LLA001 Blood Moon Rising
LLA001 Blood Moon Rising
LLA001 Blood Moon Rising
Credits
Written by Peter C. Spahn
Art David Griffin
Production Small Niche Games
Special Thanks Keith Kilburn, Derek Thornton, Jimmy
and Susan Bramble, Harold Bates,
Seth Walker, Owen Barron,
Christopher Sigmund
The use of any other company's trademark or copyright in this guide is not intended as a challenge
to the ownership of those trademarks or copyrights.
The contents of this file are © Copyright protected and are not to be redistributed in any format.
The purchaser of this file may print up to two copies of this file for personal use only.
© Labyrinth Lord ™ is copyright 2007-2009, Daniel Proctor. Labyrinth Lord ™ and Advanced
Labyrinth Lord ™ are trademarks of Daniel Proctor. These trademarks are used under the Labyrinth
Lord ™ Trademark License 1.1 available at www.goblinoidgames.com.
© Blood Moon Rising is copyright 2010, Peter C. Spahn. All Rights Reserved
Blood Moon Rising is a Labyrinth Lord™ character intervention, so certain events may
adventure suitable for 3-6 characters of 1st have to be altered or omitted, depending on the
through 3rd level (about 8-10 levels total). The presence and/or actions of the player
adventure is set in and around the village of characters. For example, if the PCs are near the
Garanton during a festival honoring a local hero abbey on the third night of the festival, they
named Tormic Garan, and involves a mixture of may witness Rellum murder Norri (see
wilderness, dungeon, and urban encounters. Murderer on pg. 10). Similarly, if the
The Labyrinth Lord should feel free to replace characters manage to close the Demon Gate on
Garanton with any small farming village from the second day of the festival, no more demons
his own campaign world. awaken to plague the villagers, even though
awakening demons is listed as a nightly event
Beginning the Adventure (see The Demon Gate on pg. 19).
The adventure assumes the characters are in
town at the start of the Feast of St. Garan. They
Adventure Background
may be passing through, they may have come Ages ago, in the land that would one day
to visit a friend or relative, or a fighter or dwarf become the Duchy of Valnwall, the forces of evil
character may have come to receive the stood united under three half-brothers—the
blessings of St. Garan. fighter Tormic Garan, the cleric Drayn Rone,
and the infamous wizard Grable Mir. Garan was
Managing the Adventure a master tactician and commander of a mighty
host, Rone was a disciple of darkness whose
Blood Moon Rising is a freeform “sandbox
demonic allies instilled fear in the hearts of
style” adventure, presenting a number of men, and Mir was already the most feared
events that are scheduled to unfold over the
sorcerer in all the land.
course of the five-day Feast of St. Garan.
Although the Festival Itinerary (pg. 6) Garan’s army built a mighty castle atop a tall
outlines a typical day at the festival, other cliff and many fell creatures came to dwell in its
major events are further described in separate shadow. Mir lined the castle walls with magic
daily sections. Combat encounters have been runes to make it impregnable, while on the roof
spaced out in order to accommodate low-level of the castle’s tallest spire, the cleric Rone
characters, with plenty of downtime provided opened a mystical portal to the demon realms.
between events to allow the party time to heal, The castle was named Vyn, but because of the
memorize spells, interact with NPCs, explore Demon Gate, most men called it by another
the village and its surroundings, and follow up name—Hell’s Door.
on leads and plot hooks. Hell’s Door became the launching point for a
The Labyrinth Lord should take note that wave of conquest that washed over the
most encounters are presented without surrounding lands. Garan’s army swept
At night, a bonfire is lit on Hildor Meadow The winner of the Honor Games is crowned
and Friar Uric tells stories of St. Garan. On the the Champion of St. Garan and entrusted with
first night, Uric recounts how the heroic Sir the coveted Mantle of St. Garan for one year.
