TEXT: Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
  ® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & 
  DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. 
  This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission of 
  Wizards of the Coast. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 SYSTEM license, please visit 
  www.wizards.com/d20 
  This is an official RPGA
  ® play document. To find out more about the RPGA and to learn more on how you can sanction and run 
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game events of all sizes, visit our website at www.rpga.com. 
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK, Living Greyhawk, D&D Rewards, RPGA, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s 
  Guide, and Monster Manual are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc, in the US and other countries. This material is protected 
  under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained 
  herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. Any 
  similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. © 2005 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  Visit the LIVING GREYHAWK website at www.rpga.com. 
  For questions specific to this document and your region, visit the Verbobonc website at www.verbobonc.net and e-mail your triad 
  point of contact poc@verbobonc.net. For LIVING GREYHAWK campaign questions email rpgahq@wizards.com 
   
  VER7-02 
   
   
   
  Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  A One-Round Dungeons & Dragons
  ® Living Greyhawk™  
  Verbobonc Regional Adventure 
  by Ron Lundeen and Gregory Hanigan 
  Circle Reviewer: Tim Sech 
  Reviewers: Michael Maenza, Rob Silva, and Vernon L. Vincent 
   
  The Skyroads have the potential to bring wealth and power to those who control them.  Rumors say that Lord Shannus 
  of Glory refuses to participate. A new ally asks you to accompany him on a mission of diplomacy--or more--into the Iron 
  Wood. This is adventure three of five in the Skyroad Series, which should be played in order.  A one-round Verbobonc 
  regional adventure for character levels 1-8 (APLs 2-6). 
  Metaorganizational Focus: Battirovka Family, Church of Trithereon, House Galans, House Haxx, Protectors of the 
  Iron Wood 
   
  .
  
  RPGA® SANCTIONED PLAY 
  Most likely you ordered this adventure as part of an 
  RPGA even from the RPGA website, or you received it 
  from your senior gamemaster. To play this adventure as 
  part of the LIVING GREYHAWK campaign—a worldwide, 
  ongoing D&D
  ® campaign set in the GREYHAWK setting—
  you must sanction it as part of an RPGA event. This event 
  could be as elaborate as a big convention, or as simple as a 
  group of friends meeting at the DM’s house.  
   
  To sanction an RPGA event, you must be at least a 
  HERALD-LEVEL™ gamemaster. The person who sanctions 
  the event is called the senior gamemaster, and is in 
  charge of making sure the event is sanctioned before 
  play, runs smoothly on the date sanctioned, and then 
  reported back to the RPGA in a timely manner. The 
  person who runs the game is called the table Dungeon 
  Master (or usually just DM). Sometimes (and almost all 
  the time in the cases of home events) the senior 
  gamemaster is also the table DM. You don’t have to be a 
  HERALD-LEVEL GM to run this adventure if you are not 
  the senior GM.  
   
  By sanctioning and reporting this adventure you 
  accomplish a couple of things. First it is an official game, 
  and you can use the AR to advance your LIVING 
  GREYHAWK character. Second player and DMs gain 
  rewards for sanctioned RPGA play if they are members of 
  the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS REWARDS program. Playing 
  this adventure is worth two (2) points.  
   
  This adventure retires from RPGA-sanctioned play 
  on December 31, 2007.  
   
  To learn more about the LIVING GREYHAWK 
  character creation and development, RPGA event 
  sanctioning, and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS REWARDS, visit 
  the RPGA website at www.rpga.com.  
  Players Read No Farther 
  If you are planning on playing this adventure, stop 
  reading now. The rest of the information in this 
  adventure is for the DM only. If you read farther than 
  this section, you’ll know too much about its challenges, 
  which kills the fun. Also, if you’re playing this adventure 
  as part of an RPGA-sanctioned event, reading beyond this 
  point makes you ineligible to do so.  
  Preparing for Play 
  To get the most out of this adventure, you need copies of 
  the following D&D rule books: Player’s Handbook, 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual.  
   
  Throughout this adventure, text in bold italics 
  provides player information for you to paraphrase or read 
  aloud when appropriate. Sidebars contain important 
  information for you, including special instruction on 
  running the adventure. Information on nonplayer PCs 
  (NPCs) and monsters appear in abbreviated form in the 
  adventure text. Full information on NPCs and monsters 
  are given in Appendix 1. For your convenience, that 
  appendix is split by APL 
   
  Along with this adventure you’ll find a RPGA 
  Session Tracking sheet. If you’re playing this adventure 
  as part of an RPGA-sanctioned event, complete and turn 
  in this sheet to your senior GM directly after play. You’ll 
  also find a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure Record (AR).  
   LIVING GREYHAWK LEVELS OF 
  PLAY 
   Because players bring their own PCs to LIVING 
  GREYHAWK games, this adventure’s challenges are 
  proportionate to the modified average character level of 
  the PCs participating in the adventure. To determine this 
  modified Average Party Level (APL) follow the steps 
  below: 
  1. 
  Determine the character level for each of the PCs 
  participating in the adventure. 
  If PCs bring animals that have been trained for combat 
  (most likely dogs trained for war), other than those 
  brought by virtue of a class ability (such as animal 
  companions, familiars paladin’s mounts) or the 
  warhorse of a character with the Mounted Combat 
  feat, use the sidebar chart to determine the number 
  of levels you add to the sum of step one. Add each 
  character’s animals separately. A single PC may only 
  bring four or fewer animals of this type, and animals 
  with different CRs are added separately.  
  # of Animals 
  Mundane 
  Animals Effect on 
  APL 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  1/4 & 1/6 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  1 
  1/3 & 1/2 
  0 
  0 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  2 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  3 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  6 
  4 
  4 
  6 
  7 
  8 
  5 
  5 
  7 
  8 
  9 
  6 
  6 
  8 
  9 
  10 
  CR of Animal 
  7 
  7 
  9 
  10 
  11 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 1 
  
  Sum the results of step 1 and 2, and divide by the number 
  of PCs playing in the adventure. Round to the 
  nearest whole number. 
  If you are running a table of six PCs, add one to that 
  average. 
  Throughout this adventure, APLs categorize the level of 
  challenge the PCs face. APLs are given in even-numbered 
  increments. If the APL of your group falls on an odd 
  number, ask them before the adventure begins whether 
  they would like to play a harder or easier adventure. 
  Based on their choice, use either the higher or the lower 
  adjacent APL. 
   
  APL also affects the amount of experience and gold a 
  PC can gain at the end of the adventure. If a player 
  character is three character levels or more either higher 
  or lower than the APL at which this adventure is being 
  played, that character receives only one-half of the 
  experience points and gold for the adventure. This 
  simulates the fact that either the PC was not challenged 
  as much as normal or relied on help by higher-level PCs 
  to reach the objectives. 
   
  Furthermore, a PC who is four or more levels higher 
  than the highest APL supported by the adventure may 
  not play the adventure. 
   
  LIVING GREYHAWK adventures are designed for APL 
  2 and higher. Four or five 1st-level PCs may find the 
  challenge of an APL 2 adventure difficult. Suggest the 
  following to these groups to help increase their chances 
  of success:  
  1. 
  Enlist a sixth player. 
  2. 
  Advise PCs to buy riding dogs to help protect 
  them and fight for them. 
  TIME UNITS AND UPKEEP 
  This is a standard one-round Verbobonc regional 
  adventure. All PCs native to Verbobonc pay 1 Time Units 
  per round; all others pay 2 Time Units per round. 
   
  Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12 gp per Time 
  Unit. Rich Upkeep costs 50 gp per Time Unit. Luxury 
  Upkeep costs 100 gp per Time Unit. PCs that fail to pay at 
  least Standard Upkeep will retain temporary ability 
  damage until the next adventure, must buy new spell 
  component pouches and healer’s kits, and may suffer 
  other in-game penalties (or possibly gain in-game 
  benefits) as may be detailed in this adventure. 
   
  A character that does not pay for at least Standard 
  Upkeep may also avoid the above-described penalties by 
  living off the wild. If the character possesses four or more 
  ranks in the Survival skill and succeeds at a DC 20 
  Survival check, the character will heal temporary ability 
  damage as if he or she paid for Standard Upkeep, may 
  refill spell component pouches and healer’s kits, and may 
  restock up to 20 arrows or bolts if the character has at 
  least four ranks in Craft (bowmaking). The player is 
  allowed to Take 10 on this roll. 
   
  More information about Lifestyle and Upkeep can 
  be found in the “Lifestyle and Upkeep” section of 
  Chapter 
  3 
  of 
  the 
  Living 
  Greyhawk 
  Campaign 
  Sourcebook. 
  ADVENTURE BACKGROUND 
  Magister Obble Har is an enigma.  He came to 
  Verbobonc City in 591 CY and doggedly founded a 
  wizards school in the middle of a city known for fear and 
  paranoia of wizardry. 
  Magister Har has developed a far-reaching plan that he 
  hopes to bring to fruition in the next couple of years.  
  First, he became head of the most powerful collection of 
  wizards in all of Verbobonc by founding the Wrinkle 
  Academy.  Then, he was able to fashion a vast reservoir of 
  magical power, a Spellpool, in the Wrinkle Academy’s 
  hidden halls.  Magister Har is now working to activate an 
  ancient system of aerial magical highways around 
  Verbobonc, called the Skyroad.  Precisely what Magister 
  Har plans to do with the Skyroad once it is activated is a 
  secret—for now. 
  In the first adventure of the Skyroad Series, VER 6-02 
  Delve the Wizard’s Dungeon, the PCs assisted Magister 
  Har in securing an odd arcane rod to the top of the 
  Wrinkle Academy.  The PCs then traveled on the 
  Magister’s behalf to a gnomish monastery in the south 
  Kron Hills to recover an ancient elven map of Verbobonc 
  showing the location of three anchors of the Skyroad, 
  called the Pylons. 
  In the second adventure of the Skyroad Series, VER 6-07 
  Ride the Merchant’s Highway, the PCs activated the 
  Pylon near Taymouth and, at Lord Galans’ request, rode 
  the Skyroad at breakneck speed to the Pylon in the Kron 
  Hills. 
  Now that Lord Galans has discovered how useful the 
  Skyroad is, he wants to activate the Skyroad system in 
  order to improve trade across the Viscounty.  If he can be 
  enriched by collecting tolls on the Skyroad, all the better; 
  but even without his control, trade along the Skyroad 
  will seriously harm his greatest competitor, Lord Willem 
  Haxx (another noble whose holdings are based on trade 
  along the Velverdyva River, Lord Haxx also serves as 
  Viscount Langard’s tax collector). 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 2 
  
  In the beginning of this adventure, two of the three 
  Pylons have been activated, creating a single Skyroad 
  from the Iron Wood to the Kron Hills.  If the Pylon near 
  Glory, in the Iron Wood, would be activated, then a 
  triangle of Skyroads would be created.  However, Lord 
  Shannus refuses to activate the Pylon near Glory: he 
  keeps it guarded by the dour and primitive Mist Children 
  elves.  The Mist Children have already slain the 
  adventurers Magister Har sent to activate the Pylon. 
  Lord Galans will stop at nothing to see the Glory Pylon 
  activated.  He intends to bring loyal adventurer allies 
  with him to convince Lord Shannus by diplomacy or, if 
  necessary, force. 
  Other factions are at work as well.  Lord Haxx is 
  determined to stop Lord Galans.  Magister Har, who 
  needs the Pylons activated for his own purposes, intends 
  to activate the Iron Wood Pylon with his familiar, the 
  dust mephit Threnodee. 
   
  CAST OF CHARACTERS  
  The PCs will interact with four main NPCs in the course 
  of this adventure.  As these characters reappear 
  throughout the entire Skyroad Series, it’s important that 
  they are roleplayed consistently by all Dungeon Masters 
  (DM), so players will recognize these NPCs when they 
  meet them again.   
  Lord Roland Galans:  Lord Roland Galans, known as 
  “the Grand” both due to his girth and his mode of dress, 
  outwardly presents a jovial and welcoming personality. 
  Those that make the mistake of not looking past this 
  friendly exterior miss the cunning business mind he 
  possesses. Lord Galans maintains two very distant 
  holdings: fertile fields in the southern Viscounty, and an 
  immense shipping yard in the northeastern tip of the 
  Viscounty. Lord Galans stays very informed about the 
  goings-on in both of his holdings, but he actually spends 
  most of his time in Verbobonc City. Inside his lands, 
  Lord Galans also has the nickname of “the Sampler” from 
  those merchants who traverse his domain. Lord Galans 
  will ‘sample’ a small portion of the very best the merchant 
  carries; as recompense, the taxes the merchant pays are 
  significantly reduced. This is a beneficial situation for all 
  parties except the Viscount, who relies on the taxes. As 
  yet, the Viscount’s investigators have been unable to 
  uncover any serious corruption, and Lord Galans has 
  become one of the wealthiest nobles in Verbobonc.  Lord 
  Galans is also well-known as a trader and breeder of high-
  quality horses.  Most of the horses the Mounted 
  Borderers ride are raised in Lord Galans’ southern 
  holdings.  
  Lord Galans has taken full advantage of the Skyroad, an 
  ancient magical highway connecting a tall tower in the 
  Gnarley Forest to another tower in the Kron Hills.  This 
  highway is an incredible boon for Lord Galans, as he 
  shuttles goods between his two holdings with ease and 
  charges a small toll to others who use this fast, safe means 
  of travel.  Lord Galans sees farther than this, however, 
  and he hopes to activate the entire highway system in 
  order to improve trade throughout all of the Viscounty 
  (under his watchful guidance, of course). 
  Lord Galans is a friendly, fiery man who possesses a keen 
  business acumen and a good judge of character.  He is 
  friendly with the PCs through most of this adventure, 
  both because he knows they are useful, but also because 
  he genuinely likes adventure-seekers.  If the PCs cross 
  Lord Galans’ plans later in this adventure, he works to 
  eliminate them swiftly.  Lord Galans won’t let his 
  affection for the PCs overcome his desire to activate the 
  Skyroad. 
  Lord Shannus:   A clan of primitive gray elves lives in 
  the Iron Wood, formerly living in peace with the 
  lycanthropes of that wood. These elves are called the Mist 
  Children, although they have an older name now long 
  forgotten. 
  Several decades ago, an elf named Shannus was born into 
  this clan. Shannus was good in heart and talented with 
  magic. Unlike many of his clan, Shannus left the Iron 
  Wood to pursue his magic and to walk the path of the 
  Dragon Disciple, awakening his latent draconic heritage. 
   While traveling the wider world, Shannus learned that 
  lycanthropes were, by and large, ruthless and evil 
  creatures that delight in killing. Shannus became 
  surprised and embarrassed that his people had dealt 
  peaceably, if not closely, with the lycanthropes in the 
  Iron Wood. His shock and shame built into a rage, and 
  when he felt ready, Shannus decided to return to his 
  home, the Iron Wood, and exterminate the evil creatures 
  that infested it. Shannus was determined to make the 
  Iron Wood a safe place for all. 
  Shannus discovered the inn in the center of the Iron 
  Wood and realized that this central point would be a 
  good place to begin reclaiming the Iron Wood. With his 
  fortunes acquired over the years and his powerful 
  personality, Shannus built up a small town around the 
  inn. He called this town Glory, and rules it himself. With 
  the natural bounty of the Iron Wood in exotic herbs and 
  rare wood, Glory has become a populous boomtown.  
  From this town, Shannus began his relentless 
  extermination of the lycanthropes of the Iron Wood. 
  When the lycanthropes broke their peace with the Mist 
  Children in 593 CY, Shannus convinced his people to 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 3 
  
  take up arms against the lycanthropes at his side.  Now 
  the enigmatic and atavistic Mist Children see Shannus as 
  a powerful war leader, and are often seen in and around 
  Glory.  
  In CY 594, in gratitude for making the Iron Wood a 
  substantially safer place for trade and travel, Shannus was 
  ennobled by Viscount Langard.  The new Lord Shannus 
  has not shown much interest in the politics of 
  Verbobonc, however, and has instead concentrated his 
  efforts in three areas: building up the town of Glory and 
  its environs, hunting down any werecreatures that 
  remain in the Iron Wood, and calling to his side any half-
  dragons, draconic creatures, and people with draconic 
  heritage or abilities.  
  Lord Shannus is now a half-brass dragon and a powerful 
  sorcerer.  Lord Shannus is quite polite and very well-
  meaning (he is Neutral Good), but he is obsessed by his 
  own goals.  Overseeing the town of Glory, gathering 
  draconic allies, and his quest to exterminate lycanthropes 
  are all he thinks about. Lord Shannus is usually very kind 
  and merciful, but he has a hard and uncompromising 
  edge that often comes to the surface. He is not used to 
  being disobeyed, and expects his suggestions to be 
  followed. Some PCs may like Shannus a great deal, while 
  others find him insufferably driven and obsessive. This is 
  fine; Shannus is a complex character. 
  Gurtom Starcheek:  Gurtom Starcheek is a halfling 
  warlock and freelance agent currently in the pay of Lord 
  Shannus of Glory.  Gurtom is in his late fifties, which is 
  the far side of middle-aged for a halfling, but still spry.  
  He’s Chaotic Neutral, which means he’s out for himself 
  and doesn’t mind if others get hurt along the way, 
  although he won’t really go out of his way to harm 
  anyone.  Gurtom thinks nothing of breaking his word.  
  Gurtom is no fool, and he doesn’t go anywhere without a 
  clever escape plan in mind.  He is often surrounded by 
  thugs and goons, although he prefers attractive, 
  sycophantic ones.  Gurtom Starcheek gets his name from 
  a livid purple birthmark across the left half of his face in 
  the shape of a five-pointed star (Gurtom thinks it’s 
  evidence that his mother consorted with something 
  unnatural, and believes that it’s the source of his magical 
  powers).  Although the PCs may have run afoul of 
  Gurtom in VER6-02 Delve the Wizard’s Dungeon, 
  Gurtom isn’t their enemy in this adventure and shouldn’t 
  be played as a villain. Some of the PCs—particularly 
  those who played VER6-02 Delve the Wizard’s 
  Dungeon—may not like or trust Gurtom Starcheek at all. 
   However, the halfling bears them no ill will.  As far as 
  he’s concerned, the events of that scenario (whether he 
  got away with the map or not) are all water under the 
  bridge. 
  Threnodee: Threnodee the dust mephit is the familiar of 
  Magister Obble Har, the powerful head of the Wrinkle 
  Academy in Verbobonc City.  Threnodee looks like an 
  ordinary dust mephit, but he wears a tattered brown 
  cloak with holes cut into it for his wings.  Threnodee has 
  a morbid and depressing fixation with death.  He always 
  thinks any situation will turn out for the worst, probably 
  in a way that will end up killing himself and everyone 
  around him.  He mopes a lot.  Threnodee has all the 
  statistics of a dust mephit from the Monster Manual, but 
  he’s practically invulnerable: he has an Armor Class of 27, 
  improved evasion, spell resistance of 25, and several 
  dozen hit points.   Despite these qualities, Threnodee 
  spends most days thinking he’ll never live to see the next 
  one, so what’s the point?  Although not a coward, 
  Threnodee isn’t particularly brave, either.  Like Magister 
  Har, he’s Neutral in alignment.  Threnodee speaks in a 
  dusty rattle, and starts sentences with morbid thoughts 
  like, “I know that it won’t matter when we’re jumped by 
  bandits and left to die on the road, but…” or “Not that 
  you’re anything but dead men walking anyway, but I 
  think…” or “…and then we’ll all get killed and can rest in 
  the peaceful sleep of the ages.”  Play Threnodee like a 
  gloomy mortician. 
  The PCs may know Threnodee from the previous two 
  adventures in this series, when he tagged along with 
  them on Magister Har’s behalf.  In this adventure, the 
  PCs only encounter Threnodee in the last encounter, 
  when he completes a mission for Magister Har. 
   
