Many characters in a game will have access to multiple languages, and I think it is only fair to enumerate them for the setting.
Far and away, the most common language for Humans (and those dwelling with them) in the Valley is Westron. This language is a modern variant of the original language spoken by the Human settlers who came into the Valley from the west. The language has changed over the past 1500 years quite a bit, and when written word and documents are encountered written in the original form, it is referred to as Old Westron (generally not understandable by speakers of the modern language - like old english, there may be a few word similarities, but no fluency could be expected). There is a written form that is very similar to our roman letters, called Westschrift.
Destrikking - This is the language of the Storm King tribes, although it is frequently called the "Northern Tongue". The written form is in runes called the Ainark Runes. Following a storyline of something written in Ainark would be difficult, but it is perfectly suited for recording spells and also associating great deeds with the names of heroes.
Holab - This is the language of the tribes of the Sun King, in its basic form. There are two very different dialects, which we will call Eastern Holab, and Western Holab. Details on the Sun King tribes will be coming soon, but for now just remember that those speaking Eastern Holab want to kill you and remove your organs for sacrifice. Those peaking Western Holab want to kill you and eat strips of your flesh in order to capture your magic. Clearly a travelogue, with lots of cheerful drawings and translation of common phrases would increase tourism in the area. While both languages are mutually exclusive in spoken form, they share the same written language, which is very simple and not capable of conveying any nuance. Sun King tribal wizards and shamans will usually employ some complex method of recording magical spells that involves complex knotted strings with hollowed out stones of different colors on the mesh the strings form.
Elves have a traveling language that they employ exclusively (when not speaking a Human tongue) while in the Valley, at least Wood Elves and High Elves. They call it Eldarin and it differs from the language of Faery that they speak while in the Seelie Realms. In an effort to mark their departure from Seelie culture entirely, the Gray Elves have their own tongue, which is completely different, it is called Elanarif. Both of these have their own written form. It is considered highly heretical for an Elf to use the language of the Seelie Realm on this side of their portals.
The Dark Elves have their own language, as well, called Mortiggo it incorporates some languages of Goblyn (see below), and any words it has for surface geographical features (such as Tree, Mountain, Grass, etc) come from Eldarin. The Dark Elves have a complex runic written form, called Mortine Runes.
The Dwarves have a language of their own, which they call Ardspeke. It is written as Ardrunes. Gnomes have a different spoken language, known as Kurakka Kurad, but it borrows the Dwarven runes for its written form.
The Goblyn races (Orcs, Goblins, Trolls, Ogres, Hobgoblins, etc) each have their own racial tongue, although there is a simple lingua franca used amongst them that is simply called Goblyn Speech, or sometimes referred to as the Black Tongue. It exists in a very crude runic form, called Goblyn Runes.
Forest Folk usually will speak Westron, as will Halflings.
Giants will speak a confused mashup of Westron and Goblyn Speech, except for Frost Giants, which speak the Northern tongue exclusively.
Dragons do not speak modern languages.
The Saurian Races (Lizard Men, Kobolds, Yuan Ti, Turtle Folk, etc.) speak a language called Saurial (it is difficult for mammalian mouths to pronounce). Their written language is mostly a simple script of horizontal and vertical scratches. Much of their knowledge (as it is) is transmitted by unspoken low frequency sounds, and the same is true for spell casters of this race. They will record spells by committing the instructional form of them to memory as a simple song played on a drum or flute, and accompanied by what sounds like a guttural humming or moaning. This is repeated when a saurian spell caster needs to re-memorize a spell, or teach it to another.
Showing posts with label lizardmen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lizardmen. Show all posts
Jan 6, 2011
Dec 5, 2010
Week of Encounters Day 7: The Staff of St. Varina
[This is the last of the Valley of the Old Ones Week of Encounter Seven encounter challenge. It took me a bit longer than a week to complete (almost two) because of holiday travel, work and school and family. However, It think this rounds out things nicely, with a small after-adventure mini dungeon that can lead to big things. A great way to introduce the next leg in a campaign, sandbox or otherwise. Thanks for reading. For giggles, I am planning on going back and adding illustrations to all the encounters. I plan to use them in an upcoming campaign.]
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 Bottom
Num 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 Lizard
Num 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.
Shrieking Pterodactyl
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 Party
Num 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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)