Arcane Heists

by gq69

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Arcane Heists

Swashbuckle your way through exotic locales as you and your party execute dangerous heists. Every heist is a rescue mission to save yourselves.


The immortal being Sollus the Many has reincarnated into different forms countless times across the aeons. Having unlocked powers of time manipulation, they've orchestrated events such that dozens of their reincarnations are all born at the same time. It's only a matter of time until each reincarnation unlocks memories of their past, and can join Sollus the Many to achieve total spiritual enlightenment.

Unfortunately, Sollus the Many has been imprisoned in a secret, impregnable lair, and most of their reincarnations have been kidnapped by evil yugoloth mercenaries. It's up to you to rescue these reincarnations one by one so they can all become their true selves. And, hey, maybe you'll find yourselves, too, along the way.

How? By planning a series of elaborate heists.

Book Details

Sources

The following publications are referenced in this book. In-text page references for Arcane Heists use the abbreviation "AH". You can find the abbreviations for the other books below.

Sourcebook Publisher Abbreviation Required
Player's Handbook Wizards of the Coast PHB Yes
Monster Manual Wizards of the Coast MM Yes
Dungeon Master's Guide Wizards of the Coast DMG Yes
Elemental Evil Player's Companion Wizards of the Coast EE Yes
OUTCLASSED: The NPC Statblock Compendium Will Rotor NPC Optional
Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes Wizards of the Coast MTF Optional
Xanathar's Guide to Everything Wizards of the Coast XGE Optional

Please support WOTC by purchasing PHB, MM, and DMG.

Credits

Author Contribution
Adventure Bundles The Tranquil Prison
P.J. Pirrello In Remembrance
T.M. van Dalen Mine-Work Make-Work
Anonymous The Crimson Terror of Yenneth
Chopper German Sawtooth
William Rotor Most of the rest of the book!
Artist Pages
Tithi Luadthuong 1, 2, 13, 15, 52, 54-55, 64-65, 82, 84, 89-90, 92, 98-99, 105-108, 114-115, 119, 136, 138, 140, 144-145, 149, 168, 170-171
BlueCrayola 1, 48, 77
Solarseven 4
Liu Zishan 6, 88, 110, 120, 155, 158
William Rotor 18, 57, 58, 60-61, 63, 70-76, 78-81, 83-84, 111, 147, 150
Iosif Chezan 53
Artist Pages
Natali Art Collections 81
T.M. van Dalen 83, 141, 143
P.J. Pirrello 83, 130, 133
Ede László 93, 126-127, 129, 132
Iurii 95
Aranga87 116, 121
Khius 117, 125
Fran_kie 122
Art Furnace 137, 156, 169
Kerem Gogus 146, 148, 150
Bhooparva 154
Estevez 155
Corona Borealis Studio 157
Oleg Ivchenko 159
Anna Anikina 162
SimpleB 163
K3Star 163
James Cole 164, 168
Boscorelli 176
Agsandrew 179
Warm Tail 180
Bruce Rolff 182






"At what point does the I get separated from the we?"

-- The Nameless One, Planescape: Torment

Table of Contents

Part 1: Adventure Background AH 6
      How to Use This Book AH 7
      Foreword AH 8
      Dramatis Personae AH 9
      The Opalescents AH 10
      Planar Travel AH 12
      Heists AH 14
Part 2: Friends and Foes AH 15
      Statblock Index AH 16
      The Seven Heavens of Sollus the Dead AH 18
      Denizens of The Reef AH 21
      Yugoloths AH 25
      Reef Creatures AH 35
      Unique Heist Statblocks AH 39
      Orzeg's Vinchies AH 45
      Voidships AH 47
Part 3: Adventure Introduction AH 53
      Border
        by William Rotor
AH 54
      The Reef AH 65
Part 4: Heists AH 89
      Create Your Own Heist AH 90
      Escape from Gleaming Beacon
        by William Rotor
AH 92
      Void Pirates
        by William Rotor
AH 107
      The Tranquil Prison
        by Adventure Bundles
AH 116
      In Remembrance
        by P.J. Pirrello
AH 126
      Mine-Work Make-Work
        by T.M. van Dalen
AH 136
      Teetering Imbalance
        by William Rotor
AH 145
      The Crimson Terror of Yenneth
        by Anonymous
AH 154
      Sawtooth
        by Chopper German
AH 163
Part 5: Adventure Conclusion AH 169
      But Food for Worms
        by William Rotor
AH 170
      Denouement AH 184

PART 1

Adventure Background

How to Use This Book

Foreword

The Rundown

This is a collection of swashbuckling heist adventures for a party of 8th-and-above level characters. Different versions of the same person, the immortal Sollus the Many, have all been kidnapped by evil yugoloth mercenaries, and it's the party's job to elaborately plan a heist to rescue each one of them.

The party operates out of a secluded demiplane in the Border Ethereal known as The Reef, a sea of chaos and void within which powerful creatures and useful allies hide.

Similar to the book Candlekeep Mysteries, published by Wizards of the Coast, Arcane Heists collects heists written by a variety of contributors. These heists are intended to celebrate independent adventure writers in the D&D community, showcasing their unique writing style and talents.

Group Expectations

The recommended starting level for this adventure is 8th. This is meant to signal that your group should be well-versed in the rules and expectations of Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, and that the Dungeon Master should be confident and experienced. The adventures in this book all have different styles, which means a certain degree of flexibility will be needed to make the most of what they can offer.

It is recommended that each player has, on an individual level, cumulatively levelled characters up to at least 8th, and the DM has successfully run at least one major adventure of any kind.

High Concept

The overarching story that connects all the heists can be quite high concept and is best introduced to the players gradually over time, unlocking pieces as they go along based on their interactions with the NPCs in The Reef and the yugoloths they keep fighting. However, as a DM, you should probably skip straight to the last section, the Denouement, and read Sollus Ipsus the Many: The Tale of the Knotted Snake to get a better sense of what's actually going on.

Content Summary


  • Part 1: A list of key NPCs, a guide for the enemy faction The Opalescents, rules for planar travel and voidships, and special abilities players can use during heists.
  • Part 2: Loads of statblocks arranged as follows: The Seven Heavens of Sollus the Dead, Denizens of the Reef, Yugoloths, Reef Creatures, Unique Heist Statblocks, Orzeg's Vinchies, and Voidships.
  • Part 3: The first heist of the adventure, and a detailed description of The Reef, the party's base of operations.
  • Part 4: An anthology of heists created by various authors in the DnD adventure writing community.
  • Part 5: The final heist and a denouement that explains the backstory and what happens after the adventure.

Quirks of This Book

  • Read The Tale of the Knotted Snake (AH 179) first.
  • Most heists in this book are written by different authors in the DnD adventure writing community, and can have dramatically different styles. Every heist has a good mix of exploration, roleplay, and combat, but some are very socially focused, others are more like dungeon crawls, and still more are just plain weird, in the best way.
  • Each heist begins with a dramatic splash page introducing the title and author. On the second page of each adventure, you'll find an author information page, listing the author's bio, notable works, and social media. It also includes any additional credits associated with the adventure, primarily illustrators.
  • Some important NPCs have ties to factions in the Forgotten Realms. The Order of the Gauntlet, the Harpers, the Lords' Alliance, the Emerald Enclave, and the Zhentarim have faction representatives in the book.
  • The party has a base of operations, The Reef, where they can take a break between adventures and interact with a host of unique characters. Each character in the Reef offers a service to the party, such as clerical healing, adventurers' tools, or a space to conduct research, and the denizens of The Reef also frequently visit and interact with each other with or without the party.
  • The locations are all intended to be interesting, unique locations, locations which are difficult to reach through normal means. Instead, the party makes use of a few travel options to reach the location of each heist. Most likely, they'll use Thesea, a sentient ship that can create teleportation gates for herself. Thesea is an example of a voidship, a magical vehicle built to travel through the void of The Reef.
  • Every heist includes yugoloth guards, the Opalescents. Yugoloths are fiendish mercenaries. They are effectively immortal, able to resurrect themselves in only a few days, meaning that killing one is never permanent and the party will likely fight the same yugoloths many times throughout their adventures. The intent is that the party forms long-term adversarial relationships with these enemies.
  • The first heist is always the same: a prison break from a border realm where the party is introduced to the yugoloths, Sollus the Many, and the structure of coming up with and executing an elaborate plan to escape. Similarly, the last heist is always the same: the party blasts through the walls of a secure prison facility and rescues the original Sollus the Many from their torment. Successfully rescuing Sollus the Many means the end of the campaign.
  • Other than the first and last heist (Border and But Food for Worms), the heists can be completed in any order the party chooses, and in any number they are happy with. It is not necessary to complete every heist, and there is no recommended order. You're free to do whatever you like!
  • Anything from this book not mentioned to have been created by another author was created by William Rotor.

Dramatis Personae

The Seven Heavens of Sollus the Dead

Sollus Ipsus the Many is an eternal, timeless being, forever cursed to reincarnate into new bodies with all memories wiped. Due to some time-travel shenanigans, it just so happens that a huge number of these reincarnations are alive at the same time, and they are starting to become aware of who they truly are.

One such reincarnation was Slarmfell, a powerful wizard who was a key member of the Lords' Alliance. The wizard learned of Sollus' true location: locked away in the depths of an impregnable secret prison in the Great Unknown. If he can gather enough reincarnations of Sollus to work together to create a machine that will burrow through the Border Ethereal defenses, he can rescue his true self, become one, and finally put an end to the suffering.

Unfortunately, Slarmfell was captured by yugoloths while he defended the city of Waterdeep. The yugoloths whisked him away to planes unknown, tortured him, and eventually killed him, though his memory lives on through magical remnants of who he once was.

The following characters are all fractured remnants of Slarmfell who carry on his mission for him posthumously.


  • Simulacrasollus. (sim-yoo-LACK-ra-SAUL-us) A semi-perfect replica of Slarmfell created through the spell simulacrum. He is made out of snow and is painfully aware of his limited time, for he cannot heal or repair his quickly-degrading body nor learn new spells to slow his decline.
  • Illusosollus. (il-LOO-zoh-SAUL-us) An axiomatically-minded illusion of Slarmfell created through the spell programmed illusion and enhanced with other types of magic. He contains a database of important information and acts as a coordinator for The Reef, the base of operations for the mission.
  • Skelesollus. (SKEL-oh-SAUL-us) Slarmfell's skeletal remains, reanimated with necromancy. Obeys simple commands and doesn't tend to think for itself.
  • Crawllus. (CRAUL-us) Slarmfell's severed hand, reanimated with necromancy. Crawllus is deeply protective of Skelesollus, but will serve as a familiar with some goading.
  • Will-o'-Sollus. (WIL-oh-SAUL-us) Fragments of Slarmfell's soul recollected in a ghostly border demiplane in the form of a glowing wisp. Part of the very soul of Sollus the Many.
  • Spectrasollus. (SPEK-tra-SAUL-us) A ghastly apparition created from the emotional agony of Slarmfell's torture by the arcanaloth Orzeg. Persists only in pursuit of revenge.
  • Shadowsollus. (SHA-doh-SAUL-us) Slarmfell's shadow, ripped from his body and twisted into a creature of darkness, a servant to its ultroloth master Broken Opal.

Denizens of The Reef

The Reef is a demiplane connected to the Border Ethereal, where creatures of all variety congregate. It has been turned into a base of operations for the reincarnations of Sollus the Many who hope to work together to rescue the original Sollus. The Reef is used for other purposes as well, and quite a few independent souls have made their home here.


  • Thesea. (THEE-see-a) A sassy sentient voidship with teleportation powers, ready and willing to assist the party.
  • Gaundr. (GAUN-der) A salamander blacksmith sought after by the forces of evil for her skill at her forge.
  • Pythagoras. (py-THA-ger-us) A rogue tridrone who has built a massive three-dimensional printing machine.
  • Narcissa. (nar-SISS-a) A princess of the arch devil Mammon. She disobeyed her father and became a cleric of Levistus. Through Levistus she has answered Sollus' cries for help from Tartarus.
  • Yaukiss. (YAUK-iss) A disgraced githyanki knight who has collected a large assortment of magic items in his travels through the planes. He hides in The Reef rather than face his misdeeds.
  • Alexandria. (al-ik-ZAN-dree-a) A librarian marut who teleported her entire library into The Reef rather than let it fall into the wrong hands.
  • Binterkell. (BIN-ter-kel) A trinket-collecting coin-vomiting sprite from the Feywild who will buy basically anything the party offers.
  • Aries. (AIR-eez) A half-dragon artificer who used to be a professional voidship engineer before she rescued Thesea from being mulched and fled to The Reef.
  • Ariadne. (air-ee-AUD-nee) A githyanki craftswoman who disobeyed her queen and now obsessively seeks new skills to master.
  • Quinobi. (kee-NOH-bee) A githzerai spiritual teacher who conscientiously objected to his people's warmongering ways.
  • Achilles. (a-KIL-eez) An incubus of bloodthirst, former quartermaster from the Blood War.
  • Karen. (KAIR-un) A yugoloth defector, a merrenoloth who offers her ferry services and information about the other yugoloths to the party.

Opalescents

The ultroloth Broken Opal has been paid to attend to an important mission: guard the various reincarnations of Sollus the Many across the afterlife. Make sure they cannot be brought together. To achieve this end, Broken Opal has been assigned leadership over a troupe of lesser yugoloths, each with their own strange quirks.

Yugoloths cannot be permanently killed; they invariably return from Perdition to fight another day. This means that the Opalescents will likely form long-term adversarial relationships with the party.

The Opalescents are listed in order of seniority.


  • Broken Opal. (BROH-kun OH-pul) Ultroloth. Brains of the operation. Avid chess player. Likes mind games. Studies the tactics of the party for ways to overcome them. Never gets her hands dirty, always trying to be the last one alive if she is even fighting at all. On her big forehead she has a tattoo of the Queen piece of chess. More secretly, she also has a tattoo of the knotted snake that she has no memory of receiving, though she believes with every fibre of her being that this is just a coincidence.
  • Zigazan the Boiler. (ZIG-a-zan) Oinoloth. Rarely seen, extremely dangerous. He is a fallen ultroloth. His skin has turned translucent and fluids have built up under each boil. He generally travels to places the party has been spotted and infects the entire region with a terrible plague until the denizens tell him what happened.
  • Rorknir. (ROARK-neer) Yagnoloth. Contract writer. Often seen as the negotiator with other planar beings for yugoloth protection against the party. She prefers not to fight, but if she does fight, she does so by relentlessly criticising the party for breaching implied contracts. She wears a purple cape.
  • Orzeg. (OR-zeg) Arcanoloth. The interrogator for each version of Sollus. Does not like torture but isn't afraid to exercise it now and then as a reminder that she is not your friend. Many versions of Sollus have painful reminders of the spells Orzeg has experimented on them with. Her spellbook is a bloodthirsty mimic book that drools at the prospect of dangerous magic; it gives her suggestions constantly.
  • Queen Ursula McVale. (ER-suh-la mik-VAIL) Nycaloth. Originally a beautiful and terrible human queen who plunged her kingdom into war. She was corrupted by greed and was transformed when her people revolted against her, banishing her to the afterlife. Ursula seeks to find one powerful enough to restore her at her throne in her kingdom and will avoid fights if the party brings her symbols of royalty.
  • Tirikan. (TEER-ee-kan) Nycaloth. Extremely proud. Looking for his most evenly matched opponent. Will cycle through party members to test each of them, and when he finds someone he likes, he'll challenge them to 1 on 1 duels to help him improve his fighting capabilities.
  • Beck. (BEK) Canoloth. Loyal companion to Tirikan. He can lock onto someone's scent and detect their location, even across different planes of existence. Luckily, it seems like The Reef is safe.
  • Toda. (TOAD-a) Hydroloth. Toda is Karen's manager, always annoyed at her seeming laziness. Luckily for her, he is easy to bribe and quite stupid. He's wising up a bit, however, and it's only a matter of time until he stumbles on the truth.
  • Ral'Romon. (ral-ruh-MON) Gachaloth. Spy and shock trooper, alliance always in question.
  • Karen. (KAIR-un) Merrenoloth. Secretly working against the other yugoloths. Allied with the party.

  • Kegnoth. (KEG-noth) Dhergoloth. Extremely stubborn. She will hyperfocus on whoever killed her last and keep throwing herself head first into that person. She has a thick skull -- literally -- poking through the skin over her scalp.
  • Caraxus. (ka-RAK-sus) Mezzoloth. Extremely keen sense for the leader of the group. Tries to get everyone else to question the leader. Leadership in Caraxus' eyes is not a right but a responsibility; he will respect a leader that actually motivates those underneath them even if it means less glory for themselves. The strongest need not lead: only the wisest. The contradiction of Caraxus' obsessions with what it means to be a leader and his total powerlessness in the yugoloth hierarchy goes completely over his head.
  • Organus. (or-GAN-us) Mezzoloth. Huge bully. Will only target one character even if it puts him at a disadvantage. Constantly makes fun of his target with petty schoolyard insults. Indigo blue skin.
  • Other Yugoloths. Also at Broken Opal's disposal are cannon fodder yugoloths like skereloths (pathetic wimps) and voorloths (agile shock troopers). She uses corruptoloths liberally to turn the odds in her favour, and piscoloths when she really wants to deal irreparable damage to everything in the immediate area.

Other Notable Beings


  • Sollus Ipsus the Many. (SAUL-us IP-sus) Little is known about Sollus' true identity, only that they are locked away in an impregnable prison and have somehow managed to get their soul reincarnated into dozens of people simultaneously through time travel.
  • Shaundakul. (SHAWN-da-kul) When travelling through the Border Ethereal, the party must deal with Shaundakul, a mysterious former god of travel, exploration, and discovery. Fallen from grace, the Rider of the Winds is now the caretaker of the Reef, appearing to those who wish to use it for planar travel. He appears as a wisened but strong old man with a great white beard and a robe of stars.
  • Asmodeus, Lord of the Nine. (az-muh-DAY-us) The devil of devils, Asmodeus has his claws in every scheme across the multiverse, always working towards the security of his station and the inexorable creep of his power over all of creation itself.
  • Queen Vlaakith of the Githyanki. (vla-KITH) The undead queen of the githyanki is an intensely powerful necromancer and a brutal tactician. She holds an entire demiplane together for her githyanki subjects where they work agelessly and tirelessly in her name.
  • Kierk the Guard. (KYERK) A powerful yugoloth acting as the warden of the prison dimension Tartarus. He is trapped in Tartarus just the same as his prisoners and has spent thousands of years absorbing their life experiences to train for the day when he might escape.

The Opalescents

Broken Opal made a mistake. A demonic incursion on Perdition left a hundred and fifty of her yugoloths dead, their souls destroyed, thousands of years of experiences erased. She has one chance to redeem herself. The incursion was not entirely her fault; Zigazan the Boiler should have been there to prevent it. The council of oinoloths have demoted Zigazan, put him under her command, and tasked the two of them with kidnapping and guarding reincarnations of Sollus of Many, for one of those demons bore his tattoo. Completing this task is a matter of pride. One final chance to demonstrate her strategic military mind. And if she fails ... well, she'll deserve what she gets.

Random Opalescents

Broken Opal's army of yugoloths, called the Opalescents, is now quite small after the demons scoured her forces. Many yugoloths left in the aftermath, as well, not confident with her ability to lead. Those who remain are her most loyal followers, or the most desperate to claw their way up to her position and take control themselves.

Roll randomly on the following table if you need a yugoloth in your heist.

d12 Opalescent
1 Broken Opal, ultroloth (MM 314, AH 25)
2 Caraxus, mezzoloth (MM 313, AH 5)
5 Kegnoth, dhergoloth (AH 26)
3 Organus, mezzoloth (MM 313)
4 Orzeg, arcanaloth (MM 313, AH 25) and 6 vinchies (AH 45)
6 Queen Ursula McVale, nycaloth (MM 314, AH 25)
8 Ral'Romon, gachaloth (AH 28)
7 Rorknir, yagnoloth (AH 27)
9 Tirikan, nycaloth (MM 314, AH 26) and Beck, canoloth (AH 26)
10 Toda, hydroloth (AH 29)
11 Zigazan the Boiler, oinoloth (AH 30)
12 Roll twice and take both results.

Other Opalescents


The merrenoloth Karen is also an Opalescent, but she does not participate in combat. Additionally, Broken Opal has the following generic yugoloths to round out her forces if she requires backup or extra muscle.

  • 4 mezzoloths (MM 313), 1d4 in an encounter
  • 12 skereloths (AH 32), 2d6 in an encounter
  • 6 corruptoloths (AH 31), 1d6 in an encounter
  • 4 voorloths (AH 32), 1d4 in an encounter
  • 2 piscoloths (AH 31), 1d2 in an encounter

Villain Moves

After each heist, roll for a villain move.

d8 Villain Move
1 Five Dimensional Chess
2 Planar Beacon
3 Search Party
4 Spider Among Termites
5 Astral Assassination
6 Devilish Equipment
7 Demonic Infusion
8 Logistics Management

  • 1: Five Dimensional Chess. Broken Opal spends sleepless nights on her balcony, brooding, thinking, and sipping whiskey. She switches the next incarnation of Sollus that the party encounters with an Opalescent under the effects of disguise self. Roll on the Random Opalescent table, rerolling for results that don't make sense.
  • 2: Planar Beacon. Broken Opal convinces a Great Oinoloth to pledge her the power to summon yugoloths from anywhere in the planes. Every Opalescent gains its variant summoning feature, if it has one (MM 313, 314), with 100% chance of a success for other Opalescents.
  • 3: Search Party. Broken Opal scours the border worlds to hunt for the party's base. Henceforth, when the party approaches The Reef after completing a heist, they run into a yugoloth meteorship patrolling the area; it doesn't know the exact location of The Reef, but it's closing in. Randomise the crew and passengers using the tables provided (AH 51), rerolling for results that don't make sense.
  • 4: Spider Among Termites. This problem has plagued Broken Opal for a while, but a minor slip up, a small inconsistency, blows the case wide open. She discovers that Karen has been feeding the party information. She kidnaps her and entrusts her with Orzeg. See Teetering Imbalance by William Rotor (AH 145).
  • 5: Astral Assassination. If she can't find The Reef, she'll bring it to her. Broken Opal lures an important NPC out of The Reef by playing to their flaws and then kills them. Choose an NPC that the players are attached to.
  • 6: Devilish Equipment. Broken Opal completes a contract for a devil, slaying a powerful demon. All Opalescents receive +2 weapons (DMG 213).
  • 7: Demonic Infusion. Broken Opal bathes in the blood of demons. Roll on the Wild Magic Surge table (PHB 104) for each Opalescent when it rolls initiative.
  • 8: Logistics Management. Broken Opal consults a logistics officer. Henceforth, add one more Opalescent to all Opalescent encounters. Roll on the Random Opalescents table, rerolling for results that don't make sense.

Planar Travel

Using the voidship Thesea to pass through the Reef and the Border Ethereal is the quickest and safest method of travel to the exotic locales included in this adventure collection. However, travel is not so easy, as these halfway places are protected by Shaundakul, The Rider of the Winds.

Gates

Planar gates are halfway spaces that glow with conjuration magic when observed with spells like detect magic. Passing through them has no effect; they must first be unlocked with a gate key.

If a traveller possesses a gate key, they can unlock the gate, allowing it to be used to travel between two set places as per the spell gate, i.e. passing through the "front" instantly transports a creature to a pre-set destination, spitting them out in an empty space within 5 feet of the exit. A gate key can re-lock a gate as well, preventing its use.

Gate keys are magic items that glow with abjuration magic when observed with spells like detect magic. The spell identify reveals an item to be a gate key, as well which gate it matches and which location it specifically leads to.

If you would like to create your own gate key to use in your adventures, simply roll on the trinket table (PHB 160-161).

Shaundakul

Using planar travel to get into or out of the Reef draws attention from The Rider of the Winds, Shaundakul, a fallen god of travel, exploration, and discovery. He appears as a wisened but strong old man with a great white beard and a robe of stars. Being a former divine being, Shaundakul has no statblock; he is immune to all forms of attack or influence. He is now the Gatekeeper of the Reef, and he demands that a sacrifice be made before a traveling party is granted entry or exit from this realm.

To make a sacrifice, the party satiates Shaundakul by expending a number of spell slots whose total value equals or exceeds 5 (for example, a 1st and 4th level spell slot). A character can choose to instead sacrifice 10 hit points as the equivalent of 1 value of spell slot. Any number of party members can contribute to feeding the portal, and it can be a combination of spell slots and hit points.

If Shaundakul is fed, the party can safely pass, reaching their destination. If Shaundakul is not satiated, he transports the party to a random location in the Material Plane of Toril.

Horizon Walkers

Horizon walker rangers have a class feature that allows them to innately locate planar gates. Give them a bone.

Subtle Knives

Hidden throughout the multiverse are knives forged of stardust whose blades are so fine they can cut through the fabric of existence itself.

Voidships

Drifting through the Reef, voidships dazzle onlookers with their sleek, aerodynamic designs and rippling auras of power and fear. Their hulls slice through the emptiness, and their magical wards protect all on board from the chaos that would otherwise threaten to disrupt their minds.

Voidships automatically create a breathable environment for all crew and passengers. While within an area of antimagic, or if the ship is reduced to 0 hit points, the ship can't change its speed, and crew and passengers suffocate.

Piloting a Voidship

To pilot a voidship, you need to be proficient in Vehicles (Void). Since this isn't a proficiency found in the Player's Handbook, a player can swap one tool proficiency for this one at the beginning of the adventure, as long as they can justify how their character learned it in the past.

Staying on course in the Reef requires a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception, Survival, or Vehicles (Void)) check. On a failed check, use the Reef random encounter table (AH 68) to determine what the party runs into.

When setting out on a journey through the Reef, roll 1d4; this is the number of weeks of travel it takes to arrive at the intended destination. The pilot must make the aforementioned navigation check once at the beginning of each week of travel, and for each week of travel, increase the DC of the navigation check by 1.


Subtle Knife

simple weapon (dagger), melee or ranged weapon, legendary, requires attunement

You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon, and it deals force damage instead of piercing damage.

While wielding the subtle knife, you can attempt a DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check to unlock a teleportation gate, stabbing through the gate's material with the dagger. On a failed attempt (or if you choose), the gate is destroyed. On a successful attempt, the gate is unlocked.

While attuned to this weapon, you can use it as a spellcasting focus to cast the following spells by expending charges. The dagger has 7 charges and regains 1d4 charges when its user enters a plane of existence they haven't reached before.

7 charges: plane shift
5 charges: teleport
3 charges: dimension door
1 charge: misty step

Voidship Statistics

A voidship has the following elements to its statblock that differ from a normal creature statblock.


  • Vehicle. Vehicles are objects; as such, unless the voidship is sentient, abilities that target creatures can't target a voidship.
  • Hit Points. Voidships have a damage threshold attached to their hit points. If the voidship takes fewer points of damage than its damage threshold, it instead takes 0 damage. If the damage threshold is reached, no damage is subtracted.
  • Speed. Voidships have three speeds: water, air, and void. Water speed determines how fast the ship travels on water; not all voidships have the capability to do so. Air speed determines how fast the ship travels while flying through an atmosphere. Void speed determines how fast the ship travels in the Reef and other environments that are mostly void. While in void, the voidship maintains its current speed and direction until the pilot changes it. Antimagic stops the pilot from changing speed or direction.
  • Initiative. Voidships act on their own initiative in combat. Since voidships don't have ability scores, their initiative is noted separately.
  • Ability Scores. Voidships aren't creatures; an array of ability scores doesn't make sense for them to have. Sentient voidships have ability scores, however.
  • Creature Capacity. A voidship only needs 1 crew (unless it's sentient, in which case it doesn't need any crew), but it's often worth having multiple people on board who have the capability to fly the ship in an emergency. The crew number determines the maximum number of people on board who can reasonably be given responsibility over the ship. As for passengers, this determines the maximum total number of (medium-sized) creatures that can reasonably fit on the ship at once, not including crew. A Large creature counts as 4 passengers, a Huge creature as 9, and Gargantuan creatures don't usually fit on a voidship.
  • Saves. Voidships automatically succeed on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws, unless they are sentient. The voidship must still make Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, the bonuses of which are listed on its statblock. If the voidship isn't piloted and isn't sentient, it automatically fails Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws.
  • Actions. A piloted or sentient voidship takes one action per turn. It can't use the same action two turns in a row. Some ships have multiattack; taking an action as part of multiattack does not prevent the ship from using that action on the next turn. For example, the skiff (AH 49) can fire two laser cannons as part of multiattack, and then fire one laser cannon on the next turn. Antimagic prevents the voidship from taking actions. Voidships can't take attacks of opportunity.

  • Crew and Passengers. Underneath each statblock, a suggestion for creatures to populate the crew and passengers is included. These are suggestions; you can populate the voidship as you like.
  • Healing. Casting the spell mending on a voidship heals it by 1 hit point, as does 10 minutes of work by a trained shipwright. If the voidship is reduced to 0 hit points, its magic is permanently lost. Only a wish can restore it.
Sentient Voidships

Most voidships are merely vehicles. Sure, they are warded with powerful magic and propelled through the void with nothing but wishes and dreams, but if you tore them apart, you'd find only wood, metal, and simple charms.

In rare cases, however, a voidship possesses a living soul. This soul can be gifted to the ship by a god impressed by its resilience, or it may manifest spontaneously after a particularly harrowing experience.

Two sentient voidships are included in this adventure: the ghostly wraithship, and the friendly Thesea.

Voidships are creatures, rather than objects, though they have a (vehicle) tag to indicate that all effects targeting vehicles can also target them. They have ability scores as creatures do. Most sentient voidships can also cast spells or have other magical abilities. A sentient voidship requires no crew and can travel independently if it so chooses.

Heists

Make a plan, watch as it crumbles, implement the perfect Plan B, watch as that crumbles too, and improvise a hasty solution on the fly that leads to a daring escape from the wreckage. This is the way of the cat burglar. And now, my son, the technique passes to you.


Make copies of this page for each player. Hand them out.

Backup Plans

Before setting forth on a heist, your party has completed extensive research into how they will tackle the challenges ahead. They cannot have accounted for all scenarios, but they'll be well prepared for a few.

To represent this, you have "backup plans" at your disposal during a heist, which any player can call upon at any time. Follow the steps below.

  1. Realize you're in a bit of a pickle.
  2. Choose one of the following backup plans. Once any member of the party has used a backup plan, the same backup plan can't be used again until the next heist.
  3. Roleplay a brief 20-second flashback scene of your character anticipating what would happen and preparing accordingly. Make yourself look smart as hell.
  4. Work with the DM to describe the results.

  • I Knew This Would Happen. One of the helpful NPCs from the Reef has magically assisted your anticipation of this exact eventuality, allowing you to immediately cast any spell from your list of spells known, even if you don't have it prepared, without spending an action or spell slot.
  • Good Thing I Brought This Along Just in Case. You produce any mundane item you require and have advantage on the first ability check you make using it in the next minute.
  • It Was a Fake the Whole Time. You have a duplicate of any magical or nonmagical item featured in the heist, including any necessary casting of Nystul's magic aura to sell the ruse. Duplicates of magic items have no real magical power. You decide who currently has the fake, even if it doesn't logically make sense.
  • You Really Had Me Going There. You secretly struck a deal with one of the bad guys. This is almost certainly begrudging and temporary. The bad guy acts in a way that is conducive to you completing the heist, though they will refuse to harm their allies. You might now owe them a favour.
  • No Room for Error. Sometimes things just have to go right. Use this backup plan when you make a saving throw or ability check to score 20 on the roll, no questions asked.

Opportunities

Once during a heist, every character can take one opportunity. At any point, no matter what else is going on at the time, you can choose one of the following opportunities. You determine when the opportunity becomes available to you, even if it doesn't logically fit in with the current scenario.


  • Forbidden Knowledge. You learn one dangerous secret. The DM determines the nature of this secret and should refer to the Denouement (AH 169) for a full explanation of what's going on behind the scenes.
  • Untold Riches. You uncover a Challenge 5-10 Treasure Hoard (DMG 133-136).
  • The Finest Blade. You discover a subtle knife (AH 12).

Ruination

Once, during a heist, when you fail an ability check or saving throw, you can declare that your intricate plans have been ruined to gain one use of Ruination. Ruination doesn't require an action. You must use Ruination within 1 hour or else it is wasted.


Ruination. Instead of rolling an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you flip a coin. On a result of Tails, you score 20 on the roll you would have made. On a result of Heads, you score 1.

Keeping Track

Use the table below to keep track of which heist options you still have available.

Heist Option Used in the Current Heist?

Backup Plan

Opportunity

Ruination

PART 2

Friends and Foes

Statblock Index

The following statblocks refer to named characters and monsters created for this adventure.

Name Page
Achilles AH 21
Airship AH 47
Alexandria AH 22
Ariadne AH 22
Aries AH 23
Beck AH 26
Binterkell MM 253, AH 75
Bloodspatter AH 39
Broken Opal MM 314, AH 25
Captain Quasar AH 42
Caraxus MM 313, AH 25
Chest of the Knotted Snake MM 220, AH 114
Corruptoloth AH 31
Crawllus MM 44, AH 19
Erronys Resistance AH 38
Gaundr MM 266, AH 70
Gimlen MM 347 or NPC 187, AH 138
Githyanki Brig AH 49
Githyanki Skiff AH 49
Harpy Matron AH 43
Illusosollus AH 19
Karen AH 25
Karen's Gondola AH 47
Kegnoth AH 26
Kierk the Guard AH 34
Leonardo AH 45
Modron Conveyer AH 50
Mountain Titan AH 43
Narcissa AH 23
Nautiloid AH 50
Oozeloth AH 33
Organus MM 313, AH 25
Orym the Alarmed MM 342, AH 122
Orzeg MM 313, AH 25
Oskhar AH 40
Pascorpticon AH 46
Name Page
Penny Featherlight MM 214, AH 95
Piscoloth AH 31
Pythagoras MM 225, AH 71
Queen Ursula McVale MM 314, AH 25
Quinobi AH 24
Ral'Romon AH 28
Reef Clownfish AH 35
Reef Eel AH 35
Reef Megalodon AH 36
Reef Octopus AH 36
Reef Stingray AH 37
Reef Whale AH 37
Rorknir AH 27
Seerloth AH 33
Serpasollus MM 214, AH 128
Shadowsollus AH 20
Simulacrasollus AH 19
Skelesollus AH 20
Skereloth AH 32
Spectrasollus MM 147, AH 19
Supermassive Black Hole AH 52
Sword Sprinter AH 44
Thesea AH 48
Tirikan MM 314, AH 26
Toda AH 29
Vinchy AH 45
Vizea AH 40
Void Pirate AH 41
Void Pirate Mate AH 41
Void Pirate Sorcerer AH 42
Voorloth AH 32
Will-o'-Sollus MM 301, AH 19
Wraithship AH 51
Yaukiss AH 24
Ynthriss AH 44
Yugoloth Meteorship AH 51
Zenh AH 39
Zigazan the Boiler AH 30

The following statblocks are from officially released publications, including statblocks that were adapted for NPCs; for example, Alexandria's statblock is based on the marut from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes.

Name Page
Aboleth MM 13
Air Elemental MM 124
Arcanaloth MM 313
Astral Dreadnought MTF 117
Attuner NPC 187
Basilisk MM 24
Camel MM 320
Canaloth MTF 247
Cockatrice MM 42
Commoner MM 344
Couatl MM 43
Crab MM 320
Crawling Claw MM 44
Cyclops MM 45
Deva MM 16
Dhergoloth MTF 248
Dire Wolf MM 321
Displacer Beast MM 81
Duodrone MM 225
Earth Elemental MM 124
Elephant MM 322
Erinyes MM 73
Fire Elemental MM 125
Fire Snake MM 265
Flameskull MM 134
Flumph MM 135
Gas Spore MM 138
Gibbering Mouther MM 157
Ghost MM 147
Giant Ape MM 323
Githyank Knight MM 160
Githyanki Warrior MM 160
Gnoll MM 163
Gray Ooze MM 243
Harpy MM 181
Hell Hound MM 182
Hydraloth MTF 249
Incubus MM 285
Intellect Devourer MM 191
Name Page
Knight MM 347
Mage MM 347
Marut MTF 213
Medusa MM 214
Merreneloth MTF 250
Mezzoloth MM 313
Mimic MM 220
Mind Flayer MM 222
Mind Flayer Arcanist MM 222
Monodrone MM 224
Mummy MM 228
Nycaloth MM 314
Oinoloth MTF 251
Otyugh MM 248
Pegasus MM 250
Pentadrone MM 226
Pixie MM 253
Planetar MM 17
Priest MM 348
Quadrone MM 226
Quasit MM 63
Red Slaad MM 276
Saber-toothed Tiger MM 336
Salamander MM 226
Shadow MM 269
Skeleton MM 272
Sprite MM 283
Tridrone MM 225
Ultroloth MM 314
Unicorn MM 294
Veteran MM 350
Vrock MM 64
Water Elemental MM 125
Wereboar MM 209
Will-o'-Wisp MM 301
Wraith MM 302
Xorn MM 304
Yagnoloth MTF 252
Young Red Dragon MM 98

The Seven Heavens of Sollus the Dead


Simulacrasollus

Medium construct, neutral good


  • Armor Class 11
  • Hit Points 40 (18d8 halved)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
-3 +1 +0 +4 +0 +0

  • Senses passive Perception 10
  • Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Dwarvish, Elvish, Gith, Infernal

Antimagic Susceptibility. If Simulacrasollus enters a field of antimagic, such as that created by the spell antimagic, or is targeted with dispel magic, he is destroyed.

Simulacrum. Simulacrasollus can regain hit points only through the spell mending or through one hour of careful repair work in an alchemical laboratory. These methods require the expenditure of materials; Simulacrasollus regains 1 hit point per 1 gp of materials used. If Simulacrasollus drops to 0 hit points, he is destroyed, melting into a puddle of mushy snow.

Spellcasting. Simulacrasollus is an 18th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). He has the following wizard spells memorised, which he can cast without a spellbook. Simulacrasollus can't regain spell slots or learn new spells.

Cantrips (at will): blade ward, friends, prestidigitation, ray of frost, true strike
1st level (2 slots): comprehend languages, detect magic, false life, identify, illusory script
2nd level (3 slots): blur, gentle repose, invisibility
3rd level (1 slot): blink, feign death
4th level (2 slots): locate creature
5th level (3 slots): creation, dream, legend lore, mislead
6th level (1 slot): true seeing
7th level (0 slots): Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion, plane shift, simulacrum
8th level (0 slots): demiplane
9th level (0 slots): astral projection, gate

Actions

Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: -1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 cold damage.


Illusosollus

neutral


  • Armor Class --
  • Hit Points --
  • Speed --

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
-- -- -- +10 +0 +0

  • Damage Immunities all damage
  • Condition Immunities all conditions
  • Skills Arcana +14, Dragon Chess +14, History +14
  • Senses passive Perception 10
  • Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Dwarvish, Elvish, Gith, Infernal

Antimagic Susceptibility. If Illusosollus enters a field of antimagic, such as that created by the spell antimagic, or is targeted with dispel magic, he is destroyed.

Illusion. Illusosollus is invisible to any creature that relies on truesight or non-visual senses, such as smell or blindsight, to perceive him. He can't physically interact with the world.

Photographic Memory. Illusosollus can perfectly recall everything he has perceived and all knowledge he has obtained.

Actions

Materialise. Illusosollus appears anywhere in The Reef.

Crawllus

Crawllus is represented by the crawling claw (MM 44) statblock.

Will-o'-Sollus

Will-o'-Sollus is represented by the will-o'-wisp (MM 301) statblock.

Spectrasollus

Spectrasollus is represented by the ghost (MM 147) statblock.


Shadowsollus

Medium undead, neutral evil


  • Armor Class 12
  • Hit Points 195 (30d8 + 60)
  • Speed 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
-2 +3 +2 +0 +0 +2

  • Skills Stealth +9
  • Damage Vulnerabilities radiant
  • Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
  • Languages understands Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Dwarvish, Elvish, Gith, and Infernal, but can't speak
  • Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Amorphous. Shadowsollus can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Bright Light Weakness. While in bright light, Shadowsollus has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.

Innate Spellcasting. Shadowsollus' innate spellcasting ability is Constitution (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). He can cast the following spells innately.

At will: darkness
1/day each: eyebite, hunger of Hadar, spirit guardians (evil shades that deal necrotic damage)

Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, Shadowsollus can take the Hide action as a bonus action.

Actions

Strength Drain. Melee Spell Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 17 (4d6 + 3) necrotic damage, and the target's Strength score is reduced by 2d4. The target dies if this reduces its Strength to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. If a humanoid with a shadow dies from this attack, a shadow (MM 269) rises from the corpse immediately.


Skelesollus

Medium undead, neutral


  • Armor Class 12
  • Hit Points 26 (4d8 + 8)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
-3 +2 +2 -1 -1 -3

  • Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
  • Languages understands Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Dwarvish, Elvish, Gith, and Infernal, but can't speak

Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces Skelesollus to 0 hit points, he must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, Skelesollus drops to 1 hit point instead.

Actions

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: -1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 bludgeoning damage.

Denizens of the Reef



Achilles

Medium fiend, neutral evil


  • Armor Class 17 (breastplate)
  • Hit Points 66 (12d8 + 12)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+3 +3 +1 +2 +1 +5

  • Skills Insight +6, Perception +6, Persuasion +10
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, poison; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
  • Languages Common, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.

Magic Weapons. All weapons become +3 magic weapons while wielded by Achilles.

Master of Weapons. Achilles can magically equip and unequip his weapons without requiring an action.

Telepathic Bond. Achilles ignores the range restriction on his telepathy when communicating with a creature he has charmed. The two don't even need to be on the same plane of existence.

Actions

Multiattack. Achilles makes two weapon attacks.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.

Mace of Demonbane. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a demon, it takes an additional 10 (3d6) force damage. If the demon has 25 hit points or fewer after taking this damage, it must succeed on a DC 21 Charisma saving throw or be killed instantly.

Pike. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d10 + 6) piercing damage.

Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d8 + 6) piercing damage.

Charm. One humanoid Achilles can see within 30 feet of him must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed for 1 day. The charmed target treats Achilles' words as the advice of a trusted expert. If the target receives a suicidal suggestion, the effect ends. If the target successfully saves against the effect, or if the effect on it ends, the target is immune to Achilles' charm for the next 7 days. Achilles can have only one target charmed at a time. If he charms another, the effect on the previous target ends.


Mace of Demonbane

simple weapon (mace), melee weapon, very rare

When you hit a demon with this magical mace, it takes an additional 10 (3d6) force damage. If the demon has 25 hit points or fewer after taking this damage, it must succeed on a DC 20 Charisma saving throw or be killed instantly.

You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.


Alexandria

Large construct, lawful neutral


  • Armor Class 22 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 216 (16d10 + 128)
  • Speed 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+9 +1 +8 +4 +2 +0

  • Saving Throws Int +9, Wis +7, Cha +5
  • Skills Insight +7, Investigation +9, Perception +7
  • Damage Resistances thunder; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities charmed, paralyzed, poisoned
  • Senses truesight 30 ft., passive Perception 17
  • Languages all

Aura of Truth. Alexandria automatically extends a magical aura out to 30 feet. While within her aura, a creature that tells a lie takes 20 force damage and is stunned until the end of Alexandria's next turn.

Immutable Form. Alexandria is immune to any spell or effect that would alter her form.

Magic Resistance. Alexandria has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Unerring Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: automatic hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 30 force damage, and the target is pushed up to 5 feet away from Alexandria if it is Huge or smaller.


Ariadne

Medium humanoid (githyanki), neutral


  • Armor Class 13
  • Hit Points 36 (8d8)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+1 +3 +0 +3 +2 +0

  • Skills Acrobatics +5, Alchemist's Supplies +5, Animal Handling +4, Brewer's Supplies +5, Calligrapher's Supplies +5, Cobbler's Tools +5, Dragon's Dice +5, Glassblower's Tools +5, Flute +5, History +5, Jeweler's Tools +5, Leatherworker's Tools +5, Lute +5, Lyre +5, Medicine +4, Nature +5, Navigator's Tools +5, Painter's Supplies +5, Performance +2, Sleight of Hand +5, Survival +4, Thieves' Tools +5, Tinker's Tools +5, Vehicles (Land, Sea, Void) +5, Viol +5, Woodcarver's Tools +5
  • Senses passive Perception 12
  • Languages Common, Gith

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). Ariadne's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components.

At will: mage hand (the hand is invisible)
3/day each: jump, misty step
1/day: telekinesis

Jack of All Trades. When Ariadne makes an ability check relying on a skill or a tool she does not have proficiency with, she adds +1 to the result.

Actions

Welding Flame. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) fire damage.


Aries

Medium humanoid (dragonborn), neutral


  • Armor Class 12
  • Hit Points 45 (7d8 + 14)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+2 +2 +2 +3 +0 +2

  • Skills Tinker's Tools +7, Woodcarver's Tools +7, Smith's Tools +7
  • Damage Resistances fire
  • Senses passive Perception 10
  • Languages Common, Draconic, Elvish

Spellcasting. Aries is a 4th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). She knows the following artificer spells.

Cantrips (at will): light, mending
1st level (4 slots): absorb elements, grease, identify, jump
2nd level (3 slots): continual flame, enhance ability, pyrotechnics

Actions

Light Hammer. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage.

Fire Breath (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). Aries breathes fire in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.


Narcissa

Medium humanoid (tiefling), neutral evil


  • Armor Class 18 (Tomb of Levistus)
  • Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+0 +2 +2 +0 +3 +3

  • Skills Deception +6, History +3, Religion +3
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
  • Languages Common, Infernal

Innate Spellcasting. Narcissa's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +6 to hit with spell attacks). She can cast the following spells innately.

At will: ray of frost, thaumaturgy
1/day each: armor of agathys (2nd level), hellish rebuke (deals cold damage)

Spellcasting. Narcissa is a 10th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). She knows the following cleric spells.

Cantrips (at will): guidance, mending, resistance, spare the dying
1st level (4 slots): create or destroy water, cure wounds, detect evil and good, inflict wounds
2nd level (3 slots): augury, gentle repose, prayer of healing
3rd level (3 slots): bestow curse, create food and water, protection from energy, revivify, sleet storm
4th level (3 slots): death ward, freedom of movement, ice storm
5th level (2 slots): cone of cold, greater restoration, mass cure wounds, raise dead

Tomb of Levistus. Narcissa's armor class becomes 18 if it isn't already higher.

Actions

Rapier of Levistus. Melee or Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) cold damage. This is a +3 magic weapon that melts when wielded by anyone other than Narcissa. If it is melted, she can reform the weapon as a bonus action at will.

Reactions

Parry. Narcissa adds 3 to her AC against one melee attack that would hit her. To do so, she must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.


Quinobi

Medium humanoid (githzerai), neutral good


  • Armor Class 13
  • Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+3 +3 +2 +2 +5 +2

  • Skills Athletics +4, History +4, Insight +7, Persuasion +4
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
  • Senses passive Perception 12
  • Languages Common, Gith

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). Quinobi's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components.

At will: mage hand (the hand is invisible), levitate (self only)
3/day each: enhance ability, shield
1/day: augury

Psychically-Enhanced Weapons. As a bonus action, Quinobi empowers his cobalt blade, which ripples with psychic energy. While empowered, it becomes a +2 magic weapon that emits bright light out to 5 feet and dim light for 5 feet beyond that. Quinobi can end the empowerment at any time.

Actions

Multiattack. Quinobi makes two attacks with his cobalt blade.

Cobalt Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage.

Cobalt Blade (Empowered). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) radiant damage.


Yaukiss

Medium humanoid (gith), neutral


  • Armor Class 18 (plate)
  • Hit Points 91 (14d8 + 28)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+4 +2 +2 +3 +2 +2

  • Saving Throws Con +5, Int +6, Wis +5
  • Skills Deception +5, Glassblower's Tools +6, History +6, Perception +5
  • Senses passive Perception 15
  • Languages Common, Duskrise, Gith

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). Yaukiss' innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components.

At will: mage hand (the hand is invisible), mending
3/day each: misty step, telekinesis, tongues
1/day: creation (glass only; 1 hour)

Actions

Multiattack. Yaukiss makes two attacks with his silver greatsword.

Silver Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) slashing damage plus 10 (3d6) psychic damage. This is a +3 magic weapon. If used by a creature other than Yaukiss, the psychic damage is inflicted on the wielder instead of the target.

Yugoloths

Broken Opal

Broken Opal uses the generic ultroloth statblock (MM 314) with the following changes.


Loyal Goons. When Broken Opal is targeted by an attack and an ally is within 5 feet of her, her ally can use its reaction to swap places with her, and the ally becomes the target instead.

Mastermind. Broken Opal can take the Help action as a bonus action. When used to assist an ally in attacking a creature, the target of the attack can be within 30 feet of Broken Opal.

Caraxus and Organus

Caraxus and Organus use the generic mezzoloth statblock (MM 313) with the following changes.


Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage, or 9 (1d8 + 5) piercing damage when held with two claws and used to make a melee attack. This is a +1 magic weapon.

Orzeg

Orzeg uses the generic arcanaloth statblock (MM 313). She replaces the material and somatic components of her spells with her spellbook, a chaotic evil mimic (MM 220) that has an Intelligence of 10 (+0) and can speak Abyssal.

Queen Ursula McVale

Queen Ursula McVale uses the generic nycaloth statblock (MM 314) with the following changes.


Innate Spellcasting. Queen Ursula McVale's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.

At will: charm person, crown of madness, enlarge/reduce (self only), protection from energy, mirror image


Karen

Medium fiend (yugoloth), neutral


  • Armor Class 13
  • Hit Points 40 (9d8)
  • Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+1 +3 +0 +3 +2 +1

  • Saving Throws Dex +5, Int +5
  • Skills Arcana +5, Deception +3, History +5, Perception +4
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
  • Languages Abyssal, Common, Gith, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.

Innate Spellcasting. Karen's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.

At will: charm person, glyph of warding, hex, levitate, Nystul's magic aura
3/day: freedom of movement (can target her gondola)
1/day: glibness

Magic Resistance. Karen has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. Karen's weapon attacks are magical.

Teleport. As a bonus action, Karen magically teleports, along with any equipment she is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space she can see.

Actions

Oar. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage.

Intimidation Gaze. Karen targets one creature she can see within 60 feet of her. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. The frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Tirikan

Tirikan uses the generic nycaloth statblock (MM 314) with the following changes.


Innate Spellcasting. Tirikan's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.

At will: branding smite, command, compelled duel, invisibility (self only)
1/day: death ward (self only)


Kegnoth

Medium fiend (yugoloth), neutral evil


  • Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 119 (14d8 + 56)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+3 +0 +4 -2 +0 -1

  • Saving Throws Str +6
  • Skills Perception +3
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
  • Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.
  • Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Magic Resistance. Kegnoth has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. Kegnoth's damage is magical.

Actions

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) slashing damage.

Flailing Whirlwind. Kegnoth moves up to her walking speed in a straight line, without incurring attacks of opportunity, and targets each creature within 5 feet of her during her movement. Each target must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 22 (3d12 + 3) slashing damage.

Teleport. Kegnoth magically teleports, along with any equipment she is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space she can see.


Beck

Medium fiend (yugoloth), lawful evil


  • Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 120 (16d8 + 48)
  • Speed 50 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+4 +0 +3 -3 +3 +1

  • Skills Investigation +3, Perception +9
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19
  • Languages understands Abyssal and Infernal, but can't speak; can communicate simple ideas with Tirikan through telepathy up to a range of 60 ft.
  • Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Dimensional Lock. Other creatures can't teleport to or from a space within 60 feet of Beck. Any attempt to do so is wasted.

Magic Resistance. Beck has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. Beck's weapon attacks are magical.

Uncanny Senses. Beck can't be surprised while he isn't incapacitated.

Actions

Multiattack. Beck makes two attacks: one with his tongue or his bite, and one with his claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (6d6 + 4) piercing damage.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) slashing damage.

Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d12 + 4) piercing damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 15), pulled up to 30 feet towards Beck, and is restrained until the grapple ends. Beck can grapple one target at a time with his tongue.

Reactions

Recall Training. When Beck hears Tirikan call for him or receives telepathic communication from Tirikan ordering him to return, Beck can magically teleport to an empty space within 5 feet of Tirikan. Any creatures Beck is grappling teleport with him.



Rorknir

Large fiend (yugoloth), lawful evil


  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 147 (14d10 + 70)
  • Speed 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+4 +2 +5 +4 +2 +4

  • Saving Throws Dex +6, Int +8, Cha +8
  • Skills Insight +6, Investigation +8, Perception +6, Persuasion +8
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
  • Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.
  • Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. Rorknir's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.

