L1-5C. Hive-Queen Office
Once the administrative office of the Suel priests, now a control post wedged between barracks. An open, iron-bound oak door looks in on a tiled chamber with a ceiling mosaic of a queen bee and six workers—the mark of Bralm, Hive Goddess of industry and order . A stout desk, matching chair, and crude orc bench face the wall where two new steel levers are set into stone; they operate the paired portcullises guarding the descent to the crypt level. One Howling Moon elite (Krang) is always on duty here to command responses; with the door left open, he notices anyone passing unless invisibility or total cover is used.
Items & clues
- Chest (under desk): Old oak with faint painted lid (flaked)—once ornate. Inside: roll of duty slates, a jar of nail spurs (for spiking doors), 2 chalk sticks, wax seal (cracked, unreadable).
- Papers: Orc tally marks of rations and squads; no Temple names.
- Floor wear: Scrapes near the levers—Krang drills quick flips.
- Bralm tie-in: PCs who call out that Bralm is the “Hive Goddess, order and industry” might impress a Suel-learned NPC later or unlock a tiny boon in a Bralm shrine.
Tactics & response
- Spot: With the door open, Krang automatically sees anyone moving past the office (no check), unless invisible or full cover is kept.
- First move: He barks, “Found you! No more games—time to die!” and drops one lever to slam a gate behind or ahead of the party (DM choice), then draws his double-axe.
- Horn logic: If a round passes without him going down, he kicks the bench into the doorway (half cover) and bellows for 5A/5B.
- Clock: From noise here, 5A and 5B commit in 2 rounds; 5C/5D neighbors in 4; Urzhag’s hall checks at 6.
Parley angle: Flashing a forged “Temple writ” or giving the watch phrase “Horn first. Blood second.” may earn a brusque escort—if the party accepts weapons peace-bonded.
GM Notes on Bralm (lore ping)
The queen-bee mosaic reinforces that this wing served the office of order and labor—Bralm’s domain (industrious hierarchy; hive before self) . PCs who key into that theme may anticipate well-run mechanisms (like paired portcullises) and clerical records hidden nearby.
Development
- If captured, Krang snarls: “Zorgrek’s Gift ain’t for you. Urzhag takes the hive!” (clue: only Urzhag bears the curse).
- Clever PCs can split pursuing orcs with lever timing—drop a gate between squads.
What’s here
- Krang, Barracks Overseer (see stat mini). Stationary; door left open for sight lines.
- Ceiling mosaic: Bralm’s queen-bee with six workers—Suel symbol of labor hierarchy and order (Religion/History DC 11 to identify; grants advantage to later checks recalling Bralm’s tenets of industry and structure).
- Lever bank (2):
- Left lever: Raises/lowers Portcullis A on the main corridor toward the stair to the crypts.
- Right lever: Controls Portcullis B (the paired gate).
- Each action takes an action; audible chain-clatter can be heard for 60 ft.
- Furnishings: desk with bone tally-sticks, a ruined ink pot, a Suel stamp head (cracked), and a brass key ring (unused here).
- Light/Sound: Lantern on the desk, door open; Krang hums low, listening for horns.
Krang, Barracks Overseer (Elite)
Medium humanoid (orc), CE | CR 3
AC 16 (breastplate) HP 45 (6d8+18) Speed 30 ft
STR 16 (+3) DEX 16 (+3) CON 14 (+2) INT 10 (+0) WIS 8 (−1) CHA 8 (−1)
Senses darkvision 60 ft, passive Perception 9
Skills Athletics +5, Intimidation +1
Traits
- Aggressive. As a bonus action, Krang moves up to his speed toward a hostile he can see.
- Command Bellow (Recharge 5–6). Two allied orcs that can see/hear Krang each move up to 10 ft as a reaction.
- Tusked Drill. When Krang flips a portcullis lever, he gains +2 AC until the start of his next turn (he fights behind the lever frame).
Actions
- Orc Double-Axe. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) slashing. If Krang moved at least 10 ft straight toward the target this turn, add +2 damage.
- Javelin. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/120 ft, one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing.
Reactions
- Gate Feint. When a creature enters the space of a rising or lowering portcullis, Krang imposes disadvantage on that creature’s next attack before the start of Krang’s next turn.
Gear: Orc double-axe, breastplate, ring with tally-notches, lever-key peg.
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