TSR 9174 - M3 - Twilight Calling.pdf

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3
An Adventure
for
Character Levels
30-35
Masters Gamc
by
Tom
A
INTRODUCTION
.
PART I: THE SEVE
The
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I
PART 11: CARNIFE:
Endgame
Playing Aids
Players' Aid
1 :
Librar
Players' Aid
2:
The
Sc
Maps and Handouts
DM
Maps
of
the Seve
DM
Map
9:
The
Cast
DM Map
D M Map
DM
Map
Pre-rolled
10:
The H a
11
:
The De;
12:
Carnife;
Characters
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1:NTRODUCTIQN
X i l i g h t Callin{
is written for the D&D@Mas-
ter Set rules. The adventure is designed for
four to six characters oflevels
30
to
35,
for an
average total of
160
levels.
Twilkht Calling
is
dixided into two main parts: The Seven
Realms and Carnifex Castle. As with any
module, read the entire adventure before be-
ginning play.
cast there are condemned to fall eternally
through a nocturnal abyss. Although the fall
is
real, the Pits of Banishment are indeed a
universe limited in space, the shape of a
sphere. Upon reaching its limits, one reap-
pears at the starting point, as if within a huge
globe.
The few Carnifex survivors, the most pow-
erful and fearsome of their kind, banded to-
gether and built a mighty fortress which floats
forever in the darkness, as the last bastion of
the Carnifex menace. It sits at the very place
as
the gate into their world.
Through the use of their powerful magic,
they discovered Alphaks’ possible plan to
open the gate. However, they know not when
these daring men will arrive. Men have al-
ways been an unpredictable factor. Since the
discovery of the plot, the Carnifex have been
waiting, paying some limited attention to the
possibility.
throwing away a bag of rubies he had been
clutching. “It
is
meaningless, unimportant.
If only I had known before what I know now.
Listen! There is not much time. I see death
and destruction stalking you all. From the
Guardian Mesa will come your doom. Where
I
go now, you will soon follow.”
Then the stranger dies; his body rapidly
decomposes and turns into ashes.
No
spell
can revive the remains because the madman
was a puppet under Alphaks’ control.
Al-
phaks has destroyed this mortal form in this
rather spectacular way to impress the PCs.
H e now awaits in the Sphere of Entropy.
Should a PC attempt to
speak with dead,
Al-
phaks answers (pretending to be the dead
madman’s spirit), and explains that the
causes of his death are still too painful to be
discussed. However, he explains that the
Guardian Mesa is in the Broken Lands, ex-
actly fifty miles north of the city of Corun-
glain, and reveals that only a few powerful
and brave men can enter the place he once
visited, and deal with the menace within. A
secret they need is hidden
at
the Mesa. In
a
fading voice, Alphaks adds that a deadly en-
tity awaits inside to break into the world of
men. Once it is free, no one will ever be able
to stop it; the PCs must go in and destroy the
threat.
This adventure starts in the Broken Lands
which are marked on Map
#2:
The Lands
and Environs of the D&D@Wilderness in the
Expert Rulebook (page 33). As described in
D&D@Module
X1,
The Broken Lands are
an area of rocky badlands and old volcanic
lava beds. The land is extremely wild, and
is
inhabited mainly by outcasts and monsters.
The Broken Lands were chosen as a setting
simply for convenience, on a map familiar to
the players.
Most of the adventure, however, actually
takes place in seven magical realms. These
magical lands are not part of the normal
world,
so
you can place the starting area any-
where that
is
convenient for your campaign.
Keep in mind that the starting area must logi-
cally hold an unclimbable plateau with a cave
entrance.
To open the pathway to the other-world di-
mension of the Carnifex, the characters first
have to find the Guardian Mesa, enter each
of the seven magical realms, and find therein
seven magical symbols. Atop Guardian Mesa
in The Broken Lands stands a Stonehenge-
like edifice. Each henge is a different color
and leads to one of the magical realms. It
makes no difference in what order the realms
are visited.
