Knight™s Sword - archive.org

Knight�s SwordBy Colin McComb

with Thomas M. Reid

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Tips for the New DM™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2A Few Words About

DRAGONLANCE® Adventures . . . . . . . 3Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4The Knighthood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5The Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Diversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9The Theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10The Investigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Design: Colin McComb withThomas M. Reid

Editing: Thomas M. ReidCover Art: Robh RuppelInterior Art: Thomas YeatesCartography: DieselProduction: Sarah FeggestadTypography: Angelika Lokotz

TSR, Inc.POB 756

Lake Geneva, WI 53147U.S.A.

The Chamber of Paladine . . . . . . . . . . . . 14The Road to Solanthus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19The Traitor? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Visiting Solanius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23The True Traitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24The Return . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Major NPCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Magical Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Pregenerated Characters . . . . . . . 15-18, 31

Credits:

Gnomish Death Machine and Some GoodAdvice: David J. Zenz

Special Thanks: Karen S. Boomgarden, JeffDettweiler, Mike Edwards, Harold John-son, Rob King, Brad “Sun Dog” Mathe-son, Kevin Pohle, Laddie Voslar, James M.Ward, and David Wise

TSR Ltd.120 Church End, Cherry HintonCambridge CB1 3LBUnited Kingdom

Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English language products of TSR, Inc.Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd.Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors.

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, and DRAGONLANCE are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.DUNGEON MASTER, DM and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.

This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of thematerial or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written consent of TSR, Inc.

Printed in U.S.A.

Copyright ©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved

9381ISBN 1-56076-421-X

Permission granted to photocopy or print this product for personal use.9381XXX1501

IntroductionWelcome to the world of Krynn. Here, on the

continent of Ansalon, the age-old struggle of Goodagainst Evil continues unchecked. Bands of heroesbattle forces of darkness, hoping to gain footholdsfor the side of light. Ansalon is a land of challenge,one in which fortune can make or break any ad-venturer. Welcome to Ansalon, the land of theDragonlance.

This module is intended for characters of levels1 through 3. It can be used as an adventure for in-troducing players to the world of Krynn. Its pri-mary purpose, however, is to ease a beginningDUNGEON MASTER™ (or DM™) into his or herjob. While the adventure is written with these be-ginners in mind, this does not preclude use bymore experienced DMs. Players should read nofurther in this book, unless they want to spoil theadventure for themselves. It is intended for theDM’s eyes only.

Most DMs should have already played the gameand should be familiar with its terminology andprocedures. This time, however, the burden ofcreating an enjoyable evening rests on the shoul-ders of aspiring DMs. The following hints will easethe beginner into his or her job.

Tips for the new DM�Being a DM is a big task. Not only is the DM re-

sponsible for populating the campaign, runningthe NPCs and monsters, creating the maps, re-membering vast quantities of rules, and effectivelydescribing each setting, but he or she also mustensure that the players have a good time. This is atall order, especially for those who have neverdone it before. Many times it will seem like athankless job, especially when the players dis-agree with decisions the DM makes.

Nevertheless, there are good points to being aDM, despite the numerous headaches associatedwith the job. The satisfaction of providing the play-ers with a memorable experience ranks high onthe list. Creating an adventure that engrosses theplayers’ and the DM’s imaginations is a vastly satis-fying thing. Being a DM is definitely a labor oflove, but is well worth the time and effort invested,and soon it will become second nature.

What follows is advice on how to referee effec-tively, notes on standard refereeing practices, anda few words of caution for the beginning DM.

While wearing the mantle of DM, you must befair and impartial at all times. No matter how irri-tating a player becomes, it is imperative that theDM not allow personal preferences to interferewith the smooth flow of the game. Obnoxiousplayers will eventually behave, or else they willquit playing; poor social graces tend to cause ineptplaying and the death of favored characters.

Likewise, don’t let the players get away with toomuch. Running player characters (or PCs) doesnot mean they should receive extraordinary treat-ment from the non-player characters (NPCs). Theplayer characters and the NPCs are citizens in theworld and nothing more. They may be heroes, butthey must obey the same laws as other citizens.

Since the players do control heroes, they will oc-casionally try something that is “exceptionally he-roic” (nearly impossible). At times like these, theDM’s first reaction is just to say “No” and be donewith it. However, since these are heroes, they of-ten can accomplish things that ordinary mortalscould not. Thus, the wise DM will allow attemptsat these actions.

Simply determine how difficult a proposedaction might be and have the player roll a d20against an appropriate ability score for it. Forsomething extremely improbable (jumping acrossa 30-foot chasm while dressed in full plate armor),the die modifier might be as much as -10, if theDM feels it is warranted. Never deny any actionoutright; always give the PCs a chance.

Don’t try to railroad the players into one courseof action, either. If they don’t want their PCs to goon an adventure, cajoling them will not help mat-ters. The DM may have to explain what it means tobe a hero, but no DM should ever control a play-er’s actions. The DM might want to try offering thesame adventure in different packages, through dif-ferent NPCs, a few separate times. If none of thesetempts the players, try to work the adventure insomeplace else, in the midst of another. Nothing ismore irritating to a player than a DM who con-stantly tries to dictate the actions of the party.

Remember, the DM is there for both his or herown and the players’ pleasure. If one or both ofthese groups is not enjoying itself, the point of thegame is lost. Only if both groups can cooperate tocreate a shared vision is the game successful. TheDM should always strive to make sure that fun ishad by all.

One very important thing to remember is that theDM has the final word on all rules disputes. TheDM shapes the game, and any rules that do not co-incide with the DM’s style should be ignored. This isnot to suggest that all rules simply be discarded, butrather that they be modified as the DM sees neces-sary. While the players may input their opinions asto the form of the rules (usually in their favor), onlythe DM decides. They may decide to take on theresponsibility of DM themselves.

Also, remember that this is just a game. It isnothing over which to destroy real-world friend-ships. All disputes should be handled amicablyand fairly. If any participants cannot deal with theirproblems in a more mature fashion, perhaps thegame ought to be delayed until the problem canbe resolved.

This is only a small list of suggestions for moreeffective refereeing. For a more comprehensiveview of the task, consult DMGR 1, the Campaign

2

Sourcebook and Catacomb Guide. This book pro-vides insight into problems that face every DM, aswell as suggested answers to those problems.

Some refereeing conventions include the use ofboxed text and abbreviations for monsters andNPCs. Text surrounded by a box means that theDM is to read or paraphrase the enclosed text tothe players. Any text not so surrounded is informa-tion for the DM only, to be given to the players ashe or she sees fit. This information may or may notbe discovered by the players’ characters as theyexamine the encounter. Whether they do or notshould depend purely on their actions.

When the PCs encounter monsters, the typicalformat of the presentation is as follows:

Monster Name (Number): lnt ; AL ; AC ; MV ;HD; hp; THAC0; #AT; Dmg; SA; SD; MR; SZ;ML; XP each.

Int = Intelligence; AL = alignment; AC = ArmorClass; MV = movement; HD = Hit Dice; hp = hitpoints; THAC0 = roll to hit AC 0; #AT = numberof attacks/round; Dmg = damage of each attack;SA and SD = special attacks and defenses; MR =magic resistance; SZ = size; ML = morale; XP =experience points for defeating the creature(s).

Example:Skeletons (3): Int Non; AL N; AC 7; MV 12; HD 1;hp 8, 7, 3; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6 (weapon);SD special; MR special; SZ M; ML special; XP 65.

Non-player characters are presented in much thesame way. If they are not major NPCs (who oftenwarrant an entire character sketch), their presenta-tion is as follows:

Tanis Half-Elven: AL NG; AC -3; MV 12; F10; hp79; THAC0 11; #AT 3/2; Dmg by weapon type; S16, D 16, C 12, I 12, W 13, Ch 15; plate mail +2,shield +2, long sword +2

Please note that the class abbreviation follows themovement rating. The abbreviations are:

F = Fighter D = Druid B = BardR = Ranger M = Mage KS = Knight ofP = Paladin I = Illusionist SolamniaC = Cleric T = Thief

A final note: Every DM is advised to carefully readthrough every adventure he or she runs. Nothingdisrupts the flow of an adventure more than a DMwho must constantly flip through the text to seewhat’s going on. If a villain has laid plans, it is imper-ative that the DM know what those plans are.Otherwise, the adventure becomes an exercise indisruption and incoherence. The DM should havean idea about the relative challenge to the playerspresented by the adventure and be able to adjustthe difficulty of the encounters accordingly. If thecharacters seem too powerful for an adventure,

make the encounters more difficult. If they are tooweak, make the encounter s impler . A wel l -balanced game is essential. Always read throughthe adventure at least once!

A Few Words AboutDragonlance®Adventures

Armed with all of this information, the beginningDM now prepares to charge into the fray. But wait!The DM must also learn some essentials about theworld of Krynn-things that separate it and make itunique from all other known worlds.

A proper DRAGONLANCE® campaign bases it-self around the struggle of good versus evil andaround the characters’ relationships in and with theworld. Not every adventure is an earth-shakingevent, destined to alter the history of Krynn. How-ever, every one of them should embody the strug-gle which characterizes the epic quality of theDRAGONLANCE world. While most campaignsare simply a collection of adventurer’s stories, theDRAGONLANCE saga draws these stories togetherinto a coherent whole of epic proportions.

DRAGONLANCE adventures promote thepower of truth over falsehood, justice over injus-tice, and Good over Evil. Good actions will gener-ally be rewarded with blessings, while graveconsequences arise from evil actions. While evilmay temporarily gain a foothold, good shouldeventually win out.

DRAGONLANCE adventures tend to focus lesson the combative aspects of the AD&D® game, andmore on thinking and role-playing. Interpersonalrelationships are a key facet of DRAGONLANCE

play.The world of Krynn itself is markedly different

from others. Any DM who plans adventures withinKrynn should be aware of these differences. Thefeatures which are most distinct include the newraces, the moons and their influences on magic,and the Knights of Solamnia. The races unique toKrynn include the kender, draconians, and mino-taurs. Each of these lends a unique flavor to thegame. Minotaurs appear outside of Krynn, butthey are a lesser race elsewhere.

The effectiveness of magic on Krynn relies onthe three moons. When one’s “patron moon”wanes, so does the efficacy of one’s magic. TheDM must pay careful attention to the phases of themoon where magic is involved.

The Knighthood of Solamnia is the enforcingarm of good. Its goals are not so much to win moreland and glory for good, but to stem the rising tideof evil on Ansalon. The knights are the main forcefor chivalry, law, and goodness on this continent,and they constantly seek to keep the people awareof the knightly ideals,

3

BackgroundAt the height of the War of the Lance, the drag-

onarmies besieged the High Clerist’s Tower nearthe city of Palanthus, where the knighthood hadentrenched itself. After a long wait, a large force ofseasoned knights, led by crazed Lord DerekCrownguard, stormed forth from the Tower. How-ever, Dragon Highlord Kitiara had planned forthis, and the dragonarmy crushed the battalion.

Convinced that this spelled the end of theknights, Kitiara’s army advanced on the HighClerist’s Tower. Only Sturm Brightblade and hisforce of untested knights held Vingaard Passagainst the dragonarmies, while an elven princessand her discovery of a dragon orb stood betweenthe dragonarmies and their rape of Palanthas.

Sturm Brightblade sacrificed his life in order tobuy time for the remaining knights and PrincessLaurana, precious time needed to master thepowers of the orb. His death purchased that time,and more importantly, caught the hearts of thepeople throughout Krynn. It paved the way for arestructuring of the Orders of the Knights of So-lamnia. The knights realized that they had beenliving according to ancient rules that no longerheld any meaning, to a Measure that could neithercontain nor prescribe the honor of a true knight.

It took Brightblade’s death, as well as the inglori-ous and foolish assault of Derek Crownguard, tomake the knighthood realize that its priorities layscattered. After the War of the Lance, the knight-hood honored Sturm Brightblade’s bravery anddedication to the orders of the knighthood.

The knights laid his body in state in the Chamberof Paladine, the burial chambers beneath the HighClerist’s Tower. Here, with his armor and sword ar-rayed about him in honor, he lay peacefully andundisturbed by those who came for inspiration.His tale has been told and re-told, his bravery andintegrity against the corruption of the old, stagnantknighthood seeming to grow with each re-telling.And with each telling, the reforms sweeping theorders gain even more momentum.

Most support the changes, but there are somewho work long and hard to make sure the oldways continue to favor them. It appears that theseopponents of change will stop at nothing to makesure that their positions remain unharmed.

This adventure is designed for three to six char-acters of beginning level. At least one PC must beaspiring to the knighthood (although none shouldhave succeeded, as yet). The rest can be a mixtureof other races and classes, but each player oughtto remember that the knights focus strongly onhonor. Dishonorable characters will hurt theknight-to-be’s chances of joining the Order. Eachplayer must abide by the restrictions of honor at alltimes. If existing characters are not available, theDM may assign the pregenerated characters foundin the center of this book.

Background for the DM�Not everyone has felt joy in the exhaltation of

the famed knight Sturm Brightblade and his hero-ics during the War of the Lance. Sir CharlesCrownguard, in his jealousy over the slighting ofhis cousin, means to defame the Orders. Un-known to anyone (including himself), Crownguardhas been corrupted by a magical item of great evil:the dagger of jealousy. He now plans to desecratethe final resting place of Brightblade and steal hissword (also called Brightblade), thus dishonoringthe knighthood.

He means to accomplish this by hiring a thief tosteal the Brightblade. However, he does not knowthat the Order plans to spirit the sword away as oneof the tests, to see who among the candidates forknighthood has the sharpest mind. The knights, onthe other hand, have no idea that the Test will soonturn from a simulation to the real thing.

What follows is the way the adventure is intend-ed to run. If there are minor deviations, don’t wor-ry. Make sure that any corrections made to thePCs’ path are subtle, and above all, do not forcethem to follow this path. If they go astray, useimagination to put them back on track.

The likely flowof the adventure

I. The player characters arrive at the HighClerist’s Tower.A. They proceed to the candidacy ceremony.B. An assassin makes his bid for Lord Gunthar

and is stopped.II. The Next Day.

A. The knight-to-be begins his tests.B. The other PCs amuse themselves.

III. The Brightblade is “stolen” by Lord Kellin So-lanius as part of the tests.A. He leaves an important clue behind.B. He retrieves the blade just before the thief

hired by Crownguard arrives.C. Solanius travels to Solanthus.

