Chapter 3: Danger at Dunwater

The discovery that a colony of lizardfolk lies near the small fishing town of Saltmarsh and is purchasing weaponry considered sophisticated by lizardfolk standards has alarmed the Saltmarsh Town Council. Greatly troubled and filled with apprehension, the councillors call an emergency meeting.

This adventure is designed for a group of four to six 3rd-level characters.

About the Original

Dave J. Brown and Don Turnbull continued the Saltmarsh series in this classic. Doubling down on TSR UK’s penchant for exploration and interaction in their work, this scenario challenges the characters to act as ambassadors to a colony of lizardfolk.

While such roleplay-focused adventures are the norm today, at the time of its publication (in 1982) this adventure was the first to make interaction an absolute requirement for success, rather than one option among many.

Background

The characters are not required to have finished The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh before playing Danger at Dunwater. If they arrive in Saltmarsh after the events of the prior adventure, they learn the following information from the townsfolk:

• A smuggling ring operating out of an abandoned house has been disbanded.
• The smugglers were slain or jailed.
• The smugglers were supplying weapons to a tribe of lizardfolk that have established a colony near Saltmarsh.

When the councillors discover that a seasoned group of adventurers has arrived in town, they send a message to the characters inviting them to a meeting. The council hopes to hire them to investigate the lizardfolk lair and learn why the creatures are arming themselves. The council’s main priority in the context of this adventure is to keep the town safe from a possible lizardfolk attack.

Judging from a crude map found aboard the smugglers' vessel and from information provided by the sea elf Oceanus, it seems likely that the lizardfolk are preparing for war. The council members hope that the townspeople are not the intended target, but they greatly fear this possibility.

Adventurers Needed

The site of the lizardfolk colony has been tentatively identified as a coastal promontory adjacent to a small river, the Dunwater, some ten miles southwest of Saltmarsh. The council considers it essential that a scouting party be sent to reconnoiter the area and ascertain the strength and size of this colony, as well as the intentions of the lizardfolk. The characters (whether or not they are veterans of the previous adventure) are approached to undertake this mission.

The leader of the council impresses upon the characters that they are not required to act with hostile intent—in fact, quite the opposite. Their assignment is one of information gathering, with the additional hope that they can return with knowledge of what the lizardfolk are up to. A reward of 700 gp is offered for the successful completion of the mission.

The True Threat

The people of Saltmarsh, and of course the characters, are unaware of the true situation as the adventure gets under way. The lizardfolk are not preparing for war against Saltmarsh, but against a much more sinister presence: the sahuagin.

Just over a year ago, a colony of lizardfolk were driven from their home by an invasion of sahuagin. Forced to find a temporary home, they restored an old lizardfolk stronghold that had been abandoned for decades.

Determined to recapture their home, the lizardfolk have been busily purchasing arms and negotiating an alliance with other nearby aquatic races. The lizardfolk’s main purpose is to form an army to expel the sahuagin from the area. In so doing, they hope to discourage the sahuagin from ever again intruding on the region.

The lizardfolk have not approached Saltmarsh with an offer to join the alliance because Othokent, their queen, considers humans and other land-dwelling races as of little use in a battle to be fought largely underwater.

Ambassadors from the koalinth, the locathah, and the merfolk are present in the lizardfolk lair. The sea elves were not invited to join the alliance because of long-standing disputes between them and the koalinth—even in the face of the sahuagin threat, no cooperation is possible between these two peoples. The lizardfolk, concluding that the koalinth are the stronger tribe, invited them to participate rather than the elves.

Members of these four races have come together, overlooking their previous rivalries and differences, to negotiate an agreement of cooperation. But even as the lizardfolk strive to hold their alliance together in the face of a common foe, the bonds are beginning to fray.

How the characters perform their mission, and what sort of relationship they establish with the lizardfolk on behalf of Saltmarsh, will determine if the coalition has any chance of success.

Friend from the Deep

If the characters freed Oceanus from his cell aboard the Sea Ghost in The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, the elf offers to join them in their expedition to the lizardfolk lair. His skills in combat and knowledge of the seas and the dark things that dwell there might prove invaluable to the party. He recognizes and identifies the sahuagin remains in the lair. He takes an equal share of both treasure and experience points.

Alternatively, Oceanus might have allied with the town council previously and offers to join the characters as they embark for the lizardfolk lair.

What He Wants: Oceanus wants to discover the truth behind the lizardfolk’s purchase of smuggled weapons and armor. Like the town council, he initially sees the lizardfolk as a potential threat.

Politics Among the Lizardfolk

Two political groups operate in the social structure of the lizardfolk lair. On the one hand are the dominant progressives led by the queen, Othokent, who is supported by a subchief named Irhtos, several officers, and many warriors. Her progressive stance is inspired and driven by wisdom of the aged lizardfolk minister, Sauriv.

Opposing that group (mostly covertly, for the rule of the queen remains absolute) are the traditionalists, led by the shamans. The shamans believe that allying and intermingling with other races is contrary to the divine will of their god, Semuanya, and that no good can come of it. Consequently, the shamans hate and distrust the minister, Sauriv, whom they consider to be the prime instigator of these efforts that go against nature. They dare not move openly against him, however, since he enjoys the trust and favor of the queen.

If the lizardfolk queen is killed in the course of this adventure, she is succeeded by the subchief. If the subchief is also killed, the succession goes to one of the warrior officers. If all of these are slain, then succession falls to the most senior surviving shaman. In this event, the shaman denounces the alliance, pulls the lizardfolk out of it, sacrifices the aged lizardfolk minister to the lizardfolk deity Semuanya, and leads the remainder of the tribe into the depths of the marsh beyond the reach of the sahuagin. If all the lizardfolk notables are slain, surviving members of the tribe simply drift away into the marsh, taking all their possessions with them. There will then be no chance of an alliance against the sahuagin that involves the lizardfolk.

Rules of Engagement

Ideally, when the characters learn the truth about the lizardfolk and the sahuagin, they have done so before causing irreparable harm to the occupants of the lair and the lizardfolk’s plans for the alliance against the sahuagin. For their mission to have any chance of succeeding, the characters must eventually gain—or be forcibly prodded into—an audience with the queen. Even if her initial reaction is not a friendly one, the characters might still have a chance of winning over the lizardfolk and making them receptive (if the characters suggest as much) to admitting Saltmarsh into the alliance.

Handling the interaction between the two sides against the backdrop of the first contact between the lizardfolk and potentially friendly humans can be difficult. Though it’s always possible to let roleplaying take its course, particularly if the characters refrain from combat and make a good first impression, things might not play out quite that simply. Here are some guidelines on how to handle this aspect of the adventure.

Procedure

The lizardfolk start out indifferent toward the characters and, by extension, Saltmarsh. To track the attitude of the lizardfolk, use points to record the characters' progress toward sealing an alliance. The characters begin the adventure with 0 points. That score is adjusted every time they interact with lizardfolk, but the results only become apparent when the characters meet the lizardfolk queen. They can then earn more points through diplomacy and by improving the tribe’s strength and safety.

The alliance is sealed if the characters reach or exceed 50 points, at which point the lizardfolk become friendly to them. They are invited to see the queen a second time, and during this session the groundwork for Saltmarsh’s inclusion in the alliance can be laid.

The lizardfolk become irrevocably hostile if the characters' total number of points drops to 0 or lower even after the queen offers them chances at diplomacy and ways to improve their standing. If this happens, after the lizardfolk give them a second chance, the characters' mission ends in failure.

Meeting the Queen

The point system starts working when the adventure begins, but its ramifications aren’t apparent until the PCs meet the queen for the first time. This most likely occurs after they engage a group of lizardfolk without fighting them, whereupon they are put in custody and taken to her. When this happens, determine the characters' current point total by using the Initial Attitude table, giving them benefits and penalties according to what they have done so far. The characters might have a negative score at this point if they were hostile toward the lizardfolk prior to their audience.

Othokent is worldly for a lizardfolk. In her youth, she spent several years exploring the nearby marshes. She found human society interesting and observed caravans and villages in secret. She knows about the outside world but feigns ignorance in an attempt to catch the characters in a lie. She respects those who show her respect and treat her people as their equals, rather than as primitive fools to be mocked or patronized. Her experience with humans tells her that they can be useful allies, but she also knows that they can be duplicitous.

During this meeting, the queen makes it clear how she feels about the characters' behavior so far. She gives them a lot of credit for not killing any lizardfolk (if that’s the case), or she chastises them for taking the lives of lizardfolk unnecessarily. If hatchlings are among the characters' victims, the queen is close to outrage and makes no secret of it. Conversely, if the characters arrive with hatchlings in tow, her estimation of them rises steeply.

If the characters have accumulated any treasure while in the lair, either from victims or from unoccupied areas, the queen demands its return. She doesn’t hold a grudge as long as the characters give it back.

If the mission isn’t ruined by how they conduct themselves prior to this first audience, the queen allows the characters to circulate through the lair for a brief time to give all the occupants a chance to pass their own judgment. Beyond this point, the only ways the characters can improve their score hereafter are by succeeding on Charisma checks (see “area Goodwill Tour” below) and perhaps tipping the scales by offering the queen some of their valuables or the use of their services.

Initial Attitude

Goodwill Tour

After the characters meet the queen, she gives them 24 hours to prove their worth and win the lizardfolk’s trust by visiting and interacting with occupants of the lair. Successful Charisma checks during this activity can add to the characters' points and help sway the lizardfolk into an alliance with Saltmarsh. For the best possible outcome, the characters must win over most or all the occupants of the lair, including its two most important individuals.

To earn the trust of an NPC (Sauriv or Othokent) or a group (Lizardfolk Commoner, Lizardfolk Shaman, other lizardfolk, locathah, or merfolk), one or more characters must display their good intentions to that individual or group consistently for at least 3 hours. At the end of that time, a character can then attempt a Charisma (Persuasion) check against a DC that depends on the group or individual in question (see the table below). On a successful check, the characters earn progress toward achieving the alliance. On a failed check, they don’t lose any ground, but the character who made that check, along with any who helped on the check, cannot try to gain that group’s or individual’s trust again.

Charisma Check Benefits

If the characters can raise their score to 50 points with a sufficient number of successful checks, relations with the lizardfolk become amicable and an alliance can be formalized. If they fall short at the end of the 24 hours, there are a couple of other ways (see below) that they can get to the required number.

