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Summary:
The PCs must defeat a pit fiend and obtain a talisman of the sphere.
Assumptions:
None
Location:
Eixtenizti Stronghold in Aladur
Historical Date:
718 A.C. spring.
DM's Introduction:
This scenario follows the events of "Behind the Light" and assumes that the PCs have successfully obtained the tablet from the devils. If the PCs did not obtain the tablet, then suggestions are given at the end of this scenario to alter it to account for not having the tablet. DMs should refer to that scenario before reading this one.
Long ago, the Mishtai were numbered amongst the Progenitors who served Kyuss. Turtle-like and more contemplative than the other Progenitors, the Mishtai discovered incarnum and used it to develop two races, the skarn and the rilkan (the Children of the Mishtai). By successfully and harmoniously merging human and reptile natures, the Mishtai came to understand the strengths of both, and rather than viewing non-scaled ones as enemies, slaves, or breeding stock, they came to love and respect other races, as did their Children.
While this alienated the Mishtai from the other Progenitors and from Kyuss himself, the Mishtai and their progeny were regarded as harmless and left to their own devices; until the revolt of Okoth and the humans. Believing (rightly or wrongly) that the Mishtai were sympathetic to Okoth and the humans and that they might join forces with them, the Scaled Ones first attacked the Mishtai and their homelands with rapid and brutal ferocity. All but one of the Mishtai were slain, their lands were thrown into ruins, and the surviving skarn and rilkan were scattered. One of the Mishtai, however, was not slain. Or at least, her whereabouts were not known. Klashkaln the Mishtai, to the best of anyone's knowledge, simply disappeared...from the multiverse. Some of her enemies claimed she was killed...so brutally annihilated by the other Progenitors that she was wiped clean from the face of the multiverse. Others claimed she fled, craven, and hid. Her supporters, mostly amongst the surviving Children of the Mishtai, claim she did indeed flee, but only after all was lost and that she roamed and perhaps still roams the multiverse seeking the means to one day return and liberate her people from the threat of Kyuss and his minions.
There are even legends whispered amongst the Children of the Mishtai that it was Klashkaln herself who led Okoth to the Creation Cysts, thereby gaining some measure of revenge upon Kyuss and the Serpent Empire.
The truth is that Klashkaln did indeed flee Sazhansiir. For she saw that the battle for her Children's lands was lost and, as the last of the Mishtai, should she remain she would surely fall. Wanting to keep alive the lore and power of the Mishtai, she fled into the furthest recesses of the multiverse. There she desperately sought for ways to aid her cause. But the forces of Kyuss were relentless, and hearing rumours of her flight, they sent minions and agents into the planes to find her. Klashkaln's power was at times a beacon for her pursuers, and so she had to expend much of it to ward herself and to shed even more of it to hide from those who sought her. Eventually, she became a mere wisp of her former self, not quite a vestige (per Tome of Magic) but on her way to being so. Nevertheless, she retained enough of her power and consciousness to aid Okoth and lead him to the Creation Cysts. Thereafter, Klashkaln made her way across the planes seeking other hidden lore or knowledge that might one day defeat Kyuss.
One such item she already knew of. During their time on Sazhansiir, the Mishtai became students of the far reaches of the multiverse, and during their explorations they came across the resting place of a sphere of annihilation. The Mishtai knew this could be a potent weapon in the fight against Kyuss, but they rightly worried that control of the sphere could be wrested from the forces of good and the sphere could be turned to evil. And so, the Mishtai withheld this knowledge, and set down the location of the sphere upon a tablet of lead that was inscribed with a semi-divine code used by the Mishtai to keep secret their most potent discoveries.
When Klashkaln fled, she took this tablet with her. She became desirous to find a talisman of the sphere with which the sphere of annihilation could be controlled and spent much of her time after leading Okoth to the Creation Cysts looking for such a device. Eventually, Klashkaln located and obtained a talisman of the sphere. Unfortunately, her efforts had attracted the attention of a powerful pit fiend named Aggashotha who had learned of her desire to obtain a talisman and presumed that she would only be seeking such knowledge if she knew the location of the sphere itself! Aggashotha and his minions stalked Klashkaln and managed to capture her and obtain the talisman.
Through means both physical and mystic, over the course of decades and decades, Aggashotha tortured Klashkaln, who held out as long as she could from divulging anything to the pit fiend. Alas, even a being formerly as powerful as a Mishtai will have her resolve crumble over time and in the face of such cruel tortures. Although Klashkaln did not reveal the location of the sphere of annihilation, she did let slip the means to activate the code on the tablet. It would require a massive influx of incarnum to fully reveal the glyphs on the tablet, and while the Mishtai were each capable of providing enough essentia to do so, all were dead but Klashkaln, and she had been reduced to such a state (by her own actions and from the torture) so that she could not even activate her own tablet. Nevertheless, Aggashotha determined that the Bastion of Souls on the Positive Energy Plane could do it.
So the pit fiend sent four of his most trusted gelugon servants to immerse the tablet into the Node in the center of the Bastion. Once the sigils had been activated, he hoped to be able to decipher the glyphs and learn the location. He did not realize that the semi-divine code would likely foil even his attempts to decipher it without the key.
With the PCs having stolen the tablet, Aggashotha was forced to resume his torture of Klashkaln, in the hopes that her final pieces of resistance would crumble and she would divulge the location directly. This last bit of torture finally rent asunder the last bits of consciousness Klashkaln possessed and she is now on her way to becoming a full-fledged vestige. She has also entirely forgotten the location of the sphere of annihilation, that knowledge having dissipated with most of her essence. Her knowledge of the code key, however, remained.
Knowing her time was nearly at an end, Klashkaln mustered the last of her power, consciousness, and sanity to sing a mystic song designed to alert her most trusted minions to her need. Her first song alerted her servant, Marrshiva, to her need to stop the pit fiend from gaining access to the tablet, for she worried that he just might be able to decipher it or he might be able to rip the key to the code from her fading mind.
Having stopped the pit fiend, Klashkaln sang another song, weaker this time, to attempt to lead her servants to her location. She knows that there is no real rescue for her....her fading away is irreversible. However, she hopes beyond hope that someone will come to stop the pit fiend from torturing her, retrieve the talisman of the sphere and then be given the key to the code to retrieve the sphere of annihilation and use it against Kyuss.
Note on the Song of Klashkaln: Klashkaln has sung both of her songs specifically to summon the PCs. But how could she who has been in captivity for so long know of the PCs and their relatively new power and capabilities?
The answer is in the incarnum. Incarnum is the potentiality of the unborn life force. Being a master of incarnum, the Mishtai had the ability to see the potential of future beings centuries and even millenia before they were born. This gave them something akin to the gift of prophecy. In no way could the Mishtai actually see the future, but they could see the potential for great deeds amongst the unborn. Klashkaln saw in the PCs that potential...the ability to one day bring about the fall of Kyuss. It is Klashkaln who gave certain of the PCs visions early in their careers before they arrived in Sazhansiir from Onlor. Additionally, it was Klashkaln who imparted the Hidden Wise One of the Heynosht Archipelago with his prophetic pronouncements (see the scenario entitled "Stake a Lizard by the Throat"). In this way, Klashkaln has been awaiting the growth of the PCs into their power, and now the time is right, she believes, as well as desperate enough, to call upon them.
Klashkaln's song is being sung very subtlety, since she does not wish for the pit fiend to hear or know of it and bring it to a halt. Because of this, only someone completely in tune and linked to her can hear it. So it is that Marrshiva, her surviving handmaiden, is the only being who can hear her song. Marrshiva then sings a less subtle song that still requires a powerful attunement to incarnum to hear. So it is that Marrshiva's resinging of Klashkaln's song reaches only the ears of Gorottomoroggo. Then the ancient duskling conveys the song to the PCs.
Part One - The Second Song
Some period of time has passed since the PCs were told of the first song leading them to the Bastion of Souls. Gorottomoroggo the ancient duskling has spent months or even years attempting to wrest the secret of the code from the tablet of lead...to no avail. Nothing has been heard from Marrshiva since the Bastion of Souls, and nothing has been heard from the master of the gelugons the PCs encountered within the Bastion. Likely, the PCs have gone on to perform other great deeds and garner further renown and power.
