Lost Prison of

Eternity
A High Concept 5e Adventure for Levels 16 to 20
 Table Of Contents

FAQ p3
Prologue p4
Act 1 Black Skys p5
Plot Points
The Obex
Skipping the Dungeon
Act 2 Ghostly Voyage p7
Journy to the Deep
Act 3 Entering the Dream p10
Act 3a The Elysium Door
Act 3b The Door to the Outlands
Act 3c The Door to Hades
Act 4 The Triplicate Keys p18

Credits
Lead Designer: Krusk of The TTRPGFactory.com
Resources: Brush sets derived freely through the
courtesy of Denny Tang and Daniel Kamarudin.
Homebrew icon and label by AeronDrake. Footer graphic
derived, with permission, from Oakendragon. Other art
and visual assets used are DMs Guild Assets or available
in the public domain.
Context: Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition by
Wizards of the Coast, LLC
The Homebrewery: An amazing tool by Scott Tolksdorf

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
License.. except where stricter licenses apply

2
FAQ
S
ome frequently asked questions, and best
practices for running this adventure. Player's
should feel free to read this, and only this
section. Unless they want major spoilers, and
aren't against learning the plot beats of the
adventure.
I’ve never played a high level game. Is
my PC up to snuff?
There are some general expectations for level 16 PCs that
you should make sure you have accounted for as a player
building your character or a DM giving some advice.
The whole party should be able to fly, navigate in
darkness, or generally bypass most mundane obstacles.
They might accomplish this by one player casting a spell on
the group, or they might all be bird people. If the party
approaches an impossibly deep canyon, you shouldn’t need
to call for checks.
Warriors should have magic weapons. Most monsters
resist non-magic weaponry, and the players should be able
to bypass that. They should also have easy access to silver
weaponry, but that might be a secondary weapon they keep
holstered.
The party should have some access to teleportation or
planeshifting magic. Could be through a player with a spell,
it could be through some magic item, or even just an ally.
The adventure works best if the players can do it
themselves, but it's not impossible, and there are NPCs,
Items, and/or portals to help alleviate it. (One could even
just literally walk for most of it a party really insists)
The party is high level. If you google all the stuff folks
complain about that makes a high level game hard to DM,
this module assumes your players have access to it. We are
near the end game, and you should let your players flex and
show off.
Why aren’t the gods interfering
Whatever mind caulk you normally use to prevent them
from fixing problems that impact your setting.
Maybe they have a non-interference pact, and can’t
agree that it's serious enough for them to break it.
Maybe “the PC’s heroic call to action” is actually “the
gods working in mysterious ways”
Maybe they are working on solving some level 21 epic
threat the PCs don’t know about
Maybe they are jerks.
Maybe that's a real question the PCs should be asking
in game.
What about other adventuring groups?
Some fairly high level adventuring parties are found as
corpses throughout the adventure, and remains of parties
can be found panicked and broken. Others could be trying
through alternate paths that the PCs don’t know about.
Ultimately this is a level 16-20 threat, and there simply
aren’t many adventurers up to the task.
When should we level?
Level at the start of each act. 2, 3a, 3b, 3c, and maybe 4
5e stops at level 20, and this adventure is designed with
that in mind. Act 4 is short, and there’s no real need to level
up before it. If you decide to run this starting at a lower
level, you should level up at act 4 as well.
If you have house rules for level 21 games, break them
out at the start of act 4 for level 21 if you want. If they are
any good, it will probably be fine?
What magic items should we start with?
Some? This is a dial you need to choose as a DM based on
your group. The more magic items your party has access
to, the less you will need to railroad and leverage helpful
NPC allies. It also directly ties to PC strength. Use the
chart in the DMG on page 38 to place your group where
you think is best.
If you use some sort of Sane Magic Item Pricing, give
your players about 15,000gp each to spend at their
discretion.
Hard Mode: Level 5-10 High Magic Campaign. Look,
your fighter needs a magic sword. This is the stingiest
you can be to not have the adventure fall apart. You will
need to leverage a lot of NPC helpers, but some groups
enjoy that style of play. You could theoretically give no
magic starting gear, but things will be such a slog that
your players will hate it. Just play a low level game
instead.
Recommended and We Have a Caster: Level 11-16
Standard Campaign. This gives your players two magic
items each, a magic sword, and magic armor probably,
but makes them rely on their own abilities for a lot of
utility. If there is a spellcaster in the party, the group can
probably handle this adventure just fine.
Recommended, but No Casters: Level 11-16 High
Magic Campaign. If your players are all fighter types,
you need to give them more than two magic items. They
need a magic sword, and magic armor, and there’s not a
lot of ways around that without house rules. This lets
them have 4 magic items, a sword, armor, and 2 utility
things. The 2 utility items, hopefully will allow them to
do some of the stuff normally done by casters.
Easy Mode: Level 17-20 High Magic Campaign. The
adventure doesn’t fall apart with more magic items or
gold, so you can go all out if you want. The more the
players have the easier the game, but that isn’t always a
bad thing. It also means you probably don’t need many
helpful NPCs to help the players figure stuff out.
Do I need to know about the Forgotten
Realms?
If you're the DM, you should have a base knowledge of the
realms, or at least the ability to google some of the names
dropped before or during the session. If you're a player,
you're fine.
3
 Prologue

O
pen with a traditional start to a game like
any other. This is a monologue for the DM to
set expectations, and establish some
backstory. A friendly patron pays to send the
party on a quest. The patron should be built
up as a beloved ally who is super easy to
work with and the PCs have a long
relationship with. If you are adding this adventure to the
end of an existing game, you may have a great one to insert
right here.
Instead of launching this adventure as normal, the DM
should conduct a montage of a cool underdark exploration
showing off all sorts of big concepts to set the tone that you
want things to be big in this game. The DM should feel to
improvise as much of this as they want, and expand to
whatever level of detail they are comfortable with. For
example, they helped the Dao wranglers drive off the
Purple Worm poachers, stole the legendary Eye of the
Beholder, sealed the Hellmouth, befriended the Ant People
and [high charisma PC] even made special friends with
their queen. That short jaunt to harvest some Roper bile
certainly did get out of hand, didn’t it. Encourage the
players to add to the story and one up one another on their
imagined quest, while reminiscing on their walk back to
town to collect their reward.
If your planning to use the module as the captsone to an
existing campaign, you can skip the improvised step, and
instead start the game with the players returning from
whatever their last quest was. Presumably it was epic and
cool.
The real beginning is on their return. As they leave the
caves …

4
Act 1 Black Skys

T
he skies are black and it's raining soot and General who is Tharizdun info (DC 10), including that
embers. In the distance, they see a newly he's such a bad dude that the good and evil deities
built two tiered, black, inverted ziggurat (an teamed up to lock him away.
Obex). Demons run amok, causing havoc, Tharizdun is locked away in Demiplane of
and terrified screams echo across the Imprisonment, in the Deep Ethereal. (DC 15) Most of
landscape. his scripture, texts, relics, and “stuff” was destroyed or
Glabrezu leading squads of 3d6 Barlgura locked up with him.
and Vrock Flocks (3d4) fly about. Within the first hour of
being on the surface the PCs should encounter one. The By the end of the Obex, the PCs should have narrowed
DM can use these squads and flocks to draw the PCs down their option to “Go to the Ethereal, find Tharizdun’s
towards the nearest Obex, which is visible on the horizon, prison, and from there find some way to destroy the gems”.
and within a day's walk. During any encounter, random
meteors fall from the sky (as per a single meteor from
meteor swarm every 2d6 rounds. Easily avoidable out of
initiative provided the party travels at half speed, but in the
heat of combat they may be distracted or unable to
automatically avoid. The meteors strike randomly as
determined by the DM in some method that is fair)
The Obex is a cyclopean fortress, carved from strange
black stone. Its cubic, geometric forms are clean and
perfect, the base tier is easily a hundred yards long, and
50ft tall, while the second tier is three times that. Clearly, it
was erected suddenly and rubble surrounds the base from
where it seemingly burst from the ground itself. The base
tier has open doorways, one on each face, lazily guarded by
a Glabrezu squad whose Barlgura wrestle one another in
boredom. A Goristro lazily patrols the exterior with 4d6
chasme. They keep watch and direct him towards anything
worth smashing. From a central point high over the Obex,
you can see a beam of black energy, launching skyward, and
if you follow it with your eyes, you can see it connecting to
8 others from beyond the horizon.
Plot Points
Plot points are revealed at pivital encounters in Act 1. The
DM can improvise some, but there are also a list of some
that can be provided. This should be information shared by
an NPC, found in a journal, or whatever is best for the given
scene. They usually require a skill check approperiate to
the scenario.
Onzobeus is Tharzidun's chosen, and priests followed
willingly, believing this to be their chance to break the
chains that bind their master. Turns out that's not true,
and he had the priests locked away when they
discovered. Onzobeus is using the 333 gems of
Tharizdun not to free him, but to steal his power for
himself. (DC 10)
Onzobeus has used the gems to assemble 9
interconnected ziggurats and can probably be found at
the central one (not where the PCs are). (DC 20)
If he has the full power of Tharizdun, Onzobeus is
probably more powerful than most deities. (DC 20)
Onzobeus’s power is Nigh Infinite at his point, and it
would be like fighting a god. Only the creator of the
gems (Tharizdun) would know how to destroy them.
(DC 15)
While attuned to any gem, Onzobeus is attuned to all
the gems and can sense what's up with them. Include
general clues about not opening the field or he will
know, and being nigh omnipotent, he will probably
come check it. Stealing them drops 37/333th of his
power level. (DC 10)

