TEXT:  
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Denzel’s Kurgen 
   
  A One-Round D&D LIVING GREYHAWK®  
  A Perrenland Regional Adventure set in 591 CY 
   
   
  by Matt Brebner 
   
   
   
   
  Tragedy has struck the normally sleepy southern town of Schellingvale in Yattenheid. In the past week a 
  band of orc renegades has entered the area, and last night raided the dwelling of a local wizard, slaying 
  him and his three guards. Now his trusty servant, who escaped, is seeking a band of brave adventurers 
  who can return to Denzel’s Kurgen and remove the murderers and illegal squatters. This is a one round 
  Living Greyhawk Regional Perrenland adventure for APL 2, 4 or 6 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK and RPGA are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. LIVING 
  GREYHAWK is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Scenario detail copyright 2001 by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ALL RIGHTS 
  RESERVED. This scenario is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without approval of the RPGA Network.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  This is an RPGA Network <scenario/mini-scenario> 
  for the Dungeons & Dragons game.  A four-hour time 
  block has been allocated for each round of this scenario, 
  but actual playing time will be closer to three hours. 
  The rest of the time is spent in preparation before game 
  play, and scoring after the game. The following 
  guidelines are here to help you with both the 
  preparation and voting segment of the game.  Read this 
  page carefully so that you know and can communicate 
  to your players the special aspects of playing an RPGA 
  scenario. 
   
  PREPARATION 
  First you should print this scenario. This scenario was 
  created to support double-sided printing, but printing it 
  single sided will work as well.  There is enough room 
  along the inside margin to bind the adventure, if you 
  desire. 
   
  Read this entire adventure at least once before 
  you run your game. Be sure to familiarize yourself with 
  any special rules, spells, or equipment presented in the 
  adventure.  It may help to highlight particularly 
  important passages. 
   
  When you run an RPGA D&D adventure we 
  assume that you have access to the following books: the 
  Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and 
  the Monster Manual.  We also assume that you have a 
  set of dice (at least one d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20), 
  some sccrap paper, a pencil, an RPGA scoring packing, 
  and your sense of fun.  It is also a good idea to have a 
  way to track movement during combat.  This can be as 
  simple as a pad of graph paper and a pencil, as handy as 
  a vinyl grid map and cits, or as elaborate as resin 
  dungeon walls and miniatures. 
   
  Instruct the players either to prepare their 
  characters now, or wait until you read the introduction, 
  depending on the requirements of the scenario as 
  described in the introduction. 
   
  Keep in mind that you must have at least three 
  players (not counting the DM), for a game session to be 
  a sanctioned RPGA event. As well, you cannot have 
  more than six players participating in the game. 
   
  Once you are ready to play, it is handy to 
  instruct each player to place a name tag in front of him 
  or her. The tag should have the player's name at the 
  bottom, and the character's name, race, and gender at 
  the top. This makes it easier for the players (and the 
  DM) to keep track of who is playing which character. 
   
  The players are free to use the game rules to 
  learn about equipment and weapons their characters are 
  carrying.  That said, you as the DM can bar the use of 
  even core rule books during certain times of play. For 
  example, the players are not free to consult the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide when confronted with a trap 
  or hazard, or the Monster Manual when confronted with 
  a monster. 
   
  Some of the text in this scenario is written so 
  that you may present it as written to the players, while 
  other text is for your eyes only. Text for the players will 
  be in bold italics. It is strongly recommended that you 
  paraphrase the player text, instead of reading it aloud, 
  as some of the text is general and must be adapted to 
  the specific situation or to actions of the player 
  characters.  
   
  SCORING 
  After the players have completed the scenario or the 
  time allotted to run the scenario has run out, the players 
  and the DM score the game.  The RPGA has three ways 
  to score its games. Consult your convention coordinator 
  to determine which method to use for this scenario. 
  1. No vote scoring:  The players write their 
  names and RPGA numbers on the scoring 
  packet grid. You fill in the top of the grid. That 
  is all. No one is rated. This method is used for 
  people who are just playing for fun. 
  2. Partial scoring: The players rate the game 
  master and the scenario on their player voting 
  sheets, and provide personal information, but 
  don’t vote for other players.  The game master 
  rates the scenario and completes personal and 
  event information, but does not rate the players 
  as a team or vote for players.  This method is 
  used when there is no competition, but the 
  event coordinator wants information on how 
  the game masters are performing, or the game 
  master wants feedback on his or her own 
  performance. 
  3. Voting: Players and game masters complete 
  the entire packet, including voting for best 
  player.  If this method is used, be sure to allow 
  about 15-20 minutes for the players to briefly 
  describe their characters to the other players, 
  and about 5-10 minutes for voting. This 
  method is used when the players want to know 
  who played the “best” amongst the group, or 
  when the adventure is run in tournament 
  format with winners and prizes. 
  When using voting, rank the players in order of your 
  voting choice while they are completing their forms so 
  that you are not influenced by their comments on your 
  abilities.  It is a good idea to have the players vote 
  while you are determining treasure and experience 
  awards for the scenario. 
   
  After voting, give the Scoring Packet to your 
  event coordinator. 
   
   
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 2 
  
  This is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure. As a 
  Living adventure, it is expected that players will 
  bring their own characters with them.  If players do  
  not have a LIVING GREYHAWK character generated, 
  get a copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK 
  character generation guidelines, a character sheet, and a 
  LIVING GREYHAWK log sheet from the convention 
  coordinator or the RPGA Web site, and then have any 
  players without a character create one.  Once all players 
  have a LIVING GREYHAWK character, play can 
  begin. 
   
  Along with the other materials that you are 
  assumed to have in order to run a D&D game, it is also 
  recommended that you have a copy of the LIVING 
  GREYHAWK Gazetteer. 
   
  DETERMINING AVERAGE PARTY LEVEL 
  (APL) 
  Because players bring their own characters to LIVING 
  GREYHAWK games, this adventure’s challenges are 
  proportioned to the average character level of the PCs 
  participating in the adventure. To determine the 
  Average Party Level (APL): 
  1. 
  Determine the character level for each of the 
  PCs participating in the adventure. 
  2. If PCs bring animals that have been trained for 
  combat (most likely being war horses, dogs 
  trained for war), other than those brought by 
  virtue of a class ability (i.e. animal 
  companions, familiars paladin’s mounts, etc) 
  use the following chart to determine the 
  number of levels you add to the sum above. 
  Add each character’s animals separately. A 
  single PC may only bring four or fewer 
  animals of this type, and animals with different 
  CRs are added separately. 
   
    CR 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  4 
   
  1/4 & 1/6 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  1 
   
  1/3 & 1/2 
  0 
  0 
  1 
  1 
   
  1 
  1 
  1 
  2 
  3 
   
  2 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5 
   
  3 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  6 
   
  4 
  4 
  5 
  6 
  7 
                5                           5          7         8          9 
                6                           6         8         9         10 
                7                           7         9         10       11 
   
  3. 
  Sum the results of 1 and 2, and divide by the 
  number of characters playing in the adventure 
  – round up. 
  4. If you are running a table of six PCs, add one 
  to that average. 
   
  By following these four steps, you will have determined 
  the APL. Throughout this adventure, APLs categorize 
  the level of challenge the PCs will face. APLS are 
  given in even-numbered increments. If the APL of your 
  group falls on an odd number, ask them before the 
  adventure begins whether they would like to play a 
  harder or easier adventure. Based on their choice, use 
  either the higher or the lower adjacent APL. 
   
  APL also affects the amount of experience you 
  may gain at the end of the adventure. If your character 
  is three character levels or more either higher or lower 
  than the APL this adventure is being played at, that 
  character will receive only half of the experience points 
  awarded for the adventure. This simulates the face that 
  either your character was not as challenged as normal, 
  or relied on help by higher-level characters to reach the 
  objectives. 
   