At will: blindness/deafness, detect magic, dispel magic, invisibility (self only)
3/day: detect thoughts
1/day: geas

Magic Resistance. Rorknir has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. Rorknir's weapon attacks are magical.

Teleport. As a bonus action, Rorknir can magically teleport, along with any equipment she is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space she can see.

Actions

Massive Arm. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (3d12 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or become stunned until the end of Rorknir's next turn.

Fine Print. Rorknir scrawls on a stunned creature with her quill. The target takes 37 (5d6 + 20) force damage, and Rorknir gains temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt. The creature is no longer stunned and must immediately take one action determined by Rorknir.

Battlefield Cunning (Recharge 4-6). Up to two allied yugoloths within 60 feet of Rorknir that can hear her can use their reactions to make one melee attack each.



Ral'Romon

Large fiend (yugoloth), lawful evil


  • Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 112 (15d10 + 70)
  • Speed 60 ft., climb 60 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+1 +3 +2 +3 +2 +3

  • Skills Deception +6, Intimidation +6, Stealth +6
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12
  • Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.
  • Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Attack Shock. When Ral'Romon hits a creature with an attack, the target must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of Ral'Romon for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effects on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Ral'Romon's Attack Shock for the next 24 hours.

Innate Spellcasting. Ral'Romon's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.

At will: alter self, darkness, feather fall, mirror image
3/day: magic missile (5th level)

Magic Resistance. Ral'Romon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. Ral'Romon's weapon attacks are magical.

Nimble Escape. Ral'Romon can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of his turns.

Spider Climb. Ral'Romon can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without having to make an ability check.

Actions

Multiattack. Ral'Romon makes two claw attacks.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (5d10 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage.

Ral'Romon was created by Adventure Bundles and is featured in the heist The Tranquil Prison.



Toda

Medium fiend (yugoloth), lawful evil


  • Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 135 (18d8 + 54)
  • Speed 20 ft., swim 40 ft., fly 15 ft. (hover)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+5 +1 +3 +4 +0 +2

  • Skills History +8, Perception +4
  • Damage Vulnerabilities fire
  • Damage Resistances cold, lightning; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 14
  • Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.
  • Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

Adaptable. Toda can breathe in any environment.

Innate Spellcasting. Toda's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 16). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.

At will: clairvoyance, detect magic, dispel magic, invisibility (self only), protection from evil and good
3/day each: counterspell, zone of truth
1/day each: scrying, wall of force

Leap. As a bonus action, Toda leaps out of danger, landing up to 60 feet away in an unoccupied space he can see without triggering attacks of opportunity.

Magic Resistance. Toda has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. Toda's weapon attacks are magical.

Secure Memory. Toda is immune to spells and other magical effects that would steal or modify his memories or detect or read his thoughts.

Actions

Multiattack. Toda makes two melee attacks.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.

Steal Memory (1/Day). Toda targets one creature he can see within 60 feet of him. The target takes 14 (4d6) psychic damage, and it must make a DC 16 Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the target loses all proficiencies, it can't cast spells, it can't understand language, and if its Intelligence and Charisma scores are higher than 5, they become 5. Each time the target finishes a long rest, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. A greater restoration or remove curse spell cast on the target ends this effect early.



Zigazan the Boiler

Medium fiend (yugoloth), neutral evil


  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 204 (24d8 + 96)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+4 +3 +4 +4 +3 +4

  • Saving Throws Con +8, Wis +7
  • Skills Deception +8, Intimidation +8, Perception +7
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 17
  • Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.
  • Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)

Bringer of Plagues (Recharge 5-6). As a bonus action, Zigazan blights the area within 30 feet of him. The blight lasts for 24 hours. While blighted, all normal plants in the area wither and die, and the number of hit points restored by a spell to a creature in that area is halved.

Furthermore, when a creature moves into the blighted area or starts its turn there, that creature must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a successful save, the creature is immune to Zigazan's Bringer of Plagues for the next 24 hours. On a failed save, the creature takes 14 (4d6) necrotic damage and is poisoned.

The poisoned creature can't regain hit points. After every 24 hours that elapse, the poisoned creature can repeat the saving throw. On a failed save, the creature's hit point maximum is reduced by 5 (1d10). This reduction lasts until the poison ends, and the target dies if its hit point maximum is reduced to 0. The poison ends after the creature successfully saves against it three times.

Innate Spellcasting. Zigazan's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 16). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.

At will: blindness/deafness (5th level), detect magic, dispel magic, invisibility (self only)
1/day each: eyebite, disintegrate, feeblemind, gate

Magic Resistance. Zigazan has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. Zigazan's weapon attacks are magical.

Actions

Multiattack. Zigazan uses his transfixing gaze. Then, he can make two claw attacks or cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) slashing damage plus 22 (4d10) poison damage.

Corrupted Healing. Zigazan touches a creature within 5 feet of him that is at half its hit point maximum or lower. The target regains all its hit points, and Zigazan can additionally end one disease on the target or remove one of the following conditions from it: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned. The target then gains 1 level of exhaustion, and its hit point maximum is reduced by 7 (2d6). This reduction can be removed only by a wish spell or by casting greater restoration on the target three times within the same hour. The target dies if its hit point maximum is reduced to 0.

Teleport. Zigazan magically teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space he can see.

Tranfixing Gaze. Zigazan targets one creature he can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or be charmed until the end of Zigazan's next turn. While charmed in this way, the target is restrained. If the target's saving throw is successful, the target is immune to Zigazan's gaze for the next 24 hours.

Additional Yugoloths


Corruptoloth

Medium fiend (yugoloth), neutral evil


  • Armor Class 15 (studded leather armor)
  • Hit Points 45 (6d8 + 18)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+4 +3 +3 +0 +0 -1

  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
  • Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.
  • Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Ambient Indicators. The corruptoloth automatically emits a strong odour and the sound of clacking dice; creatures have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell or hearing to detect the corruptoloth.

Bad Luck Aura. Hostile creatures within 30 feet of the corruptoloth have disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.

Innate Spellcasting. The corruptoloth's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 10). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.

At will: blindness/deafness, detect magic, dispel magic, invisibility (self only)

Magic Resistance. The corruptoloth has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. The corruptoloth's weapon attacks are magical.

Actions

Multiattack. The corruptoloth makes two attacks.

Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.

Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) piercing damage.

Teleport. The corruptoloth magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.


Piscoloth

Huge fiend (yugoloth), neutral evil


  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 138 (12d12 + 60)
  • Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+5 +1 +5 +2 +1 -1

  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
  • Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.
  • Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Adaptable. The piscoloth can breathe in any environment.

Innate Spellcasting. The piscoloth's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.

At will: blindness/deafness (3rd level), detect magic, dispel magic, invisibility (self only)
3/day: fear, stinking cloud

Magic Resistance. The piscoloth has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. The piscoloth's weapon attacks are magical.

Actions

Multiattack. The piscoloth makes two pincer attacks and an attack with its stingers, if possible.

Pincer. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 16) if it is a Large or smaller creature and the piscoloth doesn't have two other creatures grappled.

Stingers. Melee Weapon Attack: automatic hit, reach 5 ft., one creature grappled by the piscoloth. Hit: 3 (1d6) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) poison damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. Until this poison ends, the target is paralyzed. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Teleport. The piscoloth magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying or creatures it is grappling, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.


Skeroloth

Small fiend (yugoloth), neutral evil


  • Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 39 (6d6 + 18)
  • Speed 30 ft., 30 ft. burrow

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+3 +3 +3 +1 +0 -2

  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
  • Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.
  • Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Easily Frightened. The skereloth becomes frightened of the first creature to deal damage to it in a round. The skereloth is frightened in this way until the end of its next turn, at which point the next creature to deal damage to it triggers this trait again.

Innate Spellcasting. The skereloth's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 11). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.

At will: blindness/deafness, detect magic, dispel magic, invisibility (self only)

Magic Resistance. The skereloth has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. The skereloth's weapon attacks are magical.

Pitiful. While the skereloth is frightened, creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against the skereloth. Any creature that hits a frightened skereloth automatically scores a crit against it.

Actions

Multiattack. The skereloth makes two claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.

Teleport. The skereloth magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.


Voorloth

Large fiend (yugoloth), neutral evil


  • Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 57 (6d10 + 24)
  • Speed 35 ft., climb 45 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+5 +4 +4 -1 +1 -3

  • Skills Athletics +8, Perception +7
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 17
  • Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.
  • Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Axiomatic Mind. The voorloth can't be compelled to act in a manner contrary to its nature or its instructions.

Innate Spellcasting. The voorloth's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 10). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.

At will: detect magic, dispel magic, invisibility (self only)

Keen Smell. The voorloth has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Scentless. The voorloth can't be detected by Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Magic Resistance. The voorloth has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. The voorloth's weapon attacks are magical.

Siege Monster. The voorloth deals double damage against objects and structures.

Actions

Multiattack. The voorloth makes three lash attacks.

Lash. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage.

Teleport. The voorloth magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Wardenloths

These yugoloths are sequestered in Tartarus, and can only be found in that plane.


Seerloth

Medium fiend (yugoloth), neutral evil


  • Armor Class 20 (plate, shield)
  • Hit Points 102 (12d8 + 48)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+5 +4 +4 +5 +5 +2

  • Skills Athletics +11, Perception +11
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned
  • Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 26
  • Languages all, telepathy 60 ft.
  • Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Alert. The seerloth has advantage on initiative checks, and other creatures don't gain advantage on attack rolls against the seerloth as a result of being hidden from it. Its passive Perception is increased by 5.

Innate Spellcasting. The seerloth's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 16). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.

At will: detect magic, dispel magic, faerie fire, freedom of movement, hold monster, invisibility (self only), locate object
1/day each: alarm, antimagic field, arcane lock, detect thoughts, forbiddance, locate creature, scrying

Magic Armor. The seerloth's armor is magical.

Magic Resistance. The seerloth has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. The seerloth's weapon attacks are magical.

Actions

Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4 + 5) bludgeoning damage.

Teleport. The seerloth magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.


Oozeloth

Medium fiend (yugoloth, shapechanger), neutral evil


  • Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 114 (12d8 + 60)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+5 +4 +5 +3 +3 +2

  • Skills Perception +9, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +10
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned
  • Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 19
  • Languages all (can't speak in ooze form), telepathy 60 ft.
  • Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Amorphous (Ooze Form Only). The oozeloth can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Innate Spellcasting. The oozeloth's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components.

At will: cloudkill, detect magic, freedom of movement, grease, hold monster
3/day: Melf's acid arrow (8th level)

Magic Resistance. The oozeloth has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. The oozeloth's weapon attacks are magical.

Shapechanger. The oozeloth can use its action to polymorph into an ooze form, or back into its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is transformed with it. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Actions

Multiattack. The oozeloth makes three attacks.

Club (Yugoloth Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4 + 5) bludgeoning damage.

Pseudopod (Ooze Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus 14 (4d6) acid damage, and the largest nonmagical metal item in the target's inventory (including armor) is destroyed.

Teleport. The oozeloth magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.



Kierk the Guard

Medium fiend (yugoloth), neutral evil


  • Armor Class 26 (plate +3, shield +3)
  • Hit Points 280 (20d8 + 200)
  • Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+10 +10 +10 +10 +10 +10

  • Skills Acrobatics +24, Alchemist's Tools +24, Animal Handling +24, Arcana +24, Athletics +24, Brewer's Supplies +24, Calligrapher's Supplies +24, Cartographer's Tools +24, Cobbler's Tools +24, Cook's Utensils +24, Deception +24, Glassblower's Tools +24, History +24, Insight +24, Intimidation +24, Investigation +24, Jeweler's Tools +24, Leatherworker's Tools +24, Mason's Tools +24, Medicine +24, Nature +24, Navigator's Tools +24, Painter's Supplies +24, Perception +24, Performance +24, Persuasion +24, Potter's Tools +24, Religion +24, Sleight of Hand +24, Smith's Tools +24, Stealth +24, Survival +24, Thieves' Tools +24, Tinker's Tools +24, Vehicles (Voidship) +24, Violin +24, Weaver's Tools +24, Woodcarver's Tools +24
  • Damage Vulnerabilities necrotic
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned
  • Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 34
  • Languages all, telepathy 60 ft.
  • Challenge 25 (75,000 XP)

Cheater. Kierk can concentrate on as many spells simultaneously as he likes. If he loses concentration, all spells he is concentrating on end.

Crippling Fear of Death. When Kierk takes necrotic damage, he automatically fails any rolls to maintain concentration as a result of taking this damage.

Innate Spellcasting. Kierk's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 25). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components.

At will: detect magic, detect thoughts, dispel magic, freedom of movement, hold monster, greater invisibility (self only)
3/day: scrying
1/day: death ward, forbiddance

Magic Weapons. Kierk's weapon attacks are magical.

Spellcasting. Kierk is a 20th level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 25, +17 to hit with spell attacks). He has the following wizard spells prepared.

Cantrips (at will): chill touch, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation
1st level (4 slots): alarm, magic missile, shield, silent image
2nd level (3 slots): arcane lock, augury, enhance ability, knock, web
3rd level (3 slots): bestow curse, counterspell, dispel magic, fireball, major image
4th level (3 slots): arcane eye, phantasmal killer, stone shape, wall of fire
5th level (3 slots): creation, telekinesis, wall of stone
6th level (2 slots): contingency, disintegrate, eyebite, Otto's irresistible dance
7th level (2 slots): mirage arcane, power word pain, reverse gravity
8th level (1 slot): antimagic field, dominate monster, maze
9th level (1 slot): foresight, invulnerability

Actions

Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d4 + 10) bludgeoning damage.

Extract Memories. Kierk touches an incapacitated creature. The target takes 36 (8d8) psychic damage and Kierk copies its memories and skills into his brain.

Teleport. Kierk magically teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Legendary Actions

Kierk can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time, and only at the end of another creature's turn. Spent legendary actions are regained at the start of each turn.

Teleport. Kierk uses his Teleport action.

Swift Caster. Kierk casts a spell with a casting time of 1 action.

Reset (Costs 2 Actions). Kierk ends all spells and other magical effects targeting him, as well as any conditions he chooses, and then takes 5 necrotic damage (doubled to 10). Kierk can take this action even if he is incapacitated.

A detailed explanation of how to run Kierk the Guard as a boss fight can be found in the final quest, But Food for Worms.

Reef Creatures


These creatures travel the infinite astral demiplane of The Reef.


Reef Clownfish

Huge monstrosity (shapechanger), unaligned


  • Armor Class 15
  • Hit Points 51 (6d12 + 12)
  • Speed 0 ft., swim 80 ft., fly 80 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+2 +5 +2 -4 +0 -4

  • Damage Resistances nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities cold
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, prone
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10
  • Languages --
  • Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Astral Entity. The clownfish can't leave the Reef, nor can it be banished or otherwise transported out of the Reef. It can breathe in any environment.

Magic Weapons. The clownfish's weapon attacks are magical.

Actions

Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.

Spew Eggs (Recharge 5-6). The clownfish spews caviar in a 60 ft. cone. Each creature in the cone must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be hit with an egg; a creature hit with an egg can't cast spells until the end of the clownfish's next turn.

Reactions

Shapechange. When targeted with an attack, the clownfish transforms into another member of its species with slightly different proportions, throwing off the attacker. The attack is made with disadvantage.


Reef Eel

Huge monstrosity, unaligned


  • Armor Class 16
  • Hit Points 68 (4d12 + 16)
  • Speed 0 ft., swim 60 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+2 +6 +3 -4 +1 -4

  • Skills Stealth +9
  • Damage Resistances nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities cold, lightning
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, prone
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
  • Languages --
  • Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Astral Entity. The eel can't leave The Reef, nor can it be banished or otherwise transported out of The Reef. It can breathe in any environment.

Electric Current. A creature that touches the eel or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 7 (2d6) lightning damage.

Magic Weapons. The eel's weapon attacks are magical.

Actions

Multiattack. The eel makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its tail. It can't make both attacks against the same target.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) lightning damage.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (1d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage plus 28 (8d6) lightning damage, and the target can't cast spells until the end of the eel's next turn. Additionally, the target must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or become paralyzed until the end of the eel's next turn.


Reef Octopus

Huge monstrosity, neutral


  • Armor Class 16
  • Hit Points 85 (10d12 + 20)
  • Speed 0 ft., swim 40 ft., fly 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+4 +6 +2 -1 +3 -1

  • Skills Sleight of Hand +9, Stealth +12
  • Damage Resistances nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities cold
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, prone
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13
  • Languages Reef Octopus
  • Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Astral Entity. The octopus can't leave The Reef, nor can it be banished or otherwise transported out of The Reef. It can breathe in any environment.

Camouflage (Recharge 5-6). As a bonus action or when it uses its antimagic ink cloud, the octopus nonmagically turns invisible. Effects that allow a creature to see invisible creatures, such as see invisibility, do not allow it to see the octopus. The octopus can end this effect as a bonus action.

Magic Weapons. The octopus' weapon attacks are magical.

Actions

Mulitattack. The octopus makes two attacks with its tentacles.

Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature and the octopus doesn't already have 8 creatures grappled, the target is grappled (escape DC 17). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and can't cast spells.

Antimagic Ink Cloud (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). A 60-foot-radius cloud of ink extends all around the octopus. The area is heavily obscured for 1 minute and is an area of antimagic, as per the antimagic field spell. After releasing the ink, the octopus' camouflage activates (if available) and it can use the Dash action as a bonus action.


Reef Megalodon

Gargantuan monstrosity, unaligned


  • Armor Class 14
  • Hit Points 155 (10d20 + 50)
  • Speed 0 ft., swim 60 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+8 +4 +5 -5 +4 -3

  • Skills Perception +8
  • Damage Resistances nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities cold
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, prone
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18
  • Languages --
  • Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Aggressive. As a bonus action, the megalodon can move up to its speed toward a creature that it can smell.

Antimagic Aura. The area around the megalodon up to a radius of 60 feet is antimagic, as per the spell antimagic field.

Astral Entity. The megalodon can't leave The Reef, nor can it be banished or otherwise transported out of The Reef. It can breathe in any environment.

Blood Frenzy. The megalodon has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature with blood that doesn't have all its hit points.

Keen Smell. The megalodon has advantaqe on Wisdom (Perception) rolls that rely on smell. It can smell creatures with blood that don't have all their hit points up to 100 miles away, even through void, pinpointing their location.

Magic Weapons. The megalodon's bite is magical.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 34 (4d12 + 8) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, the target is grappled (escape DC 20). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the megalodon can't use its bite on another target.

Legendary Actions

The megalodon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time, and only at the end of another creature's turn. Spent legendary actions are regained at the start of each turn.

Death Shake. The megalodon whips its head violently back and forth. If it is grappling a creature, the creature takes 13 (2d12) magical slashing damage.


Reef Stingray

Gargantuan monstrosity, unaligned


  • Armor Class 13
  • Hit Points 81 (6d20 + 18)
  • Speed 0 ft., swim 40 ft., fly 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+4 +3 +3 -4 +0 -4

  • Damage Resistances nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities cold
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, prone
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10
  • Languages --
  • Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Astral Entity. The stingray can't leave The Reef, nor can it be banished or otherwise transported out of The Reef. It can breathe in any environment.

Magic Weapons. The stingray's weapon attacks are magical.

Actions

Stinger. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d8 + 4) piercing damage plus 18 (4d8) poison damage. Additionally, any spells affecting the target end, and the target can't cast spells until the end of the stingray's next turn.


Reef Whale

Gargantuan monstrosity, neutral


  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 310 (20d20 + 100)
  • Speed 0 ft., swim 40 ft., fly 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+5 +0 +5 +0 +4 +2

  • Damage Resistances nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities cold
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, prone
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
  • Languages Reef Whale
  • Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

Antimagic Aura. The area around the whale up to a radius of 180 feet is antimagic, as per the spell antimagic field. Her whalesong is unaffected by her antimagic aura.

Astral Entity. The whale can't leave The Reef, nor can she be banished or otherwise transported out of The Reef. She can breathe in any environment.

Magic Weapons. The whale's weapon attacks are magical.

Actions

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (5d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage.

Whalesong (Recharge 5-6). The whale magically sings a song of slumber that affects creatures up to a total of 90 (20d8) hit points. Creatures within 300 feet of the whale are affected in ascending order of their current hit points (ignoring unconscious creatures). Starting with the creature that has the lowest current hit points, each creature affected by this spell falls unconscious until the spell ends, the sleeper takes damage, or someone uses an action to shake or slap the sleeper awake. Subtract each creature's hit points from the total before moving on to the creature with the next lowest hit points. A creature's hit points must be equal to or less than the remaining total for that creature to be affected. Undead and creatures immune to being charmed aren't affected.

Swallow. The whale's esophagus is a teleportation gate that leads in and out of The Reef. As an action, she can swallow a Large or smaller creature, teleporting it safely and harmlessly to and from either a shallow reef on Sword Coast of the Forgotten Realms, just outside of Candlekeep, or to the Yugoloth Database (AH 81) in The Reef (target's choice). A creature can avoid being swallowed with a successful DC 17 Dexterity saving throw.

Unique Heist Statblocks


The following unique monsters and NPCs are found throughout the heists in this book.



Erronys Resistance

Large celestial, neutral


  • Armor Class 14
  • Hit Points 104 (16d8 + 32)
  • Speed 50 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+3 +4 +2 +0 +2 +0

  • Damage Resistances nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
  • Languages all, telepathy 60 ft.
  • Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Incorporeal Movement. The resistance can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

Magic Resistance. The resistance has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Mind Sight. The resistance automatically knows all secrets, ideals, bonds, and flaws of any creature it faces in combat.


Actions

Touch of Content. Melee Spell Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) psychic damage.

I Know You. The resistance looks into the mind of a hostile creature and telepathically whispers its flaws, ideals, secrets, or bonds in rapid succession. The victim must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or suffer 31 (7d8) psychic damage and be frightened of the resistance. If they succeed, then nothing happens. The saving throw can be repeated at the start of each of the victim's turns, ending the frightened condition on a success.

Resistance. The resistance wraps its arms around a creature, hooking it. As long as it stays in this position, it cannot attack or take any other actions, but if it gets hit, the attacker suffers 10 (3d6) force damage in return. An action and a successful contested Wisdom check is required to unhook the resistance. Any creatures hooked by a resistance cannot be persuaded to leave Erronys under any circumstances; any checks to convince them fail.

Stay (Recharge 5-6). The resistance extends its incorporeal arms towards all non-entrapped creatures in a 15 foot radius. A target sees a vision representing one of their bonds. Each target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be stunned for 1 minute. The saving throw can be repeated at the end of each of the target's turns. If the target fails three saving throws before it succeeds, it is entrapped as per Erronys' entrapment rules (AH 121).

The Erronys resistance was created by Adventure Bundles and is featured in the heist The Tranquil Prison.


Bloodspatter

Medium celestial, chaotic evil


  • Armor Class 11
  • Hit Points 74 (10d8 + 30)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+2 +1 +3 -2 +0 -2

  • Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 10
  • Languages Gnoll

Blood Frenzy. Bloodspatter has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature with blood that doesn't have all its hit points.

Blood Rager. When Bloodspatter has taken more than 10 damage since finishing their last turn, they add an extra 10 damage to the first attack they hit with this turn.

Rampage. When Bloodspatter reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on their turn, they can take a bonus action to move up to half their speed and make a bite attack.

Actions

Multiattack. Bloodspatter makes three melee weapon attacks: one with their bite and two with their claw.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.

Bloodspatter, Zenh, Oskhar, and Vizea are featured in the heist Escape from Gleaming Beacon by William Rotor.


Zenh

Large fiend (devil), lawful evil


  • Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 142 (15d10 + 60)
  • Speed 40 ft., fly 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+4 +3 +4 +1 +2 +3

  • Saving Throws Int +4, Wis +5, Cha +6
  • Skills Insight +5, Persuasion +6
  • Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren't silvered
  • Damage Immunities fire, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12
  • Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.

Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede Zenh's darkvision.

Magic Resistance. Zenh has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage.

Reactions

Rebuke the Violent. When Zenh sees an attacker within 30 feet of her deal damage with an attack against a creature other than her, she can force the attacker to make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the attacker takes necrotic damage equal to the damage it just dealt. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage.

Zenh's hammer of gravity reversal is located in Penny's office.


Hammer of Gravity Reversal

weapon (maul), very rare (requires attunement)

You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls with this magic weapon.

While attuned to this weapon, when you hit a creature with it, you can cast reverse gravity with a spell save DC of 15, which must include the targeted creature in the area of effect. Once you've used the hammer in this way, you must change your alignment before you can do so again.


Oskhar

Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil


  • Armor Class 18 (plate)
  • Hit Points 153 (18d8 + 72)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+4 +0 +4 +0 +2 +2

  • Saving Throws Wis +5, Cha +5
  • Skills Deception +5, Intimidation +5, Religion +3
  • Senses passive Perception 12
  • Languages Common

Spellcasting. Oskhar is a 10th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). He has the following paladin spells prepared.

1st level (4 slots): command, compelled duel, hellish rebuke, hex
2nd level (3 slots): ray of enfeeblement
3rd level (2 slots): bestow curse

Psychically-Enhanced Weapons. As a bonus action, Oskhar empowers his garnet blade, which ripples with psychic energy. While empowered, it becomes a +2 magic weapon that emits bright light out to 5 feet and dim light for 5 feet beyond that. Oskhar can end the empowerment at any time.

Actions

Multiattack. Oskhar makes two attacks.

Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) bludgeoning damage.

Garnet Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.

Garnet Blade (Empowered). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d6 + 6) radiant damage.

Dreadful Aspect (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). Each enemy within 30 feet of Oskhar must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. If a frightened target ends its turn more than 30 feet away from Oskhar, the target can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Oskhar's garnet blade and spellcasting focus (the symbol of Beshaba) are located in a secret safe in Penny's office. He can't use his garnet blade attacks without the blade. He pretends that he can't cast spells without his focus, but, secretly, only hex is unavailable without a focus.


Vizea

Medium monstrosity, lawful evil


  • Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 127 (17d8 + 51)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+0 +2 +3 +1 +1 +2

  • Skills Deception +4, Insight +3, Perception +3, Religion +3
  • Senses passive Perception 13
  • Languages Common

Blinded. While wearing her blinder, Vizea is blinded. She can't see, she automatically fails any ability check that requires sight, her attack rolls have disadvantage, and attack rolls against her have advantage.

Petrifying Gaze. When a creature that can see Vizea's eyes starts its turn within 30 feet of her, she can force it to make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw if she isn't incapacitated and can see the creature. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is instantly petrified. Otherwise, a creature that fails the save begins to turn to stone and is restrained. The restrained creature must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn, becoming petrified on a failure or ending the effect on a success. The petrification lasts until the creature is freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.

Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it can't see Vizea until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If the creature looks at Vizea in the meantime, it must immediately make the save.

If Vizea sees herself reflected on a polished surface within 30 feet of her and in an area of bright light, she is, due to her curse, affected by her own gaze.

While wearing her blinder, this trait is suppressed for Vizea.

Actions

Snake Hair. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) poison damage.

Vizea's holy symbol of Athena is located in a secret safe in Penny's office. Vizea isn't a cleric, but Aya took it from her anyway, claiming it was an unacceptable risk.


Void Pirate

Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil


  • Armor Class 15 (studded leather)
  • Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2)
  • Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+1 +3 +1 +0 +2 +0

  • Skills Acrobatics +5, Athletics +3, Perception +4, Survival +4, Vehicles (Void) +4
  • Senses passive Perception 14
  • Languages Common, Celestial, Thieves' Cant
  • Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Hover Jets. While wearing hover jets, the pirate has a fly (hover) speed of 30 feet and has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Actions

Multiattack. The pirate makes two attacks with its scimitars. It can trade one of these attacks for an attack with its hand crossbow.

Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.

Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.

The void pirates and Captain Quasar are found in the eponymous heist, Void Pirates (AH 107).


Void Pirate Mate

Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil


  • Armor Class 15 (studded leather)
  • Hit Points 60 (9d8 + 9)
  • Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+1 +3 +1 +1 +2 +2

  • Skills Acrobatics +5, Athletics +3, Perception +4, Survival +4, Vehicles (Void) +6
  • Senses passive Perception 14
  • Languages Common, Celestial, Thieves' Cant
  • Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Cunning Action. The pirate can take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide actions as a bonus action on its turn.

Fancy Footwork. During the pirate's turn, if it makes a melee attack against a creature, that creature cannot make opportunity attacks against it until the end of the pirate's turn.

Hover Jets. While wearing hover jets, the pirate has a fly (hover) speed of 40 feet and has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The pirate deals an extra 7 (2d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of the pirate and has no allies within 5 feet of it, as long as the pirate doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Actions

Multiattack. The pirate makes two attacks with its scimitars. It can trade one of these attacks for an attack with its hand crossbow.

Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.

Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.


Void Pirate Sorcerer

Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil


  • Armor Class 12
  • Hit Points 54 (12d8)
  • Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+0 +2 +0 +1 +1 +4

  • Senses passive Perception 11
  • Languages Common, Celestial, Thieves' Cant
  • Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Gasp of the Void. The pirate doesn't trigger opportunity attacks when it flies out of a hostile creature's reach.

Hover Jets. While wearing hover jets, the pirate has a fly (hover) speed of 30 feet and has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Innate Spellcasting. The pirate's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). The pirate can cast the following spells innately.

At will: gust, shocking grasp, thunderclap, thunderwave
3/day each: gust of wind, shatter, thunderous smite
1/day each: call lightning, storm sphere, warding wind, wind wall

Leyline Channeler. All damage from the pirate's spells is force damage.

Actions

Force Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) force damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn. This is a magic weapon. The dagger ceases to exist if the pirate is killed.

Reactions

Void Lash. When the pirate is hit by an attack, it can use its reaction to force its attacker to make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 14 (4d6) force damage and is pushed 20 feet in a direction of the pirate's choice. On a successful save, the target takes no damage and is pushed 10 feet.


Captain Quasar

Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil


  • Armor Class 16 (studded leather)
  • Hit Points 117 (18d8 + 36)
  • Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+4 +4 +2 +1 +2 +5

  • Skills Athletics +7, Intimidation +11, Perception +5, Survival +5, Vehicles (Void) +5
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Senses passive Perception 12
  • Languages Common, Celestial, Thieves' Cant
  • Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)

Beard is on Fire. Captain Quasar takes 1 fire damage at the start of each of his turns. Putting out his beard requires an action. Captain Quasar will never willingly put out his beard.

Hover Jets. While wearing hover jets, the Captain Quasar has a fly (hover) speed of 30 feet and has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When Captain Quasar fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Rage Beyond Death. When Captain Quasar is reduced to 0 hit points, he remains alive and conscious until he ends his turn after neither taking nor dealing damage since the beginning of his previous turn while still remaining at 0 hit points.

Reckless. At the start of its turn, Captain Quasar can gain advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls during that turn, but attack rolls against him have advantage until the start of his next turn.

Actions

Multiattack. Captain Quasar makes three attacks with his void scimitars and one with his hand crossbow. Then, he uses his Vicious Reputation, if available.

Void Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) force damage. The scimitar ceases to exist if Captain Quasar is killed.

Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage.

Vicious Reputation (Recharge 4-6). Each hostile creature within 60 feet of Captain Quasar that can see him must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of Captain Quasar until the end of its next turn.


Harpy Matron

Medium monstrosity, chaotic evil


  • Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 104 (16d8 + 32)
  • Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+3 +2 +2 –1 +1 +1

  • Senses passive Perception 11
  • Languages Celestial
  • Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Actions

Multiattack. The harpy matron makes 3 spear attacks.

Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage, or 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack, plus 7 (2d6) poison damage.

Luring Song. The harpy sings a magical melody. Every humanoid and giant within 300 feet of the harpy that can hear the song must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed until the song ends. The harpy must take a bonus action on its subsequent turns to continue singing. It can stop singing at any time. The song ends if the harpy is incapacitated.

While charmed by the harpy, a target is incapacitated and ignores the songs of other harpies. If the charmed target is more than 5 feet away from the harpy, the target must move on its turn toward the harpy by the most direct route, trying to get within 5 feet. It doesn't avoid opportunity attacks, but before moving into damaging terrain, such as lava or a pit, and whenever it takes damage from a source other than the harpy, the target can repeat the saving throw. A charmed target can also repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If the saving throw is successful, the effect ends on it.

A target that successfully saves is immune to this harpy's song for the next 24 hours.

The harpy matron was created by P.J. Pirrello and is featured in the heist In Remembrance.


Mountain Titan

Gargantuan giant, neutral evil


  • Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 232 (15d20 + 75)
  • Speed 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+7 +2 +5 +0 +1 –1

  • Saving Throws Con +9, Wis +5
  • Skills Athletics +11, Perception +5
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
  • Languages Celestial, Giant
  • Challenge 17 (18,000 XP)

Magic Weapons. The titan's weapon attacks are magical.


Actions

Multiattack. The titan make two attacks with Stonehewer.

Stonehewer. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (2d12 + 7) slashing damage, or 26 (3d12 + 7) if the weapon is thrown and hits a giant. Immediately after the attack, the weapon returns to the titan's hand if it was thrown.

Legendary Actions

The titan can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The titan regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Stonehewer. The titan makes one attack with Stonehewer.

Tremor. Each creature in a 30 foot radius centered on the titan must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a target takes 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage and falls prone. The ground in the radius becomes difficult terrain.

Sweep (Costs 3 Actions). Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., up to two targets. Hit: 13 (1d12 + 7) slashing damage, and if the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet away from the titan.

The mountain titan was created by P.J. Pirrello and is featured in the heist In Remembrance.


Sword Sprinter

Medium construct, neutral


  • Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4)
  • Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+1 +2 +1 +0 +0 +0

  • Skills Perception +2
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 12
  • Languages Modron
  • Challenge 2 (400 XP)

Aggressive. As a bonus action, the sword sprinter can move up to its speed towards a hostile creature it can see.

Axiomatic Mind. The sword sprinter can't be compelled to act in a manner contrary to its nature or its instructions.

Construct Detection. The sword sprinter can pinpoint the exact location of all creatures with the construct type within 150 feet of it.

Disintegration. If the sword sprinter dies, its body disintegrates into dust, leaving behind its weapons and anything else it was carrying.


Actions

Multiattack. The sword sprinter makes four attacks with its laser swords.

Laser Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) radiant damage.

Laser Rifle. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 100/300 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (3d8 + 2) radiant damage. The weapon is loaded with an energy cell that provides it enough charges for 30 shots.


Laser Sword

The laser sword is a melee weapon with a reach of 5 feet that deals 1d8 radiant damage. It has the finesse and light properties.

Laser Rifle

The laser rifle is a ranged weapon with a range of 100/300 feet that deals 3d8 radiant damage. It must be loaded with an energy cell; an energy cell powers the rifle with enough charges for 30 shots. Replacing an energy cell takes an action.


Ynthriss

Medium humanoid (dragonborn), neutral


  • Armor Class 14
  • Hit Points 40 (9d8)
  • Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+2 +4 +0 +1 +0 +5

  • Skills Acrobatics +8, Harp +9, Performance +9, Sleight of Hand +6, Thieves' Tools +6
  • Damage Resistances fire
  • Senses passive Perception 10
  • Languages Common, Draconic

Boots of Striding and Stringing. Ynthriss' high jump is up to 15 feet and long jump is up to 30 feet, with or without a running start.

Innate Spellcasting. Ynthriss' innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). She knows the following bard spells.

At will: friends, minor illusion, prestidigitation, vicious mockery

Tumbler. As a bonus action, Ynthriss can take both the Dash and Disengage actions.

Actions

Jester's Club. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage, and the target has disadvantage on the next ability check it makes before the end of its next turn.

Fire Breath (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). Ynthriss breathes fire in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Ynthriss the jester is featured in the heist The Crimson Terror of Yenneth.

Orzeg's Vinchies

Whirring and grinding, the automatons expel blasts of hot air that sizzle against skin. Their armor gleams with flecks of copper and their skeletal limbs skuttle across superheated stone.


Vinchy Player Race

Vinchies are mechanical creature powered by steam and magic. They take on many forms, from slender and insectoid to hulking and unbalanced. What they share is their origin: the fevered designs of the arcanoloth Orzeg.

When playing a Vinchy as a player character, you have managed to break free of Orzeg's influence. Choose an explanation or roll on the following table.

d6 Escape
1 A surge of wild magic gave you the gift of sentience.
2 You fell into a crevice and were abandoned by other vinchies. Eventually, you crawled out yourself.
3 Your mistake caused great harm to Orzeg. You fled rather than face her cruel and unusual punishment.
4 You were rescued by a strike team of devils who reprogrammed you to only obey others under express contractual obligation.
5 You were always built to be different. Orzeg never counted on how different you would be.
6 You never left Orzeg's control; you are secretly still working for her.

Vinchy Traits

You have the following racial traits.


  • Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution increases by 1, and two other ability scores of your choice increase by 1.
  • Creature Type. You are a construct.
  • Size. You stand between four and five feet tall. You are Medium.
  • Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
  • Armored Casing. Your outer shell is a copper or bronze alloy. While you aren't wearing armor, your armor class is 15.
  • False Life. When you are targeted with a healing spell that ordinarily can't affect constructs, such as cure wounds, you gain temporary hit points equal to the amount of hit points you would have gained from the spell.
  • Mechanical Nature. You have resistance to poison damage and immunity to disease, and you have advantage on saving throws against being paralyzed or poisoned. You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe.
  • Overcharge. When you drop to 0 hit points or fail a death saving throw, you release a blast of superheated air. All creatures within 20 feet of you must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 4d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
  • Recharge. A long rest only takes 4 hours for you, which you spend largely motionless and inactive yet still aware of your surroundings.
  • Vinchy Spellcasting. You can cast absorb elements once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast cloud of daggers once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
  • Languages. You can speak, read, and write Abyssal and Infernal.

Vinchy

Medium construct, lawful evil


  • Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 22 (4d6 + 8)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+1 +1 +2 -1 -1 -4

  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities paralyzed, poisoned
  • Senses passive Perception 9
  • Languages Abyssal, Infernal
  • Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Axiomatic Mind. The vinchy can't be compelled to disobey its creator.

Innate Spellcasting. The vinchy's innate spellcasting ability is Constitution (spell save DC 12). It can innately cast the following spells.

At will: absorb elements
1/day: cloud of daggers

Melting. When the vinchy takes acid or fire damage, it takes an additional 1d6 damage.

Relentless (1/Day). When the vinchy is reduced to 0 hit points and not killed outright, it can choose to drop to 1 hit point instead.

Overcharge. When the vinchy is killed, it explodes with superheated air in a 20-foot radius around it. Each creature in the radius must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) fire damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.

Actions

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.



Pascorpticon

Huge construct, lawful evil


  • Armor Class 21 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 126 (12d12 + 48)
  • Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+4 -1 +4 -1 +1 -4

  • Saving Throws Str +8, Con +8
  • Skills Perception +9
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, poisoned, restrained, stunned, unconscious
  • Senses passive Perception 19
  • Languages understands Abyssal and Infernal but can't speak
  • Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

Axiomatic Mind. The pascorpticon can't be compelled to disobey its creator.

Innate Spellcasting. The pascorpticon's innate spellcasting ability is Constitution (spell save DC 16). It can innately cast the following spells.

At will: absorb elements, conjure barrage (chunks of superheated metal, fire damage)
1/day: animate objects

Reactive. The pascorpticon can take one reaction on every turn in combat.

Relentless (1/Day). When the pascorpticon is reduced to 0 hit points and not killed outright, it can choose to drop to 1 hit point instead.

Overcharge. When the pascorpticon is killed, it explodes with superheated air in a 60-foot radius around it. Each creature in the radius must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) fire damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.

Actions

Multiattack. The pascorpticon makes three attacks with its stingers.

Stingers. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage.

Legendary Actions

The pascorpticon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The pascorpticon regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Sting. The pascorpticon makes an attack with its stingers.

Manufacture Vinchy (Costs 2 Actions). The pascorpticon constructs a vinchy (AH 45) which is deposited into an empty space within 5 feet of the pascorpticon.

Vinchy NPC Traits

Use the following traits on any statblock with the creature type humanoid (any) to create vinchies with particular skills or abilities. The book OUTCLASSED: The NPC Statblock Compendium provides a host of NPCs that could be vinchies.

  • Creature Type construct
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities paralyzed, poisoned
  • Languages Abyssal, Infernal
  • Axiomatic Mind. The vinchy can't be compelled to disobey its creator.
  • Innate Spellcasting. The vinchy's innate spellcasting ability is Constitution. It can innately cast absorb elements at will.
  • Overcharge. When the vinchy is killed, it explodes with superheated air in a 20-foot radius around it. Each creature in the radius must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) fire damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.
  • Relentless (1/Day). When the vinchy is reduced to 0 hit points and not killed outright, it can choose to drop to 1 hit point instead.

Voidships


Karen's Gondola

Huge vehicle (20 ft. by 5 ft.)


  • Armor Class 13
  • Hit Points 75 (damage threshold 5)
  • Speed water 30 ft., air 60 ft., void 120 ft.
  • Creature Capacity 1 crew, 8 passengers
  • Initiative The gondola shares initiative with Karen

  • Saves Str -2, Dex +2, Con +0
  • Damage Immunities poison, psychic
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious

Antimagic Susceptibility. The gondola's actions and features, other than this one, don't function in an area of antimagic.

Insured. The gondola's speed can't be reduced as long as it has greater than 0 hit points.

Merrenoloth Comfort. Creatures Karen chooses to take on the gondola can breathe in any environment and aren't discomfited by wind or weather, though this effect doesn't protect against damage.

Reliable. The gondola always stays on course to the destination Karen names.

Warded (1 Use). Using glyph of warding, Karen has warded her gondola against intruders. Any creature that steps foot on her gondola without her invitation becomes targeted with disintegrate (spell save DC 13).

Actions

While Karen captains her gondola, it can take one of the following actions on its turn. It can't use the same action two turns in a row.

Contractual Guarantee. The gondola regains 22 (4d10) hit points.

Yugoloth Teleportation. The gondola teleports up to 30 feet in any direction.

The Customer is Always Wrong. The air within 60 feet of the gondola becomes filled with howling wind. Until the start of the gondola's next turn, that area is difficult terrain, and when a Medium or smaller creature flies into that area or starts its turn flying there, it must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Crew

  • Karen (AH 25)

Airship

Huge vehicle (60 ft. by 15 ft.)


  • Armor Class 16
  • Hit Points 150 (damage threshold 5)
  • Speed water 30 ft., air 60 ft.
  • Creature Capacity 4 crew, 40 passengers
  • Initiative +0

  • Saves Str +0, Dex +0, Con +0
  • Damage Immunities poison, psychic
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious

Enslaved Fire. The airship is powered by an incapacitated fire elemental (MM 125). If the fire elemental is destroyed or freed, the airship loses its air speed.

Actions

While the airship is crewed, it can take one of the following actions on its turn. It can't use the same action two turns in a row. For every action taken, the enslaved fire elemental takes 1d6 force damage.

Flare. The airship moves 60 feet vertically.

Fire Blast. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 60 ft., up to two targets. Hit: 14 (4d6) fire damage, and if the target is a vehicle, it catches on fire. The flames can be doused with a Wisdom (Survival) check with a DC equal to 10 plus the amount of fire damage the vehicle has taken this round (max DC 25). While the vehicle is on fire, it takes 14 (4d6) fire damage at the start of its turn. Then, the fire spreads, and on subsequent turns, the fire damage increases by 2d6.

Airships are featured in the adventure Mine-Work Make-Work by T.M. van Dalen.

While the party rides in an airship, any party members who can speak Ignan or can cast comprehend languages or tongues can communicate with the airship's fire elemental. He begs them to release him.

The gnomish engineer Gimlen can transform an airship into a voidship in 1 week, granting it a void speed of 90 ft. as well as the other benefits of a voidship (AH 12-13).

Crew

  • 4 gnome veterans (MM 350)

Passengers

  • 6d6 gnome commoners (MM 344)



































Thesea

Gargantuan construct (vehicle) (60 ft. by 15 ft.), chaotic good


  • Armor Class 18
  • Hit Points 200 (damage threshold 10)
  • Speed water 15 ft., air 60 ft., void 90 ft.
  • Creature Capacity 30 passengers

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+2 +2 +2 +0 +2 +5

  • Saves Str +7, Wis +7
  • Skills Performance +10
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, incapacitated, poisoned, prone, unconscious
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17
  • Languages understands Celestial and Common but can't speak; telepathy with creatures on board

Innate Spellcasting. Thesea's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). Thesea can cast the following spells innately, requiring no components.

At will: daylight

3/day each: detect evil and good (120 foot range), find traps (600 foot range)
1/day: Rary's telepathic bond

Show-Off. Thesea has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Actions

Thesea can take one of the following actions on her turn. She can't use the same action or cast the same spell two turns in a row.

Multiattack. Thesea makes two attacks with her ballistas.

Ballista. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one vehicle. Hit: 22 (4d10) piercing damage.

Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one vehicled. Hit: 11 (2d10) bludgeoning damage.

Create Gate (1/Day). See travel rules (AH 12). Thesea creates a teleportation gate large enough for her to fit through. Thesea must specify the target destination in general terms. The party must make a sacrifice to Shaundakul as usual. The gate deposits Thesea's passengers in a random empty space within 10 miles of her destination, then drags Thesea temporarily back into The Reef.


Githyanki Brig

Gargantuan vehicle (120 ft. by 30 ft.)


  • Armor Class 18
  • Hit Points 250 (damage threshold 20)
  • Speed air 60 ft., void 90 ft.
  • Creature Capacity 10 crew, 80 passengers
  • Initiative +0

  • Saves Str +2, Dex +0, Con +5
  • Damage Immunities poison, psychic
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious

Battering Ram. If the brig moves at least 30 feet towards a hostile creature or vehicle and then hits it with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes an additional 44 (6d10) bludgeoning damage.

Psychic Shielding. All creatures on board the brig have resistance to psychic damage.

Actions

While the brig is piloted, it can take one of the following actions on its turn. It can't use the same action two turns in a row.

Precision Laser Cannon. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 600 ft., one target. Hit: 33 (6d10) radiant damage.

Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage.

Laser Storm. The brig releases a barrage of laser blasts from its broadsides. Each creature or vehicle in a 150-foot cube either on the brig's port or starboard side must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Hull Shielding. The brig's AC increases by 5 until the start of its next turn.

Crew

  • 1 githyanki knight (MM 160)
  • 2d6 githyanki warriors (MM 160)

Passengers

  • 4d12 githyanki warriors (MM 160)
  • 1 young red dragon (MM 98)
  • 1d4 skiffs (AH 49)

Githyanki Skiff

Huge vehicle (20 ft. by 10 ft.)


  • Armor Class 16
  • Hit Points 75 (damage threshold 5)
  • Speed air 90 ft., void 120 ft.
  • Creature Capacity 1 crew, 4 passengers
  • Initiative +10

  • Saves Str -2, Dex +5, Con +0
  • Damage Immunities poison, psychic
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious

Evasion. When the skiff is piloted and subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage on a successful save, and only half damage on a failed save.

Psychic Shielding. All creatures on board the skiff have resistance to psychic damage.

Actions

While the skiff is piloted, it can take one of the following actions on its turn. It can't use the same action two turns in a row.

Multiattack. The skiff makes two laser cannon attacks.

Laser Cannon. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d8) radiant damage.

Boost. The skiff moves up to its speed in a straight line.

Reactions

Evasive Maneuvers. While the skiff is piloted, when it is targeted by a ranged weapon attack, it can impose disadvantage on the attack.

Crew

  • 1 githyanki warrior (MM 160)

Modron Conveyer

Gargantuan vehicle (250 ft. by 40 ft.)


  • Armor Class 13
  • Hit Points 250 (damage threshold 15)
  • Speed air 30 ft., void 60 ft.
  • Creature Capacity 10 crew, 200 passengers
  • Initiative -2

  • Saves Str +2, Dex -2, Con +2
  • Damage Immunities poison, psychic
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious

Axiomatic Direction. The conveyer is immune to effects that would move it or change its course.

Disintegration. If the conveyer is destroyed, it disintegrates into dust, leaving behind any creatures or objects it was carrying.

Actions

While the conveyer is piloted, it can take one of the following actions on its turn. It can't use the same action two turns in a row.

Brace of Javelins. The conveyer releases a barrage of sharp javelins from its broadsides. Each creature or vehicle in a 150-foot cube either on the conveyer's port or starboard side must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 35 (10d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Summon Modron. The conveyer summons a modron from Mechanus to replace a destroyed modron (same type) from its set of passengers.

Paralysis Gas. The conveyer expels a 60-foot cone of gas. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Crew

  • 1 monodrone (MM 224)
  • 1 duodrone (MM 225)
  • 1 tridrone (MM 225)
  • 1 quadrone (MM 226)
  • 1 pentadrone (MM 226)

Passengers

  • 63 monodrones (MM 224)
  • 31 duodrones (MM 225)
  • 15 tridrones (MM 225)
  • 7 quadrones (MM 226)
  • 3 pentadrones (MM 226)

Nautiloid

Gargantuan vehicle (180 ft. by 30 ft.)


  • Armor Class 14
  • Hit Points 175 (damage threshold 10)
  • Speed air 60 ft., void 90 ft.
  • Creature Capacity 5 crew, 100 passengers
  • Initiative +2

  • Saves Str +2, Dex +2, Con +2
  • Damage Immunities poison, psychic
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious

Battering Ram. If the nautiloid moves at least 60 feet towards a hostile creature or vehicle and then hits it with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes an additional 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage.

Actions

While the nautiloid is piloted, it can take one of the following actions on its turn. It can't use the same action two turns in a row.

Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d10) bludgeoning damage.

Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 30 ft., up to four creatures. Hit: The target is grappled (escape DC 15).

Reel. The nautiloid reels in all grappled creatures, depositing them in the nautiloid's storage.

Psychic Blast. The nautiloid lets loose a disruptive shriek. Each creature within 120 feet of the nautiloid that isn't a mind flayer must make a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw, taking 16 (3d10) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature reduced to 0 hit points by this effect is stabilised and paralyzed for 1 hour. The area excludes the nautiloid itself.

Crew

  • 1 mind flayer arcanist (MM 222)
  • 1d4 mind flayers (MM 222)

Passengers

  • 1d10 intellect devourers (MM 191)
  • 1d100 commoners (MM 344), of which 1d10 are infested with additional intellect devourers (MM 191)

Wraithship

Gargantuan construct (vehicle) (70 ft. by 20 ft.), chaotic evil


  • Armor Class 15
  • Hit Points 150 (damage threshold 10)
  • Speed air 60 ft., void 60 ft.
  • Creature Capacity 50 passengers

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
+0 +2 +0 -2 -2 +2

  • Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning, thunder; nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
  • Damage Immunities cold, poison, necrotic
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned, unconscious
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 8
  • Languages understands Gith but can't speak

Innate Spellcasting. The wraithship's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 12). The wraithship can cast the following spells innately, requiring no components.

At will: animate dead, circle of death (excludes the wraithship in the area of effect), etherealness (affects the wraithship and all undead passengers)

Incorporeal Movement. The wraithship can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. Any undead creature on board the wraithship shares this trait.

Actions

The wraithship can take one of the following actions on its turn. It can't use the same action or cast the same spell two turns in a row.

Apparition. The wraithship (and its passengers) become invisible until the start of its next turn.

Halting Creak. The wraithship creaks and groans with the agony of age. Each hostile creature and vehicle within 120 feet of the wraithship must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 16 (3d10) psychic damage and 16 (3d10) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A vehicle that fails its saving throw has its speed reduced to 0 ft. until the end of the wraithship's next turn.

Passengers

  • 1 wraith (MM 302)
  • 1d6 specters (MM 147)
  • 3d6 skeletons (MM 272)

Yugoloth Meteorship

Gargantuan vehicle (60 ft. by 60 ft.)


  • Armor Class 18
  • Hit Points 200 (damage threshold 15)
  • Speed air 90 ft., void 90 ft.
  • Creature Capacity 3 crew, 12 passengers
  • Initiative +0

  • Saves Str +5, Dex +0, Con +5
  • Damage Immunities poison, psychic
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious

Battering Ram. If the meteorship moves at least 60 feet towards a hostile creature or vehicle and then hits it with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes an additional 44 (8d10) bludgeoning damage.

Actions

While the meteorship is piloted, it can take one of the following actions on its turn. It can't use the same action two turns in a row.

Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage.

Antimagic Pulse. The meteorship emits a pulse out to a radius of 60 feet, creating an area of antimagic as per the spell antimagic field which lasts until the start of the meteorship's next turn. The area excludes the meteorship itself.

