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the asylum where he spent his last days. Not even the to attack the heroes-hoping to enslave them to its own
pleas of his sister and a local priest named Refrum were dark purposes.
enough to save him. Only yesterday, Jarme Loveage dan- In the aftermath of that battle, the characters learn
gled from the executioner's noose. of how the Whisperer has used the gloom and despair
Withjarme's death, the Styes breathed a collective of the Styes as an incubator for the juvenile kraken it
sigh of relief-but that relief is destined to be short-lived. keeps to the west of the district. Part 5, "Tharizdun's
The kraken is nearing maturity, and the Whisperer is Progeny," takes place in the partially collapsed husk of
preparing the final stage of its dreadful plan. the temple housing the kraken, where the heroes face
a pair of aboleths that were sent to kill Sgothgah-and
ADVENTURE SUMMARY then must destroy the kraken before it can escape into
the world.
The adventure text consists of five parts. In part 1, "A
Dying District," basic information is provided about
the geography, atmosphere, and major personages in ADVENTURE HOOKS
the Styes. as a backdrop for use when characters move This adventure assumes that the characters have re-
around town. cently arrived in the Styes or the city it's a part of. H the
The story begins in part 2, .. Murder Mystery," when characters aren't based locally. they might be traveling
the characters meet with Master Refrum. an inven- to the city to obtain a rare ingredient from the Alche-
tor-priest who dwells in the Alchemists' Quarter of the mists' Quarter, or to speak to someone who retired or
Styes. Refrum is convinced that a young man named fled to the Styes to hide from their enemies. Alterna-
j arme Loveage was wrongfully executed for the killings tively, the characters might simply be passing through
attributed to the Lantern Ghost. As proof, he points to the Styes when one of the following occurrences at-
the fact that another murder has occurred since the ex- tracts their attention.
ecution, and in the same style as the previous murders. The characters' arrival in the environs does not go un-
The priest believes thatjarme was framed by some sin- noticed- far from it. Any adult townsfolk recognize the
ister conspiracy. and he asks the characters to clear his party as a group of seasoned adventurers. By engaging
friend's good name. the residents in conversation, the characters can quickly
During their investigation. the characters visit find out that the Styes is a place in turmoil- a murderer
Hopene'er, the asylum wherejarme was held. They was caught and executed just the previous day, yet an-
learn that Mr. Dory, a prominent member of the com- other citizen was found dead from foul play when the
munity, has some odd connections tojarme's case, and sun rose today.
might find clues hinting lo broader connections to the The adventure hooks described below represent three
recent murders. In part 3, "Hemlock Pit," the characters different ways of getting the characters involved in the
seek the councillor out at his warehouse and the home story. All hooks lead to a session with Master Refrum at
he keeps behind it-a ship held aloft by a crane over a his workshop in part 2, "Murder Mystery," which kicks
muddy flat. A confrontation takes place, and it's discov- off the action.
ered that Mr. Dory is a devotee ofTharizdun blessed
with power granted by Sgothgah. After defeating the REFRUM'S PLEA
aberration, the characters discover manic drawings of a
Shortly after their arrival in town, the characters come
gargantuan squid-like demon of the deep, just like those
upon a dozen children chasing and tormenting an el-
seen injarme's cell.
derly male human-Master Refrum. The victim feebly
In part 4, "The Lamp's Shadow," these clues lead the
brandishes a holy symbol of good al them, but the chil-
characters to a hidden temple to Tharizdun, where they
dren and onlookers alike simply taunt him. They then
are attacked by chuuls that dwell there. At the climax of
turn to pelting Refrum with stones as they accuse him
this battle, the Whisperer appears from the polluted sea
of being a friend to murderers.

ABOUT THE ORIGINAL
Richard Pett conjured this ghastly a sinister cult ofTharizdun. Many
sea port for Dungeon 121 in 2005. adventures are set aboard a ship
"The Styes" feels like it was pulled at sea. Can you name another
straight from the mind of H. P. that challenges you to infiltrate
Lovecraft, but in Richard Pett's ca- a moldering ship held aloft by a
pable hand we're treated to perhaps crane, above the streets of a slowly
the most memorable depiction of dying city?
both a cunning aboleth plot and

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