Lizard Marsh
This tangled mess is the home of several otherwise rare creatures. The most significant of them are the lizard men whose ancestors are said to have ambushed the boy whose actions gave Daggerford its name. There are also known to be a number of dinosaurs in the lizard marsh, including some nasty carnivores.
The proximity of the lizard men to humans has increased their level of civilization to the point of using shields, warclubs, darts, and javelins. It is rumored that some of the lizard men have been equipped with metal weapons by various evil influences at work in this corner of the world. However, these weapons tend to rust in the swamp because the lizard men are unable to take care of them properly, so they are rarely any more potent than a club in a lizard man’s hands.
Some of the lizard men are organized around a leader known to humans as Redeye. He is reputed to have magical powers and to have used them to rally about half the populace of the swamp around himself. The others feud with this megatribe and each other.
Redeye has actually contacted Daggerford merchants for the purpose of trading rare swamp bird feathers and certain delicacies for weapons and other aid, but the Council of Guilds is apprehensive about aiding an old foe.
Wilderness Encounters
During each 1-hour exploration turn, roll a d20. On a result of 17-20, the characters have a random encoun¬ter. To determine the specific encounter, roll a dl2 and a d8, add the results together, and consult the table above. If you wish to keep the encounter easy, roll 2d6 instead. You may also select the encounter instead of rolling randomly.
LIZARD MARSH ENCOUNTER TABLE
d12 + d8 Encounter
Sinkhole*
31d4 giant frogs
41d4 giant lizards
51d6 giant lizards
62d6 stirges
71 giant constrictor snake
82d6 bullywugs
91d6 benign lizardfolk*
101d6 malevolent lizardfolk
11Ancient gazebo*
12The Sea Robber*
13Bandit hideout*
141d4 harpies
152d4 giant lizards
162d6 benign lizardfolk*
171d4 green hags
181d4 trolls
191d4 will-o’-wisps
201 hydra
Some of the monsters that appear on the Lizard Marsh Encounter Table are very dangerous for a group of low-level characters, so make sure they can spot major threats from a safe distance and avoid those creatures if they want to. A few encounters on the table aren’t monsters at all, but rather locations and land¬marks that adventurers can explore.
Wilderness encounters marked with an asterisk (*) are special and described below.
Sinkhole: A sinkhole opens up under one ran¬domly determined character. That character must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw (with advantage if he or she was keeping watch or searching during the exploration turn in which this encounter occurs). On a failed save, the character falls 40 feet, taking 2d6 bludgeoning damage from the fall (damaged is reduced because of the mud and water at the bottom). The fallen character lands in a 20-foot-diameter grotto with no other exits. If the save succeeds, the character manages to avoid the fall.
If the falling character is tied to other characters by rope or vines, all characters who are tied together must make the saving throw. If at least one charac¬ter succeeds, no one hits the bottom of the sinkhole; however, if all the characters fail the save, they all fall into the sinkhole. A creature that succeeds at a DC 12 Strength check can climb out of the sinkhole by grab¬bing hold of tree roots.
Lizardfolk: There are two kinds of lizardfolk the characters encounter in the Lizard Marsh.
Benign Lizardfolk: These lizardfolk attack only in self-defense, and they tend to use weapons and shields. They know that an evil lizard queen named Vethka has turned many of their kin to the worship of Talona, goddess of disease and plague. They can point adven¬turers in the direction of the black dragon’s lair, where Vethka dwells. However, they refuse to accompany the characters to such a dangerous place, for fear they will be corrupted and transformed by the “curse ofTalona.” They also report that they have seen strange mud-covered men (see “Bandit Hideout” on the next page) lurking near an old ruin, and they can point characters in that direction as well.
Malevolent Lizardfolk: These lizardfolk are evil wor-shipers of Talona and servants of Vethka the lizard queen. They attack the adventurers on sight and prefer to use their teeth and claws. They have received Talo- na’s horrid “blessing”-a rotting disease that can be passed on to other creatures through physical contact. When a diseased creature hits with a natural attack (such as a bite attack or a claw attack), roll a d6. On a result of 5 or 6, the target contracts the rotting disease. While so afflicted, the target cannot regain hit points through rest, although magical healing works nor¬mally. If the disease is not cured within ld6 months, the target dies. Malevolent lizardfolk would rather die than betray their queen, but a charmed one can be goaded to reveal the way to the black dragon’s lair.
