N

The

Treasure
of the Black
Veils
A short adventure for four
7th- to 9th-level player characters

CREDITS
Design:

Skip and Penny Williams

Editing and Typesetting:

Sue Weinlein Cook

Cartography:

Rob Lazzaretti

Web Production:

Julia Martin

Web Development:
Graphic Design:

Mark A. Jindra
Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege

Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game by E.

Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet,
Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison.
D&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, MONSTER MANUAL, FORGOTTEN
REALMS, and DUNGEON MASTER are registered trademarks owned
by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The d20 logo is a trademark
owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters,
character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned
by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of
America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of
the Coast, Inc.
This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations,
places, or events is purely coincidental.
This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content.
No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System
License, please visit www.wizards.com/d20.

early 50 years ago, there arose in the fen country

a bandit group known as the Band of the Black Veils.
They were so named for their habit of hiding their faces
behind black cloth coverings. Their leader was a mysterious woman of human height but uncertain heritage.
She had a cunning mind and great charisma. Her black
veil hid most of her face, showing only her eyes, which
glittered with cold fire like two diamonds. Rumors
about the Black Veils leader abounded: She is a
medusa, said some. She is a half-fiend, said others.
She is a half-fiend medusa, said still others.
In fact, she was a human named Mollie McTynker, a
local girl who simply used the veil to disguise herself.
Even while leading the band, she lived in the town of
Fiore, appearing as nothing but a pretty lass with many
suitors. While in her everyday guise Mollie learned
much of use to her as a bandit leader, such as which
merchants were shipping what goods, and where, and
when the law was hunting the bandits.
The Band of the Black Veils grew bolder with every
success until at last its members were able to sack and
usurp the Ramshorn Abbey, a prosperous enclave of
cloistered holy folk living on land reclaimed from the
fen. The Band of the Black Veils attacked the abbey,
drove out the residents, and took over. The bandits
broke up the system of dikes and ditches that had
drained the fen and held back its waters, and soon the
abbey stood on an island, a formidable fortress.
Mollie McTynker moved to the island, but by that
time she had recruited many of her own relations in
town to act as her spies. The band became more wealthy
and powerful than ever.
The bands power was not destined to last, however.
The bandits made many enemies when they sacked the
abbey, and soon word of their depredations reached the
ears of the mighty. Barely six months after the fall of
the Ramshorn Abbey, a royal army routed the bandits.
Mollie McTynker was killed along with most of her
lieutenants. Only a handful of bandits escaped into the
fens. In Fiore and the surrounding towns, Mollys ring
of informants was rooted out. Most of the bands spoils
were recovered, but rumors of hidden treasure quickly
surfaced.
Today, the citizens of Fiore say the spirit of Mollie
McTynker still haunts the ruins of the abbey church,
and that on moonlit nights one can see her diamondbright eyes gazing upon the spot where her treasure
lies.

2002 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. Made in the U.S.A.

PREPARATION
You, the Dungeon Master (DM), need a copy of the
Players Handbook, the DUNGEON MASTERs Guide, and
the MONSTER MANUAL to use this adventure.
Shaded text that appears throughout this adventure
is player information, which you may read aloud or paraphrase when appropriate. Monster and NPC statistics
are provided with each encounter in abbreviated form
or, where appropriate, the proper page in the MONSTER
MANUAL is referenced.

THE RUINS TODAY

The ruined abbey has not been restored, and nearly all
its lands and buildings have sunk back into the fens.
The ruins lie a mere 10 miles from the town of Fiore,
but the locals seldom visit the place because trolls and
other swamp dwellers infest the fens. Further, the area
has an evil reputation as a place where the restless dead
walk.
Recently, however, the legend of Mollie McTynkers
lost treasure has resurfaced, and lights have been seen
across the fens at night. Further, several groups of passing adventurers have visited the ruins and returned
with tales of gold and jewels. Several of these folk
swore to return to the island where the ruins of the
abbey church lie, but they were never seen again.