IV. The renegade Crownguard decides to kill Sola-nius for the sword.A. The PCs find the clues left by Solanius.B. The PCs arrive just in time to hear the dying

words of Solanius.V. The PCs chase Crownguard and his thief to his

castle, where they have a final battle. TheBrightblade breaks as Crownguard wields it.

VI. The PCs retrieve the sword and must take it tobe reforged.

VII. The heroes return in victory and their Solam-nic companion is knighted.

Naturally, no one can anticipate all of the thingsa player will do. Know the material, but always beprepared to wing it. Success in this is the measureof a true Dungeon Master.

4

The Knighthood

You and your friends have ridden long andhard to reach the High Clerist’s Tower in timefor the Knightly Council. Sir Delson, a goodfriend of your father, has promised to sponsoryou during your petition to become a squire.You are eager to prove yourself, to join theranks of the gallant knighthood.

The day is bright and clear, the early greeneryseeming to burst with life. Birdsong fills the airwith sweet notes, and the sky is blue and cloud-less. The sun radiates its heat gently on the land.A gentle breeze caresses your faces as you ridefor the Tower. Along the road, both ahead ofand behind you, other candidates for knight-hood also head to the Tower.

The clear, bold notes of trumpets greet you asyou ride through the gates. The excitement feltby all is nearly palpable, electrifying the air.Once inside the large courtyard, young groomsrush forward to relieve you of your horses. Younotice guards stationed around the walls of theTower, keeping a vigilant eye on all comingsand goings. A harried-looking Knight of theCrown directs you toward the High CouncilHall on the 11th floor of the Tower. He intro-duces himself as Sir Rateliff, orders you to cometo him if you have any questions about the Tow-er or its inhabitants, and then tells you, in tonesthat brook no disobedience, to proceed thereat once.

The knight is a descendant of the general whofaced Lord Soth at Dargaard Keep. He has beenassigned to see to the care and housing of the can-didates, and to make sure that they know the wayto the High Council Hall. Due to the compara-tively large volume of applicants, he currently haslittle time to spend answering questions. How-ever, he is thoroughly knowledgeable about thelayout of the 16-story Tower. Although he is a soft-spoken individual, with a manner that seems moresuited to the Library in Palanthas than the knight-hood, his fighting prowess and knowledge of bat-tle tactics make him a fearsome foe in combat.

Sir Rateliff: AL NG; AC 2; MV 9; KC7; hp 53;THAC0 14; #AT 3/2; Dmg 1d8 +2 (long sword); S15, D 14, C 12, I 17, W 16, Ch 13; long sword +2

If the characters do not follow Sir Rateliff’s direc-tions, they are free to wander around the HighClerist’s Tower. However, they will then find them-selves late to the Knightly Council. This willpresent some serious questions about the candi-date’s dedication and the possibility that he is notresponsible enough to enter the knighthood. It al-so will blemish Sir Delson’s honor, since he agreedto sponsor someone unfit for the orders.

Likewise, any of the hopeful knight’s compan-ions who wish to explore the tower must restrainany larcenous tendencies. Even kender must holdback, for any misdeeds by the other PCs will re-flect on their knightly friend. However, if any donot wish to watch the coming spectacle, they arefree to roam around the open parts of the tower. Ifthey so desire, they may even visit the Chamber ofPaladine, where the heroes of the knights lie instate. If they do so during the Knightly Council,nothing is amiss. It is only after the first day of thetests that the theft occurs.

At the entrance to the High Council Hall, allof the candidates and their companions aregathered around two Knights of the Rose. Thecandidates are given white robes to wear overtheir other clothing. The knights then confiscateeveryone’s weapons, saying, “You won’t needthese in there.” After the candidates are suitablyattired, the knights lead everyone into the hall.

If the PCs resist giving up their weapons, theknights will not allow them into the Hall. Onlyweapons which are obvious and openly worn willbe confiscated; a knight would not insult anyone’shonor by accusing him or her of concealing aweapon. The PCs are, however, allowed to weararmor into the hall.

The spectacle in the hall is truly impressive.Rank upon rank of armored men stand beforeyou, gleaming in the sunlight streaming throughthe western window. The proud symbols of theknighthood decorate their armor, and the pro-fusion of knights is almost overwhelming.

Straight ahead of the candidates, in a clearedspace in the center of the room, is a mahoganytable with three chairs arrayed behind it. Thethree chairs are currently empty.

The escorts lead the applicants to the seats ar-rayed before the mahogany table, while a pageshows the candidates’ friends to nearby seats.The tension among the applicants is intense, yetunsurprising, considering that the rulings madein this room will change the lives of those gath-ered today.

The non-candidates among the PCs are seated inan area to the left of the table. There are severalseats available in the front row, just enough to seatall the PCs. They are located about 15 feet fromthe table. Filling most of the rest of the seats are thefamilies of other candidates. Sitting in the backrow is a beautiful blonde woman with intense blueeyes. Most of the males in the room are acutelyaware of her presence.

After a slight wait (which will seem like an eterni-ty to the candidates), the three High Knights enter.High Justice Gunthar Uth Wistan leads the proces-sion into the room with a minimum of pomp. Evenso, their passage seems nearly mystical, like some-

5

thing out of legend.They recite the Oath, “Est Sularus oth Mithas,”

in unison. The three orders repeat it in turn. In uni-son, everyone in the room echoes it. Then, theknights begin to sing their hymn in celebration ofSpring. At last, the three High Knights sit. Afterthey are seated, the rest of the assemblage sits.

The PCs may choose not to participate in theOath, as they are not knights and probably do notknow the words to the Knights’ Hymn. No one willthink worse of them if they do not.

Immediately, Uth Wistan calls the council to or-der. He relates to them the knighthood’s news,which includes news of the dragonarmies (still se-cluded in Sanction), the infiltration of the armiesby the knights’ scouts (it goes well), the dispositionof the spoils of war (to go to needy families and thefamilies of the dead knights), and the rumors of atraitor in their midst. He dismisses this last, claim-ing that no one would be so foolish as to attemptto betray the knighthood.

The hall is bright and warm. Normally, itwould be difficult to stay awake, but the excite-ment flowing through your veins keeps you al-ert. At long last, Lord Uth Wistan calls upon thesupplicants to stand.

The other candidates rise immediately. The PCcandidate may or may not, as he so desires, butnot rising will be considered very rude and imper-tinent. This will color the knights’ perceptions ofthe PC for the rest of his existence.

As Uth Wistan calls each candidate’s name, hereads the sponsor’s name as well. Both come for-ward to the table and present themselves to theaudience. If there is a question of a candidate’shonor based on his previous performance, that in-dividual and his sponsor are ushered to a waitingroom. Although the candidates do not know it,this action has no bearing on their future in theknighthood. It is simply to let them know that theirunacceptable behavior has been noted, and it willnot be tolerated. About halfway through the list,the following event occurs. The assassin is sittingnext to the knight-to-be PC.

Lord Uth Wistan calls out, “Grall Stone-sword, sponsored by Sir Harald Karanus.” Aman sitting next to you rises and moves towardthe table. A knight in the back rises, looks at thecandidate, and with a note of alarm in his voicecalls out, “He’s not mine!”

Lord Uth Wistan trips over his. He falls on hisback, presenting an easy target for the assassin.

Only the PCs and the other candidates are with-in reach of the assassin. Give the PCs the firstchance to react to the killer. If any of them hesi-tate, they should be left out of the initial (and cru-cial) round of action.

Assassin: AL CE; AC 4; MV 9; F2; hp 15; THAC019; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4+1; S 16, D 15, C 12, I 12, W10, Ch 8; SA poison on dagger (roll a successfulsave vs. poison or death occurs in one day)

The person with the best chance of halting theassassin before he reaches Lord Gunthar is theknightly candidate. If attacked, the man will de-fend himself with his dagger.

If the PCs do not react immediately, the man willcontinue his mad dash toward the fallen HighKnight. After a moment of stunned disbelief, theother candidates will rush him but will be too lateto prevent him from reaching Gunthar Uth Wis-tan. The man will straddle the knight, and just be-fore he can begin a fatal swing, he will be tackledby a mass of knights. In the confusion, the daggerwill scratch some NPC, who will go into immedi-ate convulsions. Clerics rush in to tend to him. Fi-nally, in the confusion, Sir Charles Crownguardwill run the assassin through with his sword. Hewill be apologetic, but the assassin will be dead.

If the PCs act quickly, they can drag the assassindown themselves. Even if they are wounded by thepoisoned dagger, the clerics of Mishakal can neu-tralize the poison. Furthermore, if they manage tosuccessfully subdue the murderer, they will havethe gratitude of Uth Wistan and the rest of theknighthood. This will make achieving knighthoodmuch easier, and no questions arise about the PC’shonor later unless he is guilty of gross misconduct.

If questioned, the assassin reveals that he is amember of the dragonarmies, sent by the DragonHighlords to assassinate Uth Wistan. During thequestioning, the man grovels like a worm, beggingfor his life. The knights throw him into a cell in thedungeons. If the PCs kill the man, the knights willbe rather displeased, but they will not grumbleovermuch if the PCs saved the life of Uth Wistan.

After all the confusion, Uth Wistan continuesthe reading of the candidates. If the PCs saved hislife, Uth Wistan adds his name as a sponsor of theknight-to-be PC.

The mysterious supplicant explodes into mo- Finally, the candidates and the spectators are

tion, whipping a dagger from beneath his robes ushered from the Council Hall so that the knights

and leaping toward the table. All the knights are may discuss their private business. The candidates

instantly on their feet with a clash of armor. are sent to take their belongings to the dormitory.

Some leap toward the table instantly, while oth- Those who accompanied the candidates on their

ers pause to draw their swords. It is obvious that journeys will be given temporary quarters in the

none of them will make it to the table in time. Tower. They can also tour the Tower, with the

The three High Knights rapidly push backward now-less-harried Sir Rateliff as their guide. The

in their chairs to move away from the man, but Tower is described in detail beginning on page 13.

6

During this first day, any characters interested inastronomy may observe the constellation Hiddu-kel menacing Kiri-Jolith, a foreshadowing of themadman (see pg. 9). However, do not reveal thisinformation unless someone thinks to ask.

The TestsAfter a restful night’s sleep, the blare of a trum-

pet greeting the dawn wakes the heroes. Most ofthe PCs will have free time on their hands, buttheir knightly friend will have his hands full withthe Tests.

His exertions begin with the dawn, for he andhis comrades-in-training have been roused beforelight struck the eastern sky. If the PC wishes to be-come friends with any of these comrades, the DMis free to invent them and their statistics. Remem-ber that almost all of these will be fighters nogreater in power than 1st or 2nd level.

The calisthenics in full plate mail start at onceand last for two hours. On occasion, a candidatefalls to the ground, unable to continue. Every hourof the day, the PC must roll a successful Constitu-tion check or fall exhausted to the ground for 15minutes. A PC with the Endurance proficiencyneeds to check only once every two hours. If thePC falls, read the following to him:

You lie panting on the ground, unable to mus-ter the necessary strength to climb to your feet.The brutal heat of the sun seems greater thannatural for this time of year. Sweat pours fromyou in rivulets, soaking your underclothes. Yourthroat is dry, crying out with the need for water.Your aching muscles refuse to support any effortto move, even when the shadow of the brutaldrill sergeant Sgt. McKennen falls across you.

He sneers down at you. “Get up, you pathet-ic little weakling. I’ve seen newborn colts withmore stamina than you! Do you really thinkyou’re worthy of the knighthood? Pah! Your pu-ny little body probably couldn’t stand the strainof carrying a shield, much less a sword! Cometo think of it, I don’t know what good a shieldwould do for the likes of you. We could savethem for better specimens-like the dracon-ians. Your only possible value to us would be asa battering ram! Get up, you grovelling worm!”

Sergeant McKennen stands there and con-tinues to harangue you while the other hopefulsstop what they’re doing to watch. At last, yourmuscles on fire, you climb to your quiveringlegs, leaning on your sword. Pain races its fieryway up and down your body, but you finallyachieve your balance. With contempt in hisflat, grey eyes, the drill sergeant turns awayfrom you.

The hero might very well wish to plunge hissword into the sergeant’s back. However, McKen-

nen is ready for any maneuvers of this sort be-cause he’s had it happen more times than he cancount. Although he walks away with a swagger, heis listening for anything that may indicate someonerushing his back.

Sir Michael McKennen: AL NG; AC 0; MV 9;KS10; hp 81; THAC0 11; #AT 3/1; Dmg 1d8+6; S18/53, D 14, C 17, I 12, W 15, Ch 11; long sword+1, shield +1; SA specialized in long sword, dis-arms an opponent on an attack roll of 4 greaterthan needed to hit.

Of course, any knightly hopefuls who do rushhis back will be immediately disqualified fromtraining. On the other hand, if the candidate chal-lenges McKennen to a duel (or simply challengeshim), the sergeant smiles, agrees, and disarms thecharacter quickly, knocking him off of his feet,without even the knightly salute. He then standsover the fallen PC and offers this advice:

“Sometimes, my lad, you’ll face an enemywithout honor. Oftentimes, this is true evenwhen your opponent is vastly superior in skill toyou. Never let down your guard for an instantin combat. Only in tourneys can you fully ex-pect your foe to follow the same code of honoras you. Your hand, please!’ As he pulls you toyour feet, you think you might have seen aglimmer of compassion in his eyes.

Other events for the day after the calisthenics in-clude testing with all sorts of swords, to determineaptitude with each variety. After striking at wood-en posts for what seems like hours, McKennen hasthe candidates pair off to whack at each other withwooden blades. This exercise continues until eve-ry pair has one partner go down under the bludg-eoning of the other. The wooden blades inflict 1d6points of damage, but only 1/4 of this is actual dam-age. The rest will fade within an hour. Anyonewho drops below 0 hit points is knocked uncon-scious for an hour.

Typical Candidate: AL LG; AC 2; MV 9; F1; hp 9;THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; S 15, D14, C 15, I 13, W 12, Ch 14

After the sword test, McKennen will allow abreak for lunch. The candidates are not allowed toremove their armor, although they may take offtheir helms to eat. A cool breeze sighs down fromthe mountain, and most of the trainees sigh grate-fully in response. After two hours of respite havepassed (and the unconscious have awakened andeaten), McKennen rouses everyone to their feet.Despite the groans, training begins again.

