The

Justice of Tyr
An Introductory Dark Sun Adventure
Robo Tony

The Justice of Tyr: an Introduction to Dark Sun Adventure

Table of Contents
THE JUSTICE OF TYR

PREMISE

INTRODUCTION

ARENA BATTLE

GLADIATORS
THE BEAST!
VICTORY:
EXITING THE ARENA

5
5
5
6

THE CITY OF TYR

THE STREETS OF TYR

THE DUSTY MUG
THE HALLS OF JUSTICE
GAVANS CURIOS
ARENA THE ANIMAL PITS
THE HOUSE OF MADAR
THE CRIME SCENE
THE HOUSE OF TSALAXA
TYRON TSALAXA
RHEYS APOTHECARY
ELVEN MARKET
ELVEN ASSASSINS

7
7
8
8
9
10
11
13
13
16
16
16

CONFRONTATION

17

ABYUUKS SHOP
MARKET BATTLE
SARHAN

17
17
17

CONCLUSION

18

APPENDIX

19

LIST OF NPCS
THINGS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN
NEEDING TO LIE LOW SKILL CHALLENGE
WILDERNESS SURVIVAL SKILL CHALLENGE

19
20
20
20

REFERENCES:

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The Justice of Tyr: an Introduction to Dark Sun Adventure

The Justice of Tyr

This adventure was designed as an introductory Dark Sun adventure that would be
more story focused the published Dark Sun modules available. The materials
provided here are based off of my notes with added commentary. The adventure has
been run twice for groups of 3 players over an approximately five-hour session and
could be adjusted for time or number of players as needed. This adventure follow a
murder-mystery plot set in the city of Tyr before the fall of Kalak. This adventure
has only two guaranteed combat encounters and is intended to focus on role playing
the interactions with the 10 major NPCs the players might encounter as the unravel
the mystery. Due to the heavy roleplaying component encounter-by-encounter XP
stats are not provided, but achieving 2nd level would likely be an appropriate reward
for beginning players who complete the adventure.

Premise
The players have been set up for the murder of a merchant of the house of Madar,
and must fight for their lives in the arena. Despite impossible odds they defeat their
monstrous opponent under curious circumstances. On exiting the arena they are
faced with two questions: who set them up for a murder they didnt commit and
who arranged for them to spared certain death?

Players can investigate Tyr or attempt to escape to the wastelands via caravan work.
(The story assumes players are motivated to know what is happening to them.)

Investigating will reveal that the shadowy house of Tsalaxa paid to have their
execution battle fixed and leans on them to discover who is behind the murder and
the cover up. Further investigations eventually lead them to the Elven Markets and a
confrontation with Sarhan, an operative of Urik working to destabilize the Tyrian
economy.

DM Note: On Names
Many of the names presented here are lifted from Dark Sun modules in part or in full, (most
notably the house of Madar), because of my own lack of imagination with names, other
Dungeon Masters may wish to provide their own names for characters to avoid confusion
with other character in the Dark Sun universe your players might encounter.

DM Note: Who Framed the Players?
The conclusion to the adventure should reveal who framed the players for murder and for
what reason. A somewhat simple but boring option would be that the players were simply
in the wrong place at the wrong time, a better story will tie into the back story of the
characters. For example in my first run through one of the players was an ex-Templar of
Urik, and the players are set up by his old rival, a current Templar of Urik, who is hell bent
on seeing him properly punished. In the second run through one of the players was an
establish Halfling thief and pick pocket in Tyr, and as such a rival of the Elven gangs acting
as middlemen for the Templar.

The Justice of Tyr: an Introduction to Dark Sun Adventure

Introduction

Suggested narration:
You awaken to the sound of trumpets nearby, and you find it blends rather un-
harmoniously with the ringing in your ears. As your eyes clear, you notice the others
around you. Shaking each other awake, you have more questions than answers.
Looking around, you see the room you are in is lit from a large, square opening above,
with mostly smooth stone walls on four sides. The bright, burning sun of Athas fills the
room with light and heat. More sounds now, cheering and louder trumpets create a
symphony of pain and anxiety as you begin to piece together where you are. You see a
hallway leads out of the room, but several stone bars prevent you from passing
through.

A figure appears on the other side of the bars, a Mul clad in bone studded leather.
Compose yourselves, it begins so. The door opens for only a moment as he throws a
large bag into the room.

Players recognize some of their own possessions.

The Mul (Bondar) ignores any questions from the players and leave.

They are in a stone room with only two openings, a barred doorway, a square
opening in the ceiling above.

They are alone.

Further suggested narration, use as needed or in response to player questions about
their surroundings:

The trumpets increase in noise again, and looking at your companions you feel an
imposing sense of dread wash over you. As the final moments of unconsciousness fade
away, the floor begins to rise carrying you closer to the daylight and the sounds.

