Page 178 - Tomb of Annihilation

69. MECHANUS CHAIN PLANAR LORE
Characters with proficiency in the Arcana skill can
make an Intelligence (Arcana) check to determine what,
Hot wind tinged with the smell of burning oil blows if anything, they recall about planar vortices and Mecha-
nus chains. With a successful check. a character learns
down a forty-foot-diameter vertical shaft. Stone balco-
the appropriate lore and all lore with a lower DC:
nies protrude from the walls on opposite sides of this
expanse, with the west balcony fifteen feet higher than DC 10: Planar vortices are incredibly destructive. No
one can expect to enter a vortex and survive.
the east one. Two thick chains rattle in the gulf between
DC 15: The chain is called a Mechanus chain. Such
the balconies-one ascending two hundred feet before
chains are crafted by modrons and used in con-
disappearing into a cloudy vortex lit by arcs of purple
junction with other machinery to keep the plane of
lightning; the other wrapping around an enormous metal Mechanus in working order.
gear floating one hundred feet below. Another hundred DC 20: This Mechanus chain has been repurposed for
the tomb. One chain would be enough to keep the
feet below the gear, a second vortex rages.
tomb's traps and other mechanisms in working order.
DC 25: Destroying a Mechanus chain requires the cast-
To drive his infernal machinery. Acererak contaminated ing of three wish spells.
a workforce of modrons from the plane of Meehan us.
Under the stewardship of a corrupt pentadrone, the THE SHAFT
modrons rerouted one of their great chains into the The shaft is 400 feet high in total and features deadly
tomb. The sections of the shaft above and below the planar vortices at top and bottom. Any creature in the
balconies exist outside of normal space, preventing the shaft that enters a planar vortex is torn apart, its body
shaft from intersecting with the tomb's other levels. and possessions scattered across the multiverse.
The Mechanus chain forms a loop in constant motion.
MODRON INTERVENTION One part of the chain descends at a rate of 50 feet per
The first time any character moves out onto a bal- round, wrapping around the giant gear that floats 100
cony, read: feet below the east balcony, while the other part of the
chain climbs to enter the upper vortex at the same rate.
The two balconies are separated by a 15-foot-wide
A rip forms in the vortex high above, and nine cube-
gulf, through which jangling chain links rise and fall.
shaped creatures with wings and shortbows fly through. Magic that allows characters to fiy or to walk on walls
They are quickly followed by a large crystal decahedron makes it easy to cross from one balcony to the other.
that holds a weird starfish-shaped creature. Any character who moves at least 10 feet beforehand
can jump from the west balcony to the east balcony.
Because the west balcony is 15 feet higher than its
A pcntadrone leads a squad of nine quadrones through eastern counterpart, a character must either pole vault
the upper planar vortex, which allows safe passage into across the gap (using a 10-foot pole or similar item) or
the shaft but not out of it. Knowing that they cannot use magic. A character can also cross the expanse by
return to Mecbanus, the modrons fight until destroyed. leaping from one balcony to the nearest chain, from
Once these modrons are dealt with, the shaft becomes that chain to the other, and finally to the opposite bal-
undefended. No other modrons are sent through cony. Each of these jumps requires a successful DC 10
the vortex. Strength (Athletics) check. Any character who fails a
The pentadrone can't fly on its own, but it gains a check made to jump to a balcony or chain falls down the
flying speed of 30 feet and can hover while encased in shaft and into the lower planar vortex unless somehow
the crystal decahedron, which grants its occupant total halted. A falling character can land on the floating gear
cover against attacks that originate outside the vehicle. 100 feet below with a successful DC 10 Dexterity saving
The pentadrone can't make melee attacks through the throw but takes falling damage as normal.
decahedron, but it can use a bonus action to open a
small hole in any of the decahedron's facets in order to 70. ARMILLARY S PHERE
spray creatures with its paralysis gas.
The decahedron has AC 16, 50 hit points, immunity
to poison damage, resistance to piercing and slashing This chamber contains a bronze apparatus centered
damage, and vulnerability to bludgeoning and thunder on a hinged arm. Slowly rotating within the arm is a
damage. If it is reduced to 0 hit points, the crystal deca-
10-foot-diameter globe decorated by a topographic map
hed ron shatters and the pentadrone falls.
of landforms and oceans. Concentric rings of brass con-
The crystal decahedron has enough room to accom-
strain the device, all rotating and bearing their own lesser
modate one Small or Medium creature in addition to the
pentadrone if a character thinks to enter the vehicle us- spheres. One of those spheres has sharp points and
ing misty step, dimension door, or similar magic. Inside appears sunlike. Carvings of tall, headless humanoids
the vehicle, the pentadrone can attack as normal. When decorate the walls of the room.
the pentadrone dies, the decahedron shatters.

CRAPTliR !! I TOMS 01 THE NINE GODS