  Note: LIVING GREYHAWK adventures are designed 
  for APL 2 and higher. Three or four, or sometimes even 
  five 1st-level characters may find difficulty with the 
  challenges in a LIVING GREYHAWK adventure. If 
  your group is APL 1 there are three things that you can 
  do to help even the score. 
  1. 
  Attempt to create a table of six 1st-level 
  characters, or try to enlist higher-level 
  characters to play at that table. 
  2. 
  Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help 
  protect them, and fight for them. All riding 
  dogs are considered trained to attack. PCs who 
  want their dogs to attack must succeed at a 
  Handle Animal or Charisma check (DC 10). 
  Failure indicates that the animal will not attack 
  that round. This is a free action (spoken 
  command) that may be attempted each round. 
  If an animal loses half or more hp in a single 
  round it flees, unless another check is 
  successful. 
   
  IS IT A FULL MOON? 
  Since the hazards of lycanthropy are a current part of 
  the LIVING GREYHAWK campaign, it may be 
  necessary to determine if this adventure takes place 
  during a full moon.  For game purposes, the full moon 
  lasts three days of each month. For a given scenario that 
  does not state the phase of the moon, roll 1d10 before 
  play begins. On a result of 1, the first day of the 
  scenario is a night of the full moon (roll 1d3 to 
  determine where in the sequence of three nights it falls). 
   
   
  LIFESTYLE AND UPKEEP IN PERRENLAND 
  At the beginning of every scenario, each PC is required 
  to pay upkeep costs matching the level of lifestyle they 
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
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  wish to maintain. The lifestyles, and the effects that 
  each has on play are: 
   
  Destitute: You have no living space, and must carry all 
  your gear everywhere.  You eat poor quality food. You 
  wear a peasant outfit, your only change of clothes 
   
  Poor:  You sleep in poor accommodations, and eat poor 
  quality food. You wear a peasant outfit, and have two 
  sets of clothing. 
   
  Common:  You have common lodgings, and eat 
  common quality food. You have normal clothing for 
  your profession (adventuring); nothing fancy. You 
  probably have two or three sets of clothing. 
   
  High:  You stay in good quality lodgings, and eat good 
  quality food. You wear anything in value up to 
  courtier’s outfits, and generally buy a new set of 
  clothing every two weeks. 
   
  Luxury:  You have luxurious accommodations (twice 
  the cost of good accommodations), and you eat 
  excellent foods. You can throw a banquet for your 
  friends everyday, and frequently do. You wear clothing 
  up to the value of noble’s outfit, and buy a new set of 
  clothes every week. 
   
   
  Lifestyles come with bonuses or penalties to 
  Diplomacy, Intimidate, Disguise, and Bluff skill 
  checks. These penalties, shown below, should be 
  applied at the DM’s discretion, and can sometimes 
  backfire – for example, a PC with poor lifestyle would 
  not have a penalty when talking to a beggar, but would 
  when talking to a city official. A PC with a high 
  lifestyle should have a penalty when dealing with a 
  group of street thugs, where a PC with a destitute 
  lifestyle might not. 
  DMs are encouraged to role-play these reactions 
  whenever possible. 
   
  Lifestyle          
  Cost      
  Skill Modifier 
  Destitute 
  14 sp 
  -2 
  Poor 
  43 sp 
  -1 
  Common 
  12 gp 
  0 
  High 
  250 gp 
  +2 
  Luxury 
  500 gp 
  +4 
   
  PCs who decide to “live off the land” must follow the 
  guidelines set down in the latest version of the Living 
  Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook. 
   
   
   
  Adventure Summary and 
  Background 
   
  Tragedy has struck the normally sleepy north-western 
  town of Schellingvale in the canton of Yattenheid. Over 
  the past week a band of orc renegades have entered the 
  area and last night raided the dwelling of a local wizard, 
  Denzel, slaying him and his three guards.  
   
  Only his elderly retainer, Lucas, escaped the attack and 
  has staggered into town to tell of his master's death. The 
  local militia have ridden out at dawn to track down the 
  marauders at their base camp while Lucas recuperates 
  upstairs in Schellingvale's rustic tavern, the Bleeding 
  Boar.  
   
  Yep, the butler did it. Lucas Haleheart, the faithful 
  family retainer of 18 years' service, is in league with the 
  renegades who killed Denzel. Lucas served Denzel's 
  father for 17 years, overseeing the modification of the  
  kurgan and running his household for him while the 
  elderly wizard conducted his research. Upon the 
  wizard's sudden death a year ago, his son Denzel 
  appeared and claimed all his possessions as his 
  inheritance.  
   
  He picked up his father's research where he left off, 
  hoping to unlock the secret to discovering diamond 
  deposits through the use of resonating crystals. Lucas, 
  however, was left in the cold. He had been promised a 
  generous payment for his years of service as part of his 
  master's will, but the absent-minded wizard died 
  without ever putting this into writing, so that his only 
  son was able to claim everything in his estate.  
   
  Denzel has since made vague promises to Lucas about 
  "seeing that he is taken care of", but Lucas has 
  developed a deep obsession with claiming what is 
  rightfully his.  
   
  While not inherently evil by nature (his alignment is 
  still LN… just), Lucas had already started cooking his 
  new master's accounts in order to siphon off funds to 
  his own purse.  
   
  His deceit may have gone no further until five days ago, 
  when he was returning to the kurgan with supplies from 
  town and was set upon by the marauding band of orcs, 
  led by one named Kraag. In a desperate bargain for his 
  life, Lucas offered the stolen money (120 gp) and 
  information about the kurgan to Kraag, who agreed to a 
  grim pact: in return for killing Denzel and pillaging the 
  kurgan of everything of value, Kraag agreed to spare 
  Lucas' life and to plant a forged will on Denzel's body, 
  one which grants Lucas the inheritance he believes is 
  <Title> 
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  owed to him. Lucas provided the means to enter the 
  kurgan safely by making a wax cast of the key to the 
  outer doors the next day and passing this on to Kraag, 
  along with the promised gold. Together with the key 
  and warning of a pit-trap located at the kurgan 's 
  entrance, Kraag was able to attack with the element of 
  total surprise.  
   
  Lucas must now play the part of the grieving servant 
  until he can get someone to recover the fake will for 
  him, allowing him to claim all his master's property and 
  possessions.  
   
  Lucas is also trying to cheat Kraag, however. His 
  master showed that he suspected Lucas of stealing 
  funds when he suddenly took possession of the monthly 
  accounts kept by Lucas, then placed magical locks on 
  both his private chamber and strongroom. It was only a 
  matter of days before Lucas could expect to be exposed, 
  so the pact with Kraag has offered him a timely means 
  of Denzel's removal.  
   
  Lucas is counting on his master's magical wards to 
  thwart any attempt by the renegades to enter the rooms 
  where Denzel's real wealth lies. Sending the local 
  militia south to find the so-called “orc base camp” will 
  only buy Kraag a day or so at the kurgan, but Lucas 
  wants the will discovered as soon as possible, and is 
  prepared to pay the PC party to do this for him.  
   
  Kraag the Orc, for his part, has no intention of leaving 
  the kurgan until he has pillaged it from top to bottom. 
  He has encountered the magic mouth riddles on the 
  doors to rooms 6 and 7 and he has set his 3rd level 
  shaman, Usha, to work on solving them, so far without 
  success.  
   
  Kraag is a thug with pretensions of grandeur: originally 
  a member of the Spearhand clan, he split away from the 
  tribe two years earlier with a group of a dozen other 
  malcontents, including Usha. Since then his renegade 
  band has preyed upon any humanoid party weaker than 
  itself. Kraag believes he can forge superior fighters 
  from his motley crew - he has already got them to 
  replace their unwieldy greataxes with more versatile 
  weapons and is teaching them the use of shields in close 
  combat. He is gathering information on all the orcish 
  tribes of the region, looking to forge an alliance that 
  will benefit him most.  
   
