Champions of Ruin addresses the evil campaign, both as

a general concept and as it applies to games set in the

F O R G OTT E N R E A L M S Campaign Se t t i n g . T he book also
offers invaluable tips for running evil PCs as well as
overcoming evil NPCs.
Vanrakdoom is a short D&D adventure for four 17th-
VANRAKDOOM level player characters (PCs) that utilizes the new mate-
rial in Champions of Ru i n . It takes place in Waterdeep,
also known as the City of Splendors, which lies on the
A Short Adventure for Four continent of Faerûn in the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign
17th-Level Player Characters Se t t i n g . Famed for the legendary dungeon called
Undermountain that lies beneath its streets, Waterdeep
Featuring Material from draws adventurers from all over Faerûn. Dug by the
Champions of Ruin shield dwarves of Clan Melairkyn and their successors,
Undermountain consists of nine major levels and four-
teen subleve l s. Ha l a s t e r, the Mad Mage (detailed on
CREDITS page 180 of the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting and
updated on page 294 of the Epic Level Ha n d b o o k), ru l e s
Design: Eric L. Boyd
this sprawling complex. However, many powerful crea-
Editing: Penny Williams t u res have carved out personal demesnes within the
Typesetting: Nancy Walker sprawling caverns and chambers of Ha l a s t e r’s Ha l l s,
Cartography: Dennis Kauth/Rob Lazzaretti and the Mad Mage of Un d e r m o u ntain has largely
Design Manager: Christopher Perkins ignored their presence.
Web Production Bart Carroll A confused tangle of sublevels between levels 4 and 6
of the main dungeon has come to be known as the Dark
Web Development: Mark A. Jindra
Levels of Un d e r m o u ntain. Since many of these sub-
Graphic Design: Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege l e vels are accessible only via p o rt a l s , f ew have been
Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game by E. explored by outsiders. Se veral of the Da rk Leve l s, all
Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the ruled by undead cre a t u re s, are collectively known
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, as dooms.
Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison. One of these subleve l s, known as Va n ra k d o o m , i s
c o nt rolled by the Church of Sh a r. Penetration of this
D&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and DUNGEON MASTER are registered trademarks owned
by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The d20 logo is a trademark owned by Wizards of the a rea is a mission appropriate for a group of four 17th-
Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses level nonevil characters. T he inclusion of a cleric in a
thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
p a rty planning an excursion to this area is highly
This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United recommended.
States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the
material or artwork contained herein is prohibited As always, feel free to adapt the material pre s e nt e d
without the express written permission of here as you see fit to make it work with your campaign.
Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

©2005 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

All rights reserved.
PREPARATION
Made in the U.S.A.
You (the DM) need the D&D core ru l e b o o k s—t he
This product is a work of fiction. Pl a yer’s Ha n d b o o k , the Dungeon Ma s t e r’s Guide, and the
Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, Monster Manual—as well as Champions of Ruin—to run
or events is purely coincidental.
this adve nt u re. T he scenario also draws on material
This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content.
f rom Complete Arc a n e (CAr), Complete Divine ( C D ) ,
No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without
written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License Faiths & Pantheons (F&P), Fiend Folio (FF), FO R G OTTEN
and the d20 System License, R E A L M S Campaign Se t t i n g (FRCS), L o rds of Da rk n e s s
please visit www.wizards.com/d20.
(LoD), Magic of Faerûn ( Mag), Monsters of Faerûn (MoF),
For more DUNGEONS & DRAGONS articles, adventures, and information, Monster Manual II (MM2), Monster Manual III (MM3),
visit www.wizards.com/dnd
Planar Ha n d b o o k ( PlH), and Pl a ye r ’s Guide to Fa e r û n
(PGtF). The city of Wa t e rdeep is fully detailed in the
upcoming City of Splendors: Waterdeep supplement, but
1
 that publication is not re qu i red to run this adve nt u re . u ntimely death. Consumed with bitterness, the Da rk
Pa re nthetical references such as “Blushing Me r m a i d Ranger, as Vanrak came to be known, secretly embraced
(D36)” refer to the map key in City of Splendors: Water- Selûne’s ancient enemy, the Lady of Loss.
d e e p and are included for the convenience of DMs By the Year of the Howling Moon (1130 DR), House
wishing to run the adventure in conjunction with that Moonstar was in open schism. Those nobles who still
setting. T he information pre s e nted here utilizes the venerated Selûne aligned the m s e l ves with Lo rd
D&D v.3.5 rules. Va n r a k’s sister, Lady Alathene, and the Mo o n m a i d e n’s
The adventure is designed for 17th-level characters. priests, most of whom had taken refuge in the High
If the mission is to clear Vanrakdoom completely, an House of St a r s. Meanwhile, at the Moonstar Villa in
18th- or 19th-level party could also find it a sufficient Dock Ward (now the Blushing Mermaid Festhall; see
challenge. In addition, it can be appropriate for charac- D36 in City of Splendors: Waterdeep), Lord Vanrak and his
ters one or two levels lower if the mission invo l ves a f o l l owers extended their dark influence over much of
quick hit rather than a deep penetration. You can adjust the city’s harbor with the aid of a small army of merce-
the Encounter Levels of most group encounters simply naries and priests of Shar.
by choosing lower-level opponents from among those On the night of the seve nth full moon of the ye a r,
presented. Lady Alathene appeared in open court and asked the
Statistics are given for the more challenging oppo- Lords of Waterdeep to strip her brother of his title and
n e nts in Va n r a k d o o m, particularly those who have banish him from the city. To demonstrate the need for
prestige classes. W he re groups of such characters are such drastic action, she pre s e nted evidence of he r
e n c o u nt e red, feel free to customize the individuals if brother’s numerous crimes, including slavery, arson,
desired, raising or lowering the class levels for some of theft, and murder. The Lords ordered the Dark Ranger’s
them and substituting differe nt equipment. Single- immediate capture, but by the time the Watch had
classed opponents are left for you to develop using the b re a c hed the gates of the Moonstar Villa, Lord Vanrak
NPC tables in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. and his followers had disappeared.
To get started, print out the adventure, including the Unbeknownst to his moon-worshiping kin, Lord
maps. Read through the scenario at least once to familiar- Vanrak had already fled through a secret portal i nt o
ize yourself with the situation, threats, and major NPCs Undermountain. For decades thereafter, he and his fol-
(particularly their motivations). Text that appears in l owers explored Ha l a s t e r’s Ha l l s. Though they lost
shaded boxes is player information that you can re a d many of their number to the wandering beasts that
aloud or paraphrase for the players at the proper times. inhabited the area, they managed to recruit new adher-
For monster and NPC statistics, refer to either the Ap p e n- ents from among the depraved criminals whom the
dix or the appropriate pages in the publications noted. Lords had banished to the depths.
In the Year of the Dark Mask (1171 DR), Vanrak and
ADVENTURE his followers conquered a highly defensible redoubt in
t he Da rk Levels of Un d e r m o u ntain (UM SLM), which
BACKGROUND came to be known as Vanrakdoom. Operating from this
Adherents of the Nightmaiden have long been active in base, the Church of Shar extended its influence
the shadow of Mo u nt Waterdeep, and their missions throughout much of Undermountain, and even period-
have been quite varied. However, the Waterdhavian ically dispatched elite strike teams to battle followers of
church of Shar traces its origins back to a disastro u s the Moonmaiden in the city above.
expedition to the Black Jungles mounted in the Year of The Church of Shar achieved its most dramatic suc-
Da rk Dawn (1104 DR) by Lo rd Vanrak Mo o n s t a r, a cess in the Year of the Tomb (1182 DR), when Vanrak’s
noted explorer in his day. Formerly a charismatic, out- followers managed to infiltrate the High House of Stars
going swashbuckler, Vanrak was but a pale shadow of through its cellars and slaughter most of the inhabi-
his former self when he returned. A scant few tendays t a nts before they could raise an alarm. By the time the
later, Lo rd Andvarran Mo o n s t a r, the family patriarc h, Watch arrived, the temple was a towering inferno of
died of a strange wasting disease that was unknown to s h a d ow magic dark f i re , which appeared impervious to
Wa t e rd e e p’s healers and strangely re s i s t a nt to the i r magic, especially to the ill-pre p a red fire f i g h t e r s. T he
spells. i n vaders also acqu i red enough tre a s u re from the
Upon assuming leadership of House Moonstar, Lo rd temple vaults to fund Lord Va n r a k’s personal quest for
Vanrak publicly broke with the priests of the Hi g h immortality. Within a few ye a r s, the Da rk Ranger had
House of Stars (the temple of Selûne that preceded the voluntarily transformed himself into a death knight—
House of the Moon), whom he blamed for his fathe r’s the perfect, eternal servant of the Lady of Loss.
2
 In re c e nt ye a r s, Lord Va n r a k’s followers have failed the adve nt u rers to travel through the portal and deter-
to execute several import a nt plans. In the Year of the mine its destination.
Saddle (1345 DR), the Dark Army of the Night tried but
failed to set the House of the Moon afire as part of the • A noble of House Moonstar (or a well-known cleric of
so-called Night of Temple Fires. In the Year of Shadows the Moonmaiden) is abducted by the minions of Shar.
(1358 DR), the avatar of Shar attempted to subvert the Selûne’s followers ask the PCs to lead a high-stakes
Mo o n m a i d e n’s church by masquerading as the moon rescue mission into the depths of Undermountain to
goddess and imprisoning the avatar of Selûne. Driven find the missing Selûnite.
from the city after followers of the Moonmaiden freed
Selûne from Shar’s clutches, Shar’s faithful were forced • As part of the tit-for-tat skirmishing that has long
to nurse their bitterness anew in the darkness of characterized the war between the churches of the
Vanrakdoom. Moonmaiden and the Lady of Loss, the followers of
Lo rd Vanrak is pre s e ntly focused on building an Selûne and Shar have frequently launched raids on
army of krinth. He has been approaching krint h one another’s strongholds to seize relics sacred to the i r
refugees after they escape from the city of Shade (see rivals. Recently, a relic known as the Rod of Four Moons
Champions of Ruin page 15) and convincing them to was captured during a daring assault on the House of
settle in the depths of Undermountain. the Moon in Waterdeep. The PCs are asked to recover
the missing relic or, failing that, to capture the Shad-
owstaff of Gorothir.
ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS
Vanrakdoom details a layer of Un d e r m o u ntain suited
for exploration by powerful adventurers. A small group BEGINNING THE
might wreak great havoc on the temple through a
series of hit-and- ru n- r a i d s, but a fro ntal assault is ADVENTURE
unlikely to succeed given the collective power of the Va n ra k d o o m is a site-based adve nt u re in which the
creatures lairing within. Many of the temple’s residents action occurs in an isolated section of Undermountain
were drawn here by the personal charisma and faith of ruled by the Church of Sh a r. T he area is inaccessible
t he Da rk Ranger, so a clandestine mission to hunt e xcept via a physical connection to the 6th level of
down and destroy the death knight may cause many of Un d e r m o u ntain and several portals. Thus, PCs must
t he temple’s current defenders to drift away over time. e i t her penetrate Un d e r m o u ntain (a lengthy adve nt u re
in itself ) or locate an access portal to ent e r. The adven-
ADVENTURE HOOKS ture describes the locations of several access portals, but
Vanrakdoom works best as a bastion of evil that the PCs you can alter these as you see fit or create new ones if
d i s c over during the course of their careers. Those who d e s i red. T he adve nt u re begins when the PCs actually
are drawn into the endless war between Selûne’s follow- enter Vanrakdoom.
ers and the minions of Shar may gradually build up a
burning ambition to root out the dark temple that has VANRAKDOOM
been implementing Sh a r’s machinations along the
Sword Coast for so long. Of course, simply divining the
(UM SLM)
location of Shar’s primary temple in Undermountain Vanrakdoom was originally built by Clan Melairkyn as
may involve a whole host of adventures of your devising. a sprawling temple to Moradin Soulforger. After drow
As DM, you know best how to invo l ve your charac- and duergar invaders drove the shield dwarves fro m
ters in an adve nt u re. Howeve r, if yo u’re stuck for an t hese halls, an eve r -changing succession of monsters
idea, you can use any of the following suggestions to from the depths inhabited the temple.
prompt a raid on Vanrakdoom. For nearly two centuries now, this sublevel of
Un d e r m o u ntain has been ruled by the Church of
• House Moonstar and the followers of the Mo o n- Sh a r, and it has become a powe rful bastion of evil
maiden have long sought access to the hidden temple b e yond the reach of either the Lo rds of Waterdeep or
of Shar that is believed to lie in the depths of Under- t he Church of Selûne. From this fortified re d o u b t ,
mountain. Recently, an agent of Selûne re p o rted Lord Vanrak Moonstar now commands several Sh a r-
tracking an assassin of Shar back to a he re t o f o re ran cults (see Champions of Ruin, page 87), which are
unknown portal that the leaders of House Mo o n s t a r a c t i ve along the Sw o rd Coast from Ba l d u r’s Gate to
suspect may lead to that long-sought temple. They ask Luskan.
3
 INTERIOR FEATURES Me l a i rkyn as a battleground for fighting int ru d e r s. The
T he stonew o rk throughout the dungeon is mostly dwarves filled these rooms with pit traps, shifting walls,
granite of ancient workmanship. T he floors, walls, and and one-way doors, and then provided their fellow
ceilings are smooth. Unless otherwise noted, the corri- clansfolk with extensive training so that everyone could
dor width remains a constant 5 or 10 feet, as shown on readily exploit these surro u n d i n g s. T he followers of
t he map. Height varies whe re indicated, but the ceil- Shar use this battleground for the same purposes as
ings are usually 10 feet high in 5-foot-wide halls and 12 their predecessors did, but they have added their ow n
feet high in 10-foot-wide halls. The interior doors are modifications.
constructed of metal-bound oak. The shifting walls are used to provide Shar’s follow-
Typical Oak and Iron Do o r : 2 in. thick; hard- ers with advantages in a fight. All the temple personnel
ness 5; hp 20; break DC 28, Open Lock (when appropri- have drilled extensively in these areas and know the
ate) DC 30. terrain well. The four Hands of Shar who occupy the
Typical Masonry Wall: 1 ft. thick; hardness 8; cont rol room in area V16 observe battles in pro g ress
hp 90; break DC 35; Climb DC 15. and operate the shifting walls, giving their compatriots
The entire sublevel is cloaked in overlapping unhal- t he opportunity to launch coordinated amb u s he s, set
l ow spells, and tied to each of these spells is a deeper up flanking attacks, and in some cases, enter rooms
darkness effect. T hese wards are re n ewed annually by unexpectedly. Those in battle with int ruders can also
the clergy of Sh a r. Room descriptions assume that the signal the operators in the cont rol room as to the i r
viewers are capable of seeing within an area of deeper wishes. Unless otherwise noted, any given shifting wall
darkness. If not, adjust the descriptions accord i n g l y. can move as far as the area’s layout will allow in the
A map of Vanrakdoom can be found at indicated directions.
