Schemes of the Yuan-Ti

Before running this chapter, review the information on yuan-ti in the Monster Manual. Additional information appears in Volo’s Guide to Monsters.

Ras Nsi

Ras Nsi leads the yuan-ti of Omu on a divine mission to usher forth Dendar the Night Serpent and trigger the end of the world (see appendix D for more information on Ras Nsi and his evil plans). His version of the apocalypse is not imminent, since Ras Nsi is distracted with fears of his own mortality. He has fallen victim to the death curse and is growing weaker by the day, and neither he nor his yuan-ti priests have been able to ascertain the cause or find a remedy. As Ras Nsi’s power wanes, his rivals are preparing to dispose of him and continue their holy mission.

Acererak promised to help the yuan-ti if they would guard the Tomb of the Nine Gods. Ras Nsi doesn’t know that Acererak is playing him for a fool. If the characters convince Ras Nsi that Acererak is a common enemy, he is of a mind not to stand in their way, provided that they vow to destroy the Soulmonger. Above all else, Ras Nsi values his own life.

Fenthaza

The cruel yuan-ti malison Fenthaza is second in power only to Ras Nsi and serves as the temple’s high priest. As one of Dendar’s “nightmare speakers,” she interprets the dream visions of the serpent god and pleases her with torture and sacrifice.

Fenthaza has long resented Ras Nsi for hanging onto the threads of his humanity. Now her visions portend ruin at Ras Nsi’s hands, and she actively plots against him. Her dreams have revealed a treasure called the Black Opal Crown, hidden deep within the Tomb of the Nine Gods. She’s convinced that the crown is the key to unleashing Dendar the Night Serpent. Fenthaza wants to murder Ras Nsi and obtain the crown from the tomb. The priest is patient and cunning, and she won’t take action against Ras Nsi unless the odds are stacked in her favor. Captive characters soon become cat’s-paws in Fenthaza’s coup.

Getting Inside

The two entrances to the yuan-ti temple are located amid the ruins of Omu’s royal palace (see chapter 3, area 20). Map 4.1 provides an overview of the temple. The main entrance leads to area 1 on the map, and the secret entrance leads to area 23.

Adventurers are most likely to enter the temple as infiltrators or captives. If they’ve forged an alliance with the Red Wizards in chapter 3, they’ll be looking for Zagmira’s spy in the temple harem (area 10).

Temple Roster and Reinforcements

If the yuan-ti detect intruders inside the temple who aren’t prisoners, they try to ring the loud gong in area 9. The Temple Roster table summarizes the positions of yuan-ti across the lair and indicates how they react when intruders are detected or the gong is struck.

Once an alarm is raised, begin tracking how much time the characters spend in the temple. At the end of each hour, roll percentile dice and consult the Temple Reinforcements table to see what else arrives. Reinforcements enter the temple from area 1 or 23 and behave as you desire.

Temple Reinforcements

The temple is a living community. Outside combat, inhabitants move between chambers, feed, wash, rest, and engage in all the villainous deceptions of yuan-ti life. You can use the Temple Reinforcements table to simulate this.

Temple Roster

Yuan-Ti Malison

1 yuan-ti malison (type 1) returning to the temple. Roll a d6 to determine its type: 1-2, type 1; 3-4, type 2; 5-6, type 3.

Yuan-ti Type

Yuan-Ti Abomination

1 yuan-ti abomination arriving at the temple to challenge Ras Nsi’s leadership. If Fenthaza is alive, she uses her influence to arrange a showdown between Ras Nsi and the abomination in the fane (area 9). If Fenthaza is incapacitated or dead, the abomination bullies its way to Ras Nsi’s throne room (area 11), where it is killed.

Cult Fanatics

2d4 insane cult fanatic (NE male and female humans of mixed ethnicities) seeking an audience with Ras Nsi, to pledge their devotion to Dendar the Night Serpent. The cult fanatics bring tribute in the form of treasure (roll once on the Treasure Hoard: Challenge 0-4 table in chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).

Tribal Warriors

2d6 tribal warrior (N male and female Chultan humans) delivering tribute to Ras Nsi. This tribute consists of food, drink, and treasure (roll once on the Treasure Hoard: Challenge 0-4 table in chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).

Infiltrating the Temple

Human characters can pose as yuan-ti purebloods if they dress and act appropriately, and can even lead other characters into the temple as captives. They must bluff their way past the yuan-ti guards. Malisons are the easiest to fool: their inherent disdain for the lower strata of yuan-ti society means that they pay little heed to purebloods moving through the temple.

The temple denizens have racial tics that are difficult to mimic and they speak in a patois that combines the Common and Draconic tongues. To avoid drawing suspicion when talking, a human character pretending to be a yuan-ti pureblood must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Deception) check.

Nonhumans have a much harder time fooling the yuan-ti without the aid of magic. Nonhuman characters attempting to pose as yuan-ti purebloods have disadvantage on any ability checks made to act in disguise.

Captured by the Yuan-Ti

Characters captured by the yuan-ti are stripped of their gear, fitted with manacles (one set binding the wrists and another binding the ankles), and confined to the pits in area 8. Their gear is stored in area 13 until it can be studied and inventoried by the storeroom’s guardian, Azi Mas. If the characters don’t escape within 1 hour, they are visited by the yuan-ti spymaster Yahru and his bodyguards (see area 17). Yahru asks questions about their mission. He and his bodyguards then escort the characters to Ras Nsi or Fenthaza.

Yahru enjoys political games and uses the characters to play Ras Nsi and Fenthaza against one another. If the characters answered Yahru’s questions angrily or arrogantly, they are taken to Ras Nsi. If they reacted in a calm, civil manner, they are brought to Fenthaza.

Audience With Ras Nsi

Ras Nsi meets with prisoners in the throne room (area 11). He wants to know why the characters invaded Omu. If he finds their answer unsatisfactory, he views them as dangerous and has them put to death immediately. If Ras Nsi learns that they’ve come to put an end to the death curse, he is intrigued. If they reveal that the cause lies in the Tomb of the Nine Gods, he releases them, gives them any remaining puzzle cubes they need to enter the tomb, and grants them safe passage out of Omu if they succeed in destroying the Soulmonger. He won’t help them further, since that could incite a yuan-ti revolt.

