Chapter 4: Mountains and Valleys

[back to Kings of Tyranny]

This chapter details the heroes’ efforts to broker the first international alliance in Ancerra’s history. If successful, this innovative strategy will give Gilgalon an edge over Brazodir in the protracted war that is to come. The heroes will need to travel through the plains of Lachonhet and into the mountainous region known as Kaeries, which is the home of the Cheran, the purported rulers of Lachonhet. The heroes’ primary objective is to convince the Cheran, through any means necessary, that an alliance is in their best interests.

As the heroes travel through Lachonhet, they will also learn that the population of the kingdom has a plurality of views on the Cheran, and earning the Cheran’s support might not be enough to convince all of Lachonhet to side with Gilgalon. By performing gestures of heroism and goodwill towards the people of the Lachonhet plains and the Kaeries mountains, the heroes may be able to convince the kingdom to join Gilgalon.

On the return from Kaeries, the heroes come face to face with General Dagon, the commander of Assurgazzar’s invading army. If the heroes failed to convince the Lachonhetans to side with them, this gives them one more chance to make their case. Regardless, it is a difficult fight and displays General Dagon’s brutality. General Dagon escapes, but the heroes will get another chance to fight him later in the campaign.

Mangondulon’s War Council

In the immediate aftermath of Brazodir’s blitz on Palask, Mangondulon will summon the heroes to his war council. Mangondulon, Nergal, and Tarisha discuss the various practicalities of war. If the heroes are interested in these details, then the three NPCs will convey the following information:

• Gilgalon’s military power is great within their own borders, particularly southeast of the River Gilgalon
• Gilgalon is not prepared for a protracted war outside of their borders, but Tarisha is training the army at an accelerated rate. They should be ready to strike back within a couple months’ time and have already mobilized to secure the kingdom’s borders in the meantime.
• Brazodir’s attack destroyed a significant amount of their grain reserves, meaning that famine is imminent if a solution cannot be reached.
• The neighboring kingdom of Lachonhet has a tremendous amount of arable land and produces many tons of crops every year. They are disorganized and have no real army to defend themselves.

If the heroes are not particularly interested in the finer workings of wartime decisions, then Mangondulon will get to the point and ask the heroes to undertake a novel mission for him: brokering an international treaty.

Read Aloud: Mangondulon spreads his hands and gestures to the maps of the region while addressing the heroes. “While our army is preparing for the counteroffensive, I entreat you to resolve our new lack of food surplus before this becomes a dire situation. While we could certainly defeat Lachonhet in a war, that would open our northern border to Brazodir. Instead, I would like to send you to make an offer to Lachonhet: They provide us with food, and we provide them with protection from Assurgazzar’s mad tyranny.”

In conversation with the heroes, Mangondulon and Nergal lay out the details of the proposition:

• The Cheran are the rulers of Lachonhet, and they live in the Kaeries mountain range
• They should view this proposition as something like the cooperation seen between two cities in the same kingdom, but on a national level. Like the two cities in the example, the two kingdoms of Gilgalon and Lachonhet would be equals, each benefitting from the other’s offer.
• Provided that Lachonhet is able to supply Gilgalon with an ongoing stock of grains, fruits, and dried meats, Gilgalon will protect Lachonhet’s northern border from Brazodir.
• If Brazodir finds another way into Lachonhet, Gilgalon will come to their aid.
• This arrangement is to be maintained until Assurgazzar is verifiably dead and Brazodir so weakened that it cannot wage another war.

In exchange for their services, Mangondulon will offer the heroes lavish suites in the Majesty Mounds of Palask, each including a staff of loyal groundskeepers. Mangondulon will also reward the heroes with various cut gems yielding a worth of 4,000 amber per hero. The heroes will also increase their Fame by 1 upon accepting the quest, and by 1 more upon completing it.

The Plains of Lachonhet

Lachonhet is a region of sprawling plains and forests. The plains tend to be rolling hills with yellow grasses and shrubs, though the occasional copse of trees lies in a valley where a natural spring offers enough moisture. The more dense forests snake and branch throughout the region, following the twists and turns of a wide network of rivers that zigzag from west to east before emptying into the Lachonhet Sea, which is truly a large freshwater lake bordering Lachonhet, Gilgalon, and Ekulad. This network of rivers, referred to collectively as “the Lachonhet River,” offers an abundance of water that lets forests flourish. Swamps are commonplace in these regions of Lachonhet, as are stretches of dense undergrowth that make navigation very challenging.

As the heroes travel the plains and forests of Lachonhet, consider challenging them with any of these random encounters by rolling on the table below.

2d6	Random Encounter
2	Major social encounter: disgruntled farmers
3	Minor social encounter: disgruntled farmers
4	Major exploration encounter: swamps of the Lachonhet River
5	Significant exploration encounter: dense forest undergrowth
6	Minor exploration encounter: rolling hills
7	No encounter
8	Minor combat: wandering dinosaurs
9	Minor combat: Brazodiran incursion
10	Significant combat: Brazodiran incursion
11	Major combat: Brazodiran incursion
12	Major combat: predatory dinosaurs

2. Major Social Encounter

As the heroes press through some fertile fields, they see signs of agricultural cultivation. Grapevines grow along trellises, and rows of tilled earth turn the hills into terraces.

Presently, they hear a few hostile voices, and they see several farmers approaching with a variety of weapons. One of the farmers is leading a domesticated stegosaurus.

The farmers brandish their weapons - primarily wooden pitchforks and bone clubs or bone daggers - and clearly want the heroes to leave their farmland.

If the heroes agree to reverse course, then they may resolve the encounter immediately by adding one day’s travel time to their journey. If the heroes try to talk their way through the farm, then they must each make an AWR, INT, or CHA check. Take the group’s average, then check the below DCs to determine the outcomes. If any heroes have eaten food that was clearly grown on the farmland, the group average suffers a -5 penalty.

DC	Result
9 or less	The farmers attack. See the combat result below.
10-14	The farmers issue an ultimatum: The heroes must turn around or face combat as though they got a 9 or lower on this check.
15-19	The farmers allow the heroes passage through the farm, provided that they take none of the farmers’ food.
20 or more	The farmers allow the heroes passage through the farm, and even decide to gift each hero with 2 days’ worth of rations.

If this encounter devolves into combat, the heroes must face the following enemies, based on the number of people in the party.

Party Size	Enemies
3	Stegosaurus, 2 thugs
4	Stegosaurus, 2 thugs, 1 elf archer
5	Stegosaurus, 2 thugs, 2 elf archers
6	Stegosaurus, 4 thugs, 2 elf archers

Any NPC in this encounter will retreat once Bloodied. The entire group of farmers will retreat once 3 or more of them have retreated.

3. Minor Social Encounter

As the heroes press through some fertile fields, they see signs of agricultural cultivation. Grapevines grow along trellises, and rows of tilled earth turn the hills into terraces.

Presently, they hear a few hostile voices, and they see several farmers approaching with a variety of farm tools that could be used as weapons.

The farmers brandish their weapons - primarily wooden pitchforks and bone clubs or bone daggers - and clearly want the heroes to leave their farmland.

If the heroes agree to reverse course, then they may resolve the encounter immediately by adding one day’s travel time to their journey. If the heroes try to talk their way through the farm, then they must each make an AWR, INT, or CHA check. Take the group’s average, then check the below DCs to determine the outcomes. If any heroes have eaten food that was clearly grown on the farmland, the group average suffers a -3 penalty.

DC	Result
7 or less	The farmers attack. See the combat result below.
9-12	The farmers issue an ultimatum: The heroes must turn around or face combat as though they got a 9 or lower on this check.
13-17	The farmers allow the heroes passage through the farm, provided that they take none of the farmers’ food.
18 or more	The farmers allow the heroes passage through the farm, and even decide to gift each hero with 2 days’ worth of rations.

