The Wyrmling Qua has been drawn from her birthplace in the Ash Wastes by a convergence of leylines. Her juvenile instinct draws her to the edges of the Wastes where high plateaus hide the lands of men. She is driven by an unknown hunger to an ancient and shunned temple carved into the high cliffs. Here, amongst her fledgling hoard and kobold minions, she lairs restlessly, frustrated by the impulse that compels her to stay and the changes within her.

Character Hooks

- Captain Harsos, commander of an understaffed borderland fort, seeks "brave heroes" to investigate rumors of a Kobold brood beyond The Cairnwood causing mischief. Has plenty of gold to offer, and insists his scribe goes along.
- Lankos Morturn, a scholar from The Heartlands, is hiring armed guards to escort him to a forgotten temple on the edge of the Ash Wastes. He seeks the Nascent Apocrypha but pays extra not to discuss the contents of the book.
- The taverns buzz with talk of a Dragon from the wastes lairing beyond the Cairnwood. Some say it's just a baby, others say there is no such thing. Dragonslayer has a nice ring to it.
- A terrible curse has left your skin dry and cracking. Stinking painful blisters erupt from your skin, but there is hope. The Oracle told you of a source of healing magic within a temple overlooking the wastes. The Wiseman directed you to the Dome on the Wastes. Locals talk of Kobolds and Dragons from the Wastes.

Clifftop

A days travel beyond the Far Road, through the dense foliage of The Cairnwood, the land falls away sharply giving way to the vast Ash Wastes. A squat onion domed tower of wind-worn sandstone sits amongst the long grass on the edge of the cliff.Encounters
- Day: 2 Vultorks patrolling the clfftop for Kobolds.
- Night: 6 Kobolds led by Turgalisp sneaking out of the secret door:
1-3: to harass Henot
3-6: heading towards the Cairnwood to cause trouble.

Climbing Down

- Strong winds carrying coarse sand blow up from the wastes below making climbing difficult without extensive preparations.
- The Library and Frescos on Level 1 are 20ft below the cliffs egde.
- The Vultorksreact with hostility to the threat of descending climbers.
- The Lair on Level 2 is 50ft below the cliffs edge.

The Domed Tower

- Sandstone blocks stacked three men high topped with a cracking onion dome.
- Worn smooth on the western side.
- A whisper of smoke rises from a hole in the dome.
- Stoneblock stairs spiral up the outside to an unlocked stone door set into the eastern side of the Dome.
- Kobolds have weakened the top few stairs, one of which has already fallen into the high grass below.
- Weeds growing between the blocks on the southern side of the tower highlight a secret door, hanging barely ajar. Within, carved stairs lead to Level 1.
- A tripwire at the top of the stairs rings an alarm bell in the Staging Area in addition to causing reckless characters to fall down the stairs.

Inside the Dome

- Mosaics of blue and yellow glass fill the dome with color.
- A ** Stoic Old Man** with a bushy grey beard sits on a straw mat at the center of the room.
- He is surrounded by books, some stacked, others splayed open as he reads. All of the books are blank.
- A pot of soup bubbles over a small fire near sacks of stacked provisions.

Old Man Henot
HP 10 STR 8 DEX 12 WIL 16
Ornate Dagger (1d6+1)An ascetic hedge wizard, Henot lives here in seclusion, searching his books for True Meaning.He knows of the temple below, but is more concerned with the Kobold trouble makers. He is long winded and a bit vauge, but is clear about wanting to be left alone.
- Spellbooks: Warp Wave, Maddening Ray
- Will not leave dome unless absolutely necessary.

Level 1

- Plainly carved from the natural sandstone.
- Passages are just under 4ft at the floor and taper to a low peak at the ceiling.
- Walls are grainy unadorned sandstone.
- Ceilings are 7ft tall.
- Doors are made of stone and tapered like the hallways with simple stone latches. A 2in hole at head height lets wind and light through.Encounters:
- 2d6 Kobolds launch an attack on the Vultork nest in the Library.
- Gerome and Brela a pair of fledgeling knaves, follow rumors of a dragon's hoard.

1. Fortifications

Whistling wind. Stinking Rot
- Ramshackle barricades surround the stairs set in to the western wall.
- 2 Kobolds cower on the western side of the barricade, their eyes shut tightly in fear.
- Black blood stains and large grey feathers litter the floor outside the barricades.
- A large avian eye peers through the hole in the northeastern door. The Vultorks on the other side will respond to agression with violence.
- The southeastern doorway is partialy collasped and wedged stuck. Mechanical leverage or extreme force is required to open and further collapse is likely.

Kobold
HP 5 STR 8 DEX 11 WIL 8
Spear (d6) Hide Armor (1)
Diminutive reptilian dog men. Barking speech.
- Never pick a fair fight.
- Build traps and simple machines.
- Serve or revere Dragons.

2. Library

Gusting wind. Barnyard stench
- A twisted nest of splintered bookshelves and shredded books dominate the Western side of this room.
- 6 sheep-sized grey birds with black-tipped feathers roost amongst the debris. Their oversized scooplike beaks end in a vicious sharp hook.
- The western side of the room is open to the cliffside. A dry wind carries ash from the Wastes.
- A lightly damaged copy of Nascent Apocrypha is wedged tightly amongst the outside of the nest.

Vultork
HP 6 STR 14 DEX 10 WIL 8
Claws (d6+1) and Beak (d8)
Large and violent birds of prey with dull grey feathers tipped with black. Their enormous scoop-beaks are tipped with a sharp tearing hook. and their large claws are made >to kill. They are intelligent, but barely.
- Speak in simple repeated phrases.
- Grab victims and drop them off the cliff.
- Avoid the frescos room. Don't like the faces on the walls.

3. Frescos

Howling wind
- A series of 6 faded frescos adorn the north and south walls.
- The western side of the room opens to the cliff face.The Southern Frescos are dark and moody chiaroscuro.
- The first depicts a suffering man afflicted with sores and boils squirming in the darkness of a stone cell. A sliver of light illuminates his curses.
- The second shows hooded figures clad in deep red dragging the suffering man down a dark hallway. Bright light from an unseen source at the end of the hallway casts heavy shadows.
- The third shows a stark silhouette of the suffering man kneeling prostrate before a featureless statue bearing a large glowing White Gem in outstretched hands. The gem cast bright white light.The Northern Frescos are bright and lively
- The first shows hooded figures in red cloaks studying in a sunny library. One of the books being read resembles the Nascent Apocrypha.
- The second shows the hooded figures kneeling before a coiled serpent statue of white marble. In its mouth, a large White Gem casts bright light.
- The third shows a dozen of the hooded figures, standing in a circle amongst a spacious round room of blue and yellow mosaic tile.
- A hollow panel on the northern wall can be broken to reveal a spellbook. The painting on the hollow tile is less faded and lower quality than the rest.

Level 2

MAP PLACEHOLDER