Audience With Fenthaza

Fenthaza meets with prisoners in her quarters (area 5). She sees the characters as pawns in her plot to overthrow Ras Nsi. To determine whether they can be trusted, she assigns them to work as slaves under Slavemaster Issar (area 19). Issar assigns each character a labor, determined by rolling percentile dice and consulting the Slave Labors table. (More than one character can be given the same task.) As they perform labors, characters see how the temple functions and might find ways to escape.

Slave Labors

If the characters perform their labors without incident or complaint for 1 day, they are brought before Fenthaza once more. She promises them their freedom if they agree to overthrow Ras Nsi. She also allows them to keep any puzzle cubes in Ras Nsi’s custody. If they agree, she gives them the armory passphrases (see area 4) and encourages them to carry out a slave uprising. She also offers to ritually transform human characters into yuan-ti purebloods so they can get closer to Ras Nsi (see area 9). While the characters sow confusion, she assembles her guards and priests (see areas 6 and 7), ambushes Ras Nsi, and attempts to kill him.

If the coup is thwarted, Fenthaza and her confederates are put to death. If the coup succeeds, Fenthaza concludes that the characters have outlived their usefulness and tries to eliminate them. If the characters flee before she can betray them, Fenthaza sends her air elemental (see area 5) to hunt them down and kill them.

Locations in the Temple

Map 4.1 shows the layout of the entire temple. The following features are common throughout.

Ceilings

Unless otherwise noted, chamber ceilings are 20 feet high and corridor ceilings are 10 feet high.

Doors

Doors are made from worked stone, with 4-inch-wide holes spaced along their bottoms to allow Medium and smaller snakes to pass through. Doors are unlocked unless noted otherwise.

Illumination

Oil lamps provide dim light throughout the complex. Each lamp burns with a tall green flame as bright as torchlight.

Portcullises

Iron portcullises secure certain areas of the temple. The bars of a portcullis are 1 inch thick and spaced 4 inches apart. A portcullis can be raised or lowered using an iron lever nearby. If the lever can’t be reached, the portcullis can be forced up or down by characters with a combined Strength of 30 or more, but doing so breaks the mechanisms that keep the portcullis from dropping. A knock spell also raises a closed portcullis.

Ramps

In place of stairs, the temple has stone ramps, which snake-bodied yuan-ti find much easier to climb.

Teleporters

Ras Nsi created five magical teleporters (in areas 8 through 12) that no one else is permitted to use. Each looks like a raised, faintly glowing stone disk with a serpentine glyph carved into the top of it. Each disk radiates an aura of conjuration magic under the scrutiny of a detect magic spell.

If Ras Nsi steps onto one of these disks, he can continue his movement from any other disk in the temple. A character with proficiency in the Arcana skill can do the same thing by stepping onto the teleporter and succeeding on a DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check. If the check succeeds but the character has no destination disk in mind, he or she appears atop a randomly determined one.

1. Main Gate

If characters approach this area from the north, read:

A wide passage slopes down to a set of bronze doors. Coiled serpents decorate the metal, with a sliding hatch at head height. Four-inch-wide holes pierce the base of each door.

When opened, the bronze doors slide into wall niches to either side of the tunnel. To pull the doors apart, the yuan-ti broodguards under Nahth’s command tug on heavy chains on the south side of the gate. To bypass the doors without opening them, yuan-ti malisons transform into snakes and slither through the holes at the bottom of the doors.

A type 1 yuan-ti malison (type 1) named Nahth (pronounced NAWTH) and four yuan-ti broodguard defend the main gate. Strangers are denied entry unless they are accompanied by one or more yuan-ti.

Nahth is greedy. After allowing characters to pass through the gate, he demands a bribe in the form of food (preferably meat) or treasure (minimum 10 gp). If the characters refuse to pay up, Nahth picks a fight with them. Combat here draws reinforcements from area 2.

Snake Pits

Beyond the main gate are three pits covered with iron grates. When enemies attack, the broodguards remove the grated covers and form up in a defensive line on the south side of the open pits. Each pit is 5 feet across, 10 feet deep, and filled with a swarm of poisonous snakes. The walls of each pit are too smooth to climb without the aid of gear or magic. A creature can skirt around the edge of a pit with a successful DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check but falls if the check fails. A creature can also attempt to clear the pits with a standing jump or running jump (see the Player’s Handbook for jumping rules), provided there are no broodguards lined up along the far side.

Treasure

Nahth has a crocodile skin pouch containing 28 gp and wears gold ceremonial bracers sculpted to resemble bats (150 gp for the pair).

2. Hall of War

Four pillars carved with serpent reliefs support the 20-foot-high ceiling of this large room, in the middle of which is an 18-foot-high statue of a coiled cobra, facing north. Torches with green flames flicker on the walls, and the air reeks of dung. Two wagons are parked in one corner, and a triceratops is confined to a metal pen in another. To the west are a pair of dark alcoves, and to the south is a wide, pillared hall.

Yuan-ti troops muster in this hall before heading into the city. Unless they have been drawn elsewhere, a yuan-ti pureblood named Soakosh (pronounced SOHkawsh) and four yuan-ti broodguard are stationed here. Two basilisk chained to hooks in the western alcoves are trained not to look their yuan-ti masters in the eye. Chewed bits of stone (the remains of petrified victims) litter the floor in the alcoves. The triceratops confined to the metal pen in the northwest corner is docile until threatened. The yuan-ti use it to pull supply wagons.

Soakosh is fat and has a forked tongue. He’s rarely seen without a bag of his favorite food at hand: candied grung eggs.

If the alarm is raised, Soakosh commands the broodguards to unchain the basilisks from their hooks and lead them into battle like war hounds. If the alarm has not been raised but combat ensues here, one broodguard runs to sound the gong in area 9.

If the triceratops is threatened with fire or injured by an attack, it smashes through the walls of its pen and heads toward area 1.

Giant Cobra Statue

The statue is not dangerous. A character can climb it with a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check.

Wagons

The supply wagons in the northeast corner are empty.

3. Hall of Serpents

The walls of this pillared hall bear reliefs of a giant serpent and its yuan-ti worshipers doing terrible things.

