Pitted Land
North of the colony, but well within sight, is a small field. Inundating the meadow is a series of large holes dug in at an angle. Piles of dirt surround each hole. A large copse of trees grows due east of this location.
There are two dozen or more holes in this area. If the PCs start a detailed search of the field, they discover fragments of leathery eggshells in a few of the holes, sized for a Small creature—and one hole that contains a human skeleton bereft of clothing or equipment. A PC who succeeds at a DC 18 Perception check notices that burrowing tunnels connect some of the holes. A successful DC 20 Perception check or DC 15 Heal check is required to notice the bones are pitted, as if exposed to acid.
Creature: During the month the first colonists were taken from Talmandor’s Bounty, an adult ankhrav came upon this field and claimed it as her territory. The adult has remained here, but pushed her young out of the immediate area to find their own foraging areas. The ankhrav lairs in a larger cavity she dug out beneath the meadow and can easily break out to the surface through the existing holes. The ankhrav surfaces to investigate and attack if she senses movement through her tremorsense. The ankheg fights to the death and pursues the PCs if they flee, but only as far as the colony, whereupon she returns to the meadow. This monster may prove difficult for the PCs on their first inspection of the colony, but slaying the ankhrav can be postponed until the colony is repopulated.
Treasure: A finger on one of the skeleton’s hands still wears a copper-colored ring engraved with arcane symbols. It is a ring of stabilization (self casts stabilize cantrip once per day when user is in dying condition), undamaged by the ankhrav's acid.
There are two dozen or more holes in this area. If the PCs start a detailed search of the field, they discover fragments of leathery eggshells in a few of the holes, sized for a Small creature—and one hole that contains a human skeleton bereft of clothing or equipment. A PC who succeeds at a DC 18 Perception check notices that burrowing tunnels connect some of the holes. A successful DC 20 Perception check or DC 15 Heal check is required to notice the bones are pitted, as if exposed to acid.
Creature: During the month the first colonists were taken from Talmandor’s Bounty, an adult ankhrav came upon this field and claimed it as her territory. The adult has remained here, but pushed her young out of the immediate area to find their own foraging areas. The ankhrav lairs in a larger cavity she dug out beneath the meadow and can easily break out to the surface through the existing holes. The ankhrav surfaces to investigate and attack if she senses movement through her tremorsense. The ankheg fights to the death and pursues the PCs if they flee, but only as far as the colony, whereupon she returns to the meadow. This monster may prove difficult for the PCs on their first inspection of the colony, but slaying the ankhrav can be postponed until the colony is repopulated.
Treasure: A finger on one of the skeleton’s hands still wears a copper-colored ring engraved with arcane symbols. It is a ring of stabilization (self casts stabilize cantrip once per day when user is in dying condition), undamaged by the ankhrav's acid.
N LARGE ANIMAL
Perception +7; darkvision, tremorsense (imprecise) 60 feet
Skills Acrobatics +6, Athletics +11, Stealth +8
Str +4, Dex +1, Con +3, Int –4, Wis +0, Cha –2
AC 20; Fort +12, Ref +8, Will +7
HP 40
Speed 25 feet, burrow 20 feet
Melee [one-action] mandibles +13 (acid), Damage 1d8+4 piercing plus 1d6 acid
Ranged [one-action] acid spit +10 (acid, range 30 feet), Damage 3d6 acid
Armor-Rending Bite [two-actions] The ankhrav makes a mandibles Strike; if the Strike hits, the target’s armor takes the damage and the acid damage bypasses the armor’s Hardness.
Spray Acid [two-actions] (acid) Frequency once per hour; Effect The ankhrav spews acid in a 30-foot cone, dealing 3d6 acid damage and 1d6 persistent acid damage (DC 20 basic Reflex save).
