Bronze Shrine

“Bronze Shrine” is balanced for characters of 10th level, though characters of 9th level can survive this quest if they are cautious and rest between encounters. Characters of any level that attempt to fight Lhammaruntosz to the death will likely meet their demise.

Location Overview

Lhammaruntosz, a bronze dragon with the ability to heal quickly, spent decades defending Leilon and the surrounding area as the captain of the Scaly Eye, a fleet that battled pirates and other threats. To honor her deeds, the Swords of Leilon constructed the Bronze Shrine, a massive temple to Bahamut, god of metallic dragons, in a cliff overlooking the sea. The shrine’s face is carved in Lhammaruntosz’s likeness and includes quarters for the rest of the Scaly Eye and a magic statue of Bahamut, which the dragon can use to commune with the deity.

In recent decades Lhammaruntosz has retreated inside the shrine, becoming reclusive due to a attack by a disguised demon which has driven her mad. She leaves on rare occasions to hunt for food, returning as soon as possible. Members of the Scaly Eye still live within the Bronze Shrine, as Lhammaruntosz has ordered them to stay on as her guardians.

Quest Goals

To complete the Bronze Shrine Quest (see “area The Quest Board"), adventurers must talk with Lhammaruntosz and receive a vision of the green dragon Claugiyliamatar.

Travel to the Shrine

The Bronze Shrine is forty miles north of Leilon on the shore of the Sword Coast. The characters can access the shrine by boat or by land. The characters can reach the shrine without incident, but if they travel along the coast, they may see the death knight-dreadnaught during their journey (see “Death Knight-Dreadnaught”).

Arrival

When the characters can see the outside of the shrine, read the following boxed text aloud:

The sea splashes on the bottom of a rocky cliff carved to look like a 60-foot-tall dragon with a ribbed and fluted crest around its head. The dragon’s mouth is open in a triumphant roar, facing the ocean and standing on its hind legs.

There are four entrances into the Bronze Shrine. The first is at the jetty (area area B1), but it may be covered by high tide when the characters arrive. While covered, a character can still see the entrance through the waves with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. See area area B1 for more information.

A staircase hidden by bushes at the top of the cliff leads to area area B5. A character on top of the cliff with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 15 or higher notices the tunnel.

A character could attempt to climb through the windows of area areas B7 or area B8, 60 feet above the surface of the water. The windows are latched from the inside. Unlatching a window requires a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. The glass in the windows has AC 13, 5 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. If Lhammaruntosz notices the characters entering her lair through the windows, she assumes they are thieves and attacks.

The final entrance to the shrine is hidden beneath the waves. A character with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 18 or higher looking into the water in front of the shrine, or a character submerged beneath the water’s surface, notices a 30-foot-radius tunnel opening in the cliff 50 feet below the surface of the water. This tunnel is filled with water and leads 50 feet up into area area B7.

Climbing the Shrine

Characters can climb the outside of the shrine without equipment with a successful DC 17 Strength (Athletics) check. Characters who fail the check by 5 or more slip on the slick rocks and fall into the ocean.

Bronze Shrine Features

The Bronze Shrine is a clean, bright, two-story temple that smells of ocean air.

Ceilings: The ceilings throughout the shrine are 30 feet high.

Light: All areas of the shrine are brightly lit by the continual flame spell cast on torches in sconces.

Open First Level: The lack of doors on the first level of the shrine means that sound carries. If the characters engage in battle, set off a trap, shout, or otherwise make loud noises on this level, the Scaly Eye members in area areas B2 and area B4 investigate the disturbance.

Rage of Bahamut: If a creature kills Lhammaruntosz or a Scaly Eye member while inside the temple, a spectral dragon appears and attacks the creature. The dragon makes an attack roll with a +10 bonus to hit and deals 22 (4d10) psychic damage on a hit. After attacking once, the dragon disappears.

Walls: Climbing the walls of the shrine without equipment requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check.

Bronze Shrine Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of the Bronze Shrine.

B1. Jetty

This stone jetty and rocky rise lead to a tunnel with a 10-foot-high entrance carved into the tip of the dragon relief’s tail. During high tide the jetty, the rise, and the tunnel entrance are submerged in ocean water. High tide begins at midnight and noon each day and lasts for six hours.

Scaly Eye Members

Members of the Scaly Eye in the shrine are loyal to and worried for Lhammaruntosz, or Mother Wyrm, as they call her. Most of the dragon’s followers have left the shrine or died of old age, leaving only a few guardians, mostly older humans and a few dwarves and elves. Members of the Scaly Eye wear faded blue tabards displaying a single staring eye weeping a spreading fan of tears, above which arches an eyebrow.

