LAKE OF

by Steve Winter
Dedicated to the memory of Terry Pavlet (1956-2022) ©2022 Frog God Games. All rights reserved.
Reproduction without the written permis-
sion of the publisher is expressly forbidden.
Frog God Games, and the Frog God Games
Author Cover Artist logo, Lake of Dust is a trademark of Frog God
Games. All rights reserved. All characters,
Steve Winter Martina Scafa names, places, items, art, and text herein
are copyrighted by Frog God Games. The
mention of or reference to any company or
Project Manager Interior Art product in these pages is not a challenge to
Anthony Pryor Terry Pavlet, the trademark or copyright concerned.
Hector Rodriguez
Art Director
Casey Christofferson Cartography
Robert Altbauer
Editor
Jeff Harkness VTT Coordinator
Sean King
Layout
Lysanne Hudon Development Manager ADVENTURES
Michael Gross WORTH
WINNING

Frog God Games is:

is :
Bill Webb, Zach Glazar, Edwin Nagy, Mike Badolato,
Casey Christof�erson, Jeff Harkness, and Ken Spencer ISBN: 978-1-6656-0341-6
5e PDF
Table of Contents
Background.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 South Temple. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Hooks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1. West Temple Portal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2. Fume Generator.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Wasteland Trek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3. East Temple Portal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
First Contact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 4. Fishbone Bridge.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5. Choking Corridor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Gnoll Camp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
6. Skull Pyramids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Gnoll NPCs.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
7. Winch Room. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Gnoll Humor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
8. Reliquary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
What the Gnolls Know About the Temples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Inside the Temples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Purple Worm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Mega-Battle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Corridors.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Delay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Slopes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Evade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Airy Water. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Gnolls vs. the Purple Worm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
East Temple. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Quick Gnoll Combat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Entryway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1. Gnoll and Hyena Den. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Wrapping Up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
2. [Growl-howl]’s Den.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Appendix A: Creatures and Items.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3. Hyena Nursery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Ancestor Skulls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4. [Low growl]’s Den. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Sahuagin Desiccants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5. Nonfunctioning Portal.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Desiccant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Desiccant Priestess.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
West Temple. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Desiccant Baron. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
1. Bulette’s Den.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Magical and Mundane Items.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
2. Empty Chamber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
The Howling Skull. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
3. Fume Generator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Kraken Scale Cincture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
4. Torture Chamber.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
The Mermaid’s Caress. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
5. Sahuagin Ambush.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Thly-ta’s Talon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
6. South Temple Portal.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Appendix B: Collegium Aetheria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
NPCs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Agents of the Collegium.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Lake of Dust
Lake of Dust is a 5th Edition adventure for 5th-level characters.
In Lake of Dust, characters investigate a dried-up desert lake that long ago was the site of a sahuagin temple complex.
The structures were submerged during the age when the temple was in use, but the lake dried out centuries ago when the
surrounding countryside died off and became desert. Now the lake holds nothing but dust, the sealed remains of the temple,
a clan of nomadic gnolls, and a cursed creature hibernating under the bed of the lake waiting for circumstances to awaken
it and call it to vengeance.
This adventure allows characters wide latitude in how they deal with some of its problems, especially with regard to how
they approach the savage gnolls. Once characters arrive at the lakebed, they must deal with the gnolls somehow before they
can do much of anything else. After that, they’re free to explore the caves. Eventually, they’ll probably awaken the creature
slumbering beneath the sand, which triggers the adventure’s climactic showdown between the characters, the monster,
and the gnoll clan.
Table of Contents 2
Background
The continental shelf and lightless abysses of the deep ocean are the r­eason) that those dark mouths into the underworld are best left
sahuagins’ natural habitat. They swim up rivers only when they’re alone.
raiding inland settlements for treasure and prisoners. Very rarely, for A third entity also inhabits the ancient lakebed: an immense purple
reasons known only to their priestesses, sahuagin sometimes esta­ worm that sleeps beneath the dust. It was summoned and put into
blish small religious colonies in remote freshwater lakes. The likeliest stasis by the original sahuagin priestesses as a final protective mea-
reason is that the area has (in the sahuagins’ minds, anyway) some sure against enemies who might attack the shrine after the temple
obscure significance to their bloodthirsty, shark-like deity. guardians departed. Looting the temple and destroying the ancient
This wasteland wasn’t always a desert. Centuries ago, it had ­rivers, sacraments is exactly the sort of thing that triggers the creature to
lakes fringed with date palms, and seasonal greenery. The rain awaken and devour everything in its path.
petered out, and the lakes and rivers dried up. Now only a few
­meager, widely spaced oases remain. (If your characters played The
City that Dripped Blood, they already have some experience with If your campaign takes place in the Lost Lands, the
the danger of the Wasteland.) western Kanderi Desert is a good site for this adventure.
We suggest the region southeast of Fort Castrobal.
An interesting possibility might be to run Lake of Dust
Sahuagin Language as a flashback adventure set in the wake of the year
The language of the sahuagin is impossible for land-­ 2491 I.R. That was when the poles of Boros shifted and
caused widespread devastation, including causing the
dwelling creatures to speak intelligibly without using
sea to ­retreat from western Libynos. The sahuagin reli-
magic. This isn’t because of its complexity — it’s relatively
gious ­colony survived for a time in a brackish lake, but the
simple as languages go — but sahuagin speech consists of
­desert kept expanding and the lake kept shrinking until
vibrations in water instead of air. Human vocal cords are
only the desiccants could remain.
built for pushing air; they can’t do much more than create
bubbles underwater. Likewise, sahuagin vocal apparatus
is next to useless out of water. In a pinch, a sahuagin can
make itself understood out of water better than a human
can underwater. When sahuagin and humans communi-
cate, it’s usually done by both races speaking their own
Hooks
language to members of the other race who understand
Any of the following hooks can be used to draw characters into
it, or more commonly through sign language, comprehend
Lake of Dust.
languages, telepathy, or similar magic.
‹ Characters are with a caravan crossing the desert, either as
guards or as paying travelers, and the caravan is attacked by
gnoll bandits. The attack is driven off without much loss, but
One of those long-gone lakes in the Wasteland was the site of a some important travelers are captured and carried off. Few fates
sahuagin temple-colony. It flourished for centuries at a site where are worse than falling into the hands of gnolls, so friends of the
the sahuagin turned three underwater caves into temples dedicated missing people offer a 3,000 gp reward for their rescue (negotiate
to their shark-like deity, variously known as Seggolak, Theko-a- this up or down as necessary). One of these friends is a sage who
hala, Sselkahalk, and similar names. As the land gradually baked provides the howling skull. This rescue mission leads characters
into sere desert, most of the temple’s complement of sahuagin to the gnolls’ camp and the temple caves.
retreated to the sea, but a cadre of fanatics refused to abandon the
‹ If you play The City That Dripped Blood before this adventure,
temple. They clung to their sanctum as the water receded, eventu- then residents of Temelpa could mention this abandoned temple
ally calling on unholy magic to survive the burning sun and choking to the characters as an old Wasteland legend. The person telling
dust. Even the power of their alchemy and sorcery couldn’t stop the the tale either knows someone who saw the site or might even
river from going dry and the lake from evaporating into a mud hole, have seen it first-hand. Alternatively, the gnolls from that
then a baked, cracked basin. Their magical protections and talis- adventure could be from this camp and could inadvertently lead
mans did, however, keep the sahuagin themselves alive — but at a characters to it. Players can find or be given the howling skull
cost. They mutated into creatures able to survive in the dusty air that in Temelpa.
should have seared their gills. Some of them still remain to protect
‹ Characters are hired by a member of the Collegium Aetheria to
their ancient, abandoned temples.
accompany them on an expedition into the Wasteland. Familiarize
The lakebed also is home to a clan of caravan-raiding gnolls. They yourself with the Collegium’s background in Appendix B and
largely avoid the caves ringing their camp, believing (with good start the adventure using “Agents of the Collegium.”

3 Background
Wasteland Trek
Either before characters set out or during the early stage of their occurs per day, don’t fret about throwing a hard or deadly encoun-
trek, make sure they acquire the howling skull (see Appendix A). ter at the characters, as they’ll have plenty of time to recover before
The former lake is 60 miles from the nearest settlement at the edge their next battle.
of the Wasteland. Characters can reach it after two or three days of Roll Encounter
travel, depending on their speed, as shown below.
2 Hydra (deadly)
Slow Pace 3½ days can surprise or evade foes 3 Air elemental (medium)
Normal Pace 2½ days — 4 Earth elemental (medium)
Fast Pace 2 days -5 on Perception checks 5 Basilisk x2 (medium)
Roll 3d20 for each day the characters travel. A roll of 18, 19, or 20 6 Hill giant x2 (hard)
indicates an encounter, with 18 occurring during the morning, 19
7 Harpy x4 (easy)
in the afternoon, and 20 in the evening/nighttime. It’s possible for
two or three encounters to occur during the same part of the day. 8–9 Goblin x12 +goblin boss (easy)
Overlapping encounters can be combined or staged back-to-back, if 10 Giant lizard x10 (easy)
you want. A morning or afternoon encounter occurs while the group
11–12 Giant scorpions x3 (hard)
is on the move, so both the characters and the monsters or NPCs
could be surprised. An evening/nighttime encounter is an attack 13 Gnoll x8 (easy)
against the party’s camp, during which only the characters can be 14 Gnoll x10 +gnoll pack lord (medium)
surprised. The Perception penalty for fast travel still applies during
15 Gnoll x10 +gnoll pack lord +gnoll fang (hard)
nighttime encounters; the characters are tired and doing things in
haste, including setting up sentries. 16 Bandit x10 +bandit captain (easy)
If an encounter occurs, roll 1d12 +1d8 to determine what’s met. 17–18 Hyena x20 +giant hyena x3 (easy)
The encounter’s difficulty for a group of four 5th-level characters is 19 Giant wolf spiders x6 (easy)
indicated in parentheses. An encounter’s difficulty can be increased
20 Salamander +fire snake x5 (deadly)
by adding more creatures or by making it an ambush where charac-
ters are more likely to be surprised. Unless more than one encounter
First Contact was weak or wishy-washy, have the character who did the talking
make a DC 13 Charisma check, adding whichever proficiency bonus
for Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion is most appropriate to
At some point during the journey, whether or not the dice indicate the speech. The character has advantage on the check if the howl-
a random encounter, you should impose Encounter No 15. If char- ing skull was on display during the exchange or disadvantage if the
acters are already a bit beaten up or low on resources from a tough argument was especially bad or if characters passed the skull around
encounter earlier in the day, so much the better. These gnolls can’t among themselves as if it were nothing more than a sign of who has
be surprised or ambushed, but the characters can be according to the floor. If the check fails, the pack leader snarls something about
the standard procedures. The gnolls spot the characters quickly and treacherous outsiders and the gnolls attack. If it succeeds or if you
pursue if the characters try to evade. judge the argument to be persuasive, read the following.
If an NPC from the Collegium Aetheria is with the characters, that
NPC may remind characters about the howling skull before the two
sides actually come to blows, if you think it’s necessary. Several of the gnolls converse quietly for a few moments,
then the biggest, nastiest looking one of the bunch steps
When the gnolls see the skull, they quickly stop howling and surging
forward, weapons in hand. “You may go. Do what you
forward. Several of the foremost exchange a few snarls in Gnoll, then
came to do. Kill our rivals if you can, but then leave. The
the pack leader steps forward and, in harshly uttered Common, says
Wasteland is ours. If we meet again, hyenas will feast on
“We respect the totem. If the smooth-skins have something to say,
your corpses.”
say it now.”
Allow characters no more than a minute to decide what they’re
going to say to the gnolls. The character with the skull must do the These gnolls aren’t afraid of the characters. They’ve simply deduced
talking; anyone else is ignored. that the party is headed into the territory of a rival clan, and they’re
Exactly what the characters say doesn’t matter too much. They content to let outsiders carve up their foes a bit. They won’t make
might argue that if the two groups fight, many gnolls will be killed any more trouble for the characters unless the characters become
and nothing gained; they might be honest about their objective and insulting as the two groups part; even gnolls have their limits.
ask only for safe passage; they might demonstrate the power of their The important lesson you want this encounter to impart to the
magic; or they could take a different tack entirely. The gnolls just players is that displaying the skull creates an opening to negotiate
squat and listen, without responding. boldly with the gnolls of the Wasteland.
If the speaking character presents an argument that a savage gnoll
would find persuasive, that’s enough for success. If the statement

