The Green Barrow
Dreega wants nothing more than a daughter of her own. She lived a secret life to that end. She walked the streets of Oppara in Taldor, attended temple there and worshiped Calistra. She's devoted to the goddess of revenge, like her mother and older sister before her. Her mother had in fact raised them both into the faith. Dreega had high hopes of securing the attentions of a quality Taldor male, through the seedier side of her faith. No ordinary street rat would do. She wanted her child to be as near perfect a specimen of her race as possible.
Unfortunately, the handsome, intelligent males she coaxed into loving her pierced her veil of deceits time and again. Her last failure ended disastrously, sending her fleeing from the capital. She killed her would-be lover this time too. The secret of her race was also out. She could never return. Dreega is a green hag.
She fumed with renewed hatred for the attractive Taldor people. She hated them even more now, because she'd failed to extract from them the one thing she wanted most. She returned home to the company of her mother, Greedla. Dreega was pleased to find that her mother's deranged mind had produced results on a venture of her own. Greedla labored over what seemed little more than a slimy green seed. Her mother's research was a success, as she lived in a sickly specimen grown from the seed, a living underground plant chamber. Nearing doddering old age, Greedla wanted security. She wanted to spend her decrepit years in relative comfort, safety and privacy. The next specimen would be healthier!
Dreega's sister Koora also paid the hags a visit. Dreega regaled Koora with her story, stoking her fury at being so denied. During one night of drunken ranting at the audacity of the Taldor, Koora mentioned a peculiar insect newly appearing near her home, tearing through armor as claws through flesh. The fey there called them ardorwesps and they were deathly afraid of them. Koora was surprised to find that the insects shared their faith. They let her pass on her vile errands, deigning even to communicate with her upon occasion.
It wasn't until next morning, whilst nursing a dreadful hangover, that Dreega concocted a sinister plan, combining the two discoveries with her knowledge of Taldor history and politics. She would bring the smug Taldor to their bloodied knees, exacting cold vengeance upon them. Old arguments betwixt the hags forgotten, Greedla and Koora were eager to help. They decided to form a green hag coven. They would help Dreega exact revenge and capture a male to make her with child. Had Calistra provided them with the means? Dreega thought so and her faith was never stronger.
Dreega knew of a forgotten barrow in a nameless forest between the otherwise deforested Taldor nation and their sworn enemy, Qadira. The barrow would hide the activities of their twisted plan. The coven enslaved three mite tribes living in caves near Koora's home, bringing them to the barrow. They forced them to dig beneath the burial chamber. The coven planted the last of Greedla's seeds, praying to Calistra for everlasting vengeance.
The resulting chamber was indeed healthier. The hags christened it "The Green Barrow," in mockery of the forgotten noble family interred in the sepulchers above. Koora allied the coven with five ardorwesps, promising them armor, flesh and fertile gore in which to increase their number a hundredfold.
The coven is working toward the fall of nearby Fort Zimar, the only obstacle between Taldor and Qadira, and open war. Dreega also wants a strong, young soldier that'll give her a daughter. The coven's been delicately probing Qadira for allies, calculating that the right contact could join an attack against Zimar, inspired by the defenselessness the ardorwesps can inflict on Taldor's soldiers. The lair is now eight chambers strong, with plans set to grow more, readied with hives of ardorwesps. Should the hags succeed in loosing them on Zimar, chaos and unreasoned vengeance are sure to follow.
Bower of Toadstools
The walls of the dim chamber here are alive! The displacement of air is evident, as the thick green membranes forming walls breathe in and out. Except for the smell of loam, the air is crisp and pure. Mottled toadstools surround the ladder descending from the burial chamber. Soft grasses thrive here too. Insects droning in the darkness are also ever-present. A pile of glowing fungus lights the way through darkness toward a great living green chamber. Beyond is a ball of luminescent blue floating in midair, roaring generously with a waterfall filling a streambed. The aroma of myriad herbs, flowers and spices completes a heady breeze. Bracken and shrubs dot the way ahead. A giant praying mantis tilts its head to one side, considering. Behind it, working in the grass and shrubs, are pitiable gnarled blue creatures, dressed in rags, toiling in the dirt.
The glowing fungi at the edge of the bower provides yellow light equivalent to an everburning torch. The floating blue light of a gate (see area 3) provides illumination equivalent to a sunrod, which spills slightly into the bower. All gaseous effects, such as smoke or stinking cloud, dissipates in half the time due to the quick purification provided by the living walls; this is advantageous to the ardorwesps.
Creatures: Ardorwesps patrol the dim air above the bower. They're not nearly as confident as the green hags that the complex won't soon be discovered and attack on sight. Enslaved mites work here and a giant mantis dines on mites dead from overwork. Harmless frogs, lizards and insects are also on its menu.
Hazards: Toadstool spoors are moderately poisonous when disturbed (inhaled; DC 16; initial 1d4 Con, secondary 1d4 Con plus sickened for 1d4 rounds). Hacking into the living walls (hardness 6; 70 hp; no break) alerts the hags instantly as they're linked to the entire living lair. Green goo gushes from a breach, slicking the grass in the adjacent 5 foot square as though grease were cast, lasting 1d4 days before absorption. Beyond is impenetrable rock and soil. The hags arrive 6 rounds later accompanied by their toad guardian (see area 6).
Developments: The ardorwesps agreed not to implant the enslaved mites though, as fey, they make ideal hosts. Prior agreements dissolve should intruders attack and the ardorwesps do whatever it takes to defend their new home. The mites refrain from combat unless pressed into battle by hobgoblin overseers standing on a bridge in area 3. They come running, bored and eager for some killing. They arrive in 2 rounds, upon hearing a fight. The mantis joins the fray too, just for the chance of dining on something new.
The hags advance their plans once intruders are routed. The ardorwesps are encouraged to implant every mite in the lair. In just 72 hours all mites throughout are dead, replaced entirely by ardorwesps.
Ardorwesps (5) CR 3
XP 800 each
hp 22 each (RPG Superstar 2010 Round 3)
Mantis, Giant CR 3
XP 200
hp 30 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 200)
Mites (6) CR 1/4
XP 100 each
hp 3 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 207)