Ino Che Laoy by Graeme Davis PART 1 - INTRODUCTION Find the Lady is on adventure for the D&D and ADAD gome systems. IIs designed for @ patty of Ist ~ 3rd level chotacters, with secondoty skills generated aceerding to the article in this istue. This. seencrlo wos not designed with ony set number of chorocters ot mix of profestions “and levels in mind, end could equclly well be tun or 2 grou or sclo edventure. “It con be played os 0 one-off adventure oF a pact of the Pelinore ot Zhalindsr campaigns, ond notes fre included on placing the odventure in either world If you Intend to play in this adventure, please stop reoding hhare. The test of the information is for the OM alone. Find the Lady is divided into twelve sections, os follows: Port 1 (this section) is on introduction to the edventure with background Infermatien for the players. Part 2 provides ditional Information fer the DM with an fof the terms ond abbreviations used "in the Parts 3-10 are the detailed keys for the various locations ln which the ection taxes ploce. Port 11 contains © Few roggestions concerning the oftermath of the adventure, in which the players will find themselves Sulth something of ¢ preter. Patt 12 provides the information on using this adventure in the Zhelindoe oF Pelinore compolgns. 5PLAYERS! INTRODUCTION 1 the OM Is intending te use this module with either the Felicore or Zhelincer -compoigns, he. should consult section 2 for further details before giving the players ony kind oF introduction. The introduction given below gssumes that the movie is being used 05 a one-off cdventure and will requite Some minor modifications if lr ls to be used os a compaige Introduction. However, if the players. ore on good rete vnith theis lecel inrkeeper the DM reed do little mere then ‘alter the nome of the hettelty ond ite owner. The adventure begins In the city, where the party ace esting between jobs. One everingy as usual, they retire to the sign of the Blue Boar, a favourite adventurers’ haunt, for @ meal and some of their fine ale. the landlord, Fat ‘Oso, tps them a wink and nods fomards @ lone figuee sitting by the tire, ‘dust blew In todays! he says, ‘She comes In every once In a while ~ Seems tobe in the same line of business es youre Selves. Don't know if you've heard of any expeditions or suchlike being planed, but it looks like she could do with he work “Had some bod luck, she says. I'm feeding ‘and ratering her on the house, for goodwill, but I can’t go on Going that for evai Tre figure Fat Odo points out Is a human woman in hee early fo mid twenties. "She Is dressed in typleal adventurers" gard of 9 warn and. travel stained leather Jerkin and ‘breeches, and nears 2 pair of daggers on her Belts A. tong snord Is propped agains? the table, nest her hand If the pacty approaches her, she ‘wlll Inéroduce hersell 9s Rledhey ‘onetime mercenary and now ut of more ‘Vim afraid 1 can't ouy you 2 drink! she says, ‘Things nave been a bit lean recently. hail my old group died on the last Job, and the others went thelr oun ways while Twat stuck here healing up" she puis down tre collec of her ietkin to reveol_an Inipressive-lecking seer on her right shoulder = "So here I am 1 dan't supeaze you've heard of any work going at all? I've already had to sel! my eemoue, land IP things get much tignter ehe smord will hove to-go Through the evening, conversation turns Inevttebly to tales OF past adventures, and Riaaha tells of the last fob, ‘We were hunting bupbears Jp the mountains. They'd hie a eeraven carrying about half 2 milion in gems, and. the ‘owning family wentea the stuff back - plus any of the cen Stlll alive ard” uneaten. Should have Deen 3 routine Job, ‘but wouldn't you know It, we das to find some clever bug. bears. And we weren't carerul enough, It hes to be seid. Anynay, they trapped us In a dead end, and ne had to cut ourselves out through @ couple of dazen of then ADDU halfway out, 1 took an axe in the shoulder ~ | should have ated by eights = and Modo, our pelest, managed to pull me lear and heal It part way- 1 was stl In 2 comas though, and they had to cacry me out.” Modo died fghting in my blace.'~ er eyes lst over slightly = 'Stilh enough of that.” Let me tell you abaut the time we tock the Kacy ruby fom the Temple of the Searpion, Now that wes a tio and 3 hal “And so the evening weers on, pleasantly swapping stories With a fellow adventurer over an excellent splt-rasst side of boar and @ camfartable amount of wine and ale. As closing time comes round Radha picks up her sword and gets ready to leave. Afeer tanking the party for thelr ale {nd companys she aes a stronge thing "Yes, you'll doy! she says) and drops a sliver medalton on the ‘table. 'Gring this where It belongs, flest thing In’ the macring." And be discreet. Gest clothes, no hardware ~ got Be" And wlth that, she fs gone. 16Radha used to be on adventures, but that was o few years ge. She. is) row employed es a troubleshooters by’ the Torgorron fomily, one of the city's most powerful. merchant families. Very few people know of this, howaves, cs sve works mostly undercover. Even Fat Ode, who knows most people and mos! things, knows Riedha only of an adventuser Gown on her luck. The adventures of which she tells the porty are oll genuine, but happened longer ogo than she lets them believe.” The scor Is also genuine, bu! skilled vse of cosmetics and stalning agents hes mode it look freshee than it relly ts. Ouring the evening, she hos been sizing the patty vp, and finally she decided that they will terve the Fomily's purpose. The medallion she left becrs the wagor-wheel device of the Marchants! Gulld on one foce, ond the davies of stoy's heod backed by two crossed stoves on the other. Any PC who hes the Trader ox Limner skill moy make a’ skill check to fecogrize this os being the orm! of the Turgarton Family. This face woe uppermost when she put the medallion on the table. This Is partly on initotive test, and pottly on Invitation to visit the Turgarron house (see Port 3). IF the party goes to the Merchants" Guild insteod, they will be conducted to the Turgorron suite, where o family lockey will {struct them to got the rouse. It Is not Intended that Riodho should play any further sole In the proceedings; ‘her Job was to recruit @ witoble party of cdventurers, nothing mare. A. full NPC description is Given below, however, in ease the DM wishes to use her ot ony stage. Stotistics for NPCs are glven in the stondacd formot used in Pelinore compaign moteriol. While oll the stotlsties ote far D&D and ADAD, the genercl information bout each choracter should allow referees using ether gare systems To generate the stotistice they need folcly easily. Wherever Information differs between DAD and ADBD (e.g. bp &/11) DAO stotistics are given before the slash end “ADED statistics efterwards. Mojor NPCs ore Line Nome, Gender, Coss, Level, Aligrment Line Weapon, Atmour Closs, Hit Points Une Roce Line Attribute scores, in the format ‘S10! ate. Une Indented ftom the attrisute scores, charocter tail -eppeatence “occupation ‘perssnality Eontacts ‘Minor NPCs are described in @ briefer formet, ox follows: Line 1: Cine 2: Nome, Occupation Gender, Class, Level, Closs, “Hit Peters, fond other sistine Alignment, Armour ‘Weapons, mopicel items, Thete may then be a brlef chorocter description, The following standocd dbbreviotions ore vsed: ADED: ‘Assassin, Acrobst, Berbotion, Bord, Clecic, Covolies, Brie, Oral Etter tein Grome, rary lesions," Monk, “Magic User, Polodin, Rosger, Thief, TEI “Ping | ide DAD (wnece not covered chove}s Avenger, Knight, Mystic. Monster statistics ace presented os follows: Nome, AC, Move, HD, hp, No. of attacks, Domoge, Speciel att. (SA) Special Def. "@D), Int Align, Size, ML, ‘Save. The lost two figures are for O40 daly. Riodho F, Fé, LN Longsword +1, 2 daggers; bracers of defence; ACZ, hp 20/25 omen S14 awiey, ruggedly attractive [1g Lexctdventerer, Turgorron Family agent W12 [professianol,“coolsneoded, given to understote= Dis ‘rent,sometimesabropt Colz —Turgarsan’ Fomily,vorious mercenary units ond his ‘odventurers; ‘eletlonship with Family secieh. RUNNING THE ADVENTURE The DM should note that this module involves @ great deal more thought and problem-solving, end less fighting, thon most OBD/ADAD adventurer, ‘The pacty srould be encouraged to think ether then fight, ond to" use thelt skills and good role-playing te accomplish thelr mission, The fltst few scenes toke place ino city of matium to la size, with orumine of powerful merchant familics, mere Ghon's guild, e. behemlon' theotre. quartet, and "a" pero. rrlitery City’ Guors acting as a. police Force, with botrorks tlthin” the city. walls ond fortifications sn the goton A Htode rood leads rom the city to the fovthille of a smell mountain torger © day's travel by merchont cotoven from the Ehty'is © well-equipped waystation, toe Hlfwoy rouse. Fears ‘eter the toad begins to climb tito the moortainy, ond york through the norzom White Goter Past info the, neighoavsing Kingdom, where the action concludes "in plond forming conry, The DM should toke gteat core when runing the city past of the edventure. Players. who insist on starting fights, while Jn the city will have to deal with the City Guat, "who ‘generally work in petrols of ten NM/LO fighters with’ o Tet ‘or ind level officer. As in most potts of the odventurs, fight could lead t0\ the porty being severely mauled iF not completely wiped out Throughout the adventure the OM should oword experience for Intelligent ploy, good role-playing ond successful use of skills; expetience awarded for decling svecessfully with on NPC might be bosed on that NPC's ‘comat experierce’ valve, but should be mocified occerding to the OM's estimate of the difficulty of the task and the sxill with which it wos cccemplished. 