Fire Island • Odyssey of the Dragonlords

Large Island

Crystal clear blue water and a handful of smaller islands surround the landmass you are approaching. Dense tropical foliage covers the islands, and you can hear the cacophonous sounds of abundant wildlife. An impressive black mountain rises from the jungle at the center of the main island, and the smell of smoke and brimstone hangs in the air.

Fire Island is almost completely surrounded by a coral reef, although careful seamanship can find a channel through the shoal waters. Beyond the coral reef, the waters are calm and a ship can easily anchor.

As its name suggests, Fire Island is formed around an active volcano, which occasionally belches ash and fiery embers into the air, making it dangerous to approach. Currently, the volcano is quiet, with just a thin trail of smoke snaking into the sky above the caldera.

Lizardfolk Tribes#

Fire Island is inhabited by several tribes of lizardfolk, who are engaged in endless, brutal wars against one other. The strongest tribe boasts 350 warriors. They are called the Firewalkers, because they control the land around the central volcano. Their main rivals are the Shellbound, a tribe of lizardfolk who have turtlelike shells on their backs.

The Firewalkers#

The Firewalkers are led by Jankor (NE lizardfolk Gladiator), who is served by three lizardfolk Priests and a pair of Cyclopes (appendix B). The tribe has domesticated a flock of Pteranodons and more than a dozen Giant

Lizards. They patrol the island during the day, hunting or spying on the other lizardfolk tribes.

The Shellbound#

The Shellbound are led by Vytha (NE lizardfolk Tough

Boss). She has 200 warriors at her command, as well as several Archelons that are used as war mounts. She is advised by two lizardfolk Priests.

The Lesser Tribes#

Three lesser tribes, comprising several hundred warriors each, control the outer parts of the island. Each of these tribes is led by a lizard queen (Tough Boss) with a lizardfolk Priest as an advisor.

The Nameless God#

All the lizardfolk of Fire Island, regardless of tribal loyalty, worship a nameless deity that they believe sleeps deep below the Cerulean Gulf. Firewalker shamans regularly sacrifice captives taken in battle, whether lizardfolk or outsiders, by hurling them into a volcanic fissure to feed their sleeping god.

Creatures of Fire Island#

Other than lizardfolk, the island has bountiful animal life, including boar, deer, and other smaller mammals. The streams and ponds of the island are often hunting grounds for Crocodiles or Constrictor Snakes. Giant

Lizards are also plentiful on the island and have been domesticated by all of the tribes as beasts of burden.

The Brass Dragon#

Centuries ago, the island was also home to an adult brass dragon. However, it was killed by the Kraken during one of its hunts over the nearby coral reefs. The lizardfolk still tell stories of the battle between the two creatures. The dragon left behind three dragon eggs, which the lizardfolk have long sought after.

Arrival on the Island#

When the heroes put ashore, read the following:

You stand upon a pristine white sand beach. At one end, five massive white eggs lie half-buried in the sand, their smooth shells gleaming under the sun.

The eggs are that of an Archelon; one of the prehistoric beasts that the Shellbound tribe uses as war mounts. An Alarm spell triggers if anyone gets within 10 feet of the eggs.

A few minutes after the heroes arrive at the beach or if they trigger the alarm spell, read the following:

The Lizard Queen#

The jungle parts with a sound like splitting earth. A colossal turtle lumbers forward on to the beach, its clawed feet sinking into the wet sand. Atop the turtle’s shell, a figure stands tall. She is a lizardfolk draped in regal garments of woven reeds and polished shells. Flanking the giant beast, six more lizardfolk stride into view. Each has a heavy, turtle-like carapace.

This is Vytha, lizard queen of the Shellbound tribe. She is astride her Archelon war mount. With her is a lizardfolk Priest and five Lizardfolk Warriors (see next page).

Vytha will speak in Draconic, which the lizardfolk priest translates into Common for the benefit of the heroes. She will flatter the heroes’ appearance, appear awestruck by the Ultros and say that she has seen visions of their arrival.

All of this is performative. She suspects that the heroes are dangerous and wants their aid in vanquishing her mortal enemy, Jankor, the king of the Firewalkers.

