Adventure: Black Moon Rising

'''PLAYERS, TURN BACK. THIS IS DM-ONLY INFORMATION'''

Backstory

 * Thoron murdered the World-Serpent Hymr and used his bones to craft the realms of Nyr.
 * Instead of harnessing the dragon-god's spark of divinity as intended, it was sown among the realms, causing gods to sprout like weeds.
 * Thoron built his phylactery on Miridon's Comet, which circled close to Nyr once every thousand years.
 * On the last Black Moon, Thoron's plans were foiled by the five legendary heroes at the cost of their lives: Alana Huntmaster, Lorkhan Stormcaller, Adrion Flamestrider, Terios Mazekeeper, and Beiro Valorsinger.
 * On his thousand-year journey through the outer dark, Thoron met a Great Old One named Ashurnibibi who offered to help, seemingly requiring nothing in return.
 * Thoron has returned and plans to use Hymr's corrupted heart to unlock the Lunarium and steal the secrets of the divine. With these, he can murder the gods and reform the world anew.

Nyvellion's Chambers
''After a long journey through the shadowed forests of Skeinfar, you have arrived at the capital city of Brannaech, which rests upon the edge of an enormous black chasm. There you are led by elven knights dressed in glimmering mithril chianmail to the extravagantly decorated chambers of Vice Darkseer Nyvellion. Awaiting you inside are two figures: a young elf woman dressed in a star-covered robe, and a withering elf man with two empty sockets where his eyes would be.''
 * Babbling sage has vision of the world's end
 * Young astromancer apprentice has discovered a comet that passes close to Nyr once every thousand years
 * Conjures a portal to the comet when the players are ready

Nyvellion is unexpectedly cheery in greeting the heroes, and introduces himself and his astromancer assistant Yalina. One by one, he asks the heroes to describe themselves and their talents to him giving them each a chance to introduce themselves. Afterwards, he moves on to discuss the grim matter at hand: the terrible vision of impending doom he witnessed. After sharing his premonition to no avail to the other darkseers, he had Yalina investigate.

Her discovery was that the last Black Moon event occured at the exact same time that Miridon's Comet flew close to the realms of Nyr. The comet passes by every thousand years exactly, and is due to return at any moment. Surely this could not be a coincidence. Nyvellion attempted to view the comet, but some force was blocking his magic. Nevertheless, I felt something there on that comet, a tiny star of light buried in the night sky. When the players are ready, he will attempt to teleport them to that light.

Treasure Hoard
''As you step through the portal, you fall forward onto a massive pile of gold, jewels, and priceless treasures. All around you in disorganized piles is a treasure hoard so vast it would take hundreds of lifetimes to count it all. Below you, a fiery genie and a genie with skin made of stone play an oversized game of dragon's chess using suits of armor as pieces. Noticing you, their jaws drop and they scramble to wield their weapons. The efreeti shouts, "Perish, trespasser! We are sworn to defeat you!"''
 * Countless wealth, would take years to take inventory
 * Guarded by the Dao Haiqu and Efreeti Ozazi who have been imprisoned there
 * Contains magical items that can be bargained for, including the fallen hero's sword

Roll initiative.

The piles of treasure are considered difficult terrain, and if you end your turn on one you must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.

The two genies have been imprisoned in the hoard for centuries, once summoned to catalogue its vast wealth but eventually forgotten and left to their endless boredom. The two have developed an inseparable bond, and take their actions on the same initiative. If one of them perishes, a magical explosion rocks the treasure chamber, and the other falls to one knee and is silent, his face twisted with rage. The players can destroy the genie or approach it. If a truce is struck, they can console the genie and roll to convince him to help. The genie's DC is 16.

"The chains that bound me are finally broken, but at what cost?"

If the players console the genie, he will aid them by showing them the most powerful magical items in the room which would otherwise take forever to find. The players may equip themselves as if they had rolled a 21+ on the table below, in addition to the Arnihan Family Longsword. After this, the genie vanishes.

The Arnihan family longsword is a powerful artifact which was the source of the beacon, but it can only be used by its owner, who is long perished. If reunited with the statue of Beiro in the Eerie Courtyard, it will give a hint to unlocking the phylactery key.

If they fail or if the surviving genie is destroyed, they instead will need to make (Intelligence) Investigation checks to find items to equip themselves with. Each player finds the following loot depending on their result, which can be made with advantage if the player uses detect magic:

Regardless of each option, one mulligan is given to the party for an undesired item.