Ancient Gazebo: This encounter can occur only once; if you reroll this result, there is no random encounter. The characters stumble upon a crumbling stone gazebo covered in vines and draped with moss. The structure is a relic of the fallen elf kingdom of Ille¬farn (not to be confused with the mountain of the same name), and it provides adequate shelter from the rain.
In the middle of the gazebo stands a moss-covered, white marble statue of a robed female elf pointing north (toward Waterdeep, which is where the capital of Illefarn used to be). Neither the statue nor the ruin is magical, yet for whatever reason, reptiles and insects shun the place, making it an ideal location for camping.
The Sea Robber: This encounter can occur only once; if you reroll this result, there is no random encounter. The characters find some shattered bar¬rels sunk in the mire and spot a dark mound in the distance. The “mound” turns out to be the overturned hull of a galleon called the Sea Robber. A great wave recently carried the ship inland and dropped it upside- down in the marsh. Its shattered masts and keel are nowhere to be found. Characters can crawl through the overturned wreck and find a handful of dead pirates dangling from ropes (they had tied themselves to the deck to keep from being swept overboard). Characters might also find some odd bits of treasure, at your discretion.
The wreck attracts curious and hungry monsters.
If the characters choose to explore the wreck, feel free to roll again on the random encounter table and either place the monsters in the wreck or have time arrive shortly after the party.
Bandit Hideout: This encounter can occur only once; if you reroll this result, there is no random encounter. The characters stumble upon the hideout of the half-ore bandits who stole Thoss Fyurnen’s egg; see below for more information.
d12 + d8 Encounter
2 Sinkhole*
31d4 giant frogs
41d4 giant lizards
51d6 giant lizards
62d6 stirges
71 giant constrictor snake
82d6 bullywugs
91d6 benign lizardfolk*
101d6 malevolent lizardfolk
11Ancient gazebo*
12The Sea Robber*
13Bandit hideout*
141d4 harpies
152d4 giant lizards
162d6 benign lizardfolk*
171d4 green hags
181d4 trolls
191d4 will-o’-wisps
201 hydra
Bandit Hideout
The map for this encounter appears on page 18.
When Arvik Zaltos needed someone to steal a dragon’s egg from the lair of the Sun Swallower, he turned to a clan of half-ores from Illefarn. These ore- dwarf crossbreeds are members of the Clotskull ore tribe. A few years ago, the Clotskulls were on the verge of extinction. Forced to hide in the dungeons under Illefarn, the inbred ores mated with their dwarven captives and gave birth to a generation of very ugly half-ores.
The half-ore bandits have settled in the ruins of Krandon Manor, an old stone house built when Dag- gerford thought to expand its influence by draining a large part of the swamp and establishing a new barony. Efforts to civilize the land met with stiff resistance, and eventually the plan-and the house-was abandoned.
If the disguised rakshasa is with the party, it leads the characters straight to the ruined manor, believing that they stand a better chance of survival with the stolen dragon egg in their possession. Otherwise, the characters stumble upon the ruins while searching for the black dragon’s lair.
The bandits have instructions to “lie low” until Arvik Zaltos returns with new orders. They have no clue what the Red Wizard intended to do with the dragon’s egg, or that Arvik Zaltos is dead.
This encounter represents the party’s first encounter with the Clotskull tribe; gods willing, it won’t be the last.
Have the characters make a DC 20 Wisdom check to spot a camouflaged bandit hiding within the ruin (see “Creatures” below). Any character that gets a result of 25 or higher also spots a crocodile hidden in the mire outside the ruin. If no character spots the bandit but the disguised rakshasa is with the party, it claims to see movement within the ruin. It also sug¬gests that the ruin’s inhabitants (whoever they are) might not be hostile.
The old manor has sunk into the swamp, and most of the interior and exterior walls have collapsed. Fearing a reprisal from the black dragon, the bandits stretched a canopy over the ruin to make their camp¬site less visible from the air.