5
 Percentile Spawn
The obex 1-40 Dretch
The Obex is clean walls, and straight lines in such a way to 41-60 Barlgura
magnify, not diminish, its magnitude. Each of the four
corners is a massive open air room. The Underground 61-70 Chasme
dungeon is accessable from the demonic laboratory, and 71-75 Vrock
the setpiece encounter can be found traveling between 76-80 Hezrou
rooms.
81-85 Glabrezu
Underground Dungeon 86-90 Nalfeshnee
Underground dungeon with cells and betrayed priests of 91-95 Marilith
Tharizdun (who will work with the PCs, believing they can
stop Ishan Onzobeus, and who they think will probably 96-98 Goristro
screw up and let Tharizdun free by accident. They can even 99-100 Balor
plane shift the PCs to the Ethereal if needed. They will give
out some Plot Points as well), corpses of slain adventurers
(1d4 random magic items, but if your party is lacking Skipping the Dungeon
something critical, you can insert it here), and Hezrou If the PCs avoid the dungeon crawl, or somehow avoid
torturers. gathering any of the plot points, they can go back to their
patron, who will act as a Plot Point, and can plane shift for
Demonic Laboratory them. He is shaken, and the city he is in (whichever it is,
The demons don’t use it much, but it's here, and it has although Waterdeep is a decent choice), is in ruin with
some magic items (including a scroll of planeshift and 2d4 groups of demons roving about as described earlier.
randomly determined wondrous items), Plot Points, and
the 37 gems harnessed in a magic containment field.
Setpiece Encounter
While exploring the party comes across the remnants of an
adventuring party, a desperate single sorcerer. He can
plane shift the PCs if needed, but is trying to escape. He
will share knowledge as a Plot Point and can be convinced
to overcome his fear and join the party with a Charisma
(Persuasion) check DC 25. Otherwise, he casts his spell
and flees.
Courtyard
Central open air courtyard, from which you can actually see
straight through the Obex if you want. Be cautious here, as
the demonic guards at each doorway will probably notice
anyone here..
Empty throne room
Onzobeus doesn’t come here, but he could. A trio of
nalfeshnee keep the area pristine, and luxurious for his
arrival.
Spawning Pit
A room on the ground floor with a pit filled with viscera. A
squadron of dretch continually tend and stir the refuse with
long brass fèrro, and every 10 min (or so), they pull a
random demon out. The demon knows its marching
orders, and immediately joins with an existing group of its
kind throughout the compound or the surrounding
countryside. Pit functions as a gate, provided the dretch
tend to it and keep it full. This allows the players to travel to
the pits of the abyss surrounded by an infernal horde
preparing for war. If thats the sort of thing they want to do.
This probably results in a very tough fight for the PCs.
Demons not listed as working in patrols in the Obex, wait
until there are 3-4 or so of them pulled from the pit, and
then depart to roam the countryside as a band. Randomly
determine whats there the first time the PCs encounter the
Pit.

6
Act 2 Ghostly Voyage
I
f sent by an NPC, they naturally send the party to
The Misty Cemetery, as it's the only real landmark
of note in the Ethereal Plane. If a player casts it,
that's where they end up, unless they specify
otherwise. Travel within the Ethereal allows you to
go wherever you know how to get with little effort,
and makes it near impossible to get somewhere
new. Since the party probably doesn’t really know how to
get anywhere (unless there were prior adventures here),
they are naturally drawn to the Misty Cemetery after 3d6
hours of travel. Even if they travel from the Cemetery, they
naturally return unless they have a prior destination in
mind. The party will need someone who has been to the
Deep Ethereal, to actually get there.
The Misty Cemetery is the largest, and only, settlement
of note in the Ethereal. It's a scattering of gravestones,
mausoleums, and crypts. Most spirits stay dormant, having
long ago decided there was nothing worth doing, but will
visit anyone who lingers on or near their tombs. Even if it's
uncommon, it's not unheard of for planar travelers to pass
through. Throughout the region, there are a few crypts
grander than the others.
The Burned Library
A massive library sacked, pillaged and burned long ago, this
echo of the material was once a sight to behold. Now, the
burned husk is home to all sorts of tomes long lost to the
ages. The ghosts of sages that died before finishing their
thesis drift about endlessly refining their research. Edraele
Birel is the head librarian, and one of the eldest ghosts in
the Cemetery. They can direct the PCs towards any of the
various wings and help them with an automatic success on
one wing of their choosing, if they make a good impression.
Otherwise, they are a DC 20 check with the approperiate
skill.
Cartography: A wing devoted to lost and ruined maps.
Spending a day allows a researcher to identify a lost
map, and determine where the map may be of use. It
only contains maps to places that are unknown, which
would include the Demiplane of Imprisonment.
Divinity: A wing devoted to the histories of the divine.
Specifically, the lost and unheard stories focused on
dead and forgotten gods. Spending a day allows a
researcher to identify a lost tome of forbidden religious
knowledge. The researcher can change deities or
patrons. A cleric can pick a new Domain, a paladin can
swear a new oath, a druid can change circles, and a
warlock can change patrons. Alternatively, they can gain
access to a divine spell scroll of 7th level or lower from
the Player’s Handbook.
Arcanum: A wing devoted to lost arcane knowledge.
Spending a day allows a researcher to find a scroll of a
spell that is not contained in the Player’s Handbook.
Alternatively, they can attune to a teleportation circle
that they have heard of, but may not have been to.
People and Cultures: A Wing devoted to the histories
of the forgotten folk. With a day of research, the user
can benefit from the lost knowledge of the ages, and
gains the benefit of the Contact Other Plane spell.
The Reliquary of the Forgotten
An ancient and cracked agora, surrounded by crumbling
marble columns. This is probably the most populous area
of the Misty Cemetery, and merchants can be found selling
the bounty of any lost trade goods. Players can buy and sell
any mundane goods here, and should have the ability to
purchase 10 random uncommon, 5 rare, 2 very rare and 1
legendary item rolled randomly (or chosen by the DM to
shore up a weak spot in the party, potentially around
teleportation or planar travel.)
7
 The Proving Grounds
A massive, cracked coliseum houses the Proving Grounds, The Sunken Docks
serving as a chance for failed gladiators to regain their Ships long lost at sea dock here daily, floating endlessly on
honor. Those slain without a win to their names come here docks that sit above the dry earth. Their spectral crews go
and battle endlessly, working to earn the glory they only about their business, loading and unloading empty cargo,
glimpsed in life. Warriors can enter the daily tournaments endlessly seeking a return to the shores they left. The one
if they so desire, or potentially hire mercenaries to exception being Perry Malone, a riverboat captain and his
accompany them (use Gladiators, but they have the Paddle Steamer, Le Pompier. In life, he gave tours to
Ethereal Sight, Incorporeal Movement, and Etherealness drunken parties up and down river on the casino ship. In
abilities of a ghost.) Each mercenary has a potential to earn death, he and his crew spend their time as tour guides for
10gp per day in the arena, and the players must make a the Ethereal Plane, as one of the few ship's crews aware of
better offer, especially considering all are confident they their predicament. They can take the party to the Deep
will win big (1,000gp) tomorrow. More powerful or esoteric Ethereal, and any demiplane they desire, even the
mercenaries should be available at the DMs discretion. Demiplane of Imprisonment, for a fee. If asked about how
Random Powerful or Esoteric Mercenaries (roll once their riverboat, that toured the same river day in and out
per column) got lost at sea, things should get awkward and the subject
D10 Origin Schtick should be changed. No excuse given should be believable,
or well prepared.
1 Pixie Wields dual pistols
and smokes heavily
Hangman’s Gate
2 Gelatinous Grappling Specialist The Hangman’s Gate is a 100ft high Triumphal Arch with a
Person single dangling noose from the center. It marks the
3 Construct that is Necromancer entryway to and from the Cemetery and serves as a
somehow a Ghost gathering place for new arrivals. Anyone who planeshifts to
the Ethereal Plane, without a specific destination in mind
4 Thri-Kreen Bardic Oracle has 30% chance of arriving under the arch. Its two
5 Tiny Sized Human Rune Blessed secondary arches are teleportation circles. The first is
Barbarian attuned to the Silver Sea of Lunia, the Silver Heaven and
6 A Giant Master Fencer with a first layer of Celestia. The circle in Celestia is 10ft under
Wonderful Hat water, and travelers must swim to shore. The second is
7 Awakened Jaguar Possessed by an
attuned to The Bronze Citadel of Avernus, the first layer of
Angel Hell. Travelers appear in barracks and are quickly pushed
into groups to be tested for use as warriors in, or food for,
8 Reverse Mermaid Demolitions Expert the infernal legions.
9 Friend from home Mummy
that you didn't
know died or was
a gladiator.
10 Young Dragon With Lobster Claws
for Hands

