Monstrous Arcana - Masters of Eternal Night

Mom Adventure -5ragons

tr o



ess o erna it

By Bruce R. Cordell

INCEPTION Uncompromised Reliquary

Introduction ................................... . . .. .2 Aquifer . . . . . . .

Psionic or Arcane Mind Flayers? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 There Just Isn’t Anything!

Common Illithid Attributes .................... . .2 Flayer Gallery ..

Background and Adventure Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 FINALE
Conclusion ........................................ 31
Aleanor Pathsteader’s Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Arcana ............................................ 32
Brainmate, Assembled From Four Lobes . . . . . . . . . . . ..32
Character Involvement Hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .3 Maulstick ........................................ 32
Headmesh ....................................... 32
The Psionic Seal ................................ . .3 Sword of the Flayer .............................. .32

FOOTPRINT OF A FALLEN LIGHT . .5
Journey to the Crater ........................... . .5
. .5
The Grip of Winter ............................. . .8
Winter Encounters ............................
Life in a Northern Town .......................

Thralltakers in Pursuit . . . . . . . .

Clearing Away Collapsed Time . .

1Breached Slave Hold . . . . . .

Credits

Design: Bruce R. Cordell Editor:Keith Francis Strohm Creative Direction: Thomas M. Reid
Art Director: Dawn Murin Cover Art: Brom Interior Art:Glen Michael Angus

Cartography: Rob Lazzaretti Graphic Design: Matt Adelsperger Typesetting: Eric Haddock
Acknowledgment:Steve Winter promulgated the use of a card mechanic in conjunctionwith an AD&D adventure.

”Searchingthe Crater” is the fruit of that desire.
Dedication:To the author of The Dao of Chaos, Katya Walter, whose writing introduced me to chaos theory, the Ho River Writing, and

the real relationship between circumference and diameter.

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subsidialy of Wizards of the Coast, he.All TSR characters,character names, and the distinctivelikenessesthereof are trademarksowned by TSR. This is a work of fiction.Any semblanceto any real
person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.Distributedto the book trade in the United Statesby Random House,hc.and in Canadaby RandomHouse of Canada Ltd. Distributedto the hobby, toy,
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"No light; no lge; no least stir of spider in the dust or wo
the cold earth. Rock, and dark, and time not passing."

-Ursula K. Le Guin, TheTombsof Atuan

three modules. 5;MV 12,Sw 12;HD 84;THACO 11;#AT4;
below); SA cephalophagy, psionics; SD
A R C A N As~upplement 10%~tyto~nokch&;MR~%;
need that book to run SZ M (6' tall); ML Champion(15); Int Genius(17-18);AL LE;
use the additional min xP4poo.
The Illithiad to add even m
Notes SA-An illithidinsertsits hlaclesintoa stxnned
The encounters detailed vidim'sskull and draws out thebrain(a pmcm called
down to a specific world or cephabphagy),killing the hapless individualin 1round.A mind
tions and names of places 5yer canalso use its tentaclesinclosemelee; each s u d
adventure appear within the text. If tentacleattackidi& Zpoints ofdamageandgrasps the taget's
should change the names and locati skun(theh~eisremovablewithasuccgsfuldbars/~
she can sedessly slip Masters @ E t
sequent adventure into an ongoing sce .Whenat least onetentacleholdsthevictim,each

Psionk or Arcane llljt the strugglingtarget to draw itsbminout

Although The Illithiad focuses on the psionic abilitiesof Summary:#AT 1;MTHACO 10;MAC 5;Lv
mindflayers, some sources suggest that illithidsuse arcane
abilities and powers. Arguments exGt concerning the forces 100+250;Psionic Attacks ego whip 0 ,id
tapped and manipulated by psiofiic devotions: Are psychic
forces synonymous with the energy tapped by arcane
spells?Whatever the truth, psionic effectsare adualized
according to a philosophy at odds with that usedby spell-
casters and arcane beasts. Of course, psionic abilitiesare not
appropriatefor every DMk campaign.

hdicates a psionic power detailed in TheIllithiad.

unct m d Adventure can they end the mind flayer threat. That finaljourney, its goal,
and its repercussions are dealt with in the last installment of the
burruna .)J illithid adventuretrilogy, Dawn of the Overmind.

InA Darkness Gathering,the PCs uncovered a group of In general, this adventureprovidesthe PCs with a number
of open-endedchoices-although the psionicpalm print
illithidsintent on enslaving a city.Through force of arms and ”drives” the plot. This type of adventureallowsthe DM a p a t
clever deduction, the heroes ended the threatby defeating the deal of freedom and creativityin dealing with the PCs’actions.
illithidsthat laired in the sewersbelow the human settlement. It also requiresthe DM to becomefamiliar with the various
In doing so, the PCs discovered that the illithids’ plot ran much encounterareas and overarching story, so that she canbest
deeper:The foul creatures planned to put out the sun! If the respond to the directionthe player characterstake.
dimming of other stars in the firmamentabove is any indica-
tion, t h n~efa~riousplot affectsmore than one world. Chardcter Involvement Hooks

Hopeis not lost, for the heroesrescueda friend from the lair Dungeon Mastersdo not need to incorporatecharacters who
of the illithids.This companionpossesseda mysteriouspalm have played throughA Darkness Gatheringinto this module
print (a psionic seal resembling magical ”circuitry”) given her after the fact, as events from the first adventurelead directly
in a h a m . The shadowy dream messenger, a human named
Strom,indicated to her that she must heed the mental direc- into this plot. However, DMs who wish to runthis adventure
tions containedwithin the psionic seal in order to prevent all
s m from dying. alone can use the followingbulleted story hooks to introduce
player characters intoMasters of Eternal Night.
In A Darkness Gathering,the DMwas encouragedto use a real
PC or NPC from her campaignas the individual chosen by In an unrelatedscenario,the player characters overcome
Strom.The module provided informationon Aleanor, an NPC an illithid,freeing its single captive: Aleanor Pathsteader
ranger, in case the DMhad no one to fit thebill.Aleanor’s stab (or an NPC from the DM’s campaign). The freed captive
reappear here for ease of reference: possesses knowledgeof the illithids’plan and hasthe
psionicpalm print as describedabove.
Aleanor Pathsteader,hf R7:AC 2 (studded leather +1 and
Dex bonus); MV 12;hp 55; THACO 14(12 long sword +2 and One of the charactershasthe same dream as Aleanor
short sword +2; 8against illithids); #AT 5/2; Dmg (see the sectionon Aleanor Pathsteader). When that
ld8+2/ld6+2 (longsword +2 and short s m d +2); SA two- player character awakens, he or sheis likewise graced
weapon fighting, Tracking (18),move silently (53%) and with a strangepalm tattoo inscribed with glowing lines
hide in shadows (65%) in natural surroundings,+4 to attacks that imparts psionicinsfn~ctionfsor itsbearer.
againstillithids(species enemy), animal influence, psionic
In an earlier,mlated, adventure, the heroes discover a
seal; SZ M ( 5 ’ 8 tall); ML Champion (15); AL CG; XP 975. map indicating the locationof an ancient crater in a
remote region. The crater contains a strange symbol
Notes: Aleanor’s move-silently and hideinshadowspercentages similar to the palm print discussed below. When a
arehalvedin city or dungeonsettings. character touches this symbol,a mental message
resonates throughouthis head:
SA-She canshift theencounterreactionof a naturalanimal if the
creaturefailsa savevs. rods (with a -3 penalty); her psionic seal gives Footprint ofafallen light,
Aleanormentaldirections towardher requireddestination. Seed of a tumbled empire;
When hope dwindles in eternal night,
S 15,D 18, C 14,113, W 16, CH 15. Master the past-reignite thejre.

Special Possessions:Guardian (longsword +2), short sword +2, If the map and psionicsymbol are insufficientto
studded leather amm-+I. promote player interestin this siteas the sunbegins to
dim, send a group of illithid Thralltakers (see stab in the
In this adventure,characters follow the guide of the psionic sectionmarked “Thralltakers” on page 11)to steal the map
palm print, an artifactthat providesmental directionsto some and slay the characters--thisshouldboost the players’
thing ”important.” Unfortunately, the object of the party’s interest.
search remainsunclear at first, and besides dealingwith threats
of cold, banditry, and illithid-assimilated citiesalong the way, The Psionic Sed
the player characters must explore and partially excavatea
large snow-coveredcrater at thebehestof the palm print. The The psionic seal inscribed upon Aleanor’s palm is the
PCs’ search is hindered when their exploitsdraw the attention product of illithid psionic technology, as introduced in The
of a crack team of illithidtrackers, called Thralltakers. Illithiad. In essence, a psionic seal is a small bit of psionic

SkiUedPCs eventuallyuncover a strange artifact-a long-
buried illithid craft. If they alsounearth the four navigational
components(a brainmate,separatedinto four lobes) necessary
to utilize this craft, they have a chanceof defeating the illithids’
plan.The ancientvessel transportsthem to a world that served
as the seat of an illithid empirelong ago. All indicationslead
the heroes to believethat only by traveling to this lost world

3

circuitry artificially incorporated into an object or a living

being through the use of a unique mind flayer psionic dis-
cipline. Depending upon the complexity of the seal in ques-

tion, illithids can incorporate a variety of psionic effects
into it.

The psionic seal (sometimesrrferredto asthe palm printin
this adventure) contains prepmgrammed mental directivesthat

activatein rrsponseto appqriate stimuli. Themental k -
tives always takethe form of "strung feelings,' unlessnoted

otherwisein particular instances.

Initially,thepsionicseal urgently directsitsbeam towad the
location of the crater detailed in the Footprint OfAFdh Light
chapter. In addition to this mental tug,the seal imp& the feel-
ing that theparty shouldbring excavating equipment.As the

adventurecontinues, new situations come to light, possibly

triggeringmore mental diredivesas d e s a i i under t h e de-

vant sections.

The bearer of the seal is alsofreeto query the seal with
mental questionsat any time. Possible questionsare listed
below, matched to thepalm print's rrsponse, if any. Questions

not covered here in some form generally receive no mponse.
Most answers are in the form of ideas or mental pictures,
except as noted.

If thebeam is in danger of dying, the seal mentallyinforms
him thatit canbetransfendto anotherbeingthroughmerr
touch, if the beam wills it to happen.Sureenough, if the seal's
beam touches the print to thepalm of another and concen-
trates, the seal adhem to a new owner. However, it still rrtains
all of the characteristics prrviously attributed to it.

Winter refuses to release the land from its icy grip, and as

the sun continues to dim,panic mounts. T i e is of the
essence, and the character possessing a psionic palm print

feels a mental directive to act swiftly or face the loss of light
forever.

This section provides the initial direction for the
Dungeon Master. The DM may wish to refer
these topics many times as the first half of th
proceeds. In particular, the section dealing
Thralltakers describesa fluid situation a threat
materialize at any time, or
turers travel across frozen

Adventurerswho wish Any time the player characters are out of doors, impress
the psionic seal must le upon them the unnatural state of affairs: Ice and snow, cold
head out into the co
best. Mental images winds, f r o m livestock, and frost-killed crops dominate
the bearer and the ES what should be a lush spring landscape. Additionally, there
picks, or some other excavating tools or m
is a 20% chance (the DM should check every four hours)
particularly canny adventurers may think
purchase dig spells-this and similar magi that PCs who travel the winter-gripped lands or
search/excavate the crater encounter something.The DM
help the adventurers later.
The DM is encouraged to locate bo should roll on the Winter Encounter Tablebelow to deter-

of origin and their goal (the crater) wi mine encounter specifics.
paign world, some 7 to 27 days travel

mental tug of the psionic seal draws the
unsettled lands dotted with just a few
onto the Grim Steppe, a rocky, inhospi
barbaric clans of nomadic herders (see

on the interior cover). In good weather, a tn

travel by horseback;the trip

tions, encounters, and dangers the pkyer characters must
face as they head toward their gdal.

M o w the player characters to make personal prepara-
tions before leaving Stormport (or a campaign-appropriate
locale). However, failingcrops and large numbersof live-
stock deaths have inflated prices to ridiculous levels (multi-
plying the equipment prices found in the Player’s
Handbook by a factor of 10would not be too extreme). In
addition, for every day the characters tarry, the urgency of
the psionic sealincreases.This urgency may help to defuse
any attempt by the hemes to gather a larger p u p to deal

with the dimming sun. In any case, city officials,concerned
citizens, and even other adventurers aw too busy dealing

with the consequences of a never-ending winter to spend
great deal of time assisting the party.

