BEYOND THE

SERPENTINE LOCK

PROLOGUE 3

ACT 1: THE PATH IN THE WOODS 7

ACT 2: THE TRIALS OF TENTEETH 9

ACT 3: GUTCHEWER 15

ACT 4: ENTERING THE CRYPT 17

ACT 5: IN THE TIEFLING'S CRYPT 20

ACT 6: TENTEETH CONSEQUENCES 33

ACT 7: ANCESTRAL ENEMIES 36

APPENDIX 1: NEW MAGIC ITEMS 40

APPENDIX 2: TENTEETH 41

WRITTEN BY: RON LUNDEEN

ART: MARCO MORTE, SANDRO RYBAK

CARTOGRAPHY: MARCO MORTE, HUGO SOLIS

 PROLOGUE
Five hundred years ago, a large clan of
tieflings carved a small holding out of the
trackless forests north of the town of Thaven,
fighting back monsters, sickness, and other
hazards of the wilds. The tieflings had found
no peace in civilized lands, due to their
debauched ways and infernal appearance.
However, deep in the forbidding woods, they
found a place to live in solitude.
The tieflings’ leader was a three-eyed witch
named Zalsiniah. Obsessed with immortality
and determined to live on after her demise,
Zalsiniah forced her people to build a massive
crypt laden with traps and sealed with an
intricate lock bearing her personal symbol, a
tangle of serpents. Within the crypt, Zalsiniah
stored her most valuable treasures and
prepared the materials to transform herself
into a lich.
Zalsiniah also brought her daughter, only a
young tiefling girl, into the crypt with her.
Zalsiniah intended to grant her daughter
eternal life after undergoing her own
transformation. None know whether Zalsiniah
succeeded, for without her leadership, her
people soon fell to infighting and scattered.
Only Zalsiniah's crypt remained in the deep
forest, abandoned.
Two centuries passed, and the crypt
withstood all attempts by brave sages and
itinerant tomb-robbers to bypass its serpent-
shaped magical lock. The cleverest hero in
Thaven at that time was a human woman
named Amnis Ilvendri. Amnis spent days
examining the Serpentine Lock and weeks
more fashioning a key to open it. Amnis
opened the lock and gave her key to her
halfling assistant, Orvin Meeker, asking the
assistant to wait outside for her return. When
Amnis didn’t return after several hours, the
nervous halfling fled the forest, taking Amnis’
key. Amnis was never seen again, and it was
commonly assumed she met her death in the
crypt beyond the Serpentine Lock. The shamed
Orvin Meeker, whose cowardice was believed
instrumental in the disappearance of the
prominent hero Amnis, faded into obscurity.
The crypt has remained closed for the three
centuries since. Amnis’ key has remained lost,
and no one else has proven skilled enough to
bypass Zalsiniah’s intricate lock. Recently,
Amnis’ descendant Algus discovered Amnis’
lost key. An indolent and nearsighted scholar,
Algus was an expert on the lore of his heroic
ancestor but hardly fit to be an adventurer
himself. Algus recognized Amnis’ handiwork
and deduced that the key would open the
Serpentine Lock. Algus wants to recover his
heroic ancestor’s remains, including her
unique signet ring. Algus believes (correctly)
that Amnis’ body is somewhere within the
tomb beyond the Serpentine Lock.
ADVENTURE SUMMARY
Algus Ilvendri, an armchair historian obsessed
with the legends of his famous ancestor
Amnis, seeks out the heroes. Algus reveal that
he has recovered his ancestor’s key and its
significance in bypassing the Serpentine Lock
on the mysterious stone structure deep in the
trackless forests north of Thaven. Algus asks
the heroes to brave the crypt and welcomes
them to keep what they find within; in
exchange, he asks only for them to recover
Amnis’ bones and signet ring for him.
Traveling into the wild forest, the heroes
discover a large band of lizardfolk living near
the crypt. They run afoul of lizardfolk scouts,
and might investigate the lizardfolk village of
Tenteeth further.
At the crypt, the heroes find that the center
piece of the Serpentine Lock is missing. It was
taken away by the lizardfolk shaman because
of its reptilian motif, and is now in the village
of Tenteeth. The crypt doors will not open
unless the missing shield-shaped piece, the
serpentine shield, is returned and then unlocked
with the key that the heroes hold.
The heroes must retrieve the serpentine
shield from the lizardfolk shaman by
diplomacy, stealth, or force. In any case, the
heroes must defeat the tribe's champion, an
immense lizardfolk named Gutchewer. When
the heroes have recovered the serpentine shield,
they can return it to the crypt to complete the
Serpentine Lock. The lock does not open easily;
its removal and reattachment has subtly
altered its magic. The heroes must recreate the
tangle of serpents (by solving a puzzle) before
entering the crypt.
The crypt is now populated by ageless
guardians, undead, and traps. Throughout the
crypt, the heroes discover evidence of Amnis’
final adventure. The heroes ultimately find
Amnis’ body and the undead horror Zalsiniah
has become: a failed lich (a near-mindless
undead creature with some of a lich’s powers
but none of its intellect). If the heroes have
collected certain items connected to Zalsiniah
within the crypt, they should find their
confrontation with the undead tiefling to be
much easier.
If the heroes treated the lizardfolk of
Tenteeth extremely well or extremely poorly,
the lizardfolk might either offer to aid the
heroes once they emerge from the crypt, or set
an ambush for them. Eventually, the heroes
return to Algus’ home in Thaven to find Algus
under attack by a family of halfling thugs,
descendants of Amnis’ cowardly servant who
are determined kill Algus to avoid revealing
the stain on their family’s honor. With the
defeat of Algus’ would-be murderers, the
scrivener hears their tale and provides a
surprising reward.
INTRODUCTION
This adventure begins when Algus has
Handout 1 delivered to the heroes, preferably
while they are relaxing in Thaven with no
particularly pressing tasks. A successful DC 16
Diplomacy check to Gather Information about
Algus reveals that Algus is a well-regarded
and successful scrivener who works out of his
home. Although Algus’ day-to-day work is in
document creation and transcription, he is an
amateur historian as well, particularly
 Hail thrill-seekers!
At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, I have discovered a long-lost key to priceless
treasure, and I need a trustworthy group to recover it. Your reputation indicates
that you might be just the adventuresome heroes I need. If it pleases you, meet me at
my shop tomorrow at noon.
Signed,
Algus Ilvendri, Scrivener
P.S. Do please come prepared to travel, as I believe you’ll want to leave posthaste
once I explain further.

