AC10: Bestiary of Dragons and Giants

AC10 "Bestiary of Dragons and Giants" is a 64-page compilation of 14 mini-adventures, ranging from Basic to Master level, edited by Deborah Christian.

Advertisement for AC10, appearing in Dragon #125-6

Creative Team:

The introductory section and first two mini-adventures were written by Jim Ward, while the remaining scenarios were contributed by others.

The cover illustration is by Larry Elmore, from a D&D poster "Teamwork" sold exclusively at Sears, as advertised in Dragon #90 (October, 1984).

The inside of the gatefold cover depicts illustrations of the various types of giants and dragons, overlaid upon a 5' gird.*

*the artist for the inside of the gatefold cover isn't credited, although was probably Roger Raupp, who is mentioned in the review for AC10 in Dragon #148 (pg. 65)

Black and white interior illustrations are by Wanda Lybarger.  Cartography is by Dennis Kauth and Ron Kauth

A random spell generator for spell-casting dragons is also included, credited to Bruce Heard.

Mini-Adventures:

The Haunted Helm: James Ward

Monster: White Dragon

Party Level: 1-4

This adventure takes place a week's travel into the high mountains, and would be suitable for a low level party in Threshold.

The Questing Barbarian: James Ward

Monster: Young Mountain Giant

Party Level: 1-4

This adventure takes place a three week's trip into the high mountains to the north, and would likewise be suitable for a low level party in Threshold.

Ravellia and the Dragon Eggs: Warren and Caroline Spector

Monster: Black Dragon

Party Level: 5-7

This adventure takes place in a hilly region surrounded by marshes, and includes a brief section "On Black Dragons and Their Eggs".

Trouble in Tall Stone Pass: Steve Perrin

Monster: Stone Giant

Party Level: 5-7

This adventure starts in "the little town of Breaker’s Reach, part of a long section of land, the Reach, where a lot of horse training is done", and includes a brief section "On Stone Giant Creation and Origin".

The Wizard in the Woods: John Nephew

Monster: Green Dragon

Party Level: 8-11

This adventure takes place in an elven forest, and includes a brief section "On Subdual and Control of Dragons".

The Tip of the Iceberg: Thomas Kane

Monster: Frost Giant

Party Level: 8-11

This adventure takes place on an iceberg, and would be appropriate for the seas around the Northern Reaches.

Krasniy the Red: Gary Thomas

Monster: Red Dragon

Party Level: 12-15

This adventure takes place in the town of Saffir, nestled in a small valley with surrounding farms, and includes a brief section "On Aerial Combat".

The Feud of the Fire Giants: John Terra

Monster: Fire Giant

Party Level: 12-15

This adventure takes place in the foothills of the mountains, and includes a brief section "On Fire Giants".

The Deluded Dragon: Deborah Christian

Monster: Gold Dragon

Party Level: 16-20

This adventure begins in the seaport of Nandua, a town notorious for its population of smugglers and pirates (similar to Freiburg in the Heldann Freeholds, or Landfall in Norwold), and includes a brief section "On Gold Dragons".

Prince Reynard and the Silver Staircase: Ray Winninger

Monster: Cloud Giant

Party Level: 7-10

This adventure takes place in a cloud giant castle, and includes a brief section "On Cloud Giants and Their Castles".

Thyralax and the Ruby Amulet: Rick Swan

Monster: Ruby Dragon

Party Level: 21-25

This adventure takes place in "a barren wilderness, about 20 miles north of the nearest civilized area", and includes a brief section "On Gemstone Dragons".

Isle of the Storm Giant: Vince Garcia

Monster: Storm Giant

Party Level: 21-25

This adventure takes place on a desert island, a week's sail from "the port of Serendib, which may be placed in the DM’s campaign world or set in the eastern region of the D&D game world’s wilderness overseen by the Minrothad guilds" and includes a brief section "On Storm Giants".

Serendib was also mentioned in Garcia's solo adventure "The Djinni's Ring" published in Dungeon #9 (January/February 1988) and might represent the unnamed port on the easternmost island of the Minrothad Guilds appearing on the parchment map of the Sea of Dread in XSOLO "Lathan's Gold"

Fangs Alot: Bob Blake

Monster: Dragon Ruler

Party Level: 26 and up

This adventure involves Opal the Sun Dragon, Ruler of All Neutral Dragons, and takes place on Opal’s home plane.  It includes a brief section "On Dragon Parts".

The Pestiferous Castle of Bodor Sordstone: Scott Bennie

Monster: Mountain Giant

Party Level: 25 - 30

This adventure takes place "in the center of an extinct volcano on an island in a crater lake" and includes a brief section "On Mountain Giant Lore: From the Dwarvish Legends".

M5: Talons of Night

M5 "Talons of Night" (1987) by Jennell Jaquays is a D&D adventure for four to eight players of levels 25 to 30.*

*the banner on the cover states 20-25, an editorial error

M5 "Talons of Night" (1987) by Jennell Jaquays.  Cover illustration by Daniel Horne (possibly based on early concept art, rather than the actual adventure).

A remarkable feat of the imagination, Jaquays engineers a fittingly epic, grand finale to the overarching clash of empires metaplot introduced in CM1 "Test of the Warlords", and continued in CM2 "Death's Ride", CM3 "Sabre River", M1 "Into the Maelstrom", and M2 "Vengeance of Alphaks".

Creative Team:

M5 "Talons of Night" was designed by Jennell Jaquays and edited by Gary L. Thomas.

Jaquays is better known for her Judges Guild classics "Dark Tower" and "The Caverns of Thracia".  She freelanced for TSR in the late 1980s/early 1990s.

The project came to me as I was in the process of moving my family across the country to be closer to where I grew up and my child's grandparents.

TSR gave me a the product description and what they wanted the product to accomplish: a climactic event between Thyatis and Alphatia, suitable for very high level D&D characters, that took place on an undeveloped land mass, the Isle of Dawn.  With that came a reasonable amount of freedom to take ownership of that space.  And I did.

I wrote an adventure to challenge players and their characters, offer a variety of play challenges, give some "Holy Shit" experiences to players and characters alike (who may have been jaded by then), turned the powerful leaders of two nations into relatable people, change everything in the world, and then like a good episodic television show, reset it all back to status quo at the end.  I created the playable characters and did the interior illustration (including the painted game board).

... prior to writing this adventure, I had never played in or run a Master Level D&D game (or even played in or run this edition/version of the D&D rules).  I never play-tested this adventure.  Balance was based on best guesses and analysis of scenarios in other Master level games.  This was NOT an uncommon practice for me.  Very few of my adventure scenarios in the 70s and 80s were ever play tested prior to publication.

Jennell Jaquays on Facebook (January 19, 2017)

For more on Jaquays' recollections designing this adventure, check out this interview on Wandering DMs (season 03, episode 14) from 13:19 to 20:07 (April 10, 2021)

The cover illustration is by Daniel Horne, with black and white interior illustrations by Jaquays.  Cartography is by Dennis Kauth and Steve Sullivan.

Dedication: Special thanks to Jay Belsky for his impromptu seminar on negotiation, and to play-testers  Bruce Jaquays, Patrick Ryan, Tobin Davenport, Joe Davenport, William Phillips and Todd Lang.

