DesignW.D.B. Kenower

AuthorsW.D.B. Kenower and Bill Webb

DeveloperBill Webb

ProducerClark Peterson

CopyeditorBill Webb

D20 Content EditorsScott Greene, Erica Balsley

Art DirectorBill Webb

Layout and TypesettingCharles A. Wright

Interior ArtBrian LeBlanc, Tyler Walpole and Veronica Jones

Front Cover ArtBrian Snoddy

CartographyEd Bourelle

PlaytestersG. Gorham Palmer, Dan Navilliat, Perter Kang, David Gray, Constantine VonHoff-man

Credits

Product update password for The Lost City of Barakus: DevronThis product requires the use of the Dungeons and Dragons®

Player’s Handbook, published by Wizards of the Coast®.©2003 Necromancer Games, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden. Necromancer Games, Necromancer Games, Inc. and the Necromancer Games logo, The Lost City of Barakus, The Tome of Horrors, Bard’s Gate, Vault of Larin Karr and A Lamentation of Thieves are trademarks of Necromancer Games, Inc. All rights reserved. Relics & Rituals is a trademark of Sword & Sorcery Studio/White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All characters, names, places, items, art and text herein are copyrighted by Necromancer Games, Inc. “D20 System” and the D20 System logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used under the terms of the D20 Trademark License. Dungeons and Dragons® and Wizards of the Coast® are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast and are used in accordance with the Open Game License contained in the Legal Appendix.This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. Reader discretion is advised.Check out Necromancer Games online athttp://www.necromancergames.comAnd check out Troll Lord Games online athttp://www.trolllord.com

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The Lost City of Barakus, designed to take characters from 1st to 5th or 6th level (or higher), is as much of a campaign setting as an adventure. Detailed within these pages is the great, bustling metropolis of Endhome, the Penprie Forest and Duskmoon Hills located north of that city, and, finally, the huge dungeon that is the Lost City of Barakus. Within all these areas are many adven-tures, NPCs, and locations for the PCs to explore, interact with and conquer. How and in what order the PCs choose to take on the various challenges before them is entirely yours (the DM’s) and the players’ choice.

Though given specific location names, the adventure herein could probably be modified to fit in any campaign world. As always, change, add, modify, delete and alter as necessary to meet the needs and desires of you and your gaming group.

Adventure Background Centuries ago, a race of humans built an elab-

orate underground city beneath the Duskmoon Hills called Barakus. These were a magic-loving people, and for hundreds of years they dwelled peacefully in their subterranean home, delving into the arcane arts. Eventually, however, one of their number, a necromancer named Devron, rose to great power and transformed himself into a lich. The wizards of Barakus banded together, and after a great struggle, banished him to a prison far below the city. Before his banishment, however, Devron forged the Helm of Power, which he could use to restore him to power at some future point.

Though locked away in a magical prison, the wizards of Barakus knew that someday he might use his powerful magic to somehow free himself, and so they created a weapon, the Sword of Kell, which a mighty warrior could use against Devron. Because they wanted control over who got and used the sword, it was forged such that unless empowered in a specific room in Barakus with the use of three orbs of power which were them-selves powered by three “flames”-small geomet-ric shapes scattered throughout the city. The idea was that the three elders of the city must agree on

a champion before they offered their flame: with-out complete agreement, the sword was useless.

However, before a suitable champion could be found to battle Devron, the lich played a risky gambit. At great expense to personal power, he summoned a stone of madness, which erupted through the floor near the gates to his prison. This magical stone had the power to drive all sentient creatures mad. This it did, and the good people of Barakus soon destroyed themselves, and the city fell into ruin.

Centuries passed. The stone of madness’ power diminished and most of the city was freed from its effects. Eventually, creatures from the Underdark and the surrounding wilderness began moving into the city and using its many halls and cham-bers for their lairs.

The lost city of Barakus is now a massive dun-geon, filled with hundreds of creatures with their own designs and desires. Many of the inhabitants over the years have altered the layout of the city slightly to fit their needs, and hundreds of years of monstrous habitation has left the city’s once-great halls filled with forgotten treasures and un-sprung traps.

Of course, Devron still dwells deep beneath the earth in his magical prison, and as is the wont with trapped liches, would like nothing more than to escape his prison and find his Helm of Power, which would restore the power he lost during his captivity. While exploring the city, the PCs may decide to find the Sword of Kell, empower it, and go after Devron. The battle between the PCs and the Lich is likely to serve as a climax to this adventure.

