RR 001 Suel Imperium - Age of Glory

RR01

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition

W o r l d

o f

1998

G r e y h a w k

S u e l I m p e r iu m : A ge o f Gl o r y

S u e l I m p e r iu m : A ge o f Gl o r y TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………2 Before the Adventure…………………………………………………………………………………………………….……2 The Yeomanry…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3 Slerotin's Tunnel……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 The Lerara Tribe……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 Sea of Dust……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……5 The Null Obelisk………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5 Temple of the Magi……………………………………………………………………………………………………………9 Suendrako City……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10 Arch of Xodast…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…15 Back to the Future…………………………………………………………………………………………………………....20 Random Encounter Table I: Suel Basin Forests/Mountains …………………………………………………………………21 Random Encounter Table II: Suendrako City, Majestic Marketplace……..…………………………………………………22 New Monster Appendix………………………………………………………………………………………………………23 Handout 1: Imperial Coinage Letter………………………………………………………………………………………….24 Handout 2: Intercepted Letters……………………………………………………………………………………………….25 Handout 3: Letters in Pouch………………………………………………………………………………………………….26 Optional Letter 1: Flora…………...………………………………………………………………………………………….27 Optional Letter 2: Calendar……….………………………………………………………………………………………….28 Optional Letter 3: Georaphy………………………………………………………………………………………………….30 Optional Letter 1: Suel Culture…...………………………………………………………………………………………….32 Suel Reference Compendium…...……………………………………………………………………………………………34 Slerotin's Tunnel Map………………………………………………………………………………………………………...39 Thobicus's Route Map………………………………………………………………………………………………………..39 Ancient Suel Basin Map……………………………………………………………………………………………………...40 Citizenship Paper……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..41 Suendrako Rough Sketch……………………………………………………………………………………………………..42 Arch of Xodast Exterior……………………………………………………………………………………………………...43 Arch of Xodast Interior……………………………………………………………………………………………………….44

Credits Design: Randy Richard Cartography: Randy Richards

Editing: Chris Perkins Typography: Randy Richards

Interior Art: Greyhawk Products Art Director: Randy Richards

Cover art insertion, Re-organization & editing, artwork insertion, Formatting & .pdf creation by: A Greyhawk Completist Research Assistance: Gary Gygax and scores of World of Greyhawk Fan Club members Playtesters: Teri Tharp, Ben Bivona, Rick Richards, Ernie Whitmarsh, Sean Bradley, Rob Juneau © 1998, Randy Richards. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS™, AD&D™, WORLD OF GREYHAWK™, FIEND FOLIO™, AL-QADIM™, MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM™, and DUNGEON MASTER™ and the TSR logo are all registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters, character names and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Made in the U.S.A\ This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited. This material cannot be sold, and is for personal use only. This adventure is dedicated to those who supported my endeavors to spread the joy of Greyhawk and AD&D, especially those in the World of Greyhawk Fan Club. Randy Richards 792 Braewood Dr. Baton Rouge, LA (504) 272-1822

TSR, Inc. Wizards of the Coast 70815 P.O. Box 707 Renton, WA 98057-0707 (206) 624-0933

INTRODUCTION

BEFORE THE ADVENTURE

It is not necessary to have the World of Greyhawk fantasy setting sourcebooks to play this module (but it helps) and assumes a start date of Goodmonth 20, 585 CY (5681 SD). This adventure is ideal for 5-8 characters of levels 5-8. A combined total of 35-45 levels is desired, and a balanced group of classes is required.

The background is very detailed for this scenario, so the DM should read through the entire adventure before playing. It is necessary for him to prepare phony citizenship papers for each PC, which will be given to them during the course of the game. It is recommended the DM especially pay close attention to the information provided in Handouts 1-3.

Background A large book, known as Slerotin's Manifesto, had been venerated within the Onnwal temple of Wee Jas. During the Scarlet Brotherhood's occupation of Onnwal they obtained this prize. After recovery of the trollskinned book, it was studied carefully by the Brotherhood in the closed city of Heseul Ilshar. The book was found to contain many powerful spells, but more important to the Brotherhood were the history and details of the ancient Suel Empire. After reading two sections that told of an ancient relic "The Darkness That Holds All Shadows" and a powerful magical portal "The Null", the Brotherhood decided to send an expedition into the Sea of Dust. The Brotherhood's expeditions were costly in terms of loss of life. The Yeomanry spies who closely watched the Brotherhood's local activities reported what little they could determine about these forays. While the Yeomanry does not know the details of their plans, they are correct to be worried. The Brotherhood plans to travel back in time using the Null, and once there steal the cubic relic from Xodast's treasure vault. Synopsis The Yeomanry hires the PCs to interfere with the Scarlet Brotherhood's plans. Several letters were previously intercepted which give some hint of what is to come. After a long trek to the new boomtown of Gateway, through Slerotin's Tunnel, and across the Sea of Dust, the Brotherhood's latest expedition is encountered at the Null obelisk. After engaging the cultists, documents are found on one member of the Brotherhood's group which reveals some of their plans. To stop the Brotherhood from succeeding, the PCs use information in the documents to travel back in time themselves. The group is surreptitiously deposited at the Temple of the Magi into a crowd of people. After spotting several cultists, the PCs follow them into the Majestic Marketplace, through the Humanoid District, and out of the city proper. They meet up again at the Arch of Xodast, where a pivotal confrontation occurs. If successful, the PCs return to the Null and use the musical key to go back to the future.

Citizenship Papers In 5094 SD, citizenship papers are required to move freely about the Empire. On each sheet is the name of the individual, citizenship year, his house, and city of birth (any year before 5094 SD). The paper is made of a rare local reed that made it difficult to forge. The "house", known in earlier times as a "tribe", is the family name (today called a surname). The waxy official seal of the Empire was stamped into one corner. This seal was a scarred faced man, eyes hidden by a grasped broadsword. Below the face it says, "BLIND FATE" in bold letters.

Imperial Citizenship Citizenship is usually given to an individual as a reward for some service to the government such as military, political favor, large financial gift, service to country, etc. In some cases, citizenship is given to a house instead of an individual. Every member of these houses, both present and future, are considered citizens. What does citizenship mean? The granting of citizenship allows one to live in any of the larger Suel cities. If not a citizen, one needs to have special visitor papers which allow a brief stay. Citizens do not have to pay certain taxes either, and are allowed to pass between city districts with little hassle. Suel Clothing Suel aristocratic clothing consisted of loose pantaloons topped by a baggy blouse. Both were in solid but differing colors (top was one color, bottom another). A half-dozen or so emblems and tokens rounded out the outfit. Common folk usually wore the same style of clothing, but only one solid color. Sumptuary laws forbade nonaristocrats from wearing multiple colors. Suel Appearance The Suel race appears as fair-skinned, some being almost albino. They have light red, yellow, blond, or platinum blond hair. Eye color varies from pale blue or violet through deep blue, with gray occasionally occurring. Curly to kinky hair is common. The modern Frost, Ice, and Snow Barbarians and the Scarlet Brotherhood are perfect specimens of unmixed Suloise blood.

THE YEOMANRY City of Loftwick (Located at hex M5-130) You have been summoned before His Steadfastness, Crispin Redwell the Freeholder, Spokesman for the Yeomanry. Upon your arrival you are taken into a small room, sparsely decorated. Crispin is to the point. "I have summoned you here for a mission of dire importance. As you probably are aware, our scarlet brothers have subjugated our southern neighbors, the Hold of the Sea Princes. Our ever watchful spies have intercepted correspondence that tell us a massive journey into the Sea of Dust is being prepared. What they hope to find there is unknown, but we are fearful it is some powerful ancient Suel evil that will strengthen their grip of terror. "Your mission is to learn their goal, and interfere with their plans as best as you are able. If they are seeking some, it will be your duty to return with this treasure instead. We will provide you with transportation, a guide, clothes suitable for the climate, rations, and weapons. We can pay you 3,000 gold pieces each, and you may keep any treasure you collect along the way. You must be successful, or the Yeomanry may be next on the Scarlet Brotherhood's agenda." If the party does not accept, Redwell can increase the amount of pay, but not more than double the original offer. In addition, he promises to compensate any character who dies with a 5,000 gp bonus for his heirs. If the party accepts, give them the letters from Handout 2 (ed: missing). These letters were intercepted by spies of the Yeomanry. Crispin introduces the characters to their guide, Thobicus Sheerwind, a man of Suel origin, and now a dustdigger. If asked, it is explained dustdiggers are archaeologists and treasure hunters who go armed into monster-ridden ruins and return with not only treasure, but detailed knowledge as well. [Thobicus Sheerwind: AL NG; AC 6 (studded leather +2); MV 12; Ra9/Th12; hp 39; THAC0 12; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 14; XP 6,000; light crossbow, 26 quarrels, darts of homing +1 (5), khopesh sword +1, robe of blending, potion of wraith control, dust of tracelessness. Priest spells: two 1st] The next morning, Thobicus leads the PCs on a horse ride to Gateway city (see below). Gateway City (Located at hex O5-134) A small boom town, Gateway, has recently appeared by the eastern terminus of Slerotin's Tunnel. Adventurers arrive here every week to locate partners, form up adventuring groups, and head out into the Sea of

Dust beyond. Contact with the degenerate Lerara culture has become frequent, and encounters with other fell denizens of UnderOerth have also become commonplace. This has lead to savage battles as adventurers fight to clear the tunnel and seal off side passages that allow entry of monsters and evil races. This is a mad frontier town, and wealth has already begun to flow out of the Tunnel, so prices in the area are climbing sky high. For a handful of silver pieces, street urchins sing prayers to the gods to favor adventurers. The price for raising the dead in several of the newly created temples here causes patrons to gasp. Boom town inflation, skyrocketing local taxes, thieves, and thugs abound, all ready to part a man with his treasure. There may even be a Scarlet Brother assassin or two, attempting to stop the PCs before they even begin! Thobicus pays for free room and board at a new establishment "Slerot Inn" and establishes a bar tab at the "Dusty Cup Tavern". The next morning the PCs find Thobicus at the stables in back of the Inn. The stable hand greets them: As you near the large stables, a man holding a saddle is opening the stable doors. "I am preparing your gwahasti lizards for riding," the man says. "The mountain tribesmen of Changar use them for traveling the bleak landscape in the Sea of Dust. They can smell water, hunt wild game, sense sharp drop-offs, and are excellent fighters. They will keep you safe." The door to the stables opens onto a strange sight. Chitin-beaked giant lizards with vast webbed feet are stalled behind iron gates. Their heavy breathing and weezing is all the noise they make as they shift about. Thobicus is in one of the stalls, heaving the saddle onto the beast's back. "Good morning!" he smiles at you. Thobicus provides all necessary weapons, rations, and clothing for the PCs. He instructs riders on the finer points of controlling the gwahasti lizards. When all has been prepared Thobicus gives the characters each a copy of a map with a marked trail leading to a location deep within the Sea of Dust: "Many men died obtaining the original copy of this map. This 'x' marked trail is the route to the Scarlet Brotherhood's destination, and I have marked our converging trail with 'o'. What we will find there is still a mystery, but the destination is marked 'Null' - whatever that means. "Come, we must be off. The Brotherhood has begun their expedition and so must we." Thobicus grabs his pouch from the ground and moves toward his gwahasti. He mounts it, and begins to ride. The other lizards instinctually move and follow.”

SLEROTIN'S TUNNEL (The tunnel extends from hex O5-134 to S5-141). At the foothills of the eastern side of the Crystalmist mountains, the PCs witness a huge tunnel entrance. Thobicus explains: "Before you is a tunnel 300 feet wide, 30 feet tall, and 200 miles long. It was created over a thousand years ago by a powerful Suel spellcaster named Slerotin. It is the safest way known into the Sea of Dust, but even this way has perils. We will use this access tunnel to provide us with several days gain on the Scarlet Brotherhood, if we can avoid the hazards." In addition to the above, Thobicus knows several facts surrounding this tunnel: "Slerotin was the last "Mage of Power". Legends say he sealed the tunnel when the last tribes passed out of the Empire and into the East. Apparently the seal wore off after 1,000 years. When it was discovered, the Northeast terminus of the passage was guarded by a large black stone monster when it was first discovered by the Yeomanry in 577 CY." The large black golem was a stone golem variant (MM/165,171). Slerotin's Tunnel can be an adventure unto itself. The derro are having a Uniting War, ghouls are battling the drow, and mind flayers are coming up to investigate. At the west end there are huge tunneling worms, gigantic centipedes, and weird shambling fungi. Internally, the hundreds of side tunnels offer even more danger, containing just about every UnderOerth danger imaginable. However, the DM could limit the encounters to a few devious Lerara and typical wandering cave monsters such as piercers, cave fishers, hook horrors, cloakers, and giant bats

THE LERARA TRIBE Several Lerara have established trade with the town of Gateway which has formed at the tunnel's entrance. The Lerara deeper inside the tunnel are not so open, however. They offer to lead the party to their treasure, which is "theirs for the taking". While the nearly albino Suel humans are technically telling the truth, they are also leading the PCs to their deadly god. This god the Lerara worship is a huge white glowing ooze that covers an entire cavern. They call this evil thing "Se-Murma", which translates as "The Mother". The floor of the cavern where the Mother resides is littered with ancient treasure, which the tribe was carrying when they were trapped. When the party nears the Cavern of the Mother, the Lerara warriors plan to attack the party, paralyze them with poison, and cast them into the Mother's body, which gradually drains them of their life levels. Up until this time the warriors are hospitable. [The Mother [Se-Murma] (unique): AL NE; AC 8; MV Nil; HD 27; THAC0 1; #AT 1; Dmg 2d4 (acid); SZ G (200 sq ft); ML 20; XP 29,000; SA energy drain (1 level per turn of contact), psionics (telepathy only), weapons +1 or better to hit; SD immune to acid, fire, cold, electricity, mind-spells, paralyzation, and polymorph; New Monster. Direct sunlight kills the Mother in 1d6 rounds.] If the PCs decide not to follow the Lerara warriors to their treasure, the Lerara do not try to hinder them. It is possible to trade with the Lerara, especially if the party is well equipped to defend itself against possible treachery, although not all Lerara are evil. If questioned about the Lerara, Thobicus knows a bit of history surrounding the tribe: “From what I recall, Zinbyle was a Suel city, and previously home to the Lerara tribe. The Lerara were on holiday when the Rain of Colorless Fire came, and thus escaped its burning. Later, 18 tribes entered what is now called Slerotin's Tunnel, but only 17 exited the other side. After entering late, the Lerara were further delayed by a fight between several nobles. As a result, the Lerara tribe was accidentally sealed inside the tunnel. The trapped Lerara numbered around 110 adults, with children & animals in tow. “Now, these degenerate, nearly albino, inbred Suloise cultivate fungi for food, and use giant millipedes as draft animals. Its quite bizarre. “They trade with the Drow under the Hellfurnaces, and as a consequence the language currently spoken by the Lerara descendants is a Suel/Drow mix called "Leraran Suloise". We'll have to be on the lookout for Drow patrols. “As I recall, the first Sea of Dust ruin explored by the Yeomanry was Zinbyle. And did you know a Lerara tribe descendant, Elayne Mystica, lived in the Free City of Irongate for a number of years? I wonder whatever

happened to her...she was quite beautiful, and highly intelligent.”

SEA OF DUST Thobicus can tell the PCs the following about the Sea of Dust: This bleak desert is the Sea of Dust, the former Empire of the Suel. This was once a fertile realm extending a thousand miles west and south. The Rain of Colorless Fire that the Baklunish mages brought down upon it was a nearly invisible fiery rain which killed every living thing it struck, ignited the landscape, and burned the hills to ash. To this day the place is a desert choked with dust and dry ash in gentle rises and shallow valleys that resemble waves in the ocean. The winds often howl and tear the surface into choking clouds that strip flesh from bone, making vision impossible, and life hazardous in the extreme. We must wear cloths over our faces to avoid breathing the dust. To do so would draw blood from our lungs and result in our eventual death. Following the map's trail is relatively safe considering the local climate and hazards. The trail avoids the lakes of dust that often trap travelers, and steers clear of known monster lairs. However, there are a few wandering monsters that inhabit the Sea of Dust: wild gwahasti lizards, mantipedes, dust fungi, derro, mountain tribesmen, yellow dragons, puddings (dun), undead (slow shadows, phantoms, haunts, swordwraiths), gas spores, elemental earth kin (sandling), elemental fire kin (salamander), bulette, grimlocks, hatori, and leucrotta.

