The Drow War Book Two. The Dying Of - RoseRed

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they announce that one of the captives has been killed
because the populace has not yet surrendered. This
is intended to break the morale of the defenders. The
Player Characters can hear the sobs of those who have
had family members taken.
During this phase, the Player Characters can encounter
the following situations:
• A crowd of citizens has built a makeshift barricade
in the centre of their street and is defending it as best
they can from the drow brigade advancing towards
them. They would welcome any help.
• A drow brigade has captured a father and his two
children and is taking them back to the Darkspear to
be used as bargaining tools. The warrior mother, her
legs hacked nearly off, is screaming for help to bring
them back.
Retreat
During this stage, the citizens begin to retreat as the
sheer numbers of drow overwhelm them. The streets
closest to the Darkspear are empty of all but drow; the
citizens have hidden in their homes and barricaded the
doors. Some have tried to flee to the upper city for
sanctuary and have been refused entry by the terrified
sentries. A drow force is now surging up the Shadrill
Stair, cutting the trapped citizens to shreds. The upper
city is still secure for the moment. Many citizens in the
lower city are fleeing to the gates and the docks, taking
what they can carry.
During this phase, the Player Characters can encounter
the following situations:
• The fleeing citizens in the lower city have reached
the gates but the guards are refusing to open them,
claiming that the Iron Dukes have ordered all citizens
to stand and fight. The Player Characters must either
rally the citizens for a stand against the drow (in which
there will be both glory and death) or find some way
to open the city gates by negotiation, force or trickery.
• Bomber Haggon, bleeding from a gash to his face,
asks the Player Characters to help him reach his
famous armoury so that he can defend it from the drow
forces. There are weapons and armour of splendid
quality there which deserve better owners than the
despicable drow. Without actually saying so, Haggon
implies that the Player Characters will be able to take
their pick of his stock if they help him get to it. ‘I
can be surprisingly generous,’ he says, ‘for a dwarf.’
In reality, Haggon only wants to ensure that his
money and items are kept safe from looters. He
has been cut off from reaching his store by mobs of
people running in the street. He knows more than
most about the invasion, as he has been selling arms
and raw materials (mostly adamantine) to the duergar
and their drow allies for several months now. Haggon
is expecting to be treated well in the new regime and
knows that all he will have to do is sit tight; if the
Player Characters are foolish enough to help him
defend his armoury, then the drow can take them.
The truth is that the drow have no need of Haggon
and are planning to ransack his armoury. This
will come as a shock to him and he will have no
choice but to grab what he can carry and flee Crom
Calamar, possibly with the Player Characters’ help
(see below).
• One of the Iron Dukes, Ambar Lone, was in
the lower city when the Darkspear rose, as he
has a special responsibility to defend it. He is
now refusing to retreat to the upper city and
the safety of Burgenstoch, insisting that he ‘is
not titled the Protector of the City for nothing!’
Inspired by his example, a crowd of citizens and
city guards has joined him, and together they are
successfully holding the town square. The Player
Characters can try to persuade him to retreat,
join him in his stand or form a further battle plan
with him, such as fighting through to the docks.
Whichever option they choose, the drow captains have
noted his tenacity and have called upon Scallandriax
to remove this annoying obstacle. In five rounds, the
black dragon will unleash his ire upon the brave duke
and his companions.
Scallandriax: Colossal dragon (great wyrm); CR 24;
HD 37d12+296; hp 536; Init +4; Spd 60 ft., fly 200 ft.
(clumsy), swim 60 ft.; AC 42, touch 6, flat-footed 42;
Base Atk +37; Grp +62; Atk +47 melee (4d8+13/19–
20, bite); Full Atk +47 melee (4d8+13/19-20, bite) and
+45 melee (4d6+6, 2 claws) and +44 melee (2d8+6, 2
wings) and +44 melee (4d6+19, tail slap); Space/Reach
30 ft./20 ft. (30 ft. with bite); SA breath weapon, crush,
frightful presence, tail sweep, corrupt water, darkness,
insect plague, charm reptiles; SQ blindsense, immunity
to acid, keen senses, sleep and paralysis, water breathing,
plant growth, DR 20/magic, SR 28; AL CE; SV Fort
+28, Ref +20, Will +25; Str 37, Dex 10, Con 27, Int 20,
Wis 21, Cha 20.
Ibon Presno Gonzalez (order #73006) 8