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Summary:
The PCs have disrupted the ritual designed to allow the Scaled Ones to steal the creation cysts in Sazhansiir. But in doing so they have been sucked up into a vortex and are on their way to Sazhansiir and the start of their new adventures, where everything is strange and new. Landing in Sazhansiir, the PCs are introduced to the yuan-ti and rescued by goliaths, who take the PCs to their home and begin the process of introducing them to their new land.
Assumptions:
The PCs have just successfully disrupted the ritual in the scenario Stake a Lizard by the Throat.
Location:
Ritual Island, Heynosht Archipelago
Historical Date:
N.S. 32, Month of Snow or Darkness (winter)
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.
In ancient times, the Progenitors of the scaled ones who ruled Sazhansiir in the name of the foul demigod Kyuss sought stock for 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 had been found!
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 magics 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 were not convinced they could not reach the anchor point from where they had landed (they couldn't, but they didn't know it yet). They headed slowly eastward, as their observations of the stars told them that they were west and north of the sought-after location. The group 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 intended 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 were tasked with investigating the disappearance of Haggis and his family, as the farmer and his family were frequent attendees of the Mordant Church in Leaf Port. The PCs investigated the farmstead and found Haggis' torn up body. Tracking the raiders, they came upon the lizardfolk at Deerman's Pond and slew them, rescuing Haggis' family. In the process, the PCs encountered and slew the lizard king and gained his stellar rod. Once back a Leaf Port, the PCs determined that the strange rod was not magic, but could not figure its purpose and eventually contacted a Cotrunal scholar named Myaskir who agreed to study the rod and determine its function. More than a year went by and the PCs engaged in other activities, the stellar rod perhaps forgotten. But then the scholar returned, and he had figured out that the rod was a secret map of some sort that lead perhaps to treasure or some other source of fame or glory.
Just as the PCs were preparing to leave, two strange events happened. First, one of the PCs had a strange dream involving stars, serpents, and millions of screams (see A Lizard Season Wrote). Second, a strange nimbus of pulsating lights suddenly surrounded the Northstar for about an hour in the middle of the night. The lights disappeared, but caused quite a stir in Leaf Port. This nimbus was the result of a weakneing of the barriers of space and time between the Far Realms and the Material Plane caused by the archmage Hagistre using a crystal lens supplied to him by House Riverine of the Far Coast.
The PCs chartered a ship and, with the scholar in tow, followed the stellar rod into the Heynosht Archipelago and to Fermengarr Isle. This island is the same place where the Heroes of the Gem landed early in their career and lifted a horrible curse that had afflicted the islanders there. In removing the curse, the Heroes discovered a reclusive necromancer who had built herself a large stone keep and wa sengaged in research on the remote island to stay away from prying eyes and objecting authorities. Once the Heroe sdetermined the necromancer was not evil and not the cause of the curse, they enlisted her help in defeating the evil plaguing the islanders.
Decades later, this same necromancer was about to perform a very dangerous and complex ritual designed to impregnate herself with a mother cyst, a strange condition that allows necrotic energy to be stored and used by a necromancer. The ritual required precise configuration of the night sky, and as the ritual was entering its apex, the strange lights appeared around the Northstar, fouling the ritual. The conduit between the Negative Energy Plane and the necromancer was infected by energies from the Far Realms, and the result was disaster for her, as the energies horribly warped her body and mind into a skulking cyst. The wave of energy expanded through her keep, converting all of the udnead to pseudonatural abominations, and even affected some creatures near but outside of the keep. The flash of energy dissipated, but not before animals had been warped and driven mad.
Hunters from V'narto village on Fermengarr begin to encounter these warped animals, and were being wounded and slain by them. The islanders feared that some new curse was upon them, and the chief quickly consulted a strange wise man who dwelt on an isolated rock in the middle of the sea and was known only as the Hidden Wise One. The Hidden Wise One counseled the chief that strangers would soon visit him and these strangers would be seeking counsel with the Hidden Wise One. The chief was to offer to guide these strangers to the Hidden Wise One if they first end the island's new curse. The curse was coming from the Stone Dweller's place ("Stone Dweller" is the islander's name for the necromancer) and he should direct the strangers there.
Sure enough, the PCs arrived. The chief explained his predicament, and the PCs travelled to the necromancer's keep and slew the warped thing that she had become. In so doing, they lifted the curse from the island and the chief gladly gave them directions to the Hidden Wise One.
Consulting with the Hidden Wise One, the PCs learned that a ritual was being performed on a nearby island that would decide the fate of millions of people. The ritual must be stopped, and the PCs were fated to do so. Sailing to the island, the PCs fought their way inland and disrupted the ritual, the opening of the vortex by a lizard king. As the lizard king's concentration over the ritual was disrupted, the vortex was unleashed, and scooped up the PCs and lizardfolk into its arcane maw.
The PCs are now shooting through the vortex' tunnel to who knows where...
Note 1: 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 - No Deposit, No Return:
A View of Creation:
The PCs are currently hurtling through the vortex tunnel to who knows where. Refer to Part Three of Stake a Lizard by the Throat for more details.
As they speed willy-nilly through the serpentine tunnel of energy they can see lizardfolk bodies and live lizardfolk ahead of them and behind them, seemingly just as confused and out of control as are they.
Suddenly, a hole appears in the side of the tunnel up ahead and several of the lizardfolk (perhaps even the lizard king if still alive) are swooped into the hole, despite the fact that the tunnel goes on into the infinite distance. As the first lizardfolk hits the hole, an immense explosion and brilliant silver light flashes out of the hole and the lizardfolk is incinerated as it emits a horrified scream. This happens perhaps to a couple of lizardfolk in rapid succession and then the PCs are being drawn to the same hole!
Try as they might they cannot
extricate themselves from being drawn to the hole. However, unlike
the lizardfolk, they are not met with an explosion, but rather
a strange scene that they take in in a matter of a few seconds,
before they have a chance to react (disoriented from the journey
so far, even immediate actions are not allowed).
