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Introduction

Prices at the Drunken Fieldhand
 

The Town of Red Dirt

In the time you have been here, you have certainly learned how the town came about its rather appropriate name. Red dust from the clay-like soil blows through the air constantly. Your clothes and packs are saturated with a fine coating of the crimson dust. Red Dirt is a small town, not much at all to look at, and the people are all quite simple. The only adepts you have seen in town besides yourself are Tetslo, the crippled weaponsmith, and Erdigal, the town troubadour. Like many of the other small towns that have sprung up since the Scourge, Red Dirt is a farming community. The people work in cooperation with each other so as to better the whole community's chances for survival.

Beyond and below the clay brick walls of Red Dirt lie the ruins of a larger city that once went by the name of Dravarth. The marvelous city once sprawled across the surrounding land and in fact even below it. Dravarth was known for its extensive undercity, a complex system of corridors and rooms that lay below the surface of the earth and functioned as an unassailable fortress. Sadly, the city was abandoned during the Scourge, and little remains except the rubble of old buildings now converted into stone walls used for separating plots of land with soil rich enough to be used for agriculture.

What now troubles this town so much that they would ask you for help? The people here seem so independent and strong that it is difficult to guess what their problem might be. A Horror? Scorchers? Sky raiders? Therans? Only Devin has the answers right now.

When the party meets Devin, he tells the party that the town of Red Dirt does indeed have a problem. In the past few months, a number of graves have been robbed of all valuables and even the bodies have been taken. No clues have been found except for a few shuffled footprints leading out of the graveyard. To make matters worse, some of the villagers have been reported missing, and all those who have gone to investigate have not returned. The last time any of them were seen was heading toward the graveyard. It is not known what happened to them. Devin would like the party to watch the graveyard at night, find out who or what is digging up the bodies and if it's related to the missing villagers, and put a stop to it. He will offer the party 400sp from the town treasury, and will be more than willing to help equip the party with the resources he has available.

The truth of the trouble is that a nethermancer has come to town. Derek Soultaker has been stealing bodies from the graveyard for use in his own private army. He has enlisted the aid of Deridious Quay, a blood elf adept. Together they found a way into the dark undercity where Derek found a Spirit Wind, a legendary undead creature of immense power. Derek has been feeding the spirit wind with the souls of the townspeople who get a little too curious and begin poking around the graveyard. He hopes to befriend the wind and have it serve him in his army.

The Graveyard

The second night, however, just past midnight, four zombies will come shuffling out of the ruined mausoleum and into the graveyard. They head toward the grave of the mayor's son. With the zombies, but about 50 yards back, follows Deridious Quay. He uses Silent Walk and is very difficult to pick up while he slinks around in the dark. Those studying the zombies with heat sight will note that the zombies' bodies are cool. Those with low-light vision will notice the tattered clothing and torn cracked skin (this should be enough to clue them into the fact that the zombies are undead).

The zombies have been ordered to dig up the body of the mayor's son, so that Derek may animate it and add it to his troops. They will not fight unless they are assaulted first. They will not even acknowledge the presence of the party until the first zombie is struck. The zombies will fight together, and have been ordered to listen to Deridious. If a battle does occur, Deridious will watch the battle and attempt to size up the party before returning to warn Derek. He will try not to get involved in this battle, preferring to wait until he can set up an ambush and strike from behind.

The Mausoleum

Looking at the building ahead, you see that one corner of it has crumbled into rubble and now lies sprawled out in a precarious heap. The broken section of the building reveals access to three rooms on the eastern side of the building. The rubble field looks as though it might be difficult to traverse, but nothing that should be too dangerous as long as caution is applied.

