The Dark FestivalThe Dark Festival

A A Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & DragonsTMTM 4 4thth Edition Dark Sun Adventure Edition Dark Sun Adventure

For 1For 1st st through 10 through 10thth level characters level characters

by by Brent P. NewhallBrent P. Newhall

IntroductionIn this 7- to 10-encounter adventure, the player-characters attend a gladiatorial festival in Balic where they are picked out to entertain the Chief Praetor, Pollis. As the Praetor approaches, assassins swoop down from the air. e adventurers perforce protect Pollis, and are subsequently hired to find the person responsible. eir investigation take them deep undercover to the Veiled Alliance, and out across the vast desert to find a hermit in an abandoned temple, before returning to Balic to discover a major conspiracy.is adventure has been designed to work with characters at any level in the Heroic Tier. Each monster contains stats appropriate for 1st, 5th, or 10th level characters. It's assumed that the DM can tweak the stats appropriately for PCs at levels between those.Further, the author assumes that the GM can handle a little variation. As a result, this document does not attempt to respond to every possible variation on the adventure. I'm sure you can handle it.

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Overview of the Adventure• Scene 1 , page 11: e PCs arrive in Balic for a sun festival. As they settle in to the arena, the

Chief Praetor overseeing the event, Pollis, announces he seeks entertainment at random from the crowd. e adventurers are chosen. Whatever they choose to do, as Pollis approaches to render praise or punishment, assassins riding pterrax attack him from the air.

• Scene 2 , page 13: e PCs fight off the attackers, who seem to be aiming for Pollis.• Scene 3 , page 14: e PCs are whisked away by the praetors, who reward them and ask to

investigate this, and report back who's behind all this without giving themselves away.• If the adventurers accept the templars' offer:

◦ Scene 4A , page : ey are sent to a contact, who is already dead. Within his possessions are clues tying him to the Veiled Alliance, indicating where they are.

◦ Scene 5 , page 16: e PCs attempt to infiltrate the local chapter of the Veiled Alliance. To prove their worth, they are sent to meet with a hermit in the desert.

◦ Scene 6 , page 26: At night in the desert, the PCs are attacked by a silk wyrm and elves in an abandoned temple.

◦ Scene 7 , page 30: Upon defeating the silk wyrm, the PCs find their contact and must convince him to give them the supplies they need to survive the return trip.

◦ Scene 8 , page 36: Upon their triumphant return, the PCs are initiated into the Veiled Alliance. It has a new leader, Karthas, who is eagerly organizing another assassination attempt on Pollis.

◦ Scene 9A , page 38: e PCs return to the templars, who with delight, invite the adventurers to join their attack on the Alliance cell. ey do so, killing all the members of the Alliance, only to have the praetor's minions turn on the PCs!

• If the PCs reject the praetors' offer:◦ Scene 4B , page 20: e adventurers are contacted by a mysterious benefactor, who offers

them gold to join the Veiled Alliance for a final attack against Pollis.◦ Scene 5 , page 21: As above; the PCs attempt to infiltrate the Veiled Alliance and are told

they must prove their worth by seeking out a hermit in the desert.◦ Scene 6 , page 26: e PCs enter the desert. At night, they are attacked by a silk wyrm

and elves in an abandoned temple.◦ Scene 7 , page 30: Upon defeating the silk wyrm, the PCs find their contact and must

convince him to give them the supplies they need to survive the return trip.◦ Scene 8 , page 36: Upon their triumphant return, the PCs are initiated into the Veiled

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Alliance. Its new leader, Karthas, eagerly organizes an assassination attempt on Pollis.◦ Scene 9B , page 44: e praetors attack, revealing that they have been following the PCs.

• Scene 10 , page 45: As he dies, Karthas gasps that he is an agent of the praetors, sent to infiltrate the Alliance and provoke the assassination attempt as an excuse to go after the Alliance. e PCs were chosen not to entertain Pollis, but because they looked useful in defending him. Pollis and the praetors turn on the PCs, and the final battle is on!

