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CLIFFSIDE LAIRA lair for five 6th-level adventurersFor decades, the most reliable route through theThreshold Mountains was Durgen’s Pass, a highmountain valley defended by dwarf stalwarts andprotected by centuries-old fortifications constructedon either side to stanch the flood of kobold raidersand goblinoid bandits. However, the days of prosperityand safety have ended, the vigilant defenders deador scattered, the walls and keeps torn down, and theroute infested with despicable humanoids—for a newmaster has claimed these heights.HistoryThe Threshold Mountains have an unsavory reputationas a place haunted by tribes of kobolds, goblins,and worse. Descending from their mountain homes,the humanoids harassed the communities on thelower slopes, carrying off livestock and slaves intheir near-constant drive for plunder. The situationchanged when Durgen, a dwarf hero, came to themountains with a company of bold warriors intenton reclaiming a lost dwarven city somewhere in thepeaks. The residents welcomed the dwarves andpromised to support their efforts if they would dealwith the raiders and reopen the pass. After just afew years, the dwarves pushed back the infestation,cleared the route, and established themselves as itsprotectors in exchange for a modest fee from travelersand the ongoing support of the nearby communities.The dwarves’ success ushered in a period ofrelative safety and stability for the area, and commerceflowed through the mountains once more.The ko bolds and other mountain denizens strove toremove the dwarves, sabotaging their work to maintainthe peace, but each time, the creatures’ effortsmet with failure. Nursing their hatred and filled withrage at the dwarven presence, the kobolds hatched anew plan to return the mountains to their rule.The kobolds believed that the only way they coulddefeat the dwarves was to gain the help of somethingfar bigger than themselves. What they needed wasa dragon—specifically, a big, powerful, nasty dragon.To this end, a group set out to steal a dragon egg andbring it back to their mountain caves, where theycould hatch it and raise the creature to serve theirneeds. Against all odds, the kobolds managed to pulloff this feat. They found an egg in a gray dragon’s lairand brought it back to their tribe. However, beforethey could hatch the egg, its vicious mother, Caustrex,noticed its absence. By following the sour stink of thekobolds, she discovered their community and slaughteredthe tribe until only a few remained.Caustrex might have quit her rampage andreturned to her own lair, but she found the mountaincaves to her liking. They were defensible, and theremaining kobolds could prove useful servants. Shespared the survivors in exchange for their fealty butquestioned why they had stolen her egg in the firstplace. The kobolds revealed their sorry tale. Sensing athreat in the dwarves and having no interest in allowingtraffic through her newly claimed mountains,Caustrex flew off to slay the defenders. She madeshort work of them, and soon after, the pass fell oncemore into the hands of the kobolds. The raiding hasbegun anew, this time to do the bidding of the newmistress of the mountains.EnvironmentCaustrex’s lair sprawls through the cliff walls of a boxcanyon in the Threshold Mountains. The dragon’s lairhas the following features throughout except whereotherwise indicated.✦ The canyon floor is relatively clear, but piles ofrubble and scree scattered near the cave mouthsas indicated on the map count as difficult terrain.✦ The various rock formations outside the cavesystem and the cliff walls count as rough surfaces.Climbing them requires a DC 20 Athletics check.✦ The cave interiors are stone but covered in a thinlayer of dirt to provide good footing. However,the complex contains numerous elevation shifts.Climbing to a different elevation requires a DC 10Athletics check.✦ All caves and tunnels are as tall as they are wide.✦ All uninhabited tunnels and rooms are dark.✦ The place stinks of soot and dung, mixed with thedistinctive sour odor of the kobold inhabitants.Approaching the LairWhen the PCs enter the canyon and approachthe cliffs, read:As you follow the swift river into the canyon, a thunderingroar reaches your ears. Beyond two large rock formations,you see a pool of frothing water gathering at the base of acliff wall, fed by a rushing torrent of water that spills downfrom a wide cave far above. Shadows cloak much of thewalls, almost hiding the numerous pocks and dimples inits face.The large towers of rock rise up from the canyonfloor and cast much of the area into shadow. The rockformations form arches that provide shelter from thecaves looking down from above. Kobolds watch from102CHAPTER 3 | Dragon Lairs