Now, finally, Klashkaln's final song has reached the ears of Marrshiva, and she has sent the song to Gorottomoroggo, in the hope that the PCs will receive the song and act upon it.
One day, Gorottomoroggo will be found in a trance, the tablet in his hands, swaying cross-legged upon the ground chanting in a strange Slith dialect. The lyrics of his chant are as follows (the lyrics rhyme and have an enchanting cadence in Slith):
All the universe is duality
good and evil
scaled and smooth
light and dark.
The light was found and
rent the dark
but now the dark behind the light
must be called.
For a thing is its own end
and a snake must eat its own tail
so must darkness complete
what light began.
My need is great
your need moreso
for darkness untamed
is a tool of destruction.
But darkness held
in a sheath of right
shall win the day
and life prevail over decay.
To the funnel of souls
shall ye return
and meet she who
awaits once again.
To send you to your destiny.
Once Gorottomoroggo chants this song once, in its entirety, in the presence of the PCs, he will awaken from his trance and smile at the PCs. If the PCs cannot figure out where to go, Gorottomoroggo will say he believes they are being summoned back to the Bastion of Souls. He heard urgency in the song, as if it were weakening and might fade away, and he suggests the PCs not dally too long should they wish to see this through.
The elder duskling can offer no more insight into his song. If the PCs express inability to travel to the Bastion of Souls (e.g. they do not have any plane travel magic prepared or available), the elder will offer to take care of it and he will engage in an hour long ritual, at which time a vertical gate of incarnum will spring open (similar to a gate spell). The elder will announce that he cannot hold the way open for more than a minute or so and that he cannot perform such a feat again for many months at least. The gateway will stay open for 6 hours (not likely long enough for the PCs to finish this scenario), and thereafter the PCs will have to make their own way home. Fortunately, the means to do so are presented later in the scenario.
If the PCs wish to bring the lead tablet with them, Gorottomoroggo will urge them to leave it here with him, safe. He will point out that clearly fiendish forces desired the tablet and it would not be prudent to return the tablet to the very site that the fiends brought it, in case it should be taken from the PCs.
The Bastion of Souls:
The PCs have already visited the Bastion of Souls (probably several times by now), which is a planar touchstone.
The Bastion of Souls is fully described in Magic of Incarnum on page 207. It lies in the Positive Energy Plane, whose traits in Therra are as follows:
The major positive-dominant trait bears some explanation:
Creatures on a major positive-dominant plane must make a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw to avoid being blinded for 10 rounds by the brilliance of the surroundings. Simply being on the plane grants feast healing 5 as an extraordinary ability. In addition, those at full hit points gain 5 additional temporary hit points per round. These temporary hit points fade 1d20 rounds after the creature leaves the major positive-dominant plane. However a creature must make a DC 20 Fortitude save each round that its temporary hit points (only the ones gained from this trait) exceed its normal hit point total. Failing the saving throw results in the creature exploding in a riot of energy, killing it.
The positive energy protection spell prevents its target from receiving the fast healing extraordinary ability, risking blindness, or receiving the temporary hit points while on a positive-dominant plane.
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| Faceted crystal surfaces glow with emerald, sapphire, and other hues of precious gems. Clear crystalline trees sprout thickly from the floor, laden with brilliant points of white light. The sound of thousands of crystal leaves constantly chiming like bells fills the air. A blaze of brilliant light shines in the center of this area. |
The Bastion is made of solidified positive energy - unbreakable, impenetrable to magical entry, and unresponsive to magical methods to learn about the interior. Creatures inside it cannot summon aid with calling or summoning spells. While teleportation magic will function within the Bastion, such magic will not allow teleportation from the outside to within or vice versa. Inside the Bastion, the visual brilliance of the Positive Energy Plane is absent and gravity becomes objective (rather than subjective), but it otherwise conforms to the traits of the Positive Energy Plane.
Inside the Bastion of Souls, crystalline trees sprout preincarnate souls, which appear like brilliant points of light. When “ripe”, a soul falls from the tree in a flash of brighter light and the preincarnate soul flies off, soon to incarnate somewhere in the multiverse. If picked before it is ripe, the preincarnate soul withers and dies within 10 rounds, dooming a creature somewhere in the multiverse to a soulless birth.
At the center of the Bastion is the Node, where soulstuff coalesces from the very fabric of the Positive Energy Plane. From the Node, it is drawn to nurture the crystal trees where the souls grow, but soul energy also flows from the Node directly to the Material Plane in the form of incarnum.
Marrshiva's Return:
As the PCs arrive at the Bastion of Souls and enter its confines, they will see a figure hovering above the Node. The figure appears much like a marilith demon, except that its skin is entirely blue (including its scales), and it bears a rather peaceful countenance upon its face. The creature hovers in a relaxed position, its tail coiled tightly with its torso resting atop the coils and two of its hands clasp together before its chest in a prayerful position.
This entity is known as Marrshiva, and she is an ancient handmaiden of the Mishtai Klashkaln. Although her appearance is similar to a marilith, she is neither a demon nor evil. However, her pedigree is so ancient that it would require a DC 40 History check to recognize her nature (+5 circumstance bonus for members of incarnum-using classes or races).
Marrshiva will welcome back the PCs and inform them in Slith that she has been singing for them a second time and awaiting their arrival. She will tell the PCs that she is the servant of a long lost power and that she has summoned the PCs because her mistress has told her that they are needed urgently to confront and slay the master of the gelugons they fought with here, a pit fiend named Aggashotha. She will apologize for not being able to speak with the PCs in person, but she is hunted and must remain hidden. She will tell them that Aggashotha dwells in a demiplane that he rules with an iron claw. Marrshiva will gesture and a glowing circle of reddish orange shot through with intricate patterns of gold, silver, and mauve will appear. A DC 20 Knowledge (planes) check will show this circle to be a colour pool of the kind on the Astral Plane, and Marrshiva will tell the PCs that they should not delay unduly lest all is lost, but prepare well and carefully, for Aggashotha will be the most fearsome foe they have ever faced...by far! Finally, she will apologize for not being able to explain more, and that she understands that there is no real reason for the PCs to trust her, but that this has been their destiny since before they were made, and it is what brought the PCs together across vast distances and unlikely origins to this place and time.
Marrshiva is not really present. She is merely a programmed image (CL 16) cast by her previously before leaving the Bastion. She fears the PCs may be watched by the Scaled Ones, and so she does not wish to be present when the PCs arrive. Once the image has activated (i.e. once the PCs arrive inside the Bastion), the image will persist for 16 rounds before disappearing.
The Astral Plane:
No information is presented here for the PCs' journey through the Astral Plane. The journey can be as eventful or uneventful as the DM likes, and all of the rules and information for the plane, as well as encounter charts, can be found in The Manual of the Planes.
That book also details how long the journey will take. The PCs have enough of a picture of the correct colour pool in their minds that they can make the journey in 1d6x20 hours (i.e. seen once).
Eventually, the PCs will arrive at the colour pool they seek. They can enter the colour pool and will arrive at the demiplane rules by Aggashotha.
Part Two - The Demesne of Aggashotha
Aggashotha's demiplane was taken by him from a balor (whom he slew) over 700 years ago. He has ruled the demiplane since.
Aggashotha's demiplane takes the form of a massive volcano some 16,000 ft tall and easily 10 miles in diameter. The volcano rests upon a flat disc of stone that is 20 miles in diameter and 1 mile thick. The underside of the disc is barren and empty, and beyond the disc, above and below, is naught but a deep purple night sky studded with, instead of stars, strange whorls much like the Van Gough painting "Starry Night". The entire disc is lit in ruddy, shadowy illumination by the glow from the volcano, both from its massive opening in the top (some 5,000 ft in diameter), thousands of exposed pools along the slopes, and from flowing lava veins that trickle down the mountain and congeal in pools on the stone disc.
Note: Creatures with the extraplanar subtype are native to this plane, while creatures normally native to the Material Plane are considered extraplanar here.
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The disc is not flat, but rather takes the form of a craggy stone plain with rises, large boulders, and ridges and sometimes small fissures, caves, or cracks.
