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Vecna: Eve of Ruin

AdventureVEoR2014

Contents

  1. 1Introduction: Danger to the Multiverse
  2. 2Chapter 1: Return from Neverdeath Graveyard
  3. 3Chapter 2: The Wizards Three
  4. 4Chapter 3: The Lambent Zenith's Last Voyage
  5. 5Chapter 4: The Ruined Colossus
  6. 6Chapter 5: Death House
  7. 7Chapter 6: Night of Blue Fire
  8. 8Chapter 7: Tomb of Wayward Souls
  9. 9Chapter 8: The Dragon Queen's Pride
  10. 10Chapter 9: The Betrayer Revealed
  11. 11Chapter 10: The War of Pandesmos
  12. 12Chapter 11: Eve of Ruin
  13. 13Appendix A: Bestiary
  14. 14Appendix B: Character Dossier
  15. 15Appendix C: Secrets Tracker
  16. 16Credits
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Chapter 6: Night of Blue Fire

[image: To retrieve the fifth rod piece, the characters must infiltrate Three Moons Vault, a complex teeming with allies of the evil Lord Soth]

To find the next piece of the Rod of Seven Parts, the characters must travel to the world of Krynn where the Blue Fire Wardens, a coalition of benevolent lycanthropes, have clashed with the death knight Lord Soth and his minions. By infiltrating a heavily fortified keep, rescuing the Blue Fire Wardens' leader, and unraveling the schemes of the evil mage Teremini Nightsedge, the characters can claim the fifth rod piece.

Running This Chapter

This chapter begins after the characters retrieve the fourth piece of the Rod of Seven Parts. When a character holds this piece, they instinctively know that the fifth piece is located somewhere on the war-torn world of Krynn. That character senses that the fifth piece is located near a massive, magical tree, in a region called the Northern Dargaard Mountains, but this indication seems inexact. The fifth piece's location is unclear to the characters.

Neither the characters nor the Wizards Three know why the location of the fifth piece is ambiguous. In truth, the fifth piece was housed in the tree until recently, when it was taken to a nearby castle called Three Moons Vault. The crimson moonlight that now surrounds the castle warps the rod's magical properties. To retrieve the fifth rod piece, the characters must dispel the magical moonlight by disrupting a wicked ritual in the vault.

This chapter starts when the characters step through the portal in Sigil, emerge on Krynn, and begin their search for the magical tree. Though initially fruitless, the characters' search puts them in contact with benevolent lycanthropes who know where to find the fifth piece. The characters must then infiltrate the Three Moons Vault. There, the characters must secure the fifth rod piece from Teremini Nightsedge, an ally of Lord Soth.

Character Advancement

The characters should be 15th level when this chapter begins. The characters gain a level after they retrieve the fifth piece of Rod of Seven Parts from the upper level of Three Moons Vault.

Power of Secrets

The characters can learn two secrets in this chapter that are applicable to the rules in "x" section in this book's introduction:

  • Gazaia's Secret. The dryad Gazaia hid and watched while soldiers attacked the peylon tree where she lived and looted the fifth piece of the Rod of Seven Parts, which was sustaining the tree. Gazaia now hides in the grotto (x) described in the "x" section later in this chapter.
  • Valendar's Secret. The werewolf Valendar led an assault against his enemies without properly planning the mission. Valendar is the leader of the Blue Fire Wardens and is held captive in x of the x.

Fifth Rod Piece

The fifth piece of the Rod of Seven Parts is in x in the upper level of the Three Moons Vault. For more information about the rod and the spell this piece allows its wielder to cast, see this book's x.

Krynn

Once the characters decide to seek the fifth piece of the Rod of Seven Parts, the portal in the Sigil sanctum takes them to the world of Krynn, where evil plots complicate the party's search.

Knowledge of Krynn

The libraries in Sigil contain the following useful information about Krynn:

  • Dragons of Krynn. Dragons have a strong presence on Krynn. Chromatic dragons swear allegiance to the expansionistic Dragon Armies of Queen Takhisis. Unusual dragons such as sapphire dragons and lunar dragons pursue hidden agendas.
  • Ruins of the Cataclysm. A world-shattering event called the Cataclysm swept across Krynn centuries ago. The apocalypse destroyed nations, unleashed monsters, and cast Krynn into a dark age.
  • War Torn. Recently, war has spread across Krynn. Infamous warlords such as the elf mage Feal-Thas and the death knight Lord Soth (see x) have taken up arms in their bids for greater power.

Arriving on Krynn

When the party steps through the Sigil portal and arrives on Krynn, they arrive through a doorway in a massive tree. Read the following:

The fourth rod piece points its wielder to a dying peylon tree. This peylon tree grew to a titanic height thanks to the magic of the rod piece that was previously embedded in its trunk. The rod piece was recently removed, resulting in the tree's current state of decay.

The tree still bears traces of the rod's magic. The fourth piece of the Rod of Seven Parts points here due to those traces, and the crimson moonlight and latent magic from the Three Moons Vault warps the artifact's divinatory properties. The characters must investigate the tree and talk to its occupants to learn the fifth rod piece's true whereabouts.

The Peylon Tree

[image: An enormous, magical tree seems to be the location of the next rod piece, though the characters soon learn the piece is elsewhere]

The characters begin their exploration of the peylon tree at x. When they arrive at the tree, read or paraphrase the following:

Tree Features

The peylon tree has the following features:

  • Light. During the day, the peylon tree's interior is dimly lit by light filtering in from outside.
  • Trunk. The tree's rotten bark is soft and easy to climb both inside and out.

