Bath time for the hopping prophet

Set Up

• Terrorist activity attributed to the followers of Wastri the Hopping Prophet has reached epidemic proportions in the Foreign Quarter. While a large contingent of the City Watch and the military have been posted there to try to restore law and order, the authorities have also posted a 300 gp reward for the apprehension of the villains responsible.

• Relatives of a kidnapped merchant, or a Foreign Quarter store owner whose store was firebombed recently, offer the PCs a reward to release their relative (or bring the criminals to justice).

In both cases above, the serious events in the Foreign Quarter are the responsibility of a group of terrorists led by a dedicated follower of Wastri.

The Terrorists

Heironymous Spune is a human priest of Wastri, the Hopping Prophet. Originally a native of the Vast Swamp, Heironymous has been blessed (for a prophet of Wastri, anyway) with distinctly toadlike features.

From an early age, Heironymous was determined to take revenge on the people of the Free City of Greyhawk for their (Zagig's actually) imprisonment of his beloved Wastri. To this end he recruited a small force of swamp creatures and transported them to the Free City, setting up his headquarters in an old unused bath-house in the Foreign Quarter. Once installed, Heironymous and his gang be gan waging a war of terr or in the city.

Random drive-by shootings (with poisoned arrows) from wagons and carts, arson attacks on local temples, and kidnapping local merchants are his methods. His demands of the city authorities are simple: the construction of a magnificent temple dedicated to Wastri and the institution of a public hoLiday to honor the Hopping Prophet.

Heironymous 's terrorist accomplices are a smaJl group of female warrior grung. They're a long way from home, totally out of place in the urban environment, but enjoying every minute of the virtually unchecked mayhem they unleash on the Foreign Quarter. In fact, Heironymous has problems keeping them under control, frequently having to rely on his ring.

Finding the Terrorists

The PCs can begin their investigations in the Foreign Quarter, but there is really not much evidence to go on so far. The victims of the shootings were all shot \\ith crude, poisoned arrows and the at tacks normally happened at either dusk or dawn. The kidnapped merchants were all of mixed nationaJities, dealing in a wide variety of goods, and the fire-bombed buildings ranged from private dwellings to inns and stores. The Beggars· Union may come in useful here-for a reason able sum they will gather whatever infor mation as they can together for the PCs.

If the PCs ask too many questions of the residents and transients of the Foreign Quarter, word of their investigation will reach the ears of Heironymous Spune. Heironymous then takes immediate action against the PCs. The next time the PCs are out on the streets in the Foreign Quarter at either dusk or dawn (or in more extreme circumstances at night), Heironymous is waiting for them with six of his grung warriors in a light, covered (stolen) wagon. As the PCs proceed down the street, the wagon speeds past and the grung fire poisoned (4d4 points of poison damage. successful saving throw for half damage) arrows from their short bows at the PCs, from under cover inside the wagon. The grung loose two shots at each PC and the wagon hurtles off down the street. If the PCs attempt to pursue the wagon, the grung keep firing as long as the PCs are in range. The wagon moves very fast (16) scattering people and screeching around comers. If the PCs manage to catch It up and melee ensues. Heironymous consumes his potion of flying and soars away over the rooftops back to his bath-house HQ, leaving the grung to fend for themselves.

Grung (6): AC 7: MV 9, Sw 12; HD 1+2; hp 7 each: THAC0 19; #AT 2: Dmg 1d3 (bite) and 1d6 (spear or arrow SA poison; Int Average; AL LE; SZ S: XP 120 each

If Heironymous and the wagon manage to give the PCs the shp (or at least he thinks he has). he and the gnmg leap out of the wagon at the bath-house and send the wagon careening off down the street.

If the PCs failed to find the bath-house by following the gang in the wagon (and they survived the attack), they are attacked again at the next opportunity. If they fail to follow the attackers again, then the PCs are finally approached by a member of the Beggars' Union with information about the gang's hiding place. In return for a promise of half the reward money, he leads them to the bath-house and then melts away down an alley, promising to return for his share in due course.

