DRAGONS OF KHORVAIRE 100 Roe has gathered a small band of allies who believe in her cause, and she wants Vyssilthar to take the lead in uniting the Principalities. At fi rst Vyssilthar resisted, but after interpreting countless threads of the Prophecy, she is beginning to believe uniting the Principalities could be the reason that she went to such extraordinary lengths to extend her existence. VYSSILTHAR CR 22 Female ancient black dragon spymasterCAd 7 NG Huge dragon Init +4; Senses blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., keen senses; Listen +40, Spot +46 Aura frightful presence (300 ft., DC 33) Languages Common, Draconic, Aquan, Elven, Giant, Orc AC 41, touch 11, fl at-footed 41 (–2 size, +30 natural, +3 defl ection) hp 454 (38 HD); DR 15/magic Immune acid, paralysis, sleep SR 25 Fort +26, Ref +22, Will +23; scrying defense Speed 60 ft. (12 squares), fl y 150 ft. (poor), swim 60 ft.; Flyby Attack, Hover, Wingover Melee bite +44 (2d8+11) and 2 claws +39 each (2d6+5) and 2 wings +39 each (1d8+5) and tail slap +39 (2d6+16) Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with bite) Base Atk +35; Grp +54 Atk Options Combat Expertise, Power Attack, Silent Spell, magic strike, sneak attack +2d6 Special Actions breath weapon, crush 2d8+16 (DC 34) Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 11th): 5th (5/day)—break enchantment, Leomund’s secret chest 4th (7/day)—detect scrying, dispelling breathDr, scrying 3rd (7/day)—arcane sight, clairaudience/clairvoyance, secret page, tongues 2nd (7/day)—arcane lock, detect thoughts (DC 17), locate object, misdirection (DC 17), obscure object 1st (8/day)—alarm, animate rope, disguise self, hold portal, identify 0 (6/day)—arcane mark, dancing lights, detect magic, ghost sound (DC 15), mending, message, prestidigitation, read magic, resistance Note: If you don’t have Draconomicon, then give Vyssilthar dimension door at 4th level. Spell-Like Abilities (CL 11th): 1/day—plant growth, corrupt water 3/day—charm reptiles (DC 16), darkness, insect plague At will—Nystul’s magic aura (CL 7th) Abilities Str 33, Dex 10, Con 23, Int 21, Wis 17, Cha 20 SQ cover identity, deep cover, detect scrying, quick change, scrying defense, slippery mind, undetectable alignment, water breathing Feats Alertness, Alternate Form*, Appraise Magic ValueCAd, Combat Expertise, Flyby Attack, Hover, Improved Initiative, Lightning Refl exes, Negotiator, Silent Spell, Skill Focus (Bluff), Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Wingover Skills Appraise +20, Bluff +23, Decipher Script +15, Diplomacy +43, Disguise +13 (+15 acting), Forgery +10, Gather Information +22, Hide +32, Jump +23, Knowledge (arcana) +39, Knowledge (local) +39, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +15, Listen +40, Move Silently +32, Search +39, Sense Motive +48, Spellcraft +41, Spot +46, Swim +19 Possessions bronze ring of protection +3 Appraise Magic Value If Vyssilthar knows an item is magical, she can use the Appraise skill (DC 10 + CL of item) to identify the item’s properties. This requires 8 hours of uninterrupted work and consumes 25 gp worth or special materials. Magic Strike (Ex) Vyssilthar’s natural attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Breath Weapon (Su) 100-ft. line, once every 1d4 rounds, damage 20d4 acid, Refl ex DC 34 half. Cover Identity (Ex) Vyssilthar maintains three specific cover identities: Elinore, a cartographer in Regalport; Zela, a scribe who works for noble houses in Regalport; and Gale, an amateur carpenter and fisher living in Port Verge. When acting the part of these identities, she gains a +4 circ*mstance bonus on Disguise checks and a +2 circ*mstance bonus on Bluff and Gather Information checks. Deep Cover (Ex) When in one of her cover identities, divination spells detect only information appropriate to her cover identity; they reveal nothing relating to Vyssilthar’s real persona. Dispel Scrying (Su) Vyssilthar can dispel a scrying sensor as if casting a targeted dispel magic (CL 17th). She can use this ability 8 times per day. Quick Change (Ex) Vyssilthar can don a disguise in 1d3 minutes and don or remove armor in one-half the normal time. Scrying Defense (Ex) Vyssilthar has a +7 bonus on Will saves against divination (scrying) spells, and on Spot checks made to notice the sensors created by such spells. Slippery Mind (Ex) If Vyssilthar is affected by an enchantment effect and fails her saving throw, she can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. She gets only this one extra chance to succeed on her saving throw. Undetectable Alignment (Ex) As the undetectable alignment spell; always active. 228 BLEAK STREET A cozy one-story house halfway down Bleak Street blends in with the neighborhood. The house displays neither outward opulence nor shabbiness; it seems the home of well-off but not rich middle-class citizens. The other residents of Bleak Street mind their own business, and do not wonder why the owner of 228 rarely shows herself and never draws the curtains back. Keyed Locations The following features correspond to numbered areas on the map. 1. Foyer: This spacious room displays fi ne portraits on the walls and sculpted busts atop marble plinths. An open archway leads to the north. One of the busts is a unique magic item Vyssilthar commissioned centuries ago. An identical bust sits in area 8; by placing her claw or hand on one bust, Vyssilthar can see through the eyes of the other as if with a clairvoyance spell. 2. Cloakroom: This is an ordinary cloak room. 3. Lounge: Bookshelves line the walls of this room, and a tiger-fur rug covers the fl oor. The books cover a range of subjects from astrology to marine biology to seamanship. Three comfortable chairs stand around a 620_95729_Ch2.indd 100 7/20/07 10:27:39 AM
101 small fi replace, and a set of goblets and a wine decanter rest on a nearby table. 4. Kitchen: Two large wardrobes fi tted with shelves serve as a pantry in this well-maintained kitchen. A hidden door leads to the dining hall so that servants can tend to guests unobtrusively—not that Vyssilthar keeps many servants. Until recently, she didn’t use the kitchen at all, but now she keeps the pantry stocked for Roe’s use. 5. Dining Hall: Floor-to-ceiling windows covered with silver latticework line the west wall of this magnifi cent chamber. Vyssilthar always keeps the full-length velvet curtains drawn. A cherrywood table and twelve chairs sit in the center of the room, but only two chairs show signs of use (Vyssilthar has taken to sitting with Roe at dinner). Glass doors lead north to the solarium (area 7). Lately Roe has been asking to use the dining hall as a meeting place for her organization, but Vyssilthar is reluctant to let anyone else know where she lives. 6. Servant’s Quarters/Guest Room: These small bedchambers contain well-made furniture and thick carpets, plus several interesting but valueless paintings. One room houses Roe’s parents (human expert 6), who serve as Vyssilthar’s butler and cook. The other is reserved for the few guests who visit the dragon or her ally. 7. Solarium: A curved glass wall encloses this room, covered with frosted patterns that afford guests within some privacy. Vyssilthar had the walls magically strengthened, granting the glass hardness 6. Bright tropical plants stand in boxes around the edge of the solarium, tended to by Vyssilthar’s plant growth. If the dragon is under attack, she uses the overgrowth aspect of plant growth to fi ll the solarium with a tropical jungle while she retreats to her private sanctum (area 8). An ornate fountain stands in the center of the room. Red, yellow, and orange tiles cover the sculpture in a bright mosaic. One tile is actually a button that, when pressed, causes the center of the fountain to descend and form a spiral staircase. Water splashes down the center of the stairs like a miniature waterfall but leaves the outer edge dry and safe for travel. Discovering the hidden button requires a DC 25 Search check; activating the fountain stairs otherwise requires a DC 25 Disable Device check. 8. Private Sanctum: The fountain staircase opens into a deep pool of water. Stepping stones provide access to the rest of the room, though Vyssilthar enjoys sinking into the pool and usually sleeps there. Truly valuable artwork lines the walls in this room, including silverthreaded tapestries depicting the constellations. Vyssilthar has warded this chamber with inscriptions of privacy (Dr 85). Any attempt to scan the area causes it to glow softly; anyone scried upon in the area can attempt an opposed caster level check to receive an immediate mental image of the scrier, along with a sense of his direction and distance. 9. Treasure Chamber: The door to this chamber is crafted from three inches of wood-layered adamantine (hardness 20, 60 hp). A superior lock (Open Lock DC 40) holds the door shut. A slay living trap also wards the door. 620_95729_Ch2.indd 101 7/20/07 10:27:41 AM
DRAGONS OF KHORVAIRE 102 Slay Living Trap: CR 6; magic device; touch trigger; automatic reset; spell effect (slay living, 9th-level sorcerer, Will DC 17 to avoid death but take 3d6+9 points of damage); Search DC 30; Disable Device DC 30. Cost: 22,500 gp, 1,800 XP. Priceless treasures fi ll the room beyond. Chests overfl ow with silver, gold, and platinum. Coffers of gems sit between stacks of paintings and even a few dragonshards. On a bronzewood table Vyssilthar displays the most precious and beautiful items—presents she hopes to give to Qataakhast one day. 10. Roe’s Chamber: Vyssilthar converted this study to a bedchamber for Roe’s use. Roe sleeps in the cozy room, decorated with rare works of art, almost every night. During the day she’s either out on business, rambling around upstairs, or lounging with Vyssilthar in the private sanctum (area 8). Roe’s parents have told her that she’s Lhazaar’s descendant. She often dreams of sea voyages and strange coastlines she’s never seen before. ROE FARWYND CR 9 Female human swashbucklerCW 5/rogue 4 CG Medium humanoid Init +4; Senses Listen +1, Spot +1 Languages Common, Dwarven, Gnome AC 19, touch 14, fl at-footed 15; uncanny dodge (+4 Dex, +5 armor) hp 46 (9 HD) Resist evasion Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +3 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee +1 keen rapier +14 (1d6+4/15–20) Ranged mwk shortbow +13 (1d6/×3) Base Atk +8; Grp +9 Atk Options Combat Expertise, Combat Refl exes, Deft Opportunist, Precise Swing, sneak attack +2d6 Combat Gear potion of cure serious wounds Abilities Str 12, Dex 19, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 15 SQ dodge bonus +1, grace +1, insightful strike, trap sense +1, trapfi nding Feats Combat Expertise, Combat Refl exes, Deft OpportunistCAd, Precise SwingECS, Weapon FinesseB, Weapon Focus (rapier) Skills Balance +6, Bluff +14 , Climb +10, Diplomacy +8, Disguise +2 (+4 acting), Gather Information +4, Hide +15, Intimidate +6, Jump +3, Knowledge (local) +11, Listen +1, Move Silently +15, Sense Motive +13, Sleight of Hand +17, Spot +1, Swim +10 , Tumble +16 Possessions combat gear plus +2 studded leather armor, +1 keen rapier, masterwork short bow, gloves of dexterity +2 Deft Opportunist Roe gets +4 on attack rolls when making attacks of opportunity. Dodge Bonus (Ex) During her action, Roe can designate an opponent and receive a +1 dodge bonus to AC against melee attacks from that opponent. Grace (Ex) Roe gains a +1 competence bonus on Refl ex saves (already factored into stats). Insightful Strike (Ex) Roe applies her Intelligence modifi er to her rapier’s damage (already factored into statistics). Targets immune to extra damage from sneak attacks or critical hits are immune to Roe’s insightful strike. 11. Research Room: Blue glass lanterns fi ll this room with a soft light that Vyssilthar fi nds easier on her eyes. She keeps notes and studies Prophecy fragments in this chamber. Parchments, open books with quills stuck in to mark pages, and sketches of dragonmarks lie in piles atop the tables here. ADVENTURES IN KHORVAIRE The following dragon-themed adventures could take place in a number of different locations on the continent. Grisly Portents Low-Level Clyve Edda, a human diviner, stumbled on information regarding the Chamber’s existence and its work with the Prophecy. His struggle to master even the smallest fragment of the Prophecy drove him mad. Now Clyve thinks himself a powerful Chamber agent and stalks the city streets, slaughtering dragonmarked victims and attempting to read the Prophecy in their entrails. HOOKS If the PCs have a reputation for offering assistance in times of need, the city watch might call on them. A friend or relative of one party member might be a victim of Clyve, or a target who escaped. The family or house of one of the victims could hire the PCs to solve the murder. SITES The Library of Hidden Knowledge (page 88) features in this adventure. Clyve could also have fallen in with a group of thugs who recognize and manipulate his derangement. In this case, the thugs and Clyve could reside in the Sub-City Sprawl (page 93). ADVENTURE Over the last month, Clyve Edda has killed and eviscerated three people: Airek d’Sivis, a young gnome scribe; Merra d’Ghallanda, a middle-aged halfl ing who worked as a cook at the Bronze Bison Inn; and Feredeth d’Cannith, a tinker passing through the city. The PCs could investigate in a number of ways. 1. Detective Work: The names of the dead are public knowledge; the PCs can interview relatives and observe the victims’ homes and places of work. A successful DC 10 Gather Information check (or the assistance of a cooperative city watch) reveals the location of each attack. Anyone with the Investigate feat can make a DC 10 Search check at the crime scenes, the Bronze Bison, and the Library. Clyve left blood smears at each crime scene, and each successful check allows the PCs to close in on the area of town in which the Library sits. At the Bronze Bison, Clyve left distinctive vermilion ink smears on one table, where he sat and studied Merra. A successful DC 15 Diplomacy check (possibly with a gen620_95729_Ch2.indd 102 7/20/07 10:27:44 AM
DRAGONS OF KHORVAIRE 103 erous tip) encourages an employee to recall a twitchy, middle-aged human with red stains on his fingers who sat in the taproom all night a few days before Merra’s murder. Another successful check reminds one of Airek’s coworkers that Airek often did after-hours scribing work for the Librarian at the Library of Hidden Knowledge. While the PCs conduct their investigations, they draw the attention of Tiolth (see below). 2. Baiting the Trap: The party might think to lay a trap for the murderer by allowing a dragonmarked PC or ally to wander at night, seemingly alone. This also attracts Tiolth’s attention. If the PCs pursue this plan for three nights, they draw Clyve out of hiding. Once Clyve triggers the trap, he attempts to fl ee using a potion of invisibility or a potion of gaseous form. 3. Unexpected Interference: The unusual nature of these murders and their ties to the Prophecy have drawn the attention of the real Chamber. Tiolth (NE changeling bard 4, ECS 236; change race to changeling) is a professional snoop and blackmailer. Tiolth wants to discover the murderer’s identity so he can sell the information, unaware that one of his clients is a Chamber dragon. He follows the PCs and ambushes them once he thinks they’ve solved the case, preferably attacking when they’re distracted by another combat. If the PCs notice Tiolth before he strikes, he attempts to fl ee, returning to track them later. 4. Showdown: Clyve might be hiding in the Library, or the PCs could interrogate the Librarian (a long and tedious process). The Librarian eventually mentions that he paid Airek to copy notes for him a few days before Airek’s murder, and remembers Clyve as an unusual patron who uses vermilion ink. He can also point the party to Clyve’s residence. There the PCs can fi nd the murderer, or clues leading to his hideout. Clyve might have allies, such as a group of thugs (rogues 1 or 2, DMG 123) led by a tough such as the low-level Demise or Halas Martain (ECS 252–253). Clyve is a 5th-level human wizard (DMG 125; remove his drow abilities and make him a divination specialist). REWARDS The party earns the gratitude of the victims’ families, and perhaps a favor from their houses. DEVELOPMENT The encounter with Tiolth might lead the party into the world of information brokering, eventually putting them in contact with Tiolth’s Chamber client. Dangerous Goods Mid-Level A crew of burly workers load battered crates of construction materials into the cargo hold of a lightning rail car. At least, those are the contents listed on the shipping manifest. In truth, the crates contain byeshk mined in Droaam. The miners dug so deep they unearthed a chamber of Khyber, and within found an unusually large and valuable vein of the rare metal. The precious cargo was transported by caravan to Wroat, and now it makes its fi nal journey to Sharn. HOOKS Lightning rail authorities could hire the PCs to guard the cargo, or the party could simply be on the scene as passengers. The PCs could also try to steal the cargo themselves, unaware that a second attack is planned by a rival group. SITES The dragon masterminding this attack could have a lair in the Frostbreath Caverns (page 86), the Sea Caves (page 92), or in Sharn in the Sub-City Sprawl (page 93). ADVENTURE Mneromas (NE young adult bronze dragon) learned of the shipment through one of his minions, a lightning rail employee. Mneromas immediately sent his most powerful enforcers, a team of bugbear toughs led by Rorog Obradi (CE bugbear rogue 10; DMG 123; change race to bugbear and allot more ranks to Use Magic Device) to steal the cargo. Obradi learned to fi ght at an early age, but his intelligence and inspirational speeches made him a natural leader, and his bandits fearlessly follow him. 1. The Heist: Mneromas provides the bandits with potions of fly, potions of invisibility, and other useful magic items, including a portable hole and wand of fireballs for Obradi. Obradi leads six to eight bugbear bandits; use a mix of 5th-level rogues (DMG 123) and 5th-level barbarians (DMG 112). When the lightning rail car is in view, Obradi fl ies close enough to use a scroll of shatter on the hatch atop the car. The bandits swoop down, shove the crates into the portable hole, and drink potions of invisibility before fl ying back to Mneromas’s lair. The PCs interfere in the heist (see Explorer’s Handbook for a sample lightning rail map and details on lightning rail combat), and might even save the shipment. Clever characters should realize that the thieves are well organized, well supplied, and not working alone. The bandits refuse to say how they knew the cargo was aboard but hint that they work for a powerful figure who will “get” the PCs one day. A dying raider might even gasp out a promise of vengeance against the party. If the PCs continue on and deliver the shipment, House Orien hires them to track down whoever orchestrated the attack on the lightning rail. 2. The Trail: A character with the Track feat can make a DC 20 Survival check (+1 for every day after the attack) to fi nd the spot where the bugbears drank their potions of fl y. From there, a DC 18 Survival check (+1 for every day after the attack) is required to track them back to Mneromas’s lair. Mneromas has additional minions. A greater shadow (MM 221) flits through rocks and beneath the ground around the lair, bound to the dragon by some dark ritual and now used as an early warning system. When the shadow spots the PCs, it attempts to sneak back and warn Mneromas. If the PCs notice the shadow and attack it, the chaotic and dim undead retaliates rather than fleeing. 3. The Lair: Mneromas’s lair contains additional threats, such as his son and lieutenant, Mnerol (NE male 620_95729_Ch2.indd 103 7/20/07 10:27:46 AM
DRAGONS OF KHORVAIRE 104 half-bronze dragon 8th-level fighter, MM 146; change dragon side to bronze and add 4 fighter levels). Four bugbear bandits remained at the lair when Obradi left to attack the train, and Mnerol marshals this small force against any intruders. Mnerol’s band retreats when wounded and regroups farther inside the lair. Only when badly injured and desperate does Mnerol alert Mneromas, since he wishes to prove himself by handling this threat alone. Still, he is smart enough to know when he is outmatched. Rewards Use the treasure tables (DMG 52–53) to generate Mneromas’s hoard. The PCs also earn the gratitude of House Orien and at least one free lightning rail trip. Development If Obradi or any of his bandits survive, they could escape from jail and threaten PCs at a later date. The characters could fi nd other obviously stolen goods in Mneromas’s hoard and attempt to track down their owners. Self-FULFILLING Prophecy Mid-Level Irkimorra (female young adult silver dragon; ECS 229) has made a name for herself as a ruthless agent. If the deaths of hundreds furthers the Chamber’s cause, so be it. Irkimorra doesn’t mind getting her claws dirty. She was shocked, then, when she untangled a thread of the Prophecy to read: “When the human Neri compromises her impartiality, Irkimorra’s position falls like a star and does not rise again until Olarune passes before Dravago.” Determined to retain her position, Irkimorra hunts down Neri. HOOKS One of the PCs could be a friend or relative of Neri. The party could also be on the scene when Irkimorra makes her fi rst assassination attempt. SITES Irkimorra likely has her base in a spined lair in the Library of Hidden Knowledge (page 88), or in the Sea Caves (page 92) just outside the city. ADVENTURE Irkimorra can’t move directly against Neri (female human aristocrat 5). Her target is a wealthy noble who moves in prominent circles, rarely leaving the well-lit and well-patrolled area of town. As well, the Chamber is already watching Neri’s role in unrelated Prophecy strands. Although Irkimorra believes her contribution to the Chamber outweighs any interference she could cause by killing Neri, she has no desire to answer for her actions. 1. Death in the Night: Irkimorra fi rst hires assassins to strike at Neri. She doesn’t believe the attempt will succeed, but she wants to test Neri’s defenses. A band of four House Thuranni killers (ECS 239) are only too happy to take Irkimorra’s money. The assassins pose as street performers outside the city hall. When Neri leaves in her carriage, one leaps into the coachman’s seat, kills the hapless man, and takes the reins. Another climbs on the back of the carriage and knocks off the guard. The other two enter the carriage windows. The PCs witness the attack and are likely to intervene. Whether they do or not, Neri escapes at the fi rst opportunity; she smashes one of her jewels, activating a one-use word of recall spell. 2. Poison Apple: For her second attempt, Irkimorra tries a subtle, classic approach. She sends a basket of fruit to Neri’s offi ce at city hall. Beneath the real fruit, a hollow apple contains a venomous snake. Assuming the PCs subdued Neri’s would-be assassins, she invites them to her office to properly thank them. While she speaks, the Tiny viper (MM 280) slithers out and creeps toward her. Assuming they act quickly, the PCs save Neri’s life— possibly for a second time. The noblewoman, distraught over the attempts on her life, hires them to discover who is after her and stop the attacks. 3. Hunting the Hunter: The PCs probably have divination magic at their disposal and might attempt commune or contact other plane. Their most useful lead, however, is tracking the assassins. Asking around (a DC 20 Gather Information check) puts the party in contact with a street vendor who knew the assassins. For a handful of gold he shows the PCs to the assassins’ hideout. Coincidentally, Irkimorra has also entered the assassins’ hideout to erase all traces of her presence, and the PCs surprise her. The dragon fi rst tries to pass herself off as a poor relative of one of the assassins, then fl ees if her deception is uncovered. As a last resort, she fi ghts. Even if Irkimorra escapes, the PCs have enough information to track her down through a scrying or locate person spell. 4. Confrontation: As a solo agent, Irkimorra has no minions but guards her lair with traps and wards (such as glyphs of warding and pits). She would rather face the music than die, though, so if the PCs confront her, she fl ees to a Chamber stronghold to confess her misdeeds. A Chamber agent approaches the PCs the next day and promises an end to the attacks on Neri, apologizing for the “misunderstanding.” Irkimorra’s actions cause her status to fall sharply in the Chamber. She doesn’t regain her colleagues’ trust for decades—just as the Prophecy foretold. REWARDS Neri rewards the characters with 2,000 gp each, plus a beautiful signet ring. DEVELOPMENT The characters might have further communication with the Chamber, particularly if they displayed great competence in dealing with Irkimorra. In addition, they have an infl uential and grateful contact in Neri, whose signet rings can open many doors for them. 620_95729_Ch2.indd 104 7/20/07 10:27:48 AM
105 Right Place, Right Time High-Level Mysterious strangers often hire heroes to explore dangerous areas and recover treasure. This time, though, the patron is a dragon or a dragon’s minion. He might not even know he works for a dragon. It could even be someone the PCs have worked with before. But this patron knows more than he’s telling. HOOKS Whatever the PCs want, the would-be employer offers. Money is no object, nor knowledge, nor even powerful magic items. He seems to know just what the PCs need. LOCATION Either the Mystic Glade (page 90) or the Frostbreath Caverns (page 86) works best for this adventure. ADVENTURE According to the Prophecy, a dragonmarked character must enter the specifi ed location and fi ght its guardian, lest a rakshasa rajah go free. The dragon might know this, or could simply desire the treasure. He might even unknowingly be manipulated by a Chamber agent in a multilayered scheme. 1. The Hire: The patron provides the PCs with detailed directions to the location, information on the treasure they seek, and money for miscellaneous expenses. He does not know, however, what lies within or what challenges the party will face. 2. The Voyage: The party likely has access to travel magic; if not, the patron offers to pay the necessary airship or lightning rail fares. No detailed maps or pictures of the location exist (and the patron cannot accurately describe it), so the party can’t simply teleport in. Dangerous creatures roam the area. Consult the random encounter tables for the chosen location for suggestions, or substitute anything properly fearsome to challenge the party, such as a truly horrid umber hulk (MM 248) or a nightwalker nightshade (MM 195). 3. The Competition: The PCs aren’t the only ones looking for the treasure. Any number of seekers serving rival interests could be headed to the same spot. The Dreaming Dark might send a team of Inspired rogues and psions who have no compunctions about killing (ECS 240; increase rogue or psion levels by 5). The Aurum might also have an interest in this great treasure, sending a team of dwarf explorers (ECS 238; change race to dwarf and increase levels by 5) who attempt fi rst to negotiate with the PCs, then to subdue and abandon them. 4. The Guardian: The area’s guardian is a monster unlike any the party has ever faced before. History is made in this titanic battle. In an outdoor location, a marilith (MM 44) or a black rock triskelion avatar (MM4 8), possibly an embodiment of the Mystic Glade itself, attacks the heroes. In an underground location, the PCs might pass powerful sigils on their journey and fi nd, too late, that they have entered the prison of a daelkyr (ECS 278). A greater stone golem (MM 136) might guard the underground vault, or the place could be home to the legendary tarrasque (MM 240). REWARDS What treasure do the PCs uncover? A guardian so powerful must protect an artifact, such as a moaning diamond (DMG 281) or, in the Mystic Glade, the ash spear of Thakash Rin (ECS 271). DEVELOPMENT If the PCs recover the artifact, they might be tempted to keep it, earning the wrath of their patron. If they deliver the artifact, their patron might renege on the deal—or worse, he might pay them and then use the artifact in a destructive, evil manner. Do the adventurers fi nd the treasure they seek, or a fearsome guardian? AS 620_95729_Ch2.indd 105 7/20/07 10:27:49 AM