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/ T he original one-way doors have been converted
Dec_X14.jpg, and the map key can be found at i nto variable p o rt a l s that function both keyed and
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/De unkeyed. An yone using one of these portals without a
c_key.jpg. T hese maps have been re p roduced he re for key always goes to area V23 (50% chance per individ-
your convenience. Unlabeled spiral stairs lead up to ual), or area V39 (25% chance per individual), or are a
secret doors that open into the Seadeeps (UM L6). V40 (25% chance per individual). The results of keye d
use are noted in each area description.
ENTRANCES AND EXITS Since the access portals leading to Vanrakdoom from
Vanrakdoom is physically connected to the 6th level of the outer world transport users to the Labyrinth, it is re a-
Undermountain (UM L6), which is known as the Se a d- sonably likely that the PCs will enter the complex here.
eeps. Three spiral stairc a s e s—one west of V25, one west of
V9, and one south of V11—lead up to a maze of mining KEY TO VANRAKDOOM
tunnels that extends out from the Shaft (UM SLB) under T he following sections describe the individual cham-
t he sea floor. Each staircase is warded by an a l a rm spell bers that make up the temple now known as Vanrak-
(caster level 12th), which triggers an audible alarm. doom. The locations are keyed to the map of the temple.
Nu m e rous portals connect Vanrakdoom to Under-
V1. West Adepts’ Quarters (EL Varies)
mount a i n, Waterdeep, and the rest of Faerûn. Portals
T hese rooms are simply furnished barracks for the
leading into and out of the dungeon are located in areas
t e m p l e’s low - l e vel clerics, who belong to a loosely
V10, V17, V20, and V24, in a section of the temple
o r g a n i zed temple subcult called the Adepts of the
known as the Laby r i nth (see below). This area is the
Night. Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs
most likely entry point for the party
approach any of these chambers.
Te l e p o rt spells into and out of Vanrakdoom are
seve rely restricted by a powe rful ward that enmeshe s
Each of these rooms is furnished with a washbasin
all of Undermountain. Similar wards int e rdict trans-
and two to four cots. At the foot of each bed is a
port spells that do not involve teleportation, such as
small chest.
shadow walk. Howe ve r, it is still possible to trave r s e
small stretches of Undermountain via shadow walk, and
T hese sparsely furnished rooms are home to the male
many of Sh a r’s faithful use this route to reach the
Adepts of the Night and their immediate superiors.
uppermost levels of Undermountain.
Creatures: Two to four clerics share each of these
THE LABYRINTH small rooms. Because they are on differe nt shifts, at
T he area known as the Laby r i nth (areas V10, V16, V17, least half of the occupants are out performing temple
4 V20, and V24) was built by the dwarves of Clan duties at any given time.
5
 A total of thirty male Adepts of the Night (primarily V2. Hall of Sacred Shadows (EL Varies)
humans and half-o rcs) are based in the temple. No This hallway is the main artery used by living residents
matter when the PCs arrive, 4d4 male Adepts of the of the temple. Read or paraphrase the following whe n
Night and 1d3-1 lower-level nightcloaks (members of a the PCs arrive.
group known as the Watchers) are resting and relaxing
in these ro o m s. Use the following statistics, altering to This long, arc hed hallway appears to run nearly
customize individuals as desired. half the length of the temple. T he walls are
D Adepts of the Night (20): Male human or adorned with images of the endless war between
h a l f -o rc cleric 1 or 2; hp 10 or 16 each; see Dungeon Shar and Selûne, and all of them show the follow-
Master’s Guide page 114. ers of the Moonmaiden suffering horrific losses to
D Adepts of the Night (15): Male human or the forces of darkness.
h a l f -o rc cleric 3 or 4; hp 23 or 29 each; see Dungeon
Master’s Guide page 114. Just about all of the temple’s inhabitants walk this corri-
D Adepts of the Night (5): Male human or half- dor from time to time. It connects the barracks used to
orc cleric 5 or 6; hp 36 or 42 each; see Dungeon Master’s house Sh a r’s followers (areas V1, V3, V12, and V 1 8 )
Guide page 114. with the rest of the temple.
D Watchers (3): Male human cleric 6 of T he door at the eastern end of this corridor is not
Shar/nightcloak 1; CR 7; Medium humanoid; HD locked and opens into a room containing a large, odif-
7d8+14; hp 48; Init –1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 20, touch 9, flat- erous refuse pit.
footed 20; Base Atk +4; Grp +5; Atk +6 melee (1d8+2, +1 Creatures: At any given time, 2d8 NPCs of yo u r
morn i n g s t a r) or +4 ranged (1d8+1/19–20, +1 light cross- choice are walking to and from various destinations
b ow); SA rebuke undead 4/day (+1, 2d6+4, 6th); SQ along this hallway.
darkness spells; AL NE; SV Fort +9, Ref +1, Will +12; Str Treasure: Anyone the PCs encounter in this corri-
13, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 12. dor has only the items she usually carries.
Skills and Feats: Bluff +3, Concentration +8, Hide –6,
Jump –12, Move Si l e ntly –6, Pe rform (oratory) +5, Sp e l l- V3. North Barracks (EL varies)
craft +4; Bl i n d-FightB, Iron Will, Sh a d ow Weave Ma g- These sparsely furnished rooms are home to a cont i n-
icPGtF, Spell Focus (enchant m e nt), Tenacious Ma g i cPGtF. gent of the temple’s defenders. Read or paraphrase the
Languages: Chondathan, Common. following when the PCs enter.
Darkness Spel l s : The Watcher can pre p a re any
Da rkness domain spell as if it we re on his divine spell T hese rooms appear to be simply furnished bar-
racks for temple soldiers. Each contains four cots
list. T he spell uses a spell slot equal to its level in the
and a washbasin. At the foot of each bed stands a
Darkness domain list.
small chest.
Cleric Spells Pre p a re d (caster level 6th): 0—c re a t e
w a t e r, detect magic, guidance, read magic, re s i s t a n c e ,
v i rt u e ; 1 s t —b a n e (DC 15), cause fear (DC 15), d i v i n e These sparsely furnished rooms house the temple fight-
f a vo r (CL 5th), doom (DC 15), obscuring mist, pro t e c t i o n ers, who are known as Shadow Guards.
f rom goodD (CL 7th); 2nd—blindness/deafness (DC 16), Creatures: Four fighters share each of these small
d a rkness, desecra t e D (CL 5th), hold person (DC 16), rooms. Because they are on different shifts, at least half
s i l e n c e (DC 16); 3rd —b l a c k l i g h t F R C S (DC 16), d e e p e r of the occupants are out performing temple duties at
d a rkness, dispel magic, magic circle against good D ( C L any given time.
7th); 4th—armor of dark n e s s (+5 melee touch), unholy A total of forty Sh a d ow Guards are based in the
blightD (DC 17). temple. No matter when the PCs arrive, 4d6 male or
D: Domain spell. Domains: Darkness (Blind-Fight as female Shadow Guards are resting and relaxing in these
a bonus feat) and Evil (cast evil spells at +1 caster level). ro o m s. Use the following statistics, altering as desired.
Possessions: +1 full plate arm o r, heavy steel shield, +1 D Shadow Guards (40): Male or female human
morningstar, +1 light crossbow with 10 bolts, 50 gp. or half-o rc fighter 7; hp 57 each; see Dungeon Master’s
Tre a s u re: Each chest contains the personal Guide page 117.
belongings of the owner. Choose treasure appro p r i a t e Tactics: If attacked, the Shadow Guards attempt to
for the Encounter Level used. make a stand in the common room (area V5) so that
t hey can take adva ntage of the pungi stick barricades.

6
 Treasure: Each chest contains the personal items V9. Kitchen (EL Varies)
of the ow n e r. Choose tre a s u re appropriate for the In this chamber, food is prepared for all the inhabitants
Encounter Level used. of the complex. Read or paraphrase the following when
the PCs arrive.
V4. North Armory (EL Varies)
T he two 15-foot-s qu a re rooms just east of V3 serve as The warmth of a large, lit hearth makes this room’s
armories for the Sh a d ow Guards who are based in area t e m p e r a t u re almost tolerable. T h ree massive
V3. Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs tables in the center of the chamber are littere d
arrive. with food and cutlery that have appare ntly been
used in the preparation of the next meal.
Weapons and armor of all sorts line the walls and
floor of this room. Lo n g s w o rds and chain shirts K i t c hen duty rotates among the lesser adepts. T he
appear to be the most numerous items in each of temple’s population is large enough that someone is
those categories.
almost always looking for a meal, so food preparation
occurs 24 hours a day.
The Sh a d ow Guards keep extra armor and weapons of The two rooms to the south of the kitchen are fully
their preferred types here. stocked pantries.
V5. South Common Room (EL Varies) Cre a t u res: At any given time, 2d8 Adepts of the
This area serves as a common room for the south bar- Night are engaged in food preparation herein.
racks (V6). At any given time, 2d6 Shadow Guards may D Adepts of the Night: See area V1 for statistics.
be relaxing here. V10. West Labyrinth (EL 16+)
V6. South Barracks (EL Varies) The western portion of the Labyrinth looks like all the
This set of rooms is essentially identical to area V3. The other sections (areas V16, V17, V20, and V24), and like
two 15-f o o t -s qu a re rooms nearby are armories, and those, it has its own guardian. Read or paraphrase the
both are identical to V4. following when the PCs arrive.
Cre a t u res: T hese chambers house the same
number of Shadow Guards as area V3, broken down by T he smooth stone walls of these tunnels are
devoid of any markings, and the corridors seem to
level in the same manner.
twist and turn without reason.
D Sh a d ow Gu a rds (40): Female human or half-
orc fighter 7; hp 57 each; see Dungeon Ma s t e r’s Guide
page 117. Tr a p s : This area includes three pit traps lined with
poisoned spikes.
V7. East Adepts’ Quarters (EL Varies) a Poisoned Spiked Pit Traps (3): CR 10; see
This set of rooms is essentially identical to area V1. Its Dungeon Master’s Guide page 74.
c h a mbers house the same number of Adepts of the Each of the three pit traps in this area can be locked
Night and Watchers as area V1 does, except that all the or unlocked by a lever in the control panel on the south
occupants of this area are female. wall of the control room (area V16).
Cre a t u re: This area is patrolled by a nightwalker,
V8. Mess Hall (EL Varies) which acts in concert with the other four of its ilk in
This room serves as the primary dining hall for the areas V16, V17, V20, and V24.
temple. Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs D Ni g h t w a l k e r : hp 178; see Nightshade ent ry,
arrive. see Monster Manual page 196.
Other Features: This area includes one shifting
This squ a re chamber looks like a standard dining wall and one portal.
hall. Five low, round tables surrounded by simple s Shifting Wall: T he shifting wall in this cham-
wooden chairs are scattered about the room. ber moves north/south and is cont rolled by the we s t-
ernmost lever in the control room of area V16. The wall
The temple’s occupants come here for meals at any time can also be forcibly moved by pushing it and making a
of the day or night. successful DC 30 Strength check.
Cre a t u re s : PCs who enter this chamber have an s Portal: The one portal in this area has part i a l l y
80% chance of encountering 2d8 NPCs from elsewhere malfunctioned. It serves as the terminus of three dif-
in the temple (DM’s choice) here. f e re nt p o rt a l s: the one -way p o rt a l f rom the more
7
 western of the two small rooms north of area V11, the Moonmaiden. Few retain more than a small measure of
portal in area V17, and the southern portal in area V20. their original sanity.
With a sliver of basalt as a key, it acts as a one- w a y D Prisoners: Male or female human or elf com-
p o rt a l to the terminus in area V24. With a sliver of moner 1; hp 3.
black marble as a key, it acts as a one-way portal to the Other Features: The dungeon area contains four
n o rt hern p o rt a l in area V20. With a holy symbol of portals.
Shar as a key, it acts as a two -way malfunctioning s Portals: Use of any portal in this area without a
portal that connects with the Plane of Sh a d ow. Used in key transports the user to area V23 (50% chance per
this way, it transports the user to a swamplike dark- individual), area V39 (25% chance per individual) or
land near Sh a r’s Palace of Loss (see Pl a ye r’s Guide to area V40 (25% chance per individual).
Fa e r û n page 163). A nightcrawler (Monster Ma n u a l When a piece of basalt is used as a key, the portals
page 195) guards this terminus and feeds on those operate as follows.
foolish enough to come through the portal.
Because it has malfunctioned, this portal acts as a • The one-way portal in the west room on the north wall
minor planar breach (see Planar Handbook page 151) to transports the user to the portal in area V10.
the Plane of Sh a d ow. Because of this effect, the hallway
to the north and west of it has the enhanced magic • The one-way portal in the east room on the north wall
trait of the Plane of Shadow (see Pl a ye r’s Guide to Faerûn transports the user to the portal in area V17.
page 163).
• The one-way portal in the north room on the east wall
V11. Dungeon (EL Varies) transports the user to the northern portal in area V20.
This room serves as the tort u re chamber for prisoners
of the Sh a d ow Guard s. Read or paraphrase the follow- • The one-way portal in the south room on the east wall
ing when the PCs arrive. transports the user to the portal in area V24.

This 20-foot squ a re room is lined with doors— V12. Shadowstalkers’ Quarters (EL Varies)
two on the nort hern wall and two on the eastern T hese rooms are simply furnished barracks for mem-
wall. An archway on the south wall opens onto a bers of the temple’s elite cadre of stealth workers, who
spiral staircase leading down. Four manacles are a re known as Sh a d ow s t a l k e r s. Read or paraphrase the
embedded in a man-sized stone table in the center following when the PCs enter.
of the ro o m, and spots of dried blood dot the
table’s surface.
T hese rooms appear to be simply furnished bar-
r a c k s. Each contains two to four cots and a wash-
If the PCs descend the stairs from V11, read or para- basin. At the foot of each bed stands a small chest.
phrase the following.
