In the Time of Shardfall is an open “seek and destroy” adventure intended for 4 to 6 characters of 5th to 6th level. The adventure involves a relic from the prehistoric past — a mystical prison containing a powerful proto-dragon and other creatures from long ago — that has been flung forward in time to arrive at the characters’ current era. The prison, an enchanted pane of obsidian called the Crystal Ram, fractures upon arrival, breaking into several shards that fall to the land below. Soon, the prehistoric menaces trapped within wander out of their broken prison to threaten the realm. The characters must search for the five shards and destroy them and their former prisoners, then confront the now-free proto-dragon before it recovers its full strength.
In the Time of Shardfall is set in an area NW of the city of Byians not far from the Kings Road.
Adventure Background
The Hivers commanded that a crystal hologram be created that would for as a "backup" of an abandoned evolutionary progression. It was dubbed the Crystal Ram and possessed the power to trap the physical forms of any peering into its glossy face. It looks like a piece of black obsiodean with strange carvings. This allowed everything coming within visual range of the device to become stored as a digital representation that worked down to the DNA level. It was then enabled to reconstruct the creatures stored within its crystal memory
Starting the Adventure
The adventure begins without prelude, dropping the Crystal Ram and
its curious contents almost directly on top of the player
characters. For this reason, the adventure can be introduced
whenever you desire. The arrival of the Crystal Ram and its
subsequent destruction might occur as the characters travel
overland through the region. But if the characters are the type to
respond to such calamity with a “let the locals handle it”
attitude, you might want to begin this adventure when the
characters are in a place of more personal importance to them, one
they’d be stirred to defend. Given the sparsely defined nature of
the area affected by the Crystal Ram’s arrival, it is a simple
matter to alter the details of the landscape to better conform to
your setting of choice.
Exploring the Land The adventure involves much overland travel and searching, and there is no set order of encounters for the party. It is assumed they discover the first fragment initially, then likely proceed to the second, but the order in which they deal with the other three is dependent on the party’s decisions.
It likely takes them several days if not a week to track down and deal with the five fragments and the proto-dragon Ghurazkz.
You are encouraged to create his own wilderness encounter table
and resolve the chance of random encounters while exploring as
stipulated in the rules. The following table, however, is provided
for your convenience.
In the Time of Shardfall and contains a full listing of
prehistoric creatures that have escaped from the Crystal Ram and
now prowl the land.
Table 1: Crystal Ram Escapees Table 1d20 Escaped Creature
1–3 2d4 Utahraptors*
4–6 1d6+2 Gronks*
7–9 1 Triceratops
10–12 1d3 Allosaurs*
13–15 1d4 Ankylosaurs*
16–18 2d6 Pteranodons*
19–20 1 Tyrannosaurus Rex *see Appendix A
Rumors
In the Time of Shardfall is largely an exploration adventure
focusing on the characters’ effort to find and destroy the
fragments of the Crystal Ram.
As they are likely strangers to the regions (assuming you use the default introduction), they may wish to learn more about the area to assist their explorations. The following list of rumors provides them with some information to guide them. The most likely source of these rumors are the villagers of Smallcrop (see below), but Serjeant Karrig, Hussar Konnors, or other NPCs of your devising could also provide this information.
Table 2: Rumor Table 1d6 Rumor
The Arrival of the Crystal Ram
The cabal’s magic hurled the obsidian mirror across temporal
boundaries and it arrives with a literal bang. The mirror’s abrupt
arrival in the future (the characters’ present) places unforgiving
physical stress upon the massive object, causing it to fracture
and break apart immediately upon its manifestation in the current
era. Due to subtle variations in landscape and cosmic position
between the time of the Crystal Ram’s banishment and its
subsequent arrival, the mirror arrives high in the air, some 1,000
feet above the land below, making it easily seen by the characters
and other occupants of the area. The Crystal Ram arrives during
the daylight hours, assumedly near midday but you can change its
time of arrival if he so desires. At the time of the prison’s
arrival, the party is at the position indicated on the overland
map.
The sky above you, clear of clouds and a cerulean blue, suddenly flares bright green, throwing stark shadows around you. Your eyes are drawn upward by this strange phenomenon, and you glimpse a corona of emerald-white light fading in the sky above. In the center of the diminishing ring of light is a dark-colored object that reflects the sunlight like a polished coin.
As you watch, the ebon-hued object shatters, transforming into a rain of falling debris. Countless tiny fragments are borne away on the breeze, but your eyes discern as many as five large fragments, their exact size impossible to determine at this distance, fall from the sky, scattering in random directions as they plummet. A moment later, the sound of a tremendous thunderclap slams into you, pushing you back and blasting leaves and branches from the tops of nearby trees. Above you, the sky has returned to its normal color and the corona of light is gone. Far off and from several different directions, you hear the sound of deep, echoing thuds as if heavy objects had fallen to the earth miles away.
Any character specifically stating he watches the fragments’ descent can automatically determine their rough points of impact (see map). Other characters can make a DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) to determine where the nearest fragment fell (Fragment #1).
The Five Fragments When the Crystal Ram broke apart on arrival, much of the obsidian mirror disintegrated into fine, glossy grit carried away by the wind. There are, however, larger pieces of the enchanted prison that survived and fell to the ground, and it is from the largest of these piece of debris that danger threatens. With the Crystal Ram’s destruction, the sorcerous containment is broken and the prisoners of the mirror — both intentional and accidental — are free of its confines and wandering forth into the modern timeline.
Given the large area of prehistoric landscape absorbed by the Crystal Ram, there is a sizable population of prehistoric creatures that can potentially escape into the current time period.
Raptorial Insurgence
The first of the Crystal Ram shards came to rest in a small beech
wood not far from the characters’ position. The shattered piece of
enchanted obsidian crashed through the canopy and pierced the soft
soil. It sticks from the ground like a broken dagger blade in the
back of a murder victim.
Although the fragment has only recently come to rest, its otherworldly occupants and environment are already spilling out into the current time period. characters entering the beech wood who make a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check notice that the grove is unnaturally quiet — no birdsong is heard and no chittering squirrels berate them from the treetops.
Thin wisps of mist coil around their ankles, and the air grows noticeably warmer as they approach the fallen shard. These atmospheric alterations are due to the prehistoric climate seeping out of the broken prison and into the current time.
Locating the first fragment is simple. The rent in the treetops throws sunlight into the otherwise shady wood and is noticeable from a distance.
Read the following as the party approaches:
The sun shines down upon the forest floor through a large hole
in the canopy. Broken boughs and fallen leaves litter the
ground, as if bent and broken by a titanic wind. In the midst of
the open ground beneath the holed forest ceiling is a large,
raw-looking slab of glossy black stone. The tremendous piece of
glass-like rock, its ebony surface shining as if wet, measures
as high as a farmer’s barn and appears about as wide. The soil
at the edges of the shiny stone is disturbed and heaped into low
piles. It appears as if the black shard fell from the sky above.
Tendrils of mist seem to emerge from the stone in tentative
fingers probing the clearing around it.
Unfortunately for the party, there is little time to immediately examine the shard as they are being stalked by a pack of 6 Utahraptors that until recently were trapped in the stone. The six bipedal dinosaurs are stealthily approaching the party. A passive Wisdom (Perception) of 13 or higher notices the Utahraptors before they strike; otherwise, they surprise the party.
Examining the Shard Once the dinosaurs are dispatched, the characters can further investigate the fragment. It measures 20 feet high and is roughly triangular in shape, being 25 feet wide at its base and narrowing to 8 feet wide at its jagged tip. The shard is only 5 feet thick and is oriented so that its widest surfaces face north and south. It appears to be a giant fragment of ragged obsidian with jagged edges and striated with many small fractures. Thin wisps of mist emerge from its base, seeming to seep from the dark, glossy surface of the stone.
