Fane of the Heresiarch Complete

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F ANE OF THE H ERESIARCH Sersa Victory The last in a series of stand-alone tournament dungeon modules for veterans of D UN G EO N S & D R AG ON S 4 T H E D ITION .

©2012 Sersa Victory and SVD Press www.saveversusdeath.com DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Compatibility Logo, D&D, PLAYER’S HANDBOOK, PLAYER’S HANDBOOK 2, DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE, MONSTER MANUAL, MONSTER MANUAL 2, and ADVENTURER’S VAULT are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries and are used with permission. Certain materials, including 4E References in this publication, D&D core rules mechanics, and all D&D characters and their distinctive likenesses, are property of Wizards of the Coast, and are used with permission under the Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Game System License. All 4E References are listed in the 4E System Reference Document, available at www.wizards.com/d20. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 4th Edition PLAYER’S HANDBOOK, written by Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, and James Wyatt; DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE, written by James Wyatt; and MONSTER MANUAL, written by Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert and James Wyatt; PLAYER’S HANDBOOK 2, written by Jeremy Crawford, Mike Mearls, and James Wyatt; MONSTER MANUAL 2, written by Rob Heinsoo, and Chris Sims; Adventurer’s Vault, D&D 4E Game System License ©2008, 2009 Wizards of the Coast written by Logan Bonner, Eytan Bernstein, and Chris Sims. © 2008, 2009 Wizards of the Coast. All rights reserved.

F A NE

A D V E NT URE B A C K G R O UN D

G E T T I NG S T AR T E D

A fourthcore dungeon adventure for four to six 6th-level characters.

None know from where the Heresiarch first came, but all remember the night that it did.

CREDITS

It rode down from the bleeding stars on a great serpent, hurling bolts of obsidian lightning that shattered the monuments and capitols of every nation. Its infernal army swept aside the defenses of the mortal empires in a single hour, decimating legions once thought to be the invincible fist of humanity's god-kings.

Fane of the Heresiarch is designed to be an extremely lethal and complex adventure. Before running it, be sure you’ve read it over at least twice, and that you’ve familiarized yourself with the included materials and the contents of the players’ handout.

OF T HE

H E RE S I A R C H

Design, Layout, & Graphics Sersa Victory Editing Daniel Roanoke Illustrations 1, 3, 4, 5, & Picture Puzzle Taylor Bennett Cartography & 3D Terrain Brian Patterson Pregenerated Crusaders C. Steven Ross PLAYTESTING & REVIEW Aaron Dulgar-Tulloch, Amy Kim, Andy Kotch, Bob Hafner, C. Steven Ross, Chris Dowd, Dan Goetz, David Congdon, Ethan Morgan, Herman Kamboj, Jennifer Loftfield, Joanna Bonner, Joe Nehmer, Jon Green, Jon Paul McLaughlin, Josh Pickard, Justin Wawrzonck, Kevin Forster, Kevin Hannel, Lyn Cullen, Mark Hall, Matt Gallinger, Matt Surber, Roy Loftfield, Stephen Chast

Faceless priests - each bearing the symbol of the trident - drifted through the fallen cities and scorched villages on a frigid wind, and when they rose to greet the huddled men and women ringed by their festering, bloated dead, they spoke a single, simple offer: worship the Heresiarch or die. *** Thousands of crusaders fell tonight so that you might be given this chance. In a last stand that, for the first time, united all of the empires of humanity as brothers and sisters, a way was cleared into an infernal stronghold said to contain a gate to the Heresiarch’s fane. All is silent save for the clangor of distant battle. Surrounded by grim-faced knights and teary-eyed peasants – their hands clasped in desperate hope – you step through the glowing, churning doorway, knowing there will be no help and likely no return.

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MATERIALS This adventure comes with:           

10 rumor cards 10 crusader cards 6 afterlife cards 38 random treasure cards 19 special treasure cards 1 mask of the sun-eater card 25 labyrinth cards 5 illustrated handouts 1” scale printable maps 6 pregenerated crusaders players’ handout

REFERENCES To play this adventure, you’ll need the following books:   

PLAYER’S HANDBOOK RULES COMPENDIUM MONSTER VAULT

C AR DS

CRUSADER CARDS

TREASURE CARDS

Several sets of cards come with this adventure. The rules for each are explained below.

The 10 crusader cards represent the various sordid backgrounds and occupations from which each character hails. A crusader card grants the character that drew it a special ability that will aid them during the delve.

This adventure comes with 57 treasure cards. These cards are intended to serve as a quick reference for the various rewards the crusaders might find during their assault on the Fane. Treasure cards marked with a circle and grey border are shuffled face-down into a deck and drawn from randomly at various points throughout the adventure. Treasure cards marked with a star and gold border are unique rewards that are to be handed out only when instructed.

RUMOR CARDS The 10 rumor cards represent clues and bits of lore gleaned by the crusaders before entering the Fane. Five of these rumors are marked as reliable, and the other five are unreliable. Of the five reliable rumors, four are true. Of the five unreliable rumors, only one is true. The players are entitled to know this ratio; however, the precise knowledge of which rumors are true is reserved for you alone. At the start of the game, the rumor cards are shuffled face-down. Each player draws one, reads it aloud to the others, then keeps it faceup in front of them until the adventure ends. All rumors are relayed ‘as-is’ – the crusaders cannot use skill checks or rituals to confirm or deny a rumor, not least because it is assumed they have already done so to the best of their ability before embarking. To determine which rumors are worth heeding, the adventurers must rely on logic, intuition, and their experience in the dungeon.

At the start of the game, after rumors are dealt and shared, each player draws one crusader card and reads it aloud. When a crusader dies, they return their crusader card to the stack. When a new character enters the game, they too draw a crusader card.

T I ME L I MI T

AFTERLIFE CARDS When a crusader is killed in the Fane during an encounter, have that player randomly draw one of the 6 afterlife cards included with this adventure. Each afterlife card gives the player of a dead crusader an encounter power that represents their spirit aiding his or her surviving allies. The power granted by an afterlife card can be used at any time and is treated as an immediate interrupt. If a crusader draws the Resurrection card, they rise again in an unoccupied square adjacent to any ally. When a player re-enters the Fane with a new crusader, they return their afterlife card to the stack.

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The Heresiarch’s apotheosis is near at hand. After rumor and crusader cards have been dealt and the description to Room A has been read, the players have 5 hours in real time to complete the adventure. If they are still exploring when the time limit expires, the Heresiarch ascends to godhood, and the game ends in defeat. You may split this adventure into up to 3 sessions, or up to 3 parts with short breaks in between. Do not allow the players to discuss the adventure between sessions or during breaks. The party may take short rests, but extended rests are not permitted. Rituals that take longer than an hour to cast are likewise prohibited (see below).

DEATH

F I X E D D AM AG E

R E PE AT I N G S K I L L C H E CK S

When a crusader perishes in the Fane, that player may re-enter with another character. If a player chooses to do so, the new crusader joins the party at the end of the current encounter (or immediately, if the death occurred outside of combat).

To speed up play, all damage dealt by monsters and traps in this adventure is fixed – you only need to roll to hit.

A crusader should not be permitted to attempt a skill check again after failing. Exceptions to this rule are as follows:

Once the players reach Room N, no new crusaders may join the game. Make the players aware of this rule before the game so that they have an opportunity to prepare or select backup characters. If a player chooses to sit out, allow them to still participate in discussions about potential courses of action, the solutions to puzzles, and other adventuring strategies. The players take a 50 point penalty to their score each time a crusader is slain, regardless of their choice to re-enter the game. This penalty increases to 75 points if the crusader died as a result of blight. (See ‘Tournament Scoring’ at the end of this module). A total party kill ends the game.

If you roll a critical hit, the attack deals twice the damage listed. Other effects, such as ongoing damage, are not affected by critical hits unless specifically noted.

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U SI NG R I T U AL S Rituals will be an indispensable resource to the crusaders while exploring the Fane. However, unlike most adventures, the constraint on ritual use will not be reagents, but rather time. Ritual casting, therefore, is subject to the following rules:   

Reagents are not tracked. Rituals with a casting time longer than an hour are not permitted. Rituals with a casting time of an hour or less may be cast once per game as a standard action.

Perception checks made by the crusaders assume they are surveying everything within line of sight. As a rule, the crusaders are not allowed to retry skill checks unless the circumstances change significantly.

D U NG E ON F E AT U RE S   

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Athletics checks made to jump or climb. Acrobatics checks made to balance or dodge hazards. Arcana, Religion, or Thievery checks made to disable a trap. Recall that, unless otherwise noted, failing a check to disable a trap by 5 or more triggers the trap.

Illumination: Bright light from torches, braziers, lava, or the sky. Doors: Stone with pull rings on both sides; unlocked. Supernal: All creatures in the Fane, including the crusaders, can read and speak Supernal.

A. W A T CHT O WE R

EXPLORATION

After stepping through the sending circle, the crusaders find themselves at the apex of a 100-foot tall watchtower that juts from a deep hole in the surface of the underworld.

Floor Tile: This tile is a stepping disk that teleports any creature that enters its space to Room B. Arcana or Religion DC 23: The floor tile radiates teleportation magic.

FEATURES OF THE ROOM 

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This open-walled pavilion stands atop a 100-foot tall watchtower. The low ceiling rests on top of a ring of brass pillars shaped in the likeness of humans whose necks have been broken by the ceiling’s weight. The pavilion rises just above the rim of a deep, narrow hole in the surface of the underworld. A sky of ruddy fire is visible, and from it great mouths vomit the corpses of the damned into distant city-sized fumerals. A 10-foot diameter standing circle of stone rises in the center of the pavilion. Intersecting geometric forms and glittering constellations have been embossed onto its surface. A slightly raised floor tile in the southern quarter of the pavilion is inlaid with mosaic tiles that form an inverted trident. The tile casts off violet sparks.

Flesh-Stitched Archway: The stretched facial flesh of dozens of humanoids have been nailed to this brimstone archway at the top of a balcony off the eastern edge of the tower. Many babble in an unknown language. Arcana or Dungeoneering DC 15: The faces are cut from forsaken shells, an undead monster common in the netherworld. Arcana or Religion DC 23: The archway radiates very faint teleportation magic. Opening the Portal: If 4 planets are fitted into the astrological diagram etched into the standing circle (see below), a swirling, shrieking violet portal appears within the archway. Creatures stepping through the portal are disintegrated, then re-integrated in the dome of interrogation (Room M). Standing Circle: A diagram of an unknown solar system has been engraved onto the surface of this circular slab of marble. Four circular slots are set into elliptical lines that look like orbits. (ILLUSTRATION #1)

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History or Religion DC 27: The diagram depicts the solar system from which the Heresiarch came. Dungeoneering or Perception DC 23: There is a hidden, closed slot along one of the orbits. This slot is identical to the other four. Dungeoneering or Perception DC 27: There are, in fact, two hidden slots.

THE SIX PLANETS Hidden throughout the Fane of the Heresiarch are 6 planets – small prismatic gems cut in a perfect sphere and engraved with astrological symbols. These relics are the key to opening the flesh-stitched portal atop the watchtower, which allows egress to the Heresiarch’s sanctum. Only 4 of the planets are needed to activate the portal to Room M. It does not matter which planets are used, or in what order or position they are placed in the diagram. When the fourth planet is fitted into the diagram, a fifth slot opens. If a fifth planet is put into this new slot, a sixth hidden slot opens, and the staff of the serpent rider appears above the stepping square. If the sixth and final planet is set into the diagram, there is a distant explosion and dozens of thundering bellows, as if a meteor had struck the ground miles away and wiped out a herd of tarrasques. A pedestal materializes in Room M – floating above it is the mask of the sun-eater.

B. O B SE RV AT O R Y This domed chamber hides a number of boons that will aid the crusaders as they press deeper into the Fane. There is no return portal back to Rooms A or G. A portal to the south leads to Room C. FEATURES OF THE ROOM 

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An opaque glass dome rises high above this circular observatory, the colored gems set into its surface forming strange constellations. A stone table stands in the center of the chamber. Numerous charts and astronomical tools litter its surface. A glittering black rock the size of a carriage is set against the southwest wall. Several humanoid skeletons have been partially-excavated from inside of it. A crystal plaque with a handprint is bolted onto the eastern wall.

EXPLORATION Glass Dome: The glass dome is several feet thick and impervious to attack. It is extremely cold to the touch. Arcana, Nature, or Religion DC 23: The constellations depict the sky as it would be seen from the Heresiarch’s home world.

