The Journal of General Balcares

X10 "Red Arrow, Black Shield" was the capstone of our high school D&D campaign.  (Unfortunately, our D&D group disbanded before the Master could be defeated.)

Engraving from the Iconographic Encyclopedia of Science, Literature, and Art (1851) vol. 1

The following entries are taken from the journal of General Balcares, Deputy Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force (AEF):

Klarmont 1: Akesoli falls

Klarmont 2: set sail for Akorros

Klarmont 8: arrive in Akorros

Klarmont 9: "Mission Plenipotentiary"

Klarmont 12: reach Corunglain

Klarmont 13: cross the Broken Lands

Klarmont 16: reach Glantri City

Klarmont 17: "The Wizard in the Woods"

Klarmont 18: meet with High Council of State

Klarmont 20: cross the Broken Lands

Klarmont 21: reach Corunglain

Klarmont 24: enter Canolbarth Forest

Klarmont 25: reach Alfheim Town

Klarmont 26: take elven lightship to Tomb of King Alevar

Klarmont 27: leave Alfheim Town; party decides to split into two groups

Felmont 7: group #1 reaches Ylaruam; group #2 reaches Ethengar

Felmont 8: night attack; group #1 leaves Ylaruam; group #2 departs Ethengar

Felmont 13: party re-united at Dengar

Felmont 14: audience with King Everast XVII of Rockhome

Felmont 16: battle vs. the frost giants

Felmont 18: audience with King Everast XVII of Rockhome

Felmont 19: party departs for Northern Reaches

Felmont 22: party enters Rhoona, welcomed as town's saviours

Felmont 23: audience with Duke of Rhoona, given ship for travel to Norrvik

Felmont 25: audience with King of Vestland; "The Master's Voice"

Felmont 26: party splits; group #1 travels to Soderfjord; group #2 sails for Ostland

Fyrmont 2: group #1 loses at "Dueling Flagons"; group #2 wins at "Trial of Combat"

Fyrmont 7: party re-united, sets sail for Thyatis

Fyrmont 9: hit by gale, blown northwest; shipwrecked on Isle of Garald the Blue

Fyrmont 10: "The Arena of Garald the Blue"

Fyrmont 11: depart Isle of Garald the Blue

Fyrmont 12-14: recover distance lost during gale

Fyrmont 15-27: sail southward along coast

Fyrmont 28: audience with Thincol I, Emperor of Thyatis

X10: Red Arrow, Black Shield

X10 "Red Arrow, Black Shield" (1985) by Michael S. Dobson is a D&D adventure for character levels 10-14.  The epic finale to the "Desert Nomads" series, the module was released two years after X4 "Master of the Desert Nomads" and X5 "Temple of Death".

Module X10 "Red Arrow, Black Shield" (1985) by Michael Dobson.  Cover illustration by Jeff Easley, from the 1985 Dragonlance Calendar

The module contains almost no original artwork, (apart from illustrations for the Master* and his second-in-command, Alrethus, by Colton Mac).

*the illustration of the Master is clearly modelled after Ayatollah Khomeini, which even back in 1985 struck me as being in questionable taste

The cover illustration is from "The Epic Quest" by Jeff Easley, originally appearing as the centerfold piece in the 1985 Dragonlance Calendar.*

*also used for the vinyl gatefold in "First Quest – The Music" (1985), the Penguin Books edition of Dragons of Autumn Twilight (1986) by Tracy Hickman & Margaret Weis, and in Chapter 5 "Combat" of the 2e Battlesystem Miniatures Rules (1989)

Interior illustrations include engravings from the Iconographic Encyclopedia of Science, Literature, and Art (1851) vol. 1 and vol. 2, or are from XSOLO "Lathan's Gold" (pg. 2), X3 "Curse of Xanathon" (pg. 10), or B4 "The Lost City" (pg. 33).

The Invasion of Akesoli:

The adventure begins in the city of Akesoli, as the characters are finishing breakfast at an inn.

A "Chase Flow Chart" is provided for Akesoli, rather than a traditional city map, although the circles on the chart aren't labeled (I assigned the letters in the Location Chart to the circles on the flow chart from left to right, top to bottom).