The Isle of Dawn:

Map of the Isle of Dawn.  Scale marked as 24 miles per hex, although is actually closer to 33.7 miles per hex (as discussed, here)

The adventure includes a mini-gazetteer on the Isle of Dawn (appendix III, pg 44-46), with short descriptions for the neutral city of Helskir, the Confederated Provinces of Dunadale, the Grand Duchy of Westrourke, East Portage, West Portage, the City-States of Ekto and Trikelios, Kendach, the Kingdom of Thothia,* and Caerdwicca.

*based on ancient Egypt, the Thothians are described as descendants of colonists from the ancient Nithian Empire, which had recently been described in GAZ 2 "The Emirates of Ylaruam" (1987)

The southern tableland hides the Lost City of Aran, within the Lands of the Aranea.

An island within Lake Avernus, a subterranean lake two miles beneath the Lost City, contains a gate into the world of Thorne, an outer plane.

The Immortals:

Koryis, Patron of Peace and Prosperity, a Lawful celestial from the sphere of Thought.  He opposes wars and violence.

Night, the Immortal ruler of the Sphere of Entropy.

Alphaks the Dark, Patron of Chaos and Revenge, a Chaotic temporal from the sphere of Entropy and Death.

The Night Spider, a temporal from the sphere of Entropy.

Rathanos, the ancient Thothian sun god, a minor Immortal from the sphere of Energy in the pantheon of the Magian Fire Worshippers.

Outer Planes:

Illustration by Jennell Jaquays, used for the cover of Dragon #175 (November, 1991) from this Facebook post (December 19, 2014)

Thorne -  a world beyond the Astral Plane, one of the so-called outer planes on the fringes of the Sphere of Death's primary influence

Chasm - a world of steep cliffs "that fill your vision as far as you can see in all directions", location of the Tower of Night

Tower of Night - a location accessed through Chasm, but with gravity at right angles, containing the means by which to access the Isle of Night

Isle of Night - a miniature version (1 mile/hex) of the Isle of Dawn.  The small plane is a personal but minor project of Night, the Immortal ruler of the Sphere of Entropy.

The Peaceful Periapt of Pax:

The legendary Immortal peacemaker Pax once imbued her pacifying abilities into an alabaster dove as a passive defense against the forces of Entropy.  A clever mortal discovered that it could be made into a mace head with serious damaging effects against mortal and immortal creatures aligned with the Sphere of Death.

"Talons of Night" pg. 44

The Peaceful Periapt of Pax is a Greater Artifact, as described in the Master DM's book (1986).

Powers include A2: Calm Others (PP 30); A2: Mass Charm (PP 75); B2: Lore (PP 70); B2: Truesight (PP 50); D1: Cure Serious Wounds (PP 25); D1: Cure Critical Wounds (PP 35)

New Monsters:

Aranea and Phanatons, introduced in X1 "The Isle of Dread", are given a backstory:

Ages ago, planar spiders exiled to the Prime Plane for their evil founded the city of Aran on the Isle of Dawn.  Here they created the only known works of that arachnid civilization (using the enslaved race of phanaton that accompanied them here).  Mighty webs intertwined with pearlescent pillars of magical stone to create a lustrous city that scintillated in the rising dawn.  Yet the planar spiders' Chaotic descendents soon interbred with lesser giant spiders and so formed the degenerate intelligent spider race known as aranea.

"Talons of Night" pg. 42

Dusker (goblin-like constructs created by the Immortal Hierarch of Entropy); Hunakoi (red-skinned stone giants)

Prerolled Characters:

Kavva Lindenelm, Neutral 10th level Elf

Blind Wooster, Lawful 31st level Cleric

Knolimer Knolin of Yskelb, Neutral 27th level Magic-User

Ethendril h'Caramore, Lawful 30th level Paladin

Unice, Lawful 27th level Fighter

Shebb Woolsey, Neutral 30th level Thief

The pre-rolled characters were loosely based on players in the AD&D adventure that Lawrence Schick (of White Plume Mountain fame) DM'd.  Eunice was my partner's character, and she indeed worshipped a god of pink socks.  The wizard Knolimer was Jay Belsky, one of the engineers who worked with me at Coleco (he was a technical wizard in real life and the co-designer of the product specifications for the ColecoVision game console) and the character's name was originally Nonamer (which meant "No Name'r, jay couldn't think of a name at the time, so Nonamer stuck).  TSR made me change it to something else.  Shebb Woolsey was a thief played by the husband of one of my partner's co-workers at a fabric store).

May be worth noting that that same adventure group included former TSR designer Kevin Hendryx and his wife Mary (both worked for Coleco as well), and Dr. B. Dennis Sustare, the co-author of Bunnies & Burrows, the creator of the Druid class for D&D, and the person for whom the 7th level clerical spell Sustarre's Chariot was named.  We had a good game group.

Jennell Jaquays on Facebook (January 19, 2017)

M4: Five Coins For A Kingdom

M4 "Five Coins For A Kingdom" (1987) by Allen Varney is a D&D adventure for four to six players of levels 28 to 32.

M4 "Five Coins For A Kingdom" (1987) by Allen Varney.  Cover illustration by John and Laura Lakey.

The PCs must gather five enchanted coins as a means of traveling to an outer plane in order to rescue the city of Lighthall from the fiery depths of the Sun.

Creative Team:

M4 "Five Coins For A Kingdom" was designed by Allen Varney* and edited by Robin Jenkins.

*Varney would go on to design the Hollow World "Blood Brethren" trilogy (1990-1)

Cover and interior illustrations are by husband and wife team John and Laura Lakey (see the Lakey Studios website, for more of their work).

Cartography is by William Reuter.

The Setting:

If the players use the pregenerated PCs provided with this adventure, the city is Lighthall, the dominion of Sir Theobold Redbeard.  Lighthall, so named for its well-lit stronghold, is situated on the coast of Norwold, about halfway between the cities of Landfall and Oceansend.

"Five Coins For A Kingdom" pg. 3

The PCs are in Lighthall when the city vanishes without a trace.

One of the five Ruling Wizards of the city of Solius, capital of the kingdom of Trann, appears to implore their assistance, explaining that the fates of their two cities are linked.

Eloysia:

The Outer Plane of Eloysia is in some ways a reverse image of the Prime Plane.  Whereas the PCs' world floats through the vast emptiness of outer space, the realm of [Eloysia] is almost filled with material.  Quintillions of cubic light-years of weird, semi-solid, gray material fills the entire plane: this is called the plenum.

Scattered thinly through the plenum, like bubbles of gas in soda water, are a few spherical habitats.  Life has arisen here (perhaps migrating from other planes).  Each sphere is minute by cosmic comparison, separated from its neighbors by incomprehensibly large distances.  In human terms, each is as large as our own solar system, playing host to whole civilizations.

Physical Description

Eloysia is a colossal, hollow sphere filled with breathable air and lit by a small central sun.  Around the sun, thousands of large, rocky islands proceed in stately orbits - not in belts, like the asteroids of our own solar system, but in concentric shells, like electrons around the nucleus of an atom.

Conceptual model of Eloysian solar system.

Some islands are practically dust-motes hardly a mile across.  Others are as big as states or nations.  Every few millennia, a shard of the plenum, at the boundary of the sphere, is baked solid by the sun’s heat; it breaks free and drifts inward to join the other islands in their orbits.

As for the shape of a typical island, they most closely resemble a cornflake.  These islands are usually flat, with occasional bumps overall and ridges at the edges.  Making the cornflake the size of Montana gives a relative scale for an Eloysian island.  The inner side of the island always faces the sun; the inhabitants of all islands live in perpetual noon.  The underside miles beneath is dark and lifeless.  As for the interior of each island, who knows what creatures live there?