Insight DC 15 or careful physical inspection of the gems: The gems are remarkably tightly-fitted and difficult to pull free or budge, as if they were held in place by some considerable force. History or Insight DC 23 (DC 27 if the Arcana, Nature, or Religion check was not made): One of the constellations does not appear in the sky the dome depicts. This constellation is the key to a secret (see below). Thievery DC 27: A crusader making this check successfully pries one of the gems free from the dome above. Doing so exposes the observatory to the vacuum of space beyond the glass, which attacks each crusader (+9 vs. Fortitude). On a hit, the crusader’s body and all of their possessions are sucked through the inch-wide hole, killing them instantly and projecting their remains into the Void. The rest are knocked prone, and the contents of the room are scattered about. The hole seals with debris after the attack is made. Secret: If any of the gems from the out-ofplace constellation are removed, it does not trigger the vacuum trap. Rather, a ghostly silver mist fills the observatory – it is the magically-preserved breath of the mother of the first angels. Crusaders exposed to the mist gain a permanent +2 bonus to saving throws. This effect functions only once – removing more gems from the special constellation does nothing.

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Stone Table: This table is covered with star charts, dried ink pens, and decrepit tomes filled with astrological knowledge. There is a spyglass on a small golden tripod atop the table – it is a spyglass of true seeing. Arcana, Nature, or Religion DC 23 or Thievery DC 27: The crusader deciphers one of the tomes. They draw a rumor card, and you verify the truth or falsity of that rumor. If this check fails by 5 or more, the crusader draws a rumor card, and you incorrectly state its truth or falsity. This effect occurs only once per game. Glittering Rock: This rock has the color and texture of charcoal, yet glimmers as if filled with thousands of tiny crystals. It bears evidence of regular chiseling, and three humanoid skeletons remain half-embedded in the stone. Dungeoneering or Nature DC 15: The rock is a meteorite. Dungeoneering or Nature DC 23: The meteorite’s composition suggests that it is the fragment of a destroyed planet. Heal DC 23: While humanoid, the skeletons’ bone structure is different from that of any human or demi-human. Heal or History DC 27: The skeletons match the description of a race of humanoids said to have delivered the first humans to this galaxy millennia ago.

BIRTH SIGN PUZZLE THE SKELETONS

AND

SPEAK

WITH

DEAD

If the Speak with Dead ritual is cast on one of the skeletons embedded in the meteorite, it speaks slowly and articulately in an unknown language. A crusader benefiting from the Comprehend Languages ritual can understand the skeleton. It knows nothing about the Fane, and its last memory is that of a ‘great wheel of fire and souls’ stretching across the horizon of its homeland. It knows of the Heresiarch, and laments that it would have been defeated by the skeleton’s people, were their ancestral mask-weapon not stolen by the Heresiarch’s two marilith daughters.

Crystal Plaque: Rusting bolts hold this plaque to the wall. An indentation in the shape of a human hand is set into its center. Arcana DC 23: The plaque and the surrounding area of wall radiate paragon-tier magic of every school. Dungeoneering or Perception DC 23: There are 12 circular outlines in the wall ringing the plaque, each about six inches in diameter. The means to open them is not apparent. The Hand: A crusader that places their hand in the indentation triggers the birth sign puzzle (see right). If a living construct, undead crusader, or other creature not born to a mother places their hand against the plague, nothing happens.

When a crusader places their hand in the indentation on the plaque, first ask that player to write their birth month and day on their character sheet. Do not explain why. After this is done, 12 panels open in the wall surrounding the plaque, each one revealing a different zodiac sign that glows with prismatic light (ILLUSTRATION #2). Each radiates magic of every school if detected for (Arcana DC 23). If the crusader that touched the plaque then touches their correct birth sign (see below), they gain the boon associated with that zodiac symbol and the bone compass. If the crusader touches the wrong sign, or if any other crusader touches any of the symbols, they trigger the trap associated with that sign. In any case, the holes seal and the hand imprint in the plaque disappears after one of the signs has been touched.  Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 18) Correct: The crusader gains an action point and training in the skill of their choice. Alternatively, they may gain a permanent +5 bonus to a skill of their choice. Incorrect: The target gains 2 points of blight and must save or forget their training in a skill of your choice.

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PUZZLE CLUES At the start of this puzzle, ask each crusader to make an Arcana, Religion, or Nature check. For each check that beats a DC 23, reveal the birth date range of one zodiac sign of the party’s choice. No other skill checks may be made to get a clue about this puzzle.

  Pisces (Feb 19 – Mar 20) Correct: The crusader gains an action point, and their healing surge value doubles. Incorrect: The crusader gains 2 points of blight and must save or have their healing surge value reduced to 5.  Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 19) Correct: The crusader gains an action point and a permanent +5 bonus to damage rolls. Incorrect: The crusader gains 2 points of blight and must save or be permanently weakened.  Taurus (Apr 20 – May 20) Correct: The crusader gains an action point and draws 2 treasure cards. Incorrect: The crusader gains 2 points of blight and must save or have all of their treasure and non-weapon, non-implement magic items magically vanish. The planets are immune to this effect.

 Gemini (May 21 – Jun 20) Correct: The crusader gains an action point and a fly speed of 6. They may also ask you a single yes or no question about the Fane, and you must answer truthfully. Incorrect: The crusader gains 2 points of blight and must save or gain vulnerable 5 all and be permanently slowed.  Cancer (Jun 21 – Jul 22) Correct: The crusader gains an action point and a permanent +5 bonus to all saving throws. Incorrect: The crusader gains 2 points of blight and must save or take a permanent -5 penalty to all saving throws.

 Libra (Sep 23 – Oct 22) Correct: The crusader gains an action point, and all natural 1s they roll on any die are treated as the maximum result. Incorrect: The crusader gains 2 points of blight and must save or treat all maximum results they roll on any die as a natural 1.  Scorpio (Oct 23 – Nov 21) Correct: The crusader gains an action point and 100 temporary hit points. Incorrect: The crusader gains 2 points of blight and must save or have their maximum hit points reduced to their healing surge value.

 Leo (Jul 23 – Aug 22) Correct: The crusader gains an action point and a permanent +10 bonus to initiative. Incorrect: The crusader gains 2 points of blight and must save or take a permanent -10 penalty to initiative.

 Sagittarius (Nov 22 – Dec 21) Correct: The crusader gains 5 action points. They may spend more than one action point in an encounter. Incorrect: The crusader gains 2 points of blight and must save or lose all remaining action points and permanently grant combat advantage.

 Virgo (Aug 23 – Sep 22) Correct: The crusader gains an action point and a permanent +10 bonus to Insight and Perception checks. Incorrect: The crusader gains 2 points of blight and must save or take a permanent -10 penalty to Insight and Perception checks.

 Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 19) Correct: The crusader gains an action point and a permanent +5 bonus to two defenses of their choice. Incorrect: The crusader gains 2 points of blight and must save or take a permanent -5 penalty to all defenses.

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C. G A U NT L E T

OF

W AL L S

To claim the planet hidden at the end of this long gauntlet, the crusaders must dodge an array of traps and negotiate four sliding walls that threaten to push them into a pit of monster saliva that dissolves flesh and magic. FEATURES OF THE ROOM 

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The stone walls, floor, and 20-foot high ceiling of this bare chamber have been worn smooth as if by hundreds of years of erosion. A marble demon’s face is set into the center of the west wall. Fist-sized ochre gems glow from within its sunken eye sockets. An iron door is set into the east wall, 10 feet above the ground. Flanking the door on either side are mithril plates etched with the image of a robed acolyte wearing a trident medallion.

EXPLORATION Marble Demon’s Face: The face contains two sleep ray gems that activate when the encounter begins (see right).



ENCOUNTER Starting the Encounter: The encounter begins once any of the crusaders enters the area shaded red on the map. Threats: Seven traps, four sliding walls, and a constellation of living spheres of annihilation stand between the crusaders and the onyx planet. 

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Constellation of Living Spheres of Annihilation (C): At the start of the second round of combat, this cluster of sentient spheres of annihilation emerges from within the demon’s face and rolls initiative. Sleep Ray Gems: The eyes of the demon’s face fire azure rays that incapacitate those that might try to breach the gauntlet. Disenchanter Saliva-Filled Pit: This wide pit at the beginning of the hall waits to catch crusaders pushed back by the sliding walls. Adhesive Alcove/Acid Spray: This secret alcove can be detected with a DC 16 Dungeoneering or Perception check and slid open with a DC 16 Athletics or Thievery check. However, it is a trick, and those who attempt to hide from the sliding walls will find themselves stuck instead.

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Tomb-Touched Vorpal Razorjack Wall: Blood-soaked slits in the wall fire a hail of cursed bladed discs into the hallway. Those decapitated by the blades have their skulls transformed into lesser demilich constructs. Ruptured Portal: This damaged portal leaks a cloud of unstable magic. Creatures that enter the cloud are transported back to the beginning of the hallway; however, repairing the portal grants the crusaders a shortcut to the gauntlet’s end. Delayed Lava-Filling Gauntlet Pits: Animated gauntlets line the bottom of these 20-foot deep pits, holding victims in place until a chute opens up, flooding the pits with lava. 60-Foot Chasm: This pit at the end of the gauntlet protects the onyx planet. Sliding Walls: On initiative count 0, each of the four sliding walls moves 1 square west. Creatures in the way are pushed – this forced movement cannot be reduced. The walls stop when they reach the edge of the saliva-filled pit or another stopped wall. Creatures stuck between two walls at the end of the hall are crushed to death.

Onyx Planet: The onyx planet rests atop a pedestal set into the center of the east wall. It can be snatched up with a minor action. Ending the Encounter: The encounter ends when the crusaders escape through the portal to the ashen ambulatory (Room F) at the southeastern end of the gauntlet.

SLIDING WALL I An iron-banded door is set into this sliding wall at a height of 10 feet. Though it is locked, an adjacent crusader can force it open with a DC 20 Athletics or Thievery check (repeatable). The first failure causes electricity to course through the engraved mithril plates and into the door; subsequent failures deal 20 lightning damage to the triggering creature. The wall is smooth, requiring a DC 20 Athletics check to climb.

SLIDING WALL II A superheated iron plate is bolted to the bottom 5 feet of this sliding wall’s front face. A creature that ends its turn adjacent to the plate takes 10 fire damage. The rivets holding the plate in place make the wall easy to climb (Athletics DC 16).

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Two iron balor skulls are also set into the top of the wall’s front face. On each of the walls’ turns, the skulls fire a volley of superheated nails at each creature standing in front of the wall (close blast 5; +10 vs. AC). On a hit, the nails deal 10 fire damage plus ongoing 10 fire damage (save ends). The nails polymorph into wriggling iron cobras if a crusader fails their first save against this effect, which increases the ongoing damage to 20 fire and poison. A 10-foot wide set of mechanical jaws bite down over an opening that leads through the wall. A crusader attempting to pass through it must make a DC 20 Acrobatics check. On a failure, they are caught by the jaws, taking 35 points of damage and falling prone in a random square on the other side of the wall.

ENCOUNTER CHECKLIST On your turn, don’t forget to do the following: 1. 2.

SLIDING WALL III

SLIDING WALL IV

A sliding picture puzzle (handout included) is set into this wall. A crusader adjacent to the wall can slide one of the 8 plates as a minor action. Once the puzzle is solved, this wall becomes ethereal, allowing the crusaders to pass. The portals on either side of the sliding picture puzzle offer another, more dangerous way through. Inform the crusaders that they may leap through one of the two portals in the wall and make a saving throw. On a success, they emerge on the other side of the wall, unharmed. On a failure, their body is turned inside-out and ejected from the other portal (dead). A crusader may choose to incur any amount of blight before making this save – for each point incurred, they gain a +1 bonus to the saving throw.

This last wall is a solid block of obsidiancolored ice (HP 75; AC/Fortitude 10, Reflex 5; immune cold, vulnerable 20 fire and force). An adjacent crusader making a DC 16 Dungeoneering or Nature check notices giant arctic death mold spores suspended within the ice. Each time the ice wall takes damage from a melee attack that does not have the fire keyword, a cloud of spores is released, and the triggering crusader must make a saving throw against poison or die. Once the wall is reduced to 0 hit points, it shatters, and the crusaders are free to pass through.

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Attack with the constellation of living spheres of annihilation. Attack with any traps that have line of sight and line of effect to the crusaders. The traps attack in the order listed on the next page.

On the crusaders’ turns, make sure you remember to resolve any triggered actions your traps might take, including the numerous pits, the ruptured portal, and the arctic death mold in the ice wall. On initiative count 0, move each of the four walls 1 square west. If sliding wall 1 reaches the stone face in the western wall, it stops. If any of the other three walls move against another stopped wall, it stops as well, and any creatures caught in between are crushed to death. If this is the end of the fifth round, increase the speed of the sliding walls to 2 squares, and then move them.

