water goddess worshipped by a small number of the citizens of Barakus. Her name, Gallinda, is written in Arthemin on her right wrist (DC 12 Perception to find if examining closely). Anyone submersing themselves in the pool and saying a heartfelt prayer to this goddess is blessed as per the spell and gains the ability to breathe under water for 24 hours. In addition, the entire area is considered hallowed, as per the spell.
A powerful ward protects the statue. Anyone attempting to harm the goddess automatically receives 1-1/2 times the amount hp inflicted on the statue. Should anyone be willing to endure the damage necessary to fully destroy the statue, it has a hardness 10, hp 50. When calculating damage done to a character, ignore the statue’s hardness. Thus, if a character strikes the statue for 12 hp, even though the statue only takes 2 hp after factoring in its hardness, the character takes 18 hp (12 x 1.5).
Development: This statue particularly irritates the drow. They would
love nothing more than to figure a way to destroy it, but have thus far been unable to do so. Sizret would also like to see the hallowed effect removed, and is awaiting an answer from her superiors as to whether a high level priestess is going to be arriving soon to aid in this.
Area 4-4: Hydra Lair (CR 6)
A seven-headed hydra found its way to this cave from the Under Realms. Out of curiosity it started squeezing up through the cave and soon found that it couldn’t back out — it had to keep forging ahead. Now it’s stuck in this room and is as yet still unwilling to try the uncomfortable journey back home. And it’s getting very hungry…
This is yet another bother to the Drow, who lost several guards when the hydra arrived and are, at the moment anyway, cut off from reinforcements. Though capable of slaying the hydra if all their forces were mustered, Sizret is concerned she would lose too many warriors in the process and is currently weighing her options (see Area 4-5, below).
If the adventurers choose to expolore the tunnels from which the hydra came they will wander through hundreds of miles of winding passageways which will eventually lead to Hex AE-46 of Cyclopean Deeps Volume 1.
SEVEN-HEADED HYDRA CR 6 XP 2,400
N Huge magical beast (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game
Bestiary, “Hydra”)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +12
AC 17, touch 9, flat-footed 16 (+1 Dex, +8 natural, –2 size) hp 66 (7d10+28); fast healing 7
Fort +9; Ref +8; Will +4 Speed 20 ft., swim 20 ft. Melee 7 bites +9 (1d8+3) Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks pounce
Str 17, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 9
Base Atk +7; CMB +12; CMD 23 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Combat Reflexes, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon
Focus (bite)
Skills Perception +12, Swim +11; Racial Modifiers +2
Perception
SQ hydra traits, regenerate head
Fast Healing (Ex) A hydra’s fast healing ability is equal to its
current number of heads (minimum fast healing 5). This fast healing applies only to damage inflicted on the hydra’s body.
Hydra Traits (Ex) A hydra can be killed by severing all of
its heads or slaying its body. Any attack that is not an attempt to sever a head affects the body, including area attacks or attacks that cause piercing or bludgeoning damage. To sever a head, an opponent must make a sunder attempt with a slashing weapon targeting a head.
A head is considered a separate weapon with hardness 0 and hit points equal to the hydra’s HD. To sever a head, an opponent must inflict enough damage to reduce the head’s hit points to 0 or less. Severing a head deals damage to the hydra’s body equal to the hydra’s current HD. A hydra can’t attack with a severed head, but takes no other penalties.
Regenerate Head (Ex) When a hydra’s head is destroyed,
two heads regrow in 1d4 rounds. A hydra cannot have more than twice its original number of heads at any one time. To prevent new heads from growing, at least 5 points of acid or fire damage must be dealt to the stump (a touch attack to hit) before they appear. Acid or fire damage from area attacks can affect stumps and the body simultaneously. A hydra doesn’t die from losing its heads until all are cut off and the stumps seared by acid or fire.
Treasure: The bodies of four partially eaten drow are piled in the
northern corner of the cave. On their remains can be found 3 masterwork short swords, a +1 short sword, four chain shirts, 4 hand crossbows, 35 bolts still coated in drow poison, and 4 potions of cure moderate wounds (CL 3rd).
Area 4-5: Drow Spy (CR 2)
Crouched in this small cave is Izora, a drow rogue. Izora’s job is to listen for any activity in Area 4-3, then act according to her instructions (see Development, below).
IZORA CR 2
XP 600
Bestiary, “Drow”)
CE Medium humanoid (elf)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision; Perception +9 AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +4 Dex, +1 dodge) hp 20 (3d8 plus 3)
Fort +1; Ref +7; Will +2; +2 vs. enchantments, +1 vs. traps Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense; Immune magic
sleep; Resist elven immunities; SR 9
Weakness light blindness Speed 30 ft.
Melee mwk short sword +7 (1d6+1/19–20)
Ranged hand crossbow +6 (1d4/19–20 plus poison)
Special Attacks rogue talents (finesse rogue), sneak attack
+2d6
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd):
1/day—dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire
Str 12, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 10 Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 18
Feats Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +10, Bluff +6, Climb +7, Disable Device
+11, Escape Artist +10, Intimidate +6, Perception +9 (+10 to locate traps), Sense Motive +7, Stealth +10, Use Magic Device +6; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception
Languages Elven, Undercommon SQ poison use, trapfinding +1
Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds (CL 3rd), potion of invisibility (2nd); Other Gear +1 leather armor, hand
crossbow, 10 poisoned crossbow bolts (drow poison), masterwork short sword, dust of illusion, gold necklace with teardrop pearl (80 gp)
Tactics: Izora is not about to take on a group of adventurers single-
handedly, and so unless surprised here Izora always attempts to run rather than engage in melee. If forced to defend herself, she attempts to keep her distance for as long as possible, hoping to put many of her adversaries to sleep with her poisoned bolts. More than likely she just quaffs her potion
of invisibility, and sneaks away. If she hears combat in any nearby caves
where she knows drow are currently stationed, she investigates.
