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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,

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