If this encounter devolves into combat, the heroes must face the following enemies, based on the number of people in the party.

Party Size	Enemies
3	2 thugs, 1 elf archer
4	2 thugs, 2 elf archers
5	4 thugs, 2 elf archers
6	6 thugs, 3 elf archers

Any NPC in this encounter will retreat once Bloodied. The entire group of farmers will retreat once 3 or more of them have retreated.

4. Major Exploration Encounter

The heroes trek into a swampy expanse of shallow lakes, slow-currented rivers, and tiny islands dotting the watery region. Navigating the swamp can be difficult and may result in the heroes suffering some kind of setback ranging from inconvenient to deadly.

Ask each hero to make two attribute checks. These must use two different attributes unless they use different skills from the same attribute. This represents their time fording the swamp, so a wide variety of skills might be applicable. Applied Force, Athletics, Forced March, Medicine, Nature, Perceiving, Sheltering, and Sneaking are just a few examples of skills that may be relevant here. Add up the sum total of each hero’s two checks, then take the average of the whole party’s totals. The result determines whether the heroes suffer any setbacks.

DC	Result
8 or less	The heroes each gain 1 Fatigue after the next time they Take a Rest. They also add 1 day of travel time to their journey. Finally, all of their rations become spoiled due to stagnant water exposure. One of the heroes (the one with the single lowest roll) is infected with Deathboil Plague.
9-15	The heroes each gain 1 Fatigue after the next time they Take a Rest. They also add 1 day of travel time to their journey. Finally, all of their rations become spoiled due to stagnant water exposure. All of the heroes are infected with Boilplague.
16-20	The heroes each gain 1 Fatigue after the next time they Take a Rest. They also add 1 day of travel time to their journey. Finally, all of their rations become spoiled due to stagnant water exposure. One of the heroes (the one with the single lowest roll) is infected with Boilplague.
21-25	The heroes each gain 1 Fatigue after the next time they Take a Rest. They also add 1 day of travel time to their journey. Finally, all of their rations become spoiled due to stagnant water exposure.
26-30	The heroes each gain 1 Fatigue after the next time they Take a Rest. They also add 1 day of travel time to their journey.
31-40	The heroes each gain 1 Fatigue after the next time they Take a Rest.
41-44	The heroes suffer no setbacks.
45 or more	The heroes each find 1d4 days’ worth of rations and suffer no setbacks.

5. Significant Exploration Encounter

The heroes trek through a tangled growth of dense underbrush in a thick forest. Navigating the forest may result in the heroes suffering some kind of setback ranging from inconvenient to deadly.

Ask each hero to make two attribute checks. These must use two different attributes unless they use different skills from the same attribute. This represents their time fording the swamp, so a wide variety of skills might be applicable. Applied Force, Athletics, Forced March, Medicine, Nature, Perceiving, Sheltering, and Sneaking are just a few examples of skills that may be relevant here.

Add up the sum total of each hero’s two checks, then take the average of the whole party’s totals. The result determines whether the heroes suffer any setbacks.

DC	Result
16 or less	The heroes each gain 1 Fatigue after the next time they Take a Rest. They also add 3 days of travel time to their journey. They must also fight an Allosaurus the day that they are Fatigued.
17-25	The heroes each gain 1 Fatigue after the next time they Take a Rest. They also add 3 days of travel time to their journey.
26-30	The heroes each gain 1 Fatigue after the next time they Take a Rest. They also add 1 day of travel time to their journey.
31-35	The heroes each gain 1 Fatigue after the next time they Take a Rest.
36-40	The heroes suffer no setbacks.
40 or more	The heroes each find 1d4 days’ worth of rations and suffer no setbacks.

6. Minor Exploration Encounter

The heroes trek over hill and dale in the expansive plains of Lachonhet.

Ask each hero to make two attribute checks. These must use two different attributes unless they use different skills from the same attribute. This represents their time fording the swamp, so a wide variety of skills might be applicable. Applied Force, Athletics, Forced March, Medicine, Nature, Perceiving, Sheltering, and Sneaking are just a few examples of skills that may be relevant here.

Add up the sum total of each hero’s two checks, then take the average of the whole party’s totals. The result determines whether the heroes suffer any setbacks.

DC	Result
12 or less	The heroes each gain 1 Fatigue after the next time they Take a Rest. They also add 3 days of travel time to their journey. They must also fight an Allosaurus the day that they are Fatigued.
13-18	The heroes each gain 1 Fatigue after the next time they Take a Rest. They also add 3 days of travel time to their journey.
19-24	The heroes each gain 1 Fatigue after the next time they Take a Rest. They also add 1 day of travel time to their journey.
25-32	The heroes each gain 1 Fatigue after the next time they Take a Rest.
33-36	The heroes suffer no setbacks.
37 or more	The heroes each find 1d4 days’ worth of rations and suffer no setbacks.

7. No Encounter

The heroes get a lucky break and experience a day of travel without any noteworthy incidents.

8. Minor Combat: Dinosaurs

As the heroes are traveling through Lachonhet, hungry dinosaurs might mark them as easy prey, or territorial ones might react unkindly to the heroes tramping across their domain. If you roll this random encounter, roll or select from the tables below to determine the enemies that the heroes might face based on their current environment.

Forest

1d4	Creatures
1	1 Stegosaurus that flees when Bloodied
2	3 Cynognathuses that flee when Bloodied
3	2 Dilophosauruses
4	1 Witherweed and 3d4 Cockles

Plains

1d4	Creatures
1	4 Gallimimuses that flee when Bloodied
2	3 Pteranodons that flee when Bloodied
3	1 Sakkan that offers wise counsel if the heroes do not fight it
4	1 Pterodactyl that flees with one corpse to eat after killing a hero

Swamp

1d4	Creatures
1	1 Baryonyx
2	4 Bunyips that flee when Bloodied
3	3 Swamp Crocodiles
4	1 Saltwater Crocodile and 1 Swamp Crocodile

9. Minor Combat: Brazodirans

It would seem that Brazodir is not attacking just Gilgalon, but Lachonhet as well. The heroes come across armed warriors waving Brazodir’s flag.

The enemies are as follows based on the number of heroes in the party.

Party Size	Creatures
3	1 Hunter and 3 Soldiers
4	2 Hunters and 2 Soldiers
5	2 Hunters and 4 Soldiers
6	3 Hunters and 3 Soldiers

10: Significant Combat: Brazodirans

It would seem that Brazodir is not attacking just Gilgalon, but Lachonhet as well. The heroes come across a series of scout contingents, all of whom are clearly armed warriors waving Brazodir’s flag.

The enemies are as follows based on the number of heroes in the party. There are 1d3 waves of enemies, but the heroes have a chance to Recoup and travel for 1 hour between each combat.

Wave 1

Party Size	Creatures
3	1 Hunter and 3 Soldiers
4	2 Hunters and 2 Soldiers
5	2 Hunters and 4 Soldiers
6	3 Hunters and 3 Soldiers

Wave 2

Party Size	Creatures
3	3 Soldiers, one of whom is riding a Gallimimus
4	2 Soldiers riding 2 Gallimimuses
5	2 Hunters and 1 Soldier riding a Gallimimus
6	3 Hunters, one of whom is riding a Gallimimus

Wave 3

Party Size	Creatures
3	2 Hunters
4	2 Hunters and 2 Soldiers
5	3 Hunters and 1 Soldier
6	4 Hunters

11. Major Combat: Brazodirans

It would seem that Brazodir is not attacking just Gilgalon, but Lachonhet as well. The heroes come across a series of scout contingents, all of whom are clearly armed warriors waving Brazodir’s flag.

