On the Wyvern Coast - Part Seven

Twenty-seven more sites to explore in the southwest part of the Wyvern Coast map.

0132 Makronissos: Although King Philostos was a noble triton, his unruly sons were a shame to the entire kingdom. As each came of age, the king dutifully granted them leave to construct a fortress and attract whatever followers would have them. Naturally, Philostomes, the eldest, chose to stay by his father’s side, and it is he who now wisely rules Nimos in [0631]. His brother Mathian is the quarrelsome lord of Makronissos, while the youngest, Sthenelaus, lusty rascal that he is, rules Fleves in [0231]. The three rarely have anything to do with one another, though Mathian and Sthenelaus delight in outdoing their older brother and foiling the plans of the other.

Prince Mathian’s fortress is a three-story shell keep constructed from marble blocks on a trefoil pattern, the courtyards topped by onion-shaped domes of glassy-steel. The keep is surrounded by the homes of his fighting-men and women. These homes are constructed of marble blocks, resembling the courtyard homes of the ancient Romans. Makronissos is home to 99 triton warriors, 82 females and 110 young. Prince Mathian, in a fit of madness, constructed a basalt temple to Oceanus, Titan of the Sea. The temple is overseen by Marta with the help of four assistants. The household is overseen by Erigone, Mathian’s wife and a sorceress in her own right. Mathian’s nine household knights, who ride sea horses into battle, can be identified by the deep crimson kelp they wear as sashes. All of the howling warriors of Makronissos carry tridents and shields. They glory in battle. Prince Mathian himself rides in a bronze chariot pulled by seven sea cats. The treasury of Makronissos lies in a pit beneath a heavy stone slab that takes six tritons to lift. It contains 20,000 sp, 29,000 gp, 500 pp and five amphorae of fine wine.

• Prince Mathian, Triton Fighting-Man Lvl 9: HP 52; AC 4 [15]; Save 8; Special: Magic resistance 90%; Shield, trident.
• Marta, Triton Cleric Lvl 10: HP 40; AC 5 [14]; Save 5; Special: Cleric spells (5th), banish undead, magic resistance 90%; Shield, trident, holy symbol (gold conch).
• Assistant Clerics, Lvl 3: HD 3d6+3; AC 5 [14]; Save 12; Special: Cleric spells (1st), banish undead, magic resistance 90%; Shield, trident (silver conch).
• Erigone, Triton Magic-User Lvl 8: HP 19; AC 6 [13]; Save 8; Special: Magic-user spells (4th), magic resistance 90%; Silver dagger, grimoire.
• Household Knights: HD 6; AC 5 [14]; Atk 1 trident (1d8+1); Move 1 (Swim 18); Save 11; CL/XP 7/600; Special: Magic resistance 90%.

0134 Expensive Rubble: A large mound of marble blocks rests here, the remnants of construction by the tritons in [0233] and [0631].

0231 Fleves: Fleves is the stronghold of Sthenelaus, brother and rival of Mathian [0132] and Philostomes [0631]. Sthenelaus is wild and unruly, with a massive appetite for war, women and song. His cadre of retainers are nine devotees of Bacchus. Fleves itself is a coral feasting hall capable of holding Sthenelaus, his retainers, his court druid, Helle, and magician, Talthybios, and his 292 followers (93 males, 94 females and 105 young). The hall’s ceiling is covered in beaten bronze and hangs 40 feet above the floor. The tables, benches and chairs are the remnants of a century’s worth of shipwrecks. The walls are lined with trophies and weapons – the warriors of Fleves prefer barbed spears, bucklers and hoplite-style helms. The tables are always loaded down with the harvest of the sea, including stoppered stone crocks of wine. At one end of the hall is a massive marble idol of Bacchus. Heaped around the statue is the treasure of Fleves: 10,000 sp, 5,500 ep, 17,000 gp, 1,020 pp, an aquamarine (450 gp) and a jasper (6 gp). The idol is guarded by Helle’s four assistants at all time. The feast hall is surrounded by a thick forrest of kelp prowled by twelve sea cats trained to ignore the tritons of Fleves, but to attack anyone else on sight. Sthenelaus goes into battle in a chariot drawn by six hippocampi. His maenads ride hippocampi as well, their green hair tied into long braids, their arms bearing ritual scarification.

• Sthenelaus, Triton Fighting-Man (Barbarian) Lvl 9: HP 50; AC 4 [15]; Save 8; Special: Magic resistance 90%; Buckler, helm, barbed spear.
• Maenads, Triton Fighting-Women (Barbarians) Lvl 6: HD 6d6+12; AC 4 [15]; Save 11; Special: Magic resistance 90%; Barbed spear, net.
• Helles, Triton Cleric (Druid) Lvl 11: HP 41; AC 4 [15]; Save 4; Special: Cleric (Druid) spells (5th), magic resistance 90%; Barbed spear, shield, helm, holy symbol (gold vines, worn around neck).
• Helles’ Assistants (4), Triton Clerics (Druids) Lvl 3: HD 3d6+3; AC 4 [15]; Save 12; Special: Cleric (Druid) spells (1st), magic resistance 90%; Barbed spear, shield, helm, holy symbol (silver vines, worn around neck).
• Talthybios, Triton Magic-User Lvl 8: HP 18; AC 5 [14]; Save 8; Special: Magic-user spells (4th), magic resistance 90%; Silver dagger, grimoire.

0233 Tomb of King Philostos: As mentioned in [0132], King Philostos is dead, killed three centuries ago in battle with the sahuagin. In his honor, his sons, putting aside their rivalry, constructed a fabulous tomb for their father. The tomb is built of marble and stands 20-ft wide, 20-ft deep and 20-ft tall. Atop the tomb is a 20-ft tall bronze statue of Philostos. The tomb is surrounded by false columns carved onto 5-ft thick walls. The interior of the tomb is dry, and actually cannot be entered by water under any means. At the center of the tomb chamber is a gold-plated sarcophagus suspended from the ceiling by bronze chains over a pit of charcoal. The walls are covered in bright mosaics depicting the life, death, funeral and ascension of King Philostos.

A captive fire elemental called Horogule guards the tomb. He dwells in the fire pit, but copper piping allows him to move rapidly throughout the tomb chamber. His access to the chamber can be closed by depressing the right eye of the images of Philostos in the chamber murals. He is depicted four times, once on each wall. By depressing the right eyes on the images, the fire pit and pipes are sealed, trapping the fire elemental. There are two clues to this course of action; the first is a charred skeleton by one wall reaching toward the image of Philostos. The other is that the bas-relief of Philostos on his sarcophagus has his right hand over his right eye and his left hand grasping a trident that is impaling a fire-breathing dragon.

The tomb treasure is concealed in four floor spaces. Above each of these spaces there is a trap in the form of a crescent axe that falls from the ceiling, splitting would-be thieves in two (attacks as a 6 HD monster, 2d6 damage). The floor spaces contain 10,000 sp, 5,100 gp and a bronze figurine of Neptunus (500 gp).

• Horogule: HD 16 (43 hp); AC 2 [17]; Atk 1 strike (3d6); Move 12; Save 3; CL/XP 17/3400; Special: Ignite materials.

0631 Nimos: Nimos is the stronghold of Philostomes, the eldest and favored son of King Philostos. Nimos now rules Nimos and its 118 triton warriors, 93 females and 108 young. He is advised by his aged mother, Diomede, a priestess of Amphitrite. Philostomes is philosopher, poet and warrior. His army is well drilled and schooled in the concepts of chivalry. His personal guard consists of eight knightly warriors led by Aristonike, a chaste paladin and Philostomes’ ideal of beauty. Nimos is a marble citadel atop a sea mount. It is built in the ancient Greek style, and within its thick walls there is a fortified palace, a temple of Neptunus and Amphitrite and stables for the prince’s twenty hippocampi. Beneath the sea mount there is a dungeon protected by roving sea cats and cunning traps. The dungeon’s only resident is the undying eye of a wicked sea titan, killed a milennia ago by King Philostos. A vault in the citadel holds 21,000 sp, 5,500 ep, 27,500 gp, 500 pp, a spinel (7,000 gp), a zircon (10 gp)

• Philostomes, Triton Fighting-Man (Bard) Lvl 9: HP 45; AC 2 [17]; Save 8; Special: Magic resistance 90%; Helm, scale armor, shield, trident, silver dagger, golden horn, gauntlets of dexterity.
• Aristonike, Triton Fighting-Woman (Paladin) Lvl 8: HP 34; AC 2 [17]; Save 9; Special: Magic resistance 90%; Helm, scale armor, shield, trident, holy symbol (silver conch), potion of healing.
• Knights of Nimos, Triton Fighting-Men Lvl 6: HP 6d6+12; AC 3 [16]; Save 11; Special: Magic resistance 90%; Helm, scale armor, shield, trident.
• Diomede, Triton Cleric (Druid) Lvl 11: HP 44; AC 4 [15]; Save 4; Special: Cleric (Druid) spells (Lvl 5th), magic resistance 90%; Helm, shield, trident, holy symbol (gold image of Amphitrite).
• Diomede’s Priestesses, Triton Cleric (Druid) Lvl 4: HD 4d6+4; AC 4 [15]; Save 10; Special: Cleric (Druid) spells (2nd), magic resistance 90%; Helm, shield, trident, holy symbol (silver image of Amphitrite).

0640 Eador: Eador is a lair of 345 gnome artisans, 114 gnomewives and 64 gnomelings. They dwell in burrows beneath the roots of a large, gnarled oak tree. The gnomes of Eador produce delicate images in stained glass for trade, most of their contact coming via traders from Ophir or clerics interested in decorating their monasteries. Their work can be seen hanging from the branches of their tree and also lodged between gnarled roots, illuminating some of the burrows beneath. The gnome-king of Eador is Kermid. Kermid’s honor guard is composed of six level 3 fighting-gnomes. The community is also served by a cantankerous druid named Thumbar and his three level 2 assistants. The gnomes keep a flock of sixteen giant ravens as guard animals and messengers. Deep in their burrows, the gnomes keep 2,000 sp, 10,100 gp, 110 pp a matching pair of electrum clasps, each set with 11 tiny topazs (35 gp) and 1,000 gp worth of stained glass.

• Gnome: HD 1d6; AC 4 [15]; Atk 1 weapon (1d6); Move 9; Save 17; CL/XP 1/15; Special: Simple illusions, +4 AC vs. giant creatures.
• Kermid, Fighting-Gnome Lvl 5: HP 28; AC 2 [17]; Save 12; Light mace, platemail.
• Honor Guard, Fighting-Gnome Lvl 3: HD 3d6+6; AC 3 [16]; Save 14; Hand axe, chainmail, shield, crossbow.
• Thumbar, Gnome Cleric (Druid) Lvl 6: HP 30; AC 6 [13]; Save 9; Special: Cleric (druid) spells (3rd); Club, leather armor, shield, holy symbol (wreath of oak leaves).
• Thumbar's Assistants, Lvl 2: HD 2d6+2; AC 6 [13]; Save 15; Special: Cleric (druid) spells (1st); Club, leather armor, shield.
• Giant Raven: HD 3; AC 5 [14]; Atk 1 bite (1d8); Move 2 (Fly 30); Save 14; CL/XP 4/240; Special: None.