CONSTELLATION OF LIVING SPHERES OF

ANNIHILATION

CONSTELLATION OF LIVING SPHERES OF ANNIHILATION Level 7 Brute Large shadow animate (blind, swarm) HP 70; Bloodied 35 Initiative +10 AC 19, Fortitude 18, Reflex 22, Will 19 Speed 0, fly 2 (hover, phasing, can’t run or shift) Immune all conditions except slowed or immobilized; Resist half damage from melee or ranged attacks; Vulnerable double damage from close or area attacks Perception +7, Blindsight TRAITS Swarm The constellation can occupy the same space as another creature, and an enemy can enter its space, which is difficult terrain. The swarm cannot be pushed, pulled, or slid by melee or ranged attacks. Creatures starting their turn in the constellation’s space take 10 damage. Obliteration A creature reduced to 0 hit points by the constellation is utterly destroyed, reduced to a pile of fine grey dust. STANDARD ACTIONS M Annihilating Cluster • At-Will Attack: Melee 0 (one creature); +8 vs. Reflex Hit: 35 damage.

Void Consumption• At-Will

2. DISENCHANTER SALIVA-FILLED PIT

Trigger: The constellation is missed by a melee attack with the weapon keyword Target: The creature making the attack Effect (No Action): The target takes 10 damage.

Level 6 Minion Trap

Str 3 (-1) Dex 24 (+10) Wis 19 (+7) Con 16 (+6) Int 3 (-1) Cha 3 (-1)

m Attack • Encounter

TRAPS

1. SLEEP RAY GEMS

Level 6 Minion Trap

Detect Arcana DC 23 Identify Arcana DC 15 Initiative +10 HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion AC 15, Fortitude 15, Reflex 5, Will Immune necrotic, poison, psychic, all conditions, ongoing damage STANDARD ACTIONS r Sleep Ray • Recharge 5 6 Attack: Ranged 5 (one or two creatures); +9 vs. Will Hit: The target is slowed (save ends). First Failed Save: The target falls unconscious (save ends). COUNTERMEASURES Disable: Arcana or Thievery DC 23 (standard action). Reflect: A crusader wielding a reflective object can ready a DC 23 Acrobatics check to bounce the sleep ray toward an enemy. If the check is successful, the trap’s attack instead targets another creature of the crusader’s choice within 5 squares of them.

Detect Dungeoneering or Perception DC 23 Immune attacks TRIGGERED ACTIONS Trigger: The second round of combat ends Attack (Immediate Reaction): Melee special (creatures standing in the pit’s space); +9 vs. Reflex Hit: The target falls into the pit, taking 15 acid damage and ongoing 10 acid damage (save ends). Each Failed Save: One magic item or treasure the target is carrying is dissolved (target’s choice). COUNTERMEASURES Climb Out: Athletics DC 15 (move action).

3. ADHESIVE ALCOVE/ACID SPRAY Level 6 Minion Trap Detect Nature DC 23 notices the adhesive residue, Perception DC 23 spots the glue nozzle Immune attacks TRIGGERED ACTIONS c Glue Spray • Encounter Trigger: A creature enters the alcove Attack (Immediate Reaction): Close blast special (creature standing in the alcove); +9 vs. Fortitude Hit: The target is restrained (escape DC 15). Aftereffect: The target is slowed (save ends). c Acid Spray (acid) • At-Will Trigger: One of the sliding walls passes the alcove Effect (No Action): Creatures standing in the alcove take 35 acid damage and are blinded (save ends).

TRIGGERED ACTIONS Scatter into the Netherworld • Encounter Trigger: The constellation is first bloodied in an encounter Effect (No Action): The constellation discorporates and is removed from play (save ends).

COUNTERMEASURES Dissolve: Hot water dissolves the glue, freeing a restrained creature (minor action).

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4. TOMB-TOUCHED VORPAL RAZORJACK WALL Level 6 Elite Trap Detect automatic Initiative acts after sleep ray gems Immune attacks STANDARD ACTIONS r Razorjack Swarm • At-Will Attack: Close blast special (creatures in the blast); +12 vs. AC Hit: 20 damage. If this reduces the target to 0 hit points, or if this attack scores a critical hit, the target is decapitated. Their body burns away to ash, while the skin and hair surrounding their skull peel away, revealing a lesser demilich construct (see right). The target must immediately make a saving throw. On a success, that crusader’s player takes control of the construct as an ally of the party. If they fail, you take control of the construct as an enemy of the party, and the crusader’s player draws an afterlife card as normal. COUNTERMEASURES Disable: Thievery DC 19 (standard action). Success halts the attacks for one round. Failure causes the trap to fire an additional razorjack on its next turn.

5. RUPTURED PORTAL Level 6 Elite Trap Detect automatic Identify Arcana DC 15 Immune attacks TRIGGERED ACTIONS Teleport (teleportation) • At-Will Trigger: A creature enters the magic cloud surrounding the portal Attack (No Action): Melee special (the triggering creature); +8 vs. Will Hit: The target is teleported nude to an unoccupied

square within 3 squares of the entrance portal (your choice). The target’s clothing and equipment remain in a pile that fills the space from which they were teleported. COUNTERMEASURES Dispel: Arcana DC 23 (standard action). Success clears away the cloud for one round. Repair: Arcana or Thievery DC 27 (standard action). Success repairs the portal. The cloud dissipates, and any creature entering the portal is teleported to one of the squares shaded green on the map.

6. DELAYED LAVA-FILLING GAUNTLET PITS (4) Level 6 Minion Trap Detect Dungeoneering or Perception DC 23 Immune attacks TRIGGERED ACTIONS m Attack • Encounter Trigger: A creature enters the pit’s space Attack (No Action): Melee special (creatures standing in the pit’s space); +9 vs. Reflex Hit: 15 damage, and the gauntlets at the bottom of the pit grab the target (escape DC 15).

7. 60-FOOT CHASM Level 6 Minion Trap Detect Dungeoneering or Perception DC 23 Immune attacks TRIGGERED ACTIONS m Attack • Encounter Trigger: A creature enters the chasm’s space Attack (Immediate Reaction): Melee special (creatures standing in the chasm’s space); +9 vs. Reflex Hit: 36 damage, and the target falls prone. COUNTERMEASURES Climb Out: Athletics DC 15 (move action).

LESSER DEMILICH CONSTRUCT HP 40; Bloodied 20 Initiative acts on decapitated crusader’s turn AC 20, Fortitude 15, Reflex 19, Will 19 Speed 4 fly (hover); phasing Immune psychic Perception +0, Truesight TRAITS

Lava Flow • Encounter

Unstable Summons

Trigger: A creature that started its turn in the pit ends its turn grabbed by the gauntlets Effect: The pit fills with lava. A creature that enters or starts its turn in the lava takes 100 fire damage.

The demilich construct crumbles to dust at the end of the encounter. It is at this time that the party takes the 50 point penalty for the death of a crusader.

COUNTERMEASURES

STANDARD ACTIONS

Climb Out: Athletics DC 15 (move action). Dispel: A crusader standing in or adjacent to the pit can dispel the animated gauntlets at the bottom with a DC 15 Arcana check (minor action). Success frees any grabbed creatures.

R Enfeebling Telekinesis (necrotic) • At-Will Attack: Ranged 5 (one creature); +9 vs. Fortitude Hit: 15 necrotic damage, and the target slides 2 squares and is weakened until the start of the demilich construct’s next turn. The demilich construct may slide the target through the shifting walls. Str 15 (+5) Dex 19 (+7) Wis 13 (+4) Con 9 (+3) Int 11 (+3) Cha 16 (+6)

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D. B L E AK S E M I N AR Y

EXPLORATION

The shelves and statues of this infernal library hold many treasures.

Glass Floor: The glass floor is several feet thick and impervious to damage. Perception DC 15: Numerous creatures writhe in the hellscape below. One in particular is an infamous tiefling with a distinctive missing eye – Embacar the Wilted (History DC 15).

FEATURES OF THE ROOM 

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The floor of this vast tiered seminary is not hewn from stone, but rather thick chipped glass. Hundreds of feet beneath the glass roils a lake of churning balor blood from which islands of brimstone stalagmites jut. Towering ivory bookshelves line the walls, each filled with thousands of tomes bound in wriggling raw skin. Several pillars rise from between the stacks, each with three muzzled flameskulls chained to an iron hook at its apex. A 10-foot tall statue of a demonic woman with a veil across her face looms in the center of the library. She clutches an iron brazier in her hands. Six pedestals surround the statue. A balcony rises above the entire seminary. A lectern is visible near its ledge. Imps flock from shelf to shelf, rearranging tomes, shuffling papers, and lighting the innumerable crimson candles that hover in the acrid air.

Bookshelves: All of the books are written in Abyssal and Supernal and detail a number of subjects that are mundane if not grotesque. Athletics DC 23: A successful check slides a bookshelf 1 square. Arcana DC 23: The faint aura of lightning and transmutation magic is detectable behind one of the bookshelves (marked * on the map). The magic radiates from the succubus mosaic behind the bookshelf (see below). Insight DC 23 or a careful comparison of the books’ titles or subjects: The bookshelf concealing the succubus mosaic is the only shelf containing works of fiction. Succubus Mosaic: This mosaic set into the wall behind the shelf marked * on the map depicts a life-sized succubus. Perception DC 15 or close inspection of her face: The succubus’s lips are made of iron and crackle with electricity.

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Kissing the succubus on the lips: The lips slide back with a soft click. The doorway to Room H in Room F unlocks (page 18). Announce that ‘A DOORWAY HAS OPENED IN THE ASHEN AMBULATORY.’ Touching the succubus anywhere or any way else: The lips conjure a bolt of empowered forked lightning of smite living that automatically hits the triggering crusader and attacks two other random crusaders (+11 vs. Reflex). On a hit, the bolt deals 60 points of fire and radiant damage, and the target gains 2 points of blight. On a miss, the trap deals 30 points of fire and radiant damage and inflicts 1 point of blight. This trap can be detected with a DC 27 Arcana check and disabled with a DC 23 Arcana or Thievery check. Demonic Brazier: The woman depicted is Anat, sister and lover of Ba’al (History or Religion DC 23). The coals inside the brazier have been chiseled in the likeness of tiefling heads. Perception DC 23 plus searching amid the coals: A brass key is discovered at the bottom of the brazier (see below). This check may be repeated, and each check made – succeed or fail – deals 10 fire damage to the crusader. Dungeoneering or Perception DC 23 or close inspection of Anat’s face: The veil covering the statue’s face can be lifted on a hinge to reveal a keyhole. The brass key, if

used here, causes the statue to spit out a warped iron key (see ‘Pedestals,’ below). Pedestals: Six brimstone pedestals ring the brazier, each with a ritual book atop it (PLAYER’S HANDBOOK). The ritual books are each locked with an iron clasp. Using the warped iron key unlocks one of the tomes, allowing a crusader to immediately master that ritual. Rituals mastered in this way can be cast once per game. The key disintegrates after being used. The title of each ritual is printed on the tome’s cover in Supernal:      

Hand of Fate Knock Speak with Dead Remove Affliction Detect Object Wish

If any other key is used, or if the tomes are disturbed, a flesh to prose spell is cast on the triggering crusader (+9 vs. Will). On a hit, they are polymorphed into a book (dead). Ask that player what their book’s title is. All of the tomes then disappear. If any key – even the warped iron key – is fitted into the Wish ritual book, a chain explosive runes trap is triggered, attacking every creature within 5 squares of the

pedestals (+11 vs. Reflex). The trap does 36 points of fire damage (18 fire damage on a miss), and all of the tomes are destroyed. Balcony and Lectern: The Catechism of the Heresiarch lies open atop the lectern. The Catechism is used to conjure the planets on the altar of seven trees (Room L). Imps: The imps will answer one question about the seminary truthfully if persuaded or intimidated (Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate DC 23). If attacked, the imps scatter and hide.

D 2 . C ON FE SS I ON AL A high disciple of the Heresiarch blesses those who confess their sins.

whisper in Supernal pierces the veil: ‘Confess, and be cleansed.’ In this roleplaying challenge, the crusaders are asked to confess one sin to the high disciple. There is no single correct reply; however, a crusader must confess a transgression against one of the six tenets enumerated by the pillars in the black cathedral (Room E). Accept confessions that are especially thematic, creative, or wellthought out. Reject those that are vague, halfhearted, or out-of-step with the six tenets. Acceptable confessions might include: 



FEATURES OF THE ROOM  

The polished black stone walls give way to crudely-worked masonry. A lone confessional stands in the center of this humid cavern. The trident symbol has been burnt onto its warped wooden door.

EXPLORATION Confessional: The confessional holds one Medium-sized creature at a time. Once a crusader enters the confessional, a hoarse

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

‘Forgive me, father of blasphemy, for I have suffered a heretic to live rather than putting him and his impudent village to the torch.’ ‘I ask to be cleansed of my sin, for I did not boast of my conquest of the Sidhe in your name.’ ‘O Heresiarch, may mercy stay your trident. I allowed my modesty to temper my lust, and I did not embrace the carnal desire with which you have blessed mortal life.’

Each crusader may attempt to confess once per game. Reward acceptable confessions with a draw from the treasure deck. Unacceptable confessions trigger a trap door that dumps the crusader into the burning lake below Room D (no save). This is fatal.

