An outpost of the insect overlords (part three)

Salt Pans (#28/30, #332/365)

"This flat stretch of land where the deserts meet the uplands is a salty plain covered in glittering white crystals. Here and there you see Xoroa warriors, standing guard over large pits, each containing some weird reddish-brown humanoid creature, scraping salt out of the hole and into a pile on the side."

Contents: The XOROA here have repurposed the weird cannibalistic humanoids known as ANT SYMBIOTES as salt-miners, extracting salt from the dirt of the plains and storing it in glass jars.

Heroes that enter this area in hostile fashion will immediately be engaged by 1 of 2 Xoroa Warriors on guard duty, while the other blows their horn to summon any further Warriors present at the salt pans. The Ant Symbiotes are no cowards, and will leap out of their pits, bone scrapers in hand, to fight alongside the Xoroa.

The Xoroa are however highly amenable to trade. All Warriors have 1 point in a heavily click-based version of Allansian, while anybody with any points in the Xoroa language can halve all prices listed below. If the Heroes are non-hostile and keen to buy product, these are the following prices (and current contents of the salt pan that are for sale):

2-12 jars of chemical Salts, various colours. 5GP per Jar.

Stats:

2-7 XOROA WARRIORS, SKILL 10 STAMINA 11, Spear or Javelin.

Each Xoroa Warrior is armed with a Spear and two Javelins and carries a carved-bone summoning horn, which, when blown, will summon all other Xoroa Warriors to the area. They also have 1-6 GP each in a leather pouch.

2-12 ANT SYMBIOTES, SKILL 6 STAMINA 10, Bone scraper (as per club). Every time an Ant Symbiote wins an Attack Round, ants from it also crawl onto the victim. After an Ant Symbiote has won three Attack Rounds, there will be so many ants on the victim they will lose 1 STAMINA every Attack Round due to ant bites, unless they spend 1-3 Attack Rounds ridding themselves of the insects..

Glassworks and Smithy (#29/30, #333/365)

"In a cave under a rocky outcrop on the edge of the uplands, you spy a curious scene. The cave contains a wooden wheeled contraption, upon which a giant beetle lumbers, apparently powering a bellow-like device that spits fire in two alternate directions; first to one side where a Xoroa smith appears to be forging weapons, and then to the other side, where another Xoroa is using the flames to create exquisite glassware."

Contents: The XOROA here have built a smithy and a glassblowing workshop to be closer to the raw materials they need, for greater trading opportunities outside of Kul-Tha, but also to produce a wider variety of merchandise for sale back in the the Xoroa main settlement. The Giant Scarab Beetle is highly trained and provides them with a source of mechanical power in exchange for food.

Heroes that enter this area in hostile fashion will immediately be engaged by one of the Xoroa, while the other blows on a horn to summon any Xoroa Warriors in the area. If the Giant Scarab Beetle is released or freed, it will rumble around the cave, hurling objects at the Heroes.

The Xoroa are however highly amenable to trade. They have 1 point in a heavily click-based version of Allansian, while anybody with any points in the Xoroa language can halve all prices listed below. If the Heroes are non-hostile and keen to buy product, these are the following prices (and current contents of the smithy/glassblower cave):

2-7 chunks of iron ore. 10GP per chunk.

1-6 Spears. 10GP per Spear

2-12 Javelins.  10GP per Javelin

2-7 empty glass jars. 2GP per jar

2-12 glass vials. 1GP per vial

2-12 empty glass eggs. 1GP per egg - for Gas Egg creation.

Stats:

XOROA SMITH, SKILL 10 STAMINA 11, Warhammer or Throwing Hammer.

Throwing Hammers are identical to Throwing Daggers for damage and range purposes, and will damage creatures like Skeletons normally. However they cannot be coated with Blade Venom or other poisons.

The Xoroa smith is armed with a Warhammer and two Throwing Hammers and carries a carved-bone summoning horn, which, when blown, will summon all other Xoroa Warriors to the area. They also have 1-6 GP each in a leather pouch.

XOROA GLASSBLOWER, SKILL 10 STAMINA 11, Glass Vessel, Glass Wand.

In each of the first three Attack Rounds, the Glassblower will attempt to smash an acid-filled Glass Vessel against its opponent, on a successful hit it causes 4 STAMINA damage but is destroyed. The Glassblower will then fight with a long acid-filled wand that causes 3 STAMINA points of damage (and has enough acid in it for 2 battles only).

The Xoroa Glassblower also carries a carved-bone summoning horn, which, when blown, will summon all other Xoroa Warriors to the area. They have 1-6 GP each in a leather pouch.

GIANT SCARAB BEETLE, SKILL 7 STAMINA 8, Large Bite, Medium Armour. Where possible, the Beetle will roll objects at its attackers - Test for Luck to avoid or suffer 2 STAMINA when knocked over, plus -1 Attack Strength to next Attack Round while getting back up.

Trail Predator (#30/30, #334/365)

"There is a faint trail wandering through the dunes, all skittering tracks across the sands, like the marching of an entire army but only several files deep. At one point it walks through a patch of scrub between the sand-dunes, the trail partially covered beneath windswept leaves and fallen branches."

Contents: A GIANT ANTLION has set up a lair here, on the trail between the Xoroa outpost and the settlement of Kul-Thai, deeper into the desert. It has dug a deep pit in the middle of trail, covered it with bushes, and rests at the bottom of the pit, ready to consume anything that falls in.

It requires a successful Awareness Special Skill roll to notice the camoflaged pit, those that don't fall five metres to the bottom, taking normal falling STAMINA damage unless they successfully Test for Luck. The repulsive Giant Antlion, all barbed jaws and bristle-covered body, will then attack.

Also at the bottom of the pit are the chewed up remains of various creatures; not just Giant Ants and Xoroa workers, but also antelope, jackals and hyenas. Among the bones can be found 1-6GP in a pouch, a Spear, a Javelin, and a spiked bone Club.

Stats:

GIANT ANTLION, SKILL 8 STAMINA 8, Very Large Bite, Light Armour, +1 to the Damage Roll.

The GIANT ANTLION, also known as the GIANT DOODLEBUG for the tracks it traces in the sands when relocating from one lair to another, is a giant beetle-like insect with huge curved and barbed mandibles, but no armoured carapace. It excavates deep pits in the sand or dirt near the nests of GIANT ANTS, XOROA, and similar creatures, and preys on any stray Worker or Warrior that falls in.

Interestingly, this creature is just the larval stage. After consuming prey in such a fashion for up to a year, the Giant Antlion will then make a cocoon for itself, and undergo a dramatic metamorphosis into its adult form, which resembles a GIANT DRAGONFLY (SKILL 8 STAMINA 4, Small Bite). This adult has a brief period of life, for several months during the cooler winter season of the desert, when sparse rains may fall, before mating, laying eggs (that hatch into GIANT ANTLIONS) and then dying.

An outpost of the insect overlords (part two)

Giant Ant Colony Mine (#27/30, #331/365)

"Where the desert meets the foothills is a large hole in the ground. From this emanates a steady stream of pale Giant Ants, carrying dirt out the hole and dumping in a mound nearby. Here and there, guarding their charges, are larger brown Giant Ants with jagged mandibles, and even some of the centaur-like human/ant hybrids that are the Xoroa, clutching at broad-bladed iron spears."

