Level 13: Trobriand's Graveyard

Known as the Metal Mage, Trobriand specializes in the manufacture of metal constructs. This level serves as his workshop, testing ground, and junkyard. Trobriand himself is an infrequent visitor, preferring instead to remain close to his master, Halaster, on level 23. Trobriand’s Graveyard is designed for four 12th-level characters. Those who overcome this level’s challenges should gain enough XP to reach 13th level.

What Dwells Here?

Trobriand’s magical constructs populate this level. Among them lives a gnome named Zox Clammersham. Hobgoblins from level 14 sneak into Trobriand’s Graveyard, eager to steal scrap metal for their fire giant overlords and also hoping to get their hands on the ring Zox uses to command many of the dungeon’s constructs.

Scaladar

Foremost among the constructs that occupy Trobriand’s Graveyard are the scaladar (see appendix A). Resembling massive scorpions with crushing claws and electrified stingers, scaladar act autonomously until forced to obey the commands of a creature that wears one of Trobriand’s metal control rings.

Bore Worm

Trobriand modeled this 100-foot-long, 15-foot-diameter drilling machine after a purple worm. Unless Trobriand commands it to do otherwise, the Bore Worm tirelessly moves through well-worn tunnels and trenches. It mindlessly attacks anything that gets in its way, and occasionally ventures up to level 12 or down to level 14. Characters hear it long before they see it.

The Bore Worm has a challenge rating of 16 (15,000 XP) and is a purple worm, with these changes:

• The worm is a construct.
• It has immunity to poison and psychic damage, as well as bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks not made with adamantine weapons.
• It has immunity to exhaustion and the blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, and prone conditions.
• The worm regains 10 hit points at the start of each of its turns if it has at least 1 hit point.
• Replace its Multiattack and Bite action options with the options described below.

Multiattack

The worm makes two attacks: one with its grinding jaws and one with its stinger.

Grinding Jaws

Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d8 + 9) slashing damage.

Zox Clammersham

A clever rock gnome, Zox Clammersham is the sole survivor of his former party’s failed Undermountain expedition. Since the demise of his friends, Zox has managed to secure a ring that allows him to command the scaladar. He has put the constructs to work building a device he calls the Simulacrux. This device will, in theory, create a simulacrum of any scaladar that passes through it. Zox’s intentions are not malevolent; he simply needs more scaladar in order to build all the things he has it in his head to build.

Hobgoblin Raiders

The bounty of salvage on this level has not gone unnoticed by the fire giants on level 14. They send hobgoblin minions to steal scrap metal, which the giants are using to build a great construct of their own. The hobgoblins raid in small bands, using trained rust monsters to distract Zox’s constructs. These raiders are naturally violent but can be parlayed with by clever adventurers.

The hobgoblins recently figured out how Zox controls the scaladar, and now they aim to kill the gnome and take his control ring. So far, Zox has managed to elude all the hobgoblins sent to murder him.

Exploring This Level

All location descriptions for this level are keyed to map 13. Unless otherwise noted, tunnels connecting the various caverns have 30-foot ceilings.

1. Tunnels and Trenches

Trobriand’s bore worm created the tunnels that connect this level to levels 12 and 14. The worm also dug 20-foot-deep trenches through area areas 2 and area 11 on this level. These tunnels and trenches have been worn smooth by the worm’s repeated passage. Scaling a tunnel or a trench wall without magic or climbing gear requires a successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check.

Arching bridges of stone span the trenches at three points. A character can try to leap off a bridge onto the bore worm’s back as it passes underneath. Any character trying to do so must make a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. On a successful check, the character lands on the worm’s back without taking damage or falling prone. On a failed check, the character slips and falls off the worm, landing prone in the trench and taking 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage from the fall.

2. Vast Cavern

This 120-foot-high cavern is abuzz with activity.

2a. Simulacrux

Simulacrux. A 20-foot-deep trench surrounds a 100-foot-tall, half-completed metal archway that rises from a bed of scrap metal.

Builders. Four scaladar (see appendix A) are hauling new pieces of metal to the arch and attaching them to it. The cavern is dark aside from the intermittent light of welding sparks coming from the constructs' tail stingers.

Arbalests. A dozen arbalests (use quadrone statistics) flit around the arch. Each arbalest resembles an oversized repeating crossbow with mechanical wings and four articulated metal legs.

