Expanding the City of Quagmire

This post is an expansion of a previous post about X6: Quagmire. This module tries to introduce a large geographic area (the Serpent Peninsula) and several cities (Quagmire itself, Thanopolis and the Sunken City) in a 32 page module - as such it had to shorten various things and leave other details out. This post was also prompted by a discussion in the Piazza here about the module. 

The City of Quagmire in the module is a single spiral building - personally I am not sure if this qualifies as a city. I would like to expand this so that the PCs are not completely underwhelmed when they arrive with the intention of saving the inhabitants of Quagmire: “42 humans? That’s what we’ve sailed across the Known World and Sea of Dread for?!” 

The spiral tower detailed in the module is still there, and indeed this distinct shell-like style of architecture is prevalent in Quagmire: you can reuse the map given in the module for the six different towers in Quagmire that protrude above the waves. The ground of the city is now 20ft under the waves. 

Named locations on the map

The Capital Tower: This was the centre of government for Quagmire and contains the survivors, monsters and treasure as the tower detailed in the module, including the king and 42 civilians (here civilians are all normal men, 0-level humans). 

The Generals Tower: This tower holds only 20 survivors. Half of them are soldiers, the others are civilians. There were more but they suffered casualties in battles with lizard men forces

• Captain Megrain (F5, Lawful, trying to maintain discipline)
• Sergeant Tullich (F3, Neutral, wants to go out fighting, often encourages forays and counter attacks)
• Sergeant Barnin (F3, mentally exhausted and does not know what to do, very unmotivated)
• 7 x Privates (F1)

The Magisters Tower. At the top are a cabal of 10 magic users. They are selfish and have refused sanctuary to civilians. Although they have slain the kna and lizardmen that invaded the lower levels, they still are not sure where to go from here without boats, and limited food and water. 

• Magister Olbadin (MU7, Chaotic, mentally unstable and a bit paranoid)
• Junior Magister Sterria (MU5, Neutral, dislikes Olbadin, regrets shunning civilians)
• Junior Magister Pattrovia (MU5, Neutral, just wants to get out of here alive)
• 7 x Apprentice Mages (MU2)

The Priests Tower: These 12 clerics are more generous than the magic users and have taken in 55 civilians. However, they are both paranoid about retaliation from Yavdlom and also very strict in their doctrine and discipline. The civilians with them in this tower have fallen in line with the clerics orders and believe everything the clerics say. There is some frustration that none of the clerics are powerful enough to access the Create Water or Create Food spells. 

• Curate Absalon (C5, Lawful but unstable, paranoid about Yavdlom agents, very strict)
• Priest Canthor (C3, Lawful, trusts Curate Absalon absolutely, assumes he is correct about Yavdlom agents)
• Priest Pelleni (C3, Lawful, not sure about Curate Absalon but cares about civilians and wants them to survive)
• Priest Gandian (C3, Lawful, lapsed into despair and depression, is sure the gods hate this city and its inhabitants are damned)
• 8 x Acolytes (C1)

Below the clerics in the bottom of the tower there are several marine monsters, including a giant octopus and 3 giant crabs. 

The Princes Tower: This used to be the centre of Quagmires merchants and traders but it has been completely overrun by monsters. There are no human survivors but there are 20 lizard men and a lizard man leader (see below). 

The Vindicators Tower: Home of Quagmire's scouts and investigators. This tower now holds 30 civilians and 6 vindicators (4 thieves, 1 fighter, 1 magic user). They are penned up here by 3 kna and 10 lizard men in the levels below them.

• Vindicator Melmor (MU4, Neutral, want to reconnect with the other towers, is sure there are other survivors)
• Vindicator Tewmon (F3, Lawful, pious and not sure why this has happened to Quagmire)
• Vindicator Pallasath (T4, Neutral, wants to escape with or without her friends, and either get back to Yavdlom or Ierendi)
• 3 x Junior Vindicators (T1)

This gives a total of 137 civilians + 38 with character class levels, so escorting them to safety could prove quite a logistical challenge. There may well be monsters such as lizard men on the bottom levels of the standing towers, keeping the humans trapped inside. If the DM feels that the single tower given in the module is quite sufficient (either in terms of monsters to fight or civilians to rescue) then the other towers are toppled and there are no human survivors in them. A combination of more foes to defeat and more civilians to rescue means that this could get overwhelming for a small adventuring party far from a home base. Multiple trips between Quagmire and the shoreline could be feasible if they have the time and other resources (food, water etc). This means that the adventure becomes quite different from the usual dungeon-crawl. 

