Draglar finds several things in this cave without getting too far from his allies:
To the east lies Ognathooga's den. Inside is a horde worthy of the new dragon-wizard: Ognathooga keeps her treasures stacked in a neat pile at the base of her primitive shrine to Lamashtu, hoping that if she eventually places enough here, her mistress will notice and rescue her. Currently, these treasures consist of 2,800 gp, 108 pp, a small diamond worth 1,200 gp, a set of ivory dice worth 30 gp and a matching set of silver dice worth 75 gp, a copper scepter carved with images of spiders worth 50 gp, an ornate silver comb worth 75 gp, a polished coral chalice worth 50 gp, a gold statuette of a red dragon worth 110 gp, a silver chalice with carvings of a marilith on the sides worth 150 gp, a potion of haste, a potion of resist electricity, a potion of water breathing, a mithral scroll tube worth 200 gp (containing a scroll of charm monster, a scroll of summon monster V, and a scroll of greater spell immunity), a wand of magic missile (44 charges), a wand of call lightning (38 charges), a staff of understanding, a +1 expeditious breastplate, and a seducer’s baneUE. In addition, the crushed and ruined body of a drow hunt mistress lies atop the treasure. She still wears all of her gear, and the relative freshness of the remains tells you that more drow may be nearby.
The drow's gear includes a +1 chain shirt, +1 buckler, +2 shock hand crossbow with 10 drow sleep poisoned bolts, mwk rapier, and a magical slave collar.
Aura moderate divination; CL 9th
Slot neck; Price 25,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
DESCRIPTION
Slave collars are popular items among drow, duergar, and
other Darklands societies that require obedience and
servitude from slave castes. As these collars are relatively
costly, they are typically reserved for use on particularly
powerful or desirable slaves. A slave collar consists of a
simple ring of metal (typically brass or bronze) that latches in
place with a lock. Many feature additional adornments like
short lengths of chain. Each slave collar’s lock is attuned to
a unique key. The person who carries a collar’s key is aware
of that collar’s wearer as if it were the target of a constant
status spell. In addition, the key carrier can communicate
telepathically with the wearer of the collar as long as the
wearer is within 100 feet of her. As long as a slave collar is
worn, that collar’s key carrier automatically penetrates the
collar wearer’s spell resistance (if any), and the collared
creature takes a –5 penalty on all saving throws against the
key carrier’s spells. A slave collar’s lock can be picked with
a successful DC 40 Disable Device check, or broken open
with a successful DC 30 Strength check—either method
immediately destroys the slave collar. The wearer of a slave
collar takes a –10 penalty on Disable Device or Strength
checks made to disable the slave collar it wears.
---
To the west a barren, rocky isle rises barely above the level of the water here. Something has cleared the island of all rocks and other bits of debris—every stalagmite has been broken off at the root, and the remaining rubble has been placed deliberately across the isle in strangely complex and unsettling coiling patterns.
---
To the south at the end of the ruined pillars marking the ancient bridge a barren, rocky isle rises from the lake waters. Atop the island’s thirty-foot-high peak lie the cracked foundations of a long-crumbled structure of some sort.
A 20-foot square area in the center of the island is in fact an open shaft hidden by four adjacent illusory walls which Brelar easily detects and disbelieves. Below, a shaft opens up and seems to descend several hundred feet.
---
To the southwest a wide beach of damp stone rises up from the lake’s edge here. Numerous stalagmites and stalactites decorate the region, which narrows down to a pair of twenty-five-foot-wide passageways leading to the west. A twenty-foot-wide pathway has been smashed through the stalagmites from the lake to the southernmost entrance—this path is smeared with slime and bits of strange, violet meat.
Yep, its dead. You gonna be OK? Do we need to rest up again? And what's all this purple meat? And where does this thing go?
You eventually find a way to safely cross the water and make your way to the beach Brelar quickly investigated earlier. This time, however, a drow woman is waiting for you. The levitates amid the stalactites hanging over the northern section of the beach. "You are entering the domain of the Deep Hunt. If you wish to come further you should come speak to my mistress. If you are foolish enough to attack my sisters and I will slay you without pause."
