Blackwheel Company:

When in Doubt, Charge

A One-Round DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® FACTION
Adventure Packet for 11th to 13th-Level Characters
BLACKWHEEL COMPANY™ Faction Adventure for the
XEN'DRIK EXPEDITIONS™ Campaign
Written by Kevin Tatroe

Blackwheel Company Factionmaster: Brian Mackey

Development: Chris Tulach

Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by
Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison.

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Adventure Background
In a ritual known only to them, the Disciples of the the Mockery welcome a new member to their fold by
preparing elaborate betrayals. Their victims are chosen at random — rich and poor, famous and forgotten
alike have fallen foul to the Betrayer’s followers. In this once in a generation display of horrific proportions,
Denial, a bladeling Disciple coordinates a series of murders designed to seed distrust between the factions
as the final events in Stormreach unfold.

As the factions edge closer to open hostilities, tenuous alliances are forged. Sister Guri of the Covenant
of Light has spent the past year working to forge working relationship with Blackwheel Company.
Unbeknownst to her, she was recently possessed by an advespa fiend of corruption, Zshts, who lay in wait
for just the right moment.

Finally, months later, the time arrived. Sister Guri was in tense negotiations with General Festrath of
Blackwheel Company when Zshts took control of her tiny and frail body, proceeding to brutally murder the
battleworn leader.

Although the circumstances seemed clear enough — Sister Guri killed Festrath — neither the Covenant
nor Blackwheel could believe it; but neither can they afford to continue working with the other while the
murder remained unsolved.

Adventure Synopsis
Introduction
The adventure opens with the PCs called to General “Mace” Maceck’s office. He describes the
circumstances surrounding General Festrath’s murder, and asks them to determine how Sister Guri could
have done it.

Part One

What He Saw
The group interrogates the recently-murdered General. He confirms that Sister Guri took him by surprise
from behind, moving with a speed that shouldn’t be possible for someone of her age.

Grey
The PCs follow a faint trail, which leads them to link a number of seemingly-random murders occurring
throughout Stormreach.

Sister Guri
As the PCs move from deadly scene to scene, they find Sister Guri’s eviscerated body, rigged with a trap.
They must disable the trap to prevent further spilling of innocent blood.

The Beetle Lord

The PCs are attacked by several insectile abominations as they investigate the meaning of the Beetle Lord
pendant found on Sister Guri’s body.

Bacchanal
The trail of clues leads to a hidden “speak-easy”, wherein the Disciples of the Mockery and their
accomplices celebrate the night’s events and their new inductees.

Torpor
Underneath Bacchanal, the PCs find a secret passage leading into a secret complex, Torpor. The PCs sneak
or fight their way to the central chamber, where the leader of the Disciples plots her next display of power.

Denial
The PCs reach Denial’s sanctum, and battle her and her minions and uncover a final secret—a failed plot
against Blackwheel Company by House Cannith.

Troubleshooting
Navigating Stormreach

Stormreach is a massive city with any number of wonders, locations, and events that can sidetrack a party.
Focus on getting the party to the main adventure points. Details are always nice, but the limited time spent in
Stormreach in this module should be spent only on the specific encounters from the module. The time
pressure put on the PCs should keep them from wandering too much, but if they get side-tracked by the
vastness that is Stormreach, give them a nudge in the right direction.

The Grinder

During each part of this adventure, the PCs will proceed from one encounter to the next with very little time
to rest or prepare. There are several encounters which you could use to provide the party with cure and
repair magic if necessary. Do not heal the party completely, but use this to avoid wiping them out if the
combats and traps are taking a heavier than normal toll on them.

Overwhelming Forces

On Torpor, the PCs are grossly outmatched in an all-on-all fight. If the party seems intent on using the “gnoll”
technique to get through that encounter, you may need to encourage them to do otherwise. Of course, if the
PCs have been presented with every possible warning and insist on “going in through the front door”, let
them have it.

