TEXT: Mysteries of Crystal
  Springs II: 
  Where is Nimar?
  A One-Round D&D 3rd Edition LIVING GREYHAWK™ Adventure
  by Tim White and Gregg Belcher
  A return to Dosselford finds its mayor, the sorcerer Nimar, missing, and more strange events in the Crystal
  Springs. An adventure for levels 1-3
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  the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Any reproductions or unauthorized use of material or artwork
  contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.  This scenario is intended for organized play use
  only and may not be reproduced without approval of the RPGA Network. 
  © 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. 
  Visit our Website at:
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  URC1-05
  
  GETTING STARTED
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  1
  T
  his is an RPGA® Network scenario for the DUNGEONS &
  DRAGONS® game. A four-hour time block has been allocated for
  each round of this scenario, but the actual playing time will be clos-
  er to three hours. The rest of the time is spent in preparation before
  game play, and scoring after the game. The following guidelines are
  here to help you with both the preparation and voting segment of
  the game. Read this page carefully so that you know and can com-
  municate to your players the special aspects of playing an RPGA
  scenario. 
  Preparation
  First you should print this scenario. This scenario was created to
  support double-sided printing, but printing it single sided will
  work as well. There is enough room along the inside margin to
  bind the adventure, if you desire. 
  Read this entire adventure at least once before you run your
  game. Be sure to familiarize yourself with any special rules, spells, or
  equipment presented in the adventure. It may help to highlight par-
  ticularly important passages. 
  When you run an RPGA D&D adventure we assume that you
  have access to the following books: the Player’s Handbook, the
  Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. We also assume
  that you have a set of dice (at least one d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and
  d20), some scrap paper, a pencil, an RPGA scoring packet, and
  your sense of fun. It is also a good idea to have a way to track
  movement during combat. This can be as simple as a pad of graph
  paper and a pencil, as handy as a vinyl grid map and chits, or as
  elaborate as resin dungeon walls and miniatures.
  Instruct the players either to prepare their characters now, or
  wait until you read the introduction, depending on the require-
  ments of the scenario as described in the introduction. 
  Keep in mind that you must have at least four players (not
  counting the DM), for the game session to be a sanctioned RPGA
  event. As well, you cannot have more than seven players partici-
  pating in the game.
  Once you are ready to play, it is handy to instruct each player
  to place a nametag in front of him or her. The tag should have the
  player’s name at the bottom, and the character’s name, race, and
  gender at the top. This makes it easier for the players (and the
  DM) to keep track of who is playing which character.
  The players are free to use the game rules to learn about
  equipment and weapons their characters are carrying. That said,
  you as the DM can bar the use of even core rule books during cer-
  tain times of play. For example, the players are not free to consult
  the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide when confronted with a trap or haz-
  ard, or the Monster Manual when confronted with a monster. 
  Some of the text in this scenario is written so that you may
  present it as written to the players, while other text is for your
  eyes only. Text for the players will be in gray boxes. It’s strongly
  recommended that you paraphrase the player text instead of
  reading it aloud. Some of this text is general and must be adapted
  to the specific situation or to actions of the player characters.
  Scoring
  After the players have completed the scenario or the time allot-
  ted to run the scenario has run out, the players and DM score the
  game. The RPGA has three ways to score its games. Consult your
  convention coordinator to determine which method to use for
  this scenario:
  1-No-vote scoring: The players write their names and RPGA 
  numbers on the scoring packet grid. You fill in the top of the
  grid. That is all. No one is rated. This method is used for 
  people who are just playing for fun.
  2-Partial scoring: The players rate the game master and the 
  scenario on their player voting sheet, and provide personal 
  information, but don’t vote for other players. The game 
  master rates the scenario and completes personal and event 
  information, but does not rate the players as a team or vote for
  players. This method is used when there is no competition, 
  but the event coordinator wants information on how 
  the game masters are performing, or the game master wants 
  feedback on his or her own performance.
  3-Voting: Players and game masters complete the entire packet, 
  including voting for best player. If this method is used, be 
  sure to allow about 15-20 minutes for the players to briefly 
  describe their characters to the other players, and about 5-10
  minutes for voting. This method is used when the players 
  want to know who played the “best” amongst the group, or 
  when the adventure is run in tournament format with 
  winners and prizes. 
  When using voting, rank the players in order of your voting
  choice while they are completing their forms, so that you are not
  influenced by their comments on your abilities. It’s a good idea to
  have the players vote while you determine treasure and experi-
  ence awards for the scenario. 
  After voting, give the Scoring Packet to your event coordina-
  tor.
  
  GETTING STARTED
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  2
  T
  his is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure. As a LIVING™ adven-
  ture, it is expected that players will bring their own charac-
  ters with them. If players do not have a LIVING GREYHAWK char-
  acter generated, get a copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK char-
  acter generation guidelines, a character sheet, and a LIVING
  GREYHAWK log sheet from your convention coordinator or the
  RPGA Web site, and then have any players without a character
  create one. Once all players have a LIVING GREYHAWK character,
  play can begin. 
  Along with the other materials that you are assumed to have
  in order to run a D&D game, it is also recommended that you
  have a copy of the LIVING GREYHAWK Gazetteer.
  LIVING GREYHAWK Tier Structure
  Because players bring their own characters to LIVING GREYHAWK
  campaigns, this adventure is tiered. Basically, the challenges in this
  adventure are proportioned to the average character level of the
  characters participating in the adventure. To determine the tier
  that you will use to run this adventure, add the character levels of
  all the characters. In addition, add the levels of any cohorts or ani-
  mals according to the values on their certificates. Cross-reference
  the total and the number of players participating in the game
  using the chart below to determine the tier used for this adven-
  ture.
  4 players
  5 players
  6 players
  7 players
  Lvl Cap
  T1:
  4-12
  5-13
  6-14
  7-15
  4th 
  T2:
  13-22
  14-24
  15-26
  16-28
  6th 
  The level cap indicated is the highest level of character allowed
  to play this adventure. Characters of levels higher than the
  highest level shown for the highest tier cannot be played.
  Lifestyle
  At the beginning of every scenario, each PC is required to
  pay upkeep costs matching the level of lifestyle they wish to
  maintain. The lifestyles, and the effects that each has on play,
  are:
  Destitute
  You have no living space, and must carry all your
  gear everywhere. You eat poor quality food. You
  wear a peasant outfit, your only change of clothes.
  Poor
  You sleep in poor accommodations, and eat poor
  quality food. You wear a peasant outfit, and have
  two sets of clothing.
  Common
  You have common lodgings, and eat common
  quality food. You have normal clothing for your
  profession (adventuring); nothing fancy. You prob-
  ably have two or three sets of clothing.
  High
  You stay in good quality lodgings, and eat good
  quality food. You wear anything in value up to
  courtier’s outfits, and generally buy a new set of
  clothing every two weeks.
  Luxury
  You have luxurious accommodations (twice the
  cost of good accommodations), and you eat excel-
  lent foods. You can throw a banquet for your
  friends every day, and frequently do. You wear
  clothing up to the value of noble’s outfit, and buy
  a new set of clothes every week. 
  Lifestyles come with bonuses or penalties to Diplomacy,
  Intimidate, Disguise, and Bluff skill checks. These penalties,
  shown below, should be applied at the DM’s discretion, and can
  sometimes backfire—for example, a PC with a poor lifestyle
  would not have a penalty when talking to a beggar, but would
  when talking to a city official. A PC with a high lifestyle should
  have a penalty when dealing with a group of street thugs, where
  a PC with a destitute lifestyle might not.
  DMs are encouraged to role-play these reactions whenever
  possible.
  Lifestyle
  Cost
  Skill Modifier
  Destitute
  14 sp
  -2
  Poor
  43 sp
  -1
  Common
  12 gp
  0
  High
  250 gp
  +1
  Luxury
  500 gp
  +2
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  3
  DM Synopsis
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs
  Crystal Springs is a hilly area in the County of Urnst marked by
  an abundance of strange brittle blue-veined crystal. It is located
  in the extreme southeast of the county, at the Nyrond boarder.
  The waters of the Franz River flow from its crystalline hills. The
  origin of the area and its strange inhabitants is the stuff of rumor
  and conjectur, as are the powers that the crystals found at the
  springs may or may not have. 
  Dossleford is the nearest  settlement to the springs. This small
  town sits along a low and rocky point of the Franz’s flow, a point
  that has been utilized as a ford crossing for generations. The
  mayor of Dosselford, a sorcerer named Nimar, has lived in the
  town for many years, and spends much of his time researching
  Crystal Springs.
  The Mysteries of Crystal Springs adventure series explores
  the nature of the springs, and gives brave adventurers a chance to
  have a hand in taming the dangerous inhabitants of the place.
  In this part of the series the PCs will get their first inkling
  that the springs are actually a gigantic complex of crystalline
  chambers and passages that were once inhabited by a strange
  race.
  In addition, forces from elsewhere in tbe county are seeking
  to use the powers of the Springs for their own evil ends, a fact
  that the PCs will eventually discover and deal with.
  DM’s Synopsis
  Part II
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs: Part I introduced the PCs to the town
  of Dosselford, its mayor Nimar, and the Crystal Springs area in
  general. In that adventure a large group of duergar had been paid
  by an agent from Radigast City to raid the surface. They used tun-
  nels under the Crystal Springs as a base. The PCs stopped the ini-
  tial foray of the dark dwur onto the surface.
