Hex Crawl 23 #125: Shabana's Lair

Two hexes northwest, four hexes north of Alakran.

 

Shabana is the third young brass dragon to be found in the region. The amicable third wheel in the relationship between Berenjeli and Ruyina, she has always been smitten with love for the male dragon but became resigned to reality. So she makes her home here, miles away, in a deep cave tunneled into the cleft base of an outthrust spur of the Scarp, with a sheer drop at the end defying all intruders who do not fly. Beyond it is her bed, made of 50,000 copper coins; she has no other treasure, for any items or objects that do not contribute to her comfort she gives away to those who can better use them. Shabana will refer to unknown and unseen "servants" and "guardians" who protect her treasure but in truth, only superstition and fear of the dragon herself have kept her bed unruffled over the years.

Shabana is less arch and aloof than the other two, more earnest and helpful. She sees the few farmers who toil the Dhuga's slopes to the north and west as her responsibility, and does what she can to protect them. These farmers, on the other hand, are terrified of the dragon. They observe a taboo on even mentioning her, referring instead to "a bright shining cloud." 

When the Band of Bronze visited her she acceded to their request, and took the sandwalker Nura, the soldier Hak-Bina, and the fairy jerboa Oelita on a breathtaking aerial ride at sunset that revealed all the lands for miles around on both sides of the Scarp. However, doings on the other side of the great natural wall are not her concern; the dragon law prevents her from interfering in territory ceded to Chromatic dragon influence, and the tragedy of those lands is too terrible for her tender heart to observe.

Hex Crawl 23 #85: Ruyina and Berenjeli

 One hex southwest, four northwest of Alakran.

 

A cave mouth, round and black, is set among the western hillsides of this hex and can only be seen by travelers directly to its east. It is the lair -- not extensive, but cozy -- of a mated pair of speaking brass dragons. Her name is Ruyina and his is Berenjeli.

The two are playful and kind to well-intentioned folk, loving jokes and wordplay, but their kindness stops short of actual generosity. Even so, they are deadly serious about their job of defending eastern Wahattu from enemy dragons in the Draconomachia, and are faithful clients of Gushkin. With their eyes on the horizon, they are prone to dismiss smaller threats, such as the harpies next door.

For treasure, they have a great stash of copper coins and bars hidden under a sand pit in the back of their cave, which is worth over 20,000 gp in this metal-starved epoch. They also know of the copper deposit to the southwest, and often go there to lick at the ore, which is tasty to them. Another treat for Ruyina is zinc, and they will dip into their much smaller stash of gold (about 500 gp in a sack) to purchase objects of that metal. Ruyina's zinc cravings are due to a secret -- she is pregnant with a clutch of eggs, which she will lay in about a year, and needs to eat copper and zinc for the growing brood.

Hex Crawl 23 #44: Gushkin's Stash and Secret

Two hexes northeast, two southeast of Alakran.

 

The southeast corner of this otherwise unremarkable stretch of dry plain marks the beginning of a long ridge of sandstone formations. Somewhere in one of its crannies, tucked away out of casual sight, is an orange boulder that covers a small cave, ceiling at crouching height.  In that near-impossible to find place, is a fabulous treasure.

• Twelve golden oblong tablets, inscribed on both sides in dense Draconic script. As objects, each is worth 800 gp, but if their true meaning is known, their value is five times that - although few but kings can afford that price.
• A blue-white pearl as big as a human head, another legendary treasure worth 25,000 gp.
• Urns containing 8700 gold coins of the first Urig epoch, many thousands of years old.
• 40 fabulous pieces of golden jewelry from the first and second epochs, worth in total, 150,000 gp.
• Four amber stones carved with guardians of the four compass quadrants, with 500 gp each. They create a zone of protection from evil if placed perfectly aligned with their directions in a square 5' wide.
• An oil and a potion, both of which grant invulnerability to physical damage for 3 hours.
• A philtre that brings prophetic dreams to the good-aligned, but creeping madness to any other (no save if evil).
• Nine alabaster tablets with gold lettering in the priestly language. Each is a scroll that, if read properly, casts one of the nine level 7 cleric spells.

This treasure belongs to the hermit Gushkin (hex #24) who is attuned to the pearl and will certainly seek justice if he feels its location change. For Gushkin is a shapeshifting ancient gold dragon. Not just any ancient gold dragon -- a judge bound by eternal oaths to enforce the laws of dragonkind (the tablets) and keep the truce of the Draconomachia between good and evil dragons - about which you will learn more when another dull stretch of desert presents itself.

Gushkin's spells, castable once a day:

Sending, Forbiddance, Arcane Sword, Thunderwave, Earthquake, Teleport, Beacon of Hope, Spirit Guardians, Divine Word