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Summary:
The PCs attempt to find out what has happened to a local farmer and his family. In doing so, they locate a band of lizardfolk who have sailed to Onlor from the distant continent of Sazhansiir, seeking a secret spot of ancient power. In defeating the lizardfolk, the PCs will find a strange mace-like object that will eventually lead to events that will catapult them to Sazhansiir itself.
Assumptions:
The PCs are in the town of Leaf Port in the land of Relum on the Isle of Onlor.
Location:
Leaf Port, Onlor
Historical Date:
N.S. 30, Month of Wind (autumn)
DM's Introduction:
Note: Much of the background of this scenario stems from the full background of the entire continent of Sazhansiir. DMs are encouraged to read "The Sazhansiir Gazetteer" and "The History of Sazhansiir" for additional insights and background material. This is the first of several linked scenarios that culminate in the PCs being transported to Sazhansiir and out of the familiar environs of Jerranq and Onlor. These linked scenarios are not necessarily designed to be played consecutively.
Finally, note that the title of this scenario is a play on the lyrics of the King Crimson song "Lizard". The other scenarios entitled "A Lizard Season Wrote" and "Stake a Lizard by the Throat" are also plays on the lyrics of that song. These three scenarios are called the Lizard Trilogy.
In ancient times, the Progenitors of the scaled ones who ruled Sazhansiir in the name of the foul demigod Kyuss sought stock of their experiments in breeding new and improved reptilians to populate their continent. To that end, they used epic and exotic magics to construct a mystic tunnel, a wormhole, that connected Sazhansiir with the lands to the north. Not quite knowing the geography of the north, especially with the moving of the Isle of Onlor to its present location, the scaled ones flung their tunnel out across the sea and like a climber hurling a grappling hook onto an unseen ledge above him, the tunnel landed and anchored in a remote island in the southern Heynosht Archipelago. There, the Progenitors traveled through the tunnel and abducted approximately 500 native inhabitants of the island, before closing the tunnel behind them. These 500 inhabitants eventually were used to breed the yuan-ti, used as slave stock, and were the ancestors of the entirety of humanity in Sazhansiir.
The mystic tunnel was closed, but not dissolved, and it persisted in its quiescent state for many millennia, linking the dungeons of the palace of the scaled ones in the heart of the Serpent Empire to the tiny remote island in the north.
When the creation cyst exploded, decimating the Serpent Empire, the anchored end of the tunnel in Sazhansiir was blown apart from its "moorings", like a banner where one side becomes unattached and flaps in the breeze. This meant that even if the tunnel could be reopened, it could not be used because only one side was anchored...the side that rested on that remote island in the Heynosht.
And so it would have been forgotten, had the scaled ones not discovered a star map buried in the ancient ruins of the Serpent Empire in the Blasted Lands. This star map, after much research and arcane divinations, appeared to show the precise location of the northern end of the mystic tunnel. Such knowledge had been lost along with the Serpent Empire, and now it was discovered!
Further research opened up an amazing possibility for the scaled ones, for the humans who continually warred against the scaled ones had two more creation cysts in their possession, guarded in a secret vault that was warded by such powerful magics that not even the most powerful teleportation or planar magic could pierce it. If the scaled ones could steal the cysts, they would remove these powerful weapons from the hands of the humans, allowing them to amass their serpent armies and march on the humans. Even more, perhaps Kyuss himself could leave his self-imposed imprisonment in the heart of the Blasted Lands and lead the scaled ones to a final victory. and if it came to it, the scaled ones could even use one or both of the cysts against the humans!
And here was the mystic tunnel, which was neither teleportation nor planar magic, and very likely an exception to either that would allow it to circumvent the wards that guarded the vault of the creation cysts. If the tunnel could be reset, so that the anchor point that was set adrift by the creation cyst blast was guided into the creation cyst vault, then the scaled ones could raid the vault and capture the cysts. But to have any chance to do this, two rituals would have to be performed. First, a ritual would need to be enacted at the anchor point far to the north in the Heynosht. Secondly, an even more powerful ritual would have to be performed in Sazhansiir, to carefully and secretively guide the tunnel to where the scaled ones believed the cysts were being held.
And so, several expeditions were launched from Sazhansiir, across the great Mezon Ocean, and finally to various points in the southern region of Jerranq, in the Heynosht Archipelago. These expeditions were carried in lizardfolk boneships, and many of them did not make the long and perilous voyage, succumbing to the elements, the currents, or hostile sea creatures. But a few did, and these were tasked with finding the proper location of the mystic tunnel anchor, using replicas of the star map, and then enacting the ritual to reopen the tunnel. Once this happened, then the scaled ones in Sazhansiir could guide their end of the tunnel to the creation cyst vault and enact their plan.
In this case, one such expedition was wracked by a storm and blew off course, arriving instead in Onlor. Knowing nothing of the geography of the region, these lizardfolk are not convinced they cannot reach the anchor point from where they have landed (they can't, but they don't know it yet). They have been slowly heading eastward, as their observations of the stars tell them that they are west and north of the sought-after location. Most recently the group has made its camp to the north of Leaf Port, near Deerman's Pond, trying to stock up on food, scout out the lay of the land, and make divinations to try to determine the best possible course.