  The PCs could not explore the deeper recesses of the caverns
  in Part I because of a magical seal that was erected long ago to
  keep the denizens of the Underdark where they belong. The
  Duergar bypassed the seal using magical pendants given to them
  by the agent from Radigast City, but the PCs could not bypass the
  complicated locks in the first Crystal Springs adventure.
  In this adventure, the PCs return to the Dosselford. Either
  Nimar has asked them to return to continue their investigation
  of the dark dwur invasion, or they are a new group of adventures
  who have come to Dosselford for whatever reason tickles their
  fancy. Nimar thought he’d have the puzzles of the plug solved by
  now. In truth, he did just open the plug, but made a mistake and
  was trapped in stasis as he unlocked the final lock.
  In this adventure the PCs will rescue Nimar by venturing
  deeper into the caves, and retrieving a magic item that can dispel
  the stasis, the chime of portals. They will also learn more of the con-
  spiracy that put the dark dwur up to their invasion.
  This scenario will be exposition and roleplaying at the begin-
  ning, a dungeon crawl in the middle, and a running battle at the
  end, ending with the plug slamming shut again. The final
  encounter sets the PCs up to return after Nimar has opened the
  seal again.
  Timeline Part II
  Introduction-Gathering in Weathertoe’s. The PCs gather in
  Weathertoe’s to reminisce about their last adventure in
  Dosselford, and to hang out with Ronco and Melinda. They may
  be there to meet Nimar, but he is no where to be found.
  Encounter 1 – A Familiar Note. Grinx, Nimar’s familiar, sud-
  denly appears in Weathertoe’s with a scroll case tied to his
  back. The scroll is a message from Nimar that tells the PCs that
  something has happened and asks them to come to Crystal
  Springs.
  Encounter 2 - Travel. It takes the PCs two days to travel to the
  plug. They can spend the night in a farmer’s barn. 
  Encounter 3 - The Plug. The PCs find Nimar encased in some
  sort of crystal shell. He is able to ask the PCs to find the chime of
  portals. He believes the chime can set him free.
  Encounter 4 - Crystal Spiders. The PCs come across the bodies
  of a number of dead dwur. The nearby spiders are hungry, and the
  PCs may become their next meal. 
  Encounter 5 - Spying. The group comes upon a group of duer-
  gar discussing their plans with a mysterious agent. If the PCs are
  stealthy they may learn some valuable information.
  Encounter 6 - Cave Trap. The PCs travel through a cave infest-
  ed with darkmantles. If they leaned some of the information in
  Encounter 5, they might be able to traverse the cave safely. If not,
  they will have to use their wits to come through the cave
  unscathed. 
  Encounter 7 - Carnage. The group comes upon a duergar camp,
  which was recently wiped out by something nasty (xorn). They
  can dig through the remains, find the chime of  portals and other
  items related to the seal. The PCs also may find more incriminat-
  ing evidence that points to a conspiracy in the area. The xorn
  returns as they prepare to exit. A battle and/or chase ensues.
  Encounter 8 - Free Nimar. The party can use the chime of portals
  to free Nimar.
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  4
  Conclusion - Back to Dosselford. The PCs return with
  Nimar to Dosselford, and drink heartily at the Ticklish Trout.
  The local cleric, Kewana of Pelor, is there to patch up Nimar
  and the party 
  DM Notes for Part II
  The suggested lengths for each encounter are just that: sugges-
  tions. The times are suggestions based on the writer’s playtest
  experience of how long the PCs should spend on each encounter.
  This will help you plan breaks, and let you know when you
  should start wrapping up an encounter in order to finish the
  adventure. Remember, don’t ruin people’s roleplaying by rushing
  them along, but know when to start wrapping up an encounter
  and move on.
  Player’s Introduction to Part II
  As winter slips her cool mantle comfortably around the shoul-
  ders of the County of Urnst, you have found your way to the
  remote town of Dosselford. Although it is far from the capital,
  Radigast City, and the bustling activity of the Nyr Dyv coast,
  Dosselford does have it’s own rural attractions.
  Located in the southeastern corner of the County of Urnst,
  Dosselford sits on the Franz River, which is the border between
  the County and Nyrond. Because of its location it is an important
  trade town. It is also the only major settlement for many miles,
  and so the local free peasants travel to Dosselford on a regular
  basis, sell their wares and buy the supplies they can’t make at
  home.
  Some of you are returning here to once again assist the town’s
  mayor, the sorcerer Nimar, in stemming the tide of an imminent
  dark dwur invasion. Others have heard about the need for strong
  folk to keep the area safe and are visiting the trading town for the
  first time. All of you have heard increasing rumors that the
  source of the Franz River, the Crystal Springs, has mysteries of
  it’s own. 
  Although the local tavern, The Ticklish Trout, is a fine estab-
  lishment, each of you is currently browsing the overstuffed
  shelves of the renowned Weathertoe’s general store and enjoying
  its comfortable atmosphere. Some of you chat with each other or
  the halfling proprietor Ronco Weathertoe and his charming
  daughter Melinda. The halflings welcome those who are return-
  ing to their town as both heroes and friends and those who are
  new with warm smiles and comfortable chairs close  to the
  warming fire. 
  Allow the players to introduce their characters to their adventur-
  ing companions. The PCs also should decide how they came to
  Dosselford, and may want to tell newcomers to the area about
  their last adventure in this area. For those PCs who played in
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs: Part I, the answer is simple; Nimar
  asked them to come back. 
  Weathertoe’s has a large fireplace with several overstuffed
  chairs arranged in front of it, and adventurers are encouraged to
  have a seat and stay a while to tell tales about their adventures.
  Weathertoe’s isn’t very organized. Its wares are in piles of
  loosely assorted stuff. Many of the piles teeter near ceiling
  height. PCs trying to dig through the piles themselves risk heavy
  helmets or worse toppling down upon them. Ronco and Melinda
  know every pile inside and out, and can guide characters to any-
  thing they need. Weathertoe’s has most items in the Player’s
  Handbook for listed price, although Ronco likes to make deals
  (see his description below).
  Ronco Weathertoe (male halfling Rog5; age 45; Bluff +5, Sense
  Motive +4): Ronco is a gregarious fellow, an ex-adventurer who
  settled in Dosselford to raise his family. He spent many of his
  later adventuring years travelling with Nimar, and knows the sor-
  cerer well. Like most halflings in the County of Urnst, Ronco
  speaks with a thick Minnesotan accent (think Fargo, or better yet,
  Drop Dead Gorgeous). He has had many adventures, which includ-
  ed a great deal of dungeon delving. If the temple of Zodal is men-
  tioned, he will let on that some of his cousins work there, and
  that his is a great fan of the priests of Zodal who “saved his bacon
  many times, don’t ya know.” If he notices anyone flirting serious-
  ly with Melinda, he will try to gently discourage things from
  going too far.
  Ronco is well known for his strange bargaining practices. He
  loves to haggle and deal, and his bargains are multi-layered,
  sometimes arbitrary, and always very complex. Somehow his
  goods always end up with the buyer paying exactly the going
  price for the items (i.e. the Player’s Handbook price).
  Melinda Weathertoe (female halfling, Exp1; age 19; Perform
  (sing) +4, Spot +4, Search +4): Melinda helps her father run the
  store, and chafes under his protective “custody.” She is very flirta-
  tious, and that aggravates her father to no end. She tends to stick
  to the shorter males, especially halflings, but she will flirt with
  almost anyone in order to goad her father. She knows the shop
  very well, and can help anyone find anything in the big piles with
  no problems. Although she wants to break away from her father,
  she does love him dearly, and isn’t sure that the life of adventurer
  is for her. (She’s seen too many wounded adventures over the
  years). She is contemplating a career as a bard, but hasn’t really put
  her heart into it as of yet. She does have a very nice singing voice.
  She really likes to bat her eyes, and is known for teasing adven-
  turers mercilessly. She is an attractive halfling, and even humans
  find her proportions and wiggle pleasing. If there are any bards in
  the group, particularly any halfling bards, she will question them
  about the life of a traveling bard in the County of Urnst. Melinda
  also has a Minnesotan accent (see info for Ronco above), although
  it is a little less noticeable, since Melinda has lived among humans
  much of her life here in Dosselford.
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  5
  Encounter 2: A Familiar Note
  Suggested Length: 10-15 minutes
  You are enjoying your pleasant morning in Weathertoe’s. Some of
  you are warming yourselves by the fire, others shopping the dis-
  arrayed piles of goods scattered throughout the store.
  Suddenly, you hear a horrible meowing sound, and an orange
  cat jumps down from a rafter to the top of a nearby pile of torch-
  es. It nimbly jumps down collapsing the pile and then quickly
  pads over toward Melinda, meowing loudly. The falling torches
  start a chain reaction, and stuff from all over the store starts
  falling and rolling all over the floor. 
  As you try to maintain your footing throughout the mayhem,
  you notice that the cat has a scrollcase tied to its collar.
  This is Grinx, Nimar’s familiar. It has come to Weatertoe’s by the
  commands of its master, who is currently imprisoned in Crystal
  Springs. 
  Grinx and Melinda are old friends, and he will look to
  Melinda for comforting after his harrowing travel from Crystal
  Springs. Melinda will call him to her by name, and pet him firm-
  ly. She will open the note, but give it to a PC to read, as she has
  her hands full with Grinx.
  Once she is holding him, he will purr loudly.
