1. Well Building: A large ancient building of dark stone, this structure is about 20 feet high. Gaping archways lead into a dark interior. You hear the sound of water dripping on stone. A sentry post is located on the roof of this building. If the sentry is inattentive, sneaky PCs can get up to the walls or even enter without being detected. There is a large, circular well within the building, filled with cold water.
2. Kank Pen: A chest-high fence of thorny brambles encircles an animal pen of some kind. You can hear the rustle and clicking of a large number of kanks. The insects are agitated by your presence. There are 30 kanks within this enclosure. They are docile, and can be taken if the PCs need them. Saddles are kept in Area 3, the temple.
3. Ancient Temple: This impressive structure is partially buried by a large sand dune. Round minarets rise from its jagged corners, but time has shattered the slender towers. A door of leather bound mekillot ribs has been fitted across the original archway, and a rare copper lock rests over the latch. Much of the interior of this building has been filled with sand, but a space near the door has been cleared for use as storage. A number of saddles, blankets, reins, and bridles appropriate for kanks are kept here, about 20 sets altogether. Several dozen waterskins, water casks, and other miscellaneous gear are also here. Forcing the door is likely to wake up the raiders in Area 4. Treat this as an alarm check.
4. Guard Tent: This extravagant tent is reserved for
the use of Zeburons personal guards.
A total of 10 warriors live here, but two are always on guard in front of Zeburons headquarters. Of
the remaining eight, consider 6 to be elite warriors.
The other two are Hejaro and Reses, described below. The interior of this tent is far more luxurious
than the tents of the other warriors, containing 335
cp, 110 sp, 18 gp, a magical shield +1, and a ruby
worth 50 sp.
5. Zeburons Headquarters:
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dlelight behind them. Obviously, this building is
still inhabited.
This ancient edifice is crowned by figures of winged
horrors. A few high, narrow windows are covered
with rough curtains, but you can make out dim canIf the PCs are not cautious, they may attract the
attention of the two guards standing outside the
door. The guards are elite warriors and will instantly
attack any intruders they spot while making as
much noise as possible to raise the alarm. Zeburon
himself emerges two rounds later, while Atasha, his
mistress, peers out of a window to see what is happening. If the guards are involved in a battle, she will climb stairs inside the building to the roof and
begin shooting at PCs in the third round. She receives 50% cover. Zeburon happily joins the melee
when he comes out, but if he is reduced to half his
hit points, he begins to shout for his guards or Fevil
to come to help him. When reduced to 10 hp or
less, he will back out of the fight and slam the door
of his building, barring it from inside. It features a number of grotesque trophies
such as goblets made from human skulls, necklaces
of teeth and mummified ears, etc. Several chests
contain 670 sp, 1,210 cp, and a small cask of iron.
The cask holds six emeralds worth 80 sp each. A
number of ornate statues, lamps, exotic rugs, and
other luxuries fill the building.
6. Fevils Tower: The wreckage of the ancient tower at the center of this camp rises above you. At one time it must have soared 80 or 90 feet into the air, but now the upper levels have collapsed. A few narrow windows can be seen on the second floor of the tower, and the only entrance appears to be a stout door in the towers northern side. The stone is cold and sweaty to the touch. The interior of Fevils tower is shown as an inset on the Black Sand Camp map. Fevil lives alone, but he does employ a few basic traps and guardians. Fevil can be found in room F, but if he hears intruders in the lower floor he will try to destroy them with his spells. If the intruders look too tough for him, he flees to the top of the tower and use his wings of flying to escape.
7. Cooking Tent. Approaching this tent, you detect a barrage of aromas and odors. You can see several game animals quartered and drying on racks outside of the tent. This appears to be a kitchen. This area is used for the preparation of daily meals, as well as the preservation and packing of rations for raids into the desert. A number of small kettles, knives, and other culinary tools can be found surrounding a pair of large tables. Several fire pits are just outside the tent. Six warriors sleep here, with a total of 165 cp and 30 sp between them.
8. Treasure Tent.. Two guards vigilantly watch this tents only door. The flap is kept closed and secured by a series of complex knots. You also notice that the tent appears to be floored with a platform of wood, and the sides are sewn to the flooring for extra security. 7. Cooking Tent. Approaching this tent, you detect a barrage of aromas and odors. You can see several game animals quartered and drying on racks outside of the tent. This appears to be a kitchen. The guards are especially attentive, since it is Zeburons habit to have other raiders try to slip past and remove loot from the tent. Most of the booty consists of trade goods such as bolts of silk, bales of cotton, sacks full of grain, amber, mekillot bone, hides, dyes, etc. One chest of wood contains 12 obsidian long swords, and another holds 10 heavy crossbows. A detailed search also uncovers a set of six steel daggers, 40 iron arrowheads, and an excellent, human-sized suit of rasclinn hide armor (base AC 4 instead of AC 6).