Gnoll Camp
The dry lakebed is home to a pack of gnolls that live there because This pack contains 40 gnolls (adult males and females), 2 pack
the low ground shelters them against windstorms and from being lords, a fang, 24 noncombatant juveniles, and countless roving
spotted by creatures and travelers crossing the Wasteland. The hyenas. This is enough to overwhelm most parties of 5th-level
gnolls maintain a constant watch from concealed positions around characters in a stand-up fight. If your players are of the charge-in-
the lake, so characters who approach without taking precautions without-thinking variety, emphasize the size of the camp and the
against being seen (such as traveling at night, using cover or cam- host of potential enemies they’re facing when they get their first look
ouflage) are spotted while still at least a mile away. Gnolls aren’t into the camp.
especially alert sentries, though, so if characters approach the site
stealthily, a successful DC 10 group Dexterity (Stealth) check is all
that’s needed to reach the edge of the lakebed without being spotted. The dry lake bottom hides a semipermanent gnoll camp.
Sneaking from the edge of the lakebed down into the gnoll camp A dozen low structures built from stone, hide, and im-
itself is more difficult; that takes a successful DC 16 Dexterity (Stealth) mense bones dot the southern half of the dusty bowl.
check from a lone scout or from the group. Gnolls lounge in small patches of shade, gamble with
knucklebones, or snarl and snap at each other around
torn carcasses and heaps of bones.

5 Gnoll Camp
A character who makes a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check territory, possibly for several days, and gnolls have no tradition of
can estimate the number of gnolls in the village at 50 to 60. If the hospitality toward humans but a long tradition of ferocious animo­
check fails, the estimate is either 30–40 gnolls (on an odd roll) or sity. For a few hundred gp in gifts, the characters are getting off cheap.
80–90 (on an even roll). The pack’s champion in a duel is a gnoll pack lord. Weapons and
Characters have several options for dealing with this situation. armor are allowed in a duel but must be nonmagical. The gnolls
Stealth. Characters who reach the lake undetected might decide insist no magic of any kind be used; they inspect weapons and armor,
to stay under cover and search for the caves without being noticed. watch the characters very closely to prevent any spellcasting or use of
That’s not as crazy as it sounds. Gnolls aren’t especially watchful and potions, and insist that all extraneous jewelry, belts, etc., be removed
don’t have the Keen Smell of dogs and wolves. They do have darkvi- to ensure there’s no cheating. Before the fight begins, the gnoll cham-
sion 60 feet, but the lakebed is big enough that characters can easily pion downs a horrid, steaming concoction that causes it to vomit vio-
stay outside that range if they move around at night without lights. lently. If characters object, the gnolls insist (truthfully) that it’s noth-
ing more than a ritual purifier. They refuse to let anyone cast detect
The real risk with this tactic isn’t being spotted while characters are magic to confirm that because they suspect the character might cast
moving between caves but their tracks being spotted during the day- another spell at the same time. They will, however, let the characters’
time. If characters take no special pains to cover their tracks, there’s a champion drink the same concoction. A non-gnoll who drinks it vom-
4-in-6 (67 percent) chance each day that a gnoll spots their footprints. its immediately and must make a successful DC 15 Constitution sav-
If characters try to cover their tracks, have the character with the best ing throw or be poisoned for the next hour. A character who drinks it
Survival bonus make a Wisdom (Survival) skill check each time they does earn some limited, grudging respect from the gnolls, regardless
make a significant move across the area (such as from one cave to the of whether their saving throw succeeds or fails.
next). The result of that check becomes the DC for the gnolls’ Wisdom
When everyone is ready, conduct the battle with standard combat
(Perception) check that they make each day to notice the tracks. Only
rules. If the gnoll reduces the character to 0 hit points, it Rampages
one check is made each day, against the lowest of the characters’
and bites the unconscious character, inflicting two immediate death
Survival skill checks if they’ve made more than one.
saving throw failures for the critical hit. After that, the gnoll backs off
If tracks are noticed, the gnolls set an ambush outside whichever and allows characters to stabilize or heal their comrade. If the gnoll
cave the characters are in. They won’t follow characters into the drops to 0 hit points, other gnolls rush in to stabilize it before it dies.
caves because of their superstitious fear. They’d prefer capturing the
Regardless of who wins, as long as the character fought hard and
intruders over killing them, because prisoners can be sold or kept and
bravely, the party wins some respect from the gnolls. Neither out-
tortured to death for amusement before being eaten. The characters’
come, however, is ideal. If the character lost, the gnolls begin sus-
only alternative to fighting their way through (unlikely) is negotiating
pecting maybe the characters aren’t as tough as they look. That
or buying their way out — or freeing the purple worm and letting it
leads to insults, laughter (see “Gnoll Humor”), and possibly an even-
wipe out the gnolls!
tual attack. If the character won, the gnoll champion resents being
Diplomacy. The gnolls are savage killers and sworn enemies of humiliated in front of the pack and, after recovering, urges the pack
humankind, but they’ve fought enough furless bipeds to know how leader to demand a rematch. They do so on the next day. This time
dangerous those foes can be, especially if the party contains any the opponent is a gnoll fang. Combat follows the same procedures
apparent spellcasters. If characters brandish the howling skull, the as before. If the character wins again, the gnolls are intimidated as
gnolls are willing to negotiate at least until they get a sense of what a pack and, while they’re not happy about the situation, they won’t
the characters want and how powerful they are. The gnolls speak give the characters any more problems. If the gnoll wins the second
only their own language (Gnoll) fluently plus a smattering of pidgin bout, five other gnolls join it in relentlessly taunting the characters.
Orc and Giant. Characters can face down these six gnolls with a successful DC 13
Remember that the skull doesn’t influence the gnolls, it only gets Charisma (Intimidation) check. If the check fails or if they ignore
them to listen. The key to a successful negotiation is either giving the problem, the gnolls eventually attack. The fight is limited to the
them valuable gifts (magical items, martial weapons, and medium 5 gnolls and the gnoll fang; the rest of the pack watches but doesn’t
or heavy armor with a total value of at least 300 gp) with a promise join in. Once the gnoll fang is dead or intimidated, this particular
of more to come from the caves, or fighting the pack’s champion in a problem is resolved.
one-on-one duel. Both approaches have pros and cons. Magic. Charm person and comparable magic can turn a few gnolls
Gifts worth at least 300 gp are guaranteed to win a temporary truce into temporary allies. This is guaranteed to backfire, for two reasons.
with the gnolls. They need to be given more gifts every day worth at First, once the magic wears off, the gnolls know they were bewitched
least 100 gp or they become hostile. That doesn’t mean they attack and that infuriates them. Second, the pack has a strict social hierar-
immediately; they become surly (more than usual) and demand more chy with the strongest at the top, but any gnoll can be challenged for
gifts. Gnolls aren’t as impressed with cash or jewels as they are with supremacy at any time. If a leader starts acting in ways that weaken
weapons, armor, and magic. If cash or jewels are included in the gifts, the pack or that look suspiciously as if he or she has fallen under the
count them at only half their actual value. If characters refuse to give sway of magic-wielding outsiders, other gnolls turn on them quickly
more gifts, the gnolls might attack immediately, but they’re more and tear them to pieces. They then turn on the outsiders.
likely to grumble and plan a sneak attack for later. If players grumble Intimidation. The pack can’t be intimidated with a simple skill check.
about this, point out that they’re being allowed to live in the gnolls’ Any attempt to do so leads to a combat challenge as described above.

7 Gnoll Camp
Gnoll NPCs
Gnolls don’t translate their names into Common for the benefit of
creatures who don’t speak their language. Names are presented
here descriptively. You can simply read these names as printed, but
it’s better if you try to reproduce the sounds as the gnolls would pro-
nounce them and insist characters do the same. Gnolls don’t like it
when their names are mispronounced, but they also find it hilarious
when smooth-skins try to speak like a gnoll.
These are the most important gnolls in the camp. Their tribal struc- cave
ture is matriarchal. Males fill many important roles in the pack, but but is set
the pack leader is always female. loose once
[Growl-yip] (gnoll) is the current leader of the pack, but she’s aging [growl-growl-
and slowing down, as evidenced by her gray muzzle and chest. She pant] takes over the
doesn’t trust [growl-howl] the shaman or [growl-growl-pant]; she pack. [Low growl]
suspects (rightly) that they’re scheming to kill her and take over is basically a murder
the pack, and [growl-yip] knows she’s no match for [growl-growl- machine on standby.
pant] in a fight anymore. [Growl-yip] has no love for outsiders or for When he thinks at all, he
smooth-skins, but she’ll work with the characters as long as they thinks about killing. He’s
provide gifts and while she believes they can help against her ene- been told to stay
mies in the pack. in his cave, so he
[Howl-yip-yip-yip] (gnoll pack lord) is [growl-yip]’s bodyguard stays, but no one
and protector. She is 100 percent loyal to [growl-yip] and defends the told him not to kill
pack leader against any threat. She’s also the champion who fights whatever falls within
for the pack in a preliminary duel. his grasp.
[Growl-howl] (gnoll) is the pack’s shaman. He has no mystical
power beyond his ability to manipulate the pack’s countless super-
stitions, but he’s a master at that. [Growl-howl] hates smooth-skins
in general and the characters in particular because he believes their Gnoll Humor
presence (and their presents) will upset the balance of power in the
pack. He has limited control over [low growl], which is more than Gnolls are cruel, bloodthirsty, and diabolical, but that doesn’t mean
anyone else has. they don’t enjoy a good laugh. Unfortunately, the things they laugh
[Growl-growl-pant] (gnoll pack lord) is [growl-yip]’s top rival at are also cruel, bloodthirsty, and diabolical. Most of their jokes
for control of the pack. She’s been waiting for the best moment to are practical, and the funniest ones always end with blood, broken
challenge [growl-yip] for leadership, and gnolls don’t have much bones, severed ears, and chipped teeth.
patience. The only thing holding her back at this point is [growl- If the characters spend much time among the pack, they’ll see vicious
howl]’s advice, but the arrival of the characters could change that. pranks being inflicted on weaker gnolls and as outsiders, they’ll fall
Like most gnolls who are larger and stronger than average, [growl- prey to such jokes themselves. They might retire in the evening to
growl-pant] is a vicious bully and a raging egotist. find their blankets crawling with venomous ants or awaken and
[Pant-whine] (gnoll) is the pack clown and [growl-yip]’s jester — a find their boots lined with razor-sharp thorns that slice their feet
thankless and dangerous job, but vital nonetheless. Alone among to ribbons. The gnolls find these things hilarious, and the more the
the gnolls, [pant-whine] sees the bigger picture and tries to make smooth-skins scream or fuss, the funnier it becomes.
[growl-yip] aware of it. He is the best possible ally for the characters No amount of complaining can make the situation better. The com-
among the gnolls if they want to understand what’s really going on plainer only makes himself or herself look weak and a more inviting
in the pack, and he pesters them with questions — very intelligent target for increasingly vicious pranks. The best way to get the gnolls
and probing questions, but seemingly endless — about their inten- to ease off is to strike back with pranks that draw as much blood
tions and about the world beyond the Wasteland. [Pant-whine] and inflict even more pain and injury. The only way to not be picked
knows that [growl-howl] and [growl-growl-pant] are plotting a on by gnolls is to make them believe you’ll hit back harder than you
coup. Obviously, [growl-yip] can’t run the pack forever, but [pant- were hit.
whine] will do almost anything to prevent [growl-growl-pant] from
seizing leadership.
[Low growl] (gnoll fang) is [growl-howl]’s “secret weapon.” Only
[growl-howl], [growl-growl-pant], and their most loyal supporters
in the pack know of his existence. He’s kept hidden in the eastern
Gnoll Camp 8
What the Gnolls Know
About the Temples They do believe, however, that the caves contain far more treasure
than they actually hold. Gnolls suspect characters are lying if they
claim the caves contain little treasure.
The gnolls are aware that the three caves around the lakebed lead into Because the gnolls fear the temples, they have no names for them
ancient temples, and they’re superstitiously terrified of them. They (and wouldn’t speak such names aloud if they did have them). They
never enter the caves, except for the occasional cub who dashes a few refer to the temples only as “stone gullets” and indicate a particular
yards through an entrance to prove its courage to its companions. one by pointing in its vague direction.