0745 Morix: Morix is a relatively new dwarf stronghold built into the mountains. It is inhabited by 360 dwarfs with 135 females and 55 dwarflings. The dwarfs mine tin (about 20,000 gp worth a month), trading it to Ophir for iron and gold. Morix is ruled by King Okolast and Queen Maiu. Okolasts housecarls are six level 3 fighter/clerics. He is assisted in times of battle by two level 2 sergeants. The entrance to Morix is located 60 feet above the ground in the side of a mountain, with supplies being lowered and raised via pulleys and stout ropes. The dwarfs also maintain two escape tunnels that emerge well away from the entrance and can only be opened from the inside. The halls of Morix are patrolled by seven brown bears. Okolast’s main hall has a vaulted ceiling supported by massive pillars engrave with the name of every dwarf from his clan lost when they were forced to quit the Bleeding Mountains across the sea. His throne is cast from bronze and decorated with goblin skulls. The dwarfs of Morix maintain a dozen forges and a multiple shrines to Volcanus, whom they call Weyland. Their heavily trapped vaults contain 10,000 cp, 10,500 ep, 2,500 gp, 1,100 pp, a cymophane worth 40 gp and jewelry worth 30 gp. They generally have 60 tin ingots (5 lb each, worth 15 gp each) on hand and 15 barrels (60 gp each) of slightly sour wine (as dwarfs prefer it that way).

• Dwarf: HD 1; AC 4 [15]; Atk 1 weapon (1d8); Move 6; Save 17; CL/XP 1/15; Special: Detect attributes of stonework.
• Okolast, Dwarf Fighter/Cleric Lvl 5: HP 24; AC 1 [18]; Save 10; Special: Cleric spells (2nd); Platemail, shield, military pick, dagger.
• Housecarls, Dwarf Fighter/Clerics Lvl 3: HD 3d6+6; AC 1 [18]; Save 14; Platemail, shield, hand axe, dagger, crossbow.
• Sergeants, Dwarf Fighting-Men Lvl 2: HD 2d6+4; AC 3 [16]; Save 15; Chainmail, shield, hand axe, dagger, crossbow.
• Brown Bear: HD 4+1; AC 7 [12]; Atk 2 claws (1d3), 1 bite (1d6); Move 9; Save 13; CL/XP 4/120; Special: Hug (+1d8 damage if hits with both claws).

0833 Exiled Merrow: A band of ten exiled merrows have taken residence in a dilapidated keep choked with barnacles. The merrows have no mermaids in their harem and are taking their humiliation out on anything that passes by. They are lead by an especially large and stupid male called Kthuk. The merrows are armed with thick spears and nets. Their treasure consists of 500 ep, 400 gp, a rose quartz (165 gp) and a silver statuette of entwined mermaids (7,000 gp).

• Kthuk: HD 6 (26 hp); AC 4 [15]; Atk 1 weapon (1d10+3); Move 9 (Swim 9); Save 11; CL/XP 6/400; Special: None.

0930 Feeding Frenzy: A merchant galley recently slipped under the waves, victim of a tusked whale. It carried with it over 100 chained slave rowers, whose corpses are now at the center of a feeding frenzy of thirty lacedons and twenty sharks. The lacedons look like water-logged corpses with feral faces. From the tattered clothing they wear, it is obvious that most are former corsairs and sailors. At the center of the lacedons is a female with stringy, black hair, grey skin and wearing the remnants of a silk gown. Bards may be able to identify her as Ivada, Lady of Comiar in the territory of Ophir, lost at sea six months ago. Her return in a more civilized state could be worth a 200 gp reward from her father, as she was his last heir. Amidst the ship’s wreckage one could salvage 75 gp worth of cedar lumber, hides and skins worth 250 gp, an amphorae of spiced wine (40 gp), 60 gold ingots (1 lb each, 100 gp each) and a collection of marble statuary (2,500 gp) intended for the home of a wealthy merchant of Antigoon.

• Lacedon: HD 2; AC 6 [13]; Atk 2 claws (1d3), 1 bite (1d4); Move 9; Save 16; CL/XP 3/60; Special: Immunities, paralyzing touch.
• Shark: HD 5; AC 6 [13]; Atk 1 bite (1d6+2); Move 0 (Swim 24); Save 12; CL/XP 5/240; Special: Feeding frenzy.

0933 Zorix: Zorix is a small, rocky island with several sandy beaches. The center of the island is dominated by a craggy upland, from which flow two streams marked by many waterfalls. One flows to the northern shore of the island, the other to the western shore. The upland has many caves, and most show signs of visitation. One has seen more visitation than the others, and contains a crude, blood-stained stone altar and many black candle nubs. Just beyond the altar the cave floor drops away suddenly; thirty feet below is a grotto. The grotto is filled with icy, cold water. The ceiling is marked with dozens of reddish-orange stalagtites and the floor of the lagoon with similar stalagmites. Hidden among the stalagtites are a dozen piercers. The waters of the lagoon hide a submerged, 20-ft long tunnel that emerges in a large vault. This vault measures forty feet in circumference. The periphery is submerged in icy water, while the center rises above the water in a 20-ft tall black pillar. This pillar is actually Zorix, a massive, demonic roper, believed by cultists from Ophir to be the spawn of Baalzebul and one of his avatars on Nod. They are correct in this assumption, and any aggression committed on Zorix will be noted by the Lord of Flies. A century of offerings to Zorix now lie in the water around his dais and amount to 20,000 cp, 5,500 ep, 1,200 gp, 510 pp, a bronze kyton (100 gp) that once held blood wine.

• Piercers: HD 1; AC 3 [16]; Atk 1 slam (1d6); Move 3 (Climb 3); Save 17; CL/XP 2/30; Special: A piercer scores 2d6 damage on the roll of a natural 20 to hit, the piercer’s belly is coated with acid that deals 1d6 damage to exposed flesh.
• Zorix: HD 12 (51 hp); AC 0 [19]; Atk 1 tentacle (weakness), 1 bite (2d10); Move 3; Save 3; CL/XP 17/3500; Special: Tentacles grab and cause weakness (save or lose half strength points), smite good once per day (+12 damage to good creature), cleric spells (one per level, up to 9th), immune to poison, half damage from acid, fire and lightning, magic resistance 25%, only harmed by magic weapons.

[Because the 12-year-old in me still likes piercers and wants desperately for them to finally work!]

0936 Tomb of Clever Eksirossa: Eksirossa was, in her day, the greatest thief to have ever pilfered a vault in Ophir, a city-state noted for its thieves. Her tomb was constructed to her special design by a band of duergar who took her right hand and the jewels on her fingers as payment. The tomb is constructed in a cave overlooking the sea. The cave is filled with twenty feet of water at high tide and about 5 feet of water at low tide. The cave’s ceiling is 35 feet above the floor, thus 15 feet above the water surface at high tide and 30 feet above the water’s surface at low tide. Hanging from the ceiling by a thick, iron chain is a bronze sphere 13 feet in diameter. The sphere is hollow, the skin being 3’ thick. The ball has three obvious, circular portals. None of these portals are trapped, per se, but all are dangerous.

The first two portals are located on the upper surface of the globe. Either requires a master thief to overcome its locks. When one is opened, it reveals inky darkness within the globe. This is a portable hole that sends anyone entering into a cramped, empty space several miles away. This space contains a coffer corpse and a treasure of 500 silver-plated lead coins (worth about 1 gp, but weigh 1,000 lb).

• Coffer Corpse: HD 2+2 (16 hp); AC 7 [12]; Atk 1 fist (1d6); Move 9; Save 16; CL/XP 4/120; Special: Only harmed by magic weapons (though weapons appear to do damage), false death (if “killed” with normal weapons, will fall and then rise again, causing fear), choking (those hit by fist must save or be choked for 1d6 damage per round).

The second portal is much as the first, but leads to a slick tunnel-slide into a cavern filled almost entirely with bubbling magma. In the center of the cavern there is, atop a basalt dais, a pile of gold coins. Suspended from the ceiling of the magma cavern and leading from the entrance to the dais are nine rings suspended from chains. The second, fourth, sixth and ninth rings wil collapse if any weight is placed on them, the others will hold up to 200 pounds before collapsing. The pile of treasure on the dais is a treacherous treasure. The coinage on its surface amounts to 1,100 gp and 500 ep, all of its ancient and counterfeit and bearing very rude messages in a variety of languages.

• Treacherous Treasure: HD 7 (31 hp), AC 3 [16]; Atk 1 slam (3d6); Move 6; Save 9; CL/XP 7/600; Special: Surprise foes 40% of the time.

The final portal is located on the bottom of the sphere. It is also a portable hole leading into the center of the sphere. Moving up through the hole actually entails coming in from one side. The interior of the sphere is 10 feet in diameter. The center of the sphere is taken up by a circular cage with steel bars from top to bottom. Inside this space is the skeletal corpse of Eksirossa, identifiable by her missing hand and her broad grin, which reveals a mouth full of gold teeth (10 gp worth). The door of the cage has a very complex lock that requires two successful rolls to open. A failure on the first attempt results in the portable hole detaching and falling into the sea below and trapping the would-be thief inside the sphere. A failure on the second roll results in the sphere detaching from the ceiling and plunging into the water below, causing 5d6 points of damage to anyone inside (or beneath it). Eksirossa’s corpse is wearing a single glove of dexterity, a +1 dagger that glows when within 30 feet of precious metals or gems, and her personal burglar’s tools, crafted by masterful hands and giving thieves a +1 bonus to all thievery rolls.

1034 Delec: Delec is a village of 300 loutish copper miners living in adobe huts. The village has few females, for few women can be persuaded to live among the miners. Delec is surrounded by a stone wall, three stout watch towers and a moat filled by a stream. It is ruled by Lord Shemel, a pompous twit every bit as unpleasant as his subjects. The village knows no crime, primarily because Shemel and many of the miners are actually members of the Brotherhood of the Purple Hood, a clan of assassins that has existed since the times of the Purple Kings. Despite Shemel’s buffonish act, he is the shrewdest and most dangerous man on the Wyvern Coast after Zargo, whose rule he plans to usurp. Delec is defended by 60 men-at-arms in chainmail and toting pole axes, short swords and crossbows. The men-at-arms are commanded by seven sergeants, all assassins under Shemel’s ultimate command. Shemel’s treasure is 1,000 copper ingots (1 lb each, 1 gp each), 20,000 cp, 1,000 sp, 500 ep and 2,800 gp.

• Sergeants, Assassins Lvl 3: HD 3d6; AC 7 [12]; Save 13; Special: Death attack (save or die, otherwise double damage), surprise on 1-2 on 1d6; Leather tunic (backed with steel plates), short sword, dagger, crossbow.
• Lord Shemel, Assassin Lvl 7: HP 24; AC 6 [13]; Save 9; Special: Death attack (save or die, otherwise triple damage), surprise on 1-2 on 1d6; Leather tunic (backed with steel plates), spring-loaded cane (treat as javelin), silver dagger, poisoned dagger (save or die).