The Shells

There are three concentric shells of islands around Eloysia's sun; these islands share orbits much in the same manner as electrons around an atomic nucleus. 

The inner shell, hardly more than 10,000 miles from the sun, is too hot to support human life.  The scorched rocks here have nothing to offer but pools of molten metal, which the Eloysians sometimes mine.  Fire elementals and bizarre alien creatures are occasionally spotted here.

Several thousand miles further out are the warm, agricultural islands.  These lush, green, farm-worlds grow food to feed Eloysia's inhabitants.  The fields and vineyards are watered by vast, permanent rainstorms that wander through the shell, sustained by complex climatic patterns and magical forces.

The outermost shell, about 2,000 miles beyond the farm belt, contains the many island kingdoms of Eloysia. This is where most of the inhabitants live in a bewildering diversity of nations and cultures. Among these is the kingdom of the Ruling Wizards and its beautiful city of Solius - or rather. the site where Solius once was.

"Five Coins For A Kingdom" pg. 12

The Sun:

The PCs return to the Prime Plane, only to discover that they must travel into the depths of the Sun to rescue the city of Lighthall.

This is a well-thought-out, imaginative scenario, which can alternately be used as part of an epic quest in other high-level adventures.

The Shadow Belt of Orcus:

Durhan the Conqueror

The Shadow Belt of Orcus is a Greater Artifact, as described in the Master DM's book (1986)

Powers include A1: Lightning Bolt (PP 60); A2: Mass Charm (PP 73); A4: Power Drain; B2: Clairvoyance (PP 25); B3: Levitate (PP 15); D3: Immunity (PP 100)

New Monster:

Auratus (600'-800' long creatures resembling Chinese goldfish that float through Eloysia like dirigibles, using the hydrogen gas stored in their abdomens)

Prerolled Characters:

Sir Theobald Redbeard, Lawful 30th level Knight

Theona of the Righteous Glory, Lawful 30th level Cleric

Prosper, Neutral 30th level Thief

Quentin the Aggressive, Neutral 30th level Magic-User

Laralyn Athilar, Neutral 10th level Elf (Attack Rank K)

Hogun of Rockhome, Lawful 12th level Dwarf (Attack Rank L)

...those six pre-gen PCs were directly inspired by the PARANOIA adventures West End was publishing at the time, including Send in the Clones (1985), which I co-wrote with Warren Spector.  Each published PARANOIA adventure would provide six Troubleshooter PCs with ready-made reasons to kill each other.  For Send in the Clones I created a free-floating backstory unrelated to the main plot involving sabotaged Bouncy Bubble Beverage; the scandal implicated each PC, though none of them knew of the others' involvement.  I didn't try to tie together the M4 PCs so closely, but it seemed Master-level characters would at least already know one another.

Allen Varney on the Piazza (April 17, 2009)

Trivia:

M4 had a sequence where the PCs had to reach the destination plane by passing through an interim plane inhabited by a culture of planar spiders; I believe the editor accidentally left a line about these spiders in the final experience awards section.

Allen Varney on the Piazza (April 17, 2009)

Varney re-used the basic premise of M4 in "The Vanishing City" Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Gamebook #15 (November, 1987)

M3: Twilight Calling

M3 "Twilight Calling" (1986) by Tom Moldvay is a D&D adventure for a party of four to six characters of levels 30 to 35.

M3 "Twilight Calling" (1986) by Tom Moldvay.  Cover illustration depicting Carnifex Castle by Larry Elmore.

The PCs are manipulated by Alphaks "the Dark" into releasing an evil, ancient reptilian race from "the Pits of Banishment", a prison dimension.

Creative Team:

M3 "Twilight Calling" was designed by Tom Moldvay, with additional design, development, and editing by Bruce Heard, Karen Martin, Rick Swan, Jennell Jaquays, Kevin Stein, and Robin Jenkins.

The cover illustration is by Larry Elmore, with black and white interior illustrations by Ben Otero (the artists' names were mistakenly switched in credits).

Cartography is by Diane & Dave Sutherland, Gloria Szopinaki and Rob Peacock.

The Septahenge:

Illustration by Ben Otero

The PCs must locate a stonehenge-like edifice of seven dolmen arches atop Guardian Mesa, a gray basalt plateau a thousand feet high and 500 feet wide, in the center of the Broken Lands.

Each arch is a gate leading to one of seven magical realms.

The Seven Realms:

The seven magical realms are pocket universes, ruled by quasi-immortal beings.  Each draws inspiration from one of the seven classical planets.*

*see "The Seven Magical Planets" by Tom Moldvay in The Dragon #38 (June, 1980) 

The Rainbow Realm (Mercury)

• the realm of Nabumetis, a consummate trickster who delights in practical jokes
• the ultimate symbol of the Rainbow Realm is the fool who learns to control the chaos within him, and in the process, becomes the magician
• the wand of Koloron, made of deep violet crystal, which can function as any of the 13 kinds of magic wand

The Green Realm (Venus)

• the realm of Belotra the Beautiful, who fears change, and tempts the PCs with a life of eternal youth and luxury
• the traditional ideal of the planet Venus and the feminine aspects of nature; the seductive lure of luxurious, but stifling stasis
• also inhabited by Ambriel, the elven queen
• the tunic of glory (cleric), the shaman's mantle (magic-user), the deceptor's boots (thief), the gauntlets of might (fighter)

The Red Realm (Mars)

• the realm of Anator the Charioteer, a tall, ruddy, muscular warrior with blood-red hair
• the mystical analog of Mars; the suffering and the horrors of war
• also inhabited by Malkar the Warrior and the Kirekan, a mindless biological war machine (a mountain of flesh, moving on countless legs, waving an uncountable collection of mismatched but deadly weapons)

The Black Realm (Saturn)

• the realm of Silcharde the Black, a tall emaciated man with a dark complexion, who spends all of his time brooding on the mysteries of life and death
• dominated by gloom, death, and darkness
• also inhabited by Ombiassa, the great serpent and Zagriona, the hag of time

The Blue Realm (Jupiter)

• the realm of King Valeratros, a giant of a man, with pale blue skin and bright blue hair
• also inhabited by Coroman, the Corn King and Sorabeth the Lawgiver
• the Gift of the Archons, the ability to create the Archon Flame-Sword (4-32 points of damage to any creature hit, including those undead, hit only by magical weapons, and those of other planes)

The White Realm (the Moon)

• the realm of Kerrisar, a maiden huntress, clad in a flowing, diaphanous gown
• the mystical analog of the moon; magic and theft are part of the ideal of the land, spells are more witchcraft than magic, illusions are more vision than hallucination
• also inhabited by Astracus, Guardian of the Shore

The Yellow Realm (the Sun)

• the realm of Morilon the Golden, a lion-headed man
• dominated by harmony, warmth, and friendship
• also inhabited by Hyperbius, the Grand Master of the Brotherhood of the Sun

The Carnifex:

Once the PCs have collected a magical symbol from each of the Seven Realms, the Septahenge disappears and the party is transported to the Pits of Banishment, where a narrow, half-mile long bridge leads towards Carnifex Castle.

Illustration by Ben Otero

The Carnifex are described as seven-foot tall, lizard-like humanoids, kin to both lizards and dinosaurs.