Tactical map of the Continent, for War Machine rules, from X10 "Red Arrow, Black Shield".  Cartography by Dennis Kauth.

The map of the Continent includes several new cities, including the capitals of Atruaghin, the Five Shires ("Shireton"), Ethengar, Rockhome ("Dengar"), and Alfheim.

The port city of Athenos in Darokin is also new.

The tent city of Sayr Ulan "sprang up virtually overnight, with people pitching tents and building crude, makeshift homes wherever they could find an unoccupied piece of land."

Two villages on the map of "The Lands and Environs of the D&D Wilderness" in the revised Expert rulebook (1983) are named:  "Kobos" in Ierendi, and "Stahl" in Rockhome.

The Realms of The Continent:

"Red Arrow, Black Shield" provides new information on many of the lands in the B/X continental setting, some of which was later used in the Gazetteer line (1987-1991) in various shape or form.

The Principalities of Glantri

Three Glantrian princes serve on the High Council of State:  Prince Jherek (chairman), Prince Jaggar, and Princess Carlotina (described as 18th level magic-users).*

*Prince Jherek is a 27th level magic-user, Prince Jaggar is a 30th level magic-user, and Princess Carlotina is a 10th level elf in GAZ 3 "The Principalities of Glantri" (1987) by Bruce Heard

These three and five others are named on the army unit rosters: Prince Jherek,* Prince Morphail,* Prince Brannart,* Prince Volospin, Princess Carlotina, Prince Jaggar, Prince Vanserie, and Princess Carnelia.

*names from "Elric at the End of Time" (1983) by Michael Moorcock

The High Council may be persuaded to ally with Darokin if the PCs perform 1-3 quests for the council, suggesting up to one quest for each council member.

(We used "The Wizard in the Woods", an adventure for character levels 8-11 in AC 10 "Bestiary of Dragons and Giants", as a quest for Princess Carlotina.)

Interestingly, module X2 "Castle Amber" isn't name-checked, in keeping with Stephen Amber's period of self-imposed exile, described in "Mark of Amber".

Atruaghin Clans

The DM is encouraged to "use American Indian customs as a guide to handling relations with the Atruaghin Clans".

Seven different clans are named on the army unit rosters: the Bear,* Horse,* Tiger,* Wolf, Boar, Sea Turtle,* and Elk* clans.

*further described in GAZ 14 "The Atruaghin Clans" (1991) by William W. Connors

The Five Shires

The five sheriffs are named:  Fosco, Saradas, Melilot, Holfast, and Madoc (described as 8th level halflings).*

*different names are given in GAZ 8 "The Five Shires" (1988) by Ed Greenwood

A forgotten, desecrated, ruin of a Grecian-style* temple is described "approximately 10 miles from the halfling capital, in a gnarley wood."

*of possible Milenian origin

Grand Duchy of Karameikos

King Stefan Karameikos the Third (a 15th level fighter), Baron Ludwig "Black Eagle" von Hendriks (a 12th level fighter), and Bargle the Infamous (a 15th level magic-user) are described.*

*the same levels, with similar ability scores, as in GAZ 1 "The Grand Duchy of Karameikos" (1987) by Aaron Allston

A military confrontation between Duke Stefan and Baron Ludwig using Battlesystem rules determines whether the Grand Duchy will ally with Darokin or side with the Master.

GAZ 1 describes a similar conflict, under "The Black Eagle Banner", although sets modules X4, X5, and X10 two hundred years in the future, stating:

Though X10 indicates that Duke Stefan III is still on the throne and Ludwig “Black Eagle" von Hendriks still his enemy at this time, this is an error.  In actuality the ruler of the Duchy is now Archduke Stefan Karameikos VI, and the Black Eagle Barony is ruled by Ludwig's linear and temperamentally similar dcscendent Wilhelm von Hendriks.

GAZ 1 "The Grand Duchy of Karameikos" (1987)

Allston later explains that module X10 "...was originally written for the current day, but later pushed further ahead in the chronology because of the massive changes that the war described would create."