1036 Zonay: Zonay is a village of 100 pious goatherds living in timber huts surrounded by a thicket and moat. Zonay is governed by Difer, a reeve of Prince Zargo recently arrived from Ophir. Zonay is protected by ten men-at-arms (chainmail and shield, battle axe and crossbows) commanded by Sergeant Phaus. A stream rushes by the village and fills its moat. The goats of Zonay were known to produce the finest cheese on the Wyvern Coast, and thus were highly valued by Prince Zargo. Unfortunately, the arrival of Difer has changed this. For untold ages the people of Zonay paid heed to a kilmoulis named Kolong who tended their herds and produced their excellent cheese. In return, they were careful to ever speak his name reverently and leave nothing but dishes of perfume for his meals. Alas, Difer thought these the acts of fools, and has now brought the wrath of Kolong down on the village, for their milk is curdled and sour and their goats growing thin. A party of adventurers capable of rectifying this situation might attract the patronage of Prince Zargo.

1226 Noromina (West): Noromina island is ringed by reefs. It is dotted with a few small farmsteads that mostly raise sheep and garlic. A remote temple of Melkarth was constructed on the island by cultists several centuries ago. It has a caretaker named Grono and hosts athletic games every seven years in honor of Melkarth. At this time, dozens of adventurers, athletes, aristocrats and merchants crowd onto the island, pitching simple tents and grand pavilions and enjoying competitions that include races, swimming, javelin throws, archery and wrestling. Hidden behind a loose stone in the temple are 1,000 sp and an ivory idol of Melkarth worth 105 gp. The shephards have stout locks on their doors and have holy symbols painted on their doors and each wall of their home, for the other end of their island is plagued by vampires.

• Grono, Gnome Cleric Lvl 4: HP 20; AC 4 [15]; Save 11; Special: Cleric spells (2nd), banish undead, hear noise on 1-2 on 1d6, communicate with burrowing animals; Chainmail (rarely worn, slightly rusty), light hammer (1d4 damage), holy symbol of Melkarth.

1326 Noromina (East): This side of the Noromina island is mountainous and inhabited by bestial vampire spawn called kalikantzaros. The kalikantzaros look like smallish humans with bestial features (tusks, hairy bodies). They fear the sound of bells. They only come up from their subterranean abodes at night in the dead of winter.

• Kalikantzaros: HD 4; AC 4 [15]; Atk 1 bite (1d6 + level drain); Move 12; Save 13; CL/XP 7/600; Special: See this blog post.

1336 Vignos: Vignos is a sprawling village of timber huts overlooking the sea. The landward side is protected by an earthen rampart and several watch towers. Vignos is inhabited by 500 dour, xenophobic fishermen ruled by Lord Jerig, himself a paranoid with an intense hatred of elves. The villagers get their water from a large reservoir located in the hills beyond their village. Vignos is defended by 100 men-at-arms (leather armor, long bows, spears) and twelve sergeants under the command of Jerig himself. An old woman named Ronia has a vast knowledge of the Wyvern Coast, and will happily hire on to guide adventurers. Jerig’s coffers contain 20,000 cp, 1,000 ep, 2,500 gp, 20 pp, a garnet (70 gp), a silver ring decorated with scaled dolphins (80 gp) and a painted terracotta wine pitcher (115 gp). Vignos has over 100 fishing boats (worth 30 gp each)

• Jerig: HD 3 (19 hp); AC 2 [17]; Atk 1 weapon (1d8+1); Move 9; Save 14; CL/XP 3/60; Special: Gives soldiers a +1 boost to morale.
• Ronia: HD 2 (9 hp); AC 6 [13]; Atk 1 weapon (1d6); Move 12; Save 16; CL/XP 2/30; Special: While under her guidance, the chance of surprise and random monster encounters are rolled on 1d8.

1837 Sabre-Tooth Tribe: A tribe of 63 cavemen, 61 cavewomen and 37 cavechildren dwell in a deep, winding complex of limestone caves. The cavemen wield flint knives in combat. They are led by a prudish, tempermental chieftain called Yog along with four sub-chiefs. They worship sabre-tooth tigers under the guidance of a shaman called Jothag. Yog is always accompanied by his six bodyguards. The sabre-tooth people have persisted in these hills since the days when the Wyvern Coast was an archipelago of tiny islands. They are extraordinarily long-lived, with the elders of the tribe reaching well over 300 years of age.

• Caveman: HD 1; AC 8 [11]; Atk 1 weapon (1d6); Move 12; Save 17; CL/XP 1/15; Special: None.
• Bodyguards, Fighting-Man (Barbarians) Lvl 3: HD 3d6+9; AC 8 [11]; Save 14; Flint knife, tiger hide.
• Sub-Chiefs, Fighting-Man (Barbarian) Lvl 4: HD 4d6+12; AC 7 [12]; Save 13; Flint knife, wyvern hide.
• Yog, Fighting-Man (Barbarian) Lvl 5: HP 31; AC 7 [12]; Save 11; Flint knife, wyvern hide.
• Jothag, Cleric (Druid) Lvl 3: HP 9; AC 9 [10]; Save 12; Special: Cleric (druid) spells (1st); Gnarled acacia-wood staff, tiger tooth necklace holy symbol.

1946 Magnolia Grove: A large magnolia grove, a hold over from the days when the savanna was a swamp, covers several acres here. The grove offers shade, but the presence of dozens of castaway spears stuck in the ground suggests danger. This danger comes in two forms. The first are the nine dusky-skinned dryads that inhabit and protect the grove. They are particularly adoring of human hunters, and often lure them into their trees, only to cast them away centuries later. Moreover, living in the branches of the magnolias are a species of pseudo-dragon with white scales. The pseudo-dragons feed on the magnolia nectar with long, curled, pink tongues. At any given time, there will be 2d6 of these pseudo-dragons observing intruders and prepared to attack if they show any inclination to harm the trees.

• Dryads HD 2; AC 9 [10]; Atk 1 wooden dagger (1d4); Move 12; Save 16; CL/XP 3/60; Special: Charm person (-2 save).
• Pseudo-Dragon: HD 2; AC 2 [17]; Atk 1 bite (1d3), 1 tail sting (1d3 + poison); Move 6 (Fly 25); Save 16; CL/XP 5/240; Special: Magic resistance 25%, poison (25% lethal, otherwise catalepsy for 1d4 days), invisibility (80% effective).

2028 Absalon: Absalon is the name of an island ringed by high cliffs. The cliffs are dotted with dozens of sea caves, one such cave leading to the surface via steps carved into the stone. The walls of this cavern are decorated with images of bearded men dressed as fish. The surface of the island is green and lush. It is composed of verdant meadows with trickling streams and copses of tall pine trees. In the midst of this paradise there is a large granite upland covered by a sparkling town of white walls and tall, white buildings. A single gate permits access to the town, which is peopled entirely by children. The children of Absalon range in age from infancy to twelve years of age. The children perform the roles of adults – tending the miniature, dun cattle that graze in the meadows, making pottery, woodworking, etc. The recognized leader of the children is a boy named Lodeses. Lodeses is wise for his age, but still a child and in over his head trying to lead the 2,000 young citizens of Absalon. Nonetheless, he and his peers are expert slingers; they wear leather armor and carry slings, javelins and knotty pine clubs into battle. They are determined to defend their village, especially the domed church that sits in the center of town.

The domed church consists of a large, central chamber 30 feet in diameter surrounded by a dozen small rooms used for storage. Seven statues of fish-garbed men, like those in the sea cave, stand against the walls of the church, their hands extended in peace. In the center of the room there is a squat dais upon which rests a large vessel carved from malachite and used to burn incense and offerings of meat. A secret catch on the dais shifts this vessel and reveals a narrow set of stairs that leads to a grotto deep benath Absalon. It is here that the people of Absalon, upon reaching their thirteenth year, descend to undergo a monstrous transformation into a hybrid of fish and man. These bizarre creatures welcome these visitors. Young women are mated with, their children eventually being placed at night in the church to be found and raised by the children of Absalon. The fish people, who call themselves oannes, have pallid, scaled skin, lipless mouths and curled beards (on the men) and large, fishy eyes. They are exceptionally bright scholars and philosophers for many years. But they never stop growing, and eventually turn feral and are forced into the sea, where they complete their transformation into tusked whales.

• Child Soldiers of Absalon: HD 1d4; AC 8 [11]; Atk 1 weapon (1d4); Move 9; Save 18; CL/XP A/5; Special: None.
• Oannes: HD 6; AC 2 [17]; Atk 1 bite (1d4) or 1 weapon (1d8); Move 12; Save 11; CL/XP 7/600; Special: Spells (change self, dispel magic, ESP, levitate, magic missile, shield, all once per day each), create small, simple object once per day.

2247 Strange Statue: Half-buried in the soil is a bronze statue (60 gp) of a tall, bald woman with two hands at the end of each arm, each hand holding a dagger. The statues eyes are formed of bone chips and the woman’s face bears an inhumanly wide grin. The statue attracts weird parasites that dwell on the astral plane. These parasites will attach themselves to the astral body of any magic-user present and feed off his magical energies, creating a cumulative 1% chance per day of failure when he tries to cast spells. They can only be removed by casting remove curse while on the astral plane.

2429 Lionweres: A pride of seven lionweres, consisting of one male, four females and two cubs, dwells in a cave. The females hunt during the night, taking the form of beautiful, tawny-haired maidens to get close to their prey. If doing poorly in a fight, their yowls will draw the attention of the male, who will arrive in 1d4 rounds to either save them or take revenge. The lionweres have hidden in their caves a gold ring worth 100 gp, a platinum oil lamp worth 950 gp, trade (1,000 gp), 1,000 sp, 400 gp, 500 ep, 20 pp and a hematite worth 35 gp.

• Lionwere (females): HD 6 (24 hp); AC 2 [17]; Atk 1 bite (1d8) or weapon (1d8); Move 15; Save 11; CL/XP 7/600; Special: Weakness gaze, hit by silver or magic weapons only.
• Lionwere (males): HD 6 (36 hp); AC 2 [17]; Atk 1 bite (1d10) or weapon (1d10); Move 15; Save 11; CL/XP 7/600; Special: Weakness gaze, hit by silver or magic weapons only.

2839 Ivory Tower of Kinyoth: Rising above the highlands is a 75-ft tall tower of ivory and limestone. This is the tower of Kinyoth the tower hag. Kinyoth is the undisputed master of this hex and the hexes surrounding it. She stands 9-ft tall. She has steel grey skin, black claws and weathered, black teeth, pale yellow eyes and limp, black hair that falls beyond her shoulders.

The tower has five levels. The first level is approximately 20-ft in diameter. The walls of this level are slick, rippled ivory and seem to sweat a yellowish ichor. The first level is a dumping ground of the magical detritus of several centuries – ruined scrolls, broken vials, magical cabinets, scorched wands, etc. Lurking among the ruined items are ten barics. Winding stairs lead to level two.

• Baric: HD 5; AC 6 [13]; Atk 2 claw (1d4) and 1 bite (1d10); Move 15; Save 12; CL/XP 5/240; Special: None.

