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MICAH'S PRONUNCIATION GUIDE (not definitive) Aremag - AIR-uh-mag Beluarion - bell-oo-AIR-ee-an Fort Beluarian - bell-oo-AIR-ee-an Korhie Donadrue - Corey DONNA-drew Gruta Haldottir - GROOT-uh HALL-daughter Liara Portyr - lee-AH-ra POOR-tur Rahl Zuberi - RALL zoo-BARE-ee Shilau M’wenye - SHEE-lauw muh-WHEN-yay Sigbeorn Dunebar - sig-BAY-orn DUNE-eh-bar River Tiryki - tir-EE-key 1. Heading NorthThe first place the players are likely to head after Port Nyanzaru is Fort Beluarian to purchase their charter of exploration. They will probably charter a ship like The Brazen Pegasus (10 mph sloop; Ortimay; 10 gp/day) for this, but they may decide to ford River Tiryki and then hike. Sailing = 10 hexes by sea + 2 hexes on foot (120 miles; 2-3 days) Hiking = 7 hexes on foot (70 miles; 7-14 days) We'll presume for this article that they are sailing because I'll handle hex-crawl elsewhere. 2. Aremag the Dragon TurtleNOTE: Characters will need upwards of 400 gp in treasure to cover Aremag's extortion. The Aremag | Dragon Turtle scenario ("Bay of Chult," p. 42) is included as fan-service for people who have read the Ring of Winter novel starring Artus Cimber. Off the starboard bow, an island had seemingly risen from the sea. The dark, rocky mound was almost half the length of the Narwhal. Gorgeous patterns of silver glittered all along the gentle curve of its sides, broken in places by trailers of seaweed. A sharp ridge ran along the center, leading to another, smaller mound-- Poop deck. That's the part of a boat's deck in the back. Use this information as you see fit. This scenario has 3 main purposes:
It makes sense to not say outright that Aremag is a dragon turtle, though. Instead, have her be vague and say that they'll need to pay up to 400 gp in bribes or fees to get to their destination—or at least, only use Aremag's name, not his species when she talks about him. On the other hand, the players might be prepared for him because they read the novel or picked up a relevant rumor about the monster. It doesn't matter much. Aremag speaks only draconic and aquan. Ortimay can tell the players they'll need someone who can speak one of these, which may cause them to ready a languages spell or bring in a hireling who speaks one. If you like, one of Ortimay's Bandit Captain languages can be one of them—maybe aquan since she's a pirate. I would let the players to solve the language problem themselves. Emphasize that this will come up often in the jungles. Aremag is meant to be un-fightable—at least, not at low levels (CR17). It's gargantuan, so takes up a 20' x 20' space on a grid and has a 15' reach. It's just a fun mini-game that sucks up player money. RUNNING THE AREMAG SEQUENCE Start with the flavor text on p. 43 if you like. Emphasize dangerousness and the sharks. Get the ship spinning. Show them the art above. The art is great. I would probably do theater of the mind so a 4" x 4" mini doesn't detract from the drama. NPCs can help coach players on what they should/could do throughout (like holding the bag out, suggesting they bluff, etc).