Bert smiles brightly at the drow. "Hi! Yeah, I think we need to get through there, so let's talk."
Brelar nods in agreement with Bert. "Let's talk."
Yeah! Umm, they wanna talk.
The drow huntress leads you through the northern tunnel. A little ways in you come across a vast, cold maw opening in the ground ahead. There is what appears to be a bottomless pit hundreds of feet, if not more, in diameter. Here and there, ledges varying from five to ten feet in width cling precariously to the shaft's sides, offering a treacherous route around the edge.
The drow leads you along the safest path of the ledge to a chamber to the north. A large cavern extends beyond the pit. The cavern itself seems mostly empty, save for a thirty-foot-tall square iron tower that sits in the middle of the cavern.
Another drow woman exits the tower as you approach and informs you, "You stand in the presence of the most glorious mistress, Lady Xaivanshee of Zura, third daughter of House Rasivrein. The Lady remains inside but she speaks through me, her lowly slave."
"Who are you and what is your purpose in this area?"
"We're fearless explorers from the surface, and we're here hunting a dragon. Oh, and I almost forgot--we found the body of one of your people back a ways--I think the big snake thing we took down had killed her. I'm sorry if she was a friend." The halfling smiles disarmingly.
Brelar keeps quite, letting the charming halfing parlay with Lady Xaivanshee's servant. He keeps his attention sharp, wary of trusting the drow.
"We have lost many companions on this foray," the drow woman responds. "Here to seek out a dragon? For treasure then, I presume. I thus propose an alliance. You guard your words but I know what treasure you truly seek down here. In return for our cooperation, I ask only that you let me use this item to complete my transformation. Already I feel the call of the vampire and the Shard will complete this change. What do you say? There are some worms to the south that we could aid each other in defeating. Individually we would suffer heavy losses but together we would go far."
Vampire? I thought you drow liked spiders an' stuff?
The drow woman raises her eyebrows to Argust. "We drow are no strangers to the deep and dark places of this world but alas, our bodies do not last forever. The Lady Xaivanshee of Zura wishes to extend her lifespan beyond that of the rest of our race. She wishes to undergo this transformation and means to go through with it."
Bert elbows Argust at somewhere just above knee level with a clang. "Hold on--let me and Karn do the talking for now." He looks back up at the drow. "Yeah, sorry about that. We don't like to go announcing what we're doing here to just anyone. So, which Shard does she need for that transformation?"
"She seeks the Shard of Sloth, of course. That is also what you seek." This last sentence is not a question but rather a declaration from the drow.
Burt chuckles. "No, no--that was a technical question. The Shard of Sloth is going to be focused on conjuration, right? I just figured that if she wants to turn into a vampire she'd need the Shard of Gluttony or the Shard of Greed."
Brelar whispers loudly to Bert.
"You are not incorrect, halfling." the drow drawls. "Necromancy is of course involved in the transformation, but in such a powerful event all magics are necessary and the Shard of Sloth should provide a boon to her magics to allow the transformation to complete, my Lady says. You may keep the Shard after she uses it; her need is only temporary."
"So will it be alliance then?"
"Sure!"
"Good. To solidify our alliance, we should first eradicate the scourge of these caves: the purple worm mating pair to the south. Two of our hunters will join you. Let's go."
Two drow woman emerge from the fortress and walk with you back along the ledge and into the cave to the south.
The ground falls away here into an immense sinkhole, the floor of which is littered with a carpet of rubble and bones. Three large, deeper holes drop away in the middle of the room, while dozens of smaller holes that look almost like partially collapsed burrows pock the depths.
Just as you were warned, there are two purple worms in this chamber waiting to devour anyone who dares enter!
(+2 underground)
Bert casts good hope on the party!
Argust will use the Shard of Wrath to cast
He'll then start to move down into the sinkhole and toward the enemy!