The rubble is in fact quite treacherous. The traversable look of the rubble was deliberately designed by Deridious to take care of nosey townspeople. In addition to discouraging visitors, the noise of the falling rocks serves as an alarm. If the party has found the trail leading into the third room of the mausoleum then the traps may be avoided. They are only set to catch those who don't know the proper way in. If a character wishes to examine the rubble pile before stepping onto it, a Perception test against a Difficulty of 10 will reveal that things are not exactly as they seem. The traps are set to trigger if anyone walks through the trapped area and steps on a loose rock. To check for triggering, have all who pass over the area make a Dexterity test with a Difficulty of 1 for each 50 pounds of weight being applied to the area (e.g., 400 lbs = Difficulty of 8). If the trap is triggered, a slide will start, and all those on the rubble pile are subject to the trap.
(Rubble Mound: Initiative: 10, Effect: 15, Disarm Difficulty: 15)

Inside the Mausoleum: Upper Level

The stone sarcophagi are all empty, except for those in the the two rooms at the end of the corridor. Zombies have been placed in the coffins there with the command to attack if anyone enters either of the two rooms or goes down the stairs. All of the rooms have old tapestries and wall hangings and altars along one wall or another for the purpose of prayer and communicating with the spirits of the dead. Due to the defiled nature of this place, none of these altars function anymore. They have lost their special powers, and no longer give the gift of communication with the netherworld.

Inside the Mausoleum: Lower Level

As you descend the flat stone steps of the mausoleum staircase, you begin to feel as though you are to forever be entombed. The smooth stone walls lining the stair are wet with moisture, and small patches of moss and algae cling to the wall in places, carving out small nooks and holds in which to live. From below, you hear the echo of water dripping into a shallow puddle, each drop seeming more and more ominous until you reach the bottom of the stair and you feel the crunch of your boot on gravel as it scrapes along the smooth stone floor. Looking about, you see a corridor extending to your left and right. Before you, the wall has been peeled back to expose a wide tunnel dug into the bare earth. At your feet, sections of the wall lie in jagged-edged blocks, as if they were shattered by the force of a mighty blow. A cool draft flows down the stairs past you and into the tunnel.  A faint rasping sound alerts you, just as you see a figure at the end of the corridor launch into motion. A walking corpse charges at you, fearless of its own destruction. Soiled rags and small bits of yellowed cracked flesh hang from its withered drawn body. Long black hair whips around its dried face madly as the thing charges closer.

1-4.) Defiled Crypts
These crypts were cleaned out and defiled by Derek when he was organizing his own chambers in the undercity. The coffins have all been opened and cleaned out. Some of the corpses are missing or scattered about the floor, while others have been placed in grotesque positions depicting horrible tortures and other obscene acts.

5.) Questor's Crypt
The door to this room is a fine, solid oak door. The symbol of Galen graces all four corners and the handle is made of finely feathered bronze.

Against the far wall of the room lies a coffin of pure white marble. Garlen's symbol decorates the coffin. In the corner of the room stands an altar shaped to represent a hearth. On top of the altar are many gifts and offerings of fine goblets, gold coins, open bags of jewels and many other fineries.

The gifts on the altar were given to Garlen while people still visited this mausoleum. If anyone but a questor of Garlen tries to take anything from the altar, or attempts to defile the coffin in any way, they will be afflicted by a major curse.
(Karma Curse, Step:15, Effect: victim suffers step 8 damage every time karma is used. This curse may be removed magically or by doing a deed that proves sorrow and repentance. The damage is magical in nature and natural (but not worn) mystic armor will protect.)

The treasures on the altar are 100gp, 50sp, 2 silver wine goblets (100sp ea.), 2 diamonds (50sp ea), 2 rubies (100sp ea.), and a gold necklace with a emblem depicting a common likeness of Garlen (200sp). The coffin is sealed and cannot be opened without a Dispel Magic (20). Inside the coffin lies the body of a questor of Garlen. Those who have a Knowledge Skill similar to The Passions or Legends and Heroes may make a test with a Difficulty of 12 to recognize the body of Nathan Ellsdragon, a legendary questor of Garlen as well as an 8th circle Swordmaster adept. His body is laid out in ceremonial robes with his armor (crystal ringlet) folded at his feet, and his sword and shield flat across his chest.

It is for obvious reasons that Derek has left this crypt undefiled.

6.) Storage Room
This room once stored a number of different embalming goods and other common items. Since Derek moved in, he has had the goods moved to his working area. The room is now empty.