BONUS IDEAS: IDEA: You will need to decide how often this bribe has to happen. Is it every time a ship comes through the Bay of Chult [3815]? This seems problematically expensive if trade really exists between the Sword Coast and the peninsula. The novel implies that Aremag has monthly dues that are paid. “We’ve paid your toll already this month, Aremag,” she shouted. “If you’ve damaged my ship, you’ll be the one to pay for her repairs.” If this is the matter, then the players might be good-to-go for 30 days of unharassed sailing after the bribe. If not, then ships would either find a way to dodge dealing with Aremag or one of the governments would be really interested in killing him. IDEA: You could have an NPC ponder where the monster puts all that loot. It must be similar to a real dragon's hoard by now. This could later lead to a quest to get it, if the players want. But don't forget: Aremag is a CR17 monster. IDEA: There is a giant snapping turtle named Ol' Cholms in the Gray Harbor of Baldur's Gate—which is probably where your characters are from. If the players sail to Chult instead of teleport, I'd include an encounter with it in the voyage. Otherwise, before they set sail to encounter Aremag, create a memory with a flashback mini-game in which the players dealt with the giant snapping turtle years before. Maybe they were all Level-0 friends gone fishing and the turtle attacks their little boat, capsizing them and making them almost drown. After they "remember" this, their expectations for Aremag will be lowered. IDEA: There is a giant snapping turtle named King Toba in Snapping Turtle Bay [4768] on the south end of the peninsula (p. 83). Ortimay or sailors may be familiar with him. He may also have been learned about through the rumor tables on p. 36. King Toba's shell is covered with giant crystals since the Spellplague. 3. Beluarian Landing & TrailThe book doesn't give us much information about Beluarian Landing, but it's an important element: it's probably the player's first look at the jungle-land they'll be entering. As they often do, the writers imply things with it that I'll spell out explicitly here. This is what they give us on p. 55 (the poor place doesn't even get a location number!): Everything being shipped in or out of the fort goes through Beluarian Landing, which is nothing more than a stretch of beach with a few log buildings above the tide line. Ships anchor a half-mile offshore, and people and supplies are ferried back and forth on rowboats. Six Flaming Fist guards defend this station; their chief duty is rowing the boats back and forth. In case of danger, they can barricade themselves inside the stoutest log building or row out to sea until whatever threatens them loses interest and wanders away. The guards (called "Fists"—the lowest rank in the Flaming Fist) aren't meant to be a combat threat to the party. Instead, they will ford them over from The Brazen Pegasus to shore. I use characters from The Muppet Show as the bases of the characters at Fort Beluarian. Lean into the "the furthermost outpost of the realm" trope (think Major Fambrough at Fort Sedgewick in Dances with Wolves) and have these Flaming Fist mercenaries having abandoned their uniform codes. They're wearing undershirts instead of their mail, tied-on sweaty headbands instead of helms, and they're unshaven and hungover. They're annoyed with the heat. They go by nicknames. They are friendly to the PCs because they see other Sword Coast folks as their kin. Play up on this colonizer/racist dynamic. They refer to Chultans with othering language. For example: natives, savages. If the party tries to question them, they're basically helpful:
Guards x 6 Coots | Scooter , Ratman , Ghost, Gramps, Pagan, and Snake On the trail to the fort, any players who didn't secure jungle supplies to protect them from bugs, water for travel, etc should feel the pinch. These necessaries can be bought when they get to the fort, but they're more expensive than back in Port Nyanzaru. If the players leave for the Fort between 8am and 10am, then they will be traveling with a small mob of travelers, merchants, etc. They will not be attacked. If they travel AFTER 10am, then they will be alone. If you like, have them get ambushed by something on the way. I recommend the sea-hag encounter from p. 202. (See appendix at the bottom of this post). Fort Beluarian [4515]Fort Beluarian is run by 60 Flaming Fist. It's a busy and prosperous place—built on the exploitation of Chultan resources by colonizers. If you've ever seen The Emerald Forest, this should give the impression of the construction site at the edge of the jungle. A hundred and fifty years ago, Flaming Fist mercenaries came to Chult to colonize and exploit, and one of that commission's two leaders was a man from Baldur's Gate named Beluarion—for whom the fort is named. The culture in the fort is generally positive and busy. The Flaming Fist are getting rich. In the wake of the Amnian expulsion, they are the primary Sword Coast profiteer here (also being a major part of the Port Nyanzaru wall guards and holding control over the northern part of the jungle). So long as they are disciplined mercenaries, Liara Portyr | Kermit tolerates a loosening of normal expectations. The jungle is hot and there's no one but the "savages" there to judge them for sweat-stained clothes. She's only very strict about steel maintenance, since the heavy rains breed rust. If the party is in the fort for over a day, she requests their presence in 10C - The Hall. There are four main types of people moving about in the fort:
