the Valley of the Balancing stone

 

Valley of the Balancing Stone

-          Solve the mystery of the missing balancing stone

-          Restore the balancing stone and repair it

o   The missing valley is covered with mist and a wall of storms, when ever someone tries to penetrate it they find themselves on the other side of the storm, in the same valley. 

o   Flying over the range reveals nothing.

o   The mountains are taller than anywhere else you have seen.  Close to 35,000 feet elevation. 

o   When the balancing stone is restored, the mountain shimmers and splits to reveal that valley is between two mountains of this size and the mountains in the hidden valley are even larger.

The valley can only be reached through a torturously narrow  pathway (5’ at most narrows down to a 1’ across for 100s of feet), above a raging torrent of rapids and waterfalls that drops 2500m over the 20km path.  When the exit is found, the early Spring experienced at the Devil’s Forge gives way to Winter.  The air is crisp clear and thin.  Actual elevation above sea level is closer to 5000m.  everything is Winter, though the people here, refer to it as an early Spring.  The Dwarves claim that they won’t go this way because it is the end of their territory.  The dwarves they meet here are at peace with the others, but they are not well liked.

The valley is bigger than the lower valley and it is filled with large Fir forests and tall scenic waterfalls, there is a frozen lake, many very tall snow-covered mountains and wide valleys.  There are valleys off of this one and there is danger too.  There is a dwarven outpost, a Mountain elf enclave, Mountain Giants, Stone Giants, free kobolds, Snow gnomes, Ice Dwarves, Alpine Halflings, Free Dragonborn, Deep Gnomes, Druegar, Kou-Toa, an aboleth, Rhemoraz, Death Dragon Alpine Dragon, Ice Dragon, Mist dragon, Water Dragon.  There is no Balancing Stone. 

Some believe that a thousand years ago the dwarves were mining the mountain and they inadvertently disturbed the stone and caused it to roll off the mountain where it sat.  The rock rolled down in the Winter and for a long time it sat on top of the thick lake ice turning.  When summer came the rock disappeared below the surface and has never been seen again.  If the top of the mountain were found they would indeed find a dwarven outpost, in the mountain, but it is not near the summit and could not have disturbed the rock.  The Dwarves do not know what happened to the Rock, but they tell a tale where a thousand years ago a prosperous frontier city vanished, every single person there vanished and could not be found.  The road to the city vanished and only the people in this outpost survived and had to cross the valley on the surface before they found access the empire again.  The Northern Dwarven Empire lost one connection route to the Dhewtudum Dwarven Empire and it took hundreds of years to recover.  What is not known because how could they know is that there was a titanic three way battle in the Hidden Valley and one of the great dragons cast a spell that went awry and moved the rock off its pedestal.  The rock tumbled down the mountain, but the rock was holding open a interdimensional space that instantly closed when the stone was moved.  The valley and all the people in it vanished, and all the people under it too; it just vanished.  It appeared to be the fault of the Dwarves and they were blamed by the Stone Giants who viewed the stone as a religious site above all others.  The elves have been here for a long time but they came after the events told.  They do not believe there was a valley there, because there is no magic, the magic created the valley.  The are not that many Elves, there was more but a score dozen years ago there was an attack from some where and they lost a lot of territory, the survivors moved a valley over to build again and prepare to retake their citadels. 

There is an aboleth in the bottom of the lake.  It is in possession of the spinning rock, it is still covered in glowing runes.  The runes provide the only light at this depth.  This part of the lake is 3500m deep.  In the high Summer the light penetrates 100m, in the winter half that.  The waters are clear and cold.  The water dragon that lives here is lord of the lit reaches of the lake, but the vast depths are controlled by the Aboleth.  The aboleth came to this lake hundreds of years ago just after the Stone elves lost their city.  Druegar along with Kuo-Toa defeated them after they tunneled into their deeper tunnels.  The way to the lake was quickly made and the young aboleth swam in.  The city of lake elves quickly fell, because the attack was launched in early Autumn just after the ice began to form.  The Aboleth rules the entire depths and suffers the Dragon because it only cares about the lit waters. 

The Dragon of Death.  Originally the dragon was a forest dragon, but a curse laned upon the forest.  There was a tomb built here before memory.  Of the tomb little is left, but when the hidden valley vanished the two forests on either side of the hidden valley came  crashing together and smashed the tomb and its unholy plans.  The changes happened slowly, the forest was cloaked in thick fog even in the Summer, the cold never really lifted and the snow only really melted on the hottest days.  The tress grew slowly and stunted and the dead ceased to decay.  Dragons avoided the forest except for one, and this dragon grew to be like that forest it lived, it is dark and black like shadows made solid.  It smelled of rot to the point dragons were lured in and when they died, the dragon of death only consumed a small part and raised them as skeletal dragons.  Its Kobolds are dark like shadows and its Dragonborn too.  all its spells are necromantic.  Xeric has said whom ever slays this beast and lifts the curse shall be blessed above all else.  Drogath cares not, as this beast does not kill or spread its disease and thus if it were his design, it failed.  One spell that they name shall forever be without concentration.

 

 

 

Step one: the path into the valley

The path is a canyon it starts as a wide river valley narrowing quickly the mountain rising to the side, the river cuts into the mountains as a deep ravine and the ravine becomes a canyon.  First the path is the river but then as they move the path down into the canyon.  The canyon top rises up too.  the river is below it is a rough cataract, a rough treacherous rapids and waterfalls it climbs quickly as the canyon deepens.

If the players decide that they are going to fly to the next location, let them see dragons circling and then much larger wings drop and grab the dragons snapping their necks and dropping them on the ground, to resume soaring above their heads, Rocs.  If they decide to stay in the open, the roc will take and interest.  Baby rocs learning to hunt with a protecting mother watching.  The path will become treacherous and the footing poor.  If they fly they will be attacked in the air. 

If they move through the canyon they will also be attacked but by smaller creatures.  Griffons, hipogriffs, Pterons, feathered flying dinosaurs, elementals.  Rock demons, and treacherous footing. 

When they emerge out of the canyon they will see that they have been walking the last little bit in a more pleasant environ, except for the weather.  The weather is a throw back to Winter.  Deep snow, but not terribly cold, rising to near zero during the day and plunging to sub zero at night.  The path in the canyon gets to a point where they are forced up the walls and on to a foot of a mountain.  They see the large waterfall leading into the canyon.  But they also see a wide winter land, tall mountains, wide valleys, a distant lake and several waterfalls in the distance.  In the morning they are massive icicles, in the afternoon they have melted and are misting.  There is a town close by, with three story A-frame houses and a palisade surrounding it. 

Central to the town and a taller house with a taller roof is a temple to Candelmas, God of artificial fire, there is a large bonfire on the roof that is constantly burning.  The town is filled with people, Humans, halflings, dwarves and gnomes.  The gnomes are rock gnomes, the dwarves are Ice Dwarves, hair all white and their skin a blue white.  There are free kobolds, living under the town, Alpine Halflings.  There are a few Stone Elves from the city nearby.  There are half orcs and half elves.  There are empire dwarves and a few half dwarves too.  free dragonborn too. 

When they arrive they come for the High Spring, First day of Summer and the Festival of Welcoming!  It is a week long festival that all are welcome to.  The locals have stock piles of coloured snow that they throw at everyone.  The snow everywhere is a multitude of bright colours and the PCs will be ambushed by multiple children of all types throwing coloured snow.  The common spaces are all filled with people, but that won’t stop residents from opening their doors to the PCs and letting them bunk with them, at no cost.  They will even say “Nonsense! How could we turn away anyone during the festival of Welcoming?”

The commons is filled with mounds of ash in the morning, in the morning the ash is cleared and wood is stacked in a large pile, stacked ten feet high and in the late afternoon it is set alight to burn through the night.  Meals are free, for the festival week and all are welcome.  Great tents are set up with braziers designed to keep them warm, giants and other large outsiders are invited to celebrate, to talk, to conspire.  Some come to watch. 

Trade is brisk here for many of the races.  The humans here are the best farmers in this valley and have been for decades.  The larger number of druids and spells they cast make them more productive than others.  Some of the races come here to buy the services of the druids.  Some come for excess food stuffs.  Many come for the celebration.  The Goliath, the Ice Dwarves, Rock Gnomes, Wild Elves, Alpine Halflings, Snow Gnomes, and the Giants Stone and Alpine are here for trade.  The Forest Gnomes are here to trade too, they have druids and have learned from the humans.  The Empire Dwarves are also here to trade. 

The Lake Elves are here to watch.  So too the Black Dragonborn, and the Duergar. 