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You pass through the hole and land abruptly with your feet on solid stone. Scattered around your feet are bits and chunks of lizardfolk, charred and still smoking. You are looking into a circular room that is perhaps 50 ft in diameter and lit by torches in sconces near the 15 ft tall flat ceiling overhead. The walls of the chamber are carved with an amazing display of strange runes, unidentifiable shapes, and figures that may be representations of people, creatures, and other mundane objects, but the square-blocky style is unlike anything you have seen before and make identification difficult in the first few seconds of observation. In the center of the circular chamber is a pedestal made of some sort of white marble shot through with blue veins. The pedestal is about 2 ft in diameter and rises 4 ft off of the stone floor. Atop the pedestal is a stone tray filled with rainbow-coloured feathers and what can only be described as two strange eggs. The eggs are somewhat metallic-seeming, though a strange shimmering radiance seems to play across the shell, suggesting some sort of energy within or perhaps as if the shell itself were alive. The entire room seems to crackle with various mystic energies, as if literally scores of powerful magical wards have been set upon the room. Even those with no formal knowledge of spellcraft can easily see that the room is filled with traps and wards. Directly across from where you are standing is a stone door that suddenly opens. Bursting through the door is a troop of muscular men dressed in loin cloths and leather boots and a headdress, all covered in brightly coloured feathers. These men wield wooden shields in their left hands and clubs with axe-like pieces of polished black stones set into them. The men's eyes glow with a golden colour and various magical energies course up and down their half-naked bodies. The men themselves appear somewhat Morakki in feature, though with differently-shaped noses, a darker skin tone (somewhat lighter than a Heynosht islander) and slightly less almond-shaped eyes. With a shout they point towards you and charge, and whatever magic they have on them flares into brilliance. As they take a few steps towards you, you feel a pull behind you and the vortex pulls you back into its stream as the hole closes off and the tunnel separates from that strange room. |
End of the Line:
The PCs will travel for another 30 seconds or so before suddenly being engulfed in a flash of light and finding themselves deposited rather abruptly and none-too-gently on some grassy ground. It is daytime, as the sun shines overhead, and there is grass under their prone bodies. As it takes a few seconds to reorient and clear the flash from their eyes, the PCs will note that any sign of the vortex or the tunnel is gone. They seem to be at the top of a small grassy ridge that is surrounded by light wooded areas that appear to be jungle. The air is cool but a bit muggy. Behind the PCs steep mountains rise high into the clouds, though that way passes through sparse jungle, while opposite the ridge descends into the same sparse jungle. The PCs' strange journey has ended. They are now in Sazhansiir!
DM's Note: The PCs have landed in the vale between the Tirinzil River north of Tir Lake and the northern terminus of Mallar's Peaks (at the spot marked by the "X" below).
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Part Two - A Madhouse! A Madhouse!:
The Slaves:
The PCs will likely wish to explore their new surroundings. If the flora is examined, a DC 20 Knowledge (nature) check will reveal that the flora seems natural, but strange, not the same as the native land of the PC. A DC 30 Knowledge (nature) check will allow the PC to be certain the flora is different from anything in Jerranq (including the Morakki lands).
A DC 20 Knowledge (geography) check will allow the PC to view the position of the sun and, assuming no significant time passed in the vortex, determine that they are far south of the Heynosht Archipelago. A DC 30 Knowledge (geography) check will allow the PCs to determine that they are easily more than 6000 miles south of the Heynosht.
Given the position of the sun in the sky it would seem to be late morning, almost noon.
Other than the fact that tall peaks are behind them, there is no distinguishing feature to suggest one direction is better than the other. The wooded areas are not thick jungle by any means, but rather stands of trees that dot the landscape and block long distance viewing. Should a PC decide to scout by air (e.g. a druid in wild shape), they can see that this terrain continues for as far as the eye can see, but the direction opposite the mountains seems to lead down slope towards a far distant valley. A DC 20 Spot check will show some sort of movement or activity in a group of tree clusters a bit downslope. A DC 30 Spot check from a distance or a DC 20 Spot check from a bit closer distance in the air will show that some humans seem to be in the tree clusters.
No matter which direction the PCs travel, they will meet a group of humans. Even if they spot the group from the air and go in the opposite direction, they will still encounter a group of humans.
These humans are a ragged and seemingly primitive group. They are somewhat similar in appearance to the feathered warriors in the circular chamber that the PCs saw on their journey here, but these are far less puissant and muscular and dressed only in rags. Their eyes are not glowing gold and no magic is apparent upon them. They seem to be foraging for berries and tubers, and there are about 30 of these humans. They often gesture to one another, pointing out a find or motioning for another to keep away from some food, but they do not seem to speak.
The PCs can react how they wish. They can either observe the humans and do nothing or they can step forth and attempt to parley with them.
These humans are feral slaves of the yuan-ti. Specificallty, they are a breed of humans who have had their voiceboxes removed...a precaution by the yuan-ti so that their slaves cannot unite against them and to stop any potential spellcasting amongst them. The yuan-ti have learned from their past mistakes. These feral slaves are often released into the wild to breed and fend for themselves by the scaled ones. In this way they can increase their stock and improve it (since only the strongest survive in the wild), not have to pay to maintain the slaves, and they have the great sport of recapturing them when they need more stock.
If the PCs simply observe, they will not see much different from their initial observations. A few of the women have babes swaddled in rags. There are few children and few elderly. Most are young adults or just reaching middle age. Some show affection to mates of the opposite gender, holding their hand or picking bugs out of their hair. The majority of the group seems interested in getting food, much of which they eat on the spot, though they do seem to squirrel away some into small sacks made of rags. No words are ever spoken. At best soft grunts are emitted when they wish to punctuate their gestures.
If the PCs do not interact with these humans, then the yuan-ti will simply arrive as outlined below, sweeping up the PCs in their chase. If the PCs tire of watching the humans and start to depart, the DM should have the yuan-ti appear as below.
If the PCs step out to interact with the humans, they will at first be extremely afraid. When the PCs first appear, unless they look a lot like the humans (i.e. unarmed and unarmoured and in rags), they will provoke a strong fear reaction from the humans. If the PCs are wearing metal armour, brandishing metal weapons, or have obvious magic effects upon them, then the humans will gape at them wide-eyed and point at the PCs and some will make a hissing sound while doing so. If the PCs to a man do not have metal armour visible and brandish no metal weapons but are still dressed in clothing and not looking like a feral human slave, then the humans will still be quite afraid, but will not hiss.
