The Comet that Time Forgot

A metropolis of ice and gray stone, carved into a mountain surrounded by glaciers. Much of it is unoccupied.

• Inhabitants: The once grand city’s population has dwindled over centuries of disaster and invasion to around 350 neanderthals. They are led by Initiator Diokon (6 HD), whose goal is to avoid a bloody battle with the fire giants (see Hex 12) .
• The Portal of Time and Space: A 20’ tall stone arch, etched in runes, looms in the city center. A skull-shaped keyhole is set in its base. Many neanderthals (correctly) believe the key is in the possession of the fire giants (see Hex 12).
• Inserting the key: Activates the Portal, granting passage to any specified world.
• Services: Arete the Crafty constructs and sells saber-tooth spears (2d4 damage, 5gp) and bone armor (AC 6 [13], 30gp).
• Quest—Save the Princess: Recently, the fire giant Lord Uther (see Hex 12) kidnapped Diokon’s daughter, Princess Kallisto, demanding the neanderthals’ fealty in exchange for her return. Diokon offers 10,000gp as reward for her rescue.
• Quest—Cleanse the Necropolis: A pair of white dragons has taken residence in the neanderthals’ holy necropolis (see Hex 3). Should the PCs purge the catacombs of this draconic menace, the neanderthals reward them with food, shelter, one potion of healing for each PC, and the services of Gaios the Pathfinder.

A vast, rugged expanse of swirling snow.

• Traversing the hex: Unless accompanied by Gaios (see Hex 1), the party has a 3-in-4 chance of spending an entire day wandering here, and a 3-in-6 chance of encounter.

Abandoned catacombs of the neanderthals, amid a barren expanse of boulders and frozen, skeletal trees. Great stone corridors with ornate carvings and runes, marked by occasional icicle clusters and snow drifts. The sepulchral corridors converge on a massive, ice-covered cavern.

• Inhabitants: The cavern is home to 2 white dragons, Balbinus One-Eye (hp: 32) and Septima the Voracious (hp: 35).
• Treasure hoard: 30,000gp, 17,000sp.

Treehouses in the snow-covered evergreen forest. The 43 white apes that live here are generous and peaceful when not threatened.

• Speaking with the apes: Unlike their counterparts in other worlds, these apes have the power of speech; they say their ancestors were granted it by a wizard who visited the comet, now long gone.
• Services: One-Who-Laughs makes and barters lava melon elixirs (treat as potion of healing). He particularly likes seashells from the Sundered Sea (Hex 8), and asks 100 seashells per elixir.
• Quest—The Lost Leader: The village’s alpha, One-Who-Knows, has been captured by the lizard men (Hex 5). The villagers beg for the PCs’ help in rescuing him, offering as a reward a staff of striking left behind by the wizard who granted them speech.
• Quest—Sacred Water: The apes need the water of the Azure Lagoon (Hex 6) to create their elixirs. If the adventurers can bring them 10 waterskins from the lagoon, acolyte One-Who-Learns agrees to join the party for 1d6+2 days before returning to the village.

Cyclopean, overgrown ruins in the jungle: sandstone ziggurats and great halls of ornate, toppled columns. At the center of the ruins is a forbidding, moss-covered temple, its once-impressive dome now collapsed. The ruins are home to 50 lizard men, who frequently raid White Ape Village (Hex 4) for sacrifices to their couatl god. They are led by the unusually large and intelligent Lizard King.

• Temple sanctuary: A silver and lapis lazuli idol of a couatl (1,200gp) presides over a bloody altar. Both are flanked by massive urns of gold coins (28,000gp).
• Temple prison cells: A chamber behind the idol is lined with cells; in one of them is the captured white ape alpha, One-Who-Knows (see Hex 4), soon to be sacrificed at the altar.
• Quest—Rival Lizard: The lizard men are jealous of Maximus the Unrivaled, the green dragon they believe inhabits the woods in Hex 7. (Unknown to them, “Maximus” is actually the bird folk.) They may be willing to trade One-Who-Knows for proof of the creature’s defeat, and half its hoard.

Placid and colored a deep, azure blue. Watering hole and hunting ground to many of the comet’s species. An encounter always takes place here; roll on table below: 1d6 Encounter 1d6+2 white apes (stats on p.53) drink- 1-2 ing and gathering water peacefully. 2d4 lizard men (stats on p.54) bathing 3-4 and drinking; avoids party unless provoked. 5-6 Both of above, in a pitched battle.

A thick and twisted forest. Giant bird nests, mostly unoccupied.

• Giant Redwood: At the center of the hex stands a 300’ redwood tree, a sprawling, nest-like eyrie encompassing its boughs. As PCs approach, they hear a screeching, draconic roar emanate from it periodically (produced by the bird folk singing together), proclaiming itself to be the voice of “Maximus the Unrivaled”.
• In the daytime: The shadow of a dragon-shaped being is projected onto the party (produced by the bird folk grouping together around branches and leaves to mimic the creature’s shape).
• Inhabitants: The nest is home to 64 bird folk, led by High Priestess Haru.
• Entering the eyrie: Should adventurers successfully ascend the tree, they are confronted by the (clearly terrified) bird people.
• Quest—Eye of the Founder: If visitors treat with the bird folk, they learn that long ago, a party of bird folk bearing the sacred Eye of the Founder (a crystal ball) were ambushed and eaten at the Sundered Sea by the dragon turtle, who now possesses the Eye. Haru offers the feather of levitation (see Treasure) in exchange for its return.
• Treasure hoard: 14,000sp, 40,000ep, 30,000gp, feather of levitation (carrier can cast levitate once per day).

A sweeping, serene expanse of ocean extends for miles, ending abruptly at the comet’s edge, where thin, snake-like waterfalls coruscate over jagged precipices into the infinite expanse of space. The sea’s tropical biome is home to colorful fish and coral reefs. Hundreds of sea shells litter the sea’s black pebble beaches.

• Dragon Turtle Atoll: Near the center of the sea is an atoll, its crescent shape oddly reminiscent of the comet itself. It frames a murky lagoon, home to the ancient, irascible dragon turtle, Nitfol.
• Treasure: 60,000sp, 30,000ep, 5 × turquoise (500gp), diamond (1,000gp), the Eye of the Founder sought by the bird folk (see Hex 9).

Flows of molten rock. Noxious black smoke rises from the flames.

• Traversing the hex: Unless accompanied by Gaios (see Hex 1), the party has a 3-in-4 chance of spending an entire day wandering here, and a 3-in-6 chance of encounter.

Where the hot spring jungle meets the Sundered Sea, there is a keep and surrounding village made of red stone.

• Inhabitants: 40 flame salamanders, led by Queen Slesh.
• Quest—Return the Idol: Queen Slesh wishes to recover the salamanders’ holy ruby idol, stolen by the salamanders’ rivals, the fire giants. (Unknown to her, the idol has in turn been stolen from the giants by the red dragons). She offers the aid of Skiss the Archer in this quest, and promises a reward of 14,000gp. Skiss wields a longbow with 12 flaming arrows— see services.
• Services: Starrr the Sharp Eyed crafts and sells deadly flaming arrows (treat each as a sword +1, flaming, 500gp each).

Dozens of ruined pyramids of varying sizes lie partially buried in bleached red sand dunes. The largest pyramid has a jagged, gaping hole torn in its side, with scattered blocks about its base. Black smoke periodically issues from it.

• Inhabitants: 2 young red dragons, Valerianus (hp: 28) and Vergilius (hp: 25), live inside the hole. They are escaped pets of the fire giants (Hex 12).
• Hoard: 2,000sp, 30,000ep, ruby silver necklace (1,300gp), ruby salamander idol sought by fire giants (Hex 12) and flame salamanders (Hex 9) alike (20,000gp), potion of giant strength, diamond spear +2, scrolls (fire ball, wall of ice, telekinesis).