Vytha will implore the heroes to aid her in this task. She describes how Jankor has corrupted the lizardfolk by turning away from the god in the volcano and making sacrifices to Sydon instead.

Sydon’s Chosen Tribe#

Vytha explains that the Firewalkers have been chosen by Sydon to dominate Fire Island. The Lord of Storms gave Jankor a powerful magical artifact and two cyclopes as servants. In exchange, Jankor gave the Titan one of the three brass dragon eggs that were hidden on the island. Vytha believes that the other two eggs may be located somewhere in the volcano village.

The Celebratory Feast#

If the heroes agree to assist her, Queen Vytha will hold a great feast in their honor. She proudly explains that her son is to be sacrificed and served as the celebratory meal. The heroes can turn down this “honorable banquet,” but in this case, Vytha will be insulted. She believes that they are greedily demanding that she sacrifice one of her older, larger sons instead.

Fire Island Key Locations#

FI1: Shellbound Tribal Village#

A sprawling village of reed huts and shell-plated lodges rises along the beach, smoke drifting from great cooking fires. Giant turtles wallow near the shore, while lizardfolk fish in the shallows.

The largest village on Fire Island, though lacking the grandeur of the Firewalker stronghold. About seven hundred lizardfolk live here, supported by two hundred

Lizardfolk Warriors (see accompanying stat block) who patrol the reed-and-shell lodges near the shoreline. If the heroes have not yet encountered Queen Vytha, she will approach them here, arriving astride her Archelon mount.

FI2: Stonecoil Tribal Village#

A small scattering of crude huts clings to the base of a stony hill. At the hillside’s edge, a wide tunnel mouth yawns into darkness, its edges worn smooth by countless clawed feet.

The Stonecoil tribe dwells mostly underground, in twisting tunnels carved into the earth. On the surface stands only a small, unassuming village of reed huts housing fifty lizardfolk, with ten Lizardfolk Warriors. Beneath the hill, however, lies their true strength: three hundred more tribes-folk and sixty warriors who guard the labyrinthine passages.

FI3: Salt Alliance Tribal Villages#

Two clear blue lakes glimmer in the jungle, their shores dotted with villages of reed and bone built amongst crumbling stone ruins. Bridges of lashed logs and rope connect the lakesides, while fishing canoes glide across the water.

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Three settlements surround a pair of clear blue lakes, each village visible from the others across the water. Around 200 lizardfolk live in each, with 50 warriors apiece. The villagers are wary but curious of outsiders and will communicate if a common tongue is shared. All openly despise the Firewalkers.

The shattered stone foundations here once belonged to a Gygan stronghold, long fallen to time. The lizardfolk of the Salt Alliance preserve an ancient tale: their ancestors rose in rebellion against spider-limbed tyrants who ruled these lands, casting them down and claiming freedom. The eight limbs of a gygan are what was mistranslated over the centuries.

FI4: Firefang Village#

At the foot of the smoking volcano, a single village clings to the slope. Dark stone huts with thatched roofs cluster around a wide central fire pit, where warriors sharpen obsidian blades. The air is thick with heat, and the mountain’s distant rumble carries through the ground beneath your feet.

This coalition of four villages sprawls along the lower slopes of the central volcano, owing allegiance to the Firewalkers and supplying most of their warriors. Each village houses about two hundred lizardfolk, with sixty

Lizardfolk Warriors each (see stat block earlier in this chapter). They are openly hostile to intruders: a dozen warriors attack immediately, while survivors retreat to warn the others. Within a day, the Firefangs muster a hunting force of

30 mounted Lizardfolk Warriors on Giant Lizards, scouring the jungles for trespassers. However, they will not pursue the heroes up the volcano itself.

FI5: Trail Head#

When the heroes approach the base of the volcano, they can see a single path that winds up its slope. When they approach the trail head, they will have the following encounter.

Four lizardfolk warriors burst from the jungle astride hulking reptilian mounts, each the size of a warhorse. Eyes gleaming with battle-fury as they thunder toward you.

