A Gnollish Investigation, Chapter 04: Dang it is hot in here! - LvL 9

Structure

Conflict

Mandarius is hiding in Hedius Workshop until the 14th day of the year (the day in which he plans to try to take the crown). He decided to hide there because 1) Who would suspect someone is hiding in a more than five hundred degrees place? (Mandarius can survive this temperature by using magic) and 2) He aimed to make a deal with the fire giant known as Lagtermius FireBranded (which he manages to accomplish by the 10th day of the year. He offered the Fire Giant to aid him in the Fierydot - LvL 5 in return.

Rising Action

Outside the Fortress

A huge amount of gnolls are outside in the trees waiting to ambush anyone that dares to approach the place. There are also some on top of the tower of the fortress and a couple of Fire Gnolls inside it, hiding just beside the port collars.

Draconic Fortress:

0: There's just a small quadrangular room that contains a couple of staircases. One take to the roof of the tower while the other takes to the -1 level. Nothing really is happening here besides the waiting fire gnolls.
-1: Like the room above, this other level is just a transition to the other level (has another set of stairs that take to the -2 level). However, differently from the level above, players can see what is going on in the outer part of level -2.
-2:
Inside: It is a bigger room than the previous ones and looks like a hall. Nothing is happening here as well.

• Thieves Toools (15): Lockpicks the door
• Stealth (12/17): Is able to traverse to the -2 level without alerting the duplicate/Is able to approach the ledge of the structure and possibly try to hear or ambush Lissandra and Mandarius
• Perception (12/17/22): Hears some of the conversation (lissandra is complaining about something/Hears the important parts of the conversation (lissandra wants to talk with the "Original"/but cannot because he's performing a ritual)/listens to everything
• Athletics (25): Break down the door

Outside: One of the couple duplicated Mandariuses Lignus Gorquins Sackins is discussing with General Lissandra Sackins. She wants badly to talk with the original Mandarius, but the duplicated one keeps saying that the original is conducting an important ritual on the princess and cannot be disturbed until it is completed. They can be ambushed by the party, should they want to.e
There are some stairs by the wall of the cave that takes downward to level -3. There are some Hidden Floor Spikes traps. An investigation/perception check (dc 16) sees them
-3:
Outside: Big hall with a bunch of stone pillars.
Inside: Feasting hall for the gnolls that are stationed in this fortress. There's a huge amount of meat and bones on a center stone table and there are a bunch of gnolls eating there.
-4:
-5:
A big chamber lies below the fortress structure. There are some lava rivers that course through the place. In the center of it there's a metallic cage in which there's a Giant Gnoll inside. There are four fire salamanders (servants of the giant Lagtermus Fire-Branded) finishing up a ritual to insert a fire essence into the gnoll and make him a Fire Giant Gnoll. The party has half an hour (real life) to discuss plans and 1 minute (on combat) to stop the ritual. The more they discuss, the more the ritual advances.

Tunnel to volcano chamber:

Lots of Fire Salamanders are here doing basic smithy tasks and living their lives. This is a village of fire salamanders. They have been instructed to attack any unknown creature that wants to pass through here.

• Charisma Ability Check (18/22/26) Allows Passage/Will make trade/Will go against "their orders" and will help against the Gnolls
• Stealth (18) Pass without the salamanders seein' (they are focused at their work)
• Perception (10/14/18//22/26) Hears/Sees that there are Fire Salamanders smiths up ahead/Knows the numbers of creatures/Pipoints some/all of their location

Climax

Inside Volcano:

Volcano Pass

Fire Gnolls - A group of fire gnolls can be seen gathering at the entrance. They are stationed there waiting anxiously for Mandariuses' return.

• Perception (12/16/20) Sees that there are Fire gnolls up ahead/Knows the numbers of creatures/Pipoints their location
• Stealth (14) Approach without making noise

Fire Osprey Pack attack - A group of Fire Ospreys (with a queen) is perching on the stalagmites near the volcano pass. They'll attack and try to kill (to eat) anyone that tries to pass through it.

• Survival (12/18) A bunch of gnollish recent footprints can be seen passing through/One halfling footprint can also be seen
• Perception (14/18/22) Sees that there are Fire Ospreys perching nearby/Knows the numbers of creatures/Pipoints their location
• Stealth (14) Pass through the Volcano Pass undetected (roll twice)

The Shrine of Dondí

Salamanders' Ritualistic Prayer - By the end of the Volcano Pass lies a shrine to Dondí. Many fire salamanders (alongside a spellweaver) are here praying for him. If players make too much noise, they'll be disturbed and get annoyed

• Stealth (14) If 2 or more players fail, they'll get disturbed and will see that the party is there. They'll tell them to leave this secret place at once

Falling Action

Volcano's Most Inner Chamber

Bunch of gnolls waiting for Mandariuses' return/orders

Backdrops

Encounters

Dondí's Workshop:

Volcano:

• Fire Salamanders in the Volcano Tunnel (can be avoided; 7 regular fire salamanders)
• Hungry Fire Ospreys' Flock on Volcano Pass (8 regulars, 1 queen)
• Fire Salamanders praying near Dondí's Shrine (can be avoided (5 regulars, 1 spellweaver)
• Gnolls in the deepest volcano chamber (1 experienced sorcerer, 2 sorcerers, 2 monks, 4 regulars, 1 large, 2 fire)

Related Locations

• Hedius' Workshop Dungeon