axa D Eye toPyeDungéons&Dra SUNOITT by Thomas M. Reid Table of Contents Introduction 2 Keyed Areas .... Background a, Level 1 (Lowest Lev el) The Ancient Beholder City 3 Level2 . Current Events 4 Cerentonial Platform’. Velinax the Vermilion 5 Upper City. Setting the Mood 6 Beholder Spires © Beginning the Adventu 7 Level 3 A Strange Wizard eee 7 Strategies and Events » Something in the Shadows 8 Possible Ruses Entering IIth K’hinax 9 A Desperate Plea Entering the Mouth 10 The Final Threshold Iith K’hinax ...... n Wrapping Up Organization of Material .............11 Award Guidelines The Maps nee aaa te eh Special Information and Major NPCs .. . .60 The Key <4eveie ee wh Blackstone = Fi 60 The Events 12 Fighting Standard Beholders | 60 Current Conditions Within the City 12 Major NPCs . Saad nee ohare OD Natural Phenomena s 16 Credits Editor: Miranda Horner Creative Director: Steve Winter Cover Illustration: Dana Knutson; Interior Illustrations: Glen Michael Angus Graphic Design: Eilene Mecha ‘Typesetting: Tracey L. Isler Cartography: Darren Lamb Art Director: S. DanieleIntroduction Welcome to Eye to Eye, atvadyenture designed for characters of levels 8 t6 12 (no less than 48 totalilev- cls) that-can be played separately or as theigrand finale of a trilogy. The previous two adventures in the series are Eve of Pain and Eye of Doom As always, before you attempt to run this adventure, you should familiarize yourself with'the plot and individual encounters. If you'are pressed for time, at the very least skim through the text, noting the main sections, and only read the three sections “Background “Beginning the Adventure" in any detail. “Strategies and Events,” and Eye to Eye is set up so that you can utilize it any- where in your campaign world. Of course, if you are using this adventure as part of the trilogy, then this step has already been completed. Since it takes place almost completely underground, it requires no special geographical or climatological features, or even any particular population levels nearby; all you, the DM, need to do is determine where the entrance to the place is located and nudge the char- acters in that direction, Since this adventure is designed for high-level characters, it should not be taken lightly by the play- €rs/ Byét Eye revolves around some of the more well-known bist potentially underrated erealuites in the ADé&b* game system—the cunning and fear- some beholder and its kin. Thisis not justa hack- and-slash affair; adlventurers who ventureforth, intent on stomping into the beasts lair and slaying, them without any forethought and preparation, are in foranasty surprise. fact, the characters will be hard pressedito survive against the guileful machi- nations of the creatures, mychilessactuall succeed. Although the DM does'not need anythingether tharithe DUNGpon MasT#R® Guide, the Player's Hand- book, andthe MONSTROUS MANUAL" aéeessory in order to get full use out of thisadventure, itis part of the MONSTROUS ARCANA™ series of products that includes I, Tyrant, a Sourcebook 6h béholdéts. I, Tyrant is a perfect complement ito the entire beholder trilogy of adventures, providing the DM with all sorts of additional information on behold ers and beholder kin. It canserve as an invaluable method of spicing up the characters" eneounters with the nasty creatures in this and the other tive adventures. In fact, some of the material provided! in this work was taken from [, Tyrant.Background Far removed from the'sight of man. a hive of beholders has taken root, biding its time until the glorious day when it can tisé ap and reclaim ancient sacred beholder lands from its hated ene- mies, the humans. The hive mother, a great, lum- bering behemoth known as Ixathinon, rules the hive with an iron grip, demanding the strictest obedience from her minions. The hive mother’s ultimate goal has been to reclaim for the hive a region of land occupied by humans. The beholders consider this terrain to sacred, as it is the site of an ancient beholder city. Unfortunately (for humans), the town of Cumbert lies directly over the remains of this site, and in her fervor, Ixathinon has become insistent upon eradicating the town and all who live within its walls. The problem, of course, is that the hive is not strong enough to achieve this through open warfare. Instead, Ixathinon intends to subtly take control of the city through a program of organized criminal activity and eventually destroy it. She has placed her most talented minion, known as Qeq- toxii, in charge of this surface operation. Qegtoxii (who is in reality an elder orb) has other ideas, however, and has been carefully implementing its own insidious plans, unbe- knownst to the hive mother. It has kept its true identity a secret from the hive mother by posing as a mere true beholder. It hopes someday to claim leadership of the hive for its own. In order to do this, however, Qeqtoxii must defeat and destroy the hive mother, a formidable task, indeed. Thus, Qeqtoxii has decided to utilize outside forces in its quest for supremacy—namely, unwitting adven- turers. In order to keep from overwhelming the adven- turers with more than they can handle, Qeqtoxii has broken its plan into multiple phases. The first part of the elder orb’s plans (which took place in Eye of Pain, the first adventure of the trilogy) included finding a group of adventurers hearty and clever enough to survive exploration of a devious underground lair created by Qeqtoxii itself, Laden with cruel minions, insidious traps, and a bit of treasure—just enough to tantalize the hetoes—the lair served as a testing ground to prove thesheroes’ mettle» Once they had survived that, Qeqtoxii knew’ they were ofeven, greater—and more'deadly—chall The nextstage of Qeqtoxivs plans pitted the heroes against the elder orb'siown.wellestab- lished crime organization within Cumbert(which is detailed in'the second adventure of theset, Eye of Doom): The elder orb’s intentions were to divert any possible suspicion on theliive mother’s part away from itself, Again, through a series of asstimed personalities end curining'trickéry, the” elder orb led the characters into the inner Sanctum of its criminal organization, where they confronted Qeqtoxii’s most powerful minions. ‘And now, the final part of Qeqtoxil's plans are on the verge of fruition. The charaeters have pene- trated the inner sanctum of Qeqtoxii’s criminal organization (known as the Unblinking Eye) and discovered the entrance toa secret route down into the bowels of the earth where the ancient beholder city—and Inathinon’s hive—is located. If events go according to Qeqtoxii’s expectations, the heroes will manage to enter the city, seek out and destroy many of the hive’s inhabitants, wound or destroy Ixathinon herself, and then perish, leaving a power vacuum for Qeqtoxii to fill. The Ancient Beholder City The city itself originates from a time long past, when beholders ruled both the surface and the depths and humans had only begun to appear in the area. Named lith K’hinax in the beholder tongue (which means “Place of Spires”), the beauti- ful city (at least the beholders themselves consid- ered it beautiful) was once a thriving population center, with over 2,000 beholders and beholder-kin dwelling there. Many of the other subterranean species knew of and marveled at its existence, and some had even managed to establish peaceful rela~ tions with the eye tyrants (through adopting a suit ably obsequious attitude and thereby circumventing the beholders’ legendary xenopho- bia) and began to trade with them.Background Still, the beholders were enemies of many races, and constant vigilance against invasion was a necessity. On more than one occasion other subter- ranean species attempted to attack Ith K’hinax, either openly or through subtle infiltration. Some of the fallen warriors of the beholder enemies decorate the halls of the city to this day. In the end, the downfall of the city came, not from without, but from within. Factions within the society of the great city constantly opposed each other, plotting for power and prestige against one another. Ultimately, the conflicts became too openly militant to check, and a full-blown civil war ensued. Some factions were annihilated, others fled to safer havens, still others continued to war with one another in the channels and spires of llth K’hinax. In the end, one faction reigned supreme, but the glory of the great beholder city was but a memory. ‘The other subterranean races, seeing their chance at revenge and domination, converged on the remain- ing eye tyrants and hunted them down, ‘When all was said and done, the surviving citi- zens of llth K’hinax had scattered with the four winds, and the city lay silent and dark. No other species could comfortably live there without the inherent levitation ability of the beholders, so the place was abandoned by the sentient ones. The mindless monsters that the beholders once kept as pets and guards remained, multiplying and adapt- ing or dying out completely (for escape was impos- sible for most of them). Ith K’hinax lay dormant for hundreds of years, and the knowledge of its loca- tion became lostin the shrouds of time. In the wilds beyond Ith K’hinax, the legend of the city has been passed from generation to genera- tion of beholder. It has become more a tale of myth and mystery than a simple set of facts, but the memory of the place remained, nonetheless. Many an elder orb or hive mother has dreamed of one day returning there to claim dominion over it, but none has ever attempted it, until now. Inathinon began her quest to re-establish the throne of lth K“hinax over 150 years ago. No known routes existed to the Place of Spires, but she dili- gently researched for years, examining shreds of dence from tales and records bought, stolen, or connived away from other subterranean races. Slowly, the hive mother began to construct a map that revealed a possible location of the fabled city: Her perseverance paid off; she was the first beholder to lay eyes on llth K’hinax in over a millennia. Overjoyed, Inathinon led her hive to the site and established a home there. To this day, the task of reclaiming the city from the ravages of time proves to be a long and arduous one, but slowly, the behold- ersare beginning to retum the