Some of the humans will run away. Mothers will hide their children. In fact, the whole group will be tensed and preparing to flee. The PCs, if they want to parley, will have to take immediate action. There are a variety of ways the PCs can stop the humans from fleeing.
1. They can coerce them by a display of magic that stops them from fleeing. Spells like wall of fire for example will serve this function. Simply flashing magic will not, as they equate magic with yuan-ti and will simply regard the PCs as yuan-ti. Even using appopriate magic, while stopping any humans blocked by the effect from fleeing, will terrify them further as they will now be absolutely convinced that the PCs are simply diguised yuan-ti. In this case the trappped humans will be hostile, but can now be affected by a non-rushed Diplomacy or Perform check.
2. They can attempt to ameliorate their fear by using Diplomacy or even Perform to change their attitude. The humans begin as unfriendly. The PCs will have to make a rushed Diplomacy or Perform check to at least keep them from fleeing outright. As long as the humans do not fall to hostile, they will tentatively remain. This will allow the PCs to perform a normal Diplomacy or Perform check to try to change their attitude to at least indifferent.
Keep in mind that without magic, the PCs have no way to really communicate directly with these humans. They know only a few words of Slith, the language of the yuan-ti, and have no language of their own. Because of this, even the tongues spell will not work with these humans. If their minds are read (e.g. with a detect thoughts spell), the reader will simply get an overwhelming sense of fear and wonder at the PCs and scattered images of snakes.
3. The PCs can use magic to calm or influence the reactions of the humans. A charm person spell can convince one of the humans of the PCs' friendship and his example will go a long way to calming down the others.
Note that if the humans are made hostile, they will not attack the PCs. Instead they will flee. Unfriendly means they will shy away from the humans but will not flee en masse. Indifferent means they will go about their business and ignore the PCs, though still keeping a wary eye on them. Friendly or helpful will mean they try to show the PCs where to find food and perhaps even share some with them. They will also marvel at the PCs' equipment, feeling their clothing and touching their metal items in absolute wonderment.
If the humans all flee, the DM should quickly have the yuan-ti show up. Otherwise, he should give the PCs some time to interact with the humans and have them go about their gathering and foraging business for a bit of time before introducing the yuan-ti.
The Masters:
The yuan-ti have come out to round up some feral slaves. This is mainly a matter of sport for them. The ones that escape their net they hope will breed and form better stocks of slaves to eventually capture. The ones they do capture are either taken into service, fed to their pets, or experimented upon.
The first sign of the coming of the yuan-ti will be a general uneasiness amongst the feral humans (assuming they are still with the PCs or being observed by them). The PCs will notice a few of them suddenly stopping their activities and putting their noses into the air, sniffing the wind. Some of these will then return to their gathering, but a few will continue to sniff and look around.
Perhaps half a minute later, the first blare of a horn will be heard in the distance. At this, every single human will stiffen and stand up and begin to look around. When another horn sounds on the opposite side of the humans, as a group they will panic and bolt, running in all directions. As they do, more horns will sound all over the place, from every direction, as the yuan-ti have surrounded the group. They will then emerge into view.
When the yuan-ti first emerge into view, they will initially appear as cloaked and hooded men riding giant lizards. These men hold spears and metal shields and some blow curved metal horns. Some hold weighted nets and a few ride in tandem with a net held between them.
It will only be when one group of these approaches the PCs and turns towards them that they see its serpentine head and realize that these are not human foes they face.
It will be clear that the snake-headed creatures are rounding up the humans, and seem to be having sport doing so as they call to each other in a hissing language. Many humans are caught in nets or with ropes and being dragged off out of sight. A few others are being speared and slain. As the PCs watch, one snakeman triumphantly lifts up a speared baby on its weapon and waves it around to show its fellows. The snakemen also seem to be beating the bushes with the butts of their spears to roust hiders. Some of the snakemen seem to point to an area and an entangle effect erupts, stopping the fleeing humans in their tracks.
There are at least two score yuan-ti here participating in the round up. Everywhere the PCs look is a chaos of fleeing feral humans and pursuing yuan-ti on lizards.
The group that has spotted the PCs will attack them, noting the PCs' likely strange garb and fearing they are agents of the Azotchtla. There is no need for the DM to play out the rest of the battle going on around the PCs. Instead, the DM should just describe the chaos from time to time and perhaps even have a feral human run through the fray.
Creatures: A group of 4 yuan-ti halfbloods riding war lizards has seen the PCs and after a moment of examing them to see if they are purebloods they will attack.
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YUAN-TI HALFBLOODS (4) CR
5 Chameleon Power (Sp) A yuan-ti halfblood can psionically change the colouration of itself and its equipment to match its surroundings, granting it a +10 circumstance bonus on Hide checks. Detect Poison (Sp) All yuan-ti have the psionic ability to detect poison as the spell (CL 6). Poison (Ex) Injury, Fort DC 14, initial and secondary damage 1D6 Con. The save DC is Con-based. Produce Acid (Sp) A yuan-ti halfblood has the psionic power to exude acid from its body, dealing 3D6 points of damage to the next creature it touches, including a creature hit by its bite attack. If the yuan-ti is grappling or pinning a foe when it uses this power, its grasp deals 5D6 points of acid damage. The acid becomes inert when it leaves the yuan-ti's body, and the yuan-ti is mmune to its effects. * Yuan-ti halfbloods using the chameleon power gain a +10 circumstance bonus on Hide checks. |
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WAR LIZARDS (4) CR 3 * In jungle terrain the lizard gains a +4 racial bonus to Hide checks. |
Tactics: Initially, at least, the yuan-ti are interested in capturing the PCs. If the PCs are disguised as feral humans then they simply want to take them prisoner. If the PCs are presented as themselves, then the yuan-ti wish to capture what they consider to be strange looking Azotchtlan agents. It is only if the PCs prove themselves a grave threat (i.e. slay or defeat two of their number) that the yuan-ti resort to more lethal methods.