  ADVENTURE SUMMARY 
   
  Encounter One: Forces Align 
  The PCs, attending the Midwinter Eve Gala held by Lord 
  Rhynehurst, are enticed to accompany Lord Galans in his 
  desire to activate the Pylon in the Iron Wood.  The PCs 
  also have the opportunity to gather important 
  information at the gala. 
  Encounter Two: The Blockade 
  The PCs and Lord Galans travel into the Iron Wood and 
  Lord Galans uses magical trickery to escape from Lord 
  Haxx’s thugs. 
  Encounter Three: Where Wolf?  There Wolf 
  The PCs are attacked by a group of diseased wolves (but 
  they don’t have the disease the PCs think). 
  Encounter Four: Two Roads Diverged in a Wood 
  Lord Galans discusses his dilemma with the PCs: whether 
  they should proceed to Glory or first go to the Pylon.   
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 4 
  
  Encounter Five: Scouting the Pylon 
  If the PCs choose to go to the Pylon they are faced with 
  overwhelming opposition and instructed to go to Glory. 
  They learn of the presence and defenses of the Mist 
  Children elves. 
  Encounter Six: Glory Be 
  The PCs investigate the town of Glory and notice that 
  there are many dragonkin living openly in the streets. 
  Encounter Seven: Diplomacy is not an option. 
  Lord Shannus receives Lord Galans, but is unwilling to 
  activate the Pylon.  Lord Galans takes offense and storms 
  out.  Deciding to take matters in his hands, Lord Galans 
  instructs the PCs to meet him at dawn and begins to 
  gather his forces.  The PCs are approached by both 
  Gurtom Starcheek, an agent of Lord Shannus, attempting 
  to sway them onto their side. 
  Encounter Eight: Assaulting the Pylon 
  If the PCs choose to assist Lord Galans, they assault the 
  Pylon and the Mist Children elves that Lord Shannus 
  placed there.   
  Encounter Nine: Defending the Pylon 
  If the PCs choose to assist Lord Shannus they defend the 
  Pylon from Lord Galans’ forces. 
  Encounter Ten: Strictly Neutral 
  If the PCs choose to remain neutral they still may be 
  drawn into the battle. 
  Encounter Eleven: Inside the Pylon 
  The party must ascend the Pylon and quickly discovers 
  that this interior stairway has been trapped. 
  Encounter Twelve: And the Winner is… Har! 
  The PCs arrive at the top of the Pylon to find Magister 
  Har’s familiar, the dust mephit Threnodee, activating the 
  last of the switches and sealing off the controls from the 
  PCs.   
  Conclusion: 
  Once the PCs have completed the adventure, the Pylon is 
  up and running, and the PCs are rewarded (or punished) 
  for the choices that they have made. 
  PREPARATION FOR PLAY 
  PCs that are members of certain meta-organizations or 
  have played previous events in this series should be 
  identified before play. 
  • 
  The Battirovka Family: Identify PCs that are 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  Battirovka 
  Family 
  metaorganization, as this membership gives 
  them further ability to gather information and 
  instruction in Encounter One: Forces Align. 
  • 
  Church of Trithereon: PCs that are members 
  of the Church of Trithereon meta-organization 
  as this membership gives them further ability to 
  gather 
  information 
  and 
  instruction 
  in 
  Encounter One: Forces Align.  
  • 
  Played 
  VER6-02 
  Delve 
  the 
  Wizard’s 
  Dungeon: PCs that played VER6-02 Delve the 
  Wizard’s Dungeon have met Gurtom Starcheek 
  before, and probably don’t like or trust the 
  halfling warlock (although he bears them no ill 
  will).  This comes in to play particularly in 
  Encounter Seven : Diplomacy is not an 
  Option and Encounter Eight: Assaulting the 
  Pylon. 
  Furthermore, PCs that have played VER6-02 
  Delve the Wizard’s Dungeon have almost 
  certainly seen the ancient elven map depicting 
  the location of the three Pylons.  Give these 
  players Map 2.  
  • 
  Played 
  VER6-07 
  Ride 
  the 
  Merchant’s 
  Highway or House Galans: PCs that played 
  VER6-07 Ride the Merchant’s Highway or are 
  members of House Galans are probably very 
  well regarded by Lord Roland Galans.  He tends 
  to think more highly of these PCs throughout 
  the adventure, and introduces them especially 
  in Encounter One: Forces Align.  PCs that 
  have played VER6-07 Ride the Merchant’s 
  Highway may have seen the ancient elven map 
  depicting the location of the three Pylons.  If so, 
  give those players Map 2. 
  • 
  Gnomish Spectacles (from VER6-02 Delve the 
  Wizard’s Dungeon): In each adventure of the 
  Skyroad Series, any character wearing the 
  Gnomish Spectacles, available in VER6-02 Delve 
  the Wizard’s Dungeon, earns a special benefit.
   
  In this scenario, PCs wearing the 
  Gnomish Spectacles gain certain benefits in 
  gathering information in Encounter One: 
  Forces Align due to subtle promptings from 
  the spectacles.  Furthermore, PCs wearing the 
  Gnomish Spectacles can see through the fog 
  cloud (or sleet storm) created in the Pylon in 
  Encounter Eleven: Inside the Pylon.  The 
  spirits in the Gnomish Spectacles (if asked) do 
  not understand why they seem to have such a 
  powerful connection to the Pylons and the 
  Skyroad.  
  • 
  Missing Viscount: As of VER7-01 Cleanse Thy 
  House, Viscount Langard went missing while 
  traveling through the Iron Wood to Veluna. 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 5 
  
  PCs may want to question Lord Shannus, Lord 
  Galens, Lord Haxx, or others about this. The 
  Viscount’s 
  disappearance 
  is 
  very 
  recent, 
  however, and rumors are all that are known. Do 
  not allow PCs to go ‘off-script’ and begin a 
  search for the Viscount. If they do, they receive 
  a warning from an appropriate noble. If they 
  ignore that warning, then they are arrested and 
  charged with Disturbing the Peace, Interfering 
  with the Representative of a Noble, and 
  Trespassing. If they resist with lethal force, then 
  they are charged with Sedition. Use your 
  judgment on this, but do not let the PCs get 
  away with flouting the authority of the nobility. 
  see Appendix 5: Laws of the Viscounty for 
  more information. 
  INTRODUCTION 
  The adventure begins with the PCs aboard a ship in the 
  Velverdyva River.  The ship the PCs are on is one of many 
  drifting near the town of Rhynehurst for Lord 
  Rhynehurst’s Midwinter’s Eve Gala.  
  The PCs have had several hours to relax and get to know 
  each other, if they don’t already, and should introduce 
  their PCs to each other before play begins. 
  The regatta of ships bobs lazily in the slow current.  
  Luna and Celene, both full and high in the sky, light 
  the river enough to see the Celeb’vara River curving 
  off of the Velverdyva and the Rhenee barge-town of 
  Darkha'por where the two rivers meet. Your patron 
  for Rhynehurst’s Midwinter’s Eve Gala tipsily steps 
  aboard your ship, spilling a bit of his wine as he does 
  so. 
  “Welcome!” Lord Roland Galans bellows. “Just the 
  people I’ve been looking for—come with me.  I want 
  to introduce you to Wendell.” 
  Lord Galans leads you across several other ships to 
  the wheelhouse of a brightly lit ship, where Lord 
  Wendell Rhynehurt is regaling a group of nobles with 
  a story of his great uncle raiding a Keoish camp 
  during the short war. His commodore’s hat threatens 
  to fall overboard as he pantomimes a horse chase. 
  Option A: If there are PCs who received the Galans 
  Token in VER6-07 Ride the Merchant’s Highway read 
  the following (if not skip below to Option B), and then 
  continue below. 
  Lord Galans loudly announces, “Wendell, I’d like to 
  present to you the brave group who were so 
  instrumental in my recent coup against that 
  blowhard…” Lord Galans makes an act of noticing 
  one of the nobles “Oh, Hello Lord Haxx, so nice to 
  see you out of your ledgers on this beautiful evening.” 
  Option B: If there are no PCs with the Galans Token, 
  read the following and then continue below. 
  Lord Galans loudly announces, “Wendell, I’d like you 
  to meet the brave group who will deflate that 
  blowhard…” Lord Galans makes an act of noticing 
  one of the nobles “Oh, Hello Lord Haxx, so nice to 
  see you out of your ledgers on this beautiful evening.” 
  Continue with: 
  The unwelcoming look that Lord Haxx wore as Lord 
  Galans spoke hardens into a scowl.  “Lord 
  Rhynehurst,” Lord Haxx begins, his eyes never 
  leaving your group.  “Your standards for ale and 
  entertainment are as always, excellent. I’m surprised 
  though that you dropped them when you sent out 
  your invitations.” 
  Lord Galans’ face flushes briefly and he turns stiffly to 
  address Lord Rhynehurst.  “My good Lord, I was 
  hoping you may offer some advice,” Lord Rhynehurst 
  gives a slight bow, clearly unsure of where the 
  conversation 
  is 
  heading. 
   
  “Tomorrow 
  I 
  will 
  accompany this brave band into the Iron Wood.  
  Could you tell me what…obstacles…”  Lord Galans 
  pauses as his gaze shifts to Lord Haxx,  “we may need 
  to overcome?”  With a frown, Lord Haxx turns on his 
  heel and storms away. 
  Lord Rhynehurst clears his throat, warming to the 
  subject.  “Certainly.  In my years, I’ve collected quite 
  the eclectic repertoire of knowledge.  What would 
  you like to know about? Monsters?  Men? Lost lore?  
  The Iron Wood has them all in spades.” 
  Tell us about Monsters.  If the PCs ask what sort of 
  creatures reside in the Iron Wood, Lord Rhynehurst says: 
  “The Iron Wood has a fair number of dangerous 
  animals which take affront at intruders, but by far 
  what you must be wary of are its lycanthropes.”  Lord 
  Rhynehurst nods to the twin moons of Luna and 
  Celene glowing full in the night sky.  “Midwinter Eve 
  is a time of celebration, but with both moons full the 
  next several days are dangerous times as well.  Carry 
  silver weapons with you if you plan to enter that mist-
  haunted place.  Plenty of shops in town can provide 
  you such wares, but I recommend the Argentium 
  along the Riverwalk or the Able Adventurer 
  storehouse near the docks.  Mostly because I own 
  them, really.” 
  Tell us about Men.  If the PCs ask what sort of people 
  reside in the Iron Wood, Lord Rhynehurst says: 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 6 
  
  “Among the trees live a tribe of reclusive, primitive 
  elves, but they won’t bother you if you don’t bother 
  them.  The only town of note is Glory, right in the 
  center along the Iron Road.  Lord Shannus, an elven 
  half-dragon, holds claim to Glory and, practically 
  speaking, the entire Iron Wood.  He can have it, as far 
  as I’m concerned—his protection keeps the trade 
  from Veluna rolling right in to my front door.  
  Furthermore, Lord Shannus has a long history of 
  opposing the lycanthropes in the Iron Wood.  To be 
  honest, before he arrived, my own Silver Guard ably 
  kept the monsters within the Iron Wood, but Lord 
  Shannus hunts the beasts in their very lairs.  Any 
  uninvited party in the Iron Wood may have to 
  contend with his—pardon the pun—draconian laws 
  regarding lycanthropic infections.”   
  Tell us about Lost Lore.  If the PCs ask what sort of 
  history or treasures reside in the Iron Wood, Lord 
  Rhynehurst says: 
  “Very old tales speak of a time when the barbaric 
  elves of the Iron Wood wove a great kingdom, but 
  that was long ago.  All that remains of it today is a 
  network of passages—miles long, some say—that 
  riddle the ground beneath the Iron Wood.  Some few 
  artifacts of their civilized days may also remain but, 
  alas, I know of none.  (Note that this last point is mostly 
  a red herring, as the PCs won’t enter the passages beneath 
  the Iron Wood in this adventure.  However, the Pylons 
  and the Skyroad are artifacts of those long-forgotten 
  days.) 
  After the PCs have the chance to question Lord 
  Rhynehurst as much as they’d like, Lord Galans escorts 
  the party out of Lord Rhynehurst’s company.  Move on to 
  Encounter One.   
  ENCOUNTER ONE: 
  FORCES ALIGN 
  Once Lord Galans has escorted the PCs back to their boat, 
  he arranges some privacy for himself and the PCs and 
  gets right down to business. 
  Lord Galans briefly summarizes the Skyroad running 
  from the Kron Hills to Taymouth (if the PCs don’t 
  already know about it) and explains that this fabulous 
  conveyance is only one leg of a triangle of roads that 
  could speed trade throughout the Viscounty.  Two of the 
  three Pylons supporting the Skyroad are active.  If the 
  third is activated, then all three roads become active, as 
  well.  The third Pylon is in the Iron Wood, about an hour 
  north of the town of Glory. 
  Lord Galans explains that he sent messages to Lord 
  Shannus about activating the Pylon.  Lord Galans even 
  offered to share in the tolls on the Skyroads with Lord 
  Shannus.  All of Lord Galans’ offers were curtly refused.  
  Lord Galans heard that a team of adventurers were sent to 
  activate the Pylon months ago, but haven’t returned.  
  Lord Galans suspects that Magister Har sent the group, 
  but he doesn’t offer this speculation unless asked directly. 
   In any case, Lord Galans admits he didn’t send the group. 
  Lord Galans’ next plan is to venture into the Iron Wood 
  and try to speak to Lord Shannus directly about the issue, 
  offering further wealth and appealing to the good that 
  the Skyroads bring to the Viscounty as a whole.  The Iron 
  Wood can be dangerous, however, so Lord Galans would 
  like the PCs to join him.  In addition to the dangers of 
  the Iron Wood itself, Lord Galans suspects that Lord 
  Haxx (whose stranglehold on river trade would be 
  severely hampered if a Glory-to-Taymouth Skyroad were 
  up and running) may seek to prevent the diplomatic 
  mission.  Lord Galans offers the PCs 50 gp times the APL 
  played (100 gp at APL 2, 200 gp at APL 4, and 300 gp at 
  APL 6) in order to accompany him.  Lord Galans knows 
  that adventurers can be expensive, but are often worth 
  the cost.  If the PCs haggle, Lord Galans increases the 
  offer to 100 gp times the APL.  Provided that the PCs 
  agree, Lord Galans asks that they meet him on the west 
  side of Rhynehurst in the morning to ride off to Glory 
  (Lord Galans chuckles a little at this joke, still a tad tipsy). 
  If the PCs have any additional questions (regarding the 
  Skyroad or the Pylons), Lord Galans insists that there will 
  be plenty of time to answer those questions while 
  traveling the next day. 
  The PCs are free to enjoy the Midwinter Eve Gala for the 
  rest of the night.  Feel free to invent whatever sort of 
  opulent yacht-party events you’d like for the PCs.  
  However, the PCs ought to know that a party is a prime 
  place to pick up information on the current events and 
  salacious details of Verbobonc. 
  Use the following Gather Information tables to give the 
  PCs some extra details about the region and current 
  events.  Note any bonuses for each check, and use all that 
  apply (that is, the bonuses stack).  The results are 
  cumulative; read the DC obtained and all lower results. 
  SHIP’S CREWS 
  Manning the ships and keeping them anchored are the 
  ships’ crews.  The crews are also in charge of fishing out 
  party guests too drunk or clumsy to remain aboard.  Most 
  of these crews actually work for House Haxx. 
  Bonuses: 
  • 
  PC owns a ship: +5 bonus. 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 7 
  
  • 
  PC has 5 ranks in Profession (sailor) or similar: 
  +2 bonus. 
  • 
  PC is a member of House Haxx: +5 bonus. 
  • 
  PC has a pair of Gnomish Spectacles upgraded 
  with Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (history) 
  or Knowledge (local: VTF): +2 bonus.   
  Results: 
  DC 5 
  You’re standing on a ship, not a boat. 
  DC 10 
  The ships you’re on are owned and 
  operated by House Haxx, and are being 
  lent to House Rhynehurst for the party. 
  DC 12 
   
  DC 15 
  House Haxx’s trade business has been 
  suffering greatly due to the Skyroad 
  running from Kron to Taymouth.  Good 
  thing there isn’t one of them Skyroads 
  along the river, or House Haxx would 
  probably have to close down! 
  DC 18 
   
  DC 20 
  Lord 
  Haxx 
  offered 
  his 
  ships 
  to 
  Rhynehurst to use for the party knowing 
  that many nobles would be present, 
  including Lord Galans. 
  DC 25 
  Lord Haxx instructed me to keep my ears 
  open for the means of shutting off the 
  Pylons.  Do you know it? 
   
