+ DeEap Gens + Being a pairing of Adventures in which the Heroes must face the might and minions of Powers both dead and Undead, for the sake of Sigil, their own small Lives, and the very Multiverse itself. CREDI+S Designer: Monte Cook # Editors: Ray Vallese, Michele Carter Cover Artist: rk post # Interior Artists: rk post, Adam Rex, Josh Timbrook Cartographers: Dennis Kauth, Rob Lazzaretti Project Managers: Karen Boomgarden, Steve Winter Graphics Coordinators: Dawn Murin, Paul Hancherte # Graphic Design: Dawn Murin, Matt Adelsperger Electronic Prepress Coordinator: Dave Conant + Typography: Angelika Lokotz Playtesters: Carrie Bebris, Michele Carter, Bruce Cordell, ‘Ted Stark, Keith Stroh, Ray Vallese EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS Wizards of the Coast, Belgium US, CANADA, ASIA, PACIFIC, €¢ LATIN AMERICA Wizards of the Coast, Inc. PB.34 P.O. Box 707 2300 Turnhout Renton, WA 98057-0707 Belgium +1-206-624-0933 492-14-44-90-44 Visit our website at http://www.tsrine.com 2631 XXX1501 Sr at Ease ay Rau ge, Menu Cnae Kane i of nn De he hay, coma trade intend Sea Canad regan dtr Disrbed welieap ee = li<% TABLE @F CON+EN+S In which the Dungeon Master learns of the two Adventures in this volume, the means by which they might be made One, the nature of the Statistics and Poster map, and other Products both required and optional. @U+ OF +HE DARKNESS Istrapucris In which the Dungeon Master gains the full Background of the story, a summary Adventure, and valuable notes on preparing for Play yf the (Cuamree I: CnceaN Extnens In which the Heroes learn of reptilian Thieves that steal more than mere Wealth, and chase them across the Outlands and to the leafy branches of Yagdrasil itself to recover their strange Plunder. Charrix Il: Ceux In which the Heroes visit a Tree-town troubled by barmy ratatosk, discover a dark Corruption of the World Ash, and see with their own eyes the Violent effects of Evil’s taint Ivrea In which the Dungeon Master learns how a great Villain was raised from Astral slumber, how he restored his Fiendish servants to unlife, and how he divined a bloody Course for finding that which he had Lost. (Charen Il: Mask: In which the Heroes find the citizens of Crux not what they used to be, follow a Fiend to Baator to discover what it seeks there, and learn that the Faces of friends might be nothing but Masks. (Charter IV: Messace Fron THANaros In which the Heroes return to the Tree-town by way of a dead and ruined World, find that Yogdrasil is not yet cleansed of Evil’s stain, and learn the Chant by spying on a secret gathering of Fiends, c V: Tie BorvoM oF Te MuLtIVER In which the Heroes journey 10 the Cold Land, explore a peculiar and hidden Fortress of things undead, and stumble across a dark Prisoner with much to share — if only he could Remember. Ivtenvuoe tt In which the Dungeon Master learns how the Villain himself came to Baator to seize that which his Servants had sought, and of what he did when challenged by the greatest Proxy of Set. Charen Viz Tae Vauer oF tHe Dk In which the Heroes see cargo safely from the Abyss to Oerth, find the Vault of the dark elves torn ‘apart by civil War, and try fo gain the confidence of a Drow tho alone knows a terrible Truth. Gorseret Vil; Tue Burns oF Peo In which the Heroes seek passage to the dusty deserts of Arborea, relive a harrowing Adventure from the plane's distant past, and learn the nature of powerful Magic stolen long ago by the VillainDerex.une WL In which the Dungeon Master learns how the Villain finally found the object of his long Quest. (Charter VIN: Deeeest Pas In which the Heroes seek refuge from Madness with a traveling circus, journey deep within the caverns of the Howling Plane, and unearth a long-buried Artifact of frightening power. Cuarren IX: Tue Deap-Boox oF tr Gos n6 In which the Heroes travel to the Silver Void, receive a Warning that all is not yet right, explore the rocky Corpse of the Villain they have long opposed, and learn, once again, that Things are seldom what they Seem. IN+@ +HE LIGH+ Inteopucrion 126 In which the Dungeon Master gains the full Background of the story, a short summary of the ‘Adventure, and valuable notes on preparing for Play. Paar Ove: Inimat Forays 130 In which the Heroes look into the Strange matter of an old church, seck Aid at a place known as the Ubiquitous Wayfarer, and discover that certain Forces would kill to ensure that their Secrets remain dark Pat Two: Crosse SwoRDS a2 In which the Heroes incite a panic with false Chant, witness the seizing of the Ubiquitous Wayfarer, and find themselves cast in the role of Peacekeepers on the eve of faction War. gar Thixke: Mysrenies oF rie Srones a In which the Heroes confront the secret Villain of the story, journey through the fading Remembrances of a god, and restore a fragile Peace to Sigil — the only kind it can ever truly know. = APPENDIX Visaat 158 In which the Dungeon Master gains the details of a brand-new Monster, an undead Fiend with the power to warp a victim's Perception of reality, causing kim to experience That which is not In which the Dungeon Master finds the full gaming Statisties for eack of the principal Characters, Foes, and Monsters encountered in the two adventures in this Volume. PLavee ILLUSTRATIONS, 169 In which the Dungeon Master is presented with a dozen and three full-color Depictions af scenes from "Out of the Darkness,” which are meant to be shown to the Players at the appropriate times, the better to make them Understand the terrors and dangers faced by their stalwart Characters.FORE WORD eens sim oni contr anineh Finally, as with all PLavescare adventures, the italicized text printed in amber is meant to be read aloud to the players. All other information is meant for the Dungeon Master alone, +4e@uvt Or THE DaR«nEss 5 e a\ Ae te‘Know that now and forevermore, he who once claimed Thanatos is no more. The past master of this place is gone and shall not return. 1, Kiaransalee, Mother of Vengeance and Mistress of Un: life, rule here now and shall into infinity. My will is law in Thanatos, for itis now my realm. ERTRODUCTION immer annem mer ruler again. Let no written word, anywhere in alex stence, past or present, record his misbegotten appelta tion, Let this be the last moment any creatures ever hear the name fall upon thelr ears. The last vice to speak the name shall be that of his executioner, and I say it now for the final time ‘ORCUS! + BACKGROUND +. Sometime in the not-so-distant past, some thing occurred on the Astral Plane, an event that'd have repercussions throughout the ‘multiverse: A dead god began to stir. ‘Course, fallen deities return to life every now and then, but this time was different. The power continued to rise, his appearance slowly changing, his form slowly warping. Then the god simply vanished from the Silver Void. Only the Guardian of the Dead Gods, he who once was Anubis, noticed the disappearance ~ and he shuddered at the implications. One of his charges was returning to life And his name was Orcus. Forces — possibly inadvertent, possibly not — conspired to bring the dead god back. Some- where in a tiny demiplane known as the City That Waits, a number of the former Abyssal lord's worshipers suddenly awoke from their eternal slumber. Somewhere on the Prime, a lich named Acererak stirred up the dark suspension of the Negative Energy Plane with a barmy scheme Somewhere in a completely different world, a once-powerful devotee of the god of undeath sent ‘one last impassioned prayer. Who knows how it all came together? Who knows the true dark of such things? Somehow, a dead power was given another chance to THERE are +HREE RULES +® ENDINGS right the wrongs committed against him. A single word escaped the Fisst, G@@D ALWAYS WINS. ips ofthe tanar'i god as he rose from the Silver Void: SEC@ND, Vengeance.” EVIL au RE+URNS THIRD, +4e FIRS+ RULE THE FALL @F @RCUS ISN'+ ALWAYS +RUE It all started long ago, when a minor demipower named Kiaran- — TARSHEVA L@NGREACH, se ist agit hn Se On le layer ofthe Abyss tome say multiple layers), an his realm was LISA D ea Ste filled with the undead over which he held sway. Planewalkers un- fortunate enough to have stumbled into Thanaos ~ but icky enough to have kiven It the laugh ~ described it as an endless, ghouls revere. Atleast, they did at fist, Over the ens, however, the realm grew as fat and inattentive as the Abyssal lord himself. Noone had ever challenged the mighty Oreus, and he began to lose the dark ede that'd elped him rie to 4 position of power in the fist plac. His actions were careless, and his realm became a place of Cold, que, undead languor, +64That's when Kiaransalee, a drow goddess of vengeance, made her move. She'd somehow been slighted by the tanar'i lord. To this day, no one really knows the nature of the of- fense, or even if it was grievous or minor. Some folks rattle their bone-boxes that Orcus's actions caused her to remain only a demipower among the drow when she'd had a chance to supplant Lolth. Others say that the crime was trivial. To Ki- aransalee, the details hardly mattered. She conspired against Orcus and eventually slew him through treachery and sur- prise, quickly usurping his realm and position, Thus, the first utterance by the tanar'i lord upon hhis re- birth could have been either an oath or a reference to a former wrong. But even when revived from his deathlike slumber, Orcus still wasn't truly restored to life. His new existence more closely mirrored that of the undead over which he'd ‘once ruled. He'd become an undead god. THE RISE @F TENEBROUS To celebrate and signify his new state of existence, Oreus chose a new name. Now a thin, small, shadowy creature, he called himself “Tenebrous,” for he was shut off from the light of life forevermore. What's more, he'd lost too much strength (o hold onto his former level of divinity. Lesser than even a demipower now, Tenebrous could no longer form avatars. But ‘make no mistake — he was sill a god, far beyond the strength of the mightiest mortal, and stil in command of potent and terrible might. More than ever before, he hungered to