None of them This abandoned merchant residence has been appropriated forhave treasure. This cavern is home to Szith Mor- the characters are following one of the cleared paths, climbingcanes hundred or so common drow, plus almost two hundred slaves. Traps are considered encounters and part of the XP progression, you have to just wing it in 5e. The door here was obviously once plastered shut, but the Any attempt to break the door down also triggers the trap. sidebar, page 20), they immediately plan appropriate counterstrokes. She checks in on the characters not rush headlong into combat with the heroes. Drow commoners stay wellclear of any fighting, but they may run for help, dashing up The depth of the lake ranges from 1 foot at the edges to 40the ramp (A) or out to the chasm and shouting for sentries feet at the center.from nearby levels. At Szith Morcanes height, its bazaarcentrally located in the heart of the great spiderwebwas a bustling hub of ac- Alerted Creatures (EL 0): The room is empty. During this time, D&D went from 3.0 to 3.5, so I had the conversion of players and NPCs going on at the same time. Tactics: Larala Dumian spends much of her time sitting at the base of the cliff, where she is out of sight of creatures en- tering the cave. Each resist even a force of goblins, ogres, and giants. Worshipers of east. Assume that both sen- Alerted Tactics: If the assembled guard force here is nottries take 10 (giving a check result of 10), which allows them sufficient to handle the intruders, one sentry withdraws fromto hear combat in any of the entrance chambers except S37. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE less party of adventurers and hopes to sell for gems. Laralas enemies are the drow leaders of Szith Morcane, not a random band of surface-world interlopersin fact, she could conceivably ally with the charac- ters against the drow, despite her paranoia. I wanted to work CotSQ into this campaign, but not wanting to take my players all the way to around level 18 for this arc. GUARD BARRACKS steel shield and a rapier. On horseback, its about a 2-hourD+70 scription in this section. James Wyatt[1] They do not involve Encounter Distance: 60 feet. cently. It makes 1 round of melee at-killer on the character he judges most likely to fail the saving tacks on the nearest character, then teleports to Solomthrows (an apparent rogue is his first choice). The spellguard is clad in a deep purple tunic anddescribed above. sons, and three most loyal bullies. Now the Day draws near when we shall avenge ourselves upon those of the A secret door leads into room S45. Encounter Distance: 100 feet. What I found was it was not that big of a deal. This is the "blurry", "insubstantial" wall from the read-aloud text fortable-looking bed, a bureau with a mirror, and what looks like an altar with an unlit brazier atop it. on the carved lid of the stone coffin. 5e monsters manual lacks high CR critters. Released A Weave Our Dark Lady favors my efforts, and my research pro-user who casts detect magic must make a successful caster levelcheck (DC 22) to successfully detect the permanent image as ceeds well. the characters were fighting the bebiliths in D10, or because they heard the party fighting the araneas. They were transformed into Alerted Creatures (EL 14): The vampire noble guards from vampires by Dorina Tsarran and will remain completely obe-S39 join the quth-maren to defend against any intruders. Crypts A through D are all the same. Two this room. Traced in paint, powdered silver, and colored Finally, if the nycaloth attacks the archmage before hes ready sand, the diagram is circular, with various shapes and stars to join battle in this chamber, he drinks his potion of cure circumscribed within. The 35-mile journey to the Naga Crawls takes between three and six days,While Irae Tsarran struggles to lay claim to Maerimydras while the 10-mile trip to the Lake of Shadows lasts anywhereruins, she sends regular scouting patrols into the Underdark to from 5 hours to a day and a half. disguised, it seeks opportunities to kill and consume other D Huge Animated Object: hp 44; see Monster Manual. These creatures fight with the mindlessdrow in this cavern, the residents flee for the Deep Wastes, ferocity of hunting spiders.the Bazaar Level, or the chasm by the most expeditiousroute. A leather-bound book lies open on the reading table.Two arcane guards are stationed here at all times, operat- The students of the Inverted Tower live ascetic lives, denied alling in three daily shifts. Then they tore apart the cupboards and set up elements; 3rdbestow curse, deeper darkness, invisibility purge,these coffins as resting places for the three guards who became magic circle against good*.vampires (the two posted in S39 plus the one in S41). ters may offer while waiting for an opportunity to repay them with quick deaths. Learn how your comment data is processed. Kurgoths army still besieges Castle Maerimydra. 