D&D Tomb of Annihilation

(Jeff_L) #1

Ifcharactersmisstheholeinthewallasthey’researching
downthecisternwall,theyfindaheapofbricksonthebottom
ofthecistern.Searchingupwardfromthediscardedbricks
leadsthemtotheholeautomatically.


PterafolkNest
Aflockoftwentypterafolknestsinacavejustbelowthe
southernlipoftheplateau.Itcanbereachedbyclimbingdown
thecliffface,butcharacterswhoscouttheareacarefullyand
succeedonaDC 13 Wisdom(Perception)checklocateachute
intherocks 70 feetbackfromthecliff.Thischimneyiswide
enoughforaSmallcreature,orforaMediumcreaturewho’s
wearingnothingheavierthanlightarmor,tosqueezethrough.
Afterwormingdown 30 feet,itdropsintothebackofthe
pterafolkcave,whichisroughlytriangularinfloorplan: 30
feetwideatthemouth, 60 feetdeep,and 20 feethigh.The
pterafolkareunawarethatthisbackentrancetotheircave
exists.
Thepterafolkkeepnowatch,believingtheircliffside
retreatisimpregnable.Stealthycharacterscanenterthecave
unnoticed.Atanygiventime, 2 d 6 pterafolk(seeappendixD)
arepresentinthecave.Therestareouthunting,butthey’ll
returnbeforenightfall.
Treasure.Inthebackhalfofthecavearethebodiesoftwo
partiallyeatenexplorers.Adiscardedbackpacknearthem
contains 6 gpinapouch,asilvereddagger,andapotionof
greaterhealing.


Mezro


NothingaboutthisChultancityiswhatitseems.Byall
accounts,MezrowasdestroyedbytheSpellplague,andits
ruinsindicateasmuch.Intruth,thecity’simmortaldefenders
—thebarae—usedtheirgod-givenmagictotransportthe
entirecitytoaparadise(amagicallyconstructeddemiplane,
farfrompryingeyes).Emptyruinswereleftbehindtocreate
theimpressionthatMezrohadbeendestroyed.Itisnotknown
ifandwhentheMezroansandtheircitywillreturn.
Oneofthebarae,ahumanpaladinnamedAlisanda,iswed
toArtusCimber.Thetwofellinlovemorethanacenturyago,
afterArtushelpeddefendMezroagainsttheevilwarlordRas
Nsiandhisundeadhorde.Beforesheallowedherselftobe
spiritedawayalongwiththerestofthecity,Alisanda
promisedArtusthatshewouldreturntoChultwhenthecity
wasnolongerinperil.
Artuswon’tendangertheMezroansbyrevealingthetruth
abouttheircity.AlthoughtheRingofWintermakeshim
immortal,hehasgrownimpatientintheinterveningyearsand
longsforAlisanda’sreturn.Hevisitstheruinsfromtimeto
timetoseewhat,ifanything,haschanged.Whenhe’snotat
theruins,he’ssearchingthejunglesofChultforOrolunga,
anotherruinedcity,inthehopesofconsultingwithaprescient
guardiannagabelievedtodwellthere.


ExploringtheRuins
Theruinsthatwereleftbehindformacircle.Fourmain
avenuestothenorth,south,east,andwestmeetatacentral
plaza.Thewholeruinhassubsidedoverthecenturies,sothat
waterfromtheRiverOlungflowsovertheancientwharfs.
Crumbling,vine-coveredbuildingsriseabovetheflooded
streetsthatarenowmorelikecanalsthanroadways.Thesite
iseerilyquiet.
TheruinshavebeenthoroughlyransackedbytheFlaming
FistinthenameofBaldur’sGate,andFlamingFistpatrolsstill
visitthesiteregularly—partlyastrainingfornewrecruits,


partlytomakesurenothingwasmissed.Neithertreasurenor
cluesremainfortheplayercharacterstofindhere.

Mistcliff


TheMistcliffisa 1 , 000 - foot-highwallofvolcanicrockthat
stretchesfor 200 milesalongChult’swestcoast.Thereisno
beachwhatsoever,justimmense,jaggedrocksandplunging,
crashingwaves.Ifthatisn’tenoughtokeepmostpeopleaway,
thecliffsarehometolargeaarakocrasettlements,aswellas
nestsofpteranodonsandquetzalcoatluses.

Nangalore


Thisgreatgarden(map 2. 12 )wasbuilttohonorZalkoré,a
vainOmuanqueen.Itsbuilder,Thiru-taya,wasZalkoré’s
foremostgeneralandconsort.Intheirtime,thegardenwas
calledKa-Nanji,theHangingGardenofDreams.Ka-Nanjiwasa
palatialretreatfromtheintriguesandpressuresofOmu,and
thebeautiful,tieredgardenwaspraisedasaworthytributeto
thequeen.
Unceasingflatteryfesteredwithpoisonousvanityin
Zalkoré’sminduntilshebargainedwithanerinyestoretain
heryouthandbeautyforever.Theerinyesfulfilledthedealby
transformingthequeenintoamedusa.Whenknowledgeof
herevilbargainspreadthroughtherealm,thearmyforced
ZalkorétoabdicateandexiledhertoKa-Nanji,whichbecame
knowneverafterasNangalore,theGardenofLostDreams.
BelievingthatThiru-tayawasamongthegeneralswho
exiledher,Zalkorédefacedallthestatuesandportraitsofhim
inNangalore.Shelearnedhehadstayedtruetoherallhislife,
throughdecadesofimprisonmentanddisgraceinOmu,only
whenhisasheswerebroughttothegardenforinterment,as
washisdyingwish.Zalkorécultivateshallucinogenicplantsin
thegarden,becauseonlyintheirnarcotic,lotusdreamscan
sheconjureupthefaceofherdeadlove.
CharacterscandiscoverZalkoré’stragicstoryby
interpretingcarvingsthroughoutthegarden.Ifthatmakes
themsympathetictowardher,sobeit,buthertragedydidn’t
ennobleZalkoréormakeherabetterperson;itturnedher
intoamonster.
Themedusaisnotaloneinthecursedgarden.Eblisserve
herassentinelsandspies.Colorfulparrotsandcanariesflock
tothegarden’sgreatvarietyofplants,someofwhichare
hostiletowardvisitors.Finally,braveChultanssometimes
seekoutZalkoréasasortofjunglemystic,eithertolearnthe
secretsofherhallucinogenicplantsortoaskquestionsabout
thedistantpast.
Nangaloreliesahalf-milefromtheRiverOlung.Thanksto
centuriesofsiltinganderosion,oneoftheriver’stributaries
floodsrightuptothegardengate(area 1 ),makingthesite
easytoreachbyboat.TravelingtoNangalorebyfootisa
nightmare,sincethelandwithin 1 mileisnothingbutboggy
marsh.
Thegardenhasmultiplelevels.Map 2. 12 useselevation
markerstoindicatehowhighthelevelsarerelativetothe
ground.Somekeyedlocationscontainmultiplelevels;for
example,area 4 is 25 feetabovegroundlevel,withacrumbled
10 - foot-highbalcony( 35 feetabovegroundlevel)anda 20 -
foot-deeppit( 5 feetabovegroundlevel).
ThroughoutNangaloreareinscriptionswritteninOld
Omuan.Acharacterwiththecloisteredscholarorsage
backgroundcantranslateanOldOmuaninscriptionwitha
successfulDC 10 Intelligence(History)check.Awarlockwith
theEyesoftheRuneKeeperinvocationcandoso
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