Lost Turismond Part Four: The Great Cavern
Far under the earth the dwarves of Turismond dug into an enormous cavern. Called the Great Cavern (Uglat Duz) by the dwarves and Eog by the inhabitants, the cavern covers about 200 square miles. From the depths of the Jade Sea to the cavern roof is 1,500 feet.
Background: History of Eog
In the distant past a faerie race came to the Great Cavern from the surface to flee from the advance of humans. They lit the darkness with magical lights and built a city on an outcropping of rock on the floor of the cavern. But they grew to miss the sun and the life of the surface. Some of the people returned to the surface and were never heard from again. Those that remained worked relentlessly on the problem. One of their greatest priests bound a demon being of fire in a crystal prison and placed him near the roof of the cavern creating light. Plants and animals that had been brought with them were released in the cavern. Water was redirected into the cavern from underground streams creating rivers and the Jade Sea. A new city was built at the mouth of the largest of these rivers.
To maintain order and do the manual labour the faerie race befriended a primitive human cave dwelling tribe and brought them to the cavern. These were the ancestors of the Guk.
Centuries passed and the fairie race grew corrupt and lazy. The Guk were no longer given a voice in the affairs of the community and they were treated as slaves. The imprisoned demon Jagga appeared in the dreams of the Guk leaders convincing them to revolt.
The revolt succeeded. All but a handful of the protectors were murdered in their beds. A few fled into the tunnels. But Jagga did not succeed in getting out of his prison. There was a guardian that the Guk were unable to defeat. So, Jagga sent the Guk out a capture humans who were found in tunnels near to the surface world. These humans were released into the jungles to develop the skills needed to free Jagga.
It remained like this for a 100 years. The Guk kidnap human warriors and priests and send them to Im. None have returned. Then the dwarves found there way into the Great Cavern. Now, Jagga had encountered a species capable of freeing him. Through careful manipulation, Jagga had the Guk convince the dwarves of incredible treasure waiting to be found on the island of Im. The dwarves took the bait and came to the island defeating the guardian. But the Dwarven leader was shrewd and so through the deception and stopped before completely releasing Jagga. Partially freed an enraged Jagga summoned demons to attack the dwarves. The dwarves fought a delaying action and returned to the mines and blocked the entrances to the cavern.
Now the paths are open again and creatures are beginning to find their way into the Cavern. Jagga has been slumbering but he is beginning to sense that his freedom is at hand and he is starting to wake again.
A note about time and distance
The Great Cavern is far beneath the surface but it has a light source and plants and animals. Light in the cavern comes from a orange-yellow globe of fire near the cavern roof directly over the Great Temple on the Island of Im. The light is not constant, dimming and brightening on occasion but it never goes out or moves. The inhabitants of the Cavern have evolved to sleep during this never ending “day” and do not have a good concept of time. The passage of time is measured in “strides” which is about the amount of time it takes to march 3 miles through the jungle. For surface dwellers this is 3 miles in 6 hours.
Surface dwellers coming to the Cavern will have trouble sleeping and telling time and distance. The chance of getting lost increases (from 1-3 on 1d6 to 1-4 on 1d6).
Wandering Monsters
In the Great Cavern wandering monsters should be checked for twice per day (1-2 on 1d6). If characters are travelling by river there is a separate table.
General Wandering Monster Table
% Roll Monster Encountered Number Appearing HD
01-02 Bee, Giant 2-8 1/2
03-05 Antelope 10-20 1-4
06-19 Tribal Human 4-8 2
20-25 Living Rock Statue 1-3 5
26-30 Allosaurus 1 13
31-35 Triceratops 2 11
36 Tyrannosaurus Rex 1 20
37-40 Tiger Beetle 2-8 3+1
41 Trachodon 1 14
42-45 Ankylosaurus 1 7
46-48 Dimetrodon 1 7
49 Scorpion, Giant 1 4
50-55 Guk Hunting party 8 2
56 Brontosaurus 1-3 26
57-60 Grangeri 1 13
61-65 Roc, Small 1-2 6
66-70 Insect Swarm 1 swarm 2-4
70-75 Horned Chameleon 1-3 5
76-80 Giant Rattlesnake 1-2 4
81-90 Panther 1-6 4
91-94 Rock Baboon 2-12 2
95-00 Giant Black Widow Spider 1-3 3
River Travel
A special wandering monster chart is used for travel on the rivers and sea.