Peylon Tree Locations

The following locations are keyed to map 6.1.

P1: Rotted Roots

A character who examines the ground around the tree can make a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) check. On a successful check, the character spots vague humanoid footprints in the soft dirt. The tracks lead into area P2.

Alternative Entrance

A character who scales the roots that form a mound along the east side of the tree can enter through the east side of x, 60 feet up.

P2: Hollow

The fourth piece of the Rod of Seven Parts points its wielder to the boulder along the tree's interior northwest curve.

If the characters enter this area from area P1, they attract the attention of the treant and spiders dwelling on the ledge above (see area P3).

Grotto Entrance

Inspecting the boulder reveals a hole dug into the loamy soil beneath it. The hole connects to a small grotto beneath the tree (x). With the boulder atop it, the hole is big enough for a Small or smaller creature to fit through.

A creature can spend 1 minute digging to widen the hole so Medium creatures can fit through. Alternatively, the boulder can be pushed aside by any number of creatures with a combined Strength score of 30 or more.

P3: Ledge

Rosintar, a neutral evil treant who hates intruders, hides on this ledge above area P2. Two giant spiders lurk in the ledge's corner and follow Rosintar's commands.

While motionless, Rosintar is indistinguishable from the rest of the peylon tree. A character looking out for trouble notices the two giant spiders with a successful DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check. Shortly after the characters arrive in area P2, Rosintar silently signals for the spiders to sneak up on the party. Any character with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 15 or higher notices the spiders readying to attack. As soon as the spiders attack, Rosintar hurls a rock at a random character, then fights viciously to drive the intruders away.

If the treant notices characters arriving on the ledge via the alternative entrance (see x), it screeches in surprise and attacks the intruders.

Rosintar fights until reduced to 30 or fewer hit points. At that point, Rosintar surrenders.

What the Treant Knows

If the characters allow Rosintar to surrender, the treant tells the party that a cruel dryad named Gazaia dwells in the grotto beneath the tree, accessible via a hole under the boulder (see area P4). The treant bemoans that it didn't notice "the previous intruder"—a small person in a dark-blue cloak—until the intruder had already squeezed into the hole under the boulder. Rosintar doesn't go near the hole, both because the treant wouldn't fit and because it is afraid of Gazaia. Of the blue-cloaked intruder's fate, Rosintar says flatly and with certainty: "The blue-cloaked gnat must be dead."

P4: Grotto

It's a 50-foot drop from the hole in x to the floor of this underground chamber. Even during the day, the fetid grotto is dark.

The rummaging figure is a kender named Riffel who also happens to be a werewolf (use the werewolf stat block, except Riffel's size is Small and his alignment is neutral good). When Riffel realizes he has company, he jumps to his feet and draws his spear, but he doesn't fight unless attacked. He is initially wary of the characters but is willing to hear them out. If a character mentions the rod piece, or if a character tries to befriend Riffel and succeeds on a DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) check, Riffel relaxes and puts away his weapon.

Riffel's Quest

Riffel says he is searching this grotto for a fresh peylon fruit. He explains that he is a member of a group called the Blue Fire Wardens: naturalists who oppose the death knight Lord Soth. The wardens recently attempted to besiege a group of Soth's followers in a keep called the Three Moons Vault, but the attack failed. Riffel and his fellow survivors fled to the nearby wetlands, but then were attacked by a violent monster.

If the characters mention the rod piece, Riffel says:

Riffel explains that he needs the peylon fruit to distract a borthak—a bog monster that attacked the Blue Fire Wardens and trapped Riffel's allies.

Riffel continues his explanation:

The Deadbark Dryad

As Riffel and the characters talk, the peylon tree's guardian emerges from the grotto's wall and stands before her uninvited guests. This is Gazaia, a deadbark dryad (see appendix A). Annoyed at the disturbance, Gazaia tells the party and Riffel to state their business or leave her sanctum at once.

The Last Peylon Fruit

Gazaia says that there is one ripe peylon fruit left in this tree, and she's willing to give it to the party—for a price. Gazaia requests any magic item in exchange for the fruit and will take no other payment.

Bargaining with Gazaia

Gazaia can convey the following points to the party:

  • Corruption of Soth. Not long ago, Gazaia and her tree were verdant and thriving. A powerful artifact buried in this hill—the rod piece—infused the peylon tree with its magic and enticed Gazaia to become the tree's guardian. When Lord Soth's soldiers recently stole the artifact, Gazaia failed to defend her charge. The tree turned fetid without the artifact, and Gazaia became angry, vengeful, and grief-stricken.
  • Gazaia's Anger. If the characters refuse Gazaia's offer and fail to promptly leave, or if Gazaia catches a character attempting to take the peylon fruit by stealth or force, she attacks the party viciously and fights until destroyed.
  • Gazaia's Secret. The deadbark dryad bitterly recounts the tale of Lord Soth's soldiers assaulting the tree. If a character tries to comfort Gazaia, she confesses that she hid while the soldiers were around the tree. Gazaia feels extremely guilty that she didn't defend her charge. Regardless of the characters' reaction to this revelation, learning it counts as a secret for the purposes of the x rules in this book's introduction.

Gazaia's Death

If Gazaia dies before she shares information with the party, the characters find the ripe peylon fruit in her possession.

Leaving the Peylon Tree

Once the party has the peylon fruit, they can leave the peylon tree with Riffel and continue the adventure.

Bittergrass Fen

To help Riffel save his fellow wardens, the characters must follow the kender werewolf to a marshy lowland called Bittergrass Fen.

Journey to Bittergrass Fen

By foot, the trek to Bittergrass Fen takes an hour. Along the way, Riffel conveys the following:

  • Teremini's Vault. The Three Moons Vault is a heavily fortified keep in the nearby mountains. It's overseen by the archmage Teremini Nightsedge, who serves the dreaded Lord Soth.
  • The Stolen Shard. Teremini's soldiers stole a magical shard at the heart of the peylon tree. The tree and its dryad became corrupted shortly thereafter. (The characters are certain this is the fifth piece of the Rod of Seven Parts.)
  • The Blue Fire Wardens. Riffel is a member of the Blue Fire Wardens: benevolent lycanthropes and trackers who oppose Lord Soth and worship the nature god Habbakuk. The wardens' attack on the Three Moons Vault was a catastrophic failure that resulted in the capture of the group's leader, Valendar. Valendar knows more about the vault and the stolen rod piece than any of the other wardens.

Approaching the Fen

Once the party arrives at Bittergrass Fen, show your players map 6.2. Read the following to describe the scene:

The Blue Fire Wardens are trapped inside their own temple. If the characters don't intervene, the borthak (see appendix A) will soon break through the temple door.

The borthak is too large to fit through the stone door and into the temple, though smaller creatures can slip through with some effort. Left alone, the borthak uses its action on each of its turns to attack the temple door. The door has AC 20, 225 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. If the borthak succeeds in breaking down the door, it enters the temple and attacks the seven wardens (use the werewolf stat block, except their alignments are neutral good) who are trapped inside.

The underground temple isn't shown on map 6.2. Hewn out of the rock and earth, it has a central gathering area and six adjoining cells, where the wardens sleep and pray behind thin wooden doors. The temple contains supplies but nothing of value.

Distracting the Borthak

If one or more characters attack the borthak, it stops attacking the temple long enough to defend itself.

As an action, a character can use a ripe peylon fruit to distract the borthak. If the fruit is hurled toward the borthak, the monster moves toward the fruit on its next turn and uses its action to devour it. If a character holding the fruit moves within 20 feet of the borthak, the borthak pursues and attacks that character, eager to obtain the fruit.

While characters contend with the borthak, Riffel moves quickly toward the temple door and crawls through a narrow gap underneath it. The gap is just big enough for a Small character to squeeze through. Once inside, Riffel urges the other wardens to evacuate the temple while the borthak is distracted. On Riffel's next turn, he and the wardens push open the temple door so everyone can escape. Once outside, they skirt along the bluff, heading north. If one or more characters assist with the evacuation, they can keep an eye on the borthak and distract it if necessary while Riffel helps the wardens get to safety.

Bittergrass Fen Features

The fen has features the characters can use to their advantage in a confrontation with the borthak:

  • Floating Boulders. The boulders floating above the stone pillars are held aloft by ancient druidic magic. Casting Dispel Magic on a boulder causes it to fall and tumble to the ground. As an action, a character within reach of a floating boulder can try to push it, doing so with a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. Pushing the boulder ends the magic on it and causes it to fall in whichever direction the character prefers. Any creature in the path of a falling boulder must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to avoid it, taking 11 (2d10) bludgeoning damage on a failed save.
  • Muddy Bank. The ground within 20 feet of the creek's eastern shore has turned to sticky mud and is difficult terrain.

Escaping the Fen

Once all the wardens escape the temple, each warden transforms into a wolf and flees from the borthak. End the characters' encounter with the borthak when they defeat it or after they and all the wardens have escaped, whichever happens first.

[image: A terrifying monster called a borthak has trapped several Blue Fire Wardens in Bittergrass Fen]

The Blue Fire Wardens

Once the wardens are safe, a human werewolf named Argentia Skywright (use the werewolf stat block, except her alignment is neutral good) thanks the characters on behalf of her group. She expands on what Riffel told the party earlier about the Three Moons Vault, conveying the following points:

[image: Argentira Skywright]

  • Blue Fire Attack. Shortly after Teremini Nightsedge's soldiers seized the rod fragment from the peylon tree, the Blue Fire Wardens assaulted the Three Moons Vault. They refer to their attack as the Night of Blue Fire. Teremini, a renegade from the Mages of High Sorcery's Order of the Red Robes, foresaw the attack and used powerful lunar magic to create a shroud of transformative red moonlight around the vault. Werewolves that step into this moonlight lose control of their powers and succumb to raw, animalistic instinct, making it easier for Teremini to manipulate or trap them.
  • Mage's Ritual. Teremini learned her red moonlight magic from a lunar dragon named Orinix. Orinix also taught Teremini a ritual to make the wall of transformative moonlight permanent and tasked her with completing this lengthy, taxing ritual. While she focuses on the ritual, powerful magical barriers surround Teremini and her ritual components, which include the fifth rod piece.
  • Stopping the Ritual. Argentia insists there must be a way to disrupt Teremini's ritual so the characters can seize the rod piece. She encourages the characters to find and rescue Valendar, the wardens' imprisoned leader, who might know how to stop Teremini's ritual.

