Sepulchre of the Swamp Witch

Map: MBC_Sepulchre-of-the-Swamp-Witch_MAP.JPEG (source folder)

A murdered messenger wearing mad King Fathmu IX's crest was found in a ditch. On him: forbidden words for the Dead Root Altar inside the Sepulchre of the Swamp Witch - words that fulfill any wish. Even stopping the approaching Doom is not outside the powers of that altar. The PCs just need to get past the Strange Serpent Drug Cult of Ueth lairing in the ancient tomb and reach the altar.

Rumours (d6 - what you also heard)

The Strange Serpent Drug Cult

Ueth the Scalehunter found the Emerald Serpent while intoxicated by fungus-and-swamp-water brew. Stunned, he did nothing as the serpent bit him - brew and venom mixed into a permanent hallucinogen in his bloodstream. He had visions of sacred snakes promising eternal happiness after the world's end. All he must do is spread a message of love and joy until then, and sacrifice to the serpents every three days. He returned to Nechdorf preaching happiness, love, sex, and drugs. A few villagers joined him. The rest were later kidnapped and sacrificed in the name of eternal love.

The Sepulchre - Eleven Chambers

Paths invisible to those without Emerald Venom in their blood are marked EV below. The cult's drug-key is delivered by Emerald Serpent bite at the entrance - fire burns colours never seen before (jale, dolm, ulfire), spectral leaf buds grow from dead matter, -1 initiative, fumble on 1-3 for the duration of the 7-day-long high.

1. Sunken Entrance

• Stone gate standing in 5 feet of green water.
• A large Emerald Serpent sits on a floating leaf. She speaks: the door opens only to those who allow her to bite them.
• Half-truth - her bite injects hallucinogenic venom that also works as a key, but the door opens if she's slain. She attacks anyone trying to force it.

2. Cult Common Hall

• Upward slope leads to a moist cave with crappy furniture and puddles of swamp water. Smells of algae, mold, burnt bread.
• 50% chance d4+3 cultists are present, dining on bread and grilled gator.
• The path to the Scalehunter's Chamber (4) is invisible to those unaffected by Emerald Venom until someone who sees the path steps into it. The same applies to all further EV doors and portals.
• EV: Sparks in the puddles, new green leaves growing from the rock ceiling, a shining pathway to room 4.

3. Cult Bedroom

• Twenty or so mold-covered straw mattresses.
• d6+4 resting cultists who assume the party belongs here unless they are blood-splattered or charging.
• EV: A large spectral lizard rests atop a green pillow in a corner. If approached, it lazily retreats into the wall and disappears. The pillow is a pouch with 2d4 x 10 silver.

4. Scalehunter's Chamber

• Small openings only visible on Emerald Venom.
• Dried gators hang from the ceiling. Snake-drawings in bodily fluids on the walls. Well-used mattresses.
• Among the dirty rags: a scroll with Ueth's gospel on one side and the Power Slithering Strangulation on the other.
• EV: Three large snakes slither upside-down on the ceiling. They do not wish to be disturbed and respond to threats by attacking twice the same round for D4 damage and then disappearing.

Unclean Scroll - Slithering Strangulation: D4 rainbow-coloured, ethereal boa constrictors emerge from the ground and capture one creature each for D8 rounds, dealing D2 damage each round. Attacking a constricted creature in melee comes with a 50% risk of the snake changing target to the attacker.

5. Worship Hall

• Stained blankets on the floor - Ueth's gospel of free love is practiced here.
• Among them: a ruby ring inscribed Klopstock - worth 200 silver to most merchants, but 5x as much to the only surviving Klopstock family member in Schleswig.
• Three large metal cages with five starved prisoners, horrified and ripe for sacrifice. Travelers and nearby villagers with nothing but a will to be set free.
• d4+2 Forked-Tongue Devotees guard the sacrifices. 50% chance they're joined by d4 regular cultists enjoying themselves.
• EV: Paths to the Snake Pit and the Scalehunter's Chamber appear as a portal of green vines and a crevasse behind a flutter of butterflies, respectively.

