frp

Highlights:

• Tracks end 30' before door
• Forbiddance spell starts at same location
• Sentries will fire on party after a few rounds

Down the tunnel there is a set of small, iron train tracks that the Duergar set up to deliver their barrel bombs. At the end, these tracks are ramped up slightly to launch the rolling bombs into the air to cover the last thirty feet. Thirty feet beyond the end of the tracks is a massive, barricaded iron door. It has borne the brunt of MANY explosions and is starting to yield. There are cracks around the hinges and the heat from within is noticeable to any who stand near the door.

Drow Sentries also keep watch on this area via small holes in the door which are periodically opened. Within a couple of rounds of arriving, the party will be attacked by Magic Missiles and poisoned crossbow bolts from the Warmages (see below).

However long the party lingers here, is how long the Drow will have to prepare for the coming battle.

Highlights:

• Fomorians and Forbiddance spell should keep party out for awhile
• Elm'eny will have Arcane Eye up to watch the battle
• Risath'i, the Master Enchanter will attack from the shadows

Bringing down the door should be relatively straightforward - considering the damage that has already been done to it. However, it is a massive, iron door that requires a STR check against DC 20 just to open it.

The Drow have been prepping for a battle with the Duergar for two days now, so they have quite a significant contingent of combatants waiting just on the other side of the door:

• 2 Fomorian Giants (see stats for “Fnogghi's Spearmen” below)
• 2 Drow Commanders (from Dezzavold, p.93 - though these are Male)
• 6 Drow Warmages (see “Drow Warmage/12” sheet)
• 6 Drow Favored Souls (see “Drow Favored Soul/12” sheet)
• 1 Risath'i, the Master Enchanter (see “Drow Enchanter” sheet)

Two of the Warmages have Staffs of Submission (see below). The Giants have mind-control chain collars (much like the one found on the Ettin way back in Voyager #34 - though these are not housed in protective, leather sleeves).

Also, the entire complex has been covered by Forbiddance spell(s) cast by the Drow leader, Elm'eny (Caster Level 15). (For more on him, see section 4). This spell reaches out into the tunnel thirty feet beyond the entry door.

The Drow will stay back and let the Fomorians have first crack, using their ranged spells to attack as best they can. Only if the PCs break past the Giants will the Commanders and Warmages engage in combat. The Favored Souls will remain back, casting spells until they, too, are engaged.

Note that the Fomorians will stand side-by-side and block any entrance. Only by pushing back or killing one will the party be able to pass. Also, since they have a 30' reach with their longspears, they will be able to attack the characters early - and will use their Awesome Blow feat to push any back who approach.

Throughout all this, Risath'i will attempt to remain hidden (using his Elixir of Hiding) in an upper alcove. From there, he will cast whatever spells he can without revealing his position. If confronted or wounded to less than half strength, he will flee back into the Slave Pits.

As soon as trouble erupts, a Drow messenger (not included in the list above) will be dispatched to inform the wardens in the Slave Pits. This, in turn, will be relayed to Elm'eny behind his barricade.

• 1 charge = Whelm (PHB2 p.128) - 5d6 nonlethal damage to single target
  • Will save DC 15, Range 60 feet.
• 2 charges = Whelm, Mass (PHB2 p.128) - 10d6 nonlethal damage to 15 targets.
  • Will save DC 18, Range 60 feet.
• 3 charges = Overwhelm (Metamagic: Reach) (PHB2 p.120) - ALL nonlethal damage
  • to single target. Will save DC 24, Range 30 feet.

(stolen and heavily modified from http://d20npcs.wikia.com)

 Fomorian Fighter 8
 Huge Giant
 Hit Dice: 15d8 + 8d10 + 161 (hp 272)
 Initiative: +1
 Speed: 40'
 AC: 26 (-2 size, +1 dex, +9 natural, +8 armor), touch 9, flat-footed 25
 Base Attack/Grapple: +19/+34
 Attack: masterwork longspear +31 melee (3d6+14/19-20x3)
         or mighty masterwork composite longbow +19 ranged (3d6+10/x3)
         or masterwork bastard sword +30 melee (3d8+12/19-20)
 Full Attack: masterwork longspear +31/+26/+21/+16 melee (3d6+14/19-20x3)
         or mighty masterwork composite longbow +19/+14/+9/+4 ranged (3d6+10/x3)
         or masterwork bastard sword +30/+25/+20/+15 melee (3d8+12/19-20)
 Space/Reach: 15'/15' (30' reach with longspear)
 Special Attacks: Trample 2d10+18 (DC 33)
 Special Qualities: DR 5/-, fast healing 5, scent
 Saves: Fort +24, Ref +8, Will +10
 Abilities: Str 34, Dex 12, Con 24, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 9
 Skills: Craft (armorer) +11, Craft (weaponsmithing) +11, Listen +3,
       Move Silently +29, Spot +21
 Feats: Alertness, Awesome Blow, Cleave, Great Cleave, Great Fortitude,
       Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (longspear), Improved Sunder, Iron
       Will, Power Attack, Track; Weapon Focus (longspear), Weapon Specialization
       (longspear)
 Challenge Rating: 19
 Gear: Full plate, masterwork longspear, mighty (+10) masterwork composite
       longbow (adamantine), 50 arrows, 50 adamantine arrows, masterwork bastard
       sword, bag of 3d10x100 gp, 3d10x100 pp.
 Alignment: Chaotic evil

Highlights:

• Scrying device at apex of ceiling to view moon
• Very warm in this cavern
• Slow-moving river of blood coursing through the pit area

The main area of this Drow complex has been converted into a massive series of “Slave Pits”. The “pits” are actually only a couple feet deep, but are surrounded by rough fencing made of ropes interlaced between magically created stone posts.