  The note, which is provided at the end of the scenario, is
  included here for your convenience.
  Dear Friends:
  If you receive this, then something has gone horribly wrong, and
  I am no longer conscious.
  As I write this, I am working on the final phase of opening
  the seal that we found six months ago.
  Please come to the cave in Crystal Springs with due haste,
  and if nothing else, return my body to Dosselford for proper bur-
  ial.
  Do be careful. If something was strong enough to overwhelm
  me, you should proceed with utmost caution.
  Hopefully I was able to scrawl or otherwise seal a final mes-
  sage to you somewhere near where I fell.
  Thank you, heroes,
  Nimar
  Assuming the PCs agree to help (perhaps after a bit of question-
  ing) you can move on.
  If need be Ronco will be happy to draw a rough map of where
  the PCs are going. This map is not provided in the adventure as it
  consists of rough scribbles and Ronco’s verbal direction:
  “Follow the river eastward until you see the springs, then find the
  big canyon and the wreck of the dark dwur camp, and go into the
  cave.”
  He also will provide a map of the caverns that Nimar gave him
  before he left—this map is provided at the end of the scenario.
  As far as Ronco knows, not much has changed around the
  springs since the last time the PCs explored the area (if they
  played the first Crystal Springs adventure). He went there with
  Nimar right after the heroes left from their last excursion to
  make sure the dark dwur weren’t back. He can also tell the PCs
  that the patrols in the area have been increased since they have
  left. Neither his and Nimar’s outing nor the patrol reports have
  yielded any sign of the duergar. 
  Melinda does remember one person heading to the springs
  about a month ago. The man was carrying a very heavy chest, and
  wore his hood down the few times she interacted with him, but
  she does remember that he had a very smooth and cultured voice
  (the kind of thing a singer would notice). There was something
  she did not like about him, but she tends not to trust people who
  don’t show their face: “It is just plain rude, don’t ya know.”
  Ronco will give the group a potion of neutralize poison and five
  potions of cure light wounds. They are the only healing he has
  around, and Nimar may need all the help he can get. If Nimar
  does not need them, the PCs can use them if needed during their
  rescue mission, but only if Nimar doesn’t need them. 
  If the PCs are split on whether or not they want to rescue
  Nimar (after all, there is thus far no mention of compensation for
  the mission) then Ronco will listen intently to any debate or con-
  versation about the issue. He will not give out his healing magic
  to the group, but instead will place the bundle in the pouch of the
  PC who he considers the most honorable, trustworthy, and sin-
  cere in their desire to come to Nimar’s aid. He also will place a lit-
  tle note detailing his opinons on how the items should be used. 
  Encounter 2: Travel
  Suggested Length: 10-20 minutes
  Take some time to describe the winter countryside along the
  Franz. For the first half-day of travel the party will see various
  farms, a couple of hamlets, and at least one manor house off in
  the distance. Most of these are calm, cool and serene in their snug
  blanket of snow. Travel will be slow in the snowy shade, or
  muddy on the sunny trail along the river. The Franz rides low in
  its banks, awaiting the spring thaw to swell its flow.
  By afternoon, farms and settlements are less and less frequent
  until it has been an hour or so since you saw the last cottage in
  the distance. By late in the afternoon a cold rain starts to fall and
  the temperature drops quickly. The wind cuts you to the bone as
  you realize that a serious storm is on the way. You feel the cold
  wind, and look at your gear with skepticism, wondering how well
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  6
  it will protect you. You do see a small farm up ahead through the
  cold driving rain. There appears to be a light in the window.
  Larf Cobblerson, who came to the edge of civilized Urnst to start
  anew, owns the farm. He lives here with his wife, Anel, who
  moved here with him from Brotton, and his two sons, Mager and
  Folum, both of whom were born here. Larf distrusts strangers. He
  is wanted in Brotton for theft and constantly fears that someone
  will find him and haul him away from his new crime-free life.
  Thus, he tries to keep his face turned away or in shadow while
  the PCs are in his presence. If pressed, he will show his face to
  them, and they will not recognize him. Even if there are law
  enforcement officers from Brotton among the PCs, Larf’s crime
  was so small that everyone has forgotten it. It lives on only in
  Larf’s guilty conscience. Anel, on the other hand, misses the
  company of other people and will welcome the party with open
  arms. After the party is invited in, Anel will recognize those who
  stopped the duergar invasion in Crystal Springs: Part I. The boys
  will want to know all about the PCs’ adventures and ask swords-
  men among the PCs if they will show them how to wield a sword.
  Anel will treat the party as very important visitors. Larf scowls at
  the more knightly looking members, concerned that they are
  here to take him away from his family. 
  Anel will offer a simple meal of turnip soup to the PCs, along
  with some freshly baked bread. She will then insist that the PCs
  spend the night in the barn. Larf puts up some argument, but in
  the end yields to his wife’s wishes. Do not spend too much time
  on this encounter, especially if the party has already done a lot of
  roleplaying with the Weathertoes.
  Development: If asked about Nimar Anel will say:
  Well, there was a stranger that stopped here about a month ago.
  I think he was headed toward the Springs. He was very stern and
  curt, and he demanded that we serve him. We were happy to do
  so as any good family would for a traveler, but he lacked courtesy.
  He kept his hood down the whole time, but I could feel his per-
  petual scowl. The boys were very frightened of him. 
  If asked for anything else she can remember about him:
  Well, now that I think about it, he had a very large ring on his
  right hand with some sort of crest on it that I couldn’t make
  out—some kind of bird I think.
  That’s all she can remember. She doesn’t know what kind of bird
  it was, and doesn’t remember any other details.
  Note that if no one asks about anything strange, Larf will
  grumble about “all the strangers that have been through here
  lately” as a way to introduce the topic.
  If the group treats the Cobblersons respectfully, they will be
  treated well in return. If not, they will be rushed out of the house
  as quickly as possible. Also, if a good impression is made, the
  Cobblersons will help the PCs in the future. If any PC makes a
  spectacularly good or bad impression, be sure to write up the PC
  and player’s name and information and send it to the Triad for
  inclusion in a future scenario or newsletter.
  The next morning, the PCs will reach the edge of Crystal
  Springs some time around midmorning. The hills and spires,
  boulders and gravel are all made of brittle blue-veined quartz.
  The edge of the area is well defined—the crystals just coming
  right up out of the snowy dirt. There is little vegetation within
  the crystal area, and the snow has completely melted off the crys-
  tals themselves. The battle against the duergar, detailed in the
  first Crystal Springs scenario took place in a 200 foot-deep canyon
  within the crystal area. At the far end of that canyon are the
  remains of the duergar encampment. This area of the canyon is
  littered with the remnants of thick black tents and the remains of
  a gigantic wheeled black crossbow. There is nothing of value
  here. If a tracking is attempted (DC 10), the only tracks lead to a
  cave beyond the tents. They are of a human male (Nimar).
  The party should head directly to area J, but in case they wish
  to explore, the details of the areas explored in Crystal Springs Part
  I are given. Make it clear to the PCs that they need not explore
  these caverns. Ronco has provided a map to the location of
  Nimar. Do not waste time on this area unless the PCs really want
  to re-explore what they have already been though. Assume that
  all of the monsters present in these caves in the first Crystal
  Springs are now gone.
  Unlike most caverns, this one is almost too well lit, and you have
  to squint to keep your footing on the polished crystal floor. You
  are pretty sure that trying to run on this would be impossible.
  A. This area is filled with many stalactites and stalagmites. Water
  trickles down the walls of this cavern by way of hundreds of
  small holes. The entire floor is submerged with water. The water
  is as deep as three feet in some places, and as shallow as one in
  others. There are many deep sinkholes concealed beneath the
  slow-moving water. 
  B. The passage splits here around a huge column of crystal that
  must reach through to the surface, since it is dimly lit from with-
  in. On one side of the column there is a 7-foot deep pool, and the
  other hooks around the column and continues south, with a fork
  that heads east toward area C. 
  C. Off to the side of the main cavern, separated by a short water-
  fall over large hunks of broken crystal, is a 2- to 3-foot deep pool.
  The walls of the cavern above the pool are similar to those in area
  A. 
  D. Just before this area, the floor rises above the level of the water,
  and little waves lap against the floor. There is a thick vein of iron
  ore running through the crystal which starts just outside this
  area and runs along the wall into this area. 
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  7
  E. This area is an empty cavern.
  F. There is an open, 25-foot long passage leading up from the
  main cavern that rises out of the water and into this area. This
  area was a torture chamber and prison for those the duergar
  found sneaking about their hole or within the Crystal Springs
  area. They converted the cavern to this purpose months ago, and
  it has been abandoned since the dark dwur were forced to leave
  the caverns. There are six sets of manacles chained to the wall.
  Another feature of this cavern is a thin crevasse that winds up to
  the surface and provides ventilation for the fires the duergar once
  lit here. 
  G. This smooth-walled natural crystal chamber (roof 7-feet high
  on average), is roofed in a gleaming mess of needle-like stalac-
  tites over a damp floor.
  Any PC searching the area might (Search, DC 20) find a small
  crawlspace (area H) entrance on the southeast wall. From this
  crawlspace the PCs can feel a faint breeze and hear the sound of
  running water. 
  H. This is a narrow and damp crawlspace. It is slimy with muck
  and follows a twisting path. Medium-sized characters wearing
  any armor better than studded leather will have to remove their
  armor to squeeze through, and packs will have to be pushed
  ahead of the character. Toward the east end of the crawlspace the
  PCs will see a flickering blue and white light, and the sound of
  running water becomes much louder there.
