I_Am_Your_World_DnD_5e

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2 Credits Credits Lead Designer: Theo Thourson Story Consultant: Satine Phoenix Writers: Theo Thourson, Grady Wang Editors: Cassie Rose, Mikaela Sims, Grady Wang Cover Artist: Victor Tan Zashmed Artist: Hung Pham Layout Designer: Grady Wang Cartographers: Theo Thourson (village created with Inkarnate Pro license), Grady Wang (Malinthalid’s lair based on sketches by Theo), Servin Vartanian (neogi deathspider based on maps by TSR Inc. in second edition Dungeons & Dragons) Additional interior artists: penji.co (page backgrounds by Kenjie Cuarto, art by Mark De Vera) Penji is a subscription graphic design service that has served us well when we need a middle ground between free art resources and a commissioned artist. You can try one month with 15% off by entering our promo code 27HIIFRTA1261503 or clicking the links above. We receive a referral bonus if you sign up with our code. Gallant Goblin Logo Artist: Shawna Armstrong (O Totally Studios) Playtesters: Alexandra Nieto, Ansel Misfeldt, Edward Ma, Grady Wang, Harry Gao, Henry Su, Jack Sinclair, Robert Kanter Additional royalty-free resources: Bebas Neue font designed by Ryoichi Tsunekawa, Flat-It Type Foundry, provided under SIL Open Font License v1.1 Printf and Ethnocentric fonts designed by Ray Larabie from Typodermic and provided through Adobe Fonts Community use art from Dungeon Masters Guild provided by Wizards of the Coast Additional royalty-free art from unsplash.com, pixabay.com, pexels.com, textures.com, storyblocks.com Illithid Qualith font design by sunakai, provided under Creative Commons license ON THE COVER Malinthalid triumphantly examines a potion of joy he has distilled from humanoid emotions while one of his neogi allies looks on. His lab is aboard a neogi spacecraft with a window overlooking the planet Toril. Humanoid bodies and body parts float in jars in the background. Theo Thourson is one-half of The Gallant Goblin, a gaming company devoted to helping players and game masters find the right tools to improve their Dungeons & Dragons games and spark their story-telling imagination. He lives in Richmond, TX with his partner, Grady Wang. Join us for product reviews, 5e supplements, and cat pictures at: YouTube youtube.com/thegallantgoblin Patreon patreon.com/thegallantgoblin Discord discord.gg/965z54hPzx Twitter @gallantgoblin Facebook facebook.com/thegallantgoblin Instagram @thegallantgoblin Reddit /r/thegallantgoblin Twitch twitch.tv/thegallantgoblin Web Store gallantgoblin.com/shop DMs Guild The Gallant Goblin DTRPG The Gallant Goblin Author’s Notes Writing one’s first adventure in a single month is a difficult and time-consuming endeavor, and not one I could have done alone. I’d like to thank Grady Wang for his love, support, and endless assistance behind the scenes with editing, mapmaking, playtesting, and design. Grady sacrificed his own project so mine might be brought to life. I’d also like to thank Satine Phoenix for her guidance and wisdom as I struggled to even come up with an idea. Many thanks to Ashley Warren for creating the RPG Writer Workshop and providing the forum and structure I needed to write my first adventure. Thank you to Michael Nason for introducing me to Ashley as well as providing steadfast friendship, support, and advice. Cassie Rose kindly used her +9 perception ability to meticulously improve almost every sentence in this adventure, and I’m forever grateful. She has been a steadfast supporter of our work. Special thanks to my playtesters for being eager to jump into my strange brain and swim about: Harry Gao, Robert Kanter, Edward Ma, Ansel Misfeldt, Alexandra Nieto, Jack Sinclair, Henry Su, and Grady Wang. And thank you to my artists, Victor Tan and Hung Pham, for bringing my imagination to life. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica, Theros, and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright 2021 by Theo Thourson and The Gallant Goblin and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.

Table of Contents 3 Table of Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Critical Content Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Adventure Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 How to Use this Adventure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Story Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Adventure Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Adventure Hook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Chapter 1 - Terror Around the Campfire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 The Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Chapter 2 - The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Village Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Roleplaying the Villagers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Roleplaying Malinthalid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Areas of the Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Further Developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Chapter 3 - Malinthalid’s Lair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Lair Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Areas of Malinthalid’s Lair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Concluding the Adventure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Appendix A - Creature Stat BLocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Appendix B - Magic Items & Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Appendix C - Neogi Deathspider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Battle Deck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Primary Deck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Hold Deck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Appendix D - Player Handouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

4 Introduction Introduction “The sadistic narcissist perceives himself as Godlike, ruthless and devoid of scruples, capricious and unfathomable, emotion-less and non-sexual, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, a plague, a devastation, an inescapable verdict.” –Sam Vaknin, author of Malignant Self-Love: Narcissism Revisited After taking a long rest, the adventuring party awakens around an unfamiliar campfire in a dark, misty forest. Their memories have been altered but they retain the same personality and mental and physical characteristics. They must find a way to escape this false reality, reclaim their memories, and stop whoever perpetrated this manipulative act on them. Critical Content Warning This adventure involves themes of memory manipulation (i.e., gaslighting) and emotional manipulation. Because this is, sadly, a common type of abuse, your players may find this module too upsetting to enjoy. Appendix D contains cards with information about gaslighting and available resources. Please have them available for your players as you start the adventure. It is important to read the following text to your players prior to the gaming session: Read to Players Prior to Playing This adventure features the themes of gaslighting and emotional manipulation. Gaslighting is emotional and psychological abuse in which the perpetrator destabilizes the victim by making them doubt their own memories. They do this using persistent denial, misdirection, contradiction, and lying. This is not an uncommon phenomenon. If you or someone you care about has experienced this type of abuse, you may find this adventure distressing. If you would rather play another adventure, please let me know. Also, if at any time while playing you find yourself experiencing emotional distress, write an ‘X’ on a piece of paper and show me. We will call a time-out, and I’ll speak to you privately. I also have an information card about gaslighting and how to get help that I can give you at any time. If you have reservations or questions, please let me know before we begin. Adventure Background Gaslighting is emotional abuse. It is the act of making a person doubt their own reality and memories. Some ways a perpetrator might do this include withholding information from the victim, countering the memories of the victim to fit the abuser’s perspective, trivializing the victim’s emotions and ideas, verbally abusing the victim, and denying things that were said or promised. Gaslighting is a gradual process that can wear down a person’s self-esteem and confidence, often leaving the victim feeling as if they deserve the abuse. It can be difficult to help someone break out of the cycle of abuse because their perception of reality has been altered. When that perceived reality is directly challenged, a person’s response usually involves defensiveness and rationalization. How to Use this Adventure DMs need the Dungeon Master’s Guide (denoted as DMG) and the Monster Manual (denoted as MM) to run this adventure. Volo’s Guide to Monsters provides further background for the mind flayers and neogi. When a creature’s name appears in bold type, that’s a visual cue to look up the creature’s stat block in the Monster Manual, on the same page or a nearby page, or in appendix A at the end of this adventure. Stat blocks are included for modified creatures, as well as creatures found in books outside of the Monster Manual. The adventure is written assuming a Sword Coast setting but can be placed in any similar setting with minor adjustments. It is important to read through this adventure before beginning. As it can be lengthy, this adventure may be best spread across two to three sessions. Memory Manipulation There are several main gameplay factors that make this adventure unique. First, the characters begin with their explicit memories suppressed. Similar to amnesia, the characters retain their skills, languages, primary personality traits, and physical and mental characteristics. However their knowledge of facts, history, and experiences has been suppressed. They’ve been given a new name and history. This is reflected in gameplay by informing the players that they can no longer use abilities granted by their class, which represents their schooling and/or training. Everything else remains intact. Note that history and arcana checks should have very high DCs to reflect the characters’ loss of explicit memory. This sudden loss of skill can be a way to shake up an ongoing campaign but may frustrate players who created a fun, new character for this adventure if it’s used as a oneshot. An NPC will inform the players at the start of the adventure that if they find her, they will have their abilities

Introduction 5 restored. Ideally they will regain their abilities about 2/3 of the way through the adventure. New Identities In chapter 1, give players cards from appendix D to represent their characters’ new identities. Each identity has a few abilities and stat augmentations. There is also a page of blank cards to make custom identities. Characters use the identities on the cards until they recover their memories in chapter 3. As they are underpowered compared their original stats, they must find novel solutions to problems and secure the help of allies. Depending on the combination of identities drawn from the cards, the power level of the party may vary considerably. Adjust the frequency and difficulty level of the combat encounters accordingly. On some encounters, alternative opponents may be recommended for different difficulty levels. If using this adventure as a one shot, starting each character with one or two magic items of uncommon rarity will help them compensate for their loss of class abilities. Choose items that will be useful during the adventure. Illusory Magic There is a strong use of illusory magic in this adventure. The setting is a village which is inside a very large room that is made to look, sound, and feel like a forest. The effect is similar to movies like The Truman Show and the holodeck in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Role-Playing If you would like to role-play the villain and NPCs with an eye to truly representing perpetrators and victims of gaslighting, guidance is provided in chapter 2. Where appropriate, some advanced level tips are included to add another layer of realism to the adventure. Story Background The Neogi The neogi are aliens that look like spiders with an eel’s neck and head. They’re the size of a large dog. They are lawful evil slavers with a strict hierarchical society. While they are not strong physically, they are able to poison the mind and body of their victim, subjugating them to their will. The neogi do not experience emotions the way humans and other races do, but they have begun to see the usefulness of emotion in strengthening their own abilities and bending others to their will on a more permanent basis. Enter the Mind Flayer Some months previously, a colony of neogi encountered a lone mind flayer who had been banished by the elder brain due to his forbidden research into arcane matters. This mind flayer, Malinthalid, is arrogant even for a mind flayer. He continues to study humanoid brains, particularly those of strong magic users, to advance his understanding of the arcane arts in the hopes of becoming a lich. Malinthalid’s hatred for the elder brain who banished him grows more intense by the day. His expulsion was a humiliation that he cannot let stand. The neogi found common cause with Malinthalid and struck an arrangement: the neogi would transport, protect, and supply Malinthalid with a steady stream of easy prey to support his arcane research, and in return, Malinthalid would help the neogi extract and weaponize humanoid emotion. The Village On board the neogi space vessel, which has a distinct spidery aspect, Malinthalid, the neogi, and their servants set up an immense laboratory. They call it “The Village.” Malinthalid has perfected a method of extracting the memories from a being. He mixes and matches memories from different people to create new identities for his captives in order to quickly and efficiently engender strong emotions in the villagers by creating scenarios. For example, he may give two villagers the memories of being bitter rivals and have them meet in a tavern to bring about the emotion of anger. Once these strong emotions have been generated, Malinthalid extracts the emotion from his victim, leaving them in a state of calm numbness. Because he can manipulate memories, Malinthalid is able to reproduce his experiments on the same set of victims until he has exhausted their emotional spectrum. Currently he is able to extract love, joy, anger, despair, and fear. Malinthalid returns these liquid emotions to his laboratory where neogi scientists distill them into potions. The neogi use the potions on themselves or others as suits their nefarious needs. When a victim is of no further use, Malinthalid consumes their brain. Neogi

