjab, and the orcs start the plan to 
  attack the Minotaur. 
  10.  The orcs will unveil the plan to side 
  with the cultists, with the death of 
  Mash and the rise of Gajjab.  Panic and 
  pressures should grip the community 
  as different factions start joining sides 
  and drawing lines. 
  11. Wamraze, after talking with Skreeb, 
  will begin feeling the change in tide and 
  strike against Mermee. 
  12. With the Minotaur siding with the 
  Goblins, Skreeb and his forces join in 
  the strike against the kobolds. 
  13. Lurking in the shadows the Gnolls 
  and Bugbears join in the battle, 
  followed shortly by the remaining racial 
  factions in the caves. 
  14. With the insanity in the caves 
  coming to an end, Yarmsul and her 
  Lizard men will move in make the final 
  blow against Mermee.  Wamraze will 
  see the return of Yarmsul as the answer 
  to the Lizardmens prophecy.  The war-
  torn Minotaur will bow before his true 
  queen.  Yarmsul will unify the 
  remaining factions and plan her attack 
  against the human cultists and the 
  keep.  
  15. The cultist will make a deadly 
  sneak attack on Yarmsul in for the final 
  battle, this could possibly be foiled by 
  the raiders (see Raiders).  Uric will 
  make the ultimate sacrifice and expose 
  
  15 
   
  the cultists sneak attack, only to be 
  killed indirectly in the process.  
  Yarmsul is reminded that all humans 
  are not creatures of deceit, creating a 
  possible moment of diplomacy with the 
  keep. 
  16. How it all ends.  What would be a 
  good resolution to the majority of these 
  problems?  Yarmsul gets her deserved 
  crown, the castellan getting rid of the 
  curate and discovering the scribes 
  betrayal, and Ragar releasing his 
  golem, but helping secure Yarmsuls’ 
  victory.  All endings are possible and 
  many, many more.  Do not feel limited 
  on what can happen, but focus on the 
  message you would like to convey in 
  your game. 
   
   
   
  17. Everyone dies, what matters is how 
  they live. The death of Wamraze, should 
  have a point, he is not just a 
  remorseless beast (at least, not 
  anymore).  Duke Mermee deserves a 
  terrible end, but perhaps not at the 
  hand of Yarmsul (possibly by Muzzy 
  (see Mike and Liz)) or Wamraze.  Rraaw 
  should definitely die, hopefully leaving 
  the leadership to Ragar.  Gajjab should 
  be assassinated by Umogra, over the 
  death of Mash; possibly leaving Zorfu in 
  charge of the orcs.  Most of the cultists 
  should be killed, sparing Lionel leaving 
  a possible return villain and to show 
  how much of a weasel he is. 
  Reading along with “Keep on the 
  Borderlands” 
  All of the following numbers and letters 
  are referenced in “B2 Keep on the 
  Boderlands”, starting on page 8 
  of the adventure.  Most 
  characters are grouped 
  with their species or 
  creature type and 
  may not all be in the 
  locations 
  specified.  Any missing 
  areas will not change in 
  any notable way from the 
  original adventure.  None of the 
  material from the original adventure 
  has been added, so you will need to get 
  a copy to play along with this 
  supplement.  The majority of the 
  
  16 
   
  following sections is to add 
  personalities and describe situations 
  that exist in this version of the story, 
  we have purposely left out stats so you 
  can tailor fit the adventure to your own 
  desires.  As a word of warning, there 
  are several characters in play with this 
  story; this is a campaign and not an 
  adventure that would happen in one 
  night.  Expect to unravel parts of the 
  story as needed, try to plan ahead, but 
  remember to keep the drama high and 
  use action a tension release.    
  Starting at the Keep 
  1)  Jim & Glen - The Gate 
  Guards - Both 
  guardsmen seem far 
  too old and oppositely 
  sized to be practical 
  soldiers.  The duo often 
  argues and picks at 
  one another as close 
  friends do.  These two 
  were once performers 
  in a widely acclaimed troupe that 
  appeared before many heads of state, 
  until an untimely performance of a 
  satire about a tyrannical king put them 
  at odds with the real king.  Having the 
  troupe put to death was melodramatic 
  even for the king, so he forced them 
  into military service.  Jim and Glen 
  wound up in service as guardsmen at 
  one of the most unlikely of outposts 
  watching the main gate of the 
  keep.  This is the story they would tell 
  people openly, but truthfully the troupe 
  impressed the king and was put into 
  service as intelligence operatives for the 
  crown.  Jim and Glen were strategically 
  put in place at the gate to keep track of 
  the coming and going of people in the 
  keep.  Should the players reveal they 
  are sent by the king, the two 
  guardsmen will tell the players at least 
  two items from the Random Intelligence 
  Table.  Otherwise, they will tell the 
  party that the 
  creatures in the 
  Caves of Chaos were 
  the main suppliers of 
  spider-steel, but 
  since the death of the 
  kobold king relations 
  with the caves has 
  fallen apart.  Also, 
  since the death of the 
  kobold king the Lizard men of the 
  swamps have been attacking anyone on 
  the roads between the keep and the 
  caves. 
   
   
   
   
  
  17 
   
  1d8 
  Random Intelligence Table 
  T 
  or 
  F 
  1 
  The castellan seems to make 
  sporadic and emotional 
  decisions.  He seems calm in 
  person and then excited or angry 
  when he puts out a decree.  It is 
  like he is two different people. 
   
  T 
  2 
  “Bree-yark”, is not goblin for “we 
  surrender!”  It is goblin for, “Did 
  you bring the sandwiches!” 
  F 
  3 
  The Lizard men are only 
  attacking caravans, not groups of 
  people. 
  T 
  4 
  There have been new art pieces 
  appearing in the keep over the 
  last few months and they are 
  being made by someone inside 
  the Caves of Chaos. 
  T 
  5 
  The Lizard men are being led by 
  a kobold that cannot be killed. 
  T 
  6 
  Liz in the tavern is a witch and 
  her cat is last husband. 
  F 
  7 
  A kobold named Ak-ak was 
  buying pipe tobacco for the 
  minotaur, every week, until he 
  stopped about a month ago.  We 
  don’t know why. 
  T 
  8 
  It looks like Elendil, the elven 
  advisor, is misleading the 
  castellan, because he has been 
  caught in a lie by the curate and 
  he has no reason to lie. 
  F 
   
   
  15) Mike & Liz - Owners of Ye’ Olde 
  Whistling Kobold Tavern - The couple 
  use to run the Save or Die Inn on the 
  road to the east far outside of town.  Liz 
  was one of the first humans to be 
  contacted by Feeshe many years ago, 
  long before he was king.  Mike taught 
  him of the cultures and histories 
  outside of the area.  Soon Feeshe would 
  bring a special spider silk that the 
  couple would discover when forged with 
  the proper metals would make spider-
  steel, the strongest (non-magical) metal 
  ever known.  Feeshe united the 
  different factions of the caves and with 
  the help of Mike and Liz was able to 
  open trade relations with the keep.  Liz 
  became such good friends with King 
  Feeshe and his family that she became 
  an adopted mother of Yarmsul (see 
  Kobolds), upon the death of her 
  mother.  Her maternal connection grew 
  