T he s e s p a r s e l y f u r n i s he d r o o m s h o u s e t he
This long, dank hallway is lined with cells. Fro m s h a d ow s t a l k e r s.
some emanate the piercing cries of lost souls; Creatures: Two to four Shadowstalkers share each
from others wafts the musky odor of death. of these small ro o m s. Because they are on differe nt
shifts, at least half of the occupants are out performing
T he dungeon still serves its original purpose—t o temple duties at any given time.
imprison and torture captives. A total of fifty Sh a d owstalkers (primarily humans
Tr a p : A pit trap (identical to those in area V 1 0 ) and half-o rcs) are based in the temple. While some
blocks the entrance to this room. T he trap is usually h a ve other temple duties, most work outside the
locked and not functioning, but the Sh a d ow Guard s temple on the Dark Lady’s behalf—sometimes for ten-
unlock it when they pour through this room on the i r days or months at a time. No matter when the PCs
way to the Labyrinth via the portals. arrive, 4d4 male and female Shadowstalkers and 1d3–1
a Poisoned Spiked Pit Trap: CR 10; see Dun- shadowdancers are resting and relaxing in these rooms.
geon Master’s Guide page 74. Use the following statistics, altering as desired.
Cre a t u res: At any given time, these cells collec- D Shadowstalkers (20): Male or female human
tively house 2d12–2 prisoners. Most are unlucky slaves or half-orc rogue 1 or 2; hp 7 or 11 each; see Dungeon
purchased in the markets of Skullport, or travelers kid- Master’s Guide, page 123.
napped and then forgotten, or captured followers of the
8
 D Shadowstalkers (15): Male or female human when flat-footed or targeted by an unseen foe. (She
or half-o rc rogue 3 or 4; hp 16 or 20 each; see Dungeon still loses her Dexterity bonus if paralyzed or other-
Master’s Guide, page 123. wise immobile.)
D Shadowstalkers (10): Male or female human Possessions: +1 studded leather armor, +1 buckler, +1 short
or half-orc rogue 5 or 6; hp 25-29 each; see Dungeon sword, +1 shortbow with 20 arrows, 2 potions of cure moder-
Master’s Guide, page 124. ate wounds, 100 gp.
D Sh a d owstalkers (5): Male or female human
or half-o rc rogue 7; hp 34 each; see Dungeon Ma s t e r’s V13. Guest Chamber (EL 7)
Guide, page 124. This room is reserved for visiting guests. Read or para-
D Shadowdancers (3): Male or female human phrase the following when the PCs enter.
rogue 7/shadowdancer 1; CR 8; Medium humanoid;
HD 7d6+7 plus 1d8+1; hp 37; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 19, This bedchamber is handsomely appointed with
touch 13, flat-footed 19; Base Atk +5; Grp +6; Atk +9 an old four-poster bed, a table, a chair, and a
washbasin.
melee (1d6+2/19–20, +1 short sword) or +9 ranged
( 1 d 6 + 1 /✕3, +1 short b ow); SA sneak attack +4d6; SQ eva-
s i o n, hide in plain sight, trap sense +2, trapfinding, For the past few tendays, the temple has hosted Tharag
uncanny dodge; AL NE; SV Fort +4, Ref +11, Will +3; t he De voted, a half-orc emissary of the Monks of the
Str 12, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8. Dark Moon. He is curre ntly engaged in discussions
Skills and Feats: Balance +5, Climb +11, Escape Artist with Lo rd Vanrak and the temple’s senior clergy as to
+14, Hide +14, Jump +5, Listen +11, Move Silently +14, w he t her his order should base a group of monks in
Open Lock +13, Pe rform (dance) +9, Se a rch +12, Vanrakdoom.
Sleight of Hand +14, Spot +11, Tumble +14, Combat Cre a t u re : At any given time, Tharag has a 20%
Reflexes, Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Finesse. chance to be resting or reading in this room. Ot he r-
L a n g u a g e s : Abyssal, Chondathan, Common, wise, he is with either Lo rd Vanrak or a senior night-
Draconic. cloak (see areas V26, V28, V41, V42, or V43).
Sneak Attack (Ex ) : T he shadowdancer deals 4d6 Tharag the Devoted: hp 35; see Lords of Darkness,
extra points of damage on any successful attack against page 163.
flat-footed or flanked targets, or against a target that has V14. Lecture Hall (EL Varies)
been denied its Dexterity bonus for any reason. T h i s This room is used for instructing the faithful in Shar’s
damage also applies to ranged attacks against targets up dogma. Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs
to 30 feet away. Creatures with concealment, creatures arrive.
without discernible anatomies, and cre a t u res immune
to extra damage from critical hits are all immune to T he benches within this arc hed hall are arranged
sneak attacks. The shadowdancer may choose to deliver in four rows divided by a center aisle.
nonlethal damage with her sneak attack, but only when
using a weapon designed for that purpose, such as a sap T he acolytes use the small rooms to the east and we s t
(blackjack). for study. At any given time, the PCs have a 30% chance
Evasion (Ex ) : If the shadowdancer is exposed to to find 1d4 acolytes seated around the table in each of
any effect that normally allows her to attempt a Reflex those rooms.
saving throw for half damage, she takes no damage Cre a t u res: A lecture may be occurring (20%
with a successful saving throw. chance) at any time in this chamber. If so, 1d2 senior
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): The shadowdancer NPCs from the temple are lecturing, and 4d6 Adepts of
can hide in while within 10 feet of a shadow even while the Night are in attendance.
being observed. D Adepts of the Ni g h t : See area V1 for
Trapfinding (Ex): T he shadowdancer can find, statistics.
disarm, or bypass traps with a DC of 20 or highe r. She D L e c t u rers: Choose from among the NPCs
can use the Search skill to find, and the Disable Device detailed elsewhere in this adventure.
skill to disarm, magic traps (DC 25 + the level of the
spell used to create it). If her Disable Device re s u l t V15. Chapel of Darkness (EL 14)
exceeds the trap’s DC by 10 or more, she discovers how This chamber functions as a lesser chapel for the fol-
to bypass the trap without triggering or disarming it. lowers of Shar. Read or paraphrase the following when
Uncanny Dodge (Ex ) : T he shadowd a n c e r the PCs arrive.
retains her Dexterity bonus to Armor Class eve n
9
 V26) immediately use the portal in area V30 to move to
An almost palpable aura of dread cloaks this re c- the control room.
tangular room. Atop a low, basalt dais in the center D Nightwalker: hp 178; see Nightshade ent ry,
of the chamber stands a black marble statue of a Monster Manual page 196.
nude human female. Twin basalt pillars, each 6 D Hands of Shar (4): See area V26 for statistics.
feet tall, flank this dark altar. Atop each pillar
Tactics: When the Hands of Shar are in the control
c ro u c hes a black gargoyle with great shadow y
ro o m, they employ the crystal balls to observe and the
w i n g s, curling horns, a lashing tail, a blank face,
p ro g ress of any battle between the temple’s defenders
and pale, lifeless orbs in lieu of eyes. These dread-
and int e r l o p e r s. The Hands of Shar use the levers to
ful statues appear to have been sculpted fro m
purest night. p rovide the followers of Shar with timely strategic
advantages.
Other Features: This area has two shifting walls
T he inhabitants of the temple usually use this chapel that are controlled by levers in the small control room.
for private devotions to the Dark Lady. In the smaller s Small Shifting Wall: The second lever fro m
rooms to the west and the east of the main altar stand t he west in the cont rol room operates this wall, which
smaller altars used for private devotions. m oves north/south. A successful St rength check (DC
Cre a t u re: Two nighthaunts in the service of Shar 20 from the north or south face, or DC 30 from the east
guard the altars here. They permit only followers of the or west face) can also force it to move.
Da rk Lady (whom they re c o g n i ze by a secret sign s Large Shifting Wall: T he easternmost leve r
k n own only to inhabitants of the temple) to worship in the cont rol room operates this wall, which move s
herein. east/west. A successful Strength check (DC 30 from the
The PCs also have a 10% chance to find a follower of east or west face, or DC 50 from the north face) can also
Shar (chosen from among the NPCs detailed else- force it to move.
where) herein at any given time. Tre a s u re: Four crystal balls with clairaudience are
D Ni g h t h a u nts (2): hp 102 each; see Ni g h t- located in the control room.
shades entry, Lost Empires of Faerûn page 185.
Treasure: In the small room behind the altar, atop V17. South Labyrinth (EL 16)
a black marble pillar, rests a talisman of ultimate evil (6 This portion of the labyrinth is similar to area V10 and
charges) in the shape of a holy symbol of Shar. contains the same kind of guardian. Read or paraphrase
the following when the PCs arrive.
V16. Central Labyrinth and Control Room
(EL 16+) T he smooth stone walls of these tunnels are
This section of the Laby r i nth is basically identical to devoid of any markings, and the corridors seem to
area V10. At its center, however, is an octagonal control twist and turn without reason.
room that features four large leve r s, each of which
operates a shifting wall somew he re within the Traps: This area contains six pit traps. The pits func-
L a by r i nth. On the south wall is a panel of smaller tion like those in area V10, although two of them are
l e ve r s, each of which locks or unlocks one of the pit four times as large. Each is controlled by one of the
traps in the complex. T he cont rol room also cont a i n s l e vers in the panel on the south wall of the cont ro l
four crystal balls with clairaudience, which the devo t e e s room (area V16).
of Shar use to monitor battles within the Laby r i nt h . a Small Poisoned Spiked Pit Traps (4): CR
The north wall of the control room is the terminus of a 10; see Dungeon Master’s Guide page 74.
one-way portal that originates in the south wall of area a Large Poisoned Spiked Pit Trap (2): CR
V30. Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs 10; see Dungeon Master’s Guide page 74.
arrive. Cre a t u res: As with area V10, a nightwalker
guards this chamber.
T he smooth, stone walls of these tunnels are D Nightwalker: hp 178; see Nightshade ent ry,
devoid of any markings, and the corridors seem to Monster Manual page 196.
twist and turn without reason. Other Features: This area contains two shifting
walls and one portal.
Cre a t u res: As with area V10, a nightwalker guard s s Western Shifting Wall: This wall is 20 feet
this chamb e r. In addition, whe n e ver int ruders are long and moves north/south. It is controlled by the
detected in the Labyrinth, four Hands of Shar (see area second lever from the east in the cont rol room of area
10
V16. A successful St rength check (DC 20 from the D Darkweavers (5): Male or female human or
n o rth or south face, or DC 30 from the east or we s t half-drow sorcerer 5; hp 19 each; see Dungeon Master’s
face) can also force it to move. Guide page 124.
s Eastern Shifting Wall: This wall is 30 feet D Shadow Adepts (8): Male or female human
long and moves east/west. It is cont rolled by the s o rc e rer 6/shadow adept PGtF 2; CR 8; Me d i u m
western lever in the cont rol room of area V16. A suc- humanoid; HD 8d4+8; hp 30; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 14,
cessful St rength check (DC 30 from the east or west touch 13, flat-footed 12; Base Atk +4; Grp +3; Atk or Full
face, or DC 50 from the north face) can also force it Atk +4 melee (1d6–1, masterwork qu a rterstaff ) or +7
to move . ranged (1d8+1/19–20, +1 light cro s s b ow); SQ familiar
s Portal: The portal at the western end of this sec- (cat), familiar benefits (Alert n e s s, empathic link, share
tion serves as the terminus of three differe nt portals in spells), low-light vision; AL NE; SV Fo rt +4, Ref +5,
other locations: a one-way portal from the eastern small Will +10; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 17.
room north of area V11, the northern portal in area V20, Skills and Feats: Bluff +6, Concentration +11, Hide +6,
and the portal in area V24. With a sliver of basalt as a K n owledge (arcana) +8, Listen +3*, Move Si l e ntly +5,
key, it functions as a one-way portal that transports the Spellcraft +10, Spot +3*; AlertnessB, Combat Casting,
user to the terminus in area V10. With a sliver of black Insidious MagicB,PGtF, Pernicious Ma g i cB,PGtF, Shadow
marble as a key, it becomes a one-way portal leading to We a ve Ma g i cPGtF, Si l e nt Spell, Still Spell, Te n a c i o u s
t he southern portal in area V20. With a holy symbol of MagicB,PGtF.
Shar as a key, it acts as a two-way portal leading to a cave Languages: Chondathan, Common.
in the depths of Kryptgarden Forest. Familiar: Each shadow adept’s familiar is a cat.
The familiar uses the better of its own and the shadow
V18. Darkweavers’ Quarters (EL Varies) adept’s base save bonuses. T he cre a t u re’s abilities and
T hese rooms house the sorc e rers devoted to the Dark characteristics are summarized below.
Lady. Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs
enter. Ma le or fe m a le cat familiar: CR —; Ti n y
magical beast; HD 1/2d8 (effective 8d8); hp 15;
T hese rooms appear to be simply furnished bar- Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 15;
r a c k s. Each contains two to four cots and a wash- Base Atk +4; Grp –8; Atk +8 melee (1d2–4, 2
basin. At the foot of each bed stands a small chest.
claws) and +3 melee (1d3–4, bite); Sp a c e / Re a c h
2-1/2 ft./0 ft.; SQ deliver touch spells, improve d
T hese sparsely furnished rooms are home to members e va s i o n, low-light vision, scent, speak with
of the sorc e rous subcult known as Darkwe a vers and master; AL NE; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +9; Str 3,
their immediate superiors. Dex 15, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 7.
Creatures: Two to four Darkweavers share each of Skills and Fe a t s : Balance +10, Bluff +1, Climb
these small rooms. Because they are on different shifts, +6, Concentration +10, Hide +18**, Jump +10,
at least half of the occupants are out performing temple Listen +3, Move Si l e ntly +6, Spot +3; We a p o n
duties at any given time. Finesse.
A total of forty Da rk we a vers (primarily humans Deliver Touch Spells: The cat may deliver
and half-drow) are based in the temple. T hese individ- touch spells for its master.
uals play a wide variety of roles within the temple. Im p roved Evasion (Ex ) : If the shadow
Some supplement the Sh a d ow Guard patro l s, and adept is exposed to any effect that normally
o t hers have temple duties, but most work outside the a l l ows her to attempt a Reflex saving throw for
temple on the Da rk Lady’s behalf—sometimes for ten- half damage, she takes no damage with a success-
days or months at a time. No matter when the PCs ful saving throw and half damage if the saving
a r r i ve, 4d4 male or female Da rk we a vers and 1d3–1 throw fails.
s h a d ow adepts are resting and relaxing in the s e Speak with Master (Ex ) : T he cat can
ro o m s. Use the following statistics. communicate verbally with the shadow adept.
