Sample

CREATURES AND LAIRS IN the center of aereth
By Steven Bean, Daniel J. Bishop, Tim Callahan, Stephen Newton,

and Terry Olson with Harley Stroh • Cover artist: Doug Kovacs
Cartography: Steve Crompton • Editor: Rev. Dak J. Ultimak
Interior artists: Steve Crompton, Stefan Poag • Layout:
Joseph Goodman
file
le
mp
Sa
Page 1
S ages will aver that the denizens of the underworld are, by necessity, alien
to surface dwellers such as ourselves. Few will ever stand on the ink-
black shores of the Lost Agharta, and even fewer will return to tell the
tale. Those that do report creatures transmuted by their deadly environs and the
weird gloom. These creatures of legend owe no allegiance or kinship to the beasts
of our lit-realms, and woe to the adventurer who mistakes them for familiar foes.
Collected herein are thirteen of the stranger beings explorers may encounter upon
their arrival at the very center of our hollow globe. This is certainly not an exhaus-
tive list, if such a thing could even exist – for the underworld is vast, and our
knowledge is slight.
For Judges
T his collection is intended to serve as a stand alone product, or as a sup-
plement to a Center of Áereth campaign. If the former, no adjustment is
necessary.
If the latter, and the judge is referencing the random encounter and exploration
file
tables from Journey to the Center of Áereth, use the following tables any time a
random encounter roll in DCC 91 results in “no encounter.”
And of course, the judge should always regard the tables as mere suggestions.
Entries can be altered, marked out, or built upon as it serves your setting. You are
le
the first and final arbiter of your game.

mp
Random Encounters
Sa
R oll for random encounters once each day and night, modified by the sum
of the PCs’ single best and worst Luck modifiers. (So a party comprised
of a warrior with a +3 Luck modifier, and a thief with a -2 Luck modifier,
would add +1 to their encounter rolls.)
In general, higher rolls result in distant encounters, allowing the PCs to determine
the rules of engagement (or avoid the encounter altogether). Lower rolls tend to
offer less opportunity for a safe withdraw or can even result in a surprise attack
by a monster – possibly resulting in more burned Luck, and worse modifiers on
future encounter rolls, as the denizens of the underworld sense the weakness of
the PCs and circle in for the kill.
Encounters are listed alphabetically below, followed by the collected monster en-
tries and lairs.
Four of the results are the unique “marooned mortals,” characters like the PCs
who have found themselves trapped in Lost Agharta. After an encounter with
a marooned mortal, the judge is encouraged to roll up another character to take
the NPC’s place on the random encounter tables. See Appendix A for tables and a
information on creating more stranded NPCs.
Page 2
The Center of Aereth in Brief
T he lands at the center of Áereth are home to scores of shining city-

states scattered along the bleak shores of a great sea. Bands of
slave giants roam the blood-soaked heaths, doing battle for the
pleasure of their obscene, ageless masters, while sentient, sooty clouds
swirl about the smoky sun that hangs above the black sea.
The Aghartan underworld cycles between 8-hour periods of shadowed
gloom and absolute darkness. During the “day,” the smoky orb hovering
above the central sea flares in intensity, mimicking the long shadows cast in
the surface realms at sunset. The air is sweltering and thick with the smell
of the sea.
After eight hours, the sun dims and dies, leaving the underworld in abso-
lute darkness. Temperatures drop precipitously, and the frothing sea rolls
inland, swamping the Bleak Shores. Come dawn, the waters recede, leav-
ing the bloodied shores and battlefields scoured clean.
file
The majority of the lands are made up of three principle environs:
Bleak Shores: The “beaches” of the Aghartan underworld are naught but
stone slabs rising from the water. Scoured by eons of rolling waves, the
le
slabs are slick with slime and the weird pale algae that inhabits the sea. The
waves roll in to the shores with curious – almost sinister – irregularity, and
mp
the more powerful waves threaten to swamp unlucky souls and suck them
into the deeps.
Sa
At night, the black waters rise precipitously, swamping the shores with
powerful, icy waves. Strange creatures are washed ashore, riding the waves
inland in hunt of prey, then slithering back into the depths.
Spine Ridges: Towering ridges of broken stone run to the shores from the
arching cliffs, bisecting the shores like long, ragged cairns, or fallen, cyclo-
pean walls. While offering shelter and a place for PCs to hide, the ridges
are also home to underworld monsters that emerge in the night to stalk the
heaths.
Blood Heaths: Saturated with the remains of the dead, churned underfoot
by the sandals of a thousand armies, the loamy heaths have served as the
Aghartan’s battlefields since time immemorial. The “soil” of the heaths is
composed of sand worn down from the ridges, bone fragments, and shards
of metal and wood shorn from the harness and weapons of fallen Aghartans.
Sages, over-curious wizards and foolish explorers can find more detail on
the environs of Lost Agharta in DCC 91: Journey to the Center of Áereth and
DCC 91.1: Lost City of Barako.
Page 3
Spine Ridges Encounter Tables
Roll (3d6) Day
3 or less The Oracle
4 Falchiona
5 Tu-Alak, inside Slave Scout Hollow Man
6 Maleves (close)
7 Cave mouther
8 Firmata (close)
9 Clusterfish scout
10-11 No encounter
12 Memoesparks
13 Firmata (distant)
14 Maleves (distant)
file
15 Clusterfish lair
16 Tu-Alak (distant)
18 The Oracle
le
19+ No encounter
mp
Blood Heaths Encounter Tables

