Ex-gladiators

Description: “Its hot enough to boil an erdlu egg on a mul’s head. Its so hot, the horizon melts into the sky in the distance. You can feel your exposed skin baking like food in an oven and you can taste the salty air on your chapped lips. It is eerily silent, discounting the light wind in your ears. You and your group have progressed to the point of whispering to each other rather than disturb the tranquility. Besides, it helps save the parched throat and voice.”

There is a group of raiders in the area. They are ex-gladiators who have set up a small base camp here in these salt flats. They are from the second nearest city-state. Chances of a surprise during the day are unlikely. If the encounter comes at night, there is a 50% chance that one group has a chance to surprise the other. On a 01-50, the NPCs have been following the PCs’ footprints and will attempt to sneak up to a close enough distance to surprise the party. On a 51-00, the party sees a set of recent footprints going in a similar direction to their traveling. If the PCs decide to avoid the trail, the encounter ends.

The ex-gladiators will attack the PCs on sight unless the PCs get a good roll on Table 59: Encounter Reactions (DMG p103). In which case, they will approach the party carefully, checking for templars or any other agents of a sorcerer-king or noble. They will most likely accept a surrender or deal from the party - except the thri-kreen, who will refuse to spare an elf that has infringed on the ex-slaves’ area.

Roxy (male mul/6th-level gladiator/CG)
AC 6; MV 12; hp 56; THAC0 14 (15, 13); #AT 1; Dmg 1d6/1d8-1 (carrikal), 1d6+1/1d4+1 (razor); SA/SD +/-4 punch/wrestle; SZ M (6’3”); ML 16 S 14, D 12, C 16, I 9, W 10, Ch 8 {saves: 11 13 12 13 14}
Equipment: stone carrikal [spd 5], bone wrist razor+1 [1], leather armor [AC=8], shield [+1AC]
Psionics Summary: Nil, MAC 10
Proficiencies/S&P: Kit: Outlaw. Traits/Disadvantages: glibness. Non-Weapon Proficiencies: rope use, set snares, survival (salt flats), tracking, fire-building, riding, animal lore, bowyer/fletcher, hunting, running, local history, disguise, tumbling. Weapon Proficiencies: standard, weapon & shield style.
XP: 120

Description: Middle-aged with many gaps in his teeth and hulking with his broad-shoulders thrust back to push his muscular chest forward. Fast, loud voice. Heavily scarred body with one cheek tattooed with black markings. Back is covered in whip scars.

Argumentative, overbearing, and hard-hearted from years of constant fighting, Roxy sees this encounter as a need for the PCs to pay for passage through his group’s domain. They could pay with their lives and everything they own and that would be the best and most simple way, but the risk to his group would be less if the party could pay with a half-dozen items - weapons or the like. These ex-slaves do not need money.

Alaina (female human/4th-level gladiator/NG)
AC 6/7; MV 12; hp 26; THAC0 17 (15, 16); #AT 3/2 or 1; Dmg 1d6+2/1d8+1 (carrikal), 1d10-1/1d12-1 (lotulis); SA/SD +/-4 punch/wrestle; SZ M (5’6”); ML 15 S 13, D 13, C 15, I 10, W 10, Ch 11 {saves: 13 15 14 16 16}
Equipment: bone carrikal [spd 5], stone lotulis [5], leather armor [AC=8], shield [+1AC]
Psionics Summary: Nil, MAC 10
Proficiencies/S&P: Non-Weapon Proficiencies: disguise, forgery, dancing, etiquette, reading/writing, engineering. Weapon Proficiencies: carrikal specialized, lotulis, two-handed weapon style, weapon & shield style.
XP: 120

Description: A very healthy, well-endowed woman, Alaina nevertheless has otherwise very plain-looking features. Her hair is brown and pulled back tightly from her face in a long braid. A widow’s peak accents her guant nose, giving her face an angular appearance. She has high cheekbones and dark skin with a strong bronze color. Her voice is high and flighty, tending towards an accent that gets loud and breathy when anticipating combat.

Soberly practical and occasionally sadistic when it comes to hurting others, Alaina believes in violent action rather than speculation. She does not view killing or inflicting pain as evil. Rather, enslavement is her greatest fear and nemesis. She will attack if that is Roxy’s decision but wants the decision made quickly. She will enjoy the violence in the extreme if she believes it possible that the PCs are slavers. Alaina is Roxy’s lover.