Inside the Temples

The only light inside any of the temples is what characters bring Airy Water
with them. The East Temple reeks like an animal den. The West and The West and South temples are flooded with an alchemical vapor
South Temples haven’t been opened to fresh air for many decades, — airy water — that allows the sahuagin desiccants to live in the
and the desiccants’ airy water makes them stink of saltwater and dry tunnels. Water-breathing creatures can breathe in airy water the
rotting fish. same as they breathe in water. If it’s concentrated enough, creatures
Unnumbered chambers are empty. can even swim in it (treat a swim speed as a fly speed). Some of the
temples’ sahuagin occupants have jugs of concentrated airy water
Corridors they can smash to increase the concentration in an area.
Unlike most dungeons with squarish corridors, the tunnels in these Airy water is a problem for air-breathing creatures; they can drown
temples are roughly circular in cross-section, like sewer pipes. The in it! The vapor collects in low spots the same way water would,
lake was full of water when sahuagin occupied it; they didn’t need so the danger increases as characters descend into the temples.
level or smooth floors because they swam everywhere through their Each time a character moves downward across a dotted line on the
temples. Unless noted otherwise, all floors in all three temples are maps of the West or South temples, he or she must make a DC 15
difficult terrain for walking creatures. Constitution saving throw. Each character makes just one saving
throw for crossing a particular line, the first time the line is crossed,
The circular tunnels aren’t a problem for creatures walking and
and its outcome remains in effect until the character completes a
fighting in single file down the center. Creatures that try to fight side-
long or short rest. Success means their situation doesn’t get any
by-side, as they normally would in 10-foot-wide dungeon corridors,
worse until they descend farther and must make another saving
are unbalanced by the curving floor; they have a -2 penalty on their
throw. Failure has these effects:
attack rolls, Dexterity ability checks, and Dexterity saving throws.
This applies only in 10-foot corridors, not in chambers, which have Failure Effect
more-or-less level (but not smooth) floors.
1st failure Creature feels as if it is breathing through a wet
Characters proficient in Acrobatics aren’t affected by the -2 penalty blanket; no other effect.
on rolls but the floors are still difficult terrain for them.
2nd failure Creature struggles to breathe; has disadvantage on
attack rolls and ability checks.
Slopes
3rd failure Creature is drowning; unless it was holding its
Some squares of the map are marked with arrows. These indicate
breath when the saving throw was failed, it can
spots where the tunnel or the floor slopes down at a 30-degree
survive a number of rounds equal to its Con modifier
angle, so the lower end is about six feet below the level of the
(minimum of 1); after that, it drops to 0 hit points
upper end. This is a steep slope, about the same as a typical flight
and is dying. It can breathe again if it moves back to
of stairs but with no steps to give secure footing. Characters walk-
a higher area where its saving throw succeeded. See
ing up or down at full speed must make a successful DC 8 Dexterity
the standard rules on suffocation for more details.
(Acrobatics) check; failure means a fall that lands them in a heap at
the bottom, along with everyone else who was below them on the Penalties persist until a creature completes a short or long rest in
slope. Characters can avoid the check by moving carefully (halving clear air. Drinking a potion of water breathing renders a creature
their speed again, in addition to the penalty for difficult terrain). You immune to airy water while the potion is in effect and wipes out
need to enforce these penalties only during a fight. Outside of a com- any ongoing negative effects from failed saving throws against airy
bat situation, they serve mainly to help set the scene. water that occurred previously.

9 Inside the Temples

East Temple
Unknown raiders opened and looted this temple long before the
gnolls arrived. Superstition keeps most of the gnolls away, which
makes it easier for [growl-howl] to use the chambers for his own A doorway is set into the sloping ground of the old
devious purposes. All the gnolls know [growl-howl] spends time in lakebed. The opening is roughly circular and about eight
this cave, but only [growl-growl-pant] knows fully what he’s up to. feet in diameter. Carvings in an obscure, unfamiliar style
adorn the stone doorframe.
[Growl-howl] houses [low growl] here, along with several hyenas and
a few adult gnolls that were created from those hyenas. By feeding Chunks of shattered stone that must have been the former
[low growl]’s kills to selected hyenas, [growl-howl] is creating a cadre doors lie on the ground, half-buried in sand and gravel.
of gnolls that are fanatically loyal to him alone. He’s proceeding at The remnants show the doors were nearly a foot thick
a slow and cautious pace lest others in the clan figure out what’s when intact. They were either burst open from the inside
going on. With a dozen or more bloodthirsty, feral killers behind or pried open and then broken into fragments. Judging
him, [growl-howl] believes he can tip the balance in the clan’s power from the weathering on the fragments, it happened too
struggle however he chooses — which will be in his favor, of course. long ago for any clues to remain as to which it was.
Even if characters have no interest in the clan’s politics, forgotten The scent of animals is strong near the entrance, like
corners of this temple still hold items they’ll find beneficial when the smell from a bear or wolf den. The tunnel beyond is
they explore the other two temples. ­roughly circular in cross-section, like a pipe, rather than
being squared off with a flat floor like a typical mine or
Unless characters made a point of entering this area while [growl- ­other ­human excavation; it might be tricky footing in
howl] was somewhere else, he’ll be here. Even if they made sure he a fight.
was somewhere else when they entered, [growl-howl] is likely to
come back while characters are ransacking his lair; the wily shaman
has a sixth sense about that sort of thing.
If much fighting happens in this section, and especially if [growl- There’s no airy water in this portion of the old temple.
howl] is killed, it won’t be long before the rest of the clan finds out.
Gnolls have keen noses for the scent of blood. [Growl-growl-pant]
pounces on [growl-howl]’s death as a chance to stir up the clan
against [growl-yip]’s weak leadership. If the characters made contact
with the gnolls, they’ll be blamed for the death regardless of evidence.
1. Gnoll and Hyena Den
In that event, their only chance to avoid being immediately attacked The exact placement of the 6 hyenas and 4 gnolls in these two
by the whole pack is to describe (quickly and in simple terms!) what ­chambers is up to you.
[growl-howl] was up to. (The skull might help them be heard.) Using
the kills of a gnoll fang to create new gnolls without the knowledge
and consent of the pack is a serious breach of clan “law.” [Pant- Gnawed bones and scraps of rotting meat litter the floor.
whine] points this out to the characters if he has the chance, or qui- Half-a-dozen hyenas wrestle over the scraps while four
etly plants the question in [growl-yip]’s ear if he can’t reach the char- gnolls watch from the shadows.
acters. Revealing [growl-howl]’s crime gains characters the support
of [growl-yip] and about two-thirds of the pack, which is enough to
force [growl-growl-pant] to back down — and intensifies his hatred
Although these gnolls are indistinguishable from any other adult
for the characters even more.
gnolls, they were transformed from hyenas less than a month ago
by [growl-howl]. In terms of intellect and self-control, they’re barely

Entryway more than hyenas now. [Growl-howl] provided these gnolls with
spears but no bows or shields yet.
The hyenas are wary if strangers enter the chamber, but the gnolls
A character who makes a successful DC 18 Intelligence (History) see only prey; they attack the moment they see an opportunity. Once
check sees a similarity between the carvings on the doorframe and a fight starts, the hyenas join in. These creatures don’t spread out
the glyphs used by sahuagin, but they’re too worn and unfamiliar to their attacks but prefer to gang up on injured foes without mercy. The
be interpreted. A character who makes a successful DC 18 Intelligence hyenas in particular continue attacking a creature even when it’s at
(Religion) check recognizes symbols that represent the sahuagins’ 0 hit points, hoping to drag it away from the group and get a head
shark deity. Comprehend languages provides no help because the start on eating it. Unless someone steps in to protect or heal a fallen
carvings aren’t a message; they’re just decorative ­pictograms.­ ally, a character who drops to 0 hit points is in mortal danger here.

11 East Temple
2. [Growl-howl]’s Den 4. [Low growl]’s Den
Unless characters are exploring this cave while [growl-howl] is else-
where, they’ve probably already met and dealt with [low growl] by
Bones and filth are scattered across the floor of this den, the time they reach this chamber. If he’s still here, then include the
but so are books, writing implements, and a random bracketed paragraph when you read the following. If he’s not, omit
assort­ment of laboratory gear. The room is lit by a pale, that paragraph.
eerie light from softly glowing, wolf-like skulls hanging
on the walls.
This portion of the cave is repulsive even by the standards
of a gnoll’s den. Filth is smeared into deep claw marks
As noted above, unless characters purposefully entered this on the walls; thickened blood stands in puddles crawling
cave when they knew [growl-howl] was elsewhere, they encoun- with maggots; and splinters of bone and scraps of fur are
ter him here (unless he was drawn to an earlier fight somewhere strewn everywhere, most appearing to be the remains of
else). [Growl-howl] isn’t such a fool that he’d attack a party of hyenas or even gnolls.
­heavily-armed adventurers — at least not by himself.
[Crouched across the chamber, barely perceptible in the
But he’s not by himself here: [Low growl] is next door in Area 4; shadow near the wall, is the hulking shape of a gnoll.
­hyenas and feral gnolls are in Area 1; and 5 ancestor skulls (see Even squatting on its haunches, you can see it’s taller,
­Appendix A) are perched around this chamber. [Growl-howl] tries bulkier, and more feral looking than other gnolls. Chains
to keep the characters talking while his minions creep into position are anchored to the wall, but you can’t see whether the
for a surprise attack. Even if they’ve befriended [growl-yip], the sha- creature’s wrists or ankles are shackled.]
man knows that if he kills the intruders in his own den, no one in the
The remains of a weird and unfamiliar machine are
clan will challenge the rightness of it. Better yet, that would make
pushed against the wall. It’s badly smashed, but you can
[growl-yip] look weak and further undermine her authority.
still see its construction is unlike anything you’ve seen
The books, writing implements, and laboratory gear were ­looted before. It was built entirely from seashells, shark leather,
from caravans crossing the Wasteland or taken from doomed fish bones, and other material from the sea. Whatever it
­travelers who fell into the gnolls’ clutches. [Growl-howl] speaks no did, it’s too badly mangled now to reveal much.
language but Gnoll, and he can’t read or write a word of anything
(there is no written form of Gnoll). The shaman believes the writings
have innate power that he might unlock if he stares at them long If he’s here, [low growl] isn’t shackled. The chains kept him restrained
enough. Around the corners of the chamber are books and scrolls during the first savage days of his existence, when he would have
torn to pieces in frustration when they refused to surrender their torn anyone apart and eaten them, including [growl-howl].
­secrets. All these items are too badly damaged by [growl-howl]’s
mishandling to be worth anything. Alternative Staging. If characters came here while [growl-howl] is
gone, [low growl] might be shackled to the wall — for his own pro-
The formula for making ancestor skulls is the only bit of real arcane tection (to keep him from wandering outside) as well as the safety
power [growl-howl] ever mastered. He pried the secret from a c­ aptive of the other gnolls and hyenas. Even shackled, he isn’t helpless.
necromancer through torture. The chains allow him to reach most of the chamber but not to leave
it. He’s wily enough to try to make intruders think the chains are
short so he can lure them into his reach. In that case, he’ll grapple
3. Hyena Nursery someone with one arm and try to keep them pinned while biting and
clawing with his free arm.
The machine is an airy water generator identical to the ones in the
West and South temples, except this one is smashed beyond repair.
Eight hyena cubs and one nursing female hyena appear to Characters can’t learn much from it because of its condition.
be the only occupants of this large but filthy pit.

