Lurkana uses the banner as a form of punishment; she
makes disobedient or incompetent underlings stand out-
side these quarters for hours or even days on end with
no food, no water, and only the banner to keep them
company. Salt Nose spilled a plate of food on Azrok's lap
and fears that he will spend what little remains of his
life here. Characters who take pity on him earn his trust,
and he readily tells them where to find things in Azrok's
Hold. If information is what the characters seek, Salt
Nose suggests they speak with Preeta Kreepa, a strange
creature that has lived in Stromkuhldur since before the
goblinoids came (see area 21m).
The building is empty except for a large bed covered
with furs. Azrok and Lurkana come here to rest.
21S. AZROK'S WAR CHEST
Two hobgoblins stand guard outside this chamber, one
in front of each door.
What was once a shrine to the dwarven pantheon is
now Azrok's treasury. The room contains the following:
Toppled Idols. Dozens of stone idols of dwarven gods
have been toppled from their bases and smashed on
the floor.
Altar. A low altar near the west wall is covered in dried
blood. Piled around it are drow shortswords, hand
crossbows, shields, and skulls.
Statuette. Atop the altar rests a 7-inch-tall statuette of
Maglubiyet, the goblin god of war, carved from blood-
red stone. It is not valuable.
Chests. Flanking the altar are two iron treasure chests
without locks (see "Treasure" below).
Stealing Azrok's treasure deprives the warlord of the
funds he needs to ensure his troops' loyalty. News of the
robbery causes most of the bugbears and goblins, as
well as half of the hobgoblins, to flee Azrok's Hold and
seek employment as mercenaries in Skullport.
Treasure. One iron chest contains 180 gp, 450 sp,
and 600 cp. The other holds a dwarven ear horn made
of brass (1 gp), a gold-plated candlestick shaped like a
pillar of fire (25 gp), three obsidian scarabs inscribed
with the insignia of House Auvryndar (25 gp each),
and a stoppered gourd containing a potion of animal
friendship.
21T. RATIONS
A painted wooden sign mounted above this building's
recessed door depicts a goblin chomping down on a rat
sandwich. Inside, three goblin s busily assemble packs
of rations consisting of baked mushrooms, rat jerky,
cakes of dry moss, and other underground edibles. The
rations are stored on shelves, and visitors can purchase
a small parcel containing 1 day of rations for 5 sp.
Treasure. The goblins keep their proceeds in a small
wooden coffer. The coins are added to Azrok's war chest
(see area 21s) at the end of every day. The coffer cur-
rently contains 35 sp.
22. BARRELSTALK GARDEN
Spores. Clouds of harmless and dimly luminescent
spores hang in the air.LEVEL 3 I SARCAUTH LEVELFungi. The cave contains a giant garden of barrelstalk
fungi (see "Barrelstalk," page 59).
Gardeners. Three goblins are tending the garden and
killing the spiders, rats, and other vermin that infest it.
These goblins shy away from any confrontations with
the adventurers.- WAY TO SKULLPORT
Weakened by the drow, the Legion of Azrok now fears
incursions from Skullport. Azrok has placed sentries
here to watch for trouble.
23A. RIPPLEBARK CAVERN
Guards. Five hobgoblins stand watch in the middle of
this 20-foot-high cave.
Fungus. A shelf-like fungus resembling a mass of rot-
ting flesh clings to the north wall. The fungus is called
ripplebark (see "Ripplebark," page 60).
If the characters approach from the south, heading
toward Azrok's Hold (area 21), the hobgoblins demand
to know their business but allow them to pass if the
group's intentions aren't hostile. If the party includes
one or more drow, the hobgoblins attack instead. Char-
acters traveling away from Azrok's Hold aren't ques-
tioned, but they are warned not to harm the shriekers
in area 23b.23B. IMMATURE SHRIEKERS
Conical Roof. This enormous cavern has a conical roof
that rises to a peak 50 feet overhead.
Spores and Gardens. The air is full of harmless, dimly
luminescent spores that form clouds around gardens
of moss and fungi.
Shriekers. Planted among the other fungi are four
Small (3-foot-tall) shriekers with 7 (2d6) hit points
each, their locations marked with asterisks on map 3.
Characters who have encountered shriekers before
can spot the young ones in this chamber with a suc-
cessful DC 11 Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Per-
ception) check. Each shrieker cries out when a creature
or a bright light comes within 30 feet of it, alerting the
guards in area 23a.Aftermath
If the forces of House Auvryndar are defeated but the
Legion of Azrok remains, the goblinoids reclaim and
fortify their lost caverns (areas 18 through 20). If the
converse occurs and the Legion of Azrok is wiped out,
the drow secure the rest of Stromkuhldur. If both fac-
tions are defeated, the level becomes a playground for
explorers from Skullport.
Any good fortune visited upon the Legion of Azrok is
temporary, as more of Azrok's goblinoids come under
Xanathar's sway. Once the beholder has implanted
intellect devourers in the s kulls of Azrok and Lurkana,
it uses the Legion of Azrok as a bulwark to halt any
drow advancement into Skullport. The sea hags of the
River Sargauth join forces with Xanathar to hold the
drow at bay.