The wall reliefs show the legend of Dendar the Night Serpent and the rise of Ras Nsi. Characters who examine them see the following tableaus:

• A giant serpent coils in the underworld, devouring the dreams of sleeping creatures.
• Yuan-ti terrorize Chultans, feeding their nightmares to the great serpent.
• A yuan-ti malison (Ras Nsi) wielding a flaming sword and wearing a gold crown set with a black opal leads the snake people to a great door to the underworld.
• The door to the underworld opens, releasing the serpent. It devours the sun and plunges the world into terror and darkness.

A character who searches the reliefs and succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check discovers that the black opal in Ras Nsi’s crown is a stone button. If the check succeeds by 5 or more, the character also sees tiny holes hidden among the scales of the Night Serpent carvings.

If a character presses the button in Ras Nsi’s crown, the carvings of the Night Serpent expel a soporific gas that fills the hallway and lingers for 1 minute. Any creature that moves into the gas or starts its turn inside it must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. The gas has no effect on creatures that cannot be poisoned, and creatures that fail the save fall unconscious for 1 hour. Using cloth or wax, characters can plug the hundreds of holes and prevent the gas from flowing out.

4. Armory

The armory door has an arcane lock spell cast on it. Officially, only Ras Nsi, Sekelok, and Fenthaza know the command phrase to bypass the spell (“white feather”). Speaking the command phrase while standing within 5 feet of the door suppresses its magic for 1 minute, during which time the door can be opened normally. The door can also be forced open with a knock spell or a successful DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check.

When the characters peer inside, read:

Gleaming scimitars, serpent helms, and suits of scale armor cram the racks of this vault. Large bones and horned skulls litter the floor, and a shield made from the shell of a tortoise hangs on the far wall.

A large skeletal serpent slithers out from behind the racks, raises its head, and says in Common, “They will tell us the passphrase! So Ukurlahmu has spoken.”

A bone naga (guardian) named Ukurlahmu (pronounced ooker-LAH-moo) has orders to protect the armory from thieves, but it struggles to remember faces. It only attacks creatures who fail to speak the correct passphrase. The current passphrase is “black mask.” Characters are given three chances to utter the correct phrase before Ukurlahmu attacks. Before it attacks, the naga uses a bonus action to speak a magic command word that causes two minotaur skeleton to rise from the bones on the floor. The skeletons obey the naga.

Ukurlahmu speaks strangely. When it asks a question or makes a demand, it prefaces every sentence with “It will..” or “They will..” (for example, “It will tell us why it is here and what it wants”). When it makes a statement or answers a question, it always ends its sentences with “.. so Ukurlahmu has spoken.”

Treasure

The armory contains ten suits of scale armor, fifty scimitars, twenty longbows, twenty shortbows, and fifty quivers containing twenty arrows each. A detect magic spell reveals an aura of transmutation magic around the shield hanging on the wall. The shield has a minor magical property: words spoken by the shield’s bearer are amplified and sound ten times louder than normal.

The tortoise-shell shield belongs to Sekelok, and only he is allowed to touch it. If a character removes the shield from the wall, Ukurlahmu coldly demands that it be returned it to its hook, attacking if this instruction is ignored.

5. Fenthaza’s Quarters

Two type 2 yuan-ti malison (type 1) stand guard in the corridor outside this room. Combat in the hallway alerts the yuan-ti broodguards in area 6, which arrive in 1 round.

The room can be described as follows:

A haze of incense lingers inside the chamber. Faded murals decorate the walls, and throw rugs and cushions lie scattered on the floor. An engraved chest rests in one corner next to a stone urn covered with snake carvings. A creature with the head and upper body of a dark-skinned woman and the lower body of a serpent coils in the middle of the room.

Fenthaza, a yuan-ti nightmare speaker, lairs here. If an alarm is raised, Fenthaza relies on her guards to protect her while she releases the creature trapped in the stone urn (see below). Fenthaza tries to incapacitate interlopers and confine them to area 8. A particularly irksome foe might be shackled to the altar in area 6, where she can torture it at her leisure.

One of the more powerful figures in the temple, Fenthaza ruled the yuan-ti after their abomination leader died, and she performed the ritual that transformed Ras Nsi into a malison. Recently, her visions have led her to doubt Ras Nsi’s capabilities. In turn, Ras Nsi has started to cede power to his champion, Sekelok (area 12).

Stone Urn

The stone urn stands 4 feet tall and weighs 250 pounds. Its stone lid weighs 25 pounds. Trapped within the urn is an air elemental that obeys Fenthaza. If the urn’s lid is removed by someone other than Fenthaza, the elemental flies out and attacks.

Fenthaza uses the elemental to hunt down and slay escaped prisoners. Once it has completed its task, the elemental always returns to its mistress.

Treasure

Fenthaza carries a ring of keys that unlock the manacles and shackles worn by the prisoners in area 8. She wears a holy symbol of Dendar the Night Serpent (25 gp) around her neck.

The chest is unlocked and contains 200 gp, a black leather quiver embroidered with a quartz-studded star map (75 gp), and a ceremonial dagger in a gold scabbard embossed with a scene of stampeding jungle animals (25 gp).

6. Sacrificial Chamber

Unless they are lured to area 5 by sounds of battle, four yuan-ti broodguard stand guard in this chamber, one in each corner.

A bloodstained altar stands in the middle of this room. It has shackles bolted to its top and niches carved into its sides. Housed in each niche is a human skull. Grooves run down the altar to gutters on the floor, allowing spilled blood to drain into the walls. Clay urns overflow with wet bones and gore.

Fenthaza routinely sacrifices prisoners on the altar. As they die, their blood drains into the pool in area 9. A captured character who insults or otherwise annoys Fenthaza might end up here, shackled to the altar.

Chanting Skulls

The altar has six niches (one at each end and two on each long side). The human skull in each niche radiates an aura of abjuration magic under the scrutiny of a detect magic spell. If combat ensues here, the skulls start to chant in Abyssal. The skulls stop chanting when they are removed from their niches or when combat ends. Each skull has AC 9, 1 hit point, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. As long as one or more skulls are chanting, all yuan-ti in the room gain the following benefits:

• Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks
• Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects

Portcullis

A portcullis seals the entrance to area 8. A bronze lever is set into the wall south of the gate, out of sight of area 8. Lifting the lever raises the portcullis, and pulling the lever down causes the portcullis to drop.

