Desert Storm III a: Vandu, Servant of Rhenos

With their objective from the Sultana in mind, the party travels to the village of Turri to investigate what the Cult of the Sun is up to. One of the Sultana's agents will lead them to ruins where the Cult is suspected of being. The ruins - a temple from the ancient city of Nekmu from a time before the Sultanate - descends underground and is in fact populated by the Cult. The Cult was told by a certain dragonborn that a powerful creature rests in the temple and that it's power could be used to overthrow the Sultanate. However, the summoned entity, a creature known as Vandu, has its own goals.
Vandu was a powerful servant of Rhenos, the dragon that once ruled these lands. Vandu, a dragonborn native to Ryna devoted himself to Rhenos after the dragon took over. When Rhenos was defeated by those who founded the Osmad Sultanate, Vandu and the other servants tried to avenge their master but failed. However, they were all bound to Rhenos, even beyond death. Their bodies were bound to certain locations, known only to Rhenos. In the event Rhenos returned, he would bring back his servants - their bodies made from sand - to fight for him once again.

Plot points/Scenes

The journey to Turri takes about 2 or so days - the travel is fair game for some random encounters. However, one encounter that does happen along the way is a bandit ambush (the party was warned about bandits on the road west). Check the "Encounters" section below on how to run this.
The village of Turri is a small settlement, somewhat larger than Messan but not by much. The Emerald Gulch can be seen from the city.

The sandy road leads up to a small village, not much larger than the one you were in when everything happened. Beyond the city lies a massive rocky canyon that snakes to the north.

Within the city is one of Nala's agents, a Wraith with the alias of Sphinx. Sphinx, as with all of the Sultana's Wraiths, is very talented and so she will know when the party arrives in town. She was informed that they would be arriving and that they would do something about the Cult of the Sun she's been investigating. Sphinx was the one who uncovered the Cult's actions and knows of their whereabouts in a temple from an ancient city. Though she hasn't infiltrated into the temple, she believes something of power lies within the temple, and that the Cult wants it. Sphinx will lead the party to the temple, but she will not enter with them, informing them that her mission is one of observation, and that the party can handle this how they feel appropriate.

The Temple

The temple is barely noticeable from the rest of the desert, as it is mostly buried in the sand. Three cultists watch the entrance to the temple from the surface and they must be dealt with to enter. Inside, the Cult of the Sun has set up a small camp, while three of them proceeded to the central chamber. Five cultists remain in the camp. The entrance to the central chamber is blocked by a puzzle that resets once the door is opened.
The central chamber is isolated from the rest of the temple. In the center, is a ziggurat-like structure, upon which rests a large jackal-headed sarcophagus. The three members of the Cult of the Sun are there, two cultists led by a paladin. As the characters enter, they have just finished a ritual that will awaken the creature in the sarcophagus. The ritual, which they learned of from an anonymous blue dragonborn, is meant to awaken Vandu, a servant of the ancient dragon Rhenos that was defeated over a millennia ago. As the party enters, describe the following scene:

The central chamber of this ancient buried temple is a rectangular room filled with piles of sand. The center of this room has a ziggurat-like structure, atop of which you can see three individuals as well as streams of sand rising from each of the piles, coalescing into a swirl around a jackal-headed sarcophagus. Clearly cultists, the one leading the event appears to be some sort of paladin. Suddenly the lid of the sarcophagus shoots open, and the sand begins to join together, forming a shape. The shape sculpts itself into a humanoid with the head of a jackal. The sand begins to turn into flesh and cloth, and the now complete figure towers above the Cult members who summoned it.
"Creature! Bow before the might of the Sun that has summoned you from your rest!" the paladin declares, if not somewhat unsettled herself. The creature looks down at the paladin apathetically. It says in a deep yet chillingly calm voice, "I serve only my master Rhenos. You are not Rhenos, nor do you serve him. Therefore, you shall die." From its hands emerges a large scimitar, which in an instant it slashes at the paladin, killing them, just as the swirling sand shoots forth like tendrils towards the two remaining cultists with such intensity that it strips the flesh from bone!
"It has been so long. For me to be standing here I can only assume my master has returned. I wonder..." The creature contemplates, reaching its hand out in the air and then clenching its fist. From the piles of sand that are now scattered across the room, four humanoid shapes rise, resembling reptilian humanoids wielding spears. "Soldiers! It is time at last. Come, I long to see Ryna again."

If Vandu detects the party, he and his soldiers will engage them to the death. He can tell that the party does not serve his master, so as far as he is concerned, they are enemies. Alternatively, the party can avoid the encounter, and Vandu will leave the temple and find his way to his master. If Vandu is killed, he and his soldiers turn back into sand.

Aftermath

This should be the second time the party hears "Ryna" and also the first time they hear mention of this master "Rhenos." Sphinx will find the party to hear their report. If Vandu leaves, a sandstorm will cover his tracks so that he can't be followed, but Sphinx will mention that she saw a strange creature heading south-west.

Backdrops

Encounters

Bandit Ambush: On the road to Turri, a smalltime group of bandits has established an ambush site to rob travelers of their money. A Bandit Captain and 6 bandits have a thorough method to get money from any travelers that pass by. The location they chose for the ambush is a site where the road is between a small cliff to the south and a few rocky pillars to the north. Traveling west, the cliff is to the left, flush with the road, and 40 ft high. The dunes and rocks to the right have various heights and distances between them. The bandits have set up a decoy camp about 80 ft north of the road as well as a number of traps and distractions to help their if necessary escape. Their plan is as follows:

• 1 female bandit poses as a damsel in distress and shows up running down one of the dunes from the north. She claims her camp was attacked by bandits and her husband is dealing with them at the camp to the north. She begs the party to help while also asking at least one member to stay and "protect her."
• 2 bandits are stationed at the top of the cliff with many rocks ready to be pushed down on anyone on the road.
• The other three bandits are hiding by the campsite buried in the sand and covered with rugs. The bandit captain is on top of a rocky outcrop on the north side, overseeing everything.
• If the party does not fall for this rouse, the bandit captain comes as the woman's husband, claims the bandits let him go after he gave them everything, and they leave, resetting for the next group to pass through.
• If the party does split up, the woman will shed the guise and forcefully demand all the lone party member's money. Meanwhile, the other group at the camp finds nothing, at which point the Captain shows up, claims they are surrounded, and also demands money.
• If the demands are met, they take the money and leave. 
• If either the road site or the camp site are met with hostilities, the woman or the captain bandit will blow a whistle, signaling the command to attack
• The two bandits on the cliff above the road will drop a boulder on top of the character with the woman (DC 13 save against 4d6 bludgeoning damage) and then take up crossbow positions or continue to throw down rocks, while the woman retreats to a safe distance.
• The Captain uses a rappel (set up before the encounter) to rappel up to one of the rocky outcrops. The three emerge from their hiding positions and attempt to throw nets at the party, then climb up ropes to the other rocky outcrops and fire crossbows. The rocky outcroppings here are connected by ropes so they can traverse back and forth.
• Each bandit has standard bandit equipment, as well as a net, a grappling hook, and a smoke bomb. The woman and the captain both also have a gunpowder bomb. 
• If they lose two or more bandits, they begin to retreat, using the trapped areas and smoke bombs to cover their escape.

Credit to this video for the inspiration

Parent Plot

Desert Storm III: The Ivory Palace

Related Locations

• The Osmad Desert