You rise about 30 feet, and your heart stops as your eyes confirm your fears. The entire
gladiatorial stadium of Tyr lies before you, filled with patrons. Loud cheers and jeers
intermingle with the trumpets at crescendo.

You dont remember anything that led up to this, but you definitely feel groggy, you try
to remember what happened to you the previous day but struggle to remember with
any certainty. You feel like you were attacked, probably while going about your
regular business in the Warrens, that would certainly explain the throbbing headache.

The crowd quiets to a restless buzz as a noble, the master of todays games, screams
out the charges against you: For the high crime of murder, these conspirators are

The Justice of Tyr: an Introduction to Dark Sun Adventure

sentenced to the Arena, here they will find Victory and Pardon, or Death and Final
Judgment.

The sound of your beating heart drowns out the crowd, the trumpets, and even your
own thoughts as the door opens on the far side of the Arena.

Arena Battle

The arena battle is in two parts: first the players will fight two rounds of combat
against rival gladiators, then their true opponent: a monstrous Chathrang.

The arena battle map provided with the Bloodsand Arena module works perfectly
for this, improvise a 20x30 rectangular shape if drawing it out by hand.

Gladiators

The first round of battle is against other gladiators, possibly other citizens of Tyr
who are accused of some other crime. They shouldnt be fierce opponent for the
players. I used the stats of the Human Slave (p.64 Dark Sun Creature Catalog) that
seemed to work well as simple minions. Using one more minion than the number of
players should ensure they arent wiped out immediately.

The Beast!
The player battle a giant lizard (Chathrang p.24 Dark Sun Creature Catalog.), an
impossible fight, combat ends after four rounds when the beast stumbles, appears
sick and collapse.

Chathrang Stats
I modified the Chathrang stats, giving it additional +25 hit points, but half damage
on all attacks (ie weakened) and removing the Retreat into Shell power. I
conceptualized the beast as an ancient Chathrang; much larger and a bit tougher
than described in the Creature Catalog, but significantly less vicious.

DM Note: Running the Battle
The battle should be an exciting challenge to the players. The Chathrangs stats will make it
hard to hit on anything less than a 17, but reducing the damage should make sure the players
arent knocked down. Consider having the Chathrang use some attack on any remaining
minions. Adjust the length of battle as needed, for some players three combat rounds against
the Chathrang might be fine, other groups might enjoy playing as many as five.
On the Chathrangs final turn, have the creature move as if to make a major attack, then
stagger and collapse unexpectedly.

Victory:

Suggested narration:
The crowd erupts into chaos, some cheer your victory while others are clearly enraged
at the brevity of the fight. Some of the fans pelt the arena floor with rocks.

The Justice of Tyr: an Introduction to Dark Sun Adventure

A small doorway on the side of the arena opens.

The last player through the door notices a man seated immediately above the
doorway who looks particularly upset by your victory. They dont get a good look at
whoever the figure was, they notice only his bright yellow robes before loosing sight
of him in the crowd.

(This Man in Yellow will eventually be revealed to be the primary antagonist.)

Bondar the Mul appears and waves the players inside. Now fully conscious players
can get a better look at him, he is short, stocky, and bald. His arms are covered in
elaborate tattoos of geometric shapes.

Suggested dialogue for Bondar:
Ill trust youre smart enough to recognize a fixed fight when you see one, you should
probably get moving before anyone looks to closely at that beast.

They say you beat to death a merchant, if youre telling me you didnt do that you
better find who did or never show your face in Tyr again

I wouldnt stick around, once they figure out that the creature was poisoned the
templar will be more than a little interested in you.

If pressured (maybe blackmailed?) Bondar will reveal that his payment was from an
agent of the merchant house Tsalaxa, but there are several other paths that can lead
the players to house Tsalaxa should this idea not occur to them.

Exiting the Arena

Description:
The narrow corridor you are in leads to larger corridor that leads off in both
directions. A Templar flanked by two guards stands expectantly in the corridor.

The templar is a tall skinny man with a protruding nose.

He reads haughtily from a scroll, use a bored, possibly nasal (Ben Stein?) voice:

Kalak the great praises your victory in the arena pits. You are the first champions to
ever best the mighty Chathrang. Though your crime of the murder of the merchant
Darom Madar was most heinous, Kalak is not without mercy. For your victory, justice
has been served and your lives are spared, be on your way.

The templar is dismissive and know next to nothing beyond what he read.

The Justice of Tyr: an Introduction to Dark Sun Adventure

The City of Tyr

The Streets of Tyr
The characters are faced with two major questions: who set them up for a crime
they didnt commit, and who arranged to have them spared?