Read or paraphrase the following text to the players a
their characters begin the quest:

Winter Encounter Table many of the remaining structuresare only ashen frameworks.
A thorough search of the town unearths some valuables
3d6 Encounter (whose worth does not exceed 100 gp)-though most every-
03-04 Frozen Village'
thing was bumed or stripped by survivorswho fled the
0075-0486 BReeafustg(se)es town e e m g warmer climes to t
09-10 White Out
11-12 Bluzard Refugees: The PCs ~ILCULULL~I d 51uup of people shug-
13-14 Thin Ice/Snow Crust gmg to survive agamt tne rierce, unnatural winter. Half
15-16 Dark Out the time, the party discovers ldlO 0-level reiugees ravage
Condittoned Village' by exposure; these refugeesgratefully accept any concrett
17-18 assistancefood, warm clothing, or magical aid, for exam-

*Indicatedencounters occur only while heroes are on the move; that the I'Ls can gwe them. The DM can give out an
roll for another encounter if player charactersare campingor cArcL-ienceaward rangingbetween 100to 1000XP per
excavating.The DM can key these encounters at an appropriate player, dependingupon the type of assistdl~ctr.endered.
The other 50% of the time, the PLS en I oanait!
point if random die rolls prove too weighted. n to surv
humans (or any humanoid race) who ha
VY ~ C Y U "11L o~ther travelers and refuge Ithey me
Eachbandit has a smau norae of stolen ranons, and 1in 4 nas
crozen village: I ~ I sSmau w a g e lies utterly aoanaonea, a small coal pot contair coal crac
i it is clear as to why: The unnatural cold has frozen the
ps in the field and the cattle on the range. Ma,,Lvwl
people died or srarvanon ana exposure,if the mass grave oanairs, n m a nf F3 (11):AC 7 (learner artd shield,;
covered by i 1 snow it- er of tow -1

7 indicati le folk of I destroy
ny of the 'od.HOW
it looks like as 1rsome or tnose nres oumea out or control, as
Notes: 5A-lhe bandits are a lughly desperate lot, and their

\

I

level mercenarv and bandit leader. Tain only caresabout tak- (9’ tau); ML Steaay (11); Int Average (10); AL CE;-%P 1,400.
ing whatever f&d and magic the P C s pos&ss (though the
nutritionprovided by hisMurlynd’s spoon is sufficient, he Notes: S M r e a t e r ice trolls are immune to all cold-basedspells
hardly finds it appetizing). The bandit leader is a crafty and attacks, and they require magical weapons of +1 or greater
knave; he approachesthe heroes as a friend, suggesting that enchantmentto hit them. Inaddition, these creatures regenerate2
hp per round if exposedto water, ice, or snow.Severed limbs
they all throw in together. Unfortunately, he only suggests regeneratenormally if exposedto water, ice, and snow, and these
this in order to lull the adventurers into complacency. He limbscrawl up to 30 feet in search of suchelements.
and his band will betray the party at the earliest opportunity.
SW-Fm causesdouble damage to these creatures. In addition,
Tain Fendown, hm F13 AC 0 (chainmail, shield, and they cannot rrgeneratedamagefromfire and acid. Greater ice troll
Dex); MV 12; hp 90; THACO 8 (4 with specialization, Str, limbs sever on a natural attack roll of 20-8 the attackingweapon is
and long sword +I); #AT 5/2; Dmg ld8+7 (specialization, type S or P.
Str, long sword +Z); SZ M (6’ 2“ tall); ML Champion(15);
AL NE; XF 5,000. Wolves, Winter (2d4): AC 5; MV 18; HD 6; THACO 15;
#AT 1;D m g ld4 (bite); SA frost breath; SD immunity; SW
S 18/80, D 18, C 12,112, W 7, CH 8. fire; SZ L (7-12‘ long); ML Elite (13); Int Average (9); AL
Personalzfy:Overly friendly,devious. NE; xp 975.
Specral Equipment:long sword +I, Murlynd’s spoon, pouch with
Notes: SA-Wmter wolves can unleash a stream of frost from
330 g p worth of stolengemsand coins. their lungs once every 10rounds for 6d4 points of damage (save vs.

Beast(& A variety of predators still hunt the hills and val- ~
leys of this area. However, the fimweather has brought
these creatures to the brink of starvation.As such, they no breathweapon for half damage).
longer feelreticentabout attackmg humans. Thesepdators SD-These creatures are immune to all cold and cold-based
includeboth naturalbeastsand somefew monsters that
actively search for food and warmth One-half of the time, this attacks, includingmagicalones.
result indicatesa natural beast (or native monster), as q r e - W-Fire causes 1additionalpointof damage per die.
sented by the bear and wolf entriesbelow. The DM can also
chooseavatwes from theMONSTROUMSANUATLo*me (the White Out: The lowering white clouds blend perfectly
with the plain of snow, and it is impossible to distinguish
mammaland small mammalentriesprovidemany appropn- the earth from the sky! White-out conditions last for the
ate matures). next ld4+3 hours. For every turna party attempts to press

Bear, Cave (2): AC 6; MV 12; HD 6+6;I-a 47,35; onward, it stands a 20% chance to wander onto ThinIce
THACO 15;#AT 3; D m g ld8/ld8/ld12 (claw/claw/bite);
(see below). Additionally, for every turn a party moves in
SA hug; SW hibernation; SZ H (12’ tall); ML Average (8); the white out, one of its members must make a Direction
Sense proficiency check with a 4 penalty or else the party
Int Semi (4); AL N; XP 550. moves in a random direction. If no one possesses the
proficiency, choose one player character to make a Wisdom
Notes: This mated pa^^ of cavebearsis on a desperate searchfor check with a -8 penalty every turn. Once a party becomes
food.However, the extreme, ullseasonablecold has triggered their lost, it is conceivable that it could take several days for
them to discover the error.
hibernationinstinct.
SA-If a cave bear’s paw hits an opponenton an attackroll Blizzard:Heavy snow falls as the wind picks up. PCs not
wearing appropriate winter clothing take ld4 points of
greaterthan18,the c r e a m draws its opponentin for a hug that damage per turnof exposure (and they must make saving
throws vs. paralyzation or suffer the effects of exposure
inflicts2d8 pointsof damage. detailed on page 5). The blizzard lasts for 3d10 hours before
SW-The cavebears suffer a -1 penalty to their attack and passing, though the snow remains on the ground. If accu-
mulations reach higher than3 feet (the snow piles up at a
initiativerolls due to their early hibernation. In addition, they do rate of ld4+2 inches per hour), PCs may find it difficult to
move around and fight. Reduce all movement rates by one
- not fighton after reducedto 0 hit pointshke normal cavebears. third. PCs whose movement rates fall to 4 or lower suffer a
-2 penalty to all attack rolls, saving throws, and physical
Wolves (2d4): AC 7; Mv 18; HD 3; THACO 18;#AT 1; Ability Checks while they struggle through the drifting
D m g ld4+1 (bite); SD +1to save vs. charm; SZ S (3’4’); snow. Thispenalty is cumulative with any other penalties
levied for exposure to the winter elements.
ML Average (10); Int Low (7);AL N; XP 120.
Thin IcdSnow Crust: The snowfallcovers everythmg,
The other 50% of the time, this result indicates an oppor- and it sometimes conceals the existence of f r o m pools or
tunistic mature originally from alpine mountains that has
moved into the area to take advantage of the spread of its
natural habitat. Greater ice trolls and winter wolf stats
appear below as examples of such creatures. Throw only

crevice, or other M ~ UpoKtho~le in the landscape. on the face of the sun. The temperature plungeswithin min-
Utes, inflicting ld4 points of damage p k tt& to all of those
This result indicates &at the PCs have traveled over PCs not magically protected from cold or insulatedby a
thii ice hidden by snow (50%) or a brittle snow crust shelter or fh.The darkness slowly recedes and the light
returns to its previous level after ld4 turns.
(50%). The ice/snow opens up below a random PC, creat-
ing a hole some 10feet in diameter (any PCs within this Conditioned Village: The PCs have stumbled upon a
area are also affected). Those affected must make success- village where the illithids have gained total control of the
ful saving throws vs. paralyzationor fall through the hole. populace. See ”Life In a Northern Town” for a keyed
example. Once the PCs complete this encounter, cross it
If victims fall through thii ice, they suffer ld4 points of
damage every round they remain in the water. There is off the encounter table. If necessary, the DM can recycle
also a 15%chance that a current pulls the victim(s) under
the ice for every round they remain in the water. Only by this encounter by changing names, locations, and other
making a successful saving throw vs. paralyzation (with a particulars.
-2 penalty) can the victim pull himself out of the slippery
hole onto stable ice. If the current sweeps the PC away, the Life in ii northern Town
victim must hold his breath (for a maximum time equal to
This small city (2,000 residents before the conditioning,
‘x the PC‘s Constitution score) and try to break.through the now about 100survivors total) was called Fairmyr, a lively
ice by making an attack roll (note that this counts as stren- place once sustained by trade on the nearby river, hunting,
and animal husbandry. Now, it’s called Thrall Processing
uous activity, reducing the PC’s ability to hold his breath Node #512, and it stands as an example of what would
by half again). A successful attack causing more than 6 have occurred in Stormport (the city featured in A Darkness
Gathering)if the PCs hadn’t discovered and stopped the
points of damage splits the ice. The PC can then try to illithids’ conditioningprogram.

climb out of the water in the same manner detailedbefore. Unfortunately, no one came to this city’s rescue. Hidden
Comrades offering aid to the floundering victim(s) are illithid agents conditioned a large block of Fairmyr’s pop-
ulation through mass psionic suggestion. These enthralled
better served by throwing a rope; those rescuers who stand people, calling themselves the New Believers (similar to
too close to the ice edge can also fall in if they fail their the Elect in the city of Stormport from the previous adven-
saving throw vs. paralyzation. ture), killed those citizens resistant to mental brainwash-
ing; wives turned on husbands, apprentices on masters,
Finally, a character must make a system shock roll every and the masses turned upon the constabulary. The illithids
round after his third in the water. Failure indicates that the gathered survivors into the stockade for processing.
victim contracts hypothermia, a condition that kills the Fairmyr was no more.
unfortunate PC within 1 turn-unless some sort of healing
magic or cure disease is performed upon the victim. From its edges, the small city looks similar to the frozen
village described in the ”Winter Encounters” section-
Those player characters who fall through snow crust although Fairmyr is much larger and does not appear to
simply tumble 10to 60 (ld6 X 10) feet into the chasm have suffered much fire damage. Anyone stopping to lis-
revealed below, suffering the appropriate damage. Thirty ten while at Fairmyr’s borders can hear faint sounds com-
percent of the time such falls wedge the victim(s) in the ing from the city’s center. Most interesting, the closer the
chasm; wedged individuals require aid in order to escape player characters move toward the center of the city, the
from their predicament. warmer it becomes! (See ”Vent” below for more details.)

The streets are completely empty of any passersby, and
the buildings, businesses, warehouses, and residences
appear quite deserted. Unfortunately, human bodies lie
frozen in the city’s streets, their bloated skin blue-black
with frost. Anyone who searches the frozen corpses dis-
covers that most of them have gaping holes in their skulls
and no brains!

PCs interested in looting the bodies and houses of
Fairmyr’s dead can likely find some items-though the
illithids and their thralls have generally taken anything of
real value. Although the buildings in the city’s center do
still see use, the illithids have converted these structures
into areas useful for their dark purposes. The map on the

8

~int-e.r~ior~c-o-ve.r~o~f t,h.is, ,m-o-d-u..~.,lAe“o-n-ly,. keys the city center (see character can cast 1suggestion spell per turn, a rolI of 20 enrages

-Ail L --J--.L.. i i l l y U.I l r W 1.. ... lI l r d I 3.\) .
IlU

ulars of the looted and abandoned buildings on the city Spellbook (3/2/1): l s t - c h a r m person, hold portal, sleep; 2nd-
periphery is not really all that important. The DM should
feel free to develop this area in a way consistent with her invisibility, hypnotic pattern; 3rd-fireball.
campaign.
ThiefAbilities: PP 55, DN 50, CW 75, RL 10.

Town Periphery Vent

For every turn the heroes spend investigatingthe outer This area once contained an ornate fountain. Now, a
edges of the town, they stand a 10%cumulative chance to gaping hole leads deep into the earth; moist heat, redolent
run into the last remaining free thinkers in the city-Leth- with brine and a hint of garlic, emanates from the dark
bron Brosial and her band of survivors. Lethbronand her maw. When Fairmyr fell, the mind flayers in charge of the
allies did not flee the city when the illithids took it over. conditioning project contacted their comradesbeneath the
Rather, they hid from their former friends and family, and surface, and through a specialized application of psionic
now they wage a desperatewar against the illithids and energy, the illithid forces jointly opened a passage into the
their conditionedthralls. These freedom fighters never stay earth. The vent connects the closestnatural underdark pas-
in one abandoned building long, as the illithids are aware of sage with the surface and offers a convenient way to send
their presence and sometimes send out patrols to deal with new thralls down to the illithids’ subterranean city. As an
them. Lethbron’s goal is to slay as many of the conditioned added bonus, the warmth of the earth escapes up through
citizens as possible. In fact, she often remarks: ”Better dead the vent, raising the overall temperature of the city to a
and free, then a mind flayer thrall.” She and her band are degree more suitable to the mind flayers’ tastes.
quite fatalistic and fully expect their own deaths to come
from this cause. Exploration of the vent soon brings spelunkersto a con-
fusing nexus of tunnels, many of which lead to illithid out-
When encountered, Lethbron acts very cautious until she posts, colonies, and communities-though exploring PCs
can verify that the PCs are not thralls of the illithids (the can find passages leading to the dwellings of other under-
party member who possesses the psionic seal may have dark races. Of course, the illithids have their own plans of
some explaining to do if the rebel leader spots it). Once conquest in motion against these other races. If the DM
assured of the party’s loyalty, Lethbron asks the PCs for wishes, she can extend the adventure to include encoun-
their aid. If the heroes agree, and they prove victorious over ters with other races. The PCs may wander around the
the illithid residents of Fairmyr, grant each of them a bonus underground passages fighting battles against drow, grim-
story award of 1,000 XP. locks, quaggoth, beholders and a host of other hostile crea-
tures. Alternatively, the PCs could encounter traditionally
Town Rebels, hm and hf Fl(7): AC 7 (leather and evil races and forge alliances against the growing power of
shield); M V 12;hp 6 (each); THACO 20; #AT 1;Dmg the mind flayers. The exact details are left up to the DM. If
ld8+1 (long sword, 70%), ld6+1 (short sword, 30%); SA the Dungeon Master does not wish to include such a side
desperate; SZ M (5’4’ tall); ML Champion (15); Int Aver- plot, she can have the psionic palm print mentally urge
age (9); A L NE; XP 35. heroes away from extended exploration of the vent.

Notes: SA-Because of their desperation, the rebels receive +1to Two enforcers (see below) always patrol the area around
the vent and sound an alarm in the event of any trouble.
all of their damage rolls, as indicated in their combat summary.

Lethbron Brosial, hf B7: AC 2 (chain mail, shield, and Enforcers
Dex); MV 12;hp 35; THACO 17;#AT 1;Dmg Id8 (long
sword); SA bard abilities; SD bard abilities; SZ M (5’ 2” This building, once a stylish shop selling stone sculp-
tall); ML Champion (15); AL CG; XP 1,400. ture, now houses several humans who have completely
accepted the illithids as their new masters. These True
Notes: SA-Lethbrom can attempt to influencethe reaction of Believers were deemed of sufficient mettle to serve as
NPCs; NPCs must make successfulsaving throws vs. paralyzation guardians for the mind flayers. They respond fiercely in
to avoid this effect.In addition, she can grant her allies a +1to their the event of any general alarm and carry out illithid com-
attack rolls and saving throws, and a +2 to their morale if she mands without hesitation. In order to break the Believers’
spends 3 rounds before a combat singing or reciting poetry. She also conditioning, the PCs must use enchantment/charm-
has a 35%chance to identify the generh purpose and history of a related spells-such as charm person and suggestion. In
addition, the party could attempt to use psionic disci-
magical item. /’ plines and items to accomplishthis purpose; however,
SD-Lethbrorn can counter the effectsof songs and poetry (such enforcersreceive a +2 bonus on all die rolls related to
resisting such reconditioning.
as the charming song of a harpie) used as magical attacks if she
There are 15 enforcers housed in the building (not
makes a successfulsave vs. spell. counting the 2 on sentry duty near the Vent). Use the Town
Rebels stat block for the enforcers-though these thralls do
S 14, D 16, C 12,113, W 7, CH 15.