Filth, bits of tattered cloth, and gnawed bones are the only things
here besides the eight hyena cubs and their hyena mother. The
mother fights if her cubs are attacked. Otherwise, they have lit-
tle interest in anything besides eating, sleeping, and tussling over
bones. Someone with proficiency in Animal Handling might be able
to raise a few cubs and train them to obey simple commands, but
they’ll never be “tamed” like a dog or cat.

East Temple 12
5. Nonfunctioning Portal
If characters study the lights for at least five minutes, they realize
the flickering always appears in a roughly circular area about eight
In the furthermost portion of an otherwise bare chamber, feet in diameter and a few inches from the rock wall. Players might
you see a dim, twinkling blue luminescence. The glow isn’t conclude on their own it’s a dead portal; if they want confirmation
steady or consistent but comes and goes. Even when it’s of that idea, a successful DC 11 Intelligence (Arcana) check provides
visible, the light is never more than a flicker — ­perhaps it. If they offer no ideas of their own but simply want the dice to do
it’s only the suggestion of light rather than actual illumi- all the work for them, a successful DC 18 Intelligence (Arcana) check
nation, a trick played by pressure on the eye. is needed. In neither case do they get any information about where
Otherwise, the chamber contains nothing but scattered this portal led. It’s entirely unusable in its current state.
rubbish: bones, bits of hide, seashells, and strings of Treasure. Characters who spend a few minutes poking through the
multi­colored pebbles. rubbish tossed around on the floor are rewarded with a coral and
pearl idol of Sekolah (250 gp), a dagger with a narwhal-tusk handle
(50 gp, but also a unique item of the sort people notice and comment
The flickering light is all that remains of a teleportal constructed by on), two small jars of aromatic ambergris (100 gp each), 1d3 potions
the sahuagin when the lake was filled with water. This portal con- of water breathing, and three intact necklaces made from fish bones
nected to Area 3 in the South Temple. It malfunctioned long ago, and pearls (250 gp each). A detect magic spell reveals extremely mild
and the sahuagin desiccants don’t have the know-how to put it back conjuration magic on the necklaces. They are keys that allow charac­
in working order. ters to use the functioning portals in the West and South temples.

West Temple
During the waning days of the sahuagin in the complex, the West l­ arger can fit through without a special ability for slipping through
Temple was used primarily for tormenting prisoners in ways that tight spaces.
would fill the ears of Seggolak with the pleasing sound of their
shrieks and cries for mercy. Some remnants of that function remain
as clues for the characters. A doorway is set into the sloping ground of the old
More importantly, the teleportal between this temple and the lakebed. The opening is roughly circular and about eight
South Temple still functions. It’s the only way to get into the South feet in diameter. Carvings in an obscure, unfamiliar style
­Temple short of tunneling through the massive stone seal blocking adorn the stone doorframe.
the entrance. Of greater immediate concern is the fact that sahuagin The door is made from a single, circular stone slab. Some-
desiccants use the portal to travel between the two temples, and time in the distant past, someone forced the massive door
some of them are present here and ready to ambush characters as open using wedges and levers. The door is slightly ajar
they ­explore. along the right side. The gap is narrow, but you probably
The entrance appears tightly sealed from a distance, but charac- can squeeze through into the inky darkness beyond.
ters who approach within 100 feet (40 feet if viewing in dim light)
see that, in fact, the seal is broken and the door is slightly cracked
open. A Small or Tiny creature can slip through with ease. It’s a The door can’t be opened any wider except with big levers (activity
tight squeeze but passable for Medium characters unless they’re that certainly would be noticed by the gnolls) or by someone with
in rigid armor such as plate; that needs to be stripped off and a Strength of at least 20. Several weaker characters, even working
passed through in pieces, then re-donned inside. Nothing Large or together, can’t budge it.

13 West Temple
1. Bulette’s Den A machine of a weird and unfamiliar type sits in this room.
Its construction is unlike anything you’ve seen, ­being
built from seashells, shark leather, fish bones; in fact,
everything in it appears to have come from the sea. The
The ceiling of this chamber is roughly hemispherical, machine is clearly operating; it hisses softly, plate-sized
but the floor is pitted with rubble-filled craters three or structures open and close slowly like bellows (or gills),
four feet in diameter. Crushed bones of desert gazelles, and turquoise mist wafts out of it.
­camels, and even gnolls are scattered across the area. The
chamber smells strongly of dust and rotting meat. Shelves and small tables laden with bowls, decanters, and
other containers are behind the machine.

This chamber and the smaller one directly west of it are occasionally
used by a roving bulette as a place to store half-eaten carcasses. It’s The bowls and decanters contain alchemical ingredients needed
best if the bulette isn’t present when the first characters arrive, so it by the machine. An alchemist can identify them, and their connec-
can burst in on them by surprise later. The bulette always tunnels tion to the machine should be fairly obvious to anyone. The airy
into the chamber from below, so its tunnels tend to fill in ­behind it, water concoction is unique to the sahuagin, so simply examining
for the most part. It never tunnels in through the ceiling lest that the ingredients and the machine doesn’t teach the alchemist how
cause the chamber to collapse. to make airy water or how to replicate the machine. That secret is
The bulette’s vicious jaws leave b­ ehind nothing that isn’t crushed known only to the sahuagin priests.
and twisted into junk, but you can include one or two small gems A black pudding lurks in the shadows around the corners of the
or durable magic items such as rings or brooches if the characters room. It attacks when characters are distracted examining the
need some bolstering with minor ­magic. Nothing of significant value ­machine and the ingredients.
should be here, though.
Treasure. The alchemical ingredients are worth 50 gp to an ­alchemist.

2. Empty Chamber 4. Torture Chamber

Seggolak thirsts for blood, and the sahuagin have always done their
best to sate their deity’s worst aspects. Ages ago, when the lake and
This chamber is empty except for clouds of pale, blue mist rivers brimmed with water and the Wasteland saw many travelers,
that roll out of the tunnel in the opposite wall. That tunnel that was easy. Now the travelers are gone, and the sahuagin are
slopes sharply upward to the east. The blue mist carries a reluctant to kidnap sacrifices from among the gnolls lest they stir the
strong smell of the sea, and it produces a distinctly heavy, clan to anger. Now Seggolak’s altars seldom taste blood more often
unpleasant feeling in your chest when you get a lungful than once every year or two. Adventurers creeping into the sanctum
of it. aren’t simply intruders; they’re an opportunity.

Characters don’t need to make Constitution saving throws when The mist is thicker here, but through it you can see this
they enter this chamber, but it’s probably their introduction to airy chamber is different from any you’ve entered so far.
water. Be sure they understand the fumes are unpleasant to breathe The walls, ceiling, and floor are all decorated, either with
but don’t liken them to drowning — yet. ­mosaics of multicolored stones and shells or with deep
etchings in the stone. The carvings and inlays appear to
tell a story, but the artistic symbols and abstractions are
3. Fume Generator so alien that interpreting it may be impossible. Two things
stand out: images of humans and humanoids being
­savaged by fish-like creatures, and images of immense
The fumes of airy water that allow the sahuagin desiccants to sharks that loom over every scene.
breathe in this sere environment are generated here by an alchem- There’s no mistaking, however, the shattered furniture
ical machine. Because this chamber is higher than most other parts that remains here. Aside from a few containers made
of the temple, the air here is generally clear and breathable; all the from crab and lobster shell, and jars of obviously human
fumes flow down into Areas 2, 4, 5, and 6. manu­facture, everything else is implements of torture.
The machine can easily be wrecked; all it takes is characters declar-
ing their intention to do so. Once its crystal tubes and seashell com-
ponents are smashed, fumes stop drifting out of the machine. It still A character with proficiency in Investigation or Nature, or a dwarf with
takes 48 hours for the airy water already in the temple to evaporate to Stonecunning, who examines the etchings in the stone recognizes
the point where land creatures can breathe normally in these tunnels. that they were made with powerful acid like that of a black pudding.
15 West Temple
The etchings and mosaics portray the history of the temple from about half the party enters the chamber, with an eye toward sur-
its earliest days until a few years after the lake dried up. A char­ rounding and overwhelming that group quickly.
acter who spends at least 10 minutes studying the art and makes The first thing that happens when the ambush is sprung is that two
a ­successful DC 13 Intelligence (History) check learns the following: sahuagin desiccants use bonus actions to smash large jugs of airy
‹ The lake was an important religious site to the sahuagin, who water. This dramatically increases the density of airy water in the
worshipped a shark-like figure with immense appetite and anger; chamber, with the following effects:
‹ Three temples were excavated from natural underwater caves ‹ Air-breathing creatures that are in the room when the jugs are
around the lake; smashed must make another DC 15 Constitution saving throw
‹ The sahuagin raided the surrounding territory for loot and sacri­ against its effect, the same as if they’d just descended into a lower
ficial victims; room. Air-breathing creatures that enter the chamber for the
first time after the jugs are smashed make this saving throw with
‹ When the lake dried up, most of the sahuagin retreated to the sea, disadvantage.
but a handful of zealous temple guards remained behind;
‹ Creatures can swim through the air. The sahuagins’ swim speed
‹ The guards who remained submitted to horrific, magical alterations gives them a distinct advantage here. Characters can also swim
to their bodies so they could live in the now waterless lake. through the airy water, but those without a swim speed do so at
Any character with proficiency in Religion knows the sahuagins’ half their normal speed.
deity is Seggolak (or Theko-a-hala), a monstrous shark that’s drawn ‹ It effectively turns this encounter into an underwater combat (see
to blood and that devours any animal it can catch in the water, “Underwater Combat” in the standard rules), with all the standard
including sahuagin. Seggolak worshippers are known to force their penalties on underwater weapon attacks.
victims to drink potions of water breathing so they won’t drown
before they can be slowly bled to death — or eaten alive. ‹ Breathing here is painful but characters can
still do it, subject to any penalties imposed on
Treasure. Among the clay jars and oddly shaped containers made them by failed Constitution saving throws.
from crustacean shells, characters can find 1d4 +1 potions of water
breathing. The three intact crustacean containers are unusual ‹ Airy water activates the corrosive salt
enough to be worth 250 gp each to a collector of oddities or aquatic previously scattered across the floor by the
art. Unfortunately, they’re quite fragile. Unless special steps are sahuagin. Any creature that starts its turn in
taken to protect them (i.e., if they’re just tossed into someone’s contact with the floor takes 1d6 acid damage.
pack), roll 1d6 for each shell container at the end of the adventure; This won’t be much more than a nuisance to
on a roll of 1–4, it’s trashed. characters — until they’re reduced to 0 hit
points and sink to the floor, at which point
the damage causes them to automatically fail
5. Sahuagin Ambush one death saving throw at the start of each of
their turns.