Use the map of Tyr provided in the Dark Sun Campaign Setting book to give the
players a visual guide to the city of Tyr as the players navigate the different areas
and districts of Tyr.

Where do they go next?
The players could investigate the merchant (Darom Madar) they are alleged to have
committed, they could attempt to further investigate the Mul (Bondar) that briefly
spoke to them, they could make arrangements to flee Tyr entirely (for a longer
campaign the players might eventually have to return to Tyr and deal with the fall
out of this situation.)

Tailing Bondar could lead players to the House of Tsalaxa, otherwise they might
proceed to the House of Madar. Following Bondar will require some stealth and
streetwise checks to navigate the busy streets Tyr without loosing him. (suggested:
DC 15.)

DM Note: Locations and People in the City of Tyr
The intent of the adventure at this point is to provide many leads players could follow up on,
and to be as unconstrained as possible in how they might do so. Be prepared to improvise
locations players might want to visit that would be sensible even if you did not plan for
them. In my first run through of the adventure Bondar was an unnamed NPC who played a
minimal role, but players were so focused on using him to figure out what was going on that
I created a name and story for him on the spot. In the same session I improvised several
other locales that I had not planned for (a local tavern and the animal pits at the arena), but
made sense given the players goal of investigating a murder and possibly shady dealings
connected to the arena. The important component is for the DM to have a sense of how
things fit together to avoid conflicting or unintentionally confusing clues.

The Dusty Mug

The Dusty Mug is a tavern near the arena (a gladiator player character would likely
know about it.) By visiting the Dusty Mug the players might learn more about the
events of the morning, in particularly how unexpected their win was.

Suggested description:
The Dusty Mug is a hang out for gladiators, ex-gladiators, and those who bet on the
games. Sanozar, an older Dwarf tends bar.

The Justice of Tyr: an Introduction to Dark Sun Adventure

Sanozar knows a little bit about the mechanics of the arena fights and might be able
to provided additional context about this mornings battle and the surprising upset.
He would know that the odds were heavily against them, suggesting that someone
might have a financial incentive to fix the match.

The Halls of Justice

Located on the very edge of the templar district (and thus publicly accessible) are
the halls of justice. Visiting the halls of justice might give the players useful
information about the crime they are accused of, particularly the witness who
identified them.

Suggested description:
The halls of justice is a single story building, a outer faade of wide columns and
carved frescos gives way to the inner appearance of the hall of justice, a large room
with scribes working furiously. Squabbling merchants and other citizens of Tyr wait to
hear their cases heard on one side of the room.

Once inside:
At a desk on a raised platform sits Tehosian, a templar and the bureaucrat in charge
of the intake for the halls of justice. He is a balding frog like man clad in purple robes.

Tehosian is not at all interested in talking to the players, their business is settled as
far as he is concerned by winning their pardon in the arena. He is bored, frustrated,
or annoyed by the players presence and hopes they will leave.

If pushed Tehosian will be exasperated and reveal or clarify several pieces of
information:
o The players were accused of the brutal murder of Darom Madar, head of the
house of Madar.
o Darom was murdered just the previous day.
o They were apprehended by the city guards last night and immediately
sentenced to die in the arena this very morning (Tehosian might beam at
how swiftly justice was delivered.)
o The guards acted upon the testimony of Gavan Sul, a shopkeeper located
across the street from house Madar who allegedly saw the PCs flee the scene
of the crime.

Players can go from the Halls of Justice to anywhere in Tyr but will likely make the
House of Madar or Gavans Curios their next stop.

Gavans Curios
Across the way from the House of Madar is this small shop that sells collectibles and
oddities. Players might arrive here while exploring the area near the house of Madar
or based on the information that Gavan Sul is the proprietor and supposed witness

The Justice of Tyr: an Introduction to Dark Sun Adventure

to the players fleeing the crime scene. Gavan will potentially provide a clue to the
role of the local elven gangs in framing the players.

Suggested Descrition:
Much of the wares are previous owned goods: jewelry, musical instruments, and other
items of questionable provenance. The proprietor, grins a toothy smile at you as you
enter the shop and makes his way over to you.

Gavan Sul:
Gavan Sul is a gregarious Tiefling, he is lavish with insincere flattery. Consider
playing him as a charming salesman hoping to sell the players some piece of junk
who quickly shifts moods when the players arent eager customers.

If intimidated Gavan will reveal that he does business with the Iron Rats, a gang of
elven thieves. He regularly fences items for him, and they demanded he tell the
guards that he saw the PCs leaving the house of Madar at the time of the murder.

