Black Dragon

Black dragons are evil-tempered, cunning, and malevolent, characteristics that are reflected in their crafty, sinister faces. Black dragons are sometimes known as skull dragons because of their skeletal faces. Adding to the skeletal impression is the gradual deterioration of the hide around the base of the horn and the cheekbones. This deterioration increases with age and does not harm the dragon. On hatching, a black dragon's scales are thin, small, and glossy. As the dragon ages, they become larger, thicker, and duller, helping it camouflage itself in swamps and marshes.

Stirge

Stirges are batlike creatures that feed on the blood of living things. While just one poses little danger to most adventurers, multiple stirges can be a formidable threat. A stirge's coloration ranges from rust-red to reddish-brown, with a dirty yellow underside. The proboscic is pink at the tip, fading to gray at its base. A stirge's body is about 1 foot long, with a wingspan of about 2 feet. It weighs about 1 pound.

A stirge attacks by landing on a victim, finding a vulnerable spot, and plunging its proboscis into the flesh. This is a touch attack that can target only Small or larger creatures. If a stirge hits with a touch attack, it uses its eight pincers to latch onto the opponent's body. An attached stirge is effectively grappling its prey. An attached stirge can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached stirge through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the stirge.

A stirge drains blood when it begins its turn attached to a victim. Once it has had enough, it detaches and flies off to digest the meal. If its victim dies before the stirge's appetite has been sated, the stirge detaches and seeks a new target.

Monstrous Centipede

Monstrous centipedes tend to attack anything that resembles food, biting with their jaws and injecting their poison.

A monstrous centipede has a poisonous bite. The details vary by the centipede's size, but always affect the victim's Dexterity.

Monkey

Colobus or capuchin are arboreal monkeys that are no bigger than a housecat.

Monkeys generally flee into the safety of the trees, but if cornered can fight ferociously.

THE LOTUS AND THE DRAGON (days 20-21)

After the Tropic Thunder escaped from Parrot Island, it wasn't too long before they heard the latest news that was tearing through Sasserine - namely, that old Keltar Islaran, the harbormaster of Sasserine, had been murdered! Details of how the deed was done vary wildly - the only thing that the rumor mill seemed to agree on was that he was killed in his bed late the previous night and that the body was left in an especially gruesome state of evisceration.

Lavinia greeted the Tropic Thunder with relief, accompanied by Cyq, an old family acquaintance whom she had hired to find out what happened to them. She gladly payed for a potion of lesser restoration to fix Grunk up. She reacted with shock and despair when the Tropic Thunder showed her Penkus' note and told her that Vanthus was the one who sealed them into the caves, yet quickly steeled her emotions. She was not willing to admit that Vanthus is beyond redemption, and asked the heroes to capture him alive. Cyq joined the Thunder in this endeavor, since he has a personal interest in seeing Vanthus come to justice alive. If Vanthus made this impossible, though...Lavinia only asked that his death be merciful and quick.

Although the Lotus Dragons haven't yet publicly declared their power, word of them has already spread through Sasserine. The Tropic Thunder gathered the following information on them.

Vicros learned form the Seekers that the Lotus Dragons are a new guild of thieves - they seem to be a lot more organized than the other fly-by-night guilds that have been popping up over the past few years.

Graim and Harold hear that they have more than people working for them; they've got ties to animal smugglers, and keep the worst of the lot in their guildhall as guardians.

From Penkus' note, the Tropic Thunder sought out the Taxidermist's Guildhall, which Lavinia pointed out to them. A relatively modest building, there are two entrances - the front door into the showroom opens into Water Street and a locked service entrance from Dead Dog Alley that opens into the workshop.

The Taxidermist's Guild is ran by a lanky, middle-aged man with a gold tooth and a penchant for looking down his nose at customers.He is a pleasant enough fellow as long as he suspects visitors are here to buy, but quick to anger otherwise. He spends most of his time in his workshop - his current project is a partially completed jaguar.

When the Tropic Thunder entered the showroom, they were confronted with dozens of expertly stuffed and preserved animals, ranging from parrots, monkeys, and bats to more exotic creatures like a monstrous centipede, a stirge, and even a black dragon wyrmling. A bell near the door bears a short sign - "Ring for Service".

When the taxidermist met the Tropic Thunder in the showroom, he tried to ascertain their interests quickly and bluntly - all of the stuffed creatures on display are for sale, with prices ranging from 5 gp for a bat up to 500 gp for the stuffed dragon. As soon as he realized that the heroes weren't really there to buy or commission his work, he asked them to leave, saying he was a busy man, who had no time for solicitors.

The first time the Tropic Thunder came to the Lotus Dragons' attention (probably as a result of gathering information or a visit to the Taxidermist's Guildhall), a single Lotus Dragon approached Cyq on a bar and slipped him a note, threatening him with bodily harm if they continued to investigate them. Cyq spotted the thief planting the note, who tried to flee. Cyq managed to incapacitate him and accused him of pickpocketing, which got the thief arrested.

The same night, the Tropic Thunder broke into the Taxidermist's Guildhall. None of the doors in the guildhall were locked, yet neither do any of the rooms held anything suspicious that might tie the taxidermist to the Lotus Dragons. When he discovered the heroes snooping, he flew into a rage and demanded they leave at once. He did not attack until threatened by Pillboxer.

The taxidermist was sure of his skills and confident in his magic, at least until he suffered any damage. His first action in combat was to cast invisibility. On the following round, he cast an illusion to make it appear that all the stuffed animals in the room were coming to life, hoping to trick the Tropic Thunder into wasting resources. He maintained the illusion as long as it was working, after which he cast another illusion of himself running away, hoping to trick the heroes into leaving. When found out by Pillboxer, he cast defensive spells as best he could before he was defeated by the Thunder.

Elemental Gem

This gem contains a conjuration spell attuned to a specific Elemental Plane (Air, Earth, Fire, or Water). When the gem is crushed, smashed, or broken (a standard action), a Large elemental appears as if summoned by a summon nature's ally spell. The elemental is under the control of the creature that broke the gem.

The coloration of the gem varies with the type of elemental it summons. Air elemental gems are transparent, earth elemental gems are light brown, fire elemental gems are reddish orange, and water elemental gems are blue-green.

Moderate conjuration; CL 11th; Craft Wondrous Item, summon nature's ally V; Price 2,250 gp.

Elixir of Swimming

This elixir bestows swimming ability. An almost imperceptible magic sheath surrounds the drinker, allowing him to glide through the water easily (+10 competence bonus on Swim checks for 1 hour).

Faint illusion; CL 2nd; Craft Wondrous Item, creator must have 5 ranks on the Swim skill; Price 250 gp.