Bribery

If the characters have exhausted their opportunities to impress the lizardfolk but don’t have the needed 50 points, Othokent might be willing to cooperate if the characters offer her tribute from their personal treasures (not including loot from the lair). For every 10 gp in coins, gems, and other valuables they offer, the characters gain 1 point. Consumable magic items earn 5 points and permanent ones 10 points, provided that the items have direct application for battling the sahuagin.

Kill the Crocodile

Another way the characters can earn points is by defeating monsters in the marsh that threaten the lizardfolk, demonstrating both their skill and their good intentions.

In particular, the great crocodile called Thousand Teeth is an ongoing problem for the tribe. If the characters are shy of 50 points and out of options, you can have the queen bring up this opportunity. See “area Epilogue: Croc Hunt” at the end of the adventure. Slaying the crocodile earns the characters 10 points.

The lizardfolk have other enemies in the swamp as well. If the characters are earnest in their attempt to succeed on the mission but have fallen victim to some bad luck (low die rolls), you can arrange for them to gain some last-ditch points by seeking out and defeating some of these other creatures. Stage encounters in the marsh as you see fit, involving trolls, ogres, or bullywugs. The characters earn 2d6 points for every troll slain, 1d6 for each ogre, and 1d6 for every three bullywugs.

Deal Breakers

Regardless of how they otherwise conduct themselves, the characters will see their mission end in failure, or at least be seriously compromised, if they perform any of these deeds.

Free the Sahuagin

If any lizardfolk see the sahuagin (from the cell at area area 43a) in the company of the characters at any time, they conclude that the characters have allied with, or been misled by, their enemies. The lizardfolk attack the sahuagin without hesitation (and the characters would be well advised to stand aside).

The characters take an immediate penalty of −2d6 points if this occurs, and all the DCs for Charisma checks in the “area Goodwill Tour” section are increased by 2. Afterward, the lizardfolk treat the characters with cold hostility. Even if the characters own up to their mistake, the lizardfolk and their allies remain suspicious of the characters. Building an alliance becomes much more difficult.

Kill Queen Othokent

No amount of recompense can atone for their actions if the characters kill the queen. Every other surviving lizardfolk in the lair mobilizes to overwhelm and cut down the interlopers—and even if they do escape, their mission is an unmitigated failure. The alliance between Saltmarsh and the lizardfolk will likely never happen, regardless of what reparations the community offers.

Kill Minister Sauriv

The influence of the aged lizardfolk minister has kept the tribe from fracturing because of ideological differences (see “area Politics Among the Lizardfolk” above). If the characters kill him instead of trying to communicate with him, they are set upon by the rest of the tribe just as if they had killed the queen. After the intruders are put down or chased off, the tribe succumbs to infighting as the shamans try to muster more support for their point of view. There is no longer a chance of Saltmarsh becoming allied with the lizardfolk, and if the shamans succeed in their takeover they will withdraw the tribe from any discussions of alliance with other races as well.

Roleplaying Lizardfolk

This adventure provides the characters with opportunities for extensive interaction with a variety of lizardfolk. The lizardfolk are generally wary of strangers, but are of neutral alignment and are far from dimwitted or bloodthirsty. Here are a few resources you can use to add flavor to the party’s experiences with the lizardfolk by giving depth and dimension to the occupants of the lair. They are designed to help you with adventure preparation and to enable you to create distinctive lizardfolk NPCs on the spot.

Personalities

To customize the lizardfolk in the lair, use the personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws from the character backgrounds in chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook as a starting point. The acolyte background is ideal for shamans, the soldier background for warriors, and the hermit and outlander backgrounds for commoners. If the result of a die roll seems inappropriate, such as the “Raised by wolves” trait in the outlander background, roll again.

In addition, you can use the Lizardfolk Quirks table below to determine a personality quirk for a lizardfolk character or to inspire a unique mannerism.

Lizardfolk Quirks

Lizardfolk Names

Lizardfolk take their names from the Draconic language. They use simple descriptives granted by the tribe based on an individual’s notable deeds or actions. For example, Garurt translates as “axe,” a name given to a lizardfolk warrior who defeated an orc and claimed his foe’s weapon. A lizardfolk who likes to hide in a stand of reeds before ambushing an animal might be called Achuak, which means “green,” to describe how she blends into the foliage. Young lizardfolk are often given a name by one of the community’s elders, but take an adult name not long after reaching their first decade.

Lizardfolk make no distinction between male and female in their naming conventions, and any number of individuals can have the same name. The Lizardfolk Names table includes a number of examples, all of which are used for either gender.

Because each name has meaning beyond its use as an identifier, you can use an individual’s name as a starting point for its description. (Each name’s meaning in Common is given in parentheses.) Someone named Kosj might be exceptionally scrawny, while a lizardfolk dubbed Usk might wear scraps of plate armor scavenged from a foe.

Lizardfolk Names

Adventure Summary

The adventure likely unfolds in the following way.

The characters meet with the Saltmarsh Town Council, which hires them to investigate the lizardfolk lair. By sea or by land, the characters travel to the promontory to reach the lizardfolk lair. The characters enter the lair and explore it.

Through interaction with the lizardfolk or their guests, the characters can earn either the lizardfolk’s enmity or their respect. If they proceed cautiously and without violent intent, they will likely be taken to an audience with the queen, Othokent. Depending on how they have conducted themselves to that point, the characters might be able to improve their reputation with the tribe by using their diplomatic skills.

The best possible outcome is for the characters to befriend the lizardfolk and for Othokent to invite them (and Saltmarsh) to join the alliance. If the characters can’t accomplish this through acts of contrition and persuasion, they might be able to salvage the situation by offering the lizardfolk treasure. In addition, the tribe has a big problem out in the marsh, and the characters might be able to prove themselves by taking care of things, thus earning Othokent’s gratitude.

Placing the Adventure

In the Greyhawk campaign setting, where the town of Saltmarsh is located, the lizardfolk lair is a coastal promontory adjacent to the Dunwater River.

Here are suggestions for where you can place this adventure in other campaign settings.

Eberron: The appearance of lizardfolk near Saltmarsh in the Basura Swamp endangers the town’s access to profitable masthin shoots and dragonshards. The uneasy peace threatens to break down, renewing the conflict between settlers and lizardfolk. An alliance in Q’barra can involve disparate factions, as complex agendas bring together the Cyran diaspora, dragonmarked houses, and even the Inspired.

Forgotten Realms: A lizardfolk lair has been discovered close to the town of Saltmarsh, threatening the town and traffic on the High Road. The dwarves of Thornhold at the southern end of the Mere of Dead Men might be concerned allies or remain distant and cautious, more wary of the machinations of the Margaster family in Waterdeep than of a few lizardfolk in the swamps. A marsh encounter with the undead of the Mere of Dead Men could replace the bullywug ambush. As an alternative location, Daggerford to the south of Waterdeep works because it already has a history with the lizardfolk.

Mystara: Lizardfolk have been discovered in the Blight Marsh of Karameikos. Because the marsh sits on the border of the Five Shires, the halfling folk might play a larger role in the alliance. Baron von Hendriks of Fort Doom might be aware of the lizardfolk, even indirectly supporting them. As an alternative, set the adventures in Darokin’s other port. Port Tenobar is larger than Saltmarsh but a good deal seedier, and the vast Malpheggi Swamp is an excellent location for lizardfolk and other creatures to hide.

True Motives

Be sure not to prematurely reveal to the characters that the lizardfolk do not constitute a real threat to Saltmarsh or its inhabitants, or that the newly purchased weaponry is not for use against humanity and its allies. The characters are expected to discover the real intentions of the lizardfolk from the various clues in the adventure as they play through it. Unless their mission turns into an utter failure, they must eventually become aware that there is a war brewing between the lizardfolk (and their allies) and the sahuagin.

Unless indicated otherwise in a particular encounter area, the characters must not be informed about the name or nature of the sahuagin. Rather, you should provide only a general physical description of these creatures when an encounter occurs. If Oceanus is with the party, on the other hand, he recognizes any sahuagin on sight. He has general (biased) knowledge as to their nature, and he readily identifies such creatures to the characters.

Traveling to the Lair

The inset on map 3.1 shows the location of the lizardfolk colony and features in the vicinity. (Even if the characters have not been through The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, they still receive the map—it was given over to the town council by the individuals who defeated the smugglers.)

The party can choose between two methods of traveling to the lair.

By Sea

The distance from Saltmarsh to the lair is about ten miles as the crow flies, and a sea journey would take about three hours in normal conditions.

If the characters want to travel by sea, the council places at their disposal a modified keelboat with two pairs of oars and a step-down mast, large enough to accommodate the characters and any reasonable amount of equipment they want to take with them. Navigation and propulsion of the craft is handled by two members of the town guard (Guard), who are assigned by the council to sail or row the boat. The guards do not disembark when the characters reach their destination, instead staying with the boat to keep it under their control and guard the party’s return trip.

While they are at sea, as their boat approaches the promontory, the characters see a well-traveled and relatively dry track (at the point marked A on the map) leading from the coast. It disappears into the marshland interior.

Once they are within 40 feet of the promontory’s northern coastline, the party spies another track running up to the middle elevations of the promontory, where it disappears behind a clump of tall grasses and brightly flowering shrubs (leading to the hidden entrance marked D on the map).

They also note, as they approach by sea, a 15-foot wide, 6-foot high sea cave entrance on the northeastern tip of the promontory (marked E on the map). A careful approach to the sea cave goes unnoticed until after the characters disembark and enter the entrance tunnel. Once inside area area 49, they are likely to be discovered immediately.

By Land

The overland journey is longer because of the difficult terrain. Dozens of trails follow a route roughly parallel to the coast and 100 to 400 yards away from it. Because of the terrain, it will take the party about 12 hours to travel from Saltmarsh to the ford over the Dunwater River (marked B on the map). This time does not account for resting but does allow for slow movement at times when the mist inhibits visibility. As long as the characters move at this rate, the route is easily followed—there is no risk of straying in a wrong direction.

From the ford, the characters can see in the distance the entrance to the cave of the giant lizards (marked C on the map, area area 22 of the lair).

The Bullywug Ambush

If the characters' route takes them through the marsh, they eventually pass close to the temporary lair of a band of bullywugs. Bullywug scouts patrol the area and, unless spotted, return to the larger group after identifying the adventurers to organize an ambush.

Bullywug Transients

The bullywugs are a roving band but they have set up a defensive camp here because they have happened upon a considerable treasure. Rather than risk traveling through the swamp with their discovery, thus making themselves vulnerable to bandits or brigands, they made camp to guard the treasure until their great king could travel here from their lair ten miles away, deep in the swamp. The bullywugs dared make no move regarding the items they have found until he gives his decision on the matter.