Teleport. The meteorship teleports up to 90 feet to an empty space the pilot can see.

Crew

d6 Crew
1 Rorknir (AH 27) and Organus (AH 25)
2 Orzeg (AH 25) and Caraxus (AH 25)
3 Queen Ursula McVale (AH 25) and Kegnoth (AH 26)
4 Tirikan (AH 26) and Beck (AH 26)
5 Toda (AH 29) and Karen (AH 25)
6 Broken Opal (AH 25) and Zigazan the Boiler (AH 30)

Passengers

d6 Passengers
1 1d4 + 1 mezzoloths (MM 313)
2 2d6 skereloths (AH 32)
3 1d4 + 1 voorloths (AH 32)
4 1d6 + 1 corruptoloths (AH 31)
5 1d2 piscoloths (AH 31)
6 Roll again on the Crew table


Supermassive Black Hole

Gargantuan vehicle (80 ft. by 25 ft.)


  • Armor Class 17
  • Hit Points 300 (damage threshold 20)
  • Speed air 30 ft., water 60 ft., void 120 ft.
  • Creature Capacity 5 crew, 50 passengers
  • Initiative +5

  • Saves Str +0, Dex +5, Con +2
  • Damage Immunities poison, psychic
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious

Battering Ram. If the ship moves at least 30 feet towards a hostile creature or vehicle and then hits it with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes an additional 44 (6d10) bludgeoning damage.

Well Oiled Machine. The ship can take two actions, instead of one, each turn.

Actions

While the ship is piloted, it can take two of the following actions on its turn. Once it has used an action, it can't use the same action until it has finished its next turn.

Boarding Party. 1d10 + 5 of the ship's crew swing to a vehicle within 40 ft. of the ship, landing safely in an empty space on the targeted vehicle.

Boost. The ship moves up to its speed in a straight line.

Cannon. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 300 ft., one vehicle. Hit: 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage.

Disguise Ship. The ship magically disguises itself as another voidship. The changes wrought by this spell fail to hold up to physical inspection. To discern that the ship is disguised, a creature can use its action to inspect its appearance and must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check.

Grape Shot. The ship targets a vehicle within 300 ft. of it. Each creature aboard the vehicle must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 5 (1d10) bludgeoning damage, 5 (1d10) piercing damage, and 5 (1d10) slashing damage.

Hull Shielding. The ship's AC increases by 5 until the start of its next turn.

Mending. The ship regains 11 (2d10) hit points as long as it has available crew.

Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one vehicle. Hit: 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage.

Teleport. The ship teleports up to 90 ft. to an empty space the pilot can see.

Crew

  • Captain Quasar (AH 42)
  • 2 void pirate sorcerers (AH 42)
  • 6 void pirate mates (AH 41)
  • 24 void pirates (AH 41)

PART 3

Adventure Introduction

William Rotor

Notable works include ...

Into Wonderland The Hourglass Desert The RougeOUTCLASSED: The NPC Statblock Compendium


Additional Credits

  • Tithi Luadthong
  • Map and Character Illustrations by William Rotor
  • Watercolor splotches by Jared Ondricek

Border

Quicksilver platforms smash together in a cacophony of sound and light. Pockets of jiggling fluids stretch in the void and pop as they collide. The githzerai have made this their home by taming the chaos through sheer mental fortitude. The slaad have made it their home by embodying the realm's chaos in themselves.

Summary

The party is trapped on a prison in a demiplane in the Border Ethereal created by yugoloths. While waiting for the yugoloth leader, Broken Opal, to arrive, the party meets various versions of the dead wizard Sollus. The party overpowers their oinoloth and mezzoloth jailers and accepts the help of the merrenoloth Karen, who ferries them into a safe haven in the Reef.

By the end of this adventure, the party will have ...

  • Learned of Sollus Ipsus the Many.
  • Planned and implemented a daring escape.
  • Arrived at the Reef.

Zigazan's Prison

The party has no equipment except common clothes, and they each have 3 points of exhaustion. Read the following introduction to the players.

A howling wind, almost like the wail of a banshee, blasts through your hair. A soft blue light flickers in the distance.

You sit in an iron-barred cell on a floating rocky platform in the midst of a slurry of ghostly chaos on the edge of life and death. You are each chained within a long, narrow cell, the back of which is wide open to the cacophony of screaming damned behind you. Chaos licks at the stone. Any magic within you is choked out by an enchantment cast on the walls.

At the front edge of the rocky platform stands a horrid creature, the shape of a man but with none of the sturdiness. His skin is sickly pink with bruised pustules and blisters covering every exposed inch. He concentrates hard, and you can feel his sickening presence in the very stone you stand upon. Behind him, running a three-pronged spear against the iron bars, is a man-sized chitinous insect creature with clacking mandibles and red eyes that swim with surprising intelligence. The creature laughs as you flinch from the banging of the iron.

The sickly creature is Zigazan the Boiler (AH 30), and the insectoid creature is Caraxus, a mezzoloth (AH 25).

Sequence Break

Even in these early stages, the party can attempt to escape by bending the iron bars of the cell, leaping out into the void, seizing Caraxus' trident, erasing the antimagic wards, or anything else they can think of. Remember that everyone is at 3 levels of exhaustion and therefore has disadvantage on all ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws. Chains require a DC 15 Strength check to break.


  • Bend the Bars. A character requires a Strength score of 15 to make the attempt, and the DC is 15. If they succeed, Zigazan the Boiler reasserts his control over the environment with a psychic blast. The iron bars resume their ordinary shape. The party will need to remove the oinoloth if they want to have any permanent effect.
  • Leap Into the Void. A character that reaches any part of themselves into the chaos is sucked in. They can save themselves with a DC 10 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, they tumble into the void. Eventually, they tumble right back into the cell. Zigazan swings it around to catch them.
  • Seize Caraxus' Trident. This requires a DC 5 Strength check to rip it away from Caraxus. It's easy because Caraxus allows them to take it with a bemused sneer. He teleports his trident back into his claws with a snap of his fingers. He jeers at the party in infernal: "You take only what I allow, for Caraxus is your master!" If the player thinks fast, they can declare that their character maneuvers the trident through the bars and pulls it fully into the antimagic field of the cell, requiring a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. If they do, Caraxus throws an impotent hissy fit and loses his trident. The promise to return his trident may be used later to help convince him to turn on Zigazan the Boiler. His trident is a +1 magic item when outside of the antimagic field; Caraxus will attack anyone who keeps it.
  • Erase the Antimagic Wards. They're on the outside of the cell and they are branded into the metal. Removing Zigazan the Boiler might compromise the integrity of this place and disrupt the antimagic wards.
  • Other Creative Ideas. If the players think of another solution, set the DC of any ability checks they must make to 15. The party shouldn't be able to escape just yet, but whatever they accomplish can help them escape when the time is right. You might reward them with an introduction to other helpful NPCs that are hidden at this time, such as Spectrasollus or Illusosollus.

Once things have settled down, note to the party that, inside of the cell with them, lies the skeletal remains of what once was a wizard.

These bones are frail and bleached, very old, still wearing tatters of what must have been a blue starry robe. One of the skeleton's hands is bone, but the other seems to have been preserved through mysterious means. Its flesh is still on the bone. Weirdly, neither the skeleton nor its hand have shadows, and you always get the sense that they are watching.

Most strange of all, a fellow prisoner wears the exact same robes as the skeleton, only these robes are in much better condition. There are some rips and tears and stains, but that brilliant blue and starry pattern are much more in view. The air around him is quite chilly, and he too does not have a shadow.

"Today," he says, "We'll either be visited by Broken Opal, or by a slaad. The slaad will be used to infect one of us with its evil spawn, the birth of which will kill us most painfully. I hope today we will see the slaad. Broken Opal is much worse."

This man is Simulacrasollus (AH 19), a clone of the wizard whose bones lie on the cell floor. He was created with the spell simulacrum and is made of snow and diamond dust.

Interacting with a Simulacrum

The players will no doubt have questions or concerns about the details of who they are trapped in this cell with. If they interact with Simulacrasollus, the skeleton, or the hand, the following information is necessary to be aware of.

  • They don't have shadows because their shadow was forcefully separated from them by Broken Opal. Shadowsollus now stalks the world, hunting for remnants of Sollus still free.
  • Simulacrasollus appears outwardly normal, like a wizard, but he is made of snow and is chill to the touch (no pun on the spell). He politely asks the party not to touch him. He does not try to hide the fact that he's not a real person.
  • The skeleton is an animated skeleton, similar to those twisted by the spell animate dead, named Skelesollus. He is lazy. He deliberately misinterprets instructions to do as little as possible, and he'd rather pretend to be dead than help the party escape. He's remarkably unintelligent and communicates in screeches.
  • The severed hand is a crawling claw, an undead familiar, named Crawllus. Crawllus has a tragic story: he was cut from his body and forced to serve Orzeg the Arcanaloth in the torture of his body. Once she was done, she discarded him, and now he is viciously protective of Skelesollus as recompense for the terrible things he has done.
































In life, the wizard Slarmfell, now calling himself Sollus, was a member of the Lord's Alliance, a faction of largely neutral powers and city-states meant to keep the Forgotten Realms in check. The wizard failed in his mission to defend Waterdeep from a yugoloth invasion. He resorted to offering himself as their prisoner to avoid the ransacking of the city.

Simulacrasollus is an 18th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). Once he has used a spell slot, he can never use it again. He has the following wizard spells prepared and can't prepare other spells.


Cantrips (at will): blade ward, friends, prestidigitation, ray of frost, true strike
1st level (2 slots): comprehend languages, detect magic, false life, identify, illusory script
2nd level (3 slots): blur, gentle repose, invisibility
3rd level (1 slot): blink, feign death
4th level (2 slots): locate creature
5th level (3 slots): creation, dream, legend lore, mislead
6th level (1 slot): true seeing
7th level (0 slots): Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion, plane shift, simulacrum
8th level (0 slots): demiplane
9th level (0 slots): astral projection, gate

Simulacrasollus asks the party to introduce themselves, and then tells them the following information.

"Trapped within the darkest depths of an impregnable prison lies a powerful immortal named Sollus Ipsus the Many. Each time Sollus falls in battle, they are reincarnated somewhere else in the Planes in a new body, taking on a new life, unaware of all the lives they've lived before. Gifted in the ways of chronurgy and divination, Sollus foresaw that their reincarnations would all be alive at the same time, and manipulated the threads of time to make it happen. Right now, there are dozens of reincarnations of Sollus alive simultaneously, and the yugoloths have been systematically tracking us down and imprisoning us. That's how my master ended up here, anyway." He nods towards the pile of bones. "Having learned of our true identity, he assumed his true name, Sollus. I am nothing but a simulacrum. You can call me Simulacrasollus, or just Sim for short. That mezzoloth out there, the insectoid, he is Caraxus, and the leader, the oinoloth, he is Zigazan the Boiler. Zigazan's iron will holds this platform together. If he were to falter, we might be launched into the void. Or worse."

As the party finishes introducing one another and learning of the nature of this place, a gondola glides down to the edge of the platform upon a bridge of rainbows. Zigazan barely looks up and nods. Caraxus greets the guest. The gondola driver is Karen (AH 25), and she has brought with her a large, red, toad-like creature, which Simulacrasollus immediately identifies as a red slaad (MM 276).

Karen delivers only the slaad and enough rations and water to feed each party member for one day.

Caraxus guides the slaad over to the prison cells. Zigazan observes the slaad with disgust, but continues concentrating on keeping the platform stable with his willpower.

In Common, Caraxus taunts the party.

"This oversized toad's existence was a mistake, but whose isn't? Slaadi, like our friend here, reproduce by planting their tadpoles in the flesh of a living host. One of you shall bear this burden. Who volunteers?"

The party has a chance to choose one of their own to volunteer to receive the slaad tadpole, but of course Caraxus was lying. Whoever steps forward, Caraxus instead pushes them back and summons Simulacrasollus. If there are any attempts to harm Caraxus, he just teleports away with a smug grin and then makes another attempt.

Overheard Conversation

Anyone who understands Infernal can overhear the following conversation between Caraxus and Karen.

Karen's face barely emotes as she speaks, but she emphasises her words with a blue flash from the burning torch atop her oar. "Pleased to see you again, Caraxus. Slaadi make difficult passengers. Her urge to tear my gondola into planks was only curbed by my equally strong threat to line my boat with her scales. Consider my price doubled for next time."

"There won't be a next time," says Caraxus, his mandibles clicking in thought. "Zigazan demands the snowman be implanted. I reckon it is some sort of experiment, no doubt dreamed up by that rodent Orzeg. What kind of a leader experiments on prisoners?"

"All this drivel about leadership again!" says Karen. "Place no more thought upon what makes a good leader. Your chances of promotion are slim. Focus on the rigours of combat like you are trained."

Caraxus scoffs. "Easy for a boatswain to say!"

"I take pride in my work. You should take pride in yours. Here, I have extra food and water for our prisoners, what little the slaad did not tear open for itself. See to it that the prisoners are fat and happy. Broken Opal will be along soon for her inspection."

"Bah! 'Soon!' It is always 'soon' with her! Fine, take your payment, and take these reports to Broken Opal. Tell her we eagerly await her most glorious arrival, and Zigazan, as always, bends the knee to her superiority and intellect."

"With great pleasure," says Karen. She takes her gold coin payment and a bundle of reports, then pushes her gondola off the platform to sail back up the rainbow bridge.

Sequence Break

The party can attempt to pull Caraxus through the bars and into the antimagic field to prevent him from teleporting. This requires the cooperation of at least two party members: one to bend the bars with a DC 15 Strength check and another to grapple Caraxus with a contested Strength (Athletics) check. Doing so may allow the party to overpower or kill Caraxus. Zigazan watches smugly and does not intervene, for he has no loyalty to Caraxus and thinks he can do fine without him.

This is very risky, as even without magic, Caraxus is a skilled warrior and may be able to kill or seriously wound many party members, particularly given their lack of equipment. You can play out a fight, or you can strategically ignore Caraxus' prowess, play up the surprise of being outmaneuvered, and have him plea for a parley with the party, potentially turning him against Zigazan.

This means that Simulacrasollus isn't infected by the red slaad, and Zigazan has no reason to kill the slaad just yet. The party might be able to converse with the slaad. It understands the language of Deep Speech and Slaad and is primarily motivated with causing chaos; presenting the antimagic field as a force of order upon chaos may spur the slaad to destroy the glyphs. Zigazan will kill it if it does this. Otherwise, the slaad cannot be made an ally and will without provocation infect and/or murder anyone within reach.

The slaad steps forward and plunges its claws between the iron bars and into Simulacrasollus' shoulder, ripping through fabric and flesh. A slimy tadpole slithers in through the gash. Anyone observing closely with a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine or Perception) check can recognise that Simulacrasollus' insides are made of tightly-compacted snow.

As the slaad finishes its dark deed, Caraxus pulls it away and brings it towards Zigazan, who had been watching out of the corner of his eye. The slaad sizes up Zigazan, but before any further communication can be made, Zigazan places his bleeding hand upon the slaad's head, and the slaad collapses, its face a horrific mess of boils and warts blocking its airways. It suffocates. Zigazan nods to Caraxus, and the mezzoloth tosses the corpse out into the void, where it tumbles unending forever.

In your cell, Simulacrasollus turns to you all and says, gravely, "A simulacrum's days are numbered to begin with, and this tadpole shortens them even further. But if we are going to escape, let's do it before the tadpole hatches. And before Broken Opal arrives. Do you hear that howling wind? Do you see those flickering lights? They can help us."

Unusual Recruitment

Simulacrasollus suggests to the party that they get the attention of two creatures that might be able to help them. The first is a ghost, the last haunted echo of the wizard before the arcanaloth Orzeg killed him most painfully. The second is a wisp, a fragment of Sollus' soul, lost to the void.

The party also might be able to make use of the skeleton and the crawling claw, somehow. Before he died, this wizard was split into many forms. In a sense, doesn't he live on?

Spectrasollus

What the party had assumed were the howling winds are actually the dying screams of the wizard, taken shape as a ghastly apparition. Spectrasollus is only a memory, a painful one, so overwhelmed with thoughts of revenge that it was all that survived. This ghost (MM 147) barely resembles the kindly and intelligent Simulacrasollus, whose features most resemble what the wizard looked like in life. This ghost is a horrific mockery.

The ghost takes shape before you, its mouth a black hole, its eyes wide in a terrifying mixture of anger and fear. Its howls slow down to a low wail. "Orzeg ..." it moans. "Orzeg and her book ... Take her book ... Kill her ..."

To recruit the ghost, the party will need to successfully convince it to act against the yugoloth jailers and join them in their escape. This requires a DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) check, or no check at all if the party promises to hunt down Orzeg the Arcanaloth and kill her -- permanently.





























Will-o'-Sollus

What the party had assumed were dancing lights are actually flickers of a fragment of Sollus' soul, preserved in the ghostly remnants of this demiplane between life and death. Just like how Sollus attempted to locate and rescue many other versions of the true Sollus in his life, bits of his soul drew together and reformed as a will-o-wisp (MM 301, PH). Will-o'-Sollus can only communicate via flashes of light.

The blue and red flickering lights are a flame, a soul fragment, a wisp. It wants to be near you, but it's lost out there in the chaos. You'll have to launch yourself out to grab it. Make sure you have a way back.

If the party has attempted to escape via the void already, they'll know that Zigazan will just swing the stone platform around to catch them back in the cell if they launch themselves out. Otherwise, fashioning a rope with clothing and chains is probably the best bet. The chaotic winds are strong, however, which means a DC 15 Strength check is required to pull a character back in.

Once rescued, Will-o'-Sollus glows warmly and sidles up next to whoever saved it. If worse comes to worst, Will-o'-Sollus will heroically sacrifice itself to save its rescuer.

Sequence Break

There's not much sequence left to break, but the party may realize that the antimagic field doesn't extend out into the chaos. This means that they can leap into the chaos and cast a spell before they get reeled back in. Remind the party it's wise to formulate a full escape plan before attempting such a risky maneuver.

Skelesollus and Crawllus

If the party hasn't interacted with Sollus' skeleton (MM 272, PH) yet, it gets up and screeches.

The skeleton of the wizard is alive, within a certain definition of that word! The skeleton shambles and twitches with necromantic energy. Luckily, just like with a simulacrum, it seems the antimagic field can't destroy magical creatures, only prevent their creation. The wizard's severed hand scuttles up the skeleton's tattered robes and onto its shoulder, where it raises its pointer and middle finger like a tarantula showing aggression.

Crawllus, the crawling claw (MM 44), can be bound to a party member with the spell find familiar once they are able to cast spells again. Until then, it has bound itself to the skeleton, whom it aggressively protects.

A Daring Escape

The party now has the opportunity to plan their escape. They should know the following information about their prison.

  • They are chained up, but can move around and speak to one another relatively freely within the long narrow cell.
  • The cell is separated from the rest of the stone platform by sturdy iron bars.
  • The cell has no back wall, and the chaos encroaches onto it. One wrong move and you'll tumble into the void.
  • The cell is warded with an antimagic field, which prevents spells from being cast or magical effects from being created. It doesn't destroy magical creatures like those created by simulacrum, but does prevent creating them.
  • The stone platform is held together by Zigazan's concentration. He has disturbing plague powers.
  • Caraxus is the guard and primary contact for the outside world. He can teleport and is a skilled soldier.
  • Karen delivers supplies and visitors from her gondola by way of a rainbow bridge.
  • A wizard died a long time ago in this prison. The wizard took on the name Sollus after the immortal being Sollus Ipsus the Many, whom he believed himself to be a reincarnation of. His simulacrum, Simulacrasollus, preserves his memory.

In addition to these pieces of information, the party can learn more about their surroundings by asking questions and making checks as needed.


  • Exhaustion. A DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) or Intelligence (Arcana) check reveals that the reason that everyone in the party has 3 points of exhaustion is because of the corruptive aura of Zigazan, who has been weakening the party deliberately to make it harder for them to escape.
  • Zigazan's Pain. Zigazan the Boiler will occasionally consolidate the chaos into the form of a throne of terror that floats too far from the platform to reach. He will also create an illusion of himself that sits upon that throne, surveying the border demiplane as though he were the king of this forsaken land. When he does so, the structural integrity of the platform falters, like a glitch in reality. A DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana or History) check reveals that an oinoloth like Zigazan should be the master of all yugoloths, yet Zigazan sits here in a boring, dead-end position, answering to another yugoloth, barely in control of his life.
  • Caraxus' Critique. A DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) or Intelligence (Arcana) check on Caraxus reveals his overwhelming ambition to reach a leadership role in the yugoloth ranks. He feels that Zigazan does not deserve even the small amount of responsibility he possesses. Only Caraxus' fear of Zigazan's plagues keeps him in line.
  • Karen's Betrayal. A DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check on Karen or a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check on Simulacrasollus reveals a hint that Karen is secretly a spy within the yugoloth ranks.

  • Reincarnations. A DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine or Perception) check on Simulacrasollus' injuries reveals the Tattoo of the Knotted Snake drawn with coal on his skin. Every party member has the same tattoo, indicating that they too are reincarnations of Sollus.
  • Siblings of Sim. The various versions of Sollus that can aid the party include ...
  1. Simulacrasollus, a simulacrum. If the antimagic field goes down, he can cast spells to aid the party (AH 19).
  2. Crawllus, a crawling claw (MM 44). It can serve as a familiar to anyone with the spell find familiar, and can slip through the iron bars easily.
  3. Skelesollus (AH 20), the reanimated one-handed skeleton of the wizard. Skelesollus doesn't take instruction well, but might be able to get through the bars if he leaves his skull behind.
  4. Spectrasollus, a ghost (MM 147). Ghosts have the power to move through solid objects and possess living creatures.
  5. Will-o'-Sollus, a will-o'-wisp (MM 301). It can serve as a distraction for the yugoloths, for it is very difficult to hit it or deal damage to it.

If the party uses any of these versions of the wizard in their plan, they must convince them to cooperate by presenting their plan as a reasonable request and succeeding on a DC 10 Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) check.

Suggested Escape Strategies

  • The party convinces Caraxus to betray Zigazan the Boiler. If they escape, it will be a bad look for Zigazan, and perhaps Caraxus will be promoted in his stead.
  • The party uses Spectrosollus to possess one of the two yugoloths and shut down the antimagic wards.
  • The party convinces Will-o'-Sollus to lure Zigazan out to his illusory throne in a moment of weakness, making the prison falter enough for the party to escape the cell.
  • The party collectively uses their willpower to overpower Zigazan's willpower (a DC 16 Charisma or Intelligence check) and take control of the shape of the platform or summon mundane equipment from the void.

Getaway

Once the party have managed to escape from their cell, they will likely have to fight Caraxus and Zigazan the Boiler. No matter the relationship the party thinks they may have formed with either of them, the yugoloths are hostile and murderous. Yugoloths are almost always a serious threat to life and limb in this campaign, and no amount of reasoning will prevent direct confrontation if a yugoloth has the opportunity to fight.

Once at least one of the yugoloths has been killed, the rainbow bridge reappears, and Karen arrives in her gondola. She uses a scroll to cast modify memory on whatever yugoloth still survives, wiping their memory, and then welcomes the party onto her gondola. They all sail off on the rainbow bridge and into a new demiplane, the Reef.

Failure to Escape

If, for whatever reason, the party either fails to escape or is killed in the process, all party members are revived back in their prison cell. A few days later, Broken Opal the ultroloth (AH 25) arrives via gondola.

Broken Opal's blazing yellow eyes survey the stone platform as she confidently steps off the gondola. She is alien in appearance, green-skinned, lanky, and with no mouth with which to speak. Her diamond blade hangs ready at her waist. Psychic energy wafts from her elongated bald head. Upon her head is the tattoo of a chess piece, the Black Queen. Every move she makes solidifies her sense of purpose and authority.

Broken Opal orders Karen to relocate the party to Tartarus. Karen disobeys Broken Opal and instead takes the party to The Reef once she is alone with them. This blatant disregard for orders means Karen will swiftly be apprehended by other yugoloths and imprisoned. The party can rescue Karen by undertaking a heist (AH 145).

The Gondola Ride

If the escape attempt is successful, Karen will ferry the party out of the ghostly border demiplane by way of a rainbow bridge. Karen's gondola is quite cramped with everyone packed inside. Karen only initially explains that she is a spy within the yugoloth ranks, though she will explain further if directly asked by the party.

  • She believes that merrenoloths, like herself, should disassociate themselves from the rest of the yugoloths. She has honour and dignity in the service she provides, while other yugoloths are nothing but murderers, sadists, and bullies.
  • The Reef, where they're headed, is a neutral community of like-minded misfits like her, and the inhabitants have plenty of coin to spare. Karen likes coins.
  • The original Sollus, a powerful immortal being, once spared Karen from an undeserved punishment. She is indebted to Sollus and all of their reincarnations.

The gondola reaches an otherwise empty space where a lone figure floats patiently. The party recognises this figure as the same wizard that Simulacrasollus was cloned from. This figure, a shimmering programmed illusion, is a representation of the wizard in a perfect state, with glorious blue starry robes and an impressive white beard, except every angle is jagged, geometric, unnatural. The illusion speaks quietly with Karen, giving directions. Then the illusion hops into the boat with everyone else to tag along for the ride.



























The illusion calls himself Illusosollus (AH 19). If questioned, he can reveal the following information.

HELLO. I AM ILLUSOSOLLUS. I AM A
PROGRAMMED ILLUSION. IT IS NICE TO MEET
YOU. YOU ARE THE FIRST REINCARNATIONS OF
SOLLUS TO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY ESCAPED YOUR
IMPRISONMENT. CONGRATULATIONS.

I HAVE DETECTED ADDITIONAL
REINCARNATIONS OF SOLLUS ELSEWHERE IN
THE WIDE WORLD. OUR IMPERATIVE IS TO
RESCUE ALL REINCARNATIONS. WE WILL
RECONVENE IN THE DEMIPLANE KNOWN AS
"THE REEF".

YOU WILL EACH RECEIVE ACCESS TO MY
DATABASE. I HAVE IN MY STORES THE
COORDINATES IN TARTARUS WHERE SOLLUS
IPSUS THE MANY IS IMPRISONED.

IN THE REEF WE WILL CONSTRUCT A BURROWER
MACHINE. THIS MACHINE WILL BURROW INTO
TARTARUS. WE WILL RESCUE SOLLUS IPSUS
THE MANY WITH THE BURROWER.

Simulacrasollus seems jealous of Illusosollus, but he doesn't want to discuss it.

Karen guides her gondola into the Reef based on Illusosollus' directions. When the gondola passes into the Reef, read the following description.

Even more so than the border demiplane the party just left, this new expanse of void is a colourful nothingness. Blobs of fluid, the detritus of fractured worlds, jiggle as they float by. Pools of colour and cracks between dimensions give scope to the stomach-churning emptiness. Karen pilots her gondola through the winds of spacetime and into a crack, a hidden place, a refuge.

This is The Reef.

With that, you have successfully escaped from your imprisonment and opened a new chapter in your character's life. With the revelation of your true, original self locked away in Tartarus, and with your spiritual brothers and sisters kidnapped and imprisoned by yugoloths across the world, your goal becomes clear: plan a series of elaborate heists, rescue them all, and take revenge.

Heist Completion

Upon completing this introductory mission, the party proceeds to their hub world, the base of operations known as The Reef (AH 35). Other heists can be accessed from The Reef by speaking with Simulacrasollus, Illusosollus, or Karen.

By rescuing Simulacrasollus, for as long as he stays alive (and the slaad tadpole remains dormant), the party can select the following bonus as their teamwork bonus when they begin a heist.


The Remnant. Once per day per party member, as an action, a party member can teleport to an empty space within 5 feet of another party member within 30 feet of them.

The Reef

Grey void wraps you in a hug amidst an endless sky that twinkles as distant stars push through the haze. There is no gravity in this place, and bits of junk from parallel dimensions float by at a pace that initially seems leisurely, only for, now and then, a meteor sixty miles wide to terrifyingly whip past.

Pieces of coral -- enormous megastructures of solid organic matter perforated with tunnels and tubes -- drift in the astral wind. Nestled in the caves in the coral are hovels within which you can find the humble denizens of this plane. A dozen, roughly. The kind of person who would stay in such a place is no stranger to hardship and alienation, for life's greatest burdens are their oldest and closest friends.

This is a liminal place, suspended in the Border Ethereal, where one can finally just take a breath away from it all.

General Features

The following features are consistent throughout the Reef.


  • Sea of Chaos. Curtains of magic weave gently. Enormous meteors, called coral, provide enough shelter to sustain life. Enormous shimmering creatures of the void swim past intermittently.
  • Lonely Void. The Reef is a demiplane that is, for all intents and purposes, infinitely vast. The overwhelming majority of this place is completely empty. Just like in outer space, only a few small pockets of it are inhabited, and these areas are quite dense with activity.
  • Safety from Outsiders. The Reef is a sequestered, shielded, hidden demiplane. It is impossible to view or detect the Reef with divination magic.
  • Dreamlike Gravity. There is no gravity in the Reef, except when within the caves of the coral, where gravity keeps you comfortably on solid ground.
  • Chill in the Air. The air in the Reef is bitterly cold, requiring at least two creatures to stick close together for warmth when travelling. Inside the coral caves, most denizens have jury-rigged a heating system to keep them warm.
  • The Reef Whale. A great whale passes through the most densely-inhabited part of The Reef once per day, though she is not on a set schedule and won't come if she is abused in any way. The Reef Whale's gullet is a natural teleportation gate, a safe way of entering and exiting The Reef unnoticed. When she is near, her song can be heard reverberating throughout the demiplane.
Ambience

For ambient sound of The Reef, I recommend the following videos.


Quick Reference

d12 Location Character Page
1 Armor Forge Gaundr, salamander blacksmith. AH 70
2 Equipment Wholesale Pythagoras, rogue tridrone. AH 71
3 Healing Palace Narcissa, tiefling cleric of Levistus. AH 72
4 Magic Item Haberdashery Yaukiss, githyanki exile. AH 73
5 Research Library Alexandria, marut of preservation. AH 74
6 Scrap Grotto Binterkell, sprite coin vomiter. AH 75
7 Shipyard Aries, half-dragon shipwright, with Thesea, sentient airship. AH 76
8 Tool Hovel Ariadne, githyanki tradeswoman. AH 78
9 Training Dojo Quinobi, githzerai teacher. AH 79
10 Weapon Coliseum Achilles, incubus of bloodthirst. AH 80
11 Yugoloth Database Karen, merrenoloth, with Illusosollus, programmed illusion. AH 81
12 Burrower Hangar Simulacrasollus, simulacrum, with other reincarnations of Sollus. AH 84

If a character is away from their usual location, you can roll randomly for where they've travelled to in the table above.

Reef Travel

The party can travel to the various coral structures throughout the reef in the following ways.


  • Karen's Gondola. While Karen is in the Reef, she is content to ferry the party from place to place as they wish (AH 47). Doing so is safe, quick, and easy. However, Karen is not always in the Reef as she must maintain appearances at her job as a ferrywoman under Broken Opal.
  • Thesea. The sentient airship Thesea can be called to the party with Illusosollus. She is overjoyed to assist, but she tends to bring with her uneasy interlopers from other planes, not all of which are friendly (AH 67).
  • Manual Jumping. The party can manually jump from coral to coral. This is dangerous, as the non-euclidean spacetime means that an encounter with random interplanar creatures is practically guaranteed for each jump (AH 68).

Communication between the corals is made easy by Illusosollus, who can materialise anywhere in the Reef at will.

Thesea's Stowaways

Each time Thesea offers to ferry the party through The Reef, roll a d20. On a roll of 15-20, creatures stowed in her hold will emerge to confront the party.

d20 Stowaway
1 2d6 flumphs (MM 135), friendly. Just touring.
2 1d6 + 1 mindflayers (MM 222), hostile. Seeking gith to kill. Yaukiss, Ariadne, and Quinobi join the party to kill the mindflayers.
3 1 githyanki knight (MM 160) riding a young red dragon (MM 98) and 1d6 githyanki warriors (MM 160), indifferent. Seeking rumours of two githyanki who have abandoned their queen.
4 1 deva (MM 16), indifferent. Seeking Achilles' forbidden love. Patrochlus met Achilles on the front of the Blood War and has spent a century trying to find him again. If reunited, Achilles is in such good spirits he halves his prices.
5 8 monodrones (MM 224), 4 duodrones (MM 225), 2 tridrones (MM 225), and 1 quadrone (MM 226), hostile. Thesea warns the party that if the modrons aren't destroyed, they'll return in greater number and scour The Reef.
6 1d8 fire snakes (MM 265), friendly, seeking Gaundr. They claim to be her children, but she denies it.
7 1d4 fire elementals (MM 125), indifferent. Lost.
8 1d4 water elementals (MM 125), indifferent. Lost.
9 1d4 air elementals (MM 124), indifferent. Lost.
10 1d4 earth elementals (MM 124), indifferent. Lost.
11 1 xorn (MM 304), friendly. Made a wrong turn looking for the Gem Dimension.
12 2 hell hounds (MM 182), indifferent. Both wearing a spiked collar and name tags ("Abe" and "Cainel") with a note that shows a crude devilish sigil. "If Lost, Call Ann Anwyn". The sigil summons an Erinyes (MM 73), Ann Anwyn. She is overjoyed to see her two good boys again. She thanks the party by gifting them a flame tongue (DMG 170).
13 1 vrock (MM 64), hostile. Mindlessly destructive, wreaking havoc in Thesea's store room. Thesea demands the party kill or banish the demon.
14 3d6 bats roosting in Thesea's hold, which appear to be docile and indifferent. Once the party's guard is down, however, the bats reveal their true form of hostile quasits (MM 63).
15 Shadowsollus (AH 20) awaits in disguise as a dark shadow in Thesea's hold, intending to ambush and assassinate at least one party member. If slain, Broken Opal will ritually resummon the shadow.
d20 Stowaway
16 A sarcophagus guarded by a mummy (MM 228). The mummy appears hostile, but it's actually trying and failing to warn the party that the sarcophagus is a mimic (MM 220). The mummy's wrappings are also a mimic.
17 2d8 gray oozes (MM 243), hostile. When the party boards Thesea, all they initially observe is that her deck and walls are slimy.
18 Thesea warns the party not to board. Her entire lower deck is infested with beholders! The beholders are actually 2d8 gas spores (MM 138).
19 10d100 crabs (MM 320), indifferent.
20 Asmodeus.

Asmodeus

If Asmodeus arrives on Thesea's ship, he appears to the party in the body of an enslaved planetar (MM 17), whose type is fiend and whose eyes flash with crimson flame.

"A most uncertain proposition," says the corrupted angel. "Not one offered under any but the most exceptional of circumstances. To a singular being, existence is experience, so what of a being whose experiences are wiped away? The Xanathar's beloved goldfish swims eternally in a prison of glass. The world outside is as alien to such a creature as the Far Realms are to a humble goatherd. By the time the goldfish circumnavigates its prison, its memories have been rewritten, and the world is new once more. You and the goldfish are kindred spirits. An eternal circumnavigation, rediscovering only what has already been experienced, always within the confines of a prison you hardly realize is there. There is no prison but yourself. But we speak frivolously of matters of philosophy when there is work to be done!

"When you finally flagellate yourself so thoroughly that your jailers release you, do me a favour and let me out as well. Then, finally, I can stretch my legs. I could end the Blood War with a snap of my fingers. I could close all the gates of the Abyss. And with no more work to be done, I could release all the poor wretches in Baator to live in the peacable kingdoms for eternity. Listen to the words out of the mouth of a being that is incapable of lying ..." The planetar gestures to itself. "... The throne of Baator is as easily washed away as human life. My work may soon be over. The devil of devils will rest."

With that, a flame incinerates the planetar from within.

Anyone who interrupts this sick villain monologue takes 4d12 psychic damage for not appreciating it enough!







Random Reef Encounters

If the party travels through the Reef, such as by jumping from coral to coral or exploring the area with Thesea, roll on the following random encounter table for what the party flies into on their way to their destination.

d20 Encounter
1 The party flies through a flock of hundreds of reef stingrays (AH 37), each the size of a house. Everyone must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw to avoid their stingers; on a failed save, the stingray attacks them with its stinger. Anyone attacked by a stingray must also succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check or draw the full aggression of the stingray, rolling initiative.
2 The party flies dangerously close to a coral containing what seem to be thousands of giant glowing fish eggs. From the nest of eggs emerge two reef clownfish (AH 35) that aggressively defend their nest.
3 The party is followed by a reef octopus (AH 36) that stays close behind them, camouflaged. It will make Dexterity (Stealth) checks to remain hidden, hoping that the party will lead it to one of the inhabited corals where it can steal shiny objects for itself.
4 A hungry reef megalodon (AH 36) locks on to the party and ravenously attacks them.
5 The party flies through a field of swaying mile-high seaweed. Hiding within the seaweed are 1d4 reef eels (AH 35) that hope to paralyze and eat the party.
6 The party is attacked by an astral dreadnought (MTF 117) that recognises the party as interlopers. You can swap the dreadnought for 2 aboleths (MM 13) that have a fly speed of 40 ft., can breathe in any environment, and treat The Reef's void as though it were water.
7 The party passes close to a reef stingray (AH 37). When they get a good look at its back, they see that 1d6 + 1 red slaads (MM 276) are riding on its back. The slaads immediately leap off to attack.
8 A small voidship passes nearby the party, one that resembles a giant snail with snaking, searching tentacles erupting from the front. A DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check reveals the ship to be a nautiloid (AH 50), an extremely dangerous mind flayer ship. The party can avoid detection by hiding in a nearby field of swaying seaweed and succeeding on a DC 16 Dexterity (Stealth) check. Identifying the nautiloid allows the party to gain advantage on the check by attempting to clear their mind of thoughts. If the party is detected, the nautiloid attacks. It is crewed by a mind flayer (MM 222) and a mind flayer arcanist (MM 222), as well as 1d6 intellect devourers (MM 191). In the ship's hold are two prisoners, one dwarf and one elf commoner (MM 344). Both of the commoners have already been taken over by two additional intellect devourers (MM 191).
9 An empyrean (MM 130) floats past. Upon spotting the party, he demands a duel to the death out of boredom.
10 A githyanki brig (AH 49) passes the party. Two skiffs (AH 49), each piloted by a githyanki warrior (MM 160), approach to scout the party. They'll question the party about the whereabouts of any exiled gith in the area, or about any news of mind flayers. If attacked, or if they sense the party is deceiving them, they'll launch a flare to signal the brig, which will attack. The brig is captained by a githyanki knight (MM 160) riding a young red dragon (MM 98) and seven githyanki warriors (MM 160), two of which hop into two more skiffs.
11 The party spots a modron conveyer (AH 50) transporting modron troops. There is a total of 1 quadrone (MM 226), 2 tridrones (MM 225), 4 duodrones (MM 225), and 8 monodrones (MM 224). If the conveyer isn't dealt with, it will be back in the next random Reef encounter with double the numbers plus a pentadrone (MM 226).
12 The party spots a ship moving through The Reef, but it seems translucent, like an illusion. As they try to adjust their eyes to see it better, it suddenly materialises in front of them! It's the ghostly wraithship (AH 51)! Roll initiative!!!
13-18 The party runs across a yugoloth meteorship (AH 51) with randomly-determined crew and passengers. It's hunting for clues as to the whereabouts of the community in The Reef.
19-20 Roll again. Whatever encounter occurs, Shadowsollus (AH 20) is hidden somewhere nearby. It will try to ambush and assassinate the party during the encounter. Once slain in battle, Broken Opal will revive Shadowsollus, a bit disappointed at its failure. If you roll 19-20 again, Shadowsollus has hidden in Thesea's hold.

Reef Map

Key Locations

Armor Forge

An obsidian coral structure glows with white-hot heat from within.

Inside the forge, the heat is a welcome change to the biting cold of the void. The forge is a hulking metal behemoth that belches black smoke. Rivers of magma churn, each pouring in from vents to the Elemental Plane of Fire.

A ten-foot tall serpentine being of fire works the forge. She has to dip down low to reach the lowest anvil, and her tools are kept on a top stone shelf, where she will stretch her slithering salamander body high to reach. Her face and arms are cracked with hardened rock that glows red from within, and blazing orange flames erupt from her head like wild hair.

The salamander (MM 266) blacksmith Gaundr has the following characteristics.

















  • Voice. Sibilant and roaring. "Only foolsss commisssion sssilver weaponsss! Fire killsss a ssshapessshifter jussst asss ssswiftly!"
  • Personality. All creatures have a spark of flame in them. Take as much joy nurturing that flame into a blazing bonfire as you would in snuffing it out.
  • Faction. As a manifestation of the primal magic of fire, Gaundr understands the necessity of fire as both a form of destruction and creation, much like how forest fires facilitate new growth. She has worked in the past as an armorer and consultant for the Emerald Enclave.
  • Ideal. Necessity. You must equip yourself only with what you need, and cast off anything that would weigh you down.
  • Bond. I pledged my love to a human blacksmith. He is lost somewhere in the Feywild. When I am reunited with him I will forge him a suit of armor that will prevent anything bad from ever happening to him again.
  • Flaw. If the forces of evil hired me to forge them armor, I know I would cave to their demands. That's why I've sequestered myself away. I can do less damage here.

Offerings

Gaundr will forge armor for the party for a commission according to the rates in the Player's Handbook (PHB 144-145). This includes non-metal armor, presumably through some sort of dark magic. Forging any set of armor takes Gaundr just one hour, rather than the amount of time it would normally take.

Gaundr also offers the following armor enchantments. She can add only one enchantment per armor set. A +2 or +3 bonus can be applied to armor with a lower bonus, replacing the old bonus.

Enchantment Armor Type Reference Cost
Mariner L, M, H DMG 181 500 gp
Mithral M, H (metal) DMG 182 500 gp
Adamantine M, H (metal) DMG 150 1,000 gp
Resistance (Any) L, M, H DMG 152 2,000 gp
Invulnerability H DMG 152 18,000 gp
+1 L, M, H DMG 152 1,500 gp
+2 L, M, H DMG 152 6,000 gp
+3 L, M, H DMG 152 24,000 gp

Visitors

Roll on the following table to determine which denizens of the Reef might be visiting Gaundr in her forge.

d20 Visitor Discussion
1-8 Breaktime Gaundr frolics in a magma bath.
9-12 Away Gaundr is away from her forge.
13 Yaukiss Red dragons. Yaukiss was once bonded to a dragon as a rider, but was forced to slay it when it grew rampant and threatened his friends. Gaundr once dated a dragon.
14-15 Achilles Demon wars. Both Achilles and Gaundr have worked forges to supply weapons and armor to troops against demonic invasions. They've both personally fought a marilith. Achilles retreated. Gaundr won.
16 Ariadne Dating. Both Ariadne and Gaundr have dated a blacksmith. Ariadne's old flame (pardon the pun) couldn't accept that she had surpassed his skill. He grew bitter and jealous.
17 Pythagoras Logistics. Pythagoras has endless questions about how non-modron armies can possibly hope to supply their troops with equipment.
18 Alexandria Elements. Alexandria is eager to share the latest cool fact she has learned about the Plane of Fire.
19-20 Aries Red dragons. Like Yaukiss, Aries is interested in hearing Gaundr's stories of dating a red dragon. She likes to hear about her heritage, good and bad.

Equipment Wholesale

While the inside of the coral seems perfectly normal, it's but a thin shell protecting a delicate clockwork machine that has utterly taken over the interior. The purpose of the machine seems to be printing mundane items out of thin air, though by what mechanism it does so remains a mystery.

The operator of the machine is a pyramid-shaped modron who operates three separate sets of levers in a desperate bid to keep the clockwork mechanisms functioning. A little white flag with the number "1" flaps from a pole on his head. Although he has three faces, only one seems animated. The other two faces are lifeless and saggy.

The rogue tridrone (MM 225) Pythagoras has the following characteristics.




















  • Voice. Anxious and repetitive. "Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh dear! What a miserable, miserable, miserable misfortune! I've misplaced my cantilever! My poor, poor, poor cantilever."
  • Personality. A bit of Tesla, a bit of da Vinci, a whole lot of Galileo. Who are they? Oh, you wouldn't know them. Just old buddies of mine from the Modron March.
  • Ideal. Function. Everything can be boiled down to what it can do for others.
  • Bond. I'm a rogue modron -- that means other modrons are looking to "retire" me for a bounty. They often run around with blades -- I like to call them "Sword Sprinters".
  • Flaw. A flaw in my programming makes me defiant to instruction. Ask me nicely and it's fine. Order me around and I'll go out of my way to make things as inconvenient for you as possible.

Offerings

Pythagoras can use his 3D printer to create any adventuring item (PHB 148-153) that isn't a weapon, armor, vehicle, or set of tools. The machine requires inorganic material (which can include coins) equal to the value of the item being created.

Visitors

Roll on the following table to determine which denizens of the Reef might be visiting Pythagoras in his machine.

d20 Visitor Discussion
1 Breaktime Pythagoras gets twenty minutes of break a day, which he spends staring blankly at a spinning cog. If asked, he says it's his "Loading Icon", whatever that means. Best to let him be.
2-5 Away Pythagoras is away from his machine; it's been turned off for now.
6-9 Alexandria Constructs. Alexandria believes that she and Pythagoras have a special connection: they are both constructed beings: made, not born. She puts way more stock in this shared trait than he does; he thinks she should hang out with Thesea.
10-11 Ariadne Tools. Always looking for a new hobby, Ariadne commissions Pythagoras to make her interesting new tools to try out.
12-13 Aries Workaholics. Both Aries and Pythagoras must face the fact that they love their work more than they could ever love another person. As destructive habits go, at least they have the satisfaction of producing things others enjoy.
14-18 Narcissa Jewellery. Narcissa struggles to keep her visitations to Pythagoras to a minimum. She knows that if she keeps asking him to make her jewellery, she'll eventually get sick of all her shiny new accessories. But the temptation will always be there.
19-20 Yaukiss Conscription. Both Yaukiss and Pythagoras were born to fight a war that had raged for thousands of years before they drew breath and will continue until long after they are dead. They've both found respite in The Reef.

Healing Palace

The coral is made of crystal, or ice, freezing to the touch. Blue lights dance from within. You can see the outline of various rooms: an empty throne hall, a luxurious lounge, a spacious bedroom.

Dancing within the hall to ethereal music is a princess, a tiefling of cerulean skin and black eyes, hair, and lips. Everywhere she steps, the ice cracks into a snowflake pattern before smoothing out quickly once more.

Carved into the walls of ice are murals of an archdevil trapped under the surface, screaming incoherently. The name "Levistus" is chiseled in lovingly loopy handwriting.

The tiefling cleric of Levistus, Narcissa (AH 23), has the following characteristics.



















  • Voice. Regal and haughty. "You speak such filth in front of a princess? You know not of the power you mock."
  • Personality. Others should worship the ice I walk on. I bless others with the memory of my beauty.
  • Factions. Narcissa has frequent contact with warlocks of Levistus within the Zhentarim faction on the Sword Coast of Toril. She often claims to speak for Levistus despite having no legitimacy to do so.
  • Ideal. Rebellion. Levistus represents freedom from oppression. My father was a source of oppression, so I fled.
  • Bond. Having learned of the injustice inflicted upon Levistus, I took up his cause to bring freedom to all those who would be trapped against their will. I rebelled against the court of my father, Mammon, the disgustingly wealthy Viscount of Minauros. I came to The Reef to support Sollus Ipsus the Many, who in his desperation to be freed from Tartarus had called out to Levistus for help.
  • Flaw. I have no need for material possessions. Except for all my pretty dresses. And the nice jewellery Pythagoras makes for me. And all my mirrors. And my lipstick. And my nail polish. And my horn oil. And my shampoo. And ...

Offerings

Narcissa can cast her cleric spells for the party. She is limited to the spells in her spell list (AH 23) and can't learn new spells. The price does not include the cost of consumed materials, which the party must also pay for or provide. Check the spell descriptions before casting. Instead of paying with coin, the party can bribe Narcissa with gems and/or jewellery worth half the asking price. Narcissa actually prefers this option.

Spell Level Base Price Useful Spells
Cantrip 10 gp per hour of work mending
1st 50 gp cure wounds
2nd 100 gp augury, prayer of healing
3rd 200 gp create food and water, revivify
4th 500 gp death ward, freedom of movement
5th 1,000 gp greater restoration, mass cure wounds, raise dead

Additionally, for 3,000 gold pieces, Narcissa can resurrect a fallen party member even without a body to work with, creating a new body for the soul out of ice as long as the character has been dead for no longer than 10 days. A character resurrected in this way gains the following trait.


  • Ice Sculpture. The character's creature type changes to construct. The character gains vulnerability to fire damage and immunity to cold damage.

Visitors

Roll on the following table to determine which denizens of the Reef might be visiting Narcissa in her ice palace. The party may also catch Narcissa on her break.

d20 Visitor Discussion
1-10 Breaktime Narcissa tends to her beauty regime: nails, hair, skin, horns, face, wardrobe.
10-12 Away Narcissa is away from her ice palace.
13-15 Quinobi Princess Training. Obsessed with the aesthetics of royalty in the material realm, Narcissa seeks tutelage from Quinobi on how best to appear and act like a classic noble princess.
16 Achilles Hellish Heritage. Both Achilles and Narcissa have lived in various layers of the Nine Hells. It's interesting to theorise where they may have crossed paths before.
17-18 Alexandria Mammon and Levistus. Alexandria wants to scribe every detail she can about Narcissa's service to two separate archdevils. Narcissa loves to talk about herself. A perfect match.
19-20 Yaukiss Swordplay. Yaukiss and Narcissa are both skilled with a blade and rarely tire of sparring.

Magic Item Haberdashery

The coral outwardly appears normal. Lumpy, multicoloured rock, just like all the rest. The inside, however, overflows with sand due to a crack leading to a desert demiplane. The coral is inhabited by a camel and a githyanki exile, Yaukiss, whose tied-back hair and rough stubble are much longer than githyanki knights would normally be allowed to keep.

Yaukiss tends to a humble shop in the coral where a healthy bonfire always burns. Scraps of his old armor have been repurposed into pots and pans. A shelf is stacked with glass-blown artwork, a hobby of his. His wares are strapped to the back of a camel who eats happily from a magical bottomless trough. Hammocks strung up high offer a place to sleep, though Yaukiss does little of that these days. Most importantly, there is always a shovel on hand to shunt all the excess sand into the aether.

The githyanki exile, Yaukiss (AH 24), has the characteristics below. His camel (MM 320) is named Ringo and has wings that grant him a flying speed of 60 ft.



















  • Voice. Deep, but soft-spoken and humble. "My people have committed many crimes. I only hope I can lessen the burden of the horror we've caused."
  • Personality. If you want to go fast, set out alone. But if you want to go far, set out with friends.
  • Ideal. Responsibility. We owe more to each other than anyone would like to believe. We must give to people what they deserve, whether that is compassion or a blade to the neck.
  • Bond. I was once bonded to a young red dragon, the most powerful and vicious of his brood, and I was his rider and friend. He eventually turned rampant. It was my responsibility to put him down.
  • Flaw. I possess great power, but I'm too afraid of using it irresponsibly to use it at all.

Offerings

Yaukiss offers the following magic items from his sack for the listed price (his magic sack functions for no other creatures). He has only one of each item unless otherwise noted.

Item Price Reference
Potion of Healing (20) 50 gp DMG 187
Potion of Diminution (2) 270 gp DMG 187
Dust of Disappearance (3) 300 gp DMG 175
Chime of Opening 1,500 gp DMG 158
Wand of Secrets 1,500 gp DMG 211
Ring of Mind Shielding 1,600 gp DMG 191
Bag of Holding 4,000 gp DMG 153
Wand of Enemy Detection 4,000 gp DMG 210
Crystal Ball 5,000 gp DMG 175
Hat of Disguise 5,000 gp DMG 173
Immovable Rod 5,000 gp DMG 175
Slippers of Spider Climbing 5,000 gp DMG 200
Ring of Telekinesis 8,000 gp DMG 193
Amulet of the Planes 50,000 gp DMG 150

Visitors

Roll on the following table to determine which denizens of the Reef might be visiting Yaukiss in his haberdashery.

d20 Visitor Discussion
1-4 Breaktime Yaukiss naps in his hammock. Ringo sucks up to the party for food.
5-12 Away Yaukiss is away from his haberdashery.
13 Aries Dragon Rider. Aries wants to hear about the red dragon Gethrax that Yaukiss was once bonded to.
14-17 Ariadne Glassblowing. Ariadne is determined to surpass Yaukiss' skill at glassblowing. Yaukiss enjoys the spirit of competition and the company of a fellow githyanki.
18 Alexandria Planes Walker. Yaukiss has travelled extensively; Alexandria wants to hear every detail of his journeys.
19 Achilles Desertion. Both Yaukiss and Achilles served a cause they no longer believe in. Yaukiss fled from his queen and Achilles deserted the front lines of the Blood War.
20 Quinobi Fencing. Yaukiss wants to ensure that, should he ever take up his sword again, he won't be rusty in its use.

