Temple of the Sarpathi
Adventures in the Mucklands · p.71
Open source p.71adventure tone: doom & gloom
A darker, more serious Level 2+ adventure with high stakes.
(The Dark Crystal / Conan the Barbarian / Mad Max).
No extracted maps for this adventure — the map is in the source book: Open source p.71
Sections (9)
background p.72
There's trouble in the Mucklands realm. Already a rowdy and unstable place filled with greedy tycoons, cruel river barons, gutter gangs, dread pirates, and menageries of monsters, a new threat has emerged... The sarpathi Cult of Ehk: a mysterious society born in the shadows of the old Sarpathi Empire, who have risen from the Underlands in search of strange relics coveted by their evil hierophants. Folk all over the Mucklands have reported raids, kidnappings, and worse, at the hands of the snakes. To the west, sarpathi cultists slither into the rolling hills of the Drippy Downs and the clear-cut wastelands of the Used T'Be Forest. To the east, sarpathi schemers sneak into the winding waterways of River Country and the smokey slums of Fleabag County. And to the south, sarpathi reavers siege the uncharted swamps of Quagmash and the perilous seas of Scalawag Strand. No one but the wisest loremasters knows what the cultists are after: gemstones called the Eyes of Ehk, which, once collected, can summon the great serpent god Ehk back to the Land of Eem. The denizens of the Mucklands know only that the mysterious purpose of the sarpathi zealots has plunged the realm into a state of chaos and uncertainty.
notable npcs p.72
SEELY AND KINT
A pair of young boggart siblings desperate for help. Seely, the younger sister, is a bit wiser than her brash older brother Kint. When Thistle Hill was attacked, Kint tried to save their parents from being kidnapped, but he was helpless against the sarpathi cultists
- Traits: Whipsmart, brave faces despite being afraid, always correcting each other.
- Motivation: Save their parents from the cultists. “You can do it! You'll show those awful snakes what for!” “D-do you need my wooden sword? It's not much, but it hits good.” who kidnapped many villagers from their approach, shielding candles from the wind. You wonder to yourselves, what are a pair of kids doing alone in the center of town at midnight? “Excuse me,” the first child mutters. “We need your help...” Moments later, you find yourselves in the village elder's hearthlit shanty, surrounded by a handful of worried, haggard villagers.
HAMISH BARGLE
The goblin elder sits cross-legged on a cushion and rubs his crooked back. Years of labor have made him immobile, but his mind is sharp as a tack! Hamish is considered the de facto leader of Thistle Hill and its people for seventy years.
- Traits: Wise, blunt, slow talking.
- Motivation: Protect the people of Thistle Hill and live in peace. “Those fanatic snake folk are dangerous indeed. A terrible threat! They use magic, like the wizards of old! Some even say they can transform their shapes!” “They called themselves the Cult of Ehk. Long have they been thought to be little more than a myth. But we know the truth.”
G. BARNUM WANDERBOUT
G. (Gatorbane) Barnum Wanderbout is not your average gnome. A fellow newcomer to Thistle Hill, he sports a wiry gray beard and a hook for a hand. In his younger days, the gruff Mister Wanderbout was something of a fiend hunter, feared by gators, weorgs, and werewolves alike. In recent days, he has been trailing the sarpathi since their sudden emergence, gathering information to learn the locations of their strongholds throughout the Mucklands. Wanderbout knows many old legends of the sarpathi and is fearful of their secret motives.
- Traits: Aged, seen it all, voice like gravel.
- Motivation: Learn about the sarpathi menace and determine the best way to fight back against them. “The sarpathi have threatened the Mucklands for hundreds of years, but few folk have any idea. Only recently have they emerged from their secret places to let themselves be seen. Beware their cunning, friends.” “If I were a younger gnome, spry of foot and finger, I might join you. But alas, I'd only slow you down. But should you go and should you succeed, I would be very interested in learning what you've seen.”
the hook p.72
The poor village of Thistle Hill has been ransacked by SARPATHI REAVERS homes. The remaining villagers don't know why, but will give everything they have, a pouch of Gold Coins if the players can help. The villagers believe a sarpathi lair lies somewhere in the hills, but they do not know for certain and aren't capable of a rescue without the help of sturdy adventurers.
where the pcs come in... p.72
It's midnight. You are dead tired after traveling mile upon mile through the stump-filled badlands known as the Used T'Be Forest. The flicker of lamplights catches your attention on the horizon, and you follow their warm glow into a small village. You stop with every intention to fill your bellies with grub and rest your heads on feather pillows. But something is amiss… The local folk peer uneasily through their shanty windows and shutter them closed. However, two children
getting to the dungeon p.73
- The Temple of the Sarpathi is located 5 Hexes away from Thistle Hill (which itself can be located anywhere in the Used T'Be Forest). It's up to you as the GM to choose which Hexes.