Wardens' Aid

Argentia gives the characters a Spell Scroll of Moonbeam. She also explains that if Valendar is stuck in his wolf or hybrid form, they must bring Valendar close to death before he'll return to his true form, which is a human.

Riffel agrees to take the characters to the Three Moons Vault's secret entrance. Before the party leaves, Argentia leads a quick rite to cast a protective ward over Riffel. For the next 12 hours, Riffel and allies within 10 feet of him are immune to the Forced Transformation effect of Teremini's curtain of red moonlight (see the "x" subsection of the "x" section). The wardens have enough power to cast this ritual only once, so it's imperative Riffel return to Bittergrass Fen with Valendar as soon as possible.

Three Moons Vault

The Three Moons Vault is a remote dungeon complex in the mountainous outskirts of Lord Soth's domain.

Millennia ago, a chunk of the red moon Lunitari sheared off, broke into meteorites, and rained down on Krynn. The meteorites' impact formed craters throughout the Northern Dargaard Mountains. Ancient, moon-venerating wardens chose one of these craters as the site for a shrine where they could revere Krynn's moons. The wardens built three magical towers: a spacious white tower for Solinari, a handsome red tower for Lunitari, and a solemn black tower for Nuitari.

The Cataclysm destroyed the white tower, disrupting the balance of magic between the three towers. Lord Soth's forces from nearby Dargaard Keep assumed control of the ruins. They built fortified walls around the site and carved out a subterranean vault to contain prisoners and treasure. The vault is now under the purview of a servant of Lord Soth and operates as a prison for the overlord's enemies and a safe house for his underlings.

Teremini Nightsedge

A lawful evil, elf archmage named Teremini Nightsedge oversees the Three Moons Vault. Though a loyal servant of Lord Soth, Teremini has her own agenda for the ancient moon towers. When she was young, Teremini tried to join the wardens but was rejected after her reverence of Lord Soth became clear. Now, she hopes to complete her revenge by permanently shrouding the vault in crimson moonlight, kidnapping the Blue Fire Wardens she hates so deeply, and bringing them here to be slain, thereby completing her revenge. Thanks to her recent acquisition of a piece of the Rod of Seven Parts, Teremini has commenced her plan.

[image: Teremini Nightsedge]

The Characters' Goals

The characters have three goals while inside the Three Moons Vault. As the characters explore the vault, NPCs such as Valendar (x) and Casivus (x) can help devise plans for achieving these goals.

Rescue Valendar

Valendar, the leader of the Blue Fire Wardens, is trapped in the vault and might be stuck in his wolf or hybrid form. The characters need to find him, disrupt the magic forcing him to remain transformed, and restore him to his human form.

Stop Teremini's Ritual

If the characters rescue Valendar, he tells them that Teremini needs three special crystals in specific places to complete her ritual. If the characters find and sabotage the special crystals, they'll disrupt Teremini's ritual.

Get the Rod Piece

Teremini is using a piece of the Rod of Seven Parts as part of a ritual that would permanently shroud the vault and a 1-mile radius around it in magical crimson moonlight. The characters need to disrupt Teremini's ritual before they can retrieve the rod piece. They can then return to Sigil.

Environmental Effects

The magical red moonlight that surrounds the Three Moons Vault is temporary, although Teremini is working to make the effect permanent. The moonlight creates the following effects in a 1-mile radius around the Three Moons Vault. These effects are suppressed in the vault's locations.

Forced Transformation

A werewolf that enters the red moonlight changes into its wolf or hybrid form, and it has the poisoned condition as long as it is within 1 mile of Three Moons Vault. As long as it remains in this area, the creature can't willingly change shape unless it is reduced to 10 hit points or fewer; a Remove Curse spell suppresses Forced Transformation for 1 hour.

Reduced Gravity

Objects and creatures take half as much damage from falls. Creatures can jump twice as far as normal.

Entering the Vault

The Three Moons Vault is built amid rocky crags in the Northern Dargaard Mountains. Its main entrance is in plain sight and heavily guarded, but Riffel knows the way to a second, less-protected passage at the end of an old goat path. He takes the characters to this entrance, then he waits there so he can escort Valendar to Bittergrass Fen. It takes about one hour to traverse the distance between the fen and the vault.

The characters begin their exploration of the vault at x.

Vault Features

Maps 6.3 and 6.4 depict the Three Moons Vault. The vault is a complex, castle-like structure with a dungeon level, several towers, a secret entrance through the cliffs, and a drawbridge over a moat. Unless the text says otherwise, areas in and around the Three Moons Vault share a number of features.

Ceilings

The vault's ceilings are 10 feet high.

Doors

The vault's doors are stone slabs set on brass hinges. Unless otherwise noted, each door is unlocked.

Lighting

Unless otherwise noted, interior areas are dark. Area descriptions assume the characters have a light source or some other means of seeing in the dark.

Moonlight Mirrors

Several areas in the vault contain objects known as moonlight mirrors, which each reflect a powerful beam of light from one of Krynn's moons. Moonlight mirrors can be used to disrupt Teremini's ritual, as described later in this chapter.