THE NULL OBELISK (Located at hex K6-164) Spells or magic items affecting illusions, detection, space, or time do not function within the obelisk complex. This includes, but is not limited to, teleport, blink, slow, haste, etherealness, plane shift, time stop, and astral spell. Extra-dimensional spaces like portable holes, bags of holding and the like, become normal empty bags while inside (items will return upon leaving the place). The Null is indeed a point of "null time". In a sense, the Null is outside of time itself, seeming to exist in all times and dimensions simultaneously. While time appears to pass inside the Null obelisk and accompanying structures, it is in effect separate from the "absolute time" of the outside multiverse. Once the tests have been passed and the guardians defeated, the Null can be used to travel anywhere, in any plane, in any alternate universe, at any time. However,

one must first discover the musical notes which activate a specific point in time and space. It is possible to randomly play notes and accidentally open a gateway, but this could be a one-way trip to the center of a sun or some bizarre inescapable demi-plane yet undiscovered. As you are riding through the dusty wind, you see a tall obelisk on the horizon. Approaching, you can see twenty gwahasti lizards lie dead at the obelisk entrance. Their bodies have been badly burned, and their equipment removed. The entrance to the obelisk appears unguarded, and an eerie red light emanates from within. 1) Entrance Hall This long hallway extends down a corridor with dark red light globes forming a line down each side. A soft mist emanates from somewhere inside, accompanied by a rosy odor. An unearthly cold sends a chill up your spine. Passing the first glowing spheres, you notice to your right that a stone gargoyle's head and arms are protruding from the wall. As you become parallel with the likeness, it eyes open. "Hey, you got any water? I'm thirsty," it says holding out its hand. If the PCs refuse to give him a drink, he de-animates after saying, "Gee, and I was going to give you a warning. Oh well, nevermind." If the PCs give him a drink, read: The gargoyle takes a swig. "Thanks buddy, you're a real pal. Ever since they re-landscaped outside, I only get a decent drink every hundred years or so." The creature takes another drink. "Ah. Say, you guys better be on da lookout. There's a lotta bad stuff in there. First ya gotta get past those bad watchamacallits." He circles his hand up to his forehead as if trying to remember. "By the way, my name is Jonesy," he says holding out a hand. After the introductions he continues, "Oh yeah, extra-plan-ar beasts." He wipes his brow then takes another swig. "So anyway, first ya gotta get past those guys. Then they got some stone guardians for ya ta mess with. After that all you need to do is solve a few riddles of that sphinx and 'Bam!' you're in." He takes a long drink this time. "So any you kind folk play music? The Null has a musical key ya know." The stone gargoyle really doesn't know much except what he has conveyed already. If pressed, he says, "Look I paraphrased. You want the original message?". Then he continues in a booming echoing voice:

"You who dare enter the Null, must pass the four tests! Pass the tests of dexterity, intelligence, strength, and wisdom! Survive and you have shown yourself worthy of the harmonious gate!" and then says in his normal voice, "Is that better?" This gargoyle construct cannot be harmed by anything short of demi-god magic, nor can he attack the PCs in any significant way. If he is attacked, he is likely says things like, "Ow! Hey, watch it. What did I do? I'm just doin' my job." As the characters continue down the corridor, just before he de-animates he says, "Tell Sphinxy 'Hi' for me." When there are no sentient creatures more than 10 feet away from him, he de-animates, and does not animate for the PCs ever again. At the end of the corridor is a solid but rusty metal door with jagged edges. The door is locked, but is picked automatically by any PC with a "pick locks" capability. This door leads to the next encounter. 2) Dexterous Locks Corridor This encounter has not been reset from the Brotherhood's passing. The iron door at the end is wide open the first time the PCs enter here. On their return trip, it will be fully functional. The door behind you slams shut as you enter the hallway. This corridor ends 50 feet distant at an iron door. On the left and right of the passage are doors, five to each side, each made from a different material. They consist of stone, silver, gold, copper, and platinum on one side, and wood, thorny vines, skulls, hide, and scales on the other. Each has a handle and lock made of mithril. The Entrance Hall door shuts, but can be easily reopened from inside. The iron door at the end of the corridor cannot be opened by any means until the encounter is completed. Each lock has the normal percentage chance to be picked. Behind every door is an extradimensional 50' x 50' room, and an extraplanar monster. Each monster must be defeated before the PCs can move on. Once four creatures have been defeated, the eleventh door at the end of the corridor opens, giving access to the next encounter. No matter which door is opened, the beasts appear in the following order: Door 1) [Hound, yeth (1): AL NE; AC 0; MV 15, Fl 27(B); HD 3+3; THAC0 17; #AT 1; Dmg 2-8; MR 10%; SZ M; ML 20; XP 3,000; SA fear; SD silver or magic weapons to hit]

Door 2) [Baatezu, black abishai (1): LE; AC 5; MV 9, Fl 12(C); HD 4+1; THAC0 17; #AT 3; Dmg 1-4/1-4/2-5; MR 30%; SZ L (8'); ML 10; XP 21,500; SA poison, dive; SD regeneration, +1 weapons or better to hit Door 3) [Baatezu, green abishai (1): LE; AC 5; MV 9, Fl 12(C); HD 5+2; THAC0 15; #AT 3; Dmg 1-4/1-4/2-5; MR 30%; SZ L (7'); ML 10; XP 23,500; SA poison, dive; SD regeneration, +1 weapons or better to hit Door 4) Baatezu, red abishai (1): LE; AC 5; MV 9, Fl 12(C); HD 6+3; THAC0 13; #AT 3; Dmg 1-4/1-4/2-5; MR 30%; SZ M (6'); ML 10; XP 25,500; SA poison, dive; SD regeneration, +1 weapons or better to hit] 3) Juggernaut Chess This encounter has not been reset from the Brotherhood's passing. The iron door at the end is wide open the first time the PCs enter here. On their return trip, it will be fully closed and locked. The door closes behind you. An inscription on the wall near the entrance reads, "Defeat white in a game of chess. Use your body to indicate the next move for black, and speak 'My move!' aloud." This chamber is lit brightly in ambient light. Before you is a giant room of black and white squares, each ten feet wide. The squares are lined eight feet across and eight feet deep. Standing on the squares in apparently random positions are thirty statues of varying bizarre design: horse-heads with hooves poking out its sides, tower shapes with spears, dragons with claws, spiked heads with maces, etc. The statues are wheeled, nearly 20' tall, and about half of them are black, the other are half white. The areas outside the playing field are lined with black pieces to the left, and white pieces to the right. The entire room is a 140 foot square, 20 feet high, and has an open iron door to the rear. All is not well here. Several of the giant game pieces are cracked or are in pieces on the floor. You see four scarlet-robed dead men lying next to them, apparently killed by the stone constructs. Their possessions are missing. The Dexterous Locks Corridor door shuts, but can be easily reopened from inside. There are 32 juggernauts here altogether, each shaped vaguely like a traditional chess piece. The room has not yet "reset" from the Scarlet Brotherhood's passage here. If the PCs wait long enough, the juggernauts begin to repair themselves, magically regenerating in three turns. Right now the golems won't harm the PCs unless they themselves are molested, and then only the one attacked animates. The dead men have been stripped of their possessions by Brother Bylew. If the room completely resets, the juggernauts animate

and move to a normal chess starting position (while they do not directly attack the characters, anything in their way may be crushed). White then makes a move, as one of the center "pawn" juggernauts rolls out two squares and wait for a PC to make its move. The door at the far end of the room locks itself, and the PCs have to win the game before it will reopen. To move a piece, a character must stand in the square (invalid moves are not registered) of his choice for black's next move and speak "My move is.....!" aloud. Then the indicated juggernaut moves to that position. If two PCs try to make a move simultaneously, the first to speak registers the move (ties can be resolved with the flip of a coin by the DM). Chess piece juggernaut are literally "killed" by other pieces, as the moving juggernaut pulverizes the loser pieces into rubble and takes its space. If the PCs lose, each of them is attacked by a singular juggernaut. Every time a juggernaut is killed, another animates and attacks, until either all PCs are dead or all juggernauts are dead. If the PCs win, or all the juggernauts are killed, the door in the rear unlocks and opens. In three turns the stone pieces regenerate and the process begins again. If the DM does not wish to have his players play an entire game of chess, it is suggested he allow the PCs to make an intelligence check to succeed or fail. [Golem, stone variants, juggernaut (32): AL N; AC 2; MV 3-12; HD 10; THAC0 11; #AT 2; Dmg 2-12; SZ H (17'); ML 20; XP 3,000; SA crushing; SD immune to fire]

Players must decide who will give the answers. He can be helped by others, but the guardian needs a spokesperson. When the players have decided, continue: The stone construct continues, "Each time you answer correctly, [PC name] , one latch from the door will open. A wrong answer and the spokesperson will be teleported to a random location on Oerth." Looking closer at the iron door you see there are indeed three large latches. Riddle: "Though not made of flesh, it guards the temple. Lie down it does not, for even when it is morning it is standing. If it falls down, the temple falls too." Answer: A column Riddle: "This lion is not of the jungle, nor hunts nor roars. The rain breathes it life, the sun makes its mane shine. Druids tend to it, insects and goats feed on it." Answer: Dandelions Riddle: "A noble warrior might wear this on his shield, and so perhaps an octopus on a cold day." Answer: A coat of arms Riddle: "Fire within, yet I burn cold. I seldom touch the things I hold. Hang me, and I die not." Answer: A Mirror Riddle: "I don't exist in place or time, yet there is more of me than stars that shine." Answer: Nothing

4) Riddles of the Stone Sphinx Nothing in this area can likely be harmed by the PCs. It is heavy in anti-magic and immune to normal weapons. You can see there is a circular room at the center of the complex, and an open doorway stands between you and the final chamber. Next to the entrance is a 40' tall monolithic gray stone statue with the head of a man and the body of a lion. The lion body is crouched in a resting position. You can see the large double doors are closing slowly. The PCs have four rounds before the door closes sufficiently to disallow passage. They may enter any time before this occurs. If not, they must answer the riddles to enter. If the door closes all the way, read the following: The jaw of the 40' statue gratingly opens and speaks in a booming slow voice, "Thee - who - wishes - to - pass - must - first - solve - the - riddles - three. Who - speaks - for - you?"

6) The Harmonious Gate No magic works in this room. Creatures with natural magical abilities have that power repressed while here (unless it would kill them). The floor is solid, as are the walls, but an illusion of a starry sky is projected on the walls and floors to give them impression of floating in space. This illusion cannot be dispelled by normal means. All PCs under 8HD who walk on the floor while the "starry sky" is in effect (without closing their eyes) must make a wisdom check. Those failing succumb to vertigo for 1d4 rounds, and incur a -1 penalty to saving throws and attack rolls. Standing in the doorway, the room seems to be no room at all. There is no discernible floor. All sides appear open to a night sky, as if the entrance is hovering in space. About 100 or so feet away you can see a massive pipe organ resting atop a floating rock. The organ itself is astounding, stretching nearly 60 feet into the heavens. Some pipes are only inches in height, while others measure 30 feet. The tops of each

pipe are carved into the shapes of flat topped mountains. The metal of the construct reflects some of the light from the doorway, showing it to be gold and platinum. There is a small bench resting in front of the keyboard and a young woman sits there playing. Next to the organ is a stone oval gate surrounded by hieroglyphs carved into its surface. At the top is an open eye, measuring over a foot in length. It looked at you as you opened the door, so it is more than just a decoration. There is a group of approximately 20 scarlet-robed humans. The woman at the organ finishes playing just after you enter. The night sky scene changes to that of a crowded city temple. The effect gives you the impression of "being there". People are projected on every wall, apparently trying to get to the temple entrance. Inside the oval gate, a shimmering transparent wave of energy fills the space. Then one at a time the robed people begin entering the eye-gate. Those walking through the gate appear as part of the scene. A woman with her hood drawn back sits at the organ, shuffling sheets of paper. It appears none of them has spotted you yet. If the PCs wait long enough without moving or making a sound, eventually one of the Scarlet Brotherhood cultists notice. This happens when there are six cultists which have not gone through the portal. When it does, he attacks, which spurs the others to do the same. If the PCs get their attention before this happens, six Brotherhood members attack, while the rest rush through the gate. The woman playing the piano is a bard, Sister Elsbeth. She does not stay to fight, but in her haste she leaves the music on the organ's music holder. She is the last person through the gate, and when she disappears into it, the gate deactivates and the eye above the arch closes. The sheet music Elsbeth left behind can be used by the PCs to reactivate it. [Sister Elsbeth: AL NE; AC 7 (leather armor +1); MV 12; Bard 9; hp 31; THAC0 16; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 19; XP 2,000; bastard sword +1. Wizards spells: three 1st, three 2nd, and two 3rd.] Five of the scarlet-robed creatures are disguised hobnorkers controlled by the sixth man, Brother Bylew. He is in charge of the hobnorkers on this expedition. [Hobnorkers [enhanced norkers] (5): AL NE; AC 3; MV 9; HD 3+2; hp 20,16,12,11,9; THAC0 17; #AT 2; Dmg 1-6 (weapon)/1-3 (bite); SZ M (5' tall); ML 16; XP chief 120, sub-chief 65, normal 35; short sword, ring of disguise. See below for possession detail.] Hobnorkers were created by the Scarlet Brotherhood to use as intelligent mercenaries and spies. Their intelligence is slightly greater than a norker, around 11-

12. Currently hobnorkers exist only in Brotherhood controlled lands, usually in disguise. They are being used on this expedition as mercenary protection. [Brother Bylew: AL NE; AC 9; MV 12; W9; hp 18; THAC0 12; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 19; XP 3,000; dagger +1, wand of lightning. Wizard spells: three 1st, three 2nd, and two 3rd. See below for additional possessions.] Each hobnorker warrior possesses: 1) one black coin with red flecks, five rectangle platinum coins, two large gold coins, five silver rod-like coins, 16 polished amber pieces, and 12 white perfumed spheres with holes in their center. All are dated prior to 5094 SD. 2) fake but authentic-looking Suel Empire citizenship papers 3) a medallion of Suel tongues. Allows the wearer to speak and read all dialects of the ancient Suel language circa 5000 SD. It is attached to a platinum chain and worn around the neck. These necklaces were used by foreigners who traded with the vast Suel Imperium. 4) ring of disguise (treat as hat of disguise) to appear as a Suel human. Brother Bylew has the same possessions as the hobnorkers above, but with these additions: 5) a map of the Suel Basin from 5094 SD. Give players Ancient Suel Basin map. 6) letters relating to the Brotherhood's expedition. Give players Handout 2. 7) letter describing ancient Imperial coinage. Give players Handout 1. 8) five additional Suel Empire citizenship papers (removed from the dead bodies) 7) The Musical Key If the organ is examined, read the following: The organist's cabinet is an arc with three sets of keys: one of malachite and fire opal, one of iron and bismuth, and one of milky quartz and onyx. The organ's 27 white marble stops are arranged in three banks, one to each side and one across the middle. Nine bronzewood pedals sound the low bass notes. To either side of the plush bench are sconce brackets containing unlit torches. If no music is being played and no portal is open, the entire chamber appears as a night sky, as if the organ is floating in outer space. If the proper tones are played in sequence, the night sky scene changes to the destination location. The effect of the wall and floor projections gives one the impression of being there (walls are solid 100' from the organ). Playing random notes may cause a random scene to appear (DM discretion, or roll 1d100

with a cumulative 1% chance per round of continuous playing). Regardless whether the correct or incorrect notes are played, the eye above the oval gate opens when a note is sounded and stay active for 1d4 rounds thereafter. It follows character movement, and reacts appropriately as if alive. Once activated, the oval gate is filled with a shimmering transparent wave of energy. Anyone walking through the gate while a scene is being displayed appears there in person. People still standing in the organ chamber can see them as part of the location scenery on the walls. 8) No Place Like Home If the PCs for any reason do not enter the eye-gate and instead attempt to return from their mission, perhaps it is simply a failure, and nothing comes of it. Or perhaps there are major consequences. The DM has a lot of discretion here. One possibility: the Sea of Dust is no longer barren. Although the Suel Empire was destroyed as before, the curse has now been lifted and there is lush greenery everywhere. A few small but growing cities have been rebuilt in the Suel Basin, and a new inland sea is forming. If the PCs make it all the way back to the Yeomanry, they find it is now controlled by the Scarlet Brotherhood. Other areas of the Flanaess are at risk. The best way for them to set things right is to use the sheet music found on the organ and travel back in time to thwart their plans to change history.

TEMPLE OF THE MAGI Exiting from the time-portal is very low-key, as there is no outward manifestation on the destination end. The PCs simply walk into the crowd of people, noticed perhaps only as a double-take, if at all. If the PCs are not of the Suel race, and not cloaking their appearance, the nearby authorities will immediately attempt to arrest these characters. Arrested characters are taken to the Government District, and placed in a jail cell. If a truthful and convincing story is given (detect lie spells are used), demi-humans may simply be ejected to the Humanoid District with a hefty fine (payable in advance). Baklunish PCs will be arrested and enslaved, or worse... The "Temple of the Magi" is located in the Temple District. Weapons are allowed in all buildings, and most people carry them. There are so many people here your sudden presence is hardly noticed. The crush of the crowd moves you into the temple. Runes above the entrance read, "Temple of the Magi". Its outside is constructed of snowy marble and is domed by an immense gold hemisphere. As you

pass through the 50 foot high grand entrance, you notice a huge pillared hall. There are two rows of side aisles, and a large central way. The central way has four broad main aisles, down which stretch lines of displays. The displays are encased in a clear material like glass, or crystal. Inside are books, scrolls, carved chairs, vestments, sacred alter pieces, and other priestly paraphernalia made of silver and gold. Along the walls, lifelike statues of Suel warriors are posed in typical fighting style. The central portion of the mighty chamber is domed in gold, and the floor beneath this dome is a disc of dark, polished onyx. Set around this circle is a rail of wood, inlaid with gold, and open at the far end. From the apex of the dome, forty feet above the onyx floor hangs a massive chain of greenish metal, links of which stretch all the way down to the onyx floor and held fast by a massive staple. In the center of this chainwork is a transparent globe of crystal and inside it is empty. If any of the PCs state they are looking for the Scarlet robed group, inform them "You spot three of them about 60 feet across the chamber pushing slowly toward the podium." The crush of people prevents any kind of normal movement at the moment. If the PCs insist on moving toward them, the can only travel one foot per round, and they get a lot of angry stares. No one would dare pick a fight in here. As long as the PCs do not attack anyone or cause a disturbance they are unmolested. A dark-robed man walks into the rail of wood above the onyx area. The din of chatter in the temple begins to die down until there is absolute quiet. The man opens a book and reads some text that you do not comprehend, even with your magical amulets. When he is finished reading, the man speaks in Suel, "You have been gathered here on the day of a most important event. Even as we speak, Xodast invokes devastation on the Bakluni sub-humans. Their empire lives no more!" Cheers ring up through temple. When the celebratory noise subsides, the man speaks again, "From this day forth, Xodast will be known as the 'Bringer of Doom' to the Bakluni degenerates. Let all who hear his name shudder and know the Suel Empire reigns supreme!" Even louder cheers spring up and it is harder for the man to quiet the crowd. He raises his hand for a few minutes to lull the people and continues, "Since the time of Tsojcanth, we have appointed a mage-priest guardian for the Cone of the Magi. When Xodast returns with the holy relic, a new watcher takes his place among this noble line. It is our unanimous agreement that Uattho of Crusk be this Suel. Uattho, will you come forward and accept this honor?" A bald man dressed in fancy red robes walks toward the platform.

