sovereign stone a tangled web.pdf

ATANGLEDWEB

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This electronic publication of A Tangled Web is done under version 1.0a

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Originally printed in Campaign Magazine, August 2002.

Conceptualization

Larry Elmore, Margaret Weis

& Tracy Hickman

Story Concept

Jamie Chambers

Design

Christopher Coyle

Editing

Jamie Chambers

Cover Illustration

Alan Gutierrez & Stephen Daniele

Interior Illustration

Andy Hopp, Les Evans, Stephen

Daniele

Cartography

Craig Zipse

Art Direction

Don Perrin & Christopher Coyle

Graphic Design

Matt Adelsperger & Don Perrin

A special thanks to Sean Everette, Campaign Magazine, and our good friends at

Fast Forward Entertainment.

Haedol raised his son the best he could, aided by his

friend and chamberlain, Jaryn. Between the two of

them, the young boy grew up a bit wild and mis-

chievous, but with the same good heart possessed by

his father. That’s why the sudden and unexpected

kidnapping of young Ranulf has struck the house-

hold of Baron Haedol fairly hard.

The Haedol family is considered wealthy, but their

wealth comes not from currency, instead it is tied up

in land and investments throughout the kingdom.

When the ransom demand came, however, the Baron

was shocked to see what the bandits wanted—in

addition to a relatively “paltry” sum of 1,000 argents,

they also wanted the Baron to deliver an ancient fam-

ily heirloom, the circlet of the serpent , which had been

buried with the Baron’s great-grandfather, a Temple

Magi of some renown.

The Baron and Jaryn went to the Crypt to retrieve the

heirloom, but they found the crypt had been dis-

turbed already, the sealed doors broken open, with

something dark and foul taking up residence within.

If the Baron doesn’t come up with the complete ran-

som in time, the bandits have threatened to kill Ran-

ulf, something the Baron could never allow. Slowly,

time creeps by, and the Baron needs help to retrieve

the circlet and his son from danger. Luckily, there just

happens to be a “famous” band of heroes around

who can possibly help!

A T ANGLED W EB

I NTRODUCTION

A nobleman’s only son and heir has been kidnapped,

held by an unscrupulous group of bandits whose

ransom demands include a family relic long since

buried in the family crypt. Unfortunately, something

terrible has taken residence in the crypt, and the

nobleman needs the item before it is too late to save

his son. Perhaps he can enlist the aid of a group of

adventurers, who have become rather famous in the

area, to help save his son.

A Tangled Web is a Sovereign Stone d20 System

adventure designed for a party of 4-6 2 nd and 3 rd

level characters (though it can be modified to work

for both lower and higher level parties with minimal

effort). If this is the players first adventure in the

world of Sovereign Stone, be sure to spend some

time going over the differences between adventuring

in Loerem and other d20 System campaign worlds.

For those who do not own the Sovereign Stone Cam-

paign Sourcebook (and you really should, you know!)

information below is provided as a guideline on

modifying the adventure for other campaign set-

tings.

C ONVERTING T HE A DVENTURE

A Tangled Web was designed primarily for use with

the Sovereign Stone Campaign Sourcebook , and assumes

that the Referee has access to it, in addition to the d20

Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebooks I-III .

If you do not possess the Sovereign Stone Campaign

Sourcebook but still wish to use this adventure, it is

relatively simple to adapt the adventure to another

campaign. Replace Noble-classed characters with

equivalent levels in Fighter or twice the equivalent

levels in the Aristocrat NPC class. The Void mage

should become a Wizard specialized in the use of

Necromancy (with the appropriate feats to represent

this). To animate the skeletons, give the Void mage a

wand of animate dead , and the circlet of serpents will

grant a +5 effective level to spellcasters who wear the

circlet , when considering the effects of the spells they

are casting (but not to the memorized or known

spells).

R EFEREE I NFORMATION

Jaryn is a descendant of an illegitimate son born to

the Haedol family more than five generations back.