  PARTY GUESTS 
  Lord Rhynehurst extends his hospitality to many who 
  travel in Verbobonc, and so there are a good number of 
  wealthy merchants, clergy and adventurers present.   
  Bonuses: 
  • 
  PC openly carries weapons or appears to 
  practice magic: +2 bonus. 
  • 
  PC is a member of the Wanderers of Coldeven, 
  Twilight Falls Academy of Combat Mastery, or 
  other 
  meta-organization 
  filled 
  with 
  adventuresome types: +2 bonus. 
  • 
  PC has a pair of Gnomish Spectacles upgraded 
  with 
  Knowledge 
  (nobility 
  and 
  royalty), 
  Knowledge (history) or Knowledge (local: VTF): 
  +2 bonus.   
  Results: 
  DC 5 
  Lord Rhynehurst throws a Midwinter 
  Eve party every year.  This one is pretty 
  good, although subdued due to the 
  recent 
  news 
  of 
  the 
  Viscount’s 
  disappearance. 
  DC 10 
  That group of ramshackle buildings 
  where the two rivers meet is Darkha'por. 
   It’s a Rhenee settlement that is 
  marginally 
  under 
  the 
  control 
  of 
  Rhynehurst.  
  DC 12 
   
  DC 15 
  Darkha’por is full of thieves, gamblers 
  and harlots.  Add from adventurers: No 
  better time can be had in all the 
  Viscounty.  Add from clergy: No greater 
  example of reprehensible decadence can 
  be found in all the Viscounty. 
  DC 18 
   
  DC 20 
  Lord Shannus seems to be attracting odd 
  sorts of people to his ranks.  Creatures 
  and people who are the spawn of dragons 
  and people who worship dragons have 
  been congregating in the town of Glory.  
  DC 25 
  Lord Haxx has spies trying to find a way 
  of eliminating the Skyroad.  But once the 
  roads are turned on, there doesn’t seem 
  to be a way to turn them off. 
   
  PARTY STAFF 
  Wandering through and over the ships is the party staff.  
  They serve drinks and food to guests and have been hired 
  from Verbobonc City to cater the party.   
  Bonuses: 
  • 
  PC is a member of, or has one or more influence 
  points with, the Gentlemen of the Watch: +2 
  bonus. 
  • 
  PC has a pair of Gnomish Spectacles upgraded 
  with Knowledge (local: VTF): +2 bonus.   
  Results: 
  DC 5 
  The pastries stuffed with crab are 
  excellent.  
  DC 10 
  The really good wine is served on the 
  Commodore’s 
  ship 
  (meaning 
  Lord 
  Rhynehurst’s ship).  
  DC 12 
   
  DC 15 
  A dragon man was seen in Verbobonc 
  City last week, it was said he was 
  traveling to the town of Glory. 
  DC 18 
   
  DC 20 
  Construction 
  around 
  the 
  Wrinkle 
  Academy has gone into high swing—the 
  place is practically bristling with metal 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 8 
  
  rods. 
  DC 25 
  There has been on occasion an odd 
  lightning 
  storm 
  in 
  Verbobonc.  
  Fortunately the lightning didn’t start any 
  fires, since it struck the metal rods atop 
  the Wrinkle Academy. 
   
  NOBLES 
  Minor nobles are in abundance at the party, with a few 
  major nobles staying on the “Commodore’s ship.”   
  Bonuses: 
  • 
  PC has a title: + 4 bonus. 
  • 
  PC is a member of a noble house meta-
  organization: +4 bonus. 
  • 
  PC has at least one influence point with at least 
  one noble house: +2 bonus. 
  • 
  PC has a pair of Gnomish Spectacles upgraded 
  with 
  Knowledge 
  (nobility 
  and 
  royalty), 
  Knowledge (history) or Knowledge (local: VTF): 
  +2 bonus.   
  Results: 
  DC 5 
  Your clothes are last year’s fashion. 
  DC 10 
  I’m surprised that Lord Shannus is not in 
  attendance. I heard he was invited.  I was 
  looking forward to meeting him, as he’s 
  quite reclusive. 
  DC12 
   
  DC 15 
  Lord Galans had asked Lord Rhynehurst 
  to invite Lord Shannus on his behalf, but 
  I hear that Lord Shannus refused. 
  DC 18 
   
  DC 20 
  Lord Haxx and Lord Galans are often at 
  odds with each other, but the rivalry 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  escalating 
  recently, 
  especially in the wake of the Viscount’s 
  disappearance. 
  DC 25 
  Lord Galans is afraid that he’ll lose face, 
  and money, if he’s unable to expand the 
  use of the Skyroads.  He knows one is in 
  the Iron Wood, and will stop at nothing 
  to turn it on.   
   
  TRITHEREONITES 
  Followers of Trithereon that start asking around soon 
  realize, due to certain secret symbols and gestures, that 
  several 
  followers 
  of 
  Trithereon 
  have 
  insinuated 
  themselves into the party.  Only followers of Trithereon 
  may gather information on the table below. 
  Bonuses: 
  • 
  PC is a member of the Church of Trithereon 
  meta-organization: + 4 bonus. 
  • 
  PC is divine spellcaster of Trithereon (cleric, 
  favored soul, etc.): +2 bonus. 
  • 
  PC is a member of the Mounted Borderers or 
  other 
  lawfully-aligned 
  meta-organization: 
  Subtract the character’s number of promotion 
  points in these organizations as a penalty. 
  • 
  PC has a pair of Gnomish Spectacles upgraded 
  with Knowledge (religion) or Knowledge (local: 
  VTF): +2 bonus.   
  Results: 
  DC 5 
  A fellow traveler greets you. 
  DC 10 
  This party is vile, and its food and drink are 
  being served on the backs of the workmen 
  who slave for a pittance. 
  DC 12 
   
  DC 15 
  If you revere the Summoner, you should 
  consider moving to Darkha’por. There are 
  many of us living there and showing the 
  Viscounty that truly free societies can exist.   
  DC 18 
   
  DC 20 
  Haxx and Galans could be made to fight each 
  other with enough prodding, which may 
  loosen the grip the nobles have on the throat 
  of the populace. 
  DC 25 
  There’s something more sinister going on 
  with the Skyroad.  Money is flowing out of 
  the Wrinkle Academy to activate these 
  Pylons.  This is bigger than just a trade 
  squabble between Haxx and Galans. 
   
  THE FAMILY 
  Where there’s money there’s the Family.  Members of the 
  Family meta-organization that start asking around soon 
  realize, due to certain secret symbols and gestures, that 
  several Family members have insinuated themselves into 
  the party.  Only members of the Family meta-
  organization may gather information on the table below. 
  Bonuses: 
  • 
  Add the character’s affiliation score in the 
  Family as a bonus. 
  • 
  PC has a pair of Gnomish Spectacles upgraded 
  with Knowledge Knowledge (local: VTF): +2 
  bonus.   
  Results: 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 9 
  
  DC 5 
  Good hunting tonight, friend. 
  DC 10 
  A fair amount to coin can be had by turning 
  mercenary for Lord Shannus. 
  DC 12 
   
  DC 15 
  Lord Shannus knows that Lord Galans wants 
  to meet but has been biding his time.  He’s 
  being very cagey, that one, and up to 
  something. 
  DC 18 
   
  DC 20 
  Lord Shannus is really gearing up for 
  something big.  Unfortunately, he isn’t 
  letting anyone in on his close secrets that 
  isn’t a dragon-type, which limits the amount 
  of information we can get.  We do know he’s 
  been working against those who would 
  activate the Skyroads for a long time. 
  DC 25 
  There are rumors that Lord Shannus is 
  hoarding silver.  If you could liberate his 
  coffers you could walk away a rich man. 
   
  Development: Meta-Org Ties: PCs that are members of 
  the Family, the Church of Trithereon, House Haxx, 
  House Shannus, or the Protectors of the Iron Wood 
  meta-organizations 
  receive 
  a 
  clandestine 
  visitor 
  sometime in the evening (disguised as a party guest, via a 
  short invitation, or speaking from the shadows, as 
  appropriate).  In each case, the visitor knows that the 
  character will be traveling with Lord Galans the next 
  morning to Glory, in order to activate the Pylon. 
  • 
  Members of the Family are told that the 
  increased trade that the Skyroads would bring is 
  a good thing.  The Family member should 
  ingratiate himself with Lord Galans and do his 
  best to see that the Pylon is activated.  
  • 
  Members of the Church of Trithereon are told 
  that the Skyroad issue is not only causing a lot 
  of strife between House Galans and House 
  Haxx, but between Lord Galans and Lord 
  Shannus as well.  Strife among the nobles is a 
  good thing.  The character is instructed to do 
  what he or she can in order to make sure the 
  nobles are at each others’ throats and report 
  back on everything that happens. 
  • 
  Members of House Haxx are warned to keep a 
  low profile; Lord Galans likely doesn’t know of 
  their affiliation with his enemy, or doesn’t think 
  it’s important.  However, it’s important to see 
  that the Pylon is not activated, and to work 
  against Lord Galans when possible.  If the 
  character determines how to shut down the 
  Skyroads, that information is crucial to Lord 
  Haxx.  (This is also something of a red herring, 
  as no one knows how to shut off the Pylons.) 
  • 
  Members of House Shannus and the Protectors 
  of the Iron Wood are cautioned that the time is 
  coming, and soon, when the character’s loyalty 
  to Lord Shannus will be tested.  This will 
  probably 
  involve 
  working 
  against 
  Lord 
  Rhynehurst.  The character must pass that test, 
  and remain true to Lord Shannus, and let Lord 
  Shannus’ agents know of everything that’s 
  happened. 
  ENCOUNTER TWO: THE 
  BLOCKADE 
  The next morning, Lord Galans has light horses or ponies 
  for anyone without mounts.  Lord Galans, several dozen 
  of his guardsmen, and a bard retainer (a middle-aged 
  Oeridian man named Darius) are also mounted and ready 
  for the day’s travel to Glory. 
  The next morning finds Lord Galans to be sullen and 
  irritable as you ride toward the Iron Wood.  Lord 
  Galans grumbles about the noise of the horses, the 
  heat of the day, and the brightness of the sun.  His 
  retinue of guardsmen, nearly forty men, fans out 
  ahead as the noble slumps in his saddle.  All signs of 
  Lord Galans’ previous night’s festivities vanish when 
  a guardsmen return with news of a group of House 
  Haxx guards lying in wait ahead.  Lord Galans 
  immediately starts whispering instructions to his 
  retainer, a pleasant-looking middle-aged man. 
  If any PCs want to eavesdrop, have them make a DC 15 
  Listen check.  If they succeed, paraphrase the plan below 
  to them.  If the PCs do not succeed on the Listen check, 
  or do not listen in, describe the action as it occurs.   
  Lord Galans has been expecting Lord Haxx to attempt 
  something to keep him from activating the Pylon.  He’s 
  pleased that it’s something as straightforward as an 
  ambush.  Lord Galans instructs his bard to cast a silence 
  and a widened invisibility sphere on Lord Galans and 
  then use the disguise self spell to make the bard look like 
  Lord Galans.  The bard will then lead the Haxx Guards on 
  a wild goose chase through the Iron Wood.  The bard 
  casts the spells and disguises himself to look like Lord 
  Galans while the real Lord Galans requests all the PCs to 
  keep within 20 feet of him.  The bard then leads the 
  remainder of the retinue up to where the House Haxx 
  guards are stationed before veering off into the 
  undergrowth.  As the guards give chase, Lord Galans 
  gleefully escorts the PCs down the road into the Iron 
  Wood.  The PCs can still see each other (per the 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 10 
  
  invisibility sphere spell description), but cannot hear 
  each other until the spells expire, eight minutes later. 
  In this Encounter, the PCs may have some more specific 
  questions for Lord Galans regarding their mission.  Some 
  questions the PCs may have for Lord Galans, and Lord 
  Galans’ answers, are as follows. Otherwise continue to 
  Encounter Three: 
  • 
  What’s a Pylon?  What do they do?  The 
  Pylons are massive towers of ancient elven 
  construction.   These Pylons create a magical 
  conveyance above the ground and allow for very 
  rapid travel between them.  These conveyances 
  are called the Skyroads. 
  • 
  How will we know the Pylon when we see it? 
   The Gnarley Forest Pylon was covered in an 
  illusion of a tree.  The Kron Hills Pylon had an 
  illusion of a rock spire around it.  This one most 
  likely would also be disguised as a gigantic tree.  
  (However, Lord Galans is mistaken: the illusion 
  around the Iron Wood Pylon is already 
  dispelled.) In its undisguised state, the Pylons 
  look like a slim tower topped with a giant stone 
  ball, forty feet across.  A wide shelf sits under 
  the ball.  Lord Galans thinks they look like giant 
  chess pawns. 
  • 
  How do we activate the Pylon?  The Pylon is a 
  hollow tower.  At the very top, inside the tower, 
  are hundreds of switches that must be pulled in 
  the proper order to turn on the Pylon.  Trial and 
  error seems to be the best way to find the proper 
  order to flip these switches; without the proper 
  knowledge (which Lord Galans doesn’t have), it 
  can take a hours to figure out the pattern.   If the 
  PCs played VER6-07 Ride the Merchant’s 
  Highway, then Lord Galans admits that they 
  know as well as he does how to activate the 
  Pylons. 
  • 
  Is the inside of the Pylon dangerous?  
  Honestly, yes.  Both of the other Pylons had 
  narrow, dangerous stairways ascending up 
  through the tower and, in both Pylons, the stairs 
  were trapped.  
  • 
  How do you turn a Pylon off?  Lord Galans is a 
  little suspicious of this question—why would 
  anyone want to turn one of them off while 
  people are using them?  Lord Galans admits that 
  he doesn’t know.  Even flipping the switches 
  back doesn’t seem to shut the Pylon off.  If there 
  is a way to do it, Lord Galans doesn’t know how 
  and doesn’t know of anyone that does. 
  • 
  What if activating the Pylon is bad?  It’s not!  
  The Pylons have allowed far greater trade to 
  occur between Taymouth and the Kron.  
  Everyone benefits from fast, safe trade routes. 
  • 
  How do we find the Pylon?  Lord Galans 
  knows the general location, but seeing how the 
  Pylon is a very large structure it should not be 
  difficult to find, now that we know what to look 
  for, even if it’s covered in an illusion of a tree. 
  • 
  How do we get up to the Skyroad?  In VER6-
  07 Ride the Merchant’s Highway, Lord Galans 
  had his retainers build a giant crane to reach the 
  top of the Taymouth Pylon.  However, his 
  mages subsequently discovered a levitative field 
  next to the Pylon—sort of like a magical 
  elevator—which allows carts, animals and 
  people to be raised up to (or down from) the 
  Skyroad itself quickly and safely. 
  • 
  What about the other two Pylons?  Both are 
  working perfectly, allowing people to travel 
  from Kron to Taymouth in a matter of hours 
  instead of days.  Lord Galans charges a small toll 
  to use the road, but his people also help travelers 
  along the road and regulate the flow of trade so 
  there aren’t any accidents. 
  • 
  Is anyone else looking for this Pylon? Not 
  likely, 
  although 
  clearly 
  House 
  Haxx 
  is 
  interested in keeping us from reaching the 
  Pylon. 
  ENCOUNTER THREE:  
  WHERE WOLF?  THERE WOLF  
  Once the PCs have been on the Iron Road for several 
  hours, read: 
  Hours pass in your journey.  The thin mist of the Iron 
  Wood whorls around your ankles, making travel 
  along the Iron Road treacherous. The trees to either 
  side of the Iron Road stand far apart, connected to 
  each other by thin trails of mist like ethereal webs.  
  You can see no more than a few dozen paces in either 
  direction, except along the road, which is reasonably 
  clear until the Iron Road bends out of sight ahead and 
  behind you.  You remember hearing that the mist in 
  the Iron Wood has recently thinned, and that it used 
  to be far thicker than this haze now present.  But it is 
  hard to imagine a forest more foreboding than this 
  haunted place. 
  Lord Shannus’ efforts to exterminate the lycanthropes 
  have been very effective, and the population has thinned 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 11 
  
  and retreated to the south of the Iron Wood around the 
  town of Validia.  This has allowed many native predators 
  to expand their range.  A pack of rabid wolves has 
  approached the road after hearing the party and are lying 
  in wait.  The wolves are dangerous and, due to their 
  disease, quite aggressive.  The trail is 15 feet wide here, 
  and surrounded by underbrush which provides cover but 
  does not seriously hamper movement.  Have the PCs 
  make DC 17 Spot checks to notice the wolves lurking in 
  the underbrush to either side of the trail.  PCs that 
  succeed at this check may act in the surprise round as the 
  wolves attack. 
  Describe the wolves as very large with yellowed eyes.  
  These wolves act particularly aggressive as they attack.  
  PCs may assume that these creatures are lycanthropes, 
  particularly when they have to make Fortitude saves after 
  each bite attack.   Do not dissuade them of that 
  assumption. 
  When the wolves attack, they do so with loud howls. 
  APL 2 (EL 3) 
   
