Richard Baker and James Jacobs.DESIGNERS Ricuanp Baxen, Janes Jacons DEVELOPER “Axpr Contins EDITOR Jous Rarer? EDITING MANAGER Kim Monay DESIGN MANAGER Cumistornen Praxmss © DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Jesse Decxen DIRECTOR OF RPG R&D Brit Stavicsex PRODUCTION MANAGERS : Jose: Fisciten, RANDALL. Crews > ART DIRECTOR D&D Kanne Jaques COVER ARTIST Davin Hupwor INTERIOR ARTISTS ‘Warve Enotanp, Rapr Gattxoos, Dzs Hantex, Rates Hoasirr, Howaxp Lrox, Lucio Paxixo, Enc Potak, Scorr Routen, Francis Tsar, Fuanz Vouwnvxet, Eva WiprEMann CARTOGRAPHER ‘Mie Scutey GRAPHIC DESIGNER Dee Banwerr GRAPHIC PRODUCTION SPECIALIST ‘Eurw Donres IMAGE TECHNICIAN ‘Travis Apams ‘Bae on tht nga Deonans Dass rlea reat y B.Gary Garand Dave Armco, and the new Doors & Doo game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Wiliams, Richard Baker, and Peer Adkison "This product uses updated material from the 63.5 revision ‘This Wizaans or ma Coass® game product contains ne Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduce in any form without written permission. To eer more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System License, pease Vit WWW. witardscom/d20 chanvogenc oS Woche Ca > (6210-95285 40-0OL-EN Teng isstewtyae meer ISBN20:0.7869.3938.9 irs Printing Febewary 2006 Isa 23: 9780-7869 393821 Dem, nar a. 28 re iF ik Der Me ei Mal af Dom 8 See ling ea reece epee ce ey SPS peed en alee spn sna SUR Se Visit our website at www. wizards com/dadhey hls danced wth ie. ‘inougheu the hear of the wld balan the sans called he Wyrmsmokes, great bonfes had been kindled stop vids overiokg Es Vale There thowsands of warriors had pethered—hsbgsbine armor dye sare, thidk-thewed bughoorbersrkers, goblin worg rides and shirmshersad ares ard the saledoneaswell wh olen weed verte es. oso long they fog each hey re aginst ib, ce agaist ace, engaged nthe ene tt of bat eu and era But ong... tanight hey sod together hated enemies older shoulder shouting together as brothers. And they sae tha! they were strong and together they danced and sng and shook thet Blades at thesmokeidden tars overad. “eae the Bulky Zul!” they shouted, and the hl shook with the hunder of theives.“ Weare he People of he Dragon! Uighulth tna Hang! None ca stand bjore a!” One by one the tries fell silent. Armor craked as thousands turned a lookup to the Pac of Spesking Ther angle champion emerged from te stemblageandslouly cmb he ancien sone Sar cut no the sd ofthe il. A humdved bight yellow barnes sod beneath hi ke a phalanxof pear ech marke wa peat sed hand. The warprets holding the banners chanted tl payers Inlowwoicesas the champion ascended Ont hundredth step he sopped and turned to face the wating warriors. He was tall and strong ne ofthe habgabin chiens ‘ut dll Bue scales glared aang is shoulders ad jutting horns sept back from his heed. °X are Azarr Kul, Son ofthe Dragon!” sti Ul} to — A r Jig NO Opmeyy 2m hecried. "Hear me, warriors ofthe Kulkor Zl! Tomorrow we ‘march lo war!” “The warriors roared their approval, stamping their feet and ashing spear to shield. Azarr Kul waited, holding his hands aloft until they quieted ogain, “The warpriests ofthe Doom ‘Hand have shown ws the way! They have taught us honor, discipline, obedience —and strength! No more will we waste ‘uy blood fighting each other. Wewil take te land ofthe elf, the dwarf and the human, and make them ours! Under the banner ofthe Red Hand of Doom we march to victory and ‘anuest! Remember that you land here this night, warviews ‘of Kulkor Zhul! Fora hundred generations your sons and your sons’ sons will sng ofthe blood spilled by your swords and the glory you win in the nights fo come! Now, my brothers—to WAR!" ‘The burning hls were too small to hold the shout the ‘Kulkor Zhul gave in answer to their warlords al. Waris gathering inthe dry brown hills known asthe ‘Wyrmsmoke Mountains, As midsummer settles over the land, smothering everythingin heat and dust, the fierce warriors of the Kulkor Zhul--"People of the Dragon’ in the hobgoblin tongue—gather beneath the dreaded Red Hand banner, ready to sweep down out ofthe Wyrmsmokes and conquer the human lands below. Your player characters face an onslaughtof Fire and steel the likes of which few have ever seen.Encounter Levels: Red Hand of Doomnis designed fora party cof four characters who begin the adventure at Sth level. Over the course of the adventure they should accumulate enough experience to zeach 10th level before the climactic encounters atthe end of the adventure. —________PREPARATION ‘Yournced the Players Handbook, Dngeon Masters Gud and Monster ‘Manual to run this adventure. Some monsters from D&D® supplements appear ia this book, but their complete statistics ae given in Appendix I. Several NPCs have prestige classes from other sources, but we've made sure that any unig class feature orability is fully described inthe statistics bloc, so that yourcan run those characters based on che information herein, Because this adventure focuses on stopping a rampaging horde, you might find leroes of Battle a useful adjunct to you ‘game. However, Red Hand of Doom assumes that you don't have Herosof Battle and provides ll the information you need to run this adventure Finally, we've made an effort feature NPCsand monstersyou can easily represent with the available sets of D&D miniatures. Rei Harsd of Doom assumes that youre using some sort of battle smator grid for your game, as wells miniatures to represent the heroes and the monsters in tactical situations. You donitneed ro use the minis or esolve the fights on a tabletop mapsheer, but ‘we think youl enjoy the adventure more if you do, THE BATTLE MAPS Red Hand of Doom comes complete with a double-sided sheet that provides three battle maps for use in the adventure The map that depicts road cutting through forested glade can be used to play out the frst encounter, Marauder Attack (oe page 1). “The map that shows street with buildings on either side is designed for the Streets of Blood encounter (se page 91 that occurs during the Batle of Brindol.rean also be used forthe encounter ited Dirty Rotten Looters (ee page #3) The map that depicts « worked stone complex with dragon statues placed around its pesimeterisfor use with the climactic ‘encounter ofthe adventure, Inner Sanctum (ee page 109) ‘Of course, you can use these maps for other purposes 3s you see i, ether for other roleplaying encounters or for skirmish barces that use the Dé-D Miniatures rales. Forcenturies, the dry and dusty Wyrmsmoke Mountains have beers home ro dozens of goblinoid tribes, Travelers skied the {goblin infested hills by a generous margin, but the Wyrm: ‘smoke tribes posed no significant threat to the nearby human townlands and settlements other than the occasional bloody raid. Yet deep within the mountains lay hidden something that ‘would spell doom an ancient temple dedicated to Tiamat, the Queen of Evil Dragons. Builchundreds of years ago to serve asthe hidden redoubtofa