Lizard Man Lair. Gnash Verde, NE Corner. Levels 2-6

Transcription

1 Lizard Man Lair Gnash Verde, NE Corner Levels 2-6 Adventure: Classes/Levels:.4-6 PCs of levels 2-6, containing at least one 3 rd level warrior, a ranger or druid also at least 3 rd level. Type: Wilderness/dungeon Monsters: Lizardmen, priest Treasure: Large XP: Large (approx 15,000xp) Time: Long (approx 1-2 sessions 6-8hrs) Background: This is an expansion on the Lizard Man-Trog Excavation adventure. A tribe of lizardmen lives in the northeastern reaches of Gnash Verde, having broken off from a larger tribe near the center of the great swamp. Here, they have carved out an area for themselves and settled it, driving away most of the hostile creatures that normally live there as well as forcing a rival tribe of Troglodytes ever closer to the absolute corner of the Verde. The lizardmen make their living primarily from the Verde, but also have become wealthy due to trade with caravans going between Castle Vorelon and Calanport. They obey the terms of the treaty with Calanport (essentially a non-aggression, trade pact) in return for the city stopping slaver raids into this part of the Verde. In just the last year, the Trogs have uncovered the ruins of an ancient Sandarian city, dating back several thousand years to the time of the Empire of Tesh. Even the scraps the Trogs have recovered have allowed them to better withstand the predations of the lizardmen. Both Chief Grraall and the witch doctor Orgruz quickly realized the Trogs must have discovered something and sent scouting parties to find out what. On realizing what the Trogs had stumbled onto, Orgruz quickly informed Grraall of very real fact that the Trogs could easily unearth powerful magics and wipe out the entire tribe. Or, at the very least, the Trogs could hire mercenaries from outside Calanport to accomplish the same thing. Grraall quickly sent a large force to their border with the Trogs and then approached himself to negotiate. Grraall does not care if the Trogs are wiped out, only that doing so would kill many of his own tribe. So instead, he forced the Trogs into a negotiated peace. The Trogs and lizardmen would take turns excavating the ruins on

2 alternating months, with a group of observers from each side. Anything powerful or valuable unearthed would result in further negotiations. While not an entirely satisfactory arrangement, it was the best Grraall could achieve at the time. Recovering ancient weapons or magics could easily shift the balance of power for or against the lizardmen. Also there is the matter of Calanport. Grraall knows full well that the Calanportese are already nervous over the existence of a black Dragon living in the Verde along with great numbers of the more tribal-oriented lizardmen. Rumors of the Sandarian city would surely attract the direct attention of the city-humans, who would definitely seek to take it for themselves, at the expense of his tribe. So Grraall plans to keep the city s existence as secret as he can for as long as he can a goal complicated by the fact that the Calanportese are about the only ones he can trade finds from the city with to get the goods he wants and needs. Grraall knows that it s only a matter of time before the Calanportese find out. He wants to delay that as long as possible so his tribe can both grow in strength and form alliances with other nearby lizardmen tribes and protect the city for themselves. He is prefectly willing to sacrifice the Trogs to this end. Hooks: The hooks for this adventure are essentially the same as for the Lizard Man- Trog Excavation. They are repeated here for completeness. A merchant in Calanport has made an unusual find ancient weapons (shortswords and shields) dating back to the time of the Sandar/Teshian Wars, thousands of years ago. While the weapons are in terrible shape, the merchant has been able to determine that the city they came from use to lie only a hundred miles from Castle Vorelon, perhaps at the very northeastern edge of Gnash Verde. He acquired the weapons from a group of lizardmen trading in Calanport. The merchant wishes the PCs to determine if the city still exists and whether or not other items of value can be found there. A sage has recently purchased a map of ancient Sandaria, showing the probable location of an ancient Sandarian city, within the very border of what is now Gnash Verde. He wants the PCs to investigate for him and will pay handsomely for any relics or information they bring back. The Calanport City Council has noticed that the lizardmen of Gnash Verde have suddenly become very secretive about happenings in their home. They suspect that trouble has begun brewing again between the Troglodytes (who live in the northern reaches of the Verde) and their Lizardmen allies. The Council wants the PCs to investigate so the Council can determine if more direct intervention is necessary. In any case, it should be easy for the PCs to ride with a trade caravan going between Calanport and Castle Vorelon to take them within a dozen miles of the Verde. The caravan master will gladly provide food and transport in exchange for the PCs standing shifts as guards.

