The Legend of the Black Monastery Two centuries have passed since the terrible events associated with the hideous cult known as the Black Brotherhood. Only scholars and story-tellers remember now how the kingdom was nearly laid to waste and the Black Monastery rose to grandeur and fell into haunted ruins. The Brothers first appeared as an order of benevolent priests and humble monks in black robes who followed a creed of kindness to the poor and service to the kingdom. Their rules called for humility and self denial. Other religious orders had no quarrel with their theology or their behavior. Their ranks grew as many commoners and nobles were drawn to the order by its good reputation. The first headquarters for the order was a campsite, located in a forest near the edge of the realm. The Brothers said that their poverty and dedication to service allowed them no resources for more grand accommodations. Members of the Black Brotherhood built chapels in caves or constructed small temples on common land near villages. They said that these rustic shrines allowed them to be near the people they served. Services held by the Brothers at these locations attracted large numbers of common people, who supported the Black Brotherhood with alms. Within 50 years of their first appearance, the Black Brotherhood had a number of larger temples and abbeys around the kingdom. Wealthy patrons endowed them with lands and buildings in order to buy favor and further the work of the Brothers. The lands they gained were slowly expanded as the order’s influence grew. Many merchants willed part of their fortunes to the Black Brotherhood, allowing the order to expand their work even further. The Brothers became bankers, loaning money and becoming partners in trade throughout the kingdom. Within 200 years of their founding, the order was wealthy and influential, with chapters throughout the kingdom and spreading into nearby realms. With their order well-established, the Black Brotherhood received royal permission to build a grand monastery in the hill country north of the kingdom’s center. Their abbot, a cousin of the king, asked for the royal grant of a specific hilltop called the Hill of Mornay. This hill was already crowned by ancient ruins that the monks proposed to clear away. Because it was land not wanted for agriculture, the king was happy to grant the request. He even donated money to build the monastery and encouraged others to contribute. With funds from around the realm, the Brothers completed their new monastery within a decade. It was a grand, sprawling edifice built of black stone and called the Black Monastery. From the very beginning, there were some who said that the Black Brotherhood was not what it seemed. There were always hints of corruption and moral lapses among the Brothers, but no more than any other religious order. There were some who told stories of greed, gluttony and depravity among the monks, but these tales did not weaken the order’s reputation during their early years. All of that changed with the construction of the Black Monastery. Within two decades of the Black Monastery’s completion, locals began to speak of troubling events there. Sometimes, Brothers made strange demands. They began to cheat farmers of their crops. They loaned money at ruinous rates, taking the property of anyone who could not pay. They pressured or even threatened wealthy patrons, extorting money in larger and larger amounts. Everywhere, the Black Brotherhood grew stronger, prouder and more aggressive. And there was more… People began to disappear. The farmers who worked the monastery lands reported that some people who went out at night, or who went off by themselves, did not return. It started with individuals…people without influential families…but soon the terror and loss spread to even to noble households. Some said that the people who disappeared had been taken into the Black Monastery, and the place slowly gained an evil reputation. Tenant farmers began moving away from the region, seeking safety at the loss of their fields. Slowly, even the king began to sense that the night was full of new terrors. Across the kingdom, reports began to come in telling of hauntings and the depredations of monsters. Flocks of dead birds fell from clear skies, onto villages and city streets. Fish died by thousands in their streams. Citizens reported stillborn babies and monstrous births. Crops failed. Fields were full of stunted plants. Crimes of all types grew common as incidents of madness spread everywhere. Word spread that the center of these dark portents was the Black Monastery, where many said the brothers practiced necromancy and human sacrifice. It was feared that the Black Brotherhood no longer worshipped gods of light and had turned to the service of the Dark God. These terrors came to a head when the Black Brotherhood dared to threaten the king himself. Realizing his peril, the king moved to dispossess and disband the Black Brother hood. He ordered their shrines, abbeys and lands seized. He had Brothers arrested for real and imagined crimes. He also ordered investigations into the Black Monastery and the order’s highest ranking members. The Black Brotherhood did not go quietly. Conflict between the order and the crown broke into violence when the Brothers incited their followers to riot across the kingdom. There were disturbances everywhere, including several attempts to assassinate the king by blades and by dark sorcery. It