6 Introduction The Resistor Malinthalid has several servants. He has been provided the use of an umber hulk for manual labor. Intellect devourers lie in wait to ambush intruders to his sanctum. A duergar runs his Cleansing Chamber and an oblex guards his Observatory. He also employs an elderly moon elf named Shanathea who has innate arcane abilities. Shanathea escaped the fate of other victims by convincing him that she could help him to also produce the emotions of love and joy, which had thus far eluded him. Her spellbook and spell components were confiscated to ensure that she could not cause trouble. Her prepared spells were wiped from her mind, leaving her unable to cast anything but a few cantrips. She did manage to smuggle away a few spell scrolls she hopes to use to escape one day. Shanathea has been dutifully serving Malinthalid for two months, biding her time until she sees an opportunity for escape, hopefully destroying Malinthalid in the process. The arrival of the adventurers, who seem more capable than most of the captives, is just the opportunity she was awaiting. The Time is Now Shanathea was able to sabotage the memory extraction procedure for the newly arrived adventurers such that they retained an echo of their previous lives, enough to know that their new identities were somehow wrong. She also used her influence to allow them to keep their gear. Malinthalid, in his arrogance, is overconfident and careless. Shanathea aims to use this weakness against him. There are currently four other captives in the Village, none of whom possess their original memories. All the memories of the villagers and player characters are kept safe inside Malinthalid’s lair. Text that appears in a box like this is meant to be read aloud or paraphrased for the players when their characters first arrive at a location or under specific circumstances, as described in the text. Adventure Overview Chapter 1 - Terror Around the Campfire The party members awaken in a forest at night, huddled around the dimming embers of a campfire without any knowledge of how they came to be there. Their memories and identity have been replaced, but they know something is amiss. There’s no time to contemplate the change as they are immediately attacked. A mysteriously benevolent mind flayer appears out of the shadows to rescue them. Chapter 2 - The Village The party members must explore the strange village in which they find themselves. They meet several villagers who appear to believe things that seem to be demonstrably false. Each of the villagers revere the town master, the mind flayer they know as Mr. M. Eventually the characters learn that Mr. M is manipulating the villagers in order steal their emotions. They must find a way inside Mr. M’s lair to stop him before it’s too late for them and the villagers. Chapter 3 - Malinthalid’s Lair The party must make their way through the laboratory, uncover Malinthalid’s plot, restore their memories and abilities, and devise a strategy to take on Malinthalid directly. The threat may be too dire to confront alone, but the characters will learn that they can restore the memories of the villagers to gain powerful allies. They can also use the extracted emotions against Malinthalid. They must use their resources to defeat Malinthalid and discover a way home. Adventure Hook This adventure begins with the party waking up a day after being abducted by the neogi. This can happen when the characters take a long rest in an unsecured location without keeping someone on watch. A neogi deathspider in orbit around Toril

Chapter 1 | Terror Around the Campfire 7 Chapter 1 - Terror Around the Campfire Our story begins as the characters awaken around an unfamiliar campfire in a strange forest in the dead of night. They slowly realize that something changed significantly since they went to sleep. The Forest Alter the following text to account for the situation leading up to the characters’ long rest: You each stir to consciousness after the evening’s rest. The cold is setting in as the campfire is all but extinguished. Your minds seem hazy, as if you’re having trouble extricating yourselves from the night’s dreams, one reality tugging you back from the other. You cannot shake the confusion that sometimes takes hold in the moments after waking. Your lives, your memories, are slipping through your fingers. Your training, your history, your very names are there, but you can’t quite bring them to the forefront of your mind. But you do have a name. You do have a history and a role in this community in which you live. Inform the players that they are no longer able to use any abilities granted by their class. They retain all other abilities, proficiencies, alignment, physical characteristics, and primary personality traits. Their bodies have not been altered. If a character succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (Medicine) check, they will find puncture wounds on the back of everyone’s neck. Give each player a role card (see appendix D). They will use the identity and abilities on these cards until they are able to reclaim their original memories. They also retain their equipment. Warehouse Features The forest is entirely contained inside a building known as The Warehouse. The Warehouse has the following features: • The Warehouse is a wooden structure. The ceiling is 20 feet high. • The lingering campfire spreads dim light to 20 feet. Otherwise, the room is dark. • Illusory magic powered by the ship makes the room appear like a forest, with trees, insect sounds, and an overcast night sky. If a character touches a tree, their hand passes through. The only physical flora is the grass and it is artificial, made of an advanced polymer that is impossible to cut or remove with the tools the characters have available to them. The fire is also an illusion and generates no heat. The illusion on the walls makes it appear that the forest continues indefinitely, but they are, in fact, normal wooden walls. • There is a door at the center of the southern wall. It is unlocked and can be found on a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check. There are two windows, each halfway between the the door and the east and west wall respectively. They can be found by someone searching the area on a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check . A wall can be bashed through on a successful DC 18 Strength (Athletics) check or smashed through (AC 15, 22 hit points, immunity to poison and psychic damage). A campfire burns low in a dark forest

8 Chapter 1 | Terror Around the Campfire Vargouille Tiny fiend, chaotic evil Armor Class 12 Hit Points 13 (3d4 + 6) Speed 5 ft., fly 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 6 (-2) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 4 (-3) 7 (-2) 2 (-4) Proficiency Bonus +2 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages understands Abyssal, Infernal, and any languages it know before becoming a vargouille, but can’t speak Challenge 1 (200 XP) Actions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) poison damage. Kiss. The vargouille kisses one incapacitated humanoid within 5 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Charisma saving throw or become cursed. The cursed target loses 1 point of Charisma after each hour, as its head takes on fiendish aspects. The curse doesn’t advance while the target is in sunlight or the area of a daylight spell; don’t count that time. When the cursed target’s Charisma becomes 2, it dies, and its head tears from its body and becomes a new vargouille. Casting remove curse, greater restoration, or a similar spell on the target before the transformation is complete can end the curse. Doing so undoes the changes made to the target by the curse. Stunning Shriek. The vargouille shrieks. Each humanoid and beast within 30 feet of the vargouille and able to hear it must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the end of the vargouille’s next turn. While frightened in this way, a target is stunned. If a target’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the Stunning Shriek of all vargouilles for 1 hour. A Whisper from the Darkness Allow the characters a few minutes to discuss their situation. Then Shanathea will use a spell scroll of sending to contact the character who previously had the most arcane ability. Read or whisper the following to the player: You suddenly hear a frantic female voice in your head. “Listen. You’re confused. Frightened. That’s all right. I can help. I sabotaged it. Find me. Find a way inside. I can restore your memories. Run!” After a few moments the character(s) with the highest passive perception hears the sound of beating wings. 2-4 vargouilles (see stat block) approach from different directions. When each vargouille comes within 30 feet of all the characters, it uses its Stunning Shriek ability to attempt to instill the frightened condition. A Seeming Savior Unbeknownst to the characters, Malinthalid stands 15 feet east under the effects of his ring of limited invisibility. He stands with a neogi upon whom he has cast invisibility. If a character becomes frightened and paralyzed, Malinthalid appears behind the character and telepathically tells all the characters the following: “Do not fear; I am here now. You may call me Mr. M. You are each very special to me, and I will not permit any real harm to come to you. I have faith you are up to the task of handling these pests. Once you are finished, go home and rest. I will see you again soon.” Dropping his invisibility, he uses his emotion extraction device (see appendix B) to remove one character’s fear (i.e., curing them of the frightened condition). He then uses a bonus action to pass the vial from the emotion extraction device to the invisible neogi. Malinthalid makes a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. Compare the result to the passive perception of those who can see him. Those who have a higher perception than his check will see him pull the vial out of the device, extend his arm down, and then see the vial vanish. The neogi returns to the lair through Mr. M’s House (see chapter 2, area 2) and takes the vial to the lab (see chapter 3, area 5). If a character attacks him before he leaves, he tells them: “Is something the matter, my child? I am not your enemy, these monstrosities are. Don’t forget again.” Malinthalid then casts invisibility on himself and departs, headed south, leaving them to find their own way out of the forest.

Chapter 2 | The Village 9 Chapter 2 - The Village Stepping from one false reality into another, the characters find themselves in a vaguely familiar village. The false memories of this forest home clash with their suppressed memories. Unease sets in as they look around the deserted morning scene. Read or paraphrase the following: Stepping out of the building, the door forcibly closes behind you. You are in a very small village in a forest clearing. Based on the limited sunlight and the mist hanging over the cold ground, it must be near dawn with overcast weather. It’s hard to tell where the sun is in the sky. There are no people about and only four buildings, not counting the one you just left. To the west is a ramshackle well and a small wooden house. Northwest, you see a building with a conical roof. To the east is a farmhouse with a small garden. A hay wagon sits near the tree line. Finally, to the north is a larger house built up on stilts with a large stone chimney. This building feels familiar. like a place you once lived, perhaps long ago. The entire small village sits within a clearing in a dense forest. There is a path leading south and one leading north out of the village. Village Features The Village has the following features: • The Village is self-contained within a very large room inside a neogi space vessel orbiting high above the Sword Coast. Artificial gravity simulates the feeling of being on the surface of the world. Illusory magic similar to the hallucinatory terrain spell makes it seem like the ceiling is an overcast sky, but should the characters examine it more closely, they would notice that the sun and clouds never move. It is perpetual dawn. A mist hangs in the air at all times, somewhat obscuring the ground. • The ground itself is composed of dirt down to about 10 feet before hitting the advanced polymer floor. • Should the party venture more than an eighth of a mile in any direction from the center of the village, they run into a wall. The ceiling is a quarter mile above the ground. The illusory magic gives the impression of a continuing forest in each direction, and a path leading south. The wall feels smooth in all directions and there are no seams or exits, besides the entrance into Malinthalid’s lair which is located in his abode in area 2. Should a successful dispel magic spell be cast against any of the walls or the ceiling (DC 18), the illusion fades in a 10 feet by 10 feet area and a wall made of an unidentified gray polymer is revealed. At the top of each hour, the magic recasts itself and covers any holes in the illusion. The walls, ceiling, and floor are immune to all damage. They also extend into the Ethereal Plane, blocking ethereal travel. A disintegrate spell destroys a wall instantly. • The trees, plants, and rocks all appear real upon cursory inspection, but they are made of an advanced polymer that is unbreakable with the tools at the party’s disposal. They cannot chop a tree or even cut a flower—they will not burn, freeze, dissolve in acid, or react to any attack other than a disintegrate spell or similar, high-level magical effect. A character who succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (Nature) check is able to discern that they are indeed fake. • There are no true living things in the village other than the villagers, the party members, and the garden in area 4. The characters may notice there are no birds, bugs, rodents, or other wildlife, though the sound of wildlife is evident around the room. • Unless otherwise specified, the houses, well, and other manufactured structures and items are as they appear to be and behave as expected. The houses are primarily made of wood with thatched roofs, some with stone foundations and chimneys. • The well is made of stone and extends down 8 feet where it ends in a stone floor, although it appears to continue down more than 100 feet. The villagers have fresh supplies of food and water in their homes, which they remember collecting but which were placed there by the neogi. The well is nonfunctional. Mr. M and the Emotion Monitors Malinthalid, or Mr. M as the villagers know him, spends his time either working in his lab (see chapter 3, area 5), in his observatory (see chapter 3, area 7), or interacting with the villagers (see the section entitled “Role-playing Malinthalid”). He sleeps in his meditation chamber (see chapter 3, area 8) on a regular schedule for 6 hours each day. He has set scenarios into motion that produce strong emotions from the villagers. These scenarios will be described in each location where they may occur. In each house is an emotion monitor, which appears as a cloudy glass orb about a foot in diameter. If the villagers are asked about the orb, they claim it was a present from Mr. M. Should anyone within 30 feet of the monitor begin to feel heightened emotions, the emotion monitor turns yellow, then orange, and finally pulses red as the emotion intensifies. When a globe turns orange, Malinthalid is magically alerted. He then enters his house where he summons a neogi from his lair. He casts invisibility on the neogi, and they both make their way to the location of the activated monitor. The monitor is an artifact that is almost indestructible, requiring extreme efforts to destroy. Malinthalid should arrive just as the monitor turns red unless something has calmed the emotion of the individual. Should the monitor turn red, he uses his emotion extraction

