The Settlement of Protu

Here's a preview of a hexcrawl location from Aquilus issue #2, coming soon. Proto is located in a region of Aquilus called Ostaria, which the forthcoming issue will focus on.

Protu

Standing within a clearing of saturated swamplands is a settlement that has invented a thanatotic compound, which allows users to get a glimpse at life after death. The highly valuable, sought-after substance is supplied as an extremely addictive opiate to the very wealthy. It is extracted from highly poisonous fungal growth that is scraped from tree trunks in the surrounding areas. This area is pervaded by vicious predators, and teeming with disease. It smells putrid, like decayed animals and boiled urine.

What about the residents? 

• They have photosynthetic skin which allows them to produce their own food in sunlight. 
• They do not permit laughter or singing. Punishments for violations are severe. 
• A family of three lives here, with flesh that looks like translucent gelatin. The residents are secretive about them. 
• They can instantaneously eject ink from the pores of the skin, which envelops them in a mist and protects them from spells. 
• They make saving throws vs all magic at +2. 
• The children spend their days stroking dead animals with thigh bones of the dead. The stroking produces miniature lightning storms of static. They store the electrical discharges in jars, which are then used to illuminate the home interiors at night.
• They communicate with deadly insects that guard their settlement at night.