Nothing seems to happen. Nothing seems to happen. 'You notice nothing out of the ordinary. You can see no visible result. &You are certain that there is NO trap. ÒA group of four-footed beasts. At this distance, they appear to be six feet tall at the shoulder. One of them lets out a cry and gestures in your direction. The group breaks into a canter. Do you wait for them to close in and do battle? ˛A pyramid of polished marble stands one hundred feet high. Circling it, you're unable to find an entrance. You examine its exterior more closely. You tap and press on the walls. A rounded indentation, the size of a walnut, almost escapes your notice. ÔThe indentation is located about seven feet high. You can find no other remarkable features on the structure. Suddenly, you are stricken by an overpowering hunger. You struggle against a suicidal urge to consume your entire food supply. ‰You place the small stone of gluttony in the indentation. A small circular opening appears just below the stone and enlarges rapidly. You retrieve the stone and quickly step inside the pyramid. The opening immediately closes. 1A cloak room. It contains few items of interest. uA long hallway. Numerous pairs of muddy boots cover the floor. The walls are lined with rainwear hanging from pegs. ˚The sullen clerk graces you with a morose greeting and continues to diligently mop the floor as you enter a heavily stocked storage room. The scents of dried fish, molasses and baked bread intermingle amid barrels, crates, and sacks of various goods. ˝A burly guard vigilantly watches over several weapons' racks. You ponder over the offerings. No handling is allowed without an intent to buy. The place is well-known for its reliable goods. Sales are brisk. Most of the weapons appear fairly common. ûNear the back, a pair of weapons are emitting forth a soft glow. Detecting the use of magic, the guard growls menacingly. "No spell-casting is allowed here!" ˚With a sudden jovial smile, the guard slaps you on the back as if you were an old, longtime friend. You accept a Vlek Liver sandwich and actively participate in an animated discussion over the designs and capabilities of the guard's favorite weapons. ıYou suddenly begin to feel nauseous. An overpowering stench appears to be spewing forth from the clerk. Can it be bad personal hygiene? This horrendous odor cannot possibly come from the clerk alone! You catch the clerk eyeing you furtively. ¶He scowls impatiently. "As far as I can tell, it was pleasant enough until you came in. I've got enough to do around here without stopping to answer dumb questions." ¸You jab one of the sacks. Suddenly, it rips wide open. An angry, squat dwarf spills out onto the floor. You stare in surprise, but the clerk's movements distract you. You turn just as he hastily pulls a sword out from behind a crate and rushes you. ÿDozens of sacks burst into shreds. Dwarves leap out screaming in an unfamiliar tongue. They're all bald, clean-shaven and covered in demonic-looking tattoos. You struggle to keep your wits in the midst of chaos. ‡Your curiosity has foiled one of the Doomsayers' attempts at infiltrating the castle. Drawn by the commotion, a large contingent of Queen Selene's bodyguards swiftly stifles the uproar. You are escorted to a secluded area. ¸With appreciation, you accept a Festoon priest's offer of service. However, before you can make a request, the priest asks that you first make an offering consisting of an outrageous sum. So much for the old adage, "Service to God is payment enough." ÎYou enter a stone pyramid. In the dim light, you stumble over the leftover remains of some pitiable creature. The skeletal framework appears to be dwarf or gnome. Peering closer, you notice the tattered remnants of reptilian scales. ÏYou break open an iron box and find a stone. Its heavy weight takes you by surprise. Its small size was deceiving. Holding it in your palm, your thumb strokes its smooth surface. You feel a strong urge to strike down your comrades. ˛"I can't thank you enough. We've been watching Porthius for some time. I'd deliberately reassigned him as storage room clerk. If he truly proved to be a traitor, I didn't think he could do much harm in this position. Apparently, I underestimated him. Ô"Your help was vital in defusing a situation that could have quickly escalated out of control. The Doomsayers motley group of fanatical warriors have been gaining in power. Their primary goal is to bring about the end of the world." Ú"You have shown true strength. If you should ever need rest or healing, see Sir Matthew. He is loyal and discreet and will see that all your needs are met. You may visit him in my private chapel across the hall at any time of day or night. ¸You enter the queen's private chapel. A stately man in fine silk robes intently peruses a thick tome. The queen is not presently using the chapel, and he has time to heal your wounds if you will pledge a generous tithe to the 'Save the whelens fund'. §A stately man dressed in fine robes greets you. "Good friends! The queen has informed me of your brave deeds. How can I, poor old Matthew, be of service to you?" ÊQueen Selene listens to your account of the defeat of Bumpus and his party of Doomsayer dwarves. "Thank you, my friends. You never cease to amaze me with your rooting out of evil. I must admit, though. It