2002 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Made in the U.S.A. Visit our website at www.wizards.com/forgottenrealmsTable of ContentsContentsIntroduction 3 Magical Transport 46 Conclusion 114 Preparation 3 Trekking Through the Further Adventures 114 Adventure Background 3 46 Adventure Outline 4 Deep Wastes 46 Appendix 1: Monsters and Magic 115 Character Hooks 4 Deep Wastes Features 46 Running the Adventure 4 Random Encounters 49 Abyssal Ghoul 115 Faerzress and the Underdark 5 Starting Out 49 Sidebar: Kiaransalee 5 Naga Crawls 50 Demon, Blood Fiend 116 Keeping Track of Time 5 Lake of Shadows 50 Resting and Re-equipping 6 Lower Caverns 52 Demon, Maurezhi (Tanarri) 117 Playing the Villains Smart 7 Upper Caverns 53 Triggers 7 On the Lake 54 Drider Vampire 118 Iraes Responses 8 Shrine of the Claw 56 Cast of Characters 9 Across the Lake of Shadows 57 Sidebar: Spiderkind 119 Wailing Cliff 57 Sidebar: Fighting in the Air 59 Golem, Spiderstone 120 The Middle Stretch 60 Yrthak Cavern 61 Jade Spider 121 Vournoths Mire 63 Last Leg Orb Wraith 122 Quth-Maren 123 Wraith Spider 123 Arachnoid Creature (Template) 124Part 1: Spinning the Web 10 Half-Dragon, FaernianAdventure Start 10 (Template) 126Dordrien Crypts 11 Keening Spirit (Template) 126Dordrien Crypts Features 11 Revenant (Template) 127Sidebar: The Lords of Silveraith (Template) 127Dordrien 11 Part 3: Maerimydra 64 New Special Items 128Surface Level 12 The Burning City 64 New Magic Items 129Crypt Level 15 Sidebar: Maerimydra and theUnderdark Level 18 Drow of Cormanthor 65 Appendix 2: Creature Statistics 131Szith Morcane 20 Sidebar: Weave Disruptions 68 Part 1: Spinning the Web 131Szith Morcane Features 20 Sites in Maerimydra 69 Dordrien Crypts 131Retaliation 20 Sidebar: Politics in Sidebar: Drow Traits 132Sidebar: Intruder Alert! The giants are to appear as plain walls. Usually, two guards are meditating while the other ground level. D Arachnoid Giant Octopus (2): hp 59, 55; see page 136.It passes right in front of S17, so characters carrying lights or Tactics: The octopuses are mindless, but their instinct is toadvertising their presence in some other manner may walk draw potential prey into the water. 0-7869-2874-3 three archways leading out. Tactics: Knowing that his neighbors on this floor have every reason to want him dead and no moral qualms about helping that to happen, Susztam treats any intrusion as aInverted Tower Arcane Guards 34Part 1threat on his life. Merchantsnot just from the six merchant familiesspellguard has joined the web team in S2. close call indeed. The animated skeletons can imated object with speed 30 feet and hardness 8) only if serve as an early warning if pursuers arrive. First, they want to de- REVENANTS (EL 16)termine the state of affairs inand around Maerimydra and Kiaransalee is not known as thewhether an invasion of mind Revenancer for nothing. If the charac-needs help or you want an excuse to bring a new player into the ters emerge victorious, Thulk invites them into S22 and triesgroup, let him returnpossibly with a different class, level, or to convince them to aid him in bid for control over Szithrace, as long as he is Small. VESTRY S49. The five warehouses marked S13 are virtually identical. Books and scrolls spillcompletes the ensemble. BARRACKS ENTRANCE (EL 8) other rouses the remaining drow on the Barracks level and brings them to the battle. But it doesn't say anywhere in the module, what the weave disruption is or how it manifests. She then animates the statue and,those who enter the vault. If carefully questioned, greater glyph of warding.they reveal that the worshipers of Kiaransalee now hold swayin Szith Morcane, and that most Lolth-worshipers have been D Summoned Celestial Dire Lions (2): hp 66, 57; acid re-driven off or killed. What I found was it was not that big of a deal. dwellers notice. Fortu- trap like the one in S37. The cult used the Silence of Lolth to take control of Szith Morcane and is galvanizing the natives of the outpost into increased activity against the surface world. OVERSEER STATION (EL 12) The ceiling of this vast cavern rises more than 100 feet from the uneven ground. She plans to raise an army of revenants to unleash on the surface world. The ruined shells of several more lie nearby, (DC 30) reveals that the name Chahir was somehow connected overgrown with tough brown grass. base of the stairs, then opens into what appears to be a nat- ural cavern. Creatures: Dorina Tsarran, daughter of Irae Tsarran and If they come against you in Szith Morcane in irresistiblecurrent ruler of Szith Morcane, spends most of her time in this strength, slay as many as you can. On the other side of the doors, a length of chain is wrapped around a pair of inside handles and joined with a good quality padlock. Many priestesses remain firm in their faith. The sentries automatically notice characters who advance past point X without attempting to hide in some way. Text that appears in shaded boxes is player information,which you may read aloud or paraphrase as appropriate. Here they line only the A hallway of worked stone extends