7PART 3 - THE TURGARRON HOUSE 1F the pacty, appecrs of the Turgorten House in accordance with Rioaho's instructions, they will be shown ints the iscary, where Elsinore Turgarton will Jol” them. Any ‘carrying ony weopen other than © tingle dogger Will be Invited to leave surplus hordware at the door, and will be refused admission if he/she does not das. Elsinore Turgorron, merchant, head of Turgotton Family My Ft2, Ny ACB/9, hp 25, swordstiek +2, partying dagger Elsinore Turgarren is distinguished looking man in hie Jota forties vor early fifties. dresser ond. cts os befits a merchant prince ond are of tre most powerful men in the city, and he expects to be accorded the tespect wing to his position. “He is shrewd enowgh to recognize fawning, However, ond hos no time for sycophants. He is hising. the potty os expert” specialists, and exsecta them to. 09 on Efficient and professional job oF work, for which he expects te pay a professional rate 2,000gp @ heod, plus o banve of 70,000gp, “decreasing by 1,000sp per doy until the Job Is completed. All foes are poyobla on completion, and the rote linet negotiable. ‘Tha. Jem’ must be undertoken in strictest secrecy, and the Turgarcen nome cust never be mentioned. Breach of thee conditions, and any other annoyance oF erborrassmen? caused to the Farnly, ‘ill cesult In redvetion ff the fee. Once the party nos ogteed to these ‘conditions, Eluinore will brief them ot follpwse He recently wos’ able te. sequte, ©_ gem, @ lotge emecald wlootly keown es the Seo Dregor'e Eye lany charseter with the" jeweller or lopldry skill moy moke a erect to secogrize the mame of thle stove, on “almost legendary. piece ef ire calculable volve.” ‘If iz Surounded by the utual crop oF fumouts obout ‘curses and a Blocdstolned history, and Tt 1s thought by some. thet the. stone's very existance Is ro more tone mythheMarceting such a store’ con test in enccmavs profits, and Elsinore hed begen to” prepare the geoure. for fegotistions with a rurmber of potential buyer, “Two. doye however, the ‘tone’ went missing.” Obviouly, tle GFieie cova coure iteparobleomoge 12 the Family! name tnd reputation if it gor but, renee the ‘need for ebsoivte secrecy. 18 Caly three people knew about the stone ot the time of its Glscppecrance = Elsinore, his younger son Ansar, and Anser's Wsifer Iivarel. This Ie where the case becomes’ complicated, for ‘Udorel hos only tecently died, ond. Ansar hot been beside himself with’ grief for the lost four days The couple had been mortiee barely @ week. At this point, the interview will be interrupted os @ Sservont| hurries In end. whispers something to _Elsinor. Telling the party to woit in’ the library, he leaves, on returns o couple of minutes lot “Come with me,' be says, and leads them to the family crypt below the house. A stronge scene owaits them there. Crouched betide the doorway, hls face In his hands, is young man of about twenty. A few flowers lie scattered at is Feet, ond two. servants are frying #9. coax him into e standing’ position. Jn the crypt Itself, theee coffins hove been pulled down from thelt shelves. Their lids lie splintered on the floce together with the remains of their” occupants. Elsinote Gliows the socty a few moments. to cbsoro. the scene, then paints to the young mon on the floor. "Ansar, my som’ he says delly. The young mon is holf= coried out af the crypt, leaving only ‘Elsinore, the party ond.a manservont. “These people ore working fer me,’ Elsinore tells the servent, "Yall us. precisely whet happened.” ‘Welly sit the man begins, somewhat uncomfortably, "Mister Ansot wanted ta put some flowers_on Madar liderel's coffin, ‘is. T came with him, sir, az you'd told me not to let hin out of my sight, and when we opened the door we found things pretty much cs’ you see tham row. The sight of if must hove een too much’ for Mister Ansar ~ of you kngw, alt, his nerves hove been delicote since Modam tdorel possed ons fuddenly ~ and his sereom brought the other servants here. "Vary good)" says Elsinoce, "You moy go." After the servant nos ‘eft, he tuens to the party.” Por the first time hie Imperturboble mosk oppeors to be under stroin. "Dometion,’ he says quietly, 'I like this less ond less. 1 was thiriing thet Tdarel might be invelved in the thaft of tha Seo Dragon's Eye in some way, ard thet she. hod been lspoted of by some’ outclde osseciote just before the theft, Ir all fitted,” although I hadn't the haast to tell Anscr. Now I don't ‘krow what to thine.' Abruptly, he becomet a Linfle mere of his old sol ‘well, gentleman,’ he says, (Ledles ond gentlemen’ if there cre femole party members present), "I Rired you for your fexpettice, sot would suggest that you begin by. putting It tov uie here, [shell instruct the “servants. to" render you every assisiones." Elainore leoves the party clone te conduct investigations os they see fit; they ‘ore free te Investigate ory room ond question ony member ef the household. Plane ofthe Turgarren “house are included, as well as brief descriptions of the NPCs, and the DM should feel. free. to improvise Getolls of furnishings. The following notes provide a. brie? summary of the clues avelloble Inthe house; the ployers should be “made to work for each clue, especiolly in the fuestioning of NPCs, who donot reolize’ the significance of most of the information they possess and would nat think to volunteer mest of It, As’ always, the DM should. reword intelligent maves, good role-playing ond use of skills It will be permissible to question servants under charm person, but the porty must be eble to justify such on ction To Elsinore end the ‘charm muct be lifted immediately after the questioning hes ended.The Crypt - IF the disturbed coffins are investigates, rccoteh-marks will be found which © Ranger or @ choracter with the Hunter or Tropper skill moy be ble. to identity os Roving come from © small to medium-sized eomivore, possibly some kind of dog but definitely smaller than © wall The bodies themselves ore unceremoniously. dumped on the flesr of the crypt it they are examined lately, it may be noticed that all bear signs of fresh domoge.. Ths is not of Gil curprising’ in view ‘of the treotment they move lately Fecalves, but characters may make Intelligence checks 10 rotice thot all show skin lesions ond broker ‘bovee, probably ecent and certainly postemorter, oround the hands, wists ond neces. [t will furtner be noticed that such jewellery cs wars on the bodies Is ll of silver, Although the crypt floor hot o slight lover of dust, there ‘reso mony fostprints fram the rush of ‘servants and even ‘rom the purty themselves thot no useful evidence con be found ‘in thik direction. lids ere exomined closely, 9 Few steonds ef red-brown hoit will be found, caught in a splinter. A Rongor oro character with the Hunter or Trapper skill may make © skill chece to. confirm that it Is ot human, end appears to be some kind of animal fuer All other coffins in the crypt ore intact ond uncisturbed the newest beets a brate plote with ildarel"s nore. The three disturbed coffing ware all on shelves close to this fone. The leod secl on ldatel's coffin is perfectly Intoct end the coffin shows ne. sign of hoving beer’ tompered ‘with If is I pened, moved or lifted, however, it will be found to be ‘quite empty. Practically the entire household. wit= essed the sealing of the coffin, ond con attest that ‘the Body wat inside when it wos deposited in the crypt; the funeral took place four days age, and the crypt hos not been ‘opened since ‘unfll Ansar went ite Bedroom - The room shored by Ansar and lldarel during their ble mortioge hos been cleared and closed up. Ansar is now Using one ch the gustt Bedrooms. flderel's possessions have been stored in the cellar = lidorel's possession are stored in here ino Thay consist mainly of foltly uneof-theerill. Items of