River/Sea Travel Wandering Monster Table
1d20 Monster Encountered Number Appearing HD
1-2 no encounter
3-5 Giant Sea Snake 1 3
6 Brontosaurus 1 26
7 Plesiosaurus 1 16
8-10 Fish, Giant (piranha) 2-8 3+3
11-13 Crab, Giant 1-2 3
14-16 Crocodile 1-6 2
17-19 Fish, Giant (catfish) 1 8+3
20 Crocodile, Giant 1 15
All of these monsters are in the Rulebooks or in Module X1: The Isle of Dread. The only exception are the Guk for which the entry for Neanderthals should be used. A number of these monsters are far too powerful for adventurers of the levels for this adventure. Adventurers will need to hide or run from them. The larger dinosaurs will not take notice of adventurers unless they are in a big group and make a lot of noise.
Sites in the Great Cavern
Turismond Mine - the mine enters the cavern behind a waterfall that creates the Maji River. The location is at the head of a gorge that is located 500 feet up the wall of the cavern. At the foot of the gorge the Graguth jungles begin, a full 400 feet further down the cavern wall.
Maji River - the river winds from the gorge entrance to the Cavern from the Mines down to the Jade Sea. For much of its length it is a winding, 100 foot wide fast flowing river. Travelling down the river will save adventurers a lot of time and removes the chance of getting lost. It is also a lot safer than the jungles. Travelling by canoe on the river is at 18 miles per day.
Pagar Village - this human tribe calls themselves the Pagar or “free” people. They worship a green skinned protector figure that is one with the jungle. Their village is built on stilts in the middle of the Maji River offering protection from most predators and Guk raiding parties. Their legends tell that they came from somewhere else and that a race of short, bearded humans will lead them back to their home.
Imar Village - the human Imar tribe have a palisaded village right on the edge of a grassland area of the cavern. They scatter into the grasslands when the Guk or strangers appear.
Taji Village - the Taji tribe were originally members as the same tribe as the Pagar. But they came under the influence of the Guk. They have turned to worship of Jagga and hold contests of strength to send their best warriors to the Stone City.
Jafari Village - the Jafari live in stone buildings carved into the valls of a river gorge high up the side (200 feet) of the cavern. Legends say that demigods made of stone taught them how to carve the buildings from the rock.
Fani Village - The Fani tribe have no interaction with the Guk. They are made up of humans who escaped the Stone City and fled as far as they could from the influence of the Guk. Their village is located in a marsh along a river near the Jade Sea. Their buildings are wooden huts sitting on tall platforms.
Stone City - Stone city is the home of the Guk people. They call their city Kamosh. The city is encircled by a wall of enormous stones. Guk legends tell that they built the wall shortly after they became free. The buildings in the city are built from white marble and are well beyond the capabilities of the Guk. They are remnants from their enslavers. There is an enormous stepped pyramid in the center of the city. The Guk have a single ship for sailing out to the Isle of Im. It is manned by human slaves and human overseers who have aligned themselves with the Guk.
Graguth Jungles - the majority of the cavern is covered in tropical jungle. It rains only rarely in the Cavern but their is a constant mist that is enough to provide for jungle growth. In the jungles are the monstrous inhabitants of a Lost World. Adventurers attempting to travel unaided overland through the jungle will soon be lost. Local human tribesman have an unerring sense of direction in the cavern and can be used as guides.
Jade Sea - the sea is only 18 miles across but it seems like a sea to the inhabitants of the Cavern. It is also not very deep, being 200 feet deep at the lowest point.
The Isle of Im - only the Temple of the Overlords remains of the original city that used to reside on the island. The prison of Jagga is located here.
 |
| Mist Shrouded village of the Pagar |
Encounter 1: The Pagar
Once the adventurers leave the Mines of Turismond and follow the trail 3 miles along the Maji River they descend 400 feet to the Graguth jungles. Once they exit the gorge the source of the “sunshine” will be revealed to be a fiery orb low on the horizon. An enormous jungle spreads out before them covered in mist. Misty precipitation falls at all times. Particularly cruel Game Masters may want to increase the chance that equipment rusts or rots and becomes unusable. There is plenty of fruits and vegetables at hand in the jungle so it is unlikely adventurers will starve but they may be eaten.
Shortly, after taking in the view, the adventurers will hear a loud braying, hooting noise followed by the crashing in the jungle of some enormous beast. A dimetrodon staggers into view out of the jungle. The creature is a 10 foot long lizard with a long neck, smallish head with a mouth of sharp teeth. It has a long tail and an enormous sail on its back. It is coming for the adventurers but is seemingly oblivious of them. Protruding from its back are two wooden spears.