Contents: This is a Xoroa iron mine, attached to the settlement at Kul-Tha, using domesticated Giant Ants to extract metal from the earth below for valuable trade elsewhere. The Xoroa also use the iron from the mine to forge their distinctive broad-bladed spears and javelins that they wield to defend themselves.

Heroes that enter this area in hostile fashion will immediately be engaged by 1 of 2 Xoroa Warriors on guard duty, while the other blows their horn to summon any further Warriors present at the mine. The Giant Soldier Ants will attack also. The Worker Ants will shelter in the mine and only fight when defending themselves.

The Xoroa are however highly amenable to trade. All Warriors have 1 point in a heavily click-based version of Allansian, while anybody with any points in the Xoroa language can halve all prices listed below. If the Heroes are non-hostile and keen to buy product, these are the following prices (and current products of the mine):

2-7 chunks of iron ore. 10GP per chunk.

1-6 Spears. 10GP per Spear

2-12 Javelins.  10GP per Javelin

Stats:

2-7 XOROA OVERSEERS, SKILL 10 STAMINA 11, Spear or Javelin.

Each Xoroa Warrior is armed with a Spear and two Javelins and carries a carved-bone summoning horn, which, when blown, will summon all other Xoroa Warriors to the area. They also have 1-6 GP each in a leather pouch.

2-12 GIANT SOLDIER ANTS, SKILL 7 STAMINA 8, Large Bite.

4-24 GIANT WORKER ANTS, SKILL 4 STAMINA 4, Small Bite.

An outpost of the insect overlords (part one)

Xoroa Sulphur Mine (#26/30, #330/365)

"In a dip-like valley between two hills lies a weird terrain feature, a bubbling spring of steaming water and boiling yellow mud, giving off gases with the most awful smell. Working and wandering through this chemical wilderness are strange ant-like creatures, clutching glass jars between their twitching forelimbs. What could possible be going on here?"

Contents: This is a Xoroa outpost from the settlement at Kul-Tha, mining useful minerals on the desert borderlands for valuable trade elsewhere. In particular, this area of volcanic activity is providing salt, sulphur, and poisonous gases for the Xoroa to capture, harvest and either utilize or sell onwards.

Heroes that enter this area in hostile fashion will immediately be engaged by 1 of 2 Xoroa Warriors on guard duty, while the other blows their horn to summon any further Warriors present at the mine. The Workers will shelter in the mine and only fight when defending themselves.

The Xoroa are however highly amenable to trade. All Warriors have 1 point in a heavily click-based version of Allansian, while anybody with any points in the Xoroa language can halve all prices listed below. If the Heroes are non-hostile and keen to buy product, these are the following prices (and current contents of the mine):

2-12 jars of yellow Sulphur. 10GP per Jar.

2-12 jars of chemical Salts, various colours. 5GP per Jar.

1-6 Gas Eggs (Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 121) - weird green crystalline eggs containing poisonous gases sucked from the mines. 10GP per Egg.

Stats:

2-12 XOROA WARRIORS, SKILL 10 STAMINA 11, Spear or Javelin.

Each Xoroa Warrior is armed with a Spear and two Javelins and carries a carved-bone summoning horn, which, when blown, will summon all other Xoroa Warriors to the area. They also have 1-6 GP in a leather pouch.

3-18 XOROA WORKERS, SKILL 6 STAMINA 7, Club. 

Each Worker has 1-3 GP.

Crash Landing!

A Crashed Flyer (#25/30, #329/365)

"You see a blazing flame streak through the sky and something smashes into the mountainside with enough force for you to hear the muffled thump of impact. A flock of birds takes to the air in alarm, and as you watch a thin trail of smoke begins to rise through the air from the impact site. It's actually not too far away if you wish to venture there."

Contents: The flaming trail and impact site is where a Flying Carpet and its flyer/passengers have crashed into the mountain site. This large flying carpet is almost certainly controlled by the Desert Elf Wizard Kharhanion the Competant (from Dust Town - see #103) transporting 1-3 wealthy passengers to (or back from) one of the following destinations (roll a die):

    1. Shazaar, and then on to Salamonis

    2. Sapphire City

    3. Pellod

    4. Tavern of Tan-Kha

    5. Halak and/or Rimon

    6. Oyster Bay

Roll on this table for the 1-3 passengers:

1. Desert Elves scouts, tracking the movement of Caarth patrols.

2-3. Adventurers travelling to the Found Tombs to explore.

4-5. Merchants, taking a speedy route to the markets.

6. Spellcasters' Guild-members from Pellod, doing reconnaissance.

There is a 1 in 6 chance the carpet belongs to someone else (a mysterious mage, a powerful adventurer, a Black Elf sorcerer, etc.), in which case there will be no passengers, other than the flyer's minions or companions. Roll on the below table to determine who:

1-2 A Mysterious Mage with a Wood Golem bodyguard.

3-4 A Powerful Adventurer with his pet Black Lion.

5-6 A Black Elf Sorcerer with a Black Elf apprentice.

As to why the carpet has crashed, roll on the following table to determine a reason:

1 Hijacked by a passenger/hitch-hiker

2 Someone placed a long-fused grenade on board

3 Attacked in the air by another flyer such as a Hag on a Giant Vulture.

4 Ground attack by a group of Sand Stalker archers.

5 Attacked in the air by a large aerial monster.

6 A miscalculation on the part of the flyers.

For narrative simplicity, assume the flyers/passengers survive the crash and it's up to the Heroes to determine what happens next (for example, any attackers may be nearby and ready to pounce). The Flying Carpet is damaged, but as it is magical, may still be able to be repaired.

Stats:

For all stats, consult the relevant archetype entries in Heroes of Titan. In addition, the customization rules from the Combat Companion can be used to increase the power levels of any survivors.

The pitter patter of little feet (part four)

Chamber of the Chief (#24/30, #328/365)

"You enter the biggest chamber in the warren, a long circular cave that you can almost stand up in. Opposite you is a stone throne, on which sits a large Gremlin in a splendid purple cape, flanked by four armoured Gremlin bodyguards wielding shortbows primed with poison arrows. In front of the throne, on a short chain held by the Gremlin Chief, is a snarling Jackal, frothing at the mouth and rabid in fury. The Gremlin Chief points to you with an accusing hand and squeaks:

'By Dhaktili's red hand who have we got here then?'"

Contents: If the Heroes have been brought here by the Guards, perhaps pretending to be merchants, Ergoth will feign disinterest but is actually keen on cementing some lasting power and influence in this region. He would like to facilitate a trade in Gremlin-made gear, such as red dye and bone weaponry, in exchange for clay and salt.

If they are aggressive, Ergoth will release the Jackal onto the first Hero in the tunnel, while his Bodyguards will fire poisoned arrows. He will hang back, watching how his bodyguards and the rabid Jackal do, and if the cause looks hopeless, lob both a Gas Egg and a Yokka Egg into the chamber, which will ignite in a conflagration causing 4-24 STAMINA fire damage to everyone in the chamber, and flee to the nearest exit with his small treasure chest if possible (see below).