Bullywug King

The king, Gulpa’Gor, arrived the night before the party struck out into the marsh. He and his advisor, Arrp, inspected the treasure. When the king learns of the party’s presence, he and Arrp stage a competition to see who can waylay the tasty interlopers.

Frog Waves

The party is assaulted by three waves of bullywugs:

Wave 1. Six Bullywug attempt to surprise the characters, leaping from the muddy water to attack.

Wave 2. Arrp (bullywug croaker; see appendix C) and two Bullywug arrive shortly after the first wave is defeated. They make a grand show of battling the characters, and Arrp grins at the king whenever he is effective in combat.

Wave 3. Gulpa’Gor (bullywug royal; see appendix C) arrives mounted on a giant toad shortly after Arrp and his guards are slain.

The king tries to communicate with the party with harsh croaks and aggressive gestures, boasting of his prowess in battle. A dozen more bullywugs appear at the edge of the battlefield but do not approach. An equally aggressive response from the characters, verbally or through gestures, and a successful DC 16 Charisma (Intimidation) or Charisma (Persuasion) check convinces the king to retreat and take his remaining warriors with him.

If the king is attacked or goaded into battle (on a failed check), the other bullywugs do not interfere. His steed is trained in combat, and when allowed to act independently, it attacks the nearest enemy. Gulpa’Gor tries to skewer the characters from astride the toad’s back, commanding it to move when necessary, but mostly letting it do as it pleases. The remaining bullywugs flee into the marsh if their leader dies.

Treasure

The bullywugs' treasure consists of 325 pp and a helm of underwater action (see appendix B) in which the loose coins are contained. It can be easily discovered nearby after all the bullywugs are dealt with.

Lizardfolk Lair

The lizardfolk in this colony are more developed than others of their kind, as demonstrated by their ability to use sophisticated weaponry and their readiness to ally with other races when necessity dictates. They still lag behind more intelligent races, however. The construction of their lair is simplistic, employing only basic materials; most floors, walls, and ceilings are of rammed earth, and the furnishings are spartan.

General Features

In the lair, all corridors are 10 feet wide with 12-foot-high ceilings. All rooms have 12-foot ceilings, except for areas 10, 11, 12, 22, 24, 25, 36, and 40, which are 15 feet high. For the height of the sea caves (areas 49, 50, 51, and 52), see the area descriptions.

The doors in the lair are closed and not locked, except where otherwise noted. All gates and doors (except those in areas 42 and 43, which are made of iron-bound solid wood) are of stout wooden construction, 5 feet wide by 8 feet high (unless otherwise specified). The 10-foot-wide pathways through areas 22, 49, 50, 51 and 52 are of stone construction; they stand 1 foot above the surface of the water in those areas.

All pillars are of wood, 3 feet in diameter, and are mounted on stone pedestals to support wooden ceiling crossbeams.

All the chambers in the lair are brightly illuminated by torches set in iron brackets on the walls, except for areas 22, 26, and 47, which are unlit and dark. The corridors that run between rooms are not illuminated, however, with the exception of the stone pathway that skirts the perimeter of areas 49 through 52.

Hazards in the Marsh

In addition to the bullywug ambush and any random encounters the party meets while traveling overland, the following wilderness hazards can be used at your discretion:

Bog Pit: A bog pit is a 10-foot-square hole, 10 feet deep, covered by a thin mat of dried mud and leaves. Noticing a bog pit requires a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Survival) check; characters trained in Survival gain advantage on this check. Creatures who fail to notice the pit fall in and take normal falling damage. They must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or become restrained by the mud in the pit. A restrained creature can free itself by using an action.

Green Slime: Patches of green slime (see “Dungeon Hazards” in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide) coat the overhead branches of dead trees. The slime falls on creatures passing below.

Quicksand: See “Wilderness Hazards” in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.

Lizardfolk Roster

Communication and Disposition

In this adventure, the queen, the subchief Irhtos, the shamans, and the scaleshields can speak and understand the Common tongue. The aged lizardfolk minister, Sauriv, is fluent and literate in Common. All other lizardfolk speak only Draconic and are illiterate.

The lizardfolk in this colony are nervous and on edge, fearful of an imminent sahuagin invasion. In addition, a few weeks before this adventure began, the lair was raided by a party of humans and half-ogres who were all defeated, but at the cost of many lizardfolk lives.

With the exception of the minister in area 38, all the lizardfolk are initially mildly suspicious of the characters (though the intruders are obviously not sahuagin). They do not attack at first sight unless the characters have been seen committing an act that provokes their hostility. But the characters are curtly challenged and—unless they think up a suitable story—ordered to leave or surrender by word or gesture. Their refusal to do so automatically prompts an attack.

In such an attack, the lizardfolk’s first priority is the expulsion, rather than the death, of the intruders, but they fight to the death if provoked. Once the characters are identified as a threat, the only way to calm the lizardfolk’s aggression is to call for a truce and parley with the queen. See “area Parley and Surrender” below.

If the entire lair were to mount a mass attack against the party, the characters would be quickly overwhelmed. Your job here is to find a balance and respond to the party’s actions accordingly. If the characters try to communicate with the lizardfolk, even during battle, consider halting the combat and allowing the characters to exercise their social skills. The queen needs allies in the coming war and prefers to avoid violence, especially if doing so helps her ally with strong warriors.

Common-Speaking Lizardfolk

Some lizardfolk can learn how to understand and speak Common. This adventure includes many of these individuals, which offers the potential for the party to communicate without needing magical assistance (assuming none of the characters knows Draconic).

When the queen or another lizardfolk talks to the characters, keep in mind that Common is not a native language for the race, and their but their mindset results in a speech pattern distinct from that of other Common-speaking humanoids.

Lizardfolk rarely use metaphors or complex sentences. Their speech is almost always literal—halting, but not primitive. They might pick up the meaning of an idiom, but only with some difficulty.

Names confuse them, unless the names are descriptive. They tend to apply their own naming conventions to other creatures using Common words.

Lizardfolk use active verbs to describe the world. A lizardfolk in cold weather might say, “This wind brings cold” rather than “I feel cold.” Lizardfolk tend to express concepts in terms of actions, rather than effects.

Parley and Surrender

The lizardfolk are not welcoming toward intruders. Unless someone in the party speaks Draconic or the characters meet one of the occupants who speak Common, the lizardfolk don’t waste time wondering what the characters are doing in their lair. They jab their weapons toward the characters threateningly and attack within 2 rounds unless the characters can convey their nonhostile intentions. If the characters can’t communicate verbally, they might accomplish this with placating gestures, such as sheathing their weapons. They will certainly get their point across if they throw down their weapons in a convincing gesture of submission. In that case, the characters are bound and taken as prisoners, to await an audience with the queen.

Inhabitants

The lizardfolk lair is a dynamic and living place, filled with warriors, commoners, and leaders. The characters' actions while exploring the lair impact the state of the place. Do not hesitate to respond to their aggressiveness with substantial difficulties as a consequence of their acting rashly and without thought.

Conversely, reward the characters for careful planning, consideration, and attempts to engage in actions that don’t involve combat. The lizardfolk’s greatest fear is the sahuagin, and the sooner the characters realize this fact, the better.

The lizardfolk population is summarized on the Lizardfolk Roster table, which also provides information on how the occupants of various areas might react as the adventure unfolds.

Patrols in the Lair

The lizardfolk patrol the corridors of their lair routinely. Unless the characters are extremely stealthy and careful, they are bound to encounter a patrol at some point. A guard patrol consists of two lizardfolk, one of which carries a torch (because the corridors are normally unlit), and one lizardfolk scaleshield (see appendix C).

For every 10 minutes the characters spend traveling the corridors, roll a d12. On a 12, the characters come upon a guard patrol.

One member of each guard patrol carries a key that unlocks either of the gates at area 41.

Lair Locations

The following locations are identified on map 3.1.

1. North Entrance

Tracks leading through the marsh to the door can be followed with a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) or Intelligence (Investigation) check. Following the tracks allows the party to discover the door automatically. Otherwise, spotting the door requires a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check.

Once the door is spotted, read:

Shrubs and tall grasses conceal a large, stout wooden door.

The door is unlocked. Simply opening the door, without making any other noise, does not attract the attention of the guards in area 2.

2. Guard Room

If the party has not alerted the guards here, lizardfolk are lounging on benches and talking among themselves. Modify the description below as needed.

This room is bare except for two wooden benches, set opposite each other against the longer walls. A handful of lizardfolk stand at attention, ready to move into action.

Five lizardfolk are always on duty here. If the characters make any noise in the nearby corridor, one of the guards comes out to investigate. On seeing intruders, he shouts to his comrades and then challenges the characters, demanding in Draconic that they retreat. The other guards join him immediately.

Development

If a fight breaks out, one of the guards tries to run back to the barracks (area 3). If the guard gets away, refer to the “Development” section in area 3.

3. Barracks

The lizardfolk here likely join the guards in area 2 during any disturbance. If they are not alerted, the four of them are performing a final check on their gear before departing on patrol. Modify the description below as needed.

Thirteen straw mattresses are set around the room against the walls. Beside each is a closed wooden chest. In the center of the room is a long wooden table with two wooden benches beside it.

Four lizardfolk appear to be gathering their weapons and readying to leave this area.

There are three lizardfolk in this room forming up under one officer (lizardfolk scaleshield; see appendix C) to go on patrol in the lair.

Development

If the lizardfolk in this room have been alerted, they exit south into the hallway and circle around, hoping to trap the characters in area 2.

If a fight occurs in this room, the lizardfolk officer in area area 5 hears the battle and joins the fray as soon as possible.

Treasure

The chests are unlocked and contain personal effects. A thorough search turns up the following items: 100 sp, a dagger in a bone scabbard, a wooden mallet, a crude reed flute, and a crude pewter mug with Semuanya’s symbol (a reptilian egg) scratched into the side.

The officer carries the key to the chest in area 4 in a belt pouch.

4. Officer’s Quarters

A wooden table with two wooden chairs stands in the center of the room. A wooden bowl containing apples sits on the table. Against the west wall, a brass-bound wooden chest rests at the foot of a single bed.

This room serves as quarters for the officer in area 3.

Treasure

The chest is locked and can be opened by a character who makes a successful DC 12 Dexterity check using thieves' tools or who has the key. It contains personal possessions, a morningstar, a leather purse containing 50 ep, and a chunk of violet-colored crystal. The last item appears valuable but is in fact worthless.

