Elder Evils

FEATURES OF THE AREA
(B) Blistered Soul
Bioenergy Cyst, Healing Spore, Vaporous Abscess (Worldskin
Features): See descriptions in the worldskin, page 102.
Shuddering Worldskin: The worldskin is highly sensitive
both to Ragnorra’s dreamlike thoughts and to violent events
(such as combat) on its surface. Each round the party is in this
area, a 1 in 6 chance exists that the skin twitches in response.
Destruction of worldskin features can also cause such a
reaction.
When the worldskin twitches, ripples up to 2 feet high race
across its surface, accompanied by a high-pitched keening. All
creatures on the skin must make a Balance check or lose their
footing, as summarized on the following table.
ENCOUNTER 7-1
Event
Balance Check DC
Ragnorra’s thought/combat in area 15
Bioenergy cyst destroyed 15
Healing spore destroyed 20
Writhing Plant Ridge: Corrupt positive energy flows along
these cracks in the worldskin, causing plants to rapidly grow,
die, and regrow. The ridges of plant growth average about 40
feet in height. Crossing or traveling along the ridge requires a
DC 20 Strength check each round; a successful check allows
the character to travel 5 feet in that round.
TACTICS
The blistered souls want to draw the PCs farther into the
area to expose the intruders to more worldskin features.
The charging one attacks the PCs for a round, then retreats
toward the center where the other awaits them. These two
blistered souls engage the PCs. Typically, one of them uses
its melee or ranged attacks while the other activates or
regenerates a nearby worldskin feature. The third remains
hidden, using regenerate worldskin and skincasting to aid
its fellows.
After the PCs enter this area, all the blistered souls (including
the hidden one) activate the vaporous abscesses near the
southern edge of the map to herd the party inward.
CONCLUSION
The hidden blistered soul assists its companions as much
as possible and does not reveal itself even if the other two
perish. In that event, it reverts to a spawning spore and waits
for the danger to pass.
If the PCs do not locate the hidden blistered soul, the final
encounter will be much more difficult. It sends a mental call
to Ragnorra, who spawns two new blistered souls to replace
her losses. They lurk within Ragnorra’s lair to assist their
Mother from the shadows (see encounter 7–3).
The blistered souls collect their victims’ possessions and
embed them within the worldskin as offerings to Ragnorra.
Digging into the worldskin is possible, though disquieting,
and takes 10 minutes per hole. Such activity is likely
to make the skin shudder (see Features of the Area), but
that event does not present a problem unless combat is
occurring. A successful DC 20 Search check uncovers one
of the following items per hole: 712 pp; 820 pp; a scroll of
heal (CL 15th); a circlet adorned with rubies (3,300 gp); a
potion of protection from arrows 15/magic; a letter that scorns
the idea of Ragnorra’s minions breaching the defenses of
an aristocrat’s home, in the pocket of a bejeweled smoking
jacket (2,700 gp).
The hazards of the worldskin make this a more difficult
combat than the creatures’ Encounter Levels indicate. If
the PCs defeat all three blistered souls, they gain 125% of the
normal XP for the encounter.
107