TETUTUPHOR: THE ELEMENTAL CASTLE ENVIRONS: CHAPTER TWO A- HUMONGOUS TROLL CAVERN (A SPECIAL CHAPTER OF SECRET OF THE GREATER TROLLS PART 8)

 

AREA 2:

 

 

 

1) SNAKE ATTACK:Waiting here in the dark are 8 giant spitting cobras (8 giant spitting cobras: AC 5; MV: 12"; HD 4+2; #AT 1; D 1-2; AL N;  SA spit 3” poison save vs poison. Size M.). The remains of deer, small mammals and some demihumans are found here. If searching through the bones there is a short sword +1 thats elaborate scabbard has been almost destroyed by digestive juices. One can just make out a number “6” shaped from a stylized snake (Iuz’ secret sign).

2) BURNT TROLL: The passage in the hillside bends and leads here where the form of a large troll is outlined in a burnt shape on the floor.  Close inspection reveals it was done long ago. In an alcove to the North (2A) there resides two giant spiders (2 giant spiders: AC 4; MV 3"/12"; HD 4+4; HP: 30,31; #AT 1; D 2-8; AL CE; SA bite is poisonous.). Anyone walking North of the burnt troll area becomes stuck on webs on the floor. The spiders are hungry but they can be bargained with if the temple of elemental evil is mentioned in the language of giant spiders or trolls.

3) BAT CAVE: This guano-filled bat cave is home to many ordinary bats.
1300 ordinary bats: (AC 4, 8 in crowded flying conditions; MV 24"; HD 1-2 hp; hp  500x2 800x1; #AT Special; D Special)
The hole in the roof is sufficiently large that the bats can escape if alerted and they will not harm the party unless they are contained somehow (causing 1-10 damage every round swarming). However, it is also home to a troll of tremendous size who will be alerted by the bats being riled up in any manner.

The troll has been altered by long exposure to elemental magic experiments.
 
One Elemen-Troll (AC 2; MV 12"; HD 11; hp 79; #AT 2 claws, 1 bite; Damage: 2-20/2-20/3-30; SA can attack three opponents at once; SD regenerate 4 points/round, two rounds after taking damage).
 
It will sleep on a heap of offal on the Southern wall. Near there is a clear area with a hole (See 3b below) but the rest is broken old shrubbery and matted hay. Within is a black oily sack that bears a four-colored wheel symbol red, green, blue and brown. Its contents are 9667 g.p. . There is also a rolled note on thick vellum reading “TO TORFONN, THIS IS FOR GRONZ THE NOW GREAT TROLL TO RETURN TO HIS POST." (This is stamped with the heraldry of Iuz; A star in a triangle in a circle with an ourobouros serpent. Also with a tiny 10x10 grid in the center at the "54" point there is an indentation. )”
Note: The remains of "Torfonn" and those of his comrades are in the manure below.

3A) Hole in Roof: This is the entrance that the humongous troll enters into the cavern.

3B) Humongous Troll Poop Hole: If one follows this fetid drain they will end up sliding into the ceiling of area 5 and falling into manure.

4) GREMLINS: This cave has a dank loam floor but some rock shelf-like crevices about 3 feet high wrapping around the chamber. This is the lair of a breed of jermlaine that dwells closer to the surface than its deep-dwelling cousins called “cave gremlins” (differences AC: 6 (small shields;bucklers under skin folds); HD: 1; D: 1-6 or by weapon (spears and short swords); No special defenses for 1/2 damage like their cousins because of size as these are larger 3’ tall; xp: 10 +1 See New Monster Cave Gremlin Below). They have clay colored folds of skin and their heads are warty appearing like grey stones embedded in a larger rusty stone. When standing still they look like strange rock formations.
 
17 Cave Gremlins (AC 6. HD 1. hp 6, 2, 3, 6, 6,1, 5, 5, 4, 5,1, 3, 3, 2, 2, 3, 2. #AT I, D 1-6 or by weapon.)
 
They hide their spears next to them in piles of grit and palm-sized stones. There is a massive spike trap that descends from the ceiling right over the middle of the chamber and they will try to lure all combatants to the center of the room by creating a sort of phalanx with 9 of their shields locked with swords out and the other 8 spearing over them. Once in place, one acts fearful then breaks rank and cuts the hidden rope. The trap will spike those who are over 3 1/2 feet tall unless a saving throw versus death is made.
 