despicable cultof dragon-worshipers, the temple was eventually cleansed by a band of heroes from the human city of Rhest. For several centuries the complex ay empty. Then, thisty years ago, the young balf-dragon hobgoblin watrior Azare Kul discovered the abandoned temple and was awed by the teachings of Tiamat be read on the walls therein, He abandoned Maglubiyet, the traditional deity ofhis people, and dedicated himselftoleading the rest of his nation to Tlamat’s worship. (Over the next twenty years, Azare Kul grew into a powerful ‘warlord and a mighty priest of Tiamat. Early in his ise to power be struck up an alliance with the blue dragon Tyrgarun, his own sie. Aided by this powerful ally, Azarr Ku converted his entire tribe into fanatical worshipers of Tiamat. He renamed the tribes that had fallen under his wing the Kulkor Zhul and ‘began to lay his plans forthe conquest of Elsi Vale. Dedicating themselves ro the Queen of Evil Dragons with the fanaticism ofthe recently converted, the members of the Kulkor Zhul grew strong, stronger then any Wyrmsmoke tribe before them. Adopting the standard ofthe Red Hand, an ancient symbol of Tiamat’ cult, Azart Kul eveated an elite caste of warpriests, monks, and dragon favored champions to lead the Kulkor Zbul. Late last year, Azarr Kul and his dragon-worshiping zealots destroyed the last opposition to his supremacy over the Wyrm smoke tribes, slaughtering the Black Knife Goblins and the tribes allied to them in a ferocious onslaught, The survivors accepted his suzerainty and were absorbed into his realm, ‘Azarr Kul named his new kingdom Harg Kulkor, ot “Land of the Dragon} ‘After a long season of rebuilding hisstrengeh, offering bribes tomany ofthe intelligent monsters in the region, and reinfore- ing the power of his Red Hand warpriests over the disparate tribes he ruled, Azarr Kul finally rurned his attention to the lands beyond the Wyrmsmoke Mountains. What he sew whet ted his ambition for power; no city or state within hundreds of smiles could field an army asstrongashis. The High Wyrmlord dreams of carving out s hobgoblin empire stretching from the Sunset Sea tothe Golden Plains—and the first step is to crush, the human towns of Elsir Vale. — ADVENTURE OUTLINE ‘Red Hand of Doom casts the player characters in the role of heroes fighting to stem the advance of Azare Kull'shorde. There are far too many enemy warriors for the PCs to deal with them allppersonaly, Instead, the heroes undertake vital missions that influence the outcome of the war. These missions include the following. + Spying out the movements of Azazr Kul’ army. + Defeating roving bands of marauders, + Leading the effort to rally an elf army to mee horde. + Distupting an alliance between the Red Hand and apower- fallich Killing important enemy commanders, champions, and + And finaly, infiltrating the Fane of Tiamat to defeat the Red Hand warpriests and their leader in their secret stronghold the Red Hand “Theadventure is divided into five parts, describing five ey loew- tions the PCs are likely explore inthe course of the adventure. -Eventtriggered encounters are also woven into each ofthe five parts. The adventure localesand events are designed tointersct: Events will ster the heroes roward adventure locales,and things the heroes doin the locale will trigger events,PART I: THE WITCHWOOD ‘The adventure begins when the player cheracters confront a powerful warband of raiders threatening the small town of Drellin’s Ferry. Under the command of Wyrmlord Koth, the warband of hobgoblins and goblins lairs inthe ruins ofan old keep buried in the dense Witchwood, scouting out the sur rounding landsin preparation foran attack Soon the Wyrmlord and his warband intend to sweep down on Drellin’s Ferry and slaughter its inhabitants In the course of their fight to drive off the marauders, the Cs learn that Koth’s warband is just the tip ofthe spear, and thata horde of goblins, hobgoblins, and theirallies is marching south, They also leara that their enemies are driven on by the fanatical warpriessof Tiamat. Drellin's Ferry cant be saved, but the heroes can give the townsfolk time to flee by wrecking a bridge on an old dwarf road the Red Hand horde needs to cross, ‘There they confront the youngest of the Red Hand's dragon champions, a green dragon named Ozyrrandion, By the end of chisppart, the war has begun. Thereafter the PCs divide their time between fighting to stem the advance of the Red Hand horde and foiling the plans of the other Wyrmlords, whose work wil give the horde an irresistible advantage ifleft PART II: THE RUINS OF RHEST Something bas cut off the Old North Road in the vicinity of the Blackfens. None caa fle by that route, nor ean help from more distant cities reach besieged Elsir Vale. While scouting the swamp and seeking an enswer tothe question of who ot what has cut off the road, the PCs encounter the reclusive owlriding wild elves known as the Tiri Kitor, From them, the PCs learn that Wyrmlord Saarvith has allied with a blacle séragon named Regrarax, and rogether they have established a hatchery of sinister dragonspawn in the ruins of the drowned city of Rhest, The PCs must defeat both the Wyrmlord and the .gon to prevent the appearance of these vicious creatures in the war. Ifthe PCs play their cards right, they can even gain the aid ofthe Tiri Kitor elves against the advancing Red Hand horde, Acthe end of this section, the PCs discover the threat ofthe CChostlord (see Part II). Meanwhile, the Red Hand horde is, sttiking deep all across the vale's western marches,and the war fs going poorly indeed for the beleaguered humans. PART III: THE GHOSTLORD’S TOWER, ‘Azarr Kul brings a deadly new ally into the battle when Red Hand agents tel the phylactery of the human druid lich known asthe Ghostlord and coerce this powerful undead menace into joining che waron the Red Hands side. After gaining possession of the stolen phylactery, the PCs travel into che Thornwaste and dobattle with Wyrmlord Ulwai Stormcaller in the lich lion- shaped lair. Eventually the PCs must confront the Ghostlord himself and either destroy him (no small task) or purchase his neutrality by returning his phylactery in exchange for peace. By the time they dissuade the lich from joining his forces to those of Azart Kul, the Red Hand horde is bearing down on Brindol PART IV: THE ENEMY AT THE GATES ‘While the PCs have managed ro counter some ofthe Red Hand!’ outlying efforts, the horde has been advancing remorselessly into human lands. Now the characters confiont the main army. ofthe enemy directly in the Batle of Brindol, in which the PCs actions make the difference between the human city’ survival or destruction, Depending on how successful the PCs were in the previous parts ofthe adventure, the battle can end in any- thing from a hard-fought draw to a catastrophic defeat, Either ‘wy, inthe aftermath ofthe bactleit becomes clear thatthe best chance of winning the war is fora brave band of infiltators