“The Princess Bride
S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
You had to admire a guy who called his own new book a classic before it was
published and anyone had a chance to read it.”
― William Goldman, The Princess
Bride
Part 4. It’s only fitting that there should be 4 parts to
this “review,” seeing that the original A-series was in 4 parts. I did not plan
on that. I intended it to be 1 post. When that failed, I was certain that it
would be 2. God willing, it will remain 4.
Why 4? Because Slavers is a big book. Adventure.
Gazetteer. It covers a lot of ground. Thus: Part 1 was all about the goings on
in the north; Part 2, that in the south; and Part 3 entailed the original underlying
premise, and my misgivings about certain aspects of it.
What would I do differently?
Let’s begin with what I wouldn’t.
I would not mess with the arc of the adventure. At all.
It’s a brilliant sandbox.
That said….
The whole adventure hinges on the Earth Dragon and
Stalman Klim’s desire to spread the worship, far afield, of a demigod that has
never once exhibited the desire to venture anywhere.
I would change that. Not the Earth Dragon’s reticence,
but Klim’s motives.
Let us agree that the Earth Dragon is indeed an ancient
nature spirit that has, over millennia, ascended to demigod status due to
worship by, and sacrifice from, the primitive Flan tribes who migrated into the
Pomarj.
Let us also agree that an Oerid, in the name of Baron
Erkin, made a pact with it, and through it, was able to subjugate the entire peninsula
under his rule.
We can also agree, without any doubt, that in 513 CY, [towards
the end of the Hateful Wars] the ravaged and vengeful armies [of the humanoids]
emerged from the Suss and descended upon Highport in a frenzy of destruction. [LGG
– 88]
But I propose that Stalman Klim was not from Suderham at
all (eliminating his need to escape from the centre of an occupied, and
ravaged, Pomarj), but from the Hold of the Sea Princes, where he and his
brother, Feetla, had some time ago come into contact with the Scarlet
Brotherhood as it slowly infiltrated all levels of society there, in
preparation for their grand strike to come.
Key Sea Princes and Hepmonaland holdings are being
infiltrated by the so-called "Black Brotherhood," a sect devoted to
entropy (Tharizdun). [LGG – 98]
Last, and perhaps worst of all, the agents of the
north reported that the Scarlet Brotherhood did not worship proper gods, but
instead gave tribute to dread Tharizdun, the Great Destroyer.
Needless to say, such reports frightened the rulers of
the Flanaess, who turned to their own trusted advisers and agents in conference
to plan strategies to deal with the growing threat. Unfortunately, many such
advisers were themselves Brotherhood agents, and advised caution and patience
in the matter. In time, they reasoned, the Brotherhood would reveal themselves,
and could be dealt with as the rabble they certainly were. [LGG – 96, 98]
Most are lawful evil in alignment and include a few
warriors, some mages, and a handful of priests. These priests remain extremely
secretive about their religion, which is not exported to the new dominions the
Brotherhood holds. One terrible name has been mentioned in this context:
Tharizdun. [FTAA – 35]
Some might suggest that the Brotherhood, in accordance
with the wishes of the Father of Obedience, was forbade to spread word of
Tharizdun, and that the Brotherhood does not actually worship that dark lord.
This would be true. For the most part. But there are some who disagree with The
Father of Obedience. The forementioned Black Brotherhood, for instance.
Religion: Tharizdun
(claimed by Brotherhood agents but not actually worshiped, except by Black
Brotherhood) [LGG – 96]
 |
| Brother Milerjoy |
The Scarlet Brotherhood would have been on the lookout
for disgruntled Princes of Suloise extraction in the Hold of the Sea Princes,
and they found what they were looking for in Feetla and Stalman Klim. Feetla
and Stalman’s family had once been powerful in the Hold, but no more. They had sought
dominion over the others. They failed and were put to the sword as they tried
to escape the wrath of their peers, until only Feetla and Stalman remained,
living in exile since, driven by the desire to bring vengeance down on those
who had banished them.
Feetla certainly does; and so too did Stalman, once,
until agents of the Brotherhood showed him the power that could be had from
worship of the Elder Elemental Eye. Stalman was seduced by it, and over time, the
Elemental Eye lured him from his original path. Feetla still believes his
brother is working to the same purpose as he, and Stalman has led him to
believe as much.
