Beckette, Faramund — The fourth son of minor baron of southern Hohnberg, Faramund joined his Uncle Ulred's mercenary band, The Felicitously Forsworn, at the age of seventeen, squiring for his uncle and building experience. Now, at the age of twenty, he has traveled to the region of Stigrix in the Westmark, seeking a former superior officer to his uncle.

Kai, Baron — The baron Luftwian Kai Beckette of Hohnberg, ennobled for services done for the Church. Father of four sons — his most recent, Faramund.

drow — dark elves who once, many millennia ago, were part of the great throng of surface elves. Sometime in the distant past, a great dispute and schism divided the elves of the surface world. The elves will not speak of it outside of their own race. Those who withdrew to the Underdark eventually became dark elves, able to use faerzress-induced native abilities.

Bauthwaf, The — the term drow use to reference the network of 100 or so tunnels surrounding Menzoberranzan. The Bauthwaf is vigilantly patrolled by drider-riding elite drow.

Derro resemble small dwarves. They have blue-gray skin, and their hair is often white, yellow, or a pale tan. They lack both irises and pupils, showing uniformly pale eyes. Most derro look haggard and wear shabby clothing, appearing pitiable to unsuspecting victims.

The duergar believe that the derro are another dwarf clan that was long held by mind flayers, which resulted in madness. The derro themselves all tell oft-changing variations of the myth of their god; all versions share a common focus on his stealing of magic from a great evil to help the derro survive through their ordeals of deceit and cruelty.

Moonpeaks, The — a mountain range in southeastern Stigrix, home to the second oldest dwarfhold, Gundgathol — in the hands of duergar, derro, and kuo-toa in recent decades.

Gundgathol, Ancient — A vast and sprawling dwarven kingdom beneath the Moon Peaks fifty miles southwest of Slaytonthorpe and approximately forty-five miles south-southeast of the village of Helix, lost centuries ago to a Duergar and Derro incursion.

Underdark, The — The world-spanning subterranean realm that underlies all the surface lands. Some sages believe that the Underdark is bottomless — or rather, that it eventually impinges upon and then gives way to the Far Realm.

Hamelet — When the surviving dwarves of Gundgathol fled to the surface almost three centuries ago, they were befriended by local humans. Jointly, the two races established the town of Hamelet, which became well-known for its citizen militia, it's cyclopean component, and the extremely high quality metal goods its smiths produced.

• No. Enc: 1 (2d3) • Alignment: Neutral Good • Movement: 30' • Armor Class: 7 • Hit Dice: 12 (typically 110-125 HP) • BAB +9 (or by class) • Attacks: 2 - Eye Bane and melee attack • Damage: spear (3d4+2) • Save: F6 • Morale: 10 • Hoard: 9d4 chroma, 1d4+4 royals, 3d4+2 copper (40% it's Red Cuprous)

Experience Yielded: 1,225 per

The cyclops of Hamelet are generally peaceful, whereas those encountered in the Underdark usually are decidedly not. Eye Bane: usable once per round, this gaze attack slows a foe who doesn't succeed at a saving throw versus rods. A foe so-affected may make another saving throw attempt the following round, but at -2 penalty. If it fails, the slow effect lasts for the remainder of that encounter.

Cyclops stand seven to eight feet in height and generally weigh from 250 to 350 pounds. Because of their very tough skin, they have DR 1/-. Cyclops may not drink ethanol: it is poisonous to them. They're very literal creatures and often have difficulty understanding the idioms of other humanoid races.