The demiplane is overrun with devils and devilish creatures, all owing fealty to the pit fiend. The stone disc at the bottom of the plane is home to the peasantry and slaves of the demiplane. Villages comprised of clusters of square stone huts (of various sizes depending upon the inhabitant) dot the disc, each mostly inhabited by abishai devils (lorded over by an amnizu) who rule over nupperibo and lemure slaves and spinagon servants. Each village is denoted on the map below by a purple dot. The following list can be used to determine the census of a given village at a given time. Such populations vary from day to day as devils travel, perish, or are reassigned.
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Typical Devil Village:
Lemure Slaves: 100% chance of 4d4x10 lemures, usually encountered in groups of 2d20 performing slave work.
Nupperibo Slaves: 100% chance of 2d4x10 nupperibos, usually encountered in groups of 2d4 performing slave work.
Spinagon Servants: 100% chance of 1d4+1x10 spinagons, usually found in flocks of 2d5 acting as guards or servants.
White Abishai: 100% chance of 2d3 white abishais.
Black Abishai: 75% chance of 2d3 black abishais.
Green Abishai: 50% chance of 2d3 green abishais.
Blue Abishai: 25% chance of 1d6 blue abishais.
Red Abishai: 25% chance of 1d4 red abishais.
Barbazus: 25% chance of 1d10 bearded devils on emissary from the volcano.
Kytons: 15% chance of 1d10 kytons sent from the volcano as enforcers, punishers, or overseers.
Amnizus: 100% chance of 1 amnizu, acting as lord of the village and reporting to the volcano hierarchy.
Other Devil: 5% chance of any other devils of the DM's choice present.
It is not contemplated that the PCs will wish to go around attacking the villages, for fear of alerting the volcano and the more fearsome forces of the pit fiend. Nevertheless, they may wish to infiltrate one of these villages to learn about the pit fiend and his volcano. Stats for the above devils are presented below.
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SPELLS: wrack (SC p243) - r cl, 1 humanoid, 1 rd/lvl + 3d10 min, sv F neg, SR; subject falls prone and blind and helpless, then shaken for 3d10 minutes. |
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SPELLS: wrack (SC p243) - r cl, 1 humanoid, 1 rd/lvl + 3d10 min, sv F neg, SR; subject falls prone and blind and helpless, then shaken for 3d10 minutes. |
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SPELLS: wrack (SC p243) - r cl, 1 humanoid, 1 rd/lvl + 3d10 min, sv F neg, SR; subject falls prone and blind and helpless, then shaken for 3d10 minutes. |
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SPELLS: wrack (SC p243) - r cl, 1 humanoid, 1 rd/lvl + 3d10 min, sv F neg, SR; subject falls prone and blind and helpless, then shaken for 3d10 minutes. |
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The Wilderness:
The "wilds" between the villages are prowled by a variety of creatures. Below is presented a table to represent these encounters. Check for encounters every mile travelled or every hour spent in a square on the disc. The chance of an encounter is 15% and if an encounter is indicated, another check should be made for a second encounter. For each consecutive check succeeded, another encounter will be met. If multiple encounters are indicated, they might be combined into a single encounter, whether fighting each other or cooperating.
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| 01-07 | Ayperobos Swarm | 1 |
| 08-19 | Bezekira (Hellcat) | 1d10 |
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Fiendish Monstrous Scorpion, Huge |
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Fiendish Giant Constrictor Snake |
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Fiendish Wyvern |
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| 56-65 | Narzugon, Mounted | 1d6 |
| 66-73 | Narzugon, Flying | 1d4 |
| 74-85 | Orthon Patrol | 1d6 |
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Village Encounter |
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| 96-00 | Other Devil (DM's Choice) | var. |
Each encounter is detailed below.
Ayperobos Swarm - These swarms gestate in the fissures of the volcano and, on occasion, emerge to hunt the disc and the skies above for hapless victims. While they normally hunt fiendish animals and even weaker devils, they love the taste of mortal flesh and will unceasingly seek such prey.
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Bezekira - These intelligent creatures hunt in prides, generally leaving most baatezu alone but often hunting lemures, nupperibos, and outcast or wounded devils. Remember that they are generally invisible.
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Fiendish Monstrous Scorpion, Huge - These creatures haunt the disc, hunting any prey smaller than itself. They dwell in caves or fissures and often lie in wait out of sight, using their tremorsense to ambush prey.
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Fiendish Giant Constrictor Snake - These deadly creatures have pale grey scales with darker grey mottles that help them blend into the surrounding strony disc terrain. They tend to coil in cracks or atop boulders waitting for prey to pass by.
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Fiendish Wyvern - Bred by the devils as winged mounts, some of these have invariably escaped into the wild and bred, and now form flocks that dwell in those caves on the volcano that are not lava soaked. They fly out above the plains to hunt prey.
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Narzugon, Mounted - These are patrols from the volcano that roam the disc looking for renegades and intruders. They will attempt to take prisoners if possible. If a single narzugon is encountered, it is likely a messenger delivering items or news to or from one of the villages.
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Narzugon, Flying - These are patrols from the volcano riding flying nightmares that roam the disc looking for renegades and intruders. They will attempt to take prisoners if possible.
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Orthon Patrol - These hulking creatures form foot patrols, usually in groups of 4 to 6. If fewer are encountered, then they are likely the remnants of a patrol that was attacked by the dangerous creatures of this demiplane.
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Village Encounter - This encounter will be with one or more groups of villagers as listed on the village listing above. They will be work parties when encountered relatively near a village, or perhaps an emissary or trade mission from one village to another.
Determine composition on the table below:
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| 01-22 | Lemures | 4d4 |
| 23-37 | Nupperibos | 2d4 |
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Spinagons |
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White Abishais |
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Black Abishais |
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| 68-73 | Green Abishais | 1d6 |
| 74-77 | Blue Abishais | 1d6 |
| 78-79 | Red Abishais | 1d4 |
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Barbazus |
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| 84-85 | Kytons | 1d10 |
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Amnizus |
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Roll Twice |
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Roll Thrice |
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Roll Four Times |
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The Dragon and its Lair:
An ancient pyroclastic dragon named Ragawryix (rah-gah-RYE-icks) serves the pit fiend and lords over all of the abishais in the villages. He is Aggashotha's right hand lieutenant and overlord of all of the villages and the disc of stone. All of the intelligent inhabitants of the disc know of and fear him.
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FEATS: Adroit Flyby Attack (Drac p67) - When making a Flyby Attack, do not provoke AoO from creatures you attack. Awaken Spell Resistance (Drac p67) - Gain SR equal to HD, if you have SR it is equal to HD or +2 above racial SR, whichever is higher. Improved Snatch (Drac p71) - As Snatch feat except you can grab a creature 2 size categories smaller (instead of 3). Snatch and Swallow (Drac p73) - If you begin a turn with a Large or smaller opponent held in your mouth, attempt new grapple check (as if pinning opponent) and if successful opponent takes bite damage and is swallowed. Swallowed creatures take 2d6 physical damage and 2d6 fire and 2d6 sonic damage per round and can cut their way out of the stomach (AC 26, 35 hp). Tail Constrict (Drac p74) - You can grab and constrict creatures you hit with your tail slap attack, like snatch attack except usable against any creature smaller than you. On the round you grapple and each round thereafter you deal bludgeoning damage equal to your tail slap damage. Cannot make tail slap or tail sweep attacks while constricting an opponent. EPIC SKILL USAGE: Search DC 60 - sense magic Sense Motive DC 60 - discern partial alignment Spot DC 20-40 - pinpoint various invisible creatures/objects MAGIC ITEMS: amulet of fearsome might (DrM p93) - frightful presence radius doubles and DC +2, or DC +2 for fear spells. counterstrike circlet (MIC p90) - Immediate action to activate, 2/day gain AoO against foe who misses you with a melee attack., worn on head instead of wrists. wand bracelet (MIC p147) - Store 4 items of less than 3 lbs. wieldable in 1 hand as charm, swift action to call forth, move action to place back or switch with another charm. |
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The dragon's lair is high up the volcano, as denoted on the demiplane map with an orange dot.
Unless otherwise specified, the floors of the lair have been smoothed out by lava flow such that they are treated the same as a hewn stone floor.
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Hewn Stone Floor A DC 10 Balance check is required to run or charge across such a floor. Failure means the character can still act, but can't run or charge in this round. |
Walls are considered to be hewn stone walls for the same reason (per 3 ft: hardness 8, 540 hp, Climb DC 25, Break DC 50).
