Soothill mines
Death, pain, and destruction are but a taste of what the Legion of the Damned has left in their wake. A campaign that started 40 years ago by the death knight Jacobus Brokenmask in the city of Larwick is now in full swing forcing many citizens of the country; Sinicia, to remain hidden behind the walled city of Asophis. Promising shelter from the horrors that roam the lands; often times the true monsters are those that hide in plain sight. Asophis has become a central hub for refugees that had to forgo their careers as miners, farmers, carpenters, stonemasons..etc. As such, many of Sinicia's natural resources are no longer harvested. The undertaker of Asophis and paladin of the Raven Queen; Indira Fae, has been granted a vision in which the war against the Legion of the Damned had concluded. In that vision, a sword of pure silver stands atop a mound of undead flesh as the morning sun rises.
adventure hook
Lutek Dimbender, blacksmith at the Paleiron Pommel has been commissioned to create a sword of pure silver. Due to the lack of available resources, there are plenty of opportunities for those willingly to put their lives on the line to make some coin. This adventure; should the players accept, will require travel north past the city walls into the once famous Soothill Mines to gather 8 hand sized batches of silver ore.
Mission board post:
I am looking for some brave souls to go out past the walls in search of some materials. More specifically, 8 hand sized batches of silver ore from the Soothill mines, north of here. Upon presenting the ores to me you will be rewarded with 200 gold. Not one to say no to some extra materials, should you manage to find any extra I will provide a discount towards anything you require crafted by myself ! please deliver the ores to Lutek Dimbender at the Paleiron Pommel
mine entrance
Located within the base of a mountain, any adventurer would have arrived should they be welcome by a putrid smell of feces and sulfur emanating from within. A clan of gnolls worshipping Yennoghu have made this mine their home, scavenging upon those unfortunate to come across their path. Mine cart tracks lead the way into the carved dark entrance; 8 ft. tall and 10 ft. wide, that is held in place by moss covered wooden support beams. Located to the side of the entrance is a toppled over mud caked wooden minecart, all of its contents have been removed. All across the ground shattered bony remains of a gnoll's last meal and tufts of dirty brown fur can be seen, giving the players a hint of what is to come.
Random Traps and encounters
Should you feel the urge to keep your players on their toes, roll a 1d4 on the following table.
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Did you know gnolls are cannibalistic?: Whether down on their luck or feasting upon a recent kill, food is constantly on the mind of a gnoll. As such, this mine is bound to have a trap or two designed to kill one another for a quick, not so tasty meal. A DC15 Perception check will reveal that there is something strange about the floor up ahead. Should the players fail and fall, they take 11 (2d10) piercing damage as they fall upon makeshift spikes.
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The alarm has been raised: A scrappy dilapidated hyena lays asleep chained to the wall. Born as a runt of the litter yet refuses to die, the gnolls have decided to keep it around as an alarm. The hyena has a passive perception of 13, if the players decide to stealth by they will need to succeed on a DC13 stealth check, on a failure it begins to howl alarming all nearby guards.
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Diamond in the rough: The player with the highest passive perception catches a glimpse of something shiny in their peripheral, a diamond embedded into the wall; 50 gp value. A DC17 Nature check will inform the player that while diamonds are common in mines, it is extremely rare to find one that is perfectly symmetrical prior to any processing. If the players decided to remove the diamond, they are immediately greeted by an earthen elemental that is angry to have been awaken from his slumber.
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Collapsing Roof: One of the moss covered support beams begin to crack under the weight. As rocks begin falling from the ceiling have the players do a DC15 Dexterity saving throw, on a fail take 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage; and fall prone under a pile of rubble a DC15 strength check will be required to move the stones, on a success take half damage. The area is now filled with rubble and has become difficult terrain.
The Rotted Mongrels
The war band that inhabits this mine; all of whom seemingly display bone piercings that cover their bodies. Led by a gnoll simply named Oduk, they seek nothing more than to feed and satiate their hunger. Treasure means little to them and would rather negotiate for fresh flesh.
A. The trash pile
It becomes apparent to the players, one of the sources of the stench within this mine. A mountainous pile of decaying bones, flesh, leather, and entrails stands in the middle of this room. The person with the highest passive perception notices something shiny within said mountain, a DC16 Perception check reveals that 1d4 gnawed on silver ores lay scattered within the pile. A DC20 Perception check reveals that a few Carrion Crawlers are tunneling through the pile; not ones to pass along more food roll initiative.
B. The Hyena Pit
The sounds of giggles, yells, laughs, and whines become louder as the players approach this chamber. In this chamber lays a natural stone wall that segments the chamber in two. The northern section is barren of any creatures; roll a 1d4 on the random traps and encounters table provided in page 1. In the southern section, a makeshift kennel of hides and wooden spikes houses 1d6 hyenas. Within the kennel are piles of hyena feces, a DC15 Perception check reveals that in one of the piles lays 1d4 silver ores; should the players try to remove the ores from the feces, have fun and describe in vivid detail how bad their hands smell . Guarding said kennel are 2 gnoll, that are seemingly distracted as they argue; in gnoll, about who should eat the final piece of jerky; its definitely human jerky. Should the players decide to avoid a conflict, a DC10 Stealth check will allow the players to move to the next room unnoticed.
