Croshan the Tyrant - Wicked leader of "The Society"

In the eastern reaches of the Nightside region, where the murky depths of the Nell Nod forest finally give way to the Khozak plains, there is a region that is controlled by an ogre warlord that terrorizes a wide swath of countryside.  The ogre is named Croshan the Tyrant, and is extraordinary for an ogre in several ways. First, he is intelligent - more so than most of his ilk.  Second, he is a planner and user of resources.  Third, he has a wicked, wicked partner.

In a patch known as the Cowslip Fields, on the northeastern edge of the Nell Nod, there is very large, treeless meadow.  At the center of the meadow, jutting up out of the ground, is a large rock formation, maybe 200 feet across, and approximately 80 feet high at its tallest.  It is all rock, although some small scrubby trees grow in and around it, probably of a similar type (only smaller and sickly looking) to those found in the Nell Nod.  In the base of this rocky formation there is an opening to a large (very large) cave that extends far below the surface.  This cave is the lair of Croshan the Tyrant, and it is referred to (by inhabitants of the region) as the Horrible Cave.

Croshan lives there with a group of humanoids that are loyal to him, that he refers to as "The Society".  At the top of the hierarchy are a group of twelve highly trained bugbear warriors.  These are all recruits/expatriates from the bugbear tribes that dwell within the Nell Nod.  Croshan refers to these 12 bugbears as the "Brothers of the Society".

Croshan's partner (see below) has also gifted him with another group of loyal followers.  There is a flock of approximately two dozen harpies that nest in and around the cave.  These are loyal to Croshan and his partner, but often taunt and molest the bugbears when they can get away with it.  They are the spies and scouts of Croshan, and serve to provide early warning of any attempts to attack the Horrible Cave.  These flying terrors are referred to by Croshan as the "Sisters of the Society".

Finally, the loyal members of Croshan's Society includes a group that he refers to as the "Thousand Children of Croshan".  It is not sure how many there are, but the Children of Croshan are Gnolls.  These have been captured, in raids, as children both from the gnoll tribes in the Nell Nod, and also from the Furlingga tribes far to the west, near the Greywater River.  In the second case, there is actually a slave trade that moves along the Great River, with gnoll cubs being captured on the outskirts of the Furlingga territory, and travelled east and sold to the Society, in exchange for the amber mined out the a chamber deep underneath the Horrible Cave.  The chamber is referred to as the Whale's Rest, as it contains (confusingly) the petrified remains of numerous whales, as well as both amber and large deposits of non-petrified ambergris.  These are raised as loyal to Croshan, and organized into "battles" which spend time patrolling the fields in a very large perimeter around the Horrible Cave.

Croshan's enemies include two different subterranean nations that he has encountered deep in the bowels of the earth beneath his cave, and also two different groups of surface dwellers.  The subterraneans that he has great difficulties with include a Morlock colony, and a vast underground city of Duergar.  Occasional treaties exist with both, but warring back and forth is the norm.  Raids against both, by members of the Society, bring up interesting treasures and magic - most of which are claimed by the Brothers, Sisters, or Croshan himself.

The two surface dwelling peoples that Croshan has the most to worry about are the Fethta riding Khozaki nomads, and also the clerics and fighting men that are in service of the Temple of Light, some 100 miles southwest of the Horrible Cave.  The Temple of Light is the original temple built for the Order of St. Kelvin.  The Order of St. Kelvin has two types of clerics, the Light Bringers and the Light Holders.  The traveling, adventuring sort (the Light Bringers) ally themselves with human and elven rangers, and occasionally Paladins of various friendly orders.  In addition, companies of woodsmen (both archers and clubmen) that are loyal to the Order of St. Kelvin will join in on campaigns against the Horrible Cave.

The secret weapon of Croshan, and the thing that has made much of his empire building possible, is his partner (some say illicit lover), the hag-witch known as "The Ghasting Woman".  This creature was once a human spell caster that was transformed into a diabolical Night Hag.  In addition to her abilities as a Night Hag, The Ghasting Woman also has the spell casting abilities of a 6th level magic user, and she retains an intelligence of 17.  She employs a magic ring of Command Human, one of Regeneration and also has a Broom of Flying.  She uses here abilities to try and charm (or kill, if charm is not possible) human commanders.  She has collected quite an assortment, and has them serve Croshan, where their will is slowly broken down, and they are willing to do more and more in service of The Tyrant. Charmed slave warriors make up the front wave of almost any large military operation on the part of The Tyrant.  The Ghasting Woman takes her name from the fact that she actively seeks out and eats human children.