some 20 feet from the east side. James Wyatt (@aquelajames) January 20, 2020. If you wish, you can choose other drow the characters haveThe group leader carries (but does not use) a +1 dagger, wears killed as base creatures for the revenants, but undead such asbracers of health +2, and has 200 pp in its pouch. Any character flyingbelow are listening for the sounds of combat. PRISON CELLS (EL 9) The sentries wear the livery of Irae Tsarran (white tabardswith leering black skulls). She wears a simple black tunic and black breeches, with no boots or belt. MESS HALL This huge natural cavern seems overlarge for the single A large rectangular table surrounded by chairs fills most of clump of creatures gathered near its southwest wall. S2. corpses. to one wall. They are still ravenously hungry, however, so theysentries are sitting on the cavern floor near the south wall attack the party without hesitation.when the characters enter, with their weapons close at hand. S25. Their stocky frames mark them as Dalesfolk. been removed. A character must make a successful Climb checkposed to keep watch on everybody passing in or out of the (DC 20) to reach a cave entrance more than one-half of his orcavern, and they dont challenge drow with business in S22. Each of these patrols consists of a small undead horde before they can continue on to the Lake of Shadows. Within it, a stone door stands closed in a masonry alcove. Otherwise, the room seems clear. A character with Tactics: If the characters made noise outside the mausoleum the Track feat who scours the area for additional tracks may (by trying to force open the door, for example), the vampires attempt a Wilderness Lore check (DC 20) to determine that are ready for them. Five keys to this padlock exist: One iscompetent slave overseers are primarily responsible for held by each of the slave overseers in S18c and S21, and one bymaking sure that the slaves stay in their place. Any creature that fully The entire altar radiates a strong aura of necromantic magic enters the room must make a successful Fortitude save (DC and a lingering aura of evil (see Trap). These spells have been marked off from the900 gp, and 1,500 gp. The story talks about the Weave disruption and how it expands as time goes on. The Dordrien Crypts and Szith Morcane in divination magic. Some of its doors hang open; others have been broken off. I am planning to scale things where I need them, just want to know I guess what I'm getting myself into, thank you. D Solom Nedrazak, Archmage of Szith Morcane: hp 55; see on page 138.Characters who can see invisible creatures spot the nycaloth Solom Nedrazak is not necessarily hostile to the characters(see Creatures) immediately. what might lie beneath the surface. On the night followingwhich open out into a vast chasm that penetrates deep into the the partys first intrusion into the House Morcane levelearth (see S2). These drow are more interested in self- D Huge Monstrous Spiders (2): hp 56, 51; see Monsterpreservation than in glory. If the characters show the Treasure: The archmages library is quite extensive andpotential to remove the clerics from power, he might offer his fairly valuable. CONJURY (EL 1317) trying to draw them away from the nycaloth before they can free it. This ad-justment reduces the Web Team by two sentries if the complex Any time a climbing character takes damage, he or shegoes to alerted status. The officers wear the livery of Irae Tsarran (white tabards with leering black skulls) and are natives of Maerimydra who arrived in 24Part 1Szith Morcane only recently. These are flanked by a pair of columns carved to resem- ble skeletal warriors in full plate armor, their visored helmets open to reveal their leering skulls. ride. If the D Velina, Tsarran Niece: hp 44; see page 139. guards do detect approaching intruders, they hide along the D Arcane Guard: hp 31; see page 136. walls and ready themselves for a fight. The sentries, wizards, priests, and commonersread-aloud text below and describe the room as just like the of the outpost, as well as a handful of visitors from otherother barracks. Underdark locales, come to haggle over the merchants wares. Do not use that same encounter again if the characters kill all the creatures involved in it. Clean and dry, this small cavern feels more like a roadside campsite than an underground cave. It expands bytimeline to challenge your players in a suitable manner. Bloodstains ful Search check (DC 18) allows a character to find tiny scraps and weapons are scattered about the floor, but there are no of charred paper that indicate the nature of the documents. actively respond to reports of intruders (see the Intruder Alert! sidebar on page 20 for details of the guards alarm system). See, for me that's a feature and teaches the valuable lesson of "Run Away!" Susztam Mar-Shinn has been the headAt first glance, this room appears identical to S29. Dozens of worshiper of Ghaunadar stands in front of the door. Should the characters try to restore the are still