clothing ond co on. Ameng the Jewellery is o gold chein hung with small brass bells; 0 character wits the Troubedour shill moy make a skill check ta recognize this 08 being from Shree Set meee Turgarron House First Floor Cellar Suh ariel of he Spe une by aran pee A Level Turgarron House Ground Floor om ae Diss Reon aor To Senet Sing Roe ‘p= Coats Been 4 Fosiness Bedroom, wvPERSONNEL ‘The following lnfermetion might be cbtained from members of the ‘Toegarron housed, Elsinore - as stoted cboye, only he, Ansor ond Ilderel krew shout the Sec Drogor's Eye; he was so excited of obtolning Hime stone thot he zashly rook it home to show fo them. Only Elsinore knew where the stone wor kept, though - in © secret Srongreor in the Tuegarson suite ot the Merchants! Guile IIdorel dies pethops two days efter this - eorly in the Imatring, the “novrehold wos wsken by ‘0 scresm from the couple's’ bezroom. — Flist on the scene war the maid) when lIserel ‘shored with Elsinore's yeungest aeughter, Saryo. she found Ansar crovched weeping. beside the ‘bed, with Ugorel olteady stiff ond cold. There was mo sigh of vielence, ond fo matks af ony kind anywhere on the body. Elsirore immediately hed the house reorched from cellor to tof, but there was ne sign of © break in anywhere = cll the lows and doors ate locked and shutteres af ight, ond there cre ontl-butsler grilles in all the chimneys. Doctors called in by Elsinore pronounced themselver baffled, and no cause of decth could be. foun Nothing Is known bout Idarel's otigins, background and family; Elsinore conducted discreet enquires through trading contacts ina number of countries wer the marriage wes Ficet proposed, but could find wiathing out. Locking, back, he connet understand why he permitted the matvioge to take ploce. “He was undile even to ascover when ond uhece the euple first "met. ‘Ansar Turgarron, merchant, younger 10n of Turgarton Family My F18, Ny, AC8/P, np 13, ‘rapier (treat as normal/long. swat) ond porrying dogger. Ansor is currently in @ highly unstable state, ond must be questioned with great ‘care. Fer each question esked, the questioner must meke @ 020 roll urcer the average of histher Intelligence ond Charisma ‘scores, failure inclcotes thet Ansar ras become nysterical, end once this happens It will bbe impossible to get’ ary coherent response from him fer a perlod of ID4 hours. The DM may impose modifiers to this roll for porticularly’ toctless questions (Like "Are you. sure your wife’ wos dead when she war buried?) Ansar will be able to odd little te the information supplied by Elsincre. He will pot tevesl where he me! Ildorel unless charmed or compelled ‘by similar means = lderal mode him promise that it would always be "theie secrets If he Is compelled by some mecns te reveal this information, he will say thet she was working of @ concer at the House of the Borcing Dead, ¢ milely elsteputcble cobucet-club on the edge ‘of the city's theatrical quarter. He covle see ci once thet fhe was more thon c mere doncing gitl, ond he determined to take her “away fzom this teste life ‘efter esting. the story of how the was kldnopped os a. child ond sold inte slovery by a group of brigonds with only the memety af a happy enlldhood mid golden paloces to sustain ‘hex through het Miteraple exlstence If any character comments within Ansat's heoring thet this story seems o little Imprcbeble, he will fly Into a tecrible age, and orabebly ‘insist eno duel with the character tho Gores call his wife a list. He will attack unless re- trained, ond if restroired he will become. hysterical Ango Huddes, butler 20 Turgarren Femily Fes, ACHIO, kp 10, no weapons A dignified ond Immaculate figure of cbout 50, Huddes. hat been in the service of the Turgetson Family for most cf his life, “He Is absolutely loysl to Elsinore, ond will try to rotect the reputation of the fomily. 20 He will only speck freely if specifically instructed to do 0 by Elsinote; otherwise te moy omit certain details out of sense of loyalty, te. prevent’ further emborrossment and shame offaching sel? ta the forily. Over the post couple of yeers, he hot become increesingly tnortied ver the type of ‘company Anser hos been Keezing. Young Mister Ansar has bean spanding mare ond more Hime with whet Huddes would coll a "fast crowd’, staying out most of the night ond coming in, the worse for driney in the early hours on a number of occasions. Hudder has kept most of this to himself, out of @ desire to spore, Eleinore’s feelings and in the hope that it was mecely c phose. which Young Mister Ansor might eventually get out of his system, Huddes suspects thet Ansor met lldarel thcough this ccowd of Feiends, although he will feel compelled to soy she. seemed of better breeding than most of the group (his. impression {5 @ remaont effect of Tldaral's charm which Huddes wos nel ble to escope completely}. He will not be ‘able te. put ames to any of Ansor's’ friends, lthough he will remotk thot ‘mony of them seemed to be ... entertainers of some king! ~ the word ‘entertainers! being pronounced with exquisite disdain |f he fs csked whether Mdarel had ony unusual obits or Alstinguishing features, Huddes will recall" thet she alwoys wore © pait of light” gloves to dinner (the “cutlery is. all silves, but the porty should be left to make this comestion foc themselves). Galla Vardon, ladies mold te Turgorron Family Fel, ACH/10. hp 2, no werpons Gollo is eighteen years old, end hat been in. the Family's service fer four years, since just before Elsinere's. wife dled, Since then, her services were confined to Miss Barya until Medam Iidarel orcived. She is very upset by the whole ‘offois, ond will be vety nervous If questioned by the partyHer reaction to tldacel is very mixed; in fact, she did't know whet to moke of her at all, elthouch if otked irectly what she thought of iderel she will reply that "The gentle men though the world of her". She recalls thot Miss Boryo ook an Instont “dislike to. lidorel, but cttributes thie fo Jeolovsy - Borya wos used te being the only lody inthe household, and’ probobly cesented Iidorel stealing the lime- light She will confirm thot ldacel olways wore light gloves to dinner, ond alse hos o silver brocelat that Ildavel ‘geve. her = only don't tell Mister Ansar, whatever you do. he bought it for het, you sea, but she didn't like’ the design of it, she roid, ond 20. she gove Hf to mot If questioned about Anton's friends, Galle will be oble to ame c couple of them; ane is Valle Sordoyon, the elder son of another arominent merchant house, and enother ie Delgor Mocinde, © popular actor. Barya Turgerror, youngest daughter of Turgorren Family F, Pet, ACI/I0, hp 4, no weapons Borya is the youngest of forily of thoes brothers ord two sisters, ond 1s used to being spolled ond mode a fuss of, ince her sister married end Her mother died, Barya hos been the lady of the household, ond clthough she ts only fourteen she insists on being treeted with the respect due to. thet position. She can add little t2. the information given. by the other members of the household regarding Iiderel ond the circumstances of her death, but will edmit that she never liked her ~ ‘She was always with the men, and never did ony of the things @ lady of quality is expected to. do, ond beside that, te hod a funny smell’, If questioned further fon this point she will contin "Yas, 1 coulch’t help roticing it, no matter what sort of perfume sho wore ~ It was a warm smell, sort of soggy. I'm Surprised nobody else noticed It’ Other members of the houschold will be able to add no further’ informetion, although the setvants moy cocreberate: each other on varlous points. Ansot's two elder, brothers were beth wey at the time of the wedding ond subsequest events; Vorgo the helt to the Turgarvon empite, is oh an ighteen-month voyaje trading In spice ond cloth, while Saldon, the middle sen, is conducting negotiations. with 6 powerful merchant family in on adjoining principality ‘Ansat's courtship ond rmartiage both heppered 50. suddenly thot word has yet to reoch either of there FURTHER ENQUIRIES I the party tries to seek out Delgor Marindo, they will Giscover that he spends most of his time offstage ot ¢ club called the House of the Dancing Dead, a favourite hount for young roxes; o choracter with the’ Troubadour’ skill will feolize this” immeciatel Approaches mode to Valle Sordayon cun the risk of erovsing his curiosity; although he is 2” long-stonding friend of Arsot's, he Is also the helr to @ rival Family, ond ony news cf a misfortune or mystery in the House of Turgerron will interest him orefessionally” of well of personelly. He will be oble to tell the party that Ansar ond tldarel met ot the House of the Doncing Dead, but for avery question he nswers he will esk three mete, ond the party must be vety careful not to give