On Venatia - Part Nine

The first 6 sample encounters for the NE portion of the Venatia map.

5604 Flamin’ Lizards: This hex is home to dozens of nests of igniguanas. The beasts seem to come here to spawn, probably because of the rivers of magma that flow and pool hundreds of feet below the surface. Since igniguanas can move through solid rock as easily as you or I move through the air, there are not tunnels or burrows in evidence. Encounters with the creatures occur on a roll of 1-3 on 1d6, and the chance of surprise is also 1-3 on 1d6. The nests, should one manage to burrow down to one (assume they are 1d6 x 30 feet beneath the surface) are made near the pools of magma or near eddies in the rivers of magma, and consist of piles of crude gemstones, worth about 500-700 gp per nest.

5701 Yellow Caverns: There is a great rend in the side of the tallest mountain in this hex. It is marked with deposits of chalk and from it flows a tiny trickle of water, colored a dull yellow. The cavern has a sulferous smell and the interior is cluttered with a magnificent array of rock formations, all tinged with yellows, oranges and reds and making the cavern look like it is aflame. Winding through these formations is the aforementioned brooklet of yellow water which, if followed, leads to a little waterfall spilling over several terraces of rock. A sharp eye will notice handholds spaced for a tall humanoid. These hand holds lead up to a narrowed cavern with a higher ceiling and more flowstone than stalagmites and stalagtites. The brooklet forms many interlocking pools here, and appears to support a crusty form of yellow crab apparently immune to the poisonous water. More than a dozen tunnels of various sizes converge in this cavern – some leading deeper into the mountain, others leading toward the peak. A variety of odd beasts dwell in these caverns, but the most dangerous is surely a cabal of yawahu bugbears.

The yawahu are to normal bugbears what ogre magi are to normal ogres. Five yawahu dwell in this cavern, at least from time to time for their machinations and explorations into black lore often carry them to far away locales. They have white fur tinged yellow from their environment, and frightful faces of the deepest blue and green, with yellowing fangs and rather long, dropping ears. The foremost of the yawahu is Grifnarg Hells-Paw, a servant of the nether powers. His fellows are Drask Arch-Draconic, Borzog the Beast, Gozr of the Mangled Claw and Zukasm Friend-of-Jellies. Collectively, they have amassed 10,000 cp, 1,000 sp, 1,000 ep, 600 gp, 10 pp and a flake of obsidian worth 3 gp and used by them as a sacrificial knife (it retains the psychic impressions of a dozen victims that can be read with the Speak with Dead spell).

• Yawahu Bugbear: HD 3 (15, 14, 14, 11, 11 hp); AC 5 [14]; Atk 1 spear (1d6+1) or 1 shortbow (1d6); Move 12; Save 14; CL/XP 4/120; Special: Change self, burning hands, cause blindness (1/day), invisibility (1/day), ray of enfeeblement (1/day) and tiny hut (1/day).

5813 Neldor: The woods in this hex thin out some, leaving room for several meadows broken up by little limestone crags. The meadows are covered in carpets of wild thyme, sweet woodruff and greenish-blue grasses that are grazed upon by wild goats and a variety of small game. A village of 300 huntsmen is nestled by a stream in a rocky valley that cuts across the hex. The village, Neldor, is composed of 60 or so timber huts built in the shape of tall beehives surrounded by a wall of stacked limestone about 10 feet tall. Situated as it is on a natural trail across the hex, Neldor boasts a cozy roadhouse (constructed like the timber huts writ large) that serves sweet berry wine and an astounding array of roasted game and the rabbit sausages that are its house specialty. The Neldorians have thick, wavy black hair and pale skin made tan by the sun. They are short and thin and have narrow faces that bring to mind hawks. The Neldorians dress in exagerated clothing in bright colors with bouffant skirts for the women and tall collars for the men. The village is defended by 20 men-at-arms wearing leather armor and carrying spears and short bows. The village is ruled by a mayor named Thoith, an overly-officious little pain in the neck. The roadhouse is run by Galin, and absent-minded fellow with an unreasonable fear of dwarfs (especially of their stubby fingers, which remind him of grubs).

5916 Gulon: This hex is the hunting ground of a gulon, a strange hybrid of cat and fox that devours its prey whole, stuffing itself so full that it must force itself to vomit its meal so that it can continue its gluttonous feast. The gulon dwells in a shallow cave near a tall oak that was split some decades back by an errant bolt of lightning. The beast is currently nursing a litter of six cubs, making it especially rapacious.

• Gulon: HD 3 (13 hp); AC 3 [16]; Atk 1 bite (2d4); Move 15; Save 14; CL/XP 3/60; Special: Devour corpse.

6123 Three-Headed Idol: A three-headed idol of Hecate stands on a hilltop in this hex overlooking the bay. The idol is constructed of limestone blocks stained with salt and stands 40 feet tall. It is quite weathered, but still recognizable as the goddess of witches, having the head of a she-hound, a vulture and a beautiful, severe woman. The statue holds a writhing serpent in an outstretched hand and a torch in the other. Those who touch the idol without first kneeling and offering a small sacrifice feel themselves become faint and suffer 1d6 points of constitution damage.

6402 Ettins: A family of five ettins has made a lair here in a large cavern. The ettins keep a herd of 15 giant goats with long, black coats and gleaming white horns. The goats give copious amounts of milk which the ettins turn into an excellent goat cheese that they trade to passers-by for tools and baubles (unless of course they decide to eat the passers-by and steal their stuff, which is often the case with adventurers). The head of the family is Arnon-Torri and his wife is called Brigga-Nimayne. The ettins cave is cramped and reeks of sour milk and body odor. At any one time is contains a dozen large, terracotta bowls filled with fermenting goat milk and twice as many bundles of cloth holding curds in various states of cheesehood. Besides their cheese (assume 1d6 x 100 gp worth), the ettins have amassed a princely treasure of 6,200 gp and a giant terracotta flask decorated with images of rampaging hecatonchires worth 800 gp.

• Ettin: HD 10 (58, 54, 50, 44, 44 hp); AC 3 [16]; Atk 2 clubs (3d6); Move 12; Save 5; CL/XP 10/1400; Special: None.

• Giant Goat: HD 3; AC 7 [12]; Atk 1 gore (2d6); Move 18; Save 14; CL/XP 3/60; Special: +4 damage with charge.