The quest for the Book (Al’Jateras Catalog of Servants of the Gods, as translated by Brother Quintillius of the Monastery of the Fire Opal)
Mabelle’s instructions lead the party to the southern town of Bramfeld. The notable businesses of the town include the Drunken Centaur Inn, the Blind Fist Resthouse (monk with a blindfold) von Wessers Weapons, Ilse’s Dry Goods and Sundries, Hockinheim’s Helms and Halberds, and Furs and Skins (run by Girnot Fehr). Security is provided by the Town Guard (18 men at arms paid for by the citizens) and the forces of Baron Mo Haelex. The Jungle Watchward of the Paladins of Kib provides additional protection.
Numerous sources in town can direct the party to the Jungle Watchward, where detailed directions to the dungeon can be had. Questioning the trapper (Girnot) will also result in good directions. Only one person still remembers Gadra’s visit to Bramfeld, an old woman named Kunne von der Holtorpe who basically lives at the Blind Fist Resthouse. With sufficient ale she will relate the tale of Gadra and his friends arriving in town, venturing to the Eldai ruins in the jungle. She then proceeds to nod off. At the Drunken Centaur the party will meet retired Marshal Opecz Frey. He is happy to pass off some advice to the young adventurers, including how to pick up a Rogue when needed to disarm traps and laborers/porters to carry items as needed.
If the party does go to the Jungle Watchward they will meet Lady Knight Protector Amalie Schwarzfeuerharzenwald (18th level Paladin). She describes the most common dangers of the outer Jungle (lizard men, barbarians, goblins, giant insects and lizards, disease, carnivorous apes). She also relates that things are fairly quiet except for the occasional livestock kill. She believes that some monsters may currently lair in the Eldai ruins nearby. If so they keep a low profile to prevent the paladins from cleaning out the area.
As the party is leaving the Watchward (if they went there in the first place) they hear a loud horse neigh from the nearby stables. Something about the sound calls to them – they feel the urge to go over there and investigate. In a large clean stall at the end of the stables is a large white horse with a circular dark patch on its forehead. The Master of the Stables, an old man named Janusch von Rot, relates the tale. When he was a young boy (about 50 years ago) there was a serious barbarian attack by the Bloodlion tribe. A chieftain named Abu Ndrah led thousands of warriors from the west on a deep raid into Thandian territory. Castle Haelax and the Watchward were both besieged for a number of weeks. The forces eventually withdrew when Abu was killed by the leader of the Paladins of Kib, Lady Knight Helewisa Dareward. Even though the duel between the two leaders was fought honorably Lady Dareward died when she was attacked by Abu Ndrah’s followers as she left the enemy camp. Helewisa’s bonded mount was a unicorn by the name of Moonstrike (neigh!). No one is quite sure what happened after Lady Helewisa was killed, but there are rumors. The most plausible one is that Moonstrike dragged the body of her master to safety and lost her horn to the barbarians in the process. The horn of a unicorn has magical powers of healing which would be of great value to the barbarians. It would also be a status symbol, to help justify the losses they incurred in the attack. Regardless a few weeks after the barbarians retreated back to the sands this white horse showed up at the Watchward and has been a guest of ours ever since.
Plot Outline:
Journey to the lair of the Twilight Ripper. Find some monsters but nothing else.
Optionally, return to the Blind Fist and talk to Kunne again. She will remember a story about Gadra going to see the barbarian tomb – AFTER he returned from exploring the Eldai ruins.
Journey to the barbarian tomb, guided by information from the Watchward, the town dwellers or Moonstrike.
Find that the barbarian tomb is cleared out. Find a strange totem where they’d expect to see a body.
Discover more about the totem and learn that it is a “spirit guide/body placeholder” and the markings indicate the Bloodlion tribe. Learn that the Bloodlions have been decimated by orcs and were absorbed by other tribes.
Learn from elders of the Bloodlions that the tomb of Abu is now located in orc territory. Get a map.
Fight through monsters, orcs and the half-ogre to get to the tomb.