Level two looks much like level one. It is furnished with a multitude of torture devices and has seven sets of manacles attached to the walls and two iron cages hanging from the vaulted ceiling. Three prisoners currently occupy this chamber: An ogre called Tundrun that has been shrank to the size of a halfling, a young woman named Marya in an iron cage who appears to be suffering from leprosy, and a naked, scarred man named Lhumler with wild eyes who is chained to one wall. Lhumler was once a paladin, but successive bouts of torture and rape have reduced him to a mere fighting-man. The room is guarded by two headless screamers.

• Headless Screamer: HD 4; AC 3 [16]; Atk 1 claw (1d6) or 1 thrown head (1d8); Move 15; Save 13; CL/XP 7/600; Special: Throw and retrieve head, scream, immune to cold.
• Lhumler, Fighting-Man Lvl 6: HP 7 (39 normally); AC 9 [10]; Atk 1 fist (1d2); Move 9 (due to a limp); Save 11.
• Marya: HD 1d4 (1 hp); AC 9 [10]; Atk 1 fist (1d2); Move 12; Save 18; CL/XP A/5; Special: Leprosy (treat as mummy rot).
• Tundrun: HD 4+1 (21 hp); AC 5 [14]; Atk 1 fist (1d4); Move 6; Save 13; CL/XP 4/120; Special: None.

The third level is a dank library lit by candles made from the fat of virgins. A large, wooden chair sits in the middle of the room, and chained to the outer walls are six large tomes (30 lb each) containing magical lore (1d4 spells each). The books are guarded by six inaeds.

• Innaed: HD 3; AC 0 [20]; Atk none; Move 0 (Fly 18); Save 13; CL/XP 7/600; Special: Invisible, spells, immune to all weapons or normal weapons (depending on state).

Above the library is a laboratory of sorts, stocked with vessels containing preserved animals and body parts, a large wooden storage cabinet with a grisly harvest of human feet and shelves filled with all manner of humanoid bones, organized by type and size.

The top level contains Kinyoth’s personal lair and treasury. It is a round room without light and furnished with a greasy, straw mattress atop four large, wooden chests. The chests are locked and trapped with acid, poison or green slime. They contain 10,000 cp, 11,000 sp, 14,400 gp, 1,100 pp, five blocks of ambergris wrapped in waxed paper (100 gp), a rhodochrosite worth 950 gp and a cursed (-1) staff tipped with steel spheres grasped in demonic talons. Curled up along the wall is a 20-ft long gnasher lizard called Phac. Kinyoth is currently attempting to construct a gate deep beneath her tower that would allow the amphorons of Yothri easy access to Nod.

• Kinyoth: HD 16 (71 hp); AC 0 [19]; Atk 2 claws (2d6); Move 12; Save 3; CL/XP 26/5900; Special: Spit, claws, tower, spells, only harmed by silver or magic weapons, immune to mind effects, magic resistance 70%.
• Phac: HD 9 (47 hp); AC 4 [15]; Atk 1 bite (2d6); Move 12; Save 6; CL/XP 2000; Special: Behead, swallow.

3029 Dagul: Dagul is a village of 100 peasant farmers living in stone huts. The village is surrounded by an earthen rampart and there is a tall, stone watch tower in the center of the village. Lady Hunnsa, the village reeve live in a house connected to the watchtower. Dagul is defended by 10 stout men-at-arms under the command of Sergeant Foriz. The village is known for its sheep, who produce incredibly soft, white wool favored by weavers throughout the Tepid Sea region. Hunnsa keeps 1,000 sp, 1,200 gp and a rose quartz (125 gp) in a locked chest trapped with a poison needle.

• Hunnsa: HD 3; AC 5 [14]; Atk 1 long sword (1d8+1); Move 12; Save 14; CL/XP 3/60; Special: None.
• Men-at-Arms: HD 2; AC 6 [13]; Atk 1 pole-axe (1d10); Move 12; Save 16; CL/XP 2/30; Special: None.
• Foriz, Fighting-Man Lvl 4: HP 21; AC 3 [16]; Save 13; Chainmail, shield, pole-axe, short sword.

3247 High and Dry: Embedded in the ground and choked with savanna grasses, is the long and petrified skeleton of a basilosaurus, a primitive, toothy whale.

3538 Village of the Dead: Behind a thicket lies a small village of adobe huts with thatched roofs. From afar, one might see people in the village going about their business with a slow, deliberate manner. Closer examination will reveal the villagers to be brain-eating zombies. At the first sign of life, the twenty remaining villagers will swarm. Scattered about the village is 2,000 sp, 500 ep, 600 gp and a piece of polished coral worth 95 gp.

• Brain-Eating Zombie: HD 3; AC 8 [11]; Atk 1 strike (1d8); Move 6; Save 14; CL/XP 5/240; Special: Absorb spells.

3546 Demonic Springs: In the midst of the savanna you find boiling, bubbling springs. The springs form a deep pool, the banks of which are caked in rare earths and polychromatic mineral deposits. Within the springs lies a demon called Otstatho the Everburning. Otstatho’s skin gives off a tremendous amount of heat (the source of the pool’s boiling), so it commonly remains beneath the surface of the water. Should Otstatho emerge from the water, it would appear to be large, translucent grey amoeba. Otstatho is capable of telepathic communication, and will hammer into people’s heads the things it has heard other poor adventurers scream as it engulfed and roasted them alive. On an attack roll of a natural ‘20’, Otstatho will engulf its foe, inflicting 2d6 points of burning damage each round.

• Otstatho the Everburning: HD 10 (48 hp); AC 7 [12]; Atk 2 cilia (1d8); Move 9 (Swim 9); Save 5; CL/XP 13/2300; Special: Telepathy, drain magic from items (2d6 rounds), destroys wood by touch, engulf, immune to fire damage.

3927 Sabres Unsheathed: Two sabre-tooth tigers, brothers, hunt here in a pass through the highlands.

• Sabre-Tooth Tiger: HD 7 (33, 32 hp), AC 6 [13]; Atk 2 claws (1d4+1), 1 bite (2d6); Move 12 (Swim 6); Save 10; CL/XP 8/800; Special: Rear claws rake for 2 extra claw attacks if first two claw attacks hit.

New Monsters
The following monsters are open game content.

Baric
Barics are 6-legged, rat-like animals notable for their duck-like bills filled with needle-like teeth. They usually grow to be 3 feet long, but some males have grown as long as 7 feet. Barics run in packs in wild forests. Barics can be trained as guard animals or trackers, but it is very difficult and dangerous to do so.

• Baric: HD 5; AC 6 [13]; Atk 2 claw (1d4) and 1 bite (1d10); Move 15; Save 12; CL/XP 5/240; Special: None.

Gnasher Lizard
Gnasher lizards are 10 to 20-foot long reptiles with stone-colored scales and gaping mouths filled with a double row of dagger-like teeth. They are carnivorous and territorial, usually dwelling near sources of water in woodlands and highlands. They are solitary creatures, except during their mating season in spring and early summer. If a gnasher lizard rolls a natural ‘20’ for its bite attack, it will sever the head of its target. Bite victims who are not beheaded must make a saving throw to avoid being gulped down whole, where they will suffer 2d6 points of damage each round from the beasts digestive juices.

• Gnasher Lizard: HD 9; AC 4 [15]; Atk 1 bite (2d6); Move 12; Save 6; CL/XP 12/2000; Special: Behead, swallow whole.

Hag, Tower
Tower hags are 9’ tall crones with grey skin and black teeth and nails. They are usually allied to otherworldly creatures of chaos and evil, and work to help them enter our world. Every tower hag lives in a towering fortress made of ivory. To create such a tower, the hag must obtain the first adult tooth from a child. This tooth, wrenched from the mouth, is mixed with the hag’s stony saliva and planted into the ground. The tower immediately sprouts from where the tooth was planted, expanding to full size (50 feet in diameter) within one round. Any equipment or items in the tower are teleported from its old location to its new one. Most tower hags carry half a dozen teeth with them at all times. Each tower is similar in design, being fi ve storeys tall. The bottom two storeys are always prisons and traps; the middle two laboratories and libraries and the topmost storey the hag’s personal lair and treasury. Battlements ring the top of the tower, standing 75 feet off the ground.

A tower hag’s spittle is thick and congeals to form a substance as hard as stone. In combat, they can spit at an opponent as a ranged touch attack, inflicting 2d6 points of damage and sticking them to the ground until they make a successful strength roll. Tower hags can also extend their iron claws, increasing their damage to 2d10, but also exposing them to a sundering attack. Finally, they can summon a new tower by spitting a tooth at an opponent or group of opponents. Anyone within 50 feet of the tower suffer 4d6 damage as they are struck by it and must succeed at a saving throw. Those who fail are carried to the top. If the hag is within the area of the tower’s growth, she always ends up atop the tower.

Tower hags can cast the following spells: Animate dead, astral spell, cacodaemon, bestow curse, death spell, detect invisibility, gate, invisibility, monster summoning V, protection from good 10' radius, (un)holy word and wizard eye.

• Tower Hag: HD 16; AC 0 [19]; Atk 2 claws (2d6); Move 12; Save 3; CL/XP 26/5900; Special: Spit, claws, tower, spells, only harmed by silver or magic weapons, immune to mind effects, magic resistance 70%.

Headless Screamer
Headless screamers arise from the corpses of the beheaded. They are cruel and chaotic beings who delight in tormenting the living. Headless screamers look something like zombies with a noticeable red slash across its neck. They can throw their heads with alarming accuracy, and in fact do not need to throw their own head, for the headless screamer’s intelligence and animating force are in the body. Many of these creatures keep four or five heads handy. Thrown heads have a range increment of 20’. The thrown head will snap its jaws, dealing 1d8 points of damage to anyone hit and then latching on if the target fails a saving throw. A latched head inflicts 1d4 points of bite damage each round until removed. Headless screamers can telekinetically retrieve these heads and still move or attack each round. Headless screamers can also emit a shrill shriek from the air hole in their necks. Anyone hearing this must succeed at a saving throw or suffer a -1 penalty to hit, damage and save for 1 hour.

• Headless Screamer: HD 4; AC 3 [16]; Atk 1 claw (1d6) or 1 thrown head (1d8); Move 15; Save 13; CL/XP 7/600; Special: Throw and retrieve head, scream, immune to cold.

On the Wyvern Coast - Part Six

The following are set encounters from this map. The Wyvern Coast was first described in this post.

0146 Azer Adventurer: Merikh, and azer, and six clockwork brass beetles are searching for an artifact forged by Volcanus, god of the forge. Merikh wears a helm that hums when within 100 feet of powerful magic items.

• Merikh: HD 6 (29 hp); AC 2 [17]; Atk 1 weapon (1d6+1); Move 12; Save 16; CL/XP 6/400; Special: +1 heat damage, immune to fire.
• Beetle Automatons (6): HD 4 (18 hp each); AC 2 [17]; Atk 1 blade (1d6+1); Move 15; Save 13; CL/XP 4/120; Special: Half damage from fire, heat metal (themselves).