Arena The Animal Pits

Player could wish to investigate the holding cage of the beast they fought for signs of
why it died so suddenly, or they might follow Bondar back here from the house
Tsalaxa hoping to question him further. Security for this area of the arena is
minimal, the majority of the group would need to make a DC 12 bluff check, though a
gladiator player with knowledge of the arena could minimize/remove that challenge
entirely.

Bondar the Mul works in the Animal pits within the arena, he commands a group of
human and Mul slaves responsible for the care and upkeep of the exotic creatures
that fight in the arena. If the players question him here he will be much more likely
to reveal his connection to House Tsalaxa in hopes that he can get rid of them as
soon as possible.

The Chathrang pen is relatively un-notable, it now stands empty. It is a large musty
room: one large door leads to a tunnel that would take the creature up to the arena.
A significantly smaller doorway allows those who feed or clean up after the creature
to enter the chamber. The only furniture in the room is a feeding troth along one
wall. The troth has a disgusting mush in it: dried vegetation, and animal matter. A
player who makes a DC 15 Nature check while searching the cage would find the
carcass of a venomous snake mixed in with the carrion that was the creatures food,
the source of its poisoning and untimely death.

This information could be helpful in getting Bondar to talk, or simply confirming
without a doubt that the match was fixed in the players favor.

The Justice of Tyr: an Introduction to Dark Sun Adventure

The House of Madar

Player will eventually seek out the scene of the crime: the house of Madar. On their
first visit they will likely not be able to gain access to the actual crime scene, but may
be directed toward House of Tsalaxa.

Suggested description:
The house of Madar is a modest establishment located on the edge of the merchant
district. A low wall surrounds an open yard taken up by pens of livestock: Kanks and
Eridu. The actual house of Madar building is a square-ish three story structure in the
middle of the yard. The first floor of the building would presumably be the business
offices which currently appear closed. A few servants are feeding animals and doing
chores in the yard.

Kania is a human slave of the house of Madar doing chores in the yard the pkayers
can talk to. She has fair hair bleached by the sun and is dressed in drab, simple
clothing. She is proud to serve the house and considers the house of Madar
honorable and fair traders of livestock. Consider playing Kania as shy and
softspoken, but friendly or helpful enough that she will provide some useful
information to the players. (So many of the characters require intimidation to
interact with, but that didnt seem necessary here.) Players could present
themselves to Kania as concerned customers of House Madar, neighbors come to
pay respect, or the alleged murderers looking to clear their names: whatever
approach they elect will likely dramatically effect the tone of the conversation and
possible the information gained.

Kania might reveal or discuss:
o The leader of the house, Darom Madar has been murdered just the previous
day, and the house is in a state of disarray.
o There is no immediate heir, so the future of the house of Madar is uncertain,
she is expecting the relations to arrive in Tyr within a days but no one from
the family is available to speak with guests today.
o If pressed on the details of his death, she might reveal that Darom was beaten
in his chambers, his body still lies there un interred while his relatives
squabble over who will run the house.
o The House of Madar owe substantial debts to the House of Tsalaxa.

DM Note: Getting in to the House of Madar
At this point getting past Kania and into the house of Madar would be extremely difficult,
but not impossible, and could depend on what the players interactions with Kania were like
or if they have a an imaginative plan to get in.
It would require a significant dimplomacy (25), bluff (20), or intimidate (20) check, to gain
entry to the murder scene. If the fail bluff they could try intimidate but it would be much
hard to fail intimidate and then try to bluff. If Vimak (who they may not have met yet) is
accompanying the players give a +5 bonus to intimidate.

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The Justice of Tyr: an Introduction to Dark Sun Adventure

If the players are able to gain entry into the actual crime scene proceed with that, otherwise
the players will likely need to visit other locations in Tyr, and eventually talk to someone at
the house of Tsalaxa, before returning to the House of Madar and the actual crime scene.

The Crime Scene

If players are successfully able to gain entrance to the house of Madar via Bluff,
Intimidate, or Diplomacy they can make their way to the third floor and locate
Daroms chambers. Through this skill challenge players can gain more information
about the actual cause of Daroms death and a lead as to who might be behind it.

Suggested description:
Daroms body lies on the floor of his chambers. His arms have been folded across his
chest as a fleeting sign of respect for the dead, but his placement on the floor and the
rank smell of a corpse lying out in the heat of Athas for over a day is more than
unpleasant. The buzz of insects fills the air. A casual glance suggests that Darom died
from a blow to the head, a smashed chair and a broken vase suggest signs of a
struggle.


Investigation Skill Challenge:
Level 1 Skill Challenge, Complexity 2, requires 6 successes before 3 failures.