too much oway. If he does become furious about whet is going on, he may hire one of more spies to follow the porty ond wateh Turgorron house Vollo Sardayon, merchant, hele to Serdayon Family M, Fré, AC8/?, hp 18, copier (treat or sword, normal/long) ond potiylng dagger Yollo presents the appearance of an clert ond highly competent mecchont despite the feet thot Ne deliberovely cultivates rakish Image. He knows of lidorel’s mortiage ta Anset, ond her subsequent sudden death, Sut is not aware ‘of ony other events described above. If he” begine te suspect thot he is missing out ea something, he will do everything in "his not inconsideraale pawet” to discover Precisely whot is going on, and this moy result tn great femborrossment to the Meuse of Turgottor end grest hor to it business reputetion. ‘THE TRUE STORY The truth ohind this mystery is feisly simple, but somewhot dificult "to. uncovers “ligarel is inded he! cupeit Bobind the theft ef the Seo Orogors Eye ond the ronsocking of the Turgerton erypr. Although rout peoples if snsed to Sercibe hety lll soy thet she showed sighs ef Elvish Blood cx sey fave “beer'@ alfalf, she is in foct a Lycanthrope, 10M) Werewolf ~ see Moster'Set; ADAD Fonnomon ace Mids fal Gescription ‘of her ie given in Port Te When “Ansar found her working ot the House oF the Dancing Dead, she thought It might be fun to belong to 0 tes eed influential humen fomily, so she exerclaed her charm bility, fat on Ansor ond then on Eimer ard the ‘ther men of the. household. She’ wos just begining 12 becorne tree with if wher Elsinore showed her ond Aesce the Soe Drogon's eye. "She feked her own death using 6. maple bracelet, ard cnes in the ceypt sho sed her mosical Teg te teleport’ cot cf her coffin. To kill time wile she wagted for "the fing te cechoige’ itself she opened thie. coffng and made aft with all tHe non-sver jewellery, ond’ then she ‘ined avis, teleported ur trough she. yor doch ond made her way into the house: She seed locate abject in on tremor to find the Seo Drogan's Eye, end found tre ft mor tot in the hovse; ths prompted nero go te the next most Thety’ place) the Merchent's ‘Guile. aPART 4 - THE MERCHANTS GUILD Elsinore cen, if requested, arcenge for the porty to visit the “Turgorron suite. in. the gullahouse ond examine the Steongeoatn from which the gem wos stolen. ‘The gutldhouse of the Merchents! Gulld Is a macsive two tovey stone, building domincting ene end of © great square In the city's business querer. Full plans are provided Gee Inside Front cover of this mogazine) although most of the ction will be restricted #8 the Turgerson sulte, the OM right wish fo. uee the building in further city adventures. [A possoge between the two deorkeeper's offices opens out Into the huge Ieboy, it by the glass roof which crowns the gulldhovse, On the ground Fleer are the Guild's, edminis- Rretive offices, the Grea? Holl which is used for Gulle Eusiness ‘meetings, the snembers' lounge, end the kitchens ‘whieh setvice the guildhovse. Stairs lead up to the first fle, hich Is songedorund the Solcory overlooking the Isoby. "A geeor stalred-gless window occuples most of the Weal” overloSking the square, ond’ the Susiness. suites of the Ghiy's sx great merchant families ore set on either side, ‘atthe coor sf the upper storey ere three guest sultes for the use of ‘visiting merchorts. The Family business suites follow 9 regulor potters o eceptign fern (Reception 1) whece visitors ore received and Informol’disevisions can take place; © second reception room (Reception 2) used for serious negotiations end entertaining Clients to. dinner, an office ‘with @ records room ond sttong feom leading eff and @ smell bedroom (Accom) for occaslenel Gvemnight stoys., The guest sviter ore smaller, consisting Sf'on affice-cumereception eeom end three or fout’ bedrooms. While the Guild supplies the decekeepers and locks ofter the overall security of the building, each Femily Is completely Fesponsiéle fot its own suite, installing their own security freosores ane conttclling the ‘ifeuletion of keys. ‘The Turgarron Suite The stetus of the house of Turgorron is reflected in the foct ‘thot their suite is ot the front of the gulldhouse, ovetlooking the squote. All fixtures ond furnishings, need Itcs fo sey, are of the very highest quelity. The moi polnt of interest will be the strengracm from which the gem was stolen. A large-scale plan of the strongroom is provided, and Elsinoce will give the party @ run-down on the Narlove ‘security. devices, "TH be replacing it oll shortly,’ he says, ‘Se there's ne hhatm,in yeu examining It. Perheps you could tell me where ir folles. There iso felse door, whose lock Is eauipped with © poison neecle trap. Any Thiet of choracter with the Mechoniclan Skil who exorrines the door moy notice that the trop hos Extn “Sprung [Thieves must roll. thet Plek Locks percentase fo goin this Information), ond a search on the cotpet oclow the door ill turn up two fine dat's. Close examination Will Show That thay tere cooted with’ a resinous. substance ‘whlch has now became dey ond crystalline - their potson, is fo longer effective, If ony charactor thinks. to ‘look for blood on the dorts, none will be found. The teol entrance to the stregteom is by means of a sliding ponel, unlocced by pressing three buttons an the beck of Eeepbuttonad leather chove which stands agolnst the well Only Elsinore Kraws the ‘combineticn’, which he con chorge cf will. Pressing wrong button, of one cut of the correct Sequence, vill cause a needle to shoot through the centre of the butfon, with suéflcient force to peratrate 0 heavy Iecther geuntlet, The needles are coated with a powerful potalyzing poison - any charoeter wounded by o.reedle must Save ageins pelson of -2 of be paralyzed for 1d12 hours. 2 In the strongroom itself ate six large chests; Elsinore will Chution the party not to touch ony ef them, explolning thet they are only @ blind ond they ‘cantain. nothing of “value. Nore of these chests appecrs te hove been tampered with. The operationcl part of the strongroom Is 0 Ift_ space between the inside ond outside walls. The space is lined waite cn nen of lead, and podded to kill telltole echoes, Rondomly-distributed hidden panels open onto o total of Frenty. smell. safes in this wall, eoch 0 Ift cube. Each Dorel” locks individuelly. All. the safes ace now empty, theit contents hoving been moved somewhere sofer. Elsinore Will, show the perty che sofe whlch contained the ‘Seo Dragon's Eye; ro attempt seams to hove been made to find ond tock @ secret panel, os the wall shows signs of having been otfecked with gract force. “Characters with Hunting ot Tropping skis may recognize marks on the wall which seem fo indicate the same kind of clowed onimol as coused the Gamage in the Turgarron forily crypt. It oppears that the feft plaster covering the porel wos clewed awoy, to reveal First “wood ond ther leod lining, which wes ottacked around the edges and finally prised off its hinges ~ © chococter ‘with “a” Moson skill /mey moke a check to tell that an Implement lise e cold ‘chisel or crowbar was uses. This sofe roe the only one tempered withe (On the floor beneath the sofe Is @ litter of splinters: ond plostes, Rengers of chacocters with the Hunter skill moy be Gble To fing two sete of tracks here, one opporently human (and gmall enough to be female), and the other not. This set of ‘rocks shows lerge, clawed feet opporently belonging fo some kind of mommal - they canner be rectly Identifiec, ‘ond the ereoture that made them moy not be natural, There ace no other trocke In the strongcoom. If the floce of the office ts exomined eorefully, @_ slight trace of plaster dust will be fourd in the compet just in Front of the ehale shown on the strongroom plan. Rangers or Cchacacters with the Hunter skill will just about be able to Iroke cut ¢ single footprint, similor tothe humen prints. Ix the strongroom. 