The House of the Crocodile is an ancient Chultan shrine located at Camp Righteous, built into a ridge on the northern edge of the abandoned camp. The shrine entrance is marked by an imposing 80-foot-tall stone statue carved to depict a man with a crocodile on his back, with a stone archway between the statue’s feet leading into a dark tunnel.
History and Significance
When the Order of the Gauntlet established Camp Righteous as a base for their war against the undead in Chult, they discovered this ancient shrine. Though not the focus of their operations, it became an object of intense curiosity. Despite being in ruins, the shrine’s traps remain active and deadly—they successfully repelled all of the Order’s attempts to reach its heart.
Current State
The shrine is avoided by the local Batiri goblins, who believe it is cursed. However, a goblin boss named Yokka has had visions of treasure within that could elevate his status in his tribe. His warband (2 goblins per party member plus Yokka) watches the shrine from the foliage to the north, hoping adventurers will either defeat the traps so they can steal the treasure, or at least weaken the shrine’s defenses.
Tactical Considerations
The shrine’s entrance provides the only access to whatever lies within. Yokka’s goblins employ harassment tactics against parties exploring the shrine—stealing or sabotaging boats, setting ambuses outside the entrance, or using horns and animal calls to draw nearby threats (1d8 zombies and 1d8 skeletons, or a hungry allosaurus with 1d4+1 axe beaks) to the location.