cragslikeriverscrashingdownamountainside.Atlast
theemergingislandstopsgrowinginsize,althoughthe
seaaroundstilltossesyourshiplikeadriftingfeather.
Thenahugeblastofsteameruptsfromthewaves,and
throughthedrifting,rainbow-crossedmist,youseean
immensebeakandamilkyeyethesizeofahogshead
caskstaringblindlyinyourdirection.Asthewater
calms,youalsospotadozenormoresharkfinscircling
theship.
AremagspeaksfirstinDraconic;ifnooneanswers
intelligibly,itswitchestoAquan.
Duringthenegotiation,thedragonturtleslowlycircles
theship.Atfirst,charactersmustcontinuallycirclethedeckof
theshiptomaintainface-to-facecontactwiththecreature,but
eventuallyitcreatesaneddythatcausestheslooptorevolve
ataratematchingAremag’smotion.Itshouldbeobviousto
everyonethatthedragonturtlecouldeasilysinkthevessel.
Aremagdemandstributeforsafepassagebutdoesn’t
specifyanamount.Thoseaboardmustthrowvaluablesintoa
sack,inviewofAremag,untilthedragonturtleissatisfied
withtheoffering.Aremagextortsadifferentamountfrom
everyvessel,dependingonhowrichitsuspectsthecargotobe
andhowgreedyitfeelsatthemoment.Todeterminethe
minimumvalueingoldpiecesAremagwillaccept,roll 2 d 4 ×
50 gp.Aseachfreshofferingisdisplayedandaddedtothesack,
thedragonturtleroars“More!”untilthetotalreachesor
exceedsitsminimum.Ifcharactersactridiculousaboutthis—
addingonlyapittanceatatime,forexample—Aremag
impatientlyblowsablastofsteambreathabovetheshipand
slapsthehullwithitstail,causingeveryonenotbelowdeckto
makeasuccessfulDC 15 StrengthorDexteritysavingthrowor
tumbleoverboard.Thebayisfullofreefsharks,andanyone
whostaysinthewatermorethan 3 roundsisattackedby 1 d 4
ofthem.
Somenegotiationispossible.AsuccessfulDC 15 Charisma
(Persuasion)checkcanpersuadeAremagthatthepassengers
havenomoretogive,providedthey’veplacedatleast 50 gpof
valueintothesack.Onlyonecharactercanmakethecheck;
otherscanaid,iftheycontributeaconvincinglypitiablepleato
theargument.Thecheckismadewithdisadvantageifthesack
containslessthan 100 gpinvalue,orwithadvantageifthe
sackcontains 150 gpormore.Everytimethischeckistried
andfailed,Aremagreactsasdescribedabove,asifcharacters
wereaddingonlyafewgoldpiecesatatime.
Whentheofferingissufficient,Aremagannounces“Heave
itover!”ThebagcanbetossedontoAremag’scraggyback,into
hismouth,ordirectlyintothewater.Thedragonturtle
submergeswithoutfurthertalk,causingtheshiptopitchand
rollviolentlyuntiltheseacalmsdown.Characterscanwatch
theenormousdiskofitsshellswimmingdownintotheclear
waterofthebayuntilitdisappearsinthelightlessdepths.
CampRighteous
Youcomeuponanabandonedriversidecampstrewn
withwreckage.Thetentsaremoldyandtattered,andall
thepermanentstructuresappeartohaveburnedtothe
ground.Twointactrowboatsaretiedofftoashortdock.
Northofthecampisaridge,builtintowhichisan 80 -
foot-tallstonestatuecarvedtolooklikeamanwithacrocodileonhisback.Betweenthestatue’sfeetisa
stonearchwayleadingtoadarktunnel.Totheleftofthe
statueisacrudeanimalpenwithasmall,panickedbird
runningaroundinsideit.Therearenoothersignsof
life.
WhentheOrderoftheGauntletfirstbroughtitswaragainst
undeadtoChult,itsmembersestablishedthisbasecamp(map
2. 3 )aroundanancientChultanshrine,whichlocalguidescall
theHouseoftheCrocodile.Theshrinewasn’tthefocusofthe
order’sactivity,butitwasanobjectofintensecuriosity.
Despitebeinginruins,theshrine’strapswerestillactive,and
theyovercametheorder’sattemptstoreachtheheartofthe
shrine.
Theoverconfidentvisitorsneglectedtobuilddefenses
aroundthecamp,believingthattheirownstrongarmswere
sufficientprotection.Acouplemonthsago,theywereproved
tragicallywrongwhenhundredsofundeadswarmedoutof
thejungleandoverranthecamp.Onlyahandfulofwarriors
escapedfromthatslaughter.Nobodiesremaininthecamp;
theremainsofeveryonewhodieddefendingithaveeither
beenburiedbythesecondwaveoftemplars(nowatCamp
Vengeance)ordraggedawaybyjunglescavengers.
Whencharactersarrive,thecampisbeingwatchedbya
partyofBatirigoblinsconsistingoftwogoblinsperplayer
character.LeadingthegroupisagoblinbossnamedYokka.
Thegoblinswearwoodenmasksandhideinthefoliagenorth
ofthecamp.Theybelievetheshrineiscursed,sotheyavoidit.
However,Yokkahadavisionofatreasureinsidetheshrine
thatcouldmakehimagreatfigureinhistribe,soheandhis
followershavespentthelasttendaytryingtoworkupthe
couragetotackletheshrine’straps.Thearrivalofadventurers
isagreatboonfromYokka’spointofview.Iftheydefeatthe
shrine’straps,hecansimplytakeitstreasurefromthemas
theyemerge.Iftheydon’t,theymightatleastweakenthe
shrine’sdefenses.
Yokka’sbandbedevilsthepartywithoutrevealingits
presenceuntilthefinalmoment.Forexample,ifnoguardis
lefttowatchovertheparty’sboats,thegoblinsstealthemor
knockholesintheirbottoms.Ifallthepartymembersenter
theshrine,thegoblinssetupanambushoutside.Ifallelsefails,
thegoblinsusehornsandanimalcallstodrawtheattentionof
nearbyundead( 1 d 8 zombiesand 1 d 8 skeletons)oraggressive
beasts(ahungryallosaurusand 1 d 4 + 1 axebeaks).
1 .CommandTents
TemplarsfromtheOrderoftheGauntletremoved
everythingofvaluefromthesetentswhentheycameto
inspectthesceneofthedisaster.Acharacterwhopokes
aroundinoneofthesetentshasa 1 - in- 6 chanceofstirringup
apoisonoussnake.
2 .Soldiers’Tents
Allthetentsareruinedonewayoranother.Mostwere
slashedbyclawsorweaponsduringthefight,andallthe
canvasisatthepointofdisintegrationfrommildewandjungle
rot.
3 .Burned-OutShrine
Duringthebattle,overturnedlampsstartedfiresinthe
templars’partiallybuiltshrine,settingablazethestockpileof
materialthatwasmeanttobecomepermanentbarracks.All
thatremainsisaburnt-outruin.