1 any character Ignoces Elsinare's womning ond exomines any cf ‘the chests in the strongroom, the results cce as Follows! Chests 1 to 4 are fokes: Each Is carved out of @ single Bleck of wead, end fitted with o podlock ond iran bindings so 0s to resemble o chest. There Is even very slight gop between the ‘ehest" and the ‘lid’. Needless to soy, It will prove very ciffleuit To open, even if the lock Is. removed; Ehy character whe tries te uve @ crowbor or some other Levat to" “force the. lid will set aff a trop (AD&D: Glyph of Warning! cousing ren’ points of electrical damage. Chest 5 is olso not as it seams; it looks exetly like o Crest, but in foct it is limited form of Golem. The poslock con be licked with the usvol chance of success, or prizes off with ¢ erowbar, or even cpened with a key. When pened, the “ches!” seems to be full of gold ond gems. Fowewte when ony character puts en arm (oF anything else) into the chest tha lie slome down. Uf the potentiol victim full ‘Tess then his/her’ Dextesity. score on! 0 20, or if Fe/she hos been stoted to be looking out for a.trep of this ‘tt, he/she con dodge, ond the 'chest" must make @ normal ‘attack roll. Otherwite it hits cutomoticelly. The slamming Ii couses ‘Idé points of darmoge (cruel DMs might consider thot it pots the arm out of action), ond may break o sword, crowbar er other sbject (ADD: cove ogainst crushing blow. In adiltion tothe damoge, the ‘chest™ raps onything that I catcher, ond unless the victim con make ensther Dexterity foll, he/she. Is stuck until found by the. ‘chest's! master (Elsinore) “or until the 'chest" is destroyed. CHEST; AC 6/7; Move Nil; HO 262; hp 18; No. of cttocks I; Bomege 1d; $A trap; $D_megie’weopon to hity Int. ally ‘ligne Ny Size S; ML 12; Sove Fighter 2; XP volue 45/117Chest 6 is padiocked, with o polton needle trap carsying the rene poralyzing polior ar used eleewhere, Inside the chest fe several pourds of gold cins ond gems ~ ectually fool's fold ons glots-poste fokes - wnich are couted with @ colours Ice rotine Thi resin reocts In surlight to dye the sein o bright blue, ond tha stain camer be removed’ by ary ron agical means for three t four days. OTHER ENQUIRIES It will be possible for the porty to question the dootkeeper wiho wos on duty on the night when the gem must have been Stolen: He will report thot it war a fately quiet righ, xcept that thoetly efter" orkight nis guare’ dag seddenly Srort berserk, barking nd Gtonting ‘ond throwing. self ch the door of his office.” Thinking. that it had heard on intruder, he let if loote, upon which it cushed. ocroxe. the losby Barking. ond growing. ot the foot cf one of the fontaine, appatentiy trying to. ‘clinb the. stetus. that surmounted ifr It 1ook @ great deal of trouble To drag the dog back into the office, ond ‘It barked ond sarled. for recrly on hove enwords ‘The fellawing morning a grost act of vandolism was sis- covered in the Great Hall.” [t appeors that come person of persons unknown hed broken inte the gulldheuse theough, the Kitchen ‘entrance, ond. o number of peintings hee been demaged.Pertraits of post” Guildmesters line the wll oF the Grect Holl, and several of them hod ‘seer defaced, mostly by the adeition oF beards and mausteches. The. oreskeln hot cli the hellmerks of o dere or inifiction test of one of the Teal street gongs. Ht must have been this thot levied the guard dog, but tne deorkeener connot understand why the dog thar so Irtetasted In the fountain rather than geing to the oor of the Great Hall ‘THE TRUE STORY Still invisible, Icorel mode hee woy to the guildrouse, Thinking thot it, would be the next most likely place. to. fied the See Dragon's Eye. Using @ Knock spell, she managed to get through the main dcor ‘without rousing the doctkecpes, who wos dozing in his affice. She. did alett the guard cog, however, end only etzaped It by climbing the statue on top oF the fountain. Once the dog had bean dragged beck Into the office, she went to the Turgertan suite ond cost locote object again. This fme she was successful. After discovering the trop’ in the ‘oise doer, she teleported into the strongroom using. her fing end, changing to fox ferm, dug into the wall behing whic» the Tocate object spell tole her she would fing. the gem. She mad theugat to bring a crowbar with nes, ond used Fite remove the ponel's leed lining. Reverting. to hee pett-fox, partshumenola) "Vixen’ form, she tested fore while, waiting for ner ting te vechowge itself Finally, she teleported out of the steangroom, taking the See: Diagen's Eye with her. Rother tno go post. the door keeper's office ond out tarough the mein coor, she wardered nt the Great Hall, and spent” while looking ot pottcoits of post guildmesters. She ‘couldn’? resist adding 8 few details here ond there, and It woe while she wor doing this thot on idea struck her. She didn" wart the Sea Dragon's Eye far itself, she decided; she had achieved enough by stealing if, ond with her ehaem ability sue hod very little reed to cccumulate wealth for herself, So she Geclded to hide it somewnere in the guildsouse itvelf, She found the oot to the Guild's teecsury and wine calles, ond feleported in snd out ~ a waste of her two lost teleports of the "doy, pecheps, but the ‘oppestunity wos too geod te Ist slip = leoving' the gem in the battom of 2 lacge silver punehbovl in the silver Chuciding to terse? of the Thought of the esnfusion when the gem sas found missing, ond the “embarcossment’ to Elsinore wher” It turned up ata bonguet, liderel laft the gulldnoue, She hod to force the Kitchen ‘door fe ge? aut, but It was worth it IF ony chorocter with the Carpenter or Mechanicion skill exomines the Kitchen door, they will fing that it was forced from inside; there Ie no trace of how the person sesponsible get into the buildings Ndorel_ hos indeed put Elsicore in = potenticlh barcessing situation; ot present, no-one except Elsinere, Anscr, Idorel ond the party know thet he sos scquleed the Sea Dragen’s Eye, and he would ‘only meke hinaeif look foolish Ey reporting it misting. Thetefote, We It is eccidentally found In the gunchbowl ducing the” preporations for the next Sarauet, Elsinere can hordly stand yp and say thet he had cbtoined it, bur it sos stalen from is strong. room, and the thief must have left it in the punchbowl for some reason, and can he hava It back please? very em Thus, although the pleyers connot how thls, It fs. vitel {ot they eorplete thelr tistion ans rcccver the gem befoce tre next borgust ts hel A’ porticulerly ‘nosty DM might leo set Gh “asipcted ine limit on the adventre oy tuling thet the text serquet is only oye amoye Tt Ie nat Ukely that the party sill find the gem ct this stage ty foe ‘venture olthough ff they do find if by some meons Elsinore ill an eget them" ose tel “tow on. scott Jewellery stolen from the cryst-Gne way The porty ould gossbly find the gem ct this stoge’ would ‘be by Using. @ locate ‘object szell It ‘would be aifficut to get’c srosise gteugh mental cure of the gem fer the sel, howeven Elsinore "highly. knowiedgecble suovt gam ‘ord’ jeweliesy, ond would Ge" able to give © detoiled description “of WRG stone in’ jewellers tesminelogy; this might help 0. spa caster with a skill fo jewellery ond “gereutting fo fore on Sdequate mental pictures IF the DM permits the use of Contripe (Imagine €-9, else Unearthed Azcanc}, lderel might used few Contrips in the uilchouse. “For example, she might use o Ravel Cantrip cn © fapestey in the Grect Holl, of on the canvas of one ef the paintings. Sinee the Guild treasury doubles a the Geller, she might not be oble to. reslst costing @. Flavour Contrip on a bottle oc twe of the best wine, raking taste like enien soup oc lemon jules; and © cleud of Gnots in te upbootd might prove @ discancerting clécovery. The Unlock Cantelp might also be useful, saving @ few Knock Spells, 23PART 5 = THE HOUSE OF THE DANCING DEAD we House of the Dorcing Dead is a caberat club on the ing, of the ‘it's theatrical quart, “ofowsurite: hours "young wakes. The doors to the street ore shoped like o ie OF outsize coffin lids, and are pointed lack. Over 'e coors hongs 0 2ig> Bearing @ pleture of @ skeleton in fn's formal deest, Soneing with ¢ tetting campse In women's vial dress. The overall effect ie of stucied decadence, didering on bed tastes ne club opers from dusk till dowry the resident staff ‘lgin ond the two bouncers - see elow] sleep until just ter noon and spend the fest of the ofternoon preparing for Je evening's opening, If the pecty vlstts the club in dylight, they will find it clored. Persistent krocking Ul-rolse 2 response socner of later, but the nature of is teiponse ‘will depend on the time ef day — in. the ning it is olmost casteln to be. unfriencly. If the party Pmonoge to roise a favaurasle response, it wlll be Zeible fo interview the resldont stole, but If the party ants to talk to anyore else, they mill have to call hock fen the clin fs opens The DM snould ensure that the party Ist the club during pening haurs in cider to obtain all ye laformation that they will recuire. rmour of any kind (optionally heovier than leather), is not lowed in the elub, ane all swords ond other weapons m checked tn Gt the losby befege any character i allowed tte the club. IF ony ehoroster offemprs to. farce a way te the club, the city water will be summoned. Technically Se club is open only to members ond their guests, but this an be dealt with fairly easily by generous tipping. eo Sireet Sint Upper Sey Alley — remsice MUL Roe] eee Ley sue Vie I i = The House of the Dancing Dead 4 During opening hours, the club's lobby is manned by one bounces, ond the main room By the other. Bath rooms ore pointed’ in dark colours, and "hung with rogged and. diet [feined linens repracenting shrouds. The Bock woll of the ‘sin roar aed the proscenium arch over the stoge ore pointed fo represent on open mausoleum, with the stage in tha ‘door toys There is 0 10% chance’ ot eny time during opening heues that some business ie In progress In the bock room = (oF illegal gercbling session or a shady deal of some kind - which Is net to be interrupted. The clus llentele consists of well-dressed ond obviously fulte wealthy young ren end woman (wlth men rotiesobly in ‘Fei mojerity) im almost equel "proportions with colourful frecttcal tycee.” The four acts on the bill perform two Fallsnous sete each, one Sefore midnight ond one ofter, with avalon boeckhehween cachet Tere i 0 ferdeny, Sxpecielly es the evening weace on, for pottont To give Impromptu performances of thelt own in these breaks. The first act of the evening, os always, is the house dance troupe, the Oancing Dees. the curtain rises on a graveyerd eene,| with fake tomor ond Reodstones. In. the ‘wings, @ Stoge-hard strices midnight on on iron bell, ond the doncers fae from thele tomas" deesied end made up os ghosts. [After © group dance, cach ghost comes forward, with Selgin givirg © funning commentary, and enacts the manner of her Seath, ‘with the athars taking various pests in the droma. The ‘starlet are olways lurid end invariably 10” do. with thwarted love, betrayal ond jeclousy. Another dance ensemble follows, ot the end of which Selgin appeers on stoge, dressed ino comle prlest costume, and grorcises” the ghosts’ one by one. The mock priest te cfter © coricoture of a prominent figure in the city, based or “tecent news and events, ord Selgin will Include some fubtls, and frequently highly contentious pelitieal comment= Gey af port of the ect. The second act is a juggles, klfe thrower and escepaloglet. After 9 faitly etondord routine showing off trese skills, ne focke IF there’ Is anyone in the house from the ety watch. Thete necely clays is, and he invites them to come on stoge and help him fasten ‘various ropes, locks end chains round himself. ‘The volunteers then fle’ him in a sack, which Is lowered into a large chest, secured by three huge’ padlocks. Finely, the escepologist's muffled voice sounds from the ‘chest, asking the volunteers fo. ston the. chest just to make’ escope absolutely Impossible. Drinks ate brought up 19 the volunteers, and when they ate cbeut halfwoy down theie lasses, the eseapolagist strolls in from. the wings, also Folding @ drink. Spelleasting is frowned upon in the club, but ony character who has a mogical item with a detect magic ‘bility’ will discover thet the whale cet {s. accomplished entirely “without magic. The performer will, of course, efuse to revecl nis. stoge sectets. The thied act of the evening is © singer ord lvte-ployer. He starts with songs of his own, mostly ballads of love ond broken hearts, and meves on to fradltlenal songs, with the house musicions and the cudlence Joining in. The’ final Stem fe drinking. song? this uavally tums. Into. a contest between some of the hardier patfons, the fincl verse ond chorus being. tepeoted until. only one contestont is. lelt tending While these crs ace onstage, the party may, sith Salgin's permission, pursue ony enquiries In the clube” The DM mey Chonge or laborote the details of the acts if desiced = they ere Intended as ' background noise’ while the porty are feeking aut and questioning people. Notes. on the. lnfor~ motion availoble from varlovr sources are given below. No mmotter whot else happens, the DM should ensure thot the fatty ore in the main race for the start of the fourm act,PERSONNEL Solgin Barrovynne, owner/mansger Mi, Fra; NG; AC 9/10; hp 5; dogger Salon hos @ very over-the-top comp theatrical petsonality; nis Is mostly ‘ut on for the benefit of the customers, ond bencoth it all "he Is. shrewd ond quick-wittes. It osyene aks after darel, "he will cheerfully teply,, ‘Just vite eround, my dears, ‘she'll be on later in the evening.’ The porty “will probably be surprieed at” this, ond if they Persist ‘in their enquiries, he will become ‘defensive. "He will rot allow anyone backstage to see tidarel = “Well, tf 1 let cre gentleman back thete, Tl have the whole” town tearing the ploce up to see her, ond T have to be tule, don't 12! = ond he will coll upon’ the bouncers te. help irs WW necessary. Wf the porty hint that they know of Idarel's marriage to Ansar ond her subsequent death, Solgin will change hls feck, Any chorocter with the Troubedout skill. chovld receive ¢ bonus to dealings with Selgin of this stoge, hw could poten. fiolly be very “helpful, but he has an instinctive distrust of ehyone conducting enguitien Selgin remembers Iidorel becoming ftiendly with one group of young nobles in portieular, and will recvll. that they were Feequently with on actor celled Delgar’ Morinde 'Y heard she martied one of them, te - mind you, you hear cll ‘sorts of ‘stories Ino ploce like this, bellevs you me, 52 you never know what to believe. Well, goed luck to Set, ‘hots what I soy, my dears, good luck. "OF course, she won't want to’know the like cf Us any more, but ties that's showbiz, isn't 1? Did you say she'd died? Well, | olwoys sold she'd come to a bod end, that one = I den't like to say T told you 50, but I saw It from the Titst time. the set foot jn here. Put It bout for too much, iF you oak ere. ‘Mind you, 1 mustn't throw stones too hord - she clays filles the’ house when tho warked here. Elvish fertlity dances, she colied ner oct ~ well, you con toke that with pinch ‘of salt - but the punters ‘love theme They keep coming, night offer night, to see {Idorel. So | hove to keep giving them Ildacel, If you toke ‘my meaning. Well, we're oll in the deception business, aren't we? Providing ¢ bit of fontosy to liven. up. their dull old reality. "Se there's no hor dane, is there?” ‘The substitute Hlcarel Is Scnna, the lead dancer with the Doncing Dead - Salgin doubts that she will be able to ood mrything te what he hos alteody told. the party, but given favourable reaction tolls he might be persueded to let then interview her and "otner members of the club's staff, Brovided this doasn't interfere with the smeoth runing. the evening's progromma - ‘After all) fait's fait ond) we hove got e show fo put on, you knows! Gomme Balin, boun: Me F2; NE; AC 8/%; hp 12 (Sr 16}; blockjack/smoll club Mori Vanden, bouncer My FL; N, AC #10; hp 7 (St 17}; blockjack/small club These two will probosly be uncommunicctive; they knew Uderel by sight and know of the substitution. — I Selon ‘asks them to cooperate wlth the party they will ned and shuffle ‘ond ¢o little more than ‘confirm the breed ‘outlines of what he bet said. ‘Sanna Dargo, leed doncer/chereagropher F, Fra; NG; AC 8/9; hp 8 (Dex 15, Cha 15); no weapons Sanra hos been o dancer ever since she con kemember, and is © seoroned ond professiansl trovper. She is nordwerking” and brasive, expecting her dancers to measuce up to hee own exceting stondards. She” disliked Iidorel_ instinctively ‘She wes fer too flighty. Sure, she hed a lel of ow folent, ond she gave the house whot they wanted, but that will only get you 20 fer, and if anything Involved. wore, she Pest wom't interested. ‘OK, perhaps I'm o little jelous of ber -'T'll never find @ rice mercnont Prinee Chasming. ond that's for_sure,~ but just welch the ect when I ge, out tonight. There's nothing clever or demanding about ft! Mojio Frenmol, dancer Fp FrZ; CN; Ac 9/10; hp 4 (Cha 17h no weepons Majic Is, In mony ways, the opposite of Sona, ond there is ‘often Friction between’ the two; she doesn't’ teke ‘dancing particulorly “seriously, and enjoys the lifesiyle rather thos fhe work. ' She admired Uldarel, and things the whole wuen of events Is © great joke. Vonya Sorden, doncor Fr PIS; Np AC 9/10; hp 6 (Cha Tél; no weapons Voryo is a single-minded coreer gltl, ond moy be difficult Yo cpproach unless someone in the patty her te. Trovbodoue skill oF con convince har that the patty has contocts, that might be useful. to. her She will agree with Same that lldotel sid net toke dancing {seriously as she should - "Bot she hod “something. She wos wasted here, onywoy, but thot didn't seem te Bother hee, | don't understand her, really - if she'd only put some. work In ond practice bit harder there wovld be no. stopping he She hod everything else ~ looks, personality, converts = a ould bend any ren round her little finger’ but she dice seem fo want to de anything much about it, Criminal waste teolly = IF T'd hod all thot going far me, i'd be worcing In the palace by rom, getting paldin diomends, not ‘silvet! Brea Garren, dences FFE; NAC #1 be 7 (Cho 16} ne weapons 25Brea is the yeungest of the troupe at fifteen, ond still tains many Of her Uluslans about © dancer's life. "Serna will soy, rather scothingly, thot she lives ino