TEXT: THE WATCHERS 
  OF MENG
  by Robert J. Schwalb
  An adventure for characters of levels 5–8
  
  THE WATCHERS OF MENG
  An adventure for characters of levels 5–8
  CREDITS
  Design: Robert J Schwalb
  Development: Stephen Schubert
  Cover Art: Klaus Pillon
  Interior Illustrators: Lucas Durham , Lee Moyer, Patricia Smith
  Cartography: Corey Macourek
  Art Direction: Richard Baker
  Graphic Design: Corey Macourek
  Production Specialist: Nissa McCormack
  Based on the Primeval Thule Campaign Setting by Richard 
  Baker, David Noonan, and Stephen Schubert
  Te Watchers of Meng is published by Sasquatch Game Studio,
  LLC, under the Open Game License version 1.0a Copyright 2000 
  Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Sasquatch Game Studio LLC, the 
  Sasquatch logo, and Primeval Thule are trademarks of Sasquatch 
  Game Studio, LLC. All characters and the distinctive likenesses 
  thereof are property of Sasquatch Game Studio LLC. Tis material is 
  protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. 
  © 2015 Sasquatch Game Studio, LLC.
  Product Identity: Te following items are hereby identifed as 
  Product Identity as defned in the Open Game License version 1.0a, 
  and are not Open Content: All trademarks, proper names, dialogue, 
  plot, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress.
  Disclaimer: Sasquatch Game Studio is an independent game 
  publisher. Tis game is not licensed, endorsed by, or authorized by 
  any third party.
  Sasquatch Game Studio, LLC 
  Auburn, WA
  sasquatchgamestudio.com
  
  MORAL QUALMS
  Watchers of Meng
  3
  F
  ew dare to brave the dangers posed by the 
  Jungle of Zaal. It is a tangled place crowded 
  with overgrowth, dangerous wildlife, and car-
  nivorous plants. Few that enter are ever seen again 
  and the ones who do survive its many perils emerge 
  with fevers and madness, their unhinged accounts 
  speaking of strange ruins infested with stranger 
  inhabitants, old magic, and terrifying monsters. As 
  deadly as this place can be, it ofers up fantastic trea-
  sures, bits of strange magic whose purpose and func-
  tion puzzle the most scholarly of wizards. Gold coins 
  minted with strange visages on the faces and bizarre 
  weapons forged for creatures of inhuman anatomy 
  hint at the weird culture that once ruled here.
  Oola, Mistress of the Whip, knows full well how 
  dangerous Zaal can be and under any other circum-
  stance she would avoid it. Racking up gambling 
  debts greater than she can pay, she now has no 
  choice. Her debtors took her lover, Rien, and prom-
  ised to send her back to her one piece at a time until 
  she makes good on what she owes. After receiving 
  a severed fnger as a warning that they were seri-
  ous, Oola decided to move her supply of slaves to a 
  buyer in Cheir, a city beyond the jungle to the west 
  from Ansumo. With no time to spare if she would 
  make the transaction and return to her home city, 
  she must lead the expedition through the tangled 
  expanse. Whether she and her cargo make it Cheir is 
  up to the player characters.
  Encounter difculty: Te Watchers of Meng is 
  intended for 5th- to 8th-level characters, but can be 
  modifed by adjusting the number of creatures that 
  appear in each encounter. Opportunities exist for 
  the characters to circumvent or fee from some of the 
  more dangerous encounters, such as the potential 
  climactic encounter with the titular Watchers.
  BEGINNING THE 
  ADVENTURE
  Te player characters may become involved in the 
  adventure in any way you like, but if you need some 
  suggestions, consider the following adventure hooks.
  Eye of Meng: Te characters learn a priceless 
  jewel rests inside a pyramid at the center of the 
  jungle. Te characters might encounter Oola along 
  the way or they might fnd her as a prisoner in the 
  Slave Pen once the party arrives. 
  Hired Swords: Te player characters’ reputation 
  fnds them approached by Oola to escort her and her 
  cargo through the jungles. She can ofer the char-
  acters each 100 gp up front, another 100 gp when 
  they reach Cheir, and 200 gp more upon returning 
  to Ansumo. 
  Hunting Oola: Te crime lord holding Rien pris-
  oner, a vile man named Kurtubal, believes Oola is 
  trying to slip town. He hires the characters to track 
  her down in the jungles and bring her back. He’ll 
  pay 1,000 gp if the characters bring her back alive or 
  half that much if they bring back her corpse, as he 
  would rather kill her himself. 
  To use this hook, you’ll need to make a few mod-
  ifcations to how the adventure starts. You can start 
  with the characters fnding Oola and confronting 
  her, in which case she may try to win the characters 
  to her cause. Or, you can have the characters follow 
  her expedition, catching up with her shortly after 
  her force is attacked and captured by the Meng 
  degenerates just outside the ruins of Meng.
  Lost: Te characters travel through the jungle for 
  reasons of their own—lured by promises of treasure 
  or pursuing an objective related to a diferent ad-
  venture. Te group becomes lost and stumbles into 
  Oola’s party after they’ve been attacked by a band 
  of degenerates. Te best chance for both groups to 
  survive is to work together.