The enemies are as follows based on the number of heroes in the party. There are 1d4+1 waves of enemies, but the heroes have a chance to Recoup and travel for 1 hour between each combat. They can Take a Rest after the second wave of combat.

Wave 1

Party Size	Creatures
3	1 Hunter and 4 Soldiers
4	2 Hunters and 3 Soldiers
5	2 Hunters and 5 Soldiers
6	3 Hunters and 4 Soldiers

Wave 2

Party Size	Creatures
3	4 Soldiers, one of whom is riding a Gallimimus
4	3 Soldiers, 2 of whom are riding Gallimimuses
5	2 Hunters and 2 Soldier, 1 of whom is riding a Gallimimus
6	3 Hunters and 1 Soldier riding a Gallimimus

Wave 3

Party Size	Creatures
3	2 Hunters and 1 Soldier
4	2 Hunters and 3 Soldiers
5	3 Hunters and 2 Soldiers
6	4 Hunters and 1 Soldier

Wave 4

Party Size	Creatures
3	1 Soldier riding a Velociraptor
4	1 Hunter riding a Velociraptor
5	1 Hunter and 1 Soldier riding a Velociraptor
6	2 Hunters and 1 Soldier riding a Velocriaptor

Wave 5

Party Size	Creatures
3	1 Hunter riding a Velociraptor
4	1 Hunter and 1 Soldier riding a Velociraptor
5	2 Hunters and 1 Soldier riding a Velociraptor
6	2 Hunters, both riding 1 Allosaurus

12: Major Combat: Dinosaurs

With an unlucky turn, the heroes plunge into the hunting grounds of one or more ferocious dinosaurs. Roll or select from the table below to determine the enemies that the heroes might face.

1d4	Creatures
1	1 Tyrannosaurus Rex that flees when Bloodied
2	2 Allosauruses that flee when Bloodied
3	4 Velociraptors that flee when Bloodied
4	3 Velociraptors

Devastation of the Kaijan

The heroes spend about six days traveling. During this time, they might experience any of the random encounters detailed at the top of this chapter while traveling. On the fifth day of their travels, they come across what appears at first to be a small crater of some kind, but upon closer inspection, the heroes realize that this is an enormous, nearly circular footprint made by some monstrous creature. This creature was surely bigger than any herbivorous dinosaur any of the party has seen before; the diameter is over twenty feet across. A DC 14 INT or AWR check can reveal that the footprints are less than a week old, but over one day old.

The heroes may continue adventuring, although they are likely to proceed with some caution. Provided that they are traveling with a degree of stealth, they can spot a group of humanoids before being spotted. Use the following read aloud text if they were being stealthy.

Read Aloud: In the late sunset light, through the tree line, you can see an encampment of several dozen humanoids hunkering under makeshift lean-tos and around small firepits. In the faint glow of the firepits, you see haunted, haggard expressions. Blood and dirt smear several of their faces and bodies. On the whole, these folk look like they’ve been through hell.

Alternatively, use the following read aloud text if the party was not being stealthy, as they are spotted by the other group of humanoids first.

Read Aloud: You hear a call from nearby. “Travelers!” It is a hoarse, choking cry. Then another voice takes it up. “Travelers nearby! Perhaps they can help us?” After a moment, you identify the source of the voices: A ragged encampment that looks like it might be home to several dozen humanoids.

The Encampment

When the heroes join the encampment, they are offered food for the evening that the refugees foraged from the forest and plains around them. There are thirty-seven adults in the encampment, and twenty-four children. They are all fearful and exhausted, having barely survived an attack from a kaijan two days hence.

The leader of the encampment is a brontovran kosavran named Gamlor, the former bartender from their town of Goldplains. The ruler of Goldplains died in the attack, and Gamlor has taken charge in the midst of this tragedy. The people of the encampment seem very grateful for Gamlor’s leadership, and any AWR check of DC 7 or higher reveals that Gamlor is an earnest if inexperienced leader.

Gamlor explains to the heroes that their town was destroyed by a Hive Tyrant. If the heroes have not heard of this kaijan before, Gamlor will describe it as an elephant with a horned face and no trunk. It back is riddled with hives from which horrible wasps emerge. While the monstrous creature itself has moved on, some of these wasps are building a nest in the ruins of their town. If the heroes can defeat the wasps, then Gamlor will reward them in whatever way he can. This includes +1 Fame and a promise that the people of Goldplains will always offer free food and shelter to the heroes, as well as going out of their way to accommodate one favor that the heroes collectively ask of them. (This favor could include leveraging the Lachonhetans of the plains into agreeing to help Gilgalon.)

The Ruins

If the heroes accept this quest, they travel to the ruins of Goldplains, use the battle map below.

Read Aloud: The first thing that hits you is the sickly-sweet smell, like maggoty meat drizzled in honey. As you crest the hill, you see a horrifying sight spread in the valley before you. The ruins of the village have been overrun by wasps the size of domesticated cats. They have made quick work of the wooden and clay remains of the buildings, turning significant portions of the village into a large nest. You see many wasps gorging on the flesh of the villagers that did not escape the devastation, and more flying to and fro bringing supplies to the hive or scouting the perimeter of the village.

The heroes will have to defeat the wasps over the course of three encounters. They may retreat to a safe distance and Recoup between each encounter, but if they Take a Rest between any of the encounters then the wasps repopulate their hive, forcing the heroes to start over. Each wave of combat has a number of creatures as determined by the number of heroes in the party.

Wave 1

Party Size	Creatures
3	1 Rot Bee and 2 Tyrant Wasps
4	1 Rot Bee and 4 Tyrant Wasps
5	2 Rot Bees and 2 Tyrant Wasps
6	2 Rot Bees and 4 Tyrant Wasps

Wave 2

Party Size	Creatures
3	6 Tyrant Wasps
4	8 Tyrant Wasps
5	1 Rot Bee and 6 Tyrant Wasps
6	1 Rot Bee and 8 Tyrant Wasps

Wave 3

Party Size	Creatures
3	1 Tyrant Wasp Swarm that begins combat Bloodied, 2 Tyrant Wasps
4	1 Tyrant Wasp Swarm that begins combat Bloodied, 4 Tyrant Wasps
5	1 Tyrant Wasp Swarm
6	1 Tyrant Wasp Swarm, 2 Tyrant Wasps

If the heroes are victorious, then Gamlor and the people of Goldplains are true to their word. They move back into the ruins of their village and begin rebuilding. The heroes gain +1 Fame and are granted indefinite free room and board whenever they visit, as well as the right to leverage the town into fulfilling one favor within the town’s power.

Party Advancement Each hero levels up from level 4 to level 5.

Cavesafe

After resolving the quest with the citizens of Goldenplains, the heroes may continue their journey. They travel for another four days, during which time they may experience any of the random encounters detailed at the top of this chapter.

Additionally, on the second or third day traveling, the heroes might witness the kaijan that destroyed Goldplains. The kaijan does not notice them, and the heroes should not engage it in combat.

Read Aloud: An angry shriek rips through the air. As you scramble to the hilltop to see what caused such a noise, you witness a terrible clash of kaijan. An enormous, four-legged creature with tusks sprouting from its face and a cloud of stinging wasps pouring from its back gallops across the rolling hills, the sound vibrating through the earth like thunder. A short distance away, a gorilla the size of a small mountain braces itself with a spear-like pine tree in hand.

If the party watches, then the kaijan battle one another for some time with no clear victor. The wasps seem to annoy the gorilla, but wear it down over time. The gorilla gets a few good shots in with its pine tree, maiming the hive tyrant, but both are very resilient creatures. Eventually, as they continue to fight, they trample far enough away from the heroes that the sounds of their combat gradually fade. By the end of the travel day, the heroes may reach Cavesafe.