If the PCs are keeping an eye on the Brotherhood members, they can occasionally get a glimpse of them. This is actually a small splinter group of cultists whose intention is to contact Slerotin or Uattho, and try to warn either of the impending Rain of Colorless Fire. As noted in the text below, they are unsuccessful. Slerotin and Uattho are not easily accessible at the moment. [Uattho of Crusk, wizard/priest: AL NE; AC 5 (dexterity bonus -4); MV 12; W9/Pr14; hp 48; THAC0 12; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon or spell ; SZ M; ML 18; XP 12,000; ring of blinking; staff-mace of power; wand of magic missiles; pouch with 32 platinum ingots. Wizard spells: Four 1st, three 2nd, three 3rd, two 4th, one 5th. Priest spells: Six spells each level from 1st to 3rd, five 4th, three 5th, two 6th, and one 7th.] [Slerotin, wizard: AL N; AC -1 (dexterity bonus -5, ring of protection +6); MV 12; W29; hp 55; THAC0 14; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon or spell ; SZ M; ML 20; XP 26,000; dagger +4; ring of invulnerability to normal weapons; ring of regeneration; staff of the magi; wand of fire; bag of holding with 452 mithril embers and 81 gems worth 500 gp each. Mage spells: Seven spells of 1st through 7th level, five 8th, five 9th, and four 10th (true dweomers).] The dark-robed man steps aside as Uattho enters the onyx area. Uattho raises his hands in ritualistic gesture, turns to the crowd and speaks, "Slerotin, I accept the Empire's gift of appointment. Bestow upon me that which I rightly deserve." The statues of the Suel warriors all raise their swords as if alive. Uattho grabs a nearby golden chalice and kneels. The one just identified as Slerotin then slowly fills the cup. "Let it be known that on the 11th of Alfort, during the Autumn Perihelion of 5094, Uattho was appointed his rightful position." The statues of the Suel warriors lower their swords, frozen once again. Uattho rises, turning toward the crowd once more. He raises the cup with one hand, forcefully raises his other fist to his chest and says, "Empire for life!" The cheers go up once again, and this time it appears the meeting is over. The attendees rush to the streets, spreading the word of their victory. While it appears the scarlet robed people were trying to make their way to Slerotin and Uattho, they were unsuccessful. The crowd is pushing them into the streets and you lose sight of them. You too are being pushed out as Uattho and Slerotin exit the platform and disappear to the rear of the temple. Once out of the building, the Brotherhood cultists attempt to head for a rendezvous with their fellows at the Arch Tower of Xodast. The PCs can follow them without notice inside the city. Once the PCs are outside the temple, read the following: The crowd deposits you just outside the temple. Nightfall approaches the Suel city, and you see

unflickering lights in the numerous windows. Looking around, you realize the Temple of the Magi is singular in design in Suendrako. Most buildings appear to be constructed of varying colors of smoothed stone. Huge domed buildings dominate the skyline. A few onion topped towers at the city perimeter extend hundreds perhaps a thousand feet into the air. Buildings and marble roads are linked on several levels by thick ramps intertwining in bizarre configurations. Mosaic tiled steps lead up to wide buildings, and immense fountains magically spew water from thin air in unusual patterns. You have seen nothing like it before. People everywhere are shouting in joy and a huge celebration has begun. Large carts and wagons decorated with a variety of colored cloth parade down the street in front of you. Passengers on the carts are throwing perfume orbs out of huge coffers to the onlookers. Without warning, two rows of bright energy balls quickly dart along either side of the street. There movement is so swift and their light is so bright at first you think it might be an attack. Few people seem to even take notice, except a few obvious visitors who are pointing and gawking. About ten feet above you, one of the flying lights stops atop a post protruding from a building. The other glowing orbs do the same thing until the streets are bathed in light brighter than any torches. You are reminded of the continual light lanterns in the city of Chendl back home in Furyondy. What an outrageous display this is! Across the street, you spot the same three scarletrobed Brotherhood members once again moving through the crowds. They are quickly moving out of sight into an alley. At night, Suendrako is lighted almost as much as any non-fantasy metropolis run on electricity. This makes it fairly easy for the PCs to follow the Brotherhood without being noticed. If the characters attempt to engage the cultists, they bolt into a run and head outside the city as fast as possible, attempting to lose the PCs. If attacked, two turn to defend and distract, while the third escapes.

SUENDRAKO CITY (Located at hex J6-163) At any given time Suendrako houses nearly 1,500,000 residents in its 26 mile diameter confines. There are a handful of other large cities within the Suel Basin that have about 2,000,000 total population between them. Another score of towns have far smaller size with nearly 500,000 residents. With the rest of the population rural, that's an imperial population of around 20,000,000 (at a 20% urban figure). This is about maximum for the technology of the Age of Glory. Other than the bizarre curved architecture design, Suendrako is much like any walled city on the modern

Flanaess. The city is broken down into these major walled districts: Merchant, Warehouse, Artists, Government, Noble, Humanoid, Portside, Dweomercrafters, Temple, Garden, University, Foreign, and Laborer. The "Majestic Marketplace" is a bazaar at the very heart of the city where merchants trade their wares. The undercity is not easily accessible, but it is maintained and guarded. Within these there are many smaller districts too numerous to mention. The DM is encouraged to create and detail them if needed. Access to other districts can only be obtained by passing through the Majestic Marketplace or by an external city gate. Passing between districts through the Majestic Marketplace is only allowed by citizens. Demihumans are only allowed in the Humanoid District and Majestic Marketplace, unless they are slaves accompanied by their owner. Laws within Suendrako are strictly enforced, but city officials are easily bribed. The PCs have no idea what these laws may be, so bribery may become second nature if they spend any time here. The DM is encouraged to make up some unusual laws, such as "no spitting in the street", or sumptuary laws forbidding the "wearing of green clothing by non-gnomes". Be creative but not too ridiculous. The most common salutation in Suendrako is "Empire for life!" which is usually accompanied by bringing the hand forcefully to the chest. Grasping of the hands in an "arm wrestling" position is a less formal greeting method among the average Suel. If the Scarlet Brotherhood members are followed, they lead the PCs into the Majestic Marketplace. Read the following:

Those using the Greyspace accessory may want to include a brief description of a flying ship landing or taking off from nearby Reltarma Lake. The lake has a port of incredible proportions. Hundreds of ships, boats, barges, and rafts are lined up and down the docks. Even more are traversing the shipping lanes, either departing, arriving, or fishing. [Dwindlebeast (1-6): AL N; AC 7; MV 9; HD 6; THAC0 15; #AT 1; Dmg Nil; SZ M; ML 15-16; XP 650; SA: reduce victim in size; SD: immune to reduction magic; New Monster.] The dwindlebeast looks a bit like a giant anteater and is a muted orange color. When the beast seeks food, he touches his snout to his prey which paralyzes and magically reduces it to a size he can use to pull it though his elephant-like trunk. The victim returns to normal size inside its stomach. A local clan of spriggans train dwindlebeasts for fighting. Their reduction attack can be used on command. A reduced victim is usually only about 3 inches long. If not eaten, the creature remains this size for 1 turn. Dwindlebeasts are slow but effective weapons. This monster is now thought to be extinct. [Oxhex (1-100): AL N; AC 7; MV 6; HD 3+1; THAC0 18; #AT 1; Dmg 1-8 (trample); SZ M; ML 11-12; XP 65; New Monster.] The oxhex is a six-legged oxen used by local Suel farmers to plow fields and pull heavy carts. The creature can pull twice that of normal oxen, but moves a bit slower. The primary drawback of this creature is its putrid stench. This beast is now thought to be extinct. THE MAJESTIC MARKETPLACE

All manner of travelers fill the Majestic Marketplace. Aristocrats and common folk, warriors and wizards, orc infantry, hobgoblin mercenaries, ogre brute squads, kobold infiltrators, norker jumpmasters, gnome merchants, dwarven traders, halfling spies, elven ambassadors, Oriental importers, caravans, priests, laborers, tourists, slaves of all races, and other visitors are heading in all directions. Occasionally, strange beasts pass by. One such creature that passes is a muted orange color, and looks a bit like a giant anteater. The man who is leading it along has the appearance of a spriggan gnome. You also notice a six-legged oxen, pulling a cart of what appears to be Bakluni and Drow slaves, toward one of the district gates. As the Oxen-thing passes, its stench nearly overwhelms you. There is a continuous stream of griffons flying back and forth in and out of the city. They seem to be landing and taking off in approximately the same location. Once out of the metropolis they head toward all points on the compass.

If the DM wishes to have the PCs explore the Majestic Marketplace in any detail, he is encouraged to do so. To set this up, have the characters temporarily lose sight of the Scarlet Brotherhood trio. When the DM feels it is necessary to move on, he can mention sighting the cultists again. Enterprising PCs may realize that even a Suel dagger or cloth bought here is priceless in the future. One there might pay hundreds of times its original value. If so, there are literally thousands of stalls, shops, booths, alleys, and tents to purchase merchandise from. Several suggestions for encounters in the marketplace are given hereafter. A) Fighting Warriors A large circle of bystanders has gathered around a pair of warriors. One is Grungar and the other is Heraldus. Heraldus insulted Grungar's character, and Grungar made the Suel "challenge of death". It is now customary to fight until death. It is the right of the winner (and the law) to take both the armor and weapons of the defeated.

"Grungar, you dark-headed humanoid, I will use your sword to slay a thousand enemies!" says the tall man. The shorter man replies, "Heraldus, your aurumvorax could use this sword better than you! And I will wear your armor during our victorious march into the conquered lands of the Bakluni slugs!" If the PCs stop to watch, eventually Grungar wins, killing Haraldus. This is a common custom in the Suel Empire and it can be similarly staged several times as the PCs pass through the city. No authorities intervene unless it becomes a major brawl. B) Hedge Wizards A man at a stand opens a small gate and steps in front of you. "Say my friends, could I interest you in a magical emblem or token? I can make you a love fetish for those you long for! Having trouble with your boss? Why, I can whip up an emblem for you that will make him go easy on you. Need to travel a long distance? How about a token that will keep your legs from getting tired? or a Satyr Orb for your pleasure?" You notice two dark-skinned men lifting heavy bails to the rear of the stall. A golden cat-like beast sits nearby. The man is Abanion, and his wares are indeed magical, but most have one-use effects. He and his wife Sessi (0 level) sell the items for five gold wheels each. The DM is encouraged to detail his hedge magic, herbs, and fetish objects. Many stalls may have hedge wizards like Abanion, and were quite common in this time period. The two dark-skinned men are Bakluni slaves, lifting bags of foodstuffs. The golden cat-like creatures is an aurumvorax. Aurumvorax were common, and often kept by Suloise as pets or guard animals that attack on command. [Abanion, wizard: (1): AL NE; AC 9; MV 12; W0; THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon or spell ; SZ M; ML 18; XP 510; dagger; pouch with 2d6 embers] [Aurumvorax (1): AL N; AC 0; MV 9, Br 3; HD 12; THAC0 9; #AT 2-8; Dmg claws 2-8 each; SZ S (3' long); ML 20; XP 9,000] [Bakluni slaves (1-4): AL CE; AC 10; MV 9;

F2; hp 3, 2; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 10; XP 45] C) Aristocrat A richly dressed heavy-set man and a dark robed man of tall stature pass in front of you. Behind them are four armed guards, each armored in banded mail, carrying body shields that look a bit like upright bobsleds. This group stands out, in that the heavy man is floating.

several feet above the ground on an invisible platform and resting on a plush pillow. Next to him is a crystal ball, his right hand is on it. From the look of bliss on his face he is enjoying it immensely. The heavy man looks up and addresses you, "Greetings my fellows I am Elmostithus of the Schna house. What city are you from? I am currently a citizen of Suendrako. My wizardly retainer here is Malebdanos." The wizard bows gracefully, but the expression on his face is one of annoyance. "Do you wish me to lower the floating disc, sir?" the wizard asks, without turning toward Elmostithus. He is staring at you intently, as if he senses something is not right about you. "No that won't be necessary my good mage," he responds waving his dozen-ringed hand. "I'm sure these nobles can speak to me while I sit. So tell me...." This aristocrat simply wants information about where the PCs are from and the conditions along the road. Use sundry questions like, "How was the food there?", "Do they have a high quality inn you can recommend?", "How has the weather been?", "Is there much crime in your part of town?", or "Is the road in good condition? Esoteric political inquiries may throw the PCs for a loop, like "I heard Volimus was killed in battle. Have they replaced him yet?", "If I was in charge, slave-master Crihton would have been hanged years ago.", "What is your opinion of the magical reform law?" Use questions and comments like these to emphasize how alien the culture is to the PCs. The "crystal ball" is actually a satyr orb. This addictive device was used extensively among nobles and aristocrats of the Suel Empire during the final years of its existence. These orbs look a great deal like a crystal ball on a sconce. When one touches an orb, it creates a personal illusion tailored to the individual who is using it. The illusion takes place in the activators mind. Satyr Orb illusions can range from gluttonous banquets, decadence of the flesh, power, glory, to the destruction of one's enemies. All this and more were commonly attainable through an orb. If more than one creature touches the globe, shared illusions can take place (its up to each individual). No more than five users may employ the powers of a satyr orb at any one time. Obsessions and addictions with Satyr Orbs are not uncommon. [Elmostithus of Schna [aristocrat] (1): AL LN; AC 10; MV 9; F0; hp 2; THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type ; SZ M; ML 18; XP 30; secret knife in belt; 26 embers and 65 wheels in a large pouch [Malebdanos [wizard for hire] (1): AL N; AC 5 (bracers of defense AC 5); MV 12; W4; hp 9; THAC0 18; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon or spell ; SZ M; ML 18; XP 510; dagger; staff of striking (18 charges)]

[Suel warrior mercenaries (4): AL NE; AC 4 (chain mail, shield); MV 12; F3; hp 23,20,15,11; THAC0 15; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 10; XP 270; bastard sword; pouch with 1d12 gold wheels] D) Intuitive Priestess Based on divinations with her deity, a high priestess of Lendor knows the PCs are from the future and has been monitoring their movements. She is satisfied the PCs are not a threat after checking them with ESP and detect alignment spells. Her final advice to them is given on the boxed text below. This type of encounter is special, and should only occur once: A hooded person bumps into your group You see he is dressed in silver robes, and adorning the front of his robe is a black circle containing a crescent moon surrounded by 14 stars. At first it appears he will rudely ignore you, but abruptly he stops and turns The robed one speaks in an elderly feminine voice, "You are visitors from far away." She looks up at the clear sky, "It looks like rain. You had better find some shelter." She turns to face forward, and begins walking away. She turns back and whispers, "Don't unwrite what is written, or you may be unwritten yourselves," and walks off into the crowds. [Glenda of Purginon-Qi (1): AL N; AC 6 (dexterity); MV 12; Pr19; hp 71; THAC0 8; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 18; XP 14,000; Priest spells: nine 1st, nine 2nd, eight 3rd, eight 4th, six 5th, four 6th, and two seventh (many from the time sphere).]

District Gate You have spotted the Scarlet brotherhood members heading out of the Majestic Marketplace and entering the Humanoid District. As you attempt to follow, the red haired guard at the gate stops you, and asks to see your citizenship papers. Her violet eyes look intensely at you, her hand at her sword. Grahluk, like most other guards who are assigned "gate duty", hardly glances at the papers if they appear in order. After a quick look at the paper, she waves the character on. If a PC does not have citizenship papers, she does not let him pass. Sneaking through the Humanoid District gate should be easy if a diversion or magical means can be found. The guards of the Humanoid District are usually concerned with keeping the humanoid population contained, rather than the other way around. However, if anyone is discovered sneaking in, she does not hesitate to kill him and possibly call for other Suel warriors in earshot. [Grahluk of Lo Nakar: AL LE; AC 5 (scale mail, shield); MV 12; F4; hp 22; THAC0 17; #AT1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 12; XP 120; long sword] [Suel warriors (6): AL LN,LE,LN,LG,LN,LN; AC 4 (chain mail, shield); MV 12; F6; hp 8, 39 ,33 ,29, 23,19; THAC0 15; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 14; XP 270; bastard sword; pouch with 1d12 gold wheels] THE HUMANOID DISTRICT Most humanoids are wearing armor, some styles which you have never seen before. What few demihumans you can make out all appear about as they might seem in your own time. The Humanoid District is populated by humanoids and run by demi-humans. Here it is common to find goblins, hobgoblins, norkers, ogres, half-ogres, orc, and kobolds working beside dwarves, elves, gnomes, halflings. While the demi-human residents are generally well-behaved, PCs have to be on their guard for belligerent humanoids. Here are examples of typical encounters: A) Mercenaries The Suloise Empire uses a great number of humanoid warriors, especially for front line assaults. Humanoid warriors are generally more belligerent than the average Suel warrior. Treating Imperial humanoids with arrogance usually supplicates them, but showing the slightest sign of weakness could be an invitation for abuse. However, they seldom attack a citizen of the Empire (penalty is death) without provocation, but that doesn't mean they won't try and harass for fun.