  I. This huge cathedral-like cavern contains one of the springs that
  feed the Franz River. Water gushes up from the floor at the far
  end of the chamber. Beyond the geyser is a hole and beyond that
  hole the cavern continues. 
  On the roof of the chamber there is a forest of multicolored
  stalactites of varying shapes and sizes—from thin straws to huge
  fluted deposits—and most reach down to touch a corresponding
  stalagmite, thus forming distorted pillars and columns. The walls
  of the cavern are lined with fantastic glistening translucent cal-
  cite deposits that are shaped by nature into strange forms and
  grottoes. Water drips continuously form the roof and runs in
  small rivulets down the walls.
  J: A 6-foot by 30-foot corridor that terminates in a large (60-foot
  diameter) cave. At the far end of the cave is a strange door (see
  Appendix A: The Plug for description). 
  Proceed to Encounter 3.
  Encounter 3:
  The Plug
  Suggested Length: 10-15 minutes
  Use this description when the party enters area J of Encounter 2.
  You arrive at the circular door that seals the upper caverns from
  the lower world of the Dark Dwur. That door stands wide open.
  Nimar clearly succeeded in opening the seal. Beside the door is a
  large crystal pillar that wasn’t there before. 
  Looking closer, you see that Nimar is encased inside the pil-
  lar, which apparently is some sort of crystal prison. It is difficult
  to see clearly through the thick crystal, but you think that his
  eyes are moving.
  The creators of the door designed a final magical trap into its lock
  that Nimar failed to fully understand; anyone opening the door
  without the proper key (i.e. an amulet or the chime of portals)
  would be encased in crystal. Nimar had managed to avoid all the
  other traps, but fell to this final one. He is encased in a nearly
  unbreakable crystal. 
  The crystal encasing Nimar is light blue and rather thick. The
  PCs would have to dig at least one foot just to get to Nimar, and
  even if they could, doing so may collapse the entire crystal,
  which could either hurt or kill the sorcerer. Upon closer inspec-
  tion, the PCs might find (Search, DC 12) that there is a point at
  the top where the crystal is clear and only about an inch thick. At
  the top, the crystal is pocked with tiny holes that let air in and
  out. The crystal in this area has a hardness of 8 and 12 hp. The
  clear crystal area is about two inches, much too small to get
  Nimar out, but once the party breaks through this area, they will
  be able to speak with him. Nimar’s voice is weak. He has been
  trapped in the crystal for two days. He has not had food or water
  and is unable to move.
  “Thank you. I appear to be rather stuck, and I’m afraid you will be
  unable free me without magical help. I should have listened to
  Trular. Now, I’m going to need those magical chimes that he
  mentioned.” 
  At this point, the party should have a number of questions.
  Nimar will gladly answer any and all, although he would appre-
  ciate a drink first.
  •
  Who’s Trular? A Diviner who assists me from time to time. 
  Unfortunately Trular is “away for a while, far from here.” 
  (Trular cannot be contacted in this scenario).
  •
  What did Trular tell you? Many things, but most important
  was “He who opens the portal must have the keys or chimes”.
  •
  What are the chimes? I wish I knew. In the runes on the 
  door they are called the chimes of the seal. From what I under
  stand, they, or some other special keys are needed to safely 
  open this seal. I am hoping that they can also free me from 
  this prison.
  •
  Do you know where the chimes or keys are? Trular said 
  that the duergar probably have them now. They were con-
  structed long ago by those who built the seal. Hopefully, they
  are down below. 
  •
  How many duergar are below? I don’t know. Try to avoid as
  many direct fights as possible. Discretion may be the best 
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  8
  tactic. If the duergar have them, they are probably in 
  the possession of the chief priest or shaman. I wish I had 
  more precise information.
  Nimar will continue to answer questions as best he can, and he
  will eventually fill in any information that the party does not ask
  about. Nimar will stress to the party that the caves below are most
  likely very dangerous and it will be best to avoid combat when-
  ever possible.
  After the party decides to continue, they will notice a stair-
  way leading down into the darkness past the plug. Apparently the
  passages below aren’t lit by the translucent crystal as are the
  upper caves. The PCs will need a light source. The stairs are clear-
  ly not naturally occurring, but seem to be formed of a darker ver-
  sion of the same crystal as they caves they are in.
  After the PCs are ready to move on, Nimar loses conscious-
  ness. He will appear to be mumbling something incomprehensi-
  ble as he blacks out.
  Encounter 4: Crystal Spiders
  Suggested Length: 15-20 minutes
  You carefully move down the stairs, alert for who knows what
  kind of horrible dangers you will find below. On the way down
  you note the walls and steps are carved from a very smooth pol-
  ished smoky crystal. It takes a while, but you reach the bottom of
  your careful decent.
  At the bottom, in the dim light, you see a dark dwur standing
  some 20 feet down the passage! 
  The duergar the PCs see in not alive. The corpse is suspended in
  a crystalline web spun by a crystal spider. This female and her
  young recently moved up into this passage from their own home
  in the depths below. They have not eaten since they drained the
  duergar three days ago. A squad of duergar was sent up to check
  on the status of the surface three days ago, and one of them was
  captured and eaten. The other two retreated. The dwur captain’s
  husk remains in the web, where he was snared while scouting
  ahead of the group. The remainder of the squad retreated to a
  room deeper in the complex (Encounter 5). They are too far away
  to overhear a combat in this area.
  The web is extremely hard to see in the dim light (Spot, DC
  21), and extends completely across the corridor. The dwur was
  snared as he was walking forward, and since the cocoon around
  him is also completely transparent, at first glance he still looks
  like he is walking forward. 
  Very bright light (such as a flare, fireball, or the like) will lower
  the DC to spot the web to 16.
  The staircase opens into a 10-foot wide passage that is about
  40 feet long. The web is about halfway along the passage. The spi-
  ders have hollowed out niches in the ceiling of the passage direct-
  ly above the web, and are hiding there, ready to pounce.
  The web can be cut, but it takes a PC 2 rounds to cut a hole
  just big enough to move though due to the extreme stickiness of
  the strands. A successful Reflex save (DC 15) is required when
  passing though such a hole to avoid being caught and stuck in
  the web for a round. Anyone thus caught who is shoved through
  from behind will end up fully gripped in the web, requiring a suc-
  cessful Strength or Escape Artist check (DC 17) to escape. 
  If anyone attacks the dead dwarf with a melee weapon that
  weapon will become stuck to the web, and it must be freed
  (Strength check, DC 15). Note that ranged weapons fired will
  appear to have the usual effect, whisking through the sticky
  strands because of their small size and increased velocity.
  The spiders will remain hidden in their niche until as many
  characters as possible are involved with the web. They will then
  descend on the group, with the mother choosing the most heav-
  ily armored member of the group as her target.
  PCs looking up can make a Spot check (DC 21) to detect the
  spiders, but it is difficult since the spiders blend in with the ceil-
  ing. 
  Searching the bodies will yield 6 gp of County mint, and a
  stone medallion. The stone medallion is one of the keys for the
  portals in the Crystal Springs. They are currently attuned to dark
  dwur and will not function in the hands of PCs. Because of this
  the PCs cannot use the key to break Nimar out of his prison. 
  Crystal Spider notes: These are Monstrous Spiders (MM p. 210)
  that have been mutated by their exposure to the strange crystals
  of the springs. They are almost completely translucent, and their
  inner workings are completely displayed, including their glow-
  ing green poison sacs. Their chitin is studded with bits of black
  crystal.
  Tier 1 (EL 1)
  Medium-Size Monstrous Spider (Crystal) (1): CR 1; Medium-
  Size Vermin; HD 2d8+2; hp 11; Init +3 (Dex); Spd 30 ft., climb 20
  ft.; AC 14 (+3 Dex, +1 natural); Atks +4 melee (1d6+poison, bite)
  SA web, poison; SQ vermin; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +0
  Str 11, Dex 17, Con 12, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 2
  Skills: Climb +12, Hide +10, Jump +0, Spot +7; Feats: Weapon
  Finesse (bite).
  SA Poison (Ex)—DC 14; Initial and secondary damage 1d4 Str;
  Web (Ex)—spiders can lower themselves silently on silk strands
  and leap onto prey passing beneath. A single strand is strong
  enough to support the spider and one creature of the same size. 
  SQ Vermin—immune to mind-influencing effects. 
  Small-Size Monstrous Spider (Crystal, young) (1): CR 1/2;
  Small-Size Vermin; HD 1d4; hp 4; Init +3 (Dex); Spd 30 ft., climb
  20 ft.; AC 14 (+3 Dex, +1 natural); Atks +4 melee (1d4-2+poison,
  bite) SA web, poison; SQ vermin; AL N; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will
  +0
  Str 7, Dex 17, Con 10, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 2
  Skills: Climb +10, Hide +14, Jump -2, Spot +7; Feats: Weapon
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  9
  Finesse (bite).
  SA Poison (Ex)—DC 11; Initial and secondary damage 1d3 Str;
  Web (Ex)—spiders can lower themselves silently on silk strands
  and leap onto prey passing beneath. A single strand is strong
  enough to support the spider and one creature of the same size. 
  SQ Vermin—immune to mind-influencing effects.
  Tier 2 (EL 4)
  Medium-Size Monstrous Spider (Crystal) (1): Use stats above. 
