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The following handouts are found throughout the Mrathrach Machine and worksite. Note that chaos lorebooks will be collected in a separate post.

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ANALYSIS OF THE HOLOGRAPHIC PROJECTOR

The holographic notations appear to be an effort to analyze the Face on the machine’s tower. The person making the notations appears to be intimately familiar with the machine’s construction, but the appearance of the Face seems to have not been anticipated by its builders.

The bulk of the text is an almost impenetrable mass of esoteric arcane formulas, most of them solving to nothing but confusion. A few preliminary conclusions are perhaps more comprehensible:

“The sympathetic synchronization of the discontinuity may be more powerful than we anticipated.”

“There are extraordinary spikes of potentiated chaos in the immediate vicinity of the extrusion. The ethereal solidification is permeating across the planar barrier.”

“The spirit of the Vested made manifest?”

“It’s an extrapolation of inertial compensation excess, allowing the energy left un-transubstantiated across the permeable mediation membranes to express itself through a retrogradal echo.” (The accompanying calculations indicate that this may be only partly accurate, as the retrogradal calculations aren’t resolving properly.)

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CALDOR’S PERSONAL JOURNAL

This is a personal journal kept by a chaostechnician named Caldor. It seems clear from a quick perusal that the writer is deliberately not including any details of their work, although there are a few references to such details being included in a separate “work journal.”

Most of the journal is filled with inconsequential personal details:

• Dwarven poetry, most of it written about a cat named Sprocket.
• A frequent complaint regarding chaffing from a “metallic harness,” along with long descriptions of various lotions and unctions being used in an attempt to alleviate it.
• A week-long complaint about a sunburn apparently contracted while journeying aboveground in the Guildsman’s District.
• Several pages dedicated to the artistic drawing of various dwarven runes:

One particular entry stand outs:

Although Wuntad places great trust in the rhodintor demons, my distrust of them grows as I work daily by their sides. They claim to have been drawn from their Vaults to serve in the House of Dissolution and to be bound by ancient oaths to serve those who bring about the greatest times of chaos. And there is no denying their great mastery of the arts of chaositech, belying a lore of ages. But I suspect some deeper agenda. As Wuntad turns the lich to his purposes, so I think the rhodintor turn us all to theirs.

And later:

As I feared, Hao is utterly enamored by the rhodintor. But I think I shall speak to Legire about these matters. He serves the Destroyer, and has little sentiment for these earthbound pups, I think.

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CALDOR’S WORK JOURNAL

This work journal contains an essentially eclectic collection of practical problem-solving which appears to be associated with the development and maintenance of the Machine. Most of the notes appear to refer back to more detailed and comprehensive design schematics, which are — unfortunately — not present.

Ethereal Solidification Effects: “We are beginning to see violent disturbances within the Ethereal Plane similar to those observed at the Pit.”

Update: As anticipated, the disturbances within the ether are cycling up into solidification events.

Update: Near crisis. The local discontinuity was dissociating from the primary discontinuity, threatening a complete dissociation which would have resulted in the creation of a unique event horizon. Rhodintor succeeded at using the ethereal solidification effects to create a binding matrix.

Update: Enter interior of the machine has solidified on the Ethereal Plane. Connection of discontinuities has collapsed into a unity.

Sympathetic Resonance Balance: “The grounding principles of the project’s inherent structure and order are beginning to spread throughout the Mrathrach network.”

Update: I have temporarily prevented the desynchronization of the discontinuities by randomizing the activation of the Mrathrach nodules, but the chaotic potential is equalizing and the randomization is suffering from a normalizing rendition.

Update: Have permanently resolved the chaotic grounding issues by intertwining the twin networks of sympathetic resonance. The bloodsand ruby focal lenses forming resonance with the Pit and the resonance of the Mrathrach collectors effectively destabilize each other and prevent discontinuities from dissociating.

Proto-Biological Protrusion: I am turning over all of my case notes on the proto-biological protrusion on the upper level to Hao. It has become his particular obsession. He is receiving extraordinary assistance from the rhodintor on this matter. As it does not seem to be affecting — and perhaps may even be assisting — the primary function, I am no longer concerned by it.

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EXCERPTED REPORT FROM THE PIT

This is an extensive geologic and geographic survey which appears to have been excerpted from some larger report (the details of which are unclear). It describes with precise detail the location of a landmark referred to as “Mrathrach’s Pit,” initially using details from “aboriginal myths” to place it somewhere within the Cold Desert in southern Palastan.

Physical Properties of the Pit: “The visible portion of the Pit is vast — a funnel of frost-rimed sand nearly half a kilometer in diameter — but I suspect that the physical distortions may extend for miles beneath the surface, and the ethereal distortions may be greater yet.

“I have found it impossible to enter the core funnel of the Pit. The air is beyond frigid; indeed, it seems as if the temperature drops by an ever-increasing amount. Other attempts to penetrate the area via magical means have been ripped apart by the powerful forces coruscating through the area. For now, I will have to content myself with exploring the fringes of this phenomena.”

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LETTER FROM WUNTAD TO CALDOR

Most Worthy Caldor—

I offer you all thanks for the assistance you have given in the construction of the holy vessel for the Blood of Gellasatrac. I shall arrange for its transport to the Haven of Gisszaggat within the week. Know that when I have partaken of the Feast and the ritual has been completed that the hands of such a master craftsman shall not be forgotten nor the debt go unpaid.