Tone

BWC-11 When in Doubt, Charge is an ominous module, designed to set the pace for the upcoming
confrontations between Blackwheel and the other factions seeking control of the Caldyn Fragments. Several
of the encounters contain grotesque and graphic scenes against an enemy determined to shock the worldly
citizens of Stormreach. These encounters should only be described in as graphic terms as the players are
comfortable with.
Adventure Start
The adventure starts with the party onboard the Blackwheel Company pride and joy, The Glory Road, in
their barracks, just after returning from a previous mission.

Part One: Betrayal

The adventure begins as the PCs are called to General “Mace” Maceck’s office on The Glory Road.

Read the following to the players:

A pounding at the door calls you to attention. A tall halfling dressed in the black leather uniform of the
Blackwheel Company enters your barracks and points. “You. Grab your equipment and come with me.
Maceck has asked for you personally.”

The halfling knows nothing more than that Maceck has summoned this particular group to his office, and
merely escorts them, after giving them a moment to gather their belongings.

Once the PCs arrive at Maceck’s office, read the following:

The old dwarf looks troubled, and in the most dour of moods. There is no smile on his face, and his
typically neat office is strewn with maps, plans of Stormreach, and diagrams filled with strange and familiar
names.

“Come in. Don’t sit. You don’t have time. There’s been a murder — General Tun Festrath, in his quarters.
Betrayed by that Covenant woman, Sister Guri. The trail’s still warm, and ye don’t have my or his time to
waste. Make short work of the investigation, and make his murderer pay. Festrath was a close friend of the
Company, make no mistake. You needn’t be quiet, you needn’t worry about the laws of Stormreach, such as
they are. We’ve dealt with the loss of one General to the Company, we’ll deal with another, no matter the
obstacles.”

He sits down behind his desk and decanters a glass of foul-smelling liquid. “Guntrav,” he motions toward
the halfling, “take these hires to the quartermaster’s office, get them what they need from Gridd, and do it
quick, before the blood in Festrath’s veins begins to chill.”

Development

Maceck gives them a few moments to ask questions, which he’ll answer to the best of his ability, but he
knows time is of the essence, and won’t brook more than a few questions before sending them on their way.

What is the Covenant of Light?

“They’re another group of folks seeking Caldyn’s secrets; they tend to focus on the religious mumbo-
jumbo, rather than on cold, hard profit.”
Who is Sister Guri?
“The poor thing was the one that brokered all of our communications with the Covenant. Without her,
relations between us ’n them would be tenuous, at best. There’s no way she could’ve done this, but it’s the
only thing that seems possible, given the evidence.”

Who was General Festrath?

“General Tun Festrath ran our new cooperative division—worked mostly with small groups under loan to
other groups; “under the table”-like, right. Groups like the Covenant of Light, dragonmarked Houses that
didn’t want our involvement known to other Houses, governments that didn’t even know who they were
hiring. That sort of thing.”

Where should we start?

“I’d start by questioning the sole witness: Tun. Quartermaster Gridd can procure you a speak with dead
scroll, and a cleric to cast if if need be.”

How can we get to the city?

“Easy enough — go talk to Quartermaster Gridd, and he’ll get you some MAAD talismans to drop down."

Magic-Assisted Airship Drops

Successfully activating a feather fall talisman at the appropriate time during a MAAD means succeeding
at a DC 11 Will save. Use the chart below to determine the result of the Will Save.

Final Will Save Total Result

1 or less Death—Talisman not activated before impact, or talisman activated too soon
(feather fall spell expires before impact)
2-3 3d6 falling damage, landing missed—Talisman activated late. DC 12 Reflex save
required to keep from falling overboard. Succeeding on the Reflex save means the
PC can catch some rigging and pull aboard the forecastle.
4-5 2d6 falling damage, land prone—Talisman activated late
6-7 1d6 falling damage, land prone—Talisman activated late
8-10 Land prone—Hard landing
11-19 Acceptable landing
20 or more Flawless landing—PC lands with a flourish, +2 bonus on Spot, Move Silent, Hide,
and Listen checks as well as Initiative and attack rolls within 20 seconds of landing.

Few situations are as difficult as a Magic-Assisted Airship Drop. While risk must exist, it’s unrealistic to
penalize 5% of players for rolling natural 1’s on the Will save. Natural 1s are not instantly fatal. Treat them as
you would any other roll of the d20 in this unique situation. Players may always add an action point roll to
this save. NPCs may (and perhaps should) encourage PCs with negative Will save modifiers to use magic
or other means to help augment or offset that weakness during the drop.

