Minidungeon - The Troll's Toll

Pont Valentré

It's well known that Trolls live under viaducts. No one really knows why (including Trolls). So when some Serpentmen found Lemuria the Green beneath their bridge, they didn't bother evicting him. Instead, they did a recruitment pass. After careful negotiation and a longpork signing bonus, the snakes had an immortal maneater to guard their river checkpoint.

Centuries later, Lemuria still dutifully mans his post. He really enjoys being a tollman, so he's not bothered that his employers have stopped paying him. Or that they're all dead. 

How's the saying go? Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life.

THE GATEHOUSE

THE BLOODY MARCHES

The gatehouse straddles the Redriver, a waterway leading into the heart of the Bloody Marches (often corrupted to "the bloody marshes"). A primordial woodland dense with megafauna and magical critters, considered cursed by most sensible folk. 

Needless to say, it doesn't stop adventurers plying the Redriver, fuelling the market economies of "civilised" lands with pelts and reagents and gold and magic items. The ever-growing scarcity of viable hunting grounds has driven the longhunters deeper into the Marches, towards Lemuria's home. 

Those who obey the tollman's instructions pass without incident. Everyone else gets killed and eaten (not necessarily in that order).

LAYOUT

The gatehouse is made from bricks of native bluestone. It's old, but clearly being maintained. The bridge sits 25ft. above the waterline, providing enough clearance for riverboats to pass beneath it. The tower is another 50ft. tall, with three levels and an undercroft built below the bridge.

Doors are large sheets of bronze. Lemuria is supposed to secure them whenever he leaves a room, but he's forgetful in his old age. There's a 2-in-6 chance that any given door has been left unlocked. 

Built for Serpentmen, the gatehouse has corkscrew ramps instead of stairwells. These don't obstruct Lemuria, but are difficult for anyone else to negotiate. If in a hurry, or if the ramp is slippery, make a Save vs Paralysis. On a failure, go toppling down for D6 DMG and alert everyone nearby if you were wearing metal armour.

(Thieves can roll Climb Sheer Surfaces instead. If they fail, they can still make the Save vs Paralysis.)

By Justin McElroy

THE TOLL

While they were still ascendant, the Serpentmen monopolised metal production by jealously guarding the region's few deposits of copper and tin. Only loyal human cultists were permitted to use bronze; anyone else was subject to cruel reprisals from paranoid snakes if caught performing metallurgy.

As such, Lemuria's toll depends on what social caste he thinks the PCs belong to. 

If conned into believing they're cultists, Lemuria charges them the standard toll of 250 SP per head. However, the Troll only recognises the silver denarii of the Empire as legal tender. He'll begrudgingly accept gold pieces, but doesn't change the number of coins. 

Otherwise, Lemuria takes a quarter of whatever furs, food or other goods they have. This involves him rooting through their baggage to assess its value. If he discovers any metal items (coins, weapons, armour, magic items etc.) he confiscates them. Thankfully the Troll's eyesight is poor. If the PCs conceal their contraband, he only has a 2-in-6 chance of finding it. If they have a Thief do the smuggling, lower it to a 1-in-6 chance.

LEVEL 1

1A: NORTHERN CAUSEWAY 

A bronze portcullis blocks entrance to 1C. Impossible to lift without inhuman strength. During a siege, Lemuria can dump the contents of his privy from 2A onto attackers. Save vs Poison or waste 1D4 rounds vomiting and take -2 to all D20 rolls until you clean yourself.

1B: SIDE ROOM

Reeks of rotting plant matter and old fish. Several dead piranha are strung up on a string, slowly drying out. The crank for 1A's portcullis is on the North wall, but requires two people working together (or an exceptionally strong person) to rotate. It's at least quiet, Lemuria keeps the mechanism well-lubricated. 

Once opened, the crank can be locked into position with a bronze rod lying nearby. The ramp to 0B is slick with moss, river water and fish guts, requiring a Save vs Paralysis.

1C: CHECKPOINT

Large chamber hemmed in by thick doors and bronze portcullises. Anyone passing through the checkpoint on foot or by cart is inspected by Lemuria here.

1D: CONTRABAND STORAGE

Several crates are filled with metal weapons, armour and other equipment. The stockpile is worth 1,000 GP based on its quantity alone - there's enough here to equip a company of soldiers. The crank for 1E's portcullis is on the South wall and is identical to the one in 1B.

1E: SOUTHERN CAUSEWAY

Portcullis is identical to the one in 1A. During a siege, Lemuria can dump the contents of his cooking pot from 2C onto attackers. Save vs Breath Weapon or be doused in boiling fat, taking D6 DMG per turn until you extinguish yourself. Jumping in the river works, but then you get attacked by Giant Piranhas from 0C. 

LEVEL 2

2A: BEDROOM

Lemuria's bedding is made from 1,500 GP worth of pelts. The gatehouse's pay chest contains 10,000 SP, but is trapped to cast Sleep on anyone opening it. 

The room's privy has two scrolls being used toilet paper - Detect Magic and Hold Monster. Located next to the toilet is an unlocked bronze hatch connected to a chute terminating above 1A. It's possible to access the hatch by climbing the portcullis. If Lemuria detects such a ploy he welcomes the intruder with a torrent of raw sewage.

2B: WORKSHOP

This room's masonry tools maintain the gatehouse and its flock of Gargoyles, with one such construct here awaiting repairs. Lays-Many-Eggs is tied up in the corner, guarded by the damaged Gargoyle while Lemuria prepares ingredients to cook her with. 

Searching the room finds 800 GP worth of gemstones and a Foldable Boat within a glass bottle (an attached label has its Elvish command words).

2C: KITCHEN

Larder full of salted longpork, beaver jerky and other locally sourced meats. Pantry containing sheets of smoked moss, jars of pickled vegetables and dried mushrooms. Searching the cabinets finds a jug of Killer Bee Honeywine with five swigs left, each healing D4 HP. A brass pot bubbles over a roaring fireplace, used to render down fat for tallow candles. It's adjacent to a bronze hatch identical to the one in 2A.

2D: MUDROOM

Human-hair doormat caked in dirt and blood. Shoe cubbies for heavy boots made from tanned manskin and repurposed leather. Oversized cloak containing 750 GP worth of fur.

LEVEL 3

3A: COVERED PATIO

A triangular roof sits above this area, providing cover from the infrequent but violent rainfall common for the region. Some hand-carved chairs and tables made from local timber decorate the room. Lemuria likes to sit up here to eat his meals.

3B: ROOFTOP GARDEN 

Lemuria grows nuts, wild greens, tomatoes and tubers to supplement his diet. 

The gatehouse's Gargoyles roost on the edges of the roof, always keeping a careful watch on the surrounding area. 1D3+1 are here at any given time. The rest are off patrolling nearby hexes.

LEVEL 0

0A: RIVERBOAT

Lemuria stored the riverboat of the Happy Few here. The vessel is covered in bloodstains and gouges from the crew's battle with the Gargoyles. There's still 3,000 GP worth of pelts that haven't been unloaded yet. Unbeknownst to the tollman, Trafalgar the Halfling is hiding inside a barrel of castoreum, using the musk to hide his scent.

0B: RIVER CHECKPOINT

A pair of portcullises form a secure chamber where Lemuria can inspect vessels trying to pass through the gatehouse. An elevated stone archway stands over the water channel.

0C: DUMP

This section of water is where Lemuria feeds his offcuts to a school of Giant Piranhas. Too lazy to pry the knight from his armour, Lemuria threw Sir Volga in the water here. His skeleton is still there, weighed down by its plate maille. Dredge it up for 750 GP in gemstones and a Potion of Haste.

DUNGEON RESIDENTS

Lemuria The Green

Stats per OSE.