3 Location: The Gnash Verde is a vast swamp, the northern portions fed by underground springs, the southern end mixing with the salt water of the Skytorn Sea. The swamp has slowly been expanding over the centuries. The center of the swamp is known to be the home of at least one black Dragon the PCs should be cautioned not to go there! Giant crayfish, crabs, eels, and similar wildlife abound. The deeper into the Verde one travels, the more hostile and dangerous the wildlife becomes. There are also more tribes of lizardmen (and more dangerous creatures) further in. Grraall s tribe is a medium-sized one. It is quite possible for the Dragon to actually rule a small empire of thousands of lizardmen near the heart of the swamp. The city, once buried by the rising waters and mud of the Verde, lies only three miles within the swamp well within Troglodyte territory. Only a small portion of the place is currently accessible the rest is buried under tons of mud and water. Troglodytes patrol the area frequently, so it s very likely the PCs will encounter a few groups of Trogs if they enter from the northeast (elsewhere, they will surely run into patrols of the more numerous lizardmen. Currently, only one area of the city is being excavated (the other four areas being outlying guard towers and have been picked over so completely that not even the stones used to build them are left). The lizardmen lair itself is mostly underground. It is a choice spot mostly dry land in the Verde is a rarity. They have dug their way down into the dirt and mud, using stones taken from the city s guard towers to reinforce the walls and ceiling (a task undertaken mainly by the females and children). Underground and reinforced by worked stone has given them a refuge that is all but impregnable to the Verde s usual denizens, and certainly makes it more difficult for the Trogs to attack in numbers. It will require some tracking in order to follow the lizardmen s trail to their home. The lair is damp and steamy, with mist covering the floor to a depth of 1' in most areas. The ceiling continually drips, and dripping water can be heard from further in. Unless otherwise noted, ceiling height is around 8. The worked granite stone laid over the dug walls is even, with corridor width varying from PCs will notice that there is no mortar between the stones, and that there is some slight seepage of water in various areas. Close study of the stones by a Dwarf, or character with engineering experience, reveals they are a mix-match of various cuts, originally intended for several separate buildings. If the characters enter room 18, they will hear the sound of running water from the east wall. In room 20, the same sound can be heard from the northeast. In room 12, the best clue to the secret door is the echoing sound of that underground river. If the lizard men's eggs in 20 are in danger, they will surrender and hand over their tribal treasure rather than see their young slaughtered. They will agree to leave this place and not return. If any eggs are destroyed, any lizard men present, including females and young, will give forth a keening wail that will summon the rest of the lair. They will then attack until all their opponents are dead or captured. Captives will then be ransomed, eaten, or stripped and abandoned in the swamp (equal chances of any).

4 Killing their children will evoke a similar response. DM Note: Watch those alignments! Good characters should object to the wholesale slaughter of defenseless young especially considering that the lizardmen do not pose any real threat (at this time) to anyone other than the Trogs. Also, killing them off will adversely affect some merchants in Calanport. You may even want to assign a higher level Druid as caretaker over this portion of the Verde to provide extra incentive for the PCs to pursue other options like negotiations. Be sure to give out a generous xp award (comparable to that for wiping out the lizardmen) if the PCs take a negotiated settlement. Encounter Descriptions: This is an account of all the lizardmen in Grraall s tribe. Any deaths from patrols or attacks on the tribe home should be deducted from this list, with the numbers of lizardmen encountered below also affected appropriately. DM s are reminded that these lizardmen are intelligent, and moderately well-organized. As long as Grraall or Orgruz are alive, they will fight in a coordinated fashion and alter their defenses to counteract tactics used by opponents. 67 Lizard Man Warrior(Ac:5 or 4(shield); Mv:6"sw12"; HD:2+1; Hp:14; #Att:3 or by weapon; Dmg:1-2/1-2/1-8 or 2-8(morning star), 1-6(javelin); Int: Ave; Al:N; S:M(7'); Ml:14; XPV:65). Each carries a shield, morningstar, and 5 javelins. Each also has 5 sp and 2 ep. 21 Lizard Man Elite Guard(Ac:4 (dex) or 3 (shield); Mv:6"sw12"; HD:2+1; Hp:14; #Att:3 or by weapon; Dmg:1-2/1-2/ (strength) or 1-6+1(shortsword+strength) or 1-6+1(javelin); Int:Ave; Al:N; S:M(7'); Ml:16; XPV: 120). Each has a 16 dexterity, 17 strength, carries a shield, shortsword, and 3 javelins. They carry 10 sp and 6 ep. About 25% of the elite guards speak Common. 34 Lizard Man Females(Ac:6; Mv:6"sw12"; HD:1+1; Hp:6; #Att:3; Dmg: 1-2/1-2/1-8; Int:Ave; Al:N; S:M(7'); Ml:8; XPV:65). Females are unarmed and will not attack except to defend themselves or the young. Each carries 10 cp and 6 sp. 21 Young Lizard Man (Ac:8; Mv:6"sw12"; HD:1/2; Hp3; #Att:1; Dmg: 1-2(bite only); Int:Lo; Al:N; S:s(3'); Ml:4; XPV:10). Lizard man children are non-combatants. They will fight only if molested or cornered by non-lizard men, and then only by biting. They will almost always run from a fight and hide. They carry no treasure. Lizard Man Chief (Ac:4(dex) or 3(dex+shield); Mv:6"sw12"; HD:6; Hp:40; #Att:3 or by weapon; Dmg:1-2/1-2/1-8 +1(strength) or (2-H sword+1,strength); Int:Hi; Al:N; S:L(7.5'); Ml: 18; XPV: 270). The lizard man chief is normally found in room 12. He has on his person: shield, 2-H sword +1, a gold circlet (30 gp), 2 silver armbands(8 gp ea.), a platinum ring (3 gp), a pouch with 12 sp, 3 ep, and a platinum piece. He speaks Common and Dwarvish in addition to his own species language, and his name is Grraall. Grraall is a young, strong lizard man who takes pride in his physical