He insinuated himself into Baron Haedol’s good

graces when the Baron was still a young rake in the

Vinnengaelean Court. Deep in his heart, he despises

the good-natured Baron, for he believes he should

have been the rightful heir to everything the Baron

now possesses. Biding his time, Jaryn worked dili-

gently in order to ensure he could become the

Baron’s “friend” and eventual chamberlain. It was

Jaryn who secretly poisoned the Baron’s young wife

so that she would die in child labor, also hoping to

kill the unborn heir as well, though he failed. Over

the years, he has tried many times to “kill” young

Ranulf, but somehow the child managed to find a

way into Jaryn’s heart, enough so that Jaryn could

never really bring himself to kill the young boy. In

disgust at his own soft-heartedness, Jaryn has decid-

ed that if he cannot destroy the Haedols, he will

leave and go his own way—but he will not go empty

handed.

For years, Jaryn has studied the manuscripts left

behind by the Baron’s great-grandfather in the

library. Secretly, Jaryn taught himself the ways of

Void magic, desiring the power it promised him. It

was in those texts that Jaryn learned of the circlet of

B ACKGROUND

Baron Haedol is a simple man, despite his ancient

and noble lineage. He and his family live outside of

New Vinnengael, in their ancestral estate, where they

content themselves with overseeing a modest land-

holding. Ten years ago, his wife passed away during

childbirth, leaving him to care for their newborn son.

SOVEREIGN STONE: A TANGLED WEB

the serpent . Said to bestow increased aptitude at spell-

casting, the circlet is a prize many would give their

lives for, if they knew of its existence. Since it had

been buried with the Baron’s ancestor more than a

hundred years ago, Jaryn knew that his opportunity

to gain something from the Haedols had finally

arrived.

Stealing away one evening, Jaryn headed for the

Haedol Family Crypt in order to dig up the circlet .

Unfortunately, he discovered to his chagrin that

something foul and dangerous had beat him to the

prize, but had become trapped by a latent magic. His

own magical talents hindered by the same magic,

Jaryn just barely managed to escape with his life.

Enraged by yet another setback, Jaryn decided it was

time to take drastic measures. Riding out, he found a

small group of bandits. Offering them a hefty sum,

he enlisted them to kidnap young Ranulf and ran-

som the boy to the Baron. The bandits could keep

whatever money they desired, but they would also

ask for the circlet , which Jaryn would pay them

another tidy sum to hand over to him. The bargain

met, Jaryn aided the bandits in kidnapping Ranulf

and in composing the ransom note, leaving it for the

Baron to discover.

S YNOPSIS

The adventure begins as the characters are

approached by Jaryn, looking to enlist their aid in

dealing with the kidnappers. They will be escorted to

the Haedol Estate, where the baron will make an

impassioned plea and offer a handsome reward, if

the characters could retrieve the circlet and act with

him to ensure the safe return of his son.

Once the characters have agreed to the task, they will

first need to enter the Haedol Family Crypt and

retrieve the circlet from the same room in which a

skig has been trapped. With the circlet in hand, they

can return to the Baron, escorting him to the meeting

place with the bandits. Unfortunately, young Ranulf

has already managed to escape the bandits on his

own, getting lost in the forest. The bandits, of course,

still want their payment, so they’ve arranged a ruse,

using a decoy instead of the real boy. If the characters

can uncover the ruse in time, they can track down the

run-away boy and return him to his father, though

Jaryn will also be waiting, and his sanity may not be

able to handle yet another defeat.

SOVEREIGN STONE: A TANGLED WEB

faced, elderly woman (Atone’s wife, Vinnengae-

lean/Expert 3; Cha 16; hp 10) who will escort the

character’s to the Baron’s study. To set the scene, read

or paraphrase the following:

A DVENTURE S TART

There are a number of ways that this adventure can

begin. If the characters have already adventured a

time or two together, then news of their exploits can

easily reach the ears of both Jaryn and Baron Haedol.

Jaryn will put forth the idea of hiring a group of

adventurers to retrieve the circlet , and the anxious

Baron will readily agree. ANoble character (particu-

larly a Vinnengaelean), may be well known as an

adventurer, so the Baron may appeal to that charac-

ter for assistance. Otherwise, Jaryn will approach the

characters one day while they are resting up in a

nearby inn or tavern.