The shard appears to be ordinary stone along its northern, eastern, and western faces. The characters can touch it, climb it, or otherwise interact normally with the obsidian surface. Its southward-facing edge, however, is wildly different.
The southern face of the shard emits the seeping vapor, and anyone peering into the depths of the stone who makes a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check notices that there appears to be foliage, soil, stones, and even traces of sky lodged deep within the ebony depths of the shard.
There is an occasional flash of movement inside the entrapped land, hinting that life dwells within it. The obsidian surface feels softer than normal and gives slightly if exerted against. However, despite all efforts, the stone forms a resolute barrier and it is impossible to force one’s way into the trapped land (but see GM Option below). The seeping vapor, however, hints that it’s possible for life to emerge from the stone and enter the characters’ world.
A DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check identifies the fragment as part of a mystical prison, but cannot identify the nature of its origin. It is obvious to a character making the check that whatever life was once trapped inside the depths of the stone is now free to emerge. There is no telling exactly what or how many creatures lurk within. It is hoped the party concludes the fragments are a danger to the local residents and take steps to eradicate their menace.
If you wish to expand on the adventure (or punish the overly curious adventurer who plumbs too deeply into the fragments’ mysteries), any of the Crystal Ram fragments can be entered from its permeable face with the proper magic or effort. The spells dimension door, freedom of movement, knock, misty step, passwall, and possibly other spells (your discretion) allow the subject to step through the face and enter the land inside.
Extremely dedicated or strong creatures can force their way through the permeable barrier with a successful DC 20 Strength check. Exiting the fragment can be done simply by stepping through the barrier from within and requires no special magic or Strength check.
The realm inside the Crystal Ram fragments is a prehistoric, primeval land. The land is hot and humid, oversized ferns and palm-like trees grow everywhere, and the sound of monstrous animals moving through the underbrush is ever-present. Travelers within the Crystal Ram have a 25% chance each hour of encountering some of the trapped land’s occupants.
Roll on Table 1 above to determine what they cross paths with.
Although each fragment varies in size and location, the process for destroying the shards is the same. Each shard is damaged from the emergence into this world and the subsequent fall. A DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check identifies that the stone is heavily fractured and is in a fragile state. The party can destroy the shard by inflicting damage on any of its three solid edges (Determine the fragment’s orientation randomly if not noted in the text). Attacks against a fragment’s permeable side are diffused by the magical nature of the barrier and cause no damage. Each fragment is considered AC 15 and has 50 hit points. It has damage vulnerability to bludgeoning, cold, force, and thunder, but has damage resistance to fire, piercing, and radiant, and damage invulnerability to poison and psychic.
When a fragment is reduced to 50% or fewer hit points, there is a 2-in-6 chance a random prehistoric creature is ejected from the shard, attracted into the current era by the commotion occurring around the fragment. Roll on Table 1 above to determine what creature emerges if this event occurs.
Reducing the slab to zero hit points cases it to crumble, and produces a blast of escaping magical power. All within 20 feet of the slab suffer 10 points of force damage, or half damage on a successful DC 12 Dexterity saving throw.
Characters seeking other exits from the fragment can make a DC 20 Wisdom (Survival) roll each day to locate one of the intact exits (your choice as to which one). Effectively, the party could resolve some of this adventure from inside the Crystal Ram, seeking out a fragment and then exiting the land at the shard’s location to deal with the fragment and any escaped creature.
A Village Under Siege The second shard of the Crystal Ram plummeted to the earth in the “klach” of Smallcrop, a tiny independent farmhold located along the main trade road through the region that runs from Queenshold in the north and Alkis Anvil to the south. The fragment destroyed one of the settlement’s home (crushing its occupant to death) and was quickly surrounded by Smallcrop’s residents, curious and mystified at the shiny stone’s abrupt appearance. It wasn’t long before the creatures inside the fragment found their way out, terrifying the poor farmers.
Smallcrop is now a battleground. Most of the farmers fled the village, but a patrol of Veltrada Council soldiers out of Alkis Anvil happened to be passing through and rallied to the aid of the villagers and is now in a pitched battle with the prehistoric denizens of the Crystal Ram. Sadly, the soldiers are far outclassed by the dinosaurs, and only a scant few still survive. Their only hope lies in the hands of the characters who are (hopefully) up to the task of defeating the dinosaurs and smashing the Crystal Ram fragment.
As the party approaches Smallcrop, they see a cluster of simple homes arranged along the trade road. Even from a distance, it is obvious that something is amiss. The chimneys of the village homes produce no smoke, a few of the buildings are in a state of collapse, and most tellingly, terrifying roars accompanied by the occasional shout and battle cry carry on the breeze.
As the party approaches, dark shadows pass over them, momentarily blocking out the sun. This is caused by the flight of 12 pteranodons that have spotted the party and decided to dine upon the characters . The flying dinosaurs swoop down using their flyby trait against the party.
The pteranodons aren’t fearless monsters and attempt to flee if they lose more than half their number.
After slaying or driving off the pteranodons, the party can approach Smallcrop safely. Read the following as they enter the village: This village is composed of roughly two dozen small homes situated into a defensive klach against the ever-present threat of desert raiders. However, the arrangement appears to have been of little help as many of the structures are in ruins and several have collapsed entirely. Those that still stand show signs of damage: holed walls, broken doors, and scorched thatching on their roofs. Broken farm tools and splotches of dried blood are in the dirt road that bisects the village, indicating a recent battle occurred.
The air is suddenly split by a tremendous bellow — a deep, throaty roar that reverberates throughout the village. Ahead of you at a distance of some 80 feet, you see a trio of armored men wearing dirty, torn tabards and desperately clutching swords and spears back onto the road. A house near them suddenly explodes into flinders three huge, armor-plated beasts lumber after the men. The four-legged creatures have massive spiked tails that swing aggressively in their wake.
One of the beasts pauses and twists its body, whipping its tail furiously. The spiked appendage strikes one of the armored men, sending his broken and bloody form flying.
The armored men are the only survivors of the patrol and are fighting for their lives. They face 3 ankylosaurs. Their abrupt arrival in a strange world, and the subsequent attacks by the villagers and soldiery who mistook their fearsome appearance as that of dangerous monsters, have driven these normally passive herbivores into a rage. The soldiers once numbered a dozen and were led by Serjeant Karrig (N male human veteran with 30 hit points remaining), but now only Karrig and one of his men, Hussar Konnors (N male human guard with 8 hit points remaining), survive. They certainly will be slain unless the PCs can draw the ankylosaurs’ attention away from them. If the characters join the fight, both men endeavor to assist them, hurling themselves back into the battle.
Helpful Information Defeating the ankylosaurs ends the current threat to Smallcrop.
Assuming either Serjeant Karrig or Hussar Konnors survives, they can provide further details on how the situation in the village came to be.
They explain their patrol was riding north along the trade road when they witnessed the “uncanny occurrence” in the sky. They watched several of the pieces fall, observing that one appeared to land in the vicinity of Smallcrop. The patrol, which numbered a dozen men, rode to investigate and found the hamlet under attack by tremendous, unknown monsters.
One of the creatures, a “big brute of a lizard which walked on two legs,” ate several villagers before the soldiers drove it off. The men were going to pursue the beast, but the “spiked tails” interrupted their attempt and took a terrible toll on their numbers. If Karrig and/or Konnors survives the fight, they are willing to ally with the party in pursuit of the escaped dinosaur (see below). A DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check can also convince them to further assist the party in searching for the other fallen fragments if you deem the characters need additional aid to face the rest of the adventure’s challenges.
