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Summary:

The PCs guide the githzerai Zerimon to a location that can transport him and the prison key home to Limbo. Unfortunately, this location is a sacred sanctum to tenebrous apostates and their cult of undead binders.

Assumptions:

The PCs are all from Jerranq. They have successfully stopped the freeing of the white slaad Isganndemm and have returned with the zerth Zerimon and the prison key to the Temple of the Sapphire Eidolon.

Location:

Temple of the Sapphie Eidolon, northwestern edge of Mallar's Peaks, Sazhansiir

Historical Date:

N.S.33, month of Moon (autumn)

DM's Introduction:

Note: This scenario assumes the PCs have taken part in the previous scenario entitled "The Key to Chaos". DMs should read that scenario to get a proper grounding in the events that have preceded this scenario. If it is not the case that the PC took part int he previous scenario, then the DM can simply have the PCs meet Zerimon at the Temple for the first time and be hired or convinced to escort him and the prison key to the Shadow Stone.

Somewhat near the Temple of the Sapphire Eidolon is another powerful lithic item, the Stone of Shadows. This stone was essentially a bit of the Plane of Shadows that was somehow nipped off in a conjunction with the Material Plane and now resides here, forming not so much a nexus between the planes as a conduit.

For millenia untold the Stone of Shadows lurked in the heart of the mountain, until about 75 years ago, when a human hunter of the frontiers of Upper Valast stumbled into a cave that pierced the base of a great mountain at the edge of the Mallar's Peaks range. Whether he sought shelter from a severe storm or whether the stone itself drew him in none can say, but the man ventured into the cave and, finding a tunnel further on, began to explore. Eventually, the man reached the very heart of the mountain and came upon the Stone of Shadows. There he touched the startlingly black stone and felt a hint of its powers, and there he turned and fled in terror back to his village.

Few of the villagers believed the man, and none would take the long journey to the cave, but word eventually reached a priestess of Tonantzin, goddess of the night, and she was guided by the man to the cave and to the Stone of Shadows. In the presence of the stone, the priestess began to fully understand what she had found and that she wished it to be hers alone, and so she sacrificed the man's lifeblood to the stone right then and there and forged a bond with it.

The priestess then brought a coven of trusted night witches to the place to worship the stone with her, ostensibly in the name of Tonantzin, but soon enough it became apparent that the stone seemed to be an entity in and of itself.

Nevertheless, the priestesses persisted, and eventually managed to become binders of an entity that they could not name, but which was Tenebrous. Almost no knowledge of Tenebrous exists in either Sazhansiir or Jerranq, for he perished long before history began, and to the gods he was but a niggling annoyance easily disposed of. But over the millenia, from time to time people would come into contact with the bit of his essence hiding in the Plane of Shadows. Usually, such contact with Tenebrous was fleeting and had no effect on the person or the world. But on occasion that contact would convince the person to try to induce greater ties between himself and the power he sensed lurking in the shadows. A few of these persons became able to bind the vestige of Tenebrous as binders. Others became shadowcasters.

These priestesses raided the frontier of Valast for decades, taking young captives from their homes - males to be sacrificed to the stone and females to be raised in worship. But the majority of the priestesses were slain during one such raid, when the harried frontiersmen set a trap for the night witches. The remaining younger priestesses were overtaken by some of the male captives, who instead of fleeing the place or slaying the females, elected to remain and worship the Stone of Shadows themselves.

And so it is that for the last 35 years a community of worshippers and binders of Tenebrous has grown up basking in the darkness of the Stone of Shadows. They have become fell in their lore of all things shadow and have begun to create and breed other horrors in honour of and with the assistance of the presence of the stone. They have also occasionally emerged from their caves to take captives for sacrifice, but this is a rare event.

Little does this horrific coven know that the Stone of Shadows provides the nearest means for the zerth Zerimon to return to Limbo.

Part One - Coming Home

In this part, Zerimon expresses his desire to return to Limbo with the prison key. He requests aid from the Temple, and a possible means to accomplish this is discovered.

Shortly after the PCs and Zerimon return to the Temple of the Sapphire Eidolon, Zerimon will speak with the Hierarch Tara in the presence of the PCs and tell her of his desire to return to Limbo as soon as possible with the prison key. Zerimon is not simply homesick. Rather, he worries that the yuan-ti, once they learn of the failure of their mission to awaken the white slaad, will seek the prison key even more fervently, and might possibly make an attack on the Temple itself. Zerimon feels very strongly that the safest place for the key is in a fortified monestary in Limbo. Hierarch Tara will agree, and she will counsel the zerth that her people will scour their library for some means to effect his return. Unfortunately, Zerimon's most obvious means of returning ended when the githzerai leader of his rrakkma, or hunting party, as slain, thereby removing access to the use of psionic plane shift.

Tara will explain that although she potentially has the ability to travel the heavens, she is not knowledgeable enough to manage to travel to Zerimon's home.

Zerimon will accept this, but politely urge haste.

Several days later, Tara will assemble Zerimon and the PCs and inform them that they have exhausted their resources and can find no way to return him home. A dismissal spell is possible, but there is a great risk that Zerimon will return to the wrong place in the heavens, and that could be disasterous not only for him but for the fate of the prison key as well.

As such, Tara will announce that she is going to consult the Sapphire Eidolon on the morrow.

The next morning, the entire Temple, except for the door guards, will assemble in the fountain room. Tara will emerge from the greeting hall resplendent in sapphire blue ceremonial robes with cyan feathers and a turquoise and silver headdress. She will stride to the fountain and remove her robe and headdress, entering the waters completely nude. There she will be bathed in holy water by two female skarns while she intones prayers of purification. Once done, she will emerge from the fountain swathed in transluscent robes of incarnum and proceed into the eidolon chamber with the assembly in tow.

Once in the eidolon chamber, Tara will stop and pray to the Sapphire Eidolon for several minutes before finally reaching out and touching it with both hands. Her incarnum robe will vanish and instead her very skin will begin to glow blue. For 10 minutes she will be in this stance, the hair on her head rising and waving behind her as if in a stong breeze emanating from the Sapphire Eidolon.

Finally, the colour will return to her skin and her hair will fall limp and her attendants will rush to cover her nakendness with her robe and headdress. Somewhat exhausted, Tara and the retinue will return to the greeting hall where she will be refreshed with wine. After a few minutes to regain her strength, Tara will inform Zerimon that the Sapphire Eidolon has determined a means to take him back to his homeland.

Tara will explain that the Eidolon spoke of a great black stone in the heart of a nearby mountain. This stone came from the place of shadows deep in the hidden heavens, and that the stone has retained its link to that place and so brings with it the powers of shadows. Long, apparently, has this stone slept in the heart of the mountain, but the Eidolon suggests that if Zerimon could reach the stone and break off a piece of it and strike it hard against the main stone there might be enough of a reaction that by concentrating and meditating completely on his homeland, Zerimon might return home.

Tara will ask Zerimon if he knows what the Eidolon means when it says meditate, and Zerimon will consider for a moment and then say that he believes it refers to what he calls his psionic focus. He will say that all githzerai are born with psionic abilities, and those who master them fully can travel the planes and take others with them. This means the ability is locked within the bloodline of all githzerai, but latent. Perhaps the reaction caused by the stone would weaken the fabric of space enough to allow him to tap into his latent ability and return him home. Zerimon will pronounce the plan as risky, but he will assent to the wisdom of the Sapphire Eidolon, and also note that even should he fail, it is likely he will be called to the place of shadows, and that is not a bad place for the prison key to be lost should he perish there.

Tara will then say that the Eidolon has told her the mountain where the stone lies. It is near to the Temple, perhaps a week's journey. Furthermore, the Eidolon showed her a cave at its base that leads to the heart of the mountain, wherein lies the stone. Zerimon will thank the hierarch, but she will motion him to pause and then declare that it is not well that Zerimon should attempt to take the prison key to the heart of the mountain alone. Normally she would send some of her skarns with him, but her numbers have been depleted by the ambush by the yuan-ti and slaadi and she is loathe to leave the Temple under-defended. Especially since the prison key has been here even for a short time and so the yuan-ti may be tracking it already.

As such, Tara will ask the PCs if they will assent to continue as Zerimon's rrakkma until they see him to the stone and hopefully on his way home. Should the PCs refuse, then there is no scenario. Otherwise, Zerimon and Tara will give the PCs their thanks, and Tara will remind the PCs that after they send Zerimon off, they are welcome and encouraged to return to the Temple.