Elder Elemental Eye Domains: Chaos, Evil, Madness […],
and one of the following: Fire, Earth, Air, or Water. [Return to the Temple
of Elemental Evil – 161]
The Elder Elemental Eye is an “aspect” of Tharizdun,
the Dark God, created originally to mask the cult from the eyes of the world
and draw potential worshipers interested in dark power but afraid of the
reputation of the Tharizdun.
So, despite the fact that many of the worshipers of
the Elder Elemental Eye do not know it, and despite the fact that the two
deities have different granted domains, Tharizdun and the Elder Elemental Eye
are the same deity. [RttToEE – 161]
Tharizdun. Universal. Evil. Eternal dark, decay,
malign knowledge. [T1-4 – 120]
Tharizdun Domains: Chaos, Evil, Madness, Force, and
Destruction [RttToEE – 161]
Clerics of the Elder Elemental Eye wear ochre-colored
robes and bear a triangle symbol (a black triangle with an inverted Y inscribed
within it). Occasionally, their robes or the symbol are altered so that they
reflect what element (fire, air, earth or water) they revere over the others,
if any. [RttToEE – 161]
Stalman knew that the “good” folk of the Hold of the Sea
Princes would never abide the worship of a god such as the Elemental Eye, let
alone Tharizdun.
The Hold of the Sea Princes:
Alignments:
CN*, CE, N, NE, LE
Religions: Osprem, Xerbo, Procan, Norebo, Kelanen
(native Holders); Syrul, Bralm [LGG – 100]
That said, they were not above taking income from taking slaves, were they?
The land here is fertile and suitable for farming all
manner of crop. Fruit production is perhaps the Hold's most famous industry,
though a traffic in slavery brought it the most prewar enemies (and whole ships
filled with coin, thanks to the greedy lords of Ahlissa and elsewhere). In fact,
the slave trade of the Sea Princes was so lucrative that captains called their
captured Amedio slaves "two-legged admirals," referring to the
platinum coinage of the realm. [LGG – 101]
 |
| A Base of Operations |
The Klims needed a base from which to plot their return
and revenge, and their friends in the Scarlet Brotherhood were only too
accommodating, proposing an island they were in possession of off the coast of
the Hellfurnaces, in Jeklea Bay, where they had once consecrated a temple to
Bralm. It was abandoned then, and ideal, they said, for staging the Klims’
upcoming coup.
Despite this, the brothers did not wholly trust the
Brotherhood. What was in in for them, they wondered?
The Scarlet Brotherhood owed Klim favors after all the
years he spent feeding them information about the Wild Coast and slaves.
Through these allies, he secured a retreat: an abandoned monastery once
occupied by devotees to Bralm. Then he pressed the Brotherhood to provide him
with a clone. [Dungeon #215 – 32]
Their distrust
aside, things were looking up for the Klims. They had friends, allies! But the
Dark Mysteries the Brotherhood had introduced Stalman to had already begun to
loosen his grasp on sanity. Stalman began to see plots everywhere.
Aside from the usual precautions—employing
food-tasters, never being without a personal guard, never using his true name
(he was known as Mordrammo to his underlings, a name meaning “I am Death”), and
keeping word of recall in mind—he also took steps to survive the unthinkable. [Dungeon #215
– 32]
[“I am Death,” certainly does point more so in the
direction of the Elder Eye, and less towards the Earth Dragon, doesn’t it?]
Those who
know the truth are offered great power, bur the price is often the cleric’s sanity.
The more dark blessings a cleric of Tharizdun receives, the more tenuous her
grip on reality. [Dragon #294 –
31]
Stalman was not
even aware how insidiously Tharizdun’s influence had subverted his original
aim, drawing him onto an unforeseen path, and a far darker purpose.
The sole duty of this priesthood is to free Tharizdun
from his prison. They sacrifice all to this end. The extent and location of the
priesthood is unknown. [FTAA – 92]
He began to
search for ways to prepare for the Elder Eye’s return, believing the power it
would bestow upon him, its tireless and faithful servant, for its release would
pave the Klims’ way to taking back what was once theirs by birth and right.
Like Eli Tormoras before him, he eventually found his way
to the Lost Temple in the Yatils.
Eli Tomorast has been many places, including a
long-past visit to the Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun some years back, where he
was instructed by priests concerning the ways of hidden knowledge as taught by
the once-powerful Tharizdun. [WG5
Mordenkainen’s Fantastic Adventure – 16]
And it was there that he lost his very soul.