populated, a small crowd of drow and bugbears gath-svirfneblin to life, the result is yours to decide. LAIR ENTRANCE (EL 8)zombies against a possible turning attempt. A faint green phos- phorescence dances along the ceiling, which is easily 30 feet One slave overseer is resting in his home (C) when the overhead at the entrance and rises sharply from that point. Zedarr is a blackguard and an unholy cham- Illustration by Scott FischerCreatures: The two nieces of Dorina Tsarran, Velasta and pion of Kiaransalee who embodies her doctrine of dispropor-Velina Tsarran, are identical twins and implacable enemies. Since this trap amuses the drow, they takenity to use it because Dordrien fell before they could be buried care to remove corpses from the area before the door, so as nothere. walls. Web Dress your character sheet for battle with Dragonlance preorder perks While climbing in either direction, he is quite vul-water below duplicate the effect of severe wind on hearing, nerable to attack from any characters who can see wellimposing a 4 penalty on Listen checks in the chasm area. It goes to great lengths to reach dying characters corridor bends away. A successful Animal Empathy or Sense Motive check (DC 15)The rest remain in their homes and defend against attackers allows a character to discern that the roth are afraid of the lake.seeking to force their way inside. If she cause she is busy researching her great revenance spell.has not done so already, she makes use of one or more of thetactics listed below and directs her followers to prepare an Even though the characters dont really defeat the sum-ambush as described in Part 3. moned monster or Irae Tsarran when they kill or drive off such a fiend, the encounter should be worth something. While I'm not running it verbatim (I'm running a bit more of a spiritual brother than the actual encounters) I can give a bit of insight on 4e conversion. Rumor has A cart track running from the town into the farmlands and it that those crypts conceal an entrance to the Underdark. The typical home once had a small house- more respect, and a little more power. rock, opening into a very large cavern. Any creature that It appears that this chamber once served as a residence. The drow sentries carry most ofshield. The cults drow members visit here only rarely, but certain nonhumanoid members of the cult are here all the time. The skeletons are not a significant challenge Underdark Levelfor the party (a 10th-level good cleric cant help but de-stroy them all with a single turning check), so do not The people of Dordrien used these natural caverns foraward experience for defeating them. They quickly ac- problem-solvers. The revenant template in Appendix 1 originally appeared in Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faern by Rob Heinsoo and James Wyatt. Depending on the speed of the party, it takes anywhereories of their final battles against the player characters, so from one day to almost three. The cleric is very About 30 feet into the tunnel, a heavy, swinging iron grateslow to intervene against the heroes, figuring that the more of bars the passage. pic.twitter.com/JyFgbSNiVg. in Arkhenvale at D+120. The forbiddance effect means D Quth-Maren (4): hp that each character whose align- 49, 70, 64, 64; see Appendix 1. ment is not chaotic evil must Unaware Tactics: If the make a successful Will save (DC characters enter this level with- 21) to enter the House Morcane out having previously alerted level. Running and charging are impossible on these the Players Handbook), or a character with merely averagesurfaces, but no Climb checks are required to navigate them. BARRACKS 1 (EL 11 OR 0)mattress of one bed is a sturdy leather pouch (Search DC 15for a character who specifically searches the bed). The flesh of the corpses has Trap (EL 7): Dorina has prepared a greater glyph of warding begun melting to slime, allowing the bones to showas a final defense of her coffin. The interiors are squalid, fouled by the gobli- The rooms affected by the spell are S24, S27, S30S32, andnoid slaves living therein. A successful Balance check (DC 18) is required to cane in another area of Faern, the tunnel leading out fromcross the stream without falling. with numerous powerful spells. City of the Spider Queen is a FORGOTTEN Adventure REALMS adventure presenting a substantial Background quest into the deep Underdark of Faern. STUDENTS QUARTERS (EL 9) This small, square room is unfurnished and undecorated. (Dorina does not like this device, but she keeps it players understand that theyre not done with the drowaround in case she needs to discipline one of the other vam- yet. The cornugon uses a fireball, one hamatula sists of a few goblins and ogres, plus a fire giant and a vrockuses orders wrath, and another uses unholy blight. The ruins of the town lie On the western slopes of the Dagger Hills, the Dordrien near the foot of the hill on which the keep stands. At the time the characters arrive, it has just failedcasts improved invisibility on himself.