- Traveling there requires the Used T'Be Forest Random Encounters (see Core Rulebook or The Mucklands Book of Random Encounters).
the sarpathi p.73
The Cult of Ehk
After centuries of hiding, the sarpathi have returned to terrorize the Mucklands, led by the Cult of Ehk who believe nothing is more sacred than Ehk—the supreme deity, capable of peering through time and space. They are dedicated to realizing the futures seen through the seven powerful Eyes of Ehk—magical gemstones that resemble snake eyes. This dedication has led to the vicious search and seizure of ancient artifacts to aid their quest, as well as the capture and sacrifice of innocent Mucklanders.
The Eyes of Ehk
What appear to be gemstones are, in fact, the literal eyes of the serpent god Ehk, preserved to remain in this world by foul magic. Sarpathi cultists yearn to collect all seven Eyes to summon Ehk back to the Land of Eem, but they are not the only ones after the artifacts. Unsavory sorcerers and witches covet the Eyes for their magic. Each is a powerful relic, but most of their current locations are unknown (see Seven Eyes of Ehk in The Mucklands Sandbox).
The Villain's Plan
With an Eye of Ehk in their possession, the sarpathi hierophant Lord Zan'thit and his cadre of cultists strive to discover the locations of the other Eyes. Lord Zan'thit has instructed his minions to kidnap folk from the surrounding area to sacrifice them during terrible magic rituals. He believes that this will please Ehk greatly and grant him divine insight.
The Temple p.74
From the surface world, the entrance to the temple looks like some sort of cave or abandoned mine. But below the ground lies an ancient temple, reinhabited by the sarpathi some time ago. The temple's architecture is strange and unfamiliar. Odd angles, uneven stones, and an unnatural air permeate the place.
adventure conclusion p.76
Whether the PCs defeat Lord Zan'thit and take the Eye of Ehk, rescue Nilly and the prisoners, or perhaps accomplish neither, they will likely learn more about the Cult of Ehk and their rising threat in the Mucklands. The folks of Thistle Hill are eager to learn what happened.
Returning to Thistle Hill
Seely and Kint
If the PCs return with their parents and other villagers in tow, Seely and Kint will be ecstatic. The PCs have inspired them to become heroes themselves. Have them run into the PCs later in the campaign as helpful adventurers. If the PCs fail, Seely and Kint are disillusioned. They end up joining the Tricky Toe Gang. Have them run into the PCs later in the campaign as pickpockets in a big city.
G. Barnum Wanderbout
Upon returning to Thistle Hill, G. Barnum Wanderbout is eager to learn what happened in the temple. Once told, Barnum becomes grave and worrisome.
- “It is just as I suspected all these years. The sarpathi Cult of Ehk seeks to control the Seven Eyes once more...so they can resurrect their evil serpent god Ehk!”
- “Legend tells of an ancient monolith with seven sockets that awaits the placement of the Eyes. Only when all seven eyes are set, can Ehk be summoned or the monolith be destroyed, and the threat of the terrible, unknowable Ehk be averted!
- “You were brave to save those folk from the sarpathi. Are you brave enough to save the rest of us?”
the adventure continues… p.76
The Mucklands Sandbox Campaign Setting is filled with Quests, NPCs, and locations that feature the sarpathi and the Cult of Ehk. Check out the Seven Eyes of Ehk in The Mucklands Sandbox locations of each Eye of Ehk and their associated quests and adventures. The penultimate quest in the sarpathi conflict takes place in the adventure Eye of the Serpent God. for a complete guide that outlines the
Rooms (7)
Room 1: Chamber of Summoning p.74
Dusty, dry, candlelit stone chamber. A gong that summons REAVERS who are guarding the temple. Urns full of bones. One urn contains Used T'Be tiger bones witchweed. From the left path wafts a dank, musky smell. From the right, a low guttural growl can be heard.