With that, Zerimon will urge the PCs to leave with him the next day, though he is willing to delay for a few days if the PCs have good reason. Beyond that he will not wait.

ZERTH ZERIMON CR 8 Expanded Psionics Handbook page 24 and 199 Male githzerai Psychic Warrior 1/Monk 6 LN Medium humanoid (extraplanar, psionic) Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Listen +5, Spot +5 Languages Gith, Celestial, Draconic AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 13; Dodge, Mobility hp 39 (7 HD) Immune natural diseases PR 12 Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +2; evasion, +2 vs enchantments Spd 50 ft (10 squares) Melee unarmed strike +7 (1D8+1) Melee unarmed strike +6/+6 (1D8+1) Ranged mwk composite longbow +8 (1D8+1) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +4 ; Grp +5 Combat Gear masterwork composite longbow (+1 Str), arrows (11), cold iron arrows (10), silver arrows (10), adamantine arrows (6), potion of cure moderate wounds (CL 3), potion of haste (CL 5), axiomatic water (6) Atk Options Improved Unarmed Strike, ki strike (magic), Psionic Fist, Stunning Fist Special Actions Combat Reflexes, Improved Disarm Power Points 3 Powers (ML 1, melee touch +7, ranged touch +7): 1 - force screen Psi-Like Abilities (ML 3): 3/day - catfall (30 ft*), concussion blast, psionic daze (6 HD*)(DC 13), inertial armour (+5 AC*) * these represent the augmented effects Abilities Str 13, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 10 SQ slow fall 30 ft Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Disarm, Improved Unarmed Strike, Mobility, Psionic Fist, Psionic Meditation, Stunning Fist, Weapon Finesse Skills Autohypnosis +7, Concentration +11, Jump +8, Listen +5, Search +5 (+6 with mechanus eye), Sense Motive +6, Spot +5, Tumble +13 Possessions combat gear plus belt pouch, masterwork potion belt, mechanus eye

Note: If Zerimon used any of his potions or other expendable items in the previous scenario, then the DM should remove them from his inventory of possession above.

Part Two - The Journey

The PCs and Zerimon leave the Temple and travel to the entrance to the passages that lead into the mountain.

Tara knows the mountain to which the Eidolon referred. It is called Nauhacuti, which means "little spider" in Azotlan and is so named because the mountain has eight spurs emanating from its base that recall a spider's legs. It is also known that giant spiders reside in the woods and amongst its peaks.

The journey to Nauhacuti involves a trek of about 80 miles straight as the crow flies through trackless mountains. Per the Dungeon Master's Guide, a group of PCs traveling at a speed of 30 ft will progress 12 miles per day through these mountains. The way is treacherous enough that no non-flying beings can travel faster than a rate of 30 ft. Of course, Survival checks can speed the travel so that the trackless penalty is reduced. But spells that cause creatures to move at an overland speed faster than 30 ft or creatures that do so naturally will still travel at a rate of 30 ft due to the treacherous nature of the terrain, unless the spell or travel mode involves flying. For example, even were the PCs mounted in light riding horses, it would not speed their progress, as the horses would have to proceed very carefully to avoid mishap, injury, or death.

The PCs could elect to travel down the Valast River valley to the plains and then circle around and back up into the lower reaches of the mountains to reach Nauacuti, but that would involve two full day in the mountains (1 to descend from the Temple and another to reach Nauhacuti) and an additional 160 miles of travel across the plains. It is possible that the plains route will take a shorter amount of time if the PCs are mounted on swift steeds or have some means to increase their land speed well beyond 30 ft.

In either case, the journey to Nauhacuti will be mostly uneventful, though the DM can insert any encounters he sees fit.

A possible encounter is listed below.

Encounter - Ravening Howls (EL 10)

A pack of dire wolves of especially fearsome temper has come down from the higher forests in which they dwell, seeking food, as their traditional fare has been scarce and they need to fatten up as winter approaches. These wolves will have scented the PCs and will have tracked them by scent, finally catching up to them. If the PCs are travelling in a way that allows them to move faster than the dire wolves, then the DM will have to adjust the encounter accordingly or ignore it altogether.

When the wolves finally realize (by way of scent or by sound) that they are getting near the PCs, they will fan out, out of sight of their quarry, and then begin to sneak in towards the PCs. If undetected, the wolves will leap to the attack from a range of 100 ft in the plains or 50 ft in the mountains and attack the PCs en masse from all directions.

Creatures: There are 8 dire wolves in this hunting pack. Seven of the wolves are pack members and the last is a tough pack leader.

ADVANCED DIRE WOLVES (7) CR 4 N Large animal Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Listen +7, Spot +8 AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 12 hp 68 (9 HD) Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +7 Spd 50 ft (10 squares) Melee bite +14 (1D8+12) Space 10 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +6; Grp +18 Atk Options trip (+12) Abilities Str 26, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10 Feats Alertness, Run, Skill Focus (survival), Track, Weapon Focus (bite) Skills Hide +0, Listen +7, Move Silently +5, Spot +8, Survival +6* Trip (Ex) A dire wolf that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip its opponent (+12 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the dire wolf. *A dire wolf has a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.

ADVANCED DIRE WOLF PACK LEADER CR 6 N Large animal Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Listen +9, Spot +9 AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 12 hp 128 (15 HD) Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +10 Spd 50 ft (10 squares) Melee bite +19 (2D6+12/19-20) Space 10 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +11; Grp +23 Atk Options trip (+12) Abilities Str 26, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10 Feats Alertness, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Natural Attack (bite), Run, Skill Focus (survival), Track, Weapon Focus (bite) Skills Hide +1, Listen +9, Move Silently +9, Spot +8, Survival +7* Trip (Ex) A dire wolf that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip its opponent (+12 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the dire wolf. *A dire wolf has a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.

Tactics: The wolves will leap to the attack, with the pack leader waiting until his pack is engaged and then seeking to attack stragglers, any who flee, or to leap in and take a flank. All of the wolves will take a flank, and they will attempt to take out any size Large or larger prey by ganging up on it. Otherwise, for smaller prey, they will tend to attack in pairs at best.

Part Three - Into Nauhacuti

The Hierarch Tara gave no indication as to the exact location of the cave the PCs seek, other than the fact that it is at the base of the mountain. As such, the PCs will have to either use divination magic to find the cave or simply wander around the base of the mountain. In the latter case, the search could take anywhere from an entire day to a few hours, depending upon how close the PCs are when they arrive and which direction they choose to search. Assuming the PCs stay together and circumnavigate the base of the mountain, the DM should roll a D12 to determine how many hours it takes to find the cave. DM should be mindful of the time of day the PCs arrive at the mountain (another D12 can be used to determine this if desired). In any event, other than keeping track of longterm spells and abilities, there will be no difference between finding the cave entrance in an hour of 12 hours, as there will be no encounters at the base of the mountain.

If the PCs split up to search or travel faster in their search (e.g. flying) then the DM should adjust the time to find accordingly.

Eventually, the PCs will stumble upon the cave entrance, which is located in the crotch between two of the spider's arms that make up Nauhacuti.

The path into the heart of Nauhacuti is presented as an overall map and then several keyed encounters, each with a more detailed map presented. The idea here is that this is a very long and mostly empty passageway that delves deep into the very heart of a mountain. The main passage does not slope much one way or the other (or rather, it is often sloping up and down, but overall it more or less evens out and remains at or near ground level). Unlike a typical Jerranqi underdark setting, massive networks of natural passages underground are not a common feature of Sazhansiir, and as such, the passage here is basically a single main passage with few side passages are intersections.

Much of the passageway is damp, with occasional drops of water and small rivulets emerging from cracks in the walls and ceiling and travelling for a time on the floor before draining into cracks therein. None of these approaches anything that could be termed an obstacle, but the water is potable.

Unless stated otherwise, the passage appears natural, though a DC 20 Knowledge (dungeoneering) might suggest, after the PCs have travelled for a while, that it is far too long and relatively straight to be the result of pressure fractures or even water erosion. Nevertheless, the passage itself seems quite natural. At any given location, the passageway is between 21 ft and 30 ft wide. If necessary, roll a D10+20 to find the width. Height is a bit less, being 16 ft to 25 ft at any given place. If necessary, roll a D10+15 to find the height.

Unless stated otherwise, there is no illumination in any of the passageway. Walls are unworked stone (per 5 ft, break DC 65, hardness 8, 900 hp, Climb DC 15) and floors are natural stone floors (it takes 2 squares of movement to enter a square with a natural stone floor, and the DC of Balance and Tumble checks increases by 5; running and charging are impossible). Much of the passageway is fraught with obstacles such as stone columns, holes, stalagmites and stalactities and other mineral formations.

