The Gaping Maw

Hex 15.22. Situated to the south of Trollridge is a cave best left avoided. Inhabited by insatiable CRAG LIZARDS and TERRORSAURS, many a foolhardy adventurer has entered and never returned. Some say a trove of bugbear treasure still lies deep within, and that a mighty DRAGON dwells there guarding it, but none have ever dared venture so deep.

rumors

• The Gaping Maw is an ancient bugbear burial tomb, with old treasures still locked within.
• The DRAGON inside the Gaping Maw has slumbered for hundreds of years.
• The Knucklebone Bandits raided the front tombs in the Gaping Maw some time ago, and now they're empty.

quests

THE BUGBEAR TOMB

Barely anything left of worth or significance remains after years of graverobbing. There is one tomb, however, where valuables still remain. Inside, seven open coffins contain the mummified remains of seven bugbear warriors, each grasping a different weapon, except for one holdinging nothing. His coffin reads: “Armak the Archer, Hero of the Hollow Hill.” The corpse looks as if its stiff hands are trying to reach out for something.

• If anyone takes a weapon from one of the bugbear SKELETONS (L7-C), it wakes up and attacks. Each subsequent round, another rises to fight.
• If a PC places a bow in Armak's hands, he will look at peace, and then utter in a raspy hiss: “You honor me. Find the one that stole my bow and you may keep it.”
• Armak's bow, The Windstreaker, was taken by one of the Knucklebone Bandits at Castle Gannish, a BANDIT called Hobnail Jak (p52).
• HEROIC TITLE ACHIEVEMENT: Place the bow into Armak's hands.
• The Honorable Archer•. Gain +1 to Charm and Inspire Checks when Parleying with WARRIORS, knights or knightly orders. The Windstreaker regains its magic in the PC's hands (+1 Attack, +2 Dread). Once every Combat, shoot 3 arrows at up to 3 different targets.

BEYOND THE TOMBS

The rest of the Gaping Maw is a winding, treacherous dungeon.

• This is a RANDOM DUNGEON filled with CRAG LIZARDS, TERRORSAURS, and WYVERNS.
• The last area of the Gaping Maw is always the cavern of the sleeping DRAGON Undagar (L10-C). Undagar cares little for the treasure vault, but is extremely hostile if woken up.