became clear to everyone that the Black Brotherhood was far more than just another religious order. Once knives were drawn, the conflict grew into open war between the crown and the Brothers. The Black Brotherhood had exceeded their grasp. Their followers were crushed in the streets by mounted knights. Brothers were rounded up and arrested. Many of them were executed. Armed supporters of the Black Brotherhood, backed by arcane and divine magic, were defeated and slaughtered. The Brothers were driven back to their final hilltop fortress – the Black Monastery. They were besieged by the king’s army, trapped and waiting for the king’s forces to break in and end the war. The final assault on the Black Monastery ended in victory and disaster. The king’s army took the hilltop, driving the last of the black-robed monks into the monastery itself. The soldiers were met by more than just men. There were monsters and fiends defending the monastery. There was a terrible slaughter on both sides. In many places the dead rose up to fight again. The battle continued from afternoon into night, lit by flames and magical energy. The Black Monastery was never actually taken. The king’s forces drove the last of their foul enemies back inside the monastery gates. Battering rams and war machines were hauled up the hill to crush their way inside. But before the king’s men could take the final stronghold, the Black Brotherhood immolated themselves in magical fire. Green flames roared up from the monastery, engulfing many of the king’s men as well. As survivors watched, the Black Monastery burned away, stones, gates, towers and all. There was a lurid green flare that lit the countryside. There was a scream of torment from a thousand human voices. There was a roar of falling masonry and splitting wood. Smoke and dust obscured the hilltop. The Black Monastery collapsed in upon itself and disappeared. Only ashes drifted down where the great structure had stood. All that was left of the Black Monastery was its foundations and debris-choked dungeons cut into the stones beneath. The war was over. The Black Brotherhood was destroyed. But the Black Monastery was not gone forever. Over nearly two centuries since its destruction, the Black Monastery has returned from time to time to haunt the Hill of Mornay. Impossible as it seems, there have been at least five incidents in which witnesses have reported finding the Hill of Mornay once again crowned with black walls and slate-roofed towers. In every case, the manifestation of this revenant of the Black Monastery has been accompanied by widespread reports of madness, crime and social unrest in the kingdom. Sometimes, the monastery has appeared only for a night. The last two times, the monastery reappeared atop the hill for as long as three months…each appearance longer than the first. There are tales of adventurers daring to enter the Black Monastery. Some went to look for treasure. Others went to battle whatever evil still lived inside. There are stories of lucky and brave explorers who have survived the horrors, returning with riches from the fabled hordes of the Black Brotherhood. It is enough to drive men mad with greed – enough to lure more each time to dare to enter the Black Monastery.
A party of adventures has gone missing and the inhabitants of a local town have been acting strangely it is up to the party to figure out what is going on and stop what ever force are at work on the towns people
Sharn is paralyzed. Half of the council was under the control of roach thralls for the last 20 years, and with the conspiracy revealed the government apparatus is at a standstill. The criminal organization Daask rises from the underbelly to take control of the chaos and further destabilize the city.
A slaver gang known as the Bloodreavers are terrorizing the countryside from their base deep in the labyrinth under Thunderspire Mountain. But these slavers are only the symptom of a larger threat in the bowels of Thunderspire.
In the Anauroch desert, darkness is growing. The followers of the Vile Spore Goddess Zuggtmoy have stolen the dreams of the Bedine Seeress Deja, trapping them in an eldritch artifact. Unless her dreams are returned, the Seeress will descend into madness, and her people along with her.
A Ravaged Land... Villains that really are larger than life... A time for heroes... A decade ago, the land of Geoff was overrun by a horde of giants, ogres, and evil humanoids, its people either slain, enslaved, or driven into exile. Now at last the tide has turned. The time to free the people of Geoff from their servitude to the giantish tyrants has come! But don't forget to watch your step when you confront the true masters behind the giant Clans! Contains the full text of three classic adventures by Gary Gygax: G1, Steading of the Hill Giant Chief; G2, The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl; and G3, Hall of the Fire GIant King. Details Eighteen new encounter sites in the war-torn land of Geoff, linked together to form a grand campaign. Provides dozens of hours of gameplay as the heroes struggle to free an entire country from the grasp of giant overlords. TSR 11413
An army has appeared from the desert wastes led by a sorcerer said to be immortal. Fearing imminent attack, the Border Kingdoms have sent assassins to slay this so called Ravager and find this terrible rumor is true. You are tasked with discovering the secret to the sorcerer's immortality, hidden amidst an ancient crypt.