Zox Clammersham is using the scaladar under his control to build the Simulacrux and to defend it, should it come under attack. The Simulacrux is designed to replicate scaladar through a variation of the simulacrum spell that uses rust as a component instead of snow. The arch is still months away from completion, and there’s a good chance it won’t function as intended. A character can ascertain the arch’s purpose with a successful DC 30 Intelligence (Arcana) check.

The Simulacrux is a Gargantuan object with AC 19, 400 hit points, immunity to poison and psychic damage, and immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons that aren’t made of adamantine. Destroying the arch all but dooms the project, since Zox lacks the resolve to start over.

The Simulacrux warps magic in its proximity. Any spell cast within 30 feet of the arch automatically triggers a wild magic surge, the effect of which is determined by rolling percentile dice and consulting the Wild Magic Surge table in the “Sorcerer” section in chapter 3 of the Player’s Handbook.

The scrap metal around the arch is difficult terrain for creatures other than scaladar.

2b. Hobgoblin Vanguard

A hobgoblin captain named Kurlog has led a force of seven Hobgoblin to this location. They are hunkered down behind scrap metal barricades sloppily arranged along the northwest ledge overlooking the trench.

The hobgoblins aim to draw out Zox Clammersham, defeat him, seize the ring he uses to control the scaladar, and return the ring to Doomcrown, the hobgoblin warlord on level 14. Kurlog will accept reasonable aid to complete this mission. In particular, he could use help taking down the arbalests that guard the Simulacrux.

2c. Detritus

Wreckage. This section of cavern is dotted with the remains of broken machines.

Corpses. Two ogres clad in iron armor lie dead among the metal detritus, their flesh pierced by dozens of metal crossbow bolts.

The ogres served the hobgoblins until they were shot dead by Zox’s arbalests a few days ago.

3. Junkyard

Metal Wasps. Buzzing about the 50-foot-high cavern are five giant wasps made of metal (see “Metal Wasps”).

Discarded Junk. Half-completed and destroyed metal contraptions, most rusted beyond repair, lay strewn across the floor. Hidden amid the wreckage are a couple discarded magic items (see “Treasure” below).

Rust Monsters. Three rust monster gorge on the piles of scrap and are too distracted by the abundance of food to pose much of a threat. They fight only in self-defense.

Metal Wasps

The metal wasp are programmed to attack Medium humanoids; they ignore other creatures unless attacked by them. They are Giant Wasp, with these changes:

• The wasps are constructs with AC 16 (natural armor), 24 hit points each, and darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.
• They have immunity to poison and psychic damage, as well as immunity to the charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, and poisoned conditions.

Treasure

Scattered among the discarded machinery are a couple of salvageable inventions. You can add other inventions of your own design.

{@item Dodecahedron of Doom|WDMM}

A rare wondrous item, this twelve-sided metal die is 12 inches across and bears the numbers 1 through 12 engraved on its pentagonal sides. The dodecahedron contains arcane clockwork mechanisms that whir and click whenever the die is cast.

The dodecahedron can be hurled up to 60 feet as an action. A random magical effect occurs when the die comes to rest after rolling across the ground for at least 10 feet. If an effect requires a target and no eligible target is within range, nothing happens. Spells cast by the dodecahedron require no components. Roll a d12 and consult the following table to determine the effect:

{@item Orb of Gonging|WDMM}

This common wondrous item is a hollow, 5-inch-diameter orb that weighs 5 pounds. Its outer shell is composed of notched bronze rings, which can be turned so that the notches line up. Aligning the notches requires an action, and doing so causes the orb to gong loudly until the notches are no longer aligned. The sounds are spaced 6 seconds apart and can be heard out to a range of 600 feet.

4. Pretty Big Hate Machine

Trobriand uses this 50-foot-high cavern as a testing area for his most dangerous projects.

Wreckage. The cavern is charred from numerous fires and explosions. The broken remains of a scaladar and smaller, unidentifiable constructs litter the floor.

Shockerstomper. Not visible from the cavern entrance is a Gargantuan contraption made of wood, metal, and stone. It looms in the northeastern alcove.

Shockerstomper consists of a 30-foot-diameter, saucer-shaped platform mounted atop seven mechanical legs. Crowning the platform are three spherical turrets, each with a brass nozzle. The entire construction stands 20 feet tall. The control module is a chamber obscured from view in the center of the contraption, nestled between the three turrets.

Shockerstomper has blindsight out to a range of 60 feet and is blind beyond this radius. It activates when a creature comes within 60 feet of it. Once it is activated, Shockerstomper attempts to destroy all creatures in the cavern. It can’t pursue creatures beyond the cavern, because it’s too big to fit through the exit. The characters earn 11,500 XP for disabling or defeating it.

Shockerstomper is a Gargantuan construct with immunity to poison and psychic damage, as well as the blinded, deafened, charmed, frightened, paralyzed, and poisoned conditions. It has a walking speed of 40 feet. Its main body (saucer and turrets) has AC 18 and 300 hit points. Its legs can be attacked separately; each leg has AC 20 and 50 hit points. When a leg drops to 0 hit points, it is disabled, and Shockerstomper can use a reaction to detach it from its main body. Whenever one of its legs is disabled, Shockerstomper’s walking speed is reduced by 10 feet. The whole contraption topples over and shuts down if four of its seven legs are disabled.

Shockerstomper’s ability scores are as follows: Strength 23, Dexterity 10, Constitution 20, Intelligence 1, Wisdom 1, Charisma 1.

Shockerstomper’s Traits

Electrified Surface

A creature that ends its turn in contact with Shockerstomper’s body (saucer or turrets) must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Immutable Form

Shockerstomper is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Shockerstomper’s Actions

Multiattack

Shockerstomper makes three Lightning Turret attacks and two Stomp attacks.

Lightning Turret

The turret shoots a magical lightning bolt at one creature within 60 feet of Shockerstomper. The target must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 44 (8d10) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Stomp

Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 22 (3d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage.

Countermeasures

Shockerstomper and its elements can be disabled or destroyed in the following ways.

Control Module. A creature atop or above Shockerstomper’s platform can locate its control module with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check or Wisdom (Perception) check. As an action, a character can try to open the control module’s access panel, either by tearing it off with a successful DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check or by dislodging it with thieves' tools and a successful DC 25 Dexterity check. Behind the panel, embedded in the floor of the control module, is a 5-foot-diameter pulsating crystal hemisphere with AC 10, 25 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. Destroying the crystal hemisphere shuts down Shockerstomper.

Lightning Turret. A character can try to plug the nozzle of a lightning turret with a 10-pound rock or similar object, doing so with a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. A plugged turret can’t shoot lightning until a creature uses an action to try to clear the obstruction, which requires another successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. Shockerstomper has no ability to clear an obstruction itself.

5. Scrap Metal Warren

A 40-foot-high mountain of scrap metal has 10-foot-diameter tunnels winding through it. The scrap metal pile spills into area 2, dominates the cavern north of it, and completely fills the opening between the two caverns.

The outer surface of the scrap pile is difficult terrain. In addition, any creature that tries to climb or walk across the jagged heap of metal must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to avoid triggering a small avalanche that causes it to fall prone and take 7 (2d6) piercing damage.

The entrances to the warren are marked with arrows on map 13. The warren contains the following:

Rust Monsters. A rust monster gorges on scrap metal in each of the squares marked R on the map.

Central Chamber. In the heart of the warren is a 30-foot-wide, 40-foot-long, 10-foot-high chamber containing four dead hobgoblins. Ten Lava Child (see appendix A) hide in the walls and emerge to attack anyone who enters the room.

The rust monsters tend to ignore other creatures that maintain a respectful distance. If a character wearing metal armor or carrying a metal shield walks within 5 feet of a rust monster, there’s a 30 percent chance that the creature attacks the character with the intention of devouring the armor or shield.

The lava children walk through the scrap metal as though it doesn’t exist. They regard Zox as a trusted friend and, at his request, attack creatures that enter the central chamber. The lava children pursue fleeing creatures as far as the warren entrances before disappearing back into the scrap metal. While they are hidden in the metal walls, the lava children have total cover.

The hobgoblins were sent to find and kill Zox Clammersham but fell prey to the lava children. A character who examines the corpses and succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check ascertains that the hobgoblins were killed two days ago. A search of the hobgoblin corpses reveals that one has a charcoal sketch of Zox Clammersham on a crumpled-up sheet of parchment.

