The Wall of Sorrow (EL 14)

The smell of burnt wood and flesh carries down the canyon. Jeering laughter echoes along the path,

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and many blackened and ashy footprints cover the trail. A 25 foot tall wall divides the canyon, block- ing the path from further exploration. The river sweeps among sharpened tree trunks supporting the center of the wall. The path on the southern side of the river ends 500 ft. from where the wall attaches to the edge of the canyon.

A 15 ft. tall archway bisects the wall on the northern trail. A wooden door covered in rusted spikes bars the entrance, and a gatehouse has been built near the entrance. Arrow slits dot the 40 ft. tall gatehouse’s surface. A thick blackened layer of mud covers the walls. Bones of various creatures decorate the frighten- ing obstacle. Trees and brush have been cleared by fire 90 feet away from the fortification.

Crab Bawm, a particularly brutal ettin, generally

stands near the entrance of the fortification. He al- ways keeps two spiked clubs within easy reach as he stands guard and periodically shouts at his bugbear servants. Crab Bawm is a frightening sight in his singed hides and rusted half plate armor, and his scarred faces and burned hair give him an aura of invincibility. Fires behind the wall send trails of smoke into the sky that are visible for quite a distance, making it clear Crab Bawm and the bugbears that serve him here have little to fear from others in the canyons.

The builders of the gatehouse are lost to history, but the gatehouse itself still remains. Now rather decrepit, the interior is nothing more than a burnt shell, it still stands as a testament to the builder’s skill. A huge barred door on the opposite side of the wall allows access to the interior. The bugbears found it and built large scaffolding to access the many arrow slits for combat. They have little else in the large open room aside from furs to sleep on and a few personal belongings.

Hidden under the chieftain’s sleeping mat is a

locked chest (Search, DC 20). The chest contains

rations, 237 gp, 435 sp, 12 cp, 16 onyx nuggets (25 gp each), a silvered masterwork dagger, three vials of holy water and an immovable rod.

Besides the ettin and bugbears, the fortification is home to Crab Bawm’s “pet,” which rests on the other side of the wall. “Bad Lizard” is a young red

dragon Bawm stole from its nest in the mountains

(which is where his treasure map leads). The dragon has suffered concussions and brain injury due to harsh treatment and lessons on how to play “head bonk,” a game where large rocks are thrown into the air and bounced off one’s head. The dragon is blind in one eye, and not always the most reliable pet. The dragon is aggressive, but often doesn’t act like a dragon at all. It often suffers spasms, memory

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loss and fits of sorrow. The poor creature has given up trying to escape, for its breath weapon has had little effect on Crab Bawm other than to upset the ettin. The dragon responds to its name but has learned little else, although it knows the ettin’s call usually means a meal. Its wings were painfully removed, but it can easily climb over the wall. A thick chain hangs from its neck and serves as a leash. The other end of the chain is not attached to anything, but unless PCs are wary, this fact might go unnoticed.

The mother of this dragon has searched in vain for her offspring. The thick trees of the canyons prevent her from viewing the land, not to mention the size of the canyons themselves. She may reward clever PCs with such information. Her reward is usually to let the helpful creature live. Due to the young dragon’s cur- rent state, the mother would likely slay it out of pity.

Crab Bawm, Male Ettin Ftr 8: CR 13; SZ L Giant;

HD 10d8+30 plus 8d10+24; hp 143; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 20 (–1 size, –1 Dex, +5 armor, +7 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 20; BAB/Grapple +15/+25; Atk +26 melee (1d10+12, greatclub, crit 19–20) or +25 melee (1d4+6, “head bonk”); Full Atk +26/+26/+21/ +21/+16/+16 melee (1d10+12, greatclub, crit 19–20) or +25 melee (1d4+6, “head bonk”); Space/Reach 10 ft./10 ft.; SQ low-light vision, superior two-weapon fighting; AL CE; SV Fort +16, Ref +4, Will +7; Str 23, Dex 8, Con 17, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 11.

Skills: Climb +12, Intimidate +3, Jump +12, Listen

+10, Spot +10. Feats: Alertness, Cleave, Great Cleave Greater Weapon Focus (greatclub), Improved Criti- cal (greatclub), Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Improved Unarmed Strike, Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (greatclub), Weapon Specialization (greatclub).