8
Journy to the Deep
If the PCs planeshift directly to the Demiplane of
Imprisonment, skip this. If they take Le Pompier, the crew
does a good job entertaining the party during the trip. Glad
to be of service after a long time at dock. There are drinks,
food aplenty. If desired, they will break out the table games,
and some of the crew can even step in to fill out the empty
seats so there is some competition. Musical and dance acts
come on at night, and it's a rolling good time. Because of
travel times in the Ethereal, it's an unknown duration, but
after 2d4 days, they arrive at the border of the Deep
Ethereal. Within the Deep Ethereal, they are given anchor
points, in the form of the various other Demiplanes. The
crew is more than happy to stop off at any of them. The
captain knows most of them as they sail, and can give a
little backstory. These could be good side quests if needed,
hooks for the future, or just some fun flavor.
These anchor points also serve as points of reference in
the otherwise empty Ethereal. The dull gray of the Near
Ethereal has given way to the inky blackness of the Deep
Ethereal, interrupted only by the glow of the various
demiplanes contained within. Without a point of reference,
it is impossible to tell just how big a specific demiplane in
the distance is, but some must be truly gigantic, while
others are no larger than a pea. Travel here has reference
points, and the party will arrive at the Demiplane of
Imprisonment within 5 days. If approached from the
outside, the Demiplane of Imprisonment is a midnight
black sphere that could almost be missed if you didn’t know
to look for it.

d10 Name Description

1 Island of the An oceanic disc with a single island in the center. The island has a volcano, and the jungle on it is
Ape inhabited by all sorts of dinosaurs and one Colossal Ape.
2 Demiplane of A vast green meadow filled with every species of flower imaginable, and many that defy imagination
Flowers or comprehension in size, shape, and color. Populated with giant bee-creatures and the Abeil, a race
of bee folk.
3 Illusionary In this forest, nothing is as it seems. The idyllic wood with its peaceful creatures is nothing more
Forest than an illusion. Those who can see through it are treated to a nightmare of horrors. Powerful sages
say that too is an illusion, and beyond it, yet an even more serene paradise. Although that raises
concerns. Is there yet another layer of illusions deeper still?
4 Swirling This biconic demiplane is essentially two gigantic tornadoes of immense proportions anchored at
Vortex their base. The top spins clockwise, and the bottom counter. Anything caught in between the two is
ripped to shreds, but any manner of object can be found flying about in the winds.
5 Demiplane of While the Demiplane of Sides is a two dimensional square, beings from more traditional planes,
Sides remain in three dimensions. Travelers liken the experience to walking on top of a gigantic map, while
it moves and interacts with them.
6 Husk The Husk, is the name given to a ruined demiplane. At one point this demiplane was vibrant and lush,
but over time, the highly advanced societies disappeared, and life was destroyed. Many of the day to
day activities are still half finished as though beings left part way done. Now, the planet is bare earth
with ruined buildings.
7 Crystal Cavity This material-like plane’s major difference is the dominance of crystal based life, as opposed to flesh
and plant. These crystalline beings do not age, and reside in gemstone palaces, which are grown over
time. These rigid beings are very cautious about impacts and their potential for cracks. The plane
itself is contained in a gigantic geode, whose gems glow providing light.
8 Key City Key City is the only settlement on a very small planet within a musical demiplane. All conversation
can’t help but be sung, the birdsong is coordinated, and even footsteps fall in a rhythmic pattern. The
remainder of the planet contains such notable features as the Metal Mines, the Rocky Mountains, and
the Rivers of Soul.
9 Pancrustasia This aquatic sphere contains a central mass of brightly colored coral, and is home to a wide variety of
crab, shrimp, lobster folk with a variety of warring kingdoms.
10 Labyrinthine This spherical demiplane is said to be home to a powerful bullike quasi-deity, who protects his maze,
Domain of and the rumored treasure within ferociously. Leaving by planar travel is impossible, with the
the Mighty exception of from the treasure vault.
Bull God
Taurus

9
 Act 3 Entering the Dream
W
hen the players arrive within the Demiplane
of Imprisonment, they are surprised with
how small, ordered, and generally pleasant it
is. The entire plane appears to be a
reception area of about 80ft square, made
from fine polished marble, with four doors.
One on each of the walls with a Solar
standing at attention beside them. When the PCs magically
appear in the chamber, they are facing a solar seated at a
desk, who looks up surprised to see them. The others will
not react.
Zaphiel, the solar, is happy to explain that he is the head
jailer here, and guards the containment area from
intruders. Unfortunately, he couldn’t let you into the prison
even if he wanted to. The door behind him is locked, (he
will even motion, as though they can try if they want).
Entrance requires 3 keys, from 3 realms, for 3 locks. Long
entrusted to unerring servants of law, whose allegiances
cannot be swayed. The door is sealed, unless someone has
all three keys , any one of which should be impossible to
get. This ensures that it is never opened except in the
direist of times, by folks the forces of good, neutrality, and
evil deem acceptable. The Solar is happy to share
information about the prison, and doesn’t actually care if
the PCs go in. His goal is to prevent folks who don’t have
the key from going in, but if they have the keys, go for it.
The prison doesn’t lock from the inside. You can leave
whenever you want. Tharizdun was tricked, and believes
he is the sole god of this place, and has bent reality to
his whim. He could probably leave, and the Solar
doesn’t believe they could ever trap him. Rather, that he
just doesn’t want to leave.
The 333 gems are believed to be fragments of his
physical manifestation, each as powerful as any god. To
destroy them would require a ton of power.
The other solar report to him, and they rotate every
thousand years to keep it fresh. He was created by
Helm, but his companions were made by Kelemvor,
Lathander, and Gond. They don’t guard the chambers
related to their domains at this time, but can give basic
information about the deities and the planes as needed
(will not provide anything that isn’t common knowledge
for anyone trained in the Religion skill).
He has no idea what Tharizdun has done inside the
prison, as he has never been in.
He will tell them that the 3 doors are portals to the
other realms, but he isn't sure where on the realm. He
never went through them. He knows the one goes to
Elysium, one to the Outlands, and one to Hades.
He knows that the keys were given to a council of angels
on Elysium, the Lady of Pain in Sigil, and Myrkul in
Hades.
He knows that Myrkul was recently (to his mind)
usurped by Cyric, and isn’t sure what became of the key.
(religion DC 15 check to know Cyric was then also
usurped by Kelemvor)
The Solar standing guard are there in case someone
comes in aggressively and tries to break in, or so that if
Tharizdun does try to leave, they can hopefully alert
someone.
10
The players can go down whichever door they want, in
whichever order they want. For the sake of picking an path,
we assume they go from Elysium to Sigil to Hades, but
there is no penalty for doing them in any order. There is
also no requirement to return to the Demiplane in between
journeys, although some groups may want to do so to allow
for easier travel. This is where your group has a chance to
flex some of their high level decisions.
Act 3a The Elysium Door
The door to Elysium opens into a serene pond, about a foot
deep and filled with flowering pads and fish. Small stones
lead to a central island with a small bench facing away
from the doorway. The back of the bench contains a small
bronze plaque with the words “I would gladly wander in
Paradise” in a floral script. Those who read the inscription
aloud, while seated on the bench are transported to the
Isles of Avalon, deep within the 4th layer of Elysium,
Thalasia. They appear on a small island, and in the
distance can see a ring of standing stones at the top of a
hill. On approach, there is a satyr who scurries off and
blows a horn, before running off somewhere unseen.
Shortly thereafter, a group of 4 Planetar, and a Solar fly in.
This council was forged long before history with a singular
purpose. To project the key to the Demiplane of
Imprisonment. They want nothing to do with the players,
and will acknowledge they have the key, but broadly tell the
players to leave and stop wasting everyone’s time. They will
not give it to the players, even for the causes listed out
(without monstrous successes on checks), but with
moderate success, will confirm amongst themselves. While
they cannot give up the key, they could let the PCs have a
copy that would last for one week. In exchange, they ask
that the players deal with a problem they themselves
cannot. A rogue descendant of Valkur has been mucking
the place up. The angels like the quiet nothingness, and
peaceful serenity, and it's ruining that with its chaos. They
are also forbidden from simply driving it out themselves.
Convince the Empyrean to leave.
The Empyrean is having a blast wrestling some whales
and didn’t realize, and even if told, doesn’t particularly care
about, the seriousness of what it's doing. The Angels need
to lighten up. It does like a contest, and is willing to
undertake wagers regarding feats of strength, and will
leave if the players can come up with a good one. If the
players succeed on the Empyrean quest, the Angels are
grateful, and will escort the players to a different island’s
seaside cave, where they will remove the long sought key,
and link hands. They will magically duplicate its aura onto
any mundane key the players happen to possess.
Alternatively, if the players skip the standing stones, and
know where the key is, they can battle the angels, who
reside in the caves, and take it for themselves. Depending
on how things go, the players may also convince the
Empyrean to help them steal the key, as he has no love for
the angels who complain about him having some fun.
The players are on their own for a way home. If the players
can plane shift themselves, they can simply return directly
to the Demiplane of Imprisonment. Keep in mind the one
week time limit for the counterfeit key they may have
obtained. Thalasia is serene, perfect, and empty. Thalasia is
the final resting point for the river Oceanus, forming a large
ocean with a collection of small islands around the falls.
Near the base of the falls is the small town of Portico,
home to many planar travelers, a powerful one may even be
able to be convinced to send them to the Demiplane of
Imprisonment, but most have not heard of it, and don’t
know how to target it.
At this point the DM has to decide the shape of
the rest of the campaign. If your party has plane
shifting abilities, they can simply return directly
to the Demiplane of Imprisonment. If not, they
need to find someone who has been, and
because it's so rare, they need someone near
deific power levels. If you want a shorter game, a
traveler in Portico should offer assistance, or
potentially a magic item allowing the players to
plane shift. Alternatively, for a longer adventure,
the next paragraph outlines the broad strokes of
what that might look like, and it could turn into a
fairly long campaign. Natural end points being
whenever the players encounter a metropolis, or
magical artifact. In depth details for each planar
location are outside the focus of this
sourcebook.
Portico can serve as a small respite, common travel
location, or place to hire guides who escort the party via
hot air balloon, and can travel along Oceanus as needed.
The players can travel up the falls to Belierin the 3rd layer,
Eronia the 2nd layer, or Amoria the top layer. Players with
astonishing athletics checks can swim up the falls, as can
those with swim speeds, or fly speeds if a guide is not
obtained. Because of the nature of Elysium, one can also
magically travel between layers. Each layer is about two
miles above the previous one. Amoria, the top layer, does
allow for travel along Oceanus through the top layer of the
Beastlands, Krigala on its way to Arborea. Balloonist
guides would be happy to continue the journey, or players
could trek on foot. Krigala is an endless forest populated by
sentient animals but portals to Arborea, The Outlands, and
Elysium can often be found in the trunks of trees. Tribes of
Centaur live in the woods, protecting the animals, and will
readily direct travelers to the Outlands, if only to be rid of
them.
Coincidentally, the Outlands are the location to the
second Key, and this would be a big shortcut if the players
take it. The Outlands are also home to a variety of Gate
Towns, which allow planar travel to any of the major
planes. If the players continue along the river, Oceanus
travels through The Beastlands and into the second layer of
Arborea, Aquallor. A massive whirlpool resides here and
can potentially suck characters back through to Thalasia.
Otherwise, Aquallor is a massive oceanic plane with
multiple planar metropolises, such as Elshava, a floating
city. With flight, or magic, players can reach the first layer,
Arvandor, which houses Mt. Olympus, the location of gates
to many other planes, including the Ethereal. If the party
still haven’t made their way back to finish the quest by this
point, the DM should take the hint, and refocus the game
around something else.
11