A prosperous farming village amidst a series of rocky hills, Cavesafe sits near the base of the mountains that lead to Kareis, capital of Lachonhet. Its bountiful supply and proximity to Kareis make it an important strategic location for the region, but its size and lack of any major trade roads keep it low profile and quiet, more prone to routine and work than glorious adventure.

Most of Cavesafe’s 150 inhabitants are farmers, friendly in nature, but wary of outsider intentions. Nevertheless, they tend towards a merciful nature, allowing the few travelers they come upon to rest within the village’s confines, and are willing to share their resources, plentiful as they can be.

Military Presence

Cavesafe has no standing military. The village chief, Lutek Gaisk, keeps a small retinue of soldiers that act as both garrison and guard, twelve or so armored individuals that see to common disputes and defend the village from immediate threats. Otherwise, several of the townsfolk keep arms and armor in their homes, able to muster a presentable militia of 30 or so spearfolk in times of need.

NPCs

Lutek Gaisk

Gaisk is an older human, somewhere in his late 40s to early 50s, having dueled the previous Cavesafe chief, or Lutek, to assume the position himself after serving as a Kareis Sisaptum. Despite his age, he is physically impressive, bearing several decades of scars that only add to his quiet, yet demanding presence. He is ultimately loyal to the people of Cavesafe, willing to make hard decisions, but never at the expense of the village’s goodwill.

 With his previous service in Kareis, Gaisk is a solid source of information to the inner workings of the city, especially the Cheran, and was a direct lieutenant of Kessara. He is an inherently suspicious person, but if the adventurers prove themselves as friends to Lachonhet (and Cavesafe), he is willing to fill them in on the city’s inner workings, or more specifically the Cheran.  

 Once they gain 5 Fame with Cavesafe, Gaisk will reveal Kessara’s secret motivation, and he decries Periak as a selfish snake who is easier to replace rather than deal with. He can drop information leading to the merchant Amarik in Kareis, saying he would make a much more suitable replacement

 Gaisk has the stats of a Veteran Soldier, complete with iron weapons and armor from his time serving with the Sisaptum.  

Lutesh Naustis

Witty, sharp, and decidedly odd, Naustis is a village wise woman, or Lutesh, that helps organize and oversee daily life in Cavesafe, settling arguments, match making, and seeing to the minutiae that keeps a village safe and prosperous. Her position is rare, as Naustis is no older than 19, a wiry halfling with a wild head of hair and a non-nonsense attitude, whose sharp eyes and even sharper tongue can knock the sense out of a trollkin twice her size.

 She is initially friendly to everyone, until they prove themselves fools, at which point she endeavors to make them feel as such, especially should they point out her age. More than one elder has suffered the wisdom of Naustis at their insistence that she lacks proper experience.

Lutesh Mikartis

The counterpart to Naustis, Lutesh Mikartis is an elder human, somewhere in her late 60s, frail, but well versed in Lachonhet the cultures of Cavesafe. She acts as the keeper of local traditions, officiating bonding ceremonies and overseeing the local harvests as a kind caretaker. She is often with Lutek Gaisk, adding a charm and care to his diplomatic dealings, especially during the annual tributaries to Kareis.

Fasik

A tall, thin trollkin, Fasik is an oddity within Cavesafe, mostly due to his gung-ho attitude and absolute fascination and obsession with dinosaurs. He is the local wrangler, tending to the herd of Stegosaurus that the farmers use to plow their fields. With his limited psionic abilities, those of which he is unaware he possesses, he tames and handles the local dinos, training them, and keeping the more hostile sort away from the village.

Points of Interest

The Safewells

Near the outskirts of Cavesafe, between the village proper and the fields, are the safewells, a series of stone wells that fetch plentiful, purified groundwater that serve to sustain both the town and fields. There are some dozen wells that see regular patrols from Gaisk’s retinue, if just to ensure their continued operation, and many of the villagers gather here between long work days to exchange rumors, happenings, and gossip.  

The Krickcatham

A mile or so from the village itself lies the Krickcatham, a series of sharp, rocky hills with a natural tunnel system that links most of them together in a complex network. The residents of Cavesafe have long since reinforced and mapped this network, using it as a shelter against rampaging kaijan and dangerous dinosaur stampedes, or even local raiders. They also use the confines as the village’s major storage, keeping harvests cool, dry, and safe, within granaries built into the foundations of the hills.  

Flooding Fields

The fields outside of the village benefit from a perpetual source of renewed ground water thanks to the Kareis mountains, the snow melt from its caps retreating to the base where it supplies natural, underground aquifers. This interaction creates the flooding fields, where intense spring-bound rainstorms flood a massive swath of land, replacing nutrients on a regular, yearly cycle. The bountiful harvests of Cavesafe come after, as they plow, sow, and work the fields year-round, using their domesticated dinosaur flock to do so.  

Sisas Barracks

A solitary barracks near the front of the village, this building acts as a home for Gaisk’s retinue, albeit it is built for a significantly larger force. The village uses it to house patrolling Sisaptum and tribute collectors from the Tyrant King. Travelers are offered beds here as well, separate enough to not do much harm, and it is a safe, dry space for them to rest and recover. There are no services offered here other than free beds.

Harvest Table

At the center of Cavesafe is the harvest table, a stone table arrayed with carvings from locals that depict and mark important events: families joining in bonding, unusually large (or small) harvests, or terrible tragedies. The villages of Cavesafe hold their local celebrations at the table, gathering the entire community to feast, remember, and record new events as they occur.

Cavesafe Celebrations If the adventurers arrive in Cavesafe during an appropriate season, such as during a harvest or flood season, they can participate in the local antics and ceremonies, eat, and be merry. If adventurers choose to participate, they can earn fame with a relevant skill check to engage, such as telling a story, playing music, participating in a dance, cooking, providing food, or entertaining in any number of ways. A DC 10 earns them +1 Fame, then they earn +1 additional fame with Cavesafe per 5 over that DC they roll. A DC 20 would earn them 3 Fame, for instance.

Side Quests

Pests of Unusual Size

Both Lutek Gaisk and Lutesh Naustis will offer this quest if spoken to by the adventurers. Despite their best efforts, insects have burrowed into the Krickcatham and are eating into the village’s stores, befouling the food. If they help, the village will pay 300sc, which is the most they can muster, and earn themselves 2 Fame. If they accept a lower payment, at least half, the Fame gained increases to 3, and if they forgo payment entirely, they earn 4 Fame.

The adventurers should travel to the Krickcatham and traverse the tunnels. With the pests posing a threat, one of Gaisk’s retinue can guide them to the granary, but will let the adventurers do the fighting, as once they arrive, they’ll find several Dire Ants gathering food. They are hostile and will attack on sight.

Pests Initial Encounter

Players	Creatures
3	1 Warrior Dire Ant, 4 Worker Dire Ants
4	2 Warrior Dire Ants, 4 Worker Dire Ants
5	3 Warrior Dire Ants, 3 Worker Dire Ants
6	3 Warrior Dire Ants, 6 Worker Dire Ants

Once the ants are dealt with, the adventurers will notice a hole in the side of the granary. They can either collapse the tunnel and rubble to seal off the entrance, or they can follow the tunnel and break into a Dire Ant Hive. Collapsing the tunnel is enough to satisfy the job, but if they adventure in they’ll be accosted by the ant queen and her burgeoning hive. This encounter is optional , but dangerous.

