Meamnar:Into the Depths

Into the Depths is an adventure for five 2nd level player characters (PC's). The adventure begins in the Northern Kingdom of Hylar and concludes in either the svirfneblin city of Blackenrock or the drow city of Sreen in the campaign setting of Meamnar. The adventure was included in the tabletop campaign Stoned.

Adventure Background

The adventuring party has been traveling in the Northern Kingdom of Hylar, searching for information regarding an artifact called the Wandering Door. Along the way, they have experienced an earthquake (quite rare for this region), and had inexplicable run-ins with a band of goblins and a pair of unknown warriors. This adventure will explain some of their recent experiences, but will introduce new questions as their route to Hylar City takes an unexpected turn.

Adventure Synopsis

Deep under Hylar is the svirfneblin city of Glickenstone, home to about 4,000 gnomes. They lived and mined in relative peace until the first earthquake struck. Many passages collapsed, over half the city was flooded, and the survivors have been forced to abandon their homes under threat of attacks from the drow city of Sreen. It seems that another effect of the seismic activity was to open a new passage between the two cities, and drow raiding parties have been pouring into the once-safe caverns.

The adventuring party is given several incentives to investigate the recent mining operations near the Stone Tomb. Inevitably, they will reach the end of the mine, where any attempt at forced entry will trigger another earthquake, trapping them underground and forcing them down into the Underdark. Once there, they will have the opportunity to join up with a scouting party from Glickenstone. If they can avoid or defeat any drow they find along the way, then they can get to Blackenrock, another svirfneblin city, where they can hopefully get help to return to the surface.

Beginning the Adventure

Ambush

The adventure begins with the ambush of the party by a band of goblins. The goblins were recently being used as slave labor for a mining operation at the Stone Tomb. Once the mining was complete, the slaves were released into the countryside. This particular group is desperately in search of provisions, and is waiting in ambush along the road for the first caravan that comes along.

Goblins (11): CR 1/3; Small Humanoid (Goblinoid); HD 1d8+1; hp 5 each; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 13; Base Atk light pick +2 melee (1d3/x4); Full Atk light pick +2 melee (1d3/x4); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SQ Darkvision 60 ft.; AL NE; SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will -1; Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 6

Skills and Feats: Hide +5, Listen +2, Move Silently +5, Ride +4, Spot +2; Alertness

Equipment: leather armour, light picks

Threshold

Once the party arrives in Threshold, they should be given one or more of the following as bait to investigate the mine near the Stone Tomb:

• Local gossip includes several reports of small bands of goblins originating from that area.
• Melinda, the local contact for the Balance, will pay the group 50gp each to investigate and return with any information.
• Markus, an employee of Janek, will pay the group 200gp each, plus spoils, to find their way into the Stone Tomb via the mine and return a book.

Into the Mine

Both Melinda and Markus will be able to provide specific instructions for reaching the Stone Tomb. Otherwise, the party should be able to learn the location fairly easily (Gather Information DC10). The Stone Tomb is X miles away, and the journey there should be uneventful.

Lost

Grick: CR 3; Medium Aberration; HD 2d8; hp 9; Init +2; Spd 30 ft., climb 20 ft.; AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14; Base Atk tentacle +3 melee (1d4+2); Full Atk 4 tentacles +3 melee (1d4+2), bite -2 melee (1d3+1); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SQ Damage Reduction 10/magic, Darkvision 60 ft., Scent; AL N; SV Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +5; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 5

Skills and Feats: Climb +10, Hide +3 (+8 in rocky terrain), Listen +6, Spot +6; Alertness, Track

Equipment: none

A Chance Encounter

A group of svirfneblin scouts from Glickenstone were cut off from their people by the earthquake triggered by the party. They are trying to find their own way to Blackenrock, though many of the passages are now foreign to them. Any strangers will be considered hostile at first, but the group's leader, Alomi Shattergem, will welcome additional warriors. She recognizes that her group is too small to effectively deal with any drow raiding party they might encounter.

Alomi Shattergem: CR 3; Small Humanoid (Gnome); HD 3d8+4; hp 17; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 23, touch 16, flat-footed 18; Base Atk heavy pick +4 melee (1d4/x4), light crossbow +5 ranged (1d6/19-20); Full Atk heavy pick +4 melee (1d4/x4), light crossbow +5 ranged (1d6/19-20); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA Spell-like Abilities; SQ Gnome Traits, Svirfneblin Traits, Spell Resistance 14; AL N; SV Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +3; Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 4

Skills and Feats: Hide +3, Listen +3, Spot +4; Toughness, Dodge

Equipment: heavy pick, light crossbow, banded mail

Svirfneblin Warriors (4): CR 1; Small Humanoid (Gnome); HD 1d8+4; hp 8; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 23, touch 16, flat-footed 18; Base Atk heavy pick +2 melee (1d4/x4), light crossbow +3 ranged (1d6/19-20); Full Atk heavy pick +2 melee (1d4/x4), light crossbow +3 ranged (1d6/19-20); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA Spell-like Abilities; SQ Gnome Traits, Svirfneblin Traits, Spell Resistance 12; AL N; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +2; Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 4

Skills and Feats: Hide +2, Listen +2, Spot +2; Toughness

Equipment: heavy pick, light crossbow, banded mail

The Drow Patrol

Drow Captain: CR 3; Medium Humanoid (Elf); HD 3d8; hp 13; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 15; Base Atk rapier +5 melee (1d6+1/18-20), hand crossbow +4 ranged (1d4/19-20); Full Atk rapier +3 melee (1d6+1/18-20), hand crossbow +2 ranged (1d4/19-20); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA Poison, Spell-like Abilities; SQ Drow Traits, Spell Resistance 14; AL NE; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will 0; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 9, Cha 10

Skills and Feats: Hide +1, Listen +3, Search +6, Spot +5; Weapon Focus (rapier), Dodge

Equipment: rapier, hand crossbow, chain shirt, light shield

Drow Warriors (8): CR 1; Medium Humanoid (Elf); HD 1d8; hp 4 each; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 15; Base Atk rapier +3 melee (1d6+1/18-20), hand crossbow +2 ranged (1d4/19-20); Full Atk rapier +3 melee (1d6+1/18-20), hand crossbow +2 ranged (1d4/19-20); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA Poison, Spell-like Abilities; SQ Drow Traits, Spell Resistance 12; AL NE; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will -1; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 9, Cha 10

Skills and Feats: Hide +0, Listen +2, Search +4, Spot +3; Weapon Focus (rapier)

Equipment: rapiers, hand crossbows, chain shirts, light shields

Drow Wizard: CR 3; Medium Humanoid (Elf); HD 2d4; hp 5; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10; Base Atk dagger +2 melee/ranged (1d4+1/19-20); Full Atk dagger +2 melee/ranged (1d4+1/19-20); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA Spell-like Abilities; SQ Drow Traits, Spell Resistance 13; AL NE; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +3; Str 10, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 9, Cha 10

Skills and Feats: Concentration +4, Hide +2, Knowledge (Arcana) +3, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +2, Knowledge (Planes) +2, Listen +1, Spellcraft +4, Spot +2; Silent Spell

Equipment: dagger +1

Spells: Acid Splash, Daze, Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Color Spray, Magic Missile, Shield, Sleep

Drow Cleric: CR 3; Medium Humanoid (Elf); HD 2d8; hp 9; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15, touch 10, flat-footed 14; Base Atk light mace +1 melee (1d6+1); Full Atk light mace +1 melee (1d6+1); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA Spell-like Abilities; SQ Drow Traits, Spell Resistance 13; AL NE; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 10

Skills and Feats: Concentration +2, Heal +4, Hide +1, Listen +1, Knowledge (Religion) +2, Spellcraft +1, Spot +1

Equipment: light mace, chain shirt, light shield

Spells: Create Water, Cure Minor Wounds (2), Resistance, Cause Fear, Cure Light Wounds, Doom, Magic Weapon

Concluding the Adventure

The party's encounters with the svirfneblin and the drow will determine the outcome of the adventure. If they ally with the gnomes and are able to fend off the drow, they will be invited to Blackenrock, where they may eventually find a way to the surface. If they are defeated by the drow, they will be taken as slaves to Sreen. Otherwise, they are left to wander the Underdark alone, with the possibility of encountering additional groups of svirfneblin or drow.