d20 Dark Portal Games The Lands of Arekoz - White Robes, Black Hearts Enigma of the Arcanexus.pdf
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T
H E
C
I T Y O F
L
I V I N G
W
A T E R S
Wh
i
ite Robes
,,
,, B
l
lack Hearts
E n i g m a o f t h e A r c a n e x u s
Robert Blezard, Tony Bounds, and Darrin Drader
Credits
Editor:
Patric Rogers
Creative Directors:
Tony Bounds, Darrin Drader
Art Director:
Michael Picagli
Cover Illustration:
Christiaan Iken
Interior Illustrations:
Juli Halbur-Herrera, Michael Picagli
Cartography:
Darrin Drader
Typography:
Tony Bounds
Production Manager:
Tony Bounds
Project Managers:
Tony Bounds, Darrin Drader
Graphic Design:
Michael Picagli
Play Testers:
Eric Aldrich, Jeff Colledge, Rick Crouse, Dean Dyer,
Lyle Knapp, Greg Shean, Larry Walker, Josh Wheeler
Table of Contents
Appendix:
Statistics
I: Major NPCs.................................................75
II: Monsters.................................................... 79
III: Magic........................................................ 86
IV: Weapons.................................................. 89
Chapter 1:
Secret Meetings, Hidden Agendas.......2
Introduction............................................................. 2
Adventure Background.................................... 2
Adapting the Adventure................................... 3
Recruiting the Adventurers.............................. 4
The City of Gateway................................................7
Transitioning to the Next Chapter......................... 11
Players’ Handouts
1-1: The Letter............................................... 90
2-1: Hargrim’s Map........................................ 91
2-2: Hargrim’s Map........................................ 92
2-3 to 2-6: Medallion(s).................................. 93
2-7: The Journal.............................................94
2-8: The Map..................................................95
3-1: Cave Location.........................................96
4-1: The Symbols...........................................97
4-2: The Codex of the Key............................. 98
Chapter 2:
Secrets of the Dead............................12
The Abandoned Cemetery.................................... 12
The Catacombs.....................................................19
The Mausoleum of Rowhan Lyrgan...................... 23
Transitioning to the Next Chapter......................... 27
Chapter 3:
The Sundered Temple........................28
History of the Monastery....................................... 28
The Surrounding Area...........................................29
Outside the Monastery.......................................... 30
Inside the Monastery.............................................30
Transitioning to the Next Chapter......................... 37
Tables
2-1d: Cemetery Encounters, Day.................. 13
2-1n: Cemetery Encounters, Night................ 13
2-2: Catacomb Treasure..............................20
2-3: Catacomb Encounters..........................20
3-1: Rammat Hill and Surrounding Areas....29
4-1: Eastern Upper Caves........................... 40
4-2: Western Upper Caves.......................... 45
4-3:
Combat Ready Adults by Scenario...... 47
4-4: Random Enlarged Creatures................54
4-5: Lower Caves........................................ 57
A-1:
Chapter 4:
Testament to the Fallen......................38
The Caves.............................................................38
The Western Upper Caves............................ 45
The Lower Caves...........................................57
Transitioning to the Next Chapter......................... 67
Chapter 5:
Disgrace, Salvation, Revelations........68
Ippaeth’s Disgrace................................................ 68
Concluding the Adventure.....................................74
The Staves of the Measure.................. 87
A-2:
Zieg Staff Weapon Statistics................ 88
A-3:
Deadman Catcher Weapon Stats.........89
Dark Portal Games, LLC 205 E. Dimond Blvd., Suite 459 Anchorage, AK 99515
The Lands of Arekoz and the Dark Portal logo are trademarks owned by Dark Portal Games, LLC.
All Dark Portal characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by Dark Portal Games, LLC.
This product requires the use of the Dungeons and Dragons® Player’s Handbook, Core Rulebook II, and Core Rulebook III, published by Wizards of the Coast®
The d20 system logo is a trademark owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America.
Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Dark Portal Games, LLC.
This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental.
© 2001 Dark Portal Games, LLC. Made in the U.S.A.
Visit our web site at
www.darkportalgames.com
CHAPTER 1: SECRET MEETINGS, HIDDEN AGENDAS
CHAPTER 1
SECRET MEETINGS, HIDDEN AGENDAS
White Robes, Black Hearts: Enigma of the Arcanexus
is
a challenging campaign adventure for characters levels 3-
5, and serves as a logical continuation from the previously
released free module
Dead Fire
by Dark Portal Games. If
you wish to start a new party as 1st level characters
Dead
Fire
is available as a free download on our web site at
www.darkportalgames.com
. It is recommended that the
PCs consists of 4-6 characters (about party level 5), and it
is almost vital to the adventure for a party to include a
wizard or sorcerer, and a rogue. Certain areas of this
adventure are extremely dangerous, and so you should
decide whether you wish to keep extra NPCs on file for
the players to adopt, or whether you want to be liberal in
your interpretation of the rules for lingering at death’s
door and the rules regarding the limitations of resurrection.
