Dragon Delves: The Forbidden Vale

Nature Lovers

Herbalists, naturalists, and druids came to Arborean Springs not long after the fall of the githyanki exiles' realm, drawn by the special plants that grow near the gardens on Mount Glathek. Their initial attempts to explore the gardens were rebuffed by a red dragon living there. The dragon retaliated against this intrusion by igniting a cataclysmic wildfire that almost eliminated the young town of Arborean Springs and the surrounding farms and pasturelands. This rampage turned out to be the first of many.

Merchants

Merchants come to Arborean Springs between the dragon's rampages, but each new rampage drives them away. Within the last century, a new crop of business-minded people seeking to capitalize on the hot springs has come to town. The merchants who now live here are nervous for their homes and concerned about the wildfires' effect on business.

Traditionalists

The descendants of the githyanki's original subjects are largely farmers, herders, and hunters. Their folklore contains the only surviving historical accounts of the githyanki's kingdom. Their tales center around the dragon's rampages, which began when the region's people rose up in revolt against diabolical tyrants. These rulers are remembered today as magically powerful and casually cruel. They wielded shining swords, and their dragon ally breathed fire.

Local tales include stories of heroes who stood against the dragon to protect their herds or fields during past rampages, but according to their legends, if anyone enters the Forbidden Vale to confront the dragon, such a trespass will be punished with even more violence.

Dragoneye Flowers

The flowers are dragoneye flowers. The Burning Circle members believe that when dragoneye flowers bloom, it is time for Xabazhut to return to his slumber (see "x"). These flowers have slender petals like tongues of flame surrounding bright yellow centers, and the flowers' oblong, black pistils resemble the slitted pupils of dragons.

A crushed dragoneye flower produces sparks that can start a fire; the flower functions as a Tinderbox with a single use. A picked flower retains its potency for 1d4 + 3 days.

Attack from Above

The mountains are the hunting grounds for a Roc that is none too pleased that the forests are going up in flames—even though it happily hunts prey fleeing the fires. Its primary motivation is finding food; it is unlikely to fight to the death. Its nest lies near the top of Paradise Peak to the east. It initiates combat as soon as it spots one of the characters.

After seeing the roc, characters who successfully identified the claw marks on the statue's head at Godshead Crossing (area x) recognize that this massive creature is responsible for damaging the statue, likely having mistaken it for prey.

Going Around

Skirting the wildfire by land involves moving into mountainous terrain and adding several extra miles to the characters' trip. About one hour into the journey, the characters encounter a group of fiery monsters—three Fire Elementals and five Smoke Mephits—that emerge from the flames to fight them.

If the characters are able to keep the entire party aloft for 2 miles of travel, they could travel over the fire instead. For every hour a creature spends in the air above the wildfire, it makes a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature gains 1 Exhaustion level from exposure to the heat and smoke.

Going Through

The portion of the valley containing the wildfire is considered the area of an inferno (see the "Hazards" section of the Dungeon Master's Guide).

Source of the Flames

If the characters linger here, looking for people trapped in the fire or otherwise exploring, they might draw the attention of the wildfires' source: the dragon Xabazhut (Young Red Dragon).

Don't use this encounter if the characters have already fought Xabazhut elsewhere. The dragon tries to remain hidden in the smoky air until he can breathe fire down on the party from above. If the dragon realizes the characters survived, he stays and fights them until he becomes Bloodied; then he returns to his lair to recover.

Lake of Bones

The Lake of Bones is a hot spring 50 feet deep. Any creature that enters the scalding lake for the first time on a turn or starts its turn in the water takes 11 (2d10) Fire damage. Being underwater doesn't grant Resistance to this Fire damage.

Stone Bridge

The bridge is 20 feet wide, 30 feet high, and 250 feet long. It spans the lake from its southern shore to the first tier of the gardens. Stone statues of red dragons flank both ends of the bridge. Wisps of steam rising from the lake sometimes create the impression that the dragons are moving, but they are ordinary statues.

