downtheroad,becauseinthemeantime,theymightweaken
someofOmu’sdefenses.
Ifthecharactershavenowaytoreachtheearthmotewhen
theyfirstencounterit—oratleast,nowayforeveryoneto
reachit—eventuallytheyspotanelfwomanlookingdownat
themfromthestaircase.Afterafewmoments,shehailsthem
inElvish,askingtheirnames,whythey’vecome,andsoon.If
thisconversationgoeswell,sheopensanarcanegate(cast
fromascroll)andinvitestheplayercharacterstocomeup.If
theyhavemanyportersorNPCwarriors,sheasksthatonly
the“keyfigures”comeup,explainingthatherhomedoesn’t
haveroomfortheirentireexpedition.Valindraassures
charactersthattheircompanionswillbesafeontheground.
Thelichhasnointerestinkillingthecharactersaslongas
there’sanychancetheycouldbeuseful.Ifafightbreaksout
(andthere’slittlereasononeshouldunlessthecharacters
startit),Valindraletsherundeadservantsdealwiththe
adventurers,thenslipsthroughherteleportationcirclebackto
Thay.Thedestinationsigilsaren’trecordedanywhereinthe
heart,sofollowingherisimpossible.She’llreturninafew
dayswhenthingshavequieteddown.Howsheproceedsfrom
thatpointislefttoyourimagination.
1 .PetrifiedTree
Aswarmofbatsinhabitsthishollow,petrifiedtree.Thebats
emergeeacheveningtofeastandattackanyotherwarm-
bloodedcreaturethatenterstheirlair.Atthebottomofthe
treeisagapingholethatopensintheceilingofarea 4.
2 .Staircase
Thesestairsaresmoothanddon’tshowmuchsignofwear.
Onlyahandfulofcreatureshavewalkedonthem:Valindra,a
fewofherservants,andthepriestsofUbtaowhomade
pilgrimagestotheheart.There’snoriskoffallingoffunlessa
characterdoessomethingfoolish,buttheheightisdizzying.
3 .CaveEntrance
Thefloorofthisentranceslopesupslightlytowardtheinside
oftheheart,sowaterstreamsoutthroughitcontinually.The
cavemouthappearsnatural,unlikethestepsoutsideit.
4 .Valindra’sLairThiscaveismustyanddimlylitbydaylightfiltering
downthroughthehollow,petrifiedtreetrunk 20 feet
above.Apoolofdirtyrainwateroccupiesthecentral 20
feetofthefloor,betweennaturalpillarsformedbythe
rootsofthepetrifiedtree.Threetallbookcasesstand
againstthewalltotherightofthecaveentrance.Adesk
andseveralwoodencratesstandagainsttheleft-hand
wall.Oppositetheentrancearetwoopendoorwaysinto
smallerchambersand,betweenthem,alargeironcage.
Valindra’sundeadpatrolssometimescaptureluckless
explorersandbringthemhere.Prisonersarekeptintheiron
cagewhileValindraquestionsthem,thendisposedofinthe
swamp.Thecageisnotinusewhencharactersarrive,unless
youchoosetoplaceArtusCimberandDragonbaithereas
prisoners.
Asalich,Valindraisn’tbotheredbyhowdankand
uncomfortablethecaveis.Ifthatsubjectcomesup,she
explainsthatasanelf,shehasnoneedforabedorforhours
andhoursofsleep;shesimplymeditatesforawhileather
deskeachday.Therestofhertimeisspentporingoverher
mapsandhistories,searchingforlikelyhidingspotsforthe
Soulmonger.
Treasure.Thebookcasesarefilledwithbooks,scrolls,
tablets,andmaps,allaboutChultinonewayoranother.They
coverhistory,geography,culture,andnaturalphilosophyin
greatdepth,butallofthempredatetheSpellplague.Valindra
wouldliterallykilltopossessSyndraSilvane’smap,ifshe
learnsofitsexistence.Herspellbooksaren’there—they’re
safebackinThay—buttheshelvesdoholdtwospellscrollsof
arcanegate.
5 .UndeadGuardians
StuffedinthisclosetaresixChultanzombiesandtwogirallon
zombies(seeappendixD).Theystandhereinertlyuntil
attacked,oruntilValindracallsthemouttofightoractas
servants.
6 .TeleportationCircle
Valindra’steleportationcircleisetchedontothefloorofthis
chamber.AnyonewithproficiencyintheArcanaskill
recognizeswhatthecircleisandcanwritedownormemorize
itssigilssoitcanbeusedasadestinationfromanother
teleportationcircle.Valindraisn’tfoolishenoughtoleavethe
sigilsfromherThayancirclescribbledsomewhereinthislair,
sonoonecanfollowherifshechoosestoescape.Hisari
Thisruinedyuan-ticitystandsinthejungleatthefootofthe
Crown,afumingvolcanothatmarksthewesternendofthe
SkyLizardMountains.Apowerfulwardsimilartothatofan
antipathy/sympathyspellpreventsyuan-tifromenteringthe
city.Manyoftheserpentfolkwhooncedwelledherehave
sincerelocatedtoOmu.
Theearthswallowedhalfofthecity,whichrestsina
sprawlingundergroundcavernthathasneverbeenwarmed
bythesun.TherestofHisariremainsaboveground,engulfed
byvinesandcreepingflowers.Everybrickandpillariscoated
inmoss,andalatticeworkofrootsandashcoversthecity’s
cracked,goldendomes.Hrakhamar
Nearbyvolcaniceruptionsforcedthedwarvestoabandon
Hrakhamar(map 2. 9 ).Theyalwaysintendedtoreoccupyand
reactivatetheforgewhenitwasdeemedsafe,butthatday
nevercame.
Firenewtsmovedinandputtheforgetoworkcrafting
armorandweaponsforthemselves.Asmallgroupofalbino
dwarveslurksinthejunglenearbyandkeepswatchonforge,
buttheirnumbersaretoolowtochallengethefirenewts.
Ifcharacterstravelwithin 10 miles( 1 hex)oftheforge,
fouralbinodwarfwarriors(seeappendixD)spotand
approachthem.Theirspokespersonisblunt-talkingSithi
Vinecutter.Shelaysouttheproblem(“firenewtshavetaken
overourancestralforge”)andproposesthesolution(“kill
them”).Asareward,eachcharacterwillbeallowedtotake
twenty 1 - poundingotsofrefinedadamantinefromtheforge,
andthedwarveswillleadthemtothelocationofacrashed
“flyingboat”fromsomefar-offland(see“WreckoftheStar
Goddess").
Thedwarvesoffertostandguardoutsidewhilethe
charactersridHrakhamaroffirenewts.Ifthecharactersseem
underpoweredorinneedofaguide,Sithiofferstoaccompany
them.Sheremembersthelayoutoftheforgebutdoesn’tknow
howmanyfirenewtsareinside,orwheretheymightbehiding.
Whentheforgewasoperatedbythedwarves,itwaslinked
bytraderoadstoShilkuBayandotherpointsonthepeninsula.
Althoughthoseroadshaveenduredacenturyofneglect,inthe
vicinityoftheforgetheywereofdwarvenconstruction,and
notevenacenturyofdisrepaircaneraseadwarvenroad.The