E. B L A CK C AT HE D R AL

EXPLORATION

Lahamu, mother of Kishar and bride of the Heresiarch, dines in this grim cathedral. She is not hostile, and in fact offers the crusaders aid in exchange for favors.

Tapestries: The tapestries are well-maintained and made of flesh. Dungeoneering or Perception DC 23 while inspecting the wall behind the tapestries: There is an outline of the secret door shown on the map. The means to open it is not apparent. Thievery DC 27: The secret door opens.

FEATURES OF THE ROOM 

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This black marble cathedral is wellappointed with baroque balustrades, grotesque frescoes, and gilded tapestries depicting a hooded figure riding into battle atop a bipedal serpent. Two rows of polished wooden pews lead toward a hemispheric altar. Dozens of rotting skeleton parishioners have been chained to the benches. All of the chains snake toward a hollow glass throne at the head of the cathedral, each ending in a black iron ring set into the floor at the throne’s base. A striking, emerald-haired woman wearing a crimson sash reclines in the throne. She picks at the carcass of a dead feathered animal to her left with a silver fork. Six embossed obelisks rise above the pews, three on either side of the chapel.

Pews: The skeletons are weeks old (Heal DC 15) and are comprised mostly of humans and half-elves. Lahamu, Bride of the Heresiarch: When the crusaders draw near, they will find Lahamu leisurely eating the seared carcass of an infant couatl. She welcomes the party, asking them what they seek in the Fane and complimenting their skill between sips of wine. If attacked or threatened, she cackles before disappearing in a puff of crimson ash. Diplomacy DC 23 or friendly overtures: Lahamu explains that she suspects the Heresiarch is not being faithful to her, engaging in an affair with a half-angel succubus blackguard named Sorrow Nimbus that lairs elsewhere in the dungeon. If the crusaders give Lahamu the succubus’s head, she will open the way to the catacomb reliquary beneath the Fane (Rooms E2-E5).

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Diplomacy DC 27 (once per game): Lahamu is smitten with the crusader that succeeds on this check, offering them a sip of her wine. A DC 23 Insight check reveals that Lahamu is genuine and not trying to trick the crusaders. If the crusader accepts and drinks the wine, they are cured of all afflictions and conditions and become invigorated with infernal resistance. A crusader so invigorated gains 66 temporary hit points and resist 10 to two damage types of their choice (acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, or thunder). However, they also gain 3 points of blight. Obelisks: Each is embossed with an image and bears an inscription in Abyssal: 1.

2.

3.

Image: Two mariliths copulating with a balor. Inscription: ‘Hallowed are those who indulge their carnal appetites, for these are the blessing of the Heresiarch. Suffer not modesty or chastity.’ Image: An impossibly obese demon shoveling an army into its fanged maw. Inscription: ‘Hallowed are those who feast on the flesh and spirit of their quarry. To fast is to turn one’s back on the Heresiarch’s bounty.’ Image: A well-dressed human couple adorned with jewelry. They are surrounded by treasure. Inscription: ‘Hallowed are those who seek wealth and

4.

5.

6.

power in the Heresiarch’s name. The spoils of the mortal realm belong to the faithful, and it is your duty to claim it.’ Image: A field of peasant men and women being burnt upon wooden crosses. Inscription: ‘Suffer not dissent and heresy. Cleanse the blighted lands with sword and fire and conquer those who would defy the Heresiarch.’ Image: A warrior in spiked mail crushing the skull of a laughing pharaoh. Inscription: ‘Let no transgression against you go unpunished. It is through retribution and wrath that the Heresiarch’s divine glory is known. Mercy is weakness.’ Image: An iron fortress wrapped in lightning. Impaled heads line its coiling buttresses. Inscription: ‘Hallowed are those who boast of their conquests, for they glorify the name of the Heresiarch. To be known and feared is the highest virtue.’

E 2 . C A T A C O M B R E L I Q UA RY The walls, floor, and low ceiling of this mosscovered catacomb are hewn from crooked soapstone blocks lined with alcoves. Urns, ossuaries, and small chests gather dust in the alcoves. Deal one treasure card to the party per living crusader.

E 3 . C H A RO N ’ S M OO R A crumbling marble archway frames a rotting wooden dock that overlooks an underground river. The river is thick with black foam and reeks of offal. When any of the crusaders steps onto the dock, a charonademon – a hooded skeletal boatman – approaches in a large brass canoe. It allows all of the crusaders to board at the cost of a single magic item or treasure card. The charonademon ferries the crusaders through a maze of underground rapids before coming to a stop at a six-way intersection. It hesitates. If the crusaders give the charonademon the bone compass found in Room B, it regains its orientation and takes the crusaders to the dome of meditation (Room E5). It waits for them there, returning the crusaders to the E3 when they’re ready to leave. If the compass is not presented after one minute, the boatman becomes lost and drops the crusaders off at the gate of the chaos maze (Room K).

Inform the crusaders that they may place the corpse of an ally inside the sarcophagus: doing so raises that ally from the dead with all hit points, rituals, and powers restored, absolving the 50 point penalty. However, this ritual bestows 5 points of blight to the resurrected crusader and 1 point of blight to each of their allies.

E 5 . D OME

OF

M E DI T AT I O N

Dancing wisps of bright silver light illuminate this domed cavern. A plain stone altar stands in the center of the chamber, a single everburning candle set atop it. A meditation rug inlaid with the trident sigil lies on the ground before the altar. The first crusader to meditate on the rug has a vision – truthfully answer one yes or no question about the Fane. In addition, a ruby planet appears on the altar.

REVENGE

OF THE IRON

LICH CONVENTION

SPECIAL REWARD

E 4 . S E P UL CH E R

OF

R E B I RT H

A mute hooded skeleton wearing a crimson blindfold plays a discordant tune on a bone organ, the sound shaking dust from the catacomb ceiling. Atop a raised tier is a black marble sarcophagus inlaid with Abyssal glyphs. The skeleton disappears if attacked.

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If any of the players have a signed convention special reward card earned by playing Revenge of the Iron Lich, ask them to hand it in when the crusaders enter Room E2. If they do so, a secret alcove opens, revealing 3 additional treasure cards and the icon of sin.

F. A S HE N A M B U L AT O RY It is from this hallway that the crusaders may access the Fane’s inmost chambers, including the mothers’ cloister (Room L). FEATURES OF THE ROOM 

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Bone chandeliers dangle on rusted chains from the high vaulted ceiling of this long ambulatory. Candles made from human fat burn perpetually in iron candelabrum set into the brimstone walls. Canals of lava a hand’s width across run along the base of the walls, casting a deep red glow across the uneven marble floor. The air is thick with soot. The sound of hacking coughs and gentle sobbing radiates from some unknown hollow beyond the walls.

EXPLORATION There are nine areas of interest in the ambulatory. Each is detailed below: 1. Scrying Mirror: A full length mirror is set into the crackling brimstone walls here. The copper frame is etched with a proverb in Abyssal: “No beauty without envy, no love without jealousy.”

Any time the crusaders are teleported to the ambulatory, they arrive here. Inform the crusaders that they may incur 3 points of blight to ask their reflection to show them one object or creature in the Fane, even if they have not seen it before. The mirror shows that crusader alone a smoky vision for one round before disappearing. The mirror shatters after its second use. This does not affect the crusaders’ ability to teleport here. 2. Marilith Statue: ILLUSTRATION #3. The statue smells of lilacs and radiates paragon tier scrying and teleportation magic if detected for (Arcana DC 24). If the Heart of Khaldun from Room G is placed in her cupped hands, the trident sigil on the statue’s hand begins to glow. Each crusader is then teleported to the mothers’ cloister (Room L). 3. Font of Blighted Warding: An obsidian fountain in the southwest corner of the ambulatory is hewn from translucent precious stone in which quivering organs are embedded. Inform the crusaders that they may drink of this fountain to gain temporary hit points equal to their healing surge value, but each time they do so, they incur 1 point of blight. Like all temporary hit points, these do not stack with one another.

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4. Vine-Choked Archway: A rusted iron portcullis blocks access through a wooden archway clutched by black vines. It easily lifts open. Chunks of petrified demon princes lie strewn before the gate. Beyond, a courtyard of dead trees is visible beneath the fiery underworld sky (Room J). 5. Crucified Angel: The upper body of an angel has been crucified to the wall here. Gore cakes the wall, and its spine hangs down like a long chain. Thick frost covers the entire grisly display. Dungeoneering or Perception DC 24: The crusader discerns the seam of a rotating wall. Thievery DC 24 or close exploration of angel’s innards: The crusader discovers that the spine connects to a pull chain that opens the rotating wall, allowing access to the prison of frozen gods (Room G). 6. Succubus Mural: The image of a succubus has been painted onto the wall here. It conceals a secret door that is magically sealed. If the succubus mosaic in Room D was kissed, the wall is open and leads to Room H. If the crusaders attempt the manipulate the wall in any other way, a trap is triggered (see below). Arcana DC 28: The crusader detects the magical trap on the wall (see below).

Arcana or Thievery DC 28: The magical trap is dispelled and the wall opens. If this check fails, the eyes of the succubus glow and attack each crusader in a close blast 3 with a phial of imprisonment ritual trap (+10 vs. Will). On a hit, the target dies, and their body is polymorphed in a potion that, when drunk, heals the imbiber for an amount of hit points equal to the target’s bloodied value. On a miss, parts of the target’s flesh bubble out and harden like blown glass, giving them a permanent vulnerable 5 all. When drunk, ask the polymorphed crusader how they taste. Dungeoneering or Perception DC 28: The outline of the secret door is detected. 7. Fountain of Blighted Haste: The teeth of pit fiends float in the grey water of this fountain. A marble idol carved in the likeness of a hooded figure wielding a trident stands in the center of the water. Inform the crusaders that they may drink of this fountain to gain an action point, but each time they do so they incur 2 points of blight. 8. Iron Portal: A square of rusted iron 6 feet in diameter is bolted to the wall here. An ochre portal that reeks of acid swirls within the square; those who pass through it are transported to the death wyverns’ crucible (Room I).

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9. Hourglass-Shaped Keyhole: An hourglassshaped keyhole is set into the otherwise featureless wall. DC 24 Dungeoneering or Nature: The crusader finds that the masonry in the wall near the keyhole seems much newer than the rest, as if it were recently repaired. DC 24 Thievery: The crusader triggers the opening mechanism within the lock, revealing a small niche that contains the hourglass of time stop. If the check fails, an avalanche of bricks tumble away from the wall, revealing dozens of brass minotaur faces. A cloud of dust milled from ground-up inevitables issues forth from their snouts, creating a localized time distortion that causes all within the ambulatory to be shunted into the future (while the rest of the Fane carries on). Subtract 15 minutes from the party’s remaining time and drain a healing surge from each crusader.

G. P RI S ON

OF

F R OZ E N G OD S

Eight gods and goddesses have been imprisoned in obelisks of black ice. The crusaders, unfortunately, have the opportunity to free only two.

sheepskin pouch in the center of the obelisk circle contains two fist-sized salt spheres. Touching a salt sphere to one of the obelisks melts the ice and frees the deity, earning their boon (see below). This consumes the sphere. 1.

FEATURES OF THE ROOM 

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Monstrous black icicles drip from the low ceiling of this frozen hexagonal prison, giving the room a cave-like appearance. Eight crackling obelisks of charcoalcolored ice stand in a circle. A humanoid creature floats entombed in each. A stone plaque on the north wall bears three carriage wheel-sized shapes: a triangle, a circle, and a square. Abyssal runes are etched into the plaque above the figures.

2.

3.

4.

EXPLORATION Ice: The ice coating this chamber is not water, but rather frozen marilith tears (Arcana or Nature DC 17). The obelisks are of similar composition. Obelisks: Each obelisk contains the trapped body of a god or goddess, all immediately recognizable by the crusaders. A small

5.

Kishar, Goddess of Slaughter and Retribution. Kishar appears as a blackhaired woman in bloodstained plate mail. If freed, she grants each crusader present a permanent +2 bonus to attack rolls. Naia, Mother of Pestilence. Naia appears as a pale woman wearing sackcloth and clutching an empty wooden bowl. If freed, she grants each crusader present a permanent +2 bonus to Fortitude. Asar-Segt, Hand of Ritual Sacrifice. Asar-Segt appears as a six-armed ghoul bathed in flame. If freed, he grants each crusader present a permanent +2 bonus to Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charismabased skill checks. Teurama, Handmaiden of Fate. Teurama appears as a woman in funeral garb wrapped in silver thread. If freed, she grants each crusader present a permanent +2 bonus to saving throws. Kotaresh, God of Trickery and Secrets. Kotaresh appears as a vaguely-humanoid shadow wearing an upside-down mask. Kotaresh is not actually trapped, but merely pretends to be in order to trick the crusaders. If ‘freed’, Kotaresh pronounces a curse on each crusader – they must save

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6.

7.