This time, the test is of horsemanship and skillwith the lance. The hopefuls can use only heavywarhorses and heavy lances. Although the lanceshave been padded, they still look painful. Targetsare ranged throughout the field.

7

For three hours, McKennen has the trainees ridein circles around the courtyard, demonstratingtheir mastery of a horse from a saddle, as well asshowing their skills with a lance. The PC may wellbegin to feel nauseous from the constant circles.

McKennen warns, “This is a dangerous exer-cise, and you can expect to get hurt. Anyonewho does not want to participate in this eventmay excuse themselves. Of course, you’ll likelynot be accepted to the knighthood if you do so.After all, everyone else went through this, and ifyou can’t stand a little pain, you’re not fit to jointheir ranks!” One red-haired fellow, face aflamewith embarrassment, flees the field. McKennengazes after him in smug satisfaction.

In this exercise, the trainees joust with one an-other. The lances inflict 1d8 +1 points of damage,doubled for the charge (but only 1/4 is real, due topadding). In addition, if the lancer is struck formore than 8 points (after doubling), he must makea Riding check or be unhorsed, suffering an addi-tional 1d2 points of damage.

This continues until the sun sets or all the candi-dates are unconscious. Then, after allowing un-concious candidates time to awaken, he and theother knights face the students they have trained.They stand in a line, swords drawn and pointing

down, until the students fall to attention. McKen-nen proceeds to address them:

“For the most part, you have succeeded ad-mirably today. You have demonstrated to methat you are willing to endure almost anythingto join our illustrious brotherhood, and I saluteyou for it.” The knights raise their swords in theSolamnic salute. McKennen continues, “I havebeen honored to teach you today. I hope thatthose of you who felt my wrath today can for-give me.” He grins. “But I’m sure you’ve hadabout enough of my prattle. One last word ofwarning before I go, though. The tests youfaced today were the easy ones. Tomorrow,your mind will be tested far more severely. Ihope you remember the Measure; otherwise,you’ll be serving as squires for a long time.”

The knights salute you again, and intone, “EstSularus oth Mithas.” They turn on their heelsand walk inside, leaving you to pick up thecourtyard. Once you are done with this, someof the young squires come to escort you to a hotbath, dinner, and bed.

The PC is free to do what he wishes with his eve-ning, but unless he can roll a successful Enduranceor Constitution check at -4, he will collapse intohis bed, already comatose.

8

DiversionsWhile their companion occupies himself with

affairs of the knighthood, the other characters maywish to do more than sit and watch him performhis tests. Since the knighthood is playing gracioushost to the companions of those testing, the char-acters might as well enjoy the hospitality. Alterna-tively, they can leave their companion at the HighClerist’s Tower and travel to Palanthus. This jour-ney takes about a day. However, things might getcomplicated when the knight desperately needshis companions to join him.

Nonetheless, they may wish to travel to the cityto get some things accomplished. For example,while in the city, clerics may need to travel to theTemple of Paladine. Mages might wish to visit theGreat Library or (gods forbid) the Tower of HighSorcery in Shoikan Grove. Thieves may want tocome here to keep their skills sharp, so to speak.

At any rate, the characters should be able tospend half a day amusing themselves. At thatpoint, they encounter a madman (or maybe some-thing else altogether). Whether they travel sepa-rately or together, he will deliver the followingmessage to each of them:

“Oh, great danger now, oh yes, oh yes!” hecackles madly, “When the Trickster crosses theWar God, things go awry! Even now, yourfriends on the pedestal are in need of you, forthe Soulstealer threatens. . . .” And the old manfalls to the steps in a dead faint.

If the PCs somehow rouse the old man, he looksat them in confusion. He asks, “What am I doinghere?” He has no recollection of any of the pre-vious dialogue. However, if the PCs do not roll asuccessful saving throw vs. spell, they will begin tofeel a nameless premonition tugging them towardthe High Clerist’s Tower. A sense of growing dreadaccompanies this feeling, increasing until they be-gin the return trip.

If they remain at the Tower, they have a few oth-er options. Clerics may find it interesting to engagein theological and philosophical discussions withvarious Knights of the Sword. Mages can retire tothe library in the Tower which, while not as wellstocked as the Great Library, still has a nice selec-tion. Thieves should do nothing more than inspectthe defenses and relax. The knights have no toler-ance for burglary, nor for the frivolity of kender.

The Tower is best suited for those interested inthe fighting arts. Warriors will find a vast pool ofsparring partners, as well as some of the finest in-structors available. The knights have a nearly inex-haustible supply of weapons, some of which maybe bartered or traded for those of poorer qualityand a good sum of money. Of course, if the PCssaved the life of the High Justice, the knights’storemaster will be much more willing to trade the

items of value for a lowered price.The knights also keep a fine stable, if the adven-

turers wish to upgrade the quality of their horses.Short of some of the barbarian tribes on Ansalon,few others have such a selection of horses.

The characters may, if they so desire, join a boar-hunting party in the mountains outside of the Tow-er. If the characters choose to go, there is a 25%chance of a special event. If one is indicated, roll1d4 and consult the following table:

1. Avalanche2. Mudslide3. Lame Horse4. Dragon flies overhead

Avalanche: Characters (PC or NPC, as determinedby the DM) on foot in its path must roll a successfulsaving throw vs. petrification or take 2d10 pointsof damage. If their saving throw is successful, thenthey avoid the rocks. Mounted characters mustroll a successful Riding proficiency check or bethrown from the horse, suffering falling damage aswell as avalanche damage. Horses in the path alsosuffer damage.Mudslide: As with the avalanche, the PCs or NPCsmust roll a successful saving throw vs. petrificationor be swept away along with horses in a mudslide.The slide carries creatures 100 yards down themountain. Unless an individual rolls a successfulStrength check to escape the mud, he or she mustbe rescued. Rescuers trying to cross the mud mustroll a successful Dexterity check with a -2 penaltyor lose their footing and slide to the bottom.Horses cannot cross the mud; rescuers must tra-verse it on foot. Trapped characters are submergedand may suffocate, if not rescued quickly enough.(see the Player’s Handbook, pg. 122, “holdingyour breath”)lame Horse: A horse fails to pay attention to itsfooting, steps on a loose rock, and breaks its leg.Unless one of the PCs knows healing magic, itmust be killed to end its suffering.Dragon Flight: It is only a routine patrol of bronzedragons, but it spooks the horses. They remainskittish throughout the rest of the afternoon, andRiding proficiency checks suffer a -3 modifier forthe rest of the day.

Boar-Wild (5): Int Semi-; AL N; AC 7; MV 15; HD3 + 3 ; hp 24, 22, 21, 14, 13; THAC0 17; #AT 1;Dmg 3d4; SZ S; ML 9; XP 175 each.

There are 12 huntsmen, not including the PCs.They are young Knights of the Crown indulging ina bit of sport. Lord Kellin Solanius brings alongsome of his dogs for tracking, as well.

Hunting Knights (12): AL LG; AC 5; MV 9; KS2; hp20, 19, 17, 16, 16, 14, 13, 12, 12, 11, 10, 10;THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type

9

The TheftWhile everyone in the Tower slept, Sir Kellin So-

lanius crept down to the Chamber of Paladinewith one of his war dogs. Very intentionally, hewalked his dog in the mud of the courtyard first sothat it might leave tracks. The Chamber guard, fol-lowing Uth Wistan’s orders, allowed himself to bebound, gagged, and knocked unconscious.

Then, breathing a prayer of forgiveness for thedesecration of the tomb, Solanius removed thesword of Sturm Brightblade from the dead man’scrypt. Wrapping it in heavy cloth, he stole fromthe crypt to his room. Taking his luggage and hisdogs, he left immediately for Solanthus.

However, as he left the Chamber of Paladine, hefailed to observe the figure hiding in the deepshadows in the corner. Corya, the blonde from theinitiation ritual, concealed by her black clothing,arrived just a little too late to steal the sword her-self. However, she has memorized Solanius’ facefor future reference so that she and Crownguardmight retrieve the sword later.

Begin the second day by reading the followingto the PC candidate only:

The morning dawns bright and early, a typicalbeginning to a beautiful day. You and the otherknights-to-be have arisen, tended to your morn-ing rituals, and eaten breakfast. Most of yourcompatriots do not anticipate enjoying theday’s tests; if they are anywhere near as difficultas Sir McKennen hinted, many do not predictsurviving the day. All of you now sit at thebreakfast tables, conversing.

When Lord Aeric Truehilt, today’s instructor,arrives, the candidates stand, ready to begin thetests. Thus, it comes as a total surprise when heinstead announces, “Everyone to the HighCouncil Hall. Now. No questions. Don’t worryabout dressing for the occasion. The High Jus-tice must tell you something.” His tone brooksno argument, and his thunderous demeanordares anyone to defy him.

If the PC does try to open his mouth or disobeyin any way, Truehilt will turn on him with an unbe-lievable fury. Until the erring character backsdown, Truehilt will rage at him. If this goes on fortoo long, Truehilt will recommend that he not beallowed to continue the testing process; someonewho cannot obey a simple order obviously cannotunderstand the more complex rules by which aKnight of Solamnia must abide. If no one questionsTruehilt, the candidates march upstairs to the hall,casting uneasy glances at one another.

When they arrive, they will find many of the oth-er knights gathered there as well. Many look sternand unforgiving while others are simply outraged.Various knights tug at their mustaches in anxiety ortightly controlled fury. It is easy to see, however,

that many knights have already departed for theirhomes after the Spring Council, for there are nu-merous vacancies in the seating.

The candidates are ushered rather firmly intothe corner. Uth Wistan and the other High Knightsarrive. They seat themselves without ceremonyand speak the Oath. The High Justice immediatelyspeaks, wrath evident in his voice.

“Apparently, I was wrong about the sup-posed traitor in our midst,” he says. “Just lastevening, someone broke into the sanctifiedChamber of Paladine and stole the sword froma dead man’s chest! What is worse, this swordserved to symbolize all that is good and noblein the knighthood. Because of the misplacedfaith in one of our knights, the body of SturmBrightblade lies violated! If this were for a goodcause, the insult to the dead would not be sogrievous. As it is, the offense is unparalleled.

“I want the candidates to dress themselves intheir armor, gather their weapons, and begin tosearch for the perpetrator. Bring the culpritback for justice, and restore the honor of theknighthood! Use everything, and I mean every-thing, you have learned here, heard here, andseen here in this tower to track the guilty party.If you have companions you trust well, you mayinclude them in your quest.

“I hereby open the entirety of the Tower foryour perusal. I expect any knights present togive you whatever help they may. I am not cer-tain that the malefactor has left the environs,but we have to assume that it is a distinct possi-bility. Prepare yourselves for long journeys, butmake sure you are thorough in your search.

“The one who finds the missing sword shallbe allowed to completely bypass any require-ments of becoming a squire, and will be directlyknighted. If none of you finds the blade withinthree months, knights shall ride out to searchfor it. I bid you all good day, and good luck.May the Three Gods aid you.”

Meanwhile, the other characters awaken to thesounds of booted feet and armor clanging downthe hallways. A steward comes and knocks at eachof their doors, and asks them to accompany him tothe High Council Hall. Once they reach the hall,they wait outside for only a few scant minutes be-fore knights come bursting out. Any questions putto the steward before the knights come out are an-swered with a polite, “I know not, my lords.”

If they have chosen to follow the steward, theother characters will be there when their compan-ion emerges from the Council Hall. He can chooseto enlighten them or not, as he sees fit. However,the rest of the adventure hinges on their coopera-tion, as each character should have unique talentsto contribute. Once he joins his waiting compan-ions, read the following:

10

The other candidates and knights are hurry-ing from the room. Some have taken the time togroup together into little clusters, discussing op-tions. All of them seem to be at a loss as towhere to start their search for the Brightbladeand its thief.

The knights themselves mill about outside theHigh Council Hall, arguing among themselves.Sir Rateliff stands beside the door to the hall,stroking his long mustache. Over in the corner,Lord Crownguard argues with the beautifulblonde. Their voices do not carry, but their ca-dences do rise above a whisper occasionally,giving you no doubt that Crownguard is furiousabout something.

Crownguard and Corya are quarreling about herfailure to get the Brightblade before it was stolenby Solanius. Crownguard cannot denounce Sola-nius without admitting his own guilty intentions.After they lay the blame on one another, Crown-guard and Corya begin to plan a way to get theblade for themselves. If anyone draws near tothem, they will smoothly change the subject be-fore the person draws within earshot.

Have all of the PCs roll an Intelligence checkwith a -2 modifier. If any succeed, they remem-ber that Sir Rateliff is the ultimate authority on thelayout of the Tower, and might well be able to an-swer any questions they have. If any adventurerremembers without having to roll the Intelligencecheck, give the character a 20-xp bonus.

Rateliff will not volunteer information or advice,for Uth Wistan has instructed him not to; the char-acters must draw it from him. He will only answerquestions along the following lines:1. Layout of the Tower. Refer to The Investigation

for the information he can provide. Althoughhe does not know the specific contents, Rate-liff can give a general description of each floor.

2. Quarters of the various knights, and their ec-centricities. More specifically, he can tell theplayers that it is Lord Kellin Solanius who ownsthe dogs. If they ask about Gunthar Uth Wistan,he can tell them that Uth Wistan often playsgames within games. Any question about McK-ennen leads to a speech about McKennen’s fi-delity. Finally, a question about Crownguarddraws a puzzled look, as if Rateliff himselfweren’t certain of the man. He says that Crown-guard had been acting strangely even before hiscousin’s ignominious defeat here at the Tower.The man has become radically different in thatshort span of time, and no one really knowswhat he’s doing these days.

Rateliff will not wait outside the Council Hall for-ever. He, too, has a daily routine, and those whowant to find him will just have to look for him. Heis not here to serve the PCs.

The InvestigationThis is the most important phase of the adven-

ture. If the heroes cannot figure out any course ofaction, they will not be able to advance to the nextstage. In this event, the DM must gently nudgethem along the right course. Perhaps the charac-ters overhear some of the other candidates sayingsomething about the Chamber of Paladine. An-other good ploy to keep them from wasting time isto have knights emerging from the level they pro-pose to search. The knights tell them, “There’snothing here. We searched it thoroughly, andyou’ll just be wasting your time.”