While this adventure is designed to be difficult, it is not
designed to kill parties.
levels 3-5, and it is designed to be challenging on all levels
of play. It is very likely that PCs of the appropriate levels
will advance as many as 3 levels by the end of the
adventure. If you are a new GM, take the time not only to
read the adventure thoroughly, but also to familiarize
yourself with the rules that refer to running an adventure in
Core Rulebook II
.
This adventure module is broken up into five
chapters. Each chapter presents an independent phase of
the adventure. In many ways this book is actually four
adventures tied together into a single package, intended for
several gaming sessions. This chapter will acquaint you
with the background of the adventure, and gives you the
opening scenario that will start the heroes on their quest.
They will have to do some investigative work, uncover
hidden truths, and dig up a trail of information that has
long since gone cold. The second through fourth chapters
are the meat of the module. It is here that you will find the
information presenting the barriers the PCs must
overcome, the trail that will lead them towards the
conclusion of the adventure, and the finale. Chapter five
will tie together the loose ends, suggest new directions for
the PCs to go following the adventure, and give you some
ideas on how to keep the adventure alive until the release
of part 2.
One element that will be alluded to as the PCs
progress through the adventure is the fact that there will be
direct opposition to their efforts other than that found
within the dungeons, and the lairs described in chapters 2
though 5. The sage Egalmond, to whom the PCs will be
directed as a friend and confidant, is a spy working for
Mhul. The Mhulnish knight Kador Tarasmyr and his
followers will first follow the PCs in an attempt to learn
what they learn, then when the PCs get too close to the
truth, Kador will try to eliminate them. The end of this
chapter will present suggestions on how and when to work
Kador into the adventure. It is not suggested that you treat
him as expendable as he will make an excellent villain
both in this module and in upcoming products.
INTRODUCTION
Dark Portal Games (DPG) strives to bring you high quality
products instead of a high quantity of products. We
released our first adventure module for free online. This
adventure, called
Dead Fire,
was the first effort from
DPG, and it was certainly a learning process. Having
benefited from our experiences the first time around, we
have taken more time for production and editing, and we
have increased the budget for artwork so that we could
bring you a product that we can be proud of. You should
also notice that the page count is considerably higher. This
was not done to force you to spend more on paper and ink,
but so that we could bring you more adventure for what
we consider to be a token amount of money.
While it is unnecessary to access the A
REKOZ™
Web
site prior to running this adventure, you may find doing so
very helpful in establishing the world as a living, breathing
place. Because this information is provided by DPG online
for free, every effort is made throughout the module to
include only the most relevant details of the campaign
setting throughout the adventure. You may find it useful to
read through the information provided to add side
adventures and further tie-ins with the rest of the world.
Any information that is Web-enhanced is underlined to
indicate it is a link to our Web site. While viewing this
PDF on your computer, and if connected to the Internet
you may click the links to launch your browser and access
the associated Web enhancement(s). For obvious reasons
this feature is only available in the screen version of the
module.
ADVENTURE
BACKGROUND
T
HE
L
ANDS
OF
A
REKOZ
™ is a continent encompassing
wealthy kingdoms of enormous size, a rich history that
spans five ages, and three separate pantheons of gods.
Until recently the power of the land rested primarily with
the kingdoms Vehrmon, Mhul, and Calrendia. Mhul is an
empire that has been in decline for over a thousand years.
Although the White Robes still hold the power in the
empire, their dominance over the land is greatly
diminished from its former glory. Calrendia is made up of
several smaller allied
nations and territories.
Vehrmon is ruled by its
wealthy merchants and its
religious leaders.
The White Robes of Mhul
are a sorcerer deviant race
NOTES FOR THE GM
You should take the
time to read through the
adventure in its entirety
at least once before
attempting to run it.
Keep in mind that this is
written for characters’
For New Game Masters
This module uses the d20 System and the Open Gaming License
that is graciously made available by Wizards of the Coast®. It
requires the use of the third edition Players’ Handbook® (
Core
Rulebook I
). It is recommended that you also have
Core Rulebook
II
, and
Core Rulebook III
available.
2
CHAPTER 1: SECRET MEETINGS, HIDDEN AGENDAS
that is purposely unbalanced. It is not suggested or
recommended that a Player is allowed to run a White Robe
under any circumstances. So only stat blocks and/or
special abilities will be provided for them. Historically, the
White Robes are derived from an expedition three
millennia ago into the outer planes. To create a stable
long-term gate into the outer planes as well as other
worlds, the most powerful wizards of the fledgling empire
harnessed massive amounts of magical energy to produce
one great portal known as the Void Gate. The Void Gate
opened into an interplanar hub that was used to connect
Mhul with other worlds, different planes, and faraway
locations within A
REKOZ
™.
