H4 The Throne of Bloodstone.pdf - Free
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Flight From<br />
the Abyss<br />
CHAPTER 5: INTO THE SEVEN HEAVENS<br />
A variety <strong>of</strong> situations are possible<br />
once the characters have obtained the<br />
Wand <strong>of</strong> Orcus (always assuming, <strong>of</strong><br />
course, that the characters still live).<br />
Orcus or his minions give chase as the<br />
characters flee the 333d layer <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Abyss back to the conduit (area 1 on<br />
the map on pages 48 and 49). Alternatively,<br />
the characters can use other<br />
magic to escape this layer <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Abyss. If the characters reach the conduit,<br />
it leads back to the Palace <strong>of</strong><br />
1,001 closets (Pazunia). From the<br />
entrance to Orcus’s layer (area 26 on<br />
the map on page 31), the characters<br />
must make it to the mercury pool<br />
from which they originally came (area<br />
1 on the map). <strong>The</strong>y must figure this<br />
out on their own, use spells to gain<br />
the information, escape otherwise, or<br />
confront Orcus and his minions, who<br />
will stop at nothing to recover the<br />
wand.<br />
When the characters dive into the<br />
mercury pool, they are once again<br />
seized by the disorienting effects <strong>of</strong><br />
being transported into the Astral<br />
plane.<br />
Tumbled and turned in a wild vortex,<br />
your body feels as if it is being<br />
turned inside out! <strong>The</strong> disorientation<br />
is total as you are gripped with<br />
nausea and dread. <strong>The</strong>n suddenly<br />
you break free, to find yourself<br />
floating weightless in a bright,<br />
well-lit grayness that seems to<br />
extend for infinity in all directions.<br />
Floating near you are your fellow<br />
adventurers, and also nearby is a<br />
pool <strong>of</strong> rippling silver—obviously<br />
the portal through which you<br />
entered the Astral plane.<br />
Any demons who are following the<br />
PCs come through the pool in sec-<br />
onds. Tell the characters they feel too<br />
helpless and sick to fight. But suddenly,<br />
20 humanoids with feathered<br />
wings and cat-heads appear, firing<br />
spells from their fingertips. Screaming,<br />
the demons flee. One <strong>of</strong> the<br />
humanoids is hawk-headed rather<br />
than cat-headed. He introduces himself.<br />
“I am Terxyx, Tome Archon <strong>of</strong><br />
Mercuria, and these are my Sword<br />
Archons. Our master, St. Sollars<br />
the Twice-Martyred, has been<br />
expecting you, and ordered us to<br />
bring you to him. Will you follow?”<br />
<strong>The</strong> PCs should accompany the<br />
archons, although they can reach the<br />
Seven Heavens in other ways if they<br />
choose. If they keep the Wand <strong>of</strong><br />
Orcus, each member <strong>of</strong> the party<br />
must make a saving throw vs. spell at<br />
a -6 penalty each day, or fall under<br />
the evil influence <strong>of</strong> the wand. Char-<br />
acters who become evil as a result <strong>of</strong><br />
the Wand <strong>of</strong> Orcus stop at nothing to<br />
possess the wand, then travel to an<br />
empty plane <strong>of</strong> the Abyss, where they<br />
attempt to set up a layer under their<br />
own rule. <strong>The</strong>y are transformed over a<br />
period <strong>of</strong> 30 days into a demon lord<br />
by the power <strong>of</strong> the wand, after which<br />
they cannot be returned to human<br />
form or good alignment by any meth-<br />
od whatsoever, including divine<br />
intervention.<br />
If the characters accompany the<br />
archons, they are quickly transported<br />
across the Astral plane to a gold-<br />
You feel yourself sucked into the<br />
pool <strong>of</strong> gold. Instead <strong>of</strong> the terrible<br />
disorientation and nausea that the<br />
other color pools have caused, you<br />
feel a warm, happy sensation as<br />
you pass through. You feel all the<br />
damage you have taken in the<br />
Abyss heal itself magically.<br />
Characters <strong>of</strong> non-good align-<br />
ments, however, feel this instead.<br />
You feel yourself sucked into the<br />
pool <strong>of</strong> gold. A wrenching, tearing<br />
sensation within you fills you with<br />
guilt and sadness concerning the<br />
evil deeds you have committed<br />
over, your years <strong>of</strong> adventuring,<br />
and you relive it all. All the bloodshed,<br />
all the destruction reoccurs<br />
in your mind, and you feel all the<br />
pain you have caused affecting<br />
you!<br />
Ask non-good characters if they<br />
want to become <strong>of</strong> good alignment. If<br />
they say no, they instantly lose 2d20<br />
hit points and 2 points <strong>of</strong> Wisdom<br />
permanently. If they say yes, they<br />
receive the benefits <strong>of</strong> a heal and a<br />
restoration spell, but have a powerful<br />
quest spell put on them to perform<br />
three quests on behalf <strong>of</strong> the deities <strong>of</strong><br />
the Seven Heavens. <strong>The</strong>ir alignment<br />
then changes to any good alignment<br />
(player’s choice). <strong>The</strong>re is no experi-<br />
ence penalty for this alignment<br />
change, but if the characters should<br />
lose their new alignment, they auto-<br />
matically suffer the full level effects <strong>of</strong><br />
a voluntary alignment change.<br />
Lunia, the<br />
colored pool, and enter it. Characters Silver Heaven<br />
<strong>of</strong> good alignment feel the following.<br />
78<br />
<strong>The</strong> color pool exits into the surf <strong>of</strong><br />
an ocean. Nearby is the shore <strong>of</strong> a<br />
grand mountain island dotted with<br />
citadels and redoubts <strong>of</strong> polished<br />
white stone. <strong>The</strong> ocean is fresh,