A crew brings a big box onto the ship with a “Drop her deep in the desert. Not around here.”
Scenes
A meteor shower drops a meteor on the ground nearby. Inside is a life-ending Star Spawn of Cthulhu (tob pg 348).
A herd of stampeding Ngobou (tob1 102) runs from a Slow Storm (TOB 1 333)
A rockberg threatens the ship. While steering away, three sandwyrms (ToB 313) try to sunder the ship.
The characters see a huge statue of a fallen and forgotten god. There’s a temple under its feet buried under the sand. It whispers “remember me”. A band of Doomspeakers seeks secrets here.
A wrecked ship of bandits is beset upon by desert giants (tob 205).
Istrade Fireborne – Tiefling captain of the Golden Knife is carrying a spinosaurus (TOB 103) to set it free in the deep desert. Brona Dawnsorcerer, an ambitious changling is in charge of her, letting a particular smoke to keep her subdued.
Built around a natural oasis and aided by elemental magic, Siwal is a garden city southeast of Per-Bastet where the Mhalmet Road meets a dusty trade trail through the Sarklan Desert.
Windswept sand dunes called ergs comprise less than half the terrain, though these dry areas are what outsiders typically envision when they think of the desert. Captains propel their sandships along the trade routes of the Crescent and Sarklan deserts, gaining speed from the wind blowing across the ergs. The dunes change shape regularly due to the movement of the wind, sometimes swallowing or threatening to bury oases and villages that lie along trade routes.
Adherents of The Book of Nine Dooms drive their thralls and followers to commit depraved acts against any creature unfortunate enough to cross their path.
The forgotten god is a god of knowledge and wrath the symbol of a black sphere and a red hammer. Muldruun of the Thirst. It is a Neutral god but worshipped by the Doomspeakers who hopes it will give them some touch of their dark secrets.
The law of the Grand Necropolis is simple: under the sun, the living reign and may make what arrangements they will. After night falls, though, the spirits, ghouls, and vampires hold their own court, and the living that dare enter are their fair prey.
At night, the Grand Necropolis becomes a true city of the dead. Ghouls crawl from their burrows, vampires emerge from their crypts, and mummies shuffle from their tombs to see
to their interests and take part in a weird mockery of living civilization. The lords of the dead levy fines and enact harsher punishments on those that break their laws.
Master Gravebinder Panshal al-Mahrji and his family are the gravebinders of Siwal. The preparation of the body for the afterlife is a sacred calling, and the gravebinders oversee all aspects of it: making shrouds, embalming and grooming corpses, performing mourning ceremonies, and consecrating graves.
The purpose of all this is twofold. First, the gravebinders ensure that all steps are taken to assure their charges’ acceptance into the afterlife. Second, the preparations prevent the rise of new undead in the necropolis.
Funerals are held in the necropolis daily, and the walls occasionally need to be expanded. Gnoll warriors patrol the streets and avenues by day, destroying any undead impertinent enough to be active.
In addition to the gravebinders, the necropolis has several notable residents. The gravedigger, Golamesh Abu Karim (LE desert troll, Creature Codex, p. 356), and his nephew-apprentice Gulgash Karim (LN desert troll) keep a watch fire lit all night at the Eastern Gate. Desert trolls have been the appointed gravediggers for centuries, and members of the Karim family have been employed there for decades. Wakkil Al-Ghul (LN male darakhul black knight commander, Tome of Beasts, p. 419), a famed
Mantle of Spell Resistance (rare). You have advantage on saving throws against spells while you wear this cloak. Tied to the god Muldruun god of knowledge and wrath. Speak the words that protect you from the dark forces around you.
Kwansi – The Spider God, Dancer on the Shores of Time, the Mystic Spider, Storyteller of the Gods, Patron of Seers and Oracles, Friend to the Footloose, God of Laughter, and the Night Hunter (Southlands 241) that casts Goat's Hoof Charm (Lvl 1)
A bloody unholy candle of Mot – God of Eternal Death, Lord of the Undead, the Death of Fire, Black Emperor of the Silent Land of Mirey, Prince of Necromancers, and High Potentate of Dragonslayers (Southlands 260) that casts BLOOD ARMOR
3rd-level necromancy (blood)
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V, S (you must have just struck a foe with a
melee weapon) Duration: 1 hour
When you strike a foe with a melee weapon attack, you can immediately cast blood armor as a bonus action. The foe you struck must contain blood; if the target doesn’t bleed, the spell ends without effect. The blood flowing from your foe magically increases in volume and forms a suit of armor around you, granting you an Armor Class of 18 + your Dexterity modifier for the spell’s duration. This armor has no Strength requirement, doesn’t hinder spellcasting, and doesn’t incur disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
If the creature you struck was a celestial, blood armor also grants you advantage on Charisma saving throws for the duration of the spell.
891cp, 6993sp, 2079gp, 108pp (3759gp); Amber (translucent watery gold, 100gp), Coral (opaque crimson, 100gp), Garnet (transparent brown-green, 100gp), Jade (translucent deep green, 100gp), Jade (translucent light green, 100gp), Jade (translucent white, 100gp), Jet (opaque deep black, 100gp), Pearl (opaque lustrous white, 100gp), Spinel (transparent red-brown, 100gp) 900gp; Potion of fire breath (uncommon potion), Potion of growth (uncommon potion)
