NPC - Scout-Lancer Sedeq

NPC - Scout-Lancer Sedeq

The elite among the Verbobonc Lancers are the Scouts. They ride the land alone or in small groups of two to five. The Scout-Lancers are chosen from the most experienced and skilled, mostly rangers, but some druids. 

Sedeq is the son of a Kettish merchant based in the city of Verbobonc but whose mother is a minor noblewoman of the viscounty. He was brought up in the Old Faith and became enamored with the wild lands and forests. His father trained him in the skills of combat and wished him to be an officer in the Verbobonc Guards but Sedeq followed his own path. 

At first Sedeq trained under the leaders of the Old Faith, learning of the land, the forests, and the hills. Then he followed a path of adventure seeking more than treasure, but what exactly he could not name. In his exploits he rescued a group of Verbobnc Lancers ambushed by bandits raiding from the Wild Coast and Sedeq was invited to join. Quickly it became apparent his skills would be best put to use as a Scout-Lancer and here Sedeq found his home.

Sedeq normally patrols alone. He is (in AD&D) a Ranger between levels 3-7 and possessing a few items of druidic magic such as boots of elvenkind, enchanted leather armor, a Spear of piercing which treats normal armor and hide as if it weren't there removing the AC protection when Sedeq attacks with his spear. His dagger might be enchanted as well as the leather helm he wears (A Cap of Endurance that allows him to go without food, water or sleep for as much as a week and increases his HP total by 50% The Cap will function for a week then be nothing but a normal leather helm for a week as the magic recharges). Depending on his experience Sedeq may possess, some, none or all of these items.

Sedeq can be a great aid to the party and will accompany them if they are on a worthy cause; something more than treasure seeking or exploring.

Item - The Dancing Jesters Boots of Charm and Pain

Item - The Dancing Jesters Boots of Charm and Pain

Created by Tasha early in her mastery of magic the boots are a powerful item and yet also something of a failure as far as the Sorceress was concerned.

The boots are bright yellow with red trim and silver bells. They must be worn as a pair for the dweomer to take effect. They will stretch or shrink to fit any sized foot but if removed theyy appear to be fit for any normal-sized human's foot.

Perhpas Tasha tried too many enchantments on a single item but the Boots allow several enhancements to take effect and several affects to be forced upon the wearer. The first and most noticiable is pain. The Boots are alway too small. They pinch and are uncomfortable to wear causing an armor class and to hit penalty when worn (-1/-1 in AD&D). They have a 5% chance of causing spells to fail at casting and Dexterity reduction (-2 in AD&D) any resulting penalty or loss of bonuses is commulative with the armor/to hit reduction. Most of these penalties are the results of the uncontrollable dancing the wearer must do in stressful situations such as combat. 

The wearer also has the choice to dance skillfully whenever they like. This includes any form of dance they may know. 

The main benefit of ther Boots is their ability to Charm Humans and Demi-Humans as per the spell (cast as if 8th level in AD&D) three times per day. The wearer must dance continuously while this charm is in effect of the power is broken.

Currently only one pair of these is known to exist in the possession of the wizard Ryel of Dyvers. 

Event - Sub-Canon Auryn of Veluna Stands Before the Council of Nobles

Event - Sub-Canon Auryn of Veluna Stands Before the Council of Nobles

The Provost of Veluna Canon Wardla has been murdered in a shocking and foul manner; the flesh rotted from his bones and the minions of Incabulos are to blame.

Sub-Canon Auryn of Veluna bears the skull of Provost Wardla and warns the council that at least one of the noble houses of Veluna is involved, that this house has fallen under the sway of Incabulos. The people in attendence are dismayed but who among the crowd are loyal citizens of Veluna and followers of Rao and who are the traitors and worshipers of Incabulos?

NPC - The Vidar

NPC - The Vidar

I found this old write-up of mine from a Greytalk post long ago thanks to Scott Casper's recent post of his Greytalk Archive blog.

Here is a Dwarven Clan from my campaign. They live in the mountains on the borders of Geoff. Any helpful suggestions or comments would be appreciated. 

