The Copper Raider

The Voormann of Perrenland is worried. The Cantons export a great deal of copper to the south, but for ten weeks no copper caravan has reached the town of Highfolk safely. Three caravans were completely destroyed, the caravaneers slain, and the copper and other wealth stolen. The third caravan was protected by 24 men-at-arms, but all were killed and looted. Much other trade has passed between Schwartzenbruin and Highfolk without a sign of trouble, but the copper trade has ground to a halt. None of the locals are willing to risk taking a copper shipment through, so the Voormann is looking for a group of outside adventurers. Their mission will be to take the copper through to Highfolk. If they are able to destroy whatever has been attacking the copper caravans, they will reap a rich reward. (And if they find and keep some of the loot stolen from the previous caravans, no one will complain.)

The road from Schwartzenbruin to High folk follows the Velverdyva River, winding through a deep canyon where it pierces the Yatil Mountains. Travelers will occasionally be attacked by humanoid raiders in this area, but the Perrenlanders have driven most of these groups away.

Progress through the canyon is slowed by the occasional rockfalls and landslides that block the road. The river flows some times on the east side of the canyon, sometimes on the west, so the road bridges the river here and there, and sometimes passes through runnels in the canyon walls.

As the party will discover, the creature responsible for the attacks on the copper caravans is Clonoc, a large, old copper dragon. Clonoc lost a duel with a demon, and is now possessed. However, the dragon's body and brain were too large for the rather small demon to possess completely, so the demon's attempts at control have resulted in a somewhat deranged, split personality. The demon's plans to make the dragon attack all passing trade have been mostly circumvented, except when a copper caravan passes, a thing which the dragon's tortured brain somehow perceives as a deliberate insult. Then the demon takes control, and the caravan is assaulted. Once the caravaneers are all slain, the dragon's natural greed (enhanced by demonic avarice) takes over, and the loot is hauled back to the dragon's lair. Somewhere inside him, the dragon regrets his actions, but can do nothing about it.

When he is about to attack a caravan, Clonoc (who is a magic-using dragon) casts invisibility on himself, and then glides down from the canyon heights to the attack, becoming visible only when he rakes the party with his first acid breath. From this point until the battle is over, the demon is in full control of the dragon's fighting faculties. This loosens its control of other areas, allowing Clonoc's personality some leeway, so that as the dragon is trying to slay everyone in the caravan, it will be roaring, "Help me! Save me! I'm possessed!," etc., in Common. The dragon cannot be subdued while demon-possessed, but if it is captured or incapacitated, the demon will assume control over the dragon's speech center and respond to questions with insults and threats. If the demon is exorcised from the dragon, Clonoc will gratefully give up the copper caravans' loot, perhaps even with something extra added from his own hoard.

As with the other adventures, the DM must decide on the amounts of treasure, to best suit his or her individual campaign.