Check the Body:
Heal, Nature, or Perception can be used to study the body (DC 12):

1st Success: You study the body, and notice a tiny but deep stab wound in the back of
Daroms body, right on his kidney.

2nd Success: You realize that this wound does not seem to have generated nearly the
amount of blood you would have expected, and was likely unnoticed by whoever
discovered the body. It could have been made with a needle or oddly shaped dagger.

3rd Success: There is a faint, greenish, paste-like residue around the wound.

4th Success (requires Nature): You recognize the paste as a poison made from a
specific type of cacti, the act of making it requires arcane magic. The effect of the
toxin would cause brief seizure like behavior followed quickly by death.

Interview Kania
Diplomacy or Intimidate (DC 12)
Depending how players gain access to Daroms chambers, Kania could be present
throughout or stumble in while they are mid investigation. Consider requiring one
player to distract Kania with roll played diplomacy, intimidate, or bluff checks in
order to allow other players to continue actively examining the body/room.

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The Justice of Tyr: an Introduction to Dark Sun Adventure

1st Success: Kania reveals: I tell you what I told the templar yesterday, we heard a
crashing sound which awoke us early in the morning. When we rushed to our
masters chambers he has already ceased to live. You think she might know more

2nd Success: I was the first to find him, the window was open wide, and I think I
saw a shape there, but I can be certain, if it was a person they were gone in a
moment.

Results: Players know the cause of death (assassination via poison), and have a clue
as to the type of creature the assassin might be.

Other inspections/clues you may wish incorporate:
Inspection of the window shows a three-story drop to the courtyard below, any
creature to have entered via the window would need to be an expert in acrobatics.

The vase and broken chair seem broken more by accident rather than actually used
as weapons.

Tracking the posion
A successful streetwise check would suggest that the main places to aquire such a
special kind of poison in Tyr would have to be Rheys Apothecary in the Merchant
District or a dealer in the Elven market.

DM Note: Crime Scene Skill Challenge
Both of the groups I ran this skill challenge with seemed to enjoy it, but be careful of the
constraints of skill challenge vs. player imagination. Also make sure that the skill challenge
requirement are appropriate to the stats of your players; for both groups I adjusted which
skills were required and at what DCs to make sure I was not creating an impossible scenario.

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The Justice of Tyr: an Introduction to Dark Sun Adventure

The House of Tsalaxa

Player with area knowledge (streetwise DC 15) would know that Tsalaxa is one of
the more prominent merchant house in all of Tyr. Although nominally in the
livestock trade, house Tsalaxa is invested in many trades, their real source of
revenue is in financing and money lending (also extortion and assassination.)

DM Note: When do the players get to the house of Tslalaxa?
The first group I ran the adventure for seemed committee to avoiding visiting the House of
Tsalaxa at all costs, this required the improvisation of a verity of other locations and minor
characters in Tyr that would steer them back in the right direction. In preparation for the
2nd run through of the adventure I created even more additional side content but the
players never saw it as they decided that House Tsalaxa was the obvious place to start their
investigation.

Descrition:
The house of Tsalaxa is a grandiose structure in the upscale Iron Square area of the
merchant district. Substantial stonewall separates the holdings from the main streets
of Tyr. Two Muls stand at the gate.

If player did not follow Bondar to House Tsalaxa, they might see him leaving House
of Tsalaxa, either confirming that House of Tsalaxa is involved in whatever is going
on, or providing an additional opportunity to question Bondar.

Players could attempt to intimidate or persuade the Muls, either way they are
informed that they are expected! (Big laughs from the PCs who spent ~90 minutes
touring every other part of Tyr to avoid going to House Tsalaxa.)

He players are taken inside where they will meet Tyron Tsalaxa.
Tyron Tsalaxa
Tyron Tsalaxa is not the head of house Tsalaxa, but the younger brother of Naeth
Tsalaxa. Tyron is responsible for a variety of security related services within Tyr.

Suggested narration:
Tyron Tsalaxa awaits you in an ornate office. Tyron is a tall human with stringy black
hair. He has a jutting chin and sunken eyes, and is garbed in ornate robes. The soft
light of sunlight filtered through a tapestry lights the room. You are overwhelmed by
the glitter of crystalline objects on shelves. This place would feel almost relaxing if not
for the stare of sparsely clad half giant standing next to Tyron.