  Wolves (3): hp 13 each; see Monster Manual.  On a 
  successful bite attack, a bitten mammal must make a DC 
  18 Fortitude save or contract rabies (see Appendix 2). 
  APL 4 (EL 5) 
   
  Wolves, Advanced (3): hp 20 each; see Appendix 1.  
  On a successful bite attack, a bitten mammal must make a 
  DC 18 Fortitude save or contract rabies (see Appendix 2). 
  APL 6 (EL 7) 
   
  Wolves, Advanced (6): hp 20 each; see Appendix 1.  
  On a successful bite attack, a bitten mammal must make a 
  DC 18 Fortitude save or contract rabies (see Appendix 2). 
  Tactics: The wolves have been driven mad with rabies 
  and so continue to fight when they should run.  If 
  reduced to one-quarter of their hit points a wolf flees and 
  attempts to elude pursuers. 
  Treasure: These wolves have no treasure.  A PC 
  examining a dead wolf may make a DC 15 Knowledge 
  (nature) check to realize that these wolves were rabid. 
  ENCOUNTER FOUR: TWO 
  ROADS DIVERGED IN A 
  WOOD 
  After the wolves have been defeated, allow the PCs to 
  take whatever precautions they wish concerning 
  lycanthropy or healing.  The PCs may seek out 
  belladonna (or wolfsbane) to aid their companions.  This 
  herb grows wild in the Iron Wood, particularly in recent 
  years as the lycanthropes haven’t been able to destroy 
  patches of it.  Locating such a patch of belladonna 
  requires 4d20 minutes and a DC 18 Survival or 
  Knowledge (nature) check. 
  Once the PCs have traveled several more hours, read or 
  paraphrase the following: 
  Lord Galans mops the sweat from his face with a 
  handkerchief and looks worriedly down the worn 
  road toward Glory.  “I must admit, I’ve had little 
  dealings with Lord Shannus.  His receiving his 
  patents of nobility took us all a bit by surprise.”  Lord 
  Galans looks off the road towards the north.  “Here’s 
  my quandary.  I know that the Pylon is north and a bit 
  west of here.  While I’m sure that Lord Shannus will 
  welcome the increase in trade, I’m not sure if I should 
  present my trade proposals to him before or after the 
  Pylon is activated.  Tell me, you’ve traveled these 
  lands, should I approach Lord Shannus first and 
  present my plan on bringing him wealth, or present 
  him with the gift of the Pylon already activated?   
  Lord Galans is genuinely interested in what the PCs 
  suggest.  The PCs may have knowledge that Lord 
  Shannus is very opposed to activation of the Pylon. 
  As long as the PCs provide a reasoned answer, Lord 
  Galans follows the PCs’ suggestion.  If the PCs seem 
  divided, he follows whichever PCs make more sense. 
  If the PCs decide to turn on the Pylon first, continue to 
  Encounter Five.  If they chose to go to Glory first, skip to 
  Encounter Six. 
  ENCOUNTER FIVE: 
  SCOUTING THE PYLON 
  If the PCs chose to investigate the Pylon before going to 
  Glory, read or paraphrase the following: 
  The Iron Wood Pylon is right where Lord Galans’ 
  directions indicated.  Rather than being covered with 
  any kind of illusion, however, the tower is plain to see 
  as it thrusts up through the treetops.  Were it not for 
  the mist of the Iron Wood, you could probably see 
  the Pylon from miles away.   The Pylon is no more 
  than a few hundred yards ahead of you. 
  The party may choose to sneak ahead, or just stride 
  forward into the clearing.  As soon as the PCs approach 
  the clearing, however, they encounter a grisly sight. 
  The Pylon thrusts up out of a misty clearing just 
  ahead of you, but a gruesome sight blocks your path.  
  A longspear has been planted end-first into the 
  ground, its point seven feet in the air.  Mounted on 
  the silvered head of the spear is a withered head, 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 12 
  
  which appears to have once been an elderly halfling.   
  Behind, in the clearing, you can see several figures 
  moving around through the haze. 
  This head belongs to one of the adventurers that Magister 
  Har sent to activate the Iron Wood Pylon months ago (it 
  belonged to a gnome halfling named  Alden).  The Mist 
  Children Elves slew the adventurers and mounted their 
  heads on spears throughout this area to warn away 
  interlopers.  The PCs may decide to take the longspear, 
  once they have disposed of the head. 
  If the PCs take a closer look into the clearing, they can 
  see several dozen grey elves moving about through the 
  mist, sharpening weapons and keeping watch.  The elves 
  are all armed and armored, have wild, shaggy hair and 
  bear talismans of bone, bark and leaves.  A DC 10 
  Knowledge (local: VTF) reveals that these are Mist 
  Children Elves, native to the Iron Wood. Unless the PCs 
  are exceptionally sneaky (have each PC make a DC 25 
  Hide check and a DC 25 Move Silently check), the elves 
  already know that the PCs are there.  Generally, the Mist 
  Children prefer to warn off, rather than immediately 
  attack, intruders. 
  The PCs can also see a treehouse watchtower built at the 
  edge of the clearing.  The watchtower is twenty-five feet 
  in the air and manned with archers. 
  Attack:  If the players seem to be considering a frontal 
  assault, warn them that there are many dozen elves 
  present in the clearing.  If the PCs insist on a fight, allow 
  them every opportunity to break it off and escape.  If 
  necessary, use statistics from Encounter Eight. 
  Retreat:  If the PCs want to retreat and go to the town of 
  Glory, they may do so without confronting the elves.  Go 
  to Encounter Six. 
  Talk:  If the PCs march into the clearing, the Mist 
  Children Elves arrange themselves in a solid line 
  between the PCs and the Pylon entrance.  The PCs can 
  see other humanoid heads placed on spears around the 
  area.  An elf wearing a golden circlet and a large elven 
  courtblade steps forward to address the part in Elven.  If 
  none of the party speaks Elven, Lord Galans does.  The elf 
  with the golden circlet says “You are denied entry to 
  this artifact of our people.  The lord of the realm, the 
  Dragonlord, will wish to speak to you – go to him 
  now in the man-town called Glory.”   
  The elves do not parley further with the PCs, and 
  threaten violence if the Pylon is approached.  Lord Galans 
  suggests caution and careful retreat when it’s clear the 
  Pylon is well-guarded and diplomacy will not suffice. 
  Lord Galans recommends either returning to Glory to 
  open negotiations with Lord Shannus, or waiting for his 
  guardsmen to arrive and making an assault on the Pylon 
  (go to Encounter Six or Eight accordingly).  If for some 
  reason the PCs decide to throw in their lot with the Mist 
  Children elves against Lord Galans, Lord Galans attacks 
  as soon as his guardsmen arrive: go to Encounter Nine. 
  Treasure:  
  Take the silver longspear with Alden’s head on it. 
   
  All APLs: L: 15 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp 
  ENCOUNTER SIX: GLORY BE 
  When the PCs arrive at the town of Glory, they see that 
  the town has grown beyond its wooden palisade.  The 
  gates of the town remain open all day and night, and the 
  residents of the town show little fear of lycanthropes or 
  other monsters from the woods.  Unlike in previous 
  years, Lord Shannus has been able to tame the area, and 
  this part of the Iron Wood is very safe. 
  Glory is a populous boomtown, where the residents 
  thrive on trade of lumber and rare herbs. The place has 
  the feel of a bustling frontier town.  Because much of the 
  town’s growth occurred within the original wooden 
  palisade walls, several of the buildings in the town are 
  two to four stories tall. 
  Although the majority of townspeople are humans, there 
  are a number of wild-haired grey elves dressed in 
  handmade leather armor.  These are Mist Children elves 
  that have either “gone local” and moved into Glory from 
  their woodland homes, or are just visiting.  There are also 
  several draconic and part-dragon creatures, such as 
  dragon disciples and half-dragons.  A few pseudodragons 
  lounge about the town like proud tomcats, taking scraps 
  of food from passersby and playing with children. 
  The architecture of Glory has taken on some of the 
  draconic aspects of its inhabitants, as well.  Many 
  buildings sport tall, sweeping arches or mottled painting 
  to look like scales.  Although most signs are in Common, 
  often a translation in Draconic is also included. 
  The centerpiece of the town of Glory is the Fallen Timber 
  Tavern, the only building more than a few years old.  In 
  fact, the Fallen Timber Tavern has been in this spot in the 
  Iron Wood longer than anyone can remember, and it 
  remains the most popular establishment in Glory.  It is 
  also the site where Lord Shannus is most likely to be 
  found (when he is in town and not out pursuing one of 
  his obsessive quests). 
  In front of the Fallen Timber Tavern stand four large, 
  iron cages big enough to hold a person.  These cages are 
  used to contain townspeople suspected of being infected 
  with lycanthropy, in order to see whether they change in 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 13 
  
  the light of the full moon.  Even though it is Midwinter 
  and both moons are full, the cages stand empty.  There 
  has not been a lycanthrope attack in the area in many 
  months, and the cages are now little more than a silent 
  reminder of how bad things were before Lord Shannus 
  came to Glory. 
  To the west of the town, along the road where the PCs 
  arrive, is a large logging camp overseen by a simple man 
  named Felton Grover.  The loggers are a friendly lot 
  whose recent hard work has made them reasonably 
  wealthy men. New loggers arrive all the time to seek 
  their fortunes.  The PCs probably have no reason to visit 
  the logging camp in this adventure, other than to meet 
  the locals. 
  When the PCs approach the town, read: 
  The town of Glory has grown far beyond its wooden 
  stockade, permanent buildings now pepper the 
  surrounding woods, and a wide packed earth road 
  leads to the center of the town.  As you approach the 
  town a pair of humanoids with clearly draconic 
  heritage exits the building to your right, deep in 
  discussion in a language that combines the fluidity of 
  elven with harsh, almost reptilian hisses.  
  Elsewhere in the town, alongside the humans, elves 
  and gnomes you’d expect anywhere in the Viscounty, 
  you can make out other, similar creatures.  
  To any player who speaks draconic, and is an arcane 
  caster, inform them that the two creatures are discussing 
  the mechanics of maximizing an arcane spell without 
  preparation.  They eagerly engage any other similarly-
  inclined character in their esoteric conversation. 
  Any of the residents of Glory can tell the PCs that Lord 
  Shannus is in the Fallen Timber Tavern.  Almost 
  everyone in the town thinks highly of their leader, 
  despite his unusual and exotic appearance. 
  Development: I’m a Werewolf!  The PCs may have 
  heard rumors about the iron cages in Glory.  If the PCs 
  still think that they were attacked by werewolves 
  previously in the adventure, they may be worried that 
  they’ll get stuck in the cages to test whether they are 
  lycanthropes.  As a result, bitten PCs may try to hide their 
  “affliction” from the townspeople and Lord Shannus.  
  However, the cages are not much used anymore, unless 
  someone volunteers to spend time in one (to prove to 
  friends or family that they aren’t a werecreature) or are 
  serving sentence for some sort of public crime (like 
  brawling or drunkenness).  No one is going to make any 
  of the PCs stay in the iron cages in this adventure.  Glory 
  now has enough high-level clerics in residence that a 
  remove disease or remove curse spell is the most efficient 
  way of curing lycanthropy.  In fact, both of these spells 
  are readily available at the prices listed in the Living 
  Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook.  Clerics in Glory are 
  pretty used to someone coming to them and saying, “I 
  was bit by an animal and I’m afraid it’s lycanthropy.  Can 
  you help?”   
  ENCOUNTER SEVEN: 
  DIPLOMACY IS NOT AN 
  OPTION 
  The Fallen Timber Tavern in the center of Glory is 
  plainly the oldest building in the town.  Four large 
  iron cages stand in front of the building.  Although 
  the cages are reasonably rust free, it does not look like 
  they’ve been used in some time.   
  Allow the PCs to prepare themselves as they wish and 
  enter the Fallen Timber Tavern.  Read or paraphrase the 
  following. 
  A herald at the entrance ushers you into the main hall 
  of the tavern and announces each of you, finishing 
  with Lord Galans.  The interior of this building looks 
  very little like a typical tavern, and more like a Lord’s 
  great hall.  The hall is well lit by numerous magic 
  torches and filled with a sizable group of people, 
  many of whom exhibit the same draconic ancestry.  
  The crowd falls silent as a hundred eyes gaze at you. 
  Finally a deep voice rises from the far recesses.  “What 
  occasion could bring the Lord of Horses so deep into 
  my wood?” Lord Shannus, his scales gleaming in the 
  reflected light, strides forward. 
  Stepping forward slightly Lord Galans begins, “I 
  would speak with you, Lord Shannus, of expanding 
  your coffers and your influence in the Viscounty.  
  May I speak with you alone?” 
  Lord Shannus nods slightly and gestures to the door 
  to a side room. 
  PCs skilled in diplomacy may attempt to take part in the 
  discussion with Lord Shannus.  If they attempt to follow 
  the two nobles, Lord Shannus’ guards block the way into 
  the side room and deny admittance.  It is possible that 
  these guards may be swayed though through the use of 
  Diplomacy.  The guards begin with an Unfriendly 
  attitude to anyone trying to circumvent Lord Shannus’ 
  orders and will only admit the PCs if they are able to 
  change their attitude to helpful (a DC 40 Diplomacy 
  check).  PCs that are members of the House Shannus 
  meta-org or the Protectors of the Iron Wood need only 
  succeed on a DC 10 Diplomacy check.   
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 14 
  
  If a PC succeeds on this Diplomacy check, the two 
  dragon kin allow the character (only) to enter the side 
  room. Once there, both Lord Galans and Lord Shannus 
  ask the PC to leave them to their discussions.  The PC 
  must make another Diplomacy check (with the same DC 
  as above) in order to convince the nobles to let him or her 
  stay.  If the PC fails he is escorted out of the room. 
  IN WITH THE NEGOTATIONS 
  Provided that the PC succeeds, take the player aside and 
  provide a summary of the negotiations: 
  • 
  Lord Galans promises the increase of trade and 
  the potential of greatly increasing Shannus’ 
  coffers through the toll on the road. 
  • 
  Lord Shannus points out that increased human 
  presence in the Iron Wood is what allowed the 
  Great Dire Dark (a vile evil behind the Glory 
  series of adventures in 592 to 594 CY) to escape 
  it’s confines. 
  • 
  Lord Galans counters with the fact that 
  adventurers, such as those he has brought with 
  him, made the difference in revealing and 
  defeating the Great Dire Dark.  The use of the 
  Skyroad brings with it those most capable of 
  defending Glory. 
  • 
  Lord Shannus states that Glory has no problem 
  defending itself from either the lycanthropes in 
  the wood or outside influences and would not 
  welcome others meddling in his holdings. 
  • 
  Lord Galans defensively attempts to claim that 
  he has no interest in Lord Shannus’ holdings; he 
  only wishes to see Lord Shannus prosper in his 
  recently granted title. 
  • 
  Lord Shannus coolly states that the elves 
  predate the human corruption in the land, that 
  the Pylons are relics to that fact and he will not 
  allow humans to tamper with them. 
   At this point negations break down, as Lord Shannus is 
  unwilling to budge on this issue (with or without a 
  character’s assistance). 
  OUTSIDE THE NEGOTIATIONS 
  Any PCs who wait outside: 
  As the nobles discuss their business in rising tones on 
  the other side of the door, a halfling strides toward 
  you, a smile on his face and his hand outstretched in 
  greeting, from among Lord Shannus’ retainers.  The 
  middle-aged halfling has a birthmark in the shape of a 
  star spread across his left cheek. 
  PCs that played VER6-02 Delve the Wizard’s Dungeon 
  recognize this halfling as Gurtom Starcheek, who 
  attempted (and perhaps succeeded) in ambushing the 
  PCs (twice) and taking Magister Har’s map from them. 
  Gurtom greets the PCs warmly (by name, if they played 
  in VER6-02 Delve the Wizard’s Dungeon, adding that he 
  bears no ill will against them and hopes the same from 
  them).  Presuming that the PCs are amiable, Gurtom can 
  provide a fair amount of information to the PCs, while 
  trying to extract the same from the PCs.  Below is what 
  Gurtom knows, and is willing to sell or trade to the PCs: 
  • 
  Gurtom offers: Gurtom has worked for Lord 
  Shannus for some time now.   Lord Shannus 
  tasked him to be sure that Magister Har’s group 
  of hired adventurers (the PCs, in VER6-02 
  Delve the Wizard’s Dungeon) did not succeed. 
  In exchange for this knowledge: Gurtom 
  wants to know how long the PCs have worked 
  for Lord Galans, and what tasks they’ve done for 
  him (particularly the events of VER6-07 Ride 
  the Merchant’s Highway, if the PCs played that 
  adventure). 
  • 
  Gurtom offers: Gurtom knows that Lord 
  Shannus does not want the Skyroads turned on, 
  although Gurtom is not sure why. 
  In exchange for this knowledge: Gurtom 
  wants to know how the Pylons are activated, 
  how best to get up to the Skyroad, and how fast 
  travel on the Skyroad is. 
  • 
  Gurtom offers: Lord Shannus has been 
  gathering dragon kin to him. Gurtom isn’t sure 
  why, although they are powerful creatures and 
  powerful allies are good. 
  In exchange for this knowledge: Gurtom 
  wants to know as much information as the PCs 
  can provide about the House Haxx/House 
  Galans rivalry. 
  • 
  Gurtom offers: Gurtom offers to sell the PCs a 
  selection of unusual magic items that he’s 
  acquired.  These items appear on the AR for this 
  adventure as the cloak of comfort +1, horizon 
  goggles, and spellguard rings. 
  In exchange for this knowledge: Gurtom 
  wants to tap the PCs’ sources of magic items, to 
  perhaps purchase them for himself.  Each PC 
  interested in Gurtom’s items must select three 
  items (Gurtom doesn’t care which, so long as all 
  the items are different from all of the PCs) to 
  which the PC currently has access on his or her 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 15 
  