These four mounted Lizardfolk Warriors (see stat block earlier in this chapter) mounted on Giant Lizards will attack the heroes and fight to the death.

FI6: Firewalker Village#

Refer to Firewalker Village Key Locations below.

Firewalker Village Key Locations#

The Firewalkers dwell in a large wooden fort over the mouth of the volcano. Jankor rules from here and makes regular sacrifices by tossing victims into the fiery pit.

The fort is constructed from sturdy wood, bamboo, and thick vines. Some exotic materials have also been used, including the shells of young dragon turtles and the skeletal vertebrae from an enormous worm of some kind. The main platform is level with the lip of the caldera, while other platforms step down into the volcano. Many of the platforms are level with caves and tunnels that have been dug into the wall of the caldera.

Secret Path#

A secret path provides another way into the fort. Vytha knows the location of this path and will tell the heroes to search for it on the north end of the caldera.

Platforms#

All of the platforms in the fort are built on pillars of bamboo and wood. Each is at least 10 ft. above the surface of the caldera. It is possible to climb from the caldera surface to a platform using the pillars, but this requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check.

All lizardfolk in the Firewalker village have Fire Resistance.

V1: Main Entrance#

The spine of some massive creature serves as a bridge to the lizard king’s fort. Ash darkens the crevices of the otherwise bleached white bone. Even as the hot sun beats down from a cloudless sky, you can sense an even more oppressive heat radiating up from below.

The bridge leads from the caldera lip to the topmost platform of the fort. It is guarded by four Lizardfolk

Warriors (see stat block earlier in this chapter) and two
Salamanders. They will fight to the death. The bridge was made from the vertebrae of a purple worm, which came to the surface decades ago and died. This happened on the same day that Jankor hatched, and it was taken as a sign of his divine right to rule.

V2: Stables#

You come to a platform with a tethered group of horse-sized monitor lizards that are being tended to by lizardfolk. Despite their monstrous bulk and appearance, the large reptiles are docile. They occasionally flick their tongues and grunt at their handlers.

This large platform is where the Giant Lizard mounts used by the lizardfolk are kept. Six giant lizards are tethered to three stakes, and four Lizardfolk Warriors (see stat block

earlier in this chapter) keep watch and care for the mounts. If the lizardfolk spot any intruders, they will free the giant lizards and order them to attack. The giant lizards are docile unless commanded to attack by one of the lizardfolk.

V3: Throne Room#

The lizard king’s throne room is located within what appears to be an immense hollow turtle shell. Inside, the king lounges upon his throne on a raised platform in the center of the room. As he listens intently to his advisor he drums his clawed fingers against an ornately-carved staff. A fiery reptilian creature stands to one side of the king. It has a muscular, humanoid upper body that snakes down into a coiling tail. Even so, the most striking member of the king’s party is a tiny, copper-colored dragon that snores fitfully at his feet.

The throne room is built inside the enormous shell of a dragon turtle. Jankor, the chosen mouthpiece of the great god Sydon, claims to have killed the dragon turtle with the help of the Lord of Storms. The truth is that its corpse washed ashore after the creature died of old age.

Jankor (NE lizardfolk Gladiator) carries a Staff of Thunder and Lightning. This staff was a gift from Sydon, and it is the symbol of Jankor’s right to rule. Jankor is always accompanied by a loyal salamander and a bloodthirsty lizardfolk shaman. The Brass Dragon Wyrmling curled around his feet hatched one year ago, and it is completely loyal to him.

Jankor is not immediately hostile to intruders, but he will interrogate them and demand to know for what purpose they have trespassed in his territory. In battle, Jankor will use his staff to send out lightning strikes against his foes. When Bloodied, he will use the Thunder and Lightning ability even if that means hurting his own people. He will then try to retreat to his chambers (area V12).

V4: Secret Entrance#

Carefully hidden from prying eyes, a narrow stairway has been carved into the cliff side. Below, a faint orange glow shines through cracks in the volcano’s dark crust, betraying the inferno beneath.