One option is to use diplomacy to get the more powerful residents of the towers onto the PCs side - at least some of them will be reasonable and open to suggestions - others may be harder to persuade. If these NPCs are allies rather than foes then the combat strength of the party and survivors is greatly enhanced, and the PCs become more welcome for any transport, water and food that they bring rather than their spells and swords. 

The Warehouses: These are now home to a gang of 4 Kna (see AC9 Creature Catalogue). They are hired by the lizard men as mercenaries and will attack any human they see.

The Old Docks were in use while they were partly above the water. Now there is a giant octopus patroling the piers looking for an easy meal. 

The North Gatehouse now houses 3 giant crabs that are perpetually hungry

The South Gatehouse is empty

The Temple of the Waters holds 3 kna (see AC9 Creature Catalogue) who will assist the lizard men if called on.

The Arena has now become the lair of a Sea Dragon (see AC9 Creature Catalogue or Cook Expert Rules), Shishraa the Oceanic, that has started to gather a hoard of treasure from the underwater ruins. Shishraa has no interest in the human vs lizardman conflict but simply looks out for herself, particularly food and treasure. 

Marine Lizard Men

source

These are a subrace of lizard men with faces reminiscent of marine iguanas found on the coastlines and small islands around the Serpent Peninsula. They usually mind their own business but recently they have been encouraged to attack the humans of Quagmire (possibly by the Cult of Chaos, or maybe the Serpent folk). 

In terms of combat they are exactly the same as normal lizard men, and they differ mainly in their appearance, habitats and culture. Marine lizard men can hold their breaths for up to an hour before needing to resurface, and they are excellent swimmers at ease in both salt and fresh water. Although called lizard men, a more apt name would be lizard-folk as the females are almost indistinguishable from the males and can fight along side the males just as well. 

Marine lizard men are omnivorous, capable of eating a wide range of foods including terrestrial vegetables, seaweed, fish, molluscs and mammalian flesh. The last one is proving to be particularly popular as the city of Quagmire sinks and provides plenty of floundering, drowning morsels. The lizard men are not particularly malicious - they just don't have any compassion or empathy for humans and have no problem treating them as food. 

Marine Lizard Man Leader: AC 5, Move 60ft/swim 120ft, HD 4+2 (20hp average), THAC0 15, Att 1 weapon for 1d6+2, Save F4, Ml 12, Align Neutral, XP 125

These leaders are often found in charge of bands of lizard men between 10 and 50 strong and may lead raiding parties. If the PCs encounter a raft manned by lizard men near Quagmire there may be a leader as the captain of the raft, particularly if there are more than 10 lizard men on the raft. 

Marine Lizard Man Warchief: AC 4, Move 60ft/swim 120ft, HD 8+4 (40hp average), THAC0 12, Att 1 weapon/1 tail for 1d6+3/1d4 + knock over, Save F8, Ml 12, Align Neutral, XP 650

Warchiefs are larger and meaner, standing perhaps 8ft tall. They can use their tails as a sweeping attack against their opponents legs - anyone hit by the warchief's tail takes 1d4 slam damage and must save vs paralysation or be knocked to the ground and must spend a round regaining their feet. Warchiefs are typically in charge of a tribe of over 50 lizard-folk with 2d4 marine lizard man leaders as lieutenants and bodyguards. In the X6 module there are 2 lizard man camps with 3d6x10 lizard men -  a warchief is in charge of each of these. They have survived for several decades and are wily and experienced enough not to get into unnecessary fights, typically only getting involved in critically important battles or when personally attacked. 

Apep and the Serpent People

Way back in the ancient history of Mystara there was a civilization of reptilian humanoids in what was Nithia and is now Ylaruam - the Mogreth Empire of Lizardfolk. They were led by the mysterious and malevolent serpent people. 

