D&D Tomb of Annihilation

(Jeff_L) #1

4 .Dwellings
ThedwellingsinKirSabalaren’tallidentical,butthey’re
similarenough.Eachisoccupiedby 2 d 4 aarakocra.A
standarddwellinghastwoorthreelevelsconnectedbya
ladder(theinteriorsaretootightforflying).Mostaarakocrain
KirSabalhavelittleinthewayofvaluables,asidefromtotems
handcraftedfromwood,feathers,scales,shells,andteeth.


5 .RoyalHouse
Perchedbetweenthemonastery(area 1 )andtheelder’shouse
(area 3 )isadwellingsimilartotheonesdescribedinarea 4.
However,thisparticularhouseisfurnishedforhumansand
belongstoMwaxanaréandNa.Itismuchfinerthantheothers,
asbefitstheirroyalstatus.
Treasure.Mwaxanaréhasmanybeautifultrinkets:silver
brushesandmirrors,crystalperfumebottles,writingquills
madefrommulticoloredparrotfeathers,jewelsforbraiding
intoherhair,necklacesandringssetwithfieryChultanopals
andamber.Alltogether,theseareworth 330 gp,buttobe
caughtinKirSabalwithitemsstolenfromMwaxanarémeans
death—andsincenooneinKirSabalwouldeversteal,
suspicionautomaticallyfallsonthecharactersifanything
disappears.


Kitcher’sInlet


TheRiverOlungpoursintothisshallowbaynamedafterIlyber
Kitcher,apompousCormyreanexplorerwhoclaimedtohave
discovereditafewcenturiesago.Hedidnosuchthing,of
course;theinlet’sexistenceandlocationwerewellknown
beforeKitchermissedtheBayofChult(hewasaterrible
navigator)andunknowinglysaileddownthepeninsula’s
easterncoastbeforeastormblewhimbackwithinsightof
land.Thereisnothingremarkableabouttheinlet,otherthanit
providesaccesstotheruinsofPortCastigliarandMezro.


LakeLuo


Thislakesitsaboveanimmensegeothermalsink,whereit’s
heatedbyvolcanicventsandbylavastreamingdownfromthe
ValleyofEmbers.Portionsofthelakeareactuallyboiling,
sendingupcloudsofsteamthatcanbeseenformiles.The
wateristoohotandtooalkalineforfishoranyothertypeof
aquaticlifetosurviveinit,andtheshorearoundthelakeisa
deadwastelandofashandsaltflats.Asidefrommudmephits
andsteammephits,fewcreaturesthriveinthearea.Thewater
coolsandlosesmostofitsalkalinityasitflowsnorthalongthe
RiverOlung.


LandofAshandSmoke


Thishellish,smokyseaofblackvolcanicrockistraced
withstreamsoflava.TheLandofAshandSmokeisa
playgroundforfirenewtsandforTzindelor,ayoungred
dragon(see“WyrmheartMine”),wholikestobatheinthelava
streams.Thisgray,barrenvalleyistypically 20 to 40 degrees
hotterthananywhereelseinChult.Itreceivesonlyafraction
oftherainthatfallsontherestofthepeninsula,andwhatrain
doesfallrapidlyevaporatesinthepunishingheat.Several
expeditionshavetriedtoexplorethearea,butmostofwhat’s
knownaboutit(andshownonSyndraSilvane’smap)isbased
onvisualobservationsmadefromatopthecoastalmountains.


LocationsM-P...........................................................................................................................................................................


Mbala


A 1 , 800 - foot-highplateauwithsheercliffsrisesabove
heapsofbouldersaslargeasships.Anarrowpathiscut
intotheclifffaceandseemstoclimballthewaytothe
top.
Theplateau’ssheercliffscanbescaled,butonlywitha
climbingkit,proficiencyintheAthleticsskill,andatleast 300
feetofrope.
Thepathisamucheasierroutetothetop.Itbeginsonthe
northsideoftheplateau.Throughmanyswitchbacks,itwinds
acrosstheclifffacefor 3 milesbeforereachingthetop.The
pathwidthvariesbutaverages 5 feet.Tumbledbouldersand
tangledrootsblockthepathinmanyplaces,butaslongas
charactersaren’tbeingchasedbyanything,theycanclearthe
obstructionssafely.Thefirstascenttakes 3 hours;oncethe
roadiscleared,itcanbeclimbedordescendedinhalfthat
time.
Asthecharactersclimbeverhigherabovethetreeline,
theyaretreatedtostunningviewsofthesurrounding
wilderness.AcrosstheAldaniBasintothesoutheast,theycan
seetheHeartofUbtao,andnestledinthejungletothewestis
thezigguratatOrolunga.CharacterswhosucceedonaDC 20
Wisdom(Perception)checkalsospotsomesortofshipwreck
inthejungle,beyondtheplateaustothesouth(see“Wreckof
theStarGoddess”).
Aboutahundredfeetbelowthelipoftheplateau,thepath
(whichisproceedingwestacrossthecliffatthatpoint)veers
directlyintoanaturalcleftinthestoneface.Stepsarecutinto
the 15 - foot-widecrevice,andscenesofjunglepredators,flying
lizards,anderuptingvolcanoesarecarvedinshallowrelief
ontothewallsinwaysthatmakecreativeuseofthenatural
shapeoftherock.Whenthecharactersreachthetopofthe
steps,read:
Thestonestepsemergeontothetopoftheplateau
beneathaoncegrand,butnowdecrepitwooden
gateway.Thegatesthatsealedthisentrancearerotted
away;onlytheirrustedironhingesandreinforcing
bandsremain.Intheirplaceareheapsofhumanskulls.
Pickedcleanofallfleshandbleachedwhitebythesun,
theygrinupatyoufromtheroadwayanddownfrom
atoptoweringmounds.

TheskullsareallthatremainofMbala’sformerresidents.
Thecitizensweredevouredbyahagposingasawitchdoctor.
Alltheskullsshowsignsofhavingbeengnawedon.Thehagis
nowMbala’ssolelivingresident.
Tomoveoffthesteps,charactersmusteitherwade
throughheapsofskullsorclimboverthesidesofthestaircase
andgoaroundthegate.Evidenceofawoodenpalisadecanbe
seen,butit,too,isalmostentirelygoneorfallenover.
Mbalawasoncetheseatofasmallkingdom.Mostofthe
structureswerewoodandthatch,andthey’renowjust
crumblingcompostheapsdemolishedbyrain,wind,andtime.
Afewstonefoundationsandovergrownrampspokeup
throughthedebris,indicatingthiswasmorethanjustasimple
village.
NannyPu’pu
IfthecharactersexploretheruinsofMbala,read:
Free download pdf