More than a dozen ancient skeletons grasping bronze khopeshes and outfitted in lamellar armor and wicker shields are laid out on straw mats lining the dusty floor. Against the north wall sits a carved stone throne, upon which slumps the mummified body of an obviously-important warrior wearing a bejeweled iron crown. In his gnarled right hand, he clutches an exquisite battleaxe which glows softly in the darkness of the crypt.
- Skeletons. These dead warriors do not animate unless commanded to by Mesharsu.
Warrior. When someone enters the crypt, the mummified body does not stir, but the ghostly voice continues to speak in an ancient language which is nevertheless understood by the party: “Who is this who now stands before Chief Mesharsu? Have you come to pay respect… or are you here to challenge my axe?”
- If someone pays him proper respect, the voice then asks: “Who do you count among your enemies?”
If the party mentions the Cult of Khoss or orcs, then any subsequent CHA checks they make with Mesharsu have advantage.
- If someone offers a challenge, the voice says, “You believe you have earned the right to challenge me?” (See below.)
–Campaign Note: The following material is specific to my Badlands campaign. The chieftain was not intended to be overcome at this point, although there was nothing stopping a challenger from trying. It is unlikely they could beat him at their current level, but he will also not kill the character outright, preferring to simply best them and hopefully convince them to help end the clan's curse.
Like Ninu in area 14, the chief's main purpose is to provide the players with background info on the history of the Badlands and give them some direction in terms of traveling to two of the setting's major adventure areas: The Caves of Chaos and the Hidden Temple of Thera. Attaining his axe was to be a reward for successfully accomplishing the quests he offers (and in doing so, releasing the spirits of the undead interred in the tomb from their curse).
If satisfied, Mesharsu asks the party why they have come before him. He seems unbothered by the treasure the party has looted thus far, but he does note any magic relics they may have retrieved from the crypt undead with the following tale:
“Know this… these relics you have claimed from my champions are powerful weapons against evil. But they also bear our curse: The curse of loss… of failure… of defeat. Hear now the tale of the Coyote clan and learn the legacy of these weapons you now possess.”
“Long ago, my people dwelled in these hills, and we prospered here in peace. We were strong in those days because the earth-goddess, Thera, watched over us from her mountain temple—which was already ancient when the world was young. But we became overconfident… complacent.”
“We were unprepared when the invaders came: red orcs from the southern desert, the hairy-men of the western hills (bugbears), the dragon’s minions out of the east (kobolds), and goblins from their underground caverns. These evil folk hate each other, but now they marched under a common banner.”
(The party members all receive a vision of the sign of chaos—the sigil of Khoss—which appears as a burning red symbol against a smoky darkness.)
“The invaders’ army was led by the priests of chaos, and they built a fortress deep in the hills to the south. From there, they waged a campaign of terror upon our clan, destroying our farms and killing my people. And not just our clan, but other peoples who lived here.”
“Even worse, a priestess of Thera betrayed the goddess and revealed the temple’s location to the invaders. Without mercy, their army overran the temple and sacrificed the first-priestess upon the altar, thereby desecrating Thera’s holy sanctum.”
“The first-priestess’ body was spirited out of the temple by faithful attendants. What became of the second-priestess is unknown to me, but the desecration of Thera's temple signaled the end for us.”
“We fought the invaders, but they seemed endless in number. Without Thera’s protection, we were no longer strong enough to defeat them, and we fell before their evil blades. The few survivors brought our bodies here—to the clan’s ancestral burial grounds—before departing our homeland and vanishing into history.”
“...and so here we endure in shame and despair, bound to our fates and driven by our rage and desire for vengeance. I ask you now: Will you avenge the Coyote clan?”
- If the party answers YES, the voice commands: “Then go into the hills… destroy the Caves of Khoss… defeat the evil that corrupts Thera’s temple… and free our spirits from this damnation.”
If they answer NO, the voice says: “Then begone, and live with the curséd treasures you take from this tomb.”
The voice goes silent (unless someone tries to take the chieftain's axe). If someone touches the axe, the mummified body animates and resists. The ghostly voice says: “To claim the axe of Chief Mesharsu, you must prove yourself worthy of wielding it by defeating me in single combat. I ask you now, before we begin, if you wish to reconsider…”
- If a character accepts the challenge or tries to snatch the axe, then the chieftain’s mummy rises from his throne as a revenant to meet the challenge. He
will fight the challenger one-on-one, but does subdual damage to them
each round. If his axe scores a critical hit, however, its special trait takes full effect. When he defeats the challenger, he sits back upon the throne and becomes inanimate.
