Griffon Roosts
These Griffon Roosts are set toward the east end of the Goduanil, though this location can be placed into your world wherever griffons roost. They are intended to range from EL 7-9, depending on which is needed for your adventure.
The Goduanil is a region filled with rocky hills, where along the valley floors flows purple ooze in streams that run all the way to the sea. This roost is set in a valley off one of the main streams of ooze. The difficult terrain adds a +1 to the CR of this encounter.
1 Approach through the valley
A steep 100′ deep gorge devoid of a river branches off from the main valley, leading off in a direction clearly away from the central valley that runs with purple ooze. Stands of leafless birch saplings cling to the cliffsides in this otherwise barren landscape.
The characters hear the occasional flapping of wings as the wind gusts. Occasional rocks will break loose and tumble from the cliffsides. The party is not in danger of these small rocks, but they are an indication of something being afoot. When the party returns to the main valley, they will need to find a creative way around or over the rivers of ooze.
2 Bend in the rocks
The valley makes a turn to the left here, cutting a rocky path through the mountains. The bend obscures the view of the valley. Boulders cling to the ledges of the hillsides.
The characters see a shadow make its way across the valley floor. By the time they look up, whatever it was that caused the shadows has passed them over and is out of sight.
3 Hoodoos
Three sandstone hoodoos rise like towers from the valley floor, the result of years of extreme erosion in this valley. The scattered skeletal remains of large quadrupeds dot the valley floor. A few large feathers are blown about by the gusts of wind across the landscape, drawing attention to the tufts of hair clumped in small, regular dips in the ground.
In actuality, it is more the doing of the ooze that has caused the erosion and thus the hoodoos, areas of hardness where the erosion has not run its course on the rock. The skeletons and tufts of hair are those of horses, picked up from the lands to the north and east of the Goduanil and flown in to feed the griffons and their offspring. If the characters collect reagents or materials for fine brushes, they will recognize the horsehair and can collect a few horses worth, though not before they encounter the following.
Four griffons protect this valley floor, while the others hunt. They attack the party upon their entering this area. Resolve this encounter immediately after reading the above text.
Creatures: Griffons (4): MM page 139.
If the characters search the edges of the floor, they will find a broken staff and a torn red and white flag. This provides evidence that one of the horses belonged to a local knight.
4 View of Nests
From this vantage, it is clear that atop the hoodoos, large sticks frame 20’x20′ bowls filled with oversized, brown and white eggs.
The mound of rocks that form the vantage point have been affected by many years of erosion and the ooze begin to slip out from under the party’s feet, revealing a few pockets of a purple ooze that seep up to ground level, its acidic discharge spewing plumes of steam into the air.
Creature: Purple Ooze (see tomorrow’s post on CCB!)
5 Nests
The sticks and straw are bound together to make a nest. The sticks have been chewed at the ends by sharp beaks. In the center of the nest is a pair of speckled eggs.
Two griffon eggs are in each nest. The eggs are nearing the time to hatch, and when the characters arrive in this location, there is a 50% chance per egg that it will be hatching.
Development: As the characters explore the first of the nests, the four remaining elder griffons (14 HD) swoop in and attack, with the tactic of lifting them off of the floor of the nests and dropping them from the sky onto the valley floor. They will attack relentlessly until one side is vanquished. After the battle, in one of the nests, the party finds a mace +1 and a helm of alacrity +2 among some shredded metal that once was a suit of plate mail.
Posted in 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons / d20 fantasy / Pathfinder, Adventure, rules agnostic and tagged Goduanil, Location, Northbay by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Goduanil Elves
There are two types of mostly-evil elves who live in Goduanil, both of which flourish deep in barren or marshy regions where most humanoids dare not dwell. Each type is defined by the topography where they live:
• Fulian, who live in caves in the highlands of Goduanil
• Nashbat, who live in stone structures in the valleys of Goduanil
The fulian are 5′ tall and have folds under their arms which allow them to glide on the air 50′ feet above the ooze flows that run down the hillsides and into the valleys of Goduanil. Their undersides are the color of the overcast skies through which they soar. Their backs blend in with the deep purple-grey of the Goduanil’s rocky landscape.
The nashbat are 4’6″ tall and have sharp toes that allow them to rapidly burrow through and under the ooze flows. They occasionally drop to all fours for better stability and focus when burrowing. Lighter in skin tone than their surface cousins, they have skin tones that range from periwinkle to charcoal, depending on the amount of light exposed to their dermal layers.
Both types of Goduanil elves have been known to work for the wizard in the tower in the center of Goduanil, delivering to him a constant stream of reagents for his spells. Though they don’t entirely trust him, he represents the greatest power in Goduanil, with the possible exception of the Grey Ooze Dragon, which lives in the eastern flow. These elves are by their very nature subservient, always in search of a new, more powerful master.
Though historically, a feud has kept the two races separate, their shared masters have recently brought them together, and they have begun to learn each other’s tongues. They still brawl from time to time, but have not engaged in open warfare in almost a generation.
These elves are known for their acute hearing and use of horns to send messages cross the misty expanses of Goduanil. In addition, they have been known to cavort with creatures from the Elemental Subplane of Mist.
Fulian as Characters
• Medium: As Medium creatures, fulian have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Fulian receive all the standard elf skills as well as the following.
• Fulian base land speed is 30 feet, and they receive no penalty for traveling in Goduanil.
• Fulian have excellent vision, allowing them to see 60′ through mist and on a clear day for miles.
• 2 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Fuliani.
• Favored Class: Fighter, wizard
• Favored alignment: Evil
• Unique Languages: Fuliani.
Nashbat as Characters
• Medium: As Medium creatures, nashbat have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Nashbat base land speed is 30 feet, though they can burrow at half that rate within the Goduanil and quarter the rate elsewhere.
• Nashbat are immune to the ill effects of oozes
• 1 extra feat at 1st level.
• 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Nashbat.
• Favored Class: Fighter, rogue
• Favored alignment: Evil
• Unique Languages: Nashbati
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged Goduanil, race or culture by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.