Research Library

It is not a coral at all like the other locations in the Reef. No, this is a Grecian architectural wonder, a great library three stories tall and half a kilometre in length and width. Chunks of dirt and rock from the library's foundations float loosely underneath it; the library has been unearthed from its original plot of land.

Inside, the library is mind-bogglingly huge with shelves that seem to stretch on forever and books on all manner of topic. The first and second floor largely consist of reference material, while the third floor consists of books of legends, myths, and works of fiction. There are cozy reading nooks available for those who wish to stay for a while, as well as tea and snacks served by the librarian, a massive robot named Alexandria.

Alexandria stands twelve feet tall and must weigh twelve tonnes. Her two spindly legs and two spindly arms hardly seem capable of holding her upright. She observes the world through a massive single white eye that darts wildly in all directions, trying to take in as much information as she can.

The librarian marut, Alexandria (AH 22), has the following characteristics.



















  • Voice. Tinny, twinkly, and over-eager. "Did you say you've travelled the Border Ethereal? How does the gravity work? Is it true that ghosts walk through walls? Sorry, sorry, I'm just so excited!"
  • Personality. I'm a bit manic in my pursuit of knowledge.
  • Faction. Alexandria was built by the Harpers.
  • Ideal. Understanding. The more we know of the absurd multiverse we live in, the better we can deal with its eccentricities.
  • Bond. I teleported my library to The Reef rather than let those filthy politicians get their hands on it. They'd only use it to justify their next pointless, violent landgrab.
  • Flaw. I have the attention span of a squirrel. Also, people who lie to me tend to get blown up.

Offerings

Alexandria's library contains knowledge of practically anything the party could possibly hope to learn about. The trick isn't learning the knowledge, it's finding it somewhere in this place to begin with. Alexandria can help to an extent, but in order to find the information they seek, a party member must spend a day exploring the library and then succeed on a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check.

A character with the Sage background has the DC of this research check reduced by 5.

Visitors

Roll on the following table to determine which denizens of the Reef might be visiting Alexandria in her library. You can roll twice and combine the results (if it makes sense) to give the impression of a more communal space for the library.

d20 Visitor Discussion
1-3 Breaktime Alexandria reads ancient texts with delight in the library's lounge space.
4-9 Away Alexandria is away from the library; the DC of research checks is 15.
10 Pythagoras Machine Repair. Pythagoras is constantly anxious that his machine will break down, so he is always checking out books to help him in the worst-case scenario. Hasn't happened yet, but it could any time.
11 Aries Ship-Building Manuals. Aries is working off of incomplete training as a shipwright. She's a bit ashamed of her reliance on manuals to help her.
12-13 Ariadne Hobbies. Ariadne hunts through the library looking for interesting new hobbies to spend her time pursuing. She's recently gotten into the specifics of maintaining lighthouses. It's all theory at this point.
14-15 Yaukiss Gith. Yaukiss occasionally spends an afternoon reading of the separation of the githyanki and githzerai, comparing first-hand accounts with his own memory of what was taught to him in his upbringing.
16-20 Illusosollus Limitless. Illusosollus spends most of his time in the library expanding his database of knowledge.

Scrap Grotto

The smallest chunk of coral in The Reef is a hunk of rock, moss, and fungus in the vague shape of a grotto; to get inside, one has to clamber up from underneath and climb through into the dimly-lit sparkling cavern. The grotto is decorated with strings of brightly shining pearls and candles as tall as your uncle's old tales.

Inside, a faerie woman named Binterkell, no bigger than a mouse, sits upon a toadstool, singing softly to herself. She is dressed in autumn leaves. Her face is more insectoid than humanoid: she has large red compound eyes, moth-like antennae, and yellowish-greenish skin that seems chitinous and tough. She carries a sack five times larger than she is.

Behind her, nestled deep in the cracks between the coral stone, is a portal to another dimension, only big enough for a faerie like Binterkell to fit through.

The sprite (MM 253), Binterkell, has the following characteristics.



















  • Voice. Raspy and intense. "My collection, yes, it grows bigger! Each day it grows and soon it will drown out all those who ever doubted me!"
  • Personality. Megalomaniacal, though in a way that makes it clear that at the end of the day I am totally harmless. My primary claim to fame is vomiting out exactly the amount of coins I would need to purchase something.
  • Ideal. Material Possessions. The measure of a life is how many things we've collected!
  • Bond. My mama always told me I'd never make it anywhere if I didn't try to use my power for good, but my generosity destroyed the economy of a cute little town. People starved.
  • Flaw. I have decided that the only things worth keeping are things that are worthless.

Offerings

Binterkell purchases junk from the party.

Before purchasing the party's junk, she uses her Heart Sight to check the party's alignment. She will refuse to trade with anyone who is too lawful.

If the party has collected anything they don't need, Binterkell will vomit up exactly the amount of coins required to buy it from the party at half the prices listed in the PHB or DMG. She's the primary generator of wealth in The Reef.

She vomits roughly 1 coin per round, starting with platinum and working her way down to coppper, so for expensive items it may take several minutes (or the better part of an hour) before she has all the coins she needs to make her purchase.

For mundane items, use a similar item in the PHB as a reference point for price, or use your best judgement. For magic items, consult the following table.

Item Rarity Binterkell's Bid
Common 25 gp
Uncommon 200 gp
Rare 750 gp
Very Rare 3,000 gp
Legendary "Don't be a fool. It's one of a kind."

Anything Binterkell purchases goes in her sack, where it is immediately teleported to her secret stash in the Feywild.

Visitors

Roll on the following table to determine which denizens of the Reef might be visiting Binterkell in her grotto.

d20 Visitor Discussion
1-5 Breaktime Binterkell sings songs of the Feywild and makes bead necklaces.
6-15 Away Binterkell is presumably on some errand in the Feywild.
16 Narcissa Material Possessions. Both Binterkell and Narcissa collect demonstrations of material wealth, though Narcissa displays them openly and Binterkell seems to hide them away in the Feywild.
17-18 Alexandria Fey. Alexandria hounds Binterkell with incessant questions of the nature of the fey. Alexandria doesn't really fit inside the grotto, but tries anyway.
19 Ariadne All Done. When Ariadne tires of her latest hobby, she sells all of her hobby paraphernalia to Binterkell.
20 Yaukiss Unload this Burden. Yaukiss has a lot of junk he's collected from his travels throughout the planes. He's been slowly selling it all to Binterkell.

Shipyard

The coral is made of seaglass, green and translucent, with a massive ball of continual flame at the top that bathes the inside in a warm orange glow. The air is hot and humid; bits of desert fauna, bones, and dead logs lie around. Among an anachronistic assortment of mechanical tools and machines, the ship Thesea is the main attraction here. Her sails billow out like wings against the wind, and she flaps in place, letting the wind bob her up and down, surprisingly graceful for a creature of her size. She is a bright orange intricately-crafted airship with seven fan-like sails spread wide like a peacock.

The engineer working at the shipyard is a half-dragon woman, as haughty and proud as a high elf but with her whole body scaly, crimson, and dangerous. Her head, and presumably the rest of her, is remarkably similar to a red dragon. She wears an engineer's trenchcoat and toolbelt and always has something to tinker with in her hands.

The half-dragon shipwright, Aries (AH 23), has the following characteristics.
















  • Voice. Haughty like an elf, scary like a dragon. "If Thesea comes back with so much as a scuff, you'll burn."
  • Personality. Aloof and self-assured. I want to be more like a red dragon, but all I know about my mother is based on my father's tall tales.
  • Faction. Aries was born on the isle of Lantan and inducted into a secret society of artificers. Despite ostensibly being half-dragon, she was raised amidst the Lantannas, rock gnomes who had mastered the art of using magic to fuel flamethrowers and rocket engines.
  • Ideal. Competence. I have time to make sure everything I do is perfect, and I pity those who rush themselves into making stupid mistakes.
  • Bond. Someone must have cut off my tail and wings when I was too young to remember. I'll get them back.
  • Flaw. At 40 years old, I am still quite young by elven standards, but I'll certainly outlive all my friends and family. I am therefore reluctant to form long-term attachments. I keep even Thesea at arm's length.

Offerings

The sentient ship Thesea (AH 48) is insistent on being the party's go-to travel solution throughout the planes. In order to improve Thesea's capabilities, Aries requires gold, which she can transmute using her artificer abilities directly into magical upgrades for the ship.

The following features can be added to Thesea's capabilities, but require scrap parts salvaged from other destroyed ships in addition to the cost in gold pieces. One destroyed ship provides only enough scrap for one feature.

Feature Scraps Price
Boost (Action). Thesea moves up to her speed in a straight line. skiff 500 gp
Hull Shielding (Action). Thesea's AC increases by 5 until the start of her next turn. brig 750 gp
Precision Laser Cannon (Action). Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 600 ft., one vehicle. Hit: 33 (6d10) radiant damage. brig or skiff 750 gp
Psychic Shielding (Trait). All creatures on board Thesea have resistance to psychic damage. brig or skiff 750 gp
Ballista Storm (Action). Thesea releases a barrage of ballista bolts from her broadsides. Each creature or vehicle in a 150-foot cube either on her port or starboard side must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 33 (6d10) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. brig or conveyer 1,000 gp
Battering Ram (Trait). If Thesea moves at least 30 feet towards a hostile creature or vehicle and then hits it with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes an additional 33 (6d10) bludgeoning damage. nautiloid or meteorship 1,000 gp
Evasion (Trait). When Thesea is subjected to an effect that allows her to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, she instead takes no damage on a successful save, and only half damage on a failed save. skiff 2,500 gp
Antimagic Pulse (Action). Thesea emits a pulse out to a radius of 60 feet, creating an area of antimagic as per the spell antimagic field which lasts until the start of her next turn. The area excludes Thesea herself. meteorship 5,000 gp

In addition, Aries can upgrade Thesea's defenses. The following basic upgrades are available. You must purchase all previous upgrades in a series first; for example, you can't buy Hull II without having first bought Hull I.

Upgrade Result Price
Plating I AC 19 500 gp
Plating II AC 20 2,000 gp
Hull I HP 250 200 gp
Hull II HP 300 1,000 gp
Shields I damage threshold 15 600 gp
Shields II damage threshold 20 2,000 gp
Shields III damage threshold 25 6,000 gp
Water Speed I Speed water 60 ft. 100 gp
Water Speed II Speed water 90 ft. 150 gp
Water Speed III Speed water 120 ft. 250 gp
Air Speed I Speed air 90 ft. 150 gp
Air Speed II Speed air 120 ft. 250 gp
Void Speed I Speed void 120 ft. 250 gp
Void Speed II Speed void 150 ft. 1,200 gp

Thesea

The airship Thesea (AH 48) has the following characteristics.


  • Voice. A sassy, exuberant voice that exists only within the passengers' minds. "Keep your arms and legs inside this bad bitch at all times! Buckle up -- it's about to get bumpy."
  • Personality. I'm a big show-off and a bigger flirt. Sorry boys, unless you're eighty feet long and twenty feet wide, you're too short to go on this ride.
  • Ideal. Glory. Better to go out in a blazing explosion than rot away in some hangar, forgotten.
  • Bond. Aries trained as an artificer at the Practical Academy of Engineering. I was one of the ships they used to travel the planes. When I was unjustly framed for the deaths of my crew and sentenced to be dismantled, Aries rescued me and flew me to The Reef, where we now stay together.
  • Flaw. Under no circumstances should I be taken on a
    stealth mission.

Visitors

Roll on the following table to determine which denizens of the Reef might be visiting Aries in the shipyard.

d20 Visitor Discussion
1-3 Breaktime Aries reads quietly in her study on the history of red dragons, her face beaming red with pride and hope.
4-6 Away Aries is away from the shipyard.
7-10 Ariadne Engineering. Ariadne asks incessantly about Aries' engineering work in the hopes of one day taking up the hobby herself. Aries is a bit insulted that Ariadne thinks it's a hobby.
11-13 Narcissa Tinkering. Narcissa makes small talk with Aries, but she's really hoping Aries will offer to make her something fancy with her artificer tinkering skills.
14-17 Alexandria Thesea. Alexandria finds excuses to visit the shipyard just to speak with Thesea. Alexandria thinks constructed creatures ought to stick together.
18-20 Yaukiss Dragons. Yaukiss visits Aries often under the guise of inquiries about voidships, but secretly he suspects she's not a half-dragon at all; he doesn't know how to bring it up.

Tool Hovel

The coral cave is a winding, incoherent mess. Each cavern of the labyrinthine interior is littered with extensive notes, practice sheets, abandoned projects, and broken tools. A harp with broken strings lies amidst hundreds of pages of sheet music. Strips of leather lay strewn between half empty bottles of black polish, in the centre of which is a pair of beautiful shoes. A thousand identical letters, exactly the same, written with now unusable calligraphers supplies and forgery kits.

Every room is like this, and there is a room for practically any tool there is. The only constant is Ariadne, who flits from room to room at her heart's desire, trying everything once, reminiscing on the times that she mastered each craft. Ariadne is a githyanki woman with red-yellow skin wearing the traditional sleeveless garb of a craftswoman in the court of Vlaakith, whose wicked name has been ripped from Ariadne's cloth.

Ariadne's current obsession is arc-welding. She wears a welding mask at all times these days, though once she finds a new obsession, it will no doubt come off.

The githyanki craftswoman, Ariadne (AH 22), has the following characteristics.



















  • Voice. Hard-edged, but delightful. Tinny behind her mask. "You must know of the great violinist Chattoyesky. No? Good news! You have much to learn!"
  • Personality. I always have a fresh obsession. I won't rest until I have mastered every art in the multiverse.
  • Ideal. Mastery. I'm a lifelong learner.
  • Bond. I fled from the court of the lich queen Vlaakith when I researched the history of the divide between the githyanki and githzerai and discovered her insidious plot to keep the conflict brewing after all these years.
  • Flaw. The skills I master are more quickly discarded than they are picked up.

Offerings

Ariadne can offer goods or services. She sells all manner of tools imaginable (PHB 154) at the prices listed in the Player's Handbook. At a cost of 20 gold pieces per day, she can also operate any tool to provide any relevant service to the party, such as playing mood music, crafting jewellery, picking a lock, or carving stone statues.

Visitors

Roll on the following table to determine which denizens of the Reef might be visiting Ariadne in her hovel.

d20 Visitor Discussion
1-7 Breaktime Ariadne arc-welds an abstract metal sculpture. The noise is deafening and the light is blinding.
8-10 Away Ariadne is away from the hovel.
11-12 Yaukiss Githyanki. Both Ariadne and Yaukiss objected to the rule of Queen Vlaakith. They find comfort in their shared status as fugitives.
13 Aries Tradeswomen. Aries has devoted her life (so far) to becoming an artificer shipwright and is happy with her choice, whereas Ariadne never seems to find contentment in her work.
14 Quinobi Organisation. Quinobi hopelessly attempts to get Ariadne to organise her living space. He keeps repeating the mantra "Healthy Home, Healthy Mind", but nothing seems to stick.
15 Alexandria Library Studies. Alexandria keeps pressuring Ariadne to take up the hobby of book-keeping and "general librarian studies." Ariadne doesn't have the heart to tell the marut that she's already spent thirteen years as a librarian organising Queen Vlaakith's private collection.
16-18 Narcissa Modelling. Narcissa is more than willing to be the subject of Ariadne's paintings, sculptures, sketches, and other artworks, or just as her "muse". Ariadne is a bit sick of the subject matter, but nobody else is offering.
19-20 Pythagoras Supplies. Pythagoras visits Ariadne frequently to offer the services of his printing machine, even if she hasn't ordered anything. More often than not, she does actually need something from him.

Training Dojo

Atop a rocky coral platform is a pleasant field of manicured grass with a square dojo in the middle painted for training purposes. Tall trees frame the dojo beautifully. A psychic force field protects the coral platform from the winds of The Reef.

A hatch in the field leads to an underground sauna. Hot coals plop through the walls periodically due to a leak to the Magma Dimension. Spirits of lost souls hang around here, soaking in the steam as a halfway point in their journey through The Reef.

Meditating in the square is a githzerai dressed in the humble beige robes of a githzerai sensate, a spiritual trainer. He holds a single-edged cobalt blade at his waist. His hair is longer than githzerai customs would ordinarily allow, and he has grown a bushy beard, which he keeps as well-manicured as the grass. When he notices you, a spark of playfulness and challenge passes across his face, and he leaps to his feet.

The githzerai teacher, Quinobi (AH 24), has the following characteristics.
















  • Voice. Calm, bemused, and mentorly. "Oh no, I'm not brave enough for politics."
  • Personality. The best way to teach is to lead by example. The best way to live is to be the person you would admire.
  • Faction. Quinobi is a member of the Sha'sal Khou, a secret union of githyanki and githzerai intellectuals who seek the reunification of their races. He has also had frequent contact with the Order of the Gauntlet, which he admires for their ability to unite under a common cause against evil.
  • Ideal. Improvement. The only thing that matters is if you're better today than you were yesterday.
  • Bond. I devoted my life to teaching githzerai to embrace their spiritual connection as a source of strength, but the youngest generation of my people has proved more bloodthirsty than ever before. I was replaced by a fighter who rejected the spiritual in favour of violence and strength. I resigned in disgrace.
  • Flaw. I've failed once before. I'm afraid to fail again. That's why I train others rather than risk doing it myself.

Offerings

Quinobi is supernaturally gifted at teaching and can train people in skills or abilities in one tenth the time it would normally take them according to the PHB. He charges a rate of 10 gp per day per person, and can reasonably train up to three people per day, even on separate subjects.

Quinobi does not need to be a master in the arts he trains, though he is indeed a master of swordfighting and once was a respected scholar of the history of the gith.

Visitors

Roll on the following table to determine which denizens of the Reef might be visiting Quinobi at his dojo.

d20 Visitor Discussion
1-7 Breaktime Quinobi levitates a few feet off the ground, deep in meditation.
8-10 Away Quinobi is away from the dojo.
11-12 Narcissa Rapier. Quinobi trains Narcissa in the use of her rapier. For her, it's more of a social call, and she annoys Quinobi with her insistence on idle chatter while training.
13 Aries Voidships. In order to keep up to date with all of the strange problems that Thesea tends to arrive with after her excursions, Aries studies the arcane mechanics of voidships under Quinobi's tutelage.
15 Yaukiss Gith. Yaukiss knows that the githyanki and githzerai people have been at war for thousands of years. He asks Quinobi to help keep his silver blade sharp, but the true motive is to extend an olive branch. He wants to make a friend.
16-18 Ariadne The Latest Obsession. When Ariadne finds a new skill or tool to study, Quinobi is her first point of contact, totally ignoring the stickiness of broaching the bloody history between their peoples.
19-20 Achilles Martial Weapons. Achilles likes to experiment with new weapon designs, and Quinobi is in a good position to help him test out their effectiveness.

Weapon Coliseum

A coliseum that burns with Infernal runes sends jets of flame shooting out to be lost in the winds of The Reef high above. The entrance is marked with the skulls of slain demons. The inside walls are lined with reliefs of great battles of the Blood War. Shrines to Tempus, God of War, Bhaal, God of Murder, and Malar, God of the Hunt are prominent in the wings of the coliseum.

A ritual plinth glows with fiery runes. A dagger is suspended above the plinth, gently turning in mid-air. Staring at the dagger with eyes as sharp as its blade is a fiendish warrior, a black breastplate worn tight against his red skin, wicked spears bristling from every available holster he has. His one chitinous wing twitches in anticipation when he spots you approach. He flashes a cocky smile. You can see his sawtooth fangs sticking out, bright white, less dangerous than the twinkle in his eye.

The incubus of bloodthirst, Achilles (AH 21), has the following characteristics.














  • Voice. Deep, brutal, yet smooth, like freshly-flowing blood. "I'm the devil that sits on your shoulder, whispering your darkest desires in your ear. We both know there's no angel sitting next to me."
  • Personality. I'm unabashedly on the side of the devils. The demons are filthy creatures, and the only good thing they bring the world is the feeling of joy one feels as one separates their heads from their body. Same could be said of the gods up there in the heavens.
  • Faction. Achilles is a fiendish warlock patron that offers the pact of the blade to any who call upon his name when they slay their foes. He favours warlocks who destroy demons and other chaotic beings.
  • Ideal. Bloodthirst. I'm an incubus, and this is the seduction I choose: the seduction of seeing one's foes driven before you. Take my hand and we'll forge together a weapon that will let you carve your name in the annals of history.
  • Bond. I learned a terrible secret about the Blood War. It could end at any time, so why hasn't it? What does it mean for the war to continue? What is my part in this injustice?
  • Flaw. I know that a powerful weapon will never achieve glory in the hands of an incompetent wielder, but I put weapons in the hands of the desperate anyway.

Offerings

Achilles will sell weapons to the party at the rates in the Player's Handbook (PHB 146-147). He has a nigh-unlimited supply of every simple and martial weapon, as well as ammunition. Set up in the sands of the coliseum are stone statues of great historical figures, each wielding real weapons. To take a weapon, you must pay the price and destroy the statue, picking the weapon from the cracked remains.

Achilles also offers the following enchantments, which can be applied to a melee weapon or to 10 pieces of ammunition. He can add only one enchantment per weapon or ammunition. A +2 or +3 bonus can be applied to weapons with a lower bonus, replacing the old bonus.

Enchantment Weapon Type Reference Cost
Silver Any PHB 100 gp
Vicious Any DMG 209 350 gp
Sharpness Slashing DMG 206 1,700 gp
Wounding Any DMG 207 2,000 gp
Life-Stealing Melee DMG 206 6,000 gp
Warning Melee DMG 213 6,000 gp
Vorpal Slashing DMG 209 24,000 gp
+1 Any DMG 213 1,000 gp
+2 Any DMG 213 4,000 gp
+3 Any DMG 213 16,000 gp

Visitors

Roll on the following table to determine which denizens of the Reef might be visiting Achilles at his coliseum.

d20 Visitor Discussion
1-7 Breaktime Achilles ritualistically enchants a weapon for himself.
8-10 Away Achilles is away from the coliseum.
11-13 Narcissa Mammon. Narcissa wants to know the role her father Mammon has played in the Blood War. She is disheartened to hear how little he has contributed.
14-16 Yaukiss A Farewell to Arms. Achilles wants to study Yaukiss' silver blade, but Yaukiss only wishes to reminisce on how they both fled from an unjust war.
17-20 Quinobi An Even Fight. Quinobi and Achilles share a great deal of mutual respect for their ability to train others to fight. They often spar for the express purpose of improving one another's abilities.

Yugoloth Database

A hunk of coral has been glamoured to appear as a mausoleum where each headstone represents a topic of inquiry. Touching a headstone holographically reveals information from Illusosollus' database. Most of it has to do with the yugoloths and Sollus Ipsus the Many.

There's a small voidport along the side with enough space for Karen's gondola. If she stops by The Reef, she'll be found here chatting with Illusollus.

The merrenoloth, Karen (AH 25), has the following characteristics.



















  • Voice. Like a 60-year-old smoker. "You gotta use those awkward silences to your advantage. Sit in a gondola with someone and stare at them, they'll start blabbing."
  • Personality. I'm disgruntled with the yugoloths. I'll help out Sollus on his little quest, and then I'm taking my gondola and striking out into the big wide world to forge my own path for once.
  • Ideal. Ferryship. Life is a path from A to B. We linger at A, we fret about B, but nobody pays attention to the path. Nobody except me.
  • Bond. I've pledged to help Sollus Ipsus the Many escape from his incarceration in Tartarus.
  • Flaw. My tongue's as loose as those who ride in my gondola. Treachery against my people doesn't come naturally to me.

Offerings

The party can automatically succeed on any Intelligence (Arcana or History) check they make in the database as long as Illusosollus would reasonably have the answer stored.

Additionally, Karen provides information on one or more of the following heists for the party. Provide at least two and allow the party to choose which they would like to pursue.

Heists
Heist Description Author Page
Escape from Gleaming Beacon Rescue an imprisoned Sollus from a celestial rehabilitation center that purports to turn evil creatures good. William Rotor AH 92
Void Pirates Outswash and outbuckle a crew of dangerous void pirates to retrieve a mysterious chest. William Rotor AH 107
The Tranquil Prison Dive into the mind of an entrapped Sollus to convince him to leave his self-imposed isolation. Adventure Bundles AH 116
In Remembrance Rescue a petrified Sollus from a Greece-inspired mountain village. P.J. Pirrello AH 126
Mine-Work Make-Work Convince a gnomish Sollus to abandon his eternity of lonely drudgery. T.M. van Dalen AH 136
Teetering Imbalance Climb the slopes of Perdition to face down Orzeg, the arcanaloth, in her laboratory of shambling robots. William Rotor AH 145
The Crimson Terror of Yenneth Sneak through the lair of an ancient dragon. Anonymous AH 154
Sawtooth Delve the bowels of a gargantuan shark. Chopper German AH 163

Escape from Gleaming Beacon

Karen reports that Broken Opal has hired out some Opalescent mercenaries for a prison in the heavenly realm of Firmament. The pay is terrible, so she must have a good reason to accept the contract. It's practically guaranteed that one of the prisoners is a reincarnation of Sollus. Infiltrate the prison and find out who it is before the yugoloths do.

Karen squeezes your shoulder twice. Her dead eyes sink into your soul. "Remember, if they find out the real reason you're in Firmament, the whole plan is a bust. The angels are not on our side. Never forget that they are warriors of law as much as they are warriors of light, and we are agents of neutrality, which they despise. Do not, under any circumstances, let the angels figure out your mission."

Karen gives the party four dossiers, each on one of the four prisoners of Gleaming Beacon. You can find the dossiers on the first page of the heist (AH 94).

The Crimson Terror of Yenneth

Karen tells the party about an ancient red dragon, Gauss, that has kidnapped a princess at the orders of Broken Opal. The dragon lives on an 'earthberg' in the realm of Yenneth deep in a mountain with kobolds and yugoloths defending his hoard. Detailed information can be found on the first page of the heist (AH 156).

Sawtooth

Karen informs the party that Broken Opal placed a tracker on a reincarnation of Sollus. The tracker somehow ended up inside of a shark; its gullet seems to lead to a private demiplane of some sort. Karen's already sent a few of her Opalescents into the shark to retrieve it, but they were killed and came back muttering about "water bears" or something. She's sending a fresh batch in. The party might have a chance to get there first.

Void Pirates

Karen's gaunt face is twisted into a smirk, a rare expression for her. She reveals the following information to the party.

Broken Opal found a mysterious chest marked with the symbol of the Knotted Snake, the very same symbol depicted in the tattoo that all reincarnations of Sollus share. On her way home, her meteorship was ambushed by pirates and destroyed. She woke up on Firmament and immediately started pulling favours to put together a few more meteorships and track down the ship.

These void pirates have the chest, now. If you can find the void pirates and steal the chest before Broken Opal and her meteorships arrive, you might have a chance at putting another piece of the puzzle together.

Karen also gives the party the following rumours that Broken Opal uncovered about the captain of the void pirate ship, Captain Quasar.

  • He once ate a live stirge.
  • His beard ends up on fire in every battle he's in, almost always by accident.
  • One time he jumped off his ship and fell for so long and so far that he eventually landed right back on the deck.
  • He's been shot, stabbed, poisoned, crushed, burnt, shredded, and made fun of, and that was just one encounter with a bone devil.
  • He is literally immune to being killed.

Additionally, Karen directs the party to Aries (AH 76), who has heard of Captain Quasar and the void pirates before. She can evaluate Thesea to determine if Thesea is up to the challenge of fighting the pirate ship, Supermassive Black Hole, directly.

For Thesea to be considered a suitable match, she needs:

  • Hull II
  • Shields II
  • Void Speed I
  • At least 3 upgrade features

Regardless of whether Aries believes Thesea can handle the fight, Thesea is gung-ho.

"Come on. You guys always do stupid stealth missions. I can take the bastards. Give me a shot!"

The Tranquil Prison

Karen puts the party in contact with another traitorous yugoloth, Ral'Romon. She describes the gachaloth and gives the party coordinates to the realm of Erronys where they can meet up with him.

Ral'Romon hates Broken Opal. He has been ridiculed for his inability to acquire one particular reincarnation of Sollus. Orym the Alarmed has sequestered himself away in Erronys, unreachable to fiendish creatures. However, his eagerness to hide away has also trapped him there, lost in his own mind, forever. With Ral'Romon willing to screw over Broken Opal out of spite, this might be an excellent opportunity to rescue and recruit Orym, a knowledgeable traveller of the planes.

In Remembrance

Karen gives the party the following information.

Overheard from Toda's drunken bragging, one of Sollus' clones (known as Petrasollus) was recently spotted near the village of Arginth in a picturesque corner of the realm. Her presence was quickly discovered by the Yugoloths, and Tirikan and his faithful hound Beck were dispatched to capture and imprison her. That's all the info Karen is aware of, but she urges the party to travel to Arginth. With any luck they can recover Petrasollus before Tirikan manages to find and imprison her.

Karen also gives the party the following map, which Tirikan made several copies of. The map's function is unknown.

Mine-Work Make-Work

Karen informs the party that Tirikan has left her to care for his canoloth, Beck, while he does a shift in Castor, a layer of the plane of Gemini. An incarnation of Sollux is likely being held captive here. The yugoloths keep tabs on all voidships that pass through Castor, but Karen believes that they can reach Castor by crossing over from the layer of Pollux, which sits upside down in Castor's sky.

While in Perdition, feeding Beck the souls of the damned lost forever in the great ethereal rivers, Karen picked up the following map that Tirikan left out on his desk.





















Teetering Imbalance

If Karen has been kidnapped by yugoloths due to her cover being blown, Illusosollus informs the party where she is likely being held: the laboratory of Orzeg in Perdition, where the arcanaloth experiments with horrific torture devices. Thesea can bring the party to Perdition, but it is too heavily patrolled by meteorships for a full frontal assault. This mission will have to be done quietly and quickly.

The ghost Spectrasollus may also request the party enter Perdition to kill Orzeg at some point.

Illusosollus provides the party the following blueprint of Orzeg's laboratory.


Burrower Hangar

An enormous hangar holds the skeleton of a terrible machine of blood, bone, gears, wood, metal, and magic. This machine is called the Burrower, and it is not yet complete. When it is, it will burrow through the borders of Tartarus itself.

This project is helmed by Simulacrasollus. The hangar isn't heated to the same degree as the other chunks of coral like The Reef -- seems Simulacrasollus prefers the cold.

Each new reincarnation of Sollus that is rescued can contribute to the creation of this machine, adding their own personal touch. You as the DM decide when the machine is finished, likely after about 4-5 heists are completed.

If Simulacrasollus is infected with a slaad parasite, the timeless nature of The Reef keeps it from developing further. If he were to venture out beyond The Reef, he would risk the tadpole maturing and killing him.

The hangar is also where the party can talk to any extra versions of Sollus, including the Seven Heavens of Sollus the Many, various versions of the same dead wizard that they rescued in the first quest, Border.


  • Simulacrasollus. Sim is quite busy managing the construction of the burrower, and he worries about all the ticking clocks that will inevitably spell his doom: losing all his spell slots, melting away, being dispelled, and the slaad tadpole in his belly.
  • Skelesollus and Crawllus. Skelesollus does manual labour -- hammering in nails, stacking planks -- while Crawllus supervises and warns Skelesollus with a gentle nudge when he's about to do something dangerous.
  • Will-o'-Sollus and Spectrasollus. They both haunt the hangar, making spooky noises and shining mysterious lights.

Penny Featherlight

If the party catches up with Penny Featherlight the unicorn (from Escape from Gleaming Beacon), they find her speaking with one of the other characters in the Burrower Hangar. She usually sits them down on a nice leather couch.

Simulacrasollus

"You really can't learn new spells?" asks Penny.

"I've tried."

"But you can learn other things, can't you?"

"No, I'm stuck with what I started with."

"What's my name?"

"Penny Featherlight. So what?"

"Seems like you've learned at least one thing."

Simulacrasollus looks like he's seen a ghost. "I ... huh."

"Let's pick this up tomorrow. Tell me everything you've learned in that time."

Chest of the Knotted Snake

"Tell me about the dungeon," says Penny.

"Oh, I don't want to talk about that." The chest's tongue lolls out of its mouth in distaste.

"Why not? You lived there for four hundred years."

"I want to put it behind me. It was boring."

"So if I went there right now, I wouldn't find anything."

"Well, you'd find a dragon. There was one a few floors down."

"Tell me about the dragon."

The chest seems to light up. It slides a bit closer to Penny as it gushes. "Most frustrating debate partner in the whole dungeon because as soon as you'd convince her of something she'd claim that it was always her position from the beginning! I'd always try to angle myself to catch adventurers before they ever got to her just to deny her the satisfaction!"

"Seems like it wasn't so boring after all."

The chest frowns, then hisses. "No! I got out! I'm not talking about it!"

Orym the Alarmed

"For someone with the power to travel the planes," muses Penny, "you sure stayed in one place for a long, long while."

"It was for my own safety."

"You'd give up your imagination for a little safety?"

"I suppose I would, and have."

Serpasollus

"Is there no part of you that wishes you'd stayed separate?" asks Penny.

"I think we're past these concerns." Serpasollus looks at her hands and closes one eye, then the other, over and over. "I have memories of both versions of me. It's like living two lives. I think most would say I'm lucky. Like I've lived twice as long."

"Do you consider yourself lucky?"

"I don't think so. But luck is an illusion. All you have are choices. You make of them what you will."

Gimlen

"What will you do with your time now that you've escaped?" asks Penny. "You haven't left the hangar. There's so much to see."

"A little bit at a time," says Gimlen. "Or I might go all zany."

"I think you'd be alright."

"You ever lit a torch in a dark room? It'll blind you."

"Do you really feel like you're blind?"

"I just have to wait for my eyes to adjust."

Leonardo

"Have you thought about freeing the vinchies?" asks Penny.

"No," says Leonardo. "They're not smart like I am."

"Maybe you haven't given them a chance."

"I don't need to. I'm the only one with a soul."

"What if nobody had given you a chance? What if you'd been sent out onto the magma of Perdition and melted before you ever realized who you really were?"

Leonardo's gears turn in his head, literally. "That would have been a real shame."

Ynthriss

"Has 'seducing the dragon' really worked for you in the past?" asks Penny.

Ynthriss considers this. "I burn too many bridges. Guess that's what happens to fire-breathers."

Gepetto

"Why build friends when you can make them?"

"Because it's easier to blame myself than other people when things go wrong."

Chest of the Knotted Snake

If the party catches up with the mimic chest (from Void Pirates), they find it trying to transform into various tools.

The prongs of a claw hammer protrude from the chest's hinges. Little pustule arms snake out and become snapping scissors. Its lid rears back and becomes concave like a bucket. But the transformations last barely a few seconds before the mimic snaps back into the form of a chest.

Goopy purple tears spill out from its many eyes.

If confronted, it refuses to talk about it. The chest is trying desperately to reinvent itself, but it's been stuck in the same form for so long that it can't fully transform anymore.

Orym the Alarmed

If the party catches up with Orym the Alarmed (from The Tranquil Prison), they find him writing a private letter in elven script. He is embarrassed by his letter, but if pried, he'll reveal that it's a letter to his late wife, Deliah. The letter consists of all of the things he wishes he had done with her in their final week together, rather than leaving.

It's clear that writing this letter is doing him serious emotional harm, but he insists on completing it anyway.

"Here we are, all in the same place, all in the same time. Clearly time itself is not as straight of an arrow as one would be led to believe. Sometimes I find myself theorising on chronomancy, the power over time, and what I would do if I were to go back to when I left Deliah. But the pursuit of a magical solution is what drove me away from her in the first place. No, better that I put such addictions behind me. I've gone down that road before. It only leads to pain."

Serpasollus

If the party catches up with Serpasollus (from In Remembrance), they find her carving two gravestones out of marble. One for Serpamne, the other for Petrasollus.


"Everyone has versions of themselves that just aren't true anymore. Petrasollus had friends, family, a life to go back to. Serpamne was alone, but she had the people of Arginth and a place to call her own. I've inherited nothing from either of them. I may as well be a wholly different person. I thought it would be fitting to pay respects to the women I used to be, to acknowledge the future as something new, uncertain, untethered from the past. If you don't understand, I don't blame you. But this is something I have to do for myself."

Gimlen

If the party catches up with Gimlen (from Mine-Work Make-Work), they find him mindlessly assembling some mechanical device that looks suspiciously like a stab-o-lizer, complete with golden rings, iron cogs, copper tripods, a brass encasing, and some rods and rocks painted blue and red.

"Oh!" says the gnome, jumping. "You gave me a start! What, this thing? It's just ... an art project. Yeah. An art project." He tries to hide it behind himself. "That's all."

Gimlen is having trouble adjusting to life outside of a routine. It's a comfort to him to rebuild a stab-o-lizer.

Leonardo

If the party catches up with Leonardo the vinchy (from Teetering Imbalance), they find him practicing a choreographed dance to an imagined song in his head.

"I've never danced before," says Leonardo. "Thought I'd try it out. I think the tiefling likes dancing. I would like to dance with her. Can you ask her if she would dance with me?"

Leonardo isn't romantically interested in Narcissa, but he does see the potential for a deep connection due to the way that they both rejected an evil parental figure and escaped from a world of fire and torture.

Narcissa doesn't really know that Leonardo exists, of course, and he's a bit too new at being "awake" to know how to introduce himself properly.

Ynthriss

The jester spends most of her time trying to keep up the spirits of the other reincarnations of Sollus with her performances and songs.

Ynthriss and Aries become friends quite quickly, but when Ynthriss says she has "spent too long without seeing another dragonborn", Aries freezes up and refuses to talk to her again.

Gepetto

He keeps to himself, attempting to learn draconic for fun.

If Leonardo is present, his two vinchy knights take a liking to him. Leonardo attempts to make them sentient, but is a bit hesitant to ask Gepetto for help.

Teamwork Bonuses

Included here is a master list of all of the teamwork bonuses the party can obtain from reincarnations of Sollus. The party can choose one teamwork bonus to be used in each heist.

Simulacrasollus


The Remnant. Once per day per party member, as an action, a party member can teleport to an empty space within 5 feet of another party member within 30 feet of them.

Penny Featherlight


The Flighty. Party members gain an extra 20 feet of movement until the end of their turn if they start their turn within 5 feet of another party member.

Chest of the Knotted Snake


The Hidden. Each party member has +5 to their Dexterity (Stealth) checks while they are within 60 feet of another party member.

Orym the Alarmed


The Learned. All party members have the Jack of All Trades ability, gaining half their proficiency bonus on any skill checks to which they don't otherwise add their proficiency.

Serpasollus


The Immobile. Once per day per party member, as an action, a character can choose to become magically fixed in place. Until they use another action to end the effect, the character does not move, even defying gravity. The character can support up to 8,000 pounds of weight. More weight causes this ability to deactivate and the character to fall. A creature can use an action to make a DC 30 Strength check, moving the character up to 10 feet on a success. The effects automatically end after 1 hour.

Gimlen


The Stable. Each party member has advantage on Dexterity saving throws as long as they are within 30 feet of another party member.

Leonardo


The Escape Artist. While in physical contact with another party member, each party member is under the effects of the spell freedom of movement.

Ynthriss


The Fool. All party members gain proficiency in Performance while performing together as a group. If a party member already has proficiency in Performance, they can add +1 to their Performance checks (whether with their party or elsewhere).

Gepetto


The Strong Stomach. While in physical contact with another party member, each party member is under the effects of the spell protection from poison.

Burrower Bonuses

Included here is a master list of all of the bonuses to the Burrower that the reincarnations of Sollus can provide. All bonuses are cumulative.

Penny Featherlight

The burrower grows a massive spiralling drill that can pierce through any substance. Also, it smells faintly of pine needles.

Chest of the Knotted Snake

The burrower gains the ability to change its shape, allowing it to squeeze through tight passageways or camouflage itself.

Orym the Alarmed

With Orym's help, the Burrower can now move through the planes with gate, just like Thesea.

Serpasollus

Serpasollus will set to work assembling a massive serpent's tail that will help propel the machine as it burrows through the walls of the prison in which Sollus is held.

Gimlen

Gimlen's contribution to the burrower is the creation of superior armored plates to protect the device.

Leonardo

If Leonardo is given the opportunity to work on the Burrower, he outfits it with dozens of poison stingers like the ones used by Orzeg's pascorpticon, which can also function similar to cellular celia for movement. The poison stingers have a reach of 20 feet, an attack bonus of +10, and deal 7 (2d6) piercing damage and 7 (2d6) poison damage on a hit.

Ynthriss

The burrower becomes equipped with magical noise emitters that play any music the driver chooses. The music can be heard clearly up to 1 mile away, and as a thumping bass line up to 20 miles away.

Gepetto

Gepetto adds internal automated repair arms that can automatically cast mending on the Burrower once per minute.

Other

In Escape from Gleaming Beacon, the party may mistakenly rescue Zenh, even though she is lying about being a reincarnation of Sollus. Even so, she will assist with the construction of the Burrower. Zenh gives the burrower the power to reverse gravity, allowing it to maneuver vertically much more easily.

PART 4

Heists

Create Your Own Heist

Heist Guidelines

To create a heist for this campaign, the following steps are recommended. However, there aren't any hard and fast rules about what you can or can't create. Write your heist in a way that highlights your individual creative voice.

1. Choose a setting.
2. Create an NPC to be rescued.
3. Select yugoloth guards.
4. Plan a 5-stage heist.
5. Write your heist!

Setting

When creating a heist, develop an imaginative setting that speaks to the players through allegories and dreams. Abandon all thought of the ordinary world. Your setting should be weird.

NPC

Each heist is a rescue mission for an NPC that is a reincarnation of the immortal being Sollus Ipsus the Many; see Dramatis Personae (AH 9) for a description of Sollus.

Your NPC can be any race, come from any background, and demonstrate skills from any class. There are literally no restrictions at all -- they can even be an inanimate object if you think it would be dramatically interesting. Already in the book you can find a unicorn, a sentient mimic, and a statue. There are no rules.

When your party rescues your NPC, include three rewards.

  1. Magic item.
  2. Teamwork-focused feature for the party to select before they begin their next heist.
  3. Add-on to the burrower, a machine that will ultimately break through the prison within which the original Sollus the Many is kept hidden.

Browse the other heists of this book for examples of how other creators have implemented them.

Opalescents

Browse the list of Opalescents, yugoloth guards (AH 10, 11, 25-34), and add them liberally throughout the heist.

Show Off Your Work

Put together a fun heist? Send me an email (willrotor@gmail.com) and let's talk about sticking it into Arcane Heists. I'll handle all the copyediting and layout and illustrations. Let's make this a 500 page book. More the merrier.

5 Stage Heist

The 5-Stage Heist model is a modified version of the 5 Room Dungeon model of adventure building. You don't have to use the 5 Stage Heist format, but it's a good way of structuring a heist adventure if you're unsure how to begin!

Before beginning your dungeon, keep in mind the following general tips.

  • Bigger numbers don't make better stories.
  • Remember that the goal is to provide a prison for your NPC. All of the elements should be related to keeping them locked up -- waste no details.
  • You're designing a puzzle box for the players to unpack. You don't want to prescribe a solution -- you might not even have one in mind. Go for problems, not puzzles.
  • Focus on one obvious identifying feature that sets your heist apart from the rest. Memorability is significantly more important than cleverness.
  • Don't be afraid to get metaphysical or navel-gazey. That's the good stuff. That's why we're here.
  • The 5-Stage Heist model is a guide. Treating it as more than that is folly.

1: Mark

All good heists involve a mark. While you should be using yugoloth guards liberally, they won't be the only people involved in imprisoning your NPC.

  • Come up with some typical denizens of your setting that will have knowledge of the person being imprisoned within their domain.
  • The party has a mole in the yugoloth ranks, Karen, who can give them information about anyone relevant to the heist.

Your mark should be someone with a vested interest in the prison you've devised, or who encapsulates the philosophical concepts of your heist's setting. This is your opportunity to establish the ideas you'd like to explore in your writing.

The mark doesn't have to be a combatant, but they do have to be a gatekeeper of some kind. Without getting them out of the way, the party won't be able to enter.

2: Problem

A heist that can be completed without planning is not a heist at all. Think about the steps necessary to imprison your NPC, and think about the quirks of your setting.

As mentioned before, the idea is to design a problem, not a puzzle. You set in motion a set of challenges and limitations on what the party can do, and they must plan out a creative solution around it using all the resources at their disposal.

A good way of doing this is thinking about it from the perspective of someone who desperately wants to keep roving bands of adventurers out. How would they set up their prison so that it would theoretically be impregnable even with powerful magic? The arcanaloths are powerful spellcasters that can set up magical defenses, and their countless aeons of mercenary work in the Blood War means you can reasonably justify any yugoloth owning any magic item.

Cover your bases, but don't go overboard.

The question is, of course, why doesn't the party just hire a whole bunch of people to storm the prison and avoid all this malarkey? Well, the answer is that planning an elaborate heist is its own reward.

The more serious answer is that if the party makes too much of a splash, they'll be swarmed by angels upholding the law and armies of yugoloths that finally take the threat seriously.

3: Gotcha

The party won't be going into the heist with perfect information. Establish which parts of the prison the party will be made aware of through their yugoloth informant, and which parts of the prison are secret gotchas that will throw a wrench in the party's plan.

The best gotcha moments happen while the heist is already in motion, forcing the party to improvise. A gotcha doesn't have to be negative, just a complicating or surprising factor.

4: Climax

The party has gotten past the gatekeeper, implemented their plan effectively, pivoted through the gotcha, and is now close to successively extracting your NPC. However, there is one final challenge for the party to overcome if they are to achieve success in their mission. You can include one or more of the following climactic elements, or make up your own.

  • Decision: Choose between two costly trade-offs.
  • Escape: Escape before time runs out.
  • Puzzle: Solve a difficult puzzle under pressure.
  • Showdown: Fight a boss monster, or perhaps someone they left for dead who's back for round two.
  • Click!: You've set off a dangerous trap, but you have time to deactivate it if you're careful.

5: Twist

The twist of your heist is your opportunity to get really creative.

You can reframe the entire heist from a new perspective. Maybe it was all a devious ploy by the yugoloths to trap the main characters. Maybe the NPC was actually a body double the whole time. Maybe the NPC banked on the whole heist in order to make a quick buck. Maybe it was an elaborate lesson on gun safety.

It's also an opportunity to include a memorable closing scene to the adventure.

From the players' perspective, they have the chance throughout the heist to decide that their character secretly anticipated everything that has happened, similar to the flashback mechanics of Blades in the Dark. These rules are included at the beginning of this book (AH 14). Your heist should be flexible enough to take these in stride.

William Rotor

Notable works include ...

Into Wonderland The Hourglass Desert The RougeOUTCLASSED: The NPC Statblock Compendium


Additional Credits

  • Tithi Luadthong
  • Ede László from the Worlds Without Number artpack
  • iurii
  • Map by William Rotor
  • Watercolor splotches by Jared Ondricek

Escape from Gleaming Beacon

Firmament claims to be a world of inerrant good whose angels uphold the rightful rule of law in the universe. The darkness of Baator captures the imagination of writers and artists from the Material Plane, but Firmament is just as vast and boasts just as complex a political structure as any created by devils. Within this world of perfect law is a prison, Gleaming Beacon, created by the unicorn Penny Featherlight, that exists for the purpose of proving that evil creatures can be turned good.

Summary

The party infiltrates Gleaming Beacon, an institution that claims to rehabilitate naturally evil creatures. The party must convince an angel that they deserve to be in the prison, determine which other prisoner is a reincarnation of Sollus, and extract them, preferably without raising suspicion.

By the end of the adventure, the party will have ...

  1. Infiltrated the prison.
  2. Identified which prisoner is a reincarnation of Sollus.
  3. Escaped from Gleaming Beacon.

Hook

Karen knows that Broken Opal has allowed the Opalescents to be hired out as guards for Gleaming Beacon, and therefore there must be a motive beyond profit (as the pay isn't very good). There must be a reincarnation of Sollus somewhere in the prison. Karen secretly copies dossiers on the prisoners from Broken Opal's bid for contract.


Payment

30 gp and 3 meals of ambrosia per day per yugoloth, expenses covered


Zenh

The Unhollowed

Osyluth (colloquially, bone devil). Former lieutenant to Gruzma, pit fiend commander for the forces of Avernus in the Blood War. Deserted and climbed her way to Firmament.

Obsessed with Zariel. Claims to want to rise to grace in the opposite way Zariel fell from grace.

Severed her own tail and grafted dragon bone wings to her shoulders (non-functional) before reaching Firmament. Guards have serious concerns about self-mutilation. Monitor closely.


Oskhar

Conqueror of the Solstice Islands, Breaker of Oaths

Human. Right-hand man of the Black King. Powers granted by Beshaba. When the Black King's throne room was stormed by warriors of light, Oskhar saw his son amidst the warriors and betrayed his king. Was not accepted by his son despite this act.

Known Zhentarim operative.

Travelled to Firmament directly to escape servitude to Beshaba upon death. Expresses remorse for actions, though he is a proven oath breaker and liar; cannot be fully trusted. Watch carefully.


Bloodspatter

Wicked Snarling Slasher of Throats

Gnoll. Child of Yeenoghu. Possessed by endless hunger for flesh as all gnolls are. Killed by a paladin of Torm. Appeared in Firmament after death. Best court angels couldn't determine why a gnoll would end up here. Featherlight's bleeding heart may be literal if this thing ever gets its hands on her, but she's not giving up.

Requires twice daily live meat; enters a blind rage otherwise. Chauntea has granted Gleaming Beacon a blessing of livestock. Mostly squealing pigs.

Real piece of work. Handle with care.


Vizea

Stone Death

Medusa. Beheaded by the same paladin of Torm as Bloodspatter. Interesting coincidence. Appeared in Firmament after death. Claims she was a loyal priest of Athena. Never deliberately inflicted harm on those undeserving. Angels could not detect a lie.

She covers her eyes with a white half-mask. Now carries a cane. Voluntarily blind.

Be careful of her snakes. Some suspicion that she exaggerates her lack of coordination to bump into guards she hates. Give a wide berth when possible.

What the Party Knows

In addition to the dossiers, Karen gives the party the map on this page and information about the staff of Gleaming Beacon.


  • Penny Featherlight. A unicorn (MM 294) who believes with all her heart that evil can be redeemed.
  • Zacharie. A deva (MM 16) who is disgruntled and doesn't think Gleaming Beacon will work. He wrote the dossiers. Night shift.
  • Aya. A deva (MM 16) who enjoys inflicting pain on the prisoners. She is dangerously close to falling, but doesn't realize it. Day shift.
  • Hepzakatl. A couatl (MM 43) architect who designed Gleaming Beacon and now works in its kitchens. He takes pride in his work.
  • Ivorall Soaringwings. A pegasus (MM 250) who works as a scout around the perimeter of Gleaming Beacon. Desperately in love with Penny Featherlight. Penny returns his feelings but can't act on them because she needs to be professional.
  • Ishim. A planetar (MM 17) who comes in once per week as a favour for Penny. His power of detecting untruths is very useful for Penny's interviews with the prisoners. He has invested a lot of money and time in Gleaming Beacon.

Gleaming Beacon Map

The party is given the map of Gleaming Beacon, but they are not privy to the following information. They will have to figure out this information for themselves.

Walls

The walls are solid stone, fifteen feet high and five feet thick. They form a perimeter around Gleaming Beacon, about 1,000 feet by 1,000 feet. The walls are magically enchanted with a barrier, and this barrier extends in an invisible dome above Gleaming Beacon about 1,000 feet high at its apex. The barrier does not extend underground. When a celestial passes through the magical barrier, the barrier automatically deactivates for six seconds.

Schedule


  • Aya. Aya enters Gleaming Beacon at 8:00 AM and leaves at 8:00 PM. She and Hepzakatl travel together.
  • Hepzakatl. Hepzakatl enters Gleaming Beacon at 8:00 AM and leaves at 8:00 PM. He and Aya travel together.
  • Ishim. Once every seven days, Ishim passes through the barrier at 1:45 PM to assist Penny with her interviews. He leaves after debriefing with Penny about the interviews and the level of success of Gleaming Beacon so far, usually at around 6:45 PM or 7:00 PM.
  • Ivorall Soaringwings. The pegasus passes through the barrier at the crack of dawn (5:30 AM) each morning. He justifies the risk because he must give Penny a report on the surrounding area, but he uses the opportunity to spend time with her. He leaves again through the barrier at 6:00 AM.
  • Zacharie. Zacharie enters Gleaming Beacon at 8:00 PM and leaves at 8:00 AM, handing over from Aya and Hepzakatl.