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A narrow path carved into the volcano winds down to the egg chambers. This treacherous and narrow path is not marked and requires a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check to find it. In two places, the path has been deliberately weakened, and someone not aware of these passive traps must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw when they step on the weakened section. Spotting the weakened sections requires a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check.

When stepped upon, the ground will crumble away, and a failed saving throw causes one to plummet into the caldera below. The drop will break through the crust into the magma, causing 55 (10d10) fire damage to the unfortunate creature that fell.

V5: Egg Chambers#

These chambers are relatively bare, except for the large stone bowls scattered around the room that have been gently packed with eggs and straw. Bright orange and-red frilled snakes the size of men curl motionless around each bowl. Two lizardfolk elders tend the bowls, gingerly turning the eggs inside.

This cave is where the lizardfolk eggs are kept. The eggs are kept warm, and guarded, by a half-dozen Salamander

Fire Snakes. Two lizardfolk Priests tend to the fire snakes and the eggs. Both the shamans and fire snakes will attack trespassers who enter the cave.

V6: Sleeping Chambers#

The chamber has three pairs of poles stuck into the base of the platform. Sturdy nets and sheets have been tied between these poles a few feet from the floor to make hammocks. Three small wooden chests sit underneath these structures.

These platforms are where the lizardfolk sleep. At night, there are always at least two Lizardfolk Warriors (see stat block earlier in this chapter) asleep on the hammocks. They make soft hissing sounds.

Treasure. There are three chests in the chamber. Each chest contains 2d6 assorted gemstones worth 10 GP each. Some of the gems are covered in dried blood.

V7: Wooden Walkways#

Unlike the other walkways that connect the platforms of the fort, this walkway has a pair of bronze stakes on either end that holds it in place. The walkway is thick and appears quite sturdy. A formidable looking lizardfolk with a large, curved horn hanging at its waist stands watch at the other end of the walkway.

Each of the marked walkways is guarded by a Lizardfolk

Warriors (see stat block earlier in this chapter). Each of these lizardfolk has a horn, and if they see enemies approaching, they will blow a fanfare to summon four
Pteranodons from their roosts. It takes the pteranodons one round to arrive and attack. The Walkway Traps. The walkways are sturdy, but

the lizardfolk have built them so that they can be easily destroyed in the event of an invasion. On each side of the walkways are two bronze stakes. Pulling out a stake requires a successful DC 10 Strength check.

Pulling out a single stake makes a walkway bridge unstable, and anyone on it must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or be thrown into the caldera below. Anyone who does so will break through the crust into the magma and take 55 (10d10) Fire damage.

Pulling both stakes out makes the bridge collapse, and anyone less than 10 feet from one end can attempt a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw to leap to safety. Those who are close to the center of the walkway must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to make the leap. Failure means falling into the magma.

The King’s Escape. When under attack, the lizardfolk guards will wait until there is at least one enemy on the walkway before removing a stake. However, if the lizard king is fleeing from a pursuit by the heroes, he will order his warriors to pull out one pin after he has safely passed. They will wait until the heroes are crossing the walkway to pull out the other stake.

V8: Chamber of Worship#

You come to a large platform built upon half of an enormous turtle shell. At the center of this space, two lizardfolk shamans pray to a carved wooden statue of an imposing man wielding a black glaive. The altar beneath the statue has been carved with patterns resembling waves and stained green-blue. Green gems glitter from the statue’s three eye sockets.

This is the second largest platform in the complex and is the other side of the enormous shell of a dragon turtle. The chamber’s central feature is a 10 ft. tall wooden statue of Sydon. During the day there are always two lizardfolk

Priests in this room, along with the king’s consort, a lazy lizardfolk Noble. These three will attack intruders and fight to the death. Treasure. The three eyes of the statue of Sydon are

emeralds worth 500 GP each. When the heroes touch the statue, they hear a peal of thunder from the sky above.

V9: Cyclops Cave#

Although a modest forge has been built into one side of this cave, it is noticeably cooler in here than in the rest of the fort. The cave’s sole resident, a 9-foot-tall cyclops, sits at a stone table at the center of the room. He wears a monocle over his eye, and he has remarkably nimble, ten-fingered hands. He is tinkering with what appears to be a half-finished mechanical goat. Other clockwork animals fill niches that have been carved into the cavern wall opposite the forge.

