Page 57 - Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations

Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, ghost sound (DC 11), to discover). The PCs must move the 300-pound statue before
prestidigitation, speak with animals (burrowing mammal only, they can investigate the hollow, which contains Sekarvu’s
duration 1 minute). treasure. Inside the hole is 8,025 gp, 521 pp, 15 gems (worth a
Wizard Spells Prepared (caster level 11th; prohibited schools total of 5,510 gp), a bottle of air, a +1 bastard sword, a pair of boots
abjuration and enchantment): 0—detect magic, ghost sound (2) of the winterlands, pipes of haunting, and a sword of subtlety.
(DC 16), light, read magic; 1st—color spray (2) (DC 17), identify,
silent image (2) (DC 17), Tenser’s floating disk; 2nd—darkvision, Sekarvu, Beholder: hp 93; Monster Manual page 26.

locate object, minor image (2) (DC 18), mirror image, whispering Sekarvu’s feats and skills are slightly different than those of a
wind; 3rd—arcane sight, gentle repose, major image (2) (DC 19), standard beholder, as detailed below.
Skills and Feats: Craft (sculpting) +10, Knowledge (arcana)
tongues (2); 4th—illusory wall (2) (DC 20), Otiluke’s resilient sphere
CHAPTER 3 THE EYE TYRANTS (2) (DC 18), scrying (DC 18); 5th—persistent image (DC 21), +17, Listen +18, Search +21, Spot +22; Alertness , Disintegration
B
Finesse†, Flyby Attack, Great Fortitude, Iron Will.
Rary’s telepathic bond, wall of stone (DC 19 to avoid entrapment);
† New feat described on page 44.
6th—legend lore, permanent image (DC 22).
Spellbook: Ilirik’s spellbook contains only those spells he
has prepared; these are the few spells Sekarvu allows Ilirik to
keep. CULT OF THE HUNGRY EYE
Possessions: Small dagger, headband of intellect +2, 4 potions of Akeni was born a servant to a powerful drow family deep
cure moderate wounds, 2 potions of lesser restoration, 2 potions of underground, but her personality was anything but servile.
neutralize poison, spellbook, simple robes. When she was caught in an affair with the house matron’s
mate, she killed the matron and her own paramour and fled,

7. SEKARVU’S INNERMOST VAULT eventually stumbling into the lair of a powerful beholder mage
(EL 15) named Ormathulak. Akeni knew immediately that the creature
This large chamber is quite impressive; the walls and ceiling was just the ally she needed to wipe out her hated family.

are covered with intricate carvings depicting beholders eating Ormathulak found her difficult to charm, but just as it was
humanoids, and vast fi elds of mushrooms with writhing ten- about to kill and eat her instead, the drow pledged her loyalty
drils. On the ceiling above, the image of a single immense to the beholder in return for its support. Ormathulak was
beholder watches everything. Two large, uneven stalagmites impressed with her bravery and imperious attitude and agreed
protrude from the fl oor along the northeastern wall, and to on one condition: She must submit to the test of the Hungry
the south stand several well-made statues of powerful-looking Eye. Akeni agreed, and after a grueling 20 hours of torture
adventurers and fearsome monsters. In the center of the room and grafting, she emerged with a beholder’s eye grafted to her
sit numerous desks, each of which is covered with mounds of forehead and a newfound adoration for both Ormathulak and
papers and books. the Great Mother. Ormathulak promised to help her destroy
her family’s house if she would first aid the beholder in the

This chamber is Sekarvu’s personal lair, and where it spends creation of a large network of cult bases on the surface. Akeni
the majority of its time. If the PCs have not yet encountered agreed and set out for the surface world without a second
the beholder, they find it here. thought.

Sekarvu keeps an additional pair of charmed ropers here as She took the first three letters of her patron’s name as her
guardians; these are the two “stalagmites” to the northeast. surname and has since established no fewer than nine beholder
Their positions allow them to attack anywhere in the room cults. She left each cult in the care of a charismatic individual
with their strands. In addition, Sekarvu defends its lair with who’d been fully brainwashed and converted to her cause. Her
ferocious rage. The prospect of defeat is as alien to it as is the tenth cult is nearing completion and is based in the Lost Gull,

concept of friendship, and it fights to the death. a roadside tavern perched atop a sea cliff. Akeni has converted
The tables in the center of the room are covered with Ilirik’s the owners of the tavern along with most of its regular patrons,
spell research notes from the past several years. Sekarvu spends but none of them are charismatic enough to serve as a proxy
much of its time studying these notes and basking in the magic leader. As soon as she finds her proxy, though, she plans to

they represent. The DM can place any number of new, unusual, return to Ormathulak to report her success.
or unique arcane illusion spells in this mass of notes.
The statues to the south are the remains of creatures petri- ADVENTURE HOOK
fied by the beholder. None of the statues retains its original The PCs can become involved in the machinations of the Cult

form, though, for Sekarvu has used its disintegrate eye ray on of the Hungry Eye in many ways. They might simply stop at

them to sculpt them into finer poses or to change their faces the Lost Gull for a drink, or they might arrive seeking a regular
to look more like its own visage. If any of these bodies are patron who hasn’t come home for several days. Akeni takes note

restored to flesh, they die immediately. If a creature is raised, of any charismatic PC and tries to kidnap him or her and use
its personality, statistics, and purpose are left to the DM. her magic to convert that character to her cause.
The southernmost statue, a halfling with a large central eye As the PCs approach the tavern, read or paraphrase the

for a face, sits over a small hollow in the ground (Search DC 25 following description.
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