When a farmer named Haggis happened upon the group, he was spotted and though he fled back to his stead, the lizardfolk tracked him to the stead and slew him, taking his wife and children back to their camp where they intend to eat them and sacrifice them to their foul god Kyuss. The assault occurred at night, and Haggis and family were completely taken by surprise. Not having any familiarity with horses or oxen, the lizardfolk raiding the barn had no idea these were domesticated animals, and slew several of them before realizing they could lead them away back to their camp.
The PCs will initially be tasked with investigating the disappearance of Haggis and his family, as they are frequent attendees of the Mordant Church in Leaf Port. If a PC is a cleric of the church or a member of the church, then the head of the church could ask the PCs to travel to the Haggis stead and find out why he hasn't shown up for services. Otherwise, the PCs can be asked by the sheriff of Leaf Port to go to the stead and see if everything is alright. In this case, he could offer the PCs a small reward (of a few gp in total).
In a pinch, if the PCs refuse to go, then another person will be sent and he will come scurrying back reporting the death of Haggis and that something bad has happened at the stead. In this case, the PCs will be asked to investigate further.
Note: While in most normal D&D campaigns lizardfolk are a fairly traditional creature, in Jerranq and Onlor such creatures are almost unheard of. Folk from Onlor may know of the small colonies of lizardfolk dwelling on the Joneel Islands, but even those are not well known outside of Wenestria. As such, the presence of lizardfolk in Relum should be portrayed as an exceedingly strange thing.
Part One - The Haggis Stead:
Background of Haggis:
Haggis is farmer whose family emigrated from Lochnirr a couple of decades ago. The reasons for his emigration are not known, but involve nothing more unseemly than a desire to escape from the watch of his domineering father and mother. He came to Relum with his wife Thara and their two daughters, Miski and Dalya and two sons, Pomins and Thuber. Haggis purchased a steading from the estate of a deceased couple and immediately set to working the land, as he served his father as a farmer back in Lochnirr. The Haggis family met with moderate success, and the two sons grew up enough to help with the duties, which eased the cost of hiring labourers and allowed the farm to prosper even more. Miski, the eldest child, was married off to a potter in Lentil in the heart of the Kingdom of Wenestria.
The Haggis household now consists of:
The Haggis family are Mordants, having come from that tradition in Lochnirr. Their stead is some 12 miles north by northeast of Leaf Port, just northwest of Deerman's Pond. The family usually comes in to Leaf Port one a week to buy items, take in crops, and to attend the Mordant chapel there. Pomins, Astria, and their two children usually stay at the stead and do not come into town, as they are not worshippers of Mordantism.
Initial Investigation:
As mentioned previously, there should be an initial recognition that something may be wrong at the Haggis place and someone needs to go and check it out. If a PC is a cleric of the Mordant church, then some congregants can mention that this is the second week in a row that Haggis and his family have not come to attend church. Some of the parishoners will show some concern, mentioning that he has never missed a week unless ill and even then his wife and family would come in his stead. The parishoners will ask the PC cleric if he could head out to the Haggis stead and make sure he is well.
If this introduction doesn't work, then the parishoners will instead take their concerns to the sheriff, who will then contact the PCs and ask them if they can check up on old Haggis and his brood. He would go himself to check on it, but there is a harvest festival coming soon and he and his men are required to guard some of the incoming caravans over the next week or so.
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The map above shows the region surrounding Leaf Port and the Haggis Stead. A brief explanation of the sites listed is presented below.
Deerman's Pond - Actually a small lake, the area is surrounded for several hexes in what can best be described as a wetlands, as the lake sits in the bottom of a basin. The pond is named after a ranger who drowned there centuries ago. What it was called before then is not popularly remembered. The lizardfolk have encamped in this area.
Druid's Wheel - This is a stone carving in the shape of a trapezoidal base some 20 ft square and 10 ft high. Atop the base is a large stone circle standing upright. The stone is a full 15 ft in diameter and its center is a hole some 5 ft in diameter. The face of the circle on both sides is carved with strange runes, weird patterns, and crude representations of elemental phenomena. The locals have attributed the carving to ancient druids, though druids of the present day have no recollection of the thing and claim that the runes and carvings are not druidic in nature. If magic is used to read the runes, they don't impart any message, but appear to be runes associated with elemental energy and magic. The structure itself does not radiate magic.
Fishing Hamlet - A small cluster of wooden huts and a beach for boats along with racks for nets and fishes and bins of salt are here. A group of perhaps two dozen fishermen dwell here, with families that add about 50 souls to the population. A total of between half a dozen and a dozen boats are beached here any given afternoon and evening. The folks here keep to themselves.
Forest Ruin - This is an ancient forest ruin that was featured in the scenario entitled "One if By Land". DMs are referred to that scenario for a map of the ruins. If the PCs have been playing the historical campaign scenarios, then they have already explored those ruins and slain a dire boar lairing therein.
Haggis Stead - This is the farm stead of Haggis. See below for further details.