Pwsonality: Fatalistic.

Special Equipment: ”Empathy,” harp ofcharming (player

9

not receive the e+n1fodracmerasgteooboenausislyf,otrhdee~UspMersahtioounl.d.Ifmtha.kee . ^building If an illithid runs its tentacles across the stria-
PCs defeat the
tions, it can ”read”1 . t1he mind flayers’ name T* or t.his area:
future enforcers level 3 fighters and give them a 5th-level Command Node. Other creatures must employ magical
methods to read the script.
fighter as a leader.
Two illithids, Marsth and Flense, usually reside in this
Stockade structure. In addition, Khamthek spends his downtime
from the Processing Center here. Resinous walls divide
This building has a sign hanging out front that reads the building into two main areas. One section is devoted
”The Courtyard Inn.” Its doors are locked from the outside to sleep and comfort; it contains a psionically warmed
and a resinous violet ichor stains the wood. The structure pool and soft, mossy pallets. The mind flayers have
acts as a prison for 60 adult citizens and 10 surviving chil- secreted a locked iron chest within a small hollow on one
dren who were captured during the Believer uprising. The wall. In the chest, the illithids have gathered some choice
conditions within this stockade are squalid; fear and hope- trophies-including a saddlebag that contains 567 gp, a
lessness pervade the air. Enforcers come to this prison pouch with 5 emeralds (each worth 100 gp), and 4 potions
every day and remove a few inmates; those chosen never ofextra healing.
return, and the remaining prisoners fear the worst. Unfor-
tunately, they have a right to be afraid. The enforcers take The other section of the building contains a series of
prisoners for Processing (described below); any slave who three head-stocks, which the illithids refer to as their ”buf-
does not meet the illithids’ expectations becomes a mind fet.’’ The stocks are rarely empty, as Khamthek carefully
flayer’s next meal. chooses at least three potential thralls suitable for illithid
consumption during every examination period. The 3
All the people housed in the stockade are 0 level. For slaves in the stocks are alive 50%of the time; otherwise,
every prisoner the adventurers release to freedom, they they hang lifeless, terrible fluids dripping from their emp-
each receive 25 XP. Note that the PCs cannot simply unlock tied skull cavities.
the door, hustle the prisoners out, and then leave them. To
receive the XP award, the party must escort the prisoners In the event of an alarm, all 3 illithids investigate cau-
to safety outside the city. If the PCs do this, there is a 55% tiously. They prefer to attack indirectly,bolstering enforcers
chance that the enforcers within the city notice the escape with their psionic skills;however, they will personally deal
and raise an alarm. with any intrusion or guerilla attack that threatens the
Node. Although formidable, the 3 illithids posted to Fairmyr
Processing are notfully mature mindflayers and have yet to develop their
mind bZast powers. DMs interested in more information on
This quaint building once functioned as a Jeweler’s illithid life cycles should refer to The Illithiad.
shop-though the illithids have now emptied the inven-
tory and transferred it below the ground via the vent. The Flense, Khamthek, and Marsth, Illithids (3):AC 5;
mind flayers use this area to inspect new thralls. Those MV 12, Sw 12; HD 5+3; hp 22,26,28; THACO 14; #AT 4;
slaves who meet the illithids’ expectations are sent under- Dmg 2 (seenote below); SA cephalophagy, psionics; SD
ground to serve in a variety of illithid communities. The infravision;SW -10% penalty to hear noise checks; MR
illithids earmark substandard thralls for later use as food. 54%; SZ M (6’tall); ML Champion (15);Int Genius (18);
AL LE; XP 4,000.
Khamthek is the mind flayer processor assigned to this
area. This mind flayer spends 8 out of every 24 hours Notes: SA-An illithid inserts its tentacles into a stunned
here, usually during the darkest hours of night. The pro- victim’s skull and draws out the brain (a process called
cessing machine takes up part of the front room and pos- cephalophagy),killing the hapless individual in one round. A
sesses all of the equipment necessary to conduct mind flayer can also use its tentacles in close melee; each
queries-including shackles, a cephalometer (cruel look- successfultentacle attack inflicts 2 points of damage and grasps
ing calipers designed to measure thrall head size, psionic the target’s skull (the tentacle is removable with a successful
potential, balance of neurotransmitters, and a host of bend bars/lift gates roll). When at least one tentacle holds the
other particulars), shears, bug-killing dust, and two small victim, each succeeding tentacle attack by the illithid gains a
brands (denoting whether the subject is fit for thralldom cumulative +1bonus (to a maximum of +3 for the last tentacle
or a good meal). attack). Once all four tentacles have attached to the victim, the
illithid has sufficiently immobilized the struggling target to
Khamthek‘s combat summary appears in the next section. draw its brain out in the next round.

Illithids / Psionics Summary:#AT 1;MTHACO 15; MAC 8; Lv
7; PSPs ld100; Psionic Attacks ego whip (EW); Psionic
Unlike the rest of the buildings in the city, this struc- Defenses intellect fortress (IF); Psionic Disciplines awe,
body equilibrium, control body, ESP, levitation, post-hyp-
ture is almost completely covered, both outside and notic suggestiomaste link.

inside, with a thick layer of resinous ichor that resembles

nothing so much as exposed ganglia. Illithid qualith, four

raised lines of striations, appears on both doors of the

the illithids of the subterranean communitv of heroes. In addition, thev wish to ferret out the true iden-
Abstemious are concerned. The mind flay& of tity of the heroes’ patro;l--the Adversary. To this end, the
Abstemious are responsible for assimilating a certain Thralltakers may attempt a variety of different actions as
number of cities-in step with illithid communities noted below, triggered by a specific event or time. There-
throughout the many worlds and planes-and Stormport fore, the nature of the PCs’ interactionwith the Thralltak-
was one of the more important on this list. The illithids of ers depends upon how much time has passed, as well as
Abstemious, in consultation with their elder brain, believe the actions of the PCs themselves.Of course, the Thrall-
that the Adversary, an ancient and almost mythical enemy takers meet any all-out attack by the party with appropri-
of the mind flayer race, may have had a hand in the ate ferocity.
defense of Stormport. In response, the mind flayers have
sent out an elite group of Thralltakers to investigate. The illithids wear items known as dampsuits (construc-

This tracking unit consists of 3 mind flayers named tions that keep illithid skin moist and give them a + 1 to
Noth, Vour, and Skwusch.These illithids have brought
along their personal thralls, Elissa, Jon, and Zebulon (each their AC) and glaregoggles(items that allow illithids to
of whom was once a powerful adventurer wha now see in daylight). In addition, each mind flayer possesses a
hearthstone (see ”Arcana” section at the end of this mod-
serves only the goals of his or her illithid master). In addi- ule) to keep them warm. Normally, the illithids spend all
of their time in a large, covered sled pulled by four horses
tion to their thralls, the mind flayers have enlisted the aid driven by their thralls. To a casual observer, the sleigh and
of a specially trained intellect devourer, called Bluntfell. its drivers do not seem out of the ordinary; the illithids
This creature possesseses the unique ability to find and usg this disguise to their advantage whenever possible.
track a psychic scent.
At some point during the adventure, the Thralltakers
If the PCshave played through A Darkness Gathering,
should catch up with the PCs.The details of this
then the Thralltakers arrived in Stormport to catch the
scent of whatever force destroyed the illithid conditioning encounter are left to the DM. The bulleted list below pro-
program, and they have spent their time tracking the vides suggested guidelines for these encounters, some of
party. If Shuluth survived the PCs attack, the ulitharid which follow logically from previous ones. In addition,
reports on the events surrounding its contact with the the DM can use the first bulleted point more than once.
heroes and thereafter joins the Thralltakers on their quest Note that the illithids’ special psychoportive powers make
to put down the threat to the mind flayer plan (see Shu- it likely that the Thralltakers can instantly retreat if a par-
luth‘s stats on page 28 of A Darkness Gathering). ticular encounter goes poorly, allowing them to return
several times to harry the party.
If the PCs have not played through the first adventure
in this series, then the Thralltakers were dispatched The party traverses a wide snow-coveredvalley. As the
because the illithidsdetected suspiciouspsionic activity
surrounding the player character’s-namely, fhe palm heroes ascend to the opposite side, they can see indis-
print provided by Strom. This device left a psychic signa- tinct figures and an animal-driven sled entering the val-
ture during its creation, and the illithids have been track- ley, a day’s travel behind.Of course, the illithids also
ing this signature for some time now. note the party and henceforthare more discreet; they
only travel at night.
Regardless of how they began their endeavor, the
Thralltakers follow the heroes as they head north, led While the party faces some other threat from the Winter
inexorably by the peculiar talents of Bluntfell. The intel- EncountersTable on page 6, the three thralls appear on
lect devourer is swaddled in protective furs and kept on a their sleigh (with the illithids hiding within) to aid the
leash of bone links that resemble spinal disks. N o matter heroes in an attempt to gain their trust. If successful, the

thralls attempt to kidnap the player character or NPC in

possession of the palm print for purposes of interroga-
tion. The rest of the party may have to track down the

sled and their supposed allies in this case. When the PCs

catch the sleigh, they must deal with the thralls’ fighting
prowess and the illithids’ psionic abilities.The mind
flayers remain within the sleigh at first, but emerge from
their interrogationto enter the melee, if necessary.

If any thralls and illithids yet live, they engage the party
in runningskirmishes and night ambushes during the
heroes’ excavati of the crater. They will often wait
until the heroes &e descended into one of the many
hollow fragmentsfound within the crater and attempt

11

cover and bring the strange craft (seeTheCrater for more (longsword), ld8 (sheaf arrows); SA psionic seal; SZ M

details) to the surface. (6’3” tall); ML Champion (15);AL NE; XP 975.

The stats for Bluntfelland the three illithid thralls appear Notes: SA-Jon possesses a psionic seal on his neck that
below. Consult the “CommonIllithid Attributes” sectionfor enhanceshis mind/body coordination,granlinghim a +2 on all
the full stats on the three illithid Thralltakers attack rolls.

Abbreviated Combat Summary (Illithids): Noth, Vour, S 15, D 14, C 17,113, W 10,C 8.
and Skwuschhave an AC of 4 due to their dampsuits, and Personality: Jonis a helpful and well-mannered individual,
they have 60,66, and 68 hit points respectively. but he won’t hesitate to kill at the behest of his illithid master.
Special Equipment: chain mail +1,potion ofheroism, potion of
Bluntfell, Intellect Devourer:AC 4; MV 15; HD 6+6; invisibility, ring ofwarmth, long bow, heavy furs, and boots.
hp 42; THACO 13;#AT 4; D m g ld4( x 4) (clawX 4); SA
psionic abilities, psychic tracking; SD psionic field; SZ M Zebulon, hf F8: AC 2 (chainmaiZ+Z, ring of protection
+Z, and shield); MV 12;hp 76; THACO 13 (9 with special-
(6’ long); ML Fanatic (17); Int Very (11);AL CE; XP 6,000. ization, Str, and broadsword +2); #AT 2; D m g 2d4+5 (spe-
cialization, Str, and broadsword +2); SA psionic seal; SZ M
Notes: SA-The intellect devoumx can attack physically and (6’ 8” tall); ML Champion (15);AL NE; XP 975.
psionically in the same round. In addition, Bluntfellcan find
and track psychic scents. Notes: SA-Zebulon possesses a psionic sealon his face that
allows him to use an illithid mind blast once per tum.
SD-The creature constantly emanates a psionic field (at no
S 17,D 10, C 17, Ill,W 8, C 16.
PSP cost) that renders it immune to normaland magical fire; Personality: Zebulon i s q y i e t individual whose
psychopathic tendenaes are kept in check by his illithid
this field also reduces its damage from electriaty to 1point per conditioning.
die of damage rolled.In addition, it is immune to weapons of
Special Equipment: broadsword +2, brooch of shielding, potion o f
less than+3 enchantment. Weapons of greater enchantment fire breathing, heavy furs, and boots.
only inflict 1point of damage per successful strike. Finally,a
death spell is only 25 YOlikely to succeed, but a p m e r word: kill
remains effedive.

SW-A protectionfrom m’lspell keeps the intellect devourer
at bay; bright lights and firesdrive these matures away.

Psionics Summary:#AT 1, MTHACO 12; MAC 7; Lv 8;
PSPs 200; Psionic Attab ego whip (EW), id insinuation
(E);Psionic Defenses intellectfbrtress (IF), mental bar-

rier (MB),mind blank (MBk), thought shield (TS);

Psionic Disciplines astral projection, aversion,body
equilibrium, chameleonpower, domination, ectoplasmic
form, expansion, mindlink, reduction, and telempathic
projection.

Elissa, hf F/:AC 4 (chajn mail and shield);MV 12;hp
70; THACO 14 (9 with specialization, psionic seal, and
long sword +2); #AT 2; D m g ld8+4 (long sword +2, special-
ization, and Str); SA psionic seal; SZ M (5‘9”tall);ML

Champion (15);AL NE; XP 975.

Notes:SA--Elissa possesses a psionicsealon her forearm that
enhances her mind/body coordination,granhg her a +2 on all
attack rolls.

S 16, D 13, C 16,19, W 11,C 15.
Personality;Elissa is reserved and haughty, absolutely
convinced in the superiority of her illithid masters.
Spenal Equipment:Sword of the Flayer (See “kana“sectionon

p. 32 for n w d~etails), ring$regenmath, heavy furs,and boots.