regarding the great heroine Amnis who lived
centuries ago. If this check is a critical success,
the hero recalls that Algus and Amnis both
have the same last name, Ilvendri, and realizes
that Amnis is Algus's ancestor.
When the heroes arrive at Algus’ home, the
gregarious man welcomes the heroes eagerly
and cheerfully, pressing handshakes onto each
of them several times. If you need a map of
Algus’ home, you can consult Act 7, but a
tactical map of Algus’ house is unlikely to be
necessary at this time. Read the following to
begin the adventure.
After pleasantries, Algus gets to business. "The
clever hero Amnis Ilvendri was one of the most
famous heroes in Thaven in her time, three
hundred years ago. She disappeared while
investigating a crypt about a day north of the
city, deep in an ancient, trackless forest. This
crypt had been sealed for centuries with a
cunning serpent-shaped puzzle-lock that no
one had been able to breach. Amnis studied the
lock for days, and constructed a key to bypass
it. When Amnis finally opened the lock, she
passed the key to her halfling servant,
ventured within the crypt, and was never seen
again. The servant was afraid to be alone in
the woods, so he fled, taking the key with him.
Amnis’ key was subsequently lost, and the
puzzle-lock has remained closed in the
intervening centuries. Occasional trap-smiths
and tomb-robbers have tried to bypass the
lock, but with no success.
"Last week, I happened upon a curious
serpent-shaped key in a box of archaic bric-a-
brac in the market. I recognized Amnis’
handiwork. Imagine my delight! I purchased
the key, and my research confirms that this key
should open the serpentine lock to the sealed
crypt. I'm convinced that Amnis’ body must be
inside the crypt somewhere, although I shudder
to think what fearsome monster or deadly trap
could kill such a legendary adventurer. Take
the key, open the crypt, and discover Amnis’
fate. Return Amnis's remains to me for proper
burial, and I'd quite like Amnis’ signet ring—a
family heirloom—returned to me. That ring is
likely to be valuable, I won't lie, but it's the
only thing I want other than her remains; you
are welcome to keep anything else you find,
including any of Amnis’ gear that has
survived."
Algus then provides the heroes with the
key. It is made of iron and is about three inches
long. The oval head is elegantly carved and the
teeth are multilayered and sturdy. The shaft is
carved with the following rhyme in delicate
script: “Each serpent free so that none cross
another; then insert the key to visit their
mother” (this is a clue to open the door to the
crypt in Act 4). Amnis’ key radiates a faint
aura of magic if examined with spells such as
detect magic.
Algus answers any other questions the
heroes might have, but he knows little other
than indicated above. Although Algus does
not know of the legends about Zalsiniah, a
hero who succeeds at a DC 20 Arcana, Society,
or relevant Lore check recalls the information
in the first two paragraphs of this introduction;
on a critical success, the hero recalls the
information in the third paragraph as well.
As far as reward, Algus assures the heroes
that the crypt is likely to contain ancient
treasures, any or all of which the heroes can
keep. If they find items they have no use for,
Algus will buy them from the heroes at their
full price.
Algus encourages the heroes to hurry off to
the crypt, but not out of any genuine pressing
need; the scrivener is just excited to think that
he might soon possess the mortal remains of
the heroic ancestor he spent much of his life
studying.
 ACT 1: THE PATH
IN THE WOODS

As Algus is not certain of the exact location of LIZARDFOLK TRAIL (MODERATE 3)

Zalsiniah’s crypt, he provides the heroes only a
general location within the deep forest north of
the city. He expects the heroes to search the
area to discover the crypt. Algus’ general
location is twelve miles almost due north of
Thaven. You may decide that the heroes have a
chance of a random encounter while they
travel—particularly while they travel through
the forest—or you may just cut to the heroes’
arrival at the area Algus indicated.
When the heroes approach the area
indicated by Algus, read or paraphrase the
following:
The lizardfolk know dangerous beasts prowl
the forest, so four members of their tribe watch
the path to the village at all times.
Creatures: When the heroes arrive at the
path, these lizardfolk are currently hiding.
Heroes Searching the area spot them on a
successful DC 16 Perception check. The
lizardfolk consider the heroes intruders in their
tribe’s territory and attack from hiding. If the
heroes are unaware of the lizardfolk when they
launch their attack, the lizardfolk have a +4
circumstance bonus to their initiative checks.