Garan was slain while liberating the realm from During this time, the champion is entitled to
the clutches of three evil lords. On subsequent free room, board, and healing at any abbey
nights, Uric tells traditional folk tales, recasting dedicated to St. Garan but is expected to do
Sir Garan as the hero of the story (the good deeds and undertake heroic quests in the
Labyrinth Lord can decide whether or not any of name of St. Garan the Mighty.
the characters have heard the original tales). NPC Scoring
After the stories are told, the effigy is paraded
back to the Garanton Abbey and the revelers A total of 15 points may be accumulated
begin to disperse, with the more boisterous during the Honor Games. Most NPCs score in
individuals heading to Konnar’s. the 4-7 range (1d3+3), but a few exceptional
fighters can score 5-12 or higher (1d8+4). The
Flight of the Demons Labyrinth Lord may simply roll the total for
The Demon Gate opens each night and an generic NPCs or roll separately during each
increasing number of night demons awaken and event for an NPC that has become particularly
fly out. At first, the demons avoid large crowds, vexing to the characters (such as Sir Havad
however, they become increasingly bold each Quinn).
night as their numbers steadily grow. During Victory Duel
the day, the night demons seek the shelter of
hidden caves, barn lofts, and other remote The Victory Duel occurs when two or more
locations. These demons head out each night in characters are tied on the last day of the event.
search of prey, following a circular hunting The contestants must do battle using their
pattern that slowly takes them away from sword, shield, and armor. Like the Test of the
Garanton. If the characters head off into the Blade (see below), the Victory Duel is fought
wilderness, they may encounter these roaming using only subdual damage.
packs of demons, at the Labyrinth Lord’s
discretion.
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Random Festival
Encounters
The following encounters may be dropped in
at any time during the festival. The Labyrinth
Lord may use these encounters to introduce
village NPCs or provide hooks to some of the
major events that occur during the festival.
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1. Plaza of Worship
This stone plaza served as the ceremonial
meeting area and training grounds for the
Garanic Knights. A pair of wide stone staircases
lead up to a crypt that hides the entry to the
Tomb of St. Garan. A bas-relief of Garan’s true
coat-of-arms is carved upon the crypt’s double
doors, but the carving is so weathered that its
details are hard to make out. The doors are
magically sealed and can only be opened at
night. A read languages spell cast on a set of
ancient runes above the door reveals it to read:
“Mother Night welcomes Tormic Garan, Lord of
Battle.” The doors may be pushed open any
time after night falls. Inside the crypt, a spiral
staircase descends down into the tomb.
2. Garanic Ruins
The ruins of an old monastery and keep litter
the southern portion of the ravine. The
monastery once served as the religious and
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The Demon Gate white flame arises in the center of the platform.
Any character who touches the Demon Gate
Ages ago, the evil cleric Drayn from the other side is instantly transported
Rone constructed a gateway to the
realm of the night demons.
Unbeknownst to his evil brothers,
Rone used this space between
worlds to begin crafting a second
gate that would open a portal to
the realm of a demon named
Kura’drim. (If the Labyrinth Lord is
using the Advanced Edition
Companion, Kura’drim is an
extremely powerful Balor demon).
Luckily, Rone was killed by his
brothers before he could open the
gate.
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The following NPCs may be encountered over Deidre Lerin: treat as Lawful 0-level human
the course of the festival and may become with Cha 15 and 25 gp and 47 sp.
friends, allies, rivals, or even enemies,
depending upon the actions of the player Gregori Konnar
characters. Konnar is a grizzled veteran and owner of the
local inn/tavern that bears his name. He
Garanton Villagers
respects soldiers, ex-soldiers, and adventuring
The villagers of Garanton are mostly law- fighters, but has little use for sellswords and
abiding farmers and craftsmen who are proud of mercenaries. Konnar is well liked by all the
their heritage. Because of the presence of the villagers and is an excellent source of
abbey, they have grown accustomed to information about Garanton and its
travelers and tend to be more friendly and surroundings.
tolerant of outsiders than other small villages.
