tsr 11360 the created

7/27/2019 TSR 11360 the Created

1/98


2/98


3/98

. . .b y Steve Miller

..*For the Dungeon F .... ............. ........The Concise Golem 4 A Truly Twisted Tale ..........Agpgate Qlem - - - - . . - - . c;eSfE# .......by John W. Mangrum......ickness Among Ua.. Best of Both Worlds. ......

! i - :.e: y,*. ;Angelicpe ..-:.... ;by Thomas M. Reid. dy Lost. . . . . . . . - - .4 Living mor - - - -by Peter Adkison.... ..17 Behind the Beholder .....

L U c p ........by Stan!

....... 21 A Heart of Gold. .....-..8 Lumina. + - .

...... 3 0 Graven Imagesby Cindi Rice .....lylinhns ........

by Miranda Homer by Harold JohnsonThe Left Hand Offends

Cat-and-Mouse Games .................... .3r Wandering Hands.. ....Alemndre&C i - - TransientQlem -

Smoke and Mirrors ......


4/98


5/98

s their clumsy appearance. To heighten surpmight accentuate a golem's apparent difficulwalking and talking normally-until need drives tcreation have intrigued scientiststhroughout the ages. Most satisfjscholarly research. A few, however;manage to violate the laws of Nature and grant life tocreatures they've assembled from unliving parts. In thepages that follow, you'll discover thirteen beings of suchunnatural origin. They are called the Created. Unlike .ordinary golems, each is a unique, fully deve lopedcharacter. And all are waiting to join your campaign.

reatures in th is product complementmaterial in Vm Richten's Guide to theCreated, a RAVENLOFPourcebook. Whileyou can run the upcoming adventureswithout that book, the information itcontains will enhance your understanding of theCreated and help you fine-tune each golem to suit yourpersonal campaign. For convenience, key conceptsfrom van Richten's notes are covered below.

RAVENLOFT olem s tend to be hardy. Although soindividuals stray pretty far from "the norm," the%19,Wisdom 2, Charisma 6. These values apply toinsight into thqgeneral attributes of all CrePhysical Traits: The Created-canoffer plentysurprises in combat. The trick is to exploit yourpreconceptions about a golem's physical prowess byconfronting them with "a golem o f different color."M&, of the Created boast superhuman strength.Either through magical powers or through the exactingdemands of c m c t i o n , hey have become more thanthe sum of their parts (physically speaking). A golem'barehanded attack intlicts 2d8 damage at Strength 19,adds an extra point of damage for every additional poof Strength through 22, and4nflicts 3d8 at Strength 23.Clearly, golems are much stronger than they appear-that's part of their morbid appeal. You can taketage of this trait by describing a creature that looks asit might fall apart in a gust of wind; then surprise theheroes with its astounding feats of strength. On the otherhand, some golems dosuffer from poor construction. Sa"well-informed" heroes might meet a muscle-bound

';

creature to demonstrate its true agility.Finally, the Created usually enjoy superhumanresiliency. The key factor here, in gam e terms, isregeneration.A golem with the base Constitutionof 20 regains 1 hit point each hour (six turns), anhigher rates of regeneration are common. As vahRichten points out, some golems hyper-regeneraAfter being reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, they 10points per round until completely healed. (Therise up to fight again at 0 hps, but most prefer tountil fully restored.) A high Constitution score conextra hit points upon a character, but regenerationkey to the golem's respective ability. The lesson fheroes: Golems are much easier to defeat than deMental Traits:A golem's intelligence generallymatches the brain used in its construction, with areduction in the score. However, great wit and uttstupidity are rare. Further, most golems are lessintelligent than their creators, no matter whose brhas been "borrowed." Ek aord inary Intelligence s(low or high) normally serve only to explain somfeature of the golem's personality or abilities. Wisand Charisma are likewise of lesser importance tgolem's makeup. Both scores are typically low,reflecting the creature's lack of life experience antendency to be ugly and ill tempered.

As van Richten himself points out, there is no sucas "the usual" when it comes to children of the nigand the golems in th is book certainly prove that.Nonetheless, some abilities are common enough athe Created to be deem ed standard.As a group, tqualities establish the "nature of the beast," definiwhat makes it a golem. You are encouraged to usstereotypes against the h e m s at every opportuniBiological Concerns: Golems do not age or regen as a rule. (That can be especia lly importacontextof spellcasting.) Nutritional requiremevary between creatures, but if a go lem doesn't neeat or drink a specific substance from time to timthere's a good chance it requires virtually nosustenance at all. Moreover, golems are effectiveimmuie to poison and disease. Many also enjoyimmunity to certain weapons, and gain a +4 bonu&Ving throws against physical damage.Zeitgebers:Many golems have an Achilles' heeRichten calls a zeitgeber (TSIGHT-gay-ber). Itparticular stimulus that triggers a response over wthe golem has no control. Triggers and their effecas unique as the golems themselves. For examplZeitgeber may lead to violence or catatonia, a kenretreat or a complete shift in personality. Usually,golem has only one zeitgeber. Never random, it re

behemoth and retreat, ne& suspexting their foe a h - 'ally has the strength of an emaciated kobold.Similarly, the Created often possess a dexterity that


6/98

something about the monsters maker or the way inwhich it was created. Obviously, discerning a golemszeitgeber gives heroes a powerful advantage in dealingwith the creature. Classic examples of zeitgebers includemusic, which hypnotizes the golem; cold weather, whichinduces sleep or hibernation; and fire, which enrages.Telepathic Link to the Creator: The process ofcreating a golem forges a mental bond between parentand child that cannot be severed. In most cases, thetelepathic ability resides solely with the golem, althoughthe link occasionally goes both ways. In essence, this ishow golems track their makers: seeing what they see,hearing what they hear, and knowing what they think.number of wizard and priest spells that haveunexpected effects upon golems. Space constraintsprevent this material from being repeated here. Fordetails, youll have to consult the good doctors treatise.If you lack that resource, you can rely on a littlecommon sense to estimate the possible effects of agiven spell. For example, fire-based spells tend to beextra effect ive against flesh golems, but they cause littledamage to creatures made of metal.Extraordinary Abilities: You may wish to spice up thegolems in this book by adding or exchanging a few extra-ordinary abilities. Appropriate powers include animatedead, cause despair, cause horror (fear), climb sheer sur-faces (spider climb), diseased touch, energy drain,hyper-regeneration. spell-like abilities, stench of decay(stinking cloud), telepathy, and abilities that stem fromhaving the body parts of unusual creatures (such as abasilisks eyes or a giant scorpions tail). See vanRichtens notes or the AD&D@ core rulebooks for details.

Magic: Van Richtens Guide to the Created dictates a

Golems typically progress through five stages ofpsychological development. In stage one, the creatureis innocent and dependent--alm st childlike in its atti-tude toward its maker. If and when the creature is metwith revulsion or extreme fear (usually from animals orstrangers or even after looking in the mirror), stage twosets in: confusion. Innocence fades as the golem comesto grips with its lot in life, its inability to ever fit in. Thisleads to stage three: a sense of betrayal. Now the golernsees its creator in a much darker light. Before long, thegolem becomes aggressive, reaching stage four: con-tempt for the creator. To punish its maker, the golemthreatens, assaults, and often attempts to destroy what-eve r- o r wh om eve r-th e creator holds dear. Finally, thecreature turns its wrath directly upon its maker, signal-ing the fifth tage of development: utter hatred.

_ _ _ _ __that -- -.e golc..._=_._? Other gothicarchetypes may evoke more mmediate horror: Thevampires tactics are more insidious, the lycanthropes

attack more brutal. Indeed, its hard to name a physicalquality possessed by golem s that does not also belongto another creature. In the end, what makes the golemboth fascinating and terrifying is its psychology and thatof its creator. To bring out the natural horror of a golem,you can gear your adventure toward the creaturestragic perspective, or focus on he creators obsessioninstead.Tragedy: What goes on nside the mind of a golem?It didnt want to be created, and even if it began its newlife in blissful innocence, so much further is itsinevitable fall from joy. Its creator is almost assuredlyinsane, and his or her mortality almost guarantees flawsin the construction process. With rare exceptions, thecreature cannot remain good , for everyone it meets willconsider it a monster and treat it accordingly.When running a golem scenario, portray the creatureas a victim as much as an aggressor. As its actions growincreasingly violent, its torment of the creator morecruel, its crimes more abhorrent,find ways to remind theheroes that no one suffers more than the golem itself.Better yet, win their sympathy for the creature and thenbetray it with heinous acts. Convince the heroes to dothe right thing for the creature, then bring recrimina-tions from the creator and its victims for helping it. Oneof the most effective uses of a golem scenario is to leavethe heroes wondering exactly who is the monster-thegolem, the creator, the angry villagers, or the hemesthemselves. Nthough golem adventures can indeed bevery scary, the hemes should conclude them with asense of moral disgust and perhaps a little sadness. Thetrue horror comes when the heroes realize this thing is

Another way to evoke the horror of thegolem isnot though the creature itself but through itscreator. The mad scientist who brings the monster tolifeoftenhas a temfying tale to tell, and the golem isthe physical manifestation of his road to Hell. Forexample, consider the creator of a flesh golem. This I= aperson who opens graves, dissects numerous bodies fortheir parts (perhaps the bodies of those closest tohim?), ews them together in bloody detail. defiesNature by forcing life into a dead husk, nd somehouthinks hat this is a good thing. This is not some measpirited lich, fabricating an army of darkness; thecreator is attempting to construct a person without thfull knowledge necessary for complete success.Consider how the heroes, or at least one amongthem, might sympathize with the creator, whoundoubtedly has excellent reasons for his or heractions. Is it possible to dissuade him frmhis pathbefore its too ate? What horrible secrets lie behind huwild eyes , what terrible deeds has she seen andcommitted? By transforming the go lem into a symbolof the creators state of mind, it becomes more than amonster with hit 00ints and soecial abilities. and it has

apable of making.


