The Eye of the Sun is a short D&D adventure for four 4th-level player characters (PCs).

This scenario can be incorporated into any style of campaign. It features a temple that can be placed in any mountainous jungle area in your campaign world.

THE EYE OF THE SUN

A Short Adventure for Four 4th-Level Player Characters

PREPARATION
You (the DM) need the D&D core rulebooks, including the Players Handbook, the DUNGEON MASTERs Guide, and the Monster Manual. This adventure utilizes the v.3.5 rules, but it can easily be used with the 3.0 rules as well. You can place this adventure in any section of your campaign world that features a mountainous jungle where an isolated temple might exist. Adapt the material given here as you see fit to make it work with your campaign. To get started, print out this adventure (including the map). The Eye of the Sun uses a modified version of the Temple and Surrounding Overview map from the Map-a-Week feature on the D&D website. The original version of the map can be found at <http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/ templesurroundings_72dpi.jpg>

CREDITS
Design: Editing: Typesetting: Cartography: Web Production: Web Development: Graphic Design: Eric Cagle Penny Williams Nancy Walker Rob Lazzaretti Julia Martin Mark A. Jindra Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege

Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison.
D&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and DUNGEON MASTER are registered trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The d20 logo is a trademark owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 2003 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. Made in the U.S.A. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System License, please visit www.wizards.com/d20.

ADVENTURE BACKGROUND
The background for this adventure begins in the distant past, in a time before humans became the dominant inhabitants of the world. During this period, the lizardfolk were a widespread and capable people, particularly in the worlds jungles.

TIME OF THE SUN

In these ancient days, Sshrik was the mightiest lizardfolk shaman of the Khud-Al Jungle. One day, he received a vision from his deity, Semuanya, directing him to raise a mighty temple. So the shaman taught his people how to cut stone and assemble it into sturdy walls, and together they crafted a temple worthy of their deity. They named the structure the Ziggurat of the Wrathful Sun. Semuanya was pleased, and he blessed his people. The lizardfolks population grew quickly, and they conquered lands near and far to build a mighty empire that stretched for hundreds of miles. The lizardfolk moved outward to settle their new lands, leaving only a few of the most devout worshipers to tend the temple of Semuanya. The lizardfolk venerated the sun as an incarnation of their deity, and many symbols were made in its honor. Sshrik himself crafted a special representation of the

sun in the very top of the ziggurata series of mirrors and lenses that magically trapped the suns rays and provided light even in the dead of night. He called this device the eye of the sun, and its power was so great that it could focus the energy of the sun on a distant target and set it afire. Several of the abandoned lizardfolk villages near the temples were accidentally destroyed in just this manner.

Humans and other humanoids who have built villages along the outskirts of the Khud-Al Jungle gaze in wonder at the strange light that emanates from a hilltop in the distance. As the power of the eye grows, so does its destructive capability. Several buildings in the human village of Tooj-Reh have already been set ablaze by its mysterious rays.

TIME OF THE BLACKENED MOON

As the lizardfolks empire grew, so did their pride. It is said that Semuanya grew angry at their pretensions and withdrew the blessing of the sun from the land, plunging it into unending darkness. Another temple, called the Temple of the Blackened Moon, was constructed beside the first, and magic items were created there to preserve the light as the eye of the sun dimmed, then finally darkened for good. But the efforts were for naught. The cold-blooded lizardfolk, so dependent on the warmth of the sun for their energy, eventually had to withdraw into a state of torpor. The slaves that the lizardfolk had taken from the conquered lands rose up in rebellion and slew all of their former masters that they could find. Sshrik too fell in this revolt, but the eye of the sun remained safe, since the primitive slaves could not figure out how to get inside its secret room at the top of the temple to destroy it. In short order, the empire was gone. The few remaining lizardfolk withdrew into the forest to wait for the return of the sun.

ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS
The people of Tooj-Reh are desperate to discover the source of these mysterious fires, which seem to occur when the strange light is at its brightest. They have sent expeditions into the jungle to investigate, but none have returned. They ask the PCs to find the source of the glowing light and ensure that it destroys no more of their town. If they accept this mission, the PCs must venture into the jungle, win their way past lizardfolk patrols, and find the twin ziggurats. Once there, they must defeat the lizardfolk who guard the towers, including Kzzal himself, and take down the eye of the sun, so that it can menace the town of Tooj-Reh no more.

ADVENTURE HOOKS
As DM, you know best how to involve your players and their characters in an adventure. You can use the following adventure hooks to spur your imagination, modifying them as necessary to make them appropriate for the characters interests. While traveling through the Khud-Al Jungle, the PCs smell smoke. They soon encounter a forest fire and must flee to avoid a fiery death. Their flight takes them into the town of Tooj-Reh. As a favor for a friend of theirs, the PCs must deliver a package to a shaman named Siroo in the small frontier town of Tooj-Reh. A cleric or druid asks the PCs to investigate a series of mysterious forest fires in the vicinity of a town called Tooj-Reh. The petitioner should be someone the PCs know, or perhaps someone to whom they owe a favor. The PCs discover an old treasure map showing the Ziggurats of Sshrik. The path to the twin temples takes them through the small frontier town of Tooj-Reh.

TIME OF THE RISING SUN

Eventually the sun did return, bringing life back to the land. But the lizardfolk had retreated too far into barbarism to reinstate their empire. The descendents of those original lizardfolk now lived like animals in the jungle, gazing with superstitious awe at the sun that their ancestors had worshiped. But all things move in cycles, and at last Semuanya sent another visionthis time to a lizardfolk shaman named Kzzal who earnestly prayed on behalf of his people. The vision instructed Kzzal to find the Ziggurats of Sshrik and restore the eye of the sun. By its guiding light, the lizardfolk could at last reclaim some of what they had lost. Guided by Kzzal, a contingent of lizardfolk located the old temple, which was now overgrown with vegetation, and set about clearing access to it. Inside the temple, Kzzal found the eye of the sun in a secret chamber. Guided by his deity, he performed the rites that would eventually restore it to its former glory. Now, as the eye slowly flickers to life, it occasionally casts a brilliant ray of light that can be seen for miles around.

BEGINNING THE ADVENTURE

This adventure consists of two freeform encounters (one in Tooj-Reh and one in the jungle) and four placed encounter areas (the ziggurat complex). The freeform

encounters should be run in the order they are presented, but the specific timing and placement is up to you as DM. The placed encounters are keyed to the map.

Before the fires, a woodsman said that he caught sight of some strange buildings on a high bluff, about where the light usually came from.

TOOJ-REH
Tooj-Reh is a rough-hewn frontier town that sits on the edge of the Khud-Al Jungle, a wild, untamed rainforest that stretches for hundreds of miles through hilly terrain. A few settlements have grown up around the edges, but its depths have never been fully explored. When the PCs arrive in town, read or paraphrase the following aloud. You arrive in the town of Tooj-Reh at the end of a sudden rainstorm of the sort that seems to be common in jungle lands. The town sits in a small valley beside low mountains that are blanketed with dense jungle. From the look of it, Tooj-Reh is a rough, bustling, frontier town filled with self-reliant people. Indeed, they pay little attention to you beyond a curt nod. If the PCs have come to deliver a package to Siroo, they can find him easily by asking anyone in town where he lives. Otherwise, the shaman encounters them in town and introduces himself. After chatting with the characters for a while, he invites them to supper at his home. D NPC: Siroo (Male human Adept 3, CG) lives in a small but comfortable thatched hut at the edge of town. He invites the PCs to stay with him as long as they are in Tooj-Reh, since the inn recently burned down. Siroo is a chatty sort, and he reveals the following information to the PCs during the course of their stay. Four mysterious fires have occurred in the past two months. No one has yet managed to discover the causebuildings simply go up in flames for no apparent reason. A strange light has been seen coming from a hilltop in the jungle, many miles away. The light can appear at any time, night or day. Sometimes it pulses; other times it is steady, and it varies considerably in intensity. The only predictable aspect of it is that it seems to come from a fixed location. Hunters have spotted humanoid figures lurking in the dense jungle. Though they have been unable to discern the exact nature of these creatures, they appear reptilian and very fierce. The hunters have limited their expeditions to the very edges of the jungle for fear of intruding on the sacred grounds of some primitive culture.

