The Aldani Basin is a marshy upland region in central Chult that serves as the source for both the Soshenstar and Tath rivers. The basin is enclosed by tall plateaus and dense foliage walls, creating a secluded ecosystem that attracts dinosaurs and swarms of biting insects.
Geography and Visibility
The basin is a popular feeding ground for large creatures and produces unwholesome vapors and clouds of insects that plague nearby locations like Camp Vengeance. When skies are clear, the floating Heart of Ubtao can be seen from up to 50 miles away above the marsh (visibility varies by day, roll 1d4 to determine how many hexes away it’s visible through mist and heat haze). From high vantage points like Firefinger’s pinnacle, the basin appears as an enormous gap in the jungle canopy.
The Aldani
The basin is named after the aldani, a race of lobsterfolk who once inhabited Chult’s rivers and lakes. According to Chultan fables, the aldani were originally a peaceful tribe of fisherfolk who angered the god Ubtao by catching and eating all the lobsters in a river. As punishment for their greed, Ubtao transformed them into lobster-like monsters.
Most Chultans believe the aldani perished decades ago, as no reliable witnesses have reported encounters with them in that time. However, the lobsterfolk actually retreated to the secluded lakes of this basin a century ago, where they remain hidden.
Related Locations
- Camp Vengeance lies just a few miles north of the basin on the River Soshenstar, suffering constant attacks from the basin’s pestilential conditions
- A ghost village sits atop a plateau overlooking the basin, where all inhabitants mysteriously disappeared
- The Heart of Ubtao floats visibly above the marsh
- Both the Soshenstar River (flowing north to the Bay of Chult) and the Tath River (flowing west through Ataaz Kahakla to Jahaka Bay) originate from the basin
Adventure Hooks
The priestess Inete from the Temple of Savras in Port Nyanzaru has disturbing visions of red-robed wizards operating a secret base somewhere in the Aldani Basin. She offers to accompany expeditions to the region and will contribute 100 gp to expedition expenses.