E18 — Eastern Tunnels – The Price of Prophecy (Production)

Reiver's Right — E18-9

Eastern Tunnels

The final excavation route has become a corridor of living black root.

The eastern tunnels are newer than the galleries behind you. Their walls are raw, their braces still pale where axes cut them, and fresh drill marks score the stone.

Then the timber changes. Black veins crawl across the braces and vanish into the ceiling. A larger shape crouches between overturned carts while smaller root-things cling to the walls.

The Last Work Face

4 PCs: 1 Infernal Blightling + 2 Infernal Rootlings. 5 PCs: add 1 Infernal Thornling.

The blightling holds the center while rootlings use wall and ceiling routes. The optional thornling begins behind the eastern cart.

Old side branches are collapsed or filled by black roots and broken stone. The only traversable route continues to E18-10.

Source: Custom Creature

Uncommon · Medium · Fiend · Plant

Infernal blightlings are young offshoots of the corruption spreading beneath the Palakar. Their roots are slick with black sap and ember-red light glows through cracks in their bark.

Perception +8; darkvision

Languages understands Infernal and Fey but cannot speak

Skills Athletics +9, Stealth +7, Survival +8

Str +4, Dex +2, Con +3, Int -2, Wis +2, Cha -1

AC 18; Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +7

HP 42; Weaknesses vitality 3, slashing 3

Speed 25 feet, climb 20 feet

Melee ◆ Hooked Limb +11 (reach 10 feet), Damage 1d8+4 slashing.

Melee ◆ Root Lash +11, Damage 1d6+4 bludgeoning plus Grab.

Infernal Lignification A creature damaged by Hooked Limb attempts a DC 18 Fortitude save. Failure: -5-foot status penalty to Speeds until end of its next turn. Critical failure: also clumsy 1 for that duration.

Black Sap Spray ↻ Trigger: adjacent creature deals slashing or piercing damage. The attacker attempts DC 17 Reflex; failure 1d4 fire damage, critical failure double.

Source: Custom Creature

Uncommon · Small · Fiend · Plant

Infernal rootlings are newly mobile strands of the Palakar corruption: blackened roots pulled into a crouched body, their bark cracked by dull ember-red light.

Perception +6; darkvision

Skills Athletics +7, Stealth +6

Str +3, Dex +2, Con +2, Int -3, Wis +1, Cha -2

AC 16; Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +4

HP 16; Weaknesses vitality 3, slashing 2

Speed 20 feet, climb 15 feet

Melee ◆ Root Talon +8 (agile), Damage 1d6+2 slashing.

Ranged ◆ Thorn +7 (range 30 feet), Damage 1d4+2 piercing.

Hellroot Eruption ◆◆ The rootling tears open a 5-foot square within 10 feet. Creatures in that square attempt a DC 16 Reflex save. Failure: 1d4 piercing damage and the square becomes difficult terrain until the start of the rootling's next turn. Critical failure: double damage and the creature falls prone. The rootling cannot use this again for 1d4 rounds.

Source: Custom Creature

Uncommon · Medium · Fiend · Plant

A thornling is a more developed blight growth, standing roughly human height on a cage of hooked roots. Its long tendrils are dense with barbed black thorns.

Perception +7; darkvision

Skills Athletics +8, Stealth +7

Str +3, Dex +2, Con +3, Int -2, Wis +2, Cha -1

AC 17; Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +6

HP 28; Weaknesses vitality 3, slashing 3

Speed 25 feet, climb 15 feet

Melee ◆ Thorn Claw +9, Damage 1d8+3 slashing.

Melee ◆ Tendril +9 (reach 10 feet), Damage 1d6+3 bludgeoning; on a critical hit the target is pulled 5 feet.

Bramble Burst ◆◆ 15-foot cone, DC 17 basic Reflex save, 2d6 piercing damage. On a critical failure, the target also takes 1 persistent bleed damage. Recharge 1d4 rounds.

Treasure / Evidence

Abandoned Survey Board

A chalked survey board shows abandoned headings repeatedly corrected toward the same deeper point. A final notation reads: EAST FACE — HOLD LINE / HEART GROWTH / NO FURTHER CREW ENTRY.

E18 — Eastern Tunnels

Eastern Tunnels

The Last Work Face

1× Infernal Blightling

2× Infernal Rootling

1× Infernal Thornling

Abandoned Survey Board