Argust tries to take over Brelar's job and hits one of the worms with a fireball before leaping down into the sinkhole to chase after it!
#2: 20 dmg
Smiling at Argust's empowered fireball, Brelar tosses one of his own at the other worm!
DC 23
Indeed, these are quick worms! The other one leaps away from most of the fireball Brelar blasts in its direction. The drow huntresses both case spells on their hand crossbows.
The worm crawls forward and barely reaches Argust, trying to throw him back!
The other burrows down into the ground!
#1: 24 dmg
#2: 20 dmg
Argust clicks his heels, bringing him Haste! He then moves toward the worm he can see!
for plus
The purple worm snaps at Argust as the dwarf moves in:
Argust then cuts a chunk from the giant worm. It does not appear to be evil though.
#1: 24 dmg
#2: 75 dmg
Brelar fires three scorching rays at the worm Argust is fighting!
*threat*
*confirm*
Brelar discovers that hitting these things with a ray is even easier than hitting any random spot in the cavern.
Karn then charges in and hits the worm hard only to discover that they bit back!
#1: 24 dmg
#2: 166 dmg
His speed enhanced by the blessing of fervor, Bert advances and shoots the purple worm!
Bert puts his bullet in the worm as the drow both level their crossbows and wait for the other worm to appear. "That one is severely wounded. Finish it off quickly and we will watch out for the next."
The worm near Argust and Karn lashes out at the warriors.
As the other worm reappears, both drow fire their weapons into its face.
Unfortunately, both drow miss their mark. The worm rears up in anger and tries to hit Brelar!
Brelar goes flying into the air and hits the wall behind.
And then falls to the ground in a crumpled heap.
#1: 24 dmg
#2: 181 dmg
Bert hastily reloads and fires at the worm that just smacked Brelar!
Argust concentrates on taking down the worm in front of him!
for
for
for
for
for plus and stagger DC 24.
If the worm dies then Argust will move to the other worm.
Karn drops the worm with a pair of heavy hits, allowing Argust to charge over at the other one and likewise deal it a devastating hit. Bert puts a bullet just below the worm's ferocious mouth!
#1: 93 dmg
Brelar quickly stands up after the painful encounter with the worm!
vs. DC 19
Brelar casts another round of scorching rays firing them at the massive target!
*threat*
*confirm*
Brelar starts to cook up some purple worm for a snack later as one of the drow next to Brelar casts a healing spell on the mage.
The other backs up and fires another bolt at the worm while retreating down the tunnel.
Already suffering from heavy wounds, the purple can not last much longer under the assault of the party and quickly falls!
The drow return and help you climb out of the sinkhole. "Thank you. We are much safer on this level now that those threats have been eliminated. Have you yet investigated below? The tower remnants in the middle of the lake sit on a deep pit which we have not yet explored. Our Mistress thinks that the Shard lies below."
Bert searches the area for anything of interest. "Those things are supposed to be solitary, I think, but they can be tamed by magic. I've heard stories...." His voice trails off as he glances quickly at the drow. "Anyway, yeah! Tamed by magic, so there might be some sign of that here." Stupid me! I was about to mention House Shraen in front of living drow!
Oh, I'm OK! No need for the healin' stick! Argust goes over to Brelar to check on the condition of his liege. So! Umm, who else we needta beat up?
Bert will approach the dwarf. "Hold still a minute, Argust. I thought I saw something during the fight.... Don't worry, I won't take anything!" The halfling pats down some of Argust's equipment, trying for an opportunity to surreptitiously touch the Shard of Wrath and concentrate on the location of the next one.
Indeed, Bert feels that the way to the next Shard lies below, although he doesn't sense the Shard directly.
A ten-foot-wide, fifteen-foot-long hallway extends from the bottom of a deep pit, ending at a massive pair of black metal double doors. The faces of these doors bear a detailed carving of a vast mountain range under a night sky—an eerie castle of immense size crowning the tallest of the mountains.
Bert also notes upon inspection that the door seems to be filled with gas in its hollow interior so that opening it without the proper key will release the gas.