The Tundra locals confi rmed what the changeling exile’s map had promised. The ruins were Shulassakar, and easy pickings from the look of it. The shifters and dwarves both steered clear of this place, it was said. Not even the Riedrans bothered patrolling here anymore. Two levels down, we found out why. 620_95729_Ch3.indd 106 7/20/07 11:07:53 AM
107DRAGONS OF SARLONA he Bright-Eyed Wyrm? Surely you jest, stranger— everyone knows that no dragons dwell in Sarlona. The Storm Guardians? Stories for Adaran children afraid to sleep at night. The Madwyrm? Some Riedran captain’s campfi re tale grown out of hand. You’re as like to fi nd a dragon here in the market square as lurking in steppes or desert. If fi nding one is your goal, best keep traveling.” —Rumura, gold dragon sage posing as a human migrant of Syrkarn The names, knowledge, and habits of the rogue dragons of Khorvaire are known to the scholars and adventurers of that land. The depredations of the wyrms of Xen’drik are logged by House Tharashk prospectors and passed from explorer to explorer in the taverns of Stormreach. And all are aware that Argonnessen is the dragons’ home. Sarlona, however, is a land of great mystery: Legends and tales of its dragons reach the outside world rarely, if at all. Many Khorvairians have heard of the Storm Guardians but consider those legendary dragon wardens of Adar to be nothing more than myth. Those who know of the Chamber can state with authority that Argonnessen has no interest in Sarlona and no presence in that land. As a result, many fi rst-time Sarlonan adventurers and explorers expect never to catch sight of a dragon in the land of the Inspired. A few of those learn the truth the hard way. A LAND APART Legendary wyrms make their homes in Syrkarn and the lost islands of Ohr Kaluun. Packs of white and silver dragons dot the Tashana Tundra, and draconic creatures are drawn in great numbers to the power of the Storm Guardians in Adar. The ruins of what are believed to be ancient draconic observatories are frequently unearthed in those parts of Sarlona not under the iron grip of Inspired rule. Even so, the dragons of Argonnessen have shunned Sarlona since the earliest centuries of their own history—and have never divulged their reasons. Some scholars suggest that Argonnessen has reason to fear Sarlona and its unseen quori masters, though this notion seems laughable to many. Even if the worst tales of the Dreaming Dark are to be believed, the dragons once laid waste to the whole of Xen’drik, and their power shows no signs of having abated in the long centuries since. Others believe that the dragons’ absence from Sarlona is a reaction to a coming cataclysm predicted by the Prophecy—whether at the hands of the Inspired or from some yet-unknown source. Still others say that the Prophecy suggests Sarlona is central to future events, but that these are so far off in time that the dragons see no point in preparing for them yet. A few hold that Sarlona is, in fact, absent from the Prophecy—an empty space at its center that terrifi es the dragons because they can’t comprehend it. The absence of dragonmarks among the peoples of Sarlona seems to support this last view. However, some dragons of Adar do study the Prophecy, and the great halls of the Storm Guardians are said to be strongholds of draconic power (SoS 38). Though Sarlona’s rogue dragons number spies and scholars among their ranks, the Chamber and the Conclave maintain a circ*mspect presence in that land. The dragons of Argonnessen place observers in Riedra—many of them changelings or dragons operating in human form—only with great care. At the same time, a number of dissident groups in Sarlona are whispered to have the covert backing of draconic agents. Whatever the truth of their long exile from this land, the dragons do not speak of it. Sarlona remains a continent isolated from draconic culture and tradition, cut off from the affairs of Argonnessen and the machinations of the Chamber and the Conclave alike. Serpents and Saviors Little overt mention of dragons exists in the Inspiredwritten histories of Sarlona. The masters of that land are adept at reworking history to suit their own needs, so what is known of the early dragons of Sarlona is fragmentary and incomplete. But as the land of the Inspired opens up to Khorvaire in the aftermath of the Last War, scholars are beginning to piece those fragments together into what they believe to be a cohesive whole. The legends carried to Khorvaire by the Lhazaar expedition and later waves of refugees say little of dragons other than the Storm Guardians. Echoes of lore older than humanity itself describe Sarlona as a couatl stronghold during the Age of Demons, and this land is thought by many to have been the birthplace of that noble race. Couatl ruins still dot the islands of Aventus, the steppes of Syrkarn, and the Riedran province of Khalesh, though any interest the dragons of Argonnessen might have had in these sites appears to have been exhausted millennia before. CHAPTER THREE DRAGONS OF SARLONA T 620_95729_Ch3.indd 107 7/20/07 11:07:55 AM
108 It is also known that the shulassakar (the feathered yuan-ti) venerate the couatls, seeing themselves as the descendants of that lost race. In Sarlona, shulassakar are said to dwell in ancient Adar ruins dating back to the Age of Demons. Like the shulassakar, the base yuan-ti were born in Sarlona, rising from the blasted ruins of once-great Khunan and naming their new land “Syrkarn.” Some sages posit that the creation of the yuan-ti was tied to the near-release of a bound fiend almost twelve hundred years ago—the Syrkarn rajah. However, the supposition that the yuan-ti might be shulassakar tainted by exposure to fiendish magic (and thus a race possessing both fiendish and couatl blood) remains little more than a guess. Certainly that was not the view of the dragons when they allowed yuan-ti exiled from Sarlona to settle in Argonnessen. Only after the destruction of Io’vakas did yuan-ti became a hunted race: Many fled to Xen’drik, where the worst of their kind appear to be ascendant. Among certain dragon prophets (MoE 63) serving lords in Argonnessen, a theory has recently arisen that ties together the legends of couatl, Storm Guardian, and yuan-ti alike. These prophets whisper that Argonnessen’s long estrangement from Sarlona involves more than just Prophetic tradition. As the birthplace of the couatls, Sarlona was of prime importance to draconic history and the million-year struggle of the Age of Demons. After the couatls were destroyed, the dragons were left to complete their work and took much of the credit for the combined victory over the rakshasa rajahs. However, many dragons felt great shame at having effectively abandoned the couatls, who made their great sacrifi ce alone. In the aftermath, it is thought, Sarlona became a kind of prison continent—a land of exile where dragons served life sentences at the site of their race’s greatest failure. The strongest evidence in favor of this view is the Storm Guardians, thought by some to be the last of a once-great order of exiled dragons originally dedicated to protecting the birthplace of the couatls. Today, the seldom-seen Storm Guardians are joined in their defense of the mountain refuge by a host of other draconic creatures, including dragon turtles and sea drakes (FF 147) that protect the storm-tossed seas of the Adar horn. However, some believe that the entire continent might once have been under the protection of such draconic guardians, all memorializing the couatls’ sacrifi ce. Over time, as the memory of the fi end wars began to fade in even the longest-lived draconic minds, this collective guilt came under attack. Especially among those dragons focused on the Prophecy, the goal was to look forward, not back. At some point, the dragons turned away from Sarlona, leaving only the Storm Guardians behind to uphold a tradition now lost to dragonkind. Rogue Wyrms AND FORGOTTEN KINGS Rogue dragons have long inhabited Sarlona. However, the desert drakes and mountain guardians of this land are very different from the hoard-wyrms and Chamber exiles of Xen’drik and Khorvaire. A number of Sarlonan rogues fl ed recently from Argonnessen, for personal or political reasons, choosing the relative peace of Sarlona to the chaos that is Xen’drik. Though exceptions exist, most such fi rst-generation exiles hail from the lands of the Tapestry, just as a majority of Xen’drik exiles arrive there from the unfettered expanses of the Vast (see page 37). Unlike those of Xen’drik, many rogues of Sarlona are native to that land—descendants of dragons who were here long before the rise of the sorcerer-kings. What part those ancestor dragons might have played in the rule of Sarlona prior to the Sundering remains an open question. That period of great and terrible wars shattered the old kingdoms and paved the way for Inspired rule, and much of the history of old Sarlona was purged when the Inspired remade the continent in their own image. Fragmentary accounts of the reign of the sorcererkings can be found in the legends of Aventus, Corvagura (now part of Riedra), and Khunan (the land on whose ruins the yuan-ti built Syrkarn). Modern sages theorize that some of those ancient rulers could have actually been rogue dragons in human form, building empires in a land their Prophecy-obsessed kin ignored. If this idea is true, it might explain the origins of the devastating confl icts between the sorcerer-kings of Corvagura and the secret shulassakar leaders of Khalesh. If means also that the oft-ridiculed tales of draconic blood fl owing in the veins of Khorvaire’s human sorcerers might be more than mere fancy. Harmonious Shield troops keep watch on a rogue dragon on the Riedran frontier RL 620_95729_Ch3.indd 108 7/20/07 11:07:56 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA 109 Plots of the Inspired Those who know the secrets of Sarlona understand that the quori are the true power behind the Inspired lords of that land. Since consolidating power in Riedra more than a millennium ago, the Inspired have systematically wiped out or subjugated any creatures that might potentially threaten them, from the psionic yuan-ti to many of Sarlona’s predatory aberrations. To this day, however, the continent’s rogue dragons are shown deference by Riedra in a way that seems at odds with the Inspired stranglehold on order in that land. Most parts of Riedra remain effectively free of dragons. However, the Harmonious Shield (Riedra’s internal security force) takes what might be described as a “secure perimeter” approach to dragon control. Rogue dragons are typically left to their own devices unless they come into conflict with human settlements. Even then, Riedran forces often attempt to drive troublesome rogues into Syrkarn, Adar, or the Tundra before they engage in all-out battle. Only against dangerous psionic dragons does Riedra typically unleash the full force of its power. This policy might result from the Inspired desire to avoid wasting resources on what might easily become a costly confl ict. Maintaining security on the Adar border means that Riedra can ill afford to engage in low-scale draconic turf wars on other frontiers. However, rumors abound of Riedran forces kidnapping Sarlonan wyrmlings or stealing dragon eggs, and it is speculated that the Inspired’s policy of quiet containment might have more sinister overtones. Some speak of the Inspired raising young dragons in hidden fortresses, indoctrinating them into the Path of Inspiration with the same techniques used on the ogre mages of Borunan. More unbelievable tales are sometimes spun of clandestine experiments designed to breed draconic vessels suitable for control by the quori. The quori behind the Inspired are not the same race that once fought the giants in Xen’drik, but the masters of Dal Quor have an insatiable thirst for the history of that lost age. They have studied in considerable detail the devastation the dragons wrought after giant magic defeated the quori and sealed the links to Dal Quor. Likewise, they are fully aware of the more recent history of the Light of Siberys’s forays against Aerenal. To date, the dragons have shown little interest in the quori’s rule over Sarlona or the long-term plans of the Dreaming Dark. In adopting an approach of containment over confl ict, the quori might simply be attempting to ensure that continues. Whether the darker rumors of the Inspired attempting to build their own draconic army have merit or not, it is reasonable to assume that if Argonnessen ever does take up arms against the Inspired, Riedra will need the rogue dragons of Sarlona fi rmly on its side. Hoards in Sarlona The hoards of many Sarlonan rogue dragons resemble those of their cousins in Argonnessen, Xen’drik, and Khorvaire. However, the troubled history of Sarlona—and the Inspired’s heavy-handed rewriting of that past in the aftermath of the Sundering—leaves dragon hoards as some of the most complete caches of history on the continent. The coinage of Sarlona’s dead kingdoms, lore and magic lost to the great purges, and relics of the sorcerer-kings might all be found in a Sarlonan dragon’s lair. Sarlonan dragons frequently guard magical locations that the Riedrans are happy not to have to defend themselves. As well, by collecting and hoarding the lost treasures of Syrkarn and Ohr Kaluun, the dragons secure those treasures from those who might use them against the Inspired. The allies and affi liations of such rogues are carefully monitored, however, and the Harmonious Shield steps in if powerful magic falls into the wrong hands. Psionic locations and relics are treated far differently. Riedra keeps a close eye on psionic dragons and the madness that habitually affl icts them. Even though Sarlona apparently lies outside the focus of the Prophecy, the dragons hid most of its greatest relics away before the rise of the Inspired, keeping it safe in Argonnessen. Whatever magic they left behind was largely destroyed by the Inspired in Riedra, but The psionic gem dragons (MM2) are not native to Eberron and are not a part of draconic history, contemporary Argonnessen, or the Prophecy. However, the following campaign option outlines a means for gem dragons to become part of an EBERRON campaign. It is widely suspected that the Inspired continue to allow rogue dragons in Sarlona partly because their quori masters experiment on these creatures. Just as with the selective breeding of the Chosen over generations to provide the perfect quori host, the Inspired now engage in grotesque experiments to breed new creatures of their own. Over the centuries, the Inspired have perfected a process of creating dragons for the quori to possess. These draconic vessels are the gem dragons, the result of twisted pairings of metallic and chromatic dragons with a hint of fiendish blood. Their inherent beauty is seen as a reflection of their Inspired masters. They are found only in Riedra, and their existence is one of the most closely guarded secrets of that land. An unpossessed gem dragon has the same statistics as presented in Monster Manual II (updated to v. 3.5 rules). A gem dragon hosting a quori spirit takes on the attributes of that possessing spirit (ECS 296). Some younger gem dragons might not have suffi - cient Charisma to serve as quori hosts, but these creatures are often used as assassins and spies under the command of a quori-possessed dragon. GEM DRAGONS IN EBERRON 620_95729_Ch3.indd 109 7/20/07 11:08:05 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA 110 some items can still be found in Syrkarn, Adar, and the Tundra. The mountains of Adar are the greatest repository of powerful magic in Sarlona, including magical locations and artifacts dating from the Age of Demons, such as the legendary Teeth of the Three (SoS 142). These sites are typically guarded by Storm Guardian allies dedicated to protecting ancient draconic sites from those who would defi le them. Psionics and Dragons It is speculated that a number of the dragons of old Sarlona treated with the shulassakar and the yuan-ti in an attempt to learn the secrets of psionic power. Even today, a loose sect of Sarlonan dragons known as the Gornatha (see page 124) hungers after psionic understanding, coaxing knowledge from the half-giants of Andnemun and the hidden yuan-ti sects of the White Lake and the Plains of Itzaina. However, the path of psionics is a dangerous one for the children of Siberys. An innate connection to arcane magic flows in a dragon’s blood, and for reasons not fully understood, psionic power often twists and debases this force. Among those dragons who explore the psionic mysteries, the fortunate suffer only disfi gurement and ill health. Most develop debilitating insanity, then ultimately die. The legendary psionic dragons of Sarlona were all rogues driven mad by their pursuit of that art. The existence of essence reavers (SoS 147) hints that the pursuit of psionics by dragonkind might have roots beyond the arrival of the yuan-ti and the quori in Sarlona. A vicious aberration of the Syrkarn and Riedran deserts, the essence reaver is a vaguely dragonlike creature that absorbs and can wield both magical and psionic power. Like many of the rogue dragons who do the same, these creatures are thoroughly insane, and are among the most feared predators on the continent. PLACES OF INTEREST Many of Sarlona’s dragons make their homes in traditional caverns or ruins indistinguishable from the lairs of their Xen’drik kin. Other dragons take advantage of the moderate climate of Syrkarn and central Riedra to live nearly their whole lives under open skies. The following locations represent only a small sampling of places where Sarlonan dragons might be found. Dragons’ Deep The passes and valleys of the Frostblade Mountains in northern Riedra were once home to the Akiak, a noble nation of dwarves and duergar. Betrayed and broken by the Inspired on the Night of R azor Dreams, the remnants of that people today fight a guerrilla war against R iedra throughout their former mountain homeland. However, many of the A kiak’s greatest fortresses were simply sealed and abandoned by the Harmonious Shield. A few of Riedra’s rare dragons have laid claim to these former dwarven holds. APPROACH The bulk of the Frostblade range runs southward from the Tundra–Riedra frontier, sloping down to the shores of the inland sea of Rhialuun. Getting there typically means crossing Riedran territory. The frontier folk of Dor Maleer are less devoted to the Inspired than the citizens of Nulakesh, but travel through either province requires offi cial consent, careful stealth, or both. FEATURES Once in the Frostblades, weather and the normal hazards of mountain terrain (DMG 89) are less a threat to the PCs than the ongoing guerrilla war. The Akiak are dedicated to reclaiming their ancestral homeland, and the mountains A lost dwarf citadel has new masters DR 620_95729_Ch3.indd 110 7/20/07 11:08:07 AM
111 see endless skirmishes between Akiak commandos, Riedran troops, and the shifter forces variously allied with both sides. With their engineering expertise, the Akiak built their fortresses boasting wide corridors and high vaulted ceilings. This suits any dragon who now lairs in them. The normal and secret doors are a full 8 feet wide, large enough for Huge creatures to squeeze through. All areas of the dwarven complexes show signs of the long-ago battle that destroyed them. Additionally, the stairs and main corridors are scored with claw marks from the dragons’ passage. Outside the keyed locations, DMs are free to decide what monsters, treasure, or traps might be found here. KEYED LOCATIONS The following features correspond to numbered areas on the map. Dragons’ Deep is typical of many destroyed Akiak complexes. 1. Entrance: The peaks loom throughout this area, and snow-shrouded corpses of Riedran skirmish units are not uncommon. No doubt Akiak lurk in the shadows nearby. Suddenly, a veil of mist and snow parts to reveal a gate. Granite pillars frame a narrow cleft at the height of the pass, and the great stone doors that once blocked the entrance now stand open. Within the gate, a wide entrance hall was once adorned with ornate dwarven relief sculptures. These have been defaced and scarred (by fire, acid, or frost, depending on the DM’s choice of dragons for this location). The dragons who lair here now have placed several magic traps within the hall; they make use of the moon garden entrance (area 2), which is more convenient for aerial travel. The shifters (area 4) and the Akiak (area 9) know the location of these traps and can avoid them. 2. Moon Garden: At the top of a circular flight of stairs, this domed chamber of smoothly polished granite rises some 50 feet. A 15-foot-wide hole in the center of the ceiling opens up to the sky beyond. Directly below the hole, the remains of a great crystal lens lie shattered. The Akiak built this meditation hall to capture the light of Eberron’s many moons, amplifying and refl ecting it through the crystal lens formerly set into the ceiling. The dragons removed the lens to create their primary entrance into and out of the complex. The hole opens up to a wide shelf of stone, beyond which the mountain continues to climb. Flying creatures can make easy use of this exit, but anyone else is in for an arduous, icy descent to the pass below (Climb DC 35). 3. Hall of the Dead: This necropolis was the resting place for the elite warriors and lords of the Akiak, and was the site of one of the fi ercest battles when the complex fell. Sepulchers along the walls and throughout the room bear the images of dwarves and duergar. The area radiates moderate necromancy magic, the result of a lingering gentle repose effect placed here to preserve bodies through the month-long Akiak funeral rites. This effect has also left the bodies of a dozen Riedran soldiers preserved here in a grim tableau, the wounds that killed them still fresh after hundreds of years. The 620_95729_Ch3.indd 111 7/20/07 11:08:16 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA 112 Akiak that also died here have been interred by the strike team in area 9, but the Riedrans were left where they fell. The dragons have so far ignored this unnaturally preserved meal. 4. Shifter Barracks: A pack of Tashana shifters— typically 5th-level barbarians (DMG 112; change race to shifter)—has taken over this section of the complex, carefully avoiding the notice of the dragons. They are loose allies of the Akiak but do not take kindly to strangers. 5. Great Hall: This massive gray marble hall is fi lled with the shattered remains of huge stone tables and benches. It is guarded by a single young adult white dragon (MM 77) who quaffs a potion of invisibility at the sound of any non-Akiak approaching. 6. Black Pool: A sulfurous reek rises from a hissing fountain of brackish water in the center of this fl ooded lower chamber. A magic fountain here was once the communal well for the complex. However, it has been tainted by the presence of the dragons, who have channeled the magical fl ow to turn this room into a pool. If the dragons inhabiting the complex are not waterfriendly, this room can be reworked as a fl ame bath as described in Gornath the Madwyrm (page 126). 7. Hoard Chamber: The hoard of the dragons who dwell here is amassed in a well-protected vault. Formerly a storehouse for the complex’s potent magic, psionics, and weapons, this area remains protected by a number of magic traps the dragons have managed to disable and control. Treasure can be placed here according to the party’s level and the DM’s plans for the complex. If the PCs are meant to fi ght the dragons, set the value of the hoard accordingly. If they have no quarrel with the dragons, the hoard chamber might contain a particular magic item sought by either the party or its enemies. 8. Ruined Laboratories: These vast chambers once comprised a multilevel warren of magical, alchemical, and metallurgical research. All lie in ruins now. The fi rst salvo of the Night of Razor Dreams was the psionic assassination of many of the Akiak’s greatest magical and psionic researchers, a number of whom worked here. Left to run unchecked, their experiments quickly consumed this place. Detect magic and detect psionics reveal a dizzying array of auras still twisting throughout this area, their effect to be determined by the DM. 9. Akiak Outpost: An Akiak strike team has established a base of operations in this former barracks wing, making peace with the dragons who allow them to come and go through the complex. Their long-term goal is to see their people once again walk these halls, but they acknowledge the long fi ght they have ahead of them. They know also that the presence of the dragons has so far prevented the Riedrans from taking a more active interest in the place. The Akiak thus do their best to curry favor with the dragons, hoping to gain true allies in their struggle. 10. Deep Crystal Mines: The entrance to this area is a storage site for mining equipment. Beyond it extend miles of unworked stone caverns. The walls of these caves are shot through with gleaming veins of crystal that shift from white to deep blue. Deep crystal (EPH 182) is prized for its strength and psionic resonance, and is used in the construction of weapons and the hanbalani monoliths of the Inspired. These caverns have not echoed to the sound of Akiak picks for over seven hundred years, but they are far from empty. A scattering of talismans and arcane tokens at the entrance hints that the inhabitants fear this place. A successful DC 20 Search or Survival check to note tracks in the caverns indicates that no dragon has ever passed this way. Over the centuries since the Night of Razor Dreams, the psionically resonant nature of these caverns has been twisted by the latent magical energies seeping down from the Akiak’s ruined laboratories (area 8). As a result, the caverns could be home to phrenic creatures (EPH 205), spawn of Tiamat (MM4 128), or even quori that have become trapped in the darkness of this crystal prison. What creatures lurk in these unmapped caverns—and what secrets they protect—is left to the DM to determine. DRAGONS’ DEEP ENCOUNTERS (Check 1/hour, 10% chance) d% Encounter EL 01–10 Akiak scout (dwarf ranger 4, DMG 121) 5 11–20 Akiak commandos (4 dwarf fi ghter 2, DMG 117) led by 1 dwarf rogue 3/fi ghter 4 (DMG 117, 123) 9 21–25 Riedran patrol (6 human fi ghter 3) led by human fi ghter 6 (DMG 117) 9 26–30 1d3 shifter barbarian 5 (DMG 112; change race to barbarian) 5–8 31–45 Young adult white dragon (MM 77) 8 46–55 2d6 zombie young adult white dragons (Dr 198) 7–12 56–65 2d6 whitespawn hordelings (MM4 156) 2–8 66–75 1d4 blackspawn raiders (MM4 130) 4–8 76–90 Half-black dragon human fi ghter 4 (MM 146) 6 91–95 Hashalaq quori (SoS 155) 9 96–100 1d4 tsucora quori (ECS 296) 7–11 The Heart of Io In the sun-blasted steppes of Syrkarn, a gray basalt monolith rises from a plain of shattered stone. Beneath it lies a network of burial chambers used over the ages by dragons and sorcerer-kings. The complex is now occupied by a group of exiles from the surface world (yuan-ti, Riedran dissidents, Akiak, or any other group of the DM’s choosing). In addition, the site conceals a magical location that has endured since the Age of Demons—the Heart of Io. APPROACH The area around the monolith is a 60-mile-wide desert wasteland, a kind of inverse oasis within the fertile steppes. No water fl ows here, and heat dangers (DMG 303) are a risk to any attempting to locate the site. FEATURES From a half-mile away across the empty steppes, a black spire can be seen rising against the cloudless sky. Close up, the shape resolves itself into a monolith rising from the center of fi eld of black shards. The sun is hot above, the whispering wind the only sound. Basalt rubble surrounds the monolith to a distance of approximately 300 feet. The shattered rock makes it 620_95729_Ch3.indd 112 7/20/07 11:08:19 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA 113 diffi cult to approach with any degree of stealth: Move Silently checks take a –10 penalty. Additionally, creatures must succeed on DC 10 Balance checks to run or make double moves. IMPORTANT FEATURES No detailed map is provided for this location. The placement of the following features is at the DM’s discretion, as is the composition of guardian forces. Guard Posts: Staggered around the perimeter of the basalt plain are four underground bunkers. Each consists of a single room with an adjoining latrine. Narrow window slits at the junction of ceiling and wall open up just above the ground line, allowing a clear view in three directions. From above, each guard post appears as a low rise of sand and stone. Four psicrystals serve as a fi rst line of defense, each one the servant of a guard in one of the bunkers. A DC 30 Spot check or Search check is needed to note a psicrystal among the rubble, or DC 25 Spot check to discern the closest guard post. Monolith: The basalt monolith rises some 80 feet into the air. Despite its age, it shows no signs of weathering. The entrance to the caverns beneath can be found with a successful DC 30 Search check, but it features a psionic lock that can be opened only by imbuing it with 1 power point. A DC 25 Disable Device check can reveal this mechanism; a DC 35 Disable Device check can bypass it. The entrance is part of the monolith’s base and can’t be destroyed without burying the entrance under a massive pile of rubble, possibly toppling the entire monolith. Caverns: A maze of caverns makes up the complex—a mix of well-traveled passageways and areas that have not been entered in millennia. Whether the current inhabitants fear those locations or simply have no reason to explore them is up to the DM. Inhabited areas within the complex include a barracks, a combined kitchen and dining hall, and private quarters for the leaders of the exiles who hide out here. Temple of Io: One wing of the underground complex has been rebuilt as a temple to Io, dragon deity of magic and knowledge. The exiles who shelter in the complex worship a brass dragon (juvenile, young adult, or adult) who has managed to convince them that she is A thousand years before the Inspired rose to power, Sarlona was a land of ancient empires. The greatest of the sorcerer-kings are said to have been entombed in a place of draconic power dating back to the Age of Demons. Its original name is long lost, but those who search today for this legendary site call it the Heart of Io. Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of information about the heart of Io by making Knowledge (arcana) checks or bardic knowledge checks at the appropriate DCs. DC 15: The Heart of Io is the legendary tomb of the Sarlonan sorcerer-kings. DC 20: Though the power of the Khunan sorcererkings was formidable, the Heart of Io holds magic of an older age. Dragons built this place when the world was new, and the bones of their greatest warriors are interred here. DC 25: The Heart of Io is more than just a draconic tomb. The magic that permeates its stone walls dates back to the Age of Demons, though its original purpose is long lost. DC 30: Though no dragonmarks appear in Sarlona, the magic of the Heart of Io augments the power of existing dragonmarks or bestows a temporary scarlike mark with mystical power on any living creature. Description: See the Chamber of the Heart description for details. Prerequisite: Only living creatures not of the outsider type with at least 5 Hit Dice can access the power of the Heart of Io. Location Activation: The silver-black fi re burns in a 10-foot radius. It provides bright illumination throughout the chamber, and it is hot enough that creatures within the chamber are subject to heat dangers (DMG 303). A creature must willingly step into the fl ame and remain there for 4 rounds to partake of the location’s power. It takes no hit point damage from the fl ames but must succeed on a DC 20 Fortitude save each round or take 1d6 points of Charisma damage. A creature reduced to 0 Charisma collapses within the fl ames, taking 1d6 points of damage each round. Other creatures can easily pull it to safety, but rescuers each take 1d4 points of damage from the magical fl ames. Recharge: Once the Heart of Io has granted its power to fi ve creatures, it cannot do so again for 1 year or until all fi ve creatures are slain. Slain creatures who are raised or resurrected lose the power granted to them by the Heart. Special Ability (Sp): Creatures that already possess a true or aberrant dragonmark can use their least or aberrant dragonmark spell-like abilities an additional three times per day. A creature that does not possess a dragonmark gains the use of one of the spell-like abilities granted by the Aberrant Dragonmark feat (ECS 47) three times per day. A scarlike symbol resembling a dragonmark in the shape of a heart appears on the creature’s forearm (or equivalent) when it uses the spell-like ability, slowly fading over the following 10 rounds. This symbol is not a dragonmark, nor does it affect the ability of a member of a dragonmarked race to obtain a dragonmark in the future. If such a character obtains a dragonmark while the power of the Heart of Io is still active, the power ends for that creature. Even creatures not of a dragonmarked race can benefi t from this power. Duration: The power of the Heart of Io lasts for 1 year. Aura: Strong transmutation. Ability Value: 12,000 gp (2,400 gp per affected creature). MAGICAL LOCATION: THE HEART OF IO 620_95729_Ch3.indd 113 7/20/07 11:08:20 AM
114 an avatar of Io. The cunning creature plays on the history of this place and the legends of Syrkarn to expand her infl uence through the local tribes of the steppes, claiming that the Heart of Io is but a small sampling of her power. Access to the hidden Chamber of the Heart is by way of a stone door. In addition to guards, it is protected by magic or psionic traps at a level appropriate for the PCs. Chamber of the Heart: The tombs of Khunan’s sorcerer-kings line the corridor leading to a draconic ossuary and were looted centuries ago. From ahead, a faint silvery light can be seen. When the PCs enter the chamber, the illumination flares as a jet of silverblack flame rising within a circle of rough obsidian stones. The bones of ancient dragons fill the area, making the chamber floor difficult terrain and providing cover. This flame is the heart of Io (see sidebar), and it is guarded by the evil creatures—mostly yuan-ti—that have recently partaken of its power. Recharging this magical location requires the PCs to slay its defenders fi rst. Ohr Kaluun Hoard Rumors of a lost dragonshard trove point to an obscure Ohr Kaluun island. There lie the ruins of a port city that have become a battleground for the forces of Riedra, the smuggling cabal known as the Dream Merchants, and the dark wizards of the Heirs of Ohr Kaluun. APPROACH The waters around the largest island in the archipelago, Ohr Kel, are patrolled by Riedran forces. Elsewhere, smugglers and aquatic monsters are a constant threat. Travelers arriving at the unnamed island they seek have no trouble fi nding a safe and hidden landing spot. FEATURES The island is only 10 miles across. A sprawling city once stood on the western shore, with a wizard’s fortress occupying the high land to the east. Now, overgrown ruins are all that remain. Farther inland, what seemed to be hills from a distance are revealed as the straight lines of ruined city walls, overgrown now with vines and brush. An unnatural quiet hangs over the area, the din of birds in the forest ahead seeming to shift away. IMPORTANT FEATURES No detailed map is provided for this location. The placement of the following features is at the DM’s discretion, as is the composition of guardian forces. Abandoned Smugglers’ Outpost: Close to the beach where the PCs disembark, a low mound of earth reveals the former entrance to a smugglers’ base. This site was a carefully laid-out series of tunnels and underground storage areas (DC 15 Spellcraft check to reveal signs that soften earth and stone was used to assist in the excavation). The tunnels have been recently razed; a successful DC 20 Search check determines the event occurred within the past six months. Afterward, whoever was responsible for the demolition backfi lled much of the area with tons of dirt and rock. Another DC 20 Search check reveals signs that a Huge or larger creature did the digging. Riedran Fort: A force of water soldiers (elite Riedran special forces; see the encounter table) have set up a well-defended camp in the shelter of a ruined city gate. From there, they scout the island, monitor the movements and operations of the Dream Merchants, and carry out a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with the Heirs of Ohr Kaluun. The base is a standard military field station, but a number of semipermanent structures cobbled together from materials taken from the ruins suggests that the Riedrans plan to be here for some time. The heart of Io HEART OF IO ENCOUNTERS (Check 1/hour, 12% chance) d% Encounter EL 01–20 1d4 yuan-ti purebloods (MM 263) 3–7 21–30 1d4 yuan-ti halfbloods (MM 264) 5–9 31–40 1d4 yuan-ti abominations (MM 264) 7–11 41–50 Juvenile-adult brass dragon in humanoid form (MM 79) 8–12 51–60 Half-giant hunting party (4 half-giant ranger 3, EPH 12, DMG 122) 8 61–65 Half-giant scout (half-giant ranger 5, EPH 12, DMG 122) 6 66–70 1d6 witchknives (MM3 194) 4–9 71–80 1d4 basilisks (MM 23) 5–9 81–95 2d4 Large monstrous scorpions (MM 287) 5–9 96–100 Essence reaver (SoS 147) 9 AS 620_95729_Ch3.indd 114 7/20/07 11:08:22 AM
115 The camp has a three-tiered perimeter of hidden guard posts, and the water soldiers pride themselves on not being seen by their foes until they choose to reveal themselves. Dream Merchant Outpost: After the destruction of their former outpost, the Dream Merchants have established a more defensible position in the ruins of an ancient temple. The collapsed upper levels have been fitted with mechanical and magical traps that protect the entrance to the lower levels. There, the smugglers have set up a rough barracks and command center, reclaiming what equipment they could from their abandoned outpost. From this site, the Dream Merchants monitor the running battles on the island between Riedran troops and the Heirs of Ohr Kaluun, carefully staying clear of the fray in the hope that neither side gains the upper hand. Normally, the smugglers avoid any possible conflict with Riedran forces, but the rumors of the ancient hoard of dragonshards hidden here make it worth the risk. From their position in the middle of the confl ict, the Dream Merchants have discovered an important fact. Both the Heirs and the Harmonious Shield believe that the other faction knows the location of the dragonshard trove. As a result, each side refrains from all-out assault in favor of skirmish attacks and intelligence-gathering missions. Meanwhile, the Dream Merchants scour the island in search of the lost site, hoping to beat both sides to the plunder. Bastion of the Heirs: The foundations of a shattered keep are all that remain from the days of the Sundering, but the Heirs of Ohr Kaluun make good use of the dungeons beneath this ancient ruin. A sect of that dark magic order has claimed this site, using the tunnels, chambers, and catacombs as a base of operations from which to gather the lore and relics of a lost age. The remains of two round towers rise from the rubble, high enough to give watchers a clear view of anyone approaching the site. Through a collapsed well, the Heirs use levitation magic to move between the surface and a guardhouse below. The order patrols the forest around the ruins, and slays any intruders on sight. The Heirs’ base is a veritable treasure trove of ancient magical knowledge and lore, but breaking into it is not a task for the faint of heart. The sect’s wizards guard the complex around the clock, and the magic wards they set throughout its corridors and caverns are designed to destroy invaders in a variety of painful ways (as determined by the DM). Dragon’s Lair: Deep beneath the shattered keep lie the caverns that have become the lair for this sect’s leader. This dragon was discovered by the Heirs in the island’s war maze, held in some kind of magical stasis. Since being awakened, the dragon (any color; approximately CR 12) has claimed to be one of the sorcerer-kings of old. His mastery of arcane power and knowledge of ancient lore has inspired the Heirs to follow him without question. The dragon knows of the millennia-old dragonshard trove and has turned all the resources of the sect to fi nding it. However, his larger motivations are up to the DM to determine. Dark Temple: Hidden in a sheltered copse of vine-choked trees, this fallen temple was once a shrine to the sorcerous power of Ohr Kaluun. Though the interior has been largely overgrown, the nave remains bare: Plants seemingly are unable to grow there. At the center of this barren space, a hexagonal pillar stands as a shrine to the Dark Six, its features unnaturally free of the ravages of time. Great magical power (as suits the DM’s campaign needs) is held within the pillar, as well a key that reveals the dragonshard trove hidden within the island’s war maze. The War Maze: The war mazes of Ohr Kaluun were labyrinthine fortresses created by the ancient lords of that land. A war maze is the ultimate deathtrap dungeon, featuring devious mechanical and magical defenses of the DM’s devising. As well, a host of creatures might inhabit a war maze, from skulks (FF 154) and Riedran exiles to construct warriors and the spirits of long-dead sorcererlords that have dwelt there since the Sundering. At the heart of an Ohr Kaluun war maze, great riches and greater danger await RL 620_95729_Ch3.indd 115 7/20/07 11:08:26 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA 116 Shard Chamber: At the center of the war maze lies the treasure that the Riedrans, the Dream Merchants, the Heirs of Ohr Kaluun, and the PCs all seek. A fortune in Khyber dragonshards is hidden here, collected and stored by the sorcerer-kings of old before its location was lost in the Sundering. Potent magical defenses and construct or undead guardians protect the shard chamber, as do unexpected foes. Agents of the Lords of Dust found this site years before but were trapped by the magical defenses of the place. Once freed, they claim the trove as their own and slay any who oppose them. Most of the shards are small (worth 4d4 × 75 gp each), while some 10% are greater shards (worth 4d4 × 500 gp). If the shards are to be claimed as treasure, base the number of shards found at the site on the party’s level. OHR KALUUN HOARD ENCOUNTERS (Check 1/hour, 10% chance) d% Encounter EL 01–05 2d4 skulks (FF 154) 4–8 06–10 1d2 ogre mages (MM 200) 8–10 11–15 Riedran spy (changeling rogue 5/assassin 1, ECS 12, DMG 123, 180) 6 16–30 Heirs of Ohr Kaluun war party (4 human sorcerer 2/rogue 1) led by 1 human sorcerer 6/rogue 3 (DMG 123, 125) 10 31–45 Riedran water soldier patrol (4 human ranger 3) led by 1 human ranger 5/monk 4 (DMG 119, 122) 10 46–55 1d4 Dream Merchant scouts (human rogue 3, DMG 123) 3–7 56–60 1d4 Dream Merchant enforcers (human lurk 5, CP 13) 5–9 61–65 Rakshasa (MM 211) 10 66–75 1d4 zakya rakshasas (ECS 297) 8–12 76–85 1d4 ghost fi ghter 5 (MM 117) 7–11 86–90 Ghost necromancer 13 (EH 125) 13 91–95 1d4 boneclaws (MM3 17) 5–9 96–100 Shield guardian (MM 223) 8 War Zone Range For more than a millennium, the might of Riedra has thrown itself against the defenders of Adar and its people. Though most folk of the mountain refuge have never seen one in the flesh, dragons receive an almost holy reverence in this land. All Adarans know that dragons created their mountains, and that the draconic power of the Storm Guardians has protected them since long before the Riedran siege began. However, not all the dragons of the mountains fi t the noble mold of the average Adaran’s expectations. For many recent Argonnessen expatriates, the Storm Guardians’ mythical reputation is an insult added to the injury of bitter exile. Most such rogues simply establish territories far from Korrandar, often along the storm-battered cliffs of the Barren Sea. However, a rare few dragons join the age-old confl ict against those the Storm Guardians seek to protect. Along the northern extents of Jathara Sound, the natural border between Adar and Syrkarn, a Riedran outpost is served by an unlikely ally—a chaotic neutral young adult silver dragon (MM 87) who has become an agent of the Harmonious Shield. Haurungad was a wyrm ling when his family fl ed Argonnessen and brought him into exile. Though lacking the lawful bent of most Riedrans, the dragon follows the Path of Inspiration zealously. In the Riedran belief in ascending to a higher state of being, he senses echoes of the dimly remembered faith of Argonnessen. Though he can be unpredictable at times, the dragon is steadfastly loyal toward the troops with which he serves. APPROACH The war zone frontier between Riedra and Adar is a harsh and unforgiving landscape. Neither the hard-hitting fi re soldiers of the Harmonious Shield nor the Adarans defending the mountain passes have any patience for adventurers or explorers. Wise parties avoid the forces on either side of this thousand-year struggle. PCs traveling within Adar might be teamed up with the guides of the Summit Road (SoS 30), whether they actively seek the dragon’s lair or simply stumble upon this adventure location in the course of their travels. FEATURES Adar is a land of endless mountains and fi erce storms that rage and abate as if by conscious design (SoS 19). The winds in the peaks and passes are always moderate or stronger (DMG 95), and twisting mountain trails often reduce spotting distance (DMG 90). The steady lash of rain and snow often obscures all sight beyond a few feet, and the relentless rise of the high mountain pass forces all to fi ght for breath. No Adaran patrols can be seen, but they are no doubt watching closely. Such patrols deal harshly with any suspected of being in league with the Riedrans. Suddenly, a massive skeletal maw appears through a break in the sleet. A dragon’s skull some 20 feet in length juts from the rock outcropping. Its open mouth screams a silent warning, and in the shadow beneath it, a small cave opens up into darkness. IMPORTANT FEATURES No detailed map is provided for this location. The placement of the following features is at the DM’s discretion, as is the composition of guardian forces. Riedran Fort: Since allying himself with Riedra fi ve years ago, Haurungad has adopted a territory along the mountainous Adar-Borunan frontier. There, the dragon works with one of the small fortresses (known as “tams” in Riedra) that mark the war zone. The fort holds some two hundred fi re soldiers (lightly armored troops specializing in hitting hard and fast; see the encounter table) and Riedran regulars under the command of a captain named Shaalas. The Riedran garrison operates on high alert at all times, even when not actively engaging in skirmish operations within Adar. Discipline and duty are a way of life for the Harmonious Shield. Intruders see the inside of a Riedran fort only as prisoners. Hermit’s Cave: Below a narrow mountain pass three days from the Riedran fort, a fossilized and fractured dragon’s skull juts up from a bluff of splintering shale. The great black skull overhangs the entrance to a small cavern, hidden behind a stunted screen 620_95729_Ch3.indd 116 7/20/07 11:08:29 AM
117 of wind-whipped scrub pine. Within, signs of ongoing habitation include a pile of bearskins, a half-fi lled rainwater bucket, and a collection of carved wooden instruments on a stone shelf. Riedran troops call this pass the Noose, for both its steep, arrow-straight rise and the number of deadly skirmishes that have taken place here over the years. They know a mad hermit who dwells in the cave, and they obey Shaalas’s orders to leave him alone. The Adarans who patrol this territory see the hermit as a Riedran sympathizer, but they have bigger concerns than this harmless exile. What neither the Adarans nor the rank-and-fi le Riedran troops suspect is that the hermit is actually Haurungad in disguise. The dragon lairs here when in human form, using his hermit identity to approach any non-Riedran travelers in the area. He is as cunning as he is duplicitous (Bluff +16); the dragon plays the role of a harmless fool in an attempt to befriend the party. To win sympathy, he feigns great hunger (adjusting his form to appear near starvation). He then assesses a travelers’ motivations before offering to lead them to a secret location of great interest (treasure, ruins from the Age of Demons, a secret Riedran outpost, and so on). If the PCs fall for this ruse or knowingly play along, Haurungad takes them on a pointless, wandering journey through the mountains as he plies them for information to be passed on to Shaalas. When he is satisfi ed, he abandons or kills the travelers as the mood strikes him. Lair Entrance: A two-day hike farther up into the mountains, the dragon’s lair proper is hidden beneath the ruins of a stone watchtower dating from before the Sundering. Now little more than a circular stone wall atop a windswept rise, the tower’s scattered remains are spread across the slopes beneath it, making for a hazardous ascent (Climb DC 20). With no ground-level entrance, access to the interior can be had only by fl ying over or scaling the 20-foot crumbling walls (Climb DC 15). Once inside, the PCs can explore a fi eld of shattered rubble that hides the secret entrance to the dragon’s lair. The massive stone door appears to be a rough slab set across a low pile of rubble. It can be located with a DC 25 Search check, but it takes a DC 40 Strength check to push the massive portal open (up to six characters can attempt at once). Dragon’s Lair: A system of underground caverns is protected by a few nasty magical traps of the DM’s choice and four well-trained ambush drakes (MM3 8). The lair is also guarded by a squad of six Riedran soldiers (fi ghter 3) that mutinied more than two years ago from Shaalas’s command. The six decided that secretly protecting a dragon’s lair offers greater job security than yet another suicidal raid up the Noose, and they are now offi cially missing in action. Proof of their service would likely undercut Haurungad’s relationship with the Riedran captain. White Water Harbor Along a section of unregarded coastline in the southwestern Riedran province of Rhiavhaar, the remains of a Sarlonan port city rise from the churning waves. As with many such places abandoned in the upheaval of the Sundering, time and the elements have erased almost all sign of habitation here. However, this ancient site holds a secret known only to the dragon scholars who clandestinely study it. This inhospitable beachhead marks the place from which the Lhazaar expedition set out three thousand years before, bringing with it the fi rst largescale migration of humans to Khorvaire. High in the passes of Adar, a fossilized dragon’s skull marks the entry into danger WAR ZONE RANGE ENCOUNTERS (Check 1/hour, 12% chance) d% Encounter EL 01–10 1d4 very young blue dragon Storm Guardian allies (MM 73) 4–8 11–15 1d4 avalanchers (MM3 13) 5–9 16–30 Riedran fi re soldier patrol (4 human fi ghter 2, DMG 117) led by 1 human fi ghter 4/ranger 4 (DMG 117, 122) 9 31–45 Adaran Summit Road strike force (4 human monk 2, DMG 119) led by 1 kalashtar soulknife 8 (ECS 16, EPH 26) 9 46–50 1d4 quorbound wolf Riedran spies (SoS 150) 3–7 51–60 1d4 tusk terrors (MM5 182) 8–12 61–70 1d4 ambush drakes (MM3 8) 5–9 71–80 1d4 windscythes (MM4 177) 4–8 81–90 1d4 wyverns (MM 259) 6–10 91–95 Huge air or earth elemental (MM 96, 97) 7 96–100 1d2 yrthaks (MM 262) 9–11 AS 620_95729_Ch3.indd 117 7/20/07 11:08:31 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA APPROACH The ruined city lies along a stretch of open shoreline easily accessible by water or air. The ruins just beneath the waves constantly lash the water to foam, but several clear channels (formerly broad avenues between nowsubmerged buildings) can be easily navigated to shore or a suitable mooring spot. Overland, the harbor can be approached through a wide belt of marshland that follows the line of a slow-flowing river. Clandestine travel through Rhiavhaar is easier than in many other parts of Riedra, but it still presents a challenge. The province features a good number of dissidents (including the Dream Merchants smugglers) who might assist any who seek this ancient site. The raging sea churns even more furiously than normal as it smashes against a rocky beach. A muddy river cuts a steep course through sandstone banks before being swallowed by white water. Shattered stone ruins jut up from breakers that crash loudly as they hit the shore. Across the beach, a cold wind tears at scattered stands of salt-stunted trees. No signs of life disturb the scene. FEATURES In the millennia since the Lhazaar expedition set forth, the relentless sea has carved away much of this area’s former coastline. The city that stood here has been forgotten, but its ruined foundations still stab upward like weathered bones from the sand. KEYED LOCATIONS The following features correspond to numbered areas on the map. 1. Abandoned Lair: Where the river has cut its way through sandstone banks over the years, it has exposed an opening that must have once been concealed. A wide tunnel leads to a cavern showing signs of a former dragon’s lair, but the cave has not been inhabited for centuries. 2. Unearthed Dragonstone: The tunnels around this area appear to have been excavated randomly, with many ending mere feet after they begin. After a complete exploration of the area, a character can make a DC 20 Knowledge (architecture and engineering) check. A success determines that all the diggings point to a central location: The various tunnels are attempts to find the easiest route through veins of soft sandstone to the central chamber. This area has been sealed off behind a wall of sandstone, but a successful DC 25 Search check reveals the blockage. Pushing through to the chamber takes appropriate magic or 8 hours of digging by four characters. The sandstone cavern has been excavated around a massive slab of black onyx. Across the slab’s face gleam the twisting silver lines of a symbol resembling a dragonmark, reflecting any moonlight or sunlight that shines down a narrow shaft punched through the rock above. 3. Shoreline Ruins: These battlements once formed the overland gateway to the ancient port town, but nearly 620_95729_Ch3.indd 118 7/20/07 11:08:35 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA 119 thirty centuries of erosion have left their remains well below the waterline. The ruins are accessible only at low tide, requiring a wait of 1d12 hours (possibly attracting the attention of wandering creatures) for a chance to explore. Creatures able to breathe and see underwater can explore the area even at high tide, though the rough water is murky at all times (DMG 93). At low tide, the area is thick with algae and seaweed, requiring DC 10 Balance checks to move. Within the ruins, signs of recent excavation and exploration can be found (Search DC 20). Both Huge and smaller creatures (draconic agents and their dragon prophet servants) have been at work here. With a successful DC 15 Search check, a character discovers that one slab of algae-covered rock shows less erosion than the rest of the ruins. Further investigation reveals that it has been placed here recently. Beneath the slab is a hidden chamber, but the stone requires a DC 40 Strength check to shift it (up to six characters can attempt at once). If the attempt is made while the surging tide covers the stone, the water’s buoyancy grants a +5 bonus on the check. The chamber contains a sealed trunk holding maps, notes, blank parchment, ink, pens, and four cloaks of the manta ray. The maps and notes speak of excavations ongoing beneath the footings of the ruined lighthouse (area 4). The dragon prophets who come here from time to time use the cloaks to enter the underwater ruins. 