He goes on to state "If you don’t mind dealing with these changes, then you can run X10 {and its predecessors, X4 and X5) in the current day— but be prepared to allow for massive political alterations as this "First World War" is waged and concluded."

In fact, this is exactly what Allston suggests in "Wrath of the Immortals: The Immortals' Fury" (1992), in which the Master invades five years into the Gazetteer timeline:

This is a good opportunity for the DM to dig out his or her old copy of X10: Red Arrow, Black Shield and play it out.  With some adjustments, the whole module could be run without too much trouble.

Wrath of the Immortals: The Immortals' Fury (1992)

(A war between "Archdule" Stefan Karameikos and Baron Ludwig "Black Eagle" von Hendriks also serves as the basis for sample War Machine scenarios in "The Fall of the Black Eagle" adventure in the D&D Companion Set (1984) edited by Frank Mentzer.)

From left to right: Elkhorn the dwarf, Strongheart the fighter, Mercion the cleric, Peralay the elf, Ringlerun the magic-user, and Figgen the halfling.  Source: AC1 "The Shady Dragon Inn" (1984) by Carl Smith.  Artwork by Timothy Truman, Jeff Easley, and Larry Elmore

Kingdom of Ierendi

Dobson uses characters based on the AD&D Action Figures produced by LJN Toys, as described in AC 1 "The Shady Dragon Inn" (1984) and featured in XL1 "Quest for the Heartstone" (1984):

The current monarchs of Ierendi are the elderly King Strongheart and Queen Mercion, whose quest for the fabled Heartstone is legendary.  Their court consists of other famous adventurers, their companions during many years of questing, including the dwarf Elkhorn, the wizard Ringleron, the elf Peralay, and the halfling Figgen, all of whom are now in retirement.

X10 "Red Arrow, Black Shield" (1985)

The Council of Lords is presently comprised of Lord Meikros, Lord Karibus, and Lord Seilus.

Minrothad Guilds

Two additional Expert-level modules are mentioned:

Since the PCs are in Minrothad, you can take this opportunity to run X7, War Rafts of Kron or X8, Drums on Fire Mountain, both of which begin in the Minrothad Guilds.  The PCs can impress the Council by successfully completing these adventures.

X10 "Red Arrow, Black Shield" (1985)

Module X7 "War Rafts of Kron" involves the rescue of the Ierendi Princess Corinna, (presumably the daughter of King Strongheart and Queen Mercion).

Module X8 actually starts in Thyatis City, not the Minrothad Guilds.

Empire of Thyatis

Thincol the Brave (a 36th level fighter) is the current Emperor of Thyatis.*

*Thincol was introduced in module CM1 "Test of the Warlords" (1984) by Douglas Niles (pg. 4) and a link to the module as a sequel to X10 "Red Arrow, Black Shield" is suggested

Emirate of Ylarum

The Emir of Ylarum* is Ali Ben Faisal.  His Grand Vizier is Osman Ben Alyoob.

*consistently spelled "Ylarum" as opposed to "Ylaruam"

A single emirate is described, rather than a confederation of six emirates as in GAZ 2 "The Emirates of Ylaruam" (1987) by Ken Rolston.

Kingdom of Vestland, Kingdom of Ostland, and the Soderfjord Jarldoms

The encounters "The Trial of Combat" and "Dueling Flagons" are more in keeping with descriptions of these states in module X1 "The Isle of Dread" (1981) by David Cook and Tom Moldvay, than in module X3 "Curse of Xanathon" (1982) by Douglas Niles.

The king for either Vestland or Ostland is given as Gustav,* while the jarl of Soderfjord is presumably Olaf, since the army unit rosters for the Soderfjord Jarldoms are named "Olaf's Brigade", "Sven's Brigade", "Harald's Brigade", and "Ragnar's Brigade".

*I used King Gustav in "The Trial of Combat" for Ostland, since my PCs had previously completed module X3 "Curse of Xanathon" set in Vestland

Ethengar Khanate

Chanai (a 14th level fighter) is described as "a great warrior who seeks to become Khan of All the Ethengar".