10 Chapter 2 | The Village device on the person whose emotion is triggering the monitoring device. He pulls the vial from the emotion extraction device and pass it to the neogi, who takes it back to the laboratory. As the emotion has faded, the emotion monitor turns off. The victim has not lost the emotion forever but stays in a calm state for 2d10 minutes after the procedure. Malinthalid admonishes the villager for being so emotional (see the section “Roleplaying Malinthalid”). An individual will begin having headaches 1d8 hours after having an emotion extracted. Villagers go to Malinthalid and seek help. He brings them into his house where new memories are implanted (See “Further Developments” later this chapter). Malinthalid also tours each of the homes every few hours (except when sleeping) to check on his subjects and inflict further abuse. In his mind, this abuse keeps the villagers unstable and less likely to cause problems. The characters may see him going from house to house as he does his rounds. There are occasionally one or two neogi cloaked under an invisibility spell walking around the village observing the scenarios. Roleplaying the Villagers The villagers have all had their memories wiped and replaced several times. They retain the main aspects of their personalities. Some of their intense interests bleed through into comments and activities in their lives. For example, one of the villagers, Nona, was a chemist and botanist who will share spontaneous scientific information without knowing where it came from. These are hints to their identities. It’s important to role-play these hints as the players must match the villagers to their names and professions later in order to restore their memories. The villagers are as follows: Villager Identities Real Identity Current Identity Nona - Scientist Kello - Owner of general store Zashmed - Wizard Zorad - Town carpenter Endatha - Investigator Umbrunda - Escaping refugee Niala - Daughter of Endatha and Zashmed Zipa - Daughter of Zorad The villagers admire Mr. M as their leader and provider, but they also harbor fear about angering him. Here are some common symptoms the villagers may display that result from emotional and psychological abuse: • No longer feeling like the person they used to be • Feeling more anxious, less confident, and more indecisive • Worrying about being sensitive to feedback • Worrying about crying too much • Thinking everything they do is wrong and everything that goes wrong is their fault • Apologizing often • Making excuses for Malinthalid’s behavior • Feeling hopeless and having trouble finding joy in activities they used to enjoy If any of the villagers are confronted with the strange properties of the village, they will be confused and try to rationalize an explanation. A successful Wisdom (Insight) check on any villager will reveal that there is no indication that they are lying, but they will be defensive if pressed about the inconsistencies in their world. Because their self-esteem is low, they will express self-doubt. However, they are all potential allies in the battle ahead. Roleplaying Malinthalid Malinthalid is a narcissist. He considers himself the most important person in the room and will not tolerate humiliation. His driving motivation is his desire to become a lich and return to his home colony so he can destroy the elder brain and all the mind flayers who bore witness to the humiliation of his banishment. Malinthalid does not see his actions against the villagers as abusive. Below are examples of the ways in which he interacts with the villagers: • When they first arrive, he treats them with overwhelming kindness and positive attention until he has gained their trust. • He lies. If they ask about their confinement or their situation, Malinthalid questions their sanity, asks why they ask stupid questions, and falsely claims he’s answered their questions before. • If they question his promises or prior statements, he denies having made them. • He undermines their self-esteem by saying things such as: “You would be such a wonderful person if you worked a little harder.” He never misses an opportunity to belittle someone. • He will occasionally offer praise to ingratiate himself with his victims. He praises behaviors which get him closer to his goal: an extractable emotional reaction. • He sows doubt and distrust between the villagers by spreading harmful rumors. For example, he may claim to one villager that the others have been speaking ill of him or her. • He claims the characters are liars. Once Malinthalid has extracted each emotion (anger, despair, fear, joy, and love) from a villager, he has them brought into his lair to be prepared for sacrifice. Should a character attack, insult, or embarrass Malinthalid, he will threaten them and then offer the chance to apologize. Should they persist, he will attempt to grapple them with his Tentacles ability. Once grappled, he will offer them one last chance to apologize. At this point, nearby villagers will scream and urge the character to apologize. They will say that Malinthalid follows through on his threats

Chapter 2 | The Village 11 and it’s not worth their lives to insult or attack him. Should the character persist in attacking or insulting Malinthalid, he will use his Extract Brain ability to kill them. Malinthalid is arrogant, overconfident, and careless. These traits can be used against him. Advanced Roleplaying Should you wish to add an extra level of realism to Malinthalid, you can use his relationship with the characters and NPCs to represent the cycle of abuse that often occurs during gaslighting. There are three recognizable phases. • Phase 1: Idealize - This is the honeymoon period that Malinthalid goes through with new captives. He takes care of them, praises them, and gives them all his attention. The party members are in this phase when they first exit The Warehouse. • Phase 2: Devalue - In this phase, Malinthalid begins denigrating the captives who have been around awhile. He criticizes, makes cruel jokes, and shows outbursts of anger. If the victim expresses concern, Malinthalid accuses them of being overly sensitive and emotional. If a villager challenges Malinthalid, he will make them suffer emotionally. Nona, Niala, and Zashmed are in this phase. • Phase 3: Discard - Malinthalid has gotten almost everything he needs from the villager (i.e., the five emotions). He will blame the victim for perceived or fabricated failures in anticipation of bringing them into his lair for sacrifice. Endatha is in this phase. A double-sided print-ready resource sheet on gaslighting is available in appendix D. It works as both a game reference and a real-life hand out that can be given to anyone who suspects someone they know is experiencing abuse. Malinthalid examines a potion of joy

12 Chapter 2 | The Village The door opens with some effort, and you are greeted with a simple two-room domicile. The main living room is lined with bookcases containing books, paintings, and keepsakes. A table against the wall holds some parchment and a quill with an inkwell. An ornate purple, blue, and white rug occupies the center of the room, and matching drapes hang from the windows. The conical roof gives the room a sense of height and the large window about 8 feet up lets in some diffuse light. Small unlit lanterns sit about the room on tables and bookcases. There is a small kitchen with an oven, sink, and cabinets against the northern wall. A door in the back presumably leads to sleeping quarters. This is ostensibly Malinthalid’s home, though he only uses it to hide the entrance to his lair. The books are a hodgepodge of tomes collected by Malinthalid from his captives over time. They include scientific books about plants and animals of the Sword Coast, romance novels, political intrigue novels, and other assorted reading materials. The paintings all appear to be done by the same hand. They were in fact painted by Shanathea. They depict Malinthalid’s favorite captives over the years. The faces are not recognized by the characters, but the villagers may vaguely remember a few. Lair Entrance The rug is actually a rug of smothering. It will attack anyone who attempts to move it, aside from Mal and his minions. Should a more difficult encounter be needed, the oven could have also been transformed into an animated oven through an animate object spell made permanent by a wish spell. If the rug attacks, so does the oven. Areas of the Village The following areas correspond to the labels on map 2.1. A player version of the map can be found in appendix D. 1. The Warehouse See chapter 1 for information about the interior of The Warehouse. This large structure has a door on the front, a window 8 feet away on each side of the door, and one 8 feet above the door. The door closes and locks when the players leave. The windows contain shutters which are closed and locked. The door and windows have an unusually designed lock, alien in construction. A character can use thieves’ tools to pick the lock on the door or open a set of window shutters by succeeding on a DC 18 Dexterity check. If the characters reenter The Warehouse, they find it empty, but the floor is covered in dirt and patchy, artificial grass. If Mr. M is asked about The Warehouse, he gaslights them. He denies that there was ever a forest in there. He states that it was being used in the past as an indoor garden, but no one is currently maintaining it. He denies ever encountering the characters in The Warehouse and asks why they are making up stories. 2. Mr. M’s House Malinthalid’s overconfidence means that he does not bother locking his doors. He assumes no one has the gall to enter his home uninvited. Map 2.1: The Village

Chapter 2 | The Village 13 Animated Oven Large construct, unaligned Armor Class 16 Hit Points 27 (5d10) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 3 (-4) 3 (-4) 1 (-5) Proficiency Bonus +2 Senses blindsight 30 ft. (it is blind beyond this distance), passive Perception 6 Languages -- Challenge 2 (450 XP) Actions Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage. Belch Fire (Recharge 4-6). The oven belches fire in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 16 (3d10) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Under the rug is a trapdoor leading to the lair. It is unlocked and not trapped. The door to the presumed bedroom is unlocked, but the room itself is empty. The characters may realize that this house is not lived in. 3. The Stilt House Climbing the stairs to the larger house feels familiar, as though you already know which stair will squeak and which one to avoid due to a loose board. Your brain tells you this is home, but your gut senses something isn’t right. You have vague recollections of other homes. The door is unlocked. Upon entering, read or paraphrase the following: When you enter, you find a large living space with a table, chairs around a fireplace, and a woven, faded rug on the ground. The aroma of cooked meat catches you by surprise, and you turn to see a roasted pig on a serving platter on the table, along with bowls of potatoes, beets, and tomato soup. The number of place servings at the table is equal to the number of characters in the adventuring party. The food is as it appears and is safe to eat. There are three bedrooms and a number of total beds equal to the number of characters. They each also have a trunk with several changes of clothing, a mirror, and a bedside table. There is also a latrine behind the house and an ice box in the kitchen area with several bottles of cold, drinkable water. The exact same freshly cooked meal and an ice box with cold water will appear in the house every 12 hours, but only if no one is present to witness it. The same meal appears on the same schedule every day in areas 4 and 5. There is an emotion monitor on the center of the dining table. 4. Kello’s Home and Garden Off to the side of the house is a small garden with a wide variety of plants. A small bell rings as you enter the home, which appears to actually be a general store. The sounds of grumbling frustration draw your eye to the back counter, though you do not see anyone there at first. Suddenly a head pops up from behind the counter. “Just wait a minute, will you! Bleredd, give me strength.... This crate just fell apart in my hands. Hey, you, don’t just stand there, give me a hand. Watch your step though; mind the broken glass.” A small, middle-aged gnomish woman beckons you to the back of the store. Her curly brown hair is held back by a dark blue headband. As she pop up to grab a strawberry from a small bowl on the counter, you notice that she looks deeply frustrated. Nona Toral This is the home of Nona Toral (NG female rock gnome). She wears thigh-high brown boots and a collection of multicolored bracelets. She has a kind face and brown eyes. Nona Toral in her store