Terrain: City of Greyhawk

Total Party Levels: 18 (Average 3rd)

Total gp: Variable

Monster XP: 2,090

The Bath-House

The DM should locate the bath-house ma suitable area of the Foreign Quarter. The building has no windows at ground level, though there are arched window openings 20 feet up the walls surrounding the actual bathing areas (Areas 4 & 7) and the hallway (area 1).

Area 1. Entry Hall: The door from the street Is kept locked (Heironymous has the key) . The floor of this area is paved with marble and is dominated by a large classical style statue of a pair of bathers. Behind the statue there are two dark archways marked "Men" and "Women" respectively. A single grung is always on duty here, watching the door. If intruders enter the hallway, she will fire two arrows (without poisoning them) at the PCs and run to alert the rest of the group in Area 7.

Area 2. Anteroom

Area 3. Men's Changing Room

Area 4. Men's Bath: This bathing area has been taken over by Heironymous 's pets, four giant toads. These toads are extremely aggressive and normally very hungry, leaping out to attack intruders.

Giant Toads (4): AC 6; MV 6 +6 (hop HD 2 + 1, hp 12 each: THAC0 17, #AT 1; Dmg 2d4; SA leaping attack; Int Animal; AL N: SZ M: XP 120 each

Area 5. Anteroom

Area 6. Women's Changing Room

Area 7. Women 's Bath: This area has been taken over by the grung as their livini;t quarters. The bath has been filled with stinking mud (to a depth of eight feet) and the air 1s thick with steam. Un less the alarm has been raised, the grung are wallowing in the bath.

If the PCs attack with surprise, the grung do not have time to poison their weapons (however those outside immediate combat may do so. spending one round in the process). If the alarm has been raised. the grung are lurking beneath the surface of the steaming mud, with Just their eyes showing, waiting for the intruders to come close enough to the bath for them to attack. Once battle has been Joined, the grung try to force the PCs into the mud-bath, which threatens to engulf heavily armored or encumbered characters.

Fighting in this area alerts Heironymous in area 8. There are 12 grung in this area (less any that were killed in previous encounters).

Grung (12): AC 7; MV 9. Sw 12; HD 1 +2: hp 7 each: THAC0 19: #AT2: Dmg 1d3 (bite) and 1d6 (arrow or spear): SA poison; Int Average: Al, LE; SZ S; XP 120 each

If Heironymous is alerted, he peers through the door to ascertain the situation. He first casts protection from good upon himself, then casts bless on his grung allies before entering the fray. He casts hold person and silence 15' radius as the opportunity presents itself. If the fight Is clearly going against him and his grung allies, he casts his jump spell, leaps up to the windows, and bounces off into the distance over the rooftops.

Scattered m the mud is the grung's accumulated treasure, such as it is. Characters who conduct a thorough search of the bath find 1,000 cp, 800 sp, and 100 gp, two gems worth 50 gp each, and two gold bracelets worth 25 gp each (or 75 gp as a matched pair). The only magical treasure (Heironymous normally takes this for subsequent sale) is a ring of chameleon power and a dagger + 2 that have somehow been overlooked by Heironymous.

Area 8. Heironymous's Chamber: This room serves as both Heironymous's living quarters and prison for his merchant captives. The captives are kept shackled and gagged against the far wall behind a large but crude tapestry of dismal swampland. The room is only shabbily decorated with most of the furniture having been salvaged Crom the Free City's garbage dumps. The only objects of value in the room are a large devotional statue of Wastri cast in silver, with a value of 250 gp, and a silver bejeweled box (worth 75 gp) containing five blocks of incense of meditation. In a sack behind the tapestry there are 500 sp, 100 ep, 75 gp, and 10 pp.

The merchants are extremely grateful to the PCs for their rescue and immediately (upon release) arrange for some form of suitable reward. This is most likely to be useful equipment for the PCs (such as better armor or weapons, horses or transport of various forms. etc.).

If Heironymous escapes, he swears vengeance on the PCs. Without his grung allies, he flees the Free City and seeks passage aboard a vessel heading south. disembarking at the nearest large swamp to raise a new army.

The PCs can be sure that he will return to the City some time in the future. and this time not only will his schemes be better planned and executed, but he will be gunning for the PCs too!

Note: Grung are detailed in the GREYHAWK Adventures hardbound book. lf you don't have this book. substitute bullywugs for grung.