Lava is present throughout the lair.
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Lava Lava or magma deals 2d6 points of damage per round of exposure, except in the case of total immersion (such as when a character falls into a pool of lava), which deals 20d6 points of damage per round. Damage from magma continues for 1d3 rounds after exposure ceases, but this additional damage is only half of that dealt during actual contact (that is, 1d6 or 10d6 points per round). An immunity or resistance to fire serves as an immunity to lava or magma. However, a creature immune to fire might still drown if completely immersed in lava. |
Combat immersed in lava is treated as underwater combat, except that damage is quartered instead of halved and all penalties to movement and attack are doubled due to the thickness of the lava. Visibility is reduced to 10 ft. Opponents adjacent to attackers within the lava have no concealment. Those 5-10 ft away have concealment (20% miss chance). Opponents or objects more than 10 ft away have total concealment.
The pyroclastic dragon is immune to fire, so the lava does not affect it. When it needs to traverse the lava it holds its breath. Nevertheless, the dragon is aware of its vulnerability to suffocation while under lava and so will only immerse itself when travelling quickly to and from its lair or in great need or with immense tactical advantage during combat within its lair.
Lighting in each chamber is as noted in the description (in general, chambers are lit by the glow of lava).
1. Lair Entrance
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The volcano slope is rent at this point by a massive opening roughly 25 ft wide by 30 ft tall, which is streaked with veins of blackish polished glass, as if the stone of the entrance had been subjected to immense heat. From the gaping maw comes a sluggish stream of magma, about 3-4 ft wide, that emerges and wends its way down the slope. Littering the ground around the entrance are pieces of massive carapaces, large grey scales, and black bones and skulls of various sorts. |
The lava stream is as deep as it is wide.
2. Antechamber
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This large cavern is lit by a pool of lava that dominates the center of the place. The magma is quite active, and bubbles and pops constantly. The ceiling is smooth and arches 40 ft overhead. The walls of the cavern are decorated with carvings of dragons swooping down upon hapless celestials and either dropping them from a great height if the celestials do not have wings or swallowing them whole if they do. The flickering effect of the magma provides an eerie strobe-like quality to these carvings. |
Secret Doors: Approximately 80 feet below the top of the lava pool is a 20 ft diameter opening that leads into area 3 (see below). There is no way to see or detect this opening from above (without some sort of x-ray vision), and even immersed within the lava it requires a DC 25 Spot check to notice the opening if 5 ft away (with a +5 to the DC at 10 ft away). Noticing the opening is automatic if adjacent and impossible if more than 10 ft away.
3. Lava Tunnel
| This lava tube is as tall as it is wide and circular in shape. The tunnel's walls are coated in natural black glass and the passage is completely full of searing lava. |
The tunnel rises as it makes its way from area 2 to area 4. The slope is noticeable but has no effect on movement or combat.
The western end of the tunnel is located 80 ft below the surface of the lava pool in area 2. The eastern end of the tunnel is located at the bottom of the lava pool in area 4, some 30 ft below the surface.
4. Main Chamber (EL 18)
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This massive cavern towers almost 60 ft in height near the walls to almost 80 ft in the center. A few blackened stalactites hang from the center of the ceiling at its highest points, these being no more than 8-10 ft in length. A large pool of frothing magma sits in the middle of the chamber, its rim coated in black, rippled glazing. To the east, a sheer rippled wall of black glass climbs 40 ft to a wide opening 20 ft tall. The walls here are carved with scenes of flames wreaking havoc and destruction upon vaguely humanoid figures, and these are punctuated with several instances of clusters of runes carved into intricate patterns. |
The glass wall to the east requires a DC 30 Climb check and leads to area 5.
The rune clusters on the walls are lair wards set here by the dragon (with aid from long dead magicians).
There are two lair wards here:
The first is a cavern of the earthbound (Drac p84). Within the walls of this cavern, the fly spell does not function (as well as any spell that is based upon the fly spell). Characters who are flying when they enter the cavern float to the ground as if the spell's duration had expired. When they leave the cavern, any fly spells whose durations have not expired return to normal efficacy.
The second ward is a secure cavern (Drac p85). The entire cavern is affected by a mind blank spell. No one in the cavern can be affected by devices and spells that detect, influence, or read emotions and thoughts, up to an including miracle or wish. Even a scrying attempt that scans the area does not work.
It should be noted that the mind blank effect of the second ward negates the dragon's own frightful presence ability. Nevertheless, the dragon is fine with this, since the benefits outweigh the loss and he does not wish to have his frightful presence affect his minions every time he takes flight.
Creatures: 2 very fierce nessian warhounds lair here as pets and guards of the dragon. The hounds are fiercely loyal to Ragawryix and will defend their master to the death.
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FEATS: Large and in Charge (Drac p71) - On successful AoO force moving opponent back to square before AoO if you make opposed Str check (+1/5 dmg AoO inflicted). |
5. Treasure Chamber (EL 20
or 22)
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This large cavern is 40 ft tall and is accessed via a 20 ft tall, wide opening that overlooks a larger cave and lava pool below to the west. The cavern walls contain carvings of dragons battling in midflight. In all cases a dragon wreathed in flames is defeating its foes. These carvings are punctuated with several instances of clusters of runes carved into intricate patterns. Dominating the center of the chamber is a massive pile of coins and other treasure. The pile is over 40 ft by 20 ft and stands 10 ft tall. Along the eastern wall are stone shelves and cubby holes containing a variety of scrolls and other small items. |
The rune clusters on the walls are lair wards set here by the dragon (with aid from long dead magicians).
There are two lair wards here:
The first is a cavern of the earthbound (Drac p84). Within the walls of this cavern, the fly spell does not function (as well as any spell that is based upon the fly spell). Characters who are flying when they enter the cavern float to the ground as if the spell's duration had expired. When they leave the cavern, any fly spells whose durations have not expired return to normal efficacy.
The second ward is a secure cavern (Drac p 85). The entire cavern is affected by a mind blank spell. No one in the cavern can be affected by devices and spells that detect, influence, or read emotions and thoughts, up to an including miracle or wish. Even a scrying attempt that scans the area does not work.
It should be noted that the mind blank effect of the second ward negates the dragon's own frightful presence ability. Nevertheless, the dragon is fine with this, since the benefits outweigh the loss and he does not wish to have his frightful presence affect his minions every time he takes flight.
Creatures: When not on a specific mission, the dragon rests in this chamber, on his treasure pile.
Whether present or not, he is attended by 4 red abishai devils who guard him while he sleeps and, when he is gone, guard his treasure. These devils are completely loyal to the dragon.
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FEATS: Mage Slayer (CA p81) - +1 to Will saves, reduce your CL by 4, casters you threaten cannot cast defensively. Stand Still (EPsH SRD) - AoO vs moving target can substitute damage done to stop foe with Ref sv of DC 10 + dmg done. SPELLS: wrack (SC p243) - r cl, 1 humanoid, 1 rd/lvl + 3d10 min, sv F neg, SR; subject falls prone and blind and helpless, then shaken for 3d10 minutes. |
Treasure: 300,000 cp, 270,000 sp, 21,000 gp, 1,100 pp, 29 gems (1 x 5,000 gp, 2 x 1,000 gp, 7 x 500 gp, 5 x 100 gp, 9 x 50 gp, 5 x 10 gp), and the following items (delicate items are towards the edges of the pile where they won't be damaged by the weight of the dragon):
The shelves and cubby holes contain a variety of treatises in Infernal, mostly dealing with devilish items. Assume there are over 200 pieces of knowledge here. These items could be sold for a total of 6,000 gp and weigh a total of 600 lbs.
Additionally, the following magic scrolls are stored in cubby holes, each hole labelled with the scroll in Draconic:
Secret Doors: The passageway to the southeast (area 6) is hidden by an illusory wall spell (CL 11) (DC 17), such that it appears to be part of the cavern wall.
6. Hidden Passageway
This passageway is used by the dragon as a means of access to the pit fiend's stronghold. It is 20 ft high and unlit. The way proceeds towards the core of the volcano, winding as it does so, for approximately 1 mile before emerging directly into the pit fiend's chamber.