Apep the Serpent of Chaos

Apep was the patron deity of the Mogreth civilization, as old as Mystara itself and intimately tied to Chaos and the Sphere of Entropy. Also known as Apophis or Ouboros, it does not have any apparent gender, and seems utterly detatched from the thoughts, feelings and emotions of mortals. It only sought chaos, disorder and decay of the entire universe. In this respect it is similar to likeminded entropic immortals such as Alphaks, Orcus, Thanatos and Demogorgon. 

Apep's followers are nearly always reptilian - serpent people, lizardfolk and the like. Very few mammalian humanoids are desperate or insane enough to follow Apep. They are always chaotic and revel in disorder and destruction, though they realise they need a certain amount of structure to continue their mission - an organised army can cause more destruction than a leaderless mob. 

During the age of the Nithian Empire, the cult of Apep's main mission was not overt destruction but subversive corruption - tempting and coercing powerful members of the human nations with offers of wealth, forbidden magic and the occasional threat of horrible death. This worked very well and it is believed by some sages that the cult of Apep contributed to the collapse of Nithia around 500BC. The vile soul magic practiced by sorcerers at Allaktos  was started by the cult of Apep, possibly granted by Apep itself. This is not to say that Apep's cult was the only force of chaos in ancient Nithia, but it was certainly a major one, perhaps the preeminent faction of Chaos in Nithia. 

The Serpent People

Image by Ben Wootton, source

Name	Serpent-man
Armor Class	6 or better
Hit Dice (Avg hp)	4+4* (22hp) or better up to 20+20* (110hp)
Movement	90’/Swim 90'
No Attacks	1 weapon + 1 bite or by spell
THAC0	15 or better
Damage	by weapon/1d6+ poison or by spell
No Enc	3d4 (patrol) or more.
Save as	F4 or better
Morale	8
Alignment	Chaotic
Treasure	E
Size/Type	Medium Humanoid
Intelligence	12 (very) or better
XP value	200 or more

Serpent people look like a hybrid of human and snake, with humanoid arms and broad chests, but serpentine lower bodies without legs and a cobra-like head. Serpent people are dangerous, intelligent adversaries who can use spells as if magic users of half their actual hit dice. The most basic serpent warrior has the stats above and can use spells as if a 2nd level magic user. More advanced individuals gain hit dice and commensurate spell-casting abilities. Serpent people are adaptable as far as magic items are concerned and will pick up and use anything that a human fighter or magic user can, except anything worn on legs or feet, while some human head gear may not fit well. A typical serpent-folk will wield a battleaxe (1d8 damage) in battle. Of far more concern for opponents is their bite - anyone bitten by a serpent-man must save vs poison or suffer 2d4 damage per round until the poison is neutralized.  The venom of the serpent people is said to be quite agonizing as it kills those bitten. 

Serpent folk are quick to make use of other reptilian races - lizardmen, gatormen, even kobolds are all considered servants of the Serpentine empire, and any encounter with serpent people will include some of these other races - roll on the table below: 

Roll (1d20)	Entourage
1-4	Kobolds (1d4 per serpent folk)
5-12	Lizardman (1 per serpent folk)
13-14	Two-Headed Lizardman (1 every 3 serpent folk)
15-16	Calacorm (1 every 2 serpent folk)
17	Gatorman (1 every 4 serpent folk, from Creature Collection)
18-19	Rattler Snakeman (1 per serpent folk)
20	Lizard King (1 every 4 serpent folk, borrowed from AD&D)

The rattler snakemen mentioned in the table above are believed to be a degenerate subrace of serpent folk - not as clever or magically gifted but still useful in combat. They are believed to form their own lairs within serpent-folk strongholds. 

Serpent folk and the Serpent Peninsula

There are no more serpent people on the surface of Ylaruam - deeper below the surface where the subterranian Nithian river runs through limestone caverns in bedrock there are believed to be pockets of isolated serpent-folk, often with their lizardmen footsoldiers - the last remnants of the once-mighty Mogreth Empire. In the largest and grandest ruins of the Mogreth civilization there are undead serpentmen who lead the undead lizardmen when their resting places are disturbed. Although the modern Ylari are aware of undead lizardmen, none have encounterd the undead serpent people and lived to tell of it.  

