H4 The Throne of Bloodstone.pdf - Free

discord, symbol of stunning, 70%
chance to gate in a demon of Type III
(80%) or Type IV (20%)
Special Equipment: sword of cleaving
(causes double damage on a roll of 18-
20; requires 18/00 Strength to use)
Glyphimhor is one of Orcus’s most
powerful lieutenants. As such, he
rules over the city of Orcusgate, which
lies next to the fortress.
Two long bridges span the fiery
moat, connecting the city to the castle.
The first of these (the one closest to the
foreground in the map) is actually the
front entrance to the city The other
bridge is a back entrance to the fortress.
On that bridge, slaves, food, and other
goods are brought into the castle. The
pathway there connects to the vast
kitchens and breweries of the fortress,
as well as leading into the depths
below, where tens of thousands of
slaves toil in eternal subjugation.
Glyphimhor is also one of Orcus’s
most trusted henchmen. However,
trust among these demons is a relative
term—the prince keeps a close eye
upon Glyphimhor, which is one of
the reasons he has been posted so
close to the castle.
And indeed, the Type VI demon
would be delighted to get a chance to
overthrow his prince. He is one of the
few demons in the Abyss who understands
the workings of the Wand of
Orcus. If he could gain control of that
artifact, he feels certain that he could
usurp control of Orcus’s realm.
To this end, he might try to enlist the
aid of the PCs, even offering them the
opportunity to escape with the wand.
Of course, he will betray this bargain at
the most advantageous moment-his
primary motivation, after all, is to gain
control of the wand for himself.
He will try to make a deal with the
PCs if two things happen: He must see
a clear demonstration of their power,
and the PCs must avoid making him
mad in the process. Glyphimhor
couldn’t care less about the wholesale
elimination of his demonic troops—
there are lots more where they came
from. However, he will be angered by
destruction of portions of his city, or by
attacks that penetrate his magic resistance,
or by a backstab attack from a
thief.
If he is angered, Glyphimhor will do
everything in his power to keep the
characters within his city until their life
energy has been entirely drained. He
will only kill them if that seems to be
the only way he can avoid having them
leave the city. He is far more likely to
use his telekinesis ability to hold characters
against their will.
Other tactics commonly employed
by Glyphimhor include the use of his
symbols- particularly discord and
stunning— to deter attempts by the
PCs to leave his domain.
If the player characters manage to
create an attack on Orcusgate by an
army-sized force (such as the zombies),
Glyphimhor will devote his attention
and energies to defeating that attack.
This is about the only circumstance
where the PCs will be able to pass
through the city without encountering
its demon master.
The layout of the city is shown on
page 94. See the notes there for travel
in the city.
The walls of the city are rough-hewn
and appear to be only about 50 feet
tall. In fact, this is the case when a character
tries to climb the wall to enter the
city. However, if the wall is approached
from inside the city, it can be seen at its
true height—1,000 feet. Also, it will
attack to prevent characters from leaving
the city, just as the walls before the
fortress will (see “Hazards of Climbing,”
page 62).
The bridges are deceptively long.
Each span stretches for a mile. When
73
the PCs approach an entrance to the
city, read the following passage:
The huge gates stand open, revealing
a long and empty street. The
roadway passes among looming,
dark houses. There are no signs of
life in the city—no lights, sounds, or
smells. Aside from this, however, its
construction and overall appearance
are not terribly different from those
of any large city in the Forgotten
Realms.
The PCs are free to pass through the
gates without hindrance. They will see
no signs of any inhabitants as they enter
the city. If they turn and leave by the
gate they entered, nothing will happen,
as long as they have not moved
more than 100 feet into the city. Once
the party has moved into the city more
than 100 feet, however, they will be
challenged as explained below (when
the PCs try to leave Orcusgate).
As they enter, read the following
description:
The city sprawls in all directions, a
chaotic tangle of streets running
here and there with no apparent pattern.
There are still no signs of life—
though each building has a
chimney, no smoke swirls upward
anywhere.
The city walls look much, much
higher from the inside—they loom
hundreds of feet above you, surrounding
the entire metropolis. The
gates remain open behind you.
The buildings look sturdy, but
are constructed with odd angles for
corners, roofs, and walls. Some of
them seem to lean so far to the side
that you are sure they will collapse
at any moment. Others are so tall
and narrow that they seem more
like posts than buildings.
You might allow the PCs to make