7. Evil Oracle

Steam rises from a stone basin filled with viscous black and purple liquid. Three serpentine creatures surround the pool. Each has the head and upper body of a darkskinned woman and the lower body of a snake.

Yuan-ti priests use the pool to commune with Dendar the Night Serpent. Three priests named Arakiti, Kultha, and Nyss are here at all times. They are loyal to Fenthaza and are type 3 yuan-ti malison (type 1), with these changes:

• Add the following to the list of spells that the yuan-ti can innately cast at will: eldritch blast (2 beams; +5 to hit; 1d10+3 force damage per beam), minor illusion, and poison spray.
• They don’t carry longbows.

Oracle Pool

The sludge within the pool conducts the reveries of Dendar the Night Serpent. A creature that enters the sludge or starts its turn in the pool takes 5 (1d10) psychic damage.

Any creature that gazes into the pool for more than a few seconds receives a brief, nightmarish vision. In this vision, the creature is being swallowed whole by a giant snake. When the vision ends, the creature must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 5 (1d10) psychic damage and is afflicted with a random form of long-term madness (see “Madness” in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).

8. Prisoner Pits

An iron portcullis seals this chamber. The lever to raise it is located in area 6.

Characters captured by the yuan-ti are confined here. If this is how the characters first arrive, read:

The stench of sweat fills the humid air. You are chained to the wall of a dank, partially flooded pit. Other prisoners whimper nearby, lit by faint torchlight from the hole above.

If characters peer into this room through the portcullis, use this description instead:

Muffled sobs and moans rise from four pits with circular iron grates covering them. A chain hooked to each grate stretches over a pulley bolted to the ceiling and coils around an iron winch set into a nearby wall. Iron manacles dangle from hooks on the south wall. To the north, a faintly glowing stone disk covers the floor of an otherwise empty alcove, and carved into the top of the disk is a serpentine symbol.

The room contains four pits, each one a bell-shaped chamber 10 feet deep and 10 feet in diameter. The pits are flooded to a depth of 3 feet. Covering each pit is a 600-pound circular iron grate that requires one or more characters with a combined Strength score of at least 20 to lift. Alternatively, a character can use the iron winch near each pit to lift or lower its lid with a successful DC 12 Strength check. Climbing the slippery, sloped walls of a pit requires a DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check. New prisoners are slapped in chains and dropped into a random pit. The yuan-ti strip all prisoners of their belongings, which are kept in the storeroom (area 13) until they are properly inventoried. If the yuan-ti need to get a prisoner out of the pit, they disconnect a hook from the lid and use it to hoist the prisoner out by the manacles.

Each pit contains 1d3 prisoners, and the “Prisoners of the Yuan-ti” sidebar describes several. If a player character dies, you could introduce a replacement character here as a prisoner hoping to be rescued.

Prisoners are forced to wear manacles on their wrists and shackles on their ankles. The manacles impose disadvantage on ability checks made to climb or swim. The shackles reduce a prisoner’s walking speed by half and impose disadvantage on ability checks made to jump. Fenthaza (see area 5) carries the keys for these bindings. See “Adventuring Gear” in chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook for rules on breaking, escaping, and unlocking manacles (and shackles).

Teleporter

The engraved stone disk in the northern alcove is one of Ras Nsi’s magic teleporters (see “Teleporters”).

Prisoners of the Yuan-Ti

Yuan-ti captives not put to work as slaves are imprisoned in cells until they can be sacrificed to Dendar the Night Serpent. Ten sample prisoners are described below, and you can create others. All prisoners wear manacles on their wrists and ankles (see area 8 for details). They’ve been stripped of their armor and weapons unless noted otherwise. All seek to escape the temple and make their way back to their homes or return to civilization.

• Tahvo, a ten-year-old boy (LG male Chultan human noncombatant with AC 10 and 2 hit points), wears a flower garland and prays constantly to Tymora.
• Sev, a yuan-ti pureblood who looks human except for his forked tongue, succumbed to mad monkey fever and is confined here until he regains his sanity. Roll on the Long-Term Madness table in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide to determine Sev’s form of madness.
• Oloma Authdamar (CG female Turami human scout) is a former crew member of the Star Goddess (see chapter 2). She leapt from a porthole as the ship crashed, and the yuan-ti captured her in the jungle. Oloma carries a concealed dagger.
• Pottery Shard, a tabaxi minstrel, was kidnapped while traveling from Port Nyanzaru to Fort Beluarian.
• Gorvax, a firenewt warrior is eager to escape and return to the Valley of Lost Honor.
• A Harper named Lomar Dral (LG male Turami human mage with no spell slots remaining). While searching for Artus Cimber in Port Nyanzaru, he was drugged by the yuan-ti guide Salida and woke up a prisoner in Omu.
• Mung, a Batiri goblin, was caught by the yuan-ti while foraging in the jungle. He is malnourished and suffers from 3 levels of exhaustion (see appendix A of the Player’s Handbook).
• Kanush Natombe (N male Chultan human tribal warrior) foolishly traveled to Omu to prove his worth to another man. Kanush is malnourished and suffers from 4 levels of exhaustion.
• Zilla Atazi (LE female Chultan human bandit) was a pirate aboard the Dragonfang. Captain Elok Jaharwon threw Zilla overboard for insubordination. The yuan-ti captured her after she washed ashore.

9. The Fane

An underground cathedral opens before you. At one end, a sculptured balcony perches atop five rearing stone serpents. Blood dribbling from the serpents' jaws falls into a semicircular basin, and from there flows along a sloped trough into a wide stone bowl set into the floor. South of the bowl is a mezzanine, prominently situated atop which is a cauldron of steaming broth that exudes fleshy odors. To the west, a huge gong carved with snake patterns stands on a second balcony.

During rituals, the fane swells with yuan-ti, but the room is unguarded otherwise. When struck, the gong can be heard throughout the temple complex. One strike announces the start of a serpent ritual: when sounded, all the yuan-ti within the temple complex arrive here within half an hour. Two or more strikes in quick succession signal an alarm: when sounded, yuan-ti throughout the temple converge on this location as quickly as possible (see the Temple Roster table).