14 Chapter 2 | The Village Nona was a botanist and a chemist in Goldenfields. She had a large family with many children. Her husband was a farmer, but as the years went by much of their land became barren despite their best efforts at sustainable farming. Nona had been steadfastly researching ways to improve the soil and crop yields. These memories have been taken from her. Kello Marthopple Kello Marthropple is Nona’s fabricated identity. She runs a small general store out of her home. Like the other villagers, her implanted memories are vague. She knows she moved to the village long ago and that people come and go. She sells them the goods they need. She keeps a small chalkboard on the counter to remind her of what she needs to get done. Currently written on the chalkboard is the following: Zorad - sulfur, bat guano, sheet of lead, cotton, powdered chrysolite She retains her compassionate, curious, and talkative nature. Inconsistencies in her behavior include a vague sense of discontent over being alone in her house (as she is used to a large family), a compulsory urge to tend her garden, and an incongruous knowledge of ecology, chemistry, and botany that surfaces despite her manipulated memories. She will spout a random fact instinctively when her latent memories are triggered, and then comment that she doesn’t know where the thought came from. Sample facts she may weave into the conversation at an appropriate time are in the following box: NONA’S RANDOM SCIENCE FACTS • “I’ve been growing some plants and herbs in my garden that seem to have healing properties. I’ve observed that when I mix the ginger root with my tea, it helps these headaches I get.” • “Strawberries are the only fruit that has seeds on the outside.” • “Did you know chalk is actually make of trillions and trillions of fossilized plankton?” These are topics that she will gladly talk about should any of the player characters have a conversation with her. They should be relevant to something in the environment, such as talking about chalk while marking on the chalkboard. Should the characters look closely, they’ll notice Kello has a large belt buckle with “NT + YB” engraved on it. YB stands for her husband’s name, Yolio Brandipop. If asked, she will not remember this, but the question makes her pause and become wistful. In the garden, Kello is growing lettuce, ginger, strawberries, rosemary, peppermint, and basil. General Store The general store resembles any other general store on the Storm Coast. Kello sells items from the Adventuring Gear table in the Player’s Handbook, but a close examination of the items will reveal that none of them are functional. They all have the proper physical appearance and textures, but they’re made of the same polymer as the plants and trees outside. For example, if a rope is picked up, it does not unspool. The lantern oil does not swish in the jar. Books cannot be opened. An emotion monitor is on a table in the back corner. If confronted with this fact, Kello expresses genuine surprise and rationalizes it as someone playing a prank. Developments Kello is in the midst of a scenario designed to provoke anger as the characters enter the house. In this scenario, whatever Kello attempts to do will go wrong. If she leans against a shelf, it will topple over. If she attempts to lift a heavy box, she will pull a muscle or the box will fall apart. The few items that Kello interacts with are real, and will break as expected. As things continue to go wrong, and Kello’s anger continues to rise, the emotion monitor will begin to operate as described the section “Mr. M and the Emotion Monitors” on page 9. Characters with higher passive perception may notice a change in the room’s ambient light color as the orb switches from yellow to orange to red. The characters can attempt to assist Kello. They can keep her rising anger from overflowing with enough help and calming words. If they cannot calm her, Malinthalid will arrive when the monitor turns red to extract her anger. When Mr. M arrives he takes her head in his hands and surreptitiously uses the emotion extraction device, while stating the following for everyone present to hear: My dear Kello, you’re being too emotional again. Can you hear yourself? Listen to my words and calm down. Why don’t you sit down? You’ll give yourself another headache. If the characters see Malinthalid use the device and confront him about it, he gaslights them: Why would you think I’d do something like that to poor Kello? What does that say about you? You’re being completely irrational. 5. Zorad’s House As the characters approach the house, they see a variety of wooden planks and woodworking tools set up outside. Sawdust litters the ground. Two sets of footprints can be found in the sawdust with a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Survival) check. One pair appears to belong to an adult humanoid and the other to a child. This modest house is the home of a man named Zashmed (LG male Calishite human). The interior of the house has two beds, one shorter than the other, a dinner table, a cooking area with an icebox, several seats, a modest rug, and a table in the back corner of the room with an emotion monitor on it. Zorad is relatively short and slight with wavy black hair and dark brown eyes.

Chapter 2 | The Village 15 Zashmed yn Tasyn el Bashar Zashmed was born in the city of Memnon, along the trade way on the northern edge of the Calim Desert. His traditionally-minded parents wanted him to eventually take over the family’s mercantile business, but during his teenage years he discovered he had an innate arcane talent. He hid this and moved to Waterdeep when he was 16, ostensibly to foster new trading partners for the family business, but in reality he wanted to join the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors to study the arcane arts. He was robbed by highwaymen during his trip, and arrived at the city with nothing. This ended up being fortuitous, as he was subsequently taken in by a kindly gentleman who ran a halfway house in the southern ward. Zashmed was born in the city of Memnon, along the trade way on the northern edge of the Calim Desert. His traditionally-minded parents wanted him to eventually take over the family’s mercantile business, but during his teenage years he discovered he had an innate arcane talent. He hid this and moved to Waterdeep when he was 16, ostensibly to foster new trading partners for the family business, but in reality he wanted to join the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors to study the arcane arts. He was robbed by highwaymen during his trip, and arrived at the city with nothing. This ended up being fortuitous, as he was subsequently taken in by a kindly gentleman who ran a halfway house in the southern ward. Zorad yn Hadar el Ayad Zorad is the name of Zashmed’s fabricated identity. Zorad works as a carpenter for the village and lives with his daughter Zipa (see area 6). Zorad retains his traits of being intellectually curious, studious, and practical. The characters may notice him occasionally muttering arcane words under his breath and making arcane gestures in the air absentmindedly. A character proficient in arcana will recognize these words and gestures as spellcasting components. Though no spell effects occur. Zorad carries a small satchel containing 300 GP worth of diamond dust. Developments Zorad is inconsolable. Zipa has gone missing and he can’t find her. When asked, he claims he checked the other buildings in town, but didn’t venture into the forest as he was told by Mr. M that it was unsafe. Zipa is, in fact, trapped in the graveyard (see area 6). Should the characters return without having found Zipa, Zorad’s despair will overcome him and trigger the emotion monitor. If the characters do return with Zipa, the emotion monitor will trigger for joy. Either way, Malinthalid will arrive to extract the triggering emotion as described above. He will use his Emotion Extraction Device surreptitiously and deny using it if confronted. If confronted about hurting or manipulating Zorad or Zipa, he says: What does it say about you, that you would think I would hurt Zorad and Zipa after everything I’ve done to help them. Who provided them with this house and this idyllic village in which we live? Who keeps them safe and happy? I do. Why would you try to ruin that for them? After the extraction, Zashmed will nonchalantly ask the characters to stay for dinner, serving the exact meal the characters have in their Stilt House (see area 3): a roasted pig, bowls of potatoes and beets, and bowls of tomato soup. 6. Graveyard North of town is a small graveyard with 8 gravestones, all of which are worn with age. If there was text written on the gravestones, it is no longer legible. Nobody is actually buried in the graves, and if a character attempts to dig they will find nothing but dirt down to 10 feet. A light mist hangs in the air. The characters will hear quiet whimpering and crying as they approach the graveyard. Located behind the furthest gravestone, they will find a 9-year-old Eladrin elf girl curled up tight with her arms wrapped around her legs. Her skin is pale blue and her hair vibrant white. Her real name is Niala. Zashmed Niala stranded in the graveyard

16 Chapter 2 | The Village Niala Eladrin are elves native to the Feywild, a realm of beauty, unpredictable emotion, and boundless magic. An eladrin’s coloration and moods are affected by the season with which they are currently attuned. Currently, Niala is attuned to Winter. Winter is the season of contemplation and dolor, when the vibrant energy of the world slumbers. She was born in and attuned to summer, bold and adventurous. She was always the first to try new games, explore forests, and make new friends. When she was 7 years old, her village briefly crossed over to the Material Plane. In her enthusiasm, she wandered off to explore and was left behind when the village crossed back into the Feywild. For the first time in her life she was lost and scared, and her seasonal attunement switched to winter, casting a pall over her skin and demeanor. After a day of wandering she found a trade road where she was approached by a caravan traveling from Triboar to Waterdeep. The caravan took her in with the intention of delivering her to an orphanage in Waterdeep. Outside the town of Amphail, the caravan was ambushed by a pack of bloodthirsty gnolls. Niala escaped using her Fey Step ability to teleport away from the attack and hide. There were no other survivors. Frightened, she hid for days until found by a half-orc woman named Endatha, who was sent from Waterdeep to investigate when the caravan did not arrive at the expected time. Endatha took the child into her home. Eventually Endatha and her husband Zashmed officially adopted Niala, whose attunement returned to summer, matching the attunement she believed her adoptive mother possessed. Niala and her adoptive parents were abducted while on vacation. She is now attuned to winter and remains that way as long as she is captive. This subconscious expression of fear is a hint something is amiss if Niala is encountered in future scenarios under happier circumstances. Zipa Zipa is the name of Niala’s fabricated identity. Niala has been given a new identity by Malinthalid. Her name is now Zipa, the daughter of Zorad, the village carpenter. She is tutored by Kello and is curious about the surrounding forest. Developments Zipa went exploring after her morning tutoring session and was cornered in the graveyard by a swarm of poisonous snakes. The snakes attack anyone who attempts to approach Zipa, but they won’t attack the girl herself. 7. Blocked Path A series of boulders are strewn across this path, blocking access to the north. Atop one sits an imposing half-orc woman holding a long, black greatsword with a strange red sheen. Endatha Endatha (CG female half-orc) worked as a private investigator in Waterdeep prior to her abduction. She grew up on its streets and knows the city as well as anyone, including the back alleys and sewers where the city watch fears to tread. She survived on aid from other impoverished Waterdhavians and feels indebted to the community that raised her. She took jobs from noble families so she could offer her services for free to the downtrodden. Endatha’s community knows it can turn to her when lives are in danger or when villains abduct neighborhood family members or threaten businesses with protection schemes. She lived at home with her husband, Zashmed, whom she met as a teenager at a shelter in Waterdeep’s southern ward. They adopted a young elven girl named Niala after the caravan with which she was traveling was ambushed by gnolls leaving her the only survivor. Endatha and Zashmed were unable to have children of their own. Endatha

