The dead sentries posts are not filled in the Alerted state. 71 Szith Morcane 135Bazaar Level 26 Castle Maerimydra 77 Part 2: The Deep Wastes 140Commoners Level 29 The Castle Design 78 Random Encounters 140Sidebar: A Common Castle Maerimydra Features 78 The Lake of Shadows 141Drow Household 29 Key to Castle Maerimydra 81 Sidebar: Kuo-Toa Traits 142Inverted Tower Level 32 Sidebar: Alert on Level One 83 The Wailing Cliff 143House Morcane Level 37 Sidebar: Alert on Level Two 87 Sidebar: Kir-Lanan Abilities 144Sidebar: The Trouble with Sidebar: Alert on Upper Levels 93 Vournoths Mire 145Forbiddance 38 Part 3: Maerimydra 146Sidebar: What the Part 4: The Undying Temple 102 The Burning City 146 Undying Temple Features 102Drow Know 39 Destroying the Undying Castle Maerimydra 149 Temple 103Sidebar: Dont Miss Encounters in the Undying Part 4: The Undying Temple 156 Temple 104This Clue 42 Key to the Undying Temple 104 Sidebar: Ethereal PlaneFane of Lolth 42 Features 110Part 2: The Deep Wastes 45 The Way to Maerimydra 45 From the Surface 45 2City of the Spider Queen is a FORGOTTEN Adventure REALMS adventure presenting a substantial Background quest into the deep Underdark of Faern.Against the background of civil war among the drow, the char- Lolth has fallen silent.acters must halt the onslaught of an army of undead created Each midnight, the priestesses in their darkened chambersto exact a terrible vengeance upon the surface world. If the message is delivered, one of those officers hurries to help the sentries here, while the S4. Allow characters Spot checks to detect the demon only if they are actively looking around. The sentries, wizards, priests, and commonersread-aloud text below and describe the room as just like the of the outpost, as well as a handful of visitors from otherother barracks. Underdark locales, come to haggle over the merchants wares. in the wake of Lolths sudden silence. I actually much prefer them. Both wear their rangers once captured him during a raid on the surface.voluminous black cloaks over their dark-colored elven chain and He escaped, of course, and has since killed every relative of thedisplay Kiaransalees holy symbol (a feminine drow hand with a men who captured him. Such a crea- in this room.ture adheres to the web that forms the ladder, becoming en-tangled as if by a web spell. These are also apparently empty, except for a thick coating of dust. H. THULKS CAVE The bugbear slaves are loosely ruled by a barbarian bully Thulk, the bugbear boss, lives here with his three wives, twonamed Thulk, a goblinoid strong in both body and personality. Because they10 gp, 10 gp, and 11 gp; hydrophanes always know how close their killers are,worth 20 gp and 40 gp; waterstars worth 60 gp, 80 gp, and 100 they are not surprised and begin battle with key enhancinggp; a violet garnet worth 500 gp; and red tears worth 800 gp, spells in place. If the characters kill Dessa sik-Morcane without healing or equipping her, do not award any experience points for defeat- ing her, since she is not a significant challenge in her weakened state. WebCity of the Spider Queen is a 160-page adventure module set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, for use with the 3rd edition of the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons . Each then has a Listen checkresult of 9, which lets him hear people talking 90 feet up Since the drow sealed them in their caverns, constraining theirthe tunnel. Laralas enemies are the drow leaders of Szith Morcane, not a random band of surface-world interlopersin fact, she could conceivably ally with the charac- ters against the drow, despite her paranoia. turn notify the drow of an intrusion before moving into posi- tion to defend their cavern. clearly not lain undisturbed since its crafting. blue. The drow sentries carry most ofshield. 160 In drow villains in their own demesne makes for an extraordi-Part 2 of the adventure, they must travel through roughly nary adventure. Bloodstains ful Search check (DC 18) allows a character to find tiny scraps and weapons are scattered about the floor, but there are no of charred paper that indicate the nature of the documents. Wizards of the Coast[1] dash for the chambers door. One end extends out into a occasionally joining to form a solid column. 19Part 1 Treasure: The filth heap in the southwest corner contains s Stone Doors: 4 in. About 8 feet moved. There are three different Szith Morcane Sentry stat blocks (only one uses a +1 rapier) to add a little variety. Doors: The doors in Szith Morcane are stone. drow they killed and that theTreasure: The mind flayers revenants were able to scavengecarry belt pouches containing only a chain shirt and daggerthe gems they use for trade. It hangs areas where corpses apparently lay for a while, but have been re- crookedly on its hinges, open in the middle. These drow all helped in thewithin a zone of truth. If they peacefully accompany him to the audience hall, he is more The door to this room is protected with a permanent alarm than willing to negotiate an alliance with them. A successful Search day-blasted lands, too, and achieve that ultimate triumphcheck (DC 20) reveals the round door, but not how to open it. What I found was it was not that big of a deal. The rangers lead off with no signs of habitation. Tactics: News of fighting at the gate in S21 spreads like wild- S23. The books are