ENCOUNTER A: FIRE!
The next time the sun is out (which could be the same day that the adventurers arrive), read or paraphrase the following aloud at a time when the PCs and Siroo are away from his house. The combination of a merciless sun and humid air forces the inhabitants of Tooj-Reh to move slowly during the day. Just as you are about to enter an inviting doorway, Siroo excitedly points to the south. There it is! he cries. That strange light I told you about. Sure enough, a spot of light, brighter than a daystar, shines from a distant bluff. Its always in the same location, continues Siroo, and it looks brightest on sunny days. We still have no idea what it is most of the scouts we have sent out to investigate it have failed to return, and no one wants to risk heading into the jungle anymore because of those humanoids that have been sighted. A smoky scent begins to permeate the air, and suddenly someone cries, Fire! Fire! People begin rushing to the scene, and its soon clear that Siroos hut is ablaze. Out of the confusion, a fire brigade is quickly organized to battle the flames. NPCs: Siroo and several of the townsfolk attempt to put out the fire. The PCs are welcome to join in, hauling buckets of water, if they wish. Each character may attempt a Wisdom check (DC 15) while the townsfolk battle the fire. Success allows the character to notice that the light from the hilltop is very bright and steady throughout the processalmost like a mirror caught in the sunlight. Development: Unless the characters have some special means of preventing it, Siroos hut and another adjacent to it both burn down. The villagers appreciate whatever assistance the PCs offered, and Siroo, though saddened at his losses, thanks them profusely if they helped. Read or paraphrase the following when the fire brigade disperses. Thats the fifth time this has happened! Siroo laments. Weve lost nearly a dozen buildings in the past few weeks. He stops for a moment and shakes his head, then fixes his gaze on you. Perhaps you can help us? he says hopefully. Will you go out into the jungle and find out whether that light has anything to do with these fires? Ive done some divinations, and they all point to that light.

If the PCs agree to consider the matter, Siroo leaves to convene with the town elders. They all approve his idea and plead with the characters to investigate the strange light. They are willing to offer the towns entire treasury (800 gp) to the PCs if they can actually eliminate the problem. Development: If the PCs agree to investigate the mysterious fires, the townsfolk provide them with basic supplies, as well as a map of the jungle trails in the first half-mile or so of the Khud-Al. Unfortunately, the map isnt very detailed, but its sufficient to guide them in the right direction. They also recommend that the PCs buy some insect netting from the general store for 200 gp so that they can sleep undisturbed in the jungle. c Tooj-Reh (Small Town): Conventional; N; 800 gp limit; Assets 2,500 gp; Population 1,300 (96% human, 2% halfling, 1% elf, 1% other races).

From this distance, the adventurers cannot determine the source of the light, although it does serve as a point of reference for their travels when they can see it. Once they enter the jungle proper, however, they can no longer see the light except when a rare break in the tree canopy coincides with one of its flashes (about once every 6 hours). Every 2 hours of travel, the character in the lead must attempt a Survival check (DC 15). Success indicates that the party is on the right path; failure sends the characters off course (see Getting Lost in Chapter 3: Writing Adventures in the DUNGEON MASTERs Guide). The characters can automatically find the proper direction again the next time they see the bright light.