wotld of het ‘own, but she isin love wlth dancing 0. there's no feason 19 complain. Brea hos © creaming nature; she spends 4 greot deal of har time thinking cbout being discovered, but unltke Vanyo she does nothing pesitive bout it. She does ‘not know of Ilderal's death,” ond thinks the whole @ffoie is wonderfully romentic. = ‘dust Imogire, 0 "real mecehant prince!" ~ if Tlcarel can land. such 0. catch, she Thinks, petmaps she con too. Djonn Alhatar, Jugeler/escopologiet My Fra; N; AC 6; hp 8 (Dex 18); 12 throwing knives (throws 18 © td level fighter, plus Dex’ borvs) Djonn is @ very dopper and smocth-tolking character, with on tye Tor e preity woman ond 0 Taste for good red wine.” Me will be ‘visbly ‘nervous in the presence of ny. thief ~ ‘he fos been oppfoached ty the Thieves" Guild becouve. of Ns Yarlous tolent But declined to Join them ot to do thern any ‘ltvte" fevours, ond he is. expecting repeals for” ths. He will talk ot length ebout Ildarel, waxing quite poetic in © semicsetious, bartering way. One thing he will hove roticed if he is asked bout any odd habits ot. distinguishe Ing fectures, is thot Udarel never picked up ony oF the xine thrown on stoge during ond after her’ pervormones: This may have been port of het act - but Djonn doein'? know whether she ever took any of the money at oll. If he is iked whet cert of eoine ore usually thrown on stoge, he wall reply, "Silver, of course Anyone who threw gold in here would probably be taken down the alley for a chat as soon oe he left, ond nobody throws copper unless they're being delibe crofely offensive.’ He will povre foro second) os the porty’s line of thought dawns on him, "Hold en, yeu don't think“. 1'é heard Elvich bleed protects you feom thot sett cf thing, doesn't 11? Come t2 think ef i, though, «coin hit her on the leg one night; she sheleked os if it wos cece hot, ond there wos 9 scer there for three doys cftermards, Tithought some joker hed heated it up ina cancle-flome,t Barge. Soldines, singes/musiclon Mz Fe; NG; AC 9/10; hp 6; dogger Bargo deliberately cultivetes the imoge of the dissolute wandering rinstrel, everybody's favourite drinking per*ner. He never sow the recl Tldoral, as he was brought in’ shortly cfter she left to ceploce a’ lute ployer who left - "At least, I'thirk he leit, of vonished, ‘or something. | Nobody tales’ about him mucr. “You'd want to folk te Gedo cbout him, from what I've heard they were real bosom pols. He was really cut up when Andilas lefty or whatever heppened. All 1 reelly know about him ie thet he wat an elf. Moybe he went off with ldarel ~ or didn't the get moctied or” some thing, 12 seme rien merchant?! Terten Davo, barman M; FI; Np Ae 9/10; bp 7; dagger, bottle Tenen Is o dour, tocltuen character, known to cegulors as "the man who never smiles “He will not be keen to: speak to the party, but if he is instructed te do so by. Salgin. he will broadly ‘confirm what the potty already koows, shout Iiderel being friendly “with Ansor's group of friends. ond Senna replacing. het. Gedido Robben, house musicion, pipes ond flutes IM; Fr; NG; AC 9/10; hp 4; no weopons Gedde is 0 holf-elf, recited among humans end showing little Hove of his mined blood, “He ls “quiet ond tescrveth ond irises litle’ with his colleogues, “If he is osked ‘obeut liderel, he will edd ttle 42 what the porty elteedy knows, %6 > ‘Best oct we ever hod;' he will soy, "Packed the house to the doors every night. So when she took herself off, some thing (had to Be done. T's @ goad job of Sanva's, but it Goesh't stand up to close exomination.” Tk he iy quest'oned about Andilos, or obout Hderel's loving the club, he will speok further. ‘They oll folk about this mecchont, of course, but if you tik me she only’ tock up with hm te get herself out of the woy when Ardilos wos ‘killed. He used t0 wotk here, before Borgo. Dorn good lute player, tec - mind you, being on elf, that's not surprising. He sos found a few steeets awoy tereone had care ot him fram behind and pretty necrly took His head clght off. She knew mare obout it thon she let on, Ym sure, He used tovtelk fo me sometimes'= you wovlén'y think it to look et tre but my Totber wat on ef” and he eked me cbeut liderel feo or thes timer I'don't think he wos erocked over net & anything like that = proctically every otber male In the Bloc won though I con ee why , ind the cheers will be deafening as the curtains open Some het a very eloborate mace-vp on, or well or a fore. veil, ane looks sufficiently like ar elf fo convince © huron from “o distonce- The cheers continue as she begins to dance, ond than something quite uneapected happens. There Is @ bellow from 2 table te one side of the room, where 0 group ef esidiere are sitting. One of them gett Unsteadlly to his feet, ond wodes thisugh the room towards the stage, shouting. Something incoherent. Any choraeter with the Limnet skill may recognize from his Insignia thot he is © wotch sergeant fom the city gusts, ‘The bouncer in the moin room legpe 2 hum, but is ahoken off ong falls aetass 9 fable, weeccing it and scattering cust fomers right ond left. The soloier ie neatly on the at when the bouncer from the lobsy, helped by Terren the bat= trary monages to slow him down. The first bouneet nos sccem= bles! to nis feet, meonuhile, and between the three of therm they Tonoge t3 reg the solver towards the Joo The sldiet, meonnhlle, is shouting ane roving at Senna, who Bonds on the stoge, visibly evoke. Faw of his words ore coherent ~ occasional phroies which con be mode gut ineluse Wihere Is she?', and "what have you done wlth het? The OM hoe the option rere to involve the soldier's come partons Inthe incident. Either they con toke cherge cf Theis comtede ond take him Sack to the Bortoeks to sober Up, or they con take exception to the woy he har been treated ond stort @ brawl. ie ram! storrs, most of the clientele valll tush for cover or try to get out, out o few young bloods toy sick up a chelr ord Jsin in. The pasty con wees? fo the situation in ony woy tay choote - the confusion ef a brawl might provide an’ ideal “opportunity te spitit the sergeant oway fer fusther questionina, The DM should be very careful obout running the brow! = weapons are ret ollowed in tre club, os hos been roted, and try character protvcing a lethal weapon or atvengting 19 cast o- spell lor even’ appearing to" do either of these things) willbe turned upon by oll NPCs within seach, regordless of which side they were originally on. Srewly ore more er lest harmlast things which seldom sellin anything mote serious thes a few bruises ord sore’ broken Hienituce, but crmed combot is anather motter entitely, since serlovs Injuties ond deaths can res.it in a grec! devi of unwelcome official Interest. The murder of 9 member of the city guard will be @ very rerious matter indeed, ond the city will Use every means at ity disposal 70. ‘Ind ond hong the murderer; the death of 9 young merchont or noblemen wil be 0 scarcely less serious matter, end the fomily. Invelved will pursue the culprit with avery mears at thelt cinposc, legal ond “otherwise THE TRUE STORY The soldier whe starts the fracas hos only just resumed his ‘duties after’ o fertnight inthe quordnouse for insobord jnction “and belnging the corps Isto sist = “further details ore given’ in the following section, Andllas, the eod lute player, tod beon protected by ‘nls clviss ‘blood! from ildarel's ‘charm, and nad ‘begun t2 suspect thet she wes ‘rot oll she seemed. The incident of the silver coin con. Firmed his suspicions, ut before ne ould do anything Ndarel had Aim murdeced ino back-ttseet = by the selaier She wos intending to leave’ the club ir ony case, ond herd beer working on Ansar for almest 0 week - a long time by her sandords, "A doncer's. life was fun, but” she. hoo. become fored ond thought Ir would make a change to become the wife of a wealthy merchantBestenent To ow 5 PART 4 - THE WEST G; Any cheracter with © military bockgroune or the Artillertst cll will be oble to. find out thet the wotch sergeant wha lovolved in the disturbance at the House of the Dancing id wos stotlered ct the city's West Gots. it will be ‘cult to get to see himy of he is in the guordhoue wring the disturbonce - it will not be possible te bribe the Gare Coprain, but he ey allow the party to enter if he believes they con help "with hs enquities, Otherwise Elsinose or Riadta might ‘pull some’ strings, "to moke the necesscry arrangements. i fosioclated guotd barracks are though the party will probobly only visit the tain’ office and the quardhouse. ‘ngements hove been mede, the party will be instru: fed to repert to the Gale Captain's effice, where he. will coffer to fill them in on ony background details before they visit the guarchouse, “Side-crms. (e.g. swords) moy be wovr, but eppearing In full bottle acroy’ will