Behind the throne is a small wooden chest plus some goods stolen from surrounding homesteads. The chest is locked (Ergoth has the key), and contains a DESERT SCORPION (SKILL 2 STAMINA 1, Sting does 4 STAMINA damage, Light Armour) that will leap out and attack whoever has opened the chest, gaining a free hit, unless they make a successful DODGE Special Skill roll. Also in the chest are 13GP in a pouch, a hipflask with one measure of Herbal Liqueur, a pair of Nose Filters, a small Diamond worth 15GP, and a glowing Energy Crystal.

Stolen goods total 4 bottles of olive oil, 3 bottles of Red Wine,  a pile of 3 folded woolen blankets, and a salted shank of lamb that counts as 2 Provisions.

Stats:

Ergoth the Cruel, GREMLIN CHIEF, SKILL 6 STAMINA 6, Bone Handaxe, Bone Breastplate. The Chief's Handaxe is made from bone and covered in a crude home-made Blade Venom that resembles viscous black sludge and causes +1 STAMINA damage for any successful hit that wounds (hits whose damage is fully absorbed by armour don't count). The Blade Venom lasts for one combat only, before it has to be reapplied.

In addition to their handaxe, Ergoth has a Gremlin-sized Breastplate made from bone, an elaborate purple cape (actually some curtains), 3-18 Copper Pieces, 2-12 SP, and 1-6GP (all in a leather purse), a small brass key stamped with the number '14', a Gas Egg, a Yokka Egg, and their left hand is painted red.

4 GREMLIN BODYGUARDS, SKILL 5 STAMINA 5, Bone Shortswords or Shortbow, Light Armour. The Gremlin's Shortsword and arrows are made from bone and covered in a crude home-made Blade Venom that resembles viscous black sludge and causes +1 STAMINA damage for any successful hit that wounds (hits whose damage is fully absorbed by armour don't count). The Blade Venom lasts for one combat only, before it has to be reapplied.

In addition to their Shortsword, each Gremlin bodyguard has a shortbow and a quiver of 6 arrows, a helmet made from skull bones, 1-6 Copper Pieces, 1-3 SP and their left hand is painted red.

RABID JACKAL, SKILL 5 STAMINA 5, Small Bite. The Jackal has Rabies; anyone who is wounded by its bite, must deduct 2 STAMINA points of extra damage to be spent cutting the taint out, assuming they survive the fight, otherwise they contract Rabies. This virulent form of the disease causes 1-6 internal STAMINA damage per day until the victim is dead. Prior to death, in this form the victim will attempt to bite everybody around them to further spread disease but they can be repelled by water.

The pitter patter of tiny feet (part three)

Brewer of Poisons (#23/30, #327/365)

"This small spherical chamber gives off a particularly foul odour. In the centre of room a Gremlin wearing dark-stained gloves is pounding together various disgusting ingredients into a viscous black paste contained within large stone bowl. Judging from the items strewn around the bowl, the ingredients include dead scorpions and snakes, and bunches of thorns.

The Gremlin, who is wearing goggles made from the bottoms of jars, points at you irritably with one of his gloved hands. 'Oi! What are you lot doing here?'"

Contents: This is the domain of Cisk the Lethal, poison-brewer of the Red Claw tribe, and inventor of the Blade Venom that these Gremlins use on their weapons. The venom is not technically for sale, but if bribed with 10GP, Cisk will part with one and only one vial of Blade Venom, which contains enough for one dose. (He will have a store of 2-12 vials in the room at any one time)

If bribed with 20GP, Cisk will reveal the secret of making Blade Venom; the recipe is half a bottle of olive oil, 1 set of Rattlesnake poison glands, 1 Desert Scorpion tail stinger, and 2 bunches of Fire Bush, mashed together, which creates enough Blade Venom for 5 doses. Mashing it up into an acceptable consistency takes about thirty minutes.

Next to the bowl are series of tattered scrolls with the recipe written in Goblin, along with descriptions and drawings of Rattlesnakes, Desert Scorpions and Fire Bush. Other objects include 3 dead Rattlesnakes, 4 live Desert Scorpions in a stoppered stone jar (each SKILL 2 STAMINA 1, Sting does 4 STAMINA damage, Light Armour), and a branch torn from a Fire Bush.

If the Heroes are aggressive, Cisk will attack with his blowpipe and poisoned darts, aiming for unarmoured Heroes. If severely outnumbered, Cisk will flee but not before throwing one of his Yokka eggs at the highly flammable Blade Venom mixture, which will ignite for 2-12 STAMINA points damage, set anything flammable on fire, and hopefully destroy his (memorized) recipe scrolls, plus the ingredients.

Stats:

Cisk the Lethal, GREMLIN POISONER, SKILL 5 STAMINA 5, Blowpipe or Dagger. The Gremlin's Dagger and Blowpipe darts are made from bone and covered in a crude home-made Blade Venom that resembles viscous black sludge and causes +1 STAMINA damage for any successful hit that wounds (hits whose damage is fully absorbed by armour don't count). The Blade Venom lasts for one combat only, before it has to be reapplied.

In addition to their dagger, Cisk has his Blowpipe, 6 poisoned darts, 2-12 Copper Pieces, 1-6 SP, 1-3 GP, 2 Yokka Eggs and their left hand is painted red. His gloves and goggles are non-magical but protect him from any accidents when producing Blade Venom.

The pitter patter of tiny feet (part two)

 Shrine to Dhaktili (#22/30, #326/365)

"This cave is full of smoke from several greasy candles and appears to be a shrine of some sort. The candles illuminate the far end of the cave, which contains a stone idol in the form of a red hairy tusked creature with large claws, and it is surrounded by a profusion of red clay hands, all reaching towards the idol with clawed fingers. In front of the idol, several Gremlins in long sack-cloth robes dyed red are tapping on one of the red clay hands with a small bone hammer.

On seeing, the largest Gremlin curses 'Die Unbelievers!' and throws the hammer in your direction!"

Contents: The first Hero in the tunnel entering this chamber must Test their Skill, if they are successful they have dodged the hammer and it then may strike the next person in the line, unless they successfully dodge, and so on. Throwing Hammers are identical to Throwing Daggers for damage and range purposes, and will damage creatures like Skeletons normally. However they cannot be coated with Blade Venom or other poisons.

The Gremlins will then attack, unless the Heroes have a very good reason for being in this most holy part of their lair of tunnels. It is a shrine to Dhaktili, God of the Underworld (see below) and the priest, Hudjak the Red, once saved the Gremlin Chief, Ergoth the Cruel, from a pack of Gnolls, by calling upon his power of 'Casting of Creatures to the Bottomless Pit'. Hudjak is not afraid to use the power in this shrine too (+1 Devotion bonus to all Dhaktili powers); if he does, roll on the table below to determine where people affected by the power end up:

1 False Tomb

2 Pit of Serpents.

3 Haunted Sidechamber

4 Fungus Chamber.

5 Outer Sanctum, Zone Two

6 Outer Sanctum, Zone Three

Chief Ergoth the Cruel thus takes Dhaktili worship very seriously, and the shrine is richly appointed with devotional clay hands created by members of the tribe. There is no treasure here however.