  Small-Size Monstrous Spider (Crystal, young) (4): Use stats
  above. 
  Encounter 5: Spying
  Suggested Length: 10-20 minutes
  As you travel down the corridor beyond the spiders, the crystal
  changes color to a more yellowish hue. The yellow crystal gives
  off a faint and eerie yellow light that makes you all appear jaun-
  diced. Still, it is just enough light to see by. Twenty feet past the
  spider webs the tunnel opens into a rough-hewn natural cavern.
  A successful Listen check (DC 16) reveals the sounds from a con-
  versation ahead. 
  Proceeding forward, you see a squad of duergar standing in a
  group toward the back of the cave. There are more than a dozen
  of them. They all look nervous, and some glance briefly toward
  your direction, but the yellow light seems to prevent them from
  spotting you. They do not notice you—yet. Some of them are
  enlarged, and pace around toward the back of the group. There
  are two exits from the cave. One is just inside the cave off to the
  right, the other is behind the squad.
  Assuming that the party does not immediately declare that they
  are attacking, the PCs have a chance of picking up a conversation
  between a duergar sergeant and someone in the shadows. Have
  each PC make a Listen check. Depending on the roll, provide the
  following information. The pair is conversing in common,
  although the duergar speaks in thick Slavic-type accents.
  From your position near the dark dwur, you see a tall, cloaked
  figure in the shadows near the exit on the other side of the cav-
  ern. You cannot make out his face due to the hood pulled down
  over his face. He is talking to one the Duergar. 
  Listen DC 10:
  Cloaked Figure: “Barok, shouldn’t we go back to your camp?”
  Duergar: “What, and tell the big boss that we weren’t able to kill spi-
  ders? I have already been shamed. Those foul humans beat me. He
  would kill me for sure.”
  Cloaked Figure: “Then help me get past the spiders and out of here.”
  Duergar: “Did you see what those things did ta th’ captain? No way
  we will fight them! The captain also had only way to open the door.”
  Listen DC-12:
  Cloaked Figure: “Alright, I have to get out of here and report
  back. If you want your money, we’ll have to go back and get a bal-
  lista to kill those bugs. I’ll keep your boss from killing you out-
  right.”
  Listen DC-17 (They will notice gesture even if they miss the roll):
  Duergar: “All right, but we’re going the long way.” He motions to
  the exit on the far side of the cave from you. “I’m not going back
  to camp that way.” He points at the passage inside the cave to your
  right. “Even if you take the right path those things sometimes
  still fall on you. Ugh.”
  Listen DC-19 (quieter)
  “Fine – I’m leaving. You get the chime from your boss back at
  your camp, and use it to continue your raids. You will be paid in
  full when the raids actually happen.”
  Listen DC-20 (whisper)
  Duergar: “The big boss says that you pay us much to attack sur-
  face folk, but I don’t think it’s enough. If I ran the clan, we
  wouldn’t work with surface scum like you! Hrumph. For now we
  go.” The cloaked figure hands something to the dwarf.
  Listen DC-25 (under breath comment)
  Cloaked Figure: “You had better do better than last time. His lord-
  ship does not appreciate failure.”
  After the conversation, the dwur become organized and head
  down the passage away from the party. Tell the party that there is
  no light down that passage. The cloaked figure will be blocked
  from missile fire at all times by enlarged duergar. He will lead the
  group down the passage.
  If the party chooses to attack, they are in for a rough time of
  it. The duergar will consider this an invasion and fight to the
  death.
  The cloaked figure is also using alter self to keep his features
  hidden. His hands are gloved, and no ring can be seen. He will
  run, and drink a potion of invisibility at the first sign of combat.
  UNDER NO CONDITION IS HE TO BE CAUGHT. Make up
  whatever abilities and resistances for the figure you need to
  ensure he gets away. If the party follows him, they will find a
  series of dead-end corridors. The crystal floor is too hard to show
  tracks, and he leaves no sign of passing. 
  Let the party wander around for a while. They will notice that
  the sounds of the dwur fade as they travel farther and farther
  away (as time allows), then have them end up at Encounter 6. The
  passages beyond the initial cavern are totally dark, so the party
  will be easy targets of attack because their light source will be eas-
  ily spotted. They won’t be attacked, but you can bring up the pos-
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  10
  sibility to make them nervous.
  If the PCs decide to attack the duergar, they are in for a hard
  fight, use the stats below: 
  All Tiers (EL 10) 
  Duergar (15): CR 1; Medium-Size Humanoid (dwarf); HD
  1d8+1; hp 5; Init +0 (Dex); Spd 15 ft.; AC 16 (+4 scale mail, +2
  large shield); Atks +1 melee (1d10 [crit. X3], dwarven waraxe) SQ
  Duergar traits, Spell-like abilities, darkvision 120 ft., Light
  Sensitivity AL LE; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +0
  Str 11, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 6
  Skills: Appraise +2, Craft (metalworking +2, Listen +3, Spot +3;
  Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (dwarven waraxe), Alertness.
  SQ: Duergar traits (Ex)—+4 racial bonus to Move Silently
  checks; Immune to paralysis, phantasms, and magical or alchem-
  ical poisons (but not normal poisons); Listen +1, Spot +1 (racial
  bonus); Spell-Like Abilities (Sp)—1/day: Enlarge and invisibility as a
  3rd-level wizard; these affect only the duergar and whatever it
  carries; Light Sensitivity (Ex)—Duergar suffer a –2 circumstance
  penalty to attack rolls, saves, and checks in bright sunlight or
  within the radius of a daylight spell.
  Possessions: dwarven waraxe, scale mail (dwarf-size), large
  shield
  Duergar Sergeant, male dwarf, Ftr2: CR 2; Medium-Size
  Humanoid (dwarf); HD 2d10+4; hp 16; Init +0 (Dex); Spd 15 ft.;
  AC 18 (+6 chainmail, +2 large shield); Atks +4 melee (1d10+1
  [crit. X3], dwarven waraxe) SQ Duergar traits, Spell-like abilities,
  darkvision 120 ft., Light Sensitivity AL LE; SV Fort +5, Ref +0,
  Will +2
  Str 12, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 6
  Skills: Appraise +2, Craft (metalworking +2, Listen +3, Spot +3;
  Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (dwarven waraxe), Alertness,
  Weapon Focus (dwarven waraxe), Power Attack, Iron Will.
  SA Duergar traits (Ex)—+4 racial bonus to Move Silently
  checks; Immune to paralysis, phantasms, and magical or alchem-
  ical poisons (but not normal poisons); Listen +1, Spot +1 (racial
  bonus); Spell-Like Abilities (Sp)—1/day: Enlarge and invisibility as a
  3rd-level wizard; these affect only the duergar and whatever it
  carries; Light Sensitivity (Ex)—Duergar suffer a –2 circumstance
  penalty to attack rolls, saves, and checks in bright sunlight or
  within the radius of a daylight spell
  Possessions: Dwarven waraxe, chainmail (dwarf-size), large
  shield, 12 gp. 
  Encounter 6: Cave of Darkness 
  Suggested Length: 10-15 minutes
  The walls and floors of the passage you are following are gradual-
  ly turning a dirty green color. About 20 feet ahead of you, the pas-
  sage opens into a very large rough cavern with green stalagmites
  climbing up toward the ceiling. 
  Spot Check DC 19 from here:
  The surface of the stalagmites appears to be moving. 
  If one of the PCs made their spot check they should be ready for
  trouble when they enter the chamber. The middle of this corridor
  has several crystalline darkmantles hanging from the ceiling
  (Spot DC 21—the darkmantles are effectively taking 10). They
  feed on the crystal beetles that scurry about, which, in turn, sur-
  vive by eating the lichen that feeds on the green crystal. The sta-
  lagmites in this chamber give off a dim green glow.
  A successful Spot check (DC 15) reveals an exit to the room
  about 100 ft. directly across the cavern from the entrance. A wide
  path leads from one egress to the other.
  There is a rough, narrow path (Spot check, DC 13) around the
  right-hand side of the cavern. I the PCs travel upon that path they
  will avoid going directly under the darkmantles. Still, if the PCs
  use this path to traverse the cavern half of the darkmantles for
  the respected tier may attack, but not at once. If the party is
  extremely cautious, quiet, and perhaps turns off their lights while
  moving through this area, there will be no chance of attack. Use
  your judgment in determining whether or not some of the pred-
  ators attack the PC. 
  The beetles crawling upon on the stalagmites are what make
  those rock formations appear to move. The crystal beetles are
  very hard to see, since they are almost entirely transparent. If one
  of the beetles is touched, it will open its wing-case and fly off,
  emitting a high-pitched glass-on-glass grinding sound. If more
  than three of these beetles are touched (if someone falls bodily
  against a stalagmite, tries to attack one, etc.) then all the beetles
  nearby will fly off in a cloud, and a horrible cacophony of
  screeching. Such a disturbance will attract the darkmantles,
  which will then attack anything in the area of the disturbance. If
  the PCs are careless or clumsy while traversing this narrow path,
  they can stumble into a stalagmite and disrupt the beetles. Use
  your judgment when this happens, but give a Balance check (DC
  15) to determine success or failure. If the group is being careful,
  they should be fine. If they are pulling a wagon, or something
  similar, things could go awry. If one of the party members is
  excessively large, it will be a tight squeeze.