Part Three - The Volcano
The volcano is the home to literally thousands of devils and other unsavoury creatures that serve Aggashotha, along with hundreds of slaves and prisoners of other races. The top opening of the volcano is almost 1 mile in diameter, and bubbling magma froths and sputters right to the rim, with occasional bursts overflowing the rim and wending its way down the slopes. A constant pillar of smoke and ash rises up from the top and extends into the strange night sky.
Even from a distance, many figures can be seen flying about the rim, some quite large and others man-sized or smaller. These creatures include devils, dragons, and other similar beings and to attempt to gain entrance to the volcano by flying down into the rim would likely be suicide.
The volcano itself has many caves and fissures along its slopes. Many of these are inhabited by devils and other creatures, and most of them do not lead deep into the volcano. Some, however do, and the interior of the mountain is riddles with tunnels that lead to a bewildering variety of underground strongholds and chambers that are home to myriad devils and similar beings. Again, not an idea way to try to gain entrance.
Aggashotha dwells mainly in his megaron, which is a bizarre construction that takes the form of a massive cube of glassteel, measuring 120 ft x 120 ft x 120 ft. The cube is located deep in the heart of the core of the volcano, about 2 miles down from the rim. As such, the entire cube is surrounded by lava. The lava tube here is about 1/2 mile in diameter (having shrunk from the mile in diameter at the top of the tube).
Although there is no real north or south on this demiplane, for ease of description north has been arbitrarily assigned as shown on the map below.
The cube is connected to the edges of the core by four walkways made of magically strengthened metal. These form passageways 20 ft wide by 20 ft wall that each proceeds from an opening in the wall of the core and reached the cube. In the wall of the cube is an opening 20 ft wide and 20 ft tall where the metal passageway meets it. Within, the passageway continues as an open 20 ft wide metal catwalk that proceeds to the center of the cube.
In the center of the cube is a massive round grey-stone three-tiered dais. The first tier is 60 ft in diameter and 10 ft tall, extending 5 ft above the metal walkway. The next tier is 40 ft in diameter and extends 5 ft above the previous tier. The topmost tier is 20 ft in diameter and extends another 5 ft above the second tier. Smaller steps, 10 ft wide, are carved into each tier at the four cardinal points to allow Medium and smaller beings to climb or descend.
Set atop the third tier is a massive metal throne, sized for a Large or Huge creature.
At various places throughout the cube, metal poles, about 2 inches in diameter, extend from the floor and ceiling. 4 of these poles occupy the northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast quadrants of the chamber. These poles run from the ceiling to the floor and are interrupted at 3 points by cage-like bulges. These cages are about 5 ft in diameter and are described below (see Orthon Heads below). 4 more metal poles run from floor to ceiling but also pierce the metal walkways as shown on the maps below. These poles also have 3 cage-like bulges within them, but the central bulge is built into the walkway itself. Finally, a metal pole extends from the floor and another from the ceiling directly above and below the throne. Each of these two poles ends in a cage-like bulge.
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The northernmost walkway is the one that leads from the cube to the core wall and then becomes the hidden passageway that leads to the dragon lair (described above). This passageway is exclusive to the dragon lair and has no branchings or doorways. The other three passageways lead to the maze of tunnels and rooms that fill the mountainside.
The stone dais is made of stone mined from the stone disc of the demi-plane and has been magically treated to be hardened and is immune to fire (per 3 ft: hardness 16, 1,080 hp, Break DC 70).
The metal comprising the walkways, the poles, and the cages are special metal forged and strengthened by baatezu which has been magically hardened and is immune to fire (per inch: hardness 20, 60 hp, Break DC 40).
Both the stone and metal, by virtue of their magical treatment, are entitled to saving throws against any magical effect that attempts to affect them. The save bonus for these items is +11.
The throne is made from the same metal as the walkways. It is carved with horrific reliefs of devils torturing both celestials and demons and scenes of celestials and demons copulating and performing perverse sexual acts. The throne is studded in gems of various sorts (a total of 36 gems worth 72,000 gp in total).
The Orthon Heads:
Aggashotha has placed a number of enchanted orthon heads throughout the cube. These heads retain the orthons' dimensional interference ability, such that they do not prevent teleportation into the cube, but can prevent teleportation within or from within to without. In other words, Aggashotha is not afraid of interlopers as much as he desires for them not to escape his clutches!
Each orthon head is shown on the cube maps as a 5 ft diameter red dot. There are a total of 28 such heads as follows:
3 heads on each of the 4 poles in the northwest, northeast, southwest, and northwest quadrants of the cube. Each of these heads is contained within one of the cage-like bulges set on the metal poles at the heights indicated on the side view map.
3 heads on each of the 4 poles that pierce the walkways. Each of these heads is contained within one of the cage-like bulges set on the metal poles at the heights indicated on the side view map.
1 head on the pole from the floor beneath the dais that extends up 20 ft and ends in a cage-like bulge that contains the head.
1 head on the pole from the ceiling above the dais that descends down 20 ft and ends in a cage-like bulge that contains the head.
1 head built into the throne.
1 head that hangs from the bottom center of the dais in a cage-like structure that resembles the cage-like bulges on the poles.
Each cage-like bulge is a sphere 5 ft in diameter that consists of bars of the same metal as the poles and walkways. The bars are each an inch in diameter and there is a space between the bars of 1 inch. Within is an orthon head which eyes blink and mouths twitch. No sounds emanates from the heads (except when activated, see below). Because of the narrow space between the bars, an observer must be right up against or very close to the cage-like bulge to see inside.
Each head is normally quiescent and not emanating its dimensional interference. However, as a free action on his turn, Aggashotha (and only he, since he was attuned to them during their creation) can activate one or more of these heads. An activated head murmurs in Infernal it shall be done master and activates its ability. The dimensional interference operates exactly like the orthon ability of the same name:
| Dimensional Interference (Su) At will, as a swift action, an orthon can emit a 20 ft radius field that that disrupts extradimensional movement. All creatures within the area are prevented from using any spell or spell-like ability that provides such movement, as if affected by a dimensional anchor spell. Each use of the field lasts for 4 rounds. There is no save against this ability. |
Like the orthon ability, once the interference is activated, it lasts for 4 rounds. There is no way for Aggashotha to turn off the ability once activated, and so he will be careful to use them only when tactically advantageous.
The heads cover the radii shown on the maps. As can be seen, if all of the heads are activated, there are only a few places in the cube not covered in dimensional interference. Remember that radii are whole squares in D&D, and so basically any square that is more than half covered by the circles on the map are considered within the effect. This means that only a few squares along the walls and corners are not covered. The dimensional interference effect has no appreciable visual or sonic component, such that the blind spots will not be readily apparent to someone who cannot see enchantment effects.
The heads can be destroyed. They are considered magic objects and the cages (and the throne) provide improved cover for them (+4 to Reflex saves and improved evasion). Each head has a hardness of 3 and 42 hp. Like the orthons they came from, the heads are immune to fire and have resistance 10 to both acid and cold. For purposes of melee attacks, only piercing weapons can reach through the bars. Each head has a base AC of 8. If a piercing melee weapon is poked through the bars carefully (a full-round action), then there is no bonus to the AC. If a piercing attack is made hurriedly (i.e. a standard action, no multiple attacks allowed) then the head gains a +8 AC bonus from improved cover. Piercing missile weapons fired within 10 ft of the cage must overcome improved cover (i.e. +8 to the head's AC). For each 10 ft beyond, the head gains an additional +2 to AC. The heads, being objects, are not subject to critical hits or sneak attacks. For purposes of dispel magic suppressing magical objects, the heads have a caster level of 18.
The Cube:
The cube is comprised of glassteel walls 6 inches thick and specially enchanted to be harder than normal and to be completely immune to fire (per 6 inches: hardness 40, 480 hp, Break DC 65). The cube walls have a save bonus of +11 against all magical effect. These walls were crafted millennia ago by captive elven alchemists and engineers and cannot be repaired by the devils.
Aggashotha has had his devils place enchantments upon the floor and ceiling of his megaron such that, as a standard action, he can will either or both to disappear or reappear (a single standard action is sufficient to have both the floor and the ceiling each either disappear or reappear). He will do this if attacked in his megaron, but will only cause the ceiling to vanish at great need.
