TEXT: Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 
  game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. 
  This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission of 
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  This is an official RPGA® play document. To find out more about the RPGA and to learn more on how you can sanction and run 
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game events of all sizes, visit our website at www.rpga.com. 
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK, Living Greyhawk, D&D Rewards, RPGA, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, 
  and Monster Manual are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc, in the US and other countries. This material is protected under the 
  copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is 
  prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to 
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  Visit the LIVING GREYHAWK website at www.rpga.com. 
   
   
  COR8-10 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Chains of Darkness 
   
  A Two-Round Dungeons & Dragons® Living 
  Greyhawk™  
  Core Adventure 
  Version 1 
   
   
  by Pieter Sleijpen 
  Circle Reviewers: Creighton Broadhurst  
  Playtesters: GMs: Britt Frey, Vernon Vincent; Players: Stefania Fiorentino, Wayne Roberts, Wes Shanks, David 
  “Keyoke” Polansky, Mark Rosen, Kim Mooiweer, Krishna Simonse, Marco Lammers, Nina Moelkers, Vincent vd Bijl, 
  Ward van Oosterum, Rodney Root, Joel Anderson, Eric Anderson, Brian Burgett, Eric Jones 
   
   
  Old Wicked is on the verge of success, and the forces of good are desperately looking for ways to stop him. When Tenser 
  hears of knowledge hidden on the Abyss, he suspects a trap, but he cannot ignore any chance at victory, however slim it 
  might be - and Iuz is not without enemies in that place. So now he is looking for adventurers, hoping that they have an 
  easier time of remaining undetected in that dismal place than he would have. Are you willing to go in his stead?  A 2-
  round core adventure set in the Abyss for character levels 9 to 15 (APLs 10-16). Part four of “Ascension”. 
   
  Resources for this adventure [and the authors of those works] include Complete Arcane [Richard Baker], Complete Divine [David 
  Noonan], Dungeonscape [Jason Bulmahn, Rich Burlew], Expedition to the Demon Web Pits [Wolfgang Baur, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel], 
  Fiend Folio [Eric Cagl, Jesse Decker, James Jacobs, Erik Mona. Matt Sernett, Chris Thomasson, James Wyatt], Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of 
  the Abyss [Ed Stark, James Jacobs, Erik Mona], Isle of the Ape [Gary Gygax], Libris Mortis [And Collins, Bruce R. Cordell], Monster Manual 
  IV [Gwendolyn F. M. Kestrel, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Matthew Sernett, Eric Cagle. Andrew Finch, Christopher Lindsay, Kolja Raven 
  Linquette, Chris Sims, Owen K. C. Stephens, Travis Stout, JD Wiker, Skip Williams], Return of the Eight [Roger Moore], and Spell 
  Compendium [Matthew Sernett, Jeff Grubb, Mike McArtor].
  598 CY 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 1 
  RPGA® SANCTIONED PLAY 
  Most likely you ordered this adventure as part of an 
  RPGA event from the RPGA website, or you received it 
  from your senior gamemaster. To play this adventure as 
  part of the LIVING GREYHAWK campaign—a worldwide, 
  ongoing D&D® campaign set in the GREYHAWK setting—
  you must sanction it as part of an RPGA event. This event 
  could be as elaborate as a big convention, or as simple as a 
  group of friends meeting at the DM’s house.  
   
  To sanction an RPGA event, you must be at least a 
  HERALD-LEVEL™ gamemaster. The person who sanctions 
  the event is called the senior gamemaster, and is in 
  charge of making sure the event is sanctioned before 
  play, runs smoothly on the date sanctioned, and then 
  reported back to the RPGA in a timely manner. The 
  person who runs the game is called the session Dungeon 
  Master (or usually just DM). Sometimes (and almost all 
  the time in the cases of home events) the senior 
  gamemaster is also the session DM. You must be at least a 
  HERALD-LEVEL GM to run this adventure. 
  By 
  sanctioning and reporting this adventure, you accomplish 
  a couple of things. First, it is an official game, and you can 
  use the AR to advance your LIVING GREYHAWK character. 
  Second, players and DMs gain rewards for sanctioned 
  RPGA play if they are members of the DUNGEONS & 
  DRAGONS REWARDS program. Playing this adventure is 
  worth two (2) points.  
   
  This adventure retires from RPGA-sanctioned play 
  on December 31, 2008.  
   
  To learn more about the LIVING GREYHAWK 
  character creation and development, RPGA event 
  sanctioning, and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS REWARDS, visit 
  the RPGA website at www.rpga.com.  
   
  PLAYERS READ NO FARTHER 
  If you are planning on playing this adventure, stop 
  reading now. The rest of the information in this 
  adventure is for the DM only. If you read farther than this 
  section, you’ll know too much about its challenges, which 
  kills the fun. Also, if you’re playing this adventure as part 
  of an RPGA-sanctioned event, reading beyond this point 
  makes you ineligible to do so.  
   
  PREPARING FOR PLAY 
  To get the most out of this adventure, you need copies of 
  the following D&D rule books: Player’s Handbook, 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual.  
   
  Throughout this adventure, text in bold italics 
  provides player information for you to paraphrase or read 
  aloud when appropriate. Information on nonplayer 
  characters (NPCs) and monsters appear in abbreviated 
  form in the adventure text. Refer to Appendix 1 for full 
  information on 
  NPCs 
  and 
  monsters. 
  For 
  your 
  convenience, Appendix 1 is split by APL 
   
  Along with this adventure, you’ll find a RPGA 
  session tracking sheet. If you’re playing this adventure as 
  part of an RPGA-sanctioned event, complete and turn in 
  this sheet to your senior GM directly after play. You’ll also 
  find a LIVING GREYHAWK adventure record (AR). You 
  need one copy of this for each participating player. 
   
   LIVING GREYHAWK LEVELS 
  OF PLAY 
  Because players bring their own characters to Living 
  Greyhawk games, this adventure’s challenges are 
  proportionate to the modified average character level of 
  the PCs participating in the adventure. To calculate the 
  Average Party Level (APL), follow the process below:  
  1. Determine the character level for each of the PCs 
  participating in the adventure. Each PC may bring 
  one animal, plus any creatures gained from class 
  abilities to help in combat. (PCs can bring more 
  creatures but they cannot help in combat). If you 
  deem that the animal bestows a significant benefit in 
  combat add the animal’s CR to the level of the PC it is 
  accompanying for calculating APL. (Animals gained 
  from class abilities and one standard horse, warhorse, 
  or riding dog for a PC with Mounted Combat do not 
  affect APL). 
  2. Sum the results of step 1 and divide by the number of 
  characters playing in the adventure. Round to the 
  nearest whole number. 
  3. If you are running a table of six PCs, add one to that 
  average. 
   
  Throughout this adventure, APLs categorize the level of 
  challenge the PCs face. APLs are given in even-numbered 
  increments. If the APL of your group falls on an odd 
  number, ask them before the adventure begins whether 
  they would like to play a harder or easier adventure. 
  Based on their choice, use either the higher or the lower 
  adjacent APL. 
   
  APL also affects the amount of experience and gold a 
  PC can gain at the end of the adventure. A player 
  character more than three levels higher than the APL at 
  which the adventure is played cannot participate. If a 
  player character is more than two levels away from the 
  APL at which the adventure is played, he suffers a 50% 
  penalty to the amount of gold and XP gained in the 
  adventure. This simulates the fact that either the PC was 
  not challenged as much as normal or relied on help by 
  higher-level characters to reach the objectives. 
   
  Living Greyhawk adventures are designed for APL 2 
  and higher. Four or five 1st-level characters may find the 
  challenge of an APL 2 adventure difficult. Suggest the 
  following to these groups to help increase their chances 
  of success:  
  1. Enlist a sixth player. 
  2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help protect 
  them and fight for them. 
   
  These APL calculation rules reference version 7.0 of the 
  Living Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook. If you are playing 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 2 
  this adventure in 2008, check the current version of the 
  LGCS and follow any updated rules presented within.  
   
  TIME UNITS AND UPKEEP 
  This is a standard 2-round Core adventure set in the 
  Abyss. All characters pay 4 Time Units per round. 
   
  Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12 gp per time 
  unit. Rich Upkeep costs 50 gp per time unit. Luxury 
  Upkeep costs 100 gp per time unit. Characters that fail to 
  pay at least Standard Upkeep retain temporary ability 
  damage until the next adventure, must buy new spell 
  component pouches and healer’s kits, and may suffer 
  other in-game penalties (or possibly benefits) as detailed 
  in this adventure. 
   
  A character that does not pay for at least Standard 
  Upkeep may avoid the above-described penalties by 
  living off the wild. If the character possesses four or more 
  ranks in Survival and succeeds on a DC 20 Survival 
  check, he heals temporary ability damage as if he had 
  Standard Upkeep, may refill spell component pouches 
  and healer’s kits, and may restock up to 20 arrows or bolts 
  if the character has at least four ranks in Craft 
  (bowmaking). PCs may Take 10 on this roll. 
   
  Chapters 1 and 5 of the LGCS present more 
  information about lifestyle and upkeep. 
   
  PREPARATION FOR PLAY 
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness is the fourth part in the  
  Ascension series. It contains the following parts: 
  • 
  Part 1: COR8S-01 Whispers of the Obsidian Citadel 
  • 
  Part 2: COR8-08 Entrapment 
  • 
  Part 3: COR8-09 Lost Souls Eternal 
   
  Check whether the PCs played these adventures 
  beforehand. It is possible to pay part 2, 3 and 4 out of 
  order, but it is more fun to play the adventures in the 
  correct sequence. Part 1 must be played before this part, 
  and once you have played part 5 this adventure makes no 
  sense. Regardless, check whether or not the PCs earned 
  any favors and disfavors from Tenser in this series as well 
  as in any previous series. This has an impact on the 
  Introduction in how Tenser treats the PCs and that he 
  might provide additional support. In addition it has an 
  impact on the AR reward at the end. 
   
  Note that large parts of this adventure leave a lot of 
  freedom to the DM to add flavor to the encounters. Do 
  not be afraid to do so as long as you keep the fun of the 
  players in mind, so be careful with providing too vivid 
  descriptions or too disturbing personalities for the 
  random NPCs the PCs might interact with. 
   
  PACING 
  The adventure has a tendency to run long, especially if 
  the players immerse them selves in the role-playing parts 
  of the adventure. So keep an eye on the time, especially 
  when running the adventure in a time-sensitive 
  environment such as at a convention. A few points of 
  advice for when running the adventure in a time 
  sensitive environment: 
  • 
  Do not run the cackle storm in Encounter 1. 
  • 
  Keep the fight in Encounter 2 simple and do not 
  make extensive use of spell-like abilities that have a 
  tendency to grind combats to a halt such as confusion 
  and reverse gravity. The goal of the encounter is to 
  show that life is cheap in the Abyss and that demons 
  are quick to start a fight. 
  • 
  Try to avoid having the assassins escape from the 
  ambush, and then run a second fight at their hideout. 
  Make sure you do not spend too much time on the 
  trap in the hideout. 
  • 
  Do not let the PCs spend too much time on 
  designing a plan to free Lorn Aldyr in Encounter 7. 
  The checks are there to deal with the details. 
  • 
  The fight in Encounter 9 and 11 are ultimately less 
  important to the adventure than the fight in 
  Encounter 12. Remember though that Lorn rushes 
  the PCs on to do all three fights in the same day 
  since he fears that his escape triggers a retaliation 
  action by Iggwilv who knows about Lorn’s plans. 
  Both fights are not particularly difficult, but they do 
  drain resources in regards to the last encounter. 
   
  THE ABYSS 
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness is set in the Abyss, the outer 
  plane of chaos and evil. The Abyss is mildly Chaotically 
  aligned and mildly Evilly Aligned: Lawful and Good 
  characters take a –2 penalty on Charisma-based checks. 
  Lawful good characters take a –4 penalty on Charisma-
  based checks. Gravity and time are normal. All other traits 
  depend on the layer. For more information on planar 
  traits consult pages 147-150 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
   
  The adventure starts in the first layer, Pazunia or the 
  Plain of Infinite Portals. Pazunia is a sun-scorched, wind-
  blasted desert, filled with ancient iron fortresses, 
  towering rocks and deep pits. The pits are dangerous to 
  the unwary, since they are likely to be portals to other 
  layers, layers that might be extremely lethal to the 
  unprepared. 
   
  No demon prince controls the whole layer, and it is 
  the staging ground for many battles both between 
  different demon princes and for the Blood War (the 
  eternal conflict between demons and devils). Broken 
  Reach is one of the more hospitable towns/fortresses in 
  Pazunia. 
   
  Broken Reach is located at the gate leading into the 
  Outlands, and the succubus sorceress, Red Shroud, rules 
  it. She brooks no violence inside her city, and it has 
  become a place of neutrality and a hub of trade. More 
  information can be found in Appendix 3. 
   
  The second part of the adventure is set in Zelatar, 
  capital of Azzagrat, the three layers ruled by the demon 
  prince Graz’zt (and father of Iuz). Zelatar covers all three 
  layers. For a demon city, it is relatively safe for mortals, 
  although owning a merchant token granted by Graz’zt 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 3 
  helps. More information on the city and Graz’zt’s palace 
  can be found in Encounters 6 and 7, Appendix 4, and 
  Expedition to the Demon Web Pits. 
   
  The third and final part of the adventure takes the 
  PCs to the Wells of Darkness, the 73rd layer, and prison, 
  of the Abyss. Unlike the other two layers, the 73rd layer is 
  strongly Evil-aligned: a -2 circumstance penalty applies 
  on all Charisma-based checks made by all non-Chaotic 
  Evil creatures. In addition, the -2 penalty affects all 
  Intelligence-based and Wisdom-based checks. A steel-
  blue sun covers this layer in an eternal twilight. 
   
  This layer is a vast gray plain, interrupted here and 
  there by jagged tors and the deep black pools that form 
  the prisons for those interned here. A 10-foot-wide 
  marble path connects the wells. The custodians of the 
  layer are advanced, ogre-sized bodaks who attack anybody 
  leaving the marble path or lingering for more than a 
  couple of hours. 
   
  NEW RULE ITEMS 
  Core adventures often utilize new rules items –including 
  new classes, prestige classes, races, feats, spells, and 
  equipment (including magic items) – that do not appear 
  in any of the three core D&D books (Player’s Handbook, 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide, or Monster Manual). The full write-
  up of any featured feats, spells, or equipment appears in 
  Appendix 2. Information on featured classes, prestige 
  classes, and races appears in the relevant creature’s stat 
  block. This adventure includes all the information 
  required to run these characters. The DM should double-
  check that he fully understands any new rule items 
  presented in this adventure before play begins. 
   
  ADVENTURE BACKGROUND 
  Iuz does not fear divine interference. No god of power is 
  allowed to directly intervene in the Flanaess. It is a rule 
  enforced by all deities who fear the results of any such 
  direct tampering and the snowball effect such tampering 
  is guaranteed to create. One deity has proven to be 
  willing to break this rule when confronted by great evil: 
  St. Cuthbert.  
   
  Already a hated enemy, Iuz fears St. Cuthbert might 
  well put an end to his plans by direct interference as he 
  has done in the past. So, while making plans for his 
  ascension, Iuz also made plans to deal with his nemesis. 
  St. Cuthbert is a god of wisdom, though, and Iuz realizes 
  that disposing of him would be a monumental task. 
  While investigating Tharizdun, Iuz learned of a solar who 
  had gone insane while guarding one of Tharizdun’s 
  chains.  
   
  The solar had come to the conclusion that 
  everything in the world is evil, and that liberating 
  Tharizdun would result in the world’s cleansing. It started 
  working towards this goal, and, due to its intimate 
  knowledge on Tharizdun’s prison, came very close to 
  succeeding. The creature avoided capture by the forces of 
  good, but was eventually caught in a Well of Darkness on 
  the 73rd layer of the Abyss by angry demons who didn’t 
  want to see the world destroyed.   
   
  Once Iuz learned about it, he looked for a high-
  ranking follower of St. Cuthbert desperate to find a 
  weapon against Iuz. Finding such a person was not 
  difficult due to the renewed war between Furyondy and 
  Iuz, and his eyes soon fell on Lorn Aldyr. To keep his own 
  hand hidden, Iuz manipulated his mother, Iggwilv, into 
  aiding him, in return for helping her regain dominance 
  over Graz’zt. 
   
  Using just enough tidbits of information, Iggwilv 
  lured Lorn into the Abyss, where her servants quickly 
  caught him. Before taking Lorn to a cell in Graz’zt’s 
  palace, Iggwilv left enough clues for others to trace Lorn 
  to his new quarters. While waiting for adventurers to 
  liberate him, Iggwilv fed him the information that would 
  push him into setting up a trap at the Wells of Darkness. 
   
  Fear of Tharizdun, and the knowledge that Iuz is 
  meddling with such dark forces, form powerful 
  motivation for St. Cuthbert to intervene. The liberation of 
  the solar will draw St. Cuthbert into the Abyss and, unless 
  the PCs prevent it, they will witness the capture of St. 
  Cuthbert and Iuz gaining another piece of Tharizdun. 
   
  ADVENTURE SUMMARY 
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness is a two-round core adventure 
  set in three different layers of the Abyss. The PCs can 
  solve 
  it 
  through 
  violence 
  alone, 
  but 
  through 
  investigation, good planning, and diplomacy they can 
  forge an unexpected alliance in the struggle against Iuz’s.  
   
  Introduction: Tenser invites the PCs to his keep. 
  Recently, he received a message from an old friend, Lorn 
  Aldyr, a follower of St. Cuthbert, who had found an 
  interesting lead in the Abyss. Lorn wants to meet Tenser 
  in the tavern The Plucked Deva in the fortress-town of 
  Broken Reach, located in Pazunia (top layer of the Abyss).  
   
  It being the Abyss, Tenser suspects a trap, but he 
  cannot afford to ignore it. He asks the PCs to go in his 
  stead. If it is a trap, those waiting are expecting Tenser 
  and not some adventurers – hopefully allowing the PCs 
  to stay out of sight and learn what is going on. If it is no 
  trap, no harm done, they get the information and leave. 
   
  Encounter 1 [Arrival]: Stepping through the gate, 
  the PCs arrive about 10 miles away from Broken Reach in 
  Pazunia. The PCs are powerful enough to survive such a 
  short trip through the Abyss. 
   
  Encounter 2 [At the Gates]: Broken Reach is 
  unlike any town in the Flanaess. The guards at the gates 
  pose no threat for the wary, but others waiting in line 
  decide to air their frustration at the weak-looking mortals 
  nearby. 
   
  Encounter 3 [The Plucked Deva]: The only clue 
  the PCs have is the tavern’s name: The Plucked Deva. It is 
  a shadowy, silent place, but since it caters to mortals, it is 
  relatively safe and comfortable. It is here that the PCs can 
  make contact with “Lorn’s” agent and start investigating 
  Lorn’s fate. 
   
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 4 
   
  Encounter 4 [Assassins]: Whether by trailing 
  “Lorn’s” agent to his hideout or by arranging a meeting 
  with Lorn (and being ambushed by the assassins), the PCs 
  get into a violent conflict with Iggwilv’s mercenaries. It is 
  here that they learn about Lorn’s present location: a cell 
  in Graz’zt palace. 
   
  Encounter 5 [Lorn’s Fate]: There are various paths 
  through which the PCs can investigate the fate of Lorn. 
  While it is not strictly necessary to learn his current 
  whereabouts, doing so can reveal several useful pieces of 
  extra information – information that can be a great boon 
  in freeing Lorn. Care should be taken to prevent the 
  wrong people learning about the PCs’ interest in Lorn. 
   
  Encounter 6 [Zelatar]: Once the PCs know about 
  Lorn’s predicament, they travel to Zelatar. It is here they 
  can acquire information on the palace and plan the 
  breakout. 
   
  Encounter 7 [Into the Palace]: There are various 
  methods of getting into the palace and locating the 
  prison. Under normal circumstances this is a lot more 
  difficult, but unbeknownst to the PCs, the lady of the 
  palace wants the prisoner to be freed. She cannot make it 
  too easy out of fear of making this obvious. 
   
  Encounter 8 [Talking with a Prince]: If caught in 
  Encounter 6 or 7, or perhaps by arranging a meeting, the 
  PCs are brought before Graz’zt, demon prince of Zelatar. 
  They can try to forge an alliance, because Graz’zt holds no 
  love for his son, let alone Iuz’s desire for power, and he 
  has no desire to come under Iggwilv’s power again. 
   
  Encounter 9 [Freeing the Prisoner]: Before Lorn 
  can be set free, his guards need to be defeated. Even if the 
  PCs made an alliance with Graz’zt, this defeat is necessary 
  in order to keep up appearances. 
   
  Encounter 10 [The Wells of Darkness]: Once 
  freed, Lorn insists on going to the Wells of Darkness to 
  free an imprisoned solar, in order to gain a much-needed 
  ally against Iuz.  
   
  Encounter 11 [In the Service of a Prince]: When 
  Graz’zt learns the PCs are planning to go to the Wells of 
  Darkness, he asks them to free one of the imprisoned 
  fiends, one of his generals. 
   
  Encounter 12 [Freeing Madness]: Once at the 
  right Well, Lorn starts the ritual to free the solar. The first 
  step to free the solar is to betray one’s allies, something 
  the mad Lorn does without hesitation. The PCs should, 
  by that time, realize the solar is not nearly as good as Lorn 
  made him out to be, and if they do not stop Lorn and his 
  new allies quickly enough, they set free the corrupted 
  solar, even if only for a few seconds before St. Cuthbert 
  and Iuz intervene. 
   
  Conclusion: If, at any point, the PCs leave Lorn, 
  Lorn finds his own path and liberates the solar, causing 
  St. Cuthbert to be trapped (although, in this case, Tenser 
  might survive). The only way to prevent this from 
  happening is by killing Lorn, preferably once the 
  outcome of his plan becomes known. 
   
  INTRODUCTION 
  The PCs have been summoned to the Fortress of 
  Unknown Depths by Tenser, renowned wizard, one-time 
  member of the Circle of Eight and implacable foe to Rary. 
  Some PCs have earned the ire of Tenser either through an 
  allegiance with Rary (assuming Tenser is aware of this) or 
  through other actions in previous adventures. Under 
  normal circumstances they would be unwelcome here (to 
  say the least). Unfortunately for Tenser, he does not have 
  much of a choice; time is of the essence and there are 
  only so many adventurers skilled enough for the job at 
  hand. 
   
  It was an ordinary day when you received a 
  summons to attend the master of the Fortress of 
  Unknown Depths. A missive from Tenser the 
  Archmage, a surpassingly powerful wizard, and a 
  force for good in the world, is not lightly ignored. So, 
  several days later, you arrived at Magepoint, the 
  village servicing Tenser’s mighty keep.  
   
  Tenser’s message spoke of black deeds wrought 
  throughout the Flanaess, and of a terrible doom 
  coming to Oerth.  
   
  Strange silvery golem-like creatures with eyes 
  that shine with a lambent blue radiance greeted you 
  at the fortress gates, conveying you inside and 
  offering exotic refreshments. After your hunger and 
  thirst has been sated these same creatures led you 
  into the very centre of the castle. 
   
  Give the PCs some time to introduce themselves to each 
  other before proceeding. 
   
  You are brought before a great throne of lapis lazuli 
  set in a massive chamber of blue stone. Upon the 
  throne sits a manradiating power – Tenser the 
  Archmage. His once dark hair, now flecked with 
  gray, frames dark-brown eyes and a prominent, 
  aquiline nose. 
   
  “My friends, thank you for answering my call. 
  The Flanaess stands in great peril and I have selected 
  you to thwart the machinations of the Old One, 
  whose forces have been very active since earlier this 
  year. In the past few months, his armies have 
  invaded his neighbors, committing one atrocity 
  after 
  another. 
  His 
  forces 
  are 
  dangerously 
  overextended and he is likely to lose the coming 
  battle. The Old One is no fool, and I suspect that this 
  war is but a distraction.” 
   
  “For the past couple of months my agents and I 
  have been trying to solve the riddle. So, when an old 
  friend of mine, Lorn Aldyr, contacted me saying he 
  had some vital information on the Old One’s true 
  plan, I gained a little hope. There is a problem, 
  though, and that is why I asked you to come to my 
  abode.” 
   
  “Lorn is in Broken Reach in the Abyss, and he 
  wants me to meet with him in person. He is my 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 5 
  friend, but this sounds too much like a trap. Still, if 
  it is a trap, he might be in trouble, and the 
  information he says he has might be genuine. So, 
  can you travel in my stead, check what is going on, if 
  necessary rescue my friend, recover the information, 
  and report back to me?”  
   
  Once the PCs answer in the affirmative, Tenser continues 
  speaking. PCs refusing to help are unceremoniously 
  thrown out of the fortress. Unless the PCs have a 
  mechanism to travel to the Abyss on their own, the 
  adventure is over for those who refuse. 
   
  Tenser has more information to impart. Provide the 
  following details as Tenser converses with the PCs. Some 
  likely questions, and their answers, appear here. Use this 
  information to extrapolate the answers to any other 
  questions they ask. Keep in mind that Tenser wants Iuz 
  stopped and therefore he does not intentionally mislead 
  or deceive the PCs. 
   
  � Tenser: LG male human wizard 22. 
   
  Appearance: Tenser is a tall Oeridian male with short 
  well-groomed dark hair, flecked with gray. He has dark 
  brown eyes and a prominent aquiline nose. He looks 
  worried and tired, but speaks with conviction and a 
  steady voice like a man who is certain his cause is good. 
   
  Personality: Tenser is a proud good-hearted man who 
  does not forgive easily. He is dedicated to the cause of 
  good and has made many personal sacrifices to help 
  others. After many betrayals he is wary of people that 
  express favoring neutrality. 
   
  Current Quest 
  Where does Lorn supposedly want to meet you? 
  Lorn’s message states that he can be found in the tavern 
  the Plucked Deva at noon each day. If he is not there, he 
  can be contacted through the barman if you show the 
  barman a holy symbol of St. Cuthbert (in secret of 
  course). 
   
  Why don’t you go yourself? I suspect it is a trap. If 
  it is one, the opponents are expecting an archmage and 
  not a group of adventurers. You, however, will be able to 
  keep your affiliation hidden long enough to learn what is 
  going on, since you’re not what the enemy is looking for. 
   
  How can we get to the Broken Reach? Shortly 
  after sunrise tomorrow morning, I will open a gate to the 
  Abyss. The gate leads to an area reasonably well hidden 
  from prying eyes, located about 10 miles north of Broken 
  Reach. From there you’ll have to arrange your own 
  transportation to cover those 10 miles. 
   
  How do we get back? I was hoping you’d have 
  access to a plane shift spell and could arrange your own 
  transport back. (Note: If the PCs succeed at a DC 30 
  Diplomacy check, or will otherwise refuse the mission, 
  Tenser prepares a refuge spell. He gives the item to the, in 
  his eyes, most trustworthy member of the group. With 
  this item, that person can return to Tenser, who can then 
  cast another gate spell to help the PCs to return home. He 
  warns that the PCs should inform him in advance before 
  using the item or else they run the risk of ending up in a 
  very dangerous situation. 
   
  What reward do we get for finding your friend? 
  Tenser offers his favor as well as the gratitude of all the 
  good people of the Flaeness. His friend is a well-respected 
  member of the church of St. Cuthbert, and helping him 
  would certainly earn the PCs friendship with said church. 
  If that is not enough he offers [100 x APL] gp, half 
  immediately, half when finished. 
   
  Why are you hiring us? There are three reasons 
  why Tenser hires the PCs. First of all, he expects a trap to 
  be set for him. Others have a better chance of avoiding 
  this trap or, when in a group, a better chance of survival. 
  Secondly, he has a lot of other things that really need his 
  attention, which he cannot leave to a group of 
  adventurers. The third reason is that he thinks the 
  information is most likely worthless, and his friend dead, 
  but he only admits that if pressed. 
   
  What can you tell us about Lorn Aldyr? Lorn is a 
  middle-aged man about 6-feet tall, with graying black 
  hair. He is a priest of St. Cuthbert, an active agent against 
  evil. He has been opposing the Old One since the start of 
  the Greyhawk Wars. The job has turned him into a grim, 
  determined, unforgiving man. Tenser fears the battle has 
  become a bit of an obsession for Lorn. 
   
  Why is Lorn on the Abyss? Lorn is looking for 
  information and weapons to use against Iuz.  
   
  What is Mordenkainen and the rest of the Circle 
  up to? I don’t know. Mordenkainen’s goals and methods 
  are 
  normally 
  incomprehensible 
  to 
  anyone 
  but 
  Mordenkainen. No doubt whatever he is doing, he is 
  doing to maintain his own view of the balance. 
   
  The Abyss and Broken Reach 
  What can you tell us about the Abyss? It is a vile and 
  dangerous place, the spawning ground of demons and 
  home to many a black-hearted deity. It consists of an 
  unlimited amount of layers, each different from the 
  others, some more hostile than others, all dangerous to 
  mortals if only because of the fiendish inhabitants. 
  Lawful and Good people will feel rather uncomfortable, 
  and it is a good idea for such people to hide their 
  disposition behind magic. Tenser advises such people to 
  cast undetectable alignment, which is guaranteed to work, 
  otherwise misdirection is a good spell. He is willing to sell 
  a wand of misdirection for the standard DMG price. 
   
  Tenser can also provide the information on Pazunia 
  found in the Preparation for Play section. He does not 
  waste time providing his limited knowledge on the other 
  layers since he has no idea where the PCs are going and 
  there is a nearly unlimited number of layers (Tenser does 
  not believe there are only 666). 
   
  What can you tell us about Broken Reach? 
  Tenser can provide all the information given under the 
  Knowledge section in Appendix 3. 
   
  What can you tell us about demons? Tenser can 
  provide the general abilities of Tanar’ri and a few short 
  notes on the demons as detailed in the Monster Manual. 
  He knows a lot more about demons and their abilities, 
  
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  Page 6 
  but providing such information is time-consuming and 
  he wouldn’t know where to start. There are hundreds of 
  different demons, and he has no idea which demons the 
  PCs will face. 
   
  PREVIOUS AR ITEMS 
  PCs might have favors, or are noted as allies of Tenser on 
  previous ARs. If a PC is noted as an ally of Tenser on an 
  AR, it counts as one favor. Tenser knows that PCs with 
  one or more his favors are reliable and skilled opponents 
  of evil. Check the number of favors and reduce that 
  number by the number of disfavors that PC has and 
  check the following (PCs also gain the items from the 
  lower number of favors sections): 
  • 
  1 favor: Tenser provides the PCs with a wand of 
  misdirection and, if requested, one scroll or potion of 
  nondetection. If not used, he expects them to be 
  returned or properly compensated if the PCs want to 
  keep it. He allows a PC wizard to scribe misdirection 
  or nondetection into their spellbook after the 
  adventure as per the rules of the LGCS. 
  • 
  2 favors: He provides the PCs with a scroll of a 5th-
  level or lower non-evil wizard spell from the PHB 
  that is legal for use by PCs in the LG campaign. He 
  expects it to be returned afterwards if not used. 
  • 
  3 or more favors: He loans the PC either boots of 
  elvenkind, cloak of elvenkind, or a circlet of persuasion. 
   
  Treasure:Refer to the Treasure Summary to determine 
  what the PCs get here. 
   
  DIVINATIONS  
  It is possible the PCs cast certain divination spells to learn 
  more about the fate of Lorn Adyr and what is going on. 
  Below is the information provided by the most common 
  divination spells. Use this information as a guideline for 
  when the PCs use other spells by picking the spell that 
  most closely resembles the spell used. 
   
  Commune/contact other plane: These spells 
  function as normal but, due to the nature of the events in 
  this adventure, they may reveal conflicting information. 
  For example, the only way to prevent disaster from 
  happening is when the PCs free Lorn, help him release 
  the deva and kill the deva before it is completely free. 
  Simply ignoring his plight or merely killing him causes 
  Iggwilv to turn to another hapless hero. Still, the meeting 
  is a trap, and freeing Lorn is extremely dangerous (it is 
  just that not freeing him is more dangerous). 
   
  Keep in mind that these spells only allow simple 
  questions that can be answered with one word. Also keep 
  the fun of the players in mind. It is okay if the PCs gain 
  information they would otherwise get anyway, but be 
  careful in providing information that ruins the fun. 
  Remember, the gods of the Flanaess are not omnipotent 
  and omniscient and Iuz is actively blocking divinations.  
   
  Discern location: This spell functions as normal, 
  but the PCs must remember to ask Tenser for an item that 
  belonged to Lorn. If they do, this spell reveals the 
  following: Argent Palace, Azzagrat, the Abyss. The PCs 
  could travel directly to Azzagrat, bypassing Broken 
  Reach. Doing so would be foolish, since they miss the 
  opportunity to gain much needed information. If they 
  still insist, they can do so, but Tenser is curious about the 
  clues they might gain by making the rendezvous. If this 
  happens, place Encounters 1 and 4 somewhere in 
  Azzagrat and make the necessary adjustments. 
   
  Divination: If the PCs cast divination, they receive a 
  cryptic riddle:  
  Darkness consumes the eternal light 
  Madness and betrayal are as one within ancient darkness 
  Awaiting rebirth at the place of four. 
   
  Legend Lore: Casting legend lore is impractible because 
  the subjects of any likely questions is not present (see PH) 
  and the casting would take too long to complete. 
   
  Scrying: This spell does not function when used on 
  Lorn or any of the other major players in the adventure. 
   
  DEVELOPMENT 
  It is likely the PCs need time to prepare for the coming 
  trip. Tenser gives them until sunrise the next day to buy 
  supplies and prepare more appropriate spells. Tenser can 
  sell them with any standard item including basic magical 
  items as well as any items gained through favors from 
  him or his close allies, such as Karistyne or Cymria of the 
  Celedon. 
   
  Tenser has told the PCs everything he knows about 
  the Abyss, Pazunia and Broken Reach and Lorn, which is 
  about everything known about these subjects. Gathering 
  more information in Greyhawk City provides nothing 
  new – see Divinations below if the PCs use magic to learn 
  more. 
   
  Proceed with Encounter 1 once the PCs have 
  gathered together at the courtyard of the Fortress of 
  Unknown Depths early the next morning. 
   
  1: ARRIVAL 
  Once all the PCs are present in the courtyard, Tenser 
  casts the gate spell. Read the following, as the PCs step 
  through the gate: 
   
  The change of scenery between the Fortress of 
  Unknown Depths and what is on the other side of 
  the gate is immense. One moment you are standing 
  on a green vibrant field, the first rays of the sun 
  chasing away the morning fog of an early summer’s 
  day, the next, you step into a scorched, wind-blasted 
  region with a large, red sun baking the land with not 
  a plant in sight. The air is thick with dust and the 
  acrid smell of smoke and sulfur. 
   
  You are standing in the dark shadows of a large 
  crack about halfway up a barren rock the size of a 
  hill. From here you have a great view of a  
  featureless, flat plain whose monotony is broken 
  only by the occasional dark pit or lone rock, some as 
  big as a hill. It is difficult to imagine that anything 
  
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  Page 7 
  would live in this desolate place, but you note 
  several dust clouds in the distance that look like 
  armies on the move, on one of the rocks far away you 
  note what appears to be a fortress of some kind and 
  flocks of large birds fly in the sky. Climbing down to 
  the floor or up onto the rock through the crack is 
  not hard, although, in the oppressive heat and dust-
  choked air, it’s far from comfortable.  
   
  Estimating distances can be difficult due to heat 
  distortion and the fact there is no curve in the Abyss. The 
  birds are vrocks, but they are far away, as are the armies 
  marching in the distance. If the PCs climb up, they easily 
  spot Broken Reach, across an open extent of plain, about 
  ten miles to the east. If they climb down, they note what 
  appears to be a trail leading from the west to the east. 
  From Tenser’s instructions they know they need to 
  follow it eastwards. 
   
  At higher APLs it is possible the PCs have access to 
  travel methods with which they avoid the road, such as 
  the spells fly, greater teleport and wind walk. These spells 
  drop the PCs outside the gates of Broken Reach due to 
  various protective spells that cover the fortified city. 
  Otherwise the PCs need to walk to Broken Reach, a 10-
  mile-long journey over open terrain. The terrain itself 
  poses little difficulty. The weather and locals are another 
  matter.  
   
  The temperature is about 120o F and, without proper 
  protection, a character must make a Fortitude saving 
  throw every ten minutes (DC 15, +1 for each previous 
  check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. 
  Characters wearing heavy clothing, or armor of any sort, 
  take a -4 penalty on their saves. 
   
  Development: Before proceeding, determine the 
  marching order, and whether the PCs take any 
  precautions or have any spells in place.  
   
  While on the road the PCs run across a cacklestorm 
  before they arrive at their destination. A cacklestorm is an 
  invisible breeze of demonic laughter capable of drawing 
  victims into its insane cacophony. If the PCs succeed at a 
  DC 10 Listen check they note soft giggling that seems to 
  come from a dozen wicked voices. Recognizing the 
  giggling for what it is requires a DC 20 Knowledge (the 
  planes) check. Those who know about cacklestorms and 
  who hear the giggling can plug their ears (or create a 
  similar protection) just in time. In the next round the 
  dozen voices become a hundred and then a thousand, 
  until the landscape echoes with a chorus of insane 
  laughter. Anyone able to hear the cacklestorm must 
  succeed on a DC 16 Will save or fall under the effect of a 
  permanent Tasha’s hideous laughter spell that can only be 
  broken by the ingestion of ten vials of holy water and the 
  completion of an atonement spell administered by a 9th-
  level caster (or higher) (all available in Broken Reach for 
  PHB prices). 
   
  The rest of the trip is uneventful. The PCs note 
  several minor demons and fiendish animals staring at 
  them from the shadows of the rock or from large cracks 
  in the ground, but these keep their distance. Any mortal 
  wandering through the Abyss must be dangerous indeed. 
  The PCs reach the gates of Broken Reach sometime later. 
  Proceed with Encounter 2. 
   
  2: AT THE GATES 
  Read the following once the PCs approach Broken Reach: 
   
  From the middle of the sun-baked plain rises a large 
  fortress made out of crumbling stone towers. At the 
  foot of these towers lies a small town surrounded by 
  thick walls. From a distance it looks not unlike a 
  typical fortified town in the Flanaess but, when you 
  get closer, you realize appearances can be deceiving. 
  Its thick walls are made out of rusty iron and they 
  are covered with razor-sharp claw-like extensions, 
  discouraging anyone from climbing them. A huge 
  ditch, riddled with iron spikes, caltrops, and barbed 
  wire blocks any charge towards the walls. On top of 
  the walls, march demonic soldiers. It has clearly 
  been designed to withstand any assault the Abyss 
  can throw at it. 
   
  The road you have been following takes you 
  through a dusty field, riddled with strange iron 
  statues varying from halfling to ogre size. The 
  statues consist of several spikes and their sides 
  appear to be razor sharp. The occasional rotting 
  demonic or humanoid corpse is impaled on the 
  spikes, and fiendish ravens stare hungrily at you. 
  Flies the size of human thumbs are everywhere. The 
  ground between these creations is riddled with 
  bones and the rusted remains of weapons and 
  armor. 
   
  From this field of spikes it doesn’t take you long 
  to get to the gates, masterpieces of defensive 
  architecture. When you get closer, you spot a group 
  of demons in front of the gate, and they do not 
  appear to be happy. 
   
  The exact composition of the group of demons in front of 
  the gate depends on the APL. Most are dretches who 
  passively stare at the proceedings. The group’s leaders 
  consist of a high-ranking demon with its bodyguards, an 
  envoy from the demon lord Luperico, the Baron of Sloth. 
  They want to enter the town, and they have been arguing 
  with the guards about the entrance toll for quite some 
  time. As a result they are in a very bad mood, and as soon 
  as they spot the PCs they decide to have some fun, which, 
  in the case of demons, always involves violence. 
   
  The terrain in front of the gate is open and there are 
  no areas in which to hide. Unless the PCs use magic, they 
  are quickly spotted by the demons at the gate, which is 
  immediately closed when the PCs cast any spells. Once 
  the demons see the PCs, they immediately turn their 
  attention away from the guards towards them. They do 
  not attack immediately, demanding proper slavish 
  behavior from mere mortals. They start with relatively 
  reasonable demands (bows and groveling), asking for 
  more and more just to see how far the PCs are willing to 
  
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  Page 8 
  go. As soon as the PCs lose their temper, become rude, or 
  the demons tire of the game, they attack. 
   
  Note that the guards at the gate are bulezau (ogre-
  sized, goat-like demons armed with huge ranseurs) and 
  hezrous. As long as the PCs do not target them with any 
  attack, they keep their distance. They love the show and 
  do not care who wins, although they are suitably 
  impressed if the PCs are victorious. There are no rules 
  against violence outside the city. In fact, many demons 
  settle their feuds in the fields outside the gate, as the PCs 
  realize with a DC 25 Knowledge (the planes) check. 
   