  This chamber’s exit leads into a smoky crystal corridor, in
  which the PCs will need a light source to see. It goes on straight
  for as far as the PCs can see from its entrance.
  Crystal Darkmantle notes: These creatures have the same stats
  as normal darkmantles (MM p. 39) that have been mutated by
  their long exposure to the crystalline environment of the
  Springs.
  They are a smoky quartz color and texture, with glowing red
  eyes and white-crystal studded tentacles.
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  11
  Tier 1 (EL 2)
  Darkmantle (Crystal) (2): CR 1; Small-Size Magical Beast; HD
  1d10+1; hp 6; Init +4 (Improved Initative); Spd 20 ft., fly 30 ft.
  (poor); AC 17 (+1 size, +6 natural); Atks +5 melee (1d4+4, slam)
  SA Darkness, improved grab, constrict 1d4+4; SQ Blindsight; AL
  N; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +0
  Str 16, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 10.
  Skills: Hide +11, Listen +5; Feats: Improved Initiative. 
  SA: Darkness (Su)—Once per day a darkmantle can cause
  darkness as the spell cast by a 5th-level sorcerer. It most often uses
  this ability just before attacking; Improved Grab (Ex)—To use this
  ability, the darkmantle must hit with its slam attack. If it gets a
  hold, it can constrict; Constrict (Ex)—A darkmantle deals 1d4+4
  damage with a successful grapple attacks.
  Tier 2 (EL 4)
  Darkmantle (Crystal) (4): Use stats above. 
  Encounter 7:Carnage
  Suggested Length: 20-30 minutes
  The corridor continues for quite a distance. Its long path is
  marked with numerous short dead-end passages branching off
  from the main passage. Many of these tributaries are collapsed,
  but others are sealed with crystalline plugs similar to the plug
  Nimar opened. After traversing ten minutes, the PCs find the fol-
  lowing: 
  A pair of dead duergar lay face-down on the crystal floor in the
  passageway ahead. The arm of one of the dwarves is around the
  shoulders of the other. One dark dwur appears to be missing a
  leg, and a large hole has been gnawed into the backside of the
  other. Apparently neither was injured enough to keep them from
  getting this far before they collapsed. A thick bloody trail leads
  down the corridor away from you.
  Both duergar are dead, but each is still slightly warm. One of the
  dwarves is carrying 6 gp, all of County mint. Neither carries any
  weapons, and both of their suits of dwarf-size scale mail are
  ruined. 
  If the PCs follow the blood trail, read or paraphrase the fol-
  lowing:
  The trail of blood leads another hundred feet beyond the bodies
  and into another large chamber.
  As you approach the chamber, you can see that the soothing
  gray crystal walls of the chamber are splashed bright red with the
  blood of over two dozen dark dwur. Each dwarf has been ripped
  apart, and their bodies are strewn about the cavern. Tables and
  chairs, as well as pots, pans, and chests are tossed here and there.
  Sometimes the dwarves’ bodies pin the debris, sometime the
  opposite. You see two other exits from the room, one to the right,
  and one up and to the left. Both are walled in smooth gray crys-
  tal, with level floors and arched ceilings.
  The duergars were killed by a group of xorn. The xorn were ser-
  vants of the race that once inhabited the springs. These xorn have
  always lived on the Prime Material Plane (thus technically they
  are aberrations rather than outsiders), and like most of the crea-
  tures here, have taken on crystalline characteristics. The duergar
  accidentally made camp near a xorn hatchery. A small group of
  xorn adults eventually came and slaughtered the duergar when
  the dark dwur stumbled into the passage that held young xorn.
  At this point, the PCs may want to ransack the camp.
  Describe the carnage as vividly as possible to plant the idea that
  whatever did this to the duergar, could come back at any
  moment. Also, you may want to tell them that this looks as if it
  might be the duergar base camp, and if they left the dark dwur
  from Encounter 5 behind them, those dwarves might be heading
  this way eventually. The camp is a disaster and the bodies are only
  slightly warm. A successful Heal check (DC 15) reveal that the
  duergar have been dead for several hours. Searching the camp is
  a slow and grisly task (taking at least 15 minutes to search
  through the carnage thoroughly—i.e., normal spot checks—or
  an hour and a half to take 20), but eventually they will find the
  following:
  •
  The Duergar appeared to be getting ready for another assault
  on the surface. The PCs will find tents, masks with small eye
  slits (to keep out the sunlight), and two demolished ballistae.
  There are also 10 shortswords and 10 suits of dwarf-sized
  leather armor that can be easily salvaged.
  •
  There are maps that show the area that surrounds Crystal
  Springs, but strangely, they show only of the County of
  Urnst areas, not the Nyrond areas. They appear to be of
  human manufacture (i.e., they are labeled in common).
  •
  Treasure (amount depends on highest Search roll, take only
  the items listed at the highest roll, don’t total them)
  Search 10 – 50 gp, 30 sp, 50 cp
  Search 12 – 75 gp, 50 sp, 100 cp
  Search 15 – 100 gp, 70 sp, 120 cp, 1 50-gp ruby.
  Search 20 – 120 gp, 100 sp, 160 cp, 2 50-gp rubies, 1 
  Search 25 – 150 gp, 120 sp, 160 cp, 2 50-gp rubies, 
  1 75gp diamond, 
  On the commander’s body, the PCs will find 5 amulets (the
  ‘keys’), a velvet-lined walnut box with a set of silver chimes in it,
  and a book in an unknown tongue. The amulets are the keys that
  the dark dwur had been using to reach the surface, the chime is
  the chime of seal, and the book is written by the race that once
  inhabited the Crystal Springs. The book looks of very different
  manufacture from the keys and the chime (which were made by
  the race that sealed off the Springs long ago). The book is super-
  thin and contains milky-white crystal sheets bound with smooth
  teal crystal sheets that seem surprisingly strong. It is totally unin-
  telligible to anyone in the party, regardless of skill or spell. 
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  12
  Taking 20 is a dangerous prospect for the PCs. The xorn will
  return within 20 minutes, and if any duergar are left from
  Encounter 5, they will return 10 rounds after that fight begins.
  For the search roll, it is best to go with the results of one roll
  using the cooperation rules (Player’s Handbook, p. 62) and using
  the chart below to see what the PCs find during the search. If the
  PCs hit DC 20 in their search they will also find a xorn leg, which
  was severed during its fight with the duergar. 
  If the PCs are around when the xorn return, give them a
  chance to flee (at that point they have only found the chime and
  100 gp), but they will miss out on the majority of the treasure. 
  If the PCs decide to stay and fight use the stats for the xorns
  found below, and the stats in Encounter 5 for any returning duer-
  gar. 
  Crystal xorn notes: This is a normal xorn (MM p. 187) that has
  been mutated by long exposure to the crystalline environment of
  the Springs. It is a dark jade color and texture, with glowing yel-
  low eyes and redcrystal-studded arms.
  Tier One (EL 3)
  Xorn (Crystal): CR 3; Small-Size Aberration; HD 3d8+6; hp 15
  (wounded, max 19); Init +0; Spd 20 ft., burrow 30 ft; AC 23 (+1
  size, +12 natural); Atks +6 melee (2d8+2, bite), and +4 melee
  (1d3+1, 3 claws); SA Burrow; SQ Immunities, Resistances, Half
  Damage from Slashing, All-Around Vision, Tremorsense; AL N;
  SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +3
  Str 15, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10.
  Skills: Listen +6, Move Silently +3, Move Silently +3, Search
  +3, Spot +8; Feats: Multiattack. 
  SA: Darkness (Ex)—A xorn can glide through stone, dirt, or
  almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish
  swims through water. Its burrowing leaves behind no normal
  tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or sign of its pres-
  ence. A move earth spell cast on an area. 
  SQ: Immunities (Ex)—Xorns are immune to cold and fire;
  Resistance (Ex)—Xorns have electricity resistance 10; Half Damage
  from Slashing (Ex)—Slashing weapons deal only half damage to
  xorns, with a minimum of 1 point of damage; All-Around Vision
  (Ex)—Xorns’ symmetrically placed eyes allow them to look in
  any direction, bestowing a +4 racial bonus to Spot and search
  check. Xorns cannot be flanked; Tremorsense (Ex)—Xorns can
  automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that
  is in contact with the ground. 
  Tier Two (EL 5)
  Xorn (Crystal) (2): Use stats above. 
  Encounter 8: Free Nimar
  Suggested Length: 10-15 minutes
  When the PCs return to Nimar, they find him still unconscious. 
  If the PCs ring the chime, the crystal encasing him will melt
  away, and they can carry the sorcerer off. If they strike the chime
  on the crystal, the crystal will shatter, causing 1d4 (Tier 2: 1d6)
  points of damage to everyone within 10 feet it, Reflex save DC 15
  for half. Strangely, Nimar takes no damage from this explosion of
  crystal.
  The amulet keys have been attuned to the duergar, so the PCs
  will not be able to use them to open Nimar’s prison. 
  Even after he is freed from the prison Nimar will still be
  unconscious. He is currently stabilized at –5 hit points, and will
  remain that way until he is healed. As well, the crystalline prison
  also deals temporary Intelligence ability damage, and Nimar is
  currently at 0 Intelligence, which is the reason why he blacked
  out to begin with. The ability score damage is more than the party
  will probably be able to heal, so more than likely Nimar will stay
  unconscious until the he and the PCs reach Dosselford. Once the
  party decides to return to Dosselford, proceed to the conclusion.