Should the floor vanish, anyone standing on it will be plummeted into the lava roiling right below it.The lava will then begin to rise slowly (a a rate of 10 ft per round).
Should the ceiling vanish, lava from above the cube will come rushing in for 1 round. This tumult will be the equivalent of a massive flood of water with the following effects:
Those within the cube will suffer 4d6 bludgeoning damage from the force of the lava unless they are below the dais. A DC 19 Reflex save will result in half damage.
Furthermore, those within the deluge must make a DC 24 Strength check (with a -4 circumstance penalty if flying) to avoid being carried away by the tumult. Those carried away will either be plummeted into the lava below if the floor is gone, or smashed into the floor or walkway or dais if any of these is below them. Smashing into one of these will knock the subject prone and cause 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage per 10 ft travelled before impacting the object.
Of course, the most prevalent danger is the lava itself, which will cause 20d6 damage to anyone immersed by it (whether in the tumult or in the lava below). Those in the tumult gain no save from this lava damage, but anyone beneath the dais at the time will not take any lava damage and will not be subject to damage from the tumult or be carried away.
If the ceiling is gone, the entire cube will fill up in 1 round (since there is so much lava pressing down from above). The lava will also fill the walkway tunnels up to the rim entrance, where metal doors block the way and will stop lava from progressing beyond that point.
Once the cube is filled, it cannot be easily emptied, since causing the ceiling to reappear will still leave the cube filled with lava and opening the floor will not empty the lava within the cube since there is more lava right below the floor.
The metal poles to which the orthon heads are attached will stay in place as long as at least one surface to which it is attached is present. Should all surfaces to which it is attached vanish, then the poles and the orthon heads attached to those poles will also vanish (to reappear once either the floor or ceiling reappear).
As mentioned before, Aggashotha will only vanish the ceiling if in great need. It is labourious to have his devil slaves empty the cube once it is full of lava and he does not enjoy being buffeted about by the deluge. Nevertheless, filling the cube with lava has some very profound effects on combat that the pit fiend will take advantage of:
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Lava Lava or magma deals 2d6 points of damage per round of exposure, except in the case of total immersion (such as when a character falls into a pool of lava), which deals 20d6 points of damage per round. Damage from magma continues for 1d3 rounds after exposure ceases, but this additional damage is only half of that dealt during actual contact (that is, 1d6 or 10d6 points per round). An immunity or resistance to fire serves as an immunity to lava or magma. However, a creature immune to fire might still drown if completely immersed in lava. |
Combat immersed in lava is treated as underwater combat, except that damage is quartered instead of halved and all penalties to movement and attack are doubled due to the thickness of the lava. Visibility is reduced to 10 ft. Opponents adjacent to attackers within the lava have no concealment. Those 5-10 ft away have concealment (20% miss chance). Opponents or objects more than 10 ft away have total concealment.
Creatures: At each entrance into the cube, standing guard on the metal platform, is a malebranche devil. These are the personal heralds and guardians of Aggashotha.
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FEATS: Bonus Essentia (MoI p35) - +1 essentia (+2 if capable of shaping soulmelds). Powerful Charge (MM4, p203) - When a creature charges, it deals extra dmg depending upon its size (+3d6 for Huge). |
Aggashotha is a fearsome pit fiend, an terrifying opponent amongst a race that is already inherently terrifying to face. Aggashotha has swallowed the talisman of the sphere, since it is the safest place he can think of to store it and since devils do not need to eat (or thereby need to defecate).
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SPELLS: anticipate teleport (SC p13) - 10 min, 1 willing creature touched, 5 ft/lvl emanation around subject, 24 hrs; any teleportation or similar effect will be known to the subject, including where, and how many creatures are arriving and what size they are, also delays the arrival by 1 rd blood wind (SC p33) - swift, r cl, single creature with Int 4+, SR; subject can take a full attack action to use all natural weapons or unarmed strikes as thrown weapons with 20 ft range increment. fiendish quickening (BoVD p95) - 1 full round, r pers, 1 rd/lvl) - caster's teleport or greater teleport spell-like ability is Quickened, though it can still only be used 1/round. power word pain (RoDR p11) - r cl, 1 living creature wth 100 hp or less, SR; deals 1d6 dmg per rd (50 hp or less = 4d4 rds, 51-75 hp = 2d4 fds, 76-100 = 1d4 rds, max = 1 rd/lvl). resist planar alignment (SC p174) - r touch, creature, 10 min/lvl, SR; immunity to Cha-based penalties on mildly aligned planes, penaltties for strongly aligned planes are halved. shock and awe (SC p189) - swift, r cl, 1 creature/lvl no two more than 30 ft apart, 1 rd, SR; if cast in surprise round vs flat-footed foes they take -10 penalty to initiative. wings of cover (RoDR p119) - immed, r pers; provides total cover against 1 attack, foe can change targets, provides +8 AC and +4 Ref sv vs area effect. MAGIC ITEMS: absorbing (GW p62) - absorb 3 ability score or energy drains per day, allows a save vs energy drains that don't normally allow them (Fort DC 10 + attacker's Cha mod) for 1/2 dmg. dispelling cord (MIC p94) - +2 to dispel checks 5/day. torturous, greater (GW p64) - hit causes target to make a DC 17 Fort save or be stunned for 1 rd. |
Tactics: Aggashotha will use his spells to great effect, and despite only being an 8th level sorcerer, spells like blood wind can be utilized by him to awesome effect.
He will activate the orthon heads only if his foes prove themselves adept at teleportation magic. His ability to open the floor or ceiling of the chamber he will keep as a surprise tactic, using it when most effective.
The pit fiend will almost certainly lead off any combat by reading a fiendish quickening scroll (which will be miscast on a d20 roll of 3 or less due to its higher caster level and cause a mishap on a subsequent d20 roll of 1). Even though this action takes a full round to cast, it will allow him immense flexibility during combat, including the ability to vanish the ceiling and teleport out of the deluge.
For purposes of this encounter, Aggashotha does have his once per year wish spell available. While in theory he could use it to transport up to 20 devils into the chamber, he would be loathe to do so as that would potentially invite 20 powerful underlings into a very precarious situation (remember, he would only use his wish if things were going badly). He would not wish, for example, a dozen cornugons to witness his almost defeat and perhaps decide to depose him right in the middle of his combat with the PCs. Instead, he will be inclined to use his wish to instantly heal himself and any of his malebranche guards still alive.
Developments: Once Aggashotha is slain, Klashkaln's song will be heard directly by the PCs. Klashkaln had hidden her song from all but Marrshiva so as not to alert Aggashotha to her efforts to gain help. Now that he is dead, she is unafraid to have her song heard.
The song will urge the PCs to find a very powerful artifact on Aggashotha's person. If the PCs protest that they cannot find it the song will assure them that the item is so valuable that he would never have it anywhere but with him at all times. Of course, a detect magic spell will reveal the talisman of the sphere in his stomach. A DC 30 Knowledge (arcana) check will identify the talisman as a talisman of the sphere.
One the talisman is recovered, the song will continue as set forth in Part Four (below).
Reinforcements and Teleportation:
Unless the PCs stop him by magical means or he is prohibited by means of the orthon heads, Aggashotha can greater teleport at will. This means, normally, he could teleport out of danger, and use his regeneration ability to heal any of his damage that is nonlethal. However, Aggashotha will be very loathe to do that. He does not know why the PCs have assaulted him in his very throne chamber, but to flee from it would mean an immense loss of face and honour for him. Such an action would all but convince his rivals (on ths demiplane and elsewhere in the netherworld) to come after him and the many thousands of devils he holds in thrall through fear of his might would be encouraged to side against him. Having spent millennia building up his power base, he is unlikely to let it slip away. Such a thing is unthinkable to him...a fate worse than death in fact. And so, proud Aggashotha will not teleport out of his megaron for any reason, even in the face of defeat. This is fortunate for the PCs, as they need to obtain the talisman of the sphere, a task that would be almost impossible if Aggashotha could simply teleport away. Because of this, it is important that the DM resist the urge to have Aggashotha flee to safety when things turn against him.
