The Ruins of Soguer – River Journey to the Ruins

Presented below is the first leg of the adventure The Ruins of Soguer. Previously the players had been tasked with traveling to the nation’s fallen capital to find the old king’s sword so that their liege can be coronated.

Previous sections of the adventure can be found here:
The Ruins of Soguer – Introduction
The Ruins of Soguer – Start of the Adventure in Aguies Town & Castle

Running the adventure – This section of the adventure details the player character’s travel from Aguies town to the ruins of Soguer. There is an important encounter along the way, where they meet a ship crewed by Aurochs who are searching for a kidnapped member of their royal family. There are also a few encounters with dangerous creatures and terrain as they travel the wild marsh near Soguer.

Read or paraphrase the following as the players begin their travel to the ruins:
You step aboard the riverboat. Like many of the boats that ply these waters, this 30 foot long boat features a single mast on a broad, flat deck, a small cabin behind the mast, and a low-ceilinged hold below the deck for cargo. The boat’s crew – four weathered men – push off from the docks in Aguies town, pushing off from the pier with long poles and then drawing in the mooring ropes once clear of the docks. Soon the sail is hoisted and the boat begins speeding downriver, pulled by the current and pushed by the wind. One of the crew sits in the rear with his hand on the rudder, and the other three watch the sails, occasionally tightening or loosening a rope before retying the crossbeam in a new position. And so goes the journey. For several days your boat travels downriver through farmland and woods, among low hills, and past the towns and keeps of humanity. After a week or so of travel the farmhouses and towns along the river grow fewer. Occasionally you pass the remains of a town or house ruined or burned. The riverboat crew grumbles that this part of the river is subject to pirates and raiders sailing up from the south. As the days pass the land lies lower, and small trees and marshy plants line the riverbanks. Occasionally you pass a small hut, but you see no inhabitants.

Encounter – A boat full of lizards – During the last stretch of the journey before the ruins, they PC’s encounter a mercenary ship of auroch warriors on the way.
Sailing down the river among the marshes another boat comes around the bend – a long boat with red crossed swords painted on the high forecastle and a monstrous figurehead. A roaring cry goes up from the other vessel and you see many reptilian men on the decks wearing mail and bearing spears and bows. As the other boat nears you can see that at the base of the mast is a shrine surmounted by two gilded dragons. The sails are furled slightly and oars put out. The boat turns and glides swiftly towards you, and at the very prow is a large armored dragonborn, wearing a helm crested with a dorsal line of many horns. He roars as they near.
Any characters who speak draconic will understand Captain Gamora’s hail – which is a demand that the player’s identify themselves. If the players try to communicate it is a simple social skill challenge.

Skill Challenge – Treat with the Aurochs (level 10, DC 16 diplomacy, 3 successes before 4 failures, XP 500)

Success: If they succeed in convincing Gamora that they are friendly, they give them some information and a quest. Read the following:
Having introduced yourselves, Captain Gamora takes off his helmet and scratches his scaly head for a moment. “I’m Captain Gamora of the Clashing Red Swords. Sorry about the scare – my men are in a strong rage. One of the holy family is missing – she was kidnapped from the royal shrine!” He narrows his eyes, staring at you for a moment and continues, “Have you heard anything of a young dragonborn lady with fine, pale scales in your travels? Where are you going on this river?”
Seeming to accept your answer, he nods and says, “I would consider it a personal favor, and indeed all our people would be grateful if you hear any word to send it to us. And if you should by chance come upon her, I would expect you to lend her aid in any way you can.” After asking for your help thusly, his anger returns, “and if I hear tell you met her and did not – by Chronopsis I will hunt you down and have my vengeance upon you.”
After a moment, Captain Gamora begins climbing aboard his ship. As he goes he says “Also, I would not go further down river. There are ruins there of a city of your men that lies there. Demons haunt those ruins, and the spirits of the dead. The gods curse that place.”