Chapter 2 | The Village 17 Urnbrunda Urnbrunda is the name of Endatha’s fabricated identity. She lived her entire life with her orc clan and was treated well despite her half-human blood. However, one month ago, the clan became cursed after rampaging through a hag’s land. Urnbrunda somehow escaped the effects of the curse, perhaps due to of her half-human blood. She settled outside this village and is staying here until she decides what her next steps should be. She stays in the forest outside of town because she doesn’t know how to interact well with nonorcs. She is lonely and unhappy. The characters may notice an emotion monitor behind one of the other stones if they succeed on a DC 14 Perception (Wisdom) check. Urnbrunda carries a +1 greatsword named “Rednose Alley” which has a black blade that reflects a red sheen when in the light. Urnbrunda does not remember the origin of the name, but a character familiar with Waterdeep who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (History) check will recognize Rednose Alley as a location in the south ward of Waterdeep where thieves often lie in wait to rob passersby and give them bloody noses. Developments Urnbrunda lives in fear of the hag returning to finish her off, but she’s hesitant to be social with the villagers because she does not know how to fit in. The characters can convince her to join the village if they succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If they leave her in the forest, a green hag will indeed appear the day after the characters meet her. When the characters are outdoors, they will hear a scream from the rock gathering. If they investigate, they’ll find Urnbrunda backed up against a boulder, paralyzed with fear. Maninthalid will extract her fear while the characters contend with the green hag. Further Developments Continuing Experiments Malinthalid will continue to orchestrate scenarios as the characters linger in the village. Villagers are given new identities 1d8 hours after they have had an emotion extracted. When this occurs, invisible neogi also inject small alterations into the brains of the other villagers to update their memories to accommodate the changes. Villagers can be made part of other ongoing scenarios, such as Niala being transformed into Umbrunda’s adoptive child whom she encounters after escaping from the green hag. You can design your own scenarios, or use one or more of the following: • Anger - Two villagers are given memories of an old rivalry and come to blows after a night of drinking. • Anger/Sadness - One villager is given the memories of creating many beautiful wooden sculptures and awakens one morning to find them on fire. • Joy/Love - Two villagers are given the memory of being lost loves. One arrives in the village and is surprised to find the other living there. • Love - A villager is given the memory of a pet dog or cat, which appears in their house when the memory is implanted. The pet gives birth to three perfect offspring, who melt the villager’s heart. All of the locations aside from Mr. M’s house (area 2) are potential settings for scenarios. Villagers may wake with altered memories in a new house if their scenario changes. The Warehouse (area 1) is equipped with illusory magic, and can be made to look like any outdoor setting with a grassy ground. One day it may appear as the ruins of an ancient, haunted temple, and the next day it may appear as a city park decorated for a beautiful wedding. DM TIP Should the characters get stuck or need a nudge in the right direction, Shanathea can use one of her scrolls of sending to get them back on track. Shanathea

18 Chapter 2 | The Village Security System Should the characters begin to cause trouble in the village, such as harming villagers or committing property destruction, an umber hulk will be sent into the village from Mr. M’s Home (area 2) to battle the characters as a warning. Malinthalid will watch and call off the umber hulk before anyone is killed. Securing Allies A villager will only become an ally if the characters speak to them with compassion and present them with ample evidence that something is amiss. The characters must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) check, which they can roll with advantage if they present the villager with evidence. If failed, the check can be made again the following day or by another character (the DC increases by 2 for each attempt in the same day). If the villager becomes an ally, they will help the adventurers as best they can. They are of limited usefulness until their memories are restored. Once they are, the villagers help in the following ways: Nona Toral - As a chemist, Nona can distill the raw, liquid emotions that have been extracted from the villagers and turn them into potions that the characters can use (see chapter 3). She doesn’t fight. Should combat occur in her presence, she finds cover and takes the Dodge action. Nona uses the commoner stat block. Endatha - As a special investigator trained in combat, Endatha will aid the players with combat and Wisdom (Investigation) checks (granting advantage to rolls). Endatha uses the knight stat block but has a +1 greatsword named “Rednose Alley”. Zashmed - As a wizard, Zashmed will assist in battles and cast spells to aid the party. His ability to cast greater restoration can cure people affected by a vargouille or intellect devourer. Zashmed’s stat block is in appendix A. He casts counterspell if Malinthalid attempts to cast plane shift, which may be helpful in the final battle. Niala - If Endatha or Zashmed have their original memories, or another villager currently has the memory of Niala being their daughter, they will ensure that Niala stays within one of the houses if there is likely to be danger. Otherwise she will want to follow along, though she has no special skills to aid the party. Niala uses the commoner stat block.

Chapter 3 | Malinthalid's Lair 19 Chapter 3 - Malinthalid’s Lair Malinthalid’s lair is devoted to his experiments for the neogi and his research into dark necromancy. The characters have to contend with his guards, servants, traps, and experiments if they hope to gain their freedom. Lair Features Malinthalid’s lair has the following general features: • The facade of a natural environment ends at the main door to the lair in area 1. The hallway to that point is made of natural soil and rock with stone walls. The ceiling is 10 feet high and the path is 10 feet wide. Beyond the door, the floors and walls are made of an exotic, interlocking metal alloy. • Chambers are hemispherical with a flat floor. In most, the ceiling reaches a height of 12 feet in the center. • The Observatory’s (area 7) ceiling reaches a height of 22 feet in the center. • Areas beyond the outer door are brightly lit by a glow coming from the floors, walls, and ceiling. Areas of Malinthalid’s Lair The following areas correspond to the labels on map 3.1 on the next page. A player version of the map is in appendix D and provided as a separate file in your DMs Guild library. 1. Guard Room The entrance to the lair is protected by a second door and a guard room. This section of the lair is kept in total darkness as the guards do not rely on sight to identify intruders. The guard room is staffed with 2-4 grimlocks. One is always standing in the hallway in front of the entrance door. When threats approach, he alerts the others in Undercommon and instructs them to “open the hatch.” If combat occurs, the last grimlock in the room pushes a button on the right side of the door, which opens a secret room (marked on the map as area 1A). The two-foot tall secret door can be spotted with a search and a successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check. This room contains 1-2 intellect devourers which approach stealthily behind any intruders while they are preoccupied with the grimlocks. The guard room contains several chairs, a table with food scraps, a rack to hold the spiked bone clubs of the grimlocks, and a sealed barrel filled with entrails, organs, and other meat. Another button is located to the left of the door, but is designed to blend into the stonework. It can be spotted with a search and a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check. Pushing this button unlocks and opens the door to the rest of the lair. The door also has a keyhole in case of mechanical failure. Malinthalid holds the only key. A character can use thieves’ tools to pick the lock by succeeding on a DC 16 Dexterity check. Otherwise opening the door requires a crowbar or similar tool and a successful DC 18 Strength (Athletics) check. 2, Cleansing Chamber The cleansing chamber is where captives are brought when they have outlived their usefulness. When Malinthalid has extracted each of their five emotions, or when a captive reacts poorly to the mind manipulation and becomes rebellious, they are brought to the Cleansing Chamber to prepare them for sacrifice. Their gear is removed. Anything of value is set aside, and the rest is disposed of in the furnace. They are shaved and washed to remove parasites. If they show signs of illness or parasitic infection, their throat is slit and they are disposed of in the furnace. There is a table and stool on the far side of the room and a locked chest underneath, a large wardrobe on one wall, a blood-stained chair in the middle of the room, and a drain under the chair. A short hallway leads south to area 3. Krungar A lone duergar named Krungar, who speaks only Undercommon and Dwarvish, sits at the back table. If he hears intruders, he attempts to hide in the wardrobe. The duergar hates Malinthalid but is resigned to servitude, knowing there is no chance of escape. He is more afraid of Malinthalid than of the characters, but if they succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation) check he tells them what he knows (see sidebar on page 21). If the characters promise to take him along when they escape and succeed on a DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) check, he cooperates with, though doesn’t fight for, them. Krungar

20 Chapter 3 | Malinthalid's Lair

Chapter 3 | Malinthalid's Lair 21 This check is done with disadvantage if the characters have been hostile toward him. He only fights them as a last resort. Krungar carries two keys in a pouch attached to his belt, one to the locked chest and the other to the cell doors in area 3. This pouch also contains several pieces of dried meat. If he is cooperating, he offers the keys to the characters and inform them of the trap on the chest. WHAT KRUNGAR KNOWS Krungar was captured months ago when he wandered up from the Underdark. Malinthalid was down a worker after killing the last one for being insubordinate. Krungar knows that Malinthalid is working with some “big spider creatures” to manipulate humanoids, and once he’s done with them Krungar has to clean them up before Malinthalid eats their brains. Krungar knows that Malinthalid has a number of grimlock guards, some sort of larger guard blocking the door to his observatory, and an elven women who helps him with the scenarios. Treasure The wardrobe contains a set of plate mail armor, a set of studded leather armor, and three sets of traveler’s clothes. A secret compartment at the back of the wardrobe contains a suit of elven chain. The secret compartment can be spotted with a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check. The chest is locked and trapped. There is a button on the lip of the lid that must be depressed before opening the chest to avoid triggering the trap, even when using the key. The button can be spotted with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. A character can deduce what how to open the chest safely with a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check. The locked chest contains 156gp, 90sp, and 1d4 magic items. Determine one magic item by rolling on Magic Item Table B in chapter 7 of the DMG, and any other magic items by rolling on Magic Item Table A. 3. Prison The prison is partitioned into two areas, divided by a wall of iron bars. A hinged door into the cell in the southern half is secured with a padlock. Filthy blankets are piled up against the back wall, giving the room an odor of mold. Otherwise, the cell is empty. The cell doors feature a simple padlock requiring thieves’ tools and a successful DC 12 Dexterity check to pick. The doors can also be opened by force with a successful DC 19 Strength check. If the players search the blankets, they find a hastily scrawled note reading: “I failed him. It’s my fault. I should have tried harder. Please tell Esmerelda I love her.” 4. Common Area The common area is where the thralls and servants sleep, eat, and rest when they are not on duty. In the main area there is a central wooden table, stained brown and red from meat juices. Wooden mugs are scattered along the table. A large wooden barrel with fresh water sits against the wall. Three bedchambers are attached. There is a small bookshelf next to a small stool. The bookshelf contains several tomes written in Elvish. They are mostly nonfiction, such as a travelogue of ventures to the Feywild, a book about painting techniques and dye making, and a guide to edible wild plants. Shanathea (LG female elf) is sitting here reading when the characters arrive. Shanathea’s stat block is in appendix A (once she’s recovered her equipment). Developments Shanathea is surprised and excited to see the characters, and pulls them into her sleeping quarters (area 4C) to speak to them privately. She answers any lingering questions they have and fills them in on her history, Malinthalid’s plans, and the danger he poses. She also tells the characters Malinthalid’s sleeping schedule, and suggests that during these six hours of the day they can go in and out of the lair more safely. She tells them that Malinthalid is overconfident, a trait that can be exploited. She further warns them of a powerful guard blocking access to the Observatory, and that Malinthalid will likely know if and when this guard is killed. When the characters are prepared to confront Malinthalid, they’ll need to go through the guard first and quickly move on to the observatory if they hope to get the drop on him. Finally she offers the characters a viable way home. If they can find and return her spellbook and spell components, she can cast plane shift to get everyone home safely. She suggests she should stay away from any combat to avoid jeopardizing their escape. After answering their questions, Shanathea offers to help the characters recover their memories and escorts them to the processing lab (area 5). 4A. Grimlock Sleeping Quarters The Grimlock Sleeping Quarters is a bedchamber where 0-4 more grimlocks sleep. If the characters make too much noise, the grimlocks awaken, grab their clubs, and attack. Intellect devourer

22 Chapter 3 | Malinthalid's Lair 4B. Duergar Sleeping Quarters This bedchamber is for Krungar. He retires here when not on duty in the cleansing chamber. The room is otherwise bare except for a wooden bed and piles of filthy clothing and food scraps beside and underneath it. Treasure If the characters search under the bed and succeed on a DC 15 Perception (Wisdom) check, they’ll find a small unlocked box. Inside are 22gp, 12sp, and a potion of healing. 4C. Shanathea’s Sleeping Quarters Shanathea’s sleeping quarters contain a modest bed, a wooden chair, and a wooden box containing personal items and a few changes of clothing. 5. Processing Lab The processing lab contains four metal cabinets bolted to the wall and a desk with various alchemical tools on it, such as vials, siphons, stirrers, and a modified blowgun (see long-range potion delivery system in appendix B.) Various machines line the wall. A lone neogi works in the lab. A locked drawer contains writing instruments, blank parchment, and two darts attached to glass tubes designed to be used with the blowgun. A character who succeeds on a DC 10 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools can open the drawer. If a cabinet is opened, the characters notice it is chilled inside to just above freezing temperature. The first cabinet is empty. The contents of the other three are detailed below. Memories Inside the second cabinet is a large hypodermic needle with an empty vial still attached and a series of vials containing a murky blue liquid. Several vials have a label written in Common, one for each of the player characters with labels stating their original names and occupations, and then vials labeled “Nona Toral/Chemist”, “Endatha/Investigator”, “Zashmed/Mage”, and “Niala/Child”. The characters vaguely recognize their real names when they see them in writing. The empty vial has no label. There are 5 other vials in the cabinet with labels written in Deep Speech: “Loss,” “Conflict,” “Hardship,” “Success,” and “Failure.” The vials contain the original memories of the characters and villagers. They can be administered using the hypodermic needle, and then injected. Characters proficient in Medicine can make a DC 12 Intelligence (Medicine) check to deduce how to properly inject the memories. If they succeed, they know the proper way to reintroduce the memories to the characters and villagers and have advantage on any attempts to do so. If a character attempts to inject a person with their own memories, they must make a DC 14 Intelligence (Medicine) check. All results successfully reintroduce the memories, which take hold within a minute of the injection, and the false identities are forgotten like a dream upon waking. If the check is lower than 14, the character loses their memory of events since their abduction. Consult the table below for additional effects. Failed Medicine Check Results Check Result 6-9 Character acquires short-term madness effect. 2-5 Character acquires long-term madness effect. 1 or lower Character acquires indefinite madness effect. For madness effects, see “Madness” in Chapter 8 of the DMG. If a person is injected with memories from a vial with another creature’s name that has not been specially adapted to their bodies by a chemist (i.e., the neogi or Nona), they suddenly receive a rush of incomplete, uncontextualized memories and must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take 3d6 psychic damage and acquire an indefinite madness effect. A character can attempt to extract memories by targeting a character using the hypodermic needle and an empty vial. The attempt requires succeeding on a DC 18 Intelligence (Medicine) check. On a failure, the targeted character takes 3d6 psychic damage. On a second failure they take 3d6 psychic damage and acquire a short-term madness effect. On a third failure, their hit points drop to zero and they lose consciousness. If a person is injected with memories from a vial with a label written in Deep Speech, they gain those memories. Vials of Emotions The third cabinet contains vials of raw, unrefined emotions. The are labeled in Undercommon. There is a vial of joy present. If Malinthalid was successful in any of his experiments since the characters were abducted (such as extracting fear in chapter 1), the resulting emotions are stored here. A character who succeeds a DC 13 Intelligence (Medicine) check understands that the vials aren’t usable in their unrefined state. If a character drinks an unrefined potion they take 1d4 poison damage. With the help of a trained chemist, these vials can be filtered and refined into potions using machinery built into this room. The neogi in the lab will make one potion for the characters if they succeed on a DC 18 Charisma (Persuasion) check when ensuring its safety, or a DC 18 Charisma (Intimidation) check. If Nona Toral is an ally and has had her memories restored, she makes any number of potions for the characters. Each vial of one raw emotion can make one potion. It takes the neogi 7 minutes to make one potion. It takes Nona 10 minutes. The potions can be drunk or administered from afar using the long-range potion delivery system. The potions cannot be made without the machines built into this room. Next to the potions is a device the characters may recognize as the one used to extract the emotions. It is a long

Chapter 3 | Malinthalid's Lair 23 syringe with two needles. See emotion extraction device in appendix B for details. Neogi Test Samples The fourth cabinet contains neogi samples intended to help Malinthalid better adapt his potions for neogi physiology. Currently in the cabinet are three vials of neogi blood, one vial of neogi hair, and one vial of unrefined neogi emotion. A character who succeeds a DC 13 Intelligence (Medicine) knows that these vials also aren’t usable in their unrefined state. Injecting or ingesting the unrefined contents causes a character to take 1d8 poison damage. The neogi in the lab doesn’t know any use for these samples, but characters succeeding on a DC 20 Charisma (Intimidation) check can force the neogi to speculate that if the characters smear the blood samples on their hands, they can impersonate the neogi who donated the blood and obtain the same level of access to the neogi ship. Two of the blood samples are from basic crewmembers but one is from the captain. There’s enough blood in each vial to make three access attempts each. Nona or a character proficient with alchemist’s supplies may attempt a DC 22 Intelligence (Investigation) check to brew a potion from one sample. On a success, the neogi blood becomes a potion that polymorphs its drinker into the neogi who donated the blood for 1 hour, the neogi hair becomes a potion that allows its drinker to cast the spider climb spell once during the next hour, and the neogi emotion becomes a potion of emotionlessness (see appendix B). Developments If the neogi hears fighting from the hallway, it will attempt to retreat to the airlock (see area 9). If it is surprised, it will climb to the top of the room and use its Enslave ability on the creature it thinks is most likely to fall under its sway. It will not attempt to enslave elves, half-elves, or gnomes, as it knows that those creatures are difficult to charm. If it succeeds, it will use its new slave to run interference as it tries to escape. If the characters attempt to negotiate, it will make the deal detailed above, but will not offer any other information. 6. Antechamber The door to the antechamber is closed but not locked. When they open the door to the antechamber, which smells faintly of sulfur, they hear snippets of a conversation. They see a number of humanoids equal to the number of characters in the adventuring party. These humanoids appear to be the people whose memories each of the characters received at the beginning of the adventure. They are huddled in the center of the room, strategizing how to defeat Malinthalid and escape. However, there is a thin strand of slime attached to the foot of each one, which extends back to a crack in the wall near the entrance. These humanoids are actually extensions of an adult oblex. This oblex was created by Malinthalid during his experimentations on humanoid memory. It serves as a guard and is fed the useless memories from Malinthalid’s captives. Adult Oblex Medium ooze, lawful evil Armor Class 14 Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30) Speed 20 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 19 (+4) 16 (+3) 19 (+4) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) Proficiency Bonus +3 Saving Throws Int +7, Cha +5 Skills Deception +5, Perception +4 Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, prone Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this distance), passive Perception 14 Languages Common plus the languages of the beings it’s impersonating Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Amorphous. The oblex can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. Aversion to Fire. If the oblex takes fire damage, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its next turn. Innate Spellcasting. The oblex’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components: 3/day each: charm person (as 5th-level spell), color spray, detect thoughts, hold person (as 3rd-level spell) Sulfurous Impersonation. As a bonus action, the oblex can extrude a piece of itself that assumes the appearance of one Medium or smaller creature whose memories it has stolen. This simulacrum appears, feels, and sounds exactly like the creature it impersonates, though it smells faintly of sulfur. The oblex can impersonate 1d4 + 1 different creatures, each one tethered to its body by a strand of slime that can extend up to 120 feet away. For all practical purposes, the simulacrum is the oblex, meaning that the oblex occupies its space and the simulacrum’s space simultaneously. The slimy tether is immune to damage, but it is severed if there is no opening at least 1 inch wide between the oblex’s main body and the simulacrum. The simulacrum disappears if the tether is severed. Actions Multiattack. The oblex makes one pseudopod attack and uses Eat Memories. Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 5 (2d4) psychic damage. Eat Memories. The oblex targets one creature it can see within 5 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take 18 (4d8) psychic damage and become memory drained until it finishes a short or long rest or until it benefits from the greater restoration or heal spell. Constructs, oozes, plants, and undead succeed on the save automatically. While memory drained, the target must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from any ability check or attack roll it makes. Each time the target is memory drained beyond the first, the die size increases by one: the d4 becomes a d6, the d6 becomes a d8, and so on until the die becomes a d20, at which point the target becomes unconscious for 1 hour. The effect then ends. When an oblex causes a target to become memory drained, the oblex learns all the languages the target knows and gains all its proficiencies, except for any saving throw proficiencies.

24 Chapter 3 | Malinthalid's Lair The oblex is hiding in a small chamber behind the crack. It attacks when it has lured its prey near. The oblex can be distracted by extracted memories. If a memory is exposed to the air within 20 feet of the oblex, it will become distracted granting advantage on attack rolls against it. If the extracted memories are touching a creature within 20 feet, the oblex will attack that creature on its turn. The door to Malinthalid’s Observatory is closed but not locked. 7. Malinthalid’s Observatory When the characters enter the observatory, read or paraphrase the following: This large spherical observatory is awash in color, sparks of electricity, and bubbling containers. The first thing you notice is a large circular window in the ceiling looking out over a sea of stars and a brilliant orb, swirling with blue and green and white, like a marble on a black sea. Off to one corner of the window you see what appears to be the moon, Selûne, trailed by points of light known as the tears of Selûne. Your awe is short-lived as your attention is brought back to the room by some of the horrors present, including humanoid bodies illuminated by orange light floating in 6 metal and glass cylindrical containers, bubbles rising and breaking the surface. Body parts and brains sit in glass canisters on the various tables and desks. Blood stains mar the tile floor, interspersed with wires and cables. If a character succeeds on a DC 12 Intelligence check, they will recognize the outline of the continent of Faerûn out the window and deduce that they must be hundreds of miles above the surface of the world. If Malinthalid is present, he will be standing on a pedestal near the center of the room, holding a potion up to the light. Should Malinthalid be elsewhere when the characters enter, he is magically alerted as soon as the first character crosses the threshold. Malinthalid teleports back onto his pedestal, appearing in a purple flash. He turns as the characters enter the room. They each hear a voice in their heads as his tentacles begin to squirm angrily. “You dare violate the sanctity of my observatory! This is an intrusion that will not be tolerated.” Malinthalid makes a gesture toward the 6 cylindrical containers. The glass slides down, dumping a viscous fluid onto the ground. A zombie steps out from each container. Malinthalid drinks the red potion of joy in his hand. He telepathically tells the characters, “It is a happy day indeed.” Malinthalid has many techniques at his disposal. He can use Wall of Force to divide the party and then levitate to stay out of melee range. He can also use his Emotion Extraction Device to remove the anger from an attacker, leaving them without the will to fight. Should the difficulty of the battle need to be adjusted upward, Malinthalid can have 2-4 grimlocks or 1-2 quaggoths nearby for defense. If he falls below 20 HP, Malinthalid casts plane shift to escape, but only as a last resort. If Zashmed is present, he will attempt to cast counterspell in response. Treasure Malinthalid wears a ring of limited invisibility. 8. Meditation Chamber This is Malinthalid’s sleeping and meditation chamber. Just inside the entrance to the room is a pressure tile. It can be spotted with a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check. It can be disarmed using thieves’ tools with a successful DC 16 Dexterity check, though the tile can also be jumped over without difficulty. Should someone step on the tile, a lightning bolt spell erupts from a nodule on the back of the room and fires 100 feet into the observatory, ending at a matching nodule on the opposite wall. Anyone standing on the pressure tile or in line with the bolt must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take 8d6 lightning damage, or half as much on a success. Monochrome tapestries with simple geometric patterns line the wall. A large resting cylinder made of metal and glass sits near the center of the room at a 30 degree angle. This is where Malinthalid sleeps for six hours each night. It has a padded back and a glass lid to keep him secure. The Story of Malinthalid Bookcases lining the wall contain many arcane necromantic tomes, including the history of Malinthalid and preliminary research about attaining lichdom. The tomes are written in Qualith, the written language of the mind flayers. Qualith is made up of four-line stanzas on raised, interlocking blocks, creating complex patterns imbued with psionic information containing the thoughts of the author. If a character touches the inscription, they will feel a sense of dread and unease. A reader can make an Intelligence check (DC 16) to try to derive some of the inscription’s meaning. Multiple successful attempts will uncover tidbits of information about Malinthalid’s past (see the introduction of this adventure), his motives, and his goals. Failed attempts will result in terrible headaches. Repeated failed attempts will result in madness. A Comprehend Languages spell will uncover Malinthalid’s full history, the goals and methods of the current experiment, and his plans for attaining lichdom. Treasure A chest sits in the back of the room. It is unlocked and not trapped. Inside are a simple silver necklace worth 50 GP, a precisely cut diamond worth 150 gp, and 1d4 magic items. Determine one magic item by rolling on Magic Item Table C in chapter 7 of the DMG, the next by rolling on Magic Item Table B, and any other magic items by rolling on Magic Item Table A. Also in the chest is Shanathea’s component pouch and spellbook, which allow her to cast the plane shift spell.

Chapter 3 | Malinthalid's Lair 25 Developments When Shanathea retrieves her spellbook and component pouch, she asks if the characters would be willing to give her an hour. She deeply misses her familiar, a beautiful white, brown, and black cat named Fiddle. If they agree, she ritually casts the find familiar spell and cries tears of joy when Fiddle reappears. 9. Airlock The airlock provides access to the rest of the ship, a neogi space vessel known as a deathspider orbiting Toril geosynchronously over the Sword Coast. Exploring the ship is beyond the scope of this adventure, but maps of the deathspider’s three decks are provided in appendix C. The airlock is immune to the knock spell and likely any tools the adventurers have on them at their level, but the characters may be able to open it by coercing or impersonating a neogi. Due to its size, the village actually exists in a pocket plane connected to the battle deck of the deathspider. Its presence doesn’t affect the deck plans of the ship except creating an extra airlock connected to the upper deck. Concluding the Adventure If the characters defeat Malinthalid or drive him off the ship, the characters and Shanathea should be able to restore the memories of the remaining villagers. Eager to leave as soon as possible, Shanathea recommends using the plane shift spell to bring everyone back to their homes. If Malinthalid escaped, the characters may cross paths with him again one day as he approaches the culmination of his journey toward lichdom. Characters who wish to explore or take over the neogi vessel are on their own. Shanathea thanks them for their assistance but tells them she needs to help the remaining villagers return home. She doesn’t know any spells that can bring her back to the deathspider to retrieve the party. If there are no remaining villagers, a successful DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion) check convinces her to stay with the characters. Characters have advantage on the check if they killed Malinthalid. If characters attempt to intimidate or attack Shanathea, she responds negatively and casts plane shift, leaving without them.

26 Appendix A | Creature Stat Blocks Appendix A - Creature Stat BLocks Malinthalid Medium aberration, chaotic evil Armor Class 15 (breastplate) Hit Points 90 (17d8 + 13) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 11 (0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 19 (+4) 17 (+3) 19 (+4) Proficiency Bonus +3 Saving Throws Int +7, Wis +6, Cha +7 Skills Arcana +7, Deception +7, Insight +6, Perception +6, Persuasion +7, Stealth +4 Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16 Languages Deep Speech, Undercommon, Common, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Magic Resistance. Malinthalid has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). Malinthalid’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components: At will: detect thoughts, levitate 1/day each: dominate monster, plane shift (self only) Spellcasting. Malinthalid is a 10th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Intelligence (save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). Malinthalid has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): blade ward, dancing lights, mage hand, shocking grasp 1st level (4 slots): detect magic, false life, shield, sleep 2nd level (3 slots): blindness/deafness, invisibility, ray of enfeeblement 3rd level (3 slots): bestow curse, lightning bolt, sending 4th level (3 slots): confusion, hallucinatory terrain 5th level (2 slots): telekinesis, wall of force Actions Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) psychic damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 15) and must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or be stunned until this grapple ends. Extract Brain. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one incapacitated humanoid grappled by the mind flayer. Hit: The target takes 55 (10d10) piercing damage. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, Malinthalid kills the target by extracting and devouring its brain. Extract Anger. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one humanoid. Hit: The target takes 9 (1d10+4) piercing damage and 15 (2d10+4) psychic damage. If the character was raging, the rage ends. The target becomes indifferent about any creatures that it is hostile toward. This indifference ends if the target is attacked or harmed by a spell or if it witnesses any of its friends being harmed. Mind Blast (Recharge 5-6). Malinthalid magically emits psychic energy in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or take 22 (4d8 + 4) psychic damage and be stunned for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Ring of Limited Invisibility. This ring has 3 charges, and it regains 1d3 expended charges daily at dawn. While wearing the ring, Malinthalid can use an action to expend 1 of its charges to turn invisible. Anything he is wearing or carrying is invisible with him. He remains invisible until the ring is removed, until he attack or casts a spell, or until he uses a bonus action to become visible again. Neogi Small aberration, lawful evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 33 (6d6 + 12) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 6 (-2) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) Proficiency Bonus +2 Skills Intimidation +4, Perception +3 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Common, Deep Speech, Undercommon Challenge 3 (700 XP) Mental Fortitude. The neogi has advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened, and magic can’t put the neogi to sleep. Spider Climb. The neogi can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Actions Multiattack. The neogi makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) poison damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. A target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a succes. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage. Enslave (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The neogi targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed by the neogi for 1 day, or until the neogi dies or is more than 1 mile from the target. The charmed target obeys the neogi’s commands and can’t take reactions, and the neogi and the target can communicate telepathically with each other at a distance of up to 1 mile. Whenever the charmed target takes damage, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Appendix A | Creature Stat Blocks 27 Shanathea Medium humanoid, chaotic good Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor) Hit Points 132 (24d8 + 24) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) Proficiency Bonus +3 Saving Throws Int +7, Wis +5 Skills Arcana +10, Deception +3, Insight +5, Perception +5, Persuasion +3, Stealth +6 Senses passive Perception 15 Languages Celestial, Common, Deep Speech, Elvish, Halfling, Sylvan Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Spellcasting. Shanathea is a 13th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): dancing lights, fire bolt, mage hand, mending, ray of frost, toll the dead 1st level (5 slots): comprehend languages, detect magic, mage armor 2nd level (3 slots): hold person, misty step 3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, dispel magic, fireball, tiny hut, lightning bolt 4th level (3 slots): charm monster, dimension door, polymorph 5th level (2 slots): Bigby’s hand, cone of cold, hold monster, scrying 6th level (1 slot): chain lightning 7th level (1 slot): plane shift Actions Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d6 - 1) bludgeoning damage, 3 (1d8 - 1) bludgeoning damage if wielded with two hands. *Note that per the text of the adventure, Shanathea doesn’t have any spells prepared until she recovers her spellbook. Zashmed by Hung Pham Zashmed Medium humanoid, neutral good Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor) Hit Points 41 (9d8) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 9 (-1) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) Proficiency Bonus +2 Saving Throws Int +5, Wis +3 Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Common, Alzhedo, Undercommon, Primordial Challenge 2 (450 XP) Spellcasting. Zashmed is a 9th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). He has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, mage hand, prestidigitation 1st level (4 slots): detect magic, mage armor, magic missile, shield 2nd level (3 slots): misty step, suggestion 3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fireball, fly 4th level (3 slots): dimension door, ice storm, private sanctum 5th level (1 slot): greater restoration Actions Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.

28 Appendix A | Creature Stat Blocks Appendix B - Magic Items & Equipment Emotion Extraction Device (EED) Wondrous item, very rare This device, which resembles a large hypodermic needle, can be used to extract a very potent emotion from someone currently experiencing it. It can extract love, joy, despair, fear, or anger. When used, the targeted emotion is transmuted into a liquid which is stored in a vial. The targeted emotion can later be refined into a potion. When used on a creature experiencing a strong emotion, the EED removes the symptoms of that emotion for one hour, leaving the target feeling calm and unconcerned. The EED can be used 6 times before running out of power and becoming useless. Long-Range Potion Delivery SysteM Weapon (blowgun), very rare This modified blowgun can use needles which have specially designed vials attached that only work with this system. A vial can contain any potion. If a creature takes damage from the blowgun needle with a vial of potion attached, it gains the effects of the potion as if the creature had drunk the potion. Ring of Limited Invisibility Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement) This ring has 3 charges, and it regains 1d3 expended charges daily at dawn. While wearing the ring, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges to turn invisible. Anything you are wearing or carrying is invisible with you. You remain invisible until the ring is removed, until you attack or cast a spell, or until you use a bonus action to become visible again. Potion of Love Potion, uncommon When you drink this potion, the next time you see a creature within 10 minutes after drinking this potion, you become charmed by that creature for 2 hours. If the creature is of a species and gender you are normally attracted to, you regard it as your true love while you are charmed. Otherwise, you view it as a beloved friend/family member/pet. Potion of Joy Potion, very rare When you drink this potion, you gain the following effects for one hour: • One level of exhaustion is removed • You’re immune to the frightened condition • You have advantage on Wisdom saving throws • You have advantage on initiative checks • Your maximum hit points increase by 2d8 and you gain the same number of hit points Potion of Anger Potion, rare When you drink this potion, you gain the following effects for one minute: • You have advantage on Strength checks and saving throws • When you make a melee weapon attack using Strength, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll • You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage • You can’t cast or concentrate on spells Potion of Despair Potion, uncommon When you drink this potion, you must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a feeling of deep melancholy settles over you and you suffer the following effects for one hour: • You have disadvantage on death saving throws • You gain one level of exhaustion (i.e., disadvantage on ability checks) Potion of Fear Potion, rare The next time you see a creature within 10 minutes after drinking this potion, you must succeed on a Wisdom Saving Throw (save DC 16) or you become frightened of that creature for 1 minute. Potion of Love Potion of Joy Potion of Anger Potion of Despair Potion of Fear

Appendix A | Creature Stat Blocks 29 Potion of Emotionlessness Potion, very rare When you drink this potion, you feel no emotions for one hour. During this time, you gain the following effects: • You’re immune to the frightened and charmed conditions • You have advantage on checks to maintain concentration • The emotion potions Malinthalid has created have no effect on you

30 Appendix A | Creature Stat Blocks Appendix C - Neogi Deathspider The neogi deathspider has three decks. The top deck is the battle deck where the crew control weapon systems. The middle deck is the primary deck where the captain lives and controls the vessel. The lower deck is the hold, used for storage and hosting visitors. High resolution PNG gridded player versions of the maps are included in a .zip file in your DMs Guild library where you downloaded this PDF. Ungridded JPG versions of the maps are also provided for use with virtual tabletops. Battle Deck The domed ceiling above the battle deck slides open for combat. Weapons use the siege weapon rules from the DMG. The rear of the deck overlooks the primary deck below. 1. Forward Weapons Pit The forward weapons pit holds one central grappling ram and two ballistas to the sides. The ballistas require three actions to fire, as described in the DMG, but these actions can be performed by separate crew. Three creatures are typically assigned to each ballista during combat so that it can fire each round. The grappling ram uses the stats of a ram with the following modifications: • Its attack is a Ranged Weapon Attack with a range of 120/480 ft. and deals piercing damage • If it deals damage to its target, the target is grappled by a grappling hook connected to the ram. The grappling ram may not attack any other targets until it uses an action to release the grappled target. The ram can pull a grappled target up to 60 feet closer each round. Destroying the grappling ram or its grappling hook releases the grappled creature. The grappling hook is a siege weapon with 15 armor class, 80 hit points, and 15 damage threshold. 2. Ramp to Primary Deck This ramp connects to location 13 on the primary deck of the deathspider, which is 20 feet below the battle deck. 3. Armory Tables, weapon racks, and lockers hold simple and martial weapons to equip raiding parties or those defending the ship. Those attacking a deathspider board the ship on the upper deck as its retracted dome makes for the easiest target. Likewise, neogi boarding parties also launch from this deck when attacking a grappled ship. 4. Umber Hulk Pens Each neogi on a death spider controls one or more umber hulks, with the power and number of umber hulks controlled representing the neogi’s place in the ship’s hierarchy. The neogi on the battle deck are lower in status than the captain or helmsmen but higher in status than those residing on the lower deck. As a result, 2-3 umber hulks may be in these pens. 5. Neogi Quarters One neogi resides in this room. As this is the smaller room, this neogi likely only controls one umber hulk. Neogi Deathspider Battle Deck (Upper Deck)

Appendix A | Creature Stat Blocks 31 6. Neogi Quarters One neogi resides in this room. As this is the larger room, this neogi may control one or two umber hulks. 7. Aft Weapons Pit The aft weapons pit holds one central catapult and two ballistas to the sides. 8. Airlock to the Village The wall here contains an airlock leading to the pocket plane of Malinthalid’s village. The two neogi who live on this deck are the ones who assist Malinthalid’s experiments. Primary Deck The primary deck contains living quarters for the captain, helmsman, and their servants, as well as important cargo. 1. Bridge The captain and the helmsman spend much of their time here, where the controls for the ship reside. Both captain and helmsman use the stats of a neogi master found in Volo’s Guide to Monsters. Characters who wish to commandeer the ship must first find a guide on how the controls work. These guides may be found in various neogi quarters as lesser neogi hope to become captains themselves one day. They’re written in Deep Speech. Basic navigation, such as moving and landing the ship, is fairly straightforward and doesn’t require time to study, but accessing more advanced features of the ship, such as operating the dome or cargo bay doors, may require several hours of reading and a series of relevant skill checks. 2. Captain’s Cabin These are the captain’s private quarters. The door is locked and immune to the knock spell or similar effects. There is a panel that requires a biological sample from the captain to open the door. The room contains many journals and navigational charts, all written in Deep Speech, detailing the crew and cargo aboard the deathspider and where the vessel has been. It also contains notes on Malinthalid’s experiments. The captain is pitting his neogi crew against each other in petty competitions to test Malinthalid’s potions in order to keep them from using the potions to become powerful enough to stage a mutiny. 3. Captain’s Treasures This room is where the captain keeps personal treasures too powerful to leave in places the crew can access. The captain’s biological presence is also needed to unlock the door here. Populate the room with magic items or artifacts appropriate for the party’s level, favoring items that exert psychological control or demonstrate power in nonlethal ways—a neogi has no use for dead servants or crew unless it also has access to necromancy. 4. Helmsman’s Quarters This room is locked but the door can be opened with a spell or a successful DC 16 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check by a character using a lockpick. The helmsman is the second most powerful neogi on the ship and has quarters to match its status. Neogi helmsmen are the closest to being able obtain their own ship and crew, though some never acquire the power or opportunity to take that next step. This room may contain navigational charts and ship logs similar to the captain’s, as well as a substantial sum of gold and gems. 5. Umber Hulk Pens These pens hold the umber hulks serving the captain and helmsman. The pens can hold 2-3 umber hulks at a time but the captain may have 3-4 umber hulks and the helmsman 2-3. They have at least one umber hulk accompanying them at all times. Neogi Deathspider Primary Deck (Middle Deck)

32 Appendix A | Creature Stat Blocks 6. Pantry This room stores non-living food supplies. 7. Galley Neogi crewmembers prepare food for the captain and helmsman in this room. 8. Crew Lockers This room contains generic living supplies for the crew. 9. Helmsman‘s Locker This room contains tools for the helmsman including tools for repairing the ship, manuals on operating the ship, and staves and wands. 10 & 11. Neogi Crew Quarters Each of these rooms houses one neogi crew member. These neogi have slightly lower status than the ones on the battle deck. 12. Open Portal to Hold Deck This portal connects to location 3 on the hold deck, which is 20 feet below the primary deck and physically isolated from the rest of the ship. 13. Ramp to Battle Deck This ramp connects to location 2 on the battle deck. 14. Interrogation & Food Preparation Area This is where neogi crew prepare food for themselves. Prisoners who aren’t forthcoming during interrogation become food. 15. Cargo Doors These cargo doors connect to location 7 on the hold deck and provide the only physical connection to the lower deck. Machinery or magic is needed to move cargo from the hold deck up to the primary deck. Smaller cargo can be moved through the portal instead of the larger doors. 16. Flight Deck & Cargo Hold This area holds long term cargo and overflow from the hold deck. The ceiling here is 40 feet high instead of 20 feet as the battle deck opens onto this area. Each crew neogi living on this deck also commands one umber hulk, and these 2 umber hulks can typically be found patrolling this area. Depending on how much cargo is present, this area could present interesting navigational challenges to players, using tall stacks of containers to form a maze or elevated terrain. It’s also open to enemy boarding crews when the dome above retracts for battle.

Appendix A | Creature Stat Blocks 33 Neogi Deathspider Hold Deck (Lower Deck) Hold Deck The hold deck contains living quarters for the lowest ranking neogi crew, humanoid servants, and visitors. It also holds short term cargo. 1 & 2. Neogi Quarters A typical deathspider has a crew of eight neogi, including the captain and helmsman. Four have quarters on the primary deck and two on the battle deck. The remaining neogi, the lowest in the crew’s hierarchy, live in these quarters. Their umber hulks patrol the deck and keep watch over any other creatures present. 3. Open Portal to Primary Deck This portal connects to location 12 on the primary deck. 4. Visitors Cabin On the rare occasion that the ship has visitors, they stay in this room. Neogi have a reputation for turning on anyone they think they can dominate. Some creatures are powerful enough not to fear the neogi, while others are desperate enough to risk trading with them despite their reputation. 5. Passageway This long hallway connects the three major areas of the hold deck: the neogi quarters, the cargo areas, and the servant quarters. 6. Cargo Hold This area holds short term cargo such as items the neogi are transporting for trade or goods captured in a recent raid. 7. Cargo Doors These doors on the map actually represent two sets of doors. One is the doors shown on the primary deck map connecting the primary deck to the hold deck. Another set connects the hold deck to the exterior of the deathspider, creating an opening in the ship’s “belly.” 8. Servant Quarters These rooms are the living quarters for any humanoids or other sapient creature the neogi mentally dominate and control. These servants perform menial or dangerous tasks for the neogi. 9. Head Servant Quarters This larger room is for a servant designated as the leader of the other servants. This servant has a little more autonomy in return for enforcing the neogi’s will on the other servants. 10. Jettison & Storage In a pinch, this area is used to hold additional cargo, but the neogi have the option of opening bay doors at the rear of this area to jettison its contents from the ship. This area is typically closed off from the rest of the hold deck.

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