The elevation markings on the map (shown as dotted lines) represent steep natural steps of 3 ft - 5 ft in height (1D3+2 ft).

If the passages are examined for signs of activity, the DM should remind the PCs that the area is damp and likely sees even more dampness in the spring runoff and, as such, it would be difficult to determine whether the passage was used often or not at all for many years. That said, of course normal subterranean life abounds in the tunnels, including insects of all sorts and even small rats.

1. Entrance

A DC 35 Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (planes) or Knowledge (planes) check will reveal that this is a binding diagram for an entity named Tenebrous, a being destroyed in godtime, but whose essence hid in the Plane of Shadows and can be contacted even to this day by certain esoteric practitioners of the art of binding vestiges. Tenebrous binders have the powers of darkness, shadows, and over the undead.

2. Corpse Swarm (EL 11)

The sinkhole is just that, and its sides are steep but somewhat craggy (DC 15 Climb check) and descends 40 ft into a shallow pool of standing water (not potable and only about 6 inches deep).

Creatures: Several large colonies of corpse rats dwell here. They were a normal colony whereby a few specimens were subjected to the depredations of the Tenebrous cult and the Stone of Shadows and were transformed into corpse rats. These then infected the rest of the colony and, over the course of years, have managed to infect any new rats that tried to settle in the cavern. The swarms are friendly to the Tenebrous coven members...a sort of mindless affinity powered by the shared nature of both. As such, the Tenebrous members can pass thorugh this cave unmolested.

Allow the PCs a DC 21 Listen check to hear the scritchings and somewhat hoarse squeakings of the rats in their underground holes.

When the PCs reach about midway into the cavern, the corpse rats will emerge en masse, unless they can pass through the cavern in silence. The DM should allow each colony a Listen check. If the rats become aware of prey in the center of the cavern, they will begin to boil forth en masse from myriad crannies and nooks in the walls and floors and converge on the PCs. Several swarms will also emerge from the sinkhole. The rats will emerge with a hoarse cacophony of squeaking such that they will not normally surprise the PCs.

The DM should place 4 rat swarms coming up from the sinkhole at each compass point. These swarms will begin the first round 15 ft down the sinkhole and so take their first move to climb to the top and over the edge.

The remaining 8 swarms should be placed at various points evenly around the rest of the cavern.

CORPSE RAT SWARMS (12) CR 4 Libris Mortis page 92 NE Tiny undead (swarm) Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Listen +0, Spot +0 AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 12 hp 52 (8 HD); DR 5/slashing Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 Spd 15 ft (3 squares), climb 15 ft (3 squares) Melee swarm (1D6 plus disease) Space 10 ft; Reach 0 ft Base Atk +4; Grp - Atk Options distraction Abilities Str 4, Dex 13, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1 SQ swarm traits, undead traits Disease (Ex) Filth fever - swarm attack, Fort DC 16, incubation period 1D3 days, damage 1D3 Dex and 1D3 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus. Distraction (Ex) Any living creature that begins its turn with a corpse rat swarm in its space must succeed on a DC 15 Fort save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +1 racial bonus.

Tactics: The swarms are mindless and hungry and will simply attack until victims are entirely out of sight. They will pursue for about 500 ft beyond the cavern in either direction before giving up the chase.

Treasure: Under the brackish water at the bottom of the sinkhole are many bones and a pair of jade bracers of armour +2 (DC 20 Search check to locate). These are still on the wrist bones of a victim of the rats.

3. Cave of Spiders (EL 12)

These spiders lurk in the shadows where indicated, with spiders A and B being on the ceiling. All of the spiders have total concealment due to their shadow blend ability, unless they are exposed to the effects of a daylight spell or similar magic.

HUGE SHADOW CREATURE MONSTROUS SPIDERS (6) CR 6 Lords of Madness page 167 NE Huge magical beast (extraplanar) Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft; Listen +0, Spot +4 AC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 13; shadow blend hp 52 (8 HD), fast healing 2 Resist cold 13 Immune mind-affecting effects Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +2 Spd 45 ft (9 squares), climb 30 ft (6 squares) Melee bite +9 (2D6+6 plus poison) Space 15 ft; Reach 10 ft Base Atk +6; Grp +18 Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5): 1/day - mirror image Abilities Str 19, Dex 17, Con 14, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 2 SQ shadow blend Skills Climb +12, Hide -1*, Jump +4, Move Silently +9*, Spot +4 Poison (Ex) A monstrous spider has a poisonous bite. Fort save DC 16, 1D8 Str initial and secondary damage. The save DC is Constitution- based. Shadow Blend (Su) In any conditions other than full daylight, a shadow creature can disappear into the shadows, giving it total concealment. Artificial illumination, even a light or continual flame spell, does not negate this ability, but a daylight spell will. Tremorsense (Ex) A monstrous spider can detect and pinpoint any creature or object within 60 ft in contact with the ground, or within any range in contact with the spider’s webs. Web (Ex) Monstrous spiders often wait in their webs or in trees, then lower themselves silently on silk strands and leap onto prey passing beneath. A single strand is strong enough to support the spider and one creature of the same size. Web-spinners can throw a web eight times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 50 ft, with a range increment of 10 ft, and is effective against targets up to one size category larger than the spider. An entangled creature can escape with a DC 16 Escape Artist check or burst it with a DC 20 Strength check. Both are standard actions . The check DCs are Constitution-based, and the Strength check DC includes a +4 racial bonus. Web-spinners often create sheets of sticky webbing from 5 to 30 feet square, depending on the size of the spider. They usually position these sheets to snare flying creatures but can also try to trap prey on the ground. Approaching creatures must succeed on a DC 20 Spot check to notice a web; otherwise they stumble into it and become trapped as though by a successful web attack. Attempts to escape or burst the webbing gain a +5 bonus if the trapped creature has something to walk on or grab while pulling free. Each 5-foot section has 14 hit points and sheet webs have damage reduction 5/—. A monstrous spider can move across its own web at its climb speed and can pinpoint the location of any creature touching its web. Web-spinning spiders have a +8 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks when using their webs.

GARGANTUAN SHADOW CREATURE MONSTROUS SPIDER CR 9 Lords of Madness page 167 NE Gargantuan magical beast (extraplanar) Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft; Listen +0, Spot +4 AC 19, touch 9, flat-footed 16; shadow blend hp 104 (16 HD), fast healing 2; DR 5/magic Resist cold 13 Immune mind-affecting effects Fort +12, Ref +8, Will +5 Spd 45 ft (9 squares), climb 30 ft (6 squares) Melee bite +15 (2D8+10 plus poison) Space 20 ft; Reach 15 ft Base Atk +12; Grp +31 Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5): 1/day - mirror image Abilities Str 25, Dex 17, Con 14, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 2 SQ shadow blend Skills Climb +14, Hide -5*, Jump +7, Move Silently +9*, Spot +4 Poison (Ex) A monstrous spider has a poisonous bite. Fort save DC 20, 2D6 Str initial and secondary damage. The save DC is Constitution- based. Shadow Blend (Su) In any conditions other than full daylight, a shadow creature can disappear into the shadows, giving it total concealment. Artificial illumination, even a light or continual flame spell, does not negate this ability, but a daylight spell will. Tremorsense (Ex) A monstrous spider can detect and pinpoint any creature or object within 60 ft in contact with the ground, or within any range in contact with the spider’s webs. Web (Ex) Monstrous spiders often wait in their webs or in trees, then lower themselves silently on silk strands and leap onto prey passing beneath. A single strand is strong enough to support the spider and one creature of the same size. Web-spinners can throw a web eight times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 50 ft, with a range increment of 10 ft, and is effective against targets up to one size category larger than the spider. An entangled creature can escape with a DC 20 Escape Artist check or burst it with a DC 24 Strength check. Both are standard actions . The check DCs are Constitution-based, and the Strength check DC includes a +4 racial bonus. Web-spinners often create sheets of sticky webbing from 5 to 40 feet square, depending on the size of the spider. They usually position these sheets to snare flying creatures but can also try to trap prey on the ground. Approaching creatures must succeed on a DC 20 Spot check to notice a web; otherwise they stumble into it and become trapped as though by a successful web attack. Attempts to escape or burst the webbing gain a +5 bonus if the trapped creature has something to walk on or grab while pulling free. Each 5-foot section has 16 hit points and sheet webs have damage reduction 5/—. A monstrous spider can move across its own web at its climb speed and can pinpoint the location of any creature touching its web. Web-spinning spiders have a +8 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks when using their webs.