A DC 15 Tumble check successfully reduces any damage taken by 1d6 points. Casting a spell during
freefall requires a DC 20 Concentration check due to the extreme conditions unless otherwise noted.

Griffon Wings
Characters who participated in the events of BWC-3 Marked Man or BWC-4 The Trouble with Pirates
gain a +1 bonus to the Will save for the MAAD-drop.

Animal Companions
For members of Blackwheel Company who have familiars or animal companions granted as class
abilities (such as a druid's animal companion), their animal companion or familiar has been trained to jump
with the PC.
 Medium or smaller creatures can share the PC's MAAD token. It does not need its own Will save (using
the master's instead), and a DC 15 Ride or Handle Animal check (as appropriate) is sufficient to calm the
animal and control it during the jump. A failed check causes the PC to take a -4 penalty on the MAAD chart.

Large or larger creatures must use their own MAAD token. A DC 20 Ride or Handle Animal check is
required to calm and prepare the animal sufficiently before the drop, though it still uses its master's Will save
for the jump. A failed Ride or Handle Animal check causes the PC to take a -4 penalty on the MAAD result.

Creatures that are not granted by class abilities can not participate in MAAD drops.

Encounter 1: What He Saw

The best witness to the murder the PCs have is the murder victim himself—General Tun Festrath. His body
still lies in the meeting room where he was conversing with Sister Guri. His throat is slit with a single deep,
forceful gash. Small bloody footprints lead from the corpse to the nearby window, which leads out onto the
air above Stormreach.

Read the following to the players:

The small room is spattered with blood, and the body of Tun Festrath lies unceremoniously near the center
of the room. It looks as though it were tossed aside like a ragdoll at the end of a child’s day. The room itself
is sparsely decorated, with a bed, desk, and small table. Few material possessions are in the room, limited
to black leather clothing and a bottle of rye whisky.

A search of the room reveals several items of note:

Search
DC 10: Bloody footprints lead from the corpse to a nearby window; the window leads directly out above
Stormreach, not onto the deck of the ship.
DC 15: A bottle of rye whisky is spilled across the desk.
DC 20: A dagger carved out of a strange substance is half-hidden in the shadows, seemingly tossed aside. It
is the +3 dagger of wounding used in the murder.
DC 23: The heel of Festrath’s boot has the remnants of a crushed, oversized black beetle on it.

Spot
DC 27: As the PCs enter the room, an inordinate number of cockroaches scurry into the dark corners of the
room. No amount of additional searching finds any further evidence of them being in the room.

Heal
DC 21: General Festrath’s throat is slit with a single, forceful cut.
DC 23: General Festrath’s throat was slit while he was held down on the floor of the office.

The PCs can question General Festrath using speak with dead or similar magic, though he knows little other
than the identity of his assailant:

Who killed you?

“Sister Guri, bless her. I turned to pour a drink, then she was on me.”

How did she overpower you?

“I have no idea. It was like there was an unnatural force powering her. Like she was possessed.”

Where did she go?

“Fled out the window. Just jumped. No talisman or anything, and she was no spellcaster that I knew of.”

What were you and Sister Guri negotiating?

“Nothing out of the ordinary; this was just a social visit. We, ahem, knew each other well after all our
work together.”

Encounter 2: Grey
Littered throughout the streets of Stormreach below The Glory Road, 11 murders were committed by the
Disciples of the Mockery. Some are in plain sight, and others hidden, quieted away behind closed doors.
Use as many or as few of these micro-encounters as you see fit.
 Of the 11 murders, four are detailed in brief below. The others are hidden enough that even the most
determined of PCs won’t discover them before the remaining events of the module unfold.

The Sleeping Giant

Along a side street, a series of large vessels emanate a foul odor. Investigating more closely, the PCs
discover that each contains the partial remains of a storm giant. Filling the pots to the brim are flesh-eating
beetles. While quick rummaging in the pots is safe, detailed searching causes 1d4 points of damage per
round. If toppled, the beetles scurry.