exact revenge on those who'd wronged him, And in his new, twisted state — twisted both physically and mentally ~ that meant everyone in the multiverse. Bathed in unholy energies, Tenebrous left the Astral by way of Yggdrasil, the World Ash, whose branches wind th ‘way through the cosmos to reach many (some say al) planes. He knew he'd need help to regain his former power, but in trying to summon his old servants, Tenebrous discovered that they, too, had been slain by Kiaransalee. So he brought them back to unlife. These undead tanar'i he called visages, and he set them upon the task of secretly gathering information to aid in his vengeance. Yggdrasil allowed them to walk the planes as needed, and the quiet town of Crux — nestled in the branches of the World Ash — served as a secret base. No one knows exactly how much time passed at this point in the tale. Suffice i to say that some years later Tene- ‘brows discovered the means by which to achieve his evil goal. In the ruins of Pelion on the plane of Arborea, the undead lord found the Last Word. It was the ultimate magic of un- making, a force potent enough to slay even a god — just the thing Tenebrous'd sought. But still he couldn't make his move. He had nearly every thing he needed: the power to slay anyone in his path, a small but efficient army of infiltrators, a convenient base for his cadre of spies, and a fortress known as Teian Sumere hidden deep within the Negative Energy Plane (a hideaway he'd cre- ated long ago for just such an emergency). But Tenebrous lacked one important item ~ the talisman that made him what he was. He needed his symbol, the tool that contained a portion of his very essence. The thing that’d make it clear to his enemies that he had returned. The thing that'd let him strike fear into the hearts of his foes, so that they'd know in their last seconds of life exactly who'd de- feated them. The being that had been Orcus needed his wapd. THE TALE @F +HE WAND In those long years past, when the goddess Kiaransalee de- stroyed and supplanted Orcus, she left no deed undone. She killed his servants and slew each of his proxies, all except for Rotting Jack, who convinced her to take him on as her ovin. (Sure, Kiaransalee knew that Jack was trying to bob her to gain power for himself, but she brought him into her fold for amusement) The goddess then used strong magic to wipe away every ‘mention of her foe's name, wherever and however it'd been recorded, She lacked the power to erase the very memory of Orcus from the minds of the multiverse (which is what she re- ally wanted to do), but her enchantment still swept through the planes, removing the name “Orcus” from all histories, etchings, and the lke. Thus did she reshape Thanatos into her own image, though the undead residents remained virtually unchanged. Lastly, Kiaransalee dealt with the Wand of Orcus, the for- ‘mer ruler’s most cherished and mighty artifact. She gave it to Kestod and Erehe, two of her living drow followers. (While the power of the wand put them in great danger, the goddess didn't trust her new undead followers ~ certainly not Rotting Jack! — with so potent an artifact.) Kiaransalee transported ‘the two drow to Agathion, the fourth layer of Pandemonium, ‘where they buried the wand in an unknowable, unreachable ‘vault of stone. Then she brought them back and rewarded the berks by drowning them both in the River Styx. Thus, not only were they dead (and could tell no tales), but even if they ‘were contacted or restored to life, they'd remember nothing. Kiaransalee fet confident that the Wand of Orcus would stay lost forever ~ so confident, in fact, that she actually al- lowed one of the dead drow to return. Erehe had been the beloved consort of one of Kiaransalee’s most powerful priest- ‘esses, so the goddess allowed him to be resurrected and rejoin his lover on the Prime Material Plane. The other drow, Kestod, became an undead creature in his mistress's realm, as did all of her petitioners. And short-sighted Kiaransalee forgot about them both, focusing instead on running her new realm (which ‘was quite large for a demipower) and scheming to unseat Loth, THE UNHOLY QUES+ In hs search for knowledge ~ specifically, the dark of his lost wand — Tenebrous journeyed to Mechanus and confronted the lord of the modrons, Primus, the One and the Prime. Primus couldn't or wouldn't answer to the undead lord's sat- +8+isfaction, so Tenebrous spoke the Last Word and slew the supreme modron, just as he'd done with the others he'd vis- ited. (His quest left much blood in its wake, some of it the blood of gods.) Unbeknownst to anyone, the shadowy, un- dead lord then assumed the role of the master of all modrons, filling the void of command before Primus could be replaced from the ranks below. And though it was not yet time for the next Great Modron March, he gave the orders for the procession to begin. Thus, the modrons poured forth from ‘Mechanus and surveyed ‘each of the Outer Planes, gathering information on everything they sav, just as they always did — but this time, the dark of their discoveries flew back to Tenebrous. This went on for years. (The details of this errant march are chronicled in the PLANESCAPE adventure anthology The Great Modron March (2628),) Then one day, while trekking through the Lower Planes, the modrons learned of Kestod and Erehe, the two drow who'd hidden the Wand of Orcus. Tene~ brous left Mechanus and made preparations to travel to the Abyss clandestinely to capture the undead berk in Thanatos. Meanwhile, he sent his visages to Baator, to the desert realm of Set, where they were to bring back a magical blossom to restore memories drained by the River Styx. The drow pris: ‘oner would be made to remember where he'd buried the wand. There were ather sources to question, too — it never hurt to gain knowledge. Didn't the ilithid god Maanzecorian re- poredly know a great many secrets? And the deity known as Camaxtli, as well? Tenebrous'd gladly kill every god in the ‘cosmos until he found his wand, but he knew that such ram- pant violence would alert others too quickly. He hoped that the visages would succeed, so he wouldn't have to visit Baa- tor personally and slay Set. That'd certainly draw a great deal of unwanted attention. Nonetheless, Tenebrous would let nothing and no one stand in his way. He'd learn the location of his wand. He'd teach Kiaransalee the meaning of power. He'd have his vvenge on the multiverse. + ADVEN+URE SUMMARY * ‘As “Out of the Darkness” begins, the player characters have no idea what they're getting themselves into, No wise old sage meets them in a tavern and begs them to prevent the return of an evil dead god. Instead, the PCs stumble into the real plot as they take part in another, THA+ WHICH can E+ERNAL LIE, AND with SHRANGE E@NS EVEN DEA+H may — AN UNKNOWN Fraime AU+HOR, PR@VING +Ha+ N@+ ALL or+nem ARE CLUELESS In Chapter I, "Circean Embers,” the heroes follow a band of khaasta raiders who're using a strange magical item that ‘can steal the beauty from a person or object. The khaasta’s path leads From Sigil to the Outlands, and from there to the creatures’ lair ~ the entrance to which is found on Ygg- drasil, the World Ash. But the raiders’ king refuses to sur- render his precious beauty. In Chapter Il, “Crux,” the PCs spend time resting or healing in the tree-burg and lear that an evil force hhas come to Yggdrasil, ‘a dark presence that seems to twist the minds of those most in tune with the tree, Even the ratatosk, protectors of Yggdrasil, fall prey to the disturbing influence, The heroes might find their own minds clouded in Chap- ter Ill, "Masks," in which they learn that Crux has been com- promised by shadowy, fiendish creatures able to alter a berk’s perceptions and steal his identity. Eventually, they follow the creatures — which are really Tenebrous’s visages ~ to the realm of Set, where the fiends seek a magical blossom that re- stores memories lost to the Styx. After a dramatic battle in Crux, the PCs might believe that they've put an end to the vis- ‘ages’ menace, even if many questions are left unanswered. Naturally, the leatherheads're wrong, In Chapter IV, “Message From Thanatos,” a summons from Crux brings the heroes back to town by way of a nearly dead prime-material world called Ranais. While crossing Ranais, the PCs learn more of the visages and perhaps even their foul master, Fi- nally, back on Yggdrasil, the bashers take the fhorge by the tusks and ambush the visages, hopefully first gaining clues as to the fiends’ true base of operations: a fortress within the [Negative Energy Plane. {In Chapter V, “The Bottom of the Multiverse,” the PCs ex- plore the stronghold, perhaps picking up hints to the identity Of the visages’ master and the source of his newfound power. But they also encounter a vampire held prisoner by the fiends = the drow Kestod, who lost his memory in the River Styx. ‘The visages obviously want to wrest some bit of forgotten knowledge from Kestod’s mind. If the PCs help him, Kestod ‘warns them that the only other berk with the secret is found in the Vault of the Drow, on Oerth. If the cutters follow up on this lead, Chapter VI, “The ‘Vault of the Drow," thrusts them into a civil war that threat~ fens to tear the Vault apart. In the midst of chaos and danger, they locate the drow Kestod mentioned and finally tumble 10 the truth: The evil god Orcus (now called Tenebrous) is the one leading the visages. The secret he desires is the location of his infamous wand, and he's been killing everyone in his path = even gods — to find it. N@®+ DEAD DIE. +94Either before or after the trip to the Vault, the heroes can chase another trail (0 Arborea. In Chapter VI, “The Ruins of Pelion,” they live ‘out other bashers’ ‘experiences from the distant past and learn how Tene- brous gained the power to slay gods. However, if he doesn't recover the Wand of Orcus soon, the former Abyssal lord's newfound might will consume him from within. Eventually, the PCs race to the Howling Plane in Chapter VIII, ‘Deepest Pandemonium.” After getting directions from the circus-caravan known