Elder Evils

ENCOUNTER 7-2
V
ANE ENGAGEMENT
Encounter Level 19
SETUP
The worldskin is less sensitive here and has fewer growths,
but it features two new hazards: tentacular boils and
membranous openings, the latter not of Ragnorra’s
making.
Irthicax Vane (V) is hiding behind a membranous
opening. At the beginning of the encounter, he uses his
ring’s ventriloquism ability to project his voice so that it
sounds as though it is coming from an opening closer to
the PCs.
You might wish to mark the various worldskin features
with coins: Heads indicates a growth ready for use, and
tails marks one that must be regenerated. Remove coins
from features that are destroyed.
The players place their miniatures within 10 feet of the
southeastern entrance.
When the players have finished arranging their
miniatures, read:
Moundlike growths dot the surface of this
canyon’s floor, as well as what seem to be deep
wounds covered by strands of newly grown skin.
From the nearest of these openings a doleful voice
intones, “Hope for your world is lost. There is
nothing more you can do. Leave now; keep hope
alive that you can defeat Ragnorra another time,
another place.”
When Irthicax Vane attacks, read:
A quick blur of motion resolves into a black-andgreen-clad
monk. His handsome, violet features
are horrifically marred. He explodes in a storm
of blows and then races toward one of the large
openings.
Vane waits for one of the PCs to come within reach of
his hiding place and strikes with his flurry of blows. He
then withdraws through a membranous opening into
a tunnel, tumbling if necessary. He is accomplished at
hit-and-run tactics, using his superior speed and the
terrain to full advantage. He moves through the tunnels
to new attack positions on the surface, and he never
fights for more than two consecutive rounds before
retreating to a membranous opening and repositioning
for another attack.
Vane keeps up a running dialogue with the PCs during
this combat to keep them off guard and confused. While
in the tunnels, he projects his voice from other openings
with his ring of Locari’s mouth, but in combat, he uses the
abilities of Gutterang and his ring of regeneration.
CONCLUSION
Irthicax Vane fights until he drives the PCs away or is
defeated. However, if the PCs can convince him that they
stand a chance against Ragnorra, he can offer limited help.
He makes it clear that he will not directly engage Ragnorra
for any reason.
Vane can tell the PCs about the Mage Garden (see page
104) if they are not aware of it, as well as inform them of its
uses and pitfalls. He has also observed a potential weakness
of the Mother of Monsters: When other creatures destroy
spawning spores, she seems to be damaged.
The PCs can dig into the worldskin here, taking a
move action to open a hole wide enough to enter. At the
DM’s discretion, the bulette’s digging might have already
unearthed some items (discarded by Two-and-a-Half-
Brains as inedible). A successful DC 20 Search check
uncovers one of the following items per hole: 180 pp; an
aberration slaying arrow with the inscription “May your
aim be as true as our love”; a potion of greater magic fang +3;
a potion of magic vestment +5; and a gilded altar centerpiece
with three large rubies from a temple of St. Cuthbert
(13,400 gp).
Irthicax Vane CR 18
hp 140
See page 101 for statistics.
TACTICS
Though he speaks scornfully, Irthicax Vane harbors deep
admiration for these indviduals who are unwilling to
abandon their world. He would rather avoid violence
and tries to convince the PCs to forgo their hopeless
quest. If they do not, he regretfully takes steps to deal
with them.
Two-and-a-Half-Brains
Two-and-a-Half Brains is a bulette (MM 30) who until
recently was in predator heaven: a crater full of rapidly
multiplying food. But consuming Ragnorra’s corrupted
growth transformed her, growing two new brains, so that
she now has an Intelligence score of 10. With sentience
came awareness, and with awareness came the fear that
something terribly wrong is happening.
The bulette is looking for a way out of this frightening
place, and she needs help to do that. She is cowering
beneath the surface in a burrow (marked with B on the
encounter map) and does not attack the PCs except in
108