7/98

J

ome claim that the smallest fragment of aperson can carry the entire essence of hisbeing. In a remote city recently besiegedby a plague, that theory rings true. There,a respected surgeon labors in secret,tending to a monster called the Aggregate. Already thecreature possesses the parts and minds of many. Still,the roster of donors slowly grows, as the surgeonstrugglesto achieve a measure of perfection that mighthelp himforget his most haunting failure. One day soonthe work may end, and the Aggregate will house thespirit of the good doctor himself.

At first glance, the Aggregate resembles an ordinaryflesh golem. It stands almost 7 feet tall. Its dark skin

appears somewhat leathery, but not unpleasantlyRather, the tanned lesh nearly hides the careful s

Flesh Gokm, NeutralArmor ClassMovementLevel/Hit DiceHit PointsTHACOMoraleNo.ofAttacks , 2 XP 6DamagefAttack 2d8 (fists)ld8+6 (strength bow)ld8+6 (broadsword)

+1 or better weapons to hiimmune to poison, diseasmind- and life-affecting sphalf damage from cdd anelectrical attacks, +4 bonusaves against physical damregenerates 1 hp/6'turns

Special AUacks Withering touchSpecial Defenses

Magic Resistance 50%

In many ways, the Aggregate resembles other flegolems. However, this creature has been assembwith extraordinary ca re -a nd for a very special

(Since the golem already has several "split"personalities, the creator will have plenty of compbut Dr. Vannen intends to be dominant.)the Aggregate contains only the best materials. IfAssembled rommore than a dozen different "d


8/98

superior replacement becomes available, the doctormay cut again and make the improvement. No beggars,executed murderers, or unfortunate travelers have goneinto the construction of this masterpiece. It has the besthands and sharpest eyes in town (hence the unusuallyhigh Dexterity). The former came from a pianist, thelatter from a hunter. A skilled thief gave the Aggregateits ears. The muscles of a circus strongman flex be-neath the tanned skin of its arms, and the brain of abrilliant doctor gives the creature its uncanny intelli-gence. Internal organs hail from a variety of unwittingdonors. AIi of these donors suffered outwardly from thetowns rotting disease-losing limbs, heir faces, theirlives-but internally they offered perfection.Some beauty resides in the golems masculine face,but the strain of the surgery will always show. It is thatstrain that makes the Aggregates story so poignant.Only the best of humanity could go into the making ofsuch a monstrous masterpiece; and only the best of cre -ators could make something so beautiful and yet so foul.A Note on Regeneration: Due to its unusual (andstrangely ongoing) assembly, the Aggregate Golemcannot repair itself well. If it loses a limb, an organ, orany other part that came entirely from a s ingle donor, itcannot regenerate that part but must instead have areplacement. The loss of the organ or limb eliminatesthe personality linked to that piece of the Aggregate:and a new piece must be added to the creature before itis whole again. (I f that piece comes from someone whodies, the Aggregate gains a new personality too.) If theheroes figure outthiiweakness, they may be able touse it in their favor. Destroying a part linked to aparticularly tough or active personality could make theAggregate easier to fight.

A similar advantage stems from discovering theAggregates many zeitgebers, which prompt a changein personality. See Combat for details.

. . .,-s past, a certain small city wasthriving. Then a rotting, virulent disease ravaged itspeople, and the city became a town. Few possessed theknowledge to fight the lethal plague--and fewer still hadthe courage to do so.Only the iron wil l of the townsmayor and his loyal soldiers kept the survivors hwmfleeing and spreading disease nto surrounding la n d sthat iron will, and an unwavering hope hat the youngdoctor who lived on the hill could eventually find a cure.The doctor was Cyrus Vannen. When the plaguestruck, he toiled day and night, soothing the sick andseeking a remedy for the hideous diseasethatrottedparts of a victim s body but left others whole. For somepatients, amputation of a rotted extremity was enough.but faz too few were saved that way. Soon Dr. Vannenwas haunted by an army of lost Limbs and lost lives, andby thehalf-men and crippled women who lefthis care,never to be whole again.

aged lieutenant colonel. He thought he had retired frombaffle; then the plague became his greatest enemy. Tokeep the disease from spreading, he ordered his men toseal the town and to enforce strict curfews. The healthyavoided contact with the sick, who sought salvation atDr. Vannens crowded hospital on he hill. The mayorpraised the doctor and struggled to bolster the townsconfidence that a cure would soon be found.With each passing day, the disease claimed morelives. Still the mayor and the doctor resolved to standu n it e h n d they d id, until a certain woman suc-cumbed. It was Verity DuClerk, the mayors only daugh-ter and Dr. Vannens only love. A gifted pianist, she hadforsaken music t o lendher hands to her AancCs strug-gle. The sickness began in her legs. She kept it hiddenuntil those legs could no longer support her.Knowing it was worse than futile, Horace DuClerkwent to a weary, heartbroken Cyrus Vannen and beggedhim to try anything to heal Verity-even unthinkablemeasures. Begging gave way to shouting. Amid aheated exchange of violent threats and angry protests,Verity DuClerk came upon the pair.She was confined to a wheelchair and could feel therot spreading up her legs and into her abdomen. Still.she used her failing energy to end the confrontation.DuClerk departed sadly, leaving his daughter with Dr.Vannen. She had chosen to die at her beloved s side.But CYNS Vannen did not giv e up. His growingsurgical skill had given rise to an idea, one that hadbeen too terrible topursue before. That night, hedrugged Verity and laid her on a surgery table. Hisremaining assistants protested, for they knew Verity wastoo ill to survive a double amputation. The doctordismissed them a ll -a ll but a woman named Suzanne.She had assisted Vannen with a few privateexperiments, and he knew she would help him now.When the doctor presented his instructions, Suzannenodded palely and leR the room.near death. The disease had rotted the womans faceand arms, but unlike Verity, she still had a healthyabdomen and legs. Slowly and carefully, Dr. Vannenexchanged Veritys rotting limbs and organs for theother womans unblemished parts. Hours later, as hesought his bed, Suzanne stepped out to dispose of thefleshly remains Dr.Vannen had cast aside.When Vannen awoke he was shocked to see hisfiancC moving about the surgery. She was disorientedand clumsy, but alive. He eapt to her side andembraced her. A t first, she appeared not to recognizehim, and then she scream ed. Vannen covered hermouth.When he allowed her to cry out again, he knewthe words came not from his love, but from the deadgirl who had donated her legs to another womans body.The doctor snapped. If Verity was gone, then he

She returned with a young woman, unconscious and


9/98

woman before him, hoping somehow to bring back hislove. The patient spun away and fell, and her headcracked against the floor. The doctor h z e . The gidtwisted in agony and touched her forehead. Slowly. shelooked up at Vannen. The recognition had returned. Shesmiled feebly and called to him in Verity's voice. Andthen she was gone.Three hours later, Suzanne found Dr. Vannen holdinghis beloved's corpse, talking of weddings and spring.They say that time heals all wounds. Perhaps it doesheal some of them, for today the town ison the mend.Few survivors recall the full horror of that firstyear of theplague; they prefer to forget. Now that twelve years havepassed, the disease is rare and no longer seems virulent.Curiously, it targets the talented and the strong. butthanks toDr. Vannen and most his able assistant, fatali-ties are no longer common. An aging and somewhatfeeble-minded DuClerk still serves as mayor, largely be-cause no one wants to take his place.~Since is daugh-ter's tragic death, he and Dr. Vannen rarely speak.Dr.Vannen remains a respected member of the c m -munity, though he has become more reclusive. Suzannehandles most of his patients. Only she knows Dr.Vannen's darkest secrets and assists him in the dead ofnight. Vannen has never given up on the possibility oftransplanting living organs and limbs into diseased pa-tients in the hope of curing them. In fact, he has pro-gressed far beyond his original efforts, constructing acreature made only of the healthiest and purest parts.He saved the hands of his beloved Verity and put themonto strong arms and a healthy body. For some reason,he chose to make the golem male--perhaps in an efforito distance himself from his creation. Or perhaps hesimply could not bear the thought of losing Verity again.Though it lacks nothiig in the way of parts, theAggregate remains a work in progress. Dr. Vannenmakes improvements with uncanny regularity. EveryDecember 4, when he is remembering his formerfianck's birthday, he refines the golem further. E v q . .July 16, n the anniversary of her untimely death, hedoes the same. Every year, two or more cases of ?heRot" appear in November and June, and every year Dr.CYNS Vannen has a chance to dedicate li e to thememory of his sweet Verity's de&.?

: "

. .L ne Aggregme "as manyWFereirt personaliies. and itmay possess more before Dr. Vannen completes hiswork. Every person who has died to give the Aggregatea new and better part gives the creature a newpersonality and intellect. Dr. Vannen understands thiswell; occasionally he has added parts to the Aggregatesimolv to imorove itsmental characteristics. Some of

8 A circus strongman whose mighty muscles givAggregate its great shength. He seeks to ithose around him withhis strength and willhesitate to crush his enemies.8 A wily thief who once thought to raid Dr. Vannehome for the treasures left behind by his deceapatients. Disappointed in her efforts, she now gthe Aggregate a sharp set of ears that can heartread of a mouse's feet.8 A distinguished doctor who once consulted witVannen and accidentally discovered hisexperiment-r was discovered by it. His brainoccupies the golem's head, even though histhoughtful p e m n a l i and skill as a planner aralways dominant.seemingly lost to her now. Her former fiance hadone things she cannot think about anymore afather cannot, should not, will not ever know oftrue fat-t least, not if she can help it. Boundthe Aggregate until her graceful hands are replVerity DuClerk gives it the only conscience andcharity it is likely tohave.Other personalities reside in the Aggregate,rarely make an appearance. Unless a zeitgebera change (see "Combat"), Dr.Vannen has corncontrol over the golem's identity, choosing whicpersonality comes to the fore. He never willingly dout Verity; it's too painful. (Still,e cannot bring h

to replace her hands and let her.go.)The telepathic bond between the doctor and thAggregate is strong, but like most creators, he earead his golem's thoughts or see'through its eyesNonetheless, the Aggregate bends to his will.More than once, parts of the Aggregate have trend the creature's existence. But Dr. Vannen is noready to see his monument to his beloved disappeIndeed, someday he hopes to oin her in the Aggre. ut notjust yet.