If the PCs ask to join with any of the other candi-dates, the trainees will reject them. They claim thatwhile teamwork might well prove to be of someuse, the PCs are already a large enough group; anymore would prove much too unwieldy. No amountof persuasion will get these men to join.

There are only two areas which hold any clues.One is on level 7, where Lord Solanius residedwhile he was here. The other is in the Chamber ofPaladine, as well as on the steps leading to that ar-ea. The party will gain any other clues onlythrough questioning the various guards who wereon duty last night.

If at any time they go looking for the tombguard, they will learn that he is currently in the in-firmary with a bandaged head. Apparently, hetook a nasty blow, and is going to be recoveringfor some time.

If the PCs have taken their time in getting to him,he will comment on how popular he has become.Otherwise, he will gleam with pleasure at becom-ing so important to the knighthood. If questioned,he relates the following:

“I had just relieved the previous guard fromduty, and was preparing for another long nightof boredom!’ He sneezes, and winces from thepain it causes his head. “Sorry. Where was I?Oh, yes. I was practicing some moves with mysword when I heard someone coming downthe stairs. I knew it was a knight, because platemail does not exactly lend itself to stealth.

“I greeted the knight and, since I recognizedhim, let him past me into the Chamber of Pala-dine. He said he had some prayers to attend to.The next thing I knew, I was lying on the coldstone floor outside the Chamber, holding myaching head.

“The worst thing about all of this is that I re-member recognizing the knight, but I can’t recallhis face now! I mean, I know that blows to thehead can make you forget things, but I cannotbelieve that I would forget the most importantthing that has ever happened to me!” This obvi-ously frustrates him a great deal, for he knowshow important this is to the knighthood as well.

11

After subsequent questioning, it seems apparentthat he cannot tell the heroes much more. As theyare on their way from the room, he calls themback to him.

“I just remembered something,” he blurtsout, bursting with pride. “The knight had alarge mastiff with him, and it was very welltrained. Does that help at all?” He then fallsback into his pillows, his face pale and drawn.He seems more contented now that he has ac-tually been able to remember something of use.

As much as he would like to, he cannot help theadventurers any further. His amnesia is real, fromhaving been clubbed a little too hard by Solanius,and cannot be cured by spells. He now believesthat the theft was real, and genuinely wishes hecould remember more.

Tomas, the gate guard who was on duty frommidnight to dawn (known as the first watch), is get-ting ready to go to Palanthas on leave when thecharacters find him during their search. He is inthe barracks packing his belongings. Although heis fiercely devoted to the knighthood, this is hisfirst furlough in over three months, and he is nothappy to have it delayed any longer.

When you enter the barracks you see a hard-looking man picking up a large, stuffed bag. Heglances up as you make your entrance and ap-pears to curse softly to himself.

“Well,” he says, his rasping voice betrayinghis disgust, “I guess furlough’s gonna have towait.” He seats himself on one of the beds andwaits for you to do the same.

If asked about his exasperation, he explains thatthis is his first holiday in some time, and he’s prob-ably going to be stuck here answering questionsfor at least a day. When the real questions begin hesays:

“Yeah, I was on duty last night for the firstwatch. Really cold and, more to the point, re-ally boring. After all, who’s gonna attack theTower? After we took on an entire dragonarmy,I think we’ve got a pretty ferocious reputation.

“Anyway, three or four knights left during mywatch. You’d think that these guys, being expe-rienced warriors and travelers, would want towait until they could at least see the light in theeast before they set out.

“There was young Warin Strongbow, headedto Palanthus. He said something about findingsome excitement. Arius Steelhelm took off forTarsis. Said he had urgent business. The arro-gant knave said he had no time for talking to thelikes of me. Reminds me of the old knighthoodduring Crownguard’s time.

“Only one of them had any real light (andprobably any real brains, too); he was carrying

12

one o’ them light-gems from Solanthus. Thatwas . . . let’s see . . . yeah, that was Kellin Sola-nius. He had his dogs with him, as always. Idon’t think he goes anywhere without ‘em.Said he was goin’ back to the old family home-stead there.

“Finally, there was Keris Virtainus. He toldme he was going east on a “mission of impor-tance” for the knighthood. Something about awhole bunch of new minotaurs showing up onMithas. He said these guys supposedly camefrom even further east than that. Just betweenyou n’ me, I didn’t think there was any land easto’ Mithas. An’ who cares about thirty moreminotaurs? It’s not like they mean the destruc-tion of the knighthood or anything.

“An’ that was it. Hope I’ve been some help. Ifyou’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta pack some morestuff.” He turns his back on you, and resumeshis preparations for his journey.

Tomas does not know any more than that. Ifquestioned further, he’ll shrug and say, “I don’tknow,” or words to that effect. He has already of-fered the only information he knows that might beuseful.

Layout of the TowerLevel 16: Nest of the Kingfisher. This is one of twoareas that the candidates are not free to enter. It isthe sacred home of the knighthood’s token, andthe knights will not allow it to be disturbed.

Level 15: High Lookout. The only thing up here,aside from the knight on patrol, is the whistlingwind.

Level 14: Living and Learning Areas. Searching thisarea takes about two hours.

Level 13: Maze. This place is simply a test of thewits and directional ability of those who comehere. If the characters wish to search this place, itwill take them over four hours.

Level 12: The Khas Room. Meditation and quietreflection are the dominant features of this room.Level 12 also houses a Grand Hall, but it is com-pletely empty. It takes two and a half hours tosearch this level.

Level 11: High Council Hall and Library. This levelis growing very familiar to the PCs. They may con-clude that there is nothing here after only forty-fiveminutes of searching.

Level 10: Abbeys and Clerical Offices. This iswhere the various clerics of the Gods of Good arequartered when they are here. The chaplain willclaim that nobody came by last night, and thedoors were securely locked when he awoke thismorning. It takes two hours to search this level.

Level 9: Abbeys and Clerical Offices. This level isnearly identical to level 10.

Level 8: Abbeys and Clerical Offices. As with level9, the cleric here asserts that no one stopped bywhile he was awake. Since the knights usuallywake him when they need to do some praying orconfessions, he assumes that none visited at all lastnight. Although he does not lock the abbey, he isfairly certain that there were no nocturnal visitors.A search of the level will take only one and a halfhours, because the cleric will join in the search.

Level 7: Grand Halls and Elegant Quarters. TheGrand Halls are situated conveniently for any visit-ing dignitaries, who are quartered in the finest ac-comodations the High Clerist’s Tower has to offerwhen they visit. When there are no important out-siders to entertain, prominent knights often takethese rooms for their own.

One interesting thing the characters can find inone of these rooms is an overwhelming amount ofevidence suggesting many dogs. There are dogtracks littering the floor, closely resembling themuddy dog prints on the steps leading to theChamber of Paladine. If the party has been thereand noticed the tracks, they will easily recognizethese.

There is dog hair all over everything. The manstaying in this might have been a nobleman, buthe certainly did not keep his dogs from dirtyingthings. If the characters ask around, they will even-tually find out (probably from Sir Rateliff) that LordKellin Solanius occupied these chambers duringhis stay.

Level 6: Gardens. Because of the nearly constantactivity in this area, with a staff of full-time garden-ers keeping the area free from weeds, any cluesthat might have once been here are totally obliter-ated. There is evidence of fresh digging every-where, so any complete search of this area wouldtake over seven hours.

Level 5: Treasury and Maze. The maze hides theentrance to the Great Treasury of the High Clerist’sTower. Since only the three ranking knights mayenter the maze freely, and the guards outside re-mained conscious all evening, they are sure thatthe sword is not hidden within. Therefore, this ar-ea is totally off-limits.

Level 4: Kitchens. Servants bustle here and there,carrying racks of beef, huge tubs of steaming wa-ter, and other food-related goods. If any arestopped and questioned, they will say that thereare always at least 10 people in the kitchen at anygiven time. Thus an outsider, especially at mid-night, would be easily noticed. There is no need tosearch this level, but if the characters do so it willtake them one hour.

13

Level 3: Dining Hall and Guard Rooms. While thedining room is well-appointed, there is nothingeven closely resembling Sturm’s sword in the area.Likewise, the guards in the efficiently-kept bar-racks would have immediately noticed if any in-truders had entered their area. They will be deeplyinsulted if the heroes insist on searching here any-way, and will offer no aid in the search. Thus, thesearch here takes two hours.

Level 2: Temples and Quarters. The quarters arewhere the lesser knights and the candidates staywhile at the Tower. Only the most fastidious andstubborn PCs will search these areas, for they cer-tainly heard nothing last night. A search of thequarters takes two hours.

The Temples are where the grand ceremonies ofthe knighthood take place. The burnished wood-en pews gleam softly in the refracted light from thestained glass. Its beauty is totally unmarred by anyclues for the characters.

Level 1 (Ground Level): Dragontraps, Courtyard,Stables, and Dungeons. These areas are just astheir names describe. The dragontraps have beencleared of the dead blue dragons and eagerlyawait their next victims. The courtyard is stillchurned and muddy from yesterday’s practice ses-sions, awaiting a good rain shower to smooth itout again.

The stables hold a sizable number of excellenthorses, although this number is smaller now thatso many knights have lef t the Tower. Thedungeons currently hold no prisoners, for whichthe jailer is profoundly happy. The dungeons alsohold no clues, nor do the rest of the areas. This willtake about six hours to ascertain.

Cellar: Chamber of Paladine. Go to the next sec-tion for a full description.

Knights’ Spur: This is a hollowed wall that isroughly square in shape, about 200 feet on a side.It has three levels which house a chapel, maprooms, meeting rooms, and several sleepingrooms. This is the only part of the Tower that wasused during the siege of the War of the Lance, ex-cept the dragontraps. There is a stream which runsthrough an aqueduct underneath the castle.

Though the PCs might search here (for what bet-ter place to hide a stolen object than under the vic-tim’s nose?), they will find nothing pertaining totheir quest. It will take about three hours to thor-oughly search the Spur.

The Chamber of PaladineImmediately upon entering, have the characters

roll a Wisdom check with a +2 modifier. If anysucceed, they will notice two sets of muddy foot-prints on the staircase leading downward; a large

dog’s and a human’s. Both lead directly to the doorof the Chamber of Paladine and through the doorinto the tomb.

Even if none of the PCs notice the tracks imme-diately, allow them to re-roll the modified Wisdomcheck after each turn they spend searching. Whena success is finally rolled, the tracks are noticed.

If they enter the crypt itself, they will see that thesarcophagus labeled “Sturm Brightblade” has hadits cover pushed away to reveal its contents. If theyenter the room to investigate, the door swings shutbehind them, drawing a thunderous echo in thecrypt. At that precise instant, the torches flare out.

In all the excitement, it appears as if someonehas forgotten to change the torches. At least,this is what you assume when they gutter madlyfor an instant and then extinguish themselves.You scramble for a moment to establish a newlight source, then realize that you can still see.

The mysterious light source is an amber gemwith a mellow gleam. It glows serenely for a fewmoments longer and begins to flicker. Beforeanyone can do anything, the sunny light ema-nating from it fades entirely.

The characters may now take whatever actionthey wish. Of first priority, of course, is getting alight. Once they have achieved this, they may ex-amine the gem. It lies just to the left of Bright-blade’s tomb, an interesting little jewel that hassomehow been carved into the shape of an eaglein flight.

Any character who rolls an Intelligence checkwith a -3 modifier or any character who hailsfrom Solanthus will recognize the gem as one ofthe Solanthian light-gems. It can hold sunlight forup to 30 hours after having been exposed to it forone turn.

Additionally, anyone who rolls another success-ful (unmodified) Intelligence check will remembercertain other important facts about these light-gems. The most relevant is that, due to the miner-al’s rarity, each stone is personally crafted for oneindividual. Thus the craftsmen of Solanthus, whoare the only ones skilled enough to work the light-gems, would probably recognize this one and beable to identify its owner.

If none of them make the check, almost anyoneelse in the Tower can give them this information.The clues by now should tell the players that So-lanthus should be their next destination. At thispoint, the characters may choose to investigatefurther or to ride for Solanthus at once.

The players may wish to show the light-gem toother candidates in hopes of gaining more mem-bers to their party. If they try this, they will find thatmost of the others have left the Tower for variouspoints, following their own lines of investigation.

14

Erastin RivenguardMale Human Fighter, Level 1Lawful Good

AC:MV:

1 THAC0: 209 #AT: 1

hp: 11 Dmg: 1d8+1Str: 17Dex: 16

Int: 14Wis: 15

Con: 15 Cha: 12Weapon Proficiencies: heavy lance, long sword,two-handed sword, daggerNon-weapon Proficiencies: horse riding, heraldry,animal handling, reading/writing, enduranceEquipment: plate mail, family’s long sword, heavywar horse

By permission of TSR, Inc., this page may be reproduced for personal use only. ©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Resewed.

Targin SteelaxeMale Dwarven Fighter, Level 3Chaotic Good

AC 3MV: 6

THAC0: 18#AT: 3/2 or 1/1

hp: 29 Dmg: 1d8+3Str: 17Dex: 17

Int: 10Wis: 9

Con: 16 Cha: 15Weapon Proficiencies: battle axe (specialized),short bow, daggerNon-weapon Proficiencies: endurance, mountain-eering, stonemasonry, blacksmithingEquipment: chain mail, ponyMagical Items: chain mail +1, 20 arrows +1

By permission of TSR, Inc., this page may be reproduced for personal use only. ©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Galenye FaelernFemale Human Thief, Level 2Neutral Good

AC 4MV: 12

THAC0: 20#AT: 1

hp: 10 Dmg: 1d6+1Str: 13Dex: 17

Int: 15Wis: 12

Con: 12 Cha: 16Weapon Proficiencies: wrestling, short swordNon-weapon Proficiencies: juggling, tumbling,disguise, reading lipsEquipment: thieves’ picks, numerous hiddenpouches, three doses of contact sleep poison (suc-cessful save vs. poison or fall asleep for 1 turn)Magical Items: leather armor +2, short sword +1,rope of climbing

Thieving Abilities:PP: 30% OL: 40% F/RT: 35% MS: 35%HS: 20% DN: 15% CW: 60% RL: 0% I.b.Backstab x2

By permission of TSR, lnc., this page may be reproduced for personal use only. ©1992, TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Erastin Rivenguard grew up in a family with along tradition of providing soldiers to the Knightsof Solamnia. At last, the knighthood agreed tohonor this contribution by allowing one of thefamily’s children to seek entrance into the Order.Thus, from the moment Erastin could speak, hewas groomed for the knighthood. Ever since hecould read, he has studied the Measure and wasmade to recite the Oath every night before heslept. His knowledge of the Measure is greaterthan most full knights’.