Stats:

Hudjak the Red, GREMLIN Priest of Dhaktili: SKILL 5, STAMINA 5, Devotion 7, Bone Dagger or Throwing Hammer. Hudjak's Dagger is made from bone and covered in a crude home-made Blade Venom that resembles viscous black sludge and causes +1 STAMINA damage for any successful hit that wounds (hits whose damage is fully absorbed by armour don't count). The Blade Venom lasts for one combat only, before it has to be reapplied.

In addition to their Dagger, Hudjak has has 2-12 Copper Pieces, 1-6 SP, a spare Throwing Hammer, a Holy Symbol of Dhaktili (silver pendant with ruby carved into the shape of a clawed hand worth 30GP), a Gas Egg (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 121) and their left hand is painted red along with their sackcloth robes

4 GREMLIN Acolytes of Dhaktili, SKILL 4 STAMINA 4, Dagger. The Gremlin's Dagger is made from bone and covered in a crude home-made Blade Venom that resembles viscous black sludge and causes +1 STAMINA damage for any successful hit that wounds (hits whose damage is fully absorbed by armour don't count). The Blade Venom lasts for one combat only, before it has to be reapplied.

In addition to their dagger, each Gremlin also has 1-6 Copper Pieces, 1-3 SP and their left hand is painted red, also wearing red robes.

New God:

Dhaktili

Demigod of the Underground

 

Specific Power:    Casting of Creatures to the Bottomless Pit: This ritual was stolen from the Underworld by the Gaddon usurpers and turned into a Spell of Doom and Despair. It can only be used underground; to summon this power utter the following words:

 

“Thrice round weave, twice up and twice down,

And make the sign of the Seven Senses of Dismay.”

 

Two enormous, red-furred hands with curved claws, some say belonging to Dhaktili himself, erupt from the ground and grab as many enemies as the Priest’s Devotion score. They will be taken below to the nearest chamber in a lower dungeon level, cavern system or catacombs; this can be avoided with a successful Test for Luck. If there are no lower levels (and why not!) the victims will be deposited instead into the furthest away chamber on the same level. This process will cause 1-6 STAMINA points of damage. The hands will then disappear.

 

General Powers:

-        Banish

-        Curse

-        Weakness

 

Dhaktili is the God of the Underworld, the Master of the Dungeon, the Lord of Caves, Caverns and Catacombs. He is worshipped by many subterranean races, especially Kobolds, Craggeracks, Troglodytes, Gleff, Gremlins, N’yadachs and Cavern Elves. As one would expect for an underworld deity, Dhaktili’s perceived form varies widely; Troglodytes regard him as a protean deity of everchanging form, surmounted by a golden skull, while Gremlins consider him a great red clawed hand, always clutching at the tangled threads of life in the underworld. Kobolds and their relatives think Dhaktili resembles a fat humanoid figure with a friendly, smiling face and outstretched arms; conversely, to the Cavern Elves and others, he is Vacavon, a grotesque, snarling, tusked creature of the darkness. His holy symbol is a clawed hand, or, more rarely, a skull inside a triangle, and his sacred colour is red. Some Priests are known to wear a Ring of Indescribable Horrors to show their devotion to Dhaktili.

The pitter patter of tiny feet (part one)

 A Gremlin Warren

This is a twisting winding series of tiny passages, that tunnel within the mountain, connecting many chambers in both the Eyrie and the first level of the Found Tombs of Arvakaten, as well as supplying several exits to the mountain slopes. It is inhabited by a tribe of Gremlins known as the Red Claw tribe - each Gremlin has dyed their left hand red in honour of their patron deity, Dhaktili, God of the Underworld.

All tunnels are around a metre high, and the ceilings of any chambers are not much bigger. While Halflings, Gnomes other small folk will suffer no penalties within these cramped confines, Dwarfs and Goblins must subtract -1 from their SKILL score and Attack Strength, while Elf, Human, Orc and other races must suffer a -3 penalty. Rhinofolk, Half-Ogres, Trolls and so on, are completely unable to fit within the tunnels unless they use a way of magically shrinking their size, or attempt to excavate the entire mountain!

All spots on the map that are marked 'G' are Gremlin Guardposts, with two guards, one who will challenge intruders while the other slips away to warn the rest of the tribe.

2 GREMLIN GUARDS, SKILL 4 STAMINA 4, Dagger or Shortbow. Light Armour. The Gremlin weapons are made from bones and covered in a crude home-made Blade Venom that resembles viscous black sludge and causes +1 STAMINA damage for any successful hit that wounds (hits whose damage is fully absorbed by armour don't count). The Blade Venom lasts for one combat only, before it has to be reapplied.

In addition to a dagger, a shortbow, and a quiver of 6 arrows, each guard also has a helmet made from skull bones, 1-6 Copper Pieces, 1-3 SP and their left hand is painted red.

Central Nest (#21/30, #325/365)

The description for this chamber depends on whether the Heroes are being stealthy or not. If they are, the chamber will be as described. If not, the chamber will be empty, but the connecting tunnels will be full of Gremlins ready to ambush the Heroes from all sides if they enter the nest.

"This large circular chamber, whose ceiling is still only just over a metre in height, is full of industry. You see Gremlins engaged in various tasks, from making red dye, to working with clay to sculpt clay hands, to sharpening bones into daggers, to sewing sackclothes together to make garments, to stripping flesh (and bone) from dead animals and salting it for food. All of the creatures are screeching at each other with their high-pitched voices in a language that sounds suspiciously like a version of the Goblin tongue."

Contents: Unless the Heroes are accompanied by guards, or presenting as merchants and traders, the Gremlins will attack immediately, but flee into the tunnels once half their number have been cut down.

The Gremlins speak Gremlin (which is a dialect of Goblin), Goblin, and some Allansian. They are happy to trade, but if the Heroes look especially weak or wounded, the Gremlins will consider them easy pickings and attack.

Items for purchase and trade:

• 4-24 clay gourds of red dye (costs 3SP a gourd). Gremlins will purchase ochre rocks (5SP per rock) and Redberries, Red-Topped Fungus and Red Lotus at village prices.
• 3-18 red clay hands. Not for sale. Gremlins will purchase clay at 1GP per large clod (double for high-quality pottery clay).
• 3-18 Bone Daggers. Same as regular Dagger, except immune to rust such as Ironbane. Cost 2GP each. Gremlins do not require any bones.
• 2-12 Gremlin-sized sack-cloth tunics, cost 5SP a tunic. Gremlins will buy sacks and cloth at 1GP per item.
• 2-7 Salted provisions (cost: 3GP per provision). Gremlins don't need meat, but will buy a jar of Salt for 5GP.
  

Stats:

5-30 GREMLINS, SKILL 4 STAMINA 3, Dagger. The Gremlin's Dagger is made from bone and covered in a crude home-made Blade Venom that resembles viscous black sludge and causes +1 STAMINA damage for any successful hit that wounds (hits whose damage is fully absorbed by armour don't count). The Blade Venom lasts for one combat only, before it has to be reapplied.

In addition to their dagger, each Gremlin also has 1-6 Copper Pieces, 1-3 SP and their left hand is painted red.

More locations around Mount Gulugu...