Developments: At some point during the combat the goliaths will intervene. See below for more details. If the PCs easily dispatch these yuan-ti, then the DM can give the PCs opportunities to attack other yuan-ti and try to rescue the fleeing feral humans. If a PC is netted by a yuan-ti, it will attempt to drag him off. Of course, this won't amount to much when the goliaths attack, but the DM can have some fun as the trapped PC tries desperately to escape an uncertain fate.
Note: This combat is exceptionally powerful as compared to the PCs' level (EL 10 vs party level of 7.2). In addition, it is likely that the PCs have used many of their resources in the encounters from the previous scenario, as they have had no chance to rest. This danger is offset by the fact that the yuan-ti will take great pains to try to capture the PCs, and by the fact that at any time the DM can have the goliaths emerge (see below). The idea of this encounter is not to slay the PCs the moment they enter Sazhansiir, but rather to introduce the yuan-ti as a fearsome foe with whom they wll have years of future emnity.
Not Quite the Cavalry:
At a point in the combat the DM feels is most appropriate, a large warparty of goliaths, who had been tracking the yuan-ti slavers to make sure they did not turn towards the mountains, will intervene. The yuan-ti were first sited by a small group of goliath hunters, as the goliaths tend to make their camps low on the mountainsides during winter. The hunters then sent a swift runner back to gather a warparty. The goliaths normally do not interfere in conflicts between the yuan-ti and the feral humans, but having observed the PCs and seeing them use magic or wield metal weapons (if the PCs do none of these things at any time since their arrival, then the DM can simply rule that the goliaths observed their sudden appearance from the vortex in a flash of light) they have determined that the PCs are a group of strangers worth questioning and examining and keeping out of the hands of the yuan-ti.
Of course, there is no loss of love between the goliaths and the yuan-ti, but without the PC's appearance, the goliaths would never risk their numbers on behalf of a ragtag group of feral humans.
Of a sudden, a deep, booming rumbling will be heard and a rythmic pounding will echo throughout the battlesite. Now it will be the turn of the yuan-ti to pause and look around them and sniff the air with their forked tongues. Suddenly a hail of stones will rain down on the yuan-ti from goliath slings and with a deep throaty roar a line of these creatures will burst out of the trees and attack the yuan-ti. There are at least 30 of these goliaths, and the yuan-ti, having used up many of their spell-like abilities on the feral humans, will be little match for the goliaths. Nevertheless, a pitch battle will ensue for a short while, and again the DM should not run the entire battle, but just describe the carnage and allow the PCs to be rescued and to help out the goliaths to prove their worth in battle. In addition to the 30 warriors, the goliaths have 2 dawncallers and a skyseeker with them, and one of each will be with the group that comes to rescue the PCs.
Creatures: A group of 4 goliaths along with a dawncaller and skyseeker will directly intervene to aid the PCs.
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GOLIATH WARRIORS (4) CR 5 Mountain Movement (Ex) Because goliaths practically live on the ledges and cliffs of the most forbidding mountains, they are particularly adept at negotiating mountain hazards. Goliaths can make standing long jumps and high jumps as if they were running long jumps and high jumps. A goliath can engage in accelerated climbing (climbing half his speed as a move action) without taking the -5 penalty on the Climb check. Powerful Build (Ex) The physical stature of a goliath lets him function in many ways as if he were one size category larger. Whenever a goliath is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the goliath is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A goliath is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature's special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A goliath can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject's size category.circumstance bonus on Hide checks. |
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ULIA DAWNCALLER VATHAKANAMA
CR 5 Mountain Movement (Ex) Because goliaths practically live on the ledges and cliffs of the most forbidding mountains, they are particularly adept at negotiating mountain hazards. Goliaths can make standing long jumps and high jumps as if they were running long jumps and high jumps. A goliath can engage in accelerated climbing (climbing half his speed as a move action) without taking the -5 penalty on the Climb check. Powerful Build (Ex) The physical stature of a goliath lets him function in many ways as if he were one size category larger. Whenever a goliath is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the goliath is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A goliath is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature's special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A goliath can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject's size category.circumstance bonus on Hide checks. |
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THULIANA SKYWATCHER AVAELAKUMATHA
CR 6 Mountain Movement (Ex) Because goliaths practically live on the ledges and cliffs of the most forbidding mountains, they are particularly adept at negotiating mountain hazards. Goliaths can make standing long jumps and high jumps as if they were running long jumps and high jumps. A goliath can engage in accelerated climbing (climbing half his speed as a move action) without taking the -5 penalty on the Climb check. Powerful Build (Ex) The physical stature of a goliath lets him function in many ways as if he were one size category larger. Whenever a goliath is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the goliath is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A goliath is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature's special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A goliath can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject's size category.circumstance bonus on Hide checks. |
| BOAR ANIMAL
COMPANION BIGRUNTER CR n/a N Medium animal Init +0; Senses low-light vision, scent; Listen +7, Spot +5 AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16 hp 25 (3 HD) Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +2 Spd 40 ft (8 squares) Melee gore +4 (1D8+3) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +2; Grp +4 Abilities Str 15, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 4 SQ animal companion (link, share spells) Feats Alertness, Toughness Skills Listen +7, Spot +5 Tricks attack, defend, guard, heel, seek, stay, track Ferocity (Ex) A boar is such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying. |
Tactics: As the goliaths know they are entering combat, the Skywatcher will have barkskin cast upon her (+2 AC) and call lightning already cast and ready to begin to hurl bolts at her foes. The Dawncaller will have cast ironguts on herself (+5 save vs poison) and will cast battle hymn (reroll one Will save) on her fellow Goliaths the same round the warriors move into combat, as that is a short duration spell. Thereafter, as the warriors will charge into combat against the yuan-ti, while the Skywatcher will zap yuan-ti with lightning bolts. She will also use mass snake's swiftness on her warriors and the PCs at an appropriate time. The Dawncaller will use her ironthunder horn spell to unbalance any lizard mounts, and then begin to inspire courage (+1 attack and damage) while using her sling to pick off unegaged foes or spellcasters. The Dawncaller will be careful about using her dissonant chant spell, since it can disrupt the Skywatcher's spells. Yet, unless she observes the PCs casting spells, she may if positioning allows (since call lightning has Medium range) cast the spell to hinder the yuan-ti's spell-like abilities, not realizing that she may be messing up the PCs' capabilities as well.