Development: Sizret knows creatures sometimes wander down from the
upper levels. Therefore she has instructed Izora to be on the lookout for anyone or anything that might be powerful enough to consider taking on the hydra. A party of adventurers, of course, fits this description. As soon as she spots the PCs in Area 4-3, she uses her dust of illusion, changing her appearance to that of a female human. She then approaches the PCs and explains that she is the last remaining member of an adventuring party that was wiped out by a hydra in Area 4-4. She says that the hydra is hurt and should be easy prey, and has a nice treasure, all of which the PCs can keep. She only wishes to avenge her comrades’ death and retrieve their valuables.
If the PCs buy the story, she accompanies them to the cave of the hydra, and, once the combat has begun, downs her potion of invisibility and watches the melee from a safe distance. Whatever the outcome, be it the death of the PCs or the hydra, Izora races back to Sizret once the combat is over and reports the results to her.
If the PCs are suspicious or reluctant, Izora bids them goodbye and heads toward Area 4-1. Before she gets there, however, she drinks a
potion of invisibility and, if possible, goes to warn Darlorn is Area 4-6
who is then dispatched to warn Sizret. Izora than attempts to tail the PCs for as long as possible, waiting for just the right moment to spring from the shadows and sneak attack one of their numbers (preferably an arcane spellcaster).
Area 4-6: Lookout (CR 1)
Hidden in the shadows 20 feet or so from the mouth to Area 4-3 is
Darlorn, a drow rogue. Darlorn’s only job is to warn Sizret of any
activity in Area 4-3 (see Development, below).
DARLORN CR 1
XP 400
Male drow rogue 2 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary, “Drow”)
CE Medium humanoid (elf)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision; Perception +8 AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +3 Dex, +1 dodge) hp 14 (2d8 plus 2)
Fort +0; Ref +6; Will +1; +2 vs. enchantments
Defensive Abilities evasion; Immune magic sleep; Resist
elven immunities; SR 8
Weakness light blindness Speed 30 ft.
Melee mwk short sword +3 (1d6+1/19–20)
Ranged hand crossbow +4 (1d4/19–20 plus poison) Special Attacks rogue talents (bleeding attack +1), sneak
attack +1d6
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 2nd):
1/day—dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire
Str 12, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 12 Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 16
Feats Dodge
Skills Bluff +6, Diplomacy +6, Disable Device +9, Escape Artist
+8, Intimidate +6, Perception +8 (+9 to locate traps), Sense Motive +6, Stealth +8, Use Magic Device +6; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception
Languages Drow Sign Language, Elven, Undercommon SQ poison use, trapfinding +1
Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds (CL 3rd), potion of invisibility; Other Gear leather armor, hand crossbow, 10
poisoned crossbow bolts (drow poison), masterwork short sword
Tactics: If surprised, Darlorn immediately quaffs his potion of invisibility and attempts to escape to Area 4-15 and warn Sizret. If
he hears combat in any nearby caves where knows drow are currently stationed, he goes to investigate.
Development: Darlorn has been instructed to warn Sizret of any activity
in Area 4-3. As soon as he spots the PCs therein, he stealthily makes his way back to Area 4-16 and informs his leader of what he has seen.
Area 4-7: Empty Cave
There is a small pool of water in the northeast of this chamber, fed from small cracks in the cave wall. Otherwise, there is nothing of interest here.
Area 4-8: Drow Guard Post (CR 2)
Sizret has stationed 3 drow fighters here. They investigate any sounds of combat in any of the nearby caves. If attacked, they fire a round or two of poisoned bolts before closing with their short swords.
DROW FIGHTERS (3) CR 1/2 XP 200
Drow fighter 1 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary, “Drow”)
CE Medium humanoid (elf)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision; Perception +2 AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+4 armor, +2 Dex, +2 shield) hp 12 (1d10+1 plus 1)
Fort +3; Ref +2; Will +0; +2 vs. enchantments Immune magic sleep; Resist elven immunities; SR 7 Weakness light blindness
Melee mwk short sword +5 (1d6+2/19–20)
Ranged hand crossbow +3 (1d4/19–20 plus poison) Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st):
1/day—dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire
Str 14, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 11 Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 15
Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (short sword) Skills Intimidate +4, Perception +2, Survival +4; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception
Languages Elven, Undercommon SQ poison use
Gear chain shirt, heavy steel shield, hand crossbow, 15 poisoned
crossbow bolts (drow poison), masterwork short sword
Area 4-9: Storage (CR 4)
Various goods are stored in this small side cave. In a half dozen crates and boxes are 6 hand crossbows, 110 bolts, 6 doses of drow poison (75 gp per dose), 2 chain shirts, 3 masterwork short swords, and pounds of dried rations. There is also a small locked chest in one corner (hardness 5; hp 20; Break DC 25; Disable Device DC 20) that contains only 100 cp. Sizret put it here and trapped it to teach a lesson to any of her men who might decide to take something that doesn’t belong to them.
GLYPH OF WARDING TRAP CR 4 XP 1,200
Type magic; Perception DC 28; Disable Device DC 28 Trigger spell; Reset none
Effect spell effect (glyph of warding [cold], 3d8 cold, DC 15
Ref half, CL 6th); multiple targets (all targets within 5 ft.)