Wednesday, July 1, 2009

5 Athanoran Ruins

Eshnapur, Jewel of the West (Hex 0305)
The city is deserted, shattered. A few girallon, osquips, and stirges live here. The city, however, has no metal in it. The metal is being eaten by something in the city… insect-like flying creatures called the Slith. Treasure in the city includes gems and small art items collected by the girallons and the library of the tower of sorcery, lair of the slith, who have a huge hive there.

Slith
Four-legged, bat-winged creatures with fat, rounded bodies, four long, spider-like legs, and eight-eyed armored heads with wide, fanged mouths, the Slith are a near-extinct pest of the Athanoran wastes. These creatures are the size of an egg, fly, and eat metal. They are voriacious, attacking armored opponents first. They exude a thick layer of slimy mucus over their whole bodies which is highly corrosive to metal. Their dense, armored bodies deflect piercing attacks, making them immune to all piercing attacks. Armor Class 6 [13]; Hit Dice ¼; Attacks: Bite (1 hit point); Special: corrode metal; Move: 3 (18 when flying); HDE/XP: <1/10. style="font-weight: bold;">Xochitotl, City of Serpents (Hex 0308)
basalt city, its great dome intact, but its doors sealed. Much of the city has been ruined, as if by an earthquake, with small regions still preserved. In these regions, two warring factions rule the city, fighting in its streets and under the city, believing the world outside is dead. These two factions, the skull-masked Mictli and the animal-masked Azca, have been locked in battle since the days of the Ancients, seeking control of the Atmosphere and Food generators in the city, which are guarded by iron golems. Both factions speak a version of ancient Aquilan. Under the city are riches in terms of gold, silver, and magical items, but getting past the warring factions will be a challenge.

Under the city is a huge cache of treasure in an underground pool which is home to an ancient monster, Shaguri: A 15-foot long creature that seems at first to be a flat snake, but on closer inspection, looks like a strange insectoid creature with a human-like face. Its body is like a caterpillar, but flat like a roach, with brownish coloration and vestigial wings. Its face is almost human, with black smooth eyes, a mouth filled with shark-like teeth, and small feelers ringing the head. The creature is covered by a mix of slime and a watery liquid, which pools around it and trails the creature. As a result, the Shaguri is resistant to fire. Armor Class 4 [15]; Hit Dice 10; Attacks: Bite (2d6); Special: fire spells do half or no damage; Move: 12; HDE/XP: 11/1700.

Ruined City: Samru of the Hanging Gardens (Hex 0503)
Utterly crushed beneath its collapsed dome, the undercity of Samru remains. The complexes of tunnels, many of which are collapsed, are overrun with fungi, slimes, jellies, and the like. Amidst this lives the sorcerer Loigor the Slimemaster, who has created an army of slime and fungus creatures to serve him, including humanoid myconids who are his loyal servants. His treasure-trove is vast, but well-guarded.

Ochaga the Shadow Land (Hex 1609)
Ochaga fell because of its experiments in science. Little lives here but osquips and the terror of Shakru.

Shakru: An enormous (20 foot tall) armored brute, oozing dripping ichor between is armored plates, its arms ending in large pincers. AC 4 [15]; Hit Dice 8; Attacks: Claws (2d6+2); Special: tail (special attack 1d6 to rear), confusion; Move: 14, tunnel 4; HDE/XP: 9/1100. Has glowing eyes, is covered with oozing sores – ooze causes confusion (save or roll for action (d4): 1 attack nearest creature; 2 stand still doing nothing; 3 run in random direction; 4 attack friends.)

Amra the Golden (Hex 2004)
Entering the city, it appears to be a shining dome that has survived in the glory of the past. In truth, it is maintained by the power of the scientist Naram the Deathless, who found a powerful machine in the heart of the city. His ancient, dessicated body creates realistic illusions of the populated city in its glory, though the people are eerily the same, and the lonely old man seeks to trap visitors to have others to talk to.

2 comments:

  1. Late with my comment, but this is awe-inspiring - especially Amra the Golden! Well done!

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  2. Thanks, though I would have to admit that Amra itself is at least a little inspired by a more creepy and pathos-filled version of ERB's Lotharians in Thuvia, Maid of Mars.

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