7.) Burial Rack
A number of the dead who were not important enough to get their own family crypts have been placed here. The are preserved and placed on great stone slabs in a rack to hold them while their spirits passed from the world of the living to the world of the dead. The bodies have now all been torn to shreds by roving zombies, rats, krilworms, and other friendly crypt critters.

Tunnel

The tunnel winds on for about 20 yards before the party reaches the first trap. It is triggered by anyone stepping on a small pressure plate located in the center of the corridor. Those walking through the corridor have a 25% chance of stepping on the triggering mechanism. If the trap is triggered, a 6'x6' sheet of steel reinforced wood with spikes driven through it pushes out from the wall and pins anyone in its way to the far wall of the tunnel. The trap is mechanically driven by a counterweight in the wall and will continue to apply pressure against the far wall, doing damage every round to any unfortunates caught between the two. In order to pull the plank back, a combined Strength Test against a Difficulty of 40 must be made (sum steps for those helping, then roll final result).
Plank Trap: Detection Difficulty: 15, Initiative: 20, Effect: 20 +step 6 per round, Disarm difficulty: 15 

This is the trap that resulted in the death of Stephan Ablefoot. Such a painful death without honor has kept his spirit from passing on, and it now lurks further down the corridor in the form of a shadowman.

Tunnel: Alcoves

Tunnel: Pool

Deridious and Derek have worked on this trap together as well. Deridious was aware of the danger of the sinkhole, so he reinforced the walkway to hold only 200 pounds of weight. Any more than that and the walkway will pull away from the wall and tumble into the pool. Make a Perception Test against a Difficulty of 10 to notice the trap. A Dexterity test against a Difficulty of 8 allows anyone on the walkway to jump free before falling into the pool. The walls of the pool are loose soil and very difficult to climb (Dexterity Test against a Difficulty of 12).

The corpses in the pool are zombies waiting for people to enter the pool before they attack. The pool is five feet deep, so anyone fighting in the pool suffers a penalty to all steps requiring action (including initiative) according to the amount of their body submerged in the water.
 

8.) Drowned Room
This room is the location of the two shadowmen. They remain here until they sense a life moving about in the tunnel system. They will then slip out, travel down the dark corridor, attempt to Shadow Double the lead characters and then strike from behind in the ensuing confusion. The Names of the shadowmen were Tarsk Bloodluster and Stephen Ablefoot. Both died in Derek's traps nearly six months ago. Neither one of the shadowmen dares to attack Derek or his allies because they believe that he has the power to free their souls if only they can please him. (He never will, though he will try to enslave them in his army.)

The room is eight feet high and filled with six feet of water. If the party explores the room, they will find nothing, as the room filled with water before Derek could move things into it.

9.) Welcome room
You emerge from the tunnel into a partially destroyed rectangular room. The ceiling and walls around you collapsed some time ago, and apparently this tunnel was dug right through the old walls of the room. The walls are covered with phosphorescent moss that gives off a soft yellow light. A door still stands on its hinges across the room from you. There is little else in the room except for rubble, and a few tattered old wall hangings so rotted with moisture that they fall apart at the touch.

10.) Ancient Corridor
As you move through the door, the first thing you notice is that this hallway is well lit by light quartzes mounted near the arched roof of the hallway. A wooden door stands across from you, and to your left more doors line the hall. Almost immediately to your right, the hallway has collapsed and tons of soil and rubble block the way. You dimly hear moaning from one of the rooms to your left.

11, 15, 16.) Abandoned Rooms
This room doesn't appear to have survived the collapse well at all. No furnishings of any type remain in the room, and the collapsed walls have reduced the area of the room to a tight squeeze.

12.) Pass Warded Door and Derek's room
See the Pass Ward spell, p. 180 ED. This door has been warded by Derek so that only he or someone in his company may pass through this door. The same type of ward is on the door to the prison room, as well as the door leading into the hall with the sewer grate. The ward is quite strong strong. The ward places a white skull on the chest of the target, and the ward message is "Children shouldn't play where they're not invited!"
(Detection Difficulty: 13, Spell Defense: 12, Disarm Difficulty: 12, Trigger Condition: Ward makes a spell casting test against the spell defense of anyone within 10 feet, Spellcasting: 13, Effect: 23, Duration 5 1/2 years)

Derek's Room
A musty odor fills the air around you as the door swings open with a hollow creak. Candlelight flickers off the walls of the room and the smell of incense pervades your senses. An ornate black rug lies in the center of the room, a pattern of a griffon stitched into it with bright blue thread. In the corner, a small bed lies next to a table with two chairs and a wooden chest. Opposite the bed stands a bureau.

Derek is not in the room. He and Deridious have left, Deridious for the sewers and Derek to visit the krillworms that live in the kitchen (room 17b). The chest is locked (13) and trapped to trigger when the chest is opened.
(Dart Trap, Detection Difficulty (8), Initiative: 25, Attack: 15 (average success=2 darts, good=4, excellent=6, extraordinary=8, Effect: 8 per dart, Disarm Difficulty: 12)

The chest contains a number of nethermantic goods, such as bits of folded skin and bone fragments, a vial of fine ink (20sp), 15 gold rings (from corpses 15sp ea.), 10 silver rings (10sp ea.), 1 silver necklace (15sp), and 1 gold necklace (25sp). Aside from these items, the room is quite barren. The bureau has mundane clothing, and the table is clear. Derek believes in spartan living, due to the fact that he has to relocate quite frequently, especially as of late.

13.) Deridious Quay's Chambers
The door opens into a plain looking room. The far wall has collapsed so far as to have nearly filled the entire room. A commonplace rug lies on the floor, and a bed is set against the far wall next to a wooden chest. The room is empty. Deridious is currently exploring the sewer system beneath the city level. He spends much of his time there, hoping to find other sections of the city that were not cleared out or looted before the collapse.

The chest is locked (15) and trapped with a poisoned needle in the lock. If the lockpicking test fails, a needle darts out to prick the invading hand with poison. The chest is empty.
(Needle Trap, Detection Difficulty: 12, Disarm Difficulty: 12, Initiative: 30, Attack: 20, Effect: 4. Needle must cause damage beyond hand protection worn in order for poison to work. Needle poison: Debilitative poison, Step: 6, Spell Defense: 6, Onset time: 1 hour, Duration 24 hours, poison causes sweating, shakes, and hallucinations)

Deridious has hidden his goods in a small hollow carved out beneath a loose rock in the rubble pile. If the party searches the rubble pile, a Perception Test against a Difficulty of 15 will locate the loose rock and the treasure beneath -- a large leather sack with 45 gold, 200 silver, 4 rubies (50sp ea.), 2 glass daggers, 1 vial of poison (same as on trap, 3 doses remaining). There is also a small silver brooch (20sp), which has been enchanted for Deridious, so that he may pass through Derek's wards and by his guards without fear. Deridious carries another brooch on him at all times.

14.) Prison Room
It seems odd to you that this door of all others should be the only one with a sliding bolt on the outside. The door looks as though it has been reconstructed since the original door was hung on these hinges some hundreds of years before. Bits of the copper binding on the door still glisten in places where the sickly green tarnish has not yet spread. Even as you are contemplating the door, a low, pained moan echoes forth from within.

The ward on this door is similar to the ward on the door outside of Derek's room, but the message is different. The ward repeats: "NONE SHALL PASS! (insert wicked evil GM laugh)."

Once the party gets past the ward, read the following:

You slide the bolt back on the door, and it slowly begins to swing towards you. From inside, you hear a shriek of terror, and a woman begins screaming "NO! NO! Not my boy ... don't take my boy! Please ... not my boy ..." The screaming drops into helpless sobbing. As more light filters in, you see a partially collapsed room filled with straw mats. In the far corner, the mats have been heaped together to make a semblance of a bed. Small bowls containing food and water lie near the open doorway. In the far corner of the room a human woman is huddled in the corner hugging a small child to her breast. She scrabbles back against the wall as your shadow falls on the floor. Softly you can hear her murmuring, "not my boy, not my boy, not my boy...", over and over again.

The woman is a prisoner being kept to feed the spirit wind. Her name is Sara and her child's name is Jon. She is hysterical and delirious, and will remain so until she sees the light of day. She has been penned up in this room for over a week now and has hardly slept or eaten. She is in very poor shape. She remembers little except going to visit her husband's grave one evening with Jon. She was snatched up from behind by a tall man. She never saw his face, but she remembers the feeling of knives stabbing into her stomach and side, as if his arms were covered with shards of broken glass or something wickedly sharp. She also knows that Derek is killing people somewhere down in the sewers, because after he takes somebody out of the room she can hear their shrieks echoing through the halls.

17.) Common Rooms
These rooms are all fairly simple. Some have beds, some have tables and chairs. The only unusual rooms are noted below. All rooms were cleaned out of anything valuable when the city was abandoned.

17a.) The only thing special about this room is the Pass Ward on the door. If anyone approaches within 10 feet of the door not accompanied by either Derek or Deridious, or carrying a key brooch, the ward will activate and a skull will appear on the chest of the offending characters. The ward functions as the one on the door to Derek's room, though the message is a shrieking alarm meant to alert Derek to intruders. Derek is in room 17b, and will hear the alarm and begin making his preparations while the party deals with the door. If possible, he will wait until the party is investigating somewhere else before he moves out to make his stand.

17b.) Kitchen. Derek is here with his new companions, a flock of 20 krillworms which he has impressed. They are loyal to Derek, and with his Command Nightflyer spell, he has given them orders to protect him. He also travels with a personal bodyguard of four zombies.
 

Krilworms (20)
DEX: 5 STR: 5 TOU: 5   PER: 6 WIL: 7 CHA: 1
Initiative: 4 (d6)	Physical Defense: 8
Number of Attacks: 1	Spell Defense: 7
Attack: 5 (d8)	Social Defense: 7
Damage: 6 (d10)	Armor: 0
Number of Spells: None	Mystic Armor: 2
Spellcasting: 8 (2d6)	Knockdown: 5
Effect: Locate Target	Recovery Tests: 1
Death Rating: 30	Combat Movement: 75
Wound Threshold: 8	Full Movement: 150
Unconsciousness Rating: 25	Legend Points: 75 each
Equipment: None
Loot: None
Notes: No eyes, make a Spellcasting test for swarm to locate target. Krilworms have an affection for nethermancers. When one of the swarm dies, make a Willpower test against a Difficulty number of 4 for the swarm to stay.

18.) Bone Circle and Sewer Grate
Before you lies an ominous sight. A sewer grate lies on the stone floor, next to an open hole leading down into darkness. Surrounding the hole about 3 yards distant is a circle of bone. Small shards of what looks like rat bones form the circle. Inside the circle, you can dimly see a humanoid shape darting about from side to side.

The circle is a result of the nethermantic spell Bone Circle (pg XX, ED). The spirit inside is a bone spirit (pg. 176, ED) with an Effect step of 16. The spirit will let none except those designated by Derek to pass.

Once past the bone spirit, the party will find a ten-yard-long iron-runged ladder set into the wall of the shaft, leading down into the sewer system below the city.

Sewer System

The party's goal in the sewers is to make it to the pool where the spirit wind has taken up residence. There are many different routes that the party may use to find the wind, but eventually they should end up at the spirit wind. If they begin to travel too far in the wrong direction have them come up against a collapsed section of tunnel.

The spirit wind used to roam the sewers looking for prey, but since Derek has been bringing it souls, it has remained near the pool where it can wait for some of the other sewer creatures to come for a drink.

Deridious also walks the sewers, and there is a chance that he might hear the party moving about and come to investigate. For every minute that the party is in the sewers, give Deridious a 10% chance to hear them. If they are fighting, make it a 20% chance. If Deridious becomes aware of the party's presence, he will make an effort to assassinate a party member, or find some other way to throw a hitch into their plans. If he feels that he is in danger of dying, he will flee into the sewers. Better to live to fight another day.

The Pool

You look out on a large pool. A section of the sewer system has collapsed into the ground below, leaving a large cavern into which water has collected over the years. Squinting your eyes, you think you see a dim blue light below the surface of the pool. Then, to your surprise, you see it growing larger and larger. Eventually, it reaches the surface and water sprays in all directions. Through the haze, you are able to make out a spectral blue form hovering over the water. Small bits of bone and flesh fall into the water as it swirls about. In a vortex of motion, it moves towards you, a swirling cloud of faces, long stretched faces, contorted in anguish and misery, each face different, each face screaming with a banshee's wail.

The Spirit Wind the party faces is weak. It contains only 8 spirits right now, placing it at a step 4 spirit wind.

When the party finally manages to defeat the wind read the following.

In a cacophony of screams, the wind dissipates. Fragments of souls scatter about in a thousand different directions, eventually reforming into the shapes of people. As the blue light fades, you think you see winged creatures of light moving toward the souls, helping them move on, taking them to the world beyond. Faintly, you hear a cry of thanks in your mind. Taking one last look before the light fades, you see a small human girl looking back at you. Perhaps only 5 years old, she smiles at you, then looks down at her feet shyly as she is led away by the takers of the dead.

Loose Ends

Continuing Adventure

If for some reason Derek manages to escape, he will move to another town and continue to raise his army. Eventually, he will try for revenge, or the party may hear of his growing power and choose to face him again.

Dravarth can be an excellent place to continue adventuring. With Derek and Deridious gone, the sewers are open to be explored. Perhaps they can find their way into another new area that is largely undamaged by the collapse. There may be a Horror there, or lots of treasure. In any case, it is certain that there will be adventure.

Erdigal may finally realize that there is a Horror in his head, and beg the party to help free him. He wants to travel with the party and help them fight the creature so that he might truly be free.

Rumors

1. A few months ago, two adventurers went into the undercity to try to set things right, a troll warrior (Tarsk Bloodluster) and a human swordmaster (Stephan Ablefoot). They never came back (true).
2. Erdigal used to be a court performer in Throal (true).
3. Last Veltom, someone saw a large Horror flying over the graveyard (false).
4. Ma and Pa Cherteck are Theran spies (false).
5. Erdigal met with a Horror while traveling once, and could never perform again (true).
6. Erdigal says he saw a dead man walking one night while he was out drinking in the graveyard (sort of true -- see Erdigal Flynn).
7. Tetslo got himself crippled when he killed a Horror in single combat (false).
8. Devin puts special magical ingredients into his bricks that make them so beautiful. He has a hoard of elemental earth hidden somewhere (false).

Personalities

Ma and Pa remember Tarsk Bloodluster and Stephan Ablefoot. They know that Tarsk and Stephan left during the night a few months ago, headed for the graveyard, and they were never heard from again. Ma still has their old clothes in a sack, all clean and folded, hoping they will come back.

Elsa Cherteck
Elsa Cherteck works as a serving lass for her grandmother and grandfather. She is young and highly flirtatious, especially to those of noble grace who will try to woo her. She probably won't get involved with an adventurer, but will flirt the night with them until it's time to close up.

Devin and Dalla Tillney
Devin and his wife Dalla were born and raised in Red Dirt. Devin, 55, is now the proud mayor of this town whose walls have encompassed him his entire life. He has a very successful trading business, centered mostly on ceramics and clay bricks. Some of the crimson bricks he makes even line the walkways of some of the richest houses in Throal. Devin is very concerned about what has been happening to the graveyard, and will do all he can to help the party accomplish their goals. He doesn't have much to offer, but he is willing to give 400sp from the town treasury to the party if they will help to stop the grave robbing. He has little else to give, but would gladly give more if he had it.

Devin is eager for the party to begin immediately, and may seem a little anxious. What he does not want to tell the party is that all the graves seem to be robbed after a year of burial, and that his son was killed in a farming accident a year ago tomorrow. He is desperately afraid that something will happen to his son's body. If he feels the party is hesitant to help, either he or Dalla will break down and reveal to the party their true fears.