Jon, hf F 6 AC 3 ( c h i n miZ+l and shield); MV 12;hp
54; THACO 15(13 with psionic seal);#AT 1;D m g ld8

L l l C L l l l d l l L y L m u t s Lllal "LUusILL U V Y Y l l U L C l l l U l L . y'U'Lu' UUI~.I.LUI.,I" L" ""bb'"' .A&- ll.LLl."Iy .-.-JI ''_-___J .-

illithid empire of millennia past! Coated in age- and impact- comb the snow and the ground beneath for the possibility of

defying quintessence,a silvery psionic secretion of col- hidden items or areas.

lapsed time introduced in The Illithiad,the planetismal Each discrete area requires a total of 2-200 (2d100)man-

drifted through many crystal spheres and across vast tracts hours to search.Thus, the DM should count the efforts of

of interstellar space before crashing to this planet multiple player characters toward the total. For example, 3
PCs who work at a 6-man-hour job can finish it in 2 hours.
The descent and impact dissolved much of

time protecting the habitat, such that most of the object Depending on the method used by each searcher, the actual

exploded, throwing about smaller fragments only parbally time an explorer contributes toward the man-hour total may

protected by the failing quintessence.This crater hides those be less than the actual time spent searching, as mdicated on

pieces of the shattered planetismal that survived through the table of possible search methods. The Time Modifier

retention of a residual coating of quintessence (see "Clear- also indicates that some methods contribute a specified

ing Away Collapsed Time" for more details on this sub- number of hours toward the total, while other actions con-

stance).Some fragments have since lost their coating, giving tribute multipliers (everyhour spent using the specified

up their contents to the flow of time, while other fragments method counts x times as much toward the total man-hours

yet remain outside the time stream, their contents protected required).The DM should adjudicate the PCs' use of other

from all harm. One of the fragments holds the object to search methods using this table as a guide.

which the palm print is keyed. a craft capable of traveling

between worlds!

Unfortunately, the scriber of the psionic palm print

(Strom)couldn't discover the exact location of the craft

through research. Thus, the seal cannot reveal the exact

location of the object-though it does give the PCs a general

mental image. The PCs must conduct a blanket search and

excavation of the crater one section at a time! Furthermore,

wlule the main object of the search is an illithid craft, the

player characters must also recover at least four other items

(mentallyimaged as small "lobes" by the seal) from the

impact site. These lobes are essential if the PCs wish to acti-

vate the craft.

Search Method Time
Probing with shovels, poles, or picks X1
”Dousing” with the psionic seal x2
Spade of colossal excavation x4
Border Ethereal sifting
Locate object spell, per use X6
Dig spell, per use 15hours
X-ray vision, per use 20 hours
Divlnation magc, per use 25 hours
30 hours

Example:A party of four searchesan area roughly 100feet
by 100feet The DMfirst rollsto determine the totalman-
hours requred to search the n a , m ttus case, it WLU take 100
(percenhle dice rolls of 16and 84 added together)hours to
d e t e m e if there E anyttung to find The fighterspends5
hours probmg the snow with an m n pole, knochg 5hours
off the 100-hourgoal (for a modhed total of 95 hours) Mean-
whde, the mage casts locateoblecf,subtracbng an addihonall5
hours from the goal (only 80 hours remam) by n h g out large
tracts Dunng ttus same penod, the ttuef spends5hours
“dousmg” a portion of the area with the psiomc seal,subtract-
mg 10hours (5 hours mulhphedby 2because of the Tme
Mocbfier)from the goal (70 hours remam) Fmally, the clenc
casts anaugury (dmnabonmagc) and kn& another30
hoursoff the total (40hours reman) If the party doesas well
dunng their next search penod, they’ll have excavated an
entirearea

Rememberto check for randomwinterencounters (using the
tableon page 6) while the adventurerssearch.In addition,the
illithidThralltakers continueto harass the searchersat the most
inopportunetimes-if theparty membershave not yet dealt
withthem.

When the PCscompletethe necessary amountof work to

excavateanarea, flip the cardrrpresenting that area face up and
match the symbol on the card with the keyed entriesbelow.
Dependingon theparticularfragment of planetismaldiscov-
ered, the player charactersmay haveto undertake additional
digging,or they may need to takesome other actionas indicated
in the specificencounter. In mostcases, the symbol on the
exposedcard is also keyed to a map with the samesymbol on
the interior cover.

Time

As the player characters unearth fragmentsof the plan-
etismal that created the crater, they come upon various areas
sealedwith a silvery material referred to as collapsed time, or

quintessence.As describedin TheIllithiad, illithidswith a spe-

cial psionic power can aystallize time froma continuum, form-
ing a dollop of thick, gooey material.Usually the illithidscreate
only small amounts of this material,just enough to encapsulate
a ring, a token, a key or someother smallitem; items so coated
enter into a state of timelessness.

Only out of desperationdo illithidscreate larger portions of
quintessencein one area, asmasses larger than3 square feet
prevent the usage of psionic abilitieswithin a 20-foot radius of

the mass. Additionally, quintessenceblocks all accessto the This subterranean chamber suggests nothing so
Astral and EtherealPlanes, and magical teleportationand scry- much as a massive, desiccatedwomb. A powdery
ing cannot penetrateany area held out of time by quintessence. residue covers the rock; part of the resin has sloughed
Of course, the fleeing illithidswere desperate to escape the away, revealing bare meteoric rock beneath. Dirt has
bloodthirsty thrallswho turnedagainstthem in the revolt,so fallen in from above, forming a falrly thick layer of
they coatedportionsof the planetismal in massiveamounts of earth and mud on the floor at least 3 feet in depth.
quintessenceto serve as an ablative (a protective layer that can Strangely enough, the temperaturehere is comfort-
be scouredaway) for their headlongflight. able, and earthworms and small beetles move about in
the mud. Various circular openings and passages lead
Player characters interestedin unsealingareascovered in away from the chamber.
collapsed time merely need to scrub away its silvery surface.
However, quintessencekills organic matter with prolonged Even a cursorysearchof the layer of loose earthuncovers
severalhumanoidskeletonsmostly destroyedby time.A suc-
directexposure, so PCs must be very careful.Quintessence cessful searchfor secret doorsunearths a skeletonalmostcom-
pletely decayedinto dust. This f i p is the m a i n s of an
. .. . .nf~audmesbast,.atenrymfleeschontht_aacttb_isrietl.frloyK*teonu..c_Lhei.sm.itg; tn.h.sissuneummbcnonestascstlwowl.tl,nyI ~ illithid; it possessesonly threefingers and a thumb, itsbraincase
is strangely enlarged, itsmouthis lamprey-like, and its feet
quintessencefor more than1turnsuffers ld10+5 pointsof appear strangelybifurcated. The barest remnantsof clothing
cling to this form, and a rottedbelt pouchcontains 23 crystal
damage. The affected tissue is now in stasisand cut off from the coins (each worth 3 gp to a jeweler).
rest of the timenormalbody; such ”frozen” tissue dies after 2d4
turnsof temporal inactivity.However,masses of.collapsedtime Small stone daggers and glass shards lie near athand, suggest-
large enough to encapsulatea living being or a structurewith ing that the figuresdied in a scuffle;PCscan determinethis if
living beingsinside do not kill the subjec+thus illithidsand they make successfulWisdom checks.Furthermore, a successful
their equipmentreleasedback into the timestreamare Intelligencecheck allows PCs to determinethat severalof the
unharmed. uncoveredskeletonsare not quite human.Anyone in theparty
who hasexperiencewith either githzerai or githyankinotesa
PCscan manually scrapequintessence away from a pro- resemblance to both races, as if the skeletonssomehow represent
tected objector surface, ending that object’s stasis. If a large a fusion of the two races.
mass of quintessenceshieldsa room or rocky fragment,there is
a 75%chance that a breach of one sectionof the time-stopping In truth, the humanoidskeletons are the remains of the race
barrier causes the entire mass to dissipateback into the contin- that eventually splintered into the githz.eraiand githymki
uum. Otherwise, it draws together intoa 1-inchdiameter (called the forerunnershereafter). These forerunnerswere thralls
bead-regardless of its original size.Confidentadventurers once kenneled in area 2 and area 3. With the impactandbreak
may find uses for quintessence, if they are brave or inquisitive up of the planetismal,and the subsequentdecay of this frag-
enough to gather leftoverbits. ment’sprotective coating, the slavesbroke from their confine-
ment and slew one of theirhated illithidmasters, only to find
Keyed Areas themselvestrappedwithin the earth. Squabblingamong the
slavesfor the limited supply of food qulckly escalated mto a
The following entriesdetail the possibleencounterareas bloodbath, the remnants of which are representedby the bodies.
within the crater.The DM should keep a careful watch over the
party’s inventory.If the PCs have gathered a number of useful 2. Slave Kennel
items,but do not know exactly what to do with them, use the
Rusted m nbars liebroken on the earth. Withinthe
psionic sealas a source of hintsand information. room, rusted and shattered chains hang from the powdered
walls. One or two of these chains still contains skeletalarm
NBre~chedSlme Hold fragments;beneath them lay more splintered skeletons.

The search of this 100-foot-by-100-footarea finally uncovers A few of the forerunner slavesin this chamber were unableto
the upper portion of a buried planetismal fragment; one addi- escape when their compatriotsburst their bonds.
tional man-hour of d i g p gis required to clear a space for entry.
3. HauntedSlave Kennel
The passage revealed is 10feet wide, like the opening to a This chamber appears exactly like area 2, except that the
well, althoughthe sides are strangelypowdered and smooth.
Scrapingaway the powder reveals the black, meteoric rock of two skeletons hanging in the rusted bonds are fully intact.
the planetismal.The passage drops down 30 feet into area 1. When these slaves perished, their terror unfairly bound
There is no light inside this fragment other than what the
player characters provideunless specifically noted.

This entire planetismalwas protected for some timeby quin-
tessence, but the coating decayed many thousands of years ago,
and the residentsof the hollow fragmentre-enteredthe time
stream only to find themselvesentombedbeneath the earth.

15

check (with a -5 penalty) reveals their unnatural presence. If planetismal.The many vessels herr oncecontainedspecial
the PCs disturb the spekres in any way, the undeid crea-
tures attack, wailing senselessly in a language dead and medicines,water, bugpowder,brands, and other i& neces-
forgottenfor uncounted centuries. However, the spectres do sary for thecare and feeding of humanoid slaves. Now, allbut
not pursue party members past the edge of this chamber. one of the vessels are decayed past usefulness.

Spectres (2): AC 2; MV 15, F130 (B); HD 7+3; HP 31, PCscan easilybreak throughthe resinthat caps thesmgle
48;THACO 13; #AT 1;Dmg ld8+ spectral touch; SA spec-
remainingvessel. The vessel contains a spedalmedicine used
tral touch; SD immunity;SW holy water; SZ M (6‘ tall); for sickthralls;the liquid smells of herbs and pine. Though it is
ML Champion (15); Int High (14); AL LE; XP 3,000. not magical, the medicinestill retains its potenq. It acts as an
elixir ofyouth if downed by a member of a humanoid species-
Notes:SA-A spectre’s touch drains 2 energy levels from its though only four draughtsremain.Due to the degradationsof
victim; SD-A spectre is immune to all sleep, charm, hold, and cold- time, each draughthas a 50% chanceto act likea poison, forc-
based spells, as well as poison and paralyzationattacks; SW-Holy ing the imbiber to make a successful saving throw vs. poison
water inflicts 2d4 hp of damage per strike, and mise dead destroys or SU%I 20 points of damage; unfortunately, the victim still
the spectre if it failsits save vs. spell. suffers 5 pointsof damage even if he saves.

4. Slave Food Storage A bubble of quintessence seals off the chamber to the
southeast.

7. Sealed Nourisher Domicile

Read or paraphrase the followingif the PCs saub thequin-

m eaway from the entrance:

A search through the chamber reveals the dust piles as By clearingaway the quintessence, the PCs have freedGrkth,
the last remains of many dead forerunners. The few skull
fragments visible in the chamber all show the same terrible an entombed illithid!The last thing Grkth members is the
holes. The illithids stored the bodies of dead slaves here
after they had dined, as the remaining slaves had to eat, too. desperate launch of the planetisd after the thrallsviolently
overthrew their masters. Though thousands of yearshave
A small stone drawerbeneath the slab holds various cut-
ting implements made of iron, long-since rusted to useless- slippedby for the rest of the multiverse,only seconds have
ness-save for one unblemished knife. Although its grip is elapsed for Grkth.The freed illithidautomatidy assumes
undeniably made for a three-fingered humanoid, this
weapon still functions as a hgger +2 in melee. that his flight for freedom failed if the PCsenter the chamber.
Because of this, Grkth fightsto the death rather thansubmit to
5. Unbreached Slave Kennel
This chamber obviously served as another slave pen a humiliatingexecutionby inferior thralls.

(similar to area Z)-though the iron bars retain their Abbreviated Combat Summary (Grkth, Illithid): AC 0
integrity here. Beyond the bars, the mostly disintegrated (becauseof its psionic bone ring); hp 58.
skeletons of at least 12forerunners are visible.
See the stab under the “Common IllithidAttributes” section
6. Nourisher Workroom for the detailedillithid combat summary

Hardened slime covers the walls of this chamber; the
material is curved and shaped like ganglia to make the
illithid feel more at home-although such decoration often
disturbs humanoids. A search through the chamber does
not reveal anytlung identifiable. However, searching the

illithid tumsup 126 crystal coins (each worth 3 gp to a jew-
eler), a psionic bone ring on one of Grkth’s fingers, and a
gold key strungon a fine chain of bone linksworn around

Grkth’s neck.
The bone ring is a psionic item that provides illithids with

an AC of 0. If worn by members of another species, the ring
grants a +1 AC bonus. Creatures can wear only one bone
ring at a time.