does give me cause... ·You hear the sounds of brisk chopping knives and the clash of pots and pans. The pungent smells of seasoned, roasting meat drift your way from just around the next corner. A gruff voice yells at someone to get back to work. ¸The entrance to a large pantry. A fat dwarf is whipping several young ogres. Clothed in smelly, greasy garb, the ogres hastily work to restock the pantry shelves. A large jar crashes to the ground shattering its contents. The dwarf screams in rage. ˘Looking near ready to die of stroke, the dwarf suddenly notices you and mistakes you for common kitchen help. "You dar!" he snarls. "Help dem varmints wit' da chores!" Pulling his arm back, he sends his whip snapping wickedly in your direction. ıHe quickly realizes that he's made a grave mistake. Throwing himself at your feet, he spouts shamelessly. "Masters! Me apologize! Me slow and dimwitted. Not always thinkin' what me doin'. Have mercy! Forgive me stupidity! If ye forgive... I'll let ye in on a little secret." Do you forgive the dwarf in return for his secret? OR Do you haul him before the queen? Û"Bumpus thanks ye!" He jumps up and shoves the young ogres out of the room. "Dey can't be hearin' what me about to tell ye. Ye no be tellin' anybody else this secret! It would mean me hide." He leans close and whispers conspiratorially... "At X:39 Y:78 is a secret wall. Ye push on dat wall and it will give way. Ye do dat, and ye will find me big secret. Now, I must get back to me work. Dem lazy ogres! Me must keep on dem all de time. Dey get nothin' done by demselves." ÊYou quickly haul the dwarf before the queen to seek justice for his harsh treatment of the young ogres and yourselves. Queen Selene speaks, "So, Bumpus! You still love your whip. I told you to get rid of that whip or I would... ‚banish you. I think you need a good dose of your own medicine. Guards! Take Bumpus to one of my private chambers and let him taste 20 lashes. When you have seen to that, turn him out of the castle. He is never to return." ¯Three guards haul Bumpus from the room kicking and proclaiming his innocence. "This is an insult! Ye'll never find anyone to do dat job good as me! I did nothin' wrong!" The queen turns to you, "Thank you, my friends. I never cared for the... ”heavy-handed methods he used to get work out of the help. Now, I must ask you to leave, for I have other more pressing duties to attend to." The queen signals to one of her assistants who sees you to the door. AA shimmering aura of energy fluctuates before you. Do you enter? ÓAs you walk down the corridor, you feel a sudden rush of air. Someone has cut several small holes into the wall just ahead. A dozen javelins sail through them at once aiming straight at you. Those who do not Save VS. Dexterity are hit. ¿As you walk down the corridor, you hear a sudden rush of air. From small holes in the ceiling, dozens of poison darts rain down upon you. Those who do not Save VS. Constitution are poisoned. ºYou enter a small room. The floor is littered with many bodies. Unfortunately, none of them survived the onslaught of traps. You search the room carefully but find nothing of interest. ÷You rummage around the bodies hoping to find something of worth. Suddenly, a panel in the north wall slides open. Tattooed, beardless dwarves with shaved heads pour forth in full attack. Bumpus leads the attack. Ëfor alarm that you are loitering about when a great task lies before you. It would be wise to begin your journey. Please go. I must remain here to coordinate events. It's imperative that all remaining Doomsayers be eliminated." 2You are attacked by a patrol of Doomsayer dwarves. ¯You find Bumpus's secret quarters. Ritual robes and unusual relics reveal that he was a high priest in the Doomsayer cult. Some papers hint that the Doomsayers have an unidentified infiltrator among the queen's retinue. You find a strange stone. WA squad of Doomsayer dwarves guard this corridor. They defend it with feral intensity. ÖYou enter the quarters of a squad of Doomsayer dwarves. The barbarians immediately take up their weapons and launch a fierce attack. ˛A peaceful summer day. You follow an old dirt trail through a beautiful, wooded valley. There's a sudden break in the woods. A pyramid stands oddly alone amid an open glade. One hundred feet or more, its point stretches upward to pierce the blue sky. ˙The glade is surrounded by dead yew trees entwined by long strands of bindwart. You draw closer to the pyramid and touch its surface. It appears to have been crafted out of an unfamiliar, fine stone. Cool to the touch, it feels as smooth as glass. ÙThe unblemished surface betrays no visible joints to show how the polished stone sides were fitted together. At the base, new shoots of grickle grass flourish amid the fresh upturned sod. Nearby, great boulders have been rent from the ground. ÌThe unusual evidence leads you to believe that the pyramid was created quite recently. Deeply perplexed, you study the base and surrounding boulders. The pyramid appears to have sprung up right out of the earth. You must be mistaken!
ÛIntrigued, you conduct another thorough examination of the surface walls. You happen upon a slight indentation the size of a walnut. The slight cavity is situated dead center on the pyramid's southern face about seven feet from the ground.
