Page 26 - Tales from the Yawning Portal

lins capable of fighting refuse to stick around ju t to lose occasionally enter the chamber to see to the needs of the
their lives. Noncombatants are worth no XP. tribe's elite that languish here.
These goblinoids know the same information. in Development. Durnn has a potion of healing and two
cruder form, that Erky in area 34 knows. vials of antitoxin. Gren! has a spell scroll of faerie fire
Development. An attack on the goblins brings rein- and another of expeditious retreat.
forcements from area 36 and warns the goblin chief in The goblins in area 40 don't join the battle if they hear
area 41 that something is amiss. Gren!, the goblin sha- sounds of violence coming from the north. If the fight
man in area 41, might emerge to protect the tribe. turns against the chief, however, he might open the door
Investigating. The goblins collect the phosphorescent to area 40 and call for aid, or withdraw to area 40 to
fungi from the grove below. They need its light for close continue the fight.
work, such as reading, and the fungus is edible. Crude Durnn can't surrender for fear of losing face. He won't
equipment for cooking, skinning game, tanning hides, give up if the opposition includes kobolds. Otherwise,
and other basic gear fills the area. Food is usually col- he might call for parley if doing so allows him to avoid
lected from the Underdark through area 43. death. But he must still look strong while negotiating,
Treasure. Among the tribal equipment, near the sha- so he's unwilling to capitulate in an arrangement that
man's bedding, is a healer's kit and a poisoner's kit. makes him look weak.
The pile along the southern wall contains the tribe's Because Durnn and his hobgoblins usurped control of
loot, mixed in with lots of other stuff taken from the the Durbuluk tribe, Gren! hates them. She also wants to
goblins' victims. The characters can find almost any protect her tribe, so she is willing to negotiate a truce if
piece of mundane gear that has a value of 5 gp or lower. Durnn falls. Gren! also hates and envies Belak, and she
Two items of considerable value can be unearthed by wants him gone from the citadel so she can control the
separate successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) checks: Gulthias Tree.
a fine agate statue of the elven deity Corellon Larethian If captured and interrogated, the goblinoids here know
(worth 30 gp) and a Medium chain shirt. what Erky in area 34 knows, with the following addition:
Belak wanted all the living human prisoners sent down
41. HALL OF THE GOBLIN CHIEF to him, but in a fit of anger, Durnn slew Talgen. Thus,
If the goblinoid guards in the chief's hall have been Durnn sent only Sharwyn and Sir Braford down to the
alerted, or if they hear conflict in area 40, they cover the Twilight Grove.
door for 10 minutes, then investigate the source of the Shaft. The shaft has a 2-foot wall around it, much like
disruptions at their leader's behest. the upper end of a well. Because of the wall, a creature
pushed toward the shaft can avoid going over the edge
by falling prone and succeeding on a DC 10 Dexterity
j A circular shaft pierces the floor of this forty-foot-diam-
saving throw. Thick, pale vines line the shaft. The vines
eter domed chamber. Dim violet light shines out of the
are as good as knotted rope for the purpose of climbing.
shaft, revealing sickly white and gray vines that coat the A creature that falls into the shaft can make a DC 15
walls of the shaft. The light is supplemented by four lit Dexterity saving throw to catch the vines. On a failed
wall torches set equidistant around the periphery of the save, the creature falls 80 feet to the floor of area 42.
Trapped Chest. Durnn's iron chest rests in front of
chamber. A crudely fashioned stone throne sits against
the throne. It is locked (Dexterity DC 15 using thieves'
the curve of the northwestern wall. A large iron chest
tools) and trapped with a poisoned needle. A character
serves as the throne's footstool. A sapling grows in a who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation)
1 wide stone pot next to the throne. check deduces the trap's presence from alterations
made to the lock. A character can then remove the nee-
dle from the lock by succeeding on a DC 15 Dexterity
Creatures. The chief of the Durbuluk tribe is Durnn, check using thieves' tools. On a failed Dexterity check,
a hobgoblin. He wears splint armor (AC 19) and has
the trap is triggered.
18 hit points, a +4 bonus to hit, a +l bonus to damage,
When the trap is triggered, the needle extends 3
and Strength 15 (+2). These changes raise his challenge
inches straight out from the lock. A creature within
rating to 1 (200 XP). When not in combat, Durnn sits on
striking distance takes 1 piercing damage and must
the throne, and three other hobgoblins stand nearby or
succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take 3
lounge on stone benches.
(ld6) poison damage.
The shaman Gren! advises the chief. She is a goblin
Treasure. In addition to the valuables mentioned in
with 10 (3d6) hit points, a Wisdom of 13 (+l), and the
the "Development" section, Durnn wears Talgen's gold
following trait:
signet ring (worth 20 gp) and splint armor, which is
Spellcasting. Grenl is a 1st-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting identifiable by the Hucrele family crest worked into the
ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 11 , +3 to hit with spell attacks). chest pieces. The chief also has the key to his iron chest.
She has the following cleric spells prepared: Gren! has keys to areas 34 and 37. One of the other
hobgoblins wears silver earrings set with moonstones
Cantrips (at will): poison spray, thaumaturgy
l st level (2 slots): bane, inflict wounds (20 gp each), and another wears a matching neck-
lace (50 gp).
A twig blight, a gift from Belak the Outcast and a pet Inside Durnn's iron chest are 231 gp and two onyx
of Durnn's, is in the stone pot, and goblins from area 40
gems (30 gp each).
CHAPTER l I THE SUNLESS CITADEL
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