The Spill

Hex 31.16. A horrible, glowing green series of lakes and pools of bubbling toxic sludge caused by the negligence of early industrialists. These first tycoons of the Dungeon Era had machinations of industrial supremacy, and no method of production was questioned, leading to terrible practices with terrible results. It is rumored that a manufacturing plant was located in the area decades ago, which produced loads of toxic waste. At first, the waste was simply collected in barrels and hidden in a remote mine in the Drippy Downs, but a cataclysmic explosion caused a massive, irreparable toxic spill, and the plant melted away with all evidence of who or what was behind the catastrophe. Decades have passed since then, but the glowing green lakes of sludge still carry their awful potency.

M. MANDY MARIBELL

A gnome of the Green Gallivanters. She wears her yellow hair in braided pigtails and a distinctive gnome's hat with a dandelion on the top. Maribell has spent many months attempting to find a means to clean up the toxic waste and believes the secret lies with the power of unicorns.

• Traits: Optimistic, bubbly despite the circumstances, always offers tea.
• Motivation: Cleanse the toxic taint of The Spill.

WINSTON

One of the few travelers to escape the prison of the wicked giant, Volnar. Winston is a hump-backed bugbear with a bulging eye, changed by the toxic waste. He ventured into The Spill with several companions in an attempt to uncover which tycoon was responsible for the disaster.

• Traits: Courageous, stutters, willing to risk himself for his friends.
• Motivation: Save his captured companions and escape the Spill.

VOLNAR THE GIANT

Driven from the mountains to the east by the bugbear tribes, Volnar the GIANT accidentally stumbled into the Spill and mutated. Naturally, he blames the bugbears, and has been capturing creatures throughout Fleabag County, turning them into MUTANTS. Once his army is complete, he will reign terror on the folk in the south eastern mountains, namely Bugbear Holler (p141).

• Traits: Wickedly cruel, quick to anger, burps constantly.
• Motivation: Revenge upon the world for his pitiful plight.

what's going on

• Before Argonn the Oilmonger became the untouchable tycoon that he is, he was a pioneer of cheap goods manufacturing. Unknown to almost anyone, it was his manufacturing plant that caused the toxic spill all those years ago.
• Volnar the GIANT has created a MUTANT army to take revenge on Bugbear Holler.
• The ooze has mutagenic properties. Vitality Check: on a Failure, roll on the Mutations table (see Bestiary Vol. 1).

rumors

• The Spill is so dangerous that coming into contact with it could mutate you.
• Horrible man-eating MUTANTS roam the Spill.
• A fiend called Volnar collects the most potent toxic sludge and uses it to create monstrosities.
• Barrels of the glowing ooze have been found in a place called Vorg'Varga Vek in the Drippy Downs.

quests

DAMPENING THE GLOW

M. Mandy Maribell is a gnome doing her best to aid the MUTANTS of the Spill. Ultimately, however, she wants to get rid of the toxic waste altogether. But doing so would require very powerful magic. In fact, Mandy and her Green Gallivanter colleagues believe that only the purifying magic of many UNICORNS could neutralize the ooze. Convince a UNICORN to take part in a ritual to open a portal to the Gates of Thalatos, the land of the UNICORNS.

• A hero of pure heart must accomplish a great deed of valor and spill the blood of a fiend, someone who threatens the Land of Eem. Some examples:
• Volnar the GIANT.
• Zhal'dir, the SORCERER at the Stone (p355).
• Zar'sharaz the SARPATHI ARCH HIEROPHANT (p54).
• The GWARGLEBEAST at Doomnozzle (p380).
• Shallis Shadewand, the WITCH in the Quagmash (p182).
• At the Spill, the UNICORN dips its horn in the blood of the pure-hearted hero and tears open a portal to the mythic Gates of Thalatos.
• The PCs must beseech the UNICORNS of Thalatos who skeptically stare down through the dreamy portal. If convinced to help, a herd of 40 ethereal UNICORNS stampede across a rainbow bridge into the Land of Eem and surround the perimeter of the Spill. In a crackle of lightning, a magnificent flash washes out everything in sight as the UNICORNS focus their power and purge the toxic waste to ash.
• Within the ashy remains lies evidence that Oilmonger Plastics was behind the spill decades ago: the half- melted metal molds for the company's most famous product—the spork.

THE MUTANT ARMY

A bugbear named Winston with a hump on his back and a bulging eye is caught in a trap, and begs for help when he spots the adventurers at the Spill. He was taken captive—along with many others of all kinds: goblins, DWEORGS, and a whole zoo's worth of creatures—by a GIANT called Volnar who is changing them into MUTANTS. Winston tried to escape but got caught in one of Volnar's many traps. Help him save the creatures, and most importantly, stop Volnar before he unleashes his army on the world.

• Volnar is evil and lives in a cave filled with glowing ooze. He is building the army to attack Bugbear Holler, where a band of warriors defeated and banished him from the mountains for terrorizing their community.
• Volnar is a giant (L8-C) but has 3 mutations from the OGRE Mutations table (Bestiary Vol. 1). His weakness is that he avoids contact with the glowing ooze in his cave. Should he be overly exposed, his body degrades into slime.
• For the most part, Volnar's army of MUTANTS are no longer the people and creatures they once were.
• Volnar's cave is split into three wings: the Prison, where the MUTANTS are kept caged up; the Lab, where creatures are made into MUTANTS; and the Den, where Volnar rests and eats.
• When confronted, Volnar feigns interest in a Parley but tries to capture the PCs if they let their guard down. He is aggressive and vicious, but is conspicuously careful to avoid touching the ooze.
• HEROIC TITLE ACHIEVEMENT: Save the creatures and defeat Volnar.
• The Purifier•. PC gains Advantage to resist mutations, toxins and poison.