5. Officer’s Quarters

A wooden table against the north wall is set with an earthenware jug of cider and a wooden cup. A wooden chair stands by the table. A bed stands against the west wall with a brass-bound, wooden chest against its foot. A lizardfolk warrior in scale armor sits on the bed, facing the door, as he sharpens his sword with a whetstone.

The officer (lizardfolk scaleshield; see appendix C) leaps up, ready to fight, as soon as the characters enter.

Development

If the characters have avoided combat to this point, the lizardfolk in areas 2 and 3 join the officer in this room when they hear sounds of combat.

Treasure

The chest is locked and can be opened by a character who makes a successful DC 12 Dexterity check using thieves' tools or who has the key. It contains personal possessions, a purse containing 25 ep, a dagger in a scabbard, and a leather whip. The officer carries the key to the chest and he wears a silver collar (15 gp).

6. Armory

Shields of all sizes hang on the walls here, with javelins stacked in wooden racks against the north wall. Three large wooden chests, all closed, line the east wall.

The unlocked chests contain the following weapons:

10 Club

10 Longsword

10 Morningstar

7. Kitchen

If the characters pause in the corridor near the door to this room, they detect a smell in the air; it reminds them of cooking meat, though with an acrid tang to it. This odor is being emitted by the roasting carcasses. Similarly, even if they do not pause specifically to listen, they hear chattering, muffled clanking as the lizardfolk turn the spits and otherwise go about their business.

When the characters open the door, read:

Warm air wafts gently through the doorway. At one end of the room is a large firepit in which a bed of coals is burning. Over it are multiple half-cooked, skinned animal carcasses impaled on spits that are being turned by four unarmed lizardfolk. A fifth worker bastes the carcasses with liquid spooned from a wooden bucket. In the center of the room is a long wooden table cluttered with an assortment of knives, raw meat, and splinters of bone.

On the floor beneath the table are some uncured hides; beside the table are two large wooden buckets.

Against the south wall rests a large wooden cabinet; its shelves are piled high with clay pots, bowls, basins, and drinking mugs. Against the west wall stand three large wooden barrels. Against the east wall is an open wooden cask containing a white crystalline substance, and three wooden buckets. A large iron cauldron, currently empty, hangs from the ceiling, suspended over the firepit.

The five Lizardfolk Commoner (see appendix C) fight only if they are cornered. Otherwise, they escape to the nearest barracks (area 9), whose occupants return to the kitchen in the shortest possible time.

If the characters convince the commoners of their good intentions, such as by offering gifts and by not drawing weapons, the lizardfolk lead them to area area 9.

The basting liquid is a spiced oil. Two of the barrels contain fresh water, and the third is half full of brine. The cask contains salt. Two of the buckets by the east wall contain herbs, and the third holds rendered animal fat. All the items in this room are normal for the place—none are valuable or of more than passing interest.

Carcasses

The carcasses are those of a sahuagin and a shark. If Oceanus is with the party, he can identify the sahuagin carcass for what it is. Otherwise, a successful DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation or Nature) check enables a character to deduce that the carcass belongs to some sort of humanoid sea creature. The hides under the table are from those creatures, and the buckets contain their entrails and edible organs.

8. Stores

Hanging from hooks set into the ceiling are six carcasses of various shapes and sizes. Against the south wall are four open barrels and a lidless wicker basket. Against the west wall are three large clay jars, a wooden chest, and a sealed barrel. Against the east wall is a large wooden cage in which squawk a dozen irritable waterfowl.

The open barrels contain apples, pears, mixed nuts, and the carcass of a giant constrictor snake pickled in brine. The wicker basket holds wild cherries.

The three jars are filled with light, edible oil. The chest is full of wild herbs, and the sealed barrel is full of salt. The waterfowl are ordinary and pose no threat.

Carcasses

The carcasses include those of a manta ray, a giant frog, an adult male hobgoblin, two sharks, and a giant crayfish. One of the sharks has a mostly smashed armor plate embedded in its side. The plate is made from coral and wood and appears to have been driven into the creature. If Oceanus is with the party, he identifies the shark’s armor as of sahuagin manufacture and relates that animals like this serve the sahuagin as war beasts (see the “area Shell Shark” entry in appendix C). In his absence, a character can glean the same information with a successful DC 14 Intelligence (Nature) check.

9. Barracks

Fifteen straw mattresses are placed around the room, each with a small wooden chest at its foot. A long table is in the center of the room, with benches to each side.

Four lizardfolk warriors receive orders from a heavily armored officer. Another lizardfolk dressed in a robe stands to one side, observing the assembly.

If they have not been called elsewhere, four lizardfolk, one lizardfolk scaleshield (see appendix C), and one lizardfolk shaman prepare for patrol in this room.

If the party arrives here accompanied by friendly lizardfolk, the shaman initially urges the guards to attack. A successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check by a character prevents a fight, and instead the lizardfolk take the characters in custody and take them to meet the queen.

Treasure

The chests are unlocked and contain personal possessions. Five of the chests each contain a purse with 6 sp. Three of the other chests hold a whetstone, a dagger in a scabbard, and a crude wooden carving of a crocodile.

10. Banquet Hall

Five unarmed lizardfolk are preparing this area for a feast, setting tables with wood and stone utensils.

Several long wooden tables are placed end to end in the center of the hall, with wooden benches running along each side. At the south end of the tables is a large wooden chair; four slightly smaller chairs flank it, two on each side facing the table. Placed on the tables are earthenware pots, jars, plates and cups, five drinking mugs, and woven baskets. Against the west and east walls are tall wooden cupboards

The five Lizardfolk Commoner (see appendix C) fight only if they are cornered. Otherwise, they escape to the nearest barracks (area area 29), whose occupants return to the banquet hall in the shortest possible time.

The cupboards contain extra mugs, platters, bowls, and so forth.

11. Throne Room

Two sets of three pillars flank a central area where two lizardfolk hatchlings are playing. At the far end of the room, a wooden throne stands on a low, stone dais. Carvings of reptiles decorate the throne, and glints of reflected light hint at the presence of inset gemstones.

The heads of several creatures hang on the walls, mounted on plaques of wood for display as trophies.

The hatchlings, one male and one female, wandered here from area area 24. They have no treasure and are fearless and quite harmless. On encountering the characters, they exhibit great curiosity about these strange beings. Unless firmly discouraged, they attach themselves to the characters and follow them wherever they go, making strangely adorable nuisances of themselves.

Reptilian Throne

The throne is carved with images of snakes and lizards. Twenty translucent blue-green stones of have been inset to represent the eyes of these creatures. These are of worthless quartz, though to the unskilled eye they appear reasonably valuable. A character who makes a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check realizes their true nature.

A hidden space under the throne can be discovered by someone who succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check. The compartment contains the key to the chest in area area 26.

Behind the throne, a secret trapdoor in the floor opens onto a vertical shaft, 5 feet square and 20 feet deep. The door requires a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check to be noticed. Iron handrails are set into one side of the shaft. It descends to a tunnel, 10 feet wide by 10 feet high, that leads to another identical vertical shaft that ascends into area area 34. The tunnel and the shafts have neither light nor occupants.

Trophy Heads

The trophy heads are as follows, from north to south:

West wall: giant crayfish, carrion crawler, hippopotamus, hobgoblin, sahuagin

East wall: brown bear, lion, shark, giant frog, another shark

You can elect not to name the creatures but simply give detailed physical descriptions, leaving the players to make the identifications. If Oceanus accompanies the party, he can identify the sharks, the giant frog, the giant crayfish, and the sahuagin.

Valuable Nuisances

The presence of the two lizardfolk hatchlings in the company of the characters might create problems, but it can also be helpful to the mission’s success—because it causes the lizardfolk in the lair to pause instead of immediately attacking. During that time, the characters can take an opportunity to engage the lizardfolk in dialogue so that hostilities might be avoided.

12. Temple

Sweet perfume hangs in the air of this place of worship. At the far end, a lizardfolk crouches before a stone altar. To each side of the altar are small lit burners while, at its center, a candelabrum holds four lit candles.

Above the altar, the south wall is decorated with a marine fresco of a lizardfolk warrior brandishing a club.

Blue and green drapes cover the east and west walls.

The mural depicts Semuanya, the lizardfolk deity. The club in the mural has sharp-looking seashells embedded in it.

A single lizardfolk shaman worships at the altar in this room. Two Amphisbaena (see appendix C) serve as guardians here, and live within the hollow altar.

Development

Only the shamans, the queen, and the subchief know about the amphisbaenae. The serpentine monsters attack anything within 10 feet of the altar, with the exception of the aforementioned individuals.

When the characters enter, the shaman is meditating. He is roused by the sound of combat or any direct attempts to contact him. Unless cornered, he flees to area area 20 and returns with the occupants of that room. If they are gone or slain, he flees, never to be seen again. If he cannot escape, he fights alongside the amphisbaenae.

Treasure

Two tridents and two folded nets are offerings and war trophies taken from the sahuagin, given to Semuanya. The candelabrum is worth 25 gp. The silver incense burners on the altar are worth 10 gp each.

13. Vestry

Seven carved wooden masks representing crocodile and serpent faces hang from the walls of this room. The masks are decorated with blue and green feathers. Against the west wall stands an iron chest, its lid closed.

Hidden inside one of the masks is the key to the chest in area area 18. It is found by any character inspecting the masks who makes a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check.

Chest

The chest is unlocked but trapped with a poison gas trap. Noticing the trap requires a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check. A successful DC 12 Dexterity check is required to disarm the trap. Opening the chest without disarming the trap, or failing to disarm it, triggers the trap.

When triggered, the trap fills the entire room with noxious green gas. Creatures caught in the gas must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or cough and choke loudly for 1d4 minutes; those affected by the gas are far more likely to attract the attention of wandering patrols and nearby inhabitants of the lair.

Treasure

The chest contains the following items: a silver gong and striker (25 gp), five silver bells (5 gp each), a large silver chalice (50 gp), and a curved wooden horn.

14–17. Shaman’s Quarters

These rooms, though not identical, are very similar. The following description serves for any one of them.

This bare, cell-like room contains a plain wooden table and chair, a straw mattress, and a small wooden chest.

The furniture varies slightly from room to room. All the chests are unlocked. Each contains personal effects and a small ivory statuette of Semuanya. These are of no value but are regarded as very valuable by the shamans.