As you press further north through the dense

forest, you come across a wide trail running
northeast and southwest. This trail is about
five feet wide and cut clear of undergrowth,
indicating a planned trail rather than a
natural animal path. The crypt should be
roughly to the north of your current location,
but could be northeast as well. There is no
immediate indication of where this trail might
lead.
Northeast along the trail leads to the
lizardfolk village of Tenteeth and not to
Zalsiniah’s crypt. The lizardfolk cleared this
path to access fertile hunting grounds about an
hour southwest of the village. Heroes who are
Investigating or Searching as their exploration
mode activity automatically identify a variety
of lizardfolk tracks along the trail. Other
heroes spot them with a successful DC 18
Perception check.
If the heroes capture and interrogate a scout
(which requires a successful DC 15
Intimidation check to Coerce and the ability to
speak Draconic or Iruxi), the lizardfolk reveals
that the trail connects fertile hunting grounds
to the southwest to the village of Tenteeth,
while lies 2 miles to the northeast. The
lizardfolk are very knowledgeable about the
village of Tenteeth, as they have lived their
to go anywhere near the stone structure.
whole lives there. They reveal that dozens of
Once the heroes have dealt with the
lizardfolk live in Tenteeth including the tribe’s
lizardfolk scouts, they can continue along the
chieftain, Sarsel, and the tribe’s fearsomely
path to the northeast or continue searching for
strong champion, Gutchewer.
the crypt off of the path. If the heroes follow
If asked about the location of a crypt, the
the path, they encounter the lizardfolk village
lizardfolk are initially puzzled, because they
of Tenteeth after only 2 miles; go to Act 2.
don’t know the purpose of the nearby stone
If the heroes ignore the trail and search the
structure. If the heroes describe what they're
area for Zalsiniah’s crypt, they discover the
looking for a little better, a lizardfolk admits
crypt a mile to the northwest. The heroes can
that the structure is about a mile to the
investigate the crypt itself, which is described
northwest, but the lizardfolk rarely travel there
at the beginning of Act 4, but as they lack the
because they believe it to be cursed. Sarsel has
center of the Serpentine Lock, they can't gain
traveled there a few times, as his magic is more
entry to the crypt at this time. Lizardfolk
powerful than the curse, and he recently
tracks, plainly visible in the soil around the
recovered a magical shield from the door of
door to the crypt, should encourage the heroes
the structure by subduing the curse with his
to investigate the lizardfolk village at the end
powerful magic. As the shield has reptilian
of the trail.
symbols on it, the lizardfolk believe the shield
to be a fitting trophy of Sarsel's magical
superiority. Yet old habits die hard; despite
Sarsel's victory, the lizardfolk remain reluctant
 ACT 2: THE TRIALS
OF TENTEETH
The lizardfolk village of Tenteeth lies at the
end of the path that the heroes intersected in
their travel north. The heroes need to acquire
the serpentine shield from Sarsel, the village’s
leader, although they may not realize this
without further investigation of the area. The
serpentine shield is a crucial component of the
lock that protects Zalsiniah's crypt, and the
crypt can't be opened without it.
Tenteeth is described in detail in Appendix
2, and a map of the village appears on the
following page. It's easy for the heroes to get a
sense of the village’s overall structure: several
huts surround an open pony-corral, with two
ancient crumbling buildings of stone to the
north and east. Other than the lizardfolk, the
most unusual inhabitants of the village are the
shaggy ponies they raise, which have been
long ago crossbred with spiders. They have
eight legs, compound eyes, and spinnerets.
This act provides several options for the
heroes’ approach to Tenteeth and for pursuing
their overall task of recovering the serpentine
shield from its current owner; these options are
to approach the village using some measure of
Negotiation, Stealth, or Force.
NEGOTIATION
The heroes might approach the village of
Tenteeth openly, seeking information about
the Serpentine Lock from the village’s
inhabitants. The heroes might be genuinely
diplomatic and seek peaceful interaction, or
might be intending to trick the lizardfolk with
some sort of ruse.
The lizardfolk are suspicious but not
immediately hostile if the heroes express
peaceable intentions. At first, two lizardfolk
defenders emerge from their huts and stand in
the heroes' way, as though daring the heroes to
push past. They have a Perception DC of 17
(which is used for attempts to Impersonate or
Lie, for example) and a Will DC of 15 (for
attempts to Make an Impression or similar).
Increase these DCs by 2 if no character speaks
Draconic or Iruxi. The lizardfolk take very
poorly to threats while surrounded by their
peers. If the heroes try to Intimidate these
lizardfolk and receive anything less than a
critical success, the rest of the tribe responds
with violence; proceed with Force, below.
If the heroes attempt to recover from a
failure at using stealth or force by resorting to
negotiation, but the DCs of Deception and
Diplomacy checks increase by 2 for each
lizardfolk the PCs have killed in this Act.
If the heroes successfully demonstrate
peaceful intentions, the lizardfolk stand aside
and welcome them into their village. The
lizardfolk take the heroes on a quick tour and
introduce them to Sarsel, the leader of Tenteeth
and one of the few lizardfolk to speak
Common. Sarsel is much easier to trick or to
sway than the guards (as his Perception DC
and Will DC are both 24), but he has no reason
to doubt the heroes if the guards have already
vouched for them. Sarsel talks while tending to
his people, using cantrips such as guidance and
prestidigitation to help the lizardfolk of
Tenteeth in their daily tasks.
 Sarsel should reveal the following key
points. Do your best to work them naturally
into the heroes' conversation with him.
• The Tenteeth lizardfolk are aware of the
stone structure in the forest. They consider
it to be an ominous place, and the
lizardfolk do not usually go there. (Sarsel
doesn't know that it is a crypt, or anything
about the tiefling witch Zalsiniah.)
• Sarsel has been to the stone structure from
time to time, mostly to marvel at the large
snake-headed symbol on the crypt.
• A week ago, Sarsel worked up the nerve to
manipulate the snake-headed symbol. To
his surprise, the symbol came off in his
hands.
• As the symbol is roughly the shape of a
shield, Sarsel adhered a handle to the back
of the symbol (with sticky Tenteeth pony
webbing, if the heroes ask) and he now
carries it as his personal shield.
• Sarsel has always been held in high regard
by the lizardfolk of Tenteeth for the many
years he has been in charge, but never so
much as when he obtained the serpentine
shield. The lizardfolk consider the shield to
be sacred, so Sarsel has obtained even
higher standing now. It embarrasses him a
bit, since he doesn't feel he's earned the
improved status simply for pulling the
symbol off the building, but he's been able
to do a lot more with his increased
authority, such as settle longstanding feuds
in the village.
If the heroes directly ask Sarsel for the
serpentine shield, he considers their request
carefully. If a hero succeeds at a DC 19
Diplomacy check to Request it Sarsel admits
that he has no real right to the shield and that
he is willing to give it up if the heroes need it.
However, since his tribe now considers the
serpentine shield to be a sacred icon in their
village, the heroes must earn it in their eyes.
This requires the heroes to defeat the village’s
champion, Gutchewer, in a match the villagers
can all witness. Proceed to Act 3. If the heroes
fail the Diplomacy check, Sarsel denies their
request, and they must find another method to
obtain the shield. If they critically fail, he finds
their request so boorish that he commands his
lizardfolk eject them from Tenteeth upon pain
of death if they ever return.
STEALTH
The heroes might surreptitiously observe the
village of Tenteeth from a distance, to assess
the village’s layout and defenses. The village
does not have walls, as the lizardfolk live
peaceably within the forest and rely on their
scouts to detect dangerous predators in the
area, but the lizardfolk understand that
dangers can burst from the surrounding forest
with little warning. Therefore, the lizardfolk
seem poorly defended but always keep an eye
on the forest.
If the heroes want to scout the village
further, ask whether the they want to remain
back out of sight, lurk within the edge of the
treeline, or creep within a few yards of the
village huts. You should let the players know
that moving closer to the village requires more
difficult Stealth checks but makes it easier to
gain additional information. The heroes can
also split up to remain at various distances,
based on their relative confidence with their
Stealth skills. Heroes remaining back out of
sight must succeed at a DC 5 Stealth check to
remain hidden. Heroes lurking within the edge
of the trees must succeed at a DC 10 Stealth to
remain hidden. Heroes who creep to within
a few yards of the village huts must
succeed at a DC 20 Stealth check to remain
hidden. A hero who critically succeeds at the
Stealth check can improve the result of
another hero's Stealth check by one degree of
success (turning an ally's failure into a success,
for example).
If any hero's Stealth result is a failure, three
cautious lizardfolk defenders investigate to
take care of any trouble. If the heroes are quiet
about dispatching these lizardfolk, they may
attempt Stealth checks again; on any
subsequent failures, or if any hero's Stealth
result is a critical failure, the entire village goes
on alert; go to Force, below.
If the heroes remain undetected, they can
observe the village for several minutes and
learn valuable information. Allow each hero to
make a Perception check and consult the table
below. A hero learns all the information up to
and including their Perception check result.
Heroes lurking at the edge of the trees gain an
additional observation beyond that; heroes
within a few yards of the village gain two
additional observations beyond that instead.
On top of this, any character whose check is a
critical success gains an additional observation
as well.
PERCEPTION CHECK RESULT: OBSERVATION
10: There are between 20 and 30 lizardfolk in
this village. Most of them live singly or in
pairs in the huts around the village. The
open area in the center contains about a
dozen shaggy, eight-legged ponies with
unusual compound eyes. The largest hut,
to the south, seems to be some sort of
meeting hall and seems currently
unoccupied. One of the huts to the
northeast has an adjacent stable where a
few ill ponies are kept.
15: Although there are neat piles of stores
throughout the village, the large ruined
building to the north appears to be used for
storing fragile or delicate materials. Its roof

has been carefully thatched and
waterproofed. The northernmost hut is the
home of lizardfolk scouts; the lizardfolk
there seem more alert. The ruined tower to
the east seems to have been remade into a
dwelling.
20: The ruined tower seems to be the home of
the tribe’s leader. He is a stout but not
particularly large lizardfolk, and seems to
be respected by the tribe. You overhear one
of the lizardfolk call him “Sarsel.” Sarsel
spends most of his time in his home,
venturing out only rarely and for short
periods of time.
25: The tribe’s leader, Sarsel, carries a strange-
looking shield. This shield seems to be a
slab of stone with three serpent heads on it.
Show the players Handout 2. (If the heroes
have already examined the carvings on the
crypt in Act 4, they realize that the snake
heads on Sarsel’s shield match the three
serpent heads carved there.)
30: The lizardfolk avoid the run-down hut to
the east of the corral, as though it contains
something dangerous. A low growl issues
occasionally from inside that hut.
35: Glimpses of movement within the hut that
the other lizardfolk avoid shows that a
single truly massive lizardfolk lives there.
Old bones and bloodstains indicate that
this large lizardfolk has significantly
poorer hygiene than the other lizardfolk of
the village.
Once the heroes identify Sarsel as the bearer of
the serpentine shield, they will likely create a
plan to infiltrate his home and steal it from
him. If they intend to do so this stealthily, keep
in mind that the lizardfolk defenders have a
Perception DC of 17 and the lizardfolk scouts
have a Perception DC of 18. If they need to
sneak by Sarsel, which is a high likelihood, his
Perception DC is 24.
If the heroes are noticed infiltrating the
village, the surprised lizardfolk fight right
away; proceed to Force, below. If the heroes
successfully recover the serpentine shield from
Sarsel’s home without alerting anyone, they
accidentally encounter Gutchewer, the tribe’s
champion, on the way out of the village;
proceed to Act 3.
FORCE
If the heroes are hostile (or were caught
sneaking through the village) the lizardfolk
attack. The lizardfolk fight the heroes in three
waves, with only a round or two between each
wave; this gives the heroes some time to catch
their breath and flee the village if the lizardfolk
are getting the better of them. Lizardfolk don't
pursue heroes that flee, assuming they've
learned their lesson.
WAVE 1 (LOW 3)
Three lizardfolk defenders close into melee
with their flails as soon as possible, squaring
off against the heroes who look the strongest.
 R
R

1
1
1 1
1
1 1

WAVE 2 (MODERATE 3)
The second wave uses better tactics. Two
lizardfolk defenders rush forward in an
attempt to eliminate the party's most effective
spellcasters. Two lizardfolk scouts lurk behind
cover about 40 feet away, using their blowguns
to incapacitate the heaviest hitters in the party.