  18 
   
  over the last few years until the sudden 
  death of Feeshe and summary 
  execution of Yarmsul by Duke 
  Mermee.  To further sever ties with the 
  humans, Duke Mermee ordered 
  Wamraze to demolish the couples Inn, 
  which Wamraze did reluctantly and 
  even apologized after the task was 
  done.  Despite Mike & Liz’s valiant 
  attempt to stand up to the Minotaur, 
  the demonstrative act was done, and 
  left Mike blinded in its 
  wake.   Recovering over the last year, 
  Mike and Liz opened the Whistling 
  Kobold Tavern inside the keep 
  walls.  Mike has found some enjoyment 
  in running the bar, listening to 
  travelers stories, and all the while 
  writing a book about the events of the 
  last few years.  His blindness has only 
  improved his hearing and can make out 
  the sound of coin values by sound 
  alone.  Liz has felt the loss of Yarmsul, 
  yet still feels that she may still be 
  alive.  The two took in a fat, stray cat, 
  that Liz named Muzzy.  Muzzy is 
  actually a disguised four-thousand-
  year-old Sprite of good fortune, named 
  Twisk, but he doesn’t mind being called 
  Muzzy.  The cat gives off ambient 
  magical energy, making all the drink 
  and food at the tavern very filling and 
  delightful to all who partake.  Mike and 
  Liz distrust anyone wearing a robe, or 
  symbol, of the temple of law, though 
  they cannot tell you an exact reason 
  why. 
  17) Curate Huveran - Chapel of Law 
  Leader - An older, gaunt gentleman 
  with 
  thoughtful 
  eyes, with 
  long, stringy, 
  thinning, 
  silvered hair 
  accompanied 
  with an 
  unkempt 
  collection of 
  facial hair resembling a beard.  His 
  kind eyes and quiet demeanor allows 
  him to get people to open up to him as 
  the personable and friendly leader that 
  he appears to be. He is the second only 
  to the castellan, and widely accepted as 
  a friend of the people of the 
  keep.  Curate Huveran constantly 
  reminding the castellan of the threat of 
  outside countries and the creatures 
  within the caves.  Because of his long 
  studies of law, he has learned the true 
  power of the chaos, and exercised these 
  powers by starting a cult inside the 
  caves.  He quickly realized that the 
  unity of the creatures in the caves was 
  disturbing the powers of chaos that he 
  
  19 
   
  was attempting to summon.  After a 
  meeting with King Feeshes’ brother, he 
  planted a seed of jealousy into Mermee, 
  and suggested he seek the power of the 
  briar throne.  Since the collapse of the 
  cooperation of the races, the cult of 
  chaos has pushed further to cause 
  friction between all sides and to help 
  increase the paranoia of the castellan. 
  Hamartia - Deception – Huveran is a 
  man of multiple lives, keeping the face 
  of kindness, while the whole time 
  ordering hundreds to their deaths.  He 
  has become very good at playing the 
  kind old priest, so good it has become 
  almost impossible for anyone to 
  associate him with the pure evil that he 
  performs behind closed doors.  If 
  Huveran suspects that anyone would 
  betray him, they usually are found 
  dead within 
  the day.   
   
  26) Scribe - A 
  corpulent 
  priest, only 
  second to the 
  curate in the chapel of Law, and sits by 
  the side of the castellan keeping 
  records and passing information to the 
  curate.  The scribe enjoys the extra 
  money that comes with his position at 
  the keep, mostly because of his love of 
  food.  A creature of habit, he can 
  usually be found at the tavern 
  devouring a fresh batch of treats in the 
  evenings.  The scribe has been caught 
  in several awkward positions over the 
  years due to his carelessness; most 
  recently he was seen writing a letter 
  using the castellans’ seal.  The curate 
  assured the castellan that it was only 
  for priority church business. 
  Hamartia - Careless - His lackadaisical 
  nature has often left himself and the 
  curate exposed; if it wasn’t for the 
  importance of his position the scribe 
  might have been dispatched long 
  ago.  While he feels that he is making 
  an effort to take his time and be 
  careful, these mistakes keep 
  happening.  Usually, the scribe chooses 
  to blame his troubles on his luck.  
  
  20 
   
   
  Advisor - The elven advisor, Elendil, was 
  sent to help teach the inexperienced 
  castellan the ways of running a keep 
  and ruling people fairly.  He tries to 
  respect the castellans decisions and 
  reputation by disguising his ideas as 
  interesting parables.  More often than 
  not the castellan will ignore Elendil’s 
  stories and choose poorly, often ending 
  in failure. This has not discouraged 
  Elendil, has seen the keep make 
  significant progress in his time 
  there.  Elendil is very old for an elf, but 
  has had little experience outside of a 
  library.  His enthusiasm and life 
  experiences show through, however, 
  revealing his simple wisdom.  He has 
  suspected that the scribe may be up to 
  no good, and has ordered trusted 
  guards to follow the scribe when he 
  leaves the keep.  He has shared his 
  concerns with the castellan and the 
  curate, yet both seemed to consider the 
  matter of little consequence and 
  dismissed the allegation. 
  Hamartia - inexperience - Because of 
  his age and race, most people presume 
  he has an obscene amount of life 
  experience, and to a certain level he 
  does.  He spent most of the first five-
  hundred years of his life in a library, 
  reading, studying, and generally 
  learning what life is all about.  As such 
  Elendil is filled with knowledge, but it 
  has all been untried and untested.  His 
  appointment has been a true baptism 
  by fire, and he tries to hide his lack of 
  experience by speaking in short 
  thoughts and placing his ideas in 
  stories he remembers. 
  
  21 
   
   
  27) Castellan - As a commissioned field 
  officer during the last war, Bertram 
  proved his worth and in reward was 
  granted full reign of the keep.  His 
  trustworthy nature convinced the 
  courts that he would not pocket 
  anything that the crown is owed, and 
  his sense of honor indicated that he 
  would treat his subjects with the 
  respect due to citizens of the 
  realm.  The job, however, has proved a 
  more trying task than originally 
  suspected.  His trust of others has 
  shrunk considerably during his time as 
  castellan, he has even begun to 
  question if even his priest working on 
  against him.  He is convinced that the 
  border must be protected, and that only 
  he stands between his homeland and 
  the chaos outside its borders. Bertram 
  worries that he is simply being 
  paranoid and these worries cloud his 
  judgment, stalling many of his 
  decisions.   With the death of the 
  kobold king, the regular trade of 
  minerals from the caves and spider silk 
  webbing has stopped.  Without those 
  key elements, the keep is unable to 
  create spider-steel, which makes some 
  of the most powerful weapons and 
  armor in all the realm.  This also 
  weighs on Bertams’ thoughts and 
  concerns of how he is perceived by the 
  courts. 
  Hamartia - Indecision - On the field of 
  battle, life was so much easier for 
  Bertram, but now every decision will 
  affect people under his 
  protection.  Though he would prefer to 
  make these choices at the point of a 
  sword, he is trapped behind his desk 
  and makes tactical moves with 
  decrees.   
   