Blood Pool

Blood spilled in area 6 is channeled into this room, and the central pool contains 3d6 inches of viscid, days-old blood from previous sacrifices. The yuan-ti wallow in the blood from time to time, and slaves are sometimes brought here to be eaten alive by crazed revelers or transformed into yuan-ti (see “Yuan-ti Rituals” below).

Cauldron

A stew made from boiled flesh sloshes inside the cauldron, which is heated by a volcanic vent in the floor underneath it. Upturning the cauldron is an action that requires a successful DC 15 Strength check. When the cauldron is tipped, each creature on the floor within a 15-foot cone of the cauldron must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 4 (1d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

North Balcony and Teleporter

Ras Nsi and Fenthaza use the north balcony to address underlings. To climb up, a character must succeed on a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check. The balustrades around the balcony provide half cover against ranged attacks originating from the room below.

Set into the back wall is an alcove with an engraved stone disk on the floor-one of Ras Nsi’s magic teleporters (see “Teleporters”).

Portcullis

A portcullis seals the entrance to area 10. A bronze lever is set into the wall north of the gate, out of sight of area 10. Lifting the lever raises the portcullis, and pulling the lever down causes the portcullis to drop.

Yuan-Ti Rituals

Once every ten days, the yuan-ti gather in the fane for a depraved ritual. The ceremony takes place over the course of one night, with a skeleton crew guarding the rest of the temple complex during these periods.

During the ritual, mesmerizing incense is burned in the wall sconces. (See area 13 for more information on the incense.) Fenthaza preaches to the congregation from the north balcony. As the ceremony reaches fever pitch, she joins the revelers in the blood pool to feast on the slaves before slithering back to her quarters. On occasion, human slaves are transformed into yuan-ti purebloods or broodguards during these rituals. To undergo the change, slaves must bathe with snakes in the blood of sacrificial victims while under the influence of temple drugs. The transformation leaves each slave with 1d6 levels of exhaustion. Once they’ve shed their old skin, those who survive the process are taken to their new home in the yuan-ti nests (area 18) to recuperate. Those who die are fed to the hydra in area 21.

Fenthaza can arrange for captured human characters to be transformed into yuan-ti purebloods so they can roam freely within the temple complex and get closer to Ras Nsi. The transformation can be undone only by a wish spell or divine intervention. Characters who survive it gain a random form of indefinite madness (see “Madness” in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). A human that undergoes and survives the ritual retains its traits and gains the following yuan-ti racial traits.

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Innate Spellcasting

You know the poison spray cantrip. You can cast animal friendship an unlimited number of times with this trait, but you can target only snakes with it. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast suggestion with this trait. Once you cast it, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Magic Resistance

You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Poison Immunity

You are immune to poison damage and the poisoned condition.

10. Harem

An iron portcullis seals the entrance to this chamber. To raise it, a creature must lift a lever in area 9.

A fountain of cool water bubbles on the floor ahead. The scent of lilies fills the air, and silken drapes drift lazily in the heat. Archways open into shaded booths heaped with cushions and trays of sugared sweets. Lounging about are a dozen scantily clad humanoids with eyes like those of snakes and scaly patches on their arms, legs, necks, and backs. Watching over them are a pair of inhuman bipedal reptiles.

Ras Nsi’s concubines live in luxury within these chambers. Eleven yuan-ti pureblood and a doppelganger disguised as a pureblood comprise the harem. Two yuan-ti broodguard watch over the harem at all hours.

Ras Nsi used to spend much of his time here, sampling the harem’s delights. Since the death curse took hold of him, he has cloistered himself elsewhere. The purebloods neither help nor hinder the characters, and they fear Ras Nsi enough not to betray him willingly. Despite Ras Nsi’s efforts to hide the effects of the death curse, the concubines know that he is sick and dying.

Ras Nsi’s yuan-ti champion, Sekelok (area 11), is fascinated by the concubine Neema and courts disaster by visiting her in the dead of night. Neema browbeats the other concubines to cover up her affair.

Doppelganger Spy

The doppelganger infiltrated the temple by killing and assuming the form of a male yuan-ti pureblood named Ishmakahl (pronounced ISH-mah-kawl). It has been sent by Zagmira, a Red Wizard, to spy on Ras Nsi. Unfortunately for its employers, the doppelganger has had little contact with Ras Nsi since arriving at the fane; however, it has learned a few things by eavesdropping on Sekelok and Neema’s intimate conversations.

Ishmakahl appears as a handsome Chultan man with eyes like a snake’s. If the characters make contact with the doppelganger on behalf of the Red Wizards, it offers to help them steal any puzzle cubes from Ras Nsi’s lair (area 12). Ishmakahl knows the layout of the temple and knows there’s a secret door somewhere in the throne room (area 11) that leads to Ras Nsi’s lair. The doppelganger also knows that Ras Nsi’s lair can be reached via the fane’s teleporters, though it doesn’t know how to activate them. It advises the characters to break into the lair when Sekelok next visits the harem.

Ishmakahl is secretly contemplating a defection to the yuan-ti. If its plan shows any signs of backfiring, the doppelganger reveals itself to Ras Nsi or Sekelok, and warns him about the intruders.

Teleporter

The eastern booth contains an alcove, set into the floor of which is a faintly glowing stone disk engraved with a serpentine symbol. This is one of Ras Nsi’s magic teleporters (see “Teleporters”).

Treasure

Characters who loot these chambers gain the following treasures: a white gold tiara made from two intertwined vipers with topaz eyes (750 gp), a jade trinket box shaped like a flytrap with curling golden leaves (250 gp), and two golden cobra candlesticks (75 gp each).

11. Throne Room

Four pillars support the vaulted ceiling, and steps ascend to an iron throne carved in the likeness of a hydra. Painted on the wall behind it is a large blue triangle. To the south, an engraved stone disk is set into the floor of an alcove. A ten-foot-wide opening in the east wall leads to a flooded cave.