Place of Spires to its former glory. Only a portion of llth K’hinax has been taken back; the rest will be restored in due time. Current Events A major obstacle stands in the way of complete restoration of Ith K’hinax’s former greatness: the presence of humans and demihumans on the sur- face. Ixathinon knows too well the tale of the origi- nal downfall of ith K’hinax, and she has been convinced through her studies that it was a result of the citizens’ interaction with and acceptance of the other races. It has become an obsession of hers that no other sentient species should be permitted to dwell in the vicinity of the great city; to do so only invites disaster once again. ‘Thus ithas come to pass that Ixathinon has devised a plan to eradicate the city of Cumbert and all of its inhabitants. Understanding the limitations of the military strength of her hive, Ixathinon realizes she could never hope to win an all-out war with the surface dwellers. To even attempt such a thing would not only deplete her valuable resources, but it would draw unwanted attention to the hive and its act ties. Instead, by using a criminal organization called the Unblinking Eye, she has set in motiona scheme to subtly degrade the fabric of Cumbert's society, hope- fully leading to its eventual and ultimate corruption. ‘This plot has become the source of contention between the hive mother and Qeqioxii. Because of the great success of the Unblinking Eye, Qeqtoxii has come to enjoy the level of power it commands among the surface dwellers and is not so willing to surrender it to Ixathinon. It sees her plan to destroy Cumbert as foolish and a waste of potential resources, 30 the elder orb has decided to usurp her and take over the hive. If successful, Qeqtoxii will continue to build its power base within Cumbert and eventually spread its organization’s influence farther afield.Backeround Velinax The Vermilion As a part of Qeqtoxii’s complex plans, it has appeared before the characters in the guise of a wizard and sage known as Velinax the Vermilion The elder orb uses this persona to manipulate the characters and feed them useful information to get them where it wants them to go. On several occa- sions, Velinax has disappeared for long stretches of ime, so it is natural that the characters are suspi- cious of him by now. The red-garbed wizard has always had a reasonable explanation for his absences, but it is still likely that the characters are beginning to doubt his legitimacy. If you are not incorporating this adventure as part of the trilogy, then Velinax the Vermilion is a suitable NPC to use to convince the heroes to enter the depths of the beholder city and explore it. Oth- erwise, remember that Velinax was “imprisoned” in the caverns immediately below the secret head- quarters of the Unblinking Eye and had to be “res- cued” by the adventurers. Probably the most imporiant thing to keep in mind while running this adventure is that Qeqtoxii, in the guise of Velinax, must strike a fine balance between feigning ignorance about what lies down in the caverns of the city and keeping the characters on the right track to achieve the elder orb’s goals. On the one hand, itis posing asa sage who has y studied beholders, not become intimately familiar with them. So if Velinax seems to know a little too much about a chamber’s use, or if he exhibits knowledge of a monster’s whereabouts that he shouldn’t have, the sage is going to look suspi- cious. The other side of that coin, though, is that Qeqtoxii wants to get the characters up into the upper city as quickly as possible, both to conserve their strength for the fight that matters (attacking Ixathinon) and to lessen the chances of being discov- ered before they have a chance to make their move. Yelinax should also be somewhat useful, or else the players are going to get tired of the elder orb being an albatross around their necks. Qeqtoxii will use all of its spelleasting abilities in an effort to pass itself off as a wizard of some skill. Perhaps it produces just the right magical item at a crucial moment (this can work well to get the characters out ofa jam, anyway) or “discovers” a hidden pas- sage or chamber that leads the party out of imm. diate danger. Whatever its actions, the elder orb’s assumed persona should be competent without seeming all-powerful ‘Throughout the text in the "Keyed Areas“section are sections labelled “Qeqtoxii the Guide” which should help DMs run Velinax (or another of Qeq- tonii’s human personal) in various areas of the city. If an area doesn’t have one of these sections, then Velinax acts according to the guidelines listed above. Since it is very probable that Velinax will be with the group in their travels through Ilth K’hi- nax, the following adapted stats of Qeqtoxii’s human persona have been included below: Velinax (Qeqtoxii’s assumed persona), hm M18: AC 0; MV 12; hp 75; THACO5 (3 with quarterstaff +2); #AT 1; Dmg 1d6+2 (quarterstaff +2); SA spells; SD immunity to sleep, charmt, and hold spells; MR 50%; SZ M (6' tall); ML fearless (19); Int godlike (23); AL LE; XP 18,000. Special Equipment: bug of holding, potion of extrachealing, potion of ‘iving (3) potion of gaseous form. potion of uman control (humans), potion of invisibility (7), potion of levitation (3), potion of water breathing, amulet of prof against detection and location. Daern’s instant fortress, quarterstaff+2. a scroll (contains the spells dispel magic incisiility 10° radius, levitation (2),and flying), and a spelibook. Spells (Geqtoxii can only memorize one spell per level ata time) 1st—feather fallt, hold porial; 2nd —darkness 15” radius” detect invisibility’, ESP*t, knock; 3rd—dispel magic® protection {from normal rissies"t; ath—control death tyrant™, dimension door, extension I, struct spectator™, polymorph self (note that polymorphing himself into humanoid form does not allow (Qeqtoxii to cast spells with material or somatic 5): Sth—contat other plane, elepott, wall of oF wall of force”; 6th—extension It, gens; 7th hase door, power word stunt, teleport without errr, vanish Bih—ereute death iss charm, power word blind; ‘9th—Mordenkainen’s disjunction, power word kil, prismatic sphere, time stop. + Indicates favored memorized spell" Indicates an elder orb variation on an existing spell—it requires only verbal components, takes twice as long to cast as the normal variety, and is known only to elder orbs. Indicates a ‘special spell that appears inf, Tyrant. At some point, the adventurers may decide that a retreat is in order, whether itis to regroup and hire more allies, heal, or just because the heroes aren’t quite heroicenough yet to tackle such awe- some adversaries. If you, the DM, want to speedthings up a little during these slow times, Ixathi- non might begin to get a little more bold. Perhaps a raid or two takes place in Cumbert during the darkest hours of the night. Qegtoxii will be extremely frustrated, but the elder orb is too wise to foolishly push the characters on to certain doom; it will bite its tongue and try to speed things along in other ways. During the final confrontation, Qeqtoxii helps the characters in its Velinax persona, but if the fighting. looks like it’s going badly, the elder orb leaves. Once the adventurers manage to kill Ixathinon, Qeqtoxii reveals itself in its full glory and then tries to kill the group. If there are any other beholders left in the area, they show up and start fighting as well. Look at the beholder’s description to find out if it helps Qeqtoxii or not. Setting the Mood While you are running the adventure, try to keep in mind that the place is spooky, The characters’ light source seems pitiful and insignificant against the overbearing darkness, and it seems as if it is going to blow out at any moment. There alw seems to be some sort of shuffling noises justat the edge of the light, but any time the characters move to investigate, they find nothing there (or perhaps something is now missing from their supplies) Convey the idea that being this far below ground can be unnerving: quite a bit of rock looms over their heads, and if the place were to suddenly flood, where would they all go?Beginning the Adventure Two scenarios are laid out below for getting the adventurers into the Place of Spites, The first, enti- tled “A Strange Wizard,” assumes that you have not utilized the two preceding products in this set, Eye of Pain and Eye of Doom, and instead begin the adventure right here. This scenario is simple and straightforward, allowing the characters to lean of the ancient hidden city through the machinations of Velinax the Vermilion, Qeqtoxii’s alter ego. Keep in mind that the information provided here is not applicable if the DM and players have worked through the first and /or second adventures in the set. It is designed solely for those gaming groups who start with this product. The second method of starting the adventure, entitled “Entering Ith K’hinax,” operates under the assumption that you have used both the other two adventures in this series (or at least the one prior to this, Eye of Doom) and have already delved into the story. This beginning takes some material from the previous adventure and fleshes it out more. It should be a smooth transition from the end of Eye of Doom: to the beginning of Eye to Eye (unless the char- acters have proceeded on a completely unexpected path between adventures, in which case you must find a means to get them more or less back on track). A Strange Wizard For those DMs who did not choose to run Eye of Pain and Eve of Doom, this event leads adventurers who have no knowledge of the earlier two modules in this series into the main part of this adventure. It begins with the adventurers relaxing in a tavern known as the Grumbling Goblin in the town of Cumbert in the evening. The details of Cumbert do not matter much; feel free to flesh it out however you wish. If you intend to place the adventure in an existing campaign, then choose any community that, can geographically accommodate a large cavern deep beneath it A wizard who wishes to hire them to aid him in ferreting out a nest of beholders beneath the city approaches the characters. Read the following aloud to the players: ‘The Grumbling Goblin is an ee inthatitisa tavern witha interior. A few folk sit in small g