There are people that come here that bare a grudge for others here.  The Stone Giants and the Empire Dwarves are at perpetual war.  The Alpine Giants are neutral in this dispute, but side with the stone giants.  The southern Empire dwarves also are suspect. 

 

There are some people in this town from all over the valley.  Some of whom are here to spy for various factions.  There are Lake elves that are part of the Aboleth’s empire, there are Dark Dwarves here to learn the weaknesses of the Elves.  There is a dragonborn darker than the very night that is hear for its master. 

Gnomes, rock

race	#	race	#	race	#
Forest Gnome	25	Northern Emp Dwarves	25	Goliath	5
Rock Gnome	15	Ice Dwarves	15	Half Orc	20
Human	170	Half Dwarves	5	Snow Gnomes	10
Wild Elves	5	Dark Dwarves	3	Alpine Halfling	50
Mountain Elves	10	Free Kobolds	100	Urban Halfling	1
Lake elves	3	Free Dragonborn	12	Alpine Giant	6
Southern Emp Dwarves	5	Death Dragonborn	1	Stone Giant	15

Total population 500, but about 100 are visitors or spies.

The Professor is a mountain Elf and Geomancer he was said to be the only survivor of the attack on the University he is only 11^th level but he has been traumatized by the event and can no longer use his Mountain elf mold stone ability and can only use cantrips.  Fortunately there are a lot of jobs in the village that cantrips can solve.

Honest Earl is the Urban Halfling, he manages the General Store.  He claims to be from a far distant location where it is always warm and he dresses in colourful silk cloths that include a turban.  His accent marks him as clearly from Stuj, but few these days can identify that.  Everything about him screams dishonesty except he is one of the most charitable people in the village.  He came here from far away fifty years ago in the early Spring.  He set up shop when all the root stores were nearly gone and people were looking at each other with a hungry eye.  His shop is always full even in the darkest parts of Winter.  He will trade for anything furs, wood crafts and IOUs.  None in need are turned away.  He has Ivankor’s portable shop, and monster part bags. 

The free DragonBorn are all whitish blue with hints of green.  There are only 12 of them here and are valued in the winter for their immunity to the cold.  They stick close to the village because it is known that dragons all want to snack on Dragonborn and kobolds. 

The free kobolds colonize the under part of the village.  Their tunnels reach every house and hall, each has a front door and a lower door.  The underways are perfect for travel in Winter, warmer and dry and well lit, thanks to Ivankor the Torcher’s Torches and the cleric of Candelmas. 

Few humans in this town are more respected than the Bright and Fire, the two married clerics of Candelmas.  Both of them are 10^th level and they have a couple under priests and a few acolytes who make sure the community is strong and healthy and well lit.  The Everfire burns atop their temple. 

There is a mix of druids in the area, most are 5^th level or lower, but there are at least three that are 9^th.  They live in the town amongst the people and bless the fields with bounty.  It is a fact that the fields are more productive than any others.  They have to be, because for most of the long year the land is locked in snow and ice.  In the high Summer, the people can get nine full harvests that must last for the twenty-four years of a long year.  There is hope that one of the kobolds, a druid of fungi might extend the supplies with a massive mushroom farm in the lower levels.

There is an inn, but it is also the town hall.  The mayor of the town, the founding family.  There is much mythology about how they came here with and provided succor for the free kobolds as they were being corralled by a dragon.  They founded an alliance together and sought out the people around them.  The stories were about the twenty founders that spent the first long Winter in the great hall and how the stores were extended through judicious use of Goodberry.  The Inn has the facilities to produce large meals, but most of the space in the great hall is filled with people come for the festival. 

The Dark Folk

The Dragonborn Xangerkral Voice of Doom. Agent of the Death Dragon, covered in a dark cloak that conceals, the Dragonborn underneath is white in colour, less like snow and ice and more like bone with dark black stripes.  In combat its breath is that like necromantic, it withers flesh and heals itself.  Its claw attacks deal necromantic damage and heal half.  Anyone killed will rise as a skeleton or zombie the next round.  Any undead it creates will be under its control until it dies.  Its presence is generally unnerving and any creatures that die within 50’ will not heal and will rise as undead.  As a warlock it can cast 3 5^th level spells.  It is here to observe the festival for its liege the Death Dragon of the Dead Forest. 

It wants to know what is happening in the valley and to evaluate threats.  It is aware of the powers of the Valley, like the Duergar, the Lake Dragon and the Darkness of the Depths.  It will share information about each of those enemies to get information about the PCs.  It does not fear any in the Valley and it believes that it is the most powerful being around.  Its goal are to lead the Lake Dragon into its domain and to devour it.  it will want to devour all dragons it can find.  It also knows that any attempt to change the status quo in the valley will be bad news for it. 

Duergar are the occupiers of the Mountain Elf city.  they have teamed up with the spirit of a powerful necromancer.  The Necromancer is not truly dead but stuck in stasis.  The necromancer is a powerful lich but was out of body when the Balancing Stone was disrupted and the Hidden Valley seemingly destroyed along with its lair.  It has helped the Duergar hoping that it aid would restore the stone and free the lair.  But the Duergar have a different agenda.  They have used the Lich to raise powerful undead to guard the city.  they are asking questions though about the lore of controlling magics.  They will not be more specific because they don’t want to give up too much especially to their allies.

The duergar are aware of the true nature of the Lake because they are working with the Kou-Toa; their dark good lives in the Lake.  They are also aware that the Dark God is more powerful than it used to be.  It invades their dreams.  They are looking for heroes that will kill it.  let that sink in, they are seeking someone to kill their ally’s dark god. 

Lake Elves are the innocent pawns of the Lake’s Dark God.  They have been in its presence and have been so thoroughly dominated that they have been allowed out to gather information.  They claim to be citizen’s of the benevolent Nation under the ice, ruled by the Lake Dragon.  The lake dragon does exist, and there are lake elves in its domain, these are not them.  These elves are the eyes, ears and mouth of the Lake’s dark God.  90% of the Lake elves in the lake have been enslaved to this god and its chosen ones.  One of the elves has broken the Dark God’s control and is seeking aid free it’s people, but in the end, it will head back with the others, knowing that it will be a mindless slave again. 

The trio will often talk together at once or switch off, sentences spoken by each of the three in turn without pause.  It is unnerving and few in the town speak to them after the first time.  When they speak to the players, it will start this way but part way, one of them will stop speaking in unison or will stumble on its part of a speech.  Attempts to get this one alone will get a plea for assistance.  Then they may go into shock and fall unconscious.  Afterwards they will be back in unison, and they will say that they need to go back to the lake . . . the we must wet our gills.

 

 

The PCs can meet for food in the local trading post, where there is a large hall and food can be found along with drink.  And they can learn the local lore and talk to the residents and the visitors.  There are nightly bonfires in the commons, the fires leap two stories into the air and provide enough heat to allow people to stay out all night if they wish.  They can learn the history of the area.  The Elf city that was attacked a couple hundred years ago.  The elves wont talk about it much but they are trying to finance an expedition to retake the city.  you learn about the hatred of the Stone Giants and the Northern Empire Dwarves, there have been battles but few remember why, only there are religious reasons.  A strange shadowy creature in a dark cloak they see skulking around the houses at night.  The dark dwarves that stay away from the Mountain elves and vise versa.  The Founding story of the humans that built this town with the help of the locals about sixty years ago.  The Black Forest, the bottomless lake.  The Dwarven outpost, the entrance to the Dwarven Empire (northern) the Mystery of the Missing City of Dwarves, happened 1200 years ago . . .. 

The Dragons.  The lake dragon, the Death Dragon (mystery or legend) the skeletal dragon, the Mist Dragon, the Stone Dragon, the Green Dragon.  The Ice Dragons. 

Secrets: The Lich, the Necromancer.  The Necromancer built its lair at the entrance of the hidden valley.  The lich was tapping into the Balancing stone to draw its energy to fuel magic.  When the stone is restored, the lich will be restored and the valley mouth will be opened.  The Dead Forest at its mouth will be split apart and the tower revealed.  It will expel most of the necromantic energy from the forest.

The Abeloth.  Koa-tao, the Drugar.  The Stone Giant’s won’t talk about the religious meaning behind their war with the dwarves.    