To ensure that he was fit in more than just mind,the Rivenguards hired the dwarf Targin Steelaxe tosee to the boy’s training. Targin made sure thatErastin learned both the chivalric forms of combatand the more common dirty fighting.

To prove his worth before seeking entrance intothe knighthood, Erastin began his adventuring.He, Targin, and Galenye took up arms. In time, hegathered more companions, each whom he val-ues dearly. He would sacrifice his life and hischance at the knighthood for his friends.


Targin Steelaxe has always been somewhat of aloner. His childhood in Thorbardin affected himstrangely, somehow driving him to the open airwhich frightens so many dwarves. Indeed, he be-comes claustrophobic underground. In all otherways, however, he seems the typical dwarf. He isgrumpy, dour, and stern. Underneath, he holds adeep love for all that is good and will attempt todestroy anything that perverts it. He hates dracon-ians nearly more than anything.

He is a young dwarf, about 75 years old. In thistime, he has learned a decent measure of fighting

skill. Targin was, for a time, the companion of aknight, and he learned the ways of true honorfrom him. Thus, he seemed a natural choice to tu-tor Erastin in knightly combat. Targin now travelswith Erastin to the High Clerist’s Tower to see howwell his teaching took hold.

Targin has been a long-time friend to Jilani, al-though he distrusts the magic she wields. He washappy to have her join the expedition to the Tow-er, and he took an instant liking to Karathos theMinotaur. However, he hides this with a typicaldwarven gruff exterior.


Having grown up in the same Solamnic villageas Erastin Rivenguard, Galenye knows him well.As children they were sweethearts, and she hasnot forgotten the childish love she felt for himthen.

For a few years, she traveled away to Gwynneddin Ergoth. There she learned the skills that enabledher to survive in the city, as well as the illegal tradeby which she survived for a time. It was also therethat she was captured and thrown in jail. TheErgothians planned to execute her, but she man-

aged to escape from the jail before they did so.After having re-encountered Erastin, she real-

ized the fundamental selfishness of her previouslife. She now uses her thief’s skills to combatcrime, rather than commit it.

More often than not, she uses her good looksand charming manner instead of hard work to getby. Although she is somewhat lazy, she is begin-ning to develop a strong sense of honor throughher friendship with Erastin.


JilaniFemale Half-Elf Mage, Level 1Chaotic Good

AC: 7 THAC0: 20MV: 12 #AT: 1hp: 4 D m g : 1 d 6S: 10 I: 18D: 11 W: 12C: 9 Ch: 13Weapon Proficiencies: quarterstaffNon-weapon Proficiencies: astrology, reading/writing, dancing, spellcraft, disguiseEquipment: spellbook, robes, staffMagical Items: ring of protection +3Spells in spellbook: detect magic, magic missile,read magic, shield, wall of fog


KarathosMale Minotaur Fighter, Level 2Lawful Good

AC: 4 THAC0: 19MV: 12 #AT: 3/2 and 1hp: 24 Dmg: 1d8+9Str: 19 Int: 10Dex: 15 Wis: 8Con: 17 Cha: 9Weapon Proficiencies: battle axe (specialized),two-weapon style, wrestlingNon-weapon Proficiencies: tracking, seamanship,rope use, blind fighting, ambidexterityEquipment: 50’ silk rope, grappling hookMagical Items: chain mail +1, battle axe +2


Siriath LeafwineMale Elven Cleric, Level 2Lawful Good

AC: 2 THAC0: 19MV: 12 #AT: 1hp: 14 D m g : 2 d 4S: 14 I: 13D: 16 W: 17C: 15 Ch: 12Weapon Proficiencies: morning star, slingNon-weapon Proficiencies: healing, herbalism, re-ligion, reading/writing, ancient historyEquipment: chain mail, shieldMagical Items: medallion of faith Spells: 1st level: 4

Favored spells: command, cure light wounds,entangle, light


For as long as she can remember, Jilani has beenfascinated with magic. Although she has not beenat it too long, she has found that she has a naturalaptitude for the work. Her lifelong friend TarginSteelaxe distrusts her sorcery, yet he seems to ac-cept it as a necessary evil.

For a time, she and Targin went their separateways, choosing to gain more experience in theirchosen fields. A few years passed. On her wayback to their designated meeting place, shestopped in a tiny hamlet for the night. Little did sheknow that the natives were incredibly supersti-tious, regarding her as a witch to be destroyed. Asshe slept that night, the natives crept into her roomand bound and gagged her. They prepared a greatpyre in the center of town and tied her to a stake inthe center of it. They were preparing to torch the

whole pile when a horned figure burst roaringfrom the forest at the edge of the tiny village.

Since they had never seen a minotaur before,the villagers fled from the creature they assumedwas a fiend from the Abyss. Soon, the whole vil-lage was deserted. Jilani, having prepared herselffor the searing heat, was amazed instead to findgentle hands untying her.

She and the minotaur Karathos became fastfriends. When they reached the Solamnic villageafter several interesting exploits, she found thatTargin had found himself a whole new group offriends, and that they were heading to the HighClerist’s Tower. She and Karathos agreed to comealong. She does not quite trust the thief Galenye,nor does she fancy the elven cleric. However,since Targin allows them to come, she accepts it.


Karathos’ origins are something of a mystery. He appearance, attempted to take him hostage.will not speak of his past willingly. He says only Karathos has a unique fighting style. He fightsthat he came from the lands to the northeast of An- with a battle axe in each hand, and has named hissalon. This would lead one to believe that he is two axes Bonebiter (magical) and Heartcleaver.from the brutal continent of Taladas, leading to His expertise is such that he gets three attacks eve-even more speculations. ry two rounds with Bonebiter. He is a savage fight-

Only Karathos knows the true story: He left the er when enraged, yet he retains his code of honorLeague of Minotaurs to escape the constant brutal- at all times.ity inherent in life there. He took a small ship with He has a bet with Erastin that Erastin won’t maketwo companions who found life on Taladas equal- it to the knighthood. His honor prevents him fromly unattractive. However, storms and continual ill- fouling Erastin’s chances, and besides, he wants toluck ruined their expedition on the shores of see Erastin succeed, for the two honor-bound indi-Ansalon, and he found himself washed up alone viduals have become good friends. He is simplyon the shores of Mithas. trying to offer a little more impetus.

He set out to find his comrades, but was not sure He trusts Jilani implicitly, for they have experi-where to begin looking. One thing is certain: he is enced many things together. He is still wary of allnot welcome on Mithas any longer, for he the others in Erastin’s band.slew the minotaurs who, suspicious of his foreign


Siriath Leafwine is a distant descendant ofSilvanos, the founder of Silvanesti. In the War ofthe Lance, Siriath commanded a troop of elvenwarriors in raids along the dragonarmies’ flanks.He saw that the “cursed humans” were bringingthe Queen of Darkness back to Krynn, and helonged for a way to combat this.

Soon, he encountered a true cleric of Paladineand was converted. However, he did not lose hisracial intolerance. His stiff-necked pride alienatedmany of the clerics of other races whom he en-countered.

He began having dreams of a huge golden drag-on. It turned its head sorrowfully toward him andgazed at him with reproach in its eyes.

The dream became ever more realistic, until one

night when the dragon spoke. “Go. Leave thisland and journey with those you would brand im-pure. Do not return until you have learned thetrue value of humanity.” When Siriath awoke, hefound himself in a strange place and heard a groupof beings approaching him. This is how he came tomeet Erastin and his comrades.

Although he remains haughty, he is becomingmore and more impressed with these others. Theirshort lives are incredibly rich and full, and theyhave developed an appreciation for beauty rival-ling that of the elves. Even the “savage” minotaurhas a true zest for life.

While Siriath still lapses into his arrogance, thishappens less as time progresses. He is even be-coming a pleasant individual with whom to travel.


The Road to SolanthusThe road to Solanthus is fraught with peril. In the

wake of the War of the Lance, many less savoryindividuals found that the way of the sword suitedthem. Others had no homes to which to return, forthe War had devastated the land. The War awak-ened many voracious monsters, too. Many claimthat it is not safe to travel anywhere without aheavily-armed escort.

There is no paved road between the HighClerist’s Tower and Solanthus, although there is anadmirable dirt trail from so many years of travelbetween the two areas. The distance between thetwo is about 120 miles, requiring three days ofmounted travel. Although the road sees frequentuse (or perhaps because of this fact), bandits andvarious other creatures often use this area as a fo-cal point for their depradations.

Roll 1d10 twice a day to determine if the partyencounters some of these creatures. On a roll of 1or 2, they have encountered one of the followingcreatures. Roll 1d8 to determine which:

Wandering Monsters

1. Stag (1): Int Animal; AL N; AC 7; MV 24; HD 3;hp 20; THAC0 17; #AT 1 or 2; Dmg 1d3/1d3(hooves) or 2d4 (antlers); SZ M; ML 7; XP 65.

2. Draconians, Baaz (4): Int Average; AL LE; AC 4;M V 6, Glide 18; H D 2; hp 15, 13, 8, 7; THAC0 19;#AT 1; Dmg 1d8 (battle axes); SZ M; ML 13; XP 175each.

3. Goblins (8): Int Low; AL LE; AC 6 (10); MV 6;HD 1-1; hp 6, 5, 5, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3; THAC0 20; #AT 1;Dmg 1d6 (short swords); SZ S; ML 10; XP Varieseach.

4. Bandits (5): Int Low; AL CE; AC 5; MV 12; HD1 +1; hp 8, 7, 5, 5, 2; THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8(long swords); SZ M; ML 10; XP Varies each.

5. Ogres (2): Int Low; AL CE; AC 5; MV 9; HD4+1; hp 31, 28; THAC0 17; #AT 1; Dmg 1d10 (orby weapon); SA +2 to damage; SZ L; ML 11; XP175 each.

6. Tinker Gnomes (8): Int Highly; AL NE; AC 5;M V 6; H D 1; hp 8, 7, 7, 6, 3, 3, 1, 1; THAC0 19;#AT 1; Dmg 1d6; SZ S; ML 8; XP 65 each.

7. Wolves (3): Int Semi-; AL N; AC 7; MV 18; HD2+2; hp 9, 8, 7; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4+1;SZ S; ML 10; XP 65 each.

8. Kender (4): Int Average; AL CN; AC 8; MV 6;HD 1; hp 6, 6, 3, 1; THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6;SZ S; ML 20; XP 65 each.

The stag silently appears from behind a stand oftrees, gazing impassively at the party. Although thestag obviously is not the fabled White Stag of leg-end, an inhuman intelligence seems to lurk be-hind its eyes. If any in the party approach it, itgazes at them a while longer and then, with an im-pertinent flick of its white tail, vanishes into thewoods.

The draconians pose as traveling mendicantswho appear as no threat. They are dressed in longbrown robes with hoods covering their features.Filthy bandages swath their hands, obscuring theirreptilian heritage. Since they are currently in aleadership crisis, they have no formal plans for at-tack. They rely on their time-worn method, that ofusing their disguises to draw close to their victimsand then attacking.

It is very possible (75% chance) that the sight ofa knightly person will cause them to ignore theirplan and simply rush forth screeching. They havenot forgotten that the knighthood played a crucialrole in the downfall of the dragonarmies, and theylong for revenge.

The goblins are beginning to get some organiza-tion after the War and are trying to amass somenotoriety so that they may attract more followers.Obviously, they won’t last long by attacking travel-ing knights and their companions. This particularcompany has no sense of tactics and will breakcover screaming. They have over 40 yards to tra-verse before they can reach their prey, allowingthe victims plenty of time to ready a defense. Noone ever said goblins were smart.

The bandits are under the command of one ErekMalham, a crafty old warrior from before the War.He wisely took no sides, preying on both for hisliving. His opponents call him “The SolanthianScourge” for his irritating habit of interceptinggoods going both to and from the city. The mer-chants of Solanthus have set a 1,000 stl reward onhis head.

Erek Malham: AL CE; AC 6; MV 12; F2; hp 15;THAC0 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8+1; S 16, D 14, C 10, I14, W 13, Ch 16; broad sword +2, leather +2

When the characters come upon the bandits,they are encamped in a small depression. Thebandits are totally surprised, allowing the charac-ters a free first attack. This will completely negateMalham’s tactical ability, allowing for a fairer fightbetween the two parties. If the heroes kill Malham,they may claim the reward in Solanthus.

The ogres are a mated pair on a simple bashingspree. They will not surrender, but if one shouldfall, the other will go into a berserk rage, gaining a+2 modifier on initiative and attack rolls until itdies. They will not flee from battle and have nostrategy. Crushing things is all they want to do.

The gnomes are would-be raiders. They havediscovered the theory that it is easier to feed onothers’ work rather than doing one’s own. Unfor-

19

tunately for them, their method of going about itdoes not produce the best results. Of course, theyrely on their technology and their wits (in that or-der) to overcome any obstacles in their path. Forthis reason, they are currently starving.

When the party encounters them, they arestanding around a strange contraption, having justgiven it the final touches, The thing looks likenothing more than a steam-blowing scrapheapwith a huge and terrifying metallic face mountedon the front. It apparently acts as a ram as well asan awe-inspiring piece. It chuffs scalding steamfrom its mouth and nose, making the face resem-ble a fire-breathing gnome. Its spiked wheels findeasy purchase in the ground, the fifth wheelmounted in the rear providing the steering. Theoverall effect, however, is not one that inducesoverwhelming fear; rather, the contraption is ludi-crously humorous.