WAVE 3 (SEVERE 3)
The third wave is Sarsel alone, attempting to
defeat the heroes quickly to bolster the failing
morale of his village. Sarsel uses the serpentine
shield in combat, but he doesn't risk breaking it
and losing face with his tribe; if the serpentine
shield reaches its Broken Threshold, Sarsel quits
raising it. Sarsel is too cunning to fight to the
death; if reduced to 30 Hit Points or fewer, he
calls for a truce, offering to let the heroes face
the village’s champion to prove their might, as
described in Act 3.

1
1

Defeat!: If the heroes are defeated, the

lizardfolk bind their wounds and take them
prisoner. Sarsel is interested in why the heroes
have attacked his village. He speaks with them
as described in Negotiation, above, but the
Diplomacy DC to Request him to surrender the
serpentine shield is 24.
 ACT 3:
GUTCHEWER
Once the heroes have found the serpentine
shield in Act 2, they have one more obstacle to
deal with before they can leave Tenteeth: the
tribe’s ferocious champion. Gutchewer is a
burly lizardfolk nine feet tall and covered head
to toe in tough, scarred skin. He is an ill-
tempered, greedy, vicious brute. None of the
other lizardfolk likes Gutchewer in the least,
but all of the lizardfolk (particularly Sarsel)
appreciate having such a powerful warrior
loyal to their tribe. None of the other lizardfolk
participate in any combat involving
Gutchewer, as the dangerous barbarian has
been known to take swings at any combatants
within reach, whether friend or foe.
Negotiation: If the heroes have dealt
peacefully with Sarsel and convinced him to
give up the serpentine shield via diplomacy, the
shaman admits that he cannot simply hand
over the shield without losing face with his
tribe. For Sarsel to give the shield to the heroes,
they must show their strength to the entire
village by besting the tribe’s champion. Sarsel
offers several advantages to the heroes if they
participate in this duel. First, the heroes are
allowed to rest if they desire (although under
guard, so they don't simply flee with the
serpentine shield). Second, the heroes can use
the serpentine shield in the fight to demonstrate
their right to carry it. Finally, Sarsel offers the
champion’s equipment to the heroes if they
defeat him. This combat takes place in the
corral in the center of Tenteeth, temporarily
transformed into an arena. The entire village
turns out to watch this event.
Stealth: If the heroes infiltrated the
lizardfolk’s camp and recovered the serpentine
shield without alerting any of the lizardfolk,
Gutchewer happens across the heroes before
they can leave Tenteeth. The surprised
champion catches sight of the heroes, bellows a
challenge, and attacks. Other lizardfolk come
to see the intruders that Gutchewer has found,
but they know better than to interfere with
Gutchewer’s fight.
Force: If the heroes have fought their way
through the village’s defenders and cowed
common lizardfolk of the tribe, they have a few
moments of respite before the lizardfolk draw
back, hissing “Gutchewer comes” in Draconic.
Gutchewer strides from his hut in Area F (See
Appendix 2), hefting his morningstar. This is
the largest lizardfolk the heroes have seen in
the village by far. By the reverence the
lizardfolk hold for their champion, the heroes
know that besting Gutchewer means the
lizardfolk village will be finally and fully
cowed, allowing them to take the serpentine
shield without any further trouble.
AGAINST THE CHAMPION (SEVERE 3)
In short, regardless of their approach in Act 2,
the PCs must face off against the massive
lizardfolk barbarian before being leaving
Tenteeth with the serpentine shield.
 R

1
1

Once the heroes defeat Gutchewer, they face

no further opposition from the lizardfolk of
Tenteeth and may leave the village with the
serpentine shield as well as Gutchewer’s gear.
The heroes should particularly note
Gutchewer’s magical belt, which looks like
new leather with bright brass buckles despite
the Gutchewer’s terrible hygiene and general
filth. This is a slugger's belt that Gutchewer
took as a trophy from a traveler he killed.
With the serpentine shield in hand, the PCs
should head to Zalsiniah’s crypt. When they
do, go to Act 4.
 ACT 4: ENTERING
THE CRYPT

Zalsiniah’s stone crypt is about two miles west came here a week ago and pried off the
of the village of Tenteeth. The lizardfolk can serpentine shield from the center of the
direct the heroes there (although the lizardfolk Serpentine Lock. The heroes notice the tracks
other than Sarsel are too superstitious to with a DC 18 Perception or Survival check.
accompany them), or the heroes can find the When the heroes place the serpentine shield
building by searching the area systematically. within the indentation, it fits tightly into the
When they arrive, read the following: door. The shield can be removed again with a
DC 20 Strength check. When the serpentine
A solid stone building stands in a clearing
shield is returned, the Serpentine Lock is nearly
sixty feet in diameter, as though the trees
complete, and looks like Handout 4.
themselves are reluctant to grow too near the
Even with the shield back in place, the
structure. The crypt is a monumental stone
building 40 feet square and 20 feet tall with a
domed roof. Although it is centuries old, the
crypt is in remarkable shape: no seam or crack
mars the crypt’s surface, except for ornate
double doors on the western side of the
building. These doors bear no handle or latch,
only an indentation about two feet wide and
three feet high, about five feet from the ground.
On the bottom of the indentation are three
stylized serpents, each with three eyes,
positioned as though emerging from the
indentation. One of the serpents is mottled,
one is banded, and the third bears long stripes.
It appears as though a shield or enormous
medallion should sit in the indentation, but
the indentation is empty.
The indentation looks like Handout 3.
Until the serpentine shield is returned to this
indentation, the heroes cannot enter the crypt
at all. The stone is magically treated to repel
damage of any type, which has allowed the
building to stand for centuries intact.
The ground near the doors of the crypt still
bears Sarsel’s tracks from when the oracle
crypt door doesn't open. In fact, there isn't
even any place to insert Amnis’ key. The lock
must be repaired before the keyhole appears,
and the clue is the rhyme on Amnis’ key:
“Each serpent free so that none cross another;
then insert the key to visit their mother.”
When any of the central serpents are
touched, the serpent’s head lengthens and can
be easily pulled across the surface of the shield
in any direction (but not off of the shield).
When a serpent is pulled to the gap leading to
its matching head, the serpent fuses into one
snake, leading from it starting point on the
shield to the head outside of the gap.
The problem is that none of the snakes will
cross another snake and that no snake can go
around or above the snake with stripes
(because it is flush against the top of the shield
and the snakes cannot leave the shield except
at the matching gap). Thus, simply drawing a
straight line from each snake to its matching
gap doesn’t work. Instead, the snakes must be
wound around each other. If the heroes make a
mistake, they can remove the entire shield,
resetting the entire puzzle.
One possible solution to the puzzle is
below (another solution is its mirror image).
Once all of the serpents have been
matched, a keyhole appears in the center of the
Serpentine Lock. Amnis’ key easily opens the
lock, allowing access to the crypt for the first
time in over 300 years. When the heroes
explore Zalsiniah’s crypt, go to Act 5.
 ACT 5: IN THE
TIEFLING'S CRYPT