  ARs and cross them off.  This represents that the 
  PC explains to Gurtom how to find and 
  purchase the items. 
  In short, the PCs may gain access to the cloak of 
  comfort +1, horizon goggles, and spellguard 
  rings on the AR by crossing off three different 
  items to which the PC has access on previous 
  ARs.  The PC has given up some access in order 
  to get different access.  If a PC can’t or won’t 
  give up any previous access, then cross off the 
  cloak of comfort +1, horizon goggles, and 
  spellguard rings on the AR for this adventure.  
  The PC cannot pick and choose; Gurtom offers 
  access to all three items in exchange for three 
  items, or no access at all (he won’t make a one-
  for-one trade).  
  • 
  Only if his interaction with the PCs is going 
  well does Gurtom offer: Lord Shannus has 
  been mining and buying large quantities of 
  silver.  His blacksmiths turn some of it into 
  weapons, but Lord Shannus has a hoard of it 
  stashed somewhere in his chambers.  The right 
  kind of group might be able to liberate some of 
  that silver, when the time is right. 
  • 
  In exchange for this knowledge: Gurtom asks 
  the PCs to aid and protect him when he makes 
  his move to acquire Lord Shannus’ hoard.  He 
  admits that he plans to wait until the time is 
  right, which may be weeks or months in the 
  future.  If the PCs promise to assist him, 
  Gurtom promises a cut of the loot.   
  When the negotiations between Lord Galans and Lord 
  Shannus are complete (and after enough time for the PCs’ 
  conversation with Gurtom to wind down) read the 
  following: 
  Lord Shannus exits the side room, with Lord Galans 
  following.  Lord Galans’ face is flushed with emotion 
  as they walk “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime—don’t 
  be a fool and squander this!” 
  Lord Shannus does not immediately answer, although 
  the stiffness in his tone reveals his withheld anger.  
  “I’ve told you my decision Lord Galans.  It is late, and 
  though I would not turn you out to the wood, I 
  expect you will not tarry here come morning.” 
  Lord Galans pauses for a moment and then strides out 
  of the hall, gesturing for you to join him as he does.  
  Lord Shannus’ eyes sweep across your party as you 
  turn and leave his hall. 
  CHOICES 
  Immediately after the PCs leave the Fallen Timber 
  Tavern, read the following: 
  Lord Galans meets you outside.  “My retinue will be 
  arriving shortly; I need to meet with them.  Get some 
  rest, and then meet me at the gate an hour before 
  dawn.  We’ll ride out to the Pylon in the morning.  I 
  need to see what other support I can gather.”  Lord 
  Galans turns to walk off into town, a determined look 
  on his face. 
  If any PCs express hesitancy Lord Galans levels his gaze 
  at them and says “Back me here and I will remember 
  your loyalty.  In fact, I will remember your loyalty 
  either way.”  Ask the PCs where they’re staying and 
  inform them of the numerous inns available. 
  At an opportune moment within an hour or so after the 
  meeting in the Fallen Timber Tavern, read the following. 
  “Ah, there you are.”  Gurtom says as he approaches, 
  his hands in plain view.  “Lord Shannus has 
  instructed me to find out what your intentions are.  
  There’s no reason to be coy, it’s clear that Lord Galans 
  isn’t going to just leave the Iron wood.  Lord Shannus 
  just wants to know where you stand, and if he can 
  perhaps get you to stand with him.”   
  If questioned Gurtom makes the following offer: 
  • 
  Lord Shannus is a rising star in the nobility, and 
  far longer lived than any human.  His influence 
  will be felt for centuries. 
  • 
  Lord Shannus has a fair amount of silver 
  available to him.  He is willing to pay 1500 silver 
  to any who stand with him. 
  • 
  As you may have noticed there are numerous 
  dragon kin in Glory.   Lord Shannus will allow 
  any who stand with him to learn from these 
  dragon kin. 
  Ask the PCs with whom they choose to stand.  If the PCs 
  choose to support Lord Galans, continue to Encounter 
  Eight.  If they choose to support Lord Shannus, skip to 
  Encounter Nine.  If they are determined to remain 
  neutral in this conflict, skip to Encounter Ten. 
  Encourage the PCs to decide as a group, as the adventure 
  becomes very difficult if the next fight is attempted by 
  only a fraction of the party.  However, if the PCs are 
  insistent, you might run both Encounter Eight for one 
  group and Encounter Nine for the other (although the 
  PCs should, under no circumstances, be in a position to 
  fight each other).   
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 16 
  
  ENCOUNTER EIGHT: 
  ASSAULTING THE PYLON 
  If the PCs choose to assist Lord Galans allow them to 
  prepare their spells or themselves in whatever way they 
  wish overnight.  Before dawn, Lord Galans meets the PCs 
  and praises them for having made the right decision on 
  behalf of the people of Verbobonc.  He rides out of town 
  to where his men are camped.  The men are already 
  preparing weapons and mounting horses for a ride to the 
  Pylon.  Lord Galans intends to lead his men in a direct 
  assault on the Pylon, hoping to buy enough time for the 
  PCs to slip inside and activate it. 
  When Lord Galans’ forces are in place, read the following: 
  Mist eddies around the hoofs of your horses as you 
  join Lord Galans and his men as they ride toward the 
  Pylon.  Gurtom Starcheek also appears on your flanks, 
  giving you a short shrug, “Galans pays better” is his 
  only explanation for his presence.  
  Lord Galans rides up to your group.  “My men and I 
  will keep most of the guards occupied. You and your 
  party make toward the tower itself, you should know 
  more about what to expect inside.”  
  Lord Galans will entertain any other plan so long as it 
  involves getting the PCs through the entrance and into 
  the Pylon; he knows the PCs are best equipped to handle 
  whatever may be inside and activate the Pylon.  
  Whenever the PCs decide to attack read or paraphrase 
  the following: 
  Breaking through the tree line you can see the tower 
  is guarded by dozens of elves and other draconic 
  creatures.  They draw weapons, hissing with 
  anticipation of the upcoming battle. 
  As long as Galans’ guardsmen can draw attention away 
  from the entrance, the PCs only face a small contingent 
  of Mist Children at the entrance to the Pylon, and then 
  they can slip inside (once they do, go to Encounter 
  Eleven). 
  APL 2 (EL 4) 
   
  Mist Children Defenders (4): gray elf Barbarian1; 
  hp 12 each; see Appendix 1. 
  APL 4 (EL 6) 
   
  Mist 
  Children 
  Defenders 
  (4): 
  gray 
  elf 
  Barbarian1/Dragon Shaman1; hp 18 each; see Appendix 
  1. 
  APL 6 (EL 8) 
   
  Mist 
  Children 
  Defenders 
  (4): 
  gray 
  elf 
  Barbarian1/Dragon Shaman3; hp 38 each; see Appendix 
  1. 
  Tactics: The Mist Children defenders charge and rage at 
  the first opportunity, relying upon their strength of arms 
  to overcome their opponents.  If wounded they will 
  gladly step back from combat, draw their healing potions 
  and drink them.  At higher APLs, the Mist Children 
  defenders cycle through their draconic auras as needed 
  for best effect.  
  Treasure:  
  Loot the Mist Children defenders. 
   
  APL 2: L: 412 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potions of cure light 
  wounds (4), 4 gp per character each. 
   
  APL 4: L: 552 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potions of cure 
  moderate wounds (4), 25 gp per character each. 
   
  APL 6: L: 460 gp; C: 0 gp; M: +1 breastplate (4), 112 
  gp per character each; potions of cure moderate wounds 
  (4), 25 gp per character each. 
  As the fight winds down, the Mist Children war leader 
  shouts to the elven forces (in Elven) that something is 
  happening with the Pylon (sure enough, the ball high 
  atop the Pylon crackles with energy).  Lord Galans shouts 
  for the PCs to seize their opportunity to enter the Pylon 
  and activate it (go to Encounter Eleven). 
  ENCOUNTER NINE: 
  DEFENDING THE PYLON 
  This encounter is for PCs who side with Lord Shannus.  
  Lord Shannus asks the PCs to aid the Mist Children elves 
  in defending the Pylon, as he is certain Lord Galans will 
  make an attack on the Pylon very soon.  The encounter 
  begins with the PCs and the various guards from Lord 
  Shannus on watch in front of the Pylon.  The war leader 
  responsible for the PCs (a female gray elf named 
  Allianara) positions the PCs near the entrance to the 
  Pylon. 
  When the PCs are in place, read the following.  
  The mist in the Iron Wood lies thick and wet upon 
  the ground as you wait at the Pylon.   The leader of 
  the defenders you tilts her head slightly before 
  turning to you.  In thickly accented Common she 
  speaks.  “They come now, prepare yourselves.”  
  Allow the PCs three rounds to ready themselves before 
  continuing.  From the trees comes the eerie wail of a reed 
  flute (this is Lord Galans’ bard using his inspire courage 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 17 
  
  ability to bolster Lord Galans’ men).  After three rounds 
  read or paraphrase the following: 
  From the tree line before you at least two score of 
  men stream. Their blades wet with dew, they 
  simultaneously give a shout and charge.  From your 
  own ranks the hiss of steel being drawn mingles with 
  the draconic hiss from your forces. 
  As the battle rages around the Pylon, the PCs have to 
  contend with a small section of the forces: eight of Lord 
  Galans’ guardsmen. 
  APL 2 (EL 4) 
   
  House Galans Guardsman (8): human Warrior1; hp 
  9 each; see Appendix 1. 
  APL 4 (EL 6) 
   
  House 
  Galans 
  Guardsman 
  (8): 
  human 
  Swashbuckler1; hp 15 each; see Appendix 1. 
  APL 6 (EL 8) 
   
  House 
  Galans 
  Guardsman 
  (8): 
  human 
  Swashbuckler2; hp 24 each; see Appendix 1. 
  Tactics: The House Galans Guardsmen are intelligent 
  fighters.  They begin combat by throwing tanglefoot bags 
  at the PCs in order to slow them down, then charge.  At 
  higher APL’s, the House Galans Guardsmen tumble into 
  flanking positions.  Lord Galans has outfitted his men 
  with a great number of potions which they keep on their 
  belts.  If injured, the guardsmen gladly step back from 
  combat, draw their potions, and heal themselves.  The 
  guardsmen flee if reduced to three or fewer guardsmen. 
  Treasure: 
  Loot the House Galans guardsmen. 
   
  APL 2: L: 408 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potions of cure light 
  wounds (8), 4 gp per character each. 
   
  APL 2: L: 416 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potions of cure 
  moderate wounds (8), 25 gp per character each. 
   
  APL 6: L: 250 gp; C: 0 gp; M: +1 chain shirt (8), 104 
  gp per character each; potions of cure moderate wounds 
  (8), 25 gp per character each. 
  As the fight winds down, the Mist Children war leader 
  shouts to the PCs (in Elven or Draconic if any PCs 
  understand either language; otherwise, in broken 
  Common) that something is happening with the Pylon.  
  Sure enough, the ball high atop the Pylon crackles with 
  energy). She sends the PCs up the interior of the Pylon to 
  stop it (go to Encounter Eleven). 
  ENCOUNTER TEN: STRICTLY 
  NEUTRAL 
  This encounter should be hard for the PCs to enter.  If 
  they give up on both sides and leave the area of the Pylon 
  entirely, conclude the adventure at this time (let the 
  players know that the Pylon was ultimately activated, but 
  they don’t know how) and delete both “Attacked the Mist 
  Children Elves” and “Defended the Mist Children Elves” 
  from the ARs.  
  If the PCs stay near the Pylon, it’s likely one side or the 
  other mistakes them for the enemy.  If the PCs hang out 
  near the Pylon, the House Galans Guardsmen may thing 
  they’re defending it and attack (run Encounter Nine 
  from the battle forward).  If the PCs wait near Lord 
  Galans and his men, the Mist Children may attack (run 
  Encounter Eight from the battle forward). 
  If the PCs stay near the Pylon and remain genuinely 
  neutral, it’s up to the DM to engineer a way to get the PCs 
  into the tower and on to Encounter Eleven.  Perhaps the 
  PCs notice that, in the chaos of battle, the entrance to the 
  Pylon is left unguarded.  Perhaps the PCs note the 
  crackling energy of the Pylon being activated, and one 
  side or the other shouts for the PCs to investigate.  If the 
  PCs just won’t take the bait, conclude the adventure.  
  In any case, PCs who don’t participate in fighting either 
  side get no experience or treasure for this fight (but some 
  experience for sticking to their commitment to 
  neutrality) and earn neither “Attacked the Mist Children 
  Elves” nor “Defended the Mist Children Elves,” even if 
  they later investigate the tower. 
   
  ENCOUNTER ELEVEN: INSIDE 
  THE PYLON 
  Read or paraphrase the following once the PCs enter the 
  Pylon: 
  The inside of the Pylon is dark and quiet compared to 
  the clash of arms in the clearing outside.  The center 
  of the Pylon may have contained some wooden 
  supports long ago, but now all that is left in the 
  hollow center is a perilously narrow stone spiral 
  staircase. The stairs, barely five feet wide, cling to the 
  curved interior walls of the Pylon, and wind up into 
  the gloom.  High above you, the stairs end at a small 
  landing.  As you look up there is a small burst of 
  arcane energy.  Something is up there. 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 18 
  
  The interior of the Pylon contains narrow spiral stone 
  stairs, winding up the interior wall of the tower.  The 
  Pylon is about 60 feet in diameter at its base, narrowing to 
  only 30 feet in diameter at its top.  The interior of the 
  tower is about 110 feet from top to bottom, but the stairs 
  themselves are about 165 feet long (there are 165 stairs, 
  each about one foot wide and about one foot high). 
  To represent this winding stairway, and because 
  positioning of each character on the stairs may be 
  important, you may want to draw a spiral on a battlemat 
  five feet wide and 165 feet long, like that found on Map 3. 
  Moving faster than a single move on the stairs each turn 
  requires a DC 10 Balance check to avoid slipping.  A 
  character that slips can catch the edge of the stairs with a 
  DC 15 Reflex save, and climb back up with a DC 10 
  Climb check.  Failing the Reflex save (or failing the 
  Climb check by more than 5) results in a fall. 
  A character knocked unconscious on the stairs may make 
  an immediate DC 10 Balance check.  Failure results in a 
  fall off of the stairs. 
  If a character should jump or fall from the stairs, he falls 
  about two-thirds of the distance up the stairs he was 
  located (round down to the nearest 10 feet increment). 
  For example, a character 90 feet up the stairs falls 60 feet 
  straight down to the floor of the tower.  A character 150 
  feet up the stairs falls 100 feet straight down to the floor 
  of the tower.  As usual, a fall results in 1d6 points of 
  damage per 10 feet fallen. 
  The Trapped Stairs 
  Three of the stairs are trapped.  One of the stairs contains 
  a trap with a fog cloud spell.  Near the top of the stairway, 
  another of the stairs contains a trap with a fog cloud at 
  APL 2 and 4, or a sleet storm) spell at APL 6.  Very near 
  the top, another stair contains a summon nature’s ally 
  trap which summons one or more thoqquas back down at 
  the base of the tower.  The fog cloud/sleet storm traps 
  automatically and immediately reset. The summon 
  nature’s ally trap resets after an hour. 
  A PC may jump over a trapped stair with a DC 5 Jump 
  check.  However, a DC 10 Balance check is immediately 
  required, or the PC slips, as described above. 
  The three traps on the stairs are marked on Map 3, and 
  are as follows: 
  • 
  45 feet up from the bottom of the stairs: a fog 
  cloud trap fills the tower with fog, described 
  below.  However, PCs wearing the Gnomish 
  Spectacles may see clearly through the fog if 
  this trap is triggered. 
  • 
  145 feet up from the bottom of the stairs: 
  another fog cloud trap (at APL 2 and 4) or a sleet 
  storm trap (at APL 6) fills the tower with fog or 
  sleet, described below.  However, PCs wearing 
  the Gnomish Spectacles may see clearly through 
  the fog or sleet if this trap is triggered.  This trap 
  may be redundant with the first trap, but is 
  present as a “backup” in case the first trap is 
  disarmed or avoided. 
  • 
  160 feet up from the bottom of the stairs (very 
  near the top of the tower), a summon nature’s 
  ally trap (varies by APL), as described below. 
  THE FIRST TRAP 
  ALL APLS (EL SPECIAL)  
   