The Plot
A rising power among Immortals of the
realm ofnight, Lord Alphaks the Dark, needs
a srand display of his powers in order to gain
further recognition. H e seeks to release the
Carnifex into the world of man. These highly
magical and malevolent creatures would
spread death and chaos throughout. How-
ever, the path to the Carnifex
is
sealed by
forces he himself cannot shatter. Should he
even attempt this, Immortals from the rival
spheres would certainly intervene, ruining
his plan forever. Instead, Lord Alphaks plots
to lure a party of daring men into forcing
their way into the forbidden lair. The magical
wards were designed to prevent the Carnifex
frcm leaving, and only lawful beings in their
trL e state of mind can tamper with them. En-
tering the lair of the Carnifex will shatter
these wards and release the fury of the Carni-
fer, for the greatest glory of the Sphere of En-
trcpy and its devoted servant, Lord Alphaks
the Dark.
The Pocket Universes
Age old Immortals created these pocket di-
mensions eons ago to surround the realm of
the Carnifex. Each dimension has been de-
signed to test the abilities of those who would
dare enter and reach the Carnifex. Magical
items are located in these pocket dimensions;
once reunited, the gate to the universe of the
Carnifex will be opened. Each of these magi-
cal items
is
guarded by the ruler of
a
pocket
dimension, called Guardian. These are
quasi-immortal creatures who can only be
destroyed by a more powerful foe. They are
in charge of their realms, but since they were
created have become irrational and eccentric
beings. Whether the Guardians let the party
obtain these items depends on the
PCk’
abil-
ity to defeat them or solve the various prob-
lems they pose.
The
Carnifex
The Carnifex are an ancient evil race, kin to
both lizards and dinosaurs. Long ago they
developed a civilization based on the darkest
exdoitation of magic. Their lust for power
became dangerous but one experiment that
went wrong left them trapped in another di-
mmsion. The experiment failed in part be-
c a s e some Immortals indirectly altered their
m,igic, judging their presence too dangerous.
In the future, these creatures might have
even challensed the Immortals themselves.
T h e Immortals created seven magical
pccket pocket dimensions between the di-
mension of the Carnifex and the party’s own
world. Since then, the Immortals have lost
in+erestin the Carnifex menace since no man
had ever managed to find the seven realms,
and much less, get past their many dangers.
Meanwhile, the Carnifex have waited for
their chance. Many of them have died in the
hctstile environment
of
their dimension. The
place
is
known to the Immortals as the Pits of
Banishment, for neither land nor sky exists in
this world
of
nothingness. Those creatures
Beginning the Adventure
R u n this adventure at
a
time when the party
is resting, such as after an expedition. A
stranger mysteriously comes to one of the
PCs’ mansions.
A
servant or a seneschal
warns the PC about the unexpected arrival,
leading the PC to the mansion’s entrance.
The man clutches at a bag of emeralds, dia-
monds, sapphires, and rubies. H e is
wounded and dying. H e seems also quite
mad. “The Carnifex are coming!” he raves.
“Soon, they will be ready. Beware of Guard-
ian Mesa. Don’t let them get me! Help me!
Stop them!” The stranger babbles on for sev-
eral minutes. Near the end, however, he
grows calmer. “What use
is
this,” he says,
2
PART
I:
THE SEVEN REALMS
Encounter Setting
T h e characters first must reach Guardian
Mesa,
a
known landmark in The Broken
Lands. Sages in Corunglain or in Glantri
City can point out Guardian Mesa’s location.
None of them knows for sure what it is. A
huge library exists
at
in the Great School
of
Magic, at the City of Glantri. If the party is
seeking more information on the Guardian
Mesa,
NPCs
may advise the party to consult
the l,’x-ary.hlanv ancient secrets arc buried
therr in its dark halls. The clues the party
will find there are detailed in encounter
# l .
T h e entrance to the top of the plateau lies
in
a
large cave at the foot of Guardian Mesa.