THE BLACK CYST
You have dared all and descended the spiralling purple
steps formed by the strange column of gray smoke, lilac light, and jet black.
This swirling, pulsing column of radiation has opened a means of entrance to
somewhere far beneath the surface of the earth — or perhaps to some place not
of this earth. All of you feel the press of time, a sense of urgency. How long
will this strange gate remain open? You all hope not to learn the hard way as
you hurry down a seemingly endless flight of "steps" made of the
purple radiance. Ten minutes seems more like ten hours, but at last you have
come to what must be your final goal, for the stairs of light give way to more
mundane ones of black stone... [WG4 The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun – 29]
From where you stand near the entrance, your iron
torches cast only a faint light to where some form lies near the center of the
place. This shape is so black that it is absolutely lightless, and it seems to
absorb all the radiance from your torches. As was true in the entry chamber, so
too here; all is needle-rock. [WG4 – 30]
Klim learned that there were other temples: another in
the Sea of Dust, another in the Rakers, and yet another upon the high plateau of
the Tilvenot.
Sites keyed to [Tharizdun] still exist, and his relics
still hold power. [LGG – 98]
He suspected that there was another, central, and
presumably far more powerful temple, betwixt them all, in the Drachensgrab
mountains in the Pomarj.
In the Drachensgrabs, there are said to be temples to
the dreaded Lost God, Tharizdun. [Dragon #191
– 67]
But where? There
were rumours, in that regard:
Huge beetles have been seen along the banks of the
upper Jewel River; they are said to radiate a terrible, rotten stench and to
have ghastly, skeletal heads. (DM note: Adapt statistics for Death Watch or
Slicer beetles, adding the effects of troglodyte musk. The beetles have been
transformed/mutated by feeding on ordure of infected neo-otyughs which, in
turn, shelter within a deep temple of Tharizdun and are themselves horribly
altered—they have tentacles, pincered beaks, and have the special defense of
displacement (as per the cloak).) [FTAC – 49]
Stalman
convinced his elder brother upon his return that he had discovered the means by
which their eventual triumph would be made certain. And Feetla believed him. Although,
to give Feetla credit, he never actually believed the Brotherhood’s claim that
their only wish was to raise them, true scions of the Suel, to what was their
right: suzerainty over the Sea Princes and the Amedio. Naively, Feetla believed
that the Brotherhood could be used, even controlled. Poor Feetla. He could not even
see that Stalman had become the mastermind behind the whole enterprise.
But how could
they gain entry to that den of chaos that was the Pomarj? They turned to the
Scarlet Brotherhood for suggestions. The Scarlet Brotherhood claimed that they
had already made inroads into the Pomarj.
Ships from the Scarlet Brotherhood, the Lordship of
the Isles, the Brotherhood-controlled Hold of the Sea Princes, and many
independent pirates make landings in Blue. [Slavers – 87]
They suggested that they knew just the man who could open
a dialogue with the orcs. They did
indeed already have one of their own in place: Nerelas, a silent and cunning
assassin and spymaster.
Nerelas informed
the Klims that he knew of a half-orc who can be used as a go-between: Theg
Narlot.
Stalman agreed
to meet the half-orc.
Theg is an unattractive half-orc who can easily pass
for an ugly human. (When presenting himself to his orcish hordes, he normally
uses his Disguise ability to mnke himself look more orcish.) [Slavers –
105]
What’s in it
for me? Theg Narlot would
surely have asked.
 |
| Theg Narlot |
We will put
you upon the throne of the Pomarj, Stalman would have promised him.
But we will need money to gain our
kingdoms, Stalman would have said.
A lot of it. Theg Narlot would
have been unconvinced, just then, understandably.
From where, Theg
Narlot would have asked.
We can help, Nerelas would have promised,
without admitting to any direct connection to his Brotherhood.
We will take
slaves and sell them to raise the money will need, Stalman would have said,
already versed in the Princes’ propensity towards slaving; and Theg Narlot,
being little concerned with the life and liberty of those who could not defend
themselves from his needs and desires would have agreed, surely, and became the
slavers’ master of espionage, searching out the easy prey along the coast, and
further afield as they grew more successful, and keeping watch on any and all
who might stand in his way of gaining his kingdom of the Pomarj.
The slaves needed to be kept somewhere while they awaited
their final fate. Theg Narlot would have met with the orcs of Blue and Highport
and negotiated their price for safe harbour, and eventually a piece of the
action, as those orcs were not blind and could see for themselves the slaves
being brought into port.