  OOLA, MISTRESS OF 
  THE WHIP
  Orphaned at a young age and raised in Ansumo by 
  herself, Oola (as a gladiator) clawed her way out 
  from the gutter to make a name for herself. She owes 
  her success to her willingness to do whatever it takes 
  to survive, whether that means stealing, murdering, 
  or trading in slaves. By twenty, she amassed a small 
  fortune running a brothel, and fve years later she 
  had become the most prominent and powerful slaver 
  in town, having won a reputation for bloodthirst-
  iness after castrating her rival and leaving him to 
  bleed out on the streets in front of his home. Always 
  a risk-taker, Oola has a weakness for gambling and 
  though she wins as often as she loses, a string of bad 
  hands and unwise bets landed her in her current 
  troubles.
  Oola’s wealth is tied up in her slaves and she lacks 
  the coin to cover her debts. Te crime lord refused 
  her ofer to take the fesh she has for sale, demand-
  ing payment, 5,000 gp, in coin or gemstones. While 
  Oola worked to raise the funds, the crime lord took 
  her lover—a former prostitute named Rien—and 
  has been holding her prisoner. Oola may have a hard 
  
  Watchers of Meng
  4
  heart, but Rien means enough to her that she will go 
  to incredible lengths to free the young woman from 
  the crime lord’s clutches.
  Te Mistress of the Whip, as she’s known 
  in Ansumo, is tall, muscled, with fne features 
  marred by a mass of scar tissue on her cheek and 
  neck. She keeps her black hair short and out her 
  bright blue eyes. She has enemies everywhere, so 
  she never goes about without armor or weapons. 
  She’s a skilled warrior and she is not above using 
  violence to settle disputes.
  Oola keeps the characters at arm’s length, speak-
  ing to them only to give them orders. She might 
  warm to other women, especially if they reveal they 
  come from difcult backgrounds or have sufered 
  hardships at the hands of men in power, but she 
  mocks anyone who shows weakness or cowardice. 
  The Expedition: Whether or not the player 
  characters work for Oola, the Mistress of the Whip 
  has the company of 6 guards who watch over 
  the 24 slaves (as commoners with no weapons) 
  chained together in a line. Te guards work for pay. 
  If Oola dies, the guards quit and attempt to escape 
  the jungle. Te slaves consist of human men and 
  women, of which nearly all are young adults that 
  hail from small settlements across the peninsula. 
  Develop these secondary characters as needed.
  THE JUNGLE OF 
  ZAAL
  West of the Quosa River where it passes through 
  the Quosa Vale, the Jungle of Zaal is a tangle that 
  covers an area of hilly terrain about 100 miles by 50 
  miles. Tin-trunked trees stand side-by-side, their 
  leaves forming a think canopy that dims sunlight 
  to shadows on the jungle foor. Narrow paths weave 
  through the trees, sometimes blocked by brambles 
  and overgrowth, others clear, trampled by wart-
  hogs and other woodland animals that live here. 
  Monkeys, exotic birds, countless varieties of insects 
  fll the air with a raucous noise. 
  Te jungle has not fully reclaimed the land from 
  the lost civilizations that once thrived here. Statues, 
  bound in vines, stand as they did a thousand years 
  ago. Cracked paver stones, the foundations of old, 
  stone buildings, and the occasional arch carved to 
  depict impossible and strange creatures can be found 
  throughout Zaal. Although the people who raised 
  these monuments are long gone, they hint at an 
  advanced culture of exceptional skill and learning.
  EXPLORING ZAAL
  Oola’s route through the jungle winds for nearly 60 
  miles before it emerges from the jungle a few miles 
  north of Cheir. Tough she drives a fast pace, her 
  party of chained slaves and guards can only manage 
  a maximum of 10 miles each day. If the PCs are 
  with Oola’s group, they can speed the journey by 
  making a Wisdom/Survival check each day (DC 15) 
  to cover more ground and fnd shortcuts that re-
  duces the remaining distance by 5 additional miles. 
  PCs tracking Oola have an easy time of it, as the 
  slaves and guards leave a noticeable trail for those 
  that know where to look.
  Once within the jungle, the thick jungle growth 
  limits clear sight to 30 feet. Beyond 30 feet but 
  within 60 feet, characters treat the terrain as lightly 
  obscured. Beyond 60 feet, characters treat the ter-
  rain as heavily obscured.
  PERILS
  While traveling through the jungle, the characters 
  are at risk of encountering some of the more danger-
  ous wildlife. Once every four hours the characters 
  travel, roll a d20. On an 18 or higher, the characters 
  run into something potentially dangerous. Use the 
  Jungle of Zaal Encounters table to determine what 
  the characters encounter.
  
  Watchers of Meng
  5
  Jungle of Zaal Encounters
  d6 + d8 Encounter
  2
  1 guardian naga protecting a ruined temple.
  3
  1 very territorial abominable sloth*. 
  4
  1d3 serpentman Nessk champions* with 1d6 
  serpentman temple guards*, hunting for slaves 
  and trophies.
  5
  2d6 giant wasps
  6
  4d10 baboons
  7
  The head of an enormous statue broken and 
  lying on its side. Vines cover all of it but its open 
  mouth.