4. Lighthouse Footings: The crumbled foundations of a ruined lighthouse rise from the silt of the ocean fl oor 10 feet beneath the surging waves at low tide. A DC 25 Search or Survival check is needed to fi nd them. The rough water is murky at all times. Any number of breaches in the ancient stone give access to the ruined foundations. In the center of the ruins, a bubble of air marks the area of a permanent control water effect. Below it, a passageway has been carefully excavated. 5. Prophecy Chamber: Some 50 feet below the lighthouse foundations (well belowground even when the port was a thriving city), a rough-hewn chamber has been carved from the living rock. A DC 15 Search check reveals the marks of claws and tools, signs that both dragons and humanoids have been active in the excavations here. Where the ceiling has weakened, it is supported by beams and stanchions, and sections of the walls appear to have been carefully cleaned of slime and debris. This chamber is magically free of water, and the air, though slightly stale, is breathable on arrival. However, the air does not refresh itself. Each creature can stay here for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution score before the lack of oxygen begins to have an effect. After this time, it must hold its breath or begin to suffocate (DMG 304). The dragons and dragon prophets who work here use bottles of air to replenish themselves. The chamber walls are engraved from top to bottom with Draconic runes. A successful DC 30 Knowledge (arcana) check confirms that this writing is notes, refl ections, and meditations on the draconic Prophecy. Anyone who succeeds on a DC 25 Search check confi rms that the engraving is thousands of years old. With a successful DC 20 Profession (scribe) or Knowledge (arcana) check, a character who reads Draconic can successfully copy a single page’s worth of runes. Copying a page takes 1 hour, and a character can scribe a maximum of 10 pages per point of Intelligence bonus. (The chamber itself contains much more lore; this number simply represents how much the limited understanding of a single character allows him to transcribe.) Each page can fetch 100 gp from a scholar or sage with an interest in the Prophecy, but PCs attempting to sell this knowledge might fi nd themselves targets of the Chamber or the great wyrm Qataakhast (page 120). 6. Shrine to Lhazaar: Beyond the Prophecy chamber is a smaller cavern similarly covered in Draconic runes. However, this text is a narrative: apparently a fi rst-hand account of the preparations and departure of Lhazaar’s expedition from the city that once stood above. The text speaks of challenges from the Rhiavhaar pirates and slavers who controlled the Sea of Rage, and of Lhazaar’s dedication to a purpose whose meaning is not made clear. The narrative hints of a desperation underlying the dangerous journey east, and of some of the migrants in Lhazaar’s flotilla fleeing devastating wars in Sarlona’s western lands. In addition, the text suggests that both a dragon in human form and a rakshasa of the Lords of Dust might have accompanied Lhazaar’s expedition. The writing in this chamber can be easily copied at a rate of 1 page per hour, to a total of 100 pages’ worth of information. A copy of this lore can fetch up to 10,000 gp from any Khorvairian scholar or sage but attracts the same attention from draconic agents as text copied from the Prophecy chamber. Notes and diaries kept by the dragon prophets who have worked here hint that the engravings in both rooms date from the fi rst century after the Lhazaar migration. The notes speak of Sarlona as being outside the draconic Prophecy, but they also tell of a group of dragons who understood how important Lhazaar’s expedition was to the unfolding of the Prophecy in Khorvaire. At the center of the cavern rests a worn sandstone pedestal. On it sits an amulet that radiates magic. At the DM’s discretion, this might be a relic from Lhazaar’s own life, or a magic or psionic item placed here by draconic agents for safekeeping. WHITE WATER HARBOR ENCOUNTERS (Check 1/hour, 8% chance) d% Water Encounter EL 01–20 Sea drake (FF 147) 15 21–40 Dragon turtle (MM 88) 9 41–55 1d2 dragon eels (MM3 44) 11–13 56–65 1d4 seryulins (MM3 148) 7–11 66–75 1d4 skrags (MM 248) 5–9 76–100 Juvenile bronze dragon (MM 80) 9 d% Land Encounter EL 01–10 1d4 seryulins (MM3 148) 7–11 11–25 1d6 ambush drakes (MM3 8) 5–10 26–35 1d4+1 ssvaklors (MM3 166) 12–15 36–55 Riedran patrol (4 human fi ghter 2, DMG 117) led by 1 human ranger 8 (DMG 122) 9 56–75 Dragon prophet (sorcerer 6/dragon prophet 3; MoE 68) 9 76–100 Juvenile bronze dragon (MM 80) 9 620_95729_Ch3.indd 119 7/20/07 11:08:39 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA 120 SARLONA ENCOUNTERS QATAAKHAST THE BRIGHT-EYED “The exiles forgot their past and this place almost from the moment they stepped onto the boats, so desperate were they to burn away the horrors of what lay behind them. Or perhaps they sensed the greatness of their future and sought to leave space for that in the memory-yet-to-come of their race. Few care to know these things now, but they remain with me. If you have time to listen, I have time to speak . . .” —Qataakhast the Bright-Eyed In the glowing steppes and harsh desert wastes of Syrkarn, tales are told of an ageless dragon whose molten gaze has seen this land’s fall and rise. He is Qataakhast the Bright-Eyed, a great brass wyrm who can be sighted in the sands and empty grasslands from the central Plains of Itzaina to the sea. Qataakhast is the keeper of many secrets, but the one he holds closest is known only to him and his apprentice Rumura. Though the dragons of Argonnessen had always been cognizant of the role human history would one day play in the Prophecy, few could have foretold how far that history would advance as a result of a single fateful sea voyage. Three thousand years ago, a ragtag flotilla of ships set out from the shores of Rhiavhaar, bound for an unknown land across the Sea of Rage. The captain of this expedition was Lhazaar. Qataakhast was there to watch her go. As a young adult, Qataakhast and his mate Vyssilthar (see page 99) left Argonnessen to take up a life of exile in Sarlona— punishment for Qataakhast’s failure at a mission of which he has not spoken in all the time since. When the Lhazaar expedition set sail, Vyssilthar felt compelled to accompany it in half-elf form. Qataakhast stayed behind, bound to complete his penance alone. Before her departure, Vyssilthar had spent long years studying the draconic Prophecy. When Lhazaar’s port city was abandoned in the Sundering, Qataakhast returned there to record his mate’s work and his own memories of the expedition, even as he kept watch on the open sea in the hope that she might someday return. However, as Riedra established its dominion over Rhiavhaar, Qataakhast was forced to fl ee for the freedom of Syrkarn, where he remains today. (Qataakhast’s former lair and the caverns where he recorded his impressions are part of White Water Harbor, page 117.) Though his former life and calling are some thirty centuries behind him, Qataakhast has lost none of the nobility and sense of purpose that mark many of the great wyrms of Argonnessen. Today, he spends much of his time traveling across his adopted homeland, forcing lesser rogue dragons to respect the settlements of human and eneko (Syrkarn’s civilized “mongrel ogre” tribes). On rare occasions, Qataakhast has unleashed his full fury to keep local rogues in line. For most, a single demonstration is all that’s needed. DESCRIPTION Centuries beneath the bleaching Syrkarn sun have burnished Qataakhast’s scales to an almost mirrorlike sheen. His bladed chinhorns are the length of longswords, each honed to razor sharpness by constant rubbing against the shard pile within his lair. Years of slumber on a bed of Khyber shards have left the scales of Qataakhast’s underbelly limned a deep blue-black, and a faint glow seems to ripple there as he moves. The deep green of his wing-edges appears nearly pearl-black when they are unfurled, and the great wyrm’s eyes burn with the light of a Syrkarn dawn. Like all brass dragons, Qataakhast loves the heat, and he often basks in the open sand and empty grasslands of his adopted home. However, because of his imposing physical presence, the great wyrm makes a point of fl ying only at night if possible. Qataakhast soars with a speed and grace that defy his massive size, and when his gleaming scales catch the dawn’s light, they fl are like a beacon that can be seen for miles. The eneko nomads of the plains consider it good luck to catch sight of this “dragonlight.” Qataakhast the Bright-Eyed shares the knowledge of centuries DR 620_95729_Ch3.indd 120 7/20/07 11:08:40 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA 121 Though he conveys the majesty of distant Argonnessen in his every word, the great wyrm retains the verbosity and playful acquisitiveness common among his kind. He is great lover of gifts, no matter how trifl ing, and to those who offer some trinket and the necessary respect, Qataakhast will happily speak for days on end. Those who come to him with specifi c questions inevitably receive answers, but the great wyrm is seldom in a hurry to get to the point. For a thousand years, Qataakhast has watched over this land, always hopeful that Vyssilthar might one day return to his side before he takes his last sight of earth and sky. Lately, however, the great dragon has become resigned to facing his end alone. The idea that his knowledge will die with him when he passes saddens Qataakhast, and so he seeks to pass on what he knows in the time that remains. MINIONS Over his long life, Qataakhast has known countless mortal creatures that have passed to dust in the relative blink of a dragon’s eye. As he has aged, the great wyrm’s benevolence toward those who seek his counsel has not lessened. However, he has grown ever more circ*mspect over the years, and these days counts on only a single creature for friendship and service. The djinni Khayyada (MM 114) came to know Qataakhast through the dragon’s summon djinni ability. She appreciates that Qataakhast summons her only for noble purpose or from dire need, and the great wyrm and the ageless genie have developed a close relationship over the years. With her wind walk and plane shift abilities, Khayyada often undertakes far-ranging errands for Qataakhast, including numerous intelligence-gathering expeditions to Riedra and at least one recent mission to Argonnessen itself. When summoned, Khayyada reacts immediately to any threat against her master, defending Qataakhast with her life. ALLIES AND ENEMIES Qataakhast’s apprentice and assistant is Rumura, an aspiring dragon sage (male adult gold dragon loremaster 6). The great wyrm took the gold under his wing some fi ve decades earlier. Like Qataakhast, Rumura was exiled to Sarlona for crimes he does not discuss. However, unlike his mentor, the gold dragon aspires to return to Argonnessen one day and sees Qataakhast’s unique knowledge and legacy as his eventual ticket home. Because Qataakhast does not have the alternate form ability, Rumura is also the great wyrm’s agent among the peoples of Sarlona. In open country, the dragon often travels in the form of a gold-white wolf, taking on human form in civilized centers and on intelligence-gathering missions for his master. Though Qataakhast does not know it, Rumura resents the tedious questions of strangers who interfere with his own attempts to codify the great wyrm’s lore. Thus, the gold spends much of his time defl ecting the attention of those who would seek out the Bright-Eyed. As one of the most powerful dragons in Sarlona, Qataakhast is under the constant scrutiny of Thousand Eyes agents in Syrkarn. Kumesha is one such operative (male Chosen nomadEPH 10/fi st of Dal QuorSoS 5) whose missions have taken him from the Syrkarn coast to the Riedran frontier and back again. As a fi st of Dal Quor, Kumesha enjoys great latitude in setting the scope of his assignments, and his nominal work monitoring the movements of dissidents in Syrkarn has taken a back seat to close observation of Qataakhast for several years. Rumors suggest that Kumesha might have even secretly defended Qataakhast against plots of the Gornatha (page 124), but if so, the Riedran’s motivations remain unknown. ADVENTURE SEEDS Though Qataakhast possesses a near incomprehensible amount of knowledge, the great wyrm remains effectively cut off from much of the world around him. During his three-thousand-year exile in Syrkarn, events such as the Last War, the emergence of the Silver Flame, the arrival of the kalashtar in Adar, and the rise of the Blood of Vol have all occurred at the periphery of Qataakhast’s understanding. What he does know might still have incalculable value for PCs caught up in the maelstrom of intrigue that is Eberron, even if Qataakhast himself does not understand the information’s significance. Fact-Finding Mission: One of the Khorvairian universities believes that a rogue dragon in Syrkarn is sitting on a fi rst-hand account of the Lhazaar expedition, and enlists the PCs to “liberate” this priceless lore. After they make contact with the benevolent Qataakhast, the PCs learn that their patrons actually want the dragon and his knowledge destroyed. The party is merely a dupe in a much larger scheme. Dragon Uprising: The PCs defend Qataakhast when against a group of rogue Syrkarn dragons who rise up against this self-styled protector of the steppes. However, the party’s attempts to aid the great wyrm are complicated by his apparent lack of concern for his own life. Having accepted that he will not see Vyssilthar again before the end, this legendary dragon believes that his time on Eberron is done. QATAAKHAST THE BRIGHT-EYED CR 23 Male great wyrm brass dragon NG Gargantuan dragon (fi re) Init +4; Senses blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., keen senses; Listen +45, Spot +5 Aura frightful presence (360 ft., DC 33) Languages Common, Draconic, Riedran AC 42, touch 6, fl at-footed 42 (–4 size, +36 natural) hp 536 (37 HD); DR 20/magic Immune fi re, sleep, paralysis SR 30 Fort +28, Ref +20, Will +25 Weakness vulnerability to cold Speed 70 ft. (14 squares), burrow 40 ft., fl y 270 ft. (average); Flyby Attack, Hover, Wingover Melee bite +47 (4d6+13) and 2 claws +45 each (2d8+6) and 2 wings +44 each (2d6+6) and tail slap +44 (2d8+19) Space 20 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (20 ft. with bite) 620_95729_Ch3.indd 121 7/20/07 11:08:43 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA Base Atk +37; Grp +62 Atk Options Blind-Fight, Cleave, magic strike Special Actions breath weapon, crush 4d6+19 (DC 36), tail sweep (30 ft., Small or smaller, 2d6+19, DC 40 36 half) Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 19th): 9th (4/day)—foresight, Mordenkainen’s disjunction (DC 25) 8th (6/day)—mass charm monster (DC 23), moment of prescience, prismatic wall (DC 23) 7th (6/day)—animate breathDr, greater stunning breathDr, Mordenkainen’s magnifi cent mansion 6th (6/day)—disintegrate (DC 21), greater dispel magic, globe of invulnerability 5th (7/day)—dream, permanency, telekinesis, greater wings of airDr 4th (7/day)—dispelling breathDr, greater invisibility, stone shape, stunning breathDr (DC 36) 3rd (7/day)—daylight, major image (DC 18), tongues, water breathing 2nd (7/day)—detect thoughts (DC 17), fox’s cunning, eagle’s splendor, magic mouth, misdirection 1st (8/day)—alarm, breath fl areDr, comprehend languages, expeditious retreat, unseen servant 0 (6/day)—arcane mark, detect magic, detect poison, fl are (DC 15), mage hand, mending, message, read magic, resistance Note: If you don’t have Draconomicon, give Qataakhast greater teleport and spell turning at 7th level, break enchantment at 5th, enervation and dimension door at 4th, and shield at 1st. Spell-Like Abilities (CL 19th): 1/day—suggestion (DC 18), control winds, control weather, summon djinni 3/day—endure elements At will—speak with animals Abilities Str 37, Dex 10, Con 27, Int 20, Wis 21, Cha 20 Feats Blind-Fight, Cleave, Flyby Attack, Heighten BreathDr, Hover, Improved Initiative, Improved ManeuverabilityDr (2), Improved SpeedDr, Multiattack, Weapon Focus (bite), Weapon Focus (claw), Wingover Skills Concentration +48, Diplomacy +49, Gather Information +9, Hide –12, Intimidate +45, Jump +29, Knowledge (history) +45, Knowledge (local) +45, Knowledge (nature) +47, Listen +45, Search +45, Sense Motive +45 , Spot +45, Survival +45 (+47 following tracks) Magic Strike (Ex) Qataakhast’s natural attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Breath Weapon (Su) 60-ft. cone, once every 1d4 rounds, sleep for 1d6+12 rounds, Will DC 36; or 120-ft. line, once every 1d4 rounds, 12d6 fi re, Refl ex DC 36 half. Heighten Breath Qataakhast can increase the save DC of his breath weapon by up to +8. For each point by which he increases the save DC, add 1 to the number of rounds he must wait to use his breath weapon again. Summon Djinni (Sp) As the summon monster spell, except that it summons one djinni. This ability is the equivalent of a 7th-level spell. 620_95729_Ch3.indd 122 7/20/07 11:08:45 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA 123 LAIR OF THE BRIGHT-EYED WYRM In the face of a vast sandstone bluff, a wide cave mouth marks the entrance to Qataakhast’s lair. The area has a reputation among local Syrks as a home to yuan-ti, but the band of the serpent-folk that might have once dwelled here was gone long before the great wyrm’s arrival. He allows the rumors to continue by ensuring that Rumura spreads them anew on his travels, in hopes of maintaining his privacy. Qataakhast is always happy to meet those who seek him out, but he does not wish his formidable size and frightful presence to inadvertently alarm the tribes that call the adjacent grasslands home. Outside the guest chambers, much of the interior of Qataakhast’s lair was excavated with disintegrate, and its walls are unnaturally smooth. The corridors and chambers are rounded to better fi t the great wyrm’s enormous bulk; smaller creatures must walk single fi le along the curved stone floors. Individual chambers have gently sloping fl oors and domed ceilings. Keyed Locations The following features correspond to numbered areas on the map. 1. Empty Cave: This deserted cavern hides the entrance proper to Qataakhast’s lair. The dragon has intentionally left signs of habitation and a scattering of yuan-ti relics in the cave. However, a successful DC 20 Search check indicates that nothing has been touched in decades. It also reveals the tracks of a Gargantuan creature scarring a well-trodden path through the cave toward the back wall. That back wall is a carefully constructed secret door (Search DC 30) that radiates faint abjuration, conjuration, and divination magic. The door opens automatically at Qataakhast’s approach but can be otherwise breached only by creatures bearing gifts. Near the door is a wide ledge with signs that numerous objects have been placed upon it. Once each creature in the cavern sets a gift for Qataakhast on the ledge, the door swings wide to allow them to pass. Gifts need not have any real worth but be of some value to the owner or be brought specifi cally as a gift (as determined by a permanent detect thoughts effect active in the area). Once the door is open, petitioners can enter, along with their gifts. 2. Guest Chambers: Guests of Qataakhast stay here. Through an arch at the end of a rough stone passageway, a shimmering portal reveals a high-ceilinged great hall. This wing of the cavern does not actually exist in Sarlona. Rather, the portal opens up into the extradimensional space of a Mordenkainen’s magnifi cent mansion of Qataakhast’s own design. The dragon casts the spell daily while in the lair, even if he has no guests in residence. If he is not here to cast the spell, the passageway ends in blank stone. The palatial interior has been appointed in the fi nest Syrk style. Across all the pale sandstone walls, tapestries weave a riot of color. Thick woven mats cover the fl oors of the great hall, dining hall, and lounge. Within fi ve circular guest chambers, piles of colorful pillows do double duty as seats or beds. In the domed dining hall, a dozen comfortable chairs surround a large marble table where guests can partake of delicious food and drink at any time. Sweet-scented braziers burn constantly in all areas, and the mansion’s magical servants are at guests’ beck and call. 3. Qataakhast’s Hoard: The great wyrm’s hoard chamber is his residence within the lair, though when speaking with guests, he prefers to sprawl beneath the open sky. Qataakhast’s hoard is a remarkable mix of the valuable and the mundane, featuring historical treasures collected over the dragon’s long life, as well as an amazing assortment of trinkets and gifts he has amassed from visitors, supplicants, and his own travels. Coinage and riches dating back to the rule of the sorcerer-kings can be found here, as can worthless jewelry of brass and stone, carved tokens of the eneko nomads, racks of antlers and cured pelts, moldering cloth, ancient books of no particular value, and more. However, the bulk of the dragon’s treasure pile is a veritable mountain of Khyber dragonshard fragments. Like his Argonnessen kin, Qataakhast covets these physical pieces of the Prophecy. Many of the Khyber shards he has collected over the space of thirty centuries have been worn down to pebble-sized fragments that endlessly shift beneath the dragon’s enormous bulk. 4. Chambers of Refl ection: In this extended reach of smooth-walled caverns, three thousand years of personal memoir have been carefully inscribed in Draconic. The lore here represents an almost complete (if somewhat one-sided) history of Rhiavhaar for a millennium before the Sundering, and of Syrkarn in all the years since. The points that Qataakhast has chosen to record are sometimes obscure, but anyone familiar with dragons’ interpretation of the Prophecy can see how the great wyrm has drawn lines between apparently random events sometimes hundreds of years apart. A character who can read Draconic receives a +1 bonus on a single Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local [Sarlona]), or bardic knowledge check for every hour spent in study here (maximum +10). At the end of the northern branch of the passageway lies a small chamber with blank walls. Qataakhast has long intended to fi ll this space with his account of Vyssilthar’s return. 620_95729_Ch3.indd 123 7/20/07 11:08:48 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA 124 Gornath the Madwyrm “I saw the Madwyrm once. It was enough.” —Lord Sulatesh of the Burning Blade, commander of Kintam Sulat For those who study it, the sparse history of dragons in Sarlona is punctuated by regular tales of rogues driven mad by the pursuit of psionic power. The strange energy of psionics often reacts poorly with the arcane potential of the children of Siberys. However, Sarlona is a land steeped in psionics, from the ancient ruins of the yuan-ti to the hanbalani altas that focus and shape the collective mind-power of the people of Riedra. A small number of rogue dragons are drawn to the arts of the mind—and to the destructive madness that inevitably results. Gornath is a native Sarlonan, born in the Frostblade foothills of the Tashana Tundra. From his lair on the Tundra–Riedra frontier, he ranges through virtually all the lands of Sarlona except central Riedra (which holds the great cities of the Inspired) and eastern Syrkarn (where lairs Qataakhast, self-styled guardian of that land). From Ohr Kaluun to Adar, Gornath has begun to unite other rogue dragons and isolated clans of persecuted yuan-ti in the name of his own twisted version of draconic destiny. In his madness, he sees psionics as the next stage of draconic evolution, and he is the paragon and path through which that evolution will unfold. DESCRIPTION Gornath is a young adult red dragon, though he is barely recognizable as such. Endless skirmishes with the Harmonious Shield have combined with the ravaging effect of his pursuit of psionic power to twist his form. His body is deeply scarred, the dull red of his gnarled scales fl ecked with black. His jet-black wings and neck frill are shredded, trailing fl ayed skin that creates a distinctive hiss as he fl ies. Each of his frill-spikes has been set with a skull (mostly yuan-ti and human), and a heavy mithral chain strung with yuan-ti and half-giant skulls adorns his throat. The teeth of his reeking maw are jagged stumps, stained the same red-black as his tongue and his unblinking eyes. Even more disturbing than Gornath’s physical appearance is his reputation in battle. The Madwyrm attacks with no provocation or thought to his own safety, and is as likely to decimate ranks of weaker creatures as he is to take on foes stronger than himself. He typically leads off with a maximized breath weapon attack, often after casting invisibility to get into optimal position. Gornath otherwise eschews spellcasting in battle with lesser creatures, but he uses his potent psionic powers against the weak-willed. MINIONS The Madwyrm’s minions rarely last long enough to be noteworthy, and Gornath has run through countless yuan-ti lieutenants and acolytes over his lifetime. One exception is Zrayanu (N male yuan-ti pureblood egoistEPH 10), the cunning leader of a sect that has served Gornath favorably for nearly ten years. When Zrayanu’s predecessor underestimated the dragon’s need for obedience, his skull was quickly added to Gornath’s collection. Zrayanu does not intend to make the same mistake, and he has instilled in his followers a maniacal devotion to the Madwyrm. To his yuan-ti thralls, Gornath has become the essence of Syrkarn, the mystical force rumored to lie sleeping beneath the ruined yuan-ti city of Sustrai Mor. Over the past ten years, a number of yuan-ti clans and more than a few rogue dragons have joined this de facto cult. This movement is a source of concern to scholars in Sarlona and Khorvaire alike, who fear that the ruins of Sustrai Mor in fact hold a bound rakshasa rajah. The yuan-ti cultists have begun to use the protective influence of the rogue dragons to spread beyond their native Syrkarn, reportedly pushing across the Andnemun desert frontier and into Borunan. Seeking to follow the Madwyrm’s example, the rogues call themselves the Gornatha and study the psionic mysteries with the yuan-ti’s aid. As the Madwyrm’s following grows, so does his power. In addition to a shifting entourage of yuan-ti and other dragons, Gornath has the fealty of four phrenic manticores (EPH 205) that guard his lair. ALLIES AND ENEMIES The rogue dragons who pay fealty to Gornath are fairweather allies at best. The most notorious are Azhnylix, a juvenile bronze dragon of Ohr Kaluun, and the sibling adult white dragons Basnetix and Basnetar, who control a vast swath of territory in the northernmost reaches of the Tundra. All make full use of their association with the Madwyrm, if only because as long as his cult continues to rise, Riedra focuses its attention on him rather than on them. Despite his relatively young age, Gornath is one of the most notorious rogue dragons of the past century. The Harmonious Shield typically takes an approach of careful observation and quiet containment when dealing with the dragons of Sarlona, but Gornath is an exception. From Adar to the Frostblade frontier, Riedran units have standing orders to destroy the dragon on sight. At the highest levels of Harmonious Shield command, rumors suggest that the Conclave of Siberys has actually asked the Inspired to slay the Madwyrm. ADVENTURE SEEDS Any encounter between a PC party and Gornath has little potential for anything but bloodshed. The Madwyrm is hedonistic, merciless, and dangerously insane. Treasure Hunt: The PCs have come to Sarlona seeking a psionic artifact of great power. However, they discover too late that the Madwyrm covets this same relic, and that he will stop at nothing to get it. Friends of My Enemies: The PCs come to the aid of a good dragon under attack by a fl ight of evil rogues. However, when it is revealed that the good dragon is a cultist of the Madwyrm, the party must decide whether to throw in with the evil dragons, who wish to see Gornath’s power checked. Prophecy Found: A fragment of the twisted exegesis in Gornath’s lair makes its way to Argonnessen, where a