8.

or take a permanent -5 penalty to saving throws. Euryale, Queen of Gorgons: Euryale appears much as the mythological medusa. If free, she partially-petrifies the crusaders’ skin, granting them a permanent +2 bonus to AC. Marduk, Slayer of Tiamat. Marduk appears as a nude, muscular man wearing a scaled crown. If freed, he grants each crusader present a permanent +2 bonus to Strength-, Dexterity-, and Constitution-based skill checks. Lyth, Mother of Beasts. Lyth appears as a nude, winged woman caked in emerald slime and covered in crimson tattoos. If freed, she grants each crusader present a permanent +5 bonus to their healing surge value. However, if she is freed after Marduk, she becomes enraged that the crusaders would release the murderer of one of her first children. Unless they can convince Lyth that Marduk was freed by someone else (Bluff DC 29), she speaks a primal power word that attacks each crusader (+14 vs. Will). On a hit, the target is reduced to bubbling primordial ooze (dead).

Each god or goddess discorporates after being released. The boons they grant are bestowed only upon crusaders present for this encounter, and not new crusaders who might later enter the Fane.

Secret Tunnel: A section of wall covered by ice pivots to reveal a narrow tunnel (Perception or Thievery DC 25). The tunnel leads to a claustrophobic ice cavern in which wings of wrath float. There is also a standing portal that leads to the observatory Room B. Stone Plaque and Shapes: Three large stone shapes – a triangle, a circle, and a square – are set into the plaque, each protruding a finger’s width from the wall. A DC 16 Insight or Thievery check determines they can be pushed inward like buttons. There are six letters in Abyssal engraved in the plaque above the shapes. A crusader capable of reading the letters can transliterate them to these six Common letters: C

N

O

I

Z

E

If the circle is pushed inward, the plaque slides upward into the ceiling, revealing an icy alcove filled with magic items. Deal one treasure card to the party for each living crusader. In addition, the Heart of Khaldun rests atop an icy mithril dais in the center of the alcove. The Heart, when placed in the hands of the marilith statue (Room F.2), opens the way to Room L. If either the square or the triangle is pressed, a hidden nozzle (DC 28 Perception) sprays a fine azure mist in a close blast 5 (+8

vs. Fortitude). On a hit, the target is turned to black ice (dead). After one minute of real time, each frozen crusader explodes, hurling keened necrotic ice shards in a close burst 2 (+14 vs. AC, crit 16-20). The shards deal 20 cold damage and bestow 2 points of blight, and the target must save or become afflicted with frozen blood. Frozen blood is both a blessing and a curse. A crusader affected by this condition gains a permanent resist 20 cold and resist 10 fire. However, each time the crusader takes a short rest, the ice in their blood stiffens their body, permanently reducing their speed and Reflex by 1. A crusader whose speed is reduced to 0 by this effect is petrified (dead). This trap triggers each time the triangle or the square is pressed. The nozzle can be disabled with a DC 25 Thievery check.

SOLVING

THE

PUZZLE

When the letters C N O I Z E are replaced with numbers representing their position in the alphabet, it produces 3 14 15 9 26 5. An astute player will recognize these as the first digits of pi, suggesting that the circle is the correct choice.

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H. P L E A S URE C R Y P T S

EXPLORATION

A half-angel succubus blackguard named Sorrow Nimbus and her coterie of nymph wights guards this crypt filled with the Heresiarch’s most honored dead and valuable treasure.

Tapestries: Each depicts a pair of ghostly lovers chasing one another around a trident.

FEATURES OF THE ROOM 

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Azure velvet tapestries dangle from the smooth grey stone of this large chamber. Ivy and violet flowers cling to the walls. Rays of smoky crimson light filter down through skylights in the vaulted ceiling high above. A 10-foot high tier inlaid with baroque patterns rises along the north and east walls, its golden-railed balcony overlooking a grove of dead trees in the center of the chamber from which shrunken heads grow like fruit. A tower-like structure 20 feet in diameter rises from a pit in the center of the room. A glistening gold sarcophagus is visible between the crenellations that line the structure. The air is heavy with the stink of perfume and fornication.

Doors: Two sets of heavy iron doors – one leading west and one leading north – bear spiked pull rings and are embossed with the image of a succubus embracing an armored tiefling skeleton wrapped in broken chainmail. The doors are not locked but are very heavy, requiring a standard action to open or close. Dungeoneering or Insight DC 17 or close inspection of the images: The succubus on the door is in fact a recent modification; there is evidence that the original image depicted a medusa. Grove of Dead Trees: Shrunken humanoid heads dangle from the bare black limbs of the trees. A creature can enter a tree’s space (difficult terrain) to gain cover. Eating the heads: A creature adjacent to or in a tree’s space can eat one of the shrunken heads as a minor action. Doing so grants that creature 5 temporary hit points. Pit: 50 feet deep, 30 damage. A secret alcove at the bottom (Perception or Dungeoneering DC 25) contains a switch the opens the ruby face (see right).

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Ruby Face: A 10-foot diameter face hewn from brilliant ruby is set into the northeast corner of the tier. It has been carved in the likeness of Lahamu, Bride of the Heresiarch (Room E). It is not visible from below. Dungeoneering or Perception DC 25: A seam runs along the jaw, suggesting that the mouth may open. Athletics or Thievery DC 29, or the hidden switch in the pit is thrown: The mouth opens, revealing nothing but blank wall behind. The wall radiates faint teleportation magic if detected for (Arcana DC 25). Solving the crypt puzzle: If the puzzle in the crypts (see below) is solved, a pull-chain corroded by acid is teleported inside the mouth. If the mouth is open, a crusader can pull the chain; doing so causes a bell to toll, followed by the distant sound of rushing, gurgling liquid. Declare to the crusaders that ‘A DRAIN HAS OPENED IN THE DEATH WYVERN’S CRUCIBLE.’ Gold Sarcophagus: Though heavy, this sarcophagus depicting an interred death knight opens easily. Doing so before the crypt puzzle is solved frees a shambling mummy (MONSTER VAULT), which attacks the crusaders immediately. The sarcophagus also opens at the end of the 4th round of combat, releasing the mummy.

Crypts: Beyond the double doors lies a charnel chamber containing eight decrepit sarcophagi. Opening a sarcophagus requires a standard action and a successful DC 17 Athletics or Thievery check. CRYPT PUZZLE The lid of each sarcophagus in the two small crypts has been etched with two sets of four symbols: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Sun, Moon, Star, Hand / Trident, Pyramid, Crown, Tome Moon, Star, Sun, Hand / Pyramid, Crown, Tome, Trident Star, Hand, Sun, Moon / Crown, Tome, Trident, Pyramid Hand, Sun, Moon, Star / Tome, Trident, Pyramid, Crown Moon, Star, Hand, Sun / Tome, Pyramid, Crown, Trident Star, Hand, Sun, Moon / Crown, Tome, Trident, Pyramid Star, Moon, Hand, Sun / Crown, Pyramid, Trident, Tome Hand, Sun, Moon, Star / Tome, Trident, Pyramid, Crown

If sarcophagus number 7 is opened, a dread wraith emerges and speaks a power word that conjures the pull chain in the ruby face (see above) before nodding to the crusaders and departing.

In addition, solving the puzzle causes the shambling mummy to disintegrate, and 2 treasure cards per living crusader are summoned into the gold sarcophagus. Opening any other sarcophagus frees a cloud of burning dread wraiths that attacks nearby living creatures (close blast 5, +11 vs. Reflex). On a hit, the cloud deals 25 fire and necrotic damage, and all monsters become invisible to the target (save ends). On a miss, the cloud deals 13 fire and necrotic damage.

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 ENCOUNTER Starting the Encounter: The encounter begins when one of the crusaders steps onto the tier or opens one of the double doors. Threats: This room is guarded by several creatures: 



Sorrow Nimbus (S): A half-angel succubus blackguard who commands the other monsters in the encounter. She prefers to stay on the tier, drawing enemies in with come hither. Handmaidens of Blasphemy (B): After Sorrow Nimbus ends her second turn, 3 handmaidens of blasphemy – nymph wights – teleport into unoccupied squares adjacent to any of the dead trees. They gang up on single enemies, rending them to

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death with their claws. If Sorrow Nimbus is bloodied, she commands them to use sacrificial daggers. Skeletal Legionaries (L): 16 skeletal legionaries (MONSTER VAULT) stand readied in the crypts, activating as an immediate reaction when the doors are opened. If the doors are not opened by the end of Sorrow Nimbus’s third turn, they activate on their own on initiative count 0. Shambling Mummy (M): A mummified death knight emerges from the sarcophagus if it is disturbed. It also rises on its own at the end of Sorrow Nimbus’s fourth turn, acting immediately.

SORROW NIMBUS, HALF-ANGEL SUCCUBUS BLACKGUARD

SORROW NIMBUS, HALF-ANGEL SUCCUBUS BLACKGUARD Level 7 Elite Soldier Medium immortal elemental humanoid (demon) HP 120; Bloodied 60 Initiative +8 AC 23, Fortitude 18, Reflex 16, Will 20 Speed 5, fly 5 Immune charm; Resist 10 radiant, 5 variable (1/encounter) Perception +5, Truesight Saving Throws +2; Action Points 1 TRAITS Angelic Presence While Sorrow Nimbus is not bloodied, attack rolls against her take a -2 penalty.  Celestial Beauty (charm) • Aura 3 Enemies that end their turn in the aura gain 1 point of blight and take a -2 penalty to Will defense until the start of their next turn. Bloodied crusaders who end their turn in the aura must make a Wisdom or Charisma check (DC 15). On a failure, the gods blind the crusader until the end of the encounter in order to protect them from Sorrow Nimbus’s mesmerizing appearance. STANDARD ACTIONS M Barbed Whip (poison, weapon) • At-Will Attack: Melee 5 (one creature); +12 vs. AC Hit: 20 poison damage, and Sorrow Nimbus either knocks the target prone or pulls it 3 squares. M Spiked Gauntlets of Corruption (necrotic, weapon) • At-Will

m Soul-Stealing Kiss (charm, psychic) • Recharge when first bloodied

HANDMAIDENS OF BLASPHEMY

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +12 vs. Will Hit: 30 psychic damage, and the target slides up to its speed and makes a basic attack against a creature of Sorrow Nimbus’s choice. Special: If the target is reduced to 0 hit points by this attack, it dies, and Sorrow Nimbus draws an afterlife card. She gains the card’s effect as an encounter power that she may use as a free action or immediate interrupt. If she draws the Resurrection card, the dead crusader rises again under Sorrow Nimbus’s control with hit points equal to its bloodied value and all powers restored. The raised crusader dies at the end of the encounter. Miss: 15 psychic damage, and the target is dazed until the end of Sorrow Nimbus’s next turn.

HANDMAIDENS OF BLASPHEMY (3)

MOVE ACTIONS

M Sacrificial Dagger (teleportation, weapon) • AtWill

c Come Hither (charm) • Recharge 5 6 Attack: Close blast 10 (one creature in the blast); +12 vs. Will Hit: The target is pulled up to 5 squares and dazed until the end of Sorrow Nimbus’s next turn. Miss: Sorrow Nimbus marks the target until the end of her next turn. Effect: Sorrow Nimbus shifts up to 5 squares. MINOR ACTIONS r Celestial Arc Lighting (lightning, radiant) • AtWill (1/round) Attack: Ranged 10 (one creature) Effect: 6 lightning and radiant damage. Str 17 (+6) Dex 12 (+4) Wis 14 (+5) Con 16 (+6) Int 16 (+6) Cha 19 (+7)

Level 5 Skirmisher Medium fey humanoid (undead), nymph wight HP 50; Bloodied 25 Initiative acts after Sorrow Nimbus AC 19, Fortitude 17, Reflex 18, Will 16 Speed 7 teleport Immune charm, poison, sleep; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant Perception +4, Darkvision TRAITS  Enervating Beauty (charm, necrotic) • Aura 2 Enemies in the aura grant combat advantage and cannot regain hit points. STANDARD ACTIONS

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +10 vs. AC Hit: 10 damage, and Sorrow Nimbus regains 5 hit points. Miss: The handmaiden teleports 3 squares. m Energy-Draining Claw (necrotic) • At-Will Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +8 vs. AC Hit: The handmaiden permanently drains 5 hit points from the target and regains 5 hit points. TRIGGERED ACTIONS Dimension Door (teleportation) • Encounter Trigger: The handmaiden is targeted by an attack Effect (Immediate Interrupt): The handmaiden teleports up to 7 squares and is invisible until the end of its next turn. Str 15 (+4) Dex 18 (+6) Wis 14 (+4) Con 11 (+2) Int 13 (+3) Cha 15 (+4)

Attack: Melee 1 (one or two different creatures); +12 vs. AC Hit: 13 necrotic damage, and the target gains 1 point of blight (2 points on a critical hit).

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I. D E AT H W Y V E RN S ’

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C RU C I B L E To claim the planet hidden in this chamber, the crusaders must pry the gem-fangs from a four-headed hydra ghoul and fit them into ceramic skulls scattered across numerous caged platforms that rise from a pool of dracolisk bile. The portal from Room F dumps the crusaders, prone, in the squares shaded blue on the map. The encounter begins immediately. FEATURES OF THE ROOM 

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Nine slabs of black marble jut from a pool of hissing dracolisk bile that swallows this vast wrought-iron crucible. 10-foot high cages enclose each of the 15-by-15 foot platforms. Hundreds of humanoid shapes writhe in the bile, their limbs broken and flesh like peeling parchment. Many try to scream, but only maggots tumble from between their crooked and cracked teeth. A short copper obelisk stands in the center of four of the caged platforms. Ceramic skulls rest impaled at their apex, mouths agape.

Two dark winged shadows circle in the gloom high overhead. The occasional bone or charred limb splashes down into the bile from above, as if tossed aside from a hasty meal.

EXPLORATION There is no time for exploration – have the crusaders roll initiative as soon as they materialize.

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ENCOUNTER Starting the Encounter: The encounter begins immediately. Threats: A pair of death wyverns and a fourheaded hydra ghoul stalk the crucible. 

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Death Wyverns (W): Strips of leathery flesh dangle from the yellowed bones of these winged undead beasts. They circle the edges of the chamber, swooping down to attack crusaders that stray from their allies. Four-Headed Hydra Ghoul (H): One of the Heresiarch’s most prized pets, this aquatic horror waits beneath the bile until the second round of combat. After it rises, it thrashes toward the

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nearest enemies, attacking them through the iron cages with its phasing bite attacks. Each of the hydra’s four original mouths contains a gem-fang that is visible to any creature within 2 squares. These fangs are the key to the hydra fang puzzle (see below). Pool of Dracolisk Bile: The pool is 30 feet deep and highly viscous. A crusader entering or starting their turn in the bile takes 5 acid damage. A crusader can swim one-half their speed through the bile with a move action and a DC 17 Athletics check. Visibility beneath the bile is limited to 2 squares. Sinking Platform: At the end of the first round of combat, the platform shaded blue on the map sinks into the bile pool.

DRAINING

THE

BILE

If the switch in Room H was thrown, the bile will have drained away by the time the crusaders arrive. The death wyverns will have scattered, and the hydra ghoul will lie dead and desiccated on the floor of the pool 30 feet below. In addition, the tunnel to Room I2 will be open, allowing the crusaders to quickly claim the diamond planet and move on.

Caged Platforms (9): Each 3-by-3 square platform is covered by a 10-foot high iron cage. The bars of the cage block movement, and melee or ranged attacks made through the bars take a -2 penalty to hit. Each cage has a single opening the size of a door. Stepping Plates (8): This adventure comes with eight numbered and double-sided stepping plate tokens. When the encounter begins, place one of these tokens odd-side-up in each of the eight squares shaded red on the map. A crusader that enters a square containing a stepping plate is teleported to the stepping plate in the cage that matches the number shown on the token. If a crusader is standing in the destination square, both are telefragged. On initiative count 0 each round, flip each of the tokens. HYDRA FANG PUZZLE A copper obelisk stands on the caged platforms marked 1, 3, 6, and 8 on the map. Each obelisk has a ceramic human skull impaled on top of it, the hollow cranium filled with swirling, heatless flame: 1. Red 3. Green 6. Blue 8. Black

The mouth of each skull is open and lined with sharp fangs. However, each skull is missing the same single fang. It is here that the gem-fangs from the hydra ghoul must be placed. A crusader drawing within 2 squares of the hydra ghoul notices that each of its four mouths contains a single gem-fang: one red, one green, one blue, and one black. An adjacent crusader can attempt to pry one of the fangs free with a successful melee basic attack or DC 19 Thievery check (standard action). On a miss or failure, the hydra ghoul makes an opportunity attack against the triggering crusader. If a head containing a gem-fang is severed from the hydra ghoul’s body, the gem-fang tumbles free into a random adjacent square. The gem-fangs are buoyant and float on the surface of the bile pool. Once the four gem-fangs are fitted into the skull whose flame matches each of their colors, a portcullis lifts from a 10-foot wide by 5-foot high opening at the bottom of the eastern wall, allowing access to Room I2. Do not tell the crusaders that the wall has opened; however, do remark upon a violent bubbling and churning that occurs on the surface of the bile near the opening. Note that both the opening in the wall and Room I2 are submerged beneath the bile pool.

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I 2 . S UB ME RG E D V A UL T A diamond planet floats in this ruined vault entirely submerged in dracolisk bile. There is also a fist-sized orb engraved with the Supernal rune for a random season (1d4: spring, summer, autumn, winter). If you already generated a season for the banner in Room J, use that one instead (see page 27). Both are clues to the dome of interrogation challenge in Room M. A large square portal floats near the planet – crusaders that swim through it are transported back to the ashen ambulatory (Room F).

DEATH WYVERN

DEATH WYVERNS (2)

FOUR-HEADED HYDRA GHOUL Level 8 Lurker

FOUR-HEADED HYDRA GHOUL Level 6 Solo Brute

Large shadow magical beast

Large natural beast (reptile, water, undead)

HP 70; Bloodied 35 Initiative +11 AC 22, Fortitude 19, Reflex 21, Will 20 Speed 3, fly 8 Resist 10 poison, 5 untyped; Vulnerable 5 radiant Perception +8

HP 230; Bloodied 115 Initiative +11 AC 18, Fortitude 19, Reflex 18, Will 17 Speed swim 6 Immune acid, disease, poison, sleep Resist 10 cold, 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 10 radiant Perception +5 (can’t be flanked) Saving Throws +5; Action Points 2

TRAITS  Veil of Darkness • Aura 5 The death wyvern gains total concealment against enemies outside the aura. STANDARD ACTIONS M Rending Bite • At-Will Attack: Melee 2 (one creature); +13 vs. AC Hit: 15 damage, and ongoing 5 damage (save ends). a Ethereal Fireball (fire) • Encounter Attack: Area burst 1 within 10 (creatures in the burst); +11 vs. Reflex Hit: 20 fire damage, and the target is pushed 2 squares from this attack’s origin square. The targets are considered to have phasing for the purpose of resolving this forced movement. Miss: 10 fire damage. Special: The burst creates a zone of ethereal flame that lasts until the end of the death wyvern’s next turn. Creatures entering or starting their turn in the zone take 5 fire damage.

TRAITS Many Headed

c Disgorge Prey (necrotic) • Encounter Attack: Close blast 5 (creatures in the blast); +9 vs. Fortitude Hit: 25 necrotic damage. Effect: The hydra ghoul vomits forth the putrefied corpses of the sailors it swallowed during its last raid. Place 5 zombie shamblers (MONSTER VAULT) in 5 unoccupied squares in the blast. They act immediately. TRIGGERED ACTIONS

Phasing Attacks

Trigger: An enemy ends its turn within 2 squares of the hydra ghoul. Effect (Free Action): The hydra ghoul uses bite twice against the triggering enemy.

The hydra ghoul’s heads become insubstantial when they attack, allowing it to target enemies through the bars of the cages without taking the -2 penalty to hit. Regenerating Heads The hydra ghoul starts the encounter with four heads. When the hydra ghoul’s hit points first drop below 175, 115, and 60, one of its heads is destroyed. Whenever a head is destroyed, the hydra ghoul grows two heads at the start of its next turn unless it takes fire or radiant damage before then. STANDARD ACTIONS M Bite (necrotic) • At-Will

m Venomous Tail (poison) • At-Will (1/round)

Attack: Melee 2 (one creature); +9 vs. Reflex Hit: 16 necrotic damage, and the target is slowed (save ends). First Failed Save: The target is immobilized instead (save ends). Special: This attack deals an extra 10 necrotic damage to a slowed or immobilized target.

Str 17 (+7) Dex 20 (+9) Wis 18 (+8) Con 16 (+7) Int 15 (+6) Cha 13 (+5)

Effect: The hydra ghoul makes one bite attack for each head it currently has. If it has only two heads, it gains a +5 bonus to damage. If it has only one head, it gains a +10 bonus to damage.

While stunned or dominated, the hydra ghoul can take free actions.

MINOR ACTIONS Attack: Melee 2 (one creature); +13 vs. AC Hit: Ongoing 10 poison damage (save ends). On a critical hit, the target instead takes poison damage equal to their maximum hit point value.

m Hydra Fury • Recharge 34 5 6

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m Snapping Jaws • At-Will

Str 19 (+7) Dex 14 (+5) Wis 14 (+5) Con 18 (+7) Int 2 (-1) Cha 8 (+2)

J. B L I G H T E D G R O V E

EXPLORATION

A medusa vampire lurks in this decaying courtyard, protecting a hoard of treasure and the entrance to the Chaos Maze. Hissing black rain begins to fall lightly when the crusaders enter – it is uncomfortable but harmless.

Walls: The walls are rough-hewn and easily climbed (Athletics DC 16). A crusader that peers over the walls sees an endless expanse of ruddy wasteland in all directions. DC 24 Perception: A crusader looking over the walls spies a coil of thick smoke on the horizon, as if a great structure were burning. Spyglass of True Seeing: A crusader that looks upon the smoke with the spyglass found in Room B spots a burning tower with a large red tapestry bearing the Supernal rune for a random season (1d4: spring, summer, autumn, winter). If you already generated a season for the orb in Room I, use that one instead (see page 25). The image is a clue to surviving the dome of interrogation (Room M).

FEATURES OF THE ROOM 







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20-foot high stone walls surround this courtyard strangled by dead trees and algae-caked fountains. The courtyard is open-topped, exposing the ashen sky above. Beyond the trees, a colossal iron trapdoor 10 feet to a side lies embedded in the ground. Torches surround it, each flickering in the rain. A maypole erected from polished humanoid spines rises from the center of the grove. Black and violet streamers dangle from the bones. Spectral children skip stones on a pond of brackish water at its base. The humid air is dense with the odor of rotting vegetation. The piercing screams of wyverns can be heard in the distance beyond the courtyard walls. A blindfolded medusa with pallid skin crouches in a nearby gazebo.

Trapdoor: Crusaders drawing near to this trapdoor find that it is several feet thick and embossed with lines that form a stylized labyrinth. It can be lifted open by the medusa vampire with ease (see right). Maypole and Children: The maypole is made up of elf spines polished with ochre jelly (Heal or Nature DC 16). The ethereal children are human boys and girls with the trident symbol tattooed on their foreheads. They do not interact with the crusaders.

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Medusa Vampire: Dusk Blossom, a medusa vampire, makes her home in this courtyard. She is feasting upon the body of a paralyzed elven warrior when the crusaders arrive. Like Lahamu in Room E, Dusk Blossom is not hostile to the crusaders. She greets them politely, asking if they seek passage into the Chaos Maze. If threatened, she hisses at the crusaders, takes mist form, and then disappears through cracks in the pavilion floor. Diplomacy DC 17: Dusk Blossom reveals that she once was tasked with guarding the pleasure crypts (Room H), a place in which the Heresiarch keeps his consorts, fallen exarchs, and vastest hoard of treasure. However, she was replaced by Sorrow Nimbus – a half-angel succubus blackguard – and now is forced to stand watch over the Heresiarch’s irascible ghost-children in this dirty hovel. If the head of Sorrow Nimbus is brought to her (and not Lahamu), she will open the way to the Chaos Maze. She explains that one can find a planet in the labyrinth, as well as the chaos device. Diplomacy DC 25: As above, but Dusk Blossom also promises to turn over the treasure she is guarding (one draw from the treasure deck for each living crusader), including a scroll of power word: blind found on the elf warrior upon whom she feasts.

K. C HA O S M AZ E This sprawling labyrinth beneath the Fane is stalked by a fiendish half-manticore minotaur. If the crusaders can gain their bearings and discover the inmost den at the maze’s center, they can claim one of the planets and the chaos device. NAVIGATING THE MAZE When the crusaders enter the maze either from Room E3 or Room J, gather the labyrinth cards provided with this module and shuffle them. Place the cards face-down in a 5-by-5 grid on the table, ensuring that they are within reach of all players. The player nearest to you on your left starts the game by flipping any two of the cards over. If the two cards match, remove them from play and consult the following table:

If the two cards do not match, flip them back over, and that player’s crusader gains 1 points of blight and takes 5 points of damage that cannot be reduced in any way. Once each player has taken a turn, take one of the rows of cards into your hand, shuffle them, and then place them back into the grid. The cycle begins again, and play continues until the crusaders earn 6 successes, encounter the minotaur, or die. The crusaders can take one or more short rests at any time while exploring the maze. Skill checks and rituals will not help them, with the following exceptions: 

 

  

Feature: The party earns a success. If the party earns 6 successes, they find the inmost den (Room K2). Portal: The party earns 2 successes. Chest: Deal 2 treasure cards to the party. Minotaur: The party encounters the fiendish half-manticore minotaur, narrowly escaping. If minotaur cards are matched again, the party must fight (see right).