  If they wait for more than a half-hour in this area with the plug
  open, a swarm of xorn attacks them. The xorn use the exact same
  tier structure as Encounter 8, but a new group enters the area
  every other round until four groups (either 4 or 8 xorn, depend-
  ing on the tier, will appear within 8 rounds) are in the area. If the
  PCs attempt to flee, allow them to do so. The xorn are more con-
  cerned with driving out the threat to their territory and young
  than actually killing intruders this far from their hatchery. 
  Conclusion 
  Back to Dosselford
  Suggested Length: 5-10 minutes
  You drag yourselves back to Dosselford, worn and weary with
  Nimar in tow. As you reach town, you are greeted with shouts of
  concern as villagers swarm around you and their wounded
  mayor. They guide you beneath a brightly painted sign of hands
  tickling the belly of a rainbow trout and then into the Ticklish
  Trout. 
  Inside, the local priestess, Kewana of Pelor, looks up from her
  ale as you enter. The people of the town bring Nimar to the priest.
  Kewana immediately begins to examine him.
  While Kewana works, Yurj the Tickler brings you a round of
  what he believes to be your favorite drink, mumbling that it is on
  the house. Within moments you are pestered for the story of
  what happened by some young townfolk.
  After about half an hour, Kewana tells everyone that Nimar is
  in bad shape, and that he is still in need of serious healing. She
  kneels on the beer-soaked sawdust-covered floor, her fine travel-
  ing robes instantly coated with the stuff.
  “Pelor hear the prayers of your daughter for this man who
  means so much to so many.”
  She places her hands on him, and light flows from her into
  
  THE ADVENTURE
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  13
  Nimar. After a few moments, Nimar’s eyes open and he speaks,
  “Oh, and be careful, I think I saw a xorn through those quartz
  windows a few days ago.”
  Apparently he was continuing his final words before he fell
  unconscious.
  He sits up and looks around quickly, taking in the surround-
  ings. “Oh, well, looks like everything’s fine then. Just leave me
  the keys and the chime and I’ll be fine.” He promptly slumps
  back onto the table.
  At this point, Kewana will verify that Nimar is just sleeping. She
  then offers to heal any wounded PCs with cure serious wounds. She
  is not powerful enough to raise dead. Nimar will need lots of rest
  to return to full strength (or Intelligence, as the case may be).
  Ronco promises to send a letter to the PCs when Nimar is up
  and about again, or if the dark dwur look like they are on the
  move again.
  Note that the party should leave the book, the chimes, and
  the keys here for Nimar. They cannot decipher the book, and no
  certificate is provided for any of those items.
  Kewana (female human, Clr6 [Pelor]; Heal +11)
  Yurj the Tickler (male human, Rgr4). Yurj is the proprietor of
  the Ticklish Trout, the inn and tavern in Dosselford. Yurj is an
  expert fish tickler, and keeps a tank of trout behind the bar to
  practice on, and serve to his customers. Not known as a stunning
  conversationalist, Yurj is a superb listener, and grunts appropri-
  ately in almost any conversation. He has a thick Slavic accent (a
  Schwartzenegger accent will do). He lived in the Flinty Hills for
  many years before deciding that although he liked to be alone,
  the life of a solitary ranger was a little too much solitude. He likes
  to try to guess people’s favorite drinks, but rarely gets it right.
  Nimar, Mayor of Dosselford: male human (Flan-Suel mix),
  Sor10; Knowledge [arcana] +17, Knowledge [nature] +10,
  Knowledge [religion] +8, Knowledge [Urnst] +9): Nimar has kind
  of a crusty English accent. He really likes women, and will often
  stare at the females of a group while talking, even if responding
  to a question from a male. However, he really prefers to look and
  not touch (they might distract him unduly from his work), and
  will get flustered if a female PC gets too close. 
  He is nice enough, but tends to have a distracted air while lis-
  tening to people. He doesn’t mince words, and will not hesitate to
  interrupt people to cut to the heart of what they are saying, while
  up to that point not seeming to pay attention at all. While not
  precisely arrogant, he is the mayor and a powerful sorcerer, and is
  used to people respecting him, despite his slightly batty air. He
  has a good sense of humor, and likes to crack jokes. 
  He is a powerful sorcerer, and adventured for many years (the
  last few with Ronco) before retiring to Dosselford to devote his
  time to investigating Crystal Springs. He became the mayor by
  accident about 15 years ago, when a horde of orcs attacked the vil-
  lage and he took them out nearly single-handedly. The citizens of
  Dosselford like him because he is strong enough to defend and
  lead the community, enforcing justice when need be, and stays
  out of their hair the rest of the time.
  The End
  
  EXPERIENCE & TREASURE
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  14
  Experience Point Summary
  To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the
  objectives accomplished. Then assign the discretionary roleplay-
  ing experience award. The roleplaying award should be given for
  consistent character portrayal and contribution to the fun of the
  game. You can award different roleplaying amounts to different
  characters.
  Award the total value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each
  character.
  Encounter Four
  Overcoming the crystal spiders
  100 xp
  Encounter Five
  Overcoming the duergar
  100 xp
  Encounter Six
  Overcoming the crystal darkmantles
  100 xp
  Encounter Seven
  Overcoming the crystal xorn
  100 xp
  Encounter Eight
  Freeing Nimar
  50 xp
  Total experience for objectives
  450xp
  Discretionary roleplaying award
  0-50 xp
  Total possible experience
  500 xp
  Treasure Summary
  Player characters may keep items from the scenario that are list-
  ed on the treasure list below or which meet the following condi-
  tions: 
  The item must be non-magical and specifically listed in the text
  of the adventure (e.g armor on foes). If it is not listed in the
  text, the characters cannot keep it. Items of this nature can
  be sold for 50% of book value, or recorded on a log sheet. 
  Animals, followers, monsters, henchmen, and so forth (any living
  being, basically) may not be kept from a scenario for any rea-
  son unless the treasure summary lists the being specifically.
  It is okay for the player characters to form relationships with
  NPCs, but these will not be certed and cannot bring materi-
  al benefit to the character. Contacts (sources of extra infor-
  mation) must be specifically certed.
  Theft is against the law, but may be practiced by some player
  characters. Items that are worth more than 250 gp that are of
  personal significance to the owner (including family heir-
  looms), and all magical items, will be discovered in the pos-
  session of the character by one means or another. The char-
  acter must return the item and pay a fine equal to three
  times the value of the item stolen. In addition, the PC caught
  receives campaign-decided penalties for being known as a
  thief. For other stolen items which meet the criteria in #1
  above, use your judgment and the circumstances within the
  game to determine whether a PC thief gets away with the
  theft or not. 
  Any item retained according to these rules, which does not have
  a certificate, will not ever have a certificate issued for it. 
  The campaign staff reserves the right to take away any item or
  gold acquired for things it later finds unreasonable but which
  were allowed at the time.
  Encounter One
  1 Potion of neutralize poison (750 gp, *, liquid, glass and stopper,
  common).
  5 Potions of cure light wounds (50 gp each, *, liquid, glass and stop-
  per, common).
  Encounter Four
  6 gp.
  Encounter Seven
  up to 150 gp, 120 sp, 160 cp, 2 50-gp rubies, and 1 75 gp diamond.
  Conclusion
  One influence points with Nimar, Ronco and Melinda.
  
  APPENDIX A
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  15
  Appendix A: The Plug
  Note: The following is a description of the Plug found in the caverns of
  Crystal Springs. During the adventure the plug has been solved and sits
  open, the following is a full description of the plug for the DM to use if the
  PCs want more information about this complex, but now open, door.
  The passageway dead-ends into an ominous sight. The natural
  curve of the passageway tapers here, down to only about 15 ft.
  across. After 10 ft. the narrowed area stops in a solid brazen wall.
  Set within the wall is a circular door 6 ft. in diameter. The door
  projects a good 4 ft. out from the surface of the door. The hinges
  rest firmly on your side of the door, atop the frame. The door has
  no handle. Engraved on its surface are 7 concentric rings of
  stone. Each is made from a different metal, save the inner-most
  ring, which is made of marble. From the center are bands of steel,
  iron (only slightly rusted), copper (greened with age), silver and
  a blue-steel-colored metal. 
  The wall itself is bronze and the outer-most ring is made of
  mithral. PCs can learn more about each ring and the wall by
  examining it more closely. The rings form a multi-part lock,
  which needs to be correctly solved in order to provide passage.
  There is a short cut to this that allows the duergar to pass. This
  requires a magic amulet of passage (which is applied to the cen-
  ter stone). These are rare as they needed to be cut from the same
  stone the core was made of. Each “tumbler” needs to be solved
  from outside in before the next inner tumbler is attempted.
  Failure to do so causes the attempting character to suffer the
  wrath of the tumbler attempted.
  The Wall
  Set into the wall at about four and a half feet in height from the
  floor on either side of the door are a small square quartz crystals
  about 3 inches tall and 6 inches in width. Looking through the
  quartz, you see a distorted image beyond depicting a long tunnel
  stretching into the vast darkness. Oddly, through the crystal, you
  can see the vastness of the cavern as though there were some
  bright light. Long shadows stretch down the corridor from the
  stalagmites, though oddly, there are none within several score
  feet of the doorway.
  What the PCs are seeing is a “peephole” used by the duergar
  for monitoring the passageway. Above and below each peephole
  is a section of wall, which has had daylight cast upon it and then
  ensorcelled with permanency. The duergar themselves know of its
  existence and shield their eyes from the harsh light the door proj-
  ects.
