The Drow War Book Two. The Dying Of - RoseRed

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Atk +18 melee (2d4+7, 2 claws); Space/Reach 10 ft./5
ft.; SA pounce, rake 2d4+3, roar, spells; SQ darkvision
60 ft., low-light vision; AL CG; SV Fort +12, Ref +8,
Will +7; Str 25, Dex 10, Con 19, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha
17.
Skills & Feats: Intimidate +17, Knowledge (the planes)
+18, Listen +18, Spot +18, Survival +18; Alertness,
Cleave, Flyby Attack, Great Cleave, Power Attack,
Track.
Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +18 melee, damage 2d4+3.
Roar (Su): Three times per day, Heru Machos can loose
a mighty roar. The first time he does this, all creatures
within 500 feet must succeed on a Will saving throw
(DC 19) or be affected as though by a fear spell for
2d6 rounds. If he roars a second time during the same
encounter, all creatures within 250 feet must succeed
on a Fortitude saving throw (DC 19) or be paralysed for
1d4 rounds, and all those within 90 feet are deafened for
2d6 rounds (no saving throw). If he roars a third time
during the same encounter, all those within 250 feet
must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw (DC 19) or
be dealt 2d4 points of Strength damage for 2d4 rounds.
In addition, any Medium or smaller creature within 90
feet must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw (DC 19)
or be thrown to the ground and be dealt 2d8 points of
damage. The force of this roar is so great that it deals
50 points of damage to any stone or crystalline object
within 90 feet. Magic items and held or carried items
can avoid damage with a Reflex saving throw (DC 19).
Other androsphinxes are immune to these effects.
Spells: Heru Machos casts divine spells as a 6 th level
cleric from the cleric spell list and from the Good,
Healing and Protection domains.
Spells prepared (5/4+1/4+1/3+1, save DC 13 + spell
level): 0 th – cure minor wounds, detect magic, guidance,
light, resistance; 1 st – divine favour, protection from
evil*, remove fear, shield of faith, summon monster I;
2 nd – bull’s strength, remove paralysis, resist energy,
shield other*, summon monster II; 3 rd – cure serious
wounds*, daylight, invisibility purge, searing light.
*Domain spell.
Domains: Good (cast good spells at +1 caster level),
Healing, (cast healing spells at +1 caster level).
If the Player Characters can convince him of their good
intentions, Heru Machos becomes their ally. He will
not allow anyone to ride him – he is far too proud for
that – but he fights alongside the Player Characters and
offers such magical healing and protection as he can
give, as well as scouting ahead on the wing to locate the
Tyrant once the Player Characters have found out that it
is behind the destruction.
Once the Player Characters reach the top of the plateau,
they can clearly see the village of Astercote floating in
the air above.
Location: Astercote
You have seen some wondrous sights in your lives,
but few have been stranger than this. A great shieldshaped
island of earth is hovering in the air, about three
hundred feet up, casting a massive shadow across the
rocks of the plateau. A hawser of woven ropes connects
the island to a large rock, which is somehow holding it
anchored. On top of the island is, of all things, a small
village.
Sitting at the base of the rock are two men with glum
expressions.
The two men at the rock are Boskin and Rummald (see
below). The Player Characters may remember Astercote
from The Drow War, Book One: The Gathering Storm,
in which the village was torn from the earth and sent
drifting through the sky by the ill-advised use of an
artefact.
As they drifted aimlessly, the villagers made a plan.
They found every single piece of rope there was in the
village and lashed them all together, making as long and
strong a hawser as they could. The idea was to send a
volunteer to moor the island in place, if any suitable
anchor came close enough.
When the island drifted near to the Plateau of Skulls,
the lookouts noticed that there were rock formations
passing by very close that might be usable as anchors.
Two of the braver villagers in Astercote, Boskin and
Rummald, volunteered to go. The villagers threw the
hawser overboard and the two men climbed down. They
hastily dragged it around a nearby rock pillar, winding
it tight. To everyone’s amazement the village stopped
moving and hung tethered in the air.
It seemed that their situation was at least slightly
improved, since the village was no longer drifting, but
they were nonetheless in the middle of a desert with no
signs of life anywhere. Still, the ruins on the plateau
were signs that a settlement had once stood here; maybe
there was also a water source somewhere. Boskin and
Rummald set off to explore the place and came across
the inert Tyrant of Brass at the bottom of a cleft in the
rocks.
Ibon Presno Gonzalez (order #73006) 8