 

The City of the Stone Elves

The Stone elves built a magnificent city here on a mountain top.  The spires circle the mountain, fifty great spires in a spiral pattern.  Each step around the mountain rises 100m, each step includes a tower, a spire made of thinly sculpted stone.  Each spire rises internally with rooms to house a family of stone elves.  The bottom level the level where people are greeted and where commerce is done.  The great height of the bottom chamber where the skill of the head of the family is made evident.  The bottom level where the bragging between houses is accomplished.  It is here that the family spends its social time and where the gardens run.  The room made comfortable with warm water pools.  The upper levels of the spire have plumbing cold an hot water.  The tower rises in as few as 5 levels and as many as ten, but each spire rises 250m.  landing next to it is up stairs that lead 100m up.  in a series of winding ways that have heated floors free of ice to the next platform.  Only 1 in ten of the spires still has warm water and is therefore ice free and is a good place to rest.  Half of the spires just have running water that keeps them free of ice but not comfortable.  And four in ten have no water and are loaded with cold and ice and are dangerous as the undead are more preserved here and will stay here if possible.  The ways between spires are warm a third of the time, cool another third and frozen the other third.  If the area is warm there is an abundance of over grown plants green and vibrant, some wild and deadly varieties.  The cool areas are the safest as the vegetation is dead and ice free, the cold ones are slippery and dangerous.  Together the Mountain Elf city appears invisible from a distance, the outside is camouflaged to appear like an untouched mountain.  The air in the warmer areas is refreshing and spending a night here will erase all exhaustion, the plants make the air thicker. 

The mountain city is tall, the valley is 3500m above sea level.  The entrance to the city is up a bit at 500m above the valley, with a waterfall covering the pathway.  The top spire ends at 9000m above sea level, the spire has no heated pools but is free of ice, there is a deep bore in the middle of the floor and there is a warm air rising from it, warm and smelly.  There are large icicles hanging from the roof, the levels that exist in the other spires do not here, the levels have fallen here in great chunks.  The bore drops into the depths of the mountain and there is a ramp that spirals around the edge.  The bore drops down a long way. 

Not far below the lip there is a ledge that goes from the edge to the near center of the bore that shows a glowing diagram on the walls under the ramp on the opposite side of the bore.  It shows a stick figure falling spread eagle and a few in other poses.  The pose in spread eagle has a time of 15 combat rounds under it and then followed by an arcane symbol for feather fall spell.  The other poses clearly show bad ends.  As does 20 and 26 combat rounds.  The symbols were a millennial old hazing ritual where after studying the runes carefully young students were pushed off the ledge after being asked if they knew the feather fall spell, if they did they would make sure they had not had it prepared.  The last 20’ of the bore was enchanted with the spell to prevent horrible accidents and suicides.  The walk down will take the entire day because it is steep and tiring.  They will descend 8000m.

At the base is the entrance to the fabled Library of Geomancy and the entrance to the University of The Earth.  The air is sickening.  The smell is like rot and decay and something unimaginable and the base is covered with a slick of water that smells worse than the communal bathwater of a village of shepherds after. the first bath of Spring.  The water is coming from four different corridors leading from the chamber beyond.

The stone Elf city was overrun from within.  The top levels are filled with dead and deceased elves and undead looking demons the spawn of Orcus.

The inside is filled with the guards to the lower level Duergar. 

The Library level where the codex lies.  The books are mostly torn from their binding and soaked in water, the print and the pages rotting to sopping mess has been built up into dams that fill the corridors with water between three to six feet deep and the Fish people live here, and they worship the great goddess of the deeps

The lowest level heads deep into the mountains and the other into the deeps as it goes down with many stairs all filled with water.

QIbDaq 'e' QIbHa'choHbe'chugh, lo'laHbe'chugh, jaj QuchchoHbe'chugh. nuqneH vItlhutlh, chenmoHwI'pu' wInej, QIjDaq 'e' QIbHa'qu'chugh, yIcha'ghach vIparHa'.

maSuvta'pu'vaD ngoS DujDu' DujQar, cha'DIch chenmoHwI'pu' Suqqa'ghach. tugh luqaDqu', pagh ghotpu''e', cha'maH vaghpu''e' vItlhutlh ngeHbe'chugh.

tlhIngan Hol vIjatlhlaHbe'chugh, qaStaHvIS potlh ghoSvam'e'. chay' vIparHa', chay'wI' vIghoSbe'chugh, QIbDaq QIbHa' vIghojchoHbe'chugh.

Translation:

In the depths of the ocean's might, It lurks in darkness, waiting to strike. Where it comes from, no one knows, Only its presence strikes fear in foes.

Its body covered in slimy scales, Swimming through the ocean with terrifying wails. It can hear your thoughts, and infect your mind, Leaving you lost, with no hope to find.

In the Darkspeech, I speak of its name, A creature feared, with power to maim. Beware its presence, beware its might, For the Aboleth lurks out of sight.

The Basement

The lower reaches are free of duergar and it is free of Kou-toans.  There are two paths that the tunnel leads one is down and the water trickling from above flows this way.  The path gets lower and lower and then ends at a pool and a cave in.  if they dig the cave-in continues for over a kilometer. 

The other way leads to the Lake.  At first it rises gently and then the rise tappers off and begins to drop and get steeper.  Soon the path stops pretending that it is gradually heading down and starts to use stairs.  At the bottom of the stairs the path ends at a large set if wooden doors.  The doors are swollen with moisture and jammed into the frame.  Once they are opened they reveal stairs heading up and another door, which is sealed as tightly as the other.  There is a flat stretch with another set of doors.  The doors are recessed and tight too.  then there are stairs leading down.  And these stairs end at a pool of water.

The water is lit with phosphorescing algae running along the length of the passage and there are weeds and grass the wave in the water near on the floor.  There are little fish eating the grass and the algae.  The fish scatter when approached but quickly come out of hiding and resume when left alone. 

The way is pretty much the same boring passageway except it is teaming with life.  Grottos open up off the edges of the pathway.  With beds of freshwater pearl oysters and cuttle fish swimming around.  There are some giant octopi and baby kraken here and there.  And there are a dozen grottos filling the place.  There are artifacts and cave writings found in some locations.  There are sculptures to be found under crusted corals.  Some of these are written in an elven dialect, which any who know river common can understand—once they learn to decipher the letters which are all different.  The other type of artifact is of the fish men. 

There are four example grottos, the first and deepest is filled with mostly undisturbed plant and animal communities.  Beds of oysters, with cuttle fish and a giant octopus.  Broken disheveled statues coral encrusted trident, a broken throne.  The next cavern is more overgrown with the bioluminescence in a riot of tall algae, hiding giant crawfish and a small kraken.  The third has sparse vegetation with darker patches of algae.  Inside there are thin giant gar pike that resemble sharks in ferocity, one might notice that this one and that one have collars.  The last one is darker still.  The grass has been trimmed short to the ground, and there are tens of thousands of little foot long fish that look like a cross between fish and tadpole.  Occasionally one of them will attack and swallow a smaller one, or a dozen will gang up on and tear another to bits.  Larger pike patrol the edges keeping the fries in the grotto.

The pathway widens and opens up.  the bioluminescent plants grow further apart and as the path opens into the wider region, they stop entirely.  The water is warm and dark but clear.  There are spires around you tall and climb like trees made of rock.  There are gems on the sides.  Taking any of the gems causes a black water smoke to shoot out the spot where the gem was and the offending had takes 4d10 heat damage from boiling water, ½ if they make a con save.  If they take more than one stone off the small volcano, there is a chance, a cumulative 10% chance per stone beyond one, 10%, 30%, 60%, 100%.  If one of the mounts collapses the area becomes boiling hot and the water will become acidic too.  The attention of all the intelligent creatures will turn their way.   Between the mounts there are farms growing kelp with Lake elves tending those fields.  Further up closer to the heights of the seamounts there are bladder mounted cages filled with kelp used strain the smoke from the water.  The kelp is used to feed fish and the fish is used to feed the masters.  The masters are a civilization of five thousand Kou-Toa and their dark god.

Beyond the line if smokers is a cliff that plunges deeper into the lake.  The rift opens up and it is tens of kilometers long and plunges down a kilometer or more.  There is luminescent rocks and algae in the rift  and all through the length are and tight groups of Kou-toa.  They control the lake elves with brute force and their dark god keeps them pacified too. 

In the center of the rift there is a magical boulder, perfectly round and spinning in place generating light.  The glyphs glow upon its surface  and the water thrums close by. 

If the characters attempt to disturb the rock they are hit with a solid command to stop!  And they are attacked by a wave of kou-toa and a wave of mindless lake elves, and when it starts to become too much three great eyes from below the depth of the rift, below the depth with the spinning rock.

The best way to do this is with a plan.  If they try to do it by the seat of their pants they might succeed, if they form a good plan then they should succeed.  Give them an extended dramatic sequence.  No planning DC 15, good planning DC 10 and everything in between.