Room 2: Chamber of p.74
the Writhing Earth Dank, musty-smelling stone chamber. SARPATHI Knots of countless
lie sleeping and VIPERS writhing on the floor.
- Four statues of sarpathi and warriors holding curved polearms line the walls. They all have two gemmed eyes worth Silver Coins each.
- A holey leather boot, presumably belonging to a townsperson lies among the snakes.
Room 3: Chamber of the Ancient p.74
Nearly lightless cave where the air is hot and deathly still.
- Azra'kul the SARGOG slumbers, guarding an Old Hoard (), which also contains:
- A key that opens the door to Room 7. SINGE • A Relic called the Sword of the Phoenix. The blade is shimmering yellow-gold, and the metallic orange hilt is warm to the touch. ■ Sword of the Phoenix: Grants Attack. Also grants +3 Dread against snakes and snake-like Adversaries. On a Critical Hit, the blade ignites in flame and the target is BURNING. Once every session, the wielder may ignite in a magical flame and fly for 1 minute. In this form, anyone who touches the wielder is BURNING (Vitality Check to resist).
- A tunnel leads to a secret door behind the trough in Room 6.
Room 4: The Prison p.75
A narrow, claustrophobic hallway lined with rusty jail cells. Hidden pressure plates on the floor release ravenous CRAG LIZARDS from the cells to the right. Two cells on the left house six prisoners from Thistle Hill. There used to be more, but the sarpathi took them away, never to be seen again. These prisoners are sick and weak. Nilly–Seely and Kint's mother–was just dragged away from the cell, along with two other prisoners. Their father, Wain, attempts to stand and help, but his legs give out. He's in no shape to fight. A welkin knight named Orthonidus sits in one of the cells alone. He belongs to an ancient order of welkins called the Secretaries of Zuun. He came with some of his brethren to find the Sword of the Phoenix, a great relic rumored to be guarded here. But his fellow knights were all killed.
- The Secretaries of Zuun guard a secret reliquary that houses an Eye of Ehk in River Country (see adventure Eye of the Serpent God).
- Legend tells that the Sword of the Phoenix was forged a thousand years ago to repel the coming of Ehk. In fact, it is the only thing that can destroy the Seven Sockets at the Snake Shrine (see Seven Eyes of Ehk in The Mucklands Sandbox). However, the sword was stolen by sarpathi when they raided and destroyed the Secretaries' primary stronghold in Skybright Valley (far to the north of River Country). From Room 5 comes the sound of angry hissing.
Room 5: Chamber of the Past p.75
Braziers burn, light wavers on sandstone walls that are etched with haunting murals. Two SARPATHI REAVERS walk into the room, having just left the Chamber of the Eye. They bicker briefly that they belong in the chamber to witness the sacrifices, not run errands. Etchings on the walls depict an almost amorphous snake god with many heads and shapes, looming in the sky over a crowd of worshiping sarpathi culists. In the background, mountains shake and crumble.
Room 6: The Uncanny Font p.75
Richly decorated, glowing in the light of a hundred candles, smells oddly of fruit and sulfur.
- A ritual preparation chamber. Several curved knives lie on a table.
- Foul liquid from a trough is smeared on the ground, also revealing footsteps headed into Room 7.
- Countless goblets filled with various elixirs sit on a dais. Some smell sweet. PCs who dare to drink must make a Vitality Check to heal Courage. On a 5-, instead suffer to all Skills and Stats for the day. The door to Room 7 is locked. Failing to pick the lock triggers a trapdoor in the ground, giving way to a spiked pit. Anyone who falls in suffers Dread.
Room 7: Chamber of the Eye p.75
Magnificent stonework, golden central dais, strangely and impossibly windy.
- Lord Zan'thit, Zithir the Six-Fanged, and four SARPATHI REAVERS surround the dais performing a terrible blood ritual. If the PCs used a key to enter, the sarpathi don't notice them.
- An Eye of Ehk sits on a plinth atop the dais.
- Also on the dais are Seely and Kint's mother, Nilly, lying alongside two other villagers. They are completely unconscious as the sarpathi chant horrible, hissing incantations.
- If they aren't stopped, the sarpathi will sacrifice this group of villagers, resulting in the Eye of Ehk flashing like a strobe light. Lord Zanthit's eyes go white as he trembles and screeches in exaltation. From a dreamlike vision, he gains insight into the location of another Eye of Ehk at Boiling Lake (see The Mucklands Sandbox).