I wish you the best of speed in completing Aggah-Shan’s Tower. It shall serve our ends more than his, I think. Send word to Wulvera at the House of Porphyry if you have any need of my attention or aid.

Wuntad

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DM Note: The House of Porphyry is a reference to another cult operation in Ptolus. The Haven of Gisszaggat refers to “The Final Ritual” from Night of Dissolution.

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CALDOR’S SPELLBOOK

1^st level—burning hands, charm person, comprehend languages, detect chaositech, detect taint, disguise self, expeditious retreat, false life, feather fall, grease, hideous laughter, identify, mage armor, magic missile, protection from evil and good, resist chaotic contamination, shield, silent image, unseen servant

2^nd level—arcane lock, false life, magic mouth, mirror image, ray of enfeeblement, scorching ray, see invisibility, spider climb, suggestion

3^rd level—chaos siphon, dispel magic, fly, lightning bolt, major image

4^th level—confusion, detect scrying, locate creature, maddening insight, stoneskin

Detect Chaositech: Ptolus, p. 628

CHAOS SIPHON
2^nd level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Target: 1 chaos storage cube
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

You transfer raw chaos within a storage cube into a chaositech device, refueling and restoring it. You can safely touch both the cube and the device when you cast the spell. After the casting, the device is fully charged. The cube has a 10 percent chance of being empty, at which point it collapses into a corrosive puddle (like a pool of acid).

DETECT TAINT
1^st level divination (ritual)

Casting Time: Standard action
Range: Self
Target: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

For the duration, you sense the presence of taint within 30 feet of you (which appears as a faint aura around tainted characters and objects). If you sense taint in this way, you can use your action to determine the severity of the taint — faint or fully tainted for an object, and the number of taint points a person has.

MADDENING INSIGHT
4^th level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Self
Target: Self
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 hour
This spell opens your mind to the warped irrationality of pure, primal chaos. It grants you advantage on Chaos Surgery checks and checks using chaositech tools, but carries with it a risk. If you fail a Wisdom saving throw, you suffer insanity in the form of a confusion spell for the duration of the spell.

Material Component: Three drops of mercury

RESIST CHAOTIC CONTAMINATION
1^st level abjuration

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Target: A creature
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 24 hours (creature) or 1 week (object)

You give a creature or object advantage on saving throws against taint.

Material Component: Three drops of pure water

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Go to Part 3D: Building the Machine

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CAVERNS

This is a diff key. To run these areas, you need to refer to the original key in Night of Dissolution (pgs. 82-85) and then either add or alter the elements listed here.

AREA 1 – THRALL QUARTERS

CHAOS PROPHECY: Scrawled on the wall of each of these areas (tapped out by the claws of the thralls, who don’t comprehend what they’re writing) is the Prophecy of the Saint of Chaos:

The Saint of Chaos shall return and the Banewarrens shall ope their maw. And the name of doom shall be Tavan Zith.

Not all of these are complete. Many instances are only random assortments from the middle of the prophecy.

DM Background: This prophecy refers to the scenario hook for the Banewarrens campaign.

AREA 5 – CHAOS STORAGE CUBES

SECRET COMPARTMENT: The secret area is a small shrine. The Prophecy of Black Rain is written on the wall, with black candles on a small altar in front of it:

And there shall come a night of black rain. And the arts of magic shall have no power against it. And the Gods shall be silenced. And the rain shall wash away the world that we have known and end all bonds.

• DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation): Caldor’s Personal Journal and a chaositech siphon is hidden inside the shrine.

AREA 7 – SARYCAL MEDITATION CHAMBER

(This entry replaces the full key from the adventure.)

Three sarycal prepare the meditation rituals necessary to replace their brethren within the Machine (see Level 2). Three mock meditation chambers — looking like lozenges of steel thrusting up through the floor — stand at various points within an ornate arcane circle.

These meditation chambers are similar to those found within the Machine itself, but are not fully functional (nor linked to the Machine).

• DM Note: The intention here is that investigating this chamber should allow clever players to intuit the fact that sarycal rhodintor are sealed inside Level 2 of the Machine.

AREA 8 – LEGIRE’S CHAMBER

CHAOS LORE: The disheveled mess of notebooks, formulae, diagrams, and ranting includes:

• Excerpted Report from the Pit
• Greater Book of Chaos (chaos lorebook)

AREA 9 – HAO’S CHAMBER

CHEST: In addition to the other items in the chest, the PCs find:

• Oath of the Divided Eye (chaos lorebook)
• Skull of the Metal Eye

SKULL OF THE METAL EYE: A strange technomantic device is surgically grafted onto a skull. It includes an array of three crystals around a larger crystal in a plate on the skull’s forehead.

• This device is designed to be surgically grafted to one who has taken the Third Eye of the Destroyer feat (see Oath of the Divided Eye) to harness the energy of their darkvision and make it blindsight 60 ft.
• DM Note: Hao hasn’t perfected the Third Eye of the Destroyer, but keeps this device — still grafted to its former owner’s skull — for his personal use once he has done so.

AREA 10 – WORKSHOP

There is a chaos nodule from Level 5 being repaired here. There is also a chaos storage cube.

