Page 184 - Serpent Kingdoms

ADVENTURES

as are the barbs on the khaasta’s net. The khaasta is not profi - Eight large rocks are spaced evenly throughout this room.
cient with the net, so she takes a –4 penalty on her attack rolls Aside from the rocks, there are no furnishings in view. Four
with that weapon. scaly creatures take their ease here.
Development: If at any time the main force in the temple
is alerted to the presence of invaders, the guards in the nearest Creatures: If the temple is not yet on alert, four khaatas are
two rooms leave their posts to investigate the disturbance. Any resting here.
captured or slain PCs are taken to area 3, where they are held Khaastas (4): hp 20, 22, 25, 30; see Fiend Folio page 115.
for Kha’ghassta to eat later. Tactics: Unless the party has made a great deal of noise in
a nearby area, or the temple has been alerted to the presence
3. Cold Storage of intruders, the khaastas are asleep when the PCs enter. It
takes them 1 round to awaken and another round to grab their
This chamber is for prisoners being saved for Kha’ghassta’s weapons. If given the chance, they call for help from room 2.
meals and for corpses that the lizardfolk and khaastas can dine Development: If captured and interrogated, these khaastas
upon. The door is locked (Open Locks DC 23). Read or para- can reveal the name of the lizard king (Kha’ghassta) and the
phrase the following when the characters enter. reason for their occupation. (The place is an old sarrukh temple.)
They do not know there is anything especially valuable here.
This chamber is dark and extremely cold. Five frightened-
looking humans sit on the fl oor. The foul smell of rotting 5. Ceremonial Chamber (EL 5)
meat permeates the room, rising from a half-eaten human
corpse the fl oor. This room was once the ceremonial chamber for honoring the
World Serpent.
Because of the angle at which the temple has sunk into the
earth, this corner room is buried deeper in the ground than At the center of this square room stands a 20-foot-tall
most of the rest of the temple. Because of this, it stays cold statue of a snake-bodied humanoid that is missing its head
despite the heat outside. and arms. The head lies on the fl oor next to the base of the
The key to this chamber is among Kha’ghassta’s possessions. statue, and bits of rubble are scattered nearby. At the base
Creatures: Five human prisoners sit unbound within this of the statue is a dais bearing a brown-stained altar. Nearby
room. stands a large piece of stone, still formless and unworked.
Prisoners (5): Male and female human commoner 5; CR 4; Four lizardfolk, one wearing ceremonial robes, are laboring
Medium humanoid; HD 5d4+5; hp 17; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC over it with sharp tools.
12, touch 11, fl at-footed 11; Base Atk +2; Grp +4; Atk +4 melee
(1d3+2, unarmed strike); Full Atk +4 melee (1d3+2, unarmed The desecrated statue depicted an aspect of the World Serpent.
strike); AL NG; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +3; Str 15, Dex 12, Its arms have already been smashed to bits, and the rubble from
Con 13, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 10. them litters the fl oor. The larger pieces, however, have already
Skills and Feats: Craft (any) +4, Profession (hunter) +8, been gathered, crushed, and mixed with other ingredients to
Swim +7; Far Shot, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Simple make a new piece of stone.
Weapon Profi ciency (longbow). The lizardfolk have been using the sacrifi cial altar at the base
Possessions: Padded armor, torch, waterskin, trail rations, of the vandalized snake statue to sacrifi ce prisoners to Sess’innek
bedroll. so that Kha’ghaasta can satisfy his urge to eat.
Development: The prisoners are traumatized but willing to Creatures: Currently, three ordinary lizardfolk and a cleric of
tell the PCs all they know. Each was captured on the road near Sess’innek are carving the reconstituted rock into a new statue
the marsh within the past three days. Each day, the lizardfolk of their demon-god.
come and take one or two people out, who never return. Once Lizardfolk (3): hp 11, 12, 13; see Monster Manual page
the prisoners tried to overpower the guards as a group but did 169.
not succeed. The half-eaten corpse was left there as a lesson to K’ss’la: Female lizardfolk cleric 2 of Sess’innek; CR 3;
them after that incident. Medium humanoid (reptilian); HD 2d8+4 plus 2d8+4; hp 26;
Any party member brought here for imprisonment is dis- Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 21, touch 9, fl at-footed 21; Base Atk
armed and locked in this chamber with the other prisoners for 12 +2; Grp +4; Atk +4 melee (1d4+2, claw) or +5 melee (1d8+3, +1
hours. At that point, he or she is taken to area 5 to be sacrifi ced. heavy mace) or +2 ranged (1d8/19–20, masterwork light cross-
bow); Full Atk +4 melee (1d4+2, 2 claws) and +2 melee (1d4+1,
4. Khaasta Chambers (EL 7) bite) or +5 melee (1d8+3, +1 heavy mace) and +2 melee (1d4+1,
bite) or +2 ranged (1d8/19–20, masterwork light crossbow); SA
The khaastas have converted this room into their lair. While rebuke undead 3/day (+0, 2d6+2, 2nd); SQ hold breath; AL CE;
they normally prefer to camp outdoors, they know that this SV Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +5; Str 15, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 12, Wis
temple is in enemy territory, so they remain inside. 15, Cha 10. Height 5 ft. 1 in., Weight 150 lbs.

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