Unless the PCs infiltrate (such as in "Create a Distraction at Fort Beluarian" side quest, p. 17 and below) and get caught—or try to ATTACK the fort, the experience should be pretty friendly. They can stock up on goods, hire some guides if needed, learn rumors and lore, and attain audience with Liara Portyr to attain the charter of exploration (50gp). Flaming Fist Guards: they're all around the place and alert. They have a +2 on perception checks, and if they're on-duty, they make active checks regularly. In combat guards are very weak—only CR1/8—so you will need to throw a whole mess of them at your party if things go south. Play them hard in a fight. Use these strategies:
This, though, is all meaningful only if a combat breaks out. If not, they are generally 'tough-guy friendly,' seeing Sword Coasters as natural allies. SHOPPING Pretty much anything the party needs can be bought in the shops of the bazaar, but they cost more: 25% more for armor & weapons (location 2), 50% more for gear (PHB p. 145, 149-150). NPCs (numbers match map locations) 1. Gatehouse - 6 guards on the parapet | Statler & Waldorf. Two are manning the gate itself from up there Flame Statler and Flame Waldorf. They're friendly to visitors, but mock their fellow Beluarians. 2. Armorer - Korhie Donadrue | Gonzo: spy who loves to gossip, been in Chult since before the revolution; he knows a lot of lore from his own adventures into the bush a long time ago. He's sympathetic to Chultans, a rare non-racist amongst the Flaming Fist here. 4. Bazaar - besides the 12 merchants selling goods in the bazaar, the characters might meet and hire the outlaw guides here (though, they might be any of number of places in the fort): Qawasha | Bob Ross Directs to undead regions always. Suggests getting writ. Druid. Qawasha’s vegepygmy companion Kupalué “Weed” | I am koo-pah-LOO-ay, would not be in the fort because he's so weird. Instead, he'd be out in the jungle waiting for Quwasha go collect him. I recommend reading the three-part fiction about these two published in Dragon+ magazine: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. Shago | Annie Son of Zhanthi. Fears becoming undead. Wants to impress Liara Portyr. Gladiator. 5. Temple of Helm - Shilau M’wenye | Rowlf the Dog: father was a Chultan priest, mother was a ninja from Kara-tur. He looks for the best in everyone. Has many reasons, mostly to help children, for why people should donate to the temple (Helm is a god of paladins and guards). 6. Stables - Thaeven the Bald | Beaker: commoner with +4 Animal Handling. Complains constantly about how there's no way to take good care of these horses here. Riding horses x2: Suckerpunch (bay), Marinara (palamino) Armored war horses x5: Chubbs (black), Cinder (dapple gray), Maestro (paint), Pennywhistle (brown), Sultan (black) 8. Provisioner - Jaro | Animal: old Chultan commoner. Will only sell simple goods to Flaming Fist, but at normal PHB prices—"No civilians allowed!" 10A. Courtyard - Scooter, Sweetums, Tanis, Sturm: The guards turn the party away when they arrive, but can take their names down for an appointment with Liara Portyr. Roll to see how long they'll have to wait, 2d8 business hours, to get in. The players can shop or meet NPCs while they wait. When let in, they will be greeted by Gruta Haldottir | Miss Piggy. 10B. Raptor Pen - Rahl Zuberi | Fozzie the Bear: Chultan tribal warrior with +4 Animal Handling. Covered in scars, tattoos, and missing half of his right hand. He drinks at the provisioner's and likes to pull pranks (often, accidentally backfiring on himself):
10C. Hall - Liara Portyr | Kermit: the Blaze of the Flaming Fist holds court here, sitting at the end of a humble mess-hall table. Papers and files are piled near her, but she sits with her men. She runs a tight ship, but is not cruel. Nearly-overwhelmed leader and manager. Typically, there will be some guards here, for security, but also to sometimes eat, report, make queries, etc. All sorts of varied NPCs (complaining albino dwarf miners, Batiri complaining about borders being encroached, Chultans of various stripes, adventurers seeking charters, Tabaxi trying to sell nonsense, etc) meet with her all day long. If the team comes here per Liara's orders, she will conscript the team and send them on one of her Agents of the Flaming Fist quests described on p.56. Decide ahead of time which one you want her to give them; each awards the group with a free charter of exploration.
10D. Kitchen - Sigbeorn Dunebar | Swedish Chef: has been in Chult longer than anyone. He has been there for 40 years, saw the old colonizers, explored the old jungles, and witnessed the expulsion of the Amnians. He knows lore. But mostly, he loves cooking! 10E. Castellan (manager) - Gruta Haldottir | Miss Piggy: Will be the one to introduce the team to Liara Portyr. Very intimidating knight. Has the keys to 10G. Running "Create a Distraction at Fort Beluarian" from p. 17Rokah |Sean Connery James Bond Spy Rokah could approach the party anywhere, but if they do something big in public, that can trigger him trying to hire them. He could also think they look like an effective troupe and approach them cold. Rokah needs an escort to Fort Beluarian and a distraction while he ransacks the commander's (Blaze Liara Portyr) quarters. His superiors (Zhentarim, but don't say this—say "people who work directly for the merchant princes") suspect the Flaming Fist are in league with the pirates, and he has been tasked with finding the evidence. The party should be warm to this since Zindar offered rewards for bringing down pirates as soon as they arrived. In return, he offers to pay for their charter of exploration (50gp), introduce them to the best wilderness guides in Chult and pay for hiring them (River Mist & Flask of Wine), and will cover passage to and from the fort (the Brazen Pegasus, most likely). Assure the party that this is a low-risk endeavor. The garrison has 58 mercenaries stationed at it, but they'd only need to distract enough that he could get into the Inner Bailey and snoop around. That location has only a dozen or so guards in it at any given time and Liara Portyr holds court in its Hall (10C). Rokah should have a map of the fort—provide either the one in the book on p.55 or trace off a rough hand-drawn one. This will allow the players to plot out their distraction plan. The distraction will need to last some set amount of time. I would determine this randomly. Roll a d12 when the distraction begins in order to determine how long his search goes. On a 12, he fails to find any evidence, but otherwise he finds the sending stone in her iron box (10I). Rokah will pay the necessary costs of Aramag the Dragon-Turtle. From Beluarian Landing on up to the Fort, the party should be attacked by something. I used a trio of sea hags (pretending to be women in trouble on the road) because that was the random beach encounter that came up (p. 195), but you could throw whatever you like at them. If successful, Rokah fulfills his promises to the party. He also may provide them access to Zhanthi, who is ultimately behind this mission. Appendix A: The Sea Hag EncounterThe SEA HAGS random encounter is found on p. 202 of the adventure. PURPOSE:
Here's the text for the encounter from p. 202: The characters encounter three sea hags that comprise a coven. Their favorite trick is to pull a damaged or abandoned canoe onto a riverbank and pretend to be stranded or wounded explorers in need of rescue. I'll talk about how to present this below, but let's pin down the safe-guards to prevent a TPK first.
NPCs for SAVING THE CHARACTERS: Here are the members of the Company of the Yellow Banner with stat block links and descriptions.
If the Company of the Yellow Banner shows up, let the hags flee unless they kill some of them fast. The sea hags can show up to harass our heroes later that way.
HOW TO RUN THE SEA HAG ENCOUNTER HAG LOOT: roll 3 times on the treasure drops table on p. 197 OR, they have:
If the players kill a hag, the Sewn Sisters become aware that they are on the peninsula and will start harassing them (coming in dreams, etc). Likewise, Nanny Pupu becomes aware and will know they are coming if they head toward Mbala. The players should be scared of the jungle by now.
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AuthorMicah Faulkner first started playing D&D back in 1985. He took many years off after high school, but came back in 2016 to find everything new and changed. Now he plays with his wife, son, and sisters every couple weeks. Archives
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The Playa's Handbook (working title) A supplement for your campaigns with mechanics for romance! Fall in love! Get sticky! Stay tuned! |