0242 Crocodile Keep: The remains of a flooded shell keep sit just off the coast and protected by surrounding rocks from the pounding surf. The bottom level of the keep is completely flooded, and the upper level, though relatively dry, has a weakened floor that presents a hazard to even halflings attempting to walk upon it. At the bottom of the courtyard there is a jade globe decorated with images of writhing reptiles. The jade globe gives out a low pulse that can be heard underwater for many miles. This pulse attracts salt water crocodilians, and at least thirty of the creatures dwell in and around the keep.

• Crocodile: HD 4; AC 3 [16]; Atk 1 bite (1d8); Move 9 (Swim 12); Save 13; CL/XP 4/120; Special: None.

0341 Sanvuska: A freak storm and a drunken captain recently ran a merchant cog ashore here. The cog, the Sanvuska, was carrying 250 gp worth of hides and skins, 2,000 gp worth of tea and a magical trident (see below) from the Mu-Pan Empire to Antigoon. The Sanvuska is captained by Yulner, a short man with a wiry build, black whiskers and suspicious eyes. Yulner is a given to drunken revels, and his cruelty knows no bounds. He has been working his men into a frenzy trying to get underway before his ship is discovered by bandits. Unfortunately, it has already been discovered by an intellect devourer called Tharsarh. Tharsarh has been systematically picking off the crewmen for the past week, having originally killed and merged with a sailor who wandered too far from camp. Only twelve remain to man the cog, and they are on the verge of mutiny. Only the force of Yulner’s will, and the strong hand of his first mate, Khavit, have kept them in line so far.

• Yulner, Fighting-Man, Lvl 7: HP 32; AC 6 [13]; Save 10; leather doublet, buckler, hand axe, long sword.
• Khavit, Beastman (Half-Orc) Fighting-Man, Lvl 4: HP 28; AC 7 [12]; Save 13; shield, battle axe.
• Tharsarh: HD 6 (21 hp); AC 3 [16]; Atk 4 claws (1d4); Move 15; Save 11; CL/XP 9/1100; Special: Sensitive to light, mind blast, spell immunity, surprise on 1-3 on 1d6, only harmed by magic weapons (1 point of damage per hit).

Umvai: This +1 trident appears to be made of gold. The grip is wrapped in black leather. The trident’s name, which activates it, is burned into the grip in the pictographs of the Mu-Pan Empire. Upon uttering the command word, the trident enables its wielder to fly (per the spell) for 10 minutes.

0442 Cliffside Tomb: Caryatid columns guard a tomb carved into the side of a cliff. The original inhabitant has dried up and blown away, his treasure stolen by something that tunneled in from below.

• Caryatid Columns (2): HD 5 (32 hp); AC 4 [15]; Atk 1 sword (2d4); Move 9; Save 8; CL/XP 6/400; Special: Immune to normal weapons, normal damage from magic weapons, 25% chance of weapon snap.

0733 Thirsty Vial: Any fishing in this hex will produce a fish with a magical vial in its belly. The vial is made of glass and stoppered with a bit of cork. The interior of the vial is completely etched in glyphs of a magical sort. The vial is a powerful protective device. If a person fills it with his or her own blood, they cannot be killed (hit points cannot go below 1) so long as the vial remains full. Filling the vial inflicts 1 point of constitution damage, which is healed the next day after a normal rest. The blood is slowly absorbed by the magical glyphs, disappearing in 24 hours. The vial can then be refilled at the same price, though the holder of the vial will discover that the time it takes the vial to consume the blood is shortened by 1d6 hours. The quickening of the blood consumption is cumulative, until finally, it must be filled hourly. Such is the price when one attempts to cheat Death.

0941 Escaped Slaves: A canyon here is inhabited by 150 female berserkers - escaped slaves. They worship a golden idol of Astarte that longs for her mate, a golden idol of Adonis (see Map J10). The warrior women are commanded by Ulara and Yosh.

• Ulara, Barbarian Lvl 5: HP 50; AC 5 [14]; Save 12; Leather, +1 shield (+3 vs missiles), bastard sword, sling.
• Yosh, Ranger Lvl 3: HP 22; AC 5 [14]; Save 14; Ring armor, shield, short sword, dagger, 3 javelins.

1038 Razed Village: A dragon man lair here was razed by a stegacentipede, now long gone. The dragon men have fled with their treasures, leaving their brass domes empty and their dead baking in the sun. There is a 1 in 6 chance per hour spent in the ruin that 1d6 wyverns will arrive having smelled the carrion.

1127 Scarlet Hall: Scarlet Hall is a three-level keep constructed of limestone sank beneath the waves here over a century ago. The walls of the keep are now worn and pitted, and the entire construction will probably fall down in the near future. The keep is now inhabited by a gang of seven were-sharks who hunt the coral reefs and sometimes venture onto land to attack the villagers. The gang is led by a bull called Mahel and his mate, Thana. The were-sharks have stockpiled a treasure horde consisting of 3,500 gp and a small moss agate (110 gp). Mahel was once a sailor, and he sometimes poses as a sailor to gain access to a ship, his gang following along and waiting for him to steer the ship into a reef or rocks. Thana hails from [1226]. She sometimes sneaks onto the island to give food to her aging mother.

• Were-Shark: HD 6; AC 3 [16]; Atk 1 bite (1d10); Move 12; Save 11; CL/XP 7/600; Special: Lycanthropy, vulnerable to silver weapons, blood sends them into a frenzy (+2 to hit).
• Thana: HD 6 (34 hp); AC 3 [16]; Atk 1 bite (1d10); Move 12; Save 11; CL/XP 7/600; Special: Lycanthropy, vulnerable to silver weapons, blood sends them into a frenzy (+2 to hit).
• Mahel: HD 6 (43 hp); AC 3 [16]; Atk 1 bite (1d10); Move 12; Save 11; CL/XP 7/600; Special: Lycanthropy, vulnerable to silver weapons, blood sends them into a frenzy (+2 to hit).

1137 Vulchlings: Five vulchlings live in a shallow cave 50 feet above the desert floor. A narrow passage with a metal ladder leads straight down 100 feet, ending at a steel trapdoor. The trapdoor leads to a small chamber filled with crates containing 7 weeks of iron rations in tins.

1236 Ophir, City of Slaves: The city-state of Ophir is nestled in a valley of woodlands and rich pastures. It is surrounded by villas worked by slaves that grow wheat, grapes (slightly bitter, but good enough for spiced wines) and olives. The cultivated lands are separated by rocky highlands (good for grazing goats) and thicks stands of cedar. Ophir has a population in excess of 6,000, with most of them earning their living from the sea or in the slave markets. The city-state is ruled by Prince Zargo, an heir of the ancient Purple Kings. Ophir’s architecture blends elements of classical Greece and medieval Morocco.

1642 Labyrinth: This is a true labyrinth with 30-foot walls of blue glass and floors of blue marble tile. The passages are 20-feet wide and the center is 40-foot in diameter. In the center are 20 statues of warriors created by the gaze of an amphisbaena basilisk which lairs among the statues. Its treasure is 4,000 sp, 115 gp, 3 pp, a pearl medallion (40 gp), a pearl pendant (40 gp) and a jade torc (30 gp). It lies scattered about the central chamber.

• Amphisbaena Basilisk: HD 9 (62 hp); AC 3 [16]; Atk 2 bite (1d8); Move 9; Save 6; CL/XP 13/2300; Special: All-around vision, half damage from cold, petrifying gaze, split.

1749 Toad Hollow: A depression in the savanna holds a large (200-ft diameter) pond. A gang of twenty thugtoads lives in mud-burrows dug into the banks of the pond. The toads carry shields woven from the grasses that choke the banks of the pond, and they carry flint-tipped spears. The banks of the pond are trapped with holes that can break legs if one is not careful. The thugtoads worship a large froghemoth who dwells in the center of the pond, bringing it fresh kills of the animals that come to drink from the pond, hoping to keep it in a torpor that it will not devour them. The leader of the thugtoads is called Tudeggy (2 HD, 12 hp, CL 3/60). He considers himself a “high priest”, but has no magical powers. He does, however, carry a military pick made from the bronze beak of a stymphalian bird; the thugtoads displaced the cranes many years ago as the masters of the pond, carrying their “tadpole-hemoth” with them.

• Thugtoad: HD 1; AC 6 [13]; Atk 1 weapon (1d6); Move 4 (Swim 15); Save 17; CL/XP 2/30; Special: Camouflage, hop.
• Froghemoth: HD 16; AC 3 [16], tentacles 1 [18], tongue 5 [14]; Atk 1 tongue (5d10) or 4 tentacles (1d8); Move 3 (Swim 9); Save 3; CL/XP 19/4100; Special: Swallow whole, immune to fire.

1931 Seath’s Fortress: A sandstone keep overlooks the sea here. It is surrounded by fifteen simple cottages. The keep is ruled by Seath, an elf warlord. The village is populated by human herdsmen. Lord Seath is likable and trusting. His armorial is a scorpion gules on a field sable. Seath commands fifteen elves, a lawful sergeant named Herval and a chaplain named Alabras. Herval is like a stereotypical British sergeant-major, while Alabras has a dark, unpleasant sense of humor. Seath’s treasure consists of 13,500 sp, 200 gp, a fire opal (100 gp), 2 ounces of sandalwood oil (5 gp), a copper necklace set with hyacinths (340 gp), an ivory holy symbol of Mercurius (60 gp), an ivory armband (60 gp), a bronze mirror (1 gp), a glass coffer (7 gp), astrological charts worth 12 gp and a tooth from a bronze dragon (100 gp).

• Elf: HD 1+1; AC 5 [14]; Atk 1 sword (1d8) or 2 arrows (1d6); Move 12; Save 17; CL/XP 1/15; Special: None.
• Herval: HD 3 (19 hp); AC 3 [16]; Atk 1 weapon (1d8); Move 9; Save 14; CL/XP 3/60; Special: None.
• Alabras, Elf Cleric (Druid) Lvl 3: HP 20; AC 8 [11]; Save 12; Special: Druid spells (2nd),; +1 oak quarterstaff, leather armor, white hooded robe, mistletoe.
• Seath, Elf Fighter/Mage Lvl 8: HP 36; AC 2 [17]; Save 8; Special: Magic-user spells (4th); Longsword, longbow, elven chain, shield, grimoire, scroll of fireball.

2035 Halob: Halob is a village nestled against a tall cliff. The village is surrounded by a thicket and a dry moat. The village is inhabited by 100 iron miners and their families living in small, timber houses. The miners of Halob are renowned for the high level of literacy in the village. Halob is ruled by a mayor named Eocar, who is advised by a small group of selectmen. Eocar is the most cunning man in a village of cunning men, and is not to be trusted. The village is protected by twenty men-at-arms (chainmail, shield, spear, sling) and two sergeants-at-arms. The villagers mine a long seam of iron that cuts directly into the cliff behind their village. The miners make no attempt to smelt the iron here, selling it instead to merchant caravans from Ophir in exchange for manufactured goods and the odd luxury.