  Modified Fog Cloud Trap: CR 3; magic device; 
  touch trigger (stair); automatic reset (immediate); spell 
  effect (fog cloud spell, 13th-level druid; fog fills the tower 
  for 130 minutes); Search DC 27; Disable Device DC 27. 
  EL Note: As this trap has no chance to kill the PCs, by 
  itself this trap has no EL value and bypassing it earns no 
  XP.  However, if this trap is left in place, PCs may have a 
  little bit more difficulty fighting the summoned 
  thoqquas.  Therefore, the presence of the fog cloud traps 
  increases the EL of the summon nature’s ally trap by one. 
  THE SECOND TRAP 
  APLS 2 AND 4 (EL SPECIAL)  
   
  Modified Fog Cloud Trap: CR 3; magic device; 
  touch trigger (stair); automatic reset (immediate); spell 
  effect (fog cloud spell, 13th-level druid; fog fills the tower 
  for 130 minutes); Search DC 27; Disable Device DC 27. 
  EL Note: As this trap has no chance to kill the PCs, by 
  itself this trap has no EL value and bypassing it earns no 
  XP.  However, if this trap is left in place, PCs may have a 
  little bit more difficulty fighting the summoned 
  thoqquas.  Therefore, the presence of the fog cloud traps 
  increases the EL of the summon nature’s ally trap by one. 
  APL 6 (EL 2)  
   
  Modified Sleet Storm Trap: CR 4; magic device; 
  touch trigger (stair); automatic reset (immediate); spell 
  effect (sleet storm spell, 13th-level druid; blinding sleet 
  fills the entire tower for 13 minutes); Search DC 28; 
  Disable Device DC 28. 
  Note: While this spell is in effect, the Balance DCs 
  required to navigate the stairs increase by 10.  A character 
  that takes only a 5 ft. step in a round need not make this 
  Balance check, but even taking a single move on the 
  stairs now requires a DC 20 Balance check.  PCs on the 
  floor of the tower are also affected, and have to make the 
  usual DC 10 Balance check in order to move about the 
  floor of the tower (see the spell description).  
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 19 
  
  Furthermore, since PCs in a sleet storm are effectively 
  blinded, anyone searching for traps has a -4 penalty to 
  Search checks (which is one of the usual effects of being 
  blinded). 
  EL Note: As long as the PCs are slow and careful, this 
  trap is unlikely to kill or hurt the PCs.  However, since 
  this spell effect can dramatically increase the chance of a 
  dangerous fall, it is the equivalent of an EL 2 encounter.   
  THE THIRD TRAP 
  APL 2 (EL 5)  
   
  Summon Nature’s Ally III Trap: CR 4; magic 
  device; touch trigger (stair); automatic reset (one hour); 
  spell effect (summon nature’s ally III spell, 13th-level 
  druid; summons a thoqqua to the middle of the base of 
  the tower; Search DC 28; Disable Device DC 28. 
  Note: This trap summons a single thoqqua to the middle 
  of the base of the tower.  The thoqqua immediately 
  attacks any character it can detect.  Since this creature has 
  tremorsense and a burrowing speed, it is not hindered by 
  the fog cloud (that is, it does not have a miss chance) and 
  can pursue creatures on the stairs with ease by burrowing 
  through the walls and stairs (without making Climb or 
  Balance checks). 
  EL Note: The EL of this trap has been increased by 1 due 
  to the presence of the fog cloud traps. 
  APL 4 (EL 6)  
   
  Summon Nature’s Ally IV Trap: CR 5; magic 
  device; touch trigger (stair); automatic reset (one hour); 
  spell effect (summon nature’s ally IV spell, 13th-level 
  druid; summons 1d3 thoqquas to the middle of the base 
  of the tower; Search DC 29; Disable Device DC 29. 
  Note: This trap summons 1d3 thoqquas to the middle of 
  the base of the tower (roll 1d3 or choose a number based 
  on the current combat capability of the party).  The 
  thoqquas immediately attack any PCs they can detect.  
  Since these creatures have tremorsense and a burrowing 
  speed, they are not hindered by the fog cloud (that is, 
  they do not have a miss chance) and can pursue creatures 
  on the stairs with ease by burrowing through the walls 
  and stairs (without making Climb or Balance checks). 
  EL Note: The EL of this trap has been increased by 1 due 
  to the presence of the fog cloud traps. 
  APL 6 (EL 7)  
   
  Summon Nature’s Ally V Trap: CR 6; magic device; 
  touch trigger (stair); automatic reset (one hour); spell 
  effect (summon nature’s ally V spell, 13th-level druid; 
  summons 1d4+1 thoqquas to the middle of the base of 
  the tower; Search DC 30; Disable Device DC 30. 
  Note: This trap summons 1d4+1 thoqquas to the middle 
  of the base of the tower (roll 1d4+1 or choose a number 
  based on the current combat capability of the party).  The 
  thoqquas immediately attack any PCs they can detect.  
  Since these creatures have tremorsense and a burrowing 
  speed, they are not hindered by the sleet storm (that is, 
  they do not have a miss chance or need to make Balance 
  checks) and can pursue creatures on the stairs with ease 
  by burrowing through the walls and stairs (without 
  making Climb or Balance checks). 
  EL Note: The EL of this trap has been increased by 1 due 
  to the presence of the fog cloud trap and the sleet storm 
  trap. 
  TO THE TOP 
  Once the PCs reach the top of the Pylon, go on to the 
  next Encounter. 
  ENCOUNTER TWELVE: AND 
  THE WINNER IS…HAR! 
  Once the PCs arrive at the top landing, by whatever 
  means, read the following: 
  As you arrive the landing you spy a small grayish 
  creature (add through the fog if a fog cloud trap has 
  been activated).  The dusty imp-like creature flips a 
  final lever into place with satisfaction.  (PCs that have 
  played either of the previous adventures in this series 
  recognize Threnodee the dust mephit, Magister Har’s 
  familiar.)  With a final burst of arcane power the top of 
  the tower begins to hum.  The winged creature waves 
  his hand at the levers and a solid wall of stone seals 
  off the controls.   Turning to your party the creature 
  gives a slight bow.  “My master thanks you for your 
  assistance, but felt he’d best take things into his own 
  hands at this point.”  The dust mephit then twists a 
  ring on his finger and, with a slight pop, disappears. 
  CONCLUSION 
  At the end of this adventure, all three Pylons are activated 
  and the Skyroad system connects all three far-flung areas 
  of the Viscounty of Verbobonc.  Lord Galans’ forces claim 
  the area around the Pylon, and soon a bustling trading 
  post is set up.  Lord Shannus does not make any 
  immediate retaliation—for now. 
  If the PCs aided the Mist Children elves, Lord Galans 
  coldly tells them to be on their way, as he has no further 
  use for them.  However, agents of Lord Shannus thank 
  the PCs for their help, regardless of the unfortunate 
  outcome, and offer the promised payment. The PCs earn 
  “Defended the Mist Children Elves” on the AR. 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 20 
  
  If the PCs aided Lord Galans’ forces, Lord Galans greets 
  them happily as they descend from the tower, the battle 
  clearly his.  Lord Galans warns the PCs that they are 
  likely to meet trouble should they ever return to Glory or 
  encounter the Mist Children elves again.  For now, 
  however, he’s willing to travel along the Skyroad with 
  them to his holdings near Taymouth while his men set 
  up and defend a trading post in the clearing.  Lord Galans 
  also pays the promised amount to the PCs.  The PCs earn 
  “Attacked the Mist Children Elves” on the AR. 
  Your adventures done at last, you have time to rest 
  from the events of the previous days.  You soon hear 
  that the entire Skyroad triangle is up and running, 
  bringing speedy trade to the far reaches of the 
  Viscounty.  What further adventures the Skyroad 
  holds for you, only time will tell. 
  The End 
   
  Experience Point Summary 
  To award experience for this adventure, add up the values 
  for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the 
  experience award. Award the total value (objectives plus 
  roleplaying) to each character. 
  To award experience for this adventure, add up the values 
  for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the 
  experience award. Award the total value (objectives plus 
  roleplaying) to each character.  
  Encounter One: Forces Align  
  The PCs learn at least some information about what to 
  expect in the Iron Wood:  
   
  APL 2 
    30 XP 
   
  APL 4 
    45 XP   
   
  APL 6 
    60 XP  
  Encounter Three: Where Wolf?  There Wolf  
  Defeat the diseased wolves:  
   
  APL 2 
     90 XP 
   
  APL 4 
  150 XP   
   
  APL 6 
  210 XP  
  Encounter Eight: Assaulting the Pylon or 
  Encounter Nine: Defending the Pylon or 
  Encounter Ten: Strictly Neutral 
  Defeat the Mist Children defenders or the House Galans 
  guardsmen:  
   
  APL 2 
  120 XP 
   
  APL 4 
  180 XP   
   
  APL 6 
  240 XP 
  Remain completely neutral without getting caught up in 
  either side:  
   
  APL 2 
    60 XP 
   
  APL 4 
  120 XP   
   
  APL 6 
  180 XP  
  Encounter Eleven: Inside the Pylon  
  Survive, disable or bypass the sleet storm traps: 
     
  APL 2 
      0 XP 
   
  APL 4 
      0 XP 
   
  APL 6 
    60 XP 
  Survive, disable or bypass the summon nature’s ally trap: 
    
  APL 2 
   150 XP 
   
  APL 4 
   180 XP 
   
  APL 6 
   210 XP  
  Story Awards 
  The PCs gave reasoned, well-thought-out advice to Lord 
  Galans and carefully considered the options they were 
  given: 
   
  APL 2 
    30 XP 
   
  APL 4 
    45 XP   
   
  APL 6 
    60 XP  
  The players enjoyed themselves and roleplayed well: 
   
  APL 2 
    30 XP 
   
  APL 4 
    45 XP   
   
  APL 6 
    60 XP  
  Total Possible Experience  
   
  APL 2 
  450 XP 
    
  APL 4 
  675 XP 
   
  APL 6 
  900 XP 
  TREASURE SUMMARY 
  During an adventure, PCs encounter treasure, usually 
  finding it in the possession of their foes. Every encounter 
  that features treasure has a “treasure” section within the 
  encounter description, giving information about the loot, 
  coins, and magic items that make up the encounter’s 
  treasure. 
   
  The loot total is the number of gold pieces each 
  character gains if the foes are plundered of all their 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 21 
  
  earthly possessions. Looting the bodies takes at least 10 
  minutes per every 5 enemies, and if the PCs cannot take 
  the time to loot the bodies, they do not gain this gold. If 
  you feel it is reasonable that PCs can go back to loot the 
  bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., not carted off by 
  dungeon scavengers, removed from the scene by the 
  local watch, and so on), PCs may return to retrieve loot. If 
  the PCs do not loot the body, the gold piece value for the 
  loot is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. 
   
  The coin total is the number of gold pieces each 
  character gains if they take the coin available. A normal 
  adventuring party can usually gather this wealth in a 
  round or so. If for some reason, they pass up this treasure, 
  the coin total is subtracted from the encounter totals 
  given below. 
   
  Next, the magic items are listed. Magic item treasure 
  is the hardest to adjudicate, because they are varied and 
  because PCs may want to use them during the adventure. 
  Many times PCs must cast identify, analyze dweomer or 
  similar spell to determine what the item does and how to 
  activate it. Other times they may attempt to use the item 
  blindly. If the magic item is consumable (a potion, scroll, 
  magic bolts, etc.) and the item is used before the end of 
  the adventure, its total is subtracted from the adventure 
  totals below. 
   
  Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed 
  treasure from each encounter add it up and that is the 
  number of gold pieces a PCs total and coin value increase 
  at the end of the adventure. Write the total in the GP 
  Gained field of the adventure certificate.  
   
  Loot = Looted gear from enemy; Coin = Coin, Gems, 
  Jewelry, and other valuables; Magic = Magic Items.  
  Encounter Five: Scouting the Pylon 
  Take the silver longspear. 
   
  All APLs: L: 15 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp. 
  Encounter Eight: Assaulting the Pylon 
  Loot the Mist Children defenders. 
   
  APL 2: L: 412 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potions of cure light 
  wounds (4), 4 gp per character each. 
   
  APL 4: L: 552 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potions of cure 
  moderate wounds (4), 25 gp per character each. 
   
  APL 6: L: 460 gp; C: 0 gp; M: +1 breastplate (4), 112 
  gp per character each; potions of cure moderate wounds 
  (4), 25 gp per character each. 
  Encounter Nine: Defending the Pylon 
  Loot the House Galans guardsmen. 
   
  APL 2: L: 408 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potions of cure light 
  wounds (8), 4 gp per character each. 
   
  APL 2: L: 416 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potions of cure 
  moderate wounds (8), 25 gp per character each. 
   
  APL 6: L: 250 gp; C: 0 gp; M: +1 chain shirt (8), 104 
  gp per character each; potions of cure moderate wounds 
  (8), 25 gp per character each. 
  Conclusion 
  Reward from Lord Roland Galans. 
  All APLs: L: 0 gp; C: 50 gp (or 100 gp if negotiated); M: 0 
  gp. 
  -or- Reward from Lord Shannus. 
  All APLs: L: 0 gp; C: 150 gp; M: 0 gp. 
  Maximum Possible Treasure 
     
  APL 2: 450 gp 
   
  APL 4: 650 gp 
   
  APL 6: 900 gp 
  ITEMS FOR THE ADVENTURE 
  RECORD 
  � Metaorganizational Access: Members of the 
  following metaorganizations at the time of this adventure 
  receive Frequency: Regional access to items marked with 
  their organization’s symbol: 
  † - Protectors of the Iron Wood 
  ‡ - House Galens, House Haxx 
  • - Church of Trithereon 
  * - The Battirovka Family 
  Item Access 
  APL 2 -4: 
  � ‡Blessed Bandage  (Freq: Adv, HB, 10 gp) 
  � *•Boots of Striding and Springing (Freq: Adv, 
  DMG, 5,500 gp) 
  � Bullet of Sound (Freq: Adv, MH, 196 gp) 
  � †‡+1 Cloak of comfort  (Freq: Regional, CM, 
  3,000 gp) 
  � †Elixir of Blindsight (Freq: Adv (limit 1), DrM, 
  1,000 gp) 
  � †‡Everlasting Rations  (Freq: Adv, HB, 350 gp) 
  � Rod of sure striking (Freq: Adv, DMG2, 4,000 
  gp) 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 22 
  
  � Spellguard rings (Freq: Regional, CM, 4,000 gp)  
  � Vest of resistance +1 (Freq: Adv, CArc, 1,000 gp) 
  � Wand of cure light wounds (Freq: Adventure, 
  DMG, 750 gp, limit 3)  
  APL 6 (all of APL 2-4 plus the following): 
  � +2 Ring of protection  (Freq: Adv, DMG, 8,000 
  gp) 
  � ‡Daern’s Instant Tent (Freq: Adv, HB, 9,000 gp)  
  � †Horizon goggles (Freq: Regional, CM, 8,000 
  gp) 
  � Masterwork Elven Courtblade (Freq: Adv, RW, 
  450 gp) 
  � Shield of the Winged Crusade (Freq: Adv, DrM, 
  3,170 gp) 
  � *•†Survival Pouch (Freq: Adventure, RW, 5,000 
  gp)  
  CArc – Complete Arcane 
  CM – Complete Mage 
  DMG2 – Dungeon Master’s Guide II 
  Dr – Draconomicon 
  DrM – Dragon Magic 
  HB – Heroes of Battle 
  PH2 – Player’s Handbook 2 
  RW – Races of the Wild 
  REWARD NOTES: 
   
  Attacked the Mist Children Elves: PCs receive this 
  entry if they attacked the Mist Children in Encounter 8.  
  PCs that receive this entry do not receive Defended the 
  Mist Children Elves  
  Defended the Mist Children Elves: PCs receive this 
  entry if they defended the Mist Children in Encounter 8. 
   PCs that receive this entry do not receive Attacked the 
  Mist Children Elves  
  Gnomish Spectacles Upgrade: PCs receive this entry if 
  they have purchased the gnomish spectacles from VER6-
  02: Delve the Wizard’s Dungeon. 
  Metaorganizational Access: PCs receive this entry if 
  they are a current member of one of the listed 
  metaorganizations at the time of this adventure.
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 23 
  
  APPENDIX 1: 
  ALL APLS
  ENCOUNTER SEVEN: DIPLOMACY IS NOT AN OPTION 
  G U R T O M  S T A R C H E E K 
  CR  6 
  Male halfling warlock 6 
  CN Small humanoid (halfling) 
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see invisibility, Listen +2, Spot +0 
  Languages Common, Draconic, Halfling  
  AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 15 
   (+1 size, +4 Dex, +4 armor) 
  hp 38 (6 HD); DR 1/cold iron 
  Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +7 (+9 against fear)  
  Speed 20 ft. (4 squares) 
  Ranged eldritch blast +9 touch (3d6) 
  Melee dagger +4 (1d3-1/19-20) 
  Base Atk +4; Grp -1 
  Atk Options beguiling influence, eldritch spear, entropic warding, flee the scene, see the unseen 
  Combat Gear potion of invisibility (2), potion of cure moderate wounds 
  Abilities Str 8, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 14  
  SQ detect magic, deceive item 
  Feats Extra Invocation (beguiling influence), Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Use Magic Device)  
  Skills  Bluff +15, Climb +1, Concentration +6, Diplomacy +12, Disguise +2 (+4 to act in character), Hide +7, Intimidate +10, Jump +1, 
  Listen +2, Move Silently +5, Sense Motive +5, Use Magic Device +14 (may always take 10) 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 chain shirt, wand of charm person (15 charges), dagger, traveler’s outfit, 45 gp 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th): 
   
  At will—detect magic  
  Invocations (Sp): A warlock does not prepare or cast spells as other wielders of arcane magic do.  Instead, he possesses a repertoire of 
  attacks, defenses and abilities known as invocations that require him to focus the wild energy that suffuses his soul.  A warlock can 
  use any invocation he knows at will, with the following qualifications: 
   
  A warlock’s invocations are spell-like abilities; using an invocation is therefore a standard action that provokes attacks of 
  opportunity.  An invocation can be disrupted, just as a spell can be ruined during casting.  A warlock is entitled to a Concentration 
  check to successfully use an invocation if he is hit by an attack while invoking, just as a spellcaster would be.  A warlock can choose 
  to use an invocation defensively, by making a successful Concentration check, to avoid provoking attacks of opportunity.  A 
  warlock’s invocations are subject to spell resistance unless an invocation’s spell description specifically states otherwise.  A 
  warlock’s caster level with his invocations is equal to his warlock level. 
   