Once the heroes have opened the Serpentine lines in the stonework skillfully carved to draw
Lock, they are free to explore the crypt at their attention to the statue at the center of the room
own pace. The lizardfolk are too fearful of the and the stairs beyond. The two narrow spiral
crypt—and too impressed by the heroes—to staircases descending out of this room are
hassle the heroes while they're inside the crypt, tucked back in alcoves in the corners.
but see Act 6 for possible consequences when Creature: As Zalsiniah grew in power
the heroes leave the crypt. throughout her life, she mastered sufficient
The map of the crypt is on the followign magic to animate the statue as a guardian. As
page. In addition to a description of the room soon as any creature enters further than 10 feet
and its contents, each room description into the room, the statue raises its fists into an
includes a Trail of the Heroine entry that aggressive fighting position and strides
details Amnis’ actions in that room and what forward. It prefers to make powerful slams
the heroes can discover about Amnis’ activities with both fists, and its heavy cloak whips
in the crypt 300 years ago. around its foes to knock them to the ground.
XP Award: The first time in each room that The statue fights until destroyed, pursuing foes
the heroes discover a clue about Amnis's that flee if necessary. However, it doesn't
presence, award them 10 XP. venture out of the crypt.
ROOM 5A: ENTRY (MODERATE 3)
The door to the crypt opens with a shudder
and groan. Dank air centuries old gusts out of
the entrance like a breath. Within is a single
large room, thirty feet square, dominated by a
reddish statue of a tiefling woman. Wide
stairs descend from the far side of this room.
Two narrower stairs spiral down from this
room to the left and right.
The first guardian of Zalsiniah’s tomb is
this statue in her likeness. Made of dark red
sandstone, Zalsiniah commissioned the statue
for its striking color. The statue depicts an
attractive tiefling woman with curving horns, a
third eye in the center of her forehead, raised
fists, and a billowing cloak.
The rest of this room is plain stone, with
1

2 1

Trail of the Heroine: When Amnis entered

the tomb, she suspected that the statue was a
guardian. She cast invisibility and crept across
the room to the narrow stairway to the north.
She made a chalk mark on the wall to indicate
her path, in case she ended up circling back
this way again. but backtracked when she
realized that path was dangerous. She quickly
rubbed out her chalk mark before making a
new mark near the wide stairs to the east.
Heroes Searching the room automatically
notice a chalk arrow pointing at the stairs on
the far side of the room, and those who
succeed at a DC 15 Perception check spot a
smear near the northern stairs where a chalk
mark was once made, but rubbed out. A
successful DC 18 Survival check when
Tracking in this room locates Amnis’ tracks
through the dust: she went around the room to
the north spiral stairs, then came back up those
stairs and down the wide stairs at the far side
of the room.
ROOM 5B: TRAPPED HALLWAY
The tight spiral stairs end at a long hallway,
ten feet wide and ten feet high. The hallway
1
stretches sixty feet from the base of the stairs
before making a sharp turn to the right. From
waist level to ceiling, the hallway is carved
with relief sculptures of cavorting fiends on
both sides of the hall.
This long hallway leads to the sacrificial
chamber (Room 5C).
Hazard: At the midpoint of this 60-foot
long hallway is a depiction of a truly ugly
demon glaring out from the wall. This demon
represents Zalsiniah’s abyssal ancestor. The
eyes of this demon contain two halves of a
subtle rune that activate a fiery trap when a
creature passes in front of it.
Trail of the Heroine: Amnis found this
trap easily and bypassed it. A successful DC 18
Survival check to Track indicates that Amnis
walked down this hall, stopped at about the
halfway point (this was to bypass the trap),
and then continued on, returning down the
hall very soon thereafter.
ROOM 5C: SACRIFICE ROOM (SEVERE 3)
The hallway ends at an open room ringing
with animalistic howls. The center of the
round room is a squat stone altar carved with
deep, jagged runes. Five solid chains lead from
the altar. Four of the chains lead to feral
humanoid creatures sniffing at the air,
yowling, and leaping about excitedly, as
though scenting fresh meat. The fifth chain
leads to bloody mess of bones and flesh on the
floor.
Zalsiniah used this room for foul rituals,
converting five of her faithful disciples into
ghouls and chaining the ghouls to the altar.
The chains prevent the ghouls from moving
more than 20 feet from the altar.
Unfortunately, the chains are worn with age
and a ghoul can break its chain with a DC 20
Athletics check. They don't have an incentive
to do so, however, until presented with the
possibility of fresh meat in the form of the
heroes.
Furthermore, these tormented souls cannot
be put down easily. When a ghoul is reduced
to 0 hit points it collapses as usual, but on its
next initiative round, a bloody skeleton bursts
from the ghoul and attacks the ghoul’s killer (if
possible). These bloody skeletons, being made
only of blood-slick bone, are not constrained
by the chains, even if erupting from a chained
ghoul.
A hero examining the fifth, defeated
ghoul—now just a jumble of gore and bones on
the floor—can determine with a successful DC
10 Medicine check that the creature’s skeleton
burst from its body after it died. This might
provide the heroes a valuable clue regarding
the danger these chained ghouls present, if
they haven't realized it already.
This room has no other exits, and contains
no treasure other than a scarred metal pendant
inscribed with three interlocking eyes. This
pendant is worth only 5 gp, but it is one of the
four items with a connection to Zalsiniah
sufficient to protect the heroes from her attacks
in Room 5J.
 1

1
1

Trail of the Heroine: Amnis entered this

room and quickly dispatched one of the
ghouls. When the ghoul’s bloody skeleton
burst forth, Amnis was taken by surprise but
defeated the skeleton with difficulty. Amnis
considered fighting all of the remaining ghouls
and their dangerous skeletons, but realized
there were no other exits and instead retreated
from this room. A successful DC 18 Survival
1
check to Track allows a hero to retrace her
steps.
ROOM 5D: PRIVATE HALL
The tight spiral stairs descend to a hallway,
ten feet wide and ten feet high. Everburning
torches line the walls, revealing three stout
wooden doors: one halfway down the hall on
the right and two at the far end of the hall,
facing each other. One of the doors at the end
is carved with a symbol of three interlocking
eyes.
This short hallway leads to the “living”
quarters Zalsiniah planned in her crypt. The
door halfway down the hall is a storage closet
(Room 5E), and at the end of the hall are
entrances to Zalsiniah’s study (Room 5F) and
the room of Zalsiniah’s unfortunate seven-
year-old daughter (Room 5G). Zalsiniah
entombed her daughter in the crypt with her,
intending to shepherd the girl through a life of
magic and, ultimately, lichdom. Because
Zalsiniah’s bid for lichdom failed, her
daughter wasted away to death in her room
only a few days after Zalsiniah’s ritual failed.
Hazard: Part of the girl’s spirit remains in
the form of the attic whisperer in Room 5G,
but another part possesses this hallway. This
haunt afflicts the smallest hero in the party as
soon as that hero enters more than a few feet
into the hallway.
R apotheosis into a lich. A subtle abjuration effect
Trail of the Heroine: Amnis never entered
this hallway, so there's no evidence of her here.
ROOM 5E: STORAGE ROOM
This room is neatly divided by narrow shelves,
many holding boxes and bags. A faint whiff of
ancient parchment issues from this room.
Zalsiniah kept several items stored here,
including several months’ worth of dried food
that has long since decayed into dust. Several
boxes contained the remains of blank paper
and writing implements. Although well-
preserved, Zalsiniah’s paper stock succumbed
to the passage of time and crumbles to dust
when handled. The only items to survive the
years are a few simple tools and a few spare
boards of hard wood and blocks of unworked
stone. None of it has any value.
Trail of the Heroine: Amnis never entered
this room.
ROOM 5F: ZALSINIAH’S STUDY
This odd-shaped room is lined with
bookshelves on most walls, although the
majority of the shelves are empty. Two
large desks dominate the center of this
room, both of them containing neatly
stacked books and papers.
Zalsiniah uses this room as a study, and
planned on using it for centuries after her
in this room has preserved the works from the
ravages of age. There are only a few dozen
books here, and most of these are common
reference works on arcane lore or history.
Zalsiniah planned to add substantially to her
small library over her years of research, but her
failed apotheosis prevented her from even
finding this room again, much less
contributing to its lore.
One of the desks is neatly stacked with a
few general works on undead metabolism. The
other desk contains far more specific works on
lichdom, including several reference works on
the method of becoming a lich (most of these
are contradictory or incorrect, but Zalsiniah
kept them on hand as the foundation for her
own personal knowledge).
Zalsiniah also has a personal research
journal on this desk. The journal is marked on
the cover with a symbol of three interlocking
eyes. It is cursed to afflict anyone who opens it,
as described below.
A well-concealed secret door on the north
wall of this room leads to Room 5I. The secret
door requires pulling a particular combination
of levers disguised as part of the bookshelves.
Doing so causes the bookshelf to swing aside.
This secret door is well-made and difficult to
find; heroes Searching this room must succeed
on a DC 28 Perception check to locate it.
Hazard: Like many cautious spellcasters,
Zalsiniah has trapped her journal. Rather than
employ a trap designed to frighten away or kill
those who would read it, Zalsiniah instead
placed a trap intended to enact revenge: the
reader slowly dehydrates and starves to death
over several days. The insidious trap does not
detect as magical, due to a permanent magic
aura on the journal.
R
The journal—written in Abyssal—reveals
Zalsiniah’s plan to transform herself into a lich,
shepherd her daughter into the arcane arts as
she grew to adulthood, then guide her
daughter in repeating the lich transformation
as well. Zalsiniah’s research journal also makes
reference to a capricious assistant named
Vevivit, but there is no more specific
information about Vevivit. Note that Zalsiniah
has no spellbook; as a witch, her familiar (the
protean voidworm Vevivit in Room 5I)
contained her trove of spells.
The journal is one of the four items with a
connection to Zalsiniah sufficient to protect the
heroes from her attacks in Room 5J.
Treasure: Fourteen of the books here are of
greater value, and are worth 5 gp each.
Trail of the Heroine: Amnis never entered
this room.
ROOM 5G: GIRL’S ROOM (SEVERE 3)
The sturdy wooden door to this room is
unlocked.
This cozy room is plainly a room for a girl
of 10 years old or so. A bed with ornate
curlicue ironwork, low bookshelves, and a low
table and chairs are the main furnishings, but
the room is awash in broken bits of toys,
wooden dolls, and scraps of once-fine
furniture.
This is the room where Zalsiniah’s
daughter lived and, ultimately died of neglect.
Part of the girl’s soul animates the haunt in the
hall outside (Room 5D), and the other part has
animated a ghost.
Creatures: When any creature enters this
room, the ghost assembles from some of the
castoff items in the room and attacks. It doesn't
speak, other than to plaintively cry, “Why?
Why doesn’t Mommy come for me?” Along
with the ghost is the girl’s favorite doll, a
wooden doll representing her mother (a
cloaked woman with horns and three eyes).
The doll fights as a soulbound doll, but it 1
doesn't have any animating force of its own;
it's animated only by the girl's affection and is
lifeless whenever the ghost isn't active.