After the ankylosaurs are defeated, small groups of villagers begin returning to the ruined village. These residents of Smallcrop fled the village and observed the patrol of hussars battling the dinosaurs. They can provide some of the information above if Karrig or Konnors didn’t survive the battle with the dinosaurs.
The residents of Smallcrop can also provide clues as to the whereabouts of the other Crystal Ram fragments. Several keen-eyed villagers saw some of the shards fall and can indicate a general area where the characters might search for the rest. The Smallcrop folk inform the party of the following if the characters show interest: • One piece appeared to plummet to earth in the vicinity of the Slopfield Bog located to the west.
• Another fragment fell above the Slate Hills to the northwest.
• A third shard fell farther to the northwest, beyond the Slate Hills. Both plains and mountains lie in that direction.
Characters asking for further information are told 1d4 rumors from Table 2: Rumor Table provided at the beginning of the adventure.
The Fragment The second fragment lies within the collapsed walls of a simple crofter’s hut on the north side of the village. Ruined furniture and broken floorboards surround the 20-foot-tall, 25-foot-wide hunk of enchanted stone. It measures 8 feet deep and, like the first fragment, three of its sides are normal stone, while the fourth (facing west) serves as the exit from the mystical prison. Dried blood and a single, broken arm of the corpse pinned beneath the fallen stone extend from underneath the Crystal Ram fragment. Destroying it is accomplished as described above (Destroying the Shards).
Slaying the ankylosaurs and destroying the fragment results in the residents of Smallcrop hailing the characters as heroes. The villagers take up a collection from among their shattered belongings and reward the party with a monetary gift of 506 cp, 813 sp, 209 gp, a set of silverware (50 gp value), and a carved ivory jewelry box (200 gp value).
Fighting the Terrible Tyrant Depending on who is present in the aftermath of the battle, either Karrig, Konnors, or the villagers might ask the party to track down the “big brute” lizard that departed Smallcrop to ensure it doesn’t return.
The party could even take on this task themselves if they’re altruistic (or simply bloodthirsty). Tracking the creature is simple: Tremendous tracks measuring 6 feet long and 5 feet wide, each bearing three claw-tipped toes and a fourth dew claw in the rear, lead out of the village and into the farmland south of Smallcrop. The party has no difficulty following them.
The tracks lead miles away from the village, crossing tilled fields and open plains. As the characters follow the tracks, allow them to make a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. Those that succeed notice strange hummocks of dirt running parallel to the trail. A DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check identifies these as signs of a bulette on the prowl.
The trail eventually reaches a small woodland on the edge of the plains.
As the party approaches the woods, a tree suddenly crashes to the ground as a tremendous bipedal creature, its dark green flesh covered with striated markings of brown, black, and yellow, emerges from the woods. It opens its toothy jaw and roars at the characters, then begins a lumbering run at them. It is a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and it is hungry.
Combat occurs as normal between the party and the T-rex, but on the third round, a new wrinkle occurs: A bulette stalking the T-rex (and later the party) chooses this moment to strike. It bursts from the earth with its Deadly Leap action, randomly targeting a victim. It is 75% likely to go after the T-rex, but there is a 25% chance it attacks a random character instead. The T-rex and bulette attack until slain, driven by anger and hunger.
This could be an extremely deadly battle, especially if the bulette targets one of the characters when it first enters the battle. The smartest tactic available to the party is to lure the T-rex and the bulette into fighting one another and then take on the (hopefully) injured survivor of that duel.
Jouktar The party might find answers to some of the questions that have been troubling them at the site of the third Crystal Ram shard. One of the sorcerers who helped create the obsidian prison became trapped in the magical mirror. Unfortunately, Jouktar ran across a band of primeval servitor creatures similar to modern minotaurs when he fled the Crystal Ram and is now battling for his life outside the third fragment.
This fragment is located among a series of low grassy hills. Numerous grass-lined gullies bearing tricking spring-fed streams wind through hills before converging to form the creek indicated on the map. In these hills lies the third piece of the Crystal Ram. However, that is not all they contain.
Currently, one of the hills’ many gullies is home to a fierce battle between Jouktar and brutish prehistoric creatures. As the party searches the hills, allow them a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check. Those who make the check hear the sound of crackling lightning and the grunts of battle ringing through the numerous ravines. The noise leads them to the combat.
A rocky defile winds in between steep-sided hills near the heart of this upland region. A thin, fast-moving rivulet races down its center, the brook’s banks lined with verdant moss and ferns. On the left bank of the rivulet stands a tall, frog-like humanoid, his body covered in a curious robe-like garment that appears woven from plant fibers. It has gray flesh and reddish-gold eyes.
On the creek’s right-hand bank is a group of tall, feral monsters standing nearly 10 feet tall and covered in dark, matted hair. They wield massive greatclubs and spears. With a gesture of one of his unnaturally extended digits, the robe-clad stranger throws a bolt of eldritch power across the stream, striking one of the huge beasts, who howls in pain. The three creatures lunge forward, splashing into the stream to reach their assailant.
Jouktar the Sorcerer is battling 3 minotaurs in the gully. He immediately notices the characters unless they take steps to conceal themselves.Communicating with Jouktar Jouktar is the only reliable source of information the characters likely have to explain the origin of the fragments and the threat Ghurazkz holds to their time. Unfortunately, learning these facts is a complex matter. As a denizen of a prehistoric time, Jouktar speaks no language currently spoken. This makes communicating with him problematic. Magic is the most dependable solution: A comprehend languages spell allows a character to understand what Jouktar says, but does not grant the ability to speak so that the visitor to this time understands them. Tongues allows Jouktar and the characters to communicate directly.
Parties lacking these spells will be forced to rely on gestures and perhaps crude drawings to convey ideas with Jouktar and vice-versa. You can resolve this impaired communication in two ways: The first is to resolve the interaction via skill checks. To convey a message via gestures or drawings, the target must make a Wisdom (Insight) check with a DC depending on the complexity of the information being expressed. Broad, simple ideas are DC 5 to comprehend; more complex concepts are DC 10; while truly esoteric or convoluted subjects are DC 15. If the character attempting to convey the information possesses the Performance skill, the target has advantage on his skill check to reflect the communicator’s skill at expressing himself. On a failed check, the target fails to comprehend the information, but the party attempting to explain itself can attempt again in simpler terms (if applicable).
The second method (and the most preferable) is simply to role play all communication efforts. Neither the players you can speak and must convey all information through miming or drawn images. If you depend on this method, consider awarding the party a 900 XP bonus at the end of the adventure for overcoming this difficulty.
The Fragment Although Jouktar is initially hesitant about destroying the fragment he arrived in, he can be persuaded of how important its destruction is to the characters (see sidebar above). If convinced, he readily leads the party to the fragment’s location, a shallow bowl-shaped depression about a half10 Quests of Doom 4 mile away from the site of his battle with the gronks. Jouktar warns the party that there might be more of the creatures around and that they should be cautious — and rightly so! If Jouktar is slain or is not accompanying the party for some reason, a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check reveals tracks leading from the gully to the fragment, and the party can follow those to its resting place.
A group of the gronks is encamped around the fragment, uncertain of the strange new world and frustrated they can’t seem to get back inside the stone. Read the following when the party arrives at the shard’s location: This fragment lies near the center of a wide, bowl-shaped depression situated between three hills. The grass that lined the floor of the depression is stamped down and the earth is churned up. Next to the great, 15-foot-tall and 20-foot-wide piece of magical stone is a crowd of monsters identical to the ones you encountered so recently. The hulking, horned brutes squat in the grass, howling and screaming at one another as if in the midst of some bestial debate.