   
   
  
  22 
   
  Wandering through the Swamp 
  1) Lizard Men 
      The Lizard Men are a small tribe of 
  creatures that should appear savage 
  and a definite threat to the Keep, as 
  they constantly attack the supply 
  caravans.       
  Many years 
  before, Garrr 
  (see Gnolls), 
  gave the Lizard 
  men a prophecy 
  of the coming of 
  a leader, on 
  who would give 
  them purpose 
  and make them 
  equal with all 
  other races.   
  Garrrs’ Prophecy: 
  “To the Swamps A spearhead will 
  be reborn, 
  Forsaken from her womb of 
  thorns.   
   
  Her life protected by her 
  mother’s Love, 
  by her father’s diplomacy cast 
  above.    
   
  Mistaken as food for all of you   
  To then arise  
  from a mire of Blood and Sinew. 
    
  With new ears, will she hear,  
  with new hands will she feel,  
  to walk anew on foot and heel.   
   
  Her blood will be tasted by tooth 
  and blade 
  but to take her life the 
  Gods forbade.   
   
  She will Protect the scaly 
  cruel;  
  She, who once was food, 
  As Queen of lizards will she 
  rule.” 
   
  What regular player 
  characters may not 
  perceive is the leadership 
  of Yarmsul (see The Kobolds, The Caves 
  of Chaos) directing the previously 
  mentioned attacks.  Before Yarmsul 
  arrived, the Lizard Men were hunted as 
  animals by the villagers and keep 
  dwellers, and forced to scrounge out an 
  existence by hiding in the Baleful 
  Bogs.  Yarmsul rose out of the hoard of 
  foods that had been gathered earlier, 
  with regrown limbs that her dead 
  carcass had been missing when 
  collected.  Given new purpose by 
  Yarmsul, the Lizard Men attack in 
  packs using guerrilla tactics, making 
  
  23 
   
  them a much more dangerous threat 
  than the humans originally thought.   
  2) Spiders – They make the primary 
  ingredient of spider-steel: spider silk 
  collected by the kobolds.  The kobolds 
  are small enough that they are able to 
  milk the spiders of their tensile 
  liquid.  Because of their usefulness, the 
  humans have placed several warning 
  signs outside the lair, to scare off any 
  would-be adventurers from 
  slaughtering the stock.   
  Spider-Steel is created in a 
  forging process made possible by 
  kobolds milking the spiders of their 
  precious, strong webbing.  The different 
  creatures of the caves then mine the 
  four different metals it takes to process 
  the steel.  The entire forging process 
  takes over a month per sword, and once 
  the weapon or armor is made it cannot 
  be reheated, or even hammered, except 
  by magical means.   
  This process was originally 
  perfected by King Feeshe as a young 
  kobold aided Mike and Liz, the owners 
  of the Save or Die Inn.  Spider-Steel is 
  cool to the touch, even after lying in an 
  open flame.  Any items made with 
  Spider-Steel can resist all forms of 
  natural damage and corrosion.  The 
  hardened edges are so fine that they 
  are treated as Vorpal Weapons 
  (natural/unmodified 20 on a roll to hit 
  decapitates or severs the limb of an 
  opponent). 
  3) The Raiders 
      The raiders are a scouting party, led 
  by Uric, to ascertain the defenses of the 
  keep and investigate the possibility of 
  the keep planning an invasion to the 
  north.  They have set aside their tunics 
  and banners that mark them as a 
  northern army.  Uric is a distant cousin 
  to the castellan and has a familiarity 
  with the keep, making it easy for him to 
  slip in and commit small 
  robberies.  Uric has become more 
  suspicious of the castellan as he has 
  seen the keep’s interactions with the 
  Lizard Men of the bog, and the secret 
  trading with the cultist in the Caves of 
  Chaos.  Typically, if the raiders attack 
  anyone, they will spend less time rifling 
  through people goods for money and 
  more time looking for documents and 
  disarming the victims.  It has been 
  several months and the unit is under 
  constant threat and just tired of the 
  assignment. 
  Uric – Raiders Leader - was a natural 
  leader, until he fell in love with his 
  commanders’ mistress.  Uric quickly 
  found himself going on long 
  
  24 
   
  reconnaissance missions to any distant 
  kingdom he could be sent to.  His 
  rugged looks will make heads turn, but 
  his skill as a swordsman has gained the 
  respect of his men.  He tries to keep a 
  positive outlook and focus on the end of 
  his mission, so that he may return to 
  his love. 
  Hamartia – Survival – Uric thinks of 
  himself as a victim, cheated out of what 
  should have been his.  He intends to 
  live, no matter the cost, in order to 
  return home.  This may lead to the fatal 
  end of his own troop, though his strong 
  drive to duty may conflict with this 
  possibility.  Do not underestimate him, 
  he will survive to the end.  
  4) The Mad Hermit
   
      The mad hermit was an acolyte from 
  the keep, but years ago he discovered 
  the curate and scribe making plans to 
  overthrow the castellan and eventually 
  the king.  The acolyte escaped with his 
  life, but his mind did not fare as 
  well.  With years of hiding and 
  seclusion he has slowly been driven 
  quite mad, likewise he has turned his 
  back on his clerical teaching and 
  adapted to thievery as a way of 
  life.  The Mad Hermit still possesses his 
  original vestments of the clergy, folded 
  neatly and placed in a small trunk in 
  the corner of his hovel.   Otherwise, the 
  mad hermit should appear and react 
  similarly as he would from the original 
  module. 
  
  25 
   
  The Caves of Chaos 
  King Feeshe opened up trade between 
  the humans at the keep and the 
  dwellers of the Caves.  Long ago the 
  caves were unfurnished holes in the 
  ground; now they are all filled with 
  furniture and well-crafted amenities.  
  The trade of Spider-Steel has made 
  most of the inhabitants of the caves 
  very wealthy. 
  a) The Kobolds 
  5. KOBOLD CHIEFTAIN’S ROOM:  This room 
  is the home to the Briar Throne.  This 
  mangled mass of briars, painfully 
  woven into a large seated throne, sits 
  atop a five-foot tree trunk.  The trunk 
  has stairs, roughly carved into the 
  sides, leading to the throne.  Feeshe 
  and Mermee were told by their father 
  that the throne was created by his 
  father to teach him that ruling others is 
  pain, and to always remind him that 
  others should always suffer more than 
  the king.  Though Feeshe did rule from 
  the chieftain’s room, he never sat on 
  the throne.  Though Feeshe also feared 
  removing it; thinking that his father 
  would return from the grave to haunt 
  him.  Mermee now sits proudly on the 
  throne, with his five concubines lashed 
  to the base of the trunk.  Mermee 
  enjoys looking down on his subjects 
  and wielding his power.  
  
