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NEFERMANDIASDRY WINDS AND HOT SAND SWEEP ACROSS a oncefertileland. Prehistoric ruins and mighty monumentsemerge from the desert like the grasping fingers ofa buried corpse. Here, in what had been one of thegreatest draconic empires of the past, an ancientemperor and the last of his line refuse to let go.Nefermandias, often referred to as the ForsakenPharaoh, is an enormous, writhing wyrm of ancientknowledge and boundless rage. He is longer andlarger than other ancient brown dragons, but hisgreat age wears on him. His torso and limbs havegrown gaunt, his eyes locked in a perpetual squint.His scales have faded to a dull and dirty yellow, andhe carries with him the odors of baking sand andlingering death. Yet Nefermandias is driven by awill older than mortals can imagine, and a wrathfulfrustration as unquenchable as the sun. Thoughimpossibly old, he is one of the mightiest dragons thatstill draws breath.Nefermandias Level 31 Solo Artillery (Leader)Ancient brown dragonGargantuan natural magical beast (dragon) XP 115,000Initiative +20 Senses Perception +27; darkvision,tremorsense 20Draconic Majesty aura 6; any dragon ally within the aura gains a+4 bonus to attack rolls and to all defenses.HP 1,425; Bloodied 712; see also bloodied breathAC 46; Fortitude 46, Reflex 40, Will 44Resist 35 fireSaving Throws +5Speed 10, burrow 10, fly 12 (hover), overland flight 20Action Points 2m Bite (standard; at-will) ✦ FireReach 4; +37 vs. AC; 2d10 + 11 damage plus 6d6 fire damage,and the target is weakened (save ends). A target that is alreadyweakened is stunned instead.m Claw (standard; at-will)Reach 4; +37 vs. AC; 3d4 + 11 damage.M Double Attack (standard; at-will)Nefermandias makes two claw attacks.C Breath Weapon (standard; recharge ⚄ ⚅) ✦ FireClose blast 10; +36 vs. Reflex; 5d10 + 9 fire damage, and thetarget is blinded (save ends). Miss: Half damage, and the target isnot blinded.C Bloodied Breath (free, when first bloodied; encounter)Nefermandias’s breath weapon recharges, and the dragon uses itimmediately.C Frightful Presence (standard; encounter) ✦ FearClose burst 10; targets enemies; +36 vs. Will; the target isstunned until the end of Nefermandias’s next turn. Aftereffect:The target takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls (save ends).C Horrid Wilting (standard; at-will) ✦ NecroticClose blast 5; +36 vs. Fortitude; 4d10 + 9 damage (on a criticalhit, the target is also weakened; if it is already weakened, it isstunned instead).C Sandstorm (standard; encounter)Close burst 20; targets enemies; +36 vs. Reflex; 4d10 + 11damage, and the target slides 5 squares. This power createsan area of swirling sand that remains in place until the end ofNefermandias’s next turn. The area blocks line of sight for allcreatures except the dragon.A Wall of Sand (standard; recharge ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Conjuration, FireArea wall 10 within 20; this power creates a wall of contiguoussquares filled with swirling, superheated sand that remains inplace until the end of the encounter or until it is destroyed. Thewall can be up to 10 squares long and up to 3 squares high. Anycreature that starts its turn adjacent to the wall takes 3d6 + 8 firedamage. The wall blocks line of sight and prevents movement.As a standard action, a creature can attack the wall; eachsquare has 100 hit points. Any creature that makes a meleeattack against the wall takes 3d10 fire damage.Hellish AccuracyNefermandias scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 with hisbreath weapon, horrid wilting, and sandstorm powers (a roll of 19is not an automatic hit, however).Majestic Presence ✦ FearAn enemy cannot attack Nefermandias unless it first makes asuccessful DC 29 Charisma check or Nefermandias attacks thatenemy first.Alignment EvilLanguages Common, Draconic, Giant,Primordial, SupernalSkills Diplomacy +28, Insight +27, Intimidate +28, Nature +27Str 33 (+26) Dex 20 (+20) Wis 25 (+22)Con 29 (+24) Int 24 (+22) Cha 26 (+23)A character knows the following information with a successfulDC 25 History or Nature check.Located in an immense valley of lush rivers and fertilefields, this ancient nation boasted rich agriculture, greatwealth, and unsurpassed military might. It thrived in thedays before the rise of human culture, before the tieflingempire of Bael Turath or the dragonborn nation of Arkhosia.In Maru-Qet, ordinary humanoids were subservientto dragonspawn, dragonspawn to chromatic dragons, anddragons to the great Qetian Dynasties. These pure bloodlinesof brown dragons ruled as pharaohs and as demigods,exarchs of Tiamat, for a thousand centuries.MARU-QETThen it ended. The last pharaoh of Maru-Qet, unshakablein his arrogance, chose to wage war with a growingclan of catastrophic dragons that dwelled in nearby lands.He lost.Today, Maru-Qet is a vast desert, desolate except forsporadic oases and a few militant city-states that yet lingerin the wastes. These communities, and a few nomadictribes, are all that remain of the brown dragons’ kingdom—yet the Forsaken Pharaoh and his offspring, last of the greatQetian Dynasties, rule here still.240CHAPTER 4 | New Monsters