Tactics: The spiders will wait until their prey is committed to roughly the center of the cavern. Then they will attack en masse, with spiders A, B, and F moving to throw sheets of webbing across the tunnel entrances, totally blocking them off. Meanwhile, spiders C, D, and E will throw webbing at their foes, likely from surprise due to their total concealment when beginning the encounter. They will then close to finish off their prey.

The gargantuan spider E will be slower to emerge, as it is bloated and somewhat lethargic until roused. As such, it will bound in from its side cave 1D3+1 rounds after the other spiders begin their attacks.

If any of the spiders is severely wounded, it will break off combat and climb to the ceiling and use its shadow blend ability to hide while it uses its fast healing to heal up.

The spiders will pursue prey beyond their cave, but not too far unless it appears they can catch their prey and easily dispatch it. In that case, the smaller spiders will pursue relentlessly. The gargantuan spider is not inclined to leave farther than a few hundred feet of its cavern.

If the gargantuan spider is reduced to 25 hp or less it will retreat into its side cave and attempt to heal. If cornered there it will attack to the death.

Treasure: While not technically treasure, there is a clutch of large, fuzzy spider eggs wrapped in a ball of webbing about 5 ft in diameter in the far corner of the side cavern. There are at least two dozen eggs each measuring about 4 inches in diameter. These eggs are of shadow creature monstrous spiders (Huge size eventually) and could be worth some money if preserved alive. However, they are due to hatch in a matter of 1D4+1f weeks, and if the PCs actually insist on travelling with them, a DC 20 Heal, Knowledge (planes) and Knowledge (nature) check would be required each week to keep the eggs alive. All three checks must be made (not necessarily by the same person) each week and for each check failed, an egg dies. If a check is failed by more than 5, then two eggs die. When hatched, a shadow creature tiny monstrous spider emerges from each egg.

4. River Crossing

Well before the PCs actually arrive at this spot, they will hear the rushing torrent of water echoing through the tunnel. At around 500 ft from the location, the air will become slightly damp, this dampness increasing as the PCs approach the location proper.

Hanging from a leather thong on the tunnel wall near the stone hole is what appears to be a cone made of bone. A DC 10 Perform (wind instruments) or DC 10 Intelligence check by anyone examining the cone will show that it is some sort of horn or wind instrument. It will be clear that this instrument is crude and can only make a limited range of sputtering blasts (much like a conch shell or shofar), and a DC 10 Perform (wind instrument) check is required to properly sound the horn.

On the other side of the river a similar hole has been cut into the tunnel wall there and this rope is strung through the hole as well, so that a massive loop of thick rope crosses the river. Attached to this rope is a wooden basket large enough to accommodate a Medium creature. The basket rests at the tunnel end on the western side of the river, opposite the side the PCs will likely approach.

Clearly, this rope and basket is a mechanism for crossing the torrent. The rope is smeared with grease, which allows the rope to easily flow through the two stone holes, and a large wooden stick is stuck into the hole at the end of the western tunnel to lock the rope in place when not in transit.

It is quite possible that the PCs cannot see far enough across the river, due to light sources, to see where the rope ends up or that there is a basket at the far end. As such, the rope's purpose, while not likely to prove much of a mystery, will be somewhat obscured as to its precise operation.

Should the PCs wish to sever the rope, it has a hardness of 0 and 6 hp (being 3 inches in diameter).

If the PCs wish to pull on the rope, they will find that the rope is extremely slippery and that the rope is stuck or somehow held or attached to something (this is, of course, a result of the stick shoved into the opposite stone hole that effectively locks the rope). Normally, a DC 25 Strength check would essentially burst the stick and free the rope, and this Strength check could be assisted by up to three additional persons, but the grease on the rope grants a +10 to the DC of the Strength check needed. If the grease were scrupulously wiped off, then the Strength check would be reduced to the normal DC 25.

Pulling on the rope will move the loop through the two stone holes and bring the wooden basket to either side of the torrent, depending upon which direction the rope is pulled. However, doing so is quite awkward and unwieldy due to the grease on the rope. In theory, a person riding in the basket could pull the other rope and thereby properl himself acorss the river. This would take even longer and be more awkward due to the lack of solid footing in the basket and the awkward position needed to grasp the other rope while remaining securely in the basket.

The proper way to operate the ferry (for that is what the mechanism truly is) is to sound the horn, alerting the ferrywoman. She will then grasp her two wooden pullsticks, unlock the rope by removing the locking stick, and use her pullsticks to send the basket to the far end. There she waits until she hears another blast from the horn, after which she pauses 30 seconds (for the basket to be entered) and then proceeds to pull.

The pullsticks she uses are simply large wooden sticks with sharp obsidian hooks almost like a giant backscratcher. These are jabbed into the rope and then pulled to counteract the rope's greasiness and increase the pull and leverage of the ferrywoman.

The ferrywoman takes 4 rounds to have the basket cross unburdened and 8 rounds to have it cross back burdened. If the PCs attempt to manhandle the rope without the pullsticks or move themselves while in the basket, the journey should take at least double the time, if not longer.

On the western side of the ferry, near the mechanism, is a ratty fur pallet, a small drinking gourd on a 15 ft leather thong (for dipping into the torrent to get water) and some dried mushrooms, some sort of white meal in a leather pouch, and a bit of unidentifiable dried meat. These foodstuffs are provided to her by the coven. Nearby is a small hollow wooden log sealed up at one end that holds a bunch of grease for the rope. In theory, this grease, though not invisible, could be used with some preparation like a mundane version of a grease spell. It is left to the DM to adjudicate its use in this fashion.

The river is extremely fast flowing and is treated as rough water with a +2 to the DC due to the flow being extremely fast and dangerous (DC 17 Swim check). Anyone falling into the water will be swept south, downstream at 80 ft per round. DMs should check for damage each round (DC 17 Swim check, suffer 1D6 damage per round due to rocks if check is successful, otherwise suffer 1D6 damage from rocks in any event and make a second check or be dragged under).

Exactly where the river ends up is up to the DM, but there should be at least 1D6 stretches of 1D20x10 ft where the tunnel is entirely submerged. The river could end up outside somewhere down the mountain slopes, or emerge into a subterranean cave, or might simply divide into smaller cracks and effectivelyt dead end, trapping the victim.

Creatures: The ferrywoman is a blind young woman who appears to be an Azotchtlan in her late teens. She wears a dirty cloth over her eyes and tied around her head and is dressed in dirty rags. The women was a captive of the Tenebrous coven from a raid years ago and after they used her physically the coven blinded her (so that she could not escape) and placed her here to act as a ferrywoman for the coven. The ferrywoman is trained to only respond to the sound of the horn. Yelling or otherwise trying to get her to send the basket will be fruitless. Her tongue has been cut out and cauterized when she was first captured, and as such she cannot speak. She carries her two pullsticks at her rope belt and a small staff to feel her way around.

The ferrywoman has undergone a bit of a transformation, due to her trauma at being taken, the abuse by the coven, her sensory deprivation, and her isolation as ferrywoman, such that she has established a sort of inborn connection with the goddess Chalchihuitlcue (chal-CHEE-hweet-lee-CUE-eh) who is known in Jerranq as Erinhoru, goddess of rivers and Mistress of Waters. Her proximity to the river has no doubt served to establish this connection, as its sound is essentially the entire sensory existence of the ferrywoman except for those brief intervals where she hears the horn blow. The ferrywoman is now something of a burgeoning mystic, as she talks to and in some ways prays to the river as her only companion. Her prayers have reached the slumbering goddess Erinhoru and have awakened some inborn affinity to the goddess within her. None of the coven knows of her mystic powers.

The Ferrywoman does not know her real name nor remember her life before she came here. She does vaguely, as if in a dream, remember a time when she was very little and in the light and in a place she felt safe and secure, but that was very long ago.