The remains of a single storm giant are spread among 5 vessels; the body was placed in the pots a
week ago, and the flesh is almost entirely stripped of the bones.

The Potter

The entrance to a potter stands open, and flames rage within. The charred remains of a simple half-elf potter
is lashed with iron chains to the outside of his kiln. Arranged nearby are 7 superbly made urns; inside each
is a still-warm loaf of shepherd’s bread.

The Sleeping Man

A man stands on the steeple of a church. Though he is dead, he looks like he’s peacefully asleep. His chest
rises and falls with unnatural regularity, enchanted by the Disciple who placed him there. The man is
dressed in the clothes of a Brelish merchant, and no local remembers ever having seen him. In his pockets
are three dragonshards — one each crystalline Siberys, midnight blue Khyber, and blood-red Eberron.

The Bee Keeper

A swirling mass of bees covers the entirety of a small home. They do not attack, even as the PCs approach.
Inside the house, the insects cover every surface a foot deep, dripping from the walls and ceiling. A mound
in the center of the room reveals the body of a half-elf woman cocooned in wax cells.

Development

Insert Encounter 3 in between any of these encounters once the party is ready to move on to the next stage
of the adventure. Once they’ve completed Encounter 3, further encounters can be used. If the PCs have
already encountered Sister Guri’s body and have recovered the amulet from her body, it becomes clear that
each of the locations on the amulet corresponds to the site of one of the murders.

Encounter 3: Sister Guri

As the trail draws colder, read the following to the players:

Turning the corner, you see a crowd gathered. A tall man in brilliantly shining armor is barking orders to a
number of other knights. A crowd lingers at the edges of the square, making it impossible to make out
exactly what has happened here.

Investigating, the party arrives at a public square. Although it is pre-dawn still, a number of citizens are
crowded around. Near-panicked himself, Captain Mik Bluebottle of the Knights of Thrane, the ranking
captain of the various assembled militia and erstwhile police, is doing his best to convince the crowd to
disperse.

Read the following:

A grisly sight emerges in the flickering torch- and dawn light. Sister Guri is strung up on a pillory, cut
open. Despite the massive wounds, there is no blood anywhere. A cloud of flies buzzes around her. Panic
begins to set in among the crowd; seemingly determined to take charge, a large knight in gleaming armor
points at you. “Halt; you are to answer for your misdeeds here!”

Mik is, indeed, determined to find a guilty party, if only to manage the crowd (and gain reputation with the
locals as a peace-keeper). He’s not interested in a fight, but does want a public display.

Spot
DC 15: The flies swarming throughout the square are unusually aggressive and do not shoo when
approached.
DC 20: The PC notices the trap on Sister Guri, as well as the traps laid throughout the square.

Search
DC 15: In Sister Guri’s outstretched hand is a small gold pendant. Engraved and enameled in blue and black
are a series of ornate flies overlaid over a grid of lines of varying thicknesses.
DC 20: The traps set around the square are incredibly powerful, and will likely kill any townsfolk in the
square when they’re set off.
DC 23: The trap on Sister Guri is relatively harmless in terms of damage dealing.

Disable Device
DC 20: Each Poisonous Conflagration trap in the square requires a separate Disable Device check. Each
trap that is successfully disabled grants a +2 cumulative bonus to the further traps. A trap that is disabled by
a check of 10 or greater is disabled as a free action; otherwise, the trap requires a standard action to
disable.
DC 27: The waves of fatigue trap on Sister Guri is particularly tricky, requiring a DC 27 Disable Device check
and a full round to disable.

Knowledge (Local)
DC 15: The pendant is a stylized map of the area of Stormreach the Disciples are operating in. Each
ornamental fly represents one of the murders described in Encounter 2.

Tactical Map Details

If you have access to the Thieves’ Quarters map from City of Peril, use that map; otherwise, draw a similar
map as shown below.

