Dungrunglung is a grung village located south of Port Nyanzaru, just above the headwater of the River Tiryki. It serves as a potential destination during wilderness exploration and features a significant factional conflict that adventurers can influence.
The Settlement
The village consists of structures built from mud, vines, and wicker, designed for grungs’ arboreal lifestyle. The settlement is protected by a thorn maze (area 1) at its entrance. At the center stands a 60-foot-tall mud shrine where King Groak conducts his rituals. The village houses grungs of all castes and colors, though there is only one gold grung (Groak) and one red grung (Krr’ook).
The Crisis
Dungrunglung faces an existential threat from ghouls and zombies. Since grung poison is ineffective against undead, the village is desperate for outside help. This undead threat has become secondary to King Groak’s obsession, creating tension within the leadership.
King Groak’s Obsession
Gold grung elite warrior (wears a circlet of blasting). Groak is the despotic, lovestruck king obsessed with summoning the goddess Nangnang. He has commanded his subjects to build the massive shrine where he plans to woo the goddess and father “god-touched, royal Groaklings.” Groak is charismatic but dangerously unstable, swinging from friendly to homicidal in seconds. He demands agreement and entertainment from visitors, threatening anyone who questions his inflated self-image. He rarely leaves the shrine, spending his days in an elevated pool fed by an underground spring, with his bodyguard Roark always nearby.
Key NPCs
Krr’ook (red grung wildling) - The village priest who publicly supports Groak while privately fearing his instability. She whispers favorable omens to stay in the king’s good graces but secretly believes the Great Ritual will fail. She approaches adventurers covertly, seeking help to fool the king during the ritual. If anything goes wrong, she will scapegoat the adventurers to save herself.
Roark (orange grung elite warrior) - Groak’s loyal bodyguard and a dutiful warrior. While dedicated to the king, Roark believes the goddess-summoning is a distraction from defending against the undead. His true loyalty is to the tribe first, Groak second. He is suspicious of outsiders but open to help with the undead threat.
Interacting with Dungrunglung
The grungs speak only their own language, complicating negotiations. How they treat adventurers depends on the party’s apparent strength:
- Weak-appearing parties: Surrounded by 1d6+6 green grungs (warriors) in the thorn maze and pressed to meet the king. Resistance leads to subdual. Groak offers sanctuary, then commands them to help Krr’ook with ritual preparations.
- Strong-appearing parties: Greeted by 1d6+6 green grungs who welcome them and beg them to hear Groak out. The king entreats them to aid his “divine destiny” and help Krr’ook, offering hospitality and information about Chult in exchange.
Characters who offend Groak are thrown in the prison pit (area 7), where Krr’ook secretly approaches them. “Not useful” prisoners are either roasted or sacrificed to Nangnang.
Power Dynamics
Groak holds absolute authority, and his subjects follow orders without question. However, if the balance of power shifts decisively to Krr’ook or Roark, the grungs will tear Groak apart in a “cathartic frenzy.” This presents an opportunity for political maneuvering.
Special Knowledge
According to the adventure summary, Krr’ook may possess knowledge about Omu’s location or the source of the death curse, at the DM’s discretion.
Treasure
King Groak wears a circlet of blasting. His pool contains 33 gp and a fist-sized chunk of green quartz worth 50 gp.
Guides Who Know the Location
River Mist and Flask of Wine (tabaxi siblings working for the Zhentarim) can guide characters to Dungrunglung, among other locations.