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Compatibility Logo, D&D, PLAYER’S HANDBOOK, PLAYER’S HANDBOOK 2, DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE, MONSTER MANUAL, MONSTER MANUAL 2, and ADVENTURER’S VAULT are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries and are used with permission. Certain materials, including 4E References in this publication, D&D core rules mechanics, and all D&D characters and their distinctive likenesses, are property of Wizards of the Coast, and are used with permission under the Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Game System License. All 4E References are listed in the 4E System Reference Document, available at www.wizards.com/d20.DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 4th Edition PLAYER’S HANDBOOK, written by Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, and James Wyatt; DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE, written by James Wyatt; and MONSTER MANUAL, written by Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert and James Wyatt; PLAYER’S HANDBOOK 2, written by Jeremy Crawford, Mike Mearls, and James Wyatt; MONSTER MANUAL 2, written by Rob Heinsoo, and Chris Sims; Adventurer’s Vault, written by Logan Bonner, Eytan Bernstein, and Chris Sims. © 2008, 2009 Wizards of the Coast. All rights reserved.

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Table of ContentsIntroduction.................................................... 1Overview of the Adventure.............................. 2ings You Want At e Front: Monster Stat Blocks.............................................................. 5Scene 1: A Surprise at the Arena....................11Scene 2: Strike From Above...........................13Scene 3: A Quest from the Praetors................14Scene 4A: An Unhelpful Contact...................16

Approaching Tarsus's Room......................17e Trap.................................................... 18e Room................................................. 18

Scene 4B: A Mysterious Benefactor................20Scene 5: e Veiled Alliance..........................21

espians.................................................. 22e Front Door......................................... 22e Back Door.......................................... 23Getting into espian House.....................23

Meeting Tara Rys....................................... 24Tara Rys in a Nutshell............................... 24

Scene 6: e Desert Survival Challenge.........26Scene 7: e Hermit in the Desert.................30

Dungeon Layout....................................... 32Scene 7: e Hermit in the Desert.................33Scene 7: e Hermit in the Desert.................34

Keto in a Nutshell..................................... 34Scene 8: Initiation into the Alliance...............36

Karthas in a Nutshell................................. 37Scene 9A: Return to the Praetors...................38Map and Stat Blocks for Scenes 9 and 10.......40Scene 9B: e Praetors Attack!.......................44Scene 10: e Traitor Is Revealed...................45Printable Battle Maps..................................... 46Credits........................................................... 49

Table of MapsMap 1: e Desert Survival Challenge.......................................................................................... 27Map 2: Temple Map..................................................................................................................... 31Map 3: e Final Battle................................................................................................................ 40

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Things You Want At The Front: Monster Stat BlocksStat blocks for every monster in this adventure are copied here for easy reference.

Assassin level 3Initiative +4HP 10; Bloodied 5AC 15, Fortitude 12Reflex 14, Will 11Speed 6

Dejada (standard, at-will)Ranged 10. +8 vs. AC. 1d8+2 damage.True Aim (standard, encounter)Ranged 10. +10 vs. AC. 2d8+2 damage, and the target is knocked prone.

Assassin level 7Initiative +8HP 50; Bloodied 25AC 19, Fortitude 16Reflex 18, Will 15Speed 6

Dejada (standard, at-will)Ranged 10. +12 vs. AC. 1d8+6 damage.True Aim (standard, encounter)Ranged 10. +14 vs. AC. 2d8+6 damage, and the target is knocked prone.

Assassin level 12Initiative +13HP 100; Bloodied 50AC 24, Fortitude 21Reflex 23, Will 20Speed 6

Dejada (standard, at-will)Ranged 10. +17 vs. AC. 1d10+8 damage.True Aim (standard, encounter)Ranged 10. +19 vs. AC. 2d10+8 damage, and the target is knocked prone.Eye of Death (standard, encounter, fear, recharges on 5-6)Ranged 5. +15 vs. Will. 1d6 psychic damage, and the target is immobilized and grants combat advantage (save ends both).

Pterrax level 1Initiative +4HP 15; Bloodied 7AC 15, Fortitude 14Reflex 12, Will 10Speed 6

Claw (standard, at-will)+6 vs. AC. 1d6+2 damage.Bite (standard, at-will)+4 vs. AC. 1d6+4 damage.

Pterrax level 5Initiative +8HP 60; Bloodied 30AC 19, Fortitude 18Reflex 16, Will 14Speed 6

Claw (standard, at-will)+10 vs. AC. 1d6+6 damage.Bite (standard, at-will)+8 vs. AC. 1d6+8 damage.

Pterrax level 10Initiative +13HP 120; Bloodied 60AC 24, Fortitude 23Reflex 22, Will 19Speed 6

Claw (standard, at-will)+15 vs. AC. 1d10+6 damage.Bite (standard, at-will)+13 vs. AC. 1d10+8 damage.

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