Beneath a thick layer of mud and rotting leaves, the flagstone floor of the manor is mostly intact, although roots have dislodged some of the stones and cracked others. The damage to the floor is more severe at the north end of the manor where the ground has become difficult terrain.
Creatures: When the characters first arrive, there are four half-ores born from ore and dwarf parents (see page 242 for statistics) lurking in the ruin. Two relax by a campfire and two peer through tiny holes in the walls, keeping a lookout. Also beneath the canopy is an elderly ore shaman (see page 254 for statistics) named Booga, who is the bandits’ mother and leader. She rests near the second campfire.
Four more half-ores and three crocodiles (see page 247 for statistics) hide in the surrounding swamp, ready to strike should the campsite come under attack.
Mama Booga and her eight half-ore sons are splat-tered with mud (to ward off insects) and draped in camouflage nets, making them look rather like sham-bling mounds. See “The Clotskulls” below for more information on Mama Booga and her “boys.”
If battle erupts, the disguised rakshasa draws its long sword and fights alongside the characters. The bandits’ weapons can’t hurt it, but it puts on a good show.
Black Dragon Egg: Hidden in a corner of the old ruin, resting upright on a bed of rotting foliage, is a speckled black dragon egg roughly 4 feet high and 3 feet in diameter. The egg trembles and cracks the first time a player character touches it. One round later, a black dragon wyrmling emerges and quickly bonds with the nearest player character. See “Black Dragon Wyrmling” below for more information.
Treasure: Mama Booga carries four pouches of treasure given to her by Arvik Zaltos. Pouches #1 and #2 contain 150 cp each. Pouch #3 contains 100 ep. Pouch #4 contains seven ornamental gemstones worth 10 gp each. Mama Booga also carries a potion of heal¬ing, which she drinks if grievously wounded.
The Clotskulls
Mama Booga’s sons are as cunning as crocodiles- and only slightly more articulate. They have learned how to move through the swamp unseen. They know enough Common, Dwarvish, and Ore to carry on a limited conversation, and they speak in gruff drawls. Many of them have hideous deformities (thankfully obscured under mud and camouflage nets). The “boys” have a natural affinity for reptiles and have learned how to goad crocodiles into doing what they want. The half-ores discovered that by smearing black mud all over their armor, they become less appetizing to their reptilian companions.
The Clotskulls have no beef with the adventurers, but they won’t give up the dragon’s egg or their treasure. If the party harms Mama Booga, her boys fight to the death. Similarly, if the characters kill one or more of her boys, Mama Booga retaliates with deadly force.
A bandit who is charmed or interrogated can be persuaded to point the way to Thoss Fyurnen’s lair. However, the Clotskulls aren’t foolish enough to approach the dragon’s lair without magic to protect them. A character that succeeds at a DC 15 Charisma check to intimidate learns one additional piece of information, pulled from the following list:
♦The dragon lives in a flooded cave.
♦There’s an abandoned temple in the middle of a lake. The temple is infested with lizardfolk and fire beetles. A moldy staircase in the back of the temple leads down the dragon’s lair.
♦The temple smells like rotten eggs.
The swamp isn’t good for Mama Booga’s health, so she’s anxious for Arvik Zaltos to return and conclude his business with Thoss Fyurnen so that she and her darling brood can return to Illefarn, where the rest of the Clotskull tribe lives alongside the dwarves who fathered her children. If told that Arvik is dead, Mama Booga sees no reason to stick around. If the characters
kill Booga, her “boys” stubbornly refuse to believe that Arvik is dead. (“You caint Ml a wizard, ijit”)
Mama Booga’s boys (from eldest to youngest) are named Lunk, Thunk, Donk, Nonk, Menk, Venk, Gork, and Zork.
The Black Dragon Wyrmling
The egg begins to hatch as soon as one of the player characters touches it. Left to its own devices, the black dragon wyrmling (see page 229 for statistics) takes three rounds to emerge from the cracked shell. Once it does, it bonds with the closest adventurer. It hisses and sneers at the bandits-probably because they look and smell like walking mounds of filth.
The wyrmling stays with the party until it is killed or until it sees another black dragon. The wyrmling cannot speak but is intelligent enough to understand simple commands. It drools acid constantly.