There are 5 gronks present. Due to their preoccupation, the party has advantage on any Dexterity (Stealth) checks made against the gronks.
Jouktar hangs back in a fight, using his magic strategically to assist the party and to limit their possible exposure to wild magic surges.).
The third fragment measures 15 feet in height and 20 feet across. It is 6 feet deep and faces to the southwest. It can be destroyed as normal (described in Destroying the Shards).
A Glimpse of Things to Come After the gronks are dispatched, the party may destroy the fragment as normal, but lest they become complacent with the destruction of enchanted prisons, an odd phenomenon occurs as the last points of damage are delivered. When the final attack lands, read the following: When the final blow falls upon the shining stone, you brace yourself for the anticipated thunderous reverberations accompanying it destruction. However, as the shard fractures and begins to crumble, you briefly catch sight of something reflected in the ebony depths of the stone. For a mere instant, you see a terrible head with a snub, rounded snout and tremendous burning eyes glaring from the stone. The face appears reptilian, but unlike anything you’ve witnessed or even heard of before. Its skin is more leathery than scaled, its eyes more feral, its teeth and horns somehow sharper.
The thing’s eyes seem to bore into you, and a snarl of hate and contempt forms on its toothy maw. A moment later, the visage is gone, and the stone shatters with a thunderous report.
If Jouktar is present, his face turns ashen with fear. He informs the characters that that creature was Ghurazkz, the monster he and his allies created the Crystal Ram to imprison. However, he can offer no explanation on why Ghurazkz suddenly appeared in the fragment.
Unknown to Jouktar and the party, Ghurazkz’s imprisonment within the Crystal Ram had a strange side effect. The mirror prison was designed specifically to bind the proto-dragon and drain his life. As such, its magic was specifically keyed to his life force. This caused the proto-dragon to develop an unexpected spiritual connection with the enchanted prison.
The destruction of the fragment results in Ghurazkz experiencing a brief psychic connection with the stone’s failing magic. The creature caught a sudden glimpse of the party and is puzzled by the event. In time, Ghurazkz experiences a premonition of danger and takes precautions against invaders (see “Fragment #5: Ghurazkz’s Lair” below).
The Sticky Pits The fourth of the Crystal Ram fragments fell into a dismal swamp known as the Slopfield Bog by the locals. This dreadful mire is home to a sinister figure, Magher the Necromancer. Magher was drawn to the bog by the legends that the marsh was once the site of a titanic battle and the dark, peat-infused waters bear unnumbered corpses and bones of the soldiers who perished in that conflict. Magher has animated some of these mortal remains. The fragment’s arrival, however, has presented him with a new untapped resource.
A portion of the prehistoric landscape imprisoned in the Crystal Ram contained large primordial tar pits, death traps for some of the ancient Interaction with Jouktar As the sole source of information about the Crystal Ram’s origin, establishing good social relations with Jouktar is important.
However, the characters may recognize him as a tsathar and assume him to be hostile. The fact that he does not attack or otherwise act hostilely towards the characters should go a long way towards staying their hands. In addition, Jouktar has never seen humanoids before (they largely do not yet exist in his time) and has no inherent enmity towards them (unlike tsathar in the modern era). If evil is detected for, his alignment is apparent, but it quickly becomes obvious that he has no ill intent towards the characters .
The following information is provided to help you adjudicate social encounters between Jouktar and the party — assuming they overcome the communication problem (see Communicating with Jouktar).
If the characters rush to Jouktar’s aid and attack the gronks, he is automatically friendly toward the party. If they failed to assist him during the fight, Jouktar is initially indifferent. His attitude affects his willingness to educate the party about the purpose of the Crystal Ram and how it came to be in their world/time.
Jouktar possesses the following social characteristics: • Ideal: Honor (I must conduct myself in an honorable fashion so as to not shame myself or my people.) • Bond: Ghurazkz is a terrible threat to all times and places and must be destroyed once and for all.
• Flaw: I wish to return home, and if all parts of the Crystal Ram are destroyed, I might lose my only link to my rightful place and time.
Jouktar eagerly assists the party if they make it clear they intend to destroy Ghurazkz. Convincing him to destroy all the Crystal Ram shards requires some persuasion, however (see Flaw), but appealing to Jouktar’s sense of honor makes him realize the necessity of their destruction.
world’s titanic animals. When the fragment fell into the bog, that tar began seeping out of the stone, filling a portion of the swamp with sticky matter and the long-submerged bones of creatures that died in the gooey wells. Magher witnessed the fragments fall and investigated the site. He soon spotted the tar-encrusted bones in the pits and used his dark magic to animate the bones to create a new skeletal monster to do his bidding.
Pleased with this new source of raw materials, Magher has set up camp on the edge of the tar pits and has claimed the natural asphalt deposits and the fragment as his own. The characters must overcome the necromancer and his undead guardians before they can deal with the shard. Further complicating matters, the fragment lies surrounded by the seeping tar and stinking marsh, making it difficult to reach and destroy.
The Slopfield Bog lies in a broad depression on the plains to the west of Smallcrop. The myriad streams from the Slate Hills to the north flow into the marsh, feeding its soupy mess. Stunted, dead trees grow along the bog’s southwest verge where the Chorm Forest brushes against its muddy borders. Reeds, still pools tainted dark brown by peat, and low hummocks of yellow grass turn the bog into a maze. Mist and miasmas of gas from rotting organic matter cover the marsh in the morning and twilight hours.
As the party reaches the edge of the bog, the breeze shifts and they catch a faint smell of tar mixed among the rotting stench of the marsh.
Something is definitely amiss in the mire. Finding the fragment is not easy, however, and unless one of the characters can take to the air and perform a flyover of the bog’s expanse, the party must plunge into the depths of the marsh and find the fragment with a tiring, plodding search.
Even if a flying character locates the fragment, the rest of the party must still traverse the bog to reach the fragment.
Searching the Bog
Locating the fragment requires a prolonged search of the bog.
Every hour, the characters can make a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check (player’s choice). You keep track of how many characters succeed in their checks and totals the number of successes each hour. Once the party achieves 10 successful checks, they locate the Crystal Ram fragment.
In addition to these check, the party must make a group ability check every three hours during the search to avoid the hazards of the bog. This is a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check. If more than half the party fails their checks, the group stumbles across one of the bog’s dangers and you roll on the table below to determine what occurs.
Table 3: Bog Hazards
1d6 Hazard
1 1d4 giant poisonous snakes
2 1 giant crocodile
3 2d6 giant frogs
4 2d4 zombies
5 1 triceratops skeleton (see below)
6 Quicksand
Flying characters searching the swamp need make only a single DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check after 1d4 hours of flying and are not required to make the Wisdom (Survival) check to avoid the bog’s dangers. However, once they discover the fragment, there is a chance the flyer is spotted by Magher or his undead servants. There is a 50% chance Magher is outside his tent when the character flies overhead.
If outside, allow him to make a Wisdom (Perception) check to notice the character. The DC is 15 if the character is in a wild shape form that could be considered commonplace in the region (your discretion). If the character is not in wild shape or is in the form of an unusual animal, the DC is only 10. The DC might be lowered even more if the character’s actions draw attention to himself, perhaps even allowing the undead to spot him with a passive Perception check. If Magher or the undead spot the character, the necromancer is alerted to intruders in his domain. A flying character might be targeted with a spell if he comes into range.
Otherwise, the wizard prepares an ambush to greet the party.