When the gnomes first spy the characters, theyleap into the “death machine” and stoke its firesto greater heat. The machine rumbles ominouslyand rolls slowly forward, gathering speed as it ap-proaches the characters. Suddenly, it emits a hugesteamy belch and trundles from the road. Mo-ments later, the gnomes abandon ship, leapingfrom it in great haste. As they race away, the boileron the machine explodes with a loud bang, leav-ing a dented and ripped hull on the machine.

In the event the characters wish to search themachine, they will find that the interior of the de-

vice is totally unrecognizable. Any sense theymight have made from it has been obliterated bythe explosion. The machine is completely uselessexcept for any other gnomes.

The wolves are three young males whose packwas slaughtered by fur trappers and fearful towns-folk. They are hardly more than cubs and have lit-tle idea of how to survive. They appear at nightaround the characters’ camp, their eyes gleamingredly in the firelight. They will not enter the campand will flee from combat. They howl mournfullyif driven away from the camp, getting just farenough from the campsite that it would be a both-er to the characters to chase them.

If the PCs leave scraps of food for the youngwolves, the wolves will follow the characters.They become bolder as time progresses, and ifthey are well-treated, they may even come to jointhe party’s “pack.” They will serve as faithful com-panions once their trust is won. If the PCs keepthem, they will grow to full size and gain hit points.

The kender are just wandering. They flockaround the PCs with great interest, filching smallitems from them and replacing them with otherthings. They will take nothing of real value butmay leave one or two gems worth 250 stl in ex-change for some shiny object. This encountershould be played for amusement value and to seehow the characters deal with a swarm of kendersurrounding them. Good role-playing should berewarded with a 75-xp bonus.

20

The Traitor?At last, the characters reach Solanthus. The forti-

fied city presents a forbidding exterior to thosewho approach it. In addition to its newer andstronger walls, the city is surrounded by a shallowmoat (about 10 feet deep). The moat is well-maintained and free from algae and dangerouscreatures. Ringing the moat is a decrepit old wall,half-crumbled and weakened, a remnant of earlierages.

There are only three entrances to the town, eachof them well-guarded by sentries loyal to the LordMayor. They inspect each wagon coming into andleaving the city, ensuring that no one is engagingin activities detrimental to the well-being of thetown.

The city is only just regaining its former status asa trade center, for it suffered mightily during theWar of the Lance. The dragonarmies and variousraiders destroyed the surrounding area, deprivingthe honest farmers of their livelihood. The raidersslaughtered the cattle and burned the fields thatprovided sustenance for the city dwellers. The fearthat this might happen again has prompted theirsuspicion of strangers.

Granted to the Solamnics for their aid to thedwarves in a time of need, Solanthus is situated onan old dwarven mine site. The tunnels carved bythe dwarves provide an ideal method for smug-glers and thieves to transport their goods to andfrom the city. The guards and the Lord Mayor areaware of most of the shafts, but there are a few inthe twisted maze of which they remain oblivious.

The most obvious gift the dwarves left for the hu-mans was the cleft spire, a shimmering tower ofrock which graces the night sky in the center of thetown. With a pure spring bubbling at its base, thespire is the only known source of the Solanthianlight-gems. Within the town, a soft glow constantlykeeps the streets lit and fairly free from crime.Light-gems mounted atop tall poles and protectedwith powerful magic shed their stored brillianceduring the night, keeping even the darker streetsaglow with a lesser imitation of the sun’s light.

The spires themselves are well guarded all thetime. It is forbidden for anyone but those ap-proved by the Lord Mayor to mine from the spires,for the mineral is very rare. Only those who haveprovided a great service for the city may possessany pieces of the light-gems. Each piece is carvedinto a distinctive shape, so that if it is lost, eachgem may be returned to its rightful owner. At nightthe glow from the spires may be seen at a distanceof over one mile.

Two castles flank Solanthus on either side, re-sembling grim sentinels against the backdrop ofthe Garnet Mountains. One is the ancestral homeof the Crownguard family, of which Charles is thelast surviving scion. The other, looming ominouslyover the town, is the refuge of Lord Kellin Sola-

nius, the nephew of the Lord Mayor of Solanthus.When they arrive in Solanthus, the characters

must take rooms in town if they wish to stay. Al-though they could claim rooms in either Crown-guard’s or Solanius’ strongholds if they were fullknights, neither of these two will recognize themas worthy of this claim. There are two decent innsin town, the Gleaming Gem and the BoisterousBull, from which the characters can base their op-erations.

The characters might wish to ride to Solanius’castle immediately. If so, proceed to Visiting Sola-nius.

In town, the characters can do just about any-thing they please. Although the city is still trying torebuild from the disastrous attacks of the War ofthe Lance, its merchants and residents present aunited front to visitors. They try to provide asmany amenities as would be available in an un-damaged city. Almost every service the charactersmight need is procurable.

Thus while the characters may pass through sec-tions of the town that are charred and ruined, thecommercial life exhibits no such ruin. If they wishto search through the rubble, remind them thatthis is tantamount to looting, and no honorableperson would allow the theft of another’s property.

Solanthus holds three major temples, those ofShinare, Paladine, and Mishakal. Each temple hasa full staff waiting to help the needy. Althoughnone of the temples is as large as the one in Palan-thas, they each have a respectable following.

The Lord Mayor maintains a townhouse near thespires and the central market. Not only is this a res-idential home, but it also functions as the townhall. The Lord Mayor can be reached here at al-most any time of the day. His last name is also So-lanius. He is Kellin’s uncle, and he will speakglowing words of praise in the knight’s defense.Despite the fact that he is family, he is not trying toprotect Kellin; these words are sincere.

The Lord Mayor does not altogether trustCrownguard. To be entirely frank, he does nottrust him at all. The two have been rivals on theCity Council often enough that neither likes theother; the Lord Mayor is honest enough to admitthat he has let his personal feelings bias his actionsagainst Crownguard.

However, he claims that there is reason for hisdislike, for he sees Crownguard as greedy, vainglo-rious, and grasping, a man concerned only withhis own ambition. He is certain that Crownguardwould sacrifice everything to restore his family’sname, and to further enhance it, he would betrayhis knightly vows. The Lord Mayor is not certainthat Crownguard took his vows seriously, anyway.

The lifesblood of the city is the grain and cattlethat are sold at the weekly auctions in the market-place. In pre-war days, farmers came from all overAnsalon to sell their livestock and their produce inthe Solanthian marketplace. Since the War,farmers are starting to filter back into the market.

21

However, they must first look to their own surviv-al, and they therefore do not bring the hugeamounts of harvest they did in the past.

The people in town, if asked, will all support Kel-lin Solanius. Although they regard him as a bit of afop, they claim that he is one of the most noblepeople they have ever met. “A true Knight of So-lamnia,” they will say, “one of the good ones.”They will refuse to hear ill spoken of him, for hededicated himself to improving the lot of everyonein Solanthus, not just his cronies.

They are dissatisfied with Crownguard, for heseems interested only in improving his own lot andthose of his rich friends. The citizens seem to feelthat Kellin and Charles are opposite numbers, atleast as far as personalities go. Where Kellin is giv-ing, kind, and generous, Crownguard is selfish andgreedy. However, since the rich people controlthe elections, Crownguard is a perennial winner.

If the PCs take the eagle-carved light-gem to anyjeweler in Solanthus, these experts will recom-mend that they visit Myrtha Stoneshaper. They sayshe is the best jeweler this side of the Gate ofSouls, and that she has been blessed by Reorx theShaper, himself, with her ability.

When they enter her shop, located convenientlynear the spires, read the following:

As you enter the small, dingy shop, a smallsilver bell above the door tinkles sweetly. Thestore seems strangely devoid of any sort ofproduct. The display cases are all empty. Fromthe back room, you hear a crabby old voice callout, “Bide yer time! And don’t touch any-thing!” In a moment, a small dwarvish womanstrides forth from her workshop. In there youcan spy the jewels and gems that should be ondisplay out front. It looks almost as if a weird firehad sprung up in the back room, so intense arethe blazes from the stones in back.

The little woman looks up at you and snaps,“What ! ”

After the PCs explain their mission, or producethe light-gem (depending on whether they left it asa clue to other searchers), she pauses thoughtfully.

“Wait here,” she mutters and shuffles into theback room. She comes out moments later hold-ing a heavy leather book. After blowing dustfrom its cover, she opens it carefully and beginsthumbing through the brittle pages.

“Let’s see . . . eagle . . . hmm. Ah, yes, herewe go. I thought I ‘membered carving thet one.Let’s see, it musta been coupla years back. Didit fer thet young Kellin Solanius. Fine fella, him.Thet what you wanted ta know?” She stares atyou with bright eyes, daring you to keep herfrom her work for much longer.

She will answer their questions for about fivemore minutes, growing ever more impatient with

each passing moment. At last, she grows disgustedenough to walk into the back room during themiddle of one of their questions. She will lock theworkshop door and yell, “Go away! I’m busy!”

No matter what the characters do, short of burn-ing the shop, she will remain in the back. Theflimsy-looking doors turn out to be securelylocked by magical means, and if the party harassesMyrtha for too long, the city guard will show to es-cort them from the town. Those who resist will bedealt with harshly, for the guard has no time forfoolishness or the fools.

Although they may not know it, the PCs nowhave enough evidence to confront Solanius. Theclues all certainly seem to point in his direction.The only problem is the townsfolk will not believethat he is guilty, and his behavior seems to indicatesomeone concerned with the well-being of others.The party will have to determine how they want tounravel this mystery.

22

Visiting SolaniusIf the players are intent on riding off to confront

Solanius immediately, remind them that theircharacters need hard evidence before they canbring him to justice. Unless they can somehowpositively identify him as the culprit, they mustcontinue to conduct their investigation in Solan-thus. They may wish to spy on him in order to as-certain whether he is the culprit. Allow this tohappen, but they should not be able to discoverthe evidence for which they search. However, thenumerous dogs that Kellin keeps will bark franti-cally the whole time unless the characters takeprecautions against detection.

Once the characters head for Solanius’ castle,ask them what proof they have that he is the thief.If they offer an inadequate explanation (a hunch,the simple fact that a dog was at the tomb, or any-thing of the sort), continue with Solanius still alive.When they confront him, he fairly bristles with an-ger. He will first demand, in righteous tones, theevidence they hold against him. When they areunable to produce it, he will threaten to discreditthem before the Knightly Council for attempting tosully his good reputation.

If, however, the PCs have adequate evidence,then their arrival at Solanius’ keep is just afterCrownguard’s move for the sword. Once they en-ter the grounds, read the following to the players:

As you approach Solanius’ keep, somethingodd keeps nagging at you. You finally realizethat his dogs, which you would expect to bebarking, are silent. In fact, you cannot hear theslightest whimper from their kennels.

Another minor detail draws your attention.The beautifully-carved oak front doors of LordKellin’s stronghold stand slightly ajar, spillingforth the light from inside. You see a formsprawled on the floor just beyond the doors. Aweak moan issues from the figure.

If the characters draw closer to investigate, theyfind that the form is that of Lord Kellin Solanius.He lies in a pool of his own blood. He has crawledsome distance after being wounded, as there is atrail of bright crimson stretching behind him.When he sees the heroes, he gestures them closerto bestow upon them his dying words. If they doapproach, read the following:

Solanius smiles a wistful smile, and chucklesweakly, blood trickling from his mouth. His hu-mor quickly turns to a gasp of pain when themovement tears at his insides. He is obviouslybeyond any but the most advanced healingmagic. Only force of will keeps him alive now.

He begins to whisper to you. You have tobend close to hear his words. When he speaks,flecks of bloody spittle fly from his mouth.

“You certainly did your investigating well,”he murmurs. “You fingered the correct culprit. Iwas the one who stole the sword. However, Iam also innocent. Read this parchment in mybelt. It will explain everything. It was all part ofthe Test, and you’ve passed admirably. I hopemy clues weren’t too obvious.” He coughspainfully, and a clot of gore spatters the floor.

“Ouch,” he continues mildly. You can’t helpbut admire how little he complains and whim-pers. “Read the parchment. The Brightbladehas been stolen from me, the keeper. It was thattraitor Crownguard and his thieving wench Cor-ya. He distracted me, she stabbed me in theback, and I whirled. Then Crownguard stabbedme. Watch out for him. I think he has a poison-coated dagger. Please. Avenge me, and reclaimthe honor of the knighthood from Crownguard.Nobody in his family has ever been worthy of it.And hurry, before he goes anywhere.

“One last request,” he asks, his breath grow-ing short. “Take me to my dogs. I know thatruthless pig Charles slaughtered them, but Iwant to lie with them in death.” He closes hiseyes and does not open them again.

The parchment (found in the back of this book)is a signed and sealed letter from Lord Uth Wistan,explaining that the theft was an integral part of thisyear’s Test. He asks those who apprehend Solaniusto treat him with courtesy until they can return tothe Tower so that the story may be verified. In apost-script, he asks that Solanius’ detainers returnthe sword without using it.

Assuming that the characters take Solanius to hisbeloved dogs, they will find the kennel in com-plete disarray. Every dog is either dead or dying,some by gaping sword wounds, while others liepanting their last, their muzzles covered with foamthat indicate poisoning. The dogs that still livecrawl over to their dead master and lie beside him,waiting to die.

If the characters spent too long investigating(that is, spent more than a day looking around inthe High Clerist’s Tower or more than two days inSolanthus), they will arrive to find two other candi-dates rushing forth from the keep. These two leapto their horses and begin to gallop off in the direc-tion of Crownguard’s keep. If hailed, they callback that they are headed to the real traitor’s keep.They have Uth Wistan’s letter with them.

In the time it takes for the characters to react tothis, the two candidates will have gained a sub-stantial lead. Unless the party has some method ofstopping these two, they will reach Crownguard’sfortress well ahead of the PCs. If the PCs follow,they will find the bodies of the two hopefuls andthe letter when they reach Crownguard’s keep.They appear to have been slain from behind. Thisshould prepare the party for the assault they willface when (or if) they enter the keep.

23

24

The True Traitor

Like the portals at Lord Kellin’s keep, thedoors to Crownguard’s castle also stand wideopen. However, there is a welcoming party atthese gates, one much more malicious than ahuddled body. Crownguard stands there, cradl-ing the Brightblade as if he owned it. He wavesyou inside as you enter the courtyard then van-ishes into the darkened interior with an evil-sounding giggle before anyone can react.