AREA 12 – THE MACHINE MAGE

DESK: Among the books and papers carefully arranged here are:

• Caldor’s Spellbook
• Caldor’s Work Journal
• Letter from Wuntad to Caldor
• Greater Book of Chaos (chaos lorebook)
• Vested of the Galchutt (chaos lorebook)
• Book of Mrathrach (chaos lorebook)

AREA 13 – ENTRANCE FROM THE CATACOMBS

The entrance of Area 13 opens onto the Machine directly facing the Face of Mrathrach.

LEVEL 1 – THE FACE OF MRATHRACH

A living extrusion of proto-biological thrust out from the metal of the Machine. Streams of frozen tears hang from its pain-haunted eyes.

COLD AURA: Anyone starting their turn on the top level must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, suffering 2d6 cold damage on a failure.

ETHEREAL HOWL: Those on the Ethereal Plane can hear the Face of Mrathrach’s screams. Non-chaotic creatures hearing the scream must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or suffer an ill effect:

• < Level/CR 5: Knocked unconscious for 1d10 minutes. Deafened for 3d6 hours.
• Level / CR 6-10: Stunned. Deafened for 1d4 hours.
• Level/CR 10+: Deafened for 1 hour.

DESTROYING THE FACE: AC 15, 300 hp. The face regenerates 5 hit points per round.

• Chaos Hammer: When reduced to 100 hp, the Face of Mrathrach hurls a multicolored explosion of leaping, ricocheting energy from its mouth. Non-chaotic creatures suffer 22 (5d8) psychic damage
• Prismatic Spray: When destroyed, the Face releases a prismatic spray that affects the top two levels of the Machine. (DC 17 saving throws. If the violet ray teleports a character, there’s a 90% chance they emerge from a random energy portal on Level 3 or Level 9; otherwise, they are teleported to a random location in Ptolus.

HOLOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS PROJECTOR

On the catwalk in front of the Face of Mrathrach a tripod with seven crystals surrounded by chaositech machinery has been set up.

ACTIVATING: A DC 15 Wisdom (Chaositech tools) check or DC 23 Intelligence (Arcana) check.

When the device activates, the crystals spin up and are struck by coruscant, plasmic light which refracts into a translucent projection before the surface of the tower where the Face extrudes itself.

The light forms a perfect image of the surface of the tower. In a somewhat jerky progression, you can see a disruption of the twisted pieces of machinery in the projection as the Face slowly emerges. As the projected Face comes to mirror the Face on the tower itself, additional beams of information sprout around and through the image: Lances of light join projection to reality, and strange garbled strings of text twist and resolve around various facets.

ANALYZING: After the projector is activated, an Intelligence (Chaositech tools) check can decipher the notation. Give the players the Analysis of the Holographic Projector handout.

LEVEL 2- WICKER RHODINTOR

The three wicker rhodintor are spiritual foci for three sarycal rhodintor who are forming a sympathetic meditation circle inside this level of the Machine. (These rhodintor are welded and sealed inside; inaccessible unless someone were to physically hack open the Machine.)

SARYCAL SPELLS: Each wicker rhodintor can manifest sarycal spells (Ptolus, p. 594) while drawing on the Machine’s power to remove daily limits. The range of the spells is limited to the first three levels of the tower.

• Initiative +2
• Spell Save DC 16
• At Will: magic missile
• Once per 1d3 rounds—hold person, levitate, ray of enfeeblement
• Once per 1d6 rounds—dispel magic, lightning bolt, slow

DESTROYING A WICKER RHODINTOR: AC 15, 150 hp. Vulnerable to fire.

LEVEL 3 – ENERGY PORTALS

CHAOTIC TELEPORT: Jumping through a portal on Level 3 allows one to emerge from a portal on Level 9 (and vice versa). Creatures without teleport stabilizers suffer chaotic disruption during teleport (2d6 points of necrotic damage, DC 16 Constitution saving throw negates).

ENTRANCE TO MUTATED THRALL CHAMBERS: Opening in the side of the shaft leads to Areas 1-3. This opening is not directly connected to the shaft, requiring characters to jump a 5 foot gap.

LEVEL 4 – ENTRANCE FROM THE LONG PASSAGE

DISABLE LEVEL: This is a complex skill check requiring 5 successes before 2 failures. DC 14 Wisdom (Chaositech tools) or DC 18 Intelligence (Arcana) checks.

LEVEL 5/6/7 – EBON MACHINES

EBON MACHINES: These machines serve as both collectors and amplifiers of the chaotic energies being gathered by the Mrathrach tables. They are also energy regulators and channelers.

CHAOS NODULES: Inside each ebon machine are ten oblong, silvery gray nodules roughly the length of a forearm.

• These are virtually identical to the ones found in the White House (Area 13), but careful examination will reveal that they are three-dimensional negatives of the nodules installed into Mrathrach tables around the city.

DESTROYING AN EBON MACHINE: AC 17, 100 points of damage.

LEVEL 7: Has an entrance to the Storage Level (Areas 5-7).

LEVEL 8 – CHAOSTECHNICIAN LEVEL

DISABLE LEVEL: This is a complex skill check requiring 5 successes before 2 failures. DC 14 Wisdom (Chaositech tools) or DC 18 Intelligence (Arcana) checks.

ENTRANCE TO CHAOSTECHNICIAN LEVEL: This level is connected to the Chaostechnician quarters (Area 8-10).

LEVEL 9 – ENERGY PORTALS

CHAOTIC TELEPORT: Jumping through a portal on Level 3 allows one to emerge from a portal on Level 9 (and vice versa). Creatures without teleport stabilizers suffer chaotic disruption during teleport (2d6 points of necrotic damage, DC 16 Constitution saving throw negates).