Astral Lift

A 10-foot-diameter shaft runs through the center of the ziggurat, from the dragon's underground lair in area x to areas x, x, and x. The shaft is infused with energy from the Astral Plane that magically interferes with movement and the Material Plane's gravity. An object in the shaft that is neither worn nor carried hangs motionless in the air, and ammunition and thrown weapons stop moving when they enter the shaft. A creature in the shaft has a Fly Speed (in feet) equal to 5 times its Intelligence score and can hover. As soon as the creature moves outside the boundaries of the shaft, the effect ends. The shaft extends to the ceiling of area x, 15 feet above the floor, and to the surface of the lake in area x. It passes through the Antechamber of Sacred Repose (area x) and the Antechamber of Unearthly Delights (area x). All chambers connected to the Astral lift are warm and humid thanks to the hot water below.

Ceilings

Unless stated otherwise, ceilings in rooms are 15 feet high, and those in passages are 10 feet high.

Doors

Doors in the gardens are made of stone.

Extraplanar Plants

Several plants in the gardens originate in the Outer Planes. As a Study action, a character can make a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana or Nature) check. On a success, the character knows the plane of existence where a plant originated. If the check's total is at least 20, the character also knows the plant's properties and effects. The plants can't survive more than one day outside the gardens on the Material Plane. One gallon of water from its native plane sustains a plant for 1d4 weeks; pools in the Astral garden (area x) contain such water.

Lighting

Windows (see below) and broken walls allow daylight into rooms on the edges of the ziggurat, filling them with Bright Light in the daytime. The lift chambers on the second and third tiers (areas x and x) are filled with Bright Light in daylight hours, while the lift chamber on the first tier (area x) is filled with Dim Light from the shaft above.

Water

Pools and irrigation canals are 3 feet deep.

Windows

Window shafts allow daylight into every room alongside the outer walls of the gardens. These windows are 3 feet square; are set near the top of each tier; and slant downward into the room, opening about 10 feet above the floor.

G1: Hall of the Dragon

The fresco on the west wall depicts an enormous red dragon exhaling fire over a forested landscape. Several burning villages appear in distinct scenes along the wall's length.

The fresco on the east wall shows an armored knight on the back of a red dragon flying across the landscape. This pair appears in multiple scenes along the wall, with the dragon's wings in a different position in each scene. The land below the knight and dragon is depicted as a raging inferno.

G2: Hall of Desolation

The frescoes in these chambers depict four githyanki building and tending the gardens, conquering the surrounding region, and feasting in celebration. An enormous red dragon is visible in many scenes, soaring triumphantly through the sky or coiled atop a great hoard of plundered treasure. Ozzadraz appears in the frescoes of the northeast chamber, and Zumzn in the northwest chamber.

G3: Passage of Stars

The "stars" embedded in the surfaces of the hall are tiny chips of glowing stone harvested from a mountain in Elysium. They can be pried out using Jeweler's Tools or Mason's Tools, at a rate of 1d8 stones per minute (to a maximum of 300 stones). Each one sheds Dim Light in a 5-foot radius and can be sold for 5 SP.

G4: Well of Repose

The frescoes here memorialize the githyanki warriors who fought alongside the gardens' founders in their ill-fated revolt against the lich-queen. The githyanki exiles would toss coins into the well periodically to honor them.

G5: Garden of Chaos

The githyanki exiles used this simulation to practice the combat skills needed to battle githzerai on the Plane of Limbo. An infusion of energy from Limbo makes the room permanently behave like that plane. In particular, a creature here can attempt to move or alter objects or to stabilize an area as described in the "Limbo" section of the Dungeon Master's Guide. Characters can use these techniques to create a safe pathway to the room's exit.

Despite appearing to be a bottomless abyss, the room has a floor creatures can move across. However, a creature that moves across the floor takes 2 (1d4) Psychic damage for every 5 feet it moves, as the visual dissonance of moving across an abyss tears at the creature's mind.