Here, at the very edge of the comet’s burning tail, stands a 150’ tall volcano. At its foot sits a settlement, more armed camp than village. A hazardous, switchback path leads from an ash field near the camp to the volcano’s rim, about which is built a foreboding, obsidian fortress. The inside of the fortress gives way to the molten center of the volcano.

• Inhabitants: 18 fire giants live in the camp, along with 8 hellhounds. The fortress is home to 7 fire giants, including their king, Lord Uther, and his family and servants, and forgemaster Asmodai, an Azer.
• Visiting the camp: Reaction to visitors may range from surly indifference to hostility. The residents attack any party accompanied by members of the neanderthal or flame salamander factions.
• Visiting the fortress: See map and locations on p.61.
• Quest—Errant Dragons: Depending on their interactions with the giants, the party may gain an audience with Lord Uther (Area 12.8). He states that if the party can bring his escaped pet dragons to heel (see Hex 11), or at the very least recover the ruby salamander idol they stole from him, he “may consider” releasing Princess Kallisto to them. S 12.10

The switchback path ends at a gatehouse, where two great stone towers flank the tusked skull of a titanic, mammoth-like creature. In place of the skull’s mouth are two 30’ tall stone doors, requiring a combined STR of 44 to open. 2 fire giants (hp: 46, 38) and 4 hellhounds (hp: 17, 17, 13, 10) stand watch here in 3 hour shifts; during the changing of the guard, the gate sits unwatched for 2 turns while the giants and hounds return to the village and are replaced by a new group.

The red lit center of the fortress is a massive pool of simmering lava (4d10 damage per round of immersion), ringed by a polished basalt walkway. At the center of the pool is an igneous island, topped by a 3 story stone tower (12.9). 20’ tall doors of charred wood lead to side chambers, while a massive archway leads to 12.8.

Dumps victim into 12.2.

A spartan room decked with militaristic banners. Furnished with two giant beds, racks of weapons, and two chests. The Thanes, Cenhelm (hp: 59) and Wulfwynn (hp: 48), protect their lord and carry out his orders ruthlessly. Both have ambitions for supreme leadership and neither trusts the other. Each chest contains 5,000gp; Wulfwynn’s is trapped with a needle (save vs poison or die).

Amongst luxurious, giant-sized furnishings reside the wives of Uther: Eadburg (hp: 64), Mildthryth (hp: 50), and Wynnflaed (hp: 48). Each has her own reasons for wanting to betray Uther.

A channel of lava heats an elaborate forge. The Azer dwarf Asmodai lives here in his workshop, his bed a mound of embers. The last of his kind, he is a master blacksmith indentured in service to Lord Uther. He toils here, depressed and aloof. He wants nothing more than to escape.

A narrow lava tube tunnel leads from the throne room (12.8) to a treacherous ledge overlooking the void of space.

Walls lined with gigantic tomes of ancient lore. Seated at a desk is a bespectacled, undersized (12’ tall) fire giant: Ethelred (hp: 20), the perpetually disappointing son of Uther. He is “more interested in being a scholar than a conqueror”, and may speak with amicable intruders. Unlike his family, he knows about the Portal of Time and Space (Hex 1), and seeks to exit this world and travel the cosmos.

Gargantuan vaulted hall, lit by rivulets of lava running through the floor. A massive open window overlooks the vastness of space. Upon a cyclopean throne of basalt reclines Lord Uther. Beside the throne is a 8’ tall stone chest, locked (containing 400,000gp and a humanoid-sized ring of regeneration). A secret stone door hidden behind the throne leads outside (12.10).

A stone walkway crosses the lava to a jagged 3 story tower upon an island. At the very top, the neanderthal Princess Kallisto (see Hex 1) is imprisoned in a locked bedroom overlooking the lava crater. Kallisto has realized that the pendant around Uther’s neck is the same skull shape as the keyhole in the Portal of Time and Space (Hex 1). She insists that the party steal it.