DISCUSSING
In the Shadow of the Spire – Session 28A: The Maw Beckons

They left. Once they were safely in the carriage and driving away from the Cathedral they talked things over.

“I don’t trust him,” Tor said.

Dominic nodded. “You can put crimson robes on a pig, it’s still not a novarch.”

But they would practically be getting paid twice for the same job. There was no reason to pass that up.

Scenario hooks are the methods by which PCs become aware that an adventure exists, are enticed to engage the adventure, and/or are forced to engage the adventure.

If you’re prepping a plot, then you’ll usually only have a single scenario hook which will also tell the PCs what they’re supposed to do (in order to set the predetermined plot in motion). If, on the other hand, you don’t prep plots and, instead, prep situations, you’ll find that you have A LOT more flexibility in the scenario hooks you set up.

One particularly powerful technique is, in fact, to have multiple scenario hooks pointing at the same scenario. You may do this for purely practical reasons (fulfilling the Three Clue Rule, for example), but it can also be deployed to great effect.

One of my favorite techniques, actually, is to have two different patrons offer to hire the PCs for the same job; or, more accurately, for jobs involving the same scenario. This setup creates the context for framing tough dilemmas. (“Do we chase after the assassin to claim the bounty or do we save the Jewel of Erthasard from the river of lava?”) In fact, you can do this from the moment the job offer comes in: If Patron A asks them to murder the CEO of Abletek and Patron B asks them to work as the CEO’s security detail during an upcoming business conference, you’re immediately forcing the players to really think about the scenario they’re being hooked into: What do they want to have happen to the CEO? They can’t just sit back and passively do whatever they’re told to do. They’re going to have make a decision.

And, once they’re thinking about the situation and making choices for themselves, they may end up deciding they want something completely different from either patron.

Another technique I enjoy using as surprising scenario hooks: It’s easy to have a hook tell the PCs exactly what’s happening. “There are goblins in the Old Tower and they’ve been raiding the local farms.” But it can often be more effective to not do that: Maybe the villagers think there are goblins at the Old Tower, but it’s actually an infestation of imps. Or the goblins in the tower are actually just orphans, and they’re not the ones responsible for the recent raids.

A surprising scenario hook, as the name suggests, sets things up for the players to be surprised later in the scenario. And there are, of course, all kinds of ways for you to use this surprise, whether for dramatic or strategic effect.

In this session, I’m combining both of these techniques while hooking the PCs into the Banewarrens. Not only are they being simultaneously approached by two patrons with different objectives related to the Banewarrens, but the true nature of those objectives are not immediately apparent to the players.

In this case, this also means that the PCs can initially believe that there’s no conflict between the two commissions. The surprising reversal will come when they discover the truth and realize their twin masters cannot, in fact, be satisfied simultaneously.

We have another name for that: Conflict.

Delicious, delightful conflict.

The other subtlety here is Tavan Zith. In the original Banewarrens book, Zith does not actually function as a scenario hook. (There’s no way for the PCs to backtrack from Zith to the Banewarrens.) The encounter with Zith, however, functions as a justification: The PCs interacting with Zith is used to justify the Inverted Pyramid (and, in my version, the Church) deciding to hire the PCs for this job.

I had also, knowing these hooks for the Banewarrens were coming, made a point of laying groundwork with both Jevicca Nor and the Imperial Church earlier in the campaign. I wasn’t sure exactly how this earlier involvement with these factions would play out, but really any involvement would either (a) help justify the PCs getting approached for this gig and/or (b) create tension that could be similarly paid off in the Banewarrens. In practice, this turned out even better than I could have ever anticipated:

“We live in a time of prophecy,” Rehobath said. “And you seem to have a habit of finding yourselves in the middle of it.”

“What do you mean?”

“The extraordinary events in Oldtown today — in which I have been told you were involved — are the beginning of what will be a new chapter in history. Tavan Zith has returned to this world, and if the prophecies are true that means that the Banewarrens have been opened.”

I actually did take the further step of making Tavan Zith an actual scenario hook: The PCs could have either backtracked his path by canvassing Oldtown (they didn’t do this) or interrogated him (they tried this, but failed their rolls). This is what I refer to as a curiosity hook (i.e., no one tells the PCs to go check out where Zith came from; but Zith’s presence and extraordinary actions make them aware of the scenario, and they can pursue it and/or get involved with it if their curiosity so inclines them).

You may be thinking: “A die roll for the scenario hook? But what if they failed the check?!”

Well… they did fail. But I had three more hooks lined up, so that’s okay.

Of far more concern would be if the players ended up simply not being interested in the Banewarrens at all. What should we do about that?

First, I’ve spent some time priming the pump here by layering in a bunch of foreshadowing about the Banewarrens. For example, the “Drill of the Banewarrens” in Session 16A. By the time we go to Act II, the players were already intrigued by the Banewarrens, which made them eager to jump at clear hooks pointing them in that direction.