High Rocks - A local landmark consisting of tall spires of rocks that are inhabited by scores of sea birds. A system of caves is hidden beneath the rocks. This location was featured in the scenario entitled "Two if by Sea", and if the PCs have already taken part in that scenario, then they have dealt with the smugglers dwelling therein. A full map of the area can be found in the aforementioned scenario.
Leaf Port - The major town in the region, and the current home (or at least resting place) of the PCs. More information can be found in the Onlor Gazetteer. The lands surrounding the town are given to cultivation, as indicated on the map. Many of these are owned or worked by residents of the town proper, who come out to work the land by day and dwell in the town at night.
Lighthouse - This is a humble tower of stone with a mirrored lamp kept alight by a half elf only known as The Lightkeeper. The half elf is quite old, and somewhat reclusive, and rumours abound that he is actually a wizard of some power, though none can say for certain and the light he keeps seems to be mundane and not the result of continual flame spells.
Other Stead - These are farmer steads and woodsmen's steads (the four directly north of the forest are woodsmen). These are a single dwelling for an extended family or a couple of dwellings for a few families who engage in lumbering and/or farming. These steads tend to have wooden or stone walls but are by no means fortified in any conventional sense of the word. These families tend to be a bit wary of strangers, but a DC 15 Gather Information check will allow the PCs to at least learn some of the background information about Haggis and his family (as presented above).
Relarth River - The main river of the region. Refer to the Onlor Gazetteer for more information.
Traveling to the Haggis stead should be uneventful. This is a very bucolic, peaceful land, and people are used to leaving their doors unlocked, even at night. With the coming of autumn, their could be some bit of precipitation, but usually nothing more than a mist in the early morning or late night that leaves a glittering dew on the morning grass.
Inquiring around Leaf Port about Haggis will turn up the background information given above on a DC 15 Gather Information check. A result of DC 10 or more will give a list of the family members but nothing of his background other than the fact that he comes from Lochnirr.
The Haggis Stead:
The Haggis Stead is located astride a stream that runs south into Deerman's Pond. The stead lands are bounded by a low stone wall, used more to mark the stead's boundaries than to keep out intruders. The stone wall is simply large round stones packed with dried mud, about 3 ft tall and 2 ft wide. It runs around the entire width and breadth of the fields of the stead, which are fairly considerable and consist of a large field of barley, one of wheat, and several orchards of apple and peach trees. Smaller plots contain lettuce, tomatoes, and various squashes and tubers. The wheat looks to have been harvested, as much of it is tied up into great sheaves standing in the wheat field.
A wooden gate in the wall faces the stream, and a small dirt path runs from the gate, to the edge of the stream, and then proceeds both north and south. The path goes on for several miles in each direction before simply ending. The gate is low, only 4 ft tall, and not very solid. It currently is ajar and squeaking slightly in the errant breeze.
From the gate, a dirt path leads past the fields to a wooden house and a larger wooden barn.
If the PCs search for prints or Track refer to Part Two below.
Barn (EL 4)
| A large barn stands next to the stead house. The barn is of wood, and approximately 20 ft tall, with a curved roof of mixed shingles and thatching. Two large doors lead into the barn, and one of the doors is ajar. In front of the door is an unmoving figure that has a swarm of flies buzzing around it. Red stains coat the ground around the figure. |
The ground around the barn doors is stained with blood and is also quite churned up, as if much activity has taken place here. Such churning would be expected in a barn that housed work animals, but a DC 20 Survival check by a person with the Track feat can also pick out signs of a recent struggle and some vague prints that appear to be left by a clawed foot. A DC 22 Search check will turn up a single greenish scale about the size of the child's thumb. This scale came from one of the lizardfolk.
If the PCs listen carefully just
outside the barn they can hear the buzzing of flies and some muted
growling from inside with a DC 15 Listen check. Otherwise, they
can simply enter the barn.
| The inside of the barn is a mess. The barn itself is some 40 ft wide by 60 ft long. A wooden loft 10 ft up runs around the perimter of the interior, and is itself 10 ft wide. Several ladders lead up to the loft. Hay and straw are strewn everywhere around the ground level of the place. Wooden stalls for livestock and horses are present, their doors standing open and in some cases ripped off of their hinges. Blood is splashed all around, far more than could come from the single body of a large ox that lies in the center of the place. Tools and saddles are also tossed about, and visible on the edges of the upper loft are bags and barrels and crates, all of which seem to have been spilled, opened, or tipped over. A cloud of flies hovers over the ox body and more flies are buzzing around the barn interior. |
Creatures: 4 wolves, mangy and starving, have just preceded the PCs into the barn. Quite hungry and desperate, they smelled the rotting flesh of the horse outside the barn and the ox inside and so came to investigate. However, the meat is far too gone for them to consume, even in their current straits. As such, the arrival of the PCs represents the best opportunity for a meal, and these wolves, quite out of normal character, will simply growl and attack. If they bring down a PC, they will, in their hunger, all swarm on the fallen PC and attack the fallen. Once such a PC is brought to a helpless state, the wolves will then coup de grace the PC and then attempt to devour the corpse, even while being attacked. However, a successful Intimidate check will, instead of causing a wolf to be shaken, cause it to stop attacking the fallen foe and attack the PC making the Intimidate check.