to strike into the heart ofthe hobgoblin lands and decapitate the horde by destroying the Red Hand order. PART V: FANE OF TIAMAT ‘The PCs assaule che High Wyrmlord’ stronghold, the Fane of Tiamat, deep in the Wyrmsmoke Mountains. Temporarily checked in the Battle of Brindol, Azar: Kul and his eizcle of| high priests are seeking infernal aid from the Nine Hells, summoning devils and fiendish monsters, including an aspect of Tiamat herself, to break the last human resistance. The PCs fight a desperate battle in the dark temple, and ultimately confront High Wyrmlord Azarr Kul himself in the heart of| the Fane of Tiamat. You have several good options for involving your player characters in Red Hand of Door, Part I assumes that youl use the Vault of Vraath Keep hook (see below), so if you choose 3 different one, youll need to make suitable adjustments to your adventures start Vault of Vraath Keep: The PCs have come across an old map in the hoard of a monster they defeated prior to the adventure (orare given the map by 2 nonadventuring patron or sponsor). The map shows the location of Vraath Keep and hints ata hidden veule containing e great treasure. When the PCs reach Drellin’s Ferry, they find that treasure-hunting in the Witchwood might have to wait, since marauders based in the keep are plaguing the town. Use the Adventure Start text provided in Part I,and run the Marauder Attack encounter page 14) to begin. ‘War Drums in the Hills: Lord Jarmaath of Brindol hears rumors from travelers that the goblins and hobgoblin tribes bave banded together under a charismatic warlord, He hires the PCs to investigate, but when they reach Drellins Ferry they find thatthe hobgoblinsare already on the moveand marauders already beset the town; begin with the encounter Marauder Attack (page 14). ‘Omens of Doom: A high-level cleric who is a patron of sponsor of the PCs receives « powerful vision of war descend. Ing on Flsir Vale under the banner ofa clawed red hand. He sends the PCs to Drellin’ Ferry to avert the foreseen disaster; they arrive just in time for the Marauder Attack encounter (page 14), Message Delivery: One of the PCs accepts a job to deliver a sealed message toone Soranna Anitah in Drellin's Ferry. The contents of the message can be anything plausible (notification ofan inheritance, a generous job offer from Lord Jarmaath of Brindol, 2 message from a secret lover, or peshaps details about ‘unusual hobgoblin activity in the lands to the north and wes) (Once the characters deliver the message to Soranna, shel have 4 new job for them—to find out what these local hobgoblin tribes are relly up to in the Witchwood.INTRODUCTION, Mas, by L, Parle ‘Rai Hand of Doom includes a nunnber of special features and systems designed to help you portray the urgency and heroism of standing against a great onslaught of evi, Theadventare also uses some new formats and present later in this introduction THE TIMELINE ‘You should keep careful track of the passage of days when the adventure begins. The movement of armies takes time; ifthe PCs fail ro slow down the horde, or they wait too long before rallying folk to the defense of Elsir Vale, potentially crucial allies might not have time to reach the field of battle before the Red Hand attacks, mas that ate discussed Day Event Day] PCs encounter marauders near Drellin's Ferry Day7 _ Red Hand horde marches from Cinder Hil Day8 Horde reaches Skull Gorge Bridge. Delayed three days if bridge destroyed Day 1 Horde reaches Vraath Keep. Delayed one day if Wyrmlord Kosh is killed Delayed two days if forest giants intervene Day 12 Horde attacks Drelln's Fert. Day 19 Horde conquers Terrelton Day26 Red Hand takes Nimon’s Gap. Day32__ Red Hand takes Tala. Day 40. Red Hand reaches Brindol and encamps. Day 42__ Red Hand attacks Brinda Day 45 _Azarr Kul begins to create the portal to Avernus, Day55 _Azarr Kul opens gate to Avernus and summons infernal einforcernents, Day 65 Red Hand horde, reinforced by infernal creatures, attacks and destroys Brindol.IfBrindol has already fallen, they overrun Dennovar instead and ‘rush the last hurnan resistance within Elst Vale [Actions by the PCs can throw off this timeline, buying more time forthe defenders. For example, if che PCs destroy Ske Gorge Bridge before day 8, the Red Hand must then spend three days detouring around Skull Gorge. The horde nove attacks Drellin Ferry on day 15 instead of day 12 and teaches Brindol con day 45 (assuming no further interference) PLAYING THE VILLAINS SMART Azart Kul and the Doom Hand priests aren't going to sit back and watch while some adventurers derail their plans for conquest. The villains will take steps to advance their diabolical schemes in spite of heroic resistance and to counter Habgphlns of the bore sew no mercy the PCs’ efforts. The Red Hand horde is very well organized, with @ number of well-placed spies, and the Doom Hand priests make every effort to report unusual resistance to their superiors. ‘As the adventure proceeds, the leaders ofthe Red Hand learn more and more about the PCs and issue orders to their minions fordesling successfully with such a band of heroes, When the PCs are engaged in a battle in which a number of low-level enemies sch as goblin or hobgoblin warriors are present, the low-level warriors respond as follows, First Encounters: Unaware of the fact that the PCs are catabove the ran-of the-mill humans or dwarves or whatever, low-level warriors make individual ateacks, trying to cut them down, Mid-Adventure Encounters: Realizing that the PCs are rough opponents, the low-level warriorsbegin tuse cooperative ‘acties against them, They attempt to flank individual PCs and THEY DON’T HAVE TIME TO WALK For much ofthe adventure, the PCs need to race back and forth across Elsr Vale—especialyifthey make the mistake early on of taking tine out for item creation or traveling to bigger cies trade inmagicitems Itrmight not occur to your payers that walking sicar seven days to get somewhere s nota good use of their characters time. Most PC partes cover about 0 miles per day on feat; on light riding horses, they could make 32 miles per day or more italy, PCs won't realize that time is pressing. By the end of | Part | they should begin to realize that they've got to caver alot ofdistance, and quick Ifthey don't, make the point to the play rs by having NPCs ask questions such as, “How fast can you get there?” or "That's a long ride, do you have a good horse? Some NPCs could even loan the PCs mounts at no cost, ifthe PCs have earned their trust‘ake them down one ata time. They use the aid another tactic (PH 158) to generate the best attack bonus possible against characters with high Armor lasses, or example, four istlevel hobgoblin warriors surrounding a single PC could make four artacks with a 42 flanking bonus, which might not be enough to hit. But if three of the wasriors sid the fourth, thet le hhobgoblin’sartack bomus can increase by as much as +6, or =8 with flanking, greatly