8 A sad but kind pianist whose only loves are

The Aggregate does not relish violence. In fact, itenoaaes in combat when its lair is discovered or w- ~ - ~Dr. Vannen has sent it on an errand and the goiemconfronts a threat. Even if Dr.Vannen's control shbe severed, the golern is unlikely to become moreaggressive.Nonetheless, the Aggregate readily defends itsusing any means consistent witt~its ominant perity. Dr. Vannen can set that personality himself. Uhe calls upon the huntsman or the thief when senthe golem on an errand, and he keeps the doctorstrongman dominant when the creature is in the Ibroadsword when he can, while the strongman rethe golem's great fists. The doctor personality a

The huntsman uses a powerful strength bow orthe p&sonakies that linger in the Aggregate include:A rugged huntsman with the eyes of an eagle andthe cunning of a fox. He sees the world atound himas a forest and those who oppose him as prey.


10/98

save for half damage, then it saves for no damage atall and onlv takes half on a failure). It oains a +4 to allcombat or uses his fists, and the thief does the same(the golem has no daggers for backstabbing).Withering Touch For most victims, the golems mostfearsome attack relates to the towns old troubles. If theAggregate hits someone with its bare hands, the victimmust make a successful saving throw vs. disease orsuccumb to a terrible rot. The effects resemble thosecaused by a staff of w i t h e r i n g ,though they take placeover several days. Brown, flaky patches appear on thearea struck by the Aggregate (determine hit locationrandomly). The affected body part will begin to age andbecome less and less operable over the next few days.For every day the disease goes uncured, the affectedpart ages ten years. Cu r e dkeaseor a similar spell haltsthe degenerative effects, but only a l i m i t e d w i sh orw i s h spell can reverse the process.will, but that only happens in two instances: (1) Dr.Vannen demands it (unlikely, unless he wants topreserve certain parts of his creations victims), or (2)Veritys personality is ascendant. In the latter case, it isunlikely Verity will attack anyone in any way, except indefense of an innocent or Dr. Vannen himself.Zeitgebers: Unlike most golems, the Aggregate hasmultiple reitgebers-one for each prominentpersonality. Each may cause a particular personality tostruggle to the fore.

The Aggregate can turn OW his disease touch at

Penona l i t y Ze i t gebe rHuntsmanStrongmanDoctorThiefVerity

Being attacked by an animal or seeing awild animal in a hunting situationSeeing someone performing a feat ofstrength or being attacked barehandedBeing confronted with a mental challengeSeeing a chance to steal or acquirevaluables through stealth or trickeryBeing appealed to for mercy, hearing apiano playing, or seeing Dr.Vannen indanger

Should any of these triggers occur, the AggregateGolem must make a morale check (which can bemodified based on he strength of the trigger or thecreatures own current morale situation). IftheAg gr em e fails, it shiRs to another persbnalityover thecourse of ld 6 rounds. Dr. Vannen can do nothing tostop this. If a shift occurs dwing combat (or theAggregate is assaulted during that time), the creaturegoes berserk, attacking anyone within reach with itsfistsuntil its new personality settles in. Under peacefulcircumstances, the golem simply falls unconscious untdthe personality change is compkte.Special Advantqps : The Agsresate can only be hitby +1 or better weapons, blessed spears or pitchforks,and by weapons a s arge as or IaKger than a short swordthat have been heated red-hot It is immune to poison,disease, and mind- and life-a ffecthg spells. It take5half 6amage from cold and elecbieal attacks (dit can

. -saves versus other physical damage and regenerates1 hp every 6 turns. Finally, it has a magic resistance of50%.

ather than offering a linear adventure plot,this section presents a situation in whichthe heroes can become embroiled, and amystery for them tosolve. The stage hasbeen completely set with descriptions ofthe towns main characters and how they react to new-comers. What happens next is largely up to you.come into direct conflict with the Aggregate (entirelypossible), they should probably have at least onemagical weapon ready and be 4th to 6th level inexperience. It would be inconvenient for theheroes tohave access to cure d i sease spells or abilities, thoughthat can be worked around.This adventure can take place in almost any regionthat contains a small, isolated city or a large town inwhich the people enjoy a fair amount of freedom. Thehorror of the tale comes from within, rather than without.

While heroes can be of any level, if you feel they will

It has been a dozen years since the plague known onlyas the Rot swept through the city. Surviving victims-all amputees, missing hands, arms, legs, or feet -sti llmake up a significant portion of the town. Occasionalsingle cases of the Rot still occur, but it is no longer aleading cause of death.The city is recovering, yes, but the scars linger.Horace DuClerk is still mayor, enforcing a strict code oflaws designed to keep the Rot or any disease from rav-aging the city again. His militaristic policies are startingto annoy newcomers and youthful residents, and evensome plague survivors whose memories have faded.Dr. Cyrus Vannen still practices medicine in hismanor, but he seldom leaves it. Suzanne, his assistant,handles all but the most seriousmedical queries. Dr.Vannens image has changed from local hero to tragicfigure and, finally, to a weird eccentric who still serves acity that has come to look upon him with a skewed eye.just after the plague, circulating anew. In the taverns,loose tongues describe a creature that walks the nightand brings the Rot to those who no onger believe in thediseases power. Some say it is a ghost of someone whodied from the disease, and that it haunts the clinic and

And now the rumors have begun again-tales heard

the burial ground just outside the city walls. Stillotherstell more gruesome tales of body parts and rotten fleshre-emerging from the mass grave to drag the living intotheir communal hell.


11/98

A few theorists link Dr. Vannen to the horror.Perhaps, say some, the creature is a manifestation ofthe Rot, returning for vengeance against the man whofought so hard to destroy it. On rare occasions.someone suggests Dr. Vannen himself created thething. Tlus claim is very unpopular. Though he maybe considered creepy, the doctor is generally respected.Sympathetic citizens recall how he lost his true love tothe plague. Nowadays he sees only hopeless casespersonally, and no one wants to be one of those.-- 3AclvsyttqpBeginsI ne adventure starts when the heroes reach the citysbare stone walls. Outside the walls, the hilly ground hasbeen scarred by fire. The charred patches mark thesites of mass funeral pyres and graves, where bodiesand limbs were unceremoniously discarded at theheight of the plague. Inside the wdk, the city rises to asummit. To the east looms a large, dark manor, and tothe west lies a brown fortress linked to the city wall.Local businesses and houses made of stone and woodoccupy the remaining ground.If the heroes arrive at night, the gatehouse torchesburn brightly. Beyond the gate, the city looks dark andsilent. The manor on the hill is barely visible, and afeeling of gloom pervades the area.By day, however, the city com es to life. It boasts abusy market and an emerging theatre district. Sellers ofprotective amulets and curative potions dowel l -aslong as their remedies live up to their claims.Fraudulent sale of medicine is one of the citys manycapital offenses.Bypassing gate guards is another. No one except aresident may enter the city at night. During the day, allthose who wish to enter must submi t to a thoroughsearch, even a local returning from a trip. Adventuringheroes may think the guards are searching for contra-band or weapons -bu t weapons are not prohibited here(within reason), and few items are considered contra-band. The searchers are looking for signs ofdisease.healthy may move liee ly about the city. Guards havebeen trained to recognize most outward signs ofdisease. Both males and females staff the gatehousepost to accommodate same-sex searches. If questionedabout the searches, the guards are somewhat taciturn,almost as if their orders embarrass them. If pressed,they tell the story of the plague and what it did to thecity. They know nothing, of course, of the Aggregate orof Dr. Vannens secret experiments, but they can allpoint to the amputee survivors ofthe plague anddescribe the Rots

By the mayors decree, only people who are deemed

in disturbing detail

chambers in the gatehouse and ask them to disguard spotsan abnormality or a questionable fehe or she turns to reference texts with pictures. one in four guards knows basic first aid and canassistance. In a land where a significant portion population is still illiterate, t h is situation should extreme to the heroes.If any heroes bear obvious signs of disease, tfind themselves escorted to Dr. Vannens clinic. the guards dont recognize the affliction, they worather be safe than sorry. If Dr. Vannen signs a WGood Health (usually based on Suzannes word)will be allowed to roam the city. Assuming the hare not obviously ill, they are given time to dresgranted free passage. Each rece ives a Writ of GHealth signed by the guard lieutenant, and is insto carry it at all times.

If a hero refuses to be searched at the gate, the gpresent two choices: leave at once, or go see Dr.for an exam. The guards have a somewhat supeawe o f Dr. Vannen (like most of the populace), aceptive heroes should notice that they wRuld notthe choice to visit him in their place.b i d i n g hO G u d sBeyond their medical know-how, the guards repan average city pahol. If the heroes try to bypasthey might manage to succeed.Fighting is inadvisable, however. Twenty guarstand at the main gate. and at the tirst sign of Qthey blow an alarm horn, summoning two more of six. Additional guards patrol the wall to thwarclimbers and can assist their fellows below. If thaenough, Mayor DuClerk and his personal guardsProminent Characters) enter the fray. Finally, iheroes manage to battle their way in, citizens wiup arms against them. N o one looks kindly uponpotentially sick invader in this town.Note: Only the guards on the walls carry bow

SZ M; ML avg (10); AL LG.I(12); AL Le.Ieinforcements).oes who consent to an exam will undergo aorough search in private. The guards lead them to


12/98

If the guards subdue the heroes, they prefer tocapture rather than kill, confining the heroes until Dr.Vannen can examine them. Even if Dr. Vannen grantsthem a clean bill of health, after this kind of ruckus, itwould be very tough to talk one's way into the city.

,

kX8EGATE GOLEh"a d " ) . Other than that. he's a decent man.

b r c c ,,,.de the LILY. "re heroes can visit themarketplace, seek out an inn or tavern, or do anynumber of things. Simply walking around with theireyes open, they should learn the following:8 Guard patrols are everywhere. This has to be one ofthe best-policed cities in the land.Q Occasionally, guards draw people aside, escortthemto a place offering some privacy, and search them.Some people protest, but no one seriously resists.Those with recentWrits of G w d Health (like the onesthe heroes may have received at the gate) are exempt0 About one in every fifteen adults in the city has lost ahand, an arm, a foot, a leg,or som e other body part.

(The wounds are twelve years old.) Theseunfortunate people are not shunned, but clearlysome of the younger citizens are uncomfortablearound them. Unblemished survivors of the plaguealso tend to avoid amputees; they'd rather notremember that time.8 If questionedon he street, people avoid discussingthe reasons behind the amputations and the strictsearches (though som e may grumble about "themayor's paranoia").promise strict enforcement. (If asked, any passerbywill confirm the signs are correct.) One hour afterdark, the only people permined on the streets areguards and those bearing special papers signed byMayor DuClerk or Dr. Vannen. First offenders receivea substantial fine and time in the gatehouse. Thesecond time, they're expelled from the city for oneyear. A third offense is a capital crime.

Q Posters detailing curfew laws abound, and they

If the heroes get involved in discussions with thelocals (particularly over a few drinks), they can find outa little more:Q Even relatively new residents know the story o f theRot and how it claimed hundreds of victims about adozen years ago. The disease caused flesh to witheraway and die. Usually, it spread from the extremities

inward until the victim was overcom e. Everyone canshare personal tales of woe about a loved one ordescribe so-and-so's horrible end (it gets maudlinsometimes).0 Dr. Vannen and the mayor struggled to save thetown, but hundreds succumbed, including VerityDuClerk, the mayor's daughter. The mayor took herdeath very hard. Now he's "paranoid" about anydisease and enforces good health in an extremefashion (though most acknowledge t's "for our own

%e mayor remains very cool toward Dr. VannenI even while he respects the man's abilities. ThisDmbablv stems from his dauohter Veritv's death.1 Sure, s i e kept her disease seket until kwas simplytoo late, but as her fiance and as a doctor, shouldn'tVannen have recognized the signs?e A few locals believe the doctor contracted thedisease himself and has been horribly scarred(mostly in places he keeps covered). His deformity-and Verity's death-have turned him into a recluse.e The Rot is no lonaer contagious and only strikes acouple of peopleGach yea; If a hero asks why, a

friendly debate is bound to follow. Some believe thedcd or came up with some sor t of "almost perfect".,cure. Others say the city's populace has grown


13/98

Mayor Horace DuClerk, male human F5:AC 1 0MV 1 2 hp 3 9 THACO 16 (15 w/iongsword +I); #AT 1(longslaord +I); Dmg l d 8 t l ; SA necklace ofmissiies;SZM (5 9); ML champion (15); Str 12, Dex 10,Con 15, Int 14.Wis 10. Cha 1 4 AL LN.Special Equipment: Necklace ofmissiles, plate armor+I which he wears only if the city is threatened or theAggregate is discovered and exposed).

Mayor DuClerk is a controlling, arrogant, andsomewhat paranoid man. He lives in his bmess andseldom walks among the people he rules, though he willdon his old armor and fight if the city is trulythreatened. He still &ses his daughter terribly andoccasionally dreams that she has been imprisoned inDr. Vannens manor (which is truer than he knows). Hefeels guilty because of these dr eam s-m od y becausehis last words toVerity were harsh, but also because hecant bring himself tovisit Cyrus Vannen. a man he stillrespects and considers a hero.DuClerk stands about 5 feet 9 inchestall,with aheavy build. Internally, he feels guilt almost as a reflexaction and that makes him angry. Outsiderswho talk tohim do so only at his behest, and usually in the sanctityof his fortress.When the mayor does go out, or receives visitors,heis always accompaniedby six of his personal guard.

The mayors elite guards share his paranoiaregarding disease and his fanaticism about enforcinghis decrees. They run errands for him in the city andwill look into any incident he thinks is significant.m. cyrusvannen, male numan my: AC I (uex+j);MV 12; bp 22; THACO 1 8 #AT 1 (scalpel); Dmg ld3;SA spells; SD spells; SZM 6);ML fanatic (18); Str 8,Dex 17:Con 13, Int 18,wis 12, Cha 1 6AL LE;x p 2,000.wid Equipmenk Surgeons tools, various potionsand herbs.1 S w u b o a k (4/3/3/2/l): 1st-alarm. burnina hands.. . . , .c h a h person, color spray, friends, iden lifi ump,, deep, w i z d mark;Znd-bind, blindness. forgel*,knock. mirror image, web, wizard lock; 3r&delude*., feign death /ireball*, s l m o * , suggestion, wraithform:4th--enerualim*. minor crealion, sloneskin. wall ofice; 5th-animale dead, feeblemindspell.

Dr. Vannen is a quiet, obsessed man. Over thecourse of his exhausting labors, he has de lved into thearcane in a failed effort to cure the Rot. This is

with the desire to create the perfect be in g-m e tnever know sickness and never die. The fact thatAggregate Golem is immune to poison, disease, many types of weapons has not satisfied him; twyear he seeks to improve upon his creation, selecthe best city-dwelleror traveler as another victimA thin, sandy-haired man of indeterminate agVannen usually appears tired and worn. Only in hsecret lab does he appear rejuvenated. He has alcommitted himself to transferring his own mind iAggregate when it is perfect but, in the meantimworks toward his goal with an unholy passion.Suzanne Faronne, female human M 3 AC 8 (DexMV 1 2 hp 8; THACO 20; #AT 1 (dagger); Dmg ld4I A SIXUS; SD soells: SZ M (5 4): ML fanatic (18)

Suzanne is a fiery, aggressive, self-centered wShe came to the city as young girl, just after theoutbreak of Rot. She watched her family die of thdisease and sought to flee he city before it claimas well. Unfortunately, she was caught by the maguard and sentenced to work at the burial moundChanging places with a sick nurse, she quickllearned the basics of first aid, amputation, and mthievery. Before long, she drew the attention of onDr. Vannens assistants, who brought her to workhospital. There, she stole from the dead and dyinlearned more of her adooted trade. Undoubtedlv actions spawned the rumors of stolen treasure.in an effort to save his patients, she was right theencouraging him.She also sowed the seeds ofdissension among his other assistants, feeding thunease at their leaders practices. It is largely dueSuzanne that Dr. Vannens other aides left him shbefore Veritys death. But Suzanne could never hknown how far Dr. Vannen would g o to save his loor how well he would succeed ... and fail.Suzanne has given up the trade of sneak thief grave robber for the role of surgeons assistant anapprentice necromancer. She longs to have the pover life and death that her master owns, and shesecretly covets the Aggregate Golem. While Suzafears Dr. Vannens power too much to act againstopenly, she longs for the day she will be le ft alonthe Aggregate and the doctors hard-won tomes. cares nothing for those around her and will do anto further her own cause.Suzanne often goes into town on Dr. Vannensto obtain supplies and occasionally to treat the si

When Dr. Vannen first began delving into the o


14/98

She plays her part very well. Only in the mostunguarded moments does she let her contempt forthose around her show, and then only briefly.She is not above spreading the occasional rumorabout her master's power to heal or the mayor'sparanoia. She has a pass to roam the city after dark.

agrees, buttheystill want the rest of the troupebanished. A performer implores the heroes to helpthe troupe; they want to discover what happened to;itheir friends and help the afflicted magician.0 Apparently, the mayor is mad. A few cases of theRot haveturnedup and DuClerk has orderedeveryone to stay intheir homes-day and night.Those who do not obey are either turned out of thetown or killed. Within a few daw. word comes

'v.-.WiddmW g p r sThe Aggregate is nottheonly creature lurkingabout thecity. Thanks to Vannen's experiments with animatingdead flesh, a host of crawling claws patrolhismanorand its grounds. Outside the city, wmbies haunt thescorched area surrounding the mass graves. One inevery ten creatures has a rottingtouch just like theAggregate's; on a successfulhit, either the crawlingclaw or the zombie can confer the disease. (See"Combat" for details.)

Encounterswith either of these creatures can helpflesh out your adventure. As heroes roam the city, theymay also encounter guarddogs.TheActionTo lure the heroes into the web of treachery spun by Dr.Vannen, consider one these possible scenarios:tB Suzanne has finally decidedto move against hermaster and will try to seize contml of the Aggregate

through ne cman cyjus t as soon as Dr. Vannen isout of the picture. She manipulates the zombies ofthebumarea to attack the city, climbing the wallsand invading thestreets.She places some crawlingclaws intown as well, leaving enough evidencetoshow that these creatures are Dr. Vannen's creations.She hopes the trail leading back to themanorwi l lforce the mayor to attack Dr. Vannen andkillhim,therebygivingher the chance to take control of the

-aroundthat Mayor DuClerk has learned aboutDr.Vannen's past experiments on Verity and seeks todestroyhimby marching on the hospital. Manycitizens will fightagainstthis order (after all, theayor is mad andDr. Vannen, while eccentric, didelp end the plague). The heroes must findout if theayor is mador c.orrect nhis accuaationg, andkeep the soldiers from destroying the populace.Meanwhile,Dr. Vannen sends the Aggregate out tokillthe Mayor.the golem andDr. Vannen cannot stop itfromleaving the manor. The golem makes its way into thecity, confused and struggling againstits telepathiccompulsion--and heading toward the fortress. Infitsof berserkrage (duringits shifts), the golemattacksseveral people. The heroes can drive it from the town(Veritywill cause itto flee ratherthanstand andfight), butthey still face a mystery. Wheredid itsome from and what was itdoing? Confused, .Verityseeks out her father to ask forhis fdp. Would shedaretell him vho she is?

0 The Aggregate breaks free. Verity's mindtakes over

RnThe Aggregate mayraise havoc ina subsequent.adventure. Ifr.Vamen dies, the:golenf's multipkpsonalitieswill battle for controlofitsbdy-ssuming

Aggregate. *Responsible" heroeswill stop the attackand try to figure out what's happening before Dr.Vannen winds up dead, and before the Aggregatecomes under Suzanne's conkol.mupe of performers entersthe town and one ofthem, a beautiful dancer, disappears. A local boydiscovers her mauled body near the bum area.Curiously, her feet are missing: they appear to havebeen cutwith a sharp blade. A few days later, ajuggler from the same troupe turn updead, and hishands are missing. Residents blame the spirit orcreature haunting the bumarea. Some actuallyclaim to have seen the Aggregate, but noon e knowsexactly what he or she saw. Then a brilliantprestibitator from the same troupe becomesinfectedwith the Rot afler the Aggregate attackshim. That's enough bad luck for the locals. Inanangry confrontation, they demand that troupe leavetown. Suzanne shows up and offers to take theprestidigitatorto Dr. Vannen for treatment. The mob

Suzanne doesn't lake charge. Remember that some ofthe persohities wish ody to endtheir existence. Thatkindof internal struggle surely would causecontinualpersonality shifts with unpredictable results.WithoutDr. Vannen or Suzanne's control, thecreature may venture out and spreadthe Rot. While theAggregate is not inherently evil, % does share itscreator's desire to become "perfect." Itmay attackthose it seeS as prime donorsandatternpito transplantorgans or limbs onto itself.IfDr.h e n ucceeds in transferringhismind intothe Aggregate, hewill not give uphis quest forperfection. Of course, that quest will present severalunique challenges. Only Suzanne would have assistedVannen by transplanting his brain into the golem-andonce that's complete, she'll make every effort to seizecontrol. IfVannen can fendoff her attempts, he may try

to improvehis new body. Or he may f i nd hmself at warwith the other personalities. Alternately, he may try Locreate other Aggregates and launch a ' k p i o r race" inhis own image.

0 St Vannen wants another part for his golem. A


15/98

&en memory is noi nece ~ar yor love. G h e r e is a land ofh e li~in~nd a land of he dead and h e bri& i 5 h e , he

-Thornton Niven WildeTh e Bridge of Sa n L u i s Reface has delicate features, with just a hint of blushher creamy white skin. Angelique's cheekbones arhigh, her nose small and turned the slightest bit up

who stares deeply into her large brown eyes may soccasional flash of fear and confusion. Her lips, smclutches of her cerebral stalker. In the end. sheuncovers the terrible truth, but the knowledge may bemore horrible than the amnesia.App=FWn-No one who looks upon the lovely raven-haired womanknown as Angelique could OIIPFZ her true nature.Theaht by her chidden ber othina. Her beau1I are faint andi 1wrists, and the gown's high neckline conceals the mark encircling her almost-perfect throat. On her hand she wears a gold bracelet with an inscriptionFlesh Golem, Chaotic NeutralArmorCl&$ 2 8 StIMovement 12 DexLevel/Hit Dice . 5 ConHit Points 30 Int

THACO 20 WisMorale 3 ChaNo. of A-cks 2 XPSpecial Attacks NilDamageIAttack 1d4/ld4 (fists)Special Defense&' 'c +I or better magical w

hit; immune to poison,Me-affecting spells; +against physical dammind-affecting spells and pSpecial Vulnerabilities CaMagic Resistance 3 :Mi!

disfigurement. Her doting husband and creafor, KaSalrburg, took extraordinary care to preserve the pthat now make up her form. Moreover, he observepainstaking detail in stitching those parts together,leaving seams that are barely noticeable even wheOnly Angelique's head is original, belonging to


16/98

wheels of a carriage, but Karl, a gifted surgeon, hasrestored her. All her component parts came fromextraordinarily beautiful women, murdered by Karl andused while fresh. Now Angeliques body is just asyoung, vibrant, and healthy as they once were. Asidefrom the torso donor, each victim gave up a pair ofappendages: arms, legs, hands, or feet.Ange lique has no special abilities, just a go lem susual resistances and immunities. She believes shes asomewhat fragile woman with amnesia, and actsaccordingly. In fact, the go lem has yet to evenrecognize, much less utilize her own strength andcombat abilities. The first time someone strikes her,shell probably faint.This golem appears entirely human. (Thats why akind noble who found Angelique wandering has takenher in.) She has no unusual dietary requirements, andshe eats like a bird. Thats all the poor thing needsto sustain herself.Like others of her kind, Angelique has a telepathiclink to her creators mind. Because of her ignoranceregarding her nature and identity, this manifests itself aswaking dreams. She has visions of Karls thoughts whenhe is most tormented. Karl still suffers guilt over thecrimes he committed in restoring his wife, and herelives the murders in his mind. These grisly memoriesreach Angelique at unusual times, causing her to freezeon the spot and stare at nothingness with a look ofabject terror on her face. After a vision passes,Angelique usually screams or cries out, then beginssobbing and ranting about what she has seen. She isfirmly convinced that the man in her visions is trying tokill her, for she sees the murders from the victimsview points thanks to the subtle influence of herborrowed parts. (She has no idea who Karl is, however.)Zeitgebers: Angelique has two zeitgebers, neither ofthem pleasant. The first time she sees Karl, her creator,all the horrible memories of what befell her will comecrashing back to her in full force. She will scream andbabble hysterically and then faint. Upon reviving, shewill be devastated and seek to end her own life.The second zeitgeber is the sight of any horse-drawncarriage. If Angelique spies a carriage before she hasseen Karl, she will be irrationally terrified of the vehicleand will flee it. If she sees a carriage after she has seenKarl (and regained her mem ories), she will instinctivelyknow that the carriage can destroy her and she willthrow herself in its path to be trampled.

carriage cam e racing around the comer. Fearful fortheir safety, Karl stopped, but Angelique had alreadybegun to step onto the cobblestone street. Karl reachedout to pull her back, but misfortune caused him to jostleher instead. Her first step was misplaced , and sheslipped on the damp stones, tumbling directly into thepath of the onrushing carriage.As Karl shouted and reached for his beloved, timeseem ed to slow. He watched in horror as the heavywheels rolled over Angeliques soft body. When thecarriage had passed. he ran tohis wife. Her face stilllooked peaceful, but the heart in her shattered chesthad ceased to beat. An anguished, almost inhuman cryescaped Karls lips. Strangely, no one appeared; but forhis sobs, the street was empty and silent. Half-blindedby tears, Karl gently lifted Angelique and staggeredhome with her crumpled and bloody form in his arms.as any He had honed his skill on small animals, hadeven grafted limbs, all in the name of science andhealing. He had a fine mind as well, but that nightanguish perverted his sanity. With each labored steptoward home, he became more desperate. By the timehe laid Angelique on the operating table, he hadconvinced himself that he could revive her.Angeliquesbody had been mangled, but fortunatelyher beautiful head and the brain within remained intact.Karl immediately set to work. He p laced her corpse in astate of cold to halt tissuedegeneration and began t oassess the damage. At fust, he tried complicatedsurgeries to repair the battered and broken body, but itwas no use. There had been toomuch internal dam age,too many shattered bones. He criedout at theunfairness. He ranted to the sky. Then he truly began tolose reason.Drawing upon his prior experiments, Karl developeda plan to acquire a new body for Angelique. He set outto find the most delicate, beautiful replacementsavailable. He immediately discounted the notion ofgrave robbing; decaying bodies would never suffice.Instead. he began to prowl the streets at night, watchingcarefully for living, breathing women who matchedAngeliques stature, complexion , and grace.The first murder was terrible. More accustomed tosaving life than taking it, at first Karl could not bringhimself to act. The ensuing struggle was brief, and Mxlnhe had his prize. Returning to his laboratory, the doctordiscovered (of course) that his victims beauty paled incomparison to his own beloved Angeliques. In the end,all he could salvage from his fust donor were her hands,which he deem ed acceptably lovely. The rest of hebody he dumped in a distant location.Over the course of the next several nights, Karldiscreetly harvested a torso, a pair of arms, a pair oflegs, and a pair of delicate feet, each from differentvictims. He had to be cautious; with each dawn, word ofthe disappearancesspread. And when the first bodywas actually discovered, the entire region was gripped

Though young, Karl von Salzburg was fine a surgeon

14rmgeiique ana riarl von Salzburg shared a powerful andjoyous love. It was evident to anyone who saw theyoung couple strolling upon the street, smiling arm inarm. Their days were filled with exuberance, their nightswith boundless passion-ntil tragedy struck.Late one damp and misty evening, the pair wasleaving a pub to return home. Suddenly a horse-drawn


17/98

by fear. Evening patrols and search parties combed thearea. Fortunately for Karl, by this time he had alreadygathered what he needed.arduous process of rebuilding Angelique. He took thegreatest care to prevent tissue decay, and his suturingwas painstakingly small and precise. For his efforts, thebody he constructed was beautiful and unblemished.Finally, when he was satisfied that nothing morecould be perfected, Karl applied a bit of science he hadnever thought he would either believe in or use. He drewupon natures power to generate the spark of life withinhis rebuilt Angelique. Her heart began to beat. Theblood began to flow through her repaired veins. Slow,shallow breathing followed. Though she remainedunconscious, she lived! O verjoyed yet exhausted, Karlretired for a time, hoping to retum to his beloved s siderefreshed and ready to greet her warmly when sheawoke. Instead, due to his exhaustion, illness overtookhim, and he fell into a feverish coma.