here and there, but the place is hardly ae afd aways toward the beck: a genilemansicrata Seen mle. The ile sons on tan We crowd, as he is decked out from head to toe in bright red robes. Itis a pretty sure bet he is awizard. ‘your eye, smiles graciously, and ‘moves to where: polare aiting Henodstie nesd slightly as he introduces himself. “Greetings and ot ee a buy you around wile we latiss 7 Allow the players to decide whether their chatac- ters are interested in hearing Velinay’s story. Ifthey are no, then go ditecty to "Something in the Shad ,”" below. Otherwise, continue by reading the: fallen lod ws tha players thes an ache sputter wen ands table in one motion. eee ea and then proceeds. get Whang loc peony riches you eet me ina rather dangerous Foranua- bor of pears Ihave been information ese tee nae enee or Sure elo pone eae a ve one of the eye tyrants and come back to tell the tale, much less come back with any useful details. “Thave reached a point where I feel that my studies have gone as far as they can in the labora- tory, and I wish to do some firsthand field research, AS ‘as it sounds, I strongly believe that a nest of beholders lives somewhere ‘beneath this town. “Thave beat evidence on this matter for close to a month now, and I think that a nest af them may beat this very moment restoring an Ancient habitat of theirs deep beneath the surface. Groot tie ony Way een pateAllow the players a chance to discuss the situa- tion and decide what their characters are going to do. if they are not interested, then go to the section entitled “Something in the Shadows,” below. Oth- erwise, wrap up whatever role-playing is neces- sary toconclude the agreement. Velinax makes plans to meet the adventurers and reveal to them where he believes a secret entrance to the chambers and caverns below lies. In reality, he will take them to a personal bolt hole he installed himself that connects to the main entrance of IIth K’hinax (not even the other mem- bers of Qeqtoxii’s criminal organization nor the other beholders in the hive are aware that it exists). Use the description of the warehouse men- tioned in “Something in the Shadows” for the location. Velinax tells the heroes that information he has garnered through investigation has led him to believe that there is a way in to the tunnels below the surface (he is referring to the abandoned ware- house described in “Something in the Shadows”). He has managed to acquire official militia reports gathered from a couple of people who claim to have witnessed something “large and round, mov- ing slowly through the air” nearby. He has gone ‘over the area pretty thoroughly, and this is the only place something could have gone, he believes. He was too frightened to enter the ware- house by himself, he will explain. Once inside the place, the sage encourages the characters to spread ‘out and search for anything unusual. Something in the Shadows This encounter provides an alternative method of luring the characters into exploring the caverns beneath the town of Cumbert and stumbling across the secret entrance to Ilth K’hinax. was not successful in the guise of Velinax the Vermilion, so it will try a different tactic this time. It uses its various eye powers and spells to keep track of the charac- ters, following them about town as they do what- everiit is they would rather be doing than exploring with Velinax. Atsome point after darkness falls, read the following passage aloud to the players: Give the players a chance to decide what their characters will do. If they decide to investigate, read the following aloud, adjusting as necessary: If the adventurers enter the doorway, they dis~ cover an abandoned warehouse full of debris. tis all junk; nothing of value can be found here by the char- acters, and the debris is severely infested with rats. However, the refuse is piled high enough in spots, thatit would be possible for someone (or something) to hide in here, or to conceal a hidden passage lead- ing somewhere else. That is exactly what i has done. After crossing the road in front of the char- acters to get their attention, it used its polymorph self spell to transform into a large rat and then scurried into the building. The elder orb established its secret olthole leading to llth K’hinax here.Vv Beginning the Adventure The portal is located in the partially collapsed basement of an earlier structure over which this warehouse was built. Near a far wall from the door leading into the warehouse, a large open hole in the floor exposes the basement area below. Quite a bit more debris lies around this basement, but one wall of the older structure has been replaced by blackstone (see page 60). The replaced section of wall meshes perfectly with the rest of the basement wall, but it is of a significantly dif- ferent color and is immediately noticeable to any- one spotting it. Asa result, Qeqtoxii has covered the section of wall witha large piece of wooden planking that leans haphazardly against it. Qeq- toxii merely swings the planking out of the way using its telekinesis power and vaporizes the black- stone with its amtimagic ray eye, replacing the boards behind him after it passes through it Beyond the wall of blackstone is a perfectly smooth 10-foot-diameter passage that descends at a sharp angle all the way to the main entrance cavern, below. Proceed to the section entitled “Entering Ilth K’hinax.” Entering llth K’hinax This portion of the adventure should pick up the thread of the adventure where Eye of Doom left off. At the end of that adventure, the heroes had descended into the caverns immediately below the secret headquarters of the Unblinking Eye, where Qegtoxii had fled after revealing himself to the characters as the Faceless Man. In an effort to slow. the characters down, the elder orb released from petrification a Lernaean hydra, At the far end of the cavern from where the adventurers arrived was a great skull carved into the side of the cavern wall. Within the eye sockets hover a pair of gas spores, and a spectator guards the “mouth” of the skull, In addition, Qeqtoxii polymorphed itself into the form of Velinax the Vermilion and placed itself behind a wall of force in order to make it appear that it had been imprisoned there. The characters most likely discovered Velinax in this fashion prior to entering the skull mouth. Velinax explained to the characters that he witnessed the great beholder from above enter the mouth and disappear, so he has concluded that it leads to the nest of beholders he has suspected existed all along. Velinax also strongly urged the characters to delay battling the spectator until they had man- aged to rest and recuperate. The sage knows that the going will be tough, and he staunchly believes that the adventurers should be fresh and fully armed. If the players went along with this sce- nario, then they freed Velinax and returned to the surface with him to rest, regain spells, heal, and perhaps train to rise in experience levels. You should handle all of these endeavors yourself, in the manner particular to your style of gamemas- tering, This section of the adventure assumes that all of that has been taken care of. It is possible that the characters are operating under a very different set of circumstances than those outlined above. For instance, they may have already ditched Velinax, because they didn’t trust, him (although it is highly unlikely that they have killed him—Velinax is really an elder orb with sev- eral means of escape at its disposal). Perhaps they have decided to ignore the sage’s advice and are determined to proceed into the lair of the beasts without resting and regaining their strength. If the characters’ actions have deviated significantly from Qegtoxii’s plans, you will have to adjust the lead-ins appropriately to compensate for that. Regardless of how things have changed, however, the characters must still get past the spectator and descend into the great city of llth K’hinax, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to swing things back into line. Keep in mind that if the adventurers do not have Velinax accompanying them, then many of the events described in the later sections that hinge upon him do not occur, However, Qeqtoxii may still be following the characters secretly, triggering events to suit its plans, so even if the sage is not present, special phenomena mentioned in the text will still happen. Notes to such effect are included in the text.Entering the Mouth Standing between the characters and the route to the legendary beholder city of Ilth K’hinax is a spec- tator (assuming the adventurers didn’t already do battle with it at the end of Eye of Doom). In the eye- holes above him are two gas spores. Spectator (1): AC 4/7/7; MV F19 (B); HD 4+4; THACO 15; #AT 1; Dmg 2-5 (1d4+1); SA magic; ‘SD magic; MR 5%; SZ M (4’ diameter); ML elite (14); Int high (14); AL LN; XP 4,000. Notes: The spectator has a +2 surprise modifier anda +1 initiative modifier; itis hard to surprise. Spectators fight nonviolently when possible; they start with their suggestion power, switching to paraiyzation if that does not work, switching to cause serious wounds only if truly endangered. I blinded in al eyes but stillalive, a spectator will felcpor! to Mechanus, heal there, and return the next day. If that which it was guarding is now gone. it will go about its life 10 Eye Powers: Central—reflect (on nontouch spell per round, only ssolong as eye is undamaged; spectator must save vs. spell toreflect; failure means 5% MR and personal saving throw come into play); 1st—create ood and water (enough for a large meal for six, takes one round); 2nd—eause serious wounds (2d8+3 points of damage to single target within 60 yards; save vs. spell for half damage); ed—poralvzntion may (range 90’, one target, 844 rounds); 4th—telepathy (range 120” , one target; can Communicate this way, or can plant suggestion if target fails save vs. spell; suggestion is always to leavein peace) Other Powers: spectator can teleport between its cursent home ‘and the plane of Mechanus, one felepor! per day; while in Mechanus, it can regenerate all damage ina single day. Attacking a spectator makes use of the following chart: Roll Location AC Hit Points 01-70 Body 4 44HD 71-90 Eyestalk/eye 7 hit point 91-00 Centraleye 