Ant Queen Encounter

Players	Creatures
3	1 Queen Dire Ant, 2 Warrior Dire Wants
4	1 Queen Dire Ant, 3 Warrior Dire Ants
5	1 Queen Dire Ant, 3 Warrior Dire Ants, 3 Worker Dire Ants
6	1 Queen Dire Ant, 4 Warrior Dire Ants, 4 Worker Dire Ants

If the adventurers defeat the queen ant, Lutek Gaisk will reward them an additional 500sc from his personal treasury, and the adventurers gain +2 Fame.

Nearby Loneasaurus

Should the adventurers meet, and engage with Fasik, he will offer to hire them to protect him while he wrangles a lone, wild stegosaur separated from its herd. He intends to bring it back to the village and add it to the domesticated stock. If agreed, he’ll pay the adventurers 500sc, half up front, and half if the animal makes it back safe. He doesn’t seem to care much for himself.

Adventurers can have Fasik lead them, or if they prefer they can track the stegosaurus with DC ~15-18 AWR/Tracking. It takes an entire day to locate the dinosaur, as it's about 10 miles outside the village. Once found, Fasik will approach and calm the stegosaurus, then mount it, guiding it back to the village. If they’d like to try instead, adventurers can calm the stegosaurus with a DC ~18-20 AWR/Animal Handling. If successful, Fasik will still do his trick to make it willing to be mounted, and the adventurer who calmed it can ride the stegosaur back.

The stegosaurus is weak, and currently only has 30 maximum hit points, can only take 1 action, and will only fight if its forced to defend itself. During the return trip, adventurers can roll DEX/Sneaking to avoid notice from hostile fauna. Have each roll against a DC of 15. If at least ½ + 1 of the adventurers pass, they make it back after a day of travel with no issue. If not, they’ll be hunted by some hungry dinosaurs.

Hungry Dinosaur Encounter

Players	Creatures
3	2 Velociraptors
4	2 Velociraptors
5	3 Velociraptors
6	4 Velociraptors

The Velociraptors in this encounter are much more interested in attacking the stegosaurus than anything else, and will only engage adventurers if they are blocked or are attacked. They will also attempt to ambush the adventurers if they can, requiring DC 15 AWR/Perceiving checks to notice. Any adventurer that does not succeed this check begins combat Surprised.

Fasik will not fight, he can’t really, but will try his best to protect the stegosaurus. So long as the dinosaur is not killed, the adventurers can return safely back to the village. If the creature survives, Fasik will pay them the rest of the money, and they’ll earn 2 Fame. If it did not, he won’t pay the rest, and the adventurers will lose 1 Fame.

Cheran Opinions

The villagers have a plethora of opinions of the Cheran and the city of Kareis. Speaking to them individual, including the Luteshes, will offer the following insights or opinions:

Lutek Gaisk. “The Cheran are too busy with their own ambitions to be of much help. Maybe the King will see and start acting on his own will.”

Lutesh Naustis. “Kareis? They keep bandits away. Otherwise, why bother. They don’t help us, we don’t help them.”

Lutesh Mikartis. “Cavesafe could flourish under the Cheran’s protection, even if it means paying tribute. We have grain to spare.”

Faisk. “Who? What? They got different Dinos up there?”

Villager Opinions

“We’ve always cared for our own, let it stay that way.”

“Who even are they? I think they’re a myth.”

“Limitless iron up in those parts. I heard they’ve tamed fire, somehow."

“Wouldn’t trust a Kareisian as far as I can throw’em. And I can barely lift a stone!”

“Once before I’d die I’d like to see one of those hot baths of theirs.”

The Journey to Karies

After spending some time in Cavesafe and potentially convincing some of the citizens of the town to enter into an alliance with them, the heroes may continue to the Cheran. Journeying to Karies will involve dangerous treks through the snowy Lachonhet Mountains.

The following are possible random encounters for travel via the snowy mountains of Lachonhet.

Combat

1d4	Encounter
1	Hostile Predator
2	Sisaptum Deserters
3	Hostile Dinosaur
4	Elementals

Social

1d4	Encounter
1	Hapless Merchant
2	Occupied Cave
3	Raided Caravan
4	Wounded Patrol

Survival

1d4	Encounter
1	Snow Storm
2	Avalanche
3	Kaijan Sighting
4	Road Block

Combat Encounters

If you rolled or selected from the combat table, consult the matching subheading to set up the combat encounter.

Hostile Predator

A hostile pack, or hungry creature, assaults the party looking for its next meal. The encounters are based around the number of adventurers in a party, but can be made more difficult by selecting the next category up, or adding 1 of any of the included creatures.

Players	Creature
3	4 Dire Wolves
4	2 Polar Bears
5	1 Alpha Wolf, 5 Dire Wolves
6	4 Polar Bears

Sisaptum Deserters

A small group of Kareis’ defenders have abandoned the Tyrant King’s influence and are resorting to ambushing travelers and caravans into and out of the city. For this encounter, have the adventurers make AWR/Perceiving checks. Depending on the difficulty, this check can be anywhere from a DC 12 to DC 20. Any adventurer that fails the check begins the encounter Surprised.

Players	Creature
3	3 Veteran Soldiers
4	4 Veteran Soldiers
5	5 Veteran Soldiers
6	6 Veteran Soldier

These soldiers are all wielding iron weapons and wearing iron armor due to their former employment. If this iron is collected and returned to Kareis it earns the adventurers +1 Fame.

Hostile Dinosaur

The party is assaulted by a hunting dinosaur, or adjacent creature. These encounters are slightly more difficult than the average recommended levels.

Players	Creature
3	1 Saber-Tooth Tiger
4	4 Enraged Arctic Sloths
5	2 Saber-Tooth Tigers
6	1 Arctic Titanboa

Saber-Tooth Tiger. For a single Saber-Tooth, you can double its hit points to make it a more intense encounter.

Enraged Arctic Sloth. Cut off from a reliable food source and hunted by Kareisans, these sloths have become carnivorous and hostile against humanoids.

Arctic Titanboa. Lachonhet Titanboas have adapted to the cold, losing their Cold Blooded feature. Titanboa are very strong and may have too much HP also. You can reduce their difficulty by cutting their hit points by as much as half.

Elementals

Highly territorial, Ice Elementals of the Lachonhet mountains assail travelers during storms and if they veer too far off the beaten path. Ice Elementals are flavored Water Elementals.

Players	Creature
3	2 Gale Piercers
4	1 Ice Elemental
5	3 Gale Piercers
6	1 Ice Elemental, 1-2 Gale Piercers

Ice Elemental. An Ice Elemental’s Water Blast is flavored to Ice Blast, and its Drown feature is instead Freeze. Ice Elementals have Resist Cold 8, Resist Lightning 4, and Vulnerable Fire 1 and loses Malleable Form. If an Ice Elemental takes more than ½ its hp in damage from Fire, it thaws into a Water Elemental.

Social Encounters

The following social encounters can be resolved without resorting to combat. Heroes should think creatively about using their influence skills or abilities to diffuse these situations.

Hapless Merchant

A victim of the Raided Caravan event, or a simple merchant lost or separated from their party, the adventurers come across a lone, native merchant from Kareis. This individual has the stats of a Merchant, and can beg, bargain, or deal with adventurers to escort them safely back to Kareis. If accepted, they will become a protected traveler, and are game for being attacked by any encounters, though they have no equipment sans cold weather gear. The merchant can be close to starvation or suffering from severe cold or malnutrition for added difficulty of keeping them alive.

 If they are safely escorted back to Kareis, they will reward the adventurers with +1 Fame and potentially introduce the party to Cheran Periak or Amarik, depending on their preference. They will also reward them with 200sc per adventurer.

