Contents
Factions
This appendix describes three factions that appear in the adventure: the x, the x, and x.
Hourglass Coven
The Hourglass Coven is a group of three hags, each one bound to an aspect of time: one reflects the past, another reflects the present, and the third reflects the future. These hags are utter wickedness distilled into corporeal forms, driven by a lust for secrets that can be used to manipulate their prey.
Skabatha Nightshade, Bavlorna Blightstraw, and Endelyn Moongrave are daughters of Baba Yaga. The three became wild with jealousy when Iggwilv, Baba Yaga's adopted daughter, surpassed them in power and carved out a Feywild domain for herself in the guise of an archfey named Zybilna. The hags wormed their way into Iggwilv's good graces, biding their time until they could wrest the domain from her clutches. They waited until Iggwilv was lured away on an important matter to imbue Iggwilv's Cauldron with the ability to freeze time. When their sister returned, the hags used this power to trap Iggwilv and her court in temporal stasis. The hags then carved up Iggwilv's domain, splitting it between them. The sisters couldn't agree on which of them should keep Iggwilv's Cauldron, so they left it in Iggwilv's palace and hired some unscrupulous mercenaries to watch over it.
The hags loathe each other's company, but one hag will occasionally visit another to plot against the third sister, creating a vicious circle in which Bavlorna and Endelyn plot against Skabatha, Endelyn and Skabatha conspire against Bavlorna, and Skabatha and Bavlorna bedevil Endelyn. Nothing much ever comes of these petty plots and squabbles, however.
Bavlorna Blightstraw
Younger than Skabatha and older than Endelyn, Bavlorna is called Slack-jawed Lorna because her wide mouth is prone to hang agape. Flies flit in and out of it. She is the hag of the present, the here and now, the moment to moment. Those desperate individuals who seek her out do so to find a remedy for a nagging problem or anxiety. Though she despises unannounced visitors, a tragic tale of woe and misery puts her in a bargaining mood. If these visitors enter into an agreement with Bavlorna, she'll use her powers to resolve their pressing problem in exchange for something of use to her.
Alignment
Neutral evil.
Personality Trait
"I detest chores and would rather have other creatures do them for me."
Ideal
"I don't care about the past or the future. I live in the present. What I do now, this very moment, is all that matters."
Bond
"I'm safe in my cottage. Why should I leave it when I can make others come to me?"
Flaw
"Watching someone run widdershins makes me sneeze uncontrollably."
Bavlorna's Appearance
Bavlorna has a toad-like face with a mouth that magically widens and elongates, enabling her to swallow creatures whole. Her bulging eyes move independently, constantly scanning her surroundings. Stained and moldering patchwork garments hide much of the leathery, mummified flesh that stretches over Bavlorna's compact frame and extraordinarily long, spindly limbs. She must submerge herself in a briny concoction for an hour each day, or her body will dry out until it locks up in a kind of living rictus, and she remains that way until submerged. As the hours pass between each immersion, her movements become more ponderous and her skin audibly cracks as she moves.
Bavlorna lives like a hermit. She is frazzled, impatient, paranoid, and vindictive, lashing out at anyone she thinks is trying to deprive her of the treasures she has tucked away in her cottage. She trusts no one, so she creates tiny duplicates of herself, called lornlings, to serve as her attendants. When she travels away from her lair, she does so on her bobbing lily pad (see appendix A), accompanied by lornlings, which use the quickling stat block in appendix C.
Bavlorna's Weakness
Bavlorna is allergic to the sight of creatures running counterclockwise in circles, a motion known as "running widdershins." Creatures that run widdershins within 10 feet of Bavlorna cause her to lapse into a fit of sneezing. See the stat block for more details.
[image: Bavlorna Blightstraw]
Endelyn Moongrave
Endelyn, also known by the names Creeping Lyn and Bitter End, is the youngest member of the Hourglass Coven. People come to her to learn about their futures, which she spells out through grotesque theatrical pageants. As payment, she snatches away a portion of each client's free will, preventing them from taking certain courses of action in their lives. Her petitioners often learn of a dreadful fate that awaits them but find themselves unable to prevent it due to the cursed terms of their deal.
Endelyn's obsession with tragedy and hopelessness extends to her own life; she has foreseen her own demise during a solar eclipse. In the depths of her castle, a lightning-powered device called the Orrery of Tragedies clicks and turns day and night, giving Endelyn glimpses of her terrible fate.
Alignment
Neutral evil.
Personality Trait
"I have foreseen not only this moment but the next as well. Nothing surprises me."
Ideal
"Each of us gets to play the lead in our own tragedy, but if you can't be bothered to put on a good show before you die, don't waste my time."
Bond
"My world is the stage, and my theater is of paramount importance to me."
Flaw
"My death will occur during an eclipse. That is my doom, and I can't change it, but I will do everything in my power to forestall it."
Endelyn's Appearance
Endelyn's emaciated form is hidden under the layers of her elaborate costume. Part dress, part mechanical theater, the outfit makes her look frighteningly tall; without it, she is a hunched and withered bag of bones. She shrouds her wrinkled features behind a gauzy "theater curtain" veil. The outermost layers of her dress open to reveal a marionette theatre, and she manipulates her puppets using an arrangement of artificial hands that nestles in the folds of fabric. She travels about Yon on her ornithopter of flying (see appendix A).
Endelyn's Weakness
The only way to dispose of Endelyn for good is to slay her during an actual solar eclipse or in the presence of a symbolic depiction of one. See the stat block for details.
[image: Endelyn Moongrave]
Skabatha Nightshade
Skabatha is the oldest member of the Hourglass Coven. Better known as Granny Nightshade, she offers her assistance to those who are haunted by regret. Her deals often result in cruel twists; for example, a petitioner who asks to be reunited with a lost love might be transformed into one of their loved one's cherished items, such as a favorite bonnet.
Skabatha assumes the guise of an old toymaker. Part toy herself, she has a windup key between her hunched shoulders that rotates quickly when she's in a good mood and slows down as her mood sours. When she is furious, the key comes to a dead stop.
Alignment
Neutral evil.
Personality Trait
"When dealing with outsiders, I present myself as a kindly old grandmother."
Ideal
"Children are better off working for me than picking up lots of bad habits."
Bond
"I hate my sisters, but together we are strong."
Flaw
"I forget the first creature I see each day when I awaken."
Skabatha's Appearance
Skabatha appears as a short, thin, gnarled woman swathed in a tattered dress with petticoats. Cracked white face paint plasters her features, with crimson splotches on her cheeks and thick mascara coating her sparse eyelashes. Underneath her makeup, her flesh is textured like rotten bark and infested with wood lice and fungus. The windup key sticking out of her back is a part of her body and no easier to remove than one of her limbs. Skabatha roams Thither on her flying rocking horse (see chapter 3 for its x), which creaks horribly as it moves.
Skabatha's Weakness
Skabatha always forgets the first creature she sees when she awakens after a long rest. See the stat block for details.
[image: Skabatha Nightshade]
League of Malevolence
The League of Malevolence is an odious assemblage of villains united in one purpose: the accumulation of power. Its founding member, the sorcerer Kelek, expects his confederates to work together for their mutual benefit, but he also encourages them to pursue their own evil schemes.
Five members of the league, including Kelek, are described here, although one member (Skylla) has recently parted ways with the others.
Kelek
Kelek is a greedy, narcissistic sociopath who revels in chaos but is a coward at heart. The fact that he's highly intelligent makes him even more dangerous. More than anything, he wants the staff of power in the possession of his most hated foe, Ringlerun (described later in this x).
Alignment
Chaotic evil.
Personality Trait
"All who hear my name should tremble in fear!"
Ideal
"Kindness is just another word for weakness."
Bond
"I must have Ringlerun's staff! With it, the League of Malevolence will be unstoppable!"
Flaw
"I trust no one, nor am I trustworthy."
Skylla
Skylla, who sometimes goes by the alias Charmay, forged a warlock's pact with Baba Yaga. It is from this powerful archfey that Skylla draws her magic.
Skylla is spiteful and treacherous, as likely to betray her allies as to help them. She talked Kelek into allowing her to serve as the primary liaison between the League of Malevolence and the Hourglass Coven, claiming her pact with Baba Yaga made her better suited for the role than anyone else.
Endelyn Moongrave foresaw that Skylla's allies would turn on her one day and shared this information with the warlock. Skylla reacted to that news by distancing herself from the League of Malevolence, and now she works for Endelyn. Skylla is open to the idea of rejoining the league, but not while Kelek is in charge.
Alignment
Chaotic evil.
Personality Trait
"Only a fool would turn their back on me."
Ideal
"Power is what I crave. One can never have too much of it."
Bond
"Baba Yaga is my patron, and she has taught me to be self-reliant. Nevertheless, I feel beholden to stay on good terms with her vile spawn, the hags of the Hourglass Coven."
Flaw
"I don't have a single friend I can count on."
Combat Notes
Skylla is not an effective melee combatant. She is more dangerous when she can use magic from a safe distance. She can also use her faerie fire spell to make foes easier for her allies to hit.
[image: Skylla]
Warduke
Warduke's services as a remorseless killer-for-hire can be easily bought. The evil swordsman serves Kelek as a cohort and adventuring companion from time to time. He isn't terribly bright, which is why he leaves the plotting and scheming to others.
What does Warduke look like under his dread helm? No one knows. He never removes his helmet to reveal his face to others, but the visage beneath it is that of a grim, hideously scarred gladiator.
Alignment
Chaotic evil.
Personality Trait
"I speak with the flames and razor-sharp edges of my sword. They beat words to hell."
Ideal
"I expect to be paid well for my handiwork."
Bond
"The League of Malevolence is a convenient arrangementâuntil something better comes along."
Flaw
"I would rather die than surrender."
Zarak
Zarak is an assassin without honor or conscience. Unusually short of stature for someone of orcish heritage, he might pass for an ugly, beardless dwarf were it not for his rotting tusks and grayish pallor. The only thing he loves is money, and he wouldn't hesitate to stab allies in the back if they came between him and the riches he covets.
Alignment
Chaotic evil.
Personality Trait
"I mince people, not words."
Ideal
"Coin is what I crave."
Bond
"Once I agree to kill something, I pursue my quarry until the job is done."
Flaw
"A friend is just an enemy I haven't made yet."
Combat Notes
When faced with multiple foes, Zarak prefers to hurl daggers from a distance. When targeting a lone individual, especially someone he has been hired to kill, he prefers the up-close-and-personal garrote, so that he can hear the dying breath of his hapless prey. If defeat seems likely, he quaffs his potion of invisibility and flees.
[image: Zarak]
Zargash
Zargash worships Orcus, the Demon Prince of Undeath, who has promised to transform Zargash into a vampire after a lifetime of faithful service. For a living priest to worship Orcus is utter folly, but Zargash is twisted beyond any hope of redemption. His hobbies include slaying the living and animating the dead.
Alignment
Chaotic evil.
Personality Trait
"I do not fear death, for when I die, Orcus will transform me into a vampire."
Ideal
"Entropy is not simply the bane of existence. It's the doom of the multiverse. My job is to speed it along."
Bond
"Praise Orcus! May he give me the power to spread death, decay, and undeath in his name!"
Flaw
"I see living people as the corpses they are doomed to become and treat them accordingly."
Combat Notes
War is Zargash's domain. He wears a rusty chain shirt under his robe and likes to thwart enemy spellcasters by enveloping them in the area of a silence spell. If defeat seems inevitable, he casts gaseous form on himself and flees, leaving his allies to fend for themselves.
[image: Zargash]
Valor's Call
The noble adventuring party known as Valor's Call was founded by Strongheart, a resolute human paladin committed to destroying evil wherever it rears its ugly head. Strongheart alone determines who can become a member of this prestigious group, which has more members than those described here. (The other members, who do not appear in this adventure, are busy elsewhere.) Strongheart is always on the lookout for courageous heroes who are willing to devote themselves to a good cause. Only good-aligned characters are allowed to join Valor's Call.
Elkhorn
Elkhorn has been Strongheart's most stalwart companion over the yearsâunflinchingly loyal, tirelessly optimistic, and fiercely devoted to the destruction of evil in all its forms. He's not especially bright, so he fights with his heart rather than his wits.
Age has drained much of the strength from Elkhorn's body. Strongheart has urged Elkhorn to retire, but the old dwarf stubbornly refuses to do so.
Alignment
Lawful good.