Erdigal Flynn
Sixth Circle Human Troubadour
STR: 4 DEX: 6 TOU: 5
PER: 7 WIL: 4 CHA: 4 (8) (Horror effect)
Erdigal Flynn has been down on his luck for quite some time. He is not aware of it, but he was Marked during the course of his first adventure, and the Horror in his head has a wonderful time making Erdigal forget a story completely right at the climax of the tale. It often makes Erdigal tone deaf as well, or forces him to make horrible mistakes while playing. For this reason, Erdigal has turned to drinking and gambling for money. He has become addicted to gambling and will seldom do anything if there is not a bet involved in it somewhere. He is terrified of conflict, and will flee at the first sign of anger and curl up in a ball under the nearest staircase. He does, however, have some knowledge that might help the party. One night while he was out drinking, he fell asleep in the bottom of a freshly dug grave. When he tried to crawl out, he saw men digging up another grave with their hands. He cowered in fear, and fell back into the grave to hide. When he came out again, they were gone. He remembers a tall thin man giving orders in Sperethiel (elven).

Tetslo Shieldbreaker
Fourth Circle Ork Weaponsmith
STR: 7 DEX: 6 TOU: 7
PER: 6 WIL: 5 CHA: 4
Tetslo lives alone on a small cot in the back of his shop. He is an excellent weaponsmith (Rank 4 in all Talents). He is willing to do work for the party at the fair market price. He no longer adventures due to a permanent limp he suffered at the hands of a construct. He doesn't like to talk about what happened, and will become very defensive if anybody asks about it. He came here to get away from his old life, but at the same time, he sympathizes with adventurers trying to get by in the world. He has little knowledge of the graveyard problem except that the bodies are being taken at night, and that the last time he was out there he found a wicked looking thorn about 2 inches long lying next to one of the open graves. The thorn was covered in blood. He still has the thorn and will offer it to the party if he thinks it will help. The thorn is one of Deridious's and is a minor pattern item. Tetslo still has some of his old adventuring equipment. If the party seems interested, he will offer to sell them a last chance potion (500sp) and his crystal viking shield (150sp). He will even power up the shield as part of the selling price.
 

Derek Soultaker   Fifth Circle Dwarf Nethermancer
Attributes
Dex:	(15): 6/d10
Str:	(15): 6/d10
Tou:	(16): 7/d12
Per:	(18): 7/d12
Wil:	(16): 7/d12
Cha:	(10) : 5/d8
Talents
Karma Ritual		(5)
R/W Language		(5): 12 / 2d10
*R/W Magic		(5): 12 / 2d10
*Spellcasting		(6): 13 / d12+d10
Spell Matrix		(5)
Spell Matrix		(5)
Spell Matrix		(5)
Spell Matrix		(5)
*Nethermancy		(6): 13 / d12+d10
*Astral Sight		(5): 12 / 2d10
Durability (4/3)		(6)
Frighten		(5): 12 / 2d10
Taunt		(5): 10 / d10+d6
Willforce		(4): 11 / d10+d8
*Spirit Hold		(6): 18 / d20+d12
Movement
Combat	30
Full:	60
Skills
Artisan/Embroidery		(1): 6 / d10
Knowledge/Undead Lore		(2): 9 / d8+d6
Knowledge/Horrors		(1): 8 / 2d6
Initiative
Dice:	d10
Karma
Dice:	d6
Points:	15
Combat
Physical Defense:		8
Spell Defense:		11
Social Defense:		6
Armor		4
Mystic Armor:		???
Damage
Death Rating:		63 (30)
Wound Threshold:		11
Unc. Rating:		49 (16)
Recovery Die:		d12
Recovery Tests/Day:		3

 

Spells
1st Circle:	bone dance, chilling circle, detect undead, command nightflyer, experience death, spirit grip, undead struggle
2nd Circle:	bone circle, ethereal darkness, fog ghost, life circle of one, shield mist
3rd Circle:	death's head, fog of fear, grave message, pain, spirit double
4th Circle:	animate skeleton, visions of death
5th Circle:	pass ward, animate zombie
Equipment  adventurer's kit, booster potion, 2 healing potions, mace, embroidered robe, embroidery kit, grimoire, knife, leather armor, desperate spell charm, death cheat charm, absorb blow charm, traveler's garb, 20 cp, 60 sp, 3 gp, 1 elemental earth coin
Notes:  Racial ability of heat sight   May spend a karma point on any action using Perception only   Spell defense increased by 1 at 5th circle (change reflected above)

Derek has been living in the ruins of Dravarth for nearly eight months. He and Deridious have established quite a stronghold in the catacombs below the graveyard. Derek seeks to raise an army of undead to support him on his obessive quest for power, and has been searching the ruins of Dravarth for a tome he believes lies here that details the ritual for raising an entire army of the dead. In the course of his exploration, he encountered a Spirit Wind that roams the ancient sewer system beneath the city. He has been using his spells and Deridious to steal away the people of Red Dirt, throwing them into the sewer system with hopes of buying the loyalty of the Spirit Wind (if such a thing is possible).

