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Peter Oliva
Chris Labonville
Mike Vandergrift
Mike Lejeune
Chris Warter
Mike Unknown
Hargrid Tenslayer

Staff Details

Volume 1, Number 2

June/July 1999

Important NPCs

Sverlor Shielden

Sverlor is a member of The Cult of Blood. He is their chief spy and infiltrator. He is a trained Thief and assassin. He has lied and killed all his life, and has no fear of doing so again. He is a fanatical worshipper and will go to any lengths to accomplish the Cult's goals. He is the perfect choice for his position, as he has no known history and the only proof that he was ever even born is his body. Before he joined the Cult he made sure that everyone who knew of him was killed.

He maintains a false lifestyle in Mistledale and is fairly well trusted by the townsfolk. They view him as a generous, kind man and can see a similarity between him and his supposed Uncle Holfast Harpenshield. The Cult led Holfast into a trap. They summoned him to the nearby woods to a Harper meeting and when he arrived they captured him. Sverlor went to the town authorities with fake papers from Holfast saying that in his absence that Sverlor, his nephew, would mind the Inn for him.

Sverlor is a master of lies, and will constantly give the PCs false information about the Beast and the Cult. His true identity should not be discovered until the end of the adventure and if confronted directly by odds to great for him to handle will either escape or die trying. Any rolls for Sverlor on the rumor table must be the false. Remember two things when the PCs are talking to him, first, he wants to discourage them from investigating the problems of the town. Second, he will stop at nothing to make sure that his real identity is not found out.

Human, AL: LE, AC: 4, MV: 12, Class: F/T 4/4, HP: 52, THAC0: 15, #AT 1 , Damage by Weapon type. Stats: STR: 15, DEX 18, CON 16, INT 13, WIS 14, CHR 12

Joustler Kingdenner

Joustler Kingdenner has been dragged into the story, innocently, because of the kidnapping of his wife. Five years ago he inherited the title of Lord of Ashabenford (only an honorary title), and married his childhood sweetheart. In the years that followed he lived happily with his true love Mayberry and just recently they have been making a plan for children next fall. Obviously Joustler has been devastated by the disappearance of Mayberry and to add to the problem nobody believes that she was taken against her will.

Joustler is unaware that Mayberry was actually taken because of her bloodline or that she is needed to complete the Malarian ritual. Joustler will not stop in his search for his wife. If the PCs can catch the culprit who kidnapped her he will double their reward money. If the characters ask him what he knows he has two rolls on the rumors table but apart from that he doesn't know much else, especially nothing of his wife's heritage.

Human, AL: LG, AC: 10, MV: 10, Class: 0 lvl, HP: 9, THAC0: 20, #AT: 1, Damage: by Weapon type. Stats: STR: 11, DEX 13, CON 14, INT 14, WIS 10, CHR 12

Mayberry Kingdenner (Hlothbard)

Mayberry is the daughter of a local Lord form another part of Mistledale. The two families of Kingdenner and Hlothbard condoned the marriage of Joustler and Mayberry when they heard of it, thinking that an alliance of the families would be beneficial. She met Joustler at a party thrown by Joustler's father when the two were children. From that day onward, the two of them just clicked. They became a couple when in their late teens, and got married when in their early twenties.

Mayberry does not realize that her and Joustler are the direct descendents of the man and wife that the Beast tormented a thousand years ago. Mayberry is part of a special bloodline that is the key that Malar needs to convert his essence into the Beast's body. When the Beast is strong enough Malar will then convert his essence into it by using the blood of Mayberry. She is being held at the temple to Malar in the forests South of Ashabenford and the PCs won't meet her until they rescue her.

Human, AL: LG, AC: 10, MV: 10, Class: 0 lvl, HP: 5, THAC0: 20, #AT: 1, Damage: by Weapon type. Stats: STR: 8, DEX 11, CON 10, INT 13, WIS 11, CHR 18

Ghendello

Long ago when ancient Myth Drannor was not legend but very real and the elves ruled the forests of Cormanthor solely. A young Warrior went out on a mission to change his life. He was Ghendello the Young and was one of the best of all the elves in combat and character. He was eager to do good deeds for his people and in his naivete leapt at any chance to become even more famous.

He had just returned from a mission to prove his manhood, accompanied by older elves. Their job had been to clear out a Citadel of Liches in the edge of the Stormhorns. While there he had discovered a magical sword named Eternal. The sword served him well, giving him many glorious victories. However, Ghendello did not heed the name given to the sword, and would pay the price later.

He learned of the desecration that the Beast was committing in Mistledale. Ghendello was furious, and demanded to be a member in the group that would go to cleanse it. It was agreed. After a titanic battle with the beast, Ghendello lay injured. Then later died upon the battlefield due to his eagerness. From that point onwards his soul has been trapped in the sword Eternal.

Now, to this day, Ghendello awaits a new owner who could free him. In game terms Ghendello will never actually speak to the PCs as he can only use telepathy through dreams to communicate. He is the one who sends the PCs the dreams about the Beast.

Eternal

Eternal is a sword born of powerful magic, and is a double-edged weapon. It is potent to say the least and has a strong magical effect. However, a curse is laid on it. Even centuries before the first coming of the Beast (300DR) the sword was forged out of a dark pact. A dark elf entered into an agreement with an evil wizard. The wizard agreed to make a powerful sword in return for the capture of a royal Princess. The Drow instantly agreed to the deal and sought one out. But when he found one, she was so beautiful that he decided he must have her for himself.