increasing his chance of success. Late-Adventure Encounters: Low-level enemies give up trying to fight blade-to-blade and throw themselves on the PCs, attempting to start grapples. The first warrior to try this actic ina round probably fails and dies, but unless the target character has Combat Reflexes, the second and third and fourth warriors can pile on without provoking atacks of| opportunity. Grappling won't seriously damage a tough hero, but immobilizing the PCs one by one and preventing them from using thetr best attacks isa sound tactic. In addition, grappled characters lose their Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, While the AC ofa pinned character takes a~4 penalty aswell (Hiss) Final Encounters: Low-level warriors late in the adventure have heard enough about the PCs that they avoid engaging them if possible, They use the tacties outlined above only if a powerful, charismatic leader ison hand to drive them against the heroes. Otherwise they flee. GREAT BATTLES ‘key feature of Red Hend of Dom is the inevitable clash ofthe Red Hand horde with the forces of good. Unless something extraordinary happens in your game, this great clash will ake place near the human town of Brindol around day 42 of the adventure Rather han roll each blowby each of the thousands ofsoldiers who take part in this battle on esch side, resolve the battle by tallying up victory points for the side of good and consult Vie- tory Boints, described in the Battle of Brindal (see page 95). The heroes earn victory points through their actionson the field of battle, but even more important, they earn victory points before the battle even starts by having successfully completed various missions. For example, ifthe heroes destroy Skull Gorge Bridge in Pare I, they delay the Red Hand horde by three days—and that delay is worth 2 victory points. Similarly, if the heroes convince the Tri Kitor elves to ia the batle, this acts worth 5 victory points, ‘The more missions the heroes accomplish before the battle fs joined, and the more successful they are in handling those missions, the more likely itis that the forces of good will hold at Brindol. Ifthe heroes drag their feet or ful in their mis- sions, Brindol wil fall—a catastrophe for the humans, elves, and dwarves of Elsir Vale, As bad as this outcome is, 's not necessarily the end of a failed adventure; the heroes can still win the day by succeeding in Bart V. I's just far more heroic to successfully defend Brindol and then destroy the Fane of ‘Tiamat for good measure, AWARDING TREASURE -ecause this adventure runs on a tight timeline, ‘won't have much opportunity to convert treasure they specific magic items they would like to have through selling or buying itemisin big cities. Nor will they have time o fabricate their own magic items by using item creation feats To overcome this problem, Red Hand of Doom includes an aggressive distribution of magic treasures. Few Sth-level fighters have gauntlets of ogre power, but most 8th-or 3th-level fighters have some kind of Strength-enhancing magic item, Therefore, the treasures awarded in this adventure include many ability boosting items, armor and weapons of high qual fy, potent charged items, and avariety of useful miscellaneous igic items. In this adventure, one of your PCs shouldn't ‘need to save up to buy that +1 keen flaming geataxe—he should find it in the cold, dead hands of foe he just defeated in a bard foughe melee. You should definitely customize the treasure awarded inthe adventure to give your PCs much of what they want (and need) If the fighter in the party is proficient with the two-bladed sword, dont leaves 13 falchion in adragons hoard. Instead, make that item a 42/-2 two-baded sword. If the arcane spelleaster in the party is a sorcerer, let him find a cloak of Charisma instead cof a feadbana of intellect. Ideally, about 75% of the god piece value of the treasure PCs receive should be items they would choose for themselves, if the players were equipping characters from scratch, Let the remainder of the treasure come in the form of items that 8 character might not buy for herself but would like to have anyway. A figurine of wondrous power or cape ofthe mountebanke right not be what the PCs would choose, but don't be afraid to leave such items in the weasure assortment, Sometimes it’ ‘good for PCs to learn how to use what they've go, instead of| ‘getting what they know how rouse ENCOUNTER DESCRIPTIONS ach encounter description begins with the following stam dard entries ‘Timeline: When to use the encounter, in the case of an event triggered encounter. Light: The source and intensity of illumination for the room, ifeny. Ifthere's no light source given, then the heroes will only be able ro see what their own light sources (or dark vision) reveal. Creatures: A mention of anything animate that inthe In addition to the normal entries youll find in an encounter description, Red Hand of Doom feacures a number of sidebars, boxes, and special instructions. Here's what al the sidebars and boxes mean, Read-Aloud Text Text appearing i tlic ype inside an encounter desription, usually near the beginning, i information you can read aloud tothe players or paraphrase as you like Designers’ Notes 1m boxe ake ths ome well speak diel to yoy thal you can se what weve thinking about how a tricky encounter is supposed to payout or what youcan do to expandon something ‘we might have just sketched ut James end RichSTATISTICS BLOCKS ‘We first considered putting all the statistics blacks right in each encounter, but we realized that doing so would force uso repeat the same information a number of times, For example, Doom Fist monks appear in several different encounters, and wwe just couldn't see reprinting che seme statistics block over and over. So youl ind all the character and monster statistics in Appendix If you don't like flipping back tothe end ofthe book tolocate each statistics black, go 10 our website and download the Red Hand of Doom Enemies and Allies file You can print it out and keep it separate from the book so you don't have o turn ‘pages, of use print out the monsters you need fora particular encounter. Weve also got most of che maps online, too, Check. ‘tout at wwwavizards.com, Red Hand of Doom makes use of a new statistics block format introduced in Dungeon Master's Guide 1, See Appendix I for sore information. “The setting of the adventure is a thinly populated human frontier known as Elsir Vale and the surrounding wilderlands, ‘The vale stretches almost 250 miles east ro west and averages about 70 miles north to south. Several small mountain ranges and dense forests form the vale’s borders, fyouare playing in the Forcovran Ruatns campaign setting, yyou!l find that Elsir Vale fits perfectly in the region between the Misty Vale and the Forest of Amtar. Youll went to change ‘the names of some of the terain features and settlements; for example, the own of Brindol becomes Rethmar, the Rathgaunt