Sa
Roll (3d5) Day

3 or less Ki Le Ba
4 Tu-Alak, inside Slave Scout Hollow Man
5 Xan Na-Kaddix
6 Maleves (close)
7 Firmata (close)
8 Clusterfish scout
9 No encounter
10 Cave mouther
12 Quartz-Reapers (distant)
13 No-men (distant)
15+ No encounter
Page 4
Bleak Shores Encounter Tables
During the nighttime hours, the shores flood to a depth of 1d10+5 ft.
Roll (3d5) Day Roll (1d8) Night

3 or less Ki Le Ba 1 or less Firmata (close)
4 No-Men (close) 2 Maleves (close)
5 Un-death Oyster 3 Clusterfish scout
6 Maleves (close) 4-5 Un-death Oyster
7 Quartz-Reapers (close) 6+ No encounter
8 Clusterfish scout
9 No encounter
11 Quartz-Reapers (distant)
12 No-men (distant)
file
14+ No encounter
Encounters
le
Cave mouther: The lead PCs happen upon a rock outcropping – not realizing its
mp
true nature. If the PCs exercise caution (by their declared actions), there is a chance
of recognizing the beast before it attacks. However, if the PCs fail to recognize the
potential threat, the cave mouther is granted a surprise action.
Sa
Clusterfish lair: The PCs spot a distant clusterfish scout return to its lair. Brazen
souls daring to follow the scout uncover the clusterfish lair at the back of a rock
outcropping.
Clusterfish scout: The PCs are attacked by a single clusterfish scout. Attacking the
scout draws the attention of a clusterfish swarm in 3d6 rounds.
Falchiona: The PCs spy the fallen avenger picking her way along the ridges. 1d100
yards distant, it is left to the PCs whether they choose to announce themselves,
track the warrior back to her lair, or avoid the encounter entirely.
Firmata (close): A blazing dragonling leaps from hiding, targeting the smallest PC!
Call for an initiative roll, granting the firmata +5. If the firmata beats all the PCs,
it achieves a surprise round. Once the surprise round is resolved, roll initiative
again, per the firmata’s normal -1 modifier.
Firmata (distant): The PCs spy a large dragon-like beast, crouched atop a blazing
lava vent, some 1d20 x 10 yards distant. If the PCs reveal themselves, the firmata
cautiously inspects the PCs, closing to within pounce range (30’) and attacks. If
attacked from a distance it retreats into the ridges.
Page 5
file
Ki Le Ba: The PCs spy the ruins of Ki Le Ba’s funerary raft, and are free to inves-
tigate or ignore.
le
Maleves (close): A dark, vulture-like creature dives at the PCs from the darkness!
mp
Call for an initiative roll, granting the maleve +5. If the maleve beats all the PCs, it
achieves a surprise round, in which attempts to carry off a PC. Once the surprise
round is resolved, roll initiative again, per the maleve’s normal +2 modifier.
Sa
Maleves (distant): The PCs spy an ill-favored bird, perched atop an outcropping
some 1d5 x 100 yards distant. If the PCs take care, they can escape unnoticed.
However, if the PCs reveal themselves (or simply fail to take basic precautions like
concealing light sources) the maleve takes to wing and tries to snatch away one of
the PCs.
Memoesparks: The PCs happen upon a volcanic vent that offers warmth in the
dark, underworld nights. 1d2+1 memoesparks hover in the air like embers buoyed
aloft by the heat.
No-Men (close): The PCs mistakenly pass too close to a hidden no-man tunnel.
1d10+4 insectile humanoids leap from concealed passages, attacking the unfortu-
nate characters.
Call for an initiative roll, granting the no-men +5. If the no-men beat all the PCs,
they achieves a surprise round. Once the surprise round is resolved, roll initiative
again, per the no-men’s normal +3 modifier.
No-men (distant): The PCs spy stick-thin figures, 1d100 x 10 yards distant. Con-
sult the table under no-men for activity.
Page 6

Sample

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Sample

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Sample

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

CREATURES AND LAIRS IN the center of aereth

By Steven Bean, Daniel J. Bishop, Tim Callahan, Stephen Newton,

the first and final arbiter of your game.

T he lands at the center of Áereth are home to scores of shining city-

Blood Heaths Encounter Tables

Roll (3d5) Day

Roll (3d5) Day Roll (1d8) Night

You might also like