  26 
   
  Ak-ak - is a young open minded kobold 
  who was deeply in love with Yarmsul. 
  Upon her apparent death he fasted and 
  prayed for several days to achieve 
  insight into what he should do.  He 
  could see that Mermee was not the 
  leader that the people needed, and felt 
  that he had to be removed from 
  power.  To do this Ak-ak went to the 
  first ally that King Feeshe talked with, 
  Wamraze the 
  Minotaur.   
  After a long 
  discussion of the death 
  about King Feeshe and 
  his daughter, Wamraze 
  agreed to sever ties 
  with the current kobold 
  ruler; but He is still 
  uncertain with whom to align with as 
  the new ruler of the caves.  Ak-ak was 
  disheartened that Wamraze did not 
  lash out as Mermee, and so Ak-ak left 
  the caves and met Uric (see the 
  Raiders).  Ak-ak joined the raiders, as a 
  scout, with the hopes of toppling 
  Mermee from power.  He is a very 
  passionate kobold and learned many of 
  his philosophies of life from King 
  Feeshe. 
  Hamartia - Love - Ak-ak loved Yarmsul, 
  and perhaps is completely ruined by 
  such deep love.  It has driven him to 
  turn on his own people and leave his 
  home.  He is driven by his passions and 
  hopes that he will find someone to fill 
  the void left by Yarmsul, as he still  
  feels utterly lost without her. 
   
  Dokeen - The scroll bearer for the king, 
  and general historian to the legacy of 
  the crown.  A chubby 
  Kobold, known for his 
  keen debate skills, 
  Dokeen has been the 
  loyal servant to the 
  crown for over twelve 
  years and three 
  kings.  He is one of the 
  most intelligent Kobolds 
  both in written and spoken form.  He 
  holds his duty on a sacred level; though 
  he may not agree with Duke Mermee 
  seizing of the crown, Dokeen does not 
  dispute Mermees’ right to claim the 
  crown.  Dokeen is aware that Duke 
  Mermee has been getting assistance 
  from the cultists, but is uncertain how 
  to approach the subject with 
  Mermee.  Usually, Dokeen can be found 
  with a large tome containing the history 
  of the Kobolds. 
  Hamartia - Pride - Spending so many 
  years dedicated to his duty, Dokeen has 
  
  27 
   
  become deluded about the difference 
  between what is right and what the 
  king says.  Duke Mermee has ordered 
  terrible atrocities, and Dokeen has 
  blindly been carrying them out, without 
  question. 
   
  Keeble - Keeble, at the ripe old age of 
  sixty-one, is one of the oldest of the 
  Kobolds and still remembers what it 
  was like under the rule of the older 
  rulers.  Keeble dislikes and distrusts 
  most races, so when Feeshe reached an 
  agreement with the orcs, Keeble was 
  terribly dissatisfied.  He struck a deal 
  with Nort (see the Goblins) to have 
  Feeshe killed; unfortunately, while Nort 
  poisoned a glass that was supposed to 
  go to the king, it was intercepted by 
  Milliet, the kings’ wife.  Keeble had 
  hoped that this would shake up the 
  king enough to fall apart, but it only 
  strengthened the kings resolve.  With 
  the king working even harder to keep 
  the union of races together, Keeble felt 
  there was no end in sight.  Worse still, 
  after the failed assassination, Nort 
  began blackmailing Keeble.   
  After the death of King Feeshe, 
  Keeble blamed the Goblins, which lead 
  to friction between the goblins and 
  kobolds.  He further pressed for 
  Mermee to remove Yarmsul from any 
  power because of her sympathies to the 
  humans. 
  Hamartia - Hatred - Keeble generally 
  dislikes all races and most people.  
  Many kobolds attribute Keebles’ 
  attitude to his age but he is a generally 
  hateful creature.  His vocal hatred of 
  the neighboring species has helped 
  encourage the other kobolds to follow 
  King Mermee blindly.   
   
  Duke Mermee – Mermee was always 
  resentful of his older brother Feeshe. 
  After his father was killed and eaten by 
  the Minotaur of the caves, Feeshe was 
  thrust into leadership of the Kobolds at 
  the young age of four.  Feeshe, never 
  learning the ways of hatred that his 
  father had known, opened negotiations 
  with the neighboring tribes and even 
  made peace with the Minotaur that 
  killed his father.  This path to peace 
  began with his befriending of a human 
  couple, Mike & Liz, at the Save or Die 
  Inn along the road, not long after he 
  was awarded the title of King by the 
  various races residing in the Caves of 
  Chaos.  The humans were wary of the 
  creatures allied in the caves to the 
  west, but it wasn’t until Mermee 
  approached Curate Huveran of the keep 
  
  28 
   
  that he was able to undermine his 
  brother’s new kingdom.  Mermee gave 
  the curates’ cultists information and 
  placed the king in a vulnerable 
  position, and the cultists did the 
  rest.  Mermee quickly seized the crown 
  and is currently outraged that the other 
  races haven’t fallen in line.  He still 
  calls upon the reluctant Wamraze to 
  carry out his vindictive plans and keep 
  control through fear.  He destroys 
  anyone or anything that does not fit 
  into his world.  Now that he has caused 
  the discord amongst the dwellers in the 
  caves, the cultist have no further 
  interest in helping Mermee.  He is 
  insistent that everyone refer to him as 
  king, and will react violently if this 
  doesn’t happen, however most kobolds 
  still call him duke behind his back.  
  Hamartia - Cruelty - Duke Mermee was 
  only interested in claiming what he 
  believes he is ‘owed’.  He is willing to 
  hurt or destroy anyone or anything in 
  his path to make this happen.  He 
  would often pick on Yarmsul, when she 
  was a small child, and obviously acted 
  out his sick desires by removing her 
  hands, feet, and ears himself.  He 
  should be considered a socially 
  disturbed individual with only malice in 
  his heart.  
  Yarmsul – She is the beloved and 
  beautiful daughter of King Feeshe, the 
  previous and revered ruler of the Caves 
  of Chaos.  She is lean and wears a 
  copper band around her neck, a choker 
  that belonged to her mother, a gift 
  created by Ragar (see Gnolls).  After 
  King Feeshe lost his wife, he spent most 
  of his time settling disputes between 
  the different inhabitants of the Caves of 
  Chaos, leaving little time for his 
  treasured Yarmsul.  She spent most of 
  her time with Liz, at the Save or Die Inn 
  along the road to the keep.  The death 
  of King Feeshe was sudden and 
  shocking to Yarmsul, but not to her 
  uncle Mermee, who quickly seized the 
  crown.  Yarmsul challenged Duke 
  Mermee, only to be betrayed by 
  
  29 
   
  Keeble.  The Duke himself cut off her 
  hands, feet, and ordered that she be 
  thrown into the swamp; never to be 
  spoken about again.  Left for dead, 
  Yarmsul awakened on a pile of dead 
  animals, with her hands and feet 
  regrown.  The Lizard men of the 
  swamps believed Yarmsul was a 
  messenger from their god to guide 
  them.  Yarmsul had no idea thst the 
  choker, her mother gift to her, was an 
  ogre’s ring of regeneration.  She now 
  resides in the swamp and plots revenge 
  for her father’s death. 
  Hamartia - Independence - By losing 
  her mother at an early age and her 
  father to his work, Yarmsul found 
  strength in doing things alone, and 
  surviving on self-reliance.  She will 
  often push herself too hard or forget her 
  own basic needs. 
   
  b and c) Orcs 
  Gajjab – He has designs to overthrow 
  Mash and use Kargle to retake the 
  Caves of Chaos as an orc 
  stronghold.  Gajjab knows that Kargle 
  was cursed by the cultists and is using 
  orcs loyal to him to launch attacks 
  against the cultists in order to find a 
  way to remove the curse.  Once Kargle 
  is freed Gajjab will unleash him on 
  Mash and make his move.  If he is 
  approached about his concerns over 
  Kargle, he will simply say, “Kargle is the 
  only strong defense the orcs have.  We 
  must protect ourselves.” 
  Hamartia - Envy - He sure that he 
  should have been the one to take the 
  position of Chieftain, and that Mash is 
  wasting his power by bowing to the 
  Kobolds.  He will never openly speak of 
  his feelings of Mash, and when talking 
  to the chieftain he will often pander to 
  the leader.  
   
  Gorp – Mash’s head of the guard, a 
  position he holds with pride.  Gorp does 
  love his gaming time with the other 
  guards, and can be found in his off 
  time gambling with his fellow guards or 
  anyone who will play.  Gorp is a fun 
  loving orc but struggles with his debts 
  which has forced him to sneak items 
  out of the chieftains’ treasury. 
  Hamartia - Risk - Gorp has risked all in 
  order to get the thrill of success.  The 
  risk of losing his job, fealty, or even his 
  life is a thrill.  He still fears that he will 
  get caught stealing from his chieftain, 
  despite the fact that he takes his job 
  very seriously.   Gorp’s dichotomy may 
  
  30 
   
  be puzzling, but he is resolved to his 
  dangerous life by honorable means.  
   
  Mash - is the Chieftain of the Orcs, 
  though other than the title, he has done 
  very little to live up to the 
  lifestyle.  Mash was dazzled by King 
  Feeshe and his plans to unite the 
  creatures of the Caves of 
  Chaos.  Chieftain Mash, since handing 
  over his leadership to Feeshe, has been 
  simply lounging around ignoring his 
  people’s problems.  He will often defer 
  to the “Kobold King”, with the 
  expectation that others will take their 
  problems to him.  Over the years he has 
  put on more and more weight and is 
  now almost three times the size of a 
  regular orc.  
  Hamartia - Selfishness - considers only 
  his comforts and worries very little of 
  others or their desires.  His self-interest 
  has led him to leave complicated 
  decisions to the Kobolds; this has made 
  many of his followers concerned.  If 
  Wamraze, the Minotaur, shows any 
  sign of wavering from the protection of 
  the Kobolds, Mash may fear for his own 
  protection and turn to Gorp to double 
  guards and ensure his safety. 
   
  Umogra - The first wife of Mash, she is 
  quick to judge and temperamental on 
  all things that matter to her.  Umogra is 
  not a violent person, but can be 
  dangerous when she doesn’t get her 
  way or what she desires.  She held a 
  rivalry with King Feeshes’ wife, which 
  led to her ordering Gorp to slay her; by 
  the morning she was poisoned.  Gorp 
  never new why, but took the credit, no 
  need to upset Umogra. She has been 
  growing angry with the small demand 
  of the Goblins.  She has no desire to 
  side with Gajjab, thinking he is 
  pandering to get his way.  Umogra will 
  turn to more brutal avenues by calling 
  on the bugbears.     
  Hamartia - Pettiness - She is fickle over 
  many of her own choices, so it only 
  makes sense that she would be pickier 
  of others.  She will fly off the handle 
  with only the slightest indication of 
  what her motivation may actually 
  be.  She is more likely to call for 
  someones head, before she even knows 
  why they have come to her.       
   
  Zorfu - A powerful wizard for the orcs, 
  in his own mind.  Zorfu is known for 
  having the most outlandish entrances, 
  usually by throwing loud explosions 
  when entering a room.  Zorfu is not as 
  
  31 
   
  well versed in the arcane arts, but is 
  quite versed in the art of 
  performance.  He has learned the art of 
  sleight-of-hand to trick many observers 
  into believing in his truly awesome 
  powers.  Over time he has become a 
  believer in his own abilities, though he 
  often only succeeds by sheer luck.  He 
  does carry a pocket full of half-used 
  wands, lesser magic items, and potions 
  to make his ruse complete. 
  Hamartia - Ignorance - Zorfu still has 
  small magical aptitude and if called 
  upon, he will usually flim-flam his way 
  through the attempt.  The real danger 
  is, on occasion he has attempted to use 
  scrolls beyond his ability or even 
  outside of his school of study, resulting 
  in catastrophe.  Rather than reveal his 
  secret he would risk his own life in a 
  foolish attempt.  
   
  d) Goblins 
  Krench - The leader of the chieftains’ 
  guard for Chief Skreeb, Krench has 
  earned his place of honor.  He stands 
  almost a head taller than most Goblins, 
  and due to his size he is stronger as 
  well.  He is a fierce warrior, though he 
  often refers to himself as the knight of 
  the Caves of Chaos.  He clearly follows 
  the orders of Skreeb but will often take 
  a more malicious path if left to his own 
  devices.  He is aware that Skreeb is 
  planning the assassination of the 
  Kargle the Cursed, in order to weaken 
  the Orc position.   
  Hamartia - Hypocrisy - Krench often 
  describes himself as fair and honorable, 
  but this is something he offers up to get 
  his opponents to lower their guard.  He 
  took his position by dueling the 
  previous leader of the guard, ending 
  with Krench stabbing him in the back 
  before the count started.  
   
  Nort – He is considered the lowest of the 
  low by the other Goblins, so he worked 
  as a guard for King Feeshe, but was 
  quickly disillusioned by the union with 
  the Orcs.  Because of his close 
  connection with the Kobolds and 
  military training, Nort was soon 
  approached by Keeble about the 
  
  32 
   
  benefits of the removal of the 
  king.  With Keebles’ help he was able to 
  plan the king’s poisoning, unfortunately 
  a miscalculation caused the poisoned 
  cup to be drank by Milliet, the kings’ 
  wife.  Nort put the blame squarely on 
  Keeble and swore that he betray him if 
  Keeble did not pay his fees.  Soon after 
  King Feeshe’s death, ties with the 
  Goblins fell apart and Norts’ blackmail 
  became useless. 
  Hamartia - Perfectionist - As a guard 
  Nort had a watchful eye, noticing even 
  the smallest detail, saving the kings life 
  on several occasions.  However, during 
  the planning of the poisoning he spent 
  several weeks longer than normal to 
  act, and the delay put the queen in the 
  way of his target.  Because of his detail 
  oriented mindset, he tends to take 
  longer to act than others would.  
   