  8
  1 giant ape. The ape does not attack female 
  members of the party and may ight to protect 
  them from harm.
  9
  1d6 + 6 giant spiders
  10
  1d3 giant vipers* 
  11
  3d6 beastman hunters* with 1d4 trained apes. 
  Kurtubal the crime lord (see “Hunting Oola”) 
  hired these savages to bring Oola back. The 
  beastmen are hostile and regard the characters 
  as a threat, even if the characters mention they 
  work for Kurtubal as well. 
  12
  1d3 wereboars
  13
  1 green hag with 1d2 minotaurs. The green hag 
  has a lair, hidden deep in the jungle. She’s neutral 
  to the characters. If they can make her friendly, 
  which happens if the characters give her a gift 
  of 200 gp or more, she reveals that she spotted 
  Oola’s party and can direct them there.
  14
  1d4 shambling mounds
  *Tese foes appear in the PRIMEVAL THULE Campaign
  Setting
  ENCOUNTERS
  In addition to the random encounters, travelers 
  may also encounter any of the following. You can 
  introduce these encounters at any time, in any 
  order. You can also skip one or all of them.
  Degenerates (2,400 XP): At some point during 
  the characters’ journey through the jungle, a band 
  of Meng degenerates attack. If the characters 
  travel without Oola, the degenerates have already 
  attacked her party and taken her slaves prisoner. 
  Tis band of 6 degenerates (new monster, see 
  appendix) chased Oola when she and her guards 
  ran and have just captured her. If the characters 
  rescue her, she tells the characters her situation 
  and implores them to help recover her merchan-
  dise from the monsters, ofering a reward as 
  described under “Hired Swords.”
  If the characters travel with Oola, a large force 
  of 15 degenerates ambushes them in the forest. 
  Each round on initiative count 1, reduce the 
  number of degenerates and slaves by 1d4. Te 
  degenerates carry of the slaves. In addition, on 
  initiative count 10, roll a d6. On an odd number, 
  one of Oola’s guards dies. On an even number, 
  1d3 degenerates die instead. Te degenerates 
  break of the attack once the number of slaves 
  drops to 0. If Oola survives the fght, she urges 
  the characters to help her recover her goods.
  Stone Heads: About a mile outside of Meng, 
  the characters spot several enormous stone heads 
  rising from the jungle foor. Each head, 10 feet 
  wide and 15 feet tall, depicts a monstrous visage 
  with large tusks jutting up from its jaw, a single 
  horn extending out from the center of its forehead 
  over a large eye. Characters benefting from a 
  detect magic spell that inspect the heads see they 
  emit a faint aura of transmutation magic. An in-
  animate head has AC 17 and 27 hp with a damage 
  threshold of 10.
  Mad Refugee: At some point after the degener-
  ates attack Oola’s party, the characters encounter 
  a slave who escaped the degenerates’ clutches. Te 
  slave, who is named Gungus, is a middle-aged 
  man with a slave brand burned into his cheek. 
  He sports numerous wounds all over his naked 
  body. He’s terrifed and makes no sense unless 
  calmed, which can be achieved with a success-
  ful Charisma/Persuasion check (DC 15). When 
  he settles down, he can tell the characters what 
  happened to him and his fellow slaves, who owns 
  them, where they were headed, and the fact that 
  the degenerates are sacrifcing their prisoners to 
  a shadowy demon that haunts the place and then 
  devour the corpse. Te slave tells the characters 
  where the other prisoners are being held, but will 
  not accompany them unless forced or convinced 
  with a successful Charisma/Intimidation check 
  (DC 20). If instructed or guided by the slave, the 
  characters can reach the ruins of Meng in 1d4 
  hours, during which time they have no chance of 
  facing a random encounter.
  THE RUINS OF 
  MENG
  Eons ago, interdimensional travelers came to these 
  lands to establish a foothold against their ancient 
  foes, the serpent people, founding a great city. 
  From it, they waged war against their hated enemy, 
  using strange technology and weird magic. While 
  formidable, they ultimately failed and their grand 
  city was reduced to the ruins that still cover the 
  1-square-mile clearing at the center of the jungle.
  Although the heights of their civilization lay far in
  the past, their descendants remain, and hunt
  
  Watchers of Meng
  6
  You emerge from the jungle into a clearing, about a mile 
  across, littered with broken buildings, odd statues, and a 
  pyramid standing at the center. All along the edges of the 
  place, you see enormous stone heads, each 10 feet wide 
  and 15 feet tall, depicting monstrous visages. The heads 
  stand about 1,000 feet apart and form a ring along the 
  clearing’s perimeter. Between the stone heads, you see 
  several bloody human heads mounted on black wooden 
  poles driven into the ground in clusters, as if to warn off 
  trespassers.
  The jungle sounds have grown quiet around you, let-
  ting you hear faint sobs and piercing shrieks coming from 
  somewhere in the ruins before you.
  Te ruins spread across the clearing from the 
  forest edge. Characters are safe as long as they 
  remain in the jungle; the degenerates are preoccu-
  pied with feeding on the living. Entering the ruins, 
  however, risks the characters attracted attention 
  from the warped inhabitants. Every 10 minutes or so 
  the characters spend in the vicinity, roll a d6. On an 
  odd number, something fnds them. Roll or choose 
  an encounter from the following table. 