D Da rk we a vers (20): Male or female human or Ot her cre a t u res do not understand the commu-
half-drow sorc e rer 1 or 2; hp 5 or 8 each; see Dungeon nication without magical help.
Master’s Guide page 124. Skills: A cat has a +4 racial bonus on Climb,
D Da rk we a vers (15): Male or female human or Hide, and Move Si l e ntly checks and a +8 racial
half-drow sorcerer 3 or 4; hp 12 or 15 each; see Dungeon bonus on Jump che c k s. A cat has a +8 racial
Master’s Guide page 124. bonus on Balance che c k s. It uses its De x t e r i t y
11
 modifier instead of its St rength modifier for V20. North Labyrinth (EL 16+)
Climb and Jump checks. **In areas of tall grass or This portion of the Labyrinth is similar to area V10 and
heavy undergrow t h, the Hide bonus rises to +8. contains the same kind of guardian. Read or paraphrase
the following when the PCs arrive.
Familiar Benefits: The shadow adept gains spe-
cial benefits from having a familiar. This creature grants T he smooth stone walls of these tunnels are
her a +3 bonus on Move Si l e ntly checks (included in devoid of any markings, and the corridors seem to
the above statistics). twist and turn without reason.
Alertness (Ex ) : *The familiar grants its master Alert-
ness as long as it is within 5 feet. Trap: This area contains one large pit trap, which func-
Empathic Link (Su): The shadow adept can communi- tions like those in area V10 (although it is four times as
cate telepathically with her familiar at a distance of up large). It is controlled by one of the levers in the panel
to 1 mile. The master has the same connection to an on the south wall of the control room (area V16).
item or a place that the familiar does. a Large Poisoned Spiked Pit Trap: CR 10;
Sh a re Spells (Su ) : The shadow adept may have any see Dungeon Master’s Guide page 74.
spell she casts on herself also affect her familiar if the Other Features: This area contains one shifting
latter is within 5 feet at the time. She may also cast a wall and two portals.
spell with a target of “You” on her familiar. s Shifting Wall: The shifting wall in the south-
Sorcerer Spells Known (6/7/7/6/3 per day; caster level western portion of this chamber is 10 feet long and
8th): 0—acid splash, detect magic, mage hand (CL 7th), m oves east/west. It is cont rolled by the second lever
m e s s a g e (CL 7th), open/ c l o s e (CL 7th), ray of fro s t ( + 6 from the west in the cont rol room of area V16. It can
ranged touch, CL 7th), read magic, touch of fatigue (+3 also be forcibly moved by pushing it and making a suc-
melee touch); 1st—cause fear (DC 15), chill touch (+3 cessful DC 30 Strength check.
melee touch, DC 15), claws of darknessFRCS (DC 15), mage s Portals: The northern portal in this section serves
armor, net of shadowsMag (DC 15); 2nd—darkness, invisibil- as the terminus of three differe nt portals in other loca-
ity, skull watch PGtF; 3rd —bedevilCoR, c o n t rol darkness and tions: a one-way portal from the more nort hern of the two
shadowCoR; 4th—fear (DC 18). small rooms east of area V11, the portal in area V10, and
Possessions: Bracers of armor +1, ring of protection +1, the southern portal in this area. With a sliver of basalt as a
masterwork quarterstaff, +1 light crossbow with 10 bolts, key, it acts as a one-way portal leading to the terminus in
cloak of resistance +1, dust of illusion, potion of blur, 2 potions area V17. With a sliver of black marble as a key, it func-
of cure moderate wounds, potion of haste, 250 gp. tions as a one-way portal leading to the terminus in area
V24. With a holy symbol of Shar as a key, it acts as a two-
V19. Bathing Pool (EL Varies) way portal that connects with a cave high above the Trade
T he temple re s i d e nts use this chamber for bathing. Way, amidst the mountains of the Cloud Peaks of Amn.
T he southern portal in this section of the Laby r i nth
An ova l -shaped pool dominates this sharply serves as the terminus of two different portals: the one-
tapered room. way portal in area V17, and the portal in area V24. With a
sliver of basalt as a key, it acts as a one-way portal to the
Small drains discreetly take overflow water away, chan- nort hern terminus in this area. With a sliver of black
neling it into the depths of the pool in area V25. marble as a key, it functions as a one-way portal to the
Cre a t u re s : Gi ven the large number of occupant s portal in area V10. With a holy symbol of Shar as a key,
the temple has, this room is usually in use. At any given it acts as a two-way portal that connects with a deep,
time, the PCs have an 80% chance of encountering 2d8 heavily shadowed vale in the hills west of the Sh a d ow
bathers he re. In addition, Adepts of the Night carry Sea, within sight of the City of Shade.
water from area V25 to area V9 to be warmed, the n
bring it here. V21. Privy (EL 3+)
D Adepts of the Night: hp 10 or 16; see area V1 This room is the temple’s only designated privy. Read or
for statistics. paraphrase the following when the PCs enter.
De velopment: T he levers in the small room due
west of area V19 can be used to drain this pool com- T he unmistakable odor of a privy wafts from this
pletely and to flush it with cold water via a hidden pipe chamber. Within its confines, wooden walls pro-
from area V22. vide privacy for up to five occupants.

12
Gi ven the temple’s large number of occupant s, the V24. East Labyrinth (EL 16+)
privy is barely up to its task. This portion of the labyrinth is similar to area V10 and
Creatures: Two Adepts of the Night are assigned contains the same kind of guardian. Read or paraphrase
to this room at all times. T heir duties are to ensure the following when the PCs arrive.
that the privy remains as clean as possible. T h u s, both
are constantly busy gathering up chamber pots and T he smooth stone walls of these tunnels are
dumping them into the refuse pit in the small room at devoid of any markings, and the corridors seem to
t he east end of area V2. At any given time, the PCs twist and turn without reason.
h a ve a 90% chance of encountering at least one adept
he re i n, plus 1d6-1 living NPCs from other areas of the Cre a t u res: As with area V10, a nightwalker guard s
complex. this chamber.
D Adepts of the Night (2): Male human cleric 1; D Nightwalker: hp 178; see Nightshade ent ry,
hp 10 each; see Dungeon Master’s Guide page 114. Monster Manual page 196.
Other Features: This area contains two shifting
V22. Sargauth Stream walls and one portal.
The stream that runs through this area serves as the s Northern Shifting Wall: This wall is 20 feet
temple’s water supply. Read or paraphrase the following long and moves east/west. It is controlled by the second
when the PCs arrive. lever from the east in the control room of V16. A success-
ful Strength check (DC 20 from the north or south face, or
A large hearth carved to resemble the gaping maw DC 30 from the east or west face) can also force it to move.
of a purple worm disgorges a small trickle of s Southern Shifting Wall: This wall is 10 feet
water. The stream pools in the center of the room long and moves east/west. It is cont rolled by the we s t-
before draining away through shallow channels
ern lever in the control room of area V16. A successful
beneath the three exit doors.
St rength check (DC 30 from the east or west face, or
DC 50 from the north face) can also force it to move .
The worm’s mouth holds the terminus of a one-way s Portals: The portal at the southeastern end of
p o rt a l f rom the depths of the River Sargauth near this section serves as the terminus of three differe nt
Sk u l l p o rt. T h rough it comes a small trickle of p o rt a l s in other locations: a one-way p o rt a l f rom the
potable water that feeds the pool in area V25 and more southern of the two small rooms east of area V11,
keeps the natural cisterns in the surrounding cham- t he portal in area V10, and the nort hern portal in are a
bers full. V20. With a sliver of basalt as a key, it functions as a
V23. Portal Prison (EL Varies) one-way portal that transports the user to the terminus
This rectangular chamber is wholly embedded in in area V17. With a sliver of black marble as a key, it
solid rock and reachable only via portals. It serves as a becomes a one-way portal leading to the southern portal
prison cell for int ruders who dare to use the temple’s in area V20. With a holy symbol of Shar as a key, it acts
portals. as a two-way portal that connects with a small cave on
the western bank of the River Reaching, just within the
This empty, featureless room is about 20 feet wide northern fringe of the Reaching Wood.
and 60 feet in length. V25. Pool of Darkness (EL 9)
T he temple re s i d e nts use this chamber for bathing.
When the portals in the dungeon (area V11) and the Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs arrive.
Labyrinth (areas V10, V16, V17, V20, and V24) are used
without a key, they serve as one-way portals that trans- This chamber houses a large, rectangular pool
port the users here (50% chance) or to area V39 or V40 filled with inky black water. A small stream of
(25% chance each). Those who come here are generally dark water runs under a door at the east end of the
just left to die. Once in a while, followers of Shar who north wall to feed the pool, making a soft shush-
can use the s h a d ow walk ability come and empty the ing sound. Gentle ripples in the water suggest that
room of its contents. some creature may lurk beneath the surface.
Cre a t u re s : At any given time, this chamber con-
tains the decaying remains of 1d10–1 humanoid crea- Despite its dangerous appearance, this water is safe to
tures. At your discre t i o n, it may also contain one or drink. A small crack at the bottom of the pool drains
more living prisoners (DM’s choice). the water down into the Underdark.
13
 Cre a t u re : An advanced shadow jelly from the
Plane of Shadow lurks herein. Each of these rooms is furnished with a washbasin
Tactics: The advanced shadow jelly attacks anyone and two to four cots. At the foot of each bed is a
who touches the water or stands next to the pool, small chest.
e xcept for characters opening displaying the holy
symbol of Sh a r. (Although the cre a t u re is nonint e l l i- Several senior Watchers and the select group known as
gent, the Da rk Ma i d e n’s hand stays it from attacking the Hands of Shar live in these chambers.
her followers.) Cre a t u res: Four of the senior temple personnel
D Advanced Shadow Jelly: CR 9; Huge ooze s h a re each of these small ro o m s. Because they are on
(extraplanar); HD 18d10+108; hp 207; Init –5; Spd 10 d i f f e re nt shifts, at least half of the occupants are out
ft., climb 10 ft.; AC 3, touch 3, flat-footed 3; Atk +17 performing temple duties at any given time.
melee (1d8 Str damage, slam); Space/Reach 15 ft./10 ft.; A total of twe nty Wa t c hers and ten Hands of Sh a r
SA improved grab, St rength damage; SQ blindsight 60 a re based in the temple. Six of the Watchers are gar-
ft., ooze traits; AL N; SV Fort +12, Ref +1, Will +1; St r risoned in areas V1 and V7; the rest live here. No matter
23, Dex 1, Con 22, Int –, Wis 1, Cha 1. w hen the PCs arrive, 3d4 watchers and 2d4 Hands of
Skills and Feats: Climb +14, Hide –13. Shar are resting and relaxing in these ro o m s. Use the
Im p roved Grab (Ex ) : To use this ability, an following statistics.
a d vanced shadow jelly must hit with its slam attack. D Watchers (14): Male or female human cleric 6 of
It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action Shar/nightcloak 1; hp 48 each; see area V26 for statistics.
without provoking an attack of opport u n i t y. If it D Hands of Shar (8): Male or female human
wins the grapple che c k, it establishes a hold and can cleric 6 of Shar/nightcloak 4; CR 10; Me d i u m
automatically deal 1d8 points of St rength damage humanoid; HD 10d8–10; hp 40; Init +2; Spd 20 ft.; AC
each ro u n d . 22, touch 12, flat-footed 21; Base Atk +7; Grp +8; Atk
St rength Damage (Su ) : T he touch of an +9/+4 melee (1d8+2, +1 heavy mace) or +10 ranged
a d vanced shadow jelly deals 1d8 points of St re n g t h (1d8+1/19–20, +1 light cro s s b ow); SA rebuke undead
damage to a living foe. A creature reduced to Strength 0 4/day (+1, 2d6+1, 6th); SQ darkness spells, eyes of Shar,
by an advanced shadow jelly dies. This is a negative s h a d ow talk; AL NE; SV Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +16; St r
energy effect. 13, Dex 14, Con 8, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 12.
Oo ze Tr a i t s : An advanced shadow jelly is Skills and Feats: Bluff +6, Concentration +8, Di p l o-
immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, polymor- macy +3, Hide –1, Intimidate +3, Jump –10, Move
phing, and mind-influencing effects. It is not subject to Silently –1, Pe rform (oratory) +5, Spellcraft +7; Bl i n d-
critical hits or flanking. Shadow jellies are blind. FightB, Insidious MagicB,PGtF, Iron Will, Pernicious Mag-
Tre a s u re: On the bottom of the pool lies a long- icPGtF, Sh a d ow We a ve Ma g i cPGtF, Spell Focus (illusion),
forgotten relic called Su n g l o ry, which is sacred to the Via NegativaCoR.
f o l l owers of Lathander. A company of Lathanderites Languages: Chondathan, Common.
once tracked a noted Sharran assassin through a Darkness Spel l s : A Hand of Shar can pre p a re
mysterious portal to his base in Va n r a k d o o m, intend- any Darkness domain spell as if it we re on her divine
ing to stage a raid on the Sharran stronghold. In the spell list. T he spell uses a spell slot equal to its level in
confusion of the ensuing wild battle, a Knight of the the Darkness domain list.
Aster dropped Su n g l o ry in the pool as he died. T he Eyes of Shar (Ex): The Hand of Sh a r’s eyes are
Sharrans never re a l i zed that their foes had possessed totally black, granting her darkvision to a range of 60
a weapon of such worth, so they never looked for it feet. She can also see through magical darkness to a
after the fight. range of 10 feet in the same black-and-white sight that
Su n g l o ry is a heavy mace that is equ i va l e nt to a sun darkvision provides. She cannot be blinded by magical
blade (see the description on page 228 of the Dungeon effects.
Ma s t e r ’s Guide, but replace all re f e rences to “bastard Shadow Talk (Su): The Hand of Shar can commu-
s w o rd” with “heavy mace” and all re f e rences to “short nicate mystically through the shadows of the mind. She
sword” with “light mace.”) can whisper short messages to other worshipers of Shar
within 500 feet. All Shar worshipers within range of
V26. Quarters of the Hands of Shar (EL Varies) t he message hear it as a whisper in their minds.
T hese modestly furnished chambers house the senior Observers can hear the words if they are close enough
priests of the ord e r. Read or paraphrase the follow i n g to physically hear the Hand of Shar’s actual whispers (a
when the PCs approach any of these chambers. DC 15 Listen check if the listener is within 10 feet,
14
+1 DC per 5 feet beyond that). Sh a d ow talk is a lan- Cre a t u re s : T he PCs have a 15% chance to
guage-dependant free action, and it can be used to com- e n c o u nter 1d4 of the temple’s residents (DM’s choice)
municate with undead worshipers of Shar and undead in this hall at any given time.
creatures in the service of Shar worshipers. De vel o p m e nt : Once the PCs have defeated
Cleric Spells Pre p a re d (caster level 10th): 0—c re a t e anyone they find in the hall, they can examine the stat-
water, detect magic, guidance, read magic, resistance, virtue; ues more closely.