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WOLVES (4) CR 1 * Wolves have a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent. |
Developments: Searching the barn interior for approximately 10 minutes will turn up evidence that something(s) had apparently gone through the barn, ransacked every single item, likely carried some of it away, and had possibly slashed the ox with clawed talons. Pieces of bits of other animals are evident during the search, including a horse's hoof and lower leg.
House
| The stead house is made of wood, apparently one story but with a tall, sloped roof of shingles. It measures 40 ft long by 30 ft wide. Two chimneys thrust up from the roof, one in the center of the place and the other in a corner. Windows are evident around the structure, and all of these have shutters and no glass; some of the shutters are open and others closed. The front door is hanging ajar and on its bottom hinge. Small bits of detritus and broken pottery are scattered just outside of the front door. |
Everything in the house has been ransacked. The oven is open and charred wood and coals spilled on the floor. The door to the root cellar is open and bins torn apart and remnants of tubers and bits of salt are on the floor. Beds are slashed by sharp claws and mattresses turned over and on the floor, Curtains are ripped apart, and wooden partitions splintered. Various tools and every day implements litter the floor.
Various small vermin, including normal centipedes and cockroaches scuttle about, especially in the cellar.
Blood stains are evident in many places, and up in the loft will be found the body of Haggis himself. He is a mess, and flies are buzzing around his body. His throat is torn, and a DC 15 Heal check will determine that it was bitten through by sharp teeth. Claw marks gouge his body.
Searching the entire house well will take a man hour (so about 10 minutes for a group of 6 PCs). This is only a search for obvious items, not a full search using Search checks.
Part Two - Deerman's Pond:
Once the Haggis Stead has been investigated, it will be obvious to the investigator that something horrible has happened to Haggis and his family. Disturbingly, none of the other Haggis family members will have been located, indicating the possibility that they have been abducted. If an NPC has done this initial investigation, he will report back to the sheriff of Leaf Port, thereby initiating the PCs' participation. Presumably, the PCs will then come and look around for themselves, especially as the investigator will have been quite terrified and not made a thorough search of the place (and no Heal checks).
Getting to Deerman's Pond:
The next step is for the PCs to head to Deerman's Pond. There are several ways for them to do this.
First, they can track the lizardfolk. The ground around the house and barn are considered soft ground, with a base DC of 10. There were twelve lizardfolk in the attacking party, so that reduces the DC by 4. Ten days have passed (more if the PCs have taken time before leaving to investigate) since the attack, so the DC is increased by 10 (possibly more). In addition, there will have been 4 hours of rainfall in the last 10 days (actually more, but the rainfall was light), so another 4 is added to the DC. Total DC to track the lizardfolk is 20. Given that the Track feat can be retried (albeit after an hour), it would not be too difficult for the PCs with the Track feat to eventually find the trail.
Of course, even the Track feat is not necessarily needed. A DC 20 Survival check (as a full-round action that can be retried after an hour) can at least locate the lizardfolk tracks. Similarly, a DC 20 Search check can locate a footprint or footprints, and this can be retried every round (or take 20) but then the check must be done in the precise area that the footprints are located.
If the PCs do not have the Track feat and merely wish to find tracks or signs of passage, then they will have to search in the proper spot(s). Obviously, the house, the barn, and the areas just outside of each are rife with prints, including the clawed feet of the lizardfolk, bare feet of Haggis and the family (the attack came at night when all were asleep), and even the hooves of the oxen and horses that were taken away. These areas are so confused that no real sense of direction of travel can be obtained.
The lizardfolk and their prisoners headed down the dirt path to the front gate and then turned south, following the river all the way back to Deerman's Pond. They did not try to hide their presence, option for speed so as to be able to use the cover of night to get as close to the pond as possible before sunrise (the attack occurred about an hour before midnight and the journey back to the pond took about 8-9 hours for the 6 mile journey). As such, if the PCs can find tracks or prints or signs anywhere on the dirt path they will see that the tracks seem to be heading down the path to the gate. If they search at the gate, they will note the tracks seem to turn south along the stream bank. Once the PCs know this information, they can certainly deduce that they should follow the stream. If they check on the west bank of the stream at any point between the Haggis Stead and Deerman's Pond, they can find the various footprints and signs heading south along the river bank.
Deerman's Pond:
As mentioned, the two hexes surrounding Deerman's Pond are wetlands. The PCs can easily notice that the area is getting wetter, with mud, taller grasses, and reeds. The area is not wet enough to produce true bogs or any sort of real hazard like quicksand. Allow a DC 15 Survival check to realize that the area poses no natural threats.
Refer to the Deerman's Pond map below.
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Lizardfolk tracks are prevalent in the area and can be followed to the camp and the ritual. Tracking in this area is a DC 10 check.