Treasure

The chests in these rooms contain a variety of items. One chest has a wooden club and a leather purse containing 10 ep. Another holds a silver belt buckle (5 gp), a leather purse containing 20 sp, and a long, brilliantly colored bird feather (no value) A third chest has a leather purse containing 7 ep, and the final one holds a bolt of blue-green cloth (no value) and a pouch containing 25 sp.

18. Senior Shaman’s Living Quarters

A wooden table with two chairs is set against the south wall. On the table are a carafe, a cup, and a wicker basket. A smaller table stands against the north wall; on it sits an unlit incense burner.

The key to the chest here lies inside a mask in area area 13.

Examining the incense burner reveals a small key that unlocks the chest in area area 19.

Treasure

The carafe, cup, and incense burner are silver, worth 10 gp, 3 gp, and 5 gp respectively. The chest contains 20 gp and a potion of water breathing.

19. Senior Shaman’s Sleeping Quarters

A single cot rests by the south wall, an iron chest set at its foot. A large wooden carving of a lizardfolk brandishing a club hangs on the east wall.

The key to the chest in this room is hidden in area 18. The wooden carving on the wall is of no value.

Chest

The chest is locked and can be opened by the key found in area 18 or by a character who succeeds on a DC 12 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. The chest is trapped with a poison needle. Noticing the trap requires a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check. A successful DC 12 Dexterity check is required to disarm the trap. Opening the chest without disarming the trap, or failing to disarm it, triggers the trap.

When triggered, the trap fires a small poisoned dart from the lock. Any creature standing in front of the lock is automatically struck by the needle, taking 1 piercing damage and 4 (1d4 + 2) poison damage.

Treasure

The chest contains the personal wealth of the senior shaman: a silver figure of Semuanya (25 gp), a leather bag containing 50 ep, and a pearl of power.

20. Chief Shaman’s Living Quarters

If the shaman in area area 12 escaped and alerted the shamans here, the room is unoccupied. Otherwise, use the description below.

A wooden table set against the south wall features a wooden bowl of fruit. A wooden bench is against the north wall, and in the center of the room a wooden chair faces the bench.

Three lizardfolk in robes are reciting a sibilant chant.

A lizardfolk shaman is leading two disciples (lizardfolk) in a short prayer to Semuanya.

If the party arrives here accompanied by friendly lizardfolk, the shaman initially urges the guards to attack. A successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check by a character prevents a fight, and instead the lizardfolk take the characters in custody and take them to meet the queen.

Treasure

The shaman wears a gold necklace adorned with polished pearls (100 gp).

21. Chief Shaman’s Sleeping Quarters

A single cot is set against the west wall, an iron chest at its foot. Opposite, against the east wall, stands a small wooden table. On it are two items made of silver, a statuette of a lizardfolk and an incense burner.

The key to the chest in this room is affixed to the underside of the table with a blob of gummy resin.

Chest

The chest is locked and can be opened by a character who makes a successful DC 12 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. The chest is trapped with a swinging blade trap. Noticing the trap requires a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check. A successful DC 12 Dexterity check is required to disarm the trap. Opening the chest without disarming the trap, or failing to disarm it, triggers the trap.

When the trap is triggered, a scything blade swings up, striking at any creature within 5 feet of the front of the chest. Affected creatures must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) slashing damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one.

Treasure

The incense burner is worth 5 gp, and the silver statue is worth 50 gp. The chest contains the following items: a bolt of green velvet cloth (5 gp), a large leather sack holding 200 ep, an ivory figurine depicting Semuanya (25 gp), and a small, padded wooden box containing two doses of antitoxin (vial) (100 gp).

22. Cave of the Giant Lizards

If the party arrives here directly from the marsh, read:

A cave entrance yawns thirty feet wide and fifteen feet high. The marshy ground turns to mud near the cave,

and tracks from large creatures pass in and out. Inside

the cave, the floor consists of thick mud, and you find it impossible to move at normal speed.

The cave reaches a height of about forty feet. At the far side of the cave, a narrow stone pathway connects two arched entrances that lead deeper into the hillside, one in the northeast corner of the cave and the other in the southeast corner. A sudden movement in the mud is all the warning you get before six forms leap forth.

If the party arrives from inside the lizardfolk lair, read:

You have entered a huge cave on a narrow stone pathway that runs along the eastern portion of the south wall. The pathway connects two tunnel entrances—one in the southeast corner, the other in the northeast. At the far side of the cave is a gaping hole thirty feet wide and fifteen feet high that leads out into the marsh and the open air.

Apart from the stone pathway, the floor is covered with thick mud; tracks indicate that some large creatures have passed back and forth. There is sudden movement in the mud, and six large reptilian forms rush toward you.

With the exception of the edge of the pit to the west, this area is difficult terrain. The mud here is 15 inches deep.

Six Giant Lizard lair in this mud-filled cave. They have been trained to serve as guards by the lizardfolk and attack intruders immediately. Any adult lizardfolk can call off the lizards. The giant lizards can (and will) pass through the cave entrance to pursue characters out into the marsh.

Development

Combat in this area alerts the lizardfolk in area 23.

Treasure

About 5 feet north of the center of the southern wall, partially buried in the mud, is a breastplate—much battered and twisted and now detached from the full suit of plate armor it once belonged to. Beneath the breastplate, buried in mud, is a longsword.

These items were the property of a member of a band of inexperienced adventurers who tried to penetrate the lair on their own some weeks ago and were killed in the attempt. The breastplate is too battered to perform any useful function, but the weapon is a +1 longsword.

23. Guard Room

Unless the sounds of combat in area 22 are magically silenced, the lizardfolk in this room rush there immediately to assist the giant lizards. Adjust the description below if they have not moved to that area.

This bare room features only a wooden bench set against the west wall.

Three lizardfolk keep guard in this room, alert for unusual sounds coming from the north or south. If the guards have not moved elsewhere, they are sitting on the bench, talking and keeping their weapons near.

24. Nursery

A bustle of activity fills this room, and it is fairly noisy—over a dozen lizardfolk adults and hatchlings mingle and play here. This appears to be a large nursery, with adult lizardfolk and hatchlings distributed throughout the area in small groups. The young play or sleep while the adults chat, drink, and oil their bodies.

Straw mattresses are scattered around the floor. Wooden tables hold earthenware cups, mugs, pitchers, and clay bowls filled with wild flowers. Chairs sit beside the tables, with wooden stools here and there.

There are twenty Lizardfolk Commoner (see appendix C) and thirteen lizardfolk hatchlings here. The hatchlings do not fight and pose no threat to the party.

If the lizardfolk hatchlings from area area 11 are following the characters, they abandon the party and rush to play with the other hatchlings when the group arrives here.

The characters' arrival is unlikely to be noticed because of the general hubbub, but their presence will certainly be detected if they move into the room.

Even when their intrusion is noticed, the characters will not be greeted with hostility unless they take offensive action. The lizardfolk adults defend their hatchlings and their property, doing their utmost to prevent the characters from entering area 25. If a fight breaks out, two lizardfolk adults try to leave through the east door to find the guards in area 23.

If the characters leave without taking action other than observing, the adults do not pursue them. But if the characters take aggressive action (fighting, looting, or even merely threatening) and any adults are alive when the characters depart, one or two adults try to sneak undetected to the nearest room that contains warriors.

25. Hatchery

It is discernibly warmer here and a slightly fetid odor wafts from within. The floor of the room is mud, smooth and unbroken except near the door where three tiny reptilian shapes crawl among what look like egg fragments.

More than two hundred lizardfolk eggs are buried in the mud in this room. Three near the door have hatched very recently. Any blow will kill these hatchlings—even picking them up carelessly could do them considerable harm. There is nothing else of note here.

26. Gate and Treasure Room

As the characters move along the hallway toward areas 26 and 27, read:

A stout wooden gate bars your way, reaching from floor to ceiling. It is hinged at the walls and locked in the center.

The gate that allows access to this area and area 27 is normally closed and locked. The gate’s lock can be opened with a successful DC 20 Dexterity check using thieves' tools, or the gate can be broken (AC 15, 18 hit points, damage threshold 10). Guards from area 27 rush forward to attack any intruders that make noise at the gate.

Area 26 is accessed by a secret door in the east side of the corridor. Noticing the door requires a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check. If someone opens the door and is able to see what lies beyond, read:

A ten-foot-square entrance expands to the east to form a room of considerable size.

The short corridor that leads into area 26 is the site of a pit trap. The trap is well concealed by a false floor and requires a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check to be noticed. Creatures that step on the false floor fall through into a bog pit (see the “area Hazards in the Marsh sidebar), taking normal falling damage

Inside the pit are five Giant Poisonous Snake, which attack anything that falls in.

As soon as a character occupies the space to the east of the bog pit and can see farther into the room, read:

At the far end of the chamber ahead, you see some sacks and a large chest.

The chest is trapped with a poison needle. Noticing the trap requires a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check. A successful DC 12 Dexterity check is required to disarm the trap. Opening the chest without disarming the trap, or failing to disarm it, triggers the trap.

When the trap is triggered, a small poisoned dart is ejected from the lock. Any creature standing in front of the lock is automatically struck by the needle, taking 1 piercing and 4 (1d4 + 2) poison damage.

Treasure

The chest and sacks contain the lair’s wealth. The chest holds 1,700 ep, a gold-bonded ivory scepter (100 gp), and a gold crown in the shape of a coiled serpent (250 gp). Inside the sacks are various silks and hides (100 gp total).

27. Guard Room

Thirty feet beyond the gate is a bare room with a wooden bench set against the east wall.

A lizardfolk render (see appendix C) and a lizardfolk occupy this area, ordered to stand guard over the lair’s treasure (area area 26). They do not open the gate unless commanded to do so by the queen or the subchief.

The guards in this area keep a watch on the gate and the secret door that leads to area 26. They defend the gate if they hear anyone trying to attack it, but a successful attempt at unlocking it does not draw their attention.

28. Officer’s Quarters

A plain wooden table and a wooden chair are set against the south wall of this room. On the table sits a wooden bowl. A single bed stands against the east wall, a wooden chest at its foot.

The chest contains personal possessions, a dagger in a scabbard, and a purse with 25 ep.

29. Barracks

Adjust the description depending on the number of lizardfolk found here, as detailed below.

About a dozen straw mattresses lie scattered around the floor, each with a wooden chest at its foot. At the south end of the room, a long table is set centrally, wooden benches to either side. A few lizardfolk are seated on benches or mattresses, talking and tending to their weapons.