A moonlight mirror is a Medium object with AC 13; 5 hit points; and immunity to poison, psychic, and radiant damage. A Detect Magic spell reveals an aura of evocation magic emanating from the mirror. Unless covered, the reflective side of a moonlight mirror casts bright light in a 20-foot hemisphere, in the color of the moon the mirror reflects. The text notes which ability checks, if any, are required to remove a moonlight mirror from where it is found.

Vault Locations

The following locations are keyed to map 6.3.

V1: Entrance

Around the corner from where Riffel leaves the party is the vault's entrance. Read the following:

Two moonlight guardians (see appendix A) guard this secret entrance. They attack any intruders on sight and fight until destroyed.

Trapped Doorway

A Detect Magic spell reveals an aura of evocation magic radiating from the doorway. If a creature pulls on either of the doors' crescent-shaped handles, the doorway emits a 30-foot cone of silvery light for 1 minute, centered on the middle of the double door. A creature that enters that area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 27 (5d10) radiant damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature not in its true form has disadvantage on this save; if it fails its save, the creature instantly reverts to its true form and can't assume a different form until it leaves the light.

Once this trap is triggered, it can't be triggered again.

V2: Anteroom

An inscription at the base of the statue reads, in Elvish: "It is not surrender. Live to fight again another day."

Treasure

A weapon rack in the room holds a black steel +1 Longsword and a steel shield bearing the stylized floral emblem of the Order of the Rose. An armor stand bears a black breastplate. A small, unlocked chest holds a Potion of Vitality.

V3: Escape Tunnel

The secret door in the wall is obvious: emblazoned on the masonry is a wide circle of dimly glowing runes. A character who examines the secret door immediately realizes they can trace the runes to cause that circular section of wall to disappear, revealing the remainder of the tunnel on the other side. The wall re-forms a few seconds after it disappears.

The secret door can be activated from either side of the wall, but the runes are visible only when viewed from the north. From the southern side of the door, a creature that searches the wall and succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check can see the faintest traces of the runes' light through the wall's brickwork. The creature can trace those runes to activate the door.

V4: Halls

The creatures are four wraiths. When Akaazi (see x) isn't present, these wraiths lead the small army of Undead soldiers stationed in the underground garrison (x). A wraith named Guerthel is Akaazi's favorite; he carries an iron key that unlocks the doors to x and x.

Raising the Alarm

If a wraith spots an intruder or is attacked, it uses its action to blow its horn. Creatures within 100 feet of that wraith can hear the horn, prompting the wraith's allies in area V8 to join the fight. A horn blown in the dungeon level can't be heard from the keep above and vice versa.

V5: Scrying Chamber

Scrying Sphere

The silver sphere is a scrying device that allows Teremini to remotely communicate with Lord Soth, who has a similar sphere in his home, Dargaard Keep.

A creature that touches the seemingly solid sphere discovers that it is made from harmless, viscous silver liquid that is cool to the touch. Each time the sphere is touched, Lord Soth hears a faint pinging noise. Soth can respond by standing before his sphere and speaking. When he does, his helmeted face manifests, but it's composed of the sphere's silvery goo. (For more about Lord Soth, see x.)

Unknown to Teremini, Lord Soth can send a weaker facsimile of himself through this scrying sphere. If the characters respond to Lord Soth's manifested face with anything other than deference, a death knight made from the sphere's silvery metal emerges from the sphere. The death knight inflicts punishment in Soth's stead, following his directives but requiring no action on Soth's part. If the death knight is destroyed, the sphere is also destroyed and disappears.

V6: Empty Cells

The howls can be clearly heard coming from the other side of the locked iron door (area V7). The door can be unlocked with Guerthel's key (see x), or a character using thieves' tools can use an action to try to pick the lock, doing so with a successful DC 16 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check.

V7: Valendar's Cell

When the characters enter this room, read the following:

The red moonlight from the magical mirror forced Valendar (use the werewolf stat block, except his alignment is chaotic good) to transform into his hybrid form. Valendar's imprisonment, anger, and fear make it difficult for him to think clearly. He attacks the characters, thinking they are his tormentors.

Red Moonlight Mirror

The mirror in the ceiling sheds bright-red light in the whole room. Removing the mirror from the ceiling requires no special effort.

Saving Valendar

Valendar can't transform into his true form as long as he is in the area of moonlight emanating from the mirror. Valendar reverts to his true form if he is reduced to 10 hit points or fewer.

What Valendar Knows

If the characters help Valendar transform back into his true form, he thanks them wholeheartedly and shares everything he knows about the Three Moons Vault. He conveys the following points:

[image: Valendar]

  • General Layout. Valendar describes the general layout of the Three Moons Vault. He also explains that each of the vault's three towers is topped with a special room called a lunarium, which is an observatory containing a model.
  • Lunariums and Crystals. Within each lunarium is a "lunar crystal" infused with the moonlight of one of Krynn's three moons. These crystals are essential to Teremini's ritual and are protected by the ritual's magic.
  • Magic Balance. Krynn's moons represent a delicate balance of magical power, and Teremini's ritual relies on this balance. If the lunar crystals' magic is unbalanced, the ritual will be stopped.
  • Moonlight Mirrors. The vault contains several other mirrors like the one in Valendar's cell. Valendar suggests the characters find three moonlight mirrors, one for each moon, then shine their light onto different lunar crystals to unbalance the crystals' magic.

Valendar needs to return to his fellow wardens. After he's spoken to the characters, he departs, sneaking through the vault's secret escape tunnel to meet Riffel outside.

Valendar's Secret

As the characters talk with Valendar, the leader adopts a sheepish demeanor, especially when talking about his capture. If the characters ask why, Valendar admits that he didn't properly scout the Three Moons Vault before the wardens' attack on the castle. Valendar underestimated Teremini, assuming she was a powerless lackey of Lord Soth. Valendar believes the wardens' defeat was his fault, and he's glad that no one else was captured in the assault.

Regardless of the characters' reaction to this revelation, learning it counts as a secret for the purposes of the x rules in this book's introduction.

V8: Garrison

The vault's Undead soldiers occupy this grim chamber, ready for deployment at a moment's notice. Unless the soldiers have been called elsewhere to defend the vault or perform drudge work, the garrison contains sixteen skeletons, nine zombies, and two ogre zombies.

V9: Winding Staircase

A spiral staircase occupies most of this small chamber. Short hallways lead east and west from the staircase, which ascends 50 feet before connecting to x.

V10: Trapped Black Rose Bearer

Both doors to this room are locked. A character can take the key from Guerthel (see x), or as an action, a character can use thieves' tools to try to pick the lock, doing so with a successful DC 10 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. If the characters enter this room, read the following:

The black rose bearer (see appendix A) trapped here is raging at everything in sight. Akaazi (see x) locked the bearer in here to prevent it from wreaking havoc throughout the dungeon. The black rose bearer attacks anyone who enters and fights until destroyed.

The doorway in the north wall opens to a stairway ascending to x.

V11: Vault Access

The two minotaur skeletons attack intruders on sight and fight until destroyed.

V12: Treasure Vaults

Each of these vault rooms is sealed behind a locked iron door. As an action, a character can use thieves' tools to try to unlock a door, doing so with a successful DC 18 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, or force open a locked door, which requires a successful DC 18 Strength (Athletics) check.

V12a: Treasures

The door to this vault is trapped with a magical glyph. A character who examines the door can find the glyph by succeeding on a DC 17 Intelligence (Investigation) check, and any character can disable the glyph by succeeding on a DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check. When a creature other than Teremini opens the door, a 20-foot-radius sphere of fire explodes from the glyph. Each creature in that area must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (5d8) fire damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. Once this trap is triggered, it can't be triggered again.

This vault contains 1,900 gp, ten gems worth 100 gp each, and six paintings worth 250 gp each.

V12b: Guardian Chamber

A beholder zombie waits inside this vault. Akaazi keeps this zombie apart from the other Undead and reserves it for special tasks. It has orders to attack non-Undead creatures other than Akaazi and Teremini.

V12c: Empty Vault

This vault is empty.

V12d: Leader's Gear

Heaped on this vault's floor are Valendar's belongings, including his leather armor, a Potion of Healing (greater), a Spell Scroll of Stoneskin, and a brilliant-blue cloak emblazoned with the holy symbol of Habbakuk.

V13: Ruined Vault

In addition to brown mold's usual effects, the areas of brown mold in this chamber are difficult terrain. A slope made of rubble connects this room to the white tower's basement (area V14) 20 feet above.

V14: Flooded Basement

Stone walls once separated this basement level into four rooms, but the Cataclysm destroyed the north and west chambers. The standing water makes the floor 3 in this area. The sloping rubble descends to area V13.

V15: Lunar Shrine

The statue is a depiction of Solinari, the god of Krynn's white moon and good magic.

White Moonlight Mirror

The mirror in the statue's arm is a white moonlight mirror. Removing the mirror from the statue requires no special effort.

Shrine's Guardian

Wrapped around the statue is a guardian naga named Casivus. Casivus has guarded this shrine since long before Lord Soth's forces arrived, and it chafes at the evil doings of Teremini and her minions.

The naga is initially indifferent to the characters. If a character mentions that the party opposes Teremini's plans or engages the naga in polite conversation and succeeds on a DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) check, Casivus becomes friendly toward the group. In this case, the naga permits the characters to take the mirror from the statue. Casivus also imparts two useful points of information:

  • Position of the Moons. To disrupt Teremini's ritual, the characters must shine different colors of moonlight onto the lunariums' crystals in a specific combination. This combination depends on the current phases and positions of Krynn's moons. Teremini has a magical orrery in the red tower that shows the moons' positions. A character can study this orrery to determine the moonlight-crystal combinations necessary to disrupt the ritual.
  • Stairwell Passphrase. Casivus tells the characters the passphrase to open the locked door inside the chamber northeast of here (area V16). The passphrase is "buried is best."

Casivus has no wish to leave this shrine or accompany the characters, but the naga would be pleased to see Teremini and her followers gone.

V16: Locked Stairwell

The door to this stairwell is locked with an Arcane Lock spell. Teremini, Akaazi, and Casivus know the door's passphrase ("buried is best"). As an action, a character can try to force open the door, doing so with a successful DC 24 Strength (Athletics) check.

The circular staircase connects to area V17, which is 30 feet above.

V17: White Tower Ruins

The white tower's ground floor lies in ruin. A ladder connects this floor to x.

V18: Veteran Camp

The slope immediately leading into this area is guarded by six veterans (lawful evil humans). A seventh veteran is resting in the tent to the north and rushes to help their allies when a fight breaks out. The veterans defend the keep with their lives, knowing that to do otherwise would invite Teremini's wrath.

V19: White Tower Lookout

The guard is a lawful evil, human veteran. The veteran carries a hollow goat's horn in addition to her usual gear. If she expects attackers, she pulls up the ladder that connects to x and blows her horn to raise the alarm.

A spiral staircase ascends to area V20.

V20: Ruined Shrine

A staircase in the southern part of the room ascends to the white tower's lunarium (x).

White Moonlight Mirror

Hidden in a cavity beneath the flagstone tiles is a white moonlight mirror wrapped in old oilcloth. A character can find the mirror by searching the floor and succeeding on a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check. Removing the mirror from the cavity requires no special effort.

V21: Drawbridge

Soth's rank-and-file soldiers use this gate to enter the keep.

Drawbridge

To raise or lower the wooden drawbridge, both levers inside the keep must be pulled at the same time. An automatic mechanism then raises or lowers the bridge over the course of 1 minute.

Moat

The moat surrounding the Three Moons Vault is 50 feet deep. A nearby stream keeps the moat filled with ice-cold snowmelt from the mountains.

V22: Lookout Turret

Two veterans (lawful evil humans) keep watch atop the turret. If they see or hear the characters approach, they sound their horns, and allies from x arrive in 5 minutes.

V23: Wall Walk

The stone walkway atop the keep's curtain wall passes through the second floor of each moon tower, allowing access. The walkway can be reached via staircases in the courtyard (x).

V24: Rookery

These two bone rocs (see appendix A) are trained to ferry passengers to and from a similar rookery near the bottom of the mountain.

A bone roc attacks only if threatened or harmed.

V25: Courtyard

From this courtyard, individuals can access the ground floors of the three moon towers, most of the keep's other buildings, and staircases to the curtain wall walkways. A hundred feet above looms the moondisk (x).

V26: Barrack

When non-Undead individuals stay at the Three Moons Vault, they reside here.

V27: Armory

Treasure

The equipment here includes the following:

V28: Royal Quarters

On the rare occasions when Lord Soth visits the Three Moons Vault, this chamber is set aside for him to glower over his subjects.

Black Moonlight Mirror

The mirror affixed to the throne is a black moonlight mirror. Removing the mirror from the throne requires no special effort.

V29: Orrery

This enchanted orrery accurately depicts the current positions of Krynn's three moons—Solinari, Lunitari, and Nuitari—relative to Krynn. If the moonlight mirror in area V30 is removed, the orrery stops moving.

Staircases on either side of the orrery lead to area V30 above.

Deciphering the Orrery

A character can study the orrery to deduce the relative positions of Krynn's moons. The character gleans that, currently, Lunitari prevails over Solinari, Solinari prevails over Nuitari, and Nuitari prevails over Lunitari.

Based on this deduction, the character understands that Teremini's ritual can be disrupted by shining red moonlight on the white crystal, white moonlight on the black crystal, and black moonlight on the red crystal.

V30: Red Mirror Stairwell

Red Moonlight Mirror

The mirror affixed to the wall is a red moonlight mirror. Removing the mirror from the wall requires no special effort.

V31: Teremini's Quarters

Teremini dwells in this finely decorated bedroom.

Mimic

The footlocker is a mimic. Teremini trained the mimic to attack anyone who snoops around her room.

Logbook

On the desk is a log of all the treasures and prisoners transported to and from the Three Moons Vault. Of interest to the characters are the first and last pages of the log.

The first page describes the six moonlight mirrors found in the original moon towers during the vault's construction. The log notes the present location of these mirrors:

White Mirrors: The lunar shrine (x) and the ruined shrine (x)

Red Mirrors: Valendar's cell (x) and the red mirror stairwell (x)

Black Mirrors: Royal quarters (x) and Akaazi's quarters (x)

The log's last pages mention "a piece of the legendary Rod of Seven Parts, seized from an ungrateful dryad" as well as "three lunar crystals, procured from a powerful dragon." The logbook doesn't specify where the rod piece or the crystals are currently stored.

A staircase at the northern end of the room ascends to the red tower's lunarium (x).

V32: Stairwell

This stairwell connects to x below.

V33: Muster Yard

Teremini's soldiers conduct training drills in this muddy yard. When the keep's alarm is raised, they rally here and prepare to defend the keep. The mud is difficult terrain.

Two earth elementals, summoned and bound by Teremini, dwell beneath the mud. If they detect intruders with their tremorsense, the elementals rise from the mud and attack.

V34. Circle of Undeath

Three archways, each shrouded by a black curtain, connect the two spaces in this area. Once the characters walk through a curtain into the inner space, read the following:

A neutral evil human necromancer wizard (see appendix A) named Akaazi uses this chamber to conduct necromantic rituals and create Undead soldiers for Lord Soth's army. Akaazi is accompanied by a black rose bearer (see appendix A).

As soon as she's aware of intruders, Akaazi commands the bearer to attack and fights to the death in the name of Lord Soth.

If the characters look up, they can see a black moonlight mirror hanging in x.

V35: Temple

Akaazi's eerie black tower leads into this temple, so the chamber is rarely used. The north staircase descends 30 feet to x.

Secret Door

A section of this chamber's western wall is hollow and set onto hinges that allow it to swing out toward the courtyard. The secret door can be detected with a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check.

Treasure

The back of the altar is hollow and bears a single shelf, on which sits a Wand of Enemy Detection.