1st—bane (DC 16), cause fear (DC 16), divine favo r (CL T he first statue depicts Go rothir of Sh a r, the Da rk
9th), doom (DC 16), obscuring mist, protection from goodD Pro p het of the Night (see area V44 for furt her details).
(CL 12th); 2nd—blindness/deafness (DC 18), darkness, A successful DC 30 Knowledge (history) check is
desecrateD (CL 9th), enthrall (DC 17), hold person (DC 17), required to identify him.
silence (DC 17); 3rd—blacklightFRCS (DC 17), deeper dark- The second statue is of Dahlia, also known as the
ness, dispel magic (2), magic circle against goodD (CL 11th); Queen of the Night—the greatest high priestess of the
4th—a rmor of dark n e s s (+9 melee touch), greater magic Reign of Night in the Netherese city of Sepulcher. The
we a p o n (CL 9th), poison (DC 18), summon monster IV, Queen of the Night led the entire Netherese church in
unholy blightD (DC 18); 5th—d a rk b o l tD,FRCS (+9 ranged her day and successfully transformed the port city of
touch, DC 19), dispel goodD (CL 11th, DC 19), true seeing Sepulcher into a bastion of Sharran might.
(+9 melee touch). T he third statue depicts Irtemara el Eradsari, the
D: Domain spell. Domains: Darkness (Blind-Fight as Dancer before Da w n, who is the debauched and jaded
a bonus feat) and Evil (cast evil spells at +1 caster level). high priestess of the Temple of Old Night in Calimport.
Possessions: +2 full plate armor, +1 heavy mace, +1 light Since Irtemara still live s, her inclusion in this collec-
crossbow with 10 bolts, sanguine nostrumCoR , periapt of tion is a subtle slight by Lo rd Va n r a k, suggesting that
Wisdom +2, ring of protection +1, ring of feather falling, cloak his rival’s time has passed.
of resistance +1, 5 potions of cure moderate wounds, 50 gp. Tre a s u re : T he statues are fashioned from black
Tre a s u re: Each chest contains the personal chalcedony that has been magically transformed (using
belongings of the owner. Choose treasure appro p r i a t e Tro b r i a n d’s glassteel, a new spell from City of Splendors:
for the Encounter Level used. Waterdeep) into a transparent material with the durabil-
ity of steel. Each is worth 2,000 gp for materials alone,
V27. Shadowstone Hall (EL Varies) and as much as three times that amount to a collector of
This chamber serves as a sort of art gallery in which the religious or historical objects of art.
temple re s i d e nts can take their leisure. Read or para-
phrase the following when the PCs arrive. V28. Darklord and Krinth Quarters (EL varies)
This complex serves as living qu a rters for Sh a r’s most
Eight black marble bases line this hall, four on senior servants and special guests. The five rooms to the
each side. Five of the bases (four on the right, one west of the hallway are occupied by senior temple per-
on the left) are empty, while the other three are sonnel, and the tangle of int e rconnected rooms to the
occupied with black crystalline statues. east houses krinth refugees from the City of Shade who
The first statue depicts a massive bear of a man were rescued and brought here by Lord Vanrak.
with a thick beard, a great belly, and a wild mane Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs
of hair. His thickly muscled arms are open wide, enter any of the western rooms.
as if he is encompassing all the world in his grasp.
He wears the flowing robes of a priest of Sh a r. T hese rooms are finely furnished and obv i o u s l y
The second statue depicts a tall, graceful woman designed for single occupant s. Each contains one
of Nethe rese heritage with long flowing hair. She bed draped in fine linen, a crystal washbasin, an
wears a thin shift and a forbidding expression. oak table and chair, and a small bookshelf filled
The third statue depicts a tiny, wizened woman with books. At the foot of each bed is a small che s t .
of Calishite heritage. She is dressed in traditional
Shoon robes and poised as if dancing.
T hese rooms are home to the senior leaders of the
c h u rc h, who are known as Da rklords and Da rk l a d i e s.
During the rule of Clan Melairk y n, statues of Me l a i r- Creatures: Each chamber has only one occupant.
b o d e’s greatest kings adorned the bases in this hall. Because they work differe nt shifts within the temple,
Lord Vanrak had the dwarven statues destroyed, and he only two are in their rooms at any given time.
is slowly replacing them with statues depicting the D Da rkladies Eveline and Condelia and
most favored servants of the Lady of Loss. Dark l o rd Ju nt h e r : Male or female human cleric 6
15
 of Shar/nightcloak 8; CR 14; Medium humanoid; HD b a rd spell modify memories. T he Da rklady can use this
14d8; hp 66; Init +2; Spd 20 ft.; AC 22, touch 12, flat- ability once per tenday as a 10th-level bard.
footed 21; Base Atk +10; Grp +11; Atk +12 melee Cleric Spells Pre p a re d (caster level 14th): 0—c re a t e
(1d8+2, +1 heavy mace) or +14 ranged (1d4+1, + 2 water, detect magic (CL 15th), guidance (CL 15th), re a d
returning chakra m); Full Atk +12/+7 melee (1d8+2, +1 magic (CL 15th), resistance, virt u e (CL 13th); 1st—bane
heavy mace) or +14/+9 ranged (1d4+1, +2 re t u rn i n g (DC 16), cause fear (DC 16), detect secret doorsD (CL 15th),
chakra m); SA rebuke undead 4/day (+1, 2d6+1, 14th); disguise self (DC 16), divine favo r (CL 13th), doom (DC
SQ darkness spells, disk of night, eyes of Sh a r, mind 16), obscuring mist; 2 n d —b l i n d n e s s / d e a f n e s s (DC 17),
of Sh a r, shadow talk, Shar’s care s s, t rue lies; AL NE; SV d a rkness, desecrate (CL 13th), detect thoughtsD (CL 15th),
Fort +11, Ref +6, Will +17; Str 13, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 10, enthrall (DC 17), hold person (DC 17), silence (DC 17);
Wis 19, Cha 12. 3 rd —blacklightFRCS (DC 17), clairaudience/clairvoy a n c eD
Skills and Feats: Bluff +15, Concentration +9, Di p l o- (CL 15th), crushing despair (DC 18), deeper darkness, dispel
macy +8, Hide +6, Intimidate +3, Jump –10, Move magic, slashing darknessCoR (+12 ranged touch, CL 13th);
Si l e ntly –1, Perform (oratory) +5, Spellcraft +7; Bl i n d- 4th—armor of darkness (+11 melee touch), death ward
Fi g h t B, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (chakram), In i t i- (+11 melee touch), divinationD (CL 15th), greater magic
ate of Shar CoR, Insidious Ma g i cB,PGtF, Iron Will, Perni- we a p o n (CL 13th), poison (DC 19), summon monster IV;
cious Ma g i cPGtF, Sh a d ow We a ve Ma g i cPGtF, Spell Focus 5th—darkboltFRCS (+12 ranged touch, DC 19), dispel good
(illusion). (DC 19), true seeingD (+11 melee touch, CL 15th) unhal-
Languages: Chondathan, Common. low (CL 13th); 6th—find the pathD (+11 melee touch, CL
Darkness Spel l s : Vanrak can pre p a re any Da rk- 15th), harm (+11 melee touch, CL 15th, DC 21), prying
ness domain spell as if it we re on his divine spell list. eyes (CL 15th), remorseless charmCoR (DC 21); 7th—
The spell uses a spell slot equal to its level in the Dark- legend loreD (CL 15th), nightmare (DC 22), shadow trapCoR
ness domain list. (DC 21).
Disk of Night (Su ) : Any chakram used by a D: Domain spell. Domains: Darkness (Blind-Fight as
Darklady is treated as if it were a +2 returning chakram. If a bonus feat) and Knowledge (cast divinations at +1
it remains out of her hand for more than 1 round, it caster level).
reverts to its original abilities. Possessions: +2 full plate arm o r, +1 heavy mace, +1
Eyes of Shar (Ex): The Darklady’s eyes are totally chakram, +1 ring of protection, periapt of Wisdom +2, amulet
black, granting her darkvision to a range of 60 feet. She of health +2, camellia of the Black Lady CoR , cloak of
can also see through magical darkness to a range of 10 elvenkind, potion of cure moderate wounds, 200 gp.
feet in the same black-and-white sight that darkvision D Da rklady Se m i o n e : Female human sorc e re r
p rov i d e s. She cannot be blinded by magical effects. 6 / s h a d ow adept 7; CR 13; Medium humanoid; HD
Sh a d ow Talk (Su ) : T he Da rklady can communi- 13d4+13; hp 45; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 18, touch 14, flat-
cate mystically through the shadows of the mind. She footed 16; Base Atk +6, Grp +6; Atk +7/+2 melee (1d8,
can whisper short messages to other worshipers of Shar m a s t e rw o rk morningstar) or +10 ranged (1d4+2, + 2
within 500 feet. All Shar worshipers within range of chakram); SQ darkvision, familiar (cat), familiar benefits
t he message hear it as a whisper in their minds. ( A l e rt n e s s, empathic link, share spells), low - l i g h t
Observers can hear the words if they are close enough vision, shadow defense +2, shadow walk, shield of shad-
to physically hear the Darklady’s actual whispers (a DC ows; AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +9; Str 10, Dex 14,
15 Listen check if the listener is within 10 feet, +1 DC Con 13, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 20.
per 5 feet beyond that). Sh a d ow talk is a language - Skills and Feats: Bluff +21, Concentration +17, Di p l o-
dependant free action, and it can be used to communi- macy +7, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Listen
cate with undead worshipers of Shar and undead cre a- +1*, Move Si l e ntly +5, Spellcraft +10, Spot +1*; Alert-
tures in the service of Shar worshipers. n e s s B , Combat Casting, Entangling Sp e l l CoR, Exo t i c
Sh a r ’s Caress (Su): Vanrak can surround a he l d Weapon Proficiency (chakram), Insidious Ma g i cB,PGtF,
chakram, whip, or dagger with Sh a d ow We a ve magic, Lingering Sp e l l CoR , Pernicious Ma g i c B,PGtF , Re a p i n g
giving the weapon the unholy property for 1 round per SpellCoR, Shadow Weave MagicPGtF, Tenacious Ma g i cB,PGtF.
use. The Darklady can invoke this power as a free action Languages: Chondathan, Common.
once per day. She must decide to use this ability before Darkvision (Su): Semione can see in the dark as
t he attack is made, and if the attack misses, that use of though she we re permanently affected by a darkvision
Shar’s caress is wasted. spell.
True Lies (Sp): A darklady can reach into a cre a- Familiar: Semione’s familiar is a cat named Mirra.
ture’s mind and modify its memories as the 4th-leve l The familiar uses the better of her own and Semione’s
16
base save bonuses. The creature’s abilities and character- Shadow Walk (Sp): Semione can use shadow walk
istics are summarized below. (caster level 7th) once per day.
Shield of Shadows (Su): Semione can surround
Mirra, Fe m a le Cat Familiar: CR —; Ti n y herself with a globe of purple-black force as a standard
magical beast; HD 1/2d8 (effective 13d8); hp 22; action. This shield of shadows functions like a shield
Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 15; spell, granting her a +4 shield bonus to AC and absorb-
Base Atk +6; Grp –6; Atk +10 melee (1d2–4, ing magic missiles cast at he r. In addition, the shield of
2 claws) and +5 melee (1d3–4, bite); Space/Reach s h a d ows provides concealment (20% miss chance)
2-1/2 ft./0 ft.; SQ deliver touch spells, improve d against melee and ranged attacks. Semione can see and
e va s i o n, low-light vision, scent, speak with reach through the shield, so it does not provide cover
master; AL NE; SV Fo rt +4, Ref +6, Will +11; Str or concealment to opponent s. Semione may use a
3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 7. shield of shadows for up to 14 rounds per day. T h i s
Skills and Feats: Balance +10, Bluff +14, Climb duration need not be consecutive—she may break it
+6, Concentration +16, Hide +18**, Jump +10, up into increments as small as 1 round if she so desires.
Listen +3, Move Si l e ntly +6, Spot +3; We a p o n Creating or dismissing the shield of shadows is a
Finesse. standard action.
Del i ver Touch Spel l s : Mirra may delive r Sorcerer Spells Know n (6/8/7/7/7/7/4 per day; caster
touch spells for her master. level 13th): 0—acid splash, daze (DC 16), detect magic,
Im p roved Evasion (Ex ) : If Semione is ghost sound (DC 16), open/close (CL 12th), prestidigitation
exposed to any effect that normally allows her to (DC 15), ray of fro s t (+8 ranged touch, CL 12th), re a d
attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, magic, touch of fatigue (+6 melee touch); 1st—c h a rm
s he takes no damage with a successful saving person (DC 17), chill touch (+8 melee touch, DC 18), corro-
t h row and half damage if the saving throw fails. sive graspMag (+6 melee touch), magic missile (CL 12th),
Speak with Master (Ex ) : Mirra can com- true strike; 2nd—ghoul touch (+6 melee touch, DC 18),
municate verbally with Semione. Other creatures misdirection (DC 18), scare (DC 18), spectral hand, Tasha’s
do not understand the communication without hideous laughter (DC 18); 3rd—bedevilCoR, control darkness
magical help. and shadowCoR, s u g g e s t i o n (DC 19), vampiric touch ( + 6
Skills: Mirra has a +4 racial bonus on Climb, melee touch, DC 19); 4th—contagion (DC 20), enerva-
Hide, and Move Si l e ntly checks and a +8 racial tion, fear (DC 20), phantasmal killer (DC 20); 5th—domi-
bonus on Jump checks. She has a +8 racial bonus nate person (DC 21), necrotic skull bomb (DC 21), shadow
on Balance checks. She uses her Dexterity modi- e vocation (DC 21); 6th—acid fog, circle of death (DC 22).
fier instead of her St rength modifier for Climb Possessions: Amulet of natural armor +1, bracers of armor +3,
and Jump checks. **In areas of tall grass or heavy ring of protection +2, masterwork morningstar, +2 chakram,
undergrowth, the Hide bonus rises to +8. wand of shocking grasp, cloak of Charisma +2, 250 gp.