5) MANURE PIT: A huge steaming cesspool of troll droppings filled with human bones and debris. If an hour is spent sifting through they will have a 50% chance of catching a disease (3 in 6). They will find attached to the human remains: 
1. A pouch with 56 s.p., 
2. An ivory tube with a magic-user scroll (Push, Jump, Friends, Leomund’s Trap, Magic Jar, Extension III), 
Bracers of Defense (AC 2), 
3. Shield +2, 
4. Broadsword +1, 
5. A bone tube with an itinary for a delivery of smoked Okelard cheese to Ostler Gundigoot in Hommlet from Veluna City, 
6. A ruined velvet cape with the ourobouros heraldry of Iuz stitched on the inside and #54 "grid demarcation" (See vellum note in area 3 above), 
7. An ivory tube with a map of the levels of the Temple of Elemental Evil designating Zuggtmoy’s location and
 8. Scratched note that says in the specific speech of red dragons: "NULB IS NOT NULB". If read by speakers of other dragon languages it will say mistakenly: "NEVER GO TO NULB"
 
ELEMEN-TROLL

FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 3
MOVE: 12"
HIT DICE: 11
%IN LAIR: 35%
TREASURE TYPE: E
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-20/2-20/3-30
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Regeneration and can only be affected by magical versions of elements (ex: fire)
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Average
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: L (25’ tall)
PSlONlC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil/nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE:
VII/3550 + 16/hp

This troll type is not really a separate race of troll but rather a curious (unique?) after effect of trolls exposed to elemental experimentation with spells. The raw elementary forces will bond with their regenerative nature. They will isolate themselves and tend to dwell in lonesome caves. Unlike regular trolls they will surround themselves with sinister seeming animals for company especially bats, snakes, spiders and sometimes the lesser of humanoids.

Like normal trolls, they attack with their greatly enlarged forelimbs and mighty teeth. However, they regenerate at a faster rate (4 hp per round starting  after only 2 rounds of damage) and can only be burned by magical attacks that burn.

They can last up to 48 hours in each elemental plane’s harsher environs but this resistance will not last. They must return to the Prime Material Plane or lose resistance in total (fire will burn, water will drown, earth will bury, air will suffocate, etc.). They are not considered wholly planar creatures in regards to being dismissed or banished in anyway

Description: These trolls appear like gigantic stocky trolls with red, green, blue and brown cross-shaped splotches over their troll green hide.
 
CAVE GREMLIN (Surface Jermlaine)

FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 12-22 (2D6+10)
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 15" (Mountain type: 12"/15" Class E gliding)
HIT DICE: 1
%IN LAIR: 75%
TREASURE TYPE: Per 5 individuals P;In lair R,S,T
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6 or by weapon
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Low but extremely cunning
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil (with neutral tendency)
SIZE: S (3' tall)
PSlONlC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes:Nil/nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE:
I/10 + 1/hp

These creatures are related to bane-midges that colonized surface caves ages ago. They appear much like their cousins except they are a few feet larger and their skin folds are more droopy often covering their buckler shields. They share most attributes except where noted.

They frequent with rats sometimes but not as intimately as jermlaine. There is only a 10% chance of rats and 5% chance of giant rats or bats. However, there is a mountain variety (In World of Greyhawk, they will be found in valleys of Corusk, Griff, Lortmil and Rakers mountain ranges in the same niche as aarakocra whose eggs they prey upon.) that favors bats (50%), vultures (25%) and vulchlings (10%). The regular variety are found in the same niche as standard jermlaine but are more common by one degree in frequency on the surface (See MMII).
 The mountain variety are known as valley gremlins and are often favored by evil mountain dwelling spellcasters as crude wards to alert of approaching intruders.
 
Standard Cave Gremlins typically weaponed as following:
spear 50%
small sword & buckler 30%
hand axe 20%
 
Mountain variety typically weaponed as following:
short bow 50%
spear 35%
hand axe 15%

Description: These creatures have a brown clay colored folds of skin that seems like draped and ragged wings. Their heads similar to normal jermlaine but are more warty appearing like grey and knob-like stones embedded in a larger rusty stone. When standing still they look like strange rock formations.The mountain variety have hair on their bumps that look like green lichen and their drapes are functional wings.