B. LIZARDFOLK AMBUSH (EL 4)

Sometime after their first day of travel, the PCs encounter a patrol of lizardfolk that has been tracking them from a distance since they entered the jungle. Concerned that the intruders are getting too close to the Ziggurats of Sshrik, the lizardfolk have circled ahead and set an ambush. The occasional thunderstorms have shown no sign of abating. As you trudge through the mud and tangled undergrowth, a sudden downpour reduces your visibility to near zero. A strange hissing noise emanates from the canopy above, and suddenly, the air is filled with javelins, coming from all directions!

THE KHUD-AL JUNGLE

Despite the relative proximity of the ziggurats to the town, it still takes the PCs three days of arduous travel to reach them. The townsfolk are loath to send anyone along as a guide, since they have already lost several young people to searches for the light. Thus, the PCs must rely on their own skills (and the townspeoples sketchy directions) to find the Ziggurat of the Wrathful Sun. Early in their first day of travel, the characters catch a glimpse of the brilliant light about once every 10 minutes, coming from the direction they are heading. ADVENTURING IN THE JUNGLE Moving through the dense forest and steep hills of the Khud-Al Jungle in the oppressive heat that reigns between thunderstorms is difficult work. The following rules and suggestions should help you play up the hardship of blazing a trail through the jungle under these conditions. For more information on terrain, see Chapter 3: Writing Adventures in the DUNGEON MASTERS Guide). Overland Movement: Since no real trail exists, movement through the jungle is reduced by to 14 speed (see Chapter 9: Adventuring in the Players Handbook). Weather: This adventure takes place near the end of the monsoon season, so thunderstorms can occur without warning. For every 2 hours of travel, roll on Table 323: Random Weather, adding +10% to the roll. Replace any blizzard or tornado results with downpour.

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T e r r a i n F e a t u r e s : The Khud-Al Jungle varies from medium to dense forest, with light to heavy undergrowth. In combat, this heavy vegetation proves both an advantage and a hindrance, since it provides soft cover for both the PCs and their targets. Creepy Crawlies: Billions of insects inhabit the jungle. While they cause no damage, small insects are terribly annoying because they get into clothing, armor, food, and so on. Each night, every character must make a successful Survival check (DC 10) to ignore the effects of biting, crawling insects or be fatigued the next day. A 10-foot-by-20-foot section of insect netting (enough to fit four characters) may be purchased in Tooj-Reh for 200 gp. (This item is one that the townsfolk do not provide free of charge, though they mention its utility.) Spending the night under this netting negates the need for a Survival check that night.

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Creatures: Four lizardfolk have been lying in wait to ambush the party. D Lizardfolk (4): hp 12, 11, 11, 10; see Monster Manual, page 141. Tactics: The lizardfolk are hiding in the canopy, which provides them with concealment (20% miss chance) and soft cover (+4 AC, no Reflex save bonus). Each throws one javelin before leaping down and engaging in melee. The rules for terrain cover apply here because of the dense trees (see the Adventuring in the Jungle sidebar). Development: If the PCs manage to capture any of the lizardfolk alive, the captives warn them in Draconic to stay away from Sshrik, or the burning sun will seek its vengeance. Any captured lizardfolk do their best to attack their captors or escape at the earliest opportunity. Treasure: In addition to a shield and weapons, each lizardfolk carries a pouch containing 25 gp.

out hunting in the jungle. You may choose to spring a random encounter with 1d4 lizardfolk on the PCs at any time they seem to be managing the situation at hand too easily. The hunters fight to the death. A successful Spot check (DC 20) reveals a figure (Kzzal, the lizardfolk shaman) perched on top of the northernmost ziggurat, next to the light. Several other lizardfolk are stationed near areas 2 and 3, but they are hidden from view (and cannot see the PCs) unless the characters move around the complex. Anytime the PCs would have line of sight to either of those areas, each lizardfolk there can attempt a Spot check to detect the characters presence. If the PCs are trying to hide, the Spot check is opposed by the lowest Hide check result among the characters. Otherwise, the DC is 0, and the standard penalty for distance applies to the roll (see the Spot skill description in the Players Handbook). Each PC can also attempt a Spot check (DC 10, standard penalty for distance applies) to see the lizardfolk.

