Flood Mitigation and Climate Change

 

Mitigation of flood events is a long-term problem and solution.  the immediate problem is that cities are areas where people live and work and the transportation systems that move them from these location to the other.  When you add entertainment to the mix it gets more complicated.  We prefer personal transportation vehicles to public ones, and this means that the roadways and the parking spaces for these vehicles  are large flat spaces where water cannot penetrate and so must flow overland.  These flat areas are sloped to cause the water to move to drainage areas.  This is fine for low volume rain events when it rains only a couple of millimetres per hour but when the rain comes in faster it overwhelms these systems. 

Metric is perfect for these calculations.  A hectare is 100m x 100m and that is a large space, but about the size of a parking lot.  A hectare has exactly 10 000 square meters in it.  when it rains on that hectare it is easy to calculate how much water has fallen on it as there is 1000mm in a meter, every millimeter of rain fall equals 10 cubic meters of water.  So, when it rains 10mm in an hour that means there is 100 cubic meters of water that has to be moved off it every hour.  When 100mm of rain falls that is 1000 cubic meters of water that has to be moved in an hour.  If the drainage system can only more 600 cubic meters an hour, that means that 400 cubic meters has to be moved to adjacent hectares or else sit in place, and water like to move.

A mall will have many hectares of parking lot, roads have more drainage places but are also prone to the drains are in a line and can be overwhelmed from all the water pouring through them.  Homes also count as impermeable space, the water flows from them into the street or on to grass but many homes are surrounded by impermeable asphalt and concrete.  There are green spaces around some homes.  People like their lawns. Sometimes there is a large tree there too, maybe some shrubs.  But cities are mostly impermeable.

There are many types of ground.  And people think of ground as being porous for water and it can be.  Rock is the worst, and it promotes a lot of over land flow because the water does not penetrate it.  Gravel allows good water penetration as it has lots of space between the gravel.  Sand is just as good.  Clay is the more like rock when dry and when wet slows water penetration.  Bare ground is good until the air holes are filled with water and only if the air holes can fill with water.  Better than bare ground is plants.  Plants have roots that penetrate ground and established wild plants have added organic mater to the ground and soil. 

Grass is the worst, modern lawns the worst of the worst.  Lawns have shallow root penetration a couple of centimeters at best and that is as far as the overland water can penetrate easily, if lawn cuttings are left on the lawn they will create Organic matter in a few months and that will hold water like a sponge.  Better than grass are shrubs, the roots of shrubs will try to penetrate deep into the soil, about a meter into the soil.  This means that water flowing overland into some shrubs will soak into the ground about a meter and until this level fills up the overland water will penetrate the ground faster.  Trees are the next best.  Tree roots will often penetrate the ground more deeply.  As the tree grows taller the roots grow deeper to support the tree above ground and to find deeper sources of water.  The overland water encounters a tree and follows the roots deep into the ground and to disperse at those lower levels in the deeper soils.  Trees drop a lot of leaves in the city these leaves are taken away and disposed of, but in nature they form an organic matter shield that slows overland flow to allow it to penetrate the ground through the roots and acts like a sponge to fill with water.  The absolute best is a natural park.  The mix of shrub and trees with a blanket of multi-year leaf drift holds the overland flow back and helps it penetrate the ground for groundwater storage.  The organic matter in the soil (at all levels) acts as a sponge holding the water in place.

Healthy natural greenspaces inside urban environments and green spaces outside cities also help, the green belts ensure less overland flow from regions outside area of the city from reaching the city.  Back to the math.  A square kilometer is about the size of a neighbourhood, there are a hundred hectares in a square kilometer.  A big city is about 10km x 10 km and so has 100 square kilometers or about 10 000 hectares.  If it rains 10mm on the city, the city has to deal with 100 cubic meters of water per hectare, or about 1 000 000 cubic meters of water.  If the water can penetrate the ground into the soil then the city does not need to do anything.  If it rains on the city 100mm of rain and the city can only take care of half of the rainwater, then the rest will flow overland.  Half of that is 5 million cubic meters.  If the city can increase the ground penetration or delay the overland flow of the water less water will cause problems for the city.  More trees, more natural green spaces, more organic matter in the ground, on the ground, less lawns more complex front yards.

An Ounce of Prevention

We hear that global warming is the cause of the flooding.  How? There is a relationship with the temperature of the air and the amount of water it can hold.  The relationship is exponentially related.  Cold air holds less water and warm air holds more.  As soon as the air becomes warm it will start to hold more water until the temperature hits a point where all the air can be water vapour.  That is a long way off and there will be other problems if the air gets that warm.  But the amount of water that the air will hold when it is one degree warmer in the summer is a lot more and rain events that drop 30 mm in an hour will become events that drop 50mm in an hour and infrastructure that is designed to carry away water in 100-year events will experience those event more often and events that are expected every thousand years or never, every few years instead. 

What is a 100-year event?  if we are expecting to get 100mm of rain in the month of July, and every 10 years we expect to get 150mm of rain or only 50mm of rain every once every 10 years, based on statistics.  We might expect that a drought in July where we get no rain might happen every 50 years and every 50 years we get 175mm of rain, both occurrences would be 50-year events.  A hundred-year event would change according to the regional statistics, but it might only a bit more than the 50-year event, so say 180mm of rain.  If the air were warmer, its carrying capacity would increase a lot.  If the carrying capacity rose 5% for every local temperature rise, and the temperature was 5 degrees warmer than usual, the amount of rain that would fall would be 20%-25% higher than average and 150mm would increase by 30mm-37.5mm  and make 100-year events happen every 10 years. 

Carrying capacity works two ways though, it also works to dry out the land faster too.  This means that when the air warms the amount of water it can hold increases, so while 20 degree wind over a northern forest can hold 20g of water per cubic meter of air, 30 degree wind will hold 30g of water meaning that the air will dry out the land 50% more than cooler wind, dry forests are forests that burn more.  Global warming and Climate Change go hand in hand.  Additionally, CO2 is considered a weak greenhouse gas and water vapour a stronger one.  The burning forests up the in the air and the warmer air adds more water vapour to the atmosphere so the world will get warmer faster. 

What can we do?  Reduce carbon emissions.  Stop adding to the problem.  Increase carbon capture, this will take carbon out of the air, and it will reduce the temperature around the globe a little bit, but the lowering of the temperature will decrease the carrying capacity of the air and reduce the water vapour in the air and further reduce the temperature of the planet. 

Short term mitigation, more natural green spaces inside cities to decrease overland flow and to reduce the flash part of a flood, slow the overland water down.  Increase diversification of urban residential greenspaces (lawns) more permeable hard spaces.  More plants around parking spaces has other positive benefits like calming effects and cooler cities.  Permeable parking lots with more green spaces would divert water to ground water and not to storm water.  Public Transit would decrease parking needs allowing for greater greenspaces and less overland water in addition to less greenhouse gasses.  Less lawns means less motorized yard maintenance with is less greenhouse gasses used, better water retention and cooler houses.  Less grassy lawns would also increase water penetration and lessen overland flow allowing more penetration of the ground and flooding in the homes. 

Some household suffer from more flooding than other locations.  They sit closer to floodplains, or they sit in places where rivers and streams historically existed before people developed them into houses.  Those natural water corridors should be revived to help channel water away from houses and along natural pathways.  Reviving a stream will keep the water out of the storm drain system and direct it slowly to more natural pathways.  Natural streams have denser vegetation that helps slow and recharge water tables. 

Remove humanity ?

 

I was asking myself how long it would take the earth to recover if humanity all went away right this moment and never came back. 

Global Climate change would continue, except there would by no new burning of fossil fuels so there is that, but the positive feedback loops of climate are now self sustaining, and the global average temperature would continue to rise.  The glaciers would continue to decline, wetlands would dry out, permafrost would thaw out and methane would continue to grow.  The sea levels would rise, and the winter snow cover would continue to decrease.  Deforestation would stop in the tropics, but it would increase in the temperate zones as wildfires would continue.  The oceans would continue to warm, but the acidification rate would stabilize. 

In the first 500 years, the world would warm to two to two and a half degrees above preindustrial levels.  And then the world would stabilize, but the stability would be a different world than when know of today, lots of powerful storms, sea levels would max out, there would be no icecaps and the number of glaciers would be greatly reduced.  Cities would have disappeared at first look.  All the skyscrapers and anything built with modern concrete will have collapsed into rocky chunks the cities that were built up before the modern times would be more intact, but they still bi rendered invisible by the hundreds of changes in the world.  London, Paris and all the cities located on the ocean or 10m elevation, would be underwater, Florida, Poland and Ukraine and significant portions of Russia would be underwater.  Forests would start to grow everywhere where they could.  Flooding land increases Methane production as things underwater rot and decay. 

Animals were devastated by humanity.  Animals would continue to go extinct after we left.  The effects of climate change on the world would continue and get worse and many animals would suffer and go extinct.  Not all though and many more would rebound.  Deer would explode in population and deer would alter the environment as any animal left unchecked, dogs would have a very short control on the population until only the unneutered animals would form the bases of the population along with the coyote populations, after 500 years the wolf population would have grown and animal populations would have reached a balance, but only megafauna on the planet would be elephants and giraffes would cows replace the buffaloes in America?  Would cows be the heard animals of Eurasia? 