The deeper waters weigh more and are magically rich in oxygen thanks to the magic of the spinning rock.  After they climb above the smokers by a 1000m the waters get cold and frigid.  By 2000m the waters are black and very cold, the characters will get attacked by the Aboleth if they did not kill it below.  The boarders of the Aboleth’s empire ends at about 500m below the surface.  Above this depth the water gets lighter and free elves will approach.  When they get above the surface the rock asserts it’s full weight and can be rolled up on to the edge, where it will sit and spin.  Before it is the dead Forest. And a mountain that the rock has to be pulled up and repositioned on.

 

The Rock  cooperation between the dwarves and the giants works the best.  Engineering and strength.  But failing that there are ways to do this with magic and PC imagination.  But it must be brought through the dead forest because it is the most direct path and the easiest way up the mountain is there. 

 

Stalblind

Armor Class 20 (natural armor, shield)
Hit Points 187 (22d10 + 66)
Speed 30 ft.

Saving Throws Str +10, Con +8
Skills Deception +8, Intimidation +8, Stealth +5
Damage Vulnerabilities radiant, thunder
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Blin, Common, Stal
Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)

Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when the stalblind hits with it (included in the attack).

Regeneration. The stalblind regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point.

Sunlight Weakness. While in sunlight, the stalblind has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.

Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the stalblind to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant damage or from a critical hit. On a success, the stalblind drops to 1 hit point instead.

Multiattack. The stalblind makes three melee attacks

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) slashing damage or 21 (3d10 + 5) slashing damage if used with two hands.

Dark Breath (Recharge 5-6). The stalblind exhales darkness in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 45 (13d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Reaction Shield Wall. The stalblind adds 4 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the stalblind must see the attacker and be wielding a shield

Skull Hunter

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 161 (19d8 + 76)
Speed 30 ft.

Saving Throws Dex +9, Wis +8, Cha +8
Skills Perception +8, Stealth +14
Proficiency Bonus +5
Damage Resistances cold, fire; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages the languages it knew in life

Bound Skull. While the skull hunter's skull is separate from its body, it has a speed of 0, AC 17 and 50 hit points. Whenever the skull hunter regains hit points, the skull regains an equal number of hit points. If the skull is lost or destroyed, the skull hunter can bind itself to a new skull through a ritual that requires a humanoid skull that the skull hunter must touch for 24 continuous hours.
The skull hunter always knows the location of its skull and the most direct route to reach it if they are both on the same plane of existence.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.

Fire Ray. Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) fire damage

Hurl Skull. The skull hunter throws its skull at a point within 120 feet of it that it can see, causing one of the following effects:

Dreadful Skull. The skull emits an aura of chilling terror in a 30-foot radius centered on it. Each creature within that area must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 21 (6d6) cold damage and is frightened for 1 minute. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and isn't frightened. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Screaming Skull. The skull emits a piercing cry audible out to 30 feet. Each creature within that area that can hear the skull must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 21 (6d6) psychic damage and is deafened for 1 minute. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and isn't deafened. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Withering Skull. The skull emits an aura of crippling pain in a 30-foot radius centered on it. Each creature within that area must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 21 (6d6) necrotic damage and is paralyzed for 1 minute. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and isn't paralyzed. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success

Teleport Skull. The skull hunter magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see that is within 10 feet of its skull. Alternatively, if its skull is within 120 feet of it and the skull hunter can see it, the skull magically teleports to an unoccupied space within 10 feet of the skull hunter that it can see.

Pale Pegasus

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 133 (14d10 + 56)
Speed 120 ft., fly 180 ft.

Proficiency Bonus +5
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison, radiant
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages the languages of its creator

Confer Death's Resistance. The pale horse can grant resistance to necrotic and radiant damage to anyone riding it.

Master's Bond. The pale horse is bound to a single master. The horse's master can use an action to summon it, causing the pale horse to immediately appear in the closest unoccupied space to its master.

Trample. If the pale horse moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a hooves attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the pale horse can make another attack with its hooves against it as a bonus action.

Multiattack. The pale horse can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes two attacks with its hooves.

Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage plus 13 (3d8) necrotic damage.

Frightful Presence. Each creature of the pale horse's choice that is within 120 feet of the pale horse and aware of it must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the pale horse's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.

 

Dust Lich

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 91 (14d8 + 28)
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

Saving Throws Con +7, Int +10, Wis +6
Skills Arcana +15, History +10, Insight +6, Perception +6
Damage Resistances necrotic
Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages the languages it knew in life

Amorphous. The lich can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the lich fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Spellcasting. The lich is a 14th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). The lich has the following wizard spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost
1st level (4 slots): detect magic, magic missile, shield, thunderwave
2nd level (3 slots): acid arrow, detect thoughts, invisibility, mirror image
3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, counterspell, dispel magic, fireball
4th level (3 slots): blight, dimension door
5th level (2 slots): cloudkill, scrying
6th level (1 slot): disintegrate, globe of invulnerability
7th level (1 slot): finger of death

Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.

The lich can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The lich regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Cantrip. The lich casts a cantrip.
Touch. The lich uses its Touch.
Swirling Dust (Costs 2 Actions). The lich moves up to 60 feet without provoking opportunity attacks. Each creature within 10 feet of the lich as it moves must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of its next turn.

 

Yurei

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 149 (23d8 + 46)
Speed 40 ft.

Saving Throws Con +6, Wis +6
Skills Acrobatics +10, Athletics +8, Insight +10, Intimidation +14, Perception +10, Stealth +14
Proficiency Bonus +4
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages the languages it knew in life

Innate Spellcasting. The yurei's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: blink, spider climb, water walk
3/day each: bestow curse, dream
1/day: mislead

Painful Grasp. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d6 + 6) slashing damage, plus 27 (6d6 + 6) psychic damage.

Slimy Suffocation. The yurei forces a creature she can see within 120 feet of her to make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, foul foreign matter chokes the target's airway and it begins suffocating. The target can use its action to repeat the saving throw, coughing up the matter and ending the effect on a success. Its allies within 30 feet of it that see this horrific display become frightened of the creature until the start of its next turn.

Face of Death. The yurei exposes her face, forcing a creature that can see her within 5 feet of her to make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the target is stunned and must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or drop to 0 hit points. The target can make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw at the start of each of its turns, ending the stunning effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw against the stunning effect is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the yurei's Face of Death for the next 24 hours.

Flicker. The yurei adds 4 to its AC against one weapon attack that would hit it. Long black hair obscures the face of this pale woman. With each motion, her body twitches and jerks.

Restless Nights. A yurei's lair is most often tied to an area or structure where she was brutally murdered, and the yurei tortures living creatures by subjecting them to her pain. When characters in or near a yurei's lair would attempt a long rest, they must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw, or be wracked with disturbing nightmares the entire night. The creature will only regain half its maximum hit points at the conclusion of the long rest. If they fail the saving throw by 5 or more, they instead regain no hit points, and regain no spell slots. If they fail by 10 or more, they do not benefit from the long rest, and gain one level of exhaustion. Creatures that don't sleep, such as elves, can't be affected by this ability.

Martial Glory

Armor Class 17 (half plate)
Hit Points 117 (18d8 + 36)
Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)

aving Throws Str +8, Dex +7, Wis +5
Skills Intimidation +3, Perception +5
Proficiency Bonus +4
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, force, necrotic, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, prone
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages the languages it knew in life

Antimagic Susceptibility. The martial glory is incapacitated while in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by dispel magic, the martial glory must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell save DC or fall unconscious for 1 minute.

Multiattack. The martial glory makes three attacks, only one of which can be with its Cross Slash

Battleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage plus 7 (3d4) force damage.

Axe Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (3d4) force damage.

Uppercut. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (3d4) force damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Cross Slash. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d8 + 4) slashing damage plus 15 (6d4) force damage. The martial glory must have two axes in hand.

Force Wave (Recharge 4-6). The martial glory uses its essence to push back attackers. All creatures within 30 feet of the martial glory make a DC 18 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 17 (5d6) force damage, is hurled 40 feet directly away from the martial glory in a straight line, and is knocked prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, is hurled only 20 feet directly away from the martial glory in a straight line, and isn't knocked prone.

 

Haunted Armour

Armor Class 20 (natural armour, shield)
Hit Points 119 (14d8 + 56)
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

Saving Throws Str +8, Dex +6, Con +8
Skills Athletics +12, Intimidation +8, Perception +5
Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't adamantine
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, paralysed, petrified, poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages the languages it knew in life

False Appearance. While the haunted armour remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal suit of armour.

Magic Resistance. The haunted armour has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Multiattack. The haunted armour makes three melee attacks.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage, or 15 (2d10 + 4) slashing damage if used in two hands.

Shield Bash. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Parry. The haunted armour adds 4 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the haunted armour must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.

Wraithguard

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 125 (10d10 + 70)
Speed 20 ft.

Saving Throws Wis +4, Cha +4
Proficiency Bonus +4
Damage Resistances acid, force, necrotic, psychic
Damage Immunities fire, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Elvish, Sylvan; telepathy to 60 ft.

Immutable Form. The wraithguard is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form

Magic Resistance. The wraithguard has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. The wraithguard's weapon attacks are magical.

Undead Nature. The wraithguard's creature type is both construct and undead.

Multiattack The Wraithguard makes two slam attacks

Slam.Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target Hit: 16 (2d8 + 7) bludgeoning damage.

Wraithcannon (Recharge 5-6). The wraithguard fires an eldritch projectile at a point within 90 feet it can see. The projectile tears open an interplanar rift which occupies a 15-foot radius sphere centered on that point. Each creature which starts its turn within that area must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 33 (6d10) force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. On a failed save, a creature’s movement speed is also halved until the end of its next turn.
The interplanar rift closes at the end of the wraithguard's next turn. Any creature that is still within the rift's area when it closes must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or be teleported to the highest point in the room.

 

 

 

Duergar

One duergar warlord AC20 HP 75, three attacks, call of attack. +7 d10+4

20 duergar stone guard four groups of five, AC18, HP 39, one attack +6 d6+4

10 Duergar Cavalry AC 18, HP 26, two attacks +4 d8+2  10 Steeders AC14 HP30, one attack +5 d8+3 +poison 2d8

40 Duergar 8 groups of 5, AC16, HP26 one attack +4 d8+2

 

Kou-Toans Insane Fishmen

400 Kou-toa regulars AC 13, HP18 one attack +3 d4+1, or spear +3 d6+1 20/60

80 females 6hp, 80 fries 1hp 200 elven slaves

1 Assassin 14^th   AC 18 HP 140 +10 8d6+poison 2d8

8 Assassins 8^th   AC 16 HP 80 +6 5d6+ poison 2d8

Chief Whip Monk 12^th  AC 18 HP120 Move 50, 4 attacks +10 d8+5+dex save DC17 or fall prone

2 Whips Monk 8^th  AC 16 HP 80 Move 45, 4 attacks +8 d6+4+Strength save DC15 or push 15’

20 Monitors Monk 3^rd AC14 HP 30 Move 40, 3 attacks +6 d4+3 no reactions

1 10^th cleric AC18 HP 100 two spells in combat Spirit guardians and Spiritual weapon 5d8 within 15’, +9 2d8+5

2 8^th cleric AC 18 HP 80 Two spells in combat Spiritual guardians, 4d8, Spiritual weapon +7 2d8+4

4 6^th Cleric AC 18 HP 60 Two spells in Combat Spiritual Guardians 3d8, Spiritual weapon +5 d8+3

 

The Codex of the Earth

The Codex is a big book, 4’ tall, 3’ wide and 1’ thick, the cover is made of a 1” slab of granite and the pages are made thin flexible sheets of stone; the entire book weighs a ton.  In the pages are the description of the steps to become a geomancer, to attune the energies of the self with that of the stone and earth of the world around them.  In the pages are all the Earth based spells that have ever been written and several rituals that allow the creation of earthly wonders.  One allows a geomancer to make the stone paper in the book, it is not a spell per se, but a process involving the spell ‘wall of stone.’  There are rituals that summon small earth-like elementals, similar to Xorn  and the like additionally, there are rituals that allow the casting of monumental creations, including those that cast 10^th, 11^th and 12^th level spells.  Attuning to the codex does many things but primarily it allows the attuned to lift it with ease.  The Codex is the life work of many Stone Elf Geomancers and locating the book and gifting it to them will ensure that all the persons descendants will be the friend of the Stone Elves. 

-          Attune can lift the book

-          Skin turns grey over time until it resembled the native stone of the area

-          AC increases by 2

-          Speed drops by 10 feet, 30 becomes 20, 25 becomes 15, but not climbing or walking through earth.

-          Weight doubles, strength increases by 2

-          Earth elementals instantly follow wielder, other elementals dislike; no earth elemental will attack the holder, Persuasion check DC CR to request a service (curiously this also affects druids in elemental form both ways)

 

The Death Forest and the Dragon Doom

The valley collapsing on itself and crushing the Litch’s citadel unleashed a necromantic taint into the local area.  The taint filled the mountain side and the forest that grew upon it.  The forest it grew dark and slowly the taint filled the air.  A dragon lived in that taint and the taint filled it.  it was unique amongst all of history of all dragons that grew in the world, it was tainted.  The taint manifest in the dragon turning its scales pale yellow white.  Its fearsome breath was necromantic and feasted upon the energy of the world, draining it from everything.  Drained energy healed the dragon and filled it with power.  Other dragons it fought fell before its power and it grew, but it could not digest the bones of its kills and these it left and after a time it learned spells that allowed it to animate the bones.   As its power grew it got better and better and cast up the bones of its kills as greater and greater undead.  The dragon stank of age and power but also rotting flesh that drew other dragons closer to this forest.  Few dragons stay in one location for long and few grow large in one place as dragons need to sweep a wider and wider domain clearing more potent dragons before them and evolve and grow in power.  This dragon stayed close to its domain, living in the taint. 

 

Stats	AC: 21	Bite/Claw/Claw/Tail/Wing 4d12+10/3d10+10/3d10+10/3d6+10/4d4+10
S: 30	HP: 546	BW 180’cone 36d6 necrotic damage, ½ dam heals the dragon
D 26	Sor: 20	Cantrip 6, 1st 4, 2nd 3, 3rd 3, 4th 3, 5th 3, 6th 2, 7th 2, 8th 1, 9th 1.
C 10	SAB: +14	Legendary actions: Detect, tail attack, wing buffet (2), Roar disadv 1 attack,
I 24	SDC: 18	Make save. Lair Actions: Blight-upon-the-land(10’square drops 10’),
W 24	Prof: +7	Summon swarm Undead Swarm, Bone spurs (difficult terrain 100’ rad),
Ch 24	CR: 22	Awaken dead, draw on the dead (damage undead and heal 1:1)

 

Raised a small host of Draco-liches, dragon skeletons, swarms of skeleton animals  there is also a small host of awakened necromantic plant life.  Bone Naga, bone golem, dead creature amalgam, undead squirrels  

Skeletal Dragon CR10 S18 D18 C15 I6 W8 Ch5  HP210 AC15 +8 to hit,

bite	claw	claw	tail	Wing rake
2d10+4	2d8+4	2d8+4	1d6 DC14 dex	2d4 one target

Giant Elk Zombie S19 D6 C16 I3 W8 Ch5 HP47 AC9 +6 to hit Speed 50

Swarm of Zombie woodland critters HP 31 AC 8 +2 to hit 2d6 damage, con save DC5+1/2 damage taken or no damage caused

Swarm of skeletal woodland critters HP 38 AC10 +2 to hit 2d6

Swarm of skeletal Pixies speed 50 fly HP28 AC15 +5 to hit 4d4, DC18 Con save or disadvantage 10min, immunities to Slashing, Piercing, charm, petrified, paralyzed, restrained, stunned, prone, frightened, poison.  Resistance to Bludgeoning, magic and advantage on magic saves.  Vulnerabilities iron and thunder

Treant, Vampiric

Family: Treant

Huge plant, chaotic evil

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 212 (17d12 + 102)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
23 (+6)	12 (+1)	22 (+6)	12 (+1)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)

Saving Throws Dexterity +7, Wisdom +9, Charisma +8
Skills Perception +9, Stealth +7
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, cold, lightning, necrotic, piercing; slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages Common, Druidic, Elvish, Sylvan
Challenge 17 (18,000 XP)

Multiattack. The vampiric treant makes two attacks, only one of which may be a Charm attack.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, the target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the vampiric treant regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target completes a long rest.

Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, range 60/180 ft., one target. Hit: 28 (4d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage.

Charm. The vampiric treant targets one humanoid it can see within 30 feet of it. If the target can see the vampiric treant, the target must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or be charmed by the vampiric treant. The charmed target regards the vampiric treant as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn’t under the vampiric treant’s control, it takes the vampiric treant’s requests or actions in the most favorable way it can. Each time the vampiric treant or the vampiric treant’s companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until the vampiric treant is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect.

Animate Trees (1/day). The vampiric treant magically animates one or two trees it can see within 60 feet of it. These trees have the same statistics as a treant, except they have Intelligence and Charisma scores of 1, they can’t speak, and they have only the Slam action option. An animated tree acts as an ally of the vampiric treant. The tree remains animate for 1 day or until it dies; until the vampiric treant dies or is more than 120 feet from the tree; or until the vampiric treant takes a bonus action to turn it back into an inanimate tree. The tree then takes root if possible.

Children of the Vine (1/day). The vampiric treant magically calls 4d6 awakened shrubs. The called creatures arrive in 1d4 rounds, acting as allies of the vampiric treant and obeying its spoken commands. The creatures remain for 1 hour, until the vampiric treant dies, or until the vampiric treant dismisses them as a bonus action.

The vampiric treant can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The vampiric treant regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Move. The vampiric treant moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Slam. The vampiric treant makes one Slam attack.

Rock. The vampiric treant makes one Rock attack.

Entangle. The vampiric casts an entangle spell (spell save DC 17) without the need for material components or concentration.

 

 

The Balancing Rock

The Rock is a sphere 30’ in diameter  on every axis without being smooth.  There are magical runes embossed upon the skin of the rock that glow with an internal light.  When the stone is at rest the runes glow brighter until they shine, when allowed to the stone will spin naturally clockwise.  The rock is perfectly balanced and when it spins it becomes more stable.  Resting in one’s hands the rock will stop spinning and one must force it to do things for you.  It is sentient after a fashion and after it slowly dominates its master it will enforce its desire to make more land.  When it is aligned properly it will open new land at a rate of a foot per year and land that it already opened to full.  This stone would open the Hidden Valley, a land that it had opened over the last three hundred millennium, ten kilometers wide and thirty kilometers long.  The valley is at a stable size until the rock was knocked off its stable perch hundreds of years ago.

This is an artifact like none other.  It requires three attunement slots to control it.  it acts like a Stone of Earth Elemental control and can hold up to four elementals at once.  The first elemental requires a DC0 check, the second requires a DC10 check, the third requires a DC20 check. The fourth elemental requires a DC30 check. 

·         While attuned to the Rock any wizard becomes a Geomancer and if already a Geomancer, their powers double in strength.

·         While attuned, the Rock becomes near weightless for the attuned

·         Every year of attunment the possessor grows an inch.

·         Gain Constitution or Wisdom saves, if the attuned already has both then they gain double Constitution saves.

·         Holding the rock and spinning it clockwise will rip a creature apart on a successful Concentration check DC(Monster CR/level) causes creature’s HDd6 damage. 

·         Holding the rock and spinning it counter-clockwise will compress a creature, on a successful Concentration check DC(MonsterCR/level) heals HDd6, or on a fail HDd6 damage.

·         Tunnel vision any creature that holds the rock longer than their HD in days must succeed in a DC HD/level Charisma save with a -1 for every additional HD/level days of possession. 

·         Non-detection.  If magic detection is cast or someone uses locate object to find it, the spell fails to find this rock. 

 

Geomancer  Level 2 power.  Feel of Earth while standing on the ground the mage gains tremorsense of 10’ + their spell attack modifier.  Their feel through the ground also allows them to understand and speak Terran, the language of Earth Elementals and their Ilk. 

Level 2 power Control of Earth.  The mage begins to exert control on their surroundings, difficult terrain becomes normal proficiency score feet distance of them.  Sand becomes solid under their feet and the mage will get advantage on spells meant to knock the mage over that involve earth or when they are standing on Earth.  Spells of water, air, fire, plants or other effect are not affected.  Additionally, when a Geomancer casts a Earth related spell, they gain absolute control over the shape of the rock.  Wall of Stone for example could contain striations, folds and other patterns that make the conjured stone look natural, or the stone may look completely unnatural, made of rainbow quartz, or it could be made thinner, or have handholds crafted directly into the stone.  Getting the precise changes requires a Masonry + Intelligence check.  Casting wall of stone to make a bridge requires no roll to make a slab.  DC10 to make an arch, DC15 to provide a columns to support the bridge and to have a simple lip on the edge.  DC20 to give the appearance that each stone was quarried and set in place.  DC25 makes the stones have the appearance of native stone, with the quarried stone placed in different directions.  DC30 the columns of the bridge look like giants holding the bridge on their backs, the railing slats on the edge are carved into individual people in different positions.  The latter example might require a little planning to pull it off in one go.

Level 6, Expert Geomancer.  Beginning at 6th level, casting Earth-based spells comes so easily to you that it expends only a fraction of your spellcasting efforts. When you cast a earth-based spell of 2nd level or higher using a spell slot, you regain one expended spell slot. The slot you regain must be of a level lower than the spell you cast and can't be higher than 5th level.

Level 10, Stone-hold the mages feet and or hands are able to sink an inch into rock or stone to give them superior purchase, they can climb walls with advantage, crawl along the ceilings or other similar movement.  Additionally, the Mage can relax on a stone surface and slowly sink into it, 1” per round until they are completely submerged where they can rest for one hour before exiting the rock.  Lastly, if they are using a spell that allows movement through rock or earth the mage may end its turn without taking damage if they make a DC(25-(Int+masonry)) Con save.

Level 14, Body and Mind of Stone, the mage becomes proficient in Constitution Saves, and gains expertise in Masonry, additionally the Stone Skin spell no-longer requires concentration when cast on self. 

 

The Rift

The rift is a mighty chasm that has opened up in the floor of the lake depths.  The dimensions of the chasm are 500’x1500’ and over 7500’ deep (160m x 500m x 3000m).  if it were to close suddenly the force would knock over the seamounts and raise the water of the lake by 1.5 meters or five feet.  Causing a flood of water to go down the river.  Unlike the rest of the lake bottom there is no light here and anyone traversing it would need to bring a light.  There is one light source, the Rock; the rock is spinning lighting up the water, except that the aboleth is clouding up the water.  The effect is that everything is black but the further one goes down the lighter it gets.

If the PCs are reticent to head into the rift the Aboleth will rise to the lip of the Rift holding the spinning Rock above its head where it will do battle then sink down into the depths again. 

When the Aboleth is defeated and it dies, the rock will fall to the base of the rift unless it is caught and attuned to.  It requires three atonement slots.  Once attuned, the Rock becomes weightless for the attuned.  And when it breaches the rift the choice to close the rift will be given, mentally.

 

Gargantuan aberration (greater), any Lawful Evil

Armor Class 18 (natural armor) 60’-80’ size

Hit points 261 (18d20 + 72)
Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
27 (+8)	7 (-2)	18 (+4)	22 (+6)	19 (+4)	20 (+5)

Saving Throws Con +14, Int +11, Wis +9, Cha +10
Skills Arcana +11, Deception +10, History* +16, Insight +9, Nature* +16, Perception* +14
Damage Resistances psychic, normal weapons
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 24
Languages Deep Speech, telepathy 240 ft.
Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)

• Amphibious. The ancient aboleth can breathe air and water.
• Mucous Cloud. While underwater, the ancient aboleth is surrounded by transformative mucus. A creature that touches the ancient aboleth or that hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is diseased and poisoned for 1d4 hours. The diseased creature can breathe only underwater.
• Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the ancient aboleth fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
• Probing Telepathy. If a creature communicates telepathically with the ancient aboleth, the ancient aboleth learns the creature’s greatest desires if the ancient aboleth can see the creature. The target of this effect can make a DC 19 Charisma saving throw to resist, becoming immune to the ancient aboleth’s Probing telepathy for the next 24 hours if successful.

 

• Multiattack. The ancient aboleth makes three tentacle attacks.
• Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or become diseased. The disease has no effect for 1 minute and can be removed by any magic that cures disease. After 1 minute, the diseased creature’s skin becomes translucent and slimy, the creature can’t regain hit points unless it is underwater, and the disease can be removed only by heal or another disease- curing spell of 6th level or higher. When the creature is outside a body of water, it takes 6 (1d12) acid damage every 10 minutes unless moisture is applied to the skin before 10 minutes have passed.
• Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage.
• Greater Enslave (3/Day). The ancient aboleth targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed by the ancient aboleth until the ancient aboleth dies or until it is on a different plane of existence from the target. The charmed target is under the ancient aboleth’s control and can’t take reactions, and the ancient aboleth and the target can communicate telepathically with each other over any distance. Whenever the charmed target takes damage, the target can repeat the saving throw. On a success, the effect ends. If a target is charmed by the ancient aboleth for a week, this effect can only be removed with the use of a greater restoration spell, or similar effect.
• Psychic Twisting (Recharge 5-6). A chosen creature within 60 feet of the ancient aboleth must succeed on a DC 19 Intelligence saving throw or take 63 (14d8) psychic damage and be incapacitated until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage instead and is not incapacitated.

 

The ancient aboleth can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The ancient aboleth regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Detect. The ancient aboleth makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
• Tail Swipe. The ancient aboleth makes one tail attack.
• Psychic Drain (Costs 2 Actions). One creature charmed by the ancient aboleth takes 14 (4d6) psychic damage, and the ancient aboleth regains hit points equal to the damage the creature takes.
• Mind Shock (Costs 3 Actions). One chosen creature within 60 feet of the ancient aboleth must succeed on a DC 19 Intelligence saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn.

 

Aboleths’ domains are usually subterranean lakes, linked to the rest of their kind by long submerged tunnels.

Inside its lair, the aboleth can take a lair action on initiative count 20 (losing all initiative ties).

• Devotee’s Call. The aboleth teleports a devotee (consenting or enslaved target) inside its domain to another location of its choice in its domain. By default, the devotee is a creature of the GM’s choosing with a CR less than or equal to 4.
• Enslavement. A creature within 120 feet of the aboleth must succeed on a  DC 19 Charisma saving throw or fall under the aboleth’s control until the aboleth’s next lair action. Any creature that succeeds on the saving throw or for whom the effect ends becomes immune to the aboleth’s Enslavement for the next 24 hours.
• Read Intentions. Until its next lair action, the aboleth benefits from a +2 to AC and a capped bonus of +2 to its saving throws (see Grimoire, Living magic: Capped Bonus).

 

The presence of an adult or ancient aboleth is felt in nearby caverns, in a 2-mile radius. The air becomes particularly humid and brackish, with a waft of something viscous. Intruders constantly feel an unpleasant and oppressive sensation, as if they were being watched by a cruel and malevolent being.

• Inane Prophecies. The adult or ancient aboleth can make mysterious writings appear at will on the walls of its domain. Guests of the domain can understand the texts, but if any other creature tries to read them, they’ll require a DC 16 (for an adult aboleth) or DC 19 (for an ancient aboleth) Wisdom saving throw, receiving long-term madness on a failure.
• Master of Their Domain. The aboleth can cast the control weather, dream, mirage arcane, and stone shape spells once per day each. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 16 for an adult aboleth, DC 19 for an ancient aboleth).
• The Drink of Slaves. The first time a creature drinks water within an aboleth’s domain, it seems undrinkable and can induce vomiting. However, some prisoners persist, pushed by thirst and despair. As they continue drinking this water, their body grows accustomed at the same time as their mind is enslaved by the abyssal master. The following table provides an overview of the body’s acceptance and the mind’s degradation. The following saving throws are made once per day, when the first drink of water is taken each day.

Drinking Attempts	Vomiting Constitution Saving Throw	Servitude Wisdom Saving Throw
1st	DD 21	DD 5
2nd	DD 18	DD 10
3rd	DD 15	DD 15
4th	DD 12	DD 20
5th	DD 9	DD 25
6th	DD 6	DD 30
7th	The water is delicious!	Automatic failure

An aboleth’s disciples can carry this water. If the container is ritually prepared, it will keep its properties until the aboleth’s death; if not prepared, the effects subside after 3d10 days or the aboleth’s death.

The Shallows

Under the ice there are two kingdoms, the home of the water dragon and the Lake elves.  The lake elves number close to two thousand elves.  They speak River Speak which is closely related to River Elvish,  they claim that they came here several generations ago and stayed here.  they are familiar with many legends about the area.  They knew about the balancing rock but know the disappearance as the day the bigger river disappeared.  They claim that a whole river disappeared and with it several families including the king of the elves.  When the king of the Elves disappeared, they began to go into decline.  The king was rallying support to conquer the depths of the lake.  They claim that lake has more than one name, the lake of three kingdoms, and the lake of unknown depths.  The Elves used to call it the lake of three Rivers.  The kingdom is now known as the Kingdom of light, because it is the region that has the most light.  The building rest on a narrow strip of underwater land about 100m from the shore to 150m of the shore, any closer and they are too accessible to the surface dwellers but any further and the land is too dark to live in.  the water is cold all the time but in the summer the Elves spend more time close to the surface.  They trade with the Humans and the other races nearby but in the fall to the late Spring they are cut off. the Elves know that the Middle Kingdom is controlled the lake Saugin and the Kuo-toans.  They don not know who controls the lower kingdom but rumours say that it is controlled by a dark god.  And there are water ghosts that look like elves, but the elves of many generations ago.  The elves know about the lake dragon and they pay tribute to it and they are allied with it.  The dragon says that it has met the dark god and it is afraid. 

 

The Dragon is CR14.  +10 to hit 20 in all stats +5, AC 18, HP 414 Bite/claw/claw/tail/wings  3d12/2d10/2d10/2d6/2d4, breath weapon 22d6 ½ thunder, ½ lightning cloud, Con save DC18, spells Sorcerer13, water radiant electricity.  3 lair actions, one legendary action.  Some healing, but more druid like.  Huge in size.  It is blue in colour but the tips are silvery.  It is a Cobalt Dragon.

The lair of the dragon floats in the middle of the lake about 200m to 50m down.  It is made of glassy ice that is persistent at any temperature.  It is populated with a dozen dragon born and many kobolds, all breathe water and are dark blue with white highlights.  The dragon is actually a Cobalt dragon, meaning it is mostly good.  It is wary of the forest even though the smell of the forest is intoxicating and draws it to the forest.  Which is why the dragon will not approach that edge ever.  The dragon will not drop below a certain depth either because it has sensed a very strong evil in the depths and it is afraid.  It will tell anyone that acts contrite or helpful that the middle kingdom is a watery section deep in darkness.  And warns any that goes there that the water is quite clear, but there are three things they need to know.  Light will be seen out to x10 distance.  Dim light will be out to 2x distance, but the light source can be seen for 5x that.  There are some light sources on the way down but there are many creatures that hunt by watching the creatures in those places.  And there are some creatures that are completely at home in total darkness. 

 

The Middle Kingdom.

Saugin and Kou-toas live here at the edges, they come out only in force in the open water.  There are things like squid and octopi in the water column and there are angler fish too.  There are angle mimics, which float outside the light of the angler fish to attack the creature that attack the angler fish appendage.  There are barracudas that cast dancing lights out in the water to draw creatures out.  The middle kingdom is very big, it stretches from 300m down to 3000m down and creatures live everywhere.  Some of the creatures use electricity to fight but mostly poison and acid. 

The things in the depths pay lip service to the thing in the Lower Kingdom.  Any emissary will be allowed to pass through the middle kingdom.  But they will only be give a couple hours to pass through.  And the saugin will venture out in those times.  The walls of the Saugin castles are well lit deep inside.  And have less light towards the openings

 

The Stone Giant steadying. 

On the far side of the valley from the humans there is a larger river that enters the lake.  The river flows down from the mountains in three tributary each has a large cascading waterfall.  Close together atop the plateau sits fortress that encompasses the plateau.  The fortress walls rise only fifteen feet tall and so from afar it is hidden, especially now that it is covered with ice and snow.  The stone work here is ancient, at least ten thousand years old, the structures seamless and seem to be made form the parent stone.  It would be easier to conceive that the structure was carved from the rock. 

The entrance is at ground level and there are two guards, armed with tetsubo, at the entrance of the fort and four at the entrance to the valley.  Before the valley the land is pristine.  Behind the guard post there is a packed trail where the Giants have moved up and down the path to the fort.  Other paths join the main path way, some of them include foot prints of giant goats and regular sized goats.  These pathways lead out to mountains valleys around.  Frost Giants attack!   Four average lead by a 5^th level champion.  The battle will go until one Frost giant is killed then the group will attempt to retreat.  They are smart and it there are any elementals they will target the mages with missile weapons and spread out scatter in different directions and maintain minimum range with the mage.  If they see the artifact, they will start the melee with a minor avalanche and attempt to divide and kill. 

When the journey continues the party will arrive at an ancient roadway that leads into the mountain.  They will see the guards at this entrance have a mantle made of flexible stone, a wrap.  If asked they will say only the honour guard gets this ancient mantle.  They dismiss the stone giant guard, unless he is injured, and an honour guard member will escort the group inside.  There are many stairs and slopes that lead to a great cavern that is filled with light, reflected off many crystals high up.  There are many stone homes at the base of the cavern, some of them appear stacked on top of each other like stone adobe houses.  Moss, lichen and grass grow along the floor and there are even some small shrubs.  The air is warm, and the ground is spongy.  There are many flocks of sheep and goats, giant and otherwise with many young.  They explain that the young are born here and when they are weened they join the flocks outside in the Spring.   They are brought up past a large and very long flight of stairs in a basket like elevator to the mid reaches of the cavern, several hundred feet up.  The King of the Stone giants meets you here.

The king wears no crown, he wears the mantle that the Honour guard wears and a matching kilt.  The room you are brought into has a glorious window of ice, a frozen waterfall.  The party was brought here to show them the valley and show them where he needed them to go.  To do this he will hit the window causing the structure to tumble into the lake below, and allow the wind to whip in.  but he can point out the Elven City where the artifact was in last.  He says he respects the elves a lot and does not want to damage the city, it is elf sized and not giant sized.  He would like to reclaim an artifact that he claims was on loan to them, but with the fall of the University they have no use for. 

Except, there is another trouble that has cropped up in the past few days.  He is sure that he and his people can solve this issue, but at great cost.  Normally they would have to, and would, but now that they are here, there is great opportunity that cannot be ignored.  We have been beset with an invasion over the last week.  It started with Spring.  Frost giants from a distant peak  have crossed many mountain pass to lay siege on our lands.  We have spent many generations with a strong reputation which has been weakened over the last several centuries.  That is part of the reason why we would like you to retrieve the Codex of Earth from the city.  With it we can revive the powers that our ancestors developed and the recovery of Earth’s Heart, is a great first step and we wish to build upon that success, however, we know that the recovery of the Codex will not mean instant strength.  So, I must plead with you to assist us repelling the invaders and then to recover the Codex.  We will repay your services with the friendship of the giants to all your children for twenty generations, which you have already earned by recovering Earth’s Heart.   We can give you a few trinkets that we have acquired but have no use for.

 

The Raiders. 

White Cave bears, Small white dragons, Frost Giants, Champions, Shamans, Rhemoraz, Cloud Giants.

Frost giant raid

4 frost giants, one Champion, one shaman, and a white dragon in a box.  The way will be blocked by a recent avalanche, broken trees and ice, large boulders.  When they approach it a ice shelf breaks off a mountain beside them and the avalanche fills the way behind and makes the PCs make a check or two.  The giants break open the box and release the dragon and sic it on them.  Then they engage in melee.  The shaman can cast a entangle spell but with snow and ice, a sleet storm and melf’s minute snowballs.  The quickness they deal with threats determines what the shaman and the giants do.  They will flee if the PCs kill one of them and they will protect the Shaman. 

Refugees teenage stone giants with small children and babies leading a dozen head of cattle.  There are ten Giants and they will be fearful, some of the teens show wounds.  They say that the other giants attacked early or late yesterday and they were sent away.  They say they got their wounds from approaching a small village, it had been attacked earlier apparently, we were attacked when we got close.  We got away by sending the majority of our herd toward them. 

Mountain village.  Fifty heads of mountain goat and a dozen giant mountain goat lie slaughtered in the pass before the tall buildings on the slope.  A boulder is thrown from the village and narrowly misses a character (unless it is a 20) followed by laughter.  There are ten Giants here lazing about.  They will visibly wager about who hit one of the characters or not.  They will be able to see them exchange small pouches.  Four will only throw until the PCs get within short range, then the giants will attack on masse and the leader will loose his pet Rhemoraz. There are four 5^th level Champion, five surviving regular giants and a 11^th level champion, king of the frost giants.  If the shaman escaped it will be here.  deep inside the group of houses is a pleasure house with three female stone giants, tortured to 1 hp. 

The Mountain in a cloud with a castle.  The castle appears to sit on the edge of the mountain with clouds all around.  There is a village within the cloud and there are five groups of two giants sleeping in non-demolished houses.  The castle rests on the ‘snow’ but is actually the cloud the castle is not of Stone or Frost Giant type.  On the outside there are three Stone Giants chained to the wall, two of them is dead but they all appear dead.  They are wearing the mantle of the honour guard.  One perks up when the PCs come by.  ‘Beware’, he croaks and passes out.  The leaders are three Cloud Giants.  If the PCs defeat the Cloud Giants first the surviving Frost giants will attack the PCs.  The cloud Giants have some magic.  The prince of the stone giants is attached to the wall with manacles of Immobility.  the others are nailed to the wall.  The lead Cloud Giant is a level 5 champion with boots of speed and a horn of Blasting.  His second has a cape of the Mountebank  each of the Cloud giants is equipped with weapons with a +1 or +2 ring.  The Giants in the village have +1 rings supplied by the Cloud Giant.   Additionally Leader has a Disruption Ring of power on his weapon.  There is a 500lbs of raw jade taken out of the stone in the village, it needs to be carved to get extra value.  There are 5 colours and 100 pounds of each.  Green 100gp/#, Blue 150gp/#, white 200gp/#, red 200gp/# and yellow 250gp/#  carved it could be worth x10-x100  the giants have 23000sp, 35000cp, 3000gp, 550pp. 

 

The Last Palace

The very top of the sacked and nearly abandoned Stone Elf city is a tall edifice that resembles the other castles that you have past over the last couple of days with a few exceptions; this tower is more complete than the others, there are no windows poking through the walls and the entrance is shut and barred.  There appears to be only one entrance. 

As you approach you see the outside of the palace has been camouflaged so that from a distance the mountain is just another snow covered peak.  Closes up, you can see that there are holes and handholds that would collect snow and ice in the winters and much of that up here would not melt ever. 

The door is blocked by snow an ice on the other side of the door piled five feet high at the bottom of a short flight of stairs.  Inside the castle at the doors the inside feels just below freezing.  After climbing the stairs, the room is above freezing.  The floor is scattered with large piles of furniture, all of it made from stone.  There are a lot of chairs and tables, but there are also quite a lot of mobile chalkboards.  There are signs that there once was some wood, the walls of the entire hall are covered with smeared ash and some sort of lard.  There are a few spots that the smear of ash has been rubbed away revealing glass underneath those look upon approaches to the outside of the Palace. 

There is a single staircase that spirals around the edge of the gigantic open room with a diameter of at least 200 feet.  The spiral is 20’ wide and rises up 10’ every 40’, the long spiral makes two and a half circuits before disappearing into the level above, 200’ above the floor and even then, that level has a circular balcony at least 100’ in diameter through which you can see another balcony above that.  All told the roof of this room is over 300’ tall at its pinnacle.  From the outside the palace looked to be 1000’ tall. 

There is a sloping walkway that descends into the floor beside the central pit.  There is a small plaque set into the floor beside the lip presumably warning about the lip being a dangerous position.  There is graffiti permanently scrawled on the side of the pit with writing in elvish.  There is a steady blast of warm humid air rising out of the depths that smells vaguely of rot.  There is another breeze that heads down the spiral one that is cool and fresh.

There is an army of duergar dwarves here.  They have had plenty of warning to set up the trap as they have been watching at the clean spots along the walls.  They believe that the Heroes have been hired by the Stone elves to clear them out, they have been trying for years to get some heroes to do the job.  And some of their number went to the human village earlier this Spring.  The earthquakes and the wave in the lake have made them believe the Characters are very dangerous.  They have had some warning from the Kou-toas below.  There are five on each landing in the spiral, they will fire crossbow bolts at flying creatures and flying characters, as they can directly attack the Dwarves.  Every half spiral in height that the Duergar has adds +2 damage when they hit because of the added velocity of the bolts.  There is an additional 20 on the next balcony as well.  There are 100 Duergar on the floor in 20 groups of five that will start out as invisible and the duergar will not shoot at characters on the ground because they might hit other duergar.  The waves of duergar will come in waves 3 groups of 5 that will drop invisibility and enlarge at the same time until they are all dead.  Each Duergar can only take one hit before it drops as they are all minions.  Only the first 200 are minions, the rest will require some real fighting.  While they have minion hit points, they do normal damage.  If someone thinks to negotiate they will be disbelieving and counter with their feats previously done.  They will say things like you are working for the Stone Elves.  And You slaughtered the creatures here, or there.  They are remarkably well informed about some of their recent feats.  If there is an elf in the party, they are even less likely to listen.  If they agree to leave if they are given the Codex of Earth, they will see if they can get this codex for them.  And they will give it to them too.  Convincing them will require a Performance role that exceeds a DC15 three times.  Once to call for a parley, second to prove they don’t want to fight, and lastly that they will leave after they get them the Codex.  If they fail any of these they can attempt one last time but need to beat a DC20. 

The last 50 in the upper levels will be full hp and the last 15 are leaders including 10 5^th level fighters and 5 fifth level clerics. The last level is a library with the codex included in the whole.