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  March of Madness 
   
  Below the Shadow Marches lies a gateway to madness. It must be kept closed at any cost. 
   
   
  Episode 8 of Convergence Manifesto 
   
  An Across Eberron Adventure 
   
  CREDITS 
   
  Writer: Andrew Bishkinskyi 
  Monster Design: Dolgaunt, dolgaunt ascetic, and dolgrim from Korranberg Chronicle: Threat Dispatch, 
  courtesy of Anthony Turco. Other monster conversions and creations by Andrew Bishkinskyi. 
   
  Editors: Will Brolley, Wayne Chang, Laura Hirsbrunner 
  Executive Producer: Keith Baker 
   
  Cover Art & Design: Kristóf Köteles, Laura Hirsbrunner 
  Interior Art: Kristóf Köteles, Anthony Turco, Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games 
  Maps: Xavier A. Devenoges, with markers by Andrew Bishkinskyi 
  Layout: Anthony Turco 
   
  Playtesters: Chris B., Xavier D., Keith C., Joel S. 
  Author Thanks: Wayne Chang and Christopher M. Sniezak 
   
  Special thanks to Keith Baker for building us this incredible playground. 
   
  Published by Across Eberron, an Eberron community project. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Disclaimer: The Across Eberron editorial staff urges your players to seek immediate professional help should they, upon coming into contact with hypothetical Xoriant entities, begin to 
  grow sentient polyps. We hear dermatologists can do wonders these days. 
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their 
  respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. 
   
  This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon 
  Masters Guild. 
   
  All other original material in this work is copyright 2020 by Across Eberron and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. 
  
   
  2 
   
  INTRODUCTION 
  Welcome to March of Madness, episode 8 of Convergence 
  Manifesto, an Across Eberron adventure path. This adventure is the 
  sequel to AE01-07: The Silvered Edge of Twilight, available on the 
  Dungeon Masters Guild using characters and story elements 
  introduced in the previous adventure. This adventure plays best 
  when used in conjunction with either Eberron: Rising from the Last 
  War or the Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron by Keith Baker. DMs and 
  players may also enjoy the easy reference materials provided in 
  Across Eberron’s Eberronicon: A Pocket Guide to the World. 
   March of Madness is an adventure designed for five 5th-level 
  characters to explore the diversity and themes of the Eberron 
  campaign setting. In search of the latest artifact for Provost N. 
  Faurious’s designs, players will find themselves deep below the 
  Shadow Marches, where a gateway to Xoriat, the Realm of 
  Madness, lies. The seals keeping it closed are weakening and they 
  must keep the gateway closed at any cost!  
  ADVENTURE BACKGROUND 
  Millennia ago, aberrations from Xoriat, the Realm of Madness, were 
  driven from Eberron. The Gatekeeper druids–mostly orcs–placed 
  powerful dimensional seals throughout Khorvaire to prevent the 
  creatures of Xoriat from returning. This history, along with the 
  magic of the seals’ creation, has been lost to time, and even to the 
  Gatekeepers themselves. Nonetheless, they continue to regard the 
  seals’ protection as their sacred mission and use their magics to 
  maintain them. As they can’t be rebuilt, the seals are slowly 
  deteriorating. 
    Also millennia ago, to repair a breach in one of the seals at a 
  settlement called Tjorda, a Sealguard Complex was built. An 
  immortal guardian ws tasked with attending to the repaired crack in 
  the seal. Thousands of years later, the Gatekeeper druids 
  rediscovered the sealed complex. Even without knowing its precise 
  history, they ascertained its sacred nature and have  guarded it from 
  then on. Being sealed in to protect the site and commune with the 
  inner guardian is considered a great honor. 
    Much of this history has long-since been forgotten. But 10 years 
  prior to the adventure’s start, Vilda Karrte–a relic hunter with her 
  own agenda–tracks a Xoriat artifact called the Spiral Well to the 
  complex. Turned away by the Gatekeeper, she forces her way inside, 
  grievously injuring them. 
    Having discovered Vilda’s journals, Provost Nigel Faurious, 
  through the Clifftop Adventurers’ Guild Handler Lhara, tasks the 
  adventurers with recovering the Spiral Well. 
   Appendix E provides a more detailed timeline of the history of 
  Xoriat and the Sealguard Complex. 
   
  ADJUSTING ENCOUNTERS 
  This adventure contains sidebars with suggestions on how to scale 
  encounters according to the following party compositions: 
  Any number of characters with average party level (APL) below 5 (always 
  rounded down): Weak  
  Any number of characters with an APL of 5 (always rounded down): 
  Average 
  3-5 players with an APL of 6 (always rounded down): Average 
  6-7 players with an APL of 6 (always rounded down): Strong 
  3-4 players with an APL 7 or higher: Strong 
  5-7 players with APL 7 or higher: Very Strong 
   
  THE CLIFFTOP ADVENTURERS’ GUILD 
  Eberron, of course, has its share of organizations dedicated to the support 
  and employment of exceptional individuals. Professional adventurers in 
  good standing might be invited to join the Clifftop Adventurers’ Guild (see 
  chapter 1 of Eberron: Rising from the Last War). The Clifftop guild, based in 
  the Clifftop district of Upper Dura, Sharn, was founded one hundred fifty 
  years ago by a dwarf named Shekkal Korranor. The current leader is Sumara 
  Korranor, better known among her charges as Summer. 
  The reputation of the Clifftop guild is well earned, and members are 
  expected to uphold their guild’s virtuous principles. Their long-standing 
  rivals from the Deathsgate guild have no such inclinations. 
   
  RUNNING THE ADVENTURE 
  March of Madness is a dungeon-crawling adventure intended for 
  five 5th-level characters, but suggestions are given to adjust 
  encounters for other party compositions. This adventure is 
  designed to take approximately 4 hours of game time. Though there 
  are no clearly delineated bonus areas, the characters need not 
  explore every inch of the dungeon to succeed. The adventure is 
  structured into three main scenes. 
   Scene 1 – The Gates of Madness. Not knowing what it is, 
  adventurers arrive at the Tjorda Sealguard Complex and encounter 
  Gatekeeper Vola, who tells them of the history and her holy mission. 
  She is willing to let them inside, but not before testing their true 
  motives. 
   Scene 2 – Method Among. Upon entering the complex, 
  adventurers work to repower the seal guardian crystals. As they do 
  so, they discover the history of the complex, stave off its unwelcome 
  visitors and search for the Spiral Well. Eventually they find the now 
  half-mad Vilda Karrte, who may be willing to make a deal to get 
  what she wants. 
   Scene 3 – Into the Breach. Once the crystals are repowered, the 
  adventurers enter the inner chamber and come face to face with 
  madness itself. 
   
  All monster stat blocks needed for encounters in this adventure are 
  contained in Appendix A: Bestiary. 
   While running the adventure, look out for the following formatting: 
   
  Text like this is intended to be read aloud or paraphrased for your 
  players. 
   
  Sidebars like this contain rules reminders, reveal background 
  Eberron lore, or point you to sources to learn more. 
   
   
  
   
  3 
   
  CAST OF CHARACTERS 
  The action of March of Madness is mostly confined to a single 
  dungeon complex in the remote swamps of the Shadow 
  Marches, but the player characters will not find themselves 
  alone. Below are the characters they encounter. 
  MAJOR CHARACTERS 
  Gatekeeper Vola (VOLE-uh). A lawful good female orc 
  Gatekeeper druid. Unusually tall for an orc female, Vola’s thin 
  muscular frame towers over most of Khorvaire’s inhabitants. 
  Though she is old by her race’s standards, it is only the lines 
  under her dark eyes that give away this age. Her body is gaunt 
  and muscular—that of someone who has trained her entire life. 
  Vola’s leather armor is old, yet well kept. Her armament is 
  comprised of the ceremonial pieces of the Gatekeepers, passed 
  down through generations. Gatekeeper legends say that the 
  black shield she wields is a scale of Vvaraak herself and her 
  obsidian staff is adorned with the likeness of the black dragon’s 
  head. Though imposing, Vola’s voice and manner have a serene, 
  almost soothing quality to them. She is as holy as her calling. 
  Personality. I am utterly serene, even in the face of disaster. I 
  connect everything that happens to me to a grand, cosmic plan. 
  Ideal. Common Good. The Gatekeeper druids serve a vital 
  function that protects the unwitting world. 
  Bond. I will do anything to carry out my duties. 
   Flaw. I’m overly concerned with following established 
  procedures and protocols.  
  Vilda Karrte (VIL-duh KART). A lawful evil human female 
  warlock dedicated to the long-destroyed Closed Circle (see 
  sidebar). As far as she knows, this is the same organization that 
  has been in existence for centuries and the stories of its demise 
  are just propaganda.  
    Vilda arrived in the Sealguard Complex looking for the Spiral 
  Well, knowing only that it was a Xoriat artifact and hoping to 
  gain further power from it. In truth, her delusions of grandeur 
  are due to the insidious influence of otherworldly manipulation, 
  hoping that Vilda would disrupt the seals in the complex. 
    After getting inside, Vilda was captured by the guardian of the 
  seal and spent the first several years imprisoned in one of the 
  cells. After the guardian left to enter the breach chamber, Vilda 
  was able to escape her cell and wander the complex. Even 
  though she is a cultist dedicated to the forces of Xoriat, the 
  aberrant creatures here do not necessarily consider her an ally. 
  She has been able to bend some dolgrims and dolgaunts to her 
  will, but others she has had to fight off. The aberrations present 
  seek to destroy the complex. Vilda seeks to recover the Spiral 
  Well first—she also knows that the true power is inside the 
  breach chamber.  
    She has been attempting various magics to repower the 
  crystals without any success, as they require druidic magic, 
  something of which she is incapable of grasping. 
   Personality. No one could doubt by looking at my regal 
  bearing that I am a cut above the unwashed masses. Everything 
  is funny to me, and the most hilarious and bloody things leave 
  me cackling with sadistic glee.  
   Ideal. Power. Knowledge is the path to power and domination. 
   Bond. By serving the greater powers of Xoriat, the Realm of 
  Revelations, I will achieve power beyond any in this world. 
   Flaw. I’ll gladly trade the worthless lives of others to achieve 
  my ends. 
  THE CLOSED CIRCLE 
  Most modern-day spellcasters in Eberron know of the two major 
  wizard circles, the Esoteric Order of Aureon and the Guild of Starlight 
  and Shadow. Centuries ago, however, there was a third circle–the 
  Closed Circle, dedicated to searching the foul and dark magic of the 
  Dragon Below and the daelkyr. 
  The mages of the Closed Circle eventually took their research too 
  far and became a threat to the innocent people of the Five Nations. In 
  641 YK, the Closed Circle was destroyed by the combined forces of 
  the other two guilds of wizardry and the Church of the Silver Flame. 
  However, even to this day, rumors persist of their forbidden lore 
  persisting, waiting to be exploited by unscrupulous mages. 
  ACROSS EBERRON CHARACTERS 
  The following characters appear as framing devices, though 
  they do not directly push the narrative of the adventure. They 
  are recurring characters in the Across Eberron series, so if you 
  intend to continue the path you may wish to spend time 
  developing their characters early. 
  Guild Handler Lhara (LAHR-ah). Lhara is a shifter with white 
  hair streaked with black. Her skin is pale, she has blue eyes, and 
  wears an eyepatch over the left. She holds a middling position 
  of authority within the Clifftop Guild. Lhara is the characters’ 
  handler inside Clifftop and is trying to increase the guild’s 
  coffers and reputation. 
   Personality: I am always calm, no matter what the situation. I 
  never raise my voice or let my emotions control me. 
   Ideal: Clifftop Adventurers’ Guild. The Guild is my home and 
  its members are my family. 
   Bond: I will prove that Clifftop is the best group of skilled 
  troubleshooters and that we can get any job done. 
   Flaw: I am very sarcastic, and it can be difficult for people to 
  tell when I am being serious. 
  Provost Nigel Faurious (NIGH-jel FAR-ee-us). The Provost is 
  very focused on his work and is often lost in thought. He seeks 
  to prove his theories on planar bodies and is willing to spend 
  the money required to build his strange device. 
   Personality: I am horribly, horribly awkward in social 
  situations and have little patience for any conversation that 
  doesn’t have to do with my work. 
   Ideal: No Limits. Nothing should fetter the infinite possibility 
  inherent in all existence. 
   Bond: My life’s work is the study of planar bodies and their 
  effects on Eberron. I must complete my work and be given the 
  recognition I deserve. 
   Flaw: Unlocking an ancient mystery is worth every coin of my 
  family fortune. 
   
