Brainstorming: The court of the blue dragon emir

OK, my next adventure will have the PCs (eventually) stumbling into an oasis in the middle of an Arabian-flavored desert region. The oasis is ruled by a cruel and powerful blue dragon "emir."

I'd love some brainstorming ideas here: What would such an oasis be like? Who would be in the court of the blue dragon? What sort of sick entertainments would such a tyrant come up with?

The player characters will all be about fifth level at this point, so it's not a location in which they're likely to throw down with the emir and expect to win. Rather, they need to pass through this wretched hive of villainy on their way to another location -- oh, and get the blue dragon to give them one of his scales ...

Ideas? You guys were very helpful with my alpine chimera encounter previously. (I used both the icy floor and the foggy air to conceal death from above to good effect. The PCs were one round from a wipe when they beat it.)

The first thought that popped into mind is going back to the notion of Blue dragons having control over water (allowing them to dry it up). But instead, let's change it a little. Instead of him being able to dry it up, he's either ruling this water like a tycoon with a monopoly, or he has a mystical hex on any that drink it.

Who would be in the court of the blue dragon?

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Possibilities:
1) Anyone who drinks from the oasis. By using the Dragon's "Property", that has thus forfeited their freedom.

2) The Emir charges for the use of his water, so any band or tribe who needs that water must give him something. This is often slaves.

3) For some reason, I'm thinking about this desert area having some connection to the Feywild. Since the Feywild is an amplified, more "Untamed" version of reality, then the desert would be harsher. He would also have several Fey under his command. A dryad connected to cacti, disguised as a harem dancer. A quickling functioning as a jester/acrobat. Two eladrin knights.

4) Reflavor the ettercap or drider as a scorpion-creature, and you have his guards. Alternatively, Gnolls with jackal heads (Yes I know, egyptian, not arabian, but hey).

What sort of sick entertainments would such a tyrant come up with?

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In a metal cage suspended by one of the trees, either a hag or a sphinx is kept. This is/was his rival, and he delights in watching the sun heat the cage, or electrocuting it himself.

The sphinx, Aladdin, etc - it's often got test wills. The dragon should offer any to challenge him to a contest of wits. He likes to abuse those who fail, or make it very difficult for them to answer.

Water Hex

The dragon doesn't just own the oasis, he owns the very water. And he only loans it to those who drink. If you displease him, he can then take it back - by having it dry up inside your body. For someone who stays and replenishes their water at the oasis, this could mean death by dehydration (especially if they left the oasis miles ago, and now their canteens are empty).

I hadn't thought about him being able to mess with the water itself. If nothing else, that's a good dead man's switch to keep some local heroes from ganking him.

Whizbang Dustyboots said:

I hadn't thought about him being able to mess with the water itself. If nothing else, that's a good dead man's switch to keep some local heroes from ganking him.

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You mean like his last act before he dies being drying the entire oasis up? Which would likely make anything that depends on that oasis really mad.

I also imagine him keeping whoever's in the iron cage in a constant state of dehydration. Giving them juuuust enough to keep them alive.

Edit: You can't do this without servants waving palm fronds at him. That's just essential.

I think you need to throw in turbaned geniefolk of some sort. That'd be pretty cool. Some sort of Mamluk-like people who cross their arms and wear big turbans. Go for the stereotypes.

Were it me, I'd use the flying monkeys from a fairly recent Dragon Magazine (three years ago or so). A tree of flying monkeys, wearing those little red vests, would be AWESOME.

What about the tyrannical Messiah angle? In the desert water is important, so important it has it's own god. He acts as an intermediary of this harsh, xenophobic, and demanding god.

With an oasis of fanatical bedouin-style cultists who believe he's the worldly emissary of their god, the emir raids more prosperous settlements on the edge of the desert for resources. While cruel and hateful of outsiders he will keep his word if you can get him to give it, assuming he doesn't get you to break some local taboo violating the agreement.

The wealth he raids for is traded with jinn who make his oasis one stop on their planar trade route. In return they bring him many interesting things. And perhaps the services of some of their warriors.