Each pit is roughly 20 by 20 feet with 10-foot fences and is populated by a large number of lesser creatures (mostly Orcs and Goblins), and at least one larger “boss” creature. Each “boss” wears a mind-control chain collar and serves as willing policeman to keep the others in line. Keeping watch outside the pits are a total of 17 Wardens and nearly 100 Keepers. (Use “Lieutenant” and “Drow Sergeant” from Dezzavold pages 92-93 for stats). At any give time, though, most can be found in the Barracks building.

If the party is unopposed when they enter this area, the Wardens will not provoke a battle. In fact, if attacked, they will likely surrender, expecting Elm'eny to take care of the intruders. The Wardens primary role is to maintain order amongst the slaves - which (because of Risath'i's enchantment magic) is much easier that one would expect.

There are around 72 pits - and almost all are full to the brim with slaves (with an average of nearly 20 per pit). Thus, the 100 Keepers spend most of their time feeding and watering their captives. As is expected, they don't do a very good job at this. The rest of the Drow live in relative luxury in tunnels off the east end of this cavern.

A sampling of the pit bosses is as follows:

• (T) Troll Hunter
• (1) Hill Giant
• (2) Hill Giant
• (F) Fomorian (MMII, p.105)
• (E) Ettin

(A careful observer might notice that these are the same leaders that were with the five armies getting ready to invade the elven forests way back in Voyager #35).

At the apex of this cavern (which is nearly 100 feet high), there is mounted a large (30' across) scrying device whose only purpose is to show an image of the moon. The Erel Hudai use this as their main time keeping device and refer to everything in “moons” (aka months). Right now, the mooon is full.

The entire Drow enclave here is devoted to keeping and maintaining these slaves. However, nobody really knows WHY they do this. Their elusive leader, Elm'eny, dictated this course over a year ago and they have spent all their resources to meet his goals. While the Duergar believe the Drow are massing an invasion army, the truth is that the Drow are at their most vulnerable now, since they are spending all their energy to control the slaves.

Finally, these caverns have a necromantic enchantment tied to the river which saps the life force of creatures who are near death. Specifically, if a character reaches the “Disabled” state, they take negative energy damage at the rate of 1 hp per round. Once they reach the “Dying” state, they must make a Fort save each round or die. The DC for this save is equal to 20 + the number of hit points they are below the “Dying” threshold.

The leader of the Erel Hudai drow is a Lich named Elm'eny. (See attached sheet). Only Risath'i, however, knows that Elm'eny is a lich. The rest of the complex views him as some kind of demigod - a mystique he has cultivated carefully for decades.

Along the wall between the river's entrance and exit points is a thin wall of magical stone that can be made to vanish by Elm'eny as he pleases. He never uses this himself, though. Instead, he sends his emissary, Quarafent, the Efreeti Monk (see attached sheet).

Behind this magical stone gateway is a large cavern that has been sprinkled with permanent illusions by the Efreeti. These illusions are of magma flows surrounding a central stone building. The building itself is real, but the magma is not. Use the map “Magma Keep” for this section.

Inside the keep is a shrine to Vhaeraun on which Elm'eny casts Desecrate every day. When combat breaks out, he will try to remain within 20 feet of this shrine at all times. The shrine is also the source of a never-ending river of blood - which flows in a narrow channel which goes under the wall into the Slave Pit area.

The Air/Fire crystal can be found in the shrine. It powers the river and cannot be removed by normal means. In addition, the crystal is Elm'eny's phylactery!

This area also has a Forbiddance spell, but it is not aligned and is only there to prevent teleportation. (Otherwise, Quarafent would be in trouble).

Finally, Elm'eny has two undead minions: Mummy Lords (named Garoelt'f and Kin'nys'ous). These two were priests to Vhaeraun who defied Elm'eny after their arrival at this place. To punish them and set an example for others, he turned them into undead.

The final item of significance in this area is a Chaos Gate. This is a magical mirror-image of the gate the party found on Prison Plane 121 (see Voyager #66). A successful Spellcraft roll against DC 30 will reveal that the magical signature is the exact opposite of that gate. This is due to the fact that this is the other side of a one-way gate. There is no way to tell, however, where it goes.

The gate itself is an arch of Shadow that stands around 20 feet tall and roughly 20 feet wide. Anyone walking through the gate from either side will be transported to the Elemental Plane of Fire. It was created by the Shadowlord, so it cannot be dispelled by normal means. In addition, unlike the gate on the prison plane, this one cannot be dispelled by a massive influx of shadow. (That only works on the destination gate).

Like the Slave Pits, these caverns are subject to the same necromantic enchantment that saps the life force of creatures who are near death.

Also called “The Masked Lord”, “The Masked God of Night”, and “The Shadow”

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