EVIL IN THE RUINS

The ruins of the abbey have long been a haunt for trolls
and will-o-wisps. Recently, however, the spirit naga
Puhrjan has taken up residence there after meeting and
slaying Mollys sole surviving lieutenant, a halfling
called Fernglow. There is still a treasure hidden in the
abbey ruins, and Fernglow held the key to it; see the
description of abbeys library (area 6). Puhrjan was able
to wring the truth out of Fernglow and has since
claimed the ruins as his private hunting ground.
The naga has enlisted the aid of two will-o-wisps to
recreate the legend of Mollie McTynkers treasure, and
he has used his charm person ability to spread rumors
of treasure in the ruins. Puhrjans victims are the folk
who claimed to find treasure on the island. From time
to time, they appear in Fiore, then make their way again
to the ruins, where they are killed.
Puhrjan keeps any treasure his victims may have,
while the will-o-wisps feed upon the victims dying
energies.

GETTING THE PLAYER

CHARACTERS INVOLVED
Most PCs dont need much encouragement to go treasure hunting. If they require further impetus, try using
one of these adventure hooks:
The PCs are passing through Fiore and hear the
legend of Mollie McTynkers treasure. If they seem
skeptical, the locals show them the two points of
light that hang over the fens at night. The two
points of light are actually will-o-wisps, see the
belfry (see area 1).
The PCs find a treasure map, showing the ruins. A
note on the map says: Seek the treasure of Mollie
McTynker where her fiery gaze points. This is a
reference to the treasure vault hidden under the
abbey library (area 6).
The PCs are asked to investigate the disappearance
of one of Puhrjans most recent victims (or perhaps
they know the missing person themselves). The
trail of the missing person leads the PCs to Fiore,
where the individual is remembered as one who
vanished after talking of treasure.

FIORE
Fiore is the natural jumping-off point for any expedition to the abbey ruins.
c Fiore (Small Town): Conventional; AL N; 800 gp
limit; Assets 38,200 gp; Population 955; Mixed.
Authority Figure(s): Mayor Sayrin McLean, female
human Exp 8.
Important Characters: Guard Captain Cyril Bardson,
male human Ftr 7; Nymrel, female half-elf Drd 7.
Others: Guards (9), human and dwarf War5.
Notes: Fiore is a mixed community of farmers and
merchants. A few locals fish, hunt, and harvest other
goods from the neighboring fens, but all steer clear of
the abbey ruins. The town lies astride a major road and
receives a steady stream of visitors. Residents are a
hard-working lot, not apt to lose their heads over wild
tales of lost treasure. The story of the Band of the Black
Veils is well known. The period of the bandit raids is
regarded as a time of grave misfortune, and the townsfolk are glad it is well behind them.

CHARACTER INQUIRIES
Characters wishing to gain more information about the
Band of the Black Veils can do so in several ways.

The average citizen of Fiore can provide the following information in response to questions:
Everyone in the Band of the Black Veils has been
dead and gone for fifty years.
The leader of the bandits was Mollie McTynker.
She pretended to be a local girl, but she was probably some kind of demon spawn. Its a fact that
young men who gazed into her eyes would do anything for her.
Her whole family was cursed. Eventually we ran
em all outta town, cause we dont have no truck
with the likes of demons around here. Sure
enough, they all went out to the swamp to join her
band.
Silly folks insist that theres still a treasure out
there in the abbey. She was the type to keep part of
her money secret even from her friends and family.
But no ones ever found anything out there except
snakes, biting flies, trolls, and corpses of stupid
treasure hunters.
Oh yes, her ghost is still out there. You can see her
eyes at night, hanging over the fen. The silly adventurers whove gone out there thinking theyll find
her treasure have all died cause they looked into
those eyes and she made em jump in the water and
drown themselves. The only way to get near those
eyes safely is to go up with your own eyes closed.