Circumstances determine this room’s occupants:

• During the day, Ras Nsi “sits” in the throne while addressing two type 1 yuan-ti malison (type 1) who routinely advise him. Standing guard in the middle of the room is Ras Nsi’s champion, Sekelok (see below), and three yuan-ti broodguard. Hidden behind the throne are four ghoul that obey Ras Nsi’s commands. Each ghoul has a blue triangle tattooed on its forehead.
• At night, Ras Nsi retires to area 12, leaving the other yuan-ti (including Sekelok) and the ghouls here. Sekelok sometimes sneaks off to the harem (area 10).
• If the gong in area 9 is struck, Sekelok and the other yuan-ti leave to investigate while the ghouls hide behind the throne and Ras Nsi withdraws to area 12.

Sekelok

Sekelok is a tall, muscular yuan-ti pureblood. He has the statistics of a champion, with these changes:

• Sekelok is neutral evil.
• He wears no armor, but his scales are as hard as steel (AC 18).
• He is immune to poison damage and the poisoned condition.
• He has darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.
• He speaks Abyssal, Common, and Draconic.
• He has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
• He has the Innate Spellcasting trait described below.

Innate Spellcasting

Sekelok’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: animal friendship (snakes only), poison spray 3/day: suggestion

Sekelok is Ras Nsi’s trusted bodyguard and takes grim pleasure in slaughtering his master’s enemies. Ras Nsi delights in forcing those who offend him to duel Sekelok, either to the first cut or to the death.

Sekelok has a secret affair with Neema, one of Ras Nsi’s concubines (see area 10). His motivations here are confused: while he remains staunchly loyal to Ras Nsi, the subterfuge fuels his ego. If Ras Nsi discovers the affair, he flays both parties alive for their betrayal and feeds them to his pet hydra (see area 21).

Secret Door

A secret door in the western corner of the north wall leads to Ras Nsi’s lair (area 12). To locate the secret door, a character must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check while searching the walls. If the characters have been told about the secret door, they gain advantage on the skill check.

Teleporter

The engraved stone disk in the southern alcove is one of Ras Nsi’s magic teleporters (see “Teleporters”).

12. Ras Nsi’s Lair

Shadows dance over this opulent bedchamber. Cushions lie in one corner, and decorative shields line the walls. Treasures are heaped around the room: gold and silver coins; a gilded harp; a jeweled wine flask; pillows of silk; and fine clothes draped over wooden mannequins. To the east, an engraved stone disk is set into the floor of an alcove. To the west, a rectangular steel plate mounted on the wall is polished to a mirror-like sheen.

At night, Ras Nsi rests here, weakened by the death curse that is slowly consuming him. If enemies corner Ras Nsi, shields leap from the walls to protect him (see “Flying Shields” below). During waking hours, Ras Nsi returns here only if he’s in danger.

If the characters defeat Ras Nsi and question him, he reveals the following information to save his skin:

• Ras Nsi is slowly rotting to death. He doesn’t know the cause of his affliction and has no way to cure it.
• Before he dies, Ras Nsi wants to bring forth Dendar the Night Serpent and destroy the world.
• The yuan-ti believe there’s a locked gate somewhere under the Peaks of Flame that prevents the Dendar from entering the world. Acererak has promised to help Ras Nsi unlock the gate and bring forth the Night Serpent. In return, Ras Nsi defends the Tomb of the Nine Gods.
• Nine stone puzzle cubes are needed to enter the Tomb of the Nine Gods. Ras Nsi doesn’t know how to use the cubes to unlock the tomb.
• The tomb entrance is marked with an obelisk. (Ras Nsi can provide directions and/or an escort.)
• Acererak slew the nine gods of Omu before enslaving the city’s inhabitants, which he used to build his tomb.

Flying Shields

As a bonus action, Ras Nsi can speak a command word (“Ssilum”) that causes five shields to fly off the walls and levitate around him. While they’re active, Ras Nsi gains a +10 bonus to his AC. If an attack that would normally hit Ras Nsi is blocked by the shields, one of the shields is struck and disabled as it falls to the floor, reducing Ras Nsi’s bonus to AC by 2. When there are no more active shields, the effect ends, and Ras Nsi can’t use this power again until he finishes a long rest. A detect magic or similar effect reveals an aura of transmutation magic around the shields. Only Ras Nsi can activate the shields, and the effect is confined to this room.

Teleporter

The engraved stone disk in the eastern alcove is one of Ras Nsi’s magic teleporters (see “Teleporters”).

Treasure

Ras Nsi wields a flame tongue longsword and carries a sending stones. The companion stone is in Salida’s possession (see “Finding a Guide”).

Ras Nsi’s lair contains treasures from distant lands. The collection includes a Sembian wine flask (50 gp), a bejeweled Amnian doublet with matching money pouch (75 gp), a fine Cormyrean cloak (100 gp), a gilded Moonshae harp (250 gp), and three large cushions covered in Turami silk (25 gp each). Hidden under one of the cushions is Ras Nsi’s leather-bound spellbook, which contains all the spells he has prepared. In addition, his hoard contains thirty 50 gp gemstones in a clay urn, 150 pp in an unlocked wooden chest, 350 gp and 900 sp scattered on the floor, and a froghemoth statuette made of painted wood with three amethyst gemstones for eyes (100 gp each).

Puzzle Cubes

If Ras Nsi has taken one or more puzzle cubes from the shrines of Omu, they can be found among the items in his hoard.

13. Storeroom

The southwest double door is locked. Using thieves' tools, a character can pick the lock with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check.

Stacks of sturdy wood crates, bundles of cloth, and clay amphorae litter the floor.

Supplies gathered from the world above are stored in this chamber. An awakened giant constrictor snake named Azi Mas serves as custodian for the provisions. When fresh goods arrive, Azi Mas personally checks them and mentally catalogs them. The rest of the time, he remains coiled in the shadows. The snake is bored and enjoys chatting with yuan-ti visitors. Should other creatures enter from the southwest, Azi Mas ambushes them and tries to take a hostage. If outmatched, he whines and pleads for mercy.

Long ago, a jungle druid used an awaken spell on Azi Mas, giving him an Intelligence of 10 and the ability to speak Common. After serving him for the duration of the enchantment, the serpent slithered off and found its way to Omu. Azi Mas has a good memory; he can remember names and faces and is quick to warn his masters if yuan-ti pass through whom he hasn’t seen before.

Treasure

The storeroom contains fifty bolts of cloth; six crates of bronze bars; three barrels of salt and spices; and three chests containing rope, oil, lanterns, paper, and blankets. From the supplies, characters can assemble enough gear to make five explorer’s packs.