16

The gold key is crafted to resemble a tentacle and is charge);SA discharge; SZ T (2’ diameter);ML Champion
5slightlywarm (PCs with infravision can make out its shape (15),Int Unratable; AL N; XP 650.
in :he dark); the key opens various chambers and conta&ers
denied to the thralls. Other crater fragments require similar Notes SA-A phycomid dischargesan alkalinesubstance that
keys to access their areas. causes ld4+2 pomts of damage Anyone struck by the substance
must save vs poison; failuremdicatesthat the victun sprouts
Garden Pod mushroomlAe growths m ld4+4 rounds, these growths mflict an
additional ld4+4 I t pomts The growths spread throughout the
The search of this 100-foot-by-100-footarea finally uncov- body m ld4t4 turns,killmg the wchm and transformmghm ulto a
ers the upper portion of a buried planetismal fragment. phyconud A cure diseuse spell ends the lnfechonbefore a fatality can
Note that this area requires two additional man-hours of occur,but neutralize polson does not affect the fungus’s spread
digging to clear a space for entry.
9. Preserved Garden
The passage revealed is 15feet in diameter, curving Read or paraphrase the following if the PCs scrub the
slightly as it descends to form a 30-foot-long slide that leads
into area 8. The sides and interior are strangely smooth and quintessence away from the entrance:
powdered. Scrapingaway the powder reveals the black,
meteoric rock of the planetismal. A dim radiance pervades With a pop, warm and moist air rushes from the
this area, a remnant of past lighting now almost completely revealed chamber Bright light streams from the open-
burned out. ing, revealing a domed room filled with luxuriant
growths of green plants and esoteric flowers. A gaunt
This fragment once served as the Garden Pod. Some of the humanoid wearrng a silken tumc and breeches moves
plants grown within proved useful for thrall nutrition, among the plants with clippers and a waterrng can. A
others were merely decorative, while a few were kept as long metallic cham hangs down from the curved ceil-
curiosities. ing; it is attached to an iron collar affixed around the
gardener’s neck
8. Gone to Seed
A forerunner thrall goes about his duties, tending special
The dim radiance throws a pallor over the layer of blossoms grown in this chamber. The thrall, named Bomwe
detritus that forms the floor of this spherical chamber. by his fellows (whohave all long since died), is obliviousto
The half-petnhed stalks of some long-dead treelike the passage of time and the fall of the illithid empire.
plants pungent with mildew and rot rise in lonely Bomwe speaks a dead language (unless the PCs have
clumps from the earth. A riot of fungus now flourishes released other forerunner thralls into the timestream).How-
in this subterranean chamber, so successfulthat vegeta- ever, anyone familiar with the language of the githzerai or
tion lines the curving side walls and fungal cords hang githyanki can communicatebasic facts to the not-quite-
from the domed ceiling above. Eight sets of corroded extinct forerunner.
iron chains hang down from the curve of the ceiling in
various places, each affixed to an empty iron loop. Regardless of whether or not the party establishescom-
Besides two additional rounded passages that lead munication, Bomwe’s limited worldview does not allow
away from the chamber, a convex bulge of mirror-bright him to believe in a universe not dominated by the illithid
silver is affixed to the southernmost curve of the wall.
race. If the PCs try and talk with him,he will ignore them,
Amidst the fungal overgrowth live phycomids, truly thinking them a fiendish test set up by his cruel masters. In
dangerous fungi. Algae-likephycomids are fibrousblobs of
decomposing,milk-colored matter with capped fungi grow- fact, Bomwe climbs up into the branches of a large growth
ing out of them; the creatures smell slightly of lye. There are in this chamber and begins to whimper if the PCs press him
8 phycomids growing within this chamber, each lying ~aI I for information.If the party frees Bomwe, he accompanies
state of dormancy from their last meal-forerunner thralls them, but he never takes any action unless forced to do so. If
who escaped collars, illithid masters, and time stasis, only he ever encounters a living illithid, Bomwe instantly betrays
to fall prey to the phycomids’ spores. the party from the rear, happily returning to his old
allegiance. Bomwe’s stats are identical to the forerunner
Any character who comes within 12 feet of a phycomid rebels‘ on page 27.
activates the creature’s defense mechanism-a tube that dis-
charges a small glob of alkaline that inflicts ld4+2 points of The illithids treasure the growths in this chamber, as
damage. they act as a very pleasing spice. If a thrall eats the blos-
soms in this chamber, he or she gains pleasant visions, not
Phycomids (8):AC 5; MV 3; HD 5; hp 20 (average); unlike a daydream, for 1d6 turns (the affected individual
THACO 15;#AT 2; Dmg ld4+2/ld4+2 (discharge/dis- suffers a -2 penalty to all die rolls while under the influ-
ence). If an illithid consumes a brain affected by the blos-
soms, it enjoys an unsurpassed culinary experience, as the
growths produce a subtle flavoring that the mind flayers
consider gourmet.

17

10.tiarden Supplies Whatever purpose this fragment served has long passed
Scrubbing away the quintessence from the entrance to this with its loss of protective quintessence.However, tunneling
predators known as bulette have since discovered it and
area reveals a chamber sheathed in organic resin. Though now use the area as a lair. Through the course of genera-
the quintessence has sealed the chamber from time, nothing tions, these predatorshave eaten, buried, or otherwise
of any obvious value beyond normal gardening tools destroyed all of the bodies, accoutrements, and equipment
appears within the room. If the PCs search the supply room, of the past inhabitants.
they find a special canister carved of bone. This object
spews forth a potent herbicide from its nozzle if someone The small bulette family unit that currently lairs here
pushes the button on its side. There are 14applicationsof uses this warren only for the birthing of young and for
the herbicide remaining in the canister, and each discharge hibemation during winter months. Unfortunately, the
spews up to 20 feet in normal gravity, inflicting 3d6 points unseasonable winter has forced the bulettes within to
of damage to any vegetable-based organism or plant (tar- remain. Unless they take great pains to remain quiet, the PCs
gets can make successful saving throws vs. poison to reduce stand a 50% chance to awaken the half-hibernating bulette in both
the damage by one half). The herbicide is not particularly areas marked 12.
harmful to animal organisms, unless ingested.Anyone
drinking the herbicide must make a saving throw vs. poi- 11.Droppings and Assorted Messes
son. Failure indicates that the victim dies, while success
merely inflicts 10points of damage. This rough, cracked chamber of meteoric rock con-
tains a thick layer of loam, intermixed with a glaze of
The search of this 100-foot-by-100-footarea finally whitish powder. Disturbingly large husks of hair and
reveals a twisted lump of metal and rock; two additional bones, as well as half-melted iron implements (includ-
man-hours of digging frees the object from the earth. PCs ing helms, mail, and weaponry), are visible.
may make Intelligencechecks with a 4 penalty to identify
the object. Success allows a player character to recognize it The bulettes (sometimes called landsharks) have called
as a giant-sized suit of armor now crumpled, smashed, this cranny home for many millennia. This area servesas a
punctured, melted, and rusted. place for the creatures’ refuse. Thus, the ”whitewash of
dried, powdered droppings. Each round a party spends
In reality, the mass of armor was once a psionically searching through the half-buriedhusks of partially
powered exoskeleton worn by an illithid of the Tamer digestedbone, hair, and armor, they stand a flat 25% chance
Creed. Unfortunately, the psionic exoskeleton did not save to find one of the four items listed below (in any order).
its illithid wearer when the planetismal smashed into this Unfortunately, each round of rustling through the drop-
world. The quintessence that protected the Tamer Creed’s pings also has a flat 10% chance to wake the bulette in both
section of the planetismal was stripped away, and the rooms marked area 12.
impact vaporized the area within seconds. The relic
uncovered by the adventurers is all that remains of these The items found in this chamber include a periapt of
elite mind flayers. The illithid body once contained within wound closure, a spade ofcolossal excavation, a suit of elven
the exoskeletondried up long ago, and the psionic cir- chain mail (fit for a human up to 6 feet tall), and one lobe of
cuitry that powered the artifact has faded. At present, the the brainmate needed to navigate the craft described on page
lump is a mere curiosity.However, present-day illithids 29. More information on the brainmate and its four scat-
would demonstrate extreme interest in the object, as they tered lobes appear under the ”Arcana” section on page 32.
have lost the secret of making such massive metallic
exoskeletons. 12.What’s For Breakfast?
Unless party members are making an effort to be quiet,
Recolonized Frqment
they stand a 75% chance to awaken the half-hibemating
The search of this 100-foot-by-100-foot area uncovers the bulettes for each turn they spend here. PCs who gaze into
upper portion of a buried planetismal fragment; it requires one of these chambers see only a rocky hollow containing
three additional man-hours of digging to clear a space for several large clumps of earth embedded with stones (if the
entry. bulettes have not roused). A successful Intelligence check
(made with a -3 penalty) indicates that the clumps are, in
The passage into this fragment is 10feet in diameter; fact, breathing. There are two bulettes in each of these hol-
however, it is broken and cracked and shows signs of lows (for a total of four).
extremeweathering. Despite this, the passage provides an
easy surface on which to scale into the darkness below, a A bulette appears as a cross between an armadillo, a snap-
distance of 50 feet. The sides and interior of this tunnel do ping turtle, a shark, and an earth elemental grown far too
not show any evidence of resinous coating. big. These monsters are exceptionally territorial,but they
will not follow heroes out of this fragment. If roused, the
Old One (see area 13) will not stop until it has slain every
intruder.

18

ploughs a trench through the earth as the creature attempts
. . --to
MVB3u,leBtrte18(4;)H: ADC9;-2hp(46b5e,7n0e,a5t4h,4cr9e;s~Tt,M6 b.Ce_Utw1.e1e;n#eAy_Ies3_);; r_u.n down and slay fleeing victims. K1 eep tne eggs
Dmg 4d12/3d6/3d6 (bite/claw/claw); SA jump; SZ L (9' *r.
tall, 12' long);ML Steady (11);Int Animal (1);AL N; XI' I here are six eggs m tnis area. If tne I'LS
4,000.
warm and care for them, they will hatch in ld6 months, dis-
Notes: SA-The bulette can jump up to 8 feet in the air with
blinding speed; while airborne, the creature can strike with each gorging tiny (and hungry) bulettes. The eggs could fetch
of its four feet, inflicting3d6 points of damage with each attack.
upwards of 900 gp each in the right market.
13. The Old One
Bulettes continue to grow for the entirety of their long Old One, giant bulette (4): AC -2 (4beneath crest, 6
between eyes);MV 12, Br 38; HD 20; hp 120; THACO 3;
lifespan. Thankfully,these creatures slow as they age- #AT 3; Dmg 5d12/4d6/4d6 (bite/claw/claw); SA jump;
although elder bulettes pass the centuries away in their SZ G (20' tall, 40' long); ML Steady (11);Int Animal (1);
ancestral lair, dozing and providing incidental shelter to AL N; XP 15,000.
generationsof bulette eggs. The Old One in this area rarely
wakes, but when it does so, its hunger also wakes. Notes: SA-The Old One can jump up to 20 feet in the air
with blinding speed; while airborne, the creature can strike with
Adventurers who gaze into this chamber may at first each of its four feet, inflicting4d6 points of damage with each
take the @foot length of the Old One's body for a rounded
fold of rock; however, a successful Intelligencecheck reveals attack.
the truth. The Old One sleeps yet, but if the PCs disturb any
of the half dozen stony eggs (each the size of an ostrich 14.Tunnels
egg),it wakes with a hunger for vengeance. If necessary, the
ancientbulette pursues the player charactersout of the lair, This passage is smooth and round, and it shows signs of
tunneling through the earth as if it were water. Its dorsal fin hundreds of years of bulette traffic. This series of subter-
ranean tunnels stretchesfor many miles below the earth.
While many of them simply dead end, some tunnels pro-
vide access to the surface at a distance of at least 20 miles
from the crater. One or two others may connect to a larger
underdark ecosystem,at the DMs discretion.

19

@ hcompromjsed Rdjqwwy PCs who remain on or above the darkened trad of ash
marlung the deaths of the small animalsare completely safe
The search of this 100-foot-by-100-footarea reveals the from the large psionic circuitdiagram inscribed on the floor of
upper portionof a buried planetismal fragment; it requiresfive tlus chamber. Those player characterswho wander off tlus trail
additional man-hoursof digging to clear a space for entry (by stepping or flying over the psionic circuit diagram) suffer a
blast of storedpsionic energy coursing through the unblem-
The revealedpassage is 5 feet in diameter and proceeds ished portions of the floor.Victims suffer 4d6 points of electri-
down a steep slope. The sides of the passage are worn and cal damage each round that they remain over the inscribed
cracked higher up, but they smoothout after 25 feet of travel. area, completing the deadly circuitwith their own bodies.The
power of the energy bums away spells and psionic effects that
This fragment containsone of the four lobes of the brain- negate the damage (such as a protectionfvom lightning spell),
mate that providesnavigational informationwhen joined with leaving a 1-foot-radiuspatch of ash similar to the trail sur-
other lobes. The PCs require this information to stop the rounding the dead bodies. In addition, a 1-foot-radiusflash
illithids from darkening the sun (see the “Finale” section on mark appearsnext to anyone slain by the electrical attack; this
page31for more details). Within the last decade, others have mark completely erases a part of the psionic seal.
tried to remove the lobe from this fragment, scrubbing away
the quintessencein their search. Unfortunately,the pressure Investigation of the animal corpses reveals large rats; how-
exerted by the surrounding earth shatteredportionsof the ever, these rats all possess the same strange deformation:A
fragment like an eggshell when the ”archaeologists” destroyed portion of their brainy tissue pokes out through their skulls.
the quintessenceshield. These creatures are craniumrats, and there are 10corpses in
15. Labyrinth all. A search of all the dead rats uncovers a strange collar
attachedto one of the creatures.A psionic seal inscribes the
he tunnel collar’s leather exterior.
condensahon. Hardened resinous layers on the walls,
ceiling, and even the floor suggestoozing swells of gray These craniumrats are not part of the collectivethat
matter, ganglionic tendrils, and tentacles. A four-line secretly serves Illsensine, the illithid deity.In fact, these crea-
striation runs along both side walls, redolent with secret tures belong to an independent pack that refers to itself as
meaning to those creatures that crafted it. ”Us.” WheneverUs can, it seeks to pervert Ilsensine’s plans
and those of the god’s illithid ”children.” Thus, Strom found
The illithids viewed the approachto the reliquary pods as Us to be a useful ally in his bid to forestall the illithids’ dark
ceremonial and built a fairly mazelike (at least to the PCs)path agenda. Unfortunately, theseparticular agents failed to com-
leading up to them. The striationsalong the wall are qualith plete the same task given to the player characters.In fact, the
(illithid touch-script). If the PCs have magical means by which psionically imprinted collar is very similar to the one already
to read the touch-script,they can decipher the following in the party’s possession.If the PCs touch their version of the
repeated themes:What Is Not Illithid Is Thrall; Dominion Is seal to the seal on the collar, the two merge to form a larger
Life; Dominion For All; DarkenThe Light. circuit.The recipient of this enlarged seal heals 2d6 hit points
16. Consequences of Failure and receives a +2bonus on future saving throws against an
illithids mind blast.
light embedded in the floor with geometric perfection. 17. ReliquaIy of Thought
Looking closely, you can see that the pattern resembles
the psionic seal that has guided your party to the crater. The ornate pedestal (described in area 16)liesbehind a layer
A blackened trail of ash and flash marks dot the floor of collapsed time. The player characters may physically
In addihon, small clumps of fur, obviously dead ani- remove the quintessence,as usual. If this happens, the light
mals of an mdeterminate species, litter the floor near tracing the psionic circuitdiagram in area 16 goes out and the
the trail of flash marks. The number of dead animals glass panesof the reliquaryblaze with purplelight.The object
increases as the trail leads to the chamber’s hub. is now charged with the psionic energy that once coursed
throughthe surroundingcircuit.If the adventurersmanaged
A sphere of mirror-brightsilver lies near the cham- to erase more than 75% of the psionic circuit, they can
ber’s heart, slightly off center. From some angles, the approach the reliquary and confiscate its contents.Otherwise,
silver sphere flashes briefly transparent, revealing a they must contendwith its dread power.
slim pedestal contained within. The pedestal is ornate,
and a lamplike object sits upon it. A lobe of brainy tis- The energized reliquary is actually semi-sentientand imper-
sue lays within the lamp’s glassy panels. vious to all forms of ham-both physical and magical. PCs
who approachwithin 10feet of the reliquary suffer the effects
of afeeblmind spell for 3d6 turns.Anyone who possessessome
sort of mental shielding (for example, mind blank or similar
spells,psionic powers, or magical and psionic items) receive a
saving throw vs. spell to avoid this effect.The best way to
access the reliquary’s interior is to have an illithidmentally
engender the release of the lobe with a simplecommand.Fail-