Feel free to repeat this encounter several times, substituting goblins, hobgoblins, norkers, ogre, halfogres, and kobolds. Usually non-orc mercenaries are accompanied by at least one human taskmaster. You see a group of sixteen, well-armed orcs approaching. "You there, ugly one!" one orc says. "Empire for life!", bringing his hand forcefully to his chest. "Orcs of Galgul travel long time. Now very angry. You got papurs citzenship? Me need see thum, puny ones." [Baxum, orc mercenary leader (1): AL LE; AC 4 (studded leather+2/shield); MV 12; HD 8; hp 55; THAC0 13; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 15; XP 975; long sword +1; pouch with 3d8 chips] [orc mercenaries (5-20): AL NE; AC 6 (studded leather/shield); MV 12; HD 5; hp 31, 29, 26, 23, 22, 21, 19, 19, 18, 17, 17, 16, 16, 10, 8; THAC0 16; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 15; XP 175; spear & long sword; pouch with 2d8 chips] B) Baklarran Dwarf Traders A wealthy-looking group of Baklarran dwarves is making its way to their hostel. They are always on guard for the arrogant Suel, and they are very untrusting of strangers. If the PCs treat them with respect and refrain from hostilities, the dwarves are generally friendly. They only attack if provoked, and may provide useful information about the Empire: The fourteen dwarves march in single file, but move to one side as if to pass you. Although their weapons are drawn, they do not appear hostile and their stance seems defensive. You notice their battle axes are made of bronze, but the one in front carries a huge silver battle axe with many runes upon it. On their shoulders they tote huge backpacks made of thatched straw. Their clothes are heavy and somber in color. Their boots, belts, and hats appear to be made from the dark skin of giant lizards. "We be traders returnin' home to our hearths in the Cones of Baklarran. You trade with us?" says the first dwarf in a choppy Suel dialect. [Baklarran dwarves (6-24): AL LN; AC 4 (chain mail/shield); MV 12; HD 6; THAC0 15; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 18; XP 270; bronze battle axes and chain flails; pouch with 2d6 embers] [Ro-Bear, dwarf leader (1): AL LE; AC 1 (chain mail/shield +3); MV 12; HD 9; THAC0 12; #AT 2/3; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 20; XP 1,400; twohanded silver battle axe +3; pouch with 4d6 embers] [Kalendra, female dwarf cleric (1): AL NE; AC 9; MV 12; HD 6; THAC0 18; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 14; XP 650; flail; pouch with 1d8 ingots]

Note: It is the Baklarran dwarves who are helping their brethren escape slavery in the city of Axarko. The Baklarran city is located at map hex O6-152. OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS Baklunish Raiders You are walking along on of the dozen or so titanic aqueducts you observe emanating away from the city for what must be hundreds of miles. Suddenly, a wide circle of energy appears 30 feet in front of you. There is wild yelling and screaming as dark-skinned men emerge from the energy portal. Each is wearing banded mail armor, and their heads are wrapped by thin cloth held fast by a cord. Three of the men ride atop large white camels, while the rest rush toward you on foot. They remind you of residents of Ekbir or Zeif. The lead camel rider yells, "Jebli ladirz!" as he swings his bardiche menacingly toward you. "Jebli ladirz!" roughly translates as "Goblin women". Anyone who can understand ancient Baklunish knows that "ladirz" means "women" (modern Paynim tribes still speak Ancient Baklunish). This Bakluni mamluk (slave warrior) is simply trying to demoralize and intimidate his prey with the expletive. These Bakluni are using shields (medium size) shaped like a slice of pie. If captured and interrogated, a way must first be found to understand ancient Baklunish. It is unlikely any information can be gained that would prove useful to the characters anyway. Places referred to by the warriors are unrecognizable and just about any other reference. Even the names of the captives sound foreign, like Al-Raqi, Rayad, Al-Samik, Husam, Aziza, Jaheira, and Al-Danafi. [Bakluni mamluks (4-16): AL CE; AC 3 (banded mail/shield); MV 12; HD 4; THAC0 17; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 14; XP 145; bardiche & khopesh sword] Each Bakluni human warrior carries a small pouch on his belt containing 5 poisonous beetles that look like gold pieces. These are used to further aggravate enemies even after defeat. They remain dormant until an opportunity for sucking the owner's blood is available. [Goldbugs (5): AL N; AC 9; MV 1; HD 1; hp 7,6,4,2,2; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-4; SZ T (1-3 inches); ML 9; XP 120; FF/46] One of the Bakluni warriors has a bottle of koumiss (fermented mare's milk) tied to his belt by a small short rope. The liquid is as intoxicating as any liquor, and is a Bakluni favorite. [Abnan, half-ogre mamluk leader (1): AL LE; AC 2 (banded mail +2); MV 12; HD 4+6; hp 48; THAC0 17; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 16;

XP 420; two-handed scimitar sword +2 (useable with one hand by Abnan). Abnan also has some goldbug coinage, as well as some Bakluni gold dinars, silver dirhams, and copper bits (1d8 of each). The coins have strange writings in ancient Baklunish and portraits of Bakluni khans.] [Zann, sorcerer (1): AL NE; AC 4 (keffiyeh [head cloth] of defense AC 4); MV 12; W4; hp 8; THAC0 18; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon or spell ; SZ M; ML 13; XP 270; jambiya (dagger); wand of enemy detection; wand of magic missiles.] [Sumabi, winged cat, familiar (1): AL NE; AC 5; MV 9, FL18(A); HD 1+1; hp 7; THAC0 19; #AT 3; Dmg 1/1/1-2; SZ T; ML 10; XP 175] [Camel (3): AL N; AC 7; MV 21; HD 3; hp 11,10,10; THAC0 18; #AT 2; Dmg bite 1-4; SZ L; ML 7; XP 65;special attack: spitting (blinds 1-3 rounds)]

ARCH OF XODAST Following the Brotherhood, you are led onto a trail that turns into a creek. The water travels through a wide pass without any banks. To continue on land you will have to wade through the shallow stream. Further down, you can see an unusual formation set between the two rocky sides of the pass. Its a horizontal stone arch, reaching 300 feet between two cliff faces. Getting nearer, you can see the gray arch has scores of windows, and turrical top along the length of the structure - an arch fortress. There are large footholds in each side of the bedrock to which the arch is anchored. Both steps lead up to the arch, but no obvious hatch or door is visible under it. Nearby, you notice a large rocky outcropping that vaguely resembles a goblin face. If any of the three Brotherhood men are still alive, they will be studying instructions (using a lantern) for entering the tower-arch via the teleport entrance. The PCs have a choice of either attacking the group now, or waiting. If they decide to wait close by, they are witness to a slaughter. Within three rounds, a clan of 12 SuMonster creatures rush the cultists. Unless the PCs make themselves known, the SuMonsters do not detect them. The men defend with their swords but are hopelessly outnumbered and surprised. Within one turn, all the humans are dead, and the eight remaining Su-Monsters carry off the bodies. [Su-Monster (1-12): AL CE; AC 6; MV 9; HD 5+5; THAC0 15; #AT 5; Dmg claw (4x1-4)/bite 2-8; SZ M; ML 8; XP 650; SA psionic, ambush; SD psionic; MM333] If the PCs attack the men while they are reading, most of the Su-Monsters are scared off by the noise of the fray. After the fight is over, the remaining four SuMonsters (one family) attacks. Regardless of the outcome, a preliminary search of the dry ground at the base of the goblin faced rock

reveals a sheet of instructions for entering the tower magically. One must stand in front of the goblin faced rock and speak the command words, "I came to drink with my friend, and find him I could not. Death who gives no day in court, you too will one day rot." Anyone reciting these words within five feet of the rock is teleported to the "Trophy Room". If for any reason the command words are not learned, the only other way into the arch is through the secret trap doors at the top of the large footholds carved into the bedrock. The magical perimeter traps are deactivated thanks to the other Scarlet Brotherhood operatives inside, so it is possible to gain access via this alternate route. Picking the locks and removing the mechanical traps of either secret door gains access to the same room as teleport entry. Inside the tower-arch no teleport, ethereal, or plane shifting can occur. The arch is much bigger on the inside than the outside, and contains many tesseract-like spacial distortions. The PCs are not likely to come across any significant evidence of these, since they are following the Scarlet Brotherhood path. The DM is encouraged to detail the entire arch if he desires the PCs to explore. 1) Trophy Room Speaking the activation words teleports the PCs to Xodast's greeting chamber, which is also her trophy room. Both secret trap doors open from the same floor section (remember its a tesseract) into the same part of the room as the teleport. You appear in a room flanked by two large glass windows. Through the glass you can see that you are midway inside the arch. You notice the temperature is quite comfortable in here. The lighting emanates from a continual light spell placed on a chandelier overhead. There are no obvious exits from this room. Numerous heads of mighty creatures are mounted on the walls. Some mounts are animal in nature, like deer, buffalo, rhino, elk, and zebra while others are the monstrous heads of the displacer beast, leucrotta, gnoll, green dragon, couatl, manotaur, and owlbear. There are also stuffed displays of peryton, troll, hippocampus, faerie dragon, roper, unicorn, manticore, ogre, sahaugin, amphisbaena snake (coiled, 18' long), and umber hulk. Other trophies are encased in glass displays. Most appear to be awards, medals, certificates, and gifts given to Xodast by the Empire. Elsewhere, the room is finely furnished in maroon velvet, silks, crystal, and gold. Two large tables dominate the center of the room. Fine crystal goblets, plates, and other dinnerware adorn each. At the far end of one table is a golden chair having plush maroon cushions. The chair is roped off by four iron posts. The other chairs are made of polished mahogany like the tables.

Most of the wall areas not decorated by mounted animals are filled with beautifully detailed pictures and intricate tapestries. On one side of the room is a bookcase with six shelves of books. The room appears in order, except for the three dead cultists that lie in the room. One is burned beyond recognition, and two have apparently been bludgeoned to death. What exactly killed them is not apparent. The large golden chair roped off is actually a bound killer mimic. The mimic cannot attack anyone who stays outside the rope perimeter. It immediately attacks those who come near, including flying 2' above it. [Mimic, killer (1): AL NE; AC 7; MV 3; HD 10; THAC0 11; #AT 1; Dmg smash, 3-12; SZ L; ML 13; XP 3,000] Touching any of the displays or non-mounted trophies in the room gives the PCs a mild shock causing 1d4 hp damage. After the initial shock is given by a display, it must be recharged and is thereafter unprotected. Four skulks had been enchanted to guard this room. They were able to kill the two bludgeoned men during an attack by the killer mimic chair, but one of the skulks was killed. His body has been removed by the other skulks. [Skulk (3): AL CE; AC 7; MV 12; HD 2; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon; SZ M; ML 9; XP 120; SA backstab triple damage; SD 90% near invisible camouflage; metal candlesticks (treat as club).] There is a 6d6 damage lightning trap in the chandelier. These bolts of lightning do not arc to other individuals. The trap is set to go off if a valuable in the room is damaged severely. The table and chairs are not trapped, nor are the dinner pieces. Stealing an item does not set off the trap. Once the lightning has been discharged, it cannot function again until recharged. Touching a stuffed full-body display (not a mounted one) has different consequences. The PC must save vs. spells or have his life essence placed inside the mounted creature just minutes before its death. This is of course an illusion, but do not inform the victim. The DM is encouraged to make it terrifying and suitable for the monster. The PC experiences all sights, sounds, tactile sensations, and feelings of the creature as Xodast killed it. Use dice to make the attack real for the character. The affected PC remains catatonic for 3d4 rounds afterwards. This can only happen once per PC for each stuffed beast. Removing the book entitled, "History of the Empire" opens the secret door in the bookcase, which leads to the "Obsidian Corridor". Most of the books on the bookshelves are esoteric, like "How to Stuff a Troll", "A Guide to Mirrors: Not Just Silver and Glass", "Beat the Slave Slowly", "1001 Uses for Owlbear Teeth", "Catalogue of Sea Squids", "Cooking With Bat Guano", "Half-Orc Doesn't Mean Half-Brained", "Martial Art - A Picture Book", and "Magic Mouths: A Public Nuisance".

2) Obsidian Corridor If the book is removed, read: The bookshelf separates in two as the left side slides along the wall several feet. Through the opening, you can see a long corridor of obsidian stretching into darkness. There is no light in the hallway, only what little filters in through the door. A low whisper emanates somewhere from within. As any PC enters, read: As you walk further down the obsidian corridor you can smell a sickly-sweet honey-like odor. About 60 feet down the hall you come to an 1' square area of the floor which is colored dark gray. The whispers seem to be coming from further down the hallway. On the wall near the entrance is a lever which can open the bookcase from the inside. Stepping on the discolored area teleports any character directly to the "Knickknack Room". A similarly discolored area there allows a return trip. If the characters walk even further down the hall they are attacked by a soul beckoner (wraith) lurking 60' from the discolored area (where he is eating one of the cultists). Another 40' feet down is the end of the passageway, but there is a false door. If the door is touched, the entire 20' area in front of it opens from four sides. This drops anyone standing there down a 40' deep pit into a pool of a caustic base (treat as acid, causes 2d4 damage per round). If PCs are flying or levitating, they are surprised by 1d20 arrows that are let loose from small holes, all of which are aimed toward the PCs. [Wraith, soul beckoner (1): AL NE; AC 2; MV 6; HD variable (4+); THAC0 variable; #AT 2; Dmg 16/1-6; SZ M; ML 16; XP variable (250+);special attack: eerie whisper; energy level drain] 3) Knickknack Room None of these items are currently worth more than 1 gold wheel. If required, the DM should create some sundry items for the PCs to look over. This might include wooden soldiers, vases, jars, glass animals, sand sculptures, sea shells, ceramic trees, etc. You appear in a room filled with trinkets and odd knickknacks. The little sundry items are atop numerous glass tables and shelves. Only about three feet exists between each row. The ceiling is very low, about 8 feet from the floor. Ceiling, walls and floor are made of rare pink granite. The ceiling has thousands of 6-inch beveled glass prisms that hang in sequence from tiny silver chains. The chandelier-like hangings stretch down near to the tops of the fragile tables, just inches above their displays.

The pathways between the displays are clear of any ceiling decoration. The walls are blank, except for a single mounted raven's head against a far wall. At the far end of the room near the raven's head is an archway leading to another chamber. The noise of fighting emanates from within, and its getting closer. From what you can see, a cultist is battling a gigantic winged bear with ram horns protruding from its forehead, and eagle talons for hands. Several of the humans lie dead, and both the beast and a single Brotherhood agent look severely injured. You see no other movement. Although Elder Cousin Mortimar will eventually win the fight, this is not currently evident, so when he realizes he is not alone, Mortimar runs into the midst of the PCs at the first opportunity, giving the guardian yugoloth a new target. The Yugoloth appeared when Sister Elsbeth tried to gain access to the secret Treasure Chamber, but failed. The last Brotherhood agents have all been killed by the Yugoloth's three fire breath attacks except Mortimar. When the PCs arrive, he is using his enchanted sword (see Treasure Chamber for details on Mortimar) to attack the beast. If the yugoloth is killed, this activates another trap (see The Front Lines hereafter). [Yugoloth, Guardian [Greater] (1): AL NE; AC -1; MV 9 Fl 9(D); HD 10; THAC0 11; hp 15 (normally 62); #AT 3; Dmg 1-10/1-12/1-12; SZ L (9'); ML 18; XP 11,000; SA breathe fire (7d6); SD hit only by weapons +2 or better, immune to charm, hold, sleep, polymorph, and fear spells, immune to cold and electricity; MR 25%]

resemble horns. "Return the Cone of the Magi to the temple. I have an unscheduled complication to resolve." The creature nods with compliance and deference. While they are discussing procedures, you realize you can see over the cliff edge. You wish you could not. Many miles away on the horizon, you see a massive glowing oval. Nearby, a cloud of smoke rises above a fallen city - no buildings are left standing. A few foul daemonic beasts are causing havoc, but not enough that could cause this damage. Thousands of dead men, women, and children can be seen amidst the rubble. The once lush forests are now old and decayed, the animals shriveled and sunken as if aged beyond their time. A dark malevolent mist hovers amidst the newly dead. This is not a war, but a massacre. Xodast turns to you and continues, "Mortimar, you will return with your friends and complete your mission," placing a glass key in his hand. She waves her arm and your bindings are gone. "I will save the Empire and keep the glory for myself. If I succeed, your timeline will cease to exist, and I will be no worse off. But if I fail, you must save my treasures by taking them into the future to rebuild the Empire. Empire for life!" she says, bringing her hand forcefully to her chest. His gag now gone, the Scarlet Brotherhood man, Mortimar, yells "Wait!", but it is too late. Whirling in a circle, she fades from view, and there is a bright flash. You all appear back in the knickknack room crashing haphazardly into several glass tables. The PCs will never know exactly what Xodast's plan was, but regardless, she failed. It may be that simply no one believed her, and thus alone she could not change the course of history.