Treasure: The doll is finely made and

worth 60 gp. The doll is also one of the four
items with a connection to Zalsiniah sufficient
to protect the heroes from her attacks in Room
5J.
Trail of the Heroine: Amnis never entered
this room.
ROOM 5H: FALSE TREASURE ROOM
This wide room is heaped with piles of coins.
Silver, gold, and platinum coins lie scattered in
untidy piles, mixed with gems and jewelry. A
gleaming suit of armor on an armor stand rises
above the piles of treasure to the right, and a
thin spear of dark wood juts from the piles to
the left. The coins have been pushed away from
a wide path through the center of the room.
The path leads to a section of the wall on the
far side of the room that has been slid aside
and spiked open. Just visible beyond this
1
revealed secret door is another large room.
2 This treasure room is a ruse created by
Zalsiniah to trick unwelcome visitors. The
treasure here is completely worthless. The
coins, gems and jewelry are all battered brass
or poor-quality glass made to appear valuable
with a 5th-level illusory object spell (Will DC 20
to disbelieve if interacted with). The armor is a
dented breastplate and the spear is only a
warped pole. As the illusion is placed on this
room and not the items themselves, any items
removed from the room immediately look
worthless; however, they retain roughly the
same weight and shape (so a thief would not
immediately notice the change in items loaded
into a sack, for example).
Hazard: Removing or even handling the
treasure here carries its own danger. All of the
“treasure” in this room has been trapped with
a magical effect that creates a cloud of fast-
acting poison that afflicts all creatures in this
room. The magical effect requires
enchantments inlaid into this room to operate,
and doesn't extend outside of this room. So not
only is treasure removed from this room
immediately non-toxic, anyone handling the
treasure from outside the room (such as with a
net on a pole) isn't harmed by the effect.
R
Trail of the Heroine: Amnis quickly
realized that the treasure here was not only
valueless but dangerous. Determined to
discover any secrets this room held, she found
the well-hidden door at the far end. Carefully
moving aside the poisoned treasure with
multiple mage hand spells, Amnis accessed the
secret door. She disabled its trap and jammed
it open with spikes to allow for an easier
retreat (her experience with the ghouls in
Room 5C had instilled a healthy caution). A
DC 16 Survival check indicates that Amnis
moved through the room, pushing or moving
aside the treasure to create a pathway directly
to the secret door. Her tracks don't come back
through this room.
ROOM 5I: TRUE TREASURE ROOM (TRIVIAL 3)
Pedestals throughout this large room hold
neat stacks of coins, wands, and other
treasure. To the left is a sturdy door carved
with a symbol of three interlocking eyes. Near
one of the pedestals across the room is an
upended urn, which shudders a bit.
Zalsiniah kept the bulk of her genuine
treasures on display here. The remaining
treasure consists of a bright green fan feather
token, a fear gem that casts strange shadows, a
pendant of the occult, and a scroll of dispel magic
penned on a scrap of brittle, hairy hide. Two
pedestals are empty, but a DC 15 Perception
check indicates that one was designed to
display a wand and the other was designed to
display a gem of some kind (the items were a
wand of grim tendrils and a mesmerizing opal, but
Amnis took these and they now rest with her
corpse in Room 5J).
The urn contains a luminescent worm with
feathery wings approximately 18 inches long.
This creature is a voidworm protean, a
dimwitted creature of pure chaos that
advanced spellcasters sometimes call as a
familiar. This particular creature is named
Vevivit, and it was Zalsiniah’s familiar several
centuries ago. With Zalsiniah’s death it has
reverted to the abilities and intellect of a
typical voidworm. Vevivit is flighty and
absent-minded even at the best of times, but
the voidworm is happy to converse with the
heroes and even accompany them for a short
time as they explore the crypt (see the sidebar
on page 30 about how to best use Vevivit). The
creature remembers very little about Zalsiniah
or the specific layout of the crypt. Vevivit can
only describe Zalsiniah—its description of a
three-eyed tiefling matches the statue in Room
5A—and confirm that Zalsiniah was in the
final stages of the transformation into a lich.
If the heroes treat Vevivit well, it tags along
with them for a while. The capricious outsider
does not enter combat and
is generally of little direct
use to the heroes, except
that it is one of the four
items with a connection to
Zalsiniah sufficient to
protect the heroes from her
attacks in Room 5J.
(Vevivit doesn’t realize it is
actually one of these
items.)
A secret door on the
south wall of this room
leads to Room 5F, but it is
well-made and difficult to
find, requiring a DC 30
Perception check to locate.