  Usha, however, is the power behind Kraag's petty 
  throne and is about as friendly as a rattlesnake on acid. 
  As the brains of the outfit, she has overcome her lowly 
  female status through a mixture of cunning, ferocity 
  and the ability to inspire fear in her role as a devotee of 
  Gruumsh. She has used her spells inflict minor wounds, 
  cause fear and burning hands to assist the group in 
  combat, but also to resist the unwelcome attentions of 
  her comrades in arms, who now keep a wary distance. 
  She has wormed her way into Kraag's favor by 
  doctoring his armor with mending spells when needed 
  and by referring to him as "a favored champion of 
  Gruumsh."  
   
  It was she who came up with the idea for veiled helms 
  to help their guards cope with sunlight.  Unknown to 
  all, she keeps a small black rat (whose orcish name 
  means 'Slinker' )as a familiar to watch her back 
  whenever she is vulnerable; the rat rests in a “sacred” 
  pouch she carries on her at all times.  
   
  Usha speaks passable Common, and it was she who 
  persuaded Kraag to spare Lucas' life when they first 
  ambushed him. She thinks to use Lucas as a spy in 
  Schellingvale, in preparation for the time Kraag is 
  ready to begin plundering human targets.  
   
   
  Introduction 
   
  After visiting relatives on a property outside 
  Schellingvale in Yattenheid, you find yourselves 
  once again resting at the local Schellingvale tavern 
  known as The Bleeding Boar. It is breakfast time, 
  and you are all ready to set off south to Nederboden 
  and further adventures. Desmond, the normally 
  cheerful tavern owner, rattles your overcooked 
  bacon and eggs in front of each of you and looks like 
  he definitely has something on his mind … 
   
  At this point, let the PCs ask Desmond what’s on his 
  mind. With a shrug and a worried look, Desmond will 
  pull up a chair and tell the PCs what has happened to 
  the local wizard, called Denzel. Desmond only knows 
  the bare facts :  
  • 
  Orc raiders attacked Denzel’s kurgen last 
  night.  
  • 
  They come from a base camp further south and 
  rumor has it that they have returned there to 
  plot further raids. 
  • 
  He knows little of Denzel the Wizard other 
  than that he was continuing his father's 
  research ("Mad on crystals, they were") and 
  that he was reluctant to discuss his work ("He 
  kept a closed mouth and a closed purse, if you 
  go by Lucas' word of 'im.").  
  • 
  He also informs the PCs that the Hettmann of 
  Schellingvale has placed a bounty of 10gp on 
  each of the renegades, dead or alive.  
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
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  • 
  As a result, a group of bounty hunters have set 
  off south this morning to look for the Orc base 
  camp. 
  • 
  The only person who survived the attack on 
  the kurgen was Lucas, Denzel’s butler. Lucas 
  is upstairs recovering from wounds he took 
  whilst defending the jurgen with Denzel. 
   
  AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION, READ TO 
  PLAYERS … 
   
  The taverner barely finishes sharing his news with 
  you when the door at the top of the stairs creaks 
  open, and the hunched form of Lucas appears. He 
  shuffles slowly down the staircase, leaning heavily 
  on the banister for support. A thick bandage around 
  his brow restrains his lank gray hair. Desmond 
  helps settle him at a table near the fireplace and 
  brings him a mug of stewed tea, strengthened with a 
  shot of brandy. "What do I owe you for the lodgings 
  and breakfast?" the old man asks before touching 
  his brew. He is obviously still shaken by the night's 
  events, but there is a hint of stringy toughness about 
  him.  
  "You get yourself mended and your affairs settled, 
  old Lucas," replies Desmond. "Then we'll talk about 
  what's owed."  
  "And how am I to do that?" responds Lucas. "The 
  master's body lies unburied in the Kurgan... he's 
  there with Locks and Jasper, and Willem too … all 
  of them dead!"  
  "Good men they were!," sighs Desmond, shaking his 
  head. He raises an eyebrow at the group, but keeps 
  his counsel as he busies himself behind the bar.  
   
  Lucas is clearly in need of the party's assistance and 
  will share the following tale with them if asked to 
  recount his woes :  
   
  "They came last night, some time near midnight. I 
  was working late on some accounts for the master in 
  the bunkroom. The doors to the foyer outside burst 
  open and they rushed in. They had Jasper dead 
  before he could reach  
  his sword. Locks and Willem were in their bunks, 
  but they woke and grabbed their weapons and met 
  them at the doorway.  
  "I was frightened - I hid under the nearest bunk. 
  Our men killed one of them but it was over in a few 
  moments, I think. I heard many voices - they were 
  orcs and they were yelling to each other in their pig-
  tongue. Then I heard the master's voice in the far 
  corridor. They all rushed to him and I knew... I 
  knew that he was done for, too. I slipped out of the 
  room while they were finishing him and tried to 
  escape."  
    
  The old man pauses, his head lowered almost to the 
  table. After a few moments he regains his composure, 
  but you detect a note of self-loathing in his voice as he 
  continues:  
   
  "One of them was already picking over the corpse of 
  his own man like a damned gore crow and he caught 
  sight of me and swung at me with'is club and 
  clipped me above the ear. I managed to make it to 
  the entrance with him right on my heels, but he 
  must have fallen down the pit-trap in the entrance 
  corridor. He landed in the river - may the Gods see 
  that he drowned!  
  "Then I ran to the edge of the clearing outside and 
  hid in the brush. My head felt like it was splitting 
  open - I must have passed out for a while. When I 
  came to I could hear them outside the kurgan, 
  laughing and talking their sewer tongue to each 
  other. They headed off, down the south road, I 
  think. "I couldn't go back in there. I've heard what 
  they do to the bodies of the dead - they butcher 
  them, don't they?"  
   
  The old man hunches forward, shaking his head with a 
  bitter mix of shame and horror.  
   
  THE MISSION 
   
  Lucas will be glad to accept any offer by the party to 
  recover the body of the wizard (and guards, if possible) 
  for a decent burial. If the party asks for payment, then 
  Lucas will say that he will pay them 50gp from his 
  measly 100gp savings (which are kept in a strong box 
  back at the kurgen). Desmond will overhear the 
  player’s greed (taking from an old servant) and shake 
  his head as they leave. Any PC making an INT check 
  (DC10) will know that knowledge of the party’s greed 
  will spread through Yattenheid causing all in the party 
  to make reaction checks at –1 in the future (DM’s make 
  a note of this on the Character Logs). 
   
  If provided with quill and parchment, Lucas will give 
  the party directions and sketch a rough layout of the 
  kurgan [see Player Handout] for them in an unsteady 
  hand, informing them of how the pit-trap and lever 
  work in the entrance corridor.  
   
  If they are curious about the kurgan's history, he can tell 
  them that it was an empty mausoleum that was 
  purchased from a minor lord and extended as an 
  underground haven by Denzel's father. It lies on a tiny 
  island close to the banks of the largest river in the 
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
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  Schellingvale region, the Moonflurry. The original 
  outer walls were fortified and an enclosed stone bridge 
  was built to the riverbank to provide access, with heavy 
  gates at both ends.  
   
  The kurgan lies less than half a day's journey on foot 
  from the Bleeding Boar tavern (one hour by riding 
  horse or pony). 
   
  EQUIPPING AND PREPARATION 
   
  PCs can now equip themselves with any of the Standard 
  Equipment found in the PHB from “Krakka’s General 
  Store” in downtown Schellingvale. Krakka is an ex-
  adventurer Ftr3 was once deafened by a thunderstone 
  trap. He is hard of hearing. His wife, Mrs Krakka, was 
  once a wizard Wiz2 who was permanently blinded by a 
  smoke grenade (which cut short her wizardly career). 
  Old Krakka and Mrs Krakka should give the PCs an 
  interesting time role-playing the provisioning of the 
  party.  
   
