Elder Evils

The neurotangle above twists itself into the great face
of Ragnorra, dreaming no more. Cavernous eyes
regard you. The healing spores start to bubble and
spurt, sending red rivulets toward the gleaming
chord. Pain rakes the inside of your skull like eagle
talons as your bones and teeth thrum with a bass
tremor: “Now. Forever.”
Ragnorra, True Mother CR 19
hp 200 (60 HD)
See page 100 for statistics.
REVISED TACTICS
Ragnorra’s consciousness now resides wholly in the neurotangle.
Her torpor has ended. She is eager to rid herself
of the pests burrowing in her flesh and to recycle the
material of her former lair into a new generation of creations.
She attacks any creature within the area, even her
own progeny.
Once she has assumed her new form, Ragnorra is weaker.
She does not have access to fast healing or epic damage
reduction. She can no longer move, but she can create pseudopods
to strike anywhere within the heart of the crater.
Each round she can project up to two tendrils from the
neurotangle that quickly strike, then fall off and wither.
Alternatively, she launches a bolt of corruption whenever
she can catch two or more PCs in its effect.
Ragnorra cannot regenerate the worldskin until her form
matures, so she uses her skincasting sparingly. The process of
maturation requires some time, so she focuses first on any
threat to the True Mother chord.
Blistered Souls: If any remain, they give in to their pain
and attack the nearest creature, including one another.
Healing Spores: Intact healing spores start to flow
toward the True Mother chord at the rate of 5 feet per
round. Any that come into contact with it can use skincasting
and regenerate worldskin as Ragnorra can, so they
can regenerate and trigger themselves to heal the chord
and the True Mother.
FEATURES OF THE AREA
Bioenergy Cyst, Healing Spore, Spawning Spore, Tentacular
Boil (Worldskin Features): See the descriptions in
the worldskin, page 102.
Neurotangle: If the PCs attempt to escape through the
blocked entrances, they must deal with the neurotangle barrier.
See the description on page 102.
Pustule Pool: As bubbles rise and burst from this thick,
tarry pool, they release a stink of bile and infected flesh. But
in the center of each bubble, a clear liquid appears. Corrupt
positive energy infuses the fluid and can confer a temporary
benefit on a creature immersed in the pool. You might hint at
this property by mentioning that the liquid resembles the
healing waters of the geyser cave or Vane’s hideout, or by calling
for a DC 21 Knowledge (arcana) check.
A living creature that enters the pool can attempt a DC 21
Fortitude or Will save (using the higher save bonus) during
each round of immersion. Each failure heals 2d8+10 points
of damage (or grants 2d8+10 temporary hit points) and corrupts
1 Hit Die, as the effect of the twisted life sign (page 97).
A successful save negates the corruption and confers the effect
of a divine power spell (CL 20th).
True Mother Chord: The woven strands of its surface are
relatively easy to climb (Climb DC 18).
A successful DC 26 Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge
(religion) check reveals that the beams of light emanate from
weak spots.
ENCOUNTER 7-3
TRUE MOTHER CHORD
To fully mature, Ragnorra must draw corrupt energy from
the worldskin. The True Mother chord can barely contain
this flow, leaving Ragnorra vulnerable. Three weak spots
are visible on the chord, from which project the brightest
beams of light. One is at ground level (AC 47), one is 30 feet
up (AC 42), and one is 80 feet up, at the junction with the
neurotangle (AC 32). The chord shares the damage reduction
and resistances of the True Mother.
Damaging any of these spots tears the containment
strands of the chord, causing it to leak corrupt energy.
Each wound so inflicted deals an extra 1 point of damage
per round to Ragnorra. Once the chord has sustained 50 or
more points of unhealed damage, or Ragnorra is destroyed,
it snaps. The resulting explosion deals 10d6 points of damage
to any creature climbing on or adjacent to the chord, and 5d6
damage within a 60-foot-radius burst.
If Ragnorra is defeated, she detaches the remnants of
her being from the world. Blistered souls and other spawn
instantly dissolve. The neurotangle begins to decay, and
the strands blocking the entrances fall away. Any PC who
became a progeny of Ragnorra returns to normal, though
befouled with the slime of dying aberrant growth.
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