The White Lady

A word from the author

Feel free to take any part of the adventure and modify it to fit your own needs. If you have any comments, good or bad, I'd very much like to hear from you! Write to: aerden86@hotmail.com

Introduction:
The PC's are contacted at the inn by a gentleman congratulating them and giving them a document in which it is stated that they are the lucky winners of a stay at the inn called "The White Lady". Hopefully this should get the PC's to move to "The White Lady" and enjoy themselves for a couple of days. One evening the seemingly nice innkeeper approaches them in the dining hall and offers them a job. We wants them to recover his long lost sword "The White Lady" which he lost in a battle against some orcs. The innkeeper, Barahir, has already hired assistance to recover the item, however in vain. The only surviver returned the week before giving him the location of the sword. The task is simply to find the sword and return it to Barahir. In case the PC's accept, he will insist that his trusted assistant Pelendur joins the group to ensure the recovery of the weapon. Barahir will explain that the sword is presently being kept by half-orcs who are located approx. 200 miles north east of Tharbad in the outskirts of the Misty Mountains. He will provide them with a rough map marking the approximate position. He does not know what the place looks like, as the mentioned surviver died shortly after his return. The party will have 2 weeks to solve the task and if they do not return he will send others to fulfill the quest. A reward of 10 GP will be presented to each PC on the succesful recovery of the sword.

Background:
Barahir is not as nice and honest as he pretends to be. His motive for sending them to "Skuggalug" (Orcish for "Shadow Tower") is the reward from Muzgash, who pays good money for (a specific and rare race within the party). He has entered a deal with Muzgash where he must deliver 5 (of the above mentioned race). In turn he will receive "The White Lady". A PC of the latter race will be the intended 5th victim. Barahir therefore expects to get the sword regardless of what happens; either as reward or if the PC's succeed. Pelendur is coming along to bring back the weapon and is basically indifferent as to how he achieves it. Muzgash, being fanaticly obsessed with the idea of a new superior orc race able to rule Middle Earth, uses the elves for brutish breeding experiments. Hence the PC's real task will be to save their companion from a horrible destiny. Whether they retrieve the sword and figure out the true context only time will show.

NPCs
Name Barahir AP Lvl Hits 56 9 113 AT(DB) OB1 OB2 90 lb Notes: Innkeeper. Owner of "The White Lady" (the inn). Lives on the top floor of the Inn.

15(15+35) 105 bas

Pelendur 73 7 108 14(15+30) 110 th 85 cp Servant of Barahir. Lives in a large house in the rich part of Tharbad. (see Thieves of Tharbad from ICE for detail maps of Tharbad) Seems the Paladin type of man until you get to know his true self. Muzgash 08 14 90 2(50) 110 sc 70 da Cleric, Fighter, Mage, Uruk-hai wraith. An extremely worthy opponent. As GM make sure to use his many skills in both the realms of arms and magic. This is both his strength and acchilles heel. If the PCs play intelligently they might be able to use it against him.

Drin

17

110

1(15)

100 wh

75 wh Dwarven smith. Not quite as insane as he appears. Has been considering excape for a long time and WILL carry through his escape either escape or death. Afraid to reveal anything - hence the insane appearance. 2 from Tharbad, 1 from Minas T. and 1 from Mirkwood. Possible new PCs if anyone should die before the party is likely captured. Half-orc captain of the guard Half-orc lieutenants Half-orc sergeants Half-orc privates Orcs. Some might willing to assist the PC's.

4 elves

22

3-4 30-55 1(5-15)

20-50

Captain 2 lieutenants 3 sergeants 35 privates 9 orc slaves

34

10 6 4 2

110 75 60 45

17(10+30) 110 ls 13(15) 13(5+25) 6(25) 85 ba 65 bs 55 bs 30-85

90 lb 50 sb 55 cp 45 cp 0-75

1-6 25-85 1(0-15)

Possible chain of events:

Start in Tharbad. Task is given. Departure for Skuggalug. Northbound journey. Encounters where Pelendur will do anything to help the PC's. Especially focused on keeping the intended victim alive. (Hard percection roll for victim, Very Hard for all others to detect) Arrival at Skuggalug. Strategy is made. 30 half-orcs are seen leaving the place. They are talking about it being a drag that they have to go away for so long. (Pure rubbish intented to trap PC's) Attacking/Stalking the tower. Capture. Barahir has already warned Muzgash, and the PC's are thus awaited and their capture should be easy. Talking to prisoners. Plans for escape? The two orcs - allies? Various. Will the PC's find the sword? Will they figure out Barahirs secret? etc. Return to Tharbad. Looking up Barahir. Settling the score or collecting the reward...