6. Snake Pit

• Grime-covered stone altar above a 20-foot pit full of snakes. Walls and ceiling covered in dead roots.
• A Forked-Tongue Devotee is feeding the snakes.
• Most serpents are harmless and won't come near open flame - exempting another Emerald Serpent who warns anyone without Emerald Venom in their blood that they won't reach their goal without letting him bite them.
• Underneath the snakes: a dozen human skeletons. A protrusion in the pit wall looks like a stone block from above and hides a narrow tunnel to the Hidden Ferns (8).
• EV: A giant snake's head with a vertical mouth in the northern wall. If approached, it telepathically informs the PCs that Ueth forbids any cultist from going farther. It opens its mouth, allowing passage to the Garden if someone claims to not be a cultist or not care about the rule.

7. Garden

• Luminescent flowers grow from the ceiling.
• Strange ancient symbols carved into the walls.
• Ground covered in (mostly human) skulls. A few are wide and violet with three eye sockets and a mouth capable of swallowing a person whole.
• Hidden among them: a small bag with 750 silver worth of gems.
• EV: The shifting symbols become a familiar alphabet: "The eternal avatar here guards, protecting both those above and below from famine, plague, war, death and extinction." A giant flower opens, revealing the path toward the Hidden Ferns.

8. Hidden Ferns

• Luminescent ferns cover the ground and walls.
• The Croaking Trident is hidden beneath ferns along the east wall.
• Venomous adders guard the path from the Snake Pit, attacking anyone unaffected by Emerald Venom. Agility DR12 or be bitten for D4 damage.
• EV: Dead ethereal snakes are piled along the east wall, especially atop the Croaking Trident.

The Croaking Trident: Two-handed, surrounded by pandemonic energy. D10 regular + D4 pandemonic damage. Each living creature slain gradually turns the wielder into a mad amphibian humanoid. Subtle at first, but after 5 kills the bulging eyes, slimy sweat, and skin discoloration are noticed. At 8 kills the wielder has a natural -D2 armor due to rubbery skin and croaks between their words. At 13 kills the transformation is complete - nothing remains but chaotic amphibian rage, madness, and violence.

9. Tomb

• A cloud of moths fills the room. On closer inspection: just circling.
• A ring of 13 obelisks carved with endless spiraling snakes surrounding -
• A lidless and empty sarcophagus.
• The Swamp Witch floats 2 feet from the ground at the far end, obscured by moths.
• EV: A whirlwind of colours, most previously unknown and alien. The droning noise of hundreds of souls screaming in ultra-slow motion fills the room. Tentacles of pulsing light grow from the sarcophagus toward the corridors leading to the Dead Root Altar and Downward Spiral.

10. Dead Root Altar

• Walls, ground, and ceiling covered in dead roots. A group of roots stand up, shaped like an altar.
• Lost symbols are carved into the altar.
• Loose bits of dead wood, vaguely resembling humans, are spread around the room.
• It is dead silent: not a fly lives here.
• It's possible to squeeze through a pair of roots on the south wall into a tight passway to the Hidden Ferns.
• EV: The altar is surrounded by a golden glow. Small budding leaves are spread on all roots, but the loose bits of wood are completely dead and barren. The altar reads: "Without cost, no wish comes true. Make a pledge unwilling, and reality bends for you. Stay then silent."

11. Downward Spiral

• A black pit with a narrow ledge circling it downwards and downwards and downwards.
• If the Swamp Witch is alive and the altar is intact, a magical barrier blocks anyone from going farther down than 30 feet.
• Two antediluvian, three-eyed, humanoid toads - Srolki & Yaoxl - stand guard, hidden 50 feet below.
• They are willing to do almost anything to get their hands on the Croaking Trident.
• If the barrier is broken and one lives to tell the tale, more of their kind will appear in the area over the next d20 days.
• Further down: great caverns, and somewhere deep, entire cities of these creatures.
• EV: Bubbles slowly rising from the pit. Almost sounds like waves in the distance. An opaque shining green barrier blocks the path.

Wishes - The Dead Root Altar

A wish made while an unwilling human is sacrificed on the altar somehow comes true. Phrasing matters. The GM is encouraged to find loopholes and complications - asking for riches may result in stolen treasures someone already seeks. Asking for the world not to end only delays the inevitable - do not roll on The Calendar of Nechrubel the next time a Misery is supposed to activate. No matter the wish, the sacrifice dies screaming as their soul is pulled into the altar. All that remains is dead wood.

Roll d6 for what happens after a wish:

Willing sacrifices are punished. A character giving themselves up for the greater good is thrown into the air for d10 damage, while the wish-maker tests Toughness DR16 or suffers 2d8 damage and is paralyzed for d6 rounds. This also angers the Swamp Witch, who appears, sword in hands.

Stat Blocks

Emerald Serpent

Floating sentinel at the gate.

HP 8 Morale - No armor Attack: Bite D2 + Emerald Venom

Lightning reflexes. Attacks thrice each round. Melee attacks against her use Agility DR16 instead of Strength.

Emerald Venom. Toughness DR12 or be afflicted (no test if willingly bitten). 7-day hallucinogenic high - chromatic vision, fire in jale, dolm, ulfire, spectral leaves growing from dead matter, kaleidoscopic nature singing for you. -1 initiative, fumble on 1-3. Sees the cult's hidden paths.

Strange Serpent Drug Cultist

Drug-addled bread-and-gator eater.

HP 4 Morale 4 Gatorskin vestment -D3 Attack: Knife or club D4

Drug-addled. Immune to mind-affecting powers. The cultists recognize Emerald Venom in people; assume the party are new disciples if more than two are tripping. If so, friendly or helpful; otherwise, roll Reaction. They know plenty about an altar and fulfilled wishes but are wary to speak.

Forked-Tongue Devotee

Most fanatic of Ueth's followers. Burning passion. Wicked lisp.

HP 9 Morale 9 Gatorskin hood and vestment -d4 Attack: Forked dagger D4 + poison, or Viper spit (Agility DR12 or blinded)

Poison. Toughness DR10 or become infected and drowsy. All attack and defense DR +2 for D4 hours. Viper spit. Agility DR12 to avoid being blinded D3 rounds.

Ueth the Scalehunter

Permanently-high cult leader. Real-deal believer.

HP 20 Morale 6 Gatorskin robe -D4 Attack: Jagged spear D8 + bleed

Bleed. D2 damage every round for d4 rounds after being hit by the spear. Ignores armor.

Ueth wants newcomers to join him in worship. If unwilling, he subdues them for sacrifice. If morale breaks, he flees to the Worship Hall (5) for cultist aid. He has heard rumours of the Swamp Witch buried somewhere here but has not gone farther than the Garden, where he felt threatened and turned back.

The Swamp Witch

Scraggy figure dressed in a green robe. Multi-coloured scales instead of skin. Where her head should be: black smoke and two bright diamond eyes. A shining greatsword longer than she is on her back. She floats.

HP 30 Morale - Ethereal barrier -D4 Attack: Lunar Zweihander D12 + radiance

Radiance. The Lunar Zweihander is made from moonlight, ignores all non-magical armor, and each hit fills the room with radiant light. Everyone within 50 feet tests Presence DR12 or takes D4 damage.

Eternal. As long as the Dead Root Altar stands, the Swamp Witch does not die at 0 HP - she evaporates and reforms in the sarcophagus with full health 3D6 rounds later. Should she truly die, the Emerald Serpents, the barrier blocking the Downward Spiral, and all Emerald Venom hallucinations disappear forever.

She communicates telepathically - whispers or screeches. She would very much enjoy seeing the party make a wish and pledge at the altar, whispering seductive promises if they just find an unwilling person to pledge. Would all members of the party truly be missed in this world?

Srolki

Antediluvian three-eyed humanoid toad. Guardian of the Spiral.

HP 25 Rubbery skin and Metal armor -D6 Attack: Claws D6 x2 and Bite D10 or Croak

Slimespeed. Attacks twice each round with claws and bites, or croaks once. Attack and defence tests are DR14 against Srolki. Croak. A loud croak stuns and deafens anyone within 20 feet unless they test Presence DR12.

Yaoxl

Antediluvian three-eyed humanoid toad. Power-wielder.

HP 27 Rubbery skin -D3 Attack: Ranseur of the Maelstrom D10 + drain

Drain. The ranseur transfers D4 HP from the target to Yaoxl on each hit. Powers. Can wield the following Powers up to D3 times per day each: Metzhuotl Blind Your Eye, Nine Violet Signs Unknot the Storm, and Roskoe's Consuming Glare.

Srolki and Yaoxl have guarded this pit for centuries, during which they have been partners, enemies, lovers, and allies.