  The save DC for an invocation (if it allows a save) is 10 + equivalent spell level + the warlock’s Charisma modifier. 
   
  Finally, unlike other spell-like abilities, invocations are subject to arcane spell failure chance.  Because the somatic components 
  required for warlock invocations are relatively simple, a warlock can use any of his invocations while wearing light armor without 
  incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. 
   
  Beguiling Influence (Sp): You can invoke this ability to beguile and bewitch your foes.  You gain a +6 bonus on Bluff, 
  Diplomacy and Intimidate checks for a period of 24 hours. 
   
  Eldritch Blast (Sp): The first ability a warlock learns is eldritch blast.  A warlock attacks his foes with eldritch power, using 
  baleful magical energy to deal damage and sometimes impart other debilitating effects. 
   
  An eldritch blast is a ray with a range of 60 feet.  (250 ft. for Gurtom, due to his eldritch spear invocation.)  It is a ranged touch 
  attack that affects a single target, allowing no saving throw.  An eldritch blast deals 1d6 points of damage at 1
  st level and increases 
  in power as the warlock rises in level.  An eldritch blast is the equivalent of a 1
  st level spell. 
   
  An eldritch blast is subject to spell resistance, although the Spell Penetration feat and other effects that improve caster level 
  checks to overcome spell resistance also apply to eldritch blast.  An eldritch blast deals half damage to objects.  Metamagic feats 
  cannot improve a warlock’s eldritch blast (because it is a spell-like ability, not a spell).  However, the feat Ability Focus (eldritch 
  blast) increases the DC for all saving throws (if any) associated with a warlock’s eldritch blast by 2. 
   
  Eldritch Spear (Sp): This blast shape invocation extends your eldritch blast to great distances.  Eldritch spear increases the 
  range of an eldritch blast attack to 250 feet with no range increment. 
   
  Entropic Warding (Sp): When this invocation is activated, chaotic energies swirl about you, deflecting incoming arrows, rays 
  and other ranged attacks (as entropic shield).  You leave no trail (as pass without trace) and cannot be tracked by scent.  (You can 
  still be detected normally by scent, just not tracked.) 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 24 
  
   
  Flee the Scene (Sp): You can use dimension door as a spell-like ability, although the range is limited to short (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 
  levels).  When you use this ability, you leave behind a major image of yourself in your place that lasts for 1 round.  The image reacts 
  appropriately to attacks as if you were concentrating on it. 
   
  See the Unseen (Sp): When you use this invocation you can activate great powers of vision, allowing you to see invisible 
  creatures and objects (as see invisibility).  You also gain darkvision out to 60 feet for a period of 24 hours. 
  Detect magic (Sp): Beginning at 2
  nd level, a warlock can use detect magic as the spell at will.  His caster level equals his class level. 
  Damage Reduction (Su): Fortified by the supernatural power flowing in his body, a warlock becomes resistant to physical attacks at 
  3
  rd level and above, gaining damage reduction 1/cold iron.  At 7
  th level and every four levels thereafter, a warlock’s damage 
  reduction improves by 1. 
  Deceive Item (Ex): At 4
  th level and higher, a warlock has the ability to more easily commandeer magic items made for the use of 
  other PCs.  When making a Use Magic Device check, a warlock can take 10, even if distracted or threatened. 
   
   
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 25 
  
  APL 2 
  ENCOUNTER EIGHT: ASSAULTING THE PYLON 
  M I S T  C H I L D R E N  D E F E N D E R 
  CR  1 
  Male gray elf barbarian 1 
  CN Medium humanoid (elf) 
  Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Listen +7, Spot +3 
  Languages Common, Elf  
  AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16 
   (+3 Dex, +4 armor, +2 shield) 
  hp 12 (1 HD) 
  Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +1 (+3 against enchantment)  
  Speed 40 ft. (8 squares) 
  Melee masterwork longsword +5 (1d8+3/19-20) or silver shortspear +4 (1d6+2) 
  Ranged masterwork longbow +5 (1d8/x3) 
  Base Atk +1; Grp +4 
  Atk Options Power Attack, rage 1/day 
  Combat Gear potion of bull’s strength*, potion of cure light wounds 
  * already used; incorporated into the stats here 
  Abilities Str 13 (17), Dex 16, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10  
  SQ elf traits, illiteracy 
  Feats Power Attack  
  Skills Climb +3, Jump +7, Listen +7, Search +2, Spot +3, Survival +5 
  Possessions combat gear plus chain shirt, heavy wooden shield, masterwork longsword, silver shortspear, masterwork longbow with 
  20 arrows and 20 silver arrows, various trinkets of wood and bone 
  Rage (Ex) while raging, the Mist Children Defender’s stats change as follows: 
   
  AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 14 
   
  hp 14 
   
  Fort +4, Will +3 (+5 against enchantment) 
   
  Melee** masterwork longsword +6 (1d8+6/19-20) or silver shortspear +5 (1d6+5) 
   
  Grp +6 
    
  Abilities Str 17 (21), Con 15 
   
  Skills Climb +5, Jump +9 
   
  **1-point Power Attack 
  ENCOUNTER NINE: DEFENDING THE PYLON 
  H O U S E  G A L A N S  G U A R D S M A N 
  CR  1/2 
  Male human warrior 1 
  LN Medium humanoid (human) 
  Init +0; Senses Listen -1, Spot -1 
  Languages Common  
  AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16 
   (+6 armor) 
  hp 9 (1 HD) 
  Fort +3, Ref +0, Will -1 (+1 vs. charm or fear effects) 
  Speed 20 ft. (4 squares) 
  Melee masterwork greatsword +6 (2d6+3/19-20) 
  Ranged javelin +3 (1d6+3) or tanglefoot bag +3 ranged touch (entangled) 
  Base Atk +1; Grp +2 
  Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds, tanglefoot bag 
  Abilities Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 9  
  Feats Toughness, Weapon Focus (greatsword)  
  Skills  Handle Animal +3, Intimidate +3, Ride +4 
  Possessions combat gear plus splint mail, masterwork greatsword, dagger, 4 javelins, House Galans tabard 
  Inspired: the House Galans Guardsmen are under the effects of the inspire courage ability of an 8
  th level bard.  For the first five 
  rounds of combat, they enjoy +2 to hit and weapon damage rolls, as well as +2 to all saves vs. charm or fear effects.  These bonuses 
  have already been included in the statistics above. 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 26 
  
  APL 4 
  ENCOUNTER THREE: WHERE WOLF?  THERE WOLF 
  E L I T E  R A B I D  W O L F 
  CR  2 
  N Medium animal 
  Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent; Listen +7, Spot +3 
  Languages None  
  AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 12 
   (+4 Dex, +2 natural) 
  hp 20 (2 HD) 
  Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2  
  Speed 50 ft. (10 squares) 
  Melee bite +4 (1d6+1 plus disease (Fort DC 18) plus trip) 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +1; Grp +3 
  Abilities Str 15, Dex 18, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6  
  SA trip 
  Feats Track
  B, Weapon Focus (bite)  
  Skills Hide +4, Jump +10, Listen +4, Move Silently +5, Spot +4, Survival +2 (+6 when tracking by scent) 
  Trip (Ex) A wolf that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent (+2 check modifier) as a free action without making a 
  touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity.  If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the wolf. 
  Disease (Ex) An opponent injured by a rapid wolf may contract rabies (see Appendix 2). 
   
  ENCOUNTER EIGHT: ASSAULTING THE PYLON 
  M I S T  C H I L D R E N  D E F E N D E R 
  CR  2 
  Male gray elf barbarian 1/dragon shaman 1 
  CN Medium humanoid (elf) 
  Init +3; Senses low-light vision, Listen +7, Spot +3 
  Aura Draconic aura +1 
  Languages Common, Elf  
  AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16 
   (+3 Dex, +4 armor, +2 shield) 
  hp 18 (2 HD) 
  Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +3 (+5 against enchantment)  
  Speed 40 ft. (8 squares) 
  Melee masterwork longsword +5 (1d8+3/19-20) or masterwork silver shortspear +5 (1d6+2) 
  Ranged masterwork mighty composite (Str +1) longbow +5 (1d8+1/x3) 
  Base Atk +1; Grp +4 
  Atk Options Power Attack, rage 1/day 
  Combat Gear potion of bull’s strength*, potion of cure moderate wounds 
  * already used; incorporated into the stats here 
  Abilities Str 13 (17), Dex 16, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10  
  SQ elf traits, totem dragon (brass) 
  Draconic Auras Known energy shield, power, resistance 
  Feats Power Attack  
  Skills Climb +5, Intimidate +1, Jump +9, Listen +7, Search +2, Spot +3, Survival +6 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork chain shirt, heavy wooden shield, masterwork longsword, masterwork silver shortspear, 
  masterwork mighty composite (Str +1) longbow with 20 arrows and 20 silver arrows, various trinkets of wood and bone 
  Rage (Ex) while raging, the Mist Children Defender’s stats change as follows: 
   
  AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 14 
   
  hp 22 
   
  Fort +6, Will +5 (+7 against enchantment) 
   
  Melee** masterwork longsword +6 (1d8+6/19-20) or masterwork silver shortspear +6 (1d6+5) 
   
  Grp +6 
    
  Abilities Str 17 (21), Con 15 
   
  Skills Climb +7, Jump +11 
   
  **1-point Power Attack 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 27 
  
  Draconic Aura (Su) As a swift action, a dragon shaman may project one of the following auras.  A dragon shaman can have an aura 
  active continually; thus, an aura can be in effect at the start of an encounter before initiative is rolled.  A draconic aura affects all 
  allies within 30 feet (including the dragon shaman) with line of effect to the dragon shaman.  The aura is dismissed if the dragon 
  shaman becomes unconscious or is slain, but otherwise remains in effect even if the dragon shaman is incapable of acting. 
   
  Energy Shield Any creature striking the dragon shaman or its allies with a natural weapon or a nonreach melee weapon is dealt 
  2 points of fire damage. One of the Mist Children Defenders has this aura active at the start of combat. 
   
  Power +1 bonus on melee damage rolls.  Two of the Mist Children Defenders have this aura active at the start of combat, so all 
  enjoy a +2 bonus to melee damage rolls if they remain within range of the auras (this bonus is not included above). 
   
  Resistance to fire 5.  One of the Mist Children Defenders has this aura active at the start of combat. 
   
  ENCOUNTER NINE: DEFENDING THE PYLON 
  H O U S E  G A L A N S  G U A R D S M A N 
  CR  1 
  Male human swashbuckler 1 
  LN Medium humanoid (human) 
  Init +2; Senses Listen -1, Spot -1 
  Languages Common, Gnome  
  AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14 
   (+4 Dex, +4 armor) 
  hp 15 (1 HD) 
  Fort +4, Ref +4, Will -1 (+1 vs. charm or fear effects) 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) 
  Melee masterwork rapier +9 (1d6+3/18-20) 
  Ranged javelin +7 (1d6+3) or tanglefoot bag +7 ranged touch (entangled) 
  Base Atk +1; Grp +2 
  Combat Gear potion of cat’s grace*, potion of cure moderate wounds, tanglefoot bag 
  * already used; incorporated into the stats here 
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 15 (19), Con 14, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 10  
  Feats Toughness, Weapon Finesse
  B, Weapon Focus (rapier)  
  Skills  Balance +7, Bluff +4, Escape Artist +7, Jump +4, Ride +6, Sense Motive +3, Tumble +7 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork chain shirt, masterwork rapier, dagger, 4 javelins, House Galans tabard 
  Inspired: the House Galans Guardsmen are under the effects of the inspire courage ability of an 8
  th level bard.  For the first five 
  rounds of combat, they enjoy +2 to hit and weapon damage rolls, as well as +2 to all saves vs. charm or fear effects.  These bonuses 
  have already been included in the statistics above. 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 28 
  
  APL 6 
  ENCOUNTER THREE: WHERE WOLF?  THERE WOLF 
  E L I T E  R A B I D  W O L F 
  CR  2 
  N Medium animal 
  Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent; Listen +7, Spot +3 
  Languages None  
  AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 12 
   (+4 Dex, +2 natural) 
  hp 20 (2 HD) 
  Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2  
  Speed 50 ft. (10 squares) 
  Melee bite +4 (1d6+1 plus disease (Fort DC 18) plus trip) 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +1; Grp +3 
  Abilities Str 15, Dex 18, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6  
  SA trip 
  Feats Track
  B, Weapon Focus (bite)  
  Skills Hide +4, Jump +10, Listen +4, Move Silently +5, Spot +4, Survival +2 (+6 when tracking by scent) 
  Trip (Ex) A wolf that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent (+2 check modifier) as a free action without making a 
  touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity.  If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the wolf. 
  Disease (Ex) An opponent injured by a rapid wolf may contract rabies (see Appendix 2). 
   
  ENCOUNTER EIGHT: ASSAULTING THE PYLON 
  M I S T  C H I L D R E N  D E F E N D E R 
  CR  4 
  Male gray elf barbarian 1/dragon shaman 3 
  CN Medium humanoid (elf) 
  Init +3; Senses low-light vision, Listen +7, Spot +3 
  Aura Draconic aura +1 
  Languages Common, Elf  
  AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16 
   (+3 Dex, +6 armor) 
  hp 38 (4 HD) 
  Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +4 (+6 against enchantment)  
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) 
  Melee masterwork elven courtblade +8 (1d10+6/18-20) or masterwork silver shortspear +8 (1d6+3) 
  Ranged masterwork mighty composite (Str +1) longbow +7 (1d8+1/x3) 
  Base Atk +3; Grp +7 
  Atk Options Power Attack, rage 1/day 
  Combat Gear potion of bull’s strength*, potion of bear’s endurance*, potion of cure moderate wounds 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd): 
   
  At will—endure elements (self only) 
  * already used; incorporated into the stats here 
  Abilities Str 14 (18), Dex 16, Con 11 (15), Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10  
  SQ elf traits, totem dragon (brass) 
  Draconic Auras Known energy shield, power, resistance, vigor 
  Feats Power Attack, Racial Weapon Familiarity, Skill Focus (Survival)  
  Skills Climb +5, Intimidate +3, Jump +5, Listen +7, Search +2, Spot +3, Survival +11 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 breastplate, masterwork elven courtblade, masterwork silver shortspear, masterwork mighty 
  composite (Str +1) longbow with 20 arrows and 20 silver arrows, various trinkets of wood and bone 
  Rage (Ex) while raging, the Mist Children Defender’s stats change as follows: 
   
  AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 14 
   
  hp 46 
   
  Fort +9, Will +6 (+8 against enchantment) 
   
  Melee** masterwork elven courtblade +7 (1d10+15/18-20) or masterwork silver shortspear +7 (1d6+8) 
   
  Grp +9 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 29 
  
    
  Abilities Str 18 (22), Con 15 (19) 
   
  Skills Climb +7, Jump +7 
   
  **3-point Power Attack 
  Draconic Aura (Su) As a swift action, a dragon shaman may project one of the following auras.  A dragon shaman can have an aura 
  active continually; thus, an aura can be in effect at the start of an encounter before initiative is rolled.  A draconic aura affects all 
  allies within 30 feet (including the dragon shaman) with line of effect to the dragon shaman.  The aura is dismissed if the dragon 
  shaman becomes unconscious or is slain, but otherwise remains in effect even if the dragon shaman is incapable of acting. 
   
  Energy Shield Any creature striking the dragon shaman or its allies with a natural weapon or a nonreach melee weapon is dealt 
  2 points of fire damage. One of the Mist Children Defenders has this aura active at the start of combat. 
   
  Power +1 bonus on melee damage rolls.  Two of the Mist Children Defenders have this aura active at the start of combat, so all 
  enjoy a +2 bonus to melee damage rolls if they remain within range of the auras (this bonus is not included above). 
   
  Resistance to fire 5.  One of the Mist Children Defenders has this aura active at the start of combat. 
   
  Vigor Fast healing 1, but only affects creatures at or below one-half of their full normal hit points.  None of the Mist Children 
  Defenders have this aura active at the start of combat, but one switches to this aura as soon as it is helpful. 
   
