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

Hex Crawl 23 #24: Gushkin the Hermit

Two hexes northeast, one southeast of Alakran.

 

Back when people used to live around here, some of them knew of an eccentric, the Old Man of the River Crossing. The hooded, white-bearded hermit could be seen from the ancient diorite bridge that carried Nama'a the Road of Flowers over the Shi-Ar -- pottering around the river at dusk, dawn, or in the maddening hours of the high summer day. Some saw him disappear from sight like the far reflections that shimmer in the air above the furnace sands. Others saw him talking to the birds. If any had dealings with him, nobody wished it to be known.

Even after disaster and invasion, the Old Man remains in his usual haunts and ways. Gnolls and Khilan lizard-raiders have tried at times to slay him or shake him down for treasure, but he always gets away, though not in ways the proud like to repeat. Sometimes he disappears as if he was never there. Other times he turns into a goldfinch, and though the archers may swear they hit the target as it flew away, their arrows never fell it. 

The hermit has no time for ruffians, but allows heroes to approach. He gives his name as Gushkin, and is a kindly soul, fond of animals. He hears and tells news about the enemies and defenders of the land. What's more, he gives wise advice about the likely success of enterprises aimed at the liberation of Dulsharna from the yoke of Chaos. He has the power to speak in the mind of those he trusts from afar.

Who is, or was, Gushkin? That was not revealed until the very last session of the Game of Bronze, so I will hold that knowledge for some time here. It can be seen, however, that he possesses great power, but has his reasons not to use it directly in the struggle for the land. His dwelling, if he has one, has never been found.