This chamber’s original purpose no longer matters. Several sahuagin Potions of water breathing allow characters to
avoid penalties from breathing airy water but
desiccants are here. They weren’t aware of the characters’ presence
don’t give characters a swim speed or remove
at the dried-up lake until moments ago, but they quickly prepare to
the penalties for underwater combat. If char-
ambush the intruders.
acters are already weakened by failed saving
throws against airy water, this is a poten-
tially lethal encounter; doubly so because the
Drifting vapor is thick in this chamber; at a glance, it’s sahuagin pursue intruders all the way back to
difficult to see how large the area is. The walls, ceiling, the entrance. Outside this chamber, however,
and floor are rough and irregular, making movement swimming through the air isn’t possible for
awkward. The floor is covered in a layer of what looks like anyone and standard combat rules prevail, not
coarse salt. A smell of salt, stale water, and dried fish fills underwater combat.
your nostrils.
If the battle turns decidedly against the
sahuagin, the last survivors might retreat into
The entire area is difficult terrain for movement on foot. Objects more Area 6 and escape through the portal to the
than 15 feet away are obscured by the vapors of airy water. They can South Temple. In that case, sahuagin in the
be glimpsed as the vapors drift and part momentarily, but the whole South Temple are alerted, making that area
area should be considered no more than dimly illuminated no mat- more dangerous for intruders.
ter what sort of light source the characters have. Treasure. Each of the sahuagin desiccants
The room contains sahuagin desiccants equal in number to the wears a necklace made of fishbones and pearls
characters. They’re spread throughout the chamber, lurking in that acts as a key for the portal in Area 6. The
niches and around corners. They try to launch their attack when fragile articles may be damaged during the
West Temple 16
battle. Roll any die for each sahuagin desiccant killed in the fight-
ing; on an odd result, its necklace is destroyed. Detect magic reveals
weak conjuration magic on the necklaces. The first thing to grab your attention in this irregular,
natural cavern is a circle of shimmering, pearlescent light.
The circle is eight feet in diameter. It floats a foot above
the floor with a gap as wide as a hand between it and the
6. South Temple Portal southern wall. The object glows faintly in shades of ivory,
soft gray, and milky white that slowly migrate and swirl
across the surface without ever mingling.
The only functioning portal into the South Temple is in this chamber.
Elsewhere in the chamber are a few containers made of
The circle of light is a magical portal that leads directly to Area 1 in abalone, bone, and clay, but no furniture.
the South Temple. The portal works only for a creature that’s wear-
ing a fishbone necklace/portal key. Necklace/keys can be found
here, in Area 5, and in the East Temple. A creature that touches the
shimmering light while wearing a necklace/key instantly teleports and you teleport. On the other hand, to creatures without a neck-
to a space adjacent to the portal in Area 1 of the South Temple. lace/key, the portal is nothing but a disk of shimmering lumines-
“Testing the water” by extending a hand through the portal, or only cence. They can touch it, reach through it, or even step through it,
poking your head through, is impossible; touch the light in any way and nothing happens at all.
The portals work in both directions. Characters in Area 1 of the one potion, if you prefer), two fishbone-and-
South Temple can return here by touching that portal while wearing pearl necklaces/portal keys, a few ­humanoid
a necklace/key. skulls and various other trophy bones,
Treasure. The containers in this chamber hold a total of 1d3 +2 and ­the ­mermaid’s caress (see
potions of water breathing (or enough to provide each character with Appendix A).

South Temple
The layout of this chamber is somewhat like a swimming pool. The
A doorway is set into the sloping ground of the old north side where characters arrive is the shallow end. The floor
lakebed. The opening is roughly circular and about eight slopes downward sharply toward the south end of the room. The
feet in diameter. Carvings in an obscure, unfamiliar style airy water vapor conceals the slopes, so characters might stumble
adorn the stone doorframe. when they step off the first ramp. That alone doesn’t present any
The door is made from a single, circular stone slab of danger so no saving throw is needed, but characters should realize
that if they continue walking toward the south, they’ll soon be com-
­unknown thickness. The slab is cemented into place. If it
pletely enveloped in the turquoise mist.
was ever meant to open, it certainly doesn’t anymore.

You’re in a chamber that resembles a natural cavern, but

The entrance is tightly sealed, exactly as the sahuagin shut it up the dimensions are a little too regular for it to be com-
when the lake dried out. Nothing has gone in or out through this pletely natural. Pale, turquoise mist wafts through the air.
doorway for centuries. A dwarf with Stonecunning or any character The vapor is thin near you, but it becomes much thicker
with a mining background can tell this doorway won’t be opened toward the opposite end of the chamber.
without days of excavation.
Airy Water Fumes. Because this temple is the primary sanctuary
and home of the sahuagin desiccants, airy water is denser here than The characters aren’t alone here. Swimming through the mist are
5 desiccated reef sharks and 1 desiccated hunter shark. These
in the West Temple. Its effects on breathing are the same as else-
are identical to standard reef sharks and hunter sharks except they
where, but the drifting vapor in this temple limits visibility to 15 feet.
can swim and breathe in any amount of airy water the same as if
Unless noted otherwise, anything more than 15 feet from a viewer they’re underwater. From the top of the first ramp to the south wall,
should be considered invisible. Also, any creature with a swim speed the chamber is heavily obscured by airy water. Creatures can see
can swim through the air everywhere in this temple. Creatures that other creatures within five feet of themselves but are blind beyond
know how to swim but don’t have a specified swim speed (i.e., most that distance. In addition to hindering ranged attacks, wizards can’t
characters) can’t do this. sculpt fireballs and other spells around allies they can’t see.
The Abyss. Running through the temple is a deep crevasse that The south end of the chamber opens into the abyss. Characters
cleaved it apart long ago. At any given point, the abyss is (1d6 +7) exploring this area are effectively blinded by the dense airy water.
x 10 feet deep. It’s completely filled with airy water that makes it If the lead character probes ahead with a pole or similar tool, they
impossible to see the bottom (or more than the uppermost 10 feet, find the edge automatically. Otherwise, the first character to explore
really). The thick airy water in the crevasse makes this a comfort- along the south wall must make a successful DC 13 Dexterity ­saving
able place for desiccated creatures. All the sahuagin desiccants in throw or slip over the edge and fall to the bottom of the abyss.
this temple are resting along the bottom of this abyss when char- A character with passive Perception of 16 or higher makes this
acters enter the temple. Anything that can swim through airy water ­saving throw with advantage.
can travel along the crevasse from chamber to chamber; it’s the The lowest level of this chamber (adjacent to the chasm) is at the
sahuagins’ preferred route for getting around. same level as Area 7 in case anyone tries to jump across.

1. West Temple Portal 2. Fume Generator

The only practical way into this temple is through the portal at The fumes of airy water flooding this temple are generated by
Area 6 in the West Temple. Characters who travel through that portal an alchemical machine here. If characters have already seen the
appear here, about five feet in front (south) of the shimmering disk in ­identical machine in the West Temple, simply tell them this one’s
this chamber, which is identical to the one in the West Temple. the same and skip the first read-aloud paragraph.
South Temple 18
 matter how much mercy characters offer or agony they threaten, the
A machine of a weird and unfamiliar type sits in this room. sahuagin won’t betray its duty to protect the temple.
Its construction is unlike anything you’ve seen, ­being Characters can still learn from this encounter if they choose to do
built from seashells, shark leather, fish bones; in fact, so. The only desiccants they’ve encountered so far were dead by the
everything in it appears to have come from the sea. The time characters could examine them. Characters with Medicine or
machine is clearly operating; it hisses softly, plate-sized Nature proficiency might be able to glean useful information; reward
structures open and close slowly like bellows (or gills), cleverness on their part. And the creature might reveal tidbits about
and pale, turquoise mist wafts out of it. the temple unwillingly to characters who can read its mind or who
Behind the machine, the back wall of the chamber has kill it and cast speak with dead (it probably would lie in the latter
fallen away. Beyond it, the floor plunges into a mist- case, but even that can be informative). Finally, this sort of situa-
filled abyss. tion can be a useful barometer for characters’ true alignments. If
this is an ongoing campaign, make note of anyone whose actions
are unjustifiably vicious.
The machine is delicate and can easily be wrecked; all it takes is The portal here looks identical to those in Area 1 and in the West
characters declaring their intention to do so. Once its fragile crystal Temple, but nothing happens when characters touch it. The corres­
tubes and seashell components are smashed, fumes stop drifting ponding portal in the East Temple no longer functions, so this one
out of the machine. It still takes 48 hours for the airy water already has no destination to connect to.
in the temple to evaporate to the point where land creatures can The murals are faded but some information can be gleaned from
breathe normally in these tunnels. them. First, underwater painting is highly impractical, so the paint-
ings must have been made after the lake dried out. Second, the ­colors
are badly faded, indicating significant age. Third, the pictures are
3. East Temple Portal poorly drawn, as if they were done by creatures unfamiliar with the
medium. Fourth, they appear to show a great eel or snake devouring
tiny humanoids. With a successful DC 13 Intelligence (Nature) check,
a character realizes the creature is not an eel or snake; it’s meant to
portray a gigantic purple worm bursting up through the dry lakebed
A circle of pearlescent light shimmers near the wall. and devouring humans or similar beings.
The circle is eight feet in diameter. It floats a foot above
the floor with a gap as wide as a hand between it and the
wall. The object glows faintly in shades of ivory, soft gray,
and milky white that slowly migrate and swirl across the
­surface without ever mingling.
4. Fishbone Bridge
One of the desiccated fish-creatures lies on the floor. Its
A 20-foot-long bridge made from fish bones, similar in construction
gills flutter irregularly, and it moans as if in pain. It is
to a rope bridge, connects Areas 4 and 8.
even more emaciated and sticklike than others of its kind
you’ve seen.
The walls are decorated with murals, but they’re badly
faded. At some point in the distant past, this cavern was riven
by a deep chasm. A bridge — if you can call it that —
­stretches across the chasm. The bridge appears to be
made from fish bones loosely woven into slender ropes
The sahuagin desiccant is dying. If a sahuagin fled through the and lattices that look too delicate to support much weight.
portal from the fight in the West Temple, this could be it. Otherwise,
it’s simply reached the end of its artificially drawn-out lifespan and You can see about 15 feet of the bridge. It’s clearly longer
its comrades dumped it here to await its death. In game terms, the than that, but the ever-present drifting turquoise mist
sahuagin has 5 hit points, 5 levels of exhaustion, and it loses 1 hit conceals whatever lies beyond that distance.
point per hour until it dies. At this stage, magical healing only pro-
longs its suffering but does not reduce it unless characters somehow
bring down its levels of exhaustion, too. The bridge looks too fragile to use, but it’s stronger than it appears.
The sahuagin is conscious, but it has no reason or desire to coop- It can support one creature at a time. As each creature crosses, the
erate with intruders. If characters can communicate with it, the creature must make a DC 12 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. Nothing
creature only curses them between groans of pain. It is a zealot; no happens if the check succeeds. If the check fails, however, pieces

South Temple 20
of the bridge break loose and fall into the crevasse, and the DC The skull pyramids are infested with swarms of desiccated
increases by 2 for subsequent crossings. If the DC reaches 16 and ­quippers. These are identical to standard quipper swarms, but they
another creature fails after that, the bridge and the creature on it fall can breathe and swim in any amount of airy water the same as if
into the crevasse. they’re underwater. The quippers attack if characters try to demo­
If more than one creature tries to cross at once, the bridge collapses lish a skull pyramid or knock it apart, or if characters use the winch
automatically and dumps everyone on it into the crevasse. in Area 7 to raise the reliquary from the pit.
The floor of Area 8 is about six feet lower than the floor of Area 3. One swarm per character is a relatively easy encounter. Two swarms
The bridge sags and stretches alarmingly if a character steps onto per character is potentially deadly. A good approach is to start small
the northern half; moving on that portion is more like using a rope and feed another swarm into the fight every round until characters
ladder than a bridge. are near breaking. Stage the fight in a manner suitable to your group
and their situation.
Jumping across a 20-foot crevasse is normally impossible for all
but superhumanly strong characters (Strength 20+), but the height
­difference makes this leap doable from north to south for characters
with Strength 16 or higher. Jumping from south to north requires
Strength 25+. The far ledge can’t be seen from either side, how-
7. Winch Room
ever, because of airy water fumes filling the cavern. No one knows
where the bridge leads until someone crosses it or risks the choking The sole purpose of this room is to house the mechanism that raises
­cor­ridor to the west. and lowers the reliquary from the pit.