D Da rk l o rd Raint h e r : Male human ro g u e
Familiar Benefits: Semione gains special bene- 7 / s h a d owdancer 8; CR 15; Medium humanoid; HD
fits from having a familiar. This creature grants her a +3 7d6+7 plus 8d8+8; hp 78; Init +5; Spd 30 ft.; AC 22, touch
bonus on Move Silently checks (included in the above 17, flat-footed 22; Base Atk +11; Grp +12; Atk +14 melee
statistics). (1d6+3/17–20, +2 keen short sword) or +17 ranged
Al e rtness (Ex ) : *Mirra grants her master Alertness as ( 1 d 6 + 1 / ✕ 3, +1 short b ow); Full Atk +14/+9/+4 melee
long as she is within 5 feet. (1d6+3/17–20, +2 keen short sword) or +17/+12/+7 ranged
Empathic Link (Su): Semione can communicate tele- ( 1 d 6 + 1 /✕3, +1 short b ow); SA sneak attack +4d6; SQ dark-
pathically with her familiar at a distance of up to 1 mile. v i s i o n, defensive roll, eva s i o n, hide in plain sight,
T he master has the same connection to an item or a i m p roved uncanny dodge, shadow illusion, s h a d owjump,
place that the familiar does. slippery mind, summon shadow, trap sense +2, trapfind-
Sh a re Spells (Su ) : Semione may have any spell she ing, uncanny dodge; AL NE; SV Fo rt +5, Ref +16, Wi l l
casts on herself also affect her familiar if the latter is +4; Str 12, Dex 20, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8.
within 5 feet at the time. She may also cast a spell with Skills and Feats: Balance +25, Bluff +17, Di p l o m a c y
a target of “You” on her familiar. +19, Escape Artist +23, Hide +15, Intimidate +11, Jump
Shadow Defense (Ex): Semione has a +2 profane +13, Listen +5, Move Si l e ntly +23, Perform (dance) +9,
bonus on saving throws against spells from the schools Spot +5, Tumble +17; Combat Reflexes, CravenCoR, Dirty
of enchant m e nt, illusion, and necro m a n c y, as well as R a t CoR , Dodge, Mo b i l i t y, Natural Bu l l y CoR , Sp r i n g
spells with the darkness descriptor. Attack.
17
 L a n g u a g e s : Abyssal, Chondathan, Common, Sl i p p e ry Mind (Ex ) : This ability re p re s e nt s
Draconic. R a i nt her’s ability to wriggle free from magical effects
Sneak Attack (Ex ) : R a i nt her deals 4d6 extra that would othe rwise cont rol or compel him. If
p o i nts of damage on any successful attack against flat- R a i nt her is affected by an enchant m e nt and fails his
footed or flanked targets, or against a target that has saving throw, he can attempt his saving throw again 1
been denied its Dexterity bonus for any reason. T h i s round later. He gets only this one extra chance to suc-
damage also applies to ranged attacks against targets up ceed on his saving throw. If it fails as well, the spell’s
to 30 feet away. Creatures with concealment, creatures effects occur normally.
without discernible anatomies, and cre a t u res immune Summon Shadow (Su): Rainther can summon a
to extra damage from critical hits are all immune to shadow (see Monster Manual page 221 for the shadow’s
sneak attacks. Raint her may choose to deliver non- statistics, except that it has 2 extra Hit Dice, with the
lethal damage with his sneak attack, but only when re quisite increases to base attack bonus and save s ) .
using a weapon designed for that purpose, such as a sap Unlike a normal shadow, this one’s alignment matches
(blackjack). Rainther’s, and the creature cannot be turned, rebuked,
Darkvision (Su): Rainther can see in the dark as or commanded by any third part y. This shadow serve s
though he were permanently under the effect of a dark- as a companion to Raint her and can communicate
vision spell. i ntelligibly with him. If a shadow companion is
De fe n s i ve Roll (Ex ) : Raint her can roll with a d e s t royed, or Raint her chooses to dismiss it, he must
p o t e ntially lethal blow to take less damage from it. attempt a DC 15 Fortitude save. If it fails, Rainther loses
Once per day, when he would be reduced to 0 or fewer 3,000 XP, though his XP total can never drop below 0 as
hit points by damage in combat (from a weapon or t he result of a shadow’s dismissal or destruction. A
other blow, not a spell or special ability), he can attempt d e s t royed or dismissed shadow companion cannot be
to roll with the damage. He makes a Reflex saving replaced for 30 days.
throw (DC = damage dealt) and, if successful, takes only Trapfinding (Ex ) : Rainther can find, disarm, or
half damage from the blow. He must be aware of the bypass traps with a DC of 20 or higher. He can use the
attack and able to react to it in order to execute his Se a rch skill to find, and the Disable Device skill to
d e f e n s i ve roll. If he is in a situation that would deny disarm, magic traps (DC 25 + the level of the spell used
him any Dexterity bonus to AC, he can’t attempt a to create it). If his Disable Device result exceeds the
defensive spell. trap’s DC by 10 or more, he discovers how to bypass the
Evasion (Ex): If Rainther is exposed to any effect trap without triggering or disarming it.
that normally allows him to attempt a Reflex saving Uncanny Dodge (Ex ) : Rainther retains his De x-
throw for half damage, he takes no damage with a suc- terity bonus to Armor Class even when flat-footed or
cessful saving throw. targeted by an unseen foe. (He still loses his Dexterity
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex ) : Rainther can hide bonus if paralyzed or otherwise immobile.)
while within 10 feet of a shadow even while being Possessions: Amulet of natural armor +1, bracers of arm o r
observed. +4, ring of protection +2, +2 keen short sword, +1 shortbow
Im p roved Uncanny Dodge (Ex ) : R a i nt he r with 20 arrows, g l oves of Dexterity +2, hat of disguise, 200 gp.
cannot be flanked and can be sneak attacked only by a Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs
character who has at least 19 levels of rogue. e nter any of the chambers to the east of the hallway.
Sh a d ow Illusion (Sp): R a i nt her can cre a t e
visual illusions from surrounding shadow s. This abil- These rooms were once finely appointed guest
ity’s effect is identical to that of the arcane spell silent qu a rters for visitors to the temple, but they now
image and may be employed once per day. bear witness to the extended occupancy of far less
Shadow Jump (Su): Rainther can travel between civilized creatures. Each room has two to four cots
shadows as if by means of a dimension door spell. T he and a washbasin. At the foot of each bed is a small
limitation is that the magical transport must begin and chest of personal items.
end in an area with at least some shadow. Rainther can
jump up to a total of 80 feet each day in this manner; T hese eastern rooms are now given over to krint h
this may be a single jump of 80 feet or two jumps of 40 refugees rescued by Lo rd Vanrak from the City of
feet each. This amount can be split among many jumps, Shade. The krinth va ry widely in level and ability, but
but each one, no matter how small, counts as a 10-foot their number includes many would-be adventurers.
increment. D K r i nth (78): Various classes; hp varies; see
Champions of Ruin page 14.
18
 Tre a s u re: Each chest contains the personal by billowing d a rk f i reMag/LoD, and each is considered an
belongings of the owner. Choose treasure appro p r i a t e altar to Shar. T he Sharran priests burn their offerings to
for the Encounter Level used. t he Lady of Loss within the dark f i re, thus ensuring that
they are truly lost once consumed.
V29. Darkfire Temple (EL 18+) As shown on the map, the forges produce a large
This immense chamber once housed a temple to volume of smoke that envelops much of the temple.
Moradin. To honor the Lady of Loss, the followers of Any living cre a t u re that spends 1 full round within an
Shar have transformed it into a twisted parody of the area covered by smoke is affected as if by a stinking cloud
Soulforger’s original chapel. Read or paraphrase the fol- spell (caster level 12th).
lowing when the PCs open the doors. The five yellow - g reen lines on the map re p re s e nt
sections of the floor that can be tilted up to form 5-foot-
The double doors part to reveal a 20-foot-wide pas- high, 6-inch-deep barriers. In the raised position, the y
sage that leads 50 feet eastward and then opens function as obstacles, each of which costs 2 squ a res of
i nto a vast room outfitted as a temple. Fashioned
move m e nt to cro s s. Intended to pre ve nt charges and
of black marble blocks inlaid with arcane runes,
other forms of fast movement, they are controlled by a
t he temple appears to be approximately 140 feet
set of levers behind the altar. If forced to defend the
deep and 100 feet wide. Its arc hed ceiling soars
some 60 feet above. temple, Sh a r’s followers stage a fighting withdrawal,
In the center of the temple is a vast forge lit by slowly conceding each barrier as they re t reat. A suc-
black fire. Da rk, noxious smoke billows fort h cessful DC 15 Disable Device check lowers a 5-foot-
f rom it, obscuring all else within. A dozen or so wide section of wall and prevents the lever mechanism
man-s i zed humanoids work the vast bellows that from raising it anew.
maintain the fire. In fro nt of the forge stands a Creatures: The creatures working the bellows are
large altar made of ro u g h - hewn granite and ogre zombies. Twelve of them attend the main bellows,
stained with rivers of dried blood. and two operate each of the lesser bellows.
Dimly visible beyond the billowing smoke is a T he clergy of Shar have transformed the defaced
giant, black statue of a male dwarf with his hands idol of Moradin into a blackstone gigant. It in turn has
bound behind his back. His head is bowed, and he aided them in decorating this temple with statuary.
has been shorn of his beard. Black tears appear to T he five statues that line the south wall were once
gush forth from the statue’s empty eye sockets. shield dwarves. They were purchased as slaves in Skull-
Along the south wall are additional forges, port, attired as nobility, enlarged with magic, then pet-
each burning with the same black fire as the cen- rified by the blackstone gigant and placed he re by the
tral one. Two shadowy humanoid figures work a clergy of Shar to make a mockery of the temple that
smaller set of bellows to maintain each, and a once belonged to their kind. The seven statues that line
large, still figure, barely visible through the the northern wall were agents of House Moonstar who
smoke, stands nearby. Along the north wall stand we re captured by Lord Va n r a k’s followers, petrified by
a few statues of humanoid figure s, but the details t he blackstone gigant, and placed he re as reminders to
are obscured by the smoke.
any others who would try to challenge the power of
Sh a r. T he blackstone gigant can transform the statues
T he dwarf statue is in fact a he retical depiction of the along the south wall into Large animated objects and
Soulforger. Any dwarf re c o g n i zes it as such automati- those along the north wall into Medium animated
cally, and any other character can do so with a DC 15 objects by touch.
Knowledge (religion) check. In addition, 2d8 worshipers of Shar are pre s e nt at
The room actually contains five lesser forges spaced any given time. (Draw these from among the NPCs
e venly along the south wall. The figures next to the m described elsewhere in the adventure.) Furthermore, if
a re Large statues of humiliated dwarf patriarc h s, each t he alarm has been raised, Lo rd Vanrak has assigned
depicted in the same manner as his god. The north wall twe l ve members of the Sh a d ow Guard (see area V3) to
is lined with seven Medium statues, each of a human defend the temple.
wearing tattered black robes and beseeching the he a v- D Og re Zombies (22): hp 55 each; see Monster
ens for mercy. Behind the last of these statues, on the Manual page 265.
north wall in the northeast corner of the room, is a con- D Blackstone Gigant: hp 236; see Fiend Fo l i o
cealed door. page 21.
The large forge in the center of the room and the five D Medium Animated Objects (up to 7): hp
smaller forges along the south wall are permanently lit 31 each; see Monster Manual page 13.
19
 D Large Animated Objects (up to 5): hp 52 At any given time, he may be here, or in area V33, or in
each; see Monster Manual page 13. area V35 (25% chance for each). The rest of the time, he
Devel o p m e nt : If the followers of Shar are hard is either hunting in the Un d e rd a rk (20% chance; see
p ressed, those who cannot flee or choose not to do so area V35) or ferrying Lord Vanrak across the night skies
make their final stand in this room. of Faerûn (5% chance).
D Umbraxakar: Male mature adult shadow dragon;
V30. Labyrinth Portal (EL 11+) CR 16; Large dragon; HD 22d12+88; hp 231; Init +0; Spd 80
This chamber serves as the primary access to the con- ft., fly 150 ft. (poor); AC 34, touch 9, flat-footed 34; Base Atk
trol room (see area V16) in the Labyrinth. +22; Grp +32; Atk +28 melee (2d6+6, bite); Full Atk +28
melee (2d6+6, bite) and +22 melee (1d8+3, 2 claws) and +22
This 15-foot-s qu a re chamber is empty save for a melee (1d6+3, 2 wings) and +22 melee (1d8+9, tail slap);
large stone arch piercing the south wall. T he Space/Reach 10 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with bite); SA breath weapon
swirling mists in the center of the arch suggest ( 4 0 -ft. cone of shadows), frightful presence, spell-like abili-
that it may be a portal.
ties, spells; SQ damage reduction 10/magic, darkvision 120
ft., immunities (energy drain, paralysis, sleep), low-light
Four Hands of Shar (see area V26) are stationed here at vision, shadow blend, spell resistance 25; AL CE; SV Fort
all times. They protect the portal and use it to access the +17, Ref +13, Will +18; Str 23, Dex 10, Con 19, Int 20,
control room if intruders are reported in the Labyrinth. Wis 20, Cha 21.
V31. Wyrmwhisper Landing (EL 0, 2, or 3) Skills and Feats: Concentration +29, Diplomacy +34,
This chamber is the access point for the cavern complex Hide –4, Intimidate +30, Jump +26, Knowledge (arcana)
(areas V31, V32, V33, and V35) claimed by the shadow +30, Knowledge (history) +30, Knowledge (the planes)
dragon Umbraxakar, who serves as Vanrak’s steed. Re a d +30, Listen +30, Search +30, Sense Motive +30, Spellcraft
or paraphrase the following when the PCs arrive . +9, Spot +30, Use Magic Device +30; Blind-Fight, Combat
Casting, Flay FoeCoR, Flyby Attack, Intimidator, Mutilator-
CoR
Two large passageways provide egress from this , Shadow Weave MagicPGtF, Weapon Focus (bite).
