Tuvdak’s Gift is a lighthearted standalone adventure designed to be completed in one session. The adventure takes place in Bekebel Citadel, beneath the shadow of the fiery mountain Oro-oro-ponoro-poron. Since Bekebel is inhabited only by kobolds, all the characters in this adventure should also be kobolds.

For additional information about the setting of this adventure, see also:

Overview

The first chapter of Tuvdak’s Gift introduces the Crown of Noruchtohl and explains its importance as a gift to Tuvdak the Magnificent. It also covers the characters’ perspective of the incident causing its loss.

What the characters will discover over the course of the adventure is that the crown was stolen by Paparnad the Mystic and two of his students, Taccar the Arcane and Satasha the Runed. The scheme was as follows: Taccar would swing from the ceiling, knocking the crown into the crowd, where Satasha would take it using any means necessary and flee beneath the cover of a Cloak of Invisibility. Then she would meet up with Paparnad, give him the crown and the cloak, and return magically disguised as Paparnad to delay any suspicions.

The plan was executed well, and Satasha managed to grab the crown and escape. Taccar was sadly incinerated. Satasha then met with Paparnad roughly half an hour after the crown was taken and began making her way back up to the surface. If the characters follow the typical adventure path, they will encounter her as they themselves descend to the same specified location.

The first chapter concludes in the throne room of Babanak the Great, where he instructs the characters to seek and retrieve the crown. He also mentions that Paparnad is nowhere to be found - a hint of his guilt.

The second chapter sends the characters on their way to find the crown. They will likely wish to search Bekebel Great Hall first, where the crown was sent tumbling into a crowd of thousands. There they may find a scrap of fabric - a torn piece of Satasha’s Cloak of Invisibility. Knowing that Cloaks of Invisibility are virtually unheard of on Oro-oro-ponoro-poron, the characters should begin to suspect that whoever orchestrated this plot must have significant resources at their disposal and connections in high places.

In their explorations of the citadel’s underground, the characters may encounter Satasha the Runed on her way to see Babanak. Magically disguised as Paparnad, her goal is to provide him with an alibi. Satasha’s lies and misdirection may lead the characters away from the true culprit before they discover her deception. Alternatively, with the right incentives, she could become a useful ally.

During this time, the characters may wish to search the private chambers of Paparnad the Mystic. In Paparnad’s rooms, they might find a hidden note leading them deeper into the tunnels in pursuit.

The third chapter details the characters’ pursuit of Paparnad through the tunnels and caverns below Bekebel Citadel. Along the way they might find hints of Paparnad’s passing, and magical tools like the Gorgor Counter will help them find their way. As they descend ever deeper, leaving the smooth tunnels behind and entering the natural caves, the characters will have to fight dark monsters and might encounter an unfriendly dragon.

The fourth and final chapter sees the characters finally catch up to Paparnad above a deep chasm flooded with magma. The climactic battle hopefully ends with the characters defeating Paparnad and retrieving the crown. The chapter ends as the characters return with the crown and personally present it to Tuvdak the Magnificent. Now, having received a preferable replacement, Tuvdak drops his older crown on the ground in front of the characters as a reward for their tremendous efforts.

Chapter 1 - The Gift

This adventure begins in the throne room of Babanak the Great, where the characters have all been gathered. They are here to receive important instructions from Babanak: they must find and retrieve the Crown of Noruchtohl, a powerful artifact crafted by Babanak himself and intended as a gift to the red dragon Tuvdak the Magnificent. The crown was lost in a crowd of thosands mere minutes before, as the players will soon see and the characters are already aware.

Babanak opens with the following monologue.

My loyal friends! You are some of our clan’s most capable members. You have a capacity for adventure that few others possess, and I would trust all of you with someone else’s life. As I’m sure you are painfully aware, we have suffered a great loss today. The Crown of Noruchtohl, an artifact of my own creation, was lost - nay, stolen - not more than a quarter of an hour ago. Meant as an offering to our great overlord Tuvdak the Magnificent, we are now bereft of any gift to give him and time is running out!