 If you don’t wish to make your own merchant, you can use Pektak Borikoa, a Bhrunai iron monger, a shrew negotiator and perceptive deal maker with a tendency to babble when they are terrified, which is always.  

Occupied Cave

In the distance, the adventurers can make out a flickering flame coming from the mouth of an otherwise darkened cavern. If explored, they’ll find Merip.

Meriptitanicarick. Pronounced Mar-ip-tit-an-ick-air-ick, this wizened, old human is very evidently insane. Merip is a kaijan scholar, obsessed with finding, recording, and potentially booping the snoot of a Fenrir. Unfortunately, he’s spent far too long in arctic environments without much in the way of survival skills, and is not okay.

 Merip is a very powerful psychic whose body is riddled with frostbite, sustained only by his insanity. He is immune to any chilling, Cold, or freezing effects, including damage, and will talk about nothing other than finding and asking about Fenrirs. Adventurers can convince him to come with them by mentioning any Fenrir sightings or with DC 15~20 CHA checks and by feeding Merip.

 While traveling with a party, Merip nulls any potential dinosaur encounters due to his psionic powers, but he will only wander with them until they either find a Fenrir, they leave the mountains, or get close to civilization. He will not fight with, or against the party (he’s a scholar!) but if necessary, he has the stats of a Psion (Greater).

 If the Kaijan Sighting Survival Encounter occurs, Merip will lose it and immediately track down a lone Fenrir, at which point he will attempt to boop the snoot. If this occurs, he will be successful before he is consumed by the Fenrir, satisfying the beast's hunger before it stalks off. Poor Merip. This results in him dropping his journal, The Book of Everything Kaijan, which, when consulted during a Recoup or while Taking a Rest, grants TA on any INT checks made to identify or gain knowledge on specific kaijan, including weaknesses.

Raided Caravan

The adventurers come across a ransacked, raided Caravan. If they possess the hapless merchant, they can recover a crate of goods and if given over will result in +1 Fame and 200sc per adventurer. If taken for themselves, they will lose -2 Fame but gain 500sc in goods per adventurer.

 Without the hapless merchant, consult the following table for potential gains. This encounter can also result in an ambush from any of the Combat Encounters, which would be the cause of the ransacking.

Roll 1d4	Loot
1	Luxury Goods
2	Iron Shipment
3	Weapons
4	Magic Item

Luxury Goods. Various valuable goods worth the number of adventurers x500.

Iron Shipment. 2,000sc worth of iron, which can be held onto and sold in other cities for as high as 3x its value, or returned to Kareis for +1 Fame, or given specifically to Cheran Perak for +3 Favor (mini resource used in Kareis).

Weapons. A valuable shipment of iron weapons. This can be anywhere from 4 to 10 weapons, usually axes, swords, or iron-tipped spears. Adventures can hold onto these, or return them to Kares for +1 Fame, or given specifically to Cheran Kessara for +3 Favor (mini resource used in Kareis).

Magic Item. A single, uncommon magic item created with psionic imbuements.

Wounded Patrol

The adventurers stumble across a patrol of 4-6 Sisaptum from Kareis, weakened by a recent attack. Most of the individuals should be near death or significantly wounded, and will not make it back to Kareis without help. These individuals have the stats of Veteran Soldiers, though their maximum hit points should be capped currently at 10. Adventures can make variable INT/Medicine checks per soldier, ranging from DC 10 to 20, and on a success they patch them up long enough to reach either a village or Kareis itself.

 If the soldiers are aided and returned to Kareis, they adventurers earn +1 Fame and +2 Favor with Cheran Kessara and Cheran Felfaris. If they are killed in an encounter, the adventurers are unaffected, whereas if they are taken advantage of, and their deeds are discovered, the adventurers lose 5 Fame with Kareis and 5 Favor with Kessara. .

Survival Encounters

The following encounters generally tax the heroes’ resources and may force them to make hard decisions if they cannot overcome these challenges.

Snowstorm

A terrible storm covers the mountain in freezing conditions, blinding anyone within and forcing them to forge ahead in dangerous conditions or dig in and wait out the terror while trying not to freeze. Roll 1d4 to determine how many days the storm lasts. During any of these days, you may roll a d100. On a 1-50, an Elemental encounter is triggered. On a 51-90, nothing occurs, and on a 91-100 the Kaijan Sighting encounter occurs.

 If players have Merip with them during a snowstorm, Kaijan Sighting occurs on a 50-100.

Avalanche

While traveling, the adventurers’ idle noise triggers an avalanche from a higher peak. They can attempt to outrun it, or withstand its effects. Any creatures caught in such an event can make a DC 16 STR/Applied Force check to hold their own. On a failure, they take 1d6 Blunt damage per 10 ft the avalanche has traveled, and are swept up into the detritus. During this event, they are Restrained, and continue to take 1d6 Blunt damage per 10 ft they travel. Once the avalanche stops, the creature is buried and begins to suffocate, able to be freed with the same DC used to resist the event.

Kaijan Sighting

Massive canine prints surface in the snow and a piercing howl can be heard, portending a distant shadow. This belongs to a lone, stray Fenrir, a terrifying creature that is more than a match for the current adventurers. Whenever this event occurs, it should result in any of the combat encounters, creatures summoned by the Fenrir, a snowstorm, or an avalanche. If Merip is with the party, it will trigger his special event. Otherwise, the Fenrir keeps its distance, uninterested in such a measly group. The adventures may instead make DC 15 DEX/Sneaking checks to avoid the creature’s notice, preventing any of the previous events from triggering.  

Road Block

Usually resulting from an Avalanche encounter, or coming across it naturally, the path ahead is blocked by ice, snow, or some other temporary hazard. Roll a 1d4. Adventurers can clear the roadblock over that many days with DC 12 to 15 Applied Force checks, reducing the amount of time taken by ½ per adventurer. On a failure, they still work through the day and make progress, but that adventurer gains Fatigue. Each day can be accompanied by potential, additional random encounters, favoring combat encounters from all the noise.

Karies, Seat of the Cheran

The city of Karies, named after the mountain range of the same name, is the home to the Cheran. As the Cheran are the purported leaders of Lachonhet, the heroes will have to convince them that an alliance with Gilgalon will be beneficial.

A marvel of a city, Kareis is carved into a cauldron within the mountains of Lachonhet, warmed by the lava pits at its base. Believed to once be the home of some fierce kaijan long extinct, the cauldron of Kareis defies explanation, a calm, but active volcanic terrain with its heat trapped by a ceiling of mountainous overhangs, exposed enough to create a pleasant, almost paradise-like consistency, hidden and kept safe by harsh, dangerous geography.

With its position, Kareis is near impenetrable, and difficult to reach, most of the city encircled by a natural wall of stone. The sole entrance is blocked off by a stone gateway and accompanying wall, an easily manned, and defended, passage that deters invaders and kaijan alike.

Ruled by the Tyrant King Sharru-Ukin and a council of officials known as the Cheran, Kareis’s position allows it autonomy with little fear of conquest,  using its isolation to its advantage. While it claims to rule the lands of Lachonhet, the city itself keeps to itself, rarely exerting its power beyond its own borders, with the sole exception of trade.

Below is information first about the members of the Cheran, and then about the city of Karies, including its points of interest. Because the Cheran are self-important bureaucrats, the heroes will likely have plenty of time to explore the city.

The Cheran

The Cheran are the ruling elite of Lachonhet. Despite what some people may have told the heroes in the villages and ruins that the heroes traveled through previously, the Cheran are absolutely real. They do not possess any mystical powers, but have organized a governmental system that could be relatively effective if they had the means to enforce it beyond their city. The four members of the Cheran must agree to new legislations or initiatives by a three-fourths consensus. In addition, each member of the Cheran oversees one aspect of governance in Karies, and would tend to those matters nationally if the nation had the infrastructure to support national law.