Playing Tyron Tsalxa
Tyron Tsalaxa has the demeanor of a scheming crime boss. He is friendly and
outgoing, but in a fake insincere way. He has little respect for the players, and
suspects they are the actual murderers of Darom Madar, but he wants to be sure of
the truth or who they might work for. Though Tyron should be played as a villainous

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The Justice of Tyr: an Introduction to Dark Sun Adventure

character, in this adventure he is actually the players benefactor, and I envisioned
him as being their employer for further adventures. Because Tyron Tsalaxa is one of
the most important characters in the story in terms of providing the characters with
some information and a direction, I want him to be the most planned in terms of
dialogue and mannerisms. I planned this dialogue I could pick from as Tyron
interacts with the characters and responds to their questions:

Welcoming the players:
Ah yes weve been waiting for you, you are of course ________, so you must be ____ and
of course the legendary _______, do come in, I am Tyron Tsalaxa.

Players will likely ask how he knows them:
Ah you see, house of Tsalaxa made our fortune selling Kanks, but any true merchant is
also in the business of information. And of course I feel like Ive known you for
sometime what with saving your lives this very morning!

Why did he do that?
Now I arranged to have you spared because I am interested in getting to know you
better, I already know you live in the slums. ______ , I know you only arrived here a few
weeks ago, _____ you seem to be more recent arrival, and ____ well Tyr has given you
your fair share of ups and downs over the years. But what I dont know is why you
killed Darom Madar. (Adjust his statements to the back stories of the characters, the
idea is he seems to know a lot about them and what is going on in Tyr.)

Give the players a chance to roleplay reacting to being accused of the murder of
Darom Madar. If Tyron believes their innocence, he will proceed with his offer, if
they hedge perhaps he tells them they should leave Tyr as a way of threatening
them to be more forthcoming with what is transpiring.


Tyrons response to claims of innocence:
Hmm, interesting, though not altogether unsurprising.

Why not suprising?

You see, Darom is the third merchant in as many months to be killed, each time the
murderers have been apprehended within the day, and sentenced to death in the
arenas. According to the templars, all of the assassins acted alone and out of simple
greed. Now in the short term, this has provided a wealth of opportunity, new markets
opening up, competition crumbling on its own, but House Tsalaxa is somewhat
concerned about the perception of instability, and of course who might be ordering
these deaths is of great interest to us. Someone is going to great lengths not only to
have these merchants eliminated but to have others sentenced to a quick death for the
killings.

Whats next?
Seeing as the group of you literally owe me your lives, particularly if the templar were
ever motivated to investigate the surprising defeat of their champion, I think it

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The Justice of Tyr: an Introduction to Dark Sun Adventure

wouldnt be to much to impose on you to find out who has been ordering these
murders. Once you return with a name and proof, and Ill consider our debt cleared.

Either in response to a request for help or suggestion that they might not be
cooperative:
And of course to make sure you dont disappoint the House of Tsalaxa, my colleague
Vimak will accompany you, for your own protection of course.

If the players try an insight check (DC 15) they will know that Tyron is sincere about
being the one that saved you, but his motivations and much of the details seem
suspect.

Other background Tyron may be asked about:
o The other murdered merchants were officials in the house of Vordon and the
house of Ianto.
o Though the house of Madar is significantly less powerful than other better-
known houses, it was the head of Madar that was killed not just a ranking
member, and Tyron is concerned about the escalation in disruption.
o If the players ask where to start he will encourage them to investigate the
House of Madar, and the murder scene itself if possible.

Vimak is a towering Goliath Enforcer (p.58 creature catalog) who will now
accompany the party.

DM Note: What Does Vimak do?
Vimaks presence will assist in any intimidation efforts if the player need to get information
from uncooperative NPCs. Vimak is also skilled in streetwise though he is likely to use that
simply to not be ditched by the players rather than directly assist them in any way. In general
Vimak says little and does little to assist the players directly, but if players are completely
stumped he could assist them with information about local businesses or locations in Tyr
that would help move them forward. In this way Vimak can serve as a threat to the players
to stay on mission, a level for getting information from people they could not previously
intimidate, or simply a way fro the DM to provide in-character suggestions if the PCs get
stumped.
In combat you may choose to play Vimak in response to player actions, for example in one
run through where players tried to ditch Vimak, he stands idly by when combat breaks out,
only joining in when the players are really in trouble.

Where Next?

The next step is likely the crime scene at the house of Madar, but if the players have
already been there they may be headed for Rheys Apothecary or to the Elven
district.

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Rheys Apothecary

Located in the noble district, Rheys Apothecary stocks medicinal herbs and incense,
but some players may have been around Tyr long enough to hear the rumors of
arcane items being sold here on the shy. Rhey Khal is the proprietor. If players
arrive here it would likely be after investigating the crime scene and wanting more
information about a how Darom madar was poisoned.

Rhey rebuffs any questions about a poison dagger, but if badly intimidated (DC 25)
he will divulge that he provided a recipe to Abyuuk, an elf who deals in the Elven
market. A character particularly familiar with Tyr and the elven market will know
the name Abyuuk as a deal maker in the Elven market who acts as a go between for
Elves looking to make coin and those with the resources to pay.