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Dungeoneering DC 27: The crusader uses their keen architectural sense (alignment of walls, subtle air flow) to discern which corridors lead to dead ends. The party earns 1 automatic success (once per game). Insight or Nature DC 27: The crusader uses their acute sense of direction and aptitude for pattern recognition to help keep the party from getting lost. The party earns 1 automatic success (once per game). Perception DC 27: The crusader finds a vantage point from which they can survey one of the labyrinth’s sections. Allow that player to peek at up to 3 cards in the grid (once per game). Hand of Fate: 1 automatic success.

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K 2 . I N MO ST D E N This ornate, wood-paneled chamber at the center of the maze contains an altar above which a jade planet hovers. The chaos device is draped around the neck of a minotaur statue nearby. A stepping disk identical to the one found in Room A is set into the floor; it transports the crusaders back to Room J. FIGHTING THE MINOTAUR If the crusaders encounter the minotaur, use the labyrinth battle map provided with this module. If a crusader leaves the area shown on the map, they are presumed to be lost forever in the maze (dead). If the minotaur is slain, its body dissolves to ash, leaving behind several stone tablets. These tablets form a map that leads the crusaders to the inmost den, ending the minigame.

FIENDISH HALF-MANTICORE MINOTAUR

FIENDISH HALF-MANTICORE MINOTAUR Level 6 Solo Brute Large elemental humanoid (demon) HP 200; Bloodied 100 Initiative +11 AC 19, Fortitude 20, Reflex 18, Will 18 Speed 6, fly 6 Resist 10 variable (1/encounter) Perception +5; Darkvision Saving Throws +5; Action Points 2

L. M OT HE RS ’ C L OI ST E R The Heresiarch’s twin marilith daughters – the Mother of Agony and the Mother of Terror – guard the Altar of Seven Trees upon which two planets can be summoned. FEATURES OF THE ROOM 

STANDARD ACTIONS  Thrashing Gore • At-Will Attack: Close burst 2 (creatures in the burst); +11 vs. AC Hit: 20 damage, and the target is knocked prone.



m Infernal Trample (fire) • Recharge when first bloodied The minotaur shifts up to 8 squares and may move through enemies’ spaces. The minotaur makes the following attack against each creature whose space it moved through: Attack: Melee 0 (one creature); +9 vs. Fortitude Hit: 28 fire damage, and the target is knocked prone and dazed (save ends both). On a critical hit, the target is stomped down to the Hells (dead). Miss: 14 fire damage. MINOR ACTIONS



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Smoldering volcanoes line the horizon beyond this wide, deep crater. Acrid black smoke billows from a trident-shaped chasm that splits the floor of the crater into jagged segments. Four soot-covered stone buildings, each 20 feet tall, stand in each corner of the crater. A two-pupiled black eye hovers above the southeastern structure. A wide stone tier rises in the center of the crater. Seven dead trees choked with hanged skeletons ring the platform. Ash falls from the sky like snow, and the heat is sticky and oppressive.

r Brimstone Tail Spikes (fire) • At-Will Attack: Ranged 10 (one, two, or three different creatures); +11 vs. AC Hit: 10 fire damage, and the target gains a permanent and cumulative vulnerable 2 fire. Str 22 (+9) Dex 16 (+6) Wis 15 (+5) Con 17 (+6) Int 12 (+4) Cha 14 (+5)

EXPLORATION Trident Chasm: The chasm is 10 feet deep and filled with white-hot charcoal. A creature falling into the pit takes 5 damage plus 15 fire

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damage. A creature ending its turn in the pit takes 15 fire damage. Southwest Building: A dead tiefling guard in this building secrets a mithril key on their person (Perception DC 17). The key unlocks the door leading into the northwest building. This building also contains a portal that leads back to Room F. Northwest Building: The door to this building is locked. It can be opened as a standard action with the mithril key or a DC 17 Thievery check. Arrow Slits: The arrow slits provide superior cover to those standing inside the building. Northeast Building: Two flights of stairs lead to the flat roof of this structure. Three cold iron javelins stand here, each with a tiefling skull impaled upon it. A crusader may take a javelin as a minor action, gaining the following power: r Cold Iron Javelin (weapon) Attack: Ranged 5 (one creature); Strength or Dexterity + 3 vs. AC Hit: 15 damage. If the target is a demon, increase the damage to 30. The cold iron javelin is destroyed. Miss: The cold iron javelin lands in a square adjacent to the target (your choice).

Southeast Building: An eye of disruption hazard levitates atop this structure. It attacks each round on initiative count 20: r Eye of Disruption Attack: Ranged 20 (one creature); +13 vs. Reflex Hit: The target slides 2 squares and loses a healing surge. If this reduces the target to 0 healing surges, they die, and another eye of disruption emerges from their corpse. All eyes in play act simultaneously.

In addition, deal one treasure card to the party for each living crusader. Ritual Empowerment: Skill checks made to cast rituals while on the Altar of Seven Trees are considered to have a check result of 40. In addition, all numeric effects are doubled.

Threats: The Heresiarch’s twin marilith daughters protect the Altar of Seven Trees: 

Arcana or Religion DC 25 (standard action): A crusader adjacent to any eye of disruption dispels it. Athletics DC 17: A crusader successfully climbs the jagged wall of the building. Altar of Seven Trees: The stone platform rises 5 feet off the ground. A brimstone altar crawling with centipedes stands in the center of a pentagram that has been painted onto the tier. A small lectern rests atop the altar. The trees provide cover. Religion DC 25: The altar radiates paragon-tier divine magic. This check also identifies the ritual empowerment effect (See below). Reading the Catechism of the Heresiarch: A crusader that stands at the altar and spends 5 minutes reading the Catechism found in the bleak seminary (Room D) conjures both an emerald planet and a sapphire planet.

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ENCOUNTER Starting the Encounter: The encounter begins when any of the crusaders takes an action other than making Perception, Insight, or knowledge checks.

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Mother of Agony (A): The pale flesh of this winged marilith is marred with hundreds of scars, piercings, and lacerations. In each of her six hands, she wields an iron wand tipped with an egg-sized grey orb. The Mother of Agony prefers to spread her attacks among as many enemies as possible. She retreats if surrounded or cornered, often perching atop one of the buildings and raining down magic attacks from relative safety. Mother of Terror (T): This marilith is almost entirely encased in obsidian scale mail wrapped in spiked chains. She wades into melee with her six heavy flails, concentrating her attacks on a single powerful foe. If harried by ranged attackers, the Mother of Terror will command her sister to concentrate her attacks on them.

Ending the Encounter: The encounter ends when both marilith sisters are slain. Any eyes of disruption currently active melt away to ichor when both mariliths are destroyed.

MOTHER OF AGONY

MOTHER OF AGONY

Level 9 Elite Controller Large elemental humanoid (demon), marilith HP 140; Bloodied 70 Initiative +9 AC 21, Fortitude 18, Reflex 20, Will 21 Speed 8, fly 6 Resist 5 variable (1/encounter); Immune ongoing damage Perception +7 Saving Throws +2; Action Points 1 TRAITS  Torturous Contagion (necrotic) • Aura 5 Whenever an enemy in the aura fails a save against an effect a save can end, every other enemy in the aura takes 10 necrotic damage and gains that effect (save ends). STANDARD ACTIONS M Bashing Wand (force, weapon) • At-Will Attack: Melee 2 (one creature); +14 vs. AC Hit: 10 force damage, and the target suffers one of the effects described in infernal wand. R Infernal Wand (force, weapon) • At-Will Attack: Ranged 10 (one creature); +12 vs. Reflex Hit: 15 force damage, and the target suffers one of the following effects (choose or roll): 1. The target is immobilized (save ends) 2. The target is dazed (save ends) 3. The target is weakened (save ends) 4. The target is blinded (save ends) 5. The target slides 4 squares 6. The target takes ongoing 10 damage (save ends) m/r Guarded Barrage • At-Will Effect: The mother of agony makes two basic attacks and gains a +2 bonus to AC until the start of her next turn.

m/r Wand Dance • Encounter Effect: The mother of agony makes up to six basic attacks. Special: The mother of agony may take 50 damage as a free action to recharge this power. MINOR ACTIONS c Word of Agony • At-Will (1/round) Attack: Close blast 5 (one creature in the blast) Effect: The target takes a -2 penalty to saving throws until the start of the mother of agony’s next turn. TRIGGERED ACTIONS Retributive Transubstantiation (teleportation)• Encounter Trigger: An enemy slays the mother of terror Effect (Free Action): The mother of agony teleports up to 8 squares and then utters a shriek that causes the blood of the mother of terror to congeal into a pair of monstrous sanguineous rot grubs (see below). The rot grubs act immediately.

MOTHER OF TERROR

MOTHER OF TERROR

Level 9 Elite Brute Large elemental humanoid (demon), marilith HP 180; Bloodied 90 Initiative +8 AC 21, Fortitude 21, Reflex 18, Will 18 Speed 8 Resist 5 variable (1/encounter); Immune fear Perception +5 Saving Throws +2; Action Points 1 TRAITS  Tyrannical Presence (fear) • Aura 3 Enemies in the aura grant combat advantage and must spend a standard action to stand up from prone. STANDARD ACTIONS M Flail of Contrition (fear, weapon)• At-Will Attack: Melee 2 (one creature); +14 vs. AC Hit: 25 damage, and the target is knocked prone.

Str 15 (+6) Dex 17 (+7) Wis 17 (+7) Con 14 (+6) Int 18 (+8) Cha 20 (+9)

m Weapon Dance • Recharge when first bloodied

MONSTROUS SANGUINEOUS ROT GRUBS (2)

r Vorpal Boomerang • Recharge 6

Level 8 Brute Medium magical beast

Attack: Ranged 10 (one or two different creatures); +14 vs. AC Hit: 35 damage (crit 15-20).

HP 45; Bloodied 22 AC 20, Fortitude 21, Reflex 19, Will 19 Speed 4 Perception +7

Effect: The mother of terror makes up to six basic attacks. She may shift 2 squares after each attack.

TRIGGERED ACTIONS Avenging Fury (teleportation) • Encounter

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +13 vs. AC Hit: The target is restrained (escape DC 16). While restrained, the target takes ongoing 20 necrotic damage.

Trigger: An enemy slays the mother of agony Effect (Free Action): The mother of terror teleports up to 8 squares and draws six unbound swords that shall not be drawn (melee basic 2; +19 vs. AC; 35 damage, crit: target cannot attack [save ends]). She then recharges and immediately uses weapon dance.

Str 21 (+9) Dex 17 (+7) Wis 17 (+7) Con 17 (+7) Int 9 (+3) Cha 11 (+4)

Str 20 (+9) Dex 15 (+6) Wis 12 (+5) Con 20 (+9) Int 13 (+5) Cha 14 (+6)

TRIGGERED ACTIONS M Necrotizing Osmosis (necrotic) • At-Will

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M. D OM E

OF

I N T E R R OG A T I ON A brimstone face in the wall of this gloomy dome questions the crusaders on their knowledge of the Fane. If they are deemed worthy, they are permitted to pass through to the Heresiarch’s sanctum. FEATURES OF THE ROOM 

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A few candles scattered across the floor are the only illumination in this low-ceilinged dome. An enormous stone face 8 feet in diameter is set into the east wall. It has been hewn into the likeness of three conjoined tiefling skulls, its disfigured, fanged mouth wide open. There is only blank wall between its crooked teeth. Twelve smaller faces, each appearing as an emaciated king, ring the dome at regular intervals. They are fixed into the wall at shoulder height.

Perception DC 19: The jaws of the faces are on a hinge that allows the mouth to close with great force. A hinge can be disabled with a DC 27 Thievery check; however, failure triggers a disenchanting meteor swarm trap that attacks all crusaders (+16 vs. Reflex). On a hit, the swarm deals 45 fire damage, and one random treasure card the target is carrying is dispelled. On a miss, the trap deals 22 fire damage. Windowed Eyes: A crusader closely inspecting the twelve faces discovers that the eyes of each are windows that overlook small porcelain dioramas inside the wall. The dioramas shown are: 1. 2.

3.

4.

EXPLORATION Twelve Small Faces: These stone faces are 3 feet in diameter. Their mouths are open, revealing a hole in the wall just large enough for a Medium-sized creature to stick its head into (Insight DC 13).

5. 6.

A family painting eggs in a newlybloomed field of tulips. (Spring) Youth with trident tattoos on their foreheads swimming in a pond beneath a bright midday sun. (Summer) Several women picking apples in an orchard of trees whose leaves have turned. (Autumn) A congregation bowing in prayer inside a church with grotesque stained-glass windows. Thick frost clings to the glass, and a fireplace roars near the lectern. (Winter) A tribe of primal elves stalking bison through a windswept prairie. (Summer) Men in thick leather coveralls harvesting corn and other crops beneath a twilit sky. (Autumn)

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7.

A single widow mourning at a grave covered in snow. (Winter) 8. Ten maidens with black flowers in their hair dancing around a maypole. A cluster of adolescent boys are standing nearby, waiting to be asked to dance. (Spring) 9. A man shrouded in robes struggling to climb a snow drift toward a home with a single lit candle in each window. (Winter) 10. A feasting crowd watching a joust. Several are fanning themselves in the heat. In the distance, a troupe of halflings is fleeing from a fireworks display gone awry. (Summer) 11. Knights walking through a city square dripping with ice melted by the morning sun. Tiny green sprouts poke through the cobblestone street. (Spring) 12. Hooded figures walk through a pumpkin patch, scythes and baskets in their hands. (Autumn)

The twelve faces are a part of the interrogation challenge (see below).

THE MASK

OF THE

SUN-EATER

If the crusaders recovered all 6 planets and fitted them into the standing circle in Room A, a pedestal will appear in the center of this chamber. Floating above the pedestal is the mask of the sun-eater, a powerful weapon the Heresiarch claimed from a temple on another world (ILLUSTRATION #4).

Conjoined Stone Skull: ILLUSTRATION #5. When any crusader first comes within 5 feet, the face’s eyes hiss to life with odorous black flame. It introduces itself as Cerberus, Guardian of the Sanctum, and then begins the interrogation challenge (see below). INTERROGATION CHALLENGE Cerberus will ask the crusaders 3 questions about the Fane. Each question is randomly determined from the list below (1d12). 1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6. 7.

8.

9.

What was nailed to the archway atop the watchtower? (Forsaken Shell Faces) What was embedded in the meteorite in the observatory? (Skeletons) What guardian lurked in the gauntlet of sliding walls? (Constellation of Living Spheres of Annihilation) Who was depicted by the brazier in the bleak seminary? (Anat) Name the Bride of the Heresiarch. (Lahamu) The keyhole in the ashen ambulatory was shaped like what object? (Hourglass) Name three of the deities trapped in the frozen gibbet. (Kishar, Naia, Asar-Segt, Teurama, Kotaresh, Euryale, Marduk, Lyth) Name the half-angel succubus that watches over the pleasure crypts. (Sorrow Nimbus) What swims beneath the bile in the death wyverns’ crucible? (Hydra Ghoul)

10. Name the vampire medusa that tends to the Heresiarch’s children and wards the door to the Chaos Maze. (Dusk Blossom) 11. What relic dangles from the neck of the minotaur statue in the Chaos Maze? (Chaos Device) 12. How many trees stood about the ritual circle in the mothers’ cloister? (Seven)

To answer Cerberus’s questions, a crusader must place their head into the mouth of one of the twelve kingly faces that ring the dome, and then speak their response. If the crusader answers correctly and places their head into a face containing a diorama depicting the season rolled in Rooms I or J (pages 25 and 27), a bell tolls. The face then slowly disappears into the wall. If the crusader answers incorrectly or places their head in one of the wrong faces, the jaws snap shut, attacking the crusader (+14 vs. Reflex). On a hit, the target is decapitated, and the head tumbles forward into the hole in the wall and down a long chute. In either case, Cerberus proceeds to the next question. He does not reveal the correct answers to any questions the crusaders might have missed.

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If the crusaders answer 2 out of 3 questions correctly, Cerberus disappears into the wall as if he were being sucked down into a bog. A blood-red portal topped with a brimstone trident appears in his place – this is the exit to the final battle with the Heresiarch (Room N). If the crusaders do not answer at least 2 of the questions correctly, Cerberus demands a sacrifice of 2 treasure cards per crusader. If the crusaders oblige, the portal is revealed as above. If the crusaders cannot make this sacrifice, lava floods the dome, incinerating all within and ending the game.

N. H E RE SI A R CH ’ S S AN C T U M

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When the crusaders arrive in this dark chapel, the Heresiarch summons its chaos serpent and attacks immediately. FEATURES OF THE ROOM 

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The ceiling of this vast chapel has fallen away, revealing a city-sized glass dome above. Monstrous iron bands reinforce the dome, each straining to hold back an endless ocean of churning black water. A pair of ruddy moons float in the water, moving in and out of view and casting long shadows that drip into the recesses of the grotesque idols that stand along the walls. A brimstone tier rises in the center of the chapel, atop which stands a vertical mass grave enclosed by a wall of force. It looms nearly three stories above the bloodstained floor.

EXPLORATION There is no time for exploration – have the crusaders roll initiative as soon as they enter. ENCOUNTER Starting the Encounter: The encounter begins as soon as the crusaders arrive from Room M.

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The Heresiarch (H): Conqueror of a thousand worlds, the Heresiarch appears as a faceless humanoid wrapped in a flowing, gold-trimmed robe the color of dried blood. Spines just from its shoulders, and two scaly hands grasp a curved trident that crackles with violet lightning. Three small cubes inscribed with astrological runes orbit the Heresiarch’s head, pulsing with mana each time it unleashes a magic attack. Those who draw near to the Heresiarch spy a row of reptilian teeth and cinderous red eyes beneath the hood. Chaos Serpent: The Heresiarch rides on the back of a large bipedal serpent with leathery scales and an oversized maw. Its hide is covered in curved horns upon which dozens of crusader skeletons are impaled.

Portcullis and Altar: The altar in the south wall is barred by a portcullis constructed from petrified vipers. It can be forced open with a standard action and a DC 27 Athletics or Thievery check. Doing so causes 3 mystic urns to materialize above the altar. If the check fails by 5 or more, the target takes 25 poison damage.

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ENDING

THE

ADVENTURE

If the crusaders reduce the Heresiarch to 0 hit points, stop the timer. The Heresiarch lets out a deep, discordant scream – a cry so loud that the dome above buckles and shatters, sending shards of glass and torrents of black water tumbling down into the chapel. Arcs of lightning slither down from the broken iron supports, each bolt lashing against the Heresiarch’s body, stripping the vestments and scales from its yellowed bones. If the crusaders do not possess the mask of the suneater, they all freeze to death or drown in a matter of moments, their last sight that of the scorched Heresiarch’s skull floating down into the darkness, crimson bubbles rising from the cracks between its four sets of jaws. They are still victorious – the Heresiarch’s threat ended once and for all – but they shall not live to enjoy the new era of peace. However, if the crusaders possess the mask, it suddenly activates upon the Heresiarch’s death, bathing each crusader in radiant azure light. In an instant, they are teleported across the galaxy, awakening in a dustswept ruin on an unknown planet. Endless treasure surrounds the dizzied crusaders, though any life that existed here has long since perished. Among the relics in the temple is the orb of worlds. The crusaders may never again find their way back home, the spirit of the orb explains; however, with but three words and a solemn oath of brotherhood and sisterhood, they may birth this one anew. ▪

THE HERESIARCH

THE HERESIARCH

Level 11 Solo Artillery Large elemental immortal humanoid HP 300; Bloodied 150 Initiative +12 AC 23 (25 mounted), Fortitude 23, Reflex 23, Will 24 Speed 6 (8 mounted) Immune fear; Resist 10 variable (2/encounter) Perception +9, Truesight Saving Throws +5; Action Points 4 TRAITS Arcane Shield (healing) Each time the Heresiarch starts its turn bloodied, it gains 20 temporary hit points.  Corrupting Presence (necrotic) • Aura 2 Enemies that start their turn in the aura take necrotic damage equal to 5 + the number of points of blight they’ve gained. Serpent Rider The Heresiarch begins the encounter mounted on a chaos serpent. While mounted, the Heresiarch has an AC of 25 and a speed of 8. It may also use powers with the mount keyword. When the Heresiarch is bloodied, the chaos serpent dies and the Heresiarch loses these benefits. It also becomes a Medium-sized creature. STANDARD ACTIONS M/R Chaos Trident (lightning, weapon) • At-Will Attack: Melee 2 or Ranged 10 (one, two, or three different creatures); +16 vs. AC Hit: 25 lightning damage. If the Heresiarch attacks only one creature, it gains a +15 bonus to damage.

 Cull the Blighted (necrotic) • Encounter Attack: Close burst 20 (creatures in the burst); +14 vs. Will Hit: 15 necrotic damage per point of blight the target has gained, and the target is pulled 5 squares. Miss: Half damage. a Defiling Swarm (necrotic) • Recharge 6 Attack: Area burst 1 within 10 (creatures in the burst); +15 vs. Fortitude Hit: The Heresiarch conjures a swarm of crawling Hands of Vecna. The target takes 40 necrotic damage and gains 2 points of blight. Miss: 20 necrotic damage, and the target gains 1 point of blight. a Infernal Flame Strike (fire) • Recharge 56 Attack: Area burst 2 within 10 (creatures in the burst); +15 vs. Reflex Hit: 30 fire damage, and the target is dazed until the start of the Heresiarch’s next turn. Miss: 15 fire damage. r Wand of Obliteration • Recharge 6 Attack: Ranged 10 (one creature); +13 vs. AC Hit: 60 damage. If the target is not of the martial power source and is reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by this attack, they and every other creature that shares the target’s power source, including other crusaders, are annihilated. The players may not build crusaders of the target’s power source in subsequent plays of this adventure for which you are the DM. World-Splitting Trident of Total Devastation • Encounter Requirement: The Heresiarch must be bloodied. Effect: The Heresiarch hurls its trident into the ground in an unoccupied square within 5. Tremors radiate from the floor, and crimson light glows from its prongs. The trident can be removed from the ground by an adjacent crusader with a

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standard action and a DC 27 Athletics or Thievery check. All players know of this power’s effect. If this feat is not performed by the start of the Heresiarch’s next turn, the entire plane explodes and the Heresiarch discorporates, ending the game in defeat. In either case, the trident disintegrates at the start of the Heresiarch’s next turn, and it loses its chaos trident attack. MINOR ACTIONS m Bite (mount) • At-Will (1/round) Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +15 vs. AC Hit: 40 damage. r Astral Bolt (force, radiant) • At-Will (1/round) Attack: Ranged 10 (one creature) Effect: 10 force and radiant damage, and the target is pushed 1 square. c Poison Breath (mount, poison) • Encounter Attack: Close blast 5 (creatures in the blast); +14 vs. Fortitude Effect: 30 poison damage, and the target is weakened (save ends). Miss: 15 poison damage. TRIGGERED ACTIONS Immortal Recovery • At-Will (1/round) Trigger: The Heresiarch fails a saving throw Effect (No Action): The Heresiarch re-rolls the failed saving throw. Shield of Repulsion (teleportation) • Recharge when first bloodied Trigger: The Heresiarch is hit by an attack Effect (Immediate Interrupt): The triggering attack instead hits the crusader who made it. If the triggering attack scored a critical hit, the target must also make a successful saving throw or be teleported into the ocean beyond the dome, where their body is crushed by the pressure. Str 14 (+7) Dex 15 (+7) Wis 19 (+9) Con 20 (+10) Int 21 (+10) Cha 23 (+11)

T O UR N AME N T S C OR I N G If you’ve decided to use the tournament scoring rules, you can figure out how many points the crusaders earned by following the steps below. PLANETS Award the crusaders 125 points for each planet they recovered. TIME BONUS Award the crusaders 500 points if they successfully complete the adventure in an hour or less. Award the crusaders 250 points if they successfully complete the adventure in one to two hours. Award the crusaders 100 points if they successfully complete the adventure in two to four hours. TREASURE BONUS If the crusaders successfully complete the adventure, award them 5 points for each treasure card they still possess. Award the crusaders 10 points if they claimed the catechism of the Heresiarch.

Award the crusaders 25 points if they claimed the bone compass. Award the crusaders 25 points if they claimed the chaos device.

If the crusaders defeat the Heresiarch without the mask of the sun-eater, award them 250 points. If they defeat the Heresiarch with the mask, award them 500 points instead. PENALTY

Award the crusaders 25 points if they claimed the wings of wrath. Award the crusaders 25 points if they claimed the scroll of power word: blind. Award the crusaders 50 points if they claimed the Heart of Khaldun. Award the crusaders 75 points if they claimed the staff of the serpent rider. Award the crusaders 100 points if they claimed the mask of the sun-eater. QUEST BONUS Award the crusaders 25 points if they bring the head of Sorrow Nimbus to either Lahamu or Dusk Blossom. Award the crusaders 50 points for draining the dracolisk bile from Room I. Award the crusaders 50 points for discovering the dome of meditation (Room E5).

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Subtract 50 points from the party’s score each time a crusader dies, 75 points if the death was the result of blight. If a crusader is raised from the dead or brought back to life with the Resurrection afterlife card, the penalty is waived. FINAL RANKING Godlike Ascendants Bishops Crusaders Acolytes Parishioners Lepers

1800+ 1400-1799 800-1399 400-799 150-399 1-149 0 or less

LEADERBOARD Submit the party’s score, their team name, and a brief play report to [email protected]. The highest scores will be featured on the fourthcore Leaderboard at hub.saveversusdeath.com.