   
  
   
  4 
   
  SCENE 1: THE GATES OF MADNESS 
  “My Revelations… will come to light.”  
  —fragment of Provost Nigel Faurious’s Convergence Manifesto 
   
  Read or paraphrase the following: 
  You arrive at the Clifftop Guild in Sharn, ready for another mission 
  from your Guild Handler Lhara. There is no long briefing this time. 
  Lhara doesn’t even flinch when she tells you that you’re going to the 
  Shadow Marches and she doesn’t even know what this thing you’re 
  supposed to get is. It’s always hard to read the white-furred shifter. 
  She’s being paid, you’re being paid, so off you go fetch. 
   Here is what she does tell you: it’s called the Spiral Well. She’s not 
  seen it, the Guild’s illustrious client Provost Faurious has not seen it. 
  He’s tracked the journals of an explorer named Vilda Karrte, who 
  apparently located it over a decade ago. Off she went to the Shadow 
  Marches, to some kind of off-the-map ancient complex. Her trail dies 
  there, probably buried along with her rotting body in a swamp 
  someplace or long gone with her treasure. 
  That’s all very complicated. Your mission is simple: go to the 
  complex, find the Spiral Well, bring it back. Get paid. 
  So just like that, you’re standing in the Crawling Swamp of the 
  Shadow Marches, knee-deep in stinking muck, and staring at a broken 
  stone door and a stair. Whatever secrets this place holds, they’re 
  below. 
  ARRIVAL 
  The adventure begins with the party having arrived in the 
  Crawling Swamp, a desolate patch of the Shadow Marches. 
  They left from Sharn some time ago after purchasing any 
  necessary supplies, and had ample opportunity to get to know 
  each other, if they are not already long-time comrades 
   The adventurers do have some information about the mission. 
  Lhara previously provided the following: 
  • Vilda Karrte was an arcanist obsessed with Xoriat. The 
  Provost hasn’t been able to learn much about her, only 
  that she traveled far and wide to obtain artifacts. She was 
  on the trail of the Spiral Well, but to what end is unknown.  
  • Vilda’s last known location was in the middle of the 
  Crawling Swamp, a particularly desolate and largely 
  uninhabited area of the Shadow Marches.  
  • Vilda’s notes hinted at magical interference in the area.  
  What little could be learned during the party’s brief stop in 
  Zarash’ak, the unofficial capital of the region, is this: 
  • Confirmation that there is nothing in the swamps. There 
  haven’t been notable settlements out there for thousands 
  of years and what was left of those is long sunk into the 
  muck. 
  • No one in Zarash’ak has seen or heard of Vilda Kartte. 
  • There are some vague superstitions about the area—
  apparently the farther up one goes, the weirder things get.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  THE ENTRANCE 
  As they approach the ruined entrance of the complex, the party 
  sees little of significance. Upon investigating, they can learn the 
  following: 
  • DC 15 Wisdom (Survival). The muck no longer contains 
  any evidence of footprints. However, as the party proceeds 
  down the stairs, they do find some marks of Vilda’s 
  passing—a dried muddy handprint on the wall, a footprint, 
  etc. She was not stealthy on the way in. 
  • DC 15 Intelligence (History). The stone is beyond ancient, 
  thousands and thousands of years old, with no discernable 
  marks of construction. 
  • DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation). The stone door leading 
  below has evidence of a number of magical wards on it. All 
  of these have been disabled and the door forcibly broken 
  (by the Bigby’s hand spell). The damage is 10 years old. 
  • Spellcasters only: DC 15 Arcana, using main 
  spellcasting attribute. If there are any spellcasters in the 
  party capable of casting conjuration or teleportation spells 
  (such as mage hand or misty step), they have felt their 
  ability to cast these spells growing strained as they drew 
  closer to the complex. On a successful check, they 
  recognize that something in the area seems to be limiting 
  their use of such magic. (Unbeknownst to the characters, 
  there is a dimensional seal in the complex that has 
  weakened over millennia, allowing the casting of some 
  lower-level conjuration spells that it previously prevented.) 
  • Detect Magic. This spell confirms that overwhelming 
  abjuration magic is still in effect, blocking teleportation, 
  planar travel, and conjuration spells of 4th level or higher. 
  However, the weaker presence of a second layer of 
  abjuration magic is also in the area, barely discernable 
  “behind” the more powerful aura. It is “modern” magic, 
  though the exact nature of the spell is difficult to discern. 
  (The true nature of this is a private-sanctum-like effect 
  placed by Vilda that prevents magic communication. There 
  is no way to discern this other than by actually trying and 
  failing magical communication. The effect cannot be 
  dispelled without knowing its exact nature—which is 
  detailed in Vilda Kartte’s spellbook.)  
   
  THE SHADOW MARCHES 
  It is a place of fetid waters and thick, foul-smelling waters that stretch 
  for days and seep into the thickest and sturdiest of boots. It is a place 
  where blackish gnarled roots keep twisting and turn into horrors, both 
  of the mind and of chaotic, slithering flesh.  
  The Shadow Marches have no ruler, no unity and barely any cities.  
  Clans and tribes and things for which there are no names in civilized 
  tongues are what roam and settle here. 
  Thanks to the Mark of Finding, House Tharashk holds the biggest 
  sway here, and so their city of Zarash’ak offers some comforts of 
  civilization and serves as the unofficial capital. To the north of the city, 
  beyond the river Glum, is the area known as the Crawling Swamp. 
   
  
   
  5 
   
  THE DESCENT 
  The stone stair leads to another and then to another. Deeper 
  and deeper down. The first few flights are filthy with the swamp 
  muck. They eventually lead to another thick stone door. The 
  door has a stone latch near the top. It is simple to open and a bit 
  of brute force is all that’s needed to push the door open, 
  revealing another stair. It seems that the purpose of this door is 
  to ward off the muck and wildlife, rather than anyone sentient. 
    Beyond the door are more flights of stairs—these much cleaner 
  than the ones above. Several more flights down and there is 
  another stone door. It is heavy, but not locked. 
    
  More than a hundred feet below the surface, the stone door grinds 
  open, revealing a vast stone chamber. The chamber is rectangular on 
  the side where the stair enters it, while the other side contains the 
  base of a larger dome. Unwavering greenish light comes from the 
  distance. A humanoid figure—indistinguishable before rising—stands 
  from its cross-legged position.  
    “What is your purpose here?” echoes a deep female voice. The 
  figure raises her hand and the green light brightens, suddenly bathing 
  the room in bright daylight.  
    The brightness makes clear the figure’s features even at a distance. 
  The thin, muscular frame of the orc female is visible through the well-
  kept leathers of her armor. She is tall even by the standards of her 
  race, and would appear lanky if not for her toned musculature.  
    On her back is a shield of pure blackness that seems to be made of a 
  single piece of some strange material and an obsidian staff adorned 
  with a dragon’s head.  
    Her voice carries with the deep calmness of ocean waves echoing 
  in a cavern. 
   
   
  THE GATEKEEPER 
  Once introductions are made, characters are able to notice two 
  key things about Vola—these can be revealed over the course of 
  conversation rather than before. 
  • 
  DC13 Wisdom (Insight). Beneath Vola’s serene 
  demeanor is worry and desperation. Though very much on 
  her guard, she is relieved to have visitors as they represent 
  an opportunity to receive needed aid. 
  • 
  DC13 Wisdom (Medicine or Perception). A spot beneath 
  her leathers conceals a magical wound that does not heal. 
  This was inflicted by Vilda Karrte a decade ago. Vola 
  expends some of her magic each day to keep it from 
  getting worse, yet it does not get better. Healing it is 
  beyond the party’s capabilities, but this helps explain 
  Vola’s weakening. 
  What Does Vola Know? Vola answers the party’s questions, 
  hesitantly at first, but once the characters show that they mean 
  her no harm, she becomes more and more open. 
  • 
  Vola is a Gatekeeper Druid. For hundreds of years, her 
  order has protected this place, the Tjorda Sealguard. The 
  Sealguard was built thousands of years ago by her order, 
  the Gatekeepers. It is their sacred duty to protect it. 
  • 
  Serving here is a great honor. A Gatekeeper is carefully 
  chosen to spend 50 years—almost an entire orc life—
  serving here. Upon return, those who have served are 
  treated with reverence and become elders. 
  • 
  The Sealguard holds back the forces of darkness from the 
  Realm of Madness, Xoriat. There is a dimensional seal 
  nearby—perhaps in this very complex. 
  • 
  Vola’s duty is to guard the outside and to channel her 
  Gatekeeper magic into the “outer seal.” 
  • 
  She has never been inside (as going in would be breaking 
  her vows), but she knows that there is another guardian 
  there—an eternal being that uses their powers to maintain 
  the magic of the “inner barrier.” 
  • 
  The inner guardian is sentient, though it is “a different 
  intelligence.” Those that are chosen to serve here are able 
  to commune with the guardian. This allows them to learn 
  much through visions and magical interactions. Over time, 
  the Gatekeeper and the guardian become symbiotic, their 
  powers feeding on each other to help maintain the 
  barriers. The guardian has no name. 
   
   
  THE GATEKEEPER DRUIDS 
  The Gatekeepers are an ancient order of druidic initiates, aspirants, and 
  acolytes dedicated to the protection of the material plane from 
  extraplanar invasion. Founded millennia ago, it is said that the black 
  dragon Vvaraak taught the magical secrets of druidism to the orcs so 
  that they could protect the world from otherworldly forces. These orcs 
  became the first druids native to Khorvaire.  
  While the Gatekeeper tradition started with the orcs, and many 
  druids are orcs to this day, the teachings of Vvaraak are not exclusive 
  to their race. 
  
   
  6 
   
  • 
  Vilda Karrte came here almost a decade ago, seeking 
  entry. Vola denied her entry. Vilda appeared to have left, 
  but returned, only to attack Vola and then force her (by 
  powerful mind-control magic) to let Vilda enter. Vola 
  sealed the entrance and left Vilda to certain death inside. 
  • 
  Since Vilda came, Vola has had to divide her magical 
  energies between tending her injury and powering the 
  barrier. Over time, she has felt the outer barrier weaken, 
  and the inner guardian struggle and panic. Eventually, she 
  lost contact with the guardian. She feels them there still, 
  but she can no longer commune with them. 
  • 
  Vilda also did something outside that prevents Vola from 
  communicating with her order.  
  CALL TO ACTION 
  Gatekeeper Vola is willing to allow the party entry if they 
  commit to helping repower the inner barrier and, once they 
  come out, if they will go to her druidic order and report on the 
  happenings here.  
   To repower the inner barrier, she will grant them several vials 
  of her life force. Vola believes it is enough to maintain the seal 
  until help from her order comes.  
   Vola’s Life Force. Life force is a substance that Vola creates 
  by channeling her druidic magic into vials. It glows a bright 
  green color. When opened, it flows like a liquid but is not wet. 
  It’s not quite alive, but it knows its purpose and when opened 
  within 5 feet of a set of barrier crystals inside the complex, the 
  substance moves toward the crystals through the air, 
  repowering the crystals upon contact. The vials require an 
  action to open and must be opened by a living creature native to 
  the material plane. 
   Before letting the party inside, Vola wishes to learn something 
  of their nature. 
   
  “Before you go, I wish to know,” says the Gatekeeper, “What is your 
  true purpose? What is your inner nature? Is it to hunt? To heal? To 
  save? Find the answer inside yourselves.” With those words, you 
  feel yourself suddenly somewhere else. 
   
  TO HEAL, TO HUNT OR TO SAVE? 
  The Gatekeeper uses a series of visions to determine what the 
  party’s “true nature” is. The vision has no right or wrong 
  response, though each response helps her understand the 
  nature of the characters. The choice of action in vision is a 
  group one. After reading out the situation, have the characters 
  confer and decide how they would resolve the situation. As this 
  is a vision, they are not expected to use skills or abilities. They 
  are not physically present there or capable of casting spells. The 
  goal is to make a decision on how they would act. To keep 
  things on track, if the decision the party makes is too far outside 
  the expected parameters, restart the vision and have them take 
  a different approach. Details on possible outcomes are provided 
  for each vision, and should not be shared with the players. 
   Based on the party’s decisions, they will gain one of three 
  possible signs. Their choices in each vision will eliminate one 
  or more possible sign, until only one possibility is left. The party 
  will then gain the remaining sign.  
   When the characters are ready, begin with the first vision: 
  VISION OF THE OLD HUNTER 
  You find yourself looking out across an open plain. The terrain is 
  desolate yet idyllic. Streams run at your feet from distant snow-
  capped mountains. A majestic elk eats berries from a small bush in 
  the distance. A cold wind brushes your face and you understand 
  that it is cold, but do not truly feel it. You somehow know that it is 
  springtime. Though you feel yourself there, you know also that you 
  are not. You can feel your companions with you, though you do not 
  see them. This is a vision.  
  Slumped against a leafless tree is an old hunter. They look 
  malnourished and feeble. At their side is an old bow. The hunter 
  notices you, raises their eyes and speaks hopefully: “I used to be a 
  great hunter,” they say, “but now I am old and weak and so very 
  hungry. I see the elk and my mouth waters, yet I can no longer make 
  the shot. If only I could eat, I would become strong again. Take my 
  bow, strong friend, kill the deer, and let us feast on it!” 
   
