Page 43 - Tomb of Annihilation

Occasionally, the echoes from up and down the gorge The 20-foot gap is too long for most characters to cross
overlap in a way that transforms the cacophony into with a running jump. Ajump from the high edge to the
haughty, gloating laughter. When that happens, the low edge, however, is effectively only 15 feet, while jump-
terrified monkeys fall silent for several minutes as the ing from low to high is effectively 25 feet. Crumbling re-
"laughter" dies away before resuming their chatter. mains of the parapets shorten the distance by another 5
Symbolic mazes are carved prominently onto the feet, but landing on one of those thin surfaces requires a
bridge and its supports. Any Chultan and most guides successful DC 13 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check; a jumper
can confirm that maze symbols and the solving of who fails that check slips off the stone and falls into the
mazes are associated with the ancient worship ofUbtao. gorge (a 100-foot drop).
A character can recall this information with a successful
DC 20 Intelligence (Religion) check. HANGING VINES
Hundreds of vines hang below the bridge. Characters
SHRINE OF UBTAO can cross the gorge under the bridge by moving hand·
over-hand from vine to vine and swinging across the
gap. This doesn't activate the stone golem at all, but it re-
A stone shrine stands at the midpoint of the bridge.
quires two successful ability checks: a DC 10 Strength
It consists of an imposing statue of a Chultan warrior
(Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to scramble
wearing a war mask, hunkered down like a panther ready across the vines and swing across the gap without fall-
to pounce. Like the monkeys elsewhere on the bridge, ing, and a DC 10 Wisdom (Animal Handling) to make
the carving is highly stylized. Bright gems A ash in its the passage without setting off a panic in the mon-
eye sockets. keys that consider the vines their home. If the Animal
Handling check fails, the character is attacked by ld4
A human skeleton lies crumpled near the statue's feet.
baboons. The animals fight normally, but the character
Several of its bones are obviously broken, but it's impos- hanging in the vines has disadvantage on every attack
sible tell whether these injuries happened while the per· roll and ability check while under attack.
son was alive or were caused by scavengers after death.
ATAAZ YKLWAZI
Blades of black basalt thrust up from the Boor of this
The statue is, in fact, a stone golem created to defend
the bridge against ancient invaders. It attacks anyone deep, volcanic canyon to create a forest of sorts: one
who desecrates it (including trying to remove its eye that can easily draw blood from unwary trekkers who
gems, which are purely decorative and worthless), who brush against the ebon piles that are as sharp as the ra·
damages the bridge, or who passes the shrine without zor-edged weapons they're named after.
making the proper obeisance to Ubtao. The required Ataaz Yklwazi ("Gorge of Blades") forms a gateway
homage involves placing a fingertip at the center of one of sorts to the Valley of Lost Honor from the north. The
of the bridge's mazelike carvings and tracing an un- valley is the domain of firenewts. They protect it by
broken path past the statue. Guides who are natives of patrolling the gorge and ambushing any intruders they
Chult would know this. The symbolic labyrinths aren't believe they're strong enough to defeat. A typical patrol
terribly c-0mplex; the biggest difficulty comes from the li- consists of four firenewt warriors mounted on giant
chens and moss growing over them. If these are cleared striders (see appendix D for both creatures' statistics).
away with a knife or other tool before tracing the maze, The gorge is also the favored hunting ground of a
it can be traced properly with a successful DC 5 Intel- female young red dragon named Tzindelor, dubbed
ligence check. If it's not cleaned first, the DC increases Tinder by those who've seen her and survived. The
to 10. If it's cleaned by scraping with bare hands, the go- treacherous terrain is littered with the charred skeletons
lem inlerprets that as tracing the maze incorrectly and of Tinder's victims. If the characters take a long rest in
attacks. Tracing the maze with a dagger or other tool the gorge, they encounter the dragon at the end of their
counts as nothing; it must be done with a finger. rest. For more information on Tinder, see "Wyrmheart
Mine," page 85.
If the golem has the opportunity in combat, it pushes
enemies off the bridge. The golem is so heavy that it has BAY OF CHULT
advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks to resist being
pushed. It doesn't pursue enemies off the bridge unless Ships must pass through the Bay of Chult as they come
they continue using ranged attacks or spells against it and go from Port Nyanzaru or the beaches west of Fort
after retreating. Beluarian. The mouth of the bay is watched over by
The skeleton lying at the statue's feet is all that re- Aremag, a dragon turtle with a blind, milky left eye and
mains of a human explorer ki lied by the golem. It has a piece of its shell missing. Aremag demands that ships
long since been picked clean. toss treasure into the bay to appease it. Aremag then
gathers up the loot and hides it in its lair, which no one
Part of the bridge has fallen away, leaving a 20-foot gap. I
BRIDGE GAP has yet found.
If the characters enter or leave the Bay of Chult by
I ship, Aremag appears:

The stone at either edge looks crumbly and unsafe.

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