The smith is Steros (see appendix A). He is a Jancan, a rare breed of cyclops born with ten fingers on each hand and ten toes on each foot. Jancan are natural blacksmiths, although Steros is unusual in that he is somewhat of a runt when compared to most of his kind.

Steros is not immediately hostile and will try to make conversation with anyone who enters his forge. He will, however, use the power of his monocle to gain the upper hand in any conversation or battle that takes place.

Steros the Jancan. Sydon sent Steros to serve the Firewalkers after their previous jancan was captured in a raid by the Amazons of Themis. The previous jancan was named Bront, and he was Steros’s father.

Since his arrival, Steros has built himself a small forge that he keeps heated with the help of a pair of fire snakes. Using this forge, he builds weapons for the Firewalkers, a task that he considers to be beneath his considerable skills. He spends most of his time tinkering with new and strange contraptions to amuse himself. These mechanical contraptions are arranged in niches carved into the cave. There are many creatures in the niches, some of them unfinished, others smashed.

Steros’ most prized possession is the monocle that he wears at all times. This has several lenses that can be used by swinging them into place inside the short frame:

Red lens acts as Eyes of the Eagle.

Blue lens acts as Eyes of Charming.

Green lens acts as Eyes of Minute Seeing.

All three lenses together act as a circlet of blasting that

can be used every round.

He always keeps the red lens in place, so that he has Advantage on all of his Wisdom (Perception) checks (passive Perception 14), and because they aid his work.

The Jancan’s Request. Steros will switch to his blue lens in an attempt to charm one of the heroes and convince them to find his missing father. If they are willing to help him find Bront, then he will build the heroes a mechanical animal of their choice. However, the heroes must allow him to accompany them on their ship.

If he is threatened, Steros will release the Salamander

Fire Snakes as a Bonus action, command any charmed heroes to summon Firewalker reinforcements, and use the three lenses to blast his enemies.

illustrated quote — The Jancan have always fascinated me. How can such brilliant smiths be born to common cyclopes, who barely possess the power of speech? They are a rarity, to be sure, but the best of them rival even my father, Volkan. —Vallus, Goddess of Wisdom

The Jancan’s Contraptions. Steros’s contraptions are mechanical versions of the animals created by Figurines of Wondrous Power. The owl and the dog in this room work exactly like a Serpentine Owl and an Onyx Dog. However, they will break down after every six uses, or if they are reduced to 0 Hit Points. The only way to repair them is to use tinker’s tools, and the repairer must be proficient with them.

If the heroes agree to help Steros, then he will build them their own mechanical beast. This will take him a week of work aboard the Ultros. He can build a mechanical version of a Golden Lion, Ivory Goat of Traveling, Serpentine Owl, Silver Raven, or Onyx Dog.

The jancan’s monocle is built for someone Large-sized with the same poor eyesight as Steros. It cannot be used except by someone with the same unique anatomy.

V10: Sacrificial Promontory#

A large shining black rock juts out from the cliff over the caldera. Its surface is smooth, creating a natural platform that is linked to the rest of the fort with two wooden walkways. A third walkway juts out towards the center and ends abruptly above the lava.

This huge piece of obsidian juts out of the volcano wall over the lava. This is where Jankor performs his sacrifices to the sleeping god. It is currently empty.

Sacrificial Offerings. If the Firewalkers capture the heroes, they will bind their hands with ropes and take them here to hold a ceremony that lasts 1 hour. Afterwards, they will kick the heroes into the caldera.

V11: Prison Platform#

A dozen rough wooden cages are on this platform. Three of the cages contain sullen lizardfolk prisoners. The rest are empty. The prisoners’ sparse clothing and decorations are very different from those of the two guards keeping watch.

This is where Jankor’s prisoners are kept before they are sacrificed. The prison platform is always guarded by two

Lizardfolk Warriors (see stat block earlier in this chapter). Currently the cages are occupied by three Lizardfolk
Warriors from Vytha’s tribe. They are to be sacrificed, one at a time, over the next three days. They will be suitably grateful if rescued and will accompany the heroes and even fight for them if they are given any weapons. Otherwise, they will flee to their home settlements.