It should be stressed that this module was not designed as a straight march to level five and a battle with Devron. As is the case with other Necromancer Games modules like The Vault of Larin Karr and The Lamentation of Thieves, this module is a setting to be explored and developed. The dungeon of Barakus is large and is inhabited by many creatures that have absolutely nothing to do with Devron, his Helm of Power or The Sword of Kell. What’s more, there are numerous adven-tures and encounter areas in and around Endhome

Introduction

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for the PCs to explore as well. Devron and his desire to return to power merely serves as a thread to pull the story along, not it’s driving force. The driving force should be the players’ curiosity and the DM’s imagination.

The Location Of The Three Flames, The Sword, And The Helm

The first flame is on Level 2, still secured in Area 2-52.

The second flame is in the Chamber of Fear, Area 3A-26.

The third flame is in the possession of Thelkor, a ghoul lord, on level four in Area 4-20.

Thelkor, it turns out, also possesses the Helm of Power, although he has no idea what it is-he just likes the look of it.

The Sword, meanwhile, remains in place on its own special level, in Area 4A-7.

Adventure HooksInitially, the DM’s primary objective is to get

the party to Endhome and then quickly to Bara-kus. Below is a list of possible hooks:

1. Bodyguards: The PCs are hired by a mer-chant from their village/town/tribe to accompany him to Endhome. This merchant is transporting a cargo (apples, pears, fish, whatever the DM wishes) that is more valuable the quicker it reaches Endhome. Thus, he-the merchant-would like to risk a trek through Fool’s Pass, and thereby cut several weeks off his traveling time. During their journey the PCs pass directly past the entrance to the caves above Barakus. The merchant com-ments that this is rumored to have been the lair of a once-powerful orc tribe. A little information gathering in Endhome confirms this. Most players should need little more than this.

2. Finding Fenton: The PC’s are hired/asked to find the missing sorcerer Fenton (see Finding Fenton in the Adventures in Endhome chapter).

3. A Map: The PCs find the mysterious map (see The Lost Treasure Map in the Adventures of Endhome chapter).

4. Rumors: The PC’s are residents of Endhome and have heard rumors over the years about a huge underground city in the Duskmoon Hills. At

last they are bold enough to take a look for them-selves.

How To Use This ModuleFirst of all, familiarize yourself completely

with the module, reading it several times before attempting to run it. Much of the action will prob-ably take place in Barakus. This module was designed first and foremost as a big dungeon crawl, and with Barakus there’s a lot of dungeon to crawl through. There are, however, a number of interesting NPCs, encounter areas (including small dungeons) in the wilderness and Endhome as well, most of which connect in one-way or another to Barakus. The DM may simply let the PCs stumble on these in their travels, or, if he wishes, entice the PCs with various clues, all of which are included in the text of the separate encounter areas.

As is the case with the other mini-campaign set-tings, this module was designed to give the PCs the maximum freedom, so as much as possible, let the players dictate the action. A good way to run The Lost City of Barakus is to drop clues about certain quests and adventures and then see what most interests the PCs. And then, perhaps most important of all, don’t be afraid to impro-vise. There are a number of areas and NPCs we have purposefully left underdeveloped (the Pulanti family, the Statue of Keld); these can be left undeveloped, or, if the DM wishes, expanded to create whole new adventures. The module is flexible enough to accommodate a lot of modifi-cation by the DM to suit his campaign style.

Adventures in EndhomeIn addition to the wilderness and the halls and

caves and Barakus, there are a few adventures in Endhome itself, or deriving from Endhome, in which the PCs might become involved. These could provide an interesting contrast to the dark tunnels of a dungeon, and allow Endhome to function as more than just a place to rest, make scrolls and potions, and sell booty. These adven-tures range from information gathering forays to spying and fighting. The adventures are as fol-lows:

The Wererat Warren is an in-city dungeon crawl for characters of 1st-3rd level that pits the play-ers against an evil pack of wererats, and provides

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clues as to the true evils of the Pulanti family. This adventure is detailed in the Adventures in End-home chapter.

The Slaving Priestess is appropriate for char-acters of 2nd-4th level, and involves information gathering and stealth, as well as a potentially violent climax. This adventure is detailed in the Adventures in Endhome chapter.

The Renegade Wizard details the lair of a demented conjurer deep in the city’s sewers. This adventure is appropriate for characters of levels 3-5. This adventure is detailed in the Adventures in Endhome chapter.

The Pulanti Estate may either start as a follow up adventure to the Sewers or as a missing per-sons case. It is appropriate for characters of 3-6th level, and involves ridding the city of a family of vampires. This adventure is detailed in the Adventures in Endhome chapter.

Finding Fenton is appropriate for any level characters, and provides a link and reason for the players to visit Barakus in search of a lost hus-band. This adventure is detailed in the Adven-tures in Endhome chapter.

The Lost Treasure Map can be inserted as the DM desires at any point in the adventure, and is appropriate for characters of any level. It leads the players to the Barakus. This adventure is detailed in the Adventures in Endhome chapter.

The Reward for the Greentree Bandits can likewise be started at any time, though the adven-ture itself is appropriate (at its climax) for charac-ters of levels 3-5. This adventure is detailed in the Adventures in Endhome chapter.

A Note On ELs And Experience Points

The Encounter Levels listed in this module follow the standard formula listed in the DMG-e.g. based on a party of four adventurers. The dungeon of Barakus is designed with what can be described as an “old school” philosophy: that is, the first level (the caves) are for 1st level adven-turers, the 2nd level for second level adventurers and so on. Given the amount of combat that is likely to take place in and around the dungeon, and given the amount of experience the DMG awards for these combats, the PCs would rise up far quicker than the dungeon is designed to challenge. We advise, therefore, that you assign only 50% of the XP listed in the DMG (or less, if you’re so inclined). If this is not acceptable, you would be advised to increase the Encounter Levels for many of the encounters on the lower levels to maintain a challenging environment.

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Endhome Being located at the intersection of the great

north/south and east/west trade routes and the mouth of the Gaelon River has made Endhome the trading capital of the continent. This indepen-dent city-state boasts a well trained and highly disciplined guard that keeps the streets safe and hospitable for its many wealthy and influential visitors. Because of its steadfast neutrality, central location, and friendly port, Endhome is where the wealthy come from every nation to broker deals and form alliances. Though the riverbed and sur-rounding countryside provide the citizens of End-home with ample food and resources, the city’s primary source of income is trade: every ship mooring in its harbor and every caravan passing through its gate must pay a small tax for the right to do business in this desirable location. Because it is the only city where merchants can buy or sell to other merchants from so many far off lands, the streets are always crowded with exotic travelers and businessmen looking to make their fortune.

There is no lack of adventure in Endhome either, for where there is wealth there is always intrigue, and some merchants deal in more than just silks and herbs. The taverns are filled with shady char-acters looking for discreet men to carry out one plan or another. What’s more, adventurers return-ing with rare treasures are always able to find interested buyers in the city’s bazaar and trading district.

Endhome (Large City): Republic; AL LN; 10,000 gp limit; Assets 8,000,000 gp; Population 35,000; Mixed (80% human, 5% halfling, 5% half-elf, 5% dwarf, 3% elf, 2% other).

Authority figures: Ranlan Pool, Human Male Exp6 (Governor).

Important Characters: Stylus Kant, male Human Wiz9 (Wizard’s Academy Headmaster); Lurton Gasper, Male Human Ari6 (Nobleman); Amelia Gaspar, Female Human Ari3 (Noblewoman); Bragger Bondhome, Male Dwarf Ftr8 (Captain of the Guard).

Others: Foot soldier War1 (x350); Sergeants War2 (x50); Archer War1 (x100); Engineers Ftr1 (x25); Cavalrymen Ftr2 (x50); Exp5 (x10); Exp4 (x50); Exp3 (x75); Exp2 (x75), Exp1 (x150); Rog3 (x20); Rog2 (x40); Rog1 (x50); Com1 (x33,000).

Layout and Standard FeaturesEndhome is surrounded by a 20 foot-high stone

wall complete with parapets and walkways. Two patrols (see below) walk circuits beginning at the West gate, one (the southern) heading coun-ter-clockwise, and the other (the northern) head-ing clockwise; once they reach the mouth of the Gaelon River, the patrols turn around and retrace their steps until they meet again at the front gates. There are over a dozen watchtowers dotting the wall as well. Each tower is manned by 4 archers, a light catapult and 2 engineers. See Defense of the City, below, for stats.

The buildings of Endhome tend to be made of wood with peaked, thatched roofs, and shuttered windows. Some, however, especially those in the Wizard’s Academy, the Government District, and the Noble District, are made of stone. Within the city itself are four walled districts (the Wiz-ard’s Academy, the Noble District, the Govern-ment District, and the Barracks). These walls are 15 feet-high and unmanned.

There are two main thoroughfares dividing End-home, both extensions of the exterior roads to which they are connected. The east/west road, which begins at the west gate, is called the King’s Road, as is its exterior parent. The north/south road is called Wayfarer’s Way. Both roads are wide and well kept and are the primary routes employed by merchants when bringing their goods to the Trading District (Area 2). There are also many smaller roads connecting the King’s Road and Wayfarer’s Way with the important districts in the city. Beyond this, there are hundreds of alleys and side streets winding their way between the crowded buildings surrounding the main con-courses.

The mighty Gaelon River bisects Endhome. In addition to the excellent port provided by the riv-er’s mouth, the Gaelon is also a popular means of transportation, both upstream and down. Many merchants ship their cargo in large vessels to Endhome’s port then move them inland on wide barges, and inland merchants often ship their goods to Endhome via the Gaelon as well. The

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