Pens would be needed, and able keepers, too. But who? I
know just the right person, Nerelas would have suggested. An elf.
Theg Narlot would have objected. At first. Until he met the maid Markessa. And
recognized, in her, a kindred spirit.
Posing as a priest of the Earth Dragon, Stalman plunged
inland as ports were secured, and stockades erected, divining where the black
heart of the Elder Eye resided. Its beating drew him further inland, until he
had scaled the Drachensgrab Mountains, where its throbbing was thunderous in
his ears.
Many years ago, the worshipers of Tharizdun conceived
a bizarre plan to promote and reinvigorate the power of their religion. Their
agents, as insidious as they were insane, infiltrated the ranks of other evil
religions. […] Once their agents were in place, they began a campaign of lies,
misdirection, and manipulation. [RttToEE – 5]
They took their first slaves as Suderham fell, and were
soon trolling ever further out, until they were as far afield and Darkshelf Quarry
in Nyrond. But as promising as Suderham was, it was not the heart he sought. It
was in, or under, Mount Drachenkopf. It was here, he realized, deep
underground. It would take time to unearth, years maybe; and hundreds of lives
before he was done. And it was here that he raised his temple to the Earth Dragon, with its secret altar to the Elder Elemental Eye, in exclusive, and reclusive, Kalen Lekos,
The first conclave was held in Suderham’s halls. In
attendance were Stalman Klim, Feetla Klim, Nerelas, and Theg Narlot. And two
others:
 |
| Kerin |
[Brother Milerjoy] and his disciple Brother Kerin
mysteriously appeared at the first Council of the Slave Lords. It is an
indication of the growing strength of the Scarlet Brotherhood that Brother
Milerjoi was immediately accepted into the Council. [A3 – 20]
Who were these red-robed strangers? Stalman Klim
demanded to know.
My brothers from Shar, Nerelas said, for it was he
who had brought them. These monks knew secrets known only to the initiates
of the Elder Eye, Nerelas said, and it was they who would keep their
superiors appraised of their great discoveries within the Pomarj. Their
superiors might have included the Father of Obedience, but only insofar as
their gains into the Pomarj, and not the Black Brotherhood’s true purpose.
[Brother Kerin] is a man in his mid-[twenties] [mid-thirties
in Slavers], average height, and wiry-strong. His hair is blond, his eyes gray,
and his skin fair. [Slavers – 104]
[Several groups within the Scarlet Brotherhood] are
investigating ways to draw raw magical power from the sites and artifacts
believed to be associated with [Tharizdun, but] only citizens on the fringe of
Brotherhood society actually revere him.
However, the brotherhood does use Tharizdun’s name as
a threat. [SB – 13]
And the Elemental Eye as a leverage tool.
A plan was agreed upon.
Feetla would command the fleet. He took the name Eanwulf
while abroad, to the purpose of foiling pursuit, and not drawing attention to
his true Suloise Sea Prince heritage. Most pirates would require an alias, I
should imagine, lest they find themselves apprehended while in less than
friendly ports, and suffer the same fate of Calico Jack and Edward Teach.
Feetla is a master buccaneer and current leader of the
Slave Lords. His daring raids and naval strength have helped the Slave Lords
dominate the region. [A3 – 19]
Theg Narlot would send out spies into the Woolly Bay and
Gearnat, and keep the orcs in check.
Also in his belt is a scroll listing all of the Slave
Lords’ agents among the Lords of the Gearnat area, and an order for the
assassination of all the relatives of the adventurers that can be found. Theg
Narlot is in charge of all espionage activities for the Slave lords. [A4 –
20]
Nerelas would infiltrate the cities of their enemies, and
take what measures he saw fit, as needed.
[Suderham’s assassins] guild will not provide any
information concerning the catacombs (“impassable sewers filled with rats”),
and will report anyone questioning them on these matters to Nerelas the
Assassin, who functions as the local guildmaster - and as one of the Slave
Lords. [A3 – 11]
And Stalman would supervise the excavation of the sacred
site under the mountain.
Mordrammo is the chief priest of the Temple of the
Earth Dragon. He is a strong enemy, but his self-preservation instinct is
strong. [A3 – 20]
Stalman Klim was one of the most powerful and
influential members of the Slave Lords. Although he was second to Feetla, he
had the ear of everyone counted as a member of the Nine. [Dungeon #215 – 32]
In time, their conclave grew in number.