5 prowess. However, under Orgruz s tutelage, he has also gained wisdom and patience. Grraall does not like humans, for his tribe has been raided by slavers in the past and the merchants of Calanport constantly try to cheat him. Although not as worldly as Orgruz, Grraall will do the best he can for his tribe, and realizes that his trade with Calanport and Castle Vorelon have brought his tribe great benefit. He does not wish to endanger that trade. Lizard Man Shaman (Ac:5; Mv:6"sw12"; HD:Pr4; Hp: 27; #Att:3 or by weapon; Dmg:1-2/1-2/1-8; Sa: spells; Int:Hi; Al:NE; S:M(7'); Ml: 10; XPV: 650). His spells are as follows: Faerie Fire x2, Command; Heat Metal, Hold Person. He has a gold necklace (200 gp) and ring (10 gp) and carries 36 sp, 10 ep, and 4 gp in his pouch. He is normally in room 21. He also speaks Common and a smattering of other human tongues, in addition to his species language. The shaman's name is Orgruz. He is a scarred creature, missing one eye, two fingers from his left hand, and his right leg is crippled from a shark bite many years ago. His back bears many whipscars from his childhood when he was a slave on the Pirate Isles. Orgruz still bears a strong hatred of humans (thus the taking of human prisoners), but is willing to forego his revenge in order to ensure the survival of his kind here in the Gnash Verde. He keeps in regular touch with the shamans of other lizard man tribes in the area, exchanging information during their ceremonies each full moon. Encounter Areas Encounter areas are given in Map Key, Area Name, Area dimensions, light source (if any) format. So 1. Guard Alcoves. (10 x10 x8 ) means 1. = Map key, Guard Alcoves = Area Name, (10 x10 x8 ) = Area dimensions north-south x east-west x height. This information is given to help you generate a quick description. In some cases, an area has an unusual shape, so its dimensions may not be listed. 1. Guard Alcoves. (10 x10 x8 )There is 1 lizard man warrior in each. These alcoves offer about 50% cover to the lizard men (AC betters by 4) and can be used by up to two lizard men. They wait here as guards, and will shriek an alarm if intruders approach. They are all within hearing distance of each other, so combat will certainly alert the whole complex. 2. Punishment Barracks. (40 x20 x9 ) This barracks is where those lizard men warriors who have fallen out of favor with the chief are sent. It is dirty, smelly, and messy, even by lizard men standards. It is home to 8 warriors and 1 elite guard. Mixed in with the trash on the floor is a small bag with 36 sp in it - forgotten by a former occupant. 3. Storage Area. (30 x30 x10 ) This room is used to store supplies for patrols. It holds 30 javelins, 12 shields, 9 clubs, rotted iron rations, and several coils of rope. All but the clubs have been taken from caravans. 4. Family Quarters. (40 at widest, 20 at narrowest x 30 at widest, 10 at narrowest x 8 ) Three lizard man families live in this room, totaling 5 male warriors (three fathers,

