A giant turtle died here in some bygone era. Today, its shield and skeleton form a large hill that can be seen from a great distance. 

The Toadfolk in the Cranium 

Within the vast skull of the turtle resides a village inhabited by toadfolk, who are inherently suspicious of strangers and maintain a vigilant watch with their small sentries, croaking threats at any approaching outsiders. If the characters manage to earn their trust and demonstrate they pose no threat, they will discover the toadfolk to be surprisingly friendly. They firmly believe the turtle was once a god named Uckk’Alur Fni and anticipate that upon its resurrection, they, the toadfolk, will become its chosen holy people. 

Irritutt, an elderly lady, serves as the head and spiritual leader of the toadfolk. If the characters can win her trust, she seeks their aid in eliminating harpies that have nested upon Uckk’Alur Fni’s shell, tormenting her people. Due to a strict taboo against entering the shell, the toadfolk cannot confront the harpies themselves. In gratitude for assistance, Irritutt offers a bag filled with coins (equivalent to 10 gold), currency acquired from passing merchants. 

The toadfolk harbor a dark secret: the turtle’s shell serves as excellent material for crafting weapons and armor, knowledge they fiercely guard from outsiders. Recently, they resorted to poisoning dwarves who attempted to establish a mine within the shell (see The Abandoned Mine below). 

The toadfolk count around 40 in total and have game statistics like goblins (rulebook p. 90). 

The Harpies 

At the top of the large turtle shell, five harpies (rulebook p. 92) have built a nest, and they can easily be seen circling the sky above the shell. In their nest, there are skeletal parts, mainly of toadfolk. Scattered among the skeletal parts are also treasures, equal to two treasure cards. 

The Abandoned Mine 

Some time ago, a group of dwarves began to build a mine in the turtle’s shell. The hard shell is difficult to break but can be used to make excellent weapons and armor. The toadfolk were furious when they discovered what the dwarves was up to, and poisoned the dwarves’ water supply with spores of a parasitic fungus. The fungus turns its victims into sporewalkers, and three sporewalkers are now roaming the mine’s corridors. Whoever makes it to the bottom of the mine, to the dwarves’ workshop, can find the items listed below. One of the sporewalkers carries an old diary where you can read about how the dwarves (Brodmi, Gadock, and Erna) worked in the mine and how the local toadfolk were very aggressive, and how they threatened to poison the dwarves. 

Shell Harness 
A leather harness with pieces of shell attached for protection. 
Armor rating: 4 
Effect: Bane on EVADE 
Value: 100 gold 

Shellsplitter 
A turtleshell battle axe engraved with beautiful patterns and dwarven runes. 
Grip: 1H, STR: 12, Range: 2, Damage: 2D8, Durability: 12, Value: 30 gold, Features: toppling, slashing 

Sporewalker 

A parasitic fungus has overtaken this creature’s body, transforming it into a relentless, mindless host. Seeking new victims to infest with its virulent spores. 

Ferocity: 1	Size: Normal
Movement: 8	HP: 12

D6	Attack
1-2	Sluggish swoop. With a fungus-covered hand, the Sporewalker unleashes a slow yet forceful lunge. The attack inflicts D8 slashing damage but can be parried.
3-4	Tearing strike! The sharp growths on the sporewalker’s hands tear open the victim’s flesh with brutal efficiency. This attack inflicts D8 damage.
5	Mycelium Tissue. The sporewalker pauses, allowing its mycelium to repair itself. Long white threads stitch together torn flesh. It heals D4 HP, if injured.
6	Spore Bite! The sporewalker grabs hold of a victim and sinks its vile teeth into their flesh. The attack deals 2D6 damage, and the wound it leaves immediately starts itching alarmingly, see spore infection below.

Spore Infection 

A player character who has been bitten by a sporewalker has been infected with spore infection, a disease with a virulence rating of 12. Anyone who dies from the infection immediately transforms into a sporewalker. See rules for how to handle disease on page 53 of the rulebook.