Hills correspond to the Giantshield Mountains, and the End: less Plains match up with the Shear. You could also place the adventure in the southern stretches of Chessenta, or in the ‘orderlands between Impilrur, Damara,and Narfll (although in that case the terrain is notably colder and wetter then described here, and you should adjust descriptions accordingly). If you are playing in the Esuxson campaign setting, you ‘can setthe adventure in the eastern borderlands of Breland, inthe vicinity of New Cyre. You could also locate Elst Vale in the borderlands between Karrnath and the Talenta Plains, in the western part ofthe Eldeen Reaches, orin the southwestern, portions of Thrane. For those of you who play in the Gaeviawx campaign Setting, we recommend setting Elsie Vale in the borderlands berween Sterich, Geoff, and Gran March, or possibly in the eastern stretches of Nyrond. Youll need to do little more ‘work to make the adventure fit, bur all you really need isa region of mountainsor hills in which an evil horde can arise, and relatively remote and lightly seteled frontier neazby fo the horde to menace, DEVELOPMENTS Encounters that carry unusual consequences of locations that change in significant ways after the heroes leave include a Developments sidebar. A Developments sidebar might also provide suggestions for when player characters decide to try offbeat tactics or go in an unanticipated direction CLIMATE AND TERRAIN Elsir Vale lies in the subtropical latitudes. Summers are hot and dry (although punctuated by the occasional intense thun- derstorm), and winters are warm and rainy. Large stretches of| the areaare quite arid, and the vale is flanked by vast savannahs stretching for mile after dusty mile. The forests that stretch across most ofthe vale’ northern reaches ere stifling and swelteringly hotin the summertime, with nota breath of wind torelieve the oppressive heat. Weather ‘We've set this adventure in the middle of a hot, dry summer. ‘The default temperature for the season is hot (85° to 110" E) during the day and warm (60° to 85" F) at night. If youre using Table 3-23: Random Weather (DMG 94), then 2 heat ‘wave makes the temperature for the day severely hot, and poses some amount of heat danger (DMG 303). If you don't ‘want to bother with heat dangers, don't roll on the table; the weather just stays hot or warm every day. Occasionally tell the players just how sweaty and dusty their characters are, especially those in armor or bulky clothing, in order to set the mood. Thisis the dry season in Elsir Vale, so rainfllisinfrequent— ‘but when it comes down, itreally comes down. Thunderstorms and tornados are fairly common. See the rules for fighting in ‘wind and precipitation (DMG 94-95) Clear Terrain In general, areas on the map that dor‘t clearly possess tersein type consist ofa mixof grasslands hills light woods, and brush- land, Ifyou need to know the heroes immediate surroundings, roll d% and consult the able below, d% Terrain 01-15 Forest (sparse) 16-20 Forest (medium) 21-30 Plains (farm fields) 31-60 Plains (grassiand) 51-80 Brushland (treat as sparse forest, with a 30% occurrence of heavy undergrowth) 81-100 Hills (gentle) Settled Lands (One of the rerrain types indicated on Map 1 is settled lands” ‘This is simply cleared farmland in the vieinity ofa village or town. Scattered homesteads and farmhouses lie amid broad elds, with the oceasional hillock or copse of woodland. The closer to the village, the closer together the outlying farmsand homesteads, Treat settled lands as plains farm fields), " HISTORY OF THE VALE ‘The scattered human towns and villages ofthe area grew up along the Dawn Way, an important east-west trade road linking the heavily setled ands that lie northwest across the Endless Plains with the exotic kingdoms and goods of the coastal lands Iying to the southeast. Much of the Dawn Way was buileby an ancient dwarf kingdom that spanned the Wyrmsmoke and Giantshield Mountains mote than a thousand yearsago, While the dwarves are long gone, their roads, bridges, and cisterns remain in use to this day. After the dwarf-realm passed, the presence of various monsters and raiders kept traffic alongfie Enulless Plan < the Dawn Way light for many years; few caravans dared the Jong and dangerous trek, Few humans lived in Elsir Vale during those years—only scattered settlements of druidic folk who left behind little more than grassy barrows and stone circles on the hilltops. ‘About five hundred years ago, the nearby city of Rhest came to control the vale and e large swath of land north ofthe Giantshields as well. Soldiers from Rhest secured the roads all the way to Dennovar and beyond, creating a safe passage for trade. More and more traders traveled the Dawn Way, and the kingdom of Rhestilor grew wealthy on the tariffs exacted from the passing merchants, Under the kingdom's shield, che owns along the Dawn Way—Brindol, Talat, Terrelton, and the rest—grew up from tiny hamlets o: lonely soldiers’ posts to flourishing human settlements. The kingdom of Rhestilor eventually collapsed under civil strife, monstrous incursions, end magical blights. Almost wo hundred years ago, the city of Rhest was burned by a savage horde outofthe Wyrmsmoke Mountains. Although the warriors of Rhestilor killed many of the goblins and their kind, the city was abandoned and the already weakened kingdom broken. The Jocks and canals surrounding Rhest fell into disrepair, and the Blackfens swallowed the ruined city. In the years since the kingdom fall, the towns of Elsir Vale have come to look after themselves. Most ofthe local lords, such as Jarmaath of Brindo, still hold titles derived from the old kingdom of Rhestilor. While everybody knows that the kkings of Rhestilor are long deed, no nevr realm has arisen in thevale MAJOR SETTLEMENTS. In addition to the settlements described in this section, a fai numberof isolated homesteads (more than a few of ther long, abandoned) are scattered throughout this terrain, Brindol: One ofthe largest settlements in the vale, Brindolis prosperous arming community and caravan stopover located along the Dawn Way on the south bank of the Elsir River. Orchards of apple and pear trees follow the river's winding shores, while broed grain fields and farmlands surround the town for miles in all directions, Brindol is the home of Lord Kerden Jarmaath, and his small keep and the city walls are the only fortifications of note this side of Dennovar. Brindol (Small City): Conventional, nonstandard; ALNG, LE; 1Ogp limit; Assets 6 300,000 gp, Population 8400; Mixed (81% fin rexf 38 hal gnome, 1% elf ‘ord Kerden NG male huma dol; Lady Verrasa Kal (L human ‘of mercantile House Keal, whom everyone portant Characters: Captain L h (LG male humar leader ofthe L mmerstal the Red (CC male town; Rilo ack Kn 2K Gfe‘The Lion Guard: The Lion Guard is Lor Jarmssaths army. They keeporder in the town, garrison the keep, and patrol ehe lands neatby. The Lion Guard includes forty 3rd-evel warriors fifty 2nd level warriors, and one hundred ten tstlevel warriors, ‘The Lions of Brindol: ‘The most skilled and experienced members ofthe Lion Guard are rewarded with the ttle"Lion of Brindol." the Lions of Brindol, who lead the Lion Guard when not undertaking special missions for Lord Jarmaath, curtently include one Sth evel fighter, four 4th-level fighters, and twelve srdevel fighters. House Keal Guan: Lady Verras's personal army includes five _angé-leve fighters, two 4th-level rogues, three sc-level rogues, four 2nd level rogues, six ist level rogues cleven ed level warriors, sixteen 2nd-level warriors, and twenty-two Istlevel warriors, House Kaal Ete Guard: Lady Verrasa’s answer to the Lions of Brindol, these skilled retainers of proven loyalty serve as her personal bodyguards or trusted emissaries, A small group, it includes one éth-level Aghter and four 4th-level fighters. Milita: Brindols militia strength isabout eight hundred, inchud- ing forty 3rdlevel commoners, one hundred twenty 2ndevel commoners, four bundred forty sstlevel commoners, rwenty sre level warriors, sixty 2nd-level warriors, and one hundred sixty tstlevel warriors Brindol is the place where the folk ofthe vale attempt their stand against the Red Hand horde, The town's exterior walls, arein poor repair, but Lord Jarmaath sets about improving them assoon as word of the oncoming horde reaches him, The more time the heroes can buy, the better the town's defenses when ‘the attack finally comes, Dauth: A sleepy little hamlet about halfway between the Hammerfist Holds and Brindol, Dauth is home to about two bundred people. Itis noted for The Tired Giant, an inn and tap house under the proprietorship of Galadan Ryethresher(LGmale halfling expert 4) The Rhestorilan nobles who once ruled here died out two generations ago, and Dauth Keep—their ancestral bhome—is only a burned-out shell overlooking the setlement. ‘A-council of elders now governs the village. Dennovar: A trade-ity located on the shores of Lake Ern, Dennovais the largest community in Elsi Vale. I's the eastern [gateway tothe vale, the first bit of civilization a weary traveler ‘encounters aftercrossing the Golden Plains. Lady YiselBristeir isthe titularrulerhere, btin practice the city is governed by the Merchants Council—povserful oligarchs primarily concerned with keeping the city 2 good place to do business, Dennovar is also noteworthy for the dozens of temples, both minor and ‘major, that dotits streets. The activities ofthese places are over- seen by the Temple Coueil, made up ofthe highest-ranking clerics devoted to each of the deities the temples serve, Dennovar (Smal City): Conventional, magical: ALN, LN; 15000 gp limis; Assets 8,700,000 gp; Population 11,600; Mixed (81% bbuman, 10% halfling, 4% dwarf, 2% halforc, 2% gnome, 1%). Authority Figures: High Councilor Nindel Thora (N male buman expert 8), leader ofthe Merchants Council and de facto ruler ofthe city; Prelate BarilaHarrask (LN female human cleric 9 f St. Cuthbert, high priestess of St. Cuthbert in thevaleand bead ofthe Temple Council [nportant Characters Shining Servant Derth Trinn (CG male halE-lf cleric 8 of Pefor, member ofthe Temple Council; Far- striderTerise Whellin (N female human cleric 6ofFharlanghn), member ofthe Temple Counell; Lady Vise Brsteir (CG female buman aristocrat 4), ritled ruler of Dennovar with lite actual power in the city due to the strength of the Merchants Council; ‘Aragithos (CE male human sorcerer 10/dragon disciple ost powerful acane speicaster in the city, paid a forvune to safeguard the city from magical attack; Blade Captain Yelsharra ING female half elf fighter 9), leader of the Dennovar Blades. The Dennover Blades The atzay of Dennovar answers to the Merchants Council Is force includes one 7tb-level fighter three level fighters, eight 4th-leve fighters, rwenty-two 3rlevel fighters, Bity 3rdlevel warrior, sixty 2ndlevel warriors, and one hundred forty istlevel warriors. Milli: Once it becomes aware of the danger posed by the horde, the Merchants Council calls up the militia. By day 2, Dennovar’s militia strength is about one thousand, including thingy 3nd-level commoners, one hundred ten 2nd.level com moners, five hundred eighty istlevel commoners, twenty ardlevel warriors, fifty 2nd-level warriors, and two hundred ten Ast level warriors. 1 Brindol falls, Dennovaris the Red Hand horde's next target. Ie the last place in the vale strong enough to tuen back Azar Kaul. Ifthe warlord reaches Dennovar and takes the city, his ‘conquest will be complete. Drellin’s Ferry: If Dennovar isthe eastern gateway to Elsir Vale, then the small town of Drellins Ferry is the western. Once a dwarf made bridge spanned the Elsic River here, but ¢ was destroyed during an epic flood about a hundred years ago. Since that time, travelers on the Dawn Way have erossed by means of a ferry, from which the town gets its name. Drellins Ferry is described in more detail in Part 1 of the adventure Elsircross: A small own ata ford ofthe Elsi River, Elsircross is known for woodcutting and papermaking. The self styled “Baron” Hargil Trask (NE male human fighter 7) andthe rest of the no-good Trask elan govern the town by the Baroa iat. Lord Jarmaath of Brindol has no use for Baron Trask and would like to see him and his oe driven out of Elsireross The towns of Esir Vale haven't fought among themselves in many years, however, and Jermaath is loath to intervene in another town’s business, ‘even if that business is getting id of«jumped-up brigand like Hargil Trask. For his own part, Trask issmart enough tokeep his thugs from running emokia his own lands, so is subjects (and neighbors) rlerate him and his swaggering sons for now—but ‘Trask has ideas about adding Marthton or Red Rock to his “barony,” and maybe even Brindol someday. Hammerfist Holds: In the high foothills of the Wyvern- ‘watch Mountains lie the Hammerfist Holds,ahalf dozen dart clanholds that sometimes trade with the humans of the vale Each of the holds iss hemlet or village, home roa hundred ot more dwarves. Ifyou feel like expanding the adventure, you ‘can have the PCs head into these mountains to try to recruit ‘te dwarves to their cause, Taken together, the Holds have the following characteristics, Hammerfist Holds (Large Town): Conventional; AL LG; 3,000 gp limit (12,000 gp for arms and armor); Assets 670,000 2p; Population 2,00; Isolated (96% dwarf, 2% gnome, 1% human, ‘%halfing), ‘Authority Figure: Othrek Hammerfist(L 8), clanlord of the Hammerfist clan, male dwarf fighterImportant Characters: Thaardin Ironhand (LG male dwarf cleric 7 of Moradin), ranking cleric among the clanholds; Uldtina Flamehair (CG female dwarf bard 8), stonesinger of the clan; Guildmaster Derra Copperfist (N male dwarf rogue 5), wealthiest merchant ofthe holds) ‘Hammer Guards: Othrek’s elite guards are Hammer Guards. The group includes one sth-level fighter six 4th-level fighters, seventeen 3rd-level fighters, ewenty-two 2nd level fighters, and