Babanak spits these last words with a startling fury, but he quickly settles.

I can’t help but remember how it happened. It feels like an age has passed since then, since we were all in the Great Hall…

How it happened

Half an hour earlier in Bekebel Great Hall, thousands of kobolds are gathered to witness Babanak the Great reveal the latest gift he made for Tuvdak. Babanak stands at the front of the stage at the head of the hall, with Lomon the Warrior and two other soldiers at his side. At the back of the stage stands Paparnad the Mystic, and sitting next to Paparnad is Elned the Wise.

Babanak steps forward. Then, his voice magically amplified, he addresses the massive crowd.

My friends and loyal subjects! I am Babanak the Great!

The entire crowd cheers and starts chanting: “Babanak! Babanak! Babanak!” Babanak continues when they finish.

It is our tradition and custom to give to Tuvdak the Magnificent, king of the caldera, a gift on every ninth day. Today is one of those days!

The crowd cheers and chants: “Tuvdak! Tuvdak! Tuvdak!”

It is also our tradition to give a gift of greater value on every ninth ninth day. Today is one of those days!

The crowd cheers again, louder than before.

And today is also the shortest day of the year, warranting a gift of even greater value to our magnificent overlord!

This time the cheering of the amassed kobolds seems to make the ground itself shake, but Babanak cuts it short.

But there’s more! On this day, 333 years ago, Tuvdak the Magnificent defeated Sarvol the Peerless in an epic battle for her lair. To mark this special anniversary we will give to Tuvdak a gift greater than any that has ever been given! Behold the Crown of Noruchtohl!

As Babanak lifts the crown from a box at his feet, the crowd goes wild. Some are chanting Babanak’s name and others Tuvdak’s, but most are simply expressing themselves with a lot of noise. Babanak revels in the crowd’s adoration and holds the crown aloft for all to see.

But as Babanak stands at the front of the stage, a the characters begin to notice movement near the ceiling. A kobold wearing a large wooden mask is standing on a high ledge, holding the end of a rope anchored to a hook in the roof. Before anyone can act, the masked kobold leaps off the ledge and swings down. Many kobolds cry out in alarm, but it’s too late - the swinging kobold slams directly into Babanak’s side, sending both of them flying into the crowd. The crown, too, tumbles through the air before landing far from the stage.

Immediate chaos ensues. Those near the fallen Babanak try to push back, while those too far away to see clearly try to push forward. Babanak, however, recovers quickly and flies into the air, holding the attacker by the neck. Both are briefly concealed by bright flames, and when they clear Babanak hovers in the air alone. Then he turns his gaze to the crowd, seeking the crown, but all the kobolds in the hall are already running in too many directions and he must concede defeat.

Chapter 2 - Investigation

Still in Babanak’s throne room, Babanak seems to be lost in thought. Also in the room is Elned the Wise, an advisor to Babanak in many things. She clears her throat and he comes back to his senses.

I’m sure you can see the urgency of this situation. Tuvdak will be expecting a party to deliver the gift at sunset. If we fail to deliver, it is very likely that we shall all be consumed by dragonfire! That is a fate that should be reserved only for our enemies… and for traitors! If you fail to recover the crown and deliver it to Tuvdak by sunset, I can guarantee that none of us - but you in particular - will live to see another day. Do you understand me?

At this point the discussion should diverge as the characters begin to interact with Babanak. Before the characters leave, Babanak should tell them the following information:

  • All exits from the citadel have been shut and are heavily guarded, preventing anyone from entering or leaving the walled compound.
  • Soldiers are already patrolling the streets and tunnels to ensure that everyone stays where they are as much as possible, but the characters themselves will have freedom of movement throughout the entire citadel.
  • Paparnad the Mystic is currently nowhere to be found - he seemingly vanished immediately after the incident. Babanak doesn’t say whether or not he thinks Paparnad might have been involved in the theft of the crown, but he makes it clear that the characters should try to find Paparnad anyway for his arcane magic. An insightful character might detect what Babanak believes: that Paparnad has stolen the crown for his own purposes. They might also detect that Babanak is deeply fearful that this might be true.

If the characters ask about the magical properties of the crown, Babanak simply says: “While only a true dragon should be able to wear it, one with sufficient knowledge of its power and the manner of its activation could… ach! It doesn’t bear thinking about! They would become greater and more formidable than any one of us - maybe even all of us together!”

Babanak also suggests investigating Paparnad’s private room and workshop - Babanak already looked for him there, but did not fully search the place.

Finally, before the characters leave, Elned the Wise gives them a device known as a Gorgor Counter, named for Gorgor the Wise. A Gorgor Counter clicks when it is near magic, and clicks more quickly near powerful magic. Since the Crown of Noruchtohl is one of the most powerful magical artifacts ever created in Bekebel, the Gorgor Counter will certainly be able to help the characters know when they are near.

Satasha’s Return

As the characters are making their investigations, they might run into Satasha the Runed magically disguised as Paparnad the Mystic. She took the crown to Paparnad and is now returning to give him a chance to escape. If the characters conclude their investigations early, they might instead encounter Satasha during the third chapter.

Soldier patrols encountering Satasha will think she is Paparnad and will let her pass without hindrance. If the characters encounter her, she will claim that she has learned something important about the crown’s theft and she must tell Babanak immediately. In order to avoid risk of detection, she will try to keep conversation to a minimum and might run away if the characters become too inquisitive. If the characters ask any direct questions, she will try to answer them such that the characters neither follow her nor suspect her disguise.

If the characters find a way to draw the truth from her, they find that Satasha knows much about Paparnad’s scheme. If sufficiently pressed, she’ll tell the characters:

  • She is Satasha the Runed, a student of Paparnad’s. Paparnad’s other student, Taccar the Arcane, was the masked kobold who swung from the ceiling in the Great Hall (and who was incinerated by Babanak).
  • She gave the crown to Paparnad at 229 Soot road.
  • Paparnad intends to leave Bekebel Citadel via a little-known exit from a natural cave deep underground.
  • Paparnad wants to take the crown into the jungle and magically destroy it in the name of the black dragon Ice, proving his devotion and his worth.
  • Satasha wore a Cloak of Invisibility as she fled Bekebel Great Hall. She gave the cloak to Paparnad along with the crown.
  • Paparnad promised his students unimaginable power if they assisted him in his scheme. Satasha admits, however, that her faith was shaken when she witnessed Taccar’s death.

Even if the characters don’t succeed in getting Satasha to tell the truth, she may still inadvertently give away Paparnad’s location. If she turns to leave too quickly, a small slip of paper falls from her pocket. The paper reads “229 SOOT RD”, and it looks as though it was torn from a page in a notebook. The handwriting will probably not be immediately recognizable, but it was in fact Paparnad who wrote this note.

If the characters eventually let her go, Satasha will go to Babanak, knowing that her greatest challenge is yet to come. She knows that she must avoid Elned the Wise at all costs, as Elned can see through any lie and would quickly detect her deception if she heard her speak. However, Elned is likely to be found at Babanak’s side throughout the whole ordeal, so Satasha will probably not be able to see him privately. Her plan is to call Babanak to Paparnad’s workshop, possibly by sending a soldier as a messenger, knowing that Babanak can walk faster than Elned. Then she would have a chance to try to fool Babanak and grant Paparnad an alibi. In the event that she cannot separate Babanak from Elned, her final contingency is to pit Paparnad’s reputation against Elned’s, and boldly claim that Elned orchestrated the theft of the crown. That way, when Elned inevitably tells Babanak that Satasha is an impostor, he will be forced to make a choice between them. Ultimately, however, Satasha will not be able to fool them both and will try to flee. If she is captured and her ruse discovered, she will be arrested and sentenced to death by dragonfire as a traitor of the highest order.

The Great Hall

The players may wish to start their investigations in the Great Hall, where the crown fell into the crowd. Since Bekebel Great Hall stands at a crossroads of many important tunnels beneath the Bekebel Citadel, it is normally filled with kobolds running to and fro. However, since the lockdown was imposed on the entire citadel, the Great Hall stands eerily empty. The characters’ footsteps echo beneath the lofty ceiling, and the rope Taccar swung from still hangs above the stage.

The characters might start by finding the place where the Crown of Noruchtohl landed in the crowd. In fact, just where they would expect the crown to have fallen, the stone is blackened and cracked, as though lightning had struck the ground. The Gorgor Counter clicks when brought close.

From that spot, the nearest exit is directly north. If the characters choose to investigate the exit, they will find a small scrap of fabric snagged on a splinter of rock. It is a fragment of Satasha’s Cloak of Invisibility, torn as she hurried from the Great Hall. The fabric’s magical properties can be easily identified as it is invisible from one side only. Since Cloaks of Invisibility are virtually unheard of in Bekebel, the characters might reason that the thief must have had access to tremendous stores of magical knowledge and rare materials.

Paparnad’s chambers

As one of the more notable figures in the Bekebel clan, Paparnad has his own private quarters where he sleeps, eats many of his meals, and does some of his research. His private rooms include a bedroom and a study. The study includes a small library of magical tomes.

Bedroom

The bedroom has a bed, a bedside table, and a wardrobe. On the bedside table is a notepad and pen, a book about dragons, and a pair of reading glasses. The wardrobe contains fairly typical clothing for a kobold of Paparnad’s status.

The notepad has no visible ink markings on it, but careful inspection of the indentations in the top page might allow a character to guess what was written on the previous page. With a successful check, a character can read the address “229 SOOT RD”. This is where Paparnad agreed to meet Satasha after she grabbed the crown.

The book is a detailed historical account about every dragon that has lived on Oro-oro-ponoro-poron in the last 800 years. The book is a few decades out of date, but dragons live for centuries so any differences are minor. It is bookmarked to the page about Ice, the island’s only black dragon. The bookmarked page tells that many kobolds over the centuries have tried to form an alliance with Ice. Some have reported their stories themselves, and other tales are recounted only second- or third-hand. The tale told on this open page, recounted second-hand, describes how the druid known as Dreth the Merciless gained Ice’s blessing by bringing a powerful artifact into the forest and destroying it in Ice’s name. When Dreth returned to her clan, she could reportedly twist the minds of others and transform one material into another.

Study

The study includes a writing desk and two bookshelves. On the writing desk is an open book and a set of common writing utensils, as well as some special inks needed by wizards to properly record spells. The shelves contain a small variety of books, mostly about different practices of magic and methods of enchanting magical items.

The open book on the desk is a partial record of all magical artifacts created over the centuries, whether by kobolds or dragons. When the characters find it, it is open to a page summarizing the properties of various magical crowns. It explains that crowns typically bestow mental powers to their users. As an example, the book describes the Crown of Dominion, an ancient artifact that would grant the wearer the ability to control the minds of others. Alternatively, a crown called Citherei granted its wearer full clarity and independence of mind, blocking any attempts to magical influence the wearer’s thoughts.

If the characters examine the contents of the bookshelves, they find that an entire section is devoted to Paparnad’s research notes. Here he writes detailed descriptions of all of his work, including studies of ancient texts, experiments, and recent successes. The latest notes, dated over the past month, describe his recent progress in the creation of a Cloak of Invisibility. The final and most recent page states that the cloak is almost ready for use - it makes the wearer fully transparent, but a faint shimmer in the air around them would give away their presence to a careful observer.

If the characters visit Paparnad’s workshop, they can use the Gorgor Counter to confirm that there is no Cloak of Invisibility in the room.

Chapter 3 - Pursuit

Either from the notepad in Paparnad’s chambers or from their encounter with Satasha, the characters hopefully now know where Paparnad and Satasha met to hand off the Crown of Noruchtohl. They might also have an idea of Paparnad’s motives and should be confident that he is the culprit.

229 Soot road

The first stage of the pursuit is to find 229 Soot road in the labyrinth of tunnels beneath Bekebel Citadel. Soot road is part of the citadel’s network of heavily industrial alleys, far beneath the surface. Characters that have some experience either in patrolling, metalworking, or tunneling will likely know where Soot road is and will know how to get there. Other characters might not have heard of it before, since most inhabitants of Bekebel Citadel rarely visit its deeper sections. However, it is not difficult to ask for directions from a patrol, and any soldiers will be able to tell the characters where Soot road is.

The building located at 229 Soot road is an abandoned forge. Everything except the anvil, the forge itself, and the heavy workbench has been taken away. The building hasn’t been used for any real work in years, but it has a secret that few know: behind the workbench is a rough tunnel leading down into the rock. The tunnel is the reason Paparnad chose this location to hand off the crown, as he could quickly slip away without any risk of being seen. Paparnad did not tell anyone about the secret tunnel, including Satasha - she thinks he must have left by the building’s only door.

When the party arrives, the single room is empty save for the anvil, forge, and workbench. Among all the dust and soot on the floor, it is easy to identify the recent footprints of Paparnad and Satasha. Additionally, the characters might be able to discern that while two sets of footprints can be seen entering the building, only one leaves - however, this may be obscured if the characters walked back and forth through the doorway before investigating the tracks. It also is not difficult to find the tunnel if the characters think to look behind the workbench, but it cannot be seen from a quick visual scan - some investigation is required.

The tunnel itself was roughly hewn from the rock by the former owner of the forge, in order to satisfy her paranoia. As she aged, her forge fell into decrepitude and eventually was shut down. Now, the building remains abandoned. The tunnel descends steeply from its beginning in the forge wall as it winds haphazardly to a lower level of the citadel. The walls are rough and any loose fabric constantly snags on splinters and ridges. In fact, with the help of the Gorgor Counter, the characters might find another scrap of Paparnad’s Cloak of Invisibility caught on a spike of rock. This should prove to them that they are on the right trail.

The tunnel eventually flattens and emerges from the wall of a narrow alley in the lowest part of the citadel. Only grizzled rockbreakers and the most streetwise of urchins are at all familiar with these roads, and they are almost entirely uninhabited. At this point the characters must somehow decide which of two ways to go. To the left, the alley slopes up gently and eventually intersects with a slightly larger street. To the right, the alley slopes down and curves out of sight. Paparnad went right, toward Rockbreaker Grotto. A creative solution to choose the direction is encouraged, but here are some options:

  • The players might reason that Paparnad would wish to avoid being seen, and would therefore go right to avoid crossing inhabited or patrolled streets
  • If the Satasha told the characters about Paparnad’s hidden exit tunnel in “a natural cave deep underground”, they might reason that he would have to go further down and would therefore go right
  • With a careful use of their Gorgor Counter, the characters might be able to detect slightly stronger magic to the right, indicating that the Crown of Noruchtohl is in that direction
  • The characters might be able to use divination magic to determine where Paparnad and the crown can be found

Ultimately, it should be well within the characters means to reach the correct conclusion without splitting the party.

Rockbreaker Grotto

Rockbreaker Grotto is a natural cave in the bowels of Oro-oro-ponoro-poron, where magma flows unhindered and dark monsters play predator and prey. Rockbreaker Grotto was not always connected to Bekebel Citadel - only recent tunneling developments have opened these passages. Throughout the caverns, magma flows cast an uneven light on massive stalagmites and dark openings. At first glance, the convoluted network of chambers seems to be altogether labyrinthine - however, the passages quickly converge and it is well within any adventurer’s capabilities to keep their heading.

As Paparnad the Mystic passed through here not long before the characters arrived, he raised a bit of a stir among the wildlife in the caverns. As the characters move among the stalagmites and navigate around steep ledges, they may encounter hungry dark-dwelling creatures. Further traces of Paparnad’s passing include more torn scraps of his Cloak of Invisibility - the delicate fabric tore in many places as he attempted to move through the stalagmites, leaving behind a trail that is best followed with the aid of a Gorgor Counter.

Imbur the Crowned

Rockbreaker Grotto is also home to a young red dragon known as Imbur the Crowned. Having made his lair in a small recess near a magma flow, Imbur never leaves his home except to hunt stonebeaks in the jungle. Like any properly avaricious dragon, Imbur keeps a small hoard of gold and other minor treasures - including his most prized possession, the Crown of Ingenuity. The Crown of Ingenuity is a minor artifact originally created by Babanak the Great as a gift to Tuvdak the Magnificent. Through a series of unusual misadventures, the crown found its way into Imbur’s grasp, deep in Rockbreaker Grotto. The crown lends Imbur improved creativity and originality, both bolstering his magic and empowering his wild fantasies.

Now, Imbur collects whatever small treasures he can scavenge in the jungle to add to his hoard. He gleefully intimidates Lukurru kobolds but avoids the Bekebel, knowing that his proximity to their citadel would put him at great risk if they took too much notice of his activities.

When the characters arrive, Imbur is just waking from a deep slumber. Paparnad’s careless passage woke him, but he did not immediately rise. As the characters pass near his lair, he emerges and addresses them in a loud rumbling voice.

I bid you bear your cacophonous footsteps more lightly, little Bekebels. You have awoken Imbur the Crowned from his slumber - and on the first day of winter, no less! I will hear your defense, little Bekebels, for you are hereby charged with trespass.

The first glimpse the characters catch of Imbur is of the front of his nose as he extends his long neck over a magma flow. As he brings the rest of his body out of his hollow, his large wings spread out behind him, reflecting the soft orange glow onto the ground around his chest. His long snout extends outwards from his scaled face, and his yellow eyes lurk beneath the beautiful golden bands of the Crown of Ingenuity.

You passed by here not two hundred heartbeats hence - don’t think I didn’t hear your ruckus! And now you return, seemingly to taunt me. Why are you here? Why are you in Rockbreaker Grotto?

The characters should recognize that fighting any dragon, even one as young as Imbur, is far beyond their abilities. Instead, they should try to convice Imbur to let them pass. Despite his initial intimidation tactics, Imbur has no intention of killing the characters and will only fight them if they make the first move. He is, however, interested in their treasures and will try to persuade them to give him something. He is easily distracted by promises of great treasures and loves to imagine himself in possession of epic wealth. His greatest fear is that the Bekebel clan will someday decide to expand Bekebel Citadel into Rockbreaker Grotto, forcing him to find a new lair.

Imbur assumes it was the characters he heard pass through the cavern earlier, but it was actually Paparnad. If the characters make this clear to Imbur and ask him pointed questions, he can point them in Paparnad’s direction.

Chapter 4 - Grizgith’s Gap

Not far beyond Imbur’s lair lies Grizgith’s Gap, a large cavern named for the legendary hero Grizgith the Rockbreaker. The only entrance into Grizgith’s Gap from Rockbreaker Grotto is a small natural tunnel. When the characters pass through the tunnel, they find themselves on a narrow ledge four feet wide overhanging a gaping chasm 50 feet across. 30 feet below, magma flows between the stone walls of the cavern, emitting tremendous heat and a bright orange light as it bubbles out of an opening in the wall. To the right, the cavern continues for 200 feet as it slopes downward, eventually closing around the magma flow. To the left, the cavern ends at a vertical wall 50 feet from the entrance. The ledge which the characters are standing on continues around the left wall of the chasm, wrapping around to the other side where a similar tunnel directly across from the entrance leads into the jungle beyond. As the characters arrive, the sun shines directly through the opening as it descends towards the horizon.

Meeting Paparnad

Also seen upon the character’s arrival is Paparnad, wearing what remains of his Cloak of Invisibility and carrying a large sack containing the Crown of Noruchtohl. He is carefully making his way towards the exit, stepping slowly and hugging the wall. Though he is making slow progress, he is already two thirds of the way around the ledge. He does not immediately notice the characters entering the cavern, but if they make noise or follow him around the ledge, he’ll spot them. The characters can safely walk around the ledge twice as fast as Paparnad can.

During the encounter, role-play Paparnad with the following information. Note that he will not necessarily tell the characters everything right away - however, until the fight starts going badly for him, he believes his scheme cannot fail.

  • Paparnad sought Ice’s blessing independently of his arcane studies. For many years, he has been reading every text about Ice he could find. He has read many tales of individuals gaining remarkable powers from Ice, and many more accounts of failed attempts. Paparnad thinks himself worthy, however, due to his notable magical abilities. Knowing that he would need an artifact of unusual power to impress Ice, he chose to steal the Crown of Noruchtohl, which he helped create. The crown is one of the most highly magical artifacts ever created in Bekebel Citadel, and Paparnad is planning to destroy the crown in Ice’s name. Performing the act at midnight during the longest night of the year will make his scheme more likely to succeed.
  • His plan to steal the crown involved his two students, Taccar the Arcane and Satasha the Runed. Taccar swung from a rope in Bekebel Great Hall and knocked the crown into the crowd, where Satasha grabbed it and fled under the cover of the Cloak of Invisibility. He has been planning the theft with their help for several months, but he has been teaching them about Ice for much longer to ensure their loyalty. He promised them a share of Ice’s power - however, recognizing that it may be impossible to divide Ice’s blessing among them, he further guaranteed that they would be considered his equals in the reformed Bekebel clan. He means to uphold his promises.
  • Paparnad is aware that Tuvdak will likely destroy much of Bekebel Citadel when he receives no gift. With the power he expects to gain from Ice, Paparnad plans to rescue the clan from Tuvdak and drive him away. Then Paparnad hopes to make Ice the target of the clan’s worship and take over from Babanak the Great as the clans’s leader.

Paparnad will not attack the characters unless they provoke or threaten him. If they do, he will try to continue towards the exit while he fends off the characters with his magic spells. He is a very adept wizard, so he has considerably more powerful magical abilities than any of the characters. In a fight, he should be almost evenly matched with them.

Meeting Tuvdak

Hopefully, the characters will somehow reclaim the crown from Paparnad. When they do, they face the final challenge of delivering it to Tuvdak the Magnificent at the surface of the citadel. By this time, the sun no longer shines through the exit tunnel and has nearly set completely. The quickest path the characters can take to the surface is to go up the same way they came down, as long as they can remember the full route. Fortunately, they will pass many familiar landmarks on the return journey - Imbur the Crowned, who may still be near his lair; the stalagmite caverns in Rockbreaker Grotto; the rough tunnels at the bottom of Bekebel Citadel; the narrow passage leading back up to 229 Soot road; and finally the winding streets and alleys all the way up to the Great Hall.

Finding the Great Hall still vacant, the characters must hurry up to the large open square above it where Tuvdak is just now descending from the sky. Surrounded by a large crowd, Babanak the Great is kneeling on the ground in front of Tuvdak, a solemn expression on his face. As the characters emerge with the Crown of Noruchtohl in hand, Babanak visibly sighs in relief but quickly regains his composure. As Tuvdak lands, Babanak greets him.

Oh Tuvdak the Magnificent, king of the caldera! We have many reasons to worship your greatness on any day. But today is a special day! Exactly 333 years ago you defeated Sarvol the Peerless in an epic battle for her lair. To mark this special anniversary we will give to you a gift greater than any that has ever been given! Behold the Crown of Noruchtohl!

Babanak then indicates the crown. The gathered kobolds cheer wildly, thrilled to witness such a momentous occasion. Without a word, Tuvdak delicately takes the crown in his talons. He inspects it for a moment, then reaches up to his head with his other claw and knocks his current crown to the ground, where it tumbles to rest at the characters’ feet. He places the Crown of Noruchtohl on his head and looks thoughtful for a moment. Then the edges of his mouth widen to a large grin. Then he speaks for the first time, with a deep and ponderous voice.

Babanak! You never fail to impress.

Tuvdak looks around at the crowd. As his piercing gaze passes over the characters, he continues, pausing between every word:

Bekebel never fails to impress.

With that, Tuvdak the Magnificent extends his massive wings. He pushes off from the ground and soars into the air, ascending towards the caldera of Oro-oro-ponoro-poron.