The adventurers are asked to search for a local temple official who has not returned after leaving to search for a hidden treasure vault. On their way, they are attacked by some Kobolds and chase the fleeing monsters to the hidden entrance. The adventurers explore the ruins and discover what has become of the missing temple official.
The Raiders’ Hideout is a series of underground chambers (or perhaps the interior of a pyramid) that serves as a base of operations for a band of gnoll desert raiders. The PCs have come to exact a measure of justice for recent brutal caravan raids. They’ve tracked the gnolls to their lair, where they intend to end the threat to desert trade once and for all. Pgs. 30-35
This adventure is a prequel to the first ever stand-alone module published Palace of the Vampire Queen by Wee Warriors She is simply called the Vampire Queen. A being so powerful and evil that the mere mention of her title, raises shrieks of horror and anguish. Her reach is seemingly infinite and her machinations sinister beyond the un-derstanding of mortal men. But those very same mortals must stop her. The path to victory leads to only one place. A place of legend and mystery; the Palace of the Vampire Queen! For the first time the ruined Palace Keep is detailed and ready for exploration! The adventure includes one new monster and two new magic items. This module is designed for the First Edition game using six to eight characters of first level.
Crippled, wingless, old and a thousand times more dangerous. Surely, a crippled dragon is less dangerous than a healthy one. Pgs. 35-45
On the border between Anuire and the land of the Khinasi, the Three Brother Mages fight an ancient and immortal awnshegh, the Chimera. The game of cat and mouse has recently begun to draw regents from the entire region. Rumors say that the blade of the last Anuirean emperor, the Sword of Roele, has been tracked to the Chimera's domain, the Chimaeron. The fact that the Gorgon's armies are mustering in Kiergard seems to support the rumor. But choosing sides between the Chimera and the Three Brothers is not easy matter. If the chimera drives the Brothers out, the trade routes through the Chimaeron may be sealed, leaving the seas free for the Khinasi to monopolize trade. If the Brothers drive the Chimera from the magical sources that give her strength, they may establish a beachhead for the Khinasi traders, who are slowly gobbling up the lands of Anuire just as their own lands were once annexed by the empire long ago. Who will you and your comrades ally yourselves with? Who is the true enemy? Can you recover the Sword of Roele before anyone else does, and lay claim to the Iron Throne? This Birthright adventure is suitable for use with any party of three to six characters of levels 5-8, including at least one regent. You must have a copy of the AD&D game rules, the Birthright campaign setting, and the Cities of the Sun campaign expansion to play. TSR 3118
When an ill-favored orb drops from the sky and devastates the countryside, only the PCs stand between an ambitious wizard, a cult of dragons, and a dark ambition that could bring an army of fiendish wyrms into your campaign world! "The screams became overpowered by the sound of the terrible falling star--a black orb of malign energy hurled from the firmament in the dead of night. In that instant, the village of Rhale was utterly destroyed, reduced to a hollow crater of flaming decay. Now, frightened talk of a dark presence descended from above has taken root, though none can put name to the faceless fear that might reside within this terrible orb." While traveling the countryside, the player characters witness an explosive event - the falling of a meteor into a distant hillside. Soon thereafter, they encounter several mercenaries menacing some refugees. From them, the PCs can learn, that a group of dragon worshippers called the Black Covenant are in the area and intend to use the fallen star for their own nefarious purposes. Upon arriving at the crater, the PCs find that the falling star is in fact a massive sphere of iron with an opening in its side. They enter the sphere to find a small complex of rooms protected by numerous traps and guardians. They also battle several members of the Black Covenant, until they make their way to the heart of the complex, where they discover the source of the Covenant's interest in the Black Egg, they try to use it to create a half-fiend red dragon. The PCs must succeed if they wish to prevent the creation of an army of fiendish dragons. Lot's of monstrous NPCs with class levels and templates for enemies (half-black dragon orc warriors level 7, for example) are used in this adventure. Pgs. 57-78
A deadly curse known as the Feast of Dust spreads rapidly through the Meraz Desert, driving its victims mad with hunger and a burning desire to flee into the sands. To find the source of this strange affliction, the heroes must investigate the plagued city of Dimayen, challenging fearsome gnoll tribes, nihilistic daemons, and the walking dead to discover the secret of a long-forgotten evil—a powerful daemon harbinger called the Jackal Prince of Famine. Despite the efforts of an ancient secret society, this twisted, unholy monstrosity walks the world again, threatening to spread his apocalyptic curse across all of Golarion! To stop the demigod's return, the heroes must uncover his three vile siblings, now bound within malevolent artifacts, and use their combined powers to stop the Jackal Prince before the entire world feels his corrupting touch.