There are four classes of Carnifex (guards, tricksters, chaplains, and magi) corresponding to each of the four main character classes.

The surviving Carnifex have created a one-way gate leading to the PCs' home world, and must be stopped.

The Carnifex have also created a powerful magical device, the Black Staff, which can be used to create undead duplicates of any living creature.

Prerolled Characters:

Taran, Neutral 33rd level Fighter, a former King of Ierendi*
Arian, Lawful 33rd level Cleric, raised in the Temple of Law in (G)lantri City
Strom, Chaotic 33rd level Thief, born and raised among the Ferret Clan of the Atruaghin tribes
Morgana, Neutral 33rd level Magic-User, a former ruler of the Lost City of Cynidicea*
Barnstormer, Lawful 33rd level Paladin, an Ethengar tribesman*
Draco, Neutral 33ed level Fighter, born and raised in Thyatis

*based on PCs Taran the Wanderer aka Taran of the Two Swords, Moirrighan, and Barnstormer from Tom Moldvay's and Lawrence Schick's Original Known World (OKW) campaign (c.1976-1979), see Bundle D - OKW Character Sheets in Bill Wilkerson's Original Known World documents

Commentary:

Given its high level, "Twilight Calling" is unlikely to be used as part of a regular D&D campaign.  However, it's component parts can easily be repurposed.

PCs may be transported to any of the seven magical realms as part of a quest or curse.  Individual realms can be expanded, using Moldvay's article in The Dragon #38 as inspiration.

The Carnifex are an interesting, ancient race.  Hints to their existence can be dropped into the campaign as whispered legends.

High-Level Campaigns

The AD&D 2e "Dungeon Master Option: High-Level Campaigns" (1995) by Skip Williams, provides great advice for Master-level adventures.

"Dungeon Master Option: High-Level Campaigns" (1995) by Skip Williams.  Cover illustration by Jeff Easley.

Williams has stated that he used the storyline from M2 "Vengeance of Alphaks" for adventure design examples in "High-Level Campaigns".

The relevant sections are reproduced, below:

Chapter 2: Adventures

Plots

Even simple adventures can benefit from flexible, decision-oriented plots.  For example, let’s suppose the player characters become involved in a dispute between two NPCs over a magical item.

The adventure might begin when one of the antagonists (the one who currently owns the item) settles down in the PCs’ area without their knowledge.  Perhaps one of the PCs is the area’s ruler.

The first incident occurs when the villain sends a raiding party to steal the item.  The other NPC goes into hiding, leaving the PCs to deal with the raiders.

After dealing with the raiders, the player characters track them back to their lair and ultimately confront the villain, who either is killed or forced to flee.

The adventure has reasonable potential.  The party is faced with a variety of difficulties, including dealing with the raiders quickly and with minimal damage to the countryside.  They also must deduce where the raiders are coming from, and they face a difficult fight against an entrenched foe.  The plot, however, fails to consider actions that thoughtful players might choose to take.  A flexible plot that offers the players more choices might go something like this:

The player characters are going about their normal business one day when a newcomer arrives in the area and stops to pay his respects.  He is very pleased to meet such famous heroes, and he presents each character with a small, but fairly valuable, gift.  Perhaps the stranger shares an esoteric hobby with one of the player characters.  In general, the newcomer proves to be a very agreeable person.

The newcomer discovers a team of spies or burglars snooping around his home.  A spectacular battle ensues, creating damage that the player characters must clean up.

The newcomer confesses that he has something the villain wants.  The player characters now have several choices to make.  They can drive the newcomer away, take the disputed item, offer protection from future attacks, tell the newcomer to deal with the problem himself, or confront the villain.

The adventure continues in one form or another no matter what the player characters do.  If the item stays in the PCs’ area (because they took it away or allowed the newcomer to stay), the raids continue and begin to grow in strength.  If the characters seized the item (or offered to guard it), they become the subject of the villain’s attention.

If the PCs told the newcomer to scoot, they’re still in for trouble.  Perhaps the newcomer pretends to leave—but goes into hiding instead—or escapes to another plane, leaving behind a replica of the item to distract the villain.  In either case the raids continue.

One way or another, the PCs must locate the villain’s lair and confront him.  If they don’t wish to fight, they can surrender the item—and perhaps the newcomer—to the villain.  This approach isn’t very heroic, but it’s an option.

If the newcomer has fled, the PCs might convince the villain to leave them alone, but the villain might demand a humiliating service or payment in return for the favor.

If the PCs favor a more active approach, they can attack, killing or driving away the villain.  In either case, they acquire some new enemies but also gain some treasure, enhance their reputation as heroes, and maybe gain a valuable ally or henchman in the form of the grateful newcomer.

This example is based on Lambert Bohn (C30), who has the Girdle of De'Rah, and Coiger de Mory (C34) in M2 "Vengeance of Alphaks".

Williams has stated that "In the original proposal, Coiger was quite the schemer and was constantly leaving false clues and backtracking." (on Facebook, December 4, 2016)

Types of Encounters

Puzzle:  This is a noncombat encounter that tests the players’ mental skills in some fashion.  Most puzzles involve logic, memory, or creativity.  The riddle game included in J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel, The Hobbit , represents one kind of puzzle encounter.

Puzzles are an excellent way to make players rely on themselves rather than on their characters’ abilities.  The best puzzles fit your game’s atmosphere; word plays on pop music lyrics or Disney movie titles aren’t a good approach to puzzle making unless you are playing the adventure for laughs.

You can add some tension to a puzzle encounter by combining it with a trap—the characters suffer damage or a magical effect if they give an incorrect response—or guardian—which attacks if the correct answer is not provided.

Here is one of the riddles used in M2:

Bill turns to you and says "And you thought you were sharp!  One of these four gentlemen here...” (four humanoids in leather armor fade into visibility next to Bill), .is of the thieving persuasion and has purloined an item from one of you.  This item in fact."

Bill holds up one magical item owned by a PC and selected by the DM.  The item has been stolen, and no precautions, magical or otherwise, will prevent the theft.

“These gentlemen are the ore, the kobold, the goblin and the ogre.  Each will now make a statement.  The culprit will lie, and the other three will tell the truth.”

"The goblin pilfered it, that wimp” laughs the ore.  “It certainly wasn't me” whines the kobold.  “The ore's lying through his filthy teeth” mumbles the goblin.  “Nah, the kobold and the goblin didn’t do it” rumbles the ogre.

“Now then,” announces Bill, "tell me which one took it and I’ll give it back, and shut off this here machine.”

"Vengeance of Alphaks" pg. 14

Williams later used a variation of this riddle in "Moonlight Madness" (1998):

I lifted a fractured version of the riddle for Moonlight Madness and that version could not be solved (an androsphinx is just no good at riddles).

 Skip Williams on Facebook (December 4, 2016)

M2: Vengeance of Alphaks

M2 "Vengeance of Alphaks" (1986) by Skip Williams is a D&D adventure for a party of four to eight characters of levels 28-32.

M2 "Vengeance of Alphaks" (1986) by Skip Williams.  Cover illustration depicting a pegataur, by Jeff Easley.

The immortal Alphaks manipulates Baron Norlan of Qeodhar into invading Norwold, while distracting the PCs by creating turmoil in their dominions.

Creative Team:

M2 "Vengeance of Alphaks" was written by Skip Williams, with editing by Bruce Heard and Eric Tobias.