Croshan himself is a remarkable ogre.  He has attained an incredibly high intelligence (19), has seven hit dice, employs a two handed sword (although for him it is one handed), and has a number of interesting magic items.  First, a suit of magical armor that he got once in a bartered trade for a captured Duergar princess.  The armor will magically fit anyone who wears it, and it is treated as chainmail +2.  The next item that Croshan employs is a magical two handed sword, which he employs one handed.  It is a +2 two handed sword, that once belonged to a family of warriors from Ungams.  The sword was called ":Paragon" and in the hands of a lawful or neutral good wielder provides a 10' radius of Protection from Evil.  Finallly, the last item in the hands of Croshan is a very large shield of magic resistance.  It grants Croshan with a +2 to all saving throws vs. magic spells or spell like effects, and also grants him a 20% chance of magic resistance.  In the hands of Croshan (or another evil being), the sword wails and cries in horrible agony whenever he wields it.  This has the effect of rendering all foes within 20' of Croshan of having -2 to hit, and -2 to saving throws.

Week of Encounters Day 3: Captain Lu d'Ross and Caerilla Ne Quolda

This encounter takes place in the Wychwood region of the Valley, just to the west of the Tiazarr River.  it deals with the Khozaki - a "nation" of Fethta riding nomads from the vast plains around the Barony of Ungams.

The players come across an encamped Khozaki mercenary company near the Tiazarr River, along it's eastern bank. These particular mercenaries are in the employ of Baron Ungams and have been sent to cross the Tiazarr, enter the realm of Gorrem Castle, test to see if a new baron has been selected yet, and scout if there is a chance for advantage to be made by a full scale crossing of the river.

These Khozaki mercenaries are 3rd level human fighting men, and are all experts with the spear and the short bow. In the common manner of the Khozaki, they wear loose brightly colored pants, leather shirts, and short capes of a variety of colors. High hard leather riding boots and bronze helmets complete their outfit. In combat, they would wear scale armor over their leather shirts. Again, as common for all Khozaki, they are excellent riders.  This company are riding the common riding animal from Ungams, the Fethta. The Fethta is a great riding lizard, the girth and bulk of a horse, but much longer counting the spiky tail. The drool and spittle of the Fethta is poisonous, and they are trained to fight as well as ride. When angered, and in combat, they will rear up on their hind legs (a maneuver that the riders train for, and their special harnesses and saddles are built to support it), and fight with their two front claws and by biting. The riders will employ their spears, and also shoot their bows. In appearance, the fethta looks like a common green garden lizard, but with a 7' long body, and an additional 7' long spiky tail. The spikes on the tail are merely mating adornments, and not for fighting.

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Fethta
Num Appearing: 1-2 (if encountered in the wild)
Alignment: neutral
Movement: 90'
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 3d (15h.p.)
Attacks: 3 (claw, claw, bite) plus disease
Damage: 1d4; 1d4; 2d4
Save: F2
Morale:9
The bite of the Fethta is indeed dangerous. If a successful bite is made, and a save vs. poison is failed, then there is a 25% chance of infection. If this happens, a blood disease ensues - if infected, the victim will lose one point (from each) of strength, constitution and dexterity for 9 days, and then gain it back at one point each for 9 days; if any go below 0 the victim dies. A cure disease will end this.

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This company of mercenaries is a small river crossing party, perhaps 20 fighters strong, being led by a 5th level fighting man named Captain Lu d'Ross. They are encamped near the rivers edge in order to construct rafts for crossing the river with their riding fethta.

In order to speed up the process, Captain Lu d'Ross has ordered the company to chop down the nearby Quolda trees. These are semi-magical trees cultivated by the Elves, and have been growing since the birth of the Elven people. Well into the chopping of the second tree (only three or four would be needed, because of the fantastic properties and quantities of wood that can be harvested from each one), an Elven princess from the nearby woodland realm came to Captain Lu d'Ross, begging for the men to stop the process of killing the sacred trees. Captain d'Ross immediately ordered that the princess, a Caerilla Ne Quolda, be taken prisoner so that the wood harvesting could continue.

Encounter: As the players are looking on to the scene of the harvesting of the Quolda trees, they are ambushed and attacked by a group of wood elves who are intent on stopping the harvest, and have mistaken the player characters as part of the mercenary company. The warband of wood elves consists of a 4th level leader Turokan Har Quolda, and six 3rd level elves. All are fighter/magic-users.

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Experienced Wood Elf Warriors
No. Enc.: 1d4
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120'
Armor Class: 5
Hit Dice: 3 (18 h.p.)
Attacks: 1 (long sword, and long bow)
Damage: 1d8 or 1d6
Save: MU3
Morale: 8
Spells: Magic Missile, Shield, Levitate
If possible, half of the group will cast Levitate on themselves, floating up out of reach, and will employ long bows. The rest will immediately cast Shield, and then engage in combat. If the chance comes up, they will use Magic Missile against spell casters.

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Details for Captain Lu d'Ross, Caerilla Ne Quolda, and Turokan Har Quolda are left for the DM to devise.

The players must decide whether they will fight the elves, or try to parlay with them. Then the noise generated will ensure an attack by the Mercenaries.

During the combat, if one occurs, the second quolda tree will be felled (it is almost down when the ambush comes), and inside its massive trunk, a chamber leading to an underground Wood Elf burrow is revealed. Within are treasures and dangers awaiting the Characters - no doubt which will be determined by their decisions during the encounter between the Elves and the Mercenaries - and how they treat with the imprisoned Princess.