Gather Information
If the PCs spread around a little gold and make a successful Gather Information check (DC 15), they can
learn all of the above, plus they get an account of the
antics Puhrjans victims performed in town (as noted
earlier, the naga occasionally primes the pump by sending a charmed victim into town to talk about finding
treasure):
The last folks that went out there looking for
Mollies treasure came back a day or so later claiming
theyd found it. They said it was right there where those
floating eyes of hers were looking, in a water-filled
chamber. They had some nice-looking gems with em,
as well as enough gold to keep a family alive for about a
year. Said they had to hire some horses and wagons to
get the rest, cause there was too much to carry out by
themselves. But they didnt come back . . . we havent
seen em for about three weeks now.

Bardic Knowledge
A successful Bardic Knowledge Check (DC 20) reveals
the following:

The Band of the Black Veils consisted of about 100

bandits at its height. Their leader was Mollie
McTynker, a local girl gone bad.
At the height of their power, the Black Veils occupied Ramshorn Abbey, near the town of Fiore.
There Mollie McTynker hid the bands choicest
loot in a secret vault.
Less than a half-dozen bandits escaped the collapse
of the gang. One of Mollies lieutenants, a halfling
named Fernglow, was among the fugitives. It is
likely that Fernglow took the secret of the vault
with him.
Legend says that the eyes of Mollie McTynker will
forever gaze at the spot where her treasure lies. At
the exact spot where the lights from her eyes converge is a flat stone that covers the entrance to her
treasure vault.

Druid
The local druid, Nymrel, can relate everything the
townspeople know. She also can add the following:
The fens are steadily reclaiming the site of
Ramshorn Abbey. This is not altogether a bad
thing, but visitors to the ruins should beware of
hunting packs of lizardfolk, trolls, and undead.
The lights over the abbey ruins are most likely
some kind of natural phenomenon. Marshlights are
seen all over the fens at different times of the year.

THE ABBEY RUINS

Nothing remains of the abbeys fields and vineyards,
and the only portion of the abbeys extensive complex
of buildings that still stands are the ruins of the abbey
church, which stand on a low island in the fen. The
tree-covered island measures only some 100 yards
across.
As noted earlier, the residents of Fiore know its location but shy away from the place.

Features of the Ruins

The ground floor of the abbey church and one bell
tower are all that remains today. The whole place is covered with rubble and overgrown with ivy. Most of the
roof is gone, and the crypts below have largely collapsed and been filled in with mud from the fens and
debris from the upper works of the church. The
remains of ground floor stand about 5 feet above the
surrounding earth. It an easy thing, however, to jump
or climb up, either via staircases leading up from the
ground or by climbing the lower walls.

The following features are common in these ruins:

Ceilings: Except in areas where the roof is intact
(these are noted in the text) there are no ceilings at all.
Roofed areas have water-stained plaster ceilings about
12 feet above the floor.

Floors: The abbey churchs smooth stone floors

have buckled and cracked as the building slowly collapsed. They are extremely uneven, with many bumps
and cracks; running or charging across these floors is
impossible.

Light: During they day, sunlight illuminates the

ruins fairly well, except where noted otherwise. After
sundown, the ruins grow as dark as the surrounding
night.
Rubble: In some areas, the floor is littered with
loose masonry debris. Bipedal creatures are limited to
half speed in these areas unless they are Huge or larger.
Sinkholes: Openings in the ground formed naturally as the ruins collapsed. As a rule, they measure
about 6 feet wide and 12 to 18 feet deep. Their walls are
fairly easy to climb, since they are lined with broken
masonry (Climb DC 5), but they lead nowhere unless
they connect to a subterranean tunnel
Subterranean Tunnels: Puhrjan discovered and
enlarged the cramped passages under the ruins. They
are less than 2 feet across and impassible to creatures of
Small size or larger, though snakelike creatures (such as
Puhrjan) of up to Huge size can navigate them.
Walls: The walls, like the floors, are badly cracked
and falling down. Theyre also damp and often covered
with ivy. They are made of masonry at least a foot thick.
These walls have Climb DCs of 15. They are anywhere
from 7 to 9 feet high in roofless areas, and 12 feet high
or more in areas where the roof remains intact.
Reinforced Masonry Wall: 12 in. thick; Hardness
8; hp 360; Break DC 45.