One of the gateways they opened led to Stygia, the
frozen fifth plane of Hell, where they encountered an
outsider of enormous power called Yagzanoch. It offered
them a measure of its own power in exchange for a
prominent presence in A
REKOZ
™. The wizards, seeing that
any greater level of power would be beneficial for them,
agreed to the exchange. Yagzanoch then infused each one
of them with a portion of his own magical power. This
would have normally been enough raw energy to kill most
mortals, but Yagzanoch blocked their life forces from
leaving their bodies as the magic was incorporated with
their very body tissues. When the process was over the
White Robes
were hairless, and their skin had darkened
slightly. While their wizard powers still worked as they
had before, they suddenly had access to new powers that
were far beyond the ones they had known before. When
they combined their efforts they could control major
weather systems, cast new spells without having to study
for them, and they were also amazed to find that they were
now capable of using some divine magic – something that
had always been denied to ordinary arcane spellcasters.
This group and their descendants would become known as
the
White Robes, or simply
The Blooded
.
After the exchange with Yagzanoch was made, the
group decided to close the gate permanently, lest their
source of power was to be revealed. What was opened
could not be destroyed, at least not easily, but it could be
locked. A new 7th level ritual (See
Relics and Rituals
by
Sword and Sorcery Studios), requiring the participation of
twenty wizards, was developed that enabled them to
magically block all access to the void gates. A key to the
gates was fashioned, and the gateway was locked.
The White Robes of Mhul took considerable time
deciding who should guard the gate key. Several factions
offered to hold the key in safekeeping, yet none could
agree upon who could be trusted with that duty. They
feared that if the key fell to someone that was too power
hungry, they could potentially go back to Yagzanoch with
a huge force of armed men and force him to redirect his
power only to that group. They also feared that others,
besides the
Blooded
, could also gain access to their
powers. There was also a fear that those who held the key
could make powerful allies among the outsiders, who
could in turn either invade or unbalance the distribution of
power in Mhul. In time, a solution to the problem
presented itself.
Not yet knowing the void gates had been closed, a
small group of priests who worshipped Hurm embarked
upon a potentially suicidal course of action. They
approached the chief magistrate of Mhul, demanding in
the name of their god that the Void Gate be closed once
and for all. They believed that the Void Gate allowed a
disproportionate amount of information to fall into Mhul’s
possession.
This information was clearly not being shared, and it
could then be used for power and control. Their faith
believed this was an abomination of nature.
To their shock and disbelief, they were rewarded not
with death, but with agreement. The high-council of White
Robes convened, and they quickly pushed through a
measure that left the key in the hands of the priests of
Hurm. Not everyone involved was pleased with that
resolution…
Contradicting their own doctrines, the priesthood of
Hurm was dedicated not only to keeping the location of
the key to the void gates a secret, but to covering up its
very existence so that none would try to find it. This sect
split away from the main church, and built a massive
monastery (which doubled as a temple) in the badlands of
Gamarr. In time the opposing factions of Mhul learned
who held the key, but by then it was already well hidden.
Once long ago, Mhul had annexed one third of
Calrendia. When Mhul began to suffer from petty internal
power struggles, Calrendia used that distraction as an
excuse to unite under the banner of Horath Kinslayer to
free themselves from the oppression of Mhul. Their revolt
was successful, but it led to a deep-seated resentment
within Mhul that lasts into the current day.
Five years ago Mhul sent an enormous invasion force
down through the mountains to make war on Calrendia in
an attempt to recapture their former glory. A year ago
Calrendia faced the difficulties common to a prolonged
struggle: famine was widespread, disease had taken root in
the larger cities, and the major trade routes had become
unsafe. The current rulers of Calrendia, the Hadrazar
family, knew that the war would not be theirs, so to spare
the lives of as many of their people as possible, they
surrendered to the forces of Mhul. Despite their hopes, the
White Robes were anything but merciful as they stormed
the castle. King Jorkath was publicly beheaded, his wife
Aryella was forced to become a concubine to the emperor
of Mhul, and the crown prince Vidair was taken to the sky
island prison above Lake Herteppet, where he is expected
to die a horrible slow wasting death.
The soldiers and bureaucrats had barely seized power
in Mhul when a popular uprising began. Fighters in this
war did not form ranks in the battlefields or hold a high
degree of nobility when fighting the White Robes. Theirs
is a war of secrecy, assassinations, and numerous small-
scale skirmish attacks. Some have credited this new highly
successful effort to an as-yet-unidentified warlord. The
White Robes are focusing their powers on discovering the
identity of the one whom is causing the disruption, but
their efforts have so far been for nothing. Though the
attacks have been costly to the forces occupying
Calrendia, no regions have yet been liberated.
It is into this struggle that the player characters will
be drawn, the fate of kingdoms decided by their actions.
ADAPTING
THE ADVENTURE
This adventure takes place in T
HE
L
ANDS
OF
A
REKOZ
™
campaign setting, brought to you by Dark Portal Games.
While T
HE
L
ANDS
OF
A
REKOZ
™ is a free product there is a
distinct possibility that you may be using this module with
your own world, or even another published campaign
world. While the adventure is definitely geared towards the
specific elements found in A
REKOZ
™, by using the
3
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