Minor Quest – level 12, XP 700
Goal – rescue the Auroch princess – Iejir’svern.

Failure: If the players fail the skill challenge, the Auroch mercenaries will demand to board their ship and inspect it. Resistance is met with violence – and the Aurochs swarm the player’s smaller riverboat – jumping across, swinging over on ropes and swimming to the attack. All told there are 4 Dragonborn Raiders, 6 Dragonborn Gladiators, and 20 Dragonborn Soldiers who attack. If the players manage to defeat the Aurochs, any captured or left alive will reveal that they are searching for their princess, Ijer’svern. If the players allow the dragonborn to search the ship, they do so and then Gamora imparts the above information.

Encounter – Crocodiles!
level 10, XP 2000 or 3000

This is an encounter with crocodiles in what were once the surrounding farmlands – now swallowed by the marsh. As the journey continues, read or paraphrase the following:

For the next few days you ravel further downriver through thick swamps. The river is wide and slow here, and the boat’s crew work the sails and their poles to keep the boat moving east towards the sea and the ruins of the city. Occasionally you spot a few peasants in wooden huts on the low, marshy hills the river winds through. As you push your boat through a fen of high grasses one of the fallen logs in the water leaps to life and reveals itself as a huge scaly monster!

Creatures – 2 or 3 x feymire crocodile – hiding in the river (stealth +13) – These crocodiles attack the boat as they pass it.

Reaching the Ruins
After the crocodile encounter the player characters come to the ruins of the city of Soguer. As they approach they may encounter a patch of quicksand. Read or paraphrase the following:
You sail downriver for another day and the faint smell of salt water begins to tinge the air. Rounding a bend in the river you catch a glimpse of tall walls through the drooping cypress and willow trees. The cracked and vine-strewn walls must stand at least 50 feet high, but you can see no one upon the battlements. As you float closer you can see that the walls end at the river with a fallen tower that makes a hill of stone on the banks. From there the wall stretches inland. Through the foliage you think you can see another set of towers – perhaps an entrance? The riverboat crew poles over to the shore and moors the boat to a large tree on the river bank. The remains of a road lead through the trees, roughly along the wall towards the gates to the north. As you proceed you see the remains of farmhouses and fences – now fallen down and overgrown with the swamp’s fecundity.
As the players walk this path towards the ruins they will pass over a patch of quicksand. Unless one of them makes their perception checks, it is likely the first player or two will fall into the hazard.

Hazard – Quicksand – level 11 elite hazard – XP 1200.
Leaves and dirt cover this stretch of flat ground.
Hazard: This hazard consists of a roughly 5 square by 5 square area of quicksand, which is difficult terrain. When characters enter these squares, or try to move in these squares, the hazard attacks. Attempts to escape can also hasten a character’s demise in this deadly hazard.
Perception or Nature
– DC 29: The character can discern if any adjacent squares are quicksand.
Additional Skill: Nature
– DC 25: The character’s knowledge provides a +2 bonus to Athletics or Acrobatics checks to escape or help another escape.
Trigger
When a creature enters, begins its turn in, or makes a map move in a quicksand square, the trap attacks that creature.
Attack
Free Action Melee 0
Target: Creature in a trapped square
Attack: +14 vs. Reflex
Hit: The creature falls into the quicksand, is restrained until they escape and begins sinking (see Effect – Sinking below).
Miss: The character is slowed in the quicksand square but is not yet sinking.
Effect – Sinking: After one hit, a character sinks up to their waist. A second hit or a failed Athletics check means they sink to their neck. A third hit or failed athletics check indicates they sink completely and begin suffering the effects of suffocation (DMG p. 159).
Countermeasures
– An character can extract themselves or an adjacent sinking comrade with a DC 29 Athletics or Acrobatics check. A rope or similar tool can give a +2 to this check. Failing this check by 10 means that the helping character falls into the quicksand or that the sinking character sinks further.
-A character wearing light or no armor can make a DC 24 Nature check to know that if they hold still they will float, and can then do so. While floating in this way the character is not subject to any more attacks from the quicksand. Any move or standard action will end the float and cause the character to be subject to further attacks by the quicksand.