"Mount Gulugu is the tallest peak in the Golathun Range, rising above these dusty uplands like a Titan among giants. Its lower slopes, crenelated with outcrops and supporting crags, give way to precipitous upper reaches, studded with boulder-strewn fields, though snow never actually falls here. Mount Gulugu was a sacred mountain in the cosmology of the Djaratians and Vatosians, and many of their ruins can be found in the area."

Flavius of Carsepolis, Notes on a Journey to Southern Allansia. (1879 AC.)

The Olive Groves of Mother Olea (#19/30, #323/365)

"This part of the hill is covered in gnarled olive trees, their grey-green leaves glinting in the sunlight. Further down the hill, in the shade of the orchard, you see a stone hut, whose well-kept yard  contains the entrance to what looks like a large well or underground cistern of some kind."

Contents: The hut is home to Mother Olea, a retired Black Elf Demi-Sorcerer from the Forest of Yore's Magic School, who, after plenty of adventures, retired here to grow olives and sell them and olive oil in the Souq of Pellod. She offers the following for sale:

- 3-18 bottles of olive oil (5sp each; enough oil in each bottle to start a fire or lantern, use for a Potion ingredient, or make a short section of floor very slippery)

- 4-24 jars of preserved olives (3GP, counts as 1 Provision, breaks on a roll of 1 after a fight or fall, spoiling other provisions)

These are in the hut, along with a spare suit of Leather Cuirass, a Shortsword, flint and tinder, a brass lantern, 4-24 empty bottles, a pot of lamb-bone soup on the fireplace (worth 1 Provisions), some Garlic drying on strings, and a wooden cot with a woolen blanket. On a wooden desk is Olea's Spellbook (locked), several scrolls, ink and quill, and a copy of the recipes from Urgun Runaway's Good Rat Guide, with the word 'Rat' crossed out and substituted for 'Lamb?'.

Under the hut is a cave-like cellar (accessed via a locked gate above stone steps leading down), where there is an olive press, and several stone tubs for processing olive oil and preserving olives. There is also a large Jar of Salt here.

If threatened, Olea will blow on a bamboo pipe, and summon a bound ally from her adventuring days, a TOAD DEMON that lives in the well, and is tied by a glowing green metal Chain of Demonic Restraint. The chain allows the Demon to leave the well in an almighty leap, but it can only attack anything within 10 metres of the well. Olea will endeavour to stay within this range casting spells at any spellcasters while the demon will attack the nearest warriors.

The well is 5m deep and is actually a natural cavern, with little water other than a muddy pool (Olea actually gets her water from a hidden spring at a rocky outcrop in the middle of the olive grove). The cavern is around 10m across, with several possible access points to the rest of the Eyrie tunnels within the mountain summit.

Olea is on good terms with many who live in or venture into these uplands including Old Barney Gorbus, Ghun-Fang the Astrologer, F'Sal the Shepherd and Larna the Weaver, and the herbalist Khalsha Mossfriend.

Stats:

Mother Olea, BLACK ELF DEMI-SORCERER

SKILL: 8
STAMINA: 16
LUCK: 10
MAGIC: 7 Magic Points: 20
Talents: Natural Mage
Special Skills: Common Speech (Allansian) 4, Elvish (Black) 4, Magic-Demi-Sorcery 3, Bargain 2, Evaluate 2, Farming 2, City Lore 1, Locks 1, Magic Lore 1, Mountain Lore 1, Religion Lore 1, Second Sight 1, Sleight of Hand 1, Staves 1, Herb Lore 1, World Lore 1
Spells: Creature Copy (4), Creature Sleep (4), Entangle (4), Detect Trap (2), E.S.P. (2), Light (2), Open Door (2), Truce (2), Create Water (1), Creature Sleep (1), Fool's Gold (1), Language (1), Magic Arrow (2), Read Symbols (1), Shielding (1)

 

She has 1-6 GP, 2-12 SP, an Oak Staff, her Bamboo Flute, a key to the cellar and the Spellbook, a vial containing a Potion of MAGIC.

1 TOAD DEMON, SKILL 14 STAMINA 14, Very Large Bite, Medium Armour, Double Damage. Completely immune to all kinds of fire, magic or otherwise.

Chain of Demonic Restraint: Glowing Green Metal chain around 15m long, can be used to restrain any Demon by lashing it at the Demon in combat and winning an Attack Round. The chain will then instantaneously bind the Demon into the chain-wielder's service for a year and a day. The chain must be affixed to the ground with a platinum-tipped stake - the Demon can only venture 15m from the stake at any given point. The Demon will follow all commands of the chain-wielder within reason (at the Director's discretion. The chain only works on Lesser Demons, though it counts as a magical weapon and will wound Greater Demons and Demon Princes as normal if it hits in combat.

A Pleasant Meadow (#20/30, #324/365)

"The gentle slope of this mountain meadow is covered in flowers and aromatic herbs, growing in a carpet atop crumbling slate-stones and lichen-adorned rocks. There is a strange sound in the air, like that of a baby's rattle, sometimes clicking and clacking singularly, and other times in chorus. Could it be cicadas?"

Contents: This stretch of pleasant sunny mountainside contains many interesting plants but is also home to a nest of RATTLESNAKES who enjoy stretching out and sunning themselves on the rocks, reacting poorly to anyone who disturbs them.

Any foraging for herbs here can add a +3 bonus to their roll, and, if successful, use the Hills and Mountains (roll 1-3) or Deserts and Plains (roll 4-6) Distribution tables (see The Titan Herbal, p. 76) to see what they find (reroll any results that do not fit with the area). For each attempt, whether successful or not, they must Test their Luck to avoid being attacked by a Rattlesnake. Searchers can continue looking for herbs as long as they are successful; as soon as they fail a roll they may search no more this day.

In addition, in the exact centre of the meadow is a low-lying bush with short pale grey-green leaves and a single strange triangle-shaped golden yellow fruit. This is the legendary Xentos Fruit (see The Titan Herbal, p. 73)! Wars have been fought over this plant, so discretion is advised if attempting to sell it in Pellod, Dust Town or elsewhere. The bush is in the middle of a particularly sunny spot of flat rocks housing 2-7 remaining RATTLESNAKES that must be slain to reach the Xentos fruit.

Stats:

2-12 RATTLESNAKES, SKILL 5 STAMINA 2, Venom causes 4 STAMINA damage per bite, Light Armour. Rattlesnake venom causes a cascading series of issues in anyone unfortunate enough to be bitten by the snake:

1. If the victim's STAMINA is above 18 after being bitten, they have a strong constitution and only lose a further 2 STAMINA points damage (if this takes them below 18 STAMINA, there is no further effect).
2. If the victim's STAMINA is 18 or below, the poison runs quickly through their system. The bitten area starts to throb, and the victim breaks out into a sweat. Their vision blurs and they have difficulty retaining consciousness. They must lost 5 more STAMINA points.
3. If their STAMINA is now above 9, they survive, despite feeling dangerously weak from the effects of the poison.
4. If their STAMINA is now 9 or below, the venom is too strong for the victim's system and they lose consciousness. They must now Test their Luck.
5. If they are Lucky, they survive the effects of the snake's venom, although they do come perilously close to death. When they regain consciousness in 10-60 minutes, they will find themselves seriously weakened by the venom, with a SKILL score of 5, and a STAMINA score of 4.
   
