DWARVEN GLORY

By Stephen Chenault
Editor: Nicole Chenault, Tim Burns, Mark Sandy, Jeremy D. Farkas
Front Cover: Jason Walton Interior Art: Peter Bradley, Jason Walton, Sarah D’Avanzo
Art Direction/ Cartography: Peter Bradley

1818 North Taylor, #143, Little Rock, AR, 72207

email: [email protected]
website: www.trolllord.com or
www.knightsofthecrusade.com

©2023 Troll Lord Games. All Rights Reserved. Castles & Crusades® is a registered Trademark of Chenault & Gray Publishing LLC, d/b/a Troll Lord
Games. SIEGE Engine™ is Trademark of Chenault & Gray Publishing LLC, d/b/a Troll Lord Games. Amazing Adventures is a Trademark of Chenault &
Gray Publishing, d/b/a Troll Lord Games. The Troll Lord Games, Castles & Crusades, SIEGE Engine, Amazing Adventures and Troll Lord Games logos
are Trademarks of Troll Lord Games. All Rights Reserved. 2023.
Art, artwork, cover art, cartography is copyright Peter Bradley of Ravenchilde Illustrations, 2023 or Troll Lord Games. All Rights Reserved. All content
copyright 2023 Troll Lord Games. All Rights Reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

2nd Printing
 LOOKING STONES
Dwarven Glory is intended as a series of fast play adventure the mountains’ heights. Their buildings grew ever greater until
stories. Each of the adventures are playable as one shot scenarios. the greatest dome was peaked with a high point as a finger made
Some are loosely linked. Dwarven Glory takes place in the world to reach for the heavens. They built beneath the ground as well,
of Aihrde (Erde, Earth, etc), in the southern Rhodope Mountains, tunneling great caverns where they captured water and built
the Smoking Giants. These mountains lie on the far western edge underground worlds of atriums, huge galleries, grottos and the
of the map as presented in the Codex of Aihrde by Troll Lord like. They prospered for two thousand years, ruled by the Uthkin
Games. Usage of Dwarven Glory in other settings or transplanted kings.
elsewhere in Aihrde is as easy as finding an old mountain chain
on your map. They were a prosperous and powerful folk. But as with all
great peoples, war came to their homes and hearths. Their first
Looking Stones pits a group of adventurers against a feliul stone, a great war was fought with their close kin from Gorthurag. The
large boulder animated by the lingering spirit of some long dead Kindship Disputes lasted 200 years. After that the goblins came
dwarf. In this case, the feliul stone has taken up residence in a with war, pestilence and famine; that war lasted much longer. In
long abandoned bath house. The bath house stands upon one time, Grausumhart succumbed to the weight of the world and fell
of the great roads that once connected various dwarven towns into ruin. Her proud towers and walls were pulled down. Her cities
and outposts in the mountains. These bath houses were common and towns burned. Her underground grottos flooded and left foul
enough and very elaborate in their usage of water and steam and and dank. The greater part of her people were slain or scattered.
brought great comfort to those who spent their lives on the road.
The dungeon is mall and not elaborate at all. Play should be no But those days, mired as they are in the depths of time, are but
more than one normal spaced session. echoes heard now by few and remembered by only the oldest and
most learned of the lore drakes. Grausumhart’s cities have all but
This is an adventure for a smattering of characters of levels 4-6. It vanished from the face of Aihrde; only ruins remain, and even
is designed for the Castles & Crusades® Role Playing Game. these have become as much a part of those ancient mountains as
the stone and are faded now, as is much of the Dwarven Glory.
Vocabulary
To make a verb past tense, the verb is followed by “-eth”. So the FOR THE CASTLE KEEPER
past tense of the dwarven word “ish” (is) is “ish-eth” (have or has). In ages past, the dwarves built many roads over the Rhodope
Althip adj: back, to return to Mountains, for trade between the kingdoms was vital and this
Crusp: high plateau huge chain stood between the dwarves of Grausumhart and the
Feliul: magic brass halls of Norgorad-Kam. The remnants of many these roads
Feld v: to dig with hands, burrow criss-cross the Rhodope Mountains. The trained eyes of rangers,
De n/m: she (pronoun) dwarves, druids and the like can detect these roads as they snake
E n/m: he (pronoun) up and down the jagged hills. Doing so makes travel through the
Iar n/m: cut hills and mountains a much less onerous task.
Graus adj: grey The roads were once thriving avenues, filled with great caravans,
Let n/o: bones marching soldiers, traveling troops and so forth. The kings of
Onu n/m: stone Grausumhart looked upon the great babbling concourse in dismay.
Umhart n/m: layer They maintained the roads and the fortifications at great expense;
an expense that tolls never seemed to cover. So it came to be that
“He has returned to stone” translates to “Althip ish-eth e Onut..” one enterprising monarch, Austcun II, thought upon an idea that
“He has stone in his bones” translates to “Ish e Onu e lett.” would both make travel easier, and turn a profit. He ordered the
INTRODUCTION construction of a series of inns, taverns and bath houses along
the roads. They were frequently made of wood and stone, but
In the far west, upon the slopes of the Umhart Mountains lie the were sometimes built underground, fashioned into lavish abodes
ancient remains of a once great dwarven civilization. In those and filled with all manner of luxury. This was particularly the
far flung days the Kingdom of Grausumhart echoed the greatest case in the eastern mountains (to the dwarves of Grausumhart
of dwarven glories. Her people were strong and built many fair the Rhodope Mountains were on the far eastern edges of their
cities and towns upon the slopes of the Umhart mountains and domains) where natural hot water springs were plentiful. These
colonized much of the world’s mountains to thier east and south, rest areas were well received and filled the coffers of good King
coming even to the edges of the Rhodope. They worked with Austcun II, making him wealthy beyond measure.
natural stone and woods imported from the lands of the Muen in
their building and ever their works mirrored the thoughts of the The greater part of these rest areas were destroyed in the Kinship
All Father as they sought to mimic his skills. So in time their cities Disputes, when Norgorad-Kam stood with Gorthurag against
and towns were marvels; wondrous facades of stonework, walls, Grausumhart and later in the Goblin Dwarf Wars. The rest
towers, bastions standing as strong guardians for the sumptuous areas were used as mustering points for troops, or in the case
palaces, courtyards, temples and sprawling homes that rose from of underground structures, hiding places for supplies. Secret

2 CASTLES & CRUSADES

 The feliul stone did not only brood however, but haunted the road
as well. He took great sport in rolling down on passing creatures
big or small, man, monster or dwarf, and crushing them to a boney
pulp. There he sits even to this day. Those who traffic in that
country know to keep from that road, but those strangers who
pass by are often crushed and ground to gristle, eaten by the crows
that always inhabit the area.

THE NARROWS
You see a narrow track which winds up and into the
mountains. The road was once heavily trafficked, as the
cobbles and stones testify, but it has been long abandoned
as time and weather have wasted away much of the smooth
surface. The track offers the only entrance into the tumbled
boulders and jagged rocks of this stretch of the Rhodope.

Following the track soon leads the party into “the Narrows,” a
sliver of a canyon which cuts through towering cliffs. The canyon
is deep and offers much shade from the sun, but too, its high sides
and close walls offer the party dangers from attackers above. A
watchful eye reveals nothing, however, as this stretch of mountain
is much deserted and visited by little but the ravens of the higher
elevations. This stretch of road ropes its way into crags and hills
for many miles.

Wandering Monsters
Rolls should be made on a d12. Six rolls in the day and four at
night. A roll of “1” indicates an encounter occurs. Roll a d8 and
consult the following chart for the encounter. The encounter can
be placed either on the cliff above the party or in the narrows.
chambers were made, doors hidden and locks fashioned. All this
was to keep safe the monies and magic needed by the battle-lords 1 Stone Giant
of Grausumhart. In time of years, these places faded from the 2 Sarab Pool with resident pixie
memory of the folk, so that only tell tale rumors were left; rumors 3 Giant Eagle
of a past wealth unimagined by men of today. 4 Bones, heap of bones where some battle took place; humanoid
and one giant, nothing of value
Some of these abodes, particularly the bath houses, survived the 5 Hobgoblins, 15, a small raiding party
cataclysms, if not whole, at least in part. Dwarven works are made 6 Mountain Lion
to last and though greatly weathered, beaten and often filled with 7 Sudden rainstorm, minor flood in the Narrows. The party
the refuse of passing monsters—giants and other vermin take should be pushed and tumbled and some equipment ruined or
up residence in many of these places—they can still be found by washed away, but no lasting damage.
those who know how to look for them. Many became refuges for 8 Avalanche. The noise of the party causes a minor avalanche
the weary soldiers and houses for the dead. to occur and rocks and shale to fall into the narrows. Anyone
failing the requisite dexterity save takes 1d8 points of damage.
So it was in the case of Jar’ed of the Spleen. Ages ago, Jar’ed,
a battle lord commanded a troop of a hundred shields (as the Two days travel finds the canyon narrows opening into more open
dwarves style their soldiers) and met his end fighting a great country. The hills become less stark and more weathered. The
horde of goblins in the Stone Wars. His body was laid to rest upon party has risen some thousands of feet from the Shelves of the Mist
a slab of granite overlooking a deep crevice through which an below and can see the expanse of open prairie, broken hills, valleys
old dwarven road ran and before the mouth of a lavish, if long and the like stretching for miles and miles behind and below them.
abandoned bath house. “Ish-eth e althip Onu” as the dwarves The Narrows are plainly visible below, curling around and winding
say. His body returned to stone. But his spirit, filled with rage through the jagged cliffs that are the feet of the mountains.
and hatred for all things, remained and he became a feliul spirit.
The sun is warm and offers little inconvenience to the travelers,
In time he shaped the stone slab into a great boulder, 25 feet in
who must by their nature find some refreshment in the open air.
diameter with the likeness of his face upon the rock. There he
The morning and noon pass without incident and the party finds
lingered, brooding on the evil of the world and the wrongs done
itself on little more than a ride through the country.
to him and his kin.