Lizardfolk Patrol (EL 4)
These are patrols of 4 lizardfolk who are tasked with lying low and watching for intruders. During nighttime, they are reduced to listening for intruders, as they make no fire or light so as not to give away their position. If they see or hear anything that looks like intruders (including even animals of Medium size or larger) they will croak a guttural croak or two to alert the nearby patrols. This croak is quite load and carries far in the still autumn air, and the fact that the wetlands area is a bowl allows the sounds to rebound around the area. A guttural croak will be heard by all lizardfolk in a 1500 ft radius. This means that each patrol site can hear a croak from all adjacent sites. Furthermore, the camp can hear croaks from the two middle patrol sites. The ritual site can only hear croaks from the camp itself.
If a croak is sounded, half of the adjacent patrols will move to reinforce and investigate, quietly unless a battle has begun. Furthermore, the camp will send 2 of its members to the location once they hear a croak. Once a battle has begun, all locations will croak a warning, alerting the entire lizardfolk force. The croaks form a simple code that includes come quietly, come quickly, and false alarm.
Each patrol is located in a location that is thick with tall grass but has a good view of the surrounding area. In the center of the grass are two small lean-tos made of branches, leaves, grass, and mud. Each is about 5 ft square and can hold one lizardfolk (or other Medium sized creature) for sleep (though the creature would have to rest in a fetal position if as big as a lizardfolk...they don't mind since it helps to keep them warm). At any time at night, two lizardfolk are asleep in the lean-tos. Also present are some raw fish and bits of raw meat and some vegetables and roots in a pile, as well as two bladders filled with water.
| LIZARDFOLK (4)
CR 1 N Medium humanoid (reptilian) Init +0; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0 Languages Slith AC 15 (17 with shield), touch 10, flat-footed 15 (17 with shield) hp 11 (2 HD) Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +0 Spd 30 ft (6 squares) Melee 2 claws +2 (1D4+1) and bite +0 (1D4) Melee club +2 (1D6+1) Ranged javelin +1 (1D6+1) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +1; Grp +2 Combat Gear javelins (4) Abilities Str 13, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 10 SQ hold breath Feats Multiattack Skills Balance +6, Jump +7, Swim +6 Possesssions combat gear plus heavy wooden shield Hold Breath (Ex) A lizardfolk can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to four times its Con score before it risks drowning. |
Lizardfolk Camp (EL 6)
Refer to the Lizardfolk Camp map below.
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Trees are all standard size, with four of them having lost most of their leaves already in autumn.
The lizardfolk have constructed an earthen berm to hide their camp and to protect it from attack. The berm is simply a pile of mud rounded at the top, some 8 ft tall. The slope of the berm is gradual enough to be considered a steep slope (refer to the Dungeon Master's Guide), and this helps to make the slope appear as a natural rise from a distance and to conceal the structures within the camp.
There are 14 lean-tos in the camp, made of branches, leaves, grass, and mud. Each is about 5 ft square and can hold one lizardfolk (or other Medium sized creature) for sleep (though the creature would have to rest in a fetal position if as big as a lizardfolk...they don't mind since it helps to keep them warm). The black lean-tos are empty, as the lizardfolk lairing within are out scouting or hunting in the surrounding countryside (and effectively out of the scope of this scenario) or are guarding the prisoners (see below) or are at the ritual site. The red lean-tos contain a single sleeping lizardfolk warrior at night.
There are 4 campfires in the camp. These are built into small shelters of mud some 2 ft tall and 2 ft in diameter. These have openings facing roughly toward Deerman's Pond, such that the light from the fires only illuminates along the ground and is therefore not visible from ground level from a distance beyond the earthen berm. However, the fires do provide heat for the lizardfolk and light enough to fully illuminate the central area of the camp and put most of the rest to the east of the fires in shadowy illumination.
The central area of the camp is where the prisoners are kept. This is marked by a star symbol. Here two logs have been set 3 ft high atop two supporting logs. The prisoners are bound by the wrists to the horizontal log so that they can sit or crouch. Their ankles are also bound. In both cases the bindings are hemp rope. Thara, Pomins, Thurber, Astria, and Aymaldya are here. They are all muddy, bruised, haggard, and defeated, though if a rescue ensues the adults will gather themselves and take whatever action they can. The child is likely to cry unless held by a familiar adult or soothed with a DC 15 Diplomacy check or Perform (sing) check.
Note: The camp area is almost entirely mud. The ground is by no means even a shallow bog, but the area is, except for the trees, entirely devoid of plants. As such, an entangle spell cast into the camp will only affect those squares 8 squares adjacent to the trunk of the leafless trees.