LEVEL 10 – SKULL FOCI

SKULL FOCI: A wide variety of humanoid skulls have been embedded into the machinery on this level of the Machine. Removing or destroying a skull foci opens a passage into the interior of the Machine. If all skull foci are removed or destroyed, it destabilizes this level.

• Destroy: AC 15, 10 hp
• Remove: DC 16 Intelligence (Chaositech tools) or DC 23 Intelligence (Thieves’ Tools)

RHODINTOR NESTS: A passage at the bottom of the shaft leads to the Rhodintor Nests (Areas 11-12).

INSIDE THE MACHINE

TM and © 2022 Monte Cook Games, LLC

The inside of the Mrathrach tower is accessible from Level 10 (by removing or destroying the skull foci). It’s a hollow cylinder, but crisscrossed with pipes, wiring, gearworks, etc.

SEALED LEVELS: The interior of Level 2 is sealed and cannot be accessed from below. (It contains sarycal rhodintor.) The interior of Level 1 is just a solid mass of chaositech machinery.

ETHEREAL PLANE: The interior of the Mrathrach Machine has solidified on the Ethereal Plane.

INTERNAL RESONANCE: Each interior level of the Machine has 3d20+10 bloodsand rubies taken from Mrathrach’s Put. (These serve as sympathetic foci.)

• Disabling: Removing at least 10 bloodsand rubies from each level will disrupt the internal resonance of the Machine.

BLOODSAND RUBIES

A dark red in color, with murky depths like coagulated blood. The surface of a bloodsand ruby glitters with a multitude of facets and is gritty to the touch.

CONDITIONS:

• Difficult terrain due to the uneven floors, pipes, unstable paneling, etc.
• Ruby Beams: Shooting between the bloodsand rubies on each level. There’s a 1 in 6 chance per level of a beam strike, targeting a random character. If struck, a character suffers 4d6 force damage (DC 18 Constitution saving throw for half damage).
• Moving Between Levels: DC 16 Dexterity (Athletics) check to climb the interior walls. (There are lots of gaps between the pipes and the like, but also a lot of moving machinery which makes it quite difficult to maneuver thorugh.)

THE ZAUG: Located on Level 8. The zaug is hooked into the Machine with various tubes, etc. and cannot move. Killing the zaug destabilizes the machine.

Go to Part 3C: Mrathrach Handouts

Go to Part 1

The Mrathrach Machine can be reached from Aggah-Shan’s catacombs (see Part 2) or from the Temple of Deep Chaos (Night of Dissolution, p. 47).

This light remix adapts “The Mrathrach Machine” adventure by Monte Cook from Night of Dissolution (p. 75). You will need the original adventure in order to use this material, which features:

• A few quality of life enhancements to make it easier for the GM to manage the adventure.
• An enhanced key featuring bonus content.
• The resources necessary for creating a full ten-level model of the Machine for use with miniature figures.

The model of the Mrathrach Machine uses resources shared by users of the old Okay You’re Turn forums on Monte Cook’s website, but they have also been remixed and modified.

LEVELS

The levels have the Mrathrach Machine have been enhanced to have special features in the remix, and I’ve shuffled the sequencing of the Machine levels to enhance the flow of the scenario with these special features in mind. Use the following guide to determine where the dungeon levels intersecting the Machine chamber are located (Night of Dissolution, p. 81).

TOP LEVEL: Area 13 and the connection to Aggah-Shan’s Catacombs, which were previously located on the Bottom Level, have been moved to the top level.

ENTRANCE FROM THE LONG PASSAGE: The Long Passage from the Temple of Deep Chaos ends in a door leading to Level 4 of the Machine. See Night of Dissolution, p. 73 for a description of the passage.

BOTTOM LEVEL: Area 13 on the map here can be rekeyed as an additional instance of Area 11 (a rhodintor nest).

ADVERSARY ROSTER

This adversary roster for the Mrathrach Machine supersedes any creatures listed in the Night of Dissolution location key.

• Active creatures are normal adversaries who are actively working on the Machine. They are initially occupied in the location indicated.
• Patrols are moving through and around the Machine and are actively alert for intruders. For those located in the Machine Shaft, you can randomize which level they’re currently on by rolling 1d10.
• Resting creatures are sleeping or otherwise not on alert. They make Perception checks with disadvantage and are less likely to respond actively to threats unless a general alarm is raised or they are specifically fetched by other NPCs for aid.
• Stationary are creatures who will not move from the listed location. They are included here to fully disambiguate the location key.

* Carry teleport stabilizers to negate negative effects of energy portals. (Venom-shaped thralls have them surgically fused to their carapace. Caldor’s cat has it built into its clockwork mechanisms.)

LESSER MRATHRACH PROTECTORS: In addition to the foes listed above, when the Machine begins to destabilize (see below), lesser Mrathrach protectors sprout from the machine:

• Outside the Machine: 1d6 per round
• Inside the Machine: 2d6 per round
• Maximum: 12 in either case.

MRATHRACH PROTECTORS

You can think of the Mrathrach protectors as an extrusion of the machine — protective drones, a technomantic immune response, or just the raw reflex of a mad demigod. Whatever analogy resonates best with you. They are vaguely arachnic in character, although they only have four legs ending in sharp spikes. They go scuttling across the surface of the Machine, and multiply when it is threatened or in need of repair.

MRATHRACH PROTECTOR, LESSER

Small construct, neutral evil

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Armor Class 14 (natural)

Hit Points 35 (10d6)

Speed 50 ft.

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STR 14 (+2), DEX 14 (+2), CON 11 (+0), INT 10 (+0), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 8 (-1)

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Saving Throws Con +2

Skills Athletics +4, Perception +3

Senses darkvision 60 ft.

Damage Immunities: poison, psychic

Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned

Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2

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Self Repair. The protector regains 3 hit points at the start of its turn. The protector does not regain these hit points if it is reduced to 0 hp.

ACTIONS

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d8+2) piercing damage.

MRATHRACH PROTECTOR, GREATER

Medium construct, neutral evil

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Armor Class 17 (natural)

Hit Points 110 (20d8+20)

Speed 60 ft.

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STR 18 (+4), DEX 14 (+2), CON 13 (+1), INT 10 (+0), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 8 (-1)

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Saving Throws Con +4

Skills: Athletics +7, Perception +4

Senses darkvision 60 ft.

Damage Immunities: lightning, poison, psychic

Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned

Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +3

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Self Repair. The protector regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn. The protector does not regain these hit points if it is reduced to 0 hp.

Pounce. If the protector moves at least 20 ft. straight towards a creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, the target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the protector can make one claw attack against it as a bonus action.

ACTIONS

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 40 (4d8+2) piercing damage.

MRATHRACH MACHINE – OVERVIEW

TAINT: This entire Machine Shaft is a tainted location. Tainted effects include:

• Prismatic spray from the destruction of the Face of Mrathrach (Level 1).
• Chaotic teleport on Level 3 or Level 9.
• An exploding ebon machine (Levels 5-7)

Design Note: 3E rules for taint can be found here. I may attempt to adapt these to 5E as part of this Remix in the future. As an alternative, you might use the 5E rules for Madness (DMG, p. 258) or simply eschew this aspect of the Machine entirely.

TAKING DAMAGE: If a character on the scaffolding suffers damage, they must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + 1 per 10 damage taken). On a failure, they are knocked off the scaffolding, but may attempt an additional DC 18 Dexterity saving throw to catch themselves on the edge (rather than plummeting down the shaft).

Playtest Tip: Don’t forget to have NPCs try to push the PCs off the scaffolding.

INNER RING – MOVING PARTS: PCs on the inner ring must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw each round. On a failure, they are knocked off the scaffolding by some part of the Machine which has unexpectedly jutted or spun out, but they may attempt an additional DC 18 Dexterity saving throw to catch themselves on the edge.

• NPCs are immune to this effect due to their familiarity with the machinery, unless unable to move.

STEAM VENTING: There is a 1 in 6 chance per level of steam being vented out of the machine.

• Target: A random character on that level (and any other characters in a line with them).
• Inner Ring: 4d6 fire damage, DC 14 Dexterity saving throw for half damage.
• Outer Ring: 2d6 dire damage, DC 14 Dexterity saving throw for half damage.
• NPCs are immune to this effective due to their familiarity with the machinery, unless unable to move or in line with the randomly determined target.

FALLING:

• Second Chance: Characters falling more than 50 ft. through this chamber can attempt a second Dexterity saving throw (DC 15) to catch themselves on a lower level. The character still suffers falling damage for the distance they fell.
• House Rule – Catching a Falling Character: If it seems as if a character on a lower level would be in a position to catch a falling character, they can use a bonus action to do so by making a successful Dexterity saving throw (DC 10 + 1 per 10 feet fallen). The falling character still suffers damage for the distance they fell.

CHAOS EFFECTS

The Machine Shaft is permeated with chaotic energy. Each time a character takes an action requiring an ability check in the chamber or casts a spell, there is a 1 in 20 chance the action is afflicted by the energy. Roll on the Chaos Effect table.

Playtest Tip: This element works best if you lean heavily into describing the strange, probability-defying distortions wrought by the chaos energy of the Machine. Use the mechanical effects listed here as inspiration, but customize the exact effect to the current circumstance and the action being attempted.

TABLE: CHAOS EFFECTS

TABLE: MAJOR CHAOS EFFECTS

DESTROYING THE MRATHRACH MACHINE

In order to destroy the Mrathrach Machine, the PCs must first destabilize the Machine, after which it will explode.

DESTABILIZING: There are three ways to destabilize the Machine.

• Disable 7 out of 10 levels.
• Disable the internal resonance.
• Kill the zaug inside the Machine.

EXPLOSION: Occurs 10 rounds after destabilization.

• Inside the Machine: 20d6 fire damage, DC 25 Dexterity saving throw for half damage.
• In the Shaft: 10d6 fire damage, DC 25 Dexterity saving throw for half damage.
• Collapse: As the machine collapses, anyone on the Machine falls, suffering falling damage from their current level to the bottom of the shaft. They must also attempt a Dexterity saving throw (DC 10 + 2 per level fallen) to avoid objects. On a failure, they suffer 2d6 bludgeoning damage per level fallen.

REWARD: Destroying the Machine earns the PCs a reward of 15,900 XP. (XP equal to a CR 10 encounter + the XP for defeating the CR 13 zaug.)

DISABLING LEVELS

Here’s a quick reference for how each level of the Machine can be disabled. Each is described in more detail in the level description.

Go to Part 3B: Mrathrach Key

Go to Part 1

Aggah-Shan’s guards regularly patrol this level. There are 10 guards in total.

• A patrol of 1d2+1 guards cycle through Areas 18, 17, 20, 21, 22, and 19. (They move to a new area every 2d6 rounds.)
• The remaining guards are generally resting Area 21.

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AGGAH-SHAN’S GUARD

Medium undead, lawful evil

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Armor Class 16 (natural)

Hit Points 112 (15d8+45)

Speed 30 ft.

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STR 18 (+4), DEX 15 (+2), CON 16 (+3), INT 10 (+0), WIS 15 (+2), CHA 12 (+1)

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Saving Throws Str +7, Dex +5, Con +6

Skills Athletics +10, Intimidation +5

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities poisoned, exhaustion

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12

Languages Giant

Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

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Slavish. The guard has advantage on saving throws against being frightened, charmed, or turned.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The guard makes three attacks with its necromantic mace.

Necromantic Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 8 (1d6+4) bludgeoning damage and 7 (2d6) necrotic damage

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Aggah-Shan’s guard are undead warriors, wrapped in brown funerary linens and wearing crimson-red Anubian helms. Through the jackal’s mouth their skull can be seen, with red flames in their eyesockets. Each wields a top-heavy mace which crackles with purplish necrotic energy. They carry large, copper shields in the shape of a beetle’s wings.

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AREA 16 – THE OTHER THRONE OF IRON

A throne of black iron and gray stone sits in the middle of a blue-tiled room. The ceiling is painted with roiling flames.

TELEPORTATION THRONES: Characters using the throne in Area 12 to teleport arrive on the identical throne in this area, and vice versa.

SECRET DOOR: DC 30 Intelligence (Investigation) check to detect. The door is not trapped, but opening it releases the permanent wail of the banshee in Area 23 so that it can also be heard by characters in Area 16.

• Listening at the Door: DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check can faintly detect the wail. Hearing the wail in this way, however, inflicts 3d6 necrotic damage (DC 15 Constitution saving throw for half damage).
• Wail of the Banshee: The wail has no effect on constructs or undead. All other creatures who hear the wail are afflicted by a powerful death magic and must succeed on a DC 25 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a creature with less than 100 hit points instantly drops to 0 hit points. Creatures not reduced to 0 hit points instead stuffer 9d8+50 necrotic damage (or half damage on a successful save).
• Dispel magic will suppress the wail for 1d4 x 10 minutes.

AREA 17 – THE HALL OF SCENTED SMOKES

A dozen magical braziers line the length of this hall. Lighting any one of them causes all of them to alight, filling the room with colorful smokes carrying pleasant scents.

AREA 18 – LEY-LACED STATUE

A classical statue of a bare-chested archer bending his bow back, his foot placed upon the breast of a maiden who lies nude at his feet. Thick, blue-black veins run through the marble.

INTELLIGENCE (ARCANA) – DC 16: The statue is carved from ley-laced marble. This statue acts as a pearl of power that can be used up to four times per day. It is currently keyed to an adamantine arrow which fits into the archer’s bow (and is currently either in Area 15 or carried by Aggah-Shan).

LEY-LACED MARBLE

Ley-laced marble is a naturally occurring stone. During the metamorphic processes which form the marble, ley-energy permeates the impurities lacing the sedimentary rocks. The resulting marble (which is usually found on or near ley lines) is possessed of properties similar to a pearl of power. (In fact, it’s hypothesized that pearls of power were created by reverse-engineering ley-laced marble.)

Unlike pearls of power, however, ley-laced marble is not particularly efficient in its retention of magical energy. In addition to being difficult to excavate from the ground, ley-laced marble must be maintained in such large chunks in order to maintain its properties that it is rarely if ever portable in any true sense of the word.

However, rites have been perfected which allow a piece of ley-laced marble to be keyed to a specific object. Anyone carrying the keyed object can access the powers of the ley-laced marble at a distance of 1 mile per character level.

AREA 19 – HALL OF GILDED SKULLS

Six skulls gilded in gold sit on cushions placed atop marble pillars. Two pillars stand empty.

SKULLS: Each skull has a named burned into its dome — Verana, Elmchaea, Enel, Siust, Atath, and Mosdyna.

DM Background: These skulls belonged to Aggah-Shan’s enemies.

AREA 20 – AGGAH-SHAN’S LIBRARY

Most of the volumes in this library reveal a mind consumed with a strange, compulsive disorder: Gambling odds calculated, recalculated, and then calculated again. Written out at great length in varied tabular arrangements — vast expanses of endless tabulated data.

AGGAH-SHAN’S SPELLBOOK: But this library is also home to Aggah-Shan’s Spellbook. The book is designed to be opened by placing Aggah-Shan’s bony finger into the skull-faced keyhole on the cover. If any other finger is placed in that keyhole or if someone attempts to force the book open, it triggers a prismatic spray trap (DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) to detect; DC 14 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) to disable; DC 20 Dexterity saving throw if triggered).

BOOK OF MRATHRACH: The library also contains the Book of Mrathrach (a chaos lorebook).

BOOK OF MRATHRACH

In those days when the Masters of Chaos still stirred and the echoes of their spirits were manifest within the Temples of the Screaming Dead tended by the midnight priests of the Earthbound Demons, there walked upon this earth the Man who would have made demons of all men; who would have immanentized the mortal flesh in eschatonic blood.

This book tells the bloody tale of Mrathrach. It purports to be a reconstruction of an ancient verse epic, although the passages of verse preserved within its pages are broken and irregular (although somehow beating with a primal pulse when read aloud).

Mrathrach was a warlord in the demon armies which “fought black-backed against that oily light of piety’s tyrannicies.” His faith to his master, “the Duke Gellasatrac,” is lauded and entire passages are given over to describing the great deeds of martial honor and the bloody human sacrifices he offered to Gellasatrac’s glory.

But when the war turns against the demon armies, the poem becomes an elegiacal transformation of the strife of conflicted duty. In the end, it describes how Mrathrach agreed to betray Gellasatrac to “the greater glory of the Masters and the presecient schismed schemes of the Shallamoth.”

And he drank of the Black Blood, the Holy Gift of Gellasatrac. So Mrathrach became the First of the Vested — vested in the trust of his masters; vested in their power; vested in their fate. The first quenching by which the bands of power would be forged.

AGGAH-SHAN’S SPELLBOOK

Spells marked with * are from the Ptolus sourcebook.

CANTRIPS: chill touch, shocking grasp

1^st LEVEL: burning hands, charm person, color spray, detect chaositech*, detect evil and good, dissonant whispers, endure elements, expeditious retreat, feather fall, fog cloud, grease, jump, mage armor, magic missile, shield, silent image, sleep, Tenser’s floating disk, unseen servant

2^nd LEVEL: aid from the future*, alter self, arcane lock, blindness/deafness, blur, darkvision, enlarge/reduce, flaming sphere, invisibility, levitate, mirror image, ray of enfeeblement, rope trick, see invisibility, spider climb, suggestion

3^rd LEVEL: blink, conjure animals, fly, gaseous form, haste, hold person, hypnotic pattern, Leomund’s tiny hut, lightning bolt, magic circle, slow, tongues

4^th LEVEL: banishment, confusion, conjure minor elementals, polymorph, stoneshape, stoneskin, wall of fire

5^th LEVEL: animate necrosis*, animate objects, cloudkill, contact other plane, divinatory expungement*, enervation, mislead, wall of stone

6^th LEVEL: chain lightning, create undead, disintegrate, eyebite, flesh to stone, move earth, teleport trace

7^th LEVEL: month of Vallis*, prismatic spray, teleport

AREA 21 – AGGAH-SHAN’S GUARD

1d8+2 of Aggah-Shan’s necromantic guards can be found here. (There are 10 total. The others are patrolling this level, as described above.)

AREA 22 – THE FALSE PHYLACTERY

BATH: The southern end of this chamber is a bath made of black marble with two silver dragon heads looking out over the room.

PRISMATIC CUBE: Levitating in the center of the room is a set of double-layered prismatic wall spells forming a cube.

FALSE PHYLACTERY: Within the prismatic cube is a hollow mithril statue in the shape of a man lying on a cushion of blue velvet. A heart-shaped trapdoor on the statue’s chest can be opened, revealing adamantine wires which have been welded to various points within the statue and then bound together into a very specific and cleverly-woven knot. The statue has an arcanist’s magic aura placed upon it to make it appear to be a lich’s phylactery (but it is not).

AREA 23 – TRAPPED HALL

Beyond the secret door in Area 16, a short hallway leads to Area 24.

WAIL OF THE BANSHEE: This area is filled with a permanent wail of the banshee. The wail has no effect on constructs or undead. All other creatures who hear the wail are afflicted by a powerful death magic and must succeed on a DC 25 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a creature with less than 100 hit points instantly drops to 0 hit points. Creatures not reduced to 0 hit points instead stuffer 9d8+50 necrotic damage (or half damage on a successful save).

• Dispel magic will suppress the wail for 1d4 x 10 minutes.

TRAP – CRUSHING WALL: In addition to the wail, this area also has a pressure plate in front of the door to Area 24) that triggers a crushing wall trap (affecting everyone in the hall).

• Mechanical trap
• DC 17 Intelligence (Investigation) to detect the trap.
• DC 22 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) to disable the trap.

DOOR TO AREA 24: The door is also trapped. Anyone touching the door triggers an incendiary cloud (that lasts for 1 minute, moving into Area 16).

• Magical trap
• DC 17 Intelligence (Investigation) to detect the trap.
• DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) to identify the spell effect.
• DC 20 Dexterity saving throw for half damage.

AREA 24 – TRUE PHYLACTERY

PRISMATIC CUBE: Levitating in the center of this room is a set of double-layered prismatic wall spells forming a prismatic cube. Inside the cube if a forcecage.

TRUE PHYLACTERY: Within the forcecage is a sphere of adamantine (4-in. thick). Within the sphere are three humanoid figures of taurum (the true gold which makes common gold naught but a bauble), each inscribed with a single rune upon its chest.

Destroying the figurines destroys Aggah-Shan’s phylactery.

Go to Part 3: The Mrathrach Machine

Go to Part 1

AREA 10 – LOWER ANTECHAMBER

A chamber of white, blue-veined marble. The walls, floor, and ceiling are lightly rimed with frost.

There are 6 wights (MM, p. 300), 2 ghasts (MM, p.), and 2 frostbanes.

DOOR TRAP: Any living creature touching the door leading to the hallway triggers a cloudkill that fills the room for 10 minutes.

• Magical trap
• DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) to detect.
• DC 16 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) to disable.

AREA 11 – GORGON GUARDS

The walls and ceiling of this chamber are painted sky blue with blood-red clouds.

Standing guard upon a pair of double doors crafted from glistening ebony are 2 gorgons (MM, p. 171).

AREA 12 – THE IRON THRONE

A long red carpet leads up to a small dais on which sits a throne of stone and iron.

THRONE: The throne is designed to teleport its user to Area 16 (in Aggah-Shan’s Sanctum). To operate the throne, the user must strap themselves into it. During the teleport, carefully positioned spikes sprout from the chair, inflicting 20d6 points of damage (no save). (The spikes pass harmlessly through a skeletal figure.)

• Mechanical trap
• DC 11 Intelligence (Investigation) to identify the trap.
• DC 14 Intelligence (Arcana) identifies the teleport properties of the throne.
• DC 20 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) to disable the spikes (but this also disables the teleport effect).

TELEPORT TRACE: Aggah-Shan has blocked divinations leading to his sanctuary, but if he has recently used the chair (25% chance) a teleport trace or similar effect will reveal the chair’s destination.

AREA 13 – ADAMANTINE SKELETONS

The vault (Area 14) is guarded by 4 adamantine ettin skeletons.

VAULT DOOR (10-in. iron): AC 19, 300 hp, DC 24 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools)

ADAMANTINE ETTIN SKELETON

Large undead, lawful evil

---

Armor Class 14 (natural)

Hit Points 85 (10d10+30)

Speed 40 ft.

---

STR 21 (+5), DEX 10 (+0), CON 17 (+3), INT 2 (-4), WIS 10 (+0), CHA 4 (-3)

---

Skills Perception +4

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14

Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t adamantine; critical hits become normal hits

Condition Immunities poisoned, exhaustion; can’t be poisoned

Languages Giant, Orc (can’t speak, but can understand)

Challenge 5 (1,100 XP)

Proficiency Bonus: +2

---

Two Heads. The ettin skeleton has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The ettin skeleton makes two adamantine claw attacks.

Adamantine Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) slashing damage. This counts as an attack with an adamantine weapon, automatically dealing a critical hit to objects.

AREA 14 – FALSE VAULT

This outer vault contains:

• 3,113 gp
• amber gold earring (525 gp)
• ceremonial electrum dagger with star ruby pommel (930 gp)
• death mask of beaten gold (85 gp)
• gold medallion with black opal gemstone (1,500 gp)
• golden sphere (75 gp)
• heavy wrought gold bracelet (650 gp)
• beaded headdress (100 gp)
• ornamental silver skullcap, inclaid with runes and a moonstone set above the brow (315 gp)
• small gold statuette of a maiden on a unicorn (175 gp)
• potion of restoration
• heavy crossbow +2
• dagger +1

Playtest Tip: There are two reasons for the specificity in Aggah-Shan’s vaults. First, it makes looting the place cooler than just “you find 4,355 gp in jewelry.” Second, because Aggah-Shan isn’t on site, the likely outcome of any heist here is that he — and his organization — will be looking for the PCs. Each item can be targeted by divinations. Each item the PCs fence can be traced. Each item gives a vector for continuing the scenario by other means.

SECRET DOOR: DC 25 Intelligence (Investigation). Panel slides away to reveal a second vault door. Moving the panel without applying pressure to the correct sections triggers a trap. A gemstone inset on the vault door shoots out 1d4+1 beams of purple-black energy, targeting any characters in line of sight (starting with those closest).

• Magical trap
• Melee Spell Attack: +12 to hit, one creature. Hit: Life drain, dealing 10d10 necrotic damage. The target must succed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

VAULT DOOR (10-in. iron): AC 19, 300 hp, DC 24 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools).

AREA 15 – TRUE VAULT

The inner vault contains:

• 1,000 pp, 4,300 gp, 8,765 sp
• Gems: violet apatite (50 gp), graveyard plume agate with white flames (60 gp), block of green jade (125 gp), rusteen (210 gp), 25 peach sunstones (10 gp each), 25 red sunstones (10 gp each)
• Potions: giant strength, healing, endure elements (x2), enlarge, magic weapon, spider climb
• Scrolls: alter self, levitate, blur, jump, mage armor, minor illusion, shield, mirror image, charm person, conjure animals, summon fey
• horn of goodness/evil (wrought from a bicorn’s fluted horn of white and black)
• horn of Valhalla (this specific horn is tied to the ancestors of the Grey Mountain barbarians who are marching on Ptolus, see Night of Dissolution, p. 5)
• horn of silence (advantage on saving throws against sonic effects when held; 1/day create silence spell that can be dismissed with a second blow; 1/day create the effect of a shatter spell)
• (75% chance) adamantine arrow keyed to the ley-laced marble statue in Area 18. (If it’s not here, then Aggah-Shan has it.)
• Book of Lesser Chaos and Book of Greater Chaos

HORN OF GOODNESS/EVIL

This trumpet adapts itself to its owner, so it produces either a good or an evil effect depending on its owner’s alignment. If the owner is neither good nor evil, the horn has no power whatsoever. When the horn is blown, it produces the effects of a magic circle spell. If the owner is good, they can choose for the circle to be effective against fiends or the undead. If the owner is evil, they can choose for the circle to be effective against celestials. The horn can be blown once per day.

Go to Part 2D: Aggah-Shan’s Sanctum