1

Trail of the Heroine: Amnis surprised
Vevivit, who had been flying about the room
determining what to do without a master to
guide its actions. Before Vevivit could react,
Amnis tipped a heavy urn over the creature,
trapping it. Although Amnis intended to
collect all of the treasures here on the way out,
she only found the wand of grim tendrils and the
mesmerizing opal to be of immediate use, so she
took those into Room 5J. Amnis’ tracks
through the room—including evidence that
she stopped at the two display pillars lacking
any items upon them—are evident with a DC
16 Survival check.
ROOM 5J: FINAL FAILURES (EXTREME 6)
This room appears to be a long-abandoned
workshop or laboratory. Several low tables
and shelves have contents long ago shattered,
torn, or knocked to the floor. On the far end of
the room stands a horrid, skeletal tiefling
woman wrapped in robes. She glares at you
with inhuman malice from three eye sockets.
In this laboratory, Zalsiniah failed her
anticipated apotheosis. Instead of becoming a
lich, she instead became a nearly mindless lich-
like creature. Since her botched transformation
centuries ago, Zalsiniah has lurked in this
room, occasionally venting her rage on the
delicate arcane reagents and priceless tomes
that failed her. Zalsiniah leaps into combat
with the heroes as soon as the door to the
laboratory is opened. This confrontation
should pose the heroes a significant challenge,
but certain items collected throughout the
crypt give the heroes an edge in this fight, as
detailed in Zalsiniah’s Personal Icons
weakness.
Zalsiniah is a straightforward combatant.
She prefers to spread out her paralyzing touch
attacks as much as possible. She passes over
any paralyzed opponents to deal with foes that
are still active. Although she does not
necessarily concentrate her attacks on heroes
carrying her personal icons, a hero who taunts
Zalsiniah with one of these icons (which
requires an Interact action, but can also be
combined with an attempt to Feint or
Demoralize her) causes her to attack the
taunting hero to the exclusion of other foes. If
the heroes retreat, she does not pursue them,
but she otherwise fights until destroyed.

1
 Trail of the Heroine: Amnis’ luck finally
failed her in this room. As soon as she saw
Zalsiniah’s horrid form, Amnis was paralyzed
with despair. The near-mindless Zalsiniah
simply pummeled the unlucky heroine to
death. Amnis’ remains—now just some
jumbled bones, tattered clothing, and a few
magic items—lie inside the door to this room.
Among Amnis’ possessions are Zalsiniah’s
wand of grim tendrils and mesmerizing opal
(Amnis had taken both of these from the
treasure room minutes before she was killed)
as well Amnis’ bracelet of dashing, infiltrator
thieves' tools, and a signet ring worth 60 gp.
The jumbled bones and the signet ring are the
items the heroes have come to this crypt to
collect.
 ACT 6: TENTEETH
CONSEQUENCES
Once the heroes emerge from Zalsiniah's crypt,
they face repercussions for how they treated
the lizardfolk of Tenteeth in Act 3. Select the
most appropriate of the following options.
BEFRIENDED THE LIZARDFOLK
Three lizardfolk have decided to leave
Tenteeth and offer their services to the heroes.
These lizardfolk are impressed with the
heroes’ many victories and are willing to
follow them through the rest of this adventure
(and, if you choose, into future adventures). As
the heroes enter the woods around crypt's
clearing, the lizardfolk step onto the path, hold
their hands in the air to show their peaceful
intentions, and bow at the waist. They discuss
their desire to accompany the heroes out of the
forests and into the wider world. If the heroes
simply attack, these lizardfolk have a change
of heart and scatter into the woods.
These lizardfolk are brave and dedicated to
helping the heroes, but they are not suicidal
and leave if mistreated. Additionally, if any
two of the lizardfolk are killed, the third
abandons the heroes as soon as possible. The
three lizardfolk are:
• Lasleetha, a serious scout who respects
martial prowess. She has a glower that
makes her look perpetually angry.
Lasleetha has the statistics of a lizardfolk
village scout (page 13).
• Ekthel, a jolly lizardfolk who is also a
handy cook. Unlike many lizardfolk,
Ekthel prefers his food cooked, rather than
raw, and the blacker the better. Ekthel has
the statistics of a lizardfolk defender (page
13), but has a large iron pan he uses in
place of a shield (with a Hardness of 5 but
otherwise the same statistics).
• Thaskara, an inquisitive lizardfolk
accompanied by a dun-colored Tenteeth
pony. She is skittish by nature, but takes
comfort in animals of all kinds, particularly
horses and spiders (which makes her
companion particularly appropriate). She
has the statistics of a lizardfolk sneak (page
34) and is accompanied by a loyal Tenteeth
pony (page 35). Thaskara also knows
Common, and is the only one of these three
lizardfolk that does, so she speaks on
behalf of the group.
You might consider allowing the players to
control these lizardfolk as henchmen. Proceed
to Act 7.
NO PARTICULAR IMPRESSION
If you feel that the lizardfolk of Tenteeth are
generally neutral toward the heroes, they
neither help nor hinder them as they leave
Zalsiniah's crypt. Proceed to Act 7.
MADE ENEMIES (MODERATE 5)
Because of the heroes' actions, some of the
lizardfolk of Tenteeth thirst for revenge. These
vengeful lizardfolk attack as the heroes leave
Zalsiniah’s crypt, hoping to catch them when
they are weakened from confronting the evils
within. As the lizardfolk are too intimidated to
approach the crypt itself, they set an ambush in
the forest just outside the crypt's clearing.
 Creatures: The lizardfolk leave a Tenteeth
ponies tied to a stake in the path, in order to 1
draw the attention. The pony is agitated and
uses its web Strike against heroes who 1
approach within 20 feet. The angry lizardfolk 1
hide in the forest—albeit poorly, in the case of
1
the bruisers—on either side of the path,
waiting to attack once a hero is snared by a
pony's web. If their ambush is discovered
prematurely, they leap to attack. A lizardfolk
reduced to fewer than 6 Hit Points flees.