The original proposal was considerably more story driven and loosely inspired by the ... Labors of Hercules. Pieces were discarded until we got down to something we could do in 32 pages.  Later on, I picked up the storyline an used it for the adventure design examples in the original High-Level Handbook.

Skip Williams on Facebook (December 4, 2016)

The cover illustration is by Jeff Easley.  Black and white interior illustrations are by Mark Nelson.  Cartography is by David C. Sutherland III.

The Setting:

...nobles from Alphatia's Kingdom of Norwold are becoming restless as time and the burden of taxes breaks down the allegiance linking the colony with the mother country.  Even Norwold’s King Ericall, the second son of Eriadna the Wise, the current empress of Alphatia, is beginning to talk of independence.

"Vengeance of Alphaks" pg. 2

Baron Norlan's mercenaries include raiders from the lands of Thonia, pirates from western Minaea, and a fleet from the Minrothad Guilds.

The maps of Norwold introduce the port town of Helskir on the Isle of Dawn.

Rival Clerics:

Lambert Bohn (C30), a powerful and still rising lawful cleric, is being pursued by Coiger de Mory (C34), an evil and selfish man, for a powerful artifact (see below).

Chapters 1 and 2 provide opportunities for the PCs to ally with either one cleric or the other in their preparations for the coming war.

Riddles:

Chapter 3 includes several puzzles involving logic which seem out of place for a high-level adventure, although could be re-used elsewhere.

Chaos Returns:

Chapters 4 and 5 involve Baron Norlan's invasion of Norwold, aided by a number of petty Alphatian nobles, including one of the empress' sons.

Illustration by Mark Nelson (this piece was partially recycled as filler art in DA2 "Temple of the Frog" (1986) pg. 47, also illustrated by Nelson

The imperial prince obtains a flying castle to support the raid on Norwold, which is described in great detail and may be re-used in other adventures.

In revenge for the empress' refusal of a marriage proposition for one of her daughters, the baron plans to turn any conquered territory over to Thyatis, along with his Alphatian allies.

The Girdle of De’Rah:

The Girdle of De'Rah* is a Greater Artifact, as described in the Master DM's book (1986)

Powers include A2: Open Mind (PP 80); B1: Lie Detection (PP 50); B1: ESP (PP 25); B1: Truesight (PP 50); D1: Cure Disease (PP 20); D1: Neutralize (PP 30); D1: Heal (PP 100); D3: Mind Barrier (PP 80)

*possibly inspired by the Belt of Hippolyta

New Monsters:

Earthquake Beetle,* Pegataur**

*special thanks is extended to Frank Mentzer for the Earthquake Beetle

**appear in the army roster for Baron Norlan's Thonian Mercenary Raiders 

Prerolled Characters:

Trent the White, Lawful 30th level Paladin

Bardeen Longwalker, Neutral 28th level Knight

Wirmefred of the Lake, Lawful 28th level Cleric

Adik de Chevas, Lawful 29th level Magic-User

Lucci Dhay, Neutral 29th level Thief

Delsel Oaktree, 10th level neutral Elf (Attack Rank M)

Trivia:

Niles' Crones of "Crystakk" (sic) from CM1 and CM3 make a return appearance, but are described as a trio of immortals, whereas in CM1 they were "clerics of tremendous power".

M1: Into the Maelstrom

M1 "Into the Maelstrom" (1985) by Bruce and Beatrice Heard is a D&D adventure for a party of four to eight characters of levels 25 to 30.

M1 "Into the Maelstrom" (1985) by Bruce and Beatrice Heard.  Cover illustration depicting the immortals Alphaks, Koryis, and Vanya, by Jeff Easley.

The PCs embark on a naval expedition in the Sea of Alphatia, while a trio of immortals seek to manipulate events to promote their individual goals.

Creative Team:

M1 "Into the Maelstrom" is credited to husband and wife team Bruce and Beatrice Heard,* while Anne Gray McReady is listed as editor.

*X9 "The Savage Coast" (1985) was likewise credited to Merle and Jackie Rasmussen, along with Anne C. Gray (McReady's maiden name)

A while back, Bruce was asked about the module's origins:

Actually never ran it.  There was no time to even playtest this. I got an urgent request to handle this module (as a freelance assignment).  For this, I was handed a somewhat faded, more or less organized dot-matrix printout of Frank's unedited manuscript, which was nowhere near as user-friendly as a modern laser printout or the real thing.  I had very little idea how to put this together, so M1 really was my ad-hoc effort to come up very quickly with something that might work with the Master Set without fully understanding all its contents--more like a shot from the hip into the dark! I was NOT happy with this. I'm glad it worked out. Phew...

Bruce Heard on Facebook (December 1, 2016)

The cover illustration is by Jeff Easley.  Black and white interior illustrations are by Valerie Valusek.  Cartography is by Dave LaForce.

The Setting:

King Ericall of Norwold has been provoked into invading the Barony of Qeodhar, an island realm allied to the Empire of Alphatia.

Sea of Alphatia

The cities of Aasla, Sundsvall, and Trollhatan in Alphatia coincide with Oslo (Norway), Sundsvall (Sweden), and Trollhättan (Sweden).  The northern Alphatian mainland corresponds to the Scandinavian Peninsula (note the fjords north of Aasla), although the cities are not situated in relation to their real-world counterparts.

Farend is the major city of Qeodhar, which corresponds to Iceland (Norlan's title is "Kjavik of Norzee".  The southern coast benefits from a rare micro-climate permitted by the proximity of high mountains, a warm ocean stream coming from the east, and a profusion of hot water springs, while the northern side is a semi-permanent polar climate.

The Immortals:

Alphaks, Patron of Chaos and Revenge, is a chaotic temporal from the sphere of Death.  Centuries ago, he was a despotic Alphatian emperor on the path to immortality as a paragon.  His reign culminated in mass revolts, leading to the destruction of the Alphatian civilization.

Koryis, Patron of Peace and Prosperity, is a Lawful temporal from the sphere of Thought.  He opposes wars and violence.

Vanya, Patroness of War and Conquerors, is a Neutral temporal from the sphere of Time.  She is solely interested in history, glory, and heroism.

Update (November 25, 2024): In considering possible real-world sources of inspiration for Koryis and Vanya, I wonder about Freyr (Norse god of kingship, fertility, peace, prosperity, fair weather, and good harvest) and Freyja (Norse goddess of love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future)

The Sea Machine:

The PCs join King Ericall's fleet, as heroes or commanders, to invade the Barony of Qeodhar and bring its ruler back, dead or alive.

A set of war machine rules, modified for naval warfare, are included.

Into the Maelstrom:

The PCs' fleet is drawn into a huge whirlpool, created by a gate opened by Vanya to another part of the galaxy.

Flight to the Star Kingdoms.  Illustration by Valerie Valusek

Although traveling through space, the atmosphere is breathable:

Many centuries ago, the Alphatians ruled a planet in this area.  However, they were divided into two factions affiliated to a specific school of magic.  One was based on the Element of Air, the other, ruled by the Paragon Alphaks, worshipped the Element of Fire.  The followers of Air once opened a gate to fill this area of space with air.  It is now enclosed in a huge bubble of breathable air.

Humiliated, Alphaks started a war against the followers of Air.  The schools of Fire and Air waged a crippling war that ravaged their entire world.  About to be destroyed by Alphaks' fire minions, the school of Air fled the planet shortly before unleashing their last weapon, a spell of utter power that disintegrated the planet...