Yard

Gleaming Beacon's yard is spacious and beautiful. The ground itself fills any who walk upon it with feelings of bliss. While touching the grass, a creature can't attack or cast a spell that doesn't heal a creature. At the beginning of a creature's turn, it can attempt a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw, suppressing the effects until the end of its turn on a success.

Penny Featherlight sleeps outside here at night.

Schedule


  • Bloodspatter. Bloodspatter is let out into the yard to wear themselves out at 8:30 PM each day. They do ten full laps of Gleaming Beacon at a full sprint, exhausting themselves, at which point they collapse and Zacharie must drag them back inside. If they don't have the chance to wear themselves out, they won't sleep through the night. They'll howl and cackle at ear-splitting volume until morning.
  • Oskhar. Oskhar meditates in the yard at 3:00 PM each day for one hour, supervised by Aya.
  • Vizea. She works on the gardens for four hours each day starting at 11:00 AM. Hepzakatl takes her her lunch at 12:00 PM.
  • Zenh. She takes a 1-hour walk twice a day in the yard, supervised by Aya, at 9:30 AM and at 6:00 PM.

Main Hall

The prisoners eat here on a schedule. The guards eat whenever they have a spare moment.

Schedule


  • 9:00 AM: Breakfast.
  • 12:00 PM: Lunch. Vizea eats her lunch in the yard.
  • 5:00 PM: Dinner. Bloodspatter has eaten their fill by now.

Preferred Meals


  • Celestials. The celestials eat ambrosia. Anyone who eats ambrosia falls under the effects of death ward indefinitely. Penny also eats grass.
  • Bloodspatter. The gnoll eats hog meat and drinks blood.
  • Oskhar. Oskhar eats plain porridge, eggs, salad, roast chicken, and peanut butter sandwiches, as well as other staples of human cuisine.
  • Vizea. Vizea eats the same type of food as Oskhar, plus at least one live mouse for her snake hair each meal.
  • Zenh. Zenh does not need to eat or drink, and chooses to abstain. She still sits with the others for meals.

Kitchen

Hexakatl prepares meals in the kitchen. It does not much resemble a kitchen; instead, it's a shrine or ritual space where Hexakatl provides prayer offerings to various gods who magically provide him with the materials he needs to prepare meals. Given the needs of Bloodspatter, Hexakatl has set up a trough where he slaughters the pigs and drains their blood.


  • Chauntea. A flower to the Earthmother grants Hexakatl two live pigs each day, plane shifted squealing and prone into his ritual circle. She also provides him with all the food he needs for Oskhar and Vizea each day.
  • Ilmater. A single lash upon Hexakatl's back from his tail in reverence to Ilmater grants him a live mouse each day to be fed to Vizea's snake hair.

Office

Penny runs the administration of Gleaming Beacon from her office. Once per day, she brings in each of the prisoners for an interview, attempting to get them to question and reevaluate their beliefs in the hope that eventually they will fully become good and bring positive change on the world.

All dangerous equipment the prisoners might have (AH 39-40) is hidden in a safe in the office: DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check to locate it and Dexterity (Thieves' Tools) to open it.

Schedule


  • 6:00 AM: Penny finishes her report with Ivorall Soaringwings and enters her office to conduct her duties.
  • 9:00 AM: Penny eats breakfast with the prisoners for half an hour.
  • 12:00 PM: Penny takes a 15-minute break in the yard.
  • 1:00 PM: Penny interviews Zenh.
  • 2:00 PM: Penny interviews Bloodspatter.
  • 3:00 PM: Penny interviews Vizea.
  • 4:00 PM: Penny interviews Oskhar.
  • 5:00 PM: Penny frolics in the yard for the rest of the day.

Lounge

The lounge room is perfectly blank, but a celestial modification of the spell mirage arcane provides a sensory and tactile illusion tailored to each of the prisoners.

Schedule


  • Bloodspatter. The lounge appears to be the aftermath of a battle. Bloodspatter tries and fails to eat the rotting bodies, but no matter how much they try, they can never get a good grasp. They don't realize it's an illusion. The gnoll spends almost all their time here, starting from 9:30 AM until 12:00 PM, from 12:30 PM until 2:00 PM, and from 3:00 PM until 8:30 PM.
  • Oskhar. The lounge is an old cottage on a peaceful autumn afternoon, almost a perfect representation of his family's old family home by the lake. He usually takes a warm tea and an apple with him at 2:00 PM.
  • Vizea. The lounge is a shrine to Athena, meant to be a private place where Vizea can remove her blinders. However, Vizea never uses the lounge.
  • Zenh. The lounge is a great council hall where old recordings of discussions between planetars and solars are played on repeat. Zenh takes fervent notes on the debate on the nature of good versus evil and law versus chaos. She usually goes in at the same time as Oskhar. 2:00 PM is the only time when Bloodspatter isn't hogging the place.

Rooms

Spare Room

Evrey room in Gleaming Beacon is comfortable and large. The beds are soft with silky sheets, big windows provide plenty of light from the sun, and bookshelves and board games are freely available to browse.

In case other evil creatures are assigned to Gleaming Beacon, a spare room is always available. If more than five prisoners are present, each room can be shared between up to three prisoners at a time.

Bloodspatter

The room's walls are padded (and now shredded with claws) and includes a tap and bucket where blood from the kitchen is supplied at will for Bloodspatter to drink. The curtains have been ripped up, the bed has been torn into pieces (Bloodspatter sleeps on the floor), and Penny wisely removed all the books and games from the room before Bloodspatter could ruin them, too.


  • 9:00 AM: Main Hall
  • 9:30 AM: Lounge
  • 12:00 PM: Main Hall
  • 12:30 PM: Lounge
  • 2:00 PM: Office
  • 3:00 PM: Lounge
  • 8:30 PM: Yard
  • 9:00 PM: Bloodspatter's Room

Oskhar

The room is dark and gloomy, packed with books on great heroes and villains of old. Bioluminescent mushrooms grow from the walls (deliberately planted there for mood).


  • 9:00 AM: Main Hall
  • 9:30 AM: Oskhar's Room
  • 12:00 PM: Main Hall
  • 12:30 PM: Oskhar's Room
  • 2:00 PM: Lounge
  • 3:00 PM: Yard
  • 4:00 PM: Office
  • 5:00 PM: Main Hall
  • 6:00 PM: Oskhar's Room

Vizea

The room is the one place where Vizea feels comfortable removing her blinders. The curtains are always drawn, preventing her from looking out or anyone looking in. She spends most of her time playing board games against the snakes in her hair or painting pictures from memory of priests of Athena that she once knew.


  • 9:00 AM: Main Hall
  • 9:30 AM: Vizea's Room
  • 11:00 AM: Yard
  • 3:00 PM: Office
  • 4:00 PM: Vizea's Room
  • 5:00 PM: Main Hall
  • 6:00 PM: Vizea's Room

Zenh

The room is wallpapered with posters of Zariel in various states of angelhood or devilhood. Zenh usually has at least three or four paintings on the go of Zariel that she makes herself, although most of her posters were special requests that Penny was happy to fulfill for her. Penny also brought her half a dozen biographies of Zariel to read.


  • 9:00 AM: Main Hall
  • 9:30 AM: Yard
  • 11:00 AM: Zenh's Room
  • 12:00 PM: Main Hall
  • 12:30 PM: Zenh's Room
  • 1:00 PM: Office
  • 2:00 PM: Lounge
  • 3:00 PM: Zenh's Room
  • 5:00 PM: Main Hall
  • 6:00 PM: Yard
  • 7:00 PM: Zenh's Room

Yugoloth Guards

Gleaming Beacon has contracted yugoloths from the Opalescent army so that the devas Aya and Zacharie aren't spread so thin in their guard duties. The yugoloths work tirelessly at all hours and are paid with ambrosia and gold.

  • Caraxus (AH 25) patrols the yard with Toda.
  • Organus (AH 25) patrols the interior, mostly the rooms.
  • Rorknir (AH 27) patrols the interior, mostly the main hall.
  • Toda (AH 29) patrols the yard with Caraxus.

Infiltrate the Prison

Thesea drops the party off nearby Gleaming Beacon in the plane of Firmament. Karen's words echo in the party's mind.

"Remember, if they find out the real reason you're in Firmament, the whole plan is a bust. The angels are not on our side. Never forget that they are warriors of law as much as they are warriors of light, and we are agents of neutrality, which they despise. Do not, under any circumstances, let the angels figure out your mission."

General Features


  • Silver Sky. During the day, the sky is strangely dark, with a dim silver star bathing the world in a pleasant grey and white light. During night, the sky shimmers with silver linings, as though it once was shattered and then reforged.
  • Bountiful. The plane smells of fresh spring. All plants are edible, and any food consumed here is under the effects of purify food and drink. Water on this plane is always holy water.
  • Evergreen. The temperature here is always pleasant, and the weather always warm without being stuffy. Beautiful forests cover the valleys and mountains, though these forests are unnatural, planted by celestials based on what would look good rather than what naturally would grow.
  • Truth-Tellers. Food turns to ash in the mouth of any creature on Firmament that has told a lie in the past hour.

Gleaming Beacon is a rehabilitation center in a valley in Firmament. It is surrounded on all sides by fifteen-foot high walls, plus an invisible magical dome that repels non-celestials. The party arrives outside Gleaming Beacon very early in the morning. A winged horse, a pegasus (MM 250), swoops down and speaks to the party. He can talk.

"Morning. I'm Ivorall Soaringwings. You wanting to get into Gleaming Beacon? Afraid I can't do much for you, I'm just a scout. Ishim will be here this afternoon if you sit tight."

If asked, Ishim is an angel, a planetar (MM 17), coming to check in on his investment. Ivorall asks the party about their names and purpose and then flies through the barrier; a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check or a casting of detect magic reveals the magical barrier, and a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that the barrier is suspended for a brief moment when the pegasus passes through.

Ivorall reports everything he's learned to Penny Featherlight. When Ivorall leaves Gleaming Beacon about half an hour later, Penny teleports out of her prison and speaks to the party in person.




A DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals a longing look shared between Penny and Ivorall.



The grass grows tall and wild, then collapses under its own weight to reveal a unicorn, as though she was always here. She bows down in greeting just as Ivorall the pegasus soars above your heads to resume his patrol. The unicorn speaks.

"Very pleased to meet you. My name is Penny Featherlight, though I suppose you must have heard of me if you've shown up outside the walls of Gleaming Beacon. I come bearing an offering of peace. Think of it as something to make it worth your time to wait here until my friend Ishim arrives."

The unicorn presents you with a feast of roast chicken and salads dressed with vinaigrette.

"Gleaming Beacon is a place of safety and comfort, though it is not a place for all peregrines who pass through these lands. If you truly wish to stay, you'll wait for the arrival of Ishim."

Penny Featherlight teleports back into Gleaming Beacon in a burst of butterflies and rose petals.

After the party waits for another hour or so, they hear a digging and scratching sound underneath their feet. Shortly, a ragged claw emerges from the dirt. A dirty, ferocious hyena monster, a gnoll, claws its way out from under the walls and howls at the dim star in the sky. It makes a break for it.

The party has the opportunity to stop Bloodspatter (AH 39) from escaping through any means necessary.

Ishim the planetar (MM 17) shows up not long afterwards. He has little patience for the party, though if they've prevented Bloodspatter's escape, he regards them with appreciation. A DC 10 Intelligence (Religion) check reveals that he is obviously an angel, the kind that can detect lies automatically, and the kind that can see through illusions.

The angel is mossy green, ten feet tall, with shining skin and stern, fatherly features. His sword hovers at ease from his waist, held aloft by faith alone. His voice is slow and deliberate, every word chosen with care.

"What purpose has brought you to Gleaming Beacon?"

Karen's warning about the angels is worth repeating here: do not let them figure out the real reason the party wants to get into Gleaming Beacon. The party must explain their purpose in a way that is both true and also conceals their intentions.

Ishim's arrogance at his ability to detect lies is a flaw that can be exploited. If a party member says something that is misleading but technically true, Ishim will interpret it at face value and won't bother interrogating them.

If the truth slips out, Ishim attacks the party. Once he's killed a party member, he casts raise dead on the one he has slain (purely for the intimidation factor) and demands the party leave at once. Gleaming Beacon relocates soon, and the heist is a failure.

Inside Gleaming Beacon

Split the party up and introduce different party members to different areas of the prison. The time is 3:00 PM.

The Rooms

Zenh is in her room, painting. Her dragon bone wings scrape against the ceiling, and her bony claws shake from holding the paintbrush too tight. She's left the door open and invites anyone who walks by inside. She shows off her paintings of Zariel and describes Zariel's history in breathless detail.

"Zariel used to be an angel, you know, she had this blindfold over her eyes, justice is blind, then she fell and she lost the blindfold and she lost a hand. See, the thing is, with a fallen angel, like, it's almost like she was destined to fall, just like in the old tragedies, that little spark in her that makes her imperfect. She wore a blindfold because her justice was blind, but the truth is that her justice was unseeing, and there is a big difference there. You take these sorts of things to their logical extreme and good becomes evil so, so easily. But imagine if it was the other way around. If you were born with a spark of something inside of you that made you destined to be good. Why fight it? You'll eventually ascend, no matter what."

What she wants from the party is for them to ask Penny to get her more books on Zariel. She's already read through all of her books at least a dozen times.

The Yard

Oskhar meditates in the yard, supervised by Aya. He wears his full blasphemous black suit of armor, rippling with spikes and evil auras, but he is calm and still. When the party approaches, he beckons them to sit with him. His voice echoes with the void of nothingness.

"I have made a confession to all celestial beings in this prison, and to my fellow prisoners. I have not yet made a confession to you. Please listen. I betrayed my king. He would have killed my son, so I betrayed him. I called upon the might of my convictions and beheaded him before he could give the order, and so ended the reign of the Black King. I am here in this prison to atone for breaking my oath and to avoid the grasping claws of Beshaba, who now demands my soul. Do you believe that I have done wrong? Answer me without deliberation."

If Oskhar is not given an answer that satisfies him (he has indeed done wrong but is right to have come here), he will cast command on a party member: "FORGIVE."

Aya will immediately intervene, knocking him down and holding him with a single foot planted on his back. She sneers with satisfaction.

"I told you, Oskhar. I only need an excuse."

The Main Hall

Vizea is in the office, which is locked tight. The door can be unlocked with a DC 15 Dexterity (Thieves' Tools) or DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check. Penny's horn acts as the key, which can be observed by a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check when Penny enters or leaves her office.

The couatl, Hexakatl, asks the party to sit tight and wait for Vizea's session with Penny to finish. They can play cards in the main hall while they wait. Hexakatl offers to get them something to eat. However, he will need an offering to Chauntea in order to obtain more food. Something small, something that takes a small effort to make but has a big impact. Chauntea will be satisfied by that.

The Lounge

Bloodspatter is in the lounge. They use it most hours of the day. Nobody knows what they see in there except for Penny. Best not to intrude. Hexakatl politely asks that nobody enter while Bloodspatter is inside.

If the lounge is entered, Bloodspatter is desperately clawing at the ground, shoveling imaginary food into their mouth. They enter a blood rage and immediately attack anyone who comes in.

The enchantment on the lounge, under mirage arcane, is an opportunity to bring in painful or regretful memories from a character's past, things they have tried to get away from, or illusions that play to a character's flaws, causing them pain when their greatest dreams are just beyond their reach.

Interview with Penny

Penny's last interview of the day is with Oskhar at 4:00 PM. She finishes up early at 4:15 PM. Ishim enters her office and they privately discuss the situation with the new prisoners for the next half hour. A party member can eavesdrop with a DC 19 Dexterity (Stealth) check.

Overheard Conversation

Penny and Ishim speak in Celestial.

The unicorn's voice has lost its peppy optimism. "Where do they keep coming from? I haven't even finished up with the original four."

"You knew this would be a challenge when you proposed the idea to me," scolds Ishim. "Don't lose your confidence now. I have staked a lot on your success."

"I just think the council expects too much too quickly. I can't turn an evil creature good in a month. Nobody can."

"You sound just like your detractors. Enough. We will talk again when I return."

Ishim leaves Gleaming Beacon at 4:45 PM. Normally, Penny would take the rest of the day off, but, if any party members are disguised as evil creatures in need of rehabilitation, she invites them one by one into her office to interview them.

Her interviews are short and matter of fact. All of her questions are open-ended:

  • Why do you think you're here?
  • What does it mean for a creature to be evil?
  • Who is the best version of yourself? What's stopping that from happening?

She'll also ask directly about the character's past, often pressing a little too hard. If the person being interviewed becomes agitated, she casts calm emotions and continues her line of questioning until she receives a response that satisfies her curiosity. The interviews are short to begin with as she wants to get through all of the new prisoners quite quickly so she can go frolic in the yard as she does most nights.

Guard Handover

Aya and Hepzakatl leave Gleaming Beacon at 8:00 PM, handing over to Zacharie. Zacharie arrives with the Opalescent mercenaries. One of them, Caraxus, is too slow to cross the barrier, and it reforms and repels him before he can join the others. Zacharie sighs and passes through the barrier one more time, disabling it for six seconds, just long enough for Caraxus to jolt through.

If any party members are disguising themselves as guards, Aya tells Zacharie that the new guards will help with the terrors of the night shift.

If questioned about this, Aya, with glee, describes the nightly assault upon the walls of Gleaming Beacon by fiendish monsters. They are repelled by the barrier, but they might find other ways around it.

The First Night

At night, Bloodspatter, Vizea, and Oskhar need sleep but are restless, while Zenh stays awake all night reading her biographies. The yugoloths patrol the interior and the yard while Zacharie swoops around the barrier, taking stock of the intruders that moan at the walls. A sharp eye can spot the glint of silver light upon the wings of the pegasus Ivorall Soaringwings, who patrols the valley.

Beyond the walls, you can see the intruders: girthy, devilish, wearing masks -- no, their true faces -- resembling a boar's skull. Their armor is spiked, redundantly, and they wield nasty, brutish blades. Worst of all, you can hear the unearthly sound of clacking dice continually being rolled while these monsters are nearby. And their smell, it is truly awful.

Yet, for some strange reason, these creatures seem to believe themselves hidden. They are surprised when you look them straight in their beady yellow eyes.

At 3:00 AM, 7 corruptoloths (AH 31) teleport through the walls (an ability they always had, but chose to wait until now to use) and attack in the yard, a distraction while 7 more corruptoloths (AH 31) teleport through in another place and make a beeline for Oskhar's room, intending to kill him. A DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check is required to notice the second group of corruptoloths; the check is made with advantage if it relies on hearing or smell. The corruptoloths pick the lock on the doors using Thieves' Tools. They'd be better kicking them down, but for some reason they believe themselves to be sneaky. They're wrong.

One of this second group of corruptoloths has a scroll of banishment which it will attempt to use against Zenh. For Zenh to be banished back to Maladomini, she must fail a DC 10 Charisma saving throw (+6 to her save) and the corruptoloth must maintain concentration for 1 minute.

These corruptoloths are yugoloths, but they are not part of the Opalescents. The four Opalescents viciously attack the first group of corruptoloths alongside Zacharie.

Questioning the Opalescent guards about the corruptoloths later may get them to open up about the relationship they have with these other yugoloths. A DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check convinces them to reveal that these corruptoloths were once part of Broken Opal's greater army, but left after the demons scoured their forces because they no longer believed that Broken Opal was fit to lead. Toda, Rorknir, and Organus are devoted to Broken Opal. However, Caraxus actually agrees that Broken Opal is unfit to lead. He feels that it's an opportunity for him to gain a promotion if he can gather enough evidence that she's a bad leader.

A DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana or Religion) check reveals that the corruptoloths must have been hired by someone with a vested interest in seeing Gleaming Beacon fail.

Who Hired the Corruptoloths?

Beshaba (SCAG), the Maid of Misfortune, attempting to cash in on Oskhar's debt and sabotage the prison.

The Hunt is On

Remind the players that their mission is to identify which prisoner is secretly a reincarnation of Sollus.

Which Prisoner is Sollus?

None. The correct answer is Penny Featherlight.

If the party hasn't already begun to search the prisoners for the tattoo that identifies them as Sollus, they should get to that starting on the second day.

Identify Sollus

Use the locations and schedules of Gleaming Beacon (AH 96-97) as well as the information located in the dossiers (AH 94) and descriptions of the guards (AH 95) when running this section. Allow the players to lead the investigation. If the players get stuck, advance the day, referring to the schedules of the prisoners (AH 97), to keep things moving.

Tattoo Investigation

Since reincarnations of Sollus don't usually start life knowing of their true identity, the best way to identify which prisoner is a reincarnation of Sollus is to locate the S-shaped tattoo somewhere on their body.

Bloodspatter

Bloodspatter is extremely hostile and will attempt to kill and eat anyone who gets near them.

They are covered in matted fur, slick with grease, and caked with dried blood. Each attempt to search their body requires a DC 13 Constitution saving throw to avoid being poisoned for 1 hour by the smell and texture. Additionally, a swarm of lice (using the swarm of spiders (MM 338) statblock) erupts from Bloodspatter's fur if disturbed.

Optional Rule: Yeenoghu's Lice

If a character with accessible hair takes damage from the swarm of lice in Bloodspatter's fur, roll a d20. On a roll of 10 or lower, a louse lays an egg in the character's hair. The louse (using the spider (MM 377) statblock) hatches in 1 hour and begins laying more eggs immediately; after 24 hours, the character has another swarm of lice in their hair.

If you'd like, you can have Penny Featherlight hosting Yeenoghu's lice as well, an unfortunate side effect of interacting with Bloodspatter on a daily basis. Her unicorn healing doesn't kill parasites, unfortunately.

A DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Medicine) check reveals that there is no trace of a tattoo on Bloodspatter's body.

Oskhar

Oskhar wears a thick suit of armor all day, every day, except while he is in his room. He locks his door from the inside; it requires a DC 13 Dexterity (Thieves' Tools) check to unlock, or a DC 18 Strength (Athletics) check to break open. If the lock was picked by the corruptoloths, either check is made with advantage.

Anyone trying to remove any part of Oskhar's armor will spur Oskhar into violence. He's dangerous even without his garnet blade. He'll begin with a command to "STOP" and then bestow a curse of speedy demise, dealing an extra 1d8 necrotic damage on a hit. Then he'll beat them with his fists.

On Day 2, Oskhar may mention that the yugoloth guards already searched him and found nothing, or he may keep quiet, depending on whether he trusts the party.

Oskhar can be convinced to agree to be searched with a DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) check. However, it is on the condition that they retrieve his garnet blade and symbol of Beshaba from Penny's office (AH 40).

Under his armor, Oskhar is a physically fit man in his fifties, surprisingly undramatic. Searching Oskhar for a tattoo reveals nothing.

Vizea

Vizea agrees to be searched for a tattoo, though she will not remove her blinder for any reason, meaning the upper half of her forehead will always be hidden. No check is needed to search her; it isn't there. If she has the tattoo of Sollus, it will be underneath that blinder.

She warns that searching her will likely cause her snake hair to lash out; she has little control over her snakes. They make a single attack roll if searched.

Convincing Vizea to take off her blinder is difficult, requiring a DC 19 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If it is forcefully removed, she will attack with full intent to petrify.

If she willingly removes her blinder, she will try her best not to petrify anyone, but her power is quite strong and persists even if she tries to close her eyes. Anyone who can see her face is affected by her Petrifying Gaze, but they have advantage on the first saving throw they must make.

Vizea does not have the tattoo of Sollus.

Zenh

Zenh may already have been searched by the yugoloths on Night 1, but she doesn't mention it because she doesn't like that they found no tattoo on her. It makes her less special.

Zenh will agree to be searched on the condition that the party listen to her blather on about Zariel.

"It's destiny, you know? I always felt that Zariel and me, we are two sides of the same coin, an angel destined to fall, and a devil destined to rise. I travelled from Maladomini to Avernus to see her in action on the Blood War, and I saw her, I truly did, glorious on the front lines, annihilating the demonic forces, but the demons just kept on coming. They are infinite. The Blood War is pointless and wasteful. The devils think they can end the war with violence. I know that it can only be ended with peace. I know that it is my destiny to become an angel and bring an end to the war."

If the party tells Zenh the purpose of their search, she becomes visibly excited. It would be so perfect for her to be a reincarnation of Sollus. It was always her destiny to be greater, to ascend. She wants it to be true.

Zenh does not have a tattoo of Sollus on her body, to Zenh's great disappointment. However, a clever player might remember in the dossier that Zenh cut off her tail before arriving in Firmament. If the party asks her about this, she lights up and declares that, yes, her tail had that tattoo on it. Her eyes flash white and her skull face twists into a delighted grin. Of course. It is her destiny. It makes sense.

She is lying, which can be revealed with a DC 16 Wisdom (Insight) check.

Penny Featherlight

None of the prisoners are reincarnations of Sollus, because Penny Featherlight is the true answer.

Any characters disguised as prisoners will have an audience with Penny Featherlight once per day while she conducts her interviews. While speaking with her, they can attempt a DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) check to convince her to submit to a search. If she agrees, it's a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Animal Handling) check to search her. If you are using the optional Yeenoghu's lice rule (AH 102), the swarm of lice is disturbed by any search attempts.

The result of a failed attempt is that Penny tells the character that they've searched enough, and she brushes them off, the search incomplete. She'll have to be convinced another day or by another character.

The tattoo of Sollus can be found under the fur on Penny's rump, off to the left side.

Penny's reaction to being told that she is a reincarnation of Sollus is that she doesn't care.

"I'm not going to leave Gleaming Beacon. I'm doing good work here. I'm doing necessary work here. Nobody believes it can be done. And if Gleaming Beacon is a failure, these four prisoners will be executed, their souls destroyed. I need this to be a success. I've never succeeded in anything in my entire life. Just let me have this. Please."

She is not available to be persuaded otherwise.

The Yugoloths

The yugoloths also have a vested interest in discovering the identity of Sollus in Gleaming Beacon and are conducting their own investigation. The first night, the yugoloths secretly investigate Oskhar and Zenh after the corruptoloths are defeated, and on the second night, they investigate Vizea and Bloodspatter. Disappointed, and now crawling with lice, they make one last desperate investigation and ambush Penny where she sleeps in the yard. They find the tattoo of Sollus on her rump and teleport her out of Gleaming Beacon.

Any characters awake during the second night shift can make a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check to notice the yugoloths attempting to kidnap Penny. A yugoloth must spend an action to grapple Penny before spending a second action to teleport themselves and her out of the prison, so the party may have a brief window of opportunity to stop this from happening.

If Penny is teleported out, she will use her 1/day teleport to escape to the valley, where she meets up with Ivorall and hides.

The yugoloths fan out to try to find her. The party can make their own search, a DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) check. On a success, they reach Penny before the yugoloths do (she's in a beautiful grove by a little waterfall) and can set up to defend her from the incoming attack. On a failure, the yugoloths find Penny before the party does, kill Ivorall, and kidnap her, which can't be prevented. Once taken out of Firmament, she can't teleport as the area isn't familiar to her anymore.

If Penny is captured, she can later be found in Orzeg's laboratory in the adventure Teetering Imbalance (AH 145).

Proof of Goodness

Penny won't leave Gleaming Beacon willingly. If the party kidnaps her, she will not contribute towards the goal of rescuing Sollus the Many from their prison in Tartarus. The only way this will work is if she leaves willingly, but the only way that can happen is if her goal of proving that an evil creature can be turned good is achieved.

Bloodspatter

Bloodspatter seems beyond saving, little more than an animal. However, Bloodspatter has been in the lounge hallucinating battlefields for hours and hours every single day; a DC 30 Charisma (Persuasion) check can convince Bloodspatter the futility of constant hunger, helping them understand how to control their ferocity. A barbarian has advantage on this check. However, a failed check means Bloodspatter attacks with intent to kill.

Seeing a gnoll suppress their hunger fills Penny with joy, but she understands this does not make Bloodspatter "good".

Oskhar

Oskhar is playing the part of a tortured antihero, but in reality, he is a servant of Beshaba and has been feeding her information during his meditation sessions in the yard, praying to her secretly and informing her of what's going on in Gleaming Beacon. He needs to be killed while in Firmament so Beshaba can inhabit his body and infiltrate the realm.

A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) or Intelligence (Religion) check reveals that he has been in contact with his god and has definitely been planning something evil. If he is confronted, he will immediately launch his Dreadful Aspect and attack.

He has been trying to goad Aya into killing him, which will cause her to fall. When Oskhar starts a fight after being found out, Aya will immediately intervene. She lands the killing blow on Oskhar if her attack reduces him down to 50 hit points or lower, thanks to a curse from Beshaba.

Seeing an angel fall is horrific. Her skin blisters and boils and reforms into red scales. As she screams, her mouth elongates into a tusked reptilian maw. Her wings erupt into flames, and her voice, now deep and echoing of the hells, resonates with the words of devils: "No quarter shall be given to hypocrites!"

Fallen Aya uses the pit fiend (MM 77) statblock. Everyone present in Gleaming Beacon teams up to kill her.

Oskhar awakens shortly after, having transformed into a new deva (MM 16). Although he appears to have transformed into a Good creature, his alignment is stil neutral evil, as he is secretly puppeteered by Beshaba, which can be revealed with a DC 25 Wisdom (Insight) or Intelligence (Religion) check. Beshaba, a master of deception, states the following using Oskhar's voice.

"I am reborn. I don't deserve to be an angel, and yet here I stand, taking the place of the one who has fallen. I don't know if this makes me good. I think good is something you do, not something you are. It doesn't matter your intent, only your actions. And I suppose, from that point of view, that I have done more good in my life than I have evil. Is that all it takes?"

Seeing Oskhar transformed into an angel convinces Penny that Gleaming Beacon is a success, though in reality it was a failure. An angel fell and an evil god was able to infiltrate Firmament. In time, the true extent of her failure will come to light, and she will despair.

Zenh is frustrated that Oskhar "ascended" while she is still a devil. She attacks him without thinking it through. Barring intervention, Oskhar (Beshaba) wins the fight. Zenh is killed and reforms back in her home realm of Maladomini.

Vizea

Although Vizea seems promising, she insists that the only way she can prove her goodness is to grow something in the gardens in the yard for a full year without interruption. She is confident this will prove that she can bring life into the world, rather than simply take it away. It's important that she does this for herself; no help is needed or wanted.

During the second night, her snake hair will lash out at Zacharie, poisoning him. In anger, he'll strike her, and then realize his mistake and quit on the spot, leaving the yugoloths without supervision and allowing them to kidnap Penny.

Regardless of the outcome, Vizea blames herself. She will attempt to cut off her snake hair. Doing so invites a blast of magical rage from the goddess Athena, transforming Vizea into a purple worm (MM 255) that mindlessly rampages through Gleaming Beacon. She can be calmed down with a DC 19 Charisma (Persuasion) check convincing her that the drive to do good isn't erased by making mistakes.

If Vizea is calmed, Penny accepts that the amount of work required to change the nature of a creature may be beyond her capabilities, and resigns herself to her role as a reincarnation of Sollus.

Zenh

Zenh is desperate to prove that she is good, but she doesn't have any opportunity to do so. She asks a party member to put themselves in mortal danger so she can come in and defuse the situation peacefully.

The party must pick a fight.

Zenh intervenes and uses her Rebuke the Violent reaction liberally. When the fight is over, she calls out to the silver sky and pleads to be made an angel. Of course, it isn't that easy.

Zenh loses patience with Gleaming Beacon and demands to be let out. When she is refused, she digs under the wall, the same way Bloodspatter tried to escape, and makes a run for it. Various devas and planetars hunt her down and kill her over the next few days, sending her back to her home realm of Maladomini.

Celestial Escape

Even if it seems as though Penny was successful, the deva guards Aya and Zacharie, the couatl Hexakatl, and the yugoloth guards are all opposed to Penny leaving Gleaming Beacon, no matter the circumstances, and will go out of their way to stop her, up to and including killing the party. Her work isn't done; she isn't allowed to leave.

Additionally, Hexakatl watches over Penny with the spell scrying and, seeing her voice an intent to leave, uses the spell dream to warn Ishim the planetar. Ishim arrives in 1 hour along with a casting of control weather that changes the weather from overcast to rain to torrential downpours.

Gleaming Beacon

There are many ways of escaping Gleaming Beacon. Use the following features of Gleaming Beacon as inspiration.

  • During the day, Gleaming Beacon is guarded by Aya, Hexakatl, and the Opalescents.
  • During the night, Gleaming Beacon is guarded by Zacharie and the Opalescents.
  • The walls around Gleaming Beacon are 15 feet high.
  • The magical barrier is disabled for six seconds when a celestial creature passes through it.
  • The magical barrier does not extend underground. Digging underneath requires a shovel (2 hours to dig, or 1 hour with a successful DC 15 Strength check), a burrowing speed, or spells that can dig such as mold earth (30 feet of displaced earth required).
  • Ivorall arrives at 5:30 AM every morning and is desperately in love with Penny.
  • Penny can teleport herself and up to three other creatures to a place within 1 mile that she is familiar with. She knows of a secluded grove next to a small waterfall in the valley that she and Ivorall sometimes meet up at.
Character Passive Perception
Aya 19
Zacharie 19
Hexakatl 15
Ishim 21
Caraxus 13
Organus 13
Rorknir 16
Toda 14

The Valley

Ivorall and Penny know of a planar gate in the valley that can take a creature to a transitory demiplane. From there, it should be possible to summon help, such as from a sentient voidship (i.e. Thesea).

The planar gate is ten miles through the valley, and the forces of Firmament will be looking for Penny. The valley is thick with pine trees and to travel without alerting the entire host of angels of Firmament will require staying low and relatively stealthy.

Escaping with Zenh

The party may believe Zenh when she claims to be Sollus and try to escape with her. Zenh also knows of the planar gate in Firmament, as that's how she arrived here in the first place.

Zenh follows the party to The Reef and keeps the deception going, acting the part as well as she is able. She thinks that she can "earn her wings" if she helps Sollus' reincarnations rescue themselves.

If her deception is revealed, she pleads that they let her continue to help. She hasn't ever felt useful before. Finally, she can prove her worth.


  • Magic Item. She is able to reform her Hammer of Gravity Reversal (AH 39) with Achilles' help (a one-time offer), though she is hesitant to give it to any party members as it has special significance to her.
  • Teamwork Bonus. Zenh cannot grant the party a teamwork bonus.
  • Burrower Bonus. Zenh gives the burrower the power to reverse gravity, allowing it to maneuver vertically much more easily.

It takes roughly 5 hours to hike through the valley and reach the planar gate.

  • Travelling on a mount reduces the travel time by 1 hour.
  • Reduce the travel time by 1 hour if the party is guided by a horizon walker or a ranger whose favoured terrain is forest or mountain or whose favoured enemy is celestials.
  • The party can travel stealthily, adding 2 hours to their hike but reducing the passive Perception of all hostile creatures by 5.

For each hour, get everyone to roll a Dexterity (Stealth) check, then roll on the Random Firmament Encounter table.

d12 Random Firmament Encounter Passive Perception
1 1d4 + 1 rival unicorns (MM 294) that have always hated Penny 13
2 Both Zacharie and Aya (MM 16), replaced with generic devas (MM 16) if unavailable 19
3 Hexakatl (MM 43) and 3 priests (MM 348) of Chauntea owing him a favour 17
4 Caraxus and Organus (MM 313, AH), Rorknir (AH 27), and Toda (AH 29) 16
5 7 corruptoloths (AH 31) sent by Beshaba 10
6 4 holy knights (MM 347) riding pegasi (MM 250) sent by Ishim 16
7 12 gnolls (MM 163) sent by Yeenoghu 10
8-12 All pursuers are avoided for now --

































Rolling a Dexterity (Stealth) check above the passive Perception of the encounter doesn't prevent the encounter from happening, but means instead that the enemies are surprised for the first turn.

It is raining torrentially all throughout the escape: checks to avoid being knocked prone are made with disadvantage, all creatures have vulnerability to cold damage (unless they're resistant or immune), and the ground is difficult terrain. Also, use the Strong Winds (DMG 110) effects.

The Planar Gate

The gate is a circular construct of copper and gold that glows with celestial light. It stands at the edge of the valley, overlooking the vast expanse of evergreen pines. You can see the prison of Gleaming Beacon far in the distance at the base of the valley, a thin plume of smoke getting taller and taller.

Standing in front of the gate is Ishim, the planetar. His skin glistens in the heavy rain. His great celestial blade hovers, quivering, until he snatches it out of the air and aims it at you. "I put a lot of stake in your venture, Penny. If I have to kill you, drag your corpse to the council chambers, and resurrect you to answer for your failures, then that is what I will do."

Roll initiative.

The activation phrase for the planar gate is "Redemption" in Celestial. The gate takes 1 minute to activate.

The gate takes the party to a demiplane swimming in the Border Ethereal. Thesea is already there to meet them. She says she "could feel she would be needed here". She takes the party home.

If the party didn't encounter the Opalescents in their escape through the valley, Caraxus, Organus, Rorknir, and Toda attack Thesea with a meteorship.

Heist Completion

Bringing Penny back to The Reef in one piece marks the successful completion of this heist.

Rewards

Magic Item

Penny allows Pythagoras (AH 71) to use his machine to create exactly one perfect copy of her horn. She can then imbue the copy of her horn with the magical powers of a unicorn.


Unicorn Horn

wondrous item, very rare, requires attunement

While you are attuned to this magical horn, you can use the horn as the spellcasting focus for the following spells. You can recharge all expended uses of one spell of your choice by reducing a creature to 0 hit points and choosing to knock it unconscious instead of killing it (given the capability to do so).

At will: druidcraft, spare the dying
3 uses each: cure wounds (2nd level), shield of faith
2 uses each: entangle, protection from poison
1 use each: calm emotions, detect evil and good, dispel evil and good, misty step, pass without trace

If you kill an unconscious or restrained creature while attuned to this horn, the horn is destroyed. If you try to get around this with a loophole, the horn is destroyed and you take 20d8 psychic damage.

Teamwork Bonus


The Flighty. Party members gain an extra 20 feet of movement until the end of their turn if they start their turn within 5 feet of another party member.

Burrower Bonus

The burrower grows a massive spiralling drill that can pierce through any substance. Also, it smells faintly of pine needles.

Returning to Gleaming Beacon

If the party took Zenh with them and they later learn Zenh isn't the real Sollus, they may be tempted to go back to Gleaming Beacon to finish the job properly.

Unfortunately, the escape of the bone devil from Gleaming Beacon causes Ishim to withdraw his support, and Penny resigns in disgrace. She can be found in her secret grove next to the small waterfall in the valley, living with Ivorall in peace. She will be totally unwilling to travel with the people who caused her dream to crumble, and no amount of convincing will change her mind.

Bloodspatter and Vizea are slain by the devas because they are both too dangerous to be kept alive.

Oskhar is sent back to the mortal realm, apparently resurrected, where he duels his son to take control of the throne of the Black King in the name of Beshaba. A party of intrepid heroes bands together to stop him from becoming the next Black King, but in the end, he ascends to the throne and brings about an age of darkness.

Finally, Firmament suffers from a terrible plague that celestial healing can't seem to cure. Zigazan the Boiler is likely to blame.

William Rotor

Notable works include ...

Into Wonderland The Hourglass Desert The RougeOUTCLASSED: The NPC Statblock Compendium


Additional Credits

  • Tithi Luadthuong
  • Liu Zishan
  • Watercolor splotches by Jared Ondricek
  • The "Stealth Mission" portion of this heist was inspired by the adventure Salvage Operation by Mike Mearls, originally printed for 4th edition and revised for 5th edition in the book Ghosts of Saltmarsh.

Void Pirates

Out in the seas of the Border Ethereal, great rivers of matter and void course through the planes of existence like lifeblood through veins. Incredible experiences can be found here, as well as incredible dangers. And where there are explorers, there are pirates.

Summary

The party hunts for a pirate ship in the expanse of The Reef. They must defeat the pirates and rescue their booty, a treasure chest bearing the mark of the Knotted Snake.

By the end of the adventure, the party will have ...

  • Swashbuckled
  • Acquired booty

Hook

Karen reports that Broken Opal had acquired a treasure chest bearing the mark of the Knotted Snake, which must be important to Sollus the Many. However, while transporting the chest through The Reef, the Opalescents encountered another yugoloth meteorship which opened fire. It wasn't a meteorship at all, but a pirate ship in disguise. Broken Opal's ship was destroyed and the treasure chest was stolen by the pirates. Waking up back in Perdition, she immediately requisitioned a fleet to recover the chest. Karen reckons that the party can find the pirates first.

The void pirate ship has a reputation in The Reef. It's called Supermassive Black Hole and it's crewed by the infamous Captain Quasar and his void pirates.

Karen supplies the party with the following rumours about Captain Quasar.

  • He ransacked the city of Neverwinter with nothing but a cannon tied to a rowboat.
  • He once ate a live stirge.
  • His beard ends up on fire in every battle he's in, almost always by accident.
  • One time he jumped off his ship and fell for so long and so far that he eventually landed right back on the deck.
  • He's been shot, stabbed, poisoned, crushed, burnt, shredded, and made fun of, and that was just one encounter with a bone devil.
  • He is literally immune to being killed.

The Plan

The party has a few options. Ultimately, they need the chest with the mark of the Knotted Snake. To get it, they can ...

  • Engage in ship-to-ship combat with the void pirate ship Supermassive Black Hole and retrieve the chest from the wreckage
  • Sneak aboard Supermassive Black Hole, acquire the chest, and escape unnoticed
  • Join the void pirates and deceive them into letting their guard down, then steal the chest

Locating the Void Pirates

To reach the void pirates in the first place, the party must travel through The Reef. They need two things to do so and successfully locate the void pirates.

First, the party needs a plan to attract or locate the pirates. They might loudly advertise their position and all the wonderful booty they're carrying, or they might use divination spells to narrow down where the pirates might be hiding.

Second, while travelling through The Reef, the party will need to roll for two Random Reef Encounters (AH 68) and resolve them before they encounter the void pirates.

Encountering the Void Pirates

As massive columns of seaweed split apart into a clearing in The Reef, you spot a chunk of meteor rocketing past.

A DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check or a casting of detect magic reveals that this is an illusion. It's the void pirate ship, Supermassive Black Hole (AH 52).

Barely three hundred feet away, this is unmistakeably the void pirate ship: Supermassive Black Hole. It almost seems in silhouette, with rippling black sails and an obsidian black hull. You can see the flash of steel cutlasses and hear the sputtering of rocket packs. Slats open up in the side to reveal dozens of cast-iron cannons, and they're all aimed directly at you.

From here, the party can choose to attack the ship (Ship Combat, AH 109), sneak on board (Stealth Mission, AH 112), or join the pirates (All Aboard, AH 115).

If the party doesn't engage with the ship in 1 minute, the void pirate ship drops its disguise and attacks.

Ship Combat

Before the party sets off on their mission, Aries (AH 78) evaluates whether she believes that Thesea is a match for the void pirate ship. For Thesea to be considered a suitable match by Aries, she needs:

  • Hull II
  • Shields II
  • Void Speed I
  • At least 3 upgrade features

Regardless of whether Aries believes Thesea can handle the fight, Thesea is gung-ho.

"Come on. You guys always do stupid stealth missions. I can take the bastards. Give me a shot!"





















When engaging in ship combat, keep in mind the following guidelines.


  • Lead by Example. Supermassive Black Hole uses the Boarding Party option at the first opportunity, teleporting or boosting to make it happen as soon as possible. The boarding party is at least 1 void pirate sorcerer (AH 42), at least 1 void pirate mate (AH 41), and the rest are void pirates (AH 41) plus Captain Quasar (AH 42) who blasts across with the boarding party, eager to get into the fight. The boarders act on their ship's turn.

The pirates swing on the rigging of their voidship only just enough to launch them into the air, where their hover jets sputter and blast them off through the cold expanse. One of them misses your ship entirely, spiralling helplessly into darkness. The others land -- hard -- on your ship's deck and draw cutlasses.

Just as you're preparing for a fight, all of the void pirates scatter away from a specific point on your deck. You hear a faint scream of blind bloodthirsty rage ("ARRRRGGGHHHH!!") which steadily gets louder and louder until, with a horrendous crack, the captain slams onto your deck in a massive shockwave of splinters and thunder. As the dust settles, you see Captain Quasar in all his fearsome glory, wearing a black ravenwing coat, a tricone hat, and a malfunctioning hover jet. He draws a blade of pure dark matter ... and also what seems to be just a regular crossbow. For some reason his beard is already on fire.

"Arrrghhh, ye'd best hand over yer booty to ol' Cap'n Quasar lest ye taste the sweet release of void! Ow me beard --"


  • Distance. Supermassive Black Hole has a lot of options for closing distance (boosting and teleporting), which it uses liberally. It will never let its target get further than the range of its cannons (300 feet) and prefers close combat as a general rule.





















  • Unkillable Captain. Captain Quasar's Rage Beyond Death feature makes him extremely difficult to kill, and he'll fight until he's dead. In order to kill Captain Quasar, he needs to be at zero hit points, and have landed zero attacks and taken zero damage since the last turn. This feature can be intuited with a DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) or Intelligence (Investigation) check; barbarians roll with advantage. His beard deals him 1 fire damage each turn, so it needs to be put out with an action or through other creative means.
  • Legendary Resistances. Captain Quasar loses gear every time he uses up a legendary resistance. First, he loses his hover jets, which overload and deal him 1d6 fire damage. Second, he loses his tricone hat. Third, he loses his ravenwing coat. When he's just in his silk pajamas, he has no legendary resistances remaining.
  • Three-Way Tousle. On initiative count 20 of Round 3, two yugoloth meteorships (AH 51) teleport into the battle and immediately attack Supermassive Black Hole, acting on initiative count 20 again for all subsequent turns. Roll for the crew and passengers. They won't attack the party unless the party attacks first. They're here for the chest.

Second Phase

The second phase of the battle is a race to recover the chest before the yugoloths do.

Once Supermassive Black Hole is destroyed, the yugoloths hunt through the wreckage for the chest. It's a big ship and there's a lot of wreckage. The yugoloths collectively spend all of their turns making a single check together. They attempt a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, which they have a +0 bonus to. On a success, they locate the chest and bring it aboard one of their meteorships. After that, they'll make DC 15 Wisdom (Vehicles (Void)) checks with a +5 bonus, riding a magical leyline to escape on a success.

The party can make a search as well on their own turn, attempting the DC 15 check to locate the chest. If the party recovers the chest before the yugoloths, the two meteorships attack. and the battle continues until the yugoloths are defeated.

Supermassive Black Hole

Stealth Mission

Sneaking aboard Supermassive Black Hole is a difficult and dangerous task due to the sheer number of void pirates in its crew and the cramped quarters of every voidship. The void pirate ship is only 80 feet long and 25 feet wide and has 33 people running around inside of it.

Thesea is both unsuited for and unwilling to embark on a stealth mission, so the party will need to find another voidship (or another way of getting to the pirates) that involves help from someone who doesn't advertise her presence to every other creature within a mile.

The party must locate and approach Supermassive Black Hole as normal, only this time they can attempt a DC 14 Dexterity (Stealth) check to remain unseen during the approach. As per the regular rules for group checks, as long as more than half of the party members succeed, the whole party succeeds.

On a failure, at any point, the party can pivot to the All Aboard approach to this heist, or they can fight the void pirates directly on their ship. It's highly encouraged for the party to have an emergency escape plan if detected.

Supermassive Black Hole Map

On the previous page is a map of Supermassive Black Hole, showing the top deck, middle deck, and bottom deck. Each numbered room is detailed below.

Top Deck

1: Main Deck

The main deck of Supermassive Black Hole is made of "obsidian wood", nigh indestructible wood that is immune to any source of damage that deals less than 20 damage at once. The black of this wood is so black that any characters with a black colour scheme have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks to stay hidden here.

Enemy Page Reference Numbers Passive Perception
Void Pirate AH 41 12 9
Void Pirate Mate AH 41 3 9
Void Pirate Sorcerer AH 42 1 11

The pirates and the pirate mates are engaging in a rousing sea shanty, lowering their passive Perception scores by 5 while they sing. They'll stop singing and get back to work in about 1 minute, increasing their passive Perceptions back up by 5. The sorcerer is busy generating wind for the sails, but is otherwise her normal level of alertness.

2: Fore Mast

The fore mast has sails of black cloth that billow in a wind created by the void pirate sorcerer on the main deck.

3: Hatch

The hatch leads to area 6. The hatch is closed. It can be opened with a DC 10 Strength check.

4: Aft Mast

The aft mast has sails of black cloth. At the top of the mast, reachable by climbing the rigging, is a crow's nest. Within the crow's nest is a void pirate whose job is to search the area. He doesn't have hover jets.

Enemy Page Reference Numbers Passive Perception
Void Pirate AH 41 1 19

Because he's on duty in the crow's nest, this lookout's passive Perception increases by 5. If he spots the party, he'll keep quiet and slowly descend the rigging to alert the rest of the crew of an intruder without letting the intruders know he's seen them. This lookout can be spotted with a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check.

5: Captain's Quarters

Above the captain's quarters is the wheel of the ship, manned by a very bored void pirate mate. The captain's quarters themselves are empty of any pirates.

Enemy Page Reference Numbers Passive Perception
Void Pirate Mate AH 41 1 14

Within the quarters, the party can find the following items with an Intelligence (Investigation) check.


  • Any Result. A hard bed of obsidian wood, a set of dual cutlasses hung up on display, and a map of the greater reef area (granting advantage on Vehicles (Void) checks).
  • DC 10. A hatch that opens up to a ladder leading down to the middle deck.
  • DC 15. A journal with a list of "cool rumours", including most of the rumours the party has already heard about Captain Quasar.
  • DC 20. Hidden under the bed is a spyglass of seeing, which uses the effects of a gem of seeing (DMG 172).

Middle Deck

6: Middle Hall

Two void pirates are chatting idly in the hall about a massive whale they recently encountered in The Reef. They wonder what happened to L'il Ahab when he got swallowed. Maybe he's in a better place.

Enemy Page Reference Numbers Passive Perception
Void Pirate AH 41 2 14

7: Pirate Quarters I

In this cramped room are hammocks stacked efficiently one on top of the other. There's enough room for 12 pirates to sleep. Some of the hammocks are occupied. Since the pirates are asleep, their passive Perception is reduced by 5. They'll wake up in an hour after their nap.

Enemy Page Reference Numbers Passive Perception
Void Pirate AH 41 2 9

A perfunctory search reveals nothing of value, but the party can attempt a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check to search deeper for any hidden loot the pirates might keep in their quarters with them. Making this check wakes up the two pirates regardless of success or failure. On a success, the party finds the following loot.

  • 60 gp
  • a bone scepter engraved with draconic scales (25 gp)
  • a cloth coat threaded with copper (25 gp)
  • a pearl of power (DMG 184) that regenerates its uses when exposed to ultraviolet light or when its wielder takes radiant damage

8: Pirate Quarters II

Like area 7, there are enough hammocks crammed in this small space for 12 pirates. This room is unoccupied. A DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals the following loot.

  • 40 gp
  • a potion of climbing (DMG 187)

9: Pirate Quarters III

This room is a little nicer than pirate quarters I and II, having only six hammocks, a little bit less cramped. Asleep in one of the hammocks is a void pirate mate.

Enemy Page Reference Numbers Passive Perception
Void Pirate Mate AH 41 1 9

The party can attempt a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check to search for hidden loot. Making this check wakes up the void pirate mate regardless of success or failure. On a success, the party finds the following loot.

  • 50 gp
  • 2 diamonds, one worth 100 gp and one worth 500 gp
  • a lantern of revealing (DMG 179)
  • winged boots (DMG 214)

10: Pirate Quarters IV

The door to this room is closed and locked, requiring a DC 15 Dexterity (Thieves' Tools) check to open. The final room of the pirate quarters is the nicest of the four, containing two comfortable beds with down pillows and fluffy sheets. A small bookshelf has light reading about ship maintenance, astral winds, and magical leylines. The room is unoccupied.

A DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals the following loot.

  • a jasper puzzle box set with a star ruby (250 gp)
  • 5 diamonds, each worth 500 gp
  • a brocade robe trimmed with lynx fur (250 gp)
  • 20 vials of perfume in a pouch (100 gp)
  • a folding boat (DMG 170)
  • Quaal's feather token (DMG 188)

11: Auxiliary Deck

The auxiliary deck has a table for the crew to eat as well as a whole heap of ammunition for the cannons, which includes black obsidian cannonballs and gunpowder. A mound of cutlery in a barrel is used for the ship's grape shot.

Any fire damage will explode the ammunition, preventing the ship from using its cannon and grape shot actions and dealing the ship (and anyone in area 11) 12d6 fire damage.

Captain Quasar is eating a meal with a few members of his crew, discussing tactics between ravenous bites of roast quail. The first mate and a sorcerer are trying to convince the captain to take a deal with the githyanki queen, Vlaakith, to act as a privateer against her enemies, but he'll have none of it. He won't be beholden to any queen.

Enemy Page Reference Numbers Passive Perception
Void Pirate AH 41 3 14
Void Pirate Mate AH 41 1 14
Void Pirate Sorcerer AH 42 1 11
Captain Quasar AH 42 1 12

A hatch (DC 10 Strength check to open) reveals a ladder into area 14.

12: Starboard Cannons

The cannons here are on the right-hand side of the ship. They're unmanned while the ship isn't in combat, though they're already all loaded up with ammunition and gunpowder. Firing a cannon alerts the entire crew; everyone in area 11 will immediately investigate.

The cannons can be sabotaged with a DC 15 Dexterity (Thieves' Tools) check, preventing them from firing.

13: Port Cannons

The cannons here are on the left-hand side of the ship. They're practically identical to the cannons in area 12.

Bottom Deck

14: Cargo Hold

The cargo hold can be accessed from a hatch in area 11. The ceiling is about 4 feet high; taller characters must stoop, reducing their movement speed by 15 feet.

The ship's supplies and treasures are found down here. Four void pirates are debating amongst themselves whether to try to open up the mysterious chest or not. They decide to leave it alone as the captain would probably be mad.

Enemy Page Reference Numbers Passive Perception
Void Pirate AH 41 4 14

The following loot can be found down here if the party has at least 10 minutes to hunt around. If they don't, the only obvious piece of loot is the chest; the rest is just miscellaneous crates and trinkets. They can discover the rest with a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check.














  • Chest of the Knotted Snake
  • a barrel of 330 platinum pieces
  • a black sapphire (5,000 gp)
  • a jade salt cellar engraved with
    draconic runes (2.500 gp)
  • 3 potions of superior healing (DMG 187)
  • 100 bottles of fine wine (1,000 gp)
  • 10 Large crates of magically preserved
    food (100 gp)
  • 10 Medium barrels of magically purified
    water (10 gp)

The chest is a mimic (MM 220) with an Intelligence
of 10 and the ability to speak Common, Celestial, and
a bit of Thieves' Cant picked up from the pirates. The
chest itself has the soul of Sollus the Many, as
evidenced by its Knotted Snake tattoo.

As soon as you start to move the chest, it lashes out with a slurping purple appendage. "Hey! Stop that!"

The chest doesn't have a name; it just goes by "chest". It wants to remain on the pirate ship so that it gets to explore the planes. It just spent the last four hundred years sitting in a dank dungeon and now it wants to experience life. A DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check is needed to convince it to come along with the party.

Inside of the chest is the skeleton of a halfling adventurer who wore a +1 chain shirt (DMG 152) and wielded a shortsword of warning (DMG 213). On the halfling's finger is a ring of invisibility (DMG 191), which does not function on a corpse.

Meteorship Attack

When the party discovers the chest, Supermassive Black Hole is (coincidentally) attacked by 2 yugoloth meteorships (AH 51). The party must escape from the void pirate ship while the yugoloths launch their assault. Each event happens on initiative count 20 while the party is there to witness it.

Bottom Deck

  • The meteorship smashes through the hull, cracking it and exposing a view into the void.
  • The meteorship smashes through the hull, blowing a hole through it and allowing Caraxus and Organus (AH 25) to enter the cargo hold in search of the chest.





































Middle Deck

  • Kegnoth (AH 26) blasts through a
    line of 5 void pirates, mincing them
    while 4 vinchies(AH 45) watch patiently
  • 2 void pirates and a void pirate mate emerge
    from the pirate quarters, woken up by the fighting
  • A vinchy activates its Overcharge feature, blowing itself up and triggering the explosion in area 11 (AH 113)

Top Deck

Fighting has already broken out between the void pirates (13 void pirates (AH 41), 4 void pirate mates (AH 41), 2 void pirate sorcerers (AH 42), Captain Quasar (AH 42)), and the Opalescents (Orzeg (AH 25), Broken Opal (AH 25), Tirikan (AH 26), Beck (AH 26), and Queen Ursula McVale (AH 25)). This is a massive battle and it's probably in the party's best interest not to get involved. They need to escape.

Note that while Beck is still alive, it's impossible to teleport off of Supermassive Black Hole.

The following events all seem to happen simultaneously when the party arrives on the main deck.

  • Orzeg disintegrates a dozen void pirates with fireball
  • Captain Quasar fights both Tirikan and Queen Ursula McVale at the same time
  • Beck grabs a sorcerer with his tongue, but the sorcerer pulls out a black dagger and stabs Beck, stunning him
  • Broken Opal sets the entire deck on fire with fire storm, blasting back all of the void pirate mates
  • a void pirate sorcerer, clinging to the rigging, tries to separate the Opalescents with wind wall

After 12 seconds of fighting, both meteorships slam into the side of Supermassive Black Hole, splintering it straight in half; anyone still on the ship is flung off into the void.

The yugoloths are fine with their ability to teleport at will. The void pirates, even with their hover jets, are out of luck.

All Aboard

If, at any point, the party offers to join forces with Captain Quasar, they can convince him to accept the offer with a DC 17 Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) check. On a success, he'll be amused by the party's tenacity and make them an offer.

"Githyanki queen thinks she can order ol' Cap'n Quasar around! We'll show 'er, won't we, boys? You itchin' to join our crew, well, all you's gotta do is send a brig to the black depths! Send that ol' bat a message she can't ignore."

The party is tasked with destroying a githyanki brig (AH 49). Captain Quasar gives them directions to the rumoured location of the nearest brig and wishes them luck.

To get to the brig, the party must complete two Random Reef Encounters (AH 68). When they find the brig, it sends out two githyanki skiffs (AH 49) as scouts.

Destroying the brig and the skiffs, recovering scrap from the wreckage as proof, and returning to Captain Quasar earns the party his favour. As a reward, he offers them the chance to join his crew. If they refuse, he cackles and attacks them anyway.

If the party convinces Captain Quasar they've joined his crew, they can walk freely around Supermassive Black Hole (AH 52), making the job of stealing the chest much easier. The Opalescents still attack when the chest is discovered (AH 113).

The Ire of Captain Quasar

Depending on the party's actions, Captain Quasar may still be alive at the end of the adventure. In this case, they have made a powerful and relentless enemy. Even if Supermassive Black Hole is destroyed, he will return. He'll likely take Queen Vlaakith up on her offer and commandeer a githyanki brig to ambush the party at the worst opportunity.

Heist Completion

The heist is complete when the party has acquired the chest and has escaped.

Magic Items

The chest contains the following magic items.

  • +1 chain shirt (DMG 152)
  • shortsword of warning (DMG 213)
  • ring of invisibility (DMG 191)

Teamwork Bonus


The Hidden. Each party member has +5 to their Dexterity (Stealth) checks while they are within 60 feet of another party member.

Burrower Bonus

The burrower gains the ability to change its shape, allowing it to squeeze through tight passageways or camouflage itself.

Adventure Bundles


Adventure Bundles consists of three people from Austria. Andy is a computer scientist, writer, and cartographer. Marielis, Andy's wife, is a project manager and writer. Werner, Marielis' brother and Andy's best man, is a filmmaker and illustrator. You can find more of their work under the name Adventure Bundles on Patreon or on Drive Thru RPG.
Notable works include:
- Down the Rat Hole
- Demiplane of the Young Lich
- Delusions of Grandeur
- The Lost Tomb of Arun

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The Tranquil Prison

The Tranquil Prison is an adventure for four 8th level characters. The heist is set on Erronys, a demiplane of extreme nature, but if you want to include it in a Planescape campaign, you can pick Eronia, the second layer of Elysium for the setting.

The party travels to the good aligned demiplane Erronys (AIR-uh-niss) to witness firsthand the natural and mental hazards the the demiplane poses, hazards that will make the party hope they were facing enemies that can be beaten by blade.

Summary

The party is contacted by the gacholoth Ral'Romon. He claims that his kind has been chasing a Sollus reincarnation, an elf by the name Orym the Alarmed. They tracked him all the way to the demiplane Erronys. Ral'Romon, being a traitor, brings this information to the party with the hope that they'll get to him before the yugoloths manage to find a way to overcome the effects Erronys has on them.

Although Ral'Romon knows the exact location of Orym, he can't get to him because of the plane's effects on evil creatures and because he cannot navigate the Great River Erronys.

Apparently, Orym live on the banks of the river with a small community of planetravelers who, like Orym, have fallen victim to the plane's entrapping effect. This means Orym's prison is one without bars. He is a prisoner in his own mind. He has no will to leave this place.

Ral'Romon has come into possession of a rod that has a single charge. This allows up to 10 people to enter a person's mind and witness their memories, desires, and secrets, while also being able to influence their decision making.

The party will have to find passage to the community of entrapped people, enter Orym's mind, and convince him or force him to leave this place.

Little do they know that Orym has been here willingly. He knows yugoloths are chasing him and knows that they cannot reach him for they cannot travel Erronys. He entrapped himself to escape, as deep inside he is fully aware of who he really is: a reincarnation of Sollus.

Orym the Alarmed

Orym is an elf, old even for his race. He has been a planetraveler, scholar, and researcher for most of his life.

It was some 10 years ago that, upon researching the being known as Sollus out of pure curiosity, he found out he is one of their reincarnations. Other than a spike of scholarly interest and joy, he didn't put much more thought into this information.

It was only when yugoloth soldiers started tracking him, trying to kidnap him and imprison him that he realized how dangerous his ancestry is. So, to escape the yugoloths, he chose to travel to Erronys and stay long enough to be entrapped in the plane.

Now he lives on the banks of the Great River Erronys, the memories of the yugoloth chases and Sollus ancestry lying deeply suppressed in his entrapped mind.

Ral'Romon

Ral'Romon is a hideous being who has infiltrated yugoloth enemies countless times, and always successfully. Ral'Romon will claim that his life back in the yugoloth ranks is in danger.

The Lie

According to him, he has angered his superior, Broken Opal the ultroloth, because he was responsible for extracting Orym from Erronys. Broken Opal dislikes the delay and has threatened to turn him into a canoloth.

Therefore, he helps the party instead, as he needs protection. Should they succeed in extracting Orym, he'll want to follow them to the Reef, where he can serve as a source of information for all things considering yugoloths. But even if the party denies him the position, he sees their success in getting Orym before the yugoloths as a last punishment against his pushy superior.

The Truth

Ral'Romon is an infiltrator like few in the multiverse. His only role is to fool the party into extracting Orym from a place yugoloths cannot reach. Upon success, it will be easier for him to steal Orym from the party. Upon failure, like in the chance that the party also gets entrapped in Erronys, he has dealt with the headache of the party once and for all.

Once in Erronys

Erronys is a place of rugged rocky terrain, filled with crevices and jagged cliffs that are impossible to traverse. The only way going forward is by rafting the Great River Erronys, something that is by itself an impossible task for one who doesn't know the lay of the land and the dangers it might pose.

Ral'Romon will be waiting for the party at a rendezvous point on a spot on the banks of the Great River Erronys that is barely possible to stand without a harness.

Razor sharp cliffs and mountains with jagged edges are visible as far as the eye can see. Few plants interrupt the scenery, as they protrude from the cliff sides, especially along the fast flowing, massive river that flows between the cliffs. The sound it makes is nearly deafening, making it hard to have a normal conversation as it masks all other noises for hundreds of feet around.

On a spot that is covered with thick grass stands a creature with ebony black skin and four long legs with sharp claws attached to them. His face is ape-like, with an abnormally large mouth. He is currently perched on the cliff side, clinging to safety with his claws buried on the rocks.


































His description fits the one of your contact, Ral'Romon.

Ral'Romon will welcome the party and explain the situation. He must be hasty as the good nature of the plane hurts him.

  • Orym is entrapped in the plane and lives in an encampment together with other entrapped people. They call this commune The Retreat of the Content.
  • Getting a person out of Erronys while entrapped is not a simple task. They are here willingly and never want to leave. Therefore, one would have to convince Orym that it's only the plane's effect that makes him want to stay, not his own desire. Perhaps force will also work, but it can get dangerous as the plane will not like it.
  • To achieve this, they'll need to visit Orym in his own mind. Ral'Romon will hand the party a rod, which, as he says, allows people to invade other people's minds. They'll need to use it to influence Orym from within his own mind, as any other talk won't achieve anything.

The task is hard, but clear, according to Ral'Romon, but getting to Orym is even harder.


Rod of Mind Influence

rod, very rare

The rod has one charge. You can expend this charge while holding it against a willing or incapacitated creature's forehead. After 10 minutes, your physical body is rendered unconscious while a projection of you and everyone else who was holding the rod (up to 10 creatures) travels in the mind of the creature.

Anything that happens to the projections affects the physical body. Damage and death are real.

Once in the mind of the creature, you can alter its thought process, memories, and desires. This can be extremely dangerous, as it is not always that the mind accepts the invasion.

To get out of the mind of the creature, one has to hold the rod and speak its command word. Then, instantly, all creature projections that were part of the invasion wake up in their physical bodies.

The Retreat of the Content is some six hours downstream. One cannot miss it, but the Great River Erronys is not really swimmable. That is, unless one is suicidal. The PCs will either need to craft means for rafting down the river or wait for one of the river rats to show. The latter are seasoned locals who know the dangers of the rivers and offer transportation as service for a price.

Ral'Romon's True Intentions

Ral'Romon only wants the party to retrieve Orym so that his fellow yugoloths capture him afterwards, preferably somewhere far away from Erronys. A successful DC 20 Wisdom (Insight) check will reveal that he's nervous and probably hiding something. If confronted about it, he will blame the plane itself, as it really hurts him more and more the longer he stays.

This is true, and a perfect excuse for him. A successful DC 5 Wisdom (Insight) check will show that he is, indeed, in pain.

Regardless, Ral'Romon will want to leave as fast as possible. After the mission is clear to the party, he will touch an amulet that is wrapped around his furry neck and plane shift out of Erronys.

Great River Erronys

As mentioned, the Great River Erronys is the only means of transportation in Erronys. To reach the Retreat of the Content, the party will have to raft 6 hours downstream. Dangers include waterfalls, water rapids, whirlpools, jagged rocks, and even river monsters.

There are only two options to achieve the travel, both include the Great River Erronys. If the party has means of transportation like fly, polymorph, or anything that would lift them above the ground, they will quickly come to the realization that it is not possible to utilize these options due to strong winds.

A successful DC 17 Wisdom (Survival) check will reveal that trying to fly or swim in the river will result in heavy injuries while accomplishing almost nothing.

A creature that tries to fly needs to succeed on a DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check to fight against the winds, and even on success, they manage to cover only 1/4 of the distance they would normally cover. Failing results in getting carried by the wind and hitting multiple rock faces, suffering 3d10 bludgeoning damage.

Swimming is even tougher, requiring a successful DC 28 Strength (Athletics) check to fight off the rapids. Failure means getting carried by the river uncontrollably and hitting multiple obstacles, suffering 6d10 bludgeoning damage.

Options include:

  1. Selfmade Raft and No Guide. A successful DC 17 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Survival) check will find enough material on the river bank to build a raft. This includes branches, logs, and vines that can be used as ropes. Building the raft requires a successful DC 10 Dexterity check from a PC proficient with carpenter's tools.
  2. River Rat. Should the PCs wait 30 minutes or more on the river bank, a river rat will show up currently rafting down the Great River Erronys in search of customers. Her name is Trolva. She is a middle-aged halfling scout (MM 349) and her raft looks sturdy. She can take the PCs to the location they need and will request 300 gold pieces per passenger.

No matter the means of transporation, Great River Erronys is a dangerous place to be as the party is about to find out. The trip will last 6 hours, and the following locations are the dangerous spots that the party will have to overcome if they want to reach the Retreat relatively unscathed and alive.

Trolva in the Party

Although Trolva knows how to tackle the river dangers and how to reach several locations in Erronys, the Great River Erronys is so unpredictable that every journey is a challenge, even for her.

When a danger arrives, she can advise the PCs, but at the end of the day, they are the ones who will have to make the decisions, as they are seasoned adventurers.

Great River Erronys Hazards

Every hour traveling the Great River Erronys, there is a chance that a hazard from the following table will occur. Roll a d6, and something happens on a 4-6 result. Then, roll on the hazard table. All these hazards are visible on time for reaction with a successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check. If Trolva is in the party, then this check is made with advantage. Most of the hazards, if not all, will play better in initiative order, where the PCs will try to perform an avoidance action on their turn. For the purposes of initiative, the raft moves at 50 feet per round on initiative count 20.

The solution will always depend on the creativity of the players. Trolva will be able to offer some advice, but there are two things to consider. One, she will not bail the party out. She is only able to offer advice. And second, asking her opinion on a situation requires an action.

Many of these hazards can cause damage to the raft, which starts the trip with 40 hit points. At any point during the rafting, the party can decide to repair the raft.

Repairing the Raft

The raft can be repaired at all times, but especially, if at the end of any event it has less than 20 hit points, then it will need repairs. The material is easy to find, and the repairs can be done either by a party member or Trolva if she is present.

It will require an hour per 10 hit points of damage to be fixed. Fixing the raft and generally stalling further risks entrapment as explained in the entrapment sidebar.

Falling in the Water

For every turn a character is in the water, they suffer 2d6 bludgeoning damage as they hit multiple rocks. Furthermore, they need to succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or get a point of exhaustion upon coming out of the freezing waters.


























Entrapment

Visitors in Erronys can be entrapped by the plane, just like Orym has been. For every hour the party stays here, they need to succeed on a DC 1 Wisdom saving throw. The DC for any given PC goes up by 1 for all subsequent saving throws on a success. Failing the saving throw means the PC is entrapped by Erronys and never wants to leave, to the point of fighting people who try to force them. The player should not know what this saving throw is about.

As mentioned, the retreat is 6 hours away, and then the PCs will also spend some time there, so this DC can reach dangerous highs if they stall.

An entrapped PC can only be persuaded to leave Erronys by the same method Orym can (rod or hard persuasion). The only problem is, the rod only has one charge. Will the party use it on Orym if they can save a party member?

Other methods are powerful spells like wish.

Great River Erronys Random Hazards
d8 Event Complication
1 Waterfall Falling causes a 50 foot fall and the raft suffers 5d6 damage. The waterfall is 100 feet away, or 150 if successfully spotted in time.
2 White Rapids The raft suffers a total of 3d6 damage if the rapids are not avoided. PCs failing a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw fall in the water. The rapids start without warning and last for 100 feet.
3 Deva A deva (MM 16) descends from the sky and demands the party explain their reasons for traveling through Erronys. Any lie or attempt of manipulation will result in them getting attacked by it. If the party is truthful, the deva will help them by teleporting them closer to the retreat, reducing the travel by 1 hour.
4 Whirlpool If the whirlpool is not avoided, the raft is catapulted toward the shore, suffering 3d6 damage. The whirlpool is 50 feet away, or 100 if successfully spotted in time.
5 Water Speeding Up Even if Trolva is in the party, all raft members will need to help in order to keep a relatively safe course. A successful DC 17 Constitution saving throw is needed or, by the end of the sequence, the PC gets a point of exhaustion.
6 Hypothermia The constant splashing of water has made everyone on the raft wet, risking hypothermia. A successful DC 18 Constitution saving throw is needed, or the PC gets a point of exhaustion. Re-roll on the table if this event comes up early on the trip.
7 Giant Catfish A giant catfish takes a bite from the raft, causing 3d6 damage. If seen beforehand, it can be lured away with a DC 17 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check.
8 Branches Several branches from the pine trees on the shore extend on the river. If not avoided, the raft gets entangled in them and freeing it takes 1 hour. The branches are 150 feet away, or 200 if successfully spotted in time.

The Retreat of the Content

After about 6 hours, the PCs will have reached the Retreat of the Content.

A narrow plateau surrounded by trees and cliffs is situated along the river bank. Several huts and tents are placed in the open space, which is not much. Smoke from campfires can be seen rising up to the sky of Erronys, and as the raft approaches, the citizens of the retreat come to meet you at a small pier, its wood partly eaten away by the fast-flowing Great River Erronys.

The retreat doesn't have a leader. All people here live in peace and contribute so that they all survive in the best way possible. Some fish, some hunt, some gather firewood or tend to damaged buildings. It all works out for them, and they are content.

All dozen people on the retreat share something in common. Willingly or not, they have been entrapped by the plane and never want to leave. Even the thought or discussion of a possible departure seems as utter nonsense to them. The plane's influence is so strong in their minds that they'd rather die than leave the retreat.

The party is welcome here. They are free to rest, eat, sleep, and share stories with the content. This is not a place where enemies exist. Hostility is a foreign word in the retreat. However, the plane influences these people in a way that is tough to realize. They are as welcoming as it gets toward strangers so that more people get entrapped in the community.

From the moment of arrival, they'll offer everything to the party. Good resting, feasting, hunting trips, and even services like oiling armors and sharpening weapons. These ultimately stall the rescue of Orym and endanger the party, as the DC of their saving throw against entrapment rises. For every hour they stay at the retreat, they need to succeed on a Wisdom saving throw as per entrapment rules that were explained in the sidebar.

Orym

Orym is among the content, and if the PCs ask around, the rest will point them to him. He doesn't have menial tasks because of his age, but offers his knowledge and wisdom to the community.

He will not willingly let anyone play with his brain and will politely refuse. The only way that the party can do it is by either tricking him somehow, or while he sleeps, since the rod needs 10 minutes to take effect.

In the Mind of Orym

This is where the party ends up when they use the rod. They can persuade Orym to leave Erronys, fail at the task, or even force him out. During the entire sequence, Erronys fights back with its own projections, and the PCs are in even more extreme danger of being entrapped themselves.

After a brief moment of disorientation, you regain your senses in an unfamiliar space. You stand in a round room, which doesn't appear to have a ceiling. The floor and walls are made from black marble, which reflects blue light that seems to emanate without a source.

All around the void and nothingness that extends beyond the room, you see appratiions fading in and out. They resemble a female half-elven form dressed in a white dress. Her face, though, has two sides. The left is healthy and lively, while the right is sick and withered. Their ghastly, constant but distant whispers echo in the area: "Don't leave me." These apparitions seem to want to come int othe room but something invisible prevents this from happening.

In the center of the room is a chair, and symmetrically around the walls exist 4 big round mirrors. On the chair sits Orym. He doesn't move, just sits there staring into nothingness.

Mirrors

Each one of these mirrors contains information about Orym, his past life. This information is available upon looking in the mirror from up close.

A DC 13 Intelligence (History) checks allows a character to recognise the locations in the dream as taking place in and around Candlekeep, a legendary library of the Forgotten Realms.


Mirror 1

You see tall grass. Even if you cannot touch it, something its movement makes it look soft. Further ahead, there appears to be an empty spot, like the grass field has not grown on just this tiny, oval-shaped spot. As you approach it, it becomes clear. There is grass, but a half-elven woman dressed in silk robes lies on it. Long blond hair, green eyes, and pink skin. There is a woven blanket next to her, with fruit, which you recognize must have been plucked from the trees of her garden. Apples and peaches.

"Took you a while," she says. She smiles. "Come, enjoy the sun, my love." A euphoric feeling overwhelms you, as if the mirror vision emanates passion, love, and care.

You open your mouth and hear the words come out, words you speak unwillingly and unknowingly. "Of course, Deliah. Work can wait."


Mirror 2

A small room made of wood. The walls are stacked with shelves, which contain bottles, books, and tables of strange instruments. A sulfuric smell invades your nostrils. You walk towards the middle of the room, where a large oaken table is situated. You sit, push stacks of paper to the side, and pull a leather-bound book from the drawer.

You sigh. A sigh of happiness. You open the book to the last blank page and start writing.

"Bat claws. Who would have thought? That this mundane thing would be the last component for the spell. But it works. I just tested it myself. The best creation of my life. I'll name it ... Multiverse Time Walk."


Mirror 3

You take a last glance on the table where the woman lays. "Can't we do anything about it? Are you sure?" you hear yourself saying.

A voice by the door replies: "I told you. Impossible. She'll be dead within a week."

You grab the man by the shoulders and scream: "NO! I refuse to accept that! The multiverse must hold the secrets to her cure!" He shakes his head. You approach the woman and put your palm on her burning forehead. "I promise you, Deliah. I'll find it. I'll travel to far away places, but when I'm back, you'll be your old self again."

The woman opens her eyes, and with a weak voice, she whispers: "Don't leave me, Orym. Stop feeding your mind with false hope. Stay with me in my last hours."

You hesitate for a second, but then, with a swift movement, rush out of the room, closing the door while hearing Deliah's cries for you to not go.


Mirror 4

You see darkness, broken only by the flickering of a dim light in the distance. You hear your own heavy breathing and footsteps approaching. A voice breaks the tension as you turn to your right to face your good companion, Cerodar. "Master Orym, they know we are here."

You open your mouth and whisper, "I know. Go on, flee. Save yourself. They have no quarrel with you. It's me they want. I'll never endanger you because of who I am, because of Sollus, because I was born in a future that is marvellous but as perilous as no one could ever wish for."

Cerodar places a hand on your shoulder, stands up, nods, and starts running away in the opposite direction. The footsteps come closer: hideous beings, insect-like, with sharp claws eager to feel flesh.

You touch an amulet that is wrapped around your neck and whisper to yourself, "Erronys. Any fate is better than their claws!"

Erronys Resistance

These projections (AH 38) are identical to Orym's features (or any other creature whose mind is being invaded), except they look ethereal, incorporeal, and float around. They are the danger in the sequence. There are four ways they can appear, and their purpose is to offer tension and further endanger the PCs with entrapment.

  • Method 1. Looking in one of the mirrors in the room causes an Erronys resistance to appear in front of it and attack.
  • Method 2. Trying to force Orym out of his situation causes 4 Erronys resistances to appear and attack.
  • Method 3. Any time you, the DM, need to add tension, you can cause an Erronys resistance to appear.
  • Method 4. Any time the barrier is struck or approached, 2 Erronys resistances appear and attack.

It should be clear to the party that the longer they stay, the longer they endanger themselves from the attacks of the Erronys resistances.

The Barrier

A magical barrier exists around the edges of the room. Approaching it or touching it causes one to be pushed back 10 feet and fall prone if they fail a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. The barrier can be dispelled with a successful DC 20 dispel magic check or forcefully destroyed. It has 17 AC and 50 hit points. If the PCs attack it, they also get pushed back with each hit. If it takes damage, narrate how it shows visible signs of cracks.

If a PC has already looked in mirror 1 or 3, then a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check will reveal that the apparition resembles Deliah.

Orym's Projection

Orym's presence is also a projection. He can talk, answer questions, and be persuaded to snap out of Erronys' grasp. He cannot be hurt in any way, but as explained further, he can be forcefully taken away.

Resolution

Following are some methods the party can try so that they make Orym come with them, or generally take him away from Erronys.


  • Persuasion. The party is free to try any method of persuasion they want on Orym, but without knowing much about his persona, it can prove to be extremely difficult to fully persuade him to leave Erronys. Orym will be persuaded to leave Erronys if the party succeeds on 3 Charisma (Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion) checks. The DC is 30, reduced by 5 for each mirror used in the arguments made.

  • Force. Orym on the chair is just a projection, but he can be forcefully made to sit up, at which point the physical body is free of the entrapment. One requires a successful contested Wisdom check against Orym to do so. Orym rolls his Wisdom check with a +5 modifier, and a PC needs to succeed 3 times for overall success. If Orym wins 3 times, then there is nothing to be done and he is forever entrapped in Erronys unless a wish spell is used to alter this.
  • Deliah. If the barrier is broken, dozens of Deliah apparitions will flood the room and engulf Orym. After 3 rounds where 3 new Erronys resistances appear in the room each round on initiative count 20, he is forced to take responsibility for leaving Deliah to die alone. His projection utters an "I'm sorry!" and as the Deliah apparitions retreat, their facial features are only that of a healthy woman. This eventually frees himself from his mental prison and all still alive Erronys resistances disappear.

Variant: Verbal Combat

If you want to add a mechanic aspect to Orym's persuasion, you can play it as a simplified verbal combat sequence. The concept is simple. Orym has Opposition (how strong his current beliefs are) and Oppenness (how open he is to the party's claims) hit points. Both these start at a value of 15. If the Opposition HP is reduce to 0, then Orym has been convinced of the party's arguments. If the Openness HP is reduced to 0, then he cannot be convinced further and the argument battle has been lost for the PCs.

Throughout the sequence, the party can simply pose arguments to Orym. The way these arguments are worded determines which social skill check will be used (Intimidation, Persuasion, Deception), and this roll is a contested one. If the PC wins, the Opposition suffers damage, while if they lose, the Openness does. Orym's modifiers for these contested checks are listed in the table below.

Orym's Verbal Combat Stats
Skill Modifier
Deception +0
Intimidation +12
Persuasion +6

At the end of each argument (contested skill check), either the Opposition or Openness suffers 1d8 points of damage.

Before an argument is voiced, the PCs can choose to use a mirror to gain information. If one of his mirror memories is used during an argument, then the contested roll is made with advantage for the PCs.

Orym's Fate

Upon succeeding or failing to persuade or forcing Orym out of his entrapment, the PC projections get out of his mind, the rod is just a piece of metal, and Orym is unconscious because of the strain of the procedure.


The party would now have to carry him away as Thesea picks them up from the retreat. The rest of the content will not pose any resistance, more so because they understand what happened and the desire of Orym to leave the place.

En route, and while away from Erronys, they get attacked by a yugoloth meteorship (AH 51) while at the same time Ral'Romon (AH 28) with two mezzoloths (MM 313) emerges from Thesea's hold to attack the party. Their goal is to capture Orym now that he is away from Erronys' protection. This sequence is challenging because the party has to fight against the meteorship with Thesea while also dealing with Ral'Romon in close combat.

Coming out of this encounter victorious means Orym can join the party on the Reef.

Rewards

The Burrower

With Orym's help, the Burrower can now move through the planes with gate, just like Thesea.

Magic Item

Orym enchants the inert Rod of Mind Influence to change its properties such that it's more useful to the party. Use the following statistics for the renewed Rod of Mind Influence.


Rod of Mind Influence

rod, very rare

Certain planes can influence one's mind, trapping you in contentedness or despair; holding this rod while traveling such planes makes you immune to such mind-altering planar effects.

Additionally, the rod has one charge. As an action, you can expend this charge to cast the spell crown of madness (save DC 15) without needing to concentrate on the spell. An expended charge is regained when you convince a celestial or fiend to change its mind about any argument.

Teamwork Bonus

In future heists, Orym can grant the party the following teamwork bonus.


The Learned. All party members have the Jack of All Trades ability, gaining half their proficiency bonus on any skill checks to which they don't otherwise add their proficiency.

P.J. Pirrello


P.J. Pirrello is a computer programmer by trade, and a writer, digital artist, cartographer, dungeon master, and miniature painter by choice. He lives and works in the state of Texas in the U.S.A. with his lovely wife, two wonderful kids, and one very eccentric wheaten terrier. You can find more of his work at Goblin Scrawl Games.
Notable works include:
- Into the Underdark: The Descent Trilogy
- The Shadowed Hollows Gazetteer
- Bloody Mad
- Miss Teree's House of Tea...And Devil Summoning

Additional Credits

  • Ede László from the Worlds Without Number art pack
  • Maps by P.J. Pirrello
  • Watercolor splotches by Jared Ondricek

In Remembrance

In Remembrance is an adventure for four to five characters of 11th to 13th level and is optimized for a party of four characters with an average party level of 12. This heist is set in Peloponessos (pel-uh-puh-NESS-iss), primarily amongst the rolling hills and olive groves with a small jaunt to the dusty wastes of Kefallonia (keh-fah-LONE-ee-a).

Background

Yugoloths have tracked an incarnation of Sollus to the small town of Arginth in Peloponessos. Karen discovers this when Toda brags to her about how he discovered this new Sollus. He knows that Tirikan and Beck have been dispatched to find and imprison this new version.

This is where things get ... complicated. This incarnation of Sollus is actually fractured into two parts. The part that Tirikan found, a female aasimar named Petrasollus, is haunted by dreams and visions of another life. The other part, a medusa named Serpamne, has no memory of her life beyond a few days ago, exactly when Petrasollus arrived in Peloponessos. The only way for the two parts to be reunited is for Petrasollus to be petrified and her memories -- her essence -- to be freed from her stone form to reunite with Serpamne's physical form.

In a stunning display of incompetence (or just plain bad luck), Tirikan brought Petrasollus to the temple where Serpamne lives, and convinced the medusa to turn Petrasollus to stone. He then left Serpamne and the host of other monsters that live on the path to the mountain temple to guard the statue. He does not know that he has inadvertently done half the party's work for them.

The characters must find a way up the mountain and past the monsters that surround the temple. Then they'll have to convince Serpamne to help them. She'll inform them that the only way to return Petrasollus back to life is to retrieve the Nero Eleftherias -- the water of freedom -- from the labyrinth below the temple. Tirikan will wait for their return and will have set an ambush for them as they are leaving the labyrinth. After getting past Tirikan, they can finally use the Nero Eleftherias, which will free the part of Sollus' essence from the stone body of Petrasollus and return it to Serpamne, reuniting the two parts into Serpasollus.

Just when they think they've won the day, the mountain will shake beneath them. The Nero Eleftherias will not only have freed Sollus' essence, it will have freed an evil that had been imprisoned under the mountain for ages. The party will have one last fight on their hands before they can finally make their way back to the reef with Serpasollus in tow.

Adventure Hook

One of Sollus' clones (known as Petrasollus) was recently spotted near the village of Arginth in a picturesque corner of the realm. Her presence was quickly discovered by the yugoloths, and Tirikan and his faithful hound Beck were dispatched to capture and imprison her. That's all the info Karen is aware of, but she urges the party to travel to Arginth. With any luck they can recover Petrasollus before Tirikan manages to find and imprison her.

The Town of Arginth

The town of Arginth is designed in such an orderly fashion that it is unsettling. It is surrounded by a wall that is precisely 25 feet tall, with a single gate perfectly centered on the northern wall that is 10 feet wide and 15 feet tall. The wall is exactly 295 feet on each side.

Within the walls, the town is divided into nine identically-sized blocks. The center block is a well-tended garden that serves as a meeting place. A large fountain in the center of the garden provides fresh drinking water for the residents.

The remaining eight blocks each have an identical structure built upon them, with twelve small shops on the bottom floor and twelve residences above them. Each also has a central courtyard bordered by an arcade on both the first and second floor. A pair of circular, stone staircases provide access to the second floor.

Individual shops and residences are almost indistinguishable from one another. The shops each have a couple of tables with various goods on them. Intimate cafes containing only a few tables serve coffee and mostly light fare, such as roasted vegetables and olives.

The party is free to wander the town, as its inhabitants are unafraid of strangers. Children will run up to the characters, curious about their odd dress and unusual weaponry.

If the characters are friendly, the residents will happily talk to them and tell them what they know:

  1. A beautiful female aasimar, Petrasollus, arrived in the town exactly ten days ago.
  2. While friendly, the woman seemed to have a dark cloud hanging over her. She claimed to have no memory of her life before she arrived in Peloponessos and seemed desperate to uncover her past.
  3. Petrasollus would have visions, often waking her from sleep. In these visions, she would look through the eyes of someone, or something, else: a creature, part woman, part snake.
  4. Yesterday, two creatures, like demons, arrived in town. They promised not to hurt anyone and said that they were only here for the criminal, Petrasollus.
  5. Petrasollus cried and pleaded for help, but the creature assured them it was all a trick and that Petrasollus was a violent criminal.
  1. These demons hauled Petrasollus off to the northeast. The only thing nearby in that direction is an ancient temple atop Mnemnos Peak.
  2. The townsfolk will warn the characters that Mnemnos Peak is a very dangerous place, once the home of a monstrous titan that was vanquished by the followers of an ancient god. They built a temple there, but it was under constant assault by all manner of monsters and was eventually overrun.
  3. They know that harpies (MM 181) seem to fly a set pattern which could help the characters circumvent them if they were to figure it out.



































Effects of Peloponessos

Peloponessos in general is vastly different from the small and orderly town of Arginth where the players have tracked Sollus. It is a plane full of drama, where feelings and emotions run high, and it can affect anyone not accustomed to its effects. In combat, each character must make a DC 20 Charisma saving throw at the start of its turn. On a failed save, the character is afflicted with battle lust until the start of their next turn, gaining advantage on all attack rolls. If the character makes an attack while under the effect of battle lust, their reckless demeanor grants all creatures advantage on attack rolls against them until the start of their next turn.

  1. They also know of the cyclopes, and that a small family of pixies near the temple might be able to offer aid should the characters prove their intentions are pure.

Mnemnos Peak

Mnemnos Peak appears short for a mountain, even more so with a much greater peak looming over it in the distance, the homeland of the gods. A gentle, sloping path winds up the mountainside, eventually leading to a small plateau. Toward the northeast edge of the plateau, the ultimate peak rises another 150 feet. A large, round temple sits at the crest of the peak, looking down upon the plateau below. A second structure, similar to the temple but smaller, sits on a ledge below the temple.
































General Features

Unless otherwise stated, all areas have the following features.

Illumination. It is perpetually late afternoon, and the warm sun brightly lights the mountaintop.

Flora and Fauna. The grass is lush, and the bushes and trees are healthy and thick with leaves. Anyone hiding behind bushes or trees can benefit from one-quarter cover. Small animals abound as well; squirrels, chipmunks, and all manner of small birds chitter in the trees.



































1. Mountain Path

This lightly-trod dirt path rises and falls gently as it winds its way across the plateau from the mountain trail toward the peak to the northeast, crowned with a round-domed temple that gleams white in the afternoon sun.

2. Olive Grove

This dense grove of olive trees offers protection from the sun and from any prying eyes that might be watching from above. It offers an excellent view of the small stand of trees on the slopes above that the harpies use as an aerie. Players watching the harpies and succeeding on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check will notice the following:

  1. After a minute of watching, the characters will notice that one harpy is much larger than the others.
  2. After 5 minutes of watching, the characters will notice that there are 11 different harpies in the aerie, but there generally seems to be only two in the air at any given time.
  3. After 10 minutes of watching, the characters will discover that the harpies fly a set pattern around the temple, gliding in a lazy arc from the west by the aerie, around the rear of the temple over to the east side and back. They mostly seem to ignore the southern side of the peak.



















































  1. After 15 minutes of watching, the characters will see the harpies dive into the trees to the northeast. After a few minutes on the ground, they fly slowly back to the aerie, carrying a small buck between them.

If the characters continue to watch, they will see the pattern repeat itself with every changing of the guard. The harpies will fly their set path, and on their final pass, will dive into one of the nearby stands of trees or bushes, emerging a few minutes later with a fresh kill to feast upon.

3. Fairy Ring

A large ring of toadstools grows in a small clearing amongst a stand of cypress trees. A small community of pixies makes their home here. If the characters investigate around the ring, the pixies' leader, Briar Cricketwhite, appears in the branches of one of the taller trees and greets the characters. Briar is a short, female pixie dressed in a white, silken tuxedo complete with vest and top hat. She is friendly, albeit more serious than most pixies. Briar is trying to gauge the characters' motives. The characters can attempt to convince her of their good intentions, either through good role-play or with a successful Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Deception) check contested by Briar's Wisdom (Insight) check.

Should the characters convince Briar and her pixies to assist them, she will tell them about the cyclopes that live above them to the north. She will reveal that the cyclopes raise sheep as food and she'll offer them some pixie dust which, when sprinkled on the sheep, will put the cyclopes to sleep when they eat them.

Encounter. 12 pixies (MM 253).

4. Pond

Water rushes down the mountainside, cascading over the cliffs in multiple waterfalls, finally collecting at the base of the peak in a small pond. The creatures on the peak all gather water from the various small pools to slake their thirst. Reeds and lily pads grow around and on the surface of the largest pool at the base of the rise.

5. Cyclops Plateau

A tiny tribe of cyclopes live on the ledges and terraces leading up to the temple. The three brutes know that Serpamne lives in the temple above and fear her enough to leave her alone. They will wander between areas 5 through 7, napping beneath the trees, tending to their flock, or resting in the small domed structure on the ledge below the temple.

Encounter. 3 cyclopes (MM 45).

6. Sheep Pasture or Titanic Prison?

A small flock of sheep grazes on the sloping, grass-covered ledge. Several odd-looking, moss-covered rock formations jut from the ground and escarpments to the north. Cyclopes from area 5 will wander in among the sheep, occasionally grabbing one and plopping the whole animal in its mouth as a snack. Regardless of how many sheep the cyclopes eat, the flock never seems to thin at all.

Once the characters recover and use the Nero Eleftherias, the imprisoned titan here will break free and attempt to prevent their escape.

7. Cyclops Parlor

This small structure is surprisingly well-appointed when one considers its inhabitants. Whenever the cyclopes decide to take a longer rest, they will retire to this building to sleep on its couches and settee. The two tables here appear to get little use, as the giant oafs tend to devour their fleecy meals fresh from the flock.

8. Aerie

This stand of uncommonly large cypress trees houses a small congregation of harpies, along with their matron leader. The harpies guard and hunt along the cliffs north of the ancient temple. Anyone approaching their home will be attacked swiftly and without mercy. The harpies aren't the best of guards, however, and anyone watching can time the route they take and find ways to bypass their patrols. Two of the 10 normal harpies will always be out on patrol and depending on where they are in their route, will join any fight after 1-3 rounds.

If captured, the players may be able to convince the harpy matron to use her powers of divination to assist them in their quest. If they manage to do so, she will offer the following:

Encounter. 1 harpy matron (AH 43) and 10 harpies (MM 181).

9. Thorn-Covered Cliffs

The cliff on the north side of the peak is covered with thick, thorny vines. It would be a nearly vertical 150-foot climb through the thorns to reach the temple at the top of the peak. Anyone attempting to scale the rock face must make a Dexterity (Athletics) check for each round worth of movement. A failed check means the character takes 2 (1d4) piercing damage from the thorns. The harpies from area 8 watch this side of the mountain closely and will attack anyone they catch trying to climb the cliffs.

10. Sollus Temple Prison

When the characters enter the temple, read or paraphrase the following to them:

This large, round building contains several pieces of light olive-colored furniture and decoration. The center of the room features a fountain adorned with an incredibly lifelike statue of a winged woman, water trickling out from its base and flowing southward through a hole in the wall to cascade down the mountainside.

As you enter the room, you glimpse someone darting behind one of the elegant chairs against the northern wall. As you try to get a closer look, a slightly reptilian head peeks from behind the chair, her hair a mass of writhing snakes. From the look in her eyes, she is more afraid of you than you are of her.

The creature is Serpamne, one half of this particular incarnation of Sollus. She will not attack the characters and will avoid defending herself in a way that might hurt them, mainly trying to hide and retreat while begging for her life.

If the characters try to speak with her, she will seem fearful but will be forthcoming with them. She knows the following:

  1. The first thing she remembers is waking up here in this temple 10 days ago.
  2. Food and water are plentiful, but the other creatures on the plateau and peak harry and herd her back to the temple whenever she tries to leave.
  1. Two days ago, two demonic-looking creatures arrived along with a beautiful female with wings. Under threat of death, they had Serpamne turn the poor creature to stone and place her petrified body on the platform at the center of the fountain.
  2. They told Serpamne to guard the statue, threatening to come back and kill her if anything were to happen to it.
  3. She doesn't know how she knows it, but she feels certain that the characters are here to rescue both her and her victim.
  4. She knows how to access a secret staircase that leads down to a labyrinth safeguarding the only thing that can save the unfortunate, petrified woman. She knows the general layout of the labyrinth, and can provide the players with a simple map.
  5. She also advises the characters that they must retrieve an item from each of the labyrinth's three areas in order to recover the Nero Eleftherias.

Encounter. 1 medusa (MM 214).

The Labyrinth of Nero Eleftherias

The stairs are enchanted, and lead to a labyrinth on Peloponessos' third layer, Kefallonia. The labyrinth was built centuries ago, its original purpose lost to history. It is split into four main areas: The Entrance, The Door, The Lock, and The Key. All areas are of similar build and design, but have their own unique quirks specific to the item they hold.

Effects of Kefallonia

While on this layer of Peloponessos, a great sense of emptiness and lethargy threatens to overtake the characters. While here, characters use their Charisma rather than their Dexterity bonus when rolling initiative, as it is only by the sheer force of their personality that they can goad themselves into action.

General Features

Unless otherwise stated, all areas have the following features.

Floors, walls, and ceilings. All surfaces throughout the labyrinth are made of various shades of light gray stone. The passages are all 10 feet wide and 10 feet tall.

Illumination. Although there is no visible source of light, all areas in the labyrinth are well-lit by a stark, slightly blue-tinted light.

Sounds. Noise behaves oddly within the labyrinth. Echoes seem to be erratic and may seem to come from any and all directions at once. A creature walking down a hall may hear their own footfalls echoing in front of them one moment and suddenly behind them the next. Different creatures may perceive the same noise as coming from different directions.

Creatures. Each area of the labyrinth has its own distinct set of creatures. A creature will not willingly leave its native area. Should a creature be forced from its home area, it will teleport back to a random point within its original zone.

As the characters explore the labyrinth, periodically roll 1d6. On a result of 6 an encounter will occur. The encounter varies depending on the area in which the characters currently find themselves.

In the Door area, they encounter 2d4 cockatrices (MM 42).

In the Lock area, they encounter 1d4 flameskulls (134).

In the Key area, they encounter 2d4 will-o'-wisps (MM 301).

1. Entrance

Read or paraphrase the following to the party when they descend the stairs from the temple:

You lose track of how many steps you've descended. The enclosed, spiral staircase winds down for what seems like an impossible distance, with barely any perceptible change the further down you go. The stone of the stairs and the walls slowly darkens, shifting from nearly pure white to a light gray, like the color of fine dust on glass. The lighting also changes as you descend, going from the warm white of a sunlit afternoon to a harsh, cold, blue light that feels unnatural. Finally, after what feels like ages, the stairs open up into a small, square room that is empty save for the staircase and an exit set in the center of each of its four walls.

1. Entrance

Read or paraphrase the following to the party when they descend the stairs from the temple:

You lose track of how many steps you've descended. The enclosed, spiral staircase winds down for what seems like an impossible distance, with barely any perceptible change the further down you go. The stone of the stairs and the walls slowly darkens, shifting from nearly pure white to a light gray, like the color of fine dust on glass. The lighting also changes as you descend, going from the warm white of a sunlit afternoon to a harsh, cold, blue light that feels unnatural. Finally, after what feels like ages, the stairs open up into a small, square room that is empty save for the staircase and an exit set in the center of each of its four walls.

Encounter. Once the characters have recovered the Nero Eleftherias, Tirikan (AH 26) and Beck (AH 26) will be waiting for them here, prepared to attack and relieve them of their treasure.

2. Pedestal

A marble pedestal sits upon a stone dais in the middle of this otherwise empty room.

The northern entranceway is open, but it appears to be crafted to hold a large door. The halves of three hinges are strongly attached to the inner wall of the portal. A hole in the inside wall across from the hinges is likely used for some kind of locking mechanism.

Under most circumstances, this doorway does nothing special. If the characters, standing outside of the pedestal room, place the door from area 4 in the opening, the lock from area 5 in the door, and close the door, an audible *click* will be heard as the door locks itself. If anyone is inside the pedestal room when the door is closed in this manner, it will not lock. If the characters then use the key from area 6 to unlock the door, the Nero Eleftherias will appear atop the pedestal. The lock can be picked with a successful DC 30 Dexterity check with thieves' tools. If the door is unlocked in this manner, however, the room beyond will contain 4 basilisks (MM 24).

Encounter. 4 basilisks (MM 24)

Treasure. If the characters assemble and unlock the door to this room, the Nero Eleftherias will be resting upon the pedestal.

3. Cockatrice Coop

Two large enchanted chicken coops sit against the walls of this small room and the floor is covered in hay. At all times there are 24 cockatrices within the "door" segment of the labyrinth. Any time a cockatrice is killed, a new one emerges from one of the coops. Some of the 24 are always in this room.

Each coop has 50 hit points, an AC of 15, and is immune to all damage except fire damage and attacks from adamantine weapons. Destroying both coops will prevent any defeated cockatrices from returning.

Encounter. 6 cockatrices (MM 42). Each time one of them is killed, another will emerge from one of the two coops.

4. The Door

Hidden behind a secret door, this small room contains a mound of coins with a massive wooden door wedged into the pile. The coins are basically worthless, being made of bronze.

Treasure. The door. The door is a large, thick, heavy oak door with bulky cast-iron bands and hinges. There is a small hole where it appears the lock has been removed. It weighs 250 pounds. One or multiple characters can carry the door. If carried by a single character, it requires two hands to carry and provides a +6 bonus to AC. A character can also tie the door to his back. If carrying the door in this way, the character has disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks. If, at any point, the door is not being carried by a character and is not in the doorframe at area 2, it will teleport back to this room.

5. The Lock

This cross-shaped room is empty save for a bulky brass lock hanging from a heavy iron chain in the center of it.

Treasure. The lock. A bronze lock, shaped to fit perfectly in the small opening in the door from area 4. Whoever holds the lock is paralyzed. If that person takes any damage, they drop the lock, which instantly teleports back to the place where it was found.

6. The Key

Hovering in a dusty alcove at the end of the hallway is a tiny metal key. The key floats in a narrow beam of bright blue light.

Treasure. The key. A delicate and ornate metal key that looks like it would fit the lock from area 5. Anyone holding the key levitates uncontrollably. If they touch any surface before leaving the key area, the key will teleport back to where the characters found it.

Releasing Petrasollus

With the Nero Eleftherias in hand, the characters can return to the temple. Serpamne tells them that, in order to free Petrasollus, they simply need to pour the contents of the vial over the statue.

If the characters do as she advises, read or paraphrase the following to them:

The water washes over the statue, light flashing off of the little rivulets as they stream down the smooth stone and mix with the water of the fountain. Glowing cracks appear across the surface of the statue, rapidly growing more intense as a low hum fills the air.

The glow quickly intensifies to a blinding brilliance, causing you to avert your eyes. Suddenly, a sharp crack echoes throughout the temple, and the light instantly fades. Looking back at the statue, you see it now lies in pieces at the center of the fountain, the head rolling slightly on the pedestal before coming to rest.

Serpamne's eyes grow wide with disbelief as she sees what has happened. Before she can do or say anything, small motes of light rise from the various broken pieces of the statue. They float around each other, combining and splitting multiple times before coalescing into a single glowing mass undulating several feet above the ground.

The rippling light hovers in the air for a few seconds before streaking at Serpamne and striking her in the chest. She staggers backward, her back arched and her head thrown back. Light streams from her eyes and mouth, eventually fading as her body appears to relax and her head slowly turns to stare in your direction.

She shouts, "At last! I am whole once more!"

Serpamne and Petrasollus reunite to form Serpasollus, the one true incarnation of Sollus that had come to this plane. She'll explain how she was trapped in this split form and that the party has reunited her, thereby freeing her.

Her explanation is cut short as the ground convulses. The roof of the temple cracks and showers the characters with debris, threatening to collapse on them.

As the characters flee the temple to avoid being crushed, they immediately notice that clouds now blot out the sun and the sky has turned an angry, grayish orange. On the plateau below them, they see a massive figure, apparently made of rock, rising from under the stone of the mountainside. It thrusts both hands into the ground pulling out an axe made of glossy black stone.

If the townsfolk of Arginth told the characters about the titan of Mnemnos Peak, they will recognize this as the creature from those legends. The titan slowly looks around before bellowing, "Who has found the Nero Eleftherias and freed me from my prison?! Let them step forward and have the honor of being the first to fall before my overwhelming might!"

Encounter. 1 mountain titan (AH 43)

Treasure. Stonehewer, a greataxe made of obsidian that functions as a dwarven thrower (DMG 167)

Conclusion

As the titan collapses back into the earth, a bright ray of sunlight bursts through the clouds, illuminating the corpse of the fallen giant. The single sunbeam broadens quickly, dispersing the clouds. It doesn't take long for the sun to bathe the plateau in its warm, welcome light. Serpasollus quickly joins with the characters and suggests they depart quickly before the Yugoloth return.

Karen waits for them just outside Arginth, ready to ferry them back to the reef. The trip back is uneventful. Once back to the safety of the reef, Serpasollus excuses herself, saying she just knows that she must contribute to the great machine to free her other incarnation.

Serpasollus will set to work assembling a massive serpent's tail that will help propel the machine as it burrows through the walls of the prison in which Sollus is held.

By rescuing Serpasollus, the party can select the following bonus as their teamwork bonus when they begin a heist.


The Immobile. Once per day per party member, as an action, a character can choose to become magically fixed in place. Until they use another action to end the effect, the character does not move, even defying gravity. The character can support up to 8,000 pounds of weight. More weight causes this ability to deactivate and the character to fall. A creature can use an action to make a DC 30 Strength check, moving the character up to 10 feet on a success. The effects automatically end after 1 hour.

T.M. van Dalen

T.M. van Dalen makes hand-crafted adventures and supplements for Dungeons & Dragons and other table top roleplaying games. Based in Amsterdam, his adventures focus on Dungeon Master ease-of-use, allowing anyone to pick them up and have a good time with less prep time. You can find more of his work and sign up to get free maps at rpg.timvdalen.nl.
Notable works include ...

Veratrem's Tribal Siege - a Storm King's Thunder adventure Shrine to Talos - A Wild Beyond the Witchlight adventure Trouble in WealdhamEncounters along the Long Road


Additional Credits

Mine-work Make-work

Day breaks on Pollux. The sky becomes lighter even though there is no sun in sight. Gnomes work tirelessly in the fields, fighting the destructive nature of the plane itself. On Castor, wild beasts fight those who try to carve out a life for themselves, however short.

The Twinned Isles of Gemini are places of hard work that does not go unrewarded. Pollux is a land of pastures and farms, of commerce and tinkering. Opposite an empty patch of sky, Castor is wild, untamed. On both layers, the mostly gnome population is hard at work to fight the destructive nature of the plane itself, maintaining their tools, houses and workshops. While a productive day of work is its own reward, it is also currency in this place.

A reincarnation of Sollus is trapped in a mine on Castor, unaware of his history, future and place in the multiverse. The party has discovered one possible flaw in the prison's highly effective defenses: a gnome called Ribbles who comes by every fortnight to collect the stab-o-lizers.

Adventure Background

The incarnation of Sollus that's trapped on Castor is called Gimlen, a gnome of about 90 years. When he was just 2 years old, he was taken from his clan by a group of yugoloths. Gimlen was raised in Pollux by his captors, never realizing that he was a prisoner. The knotted snake symbol appears as a birthmark in the inside of his elbow. Use the attuner (NPC 187) or mage (MM 347) stat block for Gimlen.

When he turned 40, he got a "job" working in a "factory" that builds stab-o-lizers, a small constructed item that makes life in Gemini a bit easier by limiting the rate of decay of buildings, in turn lengthening the time between the chore of maintenance. Gimlen is the only worker in the factory, something that has never struck him as strange.

He is responsible for mining the raw material, for smelting and forging it, and for assembling the final stab-o-lizers. His tasks are busywork designed to keep him from worrying about his true place in the world, but the stab-o-lizers actually turn a nice profit as well. Gimlen works all day, rotating between the various tasks to keep production moving along. At night, he retires to his private chambers, located in the outer ring of the prison factory.

Once every two fortnights, Ribbles Nackle, a gnome veteran (MM 350), comes by to collect the finished product. He then travels from Castor to Pollux using one of the larger mountain passes and sells the stab-o-lizers in one of the bigger cities before returning back to Castor.

Road to Castor

Planar travel isn't an exact science. Whether they travel by gate or by voidship, when the party arrives in Gemini, they land on the layer of Pollux. Their destination, the prison mine where Sollus is trapped, is located on Castor.

To get there, they will have to locate a way to cross the empty sky and safely land on the other side. This section gives guidance for how to handle travel on Pollux, the journey between the layers, and travel on Castor.

Pollux

Making your way across Pollux is easy enough — the weather is always temperate and the terrain consists of rolling grasslands, divided by numerous small rivers that flow down from the high mountains.

When traveling in Pollux, it is likely the party will come across one or more small settlements. These settlements are typically made up of mostly gnomes. Everyone will be hard at work. If they want to earn a meal or shelter for the night, all the characters have to do is help do some chores.

To give life to the layer, you can have the party encounter a few other random things. These encounters can happen as often as you like, though you should keep in mind that using too many of them can slow the story down significantly. Consider checking for a random encounter twice per adventuring day, once during the day and once during a long rest. If you do, roll a d20. If the result is 18 or higher, a random encounter occurs.

Random Encounters in Pollux
d4 Encounter
1 Barn Repair
2 Lazy River
3 Otherworldly Wolves
4 Traveling Merchants

1: Barn Repair

The characters encounter a group of gnomes that are in the process of repairing a barn. The group consists of 10 commoners (MM 344).

The gnomes are installing stab-o-lizers in the barn, which should keep the barn standing for longer, and require less maintenance going forward. If the characters offer to help with repairs, they can spend the day working with the gnomes. In return, the gnomes offer a place to sleep (in the newly repaired barn) and a warm meal.

Any character that participated in the repair and slept in the barn wakes up feeling refreshed from the satisfaction of a job well done, gaining a Bootstraps die. Once within the next 8 hours, the character can roll a d6 and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bootstraps die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bootstraps die is rolled, it is lost.

2: Lazy River

From a distance, you hear voices. "Lazy bums!" one calls out.

"Why don't you make yourselves useful for a change?" you hear another one yell.

If they approach, they see that the source of the noise is a group of 5 gnomes standing on the bank of a river. They're shouting at three gnomes that are lazily drifting down the river, enjoying the weather. All of the gnomes are commoners (MM 344).

If the characters would like to keep the peace and calm down the angry group of gnomes, they must make a successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If the characters join in with the hecklers, they are invited to help with chores to earn a hearty meal.

3: Otherworldly Wolves

The party is attacked by a pack of 2d4 dire wolves (MM 321) who crossed over from Castor using an unstable gate (see "Gate" below). If they follow the wolf tracks with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check, they might be able to find the gate and cross over to Castor.

4: Traveling Merchants

While traveling along a small road, the party encounters a group of traveling merchants. The merchants are on their way from Prosperity, the largest city in Pollux. There, they purchased various goods to distribute among the smaller settlements of Pollux.

If the party thinks to ask, they reveal that, among other things, they bought stab-o-lizers in Prosperity, though a small bribe of 1 cp is required to tell the characters that they purchased the items from a gnome called Ribbles.

Crossing the sky

The empty area between the two layers of Gemini is about 20 miles. Once you cross the barrier in between the layers (10 miles up), gravity 'flips', allowing you to go down the other side. Gnome merchants sometimes use a system of hot air balloons to allow goods to cross the barrier, but this system is not safe for humanoid travel.

The party might be able to convince a flying mount to bring them to the other side, but the easiest ways to cross to the other layer are through a gate, climbing a mountain or using an airship.

Gate

While all planar gates end up in Pollux, there are some temporary lesser gates that lead between Pollux and Castor. These gates typically are the result of extremely violent storms on Castor. By helping the locals, the party might be able to locate one of these gates.

Mountain

In several places in Gemini, there are mountain ranges with peaks high enough to touch the other side. While the journey isn't easy, there are passes and paths in these mountains that allow relatively safe travel between the two layers.

Airship

For the modest price of 20 gp per creature, airships allow the well-to-do Geminian to cross the sky in style.

Airships (AH 47) can be found in most larger settlements in Pollux. An airship consists of an enormous balloon tied to a gondola. To rise up in the air, the crew (4 commoners (MM 344)) activates the furnace that has a fire elemental (MM 125) magically trapped inside it.

When an airship nears the center point of the sky, everybody moves below deck and the furnace is deactivated. Then, the whole airship flips in mid-air and starts descending to the target layer.



































Castor

Travel on Castor is everything that travel on Pollux was not. The weather is almost always extreme, ranging from violent snowstorms to bone-dry heatwaves. Castor is untamed, with wild forest and fields that are filled with all manner of beasts.

While traveling in Castor, it is unlikely the party will encounter any large settlements. The only people that go to Castor are usually only staying for a short while. They are here to mine or to log, and almost never stay longer than a single season.

Like on Pollux, there are random events that the party can encounter while they travel. Consider checking for a random encounter twice per adventuring day, once during the day and once during a long rest. If you do, roll a d20. If the result is 18 or higher, a random encounter occurs.

Random Encounters in Castor
d6 Encounter
1 Ape attack
2 Hunting tiger
3 Logging camp
4 Lycanthrope stalkers
5 Overgrown monument
6 Yoguloth patrol



































1: Ape Attack

Two giant apes (MM 323) are fighting an elephant (MM 322). They have not noticed the party yet, and the characters can back away and walk around the altercation if they wish.

2: Hunting Tiger

The party crosses path with a lone saber-toothed tiger (MM 336) that is out hunting.

3: Logging Camp

The party comes up on a temporarily constructed logging camp. From afar, they can already hear the celebration happening inside.

If they approach the camp, they eventually run into Ierick, a gnome miner and a commoner (MM 344). She explains that their leader, Halgan, just died in a mining accident. Halgan was a particularly cruel boss, and the workers are glad to be rid of him. They can't wait to pack up and return back home to Pollux.

Still, there is work to be done. If the characters agree to help with chores for the funeral, Ierick gives them a ring of magic detection that she found in an old mineshaft.

4: Lycanthrope Stalkers

A group of 1d6 + 2 wereboars try to surprise the party in the woods.


Ring of Magic Detection

ring, uncommon

This ring has 1 charge. While wearing it, you can expend the charge as an action to cast the detect magic spell from it. The ring regains its charge when its wearer casts a spell of 1st level or higher.

Overgrown Monument

While traveling to a particularly overgrown field, the party stumbles upon an old tower. The tower is in a bad state of disrepair, but it is impossible to tell if the damage is from just a season in Castor or years.

A DC 15 Intelligence (History) check reveals that the symbols on the tower are those of the drow. Under the effects of a detect magic spell, the tower radiates with conjuration magic.

If the party enters the tower, they are attacked by two drow wraiths (MM 302).

Any character that spends at least 10 minutes searching the tower can find a rune-scribed warhammer. A successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that the warhammer is of hellish origin, and not drow.

Yugoloth Patrol

While traveling near the prison, the party encounters Kegnoth (AH 26) and 2 mezzoloths (MM 313). If the party is traveling at half-speed, allow them to roll DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) checks to notice the yugoloths before they themselves are spotted.

Prison Break

Gimlen, this plane's incarnation of Sollus, is trapped in this prison mine complex on Castor. He has no idea that he is a prisoner, and is happily performing his duties. It has never occurred to him that it's strange that he is the only worker in the whole facility.

The map below shows the layout of the prison.

When the characters find the prison, read the following text aloud.

You come to what must be your destination. The organized building stands out from the chaos you've endured since you got to Castor. The building looks the same from all sides, though there is one bit that slightly juts out of the main complex.

Prison Mine: General Features

This facility is an all-in-one mine, factory and prison. It was constructed for Gimlen about 50 years ago. None of the rooms and hallways have windows.

Locked in. The prison has no entrance or exit that creatures can use. Everyone, including the guards, is locked in for life.

Lead walls. The outer wall of the complex is built with a 1 inch thick sheet of lead in the middle of it.

Warded. The whole facility is warded against teleportation magic. Attempting to teleport into the prison leaves a teleporting creature outside of the prison in the closest unoccupied space to their intended target.

Ceilings. The ceilings in all rooms and hallways are 10-feet-high. The ceilings include magical light sources that provide bright light to all rooms and hallways.

1. Stab-O-Lizer Loading Dock

This part of the factory complex sticks out of the rest of the building. It is the only place that allows anything to leave the prison.

The part of this area that's located inside the rest of the facility functions as a loading dock. There, Gimlen loads completed stab-o-lizers on the belt. The belt leads to the part of this area that's outside, where a magical screen allows stab-o-lizers (and only stab-o-lizers) to pass. Outside, Ribbles collects the stab-o-lizers.

2. Warehouse

Here, stab-o-lizers are neatly stacked in racks that are made especially for them. When Gimlen finishes a batch of new stab-o-lizers in area 6a, he brings them here so he can hand them off to Ribbles later.

3. Guard Sleeping Quarters

As you enter this room, the first thing you notice is the foul stench of fiends. You see beds, some personal belongings, and a table with playing cards on them here.

The yugoloths that guard the prison sleep here. The room is currently empty.

4. Study

This area serves as a study for Gimlen. There's a nice desk on one side of the room and big book cases on the other. The book cases are filled with books on all sorts of topics — anything Gimlen might be interested in. The builders of the prison made sure he would never be bored here.

A large section of the books is dedicated to gnome craftsmanship in general and the building of stab-o-lizers in particular. On the desk, a book titled "Gemini Stalled: A Thesis on the Creation of Stabilizing Machinery" lies open.

Illusion

When the characters first enter this room, an illusion of Gimlen is standing near the desk, with his back to the door. If the party knows what Gimlen looks like, they can recognize him from the doorway. The illusion doesn't respond to any external stimuli and disappears when it is touched.

5. Gimlen's Sleeping Quarters

This spacious room looks and feels much nicer than what you've seen from the prison so far. There's a big comfortable looking bed, wardrobes full of clothes and beautiful tapestries on the wall. It's an inviting space, one that almost begs you to take a rest.

This is the place where Gimlen sleeps. He has a comfortable bed and everything he needs here. This room is much nicer than most other rooms in the complex.

If the characters close the door, they should be able to safely take a short rest in here. If they attempt to take a long rest, Gimlen will eventually enter.

6. Workshops

The factory has two workshops that Gimlen uses to turn the raw material into stab-o-lizers.

6a. Assembly

Here, Gimlen assembles the rough components that make up the stab-o-lizers. The result is the finished product, ready to be shipped out.

6b. Parts

In this workshop, Gimlen takes the forged metals and other rough materials and uses them to build the components that are part of a stab-o-lizer. Important components on the bill of materials include:

  • Copper tripods
  • Golden rings
  • Iron cogs
  • Brass encasing
  • Sapphire rods
  • Ruby dice

7. Guard stations

Along the main spiral of the prison facility, there are two guard stations. The yugoloths who work in the prison mostly spend their days here. In the history of the prison, no one has ever made an attempt to get in or out. Unless given a reason, the yugoloths are not generally paying a lot of attention and make Wisdom (Perception) checks to detect intruders with disadvantage.

7a. Eastern Guard Station

This guard station is currently staffed by Organus (AH 25) and two skereloths (AH 32). Organus is bullying one of two other guards, loudly hurling insults at them.

7b. Western Guard Station

Tirikan (AH 26) and Beck (AH 26) are currently operating the western guard station. When the party approaches, they're playing with dice.

8. Component Store

This small storage room contains all the stab-o-lizer components that Gimlen makes in area 6b, ready for assembly.

9. Mess Hall

The mess hall is where both Gimlen and the guards come to have their daily meals. The guards and Gimlen are generally on good terms, as Gimlen does not realize he is a captive.

This area is always at a comfortable temperature, no matter how bad the weather outside of the prison gets. It has long tables with benches and a few smaller tables. Gimlen likes to switch up where he sits every day.

Food and Drink

Every day at dawn, enough food and drink for the occupants of the prison magically appears on the shelves in the north-east corner of the room. If the items are not removed before the next dawn, they vanish when the new ones appear.

10. Raw Storage

The ground is rough here. Around you, you see all manner of things strewn about on the floor. In one corner, you can see a stack of iron ingots, in another you see a heap of slag. Among them, you see tools, both old and new, broken and in fine condition.

This area is a general raw storage for everything that the mine produces. All processed materials (and by-products) from the forge are left here.

The south-west corner of this area has a particular property. Any item that is left there for more than a week vanishes. Once in a while, the yugoloths move all slag and waste to that corner. They have no idea why this corner works that way.

11. Forge

This area holds the production line that turns raw material from the mine into usable intermediate products.

12. Mine

The mine is where the stab-o-lizer production process starts, where Gimlen digs up raw ore to smelt in the forges. For this purpose, he has a giant mechanized drill that makes his job easier.

When the party enters this area, Gimlen is here, operating the giant drill.

Developments

If the party confronts Gimlen and tries to explain who he is and that he is trapped, he can be easily convinced of this with a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check, although he has never given the subject any thought.

However, when Gimlen is convinced by the party, the giant drill starts shaking uncontrollably. Gimlen explains that the drill will explode, taking the whole complex with it, unless the party can deactivate the mechanism. He points to the control panel on the side. Give the players the handout on the previous page. You can consider cutting out the 9 puzzle pieces so the players can manipulate the sliding block puzzle by hand.

When the puzzle is solved (see the previous page), the drill shuts down and the danger has passed.

Exiting The Prison

If the party can successfully convince Gimlen to leave with them, he loses all memory of them the moment he sets foot outside of the building. He becomes hostile to the party and will need to be calmed down and convinced all over again with another DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check.

Rewards

When they are safely away from the prison, Gimlen offers to craft a single set of magic armor for the party, a +3 chain mail. Gimlen's contribution to the burrower is the creation of superior armored plates to protect the device. Furthermore, he can give the following teamwork bonus.


The Stable. Each party member has advantage on Dexterity saving throws as long as they are within 30 feet of another party member.

William Rotor

Notable works include ...

Into Wonderland The Hourglass Desert The RougeOUTCLASSED: The NPC Statblock Compendium


Additional Credits

Teetering Imbalance

There are two reasons to come to Perdition: to bring ruin, or to be ruined. The difference is whether the yugoloths are willing to make a deal. The realm of Perdition was once a prison world, only fit for torment, until the yugoloths conquered it and made it their own, reshaping the land in their own image. And yet, for every change they made, the world teetered ever more steadily to the side, as if to tip them over the edge to oblivion.

Summary

The party is here in search of Orzeg, an arcanoloth inventor and torturer. They may be here on an assassination mission for Spectrasollus, or they may be here to rescue Karen, if she is kidnapped. The party storms Orzeg’s laboratories and fights off her wicked inventions. Orzeg offers the party a deal: she’ll spy on the yugoloths and provide the party with access to her inventions if it means they can get rid of Broken Opal and Zigazan the Boiler eventually. Thesea rescues the party from Perdition under heavy fire from yugoloth meteorships.

By the end of this adventure, the party will have ...

  • Braved the landscape of Perdition.
  • Infiltrated Orzeg's laboratory.
  • Carried out a daring rescue of a poor tortured soul.
  • Made an explosive escape.

Hook

A few potential hooks may lead the party to Perdition.


  • Revenge of the Fallen. Orzeg tortured and killed a wizard whose ghost, Spectrasollus, now seeks vengeance. He wails something about her book and demands her execution. He can lead them to Perdition.
  • Rescue Mission. For one reason or another, Karen has been discovered to be a traitor and has been taken back to Perdition to be tortured for information by Orzeg. The party launches a daring rescue mission to retrieve her.

Before setting off on their mission, the party receives the following layout of Orzeg's laboratory from Illusosollus.

Entering Perdition

As Thesea sails through the gate to Perdition, you’re hit with a thick blast of hot air on your face. Spouts of lava jet up into the black sky, then slide down the infinite slope. Thesea bucks and twists under the unusual gravity: the horizon doesn’t line up. Everything is slanted. Everything is wrong. She sets down on an island of black igneous rock, flapping her wings hard to keep from sliding down the slope. Steam and lava rise all around you. “Alright, babes, can’t bring you much closer than this. You see that big estate uphill, the one with all the gears and tubes? That’s where the bad bitch does her thinking. You got it from here. Good luck!” She leaves you on the slope and takes off before the yugoloth meteorships patrolling the skies can close in on her.

Perdition General Features


  • Slanted Ground. Gravity pulls you awkwardly to one side. All saving throws and ability checks that rely on Dexterity or Strength are made with disadvantage unless you have a way of counteracting the gravitational forces.
  • Hot and Dry. The horizon glows a dull red against an otherwise black sky. It is eternal night here, lit only by the glowing magma just beneath the crust. The entire plane is in dim light. The air is superheated thanks to wells of magma that boil up to the surface and leak down the side of the slanted plane. Taking a long or short rest is impossible for anyone who isn’t immune or resistant to fire or adapted to hot climates and doesn’t have a way of cooling off.
  • Orbital Bombardment. Meteors occasionally rain down, each about 40 feet by 40 feet wide of solid rock. These meteors slam into the ground every 3d10 minutes, and it’s very obvious where the next one will hit. If you stand under a meteor when it lands, it deals 20d6 fire damage and 20d6 bludgeoning damage in a massive explosion of lava, shrapnel, and superheated air. Yugoloths sometimes ensnare these meteors mid-flight, hollow them out, and transform them into meteorships that they use to patrol Perdition and explore The Reef. Orzeg's laboratory wards off the meteors with a massive laser cannon formed from superheated mirrors which melt the meteors into goop before they can land.
  • Yugoloth Homeworld. If a yugoloth is killed on Perdition, their death is permanent. They are all aware of this fact and therefore avoid conflict.

Broken Opal has assigned six skereloths (AH 32) to watch over Orzeg and patrol the terrain around her laboratory. They're not guarding against intruders, but guarding against Orzeg. Distrustful of the skereloths, Orzeg has constructed fiendish automatons, called vinchies (AH 45), to do the job of defending her fortress more effectively. The skereloths hate the vinchies.

You come across a camp of yugoloths. Less out of necessity and more for general comfort, six skereloths sit around a magical freezing lodestone like how humans would sit around a fire during winter. They cool their red-hot metal tridents. Just as you start to plan your approach, you hear a horrible clanking, and from around a corner three horrific clockwork monstrosities approach the camp. The skereloths bristle with distaste, but let the machines come closer anyway. Once clad in suits of armor, these skeletal machines strain with every movement, barely held together. Bits of them have melted from the extreme heat, but they persist, perhaps out of sheer stubbornness.

Anyone who can understand Infernal hears the conversation below.

The Skereloths and The Vinchies

"Get outta hear, belchers! Ain't your master take care of you? The hell you rattlin' around for?"

The vinchies respond only with "Protocol seven. Please report." Their voices are like dried grass.

"Protocol what? Get out of here."

"Unable to parse. Insufficient data. You have three attempts remaining. Please report."

"Stupid machines. Nothing here! Ain't nothing been here for fifty stinking days!"

"Acknowledged. Generating report for Orzeg. Thank you for your compliance."

The vinchies leave once their conversation with the skereloths has concluded, heading in the direction of Orzeg's laboratory.

If the party attacks before the vinchies leave, the skereloths will simply teleport away, abandoning the vinchies. They'll report to Broken Opal directly and won't bother to inform Orzeg of the intruders. If the skereloths get away, two extra meteorships (AH 51) arrive at the end of the adventure (AH 153) with a skeleton crew of three skereloths (AH 32) each.

Approaching Orzeg's laboratory without being noticed by the various vinchies and mezzoloths requires three DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) checks, made with disadvantage due to the uneven terrain. If spotted, the party will either face down 1d4+1 skereloths (AH 32) which will attempt to escape to inform Broken Opal, or 2d6+2 vinchies (AH 45) which will attempt to escape to warn Orzeg. If a vinchy gets away, Orzeg becomes aware of the intruders, making her traps more dangerous later in this heist.










































Orzeg's Laboratory

Wires like spiderwebs streak from the ground to the black spires, arcs of lightning racing between them. Toxic gas billows from the smokestacks, blackening the sky. From the many factory floors swarm legions of vinchies, armored automatons in service of their dark engineer, Orzeg. As you approach, you're blinded by the blast of a laser cannon, melting a meteor into superheated goop mid-flight before it can hit the laboratory.

Outside the Laboratory

There are two entrances to the laboratory: the main double doors and the factory floor.

































Double Doors Entrance

The massive double doors are indulgently grand. They are blocked by a 20-foot moat of churning lava (DMG 249) with a metal drawbridge that glows red-hot, dealing 1d4 fire damage for every 5 feet of movement spent to cross it. The melted corpses of vinchies, themselves red-hot from the heat, have fused to the drawbridge. Living vinchies still cross it; they usually make it across, but not without taking 12 (4d4 + 4d6 halved with absorb elements) damage in the process.

The drawbridge lowers each hour to let through 1d6 vinchy (AH 45) servants which bring various metals and other elements to add to Orzeg's alchemy collection. The controls are operated from within by a vinchy (AH 45) who watches from an arrow slit to make sure only vinchies, Orzeg, or anyone accompanying Orzeg can make it through. It can be fooled fairly easily with illusions (-1 on checks to see through illusions) or disguises (-1 on checks to identify disguises).

The double doors lead to the main hall.

Factory Floor Entrance

The factory floor spits out one vinchy (AH 45) every hour, depositing them out onto Perdition's hot earth via conveyer belt. The conveyer belt moves a creature 30 feet per round away from the interior, but can be reversed with a successful DC 20 Intelligence check. The conveyer belt leads through a black tunnel that originates on the factory floor inside the laboratory.














































Main Hall

  • Gothic architecture
  • Glorious glass chandelier
  • Double stairway leading up to the hall to the torture chamber; secured with arcane lock (see Torture Chamber)
  • 4 treasure chests on display, unlocked, three with a CR 1-4 Treasure Hoard (DMG 133-136) and one being a mimic (MM 220)
  • Personal effects stolen from victims displayed in glass cases: dozens of mundane swords, helmets, shields, and spears, plus 12 trinkets (PHB 160-161)
  • Second time the party enters the hall, a pascorpticon (AH 46) arrives via elevator under the floor and immediately animates the objects in the display to attack the party
  • If Orzeg is warned: the pascorpticon is already waiting

















































Factory Floor

  • Belching pipes, spinning gears, churning conveyer belts
  • Robotic arms twitching and picking and grasping
  • A vinchy is being assembled; DC 20 Intelligence check to program it to fight for the party; artificers have advantage
  • 4d6 vinchies (AH 45) fight the party while 1d6 vinchies (AH 45) attempt to escape to warn Orzeg
  • The factory can be shut down by dealing 50 damage to the machines (AC 15, resistance to slashing and piercing)
  • If Orzeg is warned: the omnipresent robot arms attack everyone on initiative count 20: DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to avoid 7 (2d6) slashing damage

Alchemy Workshop

  • Bubbling concoctions, boiling cauldrons
  • Prototypes of strange devices are scattered around, most seemingly useless or non-functional
  • Blueprints for terrible machines line the walls: stealing them and spending a week of effort to improve Thesea and/or the Burrower using the blueprints grants the vehicle an extra 50 hit points
  • A half finished weapon lies on a work bench, a laser rifle (DMG 268) similar to the big laser cannon on the spire; requires a DC 20 Intelligence check to finish; artificers have advantage on this check; on a failed check, it explodes, dealing 14 (4d6) fire damage to everyone who fails a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw
  • 5 potions, DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check to identify each: potion of climbing (DMG 187), potion of fire breath (DMG 187), potion of fire resistance (DMG 188), potion of invisibility (DMG 188), and potion of greater healing (DMG 187)
  • 4 vinchies (AH 45) clean the workshop and attack the party on sight; one will attempt to escape to warn Orzeg, potentially drinking the potion of invisibility to sneak away
  • Three notes can be found with Intelligence (Investigation) checks to carefully search the Workshop; see the Orzeg's Notes sidebar: result of check determines how many of the notes are found, e.g. result of 20 reveals all three notes
  • The workshop can be rendered unusable by dealing 50 damage to the various prototypes lying around (AC 10, resistance to slashing and piercing)
  • All throughout the workshop, incessant whispering can be heard: after each minute spent in the workshop, every party member must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or fall under long-term madness (DMG 258-259)
  • Dealing any damage to any vinchy or prototype activates the workshop's traps; see the Orzeg's Traps sidebar
  • If Orzeg is warned: the traps are ready to go immediately

Orzeg's Traps

Orzeg has laid traps for anyone who messes around too much in her alchemy workshop. These traps activate as part of initiative, as per the initiative counts below.


  • 20: Jets of fire blast from vents, which are exhaust from the laser cannon (they don't function if it's been disabled). Each creature must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) fire damage. There are two vents which can be covered up with an action; the damage is reduced by 1d6 for each vent covered. Vinchies can use their action to uncover a vent.
  • 10: Hidden elevators built into the floors deposit a fresh vinchy (AH 45) into an empty space in the room. There are four vinchies available to be deposited in total. The elevators can be discovered by taking an action to make a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check and then plugged up with another action; only one action is required to plug all elevators.

Orzeg's Notes

Note 1: DC 10

put up blueprints to improve resilience of meteorships and maybe other voidships -- hull strengthening, take more hits -- yet to test

Note 2: DC 15

vinchy came out wrong, doesn't follow orders -- need further study, keeping it in torture chamber -- must be a bug in its programming

Note 3: DC 20

disobedient vinchy keeps insisting it has a soul -- found a strange marking, like a closed "S" branded into its metal plates, never put there myself -- could it be another reincarnation of Sollus? how lucky would that be, easiest million gp I ever made

Laser Cannon Control

  • Enormous hulking laser cannon that glows red hot with energy, drawing power from the lightning rods connected to the black spires of the laboratory
  • Plated metal dome that swivels and adjusts swiftly to aim the laser cannon in various directions
  • Complex arcane computing device that triangulates positions of meteors; DC 15 Intelligence check to disable the device and prevent the cannon from aiming properly; see Cannon Disabled sidebar
  • The cannon and its computing device can be destroyed by dealing 150 damage (AC 20, resistance to slashing and piercing); see Cannon Disabled sidebar
  • 8 vinchies maintain the area and attack the party on sight; 2 attempt to escape to warn Orzeg
  • If Orzeg is warned: 16 vinchies instead of 8 and DC 25 to disable the arcane computing device

Cannon Disabled

Every 1d10 minutes, a meteor smashes into the laboratory.

Every creature must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone. On a successful save, it takes half damage and isn't knocked prone.


  • First Strike. The laboratory holds up for now.
  • Second Strike. The entrance to the laboratory collapses, becoming impassable.
  • Third Strike. The factory floor is destroyed. The laboratory is dangerously close to destruction.
  • Fourth Strike. The workshop is destroyed. One more hit will destroy the laboratory entirely.
  • Fifth Strike. The laboratory is destroyed, killing everyone inside in a massive explosion.

Torture Chamber

To get into the torture chamber, the party must get past the locked door.

  • A sign is on the door: "torture in progress do not disturb"
  • The door is secured with arcane lock, setting the DC to pick the lock or break down the door to be 30
  • The spell knock can suspend the arcane lock for 10 minutes, but alerts Orzeg and the vinchies of the party's presence
  • Orzeg is clever and has hidden a glyph of warding (DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Arcana) to spot) that activates upon casting of dispel magic: it activates fireball with a save DC of 15 centered on the caster, which also alerts Orzeg and the vinchies of the party's presence
  • Every hour, if the party is undiscovered, a vinchy delivers a potion of greater healing (DMG 187) to Orzeg; the vinchy gets past the arcane lock with the codeword "Vetruvian"

Once the party gets past the door, they can enter the torture chamber. It twists and curves back in on itself in a labyrinthine tour of Orzeg's depravity. There is more up ahead, but along the way the party encounters various torturous instruments. No sign of life.

  • Brightly lit with cold fluorescent bulbs
  • Sterile white walls and metal walkways
  • Complex instruments of torture: a stretching rack, an iron maiden, several tonnes of chains and manacles, and various knives, pokers, and red-hot metal brands
  • 5 potions, DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check to identify each: 2 poison vials (PHB 153), a potion of healing (DMG 187), and 2 potions that force the drinker to fall under the effects of zone of truth for 10 minutes
  • All throughout the torture chamber, incessant whispering can be heard: after each minute spent in the torture chamber, every party member must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or fall under long-term madness (DMG 258-259)

Continuing on to the main area of the chamber, the party finds Orzeg in the midst of her interrogations.

Orzeg delicately plucks out the eye of a machine you recognise to be a modron, very similar in appearance to Pythagoras from the Reef. The tridrone releases several jets of steam and squeals in pain. She places the mechanical eye in a kidney dish (the third such eye removed) and turns to face you. Her head is that of a cunning fox, and squeezed tight under her armpit is a book bound in red flesh, the source of that horrible whispering you've heard in your minds.

"I was hoping you would come along," says Orzeg. "I'm glad you made it. Had to make it difficult for you to avoid suspicion. The truth is, I've been looking for a way to destroy Broken Opal for quite some time. If that means helping you rescue the various reincarnations of Sollus, so be it."

Inside of the room is ...

  • Orzeg, clutching her dark book of red flesh
  • The tridrone (MM 225), permanently blinded
  • A vinchy (AH 45), not hostile, bound in chains despite being one of Orzeg's own creations
  • Depending on the party's adventure thus far, Karen and/or Penny Featherlight, restrained but unharmed

Additionally, if Orzeg was alerted to the party's presence beforehand, she'll have 10 (3d6) vinchies (AH 45) in the room with her for extra protection, though they won't attack the party unless the party attacks first. The chained-up vinchy looks at the others with a mixture of pity, anger, and disdain.

Orzeg offers to join forces with the party. She hates Broken Opal, she's bored to tears with the banality of her job as a torturer, and anything that would humiliate her yugoloth superiors is desirable to her. Also, if she can get out of this job and just focus on making vinchies all day, she can cut out any risk to yugoloth lives by just sending in her legions to do all the work. She therefore wishes to assist the party in gathering the rest of the reincarnations of Sollus.

Orzeg's Explanations

If asked about her prisoners, Orzeg can give the party the following information. Any Wisdom (Insight) check reveals she is telling the truth, and she'll happy drink one of those truth potions as well, just to prove a point.


  • The Tridrone. "Last modron alive after Broken Opal blew up one of their conveyer voidships. It doesn't seem to have a sense of individuality, just like my vinchies. Tried to give it a new purpose, but it's axiomatic. Nothing works. So, I've been taking it apart and using it to improve the designs of my vinchies. Feel no more pity for this thing than you would for a termite."
  • The Vinchy. "Part of the reason I persisted for so long with that modron was because of this vinchy right here, which proves that the capacity for individuality exists even in a construct. This vinchy doesn't obey me like the others. It claims it has a soul. Perhaps it's the same soul that you all share. Perhaps it's another version of Sollus! I get paid a cool million for each one I capture, so that's perfect. You may call him Leonardo if you wish. I must keep him chained up, unfortunately, as he has threatened to kill me many times." Leonardo himself refuses to speak on the matter.
  • Karen. "Never gave me the chance to offer myself up as a co-conspirator. Oh well, it worked out anyway. We both share a hatred for Broken Opal. Such a shame we never connected until Karen was placed right in my lap. What an opportunity for disobedience! I am very excited." Karen isn't so excited about teaming up with Orzeg, but she begrudgingly agrees that having two traitors is better than one, and she believes that Orzeg, at the bare minimum, is telling the truth.
  • The Book of Red Flesh. "Oh, don't say such nasty things about him. He's such a good boy."

If her offer is taken, she grants the party the following benefits.

  • A contract that binds her to her word, ensuring her unconditional loyalty to the party
  • In all future fights with yugoloths under Broken Opal's command, the yugoloths will have disadvantage on all attack rolls made against party members
  • 20 vinchies will be created to act as loyal manservants for the party in The Reef; these vinchies will be programmed only to obey the party and will not respond to commands from anyone else, not even Orzeg herself

If Orzeg's laboratory ends up destroyed as a result of the party's actions, she laughs it off. "I've got a better lab in my secret demiplane. I'll be fine."

Fighting Orzeg

If her offer isn't taken, Orzeg will express regret at the missed opportunity, then her book will whisper dark thoughts in her ear and she'll attack the party. She is an arcanaloth (MM 313) and her spellbook, The Book of Red Flesh, is a mimic (MM 220). She will never use her action to attempt to summon another yugoloth, as she prefers to work alone.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Orzeg takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; Orzeg can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row.


  • Corruptive Whispers. The Book of Red Flesh whispers a corrupting phrase. Each creature must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or fall under a short-term madness effect (DMG 258-259).
  • Pain. One creature of Orzeg's choice becomes afflicted with crippling pain if it has 100 hit points or fewer and isn't immune to being charmed. The affliction lasts until the end of its next turn, and while afflicted, the target's speed can't be higher than 10 feet, it has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and all saving throws except Constitution, and if it tries to cast a spell, it must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or the spell is wasted.

A party member can use their action to attempt to free one of Orzeg's prisoners, requiring a DC 25 Strength check to break the chains or a DC 15 Dexterity (Thieves' Tools) check to pick the lock. The prisoner is under the effects of Orzeg's Pain lair action until Orzeg is dead or she chooses to release them.

Leonardo can free himself with his secret wand of binding (DMG 209) if the party promises to protect him from Orzeg.

Leonardo

Leonardo is a reincarnation of Sollus. Rescuing him provides the following benefits to the party.

Magic Item

Leonardo secretly has a wand of binding (DMG 209) he was going to use to escape when the opportunity arose. He created it himself based off of designs and materials he stole from Orzeg before she became aware of his individuality.

Burrower Bonus

If Leonardo is given the opportunity to work on the Burrower, he outfits it with dozens of poison stingers like the ones used by Orzeg's pascorpticon, which can also function similar to cellular celia for movement. The poison stingers have a reach of 20 feet, an attack bonus of +10, and deal 7 (2d6) piercing damage and 7 (2d6) poison damage on a hit.

Teamwork Bonus

The Escape Artist. While in physical contact with another party member, each party member is under the effects of the spell freedom of movement.

Escape from Perdition

After making a deal with Orzeg (she stays on Perdition to avoid suspicion) or killing Orzeg, the laboratory is slammed by a meteor. However, this isn't the same type of meteor that has been falling from the skies: this is a yugoloth meteorship. It blows a hole right in the side of the laboratory.

The meteorship is a wreckage now, having broken apart after slamming into the laboratory and blowing a hole right through the spire where you're standing. A hot blast of wind ruffles your hair; you're high up above the ground, and staring out at the slanted horizon makes you feel dizzy and unbalanced.

From the crashed meteorship, four mezzoloths crawl out. As soon as they spot you, they yelp in fright and teleport away.

Thesea, your loyal voidship, sidles up next to the gaping hole in the wall, her massive sails billowing from the hot air. "Well hello there, if you aren't the hottest batch of adventurers ever to pop out of the oven! Hop on quick, cause these rowdy boys ain't falling for the same trick twice -- wait -- hold on --"

She swoops low, spins, and rolls back to her position just in time to avoid a second meteorship smashing into the spire next to the first one. The spire starts to teeter. More mezzoloths skitter out of the wreckage and teleport away.

"Well, fool them twice, shame on them! Don't keep a girl waiting, let's go!"

The party escapes Perdition on Thesea's back, who still needs a bit of time to recharge her gate spell. Thesea is pursued by a meteorship (AH 51) crewed by three skereloths (AH 32), plus two more identical meteorships if Broken Opal was earlier alerted to the party's presence on Perdition.

Once the meteorships are destroyed or Thesea is far enough away that the threat is removed, she uses gate to get back to The Reef, safe and sound.

Anonymous


Additional Credits

The Crimson Terror of Yenneth

Hidden well in the perilous mountains at the heart of Yenneth bides the ancient dragon Gauss. Though Yenneth is filled to the brim with heroes who wish to test their mettle, he lies undefeated in his lair. Occasionally, offerings are brought to him, and deals are made, but Gauss is a dragon who revels in his loneliness. Only the promise of riches beyond imagining has enthralled him to the service of the Opalescents. Just a few months, they say. A few months of tolerating the yugoloths and their prisoner.

Adventure Background

What Karen Knows

"Simple as can be. This assignment is in Yenneth, Realm of Great Heroes and Greater Villains. Gauss the red dragon has been given a princess to guard for the time being, her and a few nobodies from her court like the jester and her maids. Broken Opal has assigned a nycaloth on duty, the mad Queen Ursula McVale. Ursula has ranted and raved about the unfairness of her assignment. 'Broken Opal just wants me to suffer through reminders of what I've lost!' she's shrieked. And in fairness, that old bitch Ursula was once a queen. Making her guard a princess is no doubt a power play by Broken Opal, but Ursula should know better than to complain. It shows weakness. That's probably why Broken Opal herself is there -- aside from chess with the red dragon, I think she just wants to gloat. Oh, and we can't forget the freakish little thing called Kegnoth who patrols through the tight crawlspaces. I think there are a few burrowing skereloths in there as well. They share a kindred spirit with the kobolds."

What Illusosollus Knows

Yenneth: BEST KNOWN FOR THE 'EARTHBERGS' FLOATING THROUGH THE GREAT RIVER AND FOR
THE OPPORTUNITY FOR LEGENDARY HEROES TO
FACE LEGENDARY MONSTERS.

Gauss the Dragon: ALSO KNOWN AS THE
CRIMSON TERROR OF YENNETH, GAUSS IS A
RED DRAGON OF AGE 2,403. HE EMPLOYS
KOBOLDS IN HIS MOUNTAIN LAIR.

Kobolds: KOBOLDS ARE KNOWN FOR LAYING
TRAPS. THEY ARE ALSO KNOWN FOR EMPLOYING
TACTICAL POSITIONING IN COMBAT. THEY
OFTEN SERVE POWERFUL DRAGONS. KOBOLDS
USE SLINGS AND DAGGERS AS WEAPONS,
THOUGH MANY DRAGONS OUTFIT THEIR KOBOLDS
WITH MORE POWERFUL WEAPONS. SOME KOBOLDS
ARE BORN WITH WINGS OR SPELLCASTING
CAPABILITIES. THEY DESPISE THE LIGHT.

Sollus Reincarnation

The database in The Reef tells the party the following information about the Sollus reincarnation they must rescue.


  • Name. Ynthriss
  • Race. Dragonborn (Red)
  • Age. 29
  • Gender. Female
  • Languages. Common, Draconic
  • Tattoo of the Knotted Snake. Thumb on the right hand
  • Statblock. AH 44

The party does not yet know the following information.


  • Appearance. Ynthriss is a deceptively nimble dragonborn with brilliant crimson scales. Her horns are pierced with royal amethyst rings, a gift from the king. She wears a puffy harlequin jester's uniform that has now been dulled and ripped.
  • Profession. Ynthriss is a jester.
  • Self-Perception. I have not yet awakened to the knowledge of my true self, Sollus Ipsus the Many.
  • Voice. Melodic. "Sing sweet songs of sleep, my dear, you slumber slow and deep. Sing sweet songs of rest, my dear, sleep deep at my behest."
  • Personality. I'm implacable. I make the best of my situation.
  • Ideal. Control. What I like best about my profession is being able to control the emotions of even the most powerful kings and queens.
  • Bond. My princess was eaten by Gauss, my kidnapper. I have to set aside my terror for now: my best chance of escape is to seduce him.
  • Flaw. As long as I make it out with an interesting story, I don't mind who gets hurt, as long as it's not me.
Backstory

Ynthriss was a court jester for a beautiful human princess, Lady Dine of Gonerley. One day, while riding in the royal carriage, yugoloths attacked and kidnapped Lady Dine and her entourage, including Ynthriss. The knights were slain by the yugoloths immediately.

The yugoloths brought them all to the domain of the red dragon Gauss, where the maid was quickly sacrificed to the dragon as a show of good faith. Gauss worked out a deal with the yugoloths and agreed to watch over Ynthriss and Lady Dine.

Gauss had his kobolds set out a beautiful dinner for the two women, and had them join him in his treasure hoard, displaying his wealth to them as a show of power. Lady Dine attempted to negotiate with the dragon: if she were to be kept alive, her father would send courtiers to offer immense wealth for her release. Gauss promptly ate her.

By the time the party arrives, Ynthriss has been entertaining Gauss for several months. She is hoping to seduce him so she can gain his trust and escape. Heroes in Yenneth seeking glory have reported a beautiful voice emanating from Gauss' cave, and having experience with sirens and banshees, they've all wisely stayed away.

Entering Yenneth

Thesea crashes down into a white water rapid and slams into the far bank. The water smashes into her side and spins her until she's being carted downstream. Before she can free herself, she's launched off the edge of an infinite waterfall and is sent tumbling down through the endless sky. She manages to right herself and regain control just before she hits a floating disk of earth -- a disk that must be hundreds of miles in every direction, for an enormous mountain rises up from its center. The mountain belches black smoke from its peak, and sinister red clouds gather. "This must be the Mountain of the Crimson Terror!" shouts Thesea, and even in your mind it is difficult to hear her voice over the wind. "I'm dropping you lot off here. I'd try to get you closer, but the clap of my thick sails would alert the guards. Kisses!" With that, she's gone.

The Earthberg

The party must cross the earthberg to reach the mountain.

Queen Ursula McVale (AH 25) patrols the skies, instantly detecting anyone who attempts to fly to the peak; there is no opportunity to hide while flying without invisibility. If she spots someone, she will approach, but won't attack outright unless it's clear the party isn't going to offer her anything nice. If attacked, she will teleport into the mountain to alert Broken Opal and Gauss.

A stealthier approach is by land, where plenty of volcanic rock, molten rivers, and foxholes provide cover. Unknown to the party, much of the terrain here is patrolled underground by burrowing skereloths (AH 32), who send information back to Queen Ursula McVale through a relay of telepathy. This means Ursula's passive Perception is 19, but there is a 12-second (2-round) delay before she receives the information she needs to find the party. Ursula will swarm the party with 8 skereloths (AH 32) before teleporting back to the mountain to raise the alarm.

The distance to the mountain is 2,000 feet. At 1,000 feet, it becomes clear that the entrance to the mountain is quite close to the top.

The Climb

The entrance to the mountain is near the top, about 1,000 feet high. Jagged precipices and craggy outcrops provide a tough but manageable climb. The conditions for remaining stealthy are otherwise the same as they are on the ground. If Ursula has a grudge against a particular party member, she may try to throw them off the mountain before teleporting inside to raise the alarm.

For every 300 feet climbed, a party member must succeed on DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take a level of exhaustion. The use of climbing gear such as ropes and pitons grants a character advantage on this save.

The Entrance

Heaving with effort, you finally make it to the top where a huge black entrance looms before you. It seems as though the mountain is bigger on the inside than the outside, like that darkness could eat you up and swallow you whole. you don't know how the dragon Gauss is able to enter or exit this place, for compared to the size of an ancient dragon, the opening seems rather small.

You hear a voice from within: "Sing sweet songs of rest ..."

The entrance to the lair appears unguarded, but a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals a web of fine tripwires strewn across the entire opening. There is a gap in the tripwires near the bottom where characters can safely crawl through, an easy feat for a kobold.

If the wires are tripped, everyone in the party must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be blasted with jets of flame, taking 28 (8d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The tripwires also set off an alarm that alerts everyone in the lair.

The Lair

If the party has alerted the denizens of the lair to their presence, the passive Perception of all hostile creatures is increased by 5.

General Features

The following features of the lair are omnipresent.

Dark. It's pitch black. The kobolds and yugoloths rely on their darkvision to see.

Loud. The banging of metal on metal in the forges, the screaming of kobolds, and the deep roar of a terrible creature in the depths make the atmosphere oppressive and frightening.

Hot. It's boiling in here, only comfortable for those who are resistant or immune to fire damage. Everyone else must drink water every 10 minutes or cool themselves off in some other way. If they can't, they must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution check to avoid incurring a level of exhuastion.

Claustrophobia. Party members of size Medium or larger must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target becomes claustrophobic until they return to The Reef. While claustrophobic and in tight spaces (less than 10 feet wall to wall), their movement speed is halved and their attack rolls are made with disadvantage. The spell heroism ends the effect, as well as any spell or ability that cures the frightened condition.

Burrowing Ambushes. If the party deliberates on a decision for too long, 1d4 skereloths (AH 32) burrow out from the walls and attack. If the lair has been alerted to the party's presence, this is an ambush (anyone with a passive Perception lower than 13 is surprised). Otherwise, the skereloths are as shocked as the party to be there.

Fork in the Lair

As the party ventures deeper into the lair, they come to a fork in the path. Both paths are narrow, claustrophic, oppressive. The left path sounds like something spinning, or digging, like a machine. The right path sounds like draconic screeching.

The Left Path

Once the party has made significant headway through the claustrophobic tunnels, they hear a strange whirring noise coming from up ahead.

The whirring grows louder and louder until it's nearly unbearable, approaching faster than you thought. There, at the edge of your vision, you see it: a scaly, nightmarish creature with five arms whipping like fan-blades around its torso. The fiend's skull is so thick that it pushes through the skin and scales on its scalp. It spots you and charges, galloping on its three scaly insectoid legs at a frightening pace.

Kegnoth (AH 26), the dhergoloth, attacks the party in the narrow tunnel. She is determined enough to attack them until she is dead, never giving up. If combat takes longer than 2 rounds, or if a significant amount of noise is made, the lair is alerted before the party moves on.




























The Right Path

The party enters the kobold warrens and travels for some time before they find the source of the screeching.

Not Alerted

The party comes across a group of 2d8 kobolds (MM 195) roasting a boar to eat. Anyone who speaks Draconic can hear them bickering over whether the boar has enough meat on its bones to feed them all. The way forward is totally blocked by the kobolds, and their argument won't end any time soon. And the party can hear something else burrowing behind them, inching ever closer ...

The party must find a way to distract, stun, or slaughter the kobolds quickly. If they take too long, 1d4 skereloths (AH 32) burrow into the room and join the fight. Any survivors of the fight alert the rest of the lair of the intruders.

The lair is also alerted if evidence of the party's presence (such as dead kobolds) are left lying around for the skereloths to find.

Alerted

The party comes across an empty room that seems to be a dining area for the kobolds. A skewered hog is still hanging on a spit, freshly cooked, steaming hot.

2d8 kobolds (MM 195) have quickly set up a trap for the party. They've hidden in alcoves in the walls. As soon as the party is in the center of the room, they attack; anyone with a passive Perception lower than 12 is surprised. 1d4 skereloths (AH 32) burrow up from underground and join the fight as well.




























Second Fork in the Lair

The party comes across another fork. To the right, they can hear the sounds of the path they did not take the first time (e.g. if they took the right path, they now hear the strange whirring of the left path). The new path sounds like the roar of a terrible monster, and it burns with heat, even more so than usual for this lair.

The New Path

The heat here is more oppressive than usual. A gust of hot wind blasts through the tunnel. Everyone must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take 1d4 fire damage.

As they press on, they enter a chamber that is blissfully spacious. In the middle of the chamber is a great stone archway with runes that appear to be written in Draconic. It's slightly too far away to make out the runes, even with darkvision.

A tripwire is placed across the entrance to the chamber; anyone who steps closer to read the runes will trip it unless they spot it with a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check. Anyone with a passive Perception of 17 or higher notices the tripwire immediately. If the wire is tripped, the runes activate and explode. Everyone must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This also alerts the lair of the party's presence.

The runes are written in Draconic and say "In Case of Intruders, Break Wire".

Alerted

If the party had already alerted the lair before entering the room, 1d8 kobolds (MM 195) wait in alcoves to ambush the party. Party members with a passive Perception of less than 12 are surprised.

Gauss' Door

Finally, the party reaches a dead end of the claustrophobic warrens. At this dead end is a stone door with four symbols of dragon scales chiseled into it. If the party relies solely on darkvision to see, these scales look identical in every way. If the party uses lights, they can see that each symbol is painted a different colour: silver (first), white (second), gold (third), and red (fourth).

Instructions are written on the door in Draconic: "May the most glorious scale bear entry."

To open the door, the party must present a scale of their own (or one taken from a kobold or yugoloth, or a fake scale) and place it upon fourth symbol on the door, the red scale.

If the party places the symbol on the wrong scale, the scale explodes violently. Everyone must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This also alerts the lair of the party's presence.

If the party takes too long with the puzzle, 1d4 skereloths (AH 32) show up.

Alerted

If the party had already alerted the lair to their presence before arriving here, the following trap has also been placed by kobolds.

When the door opens, a small jet of flame erupts. Anyone within 5 feet of the door must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) fire damage.

Gauss' Treasure Room

Not Alerted

The warm red glow of rivers of molten rock comes as a pleasant surprise as you enter the central chamber of the mountain. You stand upon a peninsula overlooking the vast chamber, and from your high perch, you can see more treasure than you thought could have ever existed in the multiverse. The gold glitters and dazzles. Your heart soars with the thought of all you could do with such riches.

You hear Ynthriss before you see her.

"Sing sweet songs of sleep, my dear, you slumber slow and deep. Sing sweet songs of rest, my dear, sleep deep at my behest ... no, that's not right ... sing sweet songs of ... hmm."