6 two sons), 4 females (3 mothers, 1 daughter), and 5 young. They have a Potion of Animal Control, 58 cp, 12 sp, and 3 ep under a loose stone in the se corner. 5. Family Quarters. (20 x30 x9 ) Two families lair here. They are poor and always bar their door. There are two warriors with one wife apiece. They have no children. 23 cp and 16 sp are hidden in the bedding of one pair. 6. Guard Room. (20 x20 x8 ) There are three very alert lizard men warriors in this room. There is a table with meat and water, three chairs, two bunks, and a small chest here as well. Inside the chest (it's locked but not trapped) is equipment (sharpening stones, gut twine, bone needles, etc.) for the repair and maintenance of armor and weapons. Hidden down in one corner under a layer of oily grime (treat as a concealed door) is a 50 gp pearl. 7. Barracks. (20 x20 x10 ) Each of these rooms has four lizard men warriors and an elite guard leader. Searching these rooms will gain the searchers cp, 1-20 sp, and 1-6 ep, taking 1-4 turns per room. There is also a cumulative 10% chance per turn, per searcher that a Ring of Swimming will be found. The ring can be found only once. 8. Families. (30 x30 x9 ) Three families live in each of these rooms. Each family consists of 2 warriors (father & son), 2 females (dad's wives), and 1, 2, and 3 children respectively. Each family will also have cp, 1-20 sp, 1-4 ep, and 1-5 gp. Family #3 has a Potion of Climbing. Family #5 has a scroll with the mage spells Charm Person and Color Spray (both at 8th level). 9. Elite Guardsmen Barracks. (30 x30 x10 ) This room is where the chief's personal guards sleep. There is room here for 6 elite lizard men, though only four will occupy it at any one time. In a chest trapped with a needle (1hp damage, not poisoned) are 34 sp, 16 cp, and 4 gp. 10. Bodyguard Barracks. (30 x30 x10 ) Another three elite guards rest here. Like 9, there is room for six, but three are normally with the chief during the day. At night, there will be six elite guards here. Hidden on a ledge above the door (treat as a secret door) is a wooden box with two bottles (Potions of ESP and Invisibility), a small silver ring (Ring of Protection +1), and a pale green Ioun Stone (adds 1 level of experience). 11. Meeting Room. (20 x20 x10 ) It is here that Grraall and Orgruz meet with other lizard men. Strategy and plans are discussed in this room. In the middle of the room is a natural stone table (5' diameter). Unknown to the lizard men, the table contains a magical Dagger +1 hidden there ages ago. The dagger can be gained by searching the table's underside for a small rock node (treat as a secret door). When pressed, a small panel swings open in the table's base, revealing the dagger. 12. Chief's Quarters. (40 x30 x12 ) The chief Grraall lives here with his 4 females (his harem). Five elite guards will also be here during daytime (two from 9, three from 10), two at night (the other three will be at 10). There is a large bed of skins with 3 smaller

7 beds about it. A table sits in the middle of the room, resting atop a bearskin rug (worth 5 gp). The table is covered with all manner of crude crockery and lizard man delicacies. The walls of the room are covered with animal skins (crocodile, frog, snake, etc.) and conceal the secret door to the NE area 19. Hidden behind one wall hanging, in a recessed nook near the ceiling, is a locked, trapped (poison gas - 20 hp, save vs. poison for 1/2. 1 round duration, 1 round delay) wooden chest. The chest contains the tribe's treasure: 400 gp, 650 ep, 1580 cp, a Wand of Magic Missiles (32), and a Potion of Vitality. 13. Unwed Female's Room. (40 x30 x8 ) Unmated females stay here and in area 22. There are 8 females here. They have no treasure. 14. Guardians of the Ladies. (30 at widest, 20 at narrowest x 30 at widest, 20 at narrowest x 9 ) Four lizard men warriors and one elite guardsman stand careful watch here to protect the females in 13. If they detect intruders, one will sound the gong in the se corner before joining the attack. The gong will alert areas 6, 13, and 17. All of these guards will rush to see what is wrong. 15. Kitchen. (90 x50 x12, fireplace on west wall) The fireplace almost always has something cooking, and provides a ruddy red light for that half of the room. At any given time, there will be 1-3 families, 1-2 guards and 1-2 elite guards here, along with the cook (use guard's stats), his two wives, and their three children. The cook has no treasure other than what he carries. 16. Robing Room/Storage. (20 x20 x10 ) This was once a robing room, but now stores many foods for the lizard men: dried lizard and frog meats, insects, spices, etc. These are used by the cook in 15. on the north wall, crumpled against the floor, can be found an ancient cloak, preserved by magic. It will sell for 20 gp, or 60 to a collector. 17. Guard Room. (30 at widest, 20 at narrowest x 40 widest, 30 narrowest x 8 ) There are 8 regular guards and 1 elite here. At least 2 are alert at all times for noise from 18. They have no treasure other than personal. 18. Prisoners. (40 x40 x8 ) There are two lizard men guards at this door. It is barred from the hallway and holds 3 Calanport citizens and 2 sailors - they're being held for ransom for trespassing within the tribe s territory. The prisoners have been battered somewhat but are otherwise fine. They are non-combatant 0-level NPCs. 19. Chief's Escape Route. (natural cavern)it is through here that the lizard man chief, along with his harem, treasure, and whatever guards he can gather, will escape if the lair is overrun. The stream is an underground waterway that exits about 1/2 mile downstream into a larger, surface stream. 20. The Egg Room. (70 x50 x9 ) This large room is guarded by 3 elites. The shaman Orgruz is in 21. Here is where the females lay their eggs, so the shaman can say prayers over them and watch them to ensure good hatchings. Currently, there are only

8 8 eggs here. The eggs are against the middle of the north wall, wrapped protectively in sacred cloths and warmed by braziers. If the lair is invaded, the guards will go to 11 and bar the secret door from the inside while Orgruz goes to 22 and gathers the females there. The females will gather the eggs and will go with the warriors down the secret passageway to the water. They will wait there. Orgruz will wait just inside the secret door to see what happens. If he sees strangers, he will slam the secret door shut and bar it, fleeing to the others near the stream. If the warriors hear the sounds of the chief entering the water at 19, or of Orgruz being attacked, they will take the females and flee into the swamp. If able to, Orgruz will go with them, starting a new tribe somewhere else. 21. Shaman s Room. (30 x30 x10 ) Orgruz the shaman lives here. The room is chock full of his personal possessions, since Orgruz is something of a packrat. His altar is against the center of the east wall, and constantly has incense burning in a small brazier on it (actually a mulch of various foul-smelling swamp weeds). Skulls of crocodiles, a claw from a giant crayfish, even a rather impressive set of jaws from a shark decorate the west wall, all legacies of Orgruz s past conflicts. In the center of the wall is a cracked human skull all that remains of the slaver who captured and tortured Orgruz as a child. Of particular note is the small bookcase against the south wall, opposite the door, containing various treatises on the Gnash Verde. (Orgruz is semiliterate and has been laboring through each of the books in an effort to improve his tribe s success in their home.) His bed/nest is in the southwest corner, consisting of several layers of skins over a pile of lichens and branches. Hidden among the branches is a single ivory scrollcase (30gp) containing the spells cure light wounds x3, bless, aid, and prayer. 22. Main Storage. (unusual shape). This is the tribe s main dry goods storage. The room is packed with bales of cloth, barrels of grain and oil, trees cut for javelin or spear shafts, and the like. The room is stuffed full as a result of their first month of digging at the Sandarian city and subsequent trading with Calanport. The lizardmen will soon have to dig out another storage room. Continuing the Adventure: It is within the realm of possibility to shift Orgruz s alignment from NE to N, if the PCs provide a good example of decent humans/elves/dwarves. In this event, the PCs may well gain some valuable allies and assistance for any further adventures they have in the area. The lizardmen are quite knowledgeable about their home, the Verde in general, and the lands between Castle Vorelon and Calanport. They can also point the PCs to the slavers who long ago tortured Orgruz something which will benefit the lizardmen, Calanportese, and PCs if the slavers are finally wiped out. Assuming that the PCs opt to wipe out the Trogs (who are evil) instead, the lizardmen will take over the excavation of the city and likely move their tribal home to the dig site. They will continue to trade with Castle Vorelon and Calanport, and the tribe will certainly grow both from births and with immigrants from deeper inside the Verde. In

9 this case, further adventures will certainly open up. The lizardmen could easily unearth some buried evil (artifact or creature) and send an appeal to the PCs for assistance (which can come through Druidic circles). They could accidentally unleash some foul creature into the countryside, which means a request for aid may well come from Calanport. Having the slavers decimate the tribe and sending the PCs to rescue them is also a possibility. If the PCs exterminate the lizardmen, the Trogs will certainly take over, acting as described above. If both tribes are destroyed, Calanport will stake a claim on the ruins and move troops in to hold the area which will lead to all sorts of political troubles and conflicts between Castle Vorelon, Calanport, and (unfortunately for everyone) the Dragon who claims the Verde. Avamor Campaign: This adventure is one of the first I created for my campaign world and was originally intended as a continuation of the Lizard Man-Trog Excavation. However, the PCs decided not to pursue the Excavation any further. So I reset this adventure along the old coastline of Calanport, and instead had the PCs hired by a Merchant House to take care of a Lizard Man problem. Only after wiping out the lizard men did the PCs discover that they had just exterminated a mostly friendly tribe crippling another Merchant House s control over trade with the humanoids.

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