At tht. end of the cave is
a
circular lift that can
magically raise the characters to the plateau-
top of‘themesa. A permanentforcpfieldin the
shapc of
a
sphere keeps the top of the plateau
out ci‘reach from outsiders. It cannot be dis-
pellet:! because
it
was installed by Immortals.
Char,ictersincapable of
teleportin!
or using
di-
n e n s i h
door
to get inside have to enter
throuqh the cave at the bottom of the plateau.
I n all of the seven realms flying, and all
transportation spells
(tel~portation, dimenrion
door,
tmsszuall,
etc:i are maaical powers that do
not i.iinction, nor can anyone move faster
than 120’ per round. Tr)ring to move faster
simply causes the victim
to slow
down in-
stead
as
if
in
a
dream. For example, some-
one normally trying to move at 150’ per
rounrl would actually move: 150-120
=
30’
less than
120’
(thus
90’).
In any case, victims
shou!l-lalways be able to move at least
30’
per
rounmrl. These limits only apply to individuals
from ‘?utside the realm. Creatures that live in
the r t d m are not affectrd. T h e restriction
makc:.; the inhabitants of each magical realm
mort effective.
Time in the seven realms
is
also
unusual. It
is
ali+.aysthe same day. Minutes and hours
pass ,iormallv, hut the day always remains
the !.%me. In game terms this means that
movement and~combat normal. Charac-
arc
ters only age
if
victim to
a
magical spell. But
the characters cannot heal by resting nor can
spell (‘asters re-memorize spells. Once
a
spell
is
used
it
is gone until the character can leave
the magical realm and rest on the Prime Ma-
teria’ Plane. This does not apply to the Pits
of
Banishment where the Carnifex live.
Magic, in Glantri City,
For
a
fee of
500
gp per
visitor, the PCs are allowed to stay one full
day and search the halls of the library. Each
P C has
a
10%
chance per hour spent in the li-
brary of finding one of the following clues
given below. Some information is valuable;
some is virtually worthless. Even though
some information directly contradicts other
clues, none
of
the information is completely
false. In some situations the concept
of
“truth” or “falsehood” is either irrelevant or
ambiguous.
oblivion. This, my son,
is
a
universal
law affecting even the seven realms.
(Lord McGregor’s Teachings, en-
graved skull XXVII, dated 1090)
Of
all
the constructions I have ever
seen, never did
I
find such
a
fabulous
map. The architecture of Castle Carni-
fex defies even the mind of the cleverest
dwarf. (Life of
a
Castellan, by Hippo-
lito de Fedorias)
I n the realm of blue know ye that Jus-
tice awaits beyond the King’s palace
(Essay on the Purpose
of
Life, un-
marked scroll).
Of
all
the
laws
of navigation, my vener-
able uncle mentioned an obscure one
I
never was able to fully comprehend. H e
said once the Seven Gates appear, there
is
no turning back..
.
(Treaty of Explo-
ration, by Gunntarr Rolfsen)
I n the realms of the outer planes exist
things of power unspeakable. I once en-
visioned
a
fortress of flames
...
O n e
must not linger in such dwelling.
(Dreams and Nightmares, Vol. I)
Gold is pure but hard to find. A place
exists in utter darkness where
a
castle
gleams amidst oblivion. Its walls are
made of gold, and gems are but com-
mon gravel (The Lost Worlds, by Aitch
G.
Wails)
The sea-girt isle holds the hourglass.
This item is of great importance in the
world of white. (Unearthed Fantasia,
by the Guild of Wizards)
I
once contacted some creature of the
outer planes and it told me the biggest
magical item treasure was in Castle
Carnifex, but
I
was never able to figure
where this is (Treasure Hunter’s Guide,
by Prince Jaygar)
Lie not to the lawgiver, for it may bring
upon thee the wrath of the entire realm
ofblue for seven generations (Glantrian
Arcane Code)
There was once
a
Black Staff in the
world. Its powers are immense, but for
the safety of men, it must be destroyed
(Origins
of
Magic, by the Baron of Ig-
orov)
The best disguises are often inhuman.