20-foot-square room. One corridor leads off to the L a n g u a g e s : Abyssal, Au r a n, Chondathan,
east, and the other gives access to a wide staircase Common, Draconic, Giant, Terran.
leading down to the south. Two crude cots are Breath Weapon (Su ) : Umb r a x a k a r’s bre a t h
tucked in the southeast corner of the room. weapon is an 80-foot cone of billowing, smoky shadows
with an energy drain effect. Each cre a t u re within the
Two 2nd-level Adepts of the Night (see areas V1 and V7) cone gains four negative leve l s. A successful DC 25
are stationed here at all times. Their assignment is to pass Reflex save halves the number of levels lost (rounded
messages from Umbraxakar (see area V33) to the othe r down). This same DC is used for the Fortitude save to
inhabitants of Vanrakdoom and to attend to any othe r overcome the negative levels 24 hours later.
needs the dragon may have. The PCs have a 95% chance of Frightful Presence (Ex): W he n e ver Umb r a x-
finding one or both of the adepts here at any given time. akar attacks, charges, or flies ove r head, each cre a t u re
within a radius of 210 feet that has fewer than 22 HD is
V32. Wyrmhorde Cave (EL 0 or 16) subject to the effect. A potentially affected creature that
This cavern serves as the temple tre a s u ry and as succeeds on a DC 26 Will save remains immune to
Umbraxakar’s bedchamber. Umbraxakar’s frightful presence for 24 hours. On a fail-
u re, a creature with 4 or fewer HD becomes panicked
The walls of this natural cavern glisten with slime, for 4d6 ro u n d s, and one with 5 or more HD becomes
and the air is unnaturally cold. The cavern floor is shaken for 4d6 rounds. Umbraxakar ignores the fright-
littered with the bones of many different crea- ful presence of other dragons.
tures. In the center of the room lies a great horde S p ell-Like Ab i l i t i e s : 3 / d a y —m i r ror image;
of tre a s u re, spread out to form a wyrm-s i zed bed. 2/day—dimension door. Caster level 7th.
S p el l s : Umbraxakar casts spells as a 7th-leve l
In addition to serving as Vanrak’s steed, Umb r a x a k a r sorcerer.
g u a rds the temple treasury by sleeping on it. He con- Shadow Blend (Su): In any condition of illumina-
siders it his, but he allows Vanrak to “borrow” from it as tion other than full daylight, Umbraxakar can disappear
needed. into the shadow s, gaining total concealment. Artificial
Creature: Umbraxakar, a wyrm from the Plane of illumination, even a light or continual flame spell, does not
Sh a d ow, sleeps on the pile of tre a s u re in this chamber. negate this ability. Ad a y l i g h t spell, howe ver, does.
20
 S o rc e rer Spells Know n (6/8/7/5 per day; caster leve l T he kegs along the wall contain shadow s y rup ale. This
7th): 0—arcane mark, daze (DC 16), detect magic, ghost c h a mber is now the home of the temple’s mastiff
sound (DC 16), net of shadowsMag (DC 16), read magic, spirit master. Howeve r, the prodigious amounts of shadow
wormMag (+28 melee touch, DC 16); 1st—chill touch (+28 ale and the occasional bite to eat make it a popular spot
melee touch), magic missile (CL 6th), s h a d ow spray (DC for temple patrols to take a short break as well.
17), sleep (DC 17), unseen servant; 2nd—d a rkness, ghoul Cre a t u res: Grimtooth, the gluttonous, grinning
touch (+28 melee touch, DC 18), undead torchMa g; 3rd— shadurakul who keeps and trains the temple’s pack of
shadow wellMag, suggestion (DC 19). s h a d ow mastiffs, resides in this room. He rarely leaves
Tre a s u re : The dragon’s horde includes a greater except to train the shadow mastiffs in area V36. Thus, PCs
shadow staffUnd, a helm of darknessMag, lenses of darknessCAr, a h a ve a 90% chance to find him he re at any given time.
mace of the darkchildrenMag, moon bracers +8Mag, a rod of four Whether or not Grimtooth is pre s e nt, the PCs have
moons (see sidebar), a wand of polymorph, and a staff of a 45% chance to find 2d4 temple NPCs (chosen fro m
nightMa g / C A r, plus gems, art, and coins worth approxi- among those detailed elsewhere) relaxing here.
mately 107,000 gp. D Grimtooth: Male shadurakul; hp 99; see Fi e n d
Folio page 27.
V33. Lair of Umbraxakar (EL 0 or 16) Ta c t i c s : If combat breaks out he re, Gr i m t o o t h
This cavern serves as the entrance chamber to Umbrax- whistles for the shadow mastiffs from area V36. T he y
akar’s caverns. come racing up the stairs to battle int ruders at his
signal—or if they hear any sounds of battle—arriving
Carved stone steps lead up into a natural cave r n . in 1 round.
Its walls glisten with slime, its floor is strewn with
b o n e s, and the air is unusually cold. T h ree rough V35. Sinkhole (EL 0 or 16)
passages lead away into the darkness. This sinkhole near the rear of Umbraxakar’s lair twists
and turns down into the Un d e rd a rk. Read or para-
This cavern provides access to areas V32 and V35. phrase the following when the PCs arrive.
Cre a t u re : Umbraxakar has a 25% chance to be
here at any given time. A large sinkhole has opened in the floor at the
D Um b r a x a k a r : Male mature adult shadow rear of this cavern. A hot, sulfurous breeze wafting
dragon; hp 231; see area V32 for statistics. up from the hole suggests that it leads down int o
the depths of the earth.
V34. Mastiff Master’s Quarters (EL 11+)
This area once served as a small kitchen for the dwarves Umbraxakar typically uses this route to reach his
of Clan Melairkyn. normal hunting grounds. T he path is twisting and tor-
tuous, and in some places the passage is so narrow that
This spacious, square room is almost comfortable, Umbraxakar must employ magic to reduce his size .
given the modicum of warmth provided by the
s l ow-burning coals in its great fireplace. Se veral V36. Kennel (EL 12)
tables placed throughout the room are cove re d The dwarves had hollowed out this cavern in search of
with the remnants of uneaten food and spilled ale, ore, but later abandoned it. Now it serves as the kennel
and crude kegs line the wall. for the temple’s dogs.

pqqqqrs

NEW MAGIC ITEM hold monster, lighting bolt, polymorph, and rope trick. To
The Rod of Four Moons is the personal weapon of the use this relic, the wielder must worship Selûne and
Moonmaiden. During lunar eclipses, Selûne gives a either sacrifice a 7th-level divine spell slot or have
lesser replica of it to a champion of her faith as a the True Believer feat plus at least 13 HD.
symbol of her covenant that her light will return. Moderate abjuration; CL 9th; Craft Magic Arms
Rod of Four Moons: The Rod of Four Moons func- and Armor, Craft Rod, Sanctify RelicCD, polymorph, hold
tions as a +2 defending holy heavy mace. The wielder monster, holy smite, lightning bolt, rope trick, shield or shield
can use each of the following spells once per day: of faith, creature must be good; Price 151,112 gp.

pqqqqrs
21
 V38. Deepcrypts (EL 12)
A foul stench suggestive of carrion wafts up from These four crypts were commandeered by the Sharrans
the cavern below. Narrow steps lead down into the to house the mortal remains of their most import a nt
gloom, and beside them runs a greased slide caked priests. Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs
with bits of blood and rotten meat. pass through any of the secret doors that give access to
the crypts.
This rough stone cavern is home to a pack of twe l ve
s h a d ow mastiffs. Most of the temple’s inhabitants are Beyond the secret door, a narrow, sloping passage
afraid to enter the cave, so they feed the hounds by leads downward. At the far end of the rectangular
sending corpses down the slide into the cavern below. chamb e r, a sarcophagus lies atop a narrow bier.
D Shadow Mastiffs (12): hp 30 each; see Mon-
ster Manual page 22. T he southernmost deepcrypt is flooded waist-high,
Tactics: If the extraplanar hounds smell intruders, thanks to a natural spring that recently broke through a
t hey withdraw into the shadows and wait. Once the i r crack in the floor. The others are dry.
p rey has ent e red the cave r n, the shadow mastiffs Each of these chambers contains the remains of a
attempt to encircle it before unleashing their baleful senior follower of Shar.
howls. Trap: T he pit trap at the entrance to each crypt is
Development: If the alarm is raised in the temple i d e ntical to the smaller version of the pit traps in the
but the int ruders cannot be found, twe l ve members of Labyrinth (see area V10). The lever in the southeast sec-
the clergy who are skilled at handling shadow mastiffs tion of area V37 locks the traps.
come get the dogs. T hey split up the cre a t u res int o a Poisoned Spiked Pit Traps (4): CR 10; see
teams of two and order them to hunt down the int e r- Dungeon Master’s Guide page 74.
lopers by scent. If the priests believe that the intruders Cre a t u re : Each crypt is haunted by a gre a t e r
got away via the Seadeeps, Vanrak dispatches a hunting shadow. Combat noise in any one crypt draws the other
party that includes Grimtooth and all twelve mastiffs to shadows.
pursue them through Halaster’s Halls. D Greater Sh a d ows (4): hp 58; see Mo n s t e r
Manual page 221.
V37. Undercroft of Lost Souls (EL 12)
This underc roft once housed the dead of Clan V39. Portal Prison
Melairkyn, but the dwarven remains once interred here Ot her than its size, this chamber is identical to
h a ve been replaced by the fallen followers of the Da rk a rea V 2 3 .
Goddess.
V40. Portal Prison
Twe l ve statues of leering, grinning gargoyles line Ot her than its size, this chamber is identical to
this long hall. Be t ween each pair of adjacent stat- a rea V 2 3 .
ues (except for the first pair on either side) is a V41. Chapel of Loss (EL 17+)
low, narrow passageway lined with bas relief stone
This chamber is the private chapel of Lo rd Va n r a k
plaques.
Moonstar.

Shar teaches that the dead are lost, bitterly leaving A large pool dominates the center of this ro u g h -
behind what they held in life. T h u s, these graves con- hewn cavern. From the center of the pool rises a
tain no treasure. t h re e-step pyramid carved of basalt. Slick stone
Cre a t u re s : T he dwarves once buried herein do steps lead from the eastern edge of the pool to the
not rest easy. Ten of them have risen as spectres to top of the pyramid.
h a u nt the place whe re their remains once rested. Six Atop the pyramid stands a glistening, purple-
n ow haunt the western re a c hes of the underc roft, and black marble cube inscribed with a circ u l a r
the other four haunt the eastern reaches. symbol. Behind it stands a black granite statue of a
D Spectres (10): hp 45 each; see Monster Manual woman, her arms outstre t c hed as if welcoming
page 232. someone into her embrace.
Tactics: T he ten spectres attack any cre a t u re that
d a res disturb their burial place, but the two groups do T he pyramid serves as an altar to Shar, and the symbol
not work in concert. on the cube is her holy symbol. T he statue depicts the
Dark Maiden.
22
 Nodes: This chamber is both a Class 3 Evil Node
and a Class 3 Sh a d ow Weave Node. (See Champions of This long, arched chamber is styled in the manner
Ruin, pages 95 and 98, respectively.) of a cathedral. The farthest portion of the ro o m
Evil Node Granted Spells: The Evil Node grants bedevil- contains a raised platform, on which sits a lidless
CoR
, slashing darknessCoR, and vampiric touch. stone sarcophagus surrounded by nine crouching
gargoyle statues. The gargoyles are contorted in
Sh a d ow We a ve Node Granted Sp e l l s : T he Sh a d ow
various positions suggesting fear or supplication.
We a ve Node grants c o n t rol darkness and shadows CoR ,
crushing despair, and lesser shadow tentacleLoD.
Cre a t u re : A sorrowsworn demon lairs in the The chamber is actually 30 feet in width and 60 feet in
rough-hewn tunnels to the southeast of this cavern. length, and the platform dominates the last 20 feet of it.
The creature was drawn to the lingering sorrow of Clan Although Lord Vanrak has no need to sleep, he retires
Melairkyn that clings to this sublevel. to his sarcophagus from time to time to commune with
In addition, Lord Vanrak has imprisoned within this his goddess.
node the undead remains of three failed Sharran priests Creatures: The PCs have a 10% chance of encoun-
who failed to master the Evil Node. He can call upon tering Lo rd Vanrak in this room at any given time.
them to defend him if attacked in his private sanctum, Whether he is present or not, two dread wraiths, drawn
as noted in Champions of Ruin. to the death knight’s service from elsewhere in Under-
The PCs also have a 10% chance to find Lord Vanrak mountain, guard this chamber.
in this room if the alarm has not been raised. Otherwise, Dread Wraiths (2): hp 104; see Monster Manual
he returns to this chamber only if he needs to draw upon page 258.
the power of the Evil Node or the Shadow We a ve Node.
D Sorrowsworn Demon: hp 297; see Mo n s t e r V44. Crypt of Gorothir (EL 17)
Manual III page 36. In the Year of the Sh a d owkin Return (1136 DR), the
D Bodaks (3): hp 28; see Monster Manual page 10. whispers of the Dark Lady led Lord Vanrak to the long-
D Lord Vanrak: hp 104; see Appendix for statistics. lost remains and shattered staff of her servant Gorothir.
Treasure: Atop the altar lies the Book of Stolen Secrets, Once the Dark Ranger had claimed Vanrakdoom as his
a tome that has become legendary among the faithful of ow n, he int e r red Gorothir’s remains the re, in a place
Shar. This item is equ i va l e nt in all ways to a book of vile sacred to his goddess.
darkness. Of the curre nt occupants of the temple, only
Lord Vanrak has thus far perused this tome. This dark, fre ezing cold chamber is filled with
s h a d ows that seem to dance and flicker in an
V42. Gallery of Night (EL 0 or 19) unfelt breeze. At the south end lies a black marble
This area is one of Lord Va n r a k’s favorite places in the s a rcophagus atop a tarnished silver bier. Tw o
complex. extremely tall, humanlike, and repulsive creatures
with long, rotting wings and peeling flesh stand
This long, quiet hall is lined on both sides with guard in front of the sarcophagus. Rivulets of filth
alcove s. T he rectangular ones along the west wall and decay drip down their rotting forms to coat
hold simple wooden benche s. T he trapezo i d a l the floor in a pool of ooze.
alcoves on the east wall hold tapestries of swirling
shadowstuff. Gorothir of Shar, the Dark Prophet of the Night, domi-
nated the Church of the Dark Lady from the waning of
Lord Vanrak spends countless hours here, staring at the Ne t heril (circa –310 DR) until his death in the Year of
otherworldly tapestries while quietly cont e m p l a t i n g t he Unblinking Eye (446 DR). Hated by his count l e s s
the Lady of Loss. d e s c e n d a nts for his tyrannical ways, the Da rk Pro p het
Creatures: The PCs have a 25% chance of encoun- was destroyed by his own grandchildren, who arranged
tering Lord Vanrak herein. for his foes (mages whose magics he had comman-
D L o rd Vanrak Moonstar: hp 104; see Appen- d e e red, clergy of rival gods, and rulers whose thro n e s
dix for statistics. he had usurped) to ambush him while he raided a place
of power sacred to Selûne. The massive conflagration of
V43. Death Knight’s Rest (EL 13+) warring magic destroyed Sh a r’s serva nt, leaving only
Once a crypt for a dwarven laird of Clan Me l a i rk y n, his staff and girdle untouched. An archwizard of Selûne
this chamber now serves as Vanrak’s resting place. Read s h a t t e red the Sh a d owstaff of Go ro t h i r—an act for which
or paraphrase the following when the PCs arrive. he paid with his life—but Gorothir’s girdle survived and
23
 has since passed through many hands. (See Underdark Sw o rd Coast. A successful assault on this stronghold
page 134 for more details of this relic.) deals a sharp and devastating check to the ambitions of
Cre a t u re s : Selûne is served by seven shard s, Shar’s followers for years thereafter. It also incites their
angelic cre a t u res of the moon equ i va l e nt to planetars. ever-simmering wrath, inducing an orgy of violence
On rare occasions, the Lady of Loss has managed to cor- not seen since the Year of the Triton’s Horn (697 DR),
rupt these divine serva nts of her eternal rival, trans- w hen the machinations of Lalondra incited Shar’s fol-
forming them into angels of decay. Two such fallen l owers to riot along the length and breadth of the
s h a rds (since replaced) stand eternal guard over the Sword Coast. The PCs may be called to deal with one or
interred corpse of Gorothir. more of these vengeful incident s, or they may suffer
D Angels of Decay (2): hp 198 each; see Li b r i s attacks on their own persons.