If the party tries to attack Mesharsu, or if anyone else attempts to interfere with the duel, the chieftain will raise 1d3 crypt skeletons as skeletal warriors* each round (18 total) to engage the party. He will also stop doing subdual damage and will turn his vengeance upon the remaining party members after defeating his challenger.
*When a risen skeletal warrior is destroyed, Mesharsu can thereafter raise a brittle skeleton from its remains.
- Should a challenger manage to defeat the chieftain, they have earned the right to keep the axe. Should the combined party defeat him, then Mesharsu will pursue them relentlessly as a revenant to recover his weapon and kill the treacherous characters.
Treasure. Mesharsu's crown is worth 3,000 gp in jewels. Beneath his wraps and not visible unless his body is searched, the chieftain wears a silver ring <300> and a bloodstone gem on a gold chain <750>.
Battleaxe. The chieftain's axe is of sophisticated manufacture, and the strange metal of its curved blade shimmers in the party's torchlight. A DC 15 History check recognizes the weapon to be of elfish manufacture and made of adamantine (an elf who sees it recognizes this fact immediately).
1 = decapitated (instant death)
2-3 = arm/forelimb severed (target loses 25% of max HP)
4 = body gored/tail severed (target loses 50%/10% of max HP)
5-6 = leg/rear limb severed (target loses 25% of max HP).
If the target of a severed limb is not killed outright, they continue to lose 1d6 HP each round from blood loss until at least 10% of their max HP score in healing is applied.
- The axe does full damage to objects. It also emits bright light in a 10-ft. radius and dim light in another 10-ft. radius.
The axe is attuned to the chief as long as his soul remains on the path of revenge, and he can summon it to his hand as a reaction when it is within 60 ft. of him.
Bronze Coffers. These wooden boxes plated with bronze contain:
- Coffer #1 = 941 cp, 428 sp, 210 gp, 6x gems (blue quartz <10>, zircon <50>, spinel <100>, tourmaline <100>, peridot <500>, blue sapphire <1,000>), a gold medallion embossed with Thera’s sigil <400>, a drinking horn studded with gold <150>, a silver salt cellar containing 12 oz. of purified salt <50>, a Potion of Invulnerability, a Potion of Clairvoyance, and a Potion of Speed.
Coffer #2 = 1,810 cp, 1,005 sp, 53 gp, a gold ring with a huge aquamarine <750>, a silver comb studded with sapphires <800>, a platinum statuette of a coyote <500>, and a leather-bound book written in elvish containing (3) Scrolls of Protection from: Beasts, Elementals, and Undead (one each).
- Coffer #3 = 1,541 cp, 70 gp, a silver brooch shaped like a crescent moon <200>, a Potion of Hill Giant Strength, a +1 Shield, and a "prosthetic" golden fist (actually the head of a +1 Mace if fitted with a new haft).
- Clay Jars. These wide-bodied, open-mouthed vessels are richly-painted and contain:
Jar #1 = 632 cp, 145 sp, 54 gp, 4x gems (carnelian <50>, moonstone <50>, topaz <500>, opal <1,000>), a silver medallion inlaid with a gold coyote <450>, a silver pin capped with a citrine <100>, a magnificent gold and bejeweled scepter <2,500>, a +1 Dagger/+2 vs. Spiders, and a Blessed Ring (Req. Attunement; the wearer can cast the Bless spell upon themselves 1/Long Rest).
Jar #2 = 411 cp, 317 sp, 36 gp, 4x gems (hematite <10>, lapis lazuli <10>, moss agate <10>, amethyst <100>), and a silver bust of Thera with a chrysoberyl crown <1,000>.
Jar #3 = 401 sp, 1,236 gp
Jar #4 = 429 cp, 29 sp, 35 gp, 6x gold ingots <200> ea.
Jar #5 = 1,000 cp, 337 sp, 106 gp, 3x gems (rhodochrosite <10>, bloodstone <50>, topaz <500>)
- Jar #6 = 597 cp, 452 sp, 45 gp, 6x Potions of Healing (in a single gourd bound with gold wire and capped with a porcelain stopper), and a Rod of Alertness.
- Sarcophagus. The stone vault is empty save for rotting burial wrappings.