as the Cynosure, the heroes reach the fourth layer, where the wand lies hidden. They must find the artifact before Tenebrous does, and they've got to destroy it, send it far away, or otherwise keep it from the evil lord Jong enough for him to die ~ again. Some time afterward, the bashers take part in Chapter IX, “The Dead-Book of the Gods.” wherein they travel to the As- tral Plane on a seemingly unrelated mission. Once there, they learn that a priest of Tenebrous they first encountered in Pan- demonium is attempting to bring his god back yet again. The PCs must make their way across the floating husk of Tene- brous to confront the priest and stop his evil scheme, But is Tenebrous really dead? With all of the manipulation of their perceptions throughout the adventure, the cutters just can't be Interspersed throughout the nine chapters are Interludes that reveal the dark of Tenebrous's wicked machinations. ‘These Interludes aren't meant to involve the PCs ~ they simply help the DM better understand what's going on as the story progresses. * PREPARING FOR PLAY + “Out of the Darkness” is a massive ADBD® PLanescaPe® ad- venture, an epic with many characters to meet, locations to ‘explore, and obstacles to overcome. t's designed for a party of four to six characters of 6th to Sth level. But even such ‘advanced bashers will take many playing sessions to complete the scenario. Before running “Out of the Darkness,” the DM should be sure to read through the entire adventure at least once com~ pletely, reviewing the pertinent sections before each playing session. The flowchart on the inside back cover of the book is ‘meant to help the DM keep the course of the ride straight. The Appendix (starting on page 157) contains the Monstrous Conrenois® Appendix-style entry for the visage, a brand new creature, as well as full statistics for major char- acters, foes, and monsters, What's more, the last pages of the book feature 15 different full-color illustrations of scenes from "Out of the Darkness." These illustrations are labeled by letter (A through 0}, and at certain points during the adven- ture, the text instructs the DM to show the players a particu- lar picture. The illustrations give the players a better idea of what their characters encounter (“You see this"), so the DM shouldn't show them any pictures ahead of time. “Course, maps of important locations appear throughout the book, but the folded poster sheet contains three additional maps for use with “Out of the Darkness": a map of Crux, a map of Tcian Sumere, and a large map of the Vault of the Drow. When folded up in full, one side of the poster sheet shows Crux and the other shows Tcian Sumere. When opened ‘once, the sheet shows the Vault of the Drow. (When unfolded in full, it provides a map for use with “Into the Light.”) This folding method should make it easier for the DM to prevent players from seeing maps that they're not supposed to see. ow The Appendix does not contain stats for Tenebrous. He may have been weakened by his death and rebirth, but he's still a deity. The PCs can’t wound or fight him, much less kill him, USING “IN+® +HE LIGH+” “Into the Light” is not part of “Out of the Darkness.” I's a sep- arate, stand-alone adventure that takes place in Sigil. The DM can run the scenario on its own or incorporate it into “Out of the Darkness,” turning “Into the Light” into a sub-plot of the main story. The flowchart on the inside back cover of this bbook shows the recommended method for linking the three parts of “Into the Light” with the nine chapters of “Out of the Darkness.” Suggestions throughout the text offer the DM ‘other possibilities for integrating the two adventures. No matter how the adventures weave in and out of each other, the PCs will have to cope with different events on dif- ferent levels. They can use what they lear in one plot to deal with problems in the other, and certain characters (such as Talismin, who appears in Chapter | of “Out of the Darkness”) can affect events in both storylines. ‘A skillful DM can even make the players believe that the two different adventures are really art of one large scenario. The two-plot method of storytelling might seem a bit complex at first, but it gives the DM and the players a great deal more flexibility and allows for excellent role-playing. THE PLAYER CHARAC+ERS “Out of the Darkness” isn't intended for low-level adventur- es, but it tres to make the point that a player character doesn’t have to be a vastly powerful jusseraut dripping with magical items in order to get involved inthe big events of the planes, Fact is, when dealing with matters this big, a PC's level of power becomes unimportant. A deity like Tenebrous doesn't much care whether a hero's Ist-level or 18th-ievel ~ the berk’s still a moral, totally incapable of fighting a god. The DM's encouraged to alter “Out of the Darkness” as necessary to fit the adventure into his existing campaign. However, it's nat recommended that he drastically change the scenario to accommodate very low: or high-level PCS, Fist of| +10%all, making things easier so that lower-level characters can survive will prove difficult — and will weaken the game. Sec, this plane-spanning adventure takes the cutters to highly dangerous trouble-spots, and if that danger isn't present, it ccheapens their existence. After all, if the Abyss isn't terrible and deadly, what's the point? And if the DM lets higher-level heroes play, the sods might believe that they can fight Tene- brous or undertake other addle-coved actions that should rightfully end in their deaths. The PCs in “Out of the Dark- ness” must be capable, yet well aware of their limitations in ‘comparison to what they're up against. ‘They've also got to be somewhat self-motivated. They're pulled into the main plot slowly, but when they start to dis- cover that strange things are happening, the cutters are on their own. No external force makes them keep going, no guide leads them along from one scene to the next, and no one says, “Orcus is doing bad things. Here's a hundred gold pieces. Get ." The PCs must provide their own motivations and their ‘own solutions. Curiosity and the benevolence to right ‘wrongs'l probably drive the heroes onward ~ at least, they should. Berks interested only in treasure or other material ‘gain aren't best sulted for “Out of the Darkness,” and the DM may need to provide alternate motivations for such bashers. ‘As mentioned earlier, the adventures of The Great Mod- ron March lead directly into Dead Gods, making that earlier product a “prequel” of sorts. However, PCs who took part in all of the scenarios from The Great Modron March might be 2 little over-powered for the first few chapters of “Out of the Darkness.” That's fine, though; the DM can balance them out by letting the visages alter the perceptions of those characters even more. With their powers of lucidity control, the visages can challenge PCs of virtually any level, especially if the sods're caught unaware, TIPS FOR +HE DM “Out of the Darkness” is a complicated adventure, particularly if used in conjunction with “Into the Light.” This section of fers a few tips to help make the DM's job easier. One of the problems with running published adventures is that the players often have some idea of what they're get- ting into, If the DM takes out a thick book called Dead Gods, the players'l know that they're about to start a long adven- ture involving expired deities. But the first chapter of “Out of the Darkness” pulls the heroes into the main plot by having them chase khaasta raiders. The DM should take pains to pre- vent the players from seeing the book too soon, perhaps by copying Chapter I and leaving the book itself out of sight until it's needed. (By permission of TSR, Inc., pages 12 through 25 of Dead Gods may be reproduced for personal use only. © 1997 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved.) Chapter VII, “The Ruins of Pelion,” may present chal- lenges that many DMs won't have faced before. See, at that point in the game, the players will create a new group of tem- porary characters who adventured in Pelion’s distant past. To ease the transition between the original PCs and the new bunch, it might be a good idea to start the new heroes at the beginning of a playing session and not return tothe original bashers until the beginning of yet another. (In other words, don't make the players switch characters inthe middle of a session.) What's more, the DM can run the temporary PCs'ad- Venture in a different room or an entirely new location in order fo make the experience seem even more unustal. An- other option is to have a “fill-in" DM from outside the playing group ran the sessions that involve the temporary characters. ‘Course, the regular DM still needs to be aware of everything that happens during that time. Here's an even stranger idea, In Chapter IX, “The Dead- Book of the Gods,” the PCS travel to the Astral, where the Guardian of the Dead Gods warns them that the threat of Tenebrous isnot yet over. Instead of running that chapter last, the DM can use it to begin “Out of the Darkness." Then, when the Guardian delivers his message tothe heroes it unleashes @ flood of repressed memories of events. At that point, the PCS return to Chapter | and play out the adventure until they catch up to Chapter IX again ~ apparently, they'd already done all of those things but somehow lost their memories of| them. (Perhaps Tenebrous wiped their brain-boxes clean so the sods wouldn't remember that he was trying to restore himself to full power) For this to work, the DM must arrange in advance for the characters to lose a considerable amount of time ~ most likely several months ~ that they can't account for. But that could be great fun, too. Imagine the heroes’ confusion and fear as they slowly ealize that its six months later than they thought it was. The DM must aso deal with the fact thatthe PCS al- ready know they'll survive the adventure, since they're alive at the “end” when they talk tothe Guardian. Fially i's essential thatthe DM familiarize himself with the many