"Into the Maelstrom" pg. 8

This part of the adventure anticipates the Spelljammer campaign setting (1989), created by Jeff Grubb.

A Space Odyssey:

The next section borrows inspiration from Homer's Odyssey as the PCs' fleet is carried by solar winds in a descent towards the remnants of the Alphatian's home world.

Paradise Island - zzonga-eaters (lotus-eaters)

The Isle of the Eye - gargantuan beholder (cyclopes)

The Keeper of the Sky Winds - King Leosus (Aeolus)

The Gentle Giantess - Kenatha (daughter to King Antiphates)

The Palace of the Cloud Giants - (Laestrygonians)

The Isle of the Turkeys - Kersy (Circe)

Journey to the Underworld - Theyraz (Tiresias)

The Great Sea in the Sky - the Great Sea Spiral

The Wandering Rocks - broken remnants of Alphatia

The Voice of Death - sea hags (siren)

Whirlpool and Stone Jaws - (Charybdis and Scylla)

The Plane of Water - vortex

Vanya's Flock - (Cattle of Helios)

An Immortal's Storm

The Star Kingdoms:

Three realms (and two cities) occupy the area beyond the Wandering Rocks, across the Great Sea Spiral.

Republic of Belthar.  Illustration by Valerie Valusek

Republic of Belthar (Neutral) - represented by General Secretary of the Republic, Lord Rawn-Driz; occupies the top surface of a planetary shard

Magocracy of Gammar (Chaotic) - ruled by "His Radiance" Halzunthram, a powerful wizard assisted by a few lesser mages; occupies a tiny spherical planet; employ skysharks (phase ships)

Realm of Delthar (Lawful) - ruled by King Korwald and a powerful church council; island realm in a flattened, circular sea

Kabarkhand* - a large city enclosed in a fortress, on top of a small rock, in the neutral sky zone; Guild of Merchants, forces led by Merchant Prince Mohamed Abdulaziz Zhawat-El-Sh'razz XIV

*possibly inspired by Samarkand

Tortuga - a large city enclosed in a fortress, on top of a small rock, among the asteroids in Delthan air space; Sky Raiders

The Mountain of Death:

The last part of the adventure involves a return to the Alphatian Sea to face an undead fleet and infiltrate Alphaks' mountain, containing a vortex to the Plane of Death.*

*similar to CM2 "Death's Ride"

The final confrontation against Alphaks involves the PCs in astral form.

New Monsters:

The Keeper of the Underworld, a Roaring Demon, on his longship crewed by shadows.  Illustration by Valerie Valusek.

The module includes statistics for the Roaring Demon* (based on the Balrog or Type VI Demon from "Eldritch Wizardry")

*special thanks is extended to Frank Mentzer for the Roaring Demon

Prerolled Characters:

The prerolled characters from CM3 are included (another 8 levels higher):

Fergus the Justifier (F28) now a paladin.
Geoffrey of Heldann (C28) a wandering cleric from the Heldann Freeholds.
Weston the Tall (T28) a wandering thief (a "rogue").
Quillan Elm Grower (E10; now attack rank K.
Brogahn of the Steppes (F28) now a knight.
Claransa the Seer (M28) a wandering magic-user (a "magus") from Specularum

each has the following:

500,000 gp in gems, jewelry or coins
6-12 potions
1-3 magical rings
2-5 miscellaneous magic items
l-4 loyal henchmen (it the player wants them)

When asked about the 500,000 gp in gems, jewelry or coins:

... This might have had to do with not having yet a printed version of the rules back then, and guessing about the best way to set high-level pregens. No way today I'd ever give this much cash to pre-gens. You can be powerful... and also ungodly spendthrift, resulting in the chronic poverty necessary for such powerful characters to get off their legendary behinds and go do some amazingly mind-blowing adventuring before the eyes of immortals rather than sending some underlings to do it for them. But 30 years ago, I probably still nurtured the delusion that folks might find it perfectly natural to brave untold torments and nearly-assured death, while dragging along their very own dragon hoards, out of sheer eagerness for benevolent, earth-shaking, Kraken-slaying thrills.

Bruce Heard on Facebook (July 4, 2018)

Early Cretaceous/Late Jurassic Cartography

As mentioned in yesterday's post, the Map of the "Known World" was likely based on a map of our own world from "Continents in Collision" (1983), a Time Life book in the Planet Earth series.

Source: "Continents in Collision" (pg. 162)

The text accompanying the illustration states:

By 135 million years ago, the breakup of Pangaea was well under way.  Rifting and sea-floor spreading opened the nascent North Atlantic Ocean between North America and the old continent of Gondwana, in which South America and Africa were still joined.

"The Once and Future Earth" in "Continents in Collision" (pg. 162)

As research in paleogeography advances, information on Jurassic climate patterns has emerged:

Jurassic climate patterns, from this paper.

It's interesting to note that the climate of the region corresponding to the Sea of Dread was indeed tropical, while the region corresponding to the Savage Coast is named the "Hispanic Corridor".

Map of "The Known World"

The Master DMs book includes a continental map of The Known World, attributed to François Marcela-Froideval:

Francois Froideval is adding his creativity to the projects.  He’s already done a map of the globe, with all the continents and things, and the area described in Expert is in one small corner of the world, the starting point for epic adventure.

Frank Mentzer, in Dragon #77

The Known World

The map was based on our planet, as it appeared 135-150 million years ago.  The probable source was "Continents in Collision" (1983), a Time Life book in the Planet Earth series (as discussed here).

The original concepts were quite vague, leaving the majority of development work to future authors.  Francois Froideval (formerly of Jeux d'Carte) and I worked out that known world as originally portrayed in the Expert set, and you will also find our names together in the credits of Monster Manual II.  It left open the possibility of realms inspired by various authors as well, including RE Howard, if we so chose.

Some are obvious and derivative... Hyborea, Arypt (Egypt), Brasol (Brazil), Hyborea and the related Borea, Oceania of many legends, Northworld (Norwold) and the corresponding Southold, and the Empire of the Khans (corresponding to the empires of central Asia).  Some were completely fantastic but undetailed, while some are mentioned in my preplanning notes (like the Arm of God and Zyxl) but were never completed.

Frank Mentzer on Dragonsfoot (July 31, 2006)

1. Addakia

Region corresponding to West Africa, south of the Atlas Mountains.

2. Arm of God

Region corresponding to the Baha California peninsula.

3. Arypt

Region corresponding to Ancient Egypt.

4. Barbarians (not united)

"Located where the real world Imazighen peoples live, better known as "Berbers".  This is fitting since the name "Berber" is thought to derive from the Latin barbari." here

5. Borea

Latin borealis from the Greek boreas "north wind, north".

6. Brasol

Region corresponding to Brazil.

7. Cestia

"Cestia derives from the Greek* rather than the Latin, and is another matriarchy." here

*possibly derived from Cestus (the Girdle of Aphrodite)

8. Empire of Alphatia

Alphatia is described as the oldest empire in the world in CM1 "Test of the Warlords", a civilization built on a foundation of magic.  The secret name of Alphatia is Atlantis,* in keeping with the framework that the D&D game world is a version of our own world in the ancient past.

*Alphatia is referred to as "Atlantis" throughout CM2 "Death's Ride"

9. Empire of Dorfin IV

"...a tangent reference to Amber.*" here

*The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny

10. Empire of the Great Khan

The Great Khan is mentioned in CM4 "Earthshaker!" (pg. 10).