If the party follows him inside, they immediatelyenter the Great Hall of Castle Crownguard. While itis not nearly as impressive as some of the GreatHalls on Anasalon, neither is it tiny. Once the PCsenter, the massive doors swing shut behind them,keeping them trapped inside the shadowy confines.

Toward the back of the hall, Crownguard standsclutching the Brightblade possessively. Even fromthe characters’ vantage point, it is obvious that theman has at last gone totally insane. At his side isCorya, who sneers maliciously at the party as shereaches for Crownguard’s arm.

The thing that really draws the PCs’ attention,however, is the new and improved GnomishDeath Machine. If the characters encountered thegnomes on the road to Solanthus, they will recog-nize the general machine type. Painted across the

cheeks of th is one are the words, “KnightSquisher.” A band of eight gnomes hangs fromKnight Squisher, shouting derisively at the charac-ters. At Crownguard’s signal, Knight Squisher be-gins to trundle forward, blowing steam.

The gnomes have the same statistics as the onesin the Wandering Monster section, pg. 19. In fact,if the characters did not kill them, these are thesame gnomes. They cackle menacingly as KnightSquisher approaches the characters and readythemselves for the inevitable and unpleasantthumps when the characters are overrun.

This fails to happen. The machine seems not tohave been properly repaired, for it veers from itsset course again and crashes into a nearby wall.The force of the impact flings the gnomes from thehull of Knight Squisher, and they are dazed for afull round. The characters may attack them freely.

In the back of the Hall, Crownguard has justlooked up and noticed that the machine has weak-ened the supports in the walls of the Hall, and tak-en a large chunk of his financing with it. He hurls agauntlet to the floor in a fit of rage. He picks upSturm’s sword, and calls a challenge to the Solam-nic character.

If the candidate takes the challenge, the gnomes(assuming they are still alive to do so) part for him,and immediately resume fighting. They will try tooccupy the candidate’s friends for as long as ittakes for Crownguard to slaughter the would-behero. They will give no quarter, although they may

grovel if it seems they might be killed.In the meantime, Corya has melted into the

shadows and is trying to maneuver behind thecharacters to attempt a backstabbibg attack. If oneof the players has stated that he or she is lookingfor Corya, check to see if she successfully hides inthe shadows. If not, she is spotted. However, if noone mentions looking for her, she successfullysneaks up behind the party.

Since Crownguard is not worthy to wield theBrightblade, he does not gain any of its bonuses.Indeed, the blade actually hampers his fightingability, giving him a penalty of -2 to initiative, -1to hit, and -2 to damage rolls. After four rounds, ifhe is still standing, Crownguard will realize howmuch the sword resists his touch. With a howledcurse, he will throw the blade at his opponent, us-ing the time this provides to draw his long sword+2 and the dagger of jealousy from behind a pillar.He will use both to try and kill his foe, forgoing thechivalric rules of combat.

However, if he rolls a natural attack roll of 16 orbetter while using the Brightblade, the sword shat-ters in his hands. It inflicts 1d10 points of damage tohim, and will blind him with pain for 1d4 rounds.

Even as Crownguard strikes a mighty blow, thesword of the Brightblades shivers in his hands.He gapes at it stupidly for a moment, not under-standing what has transpired. While he stands,mouth ajar and eyes agape, the sword explodesin his hands, sending spinning shards of metal in-to his body. Oddly, the shrapnel propels itself on-ly in his direction, leaving bloody rents.

This is the ideal opportunity to subdue the traitorso that he might be brought to justice before thetribunal at the High Clerist’s Tower. The PCsshould remember that their quest is not to kill thethief but to retrieve him and the Brightblade in or-der to take them back to the Tower. Of course, ifthe PC wishes to strike down a defenseless manignobly, that’s his choice. . . .

In any case, once Crownguard and Corya aredefeated, the PCs will notice that the castle seemsto be swaying somewhat, and that tremors are rip-pling through the keep. There is just enough timeto gather the Brightblade and the prisoners andmake an escape. Even if the Brightblade has shat-tered, the pieces are ridiculously easy to gather, al-most as if they wished to be reunited.

If anyone tries to take the dagger of jealousy, itwill slip from their hands. Unless they harbor astrong evil in their hearts, it will be impossible forthem to pick up the cursed item.

There is, unfortunately, no time to go further in-to the keep to collect all of Crownguard’s treasure.Any who try suffer 1d10 points of damage eachround from falling masonry until they head for theexit. There is nothing of value this close to the en-trance except for Crownguard’s long sword +2.

25

The ReturnAfter defeating Crownguard (assuming they do

so), the characters must journey back to the HighClerist’s Tower with the Brightblade. If the swordshattered during Crownguard’s battle, the charac-ters might wish to take it to be reforged. The candi-date can easily remember legends that state that itcan only be fixed by the best living smith. This de-scription could only fit Theros Ironfeld, the smithwith the silver arm.

Last reports placed Theros on the isle of Ergoth,where he has continued to produce dragonlances.However, he has not been heard from in sometime, and there are those who think he must havedied. Other rumors place him in the vicinity ofVingaard Keep, where he ran into some unknowndifficulties. The PCs must determine the truth ofthese rumors themselves, for they might not wishto return to the Tower with the sword shattered.

If they do seek Theros Ironfeld, they will eventu-ally find him in a location of the DM’s choosing.He will understand the importance of reforgingthe sword promptly and will set aside his currentwork to restore it. However, he will forbid the PCsto look at it, saying his work must have time to set-tle. The price for his work is that they present thepackage containing the Brightblade to GuntharUth Wistan without having opened it.

Whether or not they have the sword reforged,their journey back is uneventful. The monstersand bandits have moved to greener pastures orhave been slain. Peace has descended on the area.

If Crownguard has been taken alive, he willprove to be a difficult prisoner. Although the So-lamnic Code demands that a captive be treatedwell, Crownguard seems intent on earning thewrath of everyone. He will abuse his captors ver-bally and will take every opportuntity to escapethe justice he knows awaits him at the HighClerist’s Tower. Although he has no choice but togo, he will not go gracefully.

If Corya has also been taken prisoner, she willremain silent throughout the journey. If a chancepresents itself, she will attempt to escape and willfree Crownguard if at all possible.

Whether or not the characters stop to have theBrightblade reforged, word of their success hassomehow reached the High Clerist’s Tower.

As your destination comes into sight, you canvaguely see that the place is festooned withbrightly colored banners. You cannot remem-ber what the holiday might be and continue totrudge forward, anticipating a real bed.

As you draw closer to the Tower, a greatcheer rises from the knights assembled on thewalls and parapets. Somewhat belatedly, yourealize that the cheers are meant for you, andyou can feel your skin grow red with pleas-

26

ure and embarrassment.Knights come gal loping for th f rom the

opened gates to greet you. They throng aroundyou and raise their lances in a salute to yourbravery, courage, and intelligence. Once in-side, you are led to hot baths and deep, feath-ered beds. You fall almost immediately into acoma-like slumber.

Gunthar Uth Wistan wishes to see the heroesimmediately after they awaken. Squires standfaithfully at the champions’ doors until they arise,ready to pass along this message. They will be es-corted to the High Justice’s chambers, where anelegant breakfast is laid before them. Also presentare the High Warrior and the High Clerist.

Gunthar greets the heroes warmly, inviting themto share his breakfast with him. He has a magnifi-cent view from the upper floors of the Tower. Afterservants clear away the dishes, Gunthar begins toquestion the adventurers on the details of theirquest while the other two listen attentively. Hope-fully, the PCs have behaved in a manner befittingheroes, for the High Knights are listening carefullyto determine if the Solamnic PC is worthy of thehonor of knighthood. After the PCs have finishedrelating their tale, the High Knights thank them.

If the adventurers brought Crownguard backalive, they may attend his trial. Nearly all the otherknights in the Tower do, except those on guard du-ty. The hearing is held in the High Council Hall:

The hall is packed with knights for the secondtime in your memory. This time, it is not a joy-ous occasion for which the Knightly Councilhas convened, and the grim mood in the roomechoes this fact. After a repetition of the Oath,the prisoner Crownguard is led into the room.

His eyes spit venom where he casts hisglances, but it lingers longest on you. When itpasses on, you have to restrain an urge to rubyourself down. His gaze reminds you of a bath-tub full of spiders. When his escort leads him tothe clear space in the center of the hall, he spitson the floor. The knights mutter in disapproval.

The trial goes downhill from there. Crown-guard curses the knighthood throughout the tri-al, making no effort to defend himself. Yourtestimony against him is not even needed. Al-most as soon as the High Knights clear the hallto deliberate on his sentence, they recall theknights. Sitting on their table in plain view areseveral black roses, a symbol of guilt. Lord UthWistan stands to pronounce sentence on thetraitor. He appears as if he wishes to make aspeech, but thinks better of it. “Death by be-heading,” he says, and walks from the room,followed by the other two knights.

Once outside in the courtyard, Crownguardappears to recover his senses. He grovels be-fore the executioner, begging for his life. De-

spite his impassioned cries and his cringing, theexecutioner delivers the death blow. The gath-ered knights file somberly and silently away.

If Corya was brought back alive, the knighthoodturns her over to the authorities in Palanthus. Theyhave no hard and fast evidence against her, andshe does not fall under their jurisdiction anyway.

While awaiting trial in Palanthus, she escapesfrom the jail, and vows revenge on the PCs. Theyhave made a resourceful enemy who can be usedagain in later adventures, if the DM desires.

EpilogueSeveral days after the execution, the knights

hold funeral ceremonies for their departed friendKellin Solanius. They lay him to rest in the Cham-ber of Paladine, near the body of Sturm Bright-blade. If any of the companions perished duringthis adventure, they too are honored with a placein the Chamber. Since they perished in the serviceof the knighthood, this is not at all a breach of pro-tocol. If the candidate died fighting CharlesCrownguard, his body will be knighted before heis received to Huma’s breast.

Otherwise, if he survived, he must sit through hisvigil in the chapel in Knight’s Spur. The Measuredictates that he sit through the night alone (or in thepresence of other knights-to-be) in silent prayer andmeditation, guarding his arms and armor.

When morning arrives, so does your Guardof Honor. They dress you in long white robesand escort you to the courtyard. Each memberof the guard carries a separate piece of yournew plate mail uniform. One carries your shield(for which you have chosen a personal device),another carries your spurs, while another car-ries your sword and a freshly tooled scabbard,decorated with the symbols of the knighthood.The final guard carries your helm.

In the center of the courtyard waits Lord UthWistan and Sir Delson, your two sponsors.When you reach Uth Wistan, you kneel. Forwhat seems an eternity, he recites your accom-plishments. At last, he begins the ritual.

“I hereby declare you a Knight of Solamnia.You have spent the night in prayer. Do you con-sider yourself worthy of this great honor?”

“No, my lord,” you answer, “but I most hum-bly accept it and vow that I shall devote my lifeto making myself worthy.”

Uth Wistan lifts you to your feet and em-braces you fiercely, while the knights gatheredaround cheer wildly. At long last, you have real-ized your ambition. You know that you willprove yourself worthy of your knighthood, andyou are eager to prove yourself to the evil in theworld. Your time has come.

Major NPCsSir Charles CrownguardMale Human Knight of the Crown, Level 3Chaotic EvilAC: 2MV: 9hp: 25THAC0: 18#AT: 2Dmg: by weapon type (+1 due to Str)S: 17D: 14C: 16I: 16W: 10Ch: 17Weapon Proficiencies: two-handed sword, heavylance, long sword, dagger, spearNon-weapon Proficiencies: land-based riding,

heraldry, etiquette, endurance, reading/writingMagical Items: plate mail +1, long sword +2,Dagger of Jealousy (q.v.)

Sir Charles Crownguard has always been a pam-pered person. When he was a child, he had nowants that were unful f i l led. Whi le peasantsaround him starved, he feasted. He had never tru-ly faced hardship in his life until he joined theknighthood.

There, he and his cousin Derek learned of loyal-ty and of the Oath and the Measure. These twosecretly swore their loyalty to one another, vowingvengeance on all who crossed them. Although theknighthood would always be important to the twoof them, they saw it mainly as a tool to further theirambitions. Their loyalty was to each other first.

After their knightly initiations, the two of themwent their separate ways. Derek, using his con-nections (and, it must be admitted, his excellentbattle prowess and nobility) quickly advanced

27

through the ranks. Charles, on the other hand, fo-cused more on political matters, using his knightlystatus as a bargaining tool. Both quickly gained afine reputation in their fields of expertise. Bothwere also secretly vainglorious and power-hungry.

Then came the War of the Lance, and the pres-sures began to build. Although both Charles andDerek welcomed the opportunity to test them-selves, the tension and stress began to take theirtolls, and both began to go slowly mad. In Derek,this led to the final, fateful charge that eliminatedthe flower of the knighthood.

Charles’ change was much more subtle. At thebeginning of the War, an ancient dagger came intohis possession. Although he was not normally aweapons collector, he had to have this one. Calledthe Dagger of Righteous Vengeance by the peddler,it seemed to beckon to the dark chasm waiting inCharles’ heart. Even had he known that the bladewas more rightfully known as the Dagger of Jeal-ousy, he would not have been able to resist its al-lure.

With this dagger in his possession, he changedslowly from the weak-willed, foppish noblemanhe had been to a strong-minded pillar of the nobili-ty. Privately, his paranoia increased. He began tojump at every sound that was out of place. Hefired his servants and replaced them with newones, only to find that he had trusted the old onesmore. Worst of all, he found himself becomingjealous of Derek’s success in the knighthood.

The gods only know what might have happenedif things had continued this way. However, even asCharles plotted to have his “righteous revenge”on Derek, his cousin perished in the ill-fated as-sault from the High Clerist’s Tower. Robbed of atarget for his suspicions, he was at a loss for sometime.

Meanwhile, in his private life, he grew increas-ingly more distrustful. Publicly, he became evermore friendly and forthright. His foppishness de-creased, his clothing and his manner becomingless effected and seemingly more genuine.

His political opponents and his friends, who hadbeen growing more distant, noticed his markedchange with some amazement. For some reason,they began to fear his newfound power and self-assurance. He destroyed many of them politicallywithout a second thought.