Four lizardfolk, one lizardfolk render (see appendix C), and one lizardfolk scaleshield (see appendix C) are in this chamber, awaiting their turn at patrol duty, if they have not been called elsewhere.

If the party arrives here accompanied by friendly lizardfolk, the scaleshield initially urges the guards to attack. A successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check by a character prevents a fight, and instead the lizardfolk take the characters in custody and take them to meet the queen.

Treasure

Some of the chests contain personal possessions and the following items, distributed randomly:

• In each of five chests, a purse containing 5 sp
• A seashell necklace (no value)
• A pewter mug (no value)
• A lump of pink coral (10 gp)
• A leather bag containing five irregularly shaped stones (no value)

30. Subchief’s Living Quarters

The furniture in this pleasant chamber is of high quality. A wooden table stands in the center of the room with four chairs around it. On the table sits a gleaming bowl. In the southeast corner stands a small closed cask on which stand an unlit lantern and a goblet.

The bowl is made of pure electrum and is worth 50 gp. The cask contains wine—quite pleasant to the human palate. The goblet is made of silver and is worth 7 gp, and the lantern is a normal hooded lantern.

31. Subchief’s Sleeping Quarters

A single cot, set against the east wall, features a rug beneath it made of a lion’s skin. In the southwest corner of the room is a brass-bound wooden chest, its lid closed and secured with a heavy metal padlock.

The lock on the chest can be opened by a character who succeeds on a DC 12 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. The chest bears a paralyzing gas trap. Noticing the trap requires a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check. A successful DC 12 Dexterity check is required to disarm the trap. Opening the chest without disarming the trap, or failing to disarm it, triggers it.

When triggered, the trap fills the room with paralyzing gas. Creatures caught in the gas must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1d4 minutes. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each minute.

Treasure

The chest contains these items: five leather belts with electrum buckles set with pearls (10 gp each), an electrum armband (20 gp), a leather purse containing 50 sp, and a prismatic kaleidoscope (no value).

32. Guard Room

Four lizardfolk in this chamber stand on guard, ready to challenge intruders. This area is bare of furniture except for a wooden bench set against the east wall.

Three lizardfolk and one lizardfolk scaleshield (see appendix C) stand guard here. The guards immediately challenge any approaching characters. They have been selected specifically to guard the approach to their queen’s quarters. Charisma (Intimidation) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks against these guards are made with disadvantage. The characters must present a convincing story to get access to area 33 and beyond; otherwise they must leave the area immediately.

33. Queen’s Living Quarters

Though hardly sumptuous, this room appears more comfortably furnished than any others you have seen in the lair. A circular table of polished wood with four chairs set around it sits in the center of the room. On the table are arranged three decorative items with a metallic sheen—a platter, a carafe, and a goblet.

In the southeast corner is an armchair that has been crudely upholstered.

The items on the table are made of silver. The platter and the carafe are worth 10 gp each, while the goblet is worth 5 gp. All three are engraved with a simple pictograph showing a lizard standing proudly with its forked tongue extended.

34. Queen’s Sleeping Quarters

A large ornate bed with its head against the center of the south wall dominates this chamber; some rugs and cushions lie scattered atop it. Next to the bed on the east side is a small table, featuring a crudely framed drawing of a powerful-looking lizardfolk queen.

In the southeast corner sits an iron chest, closed and padlocked. Next to it is a large, elegantly carved wooden wardrobe.

The secret door in the southwest corner requires a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check to notice. It leads to area area 11.

The chest is trapped with a needle. Noticing the trap requires a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check. A successful DC 12 Dexterity check is required to disarm the trap. Opening the chest without disarming the trap, or failing to disarm it, triggers the trap.

When triggered, the trap fires a small needle from the lock. Any creature standing in front of the lock is automatically struck by the needle. The needle deals no damage and is not poisoned. An anxious character might assume otherwise; feel free to describe vague pains, brief numbness, and so on to set a character on edge, but a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check reveals the truth of the matter.

Treasure

The chest holds these items: a set of leather straps and belts with gold buckles and adorned with pearls (100 gp), a gold-banded dagger and scabbard (25 gp), a leather bag containing 25 gp, a flask of perfumed oil (5 gp), and a jade figurine of Semuanya (25 gp).

The wardrobe contains a fine brocade robe in rich red cloth, decorated with gold thread. The robe is worth 100 gp and serves as the queen’s mark of royalty.

35. Queen’s Lounge

In the center of the room stands a circular table of polished wood with two wooden chairs set to either side. A lizardfolk sits in each chair, hunched over the table. The table holds a square gaming board with alternating black and white squares, a silver bowl, a decanter, and two goblets.

A brocade upholstered couch sits against the south wall, with a large glass mirror in a wooden frame hanging on the wall above it. The couch is flanked by two wooden chests.

Unless extreme circumstances prevail (for example, the guards in area area 32 have beaten a fighting retreat here), two Lizardfolk Commoner (see appendix C) reside here, playing a game at the table.

These lizardfolk try to avoid a fight, preferring to flee and take refuge in the pool in area area 36. They fight if they are cornered or if they see the intruding party attempt to enter area area 37.

Treasure

One chest holds the following items: a set of leather straps and belts with silver buckles and adorned with coral (10 gp). a flask of perfumed oil (5 gp), a silk scarf (3 gp), and a purse containing 50 ep.

The second chest holds the following items: a silver mirror (10 gp), a flask of perfumed oil (5 gp), a bolt of velvet cloth (20 gp), and a purse containing 50 ep.

The bowl, the decanter, and the two goblets are made of silver and are worth 10 gp, 5 gp, and 3 gp each, respectively.

36. Royal Bath

This bare, stone-flagged room features a twenty-foot-square pool of clear water at its center. The floor of the pool is stepped to provide easy access.

The steps into the pool are between 2 and 6 inches high. Clear, warm water fills the pool, though it is not possible for the characters to see to the bottom at the center, where the water is 15 feet deep. The lizardfolk commoners, if they fled from area area 35, are hiding in that location.

37. Royal Hatchery

It is noticeably warmer in this area. The walls and ceiling of the room are unremarkable, and the floor is covered in mud.

The warm mud on the floor is 6 inches deep. Buried in the mud are twelve lizardfolk eggs (not visible above the surface). These are the queen’s eggs, which are very valuable to her. Unlike with the eggs in the hatchery (area area 25), the characters might succeed if they attempt to use these eggs as bargaining tools.

38. Minister’s Quarters

This is a small, comfortable room. In the center is a circular wooden table on which lies a closed book. To one side of the table, an aged lizardfolk occupies a crudely upholstered armchair. To the other side, a plain wooden chair sits empty. In the northwest corner, a brass tripod supports a brass bowl filled with hot coals. The room is warm and smoky.

Seated in the armchair, reading a papyrus scroll, is the queen’s leading advisor and by far the most intelligent lizardfolk in the lair: the aged minister, Sauriv. The minister does not fight, even in self-defense, and can be slain without undue effort. His first reaction to intruders, assuming he is not immediately attacked, will be one of mild surprise, asking them who they are, where they come from, who sent them, and so forth. He knows they are not ambassadors, for he has made no arrangements with humans. Nevertheless, he is amiable and willing to talk.

Sauriv has the statistics of a lizardfolk noble, with these changes:

• Sauriv is lawful neutral.
• His Armor Class is 13 (natural armor).
• He has a swimming speed of 30 feet, and he can hold his breath for 15 minutes.
• He has a Wisdom score of 18 (+4).
• His skills are Deception +7, Insight +6, Persuasion +7.
• His passive Perception score is 14, and he has disadvantage on all Wisdom (Perception) checks.
• He speaks Draconic and Common.

Sauriv is extremely wise, and it is due to his inspiration that the strategy of forging an alliance against the sahuagin was devised. He arranged for the purchase of the weapons the Sea Ghost has been transporting (as related in The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh).

His appearance betrays his age. His teeth and claws are stained and blunted, his eyesight is fading, and his senses of hearing and smell have lost their acuity. He wears a large gold chain (200 gp) around his neck.

Development

Before any conversation about the alliance or the sahuagin can occur, the minister must be satisfied that the characters are not allied with the sahuagin. As long as the characters haven’t been unnecessarily brutal in their treatment of other lizardfolk, he reaches this conclusion if any character makes a successful DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check. But if they have slain any lizardfolk, the DC of this check increases by 2 for each victim.

On a successful check, the minister is satisfied that the characters are not in league with the sahuagin, and gives them information about the planned attack on the sahuagin lair. Further, he offers to arrange an immediate meeting between the characters and the queen, with the purpose of bringing humans into the alliance.

On a failed check, or if the characters are noncommittal about their relationship with sahuagin (or if they pretend they are friendly with them), the minister makes no mention of the alliance or the impending assault. Instead, he excuses himself and goes to area 40 to warn the queen of the presence of intruders. Guards return to area 38 to accompany the characters to the drill hall.

In this event, if the characters do not cooperate and resist attempts to take them into custody, their mission ends in failure. The queen immediately orders her followers to hunt down and kill or capture the party—the chance of encountering a patrol in the corridors of the lair increases from 1 in 12 every 10 minutes (see “area Patrols in the Lair") to 1 in 2 every 5 minutes.

Reading Materials

The scroll the old lizardfolk minister peruses is written in Common and was sent by the local locathah chief to the lizardfolk queen. It identifies the locathah currently present in the lair as the chief’s ambassadors and authorizes them to act on his behalf in all matters pertaining to the alliance. It has no specifics regarding the nature of the alliance or those against whom the alliance is directed; the word “sahuagin” is never used.

The book on the table, _Power Politics} by Abel Mackie, is written in Common{@i _. It discusses the trickier and more devious side of political life. It can be sold for 5 gp.

The Cooperative Minister

Sauriv, the lizardfolk minister, offers the characters the most direct route to gaining a peaceful audience with the queen and a positive resolution for both Saltmarsh and the lizardfolk. In conversation with the characters, he should immediately inform them that it’s the sahuagin that pose the true threat to the region.

What He Wants: The minister wants what the queen wants: a strong alliance, united for the purpose of driving the sahuagin back into the deeps.

39. Minister’s Sleeping Quarters

A single bed is set against the east wall. A small wooden bookcase containing five books stands against the south wall; beside it is an old leather chair. Against the west wall of the room is an iron chest, with a closed padlock in the hasp. On top of the lid rests a single glove. Next to the bed stands a tall wardrobe, its door partially open. It appears to be empty.