Likewise, Aggashotha's megaron has no alarm system or any means of alerting the many devils nearby. It has never occurred to him that he would need to summon aid to the very center of his power, nor that any outsiders would ever assault him so. As mentioned above, the pit fiend himself will not leave to summon aid, and his malebranche guards will not leave the area, seeking only to protect him. As such, there is no real way for the many other devils to become aware of a fight in the megaron. As long as the battle does not go on for an hour or more, there will be little chance of one or more devils happening upon the fight in the normal course of business.
Aggashotha will attempt to summon aid using his summon baatezu ability. These summoned baatezu are not local to this plane and so pose little immediate threat to him or his reputation.
Trying Again:
Should the PCs fail to defeat the pit fiend, but manage to escape his clutches (the subject of which, should they be captured, would be a new scenario to be devised by the DM), they might consider returning for another attempt at him. In this case the DM must adjudicate the situation logically, without making it impossible for the PCs to succeed. Several possible situations are delineated below. Note that this scenario has no specific "ticking clock", but assumes that Klashkaln cannot keep up her song or resist the pit fiend forever, and is nearing the end of her rope. So the PCs taking some time (even a few weeks) to regroup and purchase items is fine, but waiting for years may result in the DM ruling that Klashkaln has expired and the location of the sphere of annihilation is lost or was recovered by Aggashotha! In the latter case, perhaps the PCs can get the sphere by defeating the pit fiend (possibly armed with the sphere!).
It is quite possible Aggoshotha has no idea why the PCs suddenly assaulted him. Perhaps the PCs managed to slay the dragon Ragawryix, a fact that will become known to the pit fiend within a week or two after the PCs slay the dragon (or more immediately if the PCs attacked Aggashotha from the tunnel that leads to the dragon's lair. In the latter case, the pit fiend will suspect that the dragon is dead [killed by the PCs] or that the wyrm sent the PCs to slay the pit fiend. In either case, Aggashotha will immediately have devilish servants sent for and these will swarm over the dragon's lair in strength to potentially punish the dragon or to haul off his treasure (into Aggashotha's hidden coffers).
No matter what, if Aggashotha defeated the PCs fairly handily the first time (very likely if the PCs have not taken appropriate countermeasures to his blasphemy at will spell-like ability, which will also tend to send the PCs back to their own home plane!), then he may assume that the PCs would never be foolish enough to return. If the dragon was slain, he may logically assume that the PCs were after the dragon's treasure and accidentally stumbled upon his throneroom and have now been properly chastened. In other words, the pit fiend won't be overly concerned about the PCs returning and won't seek to take action against them. He will, frankly, consider the PCs to have done him a favour in getting rid of the sometimes troublesome dragon and the fact that the PCs defeated the dragon and Aggashotha defeated the PCs will aptly display his true power to his minions. And so he will be content, as long as the PCs did not divulge that they seek the talisman of the sphere. Of the foregoing is the case then the pit fiend will initiate Response #1.
If the PCs gave the pit fiend trouble and were able to threaten him with death before being defeated (not a likely outcome, to be sure...either the PCs will be defeated easily because they are not properly prepared or they will finish the job and slay Aggashotha), then the pit fiend will seek to know who these PCs are and why they came after him. He will also take measures to better defend himself, without overly displaying his weaknesses to his minions. In this case the pit fiend will initiate Response #2.
If the PCs foolishly told Aggashotha about their knowledge of the talisman of the sphere and their desire to take it, they will have an immensely difficult time succeeding, though a very well prepared group of PCs might be able to succeed. In this case the pit fiend will initiate Response #3.
Response #1:
In this case, the pit fiend will feel it very likely the PCs will not be returning, and should they do so, he is not too worried about handling them again. He will take only very minor precautions, none of them longterm. He will fully replenish any expendable magic items he used up (these will be replenished in an hour from his hidden treasure stores). If given at least 24 hours he will replace any lost caged heads in his throneroom and will clean up any lava within if he has time. He will not beef up his guards, but will replace any that were slain. He will also receive 6 magic scrolls of the DM's choice (drawn from his treasure stores) that are specifically useful against any magic, attacks, or defenses the PCs used against him. For example, if the PCs attacked him with electricity, then he may have an arcane scroll of protection from energy (electricity) (CL 11) as one of his 6 new scrolls. Scrolls of spell immunity may also be appropriate.
Additionally, each of the malebranche guards will receive a single potion that seems best useful against the abilities displayed by the PCs (e.g. in the case of electrical attacks, a potion of resist energy (electricity) (CL 11)
He will seek, should they reappear, to capture some or all of them to determine why they came to his plane in the first place and why they came back a second time. If the PCs escaped the first time from the use of his blasphemy ability, he won't use it again, except in extremis since he will not want the PCs to voluntarily fail their Will saving throws and be transported back to the Material Plane to potentially assault him a third time.
Response #2:
In this case the guard will be augmented, with a pair of cornugons flanking the throne. A quartet of erinyes will also attend to the pit fiend. In addition, the items in Response #1 will also be gathered. In this case there will be devils in the area capable of teleporting, and this means that the entire plane can be roused in short order (with the erinyes teleporting out of the throneroom and into the volcano complex proper to rouse other devils to teleport into the throneroom and to teleport outward to alert others. In this case, unless the PCs have taken specific and stringent means to prevent teleportation from and/or into the throneroom they will be overwhelmed. Spells such as dimensional lock, and greater anticipate teleport (perhaps Widened) can assist greatly in this endeavour.
Response #3:
If the pit fiend knows the PCs are after his talisman of the sphere then he will have a choice to make. He will realize that somehow Klashkaln has conveyed to the PCs the fact that he has the talisman (and that it is inside of him!) and he can react in one of two ways. He will certainly, in any case, take the precautions outlined in Responses #1 and #2.
First, he could simply do as in Response #2 and fight the PCs. As already mentioned previously, he will never flee his throneroom in the face of the PCs.
Second, though, he could contrive to use the PCs to find the sphere of annihilation for him. In this case, after enough of a fight to convince the PCs that he is not dissembling, he could propose a parley to provide the PCs with the talisman and even access to the one who called the here to attack him, if the PCs will agree to leave in peace thereafter. Of course, the PCs will likely attempt to extract promises of nonintervention from Aggashotha, but he will be willing to engage in such promises, confident that he could find a way to twist any oaths he makes or circumvent them somehow. Instead, he will hope that where he failed, the PCs will take the talisman, speak with Klashkaln, and then lead Aggashotha to the sphere...there to wrest the talisman from the PCs before they can take control of it. Such an attempt may include the pit fiend and his minions, or if prohibited because of his oaths, could include hired yugoloth mercenaries (in both cases armed with rods of cancellation!).
Part Four - The Song Remains the Same
Once the PCs retrieve the talisman of the sphere the song will urge them to find its source, which is within the volcano. The PCs will find that they can concentrate and get a mystic sense of precisely where the song is being sung, enough to be able to teleport to it as if it were seen casually. This is also suitable to use greater teleport of course. Lacking that, a series of dimension doors could also be used. The source of the song is approximately 1 mile away from the megaron, northwest and about 300 ft below the level of the megaron.
If the PCs cannot or do not wish to travel magically, they can brave the tunnels. If they can conceal themselves or disguise themselves they can certainly manage it, since they know exactly where to go as the song leads them unerringly through the winding and twisting corridors. Lacking even this, the PCs will have to fight their way to the source. This can be as difficult or easy as the DM desires, and can include encounters with any number or type of devils. The precise level of opposition is left to the DM, but remember that the PCs have already defeated the lord and master of this plane and the journey to the song source should not be more difficult than that mighty deed!
Eventually, the PCs will reach the source, which is a special
prison designed by Aggashotha to personally hold Klashkaln.
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A large, 10 ft tall by 10 ft wide iron door leads into a large cave, some 40 ft in diameter and roughly as tall. The walls, floor, and ceiling are smooth, as if formed by lava. Hovering in the center of the chamber is a whirling icosaherdron comprised of crackling blue and gold energy. The shape is approximately 8 ft in diamater and is about 15 ft off of the floor. Within the whirling shape is what appears to be an emaciated turtle like humanoid with no shell. While it is difficult to make out the features of the figure within the translucent energy, something suggests a feminine quality to it. The figure's hands are pressed against the inner wall of the whirling force, as if weakened and leaning against its cage for support. The song is clearly emanating from the figure within, and her chest and mouth can be seen moving with the song. Near one wall of the place is an iron pedestal about 8 ft tall upon which rests a small blue stone or gem about 4 inches in diameter and shaped like an icosahedron. |
The item on the pedestal is the operating device for the prison. It can be used, if manipulated, to torture the inhabitant of the prison. Only the pit fiend knows how to use the device well enough to be an instrument of sublime and painful torture, which is both physical and metaphysical in nature. Should the PCs fool around with the device randomly, the DM can have the figure within the prison scream or shudder and beg them to stop.