6. Back Tunnel

Corpses. Lying against the walls of this 20-foot-high tunnel are the mutilated corpses of ten hobgoblins.

Scaladar. Three scaladar (see appendix A) patrol the tunnel.

The scaladar hunt as a trio and have orders from Zox to kill any humanoids they see. Ideally, the characters should encounter the scaladar after they have had time to inspect the hobgoblin corpses.

The hobgoblins were sent to find and kill Zox but fell prey to the scaladar. A character who examines the corpses and succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check can ascertain that the hobgoblins have been dead for about a tenday. Half of them were torn apart by sharp claws, and the rest died from deep, charred puncture wounds.

7. Clammersham Palace

Ceiling. This cavern has a 90-foot-high ceiling.

Palace. Atop a 20-foot-high plateau of twisted scrap metal rises a rambling palace made of jagged metal plates welded together. Circular iron doors are recessed in the walls.

Scrap Pile. The slopes of the scrap pile are strewn with the mutilated corpses of several rust monsters.

Palace Features

The structural features of the palace are summarized here.

Ceilings

The ceilings throughout the palace are 20 feet high.

Doors

The palace is sealed off by 7-foot-diameter circular doors, each one made of riveted iron plates and fitted with iron handles, iron hinges, and a sturdy iron lock. Each lock is molded to look like a smiling gnome’s face missing its nose. Zox carries a stubby iron key with a head shaped like a tiny bulbous nose that unlocks all nine doors. Zox fashioned a spare key but lost it during a recent Undermountain foray (see area level 12, area 14).

A character can try to pick a door’s lock using thieves' tools, doing so with a successful DC 20 Dexterity check. A knock spell or similar magic also works. A door can be forced open with a successful DC 30 Strength (Athletics) check. It can also be destroyed. Each door has AC 19, 40 hit points, a damage threshold of 10, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.

Zox has cast a glyph of warding spell on every door. Each glyph is inscribed on the inside of the door so that it can’t be detected by anyone outside the palace. The glyph triggers when the door is opened by any means other than using the proper key. When triggered, the glyph erupts with magical energy in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on it. Each creature in the area must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 31 (7d8) thunder damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The sound of a triggered glyph is audible throughout the cavern and the palace. Alerted to the presence of intruders, Zox awaits them in area area 7c.

Illumination

The palace interior is dark. Zox relies on his darkvision to see.

Walls

The walls of the palace are 10 feet thick and made out of loose scrap piled between inner and outer bulwarks of welded metal. The fortress has no windows, but close examination reveals gaps in the walls that a Tiny creature or a creature in gaseous form can navigate.

7a. Junk Room

Zox stores curious bits of junk here until he finds creative uses for them. The room’s contents are as follows:

Table. A 2-foot-high, roughly hexagonal table made of welded scrap metal is covered with scavenged bits of broken machinery and scraps of food.

Music. Tinny music emanates from the southern doorway (leading to area area 7c).

7b. Living Quarters

Pet. A giant badger playfully chews on a stuffed toy in the middle of the room.

Furnishings. The dingy furnishings include an unmade bed, a drafting table, and an iron safe (see “Iron Safe” below).

Alcoves. Alcoves to the south contain a poorly draining privy and a modest kitchenette where food molders in unclean pots and filthy pans.

Arch. Set into the west wall is a stone arch decorated with inlaid images of dancing goblins. Carved into the arch’s keystone is the letter D.

The giant badger fights only in self-defense. Characters who use magic to speak with it can learn the following information if they ask it the right questions:

• Zox is afraid of the “scary red metal wearers” (hobgoblins) and has befriended the “burning men” (azers) and “smileys” (lava children) that live in the surrounding caves. Zox has a bodyguard named Rex.
• Zox normally gets food from the nearby fungus forest (see area area 12), but the “scary red metal wearers” recently set the forest on fire.
• The combination to Zox’s iron safe is “prairie dog, wombat, badger, armadillo, wombat.”

Arch Gate to Level 6

The arch embedded in the west wall is one of Halaster’s magic gates (see “area Gates"). Its rules are as follows:

• The gate opens for 1 minute if a creature stands within 5 feet of the arch and either sings a D note or plays a D note on a musical instrument.
• Characters must be at least 9th level to pass through this gate (see “area Jhesiyra Kestellharp"). The first creature to pass through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “area Elder Runes").
• A creature that passes through the gate appears in area area 47a on level 6, in the closest unoccupied space next to the identical gate located there.