You'll probably need a perch for the Dragon to land and take-off from with zero chance of interference.

Therefore, make the Oasis have a needle of rock coming from the middle or side of it, where the Dragon makes his lair. It gives him a wonderful view of the water and the surrounding desert and ensures that he won't be ambushed by anything that can't fly.

He'll also need a meeting hall if his status of emir includes taking personal tribute and diplomacy with groups for the water. This should be ground-floor and include a large opening in the ceiling for him to fly in and out of.

Then some surrounding huts for his minions (any emir has to have minions), and a semi-permanent tent for trading and drinking.

Further, if you want to arrange a non-combat encounter with the Emir, you should most definitely include a power above him and secret weakness to him or his Oasis: a secret portal to the City of Brass, the water-ritual's creator, a spy-master that depends on having his own Casablanca.

I'm guessing that, draconic emir aside, this oasis is supposed to be an obviously overpowered encounter such that the PCs won't get stupid, but may wish to return to when they've amassed some power of their own, so in that light...

If the oasis is on any kind of trade route- and most would be (even the ones associated with legendary evil)- almost anything and anyone could be found in the dragon's demesne, especially if you use Rechan's (excellent) treatment of the dragon's watery property rights- very much in keeping with their LE alignment.

Anyone who drinks from the oasis. By using the Dragon's "Property", that has thus forfeited their freedom.

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Beyond the scorpion driders, you could also have kobolds on hand filling roles as his basest servants, including jesters. If you do use jesters for a bit of comic relief, name them Liam & Noel Ghallager (the Brit-brats of Beatles wannabes, Oasis).

Lizard-men and other reptilian races could also work as guards.

Another option- take the stats for Centaurs, including their archery skills, and give them a reptillian or insectile template (from Savage Species).

You could borrow a page from Star Wars and have "Jabba the Dragon" have himself some kind of Wurm/Aberration that he feeds "boring" people to. If you're a fan of George R.R Martin, you could use his "Sandkings" (short story AND episode of the newer Outer Limits series) as both the basest servants (the mobile drones initially look something like 8 legged ants, but eventually grow to be about Kobold sized humanoid insects...like Thri Kreen sized down a bit) and as the pit aberration (the Sandkings' queen is a slightly psionic "Maw").

If he's a spellcaster, you might consider having "Jabba" know Horrid Wilting. Powerful, yes, and quite appropriate.

If you haven't seen them, you might consider getting some inspiration from the movies Circle of Iron (w/David Carradine)- it has a "boss fight" scene set in an oasis type setting- and Humphrey Bogart's Sahara, in which some American soldiers in WW2 hold off a huge # of Nazis by holing up in an oasis (the Nazis can't just bomb them out, they need the water, too).

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You didn't ask, but if you don't have any/enough ideas about how the PCs can get the scales, might I suggest they could get one by:

1) Cleaning his sleeping area- there may be a loose one there.

2) Offering to groom him, and yanking it out while pretending to find a parasite on him.

3) Getting him in a fight with another being at the oasis.

Dannyalcatraz said:

I'm guessing that, draconic emir aside, this oasis is supposed to be an obviously overpowered encounter such that the PCs won't get stupid, but may wish to return to when they've amassed some power of their own, so in that light...

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Oh, yes. These guys are accumulating a whole list of guys to come back and curb stomp once they've leveled up. My theory is that it'll both be a signal of when they've arrived and feel like righteous payback when they can finally start putting some of the villains who've outclassed them down.

These are all great suggestions, keep them coming!

Dannyalcatraz said:

You could borrow a page from Star Wars and have "Jabba the Dragon" have himself some kind of Wurm/Aberration that he feeds "boring" people to.

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This screams Giant Grick to me. C'mon, sand worm. It's tradition! Tremors, Beetlejuice...

Lizard-men and other reptilian races could also work as guards.

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They'd have a septic or poisonous bite. Very monitor lizard/komodo, which is appropriate for a desert, I think.

Sidenote: thanks for the movie tips.