This room is empty except for a large wheel mounted

5. Choking Corridor against the wall. A black, corroded chain hangs down
from the ceiling, loops around the wheel’s axle, and runs
back up into the ceiling.
This narrow corridor descends sharply, and the low point is thick
with airy water. Three DC 15 Constitution saving throws against
airy water must be made to traverse this corridor; that alone makes
it dangerous. The wheel is protected by a glyph of warding placed on it by the des-
iccant priestess. It can be spotted with a successful DC 13 Intelligence
Once someone explores the corridor, characters following behind (Investigation) check. The glyph detonates when the wheel is turned
might decide to hold their breath and dash through. This is actually unless the creature first intones the phrase “Praise to Thly-ta” in
a good plan; it eliminates two of the three saving throws. One must Sahuagin. If the glyph detonates, every creature within 20 feet of the
be made regardless because Area 6 is lower than Area 3. wheel takes 22 (5d8) cold damage, or half as much damage with a
Creatures under the effect of a potion of water breathing don’t need successful DC 13 Dexterity saving throw.
to worry about any of this, as usual. Turning the wheel in either direction raises the reliquary from the
pit. No special amount of strength is needed to turn the wheel, but
it takes many rotations — at least a minute of turning — to lift the

6. Skull Pyramids reliquary clear of the pit.

A few moments after someone turns the wheel (and after the glyph
detonates), a tremor shakes the entire temple. Dust and gravel fall
These two chambers are the sahuagin desiccants’ “fishing grounds.” from the ceiling. No matter how stealthy characters were up to this
They survive by eating the creatures that live here. point, everything in the temple knows intruders are inside the winch
room. What’s worse, the purple worm awakens. Its movement
underground causes continuing tremors every minute or two until
The only features of interest here are piles of skulls. The characters leave the temple and face it.
smallest is only three feet high, but the largest rises seven
feet. The skulls are of many types: human, dwarf, and elf,
but also gnoll, goblin, bugbear, sahuagin, and stranger
creatures you can’t identify.

21 South Temple
8. Reliquary If the casket was raised from the pit or if characters have done any-
thing else to alert the sahuagin desiccants, they swarm up from the
This sanctum was the reason why the sahuagin chose to maintain crevasse and attack while characters are here. From the crevasse,
the temple after the lake dried out. they can reach any part of the temple and attack from any direction.
If characters enter here before visiting Area 7, read the paragraph The attackers consist of 1 sahuagin desiccant baron, 1 sahuagin
labeled “A.” If characters enter here after operating the winch in desiccant priestess, and 1 or 2 sahuagin desiccants per character
Area 7, read the paragraph labeled “B.” (see Appendix A for creatures stats). Against a small party, fewer
sahuagin desiccants are needed. Against a large party (five or more
characters), add a few extra desiccants to keep the fight challenging.
This chamber forms a natural dome. You can see the apex The sahuagin make good use of their ability to swim through the air
60 feet overhead where the drifting fumes are thin. during this battle. They don’t “land” to fight on foot unless they’re
At the center of the chamber, the floor falls into a forced to do so.
40-foot-diameter pit. Inside it, you see only fumes and A monstrous black pudding dwells in the pit. It uses the standard
oily blackness. black pudding stat block but with the following changes.
A. A heavy, blackened chain extends from the pit to a pul- ‹ Its size is Gargantuan.
ley mechanism mounted to the ceiling. From there, the
‹ It has 135 (10d20 +30) hit points.
chain crosses the ceiling and disappears through a hole
in the cavern wall. The chain is taut, as if a heavy weight ‹ Its corrosive form does 6 (1d12) acid damage.

hangs from its bottom. ‹ Its pseudopod attack is +7 to hit, reach 10 feet. A hit does

B. A heavy, blackened chain hangs down from the ceiling. 8 (1d10 +3) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d8) acid damage.
An iron casket is secured at its end. Thick, black, glisten- Its corrosive effect against nonmagical armor is unchanged.
ing liquid drips from the box into the pit. ‹ It is Challenge 6 (2,300 XP).
The black pudding is dormant until it’s disturbed. It awakens when Inside are the disarticulated bones of a Large, four-armed sahuagin
the casket is winched out of it, but that isn’t enough to make it and two bundles wrapped in layers of sharkskin.
angry. It gets angry enough to attack if anything falls or is dropped Inside one bundle are 130 pp +1,900 gp; a potion of diminution and
into the pit (including dead sahuagins) or if the lightning glyph on a bead of force; and a gold bracelet, a mother-of-pearl brooch, a
the casket is triggered. disturbing statuette of a hideous shark-like creature carved from a
The iron casket suspended from the chain is four feet long, three feet massive shark’s tooth, and a knife made from multicolored volcanic
wide, and two feet deep. It’s decorated with carvings that resem- glass (250 gp each). Substitute your own Level 5 treasure hoard if
ble those around the entrances to the three temples, although that you prefer.
won’t be immediately obvious because of the thick layer of black Inside the other bundle are a bronze trident and a breastplate made
pudding ooze covering it. Getting the casket to the edge of the pit is a of scaly leather. Both items are magical. The trident was made to be
challenge. Characters might manage to swing the casket to the edge used by a Large creature (the dead sahuagin baron), so it’s heavier
of the pit while they lower it carefully (using the winch in Area 7). than a standard trident, but the handle is shorter than usual, being
Until the ooze is cleared off, anyone or anything touching it takes 4 only about three feet long. The trident is Thly-ta’s talon and the
(1d8) acid damage per round. A normal rope has just 2 hit points, so ­girdle is a kraken scale cincture (see Appendix A). For the final con-
characters need to get creative to retrieve the iron box. Note that the frontation against the purple worm, characters have the best chance
casket and chain are protected against the black pudding’s acid by to survive if one character is outfitted with both items, but it’s up to
ancient sahuagin magic. you whether to drop hints in that direction (or even to tell players
Besides the coating of black pudding, the casket is also protected outright).
by a glyph of warding (DC 14) etched inside the lid (one of the large As characters work toward opening the casket and/or fighting the
sides), making it impossible to spot from the outside. The glyph trig- black pudding, don’t forget to remind them occasionally about the
gers when the casket is opened, doing 22 (5d8) lightning damage ground tremors they feel. They won’t know what’s causing the trem-
to every creature within 20 feet of the box. If a character is hanging ors (unless you’re so cruel that you’ve thrown a purple worm at them
onto the box over the pit when the glyph is triggered, that character before), but they do know the tremors started when they winched
must make a successful DC 13 Strength saving throw or lose their the casket up from the pit.
grip and fall into the pit (and into the black ooze, if it’s still there).
The only way to leave the temple, other than by spending a few
Treasure. The casket is an ossuary for a long-dead sahuagin hero- days tunnelling through the sealed doorway, is to return to the West
baron called Thly-ta and a reliquary for Thly-ta’s mythic treasure. Temple via the portal in Area 1.

Purple Worm
When Thly-ta’s casket is winched up from the black pudding-filled The characters emerge straight into a ferocious battle between the
pit, the ultimate guardian of Thly-ta’s bones awakens: a purple purple worm and the entire gnoll clan. The fight is happening right
worm that’s slumbered beneath the sand and gravel of the lakebed outside the entrance to the West Temple, so there’s no easy way to
since the sahuagin desiccants ensorcelled it long ago. It’s what avoid it.
causes the tremors character feel, and it’s likely to be the deadliest To actually defeat the purple worm, the characters’ only chance
threat they’ve faced so far — or will face for some time to come. lies in equipping their best fighter with Thly-ta’s relics so that hero
As soon as the worm awakes and starts moving underground, the can be voluntarily swallowed by the purple worm and kill the mon­
gnolls know something is horribly wrong. If characters interacted strosity from the inside. It’s risky but about as heroic as heroic can
with the clan or if the gnolls found signs of intruders sneaking be. If characters try to hang back from the fight or skirt around the
around, then [growl-howl] whips the clan into a homicidal frenzy edges and escape, the purple worm homes in on whoever has Thly-
toward the outsiders who’ve obviously stirred up some ancient evil ta’s armor and trident. Even if all the sahuagin desiccants are dead,
against the clan. the worm is still under an enchantment to prevent anyone from
Exactly how you stage this final encounter is up to you. Several ­carrying off those sacred treasures. A character doesn’t need to wear
options are outlined below. the armor or wield the trident to be the worm’s target; simply ­having
them among their possessions is enough. But using those items
against the worm is about the characters’ only hope in this situation.
Mega-Battle See “Gnolls vs. the Purple Worm” for advice on how to handle this
battle mechanically.
If characters jump into the fight and the worm is defeated thanks
This is a great choice if someone has already elected to don the
to their intervention, then any transgressions against the clan by
kraken scale cincture and to wield Thly-ta’s talon.
23 Purple Worm
the characters, real or imagined, are forgiven and forgotten. They characters do something recklessly foolish at that point, the worm
become heroes to the gnolls and are welcomed into the clan (as hon- doesn’t bother them again.
orary members; they don’t have full rights, such as the right to chal- If the gnolls battling the worm don’t see the characters discard the
lenge for leadership). Note that honorary membership in one gnoll items before the worm devours them, then the creatures decide
clan doesn’t necessarily give them a pass with any other clan. Gnolls the monster fled because it was frightened of the characters.
hate rival clans only slightly less than they hate outsiders. But it They’re grateful, and any offenses the characters committed earlier
does let characters live in the gnoll camp “rent free” and be treated are forgiven.
like real members of the clan. This has pros and cons; as clan mem-
bers, characters are also subject to all the bullying, bloody practical If the gnolls see the characters discard the items and the worm’s
jokes, and tremendously hard work and difficult living conditions reaction, they realize the characters triggered the problem in the
gnolls endure without questioning. If characters go down this path, first place. This causes a rift in the clan. Some gnolls led by [growl-
they could even accompany a gnoll raiding party or a war band out howl] and [growl-growl-pant] want to kill the characters imme-
to settle a score with a rival clan! diately. Others, led by [growl-yip] and [howl-yip-yip-yip], realize
that while the characters caused this problem, they also solved it