Rockhome

The ruler of Rockhome, also known as High King Under the Mountain, is named Everest.*

*changed to "Everast" in "The Dwarves of Rockhome" (1988) by Aaron Allston

Camp of the Frost Giants.  A Battlesystem game scenario from module X10 "Red Arrow, Black Shield" (1985) by Michael Dobson.

A Battlesystem* game scenario pitting dwarves against frost giants is described, which my group actually played using Battlesystem rules and counters, when I ran X10.

*Dobson was editor for the Battlesystem (1985) rules, designed by Douglas Niles

Alfheim

The ruler of Alfheim is King Doriath.

The tomb of the legendary King Alevar is described, also containing the vaults of Queen Cerin and Prince Alecerin, the son of King Alevar and Queen Cerin, who "tragically died trying to rescue an elven princess from marauding ores."

Heldann Freeholds

Army unit rosters for the Freeholders of Heldann are included, although without an accompanying section in the text.

Errata:

Although it's stated on page 2 that "An assortment of pre-generated characters is provided in this adventure." none are included.

The Generic City Chase Flow Chart on page 5 isn't labelled.

Army Unit Rosters for the Freeholders of Heldann are included on page 48, without an accompanying section in the text.

Number of Units is given as 11 on the Order of Battle for the Allied Expeditionary Force on the inside cover, but only 9 are listed (units for Minrothad and Ostland are missing).

The Gulf of Hule

A map of Southern Hule appears in The Voyage of the Princess Ark article by Bruce Heard in Dragon #172 (August, 1991).

Southern Hule, from Dragon #172 (August, 1991).  Cartography by Dennis Kauth.

The towns north of Slagovich on the map of Hule from module X5 "Temple of Death" are named:  Ayskudag in Southern Hule, and Raska in the City State of Zvornik.

Heard includes additional information regarding a Gazetteer-era Hule in Dragon #173 (September, 1991).

Gulf of Hule, from Dragon #171 (July, 1991).

The southeastern part of the Gulf of Hule was detailed in Dragon #171 (July, 1991).

The Slave Lords:

As described in my post on Gen Con XIII: Against the Slavers I've previously considered Setting modules A1-4/Slave Lords in the Gulf of Hule.

Hule would serve well as a market for slaves from the Known World, given that slavery is likely a foundation of Hulean society.

X5: Temple of Death

X5 "Temple of Death" (1983) by David Cook is a D&D adventure for character levels 6-10.  The second module in the "Desert Nomads" series, the adventure introduces the land of Hule, west of the Great Waste.

Module X5 "Temple of Death" (1983) by David Cook.  Cover illustration by Timothy Truman.

The player characters continue their quest across the Great Pass and into the unknown lands beyond to confront "the Master".

The Great Pass:

The Great Pass lies in the Black Mountains, one of the highest and most forbidding mountain chains in the known lands of the campaign.  Here peaks are permanently ice-covered, and large glaciers fill many of the high valleys and saddles.

from module X5 "Temple of Death" (1983)

The Great Pass bears similarities in some respects to "The Fell Pass" by Karl Merris, published in The Dragon #32 (December, 1979).

The Well of the Moon:

On nights of the full moon, a ladder of moonbeams forms between the well and the moon.  This ladder may be climbed in one night.  It leads to the Kingdom of the Moon.  You must create this kingdom. If you do not want the players to go to the moon, you may ignore this power. 

from module X5 "Temple of Death" (1983)

I created a short side-adventure involving the Kingdom of the Moon, when I ran "Temple of Death" back in 1985.  I've posted a copy of my hand-written notes, here.

Map of Hule, from module X5 "Temple of Death"

The Land of Hule:

The land of Hule (also called the Sanctified Land) is a large country located beyond the Black Mountains.  It stretches from the edge of the Black Mountains to the Risilvar Escarpment in the south and the Dravish Steppes in the West. Most of the country is farmland.  In the center of the country is the sacred forest Niwhelm.  Beyond this forest is Lake Tros, also known as the Lake of the Deeps.  The population of the country is a mix of humans and non-humans, mainly orcs, gnolls, bugbears, kobolds, and ogres.  All these groups seem to live and work together to some degree, although they often feud and raid one another.  The farmland is dotted with small villages and farming communities.  These are very small and simple, and not interesting to the players.  Any information peasants can give is only rumors or guesses.  These villages are not located on the map.  However, marked on the map are the locations of several larger towns.  Bustling centers of trade, these towns have all the services adventurers need, including information.

from module X5 "Temple of Death" (1983)

The society and customs of Hule are covered in a fair amount of detail.  One of the towns in the northeast is described, as is the Dark Wood.