Running the encounter
For a more difficult fight use the stat block of a giant hyena. The players may avoid battle by a using the corpses of the carrion crawlers in room A. as a bargaining chip, or any other creative solution to the problem; DC12 Persuasion check.
C. Oduk Fang of Yeenoghu
The sounds of flesh ripping and bones crunching echo through the tunnel that leads into this chamber. Scattered across the floor are piles of bones, Oduk, leader of the Rotted Mongrels, gifted by the demon lord Yeenoghu stands back facing towards the entry. Seemingly in the middle of examining the entrails of a dead human; chained to the natural rock wall that lays in the middle of this chamber. Oduk is in the middle of performing a ritual where should hyenas feast upon the flesh of the now dead human, then they shall arise as gnolls; DC 18 Religion check. If the players stealthed by the encounter in room , any loud noise would cause the 2 gnoll guards to join the fight in 1d4 rounds.
Gift of Yeenoghu
Fangs of Yeenoghu are gifted with the power to spawn more gnolls. Through bizarre rituals, a hyena that feeds on a corpse of an intelligent creature recently killed by a Fang of Yennoghu they shall arise as a gnoll. Should a humanoid partake in the feast they shall become cultists of Yennoghu, hell bent on killing and devouring fresh flesh.
After the first round of combat as part of his action Oduk begins speaking in abyssal, if any of the players speak abyssal they understand what Oduk is saying. " Yeenoghu, grant me your strength and in return you shall feast upon the flesh of these mortals. " At the end of which, one of the creatures below will spawn and join the encounter.
| Creature | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1d8 Gnoll witherlings (CR 1/4) |
| 2 | 1d6 Maw demons (CR 1) |
| 3 | 1 Leucrottas (CR 3) |
| 4 | 1 Troll (CR 5) |
During this encounter Oduk is wearing a fur cloak; cloak of the rabid. If the players manage to kill Oduk, on his person they find some bone shards, cloth wraps, and a Cloak of the Rabid; a cloak made from the fur of a hyena and drenched in the blood of a demon.
Cloak of the Rabid.
Wondrous Item, Rare (cursed) - Once per day while wearing this cloak a player can go into a frenzy, while in a frenzied state a player may use their bonus action to move up to their movement speed. If the wielder is damaged during the same round of combat, the wielder can use their reaction to make a melee attack. Curse - Prolonged use will cause the wielder to become more animalistic in nature; placing their needs over others and becoming increasingly short tempered and prone to sudden outburst of violence.
D. hyena in the middle
Tucked into a small out cove, the gnolls have set up a guard station; a measly hide and wooden tent, along with a campfire. Currently stationed are 4 gnolls; 2 of which are gnoll flesh gnawers, and 2 hyenas. In an effort to pass the time, the 4 gnolls stand in a circle while the smallest of the hyenas; a pup, chases after a bone that is being tossed amongst the gnolls. The other hyena is asleep by the tent, a DC13 stealth check is required to go unnoticed.
E. Silver ores veins
Of all the chambers thus far this one resembles a mine the most, jagged tunnels of shimmering rock twist and turn in a cavernous manner; a DC15 nature check identifies the mineral deposits as silver. Relatively untouched by the current denizens of the mine, hanging across the wooden support beams are hooded lanterns; designed to provide lighting for those less adapt at seeing in the dark, across the floor lay mining picks almost as though the miners threw them away in a hurry. Towards the very end of right tunnel stands a mine cart across a set of tracks; within it is 1d6 silver ore.
Mining for more silver
Should the players decide to mine the additional silver ore across the walls, a DC12 strength check will be required to mine a handful chunk of silver ore. Subsequently have the gnolls currently alive; in this section of the mine, become immediately aware of the noise and begin making their way to the players.
F. Gnoll commons
As you approach the chamber, you swear that it sounds as though a group of hyenas are bickering amongst themselves. Once at the entrance, the players are greeted by an overbearing smell of feces.
it smells horrible!
Ask your players to make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw, on a fail the player immediately begins to wretch, eventually throwing up. While this may seem like an innocent saving throw, should any one of the players fail the check, add +2 to the gnolls' passive perception as the sound and smell of an individual throwing up may grab the attention of a gnoll or 2.
Yazmin Kianna
Should the group decide to save the young lady from meeting her untimely demise. She introduces herself as an apprentice at an alchemist shop and was captured while out in the local forest gathering herbs. As a thank you she gifts the players a potion of greater healing and climbing from her pouch.