 

How long would it be for the Earth to reach the point where humanity had no footprint on it.  Never.  Besides the pyramids in Egypt not much else would remain to be seen easily.  Roman structures would last too.  the Carbon cycle is millions of years long, for the carbon cycle to recapture all the excess carbon dioxide and return it to the earth would take millions of years.  The oceans would eventually return to a pH of 9, but that might not happen for tens of millions of years.  By then the solar output would have increased and the planet would be warmer.  Formation of ice caps might begin, again but the glaciers would never come back like the ones in the Antarctic and Greenland, as those are the last of the last Ice age and the earth will never be cold enough for that to happen again. 

The one thing that is clear is that humanity created this problem and humanity will have to deal with the consequences of this problem that it created for centuries to come, but if we wanted to reverse the changes that we have done to the planet it would be next to impossible, but we would also be the only chance the planet has.  Why do I say that, because the Carbon Cycle works over millions of years, but if we decided to, we could accomplish the same result with technology in hundreds of years.  We could build artificial coral reefs that remove carbon from the air and the oceans, we would have to just remove the carbon out of the air and stop the deforestation and the other dreadful things we are doing.  If we did that, we would slow the changes happening to the world, but we would not stop them, because it is too late to stop it from happening.  But by slowing the rate of change we could over 500 years return the planet to close to what it was.  How?

We could remove some of humanity from the surface.  Orbital worlds or moon bases.  Some of them would have to be orbital bases, because if we were able to reduce the incoming solar radiation to the earth, we could make an artificial ice age that would lower the sea levels, create massive glaciers, and restore planet to preindustrial status, but that would take a lot of time. 

We could desalinate the substantial amounts of water from the oceans and build forests to cover the world’s deserts.  If all the major hot deserts were forested that would suck a lot of the carbon that we have put into the air and oceans, but it would also add a lot of water to the water cycle, maybe enough to change that weather patterns to make them self sustaining—they could never be self sustaining.  The they would always have to be irrigated because convection nature of the earth’s wind patterns.  At best they would be self sustaining as grasslands but not as rainforests.  But the growth of new great forests would remove a lot of the free carbon that we added to the environment since the industrial times, but not all of it.  To do that we would have to develop the soils of the new forests and to have many generations of forests to increase the soil carbon levels. 

Remove humanity and the Earth will recover.  Humans might do a lot of the work in less time if they are inclined to, but the question that is unasked is does it matter?  If Earth is the habitat for humanity and all the other animals, then yes, it is important.  If earth is the just the place where humans live and manipulate the world around them, then no, it is not as important.  If we like to live in a world that is best suited for us and only us then we might want to heal the Earth, because where it sits now, it is becoming more dangerous for us—the heat extremes are increasing, the productivity of crops is decreasing, the ferocity of storms is increasing and these reasons suggest that healing to world would be a good idea.

It is important to realize that if we begin today, things will get worse before they get better.  If we began forty years ago, we might have averted most of the negative side-effects we are feeling today.  We did not, so we need to double down now, to get through the negative side-effects and stop them from getting a lot worse, but understanding that they will get worse, because we did not act when humanity should have.

The hidden valley

 

The artifact rock finally in place, united with its stand, begins to spin again.  The glyphs covering the entire surface begin to glow as the rock’s spinning increases.  The glyphs meld together as the spinning rock’s spinning increases more and more.  The rock begins to glow even brighter.  The ground groans and the world trembles as the air grows hot from the spinning rock.  A thunderously loud crack resounds through the air, echoing of the opposite side of the valley and avalanches simultaneously fall from every mountain slope you can see.  The shaking becomes so intense that some of you lose footing and fall to the ground.  Trees shake loose their gathered snows and some of these topple in the massive earthquake that fills the valley.  The winds pick up as if the earthquake is summoning them, blowing as strongly as the strongest wind; much greater than the winds that blow in the mountains.  The rock spins through all this and wavers not.  The point it stands upon erodes not a bit and the rock itself stays firm and does not shatter.   The glyphs dim as the spinning slows and the earthquake stops.  The wind calms and the trees cease trembling.  A silence falls upon the valley.  Then you hear it, the mighty roar of a distant dragon.  Dusting yourself off you look on the valley and see a great change.  The dead forest has been split in two and there is a river flowing through the gap.  There is a tower that stands in the middle, near the river.  There is a valley that looks to be filled with full summer a few months more advanced than the valley where you are.  The wide valley appears to contain a bounty with roving herds of reindeer and mountain sheep.  There appears to be a dwarven citadel and many forests.  There are some quite high mountains too and one is tall and very distinct with the split in the mountain side, a crack that splits the peak thousands of meters above the valley.  The mountain looks just like the one on the map.  The map says that you must climb this mountain and position the Chasamfiend heartstone in that cleft and shine sunlight through it to get the location of Relic’s last treasure.  Your quest is nearing its end.

The Dragons.  There are four dragons.  The Death Dragon if it has not been dealt with has recently been tossed from its home and it is pissed.  There is a Red dragon who knocked the Balancing stone from its perch accidentally trapping itself in stasis in its attempt to kill the Green dragon.  The Green dragon who controls the forests in this valley and has battling the red dragon for decades before the valley was lost.  The Storm dragon who is bigger and more powerful than the red and the green, but who is more concerned with the storms on the mountains.  And this last dragon resides on the split mountain. 

The Tower in the mouth of the valley, more recently, a few decades before the valley was lost a mage set up in this tower a powerful necromancer it was his consciousness that infected the forests and created the Death Dragon

The dwarven citadel, which is just the tip of the dwarven city below.  They are at war with an invasion of an alliance of hobgoblins, and giants and critters from deeper within the mountain range.  There are a component of gnolls and demons, and underdark horrors.  That were in league with the red dragon.  The red dragon has made its lair in the mountain across from the Storm dragon.  The sides of the mountain are filled with caves that pepper the edges of the mountain, there is a cave dragon and mindflayers and a regular sized aboleth. 

The dwarves are trying to organize a resistance with the Lake Elves, the stone giants, the various halfling types and gnome types as well as the various dwarf types, and elf types.  The Green dragon was allied with them as much as it was against the destruction of the forests that the other forces threatened to do and not because it liked the dwarves.  

The dark forces lead by the Red dragon thought that knocking off the balancing stone was key to darkening the power of the good beings and did not know that it would darken both sides equally.  Both sides were set back for centuries.  The best of the Mountain Elves, the Lake Elves, the Stone Giants and the rest was here preparing for the war when they entered stasis, the Druegar were mostly lost along with the cream of the Kou-toa, the Mind flayers, and the rest.  The attacks that were nearing full readiness when the valley was locked off. 

Enter the wild cards, the PCs and the Death dragon.  The Death Dragon is a far better fit for the alliance of evil than the red dragon was.  The death dragon is bigger and more powerful.  But its base has been sundered and the Necromancer has been restored as a failed lich and its tower is made now of a dracolich encased with stones that is semi sentient and malicious. 

The PCs may or may not want to enter the battle.  If they do, they will have many sorties launched against many of the caves in the area and fights against the aboleth, the mind flayers, and the armies arrayed against the dwarves and their allies.  There are a couple dragons, the red dragon and the cave dragon.  There are Gnolls, goblins and many others arrayed against them.  Demons too.  There are also a few neutral monsters located nearby, rhemoraz, beholders, purple worms.  There are deep gnomes and flumph too.  Gith too.

If the PCs attempt to ignore the things around them and just complete the quest, they will still encounter these things.  Many of them are aware of the legends of treasure buried in this region by the Famed adventurer Relic, stories that he slew a Dragon and took the hoard and buried half of it somewhere near to here.  These rumors are a thousand years closer to these people. 

The PCs need to climb the tallest peak hereabouts place the gem in the right spot and summon a ray of sunlight to pass through it at the right angle to point out the right spot, but there will be many on the ground that will see the beam of light and attempt to get the treasure first.  But the key to enter the lost treasure is the hammer artifact that they already own.  And there is also another treasure map.  The treasure map leads the PCs to the Map south of the continent, a place where the weather is hot to an extreme.  Where people farm at night, and sleep during the day.  Where the Great River has its roots summers are deadly and the mountains are tolerable.  And to the city of the First Ones.  Six white monoliths that rise above the jungle floor where six great profits reside.  Except there are only three now.  The three prophets tell you that one of their numbers abandoned reason and decided the they would go off on their own to rule the world.  Two others went off to stop the rogue prophet and they died trying to stop the first.  Those two were destroyed and their power was added to the rogue prophet.  They also reveal that the prophets are all dragons that have taken an oath to keep the world safe and the dragons safe from the devastating weapons developed in the Human Dragon wars from a time long lost.  They reveal that the Hammer of Dragon Kind is one such weapon as is the Orb of Dragonkind that they also possess.  The Last weapon they need is the Dragon Lance, the most terrible weapon because it requires the will of a dragon to use it, meaning a dragon must wield it in part.  The wielder must be mounted on a willing dragon, whose life force is used in part to fuel its effects.  The Dragon Lance channels the life force of the dragon and the dragon rider through the dragon lance to cause damage to the offending dragon.  The Dragon must willingly use its life force, give it up, to damage the other dragon.  But it only works if the Human rider willingly sacrifices their own life force too.  When this happens the hp lost by rider and dragon is converted into direct damage to the other dragon and the target dragon gets a Con Saving throw DC 30 (if it is a maximum sized dragon it fails on a 11 or lower because Con save is +18) for half damage.  Maximum sized Dragons have 1326 hp on average, 2074 max.  this means the safest time to attack the dragon would be when it is bloodied, but that is a difficult enough prospect. 

The Orb of Dragon KInd 5 charges

·         clouds the mind or dragons.  Honeyed words aimed at dragons double the proficiency bonus of the attuned.  As a bonus action the attuned may suppress a dragon’s saving throws by the attuner’s own attribute bonus.  So if the attuned had a Constitution of 20, they could suppress the Dragon’s Con save by +5 and by spending a charge double the effect for a round. 

·         The Orb also adds +4 to a caster’s casting attribute for casting spells and spell saves. 

·         Allows the attuned to attempt to see through the eyes of the nearest dragon, provokes a contested wisdom challenge with the dragon and the attuned.  If the winner has the dragon orb, the orb shows what the dragon sees and if the PC wins by more than 10, the dragon is not aware of the contest.  If the Dragon wins the dragon is aware of the PC and where they might be.  If the Dragon wins by 10 or more the dragon knows where the PCs are and has the option of letting the PCs see through it eyes and seeing through the Orb, the Dragon must make an Intelligence check of 20 to realize this option.

·         Can be used as a regular crystal ball and can be used to spy on any dragon that the PC has seen or encountered.

·         Can cast any divination spell through the Orb by spending a number of charges equal to the level of the spell -1.

·         The PC will become possessive of the Orb of Dragon Kind

·         The longer that one is in possession of the Orb the more dragon like they become.  Every time the number of charges is reduced to 0, the attuned adds a count of one.  Every time the attuned uses it against a dragon, one is added to the count.  When the count reaches the wisdom score of the PC, they add one idiosyncratic dragon behaviour.  Like only eats meat raw or burnt, like to hoard shiny objects, listens to flattery positively, seeks to be alone, seeks out (charisma modifier) monstrous allies, advances in level as a sorcerer, learns draconic etc. 

·         If the PC loses a wisdom battle by more than 10, the dragon can cast spells through the orb on the attuned.  Any attempts to affect the PC or his allies can cause the PC to wrench themselves from the dragon’s control in a successful wisdom save DC depending on the dragon, success the wrenching does half damage and failure results in full damage (half the PC’s level in d10 Psychic damage)

·         Any dragon that dies while in contact with the Orb, there is a chance for the dragon to possess the PC, if the PC lost a battle of the minds with the dragon.

The Orb of Dragon kind is a powerful tool that can be used to scout out a dragon’s lair and defenses, weaken the dragon and give great advantage over the dragon, but it can also turn the tables on the PCs if the dragon is stronger.

The Dragon Lance does not require attunement as it is a single use weapon.  The Dragon Saddle is a magical item that must be attuned to sit in, however, and it enables the rider and dragon to use a Dragon Lance.  The Dragon allows the Character to attune to a fourth slot.  When the dragon lance is sitting in the saddle it is considered set and any damage that it does will add the strength of the dragon to the damage in addition to the PC extra damage.  While set in a dragon saddle the lance will do an additional d12 of damage and when set against a dragon a second additional damage.  While set, the lance is a one-handed weapon.  The lance does 3d12 damage + strength damage of the PC + strength damage of the dragon.  When the PC desires, the PC can channel the life force of the DRAGON and the PC into the lance as extra damage; this effect only occurs if the PC fully commits to the action.  The Dragon’s and PC’s hit points are totaled and divided by 2 and added to the damage of the weapon (this means that the in a critical this damage is doubled too) A PC that dies this way cannot be raised or resurrected by anything less than a wish cast at higher than 9^th level (or resurrection cast higher than 9^th level)

What was lost Has been Found

-          1200 years ago, the Red Dragon tried to break the Alliance, but instead broke the valley.

-          The valley river vanished and the millions living in the cities there.

-          The Southern most city of the Northern Dwarf Empire and the principal City of the Stone elves in the area, and a Civilized clan of Stone Giants, the cream of the neighboring Lake elves too, were all gone.

-          The water going to Devil’s Forge was halved.  The overflow cut off to the valley below it.

The Mage’s Tower

-          Necromancer

-          At the foot of a mountain

-          In a forest on the edge of the Death Forest

-          Source of the death that created the Death Forest

Lake Elves

-          Led by the king of the lake elves from the Lake of Three Rivers Kingdom

-          Is here to bolster an ancient alliance with the Dwarves and Stone Elves

-          There are 200 elves plus leaders and the King and Queen.

-          They include a small number of water casters, trained by the Sea elves far away to the Map North there are five here, one 10^th and four 6^thlevel.

-          The loss of the valley meant the royalty and the mages were lost to the lake and the lake began to decline.  With the reopening of the Valley, if the mages and the Roalty survives, the Lake will be great again.

City of the Dwarves

-          The southern lost city of the Northern Dwarven Empire

-          Isolated before the “cataclysm” by an attack by the Druegar

-          Druegar joined by allies

-          A group of demons leads the attack including a Balor demon

The Stone Giants

-          There is a clan of Stone giants that lives in this valley has lived here for generations, they are the creators of the Balancing Rock and the Codex of the Earth, but that was thousands of years ago.

-          The stone giants have three 10^th level geomancers and they have come to the aid of the Mountain Elves in exchange for the Codex, as the Stone elves recognize that prior rights

-          The Geomancers wear cloth of woven stone AC15+dex

-          There are thirty of them, 6 groups of five, led by the Mages, the King, Queen and Regent with four guards each to make up the five. 

The Seat of the Stone Elves

-          The city is beset by a force of Illithids attacking with a slave army of gith

-          The Red dragon is attacking too—coordinated attacks

-          Cut off connection with the Dwarf city with

-          The loss of the Stone elf city here left the university as the only Stone elf complex in the area.  With the return of the city, the power of the valley will return. 

 

The Green Dragon CR15

-          Jumps between on forest and the other

-          Has a fortress from long ago on the south side in the forest.

-          Has roosting spaces in the other forests

-          Goals are against the dwarves and the elves in the long term

-          Goals are against the Red dragon  and its allies in the short term.

-          Dragon’s 5 allies include Treants, Shambling mounds, a tribe of Myconides, A Greenman, and an evil Druid.

-          The main goal of the group is to return the valley to nature.

 

 

Red Dragon CR15

-          Dragon has promised to help all the factions against the Elves and the Dwarves

-          Red is actually trying to do as little as it can to aid them, and is trying to make all the sides more balanced

-          Dragon’s goals are to wipe all species out

-          Dragon has 5 allies, a small tribe of Fire giants, a clan of Duergar, a nation of Illithids, a Balor Demon, and the Necromancer.

-          The allies are strangely loyal to each other and tier goals, the Dragon is the common element.

-          The major goal is to remove all life from the valley

 

Death Dragon CR18-23

-          Wants to recreate the forest it had, assuming it was not destroyed already.

-          Reduce every enemy into an undead or skeletal version of the original. 

 

Storm Dragon CR18

-          Create storms and freeze anyone that gets too high in the mountains.

-          Lives at the pinnacle of the Cracked Mountain.  Neutral Evil.  Can see through storms

-          Allies include Air Elementals, Ice Elementals, Roc, Cloud Giant, Ice birds

 

The Termite Mound

-          Hundreds of small caves the permeate a soft rock seam in one of the mountains.  Includes many solitary monsters as well as many dens for animals. 

-          The quest bore from the light of the sun through the Chasmfiend Heartstone, bores a hole through a glacier to the entrance of lost cave entrance.

o   Lost entrance includes an requirement of a Knight of (that city) in the end

o   Bypass a Scarab guardian

o   A door golem (literally a golem that is a door and the walls slam anyone who is not a knight and physical damage deals damage and spell damage heals physical damage.

o   A bypass that requires the Hammer to activate

-          Purple Worm tunnels between many of the caves

-          Some of the caves have dungeons attached to the caves.

-          Monsters here Rhemorazes, beholders, smaller dragons, Umber hulks, ropers, ogres, owlbears, ettins, Sphinx, demons, devils, Hydra, Naga, Manticore, trolls, lamia, Harpy, hags, Gorgon, Grell, basilisk, medusa, single form undead, banshee, wright, wraith, lich, etc.

-          Some dungeons, purple worm holes used to access deeper into the mountain.  Mines that follow veins of ore. 

 

 

GAME PLAY

round	Inner barrier	Middle barrier	Outer barrier
1	1	5	3
2	2	6	4
3	3	7	5
4	4	8	6
5	5	9	7
6	6	10	8
7	7	1	9
8	8	2	10
9	1	3	11
10	2	4	12
11	3	5	1
12	4	6	2
13	5	7	3
14	6	8	4
15	7	9	5
16	8	10	6
17	1	1	7
18	2	2	8
19	3	3	9
20	4	4	10
21	5	5	11
22	6	6	12
23	7	7	1
24	8	8	2
25	1	9	3
26	2	10	4
27	3	1	5
28	4	2	6
29	5	3	7
30	6	4	8
31	7	5	9
32	8	6	10
33	1	7	11
34	2	8	12
35	3	9	1
36	4	10	2

Players want to get to the mountain scale the mountain cast the spell and spot the destination and grab the treasure and leave. 

Obstacles.  First the Necromancer lich, ally of the red dragon is going to prevent anyone from entering the vale.  The necromantic barrier, purple lightning arcing from the tower to the two peaks and a ‘C’ shaped barrier around the tower.  The barrier causes black lightning to arc through the air and hit anything living on the ground or in the air, and for that matter in the ground.  PCs will witness a flock of ducks turned to zombies and then down to harry the party.  The lightning causes 10d6 necrotic damage and the space is 100’ wide.  The PCs likely have a means to get through the barrier and live and let the taking down of this barrier be someone else’s problem, maybe some heroes.  The barrier around the tower is incomplete on the PC’s side three layers that each have a hole, but they move every round. Each barrier moves one space every round, but the inside space only has two spaces, and the middle has three spaces, and the outer has four spaces.  It is possible to plan it out or the PCs can make an Intelligence check no DC instead subtract the dice roll from 20 and the players take that many d6 in damage as they run in.  Each space is 100’ wide and deep, the waves are moving at 50’per round.  And then there are monsters.  Swarms of undead critters, undead bears, deer and such, then undead amalgams—giants composed of zombies and skeletons, attacks with its “feet” and throws swarms of critter undead as ranged attacks.  Also, the door is locked.  When they get to the edge of the tower they will have to unlock, break down the door, climb up to an open window above, something, anything, all the while being attacked.  When they get in, they get a breather, on round. The entrance hall is two stories tall and there is a large oak door reinforced with steel and covered with glyphs that are meant hold the door in place.  And some that go boom.  The door is arcane locked, bolted, barred and locked from the other side.  The walls are filled with arrow slits, the room is 30’x30’ so there are 6 per side per level, 34 crossbows raining down on the party, and above there are murder holes, 9 of them rocks and boiling oil and acid are dropped through the holes, lastly fire is dropped to ignite the fire.  There are 50 duergar directing these attacks.  Six plus the four at arrow slits are behind the doors ready to change into their giant form and attack.  Whichever side the PCs break through to get out of this killing field, they had better do it quickly. 

The Duergar will regroup in three locations.  The survivors of the bottom level converge in the main hall where the doors lead, six per side, they will arrive after the last PC enters the hallway, then arrive to the battle on the second round.  The 18 archers from the second level move at the same time, and reach the battle 10 turns later, giving the party a chance to heal a bit.  the last wave of 10 duergar include the leader and they will arrive 2 rounds after the second wave gets to the fight.  Each of the Duergar has been loaded up with money from the alliance.  Each duergar has a bag of gems totaling 150gp and 50gp and 10pp.  the leader had that and a gem of 1000gp.  Total treasure is 8,500gp in gems, 2500gp, and 500pp.  (16kgp).  The PCs will be allowed to have a short or a long rest as there is a place to do this.  If they do a long rest the lich will have raised all the Duergar as zombies and let the amalgam into the main hall to fight the party, otherwise they can head up to fight the Lich.  The halls and the passages in the tower have the effects of Guards and Wards.  Passageways up the tower will be free of many creatures.  There will be a few undead creations that the lich had created years ago, but nothing else.  The lich will engage the characters from a distance and drop spells on them from above, fireballs and the like, then retreat beyond when its spells are depleted.  It will cast globe of invulnerability and wait out the characters then it will do battle to the death to protect the ritual cast on the roof. 

The Lich is casting a Ritual on the top of the tower.  Any character with Arcana will recognize the rise and the fall of ending stanzas of every ritual the rising crescendo to the final word.  Requires a DC30 to recognize that this is a level 12 ritual, DC20 that it is a ritual above Level 9.  Start a count of 10 on a die and every full round of climbing stairs opening doors fighting monsters remove one from the number.  Every move plus action removes one from the count down.  If they move and open the door to the next level and move up the tower; they will reach the top of the tower with 2 left.  Every time they are delayed fighting or searching for treasure, they move closer to 0.  The First treasure they find is on the second level, there is a room filled with a ball of inky darkness, arcana check DC15, a Sphere of Annihilation.  The room has two doors and there is a skeletal amalgam with 5 attacks and 50 hp. If they try to hold the Sphere they must make a DC15 arcana check and move at half rate.  The next level they find a Bone Golem with six arms wielding 6 swords, AC18 and two doors.  The second door there is Staff of the Magi locked in place in a contraption locked to the ceiling and the floor.  It will take some time to get it out, three actions to be precise.  If the PCs arrive too late to stop the ritual it becomes self-sustaining.  And they will have to fight a Lich, granted with no 8^th and 9^th level spells.  If one of the characters brings the staff, it thanks them and if flies to its hands.  If they reach the top with time left they can attempt to disrupt the spell.  The globe of invulnerability is around the lich, but attacks may distract it.  Every round of attacks will have a cumulative chance to distract it.  Any damage to the lich will make the lich roll a d20 where he will always fail on a 1, but at the end of two rounds of attacks he will lose concentration anyways. 

From the top of the Tower the PCs will see the stability of the Spell that made the wall of necromantic energy has stabilized and there are no breaks in it anymore.  The Ritual that the lich is casting will make the wall permanent, and nothing not even a simple wish will break it. 

If the globe fails, or he is near death he will attempt to bargain or flee to the roof. On the roof he will point to the Dragon that is above and reason with them that the only thing preventing the dragon from attacking is the barrier, if they kill him, the dragon will kill them as well.  The lich believes this, but the dragon will not risk itself for a dead ally.  It will breathe on the structure causing the collapse of the building, initiating a skill challenge to escape the building, the wards will still be in effect.  They need to get 4 successful challenges in 5 attempts or they will be near the blast zone of a hidden staff of the magi when it explodes and they need to succeed on eight of ten challenges when the tower is sucked into a singularity and a Sphere of Annihilation sinks into the ground or rests floating in the air above where the roof used to be.

If they attempted to free the sphere of Annihilation, the sphere will be moving up the tower towards the players.  If the players discovered the staff on the way up they see now the staff is bending as the tower falls and is about to break.  Any attempt to free the staff will have to involve relieving the stress on the staff. Otherwise it will break in their presence.  If the sphere is used to eat the staff it will succeed and the tower will not explode, it will still fall, but it will not explode too.

The red Dragon will breathe on any players that survived the attack on the lich, but it won’t stay.  If the PCs attempt to fight the Green Dragon makes an attack on the Red, and the red flees.  The green offers to set them down beyond the tower as it begins to collapse. If they accept the tower explodes, then implodes and the PCs hear the proposal of the Green Dragon.  

The Green Dragon’s Proposal.  The green dragon will offer them aid in one of two ways in exchange for half the treasure of the Red dragon’s hoard.  The Green dragon will aid them in the fight against the red dragon when they decide to attack its lair, or the Green dragon will offer aid against three challenges of the valley.  The Green Dragon will say that the Red dragon had five allies, four now, as the Necromancer is now dead.  The Dragon will answer any question about the valley unless it is about the red Dragon and its allies, or its allies and itself.  All its knowledge is 1500 years out of date outside the valley.  It will also say there is a storm dragon lairing at the top of the Needle, the tall mountain with the split.  The players might try to ask questions about its motivation.  They will need to succeed in an opposed Insight vs Deception check.  The Dragon does not hate the Stone Giants nor the elves, but it detests their cities.  The Dragon detests the Dwarves though.  Any question about the things it hates are more difficult to hide.  The Dragon’s Deception rolls are at +10 except for the things it hates, then they are at +10, but disadvantaged.  The green Dragon wants to return the Valley to a state of natural perfection.  Wherever the dragon touches the ground, a plant growth effect occurs. 

THREE CITIES

The mountains in this pass are the tallest that you have ever seen, the tops must never get warm enough for the snow to melt them.  There are five mountains on each side and one at the end of the valley, the smallest here is the bigger than average of all the mountains you saw before a year ago, but the rest dwarf the biggest.  There is one here that is clearly taller than the rest, and by the deep cleave in its summit, this is your goal.  The second most striking is the fourth mountain in on the right side—its glacier is marred with black soot and recent lava flows.  The top smoke is black, full of ash, from its most recent eruption; lightning crackles in the cloud.  The mountain beside it, one closer, you recognize another type of lava flow, the flow of foundry tailings that marks a productive dwarven city beneath.  The second mountain in from you on this side also looks like it has been worked.  There are houses and a wall carved out of the stone.  It is the third tallest mountain in this valley, but the structures make it seem like it is the smallest, then you realize the scale of the town, the buildings three times the height, depth and width of standard buildings, and the figures wearing bright clothing must be giants.  The left side of the valley appears to be undeveloped.  The alpine reaches are dotted with villages and there is a few trails of smoke coming through the trees in the valley, but nothing substantial.  At night, your reasoning is put on its head, the left side is filled with light, the third mountain up, the smallest mountain of the valley is covered with lights, so much so that the mountains to each side glow like they reflect the light of Hestium the third moon.  This must be a city of Elves.  It is a spectacular sight, marred only by the pyrotechnic display from the large volcano across the way.

The Bridges.

The bridges are made from solid stone, as if carved from the rock that was found here already, except that could not be the case.  The bridges look to be the work of an army of craftsmen over a lifetime.  Each bridge shows two huge giants, back to back, legs splayed wide apart, naked except for a loincloth, lifting the surface up over the water.  Giant elves stand on the bent legs to help raise the surface up.  Giant gnomes and halflings stand upon the arms of the giants to lift it higher.  Beside the elves stand dwarves, and elves and dwarves stand past the giant’s legs to hold the bridge aloft.  Beneath the feet of the giant, you see the feet are supported by lake elves.  The railings are made of children of all the races holding the railing up, some standing on the shoulders of others, one is a halfling holding on the railing standing half flailing on a tree, while its support halfling gazes at a butterfly.  Each of the faces of all the figures seems unique and as flawed as a mortal’s face that you feel you might run into the models sometime later in your stay here. 

 

Battle in the Dwarven City

 

-          The battle will occur on the lower levels below that Transport levels, in the mushroom levels

-          The Diviners predicted that in the Year that Spring follows Summer, the City shall be attacked by a foe beyond reckoning, Great Heroes will come from the distant Future to save the city.

-          The Earthquakes caused by the opening and closing of the Valley cause the lower levels of the city to collapse—the mushroom farm levels.

-          Creates a massive hall that is 120 feet tall and 400’ x 400’—every 100’ is a massive support column, if three are destroyed dex save DC17 or take 10d6 damage or half from a falling ceiling

-          The floor of the cavern is uneven ground so ½ movement except for rangers et al.

-          There is word there is an army about to poor through the into the field—small passages are held against to horde by elite Dwarven Guard troops.

-          As the PCs enter the field of battle, the wide wall explodes out and a wave of 40 Duergar already enlarged charge through, behind them are 160 more charge behind them.  There are 3 waves of 200 Duergar in total for the first attack.

-          The Dwarves have 1000 Heavy infantry and 1000 heavy archers (crossbows) and 20 Stone Giant artillerists.  Plus, the PCs

-          The Dwarves have 1000 Medium Infantry and 1000 light archers in reserve and 100 Engineers and 200 sappers.

-          The enemy has another 400 duergar and a Balor demon waiting.  He is served by 10 Vrock demons who charge out in the middle of the first attack.  The red Dragon will appear on the field after the Balor is committed and attack the troops with Dragon Fire.

 

 

The Trials of the Stone Giant City

The Might of the Stone giants has spread through the mountains.  The might has spread tales of the wonders of the community.  Ancient and powerful order of Mages and Druids, the two classes have joined in synergy.  The renown has attracted the attention of Fire Giants.  These Giants want to enslave the stone giants and make them work the mines, the steel mills and the smiths.  They want to take their lands and their flocks. 

The Red dragon saw their greed and supported them.  The Red dragon does not think the Fire Giants will win, the Red dragon does not believe any of his allies will win, but it believes that the outcome will result in all the kingdoms weakening and being conquered.  If one of them or even all of them win, it will be pleased.   

The Fire Giants will lead the assault on the home of the Stone Giants after the call for aid heads out.  They snuck through the backways that the red dragon found, right next to the edge of the realm.  The PCs happen upon a Fire Giant blind with a squad of Fire Giants.  4 regular Giants with a leader with 3 levels of fighter.  They are able to look through some of the notes that suggest that ten groups of fire Giants will attack at once when the dragon flies by.  A few minutes later the dragon flies by.  They will know that there are Eleven more groups of Fire Giants attacking and they are going to be supported by the Dragon.  If they go warn the Stone Giant King, the attack will be over and the Fire Giants might hold the city, but if they were warn the village they might turn the battle in favor of the Stone Giants.

There are 60 Fire Giants attacking, 12 groups of 5.  The PCs already took out one group.  There are fifty regular Stone Giants in the village and many non-combatants.  If the PCs are able to remove another group of 5 if they attack the attackers.  And then they will get to fight in the town. 

When they get to the town the dragon will be there and it will cast spells and breathe Fire on the city and then fly off.  It will stay away from the PCs for now.  If the PCs engage they will join desperate battles five Fire Giants attacking a lone Giant with 6 juveniles, or three with five elderly.  If the win two of these battles they will be attacked by the Fire giant king and his guard, the 4 guards are slightly wounded, but they attack with 5 levels of Fighter, and the king with 11 levels of fighter.  If it is close the Green dragon will put in an appearance. 

 

The Stone Elves

They are attacked by a group of mind flayers with Gith soldiers.  The city has been infiltrated with intellect devourers and the leaders are making bad choices because they are controlled by the Intellect devourers. 

The leaders of the city called for help about a week ago, asking for assistance from other races in the valley saying that they had uncovered a coordinated plot against the valley residents by the allies of the red dragon.  They did not have any other information other than it would involve the dragon, and his allies that included a band of Fire Giants, a clan of Duergar with some sort of Demonic assistance.  The call went out to their allies giving them some warning, but only a few hours later, the king of the Elves retracted his statement and sent formal apologies to the other rulers, saying that threat was more fragile than he thought, and the alliance fell apart in a fight for control of the group.  The danger had been averted. 

What really had happened was intellect devourers had infiltrated the city, taking control of key players and the announcement by the king took them at unawares and they had to quickly move to take the king placing five Intellect Devourers in his room to take control of him.  Then he issued the second decree.  The Evil Alliance had to move earlier than they were ready, to capitalize on the confusion if not surprise.  The Dragon knocked the Balancing rock off its stand, which caused massive Earthquakes as the realm disappeared and was restored 1200 years later by the PCs, which for the residents of the valley appeared to all happen at once.  The call from the Elf King mobilized their allies the Lake Elves and a large group including the king left the Lake and was trapped for 1200 years.  The strong Geomancers of the Stone Giants, having stabilized the Stone Giant city went out to help the other cities, especially the Dwarves.  Then the Necromancer threw up the Necro Wall to block off more movement between the valleys.  Which was the sign that everyone should begin their attacks.

After breaching the Necro Wall the PCs accidentally walk upon a squad of Fire giants in a makeshift blind watching a huge stone road, between the Stone Giant town and the rest of the valley.  Therein they discover plans that include a battle plan for attacking the Stone Giant city.  12 squads attacking at a prearranged signal, a red dragon flyby, 60 Fire giants vs a city of 100 Stone Giants, filled with non-combatants and a few dozen others. If there is a Martial type in the party, they will see that the plan is very fragile, 60 fire giants vs 100 mixed children, teens and infirm with some mature giants would be a rout, but if there were less than 50 Fire Giants, the tables would turn.  The PCs have already defeated five.  Just then the Red Dragon flies by, the prearranged signal.  The PCs can find another squad before they close with the Town and can engage in a 3^rd inside the town.  Inside the town they will be attacked by two Vrocks and allow them to fight the Fire Giant King as he and his guards attack a group of non-combatants.  Give them a chance to be heroes.

The next choice is for them to investigate the Stone elf city or the Empire Dwarf City.  There is a bridge between both cities and there are two armies on either side and two people conferring on the bridge, one is an elf woman wearing a crown.  The other is a Stone Giant who wears a grey circlet on his head. 

The Giant thanks the group for the timely intervention at his city and tells them when this crisis is over he will find them a suitable reward.  Right now, he is off to the Dwarven city.  He has heard that the lower halls have collapsed down to the bottom level in a Large Earthquake.  They will need help digging for survivors and shoring up the walls, will you come and help?

The elf woman before you tells a story about how her husband the King, had scouts return saying that the Red dragon on yonder peak had reached an alliance with nefarious forces, a King of Fire Giants, a powerful Demon and the Mage at the entrance to the valley.  There was a sense that there was another group in that alliance, but the spy could not determine who they were before he was discovered.  I was with the King when he heard the news and he consulted with his diviners and had determined the veracity of the claim.  He then raised the alarm and sent for his allies, the Lake Elves and the Elves of the University and he sent warnings to the Dwarves and to the Stone Giants and then he, himself, began to mobilize for war.  The next morning, he sent out a new message that he had been wrong, and that the unholy alliance had fallen apart.  He said the demon and the dragon fell upon each other and killed the Fire Giant King, there is no need to worry and he has recalled the warning and apologized to the leaders of the Elves and Dwarves.  He no longer seems to be the man knew, he remembers everything, but he is colder to me and the rest of the court, they man who was full of laughter has been replaced by a grumpy person.  Can you please Help me?

If the PCs offer to help the Dwarves the Giants will lead them to the city.  If the PCs go with the Elf, the Giants tell them good luck and to meet them in the Dwarf city when they are done, and they head off to the dwarf city.  The Queen introduces them to the King of the Lake Elves and he says he will be heading there with them. 

When the PCs and the Lake elf king enter into the city they are greeted by the stone elf king and his elite guard of Pikemen.  The Lake elves number 100 with 10 mages and 90 warriors, but the Stone elf Honor guard numbers 200 and is backed by 20 geomancers and 30 other mages.  The King addresses the group, welcoming the King of the Lake elves by name, and wishes to renew his friendship with him.  He also greets the Heroes of the valley who defeated the foul art of the Wizard at the mouth of the Valley and defeated the King of the fire Giants, saving the great ally of the elves.  For this reason, I decree a feast in the name of these honored guests, and with that the Honor guard stamp their pikes in unison twice and cheer.   The King then gives each of the PCs a medal that he says is only given out when someone does a great service for the Elves.  He also gives them a coffer to hold the medal with 1000pp under the felt lining.  The Medal requires attunement and works like a Ring of protection.  Until the feast the party is allowed to roam the city.  There is a large bustling marketplace filled with fine weapons and magical gear drawn from the contacts of the grand Dwarven Empire and from the Far Northern Sea, the great river nation of Gutral Mastekeena and from the ocean side countries on the lands on the other side of the mountains.  There are humans here that speak Dwarf Common and an odd singsong language.  They sell strange foods and spices and strange jewelry.  There is a cold weather supplier who speaks dwarf common and will say he is from the secret land of his people far to the north where the mountains end.  If the PCs wear the medal, they will receive free food and other free gifts. 

At the feast the PCs are put at ease and offered an assortment of foods and a lot of drinks, many of which are very intoxicating especially for elves and dwarves.  If the PCs are looking to speak to the king, they say that he is carefully rethinking his response to the attack on the Stone Giant city by the Fire Giants and he will speak to you in the morning, at sunrise, but not before then, have a good night. 

In the night each PC as well as the King of the Lake elves will be attacked by an Intellect Devourer.  The Medals are particularly conductive of psychic attacks and the Save which normally would be Intelligence 12, are now 14.  Anyone who fails the save has their Intelligence reduced to 0 and the intellect Devourer will attempt to devour their brain and take control.  Wizards, Rogues, Artificers, and Druids should succeed.  They have a Int save of (+5 +intelligence modifier) which means they should easily save.  Who ever makes their save will get a chance to kill their Intellect devourer.  An arcana check will be enough to know enough to know how to remove an intellect devourer from someone, protection from evil spell.  There is a doctor station near by that can administer this spell along with Revivify if needed. 

The adventure begins. 

The invasion of illithids with Gith, Merlochs and other ilithid creatures.  20 mind flayers attacking the city from below: troglodytes with an Ogre leader, 10 ogres with Mind flayer leader, 10 gith with one mind flayer (5 of each type of gith, four common with one leader)

5 Nyraala golems with a Brain Golem

5 mind flayers and 1 Alhoon

Large cavern deep under the earth, 260’ in diameter.  There is a large brain in the center 20’ across.  There is a demarcation 30’ from the brain and 60’ from the brain.  Cranium rats and intellect devourers populate next to the brain. 

Neothelid

Gargantuan aberration, chaotic evil

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 313 (19d20 + 114)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
29 (+9)	7 (-2)	23 (+6)	9 (-1)	17 (+3)	10 (+0)

Saving Throws Intelligence +4, Wisdom +8, Charisma +5
Senses blindsight 120 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages –
Challenge 15 (13,000 XP)

Special Traits

Mindsense. The neothelid is aware of the presence of creatures within 1 mile of it that have an Intelligence of 3 or higher. It knows the distance and direction of each creature, as well as the creature’s approximate Intelligence (within 3 points), regardless of physical barriers. Creatures under the effects of magic that protects the mind or protects from divination cannot be detected by the neothelid.

Innate Spellcasting. The neothelid’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells requiring no components:

At will: clairvoyance, detect thoughts, levitate, suggestion

1/day each: charm monster, confusion, feeblemind, telekinesis

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

Actions

Multiattack. The neothelid makes two tentacular tongue attacks.

Tentacular Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (4d6 + 9) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d8) psychic damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be swallowed by the neothelid. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the neothelid, and it takes 42 (12d6) acid damage at the start of each of the neothelid’s turns. If the neothelid takes 40 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the neothelid must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the neothelid. If the neothelid dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.

Acid Breath (Recharge 5-6). The neothelid exhales acid in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 42 (12d6) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Consume Mind. The neothelid chooses one creature it can see within 30 feet of it that has an Intelligence of 3 or higher. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Intelligence saving throw or take 16 (3d10) psychic damage. If the target fails the saving throw by 5 or more, its Intelligence score is reduced to 0. The target is incapacitated until it regains at least 1 point of Intelligence (either from completing a long rest or from a lesser restoration spell).

Elder Brain  Lair actions on Initiative 20, Legendary actions after first three characters moves.

Large aberration  Lawful Evil AC 10 Hp 210 (20d10 + 100) Speed: 5ft., swim 10ft.

Str 15    Dex 10  Con 20  Wis 19  Int 21    Cha 24

Saving Throws:  Int: +10, Wis: +9, Cha: +12

Skills:  Arcana +10, Deception +12, Insight +14, Intimidation +12, Persuasion +12

Senses:  blindsight 120 ft., passive perception 14

Languages: understands Common, Deep Speech, and Undercommon but cant speak, telepathy 5 miles

Challenge: 14

Traits 

Creature Sense. The elder brain is aware of the presence of creatures within 5 miles of it that have an Intelligence score of 4 or higher. It knows the distance and direction to each creature, as well as each one's intelligence score, but can't sense anything else about it. A creature protected by a mind blank spell. a nondetection spell, or similar magic can't be perceived in this manner.

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

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

Telepathic Hub. The elder brain can use its telepathy to initiate and maintain telepathic conversations with up to ten creatures at a time. The elder brain can let those creatures telepathically hear each other while connected in this way.

Actions

Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Huge or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC: 15) and takes 9 (1d8 + 5) psychic damage at the start of each of its turns until the grapple ends. The elder brain can have up to four targets grappled at a time.

Mind Blast - Recharge 5. The elder brain magically emits psychic energy. Creatures of the elder brain's choice within 60 feet of it must succeed on a DC: 18 Intelligence saving throw or take 32 (5d10 + 5) psychic damage and be stunned for 1 minute. A target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Psychic Link. The elder brain targets one incapacitated creature it can perceive with its Creature Sense trait and establishes a psychic link with that creature. Until the psychic link ends, the elder brain can perceive everything the target senses. The target becomes aware that something is linked to its mind once it is no longer incapacitated, and the elder brain can terminate the link at any time (no action required). The target can use an action on its turn to attempt to break the psychic link, doing so with a successful DC: 18 Charisma saving throw. On a successful save, the target takes 10 (3d6) psychic damage. The psychic link also ends if the target and the elder brain are more than 5 miles apart, with no consequences to the target. The elder brain can form psychic links with up to ten creatures at a time.

Sense Thoughts. The elder brain targets a creature with which it has a psychic link. The elder brain gains insight into the target's reasoning, its emotional state, and thoughts that loom large in its mind (including things the target worries about, loves, or hates). The elder brain can also make a Charisma (Deception) check with advantage to deceive the target's mind into thinking it believes one idea or feels a particular emotion. The target contests this attempt with a Wisdom (Insight) check. If the elder brain succeeds, the mind believes the deception for 1 hour or until evidence of the lie is presented to the target.

Legendary Actions

Tentacle. : Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Huge or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC: 15) and takes 9 (1d8 + 5) psychic damage at the start of each of its turns until the grapple ends. The elder brain can have up to four targets grappled at a time.

Mind Blast - Recharge 5. : The elder brain magically emits psychic energy. Creatures of the elder brain's choice within 60 feet of it must succeed on a DC: 18 Intelligence saving throw or take 32 (5d10 + 5) psychic damage and be stunned for 1 minute. A target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Psychic Link. : The elder brain targets one incapacitated creature it can perceive with its Creature Sense trait and establishes a psychic link with that creature. Until the psychic link ends, the elder brain can perceive everything the target senses. The target becomes aware that something is linked to its mind once it is no longer incapacitated, and the elder brain can terminate the link at any time (no action required). The target can use an action on its turn to attempt to break the psychic link, doing so with a successful DC: 18 Charisma saving throw. On a successful save, the target takes 10 (3d6) psychic damage. The psychic link also ends if the target and the elder brain are more than 5 miles apart, with no consequences to the target. The elder brain can form psychic links with up to ten creatures at a time.

Sense Thoughts. : The elder brain targets a creature with which it has a psychic link. The elder brain gains insight into the target's reasoning, its emotional state, and thoughts that loom large in its mind (including things the target worries about, loves, or hates). The elder brain can also make a Charisma (Deception) check with advantage to deceive the target's mind into thinking it believes one idea or feels a particular emotion. The target contests this attempt with a Wisdom (Insight) check. If the elder brain succeeds, the mind believes the deception for 1 hour or until evidence of the lie is presented to the target.

Create ally, creates a swarm of cranium rats or Intellect devourer.

Lair Actions

When fighting inside its lair, an elder brain can use lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), an elder brain can take one lair action to cause one of the following effects; the elder brain can't use the same lair action two rounds in a row:

The elder brain casts wall of force.

The elder brain targets one friendly creature it can sense within 120 feet of it. The target has a flash of inspiration and gains advantage on one attack roll, ability check, or saving throw it makes before the end of its next turn. If the target doesn't or can't use this benefit in that time, the inspiration is lost.

The elder brain targets one creature it can sense within 120 feet of it and anchors it by sheer force of will. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Charisma saving throw or be unable to leave its current space. It can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Regional Effects

The territory within 5 miles of an elder brain is altered by the creature's psionic presence, which creates one or more of the following effects:

Creatures within 5 miles of an elder brain feel as if they are being followed, even when they are not.

The elder brain can overhear any telepathic conversation happening within 5 miles of it. The creature that initiated the telepathic conversation makes a DC 18 Wisdom (Insight) check when telepathic contact is first established. If the check succeeds, the creature is aware that something is eavesdropping on the conversation. The nature of the eavesdropper isn't revealed, and the elder brain can't participate in the telepathic conversation unless it has formed a psychic link with the creature that initiated it.

Any creature with which the elder brain has formed a psychic link hears faint, incomprehensible whispers in the deepest recesses of its mind. This psychic detritus consists of the elder brain's stray thoughts commingled with those of other creatures to which it is linked.

If the elder brain dies, these effects immediately end.

 

 

The Lich’s Tower

The Litch is the first ally of the red dragon in the valley that the players will encounter.  The job that the lich was to do was seal the valley off from the rest of the world.  The dragon attack against the balancing stone,  days previously had set up a wobble in the stone that caused it to launch off its pedestal sealing the valley in space and time until the stone was reset.  But the Dragon did not know that.  The time sealed away in stasis nearly destroyed the valley outside effectively sealing it off from the outside world, but not knowing this the necromancer began casting a great wall of necromancy that would seal the valley of better than any wall.  When the wall went up the attacks were to commence.  The breaking of the valley with the balancing stone nearly disrupted the casting of the wall of necromancy.  Such that when it was cast there were holes in the wall.  Any can make an Arcana check to calculate when the holes will align to allow travel through the gaps when they align.  The answer will be at the main wall a year and at the tower within the hour.  Digging under the wall will result in finding the wall extends as far under as above the wall.  The wall goes all the way up past the peak of the tall mountains. 

The holes in the wall are narrow, 60’ deep and 100’ wide, the cracks move 30’ per action, with an arcana check the players will determine that they can travel to next ring of the wall that the wall has wider crack but the wall moves faster 100’ deep and 200’ wide, but move 100’per action, the third ring is much more smaller and faster too.  The wall is 60’ deep and 60’ wide and moves 60’ per action.  The effect is that the players have three actions to get to the end of the first ring, two actions to the second and only one action for the third.  The zombie monsters in the wall will be attacking the all the while.  Zombie critters and zombie monsters. 

When the players get to the inside next to the pocket next to the tower they will see a large group of critters and monsters milling around in the courtyard, they are at some natural truce, there are lions and elk, bears, cave bears, grizzlies, deer and many other creatures, there are free kobolds, orcs, bugbears, owlbears and other monstrous creatures milling her looking at the walls of necromancy.  The tower is part of a great fortress.  The far outside walls of the fortress kiss the edges of the necromantic wall.  The fortress seems to rise three stories above the ground and is covered with crenelations and gargoyles at points.  Before you is The Great House with a large double door before you.  The arrow slits on the third floor does not appear to be manned, the lack of arrows seems to suggest, there are no other windows except in the tower.  The tower rises ten or more floors, at the top there is a swirl of magic and dark words cast into the air.  Acana check reveals that this is a ritual that may be 2 hours from being complete, or it might be a few minutes.  Since you first emerged from the wall you notice that the wall has creeped across the outer walls a foot on each side, the animals are crowding back, 20.  19. 

 Getting into the gate is easy, knock spell or strength athletics check DC 30.  The gate house is two stories high and 60’ wide and deep, as soon as they break in, they become aware of the arrow slits and the PCs can obscure the area to prevent the arrows from flying true.  Getting through the next door still needs an action and a DC 30 Strength Athletics check or a knock spell.  The room on the other side of the door is wide and grand but the decorations are old and tattered.  There are 11 Duergar waiting and ready to engage in combat they have plate mail and shields with short swords, AC20 and 36HP their leader F5 has Plate +2 and wields a Great Sword AC20, 76HP, every round 10 regular Duergar are added to the mix, five from each door until 11 have come through, the last one is a leader with Plate and Shield AC20 with 36HP.  On the fifth round ten more Duergar pile in from behind with 10 more the next round and two the one after that AC20 with 36HP.  Another 22 wait on the stairs, they may wait for the PCs and shoot them with cross bow bolts, if they do, only ten will be able to do so.  If the PCs are weakening, they will press the PCs, hoping to wipe them out.  Make it clear to the PCs that after all the reinforcements arrive from the various doors, there are no more.  If the PCs detect magic, they will find the Duergar to be charmed in some way.  Total there are 77 Duergar, 60 normal, 16 leaders and one commander.  After the fight the PCs may loot the bodies and have a short rest, or they may elect to press on.  If they press on the Chanting hits a crescendo and the PCs become aware the ritual is coming to an end.  Each duergar has a bag of gems totaling 150gp and 50gp and 10pp.  The leaders have twice as much as that, and the commander has 5 times that and a 1000gp gem.  Total treasure is 15,550gp in gems, 4850gp, and 970pp.  (30.1kgp).  The Duergar have been well paid. 

The halls and the passages in the tower have the effects of Guards and Wards.  Passageways up the tower will be free of many creatures.  There will be a few undead creations that the lich created years ago, but nothing else.  The lich will engage the characters with its Simulacrum from a distance and drop spells on them from above, fireballs and the like, then retreat beyond when its spells are depleted.  It will cast globe of invulnerability and wait out the characters then it will do battle to the death to protect the ritual cast on the roof. 

The Simulacrum of the lich will cast spells at the PCs as it moves through the tower uninhibited.  It was cast with a full roster of spells, but it has cast its ninth, eight and seventh level spells to aid the true lich.  But for that reason, it has 5 1^st, 4 2^nd, 4 3^rd, 3 4^th, 3 5^th, and 2 6^th level spells and unlimited cantrips. It will drop fireballs and Magic Missiles as if they are going out of style.  Whoever opens the door on a level, they should expect a fireball, at the top of a web filled passage, Magic Missile.  The Simulacrum and the lich is immune to fire damage.

The Lich is casting a Ritual on the top of the tower.  Any character with Arcana will recognize the rise and the fall of ending stanzas of every ritual the rising crescendo to the final word.  Requires a DC30 to recognize that this is a level 12 ritual, DC20 that it is a ritual above Level 9.  Start a count of 20 on a die and every full round of climbing stairs opening doors fighting monsters remove one from the number.  Every move plus action removes one from the count down.  If they move and open the door to the next level and move up the tower; they will reach the top of the tower if they cooperate, they can move almost as fast as the simulacrum who will reach the top in 13 rounds.  Every time they are delayed fighting or searching for treasure, they move closer to 0.  Let them see or question a Duergar for information. They will learn there are 4 levels in the tower and a surprise on each one.

For the Simulacrum it takes an action to climb the stairs and open the door, it takes and action to close a door and cross the floor, open the door and close it. It can cast a spell at any time in these steps.   There are four levels in the tower. The Simulacrum will take 13 actions to reach the top of the tower.  It will cast a fireball at each level and a magic missile at each top of the stairs four each.  The players will need to take a full action on each door and a double move to get through the webs.  Each level is preceded by a flight of stairs 30’ long with 6” steps 6” tall, so the tower rises 120 above the rest of the keep. 

The first floor is filled with skeletons, if the Simulacrum cast fireball there will be less skeletons but there still will be 10.  If they fight them keep track of the rounds used.

The First treasure they find is on the second level, there is a small room filled with a ball of inky darkness, arcana check DC15, a Sphere of Annihilation.  The room has two doors and there is a skeletal amalgam with 5 attacks and 50 hp. If they try to hold the Sphere they must make a DC15 arcana check and move at half rate. 

The third level is they find a Bone Golem with six arms wielding 6 swords, AC18 and it is resistant to piercing and immune to magical attacks except Magic Missile. 

If the PCs arrive too late to stop the ritual it becomes self-sustaining.  And they will have to fight a Lich, granted with no 8^th and 9^th level spells.  If one of the characters brings the staff, it thanks them and if flies to its hands.  If they reach the top with time left they can attempt to disrupt the spell.  The globe of invulnerability is around the lich, but attacks may distract it.  Every round of attacks will have a cumulative chance to distract it.  Any damage to the lich will make the lich roll a d20 where he will always fail on a 1, but at the end of two rounds of attacks he will lose concentration anyways. 

From the top of the Tower the PCs will see the stability of the Spell that made the wall of necromantic energy has stabilized and there are no breaks in it anymore.  The Ritual that the lich is casting will make the wall permanent, and nothing not even a simple wish will break it. 

If the globe fails, or he is near death he will attempt to bargain or flee to the roof. On the roof he will point to the Dragon that is above and reason with them that the only thing preventing the dragon from attacking is the barrier, if they kill him, the dragon will kill them as well.  The lich believes this, but the dragon will not risk itself for a dead ally.  It will breathe on the structure causing the collapse of the building, initiating a skill challenge to escape the building, the wards will still be in effect.  They need to get 4 successful challenges in 5 attempts or they will be near the blast zone of a hidden staff of the magi when it explodes and they need to succeed on eight of ten challenges when the tower is sucked into a singularity and a Sphere of Annihilation sinks into the ground or rests floating in the air above where the roof used to be.

If they attempted to free the sphere of Annihilation, the sphere will be moving up the tower towards the players.  If the players discovered the staff on the way up they see now the staff is bending as the tower falls and is about to break.  Any attempt to free the staff will have to involve relieving the stress on the staff. Otherwise it will break in their presence.  If the sphere is used to eat the staff it will succeed and the tower will not explode, it will still fall, but it will not explode too.

The red Dragon will breathe on any players that survived the attack on the lich, but it won’t stay.  If the PCs attempt to fight the Green Dragon makes an attack on the Red, and the red flees.  The green offers to set them down beyond the tower as it begins to collapse. If they accept the tower explodes, then implodes and the PCs hear the proposal of the Green Dragon. 

The Green Dragon’s Proposal.  The green dragon will offer them aid in one of two ways in exchange for half the treasure of the Red dragon’s hoard.  The Green dragon will aid them in the fight against the red dragon when they decide to attack its lair, or the Green dragon will offer aid against three challenges of the valley.  The Green Dragon will say that the Red dragon had five allies, four now, as the Necromancer is now dead.  The Dragon will answer any question about the valley unless it is about the red Dragon and its allies, or its allies and itself.  All its knowledge is 1500 years out of date outside the valley.  It will also say there is a storm dragon lairing at the top of the Needle, the tall mountain with the split.  The players might try to ask questions about its motivation.  They will need to succeed in an opposed Insight vs Deception check.  The Dragon does not hate the Stone Giants nor the elves, but it detests their cities.  The Dragon detests the Dwarves though.  Any question about the things it hates are more difficult to hide.  The Dragon’s Deception rolls are at +10 except for the things it hates, then they are at +10, but disadvantaged.  The green Dragon wants to return the Valley to a state of natural perfection.  Wherever the dragon touches the ground, a plant growth effect occurs. 

 

 

The Trials of the Stone Giant City

In the Ancient days, the stone giants were a power in the region.  They were able to learn from the Dragons and tame the secrets of the Earth.  They made great wonders and built cities, those with long memories have forgotten these times but the Earth remembers still.  The last great city of the Stone Giants in the area rests not too far from the entrance of the valley.  The city was that last great city built and one forged wholly with magic.  A city made from magic in a valley made with magic, it was to be the new city to train geomancers.  It was the home for the Codex of Earth for millennia before there were stone elves.  It was to be a new beginning rather than the last city before the end.   

More recently, The Might of the Stone giants has spread through the mountains.  The might has spread tales of the wonders of the community.  Ancient and powerful order of Mages and Druids, the two classes have joined in synergy.  The renown has attracted the attention of Fire Giants.  These Giants want to enslave the stone giants and make them work the mines, the steel mills and the smiths.  They want to take their lands and their flocks. 

The Red dragon saw their greed and supported them.  The Red dragon does not think the Fire Giants will win, the Red dragon does not believe any of his allies will win, but it believes that the outcome will result in all the kingdoms weakening and being conquered by it.  If one of them or even all of them win, it will be pleased.  

The Fire Giants will lead the assault on the home of the Stone Giants after the call for aid heads out.  They snuck through the backways that the red dragon found, right next to the edge of the realm.  The PCs happen upon a Fire Giant blind with a squad of Fire Giants.  4 regular Giants with a leader with 3 levels of fighter.  They can look through some of the notes that suggest that ten groups of fire Giants will attack at once when the dragon flies by.  A few minutes later the dragon flies by.  They will know that there are Eleven more groups of Fire Giants attacking and they are going to be supported by the Dragon.  If they go warn the Stone Giant King, the attack will be over and the Fire Giants might hold the city, but if they were warn the village they might turn the battle in favor of the Stone Giants.

There are 60 Fire Giants attacking, 12 groups of 5.  The PCs already took out one group.  There are fifty regular Stone Giants in the village and many non-combatants.  If the PCs are able to remove another group of 5 if they attack the attackers.  And then they will get to fight in the town. 

Fire Giant attack groups:

1)      4-6 troopers hp 19—requires second hit to cause 19 or more damage to kill it, one Lightbearer Fire Giant

2)      4-6 troopers hp 19—requires second hit to cause 19 or more damage to kill it, one Fire Giant Red Fist

3)      4-6 troopers hp 19—requires second hit to cause 19 or more damage to kill it, one regular 5E Fire Giant

4)      Command group, 8 Troopers, one Lightbearer, 2 Red Fist and Zenith Aastrika there will be 2 standard Fire Giants too.  If the Dragon makes an appearance it will breathe on the group killing the standard Giants., but healing the others.

 

The City/Village appears to be a small-scale rocky mountain with wide stairs and pathways moving between the many peaks and valleys.  Along the pathways there are many openings where families live.  Three of the tall peaks are joined to neighbouring mountains with slender aqueducts who empty on to the slopes forming streamlets that divert and disappear into the mountains.  There is a thick encircling wall around the town with a large open gate where the road begins.  There are deep grottos exiting the walls at points with rushing water streaming through that form into a stream that passes through the valley.

The red dragon will act more as a signal to the giants to attack, but it will breathe fire on some areas where the fighting is the most intense.  The Dragon will typically only come within 120 feet of the characters.  They will see the dragon immolate giants.  When they get to the town the dragon will be there and it will cast spells and breathe Fire on the city and then fly off.  It will stay away from the PCs for now.  If the PCs engage, they will join desperate battles with five Fire Giants attacking a lone Giant with 6 juveniles, or three with five elderly.  If they win two of these battles, they will be attacked by the Fire giant king and his guard. The 4 guards are slightly wounded, but they attack with 5 levels of Fighter, and the king with 11 levels of fighter.  If it is close the Green dragon will put in an appearance. 

1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th
4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1

 

CR16

Prof +5

Stat +6

Bite 3d12

Clawx2 2d10

Tail 2d6

Wings 2d4

Breath 26d6

HD40

H

12

260

Hp500

AC19

Spell 19

Att mod 11

Sorcery 15

Red dragon fire spells Legendary action make save 1/day, legendary action immolates 30’ radius from self 13d6 damage 1/day

Green dragon plant like spells or druid like spells, legendary save 1/day, legendary action plant growth walk for an hour

The Red Dragon can appear to have infinite Breath weapons as it can cast the Fiery spells with its breath, it can cast them at the same time as it uses its breath weapon, or its breath will fill the pattern of the spell.  For example, it will spit a fire ball or after it breaths out a gout of fire, that wall of fire is left in the fire’s wake.  The Red dragon has some unique spells:

8^th level spell, Fire Cyclone a 40’ fire storm that rains 10d6 fire damage on everyone affected, but it moves 30’ per round at random, or with concentration in a direction the caster wishes.  The spell will move at random until the caster takes control of the location in exchange for a single attack.  Otherwise, no concentration.

6^th level spell Jumpgout, a 5’ radius twisting pillar of fire causes 8d6 damage to any touching the fire, dex save for half.  The gout of fire reaches up 30 into the air.  The gout disappears on even rounds and reappears on odd rounds.  The gout will reappear up to 60’ away from the last location. (roll 2d12 the first d12 determines the direction and the second d12 x 5 determines the direction.) the flame will move at random unless the caster takes control of the spell for a round in exchange of an single attack.  Otherwise, no concentration.

Summon Fiery Creatures.  This is a first level spell that will summon fiery creatures of an elemental nature to the field of battle.  The caster can determine the size of the creature that forms.  The creature is mindless and will head towards the closest creature friend or foe and detonate against them in a 5’ radius explosion.  Any creature immune to or resistant to fire damage is instead healed by the explosion.  Each creature has a speed of 30’ and can explode as a bonus action, each creature is not affected by fire or other Fiery Creature explosions.  Those not immune to fire can make a dexterity save to take half damage.

Size	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	hp	ac	damage
Tiny	2	4	8	10	12	16	20	30	40	1	18	d6
Small	1	2	4	5	6	8	10	15	20	8	16	2d6
Medium		1	2	3	4	5	8	10	15	16	14	4d6
Large			1	2	3	4	5	8	10	24	12	8d6
Huge				1	2	3	4	5	8	48	10	16d6