group of dragon prophets determines it is a missing piece of Prophetic lore. The PCs are charged with infi ltrating a yuan-ti cult to gain access to the Madwyrm’s lair. 620_95729_Ch3.indd 124 7/20/07 11:08:49 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA 125 GORNATH THE MADWYRM CR 17 Male young adult red dragon wilderEPH 9 CE Huge dragon (fi re) Init +4; Senses blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., keen senses; Listen +29, Spot +29 Aura frightful presence (150 ft., DC 27) Languages Draconic AC 30, touch 10, fl at-footed 30; elude touch (2 size, +4 armor, +18 natural) hp 323 (28 HD); DR 5/magic Immune fi re, sleep, paralysis SR 19 Fort +21, Ref +15, Will +19; surging euphoria +1 Weakness vulnerability to cold Speed 40 ft. (8 squares), fl y 150 ft. (poor) Melee bite +32 (2d8+10) and 2 claws +30 each (2d6+5) and 2 wings +29 each (1d8+5) and tail slap +29 (2d6+15) Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with bite) Base Atk +23; Grp +41 Atk Options Ghost Attack, Wounding Attack, magic strike, surging euphoria +1, wild surge +3 Special Actions breath weapon, crush 2d8+15 (DC 2927) Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 5th): 2nd (5/day)—invisibility, touch of idiocy (+31 melee touch) 1st (7/day)—charm person (DC 14), mage armor†, ray of enfeeblement (+21 ranged touch), shocking grasp (+31 melee touch, DC 14) 0 (6/day)—acid splash (DC 13), detect magic, daze (DC 13), resistance, read magic, touch of fatigue (+31 melee touch, DC 13) † Already cast Power Points/Day: 85; Wilder Powers Known (ML 9th): 4th—power leech (DC 17) 3rd—energ y retort (DC 16), psionic blast (DC 16) 2nd—ego whip (DC 15) 1st—demoralize (DC 14), detect psionics Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th): 5/day—locate object Abilities Str 31, Dex 10, Con 22, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 16 SQ psychic enervation, volatile mind (2 power points) Feats Alertness, Expanded Knowledge (psionic blast). Maximize BreathDr, Multiattack, Ghost AttackEPH, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Psionic MeditationEPH, Weapon Focus (bite), Weapon Focus (claw), Wounding AttackEPH Skills Concentration +36, Hide –8, Intimidate +33, Jump +23, Knowledge (arcana) +24, Knowledge (psionics) +33, Listen +33, Spot +33, Use Magic Device +24, Use Psionic Device +13 Magic Strike (Ex) Gornath’s natural attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Breath Weapon (Su) 50-ft. cone, once every 1d4 rounds, 10d10 fi re, Refl ex DC 30 half. Maximize Breath Gornath can use his breath weapon as a full-round action to deal maximum damage (100 points), but doing so adds 3 to the number of rounds he must wait to use his breath weapon again. THE BLACK VAULT In the Frostblade Mountains along the Tundra–Maleeri frontier, the remains of a tall tower jut up from the sheer face of fractured black cliffs. The tower’s round walls appear to have once been unbroken stone, melded with the mountain face as if they had been pushed up from the rock itself. The tower marks the entrance to Gornath’s lair, a descending expanse of caverns and chambers hewn from the rock. The yuan-ti cultists named these ruins the Black Vault. Whoever built the tower and the complex beneath it did so in a past lost even to memory. However, Gornath has long since made this place his own, and every room and chamber now refl ects the dragon’s avarice and madness. The walls and ceilings of the complex have been repeatedly blasted by dragonfi re. Coins and gems are strewn along every corridor, often fused into pools of expensive slag. Across the soot-caked stones, Gornath scribes long, rambling manifestos in Draconic, detailing his own twisted version of the history and destiny of his race. When what he wrote a day or a year before no longer suits him, he blasts it from existence and begins again. Both Gornath and the yuan-ti have explored the complex to its lowest level, including the mysterious dead-end corridor found there. However, what neither the dragon nor his minions know is that this place was a shulassakar outpost in the dying days of the Age of Demons. During that confl ict, it was the site of a fearsome battle between the minions of dragon and fi end— and a terror has remained trapped here ever since. Deadly Guardians Characters traveling through the mountains can make a DC 30 Spot check to note shadowy creatures soaring high overhead. Four phrenic manticores serve Gornath as bodyguards. When the dragon is in residence, all four take up perches in the crags above the ruined tower, attacking trespassers on sight. When the Madwyrm is abroad, two manticores travel at his side while the other two remain behind to deal with unwelcome visitors. Keyed Locations The following features correspond to numbered areas on the map. 1. The Tower: The shattered tower rises like a spike from the steep slope of the mountainside. Ascending the cliff face requires Climb checks (DC 20 along the narrow switchback trail the yuan-ti have cut into the rock, DC 30 elsewhere). The 40-foot-wide tower is smooth stone from its slanted base to the top of its shattered walls, and it gleams with an obsidian sheen. The walls climb some 60 feet before they fracture, sheared off to points like jagged teeth. The yuan-ti trail passes through an irregular arch cut in the tower’s base. Gornath and his dragon minions enter and leave through the tower’s open top. The interior is empty. No features, no upper fl oors, no fallen rubble offers any hint as to its original purpose. Around the inside base of the wall, a 3-foot-wide lip of stone circles the edge of a pit plunging into darkness. The walls of the pit have been gouged by the claws of climbing dragons, making descent relatively easy (Climb DC 15). After 60 feet, the pit opens up into a worked stone passageway leading away to the southeast. 2. Empty Bridge: A deep chasm is bisected by a series of white marble discs fl oating in midair. The 5-foot-wide discs are set 10 feet apart, but anyone investigating the edge of the chasm can note that whatever magical force holds the discs up also connects them with an invisible bridge that seems to run to the chasm’s far edge. 620_95729_Ch3.indd 125 7/20/07 11:08:51 AM
A successful DC 20 Spellcraft check reveals that strong conjuration magic fi lls this area; a result of 25 or more on the check determines that the aura fl uctuates in a strange way. After countless centuries, the magical force has begun to fail. Creatures crossing the bridge must make DC 15 Balance checks every 10 feet in the open space between discs (jumping from disc to disc avoids any check). On a failed check, the faltering force gives way, pitching the traveler 80 feet to the chasm fl oor. A DC 25 Refl ex save allows a creature to catch the edge of a disc, though a DC 20 Climb check is necessary to clamber back on. Gornath and his draconic allies simply fl y across the open space, but the dark fl oor of the rift is littered with the bodies of yuan-ti who were not light-footed enough to successfully make the crossing. 3. Empty Elevators: A 10-foot-wide hole in the fl oor of this high arched chamber drops 100 feet down a black stone shaft into an identical chamber below. Force-effect elevators in all these shafts once carried shulassakar between levels, but the magic here has long since faded. Gornath can easily climb up and down by squeezing through the shaft. The yuan-ti use the deep gouges of the dragon’s claws as handholds (Climb DC 15). 4. Yuan-Ti Encampment: The main complex of the ruins has become a semipermanent camp for the yuan-ti sect led by Zrayanu. Between forty and one hundred yuan-ti lair here, depending on whether Gornath is in residence or not. A massive fi repit fi lls a central great chamber, with various living quarters, kitchens, and shrines splitting off from there. Zrayanu’s chambers are set above the main encampment atop a wide obsidian staircase. In a secret chamber beyond it, the yuan-ti leader keeps a choice selection of Gornath’s treasure. The dragon’s insanity prevents him from properly keeping track of his hoard, and Zrayanu has been stealthily pilfering from it for some time, even before he took over from his unfortunate predecessor. 5. Flame Bath: A fl ight of stairs leads down to a room whose fl oor is slick with oily ash—a fl ame bath chamber of Gornath’s own design. A 3-foot-wide chimney at the apex of the ceiling leads up to the open mountainside (Climb DC 20 to ascend the chimney; Climb DC 30 to descend the cliffs outside). On each wall, fi xed decanters of oil (variant decanters of endless water) pour out geysers of lamp oil on the dragon’s command. When set alight, the oil bursts into an inferno that deals 10d6 points of fi re damage to everything in the area. A scattering of charred bones within the ash 620_95729_Ch3.indd 126 7/20/07 11:08:52 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA 127 hints that Gornath is less than cautious about which of his allies or minions he chooses to bathe with. 6. Hoard Chamber: Gornath is consumed by a thirst for psionic power, and his hoard refl ects that dark passion. Though coins, gems, and magic items can all be found here, the bulk of his hoard consists of spent psicrystals, fragments of deep crystal, and psionic weapons and relics. Gornath’s treasure pile appears exceedingly large for a dragon of his age, but close examination reveals most of it to be worthless crystal and stones that the dragon believes to have some sort of psionic resonance. Gornath is unaware of the secret door in the far wall of the chamber. The dangerously steep staircase beyond (DMG 63) connects two ancient guardrooms that contain magic weapons, armor, or other treasure (DM’s choice). The secret door at the top of the stairs opens up into an unused chamber in the yuan-ti section of the complex. Unlike many of the rogue dragons of Sarlona and Argonnessen, Gornath keeps no dragonshards in his lair. He claims that even the Khyber shards found in Sarlona reek of an “old magic” that burns him. He particularly hates Siberys shards, exploding in deadly anger when dragons sworn to his service are found to be secretly hoarding them. Gornath has been known to seek out and destroy Riedran merchant ships carrying Siberys shards from Xen’drik to Dar Jin. 7. Rakshasa Tomb: Behind 5 feet of magically strengthened stone (hardness 16, 1,800 hp, break DC 85), a maze of passageways hides a mighty rakshasa sorcerer entombed here since the Age of Demons. The walls, ceiling, and fl oors of the dead-end corridor are covered in glyphs resembling dragonmarks, but their meaning cannot be discerned even with magic. Because the walls are solid, a search for secret doors reveals no hint of the passageways beyond. However, a dwarf’s stonecunning ability can detect the magical strengthening of the walls in the corridor (Search DC 30). Within the maze, 9-foot-tall statues of shulassakar stand in each intersection, requiring Medium creatures to squeeze past them. The halls are imbued with powerful magic designed to prevent anyone from seeking and rescuing the fi end. Each round, anyone in the maze must succeed on a Will save (DC 20 + 1 per previous check) or suffer an insanity effect as the spell. Affected creatures who would attack or fl ee from the caster of the spell attack or fl ee from the nearest statue instead. Any statue that is attacked immediately animates and responds in kind (treat as a stone golem, MM 136). The maze is also fi lled with potent magic traps, many of which have weakened over the hundred millennia since they were cast. Such traps function erratically (activating only when disabled, producing a different magical effect than intended, and so on, at the DM’s discretion). Alternatively, spell traps might have mutated into animated magical forces akin to living spells. Formidable draconic magic binds the rakshasa behind another 5 feet of magically treated stone, but this too has begun to fail. Although the creature remains tied to this place, it is far from powerless. Since Gornath’s arrival here, the fiend has been whispering to the dragon, subtly directing his madness. If its prison walls are breached, the rakshasa will have a powerful agent under its control, and an expanding cult behind which to conceal its own plots. ADVENTURES IN SARLONA A dragon-based campaign in Sarlona can range as widely as the types of dragons do. This section presents four adventure frameworks suitable for further development. Two of these frameworks give the DM useful shortcuts for getting an adventuring party to Sarlona in the fi rst place, allowing players to jump straight into a Sarlonan campaign. Chamber Mission Low-Level The dragons of Argonnessen have no presence in Sarlona, but that does not prevent many from studying that land at a distance. One such dragon is Txako, a Chamber agent in human form who comes to the party seeking operatives for a Sarlonan mission. His terms are attractive, especially for any party with an interest in or connection to the land of the Inspired. However, the party’s assignment quickly attracts unwanted attention, and a simple reconnaissance and rescue operation turns out to be more complicated than the PCs thought. HOOKS Any mysterious NPC the party has previously assisted or been befriended by might turn out to be the Chamber agent Txako. Alternatively, a particularly successful espionage adventure can catch Txako’s attention and inspire him to seek out the PCs with his offer. Neraasi, a changeling operative of the Chamber, has gone missing in Sarlona. In addition to determining what happened to her (and bringing her back if possible), the dragons need to know what intelligence her captors might have gained about the Chamber’s clandestine operations in Riedra. Txako’s terms of payment are consistent with the party’s level. To sweeten the deal, however, he offers transportation beyond anything the party could normally hope to pay for: a round-trip greater teleport, courtesy of a Siberys heir of House Orien (60,000 gp value). Txako simply states that time is of the essence, but if his overly generous offer sparks suspicion of the dragon’s motive, so much the better. SITES The climax of this adventure framework can easily make use of the Heart of Io (page 112) or the Ohr Kaluun Hoard (page 114). ADVENTURE 1. Hiring On: Txako seeks out the party and presents his offer, playing on any favors owed him by the PCs if they have a previous relationship. His concern for his agent is genuine, but a successful DC 25 Sense Motive check indicates that the dragon knows more of Neraasi’s mission than he lets on. As they make their way to Sharn or Passage (the only places from which an Orien heir will make the Sarlona run), the PCs realize that they are being 620_95729_Ch3.indd 127 7/20/07 11:08:58 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA 128 shadowed. A confrontation en route (ideally on the lightning rail or an airship) reveals the group stalking the PCs to be Riedran military, operating under deep cover in Khorvaire. Suggested Encounters: Riedran water soldiers (SoS 56) with levels in monk or ranger are an effective challenge for a low-level party. The leader of such a squad might be a multiclassed ranger/monk. 2. Arrival: The PCs are teleported to the Syrkarn town of Ardhmen and must arrange for a guide to take them into Riedra. Local guides can take them as far as the frontier, but the party must contact the Dream Merchants to procure traveling papers for the land of the Inspired. 3. Eyes of Riedra: While attempting to locate Neraasi in Riedra, the PCs attract the attention of the Thousand Eyes. The party must stay one step ahead of capture, in the meantime discovering that the Riedrans have advanced knowledge of the PCs’ presence and their mission. Suggested Encounters: Low-level secret operatives of the Thousand Eyes tend to be human or changeling rogues or monks. A changeling or Chosen psion, psychic warrior, or soulknife might lead such a squad. 4. Endgame: The party discovers the captive Chamber agent, but only after rescuing her do they understand the full extent of their mission. On the Chamber’s orders, Neraasi was observing a rogue Sarlonan dragon threatening the security of Riedra. However, in addition to being Chamber agents, Txako and Neraasi are operatives in a draconic cell that seeks to aid Riedran insurgents. The party has unexpectedly found itself in the middle of what might easily become a large-scale confl ict. It is up to the PCs and Neraasi to shut down the rogue dragon’s plot in a way that defuses the escalating tensions between the dragons and the Inspired. Suggested Encounters: If this adventure framework uses the Heart of Io location, the plot can center around the rogue dragon inciting a sect of yuan-ti to militant violence. In conjunction with the Ohr Kaluun Hoard, a dragon-led sect of the Heirs of Ohr Kaluun could be the foe the Riedrans fear. REWARDS The party’s reward should be commensurate with the PCs’ level and tied to the location chosen for the fi nal showdown. Txako’s gratitude is a worthwhile bonus on top of whatever treasure the party receives, but the PCs need to consider whether the dragon’s long-term goals in Sarlona match their own. DEVELOPMENT Getting to and from Sarlona is often as big a challenge as the adventures that await PCs in that land. With the freedom of an open-ended greater teleport back home, the party can seek out more challenging adventures on the mysterious continent, possibly even serving as operatives for Txako. The forces of Riedra do not take defeat lightly, however, and the party’s exploits have likely made the PCs enemies within the Thousand Eyes or the Dreaming Dark itself. Scourge of the SERPENT FOLK Mid-Level The yuan-ti arose in Sarlona, but adventurers who have encountered the serpent folk elsewhere might be surprised at how little they truly know of this complex and ancient race. While traveling the Sarlonan countryside, the PCs are caught up in a yuan-ti assault against an isolated settlement. Such a sight is common in the jungles of Xen’drik, but Sarlona is rarely as straightforward as it seems. This adventure can be set in Syrkarn, the southern Tundra, or any part of Riedra not rigidly devoted to the rule of the Inspired (such Dor Maleer, Rhiavhaar, or Ohr Kaluun). SITES The climax of this adventure can occur at the Heart of Io (page 112). ADVENTURE 1. Yuan-Ti Assault: The PCs happen to be in an isolated village when it comes under attack by a vicious and well-organized force of yuan-ti. The villagers repel the assault, presumably with the party’s assistance, but at great cost—the lives of a village elder’s two warrior sons. In the aftermath, the PCs learn that this territory has become a haven for rampaging yuan-ti clans, and that the serpent folk are spreading from their original holds in the Syrkarn desert. The villagers say that recent yuan-ti raids appear to have no goal other than slaughter, and they beg the PCs to take the fight to the serpent folk. Suggested Encounter: The yuan-ti that attack the village are a force of halfbloods under the leadership of 2–4 yuan-ti abominations. 2. Revenge Mission: While following the trail of the yuan-ti war party, the PCs are set upon by rogue dragons. Regardless of who prevails in the battle, the dragons attempt to parlay in the end, warning the PCs off their mission. If the dragons are to be believed, the PCs have been duped. The normally neutral yuan-ti attacked the village because they have allied themselves with the Cult of Io, a powerful sect of evil yuan-ti led by a blue dragon named Maazirix. The evil yuan-ti leaders worship the blue as a holy prophet, and they are gathering powerful magic in preparation for an assault on civilization. The cult is the real enemy: Defeat it, and the yuan-ti attacks will stop. Suggested Encounters: Any dragons of a level appropriate to the PCs can be used in this encounter. The Draconomicon supplement provides a complete selection of dragons by type and age. 3. Cult Showdown: The PCs must infiltrate the desert stronghold of the Cult of Io, overcoming the powerful and well-organized yuan-ti who guard it. As they progress through the complex, the PCs discover the dragon’s secret—an artifact dating from the Age of Demons with which he has convinced the yuan-ti of his own divine power. (If this adventure uses the Heart 620_95729_Ch3.indd 128 7/20/07 11:08:59 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA 129 of Io, the magical location is that artifact.) The cultists believe that draconic power is the yuan-ti birthright and are convinced that Maazirix will lead them to their destiny. The PCs must fight their way through the yuan-ti, then face the self-styled dragon prophet in a fi nal showdown. Suggested Encounters: Maazirix (CE male mature adult blue dragon) can use the example blue dragon in the Monster Manual, augmented with levels of barbarian or fi ghter for a truly memorable combat. The yuan-ti are halfbloods, purebloods, and abominations under the leadership of pureblood slayers (MM4 184) and abomination cult leaders (MM4 186) who serve the blue dragon. If the fi nal showdown takes place at the Heart of Io, fi ve yuanti abominations have received the magical location’s special ability. REWARDS By shattering the yuan-ti cult, the PCs earn the gratitude of the local people—a valuable commodity in a land as insular as Sarlona. As well, the PCs can help themselves to whatever magic treasures the yuan-ti have collected once the cult is vanquished, as well as the hoard of Maazirix himself. DEVELOPMENT Whatever its motivations, vigilante justice is anathema to those who rule in the name of the Inspired. If this adventure takes place in Riedra, the PCs might find the gratitude of the common folk tempered by the fury of local leaders and the Harmonious Shield. At the same time, the existence of a powerful artifact or magical location anywhere in Sarlona will attract attention that the PCs might not want. The Thousand Eyes, the Heirs of Ohr Kaluun, and clandestine agents of the Chamber might all take a sudden interest in the party’s affairs. Wild Zone Gambit Mid-Level A wild zone is a region where the energy of one plane bleeds into the Material world of Eberron. More potent than the manifest zones that dot Khorvaire, the wild zones of Sarlona are places of uncontrolled planar magic that fl are and fade without warning—breaches that tear at the very fabric of two worlds. The sudden appearance of a wild zone in Riedra is momentous enough, but this particular planar breach has deposited a dragon named Hargira in the middle of a highly populated area or in the war zone of the Adar frontier. The PCs seek a way to help him return home, but Riedran forces are under orders to capture the dragon. HOOKS The PCs might already be in Sarlona near the site of the wild zone. Alternatively, they could have been snatched up from almost anywhere by the same planar disturbance that affected Hargira. If your EBERRON campaign includes the planar dragons from Draconomicon, Hargira could be one of those unusual creatures. Alternatively, he could be an Argonnessen native who was pulled into the rift as a result of a planar experiment gone bad. SITES If the wild zone opens up on the Adar frontier, this adventure framework can use the War Zone Range (page 116). In this case, the silver dragon Haurungad (in his hermit form) can be the Riedran agent charged with tracking down Hargira. ADVENTURE 1. Arrival: A wild zone opens up, depositing Hargira either in the Riedran heartland or on the Adar frontier. The PCs are caught in the middle of the situation, either as witnesses or as unwitting travelers pulled through from Khorvaire or Xen’drik. The PCs likely try to protect Riedran or Adaran civilians caught in the deadly chaos of the zone. Seeing their altruism, Hargira appeals to them for aid. The dragon fears that his comrades (in Argonnessen or on his home plane) will assume that he has been captured by agents of the Dreaming Dark. Unless he can fi nd his way back home, Hargira’s presence might become the catalyst for a larger confl ict. Suggested Encounters: A wild zone can be an adventure in itself. Planar creatures, deadly weather effects, and a host of other hazards can appear in and around one of these locations. Large or Huge elementals might harry the party, or creatures such as snowfl ake oozes (MM3 161) and bloodfi re oozes (MM4 18). A ferocious storm effect might take the form of a call lightning spell that stays active throughout the encounter, striking the PCs and their enemies at random. 2. Capture: The PCs and Hargira are pursued by Riedran forces, and the dragon is eventually captured. If Hargira is a planar dragon, his captors want to study him for whatever insights he might provide. If he hails from Argonnessen, the Inspired believe that the wild zone resulted from failed attempt to develop secret planar gateways from the land of the dragons to Riedra. Suggested Encounters: Riedran water soldiers (SoS 56) are typically dispatched to deal with rogue dragons. The standard squad consists of ranger or monk regulars, led by a multiclassed ranger/monk or monk/soulknifeEPH. 3. Rescue Mission: Hargira is taken to a Riedran military fort to await the arrival of a contingent of Inspired. Storming a Riedran tam is a challenge beyond any single party, so the PCs must devise a way to gain access to the complex. Options include stealth, diplomacy, or allowing themselves to be intentionally captured in hopes of escaping once inside. After rescuing Hargira, the PCs must seek intelligence on the wild zone, either through espionage or by befriending Riedran agents. They discover that the energy of this particular zone has not abated; it will fl are again within hours. 4. Wild Zone Escape: The wild zone reappears again but has increased in size, disgorging an army of planar horrors. The PCs and Hargira must fi ght their way through this horde to the center of the zone, where a gateway opens up to take the dragon home. 620_95729_Ch3.indd 129 7/20/07 11:09:01 AM
130 Suggested Encounters: Creatures found in the wild zone’s second appearance should offer a greater challenge than those the PCs originally faced. These monsters might include elder elementals, avatars of elemental evil (MM4 7), extraplanar horrors such as yugoloths, or even quori able to manifest within the planar fury of the zone. REWARDS If successful in their mission, the PCs gain Hargira’s gratitude and a powerful future ally. If he is native to Argonnessen, the dragon might arrange for favors from draconic agents. If he is a planar dragon, Hargira might one day master the ability to return to Eberron and aid the PCs, or he could contact them through the transitive planes or the otherworldly dreamspace (SoS 18). While the PCs are inside the Riedran fort, they might come across some powerful weapon or important piece of military intelligence. Such a fi nd is incidental to the rescue mission, but might be valuable as treasure or serve as a future campaign hook. DEVELOPMENT Having the PCs pulled from Khorvaire to Riedra through a one-way planar breach is an easy way to kickstart a Sarlonan campaign. Once Hargira has been safely returned home, the PCs must fi gure out how to survive in this new land—and how to get home themselves. Regardless of Hargira’s origins, PCs aiding him earn the enmity of the Harmonious Shield and the Thousand Eyes. If they have been deposited in Sarlona by the same planar disturbance (that is, without identification, traveling papers, or any of the other necessities for travel in the lands of the Inspired), staying out of the Riedrans’ clutches should be the PCs’ first priority. The Rakshasa’s Revenge High-Level The Inspired control Riedra with a veiled fist, but the Dreaming Dark is not the only power in the land. More than a hundred thousand years ago, the wars of the Age of Demons razed this continent, and three rakshasa rajahs remain trapped beneath it to this day. A rakshasa serving the Lords of the Dust has been magically entombed in Riedra since before the Sundering. Now accidentally freed, the creature wastes no time assembling a fi endish horde and attempting to free its rajah master. The rakshasa’s plans do not sit well with Argonnessen, and word reaches the PCs that a draconic assault on the land of the Inspired is imminent. The PCs must defeat the fi end with the aid of a colony of rogue Sarlonan dragons in order to prevent the attack from Argonnessen and a response by the Dreaming Dark. HOOKS If the PCs already have contacts within the Chamber, they might be recruited for this all-important mission. Alternatively, if the party has previously faced off against the agents of the Lords of Dust, the adventurers could be following up legends of a rakshasa bound by the sorcerer-kings. SITES The lair of the party’s draconic allies can make use of the Dragons’ Deep (page 110). ADVENTURE 1. A Fiend Unleashed: The site of the rakshasa’s imprisonment is a vein of dark crystal unearthed by the construction of a Riedran monolith. The fiend’s accidental release can be incidental to the PCs’ involvement, or the party might be present to witness the dire event. Suggested Encounters: The rakshasa has lost much of its power during his imprisonment, so this initial encounter uses the creature’s base statistics (MM 211). The fi end knows that it cannot take on a high-level party and avoids conflict, casting defensive spells such as bear’s endurance, mage armor, and shield. It then uses invisibility to escape, heading for the nearest population center. There, the rakshasa takes humanoid form as it recovers strength and begins to plan. 2. Rumors of War: As the PCs regroup, they learn of a dire turn of events through contacts in the Chamber, the Thousand Eyes, or one of Riedra’s many dissident groups (depending on the party’s allies and associates from past adventures). From Argonnessen comes word that the Conclave sees a grave threat in the rakshasa’s Foiling the plans of the Lords of Dust requires a reluctant alliance FV 620_95729_Ch3.indd 130 7/20/07 11:09:02 AM