1. Belfry
This circular chamber is a collection of bare
beams and rafters, with nothing but empty space
below. An arcade of narrow, empty arches (each
no wider than a human boys shoulders) leaves
the chamber open to the elements, as do a few
holes in the roof here and there. One arch leads to
a spiral staircase of rain-slick stone curving down.
A rickety catwalk leads from the top of the
spiral staircase to the chambers center, where it
ends in midair. Above the catwalk, farther up
than a tall human can reach, is a structure of
exceptionally heavy beams radiating out from a
central hub like a colossal wagon wheel. Massive
bronze hangers, green with age, adorn the spokes
of the wheel. Chimes and small bells dangle from
some of the hangers, but most are empty.
Ivy growing on the towers exterior has invaded
this chamber, festooning the walls and beams
with leafy green.
This chamber once housed the bells for the abbeys
church. Most of the bells are long gone, stripped away
by the bandits who sacked the abbey.

The ivy grows in here naturally. Creatures of Tiny or

smaller size can pass freely though the arches ringing
the chamber. Creatures of Small or Medium-size can
squeeze through as a move-equivalent action.
Puhrjan, with assistance from charmed victims, has
converted the belfry into a deadly trap.
Net and Pit Trap: CR 6; mechanical; location trigger;
repair reset; Reflex saving throw (DC 20) avoids; 60 ft.
drop (6d6 subdual, fall plus 1d6 subdual, weighted net);
multiple targets (all in chamber); pit bottom trap;
Search (DC 20); Disable Device (DC 25). Market Price:
10,800 gp.
Notes: A large net hangs from the beams, concealed
by the ivy. Anyone weighing more than 15 lb. who
walks on the catwalk triggers the trap. Another trigger
cord lies concealed atop the beams near the chambers
center.
When the trap is triggered, a net large enough to fill
the entire chamber, weighted with 5,500 lb. of stones
tied along the edges, falls from the rafters. Anyone
under the net must make a Reflex save (DC 20). Those
who fail become entangled in the net and are dragged
downward along with it. Success indicates that the subject has managed to evade the net or hold onto something (or both), so as to avoid being dragged down.
The circular net has a slit that allows it to drop past
the catwalk without snagging on it; a pleat in the net
catches and entangles creatures on the catwalk.
Creatures entangled in the net drop 40 feet to area 2,
where they break through the pit cover and drop
another 20 feet to the water in area 2A. The impact of
the net inflicts 1d6 points of subdual damage and the
subsequent fall inflicts 6d6 points of subdual damage.
Any creature entangled in the net also suffers a 2
penalty on attack rolls and a 4 penalty to effective
Dexterity. The entangled creature can move only at half
speed and cannot charge or run. Unless the entangled
creature can drag 5,500 lb., the nets weights holds it
immobile. If the entangled creature attempts to cast a
spell, it must first succeed at a Concentration check
(DC 15).
The entangled creature can escape with an Escape
Artist check (DC 20) made as a full-round action. The
net has 10 hit points and can be burst with a Strength
check (DC 30, also a full-round action).
The net is useful only against creatures between
Tiny and Large size, inclusive.
Creatures: Two will-o-wisps lurk here.
d W i l l - o - w i s p s ( 2 ) : hp 40 each, see the M ONSTER
MANUAL, page 183.