Scaly Eye members are Swashbuckler who may attack the characters when they notice them, but a successful DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check convinces a Scaly Eye member to stand down. If the characters can then convince a Scaly Eye member they mean no harm, the member shares all of the information in the “area Location Overview” section except for the details about the alkilith (because they wouldn’t know about the demon, only that Lhammaruntosz has been acting strange for several years, which is cause enough for concern). That member then offers to escort them through the complex, convincing other members of the Scaly Eye to not attack the characters and pointing out other hazards.

Scaly Eye Names: If you need a name for a member of the Scaly Eye, you can make one up or use any of the following names: Aeris, Bronce, Cobril, Fervo, Gwendal, Headard, Kiltom, Olistan, Surgon, Tazir, Wei, and Zayle.

B2. Guarded Entry

If the characters enter or exit this area from area B1, they might trigger the molten bronze trap (see below).

Members of the Scaly Eye play three-dragon ante at a stone table in the center of the chamber. There is one swashbuckler (see appendix A) plus one additional swashbuckler for each member of the party, not including sidekicks. See the “Scaly Eye Members” sidebar for more information.

Molten Bronze Trap

A tripwire set 3 inches off the ground is extended across the doorway at the top of the stair that leads to area area B1. An iron pot full of molten bronze (magically heated) hangs above the door and overturns when a creature triggers the tripwire. The creature must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 33 (6d10) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that fails this save is covered in molten bronze and takes 5 (1d10) fire damage at the end of each of its turns until it uses an action to scrape off the bronze with a weapon or tool. If the weapon or tool is nonmagical, it is destroyed after removing the bronze.

A creature with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 15 or higher notices the tripwire. A successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools disables the tripwire harmlessly. A character without thieves' tools can attempt this check with disadvantage using any edged weapon or edged tool. On a failed check, the trap triggers.

B3. Scaly Eye Tombs

At both ends of this hall a carving on the south wall reads, “Silence for the fallen heroes, please.” Ninety interment niches line the walls of this hall, each with the name of a deceased Scaly Eye member carved beneath their tomb. Whenever a Scaly Eye member dies, Lhammaruntosz carves a new niche in the wall.

Telna Urkil, the ghost of a female gnome and former Scaly Eye member, watches this area from the Ethereal Plane. If the characters display disrespectful behavior toward the interred dead, such as shouting in the hall, looking through niches for items to steal, or similar actions, Telna appears before them, uses her Horrifying Visage action, then flees.

If the characters make a gesture to honor the interred dead, such as moving through the area with purposeful silence, offering a prayer in front of a niche, leaving a small offering in the hall, or similar actions, Telna appears before them and shares her history with the characters, as well as all the information in the “area Location Overview” section, except for the details about the alkilith. She does not know what is causing Lhammaruntosz’s madness, but she does believe there is an outside force affecting the dragon. She begs the characters to find the source and destroy it or use magic to heal the dragon’s mind.

B4. Scaly Eye Chambers

Scaly Eye members eat, train, and rest in this area when they are not on guard duty. Twenty sleeping mats are stacked neatly in the northeast corner of the room. A roasting spit skewering seven quippers stands over a burning brazier at the center of the room.

Scaly Eye members spar with each other around the brazier. There is one swashbuckler plus one additional swashbuckler for each member of the party, not including sidekicks. See the “area Scaly Eye Members” sidebar for more information.

B5. Bronze Gate Entrance

A bronze gate locked from the inside with a heavy bar blocks this entrance tunnel. A creature inside the Bronze Shrine that can reach the bar, which is 4 feet off the ground, can unlock it as an action.

Characters hoping to get through the barred gates from the outside must break the gates down, which takes a single character 1 hour. Multiple characters working together can reduce the time proportionately. The noise created by smashing down the doors is loud enough to alert all the Scaly Eye members, who gather behind the gate. There are two Swashbuckler plus two additional swashbucklers for each member of the party, not including sidekicks. See the “area Scaly Eye Members” sidebar for more information.

B6. Statue Chamber

A 20,000-pound, 25-foot-tall marble statue of Bahamut stands at the center of this chamber, encircled by a hoard of treasure on the floor. The detect magic spell reveals that the statue radiates auras of abjuration and divination magic. The statue has AC 19, 200 hit points, and immunity to acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, and psychic damage. Each time a creature damages the statue or touches any of the treasure, the statue shoots a bolt of lightning at the creature. The target must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw, taking 66 (12d10) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Treasure

The treasure around the statue consists of a scimitar of speed, a cloak of the manta ray, a masterwork painting of a ship at sea set in a gold frame worth 500 gp, five white pearls worth 100 gp each, 623 pp, and 8,329 gp. If Lhammaruntosz or Scaly Eye members notice the characters carrying stolen treasure, they attack.

B7. Ascension Chamber

The walls and pillars of this chamber are carved with hundreds of images of metallic dragons. The ceiling is engraved with Draconic script which reads, “Only those who speak her Scaly Eye name may ascend.” This is of course, referring to the dragon.

A pool at the center of the chamber leads outside the shrine (see “area Arrival").