CASTLES & CRUSADES 3

 The dwarves of old called this path the “Iar”, that is “the cut,”
MAL-UK UPON US for it was the last obstacle before one came atop the mountain’s
You are suddenly brought from your relaxed stupor by a ridge where stood the great north-south road. The cleft was a
low, if inconsistent growling. It comes from some distance comfortable place where travelers rested and refreshed themselves
in front of the party and seems directed at something other before coming to the road. Water in the pool is cool and very
than your band of weary travelers. The further forward refreshing.
you go, the more growling you hear. It seems more like a
pack of dogs debating the finer choices of their kill than The path is exactly two miles long and empties through a cliff as
anything else. Investigation proves the truth and lie of stark as where the characters entered. Only one can walk abreast
these thoughts. on the path, and though a horse could fit, it would not be able to
turn around.
In a shell of a hole, not 300 yards from a saddle back in the road
are a score of thick-limbed, burly men and women. They are OLD MAN JAR’ED
clothed in furs and carry sharpened spears, stone axes and huge
clubs. They have recently slain a large goat and are presently The Cut gives way to an open expanse that sits at the feet of a
arguing over who gets what pieces. Their tempers are sharp with gentle slop upon which sits a boulder of mountainous proportions.
one another, but there is plainly a pecking order and the greater of The air is cool and a welcome relief from the stuffy paths and
them is forcing the others to wait their turn. mountain cliffs below. The slope rises about 100 feet above the
party and ends in a narrow ledge. The boulder, easily 25 feet in
These are Mal-uk-Mein, or what the dwarves call the wild hill diameter and perfectly round, sits upon the edge of the ledge.
men, and are tribal and very territorial. They normally inhabit There is a noticeable amount of shell and rock scattered all about
the higher climes, but the late wars and thawing of the Winter’s the small area before the cliff. Even a casual examination reveals
Dark have left whole regions without people and the Mal-Uk have that the rocky surface of the cliff, particularly that around the
grown in number and migrated where there is more to eat and entrance to the Cut, is the source and it looks as if some form of
drink. They are fierce in battle, but only if pressed. If the party earthquake has dislodged the rocks and shattered the cliff. The
attacks them outright, they fall back to regroup and attack the area around the entrance to the cleft is particularly damaged. But
party further on up the road. If the party comes at them piece in all, the small area is silent, with a heavy, fearful air about.
meal, they will all swarm upon those who approach and rip them
to shreds. They can be bartered with as they are semi-intelligent If characters examine the entrance to the Cut they should be
humans. allowed to make a wisdom check (CL 5). If successful they discover
tiny bone fragments and pieces of leather or steel mingled with all
Mal-Uk, Humans x 34 (Their vital stats are HD 1, HP 6, the rock and slate. A particularly clever character may note the
AC 12, disposition neutrality/chaos. Their primary attributes are similarity between the shape of the boulder and the dent in the
physical. They attack with weapons, using a spear for 1d6+1 cliff face. A successful intelligence check (CL 10) reveals this and
points of damage, or a club for 1d6+2 points of damage. They may serve to warn the characters of what lies in store for them.
have extraordinary senses of smell and hearing. They are able to
move through mountainous terrain as if it were flat.) Here has sat, for many long years, the feliul stone—the boulder
on the ledge. It has sat brooding on its own pain and suffering and
watching the mouth of the Cut for any and all creatures that pass
THE CUT through it. Upon discovery of the living, its suffering is unleashed
The track winds into the hills for another few miles and the in rage and it rolls down the 100 foot slope to crush any would be
country becomes increasingly more treacherous. Open sky gives trespassers. For several hundred years it has carried out its grim task,
way to rocky walls and jagged cliff faces. After several hours, the only recently growing weary and sleeping as much as it is awake.
track empties out into a bowl shaped cleft that rests at the feet of a
massive wall of rock. The cleft is deep and surrounded on all sides The stone is presently asleep, but any loud noise, such as a shouted
by the Rhopode. The smooth, obsidian cliffs tower over the cleft, command or mad dash up the slope, will rouse the creature and
where cool shadows linger the whole long day. There is a small bring down its wrath. Upon waking, it immediately rolls down the
pool of water here, cool to the touch. The remains of old benches, slope, gaining unnatural speed within the first round of combat.
worked into the very stone and walls, are on either side of the Within three rounds the feliul stone crashes into the cliff face
small cleft. Murals, carved with skilled hands, can be discerned in below. It awakens and begins moving on the first round, rolls
the cliffs, depicting dwarves at work and rest. But the path here down hill on the second and crashes into the cliff and victims
has long gone unused and sees little traffic, if any. on the third. Anyone trapped below must react within that time
frame before the boulder strikes the mouth of the cleft. Leaping
There is a narrow opening in the northern cliff’s face where back into the Cut is the most obvious defense as the boulder
the track seems to continue on. Upon closer examination will bounce off the wall, causing more structural damage to the
the opening reveals a little path, whether cut by nature’s mouth of the Cut in the process. Leaping to the side is far more
strange chance or design none could say, that winds into difficult as the creature itself is so wide. Characters attempting
the cliff face. The cliffs are so tall and stark and the path to do this must make a successful dexterity save (CL 3) or be
so thin that the way is more like a tunnel than aught else. crushed for the full hit point damage of the Feliul Stone. The
boulder drives straight for the entrance. Once it has smashed
4 CASTLES & CRUSADES
into the entrance it rolls back and forth crushing any and all it The building is a bath house, built long ago to house travelers
sees on the ground around it. who passed north and south on the great dwarven highway,
The Nodding Way. The water is drinkable and the tree is an old
Once the stone has assured itself that those around the mouth of elm planted in a carved basin at the foot of the pool. There is
the Cut are dead it will vomit rock shards down the Cut trying to nothing about except for a few ravens calling to each other in
kill any and all in that narrow way. the heavens above.
The feliul stone blocks the entrance to the Cut for about 6 hours. Room 1: The Entrance
After that he will begin his slow crawl back up the cliff face to the
ledge, where he will take up his post again. He climbs the to the Several wide, stone steps lead up to the entrance of the building.
ledge by rolling up the slope. He moves extraordinarily slow, 5 feet The columns flanking the door serve as the door’s frame as well
per round. as support the arch above. Passing into the cool shadows beyond,
the travelers find themselves in an open entryway, some 30 feet
Feliul Stone (This creature’s vital stats are HD 14, HP 84, AC wide and 20 feet deep. There are pegs and the remnants of stone
22, disposition neutral/evil. Its primary attributes are physical. It shelves built into the walls on either side of the entry and beyond
attacks by rolling down a slope or falling from above and crushing the eastern wall is another opening. This double doorway leads
its victims for 5d10 points of damage. Its special abilities include into the further recesses of the building, and the doors here, as
stone spray. See New Monsters at the end of this adventure for with the main entrance, are gone.
more information on the feliul stone.)
There is nothing of value in the entryway.

THE BATH HOUSE Room 2: The Atrium

Topping the ledge, a wide shelf of open ground greets the travelers. Passing beneath the doorway, the travelers enter a large,
Here the country is open, tumbling in wide, gentle hills for many colonnaded room.
miles to the north and south and east.
Easily a 100 feet wide and 60 feet deep, this room is flanked
A road, paved with cobbles, passes over the ledge and on on all sides by large, ornately carved columns. The floor is
the far side of it stands a stone building, built half into the covered in mosaic tiles, and the walls and roof in worked
hill upon which it stands. Its doors are open and flanked by stone. The center of the room is open and lower than the
two tall columns, both depicting giant men holding up the rest of the room. Steps running around the whole area lead
roof of the entryway. A pool with clear, blue water stands a couple of feet down to the floor. The center of the room’s
not far from the entrance, with stone benches weathered ceiling has a beautiful mosaic painted on it. The room has
in a worn surrounding. A lone tree with gnarled, ancient a strange, pungent, wet smell about it, emanating from the
roots snaking into the rocky ground looms over the pool, far side.
offering only a little shade from the sun above.

CASTLES & CRUSADES 5

This room served as a meeting hall where people gathered after Shroud is immortal like all fey, and has lived here for many
or before their bath to talk, to discuss business and the like. The hundreds of years. He is kindly and will assist the travelers in any
ceiling mosaic depicts the All Father’s gift of light to the world way he can if they befriend him and do not molest his mushroom
and is actually an intricately carved skylight. As soon as anyone patch. In slow, ambling words, he warns them of the shambling
walks down the steps, the ‘skylight’ lights up, filtering the day’s mound in the grotto, but only if they are kind to him. Shroud
light through the stone and into the room, lighting the whole area. cleans up after the Jar’ed’s murderous attacks. In small bits and
If it is night time, the light of the evening’s stars shine in. Only if it pieces he gathers up the crushed remains and brings them up the
is overcast or stormy does the magical skylight fail to filter the light slope and into the bath. He deposits most of the debris such as
through the rock. There are some patches in the lighting as some bones, gold, armor and the like in the pool in the grotto, keeping
of the shafts have been damaged over time. If some skilled stone only the flesh to seed his garden with more food for his patch.
worker, such as a dwarf, examines the skylight, they will discover
hundreds of tiny shafts carved into the ceiling and painted If someone proves very helpful, friendly and the like he will offer
to look like a mosaic, but magically designed to harness the them a small feast from his mushrooms and brew them a drink
light of the setting sun. Attempting to find the mosaic pattern that is both relaxing and potent. Everyone who drinks of it heals
on the outside is almost impossible as the shaft are tiny and 2d8 points of damage but must sleep for a full day. Shroud moves
spread over a wide area. slowly, unless threatened in which case he can dimensional leap up
to 500 feet away. He has no hit points and an AC 9.
The smell comes from a large patch of mushrooms that are growing
in the far end of the room. These dominate a good quarter of the There is a small doorway in the back right hand corner of the
hall, growing on the walls, the columns and floor. Here in this room that leads to Room 6: The Underground Passage. Age has
patch resides the tiny fey, Shroud. To all appearances, Shroud made the door well hid, a successful wisdom save allows even the
looks like a mushroom himself. His wide cap is deep red, his stip casual observer to note the door’s outline.
and ring are a lighter yellow and his two legged stem is white.
Room 3: The Dressing Chamber
Shroud remains hidden in the patch unless he is spied by someone
or called forth by a spell such as summon fey. Spotting Shroud The doors here are intact and closed. They are large bronzed
requires a successful wisdom save (CL 5). Elves and halflings gain double doors with troll heads carved into their surface. They
a +1 to their rolls. yield after some effort to another large room. This one is about

6 CASTLES & CRUSADES

60 feet wide and 40 feet deep. Narrow staircases on either side of
the door connect the lower floor with the balconies above, and
large benches 3 feet high protrude perpendicular from either wall.
There are shelves on the benches and pegs and shelves in the
walls above the benches.