Then he discovered that the knighthood wasvenerating that coward and Measure-breakerSturm Brightblade while his beloved cousin Dereklay in dishonor! Forgetting his previous wrathagainst his cousin, Charles set out to discreditSturm. He spent some years cautiously examiningSturm’s past, and he created some lies to spread.After a time, he found that his innuendoes and hiscarefully placed rumors availed nothing.

In the meantime, despite these stories, the Or-ders began to rank Sturm among the knights of leg-end. He, not Derek, was regarded as the true heroof the High Clerist’s Tower, as the embodiment of

the spirit of the Oath and the Measure. From hishome near Thelgaard Keep, Sir Charles Crown-guard laid his plans to permanently divide the Or-der that had shunned his cousin’s sacrifice anddishonored his family’s name.

He began to frequent the lower taverns of Solan-thus in disguise, associating with the scum normal-l y found the re . I t w a s h e r e t h a t h e f i r s tencountered the thief Corya, who agreed to helphim perform the deed. Eventually, through theirplotting and close association, the two becamelovers.

However, Charles’ jealousy and madness con-tinued to drive him, and he soon overcame his in-fatuation with Corya. His paranoia forced her fromhim, and he threatened her life more than once.Since she knows his secrets, he is planning on hav-ing her killed once she retrieves the Brightbladefrom the High Clerist’s Tower.

CoryaFemale Half-Elven Thief, Level 4Neutral EvilAC: 2MV: 12hp: 18THAC0: 19#AT: 1Dmg: 1d8/1d12S: 13D: 17 (18)C: 14I: 14W: 10Ch: 14Thieving Abilities: PP: 45% OL: 55% F/RT: 50%

MS: 40% HS: 45% DN: 25%CW: 75% RL: 0% Backstab x2

Weapon Proficiencies: long sword, dagger, slingNon-weapon Proficiencies: disguise, appraising,gaming, forgery, dancingMagical Items: long sword +2, gauntlets of dexteri-ty, leather armor +2

Corya has never been a child of privilege. Every-thing she has ever wanted, she has had to workhard for. For a brief time, she came into a smallsum of money, which she hoarded away. Notcomfortable with her monetary standing, she be-gan stockpiling every copper piece. Still not satis-fied that she had enough to begin spending anymoney, she started stealing small amounts fromthe marketplace.

Soon, she found that she had a flair for thievery,and she entered into that business full-time. Shenow spends the money of other people, althoughshe saves most of it for herself. When she makes abig theft, she tends to spend about 25% of it on asingle drunken night on the town. She spends therest only on necessities. She has over 5,000 stl se-creted away in her quarters.

28

She generally tends to frequent the lower-classbars of Solanthus, which is where she met SirCharles Crownguard. Although he was disguised,she recognized that he was high-born and imme-diately recognized her chance to become wealthybeyond her wildest dreams. He had heard of herreputation and enlisted her skills in his bid to dis-credit Sturm Brightblade. The two soon becamelovers. She did not know that he counted the silverevery time she left.

Charles became extremely jealous and untrust-ing (with good reason), and the two fell out. How-ever, Corya had accepted the payment for thetheft and so was obligated to follow through withit. If she had attempted to renege on her deal, sheknew that Charles could track her down and exe-cute her. However, she believes that he will allowher to survive once she performs the burglary. Shehas no idea of the extent to which he does not trusther.

Corya is a very attractive woman, with cornsilkblonde hair and deep blue eyes. Her slim bodybristles with hidden daggers, and she knows howto use them quite well. She generally favors darkerleathers for her working clothing, although shewill occasionally dress up to have fun when sherelaxes.

She has absolutely no honor, and will betraysomeone at the drop of a hat if it profits her. Other-wise, she will toy with her acquaintances, waitinguntil they can be of use to her. The only way shewill ever honor an obligation is if she is faced withserious retribution. Charles, the only man withwhom she has ever acted honorably, does nottrust her farther than he has to . . . which is to say,not at all.

Although she has developed a reputation withinthe seamier side of Solanthus, the law knows al-most nothing of her. She is well known for revengeamong the other thieves, and they know that shewill hunt them down if they ever betray her. Morethan one of her companions has been found deadafter threatening to expose her name. For somereason, she frightens them more than any of theirfellows. Of course, they would be willing to ex-pose her to save their lives, but under few othercircumstances will they cross her.

Magical ItemsThe Brightblades’ Sword

. . .he caressed the hilt of his sword lovingly. “Ac-cording to the legend, this sword will only break if Ido,” Sturm said.

—Dragons of Autumn Twilight

The sword of the Brightblades has endured aslong as the Brightblade family itself. Indeed, somespeculate that it is from the sword that the family isnamed, rather than the other way around. What-ever the truth is, the family and the sword havehad a long history together.

Appropriately enough, the sword is called theBrightblade. The sword is a rather splendid two-handed sword, one of the finer swords dwarveshave ever produced for humans. Its workmanshipis old-fashioned, the only evidence of its antiquityto those examining it. The Brightblade is approxi-mately 2,900 years old, but its metal is as un-marred as it was on the day it was forged. Its entirelength is unblemished.

Oddly, although the owners and the history ofthe Brightblade have been illustrious, the blade isnot commonly considered one of the importantartifacts of Krynn. Its powers have not been widelytouted, as have the powers of many other blades,nor has its distinguished list of ownership madethe rounds among the weapons collectors and ad-venturers.

This obscurity is largely due to the fact that theBrightblade family is traditionally close-mouthedregarding its own prowess and history. They seemto have preferred to let their deeds speak for them,rather than their history. Thus, few people seek itfor its magical and historical value, as they domany other famous weapons. Its main value is asthe sword of Sturm Brightblade, and the rest of itshistory is largely disregarded.

However, its history extends to the time of VinasSolamnus, when one of Sturm’s ancestors, Berthelby name, defended a lone dwarven traveler from atribe of bloodthirsty hobgoblins. After the two ofthem deflected this attack, the dwarf revealed hisidentity as a noble. He promised a reward toBerthel , and one year later a delegat ion ofdwarves arrived at Berthel’s stronghold. Theybrought with them a beautifully shining two-handed sword, engraved and enchanted with thedwarven runes of friendship and peace. It bore thename Brightblade.

Berthel accepted the blade and took its name ashis own. With it strapped across his back, he trav-eled to serve under the command of Vinas Solam-nus against the Ergothians. Solamnus recognizedBrightblade’s prowess and service, and rewardedboth by granting Brightblade a place as a trustedlieutenant.

Eventually, despite his valor and skill, Berthel

29

succumbed to old age. He passed his sword to Be-dal, his only child. Bedal proved himself anotherheroic Brightblade by holding a strategic passagainst fierce desert nomads until reinforcementsarrived-by himself. Yet few bards sang of hisprowess, for there were other knights performingdeeds nearly as heroic. This was the time of theknighthood’s bloom, and its members were intenton proving themselves and the Oath and Measure.The fortunes of the Brightblade family blossomedwith the Orders of the Solamnic Knights.

The sword continued its history with the familyfor the next three millenia, with a few minor diver-sions. After the Cataclysm, when the sword was togo to Bayard Brightblade, it was either mislaid orstolen. The legends are unclear on this point, butthe Knight’s Quest of Bayard was to retrieve theBrightblade. He returned with it in less than aweek and would not speak of his trials except tothe Knightly Council. They awarded him hisknighthood immediately. After Bayard, the swordpassed to Galen Pathwarden di Caela Brightblade,Bayard’s adopted son. Although his childhoodreputation was a poor one, he became an up-standing knight, a paragon of the virtues espousedby the knighthood. When Bayard’s true son cameof age, Galen passed the sword to him.

Finally, the sword passed to Sturm Brightblade.When he came from Solace to seek his father andclaim his inheritance, he was given the Bright-blade. He carried it with him to his gallant death.Through Sturm’s bravery, the Brightblade hascome to represent the ideals of the knighthood.

The Brightblade is a two-handed sword +3 ofdwarvish make. Mined from the purest ore inThorbardin, it is remarkably resistant to rust andwear. Addi t ional dwarven enchantments in-creased this resistance, making it well nigh invul-nerable to the banes of the common blade. Thus,the edge never loses its razor sharpness, despiteheavy use. In addition, the sword’s runes grant thewielder a +2 modifier to all reaction checks andthe blade has the speed factor of a long sword. Fi-nally, the Brightblade has the power to emulate alight spell and a protection from evil spell once perday each.

However, the near perfection of the blade has aprice. The dwarves had made a blade to com-memorate the nobility of a man and wanted to en-sure that the blade would only be used by worthyhumans. To make sure that this would be the case,they wrapped powerful enchantments about theblade, making them essential to the sword’s com-position. If any of these enchantments were dis-rupted, the sword would lose the beneficialqualities it possessed.

The spells the dwarves laid upon the blade pro-tect it from misuse by those who would pervert itspurpose. Only those of good heart, noble virtue,and courage can wield the Brightblade withoutbringing about its destruction. Legend holds thatthe sword is only as strong as the heart of its user. If

it is used by one of dark purpose, weak beliefs, orin the service of Evil, it will shatter itself.

Once this is accomplished, it may be restoredonly through the grace of the Gods of Good andthe best weaponsmith alive. If it is ever shattered,so too will be the knighthood’s honor until theblade is repaired.

The Dagger of JealousyThis cursed weapon comes from the depths of

the past. Only the gods know its full history, for it isalmost unknown to the vast masses of people. It isone of the few effective weapons against the arm-band called Trueheart’s Warding.

It makes its way around the world, known tomany as the Dagger of Righteous Vengeance. Oncea new owner possesses it, it begins to work itsmagic on that individual. Only a remove curse,limited wish, or wish spell can dislodge the daggeronce it has attached itself to a person. Only if thedagger is stolen can it disappear from its owner’slife otherwise, and more than likely, the daggerwill bond itself to its new owner.

At first glance, the dagger may seem to be a ben-eficial item, for its powers are strong. It acts as aself-recharging dagger of venom +2 of extra po-tency (saving throw penalty of -1), and it can beused in the wielder’s off hand with no penalty. Fur-thermore, if employed in an act its user perceivesas vengeance, that individual gains an additional+4 in any attempt to backstab an “enemy.”

30

If the backstab attempt is successful, the daggertwists in the wound for another round, inflicting1d4 +2 additional points of damage. The DM mustthen roll 1d20 again. If 18 or higher is rolled, thedagger injects its venom into the victim.

Of course, with strong magic comes strong obli-gations. The dagger is no exception. If the ownerhas any jealousy in his or her heart at all, the dag-ger can gain a foothold. it will gradually shift theowner’s alignment to chaotic evil, shaping him orher into a more perfect tool of revenge.

Additionally, it implants suggestions into itsowner’s mind, making him or her suspicious of thesuccesses of others. It causes the wielder to con-sider these successes as detracting from his own.The owner begins to think, “Vengeance will bemine.”

Finally, even if the dagger is stolen, it continuesto call out to its former owners from across themiles. If a previous master’s combined Intelligenceand Wisdom is less than 27, he will drop what he isdoing to track down the lost item. The dagger doesnot call owners directly, but rather leaves a trail forthem to follow. Thus, it may take months for a pastholder to find it, but find it he will. Any possessorsare likely to find the dagger’s past owners huntinghim or her, and there is no reasoning with a pre-vious owner once the dagger is in sight.

The dagger’s powers are readily apparent to anywho come into possession of it as soon as they en-

tertain thoughts of vengeance. Of course, its ma-lefic side effects will always remain hidden fromthe user. He or she will resist all attempts by othersto separate the dagger from his or her possession,seeing those who would do so as enemies to bedestroyed.

PregeneratedCharacters

In the middle of this book (pp. 15-18), the DMwill find a set of pregenerated characters. Thesehave been set up so that the DM can remove thepages on which they appear, cut them apart, anddistribute them to the players. Alternately, the pag-es may be photocopied and the book left intact tobe used again in the future.

It is not necessary to use any of these charactersin the adventure. They are here for the conven-ience of the players and the DM so that the adven-ture may be played more easily if any players donot have characters available.

Note about Equipment: The DM should assumethat the players have the essential equipment,such as flint and steel, bedrolls, food and drink,and so forth. Only the more esoteric equipment,weapons, and armor are listed.

31

To the prospective candidate:

Greetings and salutations! If you have received this letter, you have

solved the mystery of the theft of Sturm's sword. This means that you are

eligible to become a knight immediately upon your return to the High

Clerist's Tower. This is, as you are no doubt aware, a great honor. Only one

candidate each year is eligible to forego training as a squire, and you have

earned that honor this year by virtue of your hard work, your reason, and your

honor.

As per the instructions given to you to bring the perpetrator to justice:

Lord Kellin Solanius acted under my orders, with the approval of the other

High Knights, in removing the Brightblade from the Chamber of Paladine.

Thus, although I do not expect you to believe this letter without a personal

approval from me, I ask that every possible courtesy be extended Lord

Solanius during the journey from Solanthus to the Tower.

Once again, I congratulate you on your fine work. I look forward to

speaking with you when you return to the High Clerist's Tower.

Yours truly,

Lord Gunthar Uth WistanHigh Justice of the Knights of Solamnia


32

E st Sularus oth Mithas: My Honor is My Life. For the young men who havegathered at the High Clerist�s Tower, those words mean one thing: Knight of

Solamnia. For some, knighthood is just around the corner. For others, there will

ever the eventual outcome, all of the candidates bearthose words in their hearts. Eagerness and anticipa-tion fill the sun-filled morning air, as the candidatesjockey for position, ready to show their prowess be-fore the Knights of the Orders. My Honor is My Life.One Knight, however, does not live by the Oath.

The sword of Sturm Brightblade is gone, stolenfrom his dead body. The dishonorable one must bebrought to justice, before he flees forever and the

be only failure and the shameful return home. What-

blade lost. The trail leads through webs of intrigue totraitors and thieves most foul. This is a task suitableonly for those of keen mind and stout heart, for dan-ger will confront them at every turn.

This is the first adventure module written for theTALES OF THE LANCE Boxed Set, and is especially de-signed for beginning players and the DUNGEONMASTER�. It reveals for the first time the powers ofthe Brightblade, the hereditary sword of Sturm

Brightblade, a Hero of the War of the Lance. Additional background informa-tion is included, along with new magical items and some pregenerated charac-ters to help get the adventure running quickly and easily.

Documents

Knight™s Sword - archive.org