T a c t i c s : As the moon sets each night, the wisps

simply hang outside two of the arches on the east side
of the chamber and glow, thus masquerading as the
eyes of Mollie McTynker. They become invisible
and retreat into the network of beams when they
note anyone approaching the belfry or entering area
2. If the interloper does not trigger the trap, the wisps
trigger it themselves (by severing the trigger cord
with an electrical zap). They attack anyone who
evades the trap.
During the day, the will-o-wisps hide among the
beams, invisible. One dozes while the other keeps
watch. If anyone enters the belfry, they follow the
tactics noted above, except that one wisp rings the
bells and chimes remaining in the belfry to raise the
alarm.
In a fight, the wisps attack the foe who seems weakest first, though they use their Dodge feat against the
most formidable-looking foe or the one who seems to
hit them the most readily. Remember that most spells
prove ineffective against will-o-wisps.
The will-o-wisps relish their recent successes, but
they know when to quit. They become invisible and
flee if reduced to 10 hit points or less, unless they face
only a single foe at that time.
D e v e l o p m e n t : If the party comes here at night,
Puhrjan, the spirit naga in area 5, notices the lights
going out and investigates. Likewise, the naga notices
when bells or chimes ring in the belfry. The naga usually sends his bat familiar to investigate disturbances
here, as noted in the description for area 5A.

2. Tower Ground Floor

A mound of old leaves, twigs, and bits of stone
covers the floor in this circular chamber. Here
and there, bits of crystal glitter in the debris
probably shards of glass from the chambers
broken windows, which are now blacked by
masses of ivy. Just to the right of the chambers
entrance, a closed stairwell with a stone spiral
staircase leads up.
Though its dark here, light filtering down
reveals the remains of a wood-and-plaster ceiling
some 12 or 15 feet above the chamber floor.
Beyond that, only stone walls are visible, rising a
good bow shot up to a network of wooden rafters
high above. The only apparent opening in the
staircase (besides the one here on the ground
floor) seems to be at a catwalk just below the
beams.

This chamber originally served as the bell-ringing chamber. Many ropes and cords hung down from the belfry,
40 feet above, through a false ceiling, and dangled here.
When Mollie McTynkers bandits took over the
abbey, they broke loose the larger bells and let them
fall, destroying the ceiling here. They sold most of the
smaller bells and broke up the larger ones for scrap.
Today, one can look from here all the way up into
the belfry (area 1). At night, light comes from the willo-wisps in the belfry. By day, sunlight shines down
through the open ceiling.
Trap: This chamber is not as innocent as it seems at
first glance. Puhrjan has used the labor of many
charmed victims to excavate the floor, leaving it open
to the flooded crypt below (area 2A) A lattice of ivy
branches covered with dead leaves and small bits of
debris from the ruins has converted the chamber floor
into a pit trap
C o v e r e d P i t : CR 2; mechanical; location trigger;
aC
repair reset; Reflex saving throw (DC 20) avoids; 20 ft.
deep (2d6 subdual, fall); multiple targets (all in chamber); pit bottom trap; Search (DC 20); Disable Device
(DC 20). Market Price: 1,600 gp.
Notes: Any weight of 15 lb. or more collapses the
cover, dumping the victims 20 feet into area 2A. The fall
inflicts 2d6 points of subdual damage, but the victim
plummets into the deep water in area 2A. Characters
already entangled in the net (see area 1) when they fall
into this pit are not entitled to saving throws to avoid it.
Creatures: No creatures live here, but the will-owisps in area 1 keep watch.
Tactics: The will-o-wisps drop the net in area 1 onto
anyone they notice poking around below. Characters in
this chamber when the net falls must success at Reflex
saves (DC 20) or become entangled in the net, which
drags them into the pit. The impact of the net and the
fall inflict a total of 3d6 points of subdual damage.
Development: If the will-o-wisps in area 1 notice anything going on down here, they signal Puhrjan in area 5
by blinking or by ringing the chimes in the belfry.

2A. Tower Pit

This area once served as part of the crypts below the
abbey church. It is now isolated from what remains of
the crypts (thanks to the buildings general collapse)
and flooded to a depth of 10 feet. The surface of the
water is 20 feet below the pit cover. This area serves as
the bottom of the net and pit trap in areas 1 and 2.