4) The Front Lines Read the following passage only when the guardian yugoloth is killed:

5) Treasure Chamber The characters and any NPC's appear back in the room, now free of their bonds:

You and the Scarlet Brotherhood cultist appear bound and gagged next to a long-haired woman standing at the edge of a cliff. Off in the distance there are screams and explosions as if some great war is raging. The red-robed blond woman turns toward you, "You have entered my home? You do not look capable!" She laughs and grasps the cultist by the throat, lifting him into the air. Just when you think she might crush his windpipe she unexpectedly throws him hard to the ground. "Normally I would kill those who attempt to invade my home, but I am in a good moo--", she abruptly stops. "No, This is not possible!" she exclaims in horror as she peers wide-eyed at the coughing man. "You are from the future!" there is a long pause as she absorbs and reads more of his thoughts. She turns to the heavens and screams violently, shaking her fist. After a moment, she faces a skeleton warrior standing nearby and hands him an inky black, vaguely coneshaped thing. It has three protruding parts that vaguely

Mortimar stands up and throws a rope toward you. He then turns and rushes to the other room, and quickly inserts the glass key into a keyhole set in the wall. A stairway materializes there, and he runs up the stairs at amazing speed. At the top of the stairs you see a reddish rough-textured door with a latch in the center. The rope is a rope of entanglement thrown at the PCs. If the PCs do nothing to interfere, Mortimar pulls the latch, opens the door, and shuts it behind him. He is attempting to gain access to the treasure room and obtain the "Darkness That Holds All Shadows" cube so he can use it against the PCs. [Elder Cousin Mortimar: AL NE; AC 5 (studded leather +3); MV 12; F11/T14; hp 34 (normally 82); THAC0 10; #AT 3/2 rounds; Dmg by weapon type; SZ M; ML 19; XP 3,000; boots of speed, short sword +2 nine lives stealer, rope of entanglement, backstabber dagger +3. Thieving Skills: PP:65%, OL:73%, F/RT:

82%; MS:95%; HiS:95%; DN:31%; CW:95%; RL:39%] The Backstabber Dagger is a magical double-bladed dagger inflicts 2d4 points of damage while at the same time injecting two doses of deadly poison into the victim. The target must save vs. poison twice if a hit is scored. The dagger's venom is magically supplied and does not need to be refilled. The Scarlet Brotherhood uses this vile weapon for assassination. This dagger cannot be used as a missile weapon, as it is too unwieldy. If Mortimar arrived inside the treasure chamber safely, read this first: Upon reaching the top, you pivot the latch and open the door. There, levitating in the center of the room, is a three-inch square black cube. Mortimar is being held at the neck by a charcoal black humanoid. When it sees you, it throws the man across the room and moves to attack, flying into a berserk rage. Before you can act, however, the cube sends out jet black rays that appear to cause the creature pain. Within seconds, his body is dragged back into the black cubic relic. Mortimar leaps to his feet, a short sword in his hand. Mortimar is not stupid. He parleys with the PCs, offering all of Xodast's treasure for the "tiny little cube" floating in the center of the room. He does not give up and he does not attack, unless attacked first, or, if an overt attempt to subdue him is made. The humanoid trapped inside the cube is Zol, a 16th level fighter/wizard, and a shadow prince, who lived as a noble of the Suloise Empire. Xodast imprisoned Zol in the cube two centuries ago. The PCs do not yet have the knowledge to completely free him. The cube can be handled, but on if the holder does not physically touch the cube (gloves, gauntlets, rag, etc). To describe the room, or, if Mortimar did not arrive safely inside the treasure chamber, read: A voice in the treasure chamber seems to whisper to you, "Who are you? Where are you? What are you? Why are you? Who am I? Where am I? What am I? Why am I?". No matter where you stand or what light you move about, you cannot seem to change the lighting of the room. On the floor beneath the cube is a carpet of Bakluni design. Nine bags lie in a near corner, each tied close with a rope. Near the back is a row of weapons hanging from a rack, and in front of that are several pieces of armor. Two stone protrusions from the walls form thick, two foot deep shelves that run 15 feet along the chamber. Atop these shelves are all matter of items like an amulet, hat, glove, bags, beakers, flasks, bottles, jars, jugs, incense, mirrors, ropes, chime, horn, crystal ball, wands, bowl, boxes, glasses (eyes), gold cups, platinum statuettes, and jewelry of all types. One of the gold cups has a ball of light sparkling above it. Under these

shelves there are six huge chests along one wall, and three along the other. The voice whispering in the chamber is that of Zol Darklock. He will attempt to kill anyone who touches the cube, unless he is freed from its control (dispel magic vs. 23rd level magic). If he disengages his opponent, he will be imprisoned back into the cube. [Zol Darklock (Shade Prince): AL N; AC 2 (bracers AC2); MV 12; F16/W16; hp 180 (160 in normal light); THAC0 2; #AT 2; Dmg 1d8+10; SZ M; ML 19; XP 17,000; SA shadow attack; SD shadow images; MR 80%; sword of shadows +4 (drains 1 strength point on a natural 17-20 roll). Wizards spells: five spells each level from 1st to 5th, four 6th, two 7th, and one 8th.] Possible treasure in hoard: It is suggested the treasure here be tailored to the game the DM is running. It is possible only one or two items are magical, or the entire room may be filled with magic items. The list below can be used by the DM to pick and choose: The chest containing the spellbooks is trapped with poison type E, and the contents are infested with wizard lice. All other chests are locked and guarded by poison needle traps with poison type D. [Wizard Lice (1 nest): AL N; AC 0; MV 1/10; HD 1 per nest; THAC0 special; #AT nil; Dmg nil; SZ T (1/16 inch); ML 20; XP 120;special attack: drain 1 random spell each day. Cure disease or bathing with strong soap eliminates them.] Bakluni carpet: Carpet of Flying Nine bags in corner: Fine linens, small intricate tapestries, small rugs, and bolts of silk Row of six chests: 1) 560 mithril embers, 2) 644 platinum ingots, 3) 722 gold wheels, 4) 1,309 silver rods, 5) 2,630 amber chips, 6) 2,277 perfume orbs. Row of three chests: 1) cloak of displacement, robe of useful items, boots of levitation, cloak of poisonousness; 2) a set of spellbooks (levels 1-9, wizard lice infestation); 3) 500 gems; lid of chest is a mirror of opposition Weapons on rack: two-handed scimitar of the maharaja +4; javelin of lightning (3); mace of deceit -4; khopesh sword of the mamluks +3; desert rider lance +2; cutlass of the corsair +3; faris holy long sword +1; spear of the askar +3; Suel two-handed bastard sword +2, +5 vs. Bakluni, staff of striking, long sword -2, -4 vs. Suel Armor: plate mail +1, +3 vs. Bakluni; shield -3, missile attractor; chain mail of vulnerability -5, mamluk shield +1; +4 vs. Suel Shelves: bag of devouring, bag of tricks, incense of meditation, rope of climbing, chime of hunger, horn of fog, wand of magic detection, wand of negation, bowl of commanding water elementals, bowl of watery death, hat of stupidity, gloves of missile snaring, alchemy jug, beaker of plentiful potions, figurine of wondrous power (marble prehistoric elephant), ring of chameleon power, ring of contrariness, and 3d8 potions (1d6 of which are

poison type J). The gold cup with the light above it creates pure water twice per day (if a third attempt is made, it produces poison type K instead). 6) Exiting the Tower To leave the tower-arch, the PCs must return to the Greeting Chamber / Trophy Room, use the secret trap door in the floor, and climb down the footholds. If the PCs search the bodies of the dead Scarlet Brotherhood members, they discover the return sheet music on Sister Elsbeth, along with a few bits of treasure (DM discretion).

OUT OF THE FRYING PAN.... When the PCs are in sight of the Null obelisk for the return trip home, but still far away, read the following: Without warning the light of day seems to dim suddenly and sharply. Looking up into the sky, you see a rare and wondrous sight. Oerth's two moons, Luna and Celene are moving to a simultaneous eclipse of the sun Liga. The day grows darker as the moons block the light. Such a rare conjunction cannot bode well. ....INTO THE FIRE Give the characters a few minutes to discuss, then continue without warning: As the eclipse subsides, strangely glowing clouds roll in quicker than any you've ever seen. Platinum lightning dances about them. Bands of flying cloud-like demons seem to swirl in and out of the bizarre billows, but it could be a trick of the light. Ahead of the approaching clouds you see a most disturbing sight. The sky is filled with flying creatures, perhaps a hundred or more. There are dragons of all shapes, colors, and sizes, titanic rocs, and a few griffon riders from the Suel capital. Most appear panic stricken. Many of the flyers are being swallowed by the oncoming cloud formations, roaring violently as they are enveloped. A few of the faster ones are staying ahead. It is a deadly race. As the clouds draw nearer, a mist of vapor rises from the ground. It looks like a heavy rain falls beneath them. Of course, you know in your hearts this must be the beginning of the Rain of Colorless Fire..... Allow the PCs to reach the Null obelisk before moving on to the next description. If the characters stand within ten feet of the obelisk or its buildings they cannot be harmed by the deadly downfall. If they continue on inside, skip back to the "Entrance Hall" encounter for The Null (during this second time through, all encounters are reset and at full strength). If the PCs watch, read:

The disparaging Rain has reached the Null. Large globs of slightly iridescent liquid burst into transparent flames combusting everything underneath. The plants beneath it burn and die almost instantly, then dissolve into apparent nothingness. An ancient green dragon crashes not 100 feet from where you stand, his skin dripping like melted wax from his bones as he continues to burn. Two more smaller dragons, both silver, crash nearby in a heap of melted carcasses. A man riding a griffon - at least that's what you think it is - lands near your feet. The melted clump of gooey flesh is nauseating. Bodies continue to fall from the sky, and yelping animal screams can be heard in the distance. It would seem you are safe for now. The caustic liquid is deflecting high above by power of the obelisk. Heat is increasing, for the fire now surrounds the building. An ash-laden sweat forms on your brow. The smell of pungent burning flesh fills your nostrils. Now too, even the rocks begin to melt before your eyes. In the distance you can no longer see mountains as you once had. Even the landscape is dissolving! Looking toward Suendrako, it now appears covered by a massive stone dome - perhaps powerful wizards are at work trying to save the city. There is something surprising heading your way. A group of three humans! The Rain rolls off some invisible shielding around them, and the flames are extinguished briefly where they walk. You notice the man in front carries a device of some sort. As they get nearer, you can see they are Suel humans, two women and one man. Entering the arch, he pockets the cubic device. You notice tears trickling down his face. "This is a sad day for all," the man says turning back to look out at the destruction, "Humans are short sighted and unconscionable." He glances toward you, and moves his eyes up and down your height. The others are looking out over the landscape. The woman says, "The fire has no color. Its almost beautiful... if it were not incinerating everything. By Bahamut, even the soil is blazing!" Everyone is mesmerized by the droning sound of the fiery Rain, and it shows no signs of slowing. The Suel Basin is quickly becoming a Sea of Dust. The cubic device they are using to keep out the Rain of Colorless Fire is a cube of force. The three humans are actually polymorphed steel dragons, who a millennia from now will be called Greyhawk dragons by some. They plan on using the Null to escape the Rain of Colorless Fire and travel northeast to the shore of a large lake (if asked, they have relatives there). If the PCs seem friendly, they introduce themselves as Kalana of the Zan house, Michael of the Ingerskatti house, and Coredelia of the Shanfarel house. The dragons may reveal their true identities. Given that they are traveling far away to assume new identities

anyway, there is little to be lost (DM discretion). They are willing to help the PCs get through the Null, but only if necessary. Until then they feign weakness to observe. [Dragon, Steel (3): AL LN; AC -1; MV 9, Fl 30(D), Sw 6; HD 12; THAC0 8; #AT 3+special; Dmg 110/1-10/3-30; MR 45%; SZ H (32'); ML 18; XP 9,000; SA cube of toxic breath (35' long, 3d4+1 dmg)] BACK TO THE FUTURE The trip back to the Yeomanry need not be uneventful. Surely the Scarlet Brotherhood had other agents ready to ambush the party in case the expedition failed, or maybe all of them are not dead (how many were there?). And perhaps the sheet music returns the PCs to the Scarlet Brotherhood city of Kro Terlep or Heseul Ilshar. Not that the Null area would be any better, since the Sea of Dust is still a very dangerous place. The return sheet music was never tested, so only the DM knows where the PCs land. Returning to the Yeomanry brings prestige and a bit of fame for the PCs. If the cubic relic was returned as well, an additional bonus will be added to the payment (DM discretion). Sundry artifacts returned from the ancient Suel Empire might be sold to local antique dealers for a fortune. Also, new expeditions are being organized to the Null so it can be examined. DM's wishing to run a campaign in the ancient Suel Empire can allow the PCs to research and discover which musical notes activate the proper coordinates in time and space (this should never be easy). Perhaps there are other notes which open gateways to the lands of the Empires of the Bakluni, Olman, Aerdi, Sulm or modern unknown areas of Oerth. The Null's power could involve the PCs in other AD&D accessories like Kara-Tur, Greyspace, UnderOerth, or Chronomancer. Al-Qadim makes excellent source material for the Baklunish Empire, but as for the others, well, have fun and be creative!

RANDOM ENCOUNTER TABLE I Suel Basin Forests/Mountains 01-04 Aurumvorax (1): AL N; AC 0; MV 9, Br 3; HD 12; THAC0 9; #AT 1; Dmg 2-8; SZ S (3' long); ML 19; XP 9,000; SA 2-8 claws for 2-8 each; SD immune to normal fire, gas, poison, 1/2 damage to magic fire; MM10 05-08 Bear, black (1-3): AL N; AC 7; MV 12; HD 3+3; THAC0 17; #AT 3; Dmg 1-3/1-3/1-6; SZ M (6' tall); ML 10; XP 175; SA hug; MM17 09-12 Beetle, death watch (1): AL N; AC 3; MV 12; HD 9; THAC0 11; #AT 1; Dmg 3-12; SZ M; ML 13; XP 2,000; SA death vibration; SD camouflage; MC5 13-16 Broken one, common (3-12): AL NE; AC 7(10); MV 9 HD 3; THAC0 17; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6 (or by weapon); SZ M (4'-7' tall); ML 7; XP 175; SA possible animal; SD regeneration; MM30 17-19 Brownie, quickling (4-16): AL CN; AC -3; MV 96; HD 1; THAC0 19; #AT 3; Dmg by weapon (1-3/1-2); SZ T (2' tall); ML 13; XP 2,000; SA virtual invisibility, poison, spells; SD speed; MC5 20-23 Dragonfly, giant (1-6): AL N; AC 3; MV 3, Fl 36(B); HD 7; THAC0 13(11); #AT 1; Dmg 3-12 (4-16); SZ M; ML 12; XP 1,400 (2,000); SA initiative bonus; SD darting; MC5 24-30 Disenchanter (1-16): AL N; AC 5; MV 12; HD 5; THAC0 15; #AT 1; Dmg Nil; ML 9; XP 270; SA disenchants magic items; SD only hit by +1 or better weapons; FF27 31-35 Displacer beast (2-5): AL LE; AC 4; MV 15; HD 6; THAC0 15; #AT 2; Dmg 2-8/2-8; SZ L (8'-12'); ML 14; XP 975; SD displacement 36-37 Dragonet, faerie dragon (1-6): AL CG; AC 5 (1 when invisible); MV 6, Fl 24(A); HD variable; THAC0 17; #AT 1; Dmg 1-2; SZ T (1'-1 1/2' long); ML 11; XP 3,000; SA breath weapon, spells; SD invisibility; MM89 38-41 Ettercap (1-2): AL NE; AC 6; MV 12; HD 5; THAC0 15; #AT 3; Dmg 1-3/1-3/1-8; SZ M; ML 13; XP 650; SA Poison; SD traps; MM114 42-45 Gloomwing, moth (1): AL N; AC 1; MV 2, Fl 18(D); HD 5+1; THAC0 15; #AT 3; Dmg 1-3/1-3/1-8; SZ M; ML 10; XP 1,400; SA pheromone; SD confusion; MM157 46-53 Gnome, spriggan (3-12): AL CE; AC 3 or 5; MV 9 or 15; HD 4 or 8+4; THAC0 17 or 11; #AT 2; Dmg 2-8/2-8 (weapon +7 strength bonus; SZ S or L; ML 16; XP male 3,000, female 2,000; SA spells, thief abilities; SD size change; MM162

54-55 Hag, green (1-3): AL NE; AC -2; MV 12, Sw 12; HD 9; THAC0 11; #AT 2; Dmg 7-8/7-8; SZ M; ML 17; XP 4,000; SA strength, spells, covey powers; MM181 56-57 Jackalwere (1-4): AL CE; AC 4; MV 12; HD 4; THAC0 17; #AT 1; Dmg 2-8; SZ S (3' as jackal), M (6' as human or hybrid); ML 12; XP 270; SA gaze causes sleep; SD hit only by iron or +1 or better magical weapons; MM210 58-62 Kenku (2-8): AL N; AC 5; MV 6, Fl 18(D); HD 5; THAC0 15; #AT 3 or 1; Dmg 1-4/1-4/1-6 or by weapon; SZ M; ML 13; MR 30%; XP 975; SA spells; MM211 63-64 Lycanthrope, werebat (1-4): AL NE; AC 5; MV 9, Fl 15(D); HD 4+2; THAC0 17; #AT 3; Dmg 1-4/1-4; SZ M; ML 12; XP 420; SD hit only by silver or +1 or better magical weapons; MM233 65-66 Needleman (1-20): AL N; AC 6; MV 9; HD 3+4; THAC0 17; #AT 1 or 1-6; Dmg 3-12 or 1-2; SZ M; ML 12; XP 120; SA surprise; SD spells, undetectable in foliage; MC5 67-74 Owlbear (2-8): AL N; AC 5; MV 12; HD 5+2; THAC0 15; #AT 3; Dmg 1-6/1-6/2-12; SZ L (8' tall); ML 12; XP 420; SA hug; MM284 75-78 Rat, camprat (11-30): AL N; AC 6; MV 15; HD 1-2 hp; THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1; SZ T (8" long); ML 5; XP 7; MC5 79-89 Rust monster (1-16): AL N; AC 2; MV 18; HD 5; THAC0 15; #AT 2; Dmg Nil; SZ M (5' long); ML 9; XP 270; SA rust metal; MM305 90-94 Tabaxi (2-8): AL CN; AC 6; MV 15; HD 2; THAC0 19; #AT 3; Dmg 1-3/1-3/1-3 or by weapon; SZ M (6'-7' tall); ML 12; XP 420; SA rear claw rake for 2-5/2-5; SD surprised only on a 1; MM335 95-98 Tyrg (1-10): AL CN; AC 5; MV 18; HD 5; THAC0 15; #AT 1; Dmg 1-12; SZ L; ML 13; XP 270; SA stunning howl, claw rake; MC5 99-00 Zygom (1-3): AL NE; AC 6; MV 1 (or host's); HD 3 (or host's); THAC0 17; #AT 1 (or host's); Dmg special (or host's weapon); SZ T (¼' or host's) ; ML special; XP 120; SA milky glue; MC5

RANDOM ENCOUNTER TABLE II Suendrako City, Majestic Marketplace 01-05 06-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 46-50 51-55 56-57 58-65 66-70 71-75 76-80 81-85 86-90 91-95 96-97 98-99 00

merchant farmer (w/oxhex) beggar pickpocket mugger hedge wizard aristocrat warrior politician priest human visitor (tourist) escaped slave Zindian visitors Oriental importers elven ambassadors halfling spies Baklarran dwarven traders spriggan gnome merchant (w/dwindlebeast) norker jumpmasters kobold infiltrators ogre brute squad Baklunish spies

NEW MONSTER APPENDIX Gwahasti [Giant Lizard] (2-12): AL N; AC 5; MV 15 (21 in Sea of Dust); HD 3+1; THAC0 17; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8; SZ H (15'); ML 10; XP 175; SA trapping bite (x2 damage); New Monster. Gwahasti, translated roughly as "Dust Lizard" in Baklunish. They are in most respects similar to giant lizards, except for the chitin beak and huge webbed feet. The webbing gives the lizard enough displacement to traverse the Sea of Dust without falling prey to the loose surface (much like snow shoes). The mountain tribesmen of Changar use them for traveling the bleak landscape in the Sea of Dust. The nomads usually let them go to hunt during the noon hour, and the Gwahasti return when they're finished. They can smell salt water, which is their main water source in the Sea of Dust. They also have the ability to hunt wild game in all but the most blinding dust, sense sharp drop-offs, and are. excellent fighters. A gwahasti hide changes color when the sun hits it, from a dark grey to an almost metallic gray color (when the sun is directly overhead). This creature roams the present day Sea of Dust.