Nerelas invited his sister Ketta, for her skill in
infiltrating ports, and to gather information on the defenses of those they
thought to raid.
Ketta’s corps of thief infiltrators are present in all
the towns along the Sea of Gearnat, and it is through these informants that the
slavers always know exactly when to strike. [A4 – 22]
I've suggested in an earlier post that Ketta be slipped into the narrative as early as A0 Danger at Darkshelf Quarry, a friendly face, as it were, and one that might keep tabs on the heroes, eventually betraying them.
The Brothers invited Ajakstu, a Suel Mage of no small
skill, and the illusionist Lamonsten, to weave the phantasms that would instil
fear in their captives, not to mention keeping their books.
Ajakstu, the magic-user, has been quite useful to the
Slave Lords with [her] staff of power, crystal ball and ring of spell storing.
The crystal ball in particular has enabled them to escape traps set for them
and eliminate any dissent. [A3 – 19] [As a side note, I preposed in a prior
post that we change Ajaksu’s gender, seeing that the Slavelords were a wee bit
male heavy.]
In a water proof case on Lamonsten’s back is a deed to
mining rights in the hills near Hardby [A4 – 20]
It came to further surprise when an ebon-skinned elf
arrived, invited by none other than the Father of Obedience, himself. He and Eclavdra
have an understanding. They both wish to sow confusion upon the Flanaess, each
for their own reason, and Eclavdra has agreed to send her protégé to aid the
Father, in that regard. [That’s thin ice, but I cannot come up with a better
reason.]
Edralve is an exile from Erelhei Cinlu, from which she
barely escaped after an abortive coup. The other Slave Lords both respect her
abilities and fear her devious cruelty. She devised the morale-breaking fear
tactics employed by the slavers in their raids. [A4 – 20]
Stalman was not pleased. Here, in his midst, was a cleric
of the Elder Elemental God, a presumed rival to his Elemental Eye. Edralve
would surely not aide him in his quest.
She did not. She
placed her own agent, the thief Sturm “Dirk” Buckholtz, in Highport. Stalman
placed his acolyte Pieta there to counter Sturm, instructing her to pose as a
cleric of Grummsh, to draw support from the orcs there.
We come abreast
of the events in the original series.
 |
| Brubgrok |
Anarchy persisted for decades until the mid 560s, when
a group arose to seize control of large swaths of the Pomarj and put it under
central authority. Calling themselves the Slave Lords, these humans brokered
deals with the orc chieftains and began fostering an illicit trade in flesh.
[LGG – 88]
For several years, organized bands of pirates and
slavers have made a living by raiding the coastal towns on the Sea of Gearnat.
Ranging from Onnwal to the Wild Coast, they have descended quickly and ruthlessly
on the small towns and villages, and carried off innocent citizens into the
night. [A1 – 2]
This includes the sleepy town of Darkshelf, not so far
from Onnwal.
A quarry located a half-mile from the village of
Darkshelf (so named for the dark, stony seabed in the harbor), on the coast of
the Sea of Gearnat in Nyrond, has been producing modest amounts of granite and
limestone for decades. [A0 – 6]
 |
| The Temple |
The half-orc is part of a growing network of slavers
who are taking captives and funneling them to the despoiled city of Highport in
the Pomarj. Brubgrok acts as a broker, buying slaves from bands of slavers and
hiding them in the depths of the quarry until they can be shipped to Highport.
[A0 – 6]
Brubgrok being a half-orc is fitting. He is Theg's "man" on the scene. Whether he is annoyed that the Slavers foisted acolytes of the Elemental Eye on him is anyone's guess. I would suggest that he is not, but what's a half-orc to do. He's following orders, and what Theg wants, Theg gets.
Brubgrok brought in a small group of evil clerics to
assist him with his operations. The clerics worship an unspeakably evil god
they refer to as the Elder Elemental Eye, or simply the Eye. [A0 – 19]
Not the Earth Dragon. Not Grummsh, either. The Elemental
Eye.
We know the
story that follows. Heroes are gathered, etc.
[Our heroes] have entered the no-man's land that is
the Pomarj in the attempt to track the slavers to their lair. In the course of
your adventures, you received information that the next bastion of the slavers
was in the Drachensgrab Mountains. After many fruitless attempts at following
parties of slaves and slavers, you discovered that they disappeared beneath one
great peak in the Drachensgrab Hills. [A3 – 2]
The heroes awake in the bowls of Drachen Keep, the Mount Flamenblut,
and must race for their lives to escape the supposed wrath of the Earth Dragon,
and ultimately confront the last of the surviving Slavelords.
