Guided Tour of the Graveyard ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ____________ by Aegyptia Nyctadaemus / \ __ \ \@| / "| | | //|"| |egyptia, where can I Depending on your level and armor, _| //=|"| | get mummy shrouds?" getting back out can be even more /@| // |"| | asks one adventurer. difficult, because you must push the \_/ ~~ ~~~ / "Where can I find gate with monsters nipping at your ~~~~~~~~~~~ ghoul scrapings, and heels or worse. If you have a ring, are the ghouls tough?" Since my set it so you can ring out. Some GY first days in the Landing, I have spots don't allow rings. If yours noticed how people enjoy taking home doesn't work, try a new location. bizarre trophies to amaze their If you hunt the graveyard often as I friends; some of the strangest are do, you may want to set your ring to found in the town graveyard. It is carry you between the temple and a affectionately known to residents as safe area such as the foyer of the the "GY" although its official name Crypt (K on Map 2). in the Tomes of Kulthea is "The From the town gates, follow the Necropolis of Etrevion." As a cleric path leading around the wooden pali- I have a professional interest in sades of Kelfour's Landing, first helping destroy the Unlife plague going south down "torkaan row," that haunts our lands, but I find through the plains and meadows. the graveyard oddly beautiful. It Sometimes we get so busy battling is a quiet place filled with his- monsters or rushing from one place tory, and the crypt is removed from to another with our descriptions set the summer heat. on "!desc" that we forget about the You don't have to be a cleric to wonders of our countryside. Take a hunt the GY, but you must ask a look around. You'll find torkaans cleric to bless weapons for you, for and wolverines as well as adven- the Unlife can only be damaged by turers coming and going from their blessed weapons and magic. There hunting expeditions. Hudvaarks can are a few live monsters there that usually be seen circling overhead. do not require blessed weapons, not- These large, white seabirds are so ably goblins, hobgoblins and cobras. awkward on land, they remain in The higher the level of cleric who flight for most of the year. does the blessing, the better: You At 6 on Map 1, you can see the get three swings per level of the plains to the southwest. This is cleric (the Tomes err in saying one good country for hunting torkaan swing per level, else the gods have (giant killer sheep) and wolverines. bestowed stronger blessings upon us Continue southeast around the town since they were written), and they walls to 7, where you get your first are not cumulative. If a high level glance of the Colewaether river, cleric cannot be found, try to get which carries river traffic in and several weapons blessed before out of Kelfour's Landing. starting out. Clerics can purchase East of the bridge is the permanently blessed holy weapons in entrance to Mine Road. Along this their Shop near the temple, but road and in the mines themselves are these cannot be used by other class. many monsters which can be hunted by Before you go, you should also lower- to mid-level adventurers. consider how you're going to get At 13 we leave the path skirt- back out. One of the more frustra- ing town, to take an obscure trail ting "monsters" in the GY is the towards our destination. We pass massive bronze gate that guards its through a pretty, sunlit clearing entrance. Much time is required to and a dense maze of trees. This can push it open, even with great be frightening and disorienting, but strength, so the more friends you if you follow the directions on the have help, the quicker it will go. map, you'll get through all right. -20- More... ______________________________________________________________________ / \ \ |@/____________________________________________________________________/ | | | N | | W + E -=GRAVEYARD=- | | S CONTINUED ON | | MAP 2 | | \|/ | | ============================= GY GATE, INSIDE A push gate | | | | | go gate | | | MAP 1: | GY GATE, OUTSIDE 18 | | | APPROACH TO