If it is with the party, the disguised rakshasa urges the characters to bring the wyrmling with them as they search for Thoss Fyurnen’s lair. Should the char¬acters run into the Sun Swallower, they might be able to trade the wyrmling for their lives.
Tavaray, Phalorm, Delimbiyran, Duchy of Daggerford
The Lizard Marsh is a marsh at the mouth of the Delimbiyr, south of Waterdeep. The lizardfolk here are at least as organized, territorial, and foul-tempered as anywhere else on Faerûn. Dinosaurs and black dragons have been spotted in the marsh as well. Of these, the most significant of threat are the lizardmen whose ancestors are said to have ambushed the boy whose actions gave Daggerford its name.
The proximity of the lizardmen to humans has increased their level of civilization to the point of using shields, clubs, darts, and javelins. While metal weapons are rare, due to their tendency to rust in the swamp, they do exist. And the lizardmen know how to use them.
History
The mouth of the River Delimbiyr wasn't always a marsh. In fact, it once played home to one of the first human kingdoms in this region, the now vanished realm of Tavaray.
Tavaray
Tavaray (or the Free City of Tavaray) was a human settlement on the current site of the Lizard Marsh at the mouth of the River Delimbiyr . It was established in -50 DR by settlers from Ruathym. This sparked a wave of settlement along the Sword Coast North.
It was abandoned in 302 DR, prompting a wave of migration northward along the coast and eastward up the lower Delimibiyr Vale.
The Lizard Marshes
This tangled mess is the home of several otherwise rare creatures. The most significant of them are the lizardmen whose ancestors are said to have ambushed the boy whose actions gave Daggerford its name. There are also known to be a number of dinosaurs in the lizard marsh, including some nasty carnivores.
The proximity of the lizardmen to humans has increased their level of civilization to the point of using shields, clubs, darts, and javelins. While metal weapons are rare, due to their tendency to rust in the swamp, they do exist. And the lizardmen know how to use them.
Many years ago, a group of heroes entered the swamp and killed the lizardman leader known as Redeye. In recent months, however, reports have surfaced that a lich calling itself Redeye is taking control of the lizardmen once again. If this is the same creature that was reported killed many years ago, many organizations. good and evil alike. would be interested in knowing how the transformation into undead occurred.
There are 3 different Lizard folk tribes in the marshes and they mostly don't get along very well. Redeye is not affiliated with any one tribe although most lizardmen do know who he is but are unaware of where exactly he is located.
The green lizardmen are usually some what indifferent to anyone not of their tribes. This tribe often times just mind their own business and get on with their life. They located close to Cromm's Hold and sometimes deal with the soldiers there, though seldomly does any side agree to and long term commitment. The relationship is shaky at best.
The Brown Tribe of lizards are some what more suspicious of outsiders and usually will attack any outsider. This is due to the fact that the Red Tribe Lizard are usually attacking their tribe. They are very suspicious folk and would probably require a diplomacy DC check of 25 to have any kind of communication with them. Still if one where to find some common ground with these folk they would be a valuable asset. Their knowledge of plants and wildlife the the Marshes is extraordinary.
The Red Tribe is almost impossible to deal with. They are located on the west side of the marshes. Their chieftain is a extremely stubborn and hates all outsiders including some of his own people. This Lizard is said to wear magical armor and keeps a constant supply of valuable potions on him. The camp is also to said to have some very powerful shamans ready to intercept any unwanted personnel.
Lizard Marsh
This tangled mess is the home of several otherwise rare creatures.
The most significant of them are the lizardmen whose ancestors are said to have ambushed the boy whose actions gave Daggerford its name. There are also known to be a number of dinosaurs in the lizard marsh, including some nasty carnivores.
The proximity of the lizardmen to humans has increased their level of civilization to the point of using shields, clubs, darts, and javelins. While metal weapons are rare, due to their tendency to rust in the swamp, they do exist. And the lizardmen know how to use them.
Many years ago, a group of heroes entered the swamp and killed the lizardman leader known as Redeye. In recent months, however, reports have surfaced that a lich calling itself Redeye is taking control of the lizardmen once again. If this is the same creature that was reported killed many years ago, many organizationsgood and evil alikewould be interested in knowing how the transformation into undeath occurred.
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