G6: Garden of the Guardian

A Spirit Naga called Hate's Embrace dwells in this grand hall, placed here by Ozzadraz long ago to guard the githyanki exiles' most sacred objects. The naga resents and fears Xabazhut and Ozzadraz, but with the dragon in its lair (or out spreading wildfires around the countryside) and the githyanki leader in suspended animation, the naga enjoys unimpeded access to the first tier of the gardens.

The naga captured the last party of adventurers who came here—a group hired by Ginder Nanik in Arborean Springs to scout the gardens for exploitable resources—and slowly and torturously transformed them into yuan-ti. These creatures live in the servants' quarters (area x) and come to the naga's aid when called.

G7: Servants' Quarters

Four Yuan-ti Malisons (Type 3) lair in these chambers, which once belonged to humans conscripted to help the githyanki build and maintain the gardens. The yuan-ti were humans themselves only a few years ago, when Ginder Nanik in Arborean Springs hired them to scout the gardens for resources the merchant might exploit. But the naga in area x captured them and transformed them into their current forms through sinister rites and excruciating torture.

The yuan-ti have no memories of their previous existence and serve the naga unwaveringly. They rush out of this area to aid the naga when they notice combat or a cry for help.

G8: Garden of the Hated Foe

The mold is one patch of yellow mold, described in the Dungeon Master's Guide. It grows all over the rack, so touching any of the silver circlets causes the mold to discharge spores.

A character who dons a circlet activates a phantasm—a training exercise for the githyanki exiles. The character observes a Mind Flayer and a Cyclops Sentry in the center of the room, with the illithid hovering in the air above and behind the cyclops.

Characters who aren't wearing circlets can't affect or perceive these creatures—illusions that exist only in the mind of the character wearing the circlet. Any other characters who don circlets perceive the same illusions. When the characters initiate combat, or after 1 minute, the monsters fight characters wearing circlets. Their damaging actions deal Psychic damage rather than the type the creatures depicted would normally deal, but they are otherwise fully real as far as the characters wearing circlets are concerned. The monsters can be damaged or destroyed by those characters' actions.

A character can't pierce the illusion while wearing a circlet, but simply taking off the circlet causes the illusion to disappear for that character. The illusory monsters can't harm or otherwise affect characters who aren't wearing circlets.

The circlets' magic functions only in this room. Each is worth 25 GP.

G9: Antechamber of Sacred Repose

The Astral lift is described in "x." The lift connects to the dragon's lair 50 feet below (area x) and to the Antechamber of Unearthly Delights 20 feet above (area x).

G10: Raiders

Two would-be thieves entered the gardens from the Underdark by way of the well (area x), after collecting the coins from the bottom of the pit in that chamber. They barely made any progress into the ziggurat before Xabazhut emerged from the Astral lift, discovered their presence, and destroyed them and their treasure.

G11: Shrine of the Queen

In this shrine, the githyanki paid penitent homage to Vlaakith, the dread githyanki ruler they rebelled against, who banished them as punishment for their insurrection. The sense of malice in this room is palpable. A powerful curse protects the sculpture from any who would deface it.

G12: Garden of the Conqueror

This is the lair of the Githyanki Knight Ozzadraz the Conqueror, ruler of the exiled githyanki who built the gardens. He lies in the sarcophagus under the effect of the Sequester spell, which makes him Invisible and keeps him in suspended animation. The spell ends if Ozzadraz takes any damage or if Xabazhut takes damage while within the ziggurat. Ozzadraz responds by confronting the characters and demanding their obeisance, fighting them if they refuse.

G13: Rose Garden

These hedges are Arborean roses, transplanted from the plane of Arborea. The first time a creature comes within 15 feet of one of these hedges, the creature makes a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the next time the creature notices a creature that isn't one of its allies, it becomes besotted with that creature and has the Charmed condition for 1 hour.

G14: Garden of the Dragon

This area is Xabazhut's lair and holds his hoard, plundered from the towns of the Paradise Mountains region. Xabazhut is a Young Red Dragon who wants to burn the area and grow his hoard, as his predecessor did. He emerges from his lair from time to time to start new wildfires, but he spends most of every day here in his lair.

As soon as Xabazhut takes damage, Ozzadraz awakens from his suspended animation on the Airship (area x)—if he hasn't already—and hurries to the dragon's aid. He calls for the dragon to fly up toward the ceiling of the cavern, allowing the githyanki to teleport onto his back. If Bloodied, Xabazhut attempts to bargain or compromise to escape with his life.

G15: Bog of the Green Hags

Natural deterioration has transformed this former Feywild garden into a bog, and three Green Hags (see above) now lair here. When alerted to the approach of intruders, the hags use magic to disguise themselves as dryads and pretend to be bound to the trees in this chamber.

If combat begins in this room, the Chimera in area x comes to the hags' aid immediately.

G16: Overgrown Garden

A Chimera dwells in this room, often lounging in the water or sunning itself in the southwest corner. The hags flatter it, feed it well, and present it with gifts to ensure its cooperation. It comes to the hags' aid if they are threatened within earshot of it.

G17: The Hellbloom

This hellbloom flower, native to the Nine Hells, exudes a sweetly pleasant musk. The first time a creature comes within 5 feet of the hellbloom, the flower emits a cloud of noxious gas that duplicates the effect of the Stinking Cloud spell (spell save DC 15). Once the flower has emitted this gas, it can't do so again until the next dawn.

G18: Astral Reliefs

This chamber is the lair of three Hostile Manticores that grudgingly serve the hags in the bog (true). During the day, one manticore lurks in the lair while the other two travel around this tier of the gardens. All three monsters are here at night. Describe how many are present after describing the room as follows:

G19: Antechamber of Unearthly Delights

The Astral lift, which passes through this chamber, is described in "x." The lift connects 20 feet below to the Antechamber of Sacred Repose (area x) and 20 feet above to the gardens' pinnacle (area x).

G20: Astral Garden

This is a meditation and healing chamber. The gardens' builders created it to recall their home among the color pools of the Astral Plane and to nourish plants from the Outer Planes.

G21: Menagerie

The mirror is a Mirror of Life Trapping, which contains the denizens of the menagerie. The hags know the command words for the mirror and use the mirror's cells to keep their monstrous pets.

G22: Overgrown Passage

A collapse in the northeast corner allows vegetation to grow through the wall and into the menagerie (area x). The rubble and dense vegetation make the passage Difficult Terrain, and two vicious vines (see "Hazards" in the Dungeon Master's Guide) grow in the passage. These vines deal 11 (2d10) Piercing damage to creatures Grappled by them; the DC to avoid or escape their grip is 14.

G23: Heroes' Grapes

Five particularly large bunches of grapes hang on this godsvine from Ysgard. Eating one bunch of these grapes takes 1 minute and grants the effects of a Potion of Heroism.

G24: High Terrace

The Neutral Treant is a reincarnation of Zumzn, the githyanki gardener who cultivated this place. The creature uses Zumzn's name but remembers nothing of its previous existence except that Zumzn tended these gardens. Zumzn's only goal is to protect the gardens. As long as it regards the adventurers as intruders and thus a potential threat, it is Hostile to them. But if convinced they don't pose a threat to the gardens, it becomes Indifferent.

G25: Everflowing Springs

This is the lair of Duban the Magnificent, a haughty Marid bound to serve Ozzadraz. When the characters arrive in his lair, Duban is Indifferent and has cast Invisibility to observe them unseen and gauge their intent.

Duban oversees the irrigation of the gardens and defends them from invaders. He opposes the characters unless he thinks them capable of defeating Xabazhut and Ozzadraz. If the characters convince Duban of their strength, whether through combat or conversation, Duban enchants one of their weapons with a Charm of the Slayer (see "Supernatural Gifts" in the Dungeon Master's Guide) against the dragon.