The Fragment Site Once the characters locate the fragment, they encounter the following: The smell of natural asphalt and bitumen is heavy in air, making the bog’s atmosphere even more unpleasant to the nose.
Before you, at a distance of some hundred feet away, you see the now-familiar glossy stone of a fallen fragment rising up from the bog. Less than 10 feet of the broken stone is visible; the rest lies submerged in the midst of a 50-foot-wide pool of a dark, viscous substance. On the western edge of the black pool is an animal hide tent, its brown surface covered with painted sigils and decorated with dangling bones that clack together in the breeze.
Commanding your attention, however, are the number of figures surrounding the inky, gooey lake. You spy what appears to be a half-dozen naked men with flesh the color and texture of tanned leather, their skin in a state of arrested decay. They stand motionless, an eerie green light burning in the depths of their eyes. Standing closest to the tent is a skeletal monstrosity with stained-black bones. The skeletal creature is quadrupedal and stands roughly 10 feet high at the shoulder. A great plate of dark bone rings its head, and three sharp horns protrude from its skull’s snout.
There are 6 zombies and a triceratops skeleton here. Magher is present, but is currently resting inside his tent when the characters discover the fragment (unless he is aware of them and is planning an ambush as described below). Given the poor perception of the undead guardians outside it, the characters have a good chance of sneaking up on the tent and spying on the necromancer if they desire. However, if spotted, all the zombies and the triceratops skeleton immediately move to attack and the moans of the peat-preserved zombies alert Magher. He emerges from the tent the following round, ready to defend his new resource.
Magher is a mage, with the following spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): chill touch, fire bolt, mage hand, ray of frost1st level (4 slots): burning hands, false life, mage armor, ray of sickness2nd level (3 slots): cloud of daggers, ray of enfeeblement3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, fear, stinking cloud4th level (3 slots): blight, confusion5th level (1 slot): cone of cold Magher also carries a scroll of invisibility and a scroll of vampiric touch.
Magher is a pale, gaunt Erskaelosi male in his late fifties. He dresses his a mottled robe made from the flayed skin of numerous humans and decorated with sigils drawn in old blood and bone chalk. His hair is blond turning gray, and stringy and unkempt. His eyes are the color of yellowing bones. Unpleasant to be around in even the briefest of social situations, Magher has sought the company of the dead his entire life and bears a fierce paranoia of the living. He sees the Crystal Ram fragment as a new, invaluable source of potential power and is unwilling to allow others to claim it. He defends it fiercely. Death, being an old friend, holds no fear for Magher and he dies to protect the fragment.
Once characters deal with Magher and his servants, they can search the area and the tent. Next to the tent and spread out on several tar-covered blankets are the asphalt-encrusted bones of a Tyrannosaurus rex, the next creature Magher intended to animate. The tent itself holds a sleeping pallet, three woven reed baskets containing hard bread, dried fruit, smoked snake meat, and three filled waterskins, and a small wooden chest bound with iron bands. The chest is locked but can be opened with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools (or by using the key tied around Magher’s wrist), but not trapped. Inside, however, is a zombie poisonous snake, its poison glands still bearing a powerful toxin.
The chest contains Magher’s clothing, 300 cp, 400 sp, 135 gp,
and a carved quartz skull (250 gp value). Hidden among his clothes
and requiring a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check to discover is a
steel box containing his spellbook,
Ambushed! If Magher is aware of the characters, the necromancer is inside his tent, but peering intently out a hole in the covering, awaiting their arrival so he can spring the nasty surprise he has prepared for them.
Buried in the mud along the edge of the tar pits are another 6 zombies coated in a thick layer of tar. Any character looking for hidden enemies before entering the area can make a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check.
If successful, he notices a portion of the mud seems recently disturbed and can avoid that area. Parties failing to look for hidden opponents are assumed to walk directly over the buried zombies, and they burst from the mud into their midst! Any character with a passive Perception less than 14 is considered surprised and cannot move, take an action, or a reaction even if combat is currently underway (the sudden appearance of the buried zombies startles them so badly they momentarily freeze up).
On the round after the tar-covered zombies emerge, Magher uses his fire bolt cantrip to set one alight. He ignites additional zombies on subsequent rounds. The tar combusts, turning the zombies into burning, relentless foes. A successful slam attack by a burning zombie inflicts an addition 1d4 points of fire damage to the target and the burning tar clings to the victim.
The target suffers an additional 1d4 points of fire damage each subsequent round. The subject can end this damage by using an action to make a DC 10 Dexterity check and extinguish the burning tar. The flaming zombie also suffers 1d4 points of fire damage each round it is alight and ignores the flames until destroyed. Note that the zombie’s undead fortitude trait applies if reduced to zero hit points by the burning tar.
Destroying the Fragment The fragment rests nearly 30 feet inside a 20-foot-deep morass of sticky tar, facing north. Reaching the fragment through the sticky asphalt deposits is a potentially life-threatening endeavor. Treat the tar as a particularly dangerous form of quicksand. Increase the Strength check DC for a creature attempting to free itself to 15 plus the number of feet the creature has sunk in the tar. Other creatures seeking to free a trapped ally must make a Strength check with a DC equal to 10 plus the number of feet the creature has sunk. Additionally, the raw petroleum is highly flammable and, if set alight, any creature in the tar suffers 7 (2d6) points of fire damage every round until it escapes.
The characters might have to resort to magic to destroy the fragment and end the prehistoric invasion. Certain spells allow a creature to cross the tar without succumbing to its adhesive properties (water walk or fly, for example), while ranged attacks can obliterate the fragment safely from dry ground. One benefit of the tar pits is that any creature drawn through the fragment while the party strives to destroy it likely becomes mired in the tar unless it is a flying creature.
In the original adventure the 5th shard was near the lair of a
proto-dragon named Ghurazkz. I decided this part of the adventure
was not what I wanted... it's kind of dumb. You may see the
original 5th shard stuff at the end of this document. What follows
is what I am substituting.
Although visibility in the mountains where the last shard is
located isn't good, it isn't hard to locate where it is because it
made a good size crater when it came down. It seems 3 times larger
than the craters made by the other shards indicating it was much
larger. However there is no shard to be found as it has already
been destroyed.
It may be that party members might see the shard is no more and
call it "job done!". This should not be allowed to happen. It's
important that the party complete this part of the adventure. The
best argument for continuing is that a shard of the size they see
must have allowed large creatures to come out and menace the
countryside. If additional convincing is needed, allow them to see
the strewn kobald bodies in the area.
The rough terrain will still make it difficult for the party to
get top the spot where the shard went down. It will take at least
2 days to get to the mountains and another 2 days to get to the
point where the shard has fallen. On the way up the mountain roll
2 times for Rand. Enc. on a 1 on a d6. There will always be at
least 1 encounter on the way up, so feel free to pick a time for
it and roll randomly thereafter.
Mountain Random Encounters
When the party reaches the area where the shard was they will see
a scene of a great explosion. The crater is 30' across and 12'
deep. All of the plants and trees for 100' around is partially
ripped out of the ground and there is a mound of foliage 2' high
like a doughnut around the crater.
Even the most cursory of investigations will reveal the gigantic tracks. They are about 5' across and have 4 toes and an opposable tumb. It is easy go follow the trail the ape has left as there was no effort to avoid trees and rocky obsticles as they have been ripped aside.
After following the trail for 3 hours they find
the first kobold body. It is imbedded into a footprint. From
that point on they will begin finding more and more kobold bodes
killed in the most horrible ways. At least 15 bodies are found
along the trail, in the trees, torn in half etc.