The casters will use their healing spells to help the PCs, and of course the Skywatcher can summon nature's ally via spontaneous casting, though the DM should use the alternate summoning lists appropriate to Sazhansiir.
If the PCs have some sort of magic to allow them to understand Gol-Kaa then they will notice the warriors keeping score as they fight, bragging about how many hits they have scored on the yuan-ti or how many times they struck a foe's head, etc. This bragging appears to be good-natured and, in fact, almost second-nature to these goliaths.
Developments: Eventually, the goliaths will prevail. How long this takes is up to the DM. If the PCs and goliaths finish off the yuan-ti group presented above, then the DM can have them move onto another group. Conversely, after a while if the PCs and goliaths are still fighting the yuan-ti group, then the DM can have more goliaths appear.
The yuan-ti were expecting to face feral humans, not the PCs and then a large band of goliaths. They wasted most of their spell-like abilities on the feral humans and the goliaths have taken them completely by surprise. As such, the yuan-ti will eventually break and flee, having lost a quarter of their number. The goliaths will not chase them, instead hurling insults at them in Gol-Kaa and comparing battle tales and kill scores with each other.
Once the fight is finished, the ranking goliaths will approach the PCs after caring for their wounded. During this time, the PCs will note, if they care to observe, that the goliaths neither aid any fallen yuan-ti nor slay them nor truss them up. They simply take away their weapons, search the bodies, and leave them to live or die as fate decrees. If the PCs insist on slaying downed yuan-ti, they will see disapproving looks from the goliaths and eventually the Captain will motion for them to stop.
If any PCs are wounded, the Skywatcher will come to them and use her spells and Heal skill along with her healing kit to aid the PCs. If the PCs wish to loot the yuan-ti from the group they fought, the goliaths will not object, though if the PCs offer to give the goliaths their share of the spoils, then the goliaths will beam at them and seem to be quite pleased.
The goliaths will not treat any feral humans, simply ignoring them as people might do to small animals or birds nearby.
Once the wounded are stabilized, the few goliath dead (there are three of them plus any of the group aiding the PCs that died) will be hoisted up by warriors singing a low, rumbling dirge and they will be borne towards the mountains. In the meantime, the Skywatcher, a Dawncaller, and the Captain of the warparty Kothi Silentalk* Vathakanama (CG Barbarian 8) will approach the PCs.
* On the tribal map below Kithi's honorific is noted as "Silentbear", but bears do not exist on Sazhansiir, and so his name has been changed.
Part Three - The High Life:
The First Meet:
The goliaths have intervened because of the strangeness of the PCs. They now wish to bring the PCs to their camp up in the mountains. Fortunately for the PCs, it being winter, the camp is low on the slopes of the mountain. If the goliaths cannot communicate with the PCs, they will attempt to convince them to come using gestures. If the PCs refuse, the goliaths will consult with each other and then reluctantly let the PCs leave (and this scenario is ended).
If the PCs can somehow establish communications, the goliaths will ask them to return with them to their camp on the lower slopes of the mountains to speak with their chieftain. The goliath ranking members will also give their names to the PCs. If the PCs ask questions, the goliaths will answer basic ones, but given their rather limited knowledge of the continent as a whole, such knowledge may not be that useful to the PCs.
Some examples follow:
Q: What land are we in?
A: You are in the land of the great lake between the highlands and the great jungle.
Q: Where are we in relation to Onlor/Jerranq?
A: I do not know these names you mention.
Q: Who are those snake people?
A: They are the "yuan-ti" in the tongue of the Azotchtla , the "vrae olo" in their own tongue. We call them the "two-tongues".
Q: Who are the Azotchtla?
A: They are the people of your kind or at least to us they seem to look much like you.
Q: Where do these Azotchtla live?
A: Far to the north and west.
Q: Where to the yuan-ti come from?
A: They mostly live in the great jungle to the east across the river.
Q; Who are you?
A: We call ourselves simply the "marked people", though the Azotchtla call us the "goliaths", which means powerful in their tongue. That is a name we do not mind.
Q: Where do you dwell?
A: In our winter camp low in the mountains to the west of us. It is not far, perhaps 30 miles or so.
If the PCs pester the golitahs with too many questions, they will be told to wait until they arrive at camp, where much more can be said in comfort and safety. Right now, they will be told, they way to the camp may be difficult and they should save their breath for their exertions.
Journey to the Camp:
The journey to the camp involves a 25 mile march due west across the steadily rising grassland and foothills. The goliaths march in loose order, with several scouts journeying ahead and to the flanks. A Dawncaller calls a marching cadence and the warriors chant in time. It is clear that the goliaths are not worried about an attack and consider themselves to be safe.
The goliaths march until the sun goes down, with only a couple of short rest stops, during which they offer the PCs bits of dried ram's meat and clear mountain water from great bladders. At twilight they make a camp with several fires in the lee of the mountains, but there is little in the way of discussion or celebration and there are heavy watches set. The PCs may offer to watch, and if they do, the goliaths will seem to look favourably at this.
The next day the going will be more rugged, as the PCs spend most of the day making the final 8 mile journey in the mountains proper. The goliaths seem to be expert mountaineers and very sure footed, and at times when the going to particularly rough, they offer to carry the PCs on their backs. If the PCs refuse, they have to make a DC 10 Climb check, with a fall resulting in a tumble of 1D6 x 10 ft. If the PCs refuse to be carried and negotiate the difficult part of the climb, the goliaths will look upon them favourably.