Personality Trait
"As long as I have the strength in my bones to fight evil, that is what I will do."
Ideal
"One who stands idle as evil remains unchecked is no friend or ally of mine. We all have an obligation to fight atrocity and corruption, to whatever extent we can."
Bond
"Strongheart is a good egg, but I have yet to teach him all I know about being a true menace to evildoers."
Flaw
"Retire? My goodness, no. I'll retire when I'm dead."
Mercion
Mercion strikes the balance of a natural leader and a protective caregiver. She has a direct manner that reassures and inspires those around her.
Mercion does not worship a deity, but rather an ideal: that truth gives life to artistry and beauty, and that those who embrace deceit should be censured and punished. Light is her domain.
Alignment
Lawful good.
Personality Trait
"No one dies on my watchâunless they stand against what I hold dear."
Ideal
"Truth begets art and beauty, while deceit does nothing but tear the fabric of our souls."
Bond
"Evildoers beware! Valor's Call is coming for you."
Flaw
"My friends would say I'm inflexible. The truth is, I like things done a certain way."
Combat Notes
Mercion counts on her armor to protect her as she administers healing. She uses Radiant Fire against groups of foes when there's no chance of harming allies or innocent lives, otherwise resorting to hold person spells and Divine Radiance attacks.
[image: Mercion]
Molliver
Molliver is a thief who gives most of what they steal to the destitute, keeping a few choice items for their own use. They're always ready to put themself in harm's way to see justice triumph over tyranny and inequality.
Molliver invites trouble by not thinking through the ramifications of their actions, counting on their friends to bail them out whenever they get in over their head. They always have a friendly jibe or acerbic remark on the tip of their tongue, and their cavalier attitude doesn't always sit well with their more cautious companions.
Alignment
Chaotic good.
Personality Trait
"I'm a bit rash, to put it mildly."
Ideal
"I have no tolerance for bullies and tyrants."
Bond
"The brigganocks of Yon are my trusted friends. They need someone to protect them, and I happily volunteer."
Flaw
"My impatience sometimes demands that I strike out on my own while my comrades-in-arms waste time deliberating."
Combat Notes
Molliver likes to get up close and personal in fights. If they're caught in a tight spot, they try to use their boots of levitation to escape.
[image: Molliver]
Ringlerun
Ringlerun became an adventurer to better satisfy his craving for arcane knowledge. One of his adventures took him into an underwater tomb, where he tricked a marid into surrendering a staff of power. This staff greatly increased Ringlerun's capabilities and made him the envy of many rival spellcasters.
Ringlerun has a good heart, but he's easily distracted by intellectual pursuits. He would rather spend time in quiet contemplation or reading than in frivolous conversation.
Alignment
Lawful good.
Personality Trait
"Don't talk to me. I'm reading."
Ideal
"Magic belongs only in the hands of those who use it for noble ends."
Bond
"My staff of power dramatically enhances my magical abilities. I shudder to think how its power could be abused in the wrong hands."
Flaw
"I get prickly when people who are clearly less intelligent want to tell me what to do."
Combat Notes
Ringlerun can fend off melee attackers with wild swings of his staff, but he prefers to fly out of reach and attack at range using his staff's formidable spells (cone of cold being his favorite).
[image: Ringlerun]
Strongheart
Strongheart is a fearless seeker of justice, risking his life to ensure that good triumphs over evil. He is thoughtful, kind, and seldom rash, yet never hesitant to punish those who spit in the face of law and order.
Strongheart doesn't worship a god but devotes himself to an ideal: that the world can be spared from evil by those who have enough courage to stand against it.
Alignment
Lawful good.
Personality Trait
"I try to see the good in people, but I won't give comfort to those who have no goodness in them."
Ideal
"Justice needs champions. I count myself as one."
Bond
"Valor's Call is not just an assembly of like-minded individuals who believe that good must triumph over evil. Its members are also my friends."
Flaw
"I am preparedâmy friends might say too preparedâto sacrifice myself for the greatest good."
Combat Notes
Strongheart prefers to fight with Steel, his trusty sword. His favorite use of the command spell is to compel a foe to "Yield!" (which has the same effect as commanding it to halt). He tries to capture and imprison evildoers, slaying them only if they cannot be apprehended.
[image: Strongheart]