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Quick summary:
As the party passed through Gruumsh's prison (see Voyager #66), the necromantic energy that powered the rivers was drained to power the pyramid. As a side effect of this drain, ALL active spells that the party had up will be dispelled (no roll necessary).
Once through the drain, the party (along with tons of dismembered body parts) plunge into darkness. They remain in a free fall state for almost a full minute before “splashing” into the “Lake of Blood”. This lake sits in a large, underground cavern with no ceiling. It is roughly 200 feet across and there is light other than what the party can provide.
The psychic marks that each of the party was given when they arrived on Prison Plane 121 will become noticeable while in the Underworld. This pain is constant, but has no combat effect.
The level loss from the prison plane will remain, but unlike on the prison plane, a Restoration spell will work here. Also, the other restrictions from the prison plane are gone: Healing spells work as usual, the atmosphere is normal, and flight spells work as expected. (Note, however, that flying up from the lake back toward the prison plane is fruitless. They players may fly up as long and as far as they want. Consider the cavern to be “topless”.)
The body parts that fall from above are no longer animated (as their necromantic energies were drained by Gruumsh's prison). Thus, they no longer provide a clawing/biting threat. Also, the fear effect from them is gone.
On opposite sides of the lake are a total of FOUR massive necromantic machines that collect the body parts from the lake and reassemble them into the living dead. These are Necronauts (MMIII p.108), however unlike the writeup, these creatures cannot move from their location without much difficulty. Still, because of their reach, they block the exits and getting past them will require care. (Even though there are four, the encounter will be only with TWO of them). (Because of their lack of mobility, they are only CR 13).
First challenge: Reach the shore without being carved up by these machines and escape past them to the outer chambers. There are two exits on each side of the lake - and each set of exists is being fed by two of the machines. It does not matter which exit the party takes as they both go to the same location: The Lake of Fire. (Also, if the party wants to exit off the map to the other side, simply rotate the map). Each exit slopes upward and has a line of the dead standing in it. Thus, any attempt to Teleport or Dimension Door past them must be done blind.
The Necronauts have four limbs that can act in any given round. Until the party tries to move past or attack them, they are using all four actions to assemble the body parts into whole bodies. Even if attacked, they will continue using two of these actions to assemble bodies. Only if they are reduced to less than half their hit points will they being using all four limbs for attacks. They also prefer using their “Awesome Blow” feat to toss their opponents back into the Lake.
This cavern is the shore of a lake with wisps of flame skittering across its surface (akin to the dragon's lake in the movie Dragonslayer).
This is where a pair of inquisitors stand. They are tasked with looking up the name of each dead person and directing them to one of three boats for their continuing journey through the Underworld. The boats are massive and impressive - and very different from each other. The first is akin to a “normal” sailing vessel found on the prime material. The second is a simple flat boat. The third is akin to a 19th century passenger liner (and so will be alien to the party).
If the party approaches an inquisitor, they will be asked for their name(s). If they attempt a to answer with a lie, they must make a Will save against DC 30. Once they give their name, they will be revealed to be living persons and alarms about their presence will be raised. At this point, Kir Ganin, a Lomasi Guide (see attached stats) will remove his Helm of Invisibility and suggest that the party follow him. If the party does NOT approach the inquisitors, Kir will still approach, although with less haste.
Kir Ganin (an anagram of Rain King) has been sent by Matchitisiu to help the party out of the Underworld. He is a Monk/Adept (see attached stats) who has one significant trait: He is blind! His eyes are frosted white and he cannot see anything - however he can navigate as well as a sighted person by his hearing and other supernatural senses. He also carries a Helm of Invisibility (suspiciously like the one Hades himself owns). Aside from the helm, he wears very little: just a loincloth and a leather belt with a small pouch. The belt has the insignia of the Rain Queen, but it is obscured by the pouch. A careful study of his belt (DC20 Spot) will reveal the insignia. A DC25 roll will reveal that he appears to be keeping it hidden. The party will likely recognize his race, but he will not offer that information unless pressed.
Upon a secret journey
I met a holy man
His blindness was his wisdom
I'm such a lonely man
You will see light in the darkness
You will make some sense of this
And when you've made your secret journey
You will find the love you miss
There are two reasons for Kir's secrecy: First, his queen believes that Roderick does not trust her and would likely refuse her advice if he knows from where it comes. And second, this is Hades' realm. The overt use of another god's powers here is (at the very least) bad form.
Kir has the difficult task of convincing the party to follow him, even though Roderick's divination spells may indicate the opposite path. This is because all divination spells in the underworld are controlled by Hades and his answers must remain consistent with his sworn oath not to let anyone escape his realm. However, as long as he is not overtly made aware of their presense, he can look the other way long enough for their escape.
Kir's goal is to escort the party to the surface - however, he has been dead for decades and cannot leave Hades' realm. Once the party is safe at the surface, he will return back down.
There are two exits from the Lake of Fire area - each one guarded by a Death Knight (see attached stats). These guards will not allow anyone to pass, but will not leave their spot. Instead, they will summon a total of SIX Advanced Spectres (see below) to attack the party. These creatures will emerge from the line of dead waiting to board the ships. If the party manages to slip past the guard without defeating it, it will pursue. This is the only case which will cause it to leave its post.
| Advanced Spectres: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hit Dice: 14d12 (90 hp) | ||
| Base Attack: +7 | ||
| Attack: +10 melee, 1d8 plus energy drain (2 negative levels) | ||
| Full Attack: +10/+5, 1d8 plus energy drain | ||
| Saves: | Fort | +4 |
| Reflex | +7 | |
| Will | +11 | |
| CR: 9 | ||
| other stats essentially the same as a normal Spectre | ||
Once past the Death Knight, Kir will lead them through a series of twisting passages that start off as carefully-hewn stone and grow increasingly natural. There will be no encounters of a combat nature, although the party will see and be seen by many “people”. Most of them will be undead, but have duties other than corralling wayward souls and so will leave the party alone.
After about an hour of walking, the turns and side passages will disappear and the party will be in a mostly straight, slightly uphill natural cavern that varies from 10 to 20 feet across. Its floor is uneven, but not dangerously so.
After another hour of this, the party will arrive at their first trial. The cavern will slowly become foggy until they arrive at a point where they must enter a sold wall of fog. No sight or hearing is possible through the fog. The only way the party can learn what is through is to move into it. And, if only part of the group goes through, they will be unable to communicate back.
As the party moves through the fog, around them (unseen behind the fog) the terrain will change. When they emerge from the fog, the new setting will be revealed. (Their first notice will be the floor they walk on. If the setting is significantly different from a rough-hewn stone floor, they will feel it with their feet first).
The new setting will be an encounter tailored for one party member's skills and experiences. Note: The encounters are tailored to the point where the language spoken by the denizens will most likely be the native tongue of the target person.
When each encounter is completed, a door or other passage will appear with a sigil that glows briefly. Beyond that door or passage, the fog will reappear and the reverse transformation will occur, returning the party to the original steeply sloping stone passage.
What is the sigil? Perhaps the rune of Law?
The encounters and trials the party will face on the way out are not of Hades doing. In fact, they have been orchestrated by the Fates to ensure that the party is worthy of leaving Godsland and continuing their quests as the Chosen of the Gods.
With the completion of each trial, the target person will have the psychic mark on his/her forehead removed. When this occurs, the mark will be replaced by a drop of rainwater that will trickle down the person's face. This is yet another clue that Matchitisiu is behind this.
Important Note: These trials are NOT illusions or recreations. The party is being transported back in time and deposited (for a brief time) in each of the settings. The Fates, therefore, are being very careful to make sure they do not stray too far from the fog or the timestream can become messed up.
Quick summary:
As the party walks through the fog, they will first notice the floor become hard and smooth. The sounds of their walking will echo strangely until they emerge from the fog in a 10' wide Dwarven hallway. Ahead, they will hear a periodic booming noise (which is a group of Ogres trying to break down a fortified door). They will travel about 200 feet before they arrive at the room depicted on the map.
Before they do, however, the Dwarves stationed ahead will spot them and adopt a defensive stance. When the first emerge from the fog, have the party make a Listen check against DC20 to hear the Dwarves (DC0 + 20 for 200' of distance). Meanwhile, the Dwarves get to make the same roll to hear the party approach. If nobody makes the Listen roll, have everybody re-roll after 50 feet (at DC 15). The Dwarves will take cover and immediately begin shouting combat orders at each other such as: “They're approaching from behind. We're surrounded!” and “How many are there?” and “Is the wizard with them?” A Listen check at the stated DC +10 will allow the party to hear what they are saying (though they will need to know Dwarven to understand it).
In the room are six dwarven soldiers (4th level Fighters) as well as two others who are dead. The survivors have been badly beaten and are in no shape for combat. However, beyond the door are SIX 4th level Ogre Barbarians (as written up in MM, p.199) and one 10th level Ogre Barbarian:
| 10th level Ogre Barbarian | ||
|---|---|---|
| HD 4d8+19 plus 10d12+40 (159 hp) Rage: 187 hp | ||
| Init +1 | ||
| Speed 40' in armor | ||
| AC 20 (-1 Size, +1 Dex, +5 Natural, +4 armor, +1 ring), touch 11, flat 19, rage 18 | ||
| Base Attack: +13/+8/+3 | ||
| Attack: +1 Greatclub, +23 melee, 2d8+13 (Rage: +25, 2d8+15) | ||
| Full Attack: +1 Greatclub, +23/+18/+13 melee, 2d8+13 (Rage: +25/+20/+15, 2d8+15) | ||
| Space/Reach: 10'/10' | ||
| Special Attacks: Rage 3/day (9 rounds) | ||
| Special Qualities: Damage Reduction: 2/-, Fast Movement, Darkvision 60', | ||
| low-light vision, trap sense, Improved Uncanny Dodge | ||
| Saves: | Fort | +15 (Rage: +17) |
| Reflex | +5 | |
| Will | +4 | |
| Abilities: Str 26, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 4 | ||
| Skills: Climb +13, Hide -6, Jump +17, Listen +6, Spot +2 (plus more) | ||
| Feats: Power Attack, Toughness, Weapon Focus (Greatclub), Cleave, | ||
| Improved Overrun (STR Check = 1d20+16) | ||
| CR: 13 | ||
Conclusion: The setting here is the invasion of Blanan by the “Wizard of Rock” (as the Dwarves called him). This setting is one of the pivotal battles where a small group of Dwarves gave their lives to hold off the wizard's advancing Ogres - which gave the main Dwarves a chance to hide their wealth and power. In reality (as the party may or may not ever figure out), they were responsible for holding the Ogres off. Sadly, the Dwarves they save will die later in the battle - and the party's role will never become known.
At the end of the combat, one of the dwarves (or perhaps the ghost of Einerk) will tell Pavo that the “wood of Leuce will keep him warm for years to come.” This is a reference to the white poplar tree on the surface that is actually the transformed body of Leuce - from Greek mythology. The wood from that tree is essentially impervious while alive - or after being forged in a hot fire. Thus, a dead branch from that tree could be shaped into an axe haft and then forged into an enchantable staff for Pavo's axe/fire staff combo widget.
Myth target: p.175 - Xibalba, Xilonen, Xipe, Xochiquetzal
Setting is a cottage in a deep, dark ancient woods. The cottage is guarded by a pair of sun bears, one of whom is an Animal Companion to the resident of the cottage, a man named Perdel (NG Werebear Druid/15). The challenge is to approach the cottage without harming the bears. Perdel is a reclusive man who has little interest in the ways of man - and so he knows little about the world around him. However, he knows of the city “Lartin” - but will only mention it with disdain.
Over Perdel's fireplace is a slogan made of small colored stones set in the larger stones of the chimney/hearth. It says (in the writing of the Southlands), “He who comes in peace” - which Roderick will recognize as the literal translation of the name “Imhotep”.