If you wish to add a greater threat to this encounter, feel free to add a few hungry stirge swarms to up the threat.
Creatures – stirge swarms – XP 700 each.


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Saurian Cleric ✦ Level 13 Controller

Medium natural humanoid (lizardfolk) ✦ XP 800

Initiative +7 Senses Perception +11
HP 125; Bloodied 62
AC 27; Fortitude 25, Reflex 23, Will 27
Speed 5

Powers
Mace ✦ At-Will, Standard Action, Melee
+18 vs. AC, 1d8 + 9 damage.

(un)Holy Smite ✦ At-Will, Standard Action, Close Blast 3, Radiant or Necrotic, Target: Each enemy in blast
The cleric brandishes his holy wymbol, speaks sacred words and energy from his god smites his enemies.
+17 vs. Will, Hit: 1d10+6 radiant or necrotic damage, and the target is weakened until the end of their next turn.

Dragon God’s Claw ✦ Encounter (recharge 5-6), Standard Action, Ranged 10, Force, Fire
In answer to the cleric’s prayer a ghostly claw of flame descends and pins the foe to the ground.
+17 vs. Reflex, 4d8+6 force and fire damage and the target is knocked prone, restrained and takes ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends).

Alignment neutral Languages Common
Skills Athletics +15, Religion +17

Str 19 (+10) Dex 12 (+7) Wis 22 (+12)
Con 13 (+7) Int 16 (+9) Cha 14 (+8)

Equipment: robes, scale mail, mace, holy symbol

These statistics can be used for either of the two high priests of the new temple to the gods in Veth’achuak’arux – the green valley of the Aurochs. The two priest revere Tiamat and Bahomet respectively and their Smite powers deal radiant or necrotic damage as befits their patrons.

Their creed includes the compatible commandments from those two gods and is primarilly focused on being mighty warriors. The priest of Tiamat tends to extole gaining wealth as a source of power and a benefit of power as well. The priest of Bahomet tends to focus on the importance of defending your family, clan or comrades in arms. Their teachings are very popular and well recieved by the mercanary companies that bivouac near the temple. The mercanaries tend to have a small shrine to these dragon gods on their ships and pray to them before battle. At the urging of the clerics these warriors have taken to calling themselves the Saurians to distinguish themselves from the rest of Aurochs who revere the royal shamans and their less martial spirits.


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Saurian Assassin

This hunter, along with the priest of Tiamat, is in charge of the expidition to deliver the Auroch Princess to Baldric Ostov. He has been lurking at the ruined house where they plan to sacrifice her, observing the ritual from hiding in case anything goes wrong. If the players rescue the princess, he will attempt to kill her himself so that she cannot report the Saurian’s treachery to the royal family.

Saurian Assassin✦ Level 12 Elite Lurker
Medium natural dragonborn ✦ XP 1400

Initiative +12 Senses Perception +15
HP 194; Bloodied 92
AC 28; Fortitude 24, Reflex 24, Will 22
+2 to Saving Throws
Action Points: 1
Speed 6

Powers

Bite ✦ At-Will, Standard, Melee
+17 vs. AC, 2d6 + 3 damage.

Blowgun ✦ At-Will, Standard, Ranged 6
+17 vs AC, 1d4 + 6 damage and ongoing poison 10 (save ends).

Executioner’s Noose ✦ At-Will, Standard, Ranged 5
Force, Implement, Shadow
+17 vs. AC, 1d6 + 6 force damage, the target is pulled 2 squares and slowed for 1 turn.

Quickened Breath ✦ At-Will, Minor Action (only usable once per turn), Close burst 5
+15 vs. Reflex, 1d6 + 4 poison damage.