THE FERRYWOMAN CR 3 Complete Divine page 6 Female human Favoured Soul 3 (Erinhoru) N Medium humanoid (human) Init +1; Senses Blind-Fight; Listen +5, Spot n/a Languages Azotlan (understood but not spoken) AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10 hp 17 (3 HD) Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +5 Spd 30 ft (6 squares) Melee quarterstaff +2 (1D6) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +2; Grp +2 Atk Options Blind-Fight Combat Gear quarterstaff Favoured Soul Spells Known (CL 3, melee touch +2, ranged touch +3): 1st (6/day) - cure light wounds, detect vestige, locate water, omen of peril 0 (6/day) - cure minor wounds, detect magic, guidance, mending, purify food and drink Abilities Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 14 SQ blind, cannot speak Feats Blind-Fight, Silent Spell, Skill Focus (listen), Weapon Focus (net) Skills Concentration +7, Heal +8, Listen +6, Sense Motive +8 Possessions combat gear plus pullsticks (2), sticks and bones worth 25 gp (focus for omen of peril spell), hemp holy symbol to Chalchihuitlcue (a damp woven circle of hemp fibres)

Developments: The ferrywoman will discharge her task normally assuming the PCs blow the horn. In fact, she will assume they are coven members returning from a raid (it will not occur to her to wonder how coven members got out of the tunnels without her ferrying them, but she knows they have access to strange powers). In general she keeps to her own little world, but she is not used to being engaged in conversation except when being instructed or scolded by the coven members. As such, she will tend to answer the PCs, should they speak to her, in short, clipped phrases, and rather tentatively, as if expecting trouble.

If the PCs manage to very carefully and simply explain that they are strangers who would like to help her and not harm her, then she can be convinced to give whatever aid or information she can according to a Diplomacy check. She will start off indifferent to the PCs.

If she remains indifferent (she cannot be made hostile or unfriendly, treat these results as indifferent), she will simply not be responsive to the PCs beyond discharging her duties as ferrywoman.

If made friendly, she will try to answer questions from the PCs as best she can using pantomime (or if the PCs can manage mental communication then she will answer in that fashion).

If made helpful, she could even be concinved to accompany the PCs and aid them against the coven.

If she is given food (even rations), then she will seem very appreciative of it and the PCs will gain a +2 circumstance bonus on future Diplomacy checks with her.

The ferrywoman doesn't know a whole lot about the coven. She does know that they are an evil group who worship a black and evil stone called Tenebrous (she does not realize that the stone is not, itself, Tenebrous), which she was presented to before her eyes were taken from her. She does not know their numbers or powers, though they have come in groups of as many as eight or so, though they only come rarely. She knows they dwell deeper west into the tunnels (though she doesn't know actual compass directions) and that they bring her food every so often, but she has no conception of time's passing, so it is difficult to communicate to the PCs how often.

She also knows that she talks in her head to the river and the river often sings or talks back to her in her head and tells her things and sometimes heals her wounds or performs other miracles for her (these are her spells). She does not formally know that she is worshipping a goddess.

If the PCs wish to have her accompany them out of the tunnel and return to her home or the Temple of the Sapphire Eidolon, refer to the Denoument section (Part Four).

5. Cave of Shadows (EL 10)

A DC 35 Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (planes) check will reveal that it is a binding diagram for an entity named Tenebrous, a being destroyed in godtime, but whose essence hid in the Plane of Shadows and can be contacted even to this day by certain esoteric practitioners of the art of binding vestiges. Tenebrous binders have the powers of darkness, shadows, and over the undead.

In the elder days of the coven, this platform was built by the first group of Tonantzin priestesses to worship their goddess. When they began to contact Tenebrous, they built their first binding circle here in an effort to merge the worship of their goddess with that of the Stone of Shadows and Tenebrous. When the elder priestesses died, the new coven abandoned this place and gave it to the shadows.

Creatures: A coven of shadows dwells here, the greater shadow was summoned by the Tenebrous coven and and Stone of Shadows and it created 6 spawn. The 6 normal shadows each dwell inside one of the six stone pillars in the cave. In addition, a greater shadow dwells in the topmost step of the platform. They serve as guards for the coven, and sometimes emerge with them on the rare raids at night.

Because the pillars take up the entirety of the square and are a full 5 ft in diameter, they count as Huge sized objects for the purpose of the shadows hiding within. As per Libris Mortis page 142, this grants them total cover and so they cannot be spotted. The greater shadow is not fully concealed within the topmost step of the platform, as it keeps a watch over the cavern. Instead, it is merely hidden and with cover, but this allows it to use its darkvision to look out over the cavern.

If the PCs Spot the greater shadow, unless the Spot check succeeds by 5 or more, then the observer will simply notice a patch of deeper shadows ato the platform. If the Spot check is made by 5 or more then the observer will note the presence of the greater shadow.

SHADOWS (6) CR 3 CE Medium undead (incorporeal) Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Listen +7, Spot +7 AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 11; Dodge, incorporeality (50% miss chance) hp 19 (3 HD) Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +4 Spd fly 40 ft (8 squares) (good) Melee incorporeal touch +3 (1D6 Str) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +1; Grp - Abilities Str -, Dex 14, Con -, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 13 SQ incorporeal traits, undead traits Feats Alertness, Dodge Skills Hide +8*, Listen +7, Search +4, Spot +7 Create Spawn (Su) Any humanoid reduced to Strength 0 by a shadow becomes a shadow under the control of its killer within 1D4 rounds. Strength Damage (Su) The touch of a shadow deals 1D6 points of Strength damage to a living foe. A creature reduced to Strength 0 by a shadow dies. This is a negative energy effect. *A shadow gains a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in areas of shadowy illumination. In brightly lit areas, it takes a -4 penalty on Hide checks.

GREATER SHADOW CR 8 CE Medium undead (incorporeal) Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Listen +9, Spot +9 AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12; Dodge, incorporeality (50% miss chance), Mobility hp 58 (9 HD) Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +7 Spd fly 40 ft (8 squares) (good) Melee incorporeal touch +6 (1D8 Str) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +4; Grp - Special Actions Spring Attack Abilities Str -, Dex 15, Con -, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 14 SQ incorporeal traits, undead traits Feats Alertness, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack Skills Hide +14*, Listen +9, Search +6, Spot +9 Create Spawn (Su) Any humanoid reduced to Strength 0 by a greater shadow becomes a shadow under the control of its killer within 1D4 rounds. Strength Damage (Su) The touch of a greater shadow deals 1D8 points of Strength damage to a living foe. A creature reduced to Strength 0 by a greater shadow dies. This is a negative energy effect. *A greater shadow gains a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in areas of shadowy illumination. In brightly lit areas, it takes a -4 penalty on Hide checks.

Tactics: The spawn have been instructed to remain fully within the pillars until instructed by the greater shadow. The greater shadow will wait until it is attacked or until one or more victims approaches the top of the platform or seems to be trying to pass through the cavern to the tunnels beyond. It will then emerge and give a great, horrible, keening wail, which will signal the spawn to emerge from the pillars and attack.

While the shadows would be extremely deadly if they attacked a single victim en masse, they are, fortunately for the PCs, not intelligent enough to do so. Instead, they will tend to simply attack the nearest victim. However, being the spawn of the greater shadow, if the greater shadow loses half or more of its hit points, it will make another wail and call any remaining shadows to its defense.

Treasure: The elder priestesses concealed their treasure within the platform. The topmost step actually unscrews, revealing a niche beneath (in the top of the next step). The stone surrounding this niche, when the topmost platform is screwed in place, is more than 1 ft thick, and so detect magic will not detect the cache. A DC 25 Search check will note that there seems to be a tiny gap between the topmost platform and the level underneath it, and it will then be for the PCs to figure out to turn it clockwise. The stone platform is heavy, and not so easy to turn, but a DC 20 Str check will do so and up to four persons can attempt (with one making the check and up to 3 persons assisting).

Within the niche are the following:

A bone scroll tube bearing a vellum divine scroll of blade of pain and fear, soul of shadow, and summon undead V (CL 9)

A bone scroll tube bearing a vellum divine scroll of unhallow (CL 9)

450 cp, 370 sp, 420 gp, and a stone box bearing a single diamond worth 5,000 gp.

6. Garden Cave (EL 7 or varies)

As the PCs approach this cavern, they will hear the sound of water trickling into a pool, as well as the squeakings and chirpings of bats. This can be heard with a DC 10 Listen check from 500 ft away and a DC 0 check from 200 ft away.

The water of the pool is befouled with guano and is not safe to drink. Anyone doing so must make a DC 15 Fort save or become nauseated for 1D3 hours (sickened if the save is made).

Creatures: Bats cover the ceiling here. In addition, there are usually several coven members here, tending the fungus patches.

During the nighttime, most of the bats are outside hunting, and as such there are only hundreds of bats here on the ceiling instead of thousands. During the daytime the ceiling is almost entierly covered by bats. Normally the bats are relatively quiescent, but if light is brought into the cavern, swarms of them will detach and become panicked. Most of these swarms will simply fly around for a while, but some will actually attack those near the light source. Should the light source(s) be doused, the bat swarms will withdraw 1D4 rounds later.