He will seem to recognize Aramil, but will be unable to pinpoint where he knows him from. This is because he never met Aramil, but knew his father, a man named Radwen. It will take him some time before he makes this connection and even when he does, he will not know the significance. He will just marvel that he bears a resemblance to a friend.
If pressed about the story, he will explain that Radwen and his wife, Agnetha, disappeared about a year ago, while travelling to Lartin to find work. Radwen was a farmer, but his land was raided by orcs and his baron was forced to abandon the farms. It is, as Perdel tells it, another example of man's inhumanity to man and another reason why he has little to do with so- called civilization. In Perdel's opinion, the baron, a man named Garine, should have cared for his people better. But instead, he cut his losses, abandoned his peasants and returned to one of his other land holdings.
Vincent will recognize Garine as his “grandfather”.
If the session goes too quickly and the further trials are not well prepared, then toss in a pair of Advanced “Tree” Ropers that Perdel has been unable to clear out.
Myth target: p.86 - Imhotep!
Setting is a tavern known as Pauvel's Grotto. It is a place he visited often when he was a teenager - but this is a time several years before he was born. He must use guile and bluff and related skills to learn something from the reticent patrons. These patrons (and the bartender, Pauvel) average about eighth level, but do not use their combat prowess unless provoked. Thus, any combat will be met with startling (though probably not lethal) force. Liberal use of Diplomacy to win over NPC's. Convoluted links between people: Ask bartender who tells them to talk to A, who tells them to talk to B, etc.
No idea what the goal is, though… This would be an ideal place for Jim's dragon hint.
Myth target: p.63 - Eurynome (sister to Leuce!), Euterpe, Fafnir, Fama, Fates!, Fauna
Psychic Drow with some kind of link to the elves of Pleven. This encounter will relate to the final crystal. It will be from the past and will show Einerk stealing the gate chain and will also reveal where the crystal was hidden all those centuries ago. It will also show how the Drow used (are using?) it to provide clean air in their underground abode. With it, one drow clan has flourished. Without it, they will (have?) likely fallen.
(Must read Psionic rules before designing this one!)
Myth target: Anunnaki, Apepi, Aphrodite (p.16)
Setting is his shop in the Southlands. His apothecary ingredients are arranged in no particular order (as usual). But there will be a pattern that he now recognizes - whereas before he did not see it because his magical powers were not that good. By mixing the ingredients appropriately, he can create a special potion that does something wonderful. Either that, or it simply reveals the sigil to proceed.
Use Chris's foreshadowing: “What's in a name? Nobody knows.”
Myth target: p.67 - Ganymede, Gautama, Ge, Gehenna!, Gemini, Genius
Will meet Djinn whom he summoned way back a long time ago. Djinn will tell of Shadow's attempt to contain the elemental lords. The party may deduce that Shadow is learning from Prison Plane 121 about how to imprison “gods”. The Djinn will also reassure Rod about Matchitisiu and explain that it is the Lord of Chaos who came to him in the desert.
Myth target: p.143 - Rakshasas, Rama, Ramayana, Ran (Norse), Rashnu, Ravana
When the party emerges from Roderick's trial, they will come out of the underworld caverns and emerge into the sun of Godsland. They will still be unable to plane shift home, but will be visited by Matchitisiu in a more direct form than ever before.
The Police - Secret Journey
Upon a secret journey
I met a holy man
His blindness was his wisdom
I'm such a lonely man
And as the world was turning
It rolled itself in pain
This does not seem to touch you
He pointed to the rain
You will see light in the darkness
You will make some sense of this
And when you've made your secret journey
You will find the love you miss
And on the days that followed
I listened to his words
I strained to understand him
I chased his thoughts like birds
You will see light in the darkness
You will make some sense of this
And when you've made your secret journey
You will find the love you miss
You will see light in the darkness
You will make some sense of this
You will see joy in this sadness
You will find this love you miss
And when you've made your secret journey
You will be a holy man