  Mithral Ring
  The blue-steel-colored ring has the twelve mountains enameled
  onto its surface. Each is slightly different. All the mountains’
  bases touch the outer edge of the ring. They are clockwise from
  top: a bare mountain, a mountain spouting a dark cloud, a moun-
  tain with a hammer at its center, one which is snow-capped, a
  spindle of great height, an old worn-down peak, a mountain with
  a spider at its core, a mountain with an eye at its heart, one con-
  taining a candle, one lined with great pines, a mountain-top
  shrouded in clouds and a jet black peak. Sculpted hammers and
  long swords are placed along a radius around the ring on short
  poles, forming convenient handholds.
  The outer-most tumbler was a gift from the elves of the
  Gnarley Forest for holding their dark brethren in their depths. As
  a remembrance of this gift, the dwarves made the solution to the
  exterior ring be a forest-covered mountain, symbol of dwaven
  and elven unity. The tumbler needs to be rotated clockwise so
  that the forest-covered mountain is at the bottom of the tumbler.
  If the tumbler is rotated counter-clockwise, the whole tumbler
  will become very cold, causing 2d4 points of damage and a reduc-
  tion of 4 points of Dexterity and a –2 penalty to Strength for the
  next two weeks. This is caused by the skin of the affected freez-
  ing solid to the wheel and needing to be sloughed off. Healing
  cures the damage, but only restoration will correct the stat damage
  sooner. This can be avoided at a Reflex save of DC 20.
  Silver Ring
  This tumbler is intricately and deeply carved with a pattern of
  two interwoven snakes. The carved snakes are biting each other’s
  tails and each is pointing in a different direction. One snake is
  carved as having fangs, the other isn’t. The two heads are about a
  quarter of a circle apart from each other, at about 4 and 8 o’clock
  on the ring. 
  The challenge here is considerably simpler than one would
  think and over-thinking the problem is the true challenge. The
  engraved snakes can be used as handholds to rotate the ring in
  either direction. This ring rotates counter-clockwise and need
  only be rotated such that one but not both heads of the snake
  pass the 6 o’clock mark twice (two full revolutions). If anything
  else is attemptedthe person turning the snakes will take 3d4
  points of damage from a spray of acid being shot out from under
  the scales of the snakes (Reflex DC 18 halves). This will also do
  another 2d4 damage the next round and a d4 damage the follow-
  ing round. This will fire if the mithral ring isn’t set properly when
  this ring is attempted or if this ring is mishandled in any way
  (rotated incorrectly, or in the wrong direction).
  The Copper Ring
  This ring is bare of all etchings and engravings of any kind.
  Though greened with age, its surface is unmarred save for the
  presence of 6 deep depressions set equidistant around the ring. 
  This is a different sort of challenge, one that will be very difficult
  to solve. In order for this ring to be passed, it need only be rotat-
  ed clockwise and will stop on its own after a 1/2 turn. The diffi-
  culty is getting the ring to turn. The holes provide a place to
  insert something for leverage. Each hole is 1-1/2 inches in diam-
  eter and 7 inches deep. When attempting to turn the wheel, a
  
  APPENDIX A
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  16
  small current is run through whatever is placed within. The end
  effect is based off of what they use as a lever. If it doesn’t occupy
  90% of the hole’s diameter the wheel won’t turn, with no further
  effect. Otherwise, if the substance is wood, it will smolder and
  burst into flame and the PCs will have to clear the rubble from
  the hole before continuing. If the substance is flesh, the creature
  will suffer 1d6 points of damage from the current. If the sub-
  stance is a non-conductive metal, the metal will heat up as per a
  heat metal spell. If the substance is a conductive metal, it will get
  a tingling feeling to it and anyone holding on and pushing will
  have their hair stand on end, but it will push. If the PCs attempt
  to push it the wrong way or if the outer two rings aren’t properly
  handled, each hole will release a  lightning bolt (as if cast by a 5th-
  level wizard and conducted through any valid lever), which will
  strike the closest grounded character in front of the door.
  Usually this will be three of the bolts hitting each of the two
  characters in front of the door, but this is DM adjudicated.
  In a natural crevice in the wall some 25 ft. back, there are a 6
  copper poles 1-1/2 in. diameter and 2 ft. long. These are hidden
  from sight and will only be found with a dedicated search (1
  minute/5 ft.) of this area. 
  Iron Ring
  The iron ring is rimmed with rust though it is still solid and
  strong. Its surface teems with images of dwarves at work.
  Examining the graven images more closely, you feel confident
  that many of them depict hammer-wielding dwarves that would
  prove effective handholds for moving the ring. Others depict the
  dwarves wielding axes that would be more uncomfortable to use.
  The duergar believe their race is both strong and crafty and this
  ring embodies both those attributes. Turning the ring is simple
  to do for one with the strength. It is a DC 26 Strength check to
  turn the wheel and at most 3 humans or 4 dwarves or Small crea-
  tures can get on it at once. The craftiness of this ring is that the
  ring breaks the previous alternation of directions, as it also
  should rotate clockwise, like both the ring outside of it and the
  ring inside of it. Failure to rotate it correctly or if the exterior
  rings are not correctly positioned at the time will cause the
  images of the dwarves to animate and take a swing at the turners
  before returning to their inanimate state. Each person attempt-
  ing to help turn the door will have 4 attacks on them from dwarf
  statuettes. These attacks are all at +7 to hit and do 1d4+2 points of
  damage. The first time the dwarves animate, they get surprise in
  their attack. Holding a dwarf with an axe to turn the wheel caus-
  es 1d3 points of damage in the act of turning, but if the dwarves
  animate, that one won’t attack (leaving only three attacks on that
  character).
  Steel Ring
  The first ring around the marble core is a steel ring with 4 deep
  depressions in it. Each is large enough to fit a man’s fist into and
  each has a handle deeper within it to grasp. Each depression has
  a lip on it, which makes it difficult to see what lies within except
  for the large handlebar.
  The steel ring is part of the iron ring’s craftiness. It too turns
  counterclockwise, though it requires only a DC 18 Strength
  check to turn. Turning it the wrong way is hazardous. There is a
  metal iris, which will enclose itself around the offending charac-
  ter’s wrist, holding them in place. Rot grubs will pore out of the
  workings of the inner machinations and onto the character’s
  flesh. The iris will then hold the character for a round before
  releasing them. At this point, the 2d4 grubs will have entered the
  character’s flesh and be writhing up their arm, moving to the
  chest. This will take 3 rounds to get to the torso and another two
  to reach the chest before they burrow inward. Half the grubs will
  go via the character’s front and back. Each round the character
  will need to make a Fortitude save at DC 15 or convulse wildly as
  the grubs ride and eat nerve pathways, causing violent sensation
  through the afflicted parts of the body. Until the last round, they
  are visible under the skin and can be stabbed through it (doing _
  damage to the infected character as well as to the grubs) or flame
  can be applied, causing the death of up to 1d4 grubs (all on one
  side of the arm/body). This method leaves the dead grubs in the
  body. Each grub has 1 hp. 
  If the wheel is turned properly, it stops itself after one full
  revolution and keyhole in the core opens (see below).
  Marble Core
  The marble core is well polished, and unlike the surrounding
  rings, does not appear to rotate. In the center of the core are two
  concentric depressions. The outer depression is circular and
  about 4 inch in diameter. The inner depression is a quarter inch
  deep and key shaped. It would appear as though it slides back by
  some mechanism. Most eye-catching are the deeply engraved
  images surrounding the depressions. They are a deeply knotted
  pattern of lines, patterns over patterns over patterns that seem to
  ebb and flow, writhing around each other. Snakelike, they
  entwine, drawing the viewers eyes into their web, calling,
  pulling the viewer to them.
  Surrounding the core is a symbol of insanity. The character
  examining the hole must make a Will save at DC 21 or be feeble-
  minded, staring deeply into the symbol and not wanting to move.
  If the outer rings are all properly maneuvered, the keyhole
  opens, allowing a key to be inserted. This is a standard lock,
  though well made. It is DC 24 to pick. Anyone attempting to do
  so needs to make a Reflex save at DC 21 or look at the symbol,
  requiring a save for that. This interrupts the attempt to pick the
  lock and the character will have to start again from scratch
  whether or not they succeed.
  The dwarves have a limited number of amulets carved from
  the same stone as the core was. These stone amulets can be
  placed in the center of the core (usually without looking) and
  automatically open the plug. 
  
  HANDOUTS
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  17
  Player’s Handout: Note tied to Grinx
  Dear Friends:
  If you receive this, then something has gone horribly wrong, and I am no longer conscious.
  As I write this, I am working on the final phase of opening the seal that we found six months ago.
  Please come to the cave in Crystal Springs with due haste, and if nothing else, return my body to Dosselford for
  proper burial.
  Do be careful. If something was strong enough to overwhelm me, you should proceed with utmost caution.
  Hopefully I was able to scrawl or otherwise seal a final message to you somewhere near where I fell.
  Thank you, heroes,
  Nimar
  
  MAP 
  Mysteries of Crystal Springs II
  18
  The Entrance Cavern
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/County of Urnst/591/Normal Scenarios/URC1-05 - Mystery of Crystal Springs Pt2 (APL 2-4)/URC1-05 - Mystery of Crystal Springs Pt2.pdf