Betting on Pickled Lizards

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 Pickled Pete. A vagrant, drunk kobold who was
CREATURES recently expelled from his sewer home by the
Rust monster (CR ½) Dal’Kar lizardfolk.
Gray ooze (CR ½)
Cockatrice (CR ½) INCITING EVENT
Crocodile (CR ½) The city officials how hire the characters tell
Lizardfolk (CR ½) them that most of the monster fighting events
Lizardfolk shaman (CR 2) take place in the slums. So, that would be a
good place to begin the investigation.
DM NOTES
This adventure is designed for five level- THE SLUMS
two characters. There is a monster fighting event in process
It’s expected the adventuring group here. There are several humanoid spectators
may need to take one or two short betting on the fights, and three lizardfolk are
rests, but no long rests should be coordinating the monster fighting. Crates, large
needed. and small, are scattered about filled with
Contains treasure from one roll on the various monsters that are slated to fight.
level 0-4 treasure hoard table in DMG.
If approached, most of the humanoids are
rather unwilling to answer questions from the
STORYLINE character regarding the disappearances. Many
A group of lizardfolk known as the Dal’Kar and of them suspect what is actually happening, but
led by a shaman named High Priest Lock-Jaw are afraid of repercussions form the lizardfolk
organize a monster fighting ring where (either being kidnapped themselves or being
spectators gamble on fights. Now, the Dal’Kar prohibited from attending the fights). If the
have a license for this activity, so it is perfectly characters succeed on a DC 13 Charisma
legal. However, city officials have received (Intimidation or Persuasion) check, a humanoid
reports that spectators of these fights have would be willing to talk and tell them what they
been turning up missing. They do not know if believe is happening.
the Dal’Kar are behind these disappearances or
not, but they have contracted an adventuring Once the characters have questioned (or tried
party to investigate and stop whoever is to question) three spectators, the lizardfolk get
responsible. wise to what’s going on, and two of them
approach, requesting that they leave
The Dal’Kar are in fact responsible. Spectators immediately. If the characters do no comply,
who bet and lose and are then unable to pay the third lizardfolk opens a crate nearby,
their debts are shipped away to a distant releasing three cockatrices that it orders to
monstrous city where humanoids (humans, attack the characters. In the chaos and
elves, dwarves, etc.) are forced to fight in confusion that ensues, the spectators begin to
fighting rings. flee. The lizardfolk also slip away to warn their
leader, High Priest Lock-Jaw, about the group of
NPCS characters, just in case they survive the
High Priest Lock-Jaw. The shaman leader of the cockatrice assault.
Dal’Kar lizardfolk clan.

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When the lizardfolk fled, they took a path that Beware dire crocodiles!
led them across the Bridge; their trail can be
Two lizardfolk and two crocodiles are
followed with a successful DC 12 Wisdom
submerged in the water near the two houses,
(Survival) check, leading the characters to the
keeping an eye on the properties. If the
Bridge. When they fled, they also dropped a
characters ignore the signs and cross the
manifest that lists the names of several people
bridges, they emerge from the water (the
and the debt they owe. The manifest lists an
lizardfolk are riding the crocodiles) and attack.
address which is located in the center of the
Island. If the captives are rescued from the houses,
they happily share with the characters the
THE BRIDGE following information.
The lizardfolk trail goes halfway across the When the lizardfolk dropped off the last
bridge and then stops abruptly as the lizardfolk batch of captives, they overheard them
jumped off into the water below. talking about a ship named the Briney
There is an intoxicated vagrant kobold name Mule that would be departing from the
Pickled Pete nearby who stumbles up to the docks in just a few hours.
characters as they stand about the bridge. He The lizardfolk used the sewers to
holds out his hand, asking for money, while transport them from the slums to the
slurring something about being kicked out of his Island, and they would have likely used
home and needing to live on the streets now. them again to take them to the Docks.
Pickled Pete used to live in the sewers before
the lizardfolk arrived and evicted him and the THE SEWERS
rest of his clan. Now he scrounges for money. This section of the sewers looks heavily
He will happily tell the characters this transited by humanoids and lizardfolk; and
information if they inquire AND pay him a small furthermore, several repairs to the walls have
offering of a few gold pieces. He might even be recently been done. In one corner, there is a
convinced, for a bit more gold, to lead the pile of hunting traps that the lizardfolk took
characters to the sewers where the lizardfolk down after they ousted the kobolds from this
dwell. Pickled Pete has also heard that lizardfolk area.
have been sited at the Island, though he doesn’t
know what they are up to there. One section of the wall is a secret door that
leads to a secret room where the lizardfolk
THE ISLAND stash their treasure gained from the monster
fighting. The secret door can be spotted with a
The lizardfolk use the two houses on the island
successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check. It
as a temporary holding place for humanoid
is locked, however, and there is a concealed
captives before they are sent away via ship at
keyhole. High Priest Lock-Jaw has the key to the
the docks. Both of the houses currently hold
door, but it can also be unlocked with a
several captives each.
successful DC 14 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools)
There are several signs staked near the bridges check.
that warn intruders away:
There is a few inches of murky sewer water on
Island off limits!
the floor of the secret room, and a large chest
Stay away!
stands against one wall. Two gray oozes lurk in
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the water. They attack any creature besides (in case the characters want to organize their
kobolds and lizardfolk that enter the room. own monster fighting ring) and a cart to aid
(They were originally tamed guardians of the them in their adventures (horse not included).
kobolds that used to live here, but recently the Think Traveling Casino Cart!
lizardfolk have reconditioned them.)
If the characters press for more, the officials will
In the large chest is loot: 2100 cp, 1050 sp, 20 allow them to rent one of the houses on the
gp, a silver dwarven tankard with gold inlay (25 Island at a discounted rate for use as a personal
gp), a bejeweled golden urn (25 gp), and a silver residence or gambling house.
lute (25 gp).

THE DOCKS
The Briny Mule is moored at the docks. The
lizardfolk shaman, High Priest Lock-Jaw, was
expecting captives to be brought to the ship,
but the appointed time has long past. Thus, he
sent his lizardfolk crew off to the Island and the
Sewers to see if they could figure out what the
holdup is. Suspecting something is wrong, the
shaman is laying low beneath the deck of the
ship.

If the characters don’t approach the ship

stealthily, the shaman notices them and begins
keeping a close eye on their activities. If the
characters start poking around the ship, the
shaman suspects they are behind the delays
and probably interfering with the lizardfolks’
illegal captive taking. At that point, High Priest
Lock-Jaw will unleash two rust monsters that he
has in a crate beneath the ship, instructing
them to attack the characters. The shaman will
also join the fight, either from afar using spells,
or shapechanged as a crocodile.

Loot. The shaman has a small key carved from

cockatrice bone that opens the secret door in
the Sewers, two rings (25 gp each), and a
necklaces (25 gp each). He also carries a pouch
with 50 gp in it and a spell scroll (shillelagh).

RESOLUTION
When the characters have put an end to the
lizardfolk humanoid smuggling ring, the city
officials reward them with a gambling license
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MAPS
The Slums

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The Bridge

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The Island

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The Sewers

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The Docks

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