A
legend says that Carnifex could imi-
tate nearly anything without much
chance of being discovered. (Thieves’
Manual, unsigned)
Past jungle and swamp in
a
strange
world of black waits the black master.
Beware, ye who stride beyond. (scrip-
ture from
a
torn piece of metal, dated
3,000
years ago)
12.
13.
The Library
Clues
14.
In the Pits of Banishment, blow the
horn
at
the doorway to Carnifex Castle
(quote from the Codex of the Planes,
Vol. I)
2.
The entrance to the seven realms lirs on
Guardian Mesa (The Traveler’s Mas-
ters Set,
Vol.
IV)
3. Beauty lives
at
the center of the garden
(Charms of the Green Realm, by
Etienne d’Ambreville)
4. Cannibalism is
a
feeding habit common
to the Pits
of
Banishment, practiced by
some of its victims, such
as
Carnifex
(Exotic Interplanar Foods, Tome
XX-
XIII)
5. Rainbows are
a
means
of
traveling in
the sphere of colors, but let it be known
there
is
no such thing
as
a
pot of gold sit-
ting at one end. (Lore of the Seven
Realms, by Prince Vanserie Vlaardoen)
6.
Carnifex were notorious for experi-
menting new magic effects on their pris-
oners. (Positive Thinking in Spell
Research; scroll fragment 3456-XZ)
7.
Call the sea-foam steeds and they will
answer
as
long
as
the plane
is
white.
(scribbled note in the cover of
a
moldy
tome)
8.
The art of flying and moving through
the ether is
a
delicate thing. It will not
always function in other worlds, such
as
the seven realms. (Tome on the Fol-
lowers of the Air, by Eriadna)
9.
Glory to the redwood for its tree door
will lead to
a
secret of seven realms (un-
known song in the Encyclopedia of the
Bards)
10. Insanity remains when the level
of
magic encompasses all that was ever
learnt before.
I,
myself, and others such
as Carnifex have been afflicted with this
utter folly..
,
(Life of Prince Moriem)
11.
All
is
not what it appears to be. Light
remains after darkness, life springs
forth after death, hope susbsists after
1.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
Encounter Key
1.
T h e
Library’s
Secrets
T h e ixirty may find clues on the Guardian
Mesa at the Library of the Great School
of
22.
3
PART
I:
THE SEVEN REALMS
23.
Time is such an outdated concept
...
Look for example at some other worlds:
although things exist, it is always the
same day. (Diarv of a Time Traveler)
The greatest arrow that was ever made
is now in the hands of a chariot driver,
somewhere in an outer plane where col-
ors are the prime matter (moldy letter
from one collector to another)
It
is
wise not to blow horns at the en-
trance of a castle, especially
if
one does
not know what awaits inside (Wise
Guide
to
Outer Planes Adventuring,
Page
1)
It is wise to think before acting. What is
best for all may not be good for one
(Wise Guide to Outer Planes Adven-
turing, page
2).
It
is wise to pay attention to those things
that exist but are dead as well. What
breathes and talk is not always alive
(Wise Guide to Outer Planes Adven-
turing, page
3).
The closed door: such a useless concept.
It is
so
much fun to prove the builder
of
a
door that there
is
always someone who
will get past. Even the gray door in the
Pits ofBanishment, all it needs is seven
magical tokens to open
-
then why
build
it?
(Tome on Halfling Philosophy)
top
of
the mesa. It moves slowly enough that
a character might be able
to
pull the lever and
still run to catch the lift. The character has to
roll his dexterity score or lower. Add one to
the roll for each
300
cn of encumbrance worn
by the character (round off in the character’s
favor).
The shaft has a permanent
dispel
magic at
its
mid-point. It does not affect magical items
such asflying carpets or the magical lift, but
it
does negate spells.
24.
26.
high and
500
feet wide. The top of the
mesa is shrouded by strange clouds, much
like normal storm clouds, but at times
they mysteriously reflect different colors.