2041 Dancing Lights: The narrow, limestone canyons in this hex are like a maze. Local legends tell of a great army of the Purple Kings that was lost in this maze while on its way to sack the rebellious miners in [2042]. The canyons, with their wavy walls of purple and grey, their sharp peaks and their tiny, winding caves, are haunted by will-o-the-wisps. Travelers by night will see 1d4+2 of these lights, often visible as a soft glow from around a corner. The will-o-the-wisps are accompanied by the echoing voices of desperate men.

• Will-o-the-Wisp: HD 9; AC -8 [27]; Atk 1 shock (2d6); Move 18; Save 6; CL/XP 10/1400; Special: None.

2145 Gnoblins: A band of 30 gnoblins (gnoll-goblin hybrids) are trashing a merchant caravan here. Twenty men-at-arms and thirty gnoblins lie dead. One fat merchant has been skewered with a spear and pinned to the ground by his shoulder. If questioned within a minute of discovery, he will inform the adventurers that thirty people were forced to flee into the desert without food and with very little water, including his niece. He has a small painting of his niece in a locket around his neck (5 gp), and she is quite beautiful. The dead bodies attract wandering monsters on a roll of 1-3 on 1d6. The caravan was transporting one hundred bolts of purple cloth (2 lb each, worth 50 gp each).

• Gnoblin: HD 1d6 hp; AC 6 [13]; Atk 1 weapon (1d6); Move 12; Save 18; CL/XP 1/15; Special: Groups of 10+ cause confusion with their chattering voices.

2331 Khlai: Khlai is a village of 300 dour hunters and their families nestled in a vale with a cool, rushing stream and a variety of grasses and scrub. The village is surrounded by a wooden palisade (12’ tall) and consists of approximately 100 longhouses constructed of red brick. The village is defended by 60 men-at-arms (leather armor, spear, long bow) and six sergeants-at-arms under the command of Sampin, lord of Khlai. Sampin has in his employ an alchemist by the name of Alende, a high-born woman of distant Ibis who found a life on the Wyvern Coast preferable to a wizard’s dungeon. The village is known to be haunted by a vampire called Arlotho, who is believed to dwell in the surrounding hills. Arlotho is a distant ancestor of Sampin, and is in league with his descedant, his tomb being located beneath the lord’s manor. Sampin’s treasury contains 500 gp worth of hides and skins, 500 gp worth of frankincense, 1,000 sp and 400 gp. Arlotho’s crypt contains 2,700 gp and a golden medallion depicting the lord's armorial (3,700) studded with amethysts.

• Sampin: HD 3 (12 hp); AC 4 [15]; Atk 1 weapon (1d8); Move 12; Save 14; CL/XP 3/60; Special: None.
• Alende: HD 1d4 (3 hp); AC 9 [10]; Atk 1 dagger (1d4); Move 12; Save 18; CL/XP A/5; Special: Brew acids and poisons.
• Arlotho: HD 7 (29 hp); AC 2 [17]; Atk 1 bite (1d10 + drain 2 levels); Move 12 (Fly 18); Save 9; CL/XP 10/1400; Special: Regenerate 3 hp/rd, only hit by magic weapons, gaseous form, change into giant bat, summon swarm of bats or 3d6 wolves, charm (save at -2), weaknesses.

2533 Box Canyon: There is a box canyon here that can only be entered via a narrow gorge. The land here is exceedingly dry and devoid of plant life. The box canyon contains a shrine to elemental earth. The shrine is a perfectly square, unworked block of stone. In the center of the block of stone there is a mace +2/+5 vs. air elementals that can (once per month) summon 1d6 small earth elementals who will faithfully serve their summoner for 1 week. The shrine’s guardian is a crumbler called Lok. Lok has a contingent of twenty dwarven defenders under his command. There is a 1 in 6 chance that pilgrims are visiting the shrine when the adventurers arrive. These pilgrims will do their best to defend the shrine if it is disturbed.

1. 1d6 Druids (4 HD)
2. 3d6 Dwarfs
3. 2d6 Dwelvers
4. 1d6 Janni
5. 1d3 Nymphs (Oreads)
6. 1d3 Stone Giants
7. 3d6 Svirfneblin
8. 1d4 Xorn

There is an equal chance that the shrine is under attack from rival elementals. If this is the case, assume that there are 6d6 hit dice worth of air, fire or water elementals, with half of those hit dice possessed by their leader, a djinn, efreet or marid.

• Lok, Crumbler: HD 10 (60 hp); AC 4 [15]; Atk 1 thrown rock (2d6) or fist (2d6); Move 0; Save 17; CL/XP 11/1700; Special: Immunities.
• Dwarf Defender: HD 5; AC 0 [19]; Atk 1 weapon (1d10); Move 6; Save 12; CL/XP 6/400; Special: Cannot be surprised, cannot be back attacked, adjacent creatures enjoy +1 bonus to AC.
  

2539 Basswood Grove: A large grove of basswoods surround the banks of a clear spring. The grove is inhabited by a hive of giant honeybees. The hive houses 90 workers, five soldiers, five non-combative drones and one non-combative queen. The bees do not tolerate visitors other than druids, who sometimes come to collect honey.

• Honeybee Worker: HD 3; AC 5 [14]; Atk 1 sting (1d4); Move 12 (Fly 36); Save 14; CL/XP 4/120; Special: Poison (additional 1d6 damage unless save is made).
• Honeybee Soldier: HD 4; AC 4 [15]; Atk 1 sting (1d6); Move 15 (Fly 36); Save 13; CL/XP 5/240; Special: Poison (additional 1d6 damage unless save is made).

2847 Baboon Rock: A rocky outcropping rises from the grasslands like the bow of a great ship. At its peak it towers forty feet above the surrounding grasslands. The outcropping is inhabited by a vicious tribe of rock baboons led by an alpha male who wields a bone club that once the femur of an evil high priest. It now acts as a +1 club that causes light wounds on an attack roll of ‘20’.

• Baboon: HD 1 (6 hp); AC 7 [12]; Atk 1 bite (1d4); Move 12; Save 17; CL/XP 1/15; Special: None.
• Baboon, Alpha Male: HD 2 (8 hp); AC 7 [12]; Atk 1 bite (1d6); Move 12; Save 16; CL/XP 2/30; Special: None.

2927 Shephard’s Spring: A bubbling spring, surrounded by tall reeds, exists in this hex. The spring was once a shephard who was killed and turned into a spring by a weeping goddess. For those who camp near the spring, healing is accelerated. The reeds can be turned into pipes capable of charming fairy women.

3035 Beldor’s Bedazzling Belfry: Atop a tiny cairn lies a crystalized skull. The skull belonged to Beldor, a man famed in his time as a poet and musician. Beldor foolishly courted the youngest bride of the archimage Baloc (see [5708]) and thus came to his ruination. If held, the skull will fill one’s mind with the most extravagant imagery and inspiring songs. The holder of the skull will feel more confident and amorous, and will enjoy a blessing (as the spell) on all of his endeavors, though he will also find it impossible to concentrate. He will be surprised more often, find it more difficult to locate hidden things, and spell-casting will be all but impossible.

3127 Yem’s Pavilion: A large tent of intricately woven rugs and tapestries sits in a small oasis here. Inside the tent are braziers burning incense, expensive golden objects d’art and a plush couch. Upon the couch rests a priestess, the vessel of Astarte. The priestess, Yem, is a virgin sworn to divine service. The tent is Astarte’s temple and a pilgrimage for her servants. There is a 1 in 6 chance that when the adventurers arrive it is being visited by a lawful cleric. Upon approaching, intruders who do not properly intone the seven hymns of Astarte are confronted by a flock of erinyes. Anyone harming or otherwise molesting Yem or the cult items in the tent will be attacked by the erinyes and will discover what it means for Yem to be the vessel of a goddess. Yem is willing to cast spells for good adventurers at no cost and neutral adventurers at cost plus the condition that they accept a mark of justice that keeps them from breaking the law in any settlement.

As a vessel of Astarte, Yem can be filled with the goddess’ essence, gaining the abilities of a planetar. Yem’s +1 mace is lawful, radiates protection from evil in a 10-foot radius and can apply a mark of justice on a willing person once per day.

• Yem, Cleric Lvl 6: HP 21; AC 8 [11]; Save 9; Special: Cleric spells (3rd), banish undead; +1 mace, holy symbol.

Mark of Justic (Cleric 5): You draw an indelible mark on the subject and state some behavior on the part of the subject that will activate the mark. When activated, the mark curses the subject. The spell takes 10 minutes to cast and involves writing on the target. The mark of justice cannot be dispelled, but it can be removed.

3232 Dragon Men: There is a dragon man village here consisting of 200 males, 140 females, 300 young and 400 eggs. The village is composed of twenty brass domes surrounding a large broodery. The females and young live in the broodery, while the males live in the domes. The domes are surrounded by a 10-ft high stone wall. There is a natural spring that has been turned into a pond in the center of the village.

The village is led by a haggard old chieftain called Spadda. Besides his normal warriors, he also has ten warlocks that wear chainmail and wield battle axes and short bows. The normal warriors have leather armor, spears, shields, short bows and barbed arrows.

The females of the village care for the young and hunt in the surrounding countryside for game. They are experts at the use of lasso and net, since they need to eat their prey alive. Dragon men do not need to eat or drink as much as humans, and so have little trouble surviving on the meager pickings of the Wyvern Coast.

The village has three smiths who work in bronze and iron. The village’s priest, Garros, worships Apophis, the dragon god of chaos. His mace is made of bronze and resembles a serpent coiled around a rod.

• Spadda, Barbarian Lvl 5: HP 23; AC 4 [15]; Save 12; Two-handed axe, crown of command (3/day).
• Garos, Cleric Lvl 3: HP 20; AC 4 [15]; Save 12; Special: Cleric spells (2nd); +2 mace, shield, sacrificial knife, unholy symbol.

3239 Gnoblin Village: This hex contains a gnoblin (a hybrid of gnolls and goblins) lair. The lair consists of twenty-four shallow pits (burrows) covered by woven grass mats. The pits grant access to burrows which connect to a central chamber of sacrifice. The gnoblins live very separate lives in their burrows. Six large burrows house five males that form very loose bonds of brotherhood with their burrow mates. Each of the eighteen smaller burrows shelter one female and her 1d4 young.

Murder within the family is common among gnoblins, so tensions are always high and the gnoblins are always on the lookout for a third party upon whom they can focus their aggression. Each burrow holds about 30 gp. There is a 1 in 6 chance that a burrow holds a cache of 1d6 gems or 1d3 small pieces of jewelry. Most of the tribe’s treasure comes from raids on merchant caravans.

The sacrificial chamber in the center of the lair is 6 feet high and 20 feet in diameter. A fire pit 15 feet deep has been dug in the center. Sacrificial victims are lowered into the pit and then killed by dropping lit torches and hot ash on their heads. The roasted remains are then shared in an orgy of greed and violence. Sacrifices are presided over by nursing females who wear headdresses of bone and feather and dance and chant to Demogorgon, their demonic god. There is a 1 in 6 chance that adventurers will interrupt one of these ceremonies, and a further 1 in 6 chance that the chanting will summon a vrock to the tribe’s defense. In the case of a sacrifice, there will be no more than three sacrificial victims present, usually merchants, men-at-arms or unlucky hunters.