The Temple of Death is the capital of Hule, where the party will ultimately encounter the Master, who must be defeated in order to stop the war.

Cover to the English version of the unofficial Great Hule and Karkaz fan gazetteer (2016), translated by Mortis.

The region was expanded in the Great Hule and Kavkaz Gazetteer (2016) by Christian Constantin, with additional content by Omnibus, including maps by Thorfinn Tait.

New Weapons:

Two new weapons are described under Special Tunnel Encounter A on pg. 5 "The Children of the Caves": a bullroarer knife (a chain that ends in a flat knife, whirled over the head to make a loud roaring noise), and chakrams (steel rings, 6" in diameter, the outer edge of which is very sharp)*

*these are given Weapon Mastery statistics in Dragon #197, pg. 42

New Monsters:

Dusanu, Geonid,* Malfera,** Mujina, Spectral Hound***

*seemingly inspired by the Garthim in "The Dark Crystal" (1982)
**described as a creature from the Dimension of Nightmares
***described as creatures from the Dimensional Vortex - the void between all dimensions

Dimensions are a feature of B/X cosmology, previously introduced by Tom Moldvay in his revision of "Palace of the Silver Princess" (1981).

Cook was also involved in the development of module Q1 "Queen of the Demonweb Pits" (1980) in which several "alternate worlds" are described.

Credits:

Design: David Cook
Editor: Michael Williams
Art: Timothy Truman

X4: Master of the Desert Nomads

X4 "Master of the Desert Nomads" (1983) by David Cook is a D&D adventure for character levels 6-9.  The first module in the "Desert Nomads" series, the adventure describes the region immediately to the west of the B/X continental setting.

Module X4 "Master of the Desert Nomads" (1983) by David Cook.  Cover illustration by Harry Quinn.

The player characters are charged with an important mission in the Republic's war against the shadowy Master of the Desert Nomads.

Cook was the senior editor for the D&D Expert rulebook.  He discussed his fondness for the Desert Nomads series in this interview on Grogtalk (June 20, 2020) from 1:48:48 to 1:49:44.

The module and its sequel "Temple of Death" marked a watershed chapter in the long-running B/X campaign I ran for my brother and his friends, back in the mid-1980s.

Wilderness map of the Great Waste, from module X4 "Master of the Desert Nomads"

The Sind:

The Sind Desert is described as "more barren and stony than sandy: rocky areas, craggy bluffs, and patches of dry thorn bushes dot the landscape" evoking the Gobi Desert.

The greater region seems inspired by the Indian subcontinent.  The eastern portion was revised and expanded in an article by Bruce Heard in Dragon #169 (May, 1991).

The Kingdom of Sind, from Dragon #169 (May, 1991)

The Kingdom of Sind received comprehensive treatment in the Explorer's Manual by Ann Dupuis in the Champions of Mystara: Heroes of the Princess Ark (1993) boxed set.

New Monsters:

Bhut,* Juggernaut, Nagpa,** Soul Eater, Tabi

*from "bhoot" a type of undead creature in Hindu mythology

**seemingly inspired by the Skeksis in "The Dark Crystal" (1982)

Credits:

Design: David Cook

Editor: Michael Williams
Frontispiece: Jeff Easley
Interior Illustrations: Keith Parkinson

Additional Resources:

Redone maps by Jason Hibdon

Replica of Champions of Mystara poster map of the Great Waste, 24 miles per hex

X3: Curse of Xanathon

X3 "Curse of Xanathon" (1982)* by Douglas Niles is a D&D adventure for character levels 5-7.  The module provides new information on the northeastern part of the B/X continental setting, specifically the Kingdom of Vestland, the Ethengar Khanate, and Rockhome.