Mantipede (2-12): AL N; AC 5; MV 18; HD 9+3; THAC0 11; #AT 5; Dmg claw/bite 1d4(x4)/1d4+1; SZ H (20'); ML 12; XP 1,400; SA paralyzation venom; New Monster. Mantipede are twenty-foot tall insects that look like a cross between a praying mantis and a centipede. Near its mantis-like head, it has four mantis-like arms which it can retract against its body at will. Behind the set of four arms are thousands of tiny legs which it uses to traverse the dusty terrain. Its bite paralyzes any victim that doesn't save vs. paralyzation. It can attack using its four arms, and its mouth for biting, all in the same round. This creature roams the present day Sea of Dust.

Dust Fungi [Phycomid] (1-4): AL N; AC 2; MV 3; HD 6+6; THAC0 13; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4 (alkaline glob) ; SZ L (10' diameter); ML 15; XP 1,400; SA spore jet; New Monster. Dust fungi are tan algae-like fungi with a hard stone surface to prevent loss of water by evaporation. These fungoid monsters see through the ash by detecting heat and sound using sensory organs spread throughout its body. When these creatures attack they discharge an alkaline fluid in small globules that have a range of 15 feet. Each glob causes 1d4 points of damage, and may

cause the victim to serve as host for new dust fungi growth. If a victim fails his save vs. poison, the individual begins to sprout hard mushroomlike growths in the infected area. It then spreads throughout the entire body, killing it in 1d4+4 turns, and turning it into a new dust fungi. This creature roams the present day Sea of Dust.

HANDOUT 1: IMPERIAL COINAGE LETTER Monmurg, Hold of the SeaPrinces Brother Bylew, I had no ideathe Empire wasso different from our own modern culture. AsI said in apreviousletter, I had uncovered a currency conversion chart in Slerotin's Manifesto: 1/5 mithril ember = 1platinum ingot = 2 gold wheels= 20 silver rods= 100 amber chips= 200 perfume orbs. T he chart made little sense to me, because I did not understand the context. Further reading hasrevealed currency descriptionsfor the Suel Empire, at least in the latter years. T he following coinswere commonly referenced asembers, ingots, wheels, rods, chipsand orbs. "Mithril Embers" were flat irregular coins, consisting of mithril metal and the reddish mineral cinnabar. T he resulting appearance gave the coin a"hot coal" look, hence the name mithril "embers". T he metalsused to make these coinswere mined by the Baklarran dwarvesof what wasthen known asthe Suel Halt mountains. T he dwarvessold the Empire the mithril primarily due to the natural cinnabar taint. Because of the cinnabar infusion, the metal was unusable in weaponsor other magical items. However, there wasno more beautiful coin than the mithril ember. Markingson one side showed agriffon flying over the capital city Suendrako, the emperor'sname, and the year of minting. T he reverse of the coin had the flaming skull symbol of the god W ee Jas. T hiscoin wasusually preferred by aristocrats, mages, and dwarves. "Platinum Ingots" were thick flat rectangular rounded edged blocksof pure platinum, roughly equal to the size of 5 pp today. On one side wasimprinted the year of minting beneath the T emple of the Magi. T he reverse wasengraved with an inverted ziggurat that had abarely distinct mauve glean to it. Platinum ingotswere usually preferred by priests. "Gold W heels" were large round coins, the size of what would be 10 gp worth of gold today (I believe one reason gold wasso plentiful were the numerous wild aurumvorax - but thisispure speculation). On one side of the coin wasthe likenessof the current emperor, the year of stamping, and the words "EMPIRE FOR LIFE" in bold lettering. T he reverse pictured asun shining brightly on afertile plain. Gold wheelswere usually preferred by warriors. "Silver Rods" were rectangular flat coins, having rounded cornersand a square hole in the center much like the modern coinsof Jurnre in the County of Ulek. T he coinscontain roughly what would equal 2 sp

today. T hiscoin had the "dragon turtle" symbol of the god Xerbo minted on both sides. Along the top edge wasthe year of minting. T he rodswere placed on arack for counting, the long coin shape fitting neatly into tiny grooves. T his counting rack wascalled ayoruba, and wasacommon possession of both foreign tradersand domestic merchantsof the Suel Empire. T hiswasthe coin of trade among city folk and seamen. "Amber Chips" were beautifully polished thumbnail sized chunksof fossilized resin, moderately flat on one side. T he currency used to look like chipped pieces before it wasstandardized, hence the moniker "chips" became a misnomer. . If the amber contained an insect or other trapped creature, the value of the coin could have asmuch astripled (but in a few areasthe reverse wastrue). Chipswere weighed and issued by the government, and the only marking wasthe date etched on the flat side. T he amber itself wasmined by some now extinct local clansgnomeswho sold it to the Empire. Humanoid mercenarieswere usually paid in thiscommodity, and mercenary humanoidsand farmers usually preferred the amber coins. "Perfume Orbs" were white spherical orbsof perfume crystals. Each waspressed into shape by a special tool, and usually hung on athin string or chain by a hole through itscenter. T he perfume crystals were extracted by derro slavesin the minesof PopoRi. T he mine waseffectively destroyed along with the Suel Basin, but I suspect the minerssurvived in their caves. Copper later came to replace the vacuum left by the lost perfume commodity. Like copper, this "coin" wasusually used by the poorer Suel folk. Asyou can see by my ramblings, the Suel Imperium waswise in itsuse of local materialsin the assembling of itscurrency. Soon we will bring back the glory that wasrightfully ours. Brother Delekk, Sunsebb 9, 5681 Hesuel Ilshar

HANDOUT 2: INTERCEPTED LETTERS Elder Brother Hammandaturian, We have recovered what is rightfully ours as part of Suel heritage. Slerotin's Manifesto has come full circle, and should be in Heseul Ilshar by the time you read this letter. This is a sign we are on the path of rightousness. I have read through some of the history section, since it is unprotected from magical wards. One section of import stated, "....for inside the treasure vault I saw the Shadow Cube, the 'Darkness That Holds All Shadows.' I was envious of Xodast, but now was not the time to challenge her power. Soon my might would exceed even...." At last we know where this Suel device was located before the Tears of Istus destroyed it. This is not necessarily the end of our search for this relic, however. Another excerpt of particular interest, "....and so it would seem this extratemporal 'Null' was the greatest achievement of the vanished plane traveling wizards of Purginon-Qi. I have determined how to use the musical key which activates it, but not without great effort on my part. First I calculated the temporal resonance of the..." and then later, "...so here is a sample piece of music I created for use, and when I tested it I was just outside of the temple as expected. More tests are needed to insure..." and so forth. This information will speed us on our way to preventing the dilution of Suel virtues, which we have been working toward ever since our formation in 5091. Empire for life! Sister Kuranyie Patchwall 22, 5679; Scant, Onnwal

Elder Brother Hammandaturian, Slerotin's Manifesto is encrypted and protected in ways that are making it difficult to proceed at a brisk pace. I realize a great deal of care is being taken to make sure the information is accurate, but I have asked for more frequent updates. What we have discovered may increase our influence of the Flanaess dramatically. We were disheartened when we learned the relic had most likely been destroyed by the sooty-haired sub-humans in the Rain of Colorless Fire. Its last known location was in the treasure vault of arch-mage Xodast, and surely his residence perished along with the Empire. I found it most intriguing that up until now the common belief was the "Bringer of Doom" was an artifact of some sort. If we are to believe Slerotin, it was the title given to Xodast. I laughed to myself for a good many hours after reading this tidbit. Xodast was the Bringer of Doom! A startling discovery, but it has much more than historical significance. You mentioned Xodast was near the front lines using the Cone of the Magi to enhance her own powers and bring about the Invoked Devastation. If Xodast was occupied, her treasure vault was unguarded. I believe we can formulate a plan using the newly available tools. I will elaborate more later. His Peerless Serenity, Father Zan Ready‘reat 3, 5680; Hesuel Ilshar

HANDOUT 3: LETTERS IN POUCH Monmurg, Hold of the Sea Princes Brother Bylew,

Brother Bylew,

Our third expedition into the Sea of Dust is a success. I am pleased to inform you the Null obelisk is exactly where Slerotin indicated it would be. The last few days we have been formulating a plan for rescuing the cubic relic, "The Darkness That Holds All Shadows," using the newly discovered "Null" obelisk to travel back in time. While we have no hope of preventing the Empire's destruction (as some have suggested) we can use the Null's gate to reclaim our heritage. Its operation is currently under study. According to Brother Highston's last correspondence, the Null obelisk lies between Purginon-Qi and Suendrako in the Imperial Mountains. The top of the stone building is cut off at a 45 degree slant, the cut side facing east. At the base is a long rectangular jutting building with an arched opening at its end. I have enclosed a rough sketch of the building, but I lack artistic merit, so please forgive my crude renderings.

You cannot wait for Sister Elsbeth to determine the exactness of her research. Our needs are pressing. As you know, our weakling traitorous relatives of the Yeomanry have learned of the our plans to mount this expedition into the Sea of Dust. How much they know we are not certain, but you must begin the plan immediately, despite the risk of getting caught in the Rain of Colorless Fire. Redwell may seek to destroy the Null, or use it for his own purposes. We cannot allow this to happen. Take your best Brothers and Sisters with you, and lead the expedition yourself. Elder Cousin Mortimar will accompany you as an advisor. Wee Jas bless us, we must not fail!

Cousin Mortimar Flocktime 9, 5680; Kro Terlep

His Peerless Serenity, Father Zan Dear Brother Bylew, From what we have been able to determine from the Manifesto, there are several obstacles before you can use the Null's powers of extratemporal travel. I believe there are tests involving roguish skills, puzzles, animated stone monsters, and extraplanar beasts. I am also certain a stone lion of some sort will ask riddles. My superiors recommend you take along enough experts in these areas to surpass all difficulties. Once you have gained access to the musical key, use Slerotin's sample sheet music to activate the harmonious gate and walk through the eye. This should deposit you in Suendrako, but the exact date I cannot determine. I need more time to fixate the precise time or the expedition may end up caught in the Rain of Colorless Fire. Also, more testing needs to be done on the return harmonies. If your orders supersede my recommendations, then may Lendor be our guide. Sister Elsbeth, Wealsun 27, 5681 Sulward, Lordship of the Isles

Goodmonth 14, 5681; Heseul Ilshar

OPTIONAL LETTER 1: FLORA Dear Brother Bylew, I have been compiling referencesin the recently acquired "Slerotin'sManifesto". I'm not sure how much help thiswill be to you, but I have discovered referencesto several (most unknown) flora speciesthat were indigenousto the Suel Basin region. T he massive "Dinotherian" speciesgrew primarily in the Asperwood Forest near the Suel Plateau. T he bushy body of the plant grew close to the ground, and could grow ashigh as15 feet with awidth asmuch as 30 feet! T he flowersbloomed in high summer with a tulip-like shape. T hese flowerswere typically red, but blue and yellow varietieswere know. Some of these blossomscould grow aslarge as6 feet. T here isa Suel legend that saysgiantscultivated these flowersto use as giftsto their loved ones. I cannot confirm this, but while checking on current records, I noted that a recently aslightly smaller version of thisplant (50% ) has been discovered in the Sulhaut mountains(according to the Manifesto, these mountainswere named "Suel Halt" originally). Asyou know, we cultivate "Enemy'sBlood" plants still today here on the T ilvanot Peninsula, using enemy blood asfertilizer. T he bush has9-inch long daggershaped leaves. T he ancient Suel believed that these plantsonly grew where the blood of an enemy had fallen (which had itsbasisin reality). T he Suel warriorssometimescoated their spearswith a thick nectar exuded from the flowersof the plant. T his nectar had poisonouseffectsincluding dizzinessand paralysis, and also contained the plant'stiny seeds, which germinated and sprouted from the area where the victim decomposed. Birdsand insectswere attracted to the honey-like substance and they too spread the seeds. "Lendor'sStorm" wasan odd flowering plant found only in the Suel Basin plateau. T hese flowers bloomed only right before and after athunderstorm. T he flowerswere colorful, consisting of pink, blue and yellow petals. T he flowerslasted only for 24 hours, usually opening afull hour before arain shower even began. It wassaid the flower got itsweather predicting power from the god Lendor, but in actuality it sensed the change in air pressure. I believe thisspeciesisnow extinct. T he "Luquipod" grew in the Suel Basin plateau as well. T he plant wasabout 2 feet tall and produced orange flowersin mid to high summer. T he green berry-like fruit wasextremely juicy and could provide agood deal of water to aparched individual. Current research indicatesthisspeciesisnow extinct.

T he highly adaptable "Pollenrose" plant wasonly found in the Suel Basin. T he pollenrose looked like a flaky rose made of pollen. Closer examination revealed that the rose wasactually aleaf that exuded asappy fluid. Pollen stuck to the leaf and the plant drew its nourishment from there. Cleaned of pollen, the flower wasedible and full of sweet juice. I attempted to look up thisspecies, and it appearsthere isan adapted dusty version of thisplantsstill thriving on the fringesof the Seaof Dust today. T he bizarre "Simmering W iltflower" grew near the water of the Simmering River. T he brown flower thrived on the shoreline of the near-boiling water of the channel, and had awilted appearance - hence the name. At the base of the river the plant wassparse. Further upstream in the southern Crystalmist Mountainsit existed in abundance, and seemed unaffected by the constant ash that infested the area. T hisplant isunknown to ustoday, but the areais virtually unexplored. I suspect thisspeciesisnow extinct. T he peculiar "T imorous" plant grew primarily in the Suel Basin areaduring late spring and early summer. It produced bright yellow daisy-like flowers that had ared streak along the petal edges. Below the surface, the plant grew from a large bulb measuring about 4-5 inchesacross. W hen the plantssensed movement within a1-2 foot radiusit withdrew suddenly into the ground, nestled safe inside itsbulb. It did not emerge again for 5 to 15 minutes. T he "Utoak" tree had all the appearancesof an oak tree with one exception: an Utoak tree wasonly 5 feet tall. Utoak wasin all other respectsequal to oak, and could be used for all the same purposes. I have never seen such a tree, so I would surmise it isextinct at this point. Brother Delekk Sunsebb 20, 5681; Hesuel Ilshar