Possessions: 2 greatclubs, huge partial rusted breast-

plate, necklace made from mummified human heads, a ring of minor elemental resistance (fire), a gooey +2

heavy steel shield (used to scrape his teeth), a javelin of lightning (Crab Bawm’s “nose pick”), a gold tooth in

his mouth (obviously belonging to someone else, 2 gp), several shiny rocks (quartz), and an illegible map to his treasure. The map states in broken giant “trea- sure.” Crab Bawm wrote the map describing indistinct directions to a dragon’s lair high in the mountains. The treasure belongs to the mother of his pet, al- though there is no mention of dragons on his map.

Description: Crab Bawn is a none-too-bright ettin,

the inventor and frequent player of the game of “head bonk.” Crab Bawn’s sloping forehead’s hide his dark eyes and his right hand constantly twitches from the numerous “wins” he’s claimed over the years in head bonk tournaments. The ettin wears dirty hides made from animals he has inexpertly skinned.

“Bad Lizard,” young red dragon: CR 6; SZ L

Dragon; HD 13d12+39; hp 113; Init +0; Spd 40 ft., no flying speed; AC 21 (–1 size, +12 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 21; BAB/Grapple +13/+24; Atk +20 me- lee (2d6+7, bite); Full Atk +20 melee (2d6+7, bite) and +18/+18 melee (1d8+3, claws) and +18 melee (1d8+10, tail slap); Space/Reach 10 ft./ 5ft. (10 ft. with bite); SA breath weapon, spells; SQ immunity to fire, vulnerability to cold, darkvision 120 ft., blindsense 60 ft.; AL CE; SV Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +9; Str 25, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 12.

Skills: Bluff +13, Intimidate +13, Jump +20, Listen

+16, Search +14, Sense Motive +14, Spot +16. Feats: Alertness, Multiattack, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bite), Weapon Focus (claw).

Breath Weapon (Su): 40-ft. cone, damage 6d10

fire, Reflex save DC 19 half.

Spells Known (Cast per day 5/3; spell save DC 11+

spell level): 0—daze, detect magic, mage hand, open/

close; 1st—mage armor, true strike.

Bugbears (16): hp 25, 22 (x4), 18, 16 (x5), 14

(x2), 8 (x2). The weakest have suffered heavy injuries due to “head bonk”.

Magluk, Male Bugbear Chieftain, Ftr 2/Rog2: CR

5; SZ M; HD 3d8+9 plus 2d10+6 plus 2d6+6; hp 52; Init +8; Spd 30 ft.; AC 22 (+7 armor, +2 shield, +3 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 22; BAB/Grapple +5/ +9; Atk +12 melee (1d8+6, +2 morningstar); Full Atk +12 melee (1d8+6, +2morningstar); SA sneak attack +1d6; SQ darkvision 60 ft., scent, trapfinding, eva- sion; AL CE; SV Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +3; Str 18, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10.

Skills: Climb –4, Intimidate +5, Hide +6, Listen +2,

Move Silently +9, Search +5, Spot +2. Feats: Alert- ness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack, Stealthy, Weapon Focus (morningstar).

Possessions: +2 morningstar, half-plate armor, heavy

wooden shield, potion of cure serious wounds, and an iron key.

Tactics: Crab Bawn demands all who seek passage to

pay 500 gp each or shiny rocks to cross the wall. (It doesn’t really matter if the rocks are valuable or not.) The bugbears have learned the value of such an impos- ing ally. If the payment is made to the ettin, the bugbear chieftain steps out and demands his payment of the same amount. He does not find any value in shiny rocks, however, and does not accept these as means of pay- ment. He will, however, take magical items.

Crab Bawm and the bugbears attack any refusing to pay. The ettin calls for his pet at the beginning of combat. Two rounds later, 6 bugbears fire bolts from the arrows slits. There are 10 arrow slits facing the front of the wall. “Bad Lizard” responds in the third round with his breath weapon, not caring if Crab Bawm or the bugbears are in the area.

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