Page 125 - Tomb of Annihilation

dreams of the Night Serpent wrench them screaming A hydra lurks underwater in this vicinity. Ras Nsi treats
from their troubled sleep. the monster as his beloved pet and regularly feeds it
The slaves are not chained. Presented with an oppor- slaves, prisoners, and subordinates who've defied him.
tunity to escape, most become paralyzed with indeci- The hydra's victims are bound and ferried on rowboats
sion. Breaking their fugue requires strong words and over the deepest part of the river. To call the monster,
a successful DC 17 Charisma (Persuasion or Intimida- their captors sound the rowboat bell and hurl the hog-
tion) check. Armed slaves who come to their senses try tied victim (or victims) into the water.
to slaughter as many yuan-ti as they can. They know the Whfle it remains fed, the hydra avoids any boats that
temple's defenses and general layout, except with regard ply back and forth. When a rowboat bell is sounded,
to areas 11 and 12 (which they've never seen). the hydra surfaces within ld6 rounds. If it's not fed
immediately, it attacks the boat. The hydra attacks any
TREASURE
boats that venture north of area 18. Swimmers are also
Issar carries an iron key that unlocks the double door to fair game.
area 13. His red cloth headdress is sewn with malachite
gemstones (250 gp), and he preens in a golden hand mir- 22. F UNGI CAVERN
ror (75 gp).
20. UNDERGROUND RIVER
The passage widens into a cavern filled with fungi. Toad-
stools, puffballs, and other tuberous growths cover the
An underground river opens before you. Stalactites walls and floor. Against the far wall, a malformed skele-
hang low over its surface, and dripping water echoes in ton lies buried under a patch of buttery mold. A brass key
the dark. hangs around its neck.

A patch of green slime (see chapter 5 of the Dungeon
The river links various sections of the complex. The wa-
Master's Guide) clings to the ceiling above the entrance
ter varies between 5 and 30 feet deep, and the current
and drops on the first creature that passes underneath.
isn't strong enough to present a hazard to swimmers. To
A patch of yellow mold (see chapter 5 of the Dungeon
the north and south, the river descends into submerged
Master's Guide) covers the skeletal corpse. If a creature
tunnels that spread for miles under the jungle.
touches the mold, it ejects a cloud of deadly spores.
ROWBOATS The corpse belongs to Kukuga, a yuan-ti pureblood
When the characters arrive, a pair of rowboats are who secretly worshiped Zuggtmoy (the demon queen
pulled up on the shore near the tunnel to area 23 (see of fungi). Kukuga concocted a fungal brew that would
chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide for more infor- transform his body into a form closer to that of his de-
mation on rowboats). A cowbell dangles from a hook at monic mistress. Instead, it led to his sudden and horrific
the prow of each boat. Ringing either bel I summons the death. Xopal (area 14) occasionally ventures into the
hydra in area 21, which arrives in ld6 rounds. cavern to harvest poisonous toadstools from his corpse.
To remove the brass key without disturbing the mold,
YUAN-TIBROODGUARDS a character must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity (Sleight
Guarding the rowboats and watching the secret en- of Hand) check. The key unlocks the door to the venom
trance (area 23) are four yuan-ti broodguards (see distillery (area 14).
appendix 0). U they detect intruders not disguised as
yuan-ti, one brood guard runs to warn the yuan-ti sta- 23. SECRET ENTRANCE
tioned in area 19 while the others attempt to repel the
If characters enter this tunnel from the surface, read:
interlopers.
The broodguards stop and question characters dis-
guised as yuan-ti purebloods. To bluff their way past the The passage winds into the bowels of the earth. The
guards, the characters must succeed on a group DC 10 air is wet and sticky, and the walls are slick with mois·
Charisma (Deception) check. If the group check suc-
ture. Harmless centipedes crawl across the floor as you
ceeds, the broodguards wave them inside without check-
descend.
ing their story. If the group check fails, the broodguards
march them to meet Slavemaster lssar in area 19.
The tunnel is roughly 100 feet Jong. Characters who
21. H YDRAS L AIR
climb the tunnel toward the surface emerge amid the
ruins of Omu's royal palace (see chapter 3, area 208).
An underground river widens to form a flooded grotto.
To the west, a pebble-strewn bank rises to a door re·
cessed in the cavern wall. Near the middle of the lake,
bones cling like a tide mark to a rocky pillar.

CHAPTER 4 I fANP. 01' THI' !'<IGHT SERPl!!l;T
124