Enter and loot the tomb but do not find the book
Return to Thand
Abu’s Tomb(s)
The tomb in south Thand
Entryway/first intersection. The entrance to the tomb is blocked by a heavy round stone. Rolling it aside requires a DC 24 strength check (crowbars and poles provide circumstance bonuses). Beyond the stone lies a small round hole in the large mound where Abu is buried. This leads to a brick-lined 10’ wide corridor. The corridor extends 60’ to an intersection where a statue of Abu on horseback sits. A plaque behind the statue states “Here lies Abu Ndrah the Fierce, Guardian of the Bloodlions and Leader of the Grand Horde, felled in glorious battle. May those who would disturb him rot in hell.” In the corridor to the left of the statue is a floor spike trap (DC 18 reflex save for ½ damage, 3d6 plus DC 18 poison (2 Con, 2d4 Con). To the right is a crossbow trap (BAB +10, 8 bolts 1d10 damage each). The rest of the ‘X’ on the map are pit traps (20’ drop with spikes, DC 18 reflex save to avoid. Damage 2d6 + 1d6)
A small shrine sits against the north wall here. A crude stylized picture of a woman riding a white unicorn fighting Abu, surrounded by hundreds of warriors bearing banners. In the background a large citadel sits at the edge of a great jungle.
At this intersection another plaque sits on the wall. “Abu Ndrah the Fierce was born under the sign of the scorpion and destined for greatness. At the age of 12 he journeyed into the wilderness and slew his first lion becoming the Khan of the Tribe. At the age of 18 he traveled with the spirits of his ancestors and reclaimed the Spear of the Fire Stone. At the age of 21 he united the Bloodlions and Scalefoot to form the Great Horde.”
False Tomb. A large sarcophagus sits in the center of this vaulted chamber. Around it lie amphora, barrels and other containers. Opening the sarcophagus causes the ceiling of the room to collapse (DC 24 reflex save to avoid 8d6 damage. DC 18 save to avoid being buried and trapped).
The real tomb. This room is empty except for a staff, topped by a circle of feathers. In the center is an open red eye. Markings on the floor make it obvious that there once was a sarcophagus and other items stacked here but they have been moved.
Random encounters in the eastern wastes:
Monstrous Scorpions (medium, large)
Giant Ant crew (6-11 workers and 1 soldier)
Giant Fire Beetles (6-11)
Medium, Large, Huge monstrous centipede (2-5)
Lion (1-2)
Ogres
Orc raiding party (9 orcs + 1-2 leaders)
Barbarian raiding party (7-8 warriors + 1 leader + 1 shaman or scout)
Blink dog
Gnolls (10-14 +2 leaders)
Hill Giant
(363 gold coins (363 gp)
potion of enlarge person
(at 5th level) (250 gp)
olive-colored)
Redspawn Arcannis
The Tomb of Abu:
On a stone pylum at the entrance of the tomb is recorded the following poem:
Dead
men naked they shall be one
With the man in the wind and the west
moon;
When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones
gone,
They shall have stars at elbow and foot;
Though they go
mad they shall be sane,
Though they sink through the sea they
shall rise again;
Though lovers be lost love shall not;
And
death shall have no dominion.
Under the windings of the
sea
They lying long shall not die windily;
Twisting on racks
when sinews give way,
Strapped to a wheel, yet they shall not
break;
Faith in their hands shall snap in two,
And the unicorn
evils run them through;
Split all ends up they shan’t
crack;
And death shall have no dominion.
No more may gulls
cry at their ears
Or waves break loud on the seashores;
Where
blew a flower may a flower no more
Lift its head to the blows of
the rain;
Though they be mad and dead as nails,
Heads of the
characters hammer through daisies;
Break in the sun till the sun
breaks down,
And death shall have no dominion.
Tribes of the Wastes:
The Scalefoot
Aklat al-Kamoon
Wadi al-Abdmar
Madiwar al-Satima
The Redhawk
Bimoon
Kadar
The Beetlelickers
The Featherhand
The party kills lots of orcs, leaving:
12 regular orcs
4 orc leaders
2 orc shaman
1 ogre chief
gem
augite (brown) (58.3 gp)
gypsum (yellow to colorless) (8.1 gp)
orange spinel (534.6 gp)