Denizens of the Haunted Bog

Ixby clawed his way through the last of the hanging moss and stumbled out into an open field, blinking in the sudden light. Turning and crouching down, he screamed at the Bog behind him, a wordless, impotent wail of fury and grief, before slumping prone onto the sun-warmed grass. Nine of them had entered the Bog, nine of them! All veterans of the Forsaken Halls. And now there was only him...what could they have been thinking?

Suddenly frantic, he clutched at his chest. But no, it was still there - the map to the Lost Vault of Haengri-Loh. Quieting the gibbering coward within himself, Ixby gritted his teeth and stood up, facing himself resolutely South. He'd just have to find some new companions in BurrBurg. But one thing was sure, he'd never set foot in that cursed Bog again...

"Some short-cut", he muttered, and started walking...

Black Barmuth
ArmorClass: 4 [15]
Hit Dice: 6
Attacks: 6 tentacles (1d6) or bite (2d8)
Saving Throw: 11
Special: see text
Move: 3
Challenge Level/XP: 8/800

The Black Barmuth is a bog-dwelling amphibian monstrosity that lurks just beneath the surface, waiting to grab and eat unwary passersby (1-in-4 chance of surprise). The Barmuth has 6 tentacles surrounding its massive frog-like maw, each tipped with a barbed hook. A successful hit from one of the tentacles hooks deep into the victim for 1d6 damage, and the victim is held and squeezed for an additional 1d4 damage each round. Held victims will be dragged into the Barmuth's maw in 1d4 rounds and chewed upon for 2d8 points of damage. Victims forcibly freed from the hooked tentacles sustain an additional 1d4 points of damage. It is rumored that an armor-plated version of this beast, the Red Barmuth, lurks in desert areas.

Bog Zombies
Armor Class: 6 [13]
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: 2 claws (1d6)
Saving Throw: 16
Special: Immune to sleep, charm; diseased
Move: 12
Challenge Level/XP: 3/60

Bog Zombies appear as black, leathery, undead humanoids with nooses pulled tight around their necks. Unlike their mundane brethren, Bog Zombies are fast and possess a malicious cunning. Any time maximum damage (6) is rolled for a Bog Zombie hit, the victim contracts a rotting disease, taking an additional hp of damage per day. The diseased wound will not heal naturally, and requires magical assistance. Bog Zombies often travel in packs of a dozen or more.

Keerkas
Armor Class: 7 [12]
Hit Dice: 2
Attacks: 2 tentacles (1d4)
Saving Throw: 16
Special: Paralysis, Flight
Move: 9
Challenge Level/XP: 3/60

Keerkas appear to be green, mossy, gas-filled jelly-fish that float in the air several feet above the ground; roughly the size of sheep, with dozens of hanging tentacles. Two of these tentacles are used for attacks, and are coated with a paralytic poison (lasts 1d4 turns unless a saving throw is made). Paralyzed victims are enveloped in the other tentacles, and digested at a rate of 1d8 points of damage per round. Keerkas typically travel in schools of 7-12, though once every 4 years they swarm together into schools numbering in the hundreds, terrorizing the lands beyond the bog.

Drill Leech
Attack: 1hp/day
Special: Numbing poison
Challenge Level/XP: 1/15

The Drill Leech is a tiny, leech-like creature that inhabits shallow waters and bogs. It possesses a drill-bit-like head that secretes a numbing agent, making it unlikely that a victim will even notice it has been made to host the parasite (1 in 10 chance), as the Drill Leech embeds itself fully into the flesh of the host's foot or leg. The victim will lose 1hp/day (this will not heal normally) until the Drill Leech is discovered and removed either through magical means (Cure Disease will work) or by a healer familiar with the parasite.