  Terrain: The dusty road is 20-feet wide and lies about 5-
  feet deeper than the surrounding area.  Getting off the 
  road costs 10 feet of movement. The region consists of flat 
  cracked earth, interspersed with the occasional cold-iron 
  pike-like construction. These provide the same cover as a 
  small tree, but moving through or standing in the same 
  square requires a DC 15 Reflex save to prevent taking 2d6 
  slashing and piercing damage from them. If somebody is 
  bull rushed into one of these contraptions the pushed 
  target takes 4d6 points plus double the Strength modifier 
  of the pusher in damage. In addition, 5% of the region is 
  covered in sharp bones and the half rotted remains of 
  fiends that have died here in previous duels – these areas 
  are considered difficult terrain. 
   
  Creatures: The group of demons consists of an envoy, 
  his bodyguards and a couple of dretch servants. They are 
  typical representatives of their race as described in the 
  Monster Manual. They are bored, irritated and looking for 
  a fight, thinking the PCs are an easy target. 
   
  All APLs 
   
  �Dretches (10):  hp 13 each; MM 42. 
   
  APL 10 (EL 13) 
   
  �Hezrou: hp 138; MM 44. 
   
  �Vrocks (2): hp 115 each; MM 48. 
   
  APL 12 (EL 15) 
   
  �Glabrezu: hp 174; MM 43. 
   
  �Hezrou (2): hp 138 each; MM 44. 
   
  APL 14 (EL 18) 
   
  �Nalfeshee: hp 175; MM 45. 
   
  �Hezrou Soldiers (3): 14 HD advanced hezrou; hp 
  192 each; Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 16 (EL 20) 
   
  �Marelith: hp 216; MM 44. 
   
  �Hezrou Soldiers (3): 16 HD huge hezrou; hp 267 
  each; Appendix 1. 
   
  Tactics: A couple of dretches start the fight by casting 
  stinking cloud at and around the PCs, not caring whether 
  they hit any demons in the area (who are immune to the 
  poison). The other dretches simply rush ahead, using aid-
  another to provide the bodyguards a bonus on their 
  attack rolls, and to block easy melee access. The 
  bodyguards are looking for blood and simply rush ahead 
  as well – although at higher APLs they do wait for the 
  envoy to cast an unholy aura to gain its benefits.  
   
  The envoy simply uses whatever tactic works best, 
  most likely starting with unholy aura, followed by an area 
  dispel magic, greater dispel magic or feeblemind (depending 
  on APL) and eventually rushing into combat as well. 
  Unless the PCs are clearly good aligned they are not 
  expecting good aligned opponents and refrain from using 
  blasphemy. 
   
  The soldiers fight to the death, stubbornly refusing 
  to accept that the mortals might be stronger than they 
  are. The envoy flees when at 20% or less of its hit points, 
  or at 50% or less if all its bodyguards have been defeated. 
   
  Note that the demons have any at-will spell-like 
  ability that lasts more than 1 round per level active at the 
  start of the fight. The hezrou and envoy have a potion of fly 
  that they immediately use if any PCs take to the air. 
   
  Treasure: None. 
   
  Development: Once the PCs have defeated the demons, 
  they are free to go the gates of Broken Reach. Some of the 
  guards grin at the PCs, others glare, and all are suitably 
  impressed. Before they allow the PCs entry, the hezrou 
  sergeant wants the PCs’ names and reasons for visiting 
  the city. It is just a formality, and the sergeant does not 
  question the truth of the statement. In fact, if the PCs 
  refuse to say anything, he is surprised, saying that any lie 
  will do. He also tells them how to get to the Plucked Deva 
  or any other place in the area even giving some helpful 
  advice (such as explaining the laws of the town). 
   
  If the PCs, on the other hand, flee towards the gates, 
  they find them closed but only if they are just avoiding 
  the fight (in this case, the guards make it perfectly clear 
  they are expecting the PCs to participate in one). If the 
  PCs on the other hand are clearly losing, the guards allow 
  them to enter, but they make fun of the PCs’ weakness 
  and demand a bribe (100 x APL gp, can be reduced to 50 x 
  APL gp with a DC 40 Diplomacy or DC 26 Intimidate 
  check) for the provided service as proof that the PCs are 
  actually worth being allowed to live. They also offer no 
  helpful advice, trying to get rid of the PCs as quickly as 
  possible. 
   
  Once inside Broken Reach, the PCs are free to go 
  where they want to go. Finding one’s way in Broken 
  Reach can be difficult for a stranger. The PCs can hire a 
  guide for a suitable fee, hopefully paying after the guide 
  has brought them to the right location. A guide may also 
  try to lead the PCs into an ambush, but it is going to be a 
  bluff since no violence is allowed inside the town and as 
  soon as the PCs make any violent move the ambushers 
  immediately scatter. Or the PCs can ask around, requiring 
  a DC 15 Gather Information check as well as the 
  associated coin to find a specific location.  
   
  Use your imagination to make sure the PCs feel like 
  they are in a town in the Abyss, but keep an eye on the 
  time and don’t let them get into a real fight unless 
  specifically detailed in this adventure. More information 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 9 
  on Broken Reach can be found in Appendix 3, as well as 
  Encounter 5. Proceed with Encounter 3 if the PCs go 
  towards The Plucked Deva or Encounter 5 when they try 
  to gather intelligence on the fate of Lorn. 
   
  3: THE PLUCKED DEVA 
  The Plucked Deva lies one block away from the Bazaar in 
  a better part of town inside a small hidden courtyard. On 
  the outside it looks like most houses in the 
  neighborhood: a two story red-stone building that looks 
  more like a fortress than a house. It is overgrown with 
  razor-vine, a local grayish plant with leaves as sharp as 
  razors. A wooden sign of a plucked chicken with the head 
  of a human and a golden trumpet in its wings hangs 
  above the main door. When the PCs enter the tavern, 
  read: 
   
  The Plucked Deva consists of many smaller rooms 
  and is a shadowy place with many nooks and 
  crannies to hide in. The narrow windows and a 
  couple of strategic everburning torches provide just 
  enough illumination for a human to see by. The 
  furniture is made out of rusted iron, adorned with 
  leering skulls and made to look like thin, bony, 
  demonic creatures; it is all chained to the floor. The 
  walls are decorated with soot-covered frescos of 
  various battles between fiends and celestials; who is 
  winning is unclear, and the celestials appear to be 
  just as brutal and vicious as the fiends.  
   
  A single bar at the center seems to connect to 
  most of the rooms. The barman looks like a human 
  except for two small horns and a long red tail. He is 
  cleaning glasses, smiling and nodding in welcome to 
  you. You note several other guests staring at you 
  from the shadows, keeping their features hidden in 
  the darkness. These quickly resume their silent 
  business. The Plucked Deva seems to attract the 
  quieter crowd. 
   
  The barman is the tiefling, Veryl Minx, a charming man 
  with a taste for the luxurious and the heart of a fiend. 
  There are no barmaids and customers need to get their 
  drinks and snacks at the bar. The selection of drinks is 
  limited to the standard fare, twice as expensive as in the 
  PHB, but of a good quality and not particularly poisonous 
  to mortals. The only food sold in the tavern is snack food, 
  which is salty and rather vile. 
   
  The clientele appears to be mostly human, all dressed 
  in unassuming clothes and all very suspicious of 
  everybody else. These are merchants and their servants 
  willing to deal with demons, mostly selling supplies, 
  weapons, armor and cannon fodder for the Blood War. It 
  takes a greedy vicious and shrewd personality to 
  successfully trade with demons and none are even 
  remotely friendly to strangers unless it earns them some 
  coin.  
   
  The customers love their privacy and they police 
  their own. If anybody makes trouble for one of the guests 
  or Veryl they immediately spring into action. The two 
  babau bouncers rarely have to do anything, and it has 
  been ages since the bulezau guard had to teleport in to 
  deal with troublesome guests. 
   
  � Veryl Minx: male tiefling bard 8 (AL NE; Bluff +19 - 
  +49 with glibness active). 
   
  Appearance: Veryl is a tall thin man who looks human 
  except for two small horns and a long red forked tail. He 
  has a smooth skin, clean shaven and long black hair. He is 
  always smiling, but the smile never reaches his eyes. 
   
  Personality: Veryl is a charming man who flirts with 
  those of the opposite sex regardless of race and 
  appearance. He has a good sense of humor. Underneath 
  his charming personality hides a greedy cowardly bastard 
  who would sell his mother if he thought it would make 
  him a profit. 
   
  Development: Lorn Aldyr is not present at the tavern at 
  the noted meeting time, nor will he ever be, since he is in 
  a prison cell in Graz’zt’s palace in Zelatar. None of the 
  other guests has ever seen a man fitting Lorn’s 
  description, but most are only occasionally in town and 
  all do their best not to stick their noses where they do not 
  belong.  
   
  Veryl, the bartender, also denies knowing anything 
  of Lorn until the PCs show him a holy symbol of St. 
  Cuthbert. In that case he sends the PCs to their table, 
  noting that he will be with them soon. Before going to 
  the PCs he secretly casts glibness. He does so out of sight 
  and earshot, but DMs should allow PCs who come up 
  with a good plan to spot it. Once he has cast the spell, he 
  goes over to the PCs’ table with their drinks. As soon as 
  he is certain nobody is eavesdropping, he notes that Lorn 
  was expecting somebody other than the PCs. If the PCs 
  tell the truth, Veryl nods, noting Lorn had warned him 
  that Tenser might send somebody else in his stead.  
   
  Veryl tells them Lorn is worried somebody is on his 
  trail, and that he went into hiding. He paid Veryl a sizable 
  sum of gold to help cover his tracks. In case anybody 
  came and asked for him showing him a holy symbol of St. 
  Cuthbert, Veryl claims Lorn told him to bring them to his 
  hideout.  
   
  Since the PCs showed him a holy symbol of St. 
  Cuthbert, he calls one of his babau bouncers to take the 
  PCs to the place. If the PCs express concern about the 
  trustworthiness of the babau, Veryl reassures them that 
  he has full magical control over the demons; it is just that 
  he cannot leave his tavern at the moment. If the PCs 
  refuse to go with the babau, Veryl is willing to guide the 
  PCs himself, if they are willing to wait until the tavern 
  closes around midnight. 
   
  If the PCs accept the invitation the babau or Veryl 
  guides the PCs towards the underground parts of the 
  town, straight into the ambush described in Encounter 4. 
  The ambush takes place while the PCs are on their way 
  specifically to prevent them from buffing up, and Veryl 
  or the guide takes a round-about route to make sure 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 10 
  minute-per-level spells have ended, using the excuse that 
  he wants to make sure they’re not followed.  
   
  If the PCs refuse, for example, preferring a more 
  neutral meeting spot, he shrugs. Veryl is willing to send a 
  message to Lorn to arrange the meeting. In this case the 
  PCs can try to trail the babau towards the hideout (see 
  Encounter 4 – opposed Hide and Spot checks as normal). 
  Otherwise the assassins still ambush the PCs, although at 
  another time or location, for example, when the PCs are 
  sleeping at their inn or are on their way to the new 
  rendezvous point. The ambush still goes more or less as 
  described in Encounter 4.  
   
  Note that if the PCs do something unexpected, use 
  your imagination and make the necessary adjustments. 
  Just keep in mind that Veryl is an excellent liar, and most 
  likely under the effects of a glibness spell as well. He has 
  seen Lorn, so he can give a detailed description, but Lorn 
  never made a deal with Veryl. Iggwilv’s assassins hired 
  him to set up an ambush for Tenser, or whoever is sent 
  after Lorn. Veryl is also a coward. If confronted with his 
  lies or pressed for the truth (requiring a DC 25 Intimidate 
  check; automatically successful if the PCs survived the 
  ambush and threaten to expose his involvement to the 
  authorities) he admits being hired by the assassins to set 
  up the ambush. He has seen a man fitting Lorn’s 
  description in his tavern some time ago and he knows 
  somebody captured the man. He does not know whom or 
  why, but he suggests talking with the assassins or 
  searching the assassins’ hideout for information (to which 
  he can guide the PCs). They might know more. He never 
  talked with Lorn. 
   
  Lorn’s Fate: Proceed with Encounter 5 if the PCs go 
  into town to Gather Information on Lorn. To nudge the 
  PCs toward this encounter have Veryl muse out loud 
  about whatever could have happened to Lorn. If the PCs 
  do not take this hint do not push them down this path 
  again. While this is not necessary for the adventure, 
  Encounter 5 provides them with information that can be 
  very useful later on – astute PCs should be rewarded for 
  their persipacity. 
   
  4:  ASSASSINS 
  Iggwilv hired three assassins, Yugoloths (neutral evil 
  mercenary fiends), to try to kill anybody on the trail of 
  Lorn Aldyr in Broken Reach. She did so in the name of 
  Graz’zt and she wanted anybody surviving the attack to 
  learn this with a bit of work. For the assassins this was not 
  an unusual request since their employers often want their 
  identity to be known to make sure people understand the 
  reason for the assassination or to simply increase peoples’ 
  fear of them. 
   
  Ambushing 
  the 
  PCs: 
  Expecting 
  powerful 
  adventurers, the assassins decided that it would be best to 
  attack their targets at a time and place of their choosing. 
  They made a deal with Veryl, the owner of the Plucked 
  Deva, to help set up an ambush in the streets of Broken 
  Reach or wherever the PCs are staying – see Ambush 
  below.  
   
  Ambushing the Assassins: Of course, the PCs 
  might not be that easily ambushed, instead learning 
  where the assassins live and becoming the ambushers (or 
  setting up an ambush of their own). See Hideout below 
  for information on the living quarters of the assassins. 
   
  Finding the Hideout: There are four methods the 
  PCs can use to find the hideout. The easiest two are: to 
  trail Veryl’s messenger (see above) or to press Veryl for 
  information after the ambush (or with magic before). A 
  bit more difficult is to press any captured assassin for 
  information.  
   
  Searching for Lorn: Finally the PCs can learn of 
  their hideout when investigating Lorn’s disappearance in 
  town (see Encounter 5), but it is unlikely this leads the 
  PCs to the assassins before being ambushed. 
   
  AMBUSH 
  The descriptions below assume the PCs are walking down 
  the streets of Broken Reach with Veryl or Veryl’s servant, 
  as their guide on their way to the supposed meeting with 
  Lorn. Make the necessary adjustments if the assassins 
  ambush the PCs under other circumstances. 
   
  Were it not for the alien red sun, the dusty dry air 
  and the many fiends that walk the street, you might 
  think you are walking on the cobbled streets of a 
  town in the Flanaess. The stone houses tend to be 
  decorated with somewhat disturbing imagery and, 
  except for the occasional moan or scream of pain 
  and terror, the streets are silent and the vermin 
  consists of dretches and gigantic rats with red 
  glowing eyes. The real difference, though, is the filth 
  in the alleys, which does not consist of the expected 
  rotting food and feces, for demons do not need to 
  eat; instead, there are a surprisingly high number of 
  corpses; mostly dretches, all of whom have died a 
  violent death.  
   
  Your guide does not stick to the main road, but 
  follows a convoluted route, backtracking and 
  pausing several times to make sure nobody is 
  trailing you. He is not very talkative and seems 
  nervous. 
   
  Determine the marching order of the PCs, assuming that 
  most streets and alleys are about 10-feet wide. Also check 
  which spells are active during the trip. The assassins 
  ambush the PCs about 20 minutes after the PCs leave the 
  Plucked Deva – see the DM Maps. Veryl does not know 
  where the ambush takes place and the babau does not 
  know about it at all. The assassins are hiding among crates 
  at a spot from where they can observe the PCs for some 
  time before attacking. Roll surprise check as normal. 
  Note that the assassins can be spotted with blindsense 
  and blindsight, but the fact that there is a demon hiding 
  nearby is no cause for automatic alarm – the town is 
  crawling with demons, most are hiding, and almost none 
  attack.  
   
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 11 
  Terrain: The roads of Broken Reach are made of packed 
  earth and rock. As long as it has not recently rained, they 
  are not difficult terrain. Some areas are riddled with holes 
  and junk (about 10%) that are considered difficult terrain. 
  The town is riddled with large rocks against and on 
  which houses are built; ramps and steep staircases lead up 
  these rocks. Treat these as regular slopes and steep slopes 
  respectively. The heaps of crates are considered difficult 
  terrain, and they provide cover to those hiding within 
  them. 
   
  The houses on average are 20-feet high, made out of 
  stone and tend to have slanted roofs. It requires a DC 20 
  Climb check to climb them. The windows are closed with 
  hatches but do not contain glass. They are bolted from the 
  inside, and can be opened as a move action. The doors are 
  made out of strong wood and they are locked with poor 
  quality locks. Since virtually all demons can cast greater 
  teleport these doors are just to keep out the lesser fiends 
  (such as dretches) and to create some privacy, not to form 
  a barrier against intruders. Most houses consist of single 
  room apartments, sparsely decorated but without what 
  humanoids would consider the usual comforts (demons 
  do not need to eat or sleep, and hence most houses are 
  little more than hiding places) and all are filthy. Any 
  inhabitants of a house scamper out of the way of any 
  intruder that uses force to get inside. 
   
  Creatures: The three assassins are highly skilled 
  corruptors of fate, a kind of yugoloth demon. They are 
  corpulent creatures with a sickly yellow skin, wearing 
  black studded leather armor, and armed with rapiers and 
  shortbows. Their heads are skull–like, with two upward 
  pointing tusks, sharp teeth and long red hair. They smell 
  of brimstone and, when they attack, a faint sound of 
  rolling dice can be heard. 
   
  APL 10 (EL 13) 
   
  � Corruptor of Fate Assassins (3): male 
  corruptor of fate assassin 5; hp 111 each; Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 12 (EL 15) 
   
  � Corruptor of Fate Assassins (3): male 
  corruptor of fate assassin 6/shadow dancer 1; hp 128 each; 
  Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 14 (EL 17) 
   
  � Corruptor of Fate Assassins (3): male 
  corruptor of fate assassin 7/shadow dancer 1/rogue 1; hp 
  145 each; Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 16 (EL 19) 
   
  � Corruptor of Fate Assassins (3): male 
  corruptor of fate assassin 7/shadow dancer 1/rogue 3; hp 
  162 each; Appendix 1. 
   
  Tactics: The assassins try to study their potential victims 
  for 3 rounds before beginning the fight with a death 
  attack, favoring spellcasters. After the first assault they 
  switch to Spring Attacking, if possible from cover (either 
  the crates, houses or using their hide-in-plain sight). The 
  assassins are highly skilled individuals who know the 
  strengths and weaknesses of the various classes. 
  Throughout the combat they use their spells as necessary. 
  They try to kill the PCs, but they do not go out of their 
  way to do so, especially not when doing so opens them up 
  to an attack. They are cold-hearted assassins who have 
  been hired to kill the PCs and, if an opportunity to kill 
  somebody presents itself, they do so. 
   
  The assassins flee when at 20% or less of their hit 
  points. They do not surrender.  
   
  Treasure: Refer to the Treasure Summary to determine 
  what loot the PCs find here. 
   
  Development: If Veryl has lured the PCs into the 
  ambush, they are likely to confront Veryl. At first he tries 
  to deny having anything to do with it, but under pressure 
  he quickly buckles. See Encounter 3 for more details on 
  what he can and cannot tell.  
   
  The assassins are difficult to capture alive. They start 
  talking when their attitude is changed to friendly 
  through Diplomacy (but only when promised to be 
  released) or a successful Intimidate check. Once talking 
  they tell that they enlisted the help of Veryl for setting up 
  the ambush, and that Veryl agreed to do so without any 
  coercion. They can tell where their hideout is, and that 
  they have been hired by Graz’zt. While this is not true, 
  the assassins believe it is so, but they never met Graz’zt or 
  Iggwilv. They were also responsible for capturing Lorn 
  Aldyr alive and handing him over to agents of Graz’zt for 
  transport to Graz’zt’s palace. They do not know why, and 
  nor do they care.  
   
  If the assassins were forced to flee, they first hide in 
  their hideout. There they recuperate (healing fully) and 
  attack again the next day. If defeated the second time, 
  they flee, leaving their hideout behind exactly as 
  described below. The PCs only get XP for defeating the 
  assassins once. If the hideout is compromised, the 
  assassins flee, never to return. In that case they leave the 
  contracts behind. 
   
  If the PCs offer [1000 x APL] gp to the assassins at 
  any point, they immediately stop fighting and tell 
  everything they know. Yugoloths are mercenaries of the 
  worst kind, working for the highest bidder, even 
  betraying their former employer in the process. 
   
  Troubleshooting: Take care when the assassins attack 
  the PCs while the PCs are resting for the night in an inn. 
  The assassins only do so when it becomes apparent an 
  ambush on the streets is impossible, since chances of 
  witnesses at an inn are higher and they prefer to be able 
  to come back to town in the future. Also give the PCs a 
  fair chance, perhaps another guest at the tavern can warn 
  them or something else wakes them up just in time. 
  There is no fun if the PCs are killed by a coup de grace 
  while asleep. 
   
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 12 
  HIDEOUT 
  The assassins are staying in the underground section of 
  the city in the demonic parts of town. The PCs learn of 
  this location either from Veryl, the assassins or by asking 
  around in town (see Encounter 5). The neighborhood is a 
  dark, hot, filthy place, eerily silent except for the 
  occasional inhuman growl echoing through the 
  corridors. The various minor demons that call this place 
  home keep their distance from the PCs. 
   
  The main entrance to the assassins’ hideout lies at 
  the end of a 10-feet wide side corridor about 30-feet away 
  from the main corridor (which is 20-feet wide). There is 
  no light source unless the PCs took it with them. See DM 
  Maps for more details. 
   
  1. Entrance 
  The side corridor ends at a steel double door covered 
  with scratched runes. The doors look like they have 
  been bashed in at least once with the bends and tears 
  hammered back into shape. 
   
  The doors are locked and quite sturdy, despite their worn 
  look. They are not trapped. The runes on the door are in 
  Abyssal and contain a warning not to enter or to prepare 
  to face dire consequences.  
   
  �Steel doors: 2 in.; hardness 10; hp 60; Break DC 
  28; Open Lock DC 30. 
   
  2. Entry Room 
  This is a roughly circular room about 30 feet in 
  diameter. The vaulted ceiling is about 15-feet high in 
  its center. The room is carved directly out of the 
  surrounding red rock with pillar-like carvings to 
  give the illusion that the roof is supported. These 
  pillars look like they are made from human corpses, 
  all wailing in agony. A 5-foot-high, 5–foot-wide 
  walkway runs along the wall with two steep stairs 
  leading up to it from the central part of the room. A 
  steel door can be seen at the left, accessible from the 
  walkway. 
   
  This area and Area 3 are covered by a forbiddance spell 
  attuned to the Neutral Evil alignment and with a caster 
  level equal to the amount of HD of the assassins (APL +2). 
  The whole room is a trap, but except for the forbiddance 
  spell all magical auras are hidden by a Nystul’s magical 
  aura. The steel door at the top of the spiral staircase is 
  locked. 
   
  �Steel door: 2 in.; hardness 10; hp 60; Break DC 28; 
  Open Lock DC 30. 
   
  Trap: The trap is triggered when somebody steps in front 
  of the steel door leading to the spiral staircase. It starts 
  with a chained dispel magic starting with the character 
  standing in front of the door and then jumping to all 
  other creatures within 30 feet. After which you should 
  roll initiative for the PCs and the trap. On the initiative of 
  the trap, arcs of energy substituted lightning bolts (act 
  exactly as the spell except it deals acid damage) shoot 
  from several pillars (the green dots on the map with the 
  bolts traveling along the green line). Destroying a pillar 
  stops a bolt from being shot in that area. The other bolts 
  still fire. 
   
  Note that a rogue can find and disable the dispel 
  magic trap if the players think of searching the square in 
  front of the door. The acid arc trap can only be disabled if 
  the PCs examine the individual pillars, and disable them 
  one at a time. If the trap is triggered by a failed Disable 
  Device check all pillars start shooting their acid bolts. Its 
  trigger in front of the door cannot be removed (it has no 
  central disabling point).  
   
  DMs Note: The main purpose of the traps in this 
  room is to alert the assassins to the presence of intruders 
  and, game mechanically, to drain some PC resources 
  before the fight with the assassins. In itself these traps are 
  no real challenge. If the assassins are already defeated, 
  consider simply assuming the PCs dealt with the traps in 
  order to save time for role-playing and the remaining 
  combat encounters, especially when running this 
  adventure in a time sensitive environment. The PCs still 
  gain experience as normal. 
   
  All APLs (EL 6) 
  � Forbiddance: CR 6; magical; area trigger; automatic 
  reset; spell effect (forbiddance, caster level APL+2, AL NE); 
  Search DC 31; Disable Device –. 
   
  APL 10 (EL 10) 
   
  �Chained dispel magic: CR 8; magical (hidden by 
  Nystul’s magic aura); touch trigger (door to spiral staircase); 
  automatic reset; spell effect (chained dispel magic, 11th-
  level wizard); Search DC 31; Disable Device 31. 
   
  �Acid Arc Trap: Appendix 1.  
   
  APL 12 (EL 12) 
   
  �Chained greater dispel magic: CR 10; magical 
  (hidden by Nystul’s magic aura); touch trigger (door to 
  spiral staircase); automatic reset; spell effect (chained 
  greater dispel magic, 14th-level wizard); Search DC 34; 
  Disable Device 34. 
   
  �Acid Arc Trap: Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 14 (EL 14) 
   
  �Chained greater dispel magic: CR 12; magical 
  (hidden by Nystul’s magic aura); touch trigger (door to 
  spiral staircase); automatic reset; spell effect (chained 
  greater dispel magic, 16th-level wizard); Search DC 34; 
  Disable Device 34. 
   
  �Acid Arc Trap: Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 16 (EL 18) 
   
  �Chained greater dispel magic: CR 14; magical 
  (hidden by Nystul’s magic aura); touch trigger (door to 
  spiral staircase); automatic reset; spell effect (chained 
  greater dispel magic, 20th-level wizard); Search DC 34; 
  Disable Device 34. 
   
  �Acid Arc Trap: Appendix 1. 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 13 
    
  3. Living Quarters 
  The living quarters of the assassins lie about 30 feet below 
  the entry room down a steep slippery spiral staircase. 
  There is no door at the bottom. 
   
  You are in a relatively large underground room, but 
  it is difficult to tell exactly how large. The whole 
  room is filled with thin blue veils that flutter and 
  move on a soft draft. Through it you note a large 
  desk and chair in one corner and what appears to be 
  some kind of sitting area in another corner. The 
  floor around the spiral staircase is covered with 
  loose rubble. 
   
  The veils do not hinder movement, but provide 
  concealment to everything more than 5 feet away, and 
  limit visibility to about 30 feet. Individual curtains can be 
  pulled down with a standard action, clearing 5 by 10 feet 
  of the effects of the veil. The curtains are easily destroyed 
  by area of effect spells that deal damage. The rubble is 
  considered difficult terrain. The hole in the corner is 
  about 10 feet deep and it can be covered with an iron 
  grate. It can function as a holding cell of sorts, but it is 
  empty now. The ladder in the corner leads to a secret exit 
  in another house in the main corridor. The sitting 
  corridor contains the furniture to keep a couple of 
  yugoloths busy and comfortable, but there is nothing of 
  value. 
   
  The desk contains writing gear. In a locked drawer 
  the PCs can find the ledger (written in Abyssal) used by 
  the assassins to detail their contracts. The drawer is 
  trapped with an alchemist fire trap, obviously designed to 
  destroy the contents of the drawer and not the thief. Most 
  of the contents of the ledger are useless to the PCs, except 
  for the last two contracts. The first contract details how 
  the three assassins have been hired by Graz’zt to capture, 
  alive, a human cleric of St. Cuthbert named Lorn Aldyr 
  and deliver the man to the Argent Palace in Zelatar. 
  Notes state that this contract was fulfilled. The last 
  contract is to kill whoever is looking for Lorn Aldyr in 
  Broken Reach for a sum of [1,000 x APL] gp. 
   
  PCs that are suspicious of the ease with which they 
  found the contracts are correct. Iggwilv specified that the 
  two contracts should be found without raising too much 
  suspicion. All the contracts are real, but none are of a 
  sensitive nature and most are very old. Even if the trap is 
  triggered, 
  the 
  relevant 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  ledger 
  “miraculaously” survive. 
   
  � Alchemist fire trap: CR 1; mechanical; touch 
  trigger; manual reset; Atk +5 touch (1d6 fire, 1 splash 
  damage in surrounding squares, risk of catching fire as 
  per alchemist fire); Search DC 20; Disable Device 20. 
   
   
  Tactics: Outsiders do not need sleep, and the three 
  assassins spend their time contemplating their next 
  contract and playing games here. They hear when the 
  trap is triggered upstairs, and immediately hide between 
  the curtains at a point where they can see the spiral 
  staircase. Otherwise they can be surprised as normal. 
  They try to study any intruder for 3 rounds before 
  beginning the attack with a death attack after which they 
  switch to Spring Attacking tempting targets using the 
  veils (and at higher level their ability to hide in plain 
  sight) to hide behind. The assassins are highly skilled 
  individuals who know the strengths and weaknesses of 
  the various classes. Throughout the combat they use their 
  spells as necessary. 
   
  If brought to 20% or less of their hit points try to flee 
  through the escape hatch never to return. If that is 
  impossible they fight to the death. 
   
  DEVELOPMENT 
  After the PCs have dealt with the assassins and have 
  found their hideout they should have the impression that 
  Graz’zt is behind the attack and that Lorn has been taken 
  to Graz’zt palace in Zelatar. It is commonly knowledge on 
  the streets of Broken Reach that reaching Zelatar is 
  difficult and dangerous. Merchant tokens are the only 
  way that outsiders (in particularly mortals) can visit there 
  without being instantly attacked. This information is 
  available with a DC 10 Gather Information check or a DC 
  20 Knowledge (the planes). 
   
  If the PCs decide to research Zelatar, and succeed 
  with the required skill check, provide them with the 
  information under the Knowledge section in Appendix 4. 
  The PCs can substitute Knowledge (the planes) with 
  Gather Information. Without the help of Rule-of-Three 
  (see Encounter 5), the PCs need to enlist the aid of one of 
  the local merchants to get into Zelatar and to acquire a 
  merchant token. Finding an active portal to a location 
  near one of the gates of Zelatar requires a DC 20 Gather 
  Information check, otherwise the PCs are directed to the 
  tiefling merchant Xephilos. (He is also the only one who 
  can provide merchant tokens – except the Rule-of-Three.)  
   
  Xephilos is a tall gaunt man, pale-skinned and 
  sweaty, who doesn’t say more than is needed. He is 
  willing to sell the merchant tokens for 500 gp per PC, and 
  can be negotiated down to 100 gp per PC, if they succeed 
  at a DC 20 Diplomacy check. He also warns them about 
  the elder viper trees that form the gate of Zelatar (see 
  Encounter 6). The location of the portal and the key to 
  Azzagrat, located a couple of hours outside Broken Reach, 
  if the PCs pay him 50 gp for each piece of information. 
  The PCs can certainly risk visiting Zelatar without a 
  token, but doing so is very dangerous because, without 
  the protection of Graz’zt, they are fair game for the locals. 
   
  Proceed with Encounter 6 once the PCs leave 
  Broken Reach for the portal to Azzagrat. If they instead 
  spend time in town to learn more about Lorn, proceed 
  with Encounter 5. 
   
  Note that, if the PCs contact Tenser, he tells them to 
  proceed with their investigation and at least try to free 
  Lorn. He is aware that freeing somebody from Graz’zt’s 
  prison requires great heroics, but that is why he hired 
  powerful PCs in the first place. In the unlikely case the 
  PCs return to the Flanaess, the adventure is over for 
  them. They gain XP and treasure up until this point, but 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 14 
  they do not get any favors. Note that, in this case, St. 
  Cuthbert is imprisoned and Tenser is killed. 
   
  When the PCs are ready to proceed to Zelatar, 
  proceed to Encounter 6. 
   
  5: LORN’S FATE 
  Warning: While searching for information on Lorn, the 
  PCs should either deal with the assassins at the same time 
  (as a change of pace) or have dealt with them already. If 
  Encounter 4 does not happen before talking with Rule-of-
  Three the PCs might either leave Broken Reach too soon, 
  or have difficulties convincing Rule-of-Three to help 
  them (since the contracts are needed to enlist his help). 
   
  Without much difficulty, the PCs learn that Lorn has 
  been imprisoned and that he has been taken to Graz’zt. 
  All they have to do is to defeat the assassins and either 
  confront Veryl, owner of the Plucked Deva, or search the 
  assassins’ hideout. This is detailed in Encounter 3 and 4. 
  PCs that go out of their way to learn more get some more 
  clues on what is going on. They might also gain an ally 
  which makes things easier later on in the adventure. 
   
  GETTING INFORMATION 
  Gaining the sought after information requires skill, costs 
  time, and takes effort.  
  • 
  To simulate this effect each PCs involved in this 
  search should make a DC 15 Gather Information, DC 
  [10 + APL] Knowledge (the planes). or DC [10 + APL] 
  Search check.  
  • 
  Each check represents about 3 hours of work. Count 
  the amount of successes and failures after each PC 
  makese one check, but ignore the lowest result.  
  • 
  To gain the information, the PCs must collect 8 
  successes before 4 failures. PCs can use the same skill 
  multiple times or switch to another.  
   
  Try not to make it just a series of dice rolls with on 
  interaction with NPCs. Dress up this encounter with 
  minor role-play encounters. Use your own judgment 
  when designing NPCs, events and scenery, just make 
  sure the PCs do not get into a fight or spend too much 
  gold and items on bribes. The goal of the encounter is to 
  have fun and role-play, not to drain resources. Use the 
  information provided in Appendix 3 for this. 
   
  If the players think of a good reason to use another 
  skill, allow them to use that skill once (and make sure the 
  players are aware that they can select other skills). Don’t 
  be too critical, but don’t make it too easy either. 
  Remember that, for Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate to 
  work, you need a specific target for that skill.  
   
  Example: A generic Diplomacy check to gain 
  information does not work, but a player who decides to 
  visit the Red Guard and to bribe/befriend them could use 
  Diplomacy to acquire a victory. The DC of the check 
  should be the same, except for Bluff, Diplomacy and 
  Intimidate that is DC [20 + APL] (the locals are rather 
  resistant when dealing with more famous heroes). 
   
  Failure 
  If the PCs fail the challenge, they learn that Lorn Aldyr 
  stayed at the Snoring Fiend (his rooms have been 
  cleaned) and that he has been talking with various people 
  about Iuz (most notably agents of Pazrael and Graz’zt). 
  The locals were not very helpful with his investigations, 
  fearing that his enquiries would draw the wrong kind of 
  attention, which it did. Lorn was kidnapped by agents of 
  Graz’zt and taken to the demon prince’s prisons in 
  Zelatar. Lorn was definitely alive, and most likely still is. 
  Graz’zt wanted some kind of information and Lorn did 
  not appear to be a man that gives up easily. If the PCs 
  express an interest about going to Zelatar, they are 
  directed to Xephilos as discussed in the Development 
  section of Encounter 4. 
   
  Success 
  If the PCs collect enough successes, they learn the 
  following things: 
  • 
  Lorn Aldyr has lived in Broken Reach in the Snoring 
  Fiend for some time. He stayed in town for a couple 
  of weeks, leaving on occasion for a few hours to days, 
  often returning wounded and exhausted. Lorn was 
  trying to gain information about Iuz from various 
  demon princes most notably Pazrael, a known 
  enemy, and Graz’zt, his reputed father.  
  • 
  A couple of days before the arrival of the PCs Lorn 
  drew the attention of Graz’zt and was kidnapped by 
  his agents. People wonder why he used yugoloths, 
  common mercenaries, and they suspect somebody 
  close to Graz’zt is behind the kidnapping instead. 
  The yugoloths captured Lorn alive and took him to 
  Zelatar (capital of Graz’zt’s domain). The locals 
  suspect he is still alive, why else go to all the trouble? 
  • 
  Lorn was kidnapped from the Plucked Deva with the 
  aid of its owner Veryl Minx. Lorn certainly was not 
  friendly with Veryl or any other resident of town. 
  • 
  The location of the hideout of the agents that 
  kidnapped Lorn as well as the fact that they are 
  yugoloths. 
  • 
  While searching his room and equipment (now in 
  the care of the innkeeper of the Snoring Fiend), the 
  PCs learn he did send a message to Tenser.  
  • 
  Some personal notes remained behind. One contains 
  an off-hand remark about an apparent alliance 
  between Iggwilv and Iuz against Graz’zt is circled, 
  scribbled in smaller letters Lorn offers a suggestion 
  of an alliance with Graz’zt against Iuz might be a 
  possibility. Names are mentioned, but there is no 
  hard evidence included with the papers. There are 
  also references to a great weapon/person (the notes 
  are unclear on this) against Iuz, but Lorn never put 
  the specifics to paper, considering the information 
  too sensitive. 
   
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 15 
  Rule-Of-Three 
  The PCs’ investigations draws the attention of Rule-of-
  Three, one of Graz’zt’s many sons. PCs who have played 
  Expedition to the Demon Web Pits have met (and perhaps 
  befriended) him before – adjust his attitude towards the 
  PCs accordingly (assuming they recognize him in his 
  current disguise). Rule-of-Three is an agent of his father. 
  Recognizing the hand of Iggwilv, he arrived recently in 
  Broken Reach in an attempt to find out what was going 
  on. He knows very little, and, if not for the PCs, he leaves 
  quickly, his curiosity satisfied (it appears to be Iggwilv 
  removing a nosy adventurer). The PCs can change his 
  mind and enlist his help. 
   
  Through their investigation the PCs learn about a 
  nameless githzerai (Rule-of-Three prefers to remain 
  incognito) who is also investigating the kidnapping of 
  Lorn. If the PCs do not approach Rule-of-Three out of 
  their own accord, he contacts them at an opportune time. 
   
  �Rule-of-Three: male cambion rogue 5 (AL CE – 
  wears an amulet of mind shielding). [Cambions are the sons 
  of demon princes and mortals, in their natural form they 
  are demonic humanoids, but they can take on a single 
  alternate form.] 
   
  Appearance: Rule-of-Three’s alternate form is that of 
  an unassuming githzerai, wearing black hooded robes 
  that tend to keep his face hidden. In this role he is a quiet 
  withdrawn sage. 
   
  Personality: Rule-of-Three seems to believe deeply in 
  the rule of three, namely that all things come in three or 
  multiples of three. Other than that, he is good judge of 
  character, a shrewd negotiator who has inherited the love 
  for manipulating others from his father. He is a bit of a 
  sage on planar knowledge with a good eye on politics. He 
  cares little about others, but abhors violence. 
   
  Goals: Rule-of-Three wants three things from the 
  PCs: 
  • 
  Information on their current mission, to make sure 
  they pose no threat to Graz’zt, and the guarantee that 
  Lorn poses no threat to Graz’zt. 
  • 
  Proof of an alliance between Iuz and Iggwilv against 
  Graz’zt. The list of names found among Lorn’s 
  personal stuff is a good start since it allows Rule-of-
  Three to verify the story. The assassin’s contracts is 
  the second piece of required proof since Graz’zt 
  would never be so sloppy unless he needs to lure PCs 
  for something and if he needs adventurers he is 
  much easier to get them from Sigil as opposed to 
  some backwater place such as the Flanaess. Finally, 
  information on Iuz’s sudden interest in things 
  Tharizdun related would be the third and last proof 
  Rule-of-Three needs. 
  • 
  A 
  minor 
  service 
  from 
  the 
  group, 
  as 
  yet 
  undetermined but the task will not go against the 
  PCs ethics and morality. (This is the same service 
  that Graz’zt demands in Encounter 8 if the PCs enter 
  his palace uninvited.) The group can instead offer a 
  useful magical item (worth at least [500 x APL] gp). 
   
   
  In return Rule-of-Three can provide the PCs with the 
  following three things, trading one piece for another. 
  This is not open to negotiations (neither is the price): 
  • 
  Knowledge of a portal to Azzagrat and helpful advice 
  on how to survive in Zelatar. 
  • 
  A merchant token for each PC. 
  • 
  A private audience with Graz’zt and guarantee to 
  leave the palace and city in one piece, alive and 
  unharmed, with all the equipment they arrived with 
  and when the PCs want to do so. [Note that while 
  Graz’zt intends to keep up his side of the bargain 
  since the PCs are more useful alive and free than 
  dead, he cannot give absolute protection. Rule-of-
  Three admits this if pressed, but he does not mention 
  it otherwise.] 
   