Upon awakening, Angelique was as a child, lost andunknowing. She had no recollection of her life, noknowledge of who she was or why she had come to bein this strange room. She arose, eventually slipping intothe world, lost, alone, and afraid. There she wanderedfor a short time until she was discovered by kind folkwho took her in. They care for her still,believing sheescaped an attack by the beast responsible for therecent disappearance of somany women.Karl, meanwhile, sank deeper into the com a, but hismind remained active, reliving his grisly crimes. Evenwhile he lies there still, Angelique rece ives his thoughtstelepathically, seeing themurders as waking visions,experiencing them through the eyes of the victimswhose body parts--and final terror-she now owns.

Working feverishly, Karl applied himself to the

. .J-..~--._ ._..are of her own nature and history.Like a total amnesiac, she cannot recall her past. Eventhe first moments of her new existence have slippedaway, much as a childs earliest memories are lost.Shecan only recall wandering a road alone and being foundby a traveling peasant who brought her to a nearby vil-lage, where she is now. The inscription on her braceletsupplied the name by which others call her, though noone can be certain the bracelet was originally hers.Angelique is a pleasant woman, showing graciousappreciation or the kindness shown to her, struggling tomaintain some sense of propriety and decorum throughthe trials and tribulations of her inability to recall whoshe is. This lack of memories does wear on her,however, and she grows ever more despondent andwithdrawn as time passes.Were she to discover (throuah an external s o m *

creator would be strong and vile, and her self-loatwould be even more severe, andwould prefer to take her own lifewhat she perceives as a monster.resilient physical nature, she wouladding to her sense of revulsion.depths of horror and despair Angelique wouldexperience were she to truly remember her formerexistence. This can only com e about through a facface meeting with Karl. Such a meeting triggers alAngeliques memories, including her lo ve for him,devotion to her, the accident, and all that has transince. This surge of memories would drive the poocreature com pletely into despair and it would takeextraordinary circumstances to bring her out of it.Karl, for his part, iswracked with grief and guilhis criminal behavior. When he awakens from his (shortly after the adventure begins), his love for hiAngelique drives him to seek her out, still hopingagainst hope that the two can resume their life of jhe is captured and accused of the crimes, he is noinitially willing to g ive up hope in pulling off his chand will deny the accusations. Eventually, in the faoverwhelming evidence, he breaks down, sobbingadmissions. In the end, though, he is willing to accthe responsibility for the murders, knowing in his hthat his efforts resulted in the restoration of his belWitnessing the results of a face-to-face meetingAngelique is another matter entirely. Should Karl sthe depth of Ange liques self-loathing, his own senaccomplishment would flee and despair would insconsume him. He might even go so fa r as to attemdestroy her once more, if only to ease her pain ansuffering, although the act would drive him complover the edge.

All of the above would pale in comparison to th

Angelique does not possess the great strength thamany golems do. Karls refined surgery was unusuthe tissue somewhat delicate. This does not meanhowever, that Angelique is a typical human femaleis deceptively powerful and can withstand a substamount of damage before going down.Fortunately for those who would fight her, she dnot know her own strength. Shes thoroughly convshes both vulnerable and human. If faced with thedanger of bodi l y harm, Angelique is as likely to trflee or even to faint from fright as anything. If cornand driven to a panic, there is a possibility that shlash out in terror, and then her assailant is in for aunpleasant surprise. Angelique can inflict ld4 poindamage with her fists. Striking Angelique with ano m ag ical weapon will inflict no damage upon hVan Richten claim s that all golems are evil.Obviously, he never met Angelique. While therespossibility her nature might change, the only pers

for exam ple, being told by another) the truth of her newidentity and what Karl has done to her, Angelique wouldbe truly horrified. The hatred she would feel toward her


18/98

If the heroes realizea powers check. Angelique is convinced that she is seeing a preludeto the future. The Km nenburgs fear she is seeing thepast. They have heard of the mvsterious stalker. aLOSThe fo llowing adventure draws heroes intothe lives of Angelique, Karl, and acommunity consumed by fear in theaftermath of several disappearances and Igrim discovery. The story suits hemes ofy level, since the challenge involves solvingsteries and making some hard choices. For high-l heroes, you may want to increase Angelique'sength and damage a bit, and give Karl a sword caneso, he heroes probably't have much f unif they treat each encounter as ato slice and dice ("Look, it's a golem ! Kill it!).mbat simply isn't the focus. It's far more important

criminal that has plagued the &ion around Fortuna,kidnapping beautiful women. Most are presumed dead,though no bodies have been found yet. By som e strokeof luck. Angelique must have escaped. The trauma,presumably, has caused her amnesia, and these visionsare, in fact, merely remnants of her memory. They areunsure what to do for the poor woman at this point.unconscious for two days, suffering from a severe feverin his bedchambers at the Salzburg estate. Since hesent the help away for a time, no one has discoveredhim. n his illnessinduced delirium, he is reliving themurders he has committed.

When the adventure begins, Karl has been

at the heroes get involved on a more personal,vel, trying to set things right. The adventurif you stretch out the events, giving theto considera friend (ormore).

Start the adventure when the heroes are traveling alonga stretch of lightly forested road. Read the following:

The adventure can take place virtually anywhere,outside the RAVENWFT ampaign setting. It merelya town large enough to provide Karl with fivevictims, and a village towhich Angelique caner. The text below places the action in the town ofuna (For-CHEW-nuh) and the village of Lelonebe lost if you change theur campaign.Due to space constraints, the story below has beenA much longer version, with multiple twistsfor expanding

setpphas been two weeks since the carriage struck downelique, but only a day since she "awakened" along

A kindly peasantered her, and since she appeared well to do, herted her to the Kroenenburgs, Lelone's mostin. Her bracelet provides the only clue to her name.a priest from Fortuna,

gelique regain her memory.On two separate occasions since arriving at thee has experienced wakinga man bent on murder. She saw thecoming toward her, saw the madness in his eyes,understood that he meant to kill her. During bothes, she sat perfectly still for a few moments,ror on her face. Then she screamed and sobbedburgs spent nearly an hour reassuring theed down.

The late affernoon s quiet, with a hint of min hang-ing in the ak The mad you followhas been empty of,other tmuelers. As you round a slight bend in the bail,you encounter our ravens feasting on ? w i n g juitof the roqd in the underbrush. The creatur@ takeflight in a flurry of wings and a cacophony of q ~ g rycawing. l n the stilln& that follows, you canfaintbuzzing and d et q ta sickly sweet odor: .,"cnce the h e m s investigate, read the following:

LrThe.stench of death ispowerful, the swarm of f7i&thick. A Woman's wqxelies in @ e brush beneath a.large tree, Cowred only by the flies and a few fallenleaves. Her discolored and bloated face starrs skyward-with lifeless eyes. Her twisted M y ests in anawkward position, made even more grotesque by theabsence of arm.

If the heroes search at all, they uncover theof a once -h e dress, bloody andshredded. They alsodiscover a single hand, severed ust above the wrist. Ifthey look urther, they discover its mate, apparentlydragged off by a small animal (the fingers have beenpartially chewed). The woman's a m re nowhere tobe found.The town of Fortuna lies just down the road, in thedirection the heroes were traveling (a wooden signpost


19/98

makes it obvious). The heroes may attempt to transportthe body themselves or they may travel ahead to gethelp, perhaps leaving someone to watch the site.Once they arrive in Fortuna and report the find, theyare quickly referred to the mayor and constable, whoare already grave with apprehension. The mayor, Jeanvon Kurh, explains that fiv e women have disappearedfrom Fortuna in the last two weeks. He fears the h e m save dsco vered one of hem. (He has no idea,gelique von Salzburg is missing.)Otto Kleinz, insists the h e m sack to the site. Once there, he gets anon his face and confirms that the body isthat of Maria Os@. who disappeared ten days ago. "Ah e . well-liked maiden who worked for the baker," heexplams sorrorufully. (Note: If the hemes have a speakwith dead spell,Maria can affirm that she was walkingdon e one eveningnear the edge o f townwhen she wassttacked from behind. She remembers nothing abouther assailant.)help the town track down the killer and stop him.Back in Fortuna, Mayor von Kurh begs the heroes to

h@g*t\gksu mm g the heroes agree to help Mayor von Kurtz,they have several options on how to proceed. Attemptsto pick up themurderer's trail from the site ofMaria'sbody prove fruitless. The road is too well traveled.They can acquire a list of the missingwomen. AUdisappeared within the lasttwoweeks, all at night, allwthout witnesses. Besides Maria, there are burAstridKraus, LMelei Konina, Anna Stumpfel, andStefani rook-hausen. The h em s can question acquaintancesof thewomen, but will learn little beyond a personal description.If the heroes examine Maria's body carefully, theycan c o n f i i that the hands are probably hers. All thecuts (to remove the arms from the shoulders and thehands from thearms) were made with surgicalprecision. If the heroes ask about individuals with theskdl to make such cuts,both the mayor and theconstable know that Karl von Salzburg is a man ofmedicine. (Toadd depth to the adventure, however, themayor could also mention the local butcher.)f$iplChoicesBefore the hem es can foUow up on the lead involvingKarl von Salzburg, two other events occur in quicksuccession, providing the heroes with some hardchoices.A Doctor in the House:A rider anives fromLelone(twomiles southwest) with word that a woman wasfound wandering themad and taken to the Kroenenburgfamily. The Kroenenburgs fear she was attacked by the