Thanks 

Jason Zavoda 

The Clan Vidar 

Addanc the Great, most renowned of all the Vidar, more so than even Vidar Spadehand himself, the first Clanchief. When the Vidar think of themselves they think of Addanc, greatest of clanchiefs. Addanc the Delver, he cut deep within the Stark Mounds. He brought vast wealth to the clan and great sorrow. Addancs desire was his and the clans undoing. Addanc the Lost. He followed the ore to its heart and of all those who went with him, worked alongside him, only one returned, and that one died before he could tell what happened. That night, as the Clan gathered to search for Addanc and the others, the mine shaft belched forth foul monstrosities of the UnderOerth. Many Dwarves died then, many disappeared, perhaps slain and their bodies taken or perhaps much worse, taken alive. All that had been built, all that had been gathered and crafted and stored, all that was of the Vidar, was touched by that night. The Mine of Addanc was at the heart of the Community and though the Vidar had built strong doors and deep chambers, these were set to keep them safe against 

what was without, they had built no defense against what came from within. 

The fighting lasted all that night. It stormed through the halls and from chamber to chamber. Young and old fought and died, those that could gathered in the Hall of Chiefs, those that could not died or were taken. This was a clan of miners and craftsmen, many of the warriors had died at the mouth of the mine when the horrors first sprang upon them, those who were left were the lucky or the strong. 

Avanc the Young, son of Addanc, became leader of his people that night. He was still an apprentice learning the ways of the Oerth and its bounty, but he had the voice and bearing of his father. He called down a curse upon these horrors and swore an oath of blood-vengeance against them. With an iron hammer in one hand and a miners pick in the other he left the Hall of Chiefs and his people followed. All those of Clan Vidar, except the very babes and children, fought the horrors back to the mine shaft. As the strongest forced the monsters down into the UnderOerth the most Craftwise cut the supports and arches and collapsed the tunnel behind them. When dawn came to the Stark Mounds the survivors of the Clan had gathered once more at the Hall of Chiefs. The doors had been shut and the side passages guarded. They lay stunned or stumbled aimlessly among the relics of their chieftans. As dark came again there was a pounding at the main doors. Some Dwarves lifted weapons, others lay where they had dropped hours earlier and would not rise, but all awaited their fate; the end of their clan and their lives. "Open" a voice boomed "Open, it is I, Avanc, the way is closed, Open the door to the Hall of my fathers, Open!" 

Till this day the Doors of the Hall of Chiefs have been left open (though the hinges have been carefully oiled and the oak trunk to bar the door kept handy). Avanc had returned and brought a dozen scarred and grim followers with him. They did not speak of what they had found, how they had survived or their means of escaping from the far end of the blocked mine shaft, but the Book of Chiefs, seen by only the clan eldars, is said to tell the tale. 

That night, now long years past, changed the Vidar. Once an open community, friendly and generous, they became close mouthed and close-pursed. They had reached out to harvest the Oerths bounty and without warning had been struck a grievous blow. The Oerth itself now had two natures, Evil and Good, and they could no longer fully trust it. 

Dwarves of the Vidar Clan are slow to trust. They believe first in their own Clan. The survivors of Addancs Night, less than half the Clan at that time, became very closeknit and insular. They passed this feeling of community to their descendants where it exists strongly among the present day Clan. The greatest honor that they can bestow upon an outsider is admission into the Clan. They have also inherited a dislike for the UnderOerth and a distrust for all creatures living below the ground. This has led to a surprising affinity for surface dwellers, even Elves who they consider no better or worse than other Non-Dwarves such as humans. Before Addanc they were renowned miners and skilled builders. Now they shun those who delve into the Oerth. Still they craft with metals and process ores bought from others who mine. Their work is considered sturdy and of high quality but there have been few Masters 

of the Smith craft in their history. All Vidar learn the use of a weapon at an early age but they are generally an unaggressive lot. Their concern is defense and security but they also put a strong emphasis on wealth. Many of their riches had been taken on Addancs Night, most of what was left was used to rebuild and refortify their home. Young Vidar either involve themselves in craft or trade or seek wealth outside of their community. A Vidar returning to their community with wealth is highly respected, as long as they bring no problems back with them. Outward signs of wealth are not allowed within the community, such a display would be considered as tempting fate and bringing the Doom of Addanc down upon them all. 