"Gnolls have captured the heroes! After stripping the characters of all equipment except their armor and clothing, the gnolls drag them to an expansive briar maze known as the Twisted Thickets and set them loose. Then, armed to the teeth, the gnolls hunt down their prey. The characters must survive the hunt and outwit their pursuers. Stripped of your armor and weapons, you are cast into the Twisted Thicket and hunted like rabbits. If you want revenge, you must first survive Yeenoghu's evil Hunters. After dealing with the gnoll hunters, the heroes can try to reclaim their lost equipment and exact revenge on the tribe, which lairs in the caves beneath Dead Gnoll’s Eye Socket." Pgs. 2-14
Built high on cliffs overlooking the confluence of two rivers, Gurthap Keep was a bastion of strength and a haven for the Cult of the Red God. Here, priests of old sacrificed over the tomb of long dead Kha M Thir, honoring him for his long service to the Red God. They added bastions to the keep, walls, a temple and barracks. From there they terrorized the surrounding country, raiding the villages of Alice, Greenbriar and Ends Meet until at last the rangers gathered against the Cult and overthrew it. They drove them from their walls and those they did not slay, fled into the Darkenfold to the south. The castle has sat thus ever since, a grim testament to the gods of the old world. The forest has consumed it and only the memories of men keep it alive. But within its abandoned walls lie the shadows of yesteryear. For the tomb of Kah M Thir was never found and the secrets of the priests of the Red God never fully revealed.
Appearing only once a century in the western deserts of Katapesh, the Asmodeus Mirage has plagued Golarion for thousands of years. Powered by a crystal bone devil skeleton and legendary for trapping unwary travelers, the Society has a vested interest in studying and cataloging the source of its power. You have been sent deep into the deserts of northern Garund to enter the Mirage—but there's a catch! The Mirage only exists on Golarion for 24 hours every 100 years. Get trapped in the Mirage, and you may never see Golarion again.
The Dread of Dynwel is an adventure set in the Forgotten Realms and optimized for 4-5 players. The characters start as a down on their luck but somewhat experienced crew of adventurers with a wanted poster which pays a much-needed gold reward. Soon, events in the Sunset Vale are revealed as more dangerous than they seem, sweeping the characters along with them. From the heights of the Sunset Mountains, the alleyways of Scornubel, and depths of the Reaching Wood: The Dread of Dynwel covers levels 2 through 8 and features material which can be played as a full campaign or dropped into an ongoing one.
The party is enlisted to assist the Righteous Host, an army formed as a last resort to defend the world against the monsters of Elemental Evil. The host is greatly outnumbered. Its leaders send the party on a series of missions, each of which will give the Righteous Host an edge in the great battle to come. This epic adventure ends with the final push against the forces of Elemental Evil in the Meadows, and the outcome is informed by how effective the party is in their missions... and whether they are willing to risk putting themselves in the front lines. If the Righteous Host loses, players may decide to travel to Hommlet or other nearby towns to defend them. Whether the host is successful or not, players can decide to follow many different plot threads: exploring the Temple of Elemental Evil, finding the lich Kell the Eldest's lair and destroying his phylactory, or following the will of Bitbaern's Shield and discovering historical sites that were previously lost. Pgs. 44-69
Heavy mists have plagued the area around Phlan for weeks, even after the reported death of Vorgansharax, the Maimed Virulence. People have been disappearing in those deadly fogs, and now dead bodies are turning up. A D&D Adventurer’s League adventure set in the Quivering Forest.