7 — Lhitpoint ‘This spectator has been charged by Qeqtoxii to guard the entrance to the beholder city, preventing all but beholders and their kin to enter. The specta~ tor will, of course, attempt to do this through peace- ful measures first Gas Spore (Fungus) (2): AC9; MV 3; HD 1 hp; ‘THACO 20;#AT 1; Dmg special; SA special; SD special; SZ M (4’-6" diameter); ML average (8); Int non (0); AL N; XP 120 each. Notes: When struck, a gas spore explodes, inflicting 6d6 points ‘of damage to all within 20 feet (Gaving throw vs. wands for ‘half damage) If « gas spore comes into contact with exposed flesh, it shoots tiny rhizomes into the living matter and through the organism within 1 round. The gas spore es immediately. The victim must have a cure disease spell cast upon him or her within 24 hours or die, sprouting 2d ges spares. Beholders are immune to all the elfects of ‘gas spores. Behind the spectator is a wall made of black- stone, and beyond that is a perfectly ound tunnel, 10 feet in diameter, that descends for quite a long time to the beholder city below. Refer to the section entitled “Iith K’hinax,” below.llth K’hinax ‘The great beholder city of Iith K’hinax occupies a mammoth cavern deep below the surface world. It stretches as far as the eye cartsee, and the beholders who originally constructed it and dwelt there care- fully planned it to be a tribute to their way of life. Although it occupies a space that is fundamentally horizontal, everything about the city’s construction is vertical in nature. Ith K’hinax is divided into two main sections: the upper section, which is housed within a great stone protrusion (very similar in shape to a gigantic stalactite, although its geological formation differs) that descends from the ceiling, and the lower, which ‘occupies an immense mountain ascending from the floor of the cavern (again, quite similar to, but not geologically related to, a huge stalagmite). The two formations come very close together near their ti forming a meesureless hourglass within the cavern. ‘Vast, inverted spires descending from the upper level stretch downward like roois from a mammoth tree, and likewise, soaring watch towers rise up from the flanks of the mountainous lower level The upper level served as the exclusive domain of the beholders. Many of the passages within run vertically, which is a simple matter to traverse for a species capable of levitation. The inverted spires themselves acted as private dwellings, accessed only from outside. The central area, however, was the public common area and the center of govern- ment for the beholder citizens. Few other creatures were ever allowed into the upper level. The lower level of the cavern housed the “baser” creatures who could not float. These lesser creatures included the beholders’ minions and servants, as well as the few carefully screened and selected for- eign ambassadors and merchants from other inde> pendent races who were visiting from their own subsurface cities. It was a simple enough matter to contain the subservient species and control theit. flow of traffic; the beholders merely structured the floor areas with large vertical passages that only they could traverse quickly and easily. Coupled with constant beholder patrols overhead, the crea- tures on the ground level were efficiently corralled. The Arca onli ‘into three disti . The sists ofthe maps. They can beffouind on of the product cover and withinuthe:text it second portion of the material is et ae key: room-by-room descriptions of theseity, with details and statistics onthe inhat always be found there, late with the maps: The! ial contains #2078 Gea eae various times during the. investigation of the eae These. folded into the oe at certain locations. It is up-to the’ when and how these eventstran: necessary to utilize all of the events, althoi ‘most of them further the overall plot, na Qeqtoxii’s attempt to usurp rulership of the from Ixathinon the hive mother and her reaction to it. The Maps ‘The main maps on the inside cover and on the center pages of the booklet depict the city. One view isa cutaway from the side, showing a cross-section of the interior of both the upper and lower moun- tains, plus a sampling of the inverted spires that descend from above and the watch towers that pro- trude from below. The remaining maps display top- down views of the lower levels, plus a special “unrolled” cutaway of the upper level. None of the views present all of the details of every room; the levels are too intricate and intertwined to do this effectively, Instead, the maps provide a sampling of the more mundane areas, while the major high- lights of the city are described fully.llth K’hinax The Key As was mentioned previously, not every room in the city has been noted on the main maps. To do so would be impractical, both froma mapping stand- point and also because of the limitations of space. Not every one of the areasin the city could be prop- etly described in the text. To compensate for this, certain areas are labeled as typical, while others are noted as being unique within the text. The statistics and details for any creatures found ina particular area (whether that area is considered representative of many others just like it or com- pletely unique) that do not move about much or participate in the events are included in the key area. Usually, notes that describe the creatures’ actions under various circumstances accompany such material, All the other creatures that assume a dynamic role within the framework of the adven- ture are described at the end of the book, under the heading “Major NPCs.” The Events ‘The events themselves are all designed to be dropped in at the DM’s whim to further the overall plot of the adventure. Remember, this is more than a mere exploration sequence; the characters have been manipulated into coming here by Qeqtoxii, and the elder orb has to continue to orchestrate things in order to gain the outcome it desires. Sev- eral of the events aid in advancing the elder orb’s agenda, while a few of them are merely spice for the adventure. ‘These events have been broken out separately from the rest of the material both to draw attention to them and because they are not typically location- specific. In other words, they don’t occur the moment the characters enter a room, but rather when the DM decides to move the plotalong, regardless of where the characters are. A couple of, the events are specific to a location, but they differ from a typical room encounter in that they don’t necessarily occur the first time the party of heroes enters an area. R Current Conditions Within the City Although Iith K’hinax now stands as a lost mon- umentto the glory of the beholder population that once ruled it, it is more than an empty, tomblike cavity in the earth’s crust. The place still teems with life, although it is not immediately obvious at first glance. Of course, Ixathinon’s clan has returned to the site and is setting up shop in the upper level, but well before they arrived, multiple species roamed wild through the tunnels and shafts of the city. Many of these creatures are the descendants of pets and other domesticated beasts that were left behind when the city fell and was abandoned. ‘Those that could survive adapted to the absolute darkness and quickly spread throughout the great cave that houses Ith K’hinax. Other creatures. merely wandered in here and remained, thriving on the bounty to be found, As a result, an entire micro- ecology works within the place, so the various monsters and whatnot the adventurers stumble across during their exploration are not living in an environmental vacuum, without needed sources of food to sustain them. What follows is an encounter table of sorts. Rather than providing chance meetings with just the main monsters in the place, these charts give the DM some spice to sprinkle through the tunnels, making the characters more cautious in their explo- ration and yielding a better sense of the ecology of the place (and perhaps giving the characters a clue or two about what might be lurking around the next turn). ‘The standard random encounter has a 1-in-10 chance of occurring each hour. However, you may want to exercise more control over when and where random encounters occur (making them somewhat less than random) to avoid unusual or illogical cir- cumstances. Also, when choosing areas for encoun- ters to occur, you should select an encounter from the list based on the characters’ surroundings rather than roll one at random, but a die chart is included for those instances where no selection is obvious. Where more than one creature type is listed, the numbers in parentheses that follow are the relative chances of the two types occurring, respectively.llth K’hinax Table 1: Random Encounters Check once each hour; an encounter occurs on a roll of Lon 1d10. Roll Result 1-08 Bat, common or large (75% /25 09-16 Beetle, fire 17-24 Centipede, giant 25-32 Fungus, shrieker (75% chance to also encounter violet fungi) 33-40 Insect, giant, cave cricket 41-46 Mold, brown or yellow (20% /80%) 47-52 Scorpion, large 53-60 Spider, hairy 61-66 Stirge 67-00 Natural phenomenon—consult Table 2 Table 2: Natural Phenomena Roll Result 01-13 Aircurrent 14-26 Odor 27-39 Useless object 40-52 Sound 53-65 Water 66-78 Unstable ground 79-91 ‘Temperature 92-00 Minor treasure Bat, common (14100): AC 8 (see below); MV 1, F124 (8); HD 1-2 hp; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1; SA disruption; SZ T (1"); ML unreliable (3); Int ani- mal (1); AL N; XP 15 each. Notes: If startled, swarming bats may Ay inta people or things, ‘putting out torches (1% chance per bat encountered per round), disrupting spellcasting (successful Wisdom check to ‘ast spell), disrupting combat (-2 penalty to THACO); under ideal flying conditions, a bat’s AC lowers from 8 to 4 Any encounter with common bats will most likely occur in their nesting area. A check for surprise may be in order to see if the adventurers notice the bats (or the droppings) before the bats are startled and begin swarming. The bats feed off the blind cave insects that can be found almost anywhere in Ith K’hinax. 