THE GRAVEYARD | / | | | | go path | | ============================= / | | 17 | | / | | go trail | | / | | OUTSIDE 16 | | K KELFOUR'S | | | O LANDING THE MAZE | | B go MAIN GATE OF TREES | | O-1--path--(WAYSIDE INN) | | | L | Heading toward the GY, | | D 2 KELFOUR'S LANDING keep going northeast and | | S | RIVER GATE (Not north until you are out of | | 3 open to foot -----X the maze; leaving the GY, | | | traffic) | keep going south and | | 4 X southwest till you are out. | | | MINE ROAD | go / | | 5 | 13--trail--14--15--THE MAZE | | | climb | OF TREES | | 6 bank 12 | | / \ go | / | | X 7--8--9--bridge--10--11 | | | | | | GRASSLANDS VANTAGE | | POINT | | | | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | | MONSTERS: 1-10 11-15 16-18 | | Torkaans Usually No monsters | _| Wolverines No monsters | /@| | \_/_____________________________________________________________________/ Wolverines and torkaans don't enter It opens slowly. Those with VERY this part of the forest, so you GOOD climbing skill might try that should be safe from monsters until route but be warned that this is can you pass through the Graveyard gate be quick way to a painful death. from 18 to A. The gate itself is beautiful, There are no monsters just out- decorated with images of our beloved side the gate, a good thing because Eissa and the vile Empress Kadaena, you must have your hands free to to whom Bandur Etrevion pledged his push it open. Give it a hard PUSH, very soul. Bandur was the fist Lord and wait until you notice you aren't of Orhan to follow the Unlife. pushing any more. Then push again. Once the gate opens arm yourself -21- and enter the graveyard. Just able to go back and retrieve your inside the gate, weaker unlife tend things, or on the other hand, you to swarm, along with goblins, so be may run clear to the town gate prepared. Here (A through J on Map before you get your senses back. 2) are phantoms, skeletons, lesser They calm fairly easily though if ghouls and goblins. At the end of you have that spell. Ilstar Dark- this article is a description of all edge said of the dirges: "These GY monsters and their locations. forms with very dark eyes seem to be You also get your first view of the spirits bound to this world by magnificent crypt built by Bandur music. Quiet, haunting tunes can be Etrevion several thousand years ago heard when they are about. Their Be sure to "look at crypt" and "read voices can make you stand frozen or inscription". run for your life." To the north lies the burial The route from MM to LL is one mound of Etrevion's brother, Kes- way, and it's easy to get confused. trel, whom he slew in a fit of The area from BB up through the dam madness, possessed as he was by the and the creek is much safer. As far Unlife. The entry foyer (K) is safe as I know, dirges don't go there. from monsters. The path encircling Moving west to CC and north, you'll the crypt (A through J) gives a good find where fallen trees have blocked view of the crypt from all angles. the creek to form a natural dam. At J you can look at the green- This is the place to hunt cobras if veined, marble monument among the you can stand the smell of the gravesites and read the inscription rotting stuff in the pond; the to the sons of Kestrel Etrevion snakes usually swarm in great number ("read base"). once they realize anyone has From F, take the trail north to trespassed. They live around the the burial mound itself. Flowers water and also the dry parts of the here are usually pretty. Revenants creek bed (GG and HH). and hobgoblins inhabit the area of So much for above ground, now the mound, but most terrible is the let's return to the main gate and ghoul king (UU on Map 2). A rock- investigate the crypt. From A we strewn gully leads upward for a enter the foyer (K). No monsters breathtaking view, but one or more venture here, so it's a good place kings await the unwary atop the to ring to and from. It's eerie but mound, and you should understand beautiful. The subtle light comes this adversary well before attempt- from strips of arinyark inlaid into ing the