The Cheran are appointed by the Tyrant King. The King and the Cheran each have a series of checks and balances that they can leverage against one another. The King can appoint new Cheran to oust previous ones, and a unanimous vote from the Cheran can veto a proposal that the King makes. However, the King has pure judicial power. The Cheran may serve as advisors on the dispensation of justice, but have no legal authority to challenge the King’s decisions in matters of applying justice to those who violate the law.

Cheran Periak

Periak is a dwarf who always appears in public with his elaborate braided hair woven into his beard. He typically wears brightly colored ribbons woven through his beard as well.

Periak is the chief of trade. He is aggressive, charismatic, ambitious, and greedy, always looking to make himself more valuable to the Tyrant King than the other Cheran. He oversees the mercantile caste and tax collections. Periak is the only one of the Cheran capable of exerting any influence nationally as he sends soldiers to collect taxes from the villages at the foothills of the mountains.

Cheran Kessara

Kessara, a human warrior who is never seen in public without full armaments and at least four soldiers nearby, is the chief of the military in Karies. She commands the Sisaptum, or the warriors that keep the peace within the city and defend it against external threats. In theory, the Sisaptum is also responsible with protecting the plains of Lachonhet, but in practice they are not organized or disciplined enough to do so.

Kessara is a harsh, tough warrior, a motivating captain, and a tactician of reasonable skill. She is too valuable for the Tyrant King to dispose of, allowing her to quietly express her dislike of the caste system to the other Cheran and to the King himself without immediate consequences.

Cheran Mikarat

A large kettek with fur patterning akin to that of a white tiger, Mikarat often wears embossed leather armor despite having never actually been in combat aside from the occasional organized, unarmed pit fight.

Mikarat is the chief of workers, overseeing water collection, manual labor, and the large bronzeworking forges built around the hottest sections of the volcanic cauldron in which Karies is built. He is responsible for the most important functions that keep the city running, but this means that Mikarat is in charge of one of the lower societal castes in Karies. He typically sides with Kessara in disputes among the Cheran, and is careful about picking his political battles.

Cheran Felfaris

Felfaris is a human who acts with a decorum uncommon among the rulers of nations at this point in history. He is refined, eloquent, and deliberative, skilled at deflecting questions and postponing any commitment to a particular agenda. Felfaris is the chief of administration, responsible for managing the other Cheran, maintaining the city of Karies, and serving as the Tyrant King’s regent when the king sets out on his glorious quests to hunt kaijan or some other such sign of greatness.

Tyrant King Sharru-Ukin

Tyrant King Sharru-Ukin is a wild, thick, and strong human who cares nothing for polish or refinery as Felfaris does. Oddly, though, Sharru-Ukin has a magnetic personal charisma and is much more patient than his barbarian appearance would suggest. That said, if he becomes offended (and he views boredom as an offense), he will throw victims over the edge of his viewing platform himself, where they plunge to their deaths in the lava pools below.

Sharru-Ukin spends a great deal of time overlooking his lava pits, and they seem to give him peace and clarity. This has led many in Karies to believe that Sharru-Ukin is some kind of fire god.

When he is not in his palace, Sharru-Ukin is likely traipsing through the mountains on his own in hunt of mighty kaijan to slay. He claims to have felled three such beasts in his tenure as king, though these rumors are completely unsubstantiated.

Sharru-Ukin is not the most politically knowledgeable ruler, but he is not ill-intentioned either. He will listen to his advisors provided that they maintain enough scraping and bowing to stoke Sharru-Ukin’s rather high opinion of himself.

Cheran Quests

Each Cheran have a task that they will assign to the heroes if confronted. The heroes might also learn about these tasks by speaking with the common folk of the city. If the heroes complete at least three of these tasks, then the Cheran will join the heroes after 2d4 days of deliberation.

Ice Caverns of Vishruk

Cheran Felfaris does not want a treaty with Gilgalon, believing it will make them subservient to the Godking. Thus, instead of outright refusal when the heroes approach him, he will offer them a task to convince the Cheran of their heroic intentions, a task he believes will kill them. He sends the adventurers to the Ice Caverns of Vishruk, high into the mountains, where a legendary creature lives and feasts on any Kareisans that stray too close. If they slay the beast, and return its head, Felfaris will vouch for them.

Hiking to the caverns will involve the heroes facing the Avalanche encounter as described in the prior Journey to Karies section. The Avalanche deals 6d6 blunt damage if it hits any of the heroes.

When the heroes reach the Caverns of Vishruk, they must fight a creature reminiscent of a yeti. It has the stats of a Giant Ape with immunity to cold damage.

Secure the Tunnels

Cheran Mikarat wants the mining tunnels near the lava pits secured for his laborers, as too many are being lost to hazards and creatures. The Sisaptum are either too slow or not trained to handle the situation, so if adventurers are able to make the tunnels safer, Mikarat will vouch for them.

Doing so involves the heroes fighting three Fireblights in a tight, enclosed space. These Fireblights are responsible for the murder of several miners, whose charred bodies can be found deeper in the tunnels.

Proving Your Worth

Cheran Kessara merely wants champions of Gilgalon to display their prowess. If they speak with her, she will ask the heroes to participate in the Proving Grounds. The heroes must fight a number of Hunters equal to the number of party members. This combat is intended to be nonlethal, and medics are nearby to staunch any bleeding if any hero or NPC is reduced to 0 HP.

Promises of Power

Cheran Periak will not offer a task, but can be bribed with trade prospects back in Gilgalon. This requires any individual hero to have 5 Fame in Gilgalon or for the party to collectively have an average of at least 3.5 Fame in Gilgalon.

The City of Karies

The following are snapshots of Kareis and its inner workings.

Culture

The people of Kareis are fairly homogeneous, isolated in their daily lives, and wary of outsiders. Yet, they are noted for their dualistic nature, very much like the icy chill of their surroundings juxtaposed against the lava pits below their king’s palace. They are curious folk, interested in trade, customs, and culture, yet keeping to their own with no intention of change. They treat the outside world as a means of fascination, and see their own ways, traditions, and the like as sacred, holding these beliefs as a means of a peaceful existence.

As a people, they adhere to a strict hierarchy of an enforced caste system, that of which one is born into and may only traverse its heights by the will or grace of the Cheran and ruling king.

Kareis Castes The various castes of Kareis are as such, from lowest to highest: Laborers/Workers. The general unskilled labor population of the city. Craftsfolk. The skilled labor population. Smiths and metalworkers lead this caste. Merchants. Seen as wealthy, and essential for food importance, merchants hold a high esteem in the city. Warriors. A new development, the Tyrant King insists on those of the Sisaptum being honored among all others, sans rulers. Cheran. The noble caste, there are very few that qualify as leaders and rules of Kareis.

Military

The Kareis military is small, but well supplied, elite, and effective. Labeled as the Sisaptum, Kareis defenders are professional soldiers, employed as a regular garrison and for patrols along the city’s major trade route. These warriors are essential for guarding food caravans, and are regularly celebrated for their position, even if they rarely engage with forces more organized than predatory dinosaurs and bandits.

Sisaptum soldiers benefit from Kareisan industry in that their entire arsenal is constructed from iron. They sport iron-tipped spears, javelins, shields, and plated breast, shoulder, and leg pieces, in addition to full, circular helms. They are masters of defensive tactics, able to hold territory from vastly superior numbers or size.  