But by far the most significant existing population of the Serpent People is on the aptly named Serpent Peninsula, south of the Great Waste of Sind. This has become the stronghold of the serpent people, particularly the southern tip of the peninsula, the Nakakande Jungle where it looks out over the enclosed sea of Dkiki Mamazzi. Here the serpent folk and their servants and slaves have erected huge imposing cities of carved stone. Interestingly some of them have pyramids similar to those found in Nithian ruins, though these ones are definitely stepped into tiers. Scholars are not certain of the significance of this. 

The population of the serpent people has not grown much - they are a long-lived, slow-breeding race that can live for up to 3 centuries each. But their servant races, particularly lizard men, have multiplied. Some explorers have had multiple encounters with lizardmen raiding around the Dkiki Mamazzi (including the sinking city of Quagmire, and this lizardman outpost here) but have not encountered the serpent people - they will often assume that the lizardmen are doing this on their own initiative, or maybe commanded by lizard kings and gator men. Very few humans have any idea that the serpent people are still the power and the intellect behind the rise of the lizardman nation in the Nakakande Jungle.  

The Lost Treasure of Captain Grigorivic

 Captain Grigorivic was one of the great pirates of the Sea of Dread a hundred years ago. From AC 891 to AC 920 he was the scourge of the seas, raiding Karameikos, Thyatis, Minrothrad and the Five Shires in his ship the Bloodied Rose. He and his crew accumulated a king's ransom in treasure - some say worth half a million gold pieces. 

In 919 he buried a large amount on an island off the Serpent Peninsula - not just some simple pit, but a carefully constructed vault built into a repurposed native temple. There were certain puzzles and traps set with specific solutions by his most trusted crewmen. Once they had set all the traps, Grigorivic killed them to keep them silent. He was the only one who knew how to circumvent the traps. 

Flint's Treasure, Jul 13, 2018 by OliverInk

He and the rest of his crew sailed away, with Grigorivic creating his own map to find the same island and native temple. Grigorivic continued his reign of piracy on the high seas in the Bloodied Rose for another year until AC 930 when his luck ran out. While trying to reach the port of Vlaad the Bloodied Rose ran into the reefs northeast of Fletcher Island and was wrecked. Captain Grigorivic went down with the ship along with with his map to the island and the native temple. 

The wreck of the Bloodied Rose is dangerous to anyone venturing inside. First of all it is under 50 feet of seawater, with only the top of the mast sticking above the waves at low tide. Anyone going down to the wreck had either be able to breathe underwater or be really good at holding their breath. Captain Grigorivic is still in charge, this time as a wight, commanding a quite literal skeleton crew with the bo'sun' and first mate as ghouls. The local wildlife is not too friendly either, with bull and mako sharks patrolling the area. However, should adventurers find their way into the captain's cabin they will find his chest which contains a decent amount of treasure in itself (acquired in the year after burying his main hoard). More importantly they will find the map that leads to the island. 

The wreck of the Bloodied Rose has been discovered by local fishermen who in turn alerted Darionus Astor, a merchant of Darokin based in Athenos who specialises in salvaging from wrecks. His team, based on the ship The Valiant Porpoise, used their Helmets of Water Breathing to dive down. They managed to confirm the identity of the ship but were then attacked by the undead crew. One diver was killed, another was injured and had to be pulled back to the Valiant Porpoise by the other two surviving divers while being chased by sharks who sensed blood in the water. 

After retreating back to Athenos for resupply and academic research, Darionus has decided the Bloodied Rose is worth another attempt, this time with adventurers who can fend off any monstrous threats. Darionus is willing to split the treasure but as a classic Darokinian he will try to negotiate the best deal, although he will refuse to help the adventurers if his cut is less than 30%. Given the treasure map could lead to much greater riches, the PCs could accept this split. 

Scenario #6: The Lizard King's Encampment

This is for characters of levels 4-7 and is set on one of the islands on the northern edge of Dhiki Namazzi, the sea between the Serpent Peninsula mainland and Thanegia Island. I hope it can be included while running X6: Quagmire, as an example of the bases used by the lizardmen to attack Quagmire and other human settlements on the islands. 

The encampment consists of an outside palisade and wooden outbuildings set against the base of a rocky cliff, and a dungeon set into the cliff.

