The Green Lake

The Green Lake (#17/31; #229/365)

"This is an enormous cavern containing an immense subterranean lake, whose waters are a deep and vivid green in colour. On a shingle shore lies a raft with a pole; next to it is a bronze bell, stained green with age, and, attached to it with a corroded chain, a simple club. Off, across the lake, can be seen some sort of rocky islet."

Contents: The Green Lake is a holy area dedicated to Cracca, the Djaratian Ferryman of the Gods, and the equivalent of the modern day Aqualis, God of Rivers. Ringing the bell summons Ganshu the Boatman, a TEMPLE GUARDIAN and avatar of Cracca. Ganshu appears as a crook-backed boatman in a heavy cloak, with a long staff, a ferry pole, and a thick cloak hiding plated crocodile-like armour, while protruding from their hood is a long crocodile-like jaw full of sharp teeth.

Ganshu only speaks Djaratian and will indicate that passage across the Green Lake costs 2GP (Djaratian coinage only) per passenger - his low narrow skiff fits 8 extra passengers. Ganshu will only attack if attacked; his skiff is actually tied to an immense white scaly SWAMP MUTANT that will also attack if Ganshu has to defend himself.

The other option is to pole and paddle the raft across; the raft fits four passengers, and requires a successful Skill Test to get to the central isle, and another to get to the further shore; failure indicated the raft goes nowhere and attracts a wandering monster from the below table.

The central isle is a shrine to Aqualis/Cracca with a low black stone idol surrounded by two large pools of green water. Any gift of meat will be gratefully accepted, even if it little more than a Purple Crab or a single Snapperfish. Failure to provide meat on the shrine's altar will cause two POOL BEASTS to erupt from the green water and attack the miscreants.

Stats:

Ganshu the Boatman, TEMPLE GUARDIAN, SKILL 9 STAMINA 10, Quarterstaff, Heavy Armour (crocodile skin). Ganshu has 2-12 GP in Djaratian coinage in his pockets. 

SWAMP MUTANT, SKILL 10 STAMINA 16, 3 Attacks, Large Claws and Very Large Bite, Medium Armour, +2 to Damage Roll.

2 POOL BEASTS, SKILL 8 STAMINA 10, 3 Attacks, Tentacles (as per Large Claw) and Large Bite, Light Armour. Each Pool Beast has a Violet Jewel (worth 10-60GP) embedded in its forehead.

To determine random encounters on the Green Lake, roll on the following table:

1. an amphibious LITHOGEN, pretending to be a small island

2. a swarm of subterranean SEA SPIDERS

3. a school of albino SNAPPERFISH

4. a swarm of purple CAVE CRABS

5. a school of albino carnivorous FLYING FISH

6. a POOL BEAST, as above