V36: Akaazi's Quarters

Black Moonlight Mirror

A circular opening in the floor allows a creature to view the chamber below (x). A black moonlight mirror is suspended from three iron chains connected to the sides of the opening. The mirror can be safely detached from one iron chain with a successful DC 15 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. If a character fails this check by 5 or more, the mirror comes loose from the chains and falls to the floor 20 feet below.

V37: Aviary

Twenty ravens used to deliver messages occupy the flimsy wooden cages.

A staircase on the eastern wall ascends to the black tower's lunarium (x).

Upper-Level Features

In addition to the features of the Three Moons Vault listed earlier in this chapter, the vault's upper level has a number of important features.

If the characters don't know how to stop Teremini's ritual yet, one of them realizes that the answer must have to do with Krynn's moons, and that they should examine the orrery in x.

Colored Glass

Each lunarium (x, x, and x) is surrounded by six columns that support a hemispherical rooftop made of enameled glass. Panes of enameled glass are set between each column. Each 10-foot square of glass is a Large object with AC 10, 10 hit points, vulnerability to bludgeoning and thunder damage, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.

The glass is enchanted so that only one color of moonlight shines through it:

  • Solinari's white light shines into the white tower's lunarium (x).
  • Lunitari's red light shines into the red tower's lunarium (x).
  • Nuitari's black light shines into the black tower's lunarium (x).

Lunar Crystals

Shallow steps ascend to a dais at the center of each lunarium. A specially carved pillar atop the dais bears a lunar crystal. These lunar crystals were specially created by the lunar dragon Orinix.

These crystals are components for Teremini's ritual, but they have no value or special properties. When the characters arrive, these daises are surrounded by barriers of solid moonlight (see below). The crystals can't be smashed while Teremini concentrates on her ritual.

Solid Moonlight

The moonbridges and moondisk (x and x) are made of solid moonlight that shimmers like opalescent glass. If a creature not in its true form starts its turn touching solid moonlight, the creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or have the poisoned condition until the start of its next turn.

While Teremini concentrates on her ritual, spherical barriers of solid moonlight also surround each lunar crystal dais.

Nothing can physically pass through solid moonlight or teleport through it. It is immune to all damage and can't be dispelled by the Dispel Magic spell. Any solid moonlight caught in the area of a Sunburst spell is dispelled for 10 minutes. Solid moonlight also extends into the Ethereal Plane, blocking ethereal travel through it. The ritual is powered by the rod piece and is therefore unaffected by the Antimagic Field spell.

Upper-Level Locations

The following locations are keyed to map 6.4.

U1: White Lunarium

The moonlight barrier around this lunarium's dais is trapped. When the barrier is touched, it emits a blinding flash of white light in a 30-foot radius centered on the dais. Any creature in that area must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or have the blinded condition for 24 hours.

U2: Red Lunarium

The skeletal wolf is a deathwolf (see appendix A) created from the body of a slain Blue Fire Warden. Akaazi ordered the deathwolf to attack any intruders during Teremini's ritual. If it sees the characters, the deathwolf attacks viciously and stops at nothing to destroy its opponents.

U3: Black Lunarium

Two black rose bearers (see appendix A) have been ordered to defend this lunarium against intruders.

U4: Moonbridges

Three bridges of solid moonlight span the gaps between the lunariums and the moondisk.

U5: Moondisk

Teremini (lawful evil, elf archmage) performs her ritual here. The fifth piece of the Rod of Seven Parts floats between Teremini's outstretched hands.

When Teremini notices the characters approaching, she shouts, "Death to all who oppose Lord Soth! And death to those pitiful wardens! You'll never stop me!"

If the characters disrupt Teremini's ritual, she screams in rage and attacks them. Teremini pockets the rod piece and fights to the death. For more about the Rod of Seven Parts, see this book's x.

Disrupting the Ritual

[image: To retrieve the fifth rod piece, the characters must stop Teremini Nightsedge's ritual to enshroud the Three Moons Vault in magical red moonlight]

Teremini's ritual is disrupted if either of the following occurs:

  • Red moonlight shines on the white crystal, white moonlight shines on the black crystal, and black moonlight shines on the red crystal.
  • A lunar crystal is removed from its pillar. The ensuing chaos after the ritual is disrupted is an ideal time for the characters to seize the rod piece from Teremini, who is distracted as she rallies the vault's forces to fend off the dragon Orinix. If the characters fail to thwart Teremini's ritual, they should fight her elsewhere in the vault so they can retrieve the rod piece.

Moonlight Shifts

The curtain of crimson moonlight surrounding the Three Moons Vault disappears. Areas of solid moonlight—including the moondisk, moonbridges, and barriers around the lunarium daises—instantly dissolve. Any creature standing on one of these surfaces falls to the courtyard 100 feet below.

Orinix Arrives

A portal to Lunitari opens where the moondisk once hovered. Orinix, an adult lunar dragon (see appendix A) flies from this portal and looms over the courtyard. Displeased at Teremini's failure, the dragon attacks everyone in sight, focusing foremost on Teremini.

[image: Orinix]

Next Steps

Once the characters have the fifth piece of the Rod of Seven Parts, they can return to Sigil via the doorway in the tree through which they arrived on Krynn.

An enormous, magical tree seems to be the location of the next rod piece, though the characters soon learn the piece is elsewhere.