  Encounter One : At The 
  Drawbridge! 
   
  After preparing yourselves throughly, your party 
  leaves the little village of Schellingvale and begins to 
  travel south along the Road To Nederboden. After 
  about 3 hours (walking) or 45 minutes (riding) you 
  turn off the main road and start to march along a 
  cart-trail through rolling hills and woodland, 
  broken by thorny thickets. After another hour 
  (walking) or 15 minutes (riding) you turn off and 
  pick your way along a rocky ravine that leads down 
  to the banks of the Moonflurry River. Skirting a 
  patch of marsh, you arrive at a point near the 
  southern bank of the river that overlooks the 
  kurgan's little island. At this point you realise that a 
  “kurgan” is a small burial fortress surrounded by 
  water. There is a drawbridge across the Moonflurry 
  River, and the gate to the kurgen appears to be wide 
  open! You are presently about 200 feet from the 
  drawbridge, and you are still protected by the dense 
  cover of trees that line the riverbank. 
   
  1. Get the players to place their PCs in a party marching 
  order (2 abreast is ok). 
   
  2. Ask the one or two PCs out front to make Spot 
  Checks (DC 12). If they make the check, then they will 
  notice the orcs arguing on the battlement of the kurgen. 
  Read this to them (keeping in mind the APL of party) : 
   
  From your vantage point 200' from the kurgan, you see 
  two figures on the ramparts above the outer doors (just 
  on the other side of the drawbridge). They are  orcs, 
  clad in a mix of leather and scale mail, and seem less 
  than diligent in their guard duty. They wear peaked 
  helms with gauzy cloth covering their faces against the 
  morning sunlight, giving the appearance of motley 
  beekeepers. They are assortedly armed with  light 
  crossbows, and spears.  
   
  3.   Get the 2 or 3 PCs closest to the riverbank to do a 
  Spot Check (DC 12). If they make it, they will discover 
  a row of wooden stakes in the water east of the island 
  where the bodies of the three human guards and a slain 
  orc have been thrown into an eel trap.  This was 
  constructed some time ago by the guard, Lox, who 
  liked his smoked eel of an evening.  
   
  All bodies have been stripped to their undergarments, 
  and bear the marks of a violent death. They were 
  dumped into the eel trap after being looted.  
   
  If the ability to Speak With Dead is available to the 
  party, they may uncover the guards' dismay that their 
  attackers managed to get past the locked outer doors 
  and the pit-trap without alerting them. The orcish 
  corpse can understand only orcish; it will remember its 
  frustration that it was unable to kill the first guard 
  before he yelled a warning and then the shock it felt 
  when one of the other guards gutted it. Its dying regret 
  was that it would lose the three pieces of silver that it 
  kept in the purse in its codpiece, probably to “that sneak 
  thief,  Snargum”.  
   
  4.  As the PCs get closer to the drawbridge (ie. within 
  80 feet), get them to do a Spot and Listen Check (DC 
  12).  If they make it, they will see and hear the orcs 
  haggling over a spiked gauntlet looted from their dead 
  comrade. Role-play this as best you can (in Orcish!). 
  Make PCs use their language knowledge!! 
   
  ORCS! 
   
  APL 2 (EL 2) :  4 Orcs, hp. 4, 5, 6, 7 
   
  APL 4 (EL 4) :  7 Orcs, hp. 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8 
   
  APL 6 (EL 6) :  11 Orcs, hp. 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 8 
   
  Orcish Guards: SZ M (humanoid); HD 1d8; Init +0; 
  Spd 20; AC14 (+4 scale mail); Atk: by weapon - lt. 
  crossbow (1d8 + weak poison) or spear (1d8+1); also 
  light mace/throwing axe (1d6+1); Face 5 ft. x 5 ft.; 
  Reach 5 ft.; SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will -1; Str 13, Dex 
  10, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 8; AL CE. Skills; Listen 
  +4, Spot +3. Feats: none (their Alertness is countered 
  <Title> 
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  by their headgear, but these orcs do not suffer the usual 
  -1 penalty to attack rolls in bright sunlight or within the 
  radius of a daylight spell while they wear the netting 
  visors.)  
  The crossbow bolts used by whoever are Guards #1 and 
  #2 are tipped with a weak poison brewed from scorpion 
  venom by Usha. If wounded by this, a failed Fortitude 
  save (DC 14) will induce bouts of nausea (-2 to hit and 
  damage rolls) for the next three hours. All orcs are CR 
  ½.  
   
  Treasure : The Orcs have 25gp each stored in belt 
  pouches on their personages. 
   
  Tactics  
  The orcs spearmans’ job is to provide warning of 
  anyone's approach and scurry down the ladder below 
  the ceiling trap while his partners delay intruders  
  with missile fire. Half will be armed with crossbows. 
  Half will be armed with spears. The ramparts will 
  provide half-cover (+4 AC bonus) to the orcs if they are 
  not surprised, and +2 cover even if surprised.  As the 
  Orc Guards With Spears come through the gate, one of 
  them will spend a round closing the doors to the gate, 
  locking them with a key, then throwing the key into the 
  river (the orcs upstairs have a spare one!). If the PCs are 
  in combat, have them make a Spot Check (DC 18) to 
  notice this, then later, a further Search Check (DC 22) 
  to actually find the key in the water! 
   
  The first challenge then, is for the party to gain access 
  to the kurgan. Cover extends to the edge of a semi-
  circular clearing 30' wide around the front of the 
  drawbridge, but light cover in the form of patchy 
  swampgrass and half-buried boulders extends to the 
  edge of the clearing before you cross the drawbridge. 
  The kurgan's stone ramparts stand 40ft high. The 
  drawbridge crosses the river (and is 30 feet long and 20 
  feet wide). The ramparts overlook the drawbridge. 
   
  After All Guards Are Disposed Of … 
   
  THE OUTER DOORS  
   
  These are sturdy oak, with iron bindings and door-rings 
  and a large keyhole near the edge of the right hand 
  door. The doors have been locked by the last Orc 
  through, but are not trapped. Let the PCs do their 
  Searching/Spotting, etc. The atmosphere should be 
  tense … ie. “I wonder if anyone else knows we’re 
  here?”   
   
  The PCs can find the key which was thrown into the 
  river (ie. dive in and go for a swim) or have a Rogue 
  pick the lock (DC 22), or have a magic person cast 
  Knock or similar spell on it. The walls are climbable 
  also, but appear coated in slime due to their close 
  proximity to the water (DC 25). The walls are 40 ft high 
  and require one Climb Check every 10 feet. Of course 
  anyone with Fly or Levitate is “in like Flynn”. The 
  ramparts lead down into AREA 1 (DM’s Map). 
   
  AREA 1 : THE FOYER 
   
  This room (and AREA 4 beyond it) formed the original 
  burial chamber of the kurgan until it was divided by 
  interior walls and the additional siderooms were mined 
  out. It has the standard flagstone floor of the rest of the 
  kurgan's interior; with plain, plastered walls featuring 
  only lamp brackets.  
   
  A single oil lamp suspended in a chain cradle to the 
  right of the doors provides a faint but steady 
  illumination to the chamber. Clotted gore marks the 
  flagstones beyond the inner doors; two iron braziers 
  stand left and right of the entrance, but their coals have 
  burnt down to ash.  A heavy, navy blue curtain drapes 
  the wide archway opposite. The wooden doors to the 
  left and right of the foyer are both ajar. The doors open 
  inward. A simple sacking curtain encloses the privy 
  alcove (unoccupied). The steps to the ramparts are to 
  the left and right of the Main Doors. 
   
  The guttural speech of orcs can be heard (Listen 
  Check DC 12) from the bunkroom (AREA 2) to the 
  left. A further successful Listen Check by someone who 
  understands orcish (DC 12) will make out complaints 
  regarding Kraag's lack of wisdom in staying too long at 
  this location. See notes on AREA 2 for APL numbers. 
   