This room served as a chamber where travelers undressed, dried

off and dressed. The benches were for the weary to sit upon or
pile their gear upon. The balcony above served a like purpose,
although the crowded space leads one to believe they were used
by the poor only.

There is nothing of value or harm in this room.

Room 4: The Long Walk

The doors here are open and reveal a long, breezy passageway.

It extends as far as the light and beyond. It is narrow, about

4 feet wide, but a little taller, at 6 feet high. Every so often,
spaced 8 feet apart in fact, there are breaks in the wall on
both sides of the passage. These breaks are about 2 inches
wide and run the whole height of the hall. A steady stream
of fresh air blows through the hall toward you and there
is a oddly eerie whistling sound emanating from the walls.
Murals lines the walls, showing dwarves in all their glory
and power.

This tunnel, the Long Walk, is a drying chamber. The dwarves

have crafted the place so that it harnesses the wind from outside, plates every few feet, designed to absorb heat from the furnace
funneling it into these narrow crevices and out again. The room below, see room 7, and make the baths warm.
whistling sound is the wind coming through the crevices. At times
the wind is weak and hardly blows and not noticeable, but at Each of the 12 alcoves are small rooms where the dwarves further
others it whips up a frenzied gale and the air that blows through channeled the water of the Grotto to allow fresh water to flow
here dries even the wettest and hairiest dwarf! through and into them. Here people could bath in the natural
clear springs. Some few are heated and offer steam baths. They all
Room 5: The Grotto/Bath have small stone benches worked into the wall. They offered the
The doorway before you is huge and leads into a wide, visitor more privacy if he or she so desired.
open cavern. The doors themselves, massive works of stone
carved with scenes of dwarven valor, have fallen to the floor. But all this has come to ruin. The channels have filled with minerals
The cavern is a marvel to behold. It is wide, deep and very and the water has slowed to a trickle. It has further pooled in
cool, and the center of the cave is dominated by a wide greater depths than originally intended because the outflow valve
pool of still, dark water. The walls of the room are lined is partially clogged. The waters are also clouded by the shambling
with smaller caves shaped into alcoves. But the cave is more mound that lives in the pool. Its spore came to the pool long ago,
than a simple cavern, for its walls and ceiling have been dropped unknowingly by Shroud, when he carted the debris of
worked over and sport all the craftsmanship of the greatest some fallen druid up to the Grotto and cast it in. There it grew
of the dwarven stone-smiths. The stalactites and stalagmites and in time changed the pool to a stagnant pond, allowing only
too have been shaped and crafted into pillars mimicking the enough water to flow through to keep the water from building up.
trees of old, their roots burrowing into the floor and their He is very territorial and will attack any who enter the pool itself.
canopies branching out across the ceiling. Only the pool Shambling Mound (This creature’s vital stats are HD 8d8,
of water detracts from the beauty of the room. There, it is HP 48, AC 20, disposition neutrality. Its primary attributes are
black and rank, and the water emits a foul smell with steam physical. It attacks with 2 slams for 2d8 points of damage apiece.
rising from its depths. All manner of muck has gathered on Refer to your copy of Monsters & Treasure for more information
its surface making the whole something like a sludge. on this creature’s abilities. Its treasure consists of a great booty of
This room was the bath house. Here, weary travelers gathered to gold, silver, and gems cast into the pond by Shroud. Some magic too
wash the dust of the road from their shoulders, to rest, converse lies in the sludge. There is 1200 gold, 4100 silver, 10 gems worth
and do business. The pool has a natural spring that flows through 20-100 gold apiece, a necklace worth 500 gold. There is also a
it, which the dwarves channeled and gave force to so that water ring of armor +3, a shortsword +1 and a suit of chainmail +1.)
was always fresh. The bottom of the pool is laced with copper

CASTLES & CRUSADES 7

Room 6: The Underground Passage firewood where it will burn slow and cool. A small door behind
The door is jammed, but yields after only a little pressure, opening one of the furnaces leads to the workman’s chambers.
into a small, narrow staircase that winds down into the dark. The Room 8: Ante-Chamber
stone work here is plain, without ornament or design, but rather
functional. The staircase goes down about 30 feet where it ends in This small room is 20 feet deep and 20 feet wide, it has the
a long, thin, low corridor. The whole was made for dwarves being remnants of ancient furniture sprinkled throughout it . Two bunk
only 3 feet wide and 4 and a half feet high. The air is cool, if a beds, 4 large trunks and a small table with four chairs are all that
little musty, and the corridor stretches into an easterly direction, are in here. A fireplace adorns one wall, an iron kettle still hanging
straight and empty. from irons spits sitting in the aperture.

This corridor runs beneath the length of Room 3: The Dressing Here the furnace men lived, though they have long since
Chamber, ending in Room 7: The Furnace Room. It has not abandoned the place. The mattresses have long since dissolved
been used in a great long while and is devoid of traps or threats. into heaps of rubbish and the slightest handling of them will
There is one secret door about midway down on the left hand side disintegrate what remains. The table, chairs and beds are made
that leads to Room 9: The Deeps. of stout wood and crafted with dwarven magic and are still in fair
shape. The trunks have little left in them, bits and pieces of dry,
The hall ends in a small, closed iron door. rotted clothing - old socks too many times darned to be saved and
the like - though one has a small bag of seeds in it.
Room 7: Furnace Room
The door opens easily, though scrapes the floor, having sagged Planter’s Straw (These magical seeds are rare and very
a little over the years. Exposed is a wide and long room with valuable to gardeners and the like. They are crafted by the fey for
vaulted arches along its flanks. The room is crowded with great their gardens and are able to grow the most luscious strawberries
iron furnaces and iron pipes that rise to the roof above. There are imaginable, even in the driest conditions. They are worth about
six all told, lined uniformly in two rows, centered in the room. 10 gold apiece. There are a total of 40 seeds. Shroud, the fey from
They are huge, monstrous things. Their doors are closed and it Room 2: The Atrium, would befriend any who offered them to
is obvious that they have not been used in some time. Stacks of him and give them plenty of his magical healing drought. One seed
hardened wood line the far back wall. The ceiling is very low here, per one drought.)
only 5 feet high, and the funnels of the furnace vanish into it. Room 9: The Deeps
This is the furnace room and is used to heat the floor of the grotto The door opens on silent hinges, swinging wide into the cool
above. The pipes from the furnaces rise into the ceiling, pumping dark beyond. A cold draft rises from the darkness, rolling over
heat into a narrow hollow space between the floor of the grotto the travelers in the hall. A narrow platform juts from the door,
and the ceiling of the furnace room. Copper tiles criss-cross the connecting to a narrow walkway that spans the inky blackness.
floor of the grotto above and as the space between the two rooms Beyond there is nothing but cold darkness and promises of more
heats, the copper does as well, heating the baths above. Dwarven Glory . . . .

There is little, if anything, of value in here. The furnaces are far

too big to remove and the wood is hardened and usable only for

8 CASTLES & CRUSADES

 THE WYRM WELL
Wyrm Well is a short dungeon adventure. The characters have the stone and are faded now, as is much of the Dwarven Glory.
been led to or discovered an old uprooted tree. The treefall has
exposed a stone staircase and doorway. Beyond lies a deep, long- FOR THE CASTLE KEEPER
buried dwarven dungeon haunted by the creatures of yesterday. In ages past, the dwarves built many roads over the Rhodope
Known to utilize great magics to supply even a simple fastness Mountains, for trade between the kingdoms was vital and this
with luxury, the dwarves often unearthed powers greater than huge chain stood between the dwarves of Grausumhart and the
themselves. Explore the deeps of the Wyrm Well and learn why brass halls of Norgorad-Kam. The remnants of many these roads
even dwarves may come to fear the dark. criss-cross the Rhodope Mountains. The trained eyes of rangers,
The adventure is designed for 3-5 2nd-level characters. A cleric is dwarves, druids and the like can detect these roads as they snake
strongly advised!! There are several high-hit-dice monsters in the up and down the jagged hills. Doing so makes travel through the
dungeon but several healing potions are supplied in order to help hills and mountains a much less onerous task.
keep the characters robust and active . . . or alive as the case may be. The roads were once thriving avenues, filled with great caravans,
It is designed for the Castles & Crusades® Role Playing Game. marching soldiers, traveling troops and so forth. The kings of
Vocabulary Grausumhart looked upon the great babbling concourse in dismay.
In order to help maintain order upon the mountain roads, the dwarf
Blutsut: A religious decoration, usually derived from a dwarf’s kings assigned captains to settle the region, bringing with them their
beard. By using the beard hair an item can be made magical. families, troops and the families of the troops. So it was that many
young dwarves set out upon the eastern road, armed and equipped
Kutzthu: Literally “under castle” or underground castle. Dwarves
for a new life on the frontiers. They were given land grants for
built many castles beneath the ground, far from dungeons these
those areas under their control. Many of them built castles and
were lavishly-decorated living and defensive quarters.
keeps to safe guard the roads, others constructed dungeons. It
much depended upon the terrain as the dwarves were and are an
INTRODUCTION industrious folk and can build above and well as below ground.
In the far west, upon the slopes of the Umhart Mountains, lie the
ancient remains of a once great dwarven civilization. In those far- So it was that the family of Rochstun settled in Gaither Hargon, a
flung days the Kingdom of Grausumhart echoed the greatest of small valley that overlooked the tumbled slopes of the Rhodope,
dwarven glories. Her people were strong and built many fair cities the windy Blue River and the Ethvold forest. Here the Rochstun
and towns upon the slopes of the Umhart Mountains and colonized constructed a series of small buildings for their livestock, but for their
much of the world’s mountains to their east and south, coming even safety, as the country here was wild and dangerous, they constructed
to the edges of the Rhodope. They worked with natural stone and an underground castle, what the dwarves call a Kutzthu, an “under
woods imported from the lands of the Muen in their building and castle.” These quarters were expansive, including living quarters,
ever their works mirrored the thoughts of the All Father as they guard quarters, a temple and an audience chamber. The Rochstuns
sought to mimic his skills. So in time, their cities and towns were grew wealthy during their long period of stewardship, both from
marvels; wondrous facades of stonework, walls, towers, bastions tolls and through wergild paid for rescuing those in distress.
standing as strong guardians for the sumptuous palaces, courtyards,
In order to hide their wealth, the lords of Kutzthu Rochstun devised
temples and sprawling homes that rose from the mountain heights.
a cunning treasury. In the deeps of the under castle, in the well room,
Their buildings grew ever greater until the greatest dome was peaked
they carved a great fresco into the wall and illuminated it with illusions.
with a high point as a finger made to reach for the heavens. They
The fresco depicted a forest scene with creatures real and imagined, but
built beneath the ground as well, tunneling great caverns where
within the real wall of the fresco, guarded by the illusion lay the treasure
they captured water and built underground worlds of atriums, huge
of the keep. Those who looked at the fresco believed they were looking
galleries, grottos and the like. They prospered for two thousand
at extra-dimensional space, only those who did not see it would ever
years, ruled by the Uthkin Kings.
stand the chance of finding the hidden artifacts.
They were a prosperous and powerful folk, but the price of their
But the fresco illuminated more than the walls, for the magic of
glory in time became greater than they could bear. Grausumhart
it was great enough that one of its subjects, a wyrm, escaped the
eventually succumbed to the weight of the world and fell into ruin.
picture and entered the well. There it lay in hiding, striking out at
Her proud towers and walls fell to war or neglect. Her cities and
any who entered the well. When the creature slew the lord and his
towns dwindled. Her underground grottos flooded and left foul
lady they dwarves buried them in their chamber. The remaining
and dank. The greater parts of her people were slain or scattered.
dwarves were forced to abandon this room and close its doors
But those days, mired as they are in the depths of time, are but forever. The fallen lord was childless, so his captains took the belt
echoes heard now by few and remembered by only the oldest and of his office and attempted to continue his rule. Shortly thereafter,
most learned of the lore drakes. Grausumhart’s cities have all but the dwarves began fighting amongst themselves to determine who
vanished from the face of Aihrde; only ruins remain, and even would rule the under castle Rochstun. They eventually slew each
these have become as much a part of those ancient mountains as other in a pitched battle in the feast hall. The wyrm lived on in the