13 Bat, large (3d6): AC 8; MV 3, Fl 18 (C); HD 1d4 hp or 1; THACO 19 or 20; AT 1; Dmg 1d2 (1d4 for 1- HD bats); SD difficult to hit with missiles; SZ M (5'-6'); ML unsteady (6); Int animal (1); AL N; XP 35 each. Notes: Only 109% of those encountered will be of the larger 1- HID variety; the creatures gain an AC bonus of +3 when anyone with a Dexterity of 13 or less attempts to hit one with a missile weapon; bat must land to bite: anyone bitten by a large bat has a 1% chance of contracting rabies (see the ‘MONSTROUS MANUAL supplement for more information) Large bats will most likely be encountered in their own nesting area, but there is a 20% chance that they will be sharing a roost with common bats. Beetle, fire (33): AC 4; MV 12; HD 142; THAC) 1 #AT 1; Dmg 2d4; SZ S (2 /" long); ML steady (12); Int non (0); AL N; XP 35 each Notes: Special glands on the fie bectle make them luminous; the glands can be removed and will continue to glow for 146 days afterward; the light illuminates a 10-foot radius, Fire beetles are found roaming all over the lower level ofthe Ith K’hinax. They remain from the time when the city was occupied, serving asa unique light source for the inhabitants. They occasionally can be found in the same areas as roosting bats, consuming the drop- pings. Ixathinon and the other beholders have cap- tured and taken some of the fire beetles to the upper levels to be used a light sources, so they can be encountered there as well as in the lower levels, Centipede, giant (212): AC 9; MV 15; HD 2hp; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg nil; SA poison; SW sa ing throw penalty; SZ T (1’ long); ML unsteady (2); Int non (0); AL.N; XP 35 each. Notes: Giant centipedes have a weak poison (+4 bonus to saving throws) that paralyzes the victim for 246 hours; the creatures’ small size makes them less capable of resisting attacks, so they receive a ~1 penalty te all saving throws Giant centipedes can be found almost anywhere, even in the upper levels of Iith K’hinax, because the beholders can easily avoid them and see the crea- tures as handy deterrents to other critters wander- ing into the upper levels.llth K’hinax Fungus, shrieker (244): AC7; MV 1; HD3; THACO 17; #AT 0; SD noise; SZ M (4’-7"); ML steady (12); Int non (0); AL N; XP 120 each. Notes: Light within 30 feet or movement within 10 feet of shtieker causes to emit a shrill shrek that lass for 13 rounds the shriek has a 30% chance per round of attracting other creatures in the area Shrickers were used by the beholders in Ilth K’hi- nax as alarm systems to keep other kinds of crea- tures out of secured areas, Whenever a beholder wished to passa shrieker, the eye tyrant would sim- ply use its petrification eye power to immobilize the fungus until it was past. Shriekers are often (75% chance) encountered with violet fungi Fungus, violet (1d4): AC 7; MV 1; HD3; THACO 17; #AT 1d4;Dmg nil; SA flesh rot: SZ M (4’~7'); ML steady (12); Int non (0); AL N; XP 175 each. Notes: Each violet fungus has from 1 to4 branches that it uses to attack with. The length of the branches depends on the size of the fungus: ¢ 4-foot tall fungus has 1-foot branches, 5-foot tall fungus has 2-foot branches, a 6-foot tall fungus has 3foot branches, a 7-foot tall fungus has 4-foot branches; these branches excrete a poison that rots flesh in one round unless a successful saving throw Vs. poison is made or a cure disease spell is cast Insect, cave cricket (1d8): AC 4; MV 6, Hop 3; HD 143; THACO 20; #AT 0; SZ. T (1’); ML unreliable (2); Int animal (1); ALN; XP 15 each. Notes: The chirping of giant cave crickets drowns out all conversation and spelicasting (using verbal components) tion of approaching predators and enemies, Cave crickets can be found almost anywhere in the lower levels, but Ixathinon wasted no time clearing them out of the upper levels, because they are noth- ing buta nuisance. Mold, brown (1 patch): AC 9; MV 0; HD n/a; THACO n/a; #AT 0; SA freezing; SD absorb heat; SZ L; ML n/a; Int non (0); ALN; XP 15. ‘Notes: Any warm-blooded creature that comes withi brown mold suffers 4d8 points of damage per 10 ‘mold absorbs its body heat; magical items that providellth K’hinax warmth (such as a ring of worm) protect the wearer completely and items that negate or lessen cold-based attacks (such as a fur of warmth) work as their description states; any heat applied to a brown mold causes it to grow— torches double its size, laming ofl guacruples it, firebal spells cause it to increase in size eight-fold: only a disintegrate (which destroys it), plant-affecting magic, and cold-based spells afiect it; ice storms or walls of ice cause i to go dormant for 5d6 turns: anand of cold, white dragon breath, or a cone of cold spell kills it; brown mold does not affect cold-using creatures. Mold, yellow (1 patch): AC 9; MV 0; HD n/a; THACO n/a; #AT 1; Dmg n/a; SA poison spores; SD affected only by fire; MR 20%; SZ L; ML n/a; Int non (0); ALN; XP 65. Notes: Yellow mold may (8% chance) emit a cloud of spores in 2 10-oot radius if its touched roughly; any creature caught in this cloud must succeed at a saving throw vs poisonor die; a cure disease or resurrection spell within 24 hours can restore life; fire of any sort destroys the yellow mold, and a ‘continua light spell renders it dormant for 246 turns: none of the yellow mold encountered in Iith K’hinav is sentient, Mold of either type has cropped up in out-of-the- way areas of the caverns and tunnels of the city, and the beholders have left them alone for the most part, since they can easily avoid the stuff. The one excep- tion to this is the brown mold in the upper levels Since the beholders cannot skirt around a brown mold patch as easily, these have been disintegrated. Scorpion, large (146): AC 5; MY 9; HD 2+2; THACO, 19; #AT 3; Dmg 1d4/1d4/1; SA poison sting; SW. blind; SZ $ (2' long); ML average (8); Int non (0); ALN; XP 175 each. Sut gears leper ua snow a eu peo aae aoc eee eine tee ens ee eg Soiled conere enn ta eel =. The large scorpions found in Iith K’hinax are solid white and blind, having lived many generations in the complete darkness. They were brought here by a visiting race (most likely the drow) during the city’s heyday. Ixathinon’s clan does not care for the scorpions for this reason, but they are content to let the creatures alone for the time being, since they act as yet another deterrent to unwelcome visitors. Spider, hairy (1420): AC 8; MV 12, Wb 9; HD 1-1; THACD 20; #AT 1; Dmg 1;SA poison; SZ T (6 or less); ML average (10); Int low (7); AL NE; XP 65 each. Notes: Hairy spiders do not spin webs, instead using other spiders’ webs or pouncing dinecily on victims; they are immune to all known spider venoms; up to 40 hairy spiders ‘an swarm a humanized victim and they gain a +5 bonus toatiack rolls once they are attached to a vietim; they ane resistant to crushing damage, so when victims rol on the ‘ground or against walls, the spiders are not affected; they can ‘carry small items and walk on walls or ceilings; they have 60- foot infravision and are not afraid of fire; there is a 40% chance that the creatures can detect invisibility, having a 4-in- 6 chance of doing so.each round; victims gain a +2 bonus to saving throws vs. the hairy spider's poison, but the ‘victim suffers a -1 penalty to AC and attack rolls, and a-3 penalty to Dexterity checks for Idd-+1 roundls thereafter. The hairy spiders were brought to llth K’hinax by the drow; many of the dark elves used the creatures as familiars and messengers. Although the behold- ers did not particularly like the spiders, they per- mitted the drow to bring them. Once the civil war broke out within the city, the spiders got loose and infested the place. In the centuries since the city’s, downfall, they have bred and multiplied, and there are literally thousands of the beasts all over the place now. The beholder clan would very much like to get rid of the spiders, mostly due to the fact that they are a negative reminder of the eye tyrants’ for- mer interaction with the drow. Unfortunately, the spiders are too prolific and difficult to find, so it looks like they are here to stay. Stirge (3d10): AC 8; MV 3, Fl 18 (C); HD 1+1; THAC 17; #AT 1; Dmg 13; SA blood drain; SZ (2' wingspan); ML average (8); Int animal (1); ALN; XP 175 each. Notes Stiges attacks LHD creatures de to their bility to find Pry’ weakness; when a stig rakes «ccoseful sac ‘rth proboscl it begins dining 184 pois of damage Worth of blood each oud Unretfer one it drains 12 points {i blood it fle away to digas dict thelr tong grip eraee tnustbe ill tobe removed fom vcs; fam atlack agaist altace sige misses, make anoterafack rol agin the ‘icin’ AC toate if the attack ils dhe iti instead When the beholder clan first moved back into the city, they discovered a “supply” of stirges that had been petrified and put into storage. Ixathinonordered the stinges restored to life and placed ina chamber or two to guard against unwelcome visi- tors, Thus they can be found only in the lower lev- els, away from the beholders themselves. Natural Phenomena Each of the following encounters have been inten- tionally left vague and open to further enhancement by you, the DM. They are nothing more than unusual occurrences in the geography of the place, but they should give the players pause as they have their characters explore the depths of the city. Air current: This can include such things as cold or hot currents, up- or downdrafts, humid spots, downright windy breezes, and perfectly still loca- tions. They can blow from nowhere in particular, or they can come from small shafts located in the floor, wails, or ceilings. Odor: Smells can include decaying material, acrid orsmoky odors, animal waste, the smell of sulfur, or any other odor you can come up with. Useless object: This should be some sort of minor and broken piece of equipment or miscellaneous stuff, Perhaps the characters recognize it, or perhaps not. Such items can include a broken arrow, dried blood, a rusted or broken tool, slimy spots on the ‘wall, carefully aligned stones on the floor, unusual orstrange scratchings or carvings in the stone, etc. Sound: Noises of all types are included in this cate- gory. The adventurers can hear a distant roar, run- ning water, dripping, moaning or whistling, strange footsteps, and so forth. They could also come across a place where the stone is shaped in such a way that sound carries differently or is diminished or