*referred to as "The Curse of Zanathon" in the 1983 TSR "Products of Your Imagination" catalog

Module X3 "Curse of Xanathon" (1982) by Douglas Niles.  Cover illustration by Harry Quinn.

About the Author:

Niles was a high school teacher in Clinton, Wisconsin.  He first learned about D&D from Heidi Gygax, one of his students.  He applied to TSR for a job as a game designer in 1981, and began working for TSR in January, 1982.*

*as recounted in this interview on the Save or Die podcast (December 20, 2010)

Niles' first published adventure was AD&D module N1 "Against the Cult of the Reptile God" (1982), set in the World of Greyhawk.  This was followed by module X3 "Curse of Xanathon" and module B5 "Horror on the Hill" (1983).

Background:

For five generations the Dukes of Rhoona have ruled the city of the same name with a just and respected hand.  Established as an outpost from which Eric Rhoona launched his far ranging raiding and trading expeditions, the town has grown to a population of several thousand in its century of existence.  The duchy is part of the greater kingdom of Vestland, and is allied with the Jarldom of Soderfjord and the dwarves of Rockhome.

Located on a sheltered fjord nearly 100 miles from the sea,  Rhoona has a bustling port from which ships sail to all corners of the known world.

Section of map of the continent, from module X1 "The Isle of Dread", indicating the location of the city of Rhoona.

Niles' description of the duchy of Rhoona is somewhat at odds with the description of the Kingdom of Vestland in module X1:

Each of these northeastern states is composed of many petty "kingdoms" that are loosely united under one ruler.  In Vestland and Ostland the underchiefs are called "kings"; in Soderfjord they are known as "jarls".  Their culture resembles that of the Vikings.

from module X1 "The Isle of Dread" (1981)

Eric Rhoona's raiding and trading expeditions a century earlier are more in keeping with the B/X continental setting as described in module X1.

New Deities:

Forsetta - the basic tenets include the conviction that good deeds done throughout a person's life will result in great rewards after death.*  A lawful deity, Forsetta is later described as a Temporal in the Sphere of Matter in "Wrath of the Immortals" (1992)

*likely based on Forseti, the god of justice in Norse mythology (entries in both Gods, Demi-gods & Heroes and the AD&D 1e Deities & Demigods)

The Spuming Nooga* - the deity of the Spuming Nooga is pictured as a giant whale spouting a great column of spray into the air.  The alignment of the god and its followers is extremely neutral, and believers tend to be very self-reliant people.

*subsequently described as an alias of the Mystaran immortal Protius, "The Old Man of the Sea" in "Wrath of the Immortals" (1992)

Depiction of Cretia, from module X3 "Curse of Xanathon"

Cretia* - a chaotic god of the Ethengarians, pictured with a scowling human face upon the torso of a gorilla, with four bear-like feet.  Cretia is later described as a Celestial in the Sphere of Thought in "Wrath of the Immortals" (1992)

*subsequently described as "Cretia, Lord of Chaos" in GAZ 12 "The Golden Khan of Ethengar":

As the Mischief Maker and the Great Destroyer, Cretia plays an important part in the lives of the Ethengars.  His clerics are found throughout the Khanates causing trouble and mischief.  They see themselves as entertainers who prevent life from becoming too static and boring.  Cretia is often worshiped before a battle as the Immortal of War; in this role he aids the Ethengars in defeating and destroying their enemies.

from GAZ 12 "The Golden Khan of Ethengar" (1989)

Further Adventuring in Rhoona:

Some brief scenarios are described as the basis for further adventures:

A. The Band of Master Thieves
B. The Slavers' Warehouse
C. Raiding Red Dragon

I've posted a copy of my notes, from when I expanded these, here.

In addition, module X13 "Crown of Ancient Glory" (1987) for character levels 7-10 represents a suitable follow-up adventure to module X3.

New Monster:

Hypnosnake*

*seemingly inspired by Kaa the Snake as depicted in Disney's "The Jungle Book" (1967)

Credits:

Design: Douglas Niles
Development: Douglas Niles and Allen Hammack*
Editing: Deborah Campbell Ritchie

*Hammack also worked with Niles on module N1