A torch or lantern will cause 2D4 swarms to attack, while a daylight spell or similarly bright light will cause 4D4 swarms to detach and attack. In addition, any spell that causes a bright light (fireball, lightning bolt, searing light, etc.) is treated as a daylight spell.

During the daytime, only half of the indicated swarms will attack.

In total, there are a maximum of 16 swarms during the daytime and 96 at night.

BAT SWARMS CR 2 N Dinimutive animal (swarm) Init +2; Senses blindsense 20 ft, low-light vision; Listen +11*, Spot +11* AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 12 hp 13 (3 HD) Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +3 Spd 5 ft (1 square), fly 40 ft (8 squares) (good) Melee swarm (1D6) Space 10 ft; Reach 0 ft Base Atk +2; Grp - Atk Options distraction Abilities Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 4 SQ swarm traits Feats Alertness, Lightning Reflexes Skills Listen +11*, Spot +11* Blindsense (Ex) A bat swarm notices and locates creatures within 20 feet. Opponents still have total concealment against the bat swarm (but swarm attacks ignore concealment). Distraction (Ex) Any living creature that begins its turn with a swarm in its space must succeed on a DC 11 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based. Wounding (Ex) Any living creature damaged by a bat swarm continues to bleed, losing 1 hit point per round thereafter. Multiple wounds do not result in cumulative bleeding loss. The bleeding can be stopped by a DC 10 Heal check or the application of a cure spell or some other healing magic. * A bat swarm has a +4 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks. These bonuses are lost if its blindsense is negated.

There are a total of 4 coven members here (indicated by "CM" on the map), and they tend to be on their hands and knees deep in the fungus patches harvesting fungi or doing other "gardening" functions. As such, they are inadvertantly hidden as if they had made a Hide check of 20 (10 for being amidst the fungus, 5 for the shadowy conditions, and 5 for the terrain). Should they become aware of the approach of intruders (by hearing them approach, or seeing light sources or having the bats be disturbed) then they will actively Hide and try to observe the intruders. Once they are aware of the nature of the intruders, the coven member nearest the tunnel that leads towards area 7 will attempt to sneak out of the cavern and warn his coven mates.

These binders have made poor pacts with Amon, and so must manifest curled ram's horns on their heads.

COVEN MEMBERS (4) CR 3 Tome of Magic page 9 Male (2) and Female (2) human Binder 3 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Blind-Fight, darkvision 60 ft; Listen +2, Spot +2 Languages Azotlan AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 13 hp 21 (3 HD) Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +3 Spd 30 ft (6 squares) Melee light mace +4 (1D6+2) and ram attack -1 (1D6+3) Melee ram attack +4 (1D6+3) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +2; Grp +4 Special Actions ram charge (+1D8 damage), Sudden Ability Focus Combat Gear obsidian light mace, obsidian dagger Soul Binding (CL 3): Vestiges: Amon (poor pact, resist any spell in the fire, law, or sun domains) 1. darkvision 60 ft 2. fire breath (1/5 rounds, 3D6 fire damage, 30 ft line, DC 13 Ref save half) 3. ram attack Abilities Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 14 SQ pact augmentation (+1 insight bonus to AC), suppress sign Feats Blind-Fight, Self-Sufficient, Sudden Ability Focus Skills Bluff +4, Craft (various) +3, Heal +4, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +1, Knowledge (planes) +3, Knowledge (religion) +3, Sense Motive +4, Survival +4 Possessions combat gear plus leather armour, wicker basket

Traps: While not a formal trap, per se, the orange patch of fungus shown on the map is a group of highly hallucinogenic fungi bred by the coven. Anyone approaching within 15 ft of the patch who is breathing will be exposed to the spores each round. The spores force a DC 15 Fort save or the victim suffers the affects of a confusion spell for 10 rounds. If the patch itself is entered, then the DC jumps to a DC 20 Fort save. If any of these fungi are eaten, then the effect is automatic for 20 rounds and then a DC 20 Fort save must be made or the effects last an additional 10 rounds.

If precautions are taken (such as wearing a cover over mouth and nose or holding one's breath), then no save is necessary from inhalation for as long as breath is held or for 2D4 minutes if a cover is worn.

The coven harvests these fungi and dilutes them and uses them as an ecstatic drug in some of its rituals.

Treasure: Most of the fungi in the purple patches are edible, though a few are medicinal or have other uses. A DC 15 Knowledge (dungeoneering) or Knowledge (nature), or a DC 20 Survival check will allow the fungus to be sorted by function. Medicinal fungi allow a +2 circumstance bonus on any Heal check to provide long-term care or to treat poison or disease. Assume for each minute of searching a check can be made to find a medicinal fungus. Each find provides 1 use. Assume that each use takes 0.1 lbs and that there are a total of 200 such doses to be cultivated here (there are many more than that growing here but most are not yet matured).

The DM can also assume that some fungus found has uses for someone with Craft (alchemy) to brew poisons or antidotes. This is left to the DM to adjudicate.

7. The CovenThis area is where the Tenebrous coven actually dwells. The area is comprised of four caverns, each of which is detailed below.

The coven consists of a dozen lay members, 8 initiates, and a single priestess leader.

A. Living Quarters (EL 9)

The glow from the firepit is not enough to illuminate any part of the room beyond the pit itself.

Creatures: There are 8 coven members here, along with four noncombatant children aged 2-9 birthed by the coven and being raised by them.

COVEN MEMBERS (8) CR 3 Tome of Magic page 9 Male (4) and Female (4) human Binder 3 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Blind-Fight, darkvision 60 ft; Listen +2, Spot +2 Languages Azotlan AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 13 hp 21 (3 HD) Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +3 Spd 30 ft (6 squares) Melee light mace +4 (1D6+2) and ram attack -1 (1D6+3) Melee ram attack +4 (1D6+3) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +2; Grp +4 Special Actions ram charge (+1D8 damage), Sudden Ability Focus Combat Gear obsidian light mace, obsidian dagger Soul Binding (CL 3): Vestiges: Amon (poor pact, resist any spell in the fire, law, or sun domains) 1. darkvision 60 ft 2. fire breath (1/5 rounds, 3D6 fire damage, 30 ft line, DC 13 Ref save half) 3. ram attack Abilities Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 14 SQ pact augmentation (+1 insight bonus to AC), suppress sign Feats Blind-Fight, Self-Sufficient, Sudden Ability Focus Skills Bluff +4, Craft (various) +3, Heal +4, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +1, Knowledge (planes) +3, Knowledge (religion) +3, Sense Motive +4, Survival +4 Possessions combat gear plus leather armour, spell component pouch, stone unholy symbol to Tenebrous

Tactics: These coven members will fight fanatically and to the death, for they believe they are defending their deity in the Stone of Shadows. If they hear combat in any of the other caverns in this area, they will respond, with a single one of their number staying in this cavern to watch the children. If this cavern is attacked directly, the children will run screaming from the place at the first opportunity, heading to area B or C as appropriate.

The coven members are not accustomed to pitched battles against experienced opponents, and so it will likely not occur to them to mass their breath weapons against one target every 5 rounds. However, they will instead direct their breaths against whichever target looks to be threatening each coven member personally. They will also not be coordinated enough to delay their actions and breath together at the same time.

Note: The fire breath ability of the coven members can be quite deadly if used en masse against a few PCs. As such, the DM should check for initiative for these coven members individually or in small groups rather than altogether.

Developments: Sounds of combat from this chamber will alert the occupants of areas B and C, who will react as indicated in those descriptions.

B. Priestly Quarters (EL 11)

The fountain is 3 ft deep. Near are several small stone scoops and cups and a larger wooden bucket.

The sacks contain foodstuffs foraged from the coven's infrequent journeys to the outside world. These include nuts, dried fruits, and salted meats of unknown origin. The bladders contain a brew of fermented fungus that is alcoholic and similar to beer in potency, though the taste is definitely an acquired one.

The stacks and piles to the south are a menagerie of components for the priests' Brew Potion feat and Craft (alchemy) skill, made up mostly of pieces of fungi, insect parts, and strange powdered minerals. Near the piles, several bowls and concave depressions have been carved into the cavern floor, to serve as containers and bowls and mixing stations. Set near these are a variety of crude but servicable tongs, spoons, mixers, etc. made of stone and bone such that the whole serves as an alchemical laboratory.

Creatures: Eight coven priests dwell here. They are the elite half of the coven, those whose connection to the Stone (and thereby Tenebrous) are great enough to allow them to cast divine spells.

