Greyhawk Cities – Zulpar (Underdark)
On the World of Oerth, many stories are told of the lands of Greyhawk, the creatures and adventurers who inhabit these stories become legend.
This week we delve into Zulpar, a lair of Illthid-Mind Flayers in the Underdark, beneath the Rakers mountain range in the north east.
Notes about the region : This area of the Underdark is cool in temperature and smells of mushrooms. It is the lair of some Illithids/Mind Flayers, their Duergar servants and Hobgoblin thralls.
The amount of opposition for the quests below (or just exploring the area) is up to the Gamemaster, however the Mind Flayers will try to capture people, food and slaves are more useful than corpses to them.
Shrine for the Incabulous cult is the most western house, which appears as rough cut rock home.
The Alchemists workshop is on the south eastern side, with various colored fumes swirling around the area.
Suggested Opposition : For every Mind Flayer, there will be 2 Duergar and 10 Hobgoblins.
5th-7th level party : 3 Mind Flayers, 6 Duergar, 30 Hobgoblins.
8th+ level party : 9 Mind Flayers, 18 Duergar, 90 Hobgoblins.
Keep in mind the Duergar and Hobgoblins will protect their own kind over the others, and will flee the Mind Flayers control given opportunity.
The Duergar will also keep control of the area (and the slaves) if the Mind Flayers are removed.
The Mind Flayers care little for the slaves, but know other creatures have higher values. They will not fight to the death.
Tunnel : The caverns between the surface and Zulpar require 3 hours to 3 days travel, depending on how much Underdark exploration the group wants in the campaign.
Potential Allies, Contacts, Rivals
- 5e D&D : Clerics-Darkness domain. Working against surface nations and peoples.
- Pathfinder : Alchemists, Duergar. Poisoners and Bombers.
Further out from this area (but still in the Underdark of Oerth) …
- East : Tunnels leading up to coastal sea caves near Loftwood. Some chambers are infested with Vampiric Mist.
- West : Many long east-west tunnels with deep chasms running north-south. Gremlin and Vegepygmy tribes litter the area.
- South : Series of larger and larger caverns as you near the surface. Some tunnels to Gnome towns. One area has a clan of Skulks.
These Quests can be linked to the north eastern cities of Marner, Knurl or Djekul.
Plot One : It’s a kind of magic
- Recruiter/Reward : Mind Flayers.
- Quest : Gather thralls. During a festival a sleep ritual goes off, putting 100 people to sleep, and the Hobgoblins (Mind Flayer minions) kidnap the people to become new thralls-taking them to Zulpar in the Underdark.
- Hobgoblin archers have pinned down some of the militia in the surface town during the ritual.
- Non-Combat Challenge – Stopping 100 people from being kidnapped and getting them back.
- Traps : Carrion Crawler gets released. (They may be diverted to target others by clever PCs however)
- Curve Ball – Duergar alchemists are willing to betray their Mind Flayer masters for a price.
Plot Two : Hammer to fall
- Recruiter/Reward : Mind Flayers. 1,000 Gp and a 6 person Folding boat.
- Quest : Heroes wake up in a cave, their captors insist they raid a Kuo-toa island, as the Illithids can’t do it-they avoid the sunshine.
- They explain the Kuo-toa think their island is hidden and the heroes will have the element of surprise. If the heroes say no they are free to go back to town. The Illithids will raid the town every night and take prisoners until they find a group willing to raid the Kuo-toa.
- Non-Combat Challenge – Stormy weather this time of year… also blood in the water attracts sharks.
- Traps : Drop Nets in two locations, either in Mind Flayer lair or on the Kuo-toa island.
- Curve Ball – Evil Clerics (either Mind Flayers or Kuo-toa) seek the PCs doom.
Want more Greyhawk?
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Twitch – https://www.twitch.tv/greyhawkchannel
Greyhawk Channel – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBR-a2i_-duuw-RUNztOmZw