The figure within will thank the PCs for defeating Aggashotha and recovering the talisman. She will ask them to release her from her prison, and tell them that there is not a lot of time left and she has much to tell them. Klashkaln will tell the PCs that she can be safely released by simply smashing the small icosahedron. No other means will bring down or penetrate the mystic prison.
When the prison key is destroyed (which merely requires a good whack by a weapon or some other similar application of force), the icosahedron of energy will suddenly dissipate, and the figure, who appears horribly scarred, gashed, and emaciated, will suddenly fall 15 ft to the ground. As she hits the hard stone floor the PCs will hear bones break and see her limbs twist in awkward angles. Should the PCs attempt to heal her, she will wave them away, saying there is nothing they can do for her and that they must listen carefully, for her time is short.
Klashkaln has an innate tongues ability, and so can communicate with the PCs no matter what languages they understand.
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I thank you for hearing my song. And I thank you also for risking your lives to accomplish these great deeds simply on faith and without knowing precisely why your aid was requested. Having done so, I owe you an explanation. I am Klashkaln, last of the Mishtai. It is I who fled the destruction of my people in the Lands of Incarnum at the hands of my Scaled One kin and their Wormlord and the death of my brothers and sisters. But I did not flee as a coward, for it was decided that the knowledge of the Mishtai, which we hoped one day would avenge us, should not be lost, and therefore one of us, whomever was the last of us, was tasked with escaping. And so I did, for so I was. And it was I who led Okoth to the Creation Cysts and provided him and his human allies with the means to destroy the Serpent Empire and blunt the power of the Wormlord. Truly we had hoped the Wormlord would be destroyed by the blast, but it was not to be. But even so, I did not despair. For written in the incarnum itself was the tale of all of the unborn of the multiverse, and within in I saw the potential for a group of mortals to usurp the staid order of those who opposed the Wormlord and the Scaled Ones and to bring them new lore and new tools with which to fight them. But also writ in the flow of incarnum was the possibility that these worthies could, with help, challenge the Wormlord himself! Long have I haunted the netherplanes, constantly pursued by the agents and mercenaries of the Wormlord. Much of my power was expended in hiding from them, and much of it I shed willingly to remain in the shadows. And one of the greatest pieces of lore that the Mishtai possessed was a destructive force that was the complement of the Creation Cysts. In fact, it is believed that where the Creation Cysts were formed of concentrated, pure proto-positive energy, left behind was its opposite, a sphere of absolute nothingness. I sought a talisman to control such a force of annihilation, and found such an item, but in so doing I came to the notice, somehow, of Aggashotha. And he desired this destructive power for himself. He waited until I obtained the talisman and then he captured me and took it from me. Now he desired to know the location of the sphere. But I had shed its memory from my mind, so that it was only contained in a special code upon a sheet of enchanted lead. For many years the pit fiend tortured me, weakening my resolve. And it was only recently that he determined that the way to make the code visible was to douse it in a massive incarnum flow. The Mishtai had this ability once, but they are gone and I am mostly gone and so I could not bring forth the writing. But the Bastion of Souls could, and this knowledge he was able to finally wrest from me. So it was that he sent his gelugons to the Bastion to reveal the writing. And so it was that I sang my song from my prison to Marrshiva, my loyal handmaiden, for my song was so subtle and entwined with incarnum that only she could hear it, and so it evaded the notice of the pit fiend. And Marrshiva sang a slightly less subtle song to reach the ears of one who is well attuned to incarnum, and he told you of it as he was instructed. When Aggashotha lost the code to you, he became desperate, and his tortures of me reached a fever pitch, for I guess he feared you might decipher the code. Little did he realize that the code is one devised by the Mishtai at the height of our power and lore, and there is no chance you could have breached it without the key to the code which knowledge I still retain. But his tortures threatened to render the last shreds of my coherence and existence asunder, and with it would go any chance that you could recover the talisman and the sphere and use them against the Wormlord. And so I determined to use the last of my power to sing a final song to Marrshiva to summon you hence, a desperate gambit, but one I hoped you were capable of. I thank the unborn you were up to it. And so, here I lie, last of the Mishtai. I am sorry that you have been thrust into these circumstances. It was I who led you here. Some of you from your lands far to the north. It is I who placed the prophetic visions in the mind of the old man of the islands near your homeland. And it was I who seeded the prophecies of Karsus, in the hope that you would be able and willing to teach the humans arcane magic, for even should the Wormlord be defeated, such knowledge will be necessary to use against the Scaled Ones. It is your destiny to confront the Wormlord, for that is ultimately why I brought you to Sazhansiir and set you on your course. I have little time left. Even now I fade, to become a vestige...a shadow of my former self to wander as a wisp through the Aster. You must use the sphere of annihilation against the Wormlord. The sphere is a potent weapon, and you have the talisman to control it. But listen to me carefully! You may be tempted to use the sphere as a tool against your enemies before you confront the Wormlord. Do not! Please do not! Even with the talisman, there is a chance a very powerful mage could wrest it from you. And know that there are other talismans out there in the multiverse that can be obtained if your enemies know you wield the sphere. Even without that, there are ways to defeat the sphere, some not so difficult. A simple rod of cancellation, touched to the sphere, will instantly destroy it. Think you that the Scaled Ones, knowing you wield such a power, will not be able to easily obtain or even create a multitude of such items? The sphere should remain in its current hiding place until you are ready to face the Wormlord. Then it should be brought to bear, and in doing so, by complete surprise, should not be countered. The sphere normally destroys all it touches. But do not think its touch will destroy one such as the Wormlord. It will not. But it will weaken him immensely. Even one with divine power such as he cannot ignore its touch. The sphere will likely do him great damage or strip away some portion of his power or, if you are blessed, perhaps both. That is it then, I feel myself slipping the shackles of my existence. Let me touch you and impart the key to the code upon you. In this way you will be able to read the glyphs on the sheet of lead and locate the sphere deep in the netherworld. Perhaps though you should not translate the code ahead of time, so as to keep such location secret. |
With that, the PCs will notice her very body start to flicker in and out of existence. There is nothing that can stop this process. Not even a wish or miracle. She will reach out to touch as many PCs as will allow to impart the code key mentally into their minds. Even PCs with mind blank active will receive the key, for her imparting the key is no different than speaking lore out loud to someone with mind blank. The spell does not stop one from obtaining knowledge.
She will then tell the PCs that she has maybe a minute or less that she can hold herself together and invites the PCs to ask her whatever they desire. She will answer what she can. After about a minute, she will suddenly stop and look up, as if staring off into the distance. Then she will simply dissolve into nothingness, just a strange zephyr that blows out of the cave.
Denoument:
Once Klashkaln has dissipated, the PCs are free to do as they like. However, it is only a matter of time (such amount subject to the DM's whim) before the devils of the plane realize the pit fiend has been slain and rouse en masse to search for the slayer. Attempting to find the pit fiend's hidden treasuries should be pointless given the arousal of the devils, and DMs should make greedy PCs attempting to find more loot than the items on Aggashotha's person (not to mention the talisman of the sphere!) pay a high price for sticking around too long.
Leaving the plane should be easy, either by means of plane shift or by retreating quickly back to the colour pool and into the Astral Plane.
Once the PCs return to their stronghold, Gorottomoroggo will tell them that the song he has heard for so long has ended, with a coda that was both mournful and yet full of hope He will announce that his time here is finished and he will return to his people. He does not ask what the PCs found, but if told that they spoke with Klashkaln herself, he will smile a big toothy grin and ask the PCs to relate the experience to him. Yet, he will tell the PCs that he senses that such news, though it would be desired amongst the people of incarnum, should be kept secret for now, and he will solemnly vow to do so.
Eventually, the PCs will need to locate the sphere of annihilation, and secure it for later use against Kyuss. But that is the stuff of another adventure...
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: