Part One of a the Free DnD One Shot Adventure Based on the Conan Short Story, The Tower of the Elephant.
Contents
Part One: The Serpent's Kiss
Adventure Hook
The adventure begins in a tavern called the Serpent’s Kiss, where the players overhear a conversation about a rare jewel called the Elephant's Heart.
Read the following description as the adventure begins: You find yourselves in the Maul. A slum of the city of Arenjun where the thieves of the East hold carnival by night. Along the crooked, unpaved streets with their heaps of refuse, drunken revelers stagger. Steel glints in the shadows where wolf preys on wolf. From the darkness you hear the shrill laughter of women, and the sounds of lurid singing.
You’ve entered a ramshackle tavern called the Serpent's Kiss. Your hit, as if by a blow to the face, with the stale smells of wine and rank sweaty bodies, the clamor of drinking-jacks, fists hammered on rough tables and snatches of obscene songs. The inn is filled with a motley crew of leering kidnappers, quick- fingered thieves and swaggering sell-swords. Dim lanterns cast flickering shadows across the room revealing hidden corners and debaucherous revelers.
The Serpent’s Kiss
Once the players have had a chance to take in the tavern for a bit, read the following: You take notice of a leathery-skinned rogue sitting in a dark corner, whose bawdy jests are causing shouts of mirth.
"By Bel, god of all thieves," he says, "There’s not a thief in the city better than I, Amen-al-Aziz!”
One of the other cut-purses gathered around him shouts, “The only thing you know how to steal are women for outland slavers. You’re no true thief”
Amen-al-Aziz seems taken aback. “Stop wagging your tongue if you want to keep it. No treasure in Zamora is safe from me. Why, I even know where Ol’ Yara keeps that Gem hidden up in his tower”
Amen-al-Aziz
Amen-al-Aziz loves to talk. If the players ask the thief about the Secret of the Elephant’s Tower, a DC 12 persuasion or intimidation check will cause him to reveal what he knows.
If the players fail at intimidation, he will immediately blow out the lantern that swings overhead. At this moment all the lanterns in the inn will go out and Amen-al-Aziz and his companions will attempt to attack the players in the dark.
If the players fail at a persuasion check, they can ply the scoundrel with ale. After two flagons and some rousing conversation, he’ll be drunk and eager to talk.
If the players insult Amen-al-Aziz in any way, the Slaver will become angry. If pressed, he will blow out the lantern and he and his companions will attack the players.
Amen-al-Aziz has the same stats as a bandit in the 5e Monster’s Manual. He is joined in combat by a number of additional bandits equal to the party's size.
When questioned successfully Amen-al-Aziz reveals the following:
‘Yara the sorcerer dwells in the Elephant’s Tower with the great jewel men call the Elephant's Heart, that is the secret of his magic.’
'Give ear and learn wisdom, swine,' he says, pointing his drinking-jack at you. 'Know that in this city, there are more bold thieves than anywhere else in the world. The Elephant Tower is the silver spire that towers over the temple district. Anyone can find it. But if mortal men could have stolen the gem, be sure it would have been filched long ago.’
‘Many a thief has scaled the unmanned outer wall. But once you find yourself in the Gardens there’s no coming back. There are no guards in the gardens for a very good reason—that is, no human guards.
‘What lurks there? No one has ever returned to say. But in the watch-chamber, in the lower part of the tower, are armed men. Even if you passed the gardens, you must still pass through the soldiers or scale 150 feet up the spire to enter from above.’
Alternative Adventure Hooks
If things don’t go well for the players in the tavern, there are many ways players can learn about the Elephant's Heart and the tower. Here are a few ideas:
They could meet a Thief who attempts to rob them and gives them information in exchange for his life.
They could overhear servants from the tower talking in hushed tones in a brothel.
They could come across a girl who escaped from a nobel’s pleasure palace and is being chased by the guards. She gives them information in exchange for helping her escape.
However they find out about the Elephant’s Heart, reveal the following information:
Yara the priest dwells in his tower with the great jewel men call the Elephant's Heart, that is the secret of his power.
Many have tried and failed to steal the gem.
The outer walls and garden are unguarded by men, but some beast must lurk there. The bottom of the tower is full of guards and traps.
There is also an entrance at the top of the tower but it is a deadly climb.
Contents
Part One: The Serpent's Kiss
All maps created using Worldographer. According to our research, The Tower of the Elephant is in the public domain in the United States because it was legally published within the United States (or the United Nations Headquarters in New York subject to Section 7 of the United States Headquarters Agreement) before 1964, and copyright was not renewed. All original content Copyright 2023, Dungeon Matters.
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