Possible encounters:
Shortly after their departure from Tharbad the PC's are overtaken by a horseman going in the very same direction. Just to be mentioned casually as this is Barahirs messenger on his way to Muzgash. Attack at dawn by a group of Dunlendings. Howling wolves at night to disturb their rest. Some glutans maybe? A nervous wreck who has escaped from Skuggalug, only able to mumble words such as "Muzgash", "Skuggalug" etc. Can't tell them much and categorically refuses to go back. A couple of merchants who might, might not have something of interest.

Layouts:
The inn

Skuggalug:
Overview

1: Skuggalug 2: Guard Tower Ruin

Skuggalug Entry Level 1: Entrance. The main gate is made from steel and oak and extremely difficult to bash. Through holes in the ceiling, various unpleasant things can be aimed at intruders in this room. 2: 2 guard rooms. Through arrow slits it is possible to fire both at the the entrance and the area immediately outside. 3: Guard / weapon / rest room. 3 senior guards lives here. 4: Guard / weapon / rest room. 4 guards lives here. 5: 4 orc caves. Dug out by earlier inhabitants as accommodation. Now mainly use to store various junk. 6: Accomodation for 20 half-orcs. Dormitory and living room. 7: Kitchen and dining hall. For the use of those from #6. 8: Winding staircase. Leading both ways. Made of stone.

Sublevel 1 9: Guard room. Has space for 4 guards, but they are not always all present. 10: Torture chamber. Holds anything which an executioner can desire. Whips, chains, pikes, and other instruments of torture. 11: Interrogation room. No instruments of torture. Used for new prisoners, who for some reason is being kept alive. 12: Guard room. Here 4-5 guards are always on duty. Each of them has the key to the cell with the 2 orcs. A stair leads down to sub level 2 and the prison cells.

Sublevel 2

13: Storeage room. A lot of junk is piled up here. A successfull -10 perception roll will reveal an old warhammer, lying under half a shield. It is magic, +5 and has a 10% chance of avoiding any crit taken when used for half or full parry. 14: Cell. Two orcs are here as punishment for stealing from Muzgash's kitchen. Possible allies? Probably not too happy with Muzgash! (-10 pick lock). 15: Former cell. It is empty, the door is unlocked. 16: Former cell. It is empty, the door is unlocked. At the back of the cell there is a secret door in the floor. -20 perception, +0 disarm trap. Trap: A +30 poison dart and a small alarm bell sounds in Muzgash' chamber if the trapdoor is opened both from within and from the outside. The corridor leads to the Guard Tower Ruin. 17: Guard room. There is room for two guards, however, usually there is no one there. 18: Cells. 4 cells located 15 feet beneath the floor in this room. The cells are locked with a bolt, not a key. A. In this cell four very weak, young elven women and a male dwarf, Drin, who apparently is completely insane, are imprisoned here. The elves will all be extremely happy to see the party, but at the same time they are still marked by the experiments. If put under pressure, they will eventually tell their story. B. Empty. C Three merchants, dunedains from Tharbad, captured three weeks ago after Muzgash' troops had attacked their waggons. All are at -20 to all actions. D. Empty.

Upper Level 1 19: Stair. Leading both up and down. Two guards are always present. 20: Kitchen and dining hall. Here all 35 privates (halforcs) eat. 21: Dormitory. 35 beds are located in this room. Only the privates sleep here. 22: Guard room. Bows and lots of arrows are found here together with several barrels of tar, which can be heated and poured at persons staying in room #1. 23: Armory. Various weapons are found here. (-10 pick lock). 24: Latrines. 25: Slave room. Here the nine orcs who are held slaves live. They are either here or in #20. (Two are presently in cell #14) Upper Level 2 26: Stairs. Up and down. 27: Arched corridor. Arrows are place in bin with 20 feet in between each bin. 28: Bedroom. The two sergeants live here. 29: Bedroom. The two llieutenants live here. 30: Bedroom. Muzgash' guard captain lives here.

Upper Level 3 31: Stairs. Trapped. 7th step triggers four poison darts from the wall. +50 OB. Lvl 4 Poison if critical received. 32: Guard room. Guard room next to Muzgash' chambers. A lieutenant, a sergeant and two privates are on duty. There are no windows in the room. Muzgash has had them blocked. 33: Living room. There is a sofa, a table and a couple of chairs rarely used. No windows. 34: Library etc. Lots of books and scrolls. Drawings of Guard Tower Ruin are lying on a desk, and Muzgash' ideas on how to dispell "Black Reaver" have been written down. None of these will work. There are no windows. In the middle of the room "The White Lady" is found. A "silver" looking (actually mithril) bastard sword floating over a pedestal on shining white magic cloud. The blade is +15 due to extreme magical sharpness. It only weighs 1,5 lbs. Floats in water. Delivers 2 attacks per round after 1 round is spend on a succesful skill roll. The Skill must be developed separately as a weapon skill. Skill cost is 1/5 for fighters, rangers, rogues etc., and 4/7 for all other professions. Stats: QU/AG. 35: Muzgash' bedroom. A large bed, a small bell and a chest is found in here together with other furniture. The bed is a four-poster bed and a strange pale gleam surrounds it. It gives the semi undead Muzgash the ability to be refreshed (incl. power points) after just one hour of rest. Anyone lying in it must resist a level 6 attack otherwise they will gradually turn to the dark side. The bell is the alarm bell from #16. In the chest the party will find 37 gp, 1862 sp, 5 gems (5 gp each), a ring x2 pp Mentalism and a +10 movement AT 18. No windows here either. Upper Level 4 36: Stairs. Up and down. 37: Observation post. Empty except from a lot of arrows in bins at the arrow slits. Three privates are always on duty here.

Upper Level 5 38: Stairs. Leading down. 39: Attic. Various old junk.

Guard Tower Ruin:

Entry Level 1: Entrance door. Large wooden door, the hinges are very rusty. The door cannot be opened in the usual manner, it must be bashed. 2: Entry hall. A thick layer of dust and old bricks mark the room. A skeleton is lying on the floor, holding a decaying scimitar. +0 perception roll reveals that it is an orc. 3: Former guard room. The door is bricked up. Now it is the stronghold of "Black Reaver", a golem-like kind of monster defending Kulgl (see #6). The large, black golem like stature has the one purpose to keep Kulgl on its pedestal. With its +20 eog battle axe it can chop through 1', 3' wood or 5' earth each round. It will hunt down the holder of Kulgl for ever and will return to the tower and place the gem in its right position once regained. Base Movement: 60, Size: 8 feet, Crit: SL, Hits: 250, AT(DB): 20(40), OB: 150 ba (x2 damage). The following does not apply: minus to activity, stun, hits/rnd. 4: Former guard room. Empty, except a secret trapdoor on the floor. (-20 perception, -10 pick lock). It leads to Skuggalug Sublevel 2 #16. 5: Large wooden double door. Rusty hinges. The door stands slightly ajar. Small characters can squeeze in without opening it any further. Opening it further will require a total ST of 30 and result in a loud noise. 6: Large room. Stairs lead up and down. Various skeletons; humans, dwarves and orcs lie scattered on the floor. On a nicely carved pedestal in the center of the room lies Kulgl (Quenya. "Red Golden Star"). In writing on the pedestal (Quenya):

"If you the Sun and Guide should take my Guard and Venger would awake, and even if you Kulgl obtain, all your effords will be in vain." A great many years ago it was stolen from the elves by a wizard who lived at Skuggalug. He installed "Black Reaver". Kulgl gives x5 Essence PP, +30 DB and allows unlimited use of Long Eye (1000' radius). Later attempts to take possession of the gem can be seen on the floor of this room and room #2. 7: Stairs leading down. Lead to Sublevel. Slippery due to moisture and a slimy kind of moss. Medium Manuever roll necessary. 8: Stairs leading up. Next level does no longer exist, so it now leads into the open.

Guard Tower Ruin Sublevel 9: Room. Completely empty. Dusty. 10: Large room. +10 magic handaxe lying in the dust in one corner (-10 perception). 11: Secret room. -30 perception to locate. Two-handed sword "Justice", intelligent, on the blade is carved in Quenya: "For the death of the lesser man". From +15 OB to -40 depending on what the blade thinks of the opponent and the holder. Fumble from 2 to 50 - againg depending on the blades perception of the situation. Possible +30 DB when holder parries, again the blade decides the faith of the holder. Of GOOD alignment.