Act 3b The Door to the
Outlands
The door to the Outlands opens revealing a barren, domed
chamber a hundred feet in diameter and made from steel.
Rising from the center of the room is a lever. When pulled
towards the door, the inhabitants are plane shifted directly
to the outskirts of Automata, a gate-town near the portal to
Mechanus in the Outlands.
The Lore for Automata has fast forwarded a few
hundred years. It was a town of pristine order and
lawfulness, but that has since changed. Behind
the scenes, this change is because Automata was
“an exceptionally boring place to visit by most
accounts” - Jeff Grubb A Player's Primer to the
Outlands (TSR, Inc.), pp. 8–9. ISBN 0-7869-
0121-7. Actually adventuring in an exceptionally
boring place is, well, exceptionally boring. There
was a lawless undercity, but its existence was
silly in a bad way that breaks the suspension of
disbelief with the level of naivete required on
behalf of the townsfolk.
Automata was once a town of pristine lawfulness, with a
central gate directly to Mechanus itself. Through this gate
come the great teeth of one of the great wheels of
Mechanus, and continually provides a steady source of
movement. These teeth connect to a series of smaller and
smaller gears throughout the town, and once provided a
form of power, automating many of the tasks throughout
town. From the critical, like pumping water or powering the
large central clocktower, to the ridiculous, like keeping the
blades of the windmill turning at a steady and consistent
pace regardless of wind speed. Some parts of the town
incorporated the gears into their business functions as well,
and Klanger’s Tavern was widely beloved for its automated
band, dancers, and bartenders.
This changed some years back, as Eshirova, an Erinyes,
and her war band moved into town. Originally, offering
protection from potential threats, they quickly proved to be
the biggest threat of them all. After assuming the mantle of
sheriff, they took strict control of the gears, and through a
permitting and taxation process drove most folks away
from their use. Even going so far as to remove smaller
gears from shops and townsfolk who would or could not
pay for their use. Anyone traveling through this town
should expect to find some form of taxation applied, and
anyone powerful, such as adventurers, is strongly
encouraged by the law-folk to move along. Some of the
local petitioners may plead for help, and if the party spends
more than a day and night in town, the group will be
approached and pleaded with for help. Eshirova and her
band have squeezed the town for most of their money, but
the petitioners know that mercenaries aren’t free, and are
willing to make a variety of promises for future payments.
They also happen to know the location of a doorway to
Sigil about 300 miles from the center, and will share it with
the PCs for assistance. Eshirova knows the location of the
portal as well, and will freely give it to the PCs, on the
condition that they leave. If she finds out that their business
is to travel to Sigil, she may even directly offer its location
as a means to get them out of town quickly.
12
The Petitioners of Automata are Modrons, once assigned
to the various tasks of the town, acting as a way point for
travelers seeking to travel to Mechanus. Since Eshirova’s
occupation, none have been allowed to use the portal, and
they haven’t received new instructions for at least a
hundred years. As a result, they have become what is
known as Rogue Modrons (see the monster manual). These
Modrons have essentially broken free of their coding, and
are able to take whatever actions they desire. Unlike
normal Rogue Modrons, these long to return to the fold. It
is unclear what will happen when Primus discovers this
rogue colony, and it may range anywhere from destruction
to rejoining the fold.
Trekking from Automata to Sigil is simultaneously
straightforward, and challenging. Automata is 1,000 miles
across flat grassland to the Great Spire in the center. The
torus city of Sigil floats above and is visible from far away.
One can, in theory, simply walk. Geographically, the 16
gate towns form a perimeter at 1,000 miles around the
Great Spire. Further from the tower is an empty, plains
region that probably goes on forever. Without an interesting
feature, no one has bothered to map it, but it may have a
defined limit. Once one begins walking out of the towns,
towards the Spire, the various planar traits of the Outlands
make travel harder, and probably impossible, based on
distance from the Spire.
Distance Effect
1,000 Level 9 spells and Legendary magic items
Miles cease to function.
900 Level 8 spells cease to function.
800 Level 7 spells and Very Rare magic items cease
to function.
700 Level 6 spells and cease to function.
600 Level 5 spells and Rare magic items cease to
function.
500 Level 4 spells and cease to function.
400 Level 3 spells and Uncommon magic items
cease to function.
300 Level 2 spells and cease to function.
200 Level 1 spells and Common magic items cease
to function.
100 All spells fail. Chemical Reactions cease, and
even the gods cannot exist. Characters suffer
1 level of exhaustion, and a scaling 1d6
damage every round they remain at this
distance. (1d6, then 2d6, then 3d6, etc)
Without powerful wizards and enchanted swords, a variety
of megafauna thrive in the Outlands. Use the random
encounter table once for each time the party changes
distance from the Spire. After a result is rolled, change it
out for a passive, nonthreatening encounter, such as a herd
of Brontosaurus or titanic blue oxen.
D10 Encounter
1 Stone Remorhaz (2d6) - Replace heated body with
Lightning Coil. It functions the same, but deals
lightning damage as bolts of electricity arc off its
body.
2 Roc Flock (2d6 Roc)
3 1d4 Purple Worms Ambush
4 1d6 Storm Giant in a hunting party.
5 Lost and frantic Archmage in possession of a
variety of magical items. Willing to barter in
exchange for an escort to a town. (good
opportunity to to give items the party is lacking)
6 Squadron of 2d4 Ice Devils on a scouting mission
7 Goristro Rancher in search of Purple Worms.
Would just as soon as murder the PCs and steal
their stuff as talk to them though.
8 Dragon Tortoise (use Dragon Turtle stats, but its
breath weapon is Acid, not steam and it has a
speed of 40, with no swim)
9 Solar Bounty Hunter - Assigned to patrol the
Outlands in exile for some embarrassment. On the
prowl for evil, and working to put a stop to it. Note
its spellcasting may not function as normal.
10 The mighty Tarrasque prowls the Outlands feasting
on what it can. This is the singular apex predator of
the region, and after it was awoken years ago, no
one has been able to lul it back to sleep.
If the Party completes the Modron quest, or is given the
location of the portal from Eshirova, they can travel there
and get to Sigil easily enough. If the party avoids either
quest, they have free reign to find another method into
Sigil. It's called the City of Doors for a reason, and there
are more portals connecting to it, than any other planar
destination. The Outlands has 15 other gate cities that may
have information, or can serve as a doorway to other
planes with their metropolises and quests. As a last resort,
the 200-100 mile ring of the plane of the Outlands is a
frequent meeting place for rival powerful entities. All are on
the same foot, and no one has a hidden magical advantage.
These entities are often from Sigil and could potentially be
convinced to bring the PCs along with them in exchange
for a favor or service.
Within Sigil, the Lady of Pain reigns supreme as a deity.
The magic nullifying effects of the Outlands are
suppressed, deific powers cease to function, and she can
reshape the city to her whims. Thanks to its multitude of
portals, the City of Doors has powerful petitioners from
across the planes making a life for themselves. The all
powerful Lady of Pain has laid out bare laws forbidding
outright conflict, but otherwise rules remotely and through
proxies known as Dabus. These beings occasionally pass
along the word of the Lady, and let inhabitants know when
they have crossed a line. Giving the recipient a chance to
correct behavior, lest they invoke her wrath.
To gain an audience with the Lady herself, one must be a
powerful entity. Luckily for the PCs, they are 3-5 such
things. They can get on a list to meet with the Lady easily
enough by asking around, and making contact with a
Dabus. The list is long, and they can be seen in a month.
The PCs can simply wait it out, or one of the folks ahead
may be convinced to let you jump ahead.
Sample Line Jump Quests
Bal'giketh, the Butcher, a Pit Fiend is furious that
Sidriel, a Planetar slew his host. Sidriel claims the host
had crossed an agreed upon border street, but
Bal'giketh doesn’t care and is demanding Sidriel’s head.
If the party brought it to him, he would have no need to
stand in line, and would gladly give up his spot.
The Mummy Lord Masa-ka-harota lost his scepter in a
game of chance at Piyali’s House of Riddles. The
Androsphinx is refusing a do over. He plans to petition
the Lady for its return, but if the players handle it for
him, he would be eternally grateful.
A pair of Iron Golems showed up and destroyed Zrikra
The Serpent’s Wondrous Emporium. He seeks
restitution, but does not know who sent them. (A rival
Lich was jealous of his wares, but the PCs will need to
investigate the crime scene to determine this.) He plans
to ask the Lady who did it, but if the PCs can find out he
will swap.
The Mind Flayer trio, Vilzux, Dhasud, and Aiqnor are
livid. Someone infested their elder brain pool with
Slaadi tadpoles. Now they are breeding uncontrollably,
and they ARE NOT equipped to clean this up. The Mind
Flayers want to know who did it, and have the mess
cleaned up. If the players can solve both problems, they
will give up their meeting time.
13