  Ralnad - Ralnad is one of the smaller 
  goblins, with an abundance of 
  moxie.  He earned his right to be in an 
  elite scouting party, against his uncle 
  Skreeb’s wishes. He has spent several 
  weeks in deep cover and close proximity 
  to the Lizard men camp.  Ralnad is not 
  the most observant person; his uncle 
  has been trying to get him killed in 
  action so he doesn’t have to worry 
  about him anymore.   
  Hamartia - Delusional - He believes his 
  uncle cares about him and wants to 
  make him a hero in the eyes of the 
  people.  Ralnad is unable to see that 
  his uncle plans for him to die in the 
  near future.  Not that his uncle hates 
  him, but he has no interest in handing 
  over his crown to someone that he has 
  no respect for. 
   
  Skreeb - Chief of the Goblins that was 
  one of the closest friends of King 
  Feeshe.  He was the first to side with 
  the Kobolds under King Feeshe.  Skreeb 
  was extremely suspicious of his friend’s 
  sudden death, and feels entitled to take 
  the crown from Duke Mermee.  He has 
  been in contact with the Castellan 
  about arming his people so that they 
  can do just that.  With shipments being 
  disrupted by the Lizard men, Skreeb 
  has opened talks with 
  Wamraze.  Wamraze has become 
  disillusioned by the change from King 
  Feeshe and is willing to listen to new 
  ways and ideas.  Skreeb hopes to 
  convince Wamraze to attack the Lizard 
  men and remove another obstacle from 
  his plans to overtake the 
  kobolds.  Anytime he deals with Duke 
  
  33 
   
  Mermee, he will always remind him 
  that King Feeshe never did things that 
  way, mostly just to spite Mermee. 
  Hamartia - Ambition - With the loss of 
  King Feeshe, Skreeb has felt a void and 
  begins to step up.  He was never 
  interested in trying to lead the entirety 
  of the caves, but now that he has seen 
  it done, he wants that power.   
   
  Wambly - A lonely dreamer, Wamby has 
  found beauty in the eyes of Lenark (see 
  Hobgoblins).  He can be found following 
  her around, and he knows much about 
  her plans to attack human 
  settlements.  He has become less and 
  less interested in the politics of the 
  caves and spends more time gathering 
  supplies and stealing for his beloved 
  Lenark.  She, however, has no idea of 
  his interest in her, and it’s probable 
  that she would still treat him the same 
  way even if she knew. 
  Hamartia - Love - Wambly has lost 
  sight of all reason and rational, he has 
  stolen from his own people and 
  others.  He will continue to try and 
  prove his love to Lenark despite her 
  general disinterest.  He knows his love 
  is wrong but cannot help himself. 
   
  e) Ogre - Kargle the Cursed - ally to orcs - 
  Kargle has been used as a physical 
  threat by the orcs for years.  He is a 
  towering behemoth, though has become 
  quite gaunt over the last two 
  years.  Favoring his cave, he only 
  comes out to hunt his prey at night. 
  Sadly, Kargle was cursed by the scribe 
  to the Castellan of the Keep, to always 
  cower in fear from an attack.  Now even 
  the smallest creature making a motion 
  will cause Kargle to flinch in fear.  He 
  will defend himself, but only while 
  trying to escape.  Kargle is one of the 
  key powers in the Caves of Chaos, 
  everyone knows and fears him.  Should 
  anyone approach his cave or try to 
  enter it, they would be met with loud 
  roaring and smashing noises. 
  Hamartia - Slave - realizing that Kargle 
  was a threat to the cultists moving into 
  the Caves of Chaos, the curate from the 
  keep placed a curse on Kargle that he 
  would not attack or harm a 
  human.  This curse was performed 
  under duress, causing the curse to 
  affect all races.  Kargle has long since 
  taken to a vegetarian diet and is slowly 
  dwindling away.  He stays in his cave, 
  far back in the darkest of corners; he 
  hopes that Gajjab will be able to help 
  
  34 
   
  him.
   
  f) Hobgoblins 
  Kawkaw - his brother, Yarik, was the 
  only hobgoblin to stand up against 
  Duke Mermee, when he took the Briar 
  Throne, and was executed for it.  The 
  lanky hobgoblin has only grown in hate 
  for the removal of Mermee since.  He 
  cares very little who will sit on the 
  Throne, and he will risk all to destroy 
  the current ‘king’.  KawKaw has formed 
  a friendship with Ak-ak against 
  Mermee, but he feels that Ak-aks’ plan 
  to enlist Wamraze will become more 
  dangerous.  So Kawkaw turns to the 
  Gnolls for support, after meeting with 
  Garrr he is certain they will wipe out 
  the Kobolds. 
  Hamartia - Revenge - Mermee was 
  wrong in executing Kawkaws’ brother, 
  but Kawkaw has not thought through 
  the damages he will cause upon 
  succeeding.  Kawkaw is blinding 
  himself to what the future can be and 
  will take any risk in order to end this 
  immediately. 
   
  Gudoch - Shorter than the average 
  hobgoblin, he finds himself seeing eye-
  to-eye with normal goblins.  He is fed 
  up with mining for metals only to hand 
  them over to the kobolds.  His mining 
  skills have proved useful, as Gudoch 
  has been digging a tunnel into the back 
  of the Kobold treasure room to rob 
  coffers and use the ill-gotten gains to 
  purchase land from the Castellan, so 
  that he can live in peace.  He hates 
  living in the caverns, like an animal, 
  and wants the finer things in life for 
  himself. 
  Hamartia - Selfish – He wants his own 
  life, he’s tired of following Lenark, and 
  just wants to live a simple existence 
  farming out in the countryside.  To 
  achieve this he is willing to betray his 
  king, his people, and even his 
  enemies.    
   
  Lenark - She has pushed and struggled 
  to be the leader of the hobgoblins. They 
  had always been an amorphous 
  collection of misfits before King Feeshe 
  organized the caves. Lenark is young 
  and strong, with a strong logical mind 
  to help her leadership.  Through a 
  chance encounter, she started a 
  
  35 
   
  dialogue with the curate and keeps a 
  regular connection with the human 
  cultists in the highest caves.  The 
  priests deliver weapons, with promises 
  of more, if they act against the orcs in 
  the caves.  She intends to open 
  negotiations with the orcs, for fear that 
  Kargle will strike if they make an 
  aggressive move.  Lenark has been 
  trying to contact the castellan, hoping 
  that he will provide more support than 
  his priest has.  However, the cultists 
  have been intercepting all 
  communications to the keep.  Lenark is 
  alone and accepts it.  
  Hamartia - Ambition - Lenark saw the 
  example that Feeshe made for the other 
  races of the caves and knew that she 
  must set a similar example for her own 
  people.  She can see that the goblins 
  are starting to fall away and is hoping 
  to take them under her wing.  She 
  thinks in logical patterns and has 
  worked out many of the possible moves 
  left.  She has plans that lead all the 
  way up to the Castelian, perhaps even 
  further. 
   
  g) Owlbears - These poor creatures, as 
  the original dwellers in the caves, have 
  been forced into seclusion by the onset 
  of the other species moving into the 
  caves.  The Owlbears are savage 
  creatures and stay in their cavern, 
  except to hunt at night.  Unless 
  adventurers enter this cave, the 
  Owlbears will not bother anyone, 
  however the Gnolls have plans to 
  smoke out these beasts and corral 
  them to the kobolds as part of a plan 
  between Kawkaw (see Hobgoblins) and 
  Garrr (see Gnolls). 
   
