Brumley Fergus is a lone woodsman living off the land. Injured by a wereboar three years ago, he man- aged to escape into a small sinkhole and survive. Since then, Brumley has suffered from lycanthropy. Living alone, unaware of his alter ego, has left him a bit paranoid. He is aware of some of the strange occur-
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rences and is often plagued by dreams and nightmares of places and creatures he has never seen. He is oblivious to the nature or the effects the curse.
If approached, while wandering the forest or at his home, he reacts with suspicion. It is not often that someone speaks to him. He has recognized the strange affliction some animals appear struck with, and is suspicious of anyone in the forest lately. He often sniffs the air and grunts for no reason. If treated kindly or given peace offerings (such as food), he may return the generosity to the PCs in a time of need.
Brumley Fergus, wereboar Bbn1: CR 4; HD 3d8+9/
+15 plus 1d12+3/+6; hp 37/46*; Init +4; Spd 40 ft.; AC 14 (18*), touch 10, flat-footed 14 (18*); BAB/ Grapple +3/+5 (+7*); Atk +5 melee (1d8+2, battle axe, crit x3) or +7 melee* (1d8+4, gore); Full Atk +5 melee (1d8+2, battle axe, crit x3) or +7 melee* (1d8+4, gore), or Atk +5 melee* (1d8+2, battle axe, crit x3) and +7 melee* (1d8+4, gore); SA: ferocity, curse of lycanthropy as boar, rage; SQ boar empathy, scent, damage reduction 10/silver as boar, low-light vision, scent; AL N; SV Fort +10, Ref +3, Will +3; Str 15/19*, Dex 11, Con 17/23*, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10.
*as boar or hybrid.
Skills: Climb +7, Handle Animal +4, Jump +9/
+11*, Listen +8, Move Silently +3, Search +1, Spot +4, Survival +1. Feats: Alertness (b), Blind fighting, Improved Initiative, Iron Will (b).
Possessions: Battleaxe, leather armor.
Area 14: Brine, the Cyst Tree
A colossal, lifeless tree known as Brine stands in the center of the charred Barren Forest. The primordial tree’s remains branch 500 ft. into the sky from a small knoll it stands upon. The barren hill and tree are landmarks easily visible from over a mile away. The dusty cracked land surrounding the tree is littered with holes and burrows, and harmless vermin scurry over the desolate crust.No accessible entrances for creatures larger than diminutive size are apparent from the ground. More than 100 feet up the trunk is a massive bulge where a malignant growth developed. This cyst is the home of Icktyl Yar, an aranea druid that considers himself the defender and protector of the insects and other vermin in the area. The cyst has but two entrances: the tunnels under the knoll and a top entrance 50 ft. above the cyst in a hollow limb. The hollow limb is hard to find and has only a 4 ft. diameter opening at its end.
The sides of the hollow tree average 3 ft. thick (hardness 5). The ancient wood of the tree has a nearly petrified quality, giving it fire resistance (5).
Area 14-1: The Outer Ring (EL 5)
The infertile land around the tree is riddled with large holes and mounds of dried dirt. Dry, powdery earth extends 500 ft. around the tree. The ground is treacher- ous due to the extensive tunnels beneath the surface. A successful Spot check (DC 15) notices the various dips in the terrain suggesting the potential of tunnels and/or cave-ins. Any Medium-sized creature or larger stepping on a tunnel causes a cave-in. Although the tunnels are only 5 ft. deep, anyone falling into the passage attracts the vermin within. PCs moving at half speed can care- fully avoid the various dips once they are recognized, moving at full speed requires a successful Reflex save or Balance check (DC 15) to avoid initiating a cave-in.
The dead tree has a 35 ft. diameter base has no entrance on ground level. The tree can be accessed through the tunnels underneath the ground or by climbing to the cyst 100 ft. overhead.
Icktyl Yar made a pact with a group of 4 scorpion
flies to patrol the area around the tree. The scorpion
flies act as scouts and spies, waiting in the upper branches of Brine when not patrolling. One fly enters Brine to alert Icktyl Yar of interlopers before rejoining the others in melee if the tree is approached. The flies do not pursue PCs into the tunnels.
Scorpion flies (4): CR 2; hp 22, 19 (x2), 17. See
Chapter 6.
Area 14-2: The Tunnel (EL 4)
A 5 ft. diameter earthen tunnel slopes upward following the terrain. Hiding 10 ft. into the tunnel are
2 giant bombardier beetles. They charge to attack the
first intruder appearing in the tunnel.
Giant bombardier beetles (2): CR 2; hp 13 each.
Area 14-3: The Nest (EL 7)
The passage drops 20 ft. forcing Climb check (DC 10) to enter unaided. The room below houses a queen
giant ant, 4 soldiers and 2d4 workers. They fight
fiercely to protect the queen and her eggs. The work- ers begin evacuating the eggs if the room is disturbed. This hive only recently was established and has not yet matured to an abundant population. A total of 15
soldier ants and 45 worker ants live within the hive.
If the main room is assaulted, 2d4 workers and 1d4
soldiers arrive every other round after the first until
the full colony is present.
Icktyl Yar took a few giant ant eggs, making sure one was a queen, from the Barren Forest ant colony to start a new nest. The ants treat Icktyl Yar as a hive member, but all others are treated as dangerous outsiders. If the PCs flee and try to avoid combat they still have a
G L A D E S O F D E A T H
chance to negotiate with Icktyl Yar, but if they fight and end up destroying the nest they make a permanent enemy of Icktyl Yar.
Giant ants, worker (2d4): CR 1; hp 9 each. Giant ants, soldier (4): CR 2; hp 11 each. Giant ant, queen: CR 2; hp 35.
Area 14-4: The Cesspool
The tunnels turn into a muddy slope leading to a pool of brackish water filling the chamber. The 10 ft. deep pool blocks the tunnels beyond. The chamber holds water for Brine’s inhabitants. The room is empty, but is visited often by various insects living through- out the tunnels.
Area 14-5: The Pit (EL 2)
A 30 ft. deep pit bisects this tunnel. The opening is 30 ft. across, and a small 2 ft. ledge traverses the right side of the earthen hole. A monstrous centipede (huge) rests in a small burrow in the bottom of the pit, climbing out to attack anyone it hears crossing the ledge.
Monstrous Centipede, huge (1): CR 2; 24 hp.
Area 14-6: The Swarm Room (EL 5)
The room writhes with waves of tiny spiders that swarm across the walls, floor and ceiling toward any
intruders. The room houses 6 spider swarms. Icktyl Yar created the perfect breeding ground for his small relatives and takes great pride in the thriving popula- tion and ecosystem he has nurtured. The room contains a dropped grappling hook left by a fleeing adventurer. The swarms don’t follow fleeing prey.
Swarm, Spider (6): CR 1; hp 9 each.
Area 14-7: Entrance to Brine
The earthen tunnel connects to a tunnel made through a huge hollowed root. The wooden tunnel is 6 ft. in diameter. The ancient wood of the walls is so heavily mineralized that it has a petrified quality, giving the wood fire resistance (5) and increased Hardness (6).
Area 14-8: The Trunk (EL 4)
Four passages lead from the underground tunnels to the main room within the trunk. The room has a 25 ft. ceiling with a single 3 ft. diameter hole in it. The walls are covered with vertical shards of splintered wood. Scaling the walls requires a Climb check (DC 10), but the climber must make a Reflex save (DC 10) per 10 ft. to avoid taking 1d4 points of damage from the pointed splinters.
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