: AsecoddBody: A breathless peasant boy ruinto the constable's of fice. He reports that.he hasthe body in a stream while fishing. "It's poor Annbabbles, "And she's got no legs at alll" The ConsKleinz hangs his head and prepares to go retrievcorpse. The heroes may choose to accompany Othe new crime scene if they want to gain additionclues. The body lies upstream from town, west-southwest along the stream flows from Lake FortIt's hung up in the shallows.The heroes have to decide whether to visit theKroenenburgs n Lelone (especially if they havein the party), g o with the constable to take a looksecond body, or go visit Karl von Salzburg to aschis involvement in things. If they decide to checkthe body the peasant boy has found, they discovit is indeed Anna Stumpfel. The missing legs wersevered with surgical precision. If they search, theventually find her feet.If the hemes decide to visit the Kmenenburgs'amnesiac, see "Journey to Lelone," below. If thedecide to pay a visit to Karl von Salzburg, see"Desperate Husband."J m 0 y o L0lon0Lelone lies just two m iles from Fortuna. As the vonly building of substance, the Kroenenbwg estastands out.Surrounding cottages house the tenafarmers who work the Kroenenburg's land.home. He appreciates their willingnessfrightened and con fused Angelique. Heaside and confides his fear that she is amysterious stalker. By thii time, he hasof the first body, and firmly believes that Angeliqwould have been the killer's next victim. He alsothe heroes about Angelique's visions.For her part, Angelique is grateful for the herefforts to aid her, gracious and refined even undetrying circumstances. Any hero studying her clohowever, can detect that her nerves are frayed.A n g e l i e can tell the heroes very little. She remnothing prior to wandering alone along the roadbetween Fortuna and Lelone-and even that seehazy. A tenant farmer discovered her athe estate. If she is asked about the visions, shein obvious fright, but manages to explain what sseen. Read the following alo ud

Johann Kmenenburg welcomes the heroes to

- In'sseewrible,"im, hishey eseautyued a m e d A n g d f q u eith methingmworse than hate. I m t ay f i r ce r t a i n whatperhaps it could bestbe described asmad passany event, he a p p r o a c h g me, hands outstretchmenacina. I can ee his face. but I know Rot whmysterious kidnapper but managed to escape. Sheseems to have amnesia. A priest is requested to comeand tend toher.


20/98

other hand, they have met Karl before traveling toin his locket. Either way, it makes perfect sense that thetwo must meet.If the heroes want to take Angelique back to eitherFortuna or the Salzburg Estate, Johann Kroenenburginsists she ride with him in his horse-drawn carriage.That, of course, triggers her irrational fear. (Seezeitgebers under Construction.) Another means oftravel must be found, for she will not set foot near thecarriage. Coincidentally, this is the very same carriagethat overran her-Kroenenburg and his wife werereturning from a party in Fortuna and their driver wasdrunk at the time. Not one of them recalls the event.Once Karl and his reconstructed wife are brouaht

clear; lam to dieat hfs hinds. Oh. it5 fighten- ~ ~ l ~ ~ ~ ,hen theyll know that hge lique is theing. I cannotbear towitness it agaid With that,sh eburies her lwely but hubled ace in her delicatehands, sobbing quietly.

Pespmb ytlslandAny local can direct the heroes t o the Salzburg Estate.Along the wooded path, the heroes encounter a man onhorseback, obviously distraught. He approaches theheroes openly, introduces himself as Karl von Salzburg,and hands them a locket. Mym r ife Anaeliaue is.missing, and I must find her. Have you seen-her? heasks, indicating the portrait in the locket. Anyone givingKarl a close look will notice that he seems unwell,somewhat feverish and pale, and hes subtly waveringin the saddle.Once a hero makes mention of the missing womenor the fact that two bodies have been found, Karlbecom es even more distraught. Oh, m y love! I mustfind her! he exclaims. He wishes to ride off at once tofmd his missing wife and begs the heroes to aid him.Accusations that Karl himself may be involved in thedisappearances are met with stern denials. Karl, in hismadness, has becom e quite a good liar. I have been illin my bed these last several days. This afternoon, whenI awoke, my Angelique was nowhere to be found. I amno killer, but I fear the worst for her. Now either help meor stand aside! At this point Karl attempts to bluff hisway past the heroes, acting as though he considerstheir accusations ridiculous. He will ignore theirdemands to cooperate and ride on, ntent on inding hisbeloved Angelique.

1 MV 1 2 hp 5 THACO 20; #AT 1 (tist); Dmg d2;SAnil:SD nil; SZN (5 107;ML steady (12); Str 9, Dex 9,- -. .. _ _ _ _ _ . . _ _ -- -The Salzburg Estate: If the heroes investigate Karlshome, they discover a rather elaborate lab with lots ofmedical tomes covering a wide range of subjects,including tissue preservation , limb grai%ng, and thetheories of resuscitation. There s no direct evidence of

Karls foul play, however. He has been very careful toremove all remnants of his activities.nging7

une way or anotner, m geaq ue ana nail snould bebrought together. If the heroes have visited Ange lique inLelone before seeing Karl, then theyll know theamnesiac matches the image in Karls locket, and theycan cnnvev hev urherenhnirts to her hamband If on the

together, Angelique recovers hresults. She begins screamingas the com plete events unfoldcannot comprehend her terror,comfort his wife, the more irrational she becom es, untat last she faints. Upon awaking again, she sobshysterically and thrashes about, totally revolted at herown existence. With many interruptions due to renewedpanic, terror, and an inability t o accept her condition,Angelique manages to reveal the truth to the heroes.Confronted with this, Karl breaks down and admits hisrole in the ghastly tale.with Angelique. They m ay be of a mind to destroy her(after all, she is an abomination), but if you haveworked on he players emotions well enough, thisshould be a tough choice to make. On he other hand,the heroes might feel pity for poor Angelique, as it scertainly no t her fault that she is stuck in thesecircumstances, and she seems to be a very goodperson at heart. O f course, its going to take somedoing to bring her out of despair and convince her ththere is a life for her out there. To save her, they mayhave to find some means of erasing this damningknowledge from her mind.the missing women and orderedconsumed by despair over An geand does not care whether he livehelp the constable find the rest o fwell as Angeliques discarded bod

It comes to rest on the heroes shoulders how to deal

Karl is quickly found guilty of the murders of each

RVl-If the setup above doesnt appeal to you, there are oways todraw the heroes into the murder mystery.Perhaps one of the heroes has a female friend or lovewho disappears along with Karls other victims. Orperhaps the heroes are acquaintances of theKroenenburg family and have just arrived for a visitwhen Angelique is found. Alternatively, Karl vonSalrburg might be related to a hero, who has come tovisit him after a lona absence.


21/98


22/98

nce a carefully craIted automaton, today the creaturen entire house for its body. The ormerlyxtravagant manor looksnormal, but its unusually thicka variety of pneumatic ducts, steam pipes,r conduits, and mechanical devices. The motivee house comes from two sources: theits own room in theellar. The boiler is the key to its ultimate destruction.

its first body. For eighty years, it has bm d e d over itsbetrayal and destruction, devising ways to torment andultimately kill those who venture inside the manor.S i c e the heroes are unlikely to find a way in which to

Lumley built his own home near town nearlyd years ago. Lumley was known for marvelsstill in useetal. His housea marvel of engineering, with indoor plumbing,c doors and windows, and a series ofous fountains and animated statuary.The story goes that one of Howard's creations, anautomated servant," malfunctioned and ran amok ine streets, murdering several people before retreatinge manor. When local authorities demanded that

han as the man responsible forA siege followed, and the berserkm slew several more attackers and itscreator before being overcome. The townsfolk leftit fell, sealing Lumley House ford. Later that year, a powerful series ofto the earth, and the ensuing years have onlye damage. Today its grounds are broken

townspeople dread and shun the place.The Automatic Man no longer resides in its originalts essence has seeped with the rainto the very heart of its mausoleum, Lumley House. Ine weight of years and neglect. ts mechanicalardens and automatic staircases are caked with mud.ts expensive glass windows are cracked orompletely shattered, and even the shutters seem to

nce pampered and loved by its creator, the Automaticshocked when it saw Lumley returning homet the head of a mob. In the face of such betrayal, iturdered him. The golem never knew that Lumley wasrying to outrun the other villagers in a vain attempt toprotect his creation.Despite the mob's best efforts, something of thegolem's spirit lived on n his broken body. Now the soulof Lumley House, he Automatic Man hates all livingcreatures, blaming them for rejecting it and destroying

communicate with the Automatic Man, the creature'smotives are likely to remain a mystery. Clever heroesmight, of course, piece together the golem's personalitythrough investigation and deduction.C d 4 tThe AutomaticMan s not fully conscious whenhemes enter the House. Until someone disturbsgolem's original body, the place is relatively haBut once the body is disturbed in any way, the Houseawakens to terrible effect. t has no desire tosee theheroes leave alive.The adventure describes each room of the manor,including what assaults may occur. Several locations itheHouse are safe . Clever heroes may take refugethere before making their final attempt at escape.

umley House can appear in anyRenaissance-level setting: Mordent,Richemulot, and Dementlieu are threegood choices in R~VEIOFT. he characterand place names fit Mordent best, butnames are easy to change.commonplace-either in spring, when the melting snowand rains swell the rivers, or summer, when heavythunderstorms occur. To enhance the verisimilitude ofthis story, trytolay the groundwork n a previousgaming session. Let the streets become muddy, andmention the arrival of Oren Lumley (see below), theman who sends them into the manor.Heroes who enter the House of Lumley should be atleast 7th level if they wish to come out alive. If you'dlike to run the adventure for less resilient adventurers,reduce the damage each room can idid (especiallythe steam pipe attacks), as well as the payment Lumleyoffers. You may also have to downgrade the galem'sdefenses to give the hemes a fighting chance.appears in italic typeto conserve space.

The adventure occurs when flooding is

Note: Selected text that canbe readaloud toplayer

TheA** BeginsHoward's great-grandnephew, Oren Lumley, hasrecently arrived with papers to prove his ownership ofLumley House. He intends to drain the land and rebuildthe manor for himself and his family. Unfortunately foryoung Lumley, the local workers refuse to even set footon the grounds. Left with little alternative, Lumley postsa notire.