Creatures: Eight lizardfolk warriors are here. Six are asleep at night, in the red lean-tos. During the daytime, two are asleep and six are up and about. Nevertheless, at all times two lizardfolk warriors are directly guarding the prisoners.
| LIZARDFOLK (8)
CR 1 N Medium humanoid (reptilian) Init +0; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0 Languages Slith AC 15 (17 with shield), touch 10, flat-footed 15 (17 with shield) hp 11 (2 HD) Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +0 Spd 30 ft (6 squares) Melee 2 claws +2 (1D4+1) and bite +0 (1D4) Melee club +2 (1D6+1) Ranged javelin +1 (1D6+1) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +1; Grp +2 Combat Gear club, javelins (4) Abilities Str 13, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 10 SQ hold breath Feats Multiattack Skills Balance +6, Jump +7, Swim +6 Possesssions combat gear plus heavy wooden shield Hold Breath (Ex) A lizardfolk can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to four times its Con score before it risks drowning. |
Developments: The camp uses the same croak system as the patrols (see above), and such croaking will alert the lizardfolk ritual (see below). The camp will send two warriors to any patrol that sounds trouble, but the remainder are tasked with guarding the prisoners. If an alert is sounded, the warriors asleep will awaken and the lizardfolk will take up combat positions at convenient points around the camp. The direct guard on the prisoners will be doubled to four lizardfolk.
If the prisoners are rescued, they will thank the PCs, identify themselves, and tell of their missing companions who were taken south along the lake by a horrible lizardfolk with wings who seems to be the leader. The prisoners have no idea what the lizardfolk want, and cannot communicate with them in any way. The adults know that Haggis was killed during the initial assault at the stead.
Lizardfolk Ritual (EL 7)
Refer to the Lizardfolk Ritual map below.
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The ritual site is a place where
the lizard king who leads this group of lizardfolk has determined
is the proper place to conduct his rituals to his foul deity.
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A small bight of mud covered rock extends out into Deerman's Pond. The place is a flat shelf about a foot or two above the water level. Two large boulders, roughly 8-10 ft tall flank the entrance to the place, beyond which burns a small bonfire. Two smaller boulders about 5 ft in diameter and 5 ft tall flank the bonfire, beyond which is a pit descending into the floor of the shelf. Surrounding the pit, a magic inscription of some sort has been gouged into the stone and it is glowing bright red. |
There is a desecrate effect cast by the lizard king onto the magic inscription. This emanates in a 20 ft radius, though since there are no undead creatures in the area there is no real effect on combat. The effect will infuse the area with negative energy, which will manifest as a slight unnatural chill in the area, and any PC with an aura of good will feel the wrongness of the place.
The hole is a crack in the rock, roughly circular, about 5 ft in diameter and 10 ft deep. Runes have been etched in the bottom. These runes are strange to the PCs, and a DC 20 Knowledge (arcana) check will determine that the runes are foreign. A DC 25 Knowledge (arcana) check will determine that the weird runes have something to do with death and decay.
The inscription is some sort of
magic circle or ritual circle that has been gouged into the stone
and mud. Blood courses along the pattern of the inscription, coming
from small (non life-threatening) wounds in each of the bound
prisoners. The blood glows with the power of the desecrate
spell and the ritual.
Creatures: The lizard king who leads this group of lizardfolk
is here, along with four lizardfolk warrior guards and two prisoners,
Dalya and Desceryt. The latter are bound hand to feet and set
on either edge of the magic inscription. The lizardfolk are generally
standing behind the four boulders. However unless they are alert
to danger, the two lizardfolk standing behind the smaller boulders
will be fairly visible. If they are alert, then those two will
be purposefully hiding behind those boulders.
| LIZARD KING
CR 6 Serpent Kingdoms page 68 Male half-fiend lizardfolk Adept 4 CE Medium outsider (native) Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Listen +4, Spot +2 Languages Slith, Abyssal AC 20 (22 vs ranged), touch 12 (14 vs ranged), flat-footed 18 (20 vs ranged) hp 35 (6 HD); DR 5/magic Immune poison Resist acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 16 Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +6 Spd 30 ft (6 squares), fly 30 ft (6 squares) (average) Melee 2 claws +7 (1D4+4) and bite +5 (1D6+2) Melee mwk shortsword +8 (1D6+4 plus life drinking) and bite +5 (1D6+2) Ranged javelin +5 (1D6+4) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +4; Grp +7 Atk Options smite good 1/day (+6 damage) Combat Gear masterwork shortsword with crystal of life drinking, javelins (4), divine scroll of resist energy (fire) (CL 3), divine scroll of cure moderate wounds (CL 3) Adept Spells Prepared (CL 4, melee touch +7, ranged touch +5): 2nd - mirror image 1st - cause fear (DC 13), cure light wounds, protection from good 0 - detect magic, guidance, touch of fatigue (DC 12) Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6): 3/day - darkness 1/day - desecrate, unholy blight (DC 15) Abilities Str 18, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 12 SQ hold breath Feats Multiattack Skills Balance +9, Bluff +3, Concentration +7, Diplomacy +3, Hide +2, Intimidate +3, Jump +10, Knowledge (planes) +3, Knowledge (religion) +8, Listen +4, Move Silently +2, Search +2, Swim +9 Possesssions combat gear plus masterwork heavy wooden shield with crystal of arrow deflection, spell component pouch, stellar rod (on the ground amid the rocks and mud at his feet), vellum (12), obsidian dagger Hold Breath (Ex) A lizard king can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to four times its Con score before it risks drowning. |
| LIZARDFOLK (4)
CR 1 N Medium humanoid (reptilian) Init +0; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0 Languages Slith AC 15 (17 with shield), touch 10, flat-footed 15 (17 with shield) hp 11 (2 HD) Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +0 Spd 30 ft (6 squares) Melee 2 claws +2 (1D4+1) and bite +0 (1D4) Melee club +2 (1D6+1) Ranged javelin +1 (1D6+1) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +1; Grp +2 Combat Gear club, javelins (4) Abilities Str 13, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 10 SQ hold breath Feats Multiattack Skills Balance +6, Jump +7, Swim +6 Possesssions combat gear plus heavy wooden shield Hold Breath (Ex) A lizard king can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to four times its Con score before it risks drowning. |
Tactics: The lizard king will only respond to the croaking sounds of a battle at the camp. He has no interest in responding even to combat in the outlying patrols. If a combat breaks out at the camp, he will fly off to the camp to fight (leaving his stellar rod here with the prisoners), leaving his guards here with orders to slay the prisoners should intruders arrive. Whether fighting here or at the camp, the lizard king will fly up high and open with an unholy blight spell, after first casting protection from good on himself. He will not use his mirror image spell until he is about to enter melee combat, first casting his javelins before closing.