At their heart the Vidar have not forgotten what they were. Vidar Spadehand is still revered, He was no warrior but a master of his craft and wise. He lived a long life, even for a Dwarf and saw his Clan grow in both size and wealth. He wrote a book of laws for his Clan and they are carved along the columns in the Hall of the Chiefs and penned the first lines of history in the Book of Chiefs. The Vidar now think of 

him as the Chief of the Golden Years. They seek to find those times once again but they always expect the worst and prepare for it. 

Surprisingly the Vidar see Addanc as a lost hero rather than the source of their decline. Avanc his son did much to redeem his fathers name. According to legend there is a passage known only to the Chieftain and his family that leads deep within the UnderOerth. Younger sons and Daughters of the Chief often disappear on quests. It is said that they search for Addanc and follow this passage into the forbidding depths. 

There are those among the clan who follow a solely warrior calling. They call themselves the Shield of Avanc. They serve as guards for the Clanhome and the Eldars. There is another branch rumored to exist called the Hammer of Avanc who take on a much more aggressive role. The Hammer is thought to be made up of Vidar who have returned home from the outside world and seek to protect the clan from aggression which might occur not just guard the halls and chambers from direct assault. 

Vidar Dwarves tend to be broader and shorter than an average Dwarf. They are known for their fortitude and strength, but while sturdy they are not known for being quick or agile. They are normally quiet and dislike boasting. They dress in drab inexpensive cloth and are known to be miserly. They avoid loud celebration. Abroad they might be seen in the dark quiet corner of an Inn with their back to a wall and their eyes watching for danger.

Verbobonc - Sir Anglrieve's Manor - Part 4 The Map 5-9

Verbobonc - Sir Anglrieve's Manor - Part 4 The Map 5-9                   

Graph squares are 5feet x 5feet

4. Gate Walkway

The Gate Walkway (or Upper Walkway) above contains the mechanism for lifting the Draw-bridge. The mechanism and chains are part of the enchantment and are extremely resistant to normal damage. There are two winding spindles on the wall of the walkway and the chain wraps around them but turns into a thin silver wire instead of the ponderous links that appear outside of the wall connected to the bridge. By placing a hand on the side of the spindle and turning a small crank the Draw-bridge can be raised quickly and easily and lowered in a reverse turning. Both spindles must be activated at the same time requiring two people to operate it.

Beneath the walkway a normal gate can be closed to bar the entrance if the Drawbridge is lowered. A crossbeam requiring a strength total of 36 is needed to lift the beam into place. 

During the day the Draw-bridge is lowered and the gate shut until entrance is requested. The guards from the towers are responsible for handling the gate and the Draw-Bridge. At nightfall the Draw-bridge is raised and the gate shut and barred.

5. The Wall Walkway is 10 feet wide and runs the circumphrence of the manor except for the towers and the Gate Walkway. There are several ladders kept at various points for access or they can be accessed through the third floor of the Gate Towers. 

Each section of wall is walked by at least 1 bow-armed guardsman night and day.

6. There is a 10 foot grass verge between the base of the wall and the Moat.

7. The Hideworker lives here with her husband and two children. She is both a lightly experienced Ranger and one of the manor's hunters as is her husband. During times of trouble they make room for several of her relatives and pack the place with sleeping mats.

There are archer-holes cut in the two walls facing the grounds.

8. The Wagon Shed has room for one wagon but mainly contains tools and supplies for repairing or even constructing a wagon. During times of trouble local farmers sleep here if the Main Buildings are full. Otherwise during trouble at least two militia will be stationed here.

There are archer-holes cut in the wall facing the grounds.

9. The Wainright

The Wainright and his wife and daughter live in this small one room house. During times of trouble they move into the great hall and at least two miltia members will be stationed here. If the main hall is overflowing then the house will be used for housing.

There are archer-holes cut in the wall facing the grounds.