21


23/98

J

h

Lumley seeks the assistance of one or more sturdgsalvagers to enter theproperty and retrieve theremains of any and all mechanical devices which stillreside within the property. Interestedparties shouldinquire a mM . Lumley a t The Silver DolphinInn, onSeaside StreetThus far,no one has taken Oren up on his offer.Hes staying at the inn.Heroes who inquire after himthere encounter a slim. tallman with thinning hair andunusually long fim. e produces a pair of tinyspectacles whenever he wishes to read. When askedabout his notice, Lumley begins with the following tale:Perhapsyou haveheard of my mcestoG HowardLumleg. Hewas fanmo-me would say notorious-for his mechanical nuentions Most were toys, really,but some had great scientific meritUn~%rtunately,e l eHowardwas killed in anaccidenJ when a mechanicalbutlercalled theAutomaticMan ranamok.m e ownspeopledestroyedit, but supposedly the rusty remainsarestill in thehouse, along with other inventions. Many couldbequite valuable.and Isho uld like them al lm&before hiring work crews tobegin the renouation.Thats where yo u come in. I want you to bring outthe rem ainin ggad gb. starting with theruined hulk@that old butler. Once the localssee it is harmless, I a nbegin renovation what do you say?Lundey initially offers the heroes 300 g p to retrievethe Automatic Man and salvage other valuables. Thosewho drive a hard bargain find that Lumley iswilling topay up to 500 g p , though to bring him to such a sumrequires g o d roleplaying and persuasive arguments.Should the heroes initially refuse the job and allow aweek to pass before approaching Lumley again, heraises his offer a bt more. (Choose a sum hats highenough to entice your hemes without raising eyebrowsor unbalancing your campaign.)If asked why none of the locals will do this job, Orensmiles condescendingly and says theyre a superstitiouslot, sW frightened by the admittedly horrible events of80years past. He acknowledgesthat the accident wasquite dreadful. Hemay even admit that others beyondhis ancestor died. However, he pintests that there isnothing uncanny about the Automatic M a n i t is merelya sophisticated toy. n any event, the W i g wasdestroyed. He admits, however, that he does not knowwhat kind of traps or conhaptions Lumley may havebuilt in the house. Most, he imagines, no longerfunction. Still, it could be dangerous work-an d thatwhy hes paying so well.P p l i mm y Inv4igationHeroes who wish to investigate Lumley House beforeentering can gain insights from several SoUTces.

town older than fifty years might relate the tale ofberserk Automatic Man. Theyll confirm the servadestroyed, but that doesnt mean they think the his safe. These days, parents forbid their children tapproach Lumley House. The place is cloaked inof foreboding danger.Town Records: Should any hero delve into therecords, he or she learns that the house indeed rethe property of the Lumley family. Apparently, Orthe first to claim it. Documents fi ed during the Hconstruction make note of a moving staircase, eland dumbwaiter, in addition to an elaborate netwwater and steam pipes throughout the house andextending into the Mechanical Garden. The powesource for the entire estate was a huge boiler locathe basement.If you like, any hero might befriend the town clNicolas Huxley. Impressing this baby-fis as simple as speaking kindly. He vacrass attempts at Battery (a failed Chamfalse roleplaying) can put him off. uccess inthat the hero uncovers an actual floorplan of LumHouse. In this case, show a copy of the Lumiey Hmap t o players.Nicolas is useful in one other way: When HowaLumley was laid to rest, his keys were left in the office. If Nicolas is encouraged to be helpful, he mdiscover the keys and let the heroes borrow themLumley assumes the keys have been lost.The Guardian: An old priest who lives just beythe town has ties to the Order of the Guardian,asecretive sect devoted to the destruction of evilartifacts. (The accessory ChampionsoftheMistsdescribes the order more fully.) Though generallythe old priest may relate a story he knows about Lumley: The inventor was desperate to createmechanical servants that were indistinguishable humans. He managed to construct relatively cruddevices powered by a huge boiler, but he couldna sufficiently small heart chamber to power hisAutomatic Man. Then Lumley learned of an arcatom e that might answer his problem, and he paidVistani clan to steal it for him. The thieves smuggtome from the domain of Lamordia. A year later,Lumley created the Automatic Man.

Hunched near the baseof a round hill, the houserelatively small manor of only two stories with anand a large stone cellar. Its walls were once finelpainted, but now the plaster sloughs offn leprousheaves. The gaping wounds expose the raw bricbeneath. Dark cracks scatter through the materiacancerous arteries.surfaces of the windows stare out,gray with muddust. The front door is still boarded tiahtlv.

Where the boards have fallen away, the blank~ o c a lumsio. E aooroached Dleasantlv (with a


24/98

The Lumley House grounds are wild, green, andtangled. The earth is soft and wet from proximity to theriver, where weeping willows steep their tresses in thecool water. Birds fill the trees, and pigeons mast in themanors eaves.stone wall and its rusting iron gate stand 3 feet high.statuary and reflecting pool seem perfectly ordinary.Those who peer closely at the statues see smoothcracks where the figures limbs and necks arearticulated for movement. Usually, these figures areinert, but once the golem awakens, they becom e deadly.The statues cannot leave their bases, so heroes whokeep their distance are in little danger. The golem iscrafty, however. It causes the statues to move enticingly,hoping to draw a victim within 3 or 4 feet beforeunleashing a stony assault. Each statue attacks with theAutomatic Mans THACO, yet causes only ld lOdamage, is AC 0, has 30 hp, and enjoys none of thegolem s special attacks or defenses.Statue A: A merman stabs his trident at a serpentinemonster, which in turn rears back with a furious hissing.Statue B: A giant crab.Statue C: Five tentacles of a huge octopus rise out of

Statue D: Three nereids ride their sea-horse mountsStatue E: In the center of the reflecting pool stands a

1. Perimeter: More ornamental than defensive, the2. Mechartical Garden: At first glance, the overgrown

a sea cave now choked with weeds.on the imagined waves of the reflecting pool.statue of dozens of dolphins, sea nymphs, and othercreatures, all rising with open mouths, from which wateronce sprayed into the basin. Those com ing within 10fee t of the central sculpture of the pool are subject to ascalding blast of rust-stained water that inflicts 4d10points of damage. Victims who make a successful savevs. breath weapon suffer only half damage.W m d FloorPatches of mold and fungus are common throughoutthe ground floor ; all the moms are damp. Rangers orothers with tracking skill can detect the spoor of rats.3. Foyer: The front door is boarded and locked.Removing the boards requires four successful opendoors checks. Well-prepared heroes might use a pryingtool, which grants them a4 bonus to the die roll. Evenby day, the foyer is dark.The grand foyer is wide and high, with a fullbalcony on the second floor. On all walk, wide doorsopen into adjoining mum,while a smaller servantsdoor stands discreetly in one corner. Thick carpetingcovers the floor,and stenciledpaper decorates the walls.Both are dotted with patch& of mold and fungus. Adamp, earthy odor weighs heauify in the air.Across from the entrance, a w ide stairway curvesfrom the eastern wall up to the northwestern balcony.

Suspendedjust h o e he balconys railings s a dustychandelier secured by a chain.The mold and fungus in the room are harmless. Theshelf fungus is even edible, though hardly tasty.Any dwarf or a hero with the engineering proficiencycan note, upon ex am in ii the unusually bulkystaircase, that the entire construction is designed tomove. Hidden gears and belts operate the device,powered by m echanical trains concealed within thewalls and floor. leading down to the giant gearbox (area19). Until the heroes enter area 10 and disturb thegolem, the stairs remain inert.That changes, of course, after the gdem wakes.Whenever the heroes are elsewhere, the golemactivates the stairs to create a racket. The long-neglected engine now shudders and clacks. The go lemstops whenever the heroes enter the foyer or thebalcony, hoping to lure some or all onto the staircase.When a victim is in its trap, the go lem activates thestairs again. Heroes on the moving steps must makesuccessful Dexterity checks at a +4 penalty or tumbledown, losing 4d6 hit points from the fall and the stepsactive battering. Success indicates that the hero hasleaped back from the stairs or onto the banister.The chandelier, however, is another matter. Thegolem can raise it, lower it, and swing it east and west(with a second chain, horizontal). The crystal wreckingbaU can strike any hero on the eastern portion of thestairs or on the western portion of the balcony (damage2d6). or crash down upon anyone in the 40-foot-squarearea beneath it (damage 4d6).A hero can still the chandelier by severing the mainchain with a successful attack (AC 1 , hp 6).4. Ballroom: Despite the dirty glass, this large , high-ceilinged chamber is reasonably well illuminated in theafternoon. The parquet poor was once glorious. Now itsgeometrical patterns are smudged with grime, and thewood has warped and sagged inplaces. The wwdpaneling is likewise dulled and bded , and the brasssconcg along their lengths haue turned black.The levers for raising and lowering the chandeliersare in a recessed box in the north wall, by the servantsentrance. The box is concealed (as a concealed door)but not strictly secret. Two of the levers no longerfunction; the gears to which they are linked have longsince rusted fast. Pulling the third lever causes thesouthernmost chandelier to descend slowly, until itstops a mere two eet from the floor. Inquisitive heroesmight note that all of the candles in all of thechandeliers have melted com pletely.If awake, the golem cannot swing these chandeliersfrom side to side, but it can drop them on anyonestanding below, attacking with a THACO of 7 for 3d6 hpdamage. Only the southernmost chandelier can beraised again for further attacks; the chains of the otherssnap after only one attack each.


25/98

upon the floor, minding with the windblown leaves andoiher detritus. Weathered but still beautiful large potsline the edges of the walkway.it has no mechanical devices.vein the house. Lumley made them ornamental andused their exposure towarm the manor. Thus, thecopper pipes run along the bases of the walls. keepingthe house warm in winter.When the go lem awakens, it can control the courseof steam running through its veins. For the first fewminutes of the golems awareness, the pipes rattle andhiss,creating a commotion that can be heard (if notseen) throughout the house. When heroes enterthisparticular hallway, the gdem bursts the joints of six longpipes, at first blasting anyone in the corrido