Gregori Konnar: AL L; MV 120‘ (40‘); AC 9
Although the surrounding area is relatively tame
or 7 (leather armor + shield); F3; hp 19; #AT
and settled, the village occasionally comes
1; Dmg 1d4+1 (club + Str), 1d8+1 (sword +
under attack by orc raiders and other wandering
Str), 1d4+1 (dagger + Str); S 13, D 12, C 14, I
monsters. When threatened, the villagers are
10, W 12, Ch 13; SV F3; ML 10; XP 80; 8 gp,
capable of mobilizing a militia of 30-50 able-
13 sp.
bodied men armed with spears, clubs and shield
(with a few short bows), under the command of Manco the Falconer
the Brotherhood of St. Garan.
Manco is a skilled animal trainer and
Garanton Villagers: treat as Lawful 0-level performer who specializes in birds. He travels
humans. about in a small wagon with a trained crow,
hawk, and barn owl. Manco’s services are
Brant Arwell
sought by several noble courts and wealthy
Arwell is a skilled artist from a nearby city merchant houses and if befriended, he may
who was commissioned by Friar Uric to carve a become a valuable contact who can open doors
likeness of St. Garan into the side of Hildor among the wealthy that would otherwise remain
Bluff. Arwell often seems distant and closed to the party.
unemotional, but he is a deeply caring and
Manco the Falconer: treat as Lawful 0-level
sensitive individual. He loves to read, and is a
human with Wis 16 and 248 gp and 77 sp.
student of ancient history. When Arwell is not
creating, his nose is usually buried in a book. Fembric Dossum
Brant Arwell: treat as Lawful 0-level human Dossum is a local bandit lord who dabbles in
with Int 15. petty crime such as stealing livestock, fencing
stolen goods, and robbing the occasional
Deidre Lerin
traveler. Dossum has come to the festival to
Deidre is Arwell’s assistant and apprentice. make money through moneylending and
She is much more grounded in reality than gambling and his hand can be found in most of
Arwell and is responsible for seeing to their the high-stakes wagering that takes place
daily needs. Deidre has fallen in love with during the Honor Games.
Arwell, but he has been too preoccupied with
Fembric Dossum: AL C; MV 120‘ (40‘); AC
his latest carving to notice.
5 (studded leather armor + Dex); F3; hp 20;
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New Monsters
New Magic Items Night Demons
The Mantle of St. Garan No. Enc.: 1d6 (2d4)
Alignment: Chaotic
The Mantle of St. Garan is a luxurious black Movement: 90’ (30’); Fly: 150’ (50’)
velvet cloak that was once worn by Tormic Armor Class: 5
Garan and is said to grant its wearer good Hit Dice: 2
leadership skills and victory in every battle. The Attacks: 4 (2 claws, bite, horn)
mantle provides a bonus of +2 to all Charisma Damage: 1d2/1d2/1d6/1d4
checks. In truth, however, it is actually a cursed Save: F4
item that bestows a cumulative –1 penalty to- Morale: 11
hit on its wearer every month after the first. Hoard Class: VII
Upon the wearer’s death, the cloak magically XP: 65
returns to the Garanton Abbey. (A remove
curse spell produces the same effect.) Night demons are humanoid creatures with
large bat-like wings, curved horns, green eyes,
The cloak’s left collar contains Tormic fangs, fearsome claws, barbed tails, and skin
Garan’s true coat-of-arms—a black skull over the color of pitch. Night demons hunt in packs
crossed red swords on a white shield. The and are often mistaken for gargoyles. They are
Brotherhood of St. Garan believes that the skull sly, efficient predators that can strike without
is merely a sign that the wearer was unworthy warning, swooping down upon their prey and
so when the cloak inevitably returns to the tearing them apart. Their presence forces
normal animals to make a saving throw vs.
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END
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