  Ruins of Meng Encounters
  d6
  Encounter
  1
  1 degenerate (see appendix) picking through 
  the rubble for rats.
  2
  1d6 swarms of rats come boiling out from a 
  collapsed building. 
  3
  1d6 degenerates (see appendix) heading to or 
  coming from the jungle.
  4
  1d4 phase spiders hunting for things to kill.
  5
  1 opportunistic wyvern swooping down to 
  snatch prey.
  6
  2d6 degenerates (see appendix) swarming to 
  tear apart the intruders.
  Exploring Ruined Buildings: Te adventure 
  assumes the ruins surrounding the pyramid serve as 
  lairs for the degenerates, rats, and other things. Most, 
  if not all, contain broken pottery, bones, scraps of 
  rotting fesh, and other detritus. Each location the 
  characters explore has a 10% chance to house 1d6 – 
  2 degenerates (minimum 0). You can trade out these 
  creatures with others of your choosing. 
  
  Watchers of Meng
  7
  Characters searching the ruins and getting a 
  success on an Intelligence/Investigation check (DC 
  15) fnd 3d6 gp worth of coins in various denomina-
  tions. Once the characters fnd six such stashes, they
  fnd no more coins in the ruins.
  A. WATCHERS
  Te stone heads standing at the clearing’s edge are 
  similar to the stone heads the characters may have 
  encountered en route as described above and they 
  have the same statistics. Te heads remain inanimate 
  unless the player characters take the Eye of Meng 
  from within the pyramid (see location C), at which 
  point the magic infusing the heads causes them to 
  animate to become Watchers of Meng (see the end 
  of the adventure for statistics). Tese statues have 
  been buried in the ground so that only their heads 
  are visible. It takes 1 minute for a Watcher to pull 
  itself free, at which point, it moves toward the crea-
  ture holding the Eye and attacks it.
  B. THE SLAVE PEN
  A large wooden pen at the base of the pyramid (see 
  below) holds whomever the degenerates capture long 
  enough for them to sacrifce and eat their prisoners. 
  Te ground inside the pen is a stew of mud and 
  efuvia sprinkled with the bones of other prisoners 
  that succumbed to disease or their injuries before 
  they could be killed. If the degenerates attacked and 
  made of with any members of Oola’s party, they are 
  here, reduced by as much as half their numbers. 
  Each time a creature complete a long rest in the 
  pen, it must get a success on a DC 15 Constitution 
  saving throw or become infected with whatever vile 
  plague you like.
  Ropes secure the gate to the pen and can be cut 
  free or untied after about a minute spent working 
  with them. 
  Creatures (2,400 XP): At any time, 1d6 + 3 
  degenerates loiter around the pen, taunting the 
  inhabitants. From time to time they reach in and 
  drag out one of the prisoners for a bit of sport, which 
  culminates in the freaks tearing their victim apart 
  and feeding on the remains. 
  • 1d6 + 3 degenerates
  Te degenerates are easy to surprise, distracted 
  as they are by their prisoners. Characters can make 
  Dexterity/Stealth rolls to sneak up on them with 
  tactical advantage. However, during combat, roll a 
  d6 each round on initiative count 0. On a 6, another 
  degenerate joins the fght. 
  Prisoners: Any prisoners freed during the combat 
  fee by the safest means available. At least one 
  should, foolishly, climb up the side of the pyramid 
  and duck into the opening. If Oola is with the char-
  acters, she sees this and decides that she must fetch 
  this slave. After all, she’s already lost several slaves so 
  far and she cannot aford to lose any more.
  More Foes: Once all the degenerates here are slain, 
  a new batch of 1d6 + 3 arrive 1d20 minutes later to 
  eat the corpses of their fellows and take their place. 
  Finally, if the characters rescue the prisoners and 
  leave the ruins, a group of 3d6 degenerates pick up 
  their trail and give chase. You can use chase rules if 
  the PCs are inclined to evade pursuit, or you say that 
  the creatures catch up to the party at some point in 
  the jungles, foreshadowing the event by describing 
  sounds of hoots and cries from the pursuers. 
  C. PYRAMID
  An enormous stepped pyramid commands the 
  center of the clearing. Te pyramid is 200 feet tall 
  and each side at the base is 250 feet long. Including 
  the base, the pyramid has ten steps. Each step in-
  creases the height by 20 feet, but reduces the length 
  on each side by 25 feet until the length drops to 50 
  feet, at the eighth step. Te side length of the ninth 
  step is 25 feet and of the tenth step is 5 feet, which 
  serves as a sacrifcial altar. 
  
  Watchers of Meng
  8
  A 10-foot-wide staircase climbs up the center of 
  three of the pyramid’s sides until it reaches the top 
  of the eighth step, where it ends. Te rest of the 
  pyramid’s exterior is decorated with skulls, macabre 
  scenes of ritual sacrifce, fornication with horrid 
  monsters, and other obscene activities. Blood still 
  collects in the cracks and crevices, hinting at the 
  numbers of sacrifces performed here.
  An opening appears about halfway up the south-
  ern side of the pyramid. Tis dark cavity leads to 
  a steep ramp that descends to location 1, which is 
  described below.
  Te altar crowning the pyramid displays deep 
  gouges in the stone, left by the blades used by the 
  priests before they slid into their present state inside 
  the pyramid. Te altar radiates a feld of vile energy 
  that makes creatures within 10 feet of it feel queasy. 
  Undead within the area regain 1d6 hit points at the 
  end of each of their turns and make attack rolls with 
  advantage.
  UNDER THE 
  PYRAMID
  A small complex of rooms and passages spreads out 
  underneath the pyramid and can be accessed only 
  via the ramp described above. Unless described 
  otherwise, locations are dark and the foors are 
  smooth and free of debris. Ceilings in passages are 
  just 5 feet high and climb to 10 feet in rooms. While 
  in a passage, a medium-sized character has tactical 
  disadvantage when attacking with a non-light slash-
  ing or bludgeoning weapon. Finally, hieroglyphics 
  cover the walls and ceilings, depicting scenes of col-
  orful humanoids battling serpentpeople, what look 
  to be fying ships, stars, monsters, and more. While 
  the images prove confusing and complex, characters 
  studying them deduce that they tell the story of the 
  pyramids’ builders as described under the Ruins of 
  Meng, above.
  Te following locations correspond to those 
  shown on the Under the Pyramid map.
  1. PIT CHAMBER
  The shaft descends until it ends in a large square chamber 
  with four wide pillars supporting the ceiling overhead. A 
  deep pit from which soft green light emanates stands at 
  the room’s center. A horriic odor of rotting meat wafts 
  up from the hole.
  Te pit descends 100 feet to room 11. Te wall 
  is cracked and features some handholds, requiring 
  a successful Strength/Athletics check (DC 15) to 
  climb without ropes or other climbing equipment.
  2. TOMBS OF THE
  PRIESTS
  Nine upright sarcophagi ill this room, standing in three 
  rows of three. Each lid bears the likeness of its occupant, 
  appearing almost human, but weirdly distorted, with too 
  long limbs, malformed heads, or weird additions such 
  as extra eyes, mouths, tentacles, and digits. Dust hangs 
  in curtains throughout and movement through the area 
  causes the room to ill the air with dust. 
  Te dust in the air restricts vision to just 10 feet, 
  even if the PCs have a light source. Te sarcophagi 
  have been sealed shut with lead. It takes about 10 
  minutes of work to chip away enough led to open 
  the heavy doors, which itself requires a successful 
  Strength/Athletics check (DC 15). 
  Creatures (4,200 XP): All but three sarcophagi 
  contain the withered remains of long-dead priests, 
  dressed in rotting robes and porcelain masks. Te 
  fnal three each contain one mummy. You can 
  decide which ones contain the mummies. Releas-
  ing one causes the other two to awaken and begin 
  pounding on their doors from within. Roll initia-
  tive for the other two mummies. One breaks free on 
  its initiative during the second round and the other 
  breaks free on its initiative during the fourth round. 
  Te mummies fght until destroyed.
  • 3 mummies
  Treasure (750 XP): Each mummy wears a golden 
  signet ring worth 200 gp.
  3. NORTH PASSAGE
  A narrow tunnel extends north until it ends at a stone 
  door bearing a relief carving of a winged, demonic crea-
  ture, its mouth illed with twisted fangs. 
  Two traps protect this passage. 
  Gas Trap (750 XP): Te southern trap trig-
  gers when a Small or larger creature steps on a 
  pressure plate. A searching character can fnd 
  the pressure plate with a successful Intelligence/
  Investigate check (DC 20) or may automatically 
  trigger it by tapping the foor with a pole or similar 
  object. Once found, a character can use thieves’ 
  tools to disarm it with a successful DC 20 Intelli-
  gence check.
  Tere’s a 10% chance for each creature that 
  moves down this passage to step on the plate. 
  Once triggered, hidden nozzles in the walls release 
  plumes of poisonous gas that spread through the 
  passage and out into room 1. Each creature in the 
  area must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving 
  
  Watchers of Meng
  9
  throw or take 2d10 poison damage and become 
  poisoned for 1 minute. At the end of each poisoned 
  creature’s turns, it must repeat the saving throw, 
  taking 1d6 extra damage on a failure. Tree suc-
  cessful saving throws ends the poisoned condition.
  Blade Trap (750 XP): Te foor beyond 5 feet 
  from the door to room 5 but within 15 feet of it 
  features twenty fnger-sized holes bored through 
  the stone. Dust and dirt have flled these holes, 
  making them hard to spot. Searching characters 
  spot the holes with a successful Intelligence/Inves-
  tigate check (DC 15), while characters might notice 
  the indentations with a successful Wisdom/Percep-
  tion check (DC 20). Once found, a character can 
  use thieves’ tools to disarm it with a successful DC 
  20 Intelligence check.
  Te trap triggers when a Small or larger creature 
  moves to within 5 feet of the door, which causes 
  rusty iron blades to shoot up through the holes to 
  impale anyone standing on that 10 foot section. 