COVEN PRIESTS (8) CR 5 Tome of Magic page 9 Male (4) and Female (4) human Binder 4/Cleric 1 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Blind-Fight, darkvision 60 ft; Listen +2, Spot +2 Languages Azotlan, Abyssal AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 13 hp 34 (53 HD) Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +6 Spd 30 ft (6 squares) Melee light mace +5 (1D6+2) and ram attack +0 (1D6+3) Melee ram attack +5 (1D6+3) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +3; Grp +5 Special Actions ram charge (+1D8 damage), rebuke undead (cleric, level 1, 5/day, +2 syngery bonus), Sudden Ability Focus Combat Gear obsidian light mace, obsidian dagger, potions of cure light wounds (2) (CL 1) in bladders Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 1 [2 evil], melee touch +5, ranged touch +5): 1st - bane (DC 14), protection from good(d), shield of faith 0 - detect magic, no light, resistance Domains: Evil (+1 CL for evil spells), Trickery (Bluff, Disguise, and Hide class skills) Soul Binding (CL 4): Vestiges: Amon (good pact) 1. darkvision 60 ft 2. fire breath (1/5 rounds, 4D6 fire damage, 40 ft line, DC 14 Ref save half) 3. ram attack Abilities Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 14 SQ pact augmentation (+1 insight bonus to AC), suppress sign Feats Blind-Fight, Brew Potion, Sudden Ability Focus Skills Bluff +4, Concentration +7, Craft (alchemy) +5, Heal +7, Hide +4, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +1, Knowledge (planes) +6, Knowledge (religion) +6, Sense Motive +7 Possessions combat gear plus leather armour, spell component pouch, stone unholy symbol to Tenebrous

Tactics: The coven priests will fight to the death, fanatical as they are in their worship. If they hear combat in any other area of these four caverns, they will respond. If granted time, they will cast protection from good on themselves and then one will cast bane on foes whole the others will cast shield of faith on any coven members within reach. No light will be used to douse any lanterns or torches brought into the area, as the coven members and priests use their darkvision ability or Blind-Fight if necessary.

Developments: Sounds of combat from this chamber will alert the occupants of areas A and C, who will react as indicated in those descriptions.

Treasure: There are enough materials at the alchemy station to brew a dozen potions of cure light wounds once a little research is done to get the recipe right. DMs should require a DC 20 Knowledge (dungeoneering) check made each day of full research to divine which fungi and insect parts and minerals are needed in which quantities. Further experimentation would even allow a crafter to use these materials to brew potions of cure moderate wounds.

A thorough exanimation of the powdered minerals will reveal one pile containing 400 gp worth of powdered diamond dust.

Several small bladders (likely rat bladders) tied with thin cords are set near the alchemical station. There are 13 such bladders in total, and each is marked with a blood coloured symbol (as indicated below). Each is a potion or other alchemical draught. The bladders weigh the same as the corresponding flask or vial, but cannot fit into a potion belt.

• There are 2 potions of cure light wounds (CL 1) marked by a circle symbol
• There are 4 doses of antitoxin marked by an "X" symbol
• There are 2 doses of shadow essence poison (injury, DC 17, 1 Str drain/2D6 Str damage) marked by a cross symbol
• There are 3 doses of oil of taggit poison (ingested, DC 15, 0/unconsciousness for 2D6 minutes) marked by an "=" symbol
• A single dose of alchemical mineral acid
• A single flask of acid

Finally, several long bone smoking pipes have been set against a wall to the east. Next to these are several pouches of what appear to be tobacco flakes but are actually dried and distilled hallucinatory fungus (such as those found in area 6). Smoking this fungus has an ecstatic hallucinatory effect that lasts for about 1D3 hours and while neither addictive nor inherently dangerous, will cause the smoker to become uninterested in anything save experiencing his visions, engaging in erotic activities, dancing, and other communal activities. There is enough fungus in the pouches for about 24 smokes.

C. Coven Leader's Chamber (EL 12)

The head set on the iron bar is the head of the leader of the last of the priestesses of Tonantzin who was decapitated by her male captives. This head is considered a trophy of battle and a sign of the leader of the coven.

Creatures: The coven leader is here along with 4 consort coven members.

COVEN LEADER CR 11 Tome of Magic pages 9 and 63 Female human Cleric 1/Binder 7/Tenebrous Apostate 3 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Blind-Fight, see in darkness; Listen +3, Spot +3 Languages Azotlan, Abyssal AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 15; visage of the dead hp 70 (11 HD) Immune fear (soul guardian) Fort +12, Ref +5, Will +13 Spd 30 ft (6 squares) Melee +1 revealing light mace +9 (1D6+2) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +7; Grp +9 Special Actions blur (3/day for 5 rounds from magic armour), Divine Vigour, empower undead, Profane Lifeleech, rebuke undead (cleric, level 1, 9/day, +2 syngery bonus), tenebrous' rebuke Combat Gear +1 obsidian revealing light mace (target struck outlined by faerie fire for 1 round), obsidian dagger, potions of cure moderate wounds (2) (CL 3) in bladders, divine scroll of desecrate (CL 3), unholy water (3), wand of animate dead (CL 5, 14 charges) Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 3 [4 evil], melee touch +9, ranged touch +9): 2nd - hold person (DC 15), invisibility(d), wave of grief (DC 15) 1st - bless, cure light wounds, protection from good(d), shield of faith 0 - detect magic, detect poison, no light, resistance Domains: Evil (+1 CL for evil spells), Trickery (Bluff, Disguise, and Hide class skills) Soul Binding (CL 9): Vestiges: Tenebrous (good pact) 1. deeper darkness (as deeper darkness spell CL 9, centered on binder, suppress or activate as standard action, range 10 ft up or down as move action) 2. see in darkness 3. touch of the void (1/5 rounds,+1D8 cold damage to melee attack or melee touch) 4. rebuke undead (1/5 rounds, turning level 11) 5. vessel of emptiness (flicker shadow magic mystery 1/day, CL 10, 10 round duration, 1/round immediate action transfer yourself from current location to any other spot within 5 ft/2 CL, 50% miss chance if cast in response to an attack) Abilities Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 17, Cha 14 SQ eternal bondage, pact augmentation (+2 insight bonus to AC), suppress sign, visage of the dead Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Casting, Divine Vigour, Extra Turning, Favoured Vestige (Tenebrous), Profane Lifeleech, Sense Motive +7 Skills Bluff +6, Concentration +13, Craft (alchemy) +5, Diplomacy +6, Heal +7, Hide +6, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (planes) +9, Knowledge (religion) +6, Spellcraft +5 Possessions combat gear plus +1 blurring leather armour, spell component pouch, stone unholy symbol to Tenebrous, key to the iron cages in area D Empower Undead (Su) You gain the additional power over mindless undead. You can use 2 rebuke attempts as a single standard action, each healing damage as per the Tenebrous' rebuke ability, except that the damage applies only to mindless undead. Tenebrous' Rebuke (Su) When you use the rebuke undead ability granted by Tenebrous, your connection to your dark master allows you to channel the energy in a unique way. You can use a rebuke attempt and each undead within 30 feet is instead cured of 1D6 points of damage per effective turning level. This effect occurs instead of the normal result of a rebuke attempt. You can still use these turn attempts in conjunction with divine feats, as normal. Visage of the Dead (Su) Your body begins to resemble that of an undead creature. Your skin darkens, appearing dusky and shadowy in dim illumination and corpse-grey in bright light, and you lose roughly half your body weight. Because of these changes, you gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC and a +1 circumstance bonus on Escape Artist and Intimidate checks. Furthermore, mindless undead believe you to be one of them and do not attack you except in self-defense, or when ordered to do so by their creator.

COVEN MEMBERS (4) CR 3 Tome of Magic page 9 Male (6) and Female (6) human Binder 3 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Blind-Fight, darkvision 60 ft; Listen +2, Spot +2 Languages Azotlan AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 13 hp 21 (3 HD) Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +3 Spd 30 ft (6 squares) Melee light mace +4 (1D6+2) and ram attack -1 (1D6+3) Melee ram attack +4 (1D6+3) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +2; Grp +4 Special Actions ram charge (+1D8 damage), Sudden Ability Focus Combat Gear obsidian light mace, obsidian dagger Soul Binding (CL 3): Vestiges: Amon (poor pact, resist any spell in the fire, law, or sun domains) 1. darkvision 60 ft 2. fire breath (1/5 rounds, 3D6 fire damage, 30 ft line, DC 13 Ref save half) 3. ram attack Abilities Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 14 SQ pact augmentation (+1 insight bonus to AC), suppress sign Feats Blind-Fight, Self-Sufficient, Sudden Ability Focus Skills Bluff +4, Craft (various) +3, Heal +4, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +1, Knowledge (planes) +3, Knowledge (religion) +3, Sense Motive +4, Survival +4 Possessions combat gear plus leather armour, spell component pouch, stone unholy symbol to Tenebrous

Tactics: If sounds of combat from anywhere in these four caverns reaches the occupants of this cavern, they will respond.

