Mbala is a ruined settlement atop an 1,800-foot-high plateau in Chult, accessible via a narrow switchback path or difficult cliff climbing. Once the seat of a small kingdom, Mbala is now a ghost village whose only remaining signs of life are heaps of bleached human skulls—the gnawed remains of former residents—piled near the plateau’s rotted gateway.
Current Resident
The plateau’s sole living inhabitant is Nanny Pu’pu, a green hag disguised as an impossibly ancient, arthritic human woman marked with yellow clay in skull-like patterns. She poses as the village’s last survivor, claiming all others were killed by winged creatures over many years. In truth, she devoured the villagers herself and now seeks to do the same to adventurers who visit.
Nanny Pu’pu commands 2d6 flying monkeys (who gather supplies but won’t fight) and a flesh golem buried in a shallow grave outside her hut, which can erupt from the earth on command.
Strategic Importance
Several NPCs know of Mbala and may direct characters there:
- Eku (a polymorphed couatl) had great love for Mbala’s former people and considers Nanny Pu’pu one of Chult’s greatest evils, asking characters to help destroy her
- Local porters and guides know the location
- The guide Eshek may cryptically direct characters to visit the “wise guardian of Orolunga, east of Mbala”
- Wilderness guides River Mist and Flask of Wine have heard stories about Mbala’s “old woman who can animate the dead”
The Rite of Stolen Life
Nanny Pu’pu is the only creature in Chult who can perform the Rite of Stolen Life, a necromantic ritual that allows dead characters to return as intelligent undead. This makes Mbala a potential destination for parties with fallen comrades.
Ritual Requirements
- A mostly intact humanoid corpse
- A gemstone worth at least 100 gp
- The sacrifice of another humanoid (Nanny Pu’pu suggests capturing a goblin, grung, or similar creature)
- 1 hour to complete
Ritual Process
Nanny Pu’pu kills the sacrifice, captures its spirit in the gemstone, embeds the stone in the corpse’s forehead, and speaks a prayer to Myrkul, the Lord of Bones. The sacrifice’s spirit gains the personality and knowledge of the deceased, effectively imitating them.
Game Mechanics for Revived Characters
- Becomes undead (not humanoid); subject to effects targeting undead
- Regains all hit points and retains normal statistics
- Doesn’t need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe
- Hit point maximum reduced by 1d4 each dawn (representing decay)
- If hit point maximum reaches 0, the gemstone shatters and the character dies permanently
- Characters later raised/resurrected lose memory of being undead but retain all XP and levels gained
Payment for the Ritual
Nanny Pu’pu demands payment for her services:
- Minimum: Destroying the pterafolk nest (see below)
- Additional options: A lock of Commander Breakbone’s hair and fingernails (from Camp Vengeance), or one of Saja N’baza’s iridescent scales (from Orolunga)
Pterafolk Nest
The south side of the plateau hosts a nest of pterafolk (described under “Pterafolk Nest” location). Nanny Pu’pu blames them for killing the villagers (a lie) and wants them destroyed, presenting this as payment for her services.
Geography
From Mbala’s heights, characters can see impressive landmarks:
- The Heart of Ubtao across the Aldani Basin to the southeast
- The ziggurat at Orolunga in the jungle to the west
- With a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check: The Wreck of the Star Goddess in the jungle beyond plateaus to the south
Structure Details
The path to the top features carved reliefs of jungle predators, flying lizards, and erupting volcanoes. The settlement once had wooden structures and a palisade, now reduced to crumbling debris and stone foundations. Nanny Pu’pu’s hut—the only intact structure—is built from thatch and animal hides stretched over an immense reptile’s rib cage, decorated with animal skulls, wind chimes, and totems, with smoke drifting from within.