F l o o d e d P i t : CR 5; mechanical; location trigger;

aF
automatic reset; multiple targets (all in pit); never-miss;
onset delay (0 rounds); water; Search (DC 20); Disable
Device (DC 20). Market Price: 12,500 gp.
Notes: Characters who fall into the deep water here
while entangled in the net from area 1 immediately
sink to the bottom. They must escape the net before
they can swim to the surface. Escape Artist checks
made underwater are at a 2 penalty to the DC (see area
1) unless the character is under a freedom of movement effect.
The bottom of the pit is littered with bones (the
remains of past victims), and perhaps even a bloated
corpse or two. If the PCs set out to find a missing
person (see Getting the Player Characters Involved,),
this is where they find the characters remains.

3. Large Sinkholes
Gaping holes mark places where the upper works of
the old abbey church have collapsed into the flooded
crypts below. The three sinkholes drop 20 feet to an
underground pool that is connected to the surrounding
fens. Theres nothing here now, but a Search check (DC
20) reveals a few slimy footprints.
The bog mummies from area 4 made the footprints.
They use the sinkholes to move between the ruins and
the fens. Once the group locates these prints, characters with the Track feat can follow the trail to area 4
(Wilderness Lore check DC 20).

4. Ruined Altar
The remains of the churchs altar, despoiled when
Mollie McTynkers bandits took over the abbey, still
stand on a dais here. The altar itself has been thoroughly smashed, and its shards are now festooned with
toadstools. The roof overhead is largely intact.
Creatures: Several bog mummies always lurk near
the altar. They are the remnants of brothers of the
abbey killed during the bandit attack and thrown into
the fens. One of Mollys henchmen later exhumed the
bodies and turned them into undead.
d Bog Mummies (4): hp 45, 42, 41, 40. These creatures
are identical to the mummies described in the MONSTER M ANUAL , except that they are immune to fire
rather than vulnerable to fire. (Assume a CR of 4.)
Tactics: The mummies usually lurk behind (east) of
the altar and shamble out to attack anyone who comes
within 20 feet, except for Puhrjan, the naga from area 5.

Development: Puhrjan contrives to get a good look

at the mummies each day, so that he need not fear their
despair power in the event that he has to pass by this
area in a hurry. The mummies, for their part, have long
since ceased to regard the naga as an enemy.

5. Puhrjans Chambers
These areas once served as the abbots lodgings and
later as quarters for Mollie McTynker and her lieutenants. The rooms are roofless today (except for area
5B), with floors covered with rubble and ivy vines.

5A. Puhrjans Lookout.

The piles of rubble here provide Puhrjan with an excellent lookout post.
C r e a t u r e s : Each night, Puhrjan and his familiar,
Imray, hunker down in the rubble here to keep watch
on area 1.
d Puhrjan: Spirit naga Sor1; CR 10; Large aberration;
HD 9d8+36 plus 1d4+4; hp 82; Init +1; Spd 40 ft.; AC 16,
touch 10, flat-footed 15; Atk +9 melee (2d6+6 plus
poison, bite); Face/Reach 5 ft. x 5 ft./10 ft.; SA charm
gaze, poison; SQ bat familiar, darkvision 60 ft.,
empathic link with familiar, share spells with familiar;
AL CE; SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +11; Str 18, Dex 13,
Con 18, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 17.
Skills and Feats: Climb +4, Craft (trapmaking) +7,
Concentration +13, Hide 3, Listen +15, Scry +4, Spellcraft +10, Spot +15; Alertness, Lightning Reflexes.
Poison (Ex): Bite, Fort DC 18, primary and secondary damage 1d8 temporary Constitution.
Empathic Link (Su): Puhrjan can communicate telepathically with his familiar at a distance of up to a mile.
He has the same connection to an item or a place that
his familiar does.
Share Spells: Puhrjan may have any spell he casts on
himself also affect his familiar if the latter is within 5 ft.
at the time. He may also cast a spell with a target of
You on his familiar.
Sorcerer Spells Known (6/7/7/6/3; base DC 13 +
spell level): 0 arcane mark, dancing lights, detect
magic, flare, ghost sound, mage hand, read magic,
resistance; 1stburning hands, shield, shield of faith,
true strike, unseen servant; 2ndglitterdust, see invisibility, spiritual weapon; 3rdflame arrow, haste; 4th
unholy blight.
Equipment: Headband of intellect +4, two potions
of fly, two potions of cure moderate wounds, two
potions of invisibility.