  h) Bugbears 
  Lormf - is a pudgy and wasteful 
  creature.  Often he is found sitting 
  around the main chambers, or napping 
  in the back of his own chamber.  As the 
  cook, he prepares many of the meal 
  eaten by the bugbears, though he is 
  often relieved when a raiding party 
  brings back prepared food.  He dislikes 
  working, unless he absolutely has 
  to.  He is patient and will wait for most 
  of his problems to solve themselves.  He 
  has suggested that the bugbears move 
  to a different area to Nannat, but these 
  suggestions were ignored.  Lormf has 
  grown frustrated with the continual 
  attacks that Nannat has ordered, and 
  has decided to slowly poison him.  He 
  has been slipping a metal, shaved from 
  the cave walls, into his food.  The 
  
  36 
   
  mineral is slowly killing Nannat, and 
  eventually Lormf will be rid of him. 
  Hamartia - Sloth - Though Lormf is a 
  slob, his has honed patience to a fine 
  art.  There is no need to fish if they 
  jump into the boat.  He will wager on 
  the fish always jumping into the boat, 
  his sloth knows no bounds. 
   
  Nannat - is a braggart and a brute.  He 
  is the largest of the bugbears, in both 
  height and mass, and is the considered 
  leader of the bugbears by default.  As 
  large and healthy as he may appear, he 
  still has a persistent cough, often 
  bringing up blood.  Nannat will dismiss 
  any concerns about his health as a sign 
  of weakness.  He has spent 
  considerable time attacking the 
  humans, but lately the Lizard men have 
  become the larger threat.  The 
  lizardmen do not carry anything of 
  value and they usually attack in 
  force.  He did take several captives, and 
  discovered from them that lizardmen 
  are being led by some type of godlike 
  kobold.  He has presumed that this is 
  just exaggeration, but over time and 
  attack after attack, he has reconsidered 
  his opinion.  Recently, he has agreed to 
  help Mermee crush the goblins into 
  submission, and in exchange he will 
  share in the goblin’s wealth. 
  Hamartia - Cruelty - Nannat is just a 
  mean person.  He would hurt someone 
  just because he could.  He will not 
  openly attack someone that he does not 
  have an advantage over, but when he 
  does have the advantage he will take it 
  without hesitation. 
   
  Sutram - A puny bugbear, who is often 
  forgotten about and left behind on 
  many raids.  During one of the 
  lizardman interrogations, he was left in 
  the room with the victim and the two 
  struck up a friendship.  He released the 
  sad and beaten Lizardman and told 
  
  37 
   
  Nannat that he finished the 
  job.  Nannat spent the following hour 
  performing the interrogation on 
  Sutram, for stealing the thrill of the 
  torture.  It took several weeks to 
  recover, but from then after Sutram 
  would help the victims whenever 
  possible.   He spends most of his time 
  making sure that he doesn’t get noticed 
  anymore, and never looks Nannat in 
  the eye.  He has snuck out to the 
  swamp to meet with the Lizard men 
  and has even met Yarmsul personally. 
  Hamartia - Guilt - Sutram lives with 
  constant fear that Nannat will discover 
  that he has had dealt with and 
  befriended the Lizard men.  His guilt 
  pushes him to hide more and keep 
  everything from any of his fellow 
  bugbears. 
   
  i) The Minotaur - Wamraze - Standing 
  over ten-foot tall, Wamraze is muscular 
  and occasionally wears spectacles that 
  the kobolds fashioned for him so he can 
  read his books.  Once a savage creature 
  one would expected to find in a cave, 
  one fateful day a young kobold found 
  him and challenged him to a contest.  
  Wamraze was intrigued and accepted. 
  The young kobold turned out to be 
  Feeshe, the child of the same kobold 
  king he had eaten only days before.  
  The two spent the afternoon playing 
  and talking, and soon Wamraze found 
  himself agreeing with the little morsel.  
  Seeing that Feeshe had a vision of what 
  the caves could be like, he agreed to 
  help the kobolds, and in exchange they 
  would craft furniture and household 
  items for him.  Now Wamraze is a 
  domesticated beast, sometimes thrown 
  by fits of temper, but always searching 
  for deeper meanings.  Since his alliance 
  he has become an avid reader, and will 
  often discuss ideas and philosophy with 
  an opponent.  One of the last things 
  Feeshe gave him in friendship was a 
  stone, which he said contains a wish. 
  Wamraze never told anyone about the 
  stone, nor has he used it until recently.   
  When Duke Mermee took over, 
  he ordered Wamraze to destroy the 
  Human’s Inn and drive them away.  
  Wamraze hated doing this, but felt he 
  was honor bound to follow the wishes 
  
  38 
   
  of the king.  In the process, Mike tried 
  to defend the Inn and was thrown into 
  the blaze, causing him to lose his sight.  
  Wamraze has never forgiven himself, 
  and used the wish stone to summon a 
  spirit of good fortune to protect the 
  couple for the rest of their lives. 
  Wamraze has no idea if this “wish” 
  really worked, and has not seen the 
  couple since.  Meanwhile, he acts as a 
  threat and enforcer for the kobold way 
  of life.  When the players first meet 
  Duke Mermee, Wamraze should be 
  there.  He is not always in the court of 
  the kobolds, but this will reinforce the 
  perception of the kobolds hold over 
  him.  Wamraze, as of late, has become 
  impatient with Mermee. Wamraze finds 
  Mermees’ declarations and decrees 
  needless and wasteful.  When King 
  Feeshe came to him years before, he 
  was impressed with his spirit and 
  ambition, and felt that under Feeshe’s 
  plan the caves could only prosper. 
  Hamartia - Admiration - Before Feeshe, 
  Wamraze acted as a beast with no care 
  or concern for others around 
  him.  Feeshe explained his ideas and 
  changed his entire life.  Wamraze has 
  been a firm believer in Feeshes’ way of 
  life and is willing to fight and die for 
  it.  He even tolerates Mermee, thinking 
  that he is still on the right path.  He is 
  zealous in his beliefs and will be very 
  resistant to any thoughts otherwise. 
   
  j) Gnolls 
  Garrrr - A seer, a child, and a 
  warlord.  A young pup compared to the 
  rest of the gnolls, Garrr is the most 
  prophetic of his people or any other in 
  the area.  He foretold the fall of 
  Feeshes’ reign and the death of his 
  daughter.  He keeps close ties with the 
  Lizard men, and told them of the rise of 
  their goddess from the wastes.  His 
  powers of foretelling came from his 
  mother, who told of the taming of the 
  Minotaur long before anyone even 
  knew.  He mother was beheaded by his 
  father, Rraaw, who leads the gnolls and 
  has no time for silly thoughts of the 
  future.  Garrr knows much of what has 
  
  39 
   
  happened and what will happen, 
  though he holds back information in a 
  vain attempt to prevent his own 
  death.  Kawkaw has approached Garr 
  about convincing his father to 
  overthrow the false kobold king, which 
  his father is more than happy to 
  do.  But Garrr has begged his father 
  not to attack the kobold, as it will bring 
  ruin to everyone.  Garr suggests to 
  Kawkaw to use the owlbears by 
  smoking them out and herding them 
  into the kobolds area. 
  Hamartia - Responsibility - Since he 
  first saw the future and the death of his 
  mother, he knew he was trapped in a 
  web of history that has yet to take 
  place.  He has learned to curb what he 
  knows and only give information that 
  may help shape the future 
  differently.  He has been disappointed 
  time and time again, as people come to 
  him wanting to know and leave wishing 
  they had never asked. 
   