NPC - The Nulb River Pirates

NPC - The Nulb River Pirates

Tolub is a River Pirate captain and with his second in command Grud Squinteye (Squint for short) leads a large (40+) pirate crew partially based in Nulb but also in the city of Verbobonc.

Tolub is a very experienced fighter and with Grud hales originally from the Hold of the Sea Princes. The pair mutineed on the ship they served and found the Hold and surrounding waters far to hot for them to remain. Eventually the pair with a handful of followers found themselves drawn to Nulb, perhaps the lure of seductive evil emanating from the Temple of Elemental Evil brought them, but they found a home in Nulb.

(In my combination Night Below/TOEE campaign Nulb has grown and been outwardly tamed by the forces of the Viscount and several years have passed since the events described in TOEE. Tolub now goes by the name Raef and acts the part of a merchant, an identity he developed to sell his stolen goods in the city of Verbobonc, Dyvers and the City of Greyhawk.)

Tolub possesses two ships. A sleek pirate vessel and a stolid merchant ship. He has a small ramshackle base near Nulb on a barely navigatable stream that is a tributary of the Imeryds Run. Around ten of his men always accompany him dressed as merchant sailors or guards while the remainder of the crew remain at his base with the ships.

Grud goes by the name Drak when in Verbobonc or other cities but is still called Squint due to the scar above his left eye that has pulled taught the muscles and given him his perpetual scowl.

The pirate ship is sleek and fast. It has no armaments and Tolub is careful to attack only unarmed or lightly armed merchant ships. half his men are armed with short bows although they all carry a variety of weapons.

NPC - Jaroo's Mother

NPC - Jaroo's Mother

 North-east of the village of Hommlet is a small wood covering several hills and valleys. Towards it center, on the crest of a hill, a small cabin is home to the druidess Dien mother to Jaroo Ashstaff and once a leader of the Old Faith in Verbobonc. She dwells in the cabin with her animal companions Owl and Fox and protects the wild creatures of the wood, no longer concerning herself with the viscounty at large.

It is said her strength and knowledge of the Old Faith remains unmatched and in her youth she spent much time out among the people of Verbobonc. For a time she was much honored at the castle in the city and there are tales that Wilifrick needs look no further for an heir of his blood than Jaroo.

Verbobonc - Sir Anglrieve's Manor - Part 3 The Map 1-3

Verbobonc - Sir Anglrieve's Manor - Part 3 The Map 1-3 

The Manor is walled with a moat. 

1. The Moat

The Moat is twenty feet wide and twenty feet deep. The bottom of the Moat has iron spikes embedded in it. The spikes are coated with an enchanted paint that is meant to prevent rust, but about half the spikes have rusted through. There is a stream that feeds the Moat to the upper north-east of the keep and an escape tunnel from the well at the bottom of the old tower (Area 11b) opens up at the bottom of the Moat in this north-east corner.

Occasionally a large animal or monstrous creature will find its way from the stream into the most but the nearness of the farms and villagers makes it too dangerous to keep such creatures as further defenses for the manor and they are normally slain or charmed and removed.

2. The Draw-Bridge

The Draw-Bridge is a huge twenty by forty foot construction of wood and iron. Huge chains are set into iron rings to either side and a set of enchanted pulleys are set in the arch above the gateway. The enchantment allows a normal strength human to raise the Draw-Bidge as if it weighed only a small fraction of its true weight and to let it descend gently and quickly without smashing down on the far bank of the Moat. When raised the Draw-Bridge completely fills the gate.

3. The Gate Towers

The Gate Towers are identical structures. When under siege the towers act as barracks for members of militia. Normally only four guardsmen are stationed inside each tower. 

The first floor of each tower has no openings in the walls but the second, third and fourth all pierced with archer holes allowing two men to fire from the sides and four men from the front or back. The exception is the front wall of the second floor. Each tower has two large openings on the second floor with a bolt thrower at each. The four guardsmen always assigned to the Gate Towers are stationed here two to each bolt thrower. These are cumbersome weapons but very powerful. One man fires but it takes two men to load.

Each tower has a door on the third floor that opens on the Wall Walkway and a door on the fourth floor that opens Gate Walkway.