be ‘considered severe breach of protoecl, ond eny choracters wearing crmout vill be osked ‘te ‘leave them in the office for the ‘duration be vit Siedor Angones, Gote Captsin, West Gote i FS; AC 5, hp 30/35 (St 18); Sword, mormeVorcad (A080: ot the it's option, Captain Angones might be o Cavalier rather thea a Fightei) Like most of ‘his fellow officers, Captain Angones is @ younger son of ‘a minot rable fomily., Although @ Gate Captainey is rot @ glocicus or demanding port in peccetime, fe fulfills his duties to the best of ‘his ability, ond the West Goie Iso smort ond efficient installation, He is hetd-working, just and hanoyesle, with 2 clipped, slightly Jetky manre® of speach and srisk approach,1f approached by Elsinore, Coptain Angonas will eleeody be ware that the party i in the employ of the house of Turgereon, and so he will do his best to help. He accepts the" confidentiality ‘of the party's mission, ond wlll. nol ctompt to pry Inte Its nature. He will be able to give the following information bout the man in question: 'Norre's Razko, been In the guard six years, with on extensive record os a mercenary ‘before thot, Rose through the ranks 0. sargeant. Good mon = smart, efficient ond rollcble. A little too much to delnk once in @ while, but thing setlous.. Blind eye ‘and oll. thot. "Started about e fortnight ago = came in blind drurk, covered in blood ond two hours late on on evening poss, Undole 10 give ony sort of aecount of himself = we had to fauume he'd been in some sott af set-to.” A terious one, toe “there wos blood on his sword os well at eleewhere. ‘He was confined to the guardhouse for o week and te barcocks for a Further week - charges of insubordination for fefusing to explain himself ond Bringing the guacé. inte iscepute for wandering the stexets drunk ane blosestoined. Toking his previous record. Into cccount, I deopped. further charges “of "two haute’ absenee without _lecve,, presenting himself unfit fer duty ond improper core of quard property = failing to cleon the bloed off his sword and uniform, "I contacted the Wotch Coptains of the various clty words, trying to find out whet he'd been up to, but 1 drew o blonk = br rather I ended up spoilt for choles. On the night in question, there wete seven serious alfrays, three resulting 4h Fatalities, but no reports of any ‘military. personnel involved. Also four bodies turned up in vatlous ‘ports of the city, theae of which sled violently. No evicence Yo link him'with any of "those coses, of course, but @ charge of farmed ‘asioult’ ono clvilien would finich hls. career —~ Probably hie life too, if i could be made to stick "The men with him thot night told me he was infotusted with 2 doncing-pisl ot some ctinking house; the House of the Walkirg eed, 1 think they colled it = sounds mort unsovouty = anyway, sh@ opparently gave him the eome-hither and. the others left without ims This was shortly after mid-vight, ‘nd no eccount can be mode fer his movemarte during the next fo “ie Twonand-orhalf hous. “Lost nicht, his confinement to berracks wos lifted, and he went 10 the some establishment, where cccarding tthe men with him He went berserk when the some dorcing-gitl, er ane Using the some nome, come on store. He war festecined by the staff ond asked to leave, whereypon Ns comraces, srovght him back fo the borracks (OM: or ‘whereupon an ugly Brawl broke out', according tothe events of the’ previous section). ‘An effleicl complaint war lodged by the pro- Brietor, © Me. Bocrovynne, ond Sergeont Razke is currently confined "10 the guardhouse indefinitely for cousing "en sffray and beinging the guard inte disrepute, ‘And thot's reclly ll 1 can tell you - for the most pert 'm mystified. By all means question the man If you wish, bout T doubt you'll have anymore luck than 1 fF you con shed ony light” on this without “camoromising your ‘mission, though, Tbe most grateful = I shell have to write © report to the Colonel-in-Chief Wolls orc Gotes before t00 long, and I'd love to know what's behind i al. ‘W's all so completely out of chocacter, that’s what 1 don't understond "~ 0 competent and long-serving sldier suddenly loses his head over 0 dancing-git! like « beordless feeruit — it mokes no-sense. at ll!” Captoin Angores will be most Interested in onything the erty can tell him about events In the House ‘of the Ouncing Bead ond any suspicions they may have about lidacel and the putder of Ardites. He will agree to the potty excmining Sergeon! Razto under chatm person {f thay suggest i, om condition thot the borracks odlutont «is permitted to take down e full record of the proceedings ond the coster of tne spell ogrees 10 appear ase witness of any coutt-mettil Proceedings thot may result. “IF it con be proved Rezko acted at o result of magical influence, tne cose decinet Rie might be cropped, or at least the sentence might oe sigetls eantly “reduces. Edddon Rezko, watch sergeont, West Gol Mi FS; LN; AC 5; hp 15/17 (st 17); Sword, normal/orcad Rozko sits on the bunk in his cell, staring moodily ot the eppesite woll. He will rot reget ot the party ertets the (quorchouse, ane will answer evestions only if commanded 10 ose by Coptein Angores; ‘his answers wlll be turly ond mronesyllabic, ‘ond he will eleim trot ne had ence hed an cssignotion with Hcarel, ord intended to visit het again on ‘the previous night. When quastloned ghout his behaviour at the lub, of his movements"an the night ef Ardilos’ murder, Fe will say only thot he must hove had too cnvch to drink a he comembers nothing. 1 ony chasacter yses 2 detect magle spell ot mopiesl item coiliy, they will fing @ very falnh'ous of cgi Soroush ing Hozkey this ie the’ remnorts of ikorel's chor, which St hot a slight effect om hin Although ‘he oer’ nat reolize i, 1 ip the resloval effect of the. cheer which reverts him ftom recolling.preciely” who! Hopponed” cr iwering toe ponty's Gueilions 1 Razko fs examined under charm person, he will breck down 3 liderel"s ‘charm is ‘incllyeispelieg. He will omit to the murder of Ardiles, end say that tldorel. ‘hed oli hire thet the elf hod been theeatering het, and Fad come to take het sock to her own people, wheve’ she would se severely Punished For consocting with mere sumons: He oes not krow what happened to him after he killed Andilos ond before he arrived back ot the Borrocks. »Any Mogie-User who rolls less than his/her Intelligence + Level on'e d20 will reclize that ammesio can sometimes occur when @ magical compulsion forcibly vertices the subject's raturalinclinctions ot troining. To murder oclvilien in peacetime was aginst avetything Rozwo hed learred in lifetime’ of soldiacing, end his ming subconsciously bles ted out the memery of wnat he hod been farcea to don Rozko went to the House of the Dancing Dead to see lidorel ‘goin, but the ‘shock of seeing the impostor. in het place, tagetnes with the stress of the charm ond evsrylning else that hod heppened te him fecently, was too much To beat. On the bosts of these admissions, Coptoin Angones will have fo turn Rezko over to the opptopriate authorities to be charged with the mucder of Ancllas, but it seers thot there Js @ good chance of a successful defence on the grounds cf ‘magical compulsion. “Ceptoin Angones will be most cxtout thot the party should be qvatlable to oct os witnessex There ore a few other prisoners in the guordroem, chorged with minor offences such os overstaying evening pesses and Teturning to barracks unfit for duty, “and they” will wolen with interest os the party questions Fozko, If detect mogic fs used in the guaccroom, another mogicel qura will be picked up, surrounding one of ‘tne. other ptisonets. It Is Similar te’ the one surrounding Razko, but ‘slightly. stronger Also, If the nome Ildarel is mentionsd “at ory” time doting the ‘questioning, thls prisoner, whe is two cells away from Rako, will Secome excited, grasping the ors of hs calla, ond shouting "That's ‘hes! That's her aire!” This man, I will be discovered, wos arcestad on the day after ‘the breck-in at the Meretents” Gulld— he hod beer, etoiled” to leak fter the Colonel-in-Chief's horse while the latter was conducting cautine inspection of the Gate tnstallatian, ond the Colenel-in-Chief returned with Captaln Angones te find that he had apparently given the horse away. ‘The man hos no serlous ofter-effects'from the chorm, ond eon be questioned freely. All he can temember [2 that a young women, with some” elvish bled judging by her aprecrance, approached him, cdrired the horse and osked him fo give, if teher. Without knewing quite why, he gave it to het, ond wotched her ride off westwards. He will be able to give the potty © description of ldetel corresponding closely to that given by Elsinere Turgotron and by the stat? of the House of the Dancing Deed, ond will tay that she wos wearing. travel ling