a his-on his throne and looking down at the lesser beings who come tory of Maerimydra, a similar history of Menzoberranzan, abefore him. Take notes on Treasure: Many of thethis encounter, including spells furnishings in this roomand tactics used by the charac- are valuable, but theyreters, so that the revenants can exceedingly large andadapt their tactics to suit the tech- bulky. ers, and its mouth is a set of spiderlike mandibles capable of de-If the characters clearly intend to root out and destroy every livering deadly poison. thick, hardness 8; hp 60; AC 5; With each slaying we grow in her favor and sow the seeds ofbreak DC 28; Search DC 20. our coming victory. stone-walled enclosure beside a large, dark lake. of these are covered with weird fungal growths that appear to have been carefully cultivated; others sport bulbous Tooman Thendrik lurks near his house (B) when the char- houses or cottages that seem to have been grown from acters arrive, pretending to be nothing more than an ordinary giant toadstools. Don't get into the trap of making them like PCs. Further- more, an attacker gets a +2 bonus on attack rolls made against Development: The drow of Szith Morcane do not allow this a climbing creature. He has thick black hair and almost wears a black tabard emblazoned with a silver spiderweb in- beige skin, and he sports a neatly trimmed moustache and signia. Shortly after their arrival, a warped and twisted half-drow came to the chasm, troubled by the absence of Lolths insidious whispers, which had previously been a constant presence in her mind. SACRIFICIAL ALTAR (EL VARIABLE) that warded it before the recent coup. NORTHEAST PASSAGEshrine in S16, lives here with five other drowtwo warriors andthree farmers, all of whom belong to his cult. The DMG custom monster rules are very exploitable. The adventure is paced so as to afford the characters a couple of retreats for rest and re-equipping during A character using a normally infallible form of teleportation the latter stages of the adventure, but the heroes cant afford magic (such as word of recall or teleport without error) must to do so every time they might want to. No corpse is necessary47, 34; see Monster Manual. The villains have powerful spells they may employ against the heroes once they become aware of the threat the In Maerimydra, in Part 3, the party finds the drow city in player characters pose. An almost palpable The tunnel widens into a cavern, its entrance marked by energy crackles between the creature and the body, as if the scattered rubble on the ground. 1-800-324-6496 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Printing: September 2002 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, FORGOTTEN REALMS, WIZARDS OF THE COAST, and the Wizards of the Coast logo are registered trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. This adventure works as well for evil drow characters as it does for heroes from the sur-Adventure Outline face, though their motivations are completely different. This is the lair of a trio of spirit nagas. Then they tore apart the cupboards and set up elements; 3rdbestow curse, deeper darkness, invisibility purge,these coffins as resting places for the three guards who became magic circle against good*.vampires (the two posted in S39 plus the one in S41). denied us so long ago.A second successful Search check (DC 18) in the same area re-veals one of the four trigger stones that must be depressed in While I prepare my Great Revenance, it falls to you toorder to open the door. She is cruel, twisted, and con- Faern have earned her the enmity of Dumathoin, Kelemvor, sumed by thoughts of vengeance against Lolth and every and Jergal, while securing her alliances with Malar, Hoar, other deity and mortal being who has wronged her. Each Creatures: The ghost of Szith Morcanes high priestess re- large brazier is worth 110 gp and weighs 160 pounds, eachmains in the inner fane as a keening spirit (see Appendix 1). Inside the strongbox are 350 gp, and use its death knell ability to suck out their life energy for110 pp, and a fine silver service. Forgotten Realms Wiki is a FANDOM Games Community. Two large clay urns (one onactually attached to the door. crypts after a raid, and they kept supplies hidden here as well. Again, refer to the descrip- strength. acquire expensive magic items.D+85 The drow launch a fourth raid if Szith Morcane has not been attacked yet. As long as the characters stay reasonably quietfor a cousin of hers in Cormanthor. Dordrien Crypts Features If the characters press Randal Morn for more information Both the two freestanding mausoleums and the undergroundabout the crypts, he tells them that they are rumored to be crypts share the following features, unless noted otherwise in ahaunted, and he knows that the folk who live nearby give the specific area description.place a wide berth. The PCs may be asked to stop the raids bynew leaders, the drow of Szith Morcane have begun making some higher authority (such as Randal Morn or some Harperraids on the surface, primarily on the lands of Daggerdale, higher-up), or they may be lured to investigate for more per-almost directly above the drow outpost. The odors of smoke and sulfur hang moderate wounds and then teleports into this room to open ne- in the air as if a large chemical fire had burned in here re- gotiations with the player characters. Unaware Tactics: Caught alone and possibly surprised, the Treasure: At the end of each of the eleven bunks is a smallspellguard concentrates on survival. Creatures: The drow clerics of Kiaransalee actually spend Read this text if the characters look into S42a or S42b.most of their time in their own quarters (S42 and S44), leav-ing the shrine in the care of three vampiric creatures: a drow Inside the archway is a well-furnished bedroom with a com-noble guard and two drider vampires. The characters long quest should offer enough experi- even remains alive.ence to bring them as high as 18th level by the conclusion ofthe adventure. The puddings tend to remain in the back of a spellguard in the traditional purple tunic and black trousers.the pitch-dark room, so characters without a decent lightsource or the ability to see in the dark at long range may not D Szith Morcane Spellguard: hp 16 (40 temporary); seespot them immediately. However, many im- with the map and her other belongings.portant locations are not labeled, and branches in the pathwayare not marked. She is entitled to a Scry check of her own (DC found some other way to irk Irae, she begins to engineer attacks20) to notice the magical sensor used against her (Scry modi- on them from the sanctity of her citadel. Registration. They can see as far as point X on the map, where thefoes are dying. Welcome Wanderer! A combat in progress within 2 rounds. D Szith Morcane Officer (1): hp 67; see page 135. The heroicworld. Three gray dwarves beside them seem to be selling wares from the lizards packs. chamber curves in an octagonal shape. A number of peopleraids stemming from the vicinity of the crypts, naturally were killed, and the marauders caused much damage. Using telepor- long and 20 to 50 (1d4+1 10) feet wide. Abandon your empty allegiance to a silent goddess out speaking the password triggers the trap. Large encounters with numbers are very different in 5e, even against a higher level party numbers can only be made up with very low CR critters. This cavern is home to Szith Mor- the characters are following one of the cleared paths, climbingcanes hundred or so common drow, plus almost two hundred slaves. WALL OF STONE Two driders lair in this cavern, which they have warded with a The tunnel ends abruptly in a wall of hewn granite that spiked pit trap near the entrance. Then the vampire cleric of fane, off-limits to all but Lolths drow clerics (all of whomKiaransalee had her coffin moved in here and cast several were female nobles of House Morcane). The d20 System logo and d20 are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. selves, or use teleportation magic to get in. living in the shadows of Cormanthor. made to detect magical sensors) takes a 4 penalty The effects of faerzress apply to Parts 2, 3, and 4 of the ad- because of the interference of faerzress with venture. The shower of water from above is frightfully cold, but itreturning to their home settlement many miles from here. If anyone escapes the footlocker contains several changes of clothing and some oddsweb, his next two spells are purely defensive: stoneskin and fire and ends of no great value. The forgotten so, you may need to set up your own starting scenario.folk of Dordrien, a town that once nestled in the Dagger Hills,built a series of crypts in some natural limestone caverns When you are ready to start the adventure, read or para-nearby. A creature under a true seeing effect priestess and her retinue who hide in D12. themselves to be a threat. rise spontaneously from drow theD Mind Flayers (4): hp 69 player characters killed in Szith(with bracers of health +2), 56, Morcane. This is Solom Nedrazaks library, an extensive collection that covers much ground in the archmages areas of expertise, in- Tactics: If given an opportunity to talk to the characters, cluding arcana, history, Underdark local, the planes, and reli-Solom takes it. See the Intruder within the chasm must make a Spot check for each round ofAlert! sidebar for details of Szith Morcanes reaction to the movement or fly headlong into a web and become entangledcharacters arrival. Hes willing to agree to a Tower area.parley anytime the heroes offer one, figuring he can alwayskill them later if they turn out to be weak. Second, they are raising them as revenants afterhunting for food and sport. Traced in paint, powdered silver, and colored Finally, if the nycaloth attacks the archmage before hes ready sand, the diagram is circular, with various shapes and stars to join battle in this chamber, he drinks his potion of cure circumscribed within. In a pinch, low-level drow make aggressiveuse of their darkness ability to slow down dangerous attackers Creatures: Two bizarre creatures dwell in the waters of theand buy themselves a chance to escape. GUARD BARRACKS steel shield and a rapier. Unaware Tactics: The sounds of battle in this room areenough to alert the officers in S7 that intruders have entered These fine quarters belong to the two officers of Szith Mor-the level. This Domains: Chaos, Drow, Evil, Retribution, Undeath act of all-consuming destruction secured her place among the immortal deities, and she has chafed under Lolths rulership Favored Weapon: Cold Heart (dagger) ever since. Only if they are actively looking around these drow all helped in thewithin a zone truth. 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