T
T
G

T
T

Creatures
The body of Sister Guri is at the square marked (G); the poisonous conflagration traps are at the squares
marked (T). The PCs can set up in any of the squares outside the rough circle created by the traps.
Development

If the PCs do not disable the traps, they trigger 4 rounds after Mik first engages them in conversation. If not
disabled, the primary trap (that on Sister Guri’s body) triggers a waves of fatigue spell, affecting every
person within 60 feet of her body. Two rounds later, the other traps are triggered, filling the square with a
conflagration. Each person in the square takes 7d6 points of damage (Reflex DC 19 for half). Half of this
damage is fire, while half is poison.

Mik is uninterested in a fight, and if the PCs press the issue instead of engaging him diplomatically, he
withdraws, and orders his charges with him. Once the PCs discover the pendant, continue with additional
sites from Encounter 2, or go directly to Encounter 4.

When the traps on Sister Guri are disabled, or if they go off, the PCs see a shadow of a massive wasp
burst out of her body, laughing as it disappears into the clouds. This is Zshts, the advespa fiend of
possession which had gained control of the cleric, guiding her to kill General Festrath.

Encounter 4: The Beetle Lord

Following the trail of murders in Stormreach, the party finds themselves in ancient, secluded square.
Read the following:

You arrive at the outermost edge of the map on the pendant, in an ancient giants’ plaza. Broken stone
litters the area with giant blocks of stone. You hear a noise from above you, an impossibly loud chittering.
With a blur, a pair of creatures are upon you!

Tactical Map Details

If you have access to the Thieves’ Quarter map from City of Peril, use that map; otherwise, draw a similar
map. You can place the insectile minotaurs and the PCs in any squares to begin the encounter.

Foes: The creatures are a pair of insectile minotaurs. They attack without mercy until they or the party are
dead.

Insectile Minotaur: hp 98; Combat Statistic

Insectile Minotaur CR 9
The minotaur before you is covered in chitinous scales, and has oversized mandibles, as well as
slime-coated antennae. It roars with an impossible loudness, but moves silently and
effortlessly from rooftop to rooftop.
hp 98 each (10 HD)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
N Large augmented aberration (vermin)
Init +2; Senses tremorsense 60 ft., darkvision 40 ft., wide vision; Spot +11, Listen +7
Languages None
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 18
Fort +12, Ref +8, Will +9
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Speed 40 ft. (8 squares), climb 40 ft. (8 squares), jump 15 ft.
Melee large warhammer +15/+10 (2d6+8, 19-20, x3) or gore +15 (1d8+4)
Special Abilities Powerful Charge, Natural Cunning
Base Atk +10; Grp +20
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Abilities Str 23, Dex 14, Con 19, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 8
Feats Improved Critical (warhammer), Great Fortitude, Power Attack
Skills Intimidate +2, Jump +5, Listen +7, Spot +11
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Plunge Charge (Ex) An insectile minotaur gains +2d6 damage on charges if it begins the charge
20 ft. or more above the target. (This ability does not prevent the insectile minotaur from
taking damage from the fall.)
Insectile Traction (Ex) An insectile minotaur moves with eerie fluidity, and can walk on walls and
ceilings without hinderance, and can ignore difficult terrain when it moves (including when it
charges).
Natural Cunning (Ex) An insectile minotaur is immune to maze spells, cannot become lost, and
can track enemies as the Track feat. In addition, it is never flat-footed.
Powerful Charge (Ex) An insectile minotaur can make a single gore attack with a charge with a
+9 attack bonus, dealing 4d6+6 points of damage on a successful hit.
Powerful Leap (Ex) An insectile minotaur can leap across distances of up to 15 ft. from a
standing position or up to 30 ft. with 10 ft. of movement.
Tremorsense (Ex) An insectile minotaur can automatically sense the location of anything within
60 feet that is in contact with the ground or walls.
Wide Vision (Ex) An insectile minotaur gains a +4 racial bonus on Spot checks and cannot be
flanked.

Tactics

The insectile minotaurs use their Insectile Traction ability to the fullest, attacking from walls and leaping from
rooftop to rooftop. They attack without mercy until they or the party are dead.

Scaling the Encounter

12th and 13th-Level Characters

Add an additional pair of insectile minotaurs.

Development

When an insectile minotaur dies, it explodes in a burst of acidic bile (this is a harmless effect), from which
emerges millions of writhing larvae. These larvae move en masse into the sewer and on into Torpor under
the city.

