thesavesucceeds,thecharactercanslitherupthestepssafely.
Ifthesavingthrowfails,thecharactertakes 17 ( 5 d 6 )psychic
damageandcantryagain,buttheDCincreasesto 11 .TheDC
increasesby 1 morewitheachsuccessivefailure.
SajaN’baza’sShrine
Theshrineatopthezigguratisasimple,rectangularstructure
ofbrick.Theoutsidewallsaredecoratedwithlabyrinth
symbolsofUbtao.Beyondtheopendoorwayisabarren,dusty
room,butanycharacterwithapassiveWisdom(Perception)
scoreof 13 orhighernotesthearomaofincense.
Characterswhoenterwithouttheirorchidandfeatherfind
theshrineempty.Leavingandcomingbackwiththeitems
changesnothing;it’stoolate.Characterswhoenterwiththeir
orchidandfeatherfindthemselvesinthesameroom,butasit
wascenturiesago.Theycanenterthenaga’spresenceonce.
Someonewholeavesandcomesbackinseesonlythebare
room.
Readthefollowingtoplayerswhosecharactersfind
themselvesinthenaga’spresence:
Hanginglampsilluminatetheroom,whileincense
burnersfillitwithexoticscentsandcurlingsmoke.
Cushionsandreedmatscoverthefloor,potsof
bloomingflowerslinetheplasteredwalls,andsinging
birdsflitfromplanttoplant.Animmensesnakewithiridescentscalesrestsona
heapofcushionsoppositethedoorway.Itrises
slowlytoaheightof 5 feet,staringdirectlyintoyour
eyesasitmoves.Itsfaceisremarkablyhumanlike,
anditstongueflicksbeforeitspeaks.“IamSajaN’baza.Whatdoyouseekinthisancient
place?Speaktruly,forIhearyourhearts!”
Ifthecharactershaven’tyetencounteredArtusCimber
andDragonbait,theduomightbeconferringwiththe
guardiannagawhenthepartyarrives.SajaN’bazaknows
whathappenedtothecityofMezro(see“Mezro”)andtells
Artusthatitwon’treturnaslongasRasNsilives.Thisgives
ArtusincentivetoaccompanythepartytoOmu.
ThenagaknowsthroughvisionsthatRasNsiandhisyuan-
tifollowersareschemingtoendtheworldfromtheirlairin
Omu.Shedoesn’tknowmuchaboutthedeathcurse,butwhen
charactersdescribeit,sheconfirmsthatitfitswithvarious
omenstiedtoOmu.ThenagaknowsthatOmuliesbetweenthe
PeaksofFlameandtheValleyofLostHonor,andshealso
knowsit’ssunkenbelowthelevelofthesurroundingjungle,so
thebestwaytospotitwillbefromtheairorfromthenearest
highground.
ThenagaremembersRasNsi’sfirstuprising,andsheurges
thecharacterstokillhimbothaspunishmentforhispast
atrocitiesandtopreventanypossibilityofarecurrence.Each
characterwhoagreesreceivesasupernaturalcharm(see
chapter 7 oftheDungeonMaster’sGuide)toaidtheirtask.
Assigncharmstocharactersthatareappropriatetotheirroles
intheparty.Characterswhoseemreluctantmighthavegeas
castonthem.
LeavingtheShrine
Aftercharactersleavetheshrine,nothingtheydobringsthem
backtoSajaN’baza’spresence.Theshrineisabarrenchamber
everytimetheyreenter.It’sdawnofthenextday,nomatter
whattimeitwaswhentheyentered.Theycandescendthe
zigguratwithnodifficulty,withorwithouttheorchidand
feather;thesnakesaregone,thestepsaresolid,andaclear
pathextendsthroughtheplantsandthorns.Whentheyreach
theground,charactersseebluetulipsbloomingallaroundthe
baseoftheziggurat.Thetulipsarebeautifulbutnonmagical.PortCastigliar
PortCastigliar(pronouncedkah-STEE-lee-ar)isaportinname
only.Infact,it’snothingmorethanastretchofbeachwithan
abandonedsupplydepot,sevenbatteredhutsmadeofbamboo
andthatch,andadefiledgraveyard.Undeaddroveawaythe
inhabitantslongago,andghoulsdugupthegraves.LocationsR-S............................................................................................................................................................................
RefugeBay
RefugeBayhasareputationforbeingarelativelysafeplaceto
makelandfall.ManyexplorationsofChulthavebegunonits
whitesandbeach,whichstretchesasfarastheeyecansee
aroundtheentireshoreofthebay.AChultantowncalled
Ishauoncestoodattheheadofthebay,butitsfoundations
sankintotheseaduringtheSpellplague.Thetown’sbuildings
arestilllargelyintactbuttheynowliemorethanamilefrom
dryland,andthey’reprowledbysharks,plesiosaurs,andsea
hags.RiverOlung
Steaming-hotwaterfromLakeLuocoolsquicklyasittumbles
downrapidsandlowcataracts.Thisriverisrecognizedby
guidesandexplorersasanimportantboundary.Totheeastis
“normal”jungle;tothewestisundeadterritory.Forthis
reasonalone,someexpeditionschoosetoenterthepeninsula
throughRefugeBay.RiverSoshenstar
TheSoshenstarflowsnorthfromtheAldaniBasintotheBayof
Chult,tumblingdownwaterfallseverytentofifteenmiles.RiverTath
ThisriverspringsfromtheAldaniBasinandmeanders
westward,passingoverwaterfallsandthroughthecanyonof
AtaazKahaklabeforewashingintoJahakaBay.RiverTiryki
TheTirykispillsfromthebackofamist-shroudedcanyonand
flowsnorthtowardtheBayofChult,plungingoverwaterfalls
everyfewmiles.Thismakesitarduoustotraversebycanoe
upriver—everythingmustbelaboriouslyportagedaround
thecataracts—anddangeroustotraveldownriver,lesta
canoegetscaughtinthecurrentandsweptoverawaterfallor
smashedinrapids.What’sworse,junglepredatorsandundead
prowlbothriverbanks.Consideringthepterafolknestingat
Firefingerandthegrungslivingabovethegorge,it’seasyto
seewhytheTirykiisconsideredthemostdangerousriverin
Chult.Shilku
Thisabandonedcoastalvillagewasbothdestroyedand
preservedbyvolcaniceruption.Thesilentstreetsareburiedin
ash,andtheharborischokedwithcooledlava.SinceMezrois
nowlargely“clearedout,”LiaraPortyrofFortBeluarianis
underpressurefromherpatronsinBaldur’sGatetobegin
exploringandexcavatingShilkuforthetreasuresthatare
undoubtedlyentombedthere.Suchanundertakingwould
requirebuildinganewfortfromscratchsomewhereonthe