Verbobonc - Sir Anglrieve's Manor - Part 2 The Map

Verbobonc - Sir Anglrieve's Manor - Part 2 The Map

Each square is 10x10 feet
Walls are worked stone with a dirt center 10 feet thick with last 10ft crenelated. 30ft high with top 10ft crenelated


1.  Moat
2. Drawbridge
3. Gate Tower
4. Gate Walkway
5. Wall Walkway
6. 10ft verge at base of wall
7. Workshop - Tanner/Hideworker
8. Wagonshed
9. Wainright
10. Stables
11. Main Buildings
11a. Great Hall
11b. Old Tower - Armory, Barracks, Treasury
11c. Barracks covered entrance.
11d. Family and Servants Residence
11e. Connection between buildings
11f. Kitchen, Brewery, Servants Residence, Food Storage
11g. Workshop, Storage
12. Smithy
13. Kennels
14. Well House
15. Stream connecting to Moat
16. Packed earth grounds.

Verbobonc - Sir Anglrieve's Manor - Part 1

Verbobonc - Sir Anglrieve's Manor - Part 1

Sir Anglrieve is a distant relation of the Viscount. he served the Verbobonc Guards with distinction in the Battle of Emridy Meadows but is now retired to his manor on the south-eastern edge of the Viscounty in a wide valley within the Kron Hills. The lands are a bit more wild than those closer to the city and the surrounding area is just starting to repopulate after the last rising of the Temple of Elemental Evil. The forests are near, though the elven kingdom of Celene patrols the woods the Wild Coast is still near enough to bring bandits, monsters and trouble without much warning.

All the farms are close and many of the farm families have members who work within the manor, Two of the three nearest towns are still abandoned and the third, Waymarket, survived only because the large inn, The Wyverns Tail, was almost as well fortifed as the manor. Waymarket now sports a wooden pallisade and watch towers with most farmers living inside the walls and going out to work their land.

There are a score of professional guardsmen inside the manor while the farmers have a militia that Sir Anglrieve leads in times of trouble. 

NPC - Delia

NPC - Delia

Delia is a thief by trade but a survivor by nature. Some locals call her the Weeping Mask or the Black Kiss but not to her face. Her main residence is in the City of Verbobonc and she spends most of her time at the Mercenaries Guild when she is in the city. Otherwise she will be hired on with treasure seekers for the most part. Her skills are as well known as her remarkable face and the Viscount hires her for tasks that require someone with agile hands and a cautious attitude.

In her younger days Delia found herself in a magician experiment one wrong and no bears the burden of it. Delia's kiss will cause 1d10 damage and the chance to afflict the Black Rot (a magical disease that will turn the kiss-e into a shadow). Delia is immune to many of the effects of the Negative Material Plane and cannot be harmed by Shadows and resists all such attacks by undead creatures very strongly. She can see Shadows and any Undead perfectly clearly regradless of their abilities to hide or conceal themselves.

Cities of Greyhawk - Verbobonc Part 12 - Farmers

Cities of Greyhawk - Verbobonc Part 12 - Farmers

The bulk of the population of the viscounty is made up of the humble farmer. These folk fill the towns and villages, though not the city itself. Numerous farms do surround the city though far enough from the walls to prevent any buildings from being used as cover by a besieging force. Three towns have been built within one mile of Verbobonc and each is center for farm goods entering the city, much to feed the citizens but much to be sent downriver in trade to Dyvers and the City of Greyhawk.

Farmers are freefolk in the viscounty. They belong to small militia that take care of much of the law and order beyond the city walls usually commanded by some minor noble cleric or proseprous land owner, but some villages will have retired guardsmen or Verbobonc Lancers. One notable militia in the village of Hommlet is commanded by an experienced warrior with a mage, his partner, in support.

Farmers provide not only the manpower for the Verbobonc army should it be necessary to call upon them but also represent most of common society of the viscounty. Adventurers will no doubt encounter farmers more often than any other type of inhabitant and they can prove to be a great aid for all those things that go beyond simply slaying monsters and creatures. They can help with shelter and hirelings, pass on information, be a source for rumors and supplies. It is on their backs or in their wagons that many a hoard of coin has been brought from lairs to the city. 

Most farmers in Verbobonc follow the Old Faith, but a goodly number of Cuthberite worshippers have been growing even in smaller villages. Many follow both Cuthbert and the Old Faith and this is especially true further from the city. In any case there is no conflict between the druids of the viscounty and the clerics of Cuthbert.

Adventure Idea - The Thing Under the Bed

Adventure Idea - The Thing Under the Bed

In a hidden chamber within the walls of the castle of Verbobonc Darena the daughter of Istarnus the wizard advisor to the Viscount is kept. An adept of magic herself she has become caught between the planes of existence. But she is not alone.

Something dark and loathsome has crawled from the nightmare realm of Incabulos and has been bound to her. This monstrosity of evil is a pale multi-limbed creature whose hair is black as the pit and her face a festering maggot-filled wound. 

Istarnus has been unable to aid her and the clerics of Rao and Saint Cuthbert are powerless. Somewhere between the planes a part of Darena is trapped. Word has come that the Tower of Eldorath has been opened and beneath its ancient foundations a portal has been found that might lead across and between the planes. Istarnus seeks adventurers willing to step beyond the Oerth and into the great beyond to rescue his daughter. The risks are great but so are the promised rewards. 

Adventure Idea/Alternate Oerth - The Nightmare of Incabulos

Adventure Idea/Alternate Oerth - The Nightmare of Incabulos

From time to time I'd run a Greyhawk campaign that would have some element that would take over the setting so I'd run it as alternate Oerth campaign. I ran a CthulhuHawk campaign where the Lovecraft pantheon and creatures were taking over the Flanaess, or a Gunpowder and Greyhawk game with a major introduction of guns and cannon, this idea is a zombie apocalypse theme where a plague settles over the Flanaess.

All across the Flanaess every human and humanoid is afflicted by the same nightmare vision of Incabulos rising from a sea of bones. A fire rages in the distance, the air is choked with ash and black bats, the Oerth has become a world of death.

From this point on all clerics have lost the ability to turn undead. Those who die rise as zombies and attack the living and the gods themselves have become remote and distant to the anguish of their worshippers.

Plague is sweeping the land and the spells of priests cannot cure it. (The plague causes 1d4 damage 1st day, 1d6 2nd day... progressing to a greater die of damage till the 6th day causes 1d20). Infection is by zombie attack, but anyone who dies for any reason rises as a zombie. Cities become necropoli as the streets soon fill with hordes of the dead. Only those of power can survive or those kept from the touch of the dead. The player characters must find a way to survive and hopefully a way to find the source of the rising dead and stop it.

NPC - Durbar of Clan Steel Mountain

NPC - Durbar of Clan Steel Mountain

Durbar is an experienced dwarven warrior currently recovering from wounds in the city of Verbobonc. He is a mountain dwarf but from a clan and kingdom long thought dead. The Clan Steel Mountain is very old and its last holding is a fortress city in the Jotens where they have remained cut-off from the Flanaess for centuries. The recent rising of the giants and the stirring of the UnderOerth has ended their generations of hiding and now they are sending scouts out far beyond their borders.

Somewhere in the Lortmils there was a dwarven kingdom, cousins to the dwarves of Steel Mountain. Long ago this kingdom perished and Durbar has only been made aware of this when his party of fellow dwarves were forced from its ruined halls. Before returning to Steel Mountain Durbar seeks to return to the ruins, which are considered a holy place  by the small groups of dwarves and gnomes nearby. Now he looks for a party of adventurers to join him in his search. He knows that such adventurers will despoil the ruins and loot any treasure but Durbar is more interested in finding the archives of the city than the treasury and will guide any adventurers to fulfill that goal while talking, truthfully, of the wealth once held in this city.

Durbar is a powerful fighter. His weapons are good Mountain Dwarf made with a shield of arrow attraction and a spiked mace named Morgenstern the Bonebreaker which is both enchanted and intelligent.

Item - The Pot of Infinite Tea

Item - The Pot of Infinite Tea

The Verbobonc wizard Symes receives the Pot of Infinite Tea from the enchanter Kasaamat of Ket during his visit.