Part Two: Torpor

The storm drain leads into a sewer system underneath Stormreach. Although there are numerous spurs and
side passages, the road ahead is always immediately obvious: insects of all manner cling to the walls of the
passage leading into Torpor, Denial’s hidden lair.

Read the following to the players:

You drop into the storm drain system. The flickering torchlight reveals several passages, but one is coated
with insects, leading deep into the ground. Eventually, the insects lead you to a hole in the ground; a ladder
is propped nearby.

Flanking the hole are two small ebony statues. One is of a giant praying mantis and the other of a stick
insect strangling a humanoid figure.

Once the characters move into the tunnel, they arrive at Bacchanal.
Tactical Map Details

If you have access to the Ratfang Sewers map from Cities of Peril, use that map as modified below.
Otherwise, draw a similar map to that shown.

Creatures
The Bloodmote Swarm is at the square marked (S), Denial starts at the square marked (D), and the Bone
Devil starts at the square marked (B). The PCs may set up in any squares adjacent to the storm drain
entrance, at (P). Encounter 5 occurs in the first room in the map’s path.

Stench
Although it is a storm drain, not a sewers, the stench of death is overwhelming; each PC standing in a green
Sewers square takes a -2 on saves, attack rolls, and skill checks.

Encounter 5: Bacchanal
Directly below the entrance to Torpor, the party finds a lush room. Read the following:

If you didn’t know better, you’d think you were in a nightclub in the Upper District of Sharn and not in a
dank catacomb. Fur rugs covered in plush pillows line the floor, and sumptuous furniture is scattered
throughout. Giant urns filled with sweet wines are placed throughout the room. The effect is marred by a
dozen bodies littering the floor, cold and dead, though with a smile on their face. At the far end of the 40x40-
foot room, a beaded curtain half-conceals an tunnel leading further into the complex.

The curtain conceals a rough-hewn tunnel; the curtain is trapped with a lightning trap.

Lightning Trap: CR 5; magic device; touch trigger (curtain); automatic reset; all creatures within 60 feet,
6d6 lightning damage, Reflex DC 23 halves; Search DC 23 to find; Disable Device DC 25 to deactivate.
Development

Around each of the disciples’ necks is a Beetlelord Pendant (see Story Objects below for their use). Once
the party moves through the curtain and into the tunnel beyond, they arrive in Torpor.

Encounter 6: Torpor
As the players enter the tunnel, read the following:

A fine red mist envelops you, hot and noxious. The stench of blood fills the air. Ahead of you, the path
leads through a shallow pool of thick blood. Although the pool is a barely an inch deep, you sense that
something stirs within the pool.

The pool of blood (and the mist itself) is actually a swarm of fine, undead blood clots — a bloodmote
cloud. It waits patiently until the whole party is in the 100-foot long room, or until one PC reaches the far end
of the room, then attacks.

Bloodmote Cloud: hp 65; Combat Statistic

Bloodmote Cloud CR 6
hp 65 (10 HD)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NE fine undead (swarm)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Listen +0, Spot +0
Aura distraction (Fort DC 15 or nauseated for 1 round)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18
Immune weapon damage, undead immunities, swarm immunities
Fort +2; Ref +3, Will +6
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Speed fly 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee swarm always hits (1d4 plus blood drain 1d2 Con damage)
Base Atk +5; Grp —
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Abilities Str 4, Dex 13, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Swarm Attack (Ex) A bloodmote cloud deals automatic damage to any creature whose space it
occupies at the end of its move. This attack is not subject to a miss chance for concealment.
Blood Drain (Ex) In addition to damage, a bloodmote cloud’s swam attack deals 1d2 points of
Constitution damage to living creatures.
Distraction (Ex) Any living creature that begins its turn in a square occupied by a bloodmote
cloud is nauseated for 1 round (Fort DC 15 negates). Spellcasting or concentrating on spells
requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level).
Wind Vulnerability (Ex) Wind effects deal 1d6 points of nonlethal damage to a swam per level of
the spell (or Hit Dice of the originating creature). A swam rendered unconscious by nonlethal
damage is becomes disorganized and disperses.