9. Prisoner Tent. Narrowly spaced slats made from mekiliot ribs are securely sewn with sturdy, leather thongs to the sides of this heavy canvas tent. The door flap is tightly knotted down, and two alert guards lounge in front. Decide whether or not you want to place any prisoners in need of rescue inside the tent. If there are no prisoners, the tent will be open and unguarded. The prisoner tent is a fine place to introduce new or replacement PCs, or even a potential NPC ally for parties that are having a difficult time. If the PCs were defeated and captured by the Black Sand Raiders, they are imprisoned here. They are kept under constant guard for 2-5 days, and then brought out, one at a time, to be tortured or hunted for sport by the raiders. Prisoners only receive half of their required food and water per day. The sturdy construction of the tent walls makes it impossible to escape by simply cutting a slit in the material or trying to wriggle out. Any number of other methods will prove effective, however
THE TOWER
A. Hall. This chamber features a number of ruined tapestries and banners. The remains of a large table and many chairs litter the floor, which is covered with a shallow layer of black sand. Hidden behind the tapestries are six brohg zombies, who attack anyone not accompanied by Fevil. Brohg Zombies (6): AL N; AC 6; MV 9; HD 6; hp 26 each; THAC0 15; #AT 1; Dmg 4-16; SD standard undead immunities; ML 20; XP 650.
B. Cloak Rooms. These small antechambers contain nothing but a few rotting rags.
C. Stairs. A 5-foot-wide stairway leads down to the tower basement from here. The stairs descend about 20 feet and are heavily covered with dust. The dust has been disturbed recently.
D. Fevils Storeroom. This room is guarded by a fire trap on the mekillot-rib door. The trap inflicts 1d4+10 hp of damage, or half if a saving throw vs. spells is made by the victim. Two trained huge scorpions live in this room and viciously attack any intruders except Fevil. The storeroom contains three locked trunks, plus several bed rolls, tents, blankets, and other miscellaneous goods. The chests are each protected by a fire trap, and contain 630 cp and 210 sp each. One chest also contains a bone long sword +2, a fruit of flying, and a sack with four opals worth 20 sp each. Huge Scorpions (2): AL N; AC
E. Upper Hall. This room is bare, with only a few
rotten tapestries along the walls and a pile of moldering furniture heaped in one corner. If Fevil is pursued from the lower hall, he sets the door to his
chambers ajar and then flees up the stairs leading to
the ruined upper stories of the tower.
F. Fevils Chambers. Maintained in far better condition than the rest of the ruined tower, the defilers
living quarters reveal Fevils taste for comfort. Several ancient desks and chairs have been carefully restored, and the choice loot of many caravan raids
has found its way here. Fine carpets and tapestries
adorn the room. Two hulking half-giant skeletons
stand at either side of the door, with orders to attack
anyone except Fevil. The skeletons stand behind
large tapestries beside the door and never move.
They gain a -2 bonus on their chance to surprise
opponents entering the door. Fevils quarters contain a number of plush and expensive furnishings.
Underneath the bed is a small trunk with an iron
lock. It contains 180 sp, a fruit of extra healing, and
a scroll of protection from undead. A shelf along
one wall holds a number of scrolls in an ancient
tongue, generally in tatters. They are accounts of
the city of Othand in ancient days. Fevils spellbook
is hidden among the scrolls and is protected by an
illusion that makes it appear identical to the others.
It is trapped with secret pages and sepia snake sigils.
Another scroll is trapped with an explosive runes
spell (it has no value).
G. Library. This room contains a number of scroll
racks stuffed with various works salvaged from the
ruins below. Most are of no interest, but it will take
one reader six turns to thoroughly search the scrolls
to determine this. One shelf holds a scroll with the
spells enervation, charm monster, and dig, and another, a scroll of protection from fire. The treatise on
psionics is not here, but a tattered journal in one
corner documents the explorations Fevil has made
beneath the tower. One of its entries is a partial listing of the contents of ErThorks hoard, and the
Psionatrix Acamedicia appears on this list.
THE CAMP
1. Fevil's Tower: This partially crumbled tower serves as the defiler's personal domain. Within the ancient walls he works his foul magic. The tower also serves as one of the entrances into the chambers below.
2. Zeburon's Dwelling: This ruined building of unknown purpose now serves as the personal dwelling and headquarters of Zeburon, leader of the Black Sand Raiders. Leering creatures out of nightmares decorate the outer walls of the structure in bas reliefs and statues.
3. Prisoner Tent: Any prisoners taken in a raid are kept in this tent until needed. Prisoners include slaves who may be allowed to join the tribe, nobles taken for ransom, and sacrifices to be used by the defiler to appease the undead beneath the ruins.
4. Weaponsmith's Tent: While the tribe does not make any of its own weapons or armor, they do need to keep what they take in good repair until new items can be acquired. The weaponsmith, an ex-slave who learned his skill in an artisan camp in Raam, is charged with keeping the raiders' weapons sharp and strong from raid to raid.
5. Treasure Tent: All treasure taken in raids, from money to weapons to textiles, is stored in this tent.
6. Cooking Tent: Food for the camp is prepared and served here over great cooking fires.
7. Tent of the Elite: Zeburon's personal guards make their home in this large, spacious, wellappointed tent.
8. Ruins: These crumbling, almost completely buried ruins are covered with fine black sand. Not even the defiler can guess at the original purpose of these buildings, but many of them contain secret entrances to the chambers beneath the camp.