Chapter 1, Caves of Shadow (Levels 1-2): Crops are being blighted in southern Verbobonc and Faer, an agent of Prince Jimm, has discovered the cause. Shadowy figures come forth from the Shadow Caves close to Fortress Hagthar by night and spread a poisonous powder over surrounding farms. Lord Farkaesh the Grim is uninterested and so Faer tries to bring word to her master in Verbobonc. When she returns to Verbobonc with this information, someone tries to kill her. But, the PCs are on hand to save her life. As they find out more about the mysterious gnome whose life they saved, they are drawn eventually to meet with Prince Jimm. He decides that they are ideal candidates to investigate the Shadow Caves where an ancient cult of Nerull was said to once dwell. They set out for Fortress Hagthar and the Shadow Caves. Evil humanoids lair within, dark cultists and the creature who is behind the crop blights as well as rival adventurers who seek glory for themselves with the least effort. This section is adapted from the Caves of Chaos as presented in B1-9 In Search of Adventure.

Chapter 2, Soldiers and Outlaws (Levels 3-4): Pursuing a strange reptilian humanoid from the Shadow Caves and armed with letters written by Elwyn the Ardent, the mastermind behind the crop blights, the PCs head back to Verbobonc. Unknown to them, the creature they pursue has allies, and all are shapeshifters. When they come to the peaceful village of Loren’s Ford, they are met with dark looks and soon hear that a gnome merchant has been killed. Unless they flee quickly, they are arrested by the roguish mercenaries that Viscount Wilfrick now employs to patrol the edge of the Kron Hills. Their rivals, the Company of the Boar, arrive in time to take the letters and the powders recovered from the Shadow Caves back to Verbobonc to turn them over to the proper authorities. Imprisoned in Camp Kron on a hill above above Loren’s Ford, the PCs must find a way to escape the camp and race back to Verbobonc to ensure Prince Jimm hears quickly what they have learned. The sections is adapted from The Great Escape as presented in B1-9 In Search of Adventure.

Chapter 3, Elwyn’s Sanctuary (Levels 5-6): Returning to Verbobonc in secret as they are now outlaws, the PCs learn from Faer and Prince Jimm that the Company of the Boar disappeared the evening of their arrival. Others have disappeared too and as the PCs make ask questions around Verbobonc they learn that most were around the area of the Silver Consortium near the wharves when they vanished. There, they find a loose sewer grate at the back of the Silver Consortium and evidence that people have been going back and forth from it. Within, a sewer passage leads to Elwyn’s Sanctuary, a fortress of traps and monsters, including the reptilian shapechangers who are allied with Elwyn. The PCs have a chance to befriend Elyta, Elwyn’s naïve and apologetic daughter and can finally confront Elwyn the Ardent who has now turned to the worship of Kostchtchie the Prince of Wrath. Alas, the missing of Verbobonc are nowhere to be seen. There is only another tunnel that leads northward, apparently under the river itself. This section is adapted from The Elwyn’s Sanctuary as presented in B1-9 In Search of Adventure.

Chapter 4, Palace of the Silver Princess (Levels 7-8): Having exposed the evil shapechangers beneath Verbobonc and defeated Elwyn the Ardent, the PCs are able to clear their names as outlaws. They are also able to learn more about their enemies and identify them at last as zern (see Monster Manual IV). They then find that the passage from Elwyn’s Sanctuary leads to an island near the north bank of the river that has always been obscured from Verbobonc by a bend in the river. The island is called Haven and it is known to be the summer retreat of Princess Argenta, brother of the missing Prince Thrommel. Consumed by grief at the loss of her brother, King Belvor’s only other child retreated to her palace on Haven Island three years ago. The community became a place of peace but also of sadness. Now, the reptilian zern have taken over the palace and cursed it using a powerful artefact called the Eye of Arik. All in the palace, including the missing of Verbobonc have been turned to stone except Princess Argenta and her suitor Elrick the Strong who have been imprisoned in the gemstone called the Eye of Arik. Elwyn’s daughter Elyta insists on accompanying the PCs to the island and so they explore the cursed palace together. At the heart of the palace, they encounter a zern cleric of Tharizdun called Catharandamus and must defeat him. Beyond him lies the Eye of Arik and a chance to free Haven Island from its curse. At the last, Elyta betrays the PCs, having duped them all along, and tries to take the Eye of Arik for herself. When all is done, the only clue to who else might be involved in the plot against Verbobonc is a signet ring carried by Elyta with a strange pattern on it and the initials “AR”. This section adapted from Palace of the Silver Princess as presented in B1-9 In Search of Adventure.