  ENCOUNTER NINE: DEFENDING THE PYLON 
  H O U S E  G A L A N S  G U A R D S M A N 
  CR  2 
  Male human swashbuckler 2 
  LN Medium humanoid (human) 
  Init +2; Senses Listen -1, Spot -1 
  Languages Common, Gnome  
  AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15 
   (+4 Dex, +5 armor) 
  hp 24 (2 HD) 
  Fort +7, Ref +5, Will -1 (+1 vs. charm or fear effects) 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) 
  Melee masterwork rapier +10 (1d6+3/18-20) 
  Ranged javelin +8 (1d6+3) or tanglefoot bag +8 ranged touch (entangled) 
  Base Atk +2; Grp +3 
  Combat Gear potion of bear’s endurance*, potion of cat’s grace*, potion of cure moderate wounds, tanglefoot bag 
  * already used; incorporated into the stats here 
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 15 (19), Con 14 (18), Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 10  
  Feats Combat Expertise, Weapon Finesse
  B, Weapon Focus (rapier)  
  Skills  Balance +8, Bluff +5, Escape Artist +8, Jump +7, Ride +6, Sense Motive +4, Tumble +10 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 chain shirt, masterwork rapier, dagger, 4 javelins, House Galans tabard 
  Inspired: the House Galans Guardsmen are under the effects of the inspire courage ability of an 8
  th level bard.  For the first five 
  rounds of combat, they enjoy +2 to hit and weapon damage rolls, as well as +2 to all saves vs. charm or fear effects.  These bonuses 
  have already been included in the statistics above. 
   
   
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 30 
  
  APPENDIX 2: 
  NEW RULES ITEMS 
  EXTRA INVOCATION [NEW FEAT] (FROM 
  COMPLETE ARCANE) 
  You learn an additional invocation. 
   
  Prerequisite: Ability to use lesser invocations. 
   
  Benefit:  You learn one additional invocation from 
  the list available to you, choosing an invocation of one 
  grade lower than the highest grade of invocation you 
  know.  For example, a 6
  th-level warlock could lean a 
  least invocation, while a 16
  th-level warlock could learn 
  any least, lesser, or greater invocation. 
   
  Special: You can gain this feat multiple times.  
  Each time, you gain an extra invocation of any grade 
  (least, lesser or greater) up to one lower than the 
  highest grade of invocation you can currently use. 
  IMPROVED WEAPON FAMILIARITY 
  [GENERAL] [NEW FEAT] (FROM COMPLETE 
  WARRIOR) 
  You are familiar with all exotic weapons common to 
  your people. 
   
  Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +1 
   
  Benefit:  You can treat all the exotic weapons 
  associated with your race as martial weapons rather 
  than as exotic weapons.  A weapon is treated as being 
  associated with a race if the race’s name appears as a 
  part of the weapon’s name, such as the elven thinblade 
  or the dwarven urgrosh. 
   
  Normal: Without this feat, you must select the 
  Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat (or have the 
  appropriate weapon familiarity as a racial trait) to 
  eliminate the nonproficiency penalty you take when 
  wielding an exotic weapon associated with your race. 
   
  Special: A fighter may select Improved Weapon 
  Familiarity as one of his fighter bonus feats. 
   
  ELVEN COURTBLADE [NEW WEAPON] (FROM 
  RACES OF THE WILD) 
  Exotic Weapon  
   
  Cost 
  Dmg (S) 
  Dmg (M)   Crit 
            Weight 
  Type 
  Two-Handed Melee Weapons 
   
  Sword, elven courtblade 
  150 gp 
    1d8 
   
     1d10 
     18-20/x2 
  6 lbs 
  Piercing 
  or 
  Slashing 
   
   
  RABIES [NEW DISEASE] 
  Disease Infection DC 
  Incubation 
  Period   
   
  Damage 
  Rabies 
     
  Injury 18 
  1d4 days 
   
  1d4 Wisdom, 1d3 Constitution   
   
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 31 
  
  APPENDIX 3: 
  DM OVERVIEW OF THE SKYROAD 
  WHAT IS THE SKYROAD? 
  The Skyroad is a system of three magical, aerial 
  causeways built to facilitate trade around the lands now 
  known as Verbobonc. 
  Three massive stone towers stand in far-flung spots of the 
  Viscounty. These towers are called Pylons. The Pylons 
  have been obscured by powerful and ancient illusion 
  magic for years, but the old illusions are easily 
  disbelieved once interacted with. Each Pylon looks like 
  an immense chess pawn: it is a thick tapering shaft 
  crowned by a flat platform upon which sits a stone ball 
  forty feet in diameter. The interior of the Pylon is an 
  open area, like would be found in a tall tower or keep. 
  The platform and stone ball are dozens or hundreds of 
  feet off the ground. It is not easy to reach the platform 
  (usually, it requires a long ladder, massive lifting cranes, 
  or magic), but the platform of a Pylon is a safe place. The 
  platforms are sixty feet square, providing plenty of room 
  around the huge sphere attached to the center of the 
  platform. Objects and creatures that walk to the edge of 
  the platform experience a light but strong gust of air that 
  gently pushes them back from the edge. This gust is not 
  strong—a halfling could jump from the platform, if he 
  really wanted to—but it’s powerful enough to keep most 
  objects or creatures from accidentally falling off the 
  platform. 
  The ball is the center of the Pylon’s power. Extending out 
  in a straight line from the ball atop each Pylon is a 
  column of magical energy forty feet wide. This beam of 
  energy is arrow-straight over a hundred miles, 
  connecting each ball to the others. Since there are three 
  Pylons, each Pylon has two beams extending from it to 
  the other two Pylons. These beams create a triangle of 
  magical energy, like aerial ley lines, over the Viscounty. 
  These beams of magical energy are semisolid cylinders of 
  air forty feet wide. These beams are normally invisible, 
  but they show up clearly against mist or rough weather, 
  as the air within the beams is always calm and clear. 
  Items and creatures within the beams are subject to a 
  magical effect much like the air walk spell, allowing them 
  to move within the airy beams as though on solid ground. 
  Creatures can walk up, down, forward or backward 
  within the cylinder quite easily. Unattended objects 
  generally hang in the air wherever they are placed, but 
  they do have momentum; you could throw a rock at 
  someone else while in the column, for example. Pushing 
  into the beam is easy, but pushing back out again is more 
  difficult. Creatures and objects attempting to leave the 
  cylinder experience a gust of air similar to, but more 
  powerful than, the gusts that ward the edges of the 
  platforms on the Pylons. Pushing out of a beam from the 
  inside, or pushing an item out, requires a DC 12 Strength 
  check. 
  The air within the beams is always calm, dry and slightly 
  warm. Rain striking the beam rolls off its sides, keeping 
  those within dry. Strong winds are deflected by the beam, 
  as the air within is always calm. Unpleasant weather 
  effects are an exception to the general rule that items can 
  easily enter one of the beams. This weather-deflecting 
  effect is why the beams are easy to discern in bad weather 
  although they are normally invisible (as they are made of 
  only air and magical energy). Weather effects created 
  within the beams—such as from a gust of wind spell—
  work normally, but if the effect leaves the beam it cannot 
  reenter. 
  TRAVEL ON THE SKYROAD 
  A traveler can easily walk any direction, including up and 
  down, within the beam. Although he is walking on air a 
  hundred feet or more above the ground, he feels firm 
  ground beneath his feet, angled slightly down as though 
  to make walking easier. Even animals can walk within 
  these beams, although most require a little extra training 
  or encouragement in order to overcome the unfamiliar 
  sensation of being high above the ground. 
  Birds and other flying creatures can travel in the beams 
  easily by simply flying, but the gusts of wind can keep 
  very small and weak birds from leaving the beams. 
  Travelers can trap birds captured within the beams fairly 
  easily, and therefore travelers along the beams have a 
  ready source of food while in the beams. Thrusting a 
  hand or a cup outside the beams during a rainstorm 
  allows a traveler to collect clean rainwater to drink. 
  Wagons and carts are particularly easy to use in the 
  beams, since the slight downhill grade makes pulling 
  them easier. Reduce the weight of a wagon, cart, or 
  anything carried inside a wagon or cart by half for the 
  purposes of pulling it, to reflect the ease in pulling it 
  along in the beams. More impressively, a four-wheeled 
  vehicle—such as a wagon or carriage—given a good 
  shove will roll on its own along the beam, picking up 
  speed as it goes. The gust of air is generally sufficient to 
  nudge a wagon straying near the edge of the beam back 
  on track. A wagon will quickly pick up speed over about 
  fifteen minutes until it reaches a top speed of about 30 
  miles an hour (or 300 feet per round). Any conveyance 
  had best have good brakes, or the wagon is sure to smash 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 32 
  
  into splinters against the ball at the other end of its 
  journey. 
  One of the Pylons is found in the Gnarley Forest, several 
  miles east of the town of Taymouth. Another is found 
  high in the Kron Hills, in the isolated hills between the 
  town of Kron and Gallow’s Corner. The third is deep in 
  the Iron Wood, several miles northwest of the town of 
  Glory. The beams are perfectly straight and perfectly 
  horizontal, so the Pylons anchoring the beams to the 
  ground are of different heights. The Pylon in the Gnarley 
  Forest is the tallest, at just under two hundred feet. It 
  rises above all but the tallest trees of that vast wood. The 
  Pylon in the Iron Wood also rises above the mist-
  shrouded trees of that wood, just over one hundred and 
  fifty feet tall. The Kron Hills Pylon is the shortest, as it is 
  set high in the hills, and is only seventy feet above the 
  ground; the ball is larger than the tower it sits on, making 
  this tower look like a huge stone ball on a tall, round base. 
  Traveling the beams is safe and fast. Bandits, rough 
  terrain and bad weather pose no difficulty. At a moderate 
  walking pace, a journey of 100 miles along a beam (from 
  one end of the Viscounty to the other) takes a walking 
  man only four days. In a wagon rolling along on its own, 
  but kept to a reasonably safe speed of 10 miles per hour 
  by regular braking, the journey can be made in a single 
  day. For all these reasons, the beams are popularly called 
  the Skyroad. 
  WHO MADE THE SKYROAD? 
  The Pylons and the Skyroad were built by elven artificers 
  long before the coming of man to the region now called 
  Verbobonc. The elves would lift themselves and their 
  cargo to the tops of the Pylons with a kind of mystic 
  elevator, a modified version of Tenser’s floating disk. 
  The Skyroad was used for generations by the elves, but 
  resistance to its use grew over time. Elven druids saw the 
  artificiality of the Skyroad as a danger, as the Skyroad 
  disrupted natural weather patterns. Worse, some terrible 
  tragedy occurred to the Skyroad system. Perhaps an evil 
  creature siphoned off the immense energies powering 
  the Skyroad and enacted some terrible, long-forgotten 
  ritual. Perhaps the druids sabotaged the Skyroad, causing 
  catastrophic failures (and many deaths by falling). In any 
  case, the Pylons were shut down by the elves and trapped 
  by the druids to prevent anyone from reactivating the 
  Skyroad again. The Pylons were concealed by powerful 
  illusions. 
  In time, knowledge of the Pylons and the Skyroad faded. 
  The 
  once-proud 
  elves 
  retreated 
  into 
  isolated 
  communities. Only a few of their number now remain as 
  the Mist Children elves of the Iron Wood. Their 
  ancestral legends speak, but only in the vaguest terms, of 
  the danger the Pylons represent. 
  The Pylons have stood for hundreds of years, thought by 
  most that have discovered them to be just three more of 
  the mysterious elven ruins that dot the forgotten places 
  of the Viscounty of Verbobonc. None remembered their 
  interconnectedness and significance as the anchors of the 
  Skyroad. 
  MAGISTER HAR AND THE SKYROAD 
  Forty years ago, a young gnome wizard working in a 
  secluded library in the Kron Hills learned of the Skyroad 
  from an ancient elven text. This gnome, named Obble 
  Har, had been performing experiments in collecting the 
  residual magical energies of Verbobonc for years. Obble 
  Har had already discovered that three immense beams of 
  magical energy had been seared through the skies of 
  Verbobonc, centuries old but now powerless. He learned 
  of the Skyroad, the Pylons, and the boon to travel they 
  had been. The clever gnome also realized the Skyroad 
  might have another effect as well, but he kept all of this 
  lore to himself. Perhaps, after many years of preparation, 
  Obble Har could empower the Skyroad again and set his 
  plans into motion… 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 33 
  
  APPENDIX 4: 
  ILLUSTRATIONS 
  LORD ROLAND GALANS 
   
  LORD WENDELL RHYNEHURST 
   
   
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 34 
  
  LORD WILLEM HAXX 
   
  GURTOM STARCHEEK 
   
   
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 35 
  
  LORD SHANNUS OF GLORY 
   
   
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 36 
  
  IRON WOOD PYLON  
   
   
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 37 
  
  APPENDIX 5: 
  LAWS OF THE VISCOUNTY 
  The following is a summary of crimes and penalties in Verbobonc. For more information, refer to the regional campaign 
  document: Laws of the Viscounty: A Guide to Justice in the Viscounty of Verbobonc. This document is available for 
  download on the Verbobonc website at http://www.verbobonc.net 
   
  Crime 
  Class 
  Penalty 
  Arson 
  High 
  500 gp +, 1 TU 
  Assault 
  Low 
  50 gp OR 1,000 gp, 2 TU 
  Banditry 
  High 
  Forfeiture of all possessions, 1 TU per 100 gp of stolen goods. 
  Battery 
  Low 
  200 gp OR 2,000 gp, 10 TU 
  Blackmail 
  High 
  90% of wealth, 26 TU 
  Blasphemy 
  High 
  Public whipping 
  Burglary 
  Low 
  200 gp, 2 TU OR 1,000 gp, 10 TU 
  Destruction of Noble’s Property 
  High 
  Cost of repairs, 1 TU per 1,000 gp of damage 
  Disturbing the Peace 
  Low 
  Up to 450 gp and/or 1 TU 
  Extortion 
  High 
  90% of wealth, 26 TU 
  Forgery 
  Low 
  Confiscation of all possessions, 13 TU, loss of finger 
  Fraud Against a Noble 
  High 
  Forfeiture of all possessions, 26 TU OR death 
  Grave Robbing 
  Low 
  Confiscation of carried goods, 1,000 gp, 5 TU OR confiscation of 
  carried goods, 5,000 gp, 13 TU 
  Impersonation of a Noble 
  High 
  Forfeiture of wealth and all possessions, 52 TU OR death 
  Interfering with the Representative 
  of a Noble 
  Low 
  Up to 300 gp, 4 TU 
  Kidnapping 
  High 
  Confiscation of goods carried, 1,000 gp, 26 TU OR confiscation of 
  goods carried, 10,000 gp fine, 104 TU, and loss of eye and hand. 
  Magical Assault 
  High 
  Confiscation of spellbooks, 500 gp, 4 TU OR confiscation of 
  spellbooks and goods carried, 2,000 gp, 13 TU, and loss of ear. 
  Malicious Mischief 
  Low 
  Up to 1,000 gp, up to 4 TU, and full reimbursement of property 
  value 
  Manslaughter 
  High 
  Forfeiture of all equipment, property, and wealth, 52 TU. 
  Murder 
  High 
  Death 
  Negligent Use of Magic 
  High 
  Confiscation of spellbooks, 500 gp, 4 TU OR confiscation of 
  spellbooks and goods carried, 2,000 gp, 13 TU, and loss of ear. 
  Ownership of Illegal Goods 
  Low 
  Varies 
  Perjury 
  High 
  600 gp, 8 TU 
  Piracy 
  High 
  Confiscation of all wealth, 500 gp, 10 TU OR confiscation of all 
  wealth, 2,000 gp, 26 TU, and loss of eye. 
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 38 
  
  Robbery 
  High 
  Confiscation of goods carried, 1,000 gp, 10 TU OR confiscation of 
  goods carried, 5,000 gp, 26 TU, loss of hand 
  Sedition 
  High 
  13 TU 
  Theft 
  Low 
  Confiscation of goods carried, 200 gp, 5 TU OR confiscation of 
  goods carried, 1,000 gp, 12 TU, loss of finger 
  Treason 
  High 
  Forfeiture of all possessions, property, and wealth, and death by 
  hanging, draw and quartering, or stoning. 
  Trespassing 
  Low 
  20gp – 500 gp 
   
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 39 
  
   MAP 1: 
  MAP OF VERBOBONC 
  This map shows the layout of the central and western portions of the Viscounty of Verbobonc. The adventure begins 
  near Rhynehurst, and ends north of Glory.  The road from Rhynehurst to Glory is approximately 30 miles long. 
   
   
   
   
   
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 40 
  
  MAP 2: 
  PYLONS MAP 
  This map shows the locations of the three Pylons. On this adventure, the PCs travel to the Pylon in the Iron Wood. 
   
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 41 
  
  MAP 3: 
  INSIDE THE PYLON 
  A setup like this can help you keep track of which character is where on the stairs winding up the inside of the Pylon. 
  This map helps with positioning only; the interior of the Pylon is circular and spirals around above itself. The fog cloud 
  trap (“FC”), the fog cloud/sleet storm trap (“FC/SS”) and the summon nature’s ally trap (“SNA”) are indicated on this 
  map. If a character should jump or fall from the stairs, he falls about two-thirds of the distance up the stairs he was 
  located (round down to the nearest 10 feet increment). For example, a character 90 feet up the stairs falls 60 feet straight 
  down to the floor of the tower. A character 150 feet up the stairs falls 100 feet straight down to the floor of the tower. 
  Stair 
  Bottom
  FC
  SNA
  Stair 
  Top
  Platform
  FC/
  SS
   
   
   
  VER7-02 Storm the Dragon’s Bastion 
   
  Page 42 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Verbobonc/597/Normal Scenarios/VER7-02 - Storm the Dragon's Bastion (APL 2-6)/VER7-02 - Storm the Dragon's Bastion.pdf