The Gorgons Lair
While exploring the arid north western slopes of the Atlas mountains, the party will encounter the long eroded remains of an ancient road. Hopefully intrigued they will follow the road through the dusty wastes. The crumbling road which was constructed by some fallen civilisation of the far flung past leads to rocky uplands and in due course the party will arrive at a rundown village.
Slovenly hovels crowd together as if seeking protection from the restless winds. As the party approaches they will find the entire population of the village gathered around the doorway of a house. The villagers will regard the party with soulless, empty eyed gazes, but will make no effort to impede their progress. If questioned, they will answer in a dull, uninterested monotones, providing just the barest necessary information.
Inside the house is a silver haired man, fixing a splint to a shepherd boys leg. In contrast to the sullen villagers, he will greet the party good humouredly, introducing himself as Matias, and explaining that he is a local healer. Without any prompting he will tell the party that the lad was injured in a fall not far from the Gorgons lair. It will take little prompting from the party to induce him to tell the story of the Medusa, and the dozens of adventurers who have failed to return from combating it. Should the party seem interested he will volunteer to lead the party to its temple in the canyon - in an effort to rid the area of the "gorgons curse". A detect evil spell cast on him will reveal a strongly evil aura.
Should the party attempt search the village they will meet a hostile reception from the villagers who will attack them with clubs and stones.
Approximately 30 0 Level humans AC 10 hp 1-6 Dam: by weapon type or 1-6
Should they break up the villagers attack and force the search of the village, they will quickly find jarring notes such as fine red wines from the southlands and decanters of the purest crystal carelessly cast aside amidst piles of debris. Hidden behind one crumbling house is a shrine dedicated to the worship of Eren-Uki, the dawn god of chaos. The crude clay idol of the bloated god squats obscenely, leering across a rude blood stained altar.
The Temple of the Earth-Dawn Gods
Here the ancient road from the village leads up into a steep, rugged ravine, the slopes of which are increasingly devoid of vegetation, then as the canyon sides begin to narrow party will come to a part where cliffs rear vertically, hundreds of feet high. Incised into a cliff face is a massive overhang, about 300 or 400' up from the valley floor. A precipitous path zig zags its way up to a wide shelf of the overhang.
Having ascended to the shelf the party will see a deep cave at the back of the overhang. Matias will tell the party that he will wait for them outside.
As the party delves deeper into the cave, they will come to a grotto, at the back is a temple. Stairs flanked by gutttering torches lead up to a pair of marble Ionic pillars, across which is strung a gauzy curtain that billows in the sudden drafts. The shadow of a woman with a nest of vipers wreathing her head, dances across the rippling cloth. An eerie, atonal music like the fluting of pipes plays in the background, and before the steps of the temple crowd is a throng of worshipers, kneeling, praying, some standing with their hands outstretched to the heavens. But there is a silence about the tableau, and you realise that not one of the figures has moved. The stench of rotting meat hangs heavy in the atmosphere despite wind gusting down the tunnel.
Should the characters, stop to examine the "stoned" victims they will notice two salient points. The surface of the rock is moist, clay-like and the smell of corruption is stronger than ever.
The statues are actually zombies, approximately 40 in total.
If the party moves forward to attack the "medusa" then they will get as far as opening the curtain (to discover a crude stone statue with a ring of frayed rope circling its "head") Matias will step out of the darkness at the back of the cavern and order the petrified army forward to attack the party.
Meanwhile his son (who has gone ahead to prepare the temple for the parties arrival) will attack from behind as the party turns to face the zombies.
Chaotic Evil Thief 2nd Level
AC 9 Hp 8 Dam: club & dagger
Matias
Chaotic Evil 5th level Cleric
AC 10 hp 14 Dam: staff
Spells 1st level cure light wounds, command, darkness
2nd level silence 15' radius, 2x hold person
3rd level animate dead
Behind the temple is a set of wind chimes, and a niche which contains a bucket of muddy water, a broom and a tray of powdered rock. At the back of a the chamber a narrow tunnel winds downwards.
Mud Chambers
This expansive chamber contains numerous boiling mud pits. Suspended over the two largest are cages which Matias and his allies used to lower their victims into to create their zombies. Apart from a couple of blocks that have been hewn from the wall and are in the process of being reduced to powder there is nothing further of interest.