  Rule-of-Three cannot immediately arrange an audience 
  with Graz’zt; instead he tells the PCs to take a room in the 
  “The Snapping Tree” inn in Zelatar where he contacts the 
  PCs in twenty-seven hours from now. Before that time 
  the PCs should act as if they had never met Rule-of-Three 
  to make sure Iggwilv does not become suspicious. He is 
  not insulted when the PCs express any fear of being 
  duped, but he can offer no real hard guarantee except his 
  word. Still, since both sides are better off because of the 
  deal, the PCs should not fear being double-crossed, and 
  they are free to go on without his help. 
   
  Troubleshooting: If the PCs do not search for more 
  information about Lorn, their battle with the assassins 
  provokes Rule-of-Three’s interest in them and he 
  engineers a meeting with them. 
   
  Development: Assuming the PCs have dealt with the 
  assassins, they have found all there is to learn in Broken 
  Reach. See the Development section in Encounter 4 if 
  they still need to find a gate to Azzagrat, or want to 
  contact Tenser.  
   
  If Tenser is contacted, he advises against making any 
  contact with Graz’zt, but leaves it up to the PCs as to 
  whether they want to make a deal with the devil so to 
  speak. He does not trust the adage that the enemy of your 
  enemy is your friend, especially when that enemy is a 
  black-hearted manipulative fiend that has done a lot of 
  evil in the Flanaess in the past (even though that was 
  under the control of Iggwilv and that he has shown little 
  interest in the Flanaess since).  
   
  Azzagrat: Proceed with Encounter 6 when the PCs 
  go to the portal to Azzagrat. 
   
  6: ZELATAR 
  Use this encounter when the PCs are ready to proceed to 
  Zelatar. 
   
  The portal to Azzagrat is a huge pit a couple of hours 
  traveling from Broken Reach. An iron fortress guards its 
  entrance, manned by a variety of demons, but a small 
  group of powerful adventurers can sneak past the guards 
  with the right magic and skill, or they can simply show 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 16 
  their merchant tokens. If there is time, role-play the 
  negotiations otherwise quickly summarize it. 
   
  Once the PCs enter the pit, read: 
   
  From the vantage point at the top of the pit you note 
  a small path winding its way down into the abyss. 
  You cannot see the bottom of the pit due to darkness 
  below, but many have assured you it takes you to the 
  45th layer of the Abyss and the city of Zelatar. It 
  certainly fits what you know of how travel to other 
  layers works in this place. 
   
  Determine the PCs’ marching order, active spells, and 
  potential tactics to get to and inside the pit, but don’t 
  spend too much time on it. Continue: 
   
  The path is steep and crumbling in places, but you 
  soon reach the bottom of the pit – it looked much 
  deeper from the top than it really is.  
   
  The trail takes you into a small winding tunnel 
  that takes you deeper and deeper into the ground. It 
  is rather cool, and the air becomes moister the 
  farther you go. 
   
  After about thirty minutes, the tunnel suddenly 
  ends. You look over a windy, foggy plain; the sky 
  threatens rain. It is a dreary, gray place without any 
  bright colors and even any hues you or your 
  companions are carrying are subdued and darker. In 
  the distance you note what looks like the outline of a 
  large city and, in it you note the only bright thing for 
  as far as you can see: a silver glitter like a star 
  shining in the darkness. 
   
  At the same time you feel the hairs rise on your 
  neck, a feeling some would describe as if somebody 
  walked over your grave. It is only there for a 
  moment, but it chills you to the core. 
   
  This is the 45th layer of the Abyss and the city in the 
  distance is Zelatar. PCs that make a DC 20 Knowledge 
  (the planes) check realize this. The portal is not one of the 
  main routes into Azzagrat due to its size, but it terminates 
  very close to the gates of Zelatar and, as a result, a well-
  maintained road leads from the cave entrance to the 
  nearby city gates. It is also guarded by an ancient evil and 
  it is its scrutiny the PCs felt for a second or two. Usually it 
  would confront anybody using the path but, even if the 
  PCs do not have a merchant token, the evil leaves them 
  alone. Iggwilv informed it of the PCs’ pending arrival. 
   
  From here, the PCs need to travel to the city by 
  whatever mode they want. Without a merchant token, 
  they should stay out of sight, which is not too hard until 
  they want to get into the city. The plains around the city 
  are featureless, but the nature of the layer keeps the PCs 
  hidden from prying eyes. Closer to the city, the plains 
  turn into huge fungi fields worked by dretches and 
  manes, with the occasional babau overseer. The city itself 
  is equally gray-looking but appears normal from a 
  distance. When the PCs get closer the flocks of vrocks 
  above the city, black smoke from fires larger than that of 
  ordinary hearths, and the scythe-topped city walls leave 
  no doubt to its nature. The strange crystalline river, the 
  River of Salt, and the ships that sail it are also hard to 
  miss. 
   
  Once the PCs approach the city and its single gate, 
  read: 
   
  The city appears to have one gate, a rusted 
  construction of iron or steel with demonic heads 
  impaled on pikes along the top of the arch; some of 
  the eyes and tongues are still moving. A large road 
  leads through the gate, heavily trafficked by demons 
  of all kinds, mostly lesser ones. On each side of the 
  gate tower stand two large, white-barked leafless 
  trees and the entrance seems only lightly guarded. 
  Dozens of vrocks caw and screech from their roosts 
  on the walls, and lesser demons walk in and out of 
  the city gate; none fly over the walls. 
   
  The two trees are elder viper trees. They detect Good-
  aligned creatures and both trees attack any such creatures 
  that pass through the gates for 1 round. Treat it as a trap if 
  the PCs forget to disguise their alignment, forgetting 
  Tenser’s or other people’s advice. 
   
  Fighting the trees would draw a lot of attention, but 
  see Appendix 2 if the PCs insist. If they fight for four or 
  more rounds the vrocks from the walls take an interest. 
  Make sure the PCs see the vrocks turning their attention 
  to them to allow them to flee into the city as quickly as 
  possible. Flying over the walls draws the attention of the 
  vrocks as well, and they immediately attack anything 
  bypassing the gate in this way. The vrocks attack until the 
  PCs flee indoors somewhere in the city but no town 
  watch comes to pursue them – courtesy of Iggwilv 
  (although this is not completely out of the ordinary for 
  this city and it does inconvenience Iggwilv, since it is 
  harder for her to keep the PCs’ presence hidden from her 
  consort). 
   
  �Viper Tree Gate (2): bites +18/+18/+18/+18 
  (2d6+12/19-20 plus paralyzing poison; Fort DC 23, 1d4 Str 
  plus 2d6 rounds paralysis/2d8+2 Str); Appendix 2. 
   
  Development: See Appendix 4 for more information on 
  Zelatar.  
   
  Once inside, the PCs need a place to rest. Their safest 
  bet is to hire a guide. The usual price is 400 gp per day, 
  with a day’s wages payable up front. Most guides are 
  crippled in some way. Guides are never whole – they are 
  always the weak, the elderly, and the addicted rather than 
  healthy demons still able to make a living through war or 
  terror. A guide’s initial attitude toward prospective clients 
  is friendly, though this worsens by one category if the 
  guide is underpaid or if the guide is threatened or 
  targeted with spells. This might eventually result in the 
  PCs being guided into a group of hungry vrocks in 
  Darkflame.  
   
  If treated well, the guide gives honest advice and 
  brings his charges where they want to go. The PCs are 
  advised to book a room in one of the many inns in the 
  Gallenghast district, which is also where the PCs find the 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 17 
  Snapping Tree (an unassuming inn, like any other in 
  Gallenghast). Iron gateways are the public portals 
  between the three different layers of the city, if the PCs 
  prefer more private paths they either need to risk another 
  pass by an elder viper tree or one of the green flamed 
  ovens (which deals 2d6 points of fire damage). If the PCs 
  don’t mind staying even more alert, they could invade 
  one of the many hovels in Fogtown, kick out the dretches 
  and manes living there, and use it as their own. These 
  ramshackle buildings are filthy, wet and devoid of 
  furniture or food, and far from safe. Still, it might give the 
  PCs some sense of privacy, and the nature of the layer 
  certainly offers some protection. Adjust the adventure as 
  necessary. 
   
  Once the PCs are settled in the city, they are likely 
  ready to plan the rescue mission. Proceed with Encounter 
  7. If they arranged a meeting with Graz’zt through Rule-
  of-Three that meeting takes place either during the 
  planning phase of the prison break or when the PCs are 
  too impatient to wait for Rule-of-Three during phase 
  three. See Encounter 8 for the meeting with the demon 
  prince. 
   
  Troubleshooting: The adventure assumes the PCs 
  acquire a merchant token or at least craft a passable 
  forgery. Without it they are fair game to all the 
  inhabitants of Azzagrat, which means that they cannot 
  wander the streets of Zelatar or talk with its inhabitants 
  without it eventually ending in a fight. They cannot 
  gather information on the defenses of the Argent Palace, 
  and the only option to enter it is through stealth. Take 
  this into account when running Encounter 7. 
   
  7: INTO THE PALACE 
  Once the PCs are in Zelatar, they are likely to check 
  whether Lorn Aldyr is still alive, and to plan his prison 
  break. Even if the PCs have made an alliance with Graz’zt 
  they are expected to actively work on a plan and to put it 
  into motion to avoid raising suspicion with the wrong 
  crowd. Besides, it would also be good in case of betrayal; 
  something one always has to keep in mind when dealing 
  with demons. 
   
  No prisoner inside the palace stays alive for long, and 
  each day longer in Zelator increases the chance of getting 
  into a violent conflict with its inhabitants. Hence the PCs 
  are on a tight schedule. They have about 24 hours to 
  collect all the information they can find and formulate a 
  plan for a rescue that has rarely been done before. The 
  process to free Lorn can be divided into four phases: 
  planning, getting inside the palace, getting to the cells 
  and getting out. Of these four, the first three are 
  important to determine whether or not the wrong people 
  learn what is going on. Since people in charge of the 
  palace’s defenses want the PCs to succeed, they are able to 
  get to Lorn regardless. 
   
  In each phase the PCs should make two group-
  checks. During a group-check all PCs should make one 
  skill check, the skill and DC depending on the phase and 
  the preferences of the PCs as detailed below. The DCs 
  should remain secret for the PCs, the possible skills not. 
  The results of the skill checks are combined to create a 
  group-check. To succeed, the group needs three or more 
  successes to pass the group check. However, if there are 
  only four PCs in the group they need only two group-
  checks for success. In all phases, reward creative play; if 
  the PCs come up with a good plan, or use a magic item or 
  spell in a particularly creative and relevant fashion, 
  simply rule they have won the phase and move on to the 
  next one. 
   
  If the PCs gain four group-successes before accruing 
  three group-failures they get to Lorn’s cell without 
  triggering an alarm. If they accrue three group-failures 
  they trigger an alarm. See Development for what 
  happens. 
   
  Note: PCs who have an alliance with Graz’zt have a 
  +5 circumstance bonus on any check in Phases 2 and 3. 
  Graz’zt does not provide more aid, since he does not want 
  to alert Iggwilv, but more importantly, he has mixed 
  feelings about adventurers sneaking into his palace and 
  doesn’t completely trust the PCs. 
   
  “Allied” with Rule-of-Three: If the PCs did a deal 
  with Rule-of-Three and he promised to provide them 
  with a private audience with Graz’zt the PCs must still 
  make their way into the the palance undetected. Graz’zt 
  will meet the PCs but must do so secretly – spies are 
  everywhere and he cannot risk some other demon prince 
  learning of his meddling. 
   
  PHASE 1 – PREPARATIONS 
  The first step in a prison break is in making a good plan. 
  To do so the PCs need to gather information on the 
  Argent Palace and its inhabitants. 
   
  You have made it to Zelatar, but that is easier than 
  getting a prisoner out of Argent Palace, home of 
  Graz’zt, the Dark Prince. But what do you know of 
  his mansion? It looks like a beautiful castle on the 
  outside, made of sixty-six ivory white towers built 
  on top of a plateau 50 ft above the city. You have no 
  illusion about its deadliness to the unwary visitor 
  even when invited. First you must learn as much as 
  you can about the palace before attempting to break 
  in. 
   
  There are several methods that can be used to collect 
  information. The method determines the skill check and 
  the DC. Make sure the players are aware they have to pick 
  one skill and what basic choices are available without 
  mentioning the DC. Reward creative thinking by 
  allowing a skill check not mentioned against a DC of a 
  similar information gathering skill.  
  • 
  Knowledge 
  (architecture 
  and 
  engineering), 
  Knowledge (religion) and Knowledge (the planes): 
  DC 25. 
  • 
  Observing the Palace: DC 26 Bluff or DC 24 Hide 
  check to remain hidden long enough to make useful 
  observations. The PC gains a +2 cumulative synergy 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 18 
  bonus on this check if the character has 5 or more 
  ranks in Listen, Profession (soldier, guard or 
  something similar) or Spot. Using the right spell to 
  hide one’s presence can be counted as an automatic 
  success, but keep in mind that nalfeshnee have true 
  seeing continually active. If the check fails by 5 or 
  more, and you have the time, the group is 
  approached by a noble lamia before Phase 2 for 
  questioning as described with Gather Information. 
  • 
  Divination Spells: Instead of dealing with the results 
  of individual spells, a character who casts several 
  useful divination spells rolls an automatic success as 
  his part of the group-check.  Use your judgment to 
  determine whether the divination spell in question 
  is useful – for example, commune is useful, while 
  augury is not. 
  • 
  Questioning Employees, Inhabitants and Visitors: 
  DC [15 + APL] Bluff, DC [20 + APL] Diplomacy, or 
  DC 20 Intimidate check. Before asking for a check 
  ask whom the PC is questioning. Intimidate *only* 
  works on low-ranking employees and unimportant 
  guests. Against other creatures it automatically fails. 
  Bribes provide a +1 circumstance bonus for every 100 
  gp spend. The use of the right spells, such as charm 
  monster and detect thoughts, lead to an automatic 
  success for the individual PC part of the group 
  check. 
  • 
  Gather Information: DC 20. If the check fails, and 
  you have the time, a noble-lamia, Parmath, in his 
  human shape approaches the PCs at a logical time 
  and location later that day. The man is part of the 
  secret police, and he does not hide his allegiance. He 
  wants to know who the PCs are and why they are 
  poking around the Argent Palace. At the end of the 
  interrogation, he warns the PCs to stay out of trouble 
  and leaves. 
   
  � Parmath: male noble lamia (AL CE; Bluff +16, 
  Intimidate +9, Sense Motive +0). 
   
  Appearance: Parmath looks like a handsome dashing 
  young human male, clean-shaven with long black hair. 
  He wears expensive silk clothes of subdued colors. If he 
  sees something he does not like he stares at it, never 
  blinking his eyes.  
   
  Personality: Parmath flirts with women of all races. He 
  is grim and straightforward with his questions, showing a 
  strong dislike for convoluted elaborate answers. He is 
  quick to threaten with violence and pain if the PCs are 
  not quick enough in answering any of his questions. 
   
  Regardless of the result of the group-check, give the PCs 
  Player Handout 1 before the PCs make their plan. 
   
  Now that you have all the information on the Argent 
  Palace and its inhabitants you can acquire on such 
  short notice, it is time to think about a plan. How 
  will you get into the palace without triggering an 
  alarm and facing its formidable defenses head on? 
   
  There are three basic methods that can be used to get 
  inside the Argent Palace: bluff, combat, and stealth. 
  Opting for combat is counterproductive at best, suicidal 
  at worse. A combination of bluff and stealth has the 
  biggest chance of success. 
   
  Once the PCs have the information and the plan, it is 
  time to set things in motion. Proceed with Phase 2.  
   
  If the PCs chose to use a combination of bluff or 
  stealth to enter the palace they gain a +2 bonus to skill 
  checks made to infiltrate the palace. If they chose to fight 
  their way in, they take a -2 penalty in the next phase. 
   
  PHASE 2 – INFILTRATING THE PALACE 
  The first step of getting into the palace is getting to its 
  gates. 
   
  The Argent Palace can be seen from everywhere in 
  the city, glittering like a silver-white light in the 
  darkness although you have no doubt this jewel is 
  flawed on closer inspection as is everything in these 
  parts of the Abyss. Located on a 50-foot high bluff, 
  one can either go towards the keep through air, one 
  of the few heavily guarded paths or by climbing the 
  crumbling cliff side. Groups of vrocks fly around it 
  almost immediately spotting anybody approaching 
  the keep by air. Goat-like demons under leadership 
  of nalfeshnee patrol the paths. All look carefully at 
  the cliffs on occasion. 
   
  By now the PCs should have a plan on how to approach 
  the castle without triggering an alarm.  
   
  The Approach 
  If they opt for an open approach, attacking and/or 
  intimidating anything that blocks their path, they still get 
  to the keep, but automatically fail the whole group-check. 
  If they actually try to finish a fight instead of rushing on, 
  they are eventually overwhelmed and either killed or 
  brought before Graz’zt (see Encounter 8). 
   
  Any other plan, assuming it is not utterly foolish, 
  should at least appear to succeed. The PCs should make a 
  skill check dependent on the chosen method. If the plan 
  involves a Disguise, one PC can make a Disguise check 
  for all PCs. Since the check can be made in advance, a PC 
  could take 10. Reward a particularly good plan with a 
  additional +2 circumstance bonus on the skill check, 
  while a particularly unworkable plan gives an additional -
  2 circumstance penalty on the skill check. If they choose 
  to fight their way to the gates they automatically succeed, 
  but this counts as a group-failure. 
  • 
  Bluff: DC 16*  
  • 
  Climb: DC 20 
  • 
  Disguise: DC 24* 
  • 
  Hide: DC 24*, DC 14* if the PCs are hidden inside a 
  wagon or something similar. 
  • 
  Move Silently: DC 24*. 
  • 
  Other: Reward creative use of skills not mentioned 
  above, by allowing the attempt as long as it fits the 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 19 
  chosen plan and can work (err on the side of the 
  PCs). 
  • 
  Spells: Spells such as disguise self, invisibility, iron 
  silence and teleport (to get at a gate) can be a great 
  boon, making a specific check easier or generating 
  an automatic success. Keep in mind that the 
  nalfeshnee officers have true seeing continually active 
  and can pierce illusions and see in the Ethereal plane 
  within 120 ft. Note that it impossible to teleport into 
  the palace. 
  * The DCs are based on the Sense Motive and Search skill 
  of the vrock guards modified for the fact that at this point 
  they just give cursory glances. Do not forget to apply any 
  modifiers based on the skill description in the Player’s 
  Handbook. 
   
   
  Note: Different PCs can attempt different checks if 
  they choose to reach the gate in different ways. For 
  example, one could sneak up to the gate while another 
  could try to bluff his way forward. 
   
  Getting Inside 
  Once at the gates, the PCs need to get through them.  
   
  No windows pierce the palace’s outer walls. The only 
  obvious entrances are a handful of sturdy wooden 
  doors, attended by several ogre-sized goat-like 
  demons and their nalfeshnee officers. They have a 
  bored look about them and are not paying much 
  attention, but few things are more dangerous than a 
  bored demon! They have not yet spotted you, and 
  you must get through the doors before they do so.  
   
  Getting at the castle’s walls is easier than getting inside. 
  The PCs either need to find a secret door and open it 
  while remaining hidden or they need to bluff their way 
  past alert bored guards. Just like earlier, violence can get 
  the PCs into the palace, especially if they only keep 
  fighting long enough to rush inside, but it results in an 
  automatically failure of the whole group-check. 
  • 
  Bluff: DC 33* 
  • 
  Diplomacy: DC [20 + APL]. Only if the PCs offer a 
  bribe of 50 gp x APL. Regardless of the result the 
  demon accepts the bribe and lets the PCs pass. 
  • 
  Disguise: DC 41* 
  • 
  Hide: DC 41* or DC 25** when hidden in a wagon or 
  something similar. 
  • 
  Move Silently: DC  41* 
  • 
  Open Lock: DC 35. Take 10 is allowed. Only once 
  character can make an Open Lock OR Strength 
  check (see below) as part of the group check. 
  • 
  Strength: DC 28. Bashing open a gate is certainly 
  possible, but unless covered with a silence spell 
  results in an automatic failure. Using a steel weapon 
  to hack open a door costs too much time and results 
  in one failure. 
  • 
  Search: DC 30. Only one character can make a 
  Search check assuming the group wants to enter in 
  one place since it represents finding one of the few 
  secret doors. The door is going to be locked. 
  • 
  Other: Reward creative use with unnamed skills by 
  allowing it as long as it fits the chosen plan and can 
  work (err on the side of the PCs). 
  • 
  Spells: Spells such as disguise self, invisibility, and iron 
  silence can be a great boon, making a specific check 
  easier or generating an automatic success. Keep in 
  mind that the nalfeshnee officers have true seeing 
  continually active and can pierce illusions and see in 
  the Ethereal plane within 120 ft. 
  * The DCs are based on the Sense Motive and Search skill 
  of the nalfeshnee officers. Do not forget to apply any 
  modifiers based on the skill description in the Player’s 
  Handbook. 
  ** The DC is based on the Search skill of the vrocks who 
  search any wagons. 
   
  Once the PCs are inside, they need to find their way to 
  Lorn’s cell without triggering an alarm. Proceed with 
  Phase 3. 
   
  PHASE 3 – GETTING TO THE PRISON 
  Once inside the palace the PCs need to navigate the 
  mirror-maze-like interior and reach the prison cells. 
   
  You are in a large hallway beautifully decorated with 
  gold-plated woodcarvings, cleanly polished walls, 
  and painted vaulted ceilings. On closer inspection 
  you realize the wooden carvings all contain sinister 
  and carnal elements ranging from cherubs eating 
  babies and playing instruments made out of bone 
  and other horrific images, all hidden in what looks 
  lovely at first glance. Blood-red velvet curtains, tied 
  together with golden ropes, drape on either side of 
  the mirrors and various corridors that lead away 
  from the room. The light in the room seems to come 
  from the mirrors, although you do not see any light 
  source. 
   
  Finding Lorn’s cell requires a good sense of direction, 
  searching and, for the bold, asking for directions. The PCs 
  need to make two consecutive group-checks, and each 
  time at least two PCs should make a Bluff, Disguise or 
  Hide check to simulate the fact that the PCs try to remain 
  out of sight. At least one player should make a Knowledge 
  (architecture and engineering), Search or Survival check 
  to remain on track. 
  • 
  Bluff:  DC [15 + APL] 
  • 
  Disguise: DC [10 + APL] 
  • 
  Hide: DC [15 + APL] 
  • 
  Knowledge (architecture and engineering): DC 30 
  • 
  Search: DC 30 
  • 
  Survival (direction sense): DC 30 
   
  At the end of phase three the PCs should have made 6 
  group-checks. Total the amount of successes and failures 
  
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  Page 20 
  to see what happens next. Proceed with the Development 
  section. 
   
  PHASE 4 – GETTING OUT 
  No jailbreak is successful before the escapees are out of 
  prison and in safety, which is complicated by the fact that 
  the prisoner wants to do more than just go home. This 
  phase is detailed in the development section of 
  Encounter 9. 
   
  DEVELOPMENT 
  If the PCs are successful in getting to Lorn without 
  triggering the alarm, they still need to get him out of his 
  cell. The regular guards are relatively easy to avoid, but 
  the Argent Palace is crawling with hidden ones, many 
  unaware of what their masters are plotting. Proceed with 
  Encounter 9. 
   
  When the PCs trigger an alarm, accruing three or 
  more group-check failures, two things can happen. In 
  case they made an allegiance with Graz’zt everything 
  happens as planned, but Iggwilv realizes something odd 
  is going on. After all, the PCs are making enough racket 
  that even her own machinations cannot keep it hidden 
  from Graz’zt’s more loyal servants. Further investigations 
  reveal the alliance, lowering its impact on Iuz’s plotting – 
  see the Conclusion for more details. Proceed with 
  Encounter 9 as normal. 
   
  On the other hand, if the PCs have no alliance with 
  Graz’zt, they trigger the alarm and, unbeknownst to them, 
  draw his attention. Ever curious about the audacity of 
  heroes to invading his home, Graz’zt uses his control over 
  the palace to lead the PCs to a private meeting room. 
  Proceed with Encounter 8. 
   
  8: MEETING A PRINCE 
  The read-aloud text below assumes the PCs are here 
  without invitation. Make the necessary adjustments if 
  they have formed an alliance with Graz’zt or are captured 
  while trying to free Lorn (see Encounter 7). 
   
  You have been wandering through the mirror-
  corridors for some time when you step into a 
  different room. It is about 30 by 30 feet and its walls 
  are made out of white plaster and decorated with 
  disturbing and horrific images. The floor is made 
  out of cold red marble. Directly across from the door 
  is a small platform, on it a large comfortable looking 
  chair and a standing mirror. 
   
  On the chair sits a large, darkly handsome, ebon-
  skinned man with slightly pointed ears, small black 
  horns, and six-fingered hands. His smile shows his 
  yellow fangs and gives you the feeling of looking at a 
  grinning shark. His voice is warm and sensual, 
  “Welcome to my humble abode adventurers. I am 
  Graz’zt and with whom do I have the pleasure of 
  speaking?” 
   
  A DC 20 Knowledge (religion) and Knowledge (the 
  planes) recognizes the demon on the throne as Graz’zt 
  himself or at least an aspect. He is the patron of corrupt 
  rulers and decadence and he is said to be the keeper of 
  innumerable secrets. Obviously, if the PCs are here on his 
  invitation he knows who the PCs are, but considers a 
  formal introduction to be more polite. 
   
  If the PCs blundered in, he lets them stand while 
  discussing business. In this case they cannot make an 
  allegiance. Graz’zt is much less friendly, and more 
  demanding. If they speak the truth about why they are 
  here, he allows them to go, in return for a service, of 
  course, to be given once they have freed Lorn. The service 
  will not go against the PCs’ sensibilities. Graz’zt has more 
  than enough enemies in the Abyss that the PCs would 
  gladly hinder. The PCs earn Iggwilv’s ire since their 
  blundering around alerted her consort to her plotting. 
   
  If the PCs are here by invitation, after proper 
  introductions dretches quickly bring in comfortable 
  chairs, a table and a feast. The meal and drinks are of the 
  highest quality, made out of normal non-sentient 
  products and neither enchanted nor poisoned. Graz’zt 
  allows the PCs to check with magic, acting somewhat 
  insulted. During the meal, Graz’zt acts like a pleasant 
  host, offering idle chitchat, flirting and going out of his 
  way to put the PCs at ease. He loves to hear stories about 
  the PCs past exploits, showing a surprising amount of 
  knowledge about the Flanaess (although it is somewhat 
  outdated). 
   
  Once the meal is finished he gets down to business: 
  he wants to know why the PCs are here and why they 
  think Graz’zt should help them. Rule-of-Three told him, 
  but he wants to hear it from the PCs in their own words. 
  Graz’zt does not know Iggwilv’s plans, but he is not very 
  pleased that she tried to blame Lorn’s kidnapping on him 
  – not necessarily because he dislikes being associated 
  with assassins, but more because it appears to be such a 
  sloppy job. 
   
  He suspects there is some kind of hidden motive 
  behind her sloppy work, one that goes beyond motherly 
  protection, but he keeps these suspicions to himself. If 
  the PCs had not thought of it by themselves, why tell 
  them? Still, at a first glance it does not seem to concern 
  him much, so why should he help the PCs? 
   
  Only when the PCs tell him about Iuz’s plans to gain 
  power, and Iggwilv’s potential involvement do they get 
  his attention. He hates the idea of Iuz gaining power, 
  especially since Iuz tried to conquer layers of the Abyss in 
  the past. Iuz would become a dangerous rival in Graz’zt 
  bid for power as the ultimate ruler of the whole Abyss. 
   
   
  Once Graz’zt is convinced that aiding the PCs is 
  in his favor, he is willing to help them. Since the PCs do 
  not have solid proof of their claims, and Iuz is not 
  guaranteed to succeed in his planning, Graz’zt wants to 
  keep any such an alliance secret for now, and he wants 
  some kind of direct gain as well. He is unsure about what 
  kind of direct gain he wants at the moment, promising to 
  think of something by the time they have freed Lorn, and 
  to make sure it is not something that goes against their 
  sensibilities. Graz’zt has enough evil enemies in the 
  
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  Abyss, enemies even the PCs would not mind seeing get 
  hurt. 
   
  Once the PCs agree to his conditions, Graz’zt 
  confirms that Lorn Aldyr is still alive and imprisoned in 
  the palace as a personal toy of Iggwilv under the 
  protection of Taz’zak, an excellent performer in the art of 
  torture. He doesn’t mind if Taz’zak is killed, the man has 
  become too proud for his own good anyway. Since the 
  alliance needs to remain a secret, the PCs must proceed 
  with freeing Lorn as they have planned, albeit Graz’zt 
  promises secret and subtle aid. 
   
  If they fail with their original plan, Graz’zt promises 
  to intervene more directly, but that would most certainly 
  betray his involvement to Iggwilv and anger her greatly 
  (earning the PCs the Enmity of Iggwilv). 
   
  If the PCs refuse his conditions, so be it. He allows 
  them to go as promised (mainly because he does not 
  mind upsetting Iggwilv) and the adventure can proceed 
  as normal. 
   
  � Graz’zt: male demon prince (AL CE; Bluff +44, 
  Diplomacy +48, Sense Motive +35). 
   
  Appearance: Graz’zt is a darkly handsome, 9 feet tall 
  ebon-skinned man. He has slightly pointed ears, yellow 
  fangs and six-fingered hands. 
   
  Personality: Graz’zt is a sensual hedonist who would 
  rather persuade his enemies to assist him than fight 
  them. He can be charming, always flirting with women of 
  all races. He has no respect for mortals, but he uses them 
  for pleasure or as pawns when the opportunity presents 
  itself, leaving the mortal none the wiser about his true 
  opinion. His goal is nothing less than total conquest of 
  the Abyss. 
   
  Development: Once the PCs have finished talking with 
  Graz’zt, or if you decide the demon prince grows bored 
  with their conversation, read: 
   
  With a wave of his ebon hand Graz’zt dismisses you 
  and promptly disappears. 
   
  If they are still in the planning phase to free Lorn, they 
  are escorted outside where they can proceed as planned 
  with or without the subtle aid of Graz’zt. Return to 
  Encounter 7 at whatever point the PCs are at, and if they 
  made an alliance give them a +5 circumstance bonus on 
  any subsequent checks during that encounter. On the 
  other hand, if the PCs triggered the alarm, they are 
  directed to Lorn’s prison where they can try and free the 
  poor man. Graz’zt does not order the guards to stand 
  down, so the PCs still need to fight them. Proceed with 
  Encounter 9 as normal. 
   
  Troubleshooting: In the unlikely case that the PCs 
  attack Graz’zt, he teleports away, leaving the PCs to deal 
  with one wave after another of extremely powerful 
  demons. Unless the PCs immediately flee the Abyss, 
  simply assume they are captured and killed. Regardless, 
  the adventure is over. 
  9: FREEING A PRISONER 
  At some point the PCs enter the area in which Lorn is 
  held prisoner. Before they can free Lorn, however, they 
  must defeat his jailers. Read: 
   
  You have been wandering through the corridors of 
  the Argent Palace for quite some time when you step 
  into a room different from the rooms you have been 
  in before. The decorations and mirror-walls are the 
  same, except for two large, empty suits of ornate full 
  plate, several comfortable chairs of various sizes, 
  and a stage directly across the room from where you 
  are standing. The smell of blood and burnt meat is 
  strong, and on the stage you note a torture rack. 
  Behind the stage you see an opening leading into a 
  bare, stone circular room lit by several glowing 
  braziers. In its walls you see several sturdy wooden 
  doors with small barred windows which look like 
  prison doors. 
   
  Lorn is locked up in one of the cells. He has been 
  tortured, but has been completely healed afterward to 
  prolong the fun. He is lying on a remarkably comfortable 
  cot, ignoring anybody until the PCs actually defeat the 
  demons that guard the room. Lorn has been fooled 
  several times before and it takes some convincing before 
  he realizes the PCs are truly there to free him. 
   
  Inside the surrounding rooms and the tower are 
  several demons, two (or at APL 16, three) guards and the 
  torturer. These are all hidden out of sight from where the 
  PCs start. As soon as they move into the room and can 
  look to the right and left through the first opening roll 
  Spot checks as a surprise check to see whether they spot 
  the mirror demons hiding in the mirrors (assume the 
  mirror demons took 10 on their Hide checks, gaining a 
  +5 circumstance bonus due their unusual hiding place 
  inside a mirror). At this point, the torturer is still hidden 
  on the ceiling in the tower. He appears as soon as combat 
  starts. PCs can roll a Listen check opposed by his Move 
  Silently to prevent being caught flat-footed by his attack. 
   
  Terrain: See DM Maps for a tactical map of the area. 
   
  Braziers: These iron braziers are filled with hot 
  glowing coals. They can be pulled over with a DC 15 
  Strength check, covering the squares around them with 
  hot coals. Treat these as caltrops except that they deal fire 
  damage. The braziers provide cover. 
   
  Cell Doors: AC 4; hardness 5; hp 20; Break DC 25; 
  Open Lock DC 30. 
   
  Chairs: These chairs are comfortable sitting chairs 
  with red velvet cushions. The provide cover and a square 
  with a chair is considered difficult terrain. Medium chairs 
  can be kicked aside as a move action; large chairs require 
  a standard action. 
   
  Curtains: AC 2; hardness 0; hp 4. These are thin red 
  curtains that provide concealment against targets on the 
  other side of the curtain. Medium and Small creatures 
  need to spend 2 squares of movement to move through a 
  
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  Page 22 
  curtain. Large-sized creatures are unhindered by the 
  curtains. They can be pulled down with a standard action. 
   
  Mirrors: AC 1; hardness 1; hp 12; Break DC 13. 
  Shattered mirrors fill its surrounding squares with razor-
  sharp shards. Treat the area as filled with caltrops. These 
  shards can be used as makeshift weapons for a spell like 
  telekinesis. 
   
  Suits of Armor: AC 2; hardness 10; hp 30; break DC 
  23. The two large suits of armor are ornate large versions 
  of full plate, unusable and inanimate. It is considered 
  difficult to pass through a statue, but a character cannot 
  end his turn in a square containing a suit of armor. Treat a 
  broken statue as difficult terrain. 
   
  Creatures: Taz’zak rests on the ceiling in the tower. Here 
  it is contemplating its next performance – a torture 
  session on Lorn Aldyr. It is a chasme, the tanar’ri demons 
  that serve as torturers and taskmasters. It looks like a 
  large fly with a vaguely humanoid head and two long 
  thin-fingered hands. It does not like to be disturbed or 
  deprived of its instruments and fights any intruder other 
  than its masters. 
   
  The mirror demons are the guardians of Lorn, 
  watching the surrounding areas from their mirrors. They 
  attack anything entering the area that does not belong 
  here and nobody told them about the presence of the 
  PCs. They are tall gaunt demons with heads like that of a 
  large ram with massive curved horns and thin, needlelike 
  fangs. Their snakelike tails writhe their tips a twisted 
  tangle of glass spines. Instead of hair or color they are 
  made out of a mirror-like surface with rounding curves 
  and no facial expression. They each wield a great ranseur, 
  far too large for their size, and with unnerving grace. 
   
  APL 10 (EL 12) 
   
  �Taz’zak: chasme demon; hp 76; Appendix 1. 
   
  �Mirror Demons (2): mirror bulezau; hp 115 each; 
  Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 12 (EL 14) 
   
  �Taz’zak: advanced 11 HD chasme demon; hp 93; 
  Appendix 1. 
   
  �Mirror Demons (2): advanced 14 HD mirror 
  bulezau; hp 161 each; Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 14 (EL 16) 
   
  �Taz’zak: advanced 15 HD chasme demon; hp 127; 
  Appendix 1. 
   
  �Mirror Demons (2): advanced 18 HD mirror 
  bulezau; hp 207 each; Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 16 (EL 18) 
   
  �Taz’zak: advanced 19 HD chasme demon; hp 161; 
  Appendix 1. 
   
  �Mirror Demons (3): advanced huge 20 HD 
  mirror bulezau; hp 270 each; Appendix 1. 
   
  Tactics: At the start of the combat Taz’zak is hiding on 
  the ceiling of the cell-tower (assume he has taken 10 on 
  his Hide check). As soon as he is aware of the PCs (and 
  remember he has see invisibility constantly active and the 
  PCs have to pass through a silk curtain), he starts by 
  shooting a quickened (and on higher APLs empowered) 
  ray of enfeeblement on a character wearing heavy armor, 
  followed by an area dispel magic or, when there is no other 
  demon within 60 ft., his drone attack. He uses his speed 
  and maneuverability to maintain ranged superiority, 
  while constantly harassing foes with his spells. It only 
  uses Power Attack against lightly armored opponents. 
   
  The mirror demons start the battle inside the various 
  mirrors in the side rooms. As soon as they spot somebody 
  moving through the room (and remember their see 
  invisibility spell) they step out of the mirror as a free 
  action and either use shout if they can hit multiple 
  opponents without hitting another demon, or they 
  charge. If they cannot reach an opponent, they shatter a 
  nearby mirror and use their telekinesis ability to let the 
  shards fly into the PCs. Treat these as if there are 1d6 
  longswords and 2d4 daggers as per the telekinesis spell 
  description. The mirror demons make liberal use of 
  Power Attack, especially on the charge or when facing 
  lightly armored opponents. 
   
  The mirror demons are likely to enter blood frenzy 
  early on in the fight, and they fight to the death. Taz’zak 
  tries to use its drone ability when at 10% or less of its hit 
  points before trying to flee. Remember that Taz’zak 
  cannot teleport away within the palace. When cornered, 
  it fights to the death, neither expecting nor giving 
  quarter. Note that since demons do not care about others, 
  Taz’zak never considers taking somebody as a hostage. 
   
  Treasure: Refer to the Treasure Summary to determine 
  what loot the PCs find here. 
   
  Development: In the unlikely case the PCs are defeated 
  and flee, the guardians do not follow for more than one or 
  two rooms before they return to their duties as guards. 
  PCs can return sometime later or, in case of an alliance 
  with Graz’zt, request his help. In the latter case, treat it as 
  if the PCs failed to infiltrate the palace without triggering 
  an alert, revealing their alliance with Graz’zt and earning 
  the Enmity of Iggwilv in the process. If the PCs 
  surrender, the same happens. 
   
  On the other hand, when the PCs defeat the demons, 
  Lorn is ecstatic. He frantically tries to get them to open 
  his cell door, trying to convince them to make haste 
  before more guards appear or Iggwilv returns. He knows 
  the perfect weapon in the struggle against the Old 
  Wicked One, and the world cannot afford that 
  knowledge to be lost.  
   
  If the PCs first want to verify he is truly Lorn, he 
  reacts irritated, but more due to impatience than because 
  he feels insulted. He is aware of the wisdom of such a 
  check and voluntarily fails any save against spells that can 
  confirm his identity. Note, that at this moment, he still is 
  Lawful Good and is detected as such. 
   
  Once the PCs acknowledge he is Lorn, he again 
  presses them to release him. If they keep being suspicious 
  he wants to know how he can lessen any fears they might 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 23 
  have, trying to help them, but there are limits to what he 
  accepts and it must make sense or else he refuses to do 
  what is asked. Since he truly is Lorn he can answer any 
  question Lorn could conceivably answer including the 
  story of how he was captured and what he was doing in 
  the Abyss. 
   
  Assuming the PCs set him free, Lorn immediately 
  walks over to another cell to get his equipment from a 
  chest. If the PCs are suspicious about it, he mentions that 
  Iggwilv loved seeing him in his gear while he was being 
  tortured; something about making it all the clearer he was 
  a St. Cuthbertite. He suggests that they walk away from 
  the cells before the PCs stop to patch themselves up. If 
  the PCs refuse, he protests, but allows himself to be 
  convinced.  
   
  As soon as it is safe to do so, he begins telling what 
  he learned: A servant of St. Cuthbert or another Good-
  aligned deity (he is uncertain) was imprisoned long ago 
  in the Well of Darkness. The solar has a powerful magical 
  weapon and is a strong agent of good who is the type of 
  creature that would rally against Iuz. The Wells of 
  Darkness are apparently a prison layer of the Abyss with 
  the cells being wells filled with darkness. A DC 20 
  Knowledge (the planes) check confirms this, although 
  there are no stories of good creatures being held there.  
   
  Lorn learned about it, because the Old One and 
  Pazuzu had taken an interest in using it during their 
  struggle sometime ago. With that war over, both sides 
  again forgot the weapon, considering the trouble of 
  prying it from the hands of its current owner and the 
  likely chance of uniting several demon princes against 
  them not worth it. Lorn and the PCs, being heroes and all, 
  do not suffer the same risks. The current owner, a solar, is 
  on their side and the PCs are beneath the demon princes’ 
  notice, especially once the solar is freed. 
   