After another 3 hours they will come upon the
kobold cave where Kong has made his home. There is a huge area
around the cave entrance which has been recently cleared by Kong
ripping up the trees and stuff then lying on the ground,
stomping his feet and pounding the dirt with his fists. This is
the last battle!
After the battle:
Assuming they defeat Kong, they will no doubt want to take a
look inside the cave. The front opening is large but not by Kong
standards. It's about 15' high and 12' wide at the entrance, but
quickly opens up and allows Kong to stand up after about 30' in.
A This is the primary living area of the kobolds.
The floor is strewn with kobold bodes all either women or
children. There are several partially eaten kobolds and lots of
clean bones. The ceiling in this area is a triangular affair
that is 100; high in the center and 40' high at the lowest edge.
There is nothing of interest here.
B The entrance to this room is too small for Kong
to do more than reach his fist in, but the back 10' are
unreachable. The ceiling is only 12' high in the center of the
room and 5' high in the sides. This was the tribe larder. There
are 2 kobold children hiding in here. They have been there for
10 days. They will tell the terrible tale of the arrival of Kong
C This part of the cavern is about 120' by
5' with a ceiling of 16 feet. This prevents kong from entering.
The wildspace ship is lying on its side hull toward the S. It is
little more than a hulk and everything of value has been removed
from it except for the funny chair in the center of the bridge.
It is the magical helm. This one has been enchanted to do 2d6hp
of lightning damage to any attempting to touch it who does not
has at least 3rd level arcane level. The Lamprey Ship.
D This is the cheifs room. The door is just a
rock that is fairly easy to roll out of the way. Inside are the
beds of the kings harem, the fur lined bed of the king. and some
rocks that serve as chairs and tables. There is a pouch hidden
in the furs that contains 32gp, 67sp, 145cp and a collection of
shiny rocks that have no value.
E This was the one piece of furnishings the
kobolds had. It was a long table about 100' long 8' wide and 15"
off the ground. Its made of woven saplings supported by thick
branches. The top has grown smooth from generations of kobolds
working at it. It is broken as Kong tried to use it as a chair.
The characters are free to pursue new adventures knowing the threat of the past is at an end.
The fate of Jouktar is to become a mysterious hermit. He takes
up residence in the hills and finds a comfortable cave once
inhabited by his ancestors. He leads a hunter/gatherer existence
and continues to hone his magical abilities. When he is found by
people in the area, he feigns being a mute and always tries to
help those he encounters.
New Creatures and NPCs Allosaurus
Allosaurus
Large beast, unaligned
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 51 (6d10 + 18)
Speed 60 ft.
STR DEX
CON INT
WIS CHA
19 (+4) 13 (+1) 17 (+3) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 5 (–3)
Skills Perception +5
Senses passive Perception 15
Languages -- Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Pounce. If the allosaurus moves at least 30 feet straight toward a
creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn,
that target must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be
knocked prone. If the target is prone, the allosaurus can make one
bite attack against it as a bonus action.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage.
Ankylosaurus
Huge beast, unaligned
Armor Class 15
Hit Points 68 (8d12 + 16)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX
CON INT WIS CHA
19 (+4) 11 (+0) 15 (+2) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 5 (–3)
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages— Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Actions Tail.
Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18
(4d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength
saving throw or be knocked prone.
Gronk, Prehistoric The most notable feature of the hairy humanoid is large curved horn projecting from the forehead. The creature’s thick limbs and torso betray its muscular power.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 (+4) | 11 (+0) | 16 (+3) | 6 (−2) | 16 (+3) | 9 (−1) |
Skills Perception +7
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages Abyssal
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Charge. If the minotaur moves at least 10 feet straight
toward a target and then hits it with a gore attack on the same
turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) piercing damage. If the
target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving
throw or be pushed up to 10 feet away and knocked prone.
Labyrinthine Recall. The minotaur can perfectly recall
any path it has traveled.
Reckless. At the start of its turn, the minotaur
can gain advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls it makes
during that turn, but attack rolls against it have advantage until
the start of its next turn.
Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to
hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d12 + 4)
slashing damage.
Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing
damage.
If the poison damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the
target is stable but poisoned for 1 hour, even after regaining hit
points, and is paralyzed while poisoned in this way.
| STR 25 (+7) | DEX 10 (+0) | CON 19 (+4) | INT 2 (-4) | WIS 12 (+1) | CHA 9 (-1) |
The unused original text of the 5th shard and the endgame.
Ghurazkz’s Lair The last and largest piece of the Crystal Ram landed on one of the short mountains that rise in the northwestern section of the region. These mountains, are at the extreme southernmost extent of the Storm Mountains and are home to a number of humanoid tribes who only occasionally leave the mountains to raid. Of all the tribes of this area, the most powerful is a clan of ogrillons known as the Bone Grinders. At least, they were powerful until Ghurazkz arrived and decimated them.
When the fifth fragment landed on the mountain slope, the proto-dragon swiftly escaped his prison. Although not as cunning as modern dragons, Ghurazkz possesses some intelligence as well as animal savagery. This early example of dragonkind destroyed the fifth fragment to ensure he could not fall victim to it again. Then, following his most primitive instincts, Ghurazkz located a cave farther up on the mountain to serve as his lair. Unfortunately for the Bone Grinders’ tribe, that cavern was their home and the majority of the ogrillon clan was destroyed by the powerful proto-dragon when he claimed their den as his own. The terrified survivors of the massacre now serve Ghurazkz.
The Shattered Fragment The characters’ search, perhaps spurred by rumors learned in Smallcrop, leads them to the Storm Mountains. A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check notices a great deal of recent activity in the area, as if numerous creatures were stirred up. The tracks all lead away from the mountains, specifically away from one certain peak. If everyone in the party fails the check it can be repeated each day they explore the mountains until they detect the tracks of the exodus.
Climbing the suspect peak, the party discovers a crater two miles up the mountainside. The crater measures 50 feet in diameter and is blasted into the mountain. Nearby boulders are shattered, and a few scrub trees uprooted. A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check combined with a DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check (this can be two characters working together) reveals that the shockwave produced by destroying one of the Crystal Ram fragments likely caused the crater. One was here, but someone already destroyed it! Any character possessing the Survival skill also automatically notices large footprints pressed into the flinty soil. These tracks are nearly 10 feet long and 8 feet wide, and are of an unknown creature. A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) or DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) check (player’s choice, with your discretion, of course) notices the tracks bear draconic traits as well as some resemblance to the T-rex tracks outside of Smallcrop (assuming the characters tracked and defeated the T-rex). The tracks lead up the mountainside. If Jouktar is with the party, he identifies the tracks as belonging to Ghurazkz.
Potential Event: Rock & Roll If the party’s search brings them to this area before they discover the third Crystal Ram fragment, this event doesn’t occur. However, if the party is journeying to Ghurazkz’s lair after destroying the third shard, the protodragon is aware that someone is interested in his affairs. After a few days of deliberating, he commands a group of ogrillons to take up position on the slope leading to his den with orders to deal with any strangers attempting to scale the mountain.
Lurking among the boulders and thin trees about a half-mile below the entrance to the lair are 6 ogrillons. If they spot intruders climbing the mountain, they wait until the interlopers are 60 feet away and then push three boulders down the mountainside at the trespassers. They follow this with hurled javelins for as long as possible, enjoying half cover from the rocks and trees.
Any creature climbing the slope must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 3d12 points of bludgeoning damage from the boulders.
Optionally (and much more cool), a character can use a spell such as shatter to destroy a boulder heading toward him and avoid the need to make a saving throw at all.
Ghurazkz’s Lair Following the tracks leads the characters a mile farther up the mountain.
There, set into a steep rock wall in the mountainside, is a 25-foot-wide by 15-foot-high cave mouth that smokes with fetid miasmic gases. Cracked stones and the ashes of old but large fires litter the mountain slope surrounding the cave. There is no sound aside from the endless drone of the mountain wind. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices many large humanoid footprints around the old fires, but even more appear to have been erased or walked over by the large draconic tracks leading up from the crater below. There is no sign of movement or illumination inside the cave, which appears to lead deep into the mountain.
If the party makes a great deal of noise or commotion while at the cave mouth, the guards at area 1 are alerted and take measures to ambush the characters.
General Features The caves are natural limestone and filled with many stalagmites and stalactites, columns, and other common cave features. The ceiling once beyond the cave mouth rises to 20+1d6 feet throughout, with the exception of areas 3 and 4 where it is only 10 to 12 feet tall. The sound of dripping water, the occasional falling bit of stone debris, and the chittering of bats is heard inside the cave. A DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check once past area 2 also detects the slow, measured breathing of some tremendous beast deep in the cave system. This is the respiration of Ghurazkz.
Aside from areas 3 and 5 (and potentially areas 4 and 7), little illumination is inside the caves. The ogrillons and Ghurazkz make do with their darkvision.
1. Watch Post The tunnel leading from the cave entrance bends and widens at this location. Stalactites point down from above, but many of the partnered stalagmites below have been sheered away, leaving stumps like felled trees behind. An 8-foot-high pile of stones stands near the left-hand wall, obviously assembled for some unclear purpose.
Keeping watch over the entrance of the proto-dragon’s lair are 6 ogrillons. If they detected the characters entering the cave, they currently hide behind the stone pile, waiting to ambush them with javelins.
Otherwise, they are sitting on cut stalagmite rings, eating raw mountain goat and swigging water from great drinking horns.
The ogrillon guards are terrified of their new master and this affects their performance. There is only a 33% chance they send one of the number to area 5 for reinforcements and to sound an alarm, as they’d rather defeat intruders singlehandedly and please Ghurazkz than seem cowardly (and risk being eaten).
The guards carry 52 ep in treasure between them.
2. Trapped Crossroads Four tunnels meet at this point. The tunnel you’re descending continues to slope down into darkness. To your left, a 5-foot-wide tunnel disappears into a cleft in the rock wall, while a 10-foot-wide passage wanders off to your right.
The glow of firelight is visible down this last tunnel.
This crossroads is trapped with a weighted net hidden among the stalactites overhead. A crude tripwire strung across the passage triggers it.
Due to the ogrillons having to disarm and reset the trap as they can come and go, it is simple to deactivate (assuming it’s noticed in the first place).
Weighted Net Trap Anyone who inspects the area and makes a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) to will locate the crude trip wire. A successful DC 10 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools disables the trip wire.
Trap Effect: If triggered, a heavy 15-foot-square, woven net falls from above. All creatures in the area beneath it are restrained and those that fail a DC 15 Strength saving throw are knocked prone. Scraps of metal hanging from the net clatter together as it falls, alerting the occupants of area 5 that the trap has been triggered.
A creature can use its action to make a DC 15 Strength check, freeing itself or another if successful. The net has AC 10 and 25 hit points. Dealing 7 slashing damage to the net destroys a 5-foot-square section and frees a creature within that section.
If the trap triggers, 6 ogrillons from area 5 rush to this location, arriving three rounds after the net falls. They seek to kill or capture intruders, attempting to slay any creature not caught in the net first.
The narrow left-hand tunnel travels a short distance into the cleft in the wall then stops as a series of steps climb upward. The stairs appear to be a mix of naturally occurring ledges and steps carved by hand.
3. Roper Cave The stairs end at the entrance to a smaller side cave. The walls are wet with seeping water, and masses of stalactites and stalagmites cover the floor and ceiling. Patches of moss cling to the wet walls, glowing with a pale, ghostly blue phosphorescence that turns this cave into a fairy garden of subterranean wonder. Another passage appears to exit the cave at the far side.
In the days just before Ghurazkz’s arrival, a strange number of disappearances began to affect the ogrillon tribe. Several members went missing in the night, their fates unknown to the rest of the clan. Unknown to the ogrillons, a roper recently crept into their caves to prey on the unsuspecting brutes. It hides among the natural stalagmites of this cave.
The roper positions itself just to the left of the exit out of this cave and is indistinguishable from the large stalagmites nearby. It waits until either one large creature or three smaller creatures enter the cave, then attacks with its tendrils.
Although the roper is impossible to detect while not moving, a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check (DC 10 if the creature making the check has darkvision) notices a few stray bones and bloodstained hides discarded among the stalagmites of this cave, alerting the party to potential danger.
The roper’s gizzard contains 130 pp, 2 bloodstones (50 gp value each), a scroll of comprehend languages, a scroll of cure wounds and sanctuary, and a potion of healing. Also among the bones on the cave floor are 19 gp.
The glowing moss is a natural form of subterranean life and produces dim illumination. The glow fades quickly if the moss is removed from the cave walls.
The Balcony A narrow tunnel opens into a smaller grotto lined with teeth-like stone protrusions both above and below. The stone is streaked with gray guano. Patches of pale blue fungus glow softly along the walls. A tunnel exits this cave through the right-hand wall. Numerous small, dark-furred bats cling to the ceiling above.
If it is daylight outside, add the following: The soft glow of diffused sunlight is visible coming from the mouth of the far tunnel.
The ogrillons seldom visited this cave, and a colony of bats made it their home. They roost here during the day, departing via the exit tunnel in area 7 to feed at night (and to serve as the occasional meal for Ghurazkz).
The bats are harmless, but disturbing them sends them flying out of the cave into area 7, alerting the proto-dragon that strangers are afoot.
Creatures wishing to cross the cave without disturbing the colony must make a DC 12 Dexterity (Stealth) check to avoid stirring up the animals.
The exit tunnel terminates 15 feet above the floor of area 7, providing an exceptional vantage point to observe Ghurazkz’s lair. Assuming the characters haven’t stirred up the bats, anyone attempting to remain undetected has advantage to his Stealth rolls on the balcony above owing to its high position. The stone lip and close walls of the balcony tunnel also provide half cover to anyone on the balcony from ranged attacks and Ghurazkz’s breath weapon.
5. Ogrillon Den A stone-lined fire pit glows in this chamber, the full carcass of a giant mountain goat roasting over the coals. Piles of furs are arranged into large beds scattered about the cavern, and barrels and crates are piled against the walls. About a dozen large hulking creatures with sallow skin, jagged fangs, and sloped, brooding foreheads gather near the fire. A tunnel exits the cave at the back of the space.
The ogrillons were once a mighty tribe, but now fewer than three dozen remain. Most are present in this chamber, huddling in their fear of the new master and in misery of their diminished state. There are 16 ogrillons here — 10 males and 6 females — unless the trap in area 2 has been triggered. In that event, only 10 of the creatures are present. Male and female ogrillons have identical stats.
Two dozen sleeping furs in total are found here. Mixed among the personal belongings (stinking fur clothes, woven bags, wooden utensils, bone combs, etc.) is a collection of personal treasures totaling 267 gp.
The crates contain various plunder stolen in raids down the years. Most is trash (horseshoes, bales of wool, rancid foodstuffs, etc.), but one of the crates contains a collection of 3 finely embroidered silk dressing gowns worth 225 gp each. The six barrels contain water and vinegary wine.
6. Champion’s Cave and Tribal Treasury A large sleeping pallet of heaped furs occupies the far end of this side grotto. A number of oversized spears and axes hang on the rough cave walls, and a pair of mighty chests bound in iron rest on the far side of the pallet. Two massive figures stir in the darkness, emitting growls and snarls.
