0303 Mother Efte’s Lair

Perpetual drizzle. Festering pools and animal skeletons. Crows circle overhead, seeking carrion.

• Terrain: Bog (3), Northern Scratch
• Lost/encounters: 2-in-6
• Foraging: Successful foraging yields 1d4 portions of Lilywhite (DPB), in addition to the normal results.

Perpetual Rain

Whatever the prevailing weather conditions elsewhere, this hex is wreathed in an interminable drizzle. The rain becomes heavier toward the centre of the hex, where Mother Efte’s Lair is located.

Riverside Traps

The Hameth and its environs here are fraught with danger, for this is the hunting ground of the numerous madtoms (DMB) who dwell in Mother Efte’s Lair.

Mantraps: Travellers walking along the riverbank or navigating small vessels have a 3-in-6 chance of encountering one of the madtoms’ traps (see madtom, DMB). Anyone falling prey is attacked by 2d8 madtoms, leaping from the river.

Mother Efte’s Lair

Coalesced beside the sluggish crawl of the Upper Hameth is a 100-yard-wide pool of black, muddy water, ringed with collapsing willows and spiny teasels, reflecting the dreary, rainy sky. Mother Efte reclines in the pool, gaping mouth pointed skywards, guzzling the perpetual rain. Her servants— 30 madtoms (DMB)—loll in psychedelic ecstasy, under the effects of their mistress’s pus (see Mother Efte).

Dais and podium: A dais of lichen-chewed flagstones is located in the mud at one side of the pool. Upon the dais stands a white marble podium, stylised with carvings of fruiting vines. Crystal clear water rests in the bowl-like top of the podium. The water is pure and good to drink, and can never be exhausted.

Rain making: The dais has the power to conjure rains, even violent storms, in the Northern Scratch. Mother Efte knows the ancient command words that control this magic, using it to wreathe her home in endless precipitation. The magically conjured rain slowly causes her body to grow ever more massive.

If threatened: Mother Efte croaks out command words that cause the dais’s magic to conjure a shroud of fog around the pool, reducing visibility to 10′.

Treasure: The madtoms’ ill-gotten gains, buried in sacks at the pool’s bottom: 3,300gp, 2,450cp, 4 snake-shaped silver brooches (200gp each), 5 small diamonds (250gp each).

Mother Efte

A 12′ long giant newt with pink eyes, indigo skin, feathery, purple gills, and patches of oozing, orange warts along her back. Mother Efte was once human—an apprentice of the witch Lady Haeroth (p76) who stole her mistress’s jade necklace by swallowing it. After fleeing the lady’s manor, a curse upon the jewels transformed Efte into a newt. Decades later, she has forgotten her past life, save her festering hatred of Lady Haeroth.

Demeanour (Neutral): Lethargic, slow-witted. Greedily eyes characters she suspects may have magic.

Speech: Languorous belching. Woldish, Sylvan.

Desires: To gorge on magic, grow ever greater, and one day wreak vengeance upon Lady Haeroth. Would pay up to 500gp per spell or item fed to her (see Eating magic, below), but initially offers only 100gp.

Possessions: The stolen jade necklace (worth 2,000gp— or 3,000gp if returned to Lady Haeroth) is still lodged in Efte’s belly.

Wart pus: The warts on Efte’s back ooze a milky pus. Consuming has the effects of Sclubber’s Twist (p430).

Large Monstrosity—Sentient—Neutral

Level 8 AC 15 HP 44 Saves D8 R9 H10 B11 S12 Att Bite (+7, 2d6 + swallow whole) Speed 20 Morale 9 XP 1,040

Eat magic: Eats magic items or spells cast into her mouth, growing and gaining 1 HP per serving. Gulps down other spells cast at her, if she makes the save.

Swallow whole: On a natural 19–20 Attack Roll, a Small or Medium victim is swallowed. In Efte’s belly: 1d6 damage / Round (until Efte dies); may attack with sharp weapons at –2 Attack; body digested 6 Turns after death.

Surviving being swallowed: The victim emerges with the stolen jade necklace (see Possessions).