  At first Lorn did not know where the solar was 
  imprisoned but, early on during the torture sessions, Lorn 
  managed to trick Iggwilv into revealing the location of 
  the well and how to break the chains of darkness that 
  keep the solar bound. He does not tell the PCs the details, 
  afraid that it might scare them away.  
   
  The PCs are right when they react with suspicion to 
  this news, but Lorn is convinced that Iggwilv revealed it 
  because of her arrogance and to torture him even more. 
  After all, he could not do anything with the information 
  while slowly dying in the cells of Graz’zt.  
   
  He begs the PCs to go to the Wells of Darkness with 
  him and to aid him in liberating the solar, another 
  innocent prisoner in the Abyss and a great ally in the war 
  against Iuz. Lorn knows about a portal somewhere in the 
  palace, and he needs the PCs to get there safely and he 
  could use their help against whatever is guarding the 
  Well. 
   
  If the PCs accept, Lorn is ecstatic, wanting to go 
  immediately, but willing to rest if the PCs insist. He does 
  want to get away from Azzagrat as quickly as possible, 
  since he is certain Iggwilv is going to start a hunt as soon 
  as she is aware he’s been freed. He also fears that she is 
  going to place guardians at the Well in question since she 
  knows of his interest in that particular Well. If the PCs 
  point out they have recruited the help of Graz’zt, Lorn is 
  surprised, advising the PCs against such an unreliable 
  ally, but saying that he is sure the PCs know best.  
   
  When the PCs contact Graz’zt, he can provide them a 
  room to rest as well as a portal to the Wells of Darkness. 
  (If the PCs do not do this, Graz’zt proactively contacts 
  them.) Like Lorn, he advises the PCs to go immediately 
  though for the same reasons. When Graz’zt learns the PCs 
  want to go to the Wells of Darkness, he also knows what 
  he wants the PCs to do as a service for his aid: free one of 
  his generals, the demon Ebulon, from one of the wells. 
  Demogorgon caught Ebulon during the last war, keeping 
  the general alive for information. The demon prince 
  appears to have forgotten all about the general, giving the 
  PCs the perfect opportunity to release Ebulon.  
   
  Even if the PCs do not tell Graz’zt about their 
  intention to go to the Wells of Darkness, he asks them to 
  go there as the task required to appease him or to get his 
  help against Iuz. 
   
  In case the PCs ask Graz’zt for advice on the solar, he 
  confirms Lorn’s story. He is not particularly happy when 
  the PCs mention that they want to free the solar, saying 
  that he has not heard of any Good-aligned creature 
  imprisoned in the Wells of Darkness.  
   
  Lorn argues in private that Graz’zt obviously does not 
  want the solar to be freed, since the solar would pose a 
  threat to him as well. 
   
  If the PCs refuse to help Lorn, he asks to be returned 
  to the Flanaess where he will look for other allies who 
  have a better inkling of what is good for the world and 
  who are brave enough to act upon it. PCs who succeed at 
  a DC 20 Sense Motive check, realize that Lorn has 
  become obsessed with freeing the solar. Even if the PCs 
  do not help, he tries to do so or die while trying. Lorn is 
  not under any magical compulsion, nor can his insanity 
  be cured with a heal spell. 
   
  If the PCs accept and go to the Wells of Darkness, 
  proceed to Encounter 10. Otherwise the adventure is 
  over. Unless the PCs somehow permanently kill Lorn, 
  though, Lorn returns to the Abyss with other 
  adventurers, where he snaps and St. Cuthbert is 
  imprisoned just as if the PCs failed. Note that if they still 
  free Ebulon, the PCs earn Graz’zt alliance and Ebulon’s 
  gratitude as normal and, by freeing Lorn they also gain 
  Favor of Tenser’s Friends as well. They do not gain St. 
  Cuthbert’s Disfavor, but you should note on the AR that 
  St. Cuthbert was imprisoned. 
   
  Divinations: Any divination spells that ask for advice 
  return the same cryptic answer provided earlier (see the 
  Introduction). To defeat evil, they need to aid it and 
  change sides at the right time, any other action results in 
  a victory for evil. A few deities know more about the 
  solar, but, as per the agreement keep silent on the matter 
  to mortals except for the same cryptic advice mentioned 
  above. 
   
  Tenser has no advice for the PCs, pointing out that 
  he trusts Lorn, but that the PCs are in a much better 
  position to judge the sanity of the plan. He has never 
  heard of this solar (and neither have the PCs, regardless 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 24 
  of their Knowledge skills – the deities of good and evil 
  have tried to remove any record of its existence from the 
  world), which doesn’t say anything since the universe is 
  vast and Tenser is more interested in what happens closer 
  to home.  
   
  Knowledge on the Wells of Darkness: A DC 20 
  Knowledge (the planes) reveals that the Wells of 
  Darkness is a layer that is sort of a prison. The cells are 
  pools of darkness from which the prisoner can be freed 
  with the right ritual. It is a dark lifeless layer covered in 
  eternal twilight. The guards are large, advanced bodaks 
  that attack anybody who strays from the paths or stays too 
  long (more than one hour). The blue sun above the layer 
  is weak and does not harm undead or other creatures 
  sensitive to sunlight. The layer is infused with chaos and 
  evil, and good and lawful creatures feel very 
  uncomfortable in this place. 
   
  Graz’zt 
  and 
  Tenser 
  can 
  provide 
  the 
  same 
  information. 
   
  10: WELLS OF DARKNESS 
  The PCs learn of a portal to the Wells of Darkness either 
  through Lorn or from Graz’zt. It appears to be a simple 
  door in the dungeons of the Argent Palace, but it leads to 
  the dark layer known as the Wells of Darkness. When the 
  PCs step through, read: 
   
  One moment you are inside a beautiful, if somewhat 
  disturbing, warm palace and the next you stand in a 
  desolate lifeless region. A small blue sun provides a 
  little light, but it is no brighter than twilight on the 
  Flanaess. Around you is a gray rocky region, 
  interrupted by the occasional mesa. On the highest 
  peak nearby you note the outline of some kind of 
  ruined keep, but in this light it is impossible to see 
  any details. You are standing on a 10-foot-wide road 
  made out of red marble, smooth and as cold as the 
  rest of this layer. Behind you stands a crumbling 
  arch – the portal through which you came. 
   
  The ruined keep is known as the Overlook. It is only 
  inhabited by spectres and wraiths (DC 20 Knowledge (the 
  planes)) and is unimportant to this adventure. The marble 
  path goes to various wells, which give this layer its name, 
  the cells of those imprisoned here.  
   
  Lorn knows where to go in order to free the solar, 
  and if the PCs accepted the task from Graz’zt, they know 
  how to get to Ebulon’s prison. 
   
  If Lorn is aware of the PCs’ mission, he advises them 
  to go there first. He is unsure the PCs can stick around 
  after freeing the solar since that is likely to draw in a lot 
  of powerful demons. Otherwise it is up to the PCs, but 
  note that Lorn is correct, albeit for a different reason. 
  After the PCs have set things in motion to free the solar, 
  there is no time to stick around and free Ebulon. 
   
  If the PCs decide to free Ebulon, proceed with 
  Encounter 11. If they first go to the solar proceed with 
  Encounter 12. Determine their marching order and 
  check what spells they might have active before 
  proceeding.  
   
  Note that resting within the Wells of Darkness is 
  extremely dangerous, since it is guaranteed to draw the 
  attention of the custodians of the layer, even if the PCs 
  hide in an extra-dimensional space or a hidden hut. The 
  guardians seem to be drawn in the PCs direction like 
  moths to a flame. If the PCs insist, two custodians (27 HD 
  advanced bodaks; MM 28) arrive after 1d4 hours, their 
  gaze somehow piercing the PCs’ hideout. If the PCs flee 
  quickly, the bodaks do not pursue them, only returning if 
  the PCs again settle down on the layer. If the PCs defeat 
  the bodaks, four more arrive after 1d4 hours (and so on) 
  until the PCs are finally killed or gone. 
   
  11: IN SERVICE OF A PRINCE 
  It is about a one mile walk towards the pit in which 
  Ebulon is held. Luck is with the PCs, and they do not 
  meet a single living thing. They do spot two of the layer’s 
  custodians, but these pass in the distance without 
  disturbing the PCs. 
   
  The marble path you have been following for about a 
  mile has taken you to a strange rock-like 
  construction. It is about 40-feet high, roughly 150 
  feet in diameter and has a rough surface, easy to 
  climb. A cave-like entrance leads into it. A 
  shimmering violet screen blocks entrance into the 
  huge cave. Inside you see the vague outline of a 
  perfectly round pool of darkness, a large stone altar, 
  and a large elephant-like humanoid. According to 
  your information this is the well of darkness in 
  which the general Ebulon is imprisoned; and 
  according to that same source you have to destroy 
  that altar to free the demon in the pool. 
   
  A PC that succeeds at a DC 24 Spellcraft check recognizes 
  the screen as a dispelling screen, a wall that targets anybody 
  passing through it with a targeted dispel magic. The 
  guardian can be recognized as a maelephant of 
  extraordinary size with a DC 18 Knowledge (the planes) 
  check. 
   
  Maelephants are guardians created by baatezu long 
  ago, and those whose masters died, have found employ 
  amongst many other powerful creatures, only requiring 
  meat as payment. They are extremely loyal to their task, 
  fighting to the death to keep it safe.  
   
  If the PCs succeeded on their Knowledge (the 
  planes) check by 5 or more they remember it fights better 
  when it remains on the same location in some kind of 
  defensive stance. If they succeed by 10 or more they 
  know of its poisonous breath weapon that causes a victim 
  to literally forget everything it knows until cured – 
  turning the greatest hero into a useless fool.  
   
  A PC who casts detect magic notes the faint abjuration 
  aura that seems to radiate from the maelephant, and a 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 25 
  strong conjuration aura from the dark well. The violet 
  wall radiates a moderate abjuration aura. 
   
  Terrain: See DM Maps for a tactical map of the 
  battlefield. Most of the area consists of gray rocks and 
  sand. Running or charging is only possible if the creature 
  succeeds at a DC 12 Balance check. Otherwise movement 
  is unhindered in these areas. There is no plant-life in the 
  region. The area is riddled with bones, the remains of the 
  meals of the maelephant, but these do not hinder the PCs. 
   
  Altar: AC 4; hardness 8; 1,800 hp; break DC 45. The 
  altar is solid slab of rock. It is 5 ft. high and flat on top. 
   
  Dispelling screen: A permanent dispelling screen has 
  been placed at the entrance. Anybody passing through 
  the violet shimmering screen is the target of a dispel magic 
  (CL APL). It can be suppressed with a dispel magic for 1d4 
  rounds after a successful dispel check (caster level of the 
  screen is equal to the APL). 
   
  Light: The region of the Wells of Darkness is 
  covered in perpetual twilight. Without a light-source, 
  creatures with only normal vision suffer a 20% miss 
  chance on their attack rolls. 
   
  Paved Road: No Balance check is required to charge 
  or run on the road. 
   
  Rock Wall (5-ft. section): AC 4; hardness 8; 900 hp; 
  break DC 65; Climb DC 15. It has a roof, roughly 30 feet 
  high. 
   
  Well of Darkness: The well appears to be filled to 
  the rim with liquid darkness. In reality it is harder than 
  rock, but it is as slippery as ice and incredibly cold. It is 
  considered difficult terrain, and a DC 12 Balance check is 
  required to move. If the check fails by 5 or more a 
  character falls prone. Creatures standing on the well take 
  1d6 points of cold damage per round. The surface cannot 
  be broken with mere weapons, requiring a ritual instead 
  (see Development). 
   
  Creatures: The guardian of the well is a single powerful 
  maelephant. These extraplanar guardians look like 
  elephant-humanoid 
  with 
  several 
  sharp 
  horn-like 
  extrusions and large clawed hands. It does not allow 
  anybody to enter the cave immediately attacking as soon 
  as somebody steps through the dispelling screen, neither 
  giving nor expecting quarter. 
   
  Note that the maelephant is protected by an 
  anticipate teleportation spell (CL 20th). 
   
  APL 10 (EL 12) 
   
  �Guardian: male advanced 14 HD maelephant; hp 
  105; Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 12 (EL 14) 
   
  �Guardian: 
  male 
  advanced 
  16 
  HD 
  huge 
  maelephant; hp 152; Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 14 (EL 16) 
   
  �Guardian: 
  male 
  advanced 
  20 
  HD 
  huge 
  maelephant; hp 190; Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 16 (EL 18) 
   
  �Guardian: 
  male 
  advanced 
  24 
  HD 
  huge 
  maelephant; hp 252; Appendix 1. 
   
  Tactics: The guardian’s tactics are simple: it tries to 
  prevent anybody from passing through the opening. If 
  the PCs do not seem to have another entrance it goes into 
  its defensive stance at that point, otherwise it does so at 
  the altar (but only if doing so makes sense). It liberally 
  uses its spell-like abilities to block the PCs’ entrance. It 
  fights to kill, but its primary goal is to defend the Well of 
  Darkness, so it does not risk its life unnecessarily. It does 
  not surrender. 
   
  Treasure: Refer to the Treasure Summary to determine 
  what loot the PCs find here. 
   
  Development: Once the PCs have defeated the guardian, 
  they are free to examine and destroy the altar. It is 
  covered with glyphs. PCs who can read Abyssal recognize 
  the text as stating that the general Ebulon is held inside, 
  captured by Demorgorgon during one of many wars with 
  Graz’zt over dominion of the Abyss. 
   
  As soon as the PCs start to destroy the altar, the well 
  starts to shimmer. Once it is broken, the darkness is gone 
  and a balor rises from the pit. He is suspicious about the 
  PCs’ motives, but for now does not attack, feeling 
  somewhat grateful for his release. 
   
  If they tell him Graz’zt sent them he is surprised. 
  Graz’zt has let him rot in that pit for quite some time. He 
  thanks the PCs for their interference, promising them a 
  proper reward in the near future. With that he teleports 
  away, leaving the PCs behind. 
   
  If the PCs proceed from here to the pit of the solar, 
  proceed with Encounter 12. If they return home, see the 
  Development section of Encounter 9. 
   
  12: FREEING MADNESS 
  From Ebulon’s prison, it is about a three mile walk 
  towards the pit in which the solar is held and from the 
  entrance from Argent Palace it is about one mile. Luck is 
  with the PCs, and they do not meet a living thing. They 
  do spot two of the layer’s custodians, but these pass in the 
  distance without disturbing the PCs. 
   
  The red marble path takes you around one of the 
  many rocky bluffs that separate the layer in different 
  areas. In front of you, you see your destination: a 
  perfectly circular well filled with absolute darkness. 
  A roughly circular perimeter of pits surrounds the 
  well. The path crosses one of these crags over what 
  appears to be a sturdy looking stone bridge flanked 
  by medium-sized statues of wicked looking angels.  
   
  At three sides of the well you note stone altars, 
  covered in various glyphs and markings and what 
  appears to be dried blood. In between these altars 
  and the path stand four large white marble statues of 
  decaying angels holding large trumpets. Behind the 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 26 
  well, but within the perimeter of crags you note the 
  skeletal remains of some kind of gargantuan 
  creature half buried in the rocky surface and covered 
  in gray dust. 
   
  The whole area in between the crags is covered with a 
  calm emotions effect with a save DC equal to [APL + 10]. 
  This reflects that the power of the effect has degraded 
  more over time on lower APLs. 
   
  Lorn immediately rushes to the Well, not caring 
  about examining the glyphs on the altars or the statues. 
  He knows what needs to be done and has no reservations 
  about doing it.  
   
  He makes his save against the calm emotions spell. 
  Lorn does not want to risk aggravating the PCs yet, so he 
  waits if they want to investigate the area first, although he 
  insists on being part of that investigation instead of 
  observing from a distance. 
   
  Such investigations reveal little out of the ordinary. 
  The Well radiates a strong conjuration aura. The altars 
  have a strong abjuration aura. The whole area is covered 
  with a faint enchantment aura. Everything in this layer 
  radiates chaos and evil. The statues and skeleton are not 
  magical. There are no visible (or any invisible) guardians.  
   
  The glyphs and markings on the altars are Abyssal. 
  They tell how four demon princes, whose names mean 
  little now-a-days, captured a solar named Pelalial, 
  guardian/captor of the Doom of the World, and bound it 
  with chains of darkness. It contains several warnings 
  against releasing the solar, but Lorn argues that of course 
  demons want to keep a solar imprisoned. It does not 
  explain why the solar was captured and imprisoned. 
   
   The ritual to free Pelalial starts with spilling the 
  blood of an innocent, followed by a voluntarily act of 
  betrayal by a good person who knows the consequences 
  and who is under no magical influence to do so.  
   
  Once that is done, mere violence within the area is 
  enough to weaken the bonds, until after four rounds, 
  Pelalial can snap them and break free of the well.  
   
  Lorn knows this and he is the perfect person to start 
  the ritual, sacrificing his own soul and the lives of the PCs 
  for the greater good. At some point, he mentions that he 
  is going to start the ritual by spilling his blood over one of 
  the altars. He fears that may alert any guardians, using it 
  as an excuse to cast any buff spells on himself. The PCs 
  can do the same. If the PCs want to stop him, roll 
  initiative as normal, but remember the calm emotions 
  effect in the area.  
   
  The PCs can roll a DC 20 Sense Motive check to 
  determine whether or not they are surprised when, once 
  his blood is spilled, Lorn attacks the nearest PC with a 
  lethal effect. This single act of betrayal instantly shatters 
  the calm emotions effect and releases two servants of 
  Pelalial who were imprisoned with him.  
   
  Everybody who failed his save against the calm 
  emotions cannot commit a violent act until these servants 
  attack. The servants turn on the PCs at the start of the 
  next round. The void slayer appears among the bones of 
  the skeleton. Kaziel appears above the well, fully buffed 
  (including at higher APLs with a shard of entropy) and 
  ready for a fight. 
   
   
  Terrain: See DM Maps for a tactical map of the 
  battlefield. Most of the area consists of gray rocks and 
  sand. Running or charging is only possible if the creature 
  succeeds at a DC 12 Balance check. Otherwise movement 
  is unhindered in these areas. There is no plant-life in the 
  region. 
   
  Altars: AC 4; hardness 8; 900 hp; break DC 45. The 
  altars are solid slabs of rock. They are 3 ft. high and flat on 
  top. 
   
  Light: The region of the Wells of Darkness is 
  covered in perpetual twilight. Without a light-source, 
  creatures with only normal vision suffer a 20% miss 
  chance on their attack rolls. 
   
  Pit: Surrounding the well are several wide cracks in 
  the earth. The side of these pits consists of crumbling 
  rock and it is a DC 20 Climb check to traverse. They are 
  about 20 feet deep. 
   
  Paved Road: No Balance check is required to charge 
  or run on the road. 
   
  Skeleton: These are the remains of some gargantuan 
  unnamed beast half buried in the rock. It poses no threat 
  to the PCs. Areas with bones are considered difficult 
  terrain, but they provide partial cover just as trees. 
   
  Statues: 10 ft thick; AC 4; hardness 8; 1,800 hp; 
  break DC 45; Climb DC 15. A creature cannot enter a 
  square containing a statue without climbing it. The statue 
  provides cover. If broken, a statue fills its squares with 
  dense rubble. 
   
  Well of Darkness: The well appears to be filled to 
  the rim with liquid darkness. In reality it is harder than 
  rock, but it is as slippery as ice and incredibly cold. It is 
  considered difficult terrain, and a DC 12 Balance check is 
  required to move. If the check fails by 5 or more a 
  character falls prone. Creatures standing on the well take 
  1d6 points of cold damage per round. The surface cannot 
  be broken with mere weapons. 
   
  Creatures: Lorn started out as a cleric of St. Cuthbert, but 
  his act of betrayal immediately puts him out of grace. 
  Unbeknownst to him, Tharizdun instantly takes St. 
  Cuthbert’s place, changing spells and domains where 
  necessary. Astute PCs note a sudden change in 
  appearance of Lorn’s holy symbol (DC 15 Spot check), but 
  Lorn is too far gone to register the change. 
   
  In his madness, Lorn never realizes the true depth of 
  his betrayal and, throughout the fight, he keeps 
  apologizing to the PCs, saying that nobody has to die, and 
  that mere acts of violence are enough to finish the ritual. 
   
  At the same time, though, he instinctively fights to 
  kill, lamenting the loss of any character he might murder, 
  and becoming even more apologetic about the whole 
  affair. Note that he considers Kaziel and the Void Slayers 
  his allies in regards to spells such as recitation and healing. 
   
  Kaziel the Dark was a servant of Pelalial, corrupted 
  shortly after her master. She sees the whole world as evil, 
  convinced that everybody has done injustice or will do so 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 27 
  sometime in the future. In her eyes everybody deserves to 
  be executed for their past and future crimes, something 
  she shouts out loudly at the start of the fight. 
   
  She looks like a typical justice archon, a regal woman 
  with feathery wings, except that her armor is tarnished, 
  her eyes are completely black and her greatsword seems 
  to be made out of the void. Each move through the air 
  with the blade causes the sword to wail, and it seems to 
  suck in dust and air around it. 
   
  The void slayer looks like a corporeal humanoid 
  creature without any distinctive features. Its flesh is so 
  dark that it seems to draw in light and its eyes look like 
  small stars in the night sky. It has no visible mouth, nose 
  or ears. It is not particular bright, simply trying to destroy 
  all living creatures within reach except any followers of 
  Tharizdun (who are also immune to its death gaze ability). 
   
  If the PCs realize what is going on and refuse to fight 
  or try to avoid committing any acts of violence (and using 
  nonlethal attacks does not count as violence for the 
  freeing-ritual), Kaziel and the void slayer attack Lorn 
  instead. If that is impossible, they try to attack one 
  another as a final desperate maneuver. If the PCs try to 
  stop this from happening, give them full XP for this fight. 
  If they just stand back and observe, they should not get 
  any experience points. 
   
  APL 10 (EL 13) 
   
  �Lorn Aldyr: Male human cleric 9; hp 66; 
  Appendix 1. 
   
  �Kaziel the Dark: Female corrupted justice archon 
  blackguard 5; hp 123; Appendix 1. 
   
  �Void Slayer: evolved bodak; hp 58; Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 12 (EL 15) 
   
  �Lorn Aldyr: Male human cleric 11; hp 80; 
  Appendix 1. 
   
  �Kaziel the Dark: Female corrupted justice archon 
  blackguard 7; hp 160; Appendix 1. 
   
  �Void Slayer: Advanced 13 HD large evolved 
  bodak; hp 84; Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 14 (EL 17) 
   
  �Lorn Aldyr: Male human cleric 13; hp 94; 
  Appendix 1. 
   
  �Kaziel the Dark: Female corrupted justice archon 
  blackguard 7/entropomancer 2; hp 184; Appendix 1. 
   
  �Void Slayer: Advanced 21 HD large evolved 
  bodak; hp 136; Appendix 1. 
   
  APL 16 (EL 19) 
   
  �Lorn Aldyr: Male human cleric 15; hp 108; 
  Appendix 1. 
   
  �Kaziel the Dark: Female corrupted justice archon 
  blackguard 7/entropomancer 5; hp 220; Appendix 1. 
   
  �Void Slayer: Advanced 29 HD large evolved 
  bodak; hp 217; Appendix 1. 
   
  Tactics: Lorn Aldyr starts the fight with a single spell 
  intended to harm at least one PC, preferably from a 
  distance (such as mass inflict light wounds or flame strike), 
  but at ranged touch if necessary. He keeps an eye on any 
  buffing spells the PCs might have cast beforehand 
  changing the chosen spell based on what he knows. The 
  next round he starts with recitation to buff his new 
  companions followed by whatever spell makes sense 
  (most likely confusion). As long as the PCs do not have an 
  anticipate teleportation active, he uses his anklets of 
  translocation to make sure fighters do not get a full round 
  attack on him, saving one use in case he needs to get out 
  of grapple.  
   
  At APL 14+ he uses his hellcat gauntlets when 
  targeting a PC with a single damaging spell, most likely 
  an inflict wounds spell. He wants to finish the ritual, which 
  requires lethal damage to be inflicted every round. He is 
  not afraid to kill, unless too many already died, but 
  prefers to heal Kaziel and the Void Slayer. 
   
  Kaziel’s tactics are simple: try to hurt her opponents 
  as much as possible every round. If too many opponents 
  are killed too quickly, she can always attack her allies or 
  herself. If possible she tries to outflank opponents, 
  attempting to get likely targets of spells cast by Lorn 
  within her aura of despair. She only tries a death knell or 
  curing herself if there are no other actions possible or 
  when she is at death’s door. After all, she only has to last a 
  couple of rounds and damage needs to be dealt every 
  round of the fight.  
   
  At APL 14 she starts with an entropic shard ready, 
  which she uses to prevent being flanked or to deal 
  guaranteed damage if prevented from dealing damage 
  through one action or another. Do not forget her Divine 
  Armor feat and entropic aura at APL 16. 
   
  The void slayer’s tactics are simple. During the first 
  round he starts off with its single spell-like ability 
  targeting as many opponents as possible. After which he 
  maneuvers into a position from where his gaze hits as 
  many opponents as possible. From that moment it simply 
  slams away at the closest target unless directed otherwise 
  by Lorn or Kaziel (who send him away if too many PCs 
  fall below 0 hit points). 
   
  All three opponents fight to complete the ritual 
  knowing it requires four rounds of combat where lethal 
  damage is dealt each round. They do not flee, fighting to 
  the 
  death 
  if 
  necessary, 
  never 
  surrendering 
  or 
  contemplating flight. 
   
  Treasure: Looting Lorn Aldyr (most likely by grabbing 
  his corpse before fleeing the scene); refer to the Treasure 
  Summary to determine what the PCs find here.  
   
  Note that when Kaziel is killed, the Well of Darkness 
  swallows her and she leaves no equipment behind. 
   
  Development:   Throughout the fight, as long as any 
  blood is spilled (lethal damage is dealt), each round after 
  the betrayal, one of the altars snaps in two and a statue 
  crumbles to dust. Each hit that deals lethal damage, 
  regardless of whether the PCs or the villains are the 
  source of the attack, within a round, causes a statue and 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 28 
  altar to form cracks until the end of the round, when it 
  shatters. This gives a clearly visible countdown to when 
  bad things start happening. Note that the source of the 
  damage is unimportant, even lingering damage from a 
  previous spell effect or a PC cutting himself is enough for 
  the effect to trigger. 
   
  The Spiral of Shothragot: If any of the PCs have the 
  Spiral of Shothragot, Iuz is immediately aware of the fact 
  and steals it with a quickend telekinesis; the spiral does not 
  resist.  
   
  Ritual Concludes 
  At the end of the fourth round of combat, where lethal 
  damage is dealt (and this does not need to be 
  consecutive), the last remaining statue animates, 
  sounding the trumpet in alarm. At that moment, the 
  darkness covering the well audibly cracks, shattering 
  with a loud explosion, and raining harmless debris over 
  the whole region. If that happens proceed with the 
  Conclusion: Failure.  
   
  When the PCs kill any of the three opponents 
  during the fight a tendril of darkness shoots to the corpse 
  from the Well of Darkness. Kaziel and the void slayer are 
  sucked into the Well, leaving nothing behind. Lorn’s 
  corpse crumbles into dust, but his equipment is left 
  behind. This might scare the PCs, but nothing happens 
  when they die since they have not pledged their soul to 
  Tharizdun. 
   
  Ritual Disrupted 
  If the PCs truly disable all three opponents before the 
  rounds are up, the ritual is disrupted. To count as being 
  disabled, an opponent must have no chance of even 
  hurting himself for at least a couple of rounds (which can 
  be difficult without killing especially at APL 14+ when 
  Kaziel can direct her shard of entropy as a move action even 
  when paralyzed or when grappled). Killing all three 
  opponents in under four rounds counts as a success.  
   
  As soon as the fighting stops (provided it ends 
  without lethal damage being dealt in the fourth round), 
  tendrils of darkness shoot to any still-living opponent 
  from the Well of Darkness, instantly killing them. 
  Tendrils also shoot to the PCs, the statues and the altars. 
  The tendrils restore the statues and altars, adding new 
  glyphs telling the story of the PCs. PCs touched by the 
  tendrils feel an immense cold and an evil presence before 
  a force of good intervenes, leaving them unharmed 
  except for a strange mark on their chest. Proceed with 
  Conclusion: Success. 
   
  CONCLUSION: FAILURE 
  Read aloud or paraphrase the following as soon as the 
  ritual in Encounter 12 is finished: 
   
  There is an audible crack and debris rains down 
  upon you, quickly covering everything in a fine 
  black dust. The remaining statue sounds its trumpet. 
  The clear notes of warning seem out of place in the 
  Abyss. Meanwhile you see a large powerfully-built 
  humanoid rise from the pit. Its silvery skin is 
  tarnished, covered with black streaks, its eyes are so 
  dark they seem to suck up the surrounding light, 
  and its feather-wings are wrinkled and riddled with 
  sores and festering wounds. When it turns its eyes 
  on you, you feel coldness grasp at your heart and for 
  a moment you get the sense of dying. 
   
  Suddenly a large crackling sound can be heard 
  in the sky above. The creature looks up in surprise, 
  and you see what can be best described as a tear 
  made out of light in the sky. Through it steps a regal-
  looking muscled man in full plate, armed with a 
  heavy shield and a simple wooden cudgel. He glares 
  angrily at you, his fiery gaze searing your soul, 
  before turning his attention on the creature in the 
  pit. The corrupted solar looks worried for a moment, 
  drawing its greatsword made out of some kind of 
  shadowy energy and taking a defensive posture. 
   
  A DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check reveals the man to 
  be St. Cuthbert. Give the PCs one standard action, even 
  allowing them to attack the solar (Monster Manual 12; it is 
  fully buffed and virtually untouchable by the PCs), and 
  then read,: 
   
  Before the battle starts in earnest, you feel an almost 
  electric aura of tension. Flickers of black fire rime 
  every living and dead creature in the area. A moment 
  later, a 20-foot-tall humanoid demon with rippling 
  muscles and curving black horns manifests in a 
  blast of chilling black fire just outside the circle 
  surrounding the now broken darkness. In its hands 
  it holds a huge book from which it speaks several 
  mystic words of immense power, making the whole 
  layer tremble.  
   
  Black tentacles rimmed with a red pulsing 
  energy erupt from the empty well below, grasping 
  both the regal warrior and the corrupted solar. Both 
  look surprised when they are pulled into the well, an 
  event followed by a bright flash of red light.  
   
  When you look again, the well is sealed once 
  more, except that the inky darkness is now riddled 
  with streaks of red glowing energy, and both the 
  warrior and solar are gone. The demon still stands at 
  the side with his book, laughing in loud glee over his 
  apparent victory. 
   
  A DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check recognizes the 
  demon as Iuz. A DC 30 Knowledge (arcana) or 
  Knowledge (the planes) recognizes the book as the Codex 
  of the Infinite Planes. Any character within 30 feet of Iuz at 
  the start of his manifestation must succeed on a DC 20 
  Will save or be dazed by the power exuding from his 
  being for as long as that individual remains within 30 
  feet. Iuz is a 30-HD outsider cleric 20/assassin 10, and he 
  possesses a wide range of divine abilities. However, since 
  the PCs are not expected to challenge him directly (and 
  are nearly incapable of harming him anyway), statistics 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 29 
  are not provided for him. Iuz ignores the PCs for one 
  round after St. Cuthbert and the solar disappear, before 
  turning towards them. 
   
  The demon stops his mad cackling after a few 
  seconds, finally turning his attention to you. “Now 
  mortals, what should I do with you? You acted like 
  the perfect pawns, but something tells me, it would 
  be better for me to kill you now before it is too late. 
  So, time to die, mortals!”  
   
  Before he can lift his blade, several bolts of 
  bright light slam into his body, momentarily 
  disorienting him and making him release his grip 
  on your mind. In the direction the bolts came from, 
  you note an open gate and the familiar form of 
  Tenser. “Get over here, you poor fools. I will hold the 
  Old One off. Flee! Avenge me, and try to rectify the 
  mistakes you made today!” With that Tenser turns 
  his attention to Iuz again. While it looks to be an 
  epic battle, you realize Tenser is sacrificing himself 
  to enable you to escape. 
   
  Tenser urges any PC to flee while he still can. He is in no 
  position to force the PCs to leave the Abyss. Any PC that 
  valiantly remains behind is removed from the game 
  permanently unless his companions have access to true 
  resurrection (and even then the PC comes baci without 
  any equipment and must invoke Charity of Friends [see 
  LGCS for more information]). There is no special AR or 
  reward for this needless sacrifice. Once the PCs step 
  through the gate they end up in Tenser’s keep. The gate 
  closes seconds after the last PC willing to flee steps 
  through, leaving Tenser behind in his struggle with Iuz. 
  Whether or not Tenser is killed, manages to escape or is 
  imprisoned, remains a mystery for now.  
   
  Tenser’s friends feel honor bound to fulfill his 
  promises, so they provide the PCs with the promised 
  monetary award and their favor. The PCs after all, 
  successfully rescued Lorn from his imprisonment in the 
  Argent Palace. 
   
  They blame Lorn’s treachery for the failure and not 
  the PCs, although they do want an oath from the PCs that 
  they will go out of their way to stop Iuz from achieving 
  his goals and to keep Tenser’s disappearance secret for 
  now. Give them the Favor of Tenser’s Friends on the AR. 
  St. Cuthbert is much less forgiving, and his anger left a 
  mark on the PCs. They get the Mark of St. Cuthbert AR 
  item. 
   
  Whether the PCs were successful in preventing the 
  ritual has no impact on any alliance the PCs might have 
  forged with Graz’zt. If they freed Ebulon, they get the 
  Favor of Ebulon AR item, and if they did so to forge an 
  alliance, they also gain Alliance with Graz’zt AR item, 
  which has an impact in the fifth part of the series. If 
  Iggwilv learned of this alliance since Graz’zt had to show 
  his hand too early in Encounter 7, the PCs earn the 
  Enmity of Iggwilv AR item. If on the other hand, the PC 
  were charged with task of liberating Ebulon because of 
  their debt to Graz’zt and they fail doing so, they earn the 
  Ire of Graz’zt AR item. 
   
  Note that if the PCs never even approach the prison 
  of Pelalial, but they do not permanently kill Lorn, the end 
  result is the same. In this case though, they do not earn 
  the Mark of St. Cuthbert, but note down in the note 
  section that St. Cuthbert was imprisoned, since it does 
  have an impact on the fifth and final part of the 
  Ascension series. 
   
  Regardless, St. Cuthbert has been imprisoned and is 
  at the mercy of Iuz. What Iuz wants to do with his 
  prisoner, if anything, remains a mystery for now. Even 
  though St. Cuthbert is imprisoned, he still provides spells 
  and powers to his worshippers; either that or other lawful 
  good deities have stepped in. The end result is the same: 
  nobody 
  loses 
  his 
  powers 
  over 
  St. 
  Cuthberts 
  imprisonment. He will be unable to directly manifest 
  himself, though, for the moment, which is a serious blow 
  in the struggle against Iuz. How this is going to end will 
  be revealed in the fifth part of the series CORS8-02 Wheels 
  within Wheels. 
   
  Treasure: The PCs receive any reward Tenser promised 
  them. Refer to the Treasure Summary to determine what 
  the PCs get here. 
   
  CONCLUSION: SUCCESS 
  Read the following as soon as the ritual in Encounter 12 
  is permanently disrupted: 
   
  The fight is over, and it appears that for now you 
  have stopped whatever is held in that well of 
  darkness from escaping its chains of darkness. All 
  altars and statues are restored, carrying a new set of 
  glyphs, telling about your battle here in the Wells of 
  Darkness. 
   
  Before you can decide what to do next, you feel 
  an almost electric aura of tension. Flickers of black 
  fire rime every living and dead creature in the area. A 
  moment later, a 20-foot-tall humanoid demon with 
  rippling muscles and curving black horns manifests 
  in a blast of chilling black fire just outside the circle 
  around the now broken darkness. The demon 
  appears to be furious as it turns toward you. 
  “Meddlesome fools! Good for nothing heroes. You 
  will die for your impudence!” 
   
  A DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check recognizes the 
  demon as Iuz. Any character within 30 feet of Iuz at the 
  start of his manifestation must succeed on a DC 20 Will 
  save or be dazed by the power exuding from his being for 
  as long as that individual remains within 30 feet. Iuz is a 
  30-HD outsider cleric 20/assassin 10, and he possesses a 
  wide range of divine abilities. However, since the PCs are 
  not expected to challenge him directly (and are nearly 
  incapable of harming him anyway), statistics are not 
  provided for him. Allow the PCs one move action, before 
  proceeding. 
   
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 30 
  Slowly the demon lifts up its huge greatsword, 
  menace in his eyes, ready to strike down on the one 
  nearest to him. Before the blade comes down, several 
  bolts of bright light slam into his body, momentarily 
  disorienting him and releasing its grip on your 
  mind. In the direction from where the bolts came, 
  you note an open gate and the familiar form of 
  Tenser. “Get over here. I will hold the Old One off. 
  Flee! Avenge me and keep on the good fight against 
  Iuz!” With that Tenser turns his attention to Iuz 
  again. While it looks to be an epic battle, you realize 
  Tenser is sacrificing himself to enable you to escape. 
   
  Tenser urges any PC to flee while he still can. He is in no 
  position to force the PCs to leave the Abyss. Any PC that 
  valiantly remains behind is removed from the game 
  permanently unless his companions have access to true 
  resurrection (and even then the PC comes baci without 
  any equipment and must invoke Charity of Friends [see 
  LGCS for more information]). There is no special AR of 
  reward for this needless sacrifice. Once the PCs step 
  through the gate they end up in Tenser’s keep. The gate 
  closes seconds after the last PC willing to flee steps 
  through, leaving Tenser behind in his ultimate futile 
  struggle with Iuz. Whether or not Tenser is killed, 
  manages to escape or is imprisoned remains a mystery for 
  now.  
   
  Once the PCs step through the gate they end up in 
  Tenser’s keep. Since the friends of Tenser feel honor 
  bound to fulfill Tenser’s promises, they provide the PCs 
  with the promised monetary award and their favor. The 
  PCs after all, successfully rescued Lorn from his 
  imprisonment in the Argent Palace. They thank them for 
  a job well done, especially their swift recovery from 
  Lorn’s betrayal. They do want a promise from the PCs to 
  keep Tenser’s disappearance a secret, fearing such news 
  would be a serious blow to morale of all those opposing 
  Iuz and Rary. Give them the Favor of Tenser’s Friends on 
  the AR. They also have been Touched by Darkness the 
  moment they prevented the ritual, which has become a 
  blessing due to St. Cuthbert’s interference.  
   
  Whether the PCs were successful in preventing the 
  ritual has no impact on any alliance the PCs might have 
  forged with Graz’zt. If they freed Ebulon, they get the 
  Favor of Ebulon AR item, and if they did so to forge an 
  alliance, they also gain Alliance with Graz’zt AR item, 
  which has an impact in the fifth part of the series. If 
  Iggwilv learned of this alliance since Graz’zt had to show 
  his hand too early in Encounter 7, the PCs earn the 
  Enmity of Iggwilv AR item. If on the other hand, the PC 
  were charged with task of liberating Ebulon because of 
  their debt to Graz’zt and they fail doing so, they earn the 
  Ire of Graz’zt AR item. 
   
  Regardless, even though the PCs have been unable to 
  prevent Iuz from killing Tenser, they did prevent him 
  from capturing St. Cuthbert and the corrupted solar 
  Pelalial. While it apparently is not enough to stop his 
  plans, it certainly hurts his bid for power. How this is 
  going to end will be revealed in the fifth part of the series 
  CORS8-02 Wheels within Wheels. 
   
  Treasure: The PCs receive any reward Tenser promised 
  them. Refer to the Treasure Summary to determine what 
  the PCs get here. 
   
  TENSER’S DEATH 
  At the end of this adventure, Tenser disappears in a noble 
  effort to rescue the PCs – and is either killed or 
  imprisoned by Iuz. If he is killed, it remains uncertain 
  whether he dies permanently, since, as of yet, it is 
  unknown whether his enemies destroyed all his clones or 
  his friends can afford a true resurrection. If captured, it 
  might take some time before he is rescued, or perhaps 
  killed some time in the future. Regardless, he is definitely 
  out of action for at least a short time. 
   