  Ragar - The artist of 
  the gnolls, and widely 
  regarded throughout 
  the caves as one of the 
  most creative and 
  passionate creatures 
  that dwell there.  He has written several 
  books of poetry that he had printed 
  large especially for Wamraze.  One of 
  his paintings even adorns the kobold 
  throne room, as well as the office of the 
  Castilian of the keep.  Rraaw dislikes 
  Ragars’ work and thinks that it gives 
  people too many ideas.  Rraaw 
  destroyed a marble bust of himself, 
  which Ragar made, declaring that, 
  “Gnolls follow flesh, not stone!”  He 
  spends most of his time working on a 
  new piece of art, fully expecting that it 
  will be destroyed, but hoping that 
  someone will see it.  Ragar, secretly, 
  uses magic in some of his works, 
  making them even more dangerous and 
  unaccepted by Rraaw.  Learning these 
  dark arts has been difficult; Ragar has 
  been obtaining small insights into how 
  to improve his art from the cultists, in 
  exchange for information about the 
  caves and their inhabitants.  He was 
  the crafter of Yarmsul’s choker, which 
  
  40 
   
  cannot be removed without the 
  permission of the wearer.   
  Hamartia - Revenge - He bites his 
  tongue when around Rraaw, even when 
  he is destroying a new piece of art, or a 
  found piece of art from a raid.  His 
  hidden dislike of the gnoll leader has 
  forced him to learn magic from the 
  cultist, secretly betraying the dwellers 
  in the caves.  He has been teaching 
  himself how to make a golem, to use 
  against Rraaw. 
   
  Rraaw - A haggard old gnoll, long in the 
  tooth, and grizzled like meat left to 
  cooking too long.  He carries several 
  scars, from battles and marriages.  He 
  has had several wives leaving him over 
  sixty pups, of which he has only eaten 
  half.  Rraaw has little patience for 
  magic and all its ilk.  He killed Garrr’s 
  mother and would kill him too except 
  for his wife’s dying words, “Your son 
  will save you.”  He since has kept Garrr 
  alive and nearby, but never speaks with 
  him and often wonders if she was 
  tricking him into keeping Garrr 
  alive.  He despises all people, even his 
  own, but because of his ferocity he is 
  accepted as the leader.  He is one of the 
  few leaders that did not agree to all of 
  King Feeshes ideas and even had plans 
  to attack him.  But Feeshe died long 
  before Rraaw could act and even if he 
  could he knew that he would then have 
  to fight every other species in the 
  caves.  There is little thought that goes 
  into his battle strategies, hit hard, hit 
  where it counts, and make sure they 
  stay down.  Because of the gnolls 
  breeding, they regroup and rebuild 
  their numbers quickly, Rraaw has used 
  this to his advantage. 
  Hamartia - Hatred - Rraaw was born 
  under a bad sign.  He hates for the 
  sake of hating.  People are useless and 
  in his way.  In many cases he acts as a 
  wild animal and attacks without 
  warning, even in a polite 
  conversation.  His actions have left the 
  gnolls isolated from the rest of the 
  communities, and they suffer because 
  of this.   
  k) Cultists 
  Hershal - As young man, single, with no 
  family ties, Hershal was a perfect 
  recruit.  His small stature makes him 
  innocuous to most people; however he 
  wears his heart on his sleeve, and 
  usually displays the fear in his eyes up 
  front.  As an acolyte in the town chapel, 
  Hershal was pressed to join the cult of 
  chaos out of sheer fear of what they 
  might do to him.  Hershal secretly 
  
  41 
   
  performs the rituals of his original good 
  god and asks for forgiveness in his 
  prayers.  He understood the powers 
  involved with the cult and expects no 
  good to come of any of the actions that 
  the cult has taken.  Still practicing the 
  healing arts, he will often help wounded 
  adventurers, and will try to help anyone 
  that has been placed in the torture 
  chamber.   
  Hamartia - Cowardice - His fears have 
  trapped him in a terrible position, with 
  no real way out.  Everyone he could 
  turn to hates him because of the robes 
  he now wears, which he feels is the only 
  thing still protecting him. 
   
  Lionel - The closest aide and advisor to 
  the curate in the keep, his loyalty has 
  kept the castellan in the dark about the 
  curate’s involvement with the cult.  As 
  far as the townsfolk, most will believe 
  that Lionel is the leader of the cult of 
  chaos.  Because of his outward 
  representation, he may appear in the 
  keep from time to time, but surrounded 
  by his cultists.  Most people cower in 
  fear at the appearance of anyone in the 
  robes.  The keep tolerates them, as the 
  cult has made no direct action against 
  the humans and helps fend off Lizard 
  men attacks.  Lionel has been training 
  Ragar in some the lesser magical 
  powers that the cult uses in exchange 
  for information about the other 
  occupants of the caves.  Once Ragar 
  has no use, he will put him to death or 
  offer him as a sacrifice, as he has no 
  need for an artist. 
  Hamartia - Zealot - Lionel blindly 
  follows the teachings of the cult and 
  accepts his role as a false leader in 
  order to protect the curate and secure 
  his position beside the castellan. He is 
  far removed from reality and would 
  accept anything in order to please the 
  curate. 
   
  Quinn - An older woman, Quinn lost her 
  farm and husband during a raid by the 
  creatures in the swamp.  She never had 
  children, and the cult took her in, 
  giving her a place and a 
  purpose.  Chaos is the way of all things 
  in her eyes now.  Now she sees that if 
  the caves become politically unstable, 
  then the different factions can be used 
  against one another, possibly 
  destroying everything.  Quinn is in 
  talks with Gajjab to arm the orcs and 
  attack the kobolds, causing the power 
  to shift back to the orcs, who the cult of 
  evil chaos feels they can control more 
  easily.  After the destruction of the 
  
  42 
   
  kobolds power over the caves, Quinn 
  has plans to get the orcs to follow her 
  and attack the Lizard men, exacting 
  revenge upon them.   
  Hamartia - Unstable - Quinn has never 
  fully dealt with her emotions over what 
  she has lost over the years.  Because of 
  this, she is completely unbalanced and 
  perhaps the most dangerous person in 
  the caves of chaos. 
   
   
   
   
   
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Basic Fantasy/Basic Fantasy Adventures & Settings/GagMen/G1401.2 Game of Kobolds (Gagmen) (BasicF).pdf