11. Empire of Tangor

"Tip o' the hat to Burroughs...*" here

*see "Beyond the Farthest Star"

12. Empire of Thyatis

"At that time we envisioned that Empire to be the dominant socioeconomic and political force in that region, and thus the only one worthy of mention in the company of the other major/dominant forces in other areas." here

13. The Coast (a.k.a. The Four Kingdoms)

Region corresponding to the Barbary Coast (the Four Kingdoms likely correspond to the Sultanate of Morocco and the Regencies of Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli).

The Four Kingdoms are mentioned in DA1 "Adventures in Blackmoor":
"before...the Four Kingdoms fought their deadly wars" (pg. 2)

14. Hyborea

A contraction of "Hyperborea", meaning "beyond Boreas (the north wind)".

15. Isle of Dawn

Island corresponding to Great Britain.

16. Izonda

"Izonda was from whole cloth, not the Wordworth.*" here

*see "The Romance of the Water Lily" by William Wordsworth

17. Jen

Region corresponding to Central Asia.

18. Lower Arypt

Region corresponding to India, when as a subcontinent it was part of Gondwana.

19. Matriarchy of Pelatan

Region corresponding to the Amazon basin.*

*the mythical Amazons were a matriarchal society

20. Minaea

"Sea traders & specialists in bronze, famed for the Labyrinth; Minoa (q.v.); destined to fall because of the rise of iron & steel worldwide" here

Pirates of Minaea are described in M2 "Vengeance of Alphaks" (pg. 22).

21. Nentsun

"nent (arch., about/towards) [the] -sun, ie land of eternal sun*" here

*aka "land of the midnight sun" (Norway)

The Nentsun are mentioned in DA1 "Adventures in Blackmoor":

"before the cruel Nentsun built their longships" (pg. 2)

22. Norworld

Described in CM1 "Test of the Warlords".

23. Oceania

See "The Mythos of Oceania" in The Dragon #29 (September, 1979).

24, 25. The Sea Kingdoms

A waterborne civilization? (see X7 "The War Rafts of Kron").

26. The Serpent Peninsula

See X6 "Quagmire!".

27. Southold

See X9 "The Savage Coast".

28. Thonia

"Thonia, rather than from Blackmoor, is more easily searched if you put a "C" on the front...  Try Chthonic" here

Thonia was mentioned in DA1 "Adventures in Blackmoor":

"That barren, frozen Thonia is but a pale shadow of the Thonia that was," (pg. 2)

Thonian Mercenary Raiders are described in M2 "Vengeance of Alphaks" (pg. 22).

The death of Marick of Glevum, Archbishop of Thonia and High Cleric of Serison is described in IM3 "The Best of Intentions" (pg. 2), after which "the King declared a week of mourning".

29. Vulcania

Region corresponding to Antarctica/Australia.

30. Vulture Peninsula

A name based on its shape (as with "Orc's Head Peninsula" in X9 "The Savage Coast").

31. Zyxl

Master DM's Book: The "Known" Artifacts

The Master DM's book includes detailed descriptions of 16 artifacts, based on real world myths and legends, as contained in Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes.*

*in his article "A new game with a familiar name" in Dragon #77, Frank Mentzer mentioned "The old Gods, Demigods & Heroes book is due for revision, too." (pg. 28)

Armet by Wayland

This is a tight-fitting helmet with bevor (chinpiece) and movable visor, crafted by the legendary Immortal armorer Wayland Smith.  Some claim that it makes the wearer invulnerable to all attacks.

Source: England, 12th century and earlier

Further Research: See Weland’s Sword in Puck of Pook’s Hill, by Rudyard Kipling (1906); Kenilworth by Sir Walter Scott (1821), scattered references to Wayland Smith’s Cave (in England, near Lambourn, Berkshire); also refer to Volund or Volunder (king of the elves and supernatural blacksmith) in Frithiofs Saga (Scandinavian, 13th century).

Notes: Isle of Dawn

Claw of Mighty Simurgh

Long ago, a great roc-like bird appeared to a wandering cleric.  The bird said it was Immortal, and had already seen three cycles of life on earth-each ending in destruction by water, ice, and fire.  It gave one of its smallest claws (a mere 2 feet long) to the cleric.  Explaining its powers, the Mighty Simurgh asked that it be used for the betterment of mankind.  The cleric did what she could, but lives no more, and the claw has apparently fallen into the clutches of Chaos.

Source: Ancient Middle Eastern (Persian) legendn 

Further Research: This is a recurrent but very general theme - a great being that has lived forever and possesses the knowledge of the ages.  Look for similar recurrent themes among the myths of different cultures; related items can prove suitable for artifact design, and usable in nearly any setting.

Notes: see also "The Persian Mythos" in The Dragon #12 and "Dreams of Arabia" in Dragon #334 (Simurgh; pgs. 43-4)

Comb of the Korrigans

A group of nine powerful elves took a rare woodland creature (the Korrigan) as their symbol.  Successful as a mortal group, they resumed their close friendship after all reached Immortality.  Together they created this item to aid mortal elves to reach Immortality, but only if they strive toward representing the best of elvenkind.  The Korrigans became nearly legendary in mortal life, commonly using shapechanging and haste in their travels and combats, and this device presumably bestows similar powers.

Source: Breton folklore.

Further Research: Various works on folklore of the British isles (Irish, Scottish, and Gaelic), such as Celtic Myth and Legend, by Charles Squire.  See fays (or fees or faeries); druids of ancient Gaul; the Lamignak elves; Fountain Women of French folklore; also see A Field Guide to the Little People (Arrowsmith and Moorse, 1977).

Notes: see also "PC1: Tall Tales of the Wee Folk" (1989)

Diamond Orb of Tyche

This item appears to be a crystal ball, but is somewhat larger (about 18 inches across) and glows softly with a white light filled with sparkling colors.  It was crafted by the powerful Immortal, Tyche, said to control chance and the fortunes of mankind.  It is a powerful artifact of Chaos, but is not necessarily evil, and is said to bring good fortune to the user, for a time. 

Source: Greek mythology.

Further Research: See general works on mythology, with reference to the Greek myths and gods, especially the goddess of Chance or Good Fortune.

Notes: see entry for Tyche in Deities & Demigods (pg. 74)

Fiery Brand of Masauwu

The legendary Guardian of Death, Masauwu (possibly another name for Orcus) is greatly feared.  It is rumored that he walks across the entire earth every night, appearing as a dark-skinned giant clad in animal skins and carrying a flaming torch.  This device is sometimes left for others to use, especially if they will further his causes.  It has horrible and awesome powers, but if the user impresses Masauwu by employing it often and with diligence, he may grant even greater ones.

Source: Hopi (American Indian) legends.

Further Research: From the North American Indians; See various pamphlets from Universities and Museums of the United States, especially (for Hopi Indian legends).  Truth of a Hopi by Edmund Nequatewa (Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff).  Note also that the lord of the Overworld and Guardian of the dead, appears in legends of many other tribes.

Notes: Atruaghin Clans; Masauwu is mentioned as an Eternal of Entropy in IM2 "Wrath of Olympus"

Girdle of Armida

Armida was once a famous sorceress in a far land.  To help her achieve the greatest heights in her craft, her immortal uncle, Idraote, gave her this Girdle.  However, she used it to tempt and confuse paladins, generally bringing confusion and discord to others.  Having fallen to petty abuse of her powers, Armida did not reach her Immortal goal; but the Girdle remains, to tempt (and possibly aid) other magic-users to become Paragons.  It is supposedly watched over by Idraote to this day.