DRAGONS OF SARLONA 131 release—not from the fi end itself, but from certain events that the Prophecy suggests will end with the release of a bound rajah. The dragons, not trusting the Inspired to recognize or acknowledge such a threat, have no intention of letting this catastrophe happen. Already, dragon fl ights led by the Light of Siberys are winging their way across the Sea of Rage, and the armies of Riedra are amassing to face them. Though the draconic force is only a fraction of that which laid waste to Xen’drik, that destruction is a potent reminder of the damage such an attack might wreak. War on a scale not seen for two thousand years is coming to Sarlona, and the PCs are the only ones who can stop it. 3. Deadly Pursuit: The PCs turn their attention to determining the rakshasa’s plans. With the help of ancient lore, they discover that it seeks to unleash the power of an ancient artifact, using the blood of dragons as a catalyst. The fiend is traveling to the binding place of one of Sarlona’s three rajahs (Korrandar in Adar, the Syrkarn desert, or the Krertok Peninsula in the Tundra). If their ability to magically or psionically track the creature is limited, the PCs might have to seek intelligence (by theft or diplomacy) from the Thousand Eyes. The PCs track the rakshasa deep into the Sarlonan wilderness where the artifact it seeks is buried. There, they are set upon by the fiendish minions the creature has summoned to its side. Meanwhile, the rakshasa escapes. The battle costs the party precious time but reveals the fiend’s ultimate destination: an isolated colony of rogue dragons above the site where the rajah is entombed. Suggested Encounters: At full strength (CR 24), the rakshasa is a sorcerer 7/assassin 7 (and so casts sorcerer spells as a 14th-level caster). It has little time to waste in combat, however, and leaves the PCs to its minions. The fi end expends half its spell slots on summon monster spells, bringing a host of fi endish creatures to its side under the leadership of a pair of fi endish tigers. 4. Reluctant Allies: By the time the PCs arrive, the rakshasa has slain a number of dragons and claimed their power for his dark rites. Driven from their lair, the enraged survivors attack the party without provocation, seeking revenge in simple bloodlust. (If this adventure takes place in Adar, these dragons are servants of the Storm Guardians, but the Guardians themselves will not enter the confl ict.) The PCs must prevent the fi ght from escalating as they attempt to convince the dragons of the importance of their mission. However, the ancient leader of these Sarlonan rogues has no love for Argonnessen. Diplomacy and a pledge to help avenge the fallen can set the stage for the dragons’ assistance, but the PCs might need to engage in a side quest to prove their worth to the colony. Suggested Encounters: These rogue dragons should be typical for the environment (red, blue, and brass in Syrkarn; white and silver in the Tundra; blue, bronze, and white in Adar). 5. Dragons’ Lair Showdown: The fi nal battle takes place in and around the lair of the dragon colony, with the rakshasa’s fi endish minions taking on the dragons in a small-scale reproduction of the dragon–fi end wars. Against that backdrop, the PCs face off against the rakshasa itself even as it attempts to free the rajah from a hundred millennia of imprisonment. Suggested Encounters: With access to some of its rajah lord’s powerful magic, the rakshasa has summoned a combat force of zakya (ECS 297), ak’chazar (MM3 134), and naztharune rakshasas (MM3 136). If forced to enter melee directly, it uses damage-dealing spells with no thought to the safety of its minions. It orders one or more naztharune rakshasas to fl ank with it, allowing them to make sneak attacks while it prepares to use its death attack against an individual PC. The rakshasa carries a +5 unholy dagger that it reserves for its death attacks. REWARDS The PCs can claim the weapons and magic used by the rakshasa and its minions. Also, the fi end’s breached tomb or the site of its bound rajah master might hold additional magic or relics from the Age of Demons. DEVELOPMENT The destruction of the rakshasa might come only after the fiend has managed to partially free its rajah master. Such a turn of events might require the party to form an alliance with both the Dreaming Dark and the Argonnessen dragons to prevent the release of an unspeakable evil. Alternatively, the PCs might have to take on the task of destroying the evil artifact at the site of the bound rajah. Such a quest could see them travel to the farthest corners of Eberron, even to Argonnessen itself, for what might become an epic-level campaign. 620_95729_Ch3.indd 131 7/20/07 11:09:05 AM
Ashralkotarn looked on in despair. He warned the titan overlords that Argonnessen’s judgment would be swift and unstoppable. The giants had known the depths of his race’s compassion, patronage, and love. Now they felt the terrifying and boundless force of its wrath. LP 620_95729_Ch4.indd 132 7/20/07 11:02:43 AM
133DRAGONS OF XEN'DRIK ur kind loved this land once, and godlike we reveled in our power here. We shared our secrets with the giants. We gifted them with wonder beyond their wildest dreams. We thought to create a paradise, but fate twists cruelly. The seeds we planted among the giants grew rank and malformed, until we had no choice but to weed them out and poison their roots. Now this scornful place is nothing—a stain upon Eberron’s repose, a shadowed memory of better times, a constant reminder of our arrogance. If I had led the charge against the giants on that day, I would have destroyed them to the last and broken this accursed continent to pieces just to watch it crumble into the sea. But the elders claim its purpose in the Prophecy has yet to be fulfilled . . .” —Varistorkaan, Beacon of Siberys The dragons’ stormy romance with Xen’drik began tens of thousands of years ago and, as tumultuous affairs often do, it ended in tragedy. Sixty millennia ago the dragons gazed across the Thunder Sea at the glorious empire the giants wrought and decided to share the splendor of arcane power with them. Upon the steps of a towering white ziggurat deep in the Menechtarun desert, dragons appeared before the titan overlords and opened their eyes to the untold mysteries of magic. A golden age unrivaled by any era in Eberron’s history followed. Giant and dragon stood side by side, creating a utopia without hunger or crime. They cheated death, touched the stars, and kept the Lords of Dust securely sequestered below the ground. Under the dragons’ patronage, the giants crafted sky-scraping monuments and wonders of surpassing beauty that would eventually draw the envious eye of Dal Quor. The dragons reveled in the giants’ successes and then returned to Argonnessen, drunk with pride and secure in the belief that the choice to teach the giants arcane magic was a good one. Time would prove them wrong. The utopia the giants took twenty thousand years to perfect came crashing down almost overnight. Dal Quor’s vile caress brought with it an unspeakable alien doom. Nightmares erupted from the earth and sky. After years of hard-fought battle failed to stem the quori tide, the titan overlords resorted to a desperate gambit. They corrupted the dragons’ beautiful gift of magic with foul blood rites and brutal sacrifices, tapping a dread power far beyond their means to control. The ultimate result of their depraved efforts was a cataclysm unlike any the world had ever before known. The baleful power they unleashed did drive off the quori—but nearly destroyed Xen’drik in the process. Whole pieces of the continent shattered and drowned in the sea. Mountains toppled, and gaping wounds the size the whole cities opened in the earth. The sun went out for a decade as blood rained from the sky in torrents. The dragons watched it all, weeping to see their blessed gift so polluted with evil. They observed from afar as the aftermath of the giants’ congress with blood CHAPTER FOUR DRAGONS OF XEN’DRIK O The Chamber is mostly concerned with the activities of the dragonmarked houses and the tenuous connections between the Prophecy and Khorvaire’s political dance. The majority of their agents and spy networks pervade the Five Nations and outlying territories. As Stormreach grows and the houses invest more time, energy, and assets on Xen’drik’s savage shores, the Chamber naturally follows in their wake. A network of spies and explorers based in Stormreach is managed by a young adult bronze dragon named Voldrangor the Seeker. The Seeker has his talons in many pies across the city. He counts among his agents members of the Bilge Rats, high-ranking officials in a number of dragonmarked enclaves, active members of the Wayfinder Foundation, and a slew of shady mercenaries, treasure-hunters, and scholars. News of all major events and conspiracies in the city reaches his ears. Noteworthy expeditions to the interior, and any remarkable discoveries they yield, never escape his notice. The exploits of PCs adventuring out of Stormreach likely come to the Seeker’s attention. Voldrangor could serve as a powerful patron of the party, though he usually acts through intermediaries. He might also prove a foil to their plans if their desires contradict the agenda of the Chamber. CHAMBER INROADS IN XEN’DRIK 620_95729_Ch4.indd 133 7/20/07 11:02:45 AM
DRAGONS OF XEN'DRIK 134 sacrilege gave rise to plagues and curses. Their joy at the giant’s once-glorious achievements turned to woe. But the worst was yet to come. As Xen’drik wheezed and gasped with sickness, the elf slaves of the giants rose up against their masters. The giants, threatened so soon after having cast the quori back to the Plane of Dreams, were wholly unprepared for another war. Faced with losing the tattered remnants of their empire to the elves, the giants decided to unleash their grotesque blood rites upon the continent once more. This choice sealed their doom. The dragons had no tears left to shed. Their compassion and pity spent on the giants’ first blunder, they were left only with their fury. The dragons did not permit the giants to repeat their cataclysmic mistake. In a display of power not seen since, the Light of Siberys and the Eyes of Chronepsis drafted thousands of other dragons into a military force beyond mortal comprehension. Draconic might descended on Xen’drik. Flights of dragons blocked out the sun, and for the first time since the epic war with the fiends, the awesome might of Argonnessen was brought to bear. In less than a week, the dragons cast down the last of the giants and expunged the titans’ empire with elemental fury and epic magic. After their wrath was spent, the dragons had wreaked almost as much havoc as they intended to avert. They lamented their choice to share arcane power with the giants. To this day, that dreadful error is a stain on the memory of dragonkind, and it is one the masters of Argonnessen intend never to repeat. Now Xen’drik is called the “forsaken continent,” and older dragons still refer to the giants as “lost children.” The glorious giant empire is now evidenced only by shattered ruins and broken dreams. DRAGONS OF THE FORSAKEN Few dragons entertain the idea of visiting Xen’drik’s savage shores. Tales of the Great Fall are burned into the minds of young dragons, leaving many with the mistaken impression that the forsaken continent is a desolate wasteland of bleached giant bones and blasted earth. The thought of visiting this reminder of their race’s greatest disgrace remains repugnant. Only two paths lead dragons to Xen’drik today—duty and dishonor. Since the rise of the Inspired threat in Sarlona, the Eyes of Chronepsis are no longer willing to exile criminal dragons into the waiting arms of the quori. Xen’drik is now the nesting ground for castoffs, malcontents, and criminals; most dragons found there are rogues. The majority are evil or neutral delinquents who were banished to the forsaken continent by mandate of the Eyes. Other dragons are stationed in Xen’drik to patrol the crumbled ruins and to ensure that the secrets of the giants’ dread blood rites remain forever lost. These guardians are called Watchers, and the title is often passed down among members of the oldest dragon families. Ten special posts were created after the Great Fall, one for each color of dragon. Originally these posts were highly sought after, serving as springboards into powerful positions among the Light of Siberys and the Eyes of Chronepsis. As the millennia wore on and the giants continued to pose no credible threat, the honor associated with these posts eroded. Now, being chosen as a Watcher is viewed by many dragons as little better than a sentence of exile. On occasion, the posts are assigned to troublesome dragons to remove them from Argonnessen for a time. There is one reason beyond exile and guardianship for dragons to end up in Xen’drik. Although the Vast serves as a proving ground for young dragons and offers them the freedom to exercise power over lesser creatures, some dragons’ fantasies of domination are too grotesque to enact among their own kind. Such depraved dragons choose self-exile to Xen’drik in exchange for the right to play god among giant rabble and other groveling tribes of natives. Chafing at the closeness of other dragons in the Vast, these wyrms head to the wide expanses of the forsaken continent, where they might spend a thousand years never crossing paths with another of their kind. Cursed Landscape The abhorrent blood magic unleashed by the giants not only left their continent in shambles, but also tainted the land with many dangerous curses. The Travelers’ Curse (SX 25) warps distance and terrain, making a journey from one point to another in Xen’drik extremely unpredictable. The same trip could take days on one occasion and months the next. In Xen’drik dragon hoards are similar to those of dragons in any classic setting: a heaping mountain of gold; the jewel-encrusted chalices of hobgoblin kings; entire veins of silver torn from mountainsides; golden harps whose strings are formed from the hair of angels; ancient blades imbued with epic magic and inlaid with soul gems containing the essence of emperor, archmages, and demons; tapestries of unicorns prancing in bright meadows woven by nymph queens of Thelanis; statues of adventurers petrifi ed in foolish attempts to steal the treasure; and the like. Exceptions to classic choices include: relics of the giant culture collected by dragons with an interest in history; early warforged prototypes developed by the quori; blood rite altars used by cabals of necromancers, and other items of note connected to Xen’drik’s specifi c (and turbulent) history. HOARDS IN XEN’DRIK 620_95729_Ch4.indd 134 7/20/07 11:02:47 AM
DRAGONS OF XEN'DRIK 135 addition, terrain simply changes clime and condition randomly. A patch of earth hosting a steamy, overgrown jungle one night becomes a misty coniferous forest by the morning sun. Glaciers melt into lakes in hours, and deserts sprout temperate fl ora overnight. This curse poses numerous problems for the continent’s dragons. A bronze dragon could leave her underwater lair at the bottom of a tremendous lake on a hunt only to return a few hours later to a dry, sunscorched crater. The inconvenience of losing a suitable Rogue dragons, with their varied agendas and personalities, make excellent villains and contacts. Presented here are ten rogues suitable for use in Xen’drik. DMs should tailor their ages, Hit Dice, and class levels (if any) to suit the campaign. 1. Tyrosian-Baed (CE male black dragon): Born in the steamy swamps of Xen’drik’s interior, Tyrosian-Baed carved out a small kingdom for himself, subjugating several tribes of lizardfolk. He spends a great deal of his time breeding with his subjects and could be single-handedly responsible for the large blackscale lizardfolk population of Xen’drik. Most blackscale tribes refer to Tyrosian-Baed as the “Great Father.” PCs who clash with blackscales could earn his ire. 2. Shendroa (NE female blue dragon): Shendroa was recently exiled to Xen’drik after the discovery of her despicable practice of stealing other dragons’ eggs, cooking them in all manner of ways, and devouring them. She skulks the sandy plains of Menechtarun, surveying potential sites for a new lair and plotting ways to acquire a suitable hoard (and perhaps a few more eggs to feed her foul habit). 3. Kiznak the Exterminator (CN male green dragon): Kiznak has always been too friendly with elves for other dragons’ comfort. After secretly consorting with the Undying Court for centuries, Kiznak earned himself a lengthy term of forced exile on Xen’drik. Although the drow are significantly less erudite than their fair-skinned Aerenal cousins, Kiznak finds them delightful company. His brushes with other humanoids have been less pleasing, so Kiznak has decided to exterminate the pesky nonelf “vermin” plaguing Xen’drik. The green dragon patrols routes frequently used by Stormreach humans, half-orcs, and other nonelves, unceremoniously killing any he encounters. 4. Vrakor Cinderheart (LE male red dragon): Vrakor comes from a long line of highly respected red dragons. His family’s prestige saved him from a swift death when evidence of his involvement with the Talons of Tiamat came to light. Leniency left him languishing in southern Xen’drik. Vrakor continues his dark service to the Talons from afar, keeping tabs on fi endish hot spots such as Darkfi re Crater (page 138). When the time is right, he can be a powerful ally to servants of the Lords of Dust hiding on Xen’drik. 5. Draj (CN male white dragon): Draj was born a red dragon, but one day, the shifting nature of Xen’drik simply transformed him into a white when his lair morphed from a volcanic hideaway to a glacial plateau. The change drove Draj mad, and he is steeped in denial. He has almost killed himself more than once trying to lair in magma fi elds. 6. Yulgrin (N male brass dragon): Yulgrin’s mother was driven insane by the altar of blood (page 143), slew his father, then abandoned the wyrmling brass dragon. Yulgrin fends for himself among the dangerous predators of Menechtarun, doing his best to guard his parents’ other fi ve eggs. It is only a matter of time before Shendroa discovers the nest and devours Yulgrin’s unborn siblings. 7. Brightshield (CG male bronze dragon): A newly minted young offi cer in the Bronze Brigade of the Light of Siberys, Brightshield was framed for the horrible murder of one of his superiors at the Vortex (page 54). The dark deed was actually committed by an evil gold dragon commander. Brightshield eluded capture and fled to Xen’drik, where he hides out on the bottom of a large lake. He spends his time either lamenting his woes, or devising plans to prove his innocence and expose his evil framer. 8. Jotara (CN female copper dragon): When Jotara was a wyrmling, her mother left to procure her a meal. She never returned. Jotara fended for herself and survived the harsh desert mesas of her birth. Now grown fearsome, the copper dragon scours the nearby countryside for any trace of her vanished mother. She has found nothing, and her desperation grows with each passing year. Anyone who can offer Jotara information on her mother’s location (or details of her demise) earns a powerful ally. If Yulgrin (see above) is brought to Jotara, she lovingly raises the brass dragon as a surrogate mother, shielding him from harm. 9. Bane-Reth (LE male gold dragon): Bane-Reth is evil to the core and enjoys torturing lesser creatures and murdering their families as they watch. He was banished to Xen’drik after going on a killing spree through the Vast, slaughtering dozens of younger dragons. Bane-Reth claimed these dragons dishonored their race by consorting with inferior beings, but his actions were condemned by the Eyes of Chronepsis. Although unquestionably evil, he hates the Talons of Tiamat as much as he detests lesser creatures, seeing dragons who throw their lot in with fi ends as the worst kind of traitors. Bane-Reth is engaged in a territorial dispute with Vrakor Cinderheart (see above). He could be an ally to PCs who oppose the fi end-loving red dragon, albeit an unreliable one. 10. Renosar-Kali (N male young adult silver dragon): Renosar-Kali once witnessed Ketheptis (page 145) lay waste to a tribe of drow. He fell instantly in love with the terrifying silver dragon, hoping to mate with her and raise her children. When he approached the wrathful female, she nearly tore him to pieces. Now Renosar-Kali nurses his wounds and pride. Ketheptis’s violent rejection fi lls him with ferocious hate for her, but even so he cannot quell his attraction. TEN XEN’DRIK ROGUE DRAGONS 620_95729_Ch4.indd 135 7/20/07 11:02:49 AM
DRAGONS OF XEN'DRIK 136 lair aside, strange shifts in terrain often provoke battles over territory. The distance between two dragons’ lairs might be hundreds of miles one day and a stone’s throw the next. The Du’rashka Tul or “madness of crowds” (SX 53) is a curse leveled by the dragons themselves—a powerful ward to ensure that the giants never rise to prominence again. According to legend, the curse affects any group of creatures able to establish a sizable civilization on the forsaken continent, so that they are suddenly gripped by homicidal rage and spread out to kill everything in their path (including each other). The curse is a double-edged sword for dragons living on Xen’drik soil. On one hand, it allows them to maintain a stranglehold on their territory. Giants, drow, and other locals are terrified of the curse and avoid organizing into cities or larger social groups. Thus, dragons preying on such creatures can never be opposed by a native military force of any size. On the other hand, if a civilization arises and becomes affected by the Du’rashka Tul, the resultant chaos could cause significant problems for Xen’drik’s dragons as crowds of homicidal maniacs beset their lairs, slay their minions, and cause all manner of headaches. Wild Dragons In Eberron, dragons are highly organized creatures with a stratifi ed society that has birthed a unique and mysterious culture stretching back longer than that of any other race. The iconic image of the lone wyrm in a remote mountain cave atop a heaping pile of gold and jewels does not fi t the average sophisticated Argonnessen dragon, nor the cosmopolitan draconic movers and shakers of Khorvaire. Xen’drik is where solitary dragons fi nd a home. Far from the concerns of Argonnessen, the “civilized” bustle of Khorvaire, or the intricate machinations of the Sarlonan Inspired, many dragons of Xen’drik are content to recline in their lairs and await anyone foolish enough to try to fi lch their hoards. Others rule tiny fi efdoms of lesser creatures and prey on all who intrude upon their territory. Although a few dragons residing in Khorvaire or Sarlona were born there, most are imported from Argonnessen. Even aberrant rogues who abandon their homeland possess at least a rudimentary comprehension of the Prophecy, and a passing familiarity with their people’s expansive culture. Most of Xen’drik’s dragons, though, are native to the continent and know nothing of the Prophecy. Some Xen’drik natives, intrigued on learning of a motherland fi lled with dragons, visit Argonnessen. Just as many could care less. The mirrors located in the upper branches of the Abandoned Orrery were created by visionary dragon prophets of old who believed Xen’drik’s role in the Prophecy was far from fulfilled. They crafted these mirrors with epic magic, planting them all across the forsaken continent. The scant few who know of their existence believe that if the mirrors are all configured properly, a beam of galactic light generated by a multiple lunar eclipse will descend and ricochet from mirror to mirror. The pattern formed will blazon a continent-sized Prophecy mark visible in its entirety only from far above Xen’drik. The PCs could be charged with the task of aligning these mirrors or take it upon themselves to do so in pursuit of their own agenda. Such a daunting quest provides a unique opportunity to stage a continent-spanning campaign. Mirrors are strewn across Xen’drik, requiring the PCs to brave its farthest reaches. The party must explore giant ruins, ascend volcanic mountain heights and glacier crags, penetrate old-growth jungles, and explore other exotic locales to find and configure every mirror. Any or all the adventure locations detailed in this chapter, including the lairs of Zartarxis and Ketheptis, can be drawn upon to weave this entire chapter into one overarching campaign. Aside from facing the worst Xen’drik has to offer, the PCs draw the attention of several powerful factions. Any number of dragons could appear to interfere with the party. Perhaps the “proper” configuration of these Prophetic mirrors is a matter of debate, with proponents of different interpretations sending agents to meddle with them. Enemies of dragonkind seek to avert this important event—the Lords of Dust, the Inspired, or other dire foes accost the party at every turn. Those who succeed at this monumental task stand to earn great respect and greater rewards from draconic patrons, not to mention an indelible place in history. The party faces competition from other adventurers and explorers seeking to steal the glory. In addition to locating and aligning the mirrors, the PCs need to create a unique elemental-bound observatory platform capable of hovering far above Xen’drik to view this titanic event of the Prophecy. They might need to orchestrate a massive conspiracy to maneuver House Lyrandar into constructing such a vessel. If the PCs endeavor to craft it on their own, the party must somehow keep this project under wraps lest Lyrandar or any other interested party attempt to steal it. This observatory provides a truly unique setting for the climax of this campaign arc. Various factions interested in the Mark of Xen’drik converge there for a fi nal, mile-high showdown above the forsaken continent. Fiends, dragons, quori, and competing teams of adventurers square off against the PCs and each other in an aerial battle of epic proportions. The fate of the Prophecy hangs in the balance. CAMPAIGN ARC: THE MARK OF XEN’DRIK 620_95729_Ch4.indd 136 7/20/07 11:02:51 AM
PLACES OF INTEREST The following locations represent only a few of the places where the shattered land’s dragons might be found. Abandoned ORRERY The largest planar orrery left on Xen’drik lies within the hollowed recesses of an immense tree nurtured by powerful druidic magic beyond the scope of any but Eberron’s children. The dragon custodian of the apparatus lost his mind long ago and eventually withered to bone and dust. The orrery stands eerily deserted now, a silent testament to the dragons’ might, but many believe its purpose in the Prophecy is not yet fulfilled. APPROACH The planar orrery is shrouded in the thick jungle of the Valley of Shadows, nestled in a primeval forest whose trees breathe as one and whisper secrets older than the giant empire that rose and fell around them. The forest has a memory. Trespassers have provoked its ire through the ages, and it no longer tolerates such fools. The jungle closes in on all who brave its depths, forcing them to hack through vines as thick as pythons each step of the way. Explorers might glance back to find their hard-hewn trail reclaimed by slithering creepers in the blink of an eye. The mighty tree in which the orrery lies is visible only on breaching the thick forest around it. The vine-choked woods part at long last to reveal a vast clearing. At the center stands an immense livewood tree, a titan of the forest to whom the surrounding woods genuflect in fear and awe. The ominous silence of this place eats words. Even the wind dares not trespass here. FEATURES The eerie silence of this place deadens sound, imposing a –10 penalty on all Listen checks. The sky above is always cloudless. No weather or wind effects function within 1 mile of the orrery. Darkness reigns inside the tree. No stairs exist; creatures that are unable 620_95729_Ch4.indd 137 7/20/07 11:02:52 AM
DRAGONS OF XEN'DRIK 138 to fly or use tree stride must laboriously climb. Ascending the exterior requires DC 15 Climb checks; the polished interior walls take DC 25 Climb checks to scale. KEYED LOCATIONS The following features correspond to numbered areas on the map. 1. Ring of Trees: A circle of six trees stands before the entrance to the orrery. One of the trees is an aged treant named Maerdin, who challenges intruders. Any who speak Druidic or display a dragonmark are allowed to pass unmolested. 2. Veil of Vines: A thick curtain of living vines covers the entry arch. Most of the plants slither and hiss like serpents, but others bunch in disturbingly humanoid-shaped clumps that moan piteously at passers by. Anyone who touches the vines is infected with a fell magic disease (contact, Fort DC 20, incubation 1 minute, 1d4 Dex and blindness). Affected creatures painfully sprout vines from their skin and eyes; any whose Dexterity is reduced to 0 transforms into a clump of vines. 3. Throne of Old Marrowdrax: The black dragon custodian of the orrery rests here upon his dais-throne of polished wood. Millennia of seclusion frayed Marrowdrax’s mind, and he sank into a torpor from which he never awoke. Most of his bones are dust now, but his imposing horned skull sits between the wooden talonrests at the front of his dais-throne. His hoard has long ago been pilfered, but a successful DC 30 Search check reveals an orange ioun stone tucked in a hollow knot behind Marrowdrax’s throne. 4. Tabernacle of Secrets: Hundreds of branches surround this broad platform of wood where the dragons of the orrery once held council meetings. A pedestal of polished wood rests at the center. If any living creature touches the pedestal, the branches around the platform twist and shift, shutting out the sun and sealing the area off completely. A Mordenkainen’s private sanctum effect is raised and persists until the pedestal is touched again (which also returns the branches to their original configuration). 5. Giant Webs: In his later years, Marrowdrax’s madness caused him to couple with all manner of foul forest denizens. Now a group of draconic ettercaps infests the orrery. The creatures’ sprawling webs choke passageways, and the exsanguinated husks of captured birds, harpies, and even the occasional pegasus are tangled within. The ettercaps serve the arachno-fi end in area 9. 6. Roc Nests: Huge clusters of uprooted trees and shrubs wedged among these high branches serve as a nesting ground for rocs. These fierce avians prey on any creatures they detect and destroy any creature that threatens their eggs. 7. Dragon’s Demise: This web contains the skeleton of an unfortunate young red dragon who fell prey to the arachno-fi end after a fray with some drow long ago. A DC 25 Search check can uncovers a +3 adamantine icy burst arrow lodged between its rib bones. 8. Grove of Many Worlds: Thirteen smaller trees grow from this large branch of the orrery. Each of the trees corresponds to one plane, and the branch twists and shifts over time in accordance with planar orbits. Only the trees of planes that orbit close to Eberron thrive and bear fruit; the others remain withered. At the time the PCs explore the orrery, Fernia and Mabar are waxing. A sturdy tree with bright auburn leaves bears fire-red oranges, and a gnarled, black tree with sinewy inkyberried vines thrives as well. Anyone eating one of the oranges gains resistance to fi re 10 for 24 hours and can use fi re shield as a spell-like ability once (CL 20th). Tasting the bitter black berries grants a creature the ability to make a single touch attack that bestows a negative level on the target, and to use darkness once as a spell-like ability (CL 20th). The fruits confer these powers to a given creature only once every 24 hours, no matter how many are eaten. 9. Den of the Aracho-Fiend: The orrery’s current master, a hideous winged spider-demon, rests here in an ornate black web. This unusually intelligent half-fi end Gargantuan monstrous spider prowls the orrery, feeding on anything that crosses its path. 10. Mirrors of Prophecy: Mirrored dragonshards mounted on these upper branches are destined to play a role in the Prophecy. The mirrors must be adjusted into a confi guration aligned with matching mirrors located all across Xen’drik. Once this is done, a beam of brilliant light blazes across the sky from mirror to mirror, etching a Prophecy mark of continent-spanning size. Many of these dragonshards are missing now, stolen by thieves or those who hope to prevent this world-shaking fragment of the Prophecy from unfolding. 11. Skygazing Tower: This treetop chamber offers a breath-stealing view of the night sky. ABANDONED ORRERY ENCOUNTERS (Check 1/hour, 8% chance) d% Encounter EL 01–15 2d4 harpies (MM 150) 6–10 16–30 1d6 assassin vines (MM 20) 3–8 31–45 2d4 vine horrors (FF 185) 6–10 46–60 2d6 half-dragon ettercaps (MM 106, 146) 7–12 61–75 1d4 girallons (MM 126) 6–10 76–90 2d6 manticores (MM 179) 7–12 91–100 Half-fi end Gargantuan monstrous spider (MM 289, 147) 11 Darkfire Crater A long-dormant shield volcano, called Darkfi re by the tribes who live in its ominous shadow, recently erupted in an explosion of fi re and rocky shrapnel. Now a deep crater spews fl esh-searing gas and hot magma from where the mountaintop stood. The torrent of fi re, a portent of doom to the local tribes, is a great gift to House Tharashk prospectors seeking the rich reserves of Khyber shards once buried miles below the earth. But Darkfi re holds a sinister secret in its burning heart. After the dragons laid the Lords of Dust low, they imprisoned hundreds of their fi endish minions within the depths of the volcano. Its eruption has set these menaces free to spread their evil once more. 620_95729_Ch4.indd 138 7/20/07 11:02:56 AM
139 APPROACH The fl aming caldera of Darkfi re lends the night sky a hellish red gleam visible from miles away. The angry glow guides travelers along craggy trails to the snarling lip of the fi ery crater. Climbing hazards aside, the demonic influence of Darkfire taints the landscape. Fiendish predators and possessed tribal folk harass the PCs as they approach. Smoldering ash falls in curtains from the sky, coating everything in a dismal black-gray shroud and searing the eyes of those who trespass here (DC 20 Fortitude save every hour or go blind for 1 hour). Wearing a wet cloth over the eyes negates the blinding effect but reduces visibility by half. The burning reek of sulfur blisters the nostrils and stings the eyes. The trail crests a ridge of glossy black obsidian, where a shimmering haze of red heat beckons beyond. Below is a burning nightmare. Fields of fi re and ash, smoke-belching pits of darkness, and a caldera of superheated magma promise scalding death to any who venture within. The mocking cackle of fi ends rides the blistering wind, threatening to melt away the soul even as the fi res sear the fl esh. FEATURES Along the inner ridge, the oppressively hot gases rising from the volcano deal 2d6 points of nonlethal damage per round. Additionally, the cackling winds slowly shred a listener’s sanity. Unless they render themselves deaf or plug their ears, creatures must succeed on a DC 25 Will save every day or take 2d6 points of Wisdom damage. When a creature’s Wisdom is reduced to 0, it acquires the fi endish template and becomes chaotic evil, acting on every dark impulse. The blinding ash affl icts those here as well, and the scent ability does not function as sulfuric gas overpowers olfactory senses. The demons’ dark power infests the land. By night, the earth itself betrays those who linger in this tainted place. Anyone traveling after sundown must succeed on a DC 30 Will save or travel directly toward the Devil’s Cauldron (area 4) regardless of the intended destination. The crater fl oor is a fi endish paradise whose searing air deals 1d6 points of fi re damage per round. Creatures that sleep inside the crater are tormented by dark dreams wherein frolicking demons gleefully tear their loved ones apart (DC 25 Will save or suffer the effect of a nightmare spell, CL 20th). KEYED LOCATIONS The following features correspond to numbered areas on the map. 1. House Tharashk Encampment: Precariously perched on the lip of the crater is a small camp of the Finders Guild. Drawn by the promise of dragonshards, these prospectors found instead the terrors of Darkfi re. Their leader, a hulking half-orc named Kardobah (half-orc bounty hunter, ECS 238), is now possessed by a nalfeshnee named Muldrak-Syn. He murders and cannibalizes other prospectors at night. Two fi endish minotaurs (former diggers) accompany him at all times. Most of the other Finders succumbed to the cackling winds and now prey upon each other. One canny old prospector, a leathery half-orc named Grizlag, maintains his sanity and soul. He knows how to avoid the many dangers of Darkfire and helps any PCs who promise to escort him back to civilization. 2. Dragonshard Fields: Prior to the eruption, this expanse was already a source of Siberys shards fallen from the sky. Now the fi elds are rife with Khyber shards as well, expelled from the volcano during the eruption. Local tribes shun the area, heedless of the wealth contained here. Signs dot the landscape, bearing warnings such as “The fi endstones curse all who claim them” and “Go back from this evil place.” 3. Cave of the Red Warden: Since the dragons created Darkfire, they have left one of their own to watch over it. The last Red Warden, an adult red dragon named Zinshear-Jhodjaros, was slain by the deluge of demons that burst forth during the initial eruption. His body remains here, a hideous puppet animated by four hellwasp swarms. A large sending stone (CAr 150), used to keep in constant contact with the Eyes of Chronepsis, sits in this cave. A rakshasa named Kintakathjalil deceives the Eyes on this end. In the illusionary guise of Zinshear-Jhodjaros, he has convinced them that all is well, and that although a “relatively minor” eruption has taken place, the fiends remain safely locked away.” 4. Devil’s Cauldron: This pit of boiling magma is infused with a heat unrivaled by that of any volcano in Eberron. The souls of a thousand fi ends swim in liquid fi re here, howling in constant torment. Anyone within 100 feet of the cauldron is subject to possession. Once per minute, a powerful demon or devil focuses its attention on a creature nearby and attempts to escape the binding fi re of the Cauldron. 620_95729_Ch4.indd 139 7/20/07 11:02:57 AM
DRAGONS OF XEN'DRIK The potent heat of the Devil’s Cauldron and the tainted power of the fiends within grant this pit the ability to reforge any destroyed artifact if its pieces are brought together in the magma. Any artifact so restored is plagued with a potent evil intelligence whose sole purpose is to lure as many creatures as possible to the Cauldron and free its dark fellows to wreak havoc on the world. 5. Crystal Maze of the Tiger-Fiend: A great tigerheaded balor named Cyl-Maaldrake, favored servant of the Lords of Dust, remains shackled in the heart of this dark crimson maze constructed of Khyber dragonshards. Chipping shards from the maze weakens its hold over Cyl-Maaldrake, and many of the fi ends already released are working to disassemble his prison. Contingents of hezrous and bearded devils loyal to CylMaaldrake toil to bring down the maze, but powerful wards trap them as well. The fiends seek humanoid proxies to mine the shards for them, and they send possessed agents to lure tribal peoples and prospectors from Stormreach to this unrivaled find of rich Khyber shards. 6. Lava Tubes: These large tunnels, bored through the crater wall by rivers of magma, are the last redoubt of a tribe of drow called the Darkwatchers, who served the Red Warden. The drow have not fared well since the eruption. With their patron laid low, they face constant attacks by hordes of devils and demons. Still the Darkwatchers lend their aid to any party brave enough to battle the sinister forces of the crater. The drow possess mighty talismans that ward off possession (as protection from evil) and negate the Wisdom-damaging whispers of the wind. They offer these boons to PCs who promise to contain the rising fiendish tide. DARKFIRE CRATER ENCOUNTERS (Check 1/hour, 8% chance) d% Encounter EL 01–15 2d10 dretches (MM 42) 4–10 16–30 2d4 half-troll barbazus (FF 92) 11–15 31–45 2d6 fi endish scorrows (SX 81 and MM 107) 11–16 46–60 2d6 hellcats and 1 barbed devil (MM 54, 51) 12–15 61–75 1d4 hezrous and 1 glabrezu (MM 43, 44) 14–16 76–90 Marilith (MM 44) 17 91–100 2 mature nabassus (FC1 49) 17 Dragons’ Boneyard Below a sheer cliff of jagged shale unfolds a sprawling wasteland of white bone. Most of the dragons who called Xen’drik home over the past several thousand years lie here. Those who fell in the war against the giants, and the many guardians left behind over the ages, sleep side by side in this mournful grove, their titanic bones piled 50 feet deep in places. Few dare disturb their eternal rest. APPROACH The boneyard is surrounded by thick jungle. Travelers know they are near by the sight of frequent heaps of smaller bones among the undergrowth. Primitive creatures are drawn to the boneyard when death is nigh, perhaps by some primal urge to rest close to the chosen of Eberron. The remains of tigers, elephants, and entire tribes of savage humanoids dot the surrounding jungle. A party closing in on the site from the northeast emerges from the treeline to the edge of a dizzying bluff overlooking miles of bleached bone. The air is still in reverence; no jungle bird or hunting beast dares disturb the dragons’ rest. Few beings glimpse these mighty creatures up close in life; the sheer majesty of their immense power is not diminished in death, but rather intensified by their unyielding stillness. The bones go on forever, piled higher than the jungle in some places. Teeth the size of a human’s torso loom ominously from the open jaw of one giant skull. Another’s horns, easily the size of two lightning rail cars stacked end to end, jut from a pile of massive ribs. Nearby, a gnarled talon, scarred from a thousand battles, clutches a smaller dragon’s skull. FEATURES Time loses meaning among the ancient dead. Days and even weeks pass unnoticed here, and more than one visitor has perished from thirst without realizing its need. Everyday a trespasser here must succeed on a DC 25 Survival check or believe that no time has passed. An affected creature forgets to prepare new spells 620_95729_Ch4.indd 140 7/20/07 11:03:02 AM
141 (believing it cannot do so yet) and does not eat or rest (becoming fatigued). The entire boneyard is diffi cult terrain, forcing explorers to gingerly pick their way up and down treacherous piles of remains. Each round, a DC 10 Climb check is necessary to move. Failure on the check causes the subject to move 10 feet in a random direction instead, sliding on the shifting bones beneath. KEYED LOCATIONS The following features correspond to numbered areas on the map. 1. Ribbed Corridor: Several archways formed from the ribcage of a great wyrm lead into the boneyard. Warnings left by local tribes admonish trespassers in several languages with words such as “Never wake what rests within” and “The gods curse those who disturb their dead.” 2. Bone Pits: The dead dragons do not suffer disturbance lightly, and anyone clambering over these areas runs the risk of impalement on the sharp protrusions beneath. Anyone stepping on one falls through, landing on bone spurs 20 feet below and taking 4d6 points of piercing damage (Reflex DC 20 half). A successful DC 25 Search check allows a creature to pinpoint these hazards. 3. White Obelisk: This tremendous monument stands in memorial of the Soldiers of the Light who fell in battle against the giants during the cataclysm that left Xen’drik in ruins. A Draconic inscription reads “Hail the victorious dead. Their sacrifice shall never be forgotten.” Anyone who touches the obelisk experiences terrible visions of the great battle waged millennia ago. Flights of dragons soar overhead, raining arcane fury and tempests of elemental breath upon the land, razing entire stretches of jungle. The cacophonous din of the dragons’ fury threatens to shake the listener apart, and the cries of dying giants writhing in agony cannot be forgotten. Anyone who experiences this vision is stunned for 2d6 rounds and automatically fails her next save against a dragon’s frightful presence, as the horrible visions resurface in her mind. 4. Bone Warrens: These tunnels and burrows dug beneath the piles of bones are home to a tribe of troglodytes who safeguard the place. If 20 points of damage is dealt to the ceiling of the warrens, it collapses, raining tons of bones on those beneath (10d6 bludgeoning damage, Refl ex DC 20 half), pinning them in the debris. 5. The Hoard Memoriam: This large pit contains a vast hoard of gold, precious jewels, and magic items. Its exact contents are left to the DM’s discretion, but anyone who steals from the dead dragons is affl icted by a terrible curse. Over the course of the next three days, the cursed creature slowly transforms. The fi rst day after the theft, it coughs up small rubies and sapphires, and strands of silver appear in its hair. The next day its skin takes on a pearly luster, and its joints harden painfully (–4 penalty to Strength and Dexterity). On the third and fi nal day, the accursed one transforms into a pile of treasure. No magic can intervene, but returning the stolen items halts the process, after which a wish or miracle can reverse it. Those who brave the wrath of the Council of Skulls and prove worthy are rewarded with wisdom beyond the grasp of the living DR 620_95729_Ch4.indd 141 7/20/07 11:03:08 AM
DRAGONS OF XEN'DRIK 142 6. Guardians of the Dead: Four intact dragon skeletons stand vigilant here, opposing any who seek entry to the Council of Skulls (see the sidebar). Use red dragon skeletons (MM 227) or skeletal dragons (Dr 192). 7. Council of Skulls: This large circular chamber hewn into the shale cliff contains the skulls of ten great wyrms, one of each color. Their souls remain to teach younger dragons the mysteries of their heritage and to treat with important humanoids with a potentially great role in the Prophecy. The skulls are mounted in the wall and speak to any who enter, though they annihilate those they fi nd unworthy with their potent breath weapons. A worthy petitioner can gain a mighty boon (see sidebar). DRAGONS’ BONEYARD ENCOUNTERS (Check 1/hour, 8% chance) d% Encounter EL 01–15 2d4 half-dragon troglodytes (MM 246, 46) 5–9 16–30 1d4 hoard scarab swarms (Dr 168) 5–9 31–45 2d8 glidewings (ECS 280) 5–11 46–60 Dragonbone golem (Dr 164) 12 61–75 1d4 skeletal black dragons (Dr 192) 7–11 76–90 1d4 red dragon skeletons (MM 227) 8–12 91–100 Boneyard (LM 89) 14 Oasis of Blood Deep in the swirling sands of Menechtarun lies a fabled oasis where blood fl ows instead of water. Legends claim the ziggurat nearby is where the deity Ouralon fi rst appeared to selected giants and taught them the secrets of magic. The titans reveled in their newfound power, creating a paradise in honor of their draconic patrons. Here, living marble statues frolicked among crystal pools whose magic waters promised life everlasting. Vast orchards of date trees sprouted from the sand, their fruit granting joyous visions. When the giants perverted their powers with unspeakable blood rites, this paradise fell. The majestic marble statues wept crimson tears, and the once-clear pools clouded with dark red blood. The ziggurat still stands, a sand-scoured testament to the onetime bond shared by giant and dragon, but the horrid power of blood that now taints its altar draws dark denizens and evil spirits like moths to a fl ame. APPROACH The oasis is ringed in miles of swirling red sand, and by night the piteous moans of undead echo throughout. Wind-borne wraiths prowl the air, while zombie purple worms lurk underfoot. Undead sand giants (MM3 58)—some vampires, some mummified, others cursed to exist as devourers—rise from the dunes to prey on travelers. These living skulls are those of some of the mightiest and oldest dragons who existed on Xen’drik. Their knowledge is vast and jealously guarded; their arcane power is beyond comprehension and rarely shared. Lore: Characters gain the following pieces of information about the Council of Skulls by making Knowledge (arcana) checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below. DC 15: The Council of Skulls is a myth. Even if it did exist, who would be foolish enough to go rooting through the Dragons’ Boneyard to fi nd it? DC 20: The Council of Skulls is a collection of ten dragons’ skulls, one representing each color. It is said to be composed of the mightiest of dragonkind; though dead, their spirits persist. DC 25: The Council of Skulls offers the wisdom of the ages to other dragons. The secrets possessed by these ancient souls are far beyond mortal comprehension. DC 30: The Council of Skulls deals with dragons, and others who trespass there rarely return. It is rumored that a nondragon might be granted an audience if it offers new information on a subject of great interest. Description: See Area 7. Prerequisite: To gain the boon of the Council of Skulls, a nondragon creature must either possess a dragonmark or have at least 15 ranks in a Knowledge skill. It must also speak Draconic. Location Activation: A creature that wishes the boon of the Council of Skulls must present the dragon spirits with a piece of important information they do not already know. To come up with lore unknown to these ancient minds requires a successful DC 40 Knowledge check. In lieu of the check, the creature might offer up an interesting tidbit of new knowledge concerning the Prophecy, though this information must be incredibly important to earn the dragons’ favor. Recharge: A creature can seek the location’s boon as many times as it likes, though each time it runs the risk of being utterly destroyed in a deluge of elemental breath. Special Ability (Ex): A creature that satisfi es the dragons’ hunger for knowledge is immediately allowed to ask any question of these ancient loremasters. Treat this effect as a legend lore spell. In addition, if a creature especially pleases one of the council (through roleplaying or with a successful DC 40 Diplomacy check), the skull breathes gently upon the lucky individual, infusing it with draconic power. Once per week for 1 hour, this creature can transform into a half-dragon of the variety whose favor it earned (apply the template to the base creature). Duration: The legend lore effect is instantaneous; the half-dragon transformation ability lasts for 1 month. Aura: Strong divination and transmutation. Ability Value: 2,050 gp per legend lore; 7,680 gp per transformation boon. MAGICAL LOCATION: COUNCIL OF SKULLS 620_95729_Ch4.indd 142 7/20/07 11:03:10 AM
143 The constant sandstorm raging here confuses even skilled rangers and druids. A DC 50 Survival check is necessary to reach the oasis. Alternatively, if a creature cuts itself deeply enough to leave a thick trail of blood over the course of a day’s travel (losing at least 50% of it hit points), it can follow this trail directly to the oasis after the next sunrise. A crimson moon holds court over red stars in the night sky above the oasis. Orchards of malformed date trees surround a towering ziggurat of alabaster. The pristine white structure of stone would be beautiful in any other milieu, but it seems an obscenity set against this gruesome landscape. FEATURES No sandstorm intrudes upon this unhallowed site; the winds are always calm. Light from the sun, moon, or any other source is always tainted with a red cast, and illumination does not allow creatures to distinguish color. Living creatures bleed from the ears, nose, eyes, and gums while they linger at the oasis. This deals 2 points of Constitution damage every hour (which does not heal naturally until they leave), and imposes a –2 penalty on all ranged attack rolls and Spot checks. Any wound received in the oasis bleeds for 1 hit point per round until a successful DC 25 Heal check is made or curative magic is employed. The blood wept by the statues, fl owing from the pool, and dripping from the trees stains anything or anyone it touches, and it doesn’t wash off until the object or person is 100 miles away from the oasis. This large dais of chalk-white stone has stood pristine for millennia. Blood spilled upon it is absorbed to the last drop, and the altar shines more brightly with each foul sacrifi ce perpetrated there. Lore: Characters gain the following pieces of information about the altar of blood by making Knowledge (arcana) checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below. DC 15: The altar of blood lies in a remote oasis shrouded in crimson sand. Those who venture there end up offering their own hearts to the giant kings of old. DC 20: The sacrifice required for the altar is too great for any to pay. The blood it wants is too sacred to give, even though the power it offers is beyond compare. DC 25: One must give the altar a dear love to gain its dark boon. It accepts no lesser sacrifi ce. The power it grants is enough to elevate the humblest being to emperor or to cast down the mightiest foe. DC 30: The altar taints one’s soul. It is better to cut out one’s own heart than to seek its power. Description: The altar is a pure white dais of stone carved with blood canals and skull motifs. Prerequisite: To use the altar of blood, a creature must be an arcane spellcaster and have at least 10 ranks in Knowledge (arcana). Location Activation: A creature that wishes to activate the altar of blood must sacrifi ce a loved one upon it. The blood of a family member, longtime companion, or lover is required to satiate the altar’s vile thirst. If the creature does not truly love the sacrifice, the altar does not activate. In most cases, the activator is somehow tricked or coerced into using the altar. Rarely, a creature requires the altar’s power to complete a task so important that it willingly sacrifi ce one it loves to gain that ability. Recharge: A creature can use the altar as often as it wishes. In fact, once a activator has sacrifi ced a loved one to the altar, it is compelled to do so again and again unless it succeeds on a DC 30 Will save, believing it truly needs the power despite the soul-searing cost. Special Ability (Ex): A creature that activates the altar of blood has its effective caster level increased by 2. In addition, it gains the ability to use earthquake and storm of vengeance as spell-like abilities once per week. Duration: The fi rst time a creature activates the altar, the effect’s duration is 1 month. This period decreases by 1 week each subsequent activation (and by 1 day after it is reduced to a single week). Aura: Overwhelming evocation and transformation. Ability Value: 40,000 gp per affected creature. ALTAR OF BLOOD 620_95729_Ch4.indd 143 7/20/07 11:03:12 AM