Flury of Talons ✦ Encounter (Recharge 5-6), Standard, Melee
Implement, Shadow
Fly 6 to a square adjacent to an enemy and then make three attacks at:
+15 vs. Reflex dealing 1d8+3 damage per hit.

Bloodied Talons ✦ Encounter, Immedeate Reaction
Flury of Talons recharges and the Assassin uses it immedeately.

Alignment evil Languages Draconic
Skills nature +11, perception + 15, stealth + 17
Str 16 (+9) Dex 22 (+12) Wis 10 (+6)
Con 19 (+10) Int 12 (+7) Cha 19 (+10)

Equipment: blowgun, poisoned darts, torc with dragon heads


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A Princess of the Aurochs

Iejir’svern is a member of the royal family of the Aurochs, a civilization of dragonborn and lizardfolk who inhabit the swamps of southern Soguer – a land they call Veth’achuak’arux (our green valley). The royal family are also the shamanistic priesthood of the Aurochs, and Iejir’svern is a young but powerful spiritual leader of her people – she is well-liked by her subjects. She publically lives out the priesthood’s principals of harmony with nature, respect, patientce, and wisdom.

Currently she has been kidnapped by the Saurians, a group of priests in the Auroch society that worship gods rather than nature – a new phenemon within their society that has sprung up in the last few generations. They mainly revere Tiamat and Bahomet, viewing them as powerful complimentary dieties that extol them to become mighty, wealthy and powerful. Some among them also worship other dieties such as Errithul and Hextor. The Saurians resent the power and respect the royal line holds in Veth’achuak’arux and many among them wish to usurp the religious leadership of their people from the Aurochs. A bold group of Timat worshipers among them has kidnapped Iejir’svern to remove her charismatic hold over the people. But this treasonus sacralige was not their own plan – it was suggested to them by an agent of Brashel Ocktor – the priest of Orcus who is carefully building up his power in these lands.

A slender young dragonborn female with light blue-green scales, a small frill above her head, and curving horns, Iejir’svern tends to tap her fingers when nervous, and has a star-shaped patch of white scales on the end of her snout.

Iejir’svern ✦ Level 9 Shaman
medium natural humanoid ✦ XP 400

Initiative +5 Senses Perception +9
HP 64; Bloodied 32
AC 20; Fortitude 21, Reflex 18, Will 23
Speed 6

At-Will Powers
Companion Spirit – Sprit’s Shield – opportunity action – when an enemy leaves a square adjacent to the spirit companion. wisdom vs reflex – 4 damage.

Watcher’s Strike – Wisdon vs. Reflex, 1d8 + 7 damage and you and allies gain +1 to attack and +5 to perception for 1 turn.

Defending Strike – Wisdon (+12) vs. Reflex, 1d8 + 7 damage and you and allies gain +1 power bonus to AC while adjacent to the spirit companion.

Encoutner Powers
healing spirit – spend healing surge + 2d6 hp

speak with spirits

Dragon Breath – close blast 3, +8 vs Reflex, 1d6 + 6 lightning damage.

Thunderstorm Spirit – ranged 5, Wisdom (+12) vs. Reflex, 1d12 + 7 lightning and thunder damage, and when you and your allies hit a target adjacent to the spirit companion they deal an extra 1d6 lightning and thunder damage.

Daily Powers
Raging Storm Spirit – area burst 5 within 10, Wisdom (+12) vs. Reflex, 3d6 + 7 damage. Effect: creates a zone of thunder that grants allies within it 1d6 extra thunder damage on enemies within the zone.

Blessing of the Iron Tree – one bloodied ally withing 5 gains resist 5 to all until the end of the encounter.

Alignment neutral Languages Common
Skills Arcana +10, Heal +14, History +12, Nature +14
Str 13 (+5) Dex 13 (+5) Wis 18 (+9)
Con 16 (+7) Int 12 (+5) Cha 17 (+7)
Equipment: leather armor, dragon totem, mace


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