Mesmerizing Incense

Also present is a sealed case containing ten blocks of temple incense. Lighting a block creates a hazy cloud that fills a 20-foot-diameter sphere and moves with the block. Any creature that starts its turn in the cloud and breathes the air must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or fall into a dreamlike stupor laced with nightmarish visions. Though it remains awake, the creature is poisoned. Even yuan-ti are vulnerable to this effect, which lasts for 1 hour after a creature leaves the cloud, or until it receives a lesser restoration spell or similar magic.

14. Venom Distillery

The south door is locked, and the lock contains a cleverly hidden poison needle trap. To pick the lock, a character with thieves' tools must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity check. Finding the trap requires a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check; once found, it can be disabled with a successful DC 12 Dexterity check. A character who tries to pick the lock without first disabling the trap must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the character is pricked by the needle, takes 5 (1d10) poison damage, and is blinded. The blindness is permanent but can be cured with a lesser restoration spell or similar magic.

The air in here is moist and sticky. Natural light spills from cracks in the ceiling, and mud coats the floor. Stone workbenches are laden with clay bottles of various shapes and sizes. Toadstools, snakeroot, and belladonna plants grow among the clutter, fed by water seeping from above. Standing near the plants is a hairless man with scaly skin and a bronze syringe. Lurking in the shadows around him are five slouching humans that reek of decay.

Yuan-ti use this chamber to extract venom from snakes. Xopal (pronounced zoh-PAUL), a yuan-ti pureblood, bottles and blends the venom to create deadly new strains. Five human zombie serve Xopal as laborers.

Xopal carries a bronze syringe containing three doses of a poison cocktail. As an action, he can make a melee weapon attack with the syringe (+3 to hit), which deals 1 piercing damage and injects one dose of poison on a hit. Any creature injected with a dose of poison must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. In addition, the creature is poisoned for 1 hour whether or not its save succeeds.

Xopal believes it’s his destiny to transform into a much more powerful form of yuan-ti—a metamorphosis that will occur when he develops a poison so virulent that even innate immunity to poison can’t withstand it. Xopal uses the zombies as test subjects; once he’s overcome their immunity, he plans to conduct further tests on live yuan-ti.

Bottled Poisons

The presence of so many poisons makes combat in this room hazardous. If a workbench is exposed to explosive force, such as that generated by a thunderwave or fireball spell, the bottles smash and create a 15-foot-radius sphere of poisonous vapors that lasts for 1 minute. Any creature that enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn within the sphere must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) poison damage on a failed save. Creatures are affected even if they hold their breath or don’t need to breathe.

Among the poisons is a stoppered bronze jug used for fermenting jungle roots into soporific gas. Removing the stopper releases the gas, which fills a 15-foot-radius sphere centered on the jug. See area 3 for the effect of the soporific gas.

Treasure

Xopal carries a brass key that unlocks the south door.

Characters who search through the poisons can loot twenty doses of serpent venom, five doses of essence of ether, and five doses of torpor (see “Poisons” in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).

15. Snake Pit

A rickety wooden walkway threads around the walls of a deep pit. Foul odors waft up from below. Somewhere in the gloom beneath you, thousands of snakes writhe.

Despite appearances, the rickety wooden walkway is safe. The yuan-ti sometimes hurl disobedient slaves into the pit to be devoured by the serpents. The pit is 50 feet deep and filled with poisonous snakes. When a creature falls or sets foot in the pit, a swarm of poisonous snakes forms around it and attacks. A virtually inexhaustible number of swarms can be created in this fashion. A swarm that has nothing to attack ceases to exist as its constituents slither apart.

To climb the wet cavern walls, a character must succeed on a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check.

16. Blood Baths

The iron stench of blood floods this chamber. Along one wall, a row of gore-filled pools sink into the floor. Blood trails and bloody footprints run between the pools.

When they awake each day, the yuan-ti ritually bathe in the blood of sacrifices. The blood is contained within these stone baths and heated by thermal vents underneath each pool. When the characters enter, four yuan-ti pureblood and two type 2 yuan-ti malison (type 1) bathe in the warm pools. Five slaves in loincloths (male and female Chultan human commoner of various alignments) tend to their every need. Give names to slaves as needed (see the “Chultan Names” sidebar in the book’s introduction).

The blood-drenched yuan-ti keep their weapons at the back of each alcove. If they hear the gong alarm sound, the yuan-ti command their slaves to remain here while they arm themselves and head quickly to area 9. If combat breaks out here, reinforcements from area 17 arrive in 1d3 rounds.

17. Sauna

Heat rises from an enormous oval stone set into the floor of this chamber. Discarded skins are heaped around it, and shelves underneath it are lined with jars. A snakeheaded yuan-ti sheds his skin while two strong, barechested human men with spears look on.

The oval stone is 8 feet tall and made of porous rock. Situated atop a volcanic vent, it transfers heat evenly throughout the room. The yuan-ti come here to shed their skins and polish their scales.

Thirty jars line the shelves underneath the oval stone, and each one contains a scented ointment that yuan-ti use to keep their skin supple and to ease the shedding of their skin. The ointment is not valuable.

Unless they have been fought and defeated elsewhere, two enslaved men (NE male Chultan human gladiator) watch Yahru (pronounced YAH-roo), a type 1 yuan-ti malison (type 1), as he sheds his skin (a process that can take up to an hour). Yahru is Ras Nsi’s spymaster, and he doesn’t like to be disturbed. Characters passing themselves off as yuan-ti purebloods are instructed to leave the room at once. Enslaved characters are ordered to smear ointment on Yahru’s skin to expedite the skin-shedding process.

Yahru abhors physical combat, and he values his bodyguards too much to risk their lives in a pointless battle. Unless the characters provoke a fight, he tries to find out more about them and learn any secrets they might possess, while providing as little information as possible. If Yahru obtains information that would clearly benefit Ras Nsi or Fenthaza, he chooses which superior to bequeath it to. Yahru enjoys playing them off against each other.

