understandingthatshewasexiledhere.Shecanmake
contradictorystatementsaboutherselfandherpastwithout
anyapparentcognitivedissonance.
Characterscanhaveapleasant,somewhatinformative
encounterwithZalkoréiftheyabidebythreeconditions:
DisturbingThiru-taya’sashesordamaginghisstatueare
unpardonable.Ifcharactersdideither,thenafighttothe
deathisguaranteed.
Thefirsttimesomeonemakesadisparagingremark
aboutThiru-tayaorreferstohis“betrayal,”theydrawa
furiousresponsefromZalkoré,butsherecomposes
herself.Ifithappensasecondtime,abattleisassured.
IfsomeonesnatchesawayZalkoré’sveil,makesagrab
fortheblackorchid,orbringsoutamirror,theirfateis
sealed.Ifsomeoneaskswhyshewearsaveil,Zalkoré
repliesthatshenolongerdesirestoshowherfaceto
anyonebutherbelovedThiru-taya.
Aslongasthemeetingremainscordial,Zalkorécanreveal
muchaboutOmu.Shecandirectcharacterstoitsgeneral
location(“betweenthefirepeaksandthegreatironmineof
thedwarves”)andwarnsthemthatyuan-ticovetthecity.She
knowsnothingabouttheSoulmongerorthedeathcurse.She’s
heardthatatleastoneofherdescendantsisinhidingwiththe
birdfolkofKirSabal,awaitingtherestorationofthemonarchy.
(TheseareexamplesofhowZalkorésimultaneouslythinksof
herselfasstilltherulingqueenofOmuasitwascenturiesago,
andisalsoawarethecityhasfallenandshe’sinexile.Both
situationscoexistinherhallucinatoryreality.)
BlackOrchid.Charactersinsearchofablackorchidfor
Asharra’sritual(see“KirSabal”)findonehere,butZalkoré
won’tpartwithitunlessthecharactersofferhersomethingof
equalbeauty.Aspayment,shedemandsagemstone,apieceof
jewelry,oranartobjectworthatleast 500 gp.(Shewon’t
acceptlesserqualitygoodsofequalvalue.)Zalkoréisalso
attractedtocharacterswithaCharismaof 16 orhigherand
willacceptonesuchcharacterasaslaveinexchangeforthe
flower.TheblackorchidinZalkoré’spossessionistheonlyone
tobefoundinNangalore.
PoisonousHospitality.IfZalkoréresolvestokillthe
charactersoveranoffensebutthesituationisstillmore-or-
lesscordial,sheoffersfoodanddrink.Sheringsasilver
handbell,andaneblisservant(seeappendixD)arriveswitha
trayoffruitandwine.Allofitisartfullydrugged;the
contaminationcanbedetectedonlybysomeonewhohas
proficiencyinMedicineandwhosucceedsonaDC 13 Wisdom
(Medicine)check.Zalkorépartakes,butshe’sbuiltupsucha
tolerancethatthisdosewon’taffecther.Characterswhoeator
drinkmustmakeasuccessfulDC 15 Constitutionsavingthrow
orbepoisonedfor 1 houroruntiltheydrink 2 quartsofwater.
Thiru-Taya.WhenZalkoréisreducedto 63 hitpointsor
fewer,shecallsouttoherdeadloverforprotection.Thespirit
ofThiru-Tayaanswersthecall,appearingasabarelyvisible
10 - foot-tallapparitionofaChultanwarriorwieldingamassive
spearofforce.Theapparitionisimpervioustodamageand
spells,anditcan’tbeturnedorcontrolled.Itloomsabove
Zalkoréuntilshediesorregainsallherhitpoints.Onceper
turn,whenacreaturewithin 15 feetofZalkorédamagesher,
Thiru-Taya’sapparitionunerringlyhitstheattackerwithits
spear,dealing 15 ( 2 d 8 + 6 )forcedamagetoit.