gully. the stone walls. Arinyark naturally From X we leave the main grave- absorbs and retains raw Essence yard and pass amid a half-circle of radiations, allowing it to illu- strewn monoliths ("look monolith" at minate the grisly freize perpetually X). They could only have been placed down through the centuries ("look" here by the golems Bandur created to and "read" the frieze). build his brother's burial mound. Through the arch are three of the Going southwest, we head toward the most haunting rooms in all of bog, the creek and some odd stone Kulthea. After Bandur killed his ruins. South from AA there are a brother, Kestrel, he was tormented few well-kept graves of an ancient, by guilt and the Unlife to the point noble family, before the land falls that he decided to end his days on. off into the bog where you are According to the Tomes, he returned likely to encounter death dirges (JJ to where he had had his brother to RR) and greater ghouls. The buried, and "planned and ordered a methane gas and leeches in the bog great graveyard and crypt to be are pretty disgusting, but if you do built in the wilds. He oversaw the venture into this realm, I suggest entire project himself, using magi- using only replaceable weapons and cal powers and conjured hordes to shields. When the dirges cast Fear, complete the undertaking." Thus, you may run only a short way and be this crypt was built. "That having -22- More... ______________________________________________________________________ / \ \ |@/____________________________________________________________________/ | | | N ==================== A-J | | W + E HH | | Skeletons | | S / | MAP 2: | | Lesser Ghouls | | GG | GRAVEYARD, | | Phantoms | | / | GROUND LEVEL | | Goblins | | FF | | | | | | ==================== | | | down/up | K | | | | No monsters | | EE V----U----T | | | | / / \ | | | go dam/go bank W / \ | L-N | | | /| go gulley \ | Lesser Mummies | | DD X | / S | Bone Golem? | | | / \| UU / | | | CC--BB----AA Y / | | | / | \ / | EE-HH | | go path | Z------Q--R | Cobras | | / | | | | | MM---JJ----KK | P | | | |\ |\ | | / | O-DD | | | \ | \ | | O | and RR-TT | | | \ | \ | RR | | Hobgoblins | | | \| \| | | | Revenants | | `* NN---LL | | | | | \ | go trail | | | go trail | | | JJ-TT | | \ | | | Greater Ghouls | | OO-PP-QQ | | Death Dirges | | / | | | | SS E---------F | | | / / LEADS \ | UU | | TT / UNDER CRYPT \ | Ghoul Kings | | / (SEE MAP 3) \ | | D | G ___ | | | L--M--N | _{(___) | | C | H--J __{\{_____}__ | | * From MM, | go arch | _|\_\{_______}_\ | | south goes B | I _{ \|~~~~~~~~~~~~~|__ | | one-way \ K / (\_\{_______________}_\ | | to LL \ | / (\(_____________________) | | \ go / \( IN MEMORIAM ) | | \ crypt/ / |\========================= | | \ out / | | ~~~ | | | \ | / | | "Here lie the sons | | | \ | / | | of Kestrel Etrevion, | | | \|/ | | princes all, | | | A | | who perished | | | push gate | go gate | | in the battle to | | | 18 | | regain their | | | / ; | ancestral land." | | _| START HERE FROM MAP 1 ^^^\| | | /@| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | \_/_____________________________________________________________________/ -23- been done, and all the enchantments volume.") and magical traps placed around the Heading west again, at N is a graveyard, Bandur installed all his tall, onyx tablet. Look at it and valued possessions, treasured manu- you will find some windak beads, scripts and holy relics in rooms which you can examine more closely. within the crypt. This is one of the strands used by "Finally, he was satisfied that The Dark Path - the state cult the work was finished according to created by Bandur. According to the his grand design. Now totally mad Tomes, "Followers of The Dark Path and in failing health, he returned engaged in many heinous ritual to the capital to appear before an practices beneath a genteel facade assembly of the high-ranking priests of prayer, meditation, contemplation of The Dark Path, who ran the day- and cultivation of physical perfec- to-day affairs of the land. tion. They were ostentatious in Pronouncing the words solemnly, their devotions, carrying around `Kadaena Throk Farok,' he told them, long rosaries of windak beads and `There is a place that calls me, reciting out loud the Iylarian where I must go. My brother awaits phrase `Kadaena Throk Farok.' me there. Seek me not if you value "True followers of the cult of your lives. Find me not if you Kadaena who recited the phrase with value your souls!' fervor and dedication were promised "With that, he uttered a Spell of everlasting existence by Bandur, and Returning and transported himself to after death were transformed by him the crypt... Sealing himself up in a into various levels of undead sarcophagus of his own devising, he creatures." It is only by reciting muttered a last black spell under this phrase ourselves, that we can his breath and gave up his soul to enter further into the crypt. (At N the powers that it had been promised type "Kadaena Throk Farok," with to long ago." quote marks in the beginning and no Some of his relics can still be punctuation after it.) The magic seen. A look around the room at M words take us into a dark chamber reveals that something has recently beneath the crypt (VV on Map 3). left tracks leading away from the There is just enough light to see coffin. Personally, I think he may the portal leading back out. In rise and stalk the land in some this area can be found greater demonic form, even though you can ghouls. Going south we pass through touch the shrouded form inside the the anteroom of a rich burial sarcophagus, and it seems to be chamber. If we take the ramp and go solid enough. ("Look at coffin," north, we enter a maze of tunnels. "look in coffin," "touch corpse.") The quickest way through this is Lesser mummies can be found here (L, down and north (returning, go up and M, N) and there used to be a bone south). Greater ghouls can be golem as well, although I haven't hunted in all directions throughout seen it in some time. One day when the maze; when you're ready to I was collecting mummy shrouds to leave, go up and south. sell to the furrier, my friend Tunnels and corridors take us to Lucius the cleric told me that was CCC where a hole in the earth not wise, because, "The Unlife will ceiling takes us up into the inter- find a way to return life to the ior of the the burial mound of shroud." I have never seen this Kestrel Etrevion himself (DDD thru happen, but I do not doubt that he III). Beware! Barrow wights lurk saw it. A very chilling thought. within the mound, waiting to steal Going west (L) we find some of your life. They are not only dan- Bandur's manuscripts, scrolls and gerous, they are sadistic: If one personal relics. You can "look" at kills you, it will "sink its bloody the manuscript, and then "look" on claws deep into your body, taking a the ledge to see his most famous moment to enjoy the grotesque sound written work ("Look volume," "read of it." -24- More... ______________________________________________________________________ / \ \ |@/____________________________________________________________________/ | | | N YYY-------XXX | | W + E | | | | S | CCCC | | | | | | | | | go |** | | ================== ZZZ stair WWW | | | | |***| /| | | | MAP 3: | | BBBB | * sw from VVV is | | | GRAVEYARD, | | / \| one-way to TTT | | | UNDER CRYPT | AAAA VVV | | | | | \ */| ** n from WWW is | | ================== | \ | one-way to XXX | | | \ | | | TTT-----UUU *** se from ZZZ is | | | one-way to BBBB, | | down/ | nw from BBBB is | | RRR----up----SSS one-way to WWW | | | | | down/up | | | | | QQQ-----go-----PPP | | grating | (n or go cabinet, same thing/ | | OOO to return, out) | | | | | LLL-------MMM | | VV-WW | | DDD-III | | No monsters? down/up go Barrow Wights | | | door (These may roam much | | KKK | further north, but I | | XX-CCC | NNN did not see any there.) | | Greater Ghouls down/up | | (Found mainly | | | throughout JJJ JJJ-DDDD | | the maze.) | Shadow Assassins | | go pile/up | | | go > | | CCC-----hole-----DDD--EEE--FFF | | / go < | \ | | START BBB burrow | GGG | | AT VV: / | / | | from N AAA III-------HHH | | on Map 2 | | | say go corridor | | "Kadaena | CURSES! | | Throk ZZ | | Farok" | `___' | | to return YY (MAZE) down,n/ = / \ = | | to Map 2, | up,s ==| o o |== | | go go XX ===| ___ |=== | | portal ramp ==== ' ' ==== | | | / ==== ==== | _| | / ==== ==== | /@| WW | \_/____________________________________________________________________/ -25- More... The warrior-king's tomb can be Look at both the throne and the seen at FFF, and at GGG you can look tapestry, if you can stand it. at murals depicting his battles. In Through the door is a storeroom. the shadows can be seen the image of North from the throne room is a his brother, Bandur, the dark mage banquet hall at least as disgusting who lent his skills to aid Kel- as the throne room. You can either strel's illustrious career ("read "go cabinet" or go north from this mural" for a brief explanation). In hall (both take you inside the the dirt annex of the mound (III) cabinet). Here you find a warped you can "look" at an amazing ebony wooden grating, which reveals the and ivory dragon chair. way into a deep shaft. Down, and Returning to DDD we GO BURROW down again we enter the cold tunnels back to the tunnel, and by way of under the crypt. the dirt pile (GO PILE) we enter a This whole place seems to have sloping passage under the burial been carved out so the ghouls can mound. Now we are in truly dangerous keep their food on ice. I won't territory. Shadow assassins are tell you what it is, you'll have to found throughout the rest of our look for yourself. A few of the journey. You won't see them at tunnels must be traversed one way, first, but they'll call your name in as shown on the map. The ghouls' a mocking voice, then jump out from main larder is at BBBB, and if you nowhere. I have heard there are climb the stairway from there you sometimes other horrible creatures enter the ice room. Gruesome as it between here and the ice room (CCCC) is, it's worth a look. You'll wit- as well, but I have yet to meet one. ness a bizarre sight inside a large This part of the passage is filled slab of ice ("look slab"). There is with slimy, creepy things, but don't also a smaller slab ("touch ice"), worry, it gets worse. but it doesn't do anything special. At LLL is a small cavern with I believe a precious gem was found fluorescent fungus. There are piles under it once. of bones and rotting flesh, and to And that's it; end of the tour. the east is a throne room. It must It's been fun. I hope you can find have belonged to some Unlife king, your way back out. As for me, I'll because I don't know who else could just use my magic ring.... have created anything as revolting. Aegyptia slides a gold ring off her finger. Aegyptia slides an intricate gold and brass ring on her finger. Suddenly Aegyptia vanishes! You pick up the thoughts of Aegyptia thinking: "Can anyone tell me how to get out of Fire Guardians?" ______________________________________________________________________ / \ \ |@/____________________________________________________________________/ | | | To those who helped or whose work I studied in writing this | | article and drawing the maps, I thank you: | | | _| Zepath, Melda, Sauron, Pterelas, Lythe, Lucius, Inyigo, | /@| Dec, Coen, Landreth, Avondale, Kirc and Ilstar. | \_/_____________________________________________________________________/ More... -26- Monsters of the Graveyard ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THTS are given against heavy hide. For a description of spells and abilities, see descriptions at the end of the section. BARROW WIGHT (Unlife) DEATH DIRGE (Unlife) ===================== ==================== Level: 15, medium speed Level: 9, medium speed There are two types of barrow Attack: Swing (OB 60, THT 99) wight; can appear in room at Special Abilities: same time; one uses a broad- Calm & Fear sword and metal breastplate, Song of Holding the other twohanded sword and Base DB: 75 CPs: 80 augmented breastplate. Booty (pawnable price in silvers): Attack: Claw (OB 165, THT 66) Dirge skin (35) Broadsword (OB 165, THT 84) Visored helm (6) 2handed sword (OB 165,THT 79) Does not carry treasure Special Abilities: Fear GHOUL, GREATER (Unlife) Immobilization ======================= Life Level Drain Level: 3, medium speed Base DB: 165 CPs: 210 Attack: Claw (OB 40, THT 66) Booty (pawnable price in silvers): No Special Abilities Wight claw (75) Base DB: 20 CPs: 65 Broadsword (50) Booty (pawnable price in silvers): Metal breastplate (166) Ghoul scraping (45) Twohanded sword (66) May carry silver Augmented breastplate (216) Wooden shield (3) GHOUL, LESSER (Unlife) Treasure Chests, item, silver ====================== Level: 1, medium speed BONE GOLEM (Unlife) Attack: Claw (OB 20, THT 66) (Possibly extinct from Graveyard) No Special Abilities ================================= Base DB: 10 CPs: 25 Level: 8, medium speed Booty (pawnable price in silvers): Attack: Swing (OB 100) Ghoul nail (45) Pound (OB 90) Does not carry treasure Ensnare (OB 40 or 60) No Special Abilities GHOUL KING (Unlife) Base DB: 30 CPs: 110 =================== Booty (pawnable price in silvers): Level: 16, slow Golem bone (35) Attack: Bite (OB 125, THT 69) May carry treasure Claw (OB 120, THT 66) Fist (OB 90, THT 41) COBRA (Living) Special Abilities: ============== Fear & Aura Level: 2, fast Immobilization Attack: Bite (OB 30, THT 69) Base DB: 80 CPs: 176 Special Abilities: Booty (pawnable price in silvers): Poison (3/rnd) Ghoul finger (value unknown) Base DB: 40 Double chain mail (166) Booty (pawnable price in silvers): Metal aventail (3) Cobra skin (25) Wooden shield (3) Does not carry treasure Treasure: Chest, items, silver More... -27- GOBLIN (Living) SHADOW ASSASSIN (Unlife) =============== ======================== Level: 2, slow Level: 18, fast, but spends much Attack: Flail (OB 20, THT 80) time casting DB spells, and No Special Abilities can be parry tagged. Hint: Base DB: 30 CPs: 50 make macro to put away and Booty (pawnable price in silvers): get weapon in order to avoid Goblin skin (35) the weapon fire spell. I Light hide (13) watched Pterelas, a thief, Flail (63) kill these at level 13 using Treasure chest, item, silver that method. Attack: Scimitar (OB 150, THT 89) HOBGOBLIN (Living) Special Abilities: ================== Weaponfire, Blur, Hues Level: 3, slow Invisibility Attack: Swing (OB 50, THT 99) Base DB: 30? (up to 85 with spells) No Special Abilities CPs: 206 Base DB: 25 CPs: 60 Booty (pawnable price in silvers): Booty (pawnable price in silvers): Not skinnable, Scimitar (36) Hobgoblin scalp (35) Treasure chests, item, silver Carry only a few silvers SKELETON (Unlife) MUMMY, LESSER (Unlife) ================= ====================== Level: 1, slow Level: 7, slow Attack: Dagger (OB 25, THT 94) Attack: Claw (OB 40, THT 66) No Special Abilities Ensnare (OB 10, THT 96) Base DB: 0 CPs: 30 No Special Abilities Booty (pawnable price in silvers): Base DB: 30 Skeleton bone (10) Booty (pawnable price in silvers): Dagger (worthless) Mummy shroud (75) Woven cloak (worthless) Treasure: items, silver Light leather (26) PHANTOM (Unlife) WIGHT LORD (Unlife) ================ ====================== Level: 2, medium speed (Rumor has it that these inhabit Attack: Swing (OB 20, THT 99) the Graveyard, but I have never Special Abilities: seen one; stats are from the Wight Shockbolt (OB 30, THT 77) Lords in Claedsbrim Dungeon Lvl 4.) Aura Level: 17, medium speed Base DB: 20 CPs: 40 Attack: Falchion (155) Booty (pawnable price in silvers): Special abilities: None (disintegrates) Life Level Drain, Stun Cloud Fear, Immobilize, Boil Earth REVENANT (Unlife) Wizard Shield ================= Base DB: 160 CPs: Unknown Level: 4, medium speed Booty (pawnable price in silvers): Attack: Broadsword (OB 60, THT 84) Unknown Special Abilities: _________________________________ Aura / \ Limb Pain | For a Good Time in | Base DB: 45 CPs: 115 | The Graveyard | Booty (pawnable price in silvers): | | Unskinnable (disintegrates) | Find the Flower Girl in Town | Broadsword (50) | Give her some silver coins | Reinforced leather (33) | Take what she gives you in return | Wooden shield (3) | to the hidden Priest in the Temple | Carries no treasure \__________________________________/ -28-