Or not.
If you were playing this back in the day, it surely was
their end…because it was.
But this was not the end, was it…?
In the hidden city
of Suderham, in the maw of Mt. Flamenlut, they confronted the masters [,]
vanquished their foes and scattered them to the four corners of the Flanaess,
the mountain woke, its fiery blood.
[Slavers – 2]
Vanquished is not necessarily dead, is it? We know now
that many of the Slavelords did survive. Markessa did. So did Theg Narlot. Not
to mention Kerin. Our original heroes may have survived their ordeal, but they
did not put an end to the Slavelords. They escaped, and plotted their return.
And Ajakstu? If you recall, I suggested that he become a
she, and that she be LN and not the unspecified evil expected. Did she survive
A3? Did she, could she, betray her cause, assigned to her by the
Scarlet Sign? Was she killed by her co-conspirators for her betrayal?
More importantly, what happened to Stalman and Feetla?
If you recall, they had a fortress from which to plot, in
Jeklea Bay.
The heroes had the Slavers on the run, and if they had
discovered Stalman Klim’s true intent, they would have realized that he and
those members of the Black Brotherhood who had toiled to return Tharizdun would
have been the true threat, and spared no effort in tracking them down.
In this location-based adventure, the adventurers
explore a ruined monastery to hunt down the last surviving Slave Lord,
Mordrammo, also known as Stalman Klim. The priest of the Earth Dragon has
arranged for a Scarlet Brotherhood wizard named Geoffrey to watch over the
monastery until the clone finishes growing. Klim regards the wizard and his
lackeys as expendable. When Klim awakens in his new body, he plans to fetch his
treasure and quit the place for safe harbor in Cauldron by way of his pet
wyverns. [Dungeon #215 – 33]
They failed.
Stalman Klim
foiled their every attempt to put an end to his plans.
And in their
hast to chase Klim, they underestimated Theg Narlot’s potential threat.
The Slavelords
escaped. And in time, they returned, better prepared than ever.
Who are the new
Slave Lords?
Stalman Klim Human P 16
Doomdreamers are the elite among the ranks of the cult
of Tharizdun. The name comes from that they all claim to have been contacted by
the Dark God in their dreams. They are all extremely evil, raving lunatics or
sadistic, brooding and cruel individuals of singular corruption. All
doomdreamers are masters of ancient, forbidden knowledge and madness, and
devotees of nihilism. […] They travel far and wide, however, working out the
steps of their mysterious, convoluted plans to bring their deity out of
imprisonment. They know that such an act would bring an end to the world—but
they do not care. In fact, they are so mad that they revel in the thought of
it. [RttToEE – 162]
In their studies of forbidden lore, doomdreamers
stumble upon all sorts of foul but useful knowledge and secrets. Some of these
come from experimenting with dangerous drugs, speaking with demons, or mad
visions. [RttToEE – 163]
Smoke of Little Death: During […]
magical slumber, those [under the influence] of the oil’s effect [experience]
strange and vivid dreams. Priests […] say they commune with their god during
this sleep, while others report nightmare visions. [Slavers – 127]
Markessa Elf F12/M13
When out of her house, Markessa is accompanied at all
times by her bodyguard and lover, a man named Devon who was once horribly
scarred but now looks quite attractive because of the work she has done. He
would sacrifice himself to protect her. [Slavers – 104]
 |
| The Slave Lords |
Brother Kerin H, Monk 10
Brother Kerin’s home has three bedrooms and three
full-time servants. In addition to the normal uses of a home, he occasionally
entertains emissaries from the Scarlet Brotherhood here; there is a 35% chance
for any given week that he has a guest—, a monk, assassin, or thief agent of
the Scarlet Brotherhood of 7th level or higher. [Slavers – 103]
Theg
Narlot/Turrosh Mak Half-orc F10/Ass12
Tall, with a strong body, he is starting to go gray at
the temples and probably will be considering retirement in the next few years,
as he is middle-aged for a half-or'. Still, he is a ruthless and intelligent
wamior, and he will nor hesitate to use every dirty trick he knows to keep
himself alive. He will try to kill anyone who dares to attack him. [Slavers
– 105]
Unjan H, F10; AL LN
Unjan, a former paladin of Mayaheme, was involved in
the Great Northern Crusade to reclaim the Shield Lands lost to the evil
demigod's armies during the Greyhawk Wars. Shocked by the horrors inflicted
upon the land and its people, he somehow acquired a perverse desire to collect
trophies and ocher loot from reclaimed Shield Lands territories. This activity
soon began to threaten his paladin vows of charity and poverty, and when he
disregarded warnings, he lost his paladinhood and became a normal fighter. Now
Unjan is obsessed—almost maniacally so—with collecting riches and displaying
them in his home. He is not a thief, for he is more than willing to barter for
or purchase items that catch his interest. Other than this quirk, he is a
friendly man with field-tested knowledge of naval and infantry tactics. He was
recruited by the Slavelords because of this expertise. He made the alliance
because of the treasures he'd he able to obtain through the Slavelords'
~extensive contacts. [Slavers – 105, 106]
Ah-Bay Half-Ogre F8/P8
(of Beltar); AL CE
Ah-Bey himself is a half-ogre priest of Beltar, and he
represents the religious interests of the humanoids in the slaving operations.