  Note that if the PCs have not closed the outer doors, 
  this will cause the heavy curtain to the Hall (Room 4) to 
  billow inwards. Allow a Spot check (DC 16) for the 
  person opening the inner doors to perceive this danger. 
  If the check is failed, Kraag will send orcs from AREA 
  4 to investigate the cause of the draught immediately. 
  Combat noise in AREAS 1, 2, or 4 will alert all orcs in 
  those areas.  
   
   
  Encounter Two : Area #2 : 
  The Bunkroom 
   
  AREA #2 : THE BUNKROOM 
   
  Although this spartan room housed only the three 
  guards and Lucas, it contains five double bunks, with 
  straw pallets on each. Lucas' desk has been dragged to 
  the center of the room; its top now shows a series of 
  overlapping burnt semi-circles where the orcs have 
  been torturing scorpions by corralling them inside red-
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 8 
  
  hot horseshoes. Sheets of blank parchment lie scattered 
  around the floor. A nymber of ordinary-looking orcs 
  and a large orc-sergeant sit around a big desk waiting 
  for an orc that has gone to re-heat horseshoes in AREA 
  #4 to return.  
   
  Three wooden goblets stand upside-down on the 
  desktop. These hold two extremely irate, seared 
  scorpions. Keep this secret from the party until they 
  look! 
   
  The orcs at the table are armed and ready. More orcs 
  are dozing on bunks furthest from the door. They will 
  take two combat rounds to ready themselves if the other 
  orcs are disturbed.  
   
  APL 2 (EL 4)  :  4 Orc Renegades (hp. 5,6,7,8) plus 1 
  sergeant (hp. 20). Dozing Orcs : 2 Orcs (hp. 5, 6) 
   
  APL 4 (EL 7) :  7 Orc Renegades  (5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8, 8) 
  plus 1 sergeant (hp 30). Dozing Orc Renegades : 4 Orcs 
  (hp. 5, 6, 7, 8) 
   
  APL 6 (EL 9) :  10 Orc Renegades (5, 6, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 
  8, 8) plus 1 sergeant (hp. 30). Dozing Orc Renegades : 
  7 Orcs (hp. 6, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8, 8).  
   
  Orc Renegades: SZ M (humanoid); HD 1d8; Init +0; 
  Spd 20; AC14 (+4 scale mail); Atk: scimitar (1d6+2) 
  and/or throwing axe (1d6+2); Face 5 ft. x 5 ft.; Reach 5 
  ft.; SV Fort +2, Ref +0,  
  Will -1; Str 15, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 8; 
  AL CE.  
  Skills; Listen +4, Spot +3. Feats: Alertness. These orcs 
  suffer the usual -1 penalty to attack rolls within the 
  radius of a daylight spell. They are CR ½. Any orc who 
  can will throw their axe before engaging in melee. 
   
  Orc Sergeant : As Renegade, but has 3 HD, and Lox's 
  Masterwork Longsword (1-8) instead of a Scimitar; CR 
  2.  
   
  Treasure: the orcs in this room have 25gp each stored in 
  belt pouches and boots.  
   
  The Scorpions are only a threat if someone turns over 
  one of the goblets by hand and is then surprised (Reflex 
  Save DC 15). The scorpion must still then roll to hit. 
   
  APL 2-6 (EL 2) : Possible Encounter 
   
  Scorpions: SZ T(3" long); HD 1/4d8; hp 2 each; Init 
  +0; Spd 12; AC 11; Atk: sting +0; Damage: 1 hp + 
  poison (-2 Dex for 1d4 hours); Face: 5 ft. x 5 ft.; Reach 
  5 ft.; SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 
  14, Int -, Wis 10, Cha  
  2; AL N. Skills; Climb+8; hide +8; Spot +7. CR 1/4.  
   
  Lucas' desk has side drawers that have been emptied of 
  their stationery by the orcs, but it also contains a 
  recessed drawer under its top that the orcs have missed. 
  This drawer contains the block of blue wax that Lucas 
  used to make an impression of the outer key; it also 
  holds black ink, quills and several sheets of parchment 
  on which Lucas has practised forging Denzel's 
  signature. He forgot to destroy these before leaving the 
  kurgan after the previous night's massacre. Successful 
  search/spot checks (DC15) by the PC party will 
  uncover this damning evidence.   
   
  AREA #3  :  THE STOREOOM 
    
  This unremarkable room has been pillaged of its 
  domestic supplies by the orc renegades. A handcart 
  piled high with cheap plunder (total worth 10gp) stands 
  near the door, laden with kitchen utensils, two kegs of 
  oil, a goatskin of wine, salt, tobacco and personal 
  belongings taken from the guards' footlockers. Candles, 
  flour, and clay jars have been tipped off their shelves 
  onto the floor.  
    
  The personal belongings (total worth 7gp) include 
  boots, travelling cloaks and spare clothing. Two wall 
  hangings have been rolled up in the bottom of the cart, 
  worth 15gp each.  
   
  DM Note : The little monetary treasure belonging to 
  the slain guards is now in Kraag's footlocker, in Room 
  4. 
   
   
  Encounter Three : Area #4: 
  The Mess Hall 
   
  This 30x30' room contains the bare necessities: a 
  central chandelier of the cartwheel variety (three of its 
  lamps are still burning), a stout dining table with two 
  trestle benches, and a corner shelf to hold tableware. A 
  fire burns in the broad stone fireplace, where an orc is 
  heating up two horseshoes using a pair of fire-tongs. A 
  large box for kindling and a wooden clothes horse stand 
  beside the fireplace.  
   
  Two larger orcs sit at the table. One is a sergeant, who 
  is dismantling a chain-mail vest looted from the body of 
  a guard in order to add pieces of it to his own scale 
  mail. He also carries the guard's longsword. The other 
  is the renegade leader, Kraag, who is distracting himself 
  during his wait by leafing through a manual of orcish 
  tribal standards kept by his shaman sorcerer, Usha. This 
  unsanitary tome is bound in human skin.  
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 9 
  
  On the table beside him is a footlocker taken from 
  Room 2 which Kraag is now using as his personal 
  coffer. He has added an iron padlock to it of standard 
  quality. It holds the pouch of 120gp paid to him by 
  Lucas to seal their pact; it also holds a mix of 220sp, 
  310ep, 14pp and six 20gp gems(bloodstones). There is 
  also a felt bag containing a strange leather goblet with 
  runes tooled in silver around its rim, stolen from the 
  body of a victim on the trade road: the runes read 
  'Dewmaker' in elvish, and if this is spoken as a 
  command word, the goblet (worth 200gp) fills with fine 
  honeymead.  
   
  APL 2 (EL 4) 
  Krag The Orc : HD 3d8; hp 24; Init +0; Spd 20; AC16 
  (+4 scale mail, shield +1); Atk: by weapon - bastard 
  sword (1d10+2) plus shield bash 1/2 rounds (1d4+2); 
  Face 5 ft. x 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will -
  1; Str 15, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 8; AL CE. 
  CR 2. 
   
  Orc Renegade (1) : as Renegade (p.9); hp 8; scimitar 
  (1d6 +2) or red hot tongs (1d4+1).  
   
  Orc Sergeant (1) : As Renegade (p.9) but has 3 HD. 
   
  APL 4 (EL 7) 
  Krag The Orc : HD 6d8; hp 48; Init +2; Spd 20; AC16 
  (+4 scale mail, shield +1); Atk: by weapon - bastard 
  sword (1d10+2) plus shield bash 1/2 rounds (1d4+2); 
  Face 5 ft. x 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will 
  +0; Str 15, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 8; AL 
  CE. CR 4. 
   
  Orc Renegade (1) : as Renegade (p.9); hp 8; scimitar 
  (1d6 +2) or red hot tongs (1d4+1).  
   
  Orc Sergeant (1) : As Renegade (p.9) but has 3 HD. 
   
  APL 6 (EL 9) 
  Krag The Orc : HD 8d8; hp 64; Init +4; Spd 20; AC16 
  (+4 scale mail, shield +1); Atk: by weapon - bastard 
  sword (1d10+2) plus shield bash 1/2 rounds (1d4+2); 
  Face 5 ft. x 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SV Fort +5, Ref +2, Will 
  +3; Str 15, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 8; AL 
  CE. CR 6. 
   
  Orc Renegade (1) : as Renegade (p.9); hp 8; scimitar 
  (1d6 +2) or red hot tongs (1d4+1).  
   
  Orc Sergeant (1) : As Renegade (p.9) but has 3 HD. 
   
  Given the opportunity, Krag will hurl a red-hot 
  horseshoe from the grate at the face of an attacker (1d3) 
  to give himself time to reach his scimitar on the table. 
  Failing this he will fight with the tongs. 
  Kraag's shield depicts the face of the deity Gruumsh 
  and provides +1 protection to orcs only through the use 
  of a blessed bloodstone set in its right eye.  
   
  Treasure: Kraag is a dandy by orcish standards and 
  wears a medallion made from an aquamarine brooch 
  worth 20gp tied with twine to a silver chain, 35gp; he 
  also wears a brass belt studded with garnets, worth 
  80gp; beneath his furred loincloth he sports a gigantic 
  brass codpiece; this is hinged to hold a purse, within 
  which he carries the newly-made gatekey, the key to the 
  footlocker's padlock, and the signet ring stained with 
  blue wax that he took from Denzel's body.  
   
  USHA JOINS THE FIGHT! 
   
  Note that any combat noise in the hall or foyer will 
  alert Usha, the 3rd level shaman working in area 5. 
  She will join the fray if Krag and the other orcs are 
  overpowered. She comes in at the top of the initiative 
  round.  If the PC party is overpowered she will halt the 
  slaughter, claiming any survivors as sacrifices to 
  Gruumsh.  
   
  Once Kraag has been mollified, however, Usha will 
  suggest their value to him as hostages to trade if they 
  are jumped by militia. If the battle goes badly, she will 
  flee to the privy in area 5 and hide in the drophole 
  before sending her familiar Slinker out to dash past the 
  intruders for the outer doors. If this diversion fails to 
  fool the party and she is discovered, she will plead for 
  her life in broken Common. She will divulge as much 
  information as she needs to save her life - her trump 
  card is obviously her knowledge of Lucas' part in the 
  death of Denzel and the guards, but she will use this 
  only as a last resort. Ever resourceful, she hopes to 
  survive and have the opportunity to blackmail Lucas. 
  She regards the death of Kraag and his chaotic band as 
  only a minor setback: they were hardly worthy of 
  Gruumsh, anyway.  
   
  APL 2 
  Usha, Orcish 3rd level sorcerer : SZ M (humanoid); 
  HD 3d6; hp 11; Init +0; Spd 20; AC13 (+3 studded 
  leather; spell failure 15%); Atk: by weapon - punch 
  dagger (1d4+1 + weak poison); Face 5 ft. x 5 ft.; Reach 
  5 ft.; SV Fort +2(+4 with familiar), Ref +0, Will +1; Str 
  13, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 8; AL LE. 
  Skills: Listen +4, Spot +3. Feats: Alertness. CR 2.  
  Spells :  6/5   Spells Known : 5/3  0 - Detect Magic, 
  Disrupt Undead, Light, Ray of Frost, Resistance; 1st - 
  Enlarge, Ray of Enfeeblement, Reduce. 
   
  APL 4 
  Usha, Orcish 4th level sorcerer : SZ M (humanoid); 
  HD 5d6; hp 22; Init +0; Spd 20; AC 13 (+3 studded 
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 10 
  
  leather; spell failure 15%); Atk: by weapon - punch 
  dagger (1d4+1 + weak poison); Face 5 ft. x 5 ft.; Reach 
  5 ft.; SV Fort +2(+4 with familiar), Ref +0, Will +1; Str 
  13, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 8; AL LE. 
  Skills: Listen +4, Spot +3. Feats: Alertness. CR 3.  
  Spells :  6/6/3   Spells Known : 6/3/1 0 - Daze, Detect 
  Magic, Disrupt Undead, Light, Ray of Frost, 
  Resistance; 1st - Enlarge, Ray of Enfeeblement, 
  Reduce; 2nd - Cat's Grace. 
   
  APL 6 
  Usha, Orcish 5th level sorcerer : SZ M (humanoid); 
  HD 5d6; hp 30; Init +0; Spd 20; AC13 (+3 studded 
  leather; spell failure 15%); Atk: by weapon - punch 
  dagger (1d4+1 + weak poison); Face 5 ft. x 5 ft.; Reach 
  5 ft.; SV Fort +2(+4 with familiar), Ref +0, Will +1; Str 
  13, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 8; AL LE. 
  Skills: Listen +4, Spot +3. Feats: Alertness. CR 4.  
  Spells :  6/6/4   Spells Known : 6/4/2 0 - Daze, Detect 
  Magic, Disrupt Undead, Light, Ray of Frost, 
  Resistance; 1st - Burning Hands, Enlarge, Ray of 
  Enfeeblement, Reduce; 2nd - Cat's Grace, Flaming 
  Sphere. 
   
  Slinker, Usha's black rat familiar: HD 1/4d8; hp 2; 
  Init +2; Spd 15 (can climb); AC 14; Atk: bite +4(1); SV 
  Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1. Skills: Climb +12, Hide +18, 
  Move Silently +10. CR 1/6.  
   
  Usha's serrated dagger is anointed with the same weak 
  poison as the guard's crossbow bolts: nausea (-2 to hit 
  and damage rolls) for the next three hours if Fortitude 
  save is failed (DC 14).  
   
  Treasure: Usha carries spell components and herbs 
  worth nothing except to another shaman, but she also 
  carries a skin of fermented liquor and a drinking horn 
  made from the hollowed out claw of an adult black 
  dragon. This is adorned with a clinking collar of tiny 
  animal bones; it is non-magical, but Usha has used it to 
  boost the orc's courage prior to a raid by getting them to 
  "drink the blood of the dragon" from it.  
  Worth: 30gp.  
   
  AREA #5 : PRIVY HALL 
  This curtained hallway is lit by a single oil lamp in an 
  alcove on the north wall. The corner privy at the end of 
  the hall has its curtain open and is empty. The body of 
  the wizard Denzel lies just inside the hall entrance, with 
  eyes and mouth still open in shock. He wears a linen 
  tunic with a waistcord, and silken slippers on his feet. A 
  sheet of parchment and a charcoal writing stick lie on 
  the floor between the two wooden doors leading off this 
  hall.  
    
  Kraag has placed a thin leather scroll case through the 
  waistcord and rolled the body on its side (as though in 
  the recovery position) to conceal it. Within lies the fake 
  will prepared by Lucas in the days before the raid. If 
  opened, it will read in black ink:  
   
  "I, Denzel son of Washington, being of sound body 
  and mind, do hereby bequeath all titles and sundries 
  belonging to me to my faithful retainer, Lucas 
  Haleheart."  
   
  It is signed in a florid hand by Denzel (a competent 
  forgery) and sealed with blue wax from the same block 
  in Lucas' desk that was used to make a copy of the 
  gatekey. Lucas used the signet ring on the dead man's 
  hand to stamp the seal, leaving traces of blue wax on 
  the knuckles of the right hand. Careful inspection by the 
  party will allow a Spot check (DC15) to notice the wax 
  and the ring-line left on the right ring finger after the 
  ring was pilfered by Kraag. The parchment on the floor 
  contains writing in nearly illegible orcish script. These 
  are the frustrated attempts by Usha to solve the word 
  ladder riddles of the magicked doors to Rooms 6 and 7. 
  Successful translation of her writing (requiring ability 
  to read languages) will reveal the words 'blind', 'blond', 
  'brink', all of which have been crossed out.  The 
  numerous other attempts are completely illegible due to 
  the charcoal being smudged.  
   
   
  Encounter Four : Area #6 
  Denzel’s Chamber 
  The mahogany door to this chamber has heavy iron 
  brackets that extend across the planks of the door in the 
  shape of two marching lions. A lion's head doorknocker 
  adorns the edge opposite the brackets, with a bright 
  brass ring beneath it. An ornate letter 'D' is inscribed in 
  the middle of the door.  
    
  The door retains its keyhole beneath the brass ring, but 
  this is useless; if anyone touches it, or uses the ring, the 
  lion's head animates as a magic mouth. It will shake its 
  mane and roar the following challenge:  
    
  'If you wish to pass by me  
  Change my name from A to B;  
  One letter changes with each rung  
  Woe betide an answer wrong.'  
   
  The central D disappears and a word-ladder riddle 
  appears in its place. The top rung shows the word 
  BRAND; there are four vacant rungs beneath, then the 
  word FLOCK written on the lowest rung. By changing 
  only one letter in each line, the players should voice the 
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 11 
  
  following progression: BRAND ® BLAND ® BLANK 
  ® BLACK ® BLOCK ® FLOCK . 
   
  Denzel set this device on the door using a scroll. He 
  was able to bypass it simply by placing his hand on the 
  rune representing his name, which opened the door for 
  him alone. Give the players time to work through this 
  and award appropriate experience points to those that 
  make the breakthroughs. Each correct word said aloud 
  will appear on its proper rung. Any incorrect guesses 
  invoke a penalty: one spell or magic item possessed by 
  the party discharges at random.  
   
  If there are no replaceable sources of magic left to the 
  party, then the door will drain a potion or lesser item of 
  its magic, eg. an arrow+ 1. If all these are gone, then it 
  will stun a member of the party at random for 2-4 
  minutes, with a temporary loss of 2-4 intelligence 
  points (recovered at a rate of 1/hour).  
   
  When the ladder is complete, the door unlocks and 
  clicks ajar.  Any attempt to pick the lock (DC 12) may 
  succeed, but the door will not open until the ladder is 
  solved. Any damage delivered to the door rebounds 
  upon the person inflicting it, whether by spell or 
  weapon. Once past this obstacle, the party can explore 
  Denzel's chamber.  
  As the lion door admits you to this spacious chamber, a 
  small brazier flares in the far corner and a lantern 
  ignites cheerfully on a stand beside a large desk to the 
  left of the door. Quill pens, an inkstand, and a block of 
  red sealing wax are laid out on the desk on a parchment 
  blotter. A woollen nightcap lies on the desk. A richly 
  carved chair padded with green velvet complements the 
  desk, while a thick rug covers much of the flagstone 
  floor.  
   
  A traveler's chest sits on top of a cupboard in the corner 
  behind the lion door. A four-poster bed covers part of 
  the end wall near the brazier, with a locker at its foot. A 
  tapestry hangs near the bed displaying a striking mosaic 
  pattern in gold thread on blue velvet.  
   
  The magical brazier and lamp will ignite each time the 
  door opens, but can be extinguished with the command 
  word 'Snuff'. Both are linked with the magic of the 
  door, so that they lose their dweomer if removed from 
  the room.  
   
  The padded chair has a hidden drawer in its seat 
  containing an amethyst necklace worth 100gp in a stiff 
  moleskin bag.  
   
  The desk's four drawers have tiny keyholes but are not 
  locked.  The silver key to them lies on a keyring under 
  the nightcap, along with keys to the chest and 
  footlocker, the platinum key to the hidden door behind 
  the tapestry and the key to the outer gates. (This latter 
  iron key is well-worn but bears tiny traces of blue wax 
  between its tines from the night Lucas made a hurried 
  cast of it for Kraag.)  
   
  The drawers contain sheets of parchment and several 
  bottles of the sepia-colored ink that Denzel liked to use, 
  along with a penknife, a pewter paperweight worth 
  25gp in the shape of a rearing dragon, a yellowed deed 
  of title to the kurgan and the lands immediately around 
  it made out to Denzel's father, and Lucas' book of 
  accounts. If inspected, this will reveal many year's 
  worth of household expenses, all non-descript entries 
  written in black ink, until the final pages where notes 
  and additions clutter the margins in sepia ink (Denzel's 
  writing). Several recent expenses are underlined with 
  question marks beside them and a deficit of 120gp is 
  circled on the final page.  
   
  The open chest contains Denzel's personal effects: 
  robes, belts, breeches, etc. An ivory handled comb and 
  razor set is worth 15gp, bound in a folding leather case. 
  A small oval mirror with gold trim worth 60gp lies 
  adjacent to the shaving kit in the chest.  
  The cupboard beneath the chest contains only towels 
  and a pitcher and basin for washing. The footlocker 
  contains boots and sandals, most of them well-worn. 
  The exotic heavy tapestry is surprisingly valuable: it is 
  of fine craftsmanship and is worth 135gp.  It will take a 
  combined STR of 45 to carry it out. 
   
  Behind it lies the hidden door to the strongroom. This is 
  locked, but can be opened with the platinum key on the 
  desk. It is warded by an invisible sigil on it, the same 
  ornate D that is on the lion door. Denzel's name must be 
  spoken before the door can be unlocked, or else the key 
  triggers the teleportation of anyone holding it onto the 
  pit-trap back in the entrance corridor. The key simply 
  transfers back to a small hook on the wall above the 
  desk, keyring and all.  
   
   
  Encounter Five : Area #7 
  The Strongroom 
  The door to this room is identical to the door to the 
  previous room, only the knocker is of a lioness, not a 
  male lion. It will roar the same challenge to any who 
  touch it, but the ladder riddle will offer the words 
  THANE and BRICK as its first and final steps. The 
  penalties are the same as for the door to Room 6; the 
  correct sequence is : THANE® THANK® THINK® 
  THICK® TRICK® BRICK. The strongroom has 
  workbenches lining all four walls.  
   
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 12 
  
  One is cluttered with bundles of research notes, charts, 
  diagrams and calculations relating to research on the 
  resonance of crystals. Another holds a forest of 
  glassware and ceramic jars containing crystals, 
  powders, gemstones, chemicals, bones, gemstones, 
  feathers, wooden totems and a host of similarly arcane 
  substances. These have been used for divination of 
  physical properties as part of Denzel's research. They 
  could be sold, but only to an Apothecary in 
  Schwartzenbruin City or Traf City during the play of an 
  actual scenario in those cities (value : 200gps) 
   
  The two other benches hold apparatus for testing 
  crystals: retort stands, crucibles, lenses, tuning forks, 
  etc. Denzel's research was approaching completion, but 
  his notes would be indecipherable to any except a 
  researcher in a similar field who was prepared to spend 
  at least six months working through them.  
   
  AREA #8 : REAR FOYER 
   
  This small chamber offers access to the well in the 
  alcove beyond, and to Rooms 9 and 10 to either side.  
    
  AREA #9 : KITCHEN 
   
  This narrow unlit room was stocked with herbs, utensils 
  and cookware but has been thoroughly ransacked by the 
  orcs. It is a complete mess and the fire in the grate has 
  been left to die.  
   
  AREA #10 : PANTRY 
   
  This door is closed but unlocked. The room is dark and 
  rather pungent, and is kept cool by a rune engraved in 
  the keystone above the door, similar to the glyph for 
  cold, cuh. Two pheasants hang unplucked alongside a 
  skinned hare; a barrel of live eels stands in the corner 
  with its lid weighted down by a box of nails; sacks of 
  dry goods such as flour, salt and the like line the wall 
  shelves below jars of pickled vegetables.  
   