Delay by making a significant sacrifice. This argument quickly escalates

into vicious fighting between the two groups. Characters won’t be
safe until [growl-howl’s] faction (including [low growl]) is defeated.
If characters are confident they’ve killed all the threats inside the See “Gnolls vs. the Purple Worm” for advice on how to handle this
South Temple, they might decide to take a short rest there, or even battle mechanically.
a long rest. After dealing with the sahuagin desiccants, a black pud- If characters somehow manage to get away from the lake with
ding, and the glyph of warding, they’re likely to need a rest, and they the magic items and without killing the purple worm — by using a
probably think they’ve already fought the climactic battle of the ­teleport scroll, for example — the worm still follows them. It tracks
adventure. the items wherever they go, leaving destruction and terror in its
If characters take a short rest, the tremors become more frequent wake, until it’s killed or it reclaims the stolen treasures.
and more intense as the hour goes by. When characters finally
emerge from the temple, you can stage the final battle the same as if
they’d come out immediately. Just assume the purple worm needed Gnolls vs.
most of that time to fully awaken from centuries of slumber and to
recover its strength and its wits. the Purple Worm
Trying to take a long rest, however, is a whole ’nother kettle of fish.
The purple worm won’t wait that long to pursue the defilers of the When characters emerge from the temple, they’re likely to wade into
temple. In that case, the tremors grow in strength and frequency until a three-way battle between themselves, the gnolls, and the purple
an hour into the characters’ rest. Then the purple worm homes in on worm. You can fight it out using standard combat rules if you want,
whoever has the breastplate or the trident. A sealed entrance is no but it’ll be a slog. Consider using these simplified rules to speed
obstacle to the worm; it can tunnel directly into the temple as easily things up.
as it tunnels anywhere else. If anything, characters facing the worm Don’t bother with initiative. Every round follows this sequence.
in the South Temple are even worse off than they’d be out on the dry
lakebed, where at least they’d have some help from the gnolls. ‹ The purple worm takes its turn.
If you’re feeling benevolent, you can allow the characters to convert ‹ Characters all take their turns.
their one-hour rest into a short rest just before the worm attacks so ‹ Gnolls take their turn.
they’re not caught completely with their pants around their ankles.
All attacks against characters and by characters are resolved as nor-
On the other hand, they were warned that a purple worm was in
mal. Keep the focus on the characters.
the neighborhood. If you run a game where characters ignore such
warnings at their peril, this may be the time to impose some conse- If the purple worm attacks the gnolls, it kills any two of your choos-
quences for lackadaisical adventuring. ing per round. On many of its turns, the purple worm should be able
to burst through the ground, kill one or two gnolls, and immediately
disappear again underground to avoid counterattacks. The sandy,
Evade gravelly lake bottom quickly collapses into the worm’s tunnels and
refills them so nothing can follow it down. This same tactic works
against characters, too, although the worm might suffer an oppor-
The purple worm is magically drawn to Thly-ta’s talon and the tunity attack from a target it doesn’t swallow.
kraken scale cincture. Characters can’t escape the worm as long as For every gnoll that attacks the purple worm, the worm takes
they have either of those items in their possession. 2 points of damage automatically. A pack lord does 6 damage, and
The only way to escape on foot without battling the purple worm is a fang does 9 damage (per round; that’s a total for all their attacks).
to abandon both magical treasures. The worm quickly zeroes in on Exactly how many gnolls can attack the purple worm depends on
them and swallows both, then tunnels deep into the earth. Unless how much of it you decide to leave aboveground.
Purple Worm 24
If fighting breaks out between factions within the clan, here’s how Quick Gnoll Combat
to resolve it without tracking individual gnolls’ hit points. Roll
1d20 with no modifiers for each attack and consult the Quick Gnoll Target
Combat table. If a roll equals or exceeds the listed number, the tar- Attacker # of attacks Gnoll Pack leader Fang
get gnoll is killed. Pack lords and fangs get two and three attacks
respectively, so they have the potential to kill multiple targets in a Gnoll 1 18 20 20*
single turn. A lone gnoll can’t kill a fang by itself; only when two Pack leader 2 17 18 19
gnolls team up to make a single attack do they have a chance to kill Fang 3 16 18 20
a fang. The same numbers apply to both melee and ranged attacks.
(These numbers don’t represent “one-shot kills.” They assume * Make one roll per two attacking gnolls.
gnolls accumulate damage throughout the fight. When one is killed,
Alternative Approach. If you’re willing to roll more dice and do
the attacker just landed the final blow.)
more math during gnoll-vs.-gnoll fighting, you can instead roll the
For speed of play, you should roll many attacks at once. For example, gnolls’ attacks and damage normally. Roll multiple attacks at once
if the camp breaks into 25 gnolls battling 15 gnolls, grab five d20s as above and tally all the damage against each side in a single total.
and roll them five times for the larger group and three times for the For every 22 points accumulated, one gnoll is killed. Pack lords are
smaller group. Every 18, 19, and 20 kills one of the opposing gnolls. the last to go down unless the characters or the purple worm take
All fighting within the gnolls’ turn is simultaneous, so casualties them out before then. This method is noticeably slower than the
aren’t removed until the end of the turn. Doing it this way, you can abstract approach because it involves arithmetic and much more
resolve the effect of 40 battling gnolls in just a few seconds. dice rolling, but that’s an acceptable tradeoff for certain types of
If characters ally with one of the factions, you can let players roll the detail-oriented players.
dice for that side’s attacks. Don’t let them drag things out by rolling
one at a time! A large battle like this is best handled with fistfuls
of dice.

Wrapping Up
How things end in the dried lakebed depends on how characters are likely to lose interest once it becomes apparent that they aren’t
deal with the situation. It’s entirely possible it could end with all the going to catch their prey quickly. They see the characters off with a
characters dead if they blunder unprepared into a battle against the few parting bow shots at their backs and many insults and howls
purple worm. It could just as easily end with the purple worm dead, of laughter.
the characters in possession of the sahuagins’ treasure, and with a If characters managed to avoid the gnolls’ notice until now,
sizable clan of gnolls grateful to them. then you might be able to introduce the clan’s politics at this point,
If the battle goes sideways and a TPK (total party kill) seems inevi- assuming enough gnolls survive to make it worthwhile. Being as
table, remember that characters always have a sure-fire way to save Chaotic as they are, gnolls don’t mind someone who switches sides
themselves: All they need to do is toss Thly-ta’s two magical relics in the midst of a fight. All they really care about is which side you’re
to the purple worm, and that problem disappears. If they greedily on at the end and whether you’re covered in blood and gore from
insist on keeping everything, then if the worm swallows the charac- your enemies. If characters fight well and help defeat the purple
ter(s) with the items and they die in the worm’s gut, the worm leaves worm, surviving gnolls should welcome them into the clan for a few
and the problem is again solved with at least most of the party sur- days (but see the preceding note about the fleeting nature of the
viving. Greed will kill the characters more assuredly than anything gnolls’ gratitude).
else in this final confrontation. If characters supported the win- If only a handful of gnolls survive, then the clan is effectively
ning faction in the interclan rivalry, then whoever now controls the wiped out. The few remaining are slaughtered in their first run-in
clan owes a debt of gratitude to the outsiders. The gnolls’ gratitude with a rival clan. With resigned fatalism, they quickly gather up the
is notoriously short-lived, so characters should take the opportunity bare necessities for survival in the Wasteland and start trekking
to leave while the gnolls still have generous feelings toward them. toward the nearest maze of canyons, where they hope to evade their
In a day or two, the characters will look like just another potential enemies until longer winter nights improve their chances. The char-
meal again. acters might be tempted to feel sorry for them, but remember that
If characters backed the losing faction, then they need to get these are gnolls, some of the cruelest, bloodthirstiest, most merci-
away as fast as possible. The victorious gnolls pursue them into less humanoids in the world. Whether they deserve this fate is not
the Wasteland. This chase can be as long and as desperate as you for mortals to judge; they’ve inflicted far worse on countless others.
care to make it (and think the characters can endure), but the gnolls

25 Wrapping Up
Appendix A:
Creatures and Items
New creatures and magic items appearing in Lake of Dust are detailed in this appendix.

Ancestor Skulls
Although [growl-howl] is not a spellcaster, he
learned the secret of animating skulls by torturing a
necromancer who was captured from a caravan. These
undead creations are fierce guardians and little else.

Ancestor Skull
Tiny undead, neutral evil

Armor Class 12
Hit Points 24 (7d4 +7)
Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
1 (-5) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 3 (-4) 10 (+0) 7 (-2)
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +4
Damage Resistances necrotic, piercing
Damage Immunities cold, fire, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened,
paralyzed, poisoned, prone
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Gnoll
Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Illumination. The ancestor skull sheds dim light in

a five-foot radius.
Magic Resistance. The ancestor skull has advantage
on saving throws against spells and other magical
effects.
Rampage. When the ancestor skull reduces a
creature to 0 hit points on its turn, the skull can
take a bonus action to move up to half its speed
and make a bite attack.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 4 (1d4 +2) piercing damage.
Sapping Ray. Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit, range 30 ft.,
one target. Hit: 9 (2d8) cold damage.

Appendix A: Creatures and Items 26

Sahuagin Desiccants
All descendants of the sahuagin still living in the temple complex
are vastly different from their aquatic ancestors. They transformed Desiccant Priestess
themselves into creatures that can survive in the arid conditions of Medium humanoid (sahuagin), lawful evil
the Wasteland by magically melding attributes from captured dust
mephits into their own bodies. The largest of the desiccants — the Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
four-armed baron — is so magically infused with the essence of dust Hit Points 45 (7d8 +14)
mephits that its bite and claws turn a creature’s blood to dust. Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft.
Characters are unlikely to ever have seen creatures like desiccants
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
before, so they shouldn’t realize what they’re fighting until they puz-
zle it out for themselves. The desiccants’ origin as descendants of 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 11 (+0)
sahuagin can be figured out by someone who studies one for at least Skills Perception +5, Religion +3
five minutes and makes a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check. Damage Immunities poison
This study is likely to be done on a corpse, as no living desiccant will Condition Immunities poisoned
cooperate with intruders in the temples. If characters do study a live, Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14
incapacitated desiccant (such as the one in the South Temple), they Languages Sahuagin, telepathy 60 ft.
have advantage on the Medicine check. (with desiccants only)
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Desiccant Aquatic. Breathes air and water.

Medium humanoid (sahuagin), lawful evil Blood Frenzy. The desiccant priestess has advantage on
melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have
Armor Class 14 (natural armor) all its hit points.
Hit Points 32 (5d8 +10) Spellcasting. The desiccant priestess is a 6th-level spell-
Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft. caster. Her spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save 13,
+5 to hit with spells). She has the following cleric spells
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA prepared:
10 (+0) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 7 (-2) Cantrips (at will): sacred flame, thaumaturgy
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +4 1st level (4 slots): bane, inflict wounds, sanctuary
Damage Immunities poison 2nd level (3 slots): hold person, silence
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14 3rd level (3 slots): dispel magic, glyph of warding
Languages Sahuagin, telepathy 60 ft. Actions
(with desiccants only)
Challenge 1 (200 XP) Multiattack. The desiccant makes one Bite attack and
one Claws attack.
Aquatic. Breathes air and water. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
Blood Frenzy. The desiccant has advantage on melee one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 +2) piercing damage.
attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have all Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
its hit points. one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 +2) slashing damage.
Actions Blinding Breath (recharge 6). The desiccant priestess
exhales a 15-foot cone of blinding dust. Each creature in
Multiattack. The desiccant makes one Bite attack and that area must make a successful DC 12 Dexterity saving
one Claws attack. throw or be blinded for one minute. A blinded creature
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., repeats the saving throw at the end of its turn, ending
one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 +2) piercing damage. the effect on itself with a success.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 +2) slashing damage.
Blinding Breath (recharge 6). The desiccant exhales
a 15-foot cone of blinding dust. Each creature in that area
must make a successful DC 12 Dexterity saving throw
or be blinded for one minute. A blinded creature repeats
the saving throw at the end of its turn, ending the effect
on itself with a success.