Born of a human mother, he was abandoned to an orphanage and raised under the
careful scrutiny of the other orphans and the stern priests of St. Curhbert.
After fleeing their repeated attempts to "knock some sense into him,"
he lived on the meets of Greyhawk for several years and finally traveled into
the Orcish Empire of the Pomarj in an attempt to learn more about his nonhuman
heritage. He was taken in by a group of ogres and mined by the tribe's priest.
Respected for his intelligence and significant strength […], he was a natural
choice for the Slavelords as a representative of the spiritual life of the
humanoid tribes. [Slavers – 106]
The temple [of Beltar] is strongly supported by
the Scarlet Brotherhood, and the priests make weekly sacrifices to this foul
goddess. [Slavers – 93]
Kent Halfling T10; AL
NE
He also is a cunning schemer and financier, and is
responsible for many of the underground and "gray market" contacts
the Slavelords use in Dyvers and Hardby. He rarely leaves the city, but sends
his agents (such as the halfling Gormadoc in Hardby) to other cities to speak
on his behalf and gather news. [Slavers – 106]
Nadanru H, M14; AL N
He comes from the Lordship of the Ides (a subsidiary
stater to the Scarlet Brotherhood) [….] Nadanni is the master of communication
for the Slavelords. He relays information to the various leaders of the
operation via his magic [….] When not working, he is not communicative and
prefers to just sleep, avoiding mast of the people in town and the other
Slavelords. If confronted by a hostile bunch of adventurers, he will surrender
if given the choice, explaining that he was only hired to rend messages and
could not disobey because his family is being held as insurance for his
cooperation (mostly true--the Scarlet Brotherhood controls his homeland, and if
he refused this assignment, they might threaten his family to get him to agree
to work). [Slavers – 107]
Stalman Klim continues to pose as a priest of the Earth
Dragon, and has manipulated the demigod’s Flannae acolytes to his cause. Should
our new heroes convince these faithful of Stalman’s true intent, they could
become allies in their cause. (Okay, maybe not Rofa.)
Torwil is a powerful priest of the Earth
Dragon Cult, second only to Stalman Klim himself. Torwil presents a pleasant
exterior and makes friends easily, but is in truth a skilled manipulator, using
people for his own purposes and betraying them m such a way thar they cannot
reveal his duplicity. It is through this method that he became the high priest
of the Earth Dragon Cult shortly after Stalman Klim vanished in the destruction
of Suderham. […]
Torwil is a man in early middle age, small and wiry.
His hair is brown brit graying at the temples, and his eyes and skin are
somewhat dark. [Slavers – 116]
Sham is a dedicated priestess of the Earth
Dragon and a strong supporter of Stalman Klim. She has an aggressive
personality but treats underlings fairly, showing her hard side only when
crossed. It is she who pushed for educating the orcs in the teachings of the
Earth Dragon, and she is largely responsible for winning them over despite
their natural bias against females. […]
Shav has bronzed skin, black hair, and amber eyes.
[Slavers – 116]
Rofa is an introspective priestess who
feels that she has an especially strong connection with the Earth Dragon. […]
Rofa is relatively young, with brown-black hair.
coppery akin, and dark brown eyes. […]
In her room are a number of letters from Markessa (the
real one), with whom she is close friends. [Slavers – 117]
Insofar as Stalman’s purpose, perhaps his excavations
beneath Mount Drachenkopf have paid off, and he has unearthed the temple he has
long sought.
