This adventure takes place in the Enchanted Forest region, on the western shores of the Lost Mare river.
The player characters (in the area west of Lost Mare river) are on the road to a local town tavern, for some much needed rest after an adventure, when they are approached by a young acolyte of St. Varina. This young girl is in training to become a Priestess of the order, she explains, but was recently out tracking the source of some complaints made by the lord of a local manor. His manor is at the edge of some very marshy wetlands (Arriot Bottom), which is perfect for him because he has many peasants working Arriot vines for their berries (he makes a sort of wine out of it, and sells it for a handsome profit).
Lately, one after another, a number of harvesting parties who have gone out into the swampy waters to harvest the berries have gone missing. The few survivors have complained about lizard men. The young acolyte decided to travel out on her own to protect the serfs, but she secreted away the relic from her order's abbey. The staff of St. Varina is a marvelous magical item, imbued with fantastic effects of channeling St. Varina's blessing on a spell caster of the order, in addition to granting several combat bonuses (it gives +2AC, +1damage vs. evil creatures, and will grant one additional spell per day of levels 1, 2 and 3 when the spell caster is capable of casting spells of that level). More important than its abilities is the value of the staff as an artifact and as a token of pride for the local Abbot and his following.
To shorten things up, it turns out that the young priest DID encounter a raiding band of Lizardmen (she remembers the exact location, and can lead the characters there if they desire), and in the attack she was knocked out and the staff was stolen.
If the players decide to investigate, they too will be attacked by a band of marauding Lizard Men.
Lizard Man of Arriot BottomNum Appearing: 2-16
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Movement: 60'
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 2d (10 h.p.)
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage: As weapon (plus 1)
Save: F2
Morale: 9
Special: Can swim 120' also these Lizard Men differ from normals in that they are small, fast and quite intelligent. They receive a -2 initiative modifier.
The lizard men will attack the group for a while (roll for their numbers, but as a minimum there should be at least 1 per party member), but if they start to lose, they will withdraw back towards their lair.
The lair is actually a dungeon underneath one of the large tree islands in the marsh. There is a large opening under one of the larger swamp trees, and it leads down to a series of rooms full of lizard men (as the DM sees fit). As mentioned these lizard men are quite ingenious and clever compared to most of their sort. The tunnels and chambers would be full of not only a handful in each chamber of weapon wielding lizard men (by the way, this clan favors a sort of battle axe, but some use a broad sword, and a few carry shields that improves their AC by one), but often with traps and sometimes with "pets" such as giant swamp lizards or worse.
Giant Swamp LizardNum Appearing: 1-4 (or trained as riding or attack animals)
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Movement: 90'
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 4d (20 h.p.)
Attacks: 1 vicious bite (plus infectious drool)
Damage: 2-12
Save: F4
Morale: 9
Special: Infectious drool can corrupt and infect a victims bloodstream. If a successful attack is made for the first time against a victim, then that victim must make a saving through vs. paralysis to see if it is susceptible to the infectious drool. If the save is failed, then the victim will fall over, stiff and paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. Note that if the victim lands in water (the swamp lizard is often around water), it will start drowning. A "wild" swamp lizard will then begin to start eating the victim (chewing for an additional 2-12 points of damage a round). A "trained" swamp lizard will move to another victim. They are really quite stupid, and can often be duped with large amounts of carrion.
Finally, the last room in the lizard man lair is reached, and it is guarded by a lizard man chieftain (4hd) with a two handed sword and a breastplate giving him AC 3. This room is quite a change from the rest of the lair - it still has the horrible lizard smell of the rest of the lair, but the floor here is metal grating. Underneath, the huge sound of a rushing waterfall can be heard. The metal grating is completely overgrown with very slimy wet moss and algae, making it quite slippery. Each round, a combatant with shoes on will have to make a dexterity check or fall down.
The chieftain is not alone. He has a trained swamp lizard in this large room with him, as well as 6 lizard man body guards (with shields, broadswords, and also throwing darts). Finally, the room is a very tall chamber, and the chieftain keeps his 3 hunting pterodactyls in here with him. The 'dactyls are fearsome as well as unusual (especially since they swoop out of the 40' high ceiling, with almost complete surprise the first round). This particular species can give an ear splitting war cry 1x per three rounds. Every mammal within 40' must make a save vs. being stunned, or be stunned for one round.
Num Appearing: 2d4 (as a trained hunting flock)
Alignment: neutral
Movement: Fly 180'
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 1d (5 h.p.)
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 1d3+1
Save: F1
Morale: 7
Special: Ear splitting shried - 1x per three rounds. All mammals within 40' must save vs. stun or be stunned for 1 round.
If the lizard man chieftain is defeated (along with his bodyguards and his pet pterodactyls) then the loot behind his throne area can be searched.
Loot of the Lizard Man Chieftain
The staff of St. Varina is indeed there, and it is unharmed.
There is also a stash of 1000 gp in a sealed clay jar. If the seal is broken, a 20' cloud of gas erupts that (unless a save vs. poison is made) will subtract 1d6 dexterity points for 1d4 weeks. The victim is also prone to the occasional shakes.
Finally, there is a very special magical spear. It is a +1/+1 spear but it also has the ability to detect elves (of any sort, good or evil) within 40 feet.
As the players are examining the loot, the spear begins glowing a sickly purple.
Suddenly a group of dark elves come up a path in the cliff wall deep below the stone grating floor, and they spring an ambush by suddenly crashing open the floor - crashing all within down into the waterfall. All must make a dexterity check (-2 to dex for this one) although characters who are good swimmers or divers can add +2 instead of subtracting -2. If the save is made the character pulls to shore at the top of the waterfall (near where the dark elves are standing), else they plummet to the bottom of the waterfall is - some 30' below where the dark elves are. There is a narrow goat path from the bottom up to the top.
Dark Elf Raiding PartyNum Appearing: 2-8
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Movement: 120'
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 1d+1 (6 h.p.)
Attacks: 1 (weapon)
Damage: As weapon (plus 1)
Save: MU2
Morale: 9
Special: These dark elves are quite exceptional. In addition to have a giant lizard for every two dark elves (same stats as the ones listed above with the lizard men), these are a long range patrol of warriors, and as such they each have a pouch of specially prepared healing mushrooms, 1 dose per dark elf, which for any elf or half elf acts as a potion of healing. For weapons they carry long swords and also hunting crossbows (fire 1/turn) that do 1d4+1. The bolts of the hunting crossbows have corrosive acid tips, and unless a save vs. poison is made, the victim will take 1d3 points of damage per crossbow strike for each turn, total of 2 turns after the initial shot. These elves carry flasks of oil and will gleefully use them in combat, however one must pause to light a small bunch of tinder with a flint and steel before they can ignite the oil.
(fantastic dark elf and lizard beast drawing from http://fantasyartfolio.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-draw-manticore.html)
The dark elves have come up the path, leading from an opening to a vast underground network of tunnels eventually leading to a dark elf city. The group encountered is somewhat weak, being solely fighters with no spell casting ability amongst them, however future encounters will likely check to see if combat is likely before sending out a band of simple warriors without a magic user or shaman.
It should be pointed out that the entire area - the cliff top, the goat path, and the cliff bottom is covered in the same slimy stuff as the grating above was covered in.
If the players choose to search under the waterfall, there is a chamber there full of loot - the DM should prepare rewards (or roll randomly) as he/she desires.
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