6. If they are Unlucky, there is nothing they can do to stop the effects of the venom and the snake bite is fatal. They die here on a barren hillside in southern Allansia.
   

A decent drop of the local red...

Old Barney's Vineyard (#18/30, #322/365)

"This part of the rocky slope is covered in gnarled vines, arranged loosely in rows staked to short wooden poles. Next to the vineyards, a rough track leads to a stone-brick hovel, from whose chimney a curl of smoke arises. Suddenly, the door springs open, and two enormous hounds, one white and one black, hurtle through the door and race down the gravel track towards you, snarling with menace! Each dog appears to be as big as a small pony!

A strange green-skinned Dwarf with orange hair also bursts through the door, blunderbuss in hand, yelling:

'Snowflake! Midnight! Heel! HEEL!!!"

Contents: These are two Moon Dogs, ferocious canine guards, and their owner, a chaotic Half-Dwarf ex-mercenary and now vintner, Old Barney Gorbus. If the Heroes are foolish enough to fight the dogs, with the intent to slay them, Barney will also attack the Heroes with his Blunderbuss; if he runs out of ammo, he will dive back into the hut to get his axe and armour. He will fight the Heroes to the death, tears streaming down his face if his dogs have been killed.

If the Heroes merely defend themselves against the dogs, or even run away, they will heel and respond to Barney's commands after one Attack Round. Barney will gift any bitten Hero with a bottle of wine; likewise he will demand appropriate tribute if either of both of his dogs have been wounded in any way as well.

Assuming Old Barney has reacted positively to the presence of the Heroes, and they have paid any relevant restitution, he is happy to sell them bottles of his rough and ready home-made red wine. Each bottle costs 4GP, and restores 1-3 STAMINA points; drinking the bottle in one sitting causes the reduction of -1 to Attack Strength for an hour. Barney typically has between 4-24 bottles of 'Old Barney's Red Death' for sale. He will also swap bottles of wine for an equal value of food, Smoking Weed, or any other type of alcoholic beverage (including those made by Goblins, Orcs or Trolls).

Old Barney is a known regular character on the slopes of Mount Gulugu and knows Ghun-Fang the Astrologer, and F'Sal the Shepherd and Larna the Weaver, among others. Having previously worked as a mercenary hound-master for various armies and hordes of dubious morality, he also has cordial relations with the Orcs of the Bronze Serpent Mercenary Company, but hates the Gnolls of the Tusk-Gnasher Tribe with a passion, after they have attacked several other fellow hermits and outcasts here in the wilderness. If not at his hut (which will be locked and booby-trapped with his exploding Yokka Egg), Barney can be found at the Tavern of Tan-Kha, drinking Seaman's Grog, or the Fighting Pit of Azgrul, betting on the fights, while his two Moon Dogs are stabled carefully in the animal pens.

Barney's hut contains a spare Blunderbuss, flint and tinder, two spare ammo pouches (both full), a battered lantern, his battleaxe and armour, 4-24 empty bottles, a pot of spicy lamb stew on the fireplace (worth 2 Provisions), a wooden cot with a woolen blanket, two wicker baskets for the dogs (also lined with woolen blankets), two tin bowls full of water and several gnawed bones.

Under the hut is a cave-like cellar (accessed via a locked gate above stone steps leading down), where the wine is made in several large wooden barrels, and stored in a cool stone alcove that also contains 2-7 large joints of raw meat (each worth a Provision if cooked). Also here is a bottle of Crimson Leonar (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 55).

Stats:

Old Barney Gorbus, Chaotic HALF-DWARF, SKILL 8 STAMINA 12, Flintlock Blunderbuss and Battleaxe, Chainmail Cuirass.

Has 2-7 GP, 2-12 SP, a key to the cellar-gate, a wooden briarwood pipe, a pouch of 'Pure Axehead' Smoking Weed, and a Yokka Egg to use only in the most desperate of circumstances.

Snowflake, MOON DOG, SKILL 9 STAMINA 10, Large Bite, +1 to Damage Roll

Midnight, MOON DOG, SKILL 9 STAMINA 10, Large Bite, +1 to Damage Roll

Scavengers, part two

A Den of Jackals (#17/30, #321/365)

"You are on the flat floor of a sandy valley, overgrown with tangled stands of thornbushes. You think to hear a sound up ahead, like some sort of animal call, but then silenced, but you're not sure. A wind whistles through the thorns, causing them to move and murmur harshly with weird scratchy noises."

Contents: In the depths of the thornbushes is the den of some JACKALS, which requires a special searching Special Skill roll to discover. The thorns also cause 1-3 STAMINA damage to anyone scrabbling through them to the den, which may be protected by armour, however there is a 1 in 6 chance anyone who is wounded is then afflicted with Firebush poison (see Advanced Fighting Fantasy, p. 53).

The Jackals will only attack if there are one or two, preferably wounded, Heroes within the thorns, but will fight if encountered in their den, retreating only if reduced to half STAMINA. The den is a well-disguised sandy burrow, with a secret back exit, which is only accessible to Heroes of Dwarf-size or smaller.

In the den are 2-7 Jackal pups, various bones, and 2-12 SP, all covered in tooth-marks.

Stats:

2 JACKALS, SKILL 5 STAMINA 5, Small Bite

2-7 JACKAL PUPS, SKILL 3 STAMINA 2, 1 Damage

Scavengers, part one

A Hyena Den (#16/30, #320/365)

"Venturing up this rocky valley seems to have disturbed a pack of creatures. You cannot see them clearly among the rocks and thorny undergrowth, but catch occasional glimpses of spotted furry hide and dog-like faces with big ears. A cacophony of yowling starts up, a loud choir of baying and howling, apparently warning you to travel no further along this route."

Contents: This valley hosts the den of a pack of HYENAS, who will attack if the Heroes persist in exploring the valley further. They will flee back to their den if they lose half their number in combat, but will fight to the death to defend the actual den if they have retreated here.

The den houses a number of Hyena cubs, that can be trained by anyone with the relevant skills, time and experience. Also in the den are various bones and skeletons, plus some accoutrements, most of which have been gnawed on by the cubs, but include 2-12SP, 1-6GP, a Silver Dagger (with some teeth marks), and a brass lantern (only slightly chewed).

The Hyenas will respond positively to offers of food but only if it is fresh meat. Giving the pack 2-7 Provisions-worth of fresh meat will allow free passage through the valley, but the den remains off limits.

Stats:

4-24 HYENAS, SKILL 5 STAMINA 6, Large Bite

1 HYENA MATRIARCH, SKILL 7 STAMINA 8, Large Bite

2-7 HYENA CUBS, SKILL 3 STAMINA 2, 1 Damage

A burning nest of flames...

Nest of the Phoenix (#15/30, #319/365)

"Atop a tall spire of rock you spy a nest of fire, burning continuously with little smoke. As you watch a giant red eagle-like bird soars over to the nest and adds several branches clutched in its claws, and they commence burning, fueling the nest of fire. A second bird emerges from the nest, untouched by fire, and the two birds beginning squawking at each other in harsh piercing calls and cries."