Any character who inspects the chest notices that its key is adhered to the rear exterior panel of the chest with a blob of sticky resin. The blob is poisonous to the touch, and any creature that touches it with bare skin must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 hour. The poisoned creature can repeat the saving throw every 15 minutes. The glove atop the chest has traces of the poison resin on its fingertips—a fact obvious to anyone inspecting the glove.

The five books are among the minister’s favorites:

The Politics of Power by Lucia Domici (5 gp), another rather obscure work dealing with the shiftier side of politics.

The Triumph of Diplomacy by Tyrons Scroot (5 gp), a history of the author’s successes in the field of diplomacy.

The Occult Properties of Gemstones by Archmage Tenser (10 gp). This book is another of Tenser’s tomes on his favorite subject (wealth) and follows on from his earlier book, The Magical Properties of Gemstones (found in area area 2 of the house in The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh). If the players want their characters to read this book and ask to know something of its contents, your imagination might be stretched! Reading the book conveys no special advantage to the characters, and most of the contents are too obscure for full comprehension.

A Lizard Language and Common Tongue Grammar written by an anonymous author (10 gp), although the introduction describes him as a druid. Intensive study of this book allows the reader to learn Draconic, the native language of the lizardfolk. You decide the time required to acquire this new language. (The downtime rules in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything provide some guidelines.)

The Nature of the Sahuagin by Professor Gaxm (15 gp). This slim volume contains a detailed account of the nature of sahuagin. If players want their characters to read it and ask to know something of its contents, summarize the passages that deal with the sahuagin in the Monster Manual, omitting statistical details such as Armor Class, Hit Dice, and so forth, and inform the players that the rest follows in the same vein.

Treasure

The chest is locked and can be opened by a character who makes a successful DC 12 Dexterity check using thieves' tools. It holds these items: a leather bag containing 50 ep, a flask of perfumed oil (5 gp), a velvet bag containing five pearls (3 gp each), and a small vial of Basic Poison (vial) (see chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook).

40. Drill Hall

This open area features six floor-to-ceiling pillars that demarcate a central area bare of furniture. In this central area, the earth floor has been packed closer than elsewhere, as if by the passage of many feet. Several wooden benches stand near the north and south walls.

A large mattress has been fixed to the center of the east wall. Attached to it is a large target dummy with the head of a fish-like creature atop it.

Several lizardfolk are practicing combat against one another or throwing javelins at the dummy. A powerfully built and tall lizardfolk female stands with several of the heavily armored warriors. She observes the training through narrowed eyes. Another lizardfolk stands near the leader, dressed in a kelp-colored robe and holding a long, polished tooth.

Othokent, Irhtos (lizardfolk subchief), and two Lizardfolk Scaleshield observe eight lizardfolk and one lizardfolk render as they train for battle (see appendix C for all but the lizardfolk).

Othokent is a Lizard King, with these changes:

• Her alignment is lawful neutral.
• She speaks Common as well as Abyssal and Draconic.

If the characters enter this area with weapons drawn or otherwise behave threateningly, they are attacked without hesitation. The lizardfolk in the drill hall aggressively protect the queen. If the characters refrain from attacking and call out to the queen to parley, she holds her warriors back and enters discussions with them.

Target Practice

The object lashed to the mattress is a training dummy assembled from cloth, wood, and straw. A rotting sahuagin head is affixed to the makeshift body, which is approximately the size of a real sahuagin.

Treasure

None of the lizardfolk here have valuables. The queen and the subchief carry the keys to the chests located in their quarters.

41. Thick Gate

A wooden gate bars your way, reaching from floor to ceiling. It is hinged at the walls and locked in the center.

One of these gates is located on each end of the corridor that allows access to the eastern section of the lair. A gate’s lock can be opened with a successful DC 20 Dexterity check using thieves' tools, or the gate can be broken (AC 15, 18 hit points, damage threshold 10).

If a gate is opened or broken, the view ahead shows a steep flight of stairs leading down.

Under normal circumstances, if any occupants of the lair want to pass through either of these gates into the area the gates enclose, they must wait for a guard patrol to appear and unlock the gate. If the characters knock at one of these gates or otherwise attract attention from those on the other side, the lizardfolk at the nearest guard post (area area 42 or area area 48) will come to investigate within 1d6 rounds.

Conversely, any lizardfolk that want to pass into the western part of the lair are accompanied to the gate by a guard patrol, and the gate is locked behind them after they depart.

42. Guard Post

Four lizardfolk are on guard here. An iron-bound wooden door stands in the southwest corner of this area. A rough wooden bench sits next to it, set against the south wall.

Three lizardfolk and one lizardfolk scaleshield (see appendix C) stand guard here. Melee in this area is not heard by the occupants of area area 44, but if one of the guards escapes, it goes there and calls for help.

Treasure

The guards carry no valuables. The scaleshield keeps the keys to the cells in area 43 on her belt.

43. Prisoner Cell Entry Hall

A short flight of steep, rough steps leads to a narrow east-west passage that ends in a blank wall some sixty feet away. To your right are five iron-bound doors, all closed. The doors have no exterior features except for a keyhole midway up the left side of each one.

The cell doors are locked, and the keys are in the possession of the lizardfolk scaleshield in area 42. A character who makes a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools can open a lock. Each of the doors can be forced open with a successful DC 18 Strength (Athletics) check, or it can be broken (AC 15, 18 hit points, damage threshold 10).

Communication through a closed door is muffled at best, and it will be difficult to carry on more than a very fragmentary conversation between any prisoner and a would-be rescuer. A character must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check whenever meaningful communication with a prisoner is attempted.

43a. Sahuagin Water Cell

Where you would expect to see a floor, there is instead a watery surface. Halfway across the room, a metal grill extends across the space.

Though the water is not particularly clear, you can see a shape swimming around below the surface beyond the grill.

Above the water, the cell is bare.

The cell is divided into two parts: a shallow area and a deep area, separated vertically by a metal grill. The grill is hinged and locked. It can be opened with the key to the cell, or by a character who makes a successful DC 12 Dexterity check using thieves' tools.

Before the grill is accessed, any character who forces open the door must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or fall into the water from the forward momentum. The grill prevents anyone who falls into the shallow portion of the water cell from tumbling into the depths.

A sahuagin captive is kept in the deep area of this cell. This creature speaks Common (from its background as a scout and spy) and is extremely cunning and subtle. If the characters do not realize its true nature, the sahuagin tells them that it is a triton held captive by the evil lizardfolk, and it offers to assist the characters against their “mutual enemies” if they release it. Even if the characters correctly identify it (perhaps because they have seen one before), it still tries to persuade them to take it along, offering help against the lizardfolk in exchange for its freedom. It is very persuasive in its arguments, not hesitating to lie about its abilities in order to enhance its potential as a possible ally. If the characters accept the sahuagin’s offer, it deserts them at the first opportunity and returns to its tribe. (The sahuagin must return to water every 4 hours, and it uses that fact as its excuse for an attempt to escape, if needed.) While it is with the party, it fights any hostile creature they encounter with great ferocity.

If the characters decline the sahuagin’s offer of an alliance, it attacks them and tries to force its way past them to escape by way of the sea cave at area 49. It has no weapons or treasure.

Oceanus

If the sea elf is with the party, he recognizes the sahuagin on sight and immediately identifies it for the characters. Oceanus advises strongly against allying with it and accepting its assistance. If the rest of the characters overrule him, he tries to kill the sahuagin then and there. If unassisted and uninterrupted, Oceanus kills the weakened sahuagin in 2 rounds.

43b. Empty Water Cell

This cell is identical to 43a but is empty, and its vertical grill is open.

43c–43d. Empty Cell

This cell is empty.

43e. Lizardfolk Cell

A single lizardfolk is confined in this otherwise bare cell.

A lizardfolk commoner (see appendix C) has been kept here for a few days as a disciplinary measure. It hisses and cowers in the corner if approached. It escapes to area 44 if it can.

Development

If the sahuagin is with the party, the lizardfolk commoner attacks it immediately.

44. Barracks

Three lizardfolk are seated at benches around a plain wooden table in the center of this room. Eleven straw mattresses, with a wooden chest beside each, lie along the walls.

Two lizardfolk and one lizardfolk scaleshield (see appendix C) are seated at the table, playing a dice game for copper pieces.

Treasure

The lizardfolk scaleshield wears a silvered necklace (10 gp). The pot for the dice game consists of 20 cp.

The chests are unlocked. They contain a variety of leather belts and straps, personal possessions, and the following items distributed randomly:

• Four purses containing 6 sp each
• Three flasks of oil (3 sp each)
• A bag of seashells (no value)
• A solid quartz sphere (no value)
• A dagger in a scabbard (2 gp)

45–46. Officers' Quarters

These rooms are very similar; the following description serves for each, though the positions of the furniture can be varied if desired.

A plain wooden table and two wooden chairs stand near the wall farthest from the door. To one side of the room is a single bed, just a rough mattress set on a wooden frame. At the foot of the bed rests a wooden chest.

The table in area 45 holds a wooden dish, and the table in area 46 has a ceramic pitcher and mug.

Treasure

The chests are unlocked and contain personal possessions. The chest in area 45 contains a dagger in a scabbard (2 gp) and a purse with 20 sp. The chest in area 46 contains a purse that holds 15 sp and a chunk of raw amber (10 gp).

47. Garbage Room

Unlike most of the lair, this area is not illuminated. If the characters use a light source or have some other way of seeing in the dark, read:

The room smells of decay. Scattered on the floor are broken and rusted weapons, rotted leather straps, a pile of moldy sacks, dirty and torn cloths of various colors, and pieces of wood that might once have been furniture.

In the southwest corner, amid a heap of moldy sacks, lies a worn leather backpack that belonged to one of the adventurers who took part in the earlier unsuccessful raid. When his comrades were slain, though he was mortally wounded, he broke free from the fight and fled here, where he subsequently died. The lizardfolk removed the corpse but overlooked the gear.

Treasure

The backpack can be discovered by a character who rifles around in the heap of cloth and makes a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. It contains 5 gp, 11 sp, a topaz (10 gp), and an explorer’s pack that has all its contents except the rations and water.

48. Guard Post

If combat elsewhere has drawn these creatures away, adjust the description below.

Four lizardfolk stand guard here. A wooden bench along the south wall is the only furniture.

Four lizardfolk are stationed here. These guards hear any sounds of melee in area area 52. If this happens, three of them go immediately to that area, and the fourth goes to area area 44 to summon reinforcements.