Mortis page 83. If the PCs gained possession of the Shadowstaff of
Trap: The lid of Gorothir’s sarcophagus is inscribed Go ro t h i r, Sh a r’s followers will go to any lengths to
with a symbol of death (caster level 18th). reclaim it before it can be destroyed or hidden. A quest
a Symbol of Death Trap: CR 9; spell; location to destroy the staff or to reconsecrate the Pl i nth St o n e
trigger; no reset; spell effect (symbol of death, 15th-level of the Moonmaiden might also be a worthy undert a k-
cleric, death, DC 22 Fort save negates); Se a rch DC 33; ing for the characters.
Disable Device DC 33. Cost: 11,200 gp to hire NPC
spellcaster. APPENDIX:
Tre a s u re : T he bier upon which the sarcophagus
rests is a massive block of tarnished silver weighing VANRAK’S STATISTICS
about 2,000 pounds and worth its weight in silve r. In This section provides complete statistics and a personal
the surface of the silver just beneath the sarcophagus is history for Lord Vanrak Moonstar.
c a rved a symbol of the Mo o n m a i d e n, eclipsed and
defaced by a cloying shadow in the shape of Shar’s holy LORD VANRAK MOONSTAR
s y mbol. This silver block is the Pl i nth Stone of the Lord Vanrak Moonstar, also known as the Dark Ranger,
Moonmaiden, one of the earliest altars used by the fol- long ago betrayed his family’s traditional patro n, the
lowers of Selûne on the slopes of Mo u nt Waterd e e p. Mo o n m a i d e n, to embrace the worship of Sh a r. Lord
Reclaiming it and reconsecrating it to theMo o n m a i d e n Vanrak’s personal history is int e rw oven with the his-
would be a great victory for the followers of Se l û n e . tory of House Moonstar and the City of Sp l e n d o r s, as
Once Gorothir’s remains had been properly interred, detailed in the Adventure Background section.
Shar rew a rded her servant by reforming Gorothir’s shat- Long considered the bogeyman of House Moonstar
tered staff. T he Sh a d owstaff of Gorothir is now a sacre d and the Church of Selûne, Lord Vanrak resides in the
relic (major artifact) of the Church of Shar, equ i va l e nt to depths of Undermountain as the uncontested master of
a shadow magic Sh a d owstaff (see page 281 in the Dungeon Vanrakdoom (UM SLM). Vanrak seeks nothing less
Master’s Guide). T he Sh a d owstaff of Gorothir lies within the than the destruction of the Moonmaiden, but he is con-
s a rc o p h a g u s, atop the pile of shattered bones that was t e nt to begin by destroying House Moonstar and the
once the Da rk Prophet’s skeleton. House of the Mo o n, and subjugating all of Waterdeep
to the bitter comfort of the Dark Maiden.
CONCLUDING THE T he Da rk Ranger stands just over 6 feet in he i g h t ,
his broad shoulders making a striking foil for his strap-
ADVENTURE ping, skeletal frame. He wears a mantle of black velvet
T he PCs can achieve many victories in this adve nt u re. over his gleaming black mithral shirt, and he keeps a
Recovering the Plinth Stone of the Moonmaiden from jet black chakram strapped to the back of each of his
a rea V44 and turning it over to Se l û n e’s followe r s, black leather gaunt l e t s. His eyes are twin pits of dark-
d e s t roying Lord Vanrak and clearing the temple of his ness reflecting a soul that has been utterly consumed
f o l l owe r s, or taking the Sh a d owstaff of Go ro t h i r f ro m by the Lady of Loss.
Sh a r’s faithful are all worthy conclusions, depending D L o rd Vanrak Moonstar: Male elite Tethyrian
upon the level of the PCs and their exact mission. human death knight ranger 2/cleric 4 of Sh a r / n i g h t-
cloak 10; CR 19; Medium undead (augment e d
FURTHER ADVENTURES humanoid); HD 16d12; hp 104; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 23,
touch 10, flat-footed 23; Base Atk +12; Grp +17; Atk or
Vanrakdoom is the focus of the Dark Maiden’s power in Full Atk +17 melee (1d8+2 plus 1 Con, negative energy
Un d e r m o u nt a i n, Wa t e rd e e p, and up and down the touch) or +12 ranged (1d4+7/19–20/✕3, 2 +2 ravenous
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re t u rning chakramsCoR); SA abyssal blast, fear aura, rebuke Minion of Shar (Sp): Once per tenday as a stan-
undead 5/day (+4, 2d6+6, 4th), touch attack; SQ damage dard action, Vanrak can summon ten shadows to do his
reduction 15/bludgeoning and magic, darkness spells, bidding for 10 ro u n d s. Any shadows that a summoned
disk of night, eyes of Shar, favored enemy (humans +2), shadow creates by draining Strength are under Vanrak’s
immunities (cold, electricity, polymorph), mind of Shar, c o nt rol, but vanish along with the original when the
minion of Shar, shadow talk, Shar’s care s s, spell resistance duration of the effect expires. Vanrak can verbally com-
26, summon mount, true lies, turn immunity, undead fol- municate with the shadows as if he knew their lan-
lowe r s, undead traits, voice of ineffable evil, wild empathy guage. He can also use his shadow talk ability to com-
+4; AL NE; SV Fo rt +15, Ref +8, Will +19; Str 20, Dex 10, municate with them.
Con —, Int 13, Wis 20, Cha 14. Sh a d ow Talk (Su ) : Vanrak can communicate
Skills and Feats: Bluff +8, Concentration +12, Di p l o- mystically through the shadows of the mind. He can
macy +5, Hide +20, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (reli- whisper short messages to other worshipers of Shar
gion) +20, Knowledge (the planes) +20, Move Si l e nt l y within 500 feet. All Shar worshipers within range of
+5, Perform (oratory) +8, Spellcraft +5, Su rvival +10; t he message hear it as a whisper in their minds.
Bl i n d-FightB, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (chakram), Observers can hear the words if they are close enough
Insidious Ma g i c B,PGtF, Iron Will, Node Sp e l l c a s t i n g to physically hear Va n r a k’s actual whispers (a DC 15
( Sh a d ow We a ve ) CoR , Pernicious Ma g i c PGtF, Practiced Listen check if the listener is within 10 feet, +1 DC per
Sp e l l c a s t e r CA, Sh a d ow We a ve Ma g i cPGtF, Spell Fo c u s 5 feet beyond that). Sh a d ow talk is a language-depen-
(necromancy), TrackB, Two-Weapon FightingB. d a nt free action, and it can be used to communicate
Languages: Abyssal, Chondathan, Common. with undead worshipers of Shar and undead cre a t u res
Abyssal Blast (Su ) : Once per day, Vanrak can in the service of Shar worshipers.
unleash a blast of eldritch fire that fills a 20-foot-radius Sh a r ’s Caress (Su): Vanrak can surround a he l d
spread anywhere within a range of 1,040 feet. The blast chakram, whip, or dagger with Sh a d ow We a ve magic,
deals 16d6 points of damage, half fire and half divine giving the weapon the unholy property for 1 round per
(Reflex DC 20 half ). use. Vanrak can invoke this power as a free action twice
Fear Aura (Su): Vanrak is shrouded in a dreadful per day. He must decide to use this ability before the
aura of death and evil. Any cre a t u re with fewer than 5 attack is made, and if the attack misses, that use of
HD within 15 feet of Vanrak must succeed on a DC 20 Shar’s caress is wasted.
Will save or be affected as though by a fear spell (caster Summon Mo u nt (Su ) : Vanrak can summon a
level 16th). mount, typically a nightmare, though it may be of any
Touch Attack: Vanrak’s touch attack uses negative other species used as a mount. The mount may have no
energy to deal 1d8+2 points of damage plus 1 point of more than 8 Hit Dice. If the mount is lost or killed,
Constitution damage to a living creature. A DC 20 Will Vanrak may summon another one after a year and a day.
s a ve reduces the damage by half and negates the Con- True Lies (Sp): Vanrak can reach into a cre a t u re’s
stitution damage. mind and modify its memories as the 4th-level bard
Darkness Spel l s : Vanrak can pre p a re any Da rk- spell modify memories. Vanrak can use this ability twice
ness domain spell as if it we re on his divine spell list. per tenday as a 10th-level bard.
The spell uses a spell slot equal to its level in the Dark- Turn Immunity (Ex): Vanrak cannot be turned.
ness domain list. He can be banished with holy word, howe ve r, just as if
Disk of Night (Su): Any chakram used by Vanrak he were an evil outsider. When banished, he returns to
is treated as if it we re a +2 re t u rning chakra m . If it Shar’s plane.
remains out of his hand for more than 1 round, it Undead Fo l l owe r s : Vanrak attracts lesser
re ve rts to its original abilities. Any additional abilities undead creatures that happen to exist within a 200-mile
(such as ravenous) that the weapon may have still apply. radius. He may have up to 32 HD of such followe r s.
Eyes of Shar (Ex): Vanrak’s eyes are totally black, T hese cre a t u res remain in his service until destroye d
g r a nting him darkvision to a range of 60 feet. He can and are in addition to any undead cre a t u res Va n r a k
also see through magical darkness to a range of 10 feet might be able to command or rebuke as a class ability.
in the same black-and-white sight that darkvision pro- Vanrak’s curre nt followers are the two dread wraiths
vides. He cannot be blinded by magical effects. that haunt area V43.
Fa vo red Enemy (Ex): Vanrak gains a +2 bonus Undead Tr a i t s : Vanrak is immune to poison,
on his Bl u f f, Listen, Sense Mo t i ve, Spot, and Su rv i va l sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necro-
c hecks when using these skills against humans. He mantic effects, mind-influencing effects, and any effect
gains the same bonus on weapon damage. re quiring a Fo rtitude save unless it also works on
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 o b j e c t s. He is not subject to critical hits, subdual (DC 19, CL 16th); 5th—commune, crawling dark n e s sMa g
damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. (+17 melee touch), darkboltD,FRCS (+12 ranged touch, DC
Ne g a t i ve energy heals him, and he is not at risk of 20), righteous might (CL 15th), slay living (+17 melee
death from massive damage, but is destroyed at 0 or t o u c h, DC 22); 6th—c reate undeadD (CL 17th), g re a t e r
fewer hit points. He has darkvision to a range of 60 feet. dispel magic, gate sealFRCS, harm (+17 melee touch, DC
Vanrak cannot be raised, and resurrection works only if 23); 7th—blasphemy (DC 22, CL 16th), ravageCoR (DC 24,
he is willing. CL 17th), nightmareD (DC 23, CL 17th).
Voice of In e f f a b le Evil (Sp): Once per day, D: Domain spell. Domains: Darkness (Blind-Fight as
Vanrak can command a cre a t u re as per the dominate a bonus feat) and Evil (cast evil spells at +1 caster level).
monster spell (caster level 10th). The effect lasts for 24 Possessions: Mail of darkness (+4 greater shadow mithral
h o u r s. Unlike most spell-like abilities, voice of ineffable shirt), Shar’s hunger (2 +1 ravenous chakrams that act as +2
evil has a verbal component. returning ravenous chakrams in Vanrak’s hand), whispered
Cleric Spells Pre p a re d (caster level 16th): 0—d e t e c t writings of the night (lesser phylactery of the priesthoodMag).
magic, guidance, inflict minor wounds (2, DC 17), re a d
magic, resistance; 1 s t —b a n e (DC 17), curse water ( C L ABOUT THE AUTHOR
17th), divine favo r (CL 15th), d o o m (DC 18), m a g i c
Eric L. Boyd has been a fan of the FO R G OTTEN REALMS
we a p o n (CL 15th), obscuring mist, protection from goodD
p roduct line since the first time Elminster graced the
(CL 17th), shield of faith; 2nd—b u l l’s strength (CL 15th),
pages of DRAGON magazine. When he’s not playing the
d e s e c ra t eD (CL 15th), enthrall (DC 18), hold person (DC
role of software deve l o p m e nt manager or dad, Er i c
18), owl’s wisdom (CL 15th), silence (DC 18), zone of truth
enjoys writing about Faerûn late into the night and
(DC 18); 3rd —animate dead (CL 17th), blacklightD,FRCS
knitting together obscure bits of Re a l m s l o re. Eric has
(DC 18), d a rk f i reMag (+17 melee touch or +12 ranged
written or coauthored nearly a dozen books about
t o u c h, CL 15th), dispel magic, slashing dark n e s sCoR (+12
Faerûn and contributed to many more. His most recent
ranged touch, CL 15th), speak with dead (DC 20); 4th—
credits include Faiths and Pantheons, Races of Faerûn, Ser-
dismissal (DC 19), freedom of movement, poison (+17 melee
pent Kingdoms, Champions of Ruin, and the upcoming
t o u c h, DC 21), scrying (DC 19), tongues, unholy blightD
City of Splendors: Waterdeep.

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