Contents: The birds are a pair of PHOENIXES, guarding a nest on this rockcrop that contains their brood of eggs. They will both attack anyone they spot attempting to climb this spire, but wait until the climbers are half-way up before commencing their attack runs, attempting to cause the climbers to fall with repeated immolations.

Phoenix Cultists from both Pellod (where they are sent by Avakha the Large) and New Vatos know about this site, and make holy pilgrimages here to worship the Phoenixes. Using climbing gear and asbestos suits, they ascend the pillar under cover of the nighttime darkness to collect an egg here or there (as not to disrupt the sacred birds too much) or a stray feather (which have magical purposes) that has not been burnt to a crisp. Climbing the twenty metre pillar requires four Special Skill checks; it is a vertical slope with plenty of handholds, but if the Phoenixes are alerted, then they will attack the climbers, whether they are Cultists or not.

In the nest are 2-12 Yokka Eggs (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 121), warm to touch, can be thrown by testing Skill, cause 1-6 STAMINA damage from fiery blast), and a lot of ashes and charred bone fragments, as well as one pair of blackened but still useable Asbestos Boots (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 47).

 Anyone successfully searching the rocks at the base of the pillar will find a secret cache of Cultist gear: twenty metres of rope, a grappling hook, a sack, a pair of spiked asbestos boots, as well as asbestos pants, tunic and hood (to prevent immolation damage), a Yokka Egg and a Phoenix Feather (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1, p. 69).

Stats:

2 PHOENIXES, SKILL 9 STAMINA 7, Swoop Attack (2 STAMINA), Immolation attack (causes 0-5 STAMINA every round until Phoenix is slain) both attacks can start fires by igniting anything flammable.

Gaze into the distant abyss that is the night's sky...

Ghun-Fang the Astrologer (#14/30, #318/365)

"Atop a smaller rocky hill that flanks the main summit of Mount Gulugu, you espy a round domed mud hut, with a hole in the roof through which poke several long brass instruments that glint in the sunlight. Alongside the hut are a few scraggly trees, and what looks like a herb-garden. A bald man with a black beard, clad in a simple brown robe and wearing black woolen gloves, shambles out of the hut, holding a staff.

'Can I help you?' he says in an irritated tone of voice. 'I'm very busy with my experiments."

Contents: This is Ghun-Fang the Astrologer, a wizard who uses his telescopes to peer into the night-sky scanning the constellations above for hints and clues as to the fates and destinies of those living here on Titan. He is rather grumpy as he is busy right now, but if spoken to politely can offer the following services:

- Construct a horoscope for someone, if they can give Ghun-Fang their date of birth. If this information has not been created previously, use the RANDOM BIRTHDAY GENERATOR at the bottom of this entry. The horoscopes are of four types, cost 10GP or the same in goods in kind, and may or may not work, depending on whether Ghun-Fang succeeds with his Astrology-Lore roll. The horoscopes are:

• Good fortune: Success: +1 bonus to all LUCK tests for this day or the next day. Failure: -1 penalty to all LUCK tests for this day or the next day.
  
• Guidance: Success: +1 bonus to all SKILL tests for this day or the next day. Failure: -1 penalty to all SKILL tests for this day or the next day.
• Health: Success: all wounds or injuries reduced by -1 STAMINA for this day or the next day. Failure: all wounds or injuries increased by +1 STAMINA for this day or the next day.
• Occult Acuity: Success: +1 bonus to all MAGIC tests for this day or the next day. Failure: -1 penalty to all MAGIC tests for this day or the next day.

- Currently, Ghun-Fang has the following herbs for sale (given page numbers are all for The Titan Herbal):

• Axeplant (p. 20) 2 vials (of Blade Venom) for 10GP each
• Jewelfruit (p. 42) 3 bags for 17SP each
• Luckleaf (p. 45) 1 sprig for 20GP
• Medusa Grass (p. 48) 1 bunch for 30GP
• Smoking Weed (p. 61) 3 pouches for 1GP each
  

- Ghun-Fang trades his fortune-tellings with the various folk scratching a living around Mount Gulugu, to obtain wine, wool, mutton and olives. He thus much knows information about comings and goings in the area, and, in addition, is friends with the herbalist Khalsha Mossfriend, Old Giblin the Sage, and the Hamakei Selathas Vrint. Currently, as well as studying the stars above, Ghun-Fang is keeping tabs on the Caarth colony within the Found Tombs for his old drinking buddy Giblin. He is technically a member of the Spellcasters' Guild but hasn't paid his dues in years, and if he does need things, heads to Dust Town instead of Pellod.

Hut contents: Ghun-Fang's Spellbook, a desk covered in star charts from both hemispheres (see Titan, p. 26), a bundle of scrolls, several quills and an inkwell, an abacus and a well-thumbed copy of An Astrologer's Almagest, as well as two bottles of red wine (rough but ready flavour, restores 1-3 STAMINA points, drinking the bottle in one sitting causes the reduction of -1 to Attack Strength for an hour) and several glasses. There is a crude bunk in a corner with woolen blankets, and a combined fire/kitchen area with some firewood, pots and pans, a copper kettle with weak tea, two jars of pickled olives (counts as 1 Provision each), and a Sentinel Potion, hidden behind half-a-dozen empty wine-bottles.

The only real treasure in the hut are Ghun-Fang's collection of telescopes. The first is a normal Brass Telescope (see Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1: p. 51) on a stand, currently pointed down a stretch of mountainside that contains the secret entrance to the Caarth Observation Post. It is trapped, so anyone touching it within gloves causes it to animate into a BRASS SENTINEL and attack. It is worth 25GP if undamaged.

The second telescope is larger, taking up two encumbrance slots, and worth 100GP with double the visual range (so 10-20km, instead of 5-10km, depending on elevation). It is currently pointing out across the Desert of Skulls at nothing in particular.

The third telescope is the biggest, an immense contraption over two metres long pointed up into the sky (looking through it in daytime cause temporary blindness for 1-6 hours, and the loss of 4 SKILL points during that time). If it could be transported down the mountain undamaged it would be worth at least 500GP to a collector.

Forge contents: Behind the hut is a locked lean-to housing a small forge area where Ghun-Fang makes parts for his telescopes. As well as various forge and glass-making tools, there are 200GP worth of twenty crude Brass Sheets (the top one is trapped to turn into a BRASS SENTINEL), an iron hammer and chisel, and a crystal cylinder worth 100GP.

Herb-garden contents: The scraggly herb-garden is Ghun-Fang's pride and joy. Currently growing here are (given page numbers are all for The Titan Herbal):

• Axeplant (p. 20) 5 clumps
  
• Jewelfruit (p. 42) 4 large bushes
• Luckleaf (p. 45) 1 small shrub
• Medusa Grass (p. 48) 1 clump
• Smoking Weed (p. 61) 2 bushes
  

Stats: 

Ghun-Fang the Astrologer, Human Male Wizard, 42 years old

SKILL: 8
STAMINA: 12
LUCK: 9
MAGIC: 8 (Magic Points: 22)
Talents: Focus
Special Skills: Common Speech (Allansian) 4, Magic-Wizardry 3, Minor Magic 2, Astrology Lore 2, Awareness 1, Climb 1, Crafting (Telescopes) 1, Mountain Lore 1, Magic Lore 1, Herb Lore 1, Religion Lore 1, Second Sight 1, Secret Signs 1, Staves 1, World Lore 1

Spells: (Wizardry) See Future (6), Weather Control (4), Lightning Blast (4), Counterspell (2), Levitate (2), Darkness (1), Flash! (1), Light (1), Thunder (1)

Spells: (Minor Magic) Enhance, Glimmer, Honesty, Instil, Mend, Weather Protection

Weapon: Staff

Armour: None

Notes: Ghun-Fang has 2-12GP, a key to the forge, a smoking-piper made from bone, a Focus Staff (+1 to all spellcasting attempts), and a Yokka Egg (to use in emergencies), while his brown robe functions as a Cloak of Invisibility. His gloves are non-magical, but worn to avoid triggering Brass Sentinel Traps.

