An adventure for those seeking inspiration, but you can easily flip this PDF to any D&D version or game system. If you need help on conversion, I created this page for such an occasion: Convert Old Dungeons and Dragons Adventures
Darkshelf Quarry holds more than limestone and granite. Whispered rumors abound that the quarry’s dwarf overseer isn’t what he pretends to be, and that he’s involved in unscrupulous dealings with foreign threats. Investigation is the only way to learn the truth, but beware! The quarry is well defended, and danger lurks within its dark tunnels and hidden chambers.
The quarry isn’t the only place where mysterious trouble has arisen. On the waterfront at the village of Darkshelf and on the Pelyra River nearby, several half-eaten bodies, both human and animal, have turned up. Carnivorous fish are suspected, even though some of the victims were found well inland. In truth, several mudtigers from caverns below the quarry have found their way out and have begun hunting in the Darkshelf area. (See the mudtiger entry at the end of the module for details on this monster.)
Perhaps most troubling, pirates and slavers have been active in the region lately. Sailors, fishers, and farmers have been abducted. The local overlord seems to have succeeded in turning the slavers back for the time being. Bazili and his unseen dwarves lent a hand, tracking a slaver gang to its hideout in a midnight raid and freeing a score of captives. The dwarves also killed several slavers and captured a few of them alive. These prisoners were dragged back to Darkshelf, where they were swiftly tried and executed.
Despite the recent success against the slavers, a cloud of unease hangs over Darkshelf and the quarry. The citizens know that the slavers might return at any time and seek revenge for their setback. The other incidents (the noises in the mines, the mysterious dwarves, and the half-eaten bodies) all seem to bode ill for the area.
This module contains a challenging scenario, along with maps, notes, and background information for the Dungeon Master. Danger at Darkshelf Quarry is a complete adventure in itself, but it can also be used as a prequel to the Slave Lords series: A1 (Slave Pits of the Undercity), A2 (Secret of the Slavers Stockade), A3 (Assault on the Aerie of the Slave Lords), and A4 (In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords).
It is time to put a stop to the marauders! For years the coastal towns have been burned and looted by the forces of evil. You and your fellow adventurers have been recruited to root out and destroy the source of these raids. But beware, hundreds of good men and women have been taken by the slavers and have never been seen or heard from again!
