The Sleeperjaw's Incubator
Deep in the Feywood, at the westernmost edge of the Lizard Fens, a pile of rocky rubble can be found - all that remains of a stonework tower. The tower once stood proudly in the days when more and more of the Folk were settling in this part of the world - pushing back the edges of the Feywood in the time just before the Great Strife.The name of the Alchemist who built this tower is lost to time. It may never be known which side of the Strife his talents were used to further. It is not even known whether the tower fell during the Strife, or in the years following as the Forest and Fen reclaimed the land it was based on.
Until twelve years ago, the only legacy remaining of this unnamed alchemist was the pile of weathered stone buried by the foliage of fen and forest - along with whatever was buried by rubble when the structure collapsed. But twelve years ago, a Marsh Alligator - one of many in the Lizard Fens - decided that this pile of rubble was an ideally sheltered spot to leave her clutch of eggs.
Until twelve years ago, the only legacy remaining of this unnamed alchemist was the pile of weathered stone buried by the foliage of fen and forest - along with whatever was buried by rubble when the structure collapsed. But twelve years ago, a Marsh Alligator - one of many in the Lizard Fens - decided that this pile of rubble was an ideally sheltered spot to leave her clutch of eggs.
Purpose / Function
The adventurers that discovered the ruins of the tower managed to obtain a few small artifacts that helped determine the exact nature of the original structure. A small stone-walled side room off the basement was filled with ceramic jars and glass vials - some of which were wax-sealed and still contained liquids other than marsh water. Analysis of these revealed that they were alchemical in nature. As a result, it was determined that the tower was likely the home of - and definitely the laboratory of - an alchemist.
The current purpose of the structure is much better understood. The ruined walls of the structure protect a mound of organic material that rises above the water level of the fens; this mound is the ideal incubation place for the eggs of large swamp reptiles such as the Sleeperjaw.
The current purpose of the structure is much better understood. The ruined walls of the structure protect a mound of organic material that rises above the water level of the fens; this mound is the ideal incubation place for the eggs of large swamp reptiles such as the Sleeperjaw.
Denizens
The adventuring party that discovered the site reported at least a hundred Sleeperjaw eggs in the central mound within the ruined tower. The waters around the mound - both inside and outside of the ruined tower walls - showed signs of juvenile Sleeperjaws of various ages. They did not see evidence of - but could not rule out - the presence of a fully developed adult "mother" creature.
Valuables
The adventuring party speculates that the organic debris mound in the center of the ruins may well conceal worthwhile "trinkets" that the previous tower owner possessed. No specific items are known to be present, however.
Hazards & Traps
The site is most definitely hazardous due to the presence of Sleeperjaws - both juvenile and, potentially, adults as well.
Architecture
The original tower appears to have been constructed of shaped stone. The base of the tower was circular; based on the debris it is believed that there were at least two, and probably three floors above ground when the tower stood. based on the probable remains of the single window and single door openings, it appears that ground level at the time the tower stood was approximately 3 feet lower than the current water level in the Fens. Thus, the entire basement and part of what was now the ground floor are now underwater.
Most of the stone that formed the walls of the ground floor of the building are intact. The walls of the rest of the structure above appear to have been exploded outward from within. (This is surmised by finding a few cut stones on high ground places around the tower in several directions. The area where the door was located is filled with stone rubble and organic debris, but the small window area is clear. This window currently provides access for the Sleeperjaw to enter and leave the tower rubble.
The floors and roof were most likely constructed of some organic material (wood or thatch). All of the debris from the floors and roof, along with, presumably, all furnishings within the tower, appear to have collapsed into a pile in the center of the structure. Over the years, they decayed and formed a substrate for marsh plants. Hundreds, if not thousands, of years of plant detritus has added to the pile, which is now an ideal incubator for the eggs of a creature like the Marsh Alligator - or in this case the Sleeperjaw.
Most of the stone that formed the walls of the ground floor of the building are intact. The walls of the rest of the structure above appear to have been exploded outward from within. (This is surmised by finding a few cut stones on high ground places around the tower in several directions. The area where the door was located is filled with stone rubble and organic debris, but the small window area is clear. This window currently provides access for the Sleeperjaw to enter and leave the tower rubble.
The floors and roof were most likely constructed of some organic material (wood or thatch). All of the debris from the floors and roof, along with, presumably, all furnishings within the tower, appear to have collapsed into a pile in the center of the structure. Over the years, they decayed and formed a substrate for marsh plants. Hundreds, if not thousands, of years of plant detritus has added to the pile, which is now an ideal incubator for the eggs of a creature like the Marsh Alligator - or in this case the Sleeperjaw.
History
The exact history of the stone structure that is now the incubation lair for the Sleeperjaws is not known - and likely cannot ever be known for certain. According to the Elves that have called the deepest parts of the Feywood home for thousands of years, the region where the tower once stood was cleared by the Folk some time between 3000 years ago and the beginning of the Great Strife. So it is safe to say that the tower rose at some point in that 800 year period.
The sage Caralos Kronwyn, who funded the expedition that discovered these ruins and returned with samples of juvenile Sleeperjaws, has speculated that the this tower may be the reason the Sleeperjaw exists. His speculation is common Marsh Alligator discovered the mound within the ruins at some time between 5 and 15 years ago and laid its eggs there. The sage further speculates that one or more of those eggs was affected by alchemical mixtures and materials that may have been contaminating the waters around the mound, and the result of that contamination was the creation of the Sleeperjaw. Kronwyn agrees that more research is necessary to confirm this.
The sage Caralos Kronwyn, who funded the expedition that discovered these ruins and returned with samples of juvenile Sleeperjaws, has speculated that the this tower may be the reason the Sleeperjaw exists. His speculation is common Marsh Alligator discovered the mound within the ruins at some time between 5 and 15 years ago and laid its eggs there. The sage further speculates that one or more of those eggs was affected by alchemical mixtures and materials that may have been contaminating the waters around the mound, and the result of that contamination was the creation of the Sleeperjaw. Kronwyn agrees that more research is necessary to confirm this.
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Environmental Effects
The sage Kronwyn has speculated that if indeed the waters within the ruins are contaminated with alchemical reagents, then a very real possibility exists that this contamination could spread beyond the tower ruins. If this happens, further mutated species may become prevalent in the Lizard Fens.
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