A BRASS SENTINEL, SKILL 12 STAMINA 12, Sword, Medium Armour, cannot be harmed unless its assailants are holding items made from brass. If defeated will revert back to a Brass Sheet or Brass Telescope, but one that is now broken and worthless.

The Random Birthday Generator (can also use to generate Holy Days)

1 - Deduct the Hero's age from the current year (Titan, p. 114, is set in 284 AC for example) to get the year of birth.

2 - Roll on the following table to get the month of birth:

First Roll 1-3, Second Roll 1: Freeze (31 days) 2: Dark (28 days) 3: Unlocking (31 days) 4: Sowing (30 days) 5: Winds (31 days) 6: Warming (30 days)

First Roll 4-5, Second Roll 1: Fire (31 days) 2: Watching (31 days) 3: Reaping (30 days) 4: Hiding (31 days) 5: Close (30 days) 6: Locking (28 days)

3 - Roll on the following table to get the day of birth, bearing in mind how many days each month has, as given above:

First Roll 1, Second Roll 1: 1st 2: 2nd 3: 3rd 4: 4th 5: 5th 6: 6th

First Roll 2, Second Roll 1: 7th 2: 8th 3: 9th 4: 10th 5: 11th 6: 12th

First Roll 3, Second Roll 1: 13th 2: 14th 3: 15th 4: 16th 5: 17th 6: 18th

First Roll 4, Second Roll 1: 19th 2: 20th 3: 21st 4: 22nd 5: 23rd 6: 24th

First Roll 5, Second Roll 1: 25th 2: 26th 3: 27th 4: 28th 5: 29th 6: 30th

First Roll 6, Second Roll 1: 31st 2-6: Not Applicable

4- Roll on the following table to get the hour of birth:

First Roll 1, Second Roll 1: 1st 2: 2nd 3: 3rd 4: 4th 5: 5th 6: 6th

First Roll 2-3, Second Roll 1: 7th 2: 8th 3: 9th 4: 10th 5: 11th 6: 12th (Noon)

First Roll 3-5, Second Roll 1: 13th 2: 14th 3: 15th 4: 16th 5: 17th 6: 18th

First Roll 6, Second Roll 1: 19th 2: 20th 3: 21st 4: 22nd 5: 23rd 6: 24th (Midnight)

Also, if you want to find out which numbered year corresponds to which Animal Sign, use the following chart:

284: Fox, 283: Rabbit, 282: Spider, 281: Dog, 280: Eagle, 279: Wolf, 278: Bat, 277: Deer, 276: Mouse,  275: Goat, 274: Tiger, 273: Ox, 272: Snake, 271: Lion, 270: Dragon, 269: Horse, 268: Shark, 267: Cat, 266: Owl, 265: Crocodile, 264: Fox, 263: Rabbit, [Cycle repeats etc.]

A tethering point for herbaceous herd animals...

Lair of the Vegetable Lamb Vegetable (#13/30, #317/365)

"This sandy-floored cave has a wide entrance through which sunlight streams, and several other tunnels venturing deeper into the mountain. In the center of the cave is a strange plant, a large-leaved bushy creeper, with a series of thick vines erupted from a central stem. Each vine ends in a lamb, a woolly sheep that eyes you nervously while gnawing on moss and lichen, and occasionally going 'Baaa?'."

Contents: This is the central part and lair of F'Sal's Vegetable Lamb Vegetable, where the sheep retreat at night to sleep, and new lambs are born from large dark green gourds growing at the end of some of the shorter vines.

The plant itself is immobile, the sheep simply wander about as far as their tethers will allow. They will defend themselves if they must, but prefer not to fight. Destroying the central plant kills all the sheep.

Gourds can be harvested from the plant if a successful Herb Lore Special Skill roll is made.

Stats: 

2-12 VEGETABLE LAMBS, SKILL 4 STAMINA 4, Butt (1 damage).

1 VEGETABLE LAMB VEGETABLE, SKILL 0 STAMINA 10, Light Armour.

2-7 harvestable Lamb Gourds can be taken from the plant. When thrown they will explode into a Vegetable Lamb on impact, which, although not particularly terrifying or lethal, may prove to have distracting capabilities.

Fleece and mutton without limit...

Pasture of the Vegetable Lambs (#12/30, #316/365)

"You meet a shepherd upon a hillside, grazing a flock of sheep within a meadow of yellow grass and thorny bush. He moves to greet you, a large hound by his side, and sees your eyes widen as you contemplate the sheep - each appears to be tethered to a green vine, all of which aggregate from a narrow cave entrance, sprouting from within the mountain.

'Incredible, is it not?' exclaims the shepherd. 'Vegetable lambs, here in the uplands of Pellod! I am truly blessed! Do you require anything - I have plenty to sell!"

Contents: The shepherd is F'Sal, previously herding a ragged herd of goats until he stumbled upon Vegetable Lambs. These strange plant/animal symbiote creatures of the upper mountain slopes are thought to be similar to Tree Geese, with a central plant creature controlling multiple animal symbiotes. Now he and his Wolfhound Kherb, guard the sheep day and night, reducing their numbers when the meadow starts to become overgrazed, and then selling the wool and meat back to other shepherds and wandering traders.

His wife Larna weaves much of the wool into serviceable garments, while F'Sal himself salts and preserves the meat. The following is available for sale at their hut, near the lamb cave:

- Woolen cloaks, robes, tunics, dresses and trousers (all 3GP each)

- a large Ram's horn. 5GP. Can use as a crude musical instrument or signalling device. Can also be sealed up at the tip to use as a drinking vessel.

- 2-12 Provisions of salted mutton. 4GP each.

They will all defend themselves if attacked but flee if they take too much damage. The Vegetable Lambs will also defend themselves if attacked, but will attempt to retreat to their cave (see next location).

Stats:

F'Sal, Shepherd, SKILL 7 STAMINA 9, Staff. Has 2-12GP, a Bamboo Pipe, and a Silver Dagger

Larna, Weaver/ARCHER, SKILL 7 STAMINA 9, Longbow + 10 Arrows. Has 2-12GP, a Club, and a Yokka Egg (to use as a last resort).

Kherb, WOLFHOUND, SKILL 7 STAMINA 6, Small Bite

4-24 VEGETABLE LAMBS, SKILL 4 STAMINA 4, Butt (1 damage). Anyone hit by a Vegetable Lamb must test their Skill or fall down the slope for 1-6 STAMINA damage.