H4 The Throne of Bloodstone.pdf - Free

devised strange mystical arts that give
them mastery over evil dragonkind,
may take a hand in this matter.
It is certain that evil dragons will
recognize any items taken from
Tiamat’s hoard. They will do anything
in their power to retrieve the
items and punish the person who possesses
them.
3. The Zhentarim
The nation of Bloodstone is separated
by mountains and the Moonsea
from the mysterious Zhentil Keep,
the base of the Zhentarim, an organization
of evil and lawful individuals
also known as “the Black Network.”
To enrich themselves, the Zhentarim
are trying to control the trade routes
between the established lands of the
Sword Coast and the young kingdoms
around the Moonsea, including the
newest realm, the Kingdom of Bloodstone.
The threat of Zhentil Keep will
grow to plague the new rulers of
Bloodstone, eventually requiring
either military intervention or a secret
mission by high-level adventurers
(the Over the Hill Gang rides again!).
Baron Tranth would be a good choice
as Seneschal of Bloodstone when the
adventurers are away on other business.
4. To the Sea of Fallen Stars
The issue of trade routes will also
bring Bloodstone into dealings with
Impiltur, to the south. Most likely, a
peaceful accommodation can be
reached. The Desertspire Mountains
are the home of Lothchas the banditlord,
and the Great Dale, where dwells
the Nentyarch, a mysterious mage of
great power who rules grim men and
strange beasts. Uninvited guests who
enter the woods simply vanish.
The Sea of Fallen Stars is the great
inner sea along which most trade
takes place. A large pirate fleet operates
there; it would be highly desirable
for the nation of Bloodstone if
these pirates no longer preyed on
ships.
5. Glaciers and Deserts
It has long been suspected that the
Great Glacier and Anauroch, the Great
Desert, are not natural. What strange,
mysterious power is responsible? Certainly
the power needed to create these
immense features could only be combatted
by the highest-level characters.
It is rumored that gods or powerful
demons are behind them.
6. The Next Generation
Characters who retire might get
married and have children—a new
generation of adventurers for your
players! Since these new PCs would
be trained by their powerful parents,
and probably be given some magical
items to start their careers, they
should probably start at higher than
first level, but in no case higher than
5th-9th. Remember, both dragons
and demons already hate them, and
lurk in readiness whenever the new
PCs leave the borders of their home.
This situation leads to an entirely
new phase of your campaign. Young
adventurers, but with a home, magic,
and money, going on missions for the
kingdom they will someday inherit. If
they get into serious trouble, perhaps
their parents, now grey-haired, might
buckle on their swords to come rescue
them.
7. Bad Harvest
Running a dominion can be a challenging
exercise. Although there are
not well-developed rules in the
AD&D® game system for running a
kingdom, the D&D® Companion Set
rules are easily adapted for this purpose.
Plagues, bad harvests, earth-
83
quakes, hard winters, and more can
challenge even the toughest party.
The kingdom’s treasury can go bankrupt,
the mines dry up, and the crops
go bad. What then, o mighty adventurers?
In addition, Bloodstone might be
faced with an invasion of frost giants
from the Great Glacier, or many other
evils.
8. Bahamut’s Quest
One or more of the PCs may have
become obligated to perform quests on
behalf of their alignments. These
might begin with being summoned to
the Seven Heavens, or by a midnight
vision from St. Sollars, and would normally
involve extra-dimensional travel.
The other realms in Manual of the
Plane likely to be involved. What if
the evil dragons of the multiverse
invaded the Seven Heavens to revenge
themselves on Bahamut for the death
of Tiamat? This is an opportunity for
the most fiendish of DMs to construct
an adventure even more deadly than
this one.
9. Plot of the Red Wizards
The Red Wizards of Thay are evil
and powerful, and are devoted to an
expansionistic and imperialistic policy
of swallowing neighbor states.
These haughty and arrogant sorcerers
may show up in Bloodstone and
demand that the characters swear
fealty to them.
The plot of the Red Wizards is to
neutralize the adventurers by
sorcery —exiling them to another
plane of existence, for example, without
any magical items, weapons,
armor, or way home. What amazing
adventures would they encounter in
making their way home through the
planes of existence, to battle the evil
Red Wizards to regain their throne?