Source: Italian literary romance works dealing with the First Crusade (1096-1099).

Further Research: See a translation of the romantic epic Gerusalemme Liberata (Jerusalem Delivered) by Torquato Tasso (1581).

Humbaba's Glaring Eye

The huge one-eyed monster Humbaba was fought long ago by a great hero, named Gilgamesh.  Its eye was taken after its defeat, and was made into an artifact by Ninsun, a powerful Immortal.  It eventually caused Gilgamesh to seek immortality above all else, but he failed, and was eventually destroyed.  The Eye remains, a famed symbol of death and destruction.  The Eye is said to provide the powers of the original monster, including breath and gaze weapons.

Source: Babylonian myths.

Further Research: The Epic of Gilgamesh (circa 2000 B.C), and general references on mythology (especially Sumerian and Babylonian).

Notes: see also  "Near-Eastern Mythos" in The Dragon #16 and "Dreams of Arabia" in Dragon #334 (Humbaba; pgs. 40-2)

Hymir's Steaming Caldron

The vain Immortal giant Hymir created this device to produce vast amounts of superb ale for his own enjoyment, and for his friends Thor and other Immortals.  Its powers can, however, be used in other ways.

Source: Scandinavian mythology.

Further Research: See general reference works on mythology, especially referring to the giants of the Norse myths (which are different from D&D game giants); Hymir is a minor character, usually appearing only in references to Thor and the Midgard Serpent.

Notes: Frosthaven

Ivory Plume of Maat

This small but exquisitely crafted feather-shaped brooch was created by a great Paladin, the beautiful fighter Maat.  She was a many-talented mortal, and strove always to promote good over evil.  Her device is said to enable the user to follow in her noble footsteps, doing good deeds and furthering the cause of Law and Justice.

Source: Egyptian mythology.

Further Research: The Book of the Dead, translated by E. A. Wallis Budge, and other references on Egyptian mythology.  Maat, goddess of absolute order, was wife of Thoth (god of knowledge) and daughter of Ra (the highest ruler, sun god of the mythos), and assisted in the work of creation.

Notes: the Ivory Plume of Maat is kept within the lair of Azem, a large gold dragon (Dragon #171)

Ortnit's Lance of Doom

It is not known how the hero Ortnit (or Hartnit) acquired this powerful weapon.  The device’s origin is also a mystery.  Ortnit defeated many giants with it, so it may have great powers against this ilk; but he was later slain ignominously by a small white dragon, which is odd considering his legendary power.  The weapon remains, but is often shunned, rumored to bring death to any user.

Source: Germanic legends.

Further Research: Refer to the medieval German epic poems composed in the 13th century and collected in Das Heldenbuch (The Book of Heroes).  In this and other works, see references to Ortnit and his brother Wolfdietrich.  Legends of another Germanic hero, Dietrich of Bern, were based on Theodoric the Great (King of the Ostrogoths, 454-526 A.D.).  The famous epic poem The Nibelungenlied is another source, based loosely on the Scandinavian Volsunga Saga with added material unique to Germanic legend. 

Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix.

Pileus

The Pileus (pill-A-us) was made deliberately similar to the red Liberty Cap, a long-time symbol of freedom.  An Immortal Paragon mage named Saturnius created it to bring freedom to enslaved mortals.  It is rumored that the wearer of this device will remain free forever, and can free all those who suffer imprisonment of any sort.

Source: Roman and French history.

Further Research: The Liberty Cap is a common symbol of freedom in history.  The red pileus, a Phrygian cap of red felt, was placed upon a slave’s head during the ceremony of manumission.  It was used regularly in the Roman Empire, and appeared in the French Revolution (1789-1799) as the Bonnet Rouge.

Rainbow Scarf of Sinbad

The success of the famous adventurer Sinbad the Sailor (whose whereabouts and even existence are now dubious) is said to have been caused by this simple item of apparel.  Especially made to aid the Epic Hero on his way to Immortality, this device must be worn at all times.  It may bring luck and intelligence, but will bring hazardous adventure as well if even a tenth of the legends of Sinbad are true.

Source: Arabian folklore.

Further Research: See The Arabian Nights' Entertainments (or 1001 Nights, from circa 1450) and related references, including Sinbad the Sailor, Aladdin, Scheherazade, the Roc, etc. 

Notes: Emirate of Ylaruam

Shard of Sakkrad

According to very old legends, the original home of mankind was in the middle of a vast mountain, so huge that the sun was said to rise from one of its peaks and set on the opposite.  The entire base of this mountain is the fabled emerald Sakkrad; its reflection gives the azure hue to the sky.  One small piece of that emerald - this very Shard - was stolen by a djinni, who subsequently vanished from existence; the Shard has never reappeared.  It is said to hold unimaginable power; some say that mortal man was not meant to have it, and cannot possibly control it.  Others dismiss it as pure legend.  Yet despite the tales, many adventurers of great fame and power have gone in search of it; none are known to have returned.

Source: North African creation myth.

Further Research: This item is loosely based on a creation myth common in Africa and Asia Minor.

Notes: The Coast (a.k.a. The Four Kingdoms)

Tome of Ssu-Ma

The Immortal Hero Ssu-Ma is said to be the father of written knowledge, bringing mankind from barbaric chaos to civilization.  His Great Tome is said to gather knowledge of all sorts from the very air itself, and is thus able to provide information on anything in existence.

Source: Ssu-ma Ch’ien, an historical figure

Further Research: Shih chi (Records of the Historian) by Ssu-ma Ch’ien (145-90 B.C.) is called the first major Chinese historical work.  For more information on this scholar, see Ssu-ma Ch’ien: Grand Historian of China, by Burton Watson (1958).  For details of Chinese mythology, see Asiatic Mythology by James Hackin et al, and Chinese Mythology by Anthony Christie.

Verthandi's Invincible Hourglass

Verthandi, a very powerful Immortal of Time, gave mortals the ability to control Time itself, through this marvelous creation.  Its powers are said to be unlimited - both in scope and danger.

Source: Norse mythology.

Further Research: See standard works, referring to the following names.  Verthandi is one of the Norns of Norse legend, the immortal beings who rule the fates of men and gods alike.  Verthandi rules the Present, Urdur (or Urdhr, or Urth) the Past, and Skuld (who wears a veil), the Future.  Each of the Norns may provide ideas for other artifacts.

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

Wife of Ilmarinen

The legendary Immortal craftsman Ilmarinen once used his great skills to create a companion entirely of gold and silver.  However, the result was too cold to even be approached.  Appearing as a metallic golem, it was given special powers when freed, and is said to reside in far northern reaches, either alone or with its current master.

Source: Finnish mythology.

Further Research: See the Finnish national epic poem Kalevala, compiled by Elias Lonnrott in the late 19th century.

Notes: see entries for Ilmarinen in Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes and Deities & Demigods (pg. 58)

References:

Funk & Wagnall’s Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, edited by Maria Leach and Jerome Fried

Gods and Heroes by Gustav Schwab

The Golden Bough by Sir James G. Frazer

The Meridian Handbook of Classical Mythology by Edward Tripp

Mythology by Edith Hamilton

The New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology, translated by Robert Aldington, et al.