  Since Tenser is an important player in many LG 
  adventures, both in the past and potentially in one or two 
  future adventures, his disappearance might cause 
  conflicts when players play in other adventures after 
  having played this adventure. To prevent such a clash 
  from disrupting the sense of disbelief from the players, 
  notify them of this potential problem. If they play such 
  an adventure with a different character, simply assume 
  the adventure takes place before or during this one. If it is 
  with the same character, the player should treat is as a 
  well-disguised ally of Tenser who wants to keep Tenser’s 
  disappearance hidden as long as possible, fearing any 
  such news would be a serious blow against morale of 
  those opposing Iuz and Rary. 
   
  Your quest over, you return to the Fortress of 
  Unknown Depths.  With Tenser’s loss, the forces of 
  good have lost a powerful champion and in the days 
  to come such a hero will be sorely needed. Now is 
  the time for rest, however, for momentous events 
  are now in motion and soon someone must stand 
  between the Flanaess and the rising tide of darkness 
  in one final, epic battle. 
   
  CAMPAIGN CONSEQUENCES 
  This scenario has "Campaign Consequences"; that is the 
  outcome of this module will directly affect future events 
  in the course of the campaign. The answers to some of the 
  questions below may seem trivial or pointless, but 
  because of the complex nature of the back-story and 
  campaign all information requested is vital. 
   
  Please send your answers to rolspeel@planet.nl as 
  soon as possible. General comments about the module are 
  also welcomed at this address. 
  1. 
  Did the PCs made an alliance with Graz’zt? 
  2. 
  Did Iggwilv learn about the alliance? 
  3. 
  Did the PCs ever go to the Wells of Darkness 
  and was the ritual to set Pelalial free ever started 
  with them being present? 
  4. 
  Was St. Cuthbert imprisoned by Iuz? 
   
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 31 
  EXPERIENCE POINT 
  SUMMARY 
  To award experience for this adventure, add up the values 
  for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the 
  experience award. Award the total value (objectives plus 
  roleplaying) to each character. 
   
  2: At the Gates 
  Defeating the fiends 
  APL 10  
  390 XP 
  APL 12  
  450 XP 
  APL 14  
  510 XP 
  APL 16  
  570 XP 
   
  4: Assassins 
  Defeating the assassins 
  APL 10  
  390 XP 
  APL 12  
  450 XP 
  APL 14  
  510 XP 
  APL 16  
  570 XP 
   
  Defeating or bypassing the traps in the hideout 
  APL 10  
  300 XP 
  APL 12  
  360 XP 
  APL 14  
  420 XP 
  APL 16  
  480 XP 
   
  7: Into the Palace 
  Getting to Lorn’s prison 
  APL 10  
  330 XP 
  APL 12  
  390 XP 
  APL 14  
  450 XP 
  APL 16  
  510 XP 
   
  9: Freeing a Prisoner 
  Defeating the guardians and freeing Lorn 
  APL 10  
  360 XP 
  APL 12  
  420 XP 
  APL 14  
  480 XP 
  APL 16  
  540 XP 
   
  11: In Service of a Prince 
  This encounter does not give xp, either it gives the PCs 
  the opportunity to recover from a screw-up or it provides 
  its benefit through a favor and winning an alliance in 
  their struggle against Iuz. 
   
  12: Freeing Madness 
  Fighting Lorn and his new allies 
  APL 10  
  390 XP 
  APL 12  
  450 XP 
  APL 14  
  510 XP 
  APL 16  
  570 XP 
   
  Story Award 
  Preventing the ritual from being finished after it has 
  started: 
  APL 10  
  300 XP 
  APL 12  
  360 XP 
  APL 14  
  420 XP 
  APL 16  
  480 XP 
   
  Discretionary roleplaying award 
  APL 10  
  240 XP 
  APL 12  
  270 XP 
  APL 14  
  300 XP 
  APL 16  
  330 XP 
    
  Total Possible Experience 
  APL 10  
  2,700 XP 
  APL 12  
  3,150 XP 
  APL 14  
  3,600 XP 
  APL 16  
  4,050 XP 
   
  TREASURE SUMMARY 
  During an adventure, characters encounter treasure, 
  usually finding it in the possession of their foes. Every 
  encounter that features treasure has a “treasure” section 
  within the encounter description, giving information 
  about the loot, coins, and magic items that make up the 
  encounter’s treasure. 
   
  The loot total is the number of gold pieces each 
  character gains if the foes are plundered of all their 
  earthly possessions. Looting the bodies takes at least 10 
  minutes per every 5 enemies, and if the characters cannot 
  take the time to loot the bodies, they do not gain this 
  gold. If you feel it is reasonable that characters can go 
  back to loot the bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., 
  not carted off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the 
  scene by the local watch, and so on), characters may 
  return to retrieve loot. If the characters do not loot the 
  body, the gold piece value for the loot is subtracted from 
  the encounter totals given below. 
   
  The coin total is the number of gold pieces each 
  character gains if they take the coin available. A normal 
  adventuring party can usually gather this wealth in a 
  round or so. If for some reason, they pass up this treasure, 
  the coin total is subtracted from the encounter totals 
  given below. 
   
  Next, the magic items are listed. Magic item treasure 
  is the hardest to adjudicate, because they are varied and 
  because characters may want to use them during the 
  adventure. Many times characters must cast identify, 
  analyze dweomer or similar spell to determine what the 
  item does and how to activate it. Other times they may 
  attempt to use the item blindly. If the magic item is 
  consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the 
  item is used before the end of the adventure, its total is 
  subtracted from the adventure totals below. 
   
  Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed 
  treasure from each encounter add it up and that is the 
  number of gold pieces a characters total and coin value 
  increase at the end of the adventure. Write the total in 
  the GP Gained field of the adventure certificate.  
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 32 
   
  Loot = Looted gear from enemy; Coin = Coin, Gems, 
  Jewelry, and other valuables; Magic = Magic Items.  
   
  Introduction 
  Reward money for accepting the job 
   
  APL 10: Coin 500 gp. 
   
  APL 12: Coin 600 gp. 
   
  APL 14: Coin 700 gp. 
   
  APL 16: Coin 800 gp. 
   
  4: Assassins 
  Looting the assassins 
   
  APL 10: Loot 250 gp; Magic 3,392 gp; 3x +1 rapiers 
  (193 gp each), 3x +2 mithral chain shirt (417 gp each), 3x 
  amulets of natural armor +1 (167 gp each), 3x potions of cure 
  serious wounds (63 gp each), 3x potions of fly (63 gp each), 3x 
  potions of remove blindness (63 gp each), 3x rings of protection 
  +1 (167 gp each); Total 3,642 gp. 
   
  APL 12: Loot 81 gp; Coin 1 gp; Magic 5,686 gp; 3x +1 
  rapiers (193 gp each), 3x +1 mighty composite shortbow (223 
  gp each), 3x +2 mithral chain shirt (417 gp each), 3x amulets 
  of natural armor +1 (167 gp each), 3x boots of striding and 
  springing (458 gp each), 3x cloak of resistance +1 (83 gp 
  each), 3x potions of cure serious wounds (63 gp each), 3x 
  potions of fly (63 gp each), 3x potions of remove blindness (63 
  gp each), 3x rings of protection +1 (167 gp each); Total 5,768 
  gp. 
   
  APL 14: Loot 81 gp; Coin 1 gp; Magic 8,686 gp; 3x +1 
  rapiers of deadly precision (693 gp each), 3x +1 mighty 
  composite shortbow (223 gp each), 3x +2 mithral chain shirt 
  (417 gp each), 3x amulets of natural armor +1 (167 gp each), 
  3x boots of striding and springing (458 gp each), 3x cloak of 
  resistance +1 (83 gp each), 3x potions of cure serious wounds 
  (63 gp each), 3x potions of fly (63 gp each), 3x potions of 
  remove blindness (63 gp each), 3x rings of protection +2 (667 
  gp each); Total 8,768 gp. 
   
  APL 16: Loot 81 gp; Coin 1 gp; Magic 11,936 gp; 3x 
  +1 rapiers of deadly precision (693 gp each), 3x +1 mighty 
  composite shortbow (223 gp each), 3x +2 mithral chain shirt 
  (417 gp each), 3x amulets of natural armor +2 (667 gp each), 
  3x boots of striding and springing (458 gp each), 3x cloak of 
  resistance +2 (333 gp each), 3x gloves of dexterity +2 (333 gp 
  each), 3x potions of cure serious wounds (63 gp each), 3x 
  potions of fly (63 gp each), 3x potions of remove blindness (63 
  gp each), 3x rings of protection +2 (667 gp each); Total 
  12,018 gp. 
   
  4: Assassins 
  Looting 
  the 
  assassins’ 
  hideout 
  (this 
  is 
  partial 
  compensation if any of the assassins manages to flee) 
   
  APL 10: Coin 100 gp. 
   
  APL 12: Coin 200 gp. 
   
  APL 14: Coin 400 gp. 
   
  APL 16: Coin 600 gp. 
   
  9: Freed Prisoner 
  Looting the demon guards 
   
  APL 10: Magic 1,390 gp; 2x huge +1 ranseur (195 gp 
  each), amulet of mighty fist +1 (500 gp), cloak of resistance +2 
  (333 gp), ring of protection +1 (167 gp); Total 1,390 gp. 
   
  APL 12: Magic 2,723 gp; 2x huge +1 ranseur (195 gp 
  each), amulet of mighty fist +2 (1,000 gp), 2x cloak of 
  resistance +1 (83 gp each), cloak of resistance +2 (333 gp), deep 
  red sphere ioun stone (667 gp), ring of protection +1 (167 gp); 
  Total 2,723 gp. 
   
  APL 14: Magic 5,253 gp; large +1 chain shirt (113 gp), 
  2x huge +1 ranseur (195 gp each), amulet of mighty fist +2 
  (1,000 gp), 2x cloak of resistance +1 (83 gp each), cloak of 
  resistance +4 (1,333 gp), deep red sphere ioun stone (667 gp), 
  2x raptor’s mask (292 gp each), 2x ring of protection +1 (167 
  gp each), ring of protection +2 (667 gp); Total 5,253 gp. 
   
  APL 16: Magic 9,489 gp; large +1 chain shirt of 
  moderate fortification (1,363 gp), 3x huge +1 ranseur (195 gp 
  each), amulet of mighty fist +2 (1,000 gp), 3x cloak of 
  resistance +2 (333 gp each), cloak of resistance +4 (1,333 gp), 
  deep red sphere ioun stone (667 gp), 3x raptor’s mask (292 gp 
  each), 4x ring of protection +2 (667 gp each); Total 9,489 gp. 
   
  11: In Service of a Prince 
  Looting the maelephant 
   
  All APLs: Loot 35 gp. 
   
  12: Freed Madness 
  Looting Lorn Aldyr 
   
  APL 10: Loot 41 gp; Magic 1,021 gp; +1 full plate (221 
  gp), anklet of translocation (117 gp), periapt of wisdom +2 (333 
  gp), ring of counterspells (333 gp), scroll of obscuring mist (2 
  gp), scroll of remove fear (2 gp), scroll of remove paralysis (13 
  gp); Total 1,062 gp. 
   
  APL 12: Loot 41 gp; Magic 1,871 gp; +2 full plate (471 
  gp), anklet of translocation (117 gp), hellcat gauntlets (267 
  gp), periapt of wisdom +2 (333 gp), ring of counterspells (333 
  gp), scroll of obscuring mist (2 gp), scroll of remove fear (2 gp), 
  scroll of remove paralysis (13 gp), vest of resistance +2 (333 gp); 
  Total 1,912 gp. 
   
  APL 14: Loot 41 gp; Magic 3,038 gp; +2 full plate (471 
  gp), anklet of translocation (117 gp), hellcat gauntlets (267 
  gp), lesser iron ward diamond (167 gp), periapt of wisdom +4 
  (1,333 gp), ring of counterspells (333 gp), scroll of obscuring 
  mist (2 gp), scroll of remove fear (2 gp), scroll of remove 
  paralysis (13 gp), vest of resistance +2 (333 gp); Total 3,079 
  gp. 
   
  APL 16: Loot 41 gp; Magic 5,069 gp; +2 full plate (471 
  gp), anklet of translocation (117 gp), hellcat gauntlets (267 
  gp), lesser iron ward diamond (167 gp), minor cloak of 
  displacement (2,000 gp), periapt of wisdom +4 (1,333 gp), ring 
  of counterspells (333 gp), scroll of obscuring mist (2 gp), scroll of 
  mass aid (31 gp), scroll of remove fear (2 gp), scroll of remove 
  paralysis (13 gp), vest of resistance +2 (333 gp); Total 5,110 
  gp.  
   
  Conclusion 
  Reward money for rescuing Lorn from the cells in the 
  Argent Palace. 
   
  APL 10: Coin 500 gp. 
   
  APL 12: Coin 600 gp. 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 33 
   
  APL 14: Coin 700 gp. 
   
  APL 16: Coin 800 gp. 
   
  Treasure Cap 
  APL 10: 4,600 gp;  APL 12: 6,600 gp; APL 14: 13,200 gp; 
  APL 16: 19,800 gp 
   
   
  Total Possible Treasure 
  APL 10: 7,229 gp; APL 12: 11,838 gp; APL 14: 18,935 gp; 
  APL 16: 28,852 gp. 
   
  ADVENTURE RECORD ITEMS 
  �Favor of Tenser’s Friends: You gain a +1 inherent 
  bonus to an ability score of your choice. If you have 
  Tenser’s favor from CORS8-01 Whispers of the Obsidian 
  Citadel and/or COR8-08 Entrapment you gain a +2 bonus 
  instead. If you have Tenser’s disfavor, that disfavor is 
  removed and you do not gain any ability bonus at all. 
  Ability selected: _____ 
   
  �Alliance with Graz’zt: You made an alliance with 
  Graz’zt against Iuz. 
   
  In addition you can one time cast a summon monster 
  [APL divided by 2]. You can only summon Chaotic Evil 
  creatures with this favor.  
   
  �Ire of Graz’zt: Graz’zt does not forget a betrayal 
  lightly; he instructs his agents to steal some of your 
  treasure. You lose access to any item with a “G” in the 
  Items Found section below. 
   
  �Enmity Iggwilv: Servants of Iuz and Iggwilv 
  recognize you on sight, favoring you above any other 
  target unless doing so is clearly suicidal. They are 
  considered to have you as their favorite enemy with a +2 
  bonus like the ranger ability. 
   
  �Mark of St. Cuthbert’s: The starting attitude of 
  followers of St. Cuthbert is one step worse than normal 
  and can never be better than indifferent. In addition, 
  your alignment is treated as one step worse for spells that 
  only affect creatures with a specific alignment such 
  unholy blight (good instead of neutral) or holy smite 
  (neutral instead of good, evil instead of neutral). 
   
  If you are a divine spellcaster of St. Cuthbert you lose 
  all spellcasting abilities, requiring an atonement spell (the 
  version that does not cost experience points for the 
  caster) to regain them.  
   
  �Favor of Ebulon: You gain access to the items marked 
  with an * in the Item’s Found section below. 
   
  � Touched by Darkness: You disrupted a fell ritual and 
  have been touched by darkness, absorbing a small 
  amount of negative energy as a result. Subsequently, you 
  can expend negative energy with a touch attack (as an 
  inflict wounds spell). Each day you can expend three 
  charges of energy, each dealing 2d8+2 points of damage 
  (DC 13 + your Wis modifier halves). You can choose to 
  expend 1, 2, or 3 charges with each attack up to a 
  maximum of 3 charges a day. While you still have daily 
  charges remaining, healing spells are slightly less 
  effective than normal on you (suffering a -1 penalty per 
  die rolled; minimum 1). A break enchantment beating 
  caster level 25 removes this effect. 
   
  ITEM ACCESS 
  APL 10: 
  • 
  +2 mithral chain shirt (Adventure; DMG) 
  • 
  Anklet of translocation (Adventure; MIC; 1,400 gp)G 
  • 
  Crystal of life drinking (least, lesser and greater) (Any; 
  MIC; 400 gp/1,500 gp/6,000 gp)* 
  • 
  Skin of the Fiend (Any; MIC; 6,000 gp)* 
  • 
  Ring of counterspells (Adventure; DMG) 
  • 
  Wand of misdirection (Adventure; PHB) 
   
  APL 12 (all of APL 10 plus the following): 
  • 
  Boots of striding and springing (Adventure; DMG) 
  • 
  Deep red sphere ioun stone (Adventure; DMG) 
  • 
  Hellcat gauntlets (Adventure; MIC; 3,200 gp) G 
  • 
  Retributive amulet (Any; MIC; 9,000 gp)* 
   
  APL 14 (all of APLs 10-12 plus the following): 
  • 
  +1 rapier of deadly precision (Adventure; MIC; 8,320 gp) 
  • 
  Banner of the storm’s eye (Any; MIC; 15,000 gp)* 
  • 
  Lesser iron ward diamond (Adventure; MIC; 2,000 gp) 
  • 
  Raptor’s mask (Adventure; MIC; 3,500 gp) 
  • 
  Shirt of demon skin (Any; MIC; 15,000 gp)* G 
   
  APL 16 (all of APLs 10-14 plus the following): 
  • 
  +1 medium fortification chain shirt (Adventure; DMG) 
  • 
  Minor cloak of displacement (Adventure; DMG) 
  • 
  Scroll of mass aid (Adventure; SC; 375 gp) 
  • 
  Skin of fiendish embrace (Any; MIC; 24,000 gp)* G 
   
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 34 
  APPENDIX 1: APL 10
  4: ASSASSINS – AMBUSH 
  ASSASSINS (3) 
  CR 10 
  Male corruptor of fate* assassin 5 
  *MM IV 190  
  NE Medium outsider (evil, yugoloth) 
  Init +12; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +15, Spot +15 
  Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 100 
  ft.  
  AC 24, touch 17, flat-footed 18 
   (+6 Dex, +6 armor, +1 deflection, +1 natural); Dodge, 
  Mobility, improved uncanny dodge, uncanny dodge 
  hp 111 (12 HD)  
  Immune acid, energy drain, necromantic effects, 
  negative energy effects, poison 
  Resist cold 10, fire 10, electricity 10; SR 19 
  Fort +11, Ref +17, Will +6 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); Spring Attack 
  Melee +1 rapier +19/+14 (1d6+4/18-20 plus bestow 
  curse) 
  Ranged mwk mighty composite shortbow +19/+15 
  (1d6+3/x3 plus poison) 
  Base Atk +10; Grp +13  
  Atk Options aligned strike (evil), death attack (DC 16), 
  poison (shadow essence, DC 17, 1 Str drain/2d6 Str), 
  sneak attack +3d6 
  Special Actions corrupting gaze  
  Combat Gear 3 doses of shadow essence, potion of 
  cure serious wounds, potion of fly, potion of remove 
  blindness 
  Assassin Spells Known (CL 5th): 
   2nd (2/day)—cat’s grace, ice knife, spider climb 
   1st (4/day)—critical strike, distract assailant (DC 12), 
  obscuring mist, true strike 
  Abilities Str 16, Dex 26, Con 20, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8 
  SQ poison use, unluck, yugoloth traits 
  Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Spring 
  Attack, Weapon Finesse  
  Skills Balance +20, Disguise +9, Escape Artist +18, 
  Hide +23, Jump +5, Listen +15, Move Silently +23, 
  Sleight of Hand +18, Spot +15, Tumble +23, Use 
  Rope +8 (+10 involving bindings) 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 rapier, masterwork 
  short sword, 3 daggers, masterwork mighty 
  composite shortbow (+3 Str bonus), 20 arrows, 10 
  cold iron arrows, 10 silver arrows, +2 mithral chain 
  shirt, amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +1 
  Bestow Curse (Su) as the bestow curse spell; at will; 
  Will DC 21; caster level 12th. This ability affects 
  those touching or touched by a corruptor of fate or its 
  weapons. A cursed subject must roll percentile dice 
  each turn. On a roll of 01-50, it can take no action. 
  On a roll of 51-100, it can act normally. This is a 
  necromantic effect. 
  Corrupting Gaze (Su) A corruptor of fate can blasts its 
  enemies with a glance, at a range of up to 30 feet. 
  Creatures that meet the corruptor’s gaze must 
  succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude save or take 1d6 
  points of damage and a –1 penalty on attack rolls, 
  skill checks, and saving throws for 1 minute. 
  Unluck (Su) Roll twice for attacks and damage against 
  a corruptor of fate; the attacker must use the lower 
  result. This is a mind-affecting necromantic effect. 
   
  4: ASSASSINS – HIDEOUT 
  ACID ARC 
  CR 8 
  Description see text. 
  Search DC 23; Type magic 
  Trigger touch; Init +4 
  Effect energy substituted (acid) lightning bolt (8d6 
  points of damage, Reflex DC 14 half) shoots from 
  four pillars 
  Duration 11 rounds 
  Destruction AC 18; hp 20; hardness 8 (each pillar) 
  Disarm Disable Device DC 28 (each pillar) 
  Dispel DC 19 (each pillar) 
   
  9: FREEING A PRISONER 
  TAZ’ZAK 
  CR 10 
  Male chasme demon* 
  *Fiendish Codex I 
  CE Large outsider (chaotic, evil, extraplanar, tanar’ri) 
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see invisibility; Listen 
  +14, Spot +14 
  Aura fear (5-ft. radius, Will DC 16) 
  Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common; telepathy 100 
  ft. 
  AC 27, touch 13, flat-footed 24 
   (-1 size, +3 Dex, +14 natural, +1 Deflection); +1 
  Deflection vs. good 
  hp 76 (9 HD); DR 10/cold iron or good 
  Immune electricity, poison, protection vs. good 
  Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 21 
  Fort +12, Ref +11, Will +10 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (perfect); 
  Flyby Attack 
  Melee claws +15/+15 (1d6+5 plus wounding) and 
   
  bite +12 (1d8+3 plus wounding) and 
   
  gore +12 (1d8+3 plus wounding) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +9; Grp +17  
  Atk Options Flyby Attack 
  Special Actions drone, summon tanar’ri 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th): 
   At Will—contagion (DC 15), darkness, desecrate, 
  detect good, dispel magic, fly, greater teleport (self 
  plus 50 pounds of objects only), insect plague, ray 
  of enfeeblement (+11 ranged touch), protection 
  from good�, see invisibility�, telekinesis (DC 17) 
   3/day—quickened ray of enfeeblement (+11 ranged 
  touch) 
   1/day—unholy aura (DC 20) 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 19, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 14 
  SQ tanar’ri traits 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 35 
  Feats Flyby Attack, Multiattack, Quicken Spell-Like 
  Ability (ray of enfeeblement), Weapon Focus (claw)  
  Skills Bluff +14, Climb +24, Concentration +16, 
  Diplomacy +6, Hide +11, Intimidate +16, Listen +14, 
  Move Silently +15, Search +14, Sense Motive +14, 
  Spot +14 
  Possessions combat gear plus amulet of mighty fist +1, 
  cloak of resistance +2, ring of protection +1 
  Drone (Su) As a full-round action, a chasme can beat 
  its wings to create a droning buzz in a 60-foot-radius 
  spread. Each creature in this area must succeed on a 
  DC 16 Will save or fall asleep for 2d10 rounds. 
  Creatures immune to sleep effects are immune to this 
  effect. 
  Fear Aura (Su) As a swift action, a chasme can create 
  an aura of fear in a 5-foot radius around it. This effect 
  is otherwise identical to a fear spell (CL 12th; Will DC 
  16 negates). If this save is successful that creature 
  cannot be affected again by that chasme’s fear aura 
  for 24 hours. 
  Summon Tanar’ri (Sp) Once per day, a chasme can 
  attempt to summon 1d4 rutterkins or 1 chasme with a 
  40% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent 
  of a 4th-level spell (CL 9th). 
  Wounding (Ex) A wound resulting from a chasme’s 
  attack bleeds for an additional 1 point of damage per 
  round thereafter. Multiple wounds from such attacks 
  result in cumulative bleeding loss. The bleeding can 
  be stopped by a DC 10 Heal check or the application 
  of any form of magical healing. 
   
  MIRROR DEMONS (2) 
  CR 9 
  Male mirror* bulezau** 
  *base on nerra, Fiend Folio 127; ** Fiendish Codex I 33  
  CE Large outsider (chaotic, evil, extraplanar, tanar’ri) 
  Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see invisibility; Listen 
  +14, Spot +14 
  Languages Abyssal, Common; telepathy 30 ft.  
  AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 19 
   (-1 size, +2 Dex, +10 natural) 
  hp 115 (10 HD); DR 10/cold iron or good 
  Immune electricity, gaze, poison 
  Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 20 
  Fort +14, Ref +9, Will +8 
  Weakness sonic vulnerability 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) 
  Melee huge +1 ranseur +17/+12 (3d6+10/19-20/x3) and 
   
  tail +13  (1d8+3) or 
  Melee gore +15 (2d6+6) and 
   
  claws +13/+13 (1d6+3) and 
   
  tail +13 (1d8+3) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (20 ft. with ranseur) 
  Base Atk +10; Grp +20 
  Atk Options Power Attack, blood frenzy 
  Special Actions powerful charge, mirror jump, summon 
  tanar’ri 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th): 
   At Will—command (DC 11), see invisibility�, solid 
  fog, telekinesis (DC 15) 
   3/day—fear (DC 14) 
   1/day—mirror image, shout (DC 14) 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 22, Dex 14, Con 24, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 10 
  SQ reflective spell resistance, wield oversized weapon, 
  tanar’ri traits 
  Feats Improved Critical (ranseur), Multiattack, Power 
  Attack, Weapon Focus (ranseur) 
  Skills Climb +19, Intimidate +13, Jump +19, Listen +14, 
  Spot +14, Swim +19 
  Possessions combat gear plus huge +1 ranseur 
  Blood Frenzy (Ex) A bulezau that takes damage in 
  combat can fly into a frenzy in the following round, 
  attacking madly until either it or its opponent is dead. 
  It gains +2 Strength and Constitution, and it takes a –
  2 penalty to Armor Class. A bulezau cannot end its 
  frenzy voluntarily. 
  Mirror Jump (Su) Mirror demons can move through 
  mirrored and reflective surfaces at will. This effect is 
  similar to greater teleport. As a standard action, the 
  mirror demon must touch a mirror or other highly 
  reflective surface. The mirror demon then exists from 
  another mirror within range. It can only take itself plus 
  50 lbs. in objects with it. 
   
  If a mirror demon touches a regular mirror, the mirror 
  jump happens automatically. A mirror demon can 
  also touch a highly reflective surface, such as a 
  polished metal shield or armor. This surface must be 
  clear glass, a still pool of water, or shiny metal. There 
  is a 30% chance that the surface is reflective enough 
  for the mirror demon to make the mirror jump. 
  However, a mirror demon can only enter a 
  nonmirrored surface – it can return only through a 
  normal mirror. 
  Powerful Charge (Ex) A bulezau typically begins battle 
  by charging at an opponent. In addition to the normal 
  benefits and hazards of a charge, this allows a 
  bulezau to make a single gore attack with a +2 attack 
  bonus that deals 4d6+9 points of damage. 
  Reflective Spell Resistance (Su) A mirror demon has 
  a special type of spell resistance that causes any 
  targeted spell it successfully resist to bounce off and 
  reflect back at the caster. The caster becomes either 
  the spell’s target or the point of origin for the spell’s 
  effect, as appropriate. In addition, mirror demons are 
  immune to gaze attacks, and such an effect is 
  reflected back to its origin. 
  Wield Oversized Weapons (Ex) A bulezau is skilled at 
  wielding weapons one size category larger than itself 
  and does not take any penalties when fighting with 
  such weapons. 
  Summon Tanar’ri (Sp) Once per day, a bulezau can 
  attempt to summon 1d6 dretches or 1d4 rutterkin with 
  a 50% chance of success. This ability is the 
  equivalent of a 3rd-level spell (CL 10th). 
   
   
   
  
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  11: IN SERVICE OF A PRINCE 
  WELL GUARDIAN 
  CR 13 
  Male maelephant* 
  *Fiend Folio 120  
  LE Large outsider (evil, extraplanar, lawful) 
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 240 ft., keen senses, low-
  light vision, scent, true seeing; Listen +23, Spot +23 
  Aura anticipate teleportation (100 ft.) 
  Languages Common, Infernal  
  AC 25, touch 10, flat-footed 24 
   (-1 size, +1 Dex, +4 armor, +11 natural); 5 ranks 
  Balance 
  hp 105 (14 HD); fast healing 2; DR 10/magic 
  SR 17 
  Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +15 
  Speed 30 ft. in light armor (6 squares), base movement 
  30 ft.; 
  Melee claws +19/+19 (1d6+6) and 
   
  trunk spike +17 (2d6+3) 
  Ranged mwk crossbow +15 (2d6/19-20) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +14; Grp +24  
  Atk Options breath weapon (DC 20) 3/day, frenzied 
  charge, improved grab, Power Attack 
  Special Actions defensive stance 
  Combat Gear  
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 14th): 
   At Will—alarm, entangle (DC 13), gust of wind (DC 
  14), light, true seeing�, warp wood (DC 14), web 
  (DC 14) 
   3/day—baleful polymorph (DC 17), blade barrier (DC 
  18) 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 22, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 19, Cha 15 
  SQ  
  Feats Alertness, Armor Proficiency (light), Iron Will, 
  Multiattack, Power Attack  
  Skills Appraise +19, Balance +17, Concentration +20, 
  Diplomacy +, Jump +22, Knowledge (the planes) 
  +19, Listen +23, Search +19, Sense Motive +21, 
  Spellcraft +19, Spot +23, Survival +6 (+8 following 
  tracks) 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork light 
  crossbow, 20 cold iron bolts, masterwork chain shirt 
  Breath Weapon (Su) 3/day a maelephant can breathe 
  out a cloud of noxious vapor 10 feet wide and 30 feet 
  long. Victims within the area of the cloud must make 
  a Fortitude save (DC 20) or suffer complete memory 
  loss. Memory loss suppresses all of a creature’s 
  ranks in its skills and its feats, and it prevents the use 
  of any class abilities (including spellcasting). 
  Currently prepared spells are not lost; they are simply 
  not accessible to be cast. Racial abilities are 
  retained. Additionally, the victim no longer knows who 
  its friends and enemies are, doesn’t remember its 
  past, and can’t even remember its name. The victim 
  can create new memories, but each time it sleeps or 
  rests, any new memories it has created vanish. This 
  condition can be cured by any affect that cures 
  poison (a heal or neutralize poison spell, for 
  example); otherwise, it is permanent. 
  Frenzied Charge (Ex) Once per minute, a maelephant 
  can make a frenzied charge. During the round in 
  which this occurs, the maelephant’s speed increases 
  to 45 feet and it gains a +2 bonus on all attack rolls. 
  This bonus stacks with any bonuses gained from 
  making a charge attack. 
  Improved Grab (Ex) If a maelephant hits an opponent 
  that is at least one size category smaller than itself 
  with a claw attack, it deals normal damage and 
  attempts to start a grapple as a free action without 
  provoking an attack of opportunity. If it gets a hold, it 
  automatically hits with its trunk-spike. Thereafter, the 
  maelephant has the option to conduct the grapple 
  normally, or simply use its claw to hold the opponent 
  (-20 penalty on grapple check, but the maelephant is 
  considered grappled). In either case, each successful 
  grapple check it makes during successive rounds 
  automatically deals claw damage. 
  Defensive Stance (Ex) One per encounter, a 
  maelephant can adopt a defensive stance as a free 
  action on its turn. In this defensive stance, the 
  maelephant gains +2 Strength, +4 Constitution, a +2 
  resistance bonus to all saves, and a +4 dodge bonus 
  to Armor Class. The benefits persist for a number of 
  rounds equal to 3 + maelephant’s newly improved 
  Constitution modifier, or until the maelephant moves. 
  While in a defensive stance, a maelphant cannot use 
  skills or abilities that require it to shift its position. A 
  maelephant can end its defensive stance at will. At 
  the end of the defensive stance, the maelephant 
  takes a –2 penalty to Strength for the duration of the 
  current encounter. 
  Keen Senses (Ex) A maelephant’s sight is four times as 
  good as a human’s.  
   
  12: FREEING MADNESS 
  LORN ALDYR 
  CR 9 
  Male human cleric 9 
  CE Medium humanoid (human) 
  Init -1; Senses Listen +3, Spot +3 
  Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common  
  AC 25, touch 12, flat-footed 25 
   (-1 Dex, +9 armor, +4 shield, +3 deflection) 
  hp 66 (9 HD)  
  Immune grapple, magical paralysis and movement 
  constraints (freedom of movement)  
  Resist acid 20 
  Fort +8, Ref +2, Will +8 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base speed 30 ft. 
  Melee mwk heavy mace +7/+2 (1d8) or 
  Melee spiked gauntlet +6/+1 (1d4) 
  Ranged sling +5 (1d4) 
  Base Atk +6; Grp +6  
  Atk Options domain spontaneity, smite 1/day (+4 atk, 
  +9 dmg), spontaneous inflict 
  Special Actions rebuke undead 4/day 
  Combat Gear anklet of translocation, ring of 
  counterspells (dispel magic), scroll of obscuring mist, 
  scroll of remove fear, scroll of remove paralysis 
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 9th): 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 37 
   5th—mass inflict light woundsD (DC 21), slay living 
  (DC 21) 
   4th—confusionD (DC 18), extended magic 
  vestment�, freedom of movement�, recitation 
   3rd—bestow curse (DC 19), blindness/deafness (DC 
  19), contagionD (DC 19), cure serious wounds, 
  dispel magic 
   2nd—calm emotions (DC 16), resist energy (2)�, 
  silence (DC 16), touch of madnessD (DC 16) 
   1st—bless, cure light wounds, entropic shield, inflict 
  light woundsD (DC 17), shield of faith (2)� 
   0—detect magic (2), detect poison (2), guidance, light 
  D: Domain spell. Deity: Tharizdun. Domains: 
  Destruction, Madness  
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 10, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 12 
  Feats Domain Spontaneity (Madness), Extend Spell, 
  Greater Spell Focus (necromancy), Skill Focus 
  (concentration), Spell Focus (necromancy)  
  Skills Concentration +17, Diplomacy +13, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +8, Knowledge (the planes) +8, Knowledge 
  (religion) +14, Spellcraft +16 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork heavy 
  mace, spiked gauntlet, dagger, sling, 10 bullets, +1 
  full plate, masterwork heavy wooden shield (+2 due 
  to magic vestment), periapt of wisdom +2, wooden 
  holy symbol, spell component pouch 
  Madness (Ex) –1 to wisdom based skill checks and Will 
  saving throws. 1/day +4 to one such check or save. 
   
  KAZIEL THE DARK 
  CR 11 
  Female justice archon* blackguard 5 
  *MM IV 80 
  CE Medium outsider (archon, chaotic, evil) 
  Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen 
  +12, Spot +12 
  Aura aura of despair (10 ft., -2 saves), magic circle 
  against good (10 ft.), menace (20 ft., DC 18) 
  Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, tongues  
  AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 21 
   (+0 Dex, +10 armor, +1 deflection) 
  hp 123 (11 HD) plus 10 temporary hp (aid); DR 10/good 
  Immune electricity and petrification 
  SR 18 
  Fort +19 (+23 against poison), Ref +10, Will +13 (+14 
  against fear (aid)) 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base speed 30 ft., 
  fly 40 ft. (good) in full plate, base fly speed 60 ft.; 
  Melee* +1corrupt  vampiric greatsword +19/+14/+9 
  (2d6+10 plus 1d6/17-20) or 
  Melee* spiked gauntlet +18/+13/+8 (1d4+6) 
  Ranged* mwk composite longbow +13/+8/+3 
  (1d8+4/x3) 
  * Include +1 morale bonus due to aid spell. 
  Base Atk +11; Grp +17  
  Atk Options Cleave, Improved Sunder, Power 
  Attack,aligned strike (chaotic, evil),  justice strike, 
  poison use smite good 2/day (+3 atk, +5 dmg), sneak 
  attack +1d6 
  Special Actions command undead 6/day (lvl 3), 
  Combat Gear potion of remove blindness 
  Blackguard Spells Prepared (CL 2nd): 
   3rd—inflict serious wounds (DC 16) 
   2nd—cure moderate wounds, death knell (DC 15) 
   1st—corrupt weapon�, resurgence 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th): 
   
  At Will—aid�, continual flame, detect evil, detect 
  good, teleport (self plus 50 lb. Of objects only) 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 22, Dex 10, Con 23, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 16 
  SQ archon traits 
  Feats Cleave, Improved Critical (greatsword), Improved 
  Sunder, Power Attack  
  Skills Concentration +17, Diplomacy +16, Hide +2, 
  Intimidate +14, Knowledge (religion) +4, Knowledge 
  (the planes) +7, Listen +12, Move Silently -1, Sense 
  Motive +12, Spot +12, Survival +3 (+5 on other 
  planes) 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 vampiric greatsword, 
  spiked gauntlet, masterwork might composite 
  longbow, 20 arrows, +2 full plate armor, cloak of 
  resistance +1, ring of protection +1, wooden holy 
  symbol, spell component pouch 
  Aura of Menace (Su) A righteous aura surrounds 
  archons that fight or get angry. Any hostile creature 
  within a 20-foot radius of an archon must succeed on 
  a Will save to resist its effects. Those who fail take a -
  2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or 
  until they successfully hit the archon that generated 
  the aura. A creature that has resisted or broken the 
  effect cannot be affected again by the same archon’s 
  aura for 24 hours. 
  Justice Strike (Su) A justice archon that hits with a 
  melee attack can choose to use this special ability 
  instead of dealing normal weapon damage. Justice 
  strike deals the damage of the struck opponent’s 
  primary melee attack. This damage includes effects 
  that apply automatically on a hit, such as energy 
  damage or poison, but not those from optional effects 
  or feats, such as Power Attack. 
  Magic Circle against Good (Su) A magic circle against 
  good effect always surrounds an archon (caster level 
  11th). (The defensive benefits from the circle are not 
  included in an archon’s statistics block.) 
  Teleport (Su) Archons can use greater teleport at will, 
  as the spell (caster level 14th), except that the 
  creature can transport only itself and up to 50 pounds 
  of objects. 
  Tongues (Su) All archons can speak with any creature 
  that has a language, as though using a tongues spell 
  (caster level 14th). This ability is always active. 
   
   
   
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 38 
  VOID SLAYER 
  CR 9 
  Evolved* bodak 
  *Libris Mortis 99 
  CE Medium undead 
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +11, Spot +11 
  Languages Abyssal  
  AC 21, touch 12, flat-footed 19 
   (+2 Dex, +9 natural); Dodge 
  hp 58 (9 HD); fast heal 3; DR 10/cold iron 
  Immune electricity, undead immunities 
  Resist acid 10, fire 10 
  Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +7 
  Weakness  vulnerability to sunlight 
  Speed 20 ft. (4 squares); 
  Melee slam +7 (1d8+2) 
  Base Atk +4; Grp +6  
  Special Actions death gaze (30 ft., DC 16) 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th): 
   1/day—confusion (DC 16) 
  Abilities Str 15, Dex 15, Con –, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 14 
  Feats Alertness, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Weapon 
  Focus (slam)  
  Skills Listen +11, Move Silently +10, Spot +11 
  Death Gaze (Su) Death, range 30 feet, Fortitude DC 16 
  negates. Humanoids who die from this attack are 
  transformed into bodaks 24 hours later.  
  Vulnerability to Sunlight (Ex) Bodaks loath sunlight, 
  for its merest touch burns their impure flesh. Each 
  round of exposure to the direct rays of the sun deals 
  1 point of damage to the creature. 
   