twenty-six tstlevel fighters. ‘The Clan Muster: The dwarves ofthe Hammerfst holds can muster a militia made up of two 4th-level clerics, five 3rdlevel clerics eleven and-level clerics, sixten tstlevel levies fifty-five 3rd level warriors, one hundred five 2nd level warriors and two hhundeed forty tstlevel warriors, snown as the Hillwatch: A dusty flyspeck of a hamlet located in the northern part of the Brown Hills, Hillwatch is prim: populated by shepherds and cattleherds, The town has no inn fr tavern; cravelers often stay at the home of Jerossil Indo, welloffrancher who takes a few coins to board strangers fo night or wo. Hillwatch is notin danger until Brindol falls (if it does) and the Red Hand marches on Dennovar ‘Marthton: Located in the shadow of the Marth forest, this small town thrives on woodcutting and catering to traders on the Dawn Way. In the hills nearby lie a number of the ancient barrowsand stone circles ofthe long-vanished druidic folk who tonce dwelled in these lands. Marthton is governed by Lord Eethal Rethtew (N male human aristocrat ),an old and misecly man who lays heavy taxes on the folk of his small domain, ‘Nimon Gap: A tiny hamlet located atthe place where the Dawn Way descends out of the Nimon Hills, Nimon Gap grew ‘upsround large walled inn known as the ross Eyed Beholder. The folk of Nimon Cap grow apples, pears, and chestnuts in orchards sheltered below he hills, while shepherds and goatherds keep thei livestock in the heights. Prosser: Avillage located about halfway between Brindol and Hillwatch, Prosser isa quiet little place where the adventuring. band knowin as the Six Blades retired some years ago. The former adventurers cleared a numberof roublesome monsters from the woods to the west and brought a new prosperity tothe town. ‘The wizard Sardith (CG male human abjurer9) is recognized as the leader of the band, but he usually leaves most affairs in the hands of Deillyr Stazcloak (NG female halfelf rogue 2/ighter 5). Deillyr runs the town’s taphouse and serves as the chief constable judge, and troubleshooter. Red Rock: Rich copper veins in the high foothills of the Giantshield Mountains eventually gave rise tothe rough-an tumble mining rown of Red Rock. In addition to the copper mines, Red Rock also serves asa trading pos for trappers, hunt- crs, and prospectors who wanderall over the southern flank of the mountains. A number of dwarves and balfores live here, with no small amount of bad blood between them, Talar: A small town west of Brindol, Talaris governed by Lady Celiita Nesten (CG female human ranger 5), « high: spirited young woman who lately returned home totake up her father’s ttle on old Lord Nesten's death. Her impulsive ideas are tempered by an old and conservative town council, whose ‘members grew accustomed to running things during the old lords long decline. Terrelton: The western end of Elst Vale is drier and more sparsely settled than the eastern end. Terrelton isa dusty town that gets by on the livestock and leather trades; several large, foul-smelling tanneries sit inthe hills east ofthe town, The town is governed by a Merchants Council shot through with, connections to various gangs of brigands and highvwaymen, but a crusading cleric named Leille (LG female buman cleric 6 of St. Cuthbert) is working to clean up the council by exposing the misdeeds ofthe criminal members. ‘Witcheross: A large village located at che ford of the Witch stream, Witchcrossis ostensibly governed by acouncil of elders However, the elders make no decisions without consulting a circle of Witchwood druids known as the Keepers of Eth, ‘Adranna the Young (NG female human druid 8) is the Eth Speaker, or leader, ofthe circle, SITES OF INTEREST Ruined keeps, burned-out watchtowers, and occasional aban doned farmsteads dot the backlands of Elsi Vale and the area around Lake Rhestin, reminders of the fallen kingdom of Rhestlor Even older ruinscan be found here and there, dating back tothe old dwarf realm or the druidic human folle “The Blackfens: Lake Rhestins easter shore ishard to define, because che ake gradually gives way to. vast wetland known asthe Blackfens, The Blackfens tend ro be marsh, rather than swamp—that is, most of the landscape is a treeless maze of open water, reeds, and wet, grassy flats that shelter countless ‘waterfowl Isolated bummocks or isltsin the marsh are covered ‘with dense brush or forest. Inthe days of Rhestilor the marsh ‘was much smaller, its spread controlled through locks and canals, but it has groven steadily since the kingdom’ dissols tion. Half-drowned farmhouses, dilapidaced barns and sheds, and sinking ieldstone fences tell the tale of settled landsslowly inundated and abandoned, ‘The population of monstrous denizensis slowly on the vise in the Blackfens, but their growth is stunted by the constant vigilance of several small groups of wild elves known col- lectively as the Titi Kitor. These elves were the caretakers of the swampland before the rise of Rhest, and they still fulfill theie charge centuries after Rhest’s fall. Now that theic ancestral lands have increased so dramatically in size, they are slowly expanding their borders and strength. The elves ‘patrol the Blackfens with the aid of giantowls, using lanterns flickering with pale green continual flame at night. They keep awary distance from the humans who occasionally ish in the marshland borders. Taken together, their eneampments have the following characteristics ‘isi Kitor Encampments (Small Town): Conventional ALN, 1LN; 800 gp limit; Assets 68,000 gp; Population 1,700; Isolated (7%, 3% halfelh. Athority Figure: Speaker Sellyria Starsinger (NG female elf druid 7) leader of the Tri Kitor tribe). Innporlant Characters High Singer Irellara Nightshadow (NG female elfbard, rbe historian; Batlehunter Kili Arrove swift(CG male elf anger), leader of the ebe's hunters; ian Snowmantle (CG male elf cleric 6 of Corellon Larethian ‘The iri Kier ules The Tii Ktor elves can muster force of two hundred sixty, including five 4h level rangers, eleven revel rangers, fifteen 2ndlvel rangers, twenty to istevel ranger, forty 3eélevel warios, sixty-five 2ndlevel warriors, and one hundred ten tstlevel warriors.Mas. by R Galleon ‘The Blackfens are described in mote detail in Part II of the adventure The Dwarfroad: About 20 miles north of Skull Gorge, the Dawn Way splits into the Old North Road, which leads up along the western shores of Lake Rhestin to the Endless Plains and the cities tothe north, end the Dwarfroad, which climbs through the Wyrmsmoke Mountains tothe lands of the west. Once this road was the preferred route for caravans traveling cast-west, bu the growing presence of savage tribes and hungry monsters in the Wyrmsmokes led to the Dwarfroad being all ‘but abandoned. Most travelers follow a battered cart track that parallels it 30 miles farther north or take their chances on a track skirting the Thornwaste to the south, steering cleat of| the goblin infested mountains. Elsir