The coven leader and her consorts will fight to the death, as they are fanatic in their worship of the Stone. The leader has an array of abilities available to her, and she will use them wisely, as she is a canny warrior. Most of the time she will begin by using Divine Vigour and then invisibility before moving to within view of the combat. There she will cast bless (which does not render her visible) and summon her zombies from area D into battle, casting desecrate from her scroll and using her tenebrous' rebuke and empower undead abilities to heal them while remaining invisible and casting protection from good on herself if time permits.

Once found out, or when appopriate, she will likely cast blue from her armour and then wave of grief which will cause her to become visible. She will then move to the attack, saving her flicker ability for times when she needs to get out of a sticky situation. If she is in need of healing she will not hesitate to use her Profane Lifeleech feat, even on her own coven members.

The leader is intelligent enough to direct her consorts to concentrate their fiery breaths on a single dangerous foes, usually a spellcaster and likely as a readied action to disrupt casting.

She will not use her animate dead wand on normal human corpses, as they are not strong enough to be worth her precious charges. However, any large creatures dying on the field of battle will result in the coven leader animating their corpses if the HD allowance will permit it.

Developments: Sounds of combat from this chamber will alert the occupants of areas A and B, who will react as indicated in those descriptions.

Should the PCs proceed down the passageway to area D, refer to that description for the unhallowed effect in the passageway.

Treasure: In a hidden cache buried under stones shaped to merge with the cavern floor (Search DC 20) are 25 onyx gems worth 100 gp each, and a strange onyx rod:

ROD OF ENHANCED ZOMBIES Price (Item Level): 7,500 gp (11th) Body Slot: - (held) Caster Level: 9th Aura: Moderate; (DC 19) necromancy Activation: standard (command) Weight: 3 lbs. This rod is 3 ft long and made entirely out of a single onyx which has been somehow twisted into a spiral. The top of the rod bulges slightly and has indentations to suggest a skull. This rod is only useful in conjunction with an animate dead spell. Upon command, any zombie within 30 ft that was animated on the previous round can be assigned any of the special zombie variant abilities listed in Libris Mortis page 173. Any number of these special abilties can be added, however for each CR added to each zombie, an extra 50 gp of onyx must have been added to the material components required to animate them. If a wand or magic item has been used to animate the zombies, then onyx must still be used to cover the enhancement costs. The rod can be used any number of times per day. Prerequisites: Craft Rod, animate dead, desecrate Cost to Create: 3,750 gp, 300 XP, 337 days

D. Room of Shadows (EL 7)

Note: The widened unhallow effect mentioned below extends well into the passageway between area D and area C. In fact, it extends 80 ft from the Stone of Shadows, meaning it reaches to within 15 ft of the end of the passageway leading to area C from area D. DMs should note this fact in case the PCs have summoned creatures that attempt to enter the unhallow area.

Should a desecrate spell be cast on the Stone, it is treated as an evil altar and the effects of the spell are doubled as mentioned in the spell description.

The carvings on the wall seem to show the history of the coven, though in a very stylized fashion. Cursory glances will show pictures of female warriors capturing children and placing them in cages and then sacrificing them to the Stone. Others show ephemeral humanoid figures rising up out of the Stone and flying around a cave.

If studied intently, the DM can rule that the general history of the coven can be known. If the PCs have knowledge of Azotchtlan religion, then they can determine that the worshippers were originally priestesses of the goddess of night. Specifically, a series of panels shows the humans worshipping the stone while some amorphous entity lurks below it in a place of strange shapes and eerie looking clouds. Then the entity seems to break through the floor of the cave and into the stone and then out of the stone and into the bodies of the worshippers, who then seem empowered and bear rams horns.

The two cages are 10 ft in diameter and 6 ft tall and the bars are of iron (hardness 10, 60 hp, break DC 25) and the lock is a normal lock (Open Lock DC 25).

Creatures: Five enhanced monstrous spider zombies are here, normally set in an arc in front of the stone. The zombies will respond to the commands of the coven leader, who created them with her wand of animate dead and enhanced them with the rod of enhanced zombies. If not commanded, they will attack anyone entering this cavern not wearing and displaying an unholy symbol to Tenebrous unless such a person is in a cage or escorted by someone wearing the unholy symbol.

FAST BLOODTHIRSTY MEDIUM MONSTROUS SPIDER ZOMBIES (5) CR 2.5 Libris Mortis page 173 NE Medium vermin Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft, tremorsense 60 ft; Listen +0, Spot +0 AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 13 hp 29 (4 HD); DR 5/slashing Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +4 Spd 60 ft (12 squares), climb 20 ft (4 squares) Melee bite +3 (1D6+1/19-20) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +2; Grp +3 Atk Options blood drain Abilities Str 13, Dex 15, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1 SQ bloodthirsty zombie, fast zombie, undead traits Feats Improved Critical (bite), Toughness Blood Drain (Ex) If a bloodthirsty zombie scores a critical hit with its bite against a living creature, that creature takes 1 point of Constitution damage.

Tactics: The zombie spiders will not leave the unhallowed effect unless commanded by the coven leader.

Treasure: The stone is the Stone of Shadows, not really a magic item or an artifact, but more a magical location. Its effects are numerous and varied, including allowing one to make contact with Tenebrous and serving as an evil altar of worship. At the DM's discretion it can be useful as a material component for making items relating to shadows or shadow magic. The stone radiates overhwelming magic of no particular school.

More importantly, the stone can be used to potentially send Zerimon back to his home plane of Limbo. A piece of the stone can be broken off. Assume the stone has a hardness of 10 and it takes 12 hp of damage to break off a splinter. However, if the Stone is struck, it unleashes a mass of shadowy tentacles in a 20 ft radius that is similar to a black tentacles spell (CL 9) for 1 round per hp of damage done.

Once a splinter is obtained, it can be smashed against the Stone by Zerimon as long as he is psionically focused. Doing so will set off his latent plane travel ability and in a burst of inky blackness he will disappear, along with the splinter. Doing this will not cause the tentacles to emerge.

The PCs have no way of knowing whether Zerimon made it to Limbo or not. If the DM wishes to determine randomly, allow a 20% chance Zerimon is lost on the Plane of Shadow. Otherwise he has returned home. In the actual campaign, Zerimon was, indeed, lost on the Plane of Shadows and the PCs eventually have to travel there to rescue him.

The Stone can be destroyed, by doing a total of 1200 hit points of damage to it after penetrating its hardness of 10. However, doing so will not really destroy the nexus of planes here. The influence of the Plane of Shadows will simply, over the course of several months, begin to warp a nearby section of the floor, so that it begins to bulge into a hemisphere and turn inky black. In about a decade the new Stone of Shadows will be full grown, albeit in a slightly different part of this cavern.

The Coven's Reactions:

The coven will generally be hostile to any intruders. It doesn't much matter to them if they think the PCs are humans or scaled ones in disguise, they know that their history and their worship would condemn them to death with either. That said, it is technically possible for the PCs to make peaceful contact with the coven. This would require a combination of guile and display of power. They will not, however, under any circumstances, allow the PCs to touch the Stone, much less break off a piece of it.

Should the PCs penetrate far enough to come to the notice of the coven (area 6) and then retire, it is entirely possible for the coven to leave the cavern and seek out the PCs. This will likely be done at night and the group would likely consist of half of the priests plus half of the coven members.

Part Four - Denoument

It is entirely possible that the PCs will not know the details of what the coven is about. That is fine. It can remain a mystery of this new land. What should be apparent is that the Stone is definitely being used as a vehicle for some malign cult.

Once Zerimon is gone, the PCs can return to the Temple of the Sapphire Eidolon. There they will be welcome and invited to stay as long as they wish.

The ferrywoman (area 4) is technically a captive of the coven. However, if they are defeated and she is at least made friendly with the PCs, she will agree to leave the tunnel with them. She does not know where she came from and so has no home. However, the Temple of the Sapphire Eidolon would agree to take her in and raise her as an orphan of the temple. She could also be returned to a settlement in Valast, but in this case she would not have an easy life, being blind and having been despoiled.

Experience Points:

In addition to normal experience (which in Therra is half of that recommended in the DMG), each party member should be rewarded as follows:

• There are no story bonuses for this scenario

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