49. Guards' Pool

This pool and the three to the south (areas 50, 51, and 52) are partly illuminated by torches set in sconces on the wall next to the pathway. If the characters enter this area from the north, they are initially in darkness but soon come into view if they near the shore.

Use portions or the entirety of the following description, depending on which direction the characters approach from:

This large, water-filled cave, roughly circular and about seventy feet in diameter, connects to the sea through a passage. The passage is fifteen feet across at its widest point, and its roof is at most five feet above sea level. The cave also connects to another cave through a thirty-foot-wide passage in the southeast corner; the roof here is also only five feet above the water.

The main cave has a high roof, extending twenty-five feet above the water. Most of the cave appears natural, except for a rough ledge that has been cut into the rock running along the southern edge, connecting with the adjacent cave. At the western edge of the ledge, an opening has been cut into the rock wall to permit access to a passage beyond. Near this, a flight of rough stone steps leads down into the water.

The water is clear. Tall seaweed, its fronds swaying lazily, covers the bottom.

Four lizardfolk hide in the seaweed of the pool.

Development

The lizardfolk most fear an attack by sahuagin at this sea cave, so the guards are alert and have been rigorously drilled in a defensive procedure. The procedure follows these steps:

• One guard swims to the stairs and goes to alert the occupants of areas 42, 44, 45, 46, and 48, returning with them as quickly as possible.
• A second guard swims to area 50 to alert the koalinth, to area 51 to alert the locathah, and to area 52 to alert the merfolk. Each of these groups of creatures immediately swims to area 49 to confront the intruders, arriving there in quick succession.
• The other two guards hide in the seaweed, hoping for an opportunity to attack the intruders from the rear.

A Rough Start

If the characters approach from the sea and enter the lair by way of area 49, they face serious opposition from the outset. Luckily for them, the lizardfolk have prepared special (nonlethal) measures against a sahuagin attack. The lizardfolk’s reaction to intrusions by other creatures is to try incapacitating them with their clubs, rather than killing them outright, then take the suspicious strangers to the queen for questioning.

50. Koalinth Pool

Describe the passages leading to and from this area depending on where the party approaches from.

This flooded cavern is roughly circular and about sixty feet in diameter. The water is murky, but the top of a weed bed can be seen just under the surface. A stone path follows the west wall a few feet above the waterline. From it, stone stairs descend into the water.

One koalinth sergeant and three koalinth rest in the weeds as they prepare to take their leave (see appendix C for each). A successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check is required to notice them. Unless the party is accompanied by lizardfolk, the koalinth attack the characters if they spot them.

Development

The koalinth have recently declined the queen’s offer of an alliance against the sahuagin. They feel great enmity for elves of all types and make attacking them a priority.

Treasure

The koalinth sergeant wears a silver armband (25 gp).

51. Locathah Pool

Describe the passages leading to and from this area depending on where the party approaches from.

This flooded natural rock cavern is roughly circular and about seventy feet in diameter. The water is clear, but the bottom is covered with a mass of weeds so that the depth cannot be judged.

A stone path has been carved into the west wall a few feet above the waterline. Narrow stone stairs descend into the water from this path.

One locathah hunter, four locathah, and their five Giant Sea Eel occupy this pool (see appendix C for each).

Development

The locathah do not attack the characters unless they see the sahuagin prisoner traveling with them. If they hear combat in either area area 50 or area 52, they respond and help defend their potential allies. In this case, they leave their eel mounts behind.

Treasure

The locathah hunter carries a leather purse containing 20 gp.

52. Merfolk Pool

This pool and the three to the north (areas 49, 50, and 51) are partly illuminated by torches set in sconces.

Describe the passages leading to and from this area depending on where the party approaches from.

This flooded natural rock cavern is roughly circular and about seventy feet in diameter.

A bloom of colorful blue and green algae covers the surface of the water, obscuring its depths.

From a stone path, narrow stairs descend into the water from this path.

One merfolk salvager (see appendix C) and three merfolk are beneath the algae.

Development

The merfolk defend themselves if attacked but otherwise leave the characters alone. They are willing to discuss their reason for being in the lair (which is to negotiate an alliance) only if the characters are traveling with friendly lizardfolk, or if a character makes a successful DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If they hear combat in either area 50 or area 51, they respond and help defend their potential allies.

Treasure

The merfolk salvager carries a leather purse containing 20 gp.

Conclusion

At the end of the adventure, there are two possible primary outcomes. Use one of the following scenarios to determine what happens next.

XP Awards

If the characters succeeded in their mission and an alliance is forged between Saltmarsh and the lizardfolk, the characters receive 1,600 XP.

If they made an earnest effort to impress the lizardfolk but fell short, their award is instead 1,200 XP.

Formalizing the Alliance

If the characters succeed in impressing the lizardfolk, Queen Othokent reconsiders her previous assumption regarding the inability of the humans to render worthwhile assistance. An alliance with Saltmarsh is agreed to, which the characters can report to the town council.

The lizardfolk dispatch two Common-speaking scaleshield officers named Garurt and Vyth to Saltmarsh to accompany the characters as ambassadors. The lizardfolk, impressed by the characters' actions and their attempts at righting any wrongs they committed in the lair, invite the town to join in the attack on the sahuagin fortress. They are well received by the council, and the alliance is quickly agreed to when the council members learn of the situation regarding the sahuagin.

The town council recognizes the characters' role in this negotiation and rewards them with the gold they were promised in the initial meeting.

Now, the council might look to hire the characters one more time—to launch an attack on the sahuagin forces and explore their fortress. Refer to chapter 6, The Final Enemy, to embark on this adventure.

Mission Gone Wrong?

Lacking any evidence to the contrary, the people of Saltmarsh initially hail the returning characters as heroes for weakening or eliminating the (supposed) threat posed by the lizardfolk. Even though any information the characters might bring back is truly of little value, the council is pleased with whatever report they provide and promises to make good on their reward.

In the meantime, while the characters are recuperating, a contingent of merfolk arrives in Saltmarsh and asks for a meeting with the council. During that session, they relate that they have just come from the lizardfolk lair, which is in a state ranging from distress to utter destruction. They explain about the impending threat of the sahuagin and the attempt by the lizardfolk to arm themselves and form an alliance against the sea devils.

The council members realize that the characters' mission was not as successful as it first seemed. As a show of good faith, they share the essential facts of the characters' mission and an explanation of how their actions were misinterpreted when they returned. They also express interest in joining the alliance.

The merfolk, after recovering from their consternation, decide to consider the characters' actions an honest—if uncivilized—mistake. They agree to accept the town’s help in the looming conflict. Then they call upon the council to again enlist the aid of the adventurers. The alliance has a need for a team to pull off a mission that could give the allies the upper hand even before full-scale war breaks out, and the adventurers have proven themselves potentially capable of succeeding.

The next steps in the story are presented in chapter 6, The Final Enemy.

Epilogue: Croc Hunt

Either as a way of apologizing for making a bad first impression on the lizardfolk, or to provide some extra excitement for combat-loving characters, this encounter pits the party against a terrible foe that dwells in the deepest muck of the swamps. Othokent details the threat, telling the characters a story about a creature the lizardfolk call Thousand Teeth. Roleplay a conversation with the queen, or summarize the conversation using the following information:

• When the lizardfolk returned to this long-abandoned lair, they soon discovered that a giant crocodile prowled in the marsh nearby.
• Crocodiles are sacred to this tribe and they regarded its presence as a good omen. The lizardfolk have much experience with crocodiles and thus perceived it as not dangerous.
• Their complacency was shattered when the giant crocodile attacked and devoured three members of a lizardfolk patrol that had paused near its lair.
• The difficulty facing the lizardfolk is that they cannot attack the crocodile, for its kind are sacred to them.
• Since the first attack, matters have grown worse. The giant crocodile has attacked lizardfolk engaged in routine patrols of the marsh, killing and eating many.
• Because the crocodile’s lair lies close to a possible route of approach of a sahuagin attack, the lizardfolk dare not leave the area unpatrolled.
• There would be no violation of sacred taboo if the adventurers were to kill the giant crocodile on the queen’s behalf. In fact, the queen demands the head of Thousand Teeth be brought to her so that she might add it to her collection.

If the party agrees to solve the tribe’s crocodile problem, Queen Othokent offers them a vile-tasting flask of swamp water mashed with various roots (a potion of superior healing).

Lair of the Devourer

Thousand Teeth’s pool is located along the Dunwater River, about twelve miles inland from the lizardfolk lair.

Traveling to the Pool

Traveling through the marsh is a dangerous proposition. The characters can choose between a direct overland route or a winding route that follows the banks of the Dunwater River.

Trudging Through the Marsh

The marsh is difficult terrain, which turns the 12-mile trek into an 8-hour journey (assuming a normal pace). For each hour the characters travel this way, they have a 50 percent chance of facing a random encounter (see the Marsh Random Encounters table).

Marsh Random Encounters

While traveling through the marsh, the characters also likely encounter one or more of the hazards presented in the “area Hazards in the Marsh” sidebar at the beginning of this adventure.

Following the Riverbank

The river snakes through the marsh for nearly twenty miles before arriving at Thousand Teeth’s pool. The riverbank is difficult terrain, and following it from the lizardfolk lair to the pool takes 13 hours (at normal pace). The riverbank route offers a better chance of avoiding random encounters. For every 3 hours the characters travel along the riverbank, they have a 50 percent chance of facing a random encounter.

Polluted Pool

The ground slopes downward into a tangle of marsh trees and a blanket of mist. Squishing your way into the shallow valley, you arrive at a large pool of brackish water. The pool is sixty feet in diameter and shaded by a canopy of vines and twisting branches. A gurgling stream at its northern edge feeds the pool.

A few yellowed bones are visible in the shallows, and you see a great muddy mound rising from the pool’s center.

The pool is 8 feet deep at its center. The water is polluted from the rotting remains of Thousand Teeth’s meals, and any creature that ingests more than a spoonful must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 hour.

In addition to Thousand Teeth (see appendix C) in its muddy mound, two Giant Constrictor Snake lurk in the canopy of vines and drop down on unsuspecting creatures that linger too long at the pool’s edge. A character who has a passive Perception score of 15 or more notices the snakes before they attack.

Development

Thousand Teeth currently sleeps in its muddy mound. Its nose is nearly invisible where it pokes above the water. If any creature enters its pool, or if loud sounds are made near the pool’s edge (such as combat with giant snakes), the crocodile awakens and slides through the water to investigate. If it does interrupt combat with the canopy-dwelling serpents, the snakes flee into the trees to escape.