  Creatures on the area must make Dexterity saving 
  throws (DC 15). A creature takes 4d10 piercing 
  damage on a failure, or instead moves to the near-
  est open space to the trapped area on a success.
  Secret Door: Te secret door on the east wall 
  can be found by searching characters if they look 
  in the exact spot or get a success on an Intelli-
  gence/Investigation check (DC 20). Te door 
  opens by putting 5 pounds of pressure or more on 
  its surface.
  4. VAULTS
  The door opens onto a cramped chamber illed with 
  shelves laden with clay pots.
  Te three doors on the western wall of the north 
  passage each open into a small vault. Tere are 50 
  + 2d20 pots in each vault, and each pot has a lid
  sealed with black wax. Breaking the seals and lift-
  ing the lids reveals the pots contain the preserved
  and still-wet organs taken from the mummifed
  priests in room 1. Tey produce a horrifc stench,
  so that any breathing creature within 10 feet of
  an open pot must make a Constitution saving
  throw (DC 10). A creature becomes poisoned for
  1 minute on a failed save, or becomes immune
  to the odor until it completes a rest on a success.
  Extend the duration by 1 minute for each failed
  saving throw.
  Treasure (1,000 XP): One pot, the sixth 
  opened, contains a heap of 1d12 gems, each worth 
  100 gp. A second pot, the ninth opened, contains a 
  key to room 5.
  5. FALSE TREASURE
  VAULT
  Te relief-carved door to this room is locked. A 
  character can break it down with a successful DC 25 
  Strength check or picked with thieves’ tools with a 
  successful DC 20 Dexterity check. 
  Nearly every surface of the chamber beyond the re-
  lief-carved door is covered in shining gold coins, jewels, 
  fantastical treasures, and more. 
  All is not as it seems. All told, there appear to be 
  10,000 gp on the foor, 666 gems worth 10 gp each, 
  and an assortment of 33 disturbing art objects worth 
  50 gp each to buyers. Te art objects include prosthetic 
  limbs, mechanical objects whose function has been 
  largely forgotten, and paintings of bizarre landscapes. 
  All the objects contained in this room are real for as 
  long as they remain here, but if removed from the 
  chamber, they turn to foul-smelling slime. Characters 
  inspecting the objects using magic, such as the detect 
  magic spell, discover an aura of transmutation magic. 
  Treasure (1,500 XP): While most of the treasure 
  behaves in this way, the magic fails to transform 
  10% of what’s carried out from the room. Tus, a 
  character hauling 500 gp from the room would dis-
  cover 50 gp survived being liberated from the vault. 
  If the PCs liberate the entire treasure room (and 
  clean it), then 1,000 gp, 660 gp of gems, and three 
  art objects can be obtained.
  6. CRYPT OF THE
  MAKER
  A large sarcophagus rests on the loor in the center of this 
  chamber. The walls, ceiling, and loor have been painted 
  to look like a starry night. In the center of the east wall 
  is an opening, around which has been painted roiling 
  lames that continue down the tunnel until it turns to 
  the south.
  Te sarcophagus holds the remains of the Maker, 
  the leader of those visitors who build Meng. Te 
  maker is long dead, but inside the sarcophagus, 
  which requires a successful DC 20 Strength check 
  to open, the characters fnd the Maker’s ghastly 
  remains clutching a cube of force in its skeletal hands.
  Fiery Trap (750 XP): Te tunnel extending east 
  from this room bears a magical trap. An invisible 
  glyph has been painted above the opening to the 
  tunnel and can be spotted only by creatures that 
  can see invisible things or that can perceive mag-
  ical auras—the glyph emits an aura of evocation. 
  Te glyph counts as a 5th-level spell efect for the 
  purpose of ending it with magic.
  
  Watchers of Meng
  10
  When a creature enters the passage from either 
  end, the passage flls with fre 1 minute later. Te 
  fames burst out from either end in a 10-foot-long 
  cone-shaped area. Creatures in the fre must make 
  Dexterity saving throws (DC 15). A creature takes 
  6d10 damage on a failed save, or just half the 
  damage on a successful one. Once triggered, the trap 
  automatically resets. 
  7. TOMB GUARDIANS
  Twenty-ive withered corpses adorned in rotting leather 
  stand side-by-side in this chamber. 
  Te corpses, while inanimate make moving 
  through this room difcult terrain. Characters 
  searching the room may fnd the secret door on the 
  north wall with a successful Intelligence/Investiga-
  tion check (DC 25).
  Treasure: Te corpses have little of value, the 
  armor rotten and weapons corroded beyond use, 
  but the ffth corpse inspected carries +2 scimitar in 
  a scabbard slung on its back. Te weapon is made 
  from scrimshawed bone, the carvings depicting nude 
  men and women in great sufering.
  8. EAST PASSAGE
  The paintings decorating the walls and ceiling of the east 
  passage depict human-like faces that look as though 
  pressed against glass. 
  Two traps protect this corridor as shown on 
  the map.
  Amber Trap (750 XP): Te trap at the western 
  end of the passage is an invisible symbol inscribed 
  on the foor that can only be spotted by creatures 
  that can see invisible things or that can perceive 
  magical auras—the glyph emits an aura of abjura-
  tion. Te symbol counts as a 5th-level spell efect for 
  the purpose of ending it with magic.
  Each creature that moves across this area has 
  a 20% chance of stepping onto the symbol and 
  triggering the trap. When this happens, purple mist 
  surrounds the triggering creature, who must make 
  a DC 15 Strength saving throw. Te mist dissipates 
  with no efect on a successful save, or hardens into 
  an amber-colored shell that covers the creature com-
  pletely on a failure. A creature encased in the amber 
  is petrifed. It takes 1 hour of work using mason’s 
  tools (or similar tools or items) to end the condition 
  and free the character. 
  Once triggered, this trap resets the next day.
  Polymorph Trap (750 XP): Te trap at the pas-
  sage’s eastern end is an invisible symbol inscribed on 
  the foor that can only be spotted by creatures that 
  can see invisible things or that can perceive magical 
  auras—the glyph emits an aura of transmutation. 
  Te symbol counts as a 5th-level spell efect for the 
  purpose of ending it with magic.
  Each creature that moves across this area has a 
  20% chance of stepping onto the symbol and trig-
  gering the trap. When this happens, the triggering 
  creature must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving 
  throw or transform into a scorpion for 1 hour. Te 
  efect otherwise functions as the polymorph spell. 
  Once triggered, this trap resets the next day.
  9. FAMILY CRYPT
  Racks cover the room’s walls from loor to ceiling. Each 
  rack is 5 feet wide and has four shelves on which rests a 
  linen-wrapped corpse. The room reeks of cardamom and 
  cinnamon. 
  Tis room is safe for the characters to rest. 
  10. SLAVE CRYPT
  A lowered portcullis bars access to this gruesome cham-
  ber. Through its bars, you can see a mound of bones 
  heaped into a pile that brushes against the ceiling. Claw 
  marks on the walls suggest the people were alive when 
  interred here. 
  A creature can lift the portcullis with a successful 
  Strength check (DC 20).
  Creatures (1,850 XP): A curse binds shreds of the 
  slaves’ souls to the bones. Should a creature enter this 
  room, the bones assemble themselves into skeletons 
  that attack the intruders.
  • 13 skeletons
  11. EYE OF MENG
  Below the pyramid and likely accessed via the pit 
  in room 1 is a vault containing the jewel of power 
  known as the Eye of Meng. 
  A ist-sized emerald rests in a bronze cradle held in the 
  mouth of an enormous coiled serpent carved from stone. 
  Eight wide columns support the ceiling overhead. Each col-
  umn is made from hundreds of animated stone faces whose 
  expressions show pain, fury, ecstasy, grief, and more. 
  What appears to be leather scraps litter the loor, though 
  inspection reveals they are pieces of layed skin—swatches 
  with hairs, ears, tongues, and other, obscene parts. All these 
  pieces jump and twitch, as if somehow still alive. 
  
  Watchers of Meng
  11
  Creature (7,200 XP): Te stone serpent holding 
  the cradle is a behir that has been held in stasis for 
  nearly a thousand years. Te stony surface is simply 
  dust on its scaly body. Should a character relieve he 
  cradle of the jewel, the stasis ends and the behir rises 
  up to attack the intruders. It fghts until it has been 
  reduced to half its hit points, at which point, it scur-
  ries up through the shaft in the ceiling and attempts 
  to exit from the complex.
  • 1 behir
  Treasure (2,500 XP): Te giant emerald in 
  the cradle is called the Eye of Meng and is worth 
  5,000 gp on its own, but it also possesses magical 
  power. Removing the jewel from the complex causes 
  the Watchers of Meng to animate and attack the 
  characters. 
  Eye of Meng: A faint light shines inside this fst-
  sized emerald that’s worth 5,000 gp. Te gem has 
  magical power, counting as a unique magic item. 
  It measures its power in charges, of which it has 10 
  and replenishes expended charges once each day 
  at dawn.
  A character holding the Eye may use an action 
  to cast the light spell without expending a charge. 
  Alternatively, the character may use an action to 
  expend 1 or more charges to cast any of the follow-
  ing spells from it: aid (2 charge), augury (2 charges), 
  daylight (3 charges), or fame strike (5 charges).
  A character may also use an action to expend any 
  number of charges. For each charge expended, the 
  character regains 1d4 hit points.
  Each time a character possessing the jewel com-
  pletes a long rest, he or she must make a DC 20 
  Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the character’s 
  alignment shifts one step toward chaotic evil, start-
  ing on the good-neutral-evil axis frst. Changes to 
  alignment are permanent, but ridding herself of the 
  jewel and being targeted by a remove curse spell cast 
  using a 6th-level spell slot can restore the character’s 
  alignment.
  ESCAPE
  If the characters emerge from the ruins in possession 
  of the Eye of Meng, when they reach the perimeter 
  of Watchers (the giant stone heads about a mile 
  from the ruins) they witness one of the Watchers 
  pull itself out of the ground and begin to march 
  toward them.
  Creatures (7,800 XP): Te Watcher moves 
  toward the bearer of the Eye of Meng, attacking any 
  who stand in its way. As they defeat the frst of the 
  Watchers, a second Watcher enters the fray. Te PCs 
  can fght the watchers, or fee into the jungle. Tere 
  are twelve total Watchers, and they move very slowly 
  through the jungle, so the PCs can outrun them 
  easily once they disengage from combat. However, 
  as soon as one Watcher is destroyed, the next begins 
  its pursuit.