Trade

Kareis is well known for its iron trade. With its proximity to the lava pits, its craftsfolk have managed to harness that heat and use it to create extensive forges that can work near indefinitely. Between this and their proximity to rich ore veins in their mountainous home, they are able to create near limitless tools and arms, plying efficient craft trades to create wealth. Fortunately, they are able to use this resource to import much needed foodstuffs, as the local terrain is hardly sit for agriculture, and hunting can be dangerous depending on the time of year.

Kareisan merchants are obsessed with importing luxury goods and foodstuffs, making them a regular sight at foreign markets, throwing iron about in exchange for peculiar, or unique, wares.

Weather

Within Kareis the weather never drifts too high nor does it fall too low. Between the dueling heat of the pits and the external snows, the city benefits from a pleasant middleground, making it ideal grounds for habitation. The overhangs also protect Kareis from inclement weather, including snowstorms, creating static consistency.

Outside the city is a turbulent force of nature. The elevation makes travel difficult, and with nearby peaks always snow ridden, the low temperatures and hazards are many, making travel around the area unpredictable and dangerous. The mountains are prone to furious snowstorms, avalanches, and shifting activity from the pits beneath Kareis.

Points of Interest in Karies

As the heroes spend time in Karies, they may explore any of the following locales.

Ashen Rest

The largest inn and tavern in Karies, technically several buildings that are all part of the same complex, the Ashen Rest is likely where the heroes will be spending their evenings. The buildings that comprise the Ashen Rest are built into the side of a cliff with a picturesque view of the lava pits. The lava pits also provide ample heating to the Ashen Rest, which diverts water from the public waterfall into heated bath houses in which patrons of the Ashen Rest can socialize and rejuvenate.

The Ishkalu Fire Palace

The Fire Palace overlooks most of the city and is situated near the center of the city’s northwestern region. On its western side, the palace has Tyrant King Sharru-Ukin’s audience platform. He holds court from this balcony, which also overlooks the Proving Grounds and the lava pits.

The balconies on the other side of the palace offer a beautiful view of the artificial waterfall and the water markets.

In addition to its many viewing balconies, the palace is furnished to receive guests, support the Tyrant King’s family and the families of the Cheran, host banquets, or defend against invasion.

Ishtum Forges

These grand forges are collections of bronzeworking facilities that allow Karies to export weapons and armor of great value. This is another resource that will dramatically improve Gilgalon’s military power, as most of their weapons are made of weaker materials than bronze.

Lava Pits

Beneath and around the city, there are deep crags that contain sweltering-hot lava flows.The city uses them to its advantage, running industrial-scale bronzeworking facilities and offering hotspring baths at the Ashen Rest. Throwing a victim in the lava pit is also the Tyrant King’s preferred method of execution.

Proving Grounds

The Proving Grounds is a gladiatorial ring that sits below the elevated viewing platform in the Fire Palace of King Sharru-Ukin. It is ringed by a semicircular amphitheater carved of stone.  Across the arena from the amphitheater risers, there is a sharp drop into a large, permanently active lava pit. The king’s platform is situated so that the condemned can be thrown off the platform directly into the same pit.

Sisap Pits

The Sisap Pits are a comprehensive training ground and barracks for the Sisaptum. This area is built just above the lava flows, with training done in and around the terrain to harden soldiers, creating fierce warriors accustomed to uncomfortable environments.

The Waterwall

A unique construction to Kareis, the Waterwall is an artificially constructed waterfall within the city, made from a rudimentary series of pipes that flow from a stone building high in one of the cliffs surrounding Karies. This building houses several stone snowpack rooms, where snow is gathered from the overhangs of the city and transported to be melted for the water supply. Once melted, the water is piped to the wall, where it cascades down into a constructed basin and a circular canal that flows about the center of the city. This canal acts as the city’s major well and water source, along with a major cultural hub for those to gather and share news, trade, and hold festivals.

Arrayed around the Waterwall canal, the Water Markets hold the city trade center, where local merchants deal with imports, sell to locals, and house a great deal of their supply. These markets are always busy, sporting rare, imported spices and foods, ironwork, tools, and any luxury crafts merchants can get their hands on: clothes, jewelry, and other finery that Kareisans tend to favor. The markets also house the office of Cheran Periak, who oversees daily trade and holds his own pack of Sisaptum to collect taxes and tributes.

The Return Trip

As the heroes begin their return journey to Palask, they will be bringing with them one of the representatives of the Cheran in order to officiate the deal between Lachonhet and Gilgalon. The member of the Cheran that goes with them should be whichever NPC they have interacted with the most aside from Sharru-Ukin.

In addition to the Cheran member, several citizens of Kaeries travel with the heroes, bringing with them carts of grain that they can offer to Palask. The largest wagon of food is pulled by a stegosaurus.

Upon reaching Goldplains again, the heroes can see that their beneficence has yielded fruit. The town, now freed from tyrant wasps, has been rebuilt. Some of the buildings are still under reconstruction, but the folk of the town are determined to rebuild and move on with their lives. As promised, the heroes get free room and board.

General Dagon

When the heroes reach Goldplains, there is fear brewing among its citizens. Scouts have reported that a large Brazodiran militant force has assembled north of Goldplains. It is imperative that Gilgalon quickly uphold its end of the bargain and protect Lachonhet from invasion.

While the heroes can correctly assure the people of Lachonhet that Gilgalon will uphold its end of the treaty as soon as the treaty is ratified, they will also need to fight off a Brazodiran advance force that the scouts have reported approaching. This advance force is intended to test the strength of the Lachonhetans before proceeding with a full-scale invasion.

The heroes will need to stave off the attack, and will get a chance to witness General Dagon, Godking Assurgazzar’s enforcer and right hand man.

The Battle

The heroes may deploy their stegosaurus to fight alongside them. You may allow the players to run the stegosaurus while it is not Bloodied. Once it is Bloodied, a hero can make a DC 10 AWR/Animal Handling check by spending 1 AP on their turn. If they fail, then the Stegosaurus retreats on its next turn. If they succeed, it continues to fight.

The enemies are listed below based on the number of heroes in the party.

Party Size	Enemies
3	General Dagon, 2 Cynognathuses, 4 Soldiers, 1 Hunter
4	General Dagon, 2 Cynognathuses, 1 Soldier riding 1 Velociraptor, 1 Pteranodon
5	General Dagon, 2 Cynognathuses, 2 Soldiers, 2 Soldiers riding 2 Velociraptors
6	General Dagon, 2 Cynognathuses, 2 Soldiers riding 2 Velociraptors, 1 Soldier riding 1 Pteranodon

General Dagon

General Dagon is a Champion, but has 130 maximum HP. He rides a chariot drawn by a pair of Cynognathuses. The chariot has two dozen javelins in it. If one Cynognathus dies, the other may only pull the chariot at half speed. If this happens, Dagon hops off of the chariot and uses his axe, rather than his javelins.

In combat, General Dagon boasts loudly and at great length about what a mighty warrior he is. His greataxe is El-Ro, the Shard-Bearer (see Appendix B: Magic Items). General Dagon boasts that each crystal shard on his axe is the soul of a foe he has slain in battle.

Dagon refrains from using his Bronze Skin ability until he is Bloodied. Once bloodied, he uses his Bronze Skin and retreats. As he does, he loudly proclaims that this is not over and that he could have easily defeated any of the heroes in single combat. All glory to Assurgazzar, Lachonhet and Gilgalon will fall and be trampled underneath Brazodir’s glorious rise.

Party Advancement Each hero levels up from level 6 to level 7. Each hero gains +1 Fame.

Conquering Heroes

In the aftermath of their first battle with General Dagon, the heroes and representatives from Lachonhet can complete their journey back to Palask. Mangondulon is overjoyed that the mission was successful and throws a tremendous feast in the heroes’ honor, loudly boasting that his innovative approach to international alliances will change the course of history.