Lemuria's body may be immortal, but his mind isn't. The Troll constantly forgets what he's doing, misplaces items or spends long periods starting at a wall in a fugue state. It's why he hasn't left the gatehouse in centuries. His bridge is like the Hogeweyk dementia village, a safe place where he can't get lost and feels in control of his surroundings.

Lemuria has a large silver pin hammered into his skull, engraved with magical runes. It acts as a permanent casting of Comprehend Languages, allowing the tollman to understand any spoken tongue (but not written language, he's completely illiterate).

The Troll splits his time moving between 2B, 2C and 3B on various errands as he prepares to cook Lays-Many-Eggs. Once he does so, he goes to bed in 2A. The following day he starts unloading the Happy Few's riverboat in 0A, discovering Trafalgar in the process (and then eating him too).

The Boy Who Was Never Afraid, by John Bauer

THE GARGOYLES

Stats per OSE.

There's seven of these stone constructs. They were created by the Serpentmen to help Lemuria run the gatehouse, and as such are shaped like winged snakes. They're invaluable to the Troll, giving him force projection over adjacent hexes, and the ability to gather food and building materials without leaving his post.

One of the constructs is currently at half HP after getting blasted by Magic Missiles. It's in 2B, being repaired. There's 1D3+1 more in 3B, keeping watch on the surrounding area. The rest are out patrolling or gathering resources in nearby hexes.

If the Gargoyles detect anyone approaching (or trying to avoid) the gatehouse, they converge on their position and make awful hissing noises as they point them towards the checkpoint. They ignore mundane attacks made against them, but quickly become hyper-aggressive as soon as they actually lose any HP.

GIANT PIRANHAS
Stats per OSE.

There's four of these oversized carnivores kept semi-tamed by Lemuria. The Troll not only catches them for food, but also uses the fish for bathing, jumping into the water and letting them attack him. They effectively act as violent sharksuckers, devouring the tumors, skin tags and lesions sprouting from his cancerous flesh.

Old School Essentials

THE HAPPY FEW

Lemuria's most recent victims, an adventuring party hunting Giant Beavers and other valuable megafauna along the Redriver. Their members are:

• Konrad Kunst, Thief 4
• Lays-Strong-Eggs, Ranger 3
• Sir Volga, Knight 3
• Trafalgar, Halfling 3
• Yazidi The Blue, Magic User 2

By Daniel Boles

The Happy Few approached the gatehouse via riverboat, but Yazidi panicked when she saw the Gargoyles. After she opened fire with Magic Missiles, the constructs attacked the party. Yazidi and Konrad died, Sir Volga surrendered, Trafalgar hid in a barrel and Lays-Strong-Eggs leapt off the boat only to be captured by Lemuria.

The tollman fed Volga to his piranhas, but kept Lays-Strong-Eggs alive. Having never eaten a member of her race before, he's busy preparing ingredients to cook her with. The Lizardman doesn't hold a grudge against (it's not like she hasn't eaten people alive before), but she'd still like to escape.

Trafalgar wants to rescue Lays-Strong Eggs. Partially out of guilt over hiding while his friends were slaughtered. Mostly because there's no way he's making it back to civilisation without her help. He's equipped with Leather Armour, a Shortbow with silvered arrows, a +1 Shortsword of Light and a Potion of Resist Arrest (doubles movement speed and renders the user immune to being restrained).

Seattle Bridge Troll

WHY YOU'RE HERE

• Sailing the Redriver in search of megafauna to kill or dungeons to loot. The gatehouse and its coterie of flying statues block your progress. Either turn back, pay the toll or get ready for a fight.

• The Happy Few didn't work alone - their absence is noted by the other longhunters operating in the area. The group was an alright sort, so several adventuring parties pool resources to fund a volunteer rescue expedition.

• The gatehouse is strategically valuable given its position in the Bloody Marches. Go besiege the place and oust the tollman. Once Lemuria's gone, the bridge can be a communal basecamp for the region's longhunters. Or you could charge your own levy on river traffic.