• Gnoblin: HD 1d6 hp; AC 6 [13]; Atk 1 weapon (1d6); Move 12; Save 18; CL/XP 1/15; Special: Groups of 10+ cause confusion.

3336 Giant Brothers: Three hill giant brothers lair here, grazing their herd of giant goats. The eldest brother is Hama (72 hp). His younger brothers are Golth (38 hp, lame after fighting off a wyvern) and Lot (40 hp). Hama’s bag contains a vial of holy water, pieces of plate armor, a mace, two torches, an hourglass, a two-handed sword, six iron spikes and 11 gp. Golth’s bag contains a bronze breastplate emblazoned with a two-headed phoenix, a staff, heavy crossbow, two sets of burglars’ tools and a silver flute (10 gp). Lot’s bag contains a spear, longbow, pole arm, pack of matches, a theatrical disguise kit, studded leather and a simple breastplate. The brothers’ herd consists of 30 giant goats who respond to their shouts and clicks. The giants are visited every year by a trader from Ophir who exchanges wool for tobacco and other necessities. They live in a cave higher in the mountains with their mother Lilit. The giants keep a treasure of 4,880 gp, two banded agates (75 gp), a rhodochrosite (300 gp) and an amethyst (3,000 gp) in their lair.

• Hill Giants: HD 8+2; AC 0 [19]; Atk 2 slams (2d6) or 1 weapon (1d8+6); Move 15; Save 3; CL/XP 16/3200; Special: Rock catching, shape earth, spells, track by scent.
• Lilit, Druid Lvl 8: HD 13 (70 hp); AC 0 [19]; Save 3; CL/XP 16/3200; Spells 4th; Special: Rock catching, shape earth, track by scent.
• Giant Goat (30): HD 3; AC 7 [12]; Atk 1 gore (2d6); Move 18; Save 14; CL/XP 3/60; Special: +4 damage on charge.

3344 Winding Halls of the Scarab Lords: A wide swathe of the savanna here is barren, and one might find odd lumps of glass embedded in the ground. A dozen secret doors throughout the area lead to wide, curving passages beneath the ground. These passages run downward, eventually coming to a central, conical chamber 100 yards tall and 300 yards in diameter at the base. This subterranean hall is lit by radium globes embedded in the walls, which feel like stone but are unworked and uncommonly smooth. This chamber is guarded by three large beetlors. A large, bronze trapdoor in the center of the chamber leads to a six level dungeon inhabited by many strange, alien creatures that were brought to this world by visitors from beyond the sublunary sphere. These creatures include rust monsters, coeurl, barics and doppelgangers. The main inhabitants of this realm, however, are a kingdom of beetlors, once servants to an alien people. The beetlors are ruled by a queen called Cleo’optera, but are now bitterly divided into warring clans, each led by a daughter of the queen, and each looking to gain advantage against its rivals. Alien devices and the wealth of the heavens is here to be plundered.

• Beetlor: HD 8+1; AC 1 [18]; Atk 2 claw (3d4) and 1 bite (1d10); Move 6 (Burrow 30; Save 8; CL/XP 9/1100; Special: Confusion.

3429 Canyon of Crawlers: Traversing this hex from west to east involves walking through a dry canyon with towering limestone walls pocked with holes. Moving from north to south is virtually impossible, for there is no bridge across the canyon, which spans 90 feet. During the day, the canyon is safe enough; no monsters will be encountered here unless they have the power of flight. At night, hundreds of old crawlers (disembodied hands) will swarm from the canyon walls. These horrible creations seek to strip unfortunately travelers of all their possessions, stowing their prizes deep in their burrows within the canyon walls. On a given night, each traveler moving through the valley will be accosted by 1d6 old crawlers. They do not seek to harm, merely to steal, but they will put up a fight if their would-be victims resist. Of course, regardless of the old crawler’s intentions, its touch is highly dangerous to the living. Should one manage to dig into the canyon walls, they would discover 60 gp worth of treasure for every hand that attacked them.

• Old Crawler: HD 2; AC 4 [15]; Atk 1 rotting grip (1d8); Move 6 (Scramble 12); Save 11; CL/XP 3/60; Special: Possible spell casting, good saving throws, continuous damage.

3535 Buried Library: In this hex there is, half-buried in the sands, a stepped roof, maybe four feet in height, supported by columns (though one can only just make out the capitals). One could dig their way to the entrance with several days of work, or they might find a secret trapdoor in the roof. The building is rectangular, approximately thirty feet wide and seventy feet long. A square marble desk rests in the middle of this space. The walls are lined with marble shelves that hold polished slices of agate. Any character that speaks the ancient language of the derro, will be able to translate these slcies and discover that they hold the secret to the location of hundreds of derro cave cities. Most of these cities have long been abandoned, the city-states they were assigned to destroy having fallen millenia ago. The slices also tell about the super science of the derro and describe their more unsavory appetites and hobbies.

Approximately five minutes after the site is entered, the floor in the center of the desks will slowly, almost noiselessly, descend, revealing a shaft 600 feet deep. Soon after, everyone inside the library begins to suffer terrible internal torment (1d6 damage each turn, saving throw for half damage, all of it nonlethal). After three turns, the floor re-ascends with a troop of 20 derro. The derro attempt to capture any intruders not laid low by the tormenting power of their air loom. They are armed with catch poles, nets, ray guns (green beam, 1d6 damage, 10 shots) and thin, barbed blades (1d6 damage). Anyone captured and forced down the elevator may never be heard from again.

• Derro (20): HD 3; AC 5 [14]; Atk 1 weapon; Move 12; Save 14; CL/XP 4/120; Special: Magic resistance 30%.

3746 Gnoll Lair: This gnoll lair has a population of 200 males, 120 females and 80 young. The gnolls live in small, round wattle-and-daub huts. In the center of the village is a mud brick temple dedicated to Demogorgon and a longhouse for the chieftain and his retinue. The lair is surrounded by a 3-foot deep moat and a 5-foot tall wall of thickets and sharpened sticks. A pack of twelve hyenas patrol the lair.

The males spend their time idle. They sometimes rouse themselves to eat, cuff a female or play at combat. The females oversee the human slaves in their tasks of grinding grain, baking bread, weaving baskets, preparing feasts and doing repair work. Three females, marked by their iron jewelry, do the smith work for the village. The eldest of these females is a sorcerer.

The house of Demogorgon is tended by a shaman called Jibbo. Jibbo is assisted by two blind human slaves who wear iron collars around their necks and feet and bear the scars of frequent lashings. It is their wailing that provides music for the house of Demogorgon. Demogorgon’s alter is a slab of rough-cut marble upon which rests a large, curved sword used for cermonial beheadings. Behind the altar there is a crude idol consisting of a wooden post topped by a painted giant hyena skull. Grasses, feathers and iron ornaments hang from the skull. The temple is guarded by two skeletal lions (3 HD skeletons).

The chieftain of the village is Yabba. Yabba is followed by a pack of eight bodyguards wearing leather armor and carrying spears and hide shields. Their longhouse contains 12 animal pelts (50 gp each) and a wooden chest containing 40 gp and 100 sp, mostly in the form of Ophirian shekels and Ibisian scruples.

• Hyena (12): HD 1; AC 7 [12]; Atk 1 bite (1d3); Move 16; Save 17; CL/XP 1/15; Special: None.
• Gnoll Bodyguards: HD 3 (14 hp); AC 5 [14]; Atk 1 bite (2d4) or 1 weapon (1d10); Move 9; Save 14; CL/XP 3/60; Special: None.
• Gnoll Mage-Smith Lvl 2: HP 7; AC 7 [12]; Save 14; Special: Magic-user spells (1st); Hammer, iron jewelry (5 gp).
• Jibbo, Gnoll Cleric Lvl 3: HP 12; AC 4 [15]; Save 12; Special: Cleric spells (2nd), control undead; Mace, leather armor, shield, unholy symbol, potion of poison.
• Yabba, Gnoll Fighting-Man (Barbarian) Lvl 6: HP 36; AC 5 [14]; Save 11; +1 sickle-sword, shield.

3836 Per-Bael: This ancient fortress has walls of pock-marked, limestone blocks. It is inhabited by a tribe of sahitim who call it Per-Bael, the “House of Bael”. The fortress is square in shape and measures 200 feet long and 80 feet wide. The walls of the fortress are 20 feet tall. Half of the fortress is taken up by a paved courtyard with a deep well (some say it reaches into a demi-plane of sweet water) and a garden. The sahitim grow tiger nut root, mandrake and figs and keep several bee hives made of fired clay.

The people of Per-Bael cultivate the mandrake to turn it into several goods: A powerful sleep draught, philtres of love and homonculi, which they keep in silver cages and train to be familiars. Some Ophirian traders lead caravans to the city in the winter months to trade manufactured goods (especially weapons) for these items.

Per-Bael houses 35 sahitim, their 100 wives and 40 children. The men expect the women to tend to the children, cultivate the garden and fix the meals, while they busy themselves with the arts of war and the hunt. The men keep a pack of six hell hounds for hunting.

The fortress proper consists of a ground floor with a great hall, kitchens, storage, barracks and a shrine (formerly dedicated to Lilith, now re-dedicated to Bael). The second story is used for living quarters and a library. The walls that surround the fortress and courtyard are five-feet thick and have crenelations to protect archers. The sahitim often have meat (sometimes the limbs and torsos of humanoids) skewered on pikes atop the walls, drying it like prosciutto.

The shrine measures 15 ft x 15 ft, with a 20-foot tall vaulted ceiling. The walls are carved with intertwining serpents and fig vines. There is a long, red marble altar here and four brass censors burning an acrid incense that causes non-sahitim to become drowsy (-1 to hit and saves unless a saving throw is passed). A window in the upper portion of one wall connects the shrine to the living chambers of Dramat, the high priest and lord of Per-Bael. His wife can often be found in the chamber, praying to Bael and casting auguries with bits of charred bone.

Dramat is a cleric, fighting-man and magic-user. Dramat has three wives, Gorissa, Sheboth and Haratti each an apprentice to her husband and one of his personal guards. Dramat possesses a crystal skull, the chief treasure of Per-Bael, that empowers his cleric spells, augments his summonings and allows him to commune with the infernal powers once per month. His two sickle-swords, when clanged together, create a blast of fire that inflicts 2d6 damage to all within 10 feet of Dramat once per day. Dramat is always accompanied by Zeb, his imp familiar, and a retinue of six fossil skeletons.

The lands that surround Per-Bael are desolate, but not uninhabited. Wandering the wastes, but never too far away, is another tribe of sahitim who were displaced from Per-Bael a hundred years ago and still scheme to take it back. This tribe of wanderers worships Lilith and is ruled by Ailo, a malcarna who claims to be Lilith’s daughter.

The wanderers, called the Lilitu, number 66 male and female warriors and 20 children. Females rule the Lilitu with an iron fist. They include Kora, Alula, Lamash, Labarta and Scorpia.