20

““6- I

ing this rather unliikelv event, the party can arhficidlytarget bered characters float to the top of the cavern
the reliquary (actually, the lobe withinthe reliquary) with-any Neither of these two areas offers anything of much interest
sort of Enchantment/Charmmagic-uch as cham person or
suggestion spells; thesespells causethe lobe to deactivate its to potential explorers, and like the rest of the aquifer, these
defenses.Of course,the caster should standmore than 10feet rooms are completely dark.
away from the reliquary in order to avoid thefeeblemind effect.
19. Watery Expanse
Once they have shut down the reliquary the player char- Water does not completelyfill this spherical area, which
acters can remove the lobe without risk of future harm.See
the ”Arcana” section on p. 32 for details regardingthe measures some 40 to 50 feet in diameter. Thus, swimmers can
liberated lobe.
find a breath of air when surfacingin thisarea. Unfortunately,
a Aquifer
Searchingthis loO-foot-by-1OO-footarea uncovers a suspi- there is only enough air in this chamber to provide a Medium-
ciously wide fissure leading downward.The fissureisbetween sized organism with two hours of air. The more adventurers
3and 5feet wide at its narrowest, and it zigzags down some 40 who enter intothis area, as well as area 21and area 22, the
feet to the surface of stagnantwater. The fissure obviously con- faster they use up thebmathableair. The DM should keep
tinues down below the waterline, butthere is no light, sound, carefultrack of the amountof time spent within these areas.
or noise to provide a clue as to the tunnel’s ultimate destination.
For every round the PCs thrash around in this area, there is
This entire complex once served as an aquifer for the plan- a 5% cumulative chance that the water weird in area 20 investi-
etismal.Following the impact and subsequentdecay of its gates the disturbance.
quintessencecoating, some of the area’s water drained out-
though most of the water remainstrapped within. Of course, 20. Weird Rising
the organismsresponsible for recycling the water and keeping The entity responsiblefor cleanwater is not dead, as its ele-
it pure have not fared too well in the intervening centuries.
. mental natureallows it to nourishitselfthrougha tenuouslink
PCs must swim to accessmost of the areas in thisfragment.
InterestedDMs should consult Ofships and the Sea for detailed to the ElementalPlane of Water. In the intervening years since
the original explorersreleased this fragmentback into time, the
rules on underwater adventuring.The following quick rules creaturehas kept the water in the aquifer sparkling clean and
appear here for ease of reference:
clear.Unfortunatelyfor the PCs, thisspecially createdwater
PCs can hold their breath for an amountof time equal
to X their Constitutionscoresroundedup. DMs should weird regards any and all swimmersas contaminantsof the
halve this number again (rounding up) if the PCs exert first order, and it movesto cleanseits domain of the new taint.
themselves(encumberedPCs are alwaysexerting them-
selves). The weird immediately attacks anyonewho enters into
If a PC wishes to hold his breathpast his normal this area, but it also moves throughout the entire fragment
allowance, he must make a successful Constitution to eradicate contaminatesas necessary. Explorerswho
check.This check receives a cumulative-2 penalty for retreat at least 10feet up into area 21 or area 22 are safe
each subsequentcheck after the first. Failureindicates from the water weird’s attacks. However, anyone close to
that the PC must breathe; if still underwater, he drowns. the water’s edge in these areas risks being pulled in by a
PCs with the Swimming proficiency can move under- serpentine column of water.
water at a rate equal to K their land movement rates @ if
encumbered). Nonproficient,unencumberedPCs move The water weird receives a +4 bonusto its attack rolls
at M their land movement rate, and encumbered non- against any creaturealready in the water. Any PC who can
proficient (or unconscious) PCs sink40 feet per round. breathe water throughmagical (or other) meansis safe from a
18. Bulb water weird’s drowningattack. PCs who rely on simplyhold-
The two areas marked with an 18are spherical chambers ing their breathwhile in the water must make a savingthrow
boundedby black meteoric rock. Each of the rooms is com- vs. paralyzation to avoid immediatedrowning,as the creature
pletely filled with cold brackishwater. PCs who enter the forces elementalwater past the victim’s lips. Even more
water for more than 2 turnsmust make successfulsaving
throws vs. paralyzation or become paralyzed as the heat deadly, the creatureis nearly invisible to any Fcalready in the
leachesfrom their body. If thishappens, encumbered charac-
ters, or PCs wearingmetal armor sink to thebottom of the area water; thus, swimming PCs receive a -4 penalty to all attack
(30 feet down) and drown once their air runsout.Unencum- rollswhen fightingthe weird.

ElderWater Weird AC 4; MV Sw 12;HD6+3; hp 35;

THACO 15;#AT 1;Dmg special; SA drowning, elemental
control; SDregeneration,resistance; SWcold, pun^ water;

SZ L (10’ long); ML Elite (13); Int Very (12); AL CE; XP

1,400.
Notes: SA-Any creaturestruckby an elder water weird must

make a save vs. paralyzation.Failure indicatesthat the weird pulls
the creature into or under the water (those already under water are
caught in the grip of the weird). Each round in the grip of a weird
requiresa victim to make another save to avoid drowning.In
addition, the creaturehas a 50%chance to u s q control of any
water elementalwith which it comes into contact.

SD-Elder water weirds take only 1point of damage from

21

weapons of type P or S, and they suffer half damage from fire (no I

damagewith a successfulsavevs breath weapon) If reduced to 0 surface All PCs IXIa 300-footradiusmust first make a success-

I-.L--.-C +h-..,-.+,! rl.rnrn+ar .,“A r.,6,,rma rntn 6.11 cknnnth ___ -_ful savmg throw vs. paralyzationor fall to the ground and suf-

creature in 2 rounds. .-,fer 1-A--4~n-mI.n.tIs nf Anmnwp frnm the Pml-ns-in-n...-T..h.e” .m..u..s-t.a.l~s.o ~ .

SW-Intense cold acts as a slow spell and purify water kills an make another saving throw vs. paralyzationto avoid a chunk
elder water weird instantly. of falling rock.Failureindicates that a chunk of mck hits the vic-
tim for ld8 pointsof damage.Note that any PC who fails the
21. Dry Bulbs \, first saving throw suffers a -3 penalty on the second one.
Other than smallbits of dried debris and some long-dead
lichen, these two chamberscontainnothing of interest to When the earth stopsheaving, the PCs can make out a fis-
explorers. sure; steam rises out of the hole, as warmer interior air meets
the chillsurface atmosphere.Mixed in with the mist is the odor
22. Dry Bulb of Interest of brine and garlic.
This area is in all ways sirmlar to the two areas keyed to 21,
23. T O P S Y - ~ U ~ V ~
save for the dry desiccatedbody lying within. Onlybones and This circular gallery, rising some 50 feet to a domed ceil-
hair remain of the traveler, though somebits of leather armor,
shards of metal, and other debris lie near thebody A small, ing, once held several warm pools in which dozens of
undecayed bag remains at the corpse’s side.This object is a bug illithids lounged in comfort, waiting out the future in a
ofholding, and within it lies an empty phial (once containingoil timeless instant. However, these mind flayers did not count
ofetherealness), a potiun ofhuman control, and a potion ofdiminu- on coming out of stasis upside down.

tion.Finally,one skeletal hand containsa variation of a ring of When this chamber reentered the timestreamupside down,
mind shielding. In addition to making the wearer immune to the briny water pool, the servitor thralls, and every illithid in
chum,ESP,defectlie, and know uligrzmenfspells,the ring also the gallery fell 50 feet. Most of the inhabitants of this fragment
grants the wearer a MAC bonus of +5(or a +5saving throw were killed instantly,but some feebly hold onto life, gasping
bonus againstall illithidspell-like powers if the DM uses the in pain and surprise at the sudden (from their perspective)
change of orientation.The DM can read or paraphrasethe fol-
arcane illithid option). lowing text, noting that those player charactersimmune to
psionic contact cannot hear the mental cries of pain:

-*,RC There Just Isn’t Anythinq! ters, shreddmg skin,broken legs, and the loss of friends.
However,the minds broadcasbng these images are not
Only after the PCs comb every squareinch of this 100-foot- friends,but are instead the brain-eating illithids’ Blood,
by-100-foot area do they realize that the shrapnel and fragment brine, and the familiar tamt of death pollute the area.
distribution is not even throughoutthe crater.There is nothing
of interest in this area. The chamber itself is shaped like a bowl filled with
shallow water. The ceiling of the room contains many
The search of this area eventually unearths the distinctive small concave depressions, all of which are damp. Bits
smoothbulge of a large object coated in collapsed time.In fact, of broken rock and shattered resinous sculpture cover
an entire gallery filled with illithids is held outside of time in a the area, and large portions of the wall have split open.
planetismal fragment. Unfortunately,the fragment is com- Several humanoid bodies lay inert and broken on the
pletely overturned.Read or paraphrase the following text if basin’s sides, while four figures limply splash about in
the player charactersscrub away enough quintessenceto col- the chamber’s central shallow pool. Each of the figures
lapse the entire stasisbubble: has four tentacles sprouting from its purplish head.

Only seconds later, a tremendous noise, as of splinter-
ing rock and snapping struts, erupts from the earth. A
fissure of darkness breaks to the surface, disgorging a
rain of rock, twisted metallic struts, chunks of resin, and
a plume of dust’
The fragment was not up to the pressures exerted upon it by
the grip of the earth. Oncethe PCs remove the quintessence, the

fragment explodes and pushes large chunksof debris to the
22

Although the chamber once held 24 illithids, the broken
and inverted lounge now shelters only 4 living, but severely
wounded, illithids. Their recent trauma has completely
unhinged 1of the illithids, and it is madly struggling against
its peers-though none of the creatures are functioning at an
optimum level.

The player charactershave 2d4 rounds to catch the
illithids unawares. If the PCs make contact, the creatures
react fearfully and assume (rightfully) that the heroes are
responsible for their predicament. At that point, three of the
illithids-Shagath, Naip, and Conarfen-attempt to escape
via their psychoportivepowers, while the maddenedmind
flayer (Mulseth) attacks the player charactersindiscrimi-
nately.If any of the illithidsflee to the Astral Plane, they may
return later (at the D M s option) to trouble the player charac-

ters at an inopportunetime! On the other hand, they may

flee and never return.
Once the PCs deal with the wounded illithids, they can

search the shattered chamber. For the most part, all of the
chamber’s psionic items, sculpture, and other items of value
have shattered. However, the PCs can collect a total of 421
crystal coins (3 gp value each) at a rate of 20 per.turn. In
addition, a search reveals a striator, a bone ring, and a
psionic bracelet.

The striator allows the user to write illithid touch-script
on paper. The bone ring grants the wearer the ability to
adhere to surfaces once per day as if using the spider climb
spell at the 10thlevel of magic use. Finally, the bracelet
allows the wearer to utilize the effects of a passwall spell (cast
at the 10thlevel of magic use) three times per day.

Abbreviated Combat Summary (Illithids): Shagath, Naip,
Conarfen,and Mulseth have an AC of 5 and possess 4,10,8,

and 17hit pointsrespectively. Because the illithidsare so
wounded, the DM should award only 3,500 XP for their defeat.

Refer to the ”Common IllithidAttributes” sectionon page2
for more detailed combat information.

24. ShatteredTemple
The stonevalves closing off this chamber wedged tight due

to the fragment’s explosivereentryinto the timestream.The
PCs must make successful open doors rollsto force access into
this room.

At first glance, the three chambers within appear utterly
destroyed. In fact, so much rock, dust, and resinousfragments
litter the floor that it is difficultto determine the original

purpose of thisarea.In actuality,this was a temple dedicated

to Maanzecorian.
A search through the debris does unearth two humanoid

skulls that survived their fall from above. The skulls are heav-
ily carved and decorated, and they look like the illithidsused
them to hold liquid.One of the skulls is empty, but the other
containsa thick orange liquid psionically fortified such that it
mimics the effects of oil ofimpact. The skull currentlyholds
three applications.

25. Negligent Caretaker
Although it had a tendency toward laziness, the illithid

known as Crgentstill managed to gain power and status in

the governing body back on the mind flayer home world. (In

fact, this illithid is just one example of the decadenceand
slovenliness of the illithid empire.) Before the planetismal fled,

I LiKe all mum nayer communities, tne planetisma1con-
tained a shepherding elder brain to guide the mind flayers
the illithidsentrusted Crgent with the satety ot one ofthe tour on their flight from the thrall rebellion. An elder brain con-
brainmate lobes. This lobe, when combinedwith its three sists of the conglomeratebrainy tissue of standard illithids
other parts, forms a complete brainmatecontaining the navi- that live out a full life, only to gift their own gray matter to
gational information necessary for the PCs to stop the itlithids help form and maintain a united illithid consciousness. As
from darkening the sun. Crgentwas supposed to place the chance would have it, this fragment contains the chambers
lobe within a guarded reliquary like that describedunder the claimed by Sempitemal.Unfortunately, the changes made
upon the creature have warped Sempitemal and its per-
j!g symbol. Fortunately for the PCs, the illithid procrastinated. sonal servants in ways that other illithids would consider
The fragment’s reentry into normal time damaged Crgent’s utter heresy. In short, this elder brain transformed itself in
chamber, but the illithid managed to escapeseriousinjury due order to survive. This adaptationprevents Sempitemal from
to a lucky fall onto a not-so-luckythrall. Inthe time it takes the sensing the approach of thinking beings outside of its
adventurersto penetrate the outer gallery (area 23),the illithid immediate chamber.
has taken stock of the situation and realized its grave short-
comings might allow the lobe, which it keeps in a satchel at its As an optional aside, the PCs could enter into a brief
side, to fall into enemy hands.Thus, it has planned a deadly alliance with other illithidsin order to destroy the
ambush for any PCs who enter into this otherwisemined area.
beings that are entombedin this fragment. O n the other
Aiding Crgentis the illithid’s pet gelatinous stalker.The
hand, the party could ally with the horrors within to
creatweresemblesa gelatinous cube except in shape.The destroy the pesky Thralltakers.
gelatinous stalkeris vaguely humanoid It has an.upper
tors-though 3-foot-long tentaclesreplacethe monster’s head 26. Birthing Pod Gone Bad
and a m a n d its lower torso simplyends in a mass of Each of the three areas marked 26 are similar; however, the
writhing, transparenttentacles.
DM should read or paraphrase the following boxed text when
Abbwviated Combat Summary (Crgent, Illithid): Crgent the adventurers discoverthe first of the thtw chambers.
possessesan AC of -2 (due to his psionic ring) and 68 hit
points. Crumbled stones and rents in the earth give way to an
artificial space below the earth-a spherical chamber
Possessions:Crgent has one of the brainmate lobes (see with half-collapsed,chipped, and powdered walls. A
“Arcana” sectionfor more details). In addition, he possessesa regular passage curves off to the southeast,but the most
psionically chargedbone ring that grants illithidsan AC of -2 interesting feature of the chamber is the humanoid-
and a +3 AC bonusto members of any other race. Only one shaped depressioncarved into the nadir of the chamber.
bone ring can be wom at once. Within the depression lies a desiccated mind flayer,
somehow preserved against complete rot and decay.
GelatinousStalker:AC 8; MV 6; HD 4; hp 30; THACO
17;#AT 3; Dmg 2d4/2d4/2d4 (head tentacle/arm tenta- Player characterswho take the time to observe the form
cle/arm tentacle); SA paralyzation, digestivefluid; SD notice that the creature’s head is attenuated and sweptback,
immunity,resistance; SW cold; SZ L (10’); ML Average (10); forming a visage even more feral and terrifying than that of a
normal mind flayer.Also, discerning heroes may note that the
Int Non (0); AL N;XP 975. tentacles Seemmuch longer thana standard mind flayer’s.

Notes: SA-The tentaclesof a gelatinousstaker canparalyze a In fact, the forms in each of the three areas are vampiric
victim on a successful attackroll if the target fails a savevs. mind flayers,creatures created by the machinations of Sem-
paralyzation.Inaddition,the creature automaticallycoats a piternal in order to ensure their continued ”existence.”
paralyzedvictim with a layer of digestive fluid that inflicts2d4hit Vampiric illithids are a terrible threat, and the heroes should
pointsper round for 5d4 rounds-unless the fluid iswashed away avoid “waking” them. These creatures currently reside in an
undead stasis, conserving their strength against centuries of
SD-Electrical, fear,and paralyzation attacks do not effect continued unlife. If player characters physically disturb a
gelatinousstalkers.Further, these creatures are immuneto sleep, vampire through rough handling or combat, it fully acti-
polymorph, and hold spells.Finally,cold-basedattacks only inflict a vates in ld4 rounds. Unless the PCs can slay the vampire
maximum of ld4 pointsof damage. before it gains full mobility, they are in for a terrible battle.
In addition, Sempitemal summons its undead servants if
SW-Cold-basedattacksact as a slow spell cast upon the any PC disturbs its rest in area 28.

creature. Vampiric illithids share only some traits with real vam-
pires. Although of animal intelligence, these creatures retain
WEE* most Elder Drain

Excavatingthis 100-foot-by-100-footarea eventually
reveals a rock-choked chimneyleading downward. The
chimney is between 5 and 15feet wide at its narrowest, and
it zigzags downward some 60 feet to an artificial enclosure.
This fissure, like most other passages leading down into the
fragments, was created by the blast of air breaching the sur-
face when the fragment lost its protective coating long ago.

24

i

t - ~ - their blast attaek. which they use to stunhe use o.f~~~mi~nd .~~~~~~ 28. Pool of the Elder Brain
~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ I

~~~

prey before charging into melee. Each Iof their four tentacles
can attack in 1round, inflicting ld6+4 points of damage per
successful strikeand draining two life tmergy levels per ten- This large area is dimly lit by the faintest of crimson
tucle from the victim. illumination spilling over the edges of a central pool
Vampiric mind flayers require gray matter just as much some 30 feet in diameter.While dust, crumbledrock,
as blood to remain active, and they usz:methodssimilar to and other debris cover most of the floor, the pool itself
their living relativesto extract the prizi-although brute seems relatively clear of fallen masonry. However, PCs
undead strength replaces the action of a flesh-dissolving who look closely at the pool can see a large mass of
enzyme. Also, for every round a tentac.leretains a grasp some indeterminate object floating just below the sur-
upon the victim, the victim automatically loses the appro- face. Thrusting up from the southernmostportion of the
priate number of life energy levels! pool is a thin iron rod, topped by a crystal container.A
small lump of brain tissue lies within the container.
Vampire, Illithid (3):AC 1; MV 12;HD 8+4; hp 46,55,
67; THACO 9 (undead strength); #AT 4; Dmg ld6+4; SA The iron shaft holding the lobe (see the ”Arcana” section
cephalophagy, energy drain, mind blast; SD immunity, on page 32 for information on the lobe) is a reliquary that
infravision, regeneration;SW holy symbols, holy water, functionsjust like that described in area 17on page 20-
sunlight; MR 90%; SZ M (6‘ tall); ML Fanatic (17-18); Int though there are no traps other than the large mass floating
below it. The large mass in the pool is Sempitemal,a
Genius (17-18); AL LE; XP 9,000. goliath, fibrous mass of tissues covered with writhing feel-
ers. It once possessed all the powers and abilities of an elder
Notes:SA-This creature drains two life energy levels per brain and floated amidst the illithid tadpoles of future gen-
successful strikeof each of its tentacles.Inaddition, vampiric erations. In order to survive, however, it feasted upon the
mind flayers retain onIy their mind blast psionic ability.Finally, life force of every last tadpole in the pool. While most elder
they can extractbrains as regular illithids (see ”Common Illithid brains might have retreated completely into the Astral
Attributes” for more details). Plane, Sempitemal lost this ability when the fleeing illithids
coated the planetismal in quintessence.Animated largely by
SD-These creaturrs are immune to cold-wroughtiron,silver, the brain tissue of dead illithids, the elder brain psionically
and non-magicalweapons.In addition, sleep-, charm-, and hold- forced a link between itself and the Negative Energy Plane
related spells do not affect the vampiric illithid.These creatures to ensure its continued existence. Thus, Sempitemal became
also regenerate3 hit pointsper round and 2d8hit points an undead elder brain, and it forced its three remaining
whenever they drain life energy levels. illithid servants into a similar state (see area 26).

SW-These creatures dislikeholy symbols, as clerics can In its new state, Sempitemal is much weaker than a nor-
attempt to turn vampiric illithids (with a 4penalty). Holy mal elder brain. The PCs may at first find it in a state of
water and sunlight inflict Id6 points of damageper round of undead hibemation. If anything disturbs the elder brain or
exposure (vampiric illithids cannot regenerate this damage). the surface of its pool, Sempitemalrouses in ld4 rounds.
Once it rouses, it sends a psionic command to activate its
The regenerative ability of the vampiric mind flayer is three vampiric illithids (if any yet live); these creatures
such that even the reduction of its body to ashes does not arrive in ld6 rounds but do not take immediate action
guarantee the destructionof the creature. Only by separat- unless Sempitemal is under attack.Before attempting to kill
ing the ashes into portions and sealing each portion away the party outright, Sempitemalattempts to parlay with the
from the other can a PC prevent this creature from reform-
player characters. If the PCs talk first, they have a much
ing. O n the flip side, vampiric illithids cannot charm ene-
better chance of living through this encounter.
mies or use any other standard vampiric ability; they Sempitemalpossesses a great deal of curiosity about the
cannot change shape, summon lesser creatures for aid, or
become gaseous. current state of affairs outsideits fragment. It knows that
the illithid empire, of which it was once a part, fell long ago.
27. Inner Ring Otherwise, the elder brain is quite ignorant.For example, it
Once, the inner ring was completely encased; no physical does not know anything of the current illithidplot. How-
ever, Sempitemalknows that its current state of existence is
means existed for travel between it and other portions of the profane to all living illithids, and the last thing it desires is
planetismal and the inmost Pool of the Elder Brain (area 28). to see its living relatives retum to universal domination, as
That situation has obviously changed, and much of the ear- it wouldn’t live long after that fact.
lier ”decor” has disintegrated into so much debris-
although indicationsof eroded relief sculpture still remain. If the player charactentell the truth about their quest, Sem-
Study of the architectural remnantsreveals elements that pitemal will give the lobe to them and wish them well in their
resemble brain tissue. Some remnants of illithid touch-script
also remain, detailing the individual names of the illithids quest.It desiresnothing else thanto continueits undead
that incorporated themselvesinto the elder brain.
dreaming in its quiet pool.If the party agrees, Sempitemaleven
offers the party one of its vampiric illithidsthough good

25

aligned partiesshould probably pass up this offer. If the party wamng factionshave remmed frozen m eternal strlfe for
accepts suchaid, they should keep the creature out of direct uncountedyears-untd now.
sunlight.If suchexposureoccurs, the vampiric illithidflees.In
addition, there is a 5% chance that every time the illithid vam- Read or paraphrasethe followmg text if the player charac-
pire engagesin combatit loses controland attacks the PCs. ters scrub away enough qmtessence to collapse the entire
bubble of stasis
If the party avoids a fight with the undead elder brain, award
them as much experience as if they had defeated it in combat. The silvery surface pulls away with an audible pop, fol-
lowed by a deep silence. Seconds later, a roar of splin-
Sempitemal,undead elder brain: AC 10;MV Nil;HD tering rock and snapping strutsbreaks the silence, as
20; hp 160;THACO Nil;#AT Nil;Dmg Nil;SA psionics; SD the fragment erupts from the earth like a miniature vol-
cano, disgorging a rain of rock, twisted metalhc pieces,
immunity,regeneration; SW holy symbols, holy water, sun- chunks of resin, and a cloud of dust!

light; MR 90%; SZ H (10' diameter); ML Fearless(20); Int This fragment could not withstand the pressures exerted
upon it by the earth, and it explodedas soon as the player
Supra (20); AL LE; XP 13,000. characters removedthe quintessence.The party must now

Notes:SD-%mpitemal is immuneto cold-wroughtiron, silver, dodge the falling debris. All PCs in a 300-footradiusmust first
andnon-magicalweapons. Inaddition,sleep, charm-,and hold-related
spellsdonot affectit.It also regenerates3 hit pointsper round. makea successful saving throw vs. paralyzation or fall to the
ground and suffer ld4 points of damage as the surrounding
SW-hpitemal dislikesholy symbols, as deria canattempt to area trembleswith the force of the explosion. In addition, they
turnSempitemalas a specialundead (witha 4penalty). Holy water must make another saving throw vs. paralyzation to avoid
and sunlightinflictld6 points of damageper roundof exposure; chunksof falling rock. Failure indicatesthat large rocks hit the
Sempitemal cannotregeneratethis damage. victim for ld8 points of damage. Note that any PC who fails
the first saving throw suffersa -3 penalty on the second one.
Psionics Summary:
When the rumble dies away, faint screams, yells, the clang
Level Dis/Sci/Dev Att/Def Score PSPs of weapons onweapons, and other sounds of conflict echo hol-
20 6/21/31 EW,II,MB/All =Int 1d200+450 lowly up the gaping fissure.The thralls stiU battle their masters
Players Option:#AT 2; MTHACO7; MAC 0 in spite of the fragment's explosivereemergenceinto time.

Clairsentience - Sciences: clairaudience, clairvoyance; While the party explores this fragment, the cries and sounds
of conflict ring out.In fact, the PCs can stumbleupon thebody
Devotions: all-round vision, know location. of a humanoid or a slainillithidin any hallway or room (even
unkeyed ones). In the same vein, heroeswho remainin one
Psychokinesis - Sciences: create object, molecular area without moving are 20% likely per tum to find themselves
caughtup in a conflict similar in all ways to the battle in mom
rearrangement, telekinesis; Devotions: ballistic attack, 30--except that these "random" battles are moving skirnushes.
control body, control light, create sound, inertialbarrier,
levitation. A comprehensivesearch of the many ruined rooms turn
up a few items of note, if the party takes the time to investi-
Psychometabolism - Sciences: complete healing, energy gate. For each tum spentpouring through the rubble of any
room, the party has a 75% chance to find one of the following
containment, metamorphosis; Devotions: body control, items: an unclaimed headmesh(see the "Arcana" section); an
body equilibrium, suspend animation. unclaimed maulstick (see the "Arcana" section); an organi-
cally shaped vessel sealed with hardened mucous (contents
Psychoportation- Sciences: banishment, probability include 123crystal pieces worth 3 gp each); a psionically
imbued powder that mimics in most ways oil ofslipperiness;
travel, teleport, teleport other; Devotions: astral projec- and a vial of psionically imbued liquid that acts as a continual
tion, time shift, time/space anchor. light spell if touched.

Telepathy - Sciences: domination, ejection, mass domi- Only one of each item exists, and once the PCs find a partic-
ular item in a particulararea, they cannot discover anythmg
nation, mind blast, mindwipe, probe; Devotions: awe, else; they must move to a new area.
ESP, false sensory input, id insinuation, mind thrust,
post-hypnotic suggestion,taste link, psychic crush.

Metapsionics - Sciences: empower, psychic surgery,

ultrablast; Devotions: cannibalize, magnify, prolong,
psionic inflation, psychic drain.

Endurinq Revolt

The examination of this100-foot-by-100-footarea eventu-

ally unearths the distinctive smoothbulge of a large object
coated in collapsed time.This fragmentis a section of living
quarters that houses a group of illithidsand their thralls.
Unfortunately,the thrall rebellion had reachedeven the
illithids fleeing the conflagration, and the thralls in this frag-
ment were engaged in a bloody revolt as the mind flayers
launched the planetismal and coveredit in quintessence.The

26

The humanoidsare thrallrebels of the forerunner race (see 31. PuttingDown the Rebellion
room 32 for more information). These thrallswere slainas they
kiUed the 2illithidsalsolying here. There are a total of 4 As in the two areasmarked 30, former thrallsfight illithids
humanoidsand 3 illithids in the mom. The humanoidswear in these areas. Unlike the otherillithid/thrallconflict, there is an
simple garb and some still carryknives, clubs, and even shards
80% chance that the mind flayers win (with 1survivor) and
of glass. There is a 20%chance that each forerunpercorpse
wears a functioningHeadmesh (see the “ArcaM” section on only a 20%chance that the exact oppositeocculsifthe PCs do
page 32 for more details). not intervenewithin 3 rounds.Survivingillithidsimmediately
turntheir attentionto the party.
The illithidbcdieseach have 3d10 crystal coins (worth 3gp
each) in smallpouches, and they are 10%likely to po6sess a See area 30 for the appropriatestab of combatants and fore
Maulstick(seethe “Arcana” sectionfor more details).
runner reactions to the player characters.Refer to area 29 for
30. The Fight Goes On! possible distribution of interestingitems.

In the two areasmarked 30,ld4 forerunnersbattle against 32. CommandCenter
ld4 of their illithid masters. F o ~ ~ ~ u ncnome rbatants who see
the party assume that they are allies, while the illithids This is the nerve center of the thrallrebellionon the plan-
etismal.Two forerunnerguardsstationedby the door monitor
assume the herues thrallswho broke into the supply entry into thischamber, while one largerforerunnerwearing a

cache. The mind flayers are desperate and will fight to the headmesh hunches over an overturnedtable, poring over some

death rather thanrettvat to the Astral Plane. If the party does illithid touch-saipt. The largerforerunneris Ndton, the leader
nothing but watch, the battle ends in ld4 roundswithout the
need for the DM to runthe whole combat. There is an 80% of the local rebellion.
While ifs possible that a misunderstanding could develop
chance that the forerunnerswin (with 1survivor) and a 20%
chance that the exact opposite occurs.Of course, the party betweenthe party and Nilton, it is far more likely that the two
forces canreachan understan-. Nilton wants to clear this
could throw in with the thrallrebelsand virtually assurean fragmentof all illithi&, and he will gladly aid the party if the

end to the conflict,thereby demonstratjng their loyalty to the PCsagree to help him inhis quest.
forerunners. Unfortunatel~if the possibility of alliance emerges,thetwo

If the PCs establish communicationswith thesurviving f o e guards in thischamber suddenly turnonNiltonwith murder
runners-via magic or psioniethe rebelsrecognizethe party in their eyes-they‘re still d y dominatedby their illithid
members’ potentialvalue asalliesand attempt to bring the masters (althoughtheirmastersare dead, their psionic compul-
adventurersto the cormnand center (area32) to meet with Nil-
ton, the forerunnerin chargeof this particularmini-rebellion. sion lives on). Nilton does not defendhimselffrom this attack,
ashe is too stunnedby thebetrayalof his close friends; the PCs
Theforerunnersand illithidsencounted inthe two areas must prokt him!
marked 30 have thesame distribution of possible possessions
Besideshis leather armor (made from illithid skin),
described under area 29. headmesh(seethe“Arcana” section on page 32 for more

Forerunner rebels (ld4):AC 9; MV 12;HD3; hp 25’27, details), and spiked club, Niltoncarries a satchelsewn from
illithid hide in which he keepshis greatesttrophy of therebel-
24; THACO 17; #AT 1;Dmg ld6 (byweapon); SA psionics; lion to date:one of thebrainmate lobes (seethe “Arcana” sec
tionfor more details). Niltondoes not realizethefull
M R 35%; SZ M (6’ tall);ML Average (9); Int Exceptional(15); importanceof the lobe, and if the party has not established an
AL CE;XP 270. aUiance, the rebel leader will trade the lobe for a valuablemagi-
cal or psionic item. If the party has allied with Nilton, the leader
Psionics Summary-.#AT 1;MTHACO 14;MAC 9; Lv 3; gives them the lobe once all illithidsin this fragment are dead.

PSPs ld100+150; PsionicAttacks egowhip 0 ,id insinu- The two compromised guardspossessthe same stats as those
ation @); Psionic Defenses intellectfortrrss0,mental bar-
ririeorn(wMiBll),0mind;Pbsliaonnkic(MDBiskc)i,ptlhinouesgEhStsPh. ield (TS), tower of foremers described under area 30; Nilton’s stab appear
below:
Abbreviated Combat Summary (ld4Illithids): The
Nilton,forerunnerleadm AC 5 (illithid-hide leather
armor); MV 12;HD7; hp SO;THACO 13;#AT 1;D m g ld6+3
(spiked club); SApsionics; h4R 35%; SZM (6’tall); ML Fear-
less (20); Int E x c e p t i d (15); AL CE;XP 1,400.

aPtSioPPnssi@lodn1);i0cP0ss+iS1ou5n0mic, mPDsaeifroeynn#iscAeAsTtti1na;tcMeklslTeceHtgAfooCwrtOrhr1isp4s;00M A,mC,ied9n; itLnavslibn3;aur--
ririeorn(wMiBll),0mind;Pbsliaonnkic(DMiBskc)ip,tlhinoeusgEhStPs,hmieoldle(cEula.)rt,ower of

rearrangement, project force.

-:. t.: ' . I A-

-estasisfieid, theycanseea stray memory from the brain used to create the tablet sur-
pod with hinges.This faces in the mind of the i m b i k upon waking. The nahm
pod wasthrownfree of theplanetismal uponimpact. Thepod and usefulness of thismemory is entirely up the DM.
containsa k e y h o k n l y the keyworn by Grkth(see page 16)
opensthelock A s u m M h itrapsroll indicatesthe PES- HOIIOW
enceof a trap that a€'E canonly bypassthroughthe useof the
key. 'IhosePcswho openthelockmany otherway (suchas Beneath this 100-foot-by-100-footarea lies a 20-foot-diam-
picking it, smashingit, or subjecting it tomagic) spring thetrap. eter splintered chasm leading downward. The odor of dried
If the trap adivates,it sends a blast of shrapnelthat causes2d6 leaves and ancient rot drift upward. The passage's sides are
pointsof damageto anyonewithin a 15fwtradius. In addi- worn and cracked, and several varieties of moss or lichen
tion,the shrapneldestroys anything of value within thepod. grow over them. The moss possesses bright colors near the
If the Pcs have the key and open the pod successfully, surface, slowly changing into muted, darker tones near the
they discover 40small, flexible pouchespacked in cradling bottom of the chasm.In fact, the growthsare completely
straw. Eachpouch contains ldlO pinkish tablets. The tablets black at the lowest levels.
represent the condensed nllhiiionaland psychic quotient of
one humanoidbrain; this is a food supply cache prepared This fragment once contained various trophies, items of
by the illithidsof the planetismaljust in case they landed in
an area with scarce food sources. One tablet is sufficient to -beauty, and preserved life forms from a variety of di€krent
worlds of the illithid empire. The life formswere on display
nourish an illithid for one month, allowing it to forego and preserved with quintessence-although the creatures
cephabphagy duringthat time. themselves died in the plocess. The impact of the fragment

., , ...

# ., ,

28

scattered the protective stasis of the displays,rendering 33. GuardedControl Board
them currently unidentifiable.
This rocky, cavernousarea is wide and high, with the
The followmg boxed text is an example of the ruin that ceiling reaching at least 40 feet above the debris-strewn
greets the eye of any observer who descends into the hollow: floor. Various rough tunnels branch off the periphery of the
cavern,but a sphereof utter blackness measunng 25 to 30
Shattered columns, broken crystal figures covered feet in diameter sitsin the cavern’shub.
with black stains, lumps of sagglng metal, and shreds of
what may have once been banners now litter the floor. An unrelieved columnof stone protrudesthree feet
Nature has done much to claim this area in the inter- upward from the floor near the dark sphere.Four fist-sized
vening centuries, sending dampness llke llttle claws concavlhes visibly mar the smoothnessof the stonecol-
down through the black earth to tear apart the walls. m.The indentahonsresemble four equal portions of a
dissected brain.
PCs who search the morass have a 75% chance per turn
of discovering an item from the list below. Only one of each Swm,the mystenousentitywho craftedthepsionic 4,
item exists in the chambers of the Hollow. guided the adventumsto thecraterin oder for themtoinvestigate
thetruthof anaent rrferrncgto a worldspanning craft S t m n
A petrified “mummy” of a humanoid figure with a sin- piecedtogether thepossibilityof sucha vessel’s ,but he
gle unicomlike horn protruding naturally from its couldnotfind any information refemuingthecoordinatesofthe
head. Beneath its wrappings, the mummy possesses an illithid homeworld.Hesentthe PCsoutto find the a& hoping
amulet of proof against charm. The possessor is immune thatthenecesaryinformation would lienear thesame area.
to charm, domination, and all other types of magical Strom suspeds a great deal of the illithids’ dark agenda and
and psionic influence. hopes that the PCs canliberate the craft,find thenavigational
A small crystal figure amidst a litter of other broken information, and use it to put an end to the illithids’plan. Unfor-
pieces.The figure is that of an illithid tadpole. Posses- tunately, the illithidseparatedthe needed coordinates (lodged in
sion of the figure psionicallyinhibits an illithid from a deviced e d a brainmate) from the craft and dividedthem
drawing forth the possessor’sbrain in melee. into four lobes.T h e pieceslie in area 17, area 25, area 28, and
area 32, respectively.Unfortunately,Stmmdoes not know how
A necklace amidst the rubble that, when worn, plays to activate the craft (and thusthe psionic seal doesnot possess
soft unearthly music. Sometimes, the tone and timbre of any useful informationon this matter).
the music shift dramatically, but not in a way obviously The black sphere in the chamber is actually a special alloy of
connected to the immediate environment. metal and quintessm~merelyrubbingitwon’t rrmoveit, nor
will any other force. The only way to dispel the sphere is to
The C m f t placeall four lobesof thebrainmateinto the depressions.
Unfortunately,if any noniUithid approacheswithin 10feet of
The search of this 100-foot-by-100-footarea finally the indentations, 3 brain golems guardingthis chamber (see
uncovers the upper portion of a buried planetismal frag- map) activateand moveto destroy any inmders.
ment; this fragment requires three additional man-hours of
digging to clear a space for entry. Brain Golem(3): AC 3; MV 6; HD 12;hp 60;THACO 9; #AT
1;Dmg2d12;SApsionic mind blast; SDcombatsense, immu-
The fissure revealed is 5 feet in diameter. The passage’s nity;MR 7G%; SZ L ( 8 tall,5’ wide); h4LFearless (20); Int Lay
sides appear worn and cracked, indicating a lack of quintes-
sence protection.A descent of some 60 feet depositsexplor- (7);ALLE;XP 10,m.
ers in area 33.
Notes:SA-Brain golemsalwaysstrikeat wizcurlsSrst, and they
This fragment contains a craft capable of traveling celes- have an innateabilitytotargetthe weakstcharacterin a p u p .In
tial distancesin a short period of time. In a sense, the craft additionthe golem’s mind blast (whichit canuse once per tum)affe&
stored here (a spelljammingnautilus variation) was the everyonew i h 60feet;affeaedma- must makesavingthrows
illithids’ one and only path back to their hidden home
world. Unfortunately, the celestial reference points neces- vs.spell or suffer 2d8pointsof damageand becomestunned for Id10
sary to pilot the craft to the illithid home world were stored
in a brainmate. The illithids then divided the brainmate into rounds.‘Ihcse awdumwho save suffer only ld8 pointsof damage.
four lobes and placed them under special protection. SD-Brain golems are immuneto diseaseand poison,aswell as

chmm-relatedmagic,deathmagic,and hold and s k q spells.Inaddition,

thesecreaturesarenotharmedby nonmagid and psionic weapons.

If the player charactersdefeat the brain golems and suc-
cessfully find and place all four lobes of the brainmate into the
smoothcolumn, the DM should proceed to the ”Conclusion”
sectionin the next chapter.

29





Wherein the DM finds information about the more unaware 0
tant new items discussed in the adventure. determine the

Brainmate (Assembled from Four L

GP Value: lop00
The assembled navigati

roughly 6-foot-diameter
ied brain. Each of the bra
otherwise impeMous t
However, magical w
20 points of damage
proper tool, nothing s
lobes into the whole

The lobesserve a
release the ancient

the only morded celestial information
tion of the ancient heart of the an
Any being with simple telepathy,
draw off this knowledge. However, s

GP Value: 2500 e Flayer functionsas a

Thispsionic item lookssomething like an ornate, delicate cks permanently reduce an opponent's
y ld4 Intelligence points, if the target
mace (in fact, player characters can wield the stick exactly fails a saving throw vs. spell. If the wielder of the sword
like a standard mace, doing ld6+1 points of damage per rolls a natural 20, his opponent suffers double damage from
successfulstrike against Medium-sized foes). If the wielder the blow and must make a saving throw vs. death magic
gives the mental command "maul" during a successful (with a -2 penalty) or die immediately due to instantaneous
strike, he releases a psionic wave of force from the maul- brain atrophy.
stick that lashes out at the target and inflictsan additional The wielder may also trigger a psionic effect similar to
2d4 points of damage per charge utiliied (a wielder may charm once per day on any human, demihuman, or gener-
utilize all of the charges at once). Each maulstick has up to ally humanoid creature (including orcs, goblins, ogres, and
related races) of 10HD or less. Targets that fail their saving
10chargeswhen fuuy powered. Only illithidswith the throw follow the directionsof the bearer of the sword for
power to recharge psionic items can fill an emptied maul-
one fullweek, after which the target is immune to all fur-
stick with charges. ther charm effects from the sword. The bearer can never con-
trol more thanseven slaves at a time.
GP Value: 1O, OO Headmesh XP Value: 3,000

Headmesheswere developed by the ancient fo
race that eventually spawned the racially
and githyanki. The headmesh aids nonps
their resistanceto the mental commands o
masters. When worn by a humanoid being, the headm
can absorb mental affects directed at its wearer
ited number of times). Generally, a headmesh c

ldlO attempts to influence the wearer's mind .
including applications of mind blast, domination, s
tion, and all charmingpsionic an
a M3 first discovers a headmesh,