This room is the home of the ogrillon tribe’s nominal leader, Urgchat the Terrible, and his bear companion (use the polar bear stat block).
When Ghurazkz devoured the tribe’s chieftain and shaman, it left a power vacuum that Urgchat readily filled. He lords his position over his terrified tribesmen and is actually pleased with the proto-dragon usurping the ogrillons’ traditional home. Ghurazkz’s arrival has served him well, and he has no desire to see the proto-dragon slain. characters who negotiate with the ogrillons in area 5 might be sadly mistaken to believe all the tribe want Ghurazkz dead.
The chests are locked but can be opened with a successful DC 20 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools, and contain the tribe’s treasure.
Ghurazkz is unfamiliar with minted coins and similar riches, claiming only what raw gemstones and gold ore the tribe possessed to make his hoard. The rest of the ogrillons’ riches are in the two chests. Chest #1 holds 765 cp and 4,017 sp. Chest #2 contains 2,211 gp and 90 pp.
Negotiations with the Ogrillons The ogrillons defend their home to the death if a fight breaks out, but it is possible to avoid such a confrontation if the characters are clever. The ogrillons serve Ghurazkz only out of fear, and if the party appears powerful enough to deal with the proto-dragon, the brutish humanoids might readily leave the characters to their task.
However, the ogrillons need convincing.
The ogrillons are considered hostile if the characters attempt to converse with them. For the purposes of a social interaction, the ogrillons have the following characteristics: • Ideal: Pride (Free ourselves from the threat of Ghurazkz so we can resume our lives of violence and plunder!) • Bond: This cave is our home! Our tribe lived here for as long as we can remember! • Flaw: We might be fearsome, but Ghurazkz has devoured many of us and we dare not anger him.
The party might convince the ogrillons to let them deal with the proto-dragon if they succeed in a DC 20 Charisma check using whatever skill you feel appropriate based on their roleplaying efforts. If a character identifies or uses the ogrillons’ ideal, bond, or flaw against them, reduce the DC to 15. The ogrillons will not assist the characters in taking on Ghurazkz and immediately depart the cave system once the party moves to confront the proto-dragon.
At best, the ogrillons tell the characters the secondary path to area 7 (the tunnel at the back of area 5) 15 In the Time of Shardfall 7. Ghurazkz’s Lair If it is daylight when the party reaches this area, the cavern is in bright illumination from sunlight filtering down through the opening in the roof.
Otherwise, it is in darkness.
A massive cavern lies at the bottom of the wide, winding tunnel. The ceiling rises some 30 feet above the rough floor, which is littered with broken stalagmites. A faint draught wafts through the subterranean chamber, blowing from a large tunnel mouth set high up on the cavern roof.
Curled into a coil and covering a large portion of the cavern’s far end is a tremendous beast. Its olive-colored skin is covered with dark brown, green, and yellow stripes and bears numerous scars from old wounds. A smattering of armored plates adorns its short snout and rounded brow.
Leathery wings lie flat upon its broad back, and a pair of stubby forearms lie curled along its smooth side.
This is Ghurazkz, the only living proto-dragon in the modern age.
During his own era, he was a living calamity, but his imprisonment in the Crystal Ram sapped him of his strength and power. Here he rests, slowly recovering his lost vitality until ready to challenge the world once again.
Unless defeated soon, he will grow to become the most ferocious creature in the modern world.
As a proto-dragon, Ghurazkz resembles a mixture of dragon, Tyrannosaurus rex, and pteranodon. His head is more dinosaur than dragon, and he has short forelimbs. His wings are those of a leathery bird rather than bat, and he bears the coloration of a dinosaur. Ghurazkz’s breath weapon hasn’t evolved into fiery breath yet. Instead, the proto-dragon produces a thick brown spittle that reacts with air. This gummy substance spontaneously combusts shortly after coming into contact with air, and a victim of the stuff who acts swiftly can mitigate the damage the burning spittle inflicts.
Ghurazkz hoard is small, largely composed of the natural treasures he admired among the ogrillons’ treasures. Located behind his place of rest in the cave are a hunk of unrefined silver (4,000 sp value), 3 large gold nuggets (250 gp value each), 3 pieces of amber (100 gp value each), 4 pieces of jade (100 gp value each), 2 amethysts (100 gp value each) and a set of horseshoes of the zephyr.
Battling Ghurazkz Depending on events before the characters reach this area, Ghurazkz may or may not be aware of their presence. If the guards at area 1 sent one of their number to warn the proto-dragon or if the characters stirred up the bat colony in area 4, Ghurazkz knows they are here and is feigning slumber, hoping to lure them closer to affect as many as possible with his burning breath attack.
If the party was stealthy or managed to prevent Ghurazkz from being warned, the proto-dragon is truly resting. He is not fully asleep, but merely resting as he regains his vitality. Nevertheless, he is at a disadvantage to detect intruders sneaking into the cavern and when rolling initiative.
If the party appears too powerful or is overly large (more than six members), or once the proto-dragon suffers more than 56 points of damage, he decides to take the fight outside of the lair. Ghurazkz springs to the roof tunnel, climbing the winding passage to escape outside the cave system. It takes him two rounds to navigate the tunnel, during which time he cannot attack and any attacks directed against him have advantage.
Once he reaches the end of the tunnel, he takes to the air, circling the peak and awaiting the characters to either pursue him from the roof tunnel or to exit the cave mouth. Once in the open, he uses his breath attack to his best advantage.
Ghurazkz does not battle to the death. If reduced to fewer than 40 hit points, the proto-dragon attempts to fly off to seek out a new lair to go to ground and recoup his strength. If he survives his initial encounter with the party, he’ll harbor a fierce hatred for them, and the characters are certain to run across the proto-dragon again in the future.
If Ghurazkz escaped, the proto-dragon finds a new lair and secrets himself away. Over time, Ghurazkz heals any wounds he suffered from battling the party and then begins to recover the strength he lost during his imprisonment in the Crystal Ram, becoming a more formidable foe. Unless the characters seek out the proto-dragon soon, they discover he has grown terrible, and to battle Ghurazkz again might easily end in their doom. An entire new campaign might revolve around finding a means to destroy a reinvigorated Ghurazkz or finding a means to banish him from the current time period. Ghurazkz
As a proto-dragon, Ghurazkz resembles a mixture of dragon,
Tyrannosaurus rex, and pteranodon. His head is more dinosaur than
dragon, and he has short forelimbs. His wings are those of a
leathery bird rather than bat, and he bears the coloration of a
dinosaur. Ghurazkz’s breath weapon hasn’t evolved into fiery
breath yet. Instead, the protodragon produces a thick brown
spittle that combusts when it reacts with air.
Ghurazkz
Huge dragon, chaotic evil
Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 169 (16d12 + 64)
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
STR DEX CON
INT WIS CHA
21 (+5) 10 (+0) 19 (+4) 7 (-2) 13 (+1) 15 (+2)
Saving Throws Dex +4, Con +8, Wis +5, Cha +6
Damage Immunities fire
Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception
19
Languages Prehistoric Draconic Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
Actions Multiattack. The proto-dragon makes three attacks: one
with its bite and two with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 13 (2d16 + 5) slashing damage.
Burning Spittle (Recharge 5-6). The proto-dragon spits a combustible phlegm in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area is covered with the viscous substance, which bursts into flames at the end of the round. A creature covered by the spittle when it combusts must make a DC 16 Fortitude saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) points of fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. A creature covered by the spittle can scrape some of the matter off as an action. If this is done before the spittle combusts, the creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw to minimize damage.