1. DAMAGED BRIDGE

THE ZIGGURATS OF SSHRIK

After three days of travel, the characters reach the Ziggurats of Sshrik. Read or paraphrase the following aloud when they first catch sight of the lizardfolk temples. After a few days of tiring travel, you hear the sound of rushing water. The path you have been following opens onto the edge of an immense gorge that has been carved from the hills by a fastmoving river several hundred feet below. On the other side of the gorge, a complex of ancient-looking stone buildings is silhouetted against the jungle canopy. Two immense ziggurats frame some smaller structures in the center. To the south, a seriously damaged bridge spans the gorge. The source of the strange and brilliant light that you have seen many times in recent days is now apparent. It emanates from a device of some sort on top of the northernmost ziggurat. The device pulses with a white light that grows and dims in a rhythmic sequence, like the breathing of a living thing. The device is the eye of the sun, which is perched on top of the Ziggurat of the Wrathful Sun (see area 2, below). Most of the lizardfolk who tend the temple are resting at present, basking in the combined glow of the true sun and the eye of the sun. The remaining lizardfolk are

Read or paraphrase the following when the characters approach the bridge. The bridge is a crude affair that stretches 60 feet across the gorge. A churning river flows 50 feet below. Time and the elements have taken their toll on the bridge, doing severe damage to the wood planks that form the base and the ropes that hold it all together. Nevertheless, it looks as though a careful crossing should be possible. Unless the PCs possess some means of flight, the only safe way across the gorge is the bridge. When the first character steps onto the planks, the ropes creak and groan ominously. Each character on the bridge must make a successful Balance check (DC 10) for every 10 feet traversed or fall from the bridge. In addition, there is a 10% chance per character on the bridge each round that the ropes will break. Each character on the bridge when it collapses must attempt a Reflex save (DC 15) to grab onto one of the ropes; failure sends the character plummeting into the river below. Since the water is 20 feet deep, the damage for any fall from the bridge is 2d6 nonlethal and 1d6 lethal. Upon plunging into the water, the character must make a successful Swim check each round that he or she tries to move toward the riverbank, or be swept 30 feet downstream by the rushing water. An unconscious character automatically fails Swim checks. Alternatively, the PCs could decide to climb down the gorge wall and swim across the fast-moving river. A character attempting such a maneuver must make a

successful Climb check (DC 10) for each round spent climbing or fall from the height previously achieved. A successful Swim check (DC 15) is required for each round spent attempting to swim across the river. In addition to the chance of drowning, a character that fails a Swim check is swept 30 feet down river each round. The Climb check DC is 15 for scaling the gorge on the other side, where the slope is steeper and the rock wall is smoother. The lizardfolk at the ziggurats are not actively watching the bridge, so the PCs actions here go unobserved unless the bridge collapses, or they do something to draw attention to themselves. In this case, the lizardfolk at area 3 (see below) release the monitor lizards to attack anyone who makes it to the other side of the gorge.

2. ZIGGURAT OF THE WRATHFUL SUN (EL 4)

The lizardfolk that built the ziggurats called the northernmost one the Ziggurat of the Wrathful Sun. It rises nearly 300 feet, providing anyone standing atop it with a clear view of the jungle valley belowincluding the town of Tooj-Reh. The ziggurat has five different graduated levels, each 60 feet high, forming a sort of giant-sized staircase on all four sides. On the south side, facing the monitor lizard pens (see below), is a normal staircase. No Climb check is required to use this stairway, but anyone attempting to scale the edifice from any other angle must make a successful DC 10 Climb check for each round spent ascending or fall from the height previously achieved down to the next level.

The eye of the sun is mounted atop a small building that sits at the apex of the ziggurat. This structure has no obvious doors, but a successful Search check (DC 20) reveals a switch that opens a secret door leading into Kzzals chamber (see Treasure, below). Creatures: Kzall is up here, soaking up the sun while he meditates. He is deep in thought and does not notice the PCs approaching unless the bridge collapses, or they make a loud noise, or combat ensues within the complex. Kzall cannot leave the confines of the Ziggurat of the Wrathful Sun because of a vow he made to his deity, Semuanya. Another lizardfolk lies stretched out on the southern side of the small building. Should invaders arrive, he tries to protect Kzall and the eye of the sun to the best of his ability. D Kzzal: Male lizardfolk Cleric 2; CR 3; Medium humanoid (reptilian); HD 2d8+2 plus 2d8+2; hp 22; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 17, touch 10, flat-footed 17; Base Atk +2; Grp +3; Atk +3 melee (1d4+1, claw) or +4 melee (1d6+1, masterwork club); Full Atk +3 melee (1d4+1, 2 claws) and +1 melee (1d4, bite) or +4 melee (1d6+1, masterwork club) and +1 melee (1d4, bite); SQ hold breath 52 rounds; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +7; Str 12, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 9, Wis 15, Cha 14. Skills and Feats: Balance +4, Jump +5, Knowledge (religion) +1, Swim +2; Iron Will, Multiattack. Hold Breath (Ex): Kzzal can hold his breath for 52 rounds before he risks drowning. Cleric Spells Prepared (4/4; save DC 12 + spell level): 0detect magic, light, resistance, virtue; 1stbane, cause fear, doom, endure elements*.

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THE EYE OF THE SUN The eye of the sun is an ancient device built by the lizardfolk shaman Sshrik untold eons ago. It captures the rays of the sun, producing a brilliant light that illuminates the Ziggurats of Sshrik. Though it was once immensely powerful, the eye of the sun now produces a comparatively feeble effect. With another few years of full exposure to the sun, however, it will once again be a truly devastating item. The eye of the sun is a series of brass tripods, lenses, and crystal orbs that move with the sun, capturing its energy. It continually produces an effect identical to that of the daylight spell, except that it extends to a 600-foot radius. A user who makes a successful Knowledge (arcana) check (DC 15) can gaze through a lens and clearly see objects up to 15 miles away. (The town of Tooj-Reh falls well within this range.) In addition, such a user can command the eye of the sun to release a ray of sunlight as intense as that of a sunbeam spell, though it does not affect creatures. The ray lasts for 13 rounds and can be targeted on any single Large or larger object within 15 miles that the user specifies, so long as it is visible through the viewing lens at the time. Any unattended object targeted by the beam bursts into flame after 3 rounds of uninterrupted exposure; an attended object (such as an inhabited house) is entitled to a Reflex save at the same bonus as its attendant. In the case of multiple attendants (such as two or more inhabitants of a house), use the highest Reflex save bonus. Strong evocation; CL 13th; Craft Wondrous Item, clairaudience/clairvoyance, daylight, sunbeam; Price 114,000 gp; Weight 1,200 lb.

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*Domain spell. Deity: Semuanya. Domains: Plant (rebuke plants 5/day), Sun** (greater turning 1/day). Languages: Common, Draconic. Possessions: Large wooden shield, masterwork club, potion of cure light wounds (3), potion of shield of faith, potion of greater magic fang, potion of protection from arrows 10/magic, potion of invisibility, scroll of cause fear (2), scroll of doom (2), scroll of obscuring mist. ** Kzzal worships an aspect of Semuanya that embodies the sun and is capable of granting the Sun domain. D Lizardfolk: hp 12; see Monster Manual page 141. Tactics: If he becomes aware of the PCs before they are upon him, Kzzal makes some preparations for combat. He uses as many of the following potions as he can before anyone comes within melee range, in the order given: potion of invisibility, potion of shield of faith, potion of protection from arrows 10/+1, potion of greater magic fang. He uses his scrolls of cause fear and scrolls of doom as soon as anyone comes within range of those spells. Treasure: If the PCs smash the eye of the sun (Break DC 10), they can recover 800 gp worth of precious metals and gemstones. Two gold plaques (worth 200 gp each) are arrayed around top of the small building on the outside. The images engraved on these plaques depict the lizardfolk empire from long ago. Inside Kzzals chamber are a small gold statue of Semuanya (worth 200 gp) plus the clerics personal effects.