   
   
   
  XORIAT, THE REALM OF MADNESS 
  Xoriat is a plane of unnamable horrors and alien geometry, where 
  vellum layers of reality peel apart to reveal seas of flowing webs, 
  carving tapestries of meanwhiles, around cities of formless salt, all 
  under the baleful eyes of pitiless suns drenched with the stain of 
  corruption. 
      This plane is incomprehensible to the minds of most mortals, and 
  those who have tried to describe it resort to fragments of gibbering 
  writing that speak of impossible and contradictory things. It is 
  inhabited by monstrosities with impossible alien anatomies that 
  sometimes make their way to the mortal realm. The most powerful 
  and feared of these are the daelkyr—the unfathomable artists and 
  scientists of that plane—who twist the minds and bodies of those 
  they meet to unknowable ends. But mad scholars tell of even greater 
  beings contained within Xoriat who have mercifully never noticed 
  Eberron; these same scholars speak of Xoriat not as the Realm of 
  Madness, but rather, the Realm of Revelation. 
      When Xoriat is coterminous with Eberron, madness reigns. Magic 
  goes wild, time flows strangely, and the daelkyr and their nightmarish 
  creations can break through to the Material Plane. Xoriat was last 
  coterminous over nine millennia ago, when the combined might of 
  the Dhakaani Empire and the Gatekeepers drove the daelkyr away only 
  at great cost. The Gatekeepers, using ancient draconic magic, created 
  dimensional seals to seal the daelkyr in Khyber and keep the plane from 
  ever being coterminous again. Yet the magic of the seals’ creation is 
  long lost, and their power wanes with each passing century. 
      More information about Xoriat can be found in chapter 4 of 
  Eberron: Rising from the Last War. 
  
   
  7 
   
  Potential Outcomes 
  The deer is not the only food available, as it is eating berries, 
  which are plump and delicious and would provide sustenance. 
  The hunter’s age and hopelessness cannot be cured with just 
  food, however. Feeding the hunter may Heal them, but it does 
  not Save them from despair. Only by helping the hunter Hunt 
  again, can the adventurers truly Save them. Under all 
  circumstances, this vision should eliminate either the Save or 
  the Hunt sign. 
  • 
  If the deer is killed by the PCs, eliminate the Save sign. 
  • 
  If the deer is killed by the hunter, eliminate the Hunt sign. 
  • 
  If the hunter is left unfed or to die, eliminate the Heal sign. 
  • 
  If the deer is NOT killed at all, eliminate the Hunt sign. 
   
  After the first vision, if more than one possibility remains, 
  proceed to the appropriate vision.   
  VISION OF THE WATER (HUNT ELIMINATED)  
  You find yourself in a desolate wasteland. Dry roots and dead trees 
  litter the landscape. It has been days since you came across fresh 
  water, and your canteen is almost empty. You come across a small 
  stream, only to find the water smelling of carrion and death. You 
  know that it is fouled beyond any hope of use. Your mission 
  compels you to go forward, yet you begin to doubt that your water 
  supply will be sufficient. You find a human body by the river and 
  discover that it is not dead, but passed out from dehydration. The 
  human’s eyes open slightly, and they whisper in a sickly dry voice: 
  “The stream, it is poison… I could not resist it.” You see them 
  eyeing your canteen. “Some water, please, just a little.” It is a heart-
  wrenching sight. You consider abandoning your mission and 
  carrying the human back to the last water source—you know that if 
  you do this, you must keep the water for yourself, lest your strength 
  fade. If you simply give them water, you will ease their suffering for 
  a time, but that is all. In the end, you have a mission and owe 
  nothing to this human. 
   
  Potential Outcomes 
  There are three possible outcomes to this vision. 
  • 
  Choosing to abandon the mission and carry the human to 
  clean water commits the group to the Save sign. 
  • 
  Choosing to give the human some water and leave them 
  commits the group to the Heal sign. 
  • 
  Choosing to abandon the human to their fate without 
  helping them commits the group to the Hunt sign—this 
  happens even if the Hunt sign had been eliminated by a 
  previous choice. 
   
   
   
   
   
  VISION OF THE STAFF (SAVE ELIMINATED) 
  You find yourself standing in a grassy field. Dark blood stains the 
  green grass and all around you are signs of battle. Beside you, lying 
  injured on the ground, is your trusty wolf companion. Its gray fur is 
  stained with blood and it whimpers in pain. In front of you is a 
  monstrous creature of many mouths and sharp teeth. You see your 
  faithful companion’s blood dripping from the monster’s horrific 
  jaws. With your protector hurt, nothing stands between you and the 
  creature. In your hands, you hold an enchanted staff. With it, you 
  have the power to heal your companion or to strike at the hideous 
  creature. You must decide quickly! 
   
  Potential Outcomes  
  There are only two possible outcomes to this vision. 
  • 
  Choosing to strike commits the group to the Hunt sign. 
  • 
  Choosing to heal commits the group to the Heal sign. 
  
   
  8 
   
  THE SIGN  
  When the visions are done, Vola is unsurprised. She announces 
  that it is the party’s nature to Heal, Hunt, or Save (as 
  appropriate for their actions in the visions).  
   
  “It is a bold choice and one not without consequence,” Vola says. 
   
  With this, she bestows one of the signs below upon the party. 
  The entire group gets the same effect and only one. This lasts as 
  long as the party is in the complex. They are not able to enter 
  the inner complex without a sign.  
   Use the player handouts in Appendix D to provide the party 
  with the sign. 
   
  Sign of the Hunter. The Gatekeeper finds that they are 
  hunters/killers. The sign is as follows: 
  • 
  Each character’s critical range is increased by 1 (if 
  characters previously scored a critical hit on a roll of 20, 
  they now do so on a roll of 19 or 20; if they previously 
  scored a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20, they now do so 
  on a roll of 18, 19, or 20). 
  • 
  When characters cast a spell that deals damage, the spell 
  save DC to resist the spell is 1 higher. 
  • 
  The characters are unable to knock a creature 
  unconscious when they reduce a creature to 0 hp with a 
  melee attack; they may only kill or destroy the creature.  
   
  Sign of the Healer. The Gatekeeper finds that they are best 
  suited to healing. 
  • 
  Whenever the characters spend any hit dice to recover hit 
  points, they recover the maximum possible value of hit 
  points. 
  • 
  Every character gains 5 special goodberries (as the spell). 
  Each of these special berries restores 5 hit points as an 
  action and can be administered to others. These berries 
  last 24 hours. 
  • 
  Whenever a character makes an attack roll, they roll 1d4 
  and subtract it from the result. 
  • 
  Whenever a character casts a spell that deals damage, the 
  spell save DC to resist the spell is 1 lower.  
   
  Sign of the Savior. The Gatekeeper finds great hope in the 
  adventurers.  
  • 
  Adventurers have advantage on all saving throws against 
  Xoriat madness. 
   
  PROCEEDING 
  Vola, now confident in the party’s nature and willing to trust 
  them, permits them to enter the complex. 
   
  “This complex was purposely built without an entry door,” says 
  Vola in her even tone, “so that even if its guardians were lost, it 
  would remain sealed—at least for a time. It takes a great amount of 
  my energy to open a passage, even for moments. After I let you in, I 
  will require rest to regain my strength and be able to open the way 
  once again. You must be prepared to fend for yourself for a time. I 
  can sense the strength in you and trust that you will return! Are you 
  ready?” 
   
  There are no doors leading inside the dome. Vola magically 
  opens a passage through the wall and is clearly strained to hold 
  it open while the party goes inside. She is only able to open the 
  passage once every 24 hours. She fully intends on opening it 
  again when they are ready to leave. 
   
   
  
   
  9 
   
  SCENE 2: METHOD AMONG 
  Once on the other side of the pathway opened by Vola, the 
  opening closes and the party finds themselves inside a long 
  circular hallway that rings the dungeon. See Appendix B for a 
  map of the Sealguard Complex. 
  AREA A - CORRIDORS 
  The corridors of the complex are made of thick stone but are 
  otherwise nondescript. Through the corridors, adventurers are 
  able to reach all the other rooms.  
   Read or paraphrase the following: 
   
  The featureless gray stone walls of the inner complex once must 
  have been white. Thick dust and unidentifiable debris liberally cover 
  the floor of the 10-foot wide corridor that leads both left and right 
  from the entryway and symmetrically curves away in both 
  directions. Though it is difficult to identify individual sounds, it not 
  silent. There is an almost ethereal buzz inside, like echoes of drops 
  of water, or fluttering wings, or a distant whisper.  
    A closed door adorns the immediate wall in front of the entrance 
  passage. Following the curvature of the corridor, it is easy to spot 
  two other doors along the same wall, each about 30 feet away in 
  either direction. 
  AREA B – ENTRANCE TO BREACH CHAMBER 
  The door to this room is made of a heavy purple metal called 
  byeshk, with a wheel that can be turned to lock it—but only from 
  the outside (corridor side). It is not locked and can be swung 
  open with ease. 
  Inside is a small room 10 feet wide and 15 feet long. At the far 
  end in the middle of the wall is another door, identical to the 
  entrance one. The inner door is magically protected and can’t be 
  opened by any means unless all five glyphs (see below) are 
  active. 
  The Glyph Display. The east wall is adorned with five 
  elaborate druidic glyphs arranged around a black circle. Of the 
  glyphs, the rightmost one glows with a faint green light. Lit or 
  not, the glyphs radiate divination magic, though their purpose 
  can’t be immediately ascertained. They show the status of the 
  ward crystals. At the start of the adventure, 4 out of the 5 have 
  gone dark and need to be repowered. If the adventurers return 
  later, other glyphs may be lit. The glyphs have no specific 
  translation, though a DC 13 Wisdom (Arcana) check reveals 
  them to be protective glyphs. A character that understands 
  druidic succeeds on this check automatically. 
  The Guardian’s Reliquary. Along the west wall are an 8-foot-
  tall cabinet and a magically sealed chest. The cabinet is 
  unlocked and mostly empty. There are latches inside it that 
  used to hold two specific items. A character succeeding on a DC 
  15 Intelligence (Investigation) check is able to tell that the 
  cabinet was built to contain a larger oval-shaped object (a shield) 
  and a thinner but longer object (a staff). Beside the marks, there 
  are some tattered remains of clothing—it’s not possible to tell 
  anything from them other than that they are thousands of years 
  old and have mostly fallen to dust (these are early hints that the 
  guardian was once humanoid). At the bottom, there is a drawer 
  that contains two byeshk shortswords (see Special Weapon 
  Material: Byeshk sidebar). 
   
  SPECIAL WEAPON MATERIAL: BYESHK 
  This lustrous, purple metal is incredibly dense and heavy. It is mined 
  from mountain ranges in western Khorvaire, typically the Byeshk and 
  Graywall Mountains. It is often worn as jewelry and is considered a 
  precious metal akin to silver, gold, or platinum. 
  Certain aberrant creatures have a distinct aversion to the metal and 
  are resistant or immune to weapons that aren't byeshk. Druidic sects 
  of the Eldeen Reaches, most often the Wardens of the Wood or 
  Gatekeepers, trade with mountainous peoples for byeshk ore to 
  make use of this susceptibility. 
   
   The Trapped Chest. The chest is trapped with an explosive 
  glyph, which shows as evocation to detect magic and can be 
  spotted with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) 
  check. Characters can attempt an Intelligence (Arcana) check: 
  with a successful DC 13 check, they can learn its purpose, and 
  with a successful DC 15 check, they are also able to disarm it. 
  The glyph can be dispelled with dispel magic. When the chest is 
  touched, the glyph erupts with magical energy in a 20-foot-
  radius sphere. The sphere spreads around corners. Each 
  creature in the area must make a DC 15 Constitution saving 
  throw. A creature takes 5d8 thunder damage on a failed saving 
  throw or half as much damage on a successful one.  
  