d Imray, B a t F a m i l i a r : CR ; Diminutive magical

beast; HD 1; hp 41; Init +2; Spd 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (good);
AC 17, touch 16, flat-footed 15; Atk ; Face/Reach 1 ft.
x 1 ft./0 ft.; SQ blindsight, improved evasion, share
spells with Puhrjan, empathic link with Puhrjan; AL
CE; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +4; Str 1, Dex 15, Con 10,
Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 4.
Skills: Hide +10, Listen +12, Move Silently +9, Spot
+12.
Blindsight (Ex): Sonar with a 120 ft. range. Adds +4
to Spot and Listen checks (already included in the skill
numbers above). Negated by silence (in which case it
can see 10 ft.).
T a c t i c s : Puhrjan begins each night by carefully
hiding himself in the rubble. Through long familiarity
with the area, he receives a +8 circumstance bonus to
the check. He always takes 10 on the check, giving him
a Hide score of 15. Imray hides nearby and has a Hide
score of 28.
If he notices anything going on in area 1, Puhrjan
casts shield of faith on Imray and sends the bat for a
closer look. Meanwhile, he casts shield of faith on himself.
When Imray arrives at area 1, he takes a peek
through one of the holes in the roof. If it seems that the
will-o-wisps in the area have things well in hand, Imray
settles down to watch the fray. If not, the bat hurries
back to his master.
Before joining any fight, Puhrjan casts shield on
himself, which he shares with Imray if he can. Then he
casts haste on himself and any allies he can fit within
the effect (usually just himself and Imray), and then see
invisibility with the free action he gets from the haste
spell. With all three spells effective, Puhrjans Armor
Class is 30 (touch 24, flat-footed 29) and Imrays Armor
Class is 31 (touch 30, flat-footed 29). If attacked from a
direction their shield spells dont cover, both creatures
Armor Classes drop by 7 points: Puhrjans Armor Class
becomes 23 (touch 17, flat-footed 22) and Imrays
Armor Class becomes 24 (touch 23, flat-footed 22).
In battle, Puhrjans favorite attack spell is spiritual
weapon (the spells attack bonus is +6/+1, the effect
resembles a pair of snakelike jaws that deal 1d8 points of
damage, they threaten a critical hit on a roll of 20 and
double damage on a critical hit). However, Puhrjan
often uses glitterdust on a group of foes first. He usually
aims his spiritual weapon attacks at spellcaster or other
lightly armored foes, saving his flame arrow spells (fiery
bolt version, two bolts) for heavily armored foes.

If at all possible, Puhrjan fights at a distance,

although his charm gaze is a potent weapon when foes
come close enough to be affected. If necessary, he uses
the system of subterranean tunnels that runs under the
ruins to get into position for an attack. (He knows the
tunnels and the sinkholes they connect well enough to
get a +2 circumstance bonus on any Climb check he
makes to get into or out of a sinkhole.) If that doesnt
work, he uses one of his potions of fly.
If seriously threatened, Puhrjan withdraws to the
nearest sinkhole and vanishes into a tunnel, where he
drinks a potion of cure moderate wounds and a potion
of invisibility before emerging to continue the attack.
Unlike his will-o-wisp allies, Puhrjan doesnt know
when to quit in battle. His long run of recent successes
and his sheer greed make him determined to fight to
the death, and he will do so, though not foolishly.
Whenever possible, he uses his speed and spells to
keep up the assault from a safe distance. When maneuvering during a fight, hell try to draw foes toward the
trap in areas 1 and 2 (if it has not already been triggered) or toward the mummies in area 4.