Antechamber
''As you emerge form the treasure hoard into a windowed antechamber, you witness an incredible sight: a silver moon hovering above the nine realms of Nyr, all nestled within the skeleton of the world-serpent. In front of the window, a shadowy silhouette coalesces into the shape of a giant. "Well, well, the five legendary heroes have returned to foil my plot once more? What foul trick allowed you to escape me one thousand years ago?"''

The shade of Thoron cannot be convinced that the players are not the five heroes of legend, but will answer any inconsequential questions the players may have.

"''I have a proposition for you all. Come, join me in the Godchamber at the top of this fortress. If you survive, I think you'll find my offer most tempting indeed." The shade fades away.''

MAKE A D20 ROLL for stealth. A Centipede monstrosity overseeing the GOO in the fortress is invisible on the ceiling and is observing you.

''You feel not only your actions but your thoughts being watched. Something is prying, feeling inside your mind.''

Make Charisma saving throws to stay sane, otherwise they gain a trait from the long term madness table.

Long Hallway
''Further along this hallway you see dozens of identical doors lining a long hallway. This seems to be the barracks.''

Storeroom
''A glittering wall of force blocks the entrance to this room labelled with something in giant. On the wall nearby is a small glass panel marked with magic runes that holds a wand inside.''
 * Sealed wih a wall of force, but can be opened with a nearby wand of disintegrate with one charge. Smashing open the panel turns on an alarm.

The Label is "Clone Storage".

The panel is marked with an alarm spell that will sound a loud siren if breached. Inside is a wand of disintegration with a single charge that can be used to break the wall of force.

''This dusty chamber has not been entered for centuries. Bookshelves and alchemical equipment line the walls, and in the center, three identical giants sit motionless in tremendous iron thrones. Tubes of liquid coming from the ceiling lazily circulate liquid through the silent giants' necks.''

The figures are clones of Thoron that were abandoned when the titan recruited his new great old one allies. They maintain a fragment of their creator's intelligence, but centuries of paralysis has rendered them insane. Detaching them from the machinery can be performed with a DC 18 check, but on a failure the tubes will explode and the clones will go berserk. One of the clones is more sane than the others, and can be reasoned with. The thing he desires most is revenge against the devil artificers who tormented him for so long. Unleashing him against the devils in the mess hall is an effective strategy.

Fluid: Investigating the fluid will reveal that it is similar to blood. A DC 20 will reveal it is most similar to lizard blood, and a DC 25 will reveal it is dragon's blood.

Bookshelves: Most of the books are unintelligible arcane symbols, but with a DC 16 check they can find a description of the experiments taking place here. Thoron crafted clones of himself then infused them with "vita" in order to prepare their bodies for godhood. However, this process either drove them mad or tore their bodies apart. The experiment was deemed a failure.

Treasure: Searching the room will gather alchemical supplies totaling 10,000 gold pieces, and a two vials of sovereign glue.

Abandoned Nest
''The furniture that remained in this ancient room has been torn to tiny pieces and sculpted into a giant whirlpool of detritus, almost like a bird's nest. In the center are worthless trinkets, scraps of clothing, and artfully arranged bones. Despite the vacuum, there are signs of recent activity in this room.''

DC 20 reveals that it is the nest of a Neqozeq, a centipede-like creature covered in eyeballs that has so rarely been studied because of the creature's rarity as well as its habit of turning invisible. Its home is thought to be beyond the realms, in the outer dark.

''You feel something probing your mind once more. Make a Charisma saving throw.'' On failure, more long term madness.

Mess Hall
''As you near the entrance to this room you hear raucous shouting and the beating of fists. A fiery debate is ensuing over lunch, with more than fifty devils of various shapes and sizes all crowding into the foul-smelling room. "I have served the Great Godling for nine hundred and forty two years, but it has not earned me any respect! We receive no word from the high tower, despite being on the precipice of the mission we were summoned for! He has grown infatuated with his new allies and abandoned us!" You hear some cheers, and some guttural protests. The debate rages on.''
 * Horde of demons is being riled up into mutiny by Yezibal, an erinyes who has become disillusioned with Lord Thoron's new allies

The kitchen is inhabited only by Ralph Wiltcarrot, a decrepit old gnome who blindly navigates around his kitchen, preparing horrible and gory meals for the devils waiting outside. He issoft-spoken and welcoming as long as he believes you are a devil. If he becomes aware of the identity of the party, he will feebly attempt to sound an alarm. He knows a vague idea of the goings-on in the fortress but no details.

Yezibal is attempting to incite a rebellion, where they plunder the most valuable treasures from the hoard, then devise a spell to break their summons.

Walled Garden
''The plants in this garden are like nothing you've ever seen. Green leaves and stems are instead purple, and their growth has taken a zig-zagging and unnatural path through the still air. Despite no roof, the air in the garden is warm and breathable. On closer inspection, a shimmering dome of force covers the promenade leading to the foot of a spindly tower. In the center, five marble statues face inward toward a gurgling fountain.''

The five statues are the petrified corpses of the five legendary heroes who perished one thousand years ago while stopping Thoron's plan. Identifying them takes a DC 15 check. Speaking each of their names will cause the eyes of that statue to glow, and if all of them are spoken, a hidden chamber underneath the fountain that is shielded by magic will be revealed. Reuniting the statue of Beiro with his sword will prompt a fragment of the hero's soul to say, "Speak each of our names, so that our deeds may not be forgotten."

Treasure: Inside the chamber is a pyramid made of glass sitting atop a stone pedestal. This is a key that unlocks a room in the godchamber that contains Thoron's phylactery.

The entrance to the tower is barred by a 5x6 grid (Wordle Door). The password is TITAN. A correct letter in the wrong place will glow yellow, and a correct letter in the correct place will glow green.

Thoron's Spire
''As you enter the tower, you see a platform extending toward you from a massive tube made of adamantine. On it are some controls. Below, the tube stretches into a dark pool of viscous liquid.''

Attempting to go downwards will soon be unbearable due to the extreme psychic noise of the Godworks below. There, faceless aberrations prepare Vita for pumping through the Godchamber to keep the celestials at bay.

As the players approach the platform, they hear a rumble from above and the sounds of massive machines beneath the surface of the comet churning and grinding into action. The door behind you seals shut, and the hissing liquid begins climbing up the tower rapidly.

Skill challenge: The players must use skills, spells, or abilities to ascend the tower.

Godchamber
''With a shudder, the platform comes to a halt in a great chamber and seals behind you. Before you, Short creatures draped in black robes hover about operating machinery and conducting magic rituals. In the middle of the room, a tremendous heart connected to adamantine tubes slowly beats. It is covered in boils and oozing pus and blood with every motion. Standing 12 feet tall, the Lich Thoron regards you from next to his handiwork.''
 * Contains Hymr the World-Serpent's heart, kept alive through necromancy
 * Thoron seeks not to destroy the realms, but use the gods' secrets to return it to its former glory
 * The heart prevents celestials or divine from intervening, and is a weapon to break the moon

''"It's beautiful, is it not? The Heart of the World-Serpent. I believed once that I possessed mastery of it, but my newest allies have shown me how how wrong I was. I suppose you have returned for this rematch to foil my plan once more? [Response] "I am, however, a Titan of my word. Would you care to hear my offer?''

[Yes] "You must think what all mortals think: that the World-Serpent died of old age and the gods crafted the nine realms from his sturdy bones? What a grand innocence. The gods you know were not yet even born when I crafted the realms with my own hands. And you can help me finish my creation. Look, to the moon: (as the comet grows nearer, a dark blanket of shadow has begun to swallow the moon) Inside is every secret known to these gods. I will crack it open, harvest their secrets, and cut them down in their golden city! They cannot touch me as long as I possess the heart. If you aid me in their slaughter, I will install you, the five heroes who have pestered me time and time again, as my pantheon. What say you?"

[No] "A pity." (Behind him, the moon turns jet black, as if wreathed by shadow."

The floating creatures throw off their robes, revealing their form as floating clusters of eyeballs with spindly limbs.

After defeating Thoron and deactivating the Heart, the shadow over the moon dissipates. Angels clad in blazing golden armor enter the room from a dozen portals. They demand an explanation.

Phylactery Chamber
By placing the pyramid into the hole at the end of the room, a door unlocks, revealing Thoron's personal chamber. In the center, is an hourglass with all the sand at the bottom. Destroying it vanquishes Thoron's spirit forever.