  This room has survived unscathed because the shaman 
  saw the rune and mistook it for the more dangerous 
  glyph. She is uncertain of its name and so has warned 
  the others not to go near it. Putting two and two 
  together It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to put the 
  various clues together and realise that Lucas is not 
  playing cricket. The following anomalies should 
  become clear in the course of the adventure, even 
  without interrogation of Usha or any of the other orcs:  
   
  a)  a speak with dead on the slaughtered human guards 
  should have hinted at an inside job;  
  b)  the blue wax that seals the forged will and marks 
  Denzel's knuckles and his signet ring came from Lucas' 
  desk - Denzel used red wax, not blue;  
  c)  Kraag was in possession of a copy of the gatekey - 
  again, the blue wax on the original key links back to 
  Lucas' desk;  
  d)  the amount of gold stolen from Denzel is the amount 
  found in Kraag's footlocker - a clear pay-off;  
  e)  Denzel's body was left undisturbed, when all others 
  were stripped and dumped. The scroll case in his belt 
  had to be planted;  
  f)  the handwriting of the will does not match that on 
  Denzel's research notes; nor does the color of the ink: 
  Denzel used sepia, Lucas used black;  
  g)  if the PC party discovers the forged signatures in 
  Lucas' desk they have clear evidence of pre-meditated 
  murder 
   
  Conclusion 
   
  Upon return to the Bleeding Boar they will be informed 
  by Desmond that Lucas is still recovering in his room. 
  If they burst in to confront him they will find him about 
  to tie a new bandage around his head; he has no wound, 
  in fact, and the old bandage isn't bloody.  
   
  His few possessions litter the room, and he can offer no 
  explanation as to how he had time to gather them before 
  fleeing the kurgan. Once questioned, he will fall apart. 
  He is not a good liar, and the death of Denzel and the 
  guards has been preying on his conscience. A full 
  confession will follow, but he will plead for mercy 
  since he still believes he was owed a great deal of 
  money and he struck the bargain with Kraag in a life-
  or-death situation. Left to the Sheriff's justice, he will 
  certainly hang. 
   
  The End 
   
   
   
  Experience Points & Rewards 
   
  APL 2 
   
  Encounter One 
  Defeating the Orc Guards  :  50 xp 
   
  Encounter Two 
  Defeating the Renegades and the Sergeant :  75 xp 
  Overcoming the Scorpions :  25 xp 
   
  Encounter Three  
  Defeating Krag and the other two Orcs :  85 xp 
  Defeating Usha  :  75 xp 
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 13 
  
  Encounter Four 
  Solving the Chamber Puzzle : 25 xp 
   
  Encounter Five 
  Solving the Storeroom Puzzle : 25 xp 
   
  Total Possible Experience From Objectives : 360 
   
  Total Discretionary Pole-Playing XP : 90 
   
  APL 4 
   
  Encounter One 
  Defeating the Orc Guards  :  50 xp 
   
  Encounter Two 
  Defeating the Renegades and the Sergeant :  165 xp 
  Overcoming the Scorpions :  25 xp 
   
  Encounter Three  
  Defeating Krag and the other two Orcs :  175 xp 
  Defeating Usha  :  75 xp 
  Encounter Four 
  Solving the Chamber Puzzle : 25 xp 
   
  Encounter Five 
  Solving the Storeroom Puzzle : 25 xp 
   
  Total Possible Experience From Objectives : 540 
   
  Total Discretionary Pole-Playing XP : 135 
   
  APL 6 
   
  Encounter One 
  Defeating the Orc Guards  :  110 xp 
   
  Encounter Two 
  Defeating the Renegades and the Sergeant :  195 xp 
  Overcoming the Scorpions :  55 xp 
   
  Encounter Three  
  Defeating Krag and the other two Orcs :  205 xp 
  Defeating Usha  :  105 xp 
   
  Encounter Four 
  Solving the Chamber Puzzle : 25 xp 
   
  Encounter Five 
  Solving the Storeroom Puzzle : 25 xp 
   
  Total Possible Experience From Objectives : 720 
   
  Total Discretionary Pole-Playing XP : 180 
   
   
   
   
  Treasure Summary 
  Player characters may keep items from the scenario that 
  are listed on the treasure list below or which meet the 
  following conditions:  
   
  1. The item must be non-magical and specifically 
  listed in the text of the adventure (e.g armor on 
  foes). If it is not listed in the text, the characters 
  cannot keep it. Items of this nature can be sold for 
  50% of book value, or recorded on a log sheet.  
  2. Animals, followers, monsters, henchmen, and so 
  forth (any living being, basically) may not be kept 
  from a scenario for any reason unless the treasure 
  summary lists the being specifically. It is okay for 
  the player characters to form relationships with 
  NPCs, but these will not be certed and cannot bring 
  material benefit to the character. Contacts (sources 
  of extra information) must be specifically certed. 
  3. Theft is against the law, but may be practiced by 
  some player characters. Items which are worth 
  more than 250 gp that are of personal significance 
  to the owner (including family heirlooms), and all 
  magical items, will be discovered in the possession 
  of the character by one means or another. The 
  character must return the item and pay a fine equal 
  to three times the value of the item stolen. In 
  addition, the PC caught receives campaign-decided 
  penalties for being known as a thief. For other 
  stolen items which meet the criteria in #1 above, 
  use your judgment and the circumstances within 
  the game to determine whether a PC thief gets 
  away with the theft or not.  
   
  Any item retained according to these rules, which does 
  not have a certificate, will not ever have a certificate 
  issued for it.  
   
  The campaign staff reserves the right to take 
  away any item or gold acquired for things which it later 
  finds unreasonable but which were allowed at the time. 
   
  Encounter One 
  • 
  Each Orc Guard (depending on the 
  APL) has either a Normal Crossbow 
  or a Normal Spear. The entire booty 
  is valued at 50gps due to the 
  condition of the weapons. 
  • 
  Looting the guards brings 25gps in 
  various purses in total. 
   
  <Title> 
  [Round #] 
  Page 14 
  
  Encounter Two 
  • 
  Orc Renegades : either a Normal Scimitar or a 
  Normal Throwing Axe. Entire booty valued at 
  75gps. 
  • 
  Orcs Sergeant : Lox’s Masterwork Longsword 
  worth 315gps 
  • 
  Looting the guards brings 25gps in 
  various purses in total. 
   
  Encounter Three 
  • 
  Kragg’s Coffer : 120gp, 220sp, 310ep, 14pp, and 6 
  20gp value gemstones (admantite rubies). 
  • 
  Shama’s Tome : worthless due to putrid condition 
  • 
  Magic Goblet : “Dewmaker” : worth 200gp. 
  • 
  The Orcs (including Krag) all have normal Bastard 
  Swords and Normal Shields. Total value 50gps. 
  • 
  Krag has jewellery worth 135gps in total 
  • 
  Usha’s Drinking Horn : worth 30gp 
   
  Encounter Four 
  • 
  Pewter Paperweight : 25gp 
  • 
  Amethyst Necklace : 100gps 
  • 
  Comb & Razor Set : 15gp 
  • 
  Gold –Laced Mirror : 60gp 
  • 
  Heavy Tapestry : 135gp 
  • 
  Various magical apothecary goods : 200gps 
   
  A bounty will be paid by the Sherrif’s office for the 
  return of any Orc’s ears by the PCs. This is factored 
  into the Treasure Calculations already.  
   
   
  Total GP Value Of Treasure : 1,737 gps 
   
  This amount should be divided between the PCs at the 
  table. Please take note of the maximum amount allowed 
  each PC depending on the APL at which this scenario 
  was played. 
   
   
   
   
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  [Round #] 
  Page 15 
  
   
   
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Perrenland/591/Normal Scenarios/PER1-07 - Denzel's Kurgen (APL 2-6)/PER1-07 - Denzel's Kurgen_v593.pdf