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 39 
  APL 12 
  4: ASSASSINS 
  ASSASSINS (3) 
  CR 12 
  Male corruptor of fate* assassin 6/shadow dancer 1 
  *MM IV 190  
  NE Medium outsider (evil, yugoloth) 
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +17, Spot +17 
  Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 100 
  ft.  
  AC 24, touch 17, flat-footed 18 
   (+6 Dex, +6 armor, +1 deflection, +1 natural); Dodge, 
  Mobility, improved uncanny dodge, uncanny dodge 
  hp 128 (14 HD)  
  Immune acid, energy drain, necromantic effects, 
  negative energy effects, poison 
  Resist cold 10, fire 10, electricity 10; SR 20 
  Fort +13, Ref +21, Will +8 
  Speed 40 ft. (8 squares); Spring Attack  
  Melee +1 rapier +20/+15/+10 (1d6+4/18-20 plus bestow 
  curse) 
  Ranged +1 mighty composite shortbow +20/+15/+10 
  (1d6+4/x3 plus poison) 
  Base Atk +11; Grp +14  
  Atk Options Combat Reflexes, aligned strike (evil), 
  death attack (DC 17), poison (shadow essence, DC 
  17, 1 Str drain/2d6 Str), sneak attack +3d6 
  Special Actions corrupting gaze, hide in plain sight,  
  Combat Gear 3 doses of shadow essence, potion of 
  cure serious wounds, potion of fly, potion of remove 
  blindness 
  Assassin Spells Known (CL 6th): 
   3rd (1/day)—false life, find the gap, magic circle 
  against good  
   2nd (3/day)—cat’s grace, ice knife, phantom foe (DC 
  13), spider climb 
   1st (4/day)—critical strike, distract assailant (DC 12), 
  obscuring mist, true strike 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 16, Dex 26, Con 20, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8 
  SQ poison use, unluck, yugoloth traits 
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, 
  Weapon Finesse  
  Skills Balance +20, Disguise +9, Escape Artist +15, 
  Hide +25, Jump +14, Listen +17, Move Silently +25, 
  Perform (dance) +4, Sleight of Hand +13, Spot +17, 
  Tumble +25, Use Rope +8 (+10 involving bindings) 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 rapier, masterwork 
  short sword, 3 daggers, +1 mighty composite 
  shortbow (+3 Str bonus), 20 arrows, 10 cold iron 
  arrows, 10 silver arrows, +2 mithral chain shirt, 
  amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +1, 
  boots of striding and springing, cloak of resistance 
  +1, pewter figure (10 gp) 
  Bestow Curse (Su) as the bestow curse spell; at will; 
  Will DC 22; caster level 14th. 
  This ability affects those touching or touched by a 
  corruptor of fate or its weapons. A cursed subject 
  must roll percentile dice each turn. On a roll of 01-50, 
  it can take no action. On a roll of 51-100, it can act 
  normally. This is a necromantic effect. 
  Corrupting Gaze (Su) A corruptor of fate can blasts its 
  enemies with a glance, at a range of up to 30 feet. 
  Creatures that meet the corruptor’s gaze must 
  succeed on a DC 18 Fortitude save or take 1d6 
  points of damage and a –1 penalty on attack rolls, 
  skill checks, and saving throws for 1 minute. 
  Unluck (Su) Roll twice for attacks and damage against 
  a corruptor of fate; the attacker must use the lower 
  result. This is a mind-affecting necromantic effect. 
   
  4: ASSASSINS – HIDEOUT 
  ACID ARC 
  CR 10 
  Description see text. 
  Search DC 25; Type magic 
  Trigger touch; Init +5 
  Effect energy substituted (acid) lightning bolt (10d6 
  points of damage, Reflex DC 16 half) shoots from 
  four pillars 
  Duration 13 rounds 
  Destruction AC 20; hp 25; hardness 8 (each pillar) 
  Disarm Disable Device DC 30 (each pillar) 
  Dispel DC 21 (each pillar) 
   
  9: FREEING A PRISONER 
  TAZ’ZAK 
  CR 11 
  Male chasme demon* 
  *Fiendish Codex I 
  CE Large outsider (chaotic, evil, extraplanar, tanar’ri) 
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see invisibility; Listen 
  +16, Spot +16 
  Aura fear (5-ft. radius, Will DC 17) 
  Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common; telepathy 100 
  ft. 
  AC 28, touch 14, flat-footed 24 
   (-1 size, +4 Dex, +14 natural, +1 Deflection); +1 
  Deflection vs. good 
  hp 93 (11 HD); DR 10/cold iron or good 
  Immune electricity, poison, protection vs. good 
  Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 23 
  Fort +13, Ref +13, Will +11 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (perfect); 
  Flyby Attack 
  Melee claws +18/+18 (1d6+6 plus wounding) and 
   
  bite +15 (1d8+4 plus wounding) and 
   
  gore +15 (1d8+4 plus wounding) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +11; Grp +19  
  Atk Options Flyby Attack 
  Special Actions drone, summon tanar’ri 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 11th): 
   At Will—contagion (DC 15), darkness, desecrate, 
  detect good, dispel magic, fly, greater teleport (self 
  plus 50 pounds of objects only), insect plague, ray 
  of enfeeblement (+14 ranged touch), protection 
  from good�, see invisibility�, telekinesis (DC 17) 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 40 
   3/day—quickened ray of enfeeblement (+14 ranged 
  touch) 
   1/day—unholy aura (DC 20) 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 19, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 14 
  SQ tanar’ri traits 
  Feats Flyby Attack, Multiattack, Quicken Spell-Like 
  Ability (ray of enfeeblement), Weapon Focus (claw)  
  Skills Bluff +16, Climb +26, Concentration +18, 
  Diplomacy +6, Hide +14, Intimidate +18, Listen +16, 
  Move Silently +18, Search +16, Sense Motive +16, 
  Spot +16 
  Possessions combat gear plus amulet of mighty fist +2, 
  cloak of resistance +2, ring of protection +1, deep red 
  sphere ioun stone 
  Drone (Su) As a full-round action, a chasme can beat 
  its wings to create a droning buzz in a 60-foot-radius 
  spread. Each creature in this area must succeed on a 
  DC 17 Will save or fall asleep for 2d10 rounds. 
  Creatures immune to sleep effects are immune to this 
  effect. 
  Fear Aura (Su) As a swift action, a chasme can create 
  an aura of fear in a 5-foot radius around it. This effect 
  is otherwise identical to a fear spell (CL 12th; Will DC 
  17 negates). If this save is successful that creature 
  cannot be affected again by that chasme’s fear aura 
  for 24 hours. 
  Summon Tanar’ri (Sp) Once per day, a chasme can 
  attempt to summon 1d4 rutterkins or 1 chasme with a 
  40% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent 
  of a 4th-level spell (CL 11th). 
  Wounding (Ex) A wound resulting from a chasme’s 
  attack bleeds for an additional 1 point of damage per 
  round thereafter. Multiple wounds from such attacks 
  result in cumulative bleeding loss. The bleeding can 
  be stopped by a DC 10 Heal check or the application 
  of any form of magical healing. 
   
  MIRROR DEMONS (2) 
  CR 11 
  Male mirror* bulezau** 
  *base on nerra, Fiend Folio 127; ** Fiendish Codex I 33  
  CE Large outsider (chaotic, evil, extraplanar, tanar’ri) 
  Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see invisibility; Listen 
  +18, Spot +18 
  Languages Abyssal, Common; telepathy 30 ft.  
  AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 19 
   (-1 size, +2 Dex, +10 natural) 
  hp 161 (14 HD); DR 10/cold iron or good 
  Immune electricity, gaze, poison 
  Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 20 
  Fort +17, Ref +12, Will +11 
  Weakness sonic vulnerability 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); 
  Melee huge +1 ranseur +21/+16/+11 (3d6+10/19-20/x3) 
  and 
   
  tail +17  (1d8+3) or 
  Melee gore +19 (2d6+6) and 
   
  claws +17/+17 (1d6+3) and 
   
  tail +17 (1d8+3) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (20 ft. with ranseur) 
  Base Atk +14; Grp +24 
  Atk Options Power Attack, blood frenzy 
  Special Actions powerful charge, mirror jump, summon 
  tanar’ri 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 14th): 
   At Will—command (DC 11), see invisibility�, solid 
  fog, telekinesis (DC 15) 
   3/day—fear (DC 14) 
   1/day—mirror image, shout (DC 14) 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 23, Dex 14, Con 24, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 10 
  SQ reflective spell resistance, wield oversized weapon, 
  tanar’ri traits 
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Critical (ranseur), 
  Multiattack, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (ranseur) 
  Skills Climb +23, Intimidate +17, Jump +23, Listen +18, 
  Spot +18, Swim +23 
  Possessions combat gear plus huge +1 ranseur, cloak 
  of resistance +1 
  Blood Frenzy (Ex) A bulezau that takes damage in 
  combat can fly into a frenzy in the following round, 
  attacking madly until either it or its opponent is dead. 
  It gains +2 Strength and Constitution, and it takes a –
  2 penalty to Armor Class. A bulezau cannot end its 
  frenzy voluntarily. 
  Mirror Jump (Su) Mirror demons can move through 
  mirrored and reflective surfaces at will. This effect is 
  similar to greater teleport. As a standard action, the 
  mirror demon must touch a mirror or other highly 
  reflective surface. The mirror demon then exists from 
  another mirror within range. It can only take itself plus 
  50 lbs. in objects with it. 
   
  If a mirror demon touches a regular mirror, the mirror 
  jump happens automatically. A mirror demon can 
  also touch a highly reflective surface, such as a 
  polished metal shield or armor. This surface must be 
  clear glass, a still pool of water, or shiny metal. There 
  is a 30% chance that the surface is reflective enough 
  for the mirror demon to make the mirror jump. 
  However, a mirror demon can only enter a 
  nonmirrored surface – it can return only through a 
  normal mirror. 
  Powerful Charge (Ex) A bulezau typically begins battle 
  by charging at an opponent. In addition to the normal 
  benefits and hazards of a charge, this allows a 
  bulezau to make a single gore attack with a +2 attack 
  bonus that deals 4d6+9 points of damage. 
  Reflective Spell Resistance (Su) A mirror demon has 
  a special type of spell resistance that causes any 
  targeted spell it successfully resist to bounce off and 
  reflect back at the caster. The caster becomes either 
  the spell’s target or the point of origin for the spell’s 
  effect, as appropriate. In addition, mirror demons are 
  immune to gaze attacks, and such an effect is 
  reflected back to its origin. 
  Wield Oversized Weapons (Ex) A bulezau is skilled at 
  wielding weapons one size category larger than itself 
  and does not take any penalties when fighting with 
  such weapons. 
  Summon Tanar’ri (Sp) Once per day, a bulezau can 
  attempt to summon 1d6 dretches or 1d4 rutterkin with 
  a 50% chance of success. This ability is the 
  equivalent of a 3rd-level spell (CL 14th). 
  
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  11: IN SERVICE OF A PRINCE 
  WELL GUARDIAN 
  CR 15 
  Male maelephant* 
  *Fiend Folio 120  
  LE Large outsider (evil, extraplanar, lawful) 
  Init +0; Senses darkvision 240 ft., keen senses, low-
  light vision, scent, true seeing; Listen +26, Spot +26 
  Aura anticipate teleportation (100 ft.) 
  Languages Common, Infernal  
  AC 26, touch 8, flat-footed 26 
   (-2 size, +0 Dex, +4 armor, +14 natural); 5 ranks 
  Balance 
  hp 152 (16 HD); fast healing 2; DR 10/magic 
  SR 19 
  Fort +15, Ref +10, Will +17 
  Speed 30 ft. in light armor (6 squares)  
  Melee claws +24/+24 (2d6+10) and 
   
  trunk spike +22 (3d6+5) 
  Ranged mwk crossbow +15 (3d6/19-20) 
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. 
  Base Atk +16; Grp +34  
  Atk Options breath weapon (DC 23) 3/day, frenzied 
  charge, improved grab, Power Attack 
  Special Actions defensive stance 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th): 
   At Will—alarm, entangle (DC 13), gust of wind (DC 
  14), light, true seeing�, warp wood (DC 14), web 
  (DC 14) 
   3/day—baleful polymorph (DC 17), blade barrier (DC 
  18) 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 30, Dex 10, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 20, Cha 15 
  Feats Alertness, Armor Proficiency (light), Improved 
  Natural Attack (claw), Iron Will, Multiattack, Power 
  Attack  
  Skills Appraise +21, Balance +18, Concentration +24, 
  Diplomacy +, Jump +28, Knowledge (the planes) 
  +21, Listen +26, Search +21, Sense Motive +26, 
  Spellcraft +21, Spot +26, Survival +7 (+9 following 
  tracks) 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork light 
  crossbow, 20 cold iron bolts, masterwork chain shirt 
  Breath Weapon (Su) 3/day a maelephant can breathe 
  out a cloud of noxious vapor 10 feet wide and 30 feet 
  long. Victims within the area of the cloud must make 
  a Fortitude save (DC 23) or suffer complete memory 
  loss. Memory loss suppresses all of a creature’s 
  ranks in its skills and its feats, and it prevents the use 
  of any class abilities (including spellcasting). 
  Currently prepared spells are not lost; they are simply 
  not accessible to be cast. Racial abilities are 
  retained. Additionally, the victim no longer knows who 
  its friends and enemies are, doesn’t remember its 
  past, and can’t even remember its name. The victim 
  can create new memories, but each time it sleeps or 
  rests, any new memories it has created vanish. This 
  condition can be cured by any affect that cures 
  poison (a heal or neutralize poison spell, for 
  example); otherwise, it is permanent. 
  Frenzied Charge (Ex) Once per minute, a maelephant 
  can make a frenzied charge. During the round in 
  which this occurs, the maelephant’s speed increases 
  to 45 feet and it gains a +2 bonus on all attack rolls. 
  This bonus stacks with any bonuses gained from 
  making a charge attack. 
  Improved Grab (Ex) If a maelephant hits an opponent 
  that is at least one size category smaller than itself 
  with a claw attack, it deals normal damage and 
  attempts to start a grapple as a free action without 
  provoking an attack of opportunity. If it gets a hold, it 
  automatically hits with its trunk-spike. Thereafter, the 
  maelephant has the option to conduct the grapple 
  normally, or simply use its claw to hold the opponent 
  (-20 penalty on grapple check, but the maelephant is 
  considered grappled). In either case, each successful 
  grapple check it makes during successive rounds 
  automatically deals claw damage. 
  Defensive Stance (Ex) One per encounter, a 
  maelephant can adopt a defensive stance as a free 
  action on its turn. In this defensive stance, the 
  maelephant gains +2 Strength, +4 Constitution, a +2 
  resistance bonus to all saves, and a +4 dodge bonus 
  to Armor Class. The benefits persist for a number of 
  rounds equal to 3 + maelephant’s newly improved 
  Constitution modifier, or until the maelephant moves. 
  While in a defensive stance, a maelphant cannot use 
  skills or abilities that require it to shift its position. A 
  maelephant can end its defensive stance at will. At 
  the end of the defensive stance, the maelephant 
  takes a –2 penalty to Strength for the duration of the 
  current encounter. 
  Keen Senses (Ex) A maelephant’s sight is four times as 
  good as a human’s.  
   
   
   
  
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  12: FREEING MADNESS 
  LORN ALDYR 
  CR 11 
  Male human cleric 11 
  CE Medium humanoid (human) 
  Init -1; Senses Listen +3, Spot +3 
  Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common  
  AC 26, touch 12, flat-footed 26 
   (-1 Dex, +10 armor, +4 shield, +3 deflection) 
  hp 80 (11 HD) 
  Immune grapple, magical paralysis and movement 
  constraints (freedom of movement)  
  Resist acid 30 
  Fort +11, Ref +4, Will +12 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base speed 30 ft.; 
  Melee mwk heavy mace +9/+4 (1d8) or 
  Melee spiked gauntlet +8/+3 (1d4) 
  Ranged sling +7 (1d4) 
  Base Atk +8; Grp +8  
  Atk Options domain spontaneity, smite 1/day (+4 atk, 
  +11 dmg), spontaneous inflict 
  Special Actions rebuke undead 4/day 
  Combat Gear anklet of translocation, hellcat gauntlets, 
  ring of counterspells (dispel magic), scroll of 
  obscuring mist, scroll of remove fear, scroll of remove 
  paralysis 
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 11th): 
   6th—blade barrier (DC 20), harmD (DC 22) 
   5th—mass inflict light woundsD (DC 21), flame strike 
  (DC 19), slay living (DC 21) 
   4th—confusionD (DC 18), cure critical wounds, 
  extended magic vestment�, freedom of 
  movement�, recitation 
   3rd—bestow curse (DC 19), blindness/deafness (DC 
  19), contagionD (DC 19), cure serious wounds, 
  dispel magic (2) 
   2nd—calm emotions (DC 16), resist energy (2)�, 
  silence (DC 16), touch of madnessD (DC 16) 
   1st—bless, cure light wounds (2), entropic shield, 
  inflict light woundsD (DC 17), shield of faith (2) � 
   0—detect magic (2), detect poison (2), guidance, light 
  D: Domain spell. Deity: Tharizdun. Domains: 
  Destruction, Madness  
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 10, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 12 
  Feats Domain Spontaneity (Madness), Extend Spell, 
  Greater Spell Focus (necromancy), Skill Focus 
  (concentration), Spell Focus (necromancy)  
  Skills Concentration +19, Diplomacy +15, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +9, Knowledge (the planes) +9, Knowledge 
  (religion) +16, Spellcraft +18 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork heavy 
  mace, spiked gauntlet, dagger, sling, 10 bullets, +2 
  full plate, masterwork heavy wooden shield (+2 due 
  to magic vestment), periapt of wisdom +2, vest of 
  resistance +2, wooden holy symbol, spell component 
  pouch 
  Madness (Ex) –1 to wisdom based skill checks and Will 
  saving throws. 1/day +5 to one such check or save. 
   
  KAZIEL THE DARK 
  CR 13 
  Female justice archon* blackguard 7 
  *MM IV 80 
  CE Medium outsider (archon, chaotic, evil) 
  Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen 
  +12, Spot +12 
  Aura aura of despair (10 ft., -2 saves), magic circle 
  against good (10 ft.), menace (20 ft., DC 18) 
  Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, tongues  
  AC 22, touch 12, flat-footed 22 
   (+0 Dex, +10 armor, +2 deflection) 
  hp 160 (13 HD) plus 10 temporary hit points (aid); DR 
  10/good 
  Immune acid (first 36 points), electricity and petrification 
  SR 19 
  Fort +24 (+28 against poison), Ref +12, Will +15 (+16 
  vs. fear (aid)) 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base movement 30 
  ft., fly 40 ft. (good) in full plate, base fly speed 60 ft.; 
  Melee* +1 corrupt enervating vampiric greatsword 
  +22/+17/+12 (2d6+11 plus 1d6/17-20) or 
  Melee* spiked gauntlet +21/+16/+10 (1d4+7) 
  Ranged* mwk composite longbow +15/+10/+5 
  (1d8+4/x3) 
  * Includes +1 morale bonus due to aid spell 
  Base Atk +13; Grp +20  
  Atk Options Cleave, Power Attack, Improved Sunder, 
  aligned strike (chaotic, evil), justice strike, poison 
  use, smite good 2/day (+3 atk, +7 dmg), sneak attack 
  +2d6 
  Special Actions command undead 6/day (lvl 5),  
  Combat Gear potion of remove blindness 
  Blackguard Spells Prepared (CL 3rd): 
   3rd—inflict serious wounds (DC 16), protection from 
  energy� 
   2nd—cure moderate wounds, death knell (DC 15) 
   1st—corrupt weapon�, resurgence (2) 
  �Already cast 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th): 
   At Will—aid�, continual flame, detect evil, detect 
  good, teleport (self plus 50 lb. Of objects only) 
  Abilities Str 24, Dex 10, Con 24, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 16 
  SQ archon traits 
  Feats Cleave, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical 
  (greatsword), Improved Sunder, Power Attack  
  Skills Concentration +17, Diplomacy +16, Hide +6, 
  Intimidate +14, Knowledge (religion) +4, Knowledge 
  (the planes) +7, Listen +12, Move Silently -1, Sense 
  Motive +12, Spot +12, Survival +3 (+5 on other 
  planes) 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 enervating vampiric 
  greatsword, spiked gauntlet, masterwork might 
  composite longbow, 20 arrows, +2 full plate armor, 
  gauntlets of ogre power, cloak of resistance +2, ring 
  of protection +2, wooden holy symbol, spell 
  component pouch 
  Aura of Menace (Su) A righteous aura surrounds 
  archons that fight or get angry. Any hostile creature 
  within a 20-foot radius of an archon must succeed on 
  a Will save to resist its effects. Those who fail take a -
  2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 43 
  until they successfully hit the archon that generated 
  the aura. A creature that has resisted or broken the 
  effect cannot be affected again by the same archon’s 
  aura for 24 hours. 
  Justice Strike (Su) A justice archon that hits with a 
  melee attack can choose to use this special ability 
  instead of dealing normal weapon damage. Justice 
  strike deals the damage of the struck opponent’s 
  primary melee attack. This damage includes effects 
  that apply automatically on a hit, such as energy 
  damage or poison, but not those from optional effects 
  or feats, such as Power Attack. 
  Magic Circle against Good (Su) A magic circle against 
  good effect always surrounds an archon (caster level 
  13th). (The defensive benefits from the circle are not 
  included in an archon’s statistics block.) 
  Teleport (Su) Archons can use greater teleport at will, 
  as the spell (caster level 14th), except that the 
  creature can transport only itself and up to 50 pounds 
  of objects. 
  Tongues (Su) All archons can speak with any creature 
  that has a language, as though using a tongues spell 
  (caster level 14th). This ability is always active. 
   
  VOID SLAYER 
  CR 11 
  Evolved* advanced bodak 
  *Libris Mortis 99 
  CE Large undead 
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +14, Spot +14 
  Languages Abyssal  
  AC 22, touch 11, flat-footed 20 
   (-1 size, +2 Dex, +11 natural); Dodge 
  hp 84(13 HD); fast heal 3; DR 10/cold iron 
  Immune electricity, undead immunities 
  Resist acid 10, fire 10 
  Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +9 
  Weakness  vulnerability to sunlight 
  Speed 20 ft. (4 squares); 
  Melee slam +12 (2d6+6) 
  Base Atk +6; Grp +16  
  Special Actions death gaze (30 ft., DC 20) 
   
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 13th): 
   1/day—greater dispel magic 
  Abilities Str 23, Dex 14, Con –, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 14 
  Feats Ability Focus (death gaze), Alertness, Dodge, 
  Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (slam)  
  Skills Listen +14, Move Silently +14, Spot +14 
  Possessions combat gear plus  
  Death Gaze (Su) Death, range 30 feet, Fortitude DC 20 
  negates. Humanoids who die from this attack are 
  transformed into bodaks 24 hours later.  
  Vulnerability to Sunlight (Ex) Bodaks loath sunlight, 
  for its merest touch burns their impure flesh. Each 
  round of exposure to the direct rays of the sun deals 
  1 point of damage to the creature. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 44 
  APL 14 
  2: AT THE GATES 
  HEZROU SOLDIERS (3) 
  CR 13 
  Male advanced hezrou 14 HD 
  CE Large Outsider (chaotic, evil, Tanar’ri) 
  Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +25, Spot +25 
  Aura stench 10 ft. (DC 25) 
  Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Infernal; 
  telepathy 100 ft.  
  AC 23, touch 9, flat-footed 23 
   (-1 size, +14 natural) 
  hp 192 (14 HD); DR 10/good 
  Immune electricity, poison 
  Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 23 
  Fort +18, Ref +9, Will +11 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); 
  Melee bite +18 (4d4+6) and 
   
  claws +12/+12 (1d8+3) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +12; Grp +22  
  Atk Options Blind-Fight, Cleave, Power Attack 
  Special Actions improved grab 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 13th): 
   At Will—chaos hammer (DC 18), greater teleport (self 
  plus 50 pounds of objects only), unholy blight (DC 
  18) 
   3/day—blasphemy (DC 21), gaseous form 
   1/day—summon Tanar’ri 
  Abilities Str 22, Dex 10, Con 29, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 18 
  Feats Blind-Fight, Cleave, Power Attack, Toughness, 
  Weapon Focus (bite)  
  Skills Climb +20, Concentration +24, Escape Artist +15, 
  Hide +11, Intimidate +19, Listen +25, Move Silently 
  +15, Search +17, Spellcraft +17, Spot +25, Survival 
  +2 (+4 following track), Use Rope +0 (+2 with 
  bindings)  
  Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a hezrou must 
  hit with both claw attacks. It can then attempt to start 
  a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack 
  of opportunity. 
  Stench (Ex) A hezrou’s skin produces a foul-smelling, 
  toxic liquid whenever it fights. Any living creature 
  (except other demons) within 10 feet must succeed 
  on a DC 25 Fortitude save or be nauseated for as 
  long as it remains within the affected area and for 
  1d4 rounds afterward. Creatures that successfully 
  save are sickened for as long as they remain in the 
  area. A creature that successfully saves cannot be 
  affected again by the same hezrou’s stench for 24 
  hours. A delay poison or neutralize poison spell 
  removes either condition from one creature. 
  Creatures that have immunity to poison are 
  unaffected, and creatures resistant to poison receive 
  their normal bonus on their saving throws. 
  Summon Tanar’ri (Sp) Once per day a hezrou can 
  attempt to summon 4d10 dretches or another hezrou 
  with a 35% chance of success. This ability is the 
  equivalent of a 4th-level spell. 
  Skills  Hezrous have a +8 racial bonus on Listen and 
  Spot checks. 
   
  4: ASSASSINS 
  ASSASSINS (3) 
  CR 14 
  Male corruptor of fate* assassin 7/shadow dancer 
  1/rogue 1 
  *MM IV 190  
  NE Medium outsider (evil, yugoloth) 
  Init +12; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +19, Spot +19 
  Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 100 
  ft.  
  AC 25, touch 18, flat-footed 19 
   (+6 Dex, +6 armor, +2 deflection, +1 natural); Dodge, 
  Mobility, improved uncanny dodge, uncanny dodge 
  hp 145 (16 HD)  
  Immune acid, energy drain, necromantic effects, 
  negative energy effects, poison 
  Resist cold 10, fire 10, electricity 10; SR 22 
  Fort +13, Ref +23, Will +8 
  Speed 40 ft. (8 squares); Spring Attack  
  Melee +1 rapier +21/+16/+11 (1d6+4/18-20 plus bestow 
  curse) 
  Ranged +1 mighty composite shortbow +21/+16/+11 
  (1d6+4/x3 plus poison) 
  Base Atk +12; Grp +15  
  Atk Options Combat Reflexes, aligned strike (evil), 
  death attack (DC 19), poison (shadow essence, DC 
  17, 1 Str drain/2d6 Str), poison use, sneak attack 
  +6d6 
  Special Actions corrupting gaze, hide in plain sight,  
  Combat Gear 3 doses of shadow essence, potion of 
  cure serious wounds, potion of fly, potion of remove 
  blindness 
  Assassin Spells Known (CL 7th): 
   3rd (2/day)—false life, find the gap, magic circle 
  against good  
   2nd (4/day)—cat’s grace, ice knife, phantom foe (DC 
  14), spider climb 
   1st (4/day)—critical strike, distract assailant (DC 13), 
  obscuring mist, true strike 
  Abilities Str 16, Dex 26, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8 
  SQ unluck, yugoloth traits 
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, 
  Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse  
  Skills Balance +20, Disguise +9, Escape Artist +19, 
  Hide +27, Jump +14, Listen +19, Move Silently +27, 
  Perform (dance) +4, Sleight of Hand +13, Spot +19, 
  Tumble +27, Use Rope +8 (+10 involving bindings) 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 rapier of deadly 
  precision, masterwork short sword, 3 daggers, +1 
  mighty composite shortbow (+3 Str bonus), 20 
  arrows, 10 cold iron arrows, 10 silver arrows, +2 
  mithral chain shirt, amulet of natural armor +1, ring of 
  protection +2, boots of striding and springing, cloak of 
  resistance +1, pewter figure (10 gp) 
  Bestow Curse (Su) as the bestow curse spell; at will; 
  Will DC 23; caster level 16th. 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 45 
  This ability affects those touching or touched by a 
  corruptor of fate or its weapons. A cursed subject 
  must roll percentile dice each turn. On a roll of 01-50, 
  it can take no action. On a roll of 51-100, it can act 
  normally. This is a necromantic effect. 
  Corrupting Gaze (Su) A corruptor of fate can blasts its 
  enemies with a glance, at a range of up to 30 feet. 
  Creatures that meet the corruptor’s gaze must 
  succeed on a DC 19 Fortitude save or take 1d6 
  points of damage and a –1 penalty on attack rolls, 
  skill checks, and saving throws for 1 minute. 
  Unluck (Su) Roll twice for attacks and damage against 
  a corruptor of fate; the attacker must use the lower 
  result. This is a mind-affecting necromantic effect. 
   
  4: ASSASSINS – HIDEOUT 
  ACID ARC 
  CR 12 
  Description see text. 
  Search DC 27; Type magic 
  Trigger touch; Init +6 
  Effect energy substituted (acid) empowered lightning 
  bolt (10d6 x 1.5 points of damage, Reflex DC 18 half) 
  shoots from four pillars 
  Duration 15 rounds 
  Destruction AC 22; hp 30; hardness 10 (each pillar) 
  Disarm Disable Device DC 32 (each pillar) 
  Dispel DC 23 (each pillar) 
   
  9: FREEING A PRISONER 
  TAZ’ZAK 
  CR 13 
  Male chasme demon* 
  *Fiendish Codex I 
  CE Large outsider (chaotic, evil, extraplanar, tanar’ri) 
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see invisibility; Listen 
  +20, Spot +20 
  Aura fear (5-ft. radius, Will DC 19) 
  Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common; telepathy 100 
  ft. 
  AC 34, touch 15, flat-footed 29 
   (-1 size, +4 Dex, +14 natural, +5 armor, +2 Deflection) 
  hp 127 (15 HD); DR 10/cold iron or good 
  Immune electricity, poison, protection vs. good 
  Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 27 
  Fort +17, Ref +16, Will +15 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (perfect); 
  Flyby Attack 
  Melee claws +22/+22 (1d6+7 plus wounding) and 
   
  bite +20 (1d8+4 plus wounding) and 
   
  gore +20 (1d8+4 plus wounding) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +15; Grp +24  
  Atk Options Flyby Attack 
  Special Actions drone, summon tanar’ri 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th): 
   At Will—contagion (DC 15), darkness, desecrate, 
  detect good, dispel magic, fly, greater teleport (self 
  plus 50 pounds of objects only), insect plague, ray 
  of enfeeblement (+18 ranged touch), protection 
  from good�, see invisibility�, telekinesis (DC 17) 
   3/day—empowered quickened ray of enfeeblement 
  (+18 ranged touch) 
   1/day—unholy aura (DC 20) 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 20, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 14 
  SQ tanar’ri traits 
  Feats Armor Proficiency (light), Flyby Attack, 
  Multiattack, Empower Spell-Like Ability (ray of 
  enfeeblement), Quicken Spell-Like Ability (ray of 
  enfeeblement), Weapon Focus (claw)  
  Skills Bluff +20, Climb +30, Concentration +22, 
  Diplomacy +6, Hide +17, Intimidate +22, Listen +20, 
  Move Silently +21, Search +20, Sense Motive +20, 
  Spot +20 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 chain shirt, amulet of 
  mighty fist +2, cloak of resistance +4, ring of 
  protection +2, deep red sphere ioun stone 
  Drone (Su) As a full-round action, a chasme can beat 
  its wings to create a droning buzz in a 60-foot-radius 
  spread. Each creature in this area must succeed on a 
  DC 19 Will save or fall asleep for 2d10 rounds. 
  Creatures immune to sleep effects are immune to this 
  effect. 
  Fear Aura (Su) As a swift action, a chasme can create 
  an aura of fear in a 5-foot radius around it. This effect 
  is otherwise identical to a fear spell (CL 12th; Will DC 
  19 negates). If this save is successful that creature 
  cannot be affected again by that chasme’s fear aura 
  for 24 hours. 
  Summon Tanar’ri (Sp) Once per day, a chasme can 
  attempt to summon 1d4 rutterkins or 1 chasme with a 
  40% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent 
  of a 4th-level spell (CL 15th). 
  Wounding (Ex) A wound resulting from a chasme’s 
  attack bleeds for an additional 1 point of damage per 
  round thereafter. Multiple wounds from such attacks 
  result in cumulative bleeding loss. The bleeding can 
  be stopped by a DC 10 Heal check or the application 
  of any form of magical healing. 
   
   
   
  
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  MIRROR DEMONS (2) 
  CR 13 
  Male mirror* bulezau** 
  *base on nerra, Fiend Folio 127; ** Fiendish Codex I 33  
  CE Large outsider (chaotic, evil, extraplanar, tanar’ri) 
  Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see invisibility; Listen 
  +22, Spot +27 
  Languages Abyssal, Common; telepathy 30 ft.  
  AC 22, touch 12, flat-footed 20 
   (-1 size, +2 Dex, +10 natural, +1 Deflection) 
  hp 207 (18 HD); DR 10/cold iron or good 
  Immune blindness, dazzled, electricity, gaze, poison 
  Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 20 
  Fort +19, Ref +14, Will +13 
  Weakness sonic vulnerability 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); 
  Melee huge +1 ranseur +26/+21/+16/+11 (3d6+11/19-
  20/x3) and 
   
  tail +22  (1d8+3) or 
  Melee gore +24 (2d6+7) and 
   
  claws +22/+22 (1d6+3) and 
   
  tail +22 (1d8+3) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (20 ft. with ranseur) 
  Base Atk +18; Grp +29 
  Atk Options Power Attack, blood frenzy 
  Special Actions powerful charge, mirror jump, summon 
  tanar’ri 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 18th): 
   At Will—command (DC 11), see invisibility�, solid 
  fog, telekinesis (DC 15) 
   3/day—fear (DC 14) 
   1/day—mirror image, shout (DC 14) 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 24, Dex 14, Con 24, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 10 
  SQ reflective spell resistance, wield oversized weapon, 
  tanar’ri traits 
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Bullrush, Improved 
  Critical (ranseur), Knockback, Multiattack, Power 
  Attack, Weapon Focus (ranseur) 
  Skills Climb +28, Intimidate +21, Jump +28, Listen +22, 
  Spot +27, Swim +28 
  Possessions combat gear plus huge +1 ranseur, cloak 
  of resistance +1, raptor’s mask, ring of protection +1 
  Blood Frenzy (Ex) A bulezau that takes damage in 
  combat can fly into a frenzy in the following round, 
  attacking madly until either it or its opponent is dead. 
  It gains +2 Strength and Constitution, and it takes a –
  2 penalty to Armor Class. A bulezau cannot end its 
  frenzy voluntarily. 
  Mirror Jump (Su) Mirror demons can move through 
  mirrored and reflective surfaces at will. This effect is 
  similar to greater teleport. As a standard action, the 
  mirror demon must touch a mirror or other highly 
  reflective surface. The mirror demon then exists from 
  another mirror within range. It can only take itself plus 
  50 lbs. in objects with it. 
   
  If a mirror demon touches a regular mirror, the mirror 
  jump happens automatically. A mirror demon can 
  also touch a highly reflective surface, such as a 
  polished metal shield or armor. This surface must be 
  clear glass, a still pool of water, or shiny metal. There 
  is a 30% chance that the surface is reflective enough 
  for the mirror demon to make the mirror jump. 
  However, a mirror demon can only enter a 
  nonmirrored surface – it can return only through a 
  normal mirror. 
  Powerful Charge (Ex) A bulezau typically begins battle 
  by charging at an opponent. In addition to the normal 
  benefits and hazards of a charge, this allows a 
  bulezau to make a single gore attack with a +2 attack 
  bonus that deals 4d6+10 points of damage. 
  Reflective Spell Resistance (Su) A mirror demon has 
  a special type of spell resistance that causes any 
  targeted spell it successfully resist to bounce off and 
  reflect back at the caster. The caster becomes either 
  the spell’s target or the point of origin for the spell’s 
  effect, as appropriate. In addition, mirror demons are 
  immune to gaze attacks, and such an effect is 
  reflected back to its origin. 
  Wield Oversized Weapons (Ex) A bulezau is skilled at 
  wielding weapons one size category larger than itself 
  and does not take any penalties when fighting with 
  such weapons. 
  Summon Tanar’ri (Sp) Once per day, a bulezau can 
  attempt to summon 1d6 dretches or 1d4 rutterkin with 
  a 50% chance of success. This ability is the 
  equivalent of a 3rd-level spell (CL 18th). 
   
  11: IN SERVICE OF A PRINCE 
  WELL GUARDIAN 
  CR 17 
  Male maelephant* 
  *Fiend Folio 120  
  LE Large outsider (evil, extraplanar, lawful) 
  Init +0; Senses darkvision 240 ft., keen senses, low-
  light vision, scent, true seeing; Listen +30, Spot +30 
  Aura anticipate teleportation (100 ft.) 
  Languages Common, Infernal  
  AC 26, touch 8, flat-footed 26 
   (-2 size, +0 Dex, +4 armor, +14 natural); 5 ranks 
  Balance 
  hp 190 (20 HD); fast healing 2; DR 10/magic 
  SR 19 
  Fort +17, Ref +12, Will +19 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)  
  Melee claws +28/+28 (2d6+10) and 
   
  trunk spike +26 (3d6+5) 
  Ranged mwk crossbow +19 (3d6/19-20) 
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. 
  Base Atk +20; Grp +38  
  Atk Options breath weapon (DC 25) 3/day, frenzied 
  charge, improved grab, Power Attack 
  Special Actions defensive stance 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th): 
   At Will—alarm, entangle (DC 14), gust of wind (DC 
  15), light, true seeing�, warp wood (DC 15), web 
  (DC 15) 
   3/day—blade barrier (DC 19), quickened baleful 
  polymorph (DC 18) 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 30, Dex 10, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 20, Cha 16 
  Feats Alertness, Armor Proficiency (light), Improved 
  Natural Attack (claw), Iron Will, Multiattack, Power 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 47 
  Attack, Quickened Spell-Like Ability (baleful 
  polymorph) 
  Skills Appraise +25, Balance +22, Concentration +28, 
  Diplomacy +5, Jump +32, Knowledge (the planes) 
  +25, Listen +30, Search +25, Sense Motive +30, 
  Spellcraft +25, Spot +30, Survival +7 (+9 following 
  tracks) 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork light 
  crossbow, 20 cold iron bolts, masterwork chain shirt 
  Breath Weapon (Su) 3/day a maelephant can breathe 
  out a cloud of noxious vapor 10 feet wide and 30 feet 
  long. Victims within the area of the cloud must make 
  a Fortitude save (DC 25) or suffer complete memory 
  loss. Memory loss suppresses all of a creature’s 
  ranks in its skills and its feats, and it prevents the use 
  of any class abilities (including spellcasting). 
  Currently prepared spells are not lost; they are simply 
  not accessible to be cast. Racial abilities are 
  retained. Additionally, the victim no longer knows who 
  its friends and enemies are, doesn’t remember its 
  past, and can’t even remember its name. The victim 
  can create new memories, but each time it sleeps or 
  rests, any new memories it has created vanish. This 
  condition can be cured by any affect that cures 
  poison (a heal or neutralize poison spell, for 
  example); otherwise, it is permanent. 
  Frenzied Charge (Ex) Once per minute, a maelephant 
  can make a frenzied charge. During the round in 
  which this occurs, the maelephant’s speed increases 
  to 45 feet and it gains a +2 bonus on all attack rolls. 
  This bonus stacks with any bonuses gained from 
  making a charge attack. 
  Improved Grab (Ex) If a maelephant hits an opponent 
  that is at least one size category smaller than itself 
  with a claw attack, it deals normal damage and 
  attempts to start a grapple as a free action without 
  provoking an attack of opportunity. If it gets a hold, it 
  automatically hits with its trunk-spike. Thereafter, the 
  maelephant has the option to conduct the grapple 
  normally, or simply use its claw to hold the opponent 
  (-20 penalty on grapple check, but the maelephant is 
  considered grappled). In either case, each successful 
  grapple check it makes during successive rounds 
  automatically deals claw damage. 
  Defensive Stance (Ex) One per encounter, a 
  maelephant can adopt a defensive stance as a free 
  action on its turn. In this defensive stance, the 
  maelephant gains +2 Strength, +4 Constitution, a +2 
  resistance bonus to all saves, and a +4 dodge bonus 
  to Armor Class. The benefits persist for a number of 
  rounds equal to 3 + maelephant’s newly improved 
  Constitution modifier, or until the maelephant moves. 
  While in a defensive stance, a maelphant cannot use 
  skills or abilities that require it to shift its position. A 
  maelephant can end its defensive stance at will. At 
  the end of the defensive stance, the maelephant 
  takes a –2 penalty to Strength for the duration of the 
  current encounter. 
  Keen Senses (Ex) A maelephant’s sight is four times as 
  good as a human’s.  
   
  12: FREEING MADNESS 
  LORN ALDYR 
  CR 13 
  Male human cleric 13 
  CE Medium humanoid (human) 
  Init -1; Senses Listen +3, Spot +3 
  Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common  
  AC 28, touch 13, flat-footed 28 
   (-1 Dex, +10 armor, +5 shield, +4 deflection) 
  hp 94 (13 HD); DR 3/- (until it absorbed 30 points of 
  damage) 
  Immune grapple, magical paralysis and movement 
  constraints (freedom of movement), enervation/magic 
  missile/Ottiluke’s resilient sphere (spell immunity)  
  Resist acid 30; SR 25 (spell resistance) 
  Fort +12, Ref +5, Will +14 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base speed 30 ft. 
  Melee mwk heavy mace +10/+5 (1d8) or 
  Melee spiked gauntlet +9/+4 (1d4) 
  Ranged sling +8 (1d4) 
  Base Atk +9; Grp +9  
  Atk Options domain spontaneity, smite 1/day (+4 atk, 
  +13 dmg), spontaneous inflict 
  Special Actions rebuke undead 4/day 
  Combat Gear anklet of translocation, hellcat gauntlets, 
  ring of counterspells (greater dispel magic), scroll of 
  obscuring mist, scroll of remove fear, scroll of remove 
  paralysis 
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 13th): 
   7th—disintegrateD (DC 22), quickened inflict serious 
  wounds (DC 20) 
   6th—blade barrier (DC 21), greater dispel magic, 
  harmD (DC 23) 
   5th—mass inflict light woundsD (DC 22), flame strike 
  (DC 20), quickened protection from good, slay living 
  (DC 22), spell resistance� 
   4th—confusionD (DC 19), cure critical wounds, 
  extended magic vestment�, freedom of 
  movement�, recitation, spell immunity� 
   3rd—bestow curse (DC 20), blindness/deafness (DC 
  20), contagionD (DC 20), cure serious wounds, 
  dispel magic (2) 
   2nd—calm emotions (DC 17), resist energy (2)�, 
  silence (DC 17), touch of madnessD (DC 17) 
   1st—bless, cure light wounds (2), entropic shield, 
  inflict light woundsD (DC 18), sanctuary (DC 16), 
  shield of faith (2) � 
   0—detect magic (2), detect poison (2), guidance, light 
  D: Domain spell. Deity: Tharizdun. Domains: 
  Destruction, Madness  
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 10, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 21, Cha 12 
  Feats Domain Spontaneity (Madness), Extend Spell, 
  Greater Spell Focus (necromancy), Quicken Spell, 
  Skill Focus (concentration), Spell Focus 
  (necromancy)  
  Skills Concentration +21, Diplomacy +17, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +10, Knowledge (the planes) +10, 
  Knowledge (religion) +18, Spellcraft +20 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork heavy 
  mace, spiked gauntlet, dagger, sling, 10 bullets, +2 
  full plate, masterwork heavy wooden shield (+3 due 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 48 
  to magic vestment), periapt of wisdom +4, vest of 
  resistance +2, lesser iron ward diamond, wooden 
  holy symbol, spell component pouch 
  Madness (Ex) –1 to wisdom based skill checks and Will 
  saving throws. 1/day +6 to one such check or save. 
   
  KAZIEL THE DARK 
  CR 15 
  Female justice archon* blackguard 7/entropomancer** 2 
  *MM IV 80; ** Complete Divine 36 
  CE Medium outsider (archon, chaotic, evil) 
  Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen 
  +12, Spot +12 
  Aura aura of despair (10 ft., -2 saves), magic circle 
  against good (10 ft.), menace (20 ft., DC 18) 
  Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, tongues  
  AC 25, touch 13, flat-footed 25 
   (+0 Dex, +11 armor, +3 deflection, +1 natural armor) 
  hp 184 (15 HD) plus 10 temporary hit points (aid); DR 
  10/good 
  Immune acid (first 48 points of damage), electricity, 
  petrification and magical paralysis, grapple and 
  effects that inhibit movement (freedom of movement) 
  SR 20 
  Fort +28 (+32 against poison), Ref +13, Will +19 (+20 
  againt fear (aid)) 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base movement 30 
  ft., fly 40 ft. (good) in full plate, base fly speed 60 ft.; 
  Melee* +1 corrupt, brilliant energy greatsword 
  +23/+18/+13 (2d6+11/17-20) or 
  Melee* spiked gauntlet +22/+17/+11 (1d4+7) 
  Ranged* mwk composite longbow +16/+11/+6 
  (1d8+4/x3) 
  * Includes +1 morale bonus due to aid spell 
  Base Atk +14; Grp +21  
  Atk Options aligned strike (chaotic, evil), Cleave, 
  command undead 6/day (lvl 5), Improved Sunder, 
  justice strike, Power Attack, shard of entropy 2/day 
  (DC 15), smite good 2/day (+3 atk, +7 dmg), sneak 
  attack +2d6 
  Special Actions poison use, teleport (self plus 50 lb. Of 
  objects only) 
  Combat Gear potion of remove blindness 
  Blackguard Spells Prepared (CL 4th): 
   4th—freedom of movement� 
   3rd—inflict serious wounds (DC 16), protection from 
  energy� 
   2nd—cure moderate wounds, death knell (DC 15) 
   1st—corrupt weapon�, resurgence (2) 
  �Already cast 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th): 
   At Will—aid, continual flame, detect evil, detect good 
  Abilities Str 24, Dex 10, Con 24, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 16 
  SQ archon traits 
  Feats Cleave, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical 
  (greatsword), Improved Sunder, Magical Aptitude, 
  Power Attack  
  Skills Concentration +17, Diplomacy +16, Hide +6, 
  Intimidate +14, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge 
  (religion) +4, Listen +12, Move Silently -1, Sense 
  Motive +12, Spellcraft +8, Spot +12 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 brilliant energy* 
  greatsword, spiked gauntlet, masterwork might 
  composite longbow, 20 arrows, +3 full plate armor, 
  gauntlets of ogre power, amulet of natural armor +1, 
  cloak of resistance +3, ring of protection +3, wooden 
  holy symbol, spell component pouch 
  * Unlike a normal brilliant energy blade this sword is 
  made out of absolute darkness. 
  Aura of Menace (Su) A righteous aura surrounds 
  archons that fight or get angry. Any hostile creature 
  within a 20-foot radius of an archon must succeed on 
  a Will save to resist its effects. Those who fail take a -
  2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or 
  until they successfully hit the archon that generated 
  the aura. A creature that has resisted or broken the 
  effect cannot be affected again by the same archon’s 
  aura for 24 hours. 
  Justice Strike (Su) A justice archon that hits with a 
  melee attack can choose to use this special ability 
  instead of dealing normal weapon damage. Justice 
  strike deals the damage of the struck opponent’s 
  primary melee attack. This damage includes effects 
  that apply automatically on a hit, such as energy 
  damage or poison, but not those from optional effects 
  or feats, such as Power Attack. 
  Magic Circle against Good (Su) A magic circle against 
  good effect always surrounds an archon (caster level 
  13th). (The defensive benefits from the circle are not 
  included in an archon’s statistics block.) 
  Shard of Entropy (Su) 2/day, for a maximum of 1 
  round/entropomancer level, the character can create 
  a miniature shard of entropy. The shard is a chunk of 
  absolute blackness, 2 inches across, and can be 
  moved up to 30 feet by the entropomancer as a 
  standard action. Against objects, the shard deals 3d6 
  points of damage, bypassing the object’s hardness. 
  Against creatures, the entropomancer must make a 
  ranged touch attack to hit, and if successful the shard 
  deals 3d6 points of damage to the target (Fortitude 
  half, DC 12 + entropomancer’s Wis modifier). The 
  shard appears in any square adjacent to the 
  entropomancer when it is created, and it can be used 
  to attack on the round it is formed. 
   
  The shard of entropy lurches, jumps, and bounces 
  around the square it’s in. Any creature who passes 
  through the shard’s square takes damage as if the 
  shard struck him (Fortitude half), as does any 
  creature that’s in the same square as the shard at the 
  beginning of the entropomancer’s turn. The 
  entropomancer can move the shard into another 
  square with a move action, or aim it at a specific 
  creature (dealing damage immediately) as a standard 
  action. 
  Teleport (Su) Archons can use greater teleport at will, 
  as the spell (caster level 14th), except that the 
  creature can transport only itself and up to 50 pounds 
  of objects. 
  Tongues (Su) All archons can speak with any creature 
  that has a language, as though using a tongues spell 
  (caster level 14th). This ability is always active. 
   
   
   
  
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  VOID SLAYER 
  CR 13 
  Evolved* advanced bodak 
  *Libris Mortis 99 
  CE Large undead 
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +19, Spot +19 
  Languages Abyssal  
  AC 22, touch 11, flat-footed 20 
   (-1 size, +2 Dex, +11 natural); Dodge, Mobility 
  hp 136 (21 HD); fast heal 3; DR 10/cold iron 
  Immune electricity, undead immunities 
  Resist acid 10, fire 10, turn resistance +4 
  Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +15 
  Weakness  vulnerability to sunlight 
  Speed 20 ft. (4 squares) 
  Melee slam +17 (2d6+7) 
  Base Atk +10; Grp +21  
  Atk Options death gaze (30 ft., DC 24) 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 21st): 
   1/day—greater dispel magic 
  Abilities Str 25, Dex 14, Con –, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 14 
  Feats Ability Focus (death gaze), Alertness, Dodge, 
  Improved Initiative, Improved turn resistance, 
  Mobility, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (slam)  
  Skills Listen +19, Move Silently +20, Spot +19 
  Possessions combat gear plus  
  Death Gaze (Su) Death, range 30 feet, Fortitude DC 24 
  negates. Humanoids who die from this attack are 
  transformed into bodaks 24 hours later.  
  Vulnerability to Sunlight (Ex) Bodaks loath sunlight, 
  for its merest touch burns their impure flesh. Each 
  round of exposure to the direct rays of the sun deals 
  1 point of damage to the creature. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
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  APL 16 
  2: AT THE GATES 
  HEZROU SOLDIERS (3) 
  CR 15 
  Male advanced hezrou 16 HD 
  CE Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Tanar’ri) 
  Init -1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +27, Spot +27 
  Aura stench 10 ft. (DC 28) 
  Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Infernal; 
  telepathy 100 ft.  
  AC 24, touch 7, flat-footed 24 
   (-2 size, -1 Dex, +17 natural) 
  hp 267 (16 HD); DR 10/good 
  Immune electricity, poison 
  Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 25 
  Fort +22, Ref +9, Will +12 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); 
  Melee bite +25 (6d4+10) and 
   
  claws +23/+23 (2d6+5) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
  Base Atk +16; Grp +34  
  Atk Options Blind-Fight, Cleave, Power Attack 
  Special Actions improved grab 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 13th): 
   At Will—chaos hammer (DC 18), greater teleport (self 
  plus 50 pounds of objects only), unholy blight (DC 
  18) 
   3/day—blasphemy (DC 21), gaseous form 
   1/day—summon Tanar’ri 
  Abilities Str 30, Dex 8, Con 34, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 18 
  Feats Blind-Fight, Cleave, Multiattack, Power Attack, 
  Toughness, Weapon Focus (bite)  
  Skills Climb +26, Concentration +28, Escape Artist +16, 
  Hide +8, Intimidate +21, Listen +27, Move Silently 
  +16, Search +19, Spellcraft +19, Spot +27, Survival 
  +2 (+4 following track), Use Rope -1 (+1 with 
  bindings)  
  Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a hezrou must 
  hit with both claw attacks. It can then attempt to start 
  a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack 
  of opportunity. 
  Stench (Ex) A hezrou’s skin produces a foul-smelling, 
  toxic liquid whenever it fights. Any living creature 
  (except other demons) within 10 feet must succeed 
  on a DC 28 Fortitude save or be nauseated for as 
  long as it remains within the affected area and for 
  1d4 rounds afterward. Creatures that successfully 
  save are sickened for as long as they remain in the 
  area. A creature that successfully saves cannot be 
  affected again by the same hezrou’s stench for 24 
  hours. A delay poison or neutralize poison spell 
  removes either condition from one creature. 
  Creatures that have immunity to poison are 
  unaffected, and creatures resistant to poison receive 
  their normal bonus on their saving throws. 
  Summon Tanar’ri (Sp) Once per day a hezrou can 
  attempt to summon 4d10 dretches or another hezrou 
  with a 35% chance of success. This ability is the 
  equivalent of a 4th-level spell. 
  Skills  Hezrous have a +8 racial bonus on Listen and 
  Spot checks. 
   
  4: ASSASSINS 
  ASSASSINS (3) 
  CR 16 
  Male corruptor of fate* assassin 7/shadow dancer 
  1/rogue 3 
  *MM IV 190  
  NE Medium outsider (evil, yugoloth) 
  Init +13; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +21, Spot +21 
  Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 100 
  ft.  
  AC 26, touch 20, flat-footed 20 
   (+6 Dex, +6 armor, +2 deflection, +2 natural); Combat 
  Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, improved uncanny dodge, 
  uncanny dodge 
  hp 162 (18 HD)  
  Immune acid, energy drain, necromantic effects, 
  negative energy effects, poison 
  Resist cold 10, fire 10, electricity 10, evasion; SR 22 
  Fort +15, Ref +26, Will +10 
  Speed 40 ft. (8 squares); Spring Attack  
  Melee +1 rapier +24/+19/+14 (1d6+4/18-20 plus bestow 
  curse) 
  Ranged +1 mighty composite shortbow +24/+19/+14 
  (1d6+4/x3 plus poison) 
  Base Atk +14; Grp +17  
  Atk Options Combat Reflexes, aligned strike (evil), 
  death attack (DC 19), poison (shadow essence, DC 
  17, 1 Str drain/2d6 Str), sneak attack +7d6 
  Special Actions corrupting gaze, hide in plain sight,  
  Combat Gear 3 doses of shadow essence, potion of 
  cure serious wounds, potion of fly, potion of remove 
  blindness 
  Assassin Spells Known (CL 7th): 
   3rd (2/day)—false life, find the gap, magic circle 
  against good  
   2nd (4/day)—cat’s grace, ice knife, phantom foe (DC 
  14), spider climb 
   1st (4/day)—critical strike, distract assailant (DC 13), 
  obscuring mist, true strike 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 16, Dex 28, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8 
  SQ poison use, unluck, yugoloth traits 
  Feats Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, 
  Improved Initiative, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon 
  Finesse  
  Skills Balance +21, Disguise +9, Escape Artist +24, 
  Hide +30, Jump +14, Listen +21, Move Silently +30, 
  Perform (dance) +4, Sleight of Hand +18, Spot +21, 
  Tumble +30, Use Rope +9 (+11 involving bindings) 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 rapier of deadly 
  precision, masterwork short sword, 3 daggers, +1 
  mighty composite shortbow (+3 Str bonus), 20 
  arrows, 10 cold iron arrows, 10 silver arrows, +2 
  mithral chain shirt, boots of striding and springing, 
  gloves of dexterity +2, amulet of natural armor +2, 
  
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  ring of protection +2, cloak of resistance +2, pewter 
  figure (10 gp) 
  Bestow Curse (Su) as the bestow curse spell; at will; 
  Will DC 23; caster level 16th. 
  This ability affects those touching or touched by a 
  corruptor of fate or its weapons. A cursed subject 
  must roll percentile dice each turn. On a roll of 01-50, 
  it can take no action. On a roll of 51-100, it can act 
  normally. This is a necromantic effect. 
  Corrupting Gaze (Su) A corruptor of fate can blasts its 
  enemies with a glance, at a range of up to 30 feet. 
  Creatures that meet the corruptor’s gaze must 
  succeed on a DC 19 Fortitude save or take 1d6 
  points of damage and a –1 penalty on attack rolls, 
  skill checks, and saving throws for 1 minute. 
  Unluck (Su) Roll twice for attacks and damage against 
  a corruptor of fate; the attacker must use the lower 
  result. This is a mind-affecting necromantic effect. 
   
  4: ASSASSINS – HIDEOUT 
  ACID ARC 
  CR 14 
  Description see text. 
  Search DC 27; Type magic 
  Trigger touch; Init +7 
  Effect energy substituted (acid) maximized lightning bolt 
  (60 points of damage, Reflex DC 20 half) shoots from 
  four pillars 
  Duration 17 rounds 
  Destruction AC 24; hp 35; hardness 20 (each pillar) 
  Disarm Disable Device DC 34 (each pillar) 
  Dispel DC 25 (each pillar) 
   
  9: FREEING A PRISONER 
  TAZ’ZAK 
  CR 15 
  Male chasme demon* 
  *Fiendish Codex I 
  CE Large outsider (chaotic, evil, extraplanar, tanar’ri) 
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see invisibility; Listen 
  +24, Spot +24 
  Aura fear (5-ft. radius, Will DC 21) 
  Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common; telepathy 100 
  ft. 
  AC 33, touch 15, flat-footed 29 
   (-1 size, +4 Dex, +14 natural, +4 armor, +2 deflection) 
  hp 161 (19 HD); DR 10/cold iron or good 
  Immune electricity, poison, protection vs. good, 75% 
  chance critical and sneak attack 
  Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 31 
  Fort +19, Ref +18, Will +17 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (perfect); 
  Flyby Attack 
  Melee claws +26/+26 (1d6+7 plus wounding) and 
   
  bite +24 (1d8+4 plus wounding) and 
   
  gore +24 (1d8+4 plus wounding) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +19; Grp +28  
  Special Actions drone, summon tanar’ri 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 19th): 
   At Will—contagion (DC 15), darkness, desecrate, 
  detect good, dispel magic, fly, greater teleport (self 
  plus 50 pounds of objects only), insect plague, ray 
  of enfeeblement (+22 ranged touch), protection 
  from good�, see invisibility�, telekinesis (DC 17) 
   3/day—empowered quickened ray of enfeeblement 
  (+22 ranged touch) 
   1/day—unholy aura (DC 20) 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 20, Dex 19, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 14 
  SQ tanar’ri traits 
  Feats Armor Proficiency (light), Flyby Attack, 
  Multiattack, Empower Spell-Like Ability (ray of 
  enfeeblement), Improved Initiative, Quicken Spell-
  Like Ability (ray of enfeeblement), Weapon Focus 
  (claw)  
  Skills Bluff +24, Climb +34, Concentration +26, 
  Diplomacy +6, Hide +21, Intimidate +26, Listen +24, 
  Move Silently +25, Search +24, Sense Motive +24, 
  Spot +24 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 moderate 
  fortification chain shirt, amulet of mighty fist +2, cloak 
  of resistance +4, ring of protection +2, deep red 
  sphere ioun stone 
  Drone (Su) As a full-round action, a chasme can beat 
  its wings to create a droning buzz in a 60-foot-radius 
  spread. Each creature in this area must succeed on a 
  DC 21 Will save or fall asleep for 2d10 rounds. 
  Creatures immune to sleep effects are immune to this 
  effect. 
  Fear Aura (Su) As a swift action, a chasme can create 
  an aura of fear in a 5-foot radius around it. This effect 
  is otherwise identical to a fear spell (CL 12th; Will DC 
  21 negates). If this save is successful that creature 
  cannot be affected again by that chasme’s fear aura 
  for 24 hours. 
  Summon Tanar’ri (Sp) Once per day, a chasme can 
  attempt to summon 1d4 rutterkins or 1 chasme with a 
  40% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent 
  of a 4th-level spell (CL 19th). 
  Wounding (Ex) A wound resulting from a chasme’s 
  attack bleeds for an additional 1 point of damage per 
  round thereafter. Multiple wounds from such attacks 
  result in cumulative bleeding loss. The bleeding can 
  be stopped by a DC 10 Heal check or the application 
  of any form of magical healing. 
   
   
   
  
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  MIRROR DEMONS (3) 
  CR 15 
  Male mirror* bulezau** 
  *base on nerra, Fiend Folio 127; ** Fiendish Codex I 33  
  CE Huge outsider (chaotic, evil, extraplanar, tanar’ri) 
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see invisibility; Listen 
  +24, Spot +29 
  Languages Abyssal, Common; telepathy 30 ft.  
  AC 25, touch 11, flat-footed 24 
   (-2 size, +1 Dex, +14 natural, +2 Deflection) 
  hp 270 (20 HD); DR 10/cold iron or good 
  Immune blindness, dazzled, electricity, gaze, poison 
  Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 20 
  Fort +23, Ref +16, Will +15 
  Weakness sonic vulnerability 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); 
  Melee +1 ranseur +31/+26/+21/+16 (4d6+17/19-20/x3) 
  and 
   
  tail +27  (2d6+5) or 
  Melee gore +29 (3d6+11) and 
   
  claws +27/+27 (1d8+5) and 
   
  tail +27 (2d6+5) 
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (30 ft. with ranseur) 
  Base Atk +20; Grp +39 
  Atk Options Power Attack, blood frenzy 
  Special Actions powerful charge, mirror jump, summon 
  tanar’ri 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th): 
   At Will—command (DC 11), see invisibility�, solid 
  fog, telekinesis (DC 15) 
   3/day—fear (DC 14) 
   1/day—mirror image, shout (DC 14) 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 32, Dex 12, Con 28, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 10 
  SQ reflective spell resistance, wield oversized weapon, 
  tanar’ri traits 
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Bullrush, Improved 
  Critical (ranseur), Knockback, Multiattack, Power 
  Attack, Weapon Focus (ranseur) 
  Skills Climb +34, Intimidate +23, Jump +34, Listen +24, 
  Spot +29, Swim +34 
  Possessions combat gear plus huge +1 ranseur, 
  raptor’s mask, ring of protection +2, cloak of 
  resistance +2 
  Blood Frenzy (Ex) A bulezau that takes damage in 
  combat can fly into a frenzy in the following round, 
  attacking madly until either it or its opponent is dead. 
  It gains +2 Strength and Constitution, and it takes a –
  2 penalty to Armor Class. A bulezau cannot end its 
  frenzy voluntarily. 
  Mirror Jump (Su) Mirror demons can move through 
  mirrored and reflective surfaces at will. This effect is 
  similar to greater teleport. As a standard action, the 
  mirror demon must touch a mirror or other highly 
  reflective surface. The mirror demon then exists from 
  another mirror within range. It can only take itself plus 
  50 lbs. in objects with it. 
   
  If a mirror demon touches a regular mirror, the mirror 
  jump happens automatically. A mirror demon can 
  also touch a highly reflective surface, such as a 
  polished metal shield or armor. This surface must be 
  clear glass, a still pool of water, or shiny metal. There 
  is a 30% chance that the surface is reflective enough 
  for the mirror demon to make the mirror jump. 
  However, a mirror demon can only enter a 
  nonmirrored surface – it can return only through a 
  normal mirror. 
  Powerful Charge (Ex) A bulezau typically begins battle 
  by charging at an opponent. In addition to the normal 
  benefits and hazards of a charge, this allows a 
  bulezau to make a single gore attack with a +2 attack 
  bonus that deals 6d6+16 points of damage. 
  Reflective Spell Resistance (Su) A mirror demon has 
  a special type of spell resistance that causes any 
  targeted spell it successfully resist to bounce off and 
  reflect back at the caster. The caster becomes either 
  the spell’s target or the point of origin for the spell’s 
  effect, as appropriate. In addition, mirror demons are 
  immune to gaze attacks, and such an effect is 
  reflected back to its origin. 
  Wield Oversized Weapons (Ex) A bulezau is skilled at 
  wielding weapons one size category larger than itself 
  and does not take any penalties when fighting with 
  such weapons. 
  Summon Tanar’ri (Sp) Once per day, a bulezau can 
  attempt to summon 1d6 dretches or 1d4 rutterkin with 
  a 50% chance of success. This ability is the 
  equivalent of a 3rd-level spell (CL 20th). 
   
  11: IN SERVICE OF A PRINCE 
  WELL GUARDIAN 
  CR 19 
  Male maelephant* 
  *Fiend Folio 120  
  LE Large outsider (evil, extraplanar, lawful) 
  Init +0; Senses darkvision 240 ft., keen senses, low-
  light vision, scent, true seeing; Listen +34, Spot +34 
  Aura anticipate teleportation (100 ft.) 
  Languages Common, Infernal  
  AC 26, touch 8, flat-footed 26 
   (-2 size, +0 Dex, +4 armor, +14 natural); 5 ranks 
  Balance 
  hp 252 (24 HD); fast healing 2; DR 10/magic 
  SR 19 
  Fort +19, Ref +14, Will +21 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)  
  Melee claws +32/+32 (2d6+10) and 
   
  trunk spike +30 (3d6+5) 
  Ranged mwk crossbow +23 (3d6/19-20) 
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. 
  Base Atk +24; Grp +42  
  Atk Options breath weapon (DC 27) 3/day, frenzied 
  charge, improved grab, Power Attack 
  Special Actions defensive stance 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th): 
   At Will—alarm, entangle (DC 14), gust of wind (DC 
  15), light, true seeing�, warp wood (DC 15), web 
  (DC 15) 
   3/day—empowered blade barrier (DC 19), quickened 
  baleful polymorph (DC 18) 
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 31, Dex 10, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 20, Cha 16 
  SQ  
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 53 
  Feats Alertness, Armor Proficiency (light), Empower 
  Spell-Like Ability (blade barrier), Improved Natural 
  Attack (claw), Improved Toughness, Iron Will, 
  Multiattack, Power Attack, Quickened Spell-Like 
  Ability (baleful polymorph) 
  Skills Appraise +29, Balance +26, Concentration +32, 
  Diplomacy +5, Jump +36, Knowledge (the planes) 
  +29, Listen +34, Search +29, Sense Motive +34, 
  Spellcraft +29, Spot +34, Survival +7 (+9 following 
  tracks) 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork light 
  crossbow, 20 cold iron bolts, masterwork chain shirt 
  Breath Weapon (Su) 3/day a maelephant can breathe 
  out a cloud of noxious vapor 10 feet wide and 30 feet 
  long. Victims within the area of the cloud must make 
  a Fortitude save (DC 27) or suffer complete memory 
  loss. Memory loss suppresses all of a creature’s 
  ranks in its skills and its feats, and it prevents the use 
  of any class abilities (including spellcasting). 
  Currently prepared spells are not lost; they are simply 
  not accessible to be cast. Racial abilities are 
  retained. Additionally, the victim no longer knows who 
  its friends and enemies are, doesn’t remember its 
  past, and can’t even remember its name. The victim 
  can create new memories, but each time it sleeps or 
  rests, any new memories it has created vanish. This 
  condition can be cured by any affect that cures 
  poison (a heal or neutralize poison spell, for 
  example); otherwise, it is permanent. 
  Frenzied Charge (Ex) Once per minute, a maelephant 
  can make a frenzied charge. During the round in 
  which this occurs, the maelephant’s speed increases 
  to 45 feet and it gains a +2 bonus on all attack rolls. 
  This bonus stacks with any bonuses gained from 
  making a charge attack. 
  Improved Grab (Ex) If a maelephant hits an opponent 
  that is at least one size category smaller than itself 
  with a claw attack, it deals normal damage and 
  attempts to start a grapple as a free action without 
  provoking an attack of opportunity. If it gets a hold, it 
  automatically hits with its trunk-spike. Thereafter, the 
  maelephant has the option to conduct the grapple 
  normally, or simply use its claw to hold the opponent 
  (-20 penalty on grapple check, but the maelephant is 
  considered grappled). In either case, each successful 
  grapple check it makes during successive rounds 
  automatically deals claw damage. 
  Defensive Stance (Ex) One per encounter, a 
  maelephant can adopt a defensive stance as a free 
  action on its turn. In this defensive stance, the 
  maelephant gains +2 Strength, +4 Constitution, a +2 
  resistance bonus to all saves, and a +4 dodge bonus 
  to Armor Class. The benefits persist for a number of 
  rounds equal to 3 + maelephant’s newly improved 
  Constitution modifier, or until the maelephant moves. 
  While in a defensive stance, a maelphant cannot use 
  skills or abilities that require it to shift its position. A 
  maelephant can end its defensive stance at will. At 
  the end of the defensive stance, the maelephant 
  takes a –2 penalty to Strength for the duration of the 
  current encounter. 
  Keen Senses (Ex) A maelephant’s sight is four times as 
  good as a human’s.  
   
  12: FREEING MADNESS 
  LORN ALDYR 
  CR 15 
  Male human cleric 15 
  CE Medium humanoid (human) 
  Init -1; Senses Listen +3, Spot +3 
  Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common  
  AC 28, touch 13, flat-footed 28 
   (-1 Dex, +10 armor, +5 shield, +4 deflection); 20% 
  miss chance 
  hp 108 (15 HD); DR 3/- (until it absorbed 30 points of 
  damage) 
  Immune grapple, magical paralysis and movement 
  constraints (freedom of movement), enervation/magic 
  missile/Ottiluke’s resilient sphere (spell immunity)  
  Resist acid 30; SR 27 (spell resistance) 
  Fort +13, Ref +6, Will +15 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base speed 30 ft. 
  Melee mwk heavy mace +12/+7/+2 (1d8) or 
  Melee spiked gauntlet +11/+6/+1 (1d4) 
  Ranged sling +10 (1d4) 
  Base Atk +11; Grp +11  
  Atk Options domain spontaneity, smite 1/day (+4 atk, 
  +15 dmg), spontaneous inflict 
  Special Actions rebuke undead 4/day 
  Combat Gear anklet of translocation, hellcat gauntlets, 
  ring of counterspells (greater dispel magic), scroll of 
  mass aid, scroll of obscuring mist, scroll of remove 
  fear, scroll of remove paralysis 
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 15th): 
   8th—maddening screamD, unholy aura (DC 23) 
   7th—disintegrateD (DC 22), extended mass bear’s 
  endurance, quickened inflict serious wounds (DC 
  20) 
   6th—blade barrier (DC 21), greater dispel magic, 
  harmD (DC 23), heal 
   5th—mass inflict light woundsD (DC 22), greater 
  command (DC 20), flame strike (DC 20), quickened 
  protection from good, slay living (DC 22), spell 
  resistance� 
   4th—confusionD (DC 19), cure critical wounds, 
  extended magic vestment�, freedom of 
  movement�, recitation, spell immunity� 
   3rd—bestow curse (DC 20), blindness/deafness (DC 
  20), contagionD (DC 20), cure serious wounds, 
  dispel magic (2), mass aid 
   2nd—calm emotions (DC 17), resist energy (2)�, 
  silence (DC 17), touch of madnessD (DC 17) 
   1st—bless, cure light wounds (2), entropic shield, 
  inflict light woundsD (DC 18), sanctuary (DC 16), 
  shield of faith (2)� 
   0—detect magic (2), detect poison (2), guidance, light 
  D: Domain spell. Deity: Tharizdun. Domains: 
  Destruction, Madness  
  �Already cast 
  Abilities Str 10, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 21, Cha 12 
  Feats Domain Spontaneity (Madness), Extend Spell, 
  Greater Spell Focus (necromancy), Quicken Spell, 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 54 
  Skill Focus (concentration), Spell Focus 
  (necromancy)  
  Skills Concentration +23, Diplomacy +19, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +11, Knowledge (the planes) +11, 
  Knowledge (religion) +20, Spellcraft +22 
  Possessions combat gear plus masterwork heavy 
  mace, spiked gauntlet, dagger, sling, 10 bullets, +2 
  full plate, masterwork heavy wooden shield (+3 due 
  to magic vestment), periapt of wisdom +4, vest of 
  resistance +2, minor cloak of displacement, lesser 
  iron ward diamond, wooden holy symbol, spell 
  component pouch 
  Madness (Ex) –1 to wisdom based skill checks and Will 
  saving throws. 1/day +7 to one such check or save. 
   
  KAZIEL THE DARK 
  CR 18 
  Female justice archon* blackguard 7/entropomancer** 5 
  *MM IV 80; ** Complete Divine 36 
  CE Medium outsider (archon, chaotic, evil) 
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen 
  +12, Spot +12 
  Aura aura of despair (10 ft., -2 saves), magic circle 
  against good (10 ft.), menace (20 ft., DC 18) 
  Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, tongues  
  AC 27, touch 14, flat-footed 26 
   (+1 Dex, +11 armor, +3 deflection, +2 natural armor) 
  hp 220 (18 HD) plus 10 temporary hit points (aid); DR 
  10/good 
  Immune acid (first 48 points of damage), electricity, 
  petrification and grapple, magical paralysis and 
  effects that inhibit movement (freedom of movement) 
  SR 21 
  Fort +29 (+33 against poison), Ref +15, Will +20 (+21 
  vs. fear (aid)) 
  Speed 20 ft. in full plate (4 squares), base speed 30 ft., 
  fly 40 ft. (good) in full plate, base fly speed 60 ft.; 
  Melee* +1 corrupt brilliant energy greatsword 
  +26/+21/+16/+11 (2d6+13/17-20) or 
  Melee* spiked gauntlet +25/+20/+15/+10 (1d4+8) 
  Ranged* mwk composite longbow +19/+14/+9/+4 
  (1d8+4/x3) 
  * Includes +1 morale bonus due to aid spell 
  Base Atk +16; Grp +24  
  Atk Options Cleave, Divine Armor, Improved Sunder, 
  Power Attack, aligned strike (chaotic, evil), command 
  undead 6/day (lvl 5), entropic field 2/day (reroll), 
  justice strike, poison use, shard of entropy 2/day (DC 
  17), smite good 2/day (+3 atk, +7 dmg), sneak attack 
  +2d6 
  Combat Gear potion of remove blindness 
  Blackguard Spells Prepared (CL 4th): 
   4th—freedom of movement� 
   3rd—inflict serious wounds (DC 16), protection from 
  energy� 
   2nd—cure moderate wounds (2), death knell (DC 15) 
   1st—corrupt weapon�, resurgence (2) 
  �Already cast 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th): 
   At Will—aid�, continual flame, detect evil, detect 
  good, teleport (self plus 50 lb. of objects only) 
  Abilities Str 27, Dex 12, Con 24, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 16 
  SQ archon traits 
  Feats Cleave, Divine Armor, Great Fortitude, Improved 
  Critical (greatsword), Improved Sunder, Magical 
  Aptitude, Power Attack  
  Skills Concentration +20, Diplomacy +16, Hide +7, 
  Intimidate +14, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge 
  (religion) +4, Listen +12, Move Silently +0, Sense 
  Motive +12, Spellcraft +11, Spot +12 
  Possessions combat gear plus +1 brilliant energy* 
  greatsword, spiked gauntlet, masterwork might 
  composite longbow, 20 arrows, +3 full plate armor, 
  belt of giant strength +4, gloves of dexterity +2, 
  amulet of natural armor +2, cloak of resistance +3, 
  ring of protection +3, wooden holy symbol, spell 
  component pouch 
  * Unlike a normal brilliant energy blade this sword is 
  made out of absolute darkness. 
  Aura of Menace (Su) A righteous aura surrounds 
  archons that fight or get angry. Any hostile creature 
  within a 20-foot radius of an archon must succeed on 
  a Will save to resist its effects. Those who fail take a -
  2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or 
  until they successfully hit the archon that generated 
  the aura. A creature that has resisted or broken the 
  effect cannot be affected again by the same archon’s 
  aura for 24 hours. 
  Justice Strike (Su) A justice archon that hits with a 
  melee attack can choose to use this special ability 
  instead of dealing normal weapon damage. Justice 
  strike deals the damage of the struck opponent’s 
  primary melee attack. This damage includes effects 
  that apply automatically on a hit, such as energy 
  damage or poison, but not those from optional effects 
  or feats, such as Power Attack. 
  Magic Circle against Good (Su) A magic circle against 
  good effect always surrounds an archon (caster level 
  13th). (The defensive benefits from the circle are not 
  included in an archon’s statistics block.) 
  Entropic Field (Su) As a standard action, an 
  entropomancer can surround herself with a field of 
  invisible, entropic energy that lasts for 1 
  round/entropomancer level. The field extends in a 5-
  foot/entropomancer level radius, centered on the 
  entropomancer. All magical healing automatically 
  fails within the entropic field. It takes the 
  entropomancer a standard action to dismiss the 
  entropic field. 
   
  At 5th level, the entropic field becomes strong 
  enough to warp the laws of probability. Once per 
  round, as a free action, the entropomancer can force 
  a character within the field (including herself) to reroll 
  an attack, save or check. The entropomancer 
  demands the reroll after she knows whether the 
  attack, save, or check succeeded or failed, but before 
  the exact consequences have been calculated and 
  applied. The result of the reroll takes precedence, 
  even if it’s worse than the original roll. 
  Shard of Entropy (Su) 2/day, for a maximum of 1 
  round/entropomancer level, the character can create 
  a miniature shard of entropy. The shard is a chunk of 
  absolute blackness, 2 inches across, and can be 
  moved up to 30 feet by the entropomancer as a 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 55 
  standard action. Against objects, the shard deals 3d6 
  points of damage, bypassing the object’s hardness. 
  Against creatures, the entropomancer must make a 
  ranged touch attack to hit, and if successful the shard 
  deals 3d6 points of damage to the target (Fortitude 
  half, DC 12 + entropomancer’s Wis modifier). The 
  shard appears in any square adjacent to the 
  entropomancer when it is created, and it can be used 
  to attack on the round it is formed. 
   
  The shard of entropy lurches, jumps, and bounces 
  around the square it’s in. Any creature who passes 
  through the shard’s square takes damage as if the 
  shard struck him (Fortitude half), as does any 
  creature that’s in the same square as the shard at the 
  beginning of the entropomancer’s turn. The 
  entropomancer can move the shard into another 
  square with a move action, or aim it at a specific 
  creature (dealing damage immediately) as a standard 
  action. 
  Teleport (Su) Archons can use greater teleport at will, 
  as the spell (caster level 14th), except that the 
  creature can transport only itself and up to 50 pounds 
  of objects. 
  Tongues (Su) All archons can speak with any creature 
  that has a language, as though using a tongues spell 
  (caster level 14th). This ability is always active. 
   
  VOID SLAYER 
  CR 15 
  Evolved* advanced bodak 
  *Libris Mortis 99 
  CE Large undead 
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +24, Spot +24 
  Languages Abyssal  
  AC 22, touch 11, flat-footed 20 
   (-1 size, +2 Dex, +11 natural); Dodge, Mobility 
  hp 217 (29 HD); fast heal 3; DR 10/cold iron 
  Immune electricity, undead immunities 
  Resist acid 10, fire 10, positive energy 10, turn 
  resistance +4 
  Fort +9, Ref +11, Will +19 
  Weakness  vulnerability to sunlight 
  Speed 20 ft. (4 squares); 
  Melee slam +22 (2d6+8) 
  Base Atk +14; Grp +26  
  Atk Options death gaze (30 ft., DC 28) 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 29th): 
   1/day—greater dispel magic 
  Abilities Str 27, Dex 14, Con –, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 14 
  Feats Ability Focus (death gaze), Alertness, Dodge, 
  Improved Initiative, Improved Toughness, Improved 
  turn resistance, Iron Will, Mobility, Positive Energy 
  Resistance, Weapon Focus (slam)  
  Skills Listen +24, Move Silently +26, Spot +24 
  Possessions combat gear plus  
  Death Gaze (Su) Death, range 30 feet, Fortitude DC 28 
  negates. Humanoids who die from this attack are 
  transformed into bodaks 24 hours later.  
  Vulnerability to Sunlight (Ex) Bodaks loath sunlight, 
  for its merest touch burns their impure flesh. Each 
  round of exposure to the direct rays of the sun deals 
  1 point of damage to the creature. 
   
   
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
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  APPENDIX 2: NEW RULES ITEMS 
  FEATS 
  Chain Spell [metamagic] 
  You can cast spells that arc to other targets in addition to 
  the primary target. 
   
  Prerequisite: Any metamagic feat. 
   
  Benefit: Any spell that specifies a single target and 
  has a range greater than touch can be chained so as to 
  affect that primary target normally, then arc to a number 
  of secondary targets equal to your caster level (maximum 
  20). Each arc affects one secondary target chosen by you, 
  all of which must be within 30 feet of the primary target, 
  and none of which can be affected more than once. You 
  can choose to affect fewer secondary targets than the 
  maximum. 
   
  If the chained spell deals damage, the secondary 
  targets each take half as much damage as the primary 
  target (rounded down) and can attempt Reflex saving 
  throws for half damage (whether the spell allows the 
  original target a save or not). For spells that don’t deal 
  damage, the save DCs against arcing effects are reduced 
  by 4. 
   
  A chained spell uses up a spell slot three levels 
  higher than the spell’s actual level. 
   
  Source: Complete Arcane 76. 
   
  Divine Armor 
  You call upon your deity to protect you in your hour of 
  need by wreathing you in divine power that wards off 
  your enemies’ attacks. 
   
  Prerequisites: Divine caster level 5th, ability to turn 
  or rebuke undead. 
   
  Benefit: As a swift action, you can expend a turn or 
  rebuke undead attempt to gain damage reduction 5/– 
  until the start of your next turn. 
   
  Source: Players Handbook II 88. 
   
  Domain Spontaneity 
  You are so familiar with one of your domains that you can 
  convert other prepared spells into spells from that 
  domain. 
   
  Prerequisite: Ability to turn or rebuke undead. 
   
  Benefit: Each time you take this feat, choose a 
  domain that you have access to. You may now convert 
  prepared divine spells into any spell from that domain. 
  You expend a spell of equal or higher level, as well as 
  expending one of your daily turn undead attempts. This 
  works just as good clerics spontaneously cast prepared 
  spells as cure spells. 
   
  Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each 
  time you take the feat, it applies to a new domain. 
   
  Source: Complete Divine 80. 
   
  Improved Toughness [General] 
  You are significantly tougher than normal. 
   
  Prerequisites: Base Fortitude save bonus +2. 
   
  Benefit: You gain a number of hit points equal to 
  your current Hit Dice. Each time you gain a Hit Die (such 
  as by gaining a level), you gain 1 additional hit point. If 
  you lose a Hit Die (such as by losing a level), you lose 1 
  hit point permanently. 
   
  Source: Libris Mortis 27. 
   
  Improved Turn Resistance [Monstrous] 
  You have a better than normal chance to resist turning. 
   
  Prerequisite: Undead type. 
   
  Benefits: You are less easily affected by clerics or 
  paladins than you normally would be (see Turn or 
  Rebuke Undead, page 159 of the Player’s Handbook). 
  When resolving a turn, rebuke, command, or bolster 
  attempt, add +4 to your character level (monster Hit Dice 
  plus class levels) to determine your Hit Dice for turn, 
  rebuke, command, and bolster attempts. 
   
  Source: Libris Mortis 27. 
   
  Knockback 
  By putting your bulk behind a blow, you can push your 
  enemy backward. 
   
  Prerequisites: Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, 
  size Large or Larger. 
   
  Benefit: If you score a hit while you are using the 
  Power Attack feat, you can make a free bull rush attempt 
  against the foe you hit, applying the number by which 
  you reduced your attack roll as a bonus on the opposed 
  Strength check (as well as on the damage you deal). If you 
  hit with a two-handed weapon, you can apply double that 
  number on the opposed Strength check. Unlike standard 
  bull rush attempts, knockback attempts don’t provoke 
  attacks of opportunity, and you don’t move with the 
  enemy you knock backward. Bull rush rules can be found 
  on page 154 of the Player’s Handbook. 
   
  Special: A fighter may select knockback as one of 
  his fighter bonus feats (see page 38 of the Player’s 
  Handbook). 
   
  Source: Races of Stone 142. 
   
  Positive Energy Resistance [Monstrous] 
  You are resistant to the damage dealt by positive energy 
  effects. 
   
  Prerequisite: Undead type. 
   
  Benefit: You gain resistance 10 against positive 
  energy effects, such as cure spells. 
   
  Source: Libris Mortis 29. 
   
  MAGIC ITEMS 
  Anklet of Translocation 
  Price: 1,400 gp 
  Body Slot: Feet 
  Caster Level: 7th  
  Aura: Moderate; (DC 18) conjuration  
  Activation: swift (command) 
  Weight: -- 
  
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  An anklet of translocation allows you to make short 
  dimensional hops. When it is activated, you can instantly 
  teleport with no chance of error) up to 10 feet. The new 
  space must be within line of sight and line of effect. 
   
  You can’t use the anklet to move into a space 
  occupied by another creature not can you teleport into a 
  solid object, if you attempt to do so, the anklet’s activation 
  is wasted. You can bring along objects weighing up to 
  your maximum load, but you can’t take another creature 
  with you. 
   
  An anklet of translocation functions two times per day. 
   
  Prerequisites Craft Wondrous Item, dimension door 
   
  Cost to create: 700, 56xp 2days 
   
  Deadly Precision 
  Price: +1 bonus 
  Property: Melee weapon 
  Caster Level: 5th 
  Aura: Faint; (DC 17) transmutation 
  Activation: – 
   
  A deadly precision weapon deals an extra 1d6 points 
  of damage whenever you make a successful sneak attack 
  or sudden strike (Cad 8) with it. The property grants no 
  benefit if you don’t already have one of these class 
  features, and its bonus doesn’t increase if you have both. 
   
  Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, keen edge. 
   
  Cost to Create: Varies. 
   
  Source: Magic Item Compendium 32. 
   
  Enervating 
  Price: +2 bonus 
  Property: Weapon 
  Caster Level: 11th 
  Aura: Moderate; (DC 10) necromancy 
  Activation: – 
   
  When you score a critical hit against a living creature 
  with an enervating weapon, the weapon bestows one 
  negative level on the target. 
   
  Assuming the subject survives, it regains lost levels 
  after 1 hour. Usually, negative levels have a chance of 
  permanently draining a victim’s levels, but the negative 
  levels from the enervating property don’t last long 
  enough to do so. 
   
  Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, enervation. 
   
  Cost to Create: Varies. 
   
  Source: Magic Item Compendium 34. 
   
  Hellcat Gauntlets 
  Price (Item Level): 3,200 gp (8th) 
  Body Slot: Hands 
  Caster Level: 7th 
  Aura: Moderate (DC 18); transmutation 
  Activation: Swift (command) 
  Weight: - 
   
  When you activate hellcat gauntlets, the next spell you cast 
  during your turn that targets a single creature also deals 
  1d6 points of slashing damage per level of the spell, 
  unless the spell has no effect on the target (due to spell 
  resistance or a save negative the spell, for example), in 
  which case the extra damage is negated. 
   
  This ability functions three times per day, but it can’t 
  be activated in consecutive rounds.  
   
  Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, spectral hand, keen 
  edge. 
   
  Cost to Create: 1,600 gp, 128 xp, 4 days. 
   
  Source: Magic Item Compendium 111 
   
  Iron Ward Diamond 
  Price (Item Level): 500 gp (3rd) (least), 2,000 gp (6th) 
  (lesser), or 8,000 gp (11th) (greater) 
  Body Slot: – (armor crystal) 
  Caster Level: 7th 
  Aura: Moderate; (DC 18) evocation 
  Activation: – 
  Weight: – 
   
  An iron ward diamond lends its toughness to armor, 
  helping it absorb blows in combat. 
   
  Least: The least version of this augment crystal 
  grants you damage reduction 1/–. This damage reduction 
  stacks with similar damage reduction granted by any 
  other source. Once the clasp has prevented a total of 10 
  points of damage, it becomes inert until the following 
  day. 
   
  Lesser: As the least crystal, except that it grants 
  damage reduction 3/– until it has prevented a total of 30 
  points of damage. A lesser iron ward diamond functions 
  only when attached to medium or heavy armor. 
   
  Greater: As the least crystal, except that it grants 
  damage reduction 5/– until it has prevented a total of 50 
  points of damage. A greater iron ward diamond functions 
  only when attached to heavy armor. 
   
  Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, stoneskin. 
   
  Cost to Create: 250 gp, 20 XP, 1 day (least); 1,000 gp, 80 
  XP, 2 days (lesser); 4,000 gp, 320 XP, 8 days (greater). 
   
  Source: Magic Item Compendium 26. 
   
  Raptor’s Mask 
  Price (Item Level): 3,500 gp (8th) 
  Body Slot: Face 
  Caster Level: 5th 
  Aura: Faint (DC 17); divination 
  Activation: – 
  Weight: – 
   
  A raptor’s mask grants you a +5 bonus on Spot checks and 
  renders you immune to effects that would leave you 
  blinded or dazzled. 
   
  Prerequisites: 
  Craft 
  Wondrous 
  Item, 
  clairaudience/clairvoyance, glitterdust, possession of a piece 
  of the set. 
   
  Cost to create: 1,750 gp, 140 XP, 4 days. 
   
  Source: Magic Item Compendium 210. 
   
  Vampiric 
  Price: +2 bonus 
  Property: Melee weapon 
  Caster Level: 9th 
  
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  Aura: Moderate; (DC 19) necromancy 
  Activation: – 
   
  A vampiric weapon deals an extra 1d6 points of 
  damage to any living creature it hits, and you heal damage 
  equal to this amount. 
   
  Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, vampiric 
  touch. 
   
  Cost to Create: Varies. 
   
  Source: Magic Item Compendium 45. 
   
  SPELLS 
  Madness Domain 
  Granted Power: You subtract 1 from all Wisdom-based 
  skill checks and all Will saves. However, once per day, 
  you can see and act with the clarity of true madness: Add 
  one-half your level to a single Wisdom-based skill check 
  or Will save. You must choose to use this benefit before 
  the check or save is rolled. 
  1. 
  Confusion, lesser 
  2. 
  Touch of madness 
  3. 
  Rage 
  4. 
  Confusion 
  5. 
  Bolts of bedevilment 
  6. 
  Phantasmal killer 
  7. 
  Insanity 
  8. 
  Maddening scream 
  9. 
  Weird 
  Source: Spell Compendium 276. 
   
  Aid, Mass 
  Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting] 
  Level: Cleric 3 
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) 
  Targets: One or more creatures, no two of which are 
  more than 30 ft. apart 
  This spell functions like aid (Player’s Handbook 196), 
  except that it affects multiple subjects at a distance and 
  each subject gains temporary hit points equal to 1d8 + 
  caster level (to a maximum of 1d8+15). 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 8. 
   
  Anticipate Teleportation 
  Abjuration 
  Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 3 
  Components: V, S, F 
  Casting Time: 10 minutes 
  Range: One willing creature touched 
  Area: 5ft./level emanation from touched creature. 
  Duration: 24 hours. 
  Saving Throw: None 
  Spell Resistance: No 
   
  The subject of the spell is surrounded by an invisible aura 
  that anticipates and delays teleportation of any creature 
  into spell’s area. Any teleportation spell or effect 
  (including all spells with teleportation description) can 
  be anticipated, making the spells recipient instantly 
  aware of exact location where teleporting creature will 
  arrive (subject to restrictions below), the creatures size 
  and how many other creatures (and their size) are 
  arriving with it. The spell also delays the arrival of 
  teleporting creature by 1 round, so it arrives on its own 
  initiative count immediately before its next turn, 
  generally giving the recipient of the spell and anyone else 
  made aware of the information 1 round to act or ready 
  weapons. The teleporting creature(s) do not perceive this 
  delay.  
   
  Since teleporting creature does not necessarily arrive 
  at precise location it intends, this spell affects a creature 
  arriving in range, even if its original destination was 
  elsewhere. For a creature that intends to teleport into 
  range but inadvertently arrives outside the spell’s area, 
  the spell gives recipient awareness that a creature has 
  attempted to teleport into range and delays the creature 
  as normal, but doesn’t give any awareness as to the actual 
  location of it’s imminent arrival. The spell has no effect 
  on creatures attempting to teleport away from the spell’s 
  area, though if their destination is within the area, the 
  spell will affect re-entry as normal. 
   
  Focus: A tiny hourglass of platinum and crystal 
  costing 500 gp, which must be carried or worn by the 
  spell’s recipient while spell is in effect. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 13 
   
  Critical Strike 
  Divination 
  Level: Assassin 1, bard 1, sorcerer/wizard 1 
  Components: V 
  Casting Time: 1 swift action 
  Range: Personal 
  Target: You 
  Duration: 1 round 
   
  Whenever you make a melee attack against a flanked foe 
  or against a foe denied its Dexterity bonus, you deal an 
  extra 1d6 points of damage, your weapon’s threat range is 
  doubled (as if under the effect of keen edge), and you gain a 
  +4 insight bonus on rolls made to confirm critical threats. 
  The increased threat range granted by this spell doesn’t 
  stack with any other effect that increases your weapon’s 
  threat range. Creatures immune to extra damage from 
  sneak attacks are immune to the extra damage dealt by 
  your attacks.  
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 56. 
   
  Distract Assailant 
  Enchantment (compulsion) [Mind-Affecting] 
  Level: Assassin 1, sorcerer/wizard 1 
  Components: V, S, M 
  Casting Time: 1 swift action 
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5ft./2 levels) 
  Target: One creature 
  Duration: 1 round 
  Saving Throw: Will negates 
  Spell Resistance: Yes 
   
  A creature affected by this spell is flat-footed until the 
  beginning of its next turn. 
  
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  Material Component: The dried wing of a fly. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 69. 
   
  Find the Gap 
  Divination 
  Level: Assassin 3, paladin 3, ranger 3 
  Components: V 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action 
  Range: Personal 
  Target: You 
  Duration: 1 round/level 
   
  You gain the ability to perceive weak points in your 
  opponent’s armor. Your first melee or ranged attack each 
  round is resolved as a touch attack, disregarding the 
  subject’s armor, shield and natural armor bonuses 
  (including any enhancement bonuses) to Armor Class. 
  Other AC bonuses, such as dodge bonuses, deflection 
  bonuses, and luck bonuses, still apply. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 91 
   
  Ice Knife 
  Conjuration (Creation) [Cold]  
  Level: Assassin 2, sorcerer/wizard 2, warmage 2, wu jen 2 
  (water) 
  Components: S, M  
  Casting Time: 1 standard action  
  Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)  
  Effect: One icy missile  
  Duration: Instantaneous  
  Saving Throw: Fortitude partial or Reflex half; see text 
  Spell Resistance: Yes  
   
  You must succeed on a normal ranged attack to hit (with 
  a +2 bonus on the attack roll for every two caster levels). 
  If it hits, an ice knife deals 2d8 points of cold damage and 
  2 points of Dexterity damage (a successful Fortitude save 
  negates the Dexterity damage). Creatures that have 
  immunity to cold also take no Dexterity damage 
  automatically. 
   
  A knife that misses creates a shower of ice crystals in 
  a 10-foot-radius burst (see Missing with a Thrown 
  Weapon, PH 158, to determine where the shard hits). The 
  icy burst deals 1d8 points of cold damage to all creatures 
  within the area (Reflex half). 
   
  Material Component: A drop of water or piece of ice. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 119 
   
  Phantom Foe 
  Illusion (Phantasm) [Mind-Affecting] 
  Level: Assassin 2, sorcerer/wizard 2 
  Components: V, S, F 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action 
  Range: Touch 
  Target: Creature touched 
  Duration: 1 round/level 
  Saving Throw: Will disbelief 
  Spell Resistance: No 
   
  If the target creature fails its saving throw, this spell 
  creates in the subject’s mind an illusory double of 
  whichever creature currently threatens it that it deems 
  most dangerous. The form of this phantom foe changes as 
  appropriate whenever the target perceives a different 
  threatening creature more dangerous than the last. This 
  illusory double provides two effects. 
   
  First, the subject believes it is being flanked by the 
  phantom foe and the real creature the foe duplicates. Thus, 
  the duplicated creature is always considered to be 
  flanking the subject in melee. A creature that can’t be 
  flanked is immune to this aspect of the spell. 
   
  Second, the subject of the spell is unable to 
  determine that the phantom foe is not a real threat, and 
  whenever the subject attempts to the creature duplicated 
  by the phantom foe, that creature benefits from a 50% miss 
  chance against attacks from the subject of the spell/ 
  Because this miss chance comes from the subject’s 
  inability to tell the phantom foe from the original, it is 
  rolled separately from any miss chance that applies due to 
  displacement or concealment. 
   
  Creatures other than the subject cannot see the 
  phantom foe, although they can attempt to guess its 
  location by how the target acts. If the subject is not 
  threatened by any creature at the start of its turn, the spell 
  ends. 
   
  Focus: A tiny pewter figure of a warrior that is worth 
  10 gp. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 156. 
   
  Recitation 
  Conjuration (Creation) 
  Level: Cleric 4, purification 3 
  Components: V, S, DF 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action 
  Range: 60 ft. 
  Area: all allies and foes within a 60-ft.-radius burst 
  centered on you 
  Duration: 1 round/level 
  Saving Throw: None 
  Spell Resistance: Yes 
   
  This spell affects all allies within the spell’s area at the 
  moment you cast it. Your allies gain a +2 luck bonus to 
  AC, on attack rolls, and on saving throws, or a +3 luck 
  bonus if they worship the same deity as you. 
   
  Divine Focus: In addition to your holy symbol, this 
  spell requires a sacred text as a divine focus. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 170. 
   
  Resurgence 
  Abjuration 
  Level: Blackguard 1, cleric 1, paladin 1 
  Components: V, S, DF 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action 
  Range: Touch 
  Target: Creature touched 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) 
  
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  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) 
   
  The subject of a resurgence spell can make a second 
  attempt to save against an ongoing spell, spell-like ability, 
  or supernatural ability, such as dominate person. If the 
  subject of resurgence is affected by more than one ongoing 
  magical effect, the subject chooses one of them to retry 
  the save against. If the subject succeeds on the saving 
  throw on the second attempt, the effect ends 
  immediately. Resurgence never restores hit points or 
  ability score damage, bit it does eliminate any conditions 
  such as shaken, fatigued, or nauseated that were caused 
  by a spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural ability. 
   
  If a spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural ability 
  doesn’t allow a save (such as power word stun), then 
  resurgence won’t help the subject recover. 
   
  Touch of Madness 
  Enchantment [Mind-Affecting] 
  Level: Madness 2 
  Components: V, S 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action 
  Range: Touch 
  Target: Creature touched 
  Duration: 1 round/level 
  Saving Throw: Will negates 
  Spell Resistance: Yes 
   
  You can cause one living creature to become dazed by 
  making a successful touch attack. If the target creature 
  does not make a successful Will save, its mind is clouded 
  and it takes no actions for 1 round per caster level. 
   
  Source: Spell Compendium 221. 
   
  MONSTERS 
  VIPER TREE, ELDER* 
  CR 9 
  *Expedition to the Demon Web Pits 212  
  Often CE Huge plant (extraplanar) 
  Init +1; Senses low-light vision, sense good; Listen +2, 
  Spot +12 
  Languages Abyssal  
  AC 21, touch 9, flat-footed 20 
   (-2 size, +1 Dex, +12 natural) 
  hp 137 (11 HD); DR 10/good or magic 
  Immune acid, cold, critical hits, gas, paralysis, poison, 
  polymorph, sleep, stunning 
  SR 18 
  Fort +15, Ref +4, Will +3 
  Weakness vulnerability to fire 
  Speed 10 ft. (2 squares); 
  Melee 4 bites +18 each (2d6+12/19-20 plus poison)  
  Ranged broken branch +7 (4d8+28 plus poison) 
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. 
  Base Atk +8; Grp +28 
  Atk Options Combat Reflexes, Multiattack, Snatch; 
  poison (Fort DC 23, 1d4 Str + paralysis for 2d6 
  rounds/2d8+2 Str) 
  Special Actions broken branch, ingest, viper hiss 
  Abilities Str 34, Dex 12, Con 26, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 12 
  SQ sense good, plant traits (MM 313) 
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Critical (bite), 
  Multiattack, Snatch  
  Skills Hide –2, Listen +2, Spot +12 
  Sense Good (Ex) An elder viper tree can use its 
  flickering snake tongue to sense good-aligned 
  creatures within 40 feet. 
  Broken Branch (Ex) An elder viper tree can detach one 
  or more of its branches and hurl them as missiles 
  with a range of 20 feet and no range increment. Each 
  branch has a speed of 30 feet, 46 hit points, and 
  deals 4d8+28 points of damage, but it retains the 
  same attack bonus and poisonous bite as the parent 
  tree. A broken branch leaves a trail of brown-amber 
  sap wherever it goes and dies within an hour. 
  Ingest (Ex) An elder viper tree can swallow a paralyzed 
  Small creature without difficulty as a full-round action 
  by picking it up and dropping it into the maw at the 
  center of its branches. It needs 5 rounds to swallow a 
  Medium creature and cannot swallow a Large or 
  larger creature at all. A creature being ingested is 
  treated as pinned. If the paralysis wears off before 
  the tree can finish swallowing a Medium creature, it 
  can attempt to break the pin and escape. 
  Viper Hiss (Ex) The rattling hiss of an elder viper tree 
  can entice creatures to walk toward it for a single 
  round at normal movement. For each target the elder 
  viper tree attempts to affect with this ability, it must 
  give up one of its bite attacks for that round. The 
  effects do not stack, so multiple hissing heads still 
  require only a single saving throw per listener. This is 
  a sonic, mind-affecting ability, and it can be negated 
  with a DC 16 Will save. The save DC is Charisma-
  based. Once a creature is affected by the hiss, or 
  makes a successful save against it, it cannot be 
  affected by the same elder viper tree’s hiss for 24 
  hours. 
   
   
   
  
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  APPENDIX 3:  
  BROKEN REACH AT A GLANCE
  � Broken Reach (small town): Conventional; AL 
  CE; 3,000 gp limit*; Assets 375,000 gp*; Population: 
  1,766; Mixed (75% demons, 25% other). 
   
  Authority Figures: Red Shoud (CE female succubus 
  sorcerer 20), absolute ruler of Broken Reach; Glavag 
  (CE male 18 HD glaberezu, captain of the guard; 
  Azzertot  (CE male 18 HD nalfeshee), leader of the 
  secret police; Coin (CE male babau rogue 7), master of 
  the market. 
   
  Important Characters: Danion (CN male human 
  rogue 3/fighter 4), current favorite consort Red 
  Shroud. 
   
  Town Guard: The Red Guard (400 fiends, mostly 
  vrocks, bulezau and their hezrou officers). 
   
  * Due to its location at a gate into the Outlands, its 
  reputation as safe haven against demonic violence and 
  its ruler’s personal wealth the gp limit and assets are 
  higher than of a typical small town. 
    
  Broken Reach started as a fortress made out of 
  crumbling stone, built 200 years ago by the succubus 
  sorceress Red Shroud atop a portal to the Outlands 
  gate-town of Plague-Mort. For most of its existence it 
  remained little more than a big fortress, but recently 
  Red Shroud made several deals with powerful demon 
  princes. The result was that the fortress expended into 
  a little town. Red Shroud has little tolerance for 
  violence inside her town, and the power and influence 
  to back it up. As a result the town has become a hub of 
  trade and a center for diplomacy between various 
  demonic factions. It still is a town run by a demon and 
  her demonic servitors, and unless a visitor has the 
  power or right friends to protect himself, chances are 
  he ends up dead or worse. 
   
  DESCRIPTION 
  The above ground houses of Broken Reach are made 
  out of the local red-brown crumbling stone. The streets 
  are narrow, its alleys dark and filthy as are most of its 
  houses. There are several large rocks in town and 
  houses have been built on these as well. Ramps and 
  steep stairs lead up these rocks. Many houses have been 
  decorated with what mortals consider disturbing 
  carvings and statues.  The filth is surprisingly light on 
  food and feces – demons do not need to eat or drink. 
  Instead there are is a high amount of corpses of 
  creatures killed through violence in a town with a rule 
  against violence. 
   
  About one third of the town lies underground in a 
  complex maze of corridors and rooms. The main 
  corridors are wide, high, and well maintained. Side 
  corridors are smaller, their walls and ceilings are 
  crumbling and many parts have collapsed. The 
  dungeons below Red Shroud’s keep and the gate to 
  Plague-Mort are not connected with these parts of 
  town. 
   
  In the middle of the town rise the crumbling 
  towers of Red Shroud’s keep. It forms a distinct mark 
  that can be seen from everywhere in town. It is here 
  that personal guests of Red Shroud are quartered, 
  where she holds court, and where the gate to Plague-
  Mort is found. 
   
  For a town of its size and location it is surprisingly 
  silent. The sound of the wind, blowing constantly 
  through the dusty streets, is ever-present, and the 
  scuttling of dretches and other vermin resound from 
  every alley. Most other inhabitants rarely travel in large 
  groups and prefer not to draw too much attention to 
  themselves. The streets are mostly deserted except for 
  the occasional fiend or large group of mortals rushing 
  to their destination. 
   
  Laws 
  There is only one law in Broken Reach: do whatever 
  Red Shroud and her servitors want you to do. Luckily 
  Red Shroud likes her wealth and influence too much to 
  waste it on capricious whims and as long as people give 
  her a wide berth when not directly engaged in a 
  business deal with her, pay their taxes, and do not 
  break the rule of non-violence there is no problem. 
  Break one of these three rules and death comes swiftly, 
  and most likely extremely painfully. 
   
  The rule of nonviolence does not apply to 
  dretches, other lesser demons, and other vermin, nor 
  does it apply to your own slaves. Mortals getting inside 
  the town as free men cannot be enslaved by violence. 
  Being tricked into slavery is another matter. 
   
  IMPORTANT PLACES 
  Bazaar: The Bazaar is a large open square at the gates of 
  Broken Reach Keep both into the keep and the portal 
  to the Outlands under it. The square is usually an 
  empty dusty open space used on occasion for army 
  drills and public executions. Once a week merchants 
  arrive from the Outlands, quickly turning the square 
  into a large marketplace filled with tents, wagons and a 
  mixed crowd of mortals, fiends and other things. At 
  these times almost everything can be bought, but Red 
  Shroud has first pick and many of the juicier things 
  have already been sold. Most of the products offered 
  for sale are alchemist items, armor, poisons, slaves, 
  weapons and other tools of war. Clothing, drink and 
  food are somewhat uncommon, since demand for these 
  things is relatively low (they are mostly a status symbol 
  for demons who do not require food and drink). 
   
  Bliss: Bliss is the next best thing besides being guests 
  of Red Shroud, maybe better since the owner of Bliss is 
  not likely to kill his guests in a fit of anger. It caters to 
  
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  mortals, and for the right price almost everything can 
  be bought. It is expensive, though. It is located at the 
  Bazaar. 
   
  Broken Reach Keep: The keep Red Shroud built 200 
  years ago and it is still the heart of the town. It consists 
  of many towers, all looking like crumbling ruins, but 
  looks deceive. In reality these are still as strong and 
  sturdy as 200 years, and they have repulsed many an 
  assault force. On the outside it is clearly a defensive 
  structure with no luxuries or decorations. On the 
  inside it is very much the home of a succubus, 
  decadently richly furnished and filled with art. 
   
  Field of Iron Pikes: While violence is not allowed in 
  town, this law does not extend outside the city walls. So 
  demons take up their fights mostly directly outside the 
  town. The dusty flat field is riddled with sharp iron 
  pike-like contraption to add some extra excitement to a 
  fight and for the victor to pose the corpse as a trophy 
  for everybody to see. 
   
  Plucked Deva: The Plucked Deva is the favorite tavern 
  in town for mortals and it serves normal food and 
  drinks.  It is a quiet, shadowy place and its regulars 
  keep to themselves.  
   
  Sleeping 
  Zombie: 
  The 
  Sleeping 
  Zombie 
  is 
  ramshackle inn and tavern only better than sleeping in 
  the open air or confiscating a house for yourself 
  because the staff offers some protection against curious 
  demons. The beds are riddled with vermin, the place is 
  noisy (some say only a zombie would fall asleep in the 
  tavern), and the food and drink are of low quality, but it 
  is dirt cheap. 
   
  Snoring Fiend: The Snoring Fiend stands at the 
  Bazaar and it is the biggest inn and tavern in town. It 
  has a huge stable and guests can hire space at the 
  nearby warehouses for a reduced fee. Rooms come in 
  all kinds from luxurious suites to the spartan barrack-
  like sleeping halls. The staff brooks absolutely no 
  violence, theft or any other kind of hurtful behavior 
  and they have the power to back it up. Rumor has it 
  that Red Shroud is the secret owner of this tavern and 
  that she uses it to spy upon visitors of town. 
   
  Knowledge 
  Knowledge (the planes) – a bardic knowledge check 
  can be used to replace this check but with a +5 modifier 
  to the DCs: 
   
  DC 20: Broken Reach is a town centered near a 
  gate to the Outlands in Pazunia, first layer of the Abyss. 
  It is ruled by Red Shroud, a succubus sorceress of 
  undetermined power. She brooks no violence in her 
  town and it is one of the safest spots for mortals in the 
  Abyss. 
   
  DC 25: Red Shroud and her minions can be really 
  tense and violent at times and it is best to avoid 
  drawing their attention unless you are involved in an 
  interesting business proposal.  
   
  DC 30: Red Shroud recently made a deal with 
  several demon princes and generals involved in the 
  Blood Wars. As a result business has boomed and a 
  town has sprung up around her keep. As all things on 
  the Abyss this can be a quickly passing fad or it might 
  stay for centuries. 
   
  DC 35: Red Shroud collects poisons, and offering 
  her an exotic poison or poisonous animal as a gift is 
  guaranteed to win her favor. (If they ask Tenser, he 
  provides them with a suitably rare and dangerous 
  poison in case they need to appease the Red Shroud.) 
  
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  APPENDIX 4: ZELATAR 
  � Zelatar: Large City; Monstrous Power Center; AL 
  CE; GP Limit 40,000 gp; Assets 466,000,000 gp; 
  Population: 18,000; Mixed (20% manes, 11% dretches, 
  9% rutterkins, 9% lamias, 8% vrocks, 8% hezrous, 7% 
  bulezaus, 6% carnevuses, 5% tieflings, 4% succubi, 3% 
  armanites, 2% shadow demons, 2% harpies, 1% Abyssal 
  giants, 1% lamia nobles, 4% other demons such as 
  mariliths, cambions, alkiliths, glabrezu, and so on). 
   
  Authority Figures: Graz’zt (CE male demon lord 
  epic), Dark Prince, Master of the Gates of Zelatar, Lord 
  of the Argent Palace; Lavendeth (CE female lilitu cleric 
  16), high priestess of the Chosen’s Tabernacle; Eniff of 
  the Joss Desert (CE female lamia noble cleric 12), high 
  priestess of the Grand Shrine; Athux (CE male drow 
  half-fiend fighter 10/blackguard 7), General of the 
  Legions of Graz’zt. 
   
  Important Characters: Verin/Ztefano (CE male 
  demon lord), Graz’zt’s diplomat and favored spy; 
  Thraxxia (CE female human half-fiend sorcerer 11), 
  Graz’zt’s daughter and favored assassin; Madjack 
  Madarang (CE male carnevus demon), owner of the 
  gladiator pit; Inkheart and Sable (CE male and female 
  shadow demons), owners of the Sign of the Black 
  Heart; Raxivort (CE male xvart rogue 15), King of 
  Xvarts, Prince of Bats. 
   
  City Guard: Song of Blood (CE male bulezau fighter 
  4), infantry captain; Blackwatch and Nightwatch (CE 
  female shadow demons rogue 4), elite guards. 
   
  Private Militias: Too many to count. Authority 
  figures have an entourage or a company of hirelings 
  who do the demon’s work of intimidation, theft, and 
  murder, as required. However, few command more 
  than a hundred such followers. 
   
  Notes: The inhabitants of Zelatar include demons, 
  cambions and other half-fiends, tieflings, lamia, lilitu 
  (Fiendish Codex I 43), and others who revere Graz’zt. 
  Many of these creatures are beautiful and female; all are 
  evil. The locals know the ways of the shifting portals 
  between the layers, but visitors require a guide to get 
  from place to place within the city. 
   
  CITY DISTRICTS 
  The three main city areas are Fogtown on the colorless 
  45th layer, cosmopolitan Gallenghast on the 46th, and 
  Darkflame on the 47th layer of the Abyss, where heat 
  and cold are reversed and torches flicker with blue and 
  purple flames. 
   
  Fogtown 
  Rains are frequent on the windswept, gray 45th layer of 
  the Abyss, and water from this layer is piped to the 
  other layers of the city. Everything here takes on a 
  subdued and indistinct air. All Move Silently and Hide 
  checks on the layer gain a +2 circumstance bonus, but 
  all Knowledge (the planes) checks concerning the layer 
  take a –4 penalty. Dretches and manes live in countless 
  hovels, among the large stone piles that are the 
  mansions of hezrous, who enjoy the climate. 
   
  The poorest laborers of Azzagrat toil just outside 
  the scythe-topped walls of the moody Fogtown 
  neighborhood, harvesting colorless edible fungi from 
  the featureless plains surrounding the city. Fogtown is 
  a place of slave gulags and rickety sanitoriums, where 
  hope is even scarcer than coin, and violence lurks at 
  the dark heart of every shadow. 
   
  Because the nature of the Triple Realm’s 45th layer 
  makes details difficult to remember, the city’s 
  inhabitants use Fogtown as a rendezvous point or 
  contraband drop, reasoning that participants are 
  automatically safer when they cannot remember each 
  other’s faces. 
   
  Gallenghast 
  Light shines up from the ground of the 46th layer, 
  making all places seem strangely distorted, and 
  shadows stretch like columns of light into the sky. 
  Shadow demons, Abyssal giants, and rutterkins 
  especially favor this layer. It is the seat of power of 
  Athux, Graz’zt’s son, as a reward for his help in 
  defeating Iggwilv. Creatures not native to this section 
  of the Abyss have a great deal of trouble on Hide 
  checks here, since light behaves so differently. All 
  nonnative creatures gain a –5 circumstance penalty on 
  their Hide checks while on the layer. 
   
  Gallenghast is the largest of Zelatar’s three planar 
  neighborhoods, packed with the villas of demonic 
  nobles and the markets of traders from every corner of 
  the Great Wheel. Numerous inns and lodging houses 
  of dubious character crowd the peripheries of vast 
  market squares. Here and there, absent paving stones 
  allow the natural light of the 46th layer of the Abyss to 
  blast upward in vibrant towers of eerie luminescence, 
  casting the neighborhood in moody lighting. 
   
  Visitors seeking a safe refuge flock to Gallenghast’s 
  chapterhouse of the Planewalkers Guild, the ragtag 
  assembly that bases itself on the Infinite Staircase. The 
  Staircase, a vast planar pathway that grounds itself 
  wherever creativity thrives, connects to a secluded 
  doorway under an artist’s studio in a deserted alleyway 
  nearby. The artist, a sadistic ogre mage named Erballux 
  Klint (NE male ogre mage expert 7), specializes in 
  making statues out of actual corpses, their resin-
  hardened organs, veins, and flensed skin peeled back to 
  reveal a riot of natural coloration. Klint is a member in 
  good standing of the Planewalkers Guild, and a handful 
  of his animated life-statues protect the door from 
  unwanted explorers. Interlopers who are not members 
  of the guild can access the door to the Infinite Staircase 
  by donating an unusual specimen to his studio’s 
  “waiting chamber.”  
   
  A broad grass clearing near Gallenghast’s walls 
  attracts martial visitors throughout the year. These 
  Hollowfield Grounds serve as the site of monthly 
  
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  tournaments known throughout the Abyss for their 
  savagery and their extreme formality. Winning a 
  particularly spectacular death match at the Grounds is 
  enough to make any resident of Zelatar an instant 
  celebrity and might even warrant a personal audience 
  with the Dark Prince himself. 
   
  The Chosen’s Tabernacle, profane cathedral of 
  Graz’zt’s wicked cult, dominates the large central 
  square of this neighborhood, bathed in the layer’s eerie 
  groundlight and casting dolorous shadows high into 
  the air. The temple’s high priestess, Lavendeth (CE 
  female lilitu cleric 16), is a manipulative administrator 
  with the appeal of a succubus and a head for dirty 
  dealing, making her a favorite consort of the Dark 
  Prince. 
   
  Darkflame 
  The 47th layer is thought to be Graz’zt’s home layer. It 
  is certainly the oldest of the three. It can only be 
  reached from the 45th and 46th layers, and its blue sun 
  is distinct from that of the other layers. Even more 
  distinct is the way flames glow blue and purple here 
  rather than red, dealing cold damage instead of fire 
  damage. Cold effects correspondingly cause fire 
  damage, and fire resistance on this layer is diminished 
  by half. Succubi and lamias find the layer especially 
  congenial. 
   
  ZELATAR LORE 
  Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (the planes) 
  can learn more about the city of Zelatar and its strange 
  geography. When a character makes a skill check, the 
  following lore is revealed, including the information 
  from lower DCs. 
   
  Knowledge (the planes) 
   
  DC 15: The city of Zelatar is ruled by Graz’zt in a 
  sharp hierarchy; demons at the bottom dare not 
  question those above them, and few demons dare to 
  make trouble in Graz’zt’s capital. The city itself is built 
  on all three Abyssal layers that Graz’zt rules and is 
  inhabited by lamias, rutterkins, vrocks, and others in 
  rather close proximity, due to Graz’zt’s strict 
  pronouncements against melee combat within the city. 
   
  DC 20: The easiest way for nonnatives to find their 
  way around the city of Zelatar is to hire a tiefling or 
  rutterkin as a guide to the portals. The prices are high, 
  but the alternative is walking around a deadly city full 
  of demons and likely becoming lost. 
   
  DC 27: Ranged combat and magical combat are 
  permitted within the city, and the legions of armanites 
  (heavy demonic cavalry) and bulezaus (invisible 
  demonic foot soldiers) have wide latitude to kill 
  whatever they need to kill for recreational purposes. 
  Merchants, however, are protected from demonic 
  harassment by a special edict that requires non-natives 
  to carry a special merchant’s token with them at all 
  times. 
  The 
  most 
  remote 
  of 
  Zelatar’s 
  three 
  neighborhoods, Darkflame is a haven for those who do 
  not wish to be found. Graz’zt houses his deadliest 
  assassins and agents within the district, each with a 
  deep cover identity that masks their true nature from 
  even their closest neighbors. Shadow demons, succubi, 
  and alkiliths abound in the twisting mazelike alleys, 
  seeking out those who would use the obscurity of 
  Darkflame to hatch seditious plots against their ebon-
  skinned prince. 
   
  A walled enclosure called Zul’s Hanging Garden 
  writhes with carnivorous plants in a thousand different 
  colors. Their grasping fronds and snapping traps yearn 
  to reach ever upward, toward the dangling feet of 
  hundreds of impaled traitors kept impossibly alive by 
  the powers of magic chains hanging from a glass 
  ceiling. Their piteous moans are like music to the vines 
  and creepers, who dine on their dripping blood and 
  spilled bile. When a growth reaches a victim, his 
  sentence is declared fulfilled and he escapes into the 
  aromatic embrace of death. 
   
  Source: Expedition to Spider Web Pits. 
   
  
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  DM MAPS 
   
  4: ASSASSINS – AMBUSH 
   
  Red dotted line = route PCs take. 
  
  COR8-10 Chains of Darkness 
   
  Page 66 
  4: ASSASSINS – HIDEOUT 
   
  The green dots in area 2 are the acid arc pillars, the green lines the path the arcs take. 
  Red shaded area is rubble and difficult terrain. 
  The blue lines are thin blue veils that fill most of area 3. 
  
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  9: LORN’S PRISON AREA 
  1 square = 5 feet 
   
  
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  11: IN SERVICE OF A PRINCE 
   
  1 square = 5 ft. 
  
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  12: FREEING MADNESS 
   
  1 square = 5 ft. 
  
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  PLAYER HANDOUT 1:  
  THE ARGENT PALACE 
  Argent Palace 
  • 
  The Palace lies on all three Abyssal layers and as a result is much larger on the inside than the outside. Shifting 
  between the three layers happens when you enter a new room and most of the time you don’t realize you shifted a 
  layer. 
  • 
  There are several entrances, some big and public, others secret and hidden. The servant entrance is in Fogtown. 
  Goods are delivered in Gallenghast. Official envoys and other important guests are welcomed in Darkflame. 
  • 
  There are no windows, balconies or gardens. 
  • 
  Interdimensional travel into and within the palace is impossible with the exception of portals and gates. Summon 
  spells work normally. 
  • 
  Scrying into the palace is impossible and the diviner risks drawing the attention of the Dark Prince himself. 
  • 
  The palace is filled with over a hundred mirror rooms differing in size from large ballrooms to small closets. These 
  rooms create a difficult to navigate maze. 
  • 
  Magic enhances the confusing effects of the mirror-maze, making it even easier to get lost. Rumors tell that some 
  guests of Graz’zt have wandered through the palace’s corridors for ages until they die of thirst and hunger or until 
  the Dark Prince tires of the game. 
  • 
  There are no maps of the Argent Palace and it would be futile to make one since Graz’zt changes the layout 
  regularly. 
   
  Inhabitants 
  • 
  The palace is guarded on the outside by huge vrocks lead by nalfeshnee demons. 
  • 
  Nalfeshnee and bulezau are posted at the doors. 
  • 
  Nalfeshnee have true seeing active continually. Bulezau can see invisible creature. 
  • 
  Harpies and vrocks are bitter rivals within the domain of Graz’zt. 
  • 
  Noble lamias, more powerful versions of lamias with the lower-bodies of snakes, are seen to enter and leave the 
  palace on a regular basis. 
  • 
  Maretta, succubi and overlord of Samora (a town on the 47th layer), always escorted by 13 bulezau (large goat-like 
  tana’ri) visits the palace on a regular basis.  
  • 
  Ustina of the Amberhive, a well-known marilith, is a regular of the palace as well. 
  • 
  Food, prisoners, and other goods are delivered at irregular times. Dretches are most often used for manual labor and 
  they are supervised by hezrou. 
  • 
  Demons live within the mirrors. The mirrors are windows from their world into this one. They can take on the 
  shape of those looking into the mirrors and step out to confront intruders, but usually they remain hidden to report 
  anything they see to Graz’zt. 
  • 
  Bodaks wander through the more silent parts of the palace. Bulezau and nalfeshnee patrol the more often used parts 
  of the keep. 
  • 
  Lorn Aldyr is still alive. He was given to Iggwilv as a gift. He has been interrogated several times during semi-
  private performances inside the palace. Rumor has it that Iggwilv is getting bored with him. He is cracking quicker 
  than is expected of a fanatic follower of St. Cuthbert. 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/EXTRAS/Greyhawk/Living Greyhawk - RPGA/COR (Core)/COR8-10 Chains of Darkness (3E).pdf