V12: King’s Chambers#

An obsidian entranceway leads into an artificial cave dug into the side of the cliff. The furnishings within this chamber are considerably more opulent than anywhere else in the fort, with vivid silks, gilded furniture, and voluminous pillows. At the chamber’s center, steam rises from a stone vessel filled with crystalline liquid. Four large, brightly colored snakes slither around the vessel, pressing their bodies against it.

The entrance to the king’s chambers is built on another obsidian promontory in the volcano’s side. The cave has been dug into the wall of the caldera. It includes a bath which is heated by four Salamander Fire Snakes. Jankor will make his final stand here after he has retreated from the throne room. He will order the fire snakes to attack.

Treasure. Jankor keeps his valuables in a pit sealed with a locked bronze lid. Inside are 400 GP, 1,100 SP, two emeralds worth 500 GP, and a sapphire worth 1,000 GP.

Inside this dark cave, an elderly, fifteen-foot tall cyclops sits on the ground. He appears to be in deep thought, although his single eye is unfocused. He seems to have been a powerful warrior in the past, but his once-muscular frame is now shrunken and bony with age.

This cave is the home of Polyphorus, a blind Cyclops (appendix B), and the chief advisor of King Jankor. Blindness has made him different from other cyclopes. He is wiser (Wisdom 12) because of the time he spends lost in his own thoughts, and he won’t attack immediately.

Polyphorus has a keen sense of smell, giving him Advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely upon smell (passive Perception 13). He has grown tired of the food that the Firewalkers bring him, and he has a powerful craving for mortal flesh.

When Polyphorus is alerted to intruders, he will sniff the air and ask them to identify themselves. Once his curiosity is satisfied, he will challenge one of the heroes to an arm-wrestling match. He explains that if he loses, he will show the heroes where Jankor has hidden a powerful magical weapon. If he wins, then he will eat one of them. This seems like a fair deal to him.

Arm Wrestling. Because of the size difference, Polyphorus will allow his opponent to use both arms in the competition. The competition consists of three opposed Strength checks. In theory, whoever wins two of the checks will win the challenge. In practice, Polyphorus will use the final check to try to devour his opponent. He was lying about the weapon.

V14: The Volcano#

A thick crust of cooled volcanic rock covers most of the caldera floor. Magma bubbles through in some places, and the surface is covered in a network of glowing cracks. An overwhelming smell of sulfur and smoke hangs in the air.

The volcano basin is active, and magma often bubbles through the crust. Salamander Fire Snakes swim below in the magma, and they can sense movement. Each round that someone walks across the crust, there is a 10% chance that a fire snake will attack from below.

The fire snake’s target must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or fall into the lava. Walking across the crust inflicts 3 (1d6) fire damage per round, while falling into magma inflicts 55 (10d10) fire damage per round.

V15: Salamander Cave#

Two black and orange creatures inhabit this largely empty cavern. Each has a muscular humanoid torso that tapers into an equally impressive serpent tail. To one side of the cave is a clutch of large eggs sitting in a stone nest. Some of the eggs are cracked open.

A mated pair of Salamanders dwell in this cave. These salamanders are loyal to whichever of the lizardfolk controls the volcano fort. They routinely give their young fire snakes to King Jankor as tribute. There are two freshly hatched Salamander Fire Snakes and a half-dozen other eggs in the chamber.

Dragon Egg. One of the eggs in the salamander’s nest is different than the others. This is a brass dragon egg that was left behind by the dragon that once laired on Fire Island. The salamanders recently discovered the egg and have been trying to hatch it.

V16: Pteranodon Roost#

A series of shallow caves, little more than ledges, have been cut into the cliff side. These house dozens of human-sized creatures that resemble scaly, featherless birds with membranous wings. Their seagull-like squawking drowns out all other noises.

Two dozen Pteranodons roost here. They have been trained to obey the orders of the lizard king and fly down when summoned by the horns of the lizardfolk guards.