Development

An arched entryway leads into the next room; go to Denial, below.

Encounter 7: Denial
As the players enter the Denial’s inner sanctum, read the following:

The room in front of you is 60’ square. The floors and walls are covered in carved insects — beetles,
larvae, flies, and others. On a dais in the center of the room, a beautiful and exotic woman lounges on a bed
piled high with pillows. Chains are strewn throughout the room, many attached to her body by hooks.
Nearby, a giant skeletal creature with a scorpion tail hisses at you.
 She sits up, languorously, “Ah. Black-clad warriors, come at last. Did you enjoy our spectacle? None of
you will know Caldyn’s secrets, I’m afraid, and I have sown the seeds of Stormreach’s destruction. With no
trust left among you, everything falls apart. My task here is done, but no sense in letting such bodies ripe for
pain left un-tasted. The longer you fight, the longer you fill me with joy, so fight well.”

Denial will brook conversation with the PCs if they show interest.

Why all the murders?

“The Mockery demands it, through its voice, my master Zshts.”

How were the victims chosen?

“They sang to me. Each one’s song could be heard, and I played them like instruments in a symphony.”

To what end?
“The Endgame is near; for this city and for you, black-clad mountebanks. Dragon-born warrior comes,
hellfire engine rains destruction upon us all.” (This is a reference to the events in BWC-12, The Twentieth
Lash).

What is Zshts?
“Zshts is a beautiful engine of pain—a devil with the ability to possess creatures and objects.”

Foes: Once the party has no more questions, Denial and her osyluth pet attack mercilessly, leaping with
relish into the battle.

Denial: hp 81; Combat Statistic

Bone Devil: hp 95; Combat Statistic

Denial CR 15
hp 81 (15 HD)
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Female Rog7/Disciple of the Mockery 7
LE medium bladeling (outside, lawful)
Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Spot +7, Listen +5
Languages common, infernal
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AC 28, touch 16, flat-footed 28
Immune acid
Resist acid 5, cold 5; DR 5/slashing or piercing
Fort +6; Ref +16, Will +6; Evasion
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Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +2 light hammer +16/+11 (1d4+2)
Special Abilities Evasion
Atk Options Razor Storm, Sneak Attack +6d6, piercing needles of pain (3)
Base Atk +10; Grp +19
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th):
1/day—suggestion (DC 21), insect plague, mass charm (DC 21)
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Abilities Str 11, Dex 22, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 9, Cha 18
Feats Alertness, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse
Skills Hide +4, Listen +5, Move Silently +5, Spot +7
Possessions +2 improved shadow chain shirt, piercing needles of pain
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Razor Storm (Ex) 1/day, Denial can expel shrapnel, dealing 2d6 points of damage in a 15-foot
cone. Reflex save (DC 10) halves. Afterwards, Denials’s AC drops to 22 for 24 hours.
piercing needles of pain (Ex) Each of these needles can be attached to an enemy with a
successful touch attack. Thereafter, Denial can make a touch attack as a free action against
that creature to cause the creature to become blind, helpless and lose all actions for 5 rounds
(Fortitude DC 15 negates the effect for that round). After 5 rounds, the needle dissipates and
 the subject takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks for 3d10
minutes.

Bone Devil CR 9
This tall creature looks skeletal and wretched, almost a husk or a human-form, with dried skin
stretched so tight as to outline and emphasize every bone. It has a fearsome, skull-like head
and a tail like a scorpion’s, and a foul odor of decay hangs in the air around it.
Monster Manual 53
hp 95 (10 HD)
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LE Large outsider (baatezu, evil, extraplanar, lawful)
Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see in darkness; Spot +0, Listen +0
Languages telepathy 100 ft.
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AC 25, touch 14, flat-footed 20
Immune fire, poison
Resist acid 10, cold 10; DR 10/good; SR 21
Fort +12, Ref +12, Will +11
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Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Melee bite +14 (1d8 + 5) and 2 claws +12 each (1d4 + 2) and sting +12 (3d4 + 2 plus poison)
Special Abilities Fear Aura
Base Atk +10; Grp +19
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th):
At will—greater teleport (self plus 50 points of objects only), dimensional anchor, fly,
invisibility (self only), major image (DC 15), wall of ice
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Abilities Str 21, Dex 21, Con 21, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 14
Feats Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Multiattack
Skills Concentration +18, Hide +14, Intimidate +17, Listen +17, Move Silently +18, Spot +17
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Fear Aura (Su) The bone devil can radiate a 5-foot radius fear aura as a free action. Affected
creatures must succeed a DC 17 Will save or be affected by fear (CL 7th). A creature that
successfully saves cannot be affected by the same bone devil’s aura for 24 hours. Other
baatezu are immune to the aura.
Summon Baatezu (Sp) Denial’s bone devil will not use its summon Baatezu spell-like ability.

