Page 237 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

years, including Sunlight's Wrath and Shar's Bane. A As long as at least one column is active, characters
legend lore spell reveals its true name (Scintilmorn) and see a faint image in the cloud of an adult bronze dragon
its original purpose: to destroy vampires and other crea- surrounded by figures in black robes wearing the
tures of the night. holy symbol of Shar and reading from scrolls. As the
Umbraxakar's Projection. If the hilt of the sun blade great creature writhes in pain, its bronze scales begin
is picked up, Umbraxakar's smoky projection forms in to darken.
the middle of the room (see "Visions of Umbraxakar," The lines of black energy between the pillars and the
page 232). It can't leave the area. cloud are 10 feet above the floor and easily avoided. Any
creature that comes into contact with one takes 10 (3d6)
9. SHADOW VIGIL necrotic damage from it.

Double Door. Carved into the double door to the
SURPRISE!
north are two figures: a skeletal warrior clutching
Each time a cult fanatic dies, a shadow assassin (see
the bladeless hilt of a sword on the left door, and
appendix A) rises from the fanatic's corpse and joins the
a handsome young man with dragon wings on the
battle, acting on the same initiative count as the fanatic
right door. Above the double door is a 3-foot-diameter
that "birthed" it. The shadow assassins guard the room
disk painted black with a purple metal rim (the sym-
thereafter.
bol of Shar).
Cultists and Rats. Twelve human cultists of Shar are
TREASURE
chanting outside the doors. Crawling around their feet
Each cult fanatic carries an obsidian holy symbol of
are four swarms of rats.
Shar (25 gp each). The leader, Abberoch, also has a
Purple Flames. Mounted on the back walls of four wide
silver rod with one end formed in the shape of a key (70
alcoves are rusty iron sconces, each holding a torch
gp). The rod unlocks the double door in area 18.
coated in black wax that burns with a purple flame.
The walls of the alcoves are cracked and pitted. 11. TUNNELS AND CAVERNS
---
The rats attack creatures not dressed as cultists of These rough-hewn tunnels are centuries old, but they
Shar. The cultists are chanting to help focus the power
offer no clues as to their origin. A tunnel to the north
of the ritual taking place in area 10, and they try to kill slopes downward and eventually leads to level 19.
anyone they believe is not a Shar worshiper. They chant
the following verse over and over in Common: "Dark- 12. CANDLELIT HALLS
ness quench the sun. Darkness swallow the moon.
The walls of these 10-foot-high corridors and chambers
Darkness claim this dungeon and all that dwell within."
are lined with shallow niches holding black wax candles
Knowing that the ritual in area 10 must not be dis-
that burn with a purple light.
turbed, the cultists do everything they can to prevent the
If the characters have had an easy time thus far, Ker-
doors to that area from being opened. If characters enter
esta might send waves of vampire spawn to harangue
through the double door, the cultists assume the ritual
them as they make their way through these candlelit
has already been interrupted and attack immediately.
halls. The vampire spawn attack in packs of ld4 + 2
10. RITUAL CHAMBER and avoid the pit traps in areas 12c and 12d by crawling
along the walls.
Purple Flames. Black wax candles set in niches along
the walls of this 20-foot-high room burn with a purple 12A. BAT ROOSTS
flame, filling the room with dim light. The bare walls and floors of these connected chambers
Cult Ritual. Six cult fanatics are chanting in unison. are covered with bat guano, and the 10-foot-high ceiling
Each one stands next to a black stone pillar and is is made of rough stone. Four swarms of bats gather
focused on a roiling fog cloud, 8 feet in diameter, that here. They shriek in response to intruders and flee the
floats at the center of the room 10 feet above the floor. area if disturbed.
Lines of black energy run between the pillars and Secret Door. A secret door in the north wall leads
the cloud. to area 8.
The cult fanatics are named Abberoch, Belora, Liana,
12B. MAGIC MOUTH
Shanzo, Torfiana, and Uzalyn. They are performing a
The first character to move past the midpoint of this
ritual designed to anchor one of Umbraxakar's memo-
area triggers a magic mouth spell cast on the floor,
ries to this room, which will enable the shadow dragon
which says in Common, "Turn back now, or abandon
to pull more of Vanrakdoom into the Shadowfell. They
hope!" The spell resets after 1 hour.
chant the following verse over and over in Common:
"Darkness quench the sun. Darkness swallow the
12c. PIT OF DARKNESS
moon. Darkness claim this dungeon and all that dwell
An open 20-foot-deep pit spans the corridor in this loca-
within." If attacked, they continue to chant while also
tion. The pit is filled with impenetrable darkness similar
defending themselves.
to that created by the darkness spell. A successful dispel
Killing a cult fanatic deactivates one of the pillars,
magic spell cast on the magical darkness ends it, though
destroying the line of energy emanating from it and
the darkness reappears after 1 hour. Other than the
weakening the ritual. When all six lines of energy are
darkness, the pit contains nothing.
destroyed, the fog cloud vanishes.
LEVEL 18 I VANRAKDOOM