The adventurers have one round to react (flee or fight) and one round of fighting before help arrives in the form of four, young Pagar warriors.
Dimetrodon (1): AC 5, HD 7, HP (35)15, #AT 1 bite, Dmg 2-16, Save F4, ML 8, AL Neutral. The hit points in brackets is its normal maximum. It has been injured by several spear thrusts.
Pagar Warriors (4): AC 9, HD 3, HP see below, #AT 1 spear, Dmg 1-6, Save F3, ML 10, AL Lawful. These four warriors are Dayo (female) HP 17, Bidemi HP 18, Mayowa HP 15, and their leader Adebayo HP 22. Adebayo is the oldest at what looks to be about 22, while Mayowa is only 15.
The Pagar are hunting meat for their tribe. Antelope, deer or baboon are preferred but they have only be able to find this great lizard. They dug a pitfall trap for it and speared it but the pit was too soft-sided and the lizard escaped. They have been tracking it for ½ a stride. These Pagar warriors will welcome strangers if those strangers aided in the kill and make no moves to take the meat. They will invite adventurers to their village to meet the elders which is only 1 stride away downriver. If there are non-humans in the group of adventurers they will show a lot of curiosity. Dwarves will be treated with great respect.
 |
| Pagar Village Map |
The Pagar village consists of ten huts of varying size. Most are about 20 feet in diameter. The huts are built on wooden platforms in the river Maji. The Pagar rely on the river for fish for food and for protection. The Pagar know that the Guk are deathly afraid of water. A rickety bridge of single plants 4 inches wide runs from the meeting hut to the beach. The planks can be quickly dropped in the water or pulled up to protect the village. Until recently there was an eleventh hut but it was destroyed by the attack of a giant crocodile. The cleaned, skeletal head of the crocodile rests on the floor of the Meeting Hut and is used by the chief as a throne.
The Pagar tribe numbers sixty members in total. Adventurers who come to the village will likely note that there are about 25 children, 20 young adults and only 15 elders. There are only eight men in their late twenties. The Pagar hunting parties are often attacked by monsters, Guk or Taji raiders. It has lead to most of the warriors being captured.
Recently the chief’s son, a warrior of great renown, was captured by the Taji. The chief who is elderly went to the wisewoman for advice. She went told the chief that strange warriors would come soon who would put an end to the troubles of the Pagar. The chief has chosen to interpret this that the adventurers who recently arrived will rescue his son.
Chief Tefo (1): AC 9, HD 1, HP 4, MV 120’, #AT 0, Dmg 0, ML 10, AL Lawful, S 8, I 15, W 14, D 6, C 8, Ch 14. Tefo is a old warrior who rose to lead the tribe many strides ago. Now he is old and worn out. His wife is dead. His pride is his son Thokgamo. He will do just about anything to rescue his son. He will ask adventurers to rescue his son from the Taji tribe. He will provide food, and four warriors as guides (the same four encountered earlier). If he believes it is necessary to convince the adventurers he will offer a poultice of healing and his magic spear+1, +2 vs great lizards. If he believes the adventurers are motivated by greed, he will tell them that the Guk horde piles of gold in the Stone City storerooms (true). The chief has nothing good to say about the Taji tribe. They are humans that have lost their way. They numbers tricksters (thiefs) and witch docters (wizards) amongst their number. They are worse then the Guk to the Pagar. The Guk are simply acting in their nature. The Taji are evil in their eyes.
Wisewoman Rehanna (1): AC 9, C4, HP 12, MV 120’, #AT 1 stone knife, Dmg 1-4, ML 10, AL Lawful. S 12, I 17, W 17, D 14, C 10, Ch 12. Spells: Cure Light Wounds, Detect Evil, Know Alignment. She was taught to speak Dwarven by the wisewoman. It is a secret language passed down by wise women for generations.
Rehanna has only been the wisewoman for a short time. She wanted to be a warrior but the previous wisewoman Lorei picked her out and began training her just as she was becoming old enough to hunt. She will invite herself along to rescue Thokgamo if the adventurers seem honest.
Rehanna makes a poultice that can be spread on wounds and function like a potion of healing. She has a small, clay pot with six applications in it. It takes many strides to make more of the poultice and it requires special plants found in the jungle.
No comments:
Post a Comment