Elven Market
Description:
The elven market is located on the edge of the warrens, but despite the dangerous
locale it is a frequent destination for visitors. Stalls and tables clutter the alleyways
with few permanent structures. The wares available here vary wildly from worthless
baubles to black market goods available nowhere else in Tyr.

Player eventually arrive in the elven market after finding a variety of clues
suggesting that an elven gang is connected to the murder of Darom Madar.
Ultimately they will end up at Abyuuks shop, but without some kind of lead finding
a poison dealer will require some degree of creativity.
Elven Assassins
Entering the Elven Market will cause the players to be followed by a pair of Elven
assassins (notice with a DC 15 perception.)

If the players realize they are being followed they can react however theyd like:
they can attempt to evade the assassins, split up, trap them or confront them.

If they get into combat use stats 2 Dune striders on page 44 of the Dark Sun creature
catalog.

DM Note: Dealing with the Elves
This scenario played out very differently in the two different versions Ive done of the
adventure. In one, the players confronted the elves in the street and ended up chasing them
back to Abyuuks shop where a fight broke out. I used a variety of skill checks as a mini skill
challenge as players struggled with them and the followed them through busy streets and
across rooftops. In another run through players planed a way to box the elves in, forcing
them into combat. This allowed them to defeat and question the elves and approach
Abyuuks shop secretly where they were able to eavesdrop on some helpful conversations.

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Confrontation

Eventually the players will make find their way to Abyuuks shop, either by
following or interrogating the elves. (Vimak might offer the location as helpful if
they somehow get stuck.)

Here they will discover the Abyuuk has been working for the Man in Yellow, and a
major fight will break out in the market place.

Abyuuks Shop
Description:
Abyuuks shop is a squat small structure, but given that most merchants and traders in
the Elven market operate out of tents and carts it does bare some distinction.

As the players approach Abyuuks shop theyll find him arguing with a man in yellow
robes (Sarhan). If players are actively chasing the elves through the market a fight
will brake out immediately, otherwise the player might have a few moments to
eaves drop on Abyuuk and Sarhans argument before being spotted and the
inevitable fight. (The argument is that the PC were not supposed to live, then entire
plan was based on their quick death, and now they have to be dealt with.)

Market Battle

I used the market place map provided with the Marauders of the Dune Sea module
and the 3D terrain provided in the Deserts of Athas tile pack for Abyuuks shop.

5x Level 3 Elven Sniper (p. 44 Dark Sun Creature Catalog)
1x Elf Dune Strider (p. 45 Dark Sun Creature Catalog)

-consider adding a 2nd or 3rd strider if they chased them to Abyuuks shop
1x Lvl. 7 Templar (Marauders of Dune Sea p.5)

As the fight breaks out 5 elven snipers (minions) will fire at the players from the
roof tops, while a single elven strider tried to hold the players back as Sarhan gets
into position on top of Abyuuks shop from which he can use his templar magic.

If combat goes poorly or lasts more than 10 rounds Sarhan will try to flee.

Sarhan
When Sarhan is defeated and searched, players find he carries a stone pendant with
the insignia of a roaring lion, the symbol of the city of Urik. This combined with his
use of magic is proof that he is a templar of a rival city, acting as a spy/terrorist in
Tyr.

Abyuuk will attempt to flee the city forever, knowing what his fate would be if the
templar found out he was involved in a conspiracy against Tyr.

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DM Note: Sarhan, Abyuuk, and how it fits together.
Either Sarhan or Abyuuk should survive the fight for the purposes of being questioned for
final information. In my first version Abyuuk flees as soon as the fight broke out, but that
was confusing to some players who didnt get that Sarhan is supposed to be who they cared
about now. In the second version Abyuuk cowers in his shop, available to be interrogated
after Sarhan was defeated; this seemed to play out more cleanly than Sarhan being question
as he is dying, both for being less predictable and also that Abyuuk is more cowardly while
Sarhan would be prepared to take his secrets to the grave.
From their questioning players should learn the truth: that Sarhan is a templar operative
from Urik, causing trouble in Tyr by using Abyuuk and his elven gangs to have important
merchants murdered. Abyuuk was in it for the money, Sarhan was attempting to cause
confusion in the Tyrian economy. The player were framed to cover up the ongoing murders,
either do to bad luck or some element of their back stories that puts them at odds with the
Elves or Urik.

Once the battle clears and players have had a moment to questions people, Vimak
will encourage them to escape before the guards arrive, and suggest they regroup at
House Tsalaxa.

Conclusion

Tyron welcomes the players back into his office and asks them how their
investigation has faired.

The pendant recovered from Sarhan should serve as sufficient proof for Tyron of
Uriks involvement and that the players have resolved the problem (though in
further adventures Tyron might still be suspicious and assume the players had been
working for Sarhan all alone.)

If the players are missing some part of the story at this point Tyron might be able to
help fill in the gaps, for example he could explain that Sarhans presence shows that
the killings were the Hamanus attempt to destabilize the Tyrian economy via these
killings. Tyron might note that all the merchant house targeted have minimal
dealings with the City State of Urik. Depending upon the role of the players back
story in being set up for the crime and what they chose to reveal Tyron might
wonder why the players were targeted muses out loud that it may have all just been
bad luck.

Whats Next
The players actions have likely earned them the favor and/or attention of the house
of Tsalaxa, so that could easily lead to them as an antagonistic force or a provider of
opportunities for future adventures. Now that Tyr has been established for the
players as a major location in the Dark Sun setting, a follow up adventure might do
well to take them out into the wastelands and wilderness.

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Appendix
List of NPCs
In possible order of appearance/reference:

Bondar: a Mul, works in arena, involved in fixing the games for House of Tsalaxa.

Darom Madar (Deceased): Head of the House of Madar, the players have been
framed for his murder.

The Man in Yellow: ?

Sanozar: Dwarf bar tender at The Dusty Mug, he knows a little about the games.

Tehosian: Templar Bureucrat at the Halls of Justice, has some details on the alleged
crime the PCs are accused of committing.

Gavan Sul: Thiefling shopkeeper at Gavans Curios and witness who got you
arrested. He is a fence for the Toothcutters who forced him to blame the PCs.

Kania: slave of the House of Madar, she can provide some information about the
House of Madars business and the death of Darom Madar.
Tyron Tsalaxa: a high ranking member of the House of Tsalaxa and a local crime
boss. He is very interested in who killed Darom Madar and why.

Vimak: Tyron Tsalaxas loyal Goliath enforcer might be able to assist the PCs with
his powers in combat or his imposing figure.

Rhey Khal: Owner and operator of Rheys Apothecary, a good person to talk to for
information about purchasing or creating poisons.

Abyuuk: allegedly a simple elven shopkeeper, in actuality a major deal maker who
brokers arrangements between the elven gangs and other shadier characters.

Sarhan: the Man in Yellow, the true antagonist. He is a templar agent of Urik causing
trouble in Tyr.

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Things that might happen

Though improvisation will be an inherent part of any adventure, I wanted to have
some skill challenges prepared for scenarios that might occur:
Needing to lie low skill challenge

If the players incur the direct wrath of the Templar or the Tyrian guards through
some unfortunate series of events they will need to make themselves scarce for at
least a day: either by leaving Tyr or hiding in the Warrens.

Evading the Guards and Laying Low in the Warrens Skill Challenge:
Skill Challenge: Complexity 2, 6 Success before 3 failures.

Guards are searching people at both ends of the street, a templar leading one squad
notices your party and starts barking orders to his guards who begin moving
through the crowds toward you.

Skills that can be used: Acrobatics, Athletics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate Stealth.

Athletics or Acrobatics: DC 20 character attempts to evade the guards by moving
through the crowd quickly or scrambling over a wall or other obstacles.

Bluff: DC 25, pretend to be someone else, talk your way out of arrest.

Diplomacy: DC 25, convinces a shopkeeper to help hide them.

Stealth DC 20: Attempt to disappear into the crowd.

Perception or Streetwise: DC 20: doesnt count as a success or failure, player notices
something that could help them evade capture, +2 to stealth or athletics/acrobatics.

Thievery: Gain entry to a locked doorway:

Success: Evade capture, but guards will still be looking for them in this area.

Failure: Players are captured, determine the repercussions of this based on where
the story is so far (are they thrown into another arena battle, cast out into the
wilderness, bailed out by House Tsalaxa?)


Wilderness Survival Skill Challenge
Leaving Tyr could require a wilderness survival check:

Complexity 3 (8 success before 3 failures)

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Athletics (group check) DC 12

Endurance (DC 19) +2 bonus if successful in Athletics.

Nature (DC 15) forage for supplies, or you know the best route.

Perception (DC 12), you watch the area and always look for the easiest path through
difficult terrain.

Heal (DC 15) you tend for wounds and other minor injuries you encounter in your
travels.


Success: the reach a muddy oasis successfully

Failure: Sun sickness.

References:

Materials were modified, (or in some cases taken), from the following Dark Sun
sources:

Dark Sun Campaign Setting
Dark Sun Creature Catalog
Dark Sun Bloodsand Arena
Dispatches from Athas by Will Wagner
The Vault of Darom Madar

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