When the goliaths reach the final stretch to their campsite, the way is extremely difficult and requires both a DC 10 Climb check and the ability to jump a 5 ft chasm that is also a high jump of 2 ft, so a DC 5 Jump check is followed by a DC 8 Jump check. Of course, these DCs are for the goliaths, who do not need running starts. There is no place to get such a start, as the jump takes place right after the climb. So for the PCs a DC 10 Jump check and a DC 16 Jump check. If the first check is made but the second failed, then a DC 15 Reflex save indicates that the jumper managed to grab onto the other side with his hands and can scrabble up with a move action and a DC 15 Climb check.
A failed jump check results in a fall of 50 ft if it is failed by 5 or more. Otherwise the standard rules for scrambling onto the ledge are used (i.e. you can make a DC 15 Reflex save to grab the far edge of the gap; you end your movement grasping the far edge and if that leaves you dangling over a chasm or gap, getting up requires a move action and a DC 15 Climb check).
The goliaths will have no problem negotiating this leap, and the DM should not even bother rolling. The Skywatcher will have to use wild shape to change into a ram to negotiate the leap completely safely. The boar will not not even try and will remain down below the climb and leap to forage for itself and act as a forward guard for the camp.
If the PCs can negotiate their way all the up to the camp without help or aid then they will earn the favour of the goliaths. If they need aid, the goliaths can carry them up, though armoured PCs may have to remove their armour.
Welcome to the Camp:
The camp is located in a small valley that is filled with a lake in its center, which the goliaths call "Mirror Lake". The tribe is called the Kathaal and the camp is set up as indicated on page 75 of Races of Stone.
The camp is not very high into the mountains, only about 4,000 ft in elevation.
 |
Some of the important personages listed on the map have already been introduced. Ethavio Flamespeaker Anakathami is the other Dawncaller (CG Bard 6) and the chief is Akala Fishstringer Kulie-Kamana (NG Barbarian 9).
The tribe consists of some 55 adults, with 15 youth (aged 10 and under).
DMs are encouraged to read up on goliath customs and outlook in Races of Stone and The Sazhansiir Gazetteer, as these will not be reprinted here.
The PCs will be treated based on the tribe's attitude towards them. For each point of favour the PCs have earned, they advance on the reaction table below:
|
|
|
| 0 | Unfriendly |
| 1 | Unfriendly |
| 2 | Indifferent |
| 3 | Indifferent |
| 4 | Indifferent |
| 5 | Friendly |
| 6 | Friendly |
| 7 | Friendly |
| 8 | Helpful |
| 9 | Helpful |
Pre-Camp Table Modifiers:
-1 = the PCs slay fallen yuan-ti
+1 = the PCs fought well against the yuan-ti
+1 = the PCs offer to share yuan-ti loot with the goliaths
+1 = the PCs agree to stand watch during the journey to the camp
+1 = the PCs negotiate the climb on the way to the camp by themselves
+1 = the PCs negotiate the final climb and leap to the camp by
themselves
This means that if the PCs do everything right they will be on friendly terms with the goliaths at the start.
The PCs will be taken to the tent of the chief Akala, who will introduce his full name to the PCs (by gesturing to himself and saying his name if necessary). He will then offer them food and drink. The food is rustic, consisting of goat and ram mutton, along with mountain tubers, winter berries, nuts, and bits of goat cheese. Drink includes water from Mirror Lake as well as a brandy-like drink made from fermented mountain berries.
After the meal, Ethavio Flamespeaker will come towards the PCs and touch the two PCs that seem to be the leaders or most learned of the group and cast tongues on them. This will allow the goliaths to converse with two of the PCs.
The chief will then begin to question the PCs. He will ask them where they come from and how they arrived here. A somewhat wizened female goliath will step up behind the seated chieftain. This is Paavu Wisehear Anamoathak, the Adjudicator of the tribe (LN Barbarian 2/Expert 4). She has a Sense Motive bonus of +16 (including an 18 Wis and a Skill Focus [sense motive] feat) and will be judging the truth of what the PCs tell the chieftain.
After the PCs tell their story, assuming they deign to tell the truth, then the chieftain will answer their questions to the best of his ability. The scope of the tribe's knowledge is limited to the local area and very broad strokes about the more distant regions. Some major topics are dealt with below. The more favourably the tribe looks upon the PCs, then the more information below will be divulged to the PCs about each topic. Obviously, every possible line of questioning cannot be detailed below, but the DM should remember that the goliaths are an insular people who keep to the mountains and do not have a written tradition, so unless something concerns them enough to merit a song or tale, they know little of it.
Azotchtla: These are people somewhat like the PCs who dwell in supposedly great numbers far to the northwest past the mountains and the jungles of the west. They are the sworn enemies of the scaled ones and in ancient times there were great wars between the two peoples, and the goliaths, who were native to the land before the Azotchtla and the scaled ones came, tried to stay out of the way of their wars. Such wars do not happen these days and have not for many generations, even beyond memory, but the two sides still hate each other and will kill each other on sight.
The goliaths have few dealings with the Azotchtla, limited to occasional trading with rare caravans that meet with them at the large camp of Thella-lu to the west. Sometimes some of the people of the Kathaal travel to Thella-lu to trade with the Azotchtlan caravans.
Goliaths: We are the people of this land, made from the earth itself by Mother Earth in the times before the outsiders came. The outsiders are the scaled ones and the Azotchtla. We do not know where they came from; only that they came here long long ago.
We dwell in the mountains of the land as we have for thousands of years. At one time the people were one, but in ancient times the Earth Mother held a great contest and two tribes cheated and were punished. One became the feral garguns who were exiled far to the south. They were duped into cheating and as punishment some of their intelligence was taken from them. The other were the dusk giants, who orchestrated the cheating. They were cursed and their forms were twisted and they were made to be parasites who feed on the flesh of their kin. That their curse can make them strong and fearsome over time is merely a sign that Mother Earth has used them as a test to challenge the goliaths. Most dusk giants were hunted down in ancient times and it is very rare to find one these days.
The goliaths are in separate tribes, and we are a wandering people of the mountains, but we have a permanent camp, the largest of our people, at Thella-lu to the west in the heart of the mountains.