The lizard king begins the battle here with the stellar rod on the ground at his feet. He will generally not bother to pick it up initially in combat, as he does not wish to waste an action to do so and does not feel he is in any danger. If it appears that he needs to flee, he will not do so without trying to grab the rod. Without the rod his mission is a complete failure. If still forced to flee, he will certainly attempt to recover the rod from the PCs or from whomever the PCs give the rod to. In the latter case, the attempt should probably fail, so that the PCs can continue to the next scenario.
Developments: The lizard king is involved in a ritual that will take between 24-36 hours from the time the PCs arrive in the vicinity of Deerman's Pond (he was waiting for the stars and moon to reach the proper season). On the next midnight that takes place after the 24 hours has passed the lizard king will sacrifice Dalya. 24 hours after that Desceryt will be sacrificed. Sacrifice involves removing and consuming the beating heart of the victim and then tossing the body down the shaft. The ritual is designed to invoke a sacrificial reward (see page 26 of Book of Vile Darkness), and will allow the lizard king a Knowledge (religion) check with a +5 bonus (+1 for lengthy ceremony, +1 for conducted in a desecrated area, +1 for sacrifice being good-aligned, +1 for 1-5 HD, +1 for race hated by the deity). The DM should make this check if the sacrifice happens and grant the lizard king whatever reward is appropriate from the table in page 27.
Dalya is somewhat hysterical and disoriented from blood loss (assume they have taken 2 points of Con damage and 1 hp of damage from the blood-letting) but can be calmed down with a DC 15 Diplomacy check. Desceryt will simply begin to cry and whimper for quite some time, inconsolable.
Continuing Circumstances:
The lizardfolk will not be camped at Deerman's Pond forever. Eventually their scouts will return and their divinations will bear fruit and they will pack up and head eastward. The DM should assume that a week after the assault at Haggis' stead is discovered, the lizardfolk will pack up and leave. If that happens, it is up to the DM if he wants to salvage the scenario by having the PCs track or locate the lizardfolk at some other location. In a pinch, the DM can simply assume the lizardfolk camp alongside another lake some distance away in the exact same configuration. The DM should probably at least have some consequences for this delay, most likely Dalya and Desceryt will be sacrificed and tossed into the pit at Deerman's Pond.
Should the PCs encounter the lizardfolk and then withdraw, there will be consequences. Remember, the lizardfolk are not interested in attracting a lot of attention. True, they did raid the Haggis Stead and have brought attention anyways, but they are hoping they will not be tracked and that the locals will assume some random beast or raiders attacked the stead. That said, should they meet a determined assault from the PCs, the lizardfolk will likely pack up and start to head eastward, with all of the prisoners in tow if there has not been enough time to sacrifice Dalya or Desceryt. In this case, the DM could have the PCs assault the lizardfolk as they travel as a group.
When traveling across country, the lizardfolk do so at night, and as discretely as possible, sticking to vales between rises and away from settlements. The lizardfolks have scouts ranging ahead of, to the side, and behind the main group, a total of 8 such scouts at all times.
Part Three - The Rod:
The main payoff of this scenario is the lizard king's stellar rod. If the PCs somehow fail to get the rod from the lizard king, then the DM will have to arrange for some other means of getting one. The later scenarios in the Lizard Trilogy assume that the PCs have taken the stellar rod.
The Stellar Rod:
The stellar rod is not a magic item. It is less a rod than a mace-like device that appears to be a stone handle surmounted by a stone cylinder. The whole thing is approximately 2.5 ft long. Towards the base of the cylinder is a wavy line forming a sort of border around the bottom and punctuating the space right above this wavy line are strange glyphs or runes. The item could theoretically be used as a weapon, but appears to be fairly fragile. However, the handle portion is obviously meant to accommodate a Medium sized hand. A close look at the face of the cylinder reveals that pretty much the entire face of the cylinder above the wavy line and glyphs is perforated with tiny holes.
 |
Weighing as much as a heavy mace, the stellar rod does not radiate any magic.