Tactics

Denial and her “pet” bone devil attack mercilessly. In the first round, Denial summons an insect swarm, and
on the first three rounds, Denial attempts to attach piercing needles of pain to three of the PCs, then
gleefully attacks them while they are helpless. She endeavors to “share the pain” among as many PCs as
possible, so will not kill any (even while helpless) if she has not yet injured each PC at least once.

When it reaches one-quarter hit points, the bone devil uses its greater teleport ability to teleport to safety,
then leaves the area. Denial fights to the death, knowing that the distrust she has spread among the factions
is her final and greatest offering to the Mockery.

Development

Once Denial and the bone devil have been defeated, the adventure is completed.
Ending the Adventure
The adventure ends when the PCs eliminate the Denial and drive the bone devil back to its home plane.

Read the following if the PCs kill Denial:

Denial slumps to the ground, smiling as pain takes her; her control over the insects of the area
dissipates, and they scurry, at once, to the corners of the dungeon. Although unsatisfying in many ways, at
least Sister Guri and, by association, the Covenant of Light, are exonerated from wrong-doing.

Adventure Questions
1. How did the PCs handle the investigation and questioning of General Festrath?
a. The PCs gathered all of the evidence they could.
b. The PCs gathered most of the information, but with significant prompting.
c. The PCs gathered little to no information about the murder from the key witness.

2. How did the PCs handle the investigation of the Disciple murders?
a. They pieced together the fragmentary evidence as best they could.
b. The PCs were along for the ride, pausing at each murder site only long enough to investigate cursorily.
c. The PCs skipped the murder sites entirely.

3. How did the PCs handle Sister Guri’s trapped body?

a. They calmed Mik Bluebottle, incapacitated the traps, and discovered all of the evidence.
b. The PCs managed to stop one trap from going off, but failed to disable both.
c. All of the traps went off, killing numerous civilians.
d. The PCs took Mik’s initial confrontation as an excuse to flee the scene.

4. How did the PCs handle the insectile minotaurs?

a. The PCs were annihilated by the superior insectile abominations.
b. The PCs took care of the minotaurs, but it was touch and go
c. With typical Blackwheel tactics and coordination, the PCs overpowered the minotaurs with aplomb.

5. How did the PCs fare in Torpor?

a. They were stymied by the lightning trap and were unable to proceed.
b. They got past the lightning trap, but were held off by the swarms.
c. The PCs got past the traps and swarms, but were defeated by Denial and her minions.
d. They easily defeated each of the traps the Temple had to offer.

6. Rate the players’ role-playing:

a. Fantastic; everyone was clearly a member of Blackwheel Company. United aim!
b. Good; the players made an effort to role-play where given clear opportunity.
c. Poor; the characters were just numbers on a sheet of paper.
Story Objects
Beetlelord Pendant
Object ID: EXBC35
Object Name: Beelelord Pendant
Object Description: Once per adventure, by activating this pendant as a full-round action, your skin hardens,
darkens, and glosses over. Short antennae sprout from your head. You gain darkvision out to 60 feet and a
+2 enhancement bonus to your existing natural armor. These effects last for 1 hour.

Covenant Befriended
Object ID: EXBC36
Object Name: Covenant Befriended
Object Description: For proving the innocence of one of the Covenant of Light’s highest members, the PC
has been granted the ability to call forth restorative powers. Once per adventure, the PC may choose to heal
3d8 points of damage or restore 1d3 points of ability damage.