5B. Puhrjans Lair

This chamber has a mostly intact roof and a working
fireplace. The chamber contains a loose nest made from
twigs and marsh reeds and a stack of firewood.
Creatures: Puhrjan snoozes here during the daylight
hours, curled up in front of a low fire, while Imray flits
about, watching for trouble.
Tactics: Puhrjan is likely to sleep through almost any
daytime disturbance except a bell or chime sounding in
area 1, someone actually entering his complex of rooms,
or an attack on Imray. In these cases, he awakens instantly.
Imray, however, is quick to notice a disturbance anywhere
in the ruins (mostly by virtue of his keen hearing) and
awakens his master at the slightest hint of danger,
though it takes the naga a round or two to wake up.
Once alerted to trouble, Puhrjan follows the tactics
noted in area 5A.
Treasure: Puhrjan carries his magic items with him,
in a small pack strapped behind his head. (He uses
mage hand or unseen servant spells to get at the stuff
inside.) Behind a loose stone near the fireplace is a
niche holding two oddly cut diamonds (small, clear
ovals with prism-shaped hollows) worth 100 gp each.
A Search check (DC 20) around the fireplace reveals
the niche. The PCs can find the niche automatically if
they pull down all the loose stone in the chamber, but
this requires an hours work.

6. Library
The walls of this roofless, circular chamber are
lined with empty shelves. Empty scrollcases litter
the floor along with leaves, scraps of paper, and a
few rotting books. A huge fireplace dominates
the southeast wall. In front of the fireplace stand
two sections of a fireplace screen, separated by
about a foot. The screen consists of two curtains
of black iron mesh (now very rusty) held in blackened metal frames of unusual design.
Though the chamber seems empty, the treasure of
Mollie McTynker lies here.
Treasure: When positioned together, the metalwork
designs on the fireplace screen resemble the top half of
a womans face. The metal sockets where the eyes
should be are empty. The mesh curtains resemble a veil
covering the lower half of the womans face.
Each eye socket of this fireplace screen once held a
diamond. When properly assembled and placed in
front of a roaring fire, these gems concentrated the firelight into two beams that converged on a flagstone on
the floor. Tripping the hidden catch (Search DC 25) on
this stone opens it and reveals Mollie McTynkers treasure vault. Without the converging beams of light, its
next to impossible to find the correct flagstone (Search
DC 50).
The diamonds are currently in the possession of
Puhrjan, who took them from Mollies lieutenant. The
naga keeps them hidden in area 5B. No other gems produce the desired effect, since these two were cut especially to focus light. The sockets in the screen are made
to hold the gems at a slight downward angle.

Once the PCs open the vault, a glittering treasure

awaits them: three golden bracelets (55 gp each), six
small gold candlesticks (50 gp each), a gold chalice with
rubies (5,000 gp), three silver chalices (75 gp each), 10
large silver candlesticks (25 gp each), a golden censer
(1,000 gp), two silver censers (150 gp each), 300 pp, and
a sealed silver casket. The casket is worth 100 gp all by
itself. Inside lies a black velvet veil decorated with
obsidian and moonstones. This veil, once worn by
Mollie McTynker herself, is worth 600 gp as an art
object.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

A senior roleplaying game designer at Wizards of the
Coast, Skip Williams is a game industry veteran who
started behind the cash register at TSRs Dungeon
Hobby Shop in 1976. He was part of the team that created the newest edition of the D&D game, was the primary author of the new MONSTER MANUAL, coauthor of
the new FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting, and is
DRAGON Magazines Sage. Skip is fond of old movies,
old airplanes, and old books, but not necessarily in that
order.
Penny Williams is a senior editor at Wizards. She
has worked on licensed products, the Star Wars team,
the managing editors team, and is now with the core
D&D team. Her recent editorial credits include Masters of the Wild. Look for her web enhancement for
that class book at the Official D&D Website:
www.wizards.com/dnd.
Skip and Penny live in the Puget Sound area with
their Siamese cat and several birds.