The Pot of Infinite Tea is a powerfil item of magic from legendary lands far west of Zeif and the plains of the Paynim. What Symes, perhaps the greatest wizard who calls Verbobonc home, and one to be noted even in the City of Greyhawk, did to recive such a precious gift, payment or reward is unknown.

The Pot is filled with enough tea for a dozen servings and each cup of the tea has a random effect upon the inbiber. Some allow the casting of extra spells, some allow the seeing of visions past, present or future, some leave the drinker inebriated. Each cup produces a different effect with results that last no longer than a day. 

After the first drop is poured the pot we refill itsell  in 24 hours. Drinking from an additional cup of tea will dispell the previous effects.                                          

NPC - The Raven Queen

NPC - The Raven Queen

She is a mysterious figure seen wandering the lower Kron Hills east of Hommlet where the ruins of old villages and farms remain from the time of the Temple of Elemental Evils first rising and defeat. Many of the locals fell under its sway at the time or were driven out or killed and the area became wild and abandoned. Now that the temple has again been defeated and Hommlet risen in prominence with the outer walls of the castle completed people are again returning to the area. To the south one of the garrions of the Verbobonc Lancers is no more than 10 leagues away and they have made great inroads on the monsters and tribes and bandits which had been calling these lands home.

The Raven Queen been spotted many times but never approached. Always great flocks of ravens and crows surround her and she herself can disappear among them perhaps transforming into one of the birds herself. She is seens as a good omen to the returning farmers and offerings are made to her and her conspiracy of ravens and murder of crows. She is said to have driven of monsters and predatory beasts from the newly formed villages forming in this wild land, but no one really knows who or what she is.

Monster/NPC - The Green Woman

Monster/NPC - The Green Woman

In the Gnarley Forest east of the Town of Nulb can be found a dryad grove, now deserted, the beautiful and dangerous tree-maidens having been slain or captured. This grove is now haunted by a creature much like them but far more elusive and dangerous.

She is called the Green Woman by those who have seen her. There is no fear in her but she is approached only by those with no intent of harm within their hearts. Quick as the strike of lightning, strong as the roots of trees, the Green Woman is immune to magic. She can summon trees and plants to aid her. Her flesh is as tough as ironwood and her hands clawed with razor-edged thorns.

The Green Woman is an elemental of nature and has been summoned from that plane by the death-cry of the dryads. Deep within the grove hidden by paths that are both on the Oerthly plane and the Plane of Nature is the portal that allows the Green Woman and her sisters entranced to Oerth. They are here to exact vengeance on those who have slain the dryads. Elves are seen as potential allies and they hold no animosity to rangers and druids, but creatures such as orcs and goblins they kill on sight.

Adventure Idea - The Bullywugs of Gnatsmarsh

Adventure Idea - The Bullywugs of Gnatsmarsh

The Bullywugs held a fairly inhospitable area of the Gnatsmarsh as their home and were seldom encountered. Within the last generation they have made alliance with the Wives of Incabulous and their numbers have swelled. A large colony of Bullywugs has been established by the monastary the Wives use as their base and temple. The Bullywugs now provide large patrols of 30-50 who keep the more common interlopers from surving the marsh while also providing the monastary with an early warning of any strong enough to overmatch them.

Bullywugs are not particularly powerful but the Wives have armed them a pole-arm that has been steeped in disease. If struck by a polearm 1d8 dmg their is a 25% chance that the person struck will be infected. The disease prevents normal healing for six days and cause 1d4 on the first day, 1d6 the second, progressively  up to 1d20 on the sixth day. A cleric or paladin needs to cast cure disease to stop this process. Once cured the character can be reinfected and if they die during this process will rise as an infected zombie who serves the will of Incabulos.

This pole-arm  also has a dart that can be shot from its top at the center. The darts range is 20ft for close range +1 to hit, 40ft medium and 60ft long -3 to hit. The dart cause 1d4 dmg and a chance to infect the same disease as the pole-arm, Bullywugs carry a pouch with 10 more darts in it. It takes 1 combat round to reload the pole-arm.