   
  10 
   
   The Keys and the Spellshard. Inside the chest are two large 
  metal keys that don’t fit anything in this room, and a blue fist-sized 
  crystal. Any character proficient in Arcana immediately recognizes 
  it as a spellshard (from chapter 5 of Eberron: Rising from the Last 
  War ). This spellshard was the last used by the guardian prior to 
  entering the breach chamber. Touching a spellshard typically 
  brings to mind the sensation of flipping through pages of a book in 
  one’s mind. However, instead of writing on a page, this spellshard 
  conveys—in a flash of psychic energy lasting only seconds—a vision 
  depicting key moments from the guardian’s last years. The visions 
  are from the guardian’s point of view, so it is not itself seen. 
  Holding the shard is mentally draining. A character touching the 
  shard sees the following: 
  Upon touching the shard, a disorienting barrage of visions floods 
  your mind, as if seeing years of events pass within a second. What 
  you are seeing clearly takes place in this complex. You are moving 
  with the speed of a quick-flying bird back and forward through 
  different rooms that you don’t recognize. Eventually, you see the 
  room you’re in now. You are looking at the glyphs on the wall—four 
  of the five are lit, then one begins to fade and goes out. As it does, 
  you hear in your mind a maddening scream somewhere in the 
  complex. It becomes difficult to concentrate… 
   
  The character holding the shard must make a DC 13 Wisdom 
  saving throw. On a failure, they gain 1 level of madness. 
  Regardless of the save, they may choose to let go, or to continue 
  holding on to the shard, seeing the next part of the memory.  
  After the glyph goes out, there is another blinding spurt of quick 
  movement, you’re in another room—there are crystals here and you 
  see a beam of energy coming from yourself. When it is done, you 
  feel lightheaded, drained, you move slower, stumbling back to the 
  glyph room. You see four of the five glyphs lit again. You look at the 
  black dot in the middle—it is just a small dot of pure blackness, but 
  it’s almost as though you feel it pulsing, you feel yourself staring at 
  it, unable to look away… 
   
  The character holding the shard must make a DC 13 Wisdom 
  saving throw. On a failure, they gain 1 level of madness. 
  Regardless of the save, they may choose to let go, or to continue 
  holding on to the shard, seeing the final part of the memory.  
  Suddenly it seems to be a different time. You see two glyphs lit and 
  one blinks and goes out. Only one remains. The black dot in the 
  middle has grown to a circle. Looking at it fills you with both dread 
  and resolve. Time shifts again, and now all five glyphs are lit again, 
  but the black circle remains. You see the inner door of the glyph 
  room open and blackness beyond it. You see the open and empty 
  stone cabinet. You see the open chest in the corner of the room, 
  move toward it, then everything blurs. You see both yourself and 
  not-yourself holding the spellshard. Then, the memory fades. 
  At the end of the memories, the character holding the shards 
  must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they 
  gain 1 level of madness. 
   If a character chooses to let go of the shard before seeing all 
  three memories, another character may attempt it, but must 
  start over at the first memory. The memories are fleeting and 
  unclear, and going through them more than once yields no 
  additional information. 
   If paraphrasing or summarizing the memories, the key points 
  in each are as follows. If players were unable to put some of the 
  clues together, DC 10 ability checks of related skills (Insight, 
  Arcana, Investigation) could help them make sense of the 
  memories. 
  • 
  The first memory shows that when a glyph goes out, this 
  results in something horrible either entering the complex 
  or happening within it. 
  • 
  The second memory shows the guardian repowering a 
  glyph with their own energy when it goes out. This takes 
  place in some other room. It also shows that the black 
  circle between the glyphs was once much smaller—this is 
  ominous.  
  • 
  The final memory shows that four glyphs were previously 
  inactive, resulting in the darkness increasing. It ends with 
  all five of the glyphs powered up, the inner door open, and 
  the guardian placing the spellshard into the chest. 
   
   
  THE MADNESS OF XORIAT 
  Inside the Sealguard Complex, the adventurers may encounter the 
  effects of Xoriat’s maddening influence. When they do, they may 
  need to make a saving throw against one of its effects.  
  In addition to places or events where Xoriat’s influence is 
  explicitly encountered, the madness of Xoriat has a way of entering 
  the mind of the unwary. Adventurers must succeed on a DC 13 
  Charisma save to resist this madness every time they finish a short 
  or long rest while inside the dungeon. 
  A character gains a level of madness each time they fail a save 
  against Xoriat’s influence. The effects are as follows and are not 
  cumulative unless otherwise stated (individual effects may overlap 
  due to duration): 
  Level 1. Until the end of your next turn, you are unable to tell 
  friend from foe as if under the effects of the enemies abound spell 
  (XGE), except that advantage against or immunity to being 
  frightened provides no benefit. 
  Levels 2 & 3. Roll on the Short-term madness table (DMG 259). 
  Instead of 1d10 minutes, the effect lasts 1d4 rounds. 
  Levels 4 & 5. Roll on the Long-term madness table (DMG 260). 
  Instead of lasting 1d10x10 hours, the effect lasts 1d10x10 
  minutes. 
  Level 6. Roll on the Indefinite Madness table (DMG 260). Only 
  one flaw can be gained per adventurer. 
  Level 7 and beyond. Combined effects of Levels 2 and 4. 
  Madness can be cured per page 260 of the Dungeon Master’s 
  Guide. 
   
   
  
   
  11 
   
  AREA C – STOLEN KEYS  
  The door to this room is wide open. The room itself is twenty by 
  twenty feet. Other than the entrance side, the three walls here are 
  adorned with the same druidic glyph. A strange stone case stands 
  against the far wall and the decaying remains of what looks and 
  smells to once have been a creature litter the floor in the center of 
  the room. 
   
   The Glyph. This corresponds to the first glyph in the glyph 
  room—the glyph is dark (inactive).  
   The Remains. The floor is home to a number of scratch 
  marks and stains. A successful DC 15 Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check uncovers that these are no more than 5 
  years old. The remains are that of an akleu (see Area D), though 
  unless this room is being encountered after that room, it’s 
  extremely unlikely that the characters have ever heard of one or 
  are able to identify it. Identifying the creature requires a 
  successful DC 25 Intelligence (Arcana) check. Otherwise, a DC 
  15 Wisdom (Medicine) check can determine that the remains 
  are about 5 years old and that parts of the body seem to be 
  missing (the transparent parts of the akleu have actually 
  deteriorated to nothing). The remains that are here are of 
  internal organs, a sharp-toothed, almost shark-like jaw and of 
  vicious claws. Some of the marks on the floor look like they’ve 
  been made by these same claws. The character performing the 
  medicine check must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving 
  throw or gain a level of madness.  
   The Stone Case. The large stone case looks to be built right 
  into the far wall of the structure. It is magically sealed, but not 
  trapped. There are four obvious keyholes on it and the two keys 
  from the chest in the glyph room fit two of the holes. Given the 
  magical nature of the keys, picking the lock proves to be 
  impossible—the other two keys need to be found (these have 
  been taken by the akleu in Area D). 
   Powering the Barrier Crystals. Inside the stone case are the 
  barrier crystals. These are powered by druidic magic to project 
  a barrier that contains the seal breach in the inner chamber 
  (The map in Appendix B helps demonstrate how the complex 
  functions.) Using Gatekeeper Vola’s life force on the crystals re-
  powers them and the glyphs in this room. Additionally, doing so 
  causes the first glyph in the glyph chamber to light up. 
  AREA D – AKLEU ASSASSIN  
  The corridor outside the door to Area D contains a large crack 
  that goes across the corridor and into what can now be called a 
  door. It’s clear that the opening in the wall here was caused by 
  this crack and not by construction. Built over the crack is a 
  stone doorway. A successful DC 15 Intelligence check 
  pertaining to knowledge of stone (Mason’s tools, History, 
  Investigation, etc.) tells that this stone structure, while also 
  millennia old, was added on some time after the original 
  complex.  
   The doorway may have once contained a door, but is now 
  barricaded by pieces of stone, metal, and other materials that 
  are difficult to identify. A DC 13 Perception checks helps note 
  that the doorway used to have horizontal metal bars—like those 
  of a cage or prison cell—but these have been broken or cut off.  
   Pushing back the barricade requires a DC 15 Strength 
  (Athletics) check—this creates a 3-foot opening that allows a 
  Medium creature to squeeze into the room. If a character 
  succeeds on the check by 5 or more, they fully push away the 
  barricade. The barricade can also be broken down by brute 
  force (AC 15, 60 hit points, immune to psychic and poison 
  damage). 
   Inside the prison room, hidden on the ceiling, is an akleu (see 
  Appendix A) who ambushes the party. The akleu here had 
  attacked the guardian—who slew one of them—and stolen two 
  of the guardian’s keys, rendering him unable to access the 
  crystals. With their mission partially complete, they barricaded 
  themselves in this room. 
   Upon encountering the monstrous creatures, each character 
  must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or gain 1 level of 
  madness. Characters immune to fear automatically succeed on 
  this saving throw. 
   
  ADJUSTING THE ENCOUNTER 
  Weak or Very Weak Party: the akleu has a maximum of 65 hit 
  points. 
  Strong or Very Strong Part: add 1 akleu. 
   
  Once the akleu are dead, the adventurers are able to find the 
  two metal keys that access the stone cabinet in Area B. 
   
   
  
   
  12 
   
  AREA E – WIND TUNNEL  
  A soft knocking sound comes from this room. Fifteen feet into the 
  room is a wall of bristling razor-sharp thorns, stretching from wall 
  to wall and floor to ceiling. The side walls are each adorned with the 
  same dark druidic glyph.  
  The source of the sound is not difficult to discern. Knocking 
  against the thorned wall in several places—as though magically 
  held aloft—are several disconnected bleached bones. Whether the 
  bones once belonged to the same creature is impossible to tell, as 
  they are too far apart and too few for any kind of coherent shape. 
   
  This room is 20 feet by 
  20 feet and devoid of 
  enemies. The barrier 
  crystals are unpowered 
  and set against the far 
  wall, though they are not 
  visible behind the wall of 
  thorns. The guardian has 
  enchanted the room with 
  two permanent magical 
  walls that form a sort of 
  trap.  
   While some 
  suggestions are given 
  here, there is no pre-
  designed method for 
  navigating through the 
  walls and DMs are 
  expected to allow player 
  ingenuity to create 
  success. 
   The crystals themselves 
  are blocked off by a 
  continual wall of thorns 
  located 15 feet into the 
  room that stretches wall 
  to wall and floor to ceiling. 
  The wall otherwise 
  functions exactly as per a 
  wall of thorns spell cast at 
  6th level, though it is not 
  limited in duration. If the 
  wall of thorns is  
  successfully dispelled, it reforms after 1 minute. The wall is 
  magical and regrows if damaged, but a 5-foot area of the wall 
  can be destroyed for 1 round by dealing 20 or more points of 
  damage to it from a single source (AC 10, damage threshold 20, 
  immune to psychic damage, automatically fails saving throws). 
   5 feet into the room is a completely undetectable veil of wind 
  that blows inward toward the wall of thorns—the wind covers 
  the entire 10-foot span between the veil and the wall of thorns. 
  Any creature that enters or starts its turn in the area of the wind  
  created by this veil must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving 
  throw or be knocked prone and pushed 15 feet into and through 
  the wall of thorns. The veil of wind can be dispelled as though it 
  was a 3rd level spell effect, but even if dispelled it reforms after 
  1 minute. Finding a way to secure themselves with ropes or 
  other physical means should provide adventurers with 
  advantage or other benefits for traversing the wind. 
   It should be evident to characters from having visited other 
  such rooms that these rooms are all a standard 20 feet by 20 
  feet and that the wall of thorns is clearly blocking the last 5 feet 
  of the room. They may also recognize this from the fact that 
  typically the far wall is also adorned with the same glyph as the  
  side walls. If this is 
  not evident to them 
  immediately, they 
  always have the 
  option of leaving this 
  room and exploring 
  others first. 
   As with the other 
  rooms, a glyph in Area 
  B lights up once the 
  crystals here are 
  repowered with Vola’s 
  life force.  
   
  AREA F –  
  EMPTY CELL 
  This room is another 
  former prison cell. Its 
  entrance is blocked by 
  thick metal bars. There 
  is a wheel to the side of 
  the entrance door that 
  can be turned to make 
  the bars retract into 
  the walls and allow 
  access. 
   The room is empty 
  and contains little of 
  significance. It’s a 
  great example of what 
  some of the other 
  prison rooms looked 
  like when they were 
  intact. Bones of  
  unidentifiable aberrations can be found throughout the room. 
  Whatever had been imprisoned is long dead. 
   There is a sort of crude mural on the wall. It depicts a 
  procession of creatures—orcs, elves, goblins, hobgoblins, and 
  bugbears among them—passing before a beautiful human and 
  emerging as bigger, stronger, and more nightmarish forms as 
  they pass. A DC 17 Intelligence (History or Arcana) check 
  reveals that this is likely a depiction of a daelkyr.  
  
   
  13 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  AREA G – VILDA KARRTE 
  The door to this room looks to be made of the same stone as all 
  the other doors of the original construction. It is actually an 
  illusion put up by Vilda Karrte, with an alarm spell cast in the 
  same place (if the alarm is tripped, it silently alerts Vilda). 
  Attempting to interact with the door results in four dolgrims 
  (see Appendix A) firing their crossbows from inside the room. 
  The first time that the adventurers see the aberrations of this 
  room, they must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or 
  gain 1 level of madness (one total save, not one per dolgrim). 
  They are Vilda Karrte’s servants and the volley is intended to 
  warn off other aberrant creatures. Vilda and her dolgaunt 
  guards are safely inside. Once Vilda hears the Common spoken 
  outside, she calls off the dolgrims and is happy to converse with 
  the party. 
   Dealing with Vilda. Vilda has nothing that the party wants 
  other than her magic powers and this relatively secured room 
  where she can offer them a place to rest safely.  
   The adventurers, on the other hand, have what Vilda needs to 
  repower the crystals. If they have already repowered some, she 
  is aware of this. Vilda’s first approach is to ally with the 
  adventurers—offering them a safe place to rest. She may use the 
  arguments of joining forces, wanting to escape, or lying about 
  no longer wanting the Spiral Well. Vilda rolls Charisma 
  (Deception) checks with a +7 modifier. 
   If the party sees through her deception, she is genuinely 
  willing to give up the Spiral Well so long as the adventurers take 
  her inside the breach chamber, stating:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  “True power is in there and it is not in some trinket. You want the 
  Well? You may have it! What I want is so much greater than you can 
  fathom.” 
   