OPTIONAL LETTER 2: CALENDAR Dear Brother Bylew, I am responding to your inquiry about the detailsof the ancient Suel Imperial Calendar. W hile I am sure you are familiar with the Suloise Dating year (S.D.), very few of usknow the full Suel calendar composition. Most recordswere destroyed with the peoplesof the Suel Basin. You will likely find thisinformation somewhat disturbing - to have lost so much knowledge about our heritage. For example, my studiesof Slerotin'sManifesto indicate the ancient Suel Empire counted nightsrather than days. All their holidaysbegan on the "eve", or the night before (their "day" began at sundown). T he Imperial standard week of eight nightsconsistsof six work nights: Lenigh, Bralmnigh, Sunigh, Jasternigh, Muunsnigh, and Phaulknigh. On the seventh night called Kordenigh, there wasrest and worship. Marketing wasdone on the last night of the week, called Xerbsnigh. T he Imperial 13-month calendar usesOerth'smajor magical ley-line fluctuation (amazing!) cyclesinstead of the moon cycles. T he Suel Empire year beginsin the month Beltarth and hasthe usual amount of 364 days based on the rotation of the Oerth around the sun Liga. Over the 5,000 year history of the Suel peoples, the calendar hasevolved somewhat, but thiswasits appearance in the last daysof our Empire. I have made alist below of these 13months, the numbersof nightsin that month, and their approximate Common Calendar counterparts: 21days: Beltarth (Ready'reat) 39 days: Llergmonth (Sunsebb) 24 days: Fearnsyrl (Fireseek) 22 days: Lydiaster (Readying) 36 days: Collven (Coldeven) 31days: Phytis (Planting) 24 days: Oflock (Flocktime) 43days: W ellsun (W ealsun) 27 days: N uin (Reaping) 20 days: Guinmonth (Goodmonth) 40 days: Alfort (Harvester) 22 days: Pyremall (Patchwall) 28 days: Lendurian (N eedfest?) Most Suloise rural celebrationswere simple affairs, usually consisting of village folk drinking and eating at a local gathering place. City celebrationsoften began with a parade of decorated cartsand animals, with the wealthy tossing food or trinketsto massesof onlookers. T hiswasusually followed by variousformsof public

and private debauchery. T he "Low Sun Carnival" (Llergmonth 11) wasa time of death and rebirth of the sun. T he drinking of fermented sheep'smilk ispart of the celebration. T he "Feast of Lydia" (Lydiaster 1) wasaday of feasting, cleansing, and a celebration of newborns. It isheld in preparation for growth and renewal. T he celebration isacarnival of lightswith asmany candles, lanterns, and torchesaspossible. T he "Spring Aphelion" (Collven 11) celebration occurred when the light and dark are in equal balance, but the light wasgrowing stronger. "Frolicof Phyton" (Phytonis1) wasprimarily a fertility festival with nature enchantmentsand offerings to faeriesand elementals. T he "Donnybrook of Kord" (Phytonis21) was ordinarily an outdoor celebration of athletic competition. Many sports(some ending up in brawls) were played. T raditionally herbsgathered during "Divination Festival" (Lydiaster 11-13) were extremely potent. A time of great magic, it wassaid to be good for all divinations. Many divine ritualswere performed both indoorsand out, en masse. Around the "High Sun Carnival" (W ellsun 21) the hoursof daylight are longest. T he sun wasat its highest before beginning itsslide into darkness. On thisnight faerieswere said to abound in great numbers. T he "T ournament of N orebo" (Guinmonth 1) was a pre-harvest celebration in which tournamentswere held that involve the taking of risks. Arrowswere used to shoot objectsoff heads, knivesthrown at moving people, and other bizarre events. Gambling on the outcomesof these activitieswere a given. "Autumn Perihelion" (Alfort 11th) wasatime of rest after labor, completion of the harvest. Again the hoursof day and night were in balance, but with the darknessincreasing. All preparationsfor the coming dark and the year'sending were made. On the "Revelry of Pyremius" (Pyremall 21, sometimescalled "N ight of Assassins") it was customary to dressin gaudy outfitsand dance around huge bonfiresin an attempt to ward off murderers. It wasassumed the assassinscould not be effective if one isdressed strangely (maskswere not uncommon) and in large, well-lit groups. T hiswasatradition almost as old asthe Empire itself, and had lost much of its original meaning and usefulness. T he celebration of year'send asthe "Festival of Lendor" (Lendorian 28-2). T hiswasacelebration of year'send. Feastsare made in honor of one'sancestors and asan affirmation of continuing life. It wasbelieved

the veil between the worldswasthinnest on Year's End. In addition, it wasa time for settling problems and throwing out old ideasand influences. In addition to the above celebrations, the "Muunsun Equinox" (date varies) wasan eclipse of Oerth'ssun, Liga, by the moonsLuna& Celene at the same time. T hiswascause for major celebration. It was(and may still be) apowerful time for magicof all types, asmagic ley-linesare brought into parallel conduits. On this day, spellswere often unpredictable and could sometimesincrease exponentially in effect. I am often amazed how significant our current celebrationsare to us, and yet, thisancient information waslost during the "T earsof Istus" (asthe Manifesto callsthe Rain of ColorlessFire). Perhapswe should begin teaching these datesto our children at the learning center. Brother Delekk, Sunsebb 17, 5681 Hesuel Ilshar

OPTIONAL LETTER 3: GEOGRAPHY Dear Brother Bylew, Once again I am at your disposal. I have extrapolated a great deal of information about the cities of the ancient Suel Basin from Slerotin'sManifesto. I and othershave noticed striking similaritiesbetween some of these namesand modern areasof the Flanaess. I suppose one would expect this, given the original landswere so utterly destroyed. Most of these citieswere connected by thousands of milesof marble roads, and a few islandshad bridges 20-25 mileslong linking them with the shore. Its almost unbelievable. By my calculations, nearly 20 million people died in the Rain of ColorlessFire. N ot that it matters, but who knowshow many other life formswere also snuffed out. However, I digress. Here are some of the more important cities. Arztin, translated roughly as"Conquering Heroes", wasacity of aonce-noble house. Arztin at one time wasunited with N eheli house, but internecine strife separated the two tribes. Axarko, "Dwarven Stone-T hrower", originally acity of dwarves, later enslaved and annexed by the Empire. Suloise then lived there using the dwarvesasslaves. T here wasan underground network of dwarvesusing horgarsto move many of their subjugated brethren to safety. Baklarran, "BeauteousCones", home to an ancient dwarven clan that had uneasy trade relationswith the Empire. Bastion-Fi, "Fort Bastion", defended the eastern Suel Halt foothillsagainst invaders. Citadel-Fi, "Fort Citadel", defended the Southern Crystalmist foothillsagainst invaders. Crusk, "W arriorsof Ice", I believe thiswashome to the predecessorsof the Ice Barbarians. Cwylarran, "BeauteousOlve", wasformerly acity of grey elvesenslaved and annexed by the Empire. Darklock, "Chained Darkness", wasacity of anoble family of warriorswho study the dark arts. T hey disappeared several hundredsyearsbefore the end of the Empire. Dra Daradar, "People of Ships", wasa port city. Dwur-Rohoi, "T wisted Dwarves", wasa city of derro who mined for the Empire. Before the derro took over, the mine wasa slave-ogre encampment. Ezozia-N arisban, "Shore of the Sea", wasa port city connected by a bridge to N arisban city. It wasoften referred to asEzoziafor brevity. Felds-Pa, "Home of Spies", wasahuman city renowned for itsrogue population.

Fruzt, "W arriorsof Frost", I suspect washome to the predecessorsof the Frost Barbarians. Galap, "Master of Power", wasone of the oldest cities in the basin, said to be the holdover from acivilization pre-dating the Empire. Galgul, "Master of Ogres", wasformerly a conquered ogre village and later a city where the Suel train humanoidsfor combat duty. Ghlahtte, "Death Encampment", wasoriginally a hobgoblin tribal gathering location, and later ahuman city using the hobgoblinsasslave labor. Glacis-Fi, "Fort Above", defended the Hook Hillsand Suel Halt river areasagainst invaders. T he stronghold wasbuilt directly over the river. Horncliff, "Cliff of Horns", named for the nearby horn-shaped cliffswhich dropped off into the Krakuun sea. Some residentswere known for their cliff diving skills. Lo N akar, "Favored Mountain", wasacity at the base of the largest Suel Basin mountain. Primarily aremote caravan stop. I have heard rumorsthiscity still exists, but information issketchy at best. Lo T agar, "Favored T ree", previously an elven city at the center of which used to be a rare (for the climate) roanwood tree. Suloise lived there after the Empire annexed it. Lutania-Oth, "V iew of the Oerth", wasat the edge of the Suel plateau. T hiscity offered aview of the entire Suel Basin. Lutania-Oth wassometimesreferred to as LutaniaCity. N arisban, "On the Sea", an island city in the Krakuun Sea. A bridge extended to Ezozia-N arisban on the shore. T he city took up most of the island. N ehili, "Holder of Knowledge", thismetropolis contained a large library of booksand manuscripts, many over six thousand yearsold. It washome to the predecessorsof the migrating N ehili tribe. N iole, "On the River", wasacity with ariver-fork port. T axeswere levied asa toll for river passage. Ogwan, "Good Place", wasatown of half-orcs escaping so-called oppression, settling acrossthe sea. Pedagog, "Foot of Learning", wasasmall city of mysterioussageson Scholium Island. T he Empire used their island asauniversity of learning open only to citizens. A huge bridge extended to the shore. Phostshire, "Amidst T reesof Phost", wasalarge halfling village in an areadominated by phost trees. T he halflingsused the dead wood asalight source. Halflingswere used by the empire asstealthy spies. Popo-Ri, "Mine of Odors", here spriggan gnome slavesmined crystalsfor the Empire'sperfume orb coins. W hen the crystalswere exposed to air they

gave off pleasant odorsakin to perfume. Purginon-Qi, "Spellbindersof the Planes", was founded by plane-traveling magesand later annexed by the Empire. T he city had problemswith planar gates popping into existence in seemingly random locations. Once an entire residence wasswallowed (oh, to live in those daysof glory). Rhola, "Home of Blessings", wasacity of the predecessorsof the migrating Rhola tribe. Safehold-Fi, "Fort Safehold", defended the western Suel Halt foothillsagainst invaders. Salbato-Re, "N ear the Lake", wasacity of lake fishermen. Schna, "W arriorsof Snow", probably home of the predecessorsof the Snow Barbarians. Seagirt, "Sea Lizard", resided on Dukschan Island. T hiscity washome to many pirates. T he brigands controlled strange sea lizardsfound living among the reef that nearly surrounded the island. Shanfarel, "Hidden Bards", wasa city comprised of reclusive musicians, sculptors, painters, poets, writers, and artistsof all types. N ot much wasknown about them, but their workswere said to be astounding. Soulle, "First Suel", legend saysthe first Suel warrior wasborn here. T he small city restshigh atop Soulle mountain, which wasjust outside of the influence of the Rain of ColorlessFire. T hismay be worth investigating at a later date. Suendrako, "Mightiest Suel", wasthe capital city of the Suel Empire. T hrideen, "T hird Eye", before they were wiped out, cyclopsinhabited the area in which thiscity now stands. T he noble T hrideen house produced an emperor. T selgu-Ff, "DwellersBefore Birth", wasa remote city founded by psionicistswishing to join forcesand enhance their powers. Little wasknown of them. Uyishee, "Filth of the Humans", wasoriginally a garbage dump maintained by norkers, and later a city in itsown right. Xuritegui, "Mastersof the Marsh", wasa city of reclusive wizardswho performed bizarre magical experimentson the local Hellfurnace Swamp beasts. Ydnar, "Gem of the Basin", wasaclansgnome village. T he gnomestraded gemswith the Empire which they mined from a secret location. Zinbyle, "Mystical Middle-Ones", thiscity isnow known to be the home of the Leraratribe. W hen reading thislist, refer to the map I have copied for you. T o keep asconcise aspossible, I have only covered the N E section of the Suel Basin in this letter. T here were many citiesin the Suel Basin, most aligned with the Empire, but some not. I have decided not to include them all, for to do so would make it impossible for you to memorize in what short time you

have. Brother Delekk, Fireseek 25, 5681 Hesuel Ilshar

OPTIONAL LETTER 4: SUEL CULTURE Brother Bylew, T hiswill be my final communication with you before you leave on your expedition. I have been asked to help you understand the year 5094. W e learn more and more about our heritage every day. For example, I wasnot aware that often Suel common folk engaged in a Bride-Price custom. T hiswasa customary payment of livestock, grain (or other food), clothing, money, or labor made by aSuloise bridegroom to the parentsof hisbride in order to seal the marriage contract. In some partsof the Suel Empire thiswasreversed (groom-price). T he ancient Suel Appearance wasasfair-skinned as it istoday, perhapsmoreso, almost albino. T hey had light red, yellow, blond, or platinum blond hair. Eye color varied from pale blue or violet through deep blue, with gray occasionally occurring. Curly to kinky hair wascommon. If you remember your teachings, you will recall the most of the northern barbarians, and we of the Scarlet Brotherhood, are perfect specimensof unmixed Suloise blood. I learned about the Children'sChemaGame in a paragraph I read today. It wasaSuel farm children's guessing game, usually played around the fire when herding wasdone. T he herderswould divide into two teams. One team placed a chema (seed) into one member'spalm. A blanket, cloth, or animal skin was placed over their hands. T he chema wasmoved about from hand to hand among the team members. T he cover wasremoved when the chema washidden. A member of the opposing team touched one hand, hoping to guesscorrectly where the seed ishidden. If the chema wasfound, the teamsswitched roles. If not, the one holding the chemashouted, "Chemaaaa!" and a point wasgiven to the hiding team. T he game usually ended when ten pointswere acquired. "Citizenship Papers" were required to prove citizen status. On each sheet wasthe name of the individual, citizenship year, hishouse, and city of birth (any year 5094 SD or before). T he paper wasmade of arare local reed that made it difficult to forge. T he "house", known in earlier timesasa "tribe", wasthe family name (today called a surname). T he waxy official seal of the Empire wasstamped into one corner. T hisseal isascarred-faced man, eyes hidden by a grasped broadsword. Below the face it said, "BLIN D FAT E" in bold letters. Citizenship wasusually granted to an individual as a reward for some service to the government such as military, political favor, large financial gift, service to country, etc. In some cases, citizenship wasgiven to a

house instead of an individual. Every member of these houses, both present and future, would be considered citizens. T he granting of citizenship allowed one to live in any of the larger Suel cities. If not acitizen, one needed to have extremely different looking visitor paperswhich allowed only abrief stay. Citizensdid not have to pay certain taxeseither, and were allowed to passbetween city districtswith little hassle. Suel aristocraticClothing consisted of loose pantaloonstopped by abaggy blouse. Both were in solid but differing colors(top wasone color, bottom another). A half-dozen or so emblemsand tokens rounded out the outfit. Common folk usually wore the same style of clothing, but only one solid color. Sumptuary lawsforbade non-aristocratsfrom wearing multiple colors. An old wivestale spoke to the pride of the average Suel. W hen an Oerthquake wasfelt, it wassaid by the Suel to be the soulsof long dead Suloise champions marching off to war. Before leaving to Hunt it wascommon for aSuel to ask the god of beasts, Llerg, for hisblessing. An offering in the form of clacking hard tree branches together, called "noise of the great hunt", was performed. Afterwards, the hunt wasritually celebrated and another offering wasgiven to Llerg by burying the inedible partsof the dead animals. It wasthe Suel custom to celebrate the "Coming Out" of a new baby from itsmother'snursery, usually two weeksafter birth. T he celebration wassupposed to drive away the minionsof Incabulous, who were said to make children sick. I cannot verify any true benefitsfrom thiscustom, but apparently it was common. AristocraticSuloise children called aRainbow "Father'sgarment" because of itsmany colorslike the clothing dad wore. T hey also said, "I will give it to Father. He will like it," asasign of affection for their parent. Cometswere seen by the ancientsasgood luck for one'senemies. It would have been rare for any Suel commander to order histroopsto attack after such a sighting. I have listed afew Proverbsof those ancient days, because sometimesa direct translation isnot useful if one doesn't understand the context: "T ell your story to Lendor." = I don't believe you "If you swear an oath alone in the abyss, still it leaks out" = N o secret can be kept "N o wise men leave astream to drink from apool" =

Don't be afool "T he gold weightsof the emperor are heavier" = He is cheating "T he slave isnaturally the guilty party" = He hasbeen wrongly accused "W ar liesin wait on anarrow path" = Lookslike an ambush "W hen in the brush don't quarrel with the ranger" = Don't distance yourself from that which you depend "A fish trap that catchesno fish isbrought back home" = Itsnot working so give up "T he aurumvorax that killsisthe one who doesnot roar" = Be silent to attain victory "W e are little snailswho seek refuge behind a Kara leaf" = W e have no control over it. My research on Suel Basin geography isextensive. At any given time Suendrako housed nearly 1,500,000 residentswithin its25 mile diameter. T here were a handful of other large citieswithin the Suel Basin that had about 2,000,000 total population between them. Another score of townshad far smaller size with nearly 500,000 residents. W ith the rest of the population rural, that wasan imperial population of around 20 million. T hisisabout how many people died in the Rain of ColorlessFire. Most buildings appear to be constructed of a light-hued smoothed stone. Huge domed buildingsdominate the skyline. A few onion topped towersat the city perimeter extend hundreds- perhapsathousand feet into the air. Buildingsand roadsare linked on several levelsby rampsintertwining in bizarre configurations. Immense aqueductsradiated from the city for hundredsof miles in all directions. Other than the alien curved multi-leveled architectural design, Suendrako wasmuch like any walled city on the modern Flanaess. T he city was broken down into these major walled districts: Merchant, W arehouse, Artisan, Government, N oble, Humanoid, Portside, Dweomercrafters, T emple, Garden, University, Foreign, and Laborer. T he "MajesticMarketplace" wasa bazaar at the very heart of the city where merchantstrade their wares containing quite literally thousandsof stalls, shops, booths, and tentscontaining everything from pottery to hedge wizards. T he undercity wasnot easily accessible, but it wasmaintained and guarded. T here were dozensof smaller districtstoo numerousto mention. Accessto other districtscould only be obtained by passing through the MajesticMarketplace or by an external city gate. Passing between districtsthrough the MajesticMarketplace isonly allowed by citizens. Demi-Humansand Humanoidswere only allowed in the Humanoid District unlessthey are slaves accompanied by their owner. Lawswithin Suendrako

were strictly enforced, but most city officialswere easily bribed - a seemingly harmonioussystem. T he most common salutation in Suendrako was "Empire for life!" which wasusually accompanied by bringing the hand forcefully to the chest. Grasping of the handsin an "arm wrestling" position wasa less formal greeting method among the average Suel. Brother Delekk, Goodmonth 20, 5681 Hesuel Ilshar

A SUEL REFERENCE COMPENDIUM This compilation contains primarily Suel references but other related information has been included, as the data reflects on the combined Suel historical picture. The list progresses chronologically by printing date, followed by book name, article title, page number(s), and some Suel facts learned from reading the text.

the Sheldomar Valley (now primarily the Kingdom of Keoland). --- The residents of the Hold of the Sea Princes, the northern Barbarian lands, the Scarlet Brotherhood (on the Tilvanot Peninsula), Amedio Jungle, Duxschan Islands, and the Tilva Straight area of Hepmonaland are primarily of pure Suel heritage.