magni- fied (such as standing in the middle of a building's rotunda). Water: Water encounters can vary from a slight trickle running out of a crack in the wall to a dark, stagnant puddle, to a major torrent running through a tunnel or passage. The water may be cold or hot, crystal clear and suitable for drinking or full of min- erals, soil, or poisons leached from the ground. llth K’hinax Unstable ground: During the course of the fighting and in the years since, the structural integrity of the city has become suspect in many places. The char- acters may stumble across places where the stonework has cracked or crumbled away, or where footing is treacherous. Hidden sinkholes may lurk underneath a thin layer of shale, waiting for a heav- ily armored warrior to step there and fall through. Effects of disturbing unstable stonework are left up to you, the DM. ‘Temperature: Hot and cold spots may be found anywhere in the tunnels and caverns of the city: The temperature may change only slightly, or it may become uncomfortably hot or cold. It may affect the air, or the stone itself may altered. Minor treasure: This last entry includes any sort of insignificant trinket that was lost or dropped dur- ing the chaos of the civil war. Items found should usually be small and of relatively little value, such asa coin, a small piece of cheap jewelry, or some thing not recognized by the characters (a tactile map for a blind race, read by sense of touch rather than sight, is a good example). Ifthe DM wishes, a more significant find can be substituted, but it should ideally never be more than a gemstone or two, or perhaps a potion. Keyed Areas The following sections are the keyed areas repre- sented on the maps. They are broken down into a two-part hierarchy: The first number indicates which level of the city is being described, and the second indicates the specific room or area within that level. Occasionally a lower-case letter follows, the room number, indicating multiple subsections ofa particular location. Note that all descriptive text to be read aloud assumes the adventurers are using some sort of normal light source. If they are utiliz~ ing other visual means, you may need to alter the descriptions slightly. If they actually try to navigate in the dark, then they obviously see nothing, at all (and won't last very long in the depths of the earth, either),Settee aits y re NE eet Ts) ar P \j if | | | as ae : iF ae aa ae ee i \ | \ pe ee mee ce: ce fllth K’hinax Level 1 (Lowest Level) This level is the lowest physical level in the entire city. It was treated as a common area by the behold- ers. All traffic coming and going in the city passed into the cavern at this level, and during normal times (that is, when the city was not under some sort of attack) the gates were always open and pas- sage was unrestricted. Of course, the city proper (everything inside the gates) is all within the moun- tain rather than being out in the great cavern itself, ‘80 movement vertically was still restricted. The only means of reaching higher levels of the city was to journey to the interior of the city and procure per- mission. Anyone caught traveling along the outer slope of the mountain was imprisoned immediately. Beholder-kin suited to the task patrolled the “skies” ‘overhead to enforce this. Since there were a variety of creatures either serving the beholders or visiting as merchants, the layout of this lowest level of the city is somewhat haphazard, Each species had particular tastes and /or needs, and the beholders obliged—some- what, In some cases (such as with the duergar—see below), the beholders imposed their own will on the design of the residential zones, while in others they allowed the species to alter the locales to suit themselves. Those species whom the beholders con- sidered far beneath them (for they considered all. nonbeholder creatures to be inferior) were restricted to the lowest level. Their more esteemed allies (those creature types whom the beholders consid- ered to be potentially formidable foes and therefore deserved their grudging respect) were afforded more posh quarters on the second level. Ixathinon has left this portion of the city alone thus far, since the hive has limited resources and doesn’t really have a need for the lower levels of the place yet, anyway. Zulnethrac, a true beholder in ‘charge of the protection of Iith K’hinax, made only a cursory inspection of this area when the hive first arrived at Ilth K’hinax. Its primary intent was to ascertain that it was not occupied by any organized society of creatures that might pose a threat to the hive. It found signs of other creatures but chose to leave them alone, as they made good defenses against other species that might find their way into the lower levels. In addition, it was unable to com- 18 pletely scour all of the different areas of the lower sections, as various cave-ins prevented it from tra- versing the entirety of the place. It wisely chose not to blast its way through these blockages with its eye powers, assuming that some of them were unstable and would require further scrutiny before they could be safely removed, Since that first pass- through, it has not been back. 1-1. Entrance Tunnel and City Gate Whether the characters descended from the basement levels of the secret headquarters of the ‘Unblinking Eye or from the abandoned warehouse (depending on which beginning you used to launch the adventure), the steep tound tunnel they discovered leads down, down, and even further down, spanning more than a mile before it exits into a larger passage that runs much more levell Read the following aloud to the players, adjusting, as necessary: This larger tunnel is one of the ancient roadways of the Underdark, used eons ago by many subter- ranean species to travel from place to place. This particular pathway is no longer in use, which will juickly become apparent if the characters turn to the right. After perhaps 200 yards or so, they come upon a great cave-in. This collapse happened dur- ing the civil war within Ilth K’hinax, and no one ever managed to dig it out again. The other direction leads to the city itself, Char acters who wander in this direction find that they will travel a quarter-mile before they reach one of the old official gates to llth K’hinax. Read the fol- lowing to the players:llth K’hinax ‘The tunnel nins straight and true, and as you fol- low it, you sense that countless others once traveled his path, much as surface-dwellers might travel the ‘s roads. The center of the tunnel’s floor seems aS ee wore it smooth eee Lingering traces of strange carvings favs fe ira This pathway continues to descend for another 350 yards or so before arriving at a gateway. When the adventurers arrive at this point, read the follow- ing aloud to the players: Ahead of you, an te breaks the tun- nel you follow. te sh widens sighily ond ihe ceiling rises to a higher elevation overhead. ‘Between you and the opening lays a wide pool of Heo tune oe moat for the ruined gate. What to be a twin set of mammoth stone doors lie shattered in the mouth of the pathway. At one time, these ‘great valves must have been ly balanced on their hinges, for they obviously weigh several tons. Above the gate isa small balcony with a recessed alcove behind it. The pool of water is actually a giant “moat” about 40 feet deep that encircles part of the lowest, level of the city. The chasm that contains the water stretches beyond the sides of the tunnel in a gentle curve to either side; its ceiling rises only a few inches above the water level everywhere except where it bisects the tunnel arriving at the cit The gate at one time had a special hinged exten- sion bridge that could stretch across the water to the pathway. It was anchored by a special boom that extended out over the gateway from the bal- cony over the gate. When the bridge was retracted, it served to further block the entrance. The balcony served as a perch for a watch and also housed the mechanisms that extended and. retracted the boom and the bridge. The alcove is actually the doorway to the other side of the gate, but it is blocked by a door of blackstone. Duergar were stationed here, supervised by spectators. The beholder-kin opened the doorway via their anti- magic ray, of course, but invaders could not get through this way. The bridge and boom have long since deterio- rated and collapsed, falling into the murky depths of the water and sinking out of sight. The characters should have little trouble getting across the water and through the gateway, however. Beyond the gate, the tunnel continues as before. Qeqtoxii the Guide: When the characters are first faced with the decision of whether to turn right or left, Qeqtoxii suggests going to the left for some plausible reason. Of course, the elder orb won't push the matter since it doesn’t want to blow its disguise now, but it has to try to guide the adven- turers whenever it can. 1-2. Main Avenue Once the characters traverse the gate from Area 1-1, they find themselves following one of the main thoroughfares directly to the heart of the city. When the city was still fully occupied, all of the external approaches to IIth K’hinax bypassed the perimeter regions and met in the center of the lowest level, which served as a common marketplace for the var- ious races. This particular route has suffered a cave- in and now appears to be impassable. If the characters inspect the cave-in carefully, they discover that a small, yet passable, opening up high leads to Area 1-4. The characters can find no other way to dig through the cave-in to reach the other side of the passage and the center of the city If they attempt to, the rubble shifts and settles omi- nously, Qeqtoxii the Guide: Since Qeqtoxii can’t lead the adventurers directly to the opening in the cave-in, the elder orb merely tries to direct one of the char- acters to that general area. This can be as easy as having his human persona ask, “Has anyone looked up there yet?” 1-3. Observation Towers The watch towers scattered around the perimeter of Level 1 are all constructed in a similar manner. They rise from the floor of the level up through the roof and out of the mountain's surface. Only one way exists in and out of the towers from within the mountain, and that access was at one time always blocked with a doorway of blackstone. Currently, there is only a 30% chance that the blackstone is intact, unless specifically noted elsewhere in theuth K’hinax key. Only beholders, beholder-kin, and minions accompanying one of the eye tyrants could gain access to the towers. Inside the tower is a\hollow shaft approximately 20 feet in diameter. A set of steps winds in a great spiral upward from the floor, abutting the wall. The steps were for the benefit of indentured races who could not float to the top as the beholders did. The steps ascend the tower, which is approxi- mately 100 feet high. The exact distance differs for each tower, since the mountain overhead is imper- fect—the end result always has the tower rising 40, feet from the point where it emerges from the ground. At the top of the tower nuns a catwalk that cir- cumnavigates its perimeter. Servant creatures assigned to maintain watch would use the catwalk, while the beholders themselves would simply ascend the shaft and hover there. Since the behold- ers were so paranoid about the loyalty of other races, they actually pulled guard duty themselves. Asa result, each tower was also equipped with a special lantern for the beholders to use like search MAP 43 Observationgfowet lights, shining the brilliant beams over the ground around the base of the tower ‘The first time the characters climb to the top of an intact tower, read the following aloud to them: The points of light overhead emanate from the upper level of the city, the part that Inathinon’s hive currently occupies. They have restored that portion of the place to full functionality. At its height, lith K’hinax was filled with marvelous lights from many different types of sources. Glow- ing fungi, special cave beetles, even objects enchanted with continual light spells abounded. Beholders love all things visual, and fantastic dis- plays of light certainly fall into this category. Although many of the subterranean species have very refined infravision, the beholders of Iith K’hi- nax kept the city well-lit, both for their own bene- fit and also for those Visitors and minions whose eyesight was limited. If the players decide that they wish to have their characters scale the outside of the lower levels, they can accomplish this within three hours and three Dexterity checks (at a -2 penalty), Because so much time has passed since the beholders lived here (and kept up the place), the outer surface of the lower levels have formed numerous stalag- mites that the characters must work around. If the characters use rope and anchor it to stalagmites, then only the lead character needs to make the Dexterity check (unless he has an appropriate spell helping him). Qeqtoxii the Guide: The natural curiosity of player characters will most likely cause them to investigate the observation towers in the hopes of seeing the view (if nothing else). Qeqtoxii actually welcomes this curiosity. After all, once the adven- turers sce the view, the elder orb will have an eas- ier time trying to get them to go to the upper reaches of the city. However, after the characters 207) ¥ llth K’hinax see the view, Qeqtoxii wants them to avoid the other towers. Being an intelligent creature, Qeq- toxii is careful not to show too much enthusiasm when the characters first see a tower. Instead, the elder orb either mentions that going up in one of the towers could give them all an idea of what the city as.a whole looks like (or he supports the adventurer that brings up the idea before Qeqtoxii can). This way, after they see the view, the elder orb can urge them along without having to do an about-face in acting! 1-3a. Cave Fisher Lair This particular tower no longer has a blackstone doorway intact. It was destroyed during the civil war that ripped Ilth K’hinax apart so many years ago. Since that time, a family of cave fishers has taken over the inner shaft, The cave fishers have set up their lair on the balcony and cast their fila- ments down the shait. They survive off a nearby nest of bats that flies through the tower on a regu- Jar basis to feed on the insects in the larger cavern beyond. Characters entering the tower are in dan- ger of running into the filaments of the beasts, which will attempt to pull them up to the top of the tower to feed. Cave fisher (4); AC 4; MV 1; HD3; hp 16 (+2), 10, 7; THACD 17 or 15; #AT 2; Dmg 2d4/2d4;SA adhe- sive trapline; SD anchoring; SZ. M (7' long); ML steady (12); Int semi- (3); AL N; XP 175 each. Notes: The cave fisher can suspend an adhesive filament that is ‘almost undetectable by its prey—there is only a 20% chance (of seeing it within 10 feet, and no chance at all beyond that detect snares and pits spell will reveal the filaments; the filaments can only be cut by +1 or beter edged weapons; the cave fisher can altematively shoot its filament directly at a victim, striking as a 6-HD monster (THACO of 15); it can lift up to 400 pounds at a rateof 15 feet per round and is considered to havea Strength of 18/00; it can walk on walls and ceilings and use its adhesive to anchor itself in place. 1-4, Duergar Warren When the characters reach the other side of the cave-in and descend to this area, read the following aloud: 21 One of the subordinate races serving the behold- ers were the duergar. These gray dwarves held a lowly place in the many eyes of the beholders, but they were myriad in number and easily cowed. Thus they became the common laborer within the city. The duergar were put to work hauling, clean- ing, fetching, and digging throughout the lower two levels of the city, and they were given this entire zone as a residence. The ceilings of the residential sections them- selves are higher than the tunnels leading into the city so that the beholders and beholder-kin could patrol the area with ease. In this particular area, the duergar warrens are like a micro-city within the larger one; the whole area has a ceiling height of well over 50 feet, and each of the rounded struc- tures are actually buildings only two or three sto- ries high. The beholder patrols could move about over the roofs of these dwellings, maintaining unrestricted lines of sight throughout the place. The duergar did not particularly care for the habitats the beholders provided for them, but they were given little choice; the beholders had a single mindset when it came to the architecture of this place, and that mindset was strongly and unswervingly devoted to roundness. In addition, the duergar disliked the fact that their homes were out in the open like this and that the beholders could spy on them whenever they chose, but they made up for it by digging into the rock beneath their homes and establishing a series of tunnels. They could use these tunnels to move about from domicile to domicile undetected, escaping the everwatching eyes of the beholders overhead.They preferred the confines of the tunnels to the open, exposed feel of the houses, anyway, so they spenta great deal of time there Today, many of the structures are demolished because they were destroyed during the fighting that took place during the war over Ilth K’hinax Some of the tunnels are caved in as well, but mos of them are still intact, and the adventurers may venture into them if they wish. See the individual entries for more information. Only one other way out of the duergar warrens exists; one of the two. gateways leading to the central plaza is blocked by the rubble of collapsed buildings, but the other (the one further around to the north) is still accessible. There is a 15% chance each round (noncumnula tive) the characters spend in the duergar warrens that they will encounter a tunnel worm (see location 14a) hidden in the rubble, waiting for prey to come near. The worm will lunge from its hiding place to attack. Chances for surprise are normal. Reduce the number of tunnel worms in area 1—4a for every one encountered and killed in this manner. Qeqtoxii the Guide: Qeqtoxii realizes that the characters have to pass through this area to get to the center of the lower level, but the elder orb tries to prod the adventurers onward. To do this, it points out that not only have the beholders proba- bly been through here already, but that they have also collected anything of worth as well. If the char acters are too curious to pass up the intact dwelling (area 14a), the elder orb supports their decision quietly 1-+4a. Intact Dwelling, This is one of the few duergar structures still per- fectly intact. If the characters venture inside, read the following aloud to the players: Ducking your head slightly to navigate the low doorway, you pass through it to find yourself in a low-ceilinged room—no more than 5/ feet high. The large chamber in which you stand is empty, buta doorway leads further into the structure, and a stone staircase rises up to a second story in one corner. Everything is constructed of quarried stone of the type found in this region.The rest of the structure is as empty as this front chamber, all of its contents scavenged long ago. In one of the back rooms, an opening to a root cellar actually leads down to the tunnels dug into the rock floor of this immense area. If the adventurers descend into this opening, they find themselves ina series of twisting, turning burrows (displayed on the map in the second color). Everyone except half lings and gnomes must stoop to some degree or another to move through here. If the characters explore these tunnels to any extent at all, they are in for a nasty surprise, as they now serve as the abode fora swarm of tunnel worms. Centipede, tunnel worm (5): AC 4; MV 6; HD 9+3; hp 53, 40, 38 (x2), 35; THACO 11; #AT 1; Dmg 2d4; SA lunging; SZ G 30"; ML steady (12); Int non (0); AL N; XP 1,400 each. Notes: The tunnel worm attacks by lunging atits victim, gaining a +2bonus to its attack rolls; when it hits, it has Seized the victim in its mandibles, but itinficts no damage until it has chewed through armor: 1 round for leather or worse, 2 rounds for armor tougher than leather up to chain mail, and 3 rounds for armor tougher than chain mail; once the armor has been chewed through. the tunnel werm automatically inflicts damage each round thereafter; ifa tunnel worm suifers 15 or more points of fire damage or Toses 60% ofits hit points, it releases any victims and retreats to its lair The tunnel worms lie in wait in the side pas- sages, lunging and striking as creatures draw near to the intersections. They also double back and strike from the rear, if possible. Consult the map to plan an appropriate strategy for the creatures. Within the tunnel worms’ lair (marked on the map with an “X") can be found a few coins (2 gold and 6 platinum, both of a mint never seen before by the characters), one pearl broach worth 500 gp, and one teardrop-shaped red agate valued at 10 gp. These are scattered among insect husks, bones, and other refuse left there by the worms 1-4b. Courtyard This area was once an open plaza for the duergar when they wished to hold assemblies. In the center of it is a raised platform of stone where speakers stood so they could be heard by everyone gathered. While some of the rubble of the collapsed buildings have encroached upon this open area, itis still llth K’hinax mostly devoid of the debris that covers everything else in this part of the city. When the characters reach this area, they see a faint light coming from the far end of the courtyard. If they approach the light, read the following aloud, adjusting as necessary: oretn The plants are yellow musk creepers. If the adventurers come within 10 feet of any of the plants, then several of the flowers nearest the char- acters puff pollen at them. Those hit by the pollen must make a successful saving throw vs. spell or be entranced and walk toward the plant. If the vic- tim reaches the creeper, one of the green bulbs that the plant grows extends its roots into the victim’s head. The roots reach the victim’s brain in two rounds, When this occurs, the victim loses 1d4 points of Intelligence per round after the first round. Yellow musk creeper (Plant, dangerous) (2): AC 7; MV 0; HD3; hp 21, 13; THACO 17; #AT 7, 5; Dmg, nil; SA pollen: SD special immunities; SZ L 20° square; ML fearless (20); Int non (0); AL N; XP 650. Notes: This plant is immune to charm, hold illusion, sleep, and ‘ther mind-affecting attacks; these particular plants have three and two dark green buds and seven and five flowers, respectively; damage to the plant is disregarded unless the bulbous root is attacked; victims reduced to 0 Intelligence die instantly; man-sized humanoids reduced to 1 or 2 Intelligence hecame yellow musk zombies under the t's control (one zombie for every two flowers): if the plant dies before reducing the victim to.a zambie, 1 Intelligence point is regained per day or a heal spell instantly restores Intelligence; a zombie can be cured by destroying the plant and then using a neutralize potson followed by a heal spell and four weeks of rest.llth K’hinax Ifone of the characters becomes a zombie, then he acquires yellow skin and a glazed look but retains most everything else. While he can keep his hit points, he attacks as a2 HD monster and cannot cast spells or receive bonuses for high ability scores. Yellow musk zombies cannot be turned and serve their creeper for around two months (remaining at least 100 feet away at all times) before moving 200 feet away from the creeper and dying. The seedling that was growing in the zombie’s head sprouts, flowers, and becomes a new creeper. If the adventurers kill off both of the plants, then they can root around the plants and find 57 copper pieces, two 10-gp lapis lazuli stones, one 50-gp chalcedony stone, two 100-gp spinels, one 500-gp peridot, two 1,000-gp oriental topaz gems, a rusted long sword, some rotted leather armor, a short sword +1, and the skeletal remains of two humanoids. If the characters look around for more of these plants (given their mode of reproduction), they won't find any. Zuinethrac has started destroying the plants with its disintegrate ray. The beholder was interrupted while working on this project and hasn’t come back to finish the job yet. 1-5. Central Plaza Most of the commerce of the city took place in this part of Ilth K’hinax. The caravans of the various Underdark nations would travel the great under- ground highway tunnels and come here, arriving through the main avenue tunnels and through the gates. This was a common ground, a central loca- tion where all species were on equal footing; feuds between clans or species were to be left outside the gates, and the beholders would not tolerate viola- tions of this policy. The central plaza was also a great security check- point for the city, for all roads led directly here, and, all other parts of the city had to be accessed through this location. The level above this one remains open to this area, looking down on the plaza from a sig- nificant height similar to a balcony. Most of the beholder residents that interacted with the lower city entered and departed this way, so there was a constant stream of activity overhead, an effective deterrent to keep the merchants below from engag- ing in any criminal activities. 28 Read the following aloud to the players the first time their characters arrive at this site: The characters find next to nothing of value here. At one time, much of the material that had been used in constructing the booths and trans- ports remained even after the war had subsided, but time and looters have long since done away. with most of it. Little remains but shards of stone and a few planks of lumber. The second level of the lower city is also open to this area, although it is a good 75 feet overhead. If the adventurers gaze upward, they can see the vastness of the cavern above, as well as some of the lights of the upper city. They can also see the support columns of the elevator rising from the inner plaza up to the platform that spans out across the open space from the rest of the second level. The central core shoots up higher than any, light source can penetrate: The wall separating the central plaza from the inner plaza stands 50 feet tall Qeqtoxii the Guide: Once the characters enter this area, the elder orb simply follows the group's lead until they discover area 1-5b. 1a. Mimic Lair Along one portion of the wall that separates the central plaza from the inner plaza is a large pile of refuse and debris that seems to have been gathered from the surrounding wreckage. Although still somewhat messy, it most definitely appears to be an organized pile of trash, put together perhaps as a minimal shelter for some small humanoid. Read the following aloud to the players when their characters are able to spot this aberration:llth K’hinax In reality, this pile of material is a mimic that has found its way into the ancient city and has been feeding itself for many years on the various small game to be found here, It acts in typical mimic fash- ion, lying in wait until some creature strays too close to its reach and becomes a meal. Even though there hasn‘t been much in the way of humanoid traffic near this creature in many years, it still takes on the appearance of something attificial, due to its wiz- ardly origin. Although Zulnethrac has patrolled through this area several times and seen the peculiar “structure,” it has thus far chosen to ignore it, as it has seen no other evidence that anything lives there. Mimic, common (1): AC 7; MV 3; HD 8; hp 42; THACO 13; #AT 1; Dmg 34; SA glue; SD camou- flage; SW bright light; SZ L; ML champion (15); Intaverage (10); AL N; XP 1,400. Notes: A mimic can easily surprise its victims (4 penalty to rolls); whenever a creature gets within range of the mimic, it lashes out with a pseudopod and inflicts damage; any creature or item that touches a mimic s held fast by the glue it secretes; a glued victim may either attempt a bend bars roll fo break free, or alcohol weakens the glue in three rounds, providing an automatic success to break free: a victim attempting to break free cannot take any other action in the round; the glue dissolves five rounds after the mimic’ death; a mimic may neutralize its own glue at any time: mimics are immune to acid attacks and are unaffected by molds, green slime, and various puddings; mimics are sensitive tolight and heat from up to 90 feet away, and any powerful light soutce can blind a mimic. The mimic waits until an adventurer moves close enough to check out the supposed structure, then it strikes. If the characters spend quite a long time in combat, or if they make an inordinate amount of noise fighting it, they stand a fair chance (base of 35%) of attracting the attention of one of the behold- ersin Ixathinon's dan. if the characters look, they will discover a smat- tering of treasure hidden beneath the mimic. These 25 are merely baubles that were collected by other creatures the mimic consumed. Included in the trove are 22 pp (drow coins) and a handfal of gems—three turquoise stones valued at 10 gp, one 50-gp serpentine stone, and one gold ring with an oval precious cat's eye worth 150 gp total. 1-5b. Entrance to Inner Plaza At this location along the great wall that divides the two areas of the plaza stands a huge gateway. The opening is large enough to allow a wagon through, and before the civil wer, it was carefully guarded at all times by both beholders and minion species, To further ensure that no uninvited guests could get through this portal, the entire opening, was actually sealed with a giant plug of blackstone rather than an actual door. The eye tyrants did not wish to allow any breach in their security here, as this was the only means of reaching the second evel of the city trom the ground, short of entering through one of the observation towers on the sur- face of the mountain. Thus, only beholders using their anti-magic eye power could grant access to anyone wishing to enter. Although this huge gate was torn asunder during the war that destroyed Ilth K’hinax, Ixathinon had the blackstone plug repaired by Qeqtoxii when the clan first arrived here. She did not wish to take any chances, even though the city was supposedly lost and forgotten by the rest of the world. Read the fol- lowing aloud to the players the first time their char- acters pass this point: The towers themselves are little more than hol- low columns with a stairwell inside. The grounded troops that once served the beholders could climb to the top of the towers in this man- ner (accessed from area 1-6), while the eye tyrants themselves simply hovered about, ever vigilant for attacks.