Iron Safe

The square iron safe measures 2 feet on a side and weighs 1,000 pounds. It has AC 19, 50 hit points, a damage threshold of 15, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. Instead of numbers, the lock has tiny pictographs of the following burrowing animals: armadillo, badger, chipmunk, gerbil, meerkat, mole, prairie dog, rabbit, tarantula, and wombat.

A character who spends 1 minute with an ear pressed to the safe door can try to pick the safe’s combination lock, doing so with a successful DC 25 Dexterity (Perception) check. The correct combination is prairie dog, wombat, badger, armadillo, wombat. A knock spell or similar magic also opens the safe.

Treasure

The safe contains ninety 1-pound gold ingots (100 gp each), ten red garnets (100 gp each), a set of Nolzur’s marvelous pigments, and Zox’s spellbook, which is missing its cover and has lost a few pages due to adventuring mishaps. The spellbook contains all the spells Zox has prepared plus animate objects, fabricate, glyph of warding, jump, and rope trick.

7c. Tinker Shop

Tinkerer. A wild-haired gnome wearing a grease-stained apron over threadbare robes (Zox Clammersham) sits atop the table, using a set of tinker’s tools to tune a Tiny music box that is playing a tinny tune.

Guardian. Rex, a shield guardian painted with gold stars and crescent moons, stands next to the table.

Loose Pages. The floor is strewn with sheets of parchment bearing sketches of metal contraptions (including the Simulacrux in area area 2).

Rex the shield guardian accompanies Zox wherever he goes. Unlike most shield guardians, Rex doesn’t have an amulet and thus can’t be commanded by another creature. Zox has stored a greater invisibility spell in the shield guardian.

Zox Clammersham is a rock gnome archmage, with these changes:

• Zox is chaotic good.
• He has these racial traits: He speaks Aquan, Auran, Common, Gnomish, Ignan, and Terran. He is Small and has a walking speed of 25 feet. He has darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. He has advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
• He has the confusion spell prepared instead of banishment.

Zox retired to Trobriand’s Graveyard after the rest of his adventuring party fell prey to the perils of Undermountain. Having lost all track of time, he doesn’t know how long ago his companions perished or how long he’s been by himself. Zox has no interest in joining another adventuring party, preferring to work alone.

Zox carries a key that unlocks the palace doors, and he wears a scaladar control ring on the middle finger of his left hand. This ring allows him to command the scaladar on this level. He never willingly parts with the ring, going so far as to swallow it to prevent its theft. If attacked or threatened, Zox activates the room’s ball turrets, then orders his shield guardian to attack.

Zox’s music box has no magical properties beyond its ability to play a tune. The music plays continuously but stops if the box is dropped, shaken, or otherwise handled roughly. The box is a Tiny object with AC 10, 1 hit point, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. Provided it has 1 hit point, the box can be repaired with tinker’s tools. Repairing it requires 10 minutes and a successful DC 15 Dexterity check, whereupon the music resumes playing.

Zox plans to use the Simulacrux (see area area 2a) to create enough scaladar to build new things and comfortably control what he now views as his domain. The biggest obstacles to his success are the hobgoblins that keep stealing his scrap metal.

8. Smithy

Zox has convinced the creatures living in this cavern that he is Trobriand’s apprentice and thus deserves their cooperation. The 90-foot-high, soot-stained cavern contains the following:

Forges. Intense heat and thick smoke billow from five forges protruding from the cavern walls, their fires illuminating the cave. An azer smith stands at each forge.

Scrap Pile. A 20-foot-high pile of scrap metal dominates the middle of the cavern. Hiding in it are nine Lava Child (see appendix A).

Runes carved on the inside walls of the forge channel magical energy from the Elemental Plane of Fire. Destroying a forge causes it to stop generating fire and heat. Each forge has AC 17, 80 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.

Azers

The azers were brought here from the Elemental Plane of Fire by Trobriand to sculpt metal into desired shapes. Posing as Trobriand’s apprentice, Zox orders the azers to craft parts for the Simulacrux (see area area 2a) and his other pet projects. The azers understand the purpose of the Simulacrux (to replicate scaladar) but are under the false impression that Zox is building it at Trobriand’s behest, not for his own ends. The azers are frustrated by Zox because the gnome is scatterbrained and has them working on multiple projects at once. They strongly dislike the hobgoblins, who rob them of metal.