The Lilitu attack Per-Bael once every two or three years. Five of their warriors ride achaierai. These mounted warriors operate hand cannons responsible for the condition of Per-Bael’s walls. The hand cannons are cast from bronze and look like grimacing demons. Others have longbows and swords.

The Lilitu wander the hexes that surround Per-Bael, surviving by raiding and hunting. They dwell in tents of thick, reddish cloth and cook their stews in bronze cauldrons and can sometimes be found playing a game involving a “ball” composed of three shrunken heads tied together by their hair.

• Hell Hound (6): HD 4 (20 hp); AC 4 [15]; Atk 1 bite (1d6); Move 12; Save 13; CL/XP 5/240; Special: Breathe fire (8 hp).
• Fossil Skeleton (6): HD 2 (10 hp); AC 6 [13]; Atk 1 strike (1d6); Move 9; Save 16; CL/XP 2/30; Special: None.
• Gorissa, Sahitim Fighting-Woman Lvl 3: HP 19; AC 6 [13]; Save 14; Special: Two-Weapon Fighting; Sickle-swords (2), scale armor.
• Sheboth, Sahitim Cleric Lvl 3: HP 23; AC 4 [15]; Save 12; Special: Cleric spells (1st); +1 mace, scale armor, unholy symbol.
• Harati, Sahitim Magic-User Lvl 3: HP 17; AC 8 [11]; Save 13; Special: Magic-user spells (2nd); Wavy dagger, grimoire.
• Dramat, Sahitim Cleric/Fighter/Mage Lvl 5: HP 34; AC 5 [14]; Save 10; Special: Cleric spells (3rd), magic-user spells (3rd); +1 sickle-swords* (2), +1 leather armor, ring of protection +1, grimoire, unholy symbol, crystal skull.
• Zeb the Imp: HD 2 (3 hp); AC 2 [17]; Atk 1 sting (1d4 + poison); Move 12 (Fly 16); Save 16; CL/XP 6/400; Special: Poison tail, polymorph, regenerate 1, immune to fire.
• Ailo, Malcarna: HD 5 (30 hp); AC 3 [16]; Atk 1 tail (1d8), 3 weapons (1d8); Move 12; Save 12; CL/XP 8/800; Special: Magic resistance 25%, only hit by magic or silver weapons.
• Kora, Alula & Lamash, Sahitim Fighting-Women (Rangers) Lvl 2: HP 12; AC 5 [14]; Save 15; Sickle-sword, longbow.
• Labarta, Sahitim Cleric Lvl 2: HP 12; AC 6 [13]; Save 12; Special: Cleric spells (1st); Mace, leather armor, unholy symbol.
• Scorpia, Sahitim Cleric-Fighter Lvl 4: HP 14; AC 8 [11]; Save 12; Special: Cleric spells (2nd); Sickle-sword, leather armor, unholy symbol, potion of healing.
• Achaierai: HD 6; AC 3 [16]; Atk 2 claws (1d6), 1 bite (2d6); Move 12; Save 11; CL/XP 8/800; Special: Magic resistance 25%, breath of confusion, immune to fire.

NEW MONSTERS
The following monsters are open game content.

Amphisbaena Basilisk
An amphisbaena basilisk is a basilisk with a head and forelimbs on both ends of its body. It cannot be flanked, back attacked or surprised. Amphisbaena basilisks get two bite attacks and can make two gaze attacks each round (see normal basilisk for effect). An amphisbaena basilisk can survive being cut in half. Each half will attack as a normal basilisk with half the creature’s total hit points each. They will reattach to one another in 1 to 2 days.

• Amphisbaena Basilisk: HD 9+1; AC 3 [16]; Atk 2 bite (1d8); Move 9; Save 6; CL/XP 13/2300; Special: All-around vision, half damage from cold, petrifying gaze, split.

Beetlor
Beetlors are subterranean, insectoid predators. They have shiny, orange carapaces and yellowish underbellies. Their claws are harder than steel, allowing them to burrow through stone. Sentient creatures that look into a beetlor’s multi-faceted eyes must pass a saving throw or be confused (as the spell) for 3d4 rounds. Beetlors have their own language.

• Beetlor: HD 8+1; AC 1 [18]; Atk 2 claw (3d4) and 1 bite (1d10); Move 6 (Burrow 30; Save 8; CL/XP 9/1100; Special: Confusion.

Caryatid Column
Caryatid columns are lesser stone golems that look like stone pillars in the shape of a human female carrying a sword. When activated, a caryatid column takes on a fleshy appearance. Its sword becomes steel. When its task is complete or the construct is killed, it returns to its normal position and once again becomes stone. Caryatid columns suffer half damage from normal weapons, but suffer full damage from magical weapons (without damage bonuses). Any weapon that hits the column has a 25% chance of snapping (reduced by 5% for each “plus” of a magic weapon).

• Caryatid Column: HD 5; AC 4 [15]; Atk 1 sword (2d4); Move 9; Save 8; CL/XP 6/400; Special: Weapon snapping.

Froghemoth
Froghemoths are alien creatures that resemble massive, rubbery toads with three eyes atop a retractable eye stalk, four tentacles, and a 10-ft long tongue. When hunting, the beast floats with only its eye stalk above the water and its tentacles thrust forward, sometimes very near the shore, to seize potential victims that walk by.

While the froghemoth’s body can withstand 16 dice of damage before dying, its tentacles require 20 points of damage to sever. Severed tentacles regenerate in 1d4+1 weeks. Creature’s struck by the tongue must succeed at a saving throw or be held fast and dragged into its mouth. Any creature that begins the froghemoth’s turn in its mouth will be swallowed whole, suffering 3d6 points of acid damage per round. They can attack the stomache with a small, sharp weapon, but will be unconscious after 2 rounds. The tongue has 20 hit points. If the tongue is severed the monster will flail with its tentacles (for double damage) for 1d4+1 rounds before retreating into the water.

Froghemoths are immune to normal fire, though especially large and hot ones will drive them away. Fire spells will not drive them away unless at least 10 points of damage are dealt. Electricity attacks deal only 1 point of damage per die and slow the creature for 1 round.

• Froghemoth: HD 16; AC 3 [16], tentacles 1 [18], tongue 5 [14]; Atk 1 tongue (5d10) or 4 tentacles (1d8); Move 3 (Swim 9); Save 3; CL/XP 19/4100; Special: Swallow whole, immune to fire.

Intellect Devourer
These bizarre creatures resemble large ambulatory brains. They have four stout, thickly muscled legs ending in clawed feet. Intellect devourers dwell underground. They feed on the psychic energy of their prey. After killing their prey, an intellect devourer merges with the body and devours the brain. Their awareness extends into the ethereal and astral planes. They detest bright light and flee from it.

Intellect devourers are immune to most spells. Fireballs act only as bright light (see above), but inflict no damage on them. Lightning bolts inflict 1 point of damage per dice. Death spells only have a 25% chance of slaying them. Psychic powers work on them with no penalties.

• Intellect Devourer: HD 6; AC 3 [16]; Atk 4 claw (1d4); Move 15; Save 11; CL/XP 9/1100; Special: Sensitive to light, mind blast, spell immunity, surprise on 1-3 on 1d6, only harmed by magic weapons (1 point of damage per hit).

Planetar
Planetars are angels (less powerful than solars, more powerful than devas). Planetars can travel through the planes at will. They typically fight using +4 flaming two-handed swords. Planetars have opaline skin, glowing blue eyes and double wings. Planetars cast spells as level 9 clerics. Each planetar radiates protection from evil in a 40-ft radius. They can commune with the gods at need and remove blindness and deafness and cure disease and light wounds by touch. They automatically detect evil, illusion, invisibility, lies, magic and traps. Planetars can communicate telepathically and understand all languages. If killed anywhere but in the Empyrean Heaven, they will rematerialize there in four decades. Once per day a planetar can gate in one of the following types of creatures: 1d3 astral devas, 1d4 monadic devas or 1d6 movanic devas. Once per day they can summon: 1d4 couatl, 1d2 ki-rin or 1d2 androsphinx.

• Planetar: HD 17 (144 hp); AC -8 [27]; Atk 3 weapons (1d10+4); Move 15 (Fly 48, Swim 24); Save 3; CL/XP 29/7100; Special: Spells, magic resistance 65%, regenerate 4 hp/rd, immune to cold, lightning, magic missiles, petrification, poison, surprise, life drain, mind effects and death magic, half damage from fire.

Sahitim
Sahitim are an ancient race of men that made a deal with chaotic forces, turning into a race of half-fiends. A sahitim appears as a lean, humanoid demon with blank eyes, golden orange skin and curved, black horns. Sahitim dress neatly and elegantly, sacrificing mobility and practicality for grandeur. They prefer light, elegant weapons and light armor. Most can speak common, the alignment tongues of chaos or evil and the language of evil dragons.

Sahitim sects consist of 50 to 100 warriors plus 40% noncombatants. Sects are led by fighting-men and clerics, and might include magic-users. Sects are accompanied by 1d3+1 hell hounds, 1d6+1 lemures or 1d6+1 dretches. Sahitim rulers are usually clerics. Sahitim lairs are iron fortresses built at remote sites.

Sahitim characters enjoy a +1 bonus to intelligence, wisdom and charisma, but suffer a -1 penalty to constitution. They can see in darkness to a range of 60 feet. Their ancient pact with dark forces gives them a +2 bonus to all saving throws. They suffer only half damage from acid, cold and fire attacks. All sahitim can cast protection from good as an innate power.

• Sahitim: HD 1; AC 3 [16]; Atk 1 scimitar (1d8) or 1 longbow (1d8); Move 12; Save 17; CL/XP 3/60; Special: Half damage from acid, cold and fire, protection from good.

Svirfneblin
The svirfneblin live deep beneath the earth, ever searching for precious stones and metals. They look like hairless gnomes with brownish skin and grey eyes. Svirfneblin are akin to earth elementals, and groups of them have a 10% chance per svirfneblin to summon a medium earth elemental. Svirfneblin warriors wear chainmail and are armed with daggers and picks. Many carry hollow-tipped darts filled with poison or acid. Svirfnebli are so stealthy that they surprise on a roll of 1-2 on 1d6, and they notice odd stonework as well as dwarfs. A svirfneblin’s innate toughness and resistance to magic gives them an improved saving throw value. All svirfneblin can cast the following spells once per day: blindness, blur and change self.

• Svirfneblin: HD 3; AC 3 [16]; Atk 1 weapon (1d8); Move 9; Save 12; CL/XP 5/240; Special: Surprise on a 1-2 on d6, summon earth elemental.

Vulchling
Vulchlings are bird-like creatures with vaguely human facial features. They live in desolate places, swooping down on unsuspecting passers-bye from ledges or tall trees. A vulchling lair will contain 1d10-1 eggs. Vulchlings have been known to consort with harpies and vrocks.

• Vulchling: HD 1; AC 6 [13]; Atk 1 bite (1d4+1) or 2 claw (1d4); Move 6 (Fly 3); Save 18; CL/XP 1/15; Special: None.

Art: The Arab and his Steed, 1872, Jean-Léon Gérôme