The Jungle Ruins of Olataloco is a 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons & DragonsTM module for character levels 7 - 9. The adventure is a cross between your standard AD&D quest with a bit of Indiana Jones flare thrown in for good measure.
A race of explorers, known as the Herapta People, came from the East over the great ocean when their original homeland was destroyed by a great flood. They first settled in the Hepmonaland Jungles but the savages forced them further west until they came to the Amedio Jungles and carved out a new civilization for themselves. They continued their practices of human sacrifice to their ancient gods. Slaves and captured savage tribesmen were often the prime sacrifices but sometimes the noble families would offer one of their own in times of special needs.
The Herapta People thrived for centuries with great success. The jungle was cleared and vast temple complexes dotted the land. The Herapta People were proud of their vast achievements in such a short amount of time. This success would soon come to an end. With great fear, the Royal Astrologers saw the destruction of their civilization written in the stars. The Herapta People only delayed their fate when they escaped their homeland's original destruction.
The Royal Astrologers cast their predictions much to their horror. A great evil threaten their civilization once more. What exactly this evil was is lost in history (and up to the DM to work out should he/she wish to do so). The Herapta Priests offered human sacrifice in record numbers in an attempt to appease this evil but the rituals were not enough to stop the destruction of the Herapta People. Soon the great temples were once more reclaimed and absorbed by the surrounding jungle. Pockets of the Herapta people survived and descended into savagery, much like the various tribesmen around them.
The crystal skull of Olataloco is a relic left over from the Herapta state religion. The High Priest would use it in their sacrificial ceremonies and to commune with their gods. The greater powers of this skull have been forgotten but some of its powers are still used today. The tribal shamans worship the skull directly and believe that its power bless their tribe.
Start Location: Gelanor's Tower on the outskirts of Gradsull, Kingdom of Keoland (R4-117).
The Player Characters (PCs) will be hired by 'Gelanor the Collector' to travel into the wilds of the Amedio Jungle and retrieve a forgotten artifact. He will offer the PCs 1000 gp each up front and promised another 1500 gp when the skull is placed into his hands and they can keep any booty they find during the adventure (except the skull of course).
Gelanor is a wealthy Magic-User who is an avid collector of rare and exotic items, hence the name of 'Gelanor the Collector'. He has learnt of a strange object, known as the Skull of Olataloco, that is rumoured to bestow immortality to its owner. His extensive research has produced a map that reveals the location of the magical object - a temple ruins in the Amedio Jungle (unknown to the Player Characters, it is a temple dedicated to a obscure tibal death god known as Olataloco) and he wants the Player Characters to get it for him.
Gelanor will be up front about the potential dangers. The Amedio Jungle is a dangerous place. There will be hostile terrain, fauna, flora and local inhabitants (head-hunting tribesmen). He will inform the Player Characters that he has contacts that will aid them on their quest. Gelanor has hired a sea-wise sailor and his ship to transport the Party to the Freeport of Corynn and a jungle hardy guide to take them to the temple.
The sea-wise sailor is named Essak Ulyeech (see side note). He owns and captains the small merchant ship known as The Happy Pretender. He is a jolly fellow whose laughter can be heard echoing on the deck of his ship. Those that cross him will find that his jolly exterior hides a ruthless interior. His crew trust their captain and would follow him anywhere he would choose to sail.
The guide is a burly man with weather-worn skin known only as Bru Lunn. His arms and back are covered in tattoos of sea serpents and dragons. He is an ex-slaver from the Hold of the Sea Princes who has found a more lucrative trade acting as a guide for Gelanor's agents (aka individuals like the Player Characters who do the dirty work for Gelanor so he can stay safe in his tower).
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