27 Appendix A: Creatures and Items

 Desiccant Baron
Magical
Large humanoid (sahuagin), lawful evil
and Mundane Items
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 104 (11d10 +44)
Speed 30 ft., swim 50 ft. The Howling Skull
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
The skull resembles that of a dire wolf but it’s actu-
20 (+5) 16 (+3) 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) ally from an unusually large and savage gnoll. It
Saving Throws Dex +6, Con +7, Wis +4, Cha +5 serves as a battle totem to the Wasteland gnolls. It’s
Skills Perception +5 not magical and it has no sacred significance; it’s a
Damage Immunities poison symbol of rank. Such a totem is carried at the fore-
Condition Immunities poisoned front of a party by a gnoll — the skullbearer — who’s
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 recognized as a great warrior and an exceptionally
Languages Sahuagin, telepathy 60 ft. bloodthirsty raider. Any group of Wasteland gnolls
(with desiccants only) treat a skullbearer with a mix of deference and fear,
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) regardless of its clan.
When a creature other than a gnoll brandishes the
Aquatic. Breathes air and water. howling skull before a group of hostile gnolls (and
Blood Frenzy. The desiccant baron has advantage on gnolls are always hostile to non-gnolls), it instantly gets
melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have their attention. They remain hostile but they pause in their
all its hit points. attack, and they’ll listen to what the skullbearer has to say —
Actions for a minute or so anyway.
The gnolls are concerned only with the creature who first displayed
Multiattack. The desiccant baron makes one Bite attack the howling skull. Others in the party who were not the first to bran-
and two Claws or Trident attacks. dish the skull get no special heed. Furthermore, if the creature who
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., first revealed the skull hands it off to someone else, its benefit is
one target. Hit: 7 (1d4 +5) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) wiped out; honor can’t be passed around like a snack tray, and no
necrotic damage. real skullbearer would ever relinquish the honor.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 7 (1d4 +5) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) An NPC member of the Collegium Aetheria understands all these
necrotic damage. customs, explains them to the characters, and won’t violate them.
Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, If no NPC accompanies the party, these guidelines are explained
reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 +5) to whoever the howling skull is given to, along with an admoni-
piercing damage, or 14 (2d8 +5) piercing damage if used tion that the skull may be the key to the success of the expedition.
with two hands to make a melee attack. The characters must take it seriously (because the gnolls do!) and
Choking Breath (recharge 6). The desiccant baron remember to use it when the time is right.
exhales a 30-foot cone of lung-clogging dust. Each
Unless your characters are able to slaughter their way through an
creature in that area must make a successful DC 14
Constitution saving throw or be incapacitated by entire gnoll raiding party and pack, then it’s vital they have the
coughing and choking. An incapacitated creature howling skull when they encounter gnolls. If they aren’t working for
repeats the saving throw at the end of its turn, ending the Collegium Aetheria, here are a few alternatives:
the effect on itself with a success. If a creature is ‹ Characters could find a dying adventurer in the wasteland. Before
incapacitated for a number of rounds equal to its the NPC dies, he or she bequeaths them the skull and tells them
Constitution modifier (minimum of 1), at the start of how to use it.
its next turn it drops to 0 hit points and is dying, and ‹ Instead of a dying adventurer, characters could find an
it can’t regain hit points or be stabilized until it can adventurer’s corpse — or even just the remnants of a campsite
breathe again. looted by creatures other than gnolls — along with the skull and
a journal that explains its use.
‹ During the early part of the trek, characters could link up with a

caravan where they meet a scarred veteran of many gnoll battles

or a member of the Collegium Aetheria. This NPC either hears
or guesses where they’re headed and gives or sells them the skull
out of a sense of moral duty.

Appendix A: Creatures and Items 28

 Kraken Scale Cincture
Armor (breastplate), legendary

This heavy, broad breastplate is made from

the scaly hide of a legendary kraken. These
monstro­sities never surrender their scales
or hides willingly, so this armor
is exceedingly rare. Only the sea
elves and their mortal enemies the
sahuagin know the secrets behind
con­structing this armor.
While wearing this armor, you gain a
+1 bonus to AC, you have resistance
to lightning damage, and you have
advantage on saving throws against
being swallowed whole. Additionally,
when you are called upon to make a
saving throw to avoid being swal-
lowed, you can choose to fail and
be swallowed automatically. If you
choose to be swallowed (but not if you
attempt the saving throw and fail), then
while you are swallowed by that creature,
you have resistance to acid damage and all of
your attacks against that creature from inside Thly-ta’s Talon
it are automatic critical hits. Weapon (trident), unique

The Mermaid’s Caress This short, heavy trident was fashioned

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement) centuries ago for the sahuagin baron
Thly-ta in preparation for his legendary
At first glance, the mermaid’s caress appears to be a desiccated or face-off against the kraken Nokhiihsvo. The
mummified human or elvish hand. Only close inspection reveals that duel between these two mighty opponents
the fingers are webbed and that the skin is covered with a beautiful rivals any legendary confrontation between
pattern of tremendously fine scales. The stump of the wrist ­usually mortals and dragons, but it’s almost unknown
is covered by a cap of silver, abalone, or shark skin. on land. In fact, Thly-ta and Nokhiihsvo faced one
another seven times and both received grievous
A creature that’s attuned to the mermaid’s caress can use an action wounds in each ­battle. In the final contest, Thly-ta
to touch a willing creature with the desiccated hand and expend one was swallowed whole but, barely clinging to life, he
charge from it. Doing so gives the touched creature a swim speed cut his way free from the kraken’s gullet. Dreadfully
of 40 feet for one hour or until the creature dismisses the wounded, Nokhiihsvo fled back to its abyssal lair and
effect with a bonus action. While the swim speed is in
was never seen again. Sahuagin believe the creature died
effect, the creature’s legs are fused into a single,
from its wounds (although sea elves tell a different story),
fish-like tail; on land, it can only crawl
and the legend of Thly-ta is retold to this day.
at a speed of 10 feet. The mermaid’s
caress holds three charges, and You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this
it recovers 1d3 charges weapon. When you hit a Huge or Gargantuan monstrosity with
daily at dawn. Thly-ta’s talon, the attack does an extra 3d6 piercing damage.
Thly-ta’s talon is shorter than a typical trident — the handle is only
three feet long — and its bronze head is much larger and heavier
than a standard trident’s. If your Strength is 19 or less, you can’t
throw Thly-ta’s talon and you must use it two-handed. If your
Strength is 20 or higher, you can use this weapon the same as a
­normal trident.

29 Appendix A: Creatures and Items

Appendix B:
Collegium Aetheria
The Collegium Aetheria is similar in many ways to England’s “Kestrel” Narbek (female half-orc veteran) spends money
“Invisible College,” a precursor to the more organized Royal Society ­lavishly, drinks copiously, and insists on keeping to a tight schedule.
of London that still exists to this day. The collegium is a loose ­society Green Garant (male elven druid) is taciturn, even shy. He trusts
of wizards, learned scholars, and natural philosophers who are anyone who shares his interest in nature, but he won’t be fooled
interested in exploring the world and unravelling the mysterious on that score by faked interest. He has only contempt for deceivers
laws of nature and magic. and manipulators.
Despite its name, the collegium is not a college but rather is an
informal group of likeminded investigators who share information
about their common interest. To join, one needs only to find another
member and demonstrate that they’d be a valuable addition to the
Agents of the Collegium
team. A character with Intelligence 17 or higher has no difficulty
getting in. A character with Intelligence 16 has a 50/50 chance, Characters can be approached by someone who represents the
and everyone else has a 1-in-4 chance after they’ve performed an Collegium Aetheria literally anywhere. You can use any of the
important ­service to the collegium without offending or upsetting ­collegium members described above. If they accompany the expedi-
any members. tion as NPCs (not a bad idea), select one or two who supplement the
party without duplicating any character’s abilities and who won’t
The only real perk of “membership” is access to the network of other
steal the limelight from characters. Remember that the collegium
members. Collegium members are highly intelligent, well-­educated,
is primarily an academic and intellectual group. Its members may
influential people, so the benefits of knowing them shouldn’t be
have been reckless adventurers in earlier days, but now they hire
underrated. At the same time, the collegium has no militia, no
mercenaries like the characters specifically to take all the risks for
­fortified headquarters, no treasury, no museum, not even a central
them while they do research and collect relics and lore.
library. Some members of the collegium are wealthy enough and
powerful enough to have those things on their own, making them The proposition put to the players is below; paraphrase as you see fit
extremely valuable as patrons and contacts. to match the voice of whatever NPC hires the characters.
The collegium makes frequent use of adventurers and freelance
explorers as hired escorts for its expeditions and as sources of infor-
mation about regions and lore. That’s what brings the characters to “The goal of our expedition is simple — we know the
the collegium’s attention in this adventure. ­location of an ancient temple complex in the Wasteland.
What sets this one apart is that it was built and used by
sea creatures. That’s right, don’t look at me like that.

NPCs The Wasteland used to have flowing rivers and large

lakes, as anyone can see from the deep channels they
carved across the landscape. Our research indicates the
Following is a list of Collegium Aetheria members the characters sahuagin had a religious colony in one such lake, and that
might encounter. Use them here or elsewhere as you like. Races they left something of great power behind when they re-
and genders are suggestions only and can be changed freely. Just treated from the growing desert. We intend to find it.”
remember what you switch them to. “Here’s the catch. Some of this information was ­confirmed
Westmont Gormyr (female human mage) is strongly opposed to by a gnoll whose clan camps in the dry lake. We can’t ex-
imbibing alcohol and distrusts anyone who drinks openly. plore the temples until we’ve dealt with the gnolls, one
way or another. Fortunately, we have an angle.”
Jopus the Virtuous (male dwarven knight) is knowledgeable on a
wide range of subjects but can be antagonistic toward anyone who With that, [s]he smiles wryly and holds up a dire wolf’s
argues with him over the finer points of lore. skull covered in gnaw marks mingled with barbaric
­symbols carved deep into the bone.
Ennib Kurrell (female halfling priest) keeps a close watch on her
finances and everyone else’s and is subject to bouts of deep gloom.
Erbellus (male human noble) has little patience or empathy for The skull is a gnoll relic called a howling skull. It can aid the charac-
others. His sense of humor is amusing at first but quickly becomes ters when they confront gnolls of the Wasteland. For full details, see
overbearing and crass. The Howling Skull item entry, p. 28.
Appendix B: Collegium Aetheria 30
 Notes

31 Notes
Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Frog God Games LLC’s Product 2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indi-
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System Reference Document 5.0 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike
the Open Game Content; (f) “Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs
Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J.
that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products con-
Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original material by E.
tributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor; (g) “Use”, “Used”, or “Using” means to
Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate, and otherwise create Derivative Material
of Open Game Content; (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement. Lake of Dust, Copyright 2022, Frog God Games; Author Steve Winter.
Ancient Desert Secrets
Deep in the trackless wastes of an arid desert lies the dusty bed of
an ancient, dried-up lake. It’s home to a clan of feisty gnolls who
don’t exactly lay out the welcome mat for outsiders. But the adventu-
rers are on a mission — the dead lake also hides the ruins of strange,
forgotten temples, places that even the ferocious gnolls fear to tread.
Who built these labyrinthine passages and dusty chambers,
and what secrets do they hide? Once the adventurers have won the
gnolls’ respect (or at least their tolerance), the ruins lie open for
exploration. Inside are the answers to the mysteries of the temples’
origins, and the fate of their builders, but even armed with this
knowledge, can the heroes survive the challenges that lie beneath
the Lake of Dust?
Written by the prolific and talented Steve Winter (Complete Psionics
Handbook, Horde of the Dragon Queen, The Scarlet Citadel, The City
that Dripped Blood, Orcus in a Winter Wonderland, and much
more), with cover art by Martina Scafa, and interior illustrations
by Hector Rodriguez and Terry Pavlet, Lake of Dust is an adventure
for a party of 5th level characters. Good luck! You’ll need it.