Page 267 - Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage_Neat

blood might attract ravenous, blood-drinking crea- WANDERING MONSTERS
tures such as stirges or vampire spawn.)
• The song of an unholy choir echoes through an area Halaster continue&, to use the Terminus Level as a
whenever a fight breaks out, then fades away when dumping ground for stray monsters. Duergar also patrol
combat ends. the mines.
BEHOLDER ZOMBIES
YuGOLOTH S
Four beholder zombies, set loose by Halaster, wander
Ha laster recently sent Fazrian a host of yugoloths to the Terminus Level. Once they're destroyed, no more
command. They include a pair of arcanaloths named are encountered.
Aximus and Exekarus; the nycaloth, Raxxus; and the
ultroloth, Xindulus. Why Fazrian spared these yugoloths DUERGAR PATROL
and destroyed the others is uncertain, but one could The characters encounter six duergar (three males and
speculate that the planetar didn't want to seem entirely three females) on patrol, their heavy helms and armor
ungrateful. The survivors wormed their way into Fazri- dripping with blood (see "Regional Effects," page 265).
an's evil graces, coming to believe that the fallen angel These duergar have orders to deliver adventurers to
is destined for glory. In Fazrian they see the potential Valtagar Steelshadow unharmed. If a fight breaks out,
for great rewards-or, at least, compensation beyond the they use Enlarge and defend themselves. If the battle
modest sum the Mad Mage promised them. goes poorly for them, the duergav turn invisible, retreat,
The yugoloths place their own welfare above all oth- and report to Valtagar in area 15.
ers. If more profitable prospects come along, they don't
hesitate to abandon Fazrian in favor of whatever lucra- REMORHAZ
tive offer catches their attention. Released here by Halaster, this remorhaz creeps up on
the characters and attacks. There is a 50 percent chance
DUERGAR C ALASSABRAK that a passing duergar patrol (see above) hears the
ruckus and arrives on the scene at the end of the third
A duergar prince named Valtagar Steelshadow traveled
round of combat. If the remorhaz is still around, the
to Undermountain to plunder its mines and use the
duergar help defeat it. Afterward, the duergar grumble
wealth to buy his way back into the court of his older that the remorhaz is but the latest monstrosity the Mad
brother, King Horgar Steelshadow V, the Deepking of Mage has loosed in the mines. They otherwise behave
Gracklstugh (see the adventure Out of the Abyss for
more information on this subterranean duergar city). as any other duergar patrol.
Valtagar's problems began years earlier, when he led a
hunting expedition into a region of the Underdark pa- EXPLORING THIS LEVEL
trolled by the drow houses of Menzoberranzan. Valtagar All location descriptions for this level are keyed to map
was captured by drow scouts, and Horgar was forced 21. The walls, floors, and ceilings are streaked with
to pay a king's ransom in coin and slaves to free him. blood (see "Regional Effects," page 265), and the air is
Hungry for vengeance, Valtagar and his followers began warm and dry.
attacking drow outposts, hoping to foment war between
Gracklstugh and Menzoberranzan. When drow ambas- 1. ENTRANCE
sadors confronted Horgar with proof of Valtagar's plot, The tunnel from level 20 leads to a featureless, 20-foot-
Horgar banished Valtagar and his co-conspirators, who
high cavern with four tunnel exits, two of which contain
would henceforth be known as calassabrak-outcasts no
iron tracks. An empty mine cart rests at the end of the
longer welcome in Gracklstugh. northern track.
After long holding the Deep Mines, Valtagar and his
duergar followers were forced back into the Underdark
MINE TRACKS AND CARTS
by the planetar's sudden arrival and subsequent bloody
The Terminus Level has iron tracks throughout, and iron
crusade. Weeks after retreating, they returned to dis-
mine carts ride the rails. Since the tracks are built on
cover that the mines were much changed and even dead- slopes, carts are secured with chocks-two sets of two
lier than before. The planetar slaughtered a number of zurkhwood blocks attached to one another by a length of
Valtagar's followers until the prince stood before the rope. If its chocks are removed, a cart begins to roll. Its ini-
planetar alone, empty-handed and daring the fallen an- tial speed of 10 feet increases by 10 feet every round until
gel to kill him. Valtagar's gesture of self-sacrifice moved it comes to the end of its track or reaches its maximum
Fazrian, who judged him worthy of remaining alive. speed of 60 feet. A cart stops if it hits a stopped cart or the
Valtagar now holds a tenuous position as Lord of the iron guard barrier at either end of the track.
Mines, one of the fallen angel's advisors. Despite now Each cart weighs 300 pounds empty and is equipped
being "vassals" of Fazrian, all the duergar on this level with a hand brake. A creature inside a cart or next to one
can use its action to pull the hand brake to reduce the
remain loyal to their prince and follow Valtagar's orders
cart's speed by up to 30 feet, bringing it to a stop if its
without question. speed drops to 0.
Valtagar intends to overthrow Fazrian, buy off the
Moving out of the way of a rolling cart requires a suc-
yugoloths, and seize control of the Terminus Level. cessful DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, and any creature
Toward that end, he is quick to forge alliances with ad- struck by a cart takes 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage.
venturers who are also interested in bringing about the
planetar's downfall.

LEVEL 21 I TERMINUS LEVEL
266