The rod is actually the star map used by the lizardfolk to try to find the precise location of this end of the mystic tunnel. The way it works is that if a series of catches (contained in the handle) are depressed then the cylinder head can be turned. Turning the head produces a ratchet-like sound and the entire thing clicks as the head is turned. Each click corresponds to a setting of the cylinder head, and the settings are duly marked on the bottom of the cylinder by the wavy line and the glyphs. These settings are keyed to the time of year, and serve to calibrate the cylinder to the desired day. There is a notch cut into the top face of the top ring on the handle that is used to mark the precise setting. Once set, another series of catches depressed will cause small bits of razor sharp metal to emerge from some of the holes on the cylinder. A piece of vellum is placed on a hard, flat surface and the cylinder is then pressed firmly into the vellum and rolled along it, the razor sharp metal cutting small holes in the vellum much like a very fine cookie-cutter.
This piece of vellum is then held up to the night sky. If the viewer is standing at the precise location marked by the star map and is facing directly south, with the vellum held directly before him and level (meaning the sheet pointing straight up and down), then the holes in the vellum will all precisely align with prominent stars in the night sky. Some fine tuning will need to be done, but if the viewer is at the proper longitude and latitude and has calibrated the cylinder to the proper day of the year, then the map will calibrate precisely.
In Therra, the planet is at the center of the multiverse, and the celestial dome slowly revolves around the planet once per year. As such, which stars are visible in the night sky depends both on the time of year and the latitude of the viewer. Stars in the southern hemisphere are not visible in the northern hemisphere (just like on earth), and as one travels further north or south from the equator, the visible stars begin to shift down to and past the horizon. Certain stars are always visible from the northern hemisphere, as they are near the northern axis of the celestial dome and thus visible year-round. Other stars only become visible at certain times of year, and this timing varies depending upon the longitude of the observer. For example, the constellation Canis appears in the night skies of Vingariku in eastern Morakki lands in early spring, just on the dying of winter. The same constellation is visible in Mindari Island, in the western end of Jerranq, on late spring at the dawn of summer. Similarly, day and night are caused by the sun orbitting Therra. Therra does not spin on its axis. This means that the nighttime sky of Therra is entirely determined by the day of the year and not by the time of day. The same exact stars are in the sky for the entire day in Therra...you just cannot see these stars during the day because the sun's light obscures them.
Figuring out the sequence of catches needed to work the stellar rod is as obscure as the DM desires. For purposes of the Lizard Trilogy, the idea is to get the PCs to give the stellar rod over to a researcher who will promise (for a fee) to divine the workings of the rod. Even should the PCs somehow figure out how to work the catch and cause the tiny bits of metal to spring forth, the metal is clearly too small to serve as a weapon (it would, at most, abrade the skin of a creature with a +0 natural armour bonus). Enterprising PCs could certainly note the vellum carried by the lizard king and roll the deployed cylinder onto a piece of vellum, thereby earning themselves a piece of vellum perforated with a pattern of dots. They could even theorize that it is a map of stars. But figuring out how to properly align and calibrate the cylinder to the proper time of day would still involve some rather amazing deductive reasoning.
The glyphs on the cylinder are written in Slith, the language of the yuan-ti. A comprehend languages spell will not reveal the meaning of these glyphs, as they are symbols representing various months in the yuan-ti reckoning and not actual words per se. The yuan-ti calendar has 7 period (or months) each of 52 days. Therefore, there are 7 glyphs on the cylinder and the wavy lines between the glyphs have 26 waves, as each high and low point of the wave marks a different day. There is really notice or instruction on the rod as to how to properly use it. For example, nothing on the rod instructs the user to face directly south when deploying the perforated vellum nor to hold the vellum straight up and down about 6 inches out from the eyes. These are facts that the lizard king knows by instruction from his yuan-ti masters.
Researching the Rod:
The DM should encourage the PCs to hire a researcher to investigate the rod. Of course, he cannot force the PCs to do so, but once the PCs determine that the rod is not magical and not an obvious weapon, their curiousity should be piqued enough to try to find out some information. Self research will be fairly pointless, of course, as there is no reference to this device in any texts in Jerranq or Onlor. If the PCs are bound and determined to try to figure the thing out on their own, then the DM should have then inadvertently spring the catch that allows the thing to be turned. If that doesn't get them to ask an "expert" about it, then the DM can have them spring the razor sharp metal bits. At any point that they show the item to an "expert", the DM should portray the expert as smitten with curiousity about the item and offer his services to research the item for the PCs (for a fee at first, say 100 gp, but for free if necessary). Of course, the researcher will need access to the stellar rod, either taking it with him (the most ideal situation) or visiting it often. Such a researcher would sign an Indolle contract as a safeguard against his absconding with the rod.
If the DM intends to run the rest of the Lizard Trilogy, then the researcher will take some time figuring out the stellar rod...just enough time in fact to allow for the next scenario to begin.
Experience Points:
In addition to normal experience (which in Therra is half of that recommended in the DMG), each party member should be rewarded as follows: