Exemplars of Evil

of the structure are masonry and have a break DC of 35, hardness
8, and 90 hit points per section.
Arrow Slits: There are few windows in the keep, though
there are numerous arrow slits. These openings grant archers
improved cover (+8 bonus to Armor Class and +4 bonus on
Reflex saves). Characters attempting to cast spells, such as
fireball, through the arrow slits must succeed on ranged touch
attacks against AC 15. A Small character can squeeze through
an arrow slit by making a successful DC 15 Escape Artist
check, while a Medium creature can do so by succeeding on
a DC 30 Escape Artist check.
Floors: Aside from random splotches of filth and grime,
the floors are level and free of debris.
Ceiling Height: The ceilings of the first level are 15 feet
high. Dark, writhing shadows roil in the corners as if alive,
though they are nothing more than tricks of the light.
Doors: Made from strong wood, all doors are 2 inches thick
and have hardness 5 and 20 hit points. They are unlocked.
Illumination: Most rooms are dark, though sconces at
10-foot intervals hold unlit torches.
Smells: The entire place stinks of mildew and spoiled
meat. The stench is foul enough to block the use of the scent
ability, but it otherwise imposes no penalties.
Sounds: Whenever a character’s Listen check result is 25 or
higher, she hears a disturbing noise that sounds like something
moist writhing around. The first time she hears it, she must
succeed on a DC 15 Will save or be shaken for 1 round.
DEFENSES
Most of the keep’s defenders have long since died from disease
or fled in fear of Edgar’s obscene transformation. The guards that
remain are utterly corrupted. Ten warriors and two commanders
patrol the grounds, and all of them have been physically mutated
by the fetid Worm that Walks. If combat breaks out with any
of the guards, 1d3 more guards show up every 3 rounds until
all have been accounted for (for statistics, see tactical encounter
3–1, page 58). If neither corrupted commander is present at the
start of the fight, one of them shows up 4 rounds after combat
begins, and the other arrives 4 rounds after that.
Once the PCs arrive, Edgar flees to the catacombs (see
tactical encounter 3–3, page 62); if his sister is present, she
goes with him. Meanwhile, Draen (for statistics, see page
52) and six corrupted dire rats set out to find and devour the
interlopers, attacking the PCs when they are least prepared.
The few other denizens of the keep remain in their chambers,
confident in their ability to deal with intruders.
Corrupted BoVD Dire Rat CR 1
hp 7 (1 HD)
NE Small aberration (augmented animal)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Listen
+3, Spot +3
AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 16
(+1 size, +2 Dex, +5 natural)
Immune acid
Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +2
Speed 40 ft. (8 squares), climb 20 ft.
Melee bite +3 (1d6+2 plus disease)
Base Atk +0; Grp –2
Atk Options disease
Abilities Str 14, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 2
Feats Alertness, Weapon Finesse B
Skills Climb +10, Hide +7, Jump +6, Listen +3, Move Silently
+3, Spot +3, Swim +10
Disease (Ex) Filth fever—injury (bite), Fort DC 17, incubation
period 1d3 days, damage 1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con.
AREA DESCRIPTIONS
Tolstoff Keep consists of several floors above ground and a catacomb
below. Nearly all of the action, though, takes place on the
main floor. If you wish to expand upon the castle and its contents,
feel free to sketch out the upper level to suit your needs. For more
on the catacombs, see tactical encounter 3–3 (page 62).
1. Courtyard: Between the outer wall and the keep is the
courtyard, an area of churned mud and dead grass. In places,
old bones break the surface. Two corrupted human warriors
patrol the outer wall. When the PCs enter the courtyard, the
guards should be at the extreme northern stretch of wall.
Each round, they move 20 feet clockwise. For statistics, see
tactical encounter 3–1 (page 58).
2. Entrance: The only entrance to Tolstoff Keep is a single
wooden door on the east wall of the structure. Old and stained
black from filth, it features a gargoyle’s head with a ring
through its ears that holds a knocker. The creature’s head is
real, carefully preserved with foul unguents.
Just inside the keep door, a large room shows its age and
neglect. A crimson rug with unsettling patterns covers most of
the floor, and two suits of full plate armor flank an archway leading
to a hallway. Banners displaying the Tolstoff heraldry—a
red-eyed raven on a gray field—hang from the ceiling.
3. Hall of Ancestors: This rectangular hall has two doors,
both made of dark wood and bound in rusting iron. A rug
runner extends the length of the hall, showing a vine pattern
in its weave. Hanging on the walls are a half-dozen portraits
of somber people, an equal mix of men and women. At the far
end stands a small round table, on which is a skull surrounded
by auburn hair. This gruesome decoration is the head of the
old baroness. Katarin shattered her jaw to prevent others from
contacting her spirit.
4. Feast Hall: This room is a large hall, with multicolored
banners rotting on the walls and three rows of tables and
benches. Platters of spoiled food, crawling with maggots,
cover the tables. Inspection of the fare reveals that someone
has recently picked over the old food. Characters who inspect
the northwest corner and succeed on a DC 20 Search check
discover a secret door. Depressing a concealed stud in the floor
opens the door, revealing a narrow hall that ends at a short
staircase descending to the catacombs. If the PCs go down
the stairs, run tactical encounter 3–3 (see page 62).
Just inside the secret door, a key hangs from a hook. The
key opens the door in the antechamber (area 15), which leads
to the chapel (tactical encounter 3–2, page 60).
5. Kitchens: The kitchens are far nastier than the feast hall.
Against the south wall are six cold ovens. Three tables running
down the center of the room hold the rotting remains
of three villagers, each bound in place with bloodstained
leather straps. They have been opened in the middle and their
insides have been scooped out, presumably for a meal.
Beneath one of the tables is a hideous spawn of Kyuss, a
fearsome undead horror favored by the Worm that Walks.
The creature looks like a thoroughly rotted zombie with
green worms writhing in and out of its skull.
CHAPTER 3
EDGAR & KATARIN
TOLSTOFF
55