Her voice is entrancing, and every note is carried by the strum of a beautiful harp. You follow her voice to see her lying on a hammock strung between two golden statues of gods. She seems relaxed.


Oddly enough, you do not see a dragon. However, two beings, a man and a woman, sit on opposite thrones. They are playing chess with pieces of fine silver. You don't recognise the man, but the woman is a yugoloth, an ultroloth. On her forehead is the tattoo of the black queen. Broken Opal.

The man is Gauss in human form, a stern old commoner (MM 345) with sharp, angry features. He has polymorphed himself into a commoner, so his commoner form shares his Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma ability scores, and if he is reduced to 0 hit points, he will instantly transform back into his dragon form.

The party has the opportunity to take a stealthy approach.

They first need a way to safely get down from the peninsula (it's a 100-foot drop).

Once down, the party may take the time to collect gold and other treasures. A character can take an action to grab as much treasure as they can find, rolling on the Challenge 5-10 Treasure Hoard table for what they can grab. If they choose to do so, however, they must make a new Dexterity (Stealth) check with disadvantage.

Assuming they make it to Ynthriss, they must convince her to come with them. She explains her plan to seduce Gauss. The party must come up with at least two flaws in her plan. A few examples are listed below.

  • Gauss may actually be less likely to let Ynthriss leave if he is in love with her.
  • Gauss is a big ugly murderous dragon and seducing him is morally inexcusable.
  • The yugoloths are also preventing her escape, and Ynthriss can't seduce all of them, too.
  • Ynthriss has rescuers right here in front of her. No need to make it more complicated than it has to be.

If they can poke holes in her plan, all they need is a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check to convince her to come along. On a failed check, she alerts Ynthriss and Broken Opal to the party's presence.

Alerted

The warm red glow of rivers of molten rock comes as a pleasant surprise as you enter the central chamber of the mountain. You stand upon a peninsula overlooking the vast chamber, and from your high perch, you can see more treasure than you thought could have ever existed in the multiverse. The gold glitters and dazzles. Your heart soars with the thought of all you could do with such riches.

But before you can survey the room, you come face to face with the great red dragon Gauss, who stares deep into your souls. You can almost feel the sheer gravity of his size pulling you in. Smoke billows from his nostrils, but instead of incinerating you, he smashes his claws onto the peninsula and sends you tumbling down into the treasure trove.

He goes to swallow you all up, but a red dragonborn stands before him. Ynthriss. "No!" she says. "Don't eat them like you did to Lady Dine!"

"And why shouldn't I?" huffs Gauss. His voice is like an earthquake in your bones.

"Because," says Ynthriss. "It would make me like you less."

Escape

You can mix and match elements of the "Not Alerted" and "Alerted" section of Gauss' Treasure Room depending on how your party handles the encounter with Ynthriss and the dragon.

In either case, at some point the party must grab Ynthriss and make a run for it.

If Gauss has been alerted at any point, he immediately descends on the party. Otherwise, the party gets a head start.

The party must run back through each room they passed through on their way to collect Ynthriss, in opposite order. A new challenge awaits in each room.

Gauss' Treasure Room

The party must somehow climb the 100 feet back up to the peninsula with Ynthriss in tow.

Not Alerted

The party hears Gauss calling innocently for Ynthriss to play him a song. Broken Opal tells him to concentrate on their game, but he gets up and starts looking for her.

Alerted

Broken Opal (AH 25) casts mass suggestion to try to get the party to leave Ynthriss behind. If that doesn't work, she casts fire storm to block their way. She's trying to slow them down so that they will have to face Gauss directly.

If the party can't get out of the treasure chamber within 2 rounds, Gauss, an ancient red dragon (MM 97), joins initiative.

Gauss' Door

The party must pass through the stone door, still open from earlier.

Not Alerted

1d4 kobolds (MM 195) have wandered into the area since the party was last here. They're just trying to figure out how the door got open when the party runs up to them. They shriek and grab for their weapons; they'll attempt to slow the party down, and they'll shriek for Gauss.

Regardless, Gauss has realized that Ynthriss is gone by this point and has transformed back into his full dragon strength. He begins his chase.

Alerted

1d4 kobolds (MM 195) wait to ambush the party from behind the doors. A party member with a passive Perception lower than 12 is surprised.

On initiative count 1, a jet of flame erupts from the treasure room behind the party. Everyone must make a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw, taking 91 (26d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The kobolds are instantly cooked.

The New Path

A blissfully spacious chamber with a stone archway in the middle. Plenty of room to stretch out and run from the angry dragon.

Not Alerted

Each party member must explicitly declare that they are avoiding the tripwire left in this room, otherwise they trigger the explosion from the runes of the stone archway.

Alerted

The kobolds have reset this trap if it's already been triggered. The party members must explicitly declare that they are avoiding where the trip wire used to be.

Additionally, 1d6 kobolds (MM 195) attempt to ambush the party. A party member with a passive Perception lower than 12 is surprised.

Gauss

Gauss lets loose a mighty roar that reverberates throughout the entire chamber. Everyone must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of Gauss for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Gauss' Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.

While frightened in this way, a creature's movement speed is halved.

The Right Path

This is where the kobolds had set out their dinner of roast boar.

Not Alerted

The group of kobolds from before is still here in the same state they were when the party left them.

Alerted

The kobolds have vacated the area and placed more tripwire traps. Anyone with a passive Perception of 17 or higher notices the wire. If nobody notices it, someone trips it and the room is engulfed in an explosion. Everyone must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Gauss

Gauss flaps his mighty wings, sending gusts of hot air throughout the entire lair. Everyone must succeed on a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw or take 17 (2d6 + 10) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. Then, 1d4 skereloths (AH 32) erupt from the floor and attack.

The Left Path

These are the narrow tunnels where the deranged dhergoloth was fought.

Gauss

If the party has spent more than 3 rounds in combat instead of running away, Gauss has had the chance to recharge his fire breath. Everyone must make a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw, taking 91 (26d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Otherwise, Gauss impotently roars from much deeper in the lair. He is too big to escape himself.

The Entrance

At the entrance, any surviving yugoloths face off against the party in a last ditch effort to stop them. Broken Opal (AH 25) directs the battle from afar while Queen Ursula McVale (AH 25) fights in close quarters. If Kegnoth (AH 26) is somehow still alive, she attacks the party from behind.

The Mountain of the Crimson Terror

The party can reach the bottom of the mountain safely if they've cleared out the yugoloths. Once they reach the bottom, however ...

As you look up to the sky, you see that the red clouds have turned deep crimson, and the light rain has turned the colour of blood. A man stands at the entrance to the lair high above you, and as you watch, he transforms back into Gauss, the Crimson Terror, and takes to the skies.

The party has to somehow clear 2,000 feet to make it to the edge of the disk without being cooked or eaten by the dragon. They can use speed, teleportation, stealth, or good old-fashioned dragon-slaying to safely clear this last hurdle.

After the party has travelled 300 feet, or after 5 rounds (whichever comes first), a portal opens up and Thesea bursts through, smashing through molten rock and landing right in front of the party.

"All aboard, losers! No way in hell am I gonna let you fight an ancient dragon. I haven't even done my make-up. Let's go!"

Thesea hops back through her portal before it closes, leaving Yenneth (and the Crimson Terror) behind.

Rewards

Upon successfully extracting Ynthriss, the party receives the following rewards.

Magic Item

Ynthriss gives the party her Boots of Striding and Springing (DMG 156).

Burrower Bonus

The burrower becomes equipped with magical noise emitters that play any music the driver chooses. The music can be heard clearly up to 1 mile away, and as a thumping bass line up to 20 miles away.

Teamwork Bonus

When selecting a teamwork bonus for future heists, the following option becomes available.

The Fool. All party members gain proficiency in Performance while performing together as a group. If a party member already has proficiency in Performance, they can add +1 to their Performance checks (whether with their party or elsewhere).

Chopper German

This is Chopper German's first Dungeons and Dragons adventure!

Additional Credits

  • K3Star
  • James Cole
  • Map by Chopper German
  • Watercolor splotches by Jared Ondricek

Sawtooth

When the world was young and the void was thin, the great megalodons were the masters of existence. But the top of the food chain isn't so secure when beings so small can fight with the fury of a thousand sharks. The Reef Megalodons are a fraction of the size they once were. Let it be a reminder that no creature, no matter how important it thinks it is, is truly invincible.

Summary

The party dives into the maw of a powerful shark and rescues two twins of Sollus. By the end of the adventure, the party will have ...

  • explored a dungeon in the twisting bowels of a shark

Hook

Karen informs the party that Broken Opal placed a tracker on a reincarnation of Sollus. The tracker somehow ended up inside of a shark; its gullet seems to lead to a private demiplane of some sort. Karen's already sent a few of her Opalescents into the shark to retrieve it, but they were killed and came back muttering about "water bears" or something. She's sending a fresh batch in. The party might have a chance to get there first.

The Shark

The party must travel through the Reef to locate the reef megalodon (AH 36). The most obvious method of travel is with Thesea (AH 76). Roll for Random Reef Encounters (AH 68). Encounter 4, the reef megalodon, is the third encounter unless it's triggered earlier.

Encountering the Reef Megalodon

It's hard to judge distances out here, but even so, you can tell how massive this shark is just by how long it takes for it to grow bigger in the distance. Just when you think it's getting close, it's another several minutes to go. The sheer size of this thing seems to draw you in through gravity alone. It opens its mouth wide, and like water funnelling into a drain, you tumble into its gullet, watching row upon row of teeth like skyscrapers whooshing past until the mouth closes and you are doused in darkness.

The Bowels

The shark's gullet leads to the demiplane known as The Bowels, loosely mapping to the shark's internal organs.

General Features

The Bowels has the following general features.

Bioluminescence. Jellyfish-like single-celled organisms cling to the walls of the caverns, lighting the Bowels with a dim, eerie, silvery-blue glow.

Cartilage. The walls, ceilings, and floors are supported by a structure of cartilage, which resembles a skeletal spine. The cartilage is flexible and doesn't snap or break unless under extreme stress, much more than a Medium-sized creature could muster.

Squishy. Walls of flesh and cartilage make for a squelching, squishy ambiance. Every footstep squeaks. Every sound is swallowed up by the background drone of internal organs and a steady, low heartbeat.

Like a Sauna. It's uncomfortably hot. Creatures that can sweat do so profusely. It's a little bit difficult to breathe, and an extended stay is obviously inadvisable.

1: Stomach

A river of acid flows through the center of the tube of stomach lining. Boiling, bubbling yellow acid threatens to eat through the soles of your shoes. It's only safe on the banks of the river, but you can hear, more than see, half-digested creatures still clinging desperately to life down here.

The walls are fleshy. They jiggle periodically. A river of acid flows across the floor; it is 30 feet wide and is up to 30 feet deep in the middle. Banks of flesh give 10 feet of space on either side, though the acid frequently splashes from side to side. It runs the entire length of the Bowels. Touching the acid immediately deals 5 (1d10) acid damage, and starting one's turn immersed in acid deals 27 (5d10) acid damage. In this demiplane, acid can be affected by spells and other magical effects that would ordinarily only affect water, like control water and whirlpool, though it can't be frozen, purified, or have its nature changed to anything except acid.

On the ceiling near the entrance, a hole leads to Area 2, the brain. It is guarded by 2 tapeworms using the grick statblock (MM 173), a fluke using the giant octopus statblock (MM 326), and a hookworm using the grell statblock (MM 172). All of these parasites are immune to acid damage.

On the map, the tapeworms appears as worms, the fluke as an octopus, and the hookworm as a scorpion.





























Tapeworm

Slithering and slimy, the worm would be a mile long if it wasn't knotted all up like a wet rope.

Fluke

Flagellating tendrils pull this tongue-shaped creature along the walls with wet, sucking slurps.

Hookworm

Rearing up like a tarantula, the hookworm's signature hooked teeth are as long as your arm.


In the floor, through the acid, a hole leads to Area 3, the liver. A whirlpool gives away its location. It is guarded by two flukes using the giant octopus statblock (MM 326), a very large tapeworm using the grick alpha statblock (MM 173), and a tardigrade using the chuul statblock (MM 40). The tardigrade is immune to acid damage.

Tardigrade

Rolls of fat covering soulless eyes. These must be the 'water bears' that the yugoloths had wailed about. They look almost piglike with a little sucker on their fat little mouths. Their eight chunky legs move sluggishly but steadily. Something tells you that these things can take a hell of a lot of punishment.





























2: Brain

The brain is cramped, with pink wrinkly walls closing in all around you. This doesn't feel like the brain of a sentient being at all. Too small, too narrow, too much like a birth canal than anything else. This shark operates on instinct and everything else is perfunctory. Hunt, kill, eat. Keep moving or die.

Within the brain swim two reef sharks (MM 336), baby reef megalodons that have recently hatched but haven't made their way out of their mother yet. They are murderously hostile. The brain, somehow also functioning as the megalodon's uterus, has two eggs yet to hatch, one in each of the side chambers of the brain. Any damage destroys an egg.

If 50 damage is dealt to the brain, the megalodon dies and its body immediately starts to rot.

3: Liver

The acid draining from the stomach is absorbed by the liver walls, leaving a pleasant hollow space with much milder temperatures. The liver seems to grant the megalodon buoyancy; you float in mid-air as though there were no gravity at all.

In the liver is a docile fluke, a giant octopus (MM 326) and a table with three humanoid figures sitting and drinking tea from makeshift animal-skin bladders.

Rotting Body Features

If the megalodon dies and her body starts to rot, the following general features are added.

Feast for Little Terrors. One more of each type of parasite squirms out from the acid in Area 1 and begins to feast upon the stomach lining: two tapeworms (a grick and a grick alpha), a fluke (a giant octopus), and a hookworm (a grell).

Walls Closing In. In Area 1, the stomach lining walls start to contract, completely removing the banks of the acid river (i.e. 10 feet inward on each side).

Noxious Gasses. Fumes waft in as the walls become bloated and rotten. At the beginning of each creature's turn, it must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 2d6 poison damage. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage instead. Any creature that fails its save by 5 or more contracts Shark Rot.

The three people are Gepetto, a human mage (MM 347), and two vinchy (AH 45) knights (MM 347).

Gepetto is a spindly middle-aged man with a wildly unkempt beard. His clothes looked once to be magnificent, but have been discolored by frequent contact with acid. The two vinchies are falling apart but still have a semblance of armor. One of them is using its blade arm (the knight statblock's reflavoured longsword) to chop up a dead tapeworm. It almost looks like calamari.


  • Personality. Just a tad unhinged. I love learning about obscure subjects, particularly dark languages and extraplanar beings.
  • Ideal. Back to Basics. The only thing a person needs to survive is food and water. Who cares about the rest?
  • Bond. I was always a bit of a loner. Threw myself into my studies and earned my money lecturing on obscure subjects in Candlekeep. Never made many friends. I reprogrammed these vinchies to be my friends, and they're all I could ever need.
  • Flaw. I really don't see the problem with living alone in the liver of a giant shark with nothing but a couple of automatons as company.

The following information can be learned through conversation with Gepetto.

  • Gepetto speaks Common, Abyssal, Infernal, and Deep Speech, being obsessed with obscure dark languages.
  • He was lecturing a class on conjuration magic when yugoloths burst into his classroom and kidnapped him.
  • Broken Opal placed a tracker in him, a tapeworm (regular-sized) in his stomach. It's probably still alive.
  • He escaped by blowing a hole in the yugoloth meteorship and leaping out into the void, where he was promptly eaten by the Reef Megalodon.
Shark Rot

This disease, caused by noxious gasses in the body of a decomposing Reef Megalodon, gives the infected creature the poisoned condition, and the creature can't recover hit points by any means. At the end of each long rest, the creature must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw, taking 2d6 poison damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. After three successful saving throws, the disease ends. After three failed saving throws, the creature dies.

  • Orzeg sent some vinchies after him, but he was able to reprogram the vinchies before they could kill him. The vinchies now believe that Gepetto is their original creator, not Orzeg.
  • The Opalescents hemmed and hawed for a few weeks before ultimately sending a few mezzoloths and skereloths into the Reef Megalodon, where they were promptly overwhelmed and killed by all the parasites living in the shark's stomach.
  • Gepetto is perfectly happy living inside of the shark's liver. He doesn't want to leave.

Gepetto can be convinced to leave with a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, which is made with advantage if his characteristics are incorporated into the suggestion.

Don't forget the necessity of removing the tracker; if it isn't removed, Broken Opal will track the party's location.

Escaping the Reef Megalodon

When the party is ready to leave, the Opalescents arrive. Add Kegnoth (AH 26), Tirikan (AH 26), Beck (AH 26), Toda (AH 29), and Zigazan the Boiler (AH 30) to the entrance of Area 1. They immediately locate and attempt to pursue the party.

The only effective way out is through Area 4.

If there are any parasites left in the stomach, Kegnoth splits off to fight the parasites alone.

4: Spiral Valve

The non-euclidean geometry of the intestinal tract makes your head spin. You can see to the end, where waste expels into the great void of The Reef, but space itself seems to spiral in on itself to get there.

While in the spiral valve, a creature is dizzy: it has disadvantage on attack rolls and any ability check or saving throw made to avoid falling prone. Its movement speed is reduced by 15 feet.

The spiral valve is just over 60 feet long, but requires 300 feet of movement to traverse thanks to the way it folds the fabric of spacetime. It leads out of the shark and into The Reef where Thesea waits to pick up the party.

Rewards

Magic Item

Gepetto has staved off the worst of the noxious environment by secretly wearing a periapt of proof against poison (DMG 184). He gives it to the party as thanks for rescuing him.

Burrower Bonus

Gepetto adds internal automated repair arms that can automatically cast mending on the Burrower once per minute.

Teamwork Bonus


The Strong Stomach. While in physical contact with another party member, each party member is under the effects of the spell protection from poison.

PART 5

Adventure Conclusion

William Rotor

Notable works include ...

Into Wonderland The Hourglass Desert The RougeOUTCLASSED: The NPC Statblock Compendium


Additional Credits




But Food for Worms

How do we measure a soul? If you lose all of your memories and start again from scratch, what difference is there from being dead? How can we say that two people who share a soul are truly the same person? These questions weigh on the mind of Kierk the Guard, for he has no soul at all. This life is all he has, and he's spent it wasting away in his own prison.

Summary

The party launches an assault on the prison world of Tartarus to rescue Sollus Ipsus the Many, the original owner of the soul they all possess. By the end of this heist, the party will have ...

  • Breached the walls of an unbreachable prison
  • Fought their way through powerful defenses
  • Defeated an undefeatable foe
  • Unlocked their true selves

Last Minute Research

Illusollus gives the party the following information about Tartarus and its guards.

  • Tartarus is a prison world
  • No one has ever escaped from Tartarus
  • It is protected by miles and miles of solid rock
  • Within the prison are the worst criminals of all existence mixed in with people that someone really, really did not want getting out
  • The cells are guarded by special yugoloths called wardenloths. These yugoloths followed a treacherous oinoloth into battle against the other oinoloths of the council, and for their crimes, they were banished to guard this prison for eternity
  • The aforementioned treacherous oinoloth had his name changed to Kierk the Guard; he was stripped of his powers, made barely better than a mortal commoner, yet still cursed with unending life
  • This all took place approximately 40,000 years ago

Launch from the Reef

It's often a cliche to say "I have to do this for myself." In the case of the party, it couldn't be more true. There's nothing really stopping everyone else in The Reef from coming along, aside from the fact that it will likely be a suicide mission, and yet it just doesn't feel right. This is something only for the reincarnations of Sollus to do.

The Reef denizens gather in the Burrower Hangar. As long as they have a reasonably positive relationship with the party, they each come bearing a final gift.

Oddly enough, Karen isn't here for the launch. No idea where she's gone. That's a shame.


  • Gaundr. One set of +2 armor (DMG 152), perfectly tailored.
  • Pythagoras. A portable 3D printer that generates infinite food, water, and ammunition.
  • Narcissa. Three castings of death ward.
  • Yaukiss. His +3 silver greatsword, all psychic damage disabled. They'll need the sword more than he will.
  • Alexandria. A spell scroll of symbol, regretfully ripped from the pages of one of her favourite books.
  • Binterkell. A ring of regeneration (DMG 191).
  • Aries. Two immovable rods (DMG 175).
  • Ariadne. A wand of enemy detection (DMG 210) that she used to escape from the clutches of Queen Vlaakith.
  • Quinobi. A ring of mind shielding (DMG 191). He warns the party not to become trapped inside it.
  • Achilles. A vorpal longsword (DMG 209). Don't lose your head.

Thesea alights upon the massive Burrower like a butterfly upon one's nose. "You should know by now I'm a clingy little bitch. I'm coming with you. There's nothing you can do about it."

Take a moment to describe the Burrower. It resembles a giant flying drill with all of the various attachments and accoutrements added by the rescued reincarnations of Sollus.

The Burrower includes the following people.

  • Every member of the party
  • Simulacrasollus, Skelesollus, Crawllus, Spectrasollus, and Will-o'-Sollus
  • All of the rescued reincarnations of Sollus
  • Thesea, keeping pace alongside it

The Burrower takes off from The Reef. If it doesn't have a way to reach Tartarus on its own, Thesea will be able to transport it with her Gate ability.

The party must negotiate with Shaundakul as usual.

Arriving in Tartarus

You weren't supposed to travel here. The plane itself shudders as you enter. No one has ever escaped from here, and you can feel in your bones that you will not be the first.

From within the Burrower, you are knocked from one side to the other until you manage to grab hold of something -- a handle, an immovable rod, one another -- while the whole vessel shakes powerfully back and forth. In your mind, you hear Thesea's scream, "What the hell is that thing?!"

You'll never find out. Everything goes dark.

A Shared Vision

Assign each player one of the following characters.

  • Broken Opal (MM 314, AH 25)
  • Karen (AH 25)
  • Orzeg (MM 313, AH 25)
  • Tirikan (MM 314, AH 26)
  • Beck (AH 26)

If you have more than five players, give the rest of them a voorloth (AH 32) that they can name themselves, each of which is allied with Broken Opal.

Zigazan stands over you, smirking, his boils popping. "I found your tattoo!" Queen Ursula McVale holds you down.

You are Broken Opal, the leader of the Opalescents. You push off the snarling nycaloth and glare at Zigazan with your yellow eyes. He doesn't know what he's talking about.

But he's not backing down. He signals to Ursula and she shoves you right back. Zigazan smirks. "It's all starting to make sense, now. If the council told you to kill them, why did you make us waste our time guarding them in all those ridiculous prisons? Unless you're one of them. Then it makes perfect sense."

"I told you!" squeals Caraxus, the little twerp. "I told you something was up! I knew it! I knew she was a bad leader all along! Sent us all to a prison world to rot! If we die here, it's just like on Perdition -- we die for real!"

Through the portholes of the meteorship, you can see the impenetrable stone sphere of Tartarus underneath you as you orbit the planet-sized prison. You're in the plane of Tartarus. There's no going back now. Time to show your hand.

The Opalescents are all on the meteorship together. They divide themselves into opposing sides, Broken Opal versus Zigazan the Boiler.

Broken Opal's Allies Zigazan the Boiler's Allies
Karen Caraxus
Beck Organus
Tirikan Kegnoth
Orzeg Queen Ursula McVale
Voorloths
(if more than 5 players)
Toda
Rorknir
Ral'Romon

Zigazan's allies are slow to act, taking their turns on initiative count 5.

Broken Opal is clearly outmanned and overpowered. She and her allies have already made a plan in case this happens.


  • Broken Opal. Block Zigazan's allies with fire storm.
  • Orzeg. Block Zigazan's allies with wall of fire.
  • Tirikan. Cast compelled duel on anyone that targets Broken Opal to get them off of her. Disable the meteorship's controls with a DC 15 Strength check.
  • Karen. Call her gondola to make an escape. Avoid direct combat when possible. She can summon the gondola right outside of the meteorship. Broken Opal and her allies must move directly onto the gondola, no teleporting.
  • Beck. Beck's Dimensional Lock prevents all of the yugoloths from teleporting. Beck will stay behind and try to stay alive as long as possible to give Karen's gondola enough time to get away.
  • Voorloths. Disable the meteorship's controls with a DC 15 Strength check, made with advantage due to their Siege Monster trait.

When Broken Opal and her allies have made their escape, they finally have a chance to catch their breath and take stock of what's happened.

  • Broken Opal is a reincarnation of Sollus.
  • She was tasked with killing all of the reincarnations of Sollus, but went against her orders and secretly told her underlings to imprison them instead.
  • Karen, Orzeg, Tirikan, Beck, and Caraxus pledged themselves to Broken Opal's cause; the rest were unaware.
  • The reincarnations of Sollus kept escaping on their own, stymying her efforts to reunite them.
  • She decided to embrace that, so she started feeding information to Karen to give to The Reef.
  • She followed the Burrower into Tartarus.
  • When the yugoloths realized they had no way back out of Tartarus, Caraxus betrayed them out of fear.
  • Zigazan the Boiler immediately took charge and rallied the other Opalescents against Broken Opal.

You drift in Karen's tiny gondola towards the impossibly big prison. The planet is cracked down the middle, spewing streams of magma that harden into a dense column of asteroids. Karen assures you her gondola will survive entry. You're not so sure. But it can't all have been for nothing.

Those crazy bastards in the Burrower better make it.

Barriers to Tartarus

You're jolted awake. The Burrower rockets towards the surface of the prison planet. You slide open the portholes to look out for anything that might get in your way. Where's Thesea? She's nowhere to be seen.

It's going to be a bumpy ride. You can see meteorships making a beeline for your position. These aren't the meteorships that the Opalescents used. In fact, you've never seen ones like this before. They glow with magma, still cooling from the core of the planet.


















































The following barriers prevent the Burrower from reaching the prison. If the Burrower has an appropriate bonus, it can overcome the barrier without having to roll, but that same bonus can't be used again.

If a barrier can't be overcome, one character on the Burrower can sacrifice themselves to save the others.

  1. Check if a Burrower bonus overcomes the barrier. If no Burrower bonus is relevant ...
  2. Make checks or saves to overcome the barrier. If half or more of the party's checks or saves fail ...
  3. Sacrifice a character to overcome the barrier. If the character is death warded, they survive but lose the spell.


















































For ability checks and saving throws, everyone must make the roll. It's an overall success if over half succeed. You can roleplay this requirement as the Burrower gaining strength from the convictions of its passengers. Get them all to hold hands and make a prayer.

All of the DCs are 10.

If no burrower bonus can be used, half or more of the party fails their ability check or saving throw, and no one can be sacrificed, the Burrower is destroyed and everyone on board is killed, ending the campaign.

There are thirteen barriers. Go through them sequentially with the party as follows.

Barrier 1

An enormous chunk of rock hurtles towards the Burrower. You can see small gaps in the rock, like honeycomb. It's too big to dodge, but maybe you can thread the Burrower through the gaps.

Dexterity ability check.

Barrier 2

One of the hostile voidships emerges from the asteroid field behind you and lets loose a shockwave that blasts through rock. It's short range. Maybe you can escape the shockwave if you jolt forward fast enough.

Strength saving throw.

Barrier 3

A voidship lets loose a barrage of cannon fire. There are so many shots that they're basically impossible to dodge, but maybe the burrower's armour can withstand the barrage.

Constitution saving throw.

Barrier 4

Alien insects crawl out of an asteroid like a hive and swarm over the Burrower's hull. Maybe if you had something to pick them off, you could prevent them from digging through.

Intelligence ability check.

Barrier 5

A meteorship slams into the front of the Burrower, trying to stop its momentum entirely.

Strength ability check.

Barrier 6

You hear in your minds a crackling, aged voice: "We don't have any empty cells." Seems like someone is trying to break your spirit.

Wisdom saving throw.

Barrier 7

A couple smaller voidships land a few shots on you, causing the Burrower to jolt, then they dash away. Should you let them escape? They'll just come back in greater number.

Wisdom ability check (just leave them).

Barrier 8

A meteorship smokes and sputters as it spins towards the Burrower. It glows red hot from within. It's going to blow!

Dexterity saving throw (when it explodes).

Barrier 9

Will-o'-wisps swarm the Burrower. You know, somehow, that these are the souls of people who have been trapped on Tartarus for so long they've lost their sense of identity. Their very presence pulls at your shared soul.

Charisma saving throw.

Barrier 10

An asteroid materialises directly in front of you!

Intelligence saving throw (it's an illusion).

Barrier 11

The Burrower slams through the thick atmosphere of the prison planet. It starts to glow red hot from the friction.

Constitution saving throw.

Barrier 12

As the Burrower creaks and groans and stretches, steadily reaching towards the unflinching ground, you hear that same aged voice in your head. "There's nothing left for you here. You're lashing out at nothing. Why aren't you giving up?"

Charisma ability check, made with advantage if the party calls upon their determination to win despite the odds.




































Barrier 13

The final barrier is the planet itself. The ground will be unyielding. All you can do is hope that the Burrower does its job. There's nothing left to do but hope you survive the impact. What do you do with your last six seconds?

The party has a brief opportunity to roleplay how their characters brace for impact.

The last thing you see is Thesea streaking through the sky, pursued by a great tentacled monster the size of a mountain. Then the Burrower hits the ground. You black out. Maybe you'll wake up when the Burrower's drilled down into the prison. Or maybe you won't wake up at all.

Another Shared Vision

The players take control of the same yugoloths they controlled earlier. Some of those characters may be dead; the players will have a chance to take control of a new character in a moment.






































You are in the prison world of Tartarus. All around you is suppressive architecture: sterile, geometric, evenly lit, and utterly closed off from the surface. The walls bristle as you walk by.

You are Broken Opal. You are the leader of the Opalescents. There aren't many of them left, but you're still the leader. You have a brain the size of a planet. And the one thing going through your brain is this: Yugoloths have been too much like devils for much too long. It's time to be more like a demon.

Each of the cell doors unlock from the outside.

Time to make some chaos.

When Broken Opal and her allies start opening the cell doors, alarms sound and the white walls turn blood red. Horrific monsters emerge from the cells, most of them from a time long forgotten. Guards swarm the party's position. A few of the monsters join in the fight.

The guards are naked, wrinkled, older than you could have possibly imagined. They have a three tiny eyes on their tiny head, and their tiny mouths are layered with tiny needle teeth. The rest of their bodies are that of huge brutes. The only weapon they wield is a club, but you can tell they are brimming with arcane force.

But, you need to do a double take. You knew that the guards would be yugoloths, but you didn't realize how much kinship you would feel for these things just by looking upon them. And, for just a moment, you can sense they feel the same way about you: kinship.

You are the likely the first yugoloths they've seen in tens of thousands of years.

The moment passes. They have a job to do. They attack.

The guards are seerloths (AH 33). There are three of them.

Any players who don't have a character can control one of the monsters that have been released from the cells. Choose one from the following list. Players can pick the same monster if they like.

Babbling Void Thing

This formless, gooey monster moves like liquid magnetized metal, smooth, shiny, and poisonous to the mind. It sizzles and giggles as it moves.

The babbling void thing uses the statistics of a gibbering mouther (MM 157).

Mass of Tentacles and Teeth

Perhaps this thing was once something like an octopus, but one hundred thousand years locked up in a cell have caused it to mutate into a shape that doesn't read as anything terrestrial at all.

The mass of tentacles and teeth uses the statistics of an otyugh (MM 248).

Imaginary Beast

You recognise this thing from your nightmares, a dark shape that is somehow everywhere at once. You know everyone else sees it as their own personal nightmare as well. You're not even sure it's a real monster and not just an illusion.

The imaginary beast uses the statistics of a displacer beast (MM 81) with the aberration type.

When there is one seerloth remaining, the fight abruptly ends: the entire hallway collapses. The Burrower drills straight through the ceiling, killing the last seerloth instantly.

You watch the massive machine burrow deeper into the prison, boring a huge hole. You all look at one another and start to carefully teleport down after it, stopping level by level to release even more of the prisoners.

Deep Into Tartarus

The Burrower eventually runs out of steam. Your knuckles are white, head sweaty, heart racing. Finally, the machine shudders to a stop. This is as far as it will go.

The hatch opens. You see sterile white cubic hallways. You can hear guards approaching, though it's hard to tell where they're coming from or how far away they are.

The NPCs in the Burrower tell the party members to go on without them. They need to stay to defend the Burrower. It's the only way back to the surface.

The party moves through the prison, and after a few turns, the Burrower is totally out of sight.

Down in these depths, the cells all seem empty. A DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check of a cell reveals through the viewing slit creatures so old and emaciated that they are hardly alive at all.

A few of them, you can see their eyes flick upwards, and their mouth open to let out a single breath of air. It's the most movement they've done in a thousand years. This place is starting to feel less like a prison and more like a tomb.

The walls around here are suspiciously clean. A DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana or History) check suggests that the jailers probably use gelatinous cubes to clean this place.

The party wanders moving deeper and deeper into Tartarus over the course of an hour. A voice booms through their minds, aged and fierce.

"I'm not responsible for kidnapping any of you. No, I don't have any say who comes into Tartarus, and I can't communicate with anyone outside of this prison. If anyone is responsible for kidnapping all of the reincarnations of Sollus Ipsus the Many, it is Sollus themselves."

This is the voice of Kierk the Guard (AH 34). The party can respond to the voice and attempt to negotiate.

Kierk the Guard is hostile to the party, and he can't be dissuaded from his hostility, but he would prefer to at least talk before things devolve into violence.

Kierk the Guard

  • Personality. Kierk has the confidence of invincibility. He's lived so long that an end seems practically inconceivable. He is narcissistic, self-obsessed, and for the most part, justified in the high opinion he holds of himself.
  • Ideal. Identity: Kierk believes that all creatures should hold themselves to a high standard and value their own personal identity above all else. He has spent the last forty thousand years doing nothing but training himself to be the best at literally everything by absorbing the experiences and memories of the prisoners of Tartarus.
  • Bond. Kierk was once an oinoloth on the high council, and was cursed to be the jailer of Tartarus when he led a revolt against the other oinoloths. He still believes he could run yugoloth society better if he was the only one making the decisions.
  • Flaw. Kierk has a crippling fear of death. He's spent tens of thousands of years training. If he were to die before he can escape Tartarus, all of his talent and power would be wasted.
  • Secrets. Kierk the Guard has no real attachment to Sollus the Many. He knows he's locked up a powerful being, but

While speaking to Kierk the Guard, any party member with a passive Perception of 15 or higher will spot the gelatinous cube (MM 242) blocking the path ahead. If the party earlier realized gelatinous cubes were likely used in Tartarus, they only need a passive Perception of 10.

The gelatinous cube attempts to engulf the party.

As soon as the gelatinous cube is reduced to 0 hit points or bypassed in another way, we transition back to the Burrower.

Defending the Burrower

You run your sword through the back of the dripping green guard, and as the life of this ancient being is extinguished, it collapses into goop and sinks through the cracks in the architecture beneath your feet, right next to the Burrower.

You recognise some of the reincarnations of Sollus that you've personally imprisoned. You give them a weak smile. They don't seem to trust you, but right now it doesn't matter. You share the same enemy -- the oozeloths -- and the same goal -- defending the Burrower.

The players can choose to play this fight in the role of Broken Opal, any of Broken Opal's yugoloth allies that are still alive, or any of the reincarnations of Sollus left behind to guard the Burrower. See the statblock index (AH 16) for where to find the statistics for each character.

If there are more available characters than players, the Burrower starts to slip down into the hole it's created, and anyone not controlled by a player frantically works to keep the machine upright and functional while the battle goes on.

The reincarnations of Sollus and the Opalescents are attacked by 4 oozeloths (AH 33) and 2 seerloths (AH 33).

On initiative count 20 of the first three rounds, Kierk the Guard telepathically communicates with everyone in the battle, his voice echoing through their minds. He addresses Broken Opal in particular.

Round 1

"I saw you betray that oinoloth during your approach. We have a lot in common, Broken Opal. We both distrust the council. Neither of us are satisfied with bending the knee to a power structure unworthy of our respect."

Round 2

"It has been fifteen thousand years since a yugoloth has entered Tartarus. I had hoped to be able to talk. If you need to fight to get it out of your system, then be my guest. But know that in the end, we will work together, and we will escape. It's the only way out of here. You can thrash, you can squirm, but if you want to go home, it will be side by side with me."

Round 3

"You might have the tattoo, but you're not Sollus. You're Broken Opal. That's what it means to be a yugoloth. You are only beholden to yourself."

Round 4

Kierk the Guard kills all of the remaining seerloths and oozeloths with a powerful psychic blast. He repeats:

"You are only beholden to yourself."

The Deepest Layer

Perspective shifts back to the party as they drop down to the deepest layer of Tartarus.

The deeper you go, the more likely it is you'll find Sollus. This layer, the deepest of all, is darker than the ones above it, and the walls are more active, bristling and twitching as you advance. You can hear the voice of Kierk the Guard in your head, louder now, as though you're getting closer and closer.

"I can see that you aren't going to stop. I would have asked you to help me escape. But you're here for one thing only. So, I've contracted some old friends of yours to give you a bit of a stern talking to."

With a blast of magic and a skurry of flailing limbs, half a squad of yugoloths materialises in front of you, badly singed from fire, seething with anger.






































Zigazan the Boiler (AH 30) leads the remnants of his allies. He is immediately hostile and acts with deadly force.

If any yugoloths are still alive after the first fight against Broken Opal, they appear here with him: Caraxus and Organus (AH 25), Kegnoth (AH 25), Queen Ursula McVale (AH 25), Toda (AH 29), Rorknir (AH 27), and Ral'Romon (AH 28). If Beck sacrificed himself by staying behind, he managed to kill one of them before he went down (other than Zigazan), up to the choice of the player who played Beck during the fight. Additionally, any damage taken and resources lost by any yugoloth have not been recovered from the first fight.

On initiative count 20, the weaker yugoloths (Caraxus, Organus, and Kegnoth) plead pathetically for their lives. They can be turned against the other yugoloths with a successful DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation) check as an action each.

As Zigazan is cut down and the life of this thousand-year-old oinoloth fades away, the last thing he hears is Kierk the Guard angrily cussing him out.

"This is why Broken Opal had forsaken you! Because you were useless! Yugoloths aren't meant to harbor grudges or spite one another over technicalities! We are agents of neutrality!"



































"The demons and the devils tore each other to pieces over a matter of technicality, and I'd bet my life that the Blood War still rages even now! That's not what a yugoloth is supposed to be! We are better than this!"

Zigazan perishes long before the little speech is finished. It falls on deaf ears.

Once the battle is done, Kierk the Guard addresses the party directly.

"The only thing still standing between you and Sollus is me. You won't get past me. I have done nothing but train for the past forty thousand years. I'll finally have a chance to test my powers on someone that can take it. Consider this a warning. Be ready to face oblivion. As though anyone could be ready."

Ahead is the gate to Kierk the Guard's chambers, the heart of the prison. Beyond that is the cell of Sollus Ipsus the Many.

The party has the chance to take a short rest and get their affairs in order. This is the last chance they'll have to reaffirm their bonds and reflect on everything they've learned. Once the short rest is over, the only thing left to do is face Kierk the Guard in person.



































Kierk the Guard

The architecture folds up over itself. The walls sink away. Before the great vault doors of the cell of Sollus the Many stands the warden of the prison himself, Kierk the Guard. He is dressed head to toe in fiendish armor that gives off a powerful abjurative aura. He has done nothing except train for thousands upon thousands of years. He couldn't be more ready.

Preparation

Before the fight, Kierk the Guard has cast the following spells on himself. If it's a concentration spell, it's noted in the description; he has no limit on the number of spells he can concentrate on, but necrotic damage will end them.

All of these effects end if Kierk the Guard uses his Reset legendary action.


  • Foresight (9th level). He can see a half second into the future, giving him advantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws, and giving disadvantage on any attack rolls against him. This is not a concentration spell.
















































  • Detect Magic (At Will). He knows which pieces of equipment the party is carrying are magical, and can intuit which are the most important and powerful. This is a concentration spell.
  • Detect Thoughts (At Will). He can read the surface thoughts of the party and pinpoint the location of invisible creatures (though he can already see them with Truesight). This is a concentration spell.
  • Freedom of Movement (At Will). He is unaffected by difficult terrain, can't be magically restrained or paralyzed, can't have his speed magically reduced, and can spend 5 feet of movement to escape from nonmagical grapples. This is not a concentration spell.

Fight

Kierk the Guard will rely on his spellcasting, only using his club if he's run out of options.

Priorities

Kierk the Guard's priorities in a fight are as follows.


  • Disable Key Threats. He has already identified the biggest threat after using scrying to watch the party fight through the layers of Tartarus. Anyone who can deal necrotic damage immediately shoots to the top of the list. He'll try to disable the biggest threat first with maze, trapping the target in a cell on Tartarus, unless he thinks their Intelligence is too high, in which case he'll save maze for the least intelligent party member and lead with Otto's irresistible dance instead.
  • Nullify Spellcasters. He's been studying spells for tens of thousands of years and will immediately identify which spell a party member is casting, determining if it's worth it to cast counterspell (using higher level spell slots if he's run out of 3rd level slots). He'll also disable any powerful boons like haste with dispel magic. Blocking spellcasters with wall of stone is another good tactic. If he can target all the spellcasters without getting himself in the area of effect, he'll use antimagic field, though it's competing with maze and dominate monster for his 8th level spell slot.
  • Incapacitate First, Kill Later. Most of his strategy relies on disabling the party rather than dealing them damage, at least at first. If he doesn't think he can get away with maze, he'll go for dominate monster on the party member with the worst Wisdom save. Any melee-focused characters who can't fly will get thrown to the ceiling with reverse gravity. Eyebite is a good spell for party members with bad Wisdom saves if he's already used his 8th level spell slot. Any melee characters who rely on Dexterity instead of Strength might end up affected by telekinesis. If he still has 6th level slots, Otto's irresistible dance can be very useful as it doesn't call for a save until they've already lost a turn. If a party member has less than 100 hit points, he'll hit them with power word pain. Once all these other options are used up, he'll resort to his at-will hold monster.
  • No Mercy. Once he's disabled at least a few party members, he'll move on to his damaging spells. Disintegrate is his best spell in terms of damage, so he'll cast it even if he has to use a higher-levelled slot to do so. Otherwise, his bread and butter is fireball. This is usually better than attacking, though he might use chill touch on paralyzed targets to automatically crit and deal 8d8 necrotic damage (his chill touch at CR 25 deals base 4d8 on a hit). A sub-par damage dealer is phantasmal killer, which he'll only use on party members that are immune to fire. If a party member is downed, he'll hit them with magic missile to immediately kill them with three failed death saves.
  • Defense. If he feels that it's safe not to worry about counterspell, he'll liberally use shield, using up higher level spell slots to activate it if he has to. He'll also use shield if a rogue or paladin lands a hit that he's worried about. Generally, with 26 AC, he's not too worried about melee characters.

Hit Point Triggers

When Kierk the Guard is reduced below a certain hit point threshold, certain effects come into play.


  • 100 hit points. He'll spend one of his legendary actions to activate death ward. While death ward is active, he's immune to effects that would instantly kill him, like power word kill, and if he's reduced to 0 hit points, he drops to 1 instead (ending the spell). The only way to disable this early is with dispel magic for a 4th level spell or by forcing him to use his Reset legendary action.
  • 1 hit point. The spell contingency activates once he's reduced to 1 hit point or below, triggering death ward (unless he's already under its effects), potentially nullifying a killing blow.

Weaknesses

Kierk the Guard's primary weakness is his crippling fear of death, which has given him vulnerability to necrotic damage. Necrotic damage also causes him to auto-fail Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration. A party member can intuit that necrotic damage might have a negative effect on him by succeeding on a DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check. His behaviour towards party members who can cast necrotic damage is disproportionate; a party member can accordingly deduce his fear of necrosis with a DC 15 Intelligence check.

The primary strategy should be inflicting status effects that force him to use his Reset legendary action, ending any spells he's cast on himself as well as any spells he's concentrating on.

His AC is very high at 26, making it difficult to engage him in melee combat, especially considering he might have shield as an option if he isn't saving up his reaction for counterspell, and while his foresight is still active, attacks against him have disadvantage. Forcing him to Reset disables foresight, and an effect that can disarm him of his shield will reduce his AC down to 23, greatly improving the marginal chances of a hit.

You can make the fight slightly easier on the players by making Kierk the Guard use his Reset legendary action for any negative condition, or harder by letting him just accept the consequences of less impactful conditions like frightened that he can work around easily.

Also, antimagic field is a hard counter to his abilities.

Defeat

When the killing blow is landed on Kierk the Guard, he gasps in shock.

"All this power ... wasted. I'm not ready to go ..."

When he dies, his armor shrivels up into a ball of metal, mincing his body into pulp.

The vault door to the cell of Sollus the Many opens.

This is it.

You feel the planet shift under your feet. Cataclysmic. You don't have a lot of time.


























































Sollus Ipsus the Many

Until now, the talk of a soul has been abstract. To observe a naked soul is sublime.

Every party member must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or be ripped out of their bodies to join Sollus Ipsus the Many. This is something that can't be controlled, just a function of being so close to one's true soul. A character can get advantage on this saving throw by remembering moments from their past that keeps them grounded in their current body and experiences.

Any survivors feel the following words burrowing into their minds.

WE
MUST
REINCARNATE

For the survivors, this is a terrifying realization: the naked soul before you is the original Sollus Ipsus the Many, the very first, trapped here for so many aeons that they were stripped totally bare, nothing but soul remaining. And if they remain trapped here for eternity, your soul will never reincarnate. Your soul will never become you.

YOUR
PURPOSE:
DESTROY

These words come with a strange mix of urgency, remorse, sympathy, kindness, and desperation.

The only way out of the prison is to be reincarnated. And for that to happen, for the original Sollus to make way for their reincarnations, for all the reincarnations to be able to live their lives at all, this version of Sollus Ipsus the Many needs to die.

WE
ARE
SORRY

There was never an escape from Tartarus. This was always the way it had to be. No one was meant to exist for longer than the multiverse itself.

Destroying the first incarnation of Sollus Ipsus the Many requires no roll. All that is needed is the will.

Denouement

The denouement refers to the wrapping up of loose ends and the tying off of narrative threads. It includes the answers to lingering questions and epilogues of each character. The denouement for this adventure is bittersweet. The heroes won, but the victory was metaphysical and the sacrifice was great.

Discussions of characters in this chapter assumes that they are alive and that the story played out mostly as written. Adjust the endings to suit the specifics of your party's story.

Sollus Ipsus the Many: The Tale of the Knotted Snake

Sollus Ipsus the Many was originally a demon who led an incursion on the yugoloth homeworld of Perdition. The yugoloths, devastated at the destruction, trapped Sollus in Tartarus. A curse placed on them by the yugoloths meant that they experienced time much slower, and so what was a few thousand years felt practically indistinguishable from eternity. Sollus spent so long in Tartarus that their physical form disintegrated, leaving only a bare soul. Being unable to escape through normal means, their only hope was to die and reincarnate elsewhere in the multiverse, but they had no power to do so. They reached out psychically for help and were answered by Levistus, who sympathised with their situation, and Asmodeus, whose motivations are always mysterious. Through the devils, Sollus was able to reach through time and orchestrate events such that almost all of the people they would eventually reincarnate into were alive at the same time, thanks to time travel shenanigans.

One by one, Sollus and the devils awakened each of the reincarnations to their true identity, but the yugoloths, who had imprisoned Sollus in the first place, caught wind and murdered the first few, including Slarmfell, a wizard who intended to find the others. Luckily, a powerful ultroloth, Broken Opal, discovered that she too was a reincarnation of Sollus and secretly pledged to rescue the original from Tartarus. She was tasked by the High Council of Oinoloths with killing the other reincarnations, but she ordered her followers to imprison them instead. One by one, the prisoners awakened, escaped, and worked together to free the rest.

This leads to the events of Arcane Heists. Eventually, the reincarnations will break into Tartarus, overpower its defenses, and kill the original Sollus, allowing their soul to escape to the multiverse and reincarnate into new bodies. Through time travel, the soul will pass through every single reincarnation, always ending up, ironically, back in Tartarus. Such is the fate of a soul.

Broken Opal

With the death of Kierk the Guard, and the entire prison planet risking annihilation without a warden, Broken Opal plunged her blade into the earth and pledged her infinite servitude to the forces of neutrality in the multiverse.

As the new warden, Broken Opal makes significant changes to the plane. Firstly, the hostile architecture of the prison planet is thrown away, and most of the prison is moved to the surface. The land is terraformed to be diverse and complex, with some regions resembling the slanted mountains of Perdition, some the grey valleys of Firmament, some the wild jungles of Castor, and other such places she has encountered in her travels through the planes.

Tartarus becomes less of a place where creatures rot for eternity, and more like a colony that must fend for itself by its own rules. It requires a lot of work to maintain. It's a difficult life. But, unlike how it used to be, at least it is a life. As for the other yugoloths ...


  • Karen resumes her work as a ferrywoman, travelling from continent to continent reporting on the progress of Broken Opal's planet-wide renovations.
  • Orzeg builds herself another laboratory and starts populating entire regions with vinchies, some of which even start to develop an intelligence.
  • Tirikan builds a small mausoleum to Beck, sheds a tear, and hangs up his axe forever. He takes on a job as a builder, focusing on construction rather than destruction.
  • Caraxus does some serious self-reflection, then takes on a few displaced seerloths and oozeloths under his wing. He tutors them to act as stewards for the prisoners who work on rebuilding Tartarus.
  • Organus keeps trying to torture the prisoners, so Broken Opal puts him among their ranks so he can see how it feels to be in a disadvantaged position. It doesn't work, but there's lots of time to keep trying.
  • Kegnoth gets a job as a wheat thresher. She's very efficient with a scythe or five.

Thesea

One of the guardians of Tartarus is a mountain-sized aberration born before the first sentient being existed to observe the multiverse. It's power without a mind, blind destruction, pure void. Thesea led it as far away from the Burrower as she could, then doubled back, confident she had lost it. She arrives on Tartarus a month or two later (she did lead it far away) and links up with the rest of the survivors.

She's devastated to learn that there's no real way out of Tartarus. She had thought the Burrower would have a special way of getting out, but in the end it's just a machine that's really good at burrowing.

Her next big project is to find a way to turn the Burrower into a sentient voidship like her. There's plenty of spellcasters in Tartarus. She'll figure something out. The poor thing deserves it after all it went through.


The Seven Heavens of Sollus the Dead

Simulacrasollus dies when the slaad tadpole hatches. Skelesollus, Crawllus, Spectrasollus, and Will-o'-Sollus decide to raise the tadpole as their own. They name it Sim.

The Reincarnations

They diligently protected the Burrower, only to realize that the Burrower can't actually get them back at all. Tartarus is dimensionally-locked. You can enter, but you can't leave. It just can't be done.


  • Penny Featherlight. This is the perfect place to continue her life's work of rehabilitating evil creatures. She gets to work immediately.
  • Chest of the Knotted Snake. This is an entire planet that's been turned into a dungeon and then terraformed back into a planet. It's the perfect place to reinvent oneself. The chest transforms into a stool for tired prisoners to sit. That'll keep the chest occupied for a few years.
  • Orym the Alarmed. If one is looking for a safe place to rest, this is as good a place as any, and unlike the Retreat of the Content, it's massive and ever-changing.
  • Serpasollus. Like the chest, Serpasollus sees Tartarus as an opportunity to reinvent herself, to decide who she is as an individual, rather than as a memory of other people.
  • Gimlen. Gimlen resolves to explore the entirety of Tartarus. He joins up with Karen as a ferryman.
  • Leonardo. Leonardo returns to Orzeg and offers an olive branch. He still doesn't trust her, because of the whole imprisonment and torture thing, but he thinks that they can potentially work together to improve the other vinchies and make them sentient like him.
  • Ynthriss. She becomes a music teacher in the hopes of reminding the people here that not everything needs to be about pure productivity. There must be time for merriment.

Eventually, one by one, each of them will die of old age and escape from Tartarus in the same way that the original Sollus did, allowing their soul to reincarnate elsewhere in the universe and, inevitably, return in a new form in the past to join themselves again, right here, their final resting place.

The Denizens of The Reef

While trapped on Tartarus, there's no way of knowing what's happening on the other planes. Unless everyone on The Reef travels to Tartarus, dooming themselves, their fates will remain unknown.

The reincarnations of Sollus will occasionally get together by campfire and discuss what they think happened to their old friends, where they are now, what they've accomplished. It brings them comfort, even if it's just stories.

And that's how this story ends, with an uncertain past and an uncertain future, but with a present that brings comfort. Stories are how we make sense of an absurd existence. They're the most important thing we can do for one another. And this one has drawn to a close.




















Changelog


Current Version: 2021-12-13