River: The msjoriver ofthe region isthe lsis, abroad but slow moving stream fed by a number of tributaries. For most ofits length, the Elsir averages 200 to 400 yards in width, reaching depths of 201040 feet inthe middle ofits channel. The small town of Elsicross, about £50 miles upstream of Brindol, is the frst place where it can be forde igh a wooden bridge spans the river at Brindol and ferries cross it at Talarand Drellin’ Ferry Endless Plains: North of the mountains at the edge of Elsir Vale lies a great windblown sea of dry gras, stretching for hundreds of miles east, north, and west. The planes aren't truly feerureles; the land has fair amount of rise and fll, and low-lying creck beds choked with undergroweh and briars cut deep gullies through the grassland. Lonely stands of tall, hardy trees dot the savannab-Jand. Nomadic human barbarians, vibes of gnolls, and bands of wild centaurs roam the Endless Plains. Fane of Tiamat: [In the Saiga Vale at the heart ofthe Wyrm smoke Mountains stands the Fane of Tiamat. The Fane is the crowning glory of the Doom Hand cult, the center of Tiamat’ power among the tribes of the Kulkor Zhul. Those who have seen the citadel tel stories of massive dragon heads carved into the face ofa mountain cliffside, The Fane of Tiamat is described at lengch in Part V of the adventure jantshield Mountains: Sheltering Elsir Vale from the bash weather ofthe Endless Plains, the Giantshield Mountains are alow range of arid, well-weathered peaks. The northern slopes are barren, dry, and rocky, home toa variety of danger ous monsters. The southern slopes are alittle more hospitable, covered in ight pine forest and cut by the gorges of many small, seasonal streams. Asmattering of isolated farms and steadings bidden throughourthe southwest portion ofthe rangerepresent the last remnants ofthe druidc folk who once lived throughout the vale Golden Plains: East of Elsi Vale lies a vast, atid teppeland that quickly gives way to rocky desert. Inthe vieinity of Den: novar the Golden Plains ate dry, flat grassland, but within a fey dozen miles the grass gives way toa rock littered badland of flats and mesas—a waterless and inhospitable wilderness posing s formidable tial forthe trade caravans following the Dawn Way. Lake Rhestin: This shallow, marshy lake stretches almost 100 miles from north to south. Once its shores were dotted with the villages and manors of Rhestilos, br in the centuries since the kingdom fll, humans have largely abandoned the old heartland of the realm, Marth Forest: Climbing the southern foothills of the Giantshielé Mountains, Marth Forest isa rugged, wild wood: land rately rodden yy human feet except in its southvvestern fringes. In its lower reaches, the forest is dotted with the old barrows and stone circles ofthe ancient druidie folk who once dominated the vale. The higher parts are home to human bar sn ribes— disorganized clutches of feral berserkers rarely encountered outside the woods.Rhest: Once « prosperous city and center ofthe kingdom of Rhestilor, Rhest snow a half drowned rain slowly sinking into the Blackfens. Rhests described in detail in Part Il of the adventure. The Thornwaste: South of the Wyrmsmoke Mountains lies avast barren land known as the Thornwaste.A maze of broken hills, briar-choked ravines, and dry, dusty scrublend, these badlands give way to larger and larger stretches of true desert as one goes farther south and west. The Thornwaste has long been the haunt of ions, hieracosphinxes, and other hungey monsters. The ruins of lose serpent empire thousands of years old sell lie hidden in this wasteland. ‘The Thornvaste is described in more detail in Pert 1Tof the adventure, ‘Veaath Keep: Formerly a fortress held and manned by a powerful family of soldiers known as the Vraaths, this keep survived the fall of Rhestilor but later succumbed toa sense- less feud with local forest giants. For many years the keep has stood in rains ‘This brooding old stronghold is deseribed in moze detail in Pore lof the adventure. ‘The Westdeep: Several xenophobic tribes of wild eves dwell in the depths ofthis dense forest, avoiding contact with most other folk, The elves of the Blckfens once counted themselves ‘mong these folk, but centuries ago they broke ties with the ‘Westdeep elves and struck out to the east, eventually settling in the Blackfens The Witchwood: Generally held robe haunted by the restless spirits ofthe ancient buman druidic folk who once dwelled haere, the Witchwood isa lush, wer woodland interspersed with swampy stretches in the vicinity of the larger rivers, this forest is described in detail in Part | of the adventure. ‘Wyrmsmoke Mountains: Several volcanic peaks gave this rugged range of hills and low mountains its name; travelers who observed the plumes of ash and smoke that sometimes arose from the inner hills believed that a great red dragon was responsible for the fuming hills. The Wyrmsmokes are home toa number of goblin, hobgoblin, and bugbear tribes, now united under the banner of Azarr Kul, Warlord of the Kulkor Zhul, These mountains are described in more detail in Part V of the adventure, Red Hand bobgolins le in wait for tei next prey Wyvernwatch Mountains: South of Elsir Vale lie the ‘Wyvernwatch Mountains, a forbidding range of high, steep mountains with few passes leading to the other side. The ‘Wyvernvsatches divide Elst Vale from the more densely popu lated and civilized realms of the southern coast, Only the most determined trekkers cross the range; most go hundreds of miles out oftheir way by circling east or west around the mountains before turning north, CAST OF CHARACTERS Major characters in the adventure include the following individuals, Abithriax, red dragon advisor to Azarr Kul ‘Azare Kul (High Wyrmlord Azarr Kul), High Wyrmlord ofthe Red Hand horde Ghostiord, the lich ofthe Thoerwaste Hravek Kharn (General Kharn, Wyrmlord Kharn), habgoblin Wyrrlord, commander of the Red Hand horde Immerstal the Red, wizard of Brindol Jor Natherson, local guide and goblin hater Kerden Jarmaath (Lord Jarmaath), Lord of Brindol Killiar Arrowswife, Batlehunter ofthe Tir Kitor elves Koth (Wyrmlord Kath), bugbear Wyrmlord ofthe Witchwood Lars Ulveth (Captain Lars), Captain of the Lion Guard of Brindol ‘Wiston (Speaker Wiston), Speaker of Drelin's Ferry Czyrrandion, green dragon guardian of Skull Gorge Bridge Regiarx, black dragon ally of Saarith Saarvth (Wyrmlord Saarvith), goblin Wyrmlord of Rhest Sellyria Starsinger, Speaker (leader) and historian of the Tir Kitor elves Soranna Anitah (Captain Soranna), Cuard-Captsin of Drelln's Ferry ‘redora Goldenbrow, Brindol’s high priest of Pelor ‘Trellara Nightshadow, High Singer ofthe Tir Kitor elves ‘Tyrgarun, blue dragon guardian ofthe Fane of Tiamat Ulwai Stormealler (Wyrmlord Ua, hobgoblin Wyrmlord of the Thornwvaste Varanthian, hall-fend behir, temporary partner of Wyrmlord Uiwai Verrasa Kaal (Lady Kaal), leader of the Merchant Council in Brinda! mera om NOLSNGOWLNT