Maps: The goliaths do not make scratchings. We keep our lore in our songs and tales as is the duty of the Dawncallers. We can but tell you that to the east is the great jungle of the scaled ones. It is a dangerous place as we do not go there. To the south the body of the great mountains descends to its fiery crotch, and from there each leg stands astride the hidden jungle. We dwell in the head of the mountains, whose powerful arm strikes to the west and holds away the great western jungle, beyond which are the lands of the Azotchtla. Beneath the great arm of the mountains is the great southern jungle.
Far to the southeast are the Accursed Lands..a place where no goliath has gone but which is whispered of by the Azotchtlan traders and by the Raptorans of the southern mountains who sometimes fly north and speak to our people. Even the feral garguns speak of the land if they come north to trade, which is rare. The Accursed Lands were ruined in a great ancient war and is now a haunted place of vast evil. It is said that a great evil dwells there still, waiting to rise up from some sort of imprisonment.
Yuan-Ti: These are the evil snake men, who do not usually come into the mountains, for they seem to dislike the cold and prefer to slink around in their jungles to the east. However, the snake people are dangerous and while they do not have a long history of wars with the goliaths like they do with the Azotchtla, they still are not to be trusted and are not welcome in goliath lands. Some tribes have traded with the snake people, but the Kathaal do not and after this last fight they will likely never do so in the future.
After the discussion, the chieftain will invite the PCs to stay the night with the tribe. Tomorrow, he will say, there will be a great celebration for the victory over the two-tongues and competitions so that those who were not a part of the warparty can still attain noteriety.
If the tribe's reaction after the meeting is indifferent or better, the chieftain will honour the PCs by inviting him to stay in his tent, where they will be offered thick furs in which to bed. If reaction is indifferent, then the PCs will be invited to stay in the tent of Ulia Dawncaller. If reaction is unfriendly, then the PCs will have to fend for themselves out in the wintery mountain air. They can then either try to survive exposed to the weather, or take some means to find shelter, or beg one of the goliaths to take them in. The latter will work on a DC 15 Diplomacy check, but doing so will garner further disfavour with the goliaths.
The daytime temperature is considered moderate, while at night it will be cold. Refer to Frostburn pages 8-10 for the effects of cold, hypothermia, and frostbite.
Meeting with the Chief Modifiers:
-1 = the PCs fabricate their story
and the Adjudicator senses the deception (via a DC 20 Sense Motive
check to get a hunch something is wrong and then an opposed Sense
Motive check against the speaker's Bluff check)
+1 = the PCs tell their story with panache and in a gripping but
honest manner (via a DC 20 Diplomacy or Perform [oratory] check)
-1 = the PCs beg for shelter
Let the Games Begin:
The next day the competitions amongst the goliaths will begin. If the tribe's reaction to the PCs is indifferent or better, then the chieftain will invite the PCs to partake of any of the competitions. These competitions and other events of the day will have the following modifiers to the tribe's reaction:
-4 = the PCs cheat at a competition
+1 = the PCs win a competition
+1/2 = the PCs participate in a competition and perform reasonably
well (this is left to the DM to decide)
+1/2 = a PC agrees to perform a chore
+1/2 = a PC performs his chore well
-1/2 = a PC performs his chore badly
There are five competitions, which are outlined in Races of Stone pages 57-59:
1. A Cliff-Climb
2. Stubborn Root
3. Wrestling
4. Goat Ball
5. Drink-and-Tell
The competitions will be not only between the PCs and other goliaths, but also between goliaths. As such, the competitions will go on all day, from noon just after the morning chores and hunts are done until dark when the drink-and-tell is held by a roaring campfire. Before then, the PCs will be awakened at dawn by the song of the Dawncallers. They will observe the tribe gather for a breakfast of goat's milk, berries, and smoked fish and then the chieftain will pick the day's six captains. The captains will then choose tribe members to take part in the chores for the morning, though today such chores will be abbreviated due to the competition.
After the captains have chosen their people, a Lamenter will step forward and sing dirges outlining the accomplishments of the goliaths who fell in battle against the yuan-ti. He will then bury the bodies in simple stone cairns a small distance from the campsite.
After the lamentations, the captains will take their teams to their chores. The six teams are:
A. Hunters (Survival DC 10/DC
20 or ranged weapon attack AC 10/AC 20)
B. Hunters (Survival DC 10/DC 20 or ranged weapon attack AC 10/AC
20)
C. Gatherers (Knowledge [nature] DC 10/DC 20 or profession [fishing]
DC 10/DC 20)
D. Gatherers (Knowledge [nature] DC 10/DC 20 or Search DC 10/DC
20 and Knowledge [nature] DC 10)
E. Cooks (Profession [cook] DC 10/DC 20)
F. Hidemakers (Craft [leatherworking or furrier] DC 10/DC 20)
Trained skills can be used untrained with zero ranks.
The PCs will not initially be invited to partake in any chores, but if they volunteer to partake, the goliath will look favourably upon them. The appropriate skill(s) are listed by each chore along with two DC thresholds. The first threshold must be met or the PC will have performed badly, meaning he was singularly inept in the eyes of the goliaths or actually hurt the team by messing something up or foiling the rest of the team members. If the second threshold is made then the PC will have performed well in the eyes of the goliaths.
After the noontime light repast, the games will begin. All morning the goliaths will have spoken of nothing but the coming competition, though it will also be apparent to the PCs if they can understand Gol-Kaa that the goliaths take even their mundane chores as a competition. Even without understanding them, a DC 15 Sense Motive check will clue a PC into the fact that there is a mounting excitement and anticipation amongst the tribesmembers as the morning wanes.
Ethavio Flamespeaker will have the use of 3 tongues spells for the day. If the PCs voluntered to do chores then it is likely he will have used one such spell to explain the chores to the PCs. He will use his second one to explain all five games to the PCs, and save the last for any emergencies or other need for the spell or until the drink-and-tell competition. He will especially state that use of any magic or hidden equipment is not allowed.
It is not necessary for all of the PCs to take part in a given competition. They will gain the reaction modifiers if even a single PC participates.
During these competitions, the goliaths will cheer and hoot and stamp rooting on the competitors. Interestingly, if the PCs can understand them, they can discern that the goliaths do not really root for a specific competitor, but rather that the competition itself be as excellent as possible and they always seem to enjoy the winner whomever it may be, the PCs included. The Adjudicator (the old female goliath from the meeting with the chieftain) will preside over each competition and act as a referee.