CASTLES & CRUSADES 9

well, cursed with an immortality it did not understand, caught as damage each. Refer to your copy of Monsters & Treasure for more
it was between the world beyond the castle and the well room. information on this creature’s abilities.)

In time, the under castle became haunted by other creatures and Hidden in the room’s debris are 4 heal severe wound potions which
is little more than a dungeon on the edge of the world. cure 5d8 points of damage and the effects of the fungus.

Entryway 2 Guard Room

Small amounts of rubble lay about the entrance but it does not The door is missing from this room. The chamber within is largely
block the doorway. empty. Iron racks line the walls in the back and along the north
wall. Chains, evenly spaced at 6-foot intervals, line the south wall.
The trail is interrupted by the remains of an old elm tree. A successful intelligence check (CL 2) reveals these to be weapons
Some passing storm or wind gust uprooted the tree, tearing racks. The weapons racks are devoid of anything serviceable and
it from its moorings in the ground. The slope above it is the only thing there is what appears to be a knot of hair, long and
rocky and covered in dense vegetation. Clusters of scrub hanging over one of the hooks almost casually.
oak and huckleberry bushes, as well as thick patches of
grass, mingle with large rocks that jut out from the slope Another check reveals the chains to be the supports for bunk
or lay stacked amidst the undergrowth like so many dinner beds; the wood however has long since rotted to dust.
plates. The crowded slope attests to a hill face traveled by
little more than rabbits and wolves. However, the tree’s The back wall is lined with a mural. This depicts a series of dwarves.
demise has torn loose a large rock which has tumbled from From left to right in this order: 1) they are preparing themselves
the hill face and exposed a deep hole. The rift is wide and for battle, 2) combing their beards, 3) gathering the loose hair,
promises to be deep. 4) putting on armor, 5) tying some wrap around their weapons,
6) marching to war, armored in sheets of plate, armed with battle
It is easy to discern that this hole is actually an entry way. Even a axes. Their beards are tied in decorative knots and they appear to
casual glance at the tree and large rock allow one to see a stone be marching in uniformity. The beards in all the murals however
wall, obviously the side of a tunnel. Approaching, they discover are very outlandish and seem to coil down and around the axes.
that the entrance is 10 feet wide and 8 feet high. There is no door, Beneath the murals, written in dwarven runes are the following
only a frame, but a very careful examination of the door frame words: “In Our Beards Lies Our Power.” This is followed by the
reveals slots where a door once stood. dwarf word, blutsut. Anyone with a legend lore skill can determine
what this is (CL 3) or someone with intimate knowledge of dwarven
The halls beyond are well worked stone affairs, with cobbles on history and culture. A careful examination of the mural reveals that
the floors and stone-braced ceilings. Torch sconces line the walls, each axe or hammer that the dwarves carry has an identical wrap
interspersed every 30 feet. The tunnels are all very similar, 10 feet coiled around the throat (the area near the grip) of the ax. It is
wide and 8 feet high. Only the front rooms and tunnels show wrapped in a geometric, decorative fashion.
any sign of disturbance. Here, some moisture has crept into the
halls allowing some fungi to grow. There are small animal signs as These wraps are in fact strands of hair taken from the dwarven
well; some type of rodent or rabbit perhaps slipping beneath the beards, they are called blutsut. They imbue a magical quality to
weathered roots of the old elm tree to make their den within. any item that they are wrapped around that has a haft. They must
be wrapped around the item in the same manner depicted in the
1 Foyer murals. There is one such wrap left, hanging upon the weapons
The door is slightly ajar, but swollen enough from the moisture rack as mentioned. If someone figures it out, and wraps their
that it is jammed shut. Opening it requires a successful strength weapon’s haft in the manner depicted the item becomes magical,
check (CL 2). gaining a temporary +1 to damage and hit probability.

The door opens to a wide, rectangular room. Frescoes adorning the 3 Cistern
walls depict dwarves building fortifications, forging weapons, marching The front door is stuck and requires a successful strength check to open
to war and the like. A stone table with six stone stools dominates the it (CL 4). Two people can attempt simultaneously, with one rolling the
center of the room. Along the walls and scattered across the floor are all actual dice but both adding their strength attribute bonus.
manner of rotten debris, much of it covered in a thick, violet-coloered
fungus. The fungus is everywhere in fact, clumped in thick tangles Inside the room, it is very damp, dominated as it is by a large
around the table where small spores rise in the disturbed air. pool, filled with water. Stone benches line the walls and pegs for
hanging clothing. The pool itself is lined with copper tiles and
The fungus is actually a living creature, a violet fungus. It has been decorative molding rounds it off. A fountain at the end of the
living off the rodents that make their way into the room. Any pool, complete with brass handle and the face of a goblin, offers
characters who venture into the room alert the creature and it attacks a source of fresh water. The pool is fed by the fountain and by
with its four tentacles, attempting to drag its victims to its body. underground valves. All are still working. Any overspill flows out
small drains at the top of the pool, down a series of pipes and out
Monstrous Fungus (This creature’s vital stats are HD 2d8, into the valley. These drains can be closed or opened with small
HP 12, AC 13, disposition neutrality. It does not have primary latches just beneath the water’s surface. They are open now and
attributes. It attacks with its four tentacles for 1d4 points of water trickles out of the fountain font.

10 CASTLES & CRUSADES

CASTLES & CRUSADES 11
There is nothing of value in the room, however, opening the valve 5 Record Hall
on the font triggers a light spell. A long strand of gold, woven into This room has long gone undisturbed. Its walls are lined with
the decorative shapes in the wall, ceiling, floor, and pool begins to stone shelves and the shelves contain stacks of bone case scrolls.
glow, giving the room a warm, golden light and casting light into The remains of a desk and chair lie on the floor, little more than
the dark water. The fountain speaks as well “Open the drains or petrified wood and dust. The dust is undisturbed, a grim testament
flood the hall.” The bottom of the pool sparkles, too, reflecting to how long the room has gone undisturbed. The scrolls contain
dozens of tiny points of light. rolled-up sheaves of paper. The paper is very, very brittle and unless
Removing the gold would be difficult and render it valueless. some extraordinary caution is taken, it dissolves as it is unrolled.
However, if someone is bold enough to go into the water they Each scroll case is marked with a year and series of months. The
find the well-preserved bones of a dwarf skeleton. In its hand, is a scrolls are little more than financial records from the dwarven
leather pouch and all about it are coins, 12 in all. These coins are lords who ruled here so many thousands of years ago.
magical (see Bag of 12 below). One shelf has several scroll cases on it that do not have the date
4 Dining Hall marked on their ends. These cases, 4 in all, contain magical scrolls.
They are as follows: arcane aura, (0th-lvl illusionist), undetectable aura
Two double doors open up into this huge room, though the doors (1st-lvl illusionist), false trap (2nd-lvl illusionist), and illusory barrier (4th-
themselves are so heavy that they barely hang any more. A simple lvl illusionist). In the third scroll is a trap. The dwarven smith placed an
push causes them to fall off their hinges and crash to the floor. ikle demon in the scroll. When opened it immediately attacks whoever
The vaulted chamber has iron chandeliers hanging on long chains opened the scroll case.
from the stone ceiling, some with candles still in them. Three large
stone tables dominate the center of the room. A fourth stone table Ikle Demon (This creature’s vital stats are HD 1d6, HP 4, AC
sits perpendicular to these, obviously the table where the lord of 14, disposition evil/chaos. Its primary attributes are physical. It
the manor sat. Stone benches lie about the room, some thrown attacks with an engulf attacking for 1d4 points of damage. Refer to
over in the shape of a wall. Bones, old weapons and the like lay your copy of Monsters & Treasure of Aihrde for more information
scattered about the room, many of them heaped up around the on this creature’s abilities.)
wall of benches. It looks as if a great battle took place here long
ago. A careful look at the bones reveals them to all be dwarven. 6 Secret Temple
Beyond the secret door in the record room is a narrow hallway and
Along the back wall are ovens, cabinets, a butcher block, as well a set of steps, long unused. The steps open into a circular chamber,
as all manner of cookware that lay scattered about the floor. The where on a dais in the center of the room stands a statue of the
area obviously served as the kitchen area for the undercastle. All Father. This bearded dwarf-like figure looks benignly forward,
Piled and stacked in the far corner of the room are the remains of scores toward the step. A successful wisdom check reveals a secret
of ancient casks, barrels, crates and boxes. They seem to once have held compartment in its base. The statue is impossible to move, but
perishable goods that have long since dissolved or rotted away. twisting its hand causes a spring to trigger and a drawer opens in
its base. In the drawer lies a single green gem valued at 200 gold.
Anyone making a successful wisdom check (CL 0) notices a gold Removing the stone triggers a trap. Gas begins to spray from the
chain hanging on one of the chandeliers. statues mouth and everyone within a 10 foot radius must make a
successful constitution (CL 1) save or suffer 1d4 points of damage.
Any attempt to retrieve it however animates five skeletons and
many of the bones. The skeletons arm themselves and attack. The Anyone who says a prayer to the All Father is granted a bonus of
animated bones do little more than they are able, crawl around, +1 on any check, swing, or save that comes within one point of
or flip about. The skeletons can be turned or killed, the bones can success. The player should not be told about this until the event
suffer a similar fate, though stomping on all the animated pieces occurs at which point they suddenly feel invigorated and fresh
will take some time. The bones pursue the party unless turned, and succeed at a task they know they should have failed. The CK
following them throughout the dungeon complex. They have a should hint that the prayer affected the outcome of the event.
movement of 1 foot per round.
7 Guest Quarters
Skeletons x 5 (These creatures’ vital stats are HD 1d8, HP This long narrow room was designed to hold multiple guests.
4, AC 13, disposition neutrality. Their primary attributes are The remnants of curtain rods and hooks hang from the ceiling,
physical. They attack with longswords, dealing 1d8 damage. delineating where “rooms” once were. Stone platforms in the
Piercing or slashing weapons do ½ normal damage. Refer to shape of beds protrude perpendicular to the walls, the curtains and
your copy of Monsters & Treasure for more information on these mattresses are long gone. Guests would have enjoyed curtained
creatures.) beds in days of yore, but no more. A strange odor dominates the
room, heady and thick. At the center of the room, the stone work
Each intricately-worked chain link resembles a dwarf carrying
is damp and very smooth. Otherwise the room is a shambles, cold,
some item that connects with the next link in the chain. The
dark, and damp.
chain is worth 100 gold.
This room is home to several orbut, mindless creatures who
On the western wall, beneath a torch sconce, is a secret door.
evolve from the residue of magical spells, items or creatures. The

12 CASTLES & CRUSADES

 far corner beneath a shield. He is wearing a helm, breast plate, and
arm and leg grieves. A short sword lies on the floor next to him.
The armor and shields are pincushioned with crossbow bolts, 17
in all. The shield is still serviceable, as are the arm and leg grieves.
The rest would need some mending however.

9 Audience Chamber
This long room is dominated by large marble columns. Each
column is topped by a dwarven statue bent and straining as if
through its sheer strength it is holding up the ceiling. The room
once served as an audience chamber for the dwarf lord who ruled
here. A throne rests at the room’s far end.

Now it is home to a ghost naga, a foul creature of great evil who

sets upon whoever enters the room.

Ghost Naga (This creature’s vital stats are HD 4d8, HP 18,

AC 16, disposition law/evil. Its primary attributes are mental. It
attacks with a bite for 1-2 points of damage and tail slap for 1-2
points of damage. Refer to your copy of Monsters & Treasure for
more information on this creature’s abilities.)

Treasure: Scattered about the throne area are all manner of bones
and debris. In the rubbish is a heal minor wound potion, a dagger
+1, a cloak of resistance +1, a golden ring worth 50 gold and 150
gold worth of assorted coins.

10 Courtyard
The door opens to a gigantic vaulted chamber with a host of columns
evenly spaced about the room. The ceiling is about 40 feet above the
floor; the columns offer the room support. Stone benches circle each
column. Like wise, each column has 4 iron braziers hanging from
creature’s long stem is attached to the ceiling and it too is coiled horizontal poles about half way up the column. The room’s walls are
up so that it is almost flat. These creatures are mindless but very decorated with frescoes of dwarves in various activities, most making
aggressive. They attack anything that comes within reach. war and making merry. The room was once a gathering place and
courtyard. There is nothing of value in the room.
The orbut is camoflouged and difficult to see (CL 4). It hangs on
the ceiling waiting for any moving thing to come underneath it. If 11 Lord’s Chambers
anyone should walk beneath the creature it strikes out. For that This room’s doors are made of iron. The door is locked (CL 2). It’s
matter, if they roll anything beneath the creature it strikes out. also tightly sealed in the frame, allowing for no air, light or sound
to carry through the door. Knocking the door down requires a
Orbut x 3 (These creatures’ vital stats are HD 2, HP 11, AC successful strength check (CL 5). As with other doors, up to two
12, disposition neutral. Their primary attributes are mental. They people can attempt to knock it down at a time. The person with
attack with a single acidic bite that does 1d4 points of damage. the highest strength makes the roll, but both strength bonuses are
Refer to your copy of Monsters & Treasure of Aihrde for more added to the roll.
information on these creatures abilities.)
The door opens to a gush of wind as if a vacuum were being
There is nothing of value in the room. filled. A heavy musty odor prevails within. In the center of the
room stands a large, iron-wrought double bed. Lying on its still-
8 Barracks
intact mattress are two dwarves. The first, and larger of the two,
All manner of debris fills this very large room. Once it housed 24 is arrayed in armor with a shield at his feet and a large battleaxe
dwarven warriors and soldiers, with bunks, tables, chairs, weapons clutched in both hands. The smaller of the two is also decked out
racks and trunks to store their goods in. The furniture is of course in armor though she clutches a small, thick-bladed sword. There
long disused and fallen into ruin. Some of it looks to be intact, but is a shield at her feet as well. Ornate daggers are strapped to their
moving, opening or any amount of fuss around the piece dissolves belts. Both dwarves are little more than hollow, dried husks,
it into dust. The room looks to have been ransacked as well as very though their facial features and hair are well preserved.
little is orderly, but rather thrown about to one side or the other.
Any cleric or dwarf entering the room should make a wisdom
A casual search of the room reveals a dwarf skeleton lying in the check (CL 1). If successful they determine that the room is a burial

CASTLES & CRUSADES 13

chamber and sanctuary and that looting the grave will yield worldly the party enter the room, the well wyrm pulls itself up and out of the
treasure, but leaving it in peace may yield spiritual dividends. well, rising from the deeps to fall upon the party. He pulls himself
up and out of the well with two tentacles and attacks with the other
If they do leave the dwarves in peace, the dwarf spirits will aid two and his huge maw. He is deadly silent and unless someone is
them in the battle with the well wyrm in room 12 by granting the actively searching down the well he gains a +4 on his surprise roll.
party the benefits of two bless spells. The dwarves appear in the
room as soon as battle is joined, passing through the characters This creature is a dakmour wyrm. It has a long, narrow body with
and into the wyrm, one after the other. First the dwarf lord passes four tentacles or ‘arms.’ It has a long, tooth-filled snout. It moves
through granting the whole party the benefits of the bestow spell. much like a snake, but is able to use its tentacles to grasp and pull
Then the dwarf lady passes through with the same affect. itself forward in a sudden rush. Though powerful and resilient, its
scales offer no real natural protection.
If the party decides to loot the treasure they gain no benefits from the
dwarven spirits. The axe is a battle axe +1 and the sword is a shortsword Dakmour Wyrm (This creature’s vital stats are HD 6d8, HP 36,
+1. The armor and shields are in good shape but not magical. AC 12, disposition chaos/evil. Its primary attributes are physical.
It attacks with four tentacles for 1d4 points of damage each and
12 Well Room a bite which inflicts 1d8 points of damage. Refer to your copy
Here lies the heart of the dwarven glory. This small circular of Monsters & Treasure of Aihrde for more information on this
chamber houses a single well, raised about 3 feet out of the floor creature’s abilities.)
with a small ledge running all around it. The walls are adorned
with one brightly-painted fresco depicting a tumbling, rocky slope, The creature has no treasure but hidden in the fresco is a chest.
which vanishes into a thick hedge of hardwood trees. It shows a Any character who fails their intelligence save, but does not roll a
river in the distance and a huge sprawling forest that stretches as far 1, and searches the room for secret doors has a chance of finding
as the eye can see. The fresco makes it look as if the viewer stands the chest. A successful wisdom check reveals its location and the
upon the edge of the eastern Rhodope Mountains overlooking the adventurer can pull the chest out of the wall/illusion. Characters
Darkenfold Forest. who succeed on their intelligence save cannot find the treasure no
matter what. Within the chest are 300 gold, a ring of protection +1,
This fresco wraps around the entire room to include the door. a scroll with a sanctuary spell on it, a battle axe +1, 2 arrows +1, a
There are no figures in the fresco unless the CK places them shield +1 and a scroll with a feather light spell on it.
there. It depicts night or day at the CKs choice. Staring at any one
section of the fresco for very long creates an illusion of the fresco * Note: Any character sent through the dimensional space
being real and that the viewer is actually looking outside at the cannot return back through it, they must instead walk back up
open country. In any case, it does show what is going on on the the mountain side and find the dwarven hold.
slopes several miles to the east.

The fresco can actually serve as a portal to the slopes of the

eastern Rhodopes, overlooking the Darkenfold. The magic of
the illusion is so powerful that anyone looking upon it runs the
risk of triggering the illusion to open an extra-dimensional space
between the room and the outside world.

Anyone looking at the wall must make an intelligence check (CL

4). A successful intelligence save uncovers the illusion and reveals
the fresco as nothing more than a painting. Any player who rolls a 1
does not see the illusion, but worse they believe it to be so real that
they can step through the portal to the outside world. They have to
actively say they try to step into it in order to step through it. If they
do, they step out of the room and into the Darkenfold Forest (or
any forest that is near) and are completely separated from the party.
Once through, looking back does not reveal the room, but only a
rising slope and the snow capped peaks of the Rhodopes.* As this
“opening” occurs there is a small chance that any monster on the
other side, in the forest passing through, can accidentally step into
the room. This is left entirely to the CKs discretion.

This is how the dakmour wyrm entered the room. The dwarf lord
stumbled into the ancient illusion and the dragon came through
and attacked him. It has since taken up residence in the well. The
creature is very sensitive to the presence of any living creature in
the room above and as soon as they enter, it stirs in the deeps and
begins climbing the walls of the well to the room. Five rounds after

14 CASTLES & CRUSADES

 THE WINDING STAIR
The Winding Stair is a short dungeon adventure. The characters
find themselves wandering along a narrow path in the mountains. FOR THE CASTLE KEEPER
It winds its way through treacherous country, with steep cliffs The dwarves dwelt in the environs of the Rhodope Mountains
above and below. A sudden squall picks up, battering the for many long centuries. They built roads over and through them,
characters with rain/snow; the storm drives them forward until bridged the gaps between wide cliffs with stone causeways, they
they find a small alcove in the rock. While sheltering there, they built towers and bastions upon their slopes; they tunneled beneath
discover a door. Opening it reveals a dungeon that offers warmth them, building dungeons and holds to guard against both the
and shelter as well as adventure. Within are rooms to explore a weather and the wild monsters of those long ago days. The dwarves
trap, some monsters that linger still; but also the ghost of a fallen left their mark everywhere. But the Rhodope Mountains remained
dwarven hero, Bael. Bael cannot directly aid the characters but upon the edge of their world. There were no dwarven kingdoms
attempts to “join” whosoever picks up his precious axe. here, only outposts. And these mountains proved dangerous for
The author designed Winding Stair for use with the Castles & the smoke and ash that belched from them from time to time
Crusades® Role Playing Game for 3-5 characters of 3rd level. could devastate whole regions. So, though the mountains played
host to the dwarves, those bearded folk never conquered them
Vocabulary and the Smoking Giants became a wild place for dwarves of all
calibers to live in peace and quiet if they so chose. For the Giants
Uthlin: This dwarven word refers to a type of metal woven into stretch to the heavens, possess many deep ravines and tall crags
thin strands like cloth. It is very pliable, though not very strong. offering --those who seek them--plenty of room to hide.
Wealthy dwarves use Uthlin to lace the pommels of their weapons,
mark runes, woven as a fabric, etc. So it was that long ago a dwarf lord by the name of Bael came
to the Smoking Giants. He brought with him a small troop of
INTRODUCTION dwarves, heavily armed and armored. He sought to escape the
intrigues of the Uthkin court and build for himself a home, far
In the far west, upon the slopes of the Umhart Mountains lie the
removed from the babble squalor that are the halls of government.
ancient remains of a once great dwarven civilization. In those far-
He carried into those mountains a great axe, an heirloom of sorts,
flung days, the Kingdom of Grausumhart echoed the greatest of
given to him during one of his many adventures, by one of the Val-
dwarven glories. Her people were strong and built many fair cities
Eahrakun, long ago. Crafted in the deeps of the Void the axe was
and towns upon the slopes of the mountains; they colonized much
possessed of an amazing power; when held by the righteous for the
of the world’s mountains to their east and south, coming even to
oppressed it could see into men’s souls and read their thoughts.
the edges of the lands of Ursal, where lie the Rhodope Mountains,
Bael loved this axe and cherished it; but he feared it too, he feared
the Smoking Giants. They worked with natural stone and woods
that if it fell into the wrong hands that some would bend its power
imported from the lands of the Muen in their building and even
and use it for ill intent. Bael came to the mountains to build a
their works mirrored the thoughts of the All-Father as they sought
fastness where he could live in peace and guard his axe from the
to mimic his skills. So in time, their cities and towns were marvels;
prying eyes of those who did not deserve to wield it.
wondrous facades of stonework, walls, towers, and bastions standing
as strong guardians for the sumptuous palaces, courtyards, temples Upon the slopes of a tall mountain he found a narrow cave that
and sprawling homes that rose from the mountains’ heights. Their wound down into the earth. He hollowed the tunnel and made a
buildings grew ever larger until the greatest dome was peaked with passageway and stairs. These led to the natural caverns beyond
a high point as a finger made to reach for the heavens. They built below. These he turned into his quarters; built a feast hall and
beneath the ground as well, tunneling great caverns where they barracks; a room for his hounds, storage chambers and the like.
captured water and built underground worlds of atriums, huge In time he built a door that led to a stone wall. This door he
galleries, grottos and the like. They prospered for two thousand ensorcelled so that when it opened it opened into the Void. His
years, ruled by the Uthkin kings. magic was subtle and used the runes that later men would call the
Winter Runes; these were not uncommon in Bael’s long ago day.
They were a prosperous and powerful folk, but the price of their
The door he opened and beyond it he built a stair that led high
glory in time became greater than they could bear. Grausumhart
into the Great Empty. Where the stair ended, he built a room and
eventually succumbed to the weight of the world and fell into
more chambers beside and in the final he built a platform. He
ruin. Her proud towers and walls fell to war or neglect. Her cities
sought to hide the Axe.
and towns dwindled. Her underground grottos flooded, left foul
and dank. The greater parts of her people were slain or scattered. He built a pool of water and cast more spells of misdirection and
protection upon the water. The axe, and his other treasures he laid
Those golden days, mired as they are in the depths of time, are
beneath the water in the pool. Safe from prying eyes, he settled
but echoes heard now by few and remembered by only the oldest
into his life’s retirement.
and most learned of the lore drakes. Grausumhart’s cities have all
but vanished from the face of Aihrde; only ruins remain, and even But the Void is a hollow place and his sorcery brought his tragedy.
these have become as much a part of those ancient mountains as It came to pass that a creature from the Void, one of the Ordag,
the stone and are faded now, as is much of the Dwarven Glory. found his treasury and sought to make it her own. When he

CASTLES & CRUSADES 15

discovered her, he called his men and they battled in the dark This door is not locked. The Ordag’s attack on the dwarves came
platform around the pool. He died there, as did all his folk, and very suddenly and the guards posted here left their post to defend
the Ordag took possession of his halls. Her power, however, was the inner keep.
limited for she could never match the sorcery of the inner door
and she remained in the Void where the pool lay, dining on the There is nothing of value in the room.
eternity of her greed.
2 Stairway
The halls fell into disuse and in time they were forgotten as was Beyond the second door lies a narrow tunnel carved through the
Bael and his axe. But Bael’s soul lingered there in the world of the rock. Flagstones line the floor and blocks of stone serve as walls
living tormented by the Ordag all these long years. and cover the arched ceiling. There is a double archway every 20
feet made of solid granite.
CK NOTE: The dungeon itself is cold, covered in thick layers of
undisturbed dust. Anyone who passes through the upper rooms, This corridor served as an entry bar to the house of Bael, forcing
1-10, hears the occasional, if very distant, baying of a dog in misery. any would be invader to fight in the narrow passage against the
The baying comes from the shadow mastiff in room 5 (see below). heavily armored dwarves. Now of course it is abandoned and
empty.
Each room is cut by a long trough that runs the length of the
center of the room. It is about 8 inches wide and 4 inches deep. There is a trap set upon the second archway however; anyone
By placing hot coals from the kitchen’s fire pit in the trough the passing through under it triggers a guillotine-like blade to fall
dwarves were able to heat their rooms. down on them. There is little chance to casually spot the blade
as its designers hid it carefully between the double façade of
THE WINDING STAIR stone. However, as the blade descends it makes a slight scraping
noise alerting those below that something is coming. A successful
The path leads up through the mountains. It is long and narrow. It
dexterity check avoids the falling blade entirely and all damage.
winds around the mid section of a huge mountain. The southern
Failing the dexterity save the victim is struck. The Castle Keeper
edge of the path, overlooking the forest below, is a 100 foot cliff. At
must make a “to hit” roll. The blade swings as a 4 HD monster.
the base of the cliff are tumbled boulders, rocks, sand, gravel and
A successful hit and the victim suffer 1-20 points of damage.
other debris. A few shrubs and bushes cling to the mountain face
Characters may attempt to disarm the trap (CL 4).
here and there. The northern edge of the path is the mountain
itself. The huge stone edifice juts out over the path at a height of The blade is tall and affectively blocks 50% of the tunnel, making
about 5 feet and then climbs up an over for hundreds of feet to passage over it difficult.
the peak. The path is narrow, only allowing one person abreast.
Anyone walking along it must bend forward to avoid hitting their 3 Entry Hall & Well
head, or lean out over the cliff just a little. This large chamber served as a greeting hall for visitors. A statue
A southerly wind whips along the mountain, around it and howls of the All-Father dominates the room, set in a pool of cool water.
down the path almost continuously.
The door gives way with a groan and a light spills into the
The only break in the path lies about a mile or so from its room, chasing away ancient shadows. The grim visage of
beginning. Here the path opens into a ledge and small landing. an elderly man, bearded and naked, a long scepter in his
The rocky wall flattens a bit, making a strange door shaped alcove hand greets your entry. It takes only a moment for you to
in the otherwise rocky face. The area is open and a comfortable realize that it is a statue, sitting upon a throne of stone.
resting place out of the wind. About six people can crowd into the
space comfortably if a bit close. The entry hall has several benches lining the walls. These are stone
benches, made as part of the wall itself and cannot be removed
The door stood for centuries hidden from by prying eyes by or moved. Geometric patterns cover the walls. The remnants of
various sorceries but those have long since faded and the power some wooden furniture stand overturned in the middle of the
of them broken. A close observation of the wall reveals a number room, so decayed that touching it turn is to splinters. The statue
of dwarven runes on the wall/door and the faint signs of a door in the middle of the room is set upon a throne, sitting in a kingly
frame. There is a hidden latch next to the door (CL 3) that once fashion, looking at the door. He holds a scepter, also of stone, in
triggered opens the door. Similarly any spell such as knock opens his right hand; his left is on his knee. The throne itself sets in a
the door. pool of water several feet deep, fed from an underground spring.

1 Entrance There is nothing of value in the room. The water is cool and
refreshing, very drinkable.
The door gives way to a 10 foot x 10 foot room. This ceiling here
is low, only 5 feet tall. The stone work is old and shows signs of No obvious exit greets the entrants; however, there are two secret
decay, mostly from moisture and mold. Another door across the doors in the room. A detailed look along the walls may reveal a
way is made of iron and bound to the wall. It opens toward the door frame cut into the south-west corner of the room (DC 3).
stairs. It has runes written on it: “The House of Bael”. Once they find the door the latch is easy to see. The other secret
door is well concealed (DC 10), designed to open only from room

16 CASTLES & CRUSADES

CASTLES & CRUSADES 17
5. If by some lucky stroke someone discovers the secret door, it will for each is located on the wall, even to where it lowers. The beds
not open for them. This door was designed by the dwarves to use were raised when not in use, allowing the hall to serve as a practice
when intruders came into the entry hall, so that they could attack yard.
them from both directions.
Weapon racks line the walls of the room; many of them still
There are several small openings in the back wall, wide at the holding the weapons of old. There are helms, shields, suites of
opening but that narrow to small points. Anyone vaguely armor; swords, axes, pole-arms, maces, crossbows, javelins and
experienced with siege works recognizes these as arrow slits. They spears. There are many gaps in the racks however, ands some are
were used by the dwarves to shoot at anyone in the entry hall from laying on the floor as if whoever lived here gathered their weapons
the hall way. in a hurry.

4 Cloak Room Each of the beds has a closed trunk built into the frame. This
This room is empty, though stone pegs line the walls. A few old trunk, only 2 feet by 18 inches, served the dwarves’ personal
satchels and straps hang from them. They are covered in dust and storage needs. All of them are locked. If the characters open them
webbing. A look within them reveals very old personal items such they discover any number of personal items and some wealth. In
as combs, foods stuffs, flask, etc. There is nothing of value here each of them are the following items: comb, iron battle braids (for
and the door to the hall way is open. binding beards in battle), spoon, whetstone, flint & steel, various
pieces of clothing, socks and the like. Five of them contain pouches
5 Kennels with 2d12 gold in them. The gold is ancient, worth 4 times the
value to an antiques dealer in any metropolitan area. One of them
This simple room held the dogs that the dwarves used in battle
has a stone of good fortune in it and another has 2 heal minor wound
and hunting. There are 12 cages, stacked on top of one another
potions in small flasks, and a protection from evil potion.
on the north wall. These cages have iron water and food bowls
in them. The bones of dogs lie upon the floor of several of the 7 Guard Room
cages. The animals starved to death when the dungeon fell to the
Ordag. However, the evil of the creature has permeated the place This very simple room is a watch room for the Entry Hall. A door,
and the dog’s slow death turned into a vicious rage that the evil clearly visible stands in the south-west corner of the room (this
consumed, morphing into a shadow creature that lingered in the is the secret door that only opens in). A latch allows easy entry.
deeps, locked in the room. The room has a thin wall that allows sound from the Entry Hall to
carry through and 2 elaborate peep holes and one arrow slit.
As soon as the door opens the beast snarls, bays loudly and leaps at
the characters. He knocks them down in a mad rush to break free There is nothing of value or interest in this room.
from the room, running amok in the dungeon, barking, baying, 8 Bael’s Chambers
and howling. Eventually, he comes back to the characters to kill
them. These are Bael’s personal chambers. The room is mostly empty but
extremely cold, much more so than the rest of the dungeon.
NOTE: the mastiff is a perfect wandering monster that the
enterprising CK might use later in the adventure to spur the A very austere man, Bael did not decorate his room with lavish
characters on or weaken them or even attack them after the final accoutrements. At the far end of the room is a stone bench that
encounter with the Ordag. served as his bed. Upon it are several thick blankets and a coarse
pillow. These are wonderfully made, though not magical. Though
Shadow Mastiff (This creature’s vital stats are HD 4d8, HP they have withstood the test of time any extensive use of them
23, AC 14, disposition neutral/evil. Their primary attributes are destroys them. Along one wall stands a dwarf sized mannequin,
physical. They attack with a sing bite for 2d4 points of damage. obviously designed to hold armor and weapons.
Refer to your copy of Monsters & Treasure for more information
on this creature’s abilities.) Two stone stools sit next to a coal burning stove. A pipe and a
chain mail tobacco pouch are lying on top of the stove.
6 Barracks
He kept what few personal belongings he had in the Treasure
The door to this room is closed but unlocked; the second door Room (see 14 below).
that leads deeper into the dungeon is open.
The room, however, is occupied by the ghost of the Dwarf Lord
This large room served the inhabitants as an armory, barracks, and himself. He lingers in half life, hanging on the edge of the world.
a practice yard. The walls here are slightly higher than the rest of He is mad, not knowing whether he is alive or dead and thirsts
the dungeon, ranging about 10 feet high. Upon the ceiling are 7 now only for the hope of reclaiming his axe. As soon as the party
stone bed frames, evenly placed. Another 3 bed frames hang on enters the room he sees them and gravitates toward them. He is
chains from the ceiling; each with 4 chains that vanish into small invisible and unless someone can magically see him they do not at
holes above. These are the beds of the dwarves; they could raise first know he is there. However, the longer they stay in the room
or lower them as needed. A pulley system connects the chains to the greater chance of detecting him. After 5 rounds everyone in
the bed frames through the ceiling and wall that allows the user the room must make a wisdom save to see if they detect his form.
to lower them to the floor or raise them up again. The turn wheel If they do, it is only with their peripheral vision.

18 CASTLES & CRUSADES

As soon as he is noticed, he hurls himself at them. He picks through before the fire choked out, so the blaze remained within
whosoever he discerns might be worthy to pick up his axe. A dwarf this one room. Everything is burnt or partially burnt.
is always his first choice, fighters come a quick second. The ghost
enters the body of the “victim”, merging himself with the victim The room is not unoccupied however, for the damage, wood,
and then is seen no more. old food stuffs when combined with the water from the working
well in the room created the perfect conditions for green slime to
The Castle Keeper should determine which character is likely grow. Several of them have lingered in the room for years, feeding
to get and use the axe and have Bael merge with that character. on the moisture that rises from the well. There are three of the
The recipient of the ghost feels strangely renewed, powerful, and patches, all clinging to the ceiling. As soon as anyone enters the
less fearful. They see the image of a magical axe and have a longer room the slime becomes agitated, falling from the ceiling onto the
to hold it. The feelings are also warm and somehow comforting. unfortunates below.
They do not fill aggrieved in any way, more as if they are doing a
service to someone. Green Slime x 3 (These creature’s vital stats are HD 4d8,
HP12, 19, 31, AC 10, disposition neutral.They have no primary
The full affects of the ghost are revealed below in room 14 the attributes. They do not attack, but only react to being contacted.
Treasure Room, below. When touched it converts any organic material into green slime
within 1-4 rounds or 10 turns for wood or metal; stone is
9 Feast Hall unaffected. It can be killed by fire, cold, or a cure disease spell.
The dwarves used this large hall for feasts, celebrations, to Refer to your copy of Monsters & Treasure for more information
entertain guests, play games, etc. One large table dominates the on these creatures.)
center of the room. The table is stone, and crafted to the floor.
The chairs are stone as well. A huge candelabra hangs from the There is an iron lock box in the room. It lays hidden under the giant
ceiling directly over the table. And a large cupboard, filled with iron stove where the fire originated. Badly burnt and corroded it
pewter utensils, plates, bowls, and mugs stands in the southwest proves difficult to open (CL 2). Velvet lines the interior of the
corner. trunk, giving the treasure within a comfortable bed. There are 10
platinum pieces laying in the box; next to them lies a small trumpet
A shimmering tapestry covers the whole of the north wall. Upon of blasting.
quick glance, it depicts a dwarf carrying a large axe, leading a troop
of inspired dwarves. Before are other dwarves, though these seem 11 The Door
somehow corrupted and evil. However, when the viewer moves, The door here is an open space, without door at all. Looking out
the view portrayed changes as well. As you walk down the length one can see an infinite expanse of nothingness, the Void. This
of the curtain a story unfolds, changing as if these were pictures on realm has neither light nor darkness; it is nothingness, empty and
the edges of a paper and the viewer were flipping through them. void of all things.

The story relates a battle between two factions of dwarves. Your light spills down the hallway, warming the flagstones
Through the use of the axe, the Dwarf Lord casts down the evil of the floor, following the contours of the walls. The
dwarves. dungeon’s shadows flee before you. But where they flee
your light does not go. For suddenly your light ends, pooling
The curtain is made of uthlin steel, and serves to divide the feast at the end of the hallway. Just upon the edge of your torch
hall from a more private area. It is 10 feet high and 50 feet long. It light, there is a doorway. It appears open. Approaching the
hangs on a bronze pole hanging from the ceiling. The metal itself is door an amazing sight greets you; before you, stretched
almost weightless, the whole curtain piled up weighing little more out as far as you can see is a great patch of emptiness. This
than 100 pounds. It completely blocks out sound and light once is the void. Through it, as if set upon nothing, floating in
someone is on the other side. Each strand is threaded through nothing, rises a set of narrow steps. They climb into the
the pole. Extracting them all requires hours and hours of work. emptiness until they vanish from site.
Though if the curtain is retrieved its value is immense. Dwarves
pay huge sums of money for a few square yards of the material, The door overlooks the Void and the stairs are the winding stairs,
smiths use it to decorate armor and pommels of swords; artists use leading up to the dragon hall.
it to rend their masterpieces. But the material is almost impossible
to find as the manners in which people fashioned it were lost long 12 The Winding Stair
ago. Each square foot is worth about 100 gold. This steps rise for an undetermined distance until they end at the
dragon hall. There is no time, no distance in the Void, no method
There is no great chair, or separate table, Bael always sat with his of measurement. The stairs go on for a great while. The characters
men at the table. do not feel hunger or thirst, but are vaguely aware of a great gulf
10 Kitchen between them and the world beyond.

The kitchen area is in shambles. The dwarves marshaled in a If someone falls off and is unsecured they plummet into
hurry and left food cooking in the room. The cabinets eventually nothingness. They do not gain speed but they fall away, drifting
caught fire and the whole place went up. The door did not burn off into eternity until they rescued by some magical means.

CASTLES & CRUSADES 19

13 Dragon Hall 14 Treasure Room
The stairs end abruptly, without warning or site for the characters. The door from room 13 opens up and into a large chamber with
They suddenly find themselves standing upon a narrow ledge only a half ceiling. The door stands at the foot of a dais that rises
overlooking the emptiness, and before a door of bronze. The door some 15 feet, up at lest 30 stairs. The stairs range the full length
is large, well worked with runes and glyphs and appears remarkably of the room. Moving up the steps the half ceiling is plain to see,
heavy. It is slightly ajar, opening freely with a simple shove from beyond it, there is no vaulted cavern, but rather the Great Empty
the interlopers. The runes read “Bael’s Hall.” of the Void. Unlike the winding stair, this room is cold.

The door opens to a cold room where your breath hangs At the top of the dais the floor levels out, and the party sees the
in the still air. Before your eyes unfolds a waste of such pool of water, built upon the edge of the room, upon the very edge
carnage that it numbs your senses. Some power, bending of the Void. It was here, so long ago, that Bael hid his axe. And it
itself in malice has created a room of lavish luxury, of silks was here too that Bael died, and with him, his companion, both of
and divans, into a room of torture and death. A charnel whom lie upon the floor, dressed in their full battle armor, helms,
house stands here now, with the bodies of dwarves strewn and shields. The smaller of the two is impaled on a long spear. The
about the floor, piteously hacked to pieces, twisted, larger, Bael kneels upon the floor a trail of fresh blood upon the
malformed, strung out all about the room. Here one hangs floor next to him. In his hand is a thick-bladed short sword. His
from the ceiling, there another is torn asunder and more helm’s visor is down and his long beard protrudes from the helm.
besides. A blinding rage consumes you, an anger you Next to him, lying on the flagstones is a large, single bladed axe.
cannot control.
As the characters mount the dais, the water of the pool begins
The Ordag met the dwarves here and slaughtered them. All but to ripple and the Ordag, a succubus, rises from the water.
two fell in this room and she decorated the chambers with the This creature is very powerful, however, Bael wounded her
horror of their fall. Bael and one of his men broke through in a tremendously, cleaving one of her wings almost in half, destroying
hopeless attempt to seize the axe and wield it against her, but they her ability to entrance with it.
fell in the treasure room beyond.
She will attempt to use her glamour and spells, convincing the
There is nothing of value in this room, for the Ordag gathered it characters to take her from the area and back into the world. She
all up and carted it into the treasure room, where she has made uses her glamour and charm abilities. She cannot cross into the
her den. void unless summoned or carried through the portal. As soon as
the party brings her over, if they are so foolish, she attacks them.

Succubus (This creature’s vital stats are HD 6d8, HP 38, AC

18, disposition chaos/evil. Her primary attributes are physical. She
attacks with two claws for 1d4 damage each, a tail barb for 1d2
damage, or a bite for 1 point of damage. Refer to your copy of
Tome of the Unclean or Codex Infernum for more information on
this creature’s abilities.)

Treasure: The succubus has nothing of her own other than her
glaive +3. However, she kept Bael’s treasure intact. Within the
hold and upon the two dwarves are the following: plate mail +2,
shield +1, helm +1, shortsword +2 (on Bael); scale mail +1 and
battle axe +1 (on henchman); within the pool there is: 40 gold,
120 silver in a pouch, a chest of gems, 300 gems worth 10 gold
apiece, 1 gem worth 1000 gold; there is also a scroll of 1-8, 1st level
spells and another of 4 2nd level spells, a remove ailment potion, a
dagger +1, mace +1, and the Blood Axe of Bael.

20 CASTLES & CRUSADES

NEW MONSTERS Spell Vulnerability: Defeating a feliul stone is not an easy task.
Battering it to death is possible but an arduous job. It can be hit
FELIUL STONE, UNDEAD by non-magical weapons and the stone destroyed. But the spirit
is not destroyed and reconstitutes its stony shape within 1-4 days.
SIEGE ECOLOGY
Magic weapons will destroy the spirit. A successful turn forces the
LEVEL: 14 (d8) HP: 36 NUMBER: 1 spirit to leave the host and flee. But it will return within 1-4 days.
AC: 26 SR: 12 SIZE: Large Any number of spells may work, including transmutation but such
SAVES: P INTELLIGENCE: Inferior
spellcraft does not destroy the creature. It is able to reconstitute itself
MOVE: 10 ft. DISPOSITION: Neutral/Evil
SANITY: N/A CLIMATE: Any in 1-4 days.
ATTACKS: Slam (5d10) BIOME: Any These creatures are very susceptible to suggestion. They long for a
XP: 3,350+14 TREASURE: 9 life they barely remember and anyone who attempts to talk to the
ABILITIES: Stone Spray, Spell Vulnerability creature may meet with some success. A successful charisma check
(CL 10, CL 6 for a dwarf) can stop the creature from attacking.
Description Once it has stopped attacking the feliul stone must be convinced
Feliul stones are magical stones that have been possessed by the that the interlopers are indeed friends and not an enemy. This can
spirit of a fallen dwarf, gnome, giant or goblin (far more commonly be done through a simple charisma check (again CL 10, CL 6 for
a dwarf). Usually the victim has died some horrible death, through a dwarf). Bards can be most effective by singing the creature into
torture or the like. Some feliul stone’s are possessed of the spirits a calm state. Spells such as suggestion, esp, etc can yield the source
of those that have died before some great task was completed. of the creature’s pain and promises to finish the task or remedy
Whatever the case, the spirit lingers in the living world and takes whatever happenstance kept the spirit in the world serve to calm
up residence in the stone about it. These spirits live within the the creature into not attacking. Anyone who attempts any of
rock and stone trying to fulfill their spent lives’ lingering needs. these things should be awarded extra experience points.
After many years they are able to shape the very rock within
which they reside. They shape it to resemble all manner of things When a feiliul stone is successfully killed or turned the stone itself
from boulders to statues. cracks and falls to pieces. Whatever treasure the creature may
have falls to the earth where it stood.
Feliul stones are undead creatures and as such they can be turned.
In Aihrde
Feliul stones are generally evil for they possess some nascent
memories of their past lives which leaves them frustrated, for Created in the great empty in the All Father’s youth these
these memories escape them like fleeting thoughts and they brood creatures proved unpleasing to him for their minds were twisted
on what they cannot wholly remember. In time, frustrations and and he cast them off into the void. There they dwelt in a vast ball
rage twist them into creatures of ill intent and disposition. So they of writhing wings and limbs, clinging to one another in hatred
haunt the ground where they fell or were buried and terrorize those and spite, hungry and desperate. When the world came to be
who come within their domain. They are not wholly stationary they lingered on the edge of the Great Empty, filled with envy.
but they never leave the ground around which they fell. Some slipped through, others were summoned; others refused and
fought the calling of the magi. When Unklar came to rule and
They do possess treasure, sometimes absorbing it into the stone built the Winter’s Dark he called upon the succubus to join him
that makes up their host bodies. in Aufstrag. Some attempted to lure him into their own evil and
he cast them aside and through them all out, slaying them where
The feliul stone attacks by crashing into its opponent. They use
he could find them. The rest fled from his wrath, some lingering in
whatever shape they have taken to their advantage. If they are
the Void, others entering the abyss of the Shadow Realms.
humanoid shaped they punch or crush the enemy, a boulder rolls
over them, etc. etc. Feliul stones do not, however, have faces and The succubus are very intelligent and they share collective
can never be surprised or attacked from the rear or flank. They are memories, each one experiences the triumphs and the failings
aware of everything around them. of their sisters. So they all, as a group, long for life in the world,
for there they see plenty of food and an almost infinite supply of
All edged weapons inflict half damage against a feliul stone. Blunt
victims to torture.
weapons do normal damage.
It is said that it was a succubus that seduced Kain the Godless
Abilities
in the Age of the Sorcerers; also it is known to the learned that
Stone Spray: Aside from its normal slam attack a feliul stone is
the same creature seduced Luther the Dreaming Knight and that
able to vomit chunks of rock upon its opponent. These attack
unholy union begat his son Morgeld the Black Prince.
can come from any surface of the creature, back or front. They
are able to conduct this attack three times a day. Anyone in the
range of the spray must make a dexterity save (CL 5). If they are NEW MAGIC ITEMS
successful they take half damage, if they fail they suffer the full Bag of 12: This magical bag has 12 golden coins in it. There
3-24 points of damage. are six types of coins in it, two of each kind. Each type has the
number 1 engraved in dwarven runes on one side and a pictograph
engraved on the other. The pictographs are: several iron bars,

CASTLES & CRUSADES 21

bundled wheat with a dead bull beneath them, a rope and grapple, it is able to resurrect that creature once a week. If the wielder is
a book, a symbol of the All Father, and two hands shaking. struck dead, any number below -10, the axe infuses them with a
These pictographs represent strength, constitution, dexterity, sense of life and they come back to life. The wielder must roll a
intelligence, wisdom, and charisma. When two of the same coins d20, adding the result to their present hit points, even if negative.
are held tightly in the palm the holder gains a +1 on that attribute For example: Stark has been knocked to -12 hit points by a massive
check. blow to the chest. The axe takes control and he rolls a d20 with a
result of 14. In the following round Stark lurches back to life with
Blood Axe of Bael: This axe predates much of recorded history. 2 hit points. If the result of the d20 does not bring them back to
Forged in the deeps of Glausumhart the axe came into the life, then they remain at their hit points, negative or dead.
possession of the Dwarf Lord Bael. He carried it with him into the
mountains where it was lost to history. Blutsut: This is a hair freely given from a dwarf’s beard. When so
given, the hair is imbued with magical properties. When properly
The axe is able, when wielded by a character with a lawful or good used, they impart a +1 to any item they are used upon. They must
disposition, to give the wielder the detect surface thoughts ability, be tied around an item and that item must be made of wood. If the
knowing the minds of men. It is most useful in battle, determining hair touches anything metal it eradicates the bonus. This includes
when an army is ready to flee or fight. Since the death of Bael, his metal armor that the weapon the blutsut is tied upon touches. As
spirit possessed the axe and when used by a good aligned creature soon as it touches metal, it loses its magical properties.

22 CASTLES & CRUSADES