If his bodyguards are defeated and he is facing death, Yahru offers small bits of information for the promise of freedom. In addition to the layout and defenses of the temple, Yahru knows the following:

• Ras Nsi commands the yuan-ti of Omu, but his command is tenuous. The high priest, Fenthaza, is Ras Nsi’s chief rival.
• Ras Nsi is slowly being eaten away by a magical disease for which there is no known cure.
• Ras Nsi has made a pact with a powerful lich named Acererak, who conquered Omu long ago and built a tomb beneath the city. The tomb’s entrance is marked with an obelisk. (Yahru can provide directions.)
• Acererak slew the nine gods of Omu before enslaving the city’s human and minotaur inhabitants, which he used to build his tomb.

18. Yuan-Ti Nests

These dank catacombs have been converted into sleeping quarters. The walls are lined with alcoves that now serve as nests for yuan-ti.

When the characters arrive, twelve of the eighteen alcoves are occupied by six yuan-ti malison (type 1) (two each of types 1, 2, and 3) and six yuan-ti pureblood. The remaining six alcoves are currently not in use. Passing through the area without being spotted is impossible unless the characters use magic to hide themselves.

If the gong in area 9 is struck, all the yuan-ti in this room gather their weapons and investigate.

19. Slave Grotto

A campfire casts warm light over this cavern. Heaps of dead grass and palm fronds are scattered about, and the muddy floor is pitted with footprints.

When they’re not working, 2d10 slaves (commoner of various races, alignments, and genders) dwell here. For slave names, see the “Chultan Names” sidebar in the book’s introduction. Three yuan-ti broodguard guard the slaves for Slavemaster Issar, a type 3 yuan-ti malison (type 1) wearing a red cloth headdress. Issar is more interested in gazing at his own reflection in a hand mirror than putting the slaves to work.

Issar is too stately to speak to the “meat” under his command. Instead, he’s chosen a Chultan slave boy named Khoti to translate his subtle, unspoken gestures. A twitch of the tail could be interpreted as an order to fetch water, or the flick of the tongue an approval. In truth, Khoti makes up most of what he sees. Issar couldn’t care less either way, as long as the correct amount of deference is shown. If strangers appear before Issar, Khoti questions them on his master’s behalf.

Slaves

Under Issar’s supervision, the slaves are supposed to be widening these caverns to create new sleeping quarters for the yuan-ti. However, progress has been slow. The slaves wore down or broke most of their tools, and Issar is waiting for the delivery of new tools.

The slaves are physically healthy, but their wills have been broken by mental trauma and tranquilizing drugs. Their emotions surface only during rest, when the dreams of the Night Serpent wrench them screaming from their troubled sleep.

The slaves are not chained. Presented with an opportunity to escape, most become paralyzed with indecision. Breaking their fugue requires strong words and a successful DC 17 Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation) check. Armed slaves who come to their senses try to slaughter as many yuan-ti as they can. They know the temple’s defenses and general layout, except with regard to areas 11 and 12 (which they’ve never seen).

Treasure

Issar carries an iron key that unlocks the double door to area 13. His red cloth headdress is sewn with malachite gemstones (250 gp), and he preens in a golden hand mirror (75 gp).

20. Underground River

An underground river opens before you. Stalactites hang low over its surface, and dripping water echoes in the dark.

The river links various sections of the complex. The water varies between 5 and 30 feet deep, and the current isn’t strong enough to present a hazard to swimmers. To the north and south, the river descends into submerged tunnels that spread for miles under the jungle.

Rowboats

When the characters arrive, a pair of rowboats are pulled up on the shore near the tunnel to area 23 (see chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide for more information on rowboats). A cowbell dangles from a hook at the prow of each boat. Ringing either bell summons the hydra in area 21, which arrives in 1d6 rounds.

Yuan-Ti Broodguards

Guarding the rowboats and watching the secret entrance (area 23) are four yuan-ti broodguard. If they detect intruders not disguised as yuan-ti, one broodguard runs to warn the yuan-ti stationed in area 19 while the others attempt to repel the interlopers.

The broodguards stop and question characters disguised as yuan-ti purebloods. To bluff their way past the guards, the characters must succeed on a group DC 10 Charisma (Deception) check. If the group check succeeds, the broodguards wave them inside without checking their story. If the group check fails, the broodguards march them to meet Slavemaster Issar in area 19.

21. Hydra’s Lair

An underground river widens to form a flooded grotto. To the west, a pebble-strewn bank rises to a door recessed in the cavern wall. Near the middle of the lake, bones cling like a tide mark to a rocky pillar.

A hydra lurks underwater in this vicinity. Ras Nsi treats the monster as his beloved pet and regularly feeds it slaves, prisoners, and subordinates who’ve defied him. The hydra’s victims are bound and ferried on rowboats over the deepest part of the river. To call the monster, their captors sound the rowboat bell and hurl the hogtied victim (or victims) into the water.

While it remains fed, the hydra avoids any boats that ply back and forth. When a rowboat bell is sounded, the hydra surfaces within 1d6 rounds. If it’s not fed immediately, it attacks the boat. The hydra attacks any boats that venture north of area 18. Swimmers are also fair game.

22. Fungi Cavern

The passage widens into a cavern filled with fungi. Toadstools, puffballs, and other tuberous growths cover the walls and floor. Against the far wall, a malformed skeleton lies buried under a patch of buttery mold. A brass key hangs around its neck.

A patch of green slime (see chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide) clings to the ceiling above the entrance and drops on the first creature that passes underneath.

A patch of yellow mold (see chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide) covers the skeletal corpse. If a creature touches the mold, it ejects a cloud of deadly spores.

The corpse belongs to Kukuga, a yuan-ti pureblood who secretly worshiped Zuggtmoy (the demon queen of fungi). Kukuga concocted a fungal brew that would transform his body into a form closer to that of his demonic mistress. Instead, it led to his sudden and horrific death. Xopal (area 14) occasionally ventures into the cavern to harvest poisonous toadstools from his corpse.

To remove the brass key without disturbing the mold, a character must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. The key unlocks the door to the venom distillery (area 14).

23. Secret Entrance

If characters enter this tunnel from the surface, read:

The passage winds into the bowels of the earth. The air is wet and sticky, and the walls are slick with moisture. Harmless centipedes crawl across the floor as you descend.

The tunnel is roughly 100 feet long. Characters who climb the tunnel toward the surface emerge amid the ruins of Omu’s royal palace (see chapter 3, area 20B).