Second, another advantage of using multiple hooks is that it gives the players multiple reasons to be interested in the scenario: Do you want to make allies with the Inverted Pyramid? Pursue your relationship with the Imperial Church? Get close to one or the other so that you can screw them over later? Pursue the powerful magical treasures within? Figure out how to put an end to the threat posed by Tavan Zith?

If I just used one hook, the reaction to that hook might be negative: “We’d like to help, but we don’t have time,” or, “We don’t trust the Church, so we’re not going to tangled up with them.” But with multiple hooks in play, it actually becomes exponentially more likely that the players will see a reason why they want to get involved. (And, again, not just the ones you package up for them. They’re very likely to come up with their own reasons.)

Third, even if turns out that the players aren’t interested in this scenario, the fact that I’ve already set things up so that there are multiple factions involved with interests that directly compete with each other will make it super easy for me to figure out what would happen next even in the absence of the PCs. In this case, the Banewarrens would drop into the campaign’s background events. From that position, they would continue to affect the campaign world, and likely things that the players ARE interested in. It’s extremely plausible that this would generate additional hooks in the future, which may or may not pull the PCs in after all. (Albeit into a scenario that may have already been radically transformed by their earlier decision not to get involved.)

NEXT:
Campaign Journal: Session 28B – Running the Campaign: Multi-Threaded Campaigns
In the Shadow of the Spire: Index

SESSION 28A: THE MAW BECKONS

September 14th, 2008
The 15th Day of Kadal in the 790th Year of the Seyrunian Dynasty

Jevicca offered them 1,000 gold pieces each for a preliminary investigation of the Banewarrens and identified a mansion on Nibeck Street in Oldtown where the Inverted Pyramid had first detected the surges of wild magic.

They looked at each other, clearly uncertain. Tee asked Jevicca if they might have a few moments alone to discuss the matter. Jevicca agreed and headed downstairs.

They quickly discussed what they had just learned. It wasn’t the first time they’d heard of the Banewarrens. They had discovered the “Drill of the Banewarrens” in the laboratories of Ghul’s Labyrinth, and now they could guess at the impregnable walls that the Skull-King had been seeking to penetrate. And, of course, there was also the prophecy of the coming of Tavan Zith that they had discovered in Pythoness House – a prophecy which now seemed to be coming true.

“There’s something else,” Tee said. She pulled out a thick bundle of papers representing the various fruits of their investigations. Among them was the sheet of astronomical-based prophecies they had discovered in the house of Helmut Itlestein. “Listen to this.”

The warrens are opened. Great evil pours forth.
No seal may be found while the heart remains untouched.

“I thought it was talking about the Warrens, but it didn’t make any sense. Maybe it’s actually talking about the Banewarrens.”

There was more than a little trepidation in the room. It was easy to feel overwhelmed in the face of such portentous history and riddling prophecy. The Banewarrens seemed like an insurmountable problem.

“But it’s not a problem we have to solve,” Ranthir pointed out. “She just wants us to investigate.”

“It’s easy money,” Agnarr said. “We don’t even have to go in. She said preliminary.”

(Dominic looked at him. “Where did you learn that word?” Agnarr grunted.)

Tee frowned. “I don’t think it’ll be that easy.”

“It’s never that easy,” Tor said.

But they decided to take the job. Tee headed downstairs to tell Jevicca. As she arrived in the entryway, however, Elestra walked in off the street. Tee sent her up to talk to the others.

Jevicca was glad that they were willing to conduct the investigation. While discussing the exact parameters of what the Inverted Pyramid was looking for (which turned out to be fairly vague), Tee dropped the name of Tavan Zith to see if Jevicca would know it. She didn’t.

Tee explained Zith’s identity and gave Jevicca copies of the two prophecies they had discovered. Jevicca promised to look into them.

A PARANOIA OF CASTLE SHARD

Tee headed back upstairs. By the time she got there, Elestra had already been filled in by the others. She agreed with Agnarr. It sounded like easy money.

After discussing it, they decided not to go up to the Nibeck Street mansion until the next morning. Many of them were exhausted from the ordeals they had suffered earlier in the streets of Oldtown and there were only a few hours left before Tee needed to go back undercover to the Brotherhood of Venom’s project site.

Dominic, however, raised the possibility of trying to question Tavan Zith again. “I know it’s dangerous, but we could try talking to him somewhere without any people around. Like a ceme— Like a field. A big, empty field.”

“We need some way of talking to him without triggering his power,” Tee said.

Ranthir pondered this for a moment. “The effect triggers a latent connection to sorcerous powers. It’s possible that an antimagic field should suppress it. If nothing else, it would suppress the powers released in others.”

“Can you make one of those?” Dominic asked.

Ranthir shook his head. “It’s beyond my skill.”

“We could talk to Lord Zavere,” Tee suggested.

“I don’t know if I trust Zavere any more,” Ranthir said. “We sold him the Drill of the Banewarrens yesterday and today someone breaks into the Banewarrens.”

Agnarr promptly proposed ambushing.

Elestra laughed nervously. “Okay, who here doesn’t want to ambush the most powerful wizard in the city?”

Hands were raised.

“Jevicca was interested in it, too,” Tee pointed out.

“So what you’re saying is that we can’t trust anybody?” Tor asked.

“Right,” Tee said. “Business as usual.”

There was a knock on the door.

THE SECOND INQUIRY

It was Brother Fabitor, the priest from the Chapel of St. Gustav. They let him. He seemed very nervous.

“Is this about Phon?” Tee asked. “We heard what happened to her.”

“What? Oh, no,” Fabitor said. “That was a terrible tragedy. But no, I have a message for Dominic.”

Now it was Dominic who seemed very nervous. “What is it?”

“A friend of mine has gone missing,” Fabitor explained. “A member of the Church. Earlier this evening I went to the Cathedral to report his absence. I was spoken to by the Novarch himself. I was honored. He asked me to come here. He requests an audience with Dominic.”

“When?”

“He said as soon as possible. It seemed quite urgent.”

“Then I guess we should hurry,” Tee said.

They ushered him out of the room and rapidly made preparations. Tor removed the signet ring of the Order of the Dawn. Dominic put back on the purple prelate robes that Rehobath had given him

They took a carriage to the Temple District. When they arrived at the Cathedral they were quickly escorted to Rehobath’s private office. He was waiting for them there, seeming to bathe in the light cast from his godwood desk.

Rehobath was being attended by three others: A middle-aged, brown-haired woman wearing Crissa’s ankh. A muscular, fit, middle-aged man with a shaved head wearing Athor’s cross. And a young, dark-haired man with angular features and a tall frame wearing the winged serpent of Vehthyl.

The woman introduced herself as Sister Mara von Witten, a member of the Sisterhood of Crissa. The younger man – Brother Thad – eagerly shook their hands. He gushed enthusiastically over Dominic, repeating over and over again what a great honor it was to meet him. Dominic squirmed.

Finally the other man was forced to interrupt him. “I think that’s enough. We should get down to business.”

“Yes, I agree,” Rehobath said. “This is Brother Heth Neferul, my friend and advisor.”

“How can we be of service to you, Novarch?” Dominic asked with a meekness born from feigned humility and nervous fear.

“We live in a time of prophecy,” Rehobath said. “And you seem to have a habit of finding yourselves in the middle of it.”

“What do you mean?”

“The extraordinary events in Oldtown today – in which I have been told you were involved – are the beginning of what will be a new chapter in history. Tavan Zith has returned to this world, and if the prophecies are true that means that the Banewarrens have been opened. Tobias, if you would…”

Thad nodded and took up the thread. “I tend to the Archive of the Church as a member of the Order of the Silver God. There are many secrets recorded there that have been forgotten by other men. Among the legends recorded there is the tale of the Sword of Justice – a blade once wielded by the goddess Crissa herself.

“The sword was lost. But it was said to have been used by a man of great evil to create a place known as the Banewarrens. It is written that the Banewarrens were sealed by the gods themselves as an affront to the natural order of the world… but the Sword of Crissa remained inside.”

“If the Banewarrens have been opened,” Sister Mara said. “Then we have a unique opportunity to regain one of the lost artifacts of the Church.”

“If the sword is within our grasp,” Rehobath said, “It would be a powerful talisman in our cause to purify the Church. I have been told of your role in the return of Tavan Zith. And when the Chosen of Vehthyl is found in such a place… well, it seems to me that the gods have spoken.”

“Of course,” Brother Heth Neferul said, “We understand that such investigations will have certain expenses associated with them. And to that end we would be more than happy to supply you with a fund of 2,000 gold pieces for your trouble.”

They would practically be getting paid twice for the same job. There was no reason to pass that up. They agreed to the commission.

“Excuse me,” Tee said. “You said that Tavan Zith was mentioned in your books. Who is he?”

“We don’t properly know,” Brother Thad said. “But in some texts he’s referred to as a ‘saint’, so I’d assume he was working on behalf of the gods – although I have no idea which of them he may have served.”

“I see,” Tee said. “Thank you.”

Running the Campaign: One Job, Multiple Patrons – Campaign Journal: Session 28B
In the Shadow of the Spire: Index

Go to Part 1

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

---

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.)

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.”

---

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

---

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

---

Go to Part 3D: Building the Machine

Go to Part 1

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

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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

---

Armor Class 14 (natural)

Hit Points 35 (10d6)

Speed 50 ft.

---

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

---

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

---

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

---

Armor Class 17 (natural)

Hit Points 110 (20d8+20)

Speed 60 ft.

---

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

---

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

---

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