An encounter with the Lady of Pain is a big event, on par
with meeting a deity. The Lady herself sits upon the Throne
of Blades, and seemingly doesn’t move. Her face, concealed
behind a porcelain mask devoid of emotion. She speaks as
one who knows her authority is absolute, and suffers no
insolence. With a thought, she can banish those who offend
her from Sigil and bar their return. If this happens, the
quest can fail. Luckily, the Lady does not believe in
spokesmen, and judges each upon their own merits. As
such, she will only banish the offending PC. Where to…
well that’s up to her. Depending on the severity, she forces
the creature to one of four locations. For the least
transgression, she simply sends them beyond the gate
towns in the Outlands. They can make their way easy
enough, and she will tell the party which gate town the
offender is near, and that the offender is banished from
Sigil from here on out. For more serious offenses, she
banishes them to their home plane’s largest metropolis.
She will tell the offenders' allies this as well. They can leave
as normal, but it's hugely inconvenient for most, and can
cause major delays for the quest. The next step is to a
random plane’s biggest metropolis. She either doesn’t
know which, or won’t reveal which, to the party, but the
specific PC could figure it out reasonably quickly by asking
someone nearby. Lastly, for the most serious offenses, she
has manifested a series of pocket dimensions in the Deep
Astral. She is happy to tell the players what happened, but
will not reveal how to find the dimension (although savvy
groups may be able to get hints, and see if the crew of the
Le Pompier can help. The Lady does not know they have
access to this resource, and they can’t help but brag subtly).
There is no saving throw for this ability while the Lady is
seated on the Throne of Blades. Otherwise it is a DC 28
Wisdom save.
While all powerful, and totally confident in Sigils
protection against Tharizdun, the Lady could use the help
of a few Primes. It makes life easier for her if she maintains
an appearance of neutrality at all times. Charvia, a Marilith
General, is marshalling power and seeks to overthrow her
Balor commander, Mug'thuz the Devourer. In practice, The
Lady would not normally care, but this Balor has been very
useful, and the Marilith is proving hard to control. If an
adventuring party of Primes were to kill her, well that's not
all that unusual. Mug’thuz and his gang are normally found
at Club Zion, where they act as enforcers and muscle.
14
Club Zion is an exclusive vampire nightclub. The bars
serve a variety of blood, raw flesh, and live delicacies. The
weekend Blood Raves are a hit. Music is loud, discordant,
and enhanced with a variety of illusion magic to create a
surreal, dizzying experience. A pair of Nalfeshnee stand
guard at the door, letting only the right sort of folks in.
Within, the staff consist of Lysander and Yolanthe Lupescu,
a vampire warrior and spellcaster of dubious relation, each
of whom own a 45% stake in the bar, along with 5 vampiric
bartenders, with a dozen or so thralls serving tables and
cleaning up as needed. A rotating cast of bard’s perform on
any given night.
Night Band
Monday The Attitude, a trio of newly risen vampires
featuring a wraith on vocals. Music is slow,
ethereal, and haunting.
Tuesday Sadistic Emptiness. The house band, a
Yugoloth quartet that also steps in if
something happens with one of the other
bands and they can’t go on.
Wednesday The Union of the Crimson Soul. A Siren
vocalist trio who always draw a big crowd.
Thursday Car-Nage. A rap battle duo composed of an
Ettin.
Friday Scarlet Torture Orchestra. You read that
right! STO has a weekly Friday night show
and folks go all out to get in.
Saturday Infinite Gutted Despair.This hard Vrock trio
brings down the house.
Sunday Coldclaw Pack. A nine werewolf band that
crowds the stage. Their music comprises
mostly howls, screams, and a seemingly
random collection of drums. Their hit song
involves the disembowelment of a randomly
selected audience member.
Mug’thuz employes a few hundred Manes, Dretch, and
Quasit skirting around the city, stealing and pickpocketing.
He also has 30 Barlgura, 20 Hezrou, 8 Glabrezu, a pair of
Nalfeshnee, and a Goristro in his employ. At any given
point, there are a dozen pickpockets, 2d6 Barlgura, 1d10
Hezrou, and 1d8 Glabrezu in the club with him. He keeps
company in a back room, with a 50% chance of his Goristro
lieutenant on hand. If not the Goristro, Charvia the Marilith
stands in. The two lieutenant’s have an arrangement to
murder Mug’thuz and let Charvia take charge of the gang,
but are waiting for the right time. If not in the back room,
Charvia has a 50% chance of being in the club as a patron
or being about town.
The Lady of Pain can send the PCs back to the chamber
in the Demiplane of Imprisonment, or most any other place
they wish to go. They can also explore Sigil further if they
would like, and there is certain to be transportation to
somewhere in the Ethereal if needed.
Act 3c The Door to Hades
The door to the Hades opens revealing a clean gray
chamber a hundred feet in diameter and made from
smooth stone and covered in a low layer of fog. Rising from
the center of the room is a stacked stone well. Anything that
falls into the well finds itself transported to a stunted and
withered gray forest. The sound of a slow river in the
distance breaks the otherwise total silence.
Any who touch the waters of the river Styx make
a wisdom saving throw (DC 12) each round they
remain in contact or have their memories erased
for a day. Full immersion wipes one's memories
clean, and requires a saving throw per round
against the effect until dry.
Winding its way through Hades, is the river Styx. One of
the few landmarks to break up the unremarkable gray,
dead forest and scrub brush. Anyone who walks along the
river for a week is bound to find one of the great portals to
Tarterus, Geheana, and The Outlands. These portals, and
the river itself, are used as choke points in the great Blood
War between devils and demons and there are usually
massive iron forts protecting them. Nearing any is usually a
death sentence. Depending on who controls a given fort,
one of the following battalions is stationed within.
Demon: Demons give no warnings and slaughter any
who approach. A marilith is in charge, and she keeps a
hezrou, a flock of 10 vrock, 12 chasme, 30 barlgura, and
40 dretch. The demons fight to the death (and ressurect
at some point in the Abyss).
Devil: The Devils will demand surrender, and take
anyone approaching their base, who is not obviously a
demon or yugoloth, hostage. Their equipment is added
to the reserves, and the characters sold in Hell. Those
who don’t surrender, will need to contend with 2 Ice
Devils, a horned devil, a dozen chain devils, 20 barbed
devils, 50 bearded devils, 6 or so imps, and 20 lemure.
The devils are not above bargaining, and could
potentially be persuaded to provide information.
Yugoloth: Yugoloth are a mercenary faction, and have a
33% chance of being hired by one of the other two, or
being open to work. If open to work, the PCs could
theoretically hire them, for a princely sum of 100,000gp
(or more likely an equivalent in gems and valuable trade
goods), or a legendary item. The Yugoloth mercenaries
are usually 1 ultroloth, 1 arcanaloth, 20 nycaloth, and
50 mezzoloth. They Yugoloth could also simply be
interacted with and won’t cause a problem for the PCs,
if they are not paid to do so. If they are paid to be in
service of the Demons or Devils, the Yugoloth aren’t
above negotiating a surrender if they feel they may lose,
but otherwise defend the fort normally.
Any of the iron towers not inhabited by demons could
potentially be convinced to provide information or direction
towards Myrkul, and they all know the location of the
mighty Bone Castle. It can also be found on its own
through mundane scouting means (it's a big castle,
surrounded by a city, it isn’t hidden).
Control of the Bone Castle has changed hands
many times since the key was left with Myrkul.
During the time of troubles Cyric took over
Myrkul’s duties and fortress, only to be cast out
by Kelemvor who renamed it The Crystal Spire.
Kelemvor is an ascendant adventurer that has
brought about drastic changes for the Bone
Castle, and Hades itself. Whereas Myrkul and
Cyric made the afterlife for those unpledged to a
god a fearful and terrifying thing, Kelemvor has
posited that it is a natural part of life. After the
capture of the, now renamed, Crystal Spire,
Kelemvor established Myrkul and Cyric both as
lesser aspects and holds judgement over the
dead. Those who were wicked and evil are given
to Myrkul or Cyric and those who were righteous
are allowed to haunt the City of the Dead, which
surrounds the castle. Myrkul and Cyric do not like
one another, and often plot to put an end to the
other side, and eventually to reclaim the throne,
but a refusal to work together makes that
unlikely. As former gods, Myrkul and Cyric are
incredibly powerful. Use the Empyrean stats, but
they are still medium sized creatures unless they
choose to grow (as a bonus action).
The City of the Dead is home to the righteous deceased
who have no devotion to a particular deity. Kelemvor rules
it in the abstract, but since the dead have no wants or
needs, and it's only occupants are righteous, his load is
fairly light. The city itself is a proper city, but there is no
currency, restaurants, and most establishments as are
regularly imagined don’t really exist either. There are
artistic workshops set up for those who wish to practice, or
view an art but otherwise things move at an excruciatingly
slow pace for the living.
In the center of the city is the Crystal Spire, a once
wicked castle made from bone, magically transformed to
clear crystal. There are no secrets here. Myrkul rules from
a grand entrance hall, and has no time for visitors or much
of anything beyond passing judgement on the recently
deceased. It doesn’t take a lot of time, but the line stretches
out the gates and through the city itself and is patrolled by
a Death Knight and host of 50 Wraiths. One could simply
get in line, and wait for about a day, but they run the risk of
being mistaken for the recently deceased. The risk here
being that, if judged poorly, they would be sent away with
Myrkul or Cyric for eternal torture. If judged well, they
would be welcome to stay, and be able to have a quick
audience with Kelemvor. Ultimately, Kelemvor has no idea
about the key, and genuinely couldn’t help them. He will
mention that the previous owners had a great many secrets
and one of them may have some insight.
15
 Investigation about town reveals that both Myrkul and
Cyric reside in the tower proper, but keep to the
subterranean depths below it for the most part and are
rarely seen. The dungeons below the Crystal Spire are as
expansive as they are labyrinthine. The major, well known
feature, of the dungeons is the Well of Souls. A large pool
for the evil, but not so evil that torturing them forever is a
priority, souls to wait for their turn to be tortured. The Well
itself is at the bottom of an impossibly deep cliff, made up
from a swirling vortex of pale blue energy. Souls are cast
here, and promptly ignored. Their eternal reward, being the