Stair Trap

A detect magic spell reveals that the stairs radiate an aura of enchantment magic. A creature that is not a metallic dragon that touches the stairs must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or be charmed for 1 hour. While charmed in this way, the creature feels an overwhelming urge to drown itself and does everything in its power to do so. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or speaks aloud the nickname “Mother Wyrm” in Draconic while in this chamber is immune to the effect of the stairs for 24 hours.

B8. Lhammaruntosz’s Chamber

Read the following boxed text aloud to describe this area:

Two great circular windows in this chamber look out on the ocean, the sea air causing a crust of green barnacles to grow around the glass of the southernmost pane. Before that window sits a great dragon, her scales a deep bronze. Her eyes are wide and wild as she stares at the ocean.

The barnacles on the window are actually a disguised alkilith whose False Appearance feature makes it appear to be barnacles instead of a fungus (see appendix A). Lhammaruntosz has been in the presence of the alkilith for so long that her madness does not wane if she leaves the creature’s presence. When she looks out the alkilith’s window, she experiences hallucinations of her friends dying, her enemies triumphing, and other unspeakable horrors.

Lhammaruntosz is an adult bronze dragon, with the following additional features that increase her challenge rating to 16 (15,000 XP):

Innate Spellcasting

Lhammaruntosz’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

1/day each: create food and water, detect thoughts, fog cloud, speak with animals

Regeneration

Lhammaruntosz regains 5 hit points at the start of her turn.

Spellcasting

Lhammaruntosz is an 8th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17; +9 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following sorcerer spells prepared:

• Cantrips (at will): light, mage hand, mending
• 1st level (4 slots): charm person, detect magic, expeditious retreat, sleep
• 2nd level (3 slots): darkness, invisibility,suggestion
• 3rd level (3 slots): dispel magic, protection from energy
• 4th level (2 slots): dimension door, stoneskin

When the dragon notices the characters, she begins muttering out loud to herself, wondering if the characters are intruders or friends. Each round, a character must speak with Lhammaruntosz as an action, and succeed on a DC 18 Charisma (Persuasion) check to keep her from attacking. If the characters fail a check, attack the dragon or the alkilith, or the initiative count reaches 0 and no character has successfully made the check that round, Lhammaruntosz attacks.

A character who succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check knows the barnacles are a madness-inducing demon called an alkilith.

The characters can alleviate Lhammaruntosz of her madness temporarily by casting calm emotions, which suppresses it. However, a greater restoration spell is required to cure her permanently unless the characters manage to destroy the alkilith, which also cures the dragon’s madness. When Lhammaruntosz’s madness is cured, she immediately falls unconscious for 5 minutes while her mind heals.

If the characters cure Lhammaruntosz and the alkilith is still alive, it attacks, fighting to the death.

Lhammaruntosz’s Thanks

If the characters save Lhammaruntosz, she thanks them when she wakes. The dragon is restored to her noble self. She tells the characters that they must receive Bahamut’s blessing as a reward for saving her and escorts them to the statue in area area B6. Read the following boxed text aloud when the characters receive Bahamut’s blessing:

You stand at the foot of the magnificent statue of Bahamut as the Claws of the Coast softly chants a prayer in Draconic. In a flash of light you find yourself in Leilon, but the town is covered in a cloud of putrid green gas. Bloated, asphyxiated corpses lie on broken ground and dying townsfolk crawl through the streets, gasping for breath. At the center of it all stands an enormous green dragon, grinning a bloody smile as the upper half of Merrygold Brightshine’s severed corpse hangs from her mouth.

In another flash of light, you are back in the statue chamber, and Lhammaruntosz has a grave look on her face. “You must take action swiftly to save Leilon!”

After the vision, Lhammaruntosz explains the following to the characters:

• The green dragon they saw in the vision was Claugiyliamatar, nicknamed Old Gnawbone because of her appetite for humanoid flesh.
• Claugiyliamatar lives in a cave at the north end of Kryptgarden Forest, where the woods meet the Sword Mountains.
• The green dragon is wicked, but she has not attacked a settlement in decades. She does not want to attract ire of the cities of the Sword Coast.
• Lhammaruntosz believes there is still time to reason with the green dragon and talk her out of her course of action. If the characters can give Claugiliamatar what she wants, they should be able to stop her from destroying Leilon.

Lhammaruntosz then urges the characters to go to Claugiyliamatar’s lair at once (see “Claugiyliamatar’s Lair” for more information). The bronze dragon will not travel with them, for she knows her presence would only anger Claugiyliamatar.

If the characters report their vision to the Leilon town council, the councillors also beg them to go to Claugiyliamatar’s lair and speak to the green dragon.

Treasure

In addition to giving the characters the vision, Lhammaruntosz rewards them with their choice of her scimitar of speed or her cloak of the manta ray. If the characters have already stolen one of these items, she does not offer them a reward.