The Drow War Book Two. The Dying Of - RoseRed

8. Armoury
This room was clearly once a forge, judging by the
wide-flanged chimney and the trough of coals. It is
now a makeshift armoury. Racks of spare weapons sit
waiting for use and several broken ones are laid out on
a workbench.
If the Player Characters want to take the time to root
through the usable equipment here, they can find
three masterwork hand crossbows, four masterwork
falchions, two drow-sized masterwork breastplates, a
halberd, six masterwork rapiers and ten doses of drow
poison wrapped in oiled paper in a small wooden box.
A Search check (DC 20) turns up a +2 dwarven
urgrosh that someone has tried to strip down for parts,
presumably in the belief that it could be turned into
something a drow could use. The haft shows signs of
having been sawed through and most of the binding on
the grip has been unwrapped. It currently has only two
hit points left.
9. Kitchens
The air in this area is hot and has an overpowering
smell of spices, as if someone had been cooking with
crumbled incense. Wrought-iron ovens fill most of the
space, with pots and cauldrons bubbling on the hobs. A
single stewpot the size of a barrel is slopping over with
yellowish slurry that looks as if someone has already
eaten it once. In the midst of all this is a sweating drow
male, fleshier than most, stripped to the waist and with
his white hair worn in long dreadlocks. He is adding
pinches of red spice to the stews from a large bag.
This drow is the camp cook, Argenauld. The large pot
is destined for the dwarf slaves and contains a stew
made from pulses, roots and rat flesh.
Argenauld, Male Drow War10: CR 10; Medium
humanoid (elf ); HD 10d8; hp 45; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.;
AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10; Base Atk +10; Grp
+11; Atk +12 melee (1d6+1/15–20, rapier) or +12
ranged (1d10/19–20, heavy crossbow); Full Atk +12/+7
melee (1d6+1/15–20, rapier) or +12 ranged (1d10/19–
20, heavy crossbow); SA poison, spell-like abilities; SQ
drow traits, spell resistance 21; AL NE; SV Fort +7,
Ref +5, Will +3; Str 13, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 12, Wis
10, Cha 10.
Skills & Feats: Listen +5, Profession (cook) +8,
Search +5, Spot +5; Improved Critical (rapier), Power
Attack, Skill Focus (Profession (cook)), Weapon Focus
(rapier).
Equipment & Treasure: Bag of hot chilli powder,
crossbow bolts (10), heavy crossbow, rapier.
Note: Argenauld can throw his bag of hot chilli powder
as a grenade-like weapon. He will try to do this on the
first round of combat, then run for the barracks yelling
for help. The bag of spices bursts in a five-foot spread
from the point of impact. All creatures caught in the
cloud must make Reflex saving throws (DC 15) or be
blinded for 1d4+1 rounds.
10. Chapel
The stonework here is of a higher standard than the
rest of the mine. The pillars are ornamented with
blank-eyed, bearded faces staring gravely out in all
directions. Beneath these are columns of runes. A
half-hearted attempt to deface them has been made but
the faces have suffered no worse damage than a few
chips and scuffs. The flag of the Drow Empire hangs
from the wall, the heraldic spider extending its limbs to
encompass everything.
An arched recess at the eastern end of the room holds an
altar draped with a velvet cloth. Two drow women are
conducting some sort of rite over the skeletal remains
of a dwarf. One of the women wears beetle-black plate
armour fitted with long spikes and a silver headband; the
other wears a long gown like that of a church novitiate.
Both of them have white paint marking their faces in
spirals and streaks. Translucent shapes, like humanoid
figures in ragged robes, hover in the air nearby. Tiny
red eyes gleam from their shapeless heads.
This whole area is under the effects of a desecrate spell.
All Charisma checks made to turn undead are made at
a –6 profane penalty and all undead entering the area
have a +2 profane bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls
and saving throws and two additional hit points per
Hit Die. The women are Shikzen Baine, priestess to
the forces stationed here, and her apprentice Gaveena
Varna.
Shikzen is casting create greater undead to gain a new
wraith servant; the two hovering shadowy forms are
wraiths that she has already created and commanded.
A Spellcraft check (DC 23) identifies the spell. A party
of 15 th or 16 th level should arrive just as she has started
casting, while a party of higher level should arrive just
as the casting finishes, so there is another wraith on the
loose.
Note: The wraith is not automatically under Shikzen’s
control; she must rebuke it first.
Ibon Presno Gonzalez (order #73006) 8
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