  • 2 Watchers of Meng (see appendix)
  THE END
  Te adventure ends when the characters escape the 
  ruins. You can play through what happens after, 
  expanding the adventure to include additional 
  challenges, or you can just narrate the conclusion. If 
  Oola survives, she likely doesn’t have enough slaves 
  to pay her debts, so unless the characters ofer to 
  help her, she disappears, leaving her lover to her fate 
  and plotting vengeance against the crime lord who 
  killed her. 
  Te characters might also escape with the Eye of 
  Meng. If so, the watchers remain animated and they 
  pursue the thief to the ends of the earth. Such foes 
  show up at inopportune times, likely causing trouble 
  for the characters, since the watchers are unsubtle 
  and violent in their need to reclaim the stone. Of 
  course, if they sell the jewel, the watchers become 
  the buyer’s problem, who will likely be none too 
  pleased if he or she survives.
  
  Watchers of Meng
  12
  APPENDIX
  WATCHER OF 
  MENG
  Giant heads stand on the ground throughout the 
  Jungle of Zaal, each boasting a monstrous visage. 
  Few know who fashioned these statues or for what 
  purpose, but it’s clear with a glance that they belong 
  to a culture strange and alien. Each tusked head 
  sports a long horn emerging from the center of its 
  brow above a single, bulging eye. When awakened, 
  the buried body works to free itself from the dirt. 
  After a few moments, the monstrosity pulls free, 
  standing some 30 feet tall.
  WATCHER OF MENG  
  CR 8
  N Gargantuan construct  
  XP 3,900
  Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., average Per-
  ception 9
  Languages —
  BASE STATS
  AC 17 (natural armor)
  hp 165 (10d20 + 60) 
  Speed 20 ft.
  ABILITY SCORES
  Str 22 (+6), Dex 8 (–1), Con 22 (+6)
  Int 6 (–2), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 4 (–3)
  TRAITS
  Damage Immunities poison
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, 
  paralyzed, poisoned
  Bound Guardian A watcher of Meng, and other creatures 
  like it, are bound to protect an item of magical power. 
  Provided the item remains in the place where it’s 
  secured, the watcher of Meng is an object with AC 17 
  and 27 hp with a damage threshold of 10. If the item is 
  removed from its resting place, the watcher of Meng 
  becomes a creature until the item is returned or the 
  watcher is destroyed.
  COMBAT ACTIONS
  Multiattack The watcher makes two ist attacks.
  Fist (melee weapon) Attack: +9 to hit, reach 20 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 3d8 + 6 bludgeoning damage.
  Shout The watcher of Meng emits a thunderous noise 
  into a 30-foot cone. Each creature in the area must 
  make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 6d8 + 
  6 thunder damage and becoming deafened for 1 hour 
  on a failure, or just half as much damage on a suc-
  cess. Once the watcher uses this action, it must wait 1 
  minute before it can use it again.
  DEGENERATE
  Tese wretched and terrible creatures might have 
  once been something like humans, but they have 
  been driven mad and have no shred of humanity 
  remaining. Now they exist only to feed, preferably 
  upon the fesh of other humans. Tey are drawn 
  to places like the ruins of Meng, and can gather in 
  great numbers. Tey are not subtle attackers, but 
  will take advantage of an opportunity to carry of a 
  captive to feast upon later.
  DEGENERATE 
  CR 1 
  CE Medium humanoid 
  XP 200
  Senses darkvision 60 ft.; average Perception 10
  Languages Kalay 
  BASE STATS
  AC 12 
  hp 22 (5d8) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  ABILITY SCORES
  Str 13 (+1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 11 (+0)
  Int 7 (–2), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 8 (–1)
  TRAITS
  Immune charmed, frightened
  COMBAT ACTIONS
  Multiattack The degenerate attacks with its claws twice. 
  If both claw attacks hit, it can use feed as a bonus 
  action, gaining tactical advantage on the attack.
  Claws (melee weapon) Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 1d4+1 slashing damage.
  Feed (melee weapon) Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 1d6+2 piercing damage, the degenerate 
  regains 1d6 hit points, and attacks against the target 
  have tactical advantage until the end of the degener-
  ate’s next turn.
  
  Watchers of Meng
  13
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  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0a © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  System Reference Document © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; 
  Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on 
  material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  Pathfnder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook © 2009, Paizo 
  Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by 
  Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.
  Te Book of Experimental Might © 2008, Monte J. Cook. All 
  rights reserved.
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  Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. 
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  (“Skathros”), Scott Wylie Roberts (“Myrystyr”), Sean Stone 
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  Matt Hoover (“Random”), Mike Davison, Russell Cone (“Grim”), 
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  Ahmed, Scott Casper (“Scottenkainen”), Te Lizard of Oz, James 
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  Cyclopean Deeps: Volume 1 © 2014 Matthew J. Finch, Frog God 
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  Primeval Thule Campaign Setting © 2015, Sasquatch Game 
  Studio LLC.
  
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