DRAGONS OF XEN'DRIK 144 KEYED LOCATIONS The following features correspond to numbered areas on the map. 1. Heart Trees: These veined trees weep rivulets of fresh blood from their trunks. Within a hollow in each is the beating heart of a drow slave horribly sacrifi ced by the giants of old. Eating a heart confers a heal effect as the spell and grants a permanent +2 bonus to Constitution (once only per creature, no matter how many hearts it eats), but forevermore the eater dreams of being sacrifi ced on the altar of blood (page 143). Every night it must succeed on a DC 20 Will save or awaken fatigued the next morning. (The bonus to Constitution doesn’t stop the Constitution damage from bleeding while at the Oasis.) 2. Pool of Eyes: This pool once fl owed with crystal waters whose restorative powers were unmatched. Now it is thick with congealed blood, and eyeballs fl oat on its surface. The eyes follow anyone who nears the pool, and the thoughts of any creature within 50 feet are projected as if by an amulet of thought projection. In addition, any creature that comes within 10 feet must succeed on a DC 25 Will save or be compelled to tear out its own eyes and hurl them into the gory pool. 3. Grotesque Statuary: Living marble statues in the shape of giants, elves, and dragons languish here, weeping crimson tears and engaging in ghastly selfmutilation. The statues break off their own limbs and deface themselves, then mortar broken pieces back into place using a sticky mixture of blood, pulped entrails, and sand. The result is something out of a sculptor’s twisted nightmare, with blood and bits of tissue oozing out between dozens of cracks along the statues’ forms. Anyone who enters the statuary is targeted with a fl esh to stone effect (Fortitude DC 20, CL 20th). The living marble statues smash anyone turned to stone into shards, then grind the victims’ dust into their own marble “skin” or use it for mortar when repairing themselves. The statues fi ght if attacked and are identical to stone golems in every respect. 4. Orchard of Eulogy: The bittersweet dates growing here once granted eaters visions of the future. Now any creature that tastes them sees visions of its own death. The next time the eater saves against a death effect, it must roll twice and take the lower result. In addition, an affected creature cannot make a stabilization check the next time it is reduced to fewer than 0 hp. The dates are sought after by assassins and by evil creatures that enjoy feeding them to their enemies. 5. Underblood Tunnels: These expansive tunnels beneath the marble pool hold many secrets of the giants, including caches of powerful magic weapons hidden from the Eyes of Chronepsis. Rumor has it that a ruby the size of a giant’s fist, containing a soulbound titan named Draxveros the Wyrm-Cleaver, is located within. 6. Giants’ Vengeance: This large submerged chamber contains an enormous statue in honor of a primeval deity of giantkin, Rom-Praxis, whose worship was long ago forbidden by the dragons. The eyes of this hidden shrine contain the giants’ greatest achievement. At the height of their power, the titans of old sacrifi ced thousands of slaves and wrought two Orbs of Dragonkind (one red, one gold). They hid these mighty artifacts in the blood of the shrine where they secretly honored their forbidden god and masked them with potent magic, intending to one day usurp the dragons and claim power over Eberron. The dragons descended upon the giant empire so quickly that the titans were unable to retrieve these treasures and put them to use. The artifacts wait now, submerged in blood, for anyone foolish enough to seize them. If the dragons were to learn of the Orbs, they would stop at nothing to destroy them and anyone who knew of their existence. 7. White Ziggurat: The alabaster ziggurat standing sentinel over the oasis is rumored to be the spot where Ouralon once opened the titans’ eyes to arcane magic. Later, beset by the legions of Dal Quor, the giants perverted this site with detestable rituals of blood magic, shaking the continent with power no creature was ever meant to wield. Drunk on this newfound might, and outraged at the rebellion of their elf slaves, the giants spilled an ocean of blood in preparation for another dark rite of cataclysm. The dragons averted this ceremony, but the pollution of these abhorrent rites left its stain on the oasis for all time. At the top of the ziggurat stands the altar of blood, a powerful magical location whose gift and curse are equally potent. OASIS OF BLOOD ENCOUNTERS (Check 1/hour, 8% chance) d% Encounter EL 01–15 1d4 blood amniotes (LM 87) 9–13 16–30 Cloud giant ghost (MM 120, 116) 13 31–45 Angel of decay (LM 83) 15 46–60 1d4 blood fi ends (FF 47) 14–18 61–75 1d4 greater stone golems (MM 136) 16–20 76–90 2d10 cloud giant skeletons (MM 227) 9–15 91–100 1d4 nightwalkers (MM 196) 16–20 620_95729_Ch4.indd 144 7/20/07 11:03:17 AM
DRAGONS OF XEN'DRIK 145 XEN ’ DRIK ENCOUNTERS Ketheptis “My people are no more. I am the last of the Blood Ghost Clan, and here I lie broken. Ketheptis, the One-Eyed Crone, claimed us. My father was the greatest of our war chiefs. He single-handedly smote the cloud giant warlord, Darkrond, and claimed the skulls of his sons as well. But the Crone devoured him as casually as a man might eat a morsel of cooked pig. She feasted upon our people, and she took both my legs. She spoke to me in a voice like a great wind thundering through the mountain passes. She told me I was to be spared as a harbinger to the rest of the drow. I am a living omen of my people’s doom. I gazed into her unflinching eye and beheld a hate so deep no mortal could comprehend its awful power. I serve little purpose now, my body tattered by her unforgiving talons, but I can at least warn any who venture toward her domain. Turn back. The Crone’s fury is eternal and merciless as winter. She cannot die.” —Jarkilos, last of the Blood Ghost Hunters High along the jagged crest of the Bluespine Peaks lairs the mighty Ketheptis. The Crone turns her one eye upon the many drow tribes of the jungles north of the Bluespines. Her gaze festers with hate, and an ancient vendetta crouches in her icy heart. Ketheptis came to Xen’drik a newborn silver wyrmling, in the care of her parents, Lehtokorathil and Baasrashal. The family of silver dragons made a home in the lower peaks of the Bluespines, but their predations on nearby drow soon drew the attention of a powerful band of Sulatar. The fi re-wielding drow trapped the elder dragons in their lair and slaughtered them. Ketheptis hid in a high alcove and looked on from her vantage point as the drow butchered her parents. She roared in terror as her mother was burned alive and her father’s head was cleaved from his neck. One of the drow put an arrow through Ketheptis’s left eye, nearly killing her, but the wyrmling escaped and crawled away into the snow-shrouded heights of the Bluespines. Hate is a powerful force, and it ate at Ketheptis’s heart. She decided centuries ago that she would see every drow in Xen’drik dead. She pursues this plan of genocide today by various means. In her youth, she flew at drow tribes in the throes of fury, which nearly got her killed more than once. Ketheptis’s tactics matured as she did. She went down among the drow tribes in the form of a one-eyed dark elf crone possessing magical powers, and she poisoned their leaders’ hearts against one another. The crone watched as brutal warfare broke out, encouraging escalation and horrifi c atrocities on all sides. Some of the savage practices of drow tribes that Khorvairian explorers decry—cannibalism, maiming the children of their enemies, slowly eviscerating prisoners alive—actually spawned in Ketheptis’s twisted mind and were spread by her evil infl uence. After the tribes in any one region are suffi ciently weakened by this ploy, Ketheptis sheds her guise and slaughters the remainder, often leaving a single maimed survivor to tell the tale. Her hubris and need to inspire terror among her prey now work against her. Tales of her vile deception and secret war of genocide have spread, forcing her to pursue other avenues of eradicating her enemies. Most recently, she has developed virulent plagues intended to reduce the drow population of Xen’drik to a mass of rancid corpses. Ever single-minded of purpose, Ketheptis cares little if these blights decimate other races as well. DESCRIPTION Ketheptis never sought to regenerate her missing eye, preferring the ugly wound as a constant reminder of what the drow took from her. On occasion, she mounts the skull of a particularly formidable foe in the socket to terrorize her prey. Her entire left side sets the vacant eye against a grotesque backdrop: The once-shining scales along her left fl ank are rent, and several scorch marks are a souvenir of a particularly painful foray against the Sulatar. An experiment in vile magic gone awry twisted her left talon, leaving it forever gnarled and blackened, and her head crest is tattered from constant battle. As Ketheptis’s weathered wings unfurl, countless drow skulls and bones dangling from them clatter unsettlingly. Though maimed, her physique is prodigious for her age, and the still-gleaming silver scales of her right side ripple with the movements of powerful muscles beneath. MINIONS Ketheptis is paid homage by a sizeable clan of frost giants whose ruler, Thraalgrum, shares her purpose. The primordial (SX 81) frost giant scoured the frozen citadels of Everice for clues to his ancestors’ downfall. His interpretation of the evidence tars the drow as well-cared-for slaves who turned spitefully against their benevolent masters. Thraalgrum readily pledged his loyalty to the mighty silver dragon, and their shared hatred led to fleeting romances in the frost giant’s younger days. Two such liaisons bore fruit in Letho and Baasra. The half-dragon frost giants serve their mother’s whim. Baasra dotes on her aging father, but Thraalgrum disgusts Letho, who views his father’s obsession with their giant ancestors as folly. His patricidal intentions are stayed by Ketheptis, who still has use for his sire. Thraalgrum is lithe and tall, with large oval eyes and a smooth, hairless body. He has stood by Ketheptis’s side for nearly a century but now grows decrepit with age, his deep blue skin stretched tight over bone. Baasra takes after her father, viewing knowledge as power; her frame is underdeveloped compared to that of her massive brother. She dabbles in the Prophecy. She enjoys nothing more than capturing dragonmarked humanoids, whose minds she pierces with spells before she peels away their dragonmarked skin for preservation. Letho is as brutish as he is stupid. He takes perverse pleasure in maltreating his father but obeys Ketheptis’s every word as law. Ketheptis’s newest minion is an ancient elf vampire named Dekaraz, whose prisonlike tomb was excavated beneath her latest lair. Frozen in the deep ice long ago, Dekaraz is a forgotten horror of Qabalrin, whose deeds 620_95729_Ch4.indd 145 7/20/07 11:03:19 AM
DRAGONS OF XEN'DRIK were so black they earned him banishment even among his own vile enclave. Dekaraz skillfully feigns amnesia and pretends to serve Ketheptis faithfully. Secretly, the vampire collects information concerning the fate of his shadowy civilization and the rising Blood of Vol. For the time being, he fi nds his position at Ketheptis’s side useful. ALLIES AND ENEMIES Enemies of her enemy are Ketheptis’s friends. To this extent, several giant tribes at war with the drow fi nd a ready ally in the One-Eyed Crone, though these giants often end up expendable pawns in her long-reaching plans for genocide. Ketheptis has recently acquired a powerful ally in House Lyrandar. Her mysterious benefactor contacts her through intermediaries, but his commitment to “the solution of the drow problem” seems unquestionable. The ally claims to have lost his young wife to a particularly vicious drow attack, and this traumatic experience led him to paint the entire dark elf population with a broad brush. Ketheptis suspects the Lyrandar’s interest in her efforts against the drow are more fi nancially motivated, but she fi nds the assistance of this new ally agreeable enough. All drow and any who aid them are Ketheptis’s enemies. Among the dark elves, none pose a greater threat than the Sulatar, who have rebuffed her personal attacks on many occasions. The burn scars from one ordeal are a reminder not to treat these fi re-wielding drow lightly. The recent rise of the Umbragen darkens Ketheptis’s mood as well. So desperate is her quest for genocide that she even seeks allies among the foul denizens of Xoriat to expunge the Umbragen for her. News of her plans to wipe an entire race off the face of Eberron has begun to reach her ancestral home of Argonnessen. Such tales could draw the concern of other dragons, who view such a vile act of destruction as cataclysmic to the Prophecy’s current course. HOOKS The PCs could become embroiled in the age-old confl ict between Ketheptis and the drow in a number of ways. Perhaps a friend or relative of theirs visiting a drow community was killed when Ketheptis attacked, or was taken prisoner by the dragon. If the PCs have allies among the drow, the dark elves might entreat the party to end the One-Eyed Crone’s genocide. Other possible hooks include the following. Outbreak: A dread plague spreads fast across Xen’drik, drawing closer to Stormreach with each Ketheptis the One-Eyed Crone and her minions 620_95729_Ch4.indd 146 7/20/07 11:03:20 AM
DRAGONS OF XEN'DRIK 147 passing day. The PCs must unravel the source of the contagion and seek out Ketheptis’s lair. Only there can the plague be undone. Spoils of War: Ketheptis possesses an awe-inspiring collection of seized drow artifacts and relics, and the PCs might be contracted to steal a particular item of legend from her hoard. Origins of the Blood: If the PCs are entangled with the Emerald Claw, they learn of a potential agent among Ketheptis’s minions whose knowledge of the Blood of Vol’s dark past could grant the rising cult greater power. The party must fi nd Dekaraz and destroy the vampire before agents of the Emerald Claw help him escape. Lyrandar’s Secret: PCs involved with House Lyrandar are asked to investigate strange correspondences between a Lyrandar enclave and an unknown party in the Bluespine Peaks. KETHEPTIS, THE ONE-EYED CRONE CR 21 Female mature adult silver dragon barbarian 5/bloodscaled furyDr 4 CE Huge dragon Init +0; Senses blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., keen senses, true seeing; Listen +40, Spot +16 Languages Common, Draconic, Elven, Giant, Risian, Undercommon Aura frightful presence (210 ft., DC 31) AC 43, touch 13, fl at-footed 43; improved uncanny dodge (–2 size, +6 armor, +24 natural, +5 defl ection) hp 459 (34 HD); DR 10/magic Immune acid, cold, paralysis, sleep Resist freedom of movement; SR 24 Fort +26, Ref +19, Will +27; one-eyed Weakness vulnerability to fi re; Suppress Weakness Speed 50 ft. (10 squares), fl y 150 ft. (poor); Hover Melee bite +38 (2d8+11) and 2 claws +36 each (2d6+5) and 2 wings +36 each (1d8+5) and tail slap +36 (2d6+16) Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with bite) Base Atk +30; Grp +49 Atk Options Blind-Fight, Cleave, Improved Snatch, Power Attack, magic strike, rage 2/day (13 rounds) Special Actions Shock Wave, Wingstorm, breath weapon, crush 2d8+16 (DC 34) Combat Gear rod of lesser quicken metamagic, rod of enemy detection Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 9th): 4th (5/day)—charm monster (DC 18), dimension door 3rd (7/day)—dispel magic, displacement, haste 2nd (7/day)—bull’s strength, detect thoughts (DC 16), mirror image, whispering wind 1st (7/day)—cause fear (DC 15), expeditious retreat, identify, ray of enfeeblement (+30 ranged touch), shield 0 (6/day)—acid splash (+30 ranged touch), arcane mark, detect magic, detect poison, ghost hand, mage hand, message, read magic Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th): 2/day—feather fall 3/day—fog cloud Abilities Str 32, Dex 10, Con 24, Int 20, Wis 23, Cha 18 SQ alternate form, cloudwalking, draconic fury, fast movement, fearsome presence, scales of blood, trap sense +1 Feats Blind-Fight, Cleave, Hover, Improved SnatchDr, Iron Will, Multiattack, Power Attack, RendB Dr, Shock WaveDr, Snatch, Suppress WeaknessDr, WingstormDr Skills Concentration +35, Diplomacy +38, Hide –8, Intimidate +41, Jump +28, Knowledge (arcana) +33, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +33, Knowledge (nature) +37, Listen +43, Search +33, Sense Motive +38, Spot +40, Survival +15 (+19 aboveground environs, avoiding hazards and getting lost, following tracks), Swim +20, Use Magic Device +34 Possessions bracers of armor +6, ring of protection +5, ring of freedom of movement, crystal ball (true seeing) Magic Strike (Ex) Ketheptis’s natural attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Breath Weapon (Su) 50-ft. cone, once every 1d4 rounds, damage 14d8 cold, Reflex DC 34 half; or 50-ft. cone, once every 1d4 rounds, paralyzed 1d6+7 rounds, Fortitude DC 34. Draconic Fury (Ex) When raging, Ketheptis gains +6 to Strength and Constitution and +3 to Will saves. Improved Snatch Against Medium or smaller creatures, bite for 2d8+11/round or claw for 2d6+5/round. One-Eyed (Ex) Ketheptis takes a –4 penalty on saving throws to resist blinding effects. Rend When Ketheptis hits with both claw attacks, she latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the fl esh. This attack automatically deals an extra 4d6+16 points of damage. Scales of Blood (Su) When Ketheptis rages, her scales weep blood, giving her whole body a red sheen. This effect increases her spell resistance and damage reduction while raging. Shock Wave As a full-round action, Ketheptis can strike a solid surface with her tail to create a shock wave radiating out 125 feet. Roll a single bull rush attack that affects all in the radius; those who fail their opposed Strength check are knocked down. Structures and unattended objects in range take 1d6+11 points of damage. Suppress Weakness Ketheptis takes one quarter again as much (+25%) damage from fi re attacks instead of one half again as much (+50%). Wingstorm As a full-round action, Ketheptis can hover in place and use her wings to create a blast of air in a cylinder with a radius and height of 70 feet. The force of this wind is that of a windstorm (DMG 95). Creatures ignore the checked effect unless they are airborne (then they are blown back 1d6 × 5 feet) or unless Ketheptis keeps the wind in effect for longer by sacrifi cing her actions every turn. When raging, Ketheptis’s statistics change as follows: AC 41, touch 11, fl at-footed 41 hp 561; DR 15/magic SR 28 Fort +29, Will +30 Melee bite +41 (2d8+14) and 2 claws +39 each (2d6+7) and 2 wings +39 each (1d8+7) and tail slap +39 (2d6+21) Atk Options crush 2d8+21 (DC 37) Special Actions breath weapon (DC 37) Abilities Str 38, Con 30 Skills Concentration +25, Jump +22, Swim +34 620_95729_Ch4.indd 147 7/20/07 11:03:25 AM
DRAGONS OF XEN'DRIK ICE CLIFF LAIR A vast glacial shelf off the sheer face of one of the Bluespine Peaks serves as Ketheptis’s lair. A false lair, composed of expansive ice caves, is little more than a deathtrap for those foolish enough to seek out the OneEyed Crone. The lair proper lies beneath the glacier, ensconced in the base of the mountain and well hidden beneath several feet of thick ice. Keyed Locations The following features correspond to numbered areas on the map. 1. Frost Worm Plains: This stretch of treacherous ice is the hunting ground for a Gargantuan (40 HD) frost worm. The distant murmur of the worm’s trill pleases Ketheptis while she lounges in her lair. The deterrent the creature poses to intruders is merely a perk. The fact that the frost worm devours Thraalgrum’s followers from time to time is as much a source of consternation to the frost giant as it is a source of amusem*nt to Ketheptis. 2. Frost Giant Settlement: In the shadow of the Bluespines, a tribe of frost giants loyal to Thraalgrum built their lodgings. The settlement is a ramshackle collection of enormous longhouses hewn from old-growth trees and ice caves bored into the frozen glacier. DMs using the Frostburn supplement can populate this settlement with twenty frost giants, four frost giant maulers, four tundra scouts, and a spirit speaker. Otherwise, replace the last nine creatures with four frost giant jarls. 3. False Entrances: These massive ice caverns are traps baited with impressive carvings of draconic motifs and fi lled with mountainous piles of drow skeletons. The highest of these caves serves as the frost giants’ rookery—several trained giant ravens (Frostburn 148) or dire hawks roost there. Twenty remorhazes nest in the connecting cave complexes, viciously attacking intruders. On occasion, remorhazes surge from the caverns to threaten the frost worm below, but they haven’t succeeded in killing it yet. These battles are a spectacle not to be missed; Ketheptis often observes them from the sky. 4. Prison of the Living Carnage: This enormous cavern appears completely barren at first glance. Those who turn their gaze upward can make a DC 25 Spot check to notice an enormous mass of blotchy darkness encased behind a thick, frozen ceiling. Within lies a gigantic chaos beast (advanced to 20 HD) slowly nurtured to terrifying proportions by constant exposure to one of Ketheptis potent prizes, a cracked chaos diamond. The creature consumes the ice around it slowly over time. Once it has grown large enough, the dragon plans to unleash it in the most populated drow jungles. She looks forward to watching the monstrosity reduce the drow in its wake to quivering masses of jelly. A strange conical opening lies in the inner recesses of this chamber (Search DC 25). This is the bell of a huge greater horn of blasting in Ketheptis’s lair below. If Ketheptis notes dangerous intruders in this cave, she can blow her 620_95729_Ch4.indd 148 7/20/07 11:03:26 AM
DRAGONS OF XEN'DRIK 149 mighty breath through this horn (subjecting occupants of this area to both her breath weapon and the horn’s blasting effect). The blast also unleashes the chaos beast to deal with survivors. 5. Frozen Lake Entrance: This frigid lake is one entry to Ketheptis’s underground lair. The lake is well populated with zeugladons (Frostburn 120) or cachalot whales. Ketheptis often makes meals of them, but smaller creatures braving the chill depths of the lake could end up on the fearsome beasts’ menu instead. 6. Vandragmar’s Legion: Visible within the crystalline walls of this chamber, a legion of well-armed drow warriors arrayed in perfect fi ghting formation stands frozen for all time. Vandragmar, the great warlord of the Golden Carapace Clan, led his followers against Ketheptis long ago. The dragon blasted them with her breath, fl ash-freezing the foolish drow where they stood. The sight pleased her so much that she had Vandragmar and his legion interred here. Rumor among the drow is that Vandragmar marched to his death willingly after dreaming a prophecy that his legion would one day rise again and cast Ketheptis down. Thraalgrum claims it is folly to keep the cursed legion close at hand, but the One-Eyed Crone mocks the old giant’s fear. 7. Chess Room: The even crystal fl oor of this cavern is paved with alternating dark blue and chalk-white squares of ice. A grim chess set of frost-laden skeletons opposite crisply frozen zombies is arrayed mid-game. Thraalgrum’s expertise at the game is one of the few things keeping him alive; Ketheptis enjoys a spirited match now and again. The skeletons and zombies here do not defend themselves. They respond only to calledout chess moves, which send them shambling to their appointed squares. 8. Frozen Maws of Ketheptis: The f loors of these long caverns are rife with stalagmites. Rows of icy stalactites loom like giant shark’s teeth above. If Ketheptis detects enemies here, she unleashes a shock wave with her tail, bringing stalactites raining down on their heads for 10d6 points of piercing damage (Ref lex DC 25 half). Six ice golems (Frostburn 137) or stone golem guardians built into the walls of each cavern are activated by the shock wave and immediately attack. 9. Pools of Plague: This sprawling cavern consists largely of pools of magical waste created by Ketheptis’s efforts to produce the perfect contagion. The ponds are fi lled to overfl owing with swirling black fog or brackish green ooze, and they are lined with treacherous icy walkways. Even moving at half speed, anyone navigating a walkway must succeed on a DC 25 Balance check (DC 30 if moving at full speed) or tumble into a pool. Anyone falling into a pool is blinded and takes 1d4 points of damage to all ability scores every round as her skin festers, blood boils, eyes melt, and spirit wanes (Fortitude DC 25 negates). On a central island of solid ice are stored some of Ketheptis’s dreadful concoctions. A cauldron of sweetsmelling, reddish brown intoxicant renders any who imbibe it permanently insane (as the insanity spell) and subjects it to a continuous rage effect (Fortitude DC 20 negates). Another vat brims with a green slime variant that eats skin and bone and paralyzes any humanoid it comes into contact with (Fortitude DC 25 negates). Ketheptis’s most promising experiment is a simple tray of fi ne white powder that renders anyone who comes into contact with it permanently infertile (nothing short of a miracle or wish reverses this effect). The dragon hopes to create a variant of this powder with which to seed clouds, thus creating a sterilizing rain that will make all drow caught in the storm unable to propagate their hideous race. 10. The Bloodworks: The floor of this chamber is dark red ice, and the sound of dripping liquid echoes from within. The desiccated corpses of dozens of drow hang from the stone ceiling here, horrible exsanguination pumps attached to their veins and arteries. The last few precious drops of their blood spatter upon the center of the chamber. The floor is composed entirely of frozen blood, harvested from hundreds of drow captives. 11. Tomb of Dekaraz: Beneath the Bloodworks rests the frozen coffi n of Dekaraz. The Qabralin exile rests here, using his gaseous form ability to seep through a passage filled with porous ice to one of the poison pools in area 9. The vampire can heat the frozen blood above his crypt to recover faster after battle, or to bolster himself with temporary hit points before a fray. DEKARAZ CR 16 Male vampire elf necromancer 14 LE Medium undead (augmented humanoid) Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +16, Spot +16 Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Elven, Giant, Mabran AC 26, touch 20, fl at-footed 21 (+5 Dex, +6 natural, +5 defl ection) hp 96 (14 HD); DR 10/silver and magic, fast healing 5 Immune undead immunities Resist cold 10, electricity 10; turn resistance +4 Fort +6, Ref +11, Will +11 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); spider climb Melee +3 frost dagger +15/+10 (1d4+7 plus 1d6 cold) or slam +12 (1d6+4 plus 2 negative levels) Base Atk +7; Grp +11 Atk Options Combat Refl exes, Dodge, Weapon Finesse, blood drain, energy drain, magic strike Special Actions children of the night, dominate (DC 21) Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 14th): 7th—fi nger of death (DC 26), maximized ice storm, spell turning, waves of exhaustion 6th—chain lightning (DC 25), eyebite (DC 25), maximized vampiric touch (+11 melee touch), true seeing 5th—blight (DC 24), cloudkill (DC 22), cone of cold (DC 22), prying eyes, teleport 4th—bestow curse (DC 23), contagion (DC 23), enervation (+12 ranged touch), fear (DC 23), maximized magic missile, stoneskin 3rd—arcane sight, dispel magic (2), fi reball (DC 20), fl y, nondetection, vampiric touch (+11 melee touch) 2nd—blindness/deafness (DC 21), false life, fog cloud, resist energ y (fi re), see invisibility, spectral hand, spider climb 620_95729_Ch4.indd 149 7/20/07 11:03:29 AM