A character can convince an azer to undertake a new project with a successful DC 19 Charisma (Persuasion) check. The azer works for free and can craft a functional metal weapon or a metal shield in 1d6 days, or a functional suit of metal armor in 3d6 days.

The azers are nonthreatening. If the lava children attack the party, the azers don’t join the fight, preferring to observe from the periphery.

Lava Children

Lava children can pass through metal as though it doesn’t exist. Those here lurk in the pile of scrap metal, emerging to attack any creature, other than Zox or the azers, that comes within 5 feet of their scrap heap.

9. Metal Pools

This cave has a 30-foot-high ceiling and contains two 10-foot-deep pools of shiny liquid metal drawn from the Elemental Plane of Earth. The western pool holds liquid iron, the eastern pool liquid steel. Despite being liquefied, the metal is cool to the touch. A detect magic spell reveals a strong aura of transmutation magic emanating from each pool. No matter how much metal is removed from a pool, its depth never changes.

Metal removed from the pool solidifies instantly, becoming as strong and immutable as wrought iron or cold steel. The metal instantly hardens upon leaving the pool and forms a hard coating around anything dipped in it. Prying off the hardened metal coating requires a successful DC 23 Strength (Athletics) check.

Those who know how can draw metal from the pools in cube form. A creature might learn the method by casting identify on a pool or by asking Zox. A creature must place one or more of its hands within 1 foot of the pool’s surface and recite the following in Terran: agrach taar azlach (which, loosely translated to Common, means “shape to shapelessness”). This causes a cubic foot of liquid metal to rise out of the pool, harden into a solid 1-foot cube, and hang weightless in the air at the edge of the pool, where anyone can grab it. The act of bringing forth one of these cubes is magically tiring, and a creature that does so gains one level of exhaustion.

One minute after it hardens, the cube loses its weightlessness. A 1-foot cube of iron or steel weighs 500 pounds.

10. Resting Cave

This 30-foot-high cave has the remains of an adventuring party’s campfire in the middle of it and no other features of note.

11. Hobgoblin Base Camp

Hobgoblins have turned this 60-foot-high cavern into a base camp. The camp’s leader, the ruthless hobgoblin warlord Yargoth the Breaker, answers to a more powerful warlord named Doomcrown (see level 14).

11a. Stalactites and Stalagmites

Rock Formations. Stalactites ranging in height from 10 to 20 feet cling to the cave roof, while stalagmites of similar size thrust up from the floor.

Monsters. Lurking behind the cluster of stalagmites to the north are five domesticated Death Dog, four Hobgoblin, and the hobgoblin warlord Yargoth the Breaker.

When Yargoth gives the order, she and the death dogs spring into melee combat while the other hobgoblins take cover behind the rock formations and shoot arrows. The hobgoblins in area 11b also join the battle by loading, aiming, and firing the flame cannons in that location.

If the characters choose to parley with Yargoth, she suggests they combine forces and storm Zox’s fortress. Yargoth knows that the fortress doors are locked and magically trapped, and that Zox is protected by a tall, golem-like construct (Rex the shield guardian). Yargoth wants Zox’s scaladar control ring for her efforts; if the characters agree to help her, they are free to claim anything else they find in the fortress. Yargoth keeps her end of the deal, provided the characters do the same.

11b. Fire and Rust

Defenses. Six Hobgoblin stand guard near a pair of flame cannons aimed at a natural stone bridge.

Lit Enclosure. Seven-foot-high stone walls form an enclosure that abuts the west wall. Inside are trapped four Rust Monster. Tied to a rope and strung across the top of the enclosure like ornaments are glowing sacs (giant fire beetle glands) that shed orange light as brightly as torches.

Tools. Leaning against the walls of this enclosure are a pair of 10-foot poles, each with a loop of rope at one end, and a battered wooden tower shield.

When Yargoth gives the order to attack, three hobgoblins acting on the same initiative count load, aim, and fire each of the flame cannons. The hobgoblins discovered these siege engines during their initial exploration of Trobriand’s Graveyard.