Cliff-Climb:
The first game will be a cliff-climb. The PCs will see the goliaths gather at the base of a 90 ft cliff. Some goliaths will be seen to be hoisting leather backpacks filled with rocks. Others will not. The DM can assume that any or all of the PCs can be challenged, and assume the goliath challengers without backpacks have a Climb check of +8 while the ones with backpacks have a Climb check of +12 (with a -3 penalty for the pack for a net of +9). The cliff face is fairly rugged (a DC 15 Climb check) and the race is to the top of the cliff and back down. If a PC wins his heat it is treated as a victory. No matter how many heats the PCs win, they can only get the modifier for winning this competition once.
In case there is a need to determine other statistics of the goliaths, use the Stubborn Root players below (with the +12 Climb check specimens having Skill Focus (climb) instead of Extend Rage and a Climb of +9 and a Swim of +5.
The goliaths will be quite impressed if the PCs even make a race of it, and as there is no prohibition against simply dropping to the ground after reaching the top, a PC can do that and will be cheered by the goliaths for their bravery and determination to win.
Stubborn Root:
As many PCs who wish and as many goliaths necessary to bring the total players up to 7 will take part in the PCs' match. There is no really formal victory here, but if a single PC spends more time as the root after 20 rounds than any goliath, then that will be treated as a PC victory.
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GOLIATH STUBBORN ROOT PLAYERS
CR 5 Mountain Movement (Ex) Because goliaths practically live on the ledges and cliffs of the most forbidding mountains, they are particularly adept at negotiating mountain hazards. Goliaths can make standing long jumps and high jumps as if they were running long jumps and high jumps. A goliath can engage in accelerated climbing (climbing half his speed as a move action) without taking the -5 penalty on the Climb check. Powerful Build (Ex) The physical stature of a goliath lets him function in many ways as if he were one size category larger. Whenever a goliath is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the goliath is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A goliath is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature's special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A goliath can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject's size category.circumstance bonus on Hide checks. |
Wrestling:
Each PC can undertake a match if he desires. Wrestlers will have the statistics of the Stubborn Root players above. The matches will not allow nonlethal damage.
Goat-Ball:
This seems to be the favourite game of the tribe, and will take place on the rocks that stick out of the lakeside near the camp (refer to the map above). The lake water is frigid but not deep here so anyone falling into the water will not suffer any ill effects.
The PCs can field a single team of 4 PCs against a team of 4 goliaths (use the Stubborn Root players above).
Drink-and-Tell:
This competition takes place after sunset, around a huge crackling fire as the tribal cooks prepare a meal of flame broiled boars. Ethavio Flamespeaker will use his last tongues spell to allow 1 PC to partake in the event. PCs are at a -2 penalty because they are unfamiliar with goliath ways and the nuances of the language, but if a player comes up with a very appropriate story or joke then the DM can erase the penalty.
After the drink-and-tell the feast will take place and more mead will be served. This celebration will go on into the late night before the goliaths crawl off into bed. This night, the PCs' accommodations will again reflect their standing in the tribe as presented previously.
Benefits and Beyond:
Even with a little effort and no great successes, the tribe should be at a friendly level with the PCs.
If the tribe is unfriendly, then the tribe will consider the PCs to be unworthy of friendship and shun them (see Races of Stone for details on shunning). If the PCs harrass the tribe then they will likely attack them to drive them away. Assume the tribe has a total of 20 warriors as outlined in the yuan-ti battle and the remainder of the adults are half Barbarian 1 and half Barbarian 2.
If the tribe is indifferent, then they will allow the PCs to remain for a time, but will politely suggest that the PCs perhaps seek out their own kind amongst the Azotchtla. A DC 20 Diplomacy check can convince them to send one goliath as a guide for the PCs to Thella-lu, where they can presumably await a caravan to guide them to the Azotchtlan lands (this is a false assumption by the goliaths, as they do not know enough of Azothctlan culture to realize how they would react to the PCs...the DM is encouraged to study The Sazhanshiir Gazetteer to get an idea as well as future scenarios that deal directly with the PCs' first contact with the Azotchtla). If the PCs do not take the hint and leave after a week, the chieftain will insist they leave. If they refuse, the tribe will become unfriendly as above.
If the tribe is friendly, then they will welcome the PCs to remain with them throughout the winter, as long as they help them in their daily chores. They will warn the PCs that after winter, the tribe moves much higher into the mountains, and they do not think the PCs could survive the heights, the dangers, and the thin air there. If the PCs insist on coming with the tribe into the high mountains, they can, but the tribe will not make any special efforts to help the PCs and it will become clear that the PCs are outstaying their welcome. Eventually, after spring, the tribe will become indifferent to the PCs as above.
If the tribe is helfpul, then they will think enough of the PCs to allow them to live with the tribe indefinitely. It is then up to the DM and the players if they want to campaign to revolve, for a time, around the lives of the tribe and to design future scenarios dealing with life amongst the goliaths. If the PCs express a desire to leave, the goliaths will at least ask them to remain with them for the remainder of the winter until they move higher up into the mountains, and will offer them a guide thereafter to take them to whichever edge of the mountains they wish (or to Thella-lu).
Once the PCs make ready to leave (whether immediately, or after a time), as long as they are not being shunned by the tribe or are not unfriendly or indifferent, the tribe will present them with a specially blessed Large +1 flint dagger which has been enchanted to be as hard as steel as well as with 4 potions of cure moderate wounds (CL 3). If the PCs stay the summer with them, then the goliaths will also have crafted for them each suits of masterwork studded leather and masterwork stone morningstars (all Medium sized).
Finally, if the PCs are either friendly or helpful they will be expected to help with tribal chores and pull their weight around the camp. This may lead them to the scenario entitled From Dusk to Dawn which deals with the Kathaal tribe and their arch enemies the dusk giants. Even if the PCs end up as indifferent, the DM can have the PCs take part in From Dusk to Dawn.
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: