A Philosopher's Blog

Pathfinder RPG Adventure: Ogre Tomb

Posted in Pathfinder by Michael LaBossiere on November 29, 2012

  A Pathfinder Role Playing Game compatible adventure for 3rd-4th level characters.

Description

Ogre Tomb

Gragash is a wild place populated primarily with monstrous humanoids, such as orcs, goblins, ogres, trolls and evil giants.

Because of their chaotic and evil nature, the inhabitants of Gragash generally spend their time making war on each other. However, on rare occasions a leader of sufficient power and vision emerges and to force the warring humanoids into a menacing horde.

One of the greatest leaders to arise in Gragash was Chu-Umbro. Chu-Umbro was the product of a deranged experiment by Bazule, a human necromancer. By the use of vile magic and lots of cheap wine, Bazule bred a captive elf with a swamp troll. This troll later gave birth to a hybrid that was named “Chu-Umbro” by Bazule. This apparently was Bazule’s attempt at humor: “Chu Umbro” is a crude mashing together of the giant and elvish languages and Bazule took this as meaning “successful effort.” While Bazule had originally conducted the union as a mere experiment, the result so pleased him that he took the young Chu-Umbro as an apprentice.

Bazule taught the young hybrid the ways of necromancy and intended him to become one of his chief servants. However, Chu-Umbro chafed under his master’s rule and, desiring to be his own master (and the master of others) he fled to the land of Gragash.

Using his necromancy and ruthlessness, he rose to power quickly. Soon he had forged a fearsome horde and was raiding small human villages. Desiring even more power, he bargained with a demon prince of the undead and was transformed into an undead being. Some of his followers, though thoroughly evil, balked at the idea of serving such an undead monstrosity. Never one to waste resources, Chu-Umbro has his loyal followers kill them and then raised them up again as undead to serve his will.

One of Chu-Umbro’s most faithful followers was the ogre Ghugar. Ghugar was massive, even by ogre standards, and delighted in crushing his foes beneath his iron hammer Skull Breaker. According to legend, Ghugar possessed an ancient necklace that gave him great power over his fellow ogres. According to the stories, this necklace was made from the vertebrae of the first ogre that troubled the world. Ghugar served Chu-Umbro faithfully until the Fifth Battle of the Crossroads. Ghugar fell in this battle, protecting his lord from a paladin wielding the holy weapon Sacred Light. Chu-Umbro and his forces were driven back, though not without inflicting terrible losses. One of Chu-Umbro’s followers recovered the body of Ghugar from the battlefield.

Unfortunately for Chu-Umbro, Ghugar could not be raised up again as an undead being. Chu-Umbro speculated, correctly, that the wound from the holy weapon prevented the corpse from accepting the vile gift of unlife. Bound by his oath to his demon prince, Chu-Umbro could not raise his friend from the dead. Saddened, Chu-Umbro had a tomb built for his faithful servant and laid his remains to rest there.

Chu-Umbro was later betrayed by an ambitious underling, Brukus. Brukus in turn was betrayed and destroyed. With the end of Chu-Umbro and Brukus, the forces of Chu-Umbro quickly turned on one another and were easy pickings for a human army lead by paladins and clerics.

The location of Ghugar’s tomb was believed to have been lost with the destruction of Chu-Umbro’s forces. However, ogres and others have long sought the tomb to find the necklace with the intent of commanding ogres or keeping others from doing so. From time to time rumors of the tomb’s location have surfaced, but none have proved substantial-at least until now.

Available  on Amazon.

Available for free from 11/29/2012 until 12/3/2012.

Downloads

See paizo.com/pathfinderRPG for more information on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

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