A flame cannon is a bulky mechanical contraption that hurls casks of alchemist’s fire that explode on impact. Before one of these weapons can be fired, it must be loaded and aimed. It takes one action to load the weapon, one action to aim it, and one action to fire it. Each flame cannon has three casks of alchemist’s fire resting next to it.

Flame Cannon

Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage plus 17 (5d6) fire damage, and the target catches fire. While on fire, the target takes 1d6 fire damage at the start of each of its turns. A creature can end this damage by immersing itself in water or by using an action to make a successful DC 10 Dexterity check to extinguish the flames.

The stone enclosure has a hinged gate made of sturdy wooden poles lashed together with rope and held shut with a simple latch. The hobgoblins like to starve the rust monsters for a few days, then set them loose on this level. The rust monsters can’t escape from the pen on their own, but they are drawn to the scent of metal. The hobgoblins use the wooden tower shield and 10-foot poles to wrangle the rust monsters outside their pen and keep the beasts away from their metal armor.

Twelve giant fire beetle glands illuminate the rust monster pen. Each gland is the size of a small loaf of bread and glows for 1d3 days before going dark.

12. Paradise Lost

These 40-foot-high caverns once housed a thriving fungus forest and a colony of peaceful myconids. The hobgoblins slaughtered the myconids, then burned down the forest. A thin, pungent smoke hangs in the air throughout these caverns.

12a. Southern Forest

Burned Remains. Blackened and smoldering zurkhwood stalks, their caps destroyed by fire, stand amid the charred remains of what once were neatly tended fungus gardens.

Corpses. Lying amid the razed mushrooms are the charred corpses of 1d4 giant fire beetles, 1d6 myconid sprouts, and 1d8 myconid adults. The glands have been torn out of the fire beetles' bodies.

A character who inspects the corpses and succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check can determine that the beetles and myconids were killed by slashing weapons and arrows, then burned.

12b. Central Forest

This area contains the same features as area area 12a.

12c. Northern Forest

In addition to features similar to those in area area 12a, the body of an 8-foot-tall myconid sovereign lies among the dead—pierced by multiple hobgoblin arrows and burned like the other corpses. If the sovereign is touched, it trembles with life, having stabilized at 0 hit points. If it receives magical healing, it awakens and ejects a cloud of rapport spores so it can communicate with its rescuers. Award the party 450 XP for healing the sovereign.

The myconid sovereign, Chanterella, has a flaring yellow cap and a ruffled yellow body half cooked by fire. It recounts the hobgoblins' horrific attack and mourns the destruction of its colony. In gratitude for helping it, the sovereign gives characters its hidden treasure (see “Treasure” below). Chanterella then urges the characters to seek out Zox if they’re looking for allies. The myconid has a high opinion of the gnome.

Chanterella won’t leave these caverns. Although its colony has been wiped out, the myconid sovereign wants to try to regrow the fungus forest. After helping the characters as well as it can, it bids them farewell and invites them to return whenever they feel like it.

Treasure

A 1-foot-thick, 10-foot-square patch of luminous but soot-blackened purple mold covers the roof of the northern alcove (marked X on map 13). Buried in the mold are two gourds, one containing a potion of diminution and the other a potion of longevity. Chanterella grew the purple mold and can silently command it to extrude sticky tendrils, which it uses to lower the potions within easy reach.

Sunlight, any effect that cures disease, or any effect that deals radiant or necrotic damage destroys the mold. If the mold is destroyed while the potions are still hidden in its mass, the potions fall and shatter on the floor. A character in the alcove can use a reaction to try to catch one falling potion, doing so with a successful DC 11 Dexterity saving throw.

Aftermath

Defeating the hobgoblins calms this level for a tenday. After that, Doomcrown sends more hobgoblin raiders up from Arcturiadoom (level 14) to gather metal for his fire giant masters—unless the characters take the fight to him in the meantime.

Months of work are needed to finish construction of the Simulacrux. If work on the project continues and Zox completes his arch, there’s no telling whether it functions as intended. Scaladar simulacra created by the arch might be defective or uncontrollable. It’s also possible that the Simulacrux might be able to create rust simulacra of other creatures besides scaladar. It’s equally likely that the Simulacrux won’t function at all, prompting Zox to tear it down and build another metal monstrosity in its place.

If the myconid sovereign in area area 12 survives, it releases spores to seed the scorched earth, giving rise to a new colony of myconid sprouts. The fungus forest recovers on its own, though it takes years.