When the wizard presented the drow with the sword, the elf ran it through him. Laughing, he told the wizard that he would keep the princess for himself, and how much of a fool the Wizard had been. The wizards last dying breath was a curse upon the sword. When the owner of the sword died, it would take his soul until a new owner came along and likewise died. Eternal can only be wielded by someone of lawful good or chaotic evil alignment, with the sword transforming to match it's master's alignment.

Eternal has the following powers: Sword +2, +5 against the Beast, danger sense and can cure or cause disease once per day. (This depends on its user's alignment, a LG person can only cure disease while a CE person can only cause it)

Human, AL: LG/CE, AC: N, MV: N, Class: F 7, HP: N, THACO: N, #AT N, Damage by Weapon type. Stats: STR: N, DEX N, CON N, INT 16, WIS 16, CHR N

Darius Glendler

Darius is the leader of the Cult of Blood and a high-ranking priest of Malar. He is power hungry, ruthless and corrupt. He will go to any lengths to further his ambitions. Darius is a former priest of Bane, whom he served well. Excelling quickly because of his love for causing strife. When Bane died during the time of troubles, Darius went into hiding because he felt lost.

When Cyric came along to take Bane's place Darius did not like his attitude or his carelessness in andling delicate situations. So he left the church of Cyric to seek out another god, one that was in line with his thinking. He stumbled across Malar by accident while he was in the service of the city-state of Ordulin, in Sembia. He accidentally uncovered a plot to replace the heads of state with clones and take over control the city.

Although he found this out, he did not go to the Council of Lords. Instead he watched from the background, and made sure that no others found out what was happening. When the plan was nearly fulfilled, he went to the culprits behind it and told them all he knew of them and bargained for their loyalty. Now he had powerful allies in his quest for power. He intended to keep it that way. As chance would have it though, his plans were foiled by a young boy who was in the State's service, and by accident also found the coup plans out. Unlike Darius the boy went to the Lords and told all he knew. The takeover was spoiled. Darius then decided to leave to find new allies in his quest for power. He eventually found a new powerful helper. Soon after that he had a premonition.

Malar sent Darius a dream. In it he ruled the Dalelands with a beast by his side. The Beast was an ancient creature that had been imprisoned. This dream gave him the knowledge of what needed to be done. So he joined a cult of Malar. Taking the name The Cult of Blood, a former cult which had been lost to Malar for hundreds of years. He spent the next year in and around the Mistledale. Looking for all the missing pieces of his puzzle and eventually found them.

Darius is the big boss and does not feature much in the adventure, until the end. He is a survivor and in the end if threatened and in danger, he will try to escape. A good way to think of him is as the guy who pulls the strings in the background and doesn't put himself at risk.

Human, AL: LE, AC: 2, MV: 12, Class: P 11, HP: 47, THACO: , #AT: 1, Damage by Weapon type. Stats: STR: 15, DEX 13, CON 14, INT 18, WIS 16, CHR 11

Thannor

Thannor is a local farmer from just outside Ashabenford. Where he keeps his farm and lives out a quiet life. He is in his early twenties. He is the unfortunate of the story and sees his friend getting eaten alive by the Beast. He plays a minor role in the adventure and is only available for questioning on what he saw and on some of the local rumors (He knows two rumors from the table). If the PCs ask for a description of the Beast, he will tell them that it is gray or black in color and stands four feet tall. It has huge dripping fangs (1 to 2 Inches long) with glowing red eyes.

Human, AL: LG, AC: 10, MV: 10, Class: 0 lvl, HP: 7, THACO: 20, #AT , Damage by Weapon type. Stats: STR: 13, DEX 13, CON 16, INT 9, WIS 9, CHR 12

The Beast of Malar

The Beast of Malar, the foul evil creature whose mention brings fear to even the sternest warrior. The Beast is the driving force behind the adventure and the reason why people are turning up dead. It was first born a thousand years ago in the foul breeding pits of Malar's temple, in the Vale of Lost Voices. Malar was sitting back one day contemplating a new way to gain power in the Realms. He didn't want to risk too much. What followed was an ingenious plan to grab power, but stay well within the lawful boundaries of Ao. He would create a beast, a minion to satisfy his love of the hunt. But this creature would be much more than that. With this creature he would induce an ancient ritual and fulfill an ancient prophecy. He would use the ritual to invest some of his power into the Beast and create a servant in the Realms. Because this was not truly an Avatar, it was legal and safe.

With the new servant his Cult would be virtually unstoppable. Conquering all that stood before them. In order for Malar to do this though, the Beast needed to be strong enough to take his power. So to gain enough strength it had to consume 10 souls of mortals. Once this was achieved the Beast would be strong enough for Malar to start the ritual. He would sacrifice the woman of the union and four female virgins.

In the course of the adventure chances are that your players will have a good bit of free time and may want to do something like go on a hunt for the Beast. This is quite fine, even encouraged. Let the party encounter it out of its lair once or twice. With it always escaping in the end. But remember one thing, no matter what they do, they must not capture the Beast or follow it to its lair. When the PCs get back to town after looking for it and not finding a trace of it, they find that it struck on the other side of town. The Beast's secret name that only Malar and Darius know is "Vascarout"

The Beast

Climate/Terrain: Any
Frequency: Very Rare
Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Night-time
Diet: Carnivorous
Intelligence: Low
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
No. Appearing: Unique
Armor Class: 3
Movement: 7D+4
THAC0: 14
No. Of Attacks: 2
Damage/Attack: 2D8, 2D8 (for Claws) or 2D10 (for teeth)
Special Attacks: Cause fear and soul feast
Special Defenses: +1 or better magical weapons to hit
Magic Resistance: 12%
Size: 4-5ft (M)
Morale: Fearless (19)
XP Value: 3,200

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