1
1

1
 R

1
1

The Pony's Fate: The pony isn't agitated

but isn't particularly loyal to the lizardfolk that
brought it here and staked it in place. Heroes
who calm the pony once combat is over, such
as a druid with the wild empathy class feature,
can gain it as a loyal, if strange, mount. At
your option, a character might even take the
Tenteeth pony as an animal companion.
Moving On: Once the heroes have bested
or routed these vengeful attackers, they're free
to return to Thaven. Proceed to Act 7.
 ACT 7: ANCESTRAL
ENEMIES
Although the heroes may feel that their quest
is at an end, one more surprise awaits them.
When they return to Thaven to deliver
Amnis’s remains and signet ring to Algus
Ilvendri, they interrupt a small family (an old
halfling named Jespid Meeker and his
teenaged sons and daughters) who have
arrived to kill Algus and destroy his research
about Amnis. This family has their own
ancestral pride, but they are all descendants of
Amnis’ cowardly servant, Orvin Meeker. Their
ancestor was so ashamed at leaving Amnis
that he fell into despair and squalor, living out
his remaining days in the Carcass, the poor
district of Thaven.
The servant’s cowardly actions, and even
his name, were intentionally obscured over the
generations by his descendants. Jespid and his
children are the latest in this line to protect the
shameful family secret. When Jespid learned
that a descendant of Amnis—and a well-
known scrivener, no less—was recovering her
lost remains, he feared his ancestor’s shame
would be brought back into public light. A
desperate and brutal family hardened by a life
on the mean streets of the Carcass, Jespid and
his rough children do not shy away from
murder and arson.
The map of Algus’s house is on page 37.
This combination of home and office is nicely
decorated and in an upscale section of Thaven.
The following rooms are in Algus's house.
Room 7A: Front Steps. A set of front steps
with a wrought-iron bannister lead up to the
solid oak door. When the heroes arrive, this
door is suspiciously ajar.
Room 7B: Parlor. This comfortable parlor is
where Algus generally entertains visitors and
clients. A leather sofa and two comfortable
leather chairs are arranged in a small sitting
area. The walls are decorated with a few
awards and certificates that Algus has earned,
along with several high-quality portraits of
historical figures.
Room 7C: Study. This large study doubles
as a well-stocked library. In addition to the
tools of a scrivener’s trade (inks, paper of
various qualities, pens, seals, and reference
works), the books here cover a wide array of TO SAVE THE SCRIVENER (SEVERE 6)
topics. Five of the historical works are When the heroes arrive, the door to Algus’
particularly rare, and worth 15 gp each. The house is slightly ajar. The heroes might take
western wall of this room is an enormous bay this as a clue that something is wrong inside. If
window with the fine drapes partially, but not the heroes elect to scout the house, a DC 15
completely, drawn. Perception check near the bay windows reveals
Room 7D: Storage. Algus uses this small three rough-looking teenaged halflings inside
room as storage of tools, spare furniture, and the study. If this check is a critical success, the
the like. A large locked cabinet (requiring three hero also spots Algus in the study, face down
successful DC 25 Thievery checks to open, or a in a pool of blood and breathing shallowly.
single successful DC 30 Athletics check to Creatures: When the heroes arrive, the
Force it Open) contains the matters Algus is three rough Meeker youths are in the study
currently working on for clients. Although (Room 7C), ripping apart books and trying to
none of the current matters are particularly use them to start a fire. Algus lies on the floor
sensitive or incriminating, Algus considers it a in his study, badly injured. The teenagers have
good habit to keep client matters locked away left him for dead, but Algus has 3 rounds from
when he isn’t working on them. Algus carries the time the heroes enter his house before he
the key to this cabinet, but a spare key is bleeds out and dies. If the heroes can heal or
hidden under a stack of parchment here and stabilize Algus during those three rounds, the
can be discovered by a character who Searches scrivener survives. Jespis is currently
this room and succeeds at a DC 25 Perception rummaging around in Algus’ bedroom (Room
check. 7F), but he sneaks down the hall to enter
Room 7E: Kitchen. This tidy kitchen combat at the first sign of trouble. Jespid fights
contains a dining table, sink, stove, and shelves to the death, but any of his children brought to
storing food that is fairly fresh and high- fewer than 12 Hit Points abandons the fight
quality. (and their family).
Room 7F: Bedroom. The house has a single
bedroom, which is the least tidy room in the
house. Although the bedclothes are high
quality, the bed is rumpled and unmade. A
chest of personal items and a small desk
complete the décor of this room.
Room 7G: Closet. This room is stuffed
with a wide assortment of finely made clothes,
most of which have gone out of fashion or no
longer fit Algus’ expanding frame. It shows
signs of being recently ransacked, making it
difficult to find the strongbox Algus hides
here. A character who Searches this room and
succeeds at a DC 25 Perception check uncovers
a hidden strongbox containing 495 sp.
Room 7H: Washroom. This small, clean
washroom is connected to Thaven’s water and
sewer system.
 1

1 CONCLUSION
Algus is happy to be rescued, but even more
1 ecstatic to receive the remains of his ancestor
Amnis. He eagerly asks for a full accounting of
the heroes’ adventures since they first left his
home. As agreed, Algus buys items from the
heroes at full price, although it may take him a
few days to borrow the funds to do so.
Algus provides the heroes an additional
“reward,” using his skills and connections as a
scrivener. The following day, Algus publishes
a broadsheet with a florid retelling of the
heroes’ exploits, displaying the heroes as
larger-than-life treasure seekers overcoming
harrowing dangers. If the heroes were honest
about their exploits, Algus magnifies them; if
the heroes did not disclose details, Algus just
invents details that paint them in the most
impossibly heroic light. The broadsheet is
popular throughout Thaven and reprinted
several times by other publishers, giving the
heroes a notoriety that they may or may not
appreciate for months to come.
R

1 THE END
1

1
 APPENDIX 1: NEW
MAGIC ITEMS

The following new items are featured in

Beyond the Serpentine Lock.

1
 APPENDIX 2:
TENTEETH
Tenteeth consists of a dozen huts made of
wood, bark, and mud. The huts surround a
fenced area in the center of the village. The
village also contains a few more solid-looking
structures, part of a small human outpost that
was mostly destroyed several centuries ago.
The locations identified on the map of
Tenteeth on page 42 are as follows.
Area A: Corral and Arena. This large, open
area is a corral holding eleven odd-looking
shaggy ponies with eight legs, compound eyes,
and spinnerets on their abdomens. The ground
in the corral is mostly tough grass sprouting
out of mud. On the south side of the corral is
an open-sided shed containing feed and
harnesses. This area has another purpose
beyond that of a mundane corral: by tradition,
this space is used as an arena where angry
lizardfolk can honorably settle their differences
with public combat. Such events aren't
common, but invariably draw all the lizardfolk
in the village to watch.
Area B: Scout Hut. This large hut is the
home base of the village scouts. In addition to
living quarters, this hut contains a few crude
maps of the area, traveling supplies, and ten
doses of spider pony venom in a carefully-
sealed gourd marked wtih symbols that mean
"danger" in Draconic and Iruxi.
Area C: Storage. This solid stone building
is centuries old and frequently repaired. Its
roof has been carefully thatched and
waterproofed. Inside, the building contains
solid wooden shelving and several storage
nets. The Tenteeth lizardfolk use this building
as food and water storage, as well as storing
other items (such as nets or herbs) that should
be protected from the elements.
Area D: Pony Keeper. This hut is the home
of Ascapell, the village’s herbalist and
veterinarian. Attached to the hut is a small
corral where sick ponies are carefully watched
under Ascapell’s careful eye.
Area E: Sarsel’s Home. This thirty-foot-tall
building was once a sturdy stone guard tower,
but the eastern half of the tower collapsed
centuries ago and is now covered with bark
and leather. This tower is the home of
Tenteeth’s leader, Sarsel. Sarsel uses the lowest
level of the tower to entertain visitors. The
middle level—accessed by a wooden
ladder—is Sarsel’s personal chambers and
sleeping room. The third floor of the tower is
accessible only through a hole in the ceiling 15
feet above Sarsel’s sleeping mat, but no rope or
ladder leads to the hole in the ceiling. Sarsel
uses levitate to enter this chamber when
necessary. In this isolated chamber, Sarsel
keeps reserves to help his village in times of
need: 105 gp, three doses of lesser antiplague
in stoppered vials, a crystalline jar holding a
single application of silversheen, and a forked
piece of wood like a dowsing rod that
functions as a wand of create food from one fork
and a wand of create water from the other.
Area F: Gutchewer’s Hut. This ramshackle
hut is the home of Gutchewer, the village’s
violent and brutish champion. The hut is
incredibly filthy and littered with partially-
eaten meals. Gutchewer can usually be found
in this hut, but few other lizardfolk ever have
any reason to enter it.
 Area G: Communal Hut. The largest hut in
the village, this sturdy hut is used for
weddings, village meetings, and similar
events, particularly in foul weather. A few
days a week, this hut is used as a school for
young lizardfolk of the village; adult lizardfolk
take turns teaching important crafts and skills.
Area H: Empty Hut. This hut is
abandoned. In the rare event that visitors come
to Tenteeth, it is swept out and used to house
visitors.
Area I: Slaughterhouse. This hut is heavily
stained with blood on the inside. Lizardfolk
generally have little need to cut and prepare
meat for eating, but dividing and packaging
meat for storage occurs in this hut. In order to
keep vermin away, this hut is washed out after
use, but years of less-than-perfect washing
have stained the walls of this hut a gruesome
reddish-brown.
Area J: Lizardfolk Hut. Each of these huts
is the home of 1d4 lizardfolk, usually a nuclear
family.
Area K: Path. This is the primary path out
of Tenteeth. It leads about an hour’s walk to
the southwest, where it ends at fertile hunting
grounds. Lizardfolk scouts protect this path, in
order to prevent other people and monsters
from having easy access to the village or its
hunting grounds.