Our heroes descend into its depths, and behold a chilling
evil, more ominous than anything they could have imagined.
Although
Tharizdun’s time has long since passed, his temples remain dens of evil. This
cavern and the temple beyond were enchanted by powerful divine magic to radiate
a terrible cold. As a result, the temperature in this cave hovers at just below
-10° F. [Dungeon #85 – 43]
This large
cavern Is a thing of cold beauty. The entire place is covered with a fine
coating of frost. Frozen puddles dot the floor, and thankfully there isn't a
spot of scarlet fungus to be seen. The ceiling looms out of sight. Despite the
quiet of this immense cavern, the sight of il fills you with chills and
feelings of despair and fear. Perhaps it is merely the unnatural cold, or perhaps
it is something far more sinister lurking within the darkness before you. [Dungeon #85 – 43]
This place is COLD. Exposed flesh immediately
[freezes]. Torches must likewise be clasped by means of the robe sleeve
covering the hand, although the heat of their burning cones helps to keep the
adventurers from suffering more than chilblains. [WG4 – 18]
In the hemisphere of black needlerock (floating as if
by levitation) a huge form could be seen. […] The misty form was black and
indistinct and enclosed in vaporous purple energy as well. No ritual, no spell,
no magic could pierce the enigma. [WG4
– 3]
The name of Tharizdun will rise unbidden to the
individual's lips whenever he or she is under stress and needs aid. [WG4 – 18]
There you have it, my reimagined backstory of the Slavers epic. I wonder if I patched the holes I believe plague the originals. Maybe I did; maybe I didn't. I must say that it was fun tinkering with the story, but I'm wont to do such things. And I expect you are too, some of you, at least. After all, the old modules were modular, and were meant to be tinkered with, I should think.
Enough said.
I pray you enjoyed it.
Am I done with the A-series?
No.
I've mentioned that Carlos Lising of
casl Entertainment has added his own sequels to the series. I'll deal with those in turn, but not to the same degree that I did these classic adventures. His are new, and spoilers would assuredly spoil them, if you understand me.
“In each of us, two natures are at war – the good and
the evil. All our lives the fight goes on between them, and one of them must
conquer. But in our own hands lies the power to choose – what we want most to
be we are.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, "The
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde"
One must always
give credit where credit is due. This History is made possible primarily by the
Imaginings of Gary Gygax and his Old Guard, Lenard Lakofka among them, and the
new old guards, Carl Sargant, James Ward, Roger E. Moore. And Erik Mona, Gary
Holian, Sean K. Reynolds, Chris Pramas, Frederick Weining. The list is interminable.
Special thanks
to Jason Zavoda for his compiled index, “Greyhawkania,” an invaluable research
tool.
The Art:
An object lesson of the Scarlet Brotherhood, by Vince Locke, from Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
The Last Slave Lord "cover" art, by Noah Bradley, from Dungeon Magazine #215, 2013
Theg Narlot/Turrosh Mak detail, by Wayne Reynolds, from Slavers, 2000
Markessa by Mike Lowe,
mli13, originally from A0-4
Against the Slavers, 2013
Brubgrok, by Rich Longmore, from A0-4 Against the Slavers (A0 Dander at Darkshelf Quarry), 2013
The Temple, by Rich Longmore, from A0-4 Against the Slavers (A0 Dander at Darkshelf Quarry), 2013
The Slave Lords, by Wayne Reynolds, from Slavers, 2000
Sources:
1015
World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
1064
From the Ashes Boxed Set, 1992
2011A
Dungeon Masters Guide, 1st Ed., 1979
9025
World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
9039A
A0 Danger at Darkshelf Quarry, 2013
9039
A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity, 1980
9040
A2 Secret of the Slaver’s Stockade, 1981
9041
A3 Aerie of the Slave Lords, 1981
9042
A4 In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords, 1981
9065
WG4 The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun, 1982
9112
WG5 Mordenkainen’s Fantastic Adventure, 1984
9147
T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil, 1985
9167
A1-4 Scourge of the Slavelords, 1986
A0-4
Against the Slave Lords, 2013
11374
The Scarlet Brotherhood, 1999
11621
Slavers, 2000
Return
to the Temple of Elemental Evil, 2001
Dragon
Magazine #294
Dungeon
Magazine #85, #215, #221
11743
Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