(1980) Greyhawk FOLIO

Characteristics of Races, pages 13-14 --- Suel are fair skinned, some almost albino. --- They have light red, yellow, blond, or platinum blonde hair. --- Their eye color varies from pale blue or violet through deep blue, with gray occasionally occurring.

A Brief History of Eastern Oerik, page 5-6 --- "Kendeen Pass" was the trail used by the Suel to cross over the southern Crystalmist mountains (now called the Hellfurnaces) into the east. [This pass was later destroyed by a volcano - see Dragon #241, Legacies of the Suel Imperium, page 44] --- A coalition of Suel "Fruzt", "Schna", and mercenary barbarians mounted a major foray into Aerdian North province, but was crushed. --- Orc, Hobgoblin, Goblin, and Kobold are referred to as Euroz, High Jebline, Jebli, Celbit respectively (see page 3, Foreword, under Humanoids). Based on later references, these are probably Flan names. --- Dwarf, Gnome, Halfling, and Elf are referred to as Dwur, Noniz, Hobniz, and Olve respectively (see page 3, Foreword, under Demi-Humans). Based on later references, these are probably Flan names [see Dragon #241, Legacies of the Suel Imperium, page 40] Sketch of the Rain of Colorless Fire, page 5. (1983) MONSTER MANUAL II, hardcover book Hordling (Hordes of Hades), page 75-76 --- The only known method of drawing more than one "hordling" to the prime material plane is the "bringer of doom", a strange device created by arcane magic during the Invoked Devastation and now lost. (1983) ORIGINAL BOX: Guide to the World of Greyhawk booklet A Brief History of Eastern Oerik, pages 8-11 --- The Suel Brought upon the Baklunish the "Invoked Devastation", which destroyed the Bakluni empire. --- The remaining Baklunish brought down the "Rain of Colorless Fire", which destroyed the Suloise empire, and reduced it to what is now the "Sea of Dust". --- The "Hellfurnaces" used to be referred to as the "Southern Crystalmists". --- The majority of the migrating Suel were vile. They lied, stole, slew, and enslaved whenever they had the inclination. --- The peaceful houses of Rhola and Neheli settled into

Racial and National Dress, page 14 --- Suel favor loose pantaloons topped by a baggy blouse. --- Solid colors are usually worn. --- Suel of aristocratic houses favor two or more solid colors. --- All Suel favor displays of contrasting emblems or tokens on their garments. Ancient & Current Languages, page 16 --- "Suloise" language became all but extinct due to the Rain of Colorless Fire. --- "Cold Tongue", also known as "Fruz", is a Suel/Flan admixture spoken by the Ice, Snow, and Frost barbarians. Speakers of Suloise would find this language hard to understand. --- "Lendorian" is an obscure dialect of Suloise spoken in the Spindrift Isles. --- "Ancient Baklunish" is still spoken only by the modern Paynim tribes. Sea of Dust, page 61 --- The Suel were merciless and haughty rulers. --- The Suloise lands were inundated by "a nearly invisible fiery rain which killed all creatures it struck, burned all living things, ignited the landscape with colorless flame, and burned the very hills themselves to ash." --- The Forgotten City is the lost capital of the Suel Imperium. --- The Yeomanry sent an expedition to the western side of the Hellfurnaces, which returned with strange art objects and jewelry [it is implied they visited a ruined Suel city]. (1983) Greyhawk ORIGINAL BOX: Glossography booklet The Lost Passage of the Suloise, page 27 --- Slerotin was the last "Mage of Power".

--- Slerotin caused a great tunnel to be magically made through the northeast mountains - a tunnel 300 feet wide, 30 feet tall, and 200 miles long. --- The "Last Mage" sealed the tunnel when the last tribes passed out of the Empire and into the East, but the seal wore off after 1,000 years. --- The Northeast terminus of the passage is guarded by a large black juggernaut, a stone golem variant (MM/165,171). --- The "Lerara" tribe was accidentally sealed inside the tunnel, and are now near albino. --- These degenerate, inbred Suloise cultivate fungi for food, and use giant millipedes as draft animals. --- The Lerara established trade with the Drow under the Hellfurnaces. --- The Lerara worship an evil, huge, white, glowing ooze that covers a large cave. They call this monstrous rippling thing "The Mother". --- The floor of "The Mother" cave is littered with the ancient treasures carried with the Lerara tribe as they were trapped. (1987) SEA OF DEATH book, by Gary Gygax --- Pages 239-240: • All mountains, even the high hills, of the ruined empire had been eaten away by the colorless fire - only nubs and mounds remained. • A great plateau withstood the colorless fire. • A river which began on the plateau, flowed there and grew, then plunged down to the land below, cutting a deep bed and feeding a great lake. --- Pages 213-214: • A 20 foot wide underground aqueduct extended from the capital city for at least a hundred miles. --- Pages 246-247: • The Suel wizards covered sections of the capital city with a 100 foot high stone dome to protect it from the Rain of Colorless Fire --- Pages 266-267: • There is a conversation that suggests Suel warriors were honor-bound, but afterwards the same Suel warrior breaks that honor. • There is a description of the Temple of the Magi, wherein lies the "final key". • The theorpart (final key) was called the "Cone of the Magi" by the Suel. • Uattho was the mage-priest who guarded it (per Gary Gygax). --- Page 188 & 190 • The contents of four stone boxes are described as "coins, jewelry, uncut gems, ingots of metal." • Later, there is a more detailed description of Suel

currency and valuables. There were big, golden coins, thick wheels of yellow that bore the head of a haughtyfaced man on one side, and a sun on the other. • Also mentioned are silver coins, faceted gems, uncut stones, pearls, amber, ivory, and coral. (1988) Greyhawk HARDCOVER BOOK Sea of Dust, page 90-91 --- A few former Suel mountain towns still exist (now in ruin) in the western Hellfurnaces. --- Suel ruins at the base of the Sulhaut mountains were forts. --- Further into the Sea of Dust are walled Suel cities. --- Architecture of the northern Suel basin cities is angular in design, similar to the Sea Princes and the Lendorians. --- Architecture of the southwestern Suel basin cities consists of large domes and tall onion-topped minarets. Twisted Forest, page 95-96 --- The "Drachensgrab Hills" were called the "Suenha Hills" by the Suel. --- A history of the Suel people immediately following the "last disaster" exists in the Keoish court of Niole Dra. --- This history was penned by Uhas of Neheli. --- Some powerful spellcasters of the Suel Empire are still alive in the twisted stone pillars. Tovag Baragu, page 98-99 --- Centaur nomads meet annually in ceremonial commemoration of the Suelites destruction. --- During this commemoration, the priests call down further curses on the Sea of Dust. --- Tovag Baragu maintains the Sea of Dust's present condition (see Notes for the Dungeon Master). Sketch of the Rain of Colorless Fire, page 7 (1988) WG7, CASTLE GREYHAWK module Area 6: Room of Mystery, page 97 --- Zol Darklock was a shadow prince who also lived for a time as a noble of the Suloise Empire. --- Xodast was a Suel arch-mage --- Xodast, it was said, created the Bringer of Doom, an artifact that later played some part in the Invoked Devastation... --- Xodast imprisoned Zol in the small cubic artifact, "The Darkness That Holds All Shadows". --- The cube artifact was found shortly after the devastation by a group of adventurers exploring the ruins of the Suel city "Suendrako". --- The cube eventually came to rest in the dungeon of Castle Greyhawk

(1989) Greyhawk CITY BOX: Folk, Feuds, and Factions booklet The Guild of Lawyers and Scribes, page 34 --- The city of Greyhawk's "Guild of Lawyers and Scribes" uses the ancient Suloise language for all its court documents. --- Lawyers and scribes speak, read, and write the language very well, as it gives them a monopoly over legal records. --- Unless a defendant speaks and understands Suloise, it would be impossible to defend himself within a court of law, and city legal records are similarly incomprehensible.

(1991) WGS2, HOWL FROM THE NORTH module The Barbarian Lands of Greyhawk, page 5 --- All the barbarians peoples of eastern Oerik are pure Suloise. --- The Frost Barbarians are Fruztii. --- The Snow Barbarians are Schnai. Karasten Meldraith, page 53 --- He is a 10th-level human, Nyrondese, male wizard of some antiquity. --- He taught himself the Old Suloise tongue to further his research. --- He is obsessed with myths and legends of the Suloise people.

(1989) WG8, FATE OF ISTUS module (1992) FROM THE ASHES: Campaign book Jurnre, page 25-27 (sketch, page 26) --- After the final Bakluni-Suel conflict, the Suel lordling Immris of Rhola rallied his household and made his way across the Sheldomar Basin. --- Immris and his people were that small fraction of Suelites who were honorable and sought peace. --- Jurnrese coins have square holes in their centers, carry the unicorn sigil of the House of Rhola, and bear the motto, "Peace in Strength" in the ancient Suel script. Hesuel Ilshar, page 105-107 (sketch, page 106) --- The most determined Suel nobility who escaped the Rain of Colorless Fire gravitated toward the Tilvanot Peninsula. --- The climate of the Tilvanot Peninsula resembled the lost Suel homeland, a steady cool temperature and misty skies. --- The Scarlet Brotherhood was founded in 5091 SD to prevent the "dilution of Suel virtues". --- The Scarlet Brotherhood still speaks undiluted Ancient Suloise, and still use the ancient Suel calendar (SD). --- The glories of the ancient Suloise society were slaveholding, assassination, ritual torture, and employment of goblinoid mercenaries to the highest magical and materials arts. --- The Scarlet Brotherhood learned monk abilities from Kara-Tur natives.

The Star Cairns, page 36 --- Burial site of five Suloise wizards. The Honeycombed Halls of Diirinken, page 37 --- UnderOerth home to a Derro clan calling itself the Diirinken, numbering 400-500 strong. --- Rumors state the Derro here are rich with the treasure from ruined dwarven citadels. ["the ruined dwarven citadels" are probably "The Beauteous Cones of Baklarran" - see From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess, page 67] _(1992) FROM THE ASHES: Atlas of the Flanaess The Beauteous Cones of Baklarran, page 66-67 (city sketch, page 65) --- Baklarran were a pre-devastation clan of dwarves. --- They perished in the Invoked Devastation, but their homes survived. --- A soft white rock (called "tufak" in Baklunish) dissolved over time to create the cones. --- Below the cones, great underground honeycombs of passages twist and turn. Isolated and malformed Derro are said to infest the area. [This is probably a reference to "The Honeycombed Halls of Diirinken" - see From the Ashes: Campaign book, page 37] Suss Forest, page 53-54 --- It is said a lost and ruined city of the Suloise is hidden somewhere within.

(1990) WGA4, VECNA LIVES! module Beyond the Crystalmists map, page 50 --- The Sulhaut Mountains were originally labeled "SuelHaut".

Early History, page 3 --- Suel fled from the war with the Bakluni AND internecine strife (civil war). --- Suel employed mercenaries, bandits, and humanoids. --- Suel invaders of the Flanaess lied, cheated, stole, enslaved, pillaged, and killed out of hand. (1995) MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM Annual, Volume 2

region of Baator, a.k.a. the Nine Hells. Suel Lich, page 79 --- The host of a Suel lich appears as a human with coarse leathery skin, and eyes that glow an ominous black fire. At venerable age, the host's entire head is bathed in black fire. --- Hit dice: 15+ --- Suel liches were "some of the few creatures to survive the Rain of Colorless Fire." --- Several of these liches migrated from Oerth to other worlds. --- Some of these liches still roam, questing for wealth and power, while still others exist in hidden strongholds, continuing their ageless research. DRAGON MAGAZINES --- Multiple Suel Gods articles, issues #86-92. --- The Orbs of Dragonkind article (June 1996, #230), pages 8-16 • The 8 Orbs of Dragonkind were made by the Suel. • Inzhilem II of the house of Neheli-Arztin was the fifth Mage of Power. • The partial house of Arztin ceased to exist due to retaliation for the slaying of Inzhilem II. The partial house of Neheli kept the throne with Ubrond Thrideen ("Third-Eye"). • Great families of red dragons living in the southern Crystalmists (now the Hellfurnaces) were known as "Fiery Kings". • Among the Fiery Kings were the first Shadow Dragons. • It is said by some sources the Vault of the Drow once was the cavern-hall of an elder Shadow Dragon, which still contains some of its hidden treasures undiscovered by the Drow. • Wee Jas was of greater aspect, and less concerned with matters of death than of pure sorcery. • A Suloise archmage fleeing the destruction of her homeland teleported herself (and a dragon orb) to a secret island hideout in the Solnor Ocean. She secured the island, set up a home in some sea caves, and died peacefully there. • One of the dragon orbs was stolen by Suloise officers during an attempted coup in an eastern province of the old empire. Survivors of the rebellion took the orb, which was eventually lost in a shipwreck in Jeklea Bay, just south of Port Toli. • A Suloise wizard placed a dragon orb in tunnels beneath the southern Crystalmists. The wizard became a lich in time, but when he tried to get the orb back, he discovered a shadow dragon who had found the orb. The dragon defeated the lich. • Agents of Tiamat removed the greatest dragon orb from possession of the Suel, and now it rests in a secret

--- Legacies of the Suel Imperium article (Nov. 1997, #241), pages 38-54 • The Bakluni are thought to come from "Zindia", south of the Sea of Dust. • "Kendeen Pass" was destroyed by a volcano. • "Zinbyle" is a Suel city, and previously home to the Lerara tribe. The Lerara were on holiday when the Rain of Colorless Fire came, and thus escaped its burning. Zinbyle's ruins were later explored by the Yeomanry. • 18 tribes entered what is now called "Slerotin's Tunnel", but only 17 exited the other side. The tunnel was "discovered" by the Yeomanry in 577 CY. • After entering late, the Lerara were delayed by a fight between several nobles. The trapped Lerara numbered 100-120 adults, with children & animals in tow. The language currently spoken by the Lerara descendants is called "Leraran Suloise", and is a Suel/Drow mix. • Slerotin's Tunnel extends from hex S5-141 to O5134. • "The Mother" is called Se-Murma by the Lerara, which translates as "our mother". It is located at hex Q5137. • A Lerara tribe descendant, Elayne Mystica, lives in the Free City of Irongate as of Growfest 3, 858 CY. She communicates with Mordenkainen. • Otto (of the Circle of Eight) obtained information about the origins of the Derro from several buried Suel libraries discovered in the eastern end of the Sea of Dust. • Approximately 1800 years ago, after much debate, the Suloise Imperial Congress approved creation of a slave-race to serve as miners. This race became known as the "Derro". The god Fortubo was furious, and withdrew his favor from nearly all his human followers. Clerics of Fortubo were responsible for anti-Imperial revolts among dwarves. • Derro were bred from human and dwarven prisoners/slaves. The new race was called "thurgamazar", Suloise for "little miners". They became more popularly known as the Flan name "dwur-rohoi", which means "twisted dwarves". The Derro have pale skin and large egg-like eyes with no pupils. Derro speak "Derrosh", a mix of dwarf and Suel languages. • Derro wear an ornamental dagger called a "sacari". Miner-gang bosses in the ancient Suel Empire each wore a sacari as a symbol of rank. • The Derro greater deity named "Diirinka" was the first Derro slave created by the Imperium. His brother "Diinkarazan" was the second, and was also deified. Their method of apotheosis is unknown. • Skulks were originally Suel humans. It is suggested they were created either by Suel wizards or priests of Syril. There was a little known "Eight-House War" in 1100 SD. It is surmised that around this time "Skulks" were created, probably to use as House or Imperial assassins.

• The Jermlaine were created by evil gnomes, using captured Suloise humans and gnome skin, possibly with help from their priests of Pyremius. This new slave race was used primarily as spies and guards by their creators. These wicked gnomes were powerful wizards and priests. They were originally themselves slaves of "The Inheritors of the Red Gloom," but escaped. • "The Inheritors of the Red Gloom" was a secret society of Suloise wizards, who worked in concert with the Red Dragons of the Hellfurnaces, who in turn were known as the "Fiery Kings". • Su-Dopplegangers are an artificial race engineered by Suel Imperium wizards/priests of Syrul, and developed entirely with Suel humans. It is surmised all were created just before the Rain of Colorless Fire. These creatures have pale skin and blue eyes. --- Arcane Lore, Greyhawk Grimoires II, Slerotin's Manifesto article, (Nov. 1997, #241), pages 75-81 • "Slerotin's Manifesto" was discovered in the Hool Marshes by a band of warriors from the Yeomanry. • Linia Holstreth was a sage who specialized in Suloise history. She died in 492 CY. • In 577, Slerotin's Manifesto was in the temple of Wee Jas, in the city of Scant in Onnwal. With the subsequent fall of Onnwal, most scholars assume the book is now in the hands of the Scarlet Brotherhood. • The book is 2' long, 1' wide, and 3" thick. It is made entirely from troll parts, and regenerates as would a troll (though it won't become an actual troll). • The Manifesto is written entirely in Ancient Suloise. • The first section is a personal log of Slerotin's involvement in the Suloise tribal migrations. (This history is not detailed in the article.) • The second section details the construction of a stone golem variant, called a "juggernaut" (MM/165,171). • The third and final section contains a large selection of spells. This includes "Slerotin's Fortitude", a 9th-level spell which makes non-magical, inorganic matter impervious to harm from both physical and magical attacks.