The Drow War Book Two. The Dying Of - RoseRed

glass-fluted oil lamp on top of the desk lights the room
with a feeble glow. A wooden door lies to the south.
The most immediate concern will likely be ‘Where
has Vellish gone?’ One of the Player Characters might
think to scry him to see where he is. If they attempt
this, they see the following:
Drozen Vellish is standing with four other drow in a
low-ceilinged tunnel held up by pit props. Two of these
wear plate armour and carry halberds, which they are
brandishing at something you cannot see; the other two
are robed. One of the robed drow suddenly frowns and
looks directly at the scrying sensor. ‘I believe we are
being observed,’ he says. ‘The dwarves must have a
sorcerer in their midst.’
At this point, have the Player Character or Non-Player
Character who is performing the scrying make a caster
level check. Irrespective of the result, the scrying link
is broken; the Player Characters should now be aware
that the drow might know exactly where they are.
If the Player Characters think to examine the desk, they
find a freshly written message on the parchment, with
the ink still wet. It is written as if it were a log entry
and reads:
‘The damned dwarves are rioting once again, down in
the mine level. I must attend to this immediately.’
The last line is for the Player Characters’ benefit,
explaining why he had to leave in a hurry.
2a-d. Offi cers’ Quarters
This room has a simple bed with a lush velvet coverlet
spread over it, a low bookcase and a desk with a chair.
These rooms are identical in all important respects.
They are the accommodation for Drozen Vellish’s
subordinate wizards.
In Room 2b, a big spider is lurking under the bed. This
is Lovian’s pet. The Player Characters can kill it easily
if they wish, as it is hardly a challenge.
In Room 2c, a fiddle in a protective case has been left
on the bed. This is a beautiful musical instrument made
from darkwood and fitted with mother-of-pearl designs,
with the neck carved into the shape of a drow female
arching backwards. The female figure wears body
jewellery made from actual rubies. This belongs to
Munniaz. It is a masterwork instrument, worth 1,500
gold pieces as a treasure.
3. Offi cers’ Dining Chamber
This room has been converted into a private dining area.
A wooden table has been covered with a cloth of fine
black silk, with an oil lamp set in the centre. A dresser
against the wall displays a china dinner service.
If the Player Characters examine the china, the Games
Master should read the following:
All the plates, saucers and dishes feature the same
motif: a black spider, legs extended and ending in hooklike
claws, with a white skull in the middle of the body.
The design is simple, ugly and surprisingly disturbing
to look at. Something about the regimental order of it
all makes your skin crawl. The drow have always been
organised in the past but this militaristic iconography
is something new.
A drawer in the dresser contains the silverware, which
is worth 250 gold pieces (110 items in all) if the Player
Characters are interested in stealing it.
4. Command Post
This room has been converted into a command post. A
flag hangs from the east wall, showing a design of a
black spider on a crimson background, its legs extended
to the corners of the cloth and hooked slightly inward.
In the centre of the spider’s body is a white death’shead.
A desk piled high with papers stands against the
north wall and a table with chairs is shoved against the
west wall. One of the chairs is toppled over, as if the
occupant left in a hurry. On the desk is a thick ledger.
Ledger: The ledger contains an ongoing record of how
productive the mines have been, showing its net output,
the number of workers requested and the number
of deaths. A suitable Profession check (DC 15) is
needed to make sense of it. The ledger shows a steady
increase in the production of iron ingots, with a sudden
increase in the number of worker deaths attributed to
‘gas’ and further deaths explained as ‘insubordination’,
‘rebellion’, ‘starvation’ or ‘accident’.
Desk: A character who examines the desk and makes
a Search check (DC 20) can locate a secret drawer
underneath. This contains an envelope made from
rough blue paper, with the name Drozen Vellish on the
front. The envelope has already been unsealed.
Within the outer envelope is a second envelope on which
Rannirak has inscribed a set of explosive runes (deals
6d6 points of force damage, no saving throw for the
reader, all others within 10 feet allowed a Reflex saving
throw (DC 18) for half damage). A rogue can find
Ibon Presno Gonzalez (order #73006) 8
191