Ziziksa (male thri-kreen/5th-level gladiator/CE)
AC 3; MV 18; HD 5; hp 28; THAC0 16 (15, 13 vs. elves); #AT 13/2*; Dmg 1d4+2 (x4)/1d4+3 (claw/bite); SA/SD +1att/reac, poison saliva, immune to charm person and hold person; SZ L (6’11’); ML 14 S 14, D 16, C 15, I 11, W 14, Ch 9 {saves: 11 13 12 13 14}
Equipment: claw [spd1], bite [2]
Psionics Summary: Nil, MAC 10
Proficiencies/S&P: Traits/Disadvantages: artistic ability. Non-Weapon Proficiencies: chitinworking, hunting; Modern Languages: thri-kreen, common, sign language (to’ksa); survival (stony barrens), survival (salt flats), tactics, tracking. Weapon Proficiencies: bite specialized, claw specialized.
XP: 270

Description: Multiple attacks: 5 claws + 1 bite / 5 claws + 2 bites Ziziksa’s four-fingered hands, long neck, and antennae mark him as a to’ksa thri-kreen. He just plain looks mean and will stare at an elf with poison dripping from his mandibles. His sand-colored chitin is mottled and scarred. He can speak, but an old injury gives him an added lisp to his already butchered common - he generally doesn’t talk unless necessary.

Quietly laconic and dreamy, Zik will spend most of any encounter just staring down any elves within the party and daydreaming what they might taste like. He will quietly attempt to sway his group into an attack if there is a tasty-looking elf, but will only suggest this one time, as he accepts Roxy as the pack leader.

Hseega (female half-giant/5th-level gladiator/nG)
AC 3(8); MV 15; HD 5; hp 77; THAC0 16 (17, 16, 17); #AT 3/2; Dmg 1d8+2/1d10+2 (axe), 1d6/1d4 (thrown axe), 1d8+2/1d10+2 (gouge); SA/SD +1dmg; SZ L (11’3”); ML 14 S 16, D 15, C 17, I 8, W 10, Ch 9 {saves: 11 13 12 13 14}
Equipment: obsidian battle axe [spd 7], bone hand axes (7)[4], obsidian gouge [8], leather armor [AC=8], medium shield, oil-fruit of etherealness [DMG p143]
Psionics Summary: Nil, MAC 10
Proficiencies/S&P: Non-Weapon Proficiencies: blind-fighting, fire-building, herbalism, healing, navigation, riding (inix). Weapon Proficiencies: battle axe specialized, hand axe specialized, gouge specialized, shield proficiency.
XP: 420

Description: A young-looking female half-giant, decidedly plump for her size. She has twin-braided greasy red hair. Her voice is whiny and loud. She has a wispy mustache that is easily noticed by any other half-giant standing nearby. Her eyes are wide and she is buck-toothed.

Capricious, irreverent, and uncultured, Hseega will most likely make a joke about one of the PCs (if fighting has not begun and the conversation gets slow) which, of course, only she will think is funny.

Jeral Thri-kreen Pack

Description: “In the hazy distance, you see a dust cloud moving towards you. At first, it appears to be a small herd of wild kank, but then the insects approach closer and as they turn towards you, it becomes clear that this is a pack of mantis warriors, otherwise known as thri-kreen.”

This will most likely be a peaceful encounter. The approaching pack of thri-kreen is only investigating the PC’s presence. They will want to know if the PCs are staying in the area for any length of time. The hunt has been tough lately, and these thri-kreen don’t want the sparse selection of game to be depleted any more than it already is. They understand that non-kreen do not understand kreen hunt boundaries. If the PCs can’t communicate the fact that they are only here for a short time, the kreen will attack and chase them out. This will not be easy, because these kreen do not speak common.

Thri-kreen (9) (6+3 HD/CN) {saves: 10 12 11 12 13}
AC 5; MV 18; HD 6+3; THAC0 13 (14); #AT 5 or 2; Dmg 1d6+1/1d4 (chatkcha), 2d4-1/1d10-1 (gythka), 1d4 (x4)/1d4 (claw/bite); SA psionics, leap, venom; SD missile dodge, immune to charm person & hold person; SZ L (11’ long); ML 17; Int 12 hp: 34, 34, 33, 32, 31, 29, 28, 26, 22
Equipment: obsidian chatkcha [spd 4], obsidian gythka [9]
Psionics Summary: two have wild talents Wild Talent - soften (MAC 8, cost 3/1), PSPs 36 Wild Talent - control light (MAC 8, cost 6/2), PSPs 39 MTHAC0 18, MAC 8
XP: 1,400

Description: Three-fingered hands, short necks and antennae. Multiple attacks include: 5 natural (claw/bite), 2 melee (gythka + bite), or 2 missiles (chatkcha). Anyone not saving vs paralyzation for the thri-kreen’s poison is paralyzed as follows; small creatures for 2d10 rounds, medium for 2d8 rounds, large for 1d8 rounds and huge or gargantuan creatures for 1 round.