__________
Medium undead, neutral
AC 12 (no armor)
HP 1
Speed 30
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 6 (-2) 8 (-1) 5 (-3)
Vulnerabilities. Bludgeoning
Damage Resistances. Piercing
Damage Immunities. Poison
Condition Immunities. Exhaustion, Poisoned
Senses. Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 10
CR 1/8 (25 XP)
Proficiency. +0
Actions
–Bony Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +2, Reach 5 ft., one target, Hit: 4 (1d4+2) slashing.
–Push-through. When
faced with a line of enemies, a brittle skeleton can use its Action to
throw itself against an opponent’s space, breaking apart into its
constituent bones and then reforming on the other side. The brittle
skeleton can only move up to 10 ft. in this manner, but can do so
through spaces controlled by another creature.
__________
Medium undead, neutral
AC 17 (lamellar armor and wicker shield)
HP 26 (4d8+8)
Speed 30
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 6 (-2) 8 (-1) 5 (-3)
Damage Immunities. Poison
Condition Immunities. Exhaustion, Poisoned
Senses. Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 8
CR 2 (450 XP)
Proficiency. +2
–Turn Resistance. Because it is an undead animated by vengeance and is within its consecrated burial ground, the skeletal warrior has advantage on saves to avoid being turned.
Actions
–Multiattack. The skeletal warrior makes two khopesh attacks or throws two javelins on its turn.
–Khopesh. Melee Weapon Attack: +4, Reach 5 ft., one target, Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing or 6 (1d8+2) if wielded with two hands.
–Javelin. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4, range 30/60,one target, Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing.
Reaction
–Parry. The skeletal warrior can use its reaction to increase its AC by 2 against a single attack.
__________
Chief Mesharsu
Medium undead, neutral
HP 136 (16d8+64)
Speed 30
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 16 (+3) 18 (+4)
Saving Throws. STR +7, CON +7, WIS +6, CHA +7
Skills. Athletics +7, Perception +6, Stealth +5
Damage Resistances. Necrotic, Psychic
Damage Immunities. Poison
Condition Immunities. Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Poisoned, Stunned
Senses. Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 13
CR 5 (1,800 XP)
Proficiency. +3
–Magic Items. Mesharsu wields the Axe of the Ancients (see above).
–Regeneration. Mesharsu regains 10 hit points at the start of his turn. If he takes fire or radiant damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of his next turn. Mesharsu's body is destroyed only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate.
–Rejuvenation. When Mesharsu's body is destroyed, his soul lingers. After 24 hours, his soul inhabits and animates another humanoid corpse on the same plane of existence and regains all his hit points. While his soul is bodiless, a Wish spell can be used to force the soul to go to the afterlife and not return.
–Turn Immunity. Mesharsu is immune to effects that turn undead.
–Vengeful Tracker. Mesharsu knows the distance to and direction of any creature against which he seeks revenge, even if the creature is on a different plane of existence. If the creature being tracked by Mesharsu dies, the revenant knows.
Actions
–Multiattack. Mesharsu makes two melee weapon attacks.
–Axe of the Ancients (+2 Adamantine Battleaxe). Melee Weapon Attack: +9, Reach 5 ft., one target, Hit: 10 or 11 (1d8+6 or 1d10+6) slashing. On a critical hit, the axe does an extra 11 (2d10) slashing (on top of the crit damage), and the target must make a DC 15 CON save or suffer a grievous wound (see above).
–Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +7, Reach 5 ft., one target, Hit: 5 (1d6+2) bludgeoning. If the target is a creature against which Mesharsu has sworn vengeance, the target takes an extra 14 (4d6) bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, Mesharsu can grapple the target (escape DC 14) provided the target is Large or smaller.
–Vengeful Glare. Mesharsu targets one creature he can see within 30 feet and against which he has sworn vengeance. The target must make a DC 15 WIS save or be paralyzed until Mesharsu deals damage to it, or until the end of the revenant's next turn. When the paralysis ends, the target is frightened of Mesharsu for 1 minute. The frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if it can see Mesharsu, ending the frightened condition on itself on a success.
Bonus Actions
–Raise Minions (Recharge 5–6). Mesharsu can use his bonus action to cause 2d3 skeletal warriors to arise from nearby bones until the supply of bones is exhausted. When each skeletal warrior is destroyed, Mesharsu can thereafter raise a brittle skeleton from its remains.
Legendary Action
Chief Mesharsu can take (1) legendary action at the end of another creature's turn, choosing from the options below. Mesharsu regains his spent legendary action at the start of his turn.
–Misty Step. Mesharsu can cast the Misty Step spell.
–Vengeful Glare (Recharge 5–6). Mesharsu can use his Vengeful Glare action.
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