  If the adventurers make a deal with Vilda and they haven’t yet 
  activated all the other glyphs, her preference is to remain in the 
  room and have them return to this room last to activate the 
  glyph. They may take a long rest now or before activating the 
  last glyph. Whatever the agreement, her servants remain in this 
  room even if she follows the party. Vilda is unaffected by 
  Xoriat’s maddening influence (she is already too far gone). 
   If negotiations sour, or the adventurers just decide they simply 
  cannot trust Vilda, they may choose to fight and/or kill her. The 
  party will find Vilda Karrte (see Appendix A) a formidable 
  opponent. 
   
  ADJUSTING THE ENCOUNTER 
  The encounter always features Vilda, and she always starts with true 
  seeing already cast. Any dolgrims that were killed on the way into 
  the room should be removed from the encounter below.  
    
  Weak or Very Weak Party: 4 dolgrims. Vilda’s 1/day spells are spent. 
  Average Party: 4 dolgrims, 1 dolgaunt, Vilda’s 1/day spells are 
  spent. 
  Strong Party: 4 dolgrims, 2 dolgaunts, Vilda also starts with false life 
  already cast (8 temp hp) 
  Very Strong Party: 4 dolgrims, 2 dolgaunts, 1 dolgaunt ascetic, 
  Vilda also starts with armor of Agathys already cast (25 temp hp). 
  
   
  14 
   
  AREA H – THE PULL OF MADNESS 
  The door leading to this area is missing, and there is once again 
  a slightly newer stone doorway indicating that it was an added-
  on construction. Signs of missing metal bars are once again 
  present. Anyone that looks into the room sees the scene 
  described below and must succeed on a DC 13 Intelligence 
  saving throw. On a failure, the character steps into the room 
  and then gains 1 level of madness.  
   
  There are brief moments when this room looks normal. Bricks and 
  walls and not much else. But suddenly, for a fleeting moment, 
  things shift and the room looks like endless blackness and within, 
  writhing forms of nightmarish tentacles and oozing maws of teeth 
  gaping and threatening to devour. And then, it’s all gone and the 
  room looks normal once again. On the far end of the room, 
  suspended 10 feet in the air is a skeleton, still wearing a pack. 
   
  The skeleton belongs to a long-dead adventurer that somehow 
  ended up here centuries ago. From a distance, the pack looks to 
  have something inside. 
   Chaos Web. This room is home to a version of the chaos web 
  trap (see sidebar). This trap is not visible and not intended to be 
  disarmed, but can be navigated. The only possible objective in 
  this room is the skeleton’s pack. Without going into the room, 
  this can be retrieved by simply using a grappling hook or other 
  mundane solutions. 
   Adventurers can also choose to skip this room. A pre-rolled 
  table for the chaos web’s effects is attached in Appendix C. 
   Treasure. The adventurer’s pack contains treasure: 150 gold 
  and two potions of clarity. 
   
  POTION OF CLARITY 
  Potion, uncommon 
  When you drink this blue potion, it reduces your madness level by 1 
  and immediately ends the effects of any short-term or long-term 
  madness that you are suffering. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  THE CHAOS WEB 
  Complex Trap (level 5-10, moderate threat) 
  The chaos web occupies the entire area of the room (horizontally and 
  vertically). Each 5-foot square of the web triggers an individual trap. It 
  can only trigger once per round and resets at the start of the next 
  round unless the effect is ongoing. If the effect is ongoing, that 
  square does not activate again until the creature under the effect has 
  left the square. The web is three-dimensional. 
  Trigger. A creature is subject to the web’s effect upon entering a 
  square for the first time on a turn—this includes involuntary 
  movement or teleports—as well as when starting its turn in the 
  square. Inanimate objects and unconscious creatures do not trigger 
  the web’s effects. The effects are determined by a d100 roll each 
  time. 
  Effects:  
  1-25: The creature is hit by a 1st level chaos bolt spell (XGE).  
  26-50: The creature is hit by a 1st level ray of frost spell. 
  51-75: The creature rises 10 feet, not triggering any additional web 
  effects, and is suspended midair as if under the effects of the levitate 
  spell. The levitation effect lasts as long as the creature remains in that 
  square–even if the creature falls unconscious. This is considered to 
  be an ongoing effect for that square.  
  76-100: The creature is teleported 10 feet in a random direction 
  (see direction guide below). This triggers the web effect in the square 
  that the creature arrives in. If the creature ends up falling as a result 
  of the teleport, it triggers the effects of any squares it passes 
  through.  
  Determining Random Direction: 
  Step 1. Roll a D6. On a 1-2, the direction is diagonal down. On a 3-
  4, the direction is on the same plane. On a 5-6, the direction is 
  diagonal up. (In the event that the creature is on the ground, treat 
  down as the same plane). 
  Step 2. Roll a D8 for direction, with 1 being straight ahead and 2-8 
  being all the other squares clockwise.  
  Wild Magic 
  If the chaos web’s chaos bolt hits a Wild Magic Sorcerer, trigger a 
  wild magic surge on the sorcerer. If a Wild Magic Sorcerer uses Tides 
  of Chaos to gain advantage on a saving throw against any of the 
  chaos web’s effects, trigger a wild magic surge on the sorcerer. 
  Safe Spaces 
  The web has 2 safe spaces. These spaces are always on the ground 
  level of the web and are marked on the chaos web map. They can 
  only be spotted by someone that has the appropriate senses as 
  described below or as gaps by someone using the detect magic spell. 
  Countermeasures 
  The web itself is invisible and has no corporeal form. It can be 
  perceived visually through the see invisibility spell or truesight. When 
  viewed thusly, the web’s strands are purple. 
  The detect magic spell picks up a myriad of evocation, conjuration, 
  enchantment, divination and transmutation auras as well as “pure 
  chaos.”  
  A DC 17 Intelligence (Arcana) check by a character with either see 
  invisibility, truesight or detect magic allows that character to notice 
  the safe areas in the web within the range of that spell.  
  Dispel magic disables individual squares of the web for 1 minute. 
  A DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check after casting dispel magic on 
  any part of the web allows the caster to determine that the web 
  eventually repairs itself. 
  
   
  15 
   
  AREA I – GLYPH TRAP 
  The door to this room is locked, and the door is trapped with an 
  explosive glyph. This glyph is identical to the one in the glyph 
  room (Area B). If the adventurers have visited that room and 
  have begun to put together the workings of the complex, they 
  may be able to ascertain that this room corresponds to the one 
  glyph that was powered and that the glyph on the door was 
  placed by the guardian—ergo, it does not need re-activating or 
  entering. Allow adventurers to make a DC 13 Wisdom (Insight) 
  or Intelligence check to put these together. 
   The glyph shows as evocation magic and can be spotted with 
  a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check. 
  Characters can attempt an Intelligence (Arcana) check: with a 
  successful DC 13 check, they can learn its purpose, and with a 
  successful DC 15 check, they are also able to disarm it. The 
  glyph can be dispelled with dispel magic. When the door is 
  touched, the glyph erupts with magical energy in a 20-foot-
  radius sphere. The sphere spreads around corners. Each 
  creature in the area must make a Constitution saving throw. A 
  creature takes 5d8 thunder damage on a failed saving throw or 
  half as much damage on a successful one. 
   Room Interior. The druidic glyphs in this room are active and 
  correspond to the fourth glyph in the Area B. There is a set of 
  crystals against the far end of the room that is protected by a 
  wall of force. Each of the 5-foot squares immediately outside the 
  wall of force’s area is another glyph that functions exactly as the 
  entry one. 
   There is nothing else to locate here. 
  AREA J – HUNGRY BLACKNESS 
  This room is filled with utter blackness that cannot be dispelled. 
  Creatures fully within the blackness are blinded. Mundane light 
  fails to pierce the blackness. Regardless of source or spell level, 
  magical light entirely in the area of blackness illuminates only a 
  radius of 5 feet from its source and is dim light. A successful DC 
  10 Intelligence (Arcana) check reveals the nature of the 
  blackness as similar to that the hunger of Hadar spell—
  unpierceable by darkvision or other special senses, even those 
  which normally pierce magical darkness. 
   Hiding in the room—indistinguishable from a wall—is a 
  cloaker (see Appendix A). 
   The room contains bones of a number of non-humanoid 
  creatures and among these remains—on the far side of the 
  room—are three sealed vials of strange-looking liquids. Upon 
  examination, the vials appear to be made of odd alien materials. 
  They contain 3 potions native to Xoriat. These potions can be 
  identified as having effects similar to regular potions, except 
  when they are consumed, their alien nature requires the drinker 
  to make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or gain 1 level of 
  madness on a failure. 
   The black potion provides the same effect as a potion of 
  heroism, the green potion provides the same effect as a potion 
  of hill giant strength, and the orange potion provides the same 
  effect as a potion of greater healing. 
   
   
   
   
  
   
  16 
   
  AREA K – HORRORS OF HISTORY 
  The door to this room is not locked but is physically barred from 
  the outside with a couple of large metal bars. Opening it is not 
  difficult and requires a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) 
  check. Removing the bars makes noise as they are removed—
  the creature making the Strength check must succeed on a DC 
  15 Dexterity (Stealth) check or (unbeknownst to them) be 
  noticed by the creatures inside. 
   Inside the room are 3 flying horrors (see Appendix A). The 
  soft rhythmic fluttering of their dark wings can be heard 
  through the door with a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. If 
  the party has not been stealthy, one or more of the flying horrors 
  ready their Frightening Screech ability, which they use upon the 
  party’s entry then attack. 
   Additionally, the first time any of the adventurers see a flying 
  horror, they must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or 
  gain 1 level of madness. 
    
  ADJUSTING THE ENCOUNTER 
  The encounter consists of 3 flying horrors. Add or subtract 1 flying 
  horror for parties stronger or weaker than average. 
   
   The Crystal Cabinet. On the far side is a glass cabinet 
  containing the crystals. It has a mundane lock that can be 
  picked with a DC 15 Dexterity (Thieves’ tools) check or broken 
  off with a DC 15 Strength check. The crystals can be repowered 
  with Vola’s life force. 
   The Chest of History. An ornate chest sits in the corner. This 
  chest is locked, requiring a successful DC 13 Dexterity (Thieves’ 
  Tools) check to unlock. It contains several more spellshards. 
  These are traditional in use and do not cause madness. They 
  contain several tomes on the history of the complex and of the 
  settlement of Tjorda that had once stood here. The following 
  can be learned from them: 
  • 
   The first shard tells of the town of Tjorda, the Dhakaani 
  Empire’s major trading center with the orcish tribes of the 
  Shadow Marches more than 10,000 years ago. 
  • 
  During the Xoriat Invasion, the town was ground zero to the 
  inexplicable and abrupt formation of a Xoriat manifest zone. 
  It was wiped entirely off the map by aberrant hordes. 
  • 
  When the forces of Xoriat were driven back, the Gatekeeper 
  druids—mostly orcs—placed a dimensional seal in this area. 
  • 
  A century after that, the seal was partially breached and this 
  complex was built to contain the breach. 
  • 
  Another half-century later, a second breach occurred. Several 
  secondary chambers were created as prisons for aberrations. 
  • 
  After this time, the seal needed continuous magical upkeep.  
  • 
  One of the tomes contained within the spellshard is titled The 
  Tome of Sacrifice. It speaks about the ultimate sacrifice made 
  by one of the druids with the help of a master druidic spell 
  contained within a black spellshard—apparently, its magic 
  dated back to the Scaled Apostate, the black dragon Vvaraak 
  herself.  
  • 
  It seems that the ritual transformed a willing Gatekeeper into 
  the eternal guardian. A DC 12 Intelligence (History or Arcana) 
  check notes that black spellshards are unheard of. 
  REVISITING AREA B – THE UNBARRED GATE 
  Once all the crystals have been repowered, returning to the 
  glyph room, the adventurers find that all five of the druidic 
  glyphs are glowing. The door is no longer sealed. 
   
  Opening the heavy interior door reveals pure blackness beyond. It’s 
  not emptiness–it seems almost corporeal–and it is. Inside is a heavy 
  black substance, neither water nor air, tasteless and weightless, but 
  immovable. Touching it feels like being enveloped in some internal 
  organ, only without the wetness or the mess. 
   
  The black substance is unknowable. It cannot be interacted with 
  in any way, destroyed, moved, or lit. Darkvision is of not help 
  with seeing through it, as it is made of corporeal blackness. The 
  only thing one can do is move through it—which it allows. 
  Anyone touching the substance for the first time must succeed 
  on a DC 13 Intelligence saving throw or gain 1 level of madness. 
  The substance is difficult terrain and requires 20 feet of 
  movement to go through to the other side. It leads to the 
  chamber beyond.  
   
  
   
  17 
   
  SCENE 3: INTO THE BREACH 
  Once through the unfathomable blackness, the adventurers find 
  themselves in a small anteroom with a pair of double doors in 
  front of them.  This small area allows all the adventurers to 
  emerge from the blackness before entering the breach chamber.    
   The doors spring open as soon as all the characters and Vilda 
  (if she's present) have come through the blackness.  They can't 
  be closed again until the encounter is resolved.  If any character 
  touches the door, they spring open before the remaining party 
  members arrive. 
   
   
  Read or paraphrase the following: 
  The large double doors that lie beyond the incomprehensible 
  blackness swing open with hurricane force and reveal a large oval 
  chamber.  Buzzing with otherworldly energy in the room’s center is a 
  black pulsing tear in reality itself. The rift is twenty feet high and 
  periodically, grotesque tentacled shapes and a desolate gray landscape 
  can be seen within the darkness.  
  Hovering a few feet off the ground in front of the black fissure is a 
  nightmarish creature of glistening pink flesh. Its elongated arms and 
  legs end in sharp claws and its leathery wings beat in an unnervingly 
  steady rhythm that echoes in the bare chamber.  
  The creature turns its several snakelike heads toward you, speaking 
  in a unified gurgling voice like the bubbling of thick liquid. 
  “Imposters! I will wipe you from the face of this world!” it 
  screeches and moves menacingly in your direction. 
   
   
  
   
  18 
   
  SCENE 3A: THE BREACH CHAMBER 
  The breach chamber has been corrupted by the influence of a 
  daelkyr trapped in Khyber, which has drawn near to the 
  underground complex. The daelkyr itself has not been able to 
  completely break the seals, but its corrupting influence has 
  seeped through above into the complex. The daelkyr has been 
  unable to destroy the guardian, however, it has been able to 
  weaken it and drive it partially insane with its visions and the 
  warping of reality. 
   The daelkyr designs are inscrutable, but it seems to be luring 
  others to this chamber to have them kill the guardian. To this 
  end, it is warping perception in the chamber. To the guardian, 
  any who enter appear as aberrations and anything they say 
  sounds like a threat. To those that enter, the guardian appears 
  as an abomination and when it speaks, the words are twisted to 
  be threats and calls to battle. 
   Roll for initiative as soon as the eternal guardian (see 
  Appendix A) sees the characters. 
   
  THE NATURE OF THE ILLUSION 
  The daelkyr’s illusion in this chamber is altering reality itself and can 
  only be seen through with truesight–which is not expected to be 
  possessed by the party. Illusion and transmutation magic can be 
  detected, but not dispelled. Figuring out that the abomination is 
  actually the guardian is not required, but can be done by putting 
  together at least three specific clues throughout the encounter and 
  then making a special check. This is detailed in the Saving the 
  Guardian section below.  
  DM Tip: be sure to review the possible clues before starting the 
  battle! 
   
  Upon entry to the chamber, every character must succeed on a 
  DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or gain a level of madness. 
   
   Vilda Karrte. If Vilda is with the party, she has truesight and 
  is able to see that the creature is actually the guardian. Upon 
  realizing that it’s hostile toward the adventures, she urges them 
  to kill it—even offers to assist.  
   
  “The abomination, it’s all that stands in our way! I stand with you 
  against this fiend!” 
   
  A DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check at this point reveals that Vilda 
  seems particularly eager for blood.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   ADJUSTING THE ENCOUNTER 
  The encounter always features the eternal guardian (to avoid spoilers 
  for players, it’s suggested that DMs refer to it as a “Daelkyric 
  Abomination” until the truth is found out.) 
    
  Weak or Very Weak Party: the Daelkyric Abomination has a maximum 
  of 90 hit points and does not have access to its 1/day spells. Modify 
  Memory is the only lair action used. 
  Average Party: The Touch of Madness lair action is unavailable and 
  the Subtle Influence lair action can only be used to grant attacks to 
  player characters. 
  Strong Party: Add one tsochar (see Appendix A). 
  Very Strong Party: Add two tsochar, the Daelkyric Abomination has a 
  maximum of 198 hit points. 
  LAIR ACTIONS  
  The daelkyr influencing this combat takes one of the following 
  actions on initiative count 20 (losing ties). At the start of battle, 
  the actions are intended to make the party believe that they’re 
  being caused by the guardian, but as the fight progresses, they 
  may begin to aid the party in slaying it.  
  • 
  Modify Memory. The daelkyr casts the modify memory 
  spell (spell save DC 21), targeting one character of its 
  choice—do not inform the character of the DC and if the 
  character fails, do not inform them that they have failed. If 
  they fail, provide them with the Memory Handout (see 
  Appendix D). (You may wish to roll this saving throw in 
  secret—if you do so, be sure to take into account any 
  advantage against charm effects that the character might 
  possess.) If the character passes, they feel as though they 
  hear a voice whispering in their mind, but cannot make 
  out what it was saying. 
  • 
  Subtle Influence. The daelkyr allows one creature of its 
  choice to immediately use their reaction to make one 
  melee or ranged attack. If this is used on a player 
  character, it’s communicated as “you see a sudden 
  opportunity.” 
  • 
  Touch of Madness. This option cannot be used in the first 
  round of combat. The daelkyr assaults the mind of one 
  character with maddening images. The character must 
  make a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or gain 1 level of 
  madness. 
   
   
   
   
    
   
  
   
  19 
   
  SAVING THE GUARDIAN 
  It’s important to note that it may not be possible to save the 
  guardian and that failing to save it does not constitute a failure 
  in the adventure. 
   The daelkyr hides its influence well, but there are clues to 
  recognizing that something is amiss. Once the group succeeds 
  in gathering three of these clues, they are able to perform a 
  special check to put them together. The clues are as follows. 
  • 
  Vilda’s Bloodlust. Vilda’s unnatural eagerness to help 
  destroy the “abomination” is one clue that something is 
  not right. This clue is gained by succeeding on the Insight 
  check when she offers to help. 
  • 
  Modified Memory. If a character has their memory 
  modified by the daelkyr and shares this new memory with 
  the group, other characters may perform a DC 15 Wisdom 
  (History) check to examine their own memories. If any of 
  them succeed, they identify that the main discrepancy 
  between the memories is that Vola never warned them of 
  a specific monster, and only referred to another guardian 
  inside the complex.  
  • 
  The Guardian’s Damage. Any character taking damage 
  from the guardian’s melee attacks recognizes it as radiant. 
  If they recognize this as odd, they may attempt a DC 17 
  Intelligence (Arcana) check to recognize that it is 
  extremely unusual for an aberration to deal radiant 
  damage with its physical attacks. 
  • 
  The Guardian’s Spells. All of the guardian’s spells are on 
  the druid spell list. After the guardian casts at least two 
  different spells, a character may attempt a DC 15 
  Intelligence (Arcana) check to identify the spells as druidic 
  magic. A druid automatically succeeds on this check. 
  • 
  The Guardian’s Flesh. The first time a character strikes 
  the guardian with a melee attack from within 5 feet, they 
  can attempt a DC 13 Wisdom (Medicine) check. 
  Characters that have previously hit another aberration 
  with a melee attack have advantage on this check. Upon a 
  success, the character notices that the abomination’s flesh 
  does not respond as they would expect from its 
  appearance. This may be more difficult to notice by a 
  character with madness. The DC of this ability check 
  increases by 1 for every level of madness that the 
  character performing the check has. 
   
  Once the adventurers have successfully figured out at least 3 of 
  the clues, they may attempt an Intelligence (Insight) check to 
  figure out what’s happening. The DC of the check is equal to 13 
  + 1 for every level of madness that the character performing the 
  check has. On a success, they gain an understanding of the true 
  situation. However, figuring it out has no effect on the illusion 
  affecting the guardian itself—it continues to attack. 
   The only way to stop (and save) the guardian is for a character 
  to reduce it to 0 hit points with a melee attack and choose to 
  subdue it rather than kill it. This option is not available to 
  groups with the Sign of the Hunter. 
   If the party figures out what is happening and visible stops 
  attacking the guardian in an attempt to save it, Vilda and any 
  remaining tsochar attempt to destroy the guardian. Most 
  tsochari abilities are ineffective against it (which is why they 
  were not able to kill it), but they attempt nonetheless. It’s up to 
  the party to stop or allow this.  
   
  
   
  20 
   
  SCENE 3B: THE GUARDIAN’S FALL 
  If the eternal guardian is knocked unconscious or killed, the 
  daelkyr’s illusion fades. Read or paraphrase the appropriate text 
  below.  
   
  If the guardian is killed: 
  You strike a fatal final blow to the abomination and as it staggers, 
  booming otherworldly laughter explodes in the room. It goes on and 
  on, echoing in the chamber even as you see the creature you’ve 
  murdered fall to the ground–its shape changing from the vile pink-
  fleshed monstrosity to a humanoid shape with translucent golden 
  skin. In the creature’s right hand is an obsidian staff with the head of 
  a dragon, and strapped to their left arm is a black shield. Tied as a 
  necklace around its neck is a simple rope that holds a black 
  spellshard. This is the eternal guardian spoken of by the Gatekeeper. 
  In the far end of the room is a shelf containing several artifacts 
  related to the Xoriat Invasion and the daelkyr. One of these is 
  the Spiral Well.  
   If Vilda is still alive, she smiles brightly, having completed her 
  mission. She offers to allow the party to take anything they want 
  from here if they agree to leave her be in here. Her true intent is 
  to destroy the dimensional seal buried far below this chamber 
  and allow the daelkyr to enter the world—though she does not 
  openly share this.  
   If the party disagrees, she attacks them. There are no further 
  adjustments for fighting Vilda Karrte, nor does she have any 
  help. 
   The guardian is dead and their part-ethereal body begins 
  fading from existence soon after they are killed. When 
  examined, their body has vaguely orcish features, though faded 
  from millennia spent in this celestial form.  
   The group is able to recognize that the black spellshard can be 
  used for a ritual of creating a new guardian.  
   In addition to the Spiral Well, the adventurers find the 
  following treasure: staff of the Gatekeeper. 
   Proceed to Scene 3C. 
   
  If the guardian is knocked out: 
  As you strike to knock out the creature, a disgusted hiss fills the 
  room and you feel as if an otherworldly presence has departed. The 
  shape of the vile pink-fleshed monstrosity changes to that of a 
  humanoid with translucent golden skin. In the creature’s right hand is 
  an obsidian staff with the head of a dragon and strapped to their left 
  arm is a black shield. This must be the eternal guardian spoken of by 
  Vola. 
   
  The guardian heals themself after 1 hour and wakes. Healing 
  magic can rouse them earlier, though it is not required for the 
  party to wake it. 
   When the guardian wakes, they see the party and 
  communicate with them telepathically. They can no longer 
  speak or formulate words, and their communication is a 
  jumbled stream of images from the past 10,000 years. The 
  images sent to the party have a calming, serene quality—the 
  guardian is grateful. They indicate that the spellshards should 
  be given to Vola, to give to her people and recover their history.  
   Adventurers that save the guardian receive the Blessing of 
  the Eternal Guardian—this blessing grants them a +1 bonus on 
  any saving throws against spells or other effects originating 
  from a daelkyr or the powers of Xoriat. This blessing is 
  permanent and may carry forward into future adventures. 
   The Guardian allows them to take the Spiral Well, but not any 
  of the other Xoriat artifacts. The adventurers are also awarded 
  with the staff of the Gatekeeper. 
   Proceed to Scene 3C. 
   
  STAFF OF THE GATEKEEPER 
  Staff, rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster) 
  This staff is made of one large bone. Its head is carved and painted 
  into the visage of the black dragon Vvaraak. The dragon’s eyes glow 
  with a purple light whenever the staff is within 150 feet of an 
  aberration.  
  This staff can be wielded as a magic quarterstaff. It has 10 charges, 
  If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the staff vanishes in 
  a flash of light, lost forever. The staff regains 1d6+4 charges when the 
  following druidic ritual is performed. 
  Druidic Ritual. After successfully completing a long rest, the 
  attuned creature may choose to imbue the staff with some of their 
  life force, expending one of their hit dice to do so. In addition to 
  regaining charges, communing with the staff in this fashion allows 
  the attuned creature to invoke the staff's power and choose for it to 
  act either as a tool of hunting or a tool of healing. This choice lasts 
  until the ritual is performed again after a long rest. If the attuned 
  creature is a druid, performing the ritual allows them to use the staff 
  for both healing and hunting. 
  Tool of Healing. While holding this staff, you can use an action to 
  expend 1 or more of its charges to cast one of the following spells 
  from it, using your spell save DC and spellcasting ability modifier: 
  cure wounds (1 charge per spell level, up to 4th), lesser restoration (2 
  charges), or mass cure wounds (5 charges).  
  Tool of Hunting. When you hit with a melee attack using this staff, 
  you can expend up to 2 of its charges. For each charge you expend, 
  the target takes an extra 1d6 force damage. 
   
  
   
  21 
   
  SCENE 3C. RETURN TO THE GATEKEEPER  
  With the guardian dead and taking Vilda’s deal. If the 
  adventurers take Vilda up on her offer and leave her in the room, 
  once they exit the complex to meet Vola, they see a vision of 
  Vilda alone in the breach chamber, with a dark form emerging 
  from the breach and entering her body. Her eyes turn perfectly 
  black and the vision ends.  
   
  With the guardian dead. If the adventurers take the black 
  spellshard gem and bring it to Vola, she hesitates, but 
  recognizing the threat, she then volunteers to undergo the 
  transformation. The party is able to help her perform the ritual 
  over their next long rest and she transforms into a new eternal 
  guardian. She asks the party to seek out her people and have 
  them send a new Gatekeeper. She asks for the history in the 
  other spellshards, if the characters have them, to also be taken 
  to her people. 
   
  With the guardian alive. Vola thanks the adventurers and asks 
  that they go to her people and inform them of the happenings 
  and send a replacement Gatekeeper early.  
  SCENE 3D. RETURN TO LHARA  
  Sharn’s familiar towers are a welcome sign after what you’ve seen 
  on this mission. Lhara’s casual manner and business-like demeanor 
  are almost unnerving. Can she even imagine what was at stake? 
  What could have been lost? What still might be? She takes the 
  artifact. She gives you the money. Her eyes pause for just a few 
  seconds longer than they should and Lhara gives a knowing nod. 
  Yeah, she’s been there and seen that. It’s a small comfort, but a 
  comfort nonetheless. This is the chosen life. 
   
  The characters receive their payment from Provost Faurious 
  passed along by Lhara, totaling a tidy sum of 500 gold each. 
  THE CONVERGENCE MANIFESTO 
  With the Spiral Well retrieved for the Provost’s purposes, a new 
  mission for the Clifftop Adventurers’ Guild is soon to be 
  commissioned. If the players wish to continue on with the 
  Convergence Manifesto storyline, their next mission will be 
  detailed in AE01-09: Weathering the Storm. 
   
   
   
  
   
  22 
   
  APPENDIX A: BESTIARY 
   
  Akleu 
  Medium aberration, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 16 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30) 
  Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  16 (+3) 
  20 (+5) 
  16 (+3) 
  13 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  Saving Throws Dex +8, Con +6, Wis +5 
  Skills Acrobatics +11, Perception +8, Stealth +11 
  Damage Resistances poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing 
  damage from nonmagical attacks that aren’t byeshk 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 18 
  Languages Daelkyr, Undercommon 
  Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) 
   
  Assassinate. During its first turn, the akleu has advantage on attack 
  rolls against any creature that hasn't taken a turn. Any hit the akleu 
  scores against a surprised creature is a critical hit. 
   
  Cunning Action. On each of its turns, the akleu can use a bonus 
  action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action. 
   
  Transparency. The akleu’s transparent body makes it difficult to 
  target by sight. Attack rolls against it have disadvantage and it 
  cannot be targeted by spells that require the target to be seen. If it is 
  hit by an attack, this trait is disrupted until the end of its next turn. 
  This trait is also disrupted while the akleu is incapacitated or has a 
  speed of 0. Attacks from creatures that possess senses that do not 
  rely on sight – such as tremorsense or blindsight, or that have highly 
  developed smell or hearing – such as granted by the keen hearing or 
  keen scent traits, are not affected by this trait.  
   
  Evasion. If the akleu is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a 
  Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the akleu instead 
  takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half 
  damage if it fails. 
   
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The akleu deals an extra 14 (4d6) damage 
  when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the 
  attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the akleu 
  that isn't incapacitated and the akleu doesn't have disadvantage on 
  the attack roll. 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The akleu makes one claw attack and one bite attack. 
   
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 
  6 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage. 
   
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 
  (1d6 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 15 
  Constitution saving throw, taking 24 (7d6) poison damage on a 
  failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. 
   
   
   
  Cloaker 
  Large aberration, chaotic neutral 
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor)  
  Hit Points 78 (12d10 + 12) 
  Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  17 (+3) 
  15 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  13 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  Skills Stealth +5 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 
  Languages Deep Speech, Undercommon 
  Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) 
   
  Damage Transfer. While attached to a creature, the cloaker takes 
  only half the damage dealt to it (rounded down) and that creature 
  takes the other half. 
   
  False Appearance. While the cloaker remains motionless without its 
  underside exposed, it is indistinguishable from a dark leather cloak. 
   
  Light Sensitivity. While in bright light, the cloaker has disadvantage 
  on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The cloaker makes two attacks: one with its bite and 
  one with its tail. 
   
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 
  10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage, and if the target is Large or smaller, 
  the cloaker attaches to it. lf the cloaker has advantage against the 
  target, the cloaker attaches to the target's head, and the target is 
  blinded and unable to breathe while the cloaker is attached. While 
  attached, the cloaker can make this attack only against the target 
  and has advantage on the attack roll. The cloaker can detach itself by 
  spending 5 feet of its movement. A creature, including the target, 
  can take its action to detach the cloaker by succeeding on a DC 16 
  Strength check. 
   
  Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10ft., one creature. Hit: 
  7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage. 
   
  Moan. Each creature within 60 feet of the cloaker that can hear its 
  moan and that isn't an aberration must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom 
  saving throw or become frightened until the end of the cloaker's 
  next turn. If a creature's saving throw is successful, the creature is 
  immune to the cloaker's moan for the next 24 hours. 
   
  Phantasms (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The cloaker 
  magically creates three illusory duplicates of itself if it isn't in bright 
  light. The duplicates move with it and mimic its actions, shifting 
  position so as to make it impossible to track which cloaker is the 
  real one. If the cloaker is ever in an area of bright light, the 
  duplicates disappear. 
   Whenever any creature targets the cloaker with an attack or a 
  harmful spell while a duplicate remains, that creature rolls randomly 
  to determine whether it targets the cloaker or one of the duplicates. 
  A creature is unaffected by this magical effect if it can't see or if it 
  relies on senses other than sight. 
   A duplicate has the cloaker's AC and uses its saving throws. If an 
  attack hits a duplicate, or if a duplicate fails a saving throw against 
  an effect that deals damage, the duplicate disappears. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  23 
   
  Dolgaunt 
  Medium aberration, lawful evil 
  Armor Class 16 (natural armor)  
  Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  14 (+2) 
  19 (+4) 
  12 (+1) 
  13 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  Saving Throws Dex +6 
  Skills Acrobatics +6, Stealth +6 
  Damage Resistances poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing 
  damage from nonmagical attacks that aren’t byeshk 
  Senses blindsight 360 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive 
  Perception 12 
  Languages Common, Undercommon, tentacle sign language 30 ft. 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The dolgaunt makes two tentacle attacks. In place of any 
  attack, it can attempt to grapple an opponent up to 10 feet away. 
   
  Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 3 (1 + 2) bludgeoning damage. 
   
  Vitality Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one 
  target that is incapacitated, restrained, or grappled by the dolgaunt. 
  Hit: 3 (1 + 2) piercing damage and 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. The 
  target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the 
  necrotic damage taken, and the dolgaunt regains hit points equal to 
  that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. 
  The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. 
   
   
  Dolgaunt Ascetic 
  Medium aberration, lawful evil 
  Armor Class 18 (natural armor)  
  Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24) 
  Speed 50 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  16 (+3) 
  19 (+4) 
  15 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
  16 (+3) 
  11 (+0) 
  Saving Throws Dex +6, Wis +6 
  Skills Acrobatics +6, Perception +6, Stealth +6 
  Damage Resistances poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing 
  damage from nonmagical attacks that aren’t byeshk 
  Senses blindsight 360 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive 
  Perception 16 
  Languages Common, Undercommon, tentacle sign language 30 ft. 
  Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) 
   
  Mental Focus. If the dolgaunt ascetic is charmed, frightened, or 
  stunned at the start of its turn, the condition ends but it cannot 
  make a multiattack for that turn. 
   
  Unfettered Stride. The dolgaunt ascetic can move along vertical 
  surfaces and across liquids on its turn without falling during its 
  movement. It is immune to fall damage. 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The dolgaunt ascetic makes four attacks: two unarmed 
  strikes and two tentacle attacks. In place of up to two attacks, it can 
  attempt to grapple an opponent up to 10 feet away. 
   
  Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. 
   
  Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. 
   
  Vitality Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one 
  target that is incapacitated, restrained, or grappled by the dolgaunt. 
  Hit: 3 (1 + 2) piercing damage and 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. The 
  target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the 
  necrotic damage taken, and the dolgaunt regains hit points equal to 
  that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. 
  The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. 
   
  Leadership (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). For 1 minute, the 
  dolgaunt ascetic can issue a special command or warning whenever 
  a non-hostile creature that it can see within 30 feet of it makes an 
  attack roll or a saving throw. The creature can add a d4 to its roll 
  provided it can hear (or perceive, in the case of tentacle sign 
  language) and understand the dolgaunt. A creature can benefit from 
  only one Leadership die at a time. This effect ends if the dolgaunt 
  ascetic is incapacitated. 
   
  Reactions 
  Parry Missiles. The dolgaunt ascetic reduces the damage taken from 
  a ranged attack by 21 (1d10 + 16). 
  
   
  24 
   
  Dolgrim 
  Small aberration, chaotic evil 
  Armor Class 16 (natural armor)  
  Hit Points 22 (5d6 + 5) 
  Speed 20 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  14 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  8 (–1) 
  9 (–1) 
  6 (–2) 
  Saving Throws Wis +1 
  Skills Athletics +4, Stealth +5 
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage 
  from nonmagical attacks that aren’t byeshk 
  Damage Vulnerabilities psychic 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 
  Languages Undercommon 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
   
  Double Actions. At the start of combat, a dolgrim rolls initiative 
  twice, gaining a full turn (action, bonus action, and movement) on 
  each resulting initiative count. It regains its reaction at the start of 
  both turns in a round. 
   
  Dual Consciousness. A dolgrim has two brains, giving it advantage 
  on saving throws to avoid being charmed or stunned. 
   
  Extra Arms. A dolgrim has four arms, giving it advantage on grapple 
  checks against Small or smaller creatures. 
   
  Actions 
  Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. 
   
  Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 
  (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
   
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 80/320 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage. 
   
   
  Eternal Guardian 
  Medium celestial, lawful good 
  Armor Class 18 (natural armor, shield) 
  Hit Points 135 (18d8 + 54) 
  Speed 40 ft., fly 50 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  22 (+6) 
  15 (+2) 
  17 (+3) 
  12 (+1) 
  23 (+6) 
  14 (+2) 
  Saving Throws Str +10, Wis +10, Cha +6 
  Skills Insight +10, Perception +10 
  Damage Immunities poison 
  Damage Resistances fire, radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing from nonmagical attacks 
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned 
  Senses blindsight 120 ft., Passive Perception 16 
  Languages all 
  Challenge 12 (8,400 XP) 
   
  Flyby. The eternal guardian doesn’t provoke an opportunity attack 
  when it flies out of an enemy’s reach. 
   
  Etherflesh. The eternal guardian’s body has been transformed to be 
  partly ethereal. The guardian is immune to the ravages of time and 
  cannot become physically younger or older, is immune to any 
  diseases that would physically afflict it. It is immune to any spell or 
  effect that would alter its form. It cannot be affected by the abilities 
  of parasites that inhabit corporeal bodies such as intellect devourers, 
  bore worms, or tsochar. 
   
  Innate Spellcasting. The eternal guardian’s innate spellcasting ability 
  is Wisdom (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). The 
  guardian can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material 
  components: 
   
  3/day each: moonbeam, earth tremor* (as a 5th-level spell) 
  1/day each: heal, bones of the earth* 
   
  * These spells can be found in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything. 
   
  Magic Resistance. The eternal guardian has advantage on saving 
  throws against spells and other magical effects. 
   
  Legendary Resistance (1/Day). If the eternal guardian fails a saving 
  throw, it can choose to succeed instead. 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The eternal guardian makes two melee attacks. 
   
  Staff of the Gatekeeper. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage plus 22 (5d8) 
  radiant damage.  
  
   
  25 
   
  Flying Horror 
  Medium aberration, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 16 (natural armor)  
  Hit Points 49 (9d8 + 9) 
  Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  9 (–1) 
  20 (+5) 
  12 (+1) 
  2 (–4) 
  15 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  Skills Perception +4, Stealth +7 
  Damage Vulnerabilities radiant 
  Condition Immunities frightened 
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14 
  Languages None 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
   
  Fear Frenzy. The horror has advantage on attack rolls against 
  frightened creatures. 
   
  Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the horror has disadvantage 
  on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on 
  sight. 
   
  Actions 
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) slashing damage plus 14 (4d6) psychic damage. 
   
  Frightening Screech (Recharge 5-6). The horror screeches. Each 
  creature within 30 feet of it that can hear it must succeed on a DC 
  13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of it for 1 minute. The 
  frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each 
  of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's 
  saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is 
  immune to the horror's Frightening Screech for the next 24 hours. 
  Vilda Karrte  
  Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil 
  Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor) 
  Hit Points 91 (14d8 + 28) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  9 (–1) 
  14 (+2) 
  15 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  18 (+4) 
  Saving Throws Wis +4, Cha +7 
  Skills Arcana +4, Deception +7, History +4  
  Damage Resistances psychic 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 
  Languages Common, Undercommon, telepathy 30 ft. 
  Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) 
   
  Innate Spellcasting. Vilda’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma. 
  She can innately cast the following spells (spell save DC 15), 
  requiring no material components: 
   
  At will: detect magic, jump, false life, mage armor (self only), speak 
  with dead 
  1/day each: eyebite, true seeing 
   
  Spellcasting. Vilda is a 14th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability 
  is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). She 
  regains her expended spell slots when she finishes a short or long 
  rest. Vilda knows the following warlock spells: 
   
  Cantrips (at will): chill touch, eldritch blast, guidance, mage hand, 
  minor illusion, prestidigitation, shocking grasp 
  1st–5th level (3 5th-level slots): armor of Agathys, arms of Hadar, 
  crown of madness, enemies abound*, contact other plane, detect 
  thoughts, Evard’s black tentacles, dissonant whispers, dominate 
  person, synaptic static*, vampiric touch 
   
  * These spells can be found in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything 
  Whispering Aura. At the start of each of Vilda’s turns, each creature 
  of her choice within 5 feet of her must succeed on a DC 15 
  Wisdom saving throw or take 10 (3d6) psychic damage, provided 
  that Vilda isn’t incapacitated. 
   
  Actions 
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or 
  range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage. 
   
   
  
   
  26 
   
  Tsochar 
  Medium aberration, lawful evil 
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 33 (5d8 + 10) 
  Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  14 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  Skills Athletics +9, Perception +5, Stealth +5 
  Damage Immunities poison 
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from 
  nonmagical attacks that aren’t byeshk 
  Condition Immunities poisoned, prone 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15 
  Languages understands Daelkyr and Undercommon but can't speak, 
  telepathy 60 ft. 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
   
  Damage Transfer. While it is grappling a creature, the tsochar takes 
  only half the damage dealt to it, and the creature grappled by it takes 
  the other half. 
   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The tsochar has four tentacles and makes one attack 
  with each free tentacle, up to four. 
   
  Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 5 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage. If the tschoar hits the same 
  creature with at least two of its tentacles in the same turn, the 
  creature is grappled (escape DC starts at 15 and increases by 1 at 
  the end of each turn the target remains grappled by the tsochar, up 
  to a maximum of 19).  
   Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained. The tsochar 
  requires two tentacles to maintain the grapple. When grappling a 
  creature, the tsochar can inflict one one of the following effects on 
  it using a bonus action:
   — Paralyzing Poison Injection. The target takes 7(2d6) poison 
  damage and must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or 
  be poisoned for 1 hour. This condition has no effect on any attacks 
  or saving throws made by the tsocar using Wear Flesh (see below). 
   — Take Spells. Starting on the second turn of grappling a creature, 
  the tsochar can cast one spell available to that creature, using that 
  creature’s spellcasting resources. The spell uses the caster’s spell 
  save DC and spell attack bonus, but the tsochar is considered the 
  caster of the spell for targeting purposes. The tsochar is unable to 
  use this effect if the grappled creature is protected from possession, 
  such as by a protection from evil and good spell. 
   — Wear Flesh. Starting on the third turn of grappling a creature, 
  the tsochar can choose to begin boring its way into the creature’s 
  body. The process is agonizingly painful and the creature must make 
  a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 14 (4d6) piercing 
  damage. If the creature remains grappled by the tsochar at the start 
  of the tsochar’s next turn, it takes control of the creature’s body.  
   While inside a creature, the tsochar has total cover against attacks 
  and other effects originating outside its host. The tsochar retains its 
  Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, as well as its 
  understanding of Daelkyr and Undercommon, its telepathy, and its 
  traits. It otherwise adopts the target’s statistics. It knows everything 
  the creature knew, including spells and languages. A protection from 
  evil and good spell cast on the body drives the tsochar out. By 
  spending 5 feet of its movement, the tsochar can voluntarily leave 
  the body, appearing in an unoccupied space of its choice within 5 
  feet of the body. 
   If the host body dies, the tsochar can use its action to hollow out 
  the victim’s nervous system. It then animates the body, effectively 
  acting as the nervous system of the dead host. This functions like a 
  polymorph spell cast to transform into the victim's exact form, 
  except that the tsochar can remain in the victim's form for up to a 
  year, and it leaves the victim's corpse behind when it chooses to 
  end the effect. The tsochar can remain in this form indefinitely, but 
  once it abandons the form, it cannot reanimate the body. 
   — Inflict Agony. If the tsochar has succeeded in using its Wear 
  Flesh ability, it can use its bonus action each turn to deal 14(4d6) 
  psychic damage to the host without damaging itself. 
   
   
   
  
   
  27 
   
  APPENDIX B: MAPS 
   
   
   
   
  
   
  28 
   
   
   
  
   
  29 
   
   
  APPENDIX C: CHAOS WEB TABLE 
    
   
   
   
   
  D100  Effect 
  Direction 1 
  Direction 2 Damage Type 
  Bounce?  
  1 
  6 Chaos Bolt 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  11 lightning no 
  2 
  26 Ray of Frost 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  8 cold 
  NA 
  3 
  97 10ft Random Teleport Same plane 
  5 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  4 
  45 Ray of Frost 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  5 cold 
  NA 
  5 
  54 Levitate 10ft up 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  6 
  55 Levitate 10ft up 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  7 
  30 Ray of Frost 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  8 cold 
  NA 
  8 
  79 10ft Random Teleport Down (or same plane) 6 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  9 
  32 Ray of Frost 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  7 cold 
  NA 
  10 
  63 Levitate 10ft up 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  11 
  42 Ray of Frost 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  8 cold 
  NA 
  12 
  67 Levitate 10ft up 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  13 
  16 Chaos Bolt 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  12 thunder no 
  14 
  28 Ray of Frost 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  8 cold 
  NA 
  15 
  23 Chaos Bolt 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  16 thunder no 
  16 
  33 Ray of Frost 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  1 cold 
  NA 
  17 
  22 Chaos Bolt 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  12 poison 
  no 
  18 
  31 Ray of Frost 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  3 cold 
  NA 
  19 
  23 Chaos Bolt 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  17 lightning no 
  20 
  22 Chaos Bolt 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  12 thunder no 
  21 
  51 Levitate 10ft up 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  22 
  66 Levitate 10ft up 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  23 
  54 Levitate 10ft up 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  24 
  37 Ray of Frost 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  5 cold 
  NA 
  25 
  90 10ft Random Teleport Down (or same plane) 3 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  26 
  24 Chaos Bolt 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  12 psychic 
  no 
  27 
  19 Chaos Bolt 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  8 acid 
  no 
  28 
  7 Chaos Bolt 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  10 force 
  no 
  29 
  34 Ray of Frost 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  4 cold 
  NA 
  30 
  42 Ray of Frost 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  5 cold 
  NA 
  31 
  68 Levitate 10ft up 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  32 
  96 10ft Random Teleport Same plane 
  3 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  33 
  8 Chaos Bolt 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  17 lightning no 
  34 
  26 Ray of Frost 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  7 cold 
  NA 
  35 
  47 Ray of Frost 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  8 cold 
  NA 
  36 
  61 Levitate 10ft up 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  37 
  69 Levitate 10ft up 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  38 
  1 Chaos Bolt 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  15 poison 
  yes 
  39 
  78 10ft Random Teleport Down (or same plane) 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  40 
  92 10ft Random Teleport Same plane 
  5 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  41 
  45 Ray of Frost 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  4 cold 
  NA 
  42 
  98 10ft Random Teleport Up 
  4 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  43 
  58 Levitate 10ft up 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  44 
  96 10ft Random Teleport Same plane 
  7 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  45 
  32 Ray of Frost 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  8 cold 
  NA 
  46 
  20 Chaos Bolt 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  7 acid 
  no 
  47 
  60 Levitate 10ft up 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  48 
  82 10ft Random Teleport Down (or same plane) 5 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  49 
  96 10ft Random Teleport Up 
  8 
  NA 
  NA 
  NA 
  50 
  5 Chaos Bolt 1 
  NA 
  NA 
  18 force 
  no 
  Instead of spending time rolling for 
  individual effects for the chaos web 
  trap each time a character triggers 
  it—which may bog down 
  gameplay—the first fifty random 
  results have been pre-rolled for you 
  and displayed here. 
   
  
   
  30 
   
  APPENDIX D: PLAYER HANDOUTS 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  MEMORY HANDOUT 
   
   
   
   
   
  You feel your memory suddenly 
  become very clear. You remember 
  coming here, you remember meeting 
  the 
  Gatekeeper. 
  You 
  distinctly 
  remember her warning you of the 
  dangerous creature that was being 
  held inside – the creature you needed 
  to kill in order to cleanse the 
  complex. You remember her warning – 
  that the creature might mess with 
  your mind and make you forget the 
  mission. 
  And 
  you 
  remember 
  her 
  describing the creature as having 
  leathery wings, pink flesh, and many 
  screeching heads. 
  
   
  31 
   
  APPENDIX E: DM REFERENCE - 
  TIMELINE OF HISTORICAL EVENTS 
   
  This is provided to help answer player questions arising in the 
  adventure that are not explicitly answered by the text. 
  Divination spells, speak with dead, or other unusual checks or 
  abilities may result in the pursuit of knowledge beyond what is 
  provided in the adventure. Thus, the full history of the 
  Sealguard Complex may be useful.  
   Given the millennia of time that have passed, it’s also entirely 
  possible that this information is may not be available to players 
  at all. 
   
  Events largely forgotten by history: 
  • Circa 9,000 years ago: Xoriat invasion, dimensional seals 
  placed. 
  • Circa 8,000 years ago: Partial breach of the dimensional 
  seal at Tjorda, formerly a settlement in this area. A short 
  time later, the creation of the containment complex called a 
  “Sealguard” around the breach was finished, and the 
  breach successfully re-sealed with this method. 
  • Circa 7,500 years ago: The second breach attempt. The 
  Tjorda Sealguard Complex held back Xoriat during what 
  would have been a coterminous phase, though some 
  corruption gets through and begin eating away at protective 
  crystals that power the protective barrier around the seal. A 
  short time later, prison chambers are added onto the 
  structure, within the sealed area, to contain some Xoriat 
  creatures that passed through during the second breach. 
  • Circa 7,400 years ago: Presence of residual Xoriat energy 
  continues undermining the complex, one Gatekeeper 
  makes the ultimate sacrifice and uses a rare and powerful 
  black spellshard to transform into an “eternal seal 
  guardian,” giving them long life and magical energies. This 
  allows the guardian to remain inside the complex and 
  actively work to maintain the inner barrier around the seal 
  breach.  
   
  Events during recorded history: 
  • 3,000 years ago: Over time, the magic of the guardian’s 
  transformation, much like that of the dimensional seals 
  themselves is lost, even to the druids. The Gatekeepers no 
  longer remember the still-living seal guardian as one of 
  their own—for millennia they’ve only known it as the 
  eternal guardian. But it lives and maintains the inner 
  barrier, while a Gatekeeper druid maintains a vigilant 
  watch on the exterior of the complex.  
  • 2,500 years ago: A third breach attempt occurs. The seal 
  holds, though damage is done. From this point, it requires 
  the constant attention of both—the (mortal) Gatekeeper 
  druid outside and the (seemingly immortal) seal guardian 
  inside the complex—to constantly power the inner barrier. 
  • 2,499 years ago: It becomes a sacred honor for a specially 
  trained Gatekeeper druid to take their place as the 
  Gatekeeper of the outer barrier, using their magic to 
  maintain the barrier. Each such Gatekeeper serves for 50 
  years and then “retires” to return home and live as a 
  respected elder. 
  • 30 years ago: Gatekeeper Vola, the current Gatekeeper, 
  begins her duties. 
  • 10 years ago: Vilda Karrte comes to the complex, looking 
  for an ancient relic and seeking entry. Having been denied 
  entry, she attacks the Gatekeeper, forcing Vola to let her 
  past the outer barrier and injuring her in the process. Vilda 
  never comes out. Prior to attacking the Gatekeeper, Vilda 
  places a ward on the complex, preventing the Gatekeeper 
  from contacting her people. 
  • 10 years ago through current day: Gatekeeper Vola—
  despite grievous injuries—continues to perform her duties, 
  though as her life force fades, so does the strength of the 
  outer barrier. This, in turn, affects the inner barrier, 
  causing the eternal guardian to be assaulted by the 
  influence of the Realm of Madness. 
  • Sometime in the past 5 years: The eternal guardian, unable 
  to keep up with the corruption, decides to seal off access to 
  the crystals that power the inner barrier. Hoping that 
  another guardian might come after, they leave ways for 
  those of this world to access the crystals. Sensing a 
  powerful presence at the heart of the breach, the eternal 
  guardian makes a final, fateful decision to enter the inner 
  chamber and attempt to destroy it. At this point, 
  Gatekeeper Vola loses all contact with the guardian and 
  feels the barriers further weakening. 
  • Recently: Provost Nigel Faurious discovers Vilda Karrte’s 
  journals, detailing her discovery of a Xoriat artifact called 
  the Spiral Well and its likely location. 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/Adventures/Across Eberron/Across Eberron - Convergence Manifesto - Episode 08 - March of Madness.pdf