You are escorted through a grand hallway,

filled with relics of past barons: suits of

archaic armor and shields free of dust or

patina; paintings and sculptures of regal

looking men, all staring down their distinc-

tively hooked noses; banners and trophies

of victories long since forgotten.

Pausing at the entryway of a room illumi-

nated by a flickering hearthfire, Madge

hesitates for a moment before softly calling

out, “M’lord Baron? Your guests have

arrived.”

A LTERNATE A DVENTURE H OOK

If you are continuing this adventure immediately

after Flesh & Bone (the introductory adventure

included in the Sovereign Stone Campaign Sourcebook ),

the easiest method of introducing the characters is to

have the portal at the end of the adventure lead to an

area nearby. Throw a quick, simple encounter at

them (such as a lone ogre lurking at the end of the

tunnel). Seeing the creature attacking a helpless

group of peasants, allow the characters to easily

overcome this foe. The peasants will loudly proclaim

the adventurers as their saviors, the story of their

exploit quickly growing larger and more unrecogniz-

able with each telling until it seems that the heroes

defeated an entire army by themselves. The Baron

will be brought word of these brave heroes, sending

them a request for a banquet thrown in their honor.

Once the characters have been rested and fed, their

praises lauded about the room, the Baron will put

forth his plea for their help.

A heavy voice, rough with sorrow, answers,

“Please, bring them in Madge.”

When the characters enter the room, they see Ran-

ulf the Elder, Baron Haedol (Vinnengaelean/Noble

3: See NPCs) rising from his chair, where he had

been sitting and staring into the fire. His normally

cheerful blue eyes are bloodshot and red, his

mouse-brown hair liberally streaked with white,

his handsome face wrinkled with pain and sorrow,

with the distinctive Haedol nose red and veined

from both crying and alcohol. His clothing is of a

fine cut, but it doesn’t look like he has changed or

bathed in many days. It doesn’t look he’s slept for

days either. Nevertheless, he will do his best to

make the characters feel welcome, playing the per-

fect host and inviting the characters to join him at

dinner, where he will discuss the situation with

them.

When the Baron escorts the characters to the for-

mal dining room, they will be met there by Jaryn

(Vinnengaelean/Noble 1, Void Mage 2: See NPCs).

Jaryn is a dapper, handsome man. Dressed elegant-

ly, he cuts a startling contrast against the Baron,

who looks a bit threadbare and beaten down. He

will smilingly introduce himself to the characters,

and over dinner, will be most impressed by tales of

their exploits. Only after the meal is finished will

Jaryn turn to the Baron (who remains sober and

silent throughout dinner) and “gently” prod him

into asking the characters for aid.

The Baron will reluctantly tell the characters of his

son’s kidnapping, and of the ransom demand

found upon the boy’s bed. Finally, almost at the

point of tears, he will plead for assistance. He tells

the characters that the circlet was a gift to his great-

grandfather from the Revered Magus of the Temple

of Magi in New Vinnengael. When his great-grand-

father died, it was interred at his request, in the

E VENT O NE :

M EETING WITH THE B ARON

Regardless of how the characters are approached,

whether through a messenger or by Jaryn directly,

they will be invited to meet with the Baron at his

estate that evening. The Haedol Estate is old, predat-

ing the fall of Old Vinnengael, but it has been main-

tained in excellent condition. More of an elaborate

hunting lodge, crafted of strong granite with stained

glass windows, it’s set atop a small hill, where it

overlooks a fragrant orchard. Slightly off to the side

and the rear, there is a small, well-kept stable where

the Baron keeps two horses, one for himself and one

for his son. The stable is overseen by Atone, an eld-

erly but still spry stableman (Vinnegaelean/Expert 5;

Dex 15; hp 15), who will take good care of any hors-

es placed within.

When the characters knock upon the heavy wooden

door of the estate, it will be answered by a woman

who introduces herself as Madge. Madge is a sweet-

SOVEREIGN STONE: A TANGLED WEB

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