Ziggurat of the Wrathful Sun to help protect Kzzal and the eye of the sun from harm. If the monitor lizards are attacked while inside the pens, they become enraged and try to burst through the relatively fragile reed barriers (Strength DC 15). Treasure: Six gold plaques studded with semiprecious gems (worth 100 gp each) hang on the interior surfaces of the stone pillars in each pen.

4. ZIGGURAT OF THE BLACKENED MOON (EL 4)

This building stands opposite the Ziggurat of the Wrathful Sun. A large obsidian orb in a brass cradle caps each of the two small buildings at its apex. Although they are made of stone, these orbs appear scorched, as if by some intense heat. At night, they pulse with an odd white light, which is considerably dimmer than that provided by the eye of the sun. The orbs are mortared into their cradles and cannot be removed intact. Between the two buildings hangs an enormous brass gong. In case of attack, one of the four lizardfolk posted here rings the gong to raise the alarm. Creatures: Four more lizardfolk laze atop this ziggurat, soaking up the sun. Each has a cache of ten javelins close at hand. These four are charged with protecting this temple, and they do not willingly step down from it. They pelt invaders with javelins and engage any who dare defile the ziggurat with their footsteps. D Lizardfolk (4): hp 11, 11, 10, 10. Monster Manual, page 141. Treasure: If the PCs smash the spheres of the blackened moon (Break DC 20), they can recover 400 gp worth of obsidian shards from each. A gold plaques worth 200 gp, adorns each of the buildings atop the Ziggurat of the Blackened Moon.

3. MONITOR LIZARD PENS (EL 4)

In the days of the empire, the lizardfolk used the stone pillars in this area to chart the suns movement across the sky. The present-day lizardfolk, however, are ignorant as to the stones true purpose. They have woven reeds and vines around them to create a pair of pensone for each of their two monitor lizards. A single lizardfolk is here at all times, tending the two monitor lizards. D Lizardfolk (1): hp 11. Monster Manual page 141. D Monitor Lizards (2): hp 22, 20. Monster Manual page 275. Tactics: Upon spotting the PCs, the lizardfolk releases her charges, then retreats to the steps of the

CONCLUSION
If the PCs defeat all the lizardfolk who guard the temples, they must decide what to do about the eye of the sun. Though the device is extremely heavy and bulky, it can be removed intact from its position atop the Ziggurat of the Wrathful Sun, if sufficient care is used. If moved from that spot, however, it ceases functioning immediately.

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SPHERES OF THE BLACKENED MOON Each sphere of the blackened moon constantly produces a daylight effect that cannot be turned off. If deprived of the light generated by the eye of the sun, it gradually dims, then completely darkens after one week. The effect is reinstated after 1 week of renewed exposure to the eye. Strong evocation; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, daylight; Price 7,500 gp each; Weight 200 lb.

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The townsfolk of Tooj-Reh are extremely grateful to the characters if they succeed in negating the menace to the town. The PCs receive the agreed-upon reward, along with the towns hospitality for as long as the PCs would like to stay.

from the age of the lizardfolk empire may be found here as well, at your discretion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eric Cagle is a freelance game designer who currently works at Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Recent credits include the D&D Arms and Equipment Guide, Fiend Folio, the Ultimate Alien Anthology for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, and the URBAN ARCANA setting for the d20 MODERN Roleplaying Game. Eric is a frequent contributor to both DRAGON Magazine and the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS website.

FURTHER ADVENTURES
If the PCs manage to defeat the lizardfolk, they can explore the ziggurats further. Several secret doorways (Search DC 20) lead into the interior of each structure, and more lizardfolk await within. Additional artifacts