locations visited in “Out of the Darkness.” It's enough to read through the descriptions in A DM™ Guide to the Planes (found in the PLavescare Campaign Setting boxed set), but other products provide more details about specific settings. The Planes af Chaos boxe set (2603) has the dark of Yaggdrasl, the Abyss, Pandemonium, and Pelion. The Planes ‘of Law boxed set (2607) covers Set's realm on Baator. A Guide to the Astral Plane (2625) lays bare the Silver Void. A Players Primer to the Outlands (2610) could prove handy asthe heroes track the khaasta in Chapter L. And numerous products featur- ing Sigil - inluding In the Cage (2609) and Uncaged (2628) ~ provide information on the Cage's wards and residents. A few non-PLANESCAFE products might also prove helpful ‘he classic Ist-editon adventure Vault of tke Drow (Dungeon Module D3) contains a great deal of chant on the Vault, though most ofits been presented and updated in Chapter VI of “Out of the Darkness.” Ifthe DM wants to expand on the heroes’ stay in the Vault, the accessory The Drow of the Un- derdark (9326) reveals much about the dark elves. aieSlavering gods, but-you're slow!" The roilmaster's whip cracked in the air above the heads of the workers, "Put some back into it!” A long, mean dering smile crossed his reptilian mouth, “If belief is power, as the chant CHAPTER Ts cerca tate cee toe ere ta CIRCEAN EmBERS of the Gray Waste, If the clouds held an rain, it would likely prove to be greasy and dirty. And everyone in the carav was already befouled with mud and oil. The portal from Sigil had taken them through the strip mines of Chariamur, and it be a while before they reached lronridge Thirty human slaves pulled a huge wagon fi ‘and stolen cargo. The khaasta guards on lizardback watched over them, but the roilmaster gave the orders. As he looked on the wagon went up and aver a large rut of dried mud, A clink-clink-clink af glass was followed by a sudden, sharp rash, The wagon stopped. The toilmaster looked toward slaves had heen pushing. One aj the back of the cart, where a handful he men hhad changed. Hi attractive. Despite the fact that the slave was human, the toi countenance now hinted at something respectable ~ something somet 1 he berk. He'd have ro make sure the worker remained ng pleasant abi in his personal force Damm!" said the toilmaster, trying to shake himself back t0 his senses Warch back of the nearest slave, “You've broken a bottle and wasted some beauty 1, you sodding leatherheads!” He brought his whip down upon the + THE THIEF OF CHARMS + ‘A few hundred years ago, a planar wizard named Chyv Imrin discovered a por tal that led from his kip in Sigil to a prime-material world called Neirston. He knew the portal'd prove quite useful ~ the chant said Neirston was magic-rich — but the problem, he soon found, was the key to the portal: beauty. See, any- thing could pass through the portal, but its beauty was drained away to acti- vvate the door. And that left the person or object something without beauty, unappealing to all eyes. Gems lost their luster and shine. Hats +HE PR@BLEM WI+H HUMANS THEY'RE +®@ S®DDIN’ S+UPID ‘Works of art became bleak and plain. People became uncomely. +@ MAKE G@@D SLAVES. They didn't change physically in any way: they simply lost some : intangible quality and became unattractive FHF FOILMASHER Chyy, of course, didn’t want to suffer that fate. So he constructed what he ‘thought was a minor magical item, an object that has since proved to be quite pow- erful: the thief of charms. The thief's a rod of iron with a glass bottle attached to bone end. When touched to an object or creature, the rod steals all beauty from the target and stores it in the bottle, which can be removed and corked. (The target is ‘not allowed a saving throw.) Other bottles can easily be fitted onto the end, and any bottle or similar container will do, for the magic is in the rod. If'no container is at- tached to the end of the rod, the thief cannot drain beauty. Whenever Chyv wanted to journey to Neirston, he used the thief of charms to fill a bottle with stolen beauty and then carried it through the portal. The doorway always consumed the bottled beauty rather than drain it from the +26_ wizard or from an item he carried or wore. But Chyv couldn't fil his study with hundreds of flasks; he had to capture beauty more or less as he needed it. See, he learned the hard way that stolen beauty is fleeting and dangerous. When stored in a bottle or other container, the beauty fades away completely in about a month. When the beauty is applied to an object or a living being, the effects last for only a week. What's worse, if something is given beauty beyond its own — in other words, if beauty is drained from one thing and added to another that already has it — the recipient becomes so attractive that those who look upon it feel compelled to pos- sess it, For these reasons, Chyv called the stolen beauty circean embers. Eventually, the wizard, like all mortals, died. The portal, and indeed the world of Neirston, was forgotten in the Cage. The thief of charms passed into obscurity ~ that is, until the item was looted by cross-traders and eventually sold to a Khaasta bandit-kingg named Haac(!}nss (pronounced like a phlegmy cough, a click, and a hiss put together). Haac(!)nss didn't look upon the rod as a bit of esoterie magic. He saw it as a tool to get rich, He figured that what the item could steal, he could then sell, and he sent his troops out with the thief of charms to collect all the circean embers they could get, But the reptilian raiders failed to see the true nature of the rod or of beauty itself. They didn't realize that all natural things pos- sessed inherent beauty. Instead, they assumed they had to drain the beauty from intelligent, living targets, ‘And so the khaasta made their way to Sigil, to steal from the Cagers that which the sods experienced so seldom. USING +HE CIRCEAN EMBERS ‘Throughout the adventure, various bashers might use or fall vietim to the thief of charms. The DM should keep in mind the following general rules to govern how it works: + Anyone who loses beauty to the rod can regain it by exposing himself to any circean embers. I's hot necessary to find the exact bottle containing the beauty stolen from that individual * A victim who's lost beauty sufers a -2 modifier to reaction rolls made by others — unless the lucky ‘sod runs into a very rare individual who doesn’t make judgments based on physical appearance. Stolen beauty affects a victim's basic nature; in other words, an ogre who loses beauty and an elf who loses beauty both suffer the same penalty. ‘Any person or object whose appearance is enhanced with the circean embers is perceived by others to be extremely attractive, Onlookers who fail a saving throw versus spell arc affected as by the sympathy effect of the 8th-level wizard spell antipathy-sympathy. The berks feel compelled to pos- sess the beautiful person or object as they might desire a glittering treasure or magnificent work of art. (Members of the Bleak Cabal, and any other creatures the DM so chooses, gain a +2 bonus to their saving throws versus the sympathy effect. Sensates and other beings designated by the DM suffer a penalty of -2, as they focus so much on their senses.) + Anyone currently made beautiful by an application of circean embers is immune to the sympathy cffect caused by seeing another “infected” person or object. + Circean embers wear off in about a week, restoring the beautiful subject to normal and canceling the sympathy effect in others. But the thief of charms can restore a victim to normal immediately, and the circean embers can be dispelled as can any other magical effect. (Note that someone who loses beauty won't return to normal in a week and can't be “cured” with dispel magic; the victim's stuck unless exposed to circean embers.) 4 A single use of the thief of charms will drain all of a victim’s beauty or bestow upon him as much beauty as he could ever have. In other words, using the rod several times on the same target won't have any added effect. +e+ A CRY IN +HE NIGH+ This chapter, the first portion of “Out of the Darkness,” has litle to do with the overal plot of Tenebrous’s return. Instead, it's meant to subtly draw the player characters into the story without letting them lear too quickly just how big a problem they face. The text below assumes that the PCs begin the ad- venture in Sigil, although the DM can place the opening in any burg desired, One evening, after dinner, the PCs hear a shriek from outside their tavern (or home, or wherever they've just fin ished their meal). "Course, the Cage has more than its share of screams, but true heroes will, at the very least, investigate to ‘see what’s happening. When they do, read: A thin slip of a boy stumbles through the street. As he gets closer, you can see the elvish heritage in his pale face. Hi clothes bear the marks of a recent scuffle, but he doesn't look grievously harmed. “Look!” he cries, plaintively. “Look at what they've done You see no great wounds or scars, alth ‘admit that you've never seen a less da just something jour him, but you can’t quite put your Suddenly, a cloaked figure hurries forward, toward the boy. The stranger seems to have arranged the hood of his brown robe so it hides his face. Looking down at the half-elf who as collapsed crying to his knees, the figure simply states: “This must end The cloaked figure (who is female, though the loose robe hides her shape) seems very concerned about the boy. If ap- proached by the PCS, she introduces herself as Tiandra (Pl) 2 human/F4/Sign of One/NG). As she helps the boy up, her cloak opens to reveal a tall, black-skinned woman of regal bearing who, like the lad, is quite unattractive — though none of the PCs can quite place what it is about her that makes her so, The half-elf seems confused, perhaps in shock. Only if the PCs seem sincerely concerned about him will Tiandra be forthcoming about what happened. She explains that the boy was assaulted by reptilian creatures, and that she herself was attacked about a week ago. Fate found me in the Lower Ward, near the Great Foundr by thee tain than t0 harm, yet Ud when I was ass reatures of scale and aw: Their intent seemed more 10 ne of i. The largest produced a queer device, resem- ‘bling nothing so much as a mace with a glass bortle at one endrather than the normal spiked head. 1 slashe reatur with my blade, but anather got a grip on me wh hid struck me with that strange item ~ not the glass end, but iis opposite. I felt an odd sensation, as though someone had drawn some vital spark from me, and then all went black. 1 awoke not long after, { believe, but my attackers h vanished into Sigil’s unholy night, Though I felt sira wasn't unt {saw my reflection in a window that 1 knew wha they'd done. They'd made me into the unlovely creature you see hefore you. Their sorcery has cursed me to be foul in a eves. Even my voice gives no comfort t0 those who hear it Those serpentine monsters seemed to have no motive in their attack other than to afflict me so. And it wasn’t just others, like this lad, have been so struck. I'll end these as saults if it’s the death of me! And I'l reward you well for an id rendered, should you be so inclined. By this point, the boy has recovered enough of his wits to join the conversation. He gives his name as Acorrid De- gasias (PI/d' half-elf/0-level/Free League/N) and confirms Tiandra’s tale, The same thing happened to him, save that there were far more of the monsters, and rather than fighting he tried to give them some garnish. But the lizard-creatures took the jink and his appearance. Acorrid remarks that he feels more as though something was taken from him than given to him — in other words, he blames his new appearance on a theft, not a curse. If the PCs ask about involving the Harmonium (Si normal law-enforcers), Tiandra complains that the Hardheads ‘won't help, None of the victims has been wealthy, and Tian- dra thinks the Harmonium helps only the rich (which is not necessarily the truth). In any event, no one’s been successful {n stopping the reptilian attackers. Neither Tiandra nor Acor- rid even realize that the creatures are khaasta If the PCs show interest in stopping the assaults, they {gain Tiandra’s thanks. She also promises them 100 gp each for their trouble if they're successful in ending the reign of terror. Now: This encounter, or a slightly altered version of it, ccan be used at any time in any civilized location. It can take place as the PCs enter or leave a town, or as they simply stroll through an otherwise innocuous street. Fact is, this entire ‘chapter can be placed in any community, so it should be easy to incorporate the adventure into an existing campaign. + TAKING +HE RIDE + Assuming the PCs agree to help, Tiandra explains that all of the attacks have occurred in the Lower Ward, and they always happen at night, just before antipeak. She asks the PCs to prowl the Lower Ward tonight for the assailants while she gets Acorrid to safety. Whether or not the characters help, ‘Tiandra plans to begin her own hunt as soon as she sees to the young half-elf. THE LOWER WARD Even at the best of times, the Lower Ward is a hazardous place to be at night. The Dungeon Master can and should put together a few short encounters to emphasize the danger. The ward boasts general ruffians, mysterious shadow-skulkers, and even fiends; wise PCs should try to steer clear of all of them. It'll take the group a very long time to search the whole ward. Not ‘everyone they meet should be “an encounter,” but the DM should make sure that enough occurs to give the PCs the feel- ing that the search is taking a long time — not to mention the idea that the streets of Sigil are never completely safe or un- eventful. A few ideas include: A cross-trader (PI/_githzerai/T5/Believers of the ‘Source/NE}, trying to peel gullies, begs passersby to enter a nearby abandoned building to rescue a hurt child. ‘Course, there’s no child; instead, the rogue's prepared a trap: a 10-Foot-deep pit covered by a lange rug. If any victims fallin, the knight of the post offers to help them out — in exchange for all their jink. But even if they give him their money, he just gives them the laugh. + Two Anarchist agents (P!/ human/F3/Revolutionary League/CN) who've just set a fire in a nearby Cipher factorum’s house try to skulk away in the darkness. + Twelve Cipher namers (var/var/F1/Transcendent Order] var) rush through the streets, on their way to put out the above-mentioned fire. As they're also looking for the arsonists, they're quick to jump to conclusions if they see anyone sneaking about. + Five Hardhead soldiers (Pf human/F4/Harmonium| LG) and their commander (Pr/? human/Pal6/Harmo- ‘nium/LG) search the ward for the khaasta. If they en- counter the PCs, they try to send the heroes home ~ the berks aren't authorized to look for criminals. + An illusionist (PI/3 tiefing/III7/CE) working for the tanar'i tries to sneak a rutterkin into town unnoticed for some nefarious scheme. The wizard uses illusions fool or ward off passersby. + A group of five bubbers (Pl/é humanj-leve/Fated/N) looks for any way possible to obtain some jink for a drink. They might attack the PCs or offer to perform a minor task for a fee. ++THE KHAAS+A ‘At last, toward antipeak, the PCs come upon another victim of the khaasta thieves. A bariaur male, completely devoid of beauty, lies unconscious in an alleyway. Just as the PCs dis cover the poor sod, they hear distant sounds of movement, the clank of metal, and low hissing. ‘Waking the bariaur is fairly easy, but if the PCS take the time t0 do so, they hear the above- ‘mentioned noises fade almost out of per- ception. The victim's name is Thardandis (Pi/é bariaur/F2/Society of Sensation) CG), He's confused, groggy, and angry, but with prompting, he tells the PCs that he was attacked by a large group of lizard-men he calls khaasta. If the PCS follow the sounds, they head back out into the street and soon turn into another alley where the khaasta are preparing to make their escape with their stolen spoils. The heroes find 11 khaasta: 10 raiders and their leader, the toil- master. Though the khaasta almost certainly outnumber the PCS, at this point the creatures are primarily interested in escape. They've had their fill of Sigil and taken what they needed. If the heroes confront or attack them, the toilmaster sends ‘enough khaasta (one per PC) to fight while he and the rest es- cape through a portal further down the alley. This should pro- vvide enough time for them to get away; the portal stays open long enough to allow six khaasta to escape, and two or three of them can slip through in a round. However, should the toil- ‘master be presented with the opportunity ~ such as if a PC gets past the remaining khaasta by skill or spell ~ he won't hesitate to use the thief of charms on the heroes. It serves as an effective delaying tactic and adds to the plunder. The portal the khaasta hope to use is a narrow crawl- space that leads under one of the side buildings. The key is the silver feather of an Arcadian dovehawk, which is not con- sumed when used and functions when traveling either way through the two-way portal. The crawlspace leads to an iso- lated mining area on the Outlands near the Caverns of Thought. Waiting there for the raiders are five more khaasta, eight human slaves, 10 giant lizard mounts, and a wagon filled with bottles of beauty and supplies for the trip overland to their lair — accessible only through a portal on the great tree Yggarasil Nori: It’s crucial to the story that some of the cross-trad- ing khaasta escape with the thief of charms and some of the stolen beauty. If necessary, the DM can increase the number of khaasta in the encounter, or rule that some of the creatures have already escaped through the portal by the time the PCs arrive in the alley (and make it clear to the heroes that this has happened). The latter option foils the use of a gare ward or ‘surelock spell to stop the Khaasta. ‘Course, the PCs should want to follow the villains, but if the khaasta’s wrongdoing isn't enough motivation, having one of the heroes fall under the effects of the thief of charms might be more compelling. AFTER tHE BA++LE ‘The confrontation with the khaasta will more than likely end with the villains giving the PCs the laugh through the portal The heroes are unable to follow, unless by some amazingly odd chance they have a silver Arcadian dovehawk feather. (The toilmaster makes no big show of the key, so the charac- ters won't even catch a glimpse of it.) However, if PC man- aged (o slip through the portal along with the khaasta, the creatures probably tear the poor sod to ribbons when he ‘emerges on the other side; without the key, he won't be able to retreat back to his comrades in Sigil Captured khaasta know a bit of chant. Intimidating one of these reptilian beasts is difficult, but a convincing threat of force or torture (or the use of magical charms) reveals the fol- lowing: + The khaasta have a magical weapon that steals beauty; they hope to sell the beauty to others # Anyone who's had his beauty stolen can regain it by exposing himself to that which is stored in the toilmas- ter's bottles. + The alley portal leads to a location on the Outlands from which the khaasta have only a few days’ march to their forest home. This lair holds many Khaasta. (If pos- sible, the captives lie and tell the PCs that the lair con- tains hundreds of their people.) None of the raiders know how to open the portal; only the tilmaster knows the dark ofthe feather. To tumble to this information, the PCs can try to cast warp sense or find the chant from a well-lanned graybeard. Luckily, a plethora of sources in the City of Doors specialize in the dark of portals and keys ~ for the right jink. Some cutters might visit the Guvners at the City Courts In-the-know bloods might track down Lissandra the Gate-seeker (Pr/? human/M9[Revolu- tionary League/NG), a tough wizard who carries a log book in which she records the nature of every portal she finds. And there’s always Alluvius Ruskin (PI/ tiefling/Wil14/Incanti- fier/NE), the old proprietor of Tivvum's Antiquities, a shop in the Market Ward that sells every kind of gate key imaginable. No matter where the PCs obsain a silver Arcadian do hawk feather, it costs them atleast 50 gp and takes them the better part of a day to find. Ifthe heroes then chase after the nzasta,they'l be well behind their quarry. I's important to the adventure that they don't actually catch up with the ‘haasta until the creatures have reached their secret lair. This shouldn't be a problem, however ~ following the vilains'l be hard enough. +164+ CHARIAMUR When the PCs pass through the alley portal, they emerge near an abandoned mine on the Outlands, Refer to the map on this page. The Dwarven Mountains ~ You're greeted by the stench of oily metal shavings and air that’s heavy with leadlike dust The ground at your feet is muddy, even greasy, with trickles of befouled water run- ning through the kneaded, soggy soil. A rough landscape of oily tillings and syrupy pools stretches in every direction, Dark, sooty clouds hang overhead, threatening a rain that you somehow know will only further pollute the environs, rather than cleanse the foul area. Long ago, Chariamur was an open-pit mine located between the realms of lsensine and Gzemnid on the Out- lands. It was usually found in the 7th or Sth ring of the plane, though it currently rests in the 7th. The mine was created by a veritable nation of grimy, vile gnomes known a spriggans. These loathsome miners and their umber hulk slaves tore apart the land to such a degree that it's said to te a festering wound from which the Outlands will never heal. Ancient foundries and smelting works once sur- rounded the mine, but they've disappeared into the fetid ‘cesspool or were eaten away by the uncaring caress of time and corrosive rains, Fortunately, in the vast scheme of things, Chariamur isa tiny place. ‘The odious gnomes are long gone, wiped out by pesti- RO++ING lence and flood (or so the chant goes), but Chariamur’s al- ways been occupied by something or another. Until re- @®RACLE cently, the area was used by spies and proxies ofthe ilithid god Maanzecorian to spy upon his rival, llsensine, in the nearby Caverns of Thought. These spies based themselves inthe Rotting Oracle, a building half-submerged in the oily THE RO++ING @RACLE After the spriggans had left, but still many, many years, ago, a huge rotunda was built in Chariamur by a set of quintuplet tieflings who believed they could channel infor- mation from the moldering god known 2s Juiblex. Not long after its creation, the building sank halfway into the mud and mire of soot and metal tilings. The tieflings disap- peared, but their structure survives ~ albeit half-submenged and askew, Plodding across this fetid ex panse, your boots grow heavy with @ muddy build-up, which is blue with mevallic dust. The sky seems ready to burst at any moment, though you spot what right be shelter off to vour left. A blackened, searred cliff face rises up out of the mire, and built alongside it is a round, domed building that sits askew in the mud. BAs you watch, a figure emerges from the door of the structure, The skin surrounding its huge, white, pupil-less ‘eyes is sallow brown with a hint of violet. Four small tentacles flail wildly from below where you'd expect to see its nose and ‘mouth, The finery it wears grows filthy from the ooze it runs through as it stumbles closer, but it pays you no heed. Three fingered hands clutch at its soft skull, and suddenly, word: Tessly, the creature's face and head are drawn inward by an ir resistible force ~ au implosion that resembles nothing se much as a giant, invisible hand crashing the skull of the crea ture like a grape It falls dead into the mud 4+ Show the players Ilo A (on page 169). The PCS wil likely enter the Rotting Oracle to try to fig- ure out what might have happened to the creature — a mind flayer known as Hananolith. Though the lower level of the building is submerged, the heroes still can enter easily ‘enough; the doorway was originally raised and reached via @ set of stars (which are now completely hidden from view). The interior of the main level is a single room with pillars strung around the perimeter and a raised dias in the center. ‘On the dias is an old ceramic pool, once used for divinations Dbut now cracked and filthy. “The space between two near pillars is actually @ one-way portal from Gchenna. Through this portal came the agents of Maanzecorian long ago, and through this portal also came the ilthid the PCs saw die ~ a former proxy of the deity. Former because Maanzecorian is now dead. Slain by Tenebrous and his wicked puissance, the illthid power of knowledge and se- crets was among the fist to de in the Abyssal lord's quest to regain his wand If the PCS enter the Rotting Oracle, they also encounter a second mind flayer ~ Dleniacorus, another proxy (Px lithid/HD 8+4/LE). Kneeling om the dias, another sickly mauve, tentacle-vis ‘aged creature shudders with what seems great pain. One of its large, white eves has gone black with blood. and more dark fluid seeps amid the tentacles ~ perhaps from a mouth ob- secured by the writhing appendages. As you watch, dark hem ‘orrhages appear, like cracks quite literally forming on the sides of the thing's head. “Dead,” a voice pounds into your head. “God is dead! The secrets are lost. li has slain our great Maunzecorian. As the ereature’s spirit flees its dying form, sa too does the voice leave your brain. When Tenebrous attacked Maanzecorian on Gehenna, Dleniacorus and Hananolith fled through the portal to Chari- amur, abandoning their deity to the dead-book. "Course, they still hit the blinds, for their ties to their patron were too strong. When Maanzecorian fell, they followed soon after in horrible, unimaginably painful deaths. Novis Because the PCs are mere mortals, they can do nothing to save either proxy, should they for some reason want to THE DEA+H @F MAANZEC@RIAN When a power dies, the side effects and repercussions are many. Maanzecorian was a god of knowledge, and wisps of his essence scatter from his dying form. On Gehenna, where Tenebrous stands over the murdered corpse, the Abyssal lord is bathed in eons of collected secrets and bits of chant. Even ‘on the other side of the portal (perhaps because of the pres- cence of two of Maanzecorian’s proxies), the PCs are deluged by random bits of knowledge flowing to the Outlands and into their brains "Course, the chant's decidedly useless to the heroes. With the vast storehouse of knowledge that comprised so much of the deity’s spirit, the chances of gleaning a valuable piece of information from the meager stream of thoughts that reaches the Outlands i nil. It is, however, a strange experience for the PCs, Unless they've been through a psychic storm on the As- ‘al Plane (a somewhat similar phenomenon), it’s quite enting to have knowledge come unbidden into their minds. The chant they gain includes the following: + Javor favors his younger son over the eldest. + The source of the Tungakim River is at a place called Hinter-rock + Karrum Nionimo keeps a magical dagger hidden in the bag under his bed. + Porcupinefish feed on shelifish and coral. + Madar is against killing the big cat + Shiny gray in color, chalcocite is formed at fairly low temperatures. + The Drachenfels trace their ancestry back to ancient Blackmoor. UNWELCOME EYES If the PCs linger near Chariamur or the Rotting Oracle for more than an hour, they're assaulted by a violent and danger- ous intruder: Blvastin, a beholder from the nearby under- ‘ground realm of Gzemnid. It seems the beholder god recently felt a profound disturbance — the death of Maanzecorian ~ and instructed his proxies to send an eye tyrant to investigate. Rather than disintegrate the PCs immediately, the be- holder uses its abilities to slow and then charm them in order to gain information. The creature struggles to subdue the he- roes (in an aggressive manner) unless they fend off the attack by rattling their bone-boxes in an obsequious, subservient way. Fither way, the beholder suffers their existence only long +18+CHAN+ IS +He ‘enough to get the chant it ‘wants, After the PCS tell the ‘eye tyrant what they know PRIME AND “disturbance,” the monster does its best to send them to the dead-book. The he- roes should use the time spent wigwagging with the beholder to come up with an escape or battle plan. Naturally, the best plan ‘may be simply to tuy to give it the laugh and run away {as the PCs surely can move much faster than it can). + TRACKING +HE KHAAS+A # ‘This part of the Outlands really holds nothing else of interest ‘The most important thing that happens here is the death of Maanzecorian and his proxies, which is designed to fore~ shadow later events. The forces released hy the deity’s demise even destroy the pillar-portal in the Rotting Oracle. Once the PCs are ready to move on, it’s easy to find and follow the khaasta’s trail in the mud — after al, it was made by a large group and a loaded wagon. Even the drizzling acrid rain won't wash away the tral for quite some time. After following the tracks for a Full day, the PCs find that the terrain becomes less fouled, The clouds clear away, and a ‘warm breeze begins to drive the metallic haze from the ait. On the next day, the heroes cross over into the sixth ring of the Outlands, and on the third day the PCs must make a success- ful tracking proficiency check to continue following the trail across the dry prairie. The only signs of life are small herds of bison grazing amidst the tall grass. Even if the PCs fail the proficiency check and lose the trail on the third day, continuing in a relatively straight path brings them to the anthill known as Ironridge. Now: During the three-day journey from Chariamur to Ironridge, the DM’s free to plague the party with encounters. Before the PCs get too far from the old mine, they can be at- tacked by green slime or gray ooze found in a fetid pool, il- lithid spies from lisensine, more beholder from Gzemnid’s realm, or even a slime-covered umber hulk (a relic from the bygone days of Chariamur) IRO@NRIDGE Ironridge is a human burg nested in the mountains of the Out- lands, currently settled in the sixth ring. The town's a touch stone for those wishing to deal with the dwarves of the Dwar- ven Mountain, or even beings in Gzemnid’s or Ilsensine’s realms. Its population varies from year to year, hovering IS +HERE S@ME+HING SPECIAL aseur+ ILLI+HIDS? — HARRIS of +e FAFED MIND FLAYERS @NCE practicalty RULED +HE EN+IRE tn +HREA+ENED (or claim to know) about the +Ht @+HER PLANES. D@ES EVERY RACE HAVE IN +HE SUN, ee ‘around 3,000 folks, and the town’s ruled by a council of elders who have a small garri- son at their command (0 protect the burg. The khaasta’s trail leads right to this fortified commu- nity, where the toilmaster traded some of his loot (bottles of stolen beauty) for bub for his raiders. The brewer and his wife used the circean em- bers on themselves, which created quite a ruckus, They're now perceived by others to be in- credibly attractive, perhaps even among the most appealing, beings in the multiverse, and sods who spy them must save versus spell or suffer from the sympathy effect (as described on page 13), ‘When the PCs enter Ironridge, read: DAY Irom towers and high walls give this place the appearance of a fortress more than a city, but that’s not surprising in a ‘burg so close to the realms of mind flayers and beholders. The guards at the gate give you peery glances but let you pass, and Inside you see that many humans call kip here, though there seems t0 be a fair number of dwarves as well Near the entrance, however, you see and hear a bit of @ scuffle. A crowd has gathered around some berks fighting over something or someone IF the PCs investigate the fight, they can work their way past some ofthe crowed to get a look at whats really going on. They see 12 bashers (Pivar human/F1/var/var) fighting with bare hands or small knives (whieh cause 143 points of dam- age) Five more bravsers lay on the ground, injured or dead. As the PCS watch, however, a few people from the crowd rush in and join the confusing, melee. The situation appears to be escalating, with new folks joining in faster than existing com- batants fal This isa free-for-all brawl over the brewer and his wife, who're trapped in the middle of the fight, not immediately Visible to the PCS. The fighters don’t lust after the beautiful couple; they just want to own them. Unfortunately, the city guardsmen (PI/é human/F1/Free League/NG) that have shown up failed to break up the fight — in fact, when they tried, some of them fell under the spell of the citcean embers and became part of the problem. Unless the PCS have powerful calming or mind-influene- ing magic, they'l just hit the blinds i'they try to break up the fight, (The DM should remember that ronridge currently re- sides in the sixth ring of the Outlands, where all psionic abil- ities and all spells and spell-like abilities of 7th level or higher fail) ‘Course, any heroes that spot the brewer (Pl/S human] 0-level/Fated/N) or his wife (PI/9 human/0-level/Free e19¢League/NG) must save versus spell or Fel the desire to possess them as well. Obviously, wanting to own folks is wrong, and these feelings should seriously trouble a good-aligned cutter, Sui if any affected PCs somehow manage to grab the couple and get away, they'll have to figure out what to do with the poor sods (atleast until the circean embers wear off in a week). If the PCs ask around Ironridge about the Khaasta, they soon learn the chant: The repilians did indeed visit the bung Fact is, the brawl near the gate is related to something the Ikhaasta traded to a couple of townsfolk (though the PCs can probably guess that on their own). But the creatures left, re- portedlly forthe realm of the Noms ~ a journey of about four days IF the PCs choose to stay in Ironridge for a time, they ‘quickly learn that the Redmarch Innis a fine establishment 10 feta meal, a place to sleep, and a bit more of the local chant. Ie seems the burg's got its share of problems, what with the dceasional wandering beholder or illithi spy, not to mention the tanar' that sometimes rai the town, take victims from their homes, and drag them kicking and screaming back to the Abyss. Folks figure there must be a portal to the Abyss somewhere nearby, but no one’s ever found it A SHADOW If the PCs rattle their bone-boxes a bit too much about the khaasta, they pique the curiosity of Talismin Redboar, a clous and evil half-elf who calls kip in Ironridge. Tall and lis- some with skin the color of weak tea, she keeps her night- black hair in multiple braids, and when she’s being secretive she wears a drab cloak over her ostentatious street clothes, Her eyes are large and brown with impossibly long lashes. She's got a good ear for the chant, so she’s sure to tumble to what the PCs are looking for and the profit involved in ob- taining some of the circean embers herself. When the PCs leave Ironridge to pursue the khaasta, Talismin decides to Fol- low them surreptitiously. If the Dungeon Master would like to involve more fiends in “Out of the Darkness,” Talismin is the key. She consorts with fiends more often than not; it’s even sald she’s got a ‘cambion son hidden away somewhere. More than likely, she knows the location of the aforementioned portal to the Abyss, bbut she keeps that dark to herself. (It doesn’t play a part in this adventure, anyway.) Fact is, Talismin usually deals with the tanar'i, but she currently works for the yugoloths, serving as their eyes and ears in Ironridge. Using the half-elf presents the DM with a number of op- tions. She can serve as a recurring foil for the PCs throughout the entire scenario, following the heroes everywhere they go ‘and tumbling to the truth of what's going on as fast as they do (or perhaps even faster). What’s more, she'll try to mani ulate events to benefit her own ends. This might mean just gathering chant for the yugoloths, but it could also mean try- ing to grab power for herself. Talismin is First and foremost self-serving, For example, she might try to steal the circean embers for herself at some point, Or she might wait until the PCS reach the tree-town of Crux (in Chapters II and II), learn of the evil that’s troubling the burg, and then make her move. If, by shad= owing the heroes, Talismin discovers that something's killing ods, she quickly tumbles to the implications and might even try to get a hold of that kind of power for herself ~ which ‘means trailing the PCs all the way to Pelion (in Chapter VII). If the DM incorporates “Into the Light” into the larger adventure, Talismin might even get involved in that as well. “Course, the crafty and sly half-elf will take great pains to make sure the PCs don't realize she’s following them. She'll use spells hoth to conceal herself and to watch the movements of the heroes. To make the PCs a little peery, though, the DM can let them catch a quick glimpse of Talismin in Ironridge and then spot her again toward the end of this chapter. Still, when she finally makes a move ~ wherever it may be ~ her sudden involvement should be a surprise. Until that time, Talismin will never attack the PCs out- right, fighting only in self-defense. She might attempt to take out a single basher if he’s separated from the rest of the ‘group, but she'd need a very good reason to do so ~ it might jeopardize her position, THE WALKING CAS+LE @F TIAC RAMI N@ If the PCs leave Ironridge and continue to follow the khaasta, the trip tothe realm of the Norns takes four day. On the see- ond day of the tek, they have another strange encounter. You spy a dark speck on the horizon that just keeps get- ting bigger and bigger. As you make your way across fields of yellow and blue wildflowers, vou see that it’s something on four legs — something huge. Before too long, the thing comes closer, and you can see that it's not a creature at all, but a gigantic stone structure on living, birdlike legs. As it gets nearer still, eack step is accom- panied by a low rumble and vibrations in the ground. The tower seems 10 be coming right for you. While walking castles are generally the homes of eccentric and standoffish wizards who want to keep their distance from others, the PCs probably can't avoid meeting up with this one. See, the wizard Tiac Rami No (Pr/3 human/M14/N), a diminu- tive, dark-skinned sorcerer from a remote prime-material world, wants to contact the group. He’s used magic to become aware of their presence, and he'd like to ask them a few ques- tions. When the thundering castle gets close to the party, it stops walking, and a shuttered and hinged window high in the tower wall swings open to reveal the smiling wizard. “Ah, hello? Yes? Please to pardon intrusion. Seen you gentles a group of... creatures with many bottles, yes? Am looking for these. Am looking to purchase more wonderful bottles, yes? Hmm?” +204While en route to their lair on Yggadrasil, the Khaasta ran into Rami No, who forced them to surrender some of their cargo: bottles of stolen beauty. The wizard promptly applied the circean embers to his most prized possessions ~ six gems of varying type that have been in his family for generations. Unfortunately, he fell under the spell of the beauty, and now he's addicted to the jewels’ finery. He wants ~ he needs — more circean embers. If the PCs let on that they know where the khaasta are (or at least where the creatures are headed), the slightly barmy wizard won't rest until he gets all the chant he can from them, But rather than try to coerce the information from the heroes, Rami No invites them into his castle, which consists of a spi- ral staircase and a number of nicely appointed rooms sepa rated by walls of rice paper. The wizard treats the PCs to a lavish meal of curried meats and rice wine provided by invisible servants and charmed spider monkeys. During the repast, the wizard ex- ccuses himself from time to time and slips into an adjoining room, where his gems are stored in a trapped chest. Through the thin walls, the PCs hear Rami No talking secretly to the ‘gems, which he refers to as “my beauties.” But the wizard won't let the characters see his “beauties” under any cir- cumstances. If the PCs mention that the khaasta are appar- cently headed for the realm of the Norns, Rami No commands his castle into motion and sets it on 2 thundering course to that locale (at its top movement rate of 24). ‘Course, while the Noms might over look a few insignificant mortals sticking their noses into the realm, there’s no way they're going to let a walking castle crash in and step all over their groves. Canny PCs should realize this fact and aban- don the castle hefore it reaches its destination. But if any bashers are still inside when the castle tromps into the realm of the three Fates (as Se they're sometimes known}, they see Rami No suddenly fade away. Before they can determine what happened to him, other things in the castle start to vanish as well. Within 2d6 rounds, the ‘entire structure disappears as if it never existed at all, and anyone left inside plummets to the hard ground, suffering 16 points of dam: age for each 10 feet fallen. (Figure that the PCs are 24x10 feet off the ground.) The only remnants of Tiae Rami No’s existence are a few well bbchaved spider monkeys that fled the castle justin time and will now call the Norns realm home Bur good-aligned cutters should- n't be helping the wizard obtain stolen property in the first place. If the PCs avoid telling Rami No about the khaasta, or if they manage to give hhim the laugh, they can continue their journey across the Outlands on their own. It’s easy enough for the heroes to slip into small places where the huge castle can’t follow, but Rami No’s still a top-shelf wizard, difficult 10 hide from and unwise to anger.CAN’+ SEE +HE TREE + FOR tHE FORES+ + As the PCs get closer to the realm of the Norns, the land around them becomes more fertile and lush. Tiny brooks wind their way through gentle hills to nourish copses of trees that grow more and more common until the heroes find them~ selves before a thick forest. Peery PCs who always look around carefully find a subtle sign that they're on the right trail. A broken bottle lies on the ‘ground, just inches away from an indentation of exposed soil about five inches across. A few feet away is a pool of dark, dried blood. Here’s what happened: A bot- tle of circean embers fell off the khaasta’s wagon, breaking upon a stone and turning the rock into an appealing treasure, One of the khaasta picked up the stone, enchanted by its beauty. But the toilmaster, too, fell victim to the stone’s sudden charm and slashed the sod to get at the prize. This is, more than anything, another warning of the danger of the circean embers. THE N@RNS’ REALM Eventually, the PCs reach the realm of the Noms, a large but unnatural grove within a huge forest. All around you are dark, elegant trees, compact shrubs, ‘and thick underbrush. Thickets of tough vegetation seem likely to impede your progress. No flowers bloom and no birds sing vet the area has a stark beauty — the magnificence of severity ‘and intensity Leatherheads who plunge into the underbrush and try t0 hack thei way through find themselves caught up in briars and thorns in 1d6 rounds, suffering 1d points of damage and be- coming trapped and lost If they continue to cut their way through, they suffer another 144 points of damage per round This happens regardless of a body's alignment or personality. IF the PCS look carefully, however, and If they mean no harm to the Noms or the realm, they find a path through the vegetation. By moving slowly and cautiously, they can make their way through the area without trouble, The undergrowth imperceptibly parts to let any nonviolent, nonintrusive bash es pass. Other than the plants, the PCs see no living things anywhere in the realm, though a successful tracking profi- ciency check lets them spot the teal of the khaasta group (Though the creatures are violent by nature, they were al- lowed to pass because they respected the realm) [AC this point, ithe PCs ae stil successfully tracking the khhaasta, or if they've somehow guessed that they'te looking for Yggdrasil, it takes them about an hour to find a root of the World Ash. (Find the path or similar magic helps locate the ‘ree but doesn’t reduce the amount of time needed.) On the other hand, if the PCs simply wander through the realm, it takes them 2d4 hours before they stumble upon a sign of the Khaasta’s passing or upon Ygqdrasil itself. Novt: The thick undergrowth won't let the PCs reach the actual home of the Norns or any other significant portion of the realm THE W@RLD ASH When the PCs discover Yggdrasil, read: After you've trudged through the briar-filled forest for quite some time, you notice that the trees have grown signifi. cantly larger. Branches reach up over a hundred feet into the sky, and trunks swell 10 over 10 feet across. In fact, the path vou're following leads right up to a fallen tree of enormous size half buried in the earth. The trail seems to climb right up the slope of the trunk. The huge fallen tree leads to a branch of Yggerasl, the plane-spanning World Ash. If the PCs climb up onto the trunk and continue to follow the Khasta’s tral, they soon find that the tree disappears into a wide, round, colored porta. If the heroes move off the trunk and peer around the portal, they see nothing ~ the tree doesn't continue on the other side. To follow the khaasta, the PCs must pass through the round gate. They need no key. When they emerge on the other side ofthe portal, the char- acters are no longer onthe same trunk. Instead, they're standing on a giant branch of an unimaginably huge tree ~ Yggdrasil Behind them is the colored portal that leads back to the Out- lands. Ifthe PCs travel forward on the new branch, they find it grows larger as they walk, becoming well over 500 yards in Width even as it leads them down many twists and tums. While the heroes move along, the thick foliage prevents them from seeing anything but branches and leaves, no mat- ter which direction they look. Daylight and darkness fall in “normal” cycles, and if a character manages to catch a ‘limpse through the leaves, he Sees a blue sky (i it’s daytime) or a dark, starry sky (if is nigh), though never a sun or moon. Gentle breezes occasionally blow through the foliage, and, like most trees, Yggdrasil experiences seasons. During this chapter, i's late summer for the tee. In a month or two, the leaves will start to fall (giving travelers more glimpses of the sky), and after that the branches will be covered in light snow. Fact is, winter's a great time to walk the World Ash; that's when the ratatosk hibernate. For more details about traveling on Yggdrasi, refer to “The World Ash,” atthe beginning of Chapter IL Nowe: The squirrel-folk known as ratatosk appear in later ‘chapters of “Out of the Darkness.” However, the DM's free to let the PCs encounter ratatosk, giant beetles, and other tree- dwelling creatures at any time. ne+ NAPHRAKS @ The khaasta don't actually live on Yggdrasil. A portal hid- den in a huge knot of the tree leads to a demiplane called Naphraks, and that's where the creatures make their lait. The knot — which is more like a crater ~ lies about six hours’ walk from the spot where the colored portal connects the Outlands with Yygdrasil. Once the heroes reach the knot, they see that a small town lies just a bit further along the branch, located at the point where two separate limbs of the ‘great tree branch outward, This burg is known as Crux. If the PCs pass by the knot and head straight for Crux, skip ahead to Chapter Il, Most of the residents of the town know about the knot, the portal to Naphraks, and the khaasta settlement there, so the party can easily learn where to go. Oddly, the khaasta never bother the people of Crux, so folks there don't have much feeling one way or another about the bandits, Some of the inhabitants even benefit from the khaasta’s presence; the creatures often sell their stolen goods cheaply in town. ‘When the PCs decide to climb down into the giant knot, they find that it's similar to descending a small, dark canyon. Mountaineering proficiencies are helpful, but bloods who bother to search the area come across a path (though it takes half an hour to find). At the bottom of the knot, the PCs find an open portal to Naphraks ~ no key is needed. But the portal’s opaque, and the heroes can’t learn the dark of what lies on the other side unless they go through. Standard methods like warp sense fall Naphraks is one of the small domains known by aseect few cutters as half-worlds ~ special demiplanes accessible only by traveling the World Ash. Many half-worlds are un- ‘occupied, while others are used as secret refuges, lairs, oF even prisons. Some graybeards think that Yggérasi itself (or herself, as the ratatosk say) creates the half-worls, ‘Course, alot of these same bashers claim that the tce spawned all of the planes lke fruit. In any case, Naphraks is only about 800 yards across, surrounded by a veil of impenetrable darkness (Refer to the map below.) Stepping through the portal in the knot ain't like using a normal portal in Sigil. Fist of all, i's one-way: The second the PCS go through, they suddenly find themselves perched fom large, at boulder, with no feeling of transition whatso- ever. I's as though they'd always been on the stone, which is as large as it needs to eo accommodate the whole group, The boulder and its riders hurte at an indeterminate (but un- deniaby fas) speed through a seemingly endless expanse for several minutes, Suddenly, with no deceleration, no jerk oF loss of momentum, the boulder simply stops somewhere in Naphraks (though never within one of the structures). The stone appears to have always been there Similar boulders are scattered throughout the half- world, though the ground in Naphraks is generally bare, moist soil. The demiplane also Features a handful of crude sinuctures and one impressive-looking tower, but no trees oF other vegetation (except inside the bandit-king’s tower). NAPHRAKS, THE HALF~WORLD Barracks BD storage g Out © 60 120 180 Yards Side View Bandit-King Quarters Staircase High-Ups' Guard Post. 0 15 30 45 Feet ne