company they make for themselves. Select souls are pulled
out for specific torture by Myrkul or Cyric as desired. Both
have obvious secret passages used to depart the room for
their work, but the layers upon layers of illusion, physical
trickery, and magical warding make following them into
their respective layers practically impossible, even for
Kelemvor, who has long since given up attempting to
discover it.
Cyric hasn’t heard of the key either, but will not
immediately let on. Any conversation with him on the topic
will casually turn into an opportunity for him to learn about
the key and how he may be able to use it to embarrass or
cast out Myrkul.
Myrkul initially denies knowledge of the key, but if it
becomes clear the players know of it, is all too happy to
reveal its location. Deep within his catacombs, far away
from the prying eyes of Kelemvor or Cyric, he did indeed
stash the key. He won’t tell you anymore, and he won’t help
you get it, unless you can do something for him. His initial
request is for the players to steal the Scales of Power from
Kelemvor, which will allow him to re-ascend to godhood
and cast out “these intruders” (Kelemvor and Cyric). He
would also be willing to accept a great embarrassment for
Cyric that would get him cast out, or a simple murder. The
players could attempt one of three obvious paths.
Presented below in order of complexity.
Murder Cyric: If the players decide to murder Cyric, its
straight forward. He comes to the Well and withdrawals
a soul daily. They could challenge him here, and he
wouldn’t dare call for help, lest he suffer the
embarrassment.
Steal the Scales of Power from Kelemvor: The
Scales are towering, 20ft high scales in which a person’s
deeds are literally weighed. Kelemvor spends almost all
of his time actively using them, as he provides
judgement on inbound souls. Kelemvor would only be
willing to leave the chamber, if there were a large threat
to the city itself. A siege by Demons or Devils for
example would see Kelemvor take up armaments, raise
his army of the dead, martial Myrkul and Cyric, and
protect the city, leaving the Scales barricaded in the
throne room with a single Death Knight and swarm of
2d6 wraiths for defense. (up to 30 additional wraiths
can arrive at a rate of 1d6 per round if combat starts).
Find the Key Themselves: Myrkul has told them where
the key is, in general terms. This is the hardest path, but
a likely one for parties that favor brute force, but are
against murder. They could attempt to navigate Myrkul’s
labyrinth and find it themselves.
16
If Myrkul has the Scales, he can usurp Kelemvor’s power,
and reclaim his rightful throne. He gladly summons the key
to his hand and gives it to the party before he leaves to
confront the newly weakened Kelemvor. The party is on
their own for the return, and should leave quickly, as Hades
will no longer be such a welcoming place. If the party
embarrasses or even kills Cyric, Myrkul again hands over
the key, with plans to bring news to Kelemvor, and absorb
the additional duties and honors that Cyric had. This is a
very dangerous situation for the party, Myrkul will most
likely declare something like “Some adventurers just killed
that weakling Cyric” invoking Kelemvor’s wrath. The party
should have a quick escape ready in this instance. If the
party cannot plane shift on their own, the Iron Fortresses
or the River Styx are both means to traverse the planes.
The river flows from Pandemonium, into the Abyss onto
Carceri, then through Hades and then into Gehenna, and
Baator before finally winding down in Acheron. Travel
along the river is dangerous, and not for the faint of heart,
but it can lead a party to more populous regions than the
Wastes of Hades.
Myrkul's Maze
Navigating Myrkul's maze is quite a challenge. It has three
primary means of defense.
First. It's a literal maze, and DC 15 Investigation checks
need to be made to progress. A party needs 8 successes to
navigate the maze. Many traps are not designed to be
lethal, and just discourage further exploration. An
Investigation check can be made every hour, and a random
encounter occurs at some point during that hour of
exploration.
Secondly. The maze magically shifts. If the party leaves
the maze through one of the magical traps, the layout of the
maze is magically rearranged, and traps are reset. This
happens every Sunday at midnight regardless of which
traps have been triggered. If someone is in the maze when
it shifts, treat it as though they have made 0 progress, but
physical traps in their current room do not reset (magical
ones will).
Third. Literal hundreds of Wraiths. The party should
encounter 2d6 anytime they enter a chamber, even if its one
they have seen before. These Wraiths are sentries and will
flee to alert Myrkul after a single round of combat if they
are not defeated quickly. After 1d4 have escaped, the
remainder will stay to defend the maze, assuming it ins't
obviously suicidal.
The next page has 20 random encounters that would be
suitable chambers for this maze.
D20 Encounter
1 Three Liches, in an arcane library devoted to
research around the ascension to godhood and
Vecna. This library should have magical books of
legendary quality or better, but the liches will
defend it and alert Myrkul if possible.
2 A spiraling inward dead end hallway that is 10ft in
diameter (round). After 300ft of inward spiraling,
the party triggers an 11ft diameter sphere of
annihilation that is released, rolling at them. It
annihilates the stone behind it, revealing a cubic
wall of force tunnel upon which it rides.
3 A false treasure room. Behind an overly trapped
and locked door, the party sees what appears to be
a vault. In actuality, the doorway is a Gate that
merely appears to be a treasure room, any who
enter the room are transported to the Elemental
Plane of Fire. If the gate is dispelled, a simple stone
hallway is behind it, not a room.
4 1d6 Death Knights in their tombs. Any sound
made while passing through their room triggers a
meteor swarm trap, and then awakens the Death
Knights.
5 A large ballroom made from the souls of the
damned. The floor, ceiling, walls, and furnature
absorb the soul of those who touch them (save
Charisma DC 18) vs unconsciousness +
exhaustion. Pass is a level of exhaustion, each
round in contact)
6 Walls made from flesh, more than one of which
have eyes. These wall-eyes will alert Myrkul to
trespassers. Some of them may have darkvision or
better.
7 A rogue Demilich is whizzing down the hallway. It
almost collides with the party, and then
immediately launches into combat during a
surprise.
8 A Mummy Lord and their construction crew of 30
Mummies are carving an immense palace. If
ignored they do not engage.
9 A room containing 12 statues of mighty warriors
from ages gone. 2d4 are Iron Golems which spring
to life if the statues are touched.
10 Goristro fight club. 4 clubs of Mephits (Magma,
Steam, Smoke, Mud) have set up a gambling ring
around battling their captured Goristro in a form of
wrestling. The party can observe if they place bets.
If they attempt to stop it, the Goristro are sicced
on them.
11 A perpetually grieving Solar is kept locked in this
chamber. He was created back when Myrkul was a
deity, and used to enforce deific laws, but now that
Myrkul has fallen he has no purpose.
12 Anyone entering this room is subject to a Maze
spell. The spell does not automatically end after 10
minutes, and those who cannot make a DC 20 Int
check remain trapped, until the spell is dispelled.
Additionally, this maze contains an angry Goristro
who encounters the player at the end of the first
round.
13 The floor of this otherwise unremarkable room is
actually 2 inches lower than it appears. The original
floor is an illusion designed to mask the Prismatic
wall that sits 1 inch above the real floor.
14 One half of this chamber is covered by an exposed
magma stream. The opposing wall contains a door,
emblazoned with an ocean theme. Touching the
door without uttering the command word (fire in
aquan) results in a Tsunami (as per the spell)
blasting everyone in the room into the magma. The
resulting steam bath ruins everyone’s hair and
makeup.
15 This room is divided by a deep chasm 100ft wide
with bubbling lava at the bottom. You reminisce
about how this used to be a large challenge for the
group back in the day. There is an anti-magic zone
60ft wide in the middle of the chasm, stretching
from ceiling to lava.
16 This arcane trap is relatively straightforward and
maddening. This room appears to be a dead end.
The center contains a raised, circular, dias, and
there are runes covering the walls. The runes are
gibberish, and can’t be translated (which is
apparent after a DC 25 investigation check).
Anyone who steps into the dias is immediately
teleported back to the entryway for the Well of
Souls as though stepping into a Teleportation
Circle. The door on the farside of the room is
poorly locked (DC 12).
17 The far wall of this room is an elaborate map of the
planes. Intricately detailed, and masterfully painted.
This relief is a valuable work of art if transported
elsewhere. The first plane touched triggers a Plane
Shift trap on the room. Everyone present must
make saves or become Plane Shifted to the plane
touched. This is especially worrying, as some of
the party may pass while others may fail.
18 One minute after this massive room is entered, a
forcecage is summoned around each creature
(using the slatted bar configuration). Water begins
pouring from the top, and rapidly filling well above
the top of the cages in 6 rounds. The cages last for
an hour.
19 An actually empty room
20 - The Final Encounter - Reroll if the party has not
had a suitable ammount of prior encounters.
Myrkul is willing to assume that his maze and traps
are enough to deter the party, but once alerted to
their exploration, will go and sit in his actual
treasure vault with the key just to be safe. While
there he will get reports from his minions. If the
players make it into the treasure vault, they should
receive an immense horde, but also will have to
contend with three Death Tyrants, who fly high
above using their eye rays, and potentially Myrkul
himself (who grows to full height) and wields a
wicked vorpal scythe. The door to his vault is
guarded by an Adult Red Dragon devoted to the
death cult of Myrkul and should be defeated before
the door can be opened.
17
 Act 4 The Triplicate Keys
W
hen the party arrives with the triplicate keys,
the Angels make no effort to stop them, and
make it clear (if it wasn’t) Tharizdun is not
bound, does not know he is trapped, and
most likely doesn’t know he might want to
leave. He thinks he won and has probably
been thriving in a dreamscape of his own
creation. The keys were designed not to keep him in, but to
keep others out. They have no knowledge of what's going
on in there, but the party should expect the worst. One
thing they do warn the party of, is that if they alert
Tharizdun to the reality of his situation, he may want to
leave. That cannot happen, and would doom all of the
planes.
When opened, the door glows with a blinding light. They
exit a stall into a crowded street of what can only be the
Trade’s Ward of Waterdeep. At first glance things seem
normal enough, but they begin to notice small adjustments
as they regain their bearings and explore. The coinage, for
instance, is emblazoned with the spiral or inverted
ziggurat. People go about their business, but keen eyes
start to notice the lack of religious symbology, which is so
prevalent in the attire and jewelry of the common folks. As
the players start to feel a little more confident, but before
too much exploration is done, the whole market quickly
drops to their knees. A processional is making its way
through the city consisting of a dozen knights in black
armor, four of which carry a black litter bedecked in red
jewels. Once it's well past eyesight, folks begin standing.
This was the Triplicate King of Waterdeep and they are
blessed by his passing.
18
Tharzidun, The Triplicate King’s power here is
absolute. There is limited free will, but there is no
resistance and there is no secret underground of
rebels. The free will folks do have, is built around
a foundation that Tharizdun’s rule is just, fair, and
desired. Tharizdun has seen to it that all of
existence is well and truly as he desires. Players
may be tempted to seek out a band of plucky
rebels who run an Underground from the forest,
and in many stories that is a viable path. A few
things are in place to make that fail here. First
and foremost, this is a prison designed to keep
Tharizdun content. The central premise that
Tharzidun believes is that he has won, and there
is no more fighting to be done. Rebels imply he
was not victorious, and even if it would actually
make him happier to have someone in
opposition to him, the gods who laid the traps
would not allow it. The risk that in his battle, he
would realize his condition was too great. Lastly,
and most simply, all the beings and objects in
this prison are an elaborate programmed illusion,
powered by Tharizdun himself. These literally
aren’t people, and they literally can’t oppose him.
As the players gain their bearings, they will invariably have
questions. One common question is to check, and confirm
that they can leave through the same market stall. A
popular option would be to see the familiar sights and
sounds of home. They can certainly do so, but folks will
have a memory of the mirror versions of the PCs. This
should cause some confusion among the NPCs, and be a
humorous, scary, or dark encounter, depending on your
group. Remember, in this world, tolerance and kindness
aren’t virtues, power is, and the dynamic shift is felt
throughout the setting.
A friendly NPC can reveal
Mirror versions of the PCs work for Onzobeus as
Tharizdun’s personal troubleshooter squad.
Tharizdun currently, and always has ruled all of reality.
Their god is a living god, and created the world in which
we live. He is physically in each major city in the form of
one of his divine 333 bodies.
Onzobeus acts as Tharizdun’s Vizier, running the day to
day operations of Waterdeep, the Jewel of Thazidun’s
kingdom.
Generally speaking, things run about as they did before,
just with a god emperor overseeing it all. Most events
match up, but there are certain stark differences. For
example, no mention of a pre-tharizdun time, or the
concept of other deities.
Asking about town can reveal
The PCs are feared and respected for some reason.
Folks cross the street when they recognize them, and do
their best to avoid eye contact.
Intimidate DC 15 will reveal that the PCs are “The
Hand of Tharizdun” carrying out his divine will.
Generally speaking, things run about as they did before,
just with a god emperor overseeing it all. Most events
match up, and there isn’t a lot of cause for concern
(Insight DC 18 reveals that this is not quite true, and the
players should still keep things vague when they can.)
Tharizdun has 333 divine forms scattered around the
planes ruling the major cities.
Invariably an NPC will become suspicious of their
questions, mannerisms, or attire, and report their strange
ways to the city guard for investigation. Whether this is a
known NPC’s mirror alternative they thought they could
trust, or a simple merchant who noticed none of their coin
was the proper minting, and their priests had strange
symbols. A mirror-ed friend is the best option plot wise, but
a stranger will do well enough to keep things moving.
The city guard takes a fairly ordered approach to this
problem with the following order of events which carries
the act to its conclusion.
1. An investigator will approach from down the street
non threateningly to ask them to return to a guard
house for questioning. The guard appears to know them
by name, and speaks with some familiarity. He will
explain that they heard some concerning rumors about
them, and just want to make sure they are OK.
If the PCs run the guard will briefly give chase,
but it is assumed high level PCs can evade them
easily enough you shouldn’t need to roll much
and can handle this through whatever
suggestions the players have.
The guards will leave, talk to the PCs'
mirror alternates, and alert them to the
doppelganger threat. The Mirror PCs will
then ambush the PCs as described in 2.
If the PCs go along - He, and several members of
the guard will question the PCs. They will need
to pass 5 DC 15 Charisma checks without failing
2 (as a party) to pass scrutiny.
If they pass scrutiny, they are released. The
guard will report it up, and the Onzobeus
will be alerted to the the PCs while they
are lose in the city. Go to encounter 3.
If they do not pass, one of the guards will
excuse himself. The others keep the PCs
talking, and attempt to get them to linger
for 1d4 hours while they key up encounter
2.
If the PCs linger, encounter 2 is an
ambush in the guards house, with
guards helping out.
If the PCs escape the room,
encounter 2 is an ambush in the
streets some hours later.
2. Mirror versions of the PCs will arrive. They work for
Tharizdun, as high level problem solvers, and normally
handle things like rogue monsters, or random high level
threats that arise as Tharizdun’s personal adventuring
squad.
Mirror Fight: a mirror fight between the PCs and
themselves occurs. The Mirror PCs will attempt
to capture the PCs for torture/questioning.
If the Mirror PCs win: They will knock out,
and subdue the PCs. The PCs will awaken,
without gear in a dungeon with an
interrogation by Onzobeus. Go to 4.
If the Mirror PCs lose: They will do their
best to escape when they are below 20%
health, or any Mirror PC is slain or
knocked unconscious.
If they escape: If the Mirror PCs
escape, they alert Onzobeus and he
returns to confront them with any
surviving Mirror PCs, prepared and
ready. Go to 3
If they can’t: Onzobeus comes
looking for them. He doesn’t know
what happened to his team, but is
worried about a threat that could do
this. Go to 3, with way less
information about the PCs. This
gives them plenty of time to prepare
and be on their toes.
19
 3. Onzobeus hunts the PCs. He has spies everywhere,
powerful divination magic, and even an omniscient deity
on his side, although he is reluctant to ask Tharizdun
for help. Once Onzobeus sees the PCs, he has no
interest in keeping them alive, does his best to deal
lethal damage and will go so far as to "accidentally" kill
prisoners if possible. If left alone with any, he will
certainly kill them if able. If the Mirror-PCs are present,
he will not outright slay them, and pay lip service to the
idea of an interrogation. If captured alive, skip to step 4.
This is a probably end game encounter. The PCs
are battling mirror-verse versions of themselves,
and a 1/9th demi-god in the form of Onzobeus. If
Mirror-PCs start falling, they retreat, but
Onzobeus will not. He taps into his godlike
powers, and it becomes apparent to all around
him that he is more than he appears. (DM note,
he has legendary actions that are godlike. Run
the Onzobeus if slain encounter)
4. This is not a great scenario for the PCs. There is a
great chance of TPK here, and it should really be a last
resort. Captured PCs awaken in a dungeon deep below
Waterdeep. They are kept in separate cells, and most
likely chained. Since they were captured by mirror
copies of themselves, most of their tricks should be
accounted for in some way, but if the players come up
with something new then and there, it should probably
work. This is hugely varied by party composition, so
specifics can’t be given, but things like “I always keep a
lockpick in my mouth” or “Oh, I always prepare X spell”
should be accounted for, and things like “I just
remembered I have this obscure ability I forgot about”
should work. Shortly after they awaken, Onzobeus and
the Mirror-PCs arrive. Onzobeus will lead the
conversation, while the PCs are restrained and unable
to interact. He will pontificate at length about duty to
Tharizdun, and getting to the bottom of these
doppelganger fiends, before leaving the room with the
Mirror-PCs. A bit later, Onzobeus will return alone. He
knows exactly who the PCs are, and what they are
doing here. His demeanor has changed completely, no
longer loud and reverent, he is direct, short and mean.
He will interrogate them, and then attempt to kill them
one by one, or through fights if someone breaks free.
Probably without gear, and probably pretty unfairly. Be
generous with letting PCs escape from their bonds as
described above, so as many as possible can participate.
If he is wounded, but wins a fight. Onzobeus will heal
between encounters.
If the PCs can escape, they should have enough
information from Onzobeus to know their
mission is accomplished. Tharizdun is now
weaker, and Onzobeus is no longer siphoning his
power.
Onzobeus is casual about information when it is just him
and the PCs. He assumes they know a lot more than they
might, and he is cocky thinking they can’t stop him anyway.
No checks are required to get information from him. This is
a good method for the villain to outline his plan if your
players are a little fuzzy or forgot details. In front of
Tharizdun and others, he is almost a caricature of a loyal
servant, fawning over Tharizdun at any chance. He has
been siphoning the power of Tharizdun using the powers
of the 333 gems into himself, and so long as is servants on
the material have the gems, Tharizdun is splintered, and
Onzobeus can rule in his stead. He will ruin one reality to
rule another.
If slain, Onzobeus erupts in divine energy, and 37 of the
Triplicate Kings step forth from his flesh. This is a good
time to remind the PCs that if Tharizdun starts thinking
too hard about what's going on, he might put enough pieces
together to wake up. The Kings fly skyward, and begin to
fuse together once more. Players can and should use this
opportunity to slip back out that original market stall, and
return to the Demiplane of Imprisonment.
There isn’t a real need for the players to fight Tharizdun,
he is still trapped, and relatively unaware of the events of
the story, but players are players. Fighting a god directly,
especially one who so scared the other gods they couldn’t
beat him, is beyond the power scope of this book. If you
include it, and Tharizdun is defeated, the realm should
collapse pretty immediately. It's kept alive by his will, and
without it, there is simply nothing. Instead of simply
blacking everything out and having a TPK on a win, you
should consider having reality rapidly shrink around
Tharizdun giving a few rounds for the players to make it to
their exit.

20
Ishan Onzobeus
Medium humanoid, Lawful Evil
Armor Class 13 (16 with mage armor)
Hit Points 135 (18d8 + 36 + 18)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)
Actions
Illusory Appearance. Onzobeus covers himself and
anything he is wearing or carrying with a magical
illusion that makes him look like another creature of
its general size and shape. The effect ends if the
Onzobeus takes a bonus action to end it or if it dies.

    The changes wrought by this effect fail to hold up

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 20 (+5) 14 (+2) 20 (+5)
Saving Throws Int +12, Wis +9, Cha +12
Skills Arcana +19, Deception +19, History +12,
Insight +9, Intimidation +12, Perception +9,
Religion +12
Damage Immunities necrotic, radiant; bludgeoning,
piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages A host of local languages native to the
demi-plane, Celestial, Common, Draconic,
Primordial
Challenge 21 (33,000 XP)
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Onzobeus fails a
saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Divine Rejuvenation. If Onzobeus is slain, shards of
his flesh shatter, and he reforms in whirl of arcane
smoke up to 60ft away from his previous location.
He returns to life but is reduced to two legendary
actions per round, and 78 hit points. The second
time he is slain, he returns to life with a single
legendary action per round and 39 hit points. The
third time he is slain in a day, he returns with 10 hit
points, and no legendary actions. His legendary
actions, and hit points are restored after one week of
seclusion, and this ability's usage is reset.
an attack against a creature of Onzobeus' choice.
to physical inspection. For example, Onzobeus could
appear to have no claws, but someone touching his
hand might feel the claws. Otherwise, a creature
must take an action to visually inspect the illusion
and succeed on a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation)
check to discern that Onzobeus is disguised.
Explosive Growth. Onzobeus can increase his size by
one category, gaining +4 strength, +4 constitution
(and by extension 36 hit points), and +4 natural
armor. He can do this until he reaches gargantuan
size, with the effects stacking each time. This ability
lasts until Onzobeus dismisses it, or is slain.
Legendary Actions
Onzobeus can take 3 legendary actions, choosing
from the options below. Only one legendary action
option can be used at a time and only at the end of
another creature's turn. Onzobeus regains spent
legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Cantrip. Onzobeus casts a cantrip.
Explosive Growth (Costs 2 Actions). Onzobeus uses
explosive growth.
Flash of Betrayal (Costs 2 Actions). Onzobeus taps into
the psyche of all creatures within 100ft. Drawing
upon their inner insecurities, jealousy, and fears,
Onzobeus inspires all creatures who fail a Charisma
Save DC 18 immediately use their reaction to make

Onzobeus can choose attacks from any of the

    He returns one size category smaller than he creature's abilities eligible for use as a reaction. The
previously was, with any additional hit points from target of this ability then takes 4d10 necrotic
size increases restored in addition to of the 78 or 39 damage. Those who pass the Charisma save take half
from this ability. damage.
Spellcasting. Onzobeus is an 18th-level spellcaster.
His spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC
20, +12 to hit with spell attacks). Onzobeus has the
following wizard spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of

frost

1st level (4 slots): detect magic, mage armor, magic

missile, shield

2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, invisibility,

Melf's acid arrow, Flame Blade

3rd level (3 slots): Clairvoyance, counterspell, dispel

magic, fireball

4th level (3 slots): blight, dimension door

5th level (3 slots): cloudkill, scrying

6th level (1 slot): disintegrate, globe of

invulnerability

7th level (1 slot): finger of death, plane shift

8th level (1 slot): dominate monster, maze

9th level (1 slot): Meteor Swarm

21