Sometimes they have a blue tint; some-
times they
look
red. While you watch you
see every color of the rainbow come and
go.
At the base of the mesa
is
a largr cave.
The cave is about
20
feet wide and runs
straight inside the mesa as far
as
you can
see.
R u n encounter
4
for characters able to teleport
onto the mesa directly. Otherwise, play the
following encounter for characters entering
the cave.
4.
The Septahenge
27’.
28.
21
!.
Player
Aid
I :
Library
Ches
should be given to
the players for permanent reference. The
D M is free to add more once he is better ac-
qiiainted with the adventure.
O n the back is Play??
Aid
2:
The Septahenge.
Normally. the second player aid would be
given to the players a little later in the adven-
ture. If they should accidentally catch a
glimpse of
it
now
it
won’t matter too much,
si3ce it alludes to their next major encounter.
2 ,
Guardian Mesa
Guardian Mesa is a noted landmark in The
Broken Lands. The characters should have
no trouble finding it. Guardian Mesa
is
in the
approximate center of the Broken Lands,
about 50 miles from the city ofcorunglain. If
t b
e
DM
wishes, he can run the overland jour-
ney as part of the adventure. Whenever the
p x t y reaches the plateau, read the following
text to the players:
A
high mesa of gray basalt rises among the
sharp jagged rocks. roughly circular in
A circle of symbols rises until
i t
is flush
with the plateau on top of the mesa. O n
the plateau stands
a
stonehenge-like edi-
fice of seven dolmen arches arranged
roughly in a circle. Each arch
is
about
20
3.
The Circle
of
Symbols
feet wide and
15
feet tall. Beyond the
I
I
arches you see nothing but a formless
You see
a
roughly circular cavern about
50
void. Even the sky overhead has turned
feet wide. The cavern walls are rough-
gray and shapeless.
hewn stone, showing that a smaller cave
Each dolmen henge
is
a different color.
has been enlarged by hand. There are two
Six of the henges are one solid color. The
unusual features to the cavern. The first is
six colors are: red, green, yellow, black,
a smooth, perfrctly circular area in the
white, and blue. The seventh henge is
middle of the cavern floor. The circle is 10
made from rainbow-colored stones.
feet in diameter and made from a different
kind of rock than the rest of the cave.
These seven henges are the gates leading to
Chiselled into the stone of the circle are
the seven magical realms of the Guardians. It
seven symbols. Each symbol is about the
makes no difference in what order the realms
size
of a hand. The seven symbols seem to
are entered. In each realm
is
one
of
the seven
be stylized, linear depictions
of
a square,
magical symbols. When
all
the symbols are
a star, an arrow, a cup, a circle, a triangle,
placed in the appropriate place on the circle
and an hourglass. The second unusual
of
stone, the way to Carnifex Castle will be
feature of the cavern is its ceiling. Directly
opened.
above the circle of symbols is arr open
At this point the D M can let the players
shaft. The shaft
is
the same size as the cir-
look at the back of the Library Clues aid.
cle and seems
to
stretch to the top of the
Player Aid
2
is
a
diagram of the plateau show-
mesa.
ing the seven henges and the circle (including
the seven symbols).
The circle of symbols is a magical lift con-
Note that while the Immortals created the
nected to the top of the mesa. In the cave wall
seven realms, none of the inhabitants of those
is a secret panel concealing a lever set in the
realms are themselves true Immortals. Origi-
cave wall. The lever
is
coated with
a
contact
nally the inhabitants were servants of the Im-
poison. It can be safely handled as long as no
mortals although some of them have since
one touches it with their bare skin. The poi-
become independent and no longer take or-
son does not affect the victim right away. The
ders from their creators.
symptom, a 1 round loss of conscienlce, only
occurs when the character over exerts himself
(working hard, running, or fighting more
than one round). The poison will rcmain in
the victim’s system until
its
effect
is
triggered
once.
When the lever
is
depressed
it
activates the
magic of the lift. The lift will slowly rise to the
4

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