1. Gatehouse: 3 lizardfolk are on guard here. The gates are sturdy, simple and wooden, with a sliding bar to lock from the inside.
2. Watchtowers: These are wooden structures 20' tall with 2 levels each. 2a and 2c have a lizardman each on watch at the top here, but 2b and 2d are empty. Each lizardman has a gong that he should ring if he spots trouble but each one is also asleep 50% of the time. 
3. Slave Huts, These contain human prisoners, seized from Yavdlom towns and villages, including from the city of Quagmire. The doors are locked from the outside and the slavemaster has the keys. The slaves will be grateful to be set free and even more grateful if given passage to civilised lands. If the PCs free them and help them get away from the compound they should be awarded XP according to their XP value. If treated well, Barteus and Onnoli may offer to become henchmen.
   3a. 4 normal humans,  + 1 2nd level fighter (Barteus, human male, Str 14, Int 10, Wis 8 Dex 13, Con 10, Cha 12,, hp 3 (normally 8), Al L). These are sailors captured from a Minrothrad trading ship that weighed anchor in the wrong bay. 
   3b. 4 normal humans + 1 1st L magic user (Onnoli, human female, Str 8, Int 16, Wis 10, Dex 13, Con 10, Cha 15, hp 1 (normally 3) Al N). These have been captured from the city of Quagmire and can guide PCs to the city. 
   3c. Empty
   3d. 2 normal humans (fishermen from Yavldom)
4. Dungeon guardroom: In here are 2 lizardfolk and a Calacorm. They have a gong they will ring if they encounter intruders that should alert the slavemaster in room 5
5. Slavemaster's Quarters. Here is a two-headed lizardman who is in charge of all the slaves in the compound. Underneath a loose flagstone is his treasure: 460gp, 1200sp and 3 amethyst gems worth 100gp each. 
6. Empty apart from 5 carved murals showing triumphant lizardmen defeating hapless humans. The murals are actually quite artistic (if you don;t mind the subject matter) and could sell for 100gp each, though they weigh 400lb each, 
7. 2 giant geckos are kept here as guards and pets. 
8. Lizardman living quarters: Here are 6 lizardfolk (male and female) basking near a wood-fuelled brazier 
   8a. 3 lizardfolk young 
   8b. 5 lizardfolk young 
9. Eastern bathing pool. Here is a large pool of dirty water where 2 lizardmen are wallowing to keep their skin moist. There are also 7 eggs the size of footballs around the edge of the pool. 
10. Feasting chamber. Here are the partially devoured remains of various creatures (humanoid and animals) + 2 lizardfolk and 1 giant gecko feasting on what's left of a marsh antelope. 
11. Northern bathing pool. This is the lair of 3 calacorms
12. The Deep Pool. The east side of this room is dominated by a pool of water over 20' deep. Inside lurks a giant octopus (AC 7, Mv 60'/120' swim, HD 6, hp 27, THAC0 14, Att 8 x tentacles for 1d3 each, Save F3, Ml 7, Int 2, Al N, XP 275, see Creature Collection for special rules and more details) that will lash out and attack any intruders. Inside the pool is a single exceptionally large amber gem worth 1000gp but it can only be found if someone dives in and searches the bottom of the pool (1 in 20 chance per round without underwater light, 1 in 4 chance per round with underwater light)
13. 1 gator man (AC 3, Mv 120'/180' swim, HD 7, hp 35, THAC0 13, Att 1 bite/1 weapon for 3d6/1d10+3, Save F7, Ml 10, Int 7, Al C, XP 450, see Creature Collection for more details). It wields a two-handed sword +1. In a ceramic urn up against a wall is the gator man's treasure: 4 gold ingots worth 100gp each, 360gp, 2100sp. a gold and garnet ring worth 300gp, a set of 4 silver goblets worth 80gp each and matching silver pitcher worth 200gp. The gator man is the lizard king's main muscle and battle champion. 
14. 1 two-headed lizardman + 3 normal lizardfolk
15. Weapons & stores. This room is full of boxes including various crude swords, clubs and axes, as well as construction and excavation equipment such as ropes, pick-axes, hammers and buckets.
16. Pit trap and illusory chest: The northeast part of this room is a concealed pit. In the northeast corner there is a the illusion of a treasure chest, brimming over with coins and gems. Magic detection will reveal it is an illusion, and so will trying to touch it - solid things like hands pass through it as if it were a hologram. In terms of noticing the pit, dwarves have a chance to notice the slight change in stonework and Detect Traps spell also works. Thieves get a +20% bonus on Find Traps rolls as it is not properly concealed (of course, the thief must be actively searching for traps). If anyone heavier than 50lb steps onto the trap, it opens up, dropping the creature down into a 30' deep pit for 3d6 damage. After dropping a victim in, the counterweight mechanism starts to close up the trap door (closes in 1d4+1 round) unless it is somehow wedged open. 
17. 1 Lizard king (AC 3, Mv 150'/120' swim, HD 8, hp 36, THAC0 12, Att 1 weapon for 3d6+2, Save F8, Ml 12, Int 10, Al C, XP 650, see AD&D Fiend Folio for more details)+ chest with 2000gp, 200pp and a golden crown studded with emeralds and peridots worth 1500gp. 
18. 2 giant geckos
19. 4 lizardfolk are wallowing in the western bathing pool. Dotted around are 6 football-sized eggs. 
20. Troglodyte lair: 6 troglodytes (AC 5, Mv 120', HD 2*, hp 9, THAC0 18, Att 2 claws/1 bite for 1d4/1d4/1d4 + stench [opponents in melee must save vs poison or suffer -2 to hit from nausea], Save F2, Ml 9, Int 10, Al C, XP 25). Scattered loose in a corner is the gang's treasure: 550gp, 2900sp and a bag of 5 zircon gems worth 50gp each. These troglodytes are mercenaries hired by the lizard king to keep the various inhabitants in line. However, because of the stink they cause, they have been contained in this one room and the door is kept shut in an attempt to keep the smell in. 
21. Shrine. This room contains a large pool on the south side, about 3' deep and murky and smelly. There is a shiny metal statue in the water of a grotesque lizard-toad thing about 3' high. However, it is highly electrified and anyone touching it will suffer 2d6 lightning damage. Detect Magic will show an unidentifiable aura around the statue while Detect Traps will tell the caster that the statue is a trap. However, it is magical, not mechanical so thieves cannot use find/remove traps skill. The lizardfolk and other reptilian residents believe it to be the image of a chaotic demigod and treat it with great reverence. At the base of the electrified statue is a name carved in the saurian language: "Laogzed"

Wandering monsters - Should the PCs stay in one place too long there is a 1 in 6 chance per turn of encountering wandering monsters - roll 1d10:

1-5: 1d4+1 lizardfolk

6-7: 1 calacorm

8-9: 1 giant gecko

10: 1 two-headed lizardman

Commonly used stats:

Lizardfolk (male or female): AC 5, Mv 60', HD 2+1, hp 10, THAC0 17, Att 1 weapon for 1d6+1, Save F2, Ml 10, Int 6, Al N, XP 25 

Lizardfolk Young: AC 7, Mv 60', HD 1/2, hp 2 THAC0 20, Att 1 bite for 1d2, Save NM, Ml 7, Al N, XP 5

Calacorm, AC 6, Mv 120', HD 3+3, hp 17, THAC0 16, Att 2 weapons for 1d6+1/1d6+1, Save F3, Ml 8, Int 8, Al C, XP 75

Lizard, Giant Gecko: AC 5, Mv 120', HD 3+1, hp 15, THAC0 16, Att 1 bite for 1d8, Save F2, Ml 7, Int 2, Al N, XP 50

Two-Headed Lizardman: AC 5, Mv 90', HD 4+2, hp 20, THAC0 15, Att 2 weapons/2 bites for 1d6+1/1d6+1/1d4/1d4, Save F4, Ml 10, Int 7, Al C, XP 125

My ideas about X6: Quagmire

 

I have two useful resources here: a PDF copy of X6: Quagmire and my physical copy of Champions of Mystara (CoM), especially the Explorer's Manual which gives an overview of lands in the near west of the Known World (Sind, the Great Waste, the Serpent Peninsula and Thanegia Island). It would have been nice if the folks at TSR had joined the two up a bit better but X6 was written in 1984 while CoM in 1993, between which the entire Gazetteer series had been released as well as other development of Mystara. 

CoM recognises this mismatch and quite bluntly advises DMs to use the bits of X6 they can use and discard the bits that no longer fit into the more developed Serpent Peninsula. It also recommends setting X6 at a different age (425BC instead of the current 1000AC), turning X6 into a 1-shot adventure or else requiring time travel. I am not particularly comfortable with this change in century - I would like to have it in 1000AC with the rest of my campaign. 

For me it is not just a matter of fitting the adventure into what we now accept as the Serpent Peninsula but also expanding on the possibilities. 32 page modules are small, convenient packages where an author can give to DMs the basics of an adventure, but I often feel there is potentially so much more to be explored but could not be fitted into this format. This adventure, after all, introduces a whole new region nearly 1000 miles from north to south. 

My ideas include:

The leadership of the spiral town of Quagmire has rejected the rulership of Yavdlom and denounced their rulership by fortune telling as dark witchcraft. In return, Yavdlom has withdrawn any help from these ungrateful heretics, leaving Quagmire to fend for itself. 

As in the module the two main disasters befalling the city of Quagmire are the sinking of the town and also being besieged by lizardmen who have sunk Quagmire's sailing boats, thus stranding the townsfolk in their conical town. Most of the town leadership refuse to ask Yavdlom for help, though as things have gotten worse, dissent about this attitude is growing. In desperation, the inhabitants have sent an appeal to the people of the Known World, particularly traders and adventurers in Ierendi, Sind, Darokin and Karameikos - this is the plea on the parchment read out to players. 

In my version  the nation of  Yavdlom controls Thanegia Island, but has lost control of the Serpent Peninsula to the increasing numbers of lizardmen who have taken over the Okwonga Lowlands. The towns marked on the map in the Okwonga Lowlands I now consider to be abandoned ruins. Dkiki Mamazzi (the sea between the mainland peninsula and Thanegia island) and its islands are disputed, with lizardman raiders trying to establish footholds on different islands, such as this Lizard King's Encampment. Quagmire is on the front line of this conflict.  

For the people of Quagmire the most urgent priority is food and fresh water. However, the town leadership admits that the town is no longer habitable as it is sinking into the sea, so evacuation is a second priority. This is when differences of opinion about Yavdlom surface. About half the population want to travel to Thanegia island, and try to reconcile with the prophets of Yav. But the other half, particularly the leaders, want to find a new home, perhaps further north up the peninsula.  They have heard of Thanopolis, a spiral city just like Quagmire. Unlike the official module which places Thanopolis where Tanakumba, capital of Yavdlom currently is, I'm going to move Thanopolis to where Kabonero is, on the west coast of the Nakakande Rainforest. It is still infested with monsters (I would still use the encounters in the module for Thanopolis) and needs clearing out but at least it is geologically stable and the lizardmen will not expect the humans to be there. 

Given both the quantities of food and water required and also the number of Quagmire residents to be relocated, a sea vessel seems necessary. According to the module there are 12 men, 14 women, and 16 children (42 people total). This is actually very small for the population of what is described as a city (although I describe it as a town, I am not sure if it even qualifies as that). Nonetheless, feeding and watering them then transporting them somewhere safer is going to require quite a logistical effort. 

Should there be more buildings, conically spiralled or more conventionally shaped, in either Quagmire or Thanopolis? I think for a single adventure the one spiraled construction is enough. It might be more realistic for a proper city to have maybe a dozen such structures plus other normal buildings, but the characters are far from home after a long and probably difficult voyage and are not ready for a protracted dungeon crawl. And in each building there may be more human survivors - how many refugees can the PCs cope with on their vessel? Nonetheless, should the players and DM be okay about this, then expanding the cities is an interesting project that could develop into a mini-campaign. For Quagmire, given its sinking situation, smaller building will already be fully submerged. 

The sunken city, on the western side of Dkiki Mamazzi, is interesting but is not particularly necessary for the rest of the adventure. It is out of the way of the expected paths the PCs might take, there are no human survivors there (though there is a single human captive - I'm not sure why the mermen are holding her there) and it cannot be reclaimed as a refuge for evacuees. The mermen there  do not seem like worthy adversaries. That combined with the problems associated with an underwater dungeon (breathing, fire-based spells, spellbooks getting damp) make it seem more trouble than it is worth. But rather than being a fault, I see it as an opportunity for development. This could be the heart of a major merfolk settlement. A Hulean merchant ship passing through Dkiki Mamazzi got into a fight with some mermen and lost badly. Kazandra Slagomann is the sole survivor. More importantly the mermen now take a dim view of any human ships passing through their waters, whether for trade,warfare or humanitarian efforts. The PCs need to find and negotiate with the merman king at the top of this city tower. This will require considerable diplomacy and understanding what the mermen want rather than brute force. They may even release Kazandra as a sign of goodwill and offer assistance to the people of Quagmire if negotiations go well. What would really help is dealing with a predatory band of chaotic shark-kin who have developed a taste for merfolk flesh.  

If travelling by land down the Serpent Peninsula, the PC party may pass through the land of the Ulimwengu. The Nakakande rain forest includes ruins of settlements and forts of the Sheyallia Elves, who fled after conflict with humans around 515BC. Some of these have been taken over by lizardfolk while others are haunted by the spirits of slain elves who may not be happy to see human intruders. 

The encounters given in the module are good starters, but there will also be other random encounters - either use the random encounter tables in the back of the module or else select encounters (either monstrous or environmental) suitable to both the character party and the terrain they are travelling through. I know I am nitpicking here, but the herd of wild mules should be changed to wild onagers - mules are sterile hybrids of horses and donkeys deliberately created by humans (though I would still use the combat stats for a mule). 

The new monsters at the back of the module seem underused. This may be another consequence of fitting a big wide-ranging adventure into a 32-page booklet, but it does seem odd that they give the stats and description for monsters like the pocket dragon and hunting spider but then they have no set encounter and only a single mention in the random encounters table. 

The lizardman forces include many allied races, including gatormen*, caymen*, lizard kings** and bullywugs** (frog men). Various giant lizards, crocodiles, hydras and dinosaurs have been tamed and put to use by the lizardman forces, and both black and green dragons may deign to assist in return for plenty of treasure and humans for food. Although not directly involved in this conflict with the humans, there are marine humanoids in the area as well, particularly mermen, tritons* and shark-kin*.
* see Creature Collection for stats for these species 
** see AD&D Fiend Folio for stats for these species

The lizardman forces are not exactly united. Some tribes are distinctly neutral and will only attack humans and demihumans if they either feel angry or very hungry. However, others (especially those who are led by gatormen and lizard kings) are chaotic in alignment and can be very cruel and rapacious towards any not of their own species. This can be seen in their spellcasters - neutral lizardfolk have druid-like shamans who draw their powers from the natural world and cast spells focused on animals, plants and the elements. Chaotic lizardfolk shamans are closer to chaos cultists in the magic they work. 

I was thinking of including converted creatures from Warhammer Fantasy Battle's Lizardman army books and they can certainly be used for inspiration. In Warhammer the lizardmen are actually opposed to Chaos, so I would put them with the neutral lizardfolk. Skinks, sauruses, cold ones and even slann could be found in ancient pyramidal cities deep in the Nakakande jungle. Of course, just because the Slann are opposed to Chaos does not rule out their own inscrutable motives for sending their lizardman armies against human settlements such as Quagmire. 

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The sinking of Quagmire could be investigated. Is this a natural phenomenon and why has it started recently? Is it either caused by mortals (is it even possible to undermine a construction like Quagmire?) or perhaps immortals? Certainly some of the inhabitants, unhappy with the schism between Quagmire and Yavdlom, believe the sinking of Quagmire is divine retribution for turning their backs on the prophets of Yav. Given the high-fantasy nature of Mystara, some might even look for ways to reverse the sinking and stabilise the town, though this may require powerful magic. 

Although not directly connected to the module, the island of Thanegia is quite substantial in size and population, and although the people of Yav have removed the worst monsters, there are plenty of wild animals including dinosaurs roaming what I consider to be borderland jungle and swamp (not quite wilderness, not quite civilised). Rogue dinosaurs, bandits, outbreaks of werepanther lycanthropy (treat as weretigers but chaotic not neutral) and jungle kobolds (a subrace of kobolds particularly skilled at climbing trees) are all potential hooks for adventures. Perhaps the Cult of Chaos from Hule has subverted and corrupted native Yavs and established cult cells here?  And also watch out for the two types of ape. The dakons are quite intelligent and only attack if provoked, but the carnivorous apes live up to their name and are the reason apes have a reputation for savagery and ferocity.

The great prophet Yav is treated as a Lawful Saint in this campaign - he has achieved immortality and can grant spells to cleric followers.