Treasure.MostofwhatremainsinZalkoré’slairhaslittle
value.Herfeathereddressisworth 50 gp,ifitwasn’ttoo
damagedinthefight(thedressisruinedifmorethanhalfthe
damagedonetoZalkoréwasslashing,acid,orfiredamage,or
ifshewashitbyafireballorsimilareffect).Herlaircontains
2 d 6 vialsofherdreamingtincture.Eachvialcontainsasingle
doseandcanbesoldfor 10 gpinPortNyanzaru.Anycharacter
thatdrinksadoseofthetincturemustsucceedonaDC 15
Constitutionsavingthrow.Characterswhoareimmunetothe
poisonedconditionsucceedautomatically.Onafailedsave,the
characterbeginstoexperienceillusorysights,sounds,smells,
andsensationsthatseemreal.Castingalesserrestoration
spellorsimilarmagiconthecharacterendstheeffect,which
otherwiselastsfor 1 d 4 + 4 hours.Needle’sBones
Awidesinkholeyawnsbeforeyou,theeartharoundit
litteredwithgoblinbones.Theopeningis 90 feet
acrossandroughlycircular,andthestonewallsare
nearlyvertical.Thirtyfeetdown,thesinkholeisfilled
withmurkygreenwater.Hundredsoffrogshopfrom
onefloatingplanttoanother.Themassiveribcageandfinewingbonesofadragon
riseabovethemurk.Vines,moss,andlichenhang
fromthebones.Judgingfromhowmuchofthe
skeletonisexposed,thewatercan’tbemorethan 3 or
4 feetdeep.
Thewallsofthesinkholeareroughanddrapedwith
dozensofstoutvines,soclimbingintooroutofthegrottois
easyandautomaticallysuccessful.
ThebonesaretheremainsofOrmalagos,anadultgreen
dragonbetterknownduringherlifetimeasNeedle.Sheused
thisgrottoasalairbutfearedBatirigoblinshadsniffedoutits
locationandweregettingreadytoraidit.Needlewasinthe
processofmovinghertreasuretootherlocationswhenthe
goblinsstruck.Whilethedragonwasaway,theydumped
basketsfullofquippersintothesinkhole.Whenthedragon
returned,theytrappedherinthesinkholewithvinenets.As
thequippersdevouredthedragonfrombelow,theBatiri
showeredNeedlewithspearsfromaboveuntilshefinallydied.
Nearlytheentiregoblintribeperishedinthefight,too.
Thecharacters’firstimpressionofthewateriscorrect;it
variesfrom 3 to 4 feetdeepeverywhere.Asearchofthe
muddybottomturnsuphundredsofgoblinbonesandstone
spearheads,greatlyannoysthemultitudeoffrogs,anddraws
attacksfromtwoswarmsofquippers.Someonewho
examinesthedragonbonesandsucceedsonaDC 13
Intelligence(Investigation)checkseesenoughregularityin
thevinesdrapedacrosstheribstoconcludethedragonwas
tangledinanet.Toidentifytheremainsasagreendragon,
charactersmustliftitsskulloutofthewaterandmuck;that
feattakesasuccessfulDC 15 Strength(Athletics)check.
Treasure
A 10 - foot-wide, 10 - foot-highsecretdoorinthenorthwest
wallofthegrottoconcealsa 15 - foot-deepalcove.Thesecret
dooriscarvedfromnaturalrockanddisguisedtolooklike
partofthewall,andalltheplantsarounditaredead.The
secretdoorcanbedetectedwithasuccessfulDC 17 Wisdom
(Perception)check.Characterswhoinspecttheplantsaround
thedoorandsucceedonaDC 15 Intelligence(Investigation)
orDC 15 Wisdom(Medicine)checkcantellthattheplants
werekilledbypoison.Needleopenedthesecretdoorby
breathingpoisongasonit;smearingorsprayingpoisononthe
dooralsocausesittoswingopen.Otherwise,aknockspellor
similarmagicisneededtoopenit.