He has animated 25 zombies from the graveyard and has used blood magic with all of them. Derek has a peculiar fascination with blood magic. He thrives on the power of the magic and he frequently has a number of blood charms on his person to add to this effect.
 

Deridious Quay  Fourth Circle Blood Elf Thief Adept
Attributes
Dex:	(20): 8 / 2d6
Str:	(14): 6 / d10
Tou:	(13): 6 / d10
Per:	(16): 7 / d12
Wil:	(14): 6 / d10
Cha:	(12): 5 / d8
Talents
Climbing		(4): 12 / 2d10
Karma Ritual		(4)
*Lock Pick		(5): 12 / 2d10
Melee Weapons		(5): 13 / d12+d10
*Picking Pockets		(4): 12 / 2d10
*Silent Walk		(4): 12 / 2d10
*Surprise Strike		(4): 12 / 2d10
Durability		(5)
*Lock Sense		(4): 11 / d10+d8
*Avoid Blow		(5): 13 / d12+d10
*Fence		(6)
*Thief Weaving		(3): 8 / 2d6
Taunt		(1): 8 / 2d6
*Trap Initiative		(3): 11 / d10+d8
Movement
Combat	55
Full:	110
Skills
Artisan / Wood sculpture		(1): 6 / d10
Knowledge / Gem appraising		(1): 8 / 2d6
Knowledge / Creature lore		(1): 8 / 2d6
Initiative
Dice:	d12
Karma
Dice:	d6
Points:	12
Combat
Physical Defense:		10
Spell Defense:		9
Social Defense:		7
Armor		6
Mystic Armor:		6
Damage
Death Rating:		60 (55)
Wound Threshold:		9
Unc. Rating:		47 (42)
Recovery Die:		d10
Recovery Tests/Day:		2

 

Equipment  Adventurer's kit, healing potion, last chance salve, thieves' picks and tools, Kelix's poultice, blood pebble armor, astral sensitive eye, 2 daggers, broadsword, buckler, espagra cloak, flight dagger, hawk hatchet, traveler's garb, sculpting tools, 35 sp, 10 gp, gold ring (50sp value), small pouch containing 5 cut topaz (25sp ea.), silver brooch (20 sp, enchanted to let Deridious pass Derek's wards and guards)

Notes:  Racial ability of low light vision   May spend a karma point on any action using Perception only

Deridious left the Blood Wood four years ago after he was exposed as a member of a secret organization devoted to opening the Wood to outsiders. He believed that it was an honorable goal, but when he was brought before Queen Alachia and exiled from the wood for the murder of a Warder, he began to question himself why the Wood should be opened. After travelling about Barsaive under cover of darkness for two years, he realized that the rest of the land had nothing to offer the elves of the Wood and that he had been a fool to pursue the opening. He has become bitter, hating the world outside because he now sees them for what they are and the grief they have caused him. He also despises the Blood Wood for exiling him, though he does possess a secret desire to be a part of the wood again. Deridious met Derek for the first time in combat a year ago. Since then, they have become fast friends, neither wanting anything to do with the world as it is. Deridious trusts Derek and aids him in his rituals and sacrifices, though he is wary of the dwarf's obsession with blood magic. Deridious worries that one day Derek will accidently take his own life through the use of too much blood magic.

Deridious now spends much of his free time in the sewer system below the ruined city. He tends to shy away from the spirit wind. Even though Derek assures him it is safe, it still makes him uncomfortable. He has been looking for more rooms in the underground city that have not been destroyed. So far he has found two, only one with any money in it. The sewers have become his second home, and he can disappear in them without a trace if he so chooses.