Exemplars of Evil

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Sons were allowed to claim mates from among the dragon’s human servants, thus securing Borak’s bloodline. Generations of would-be champions of the desert folk have sought to slay the dragon—but their bleached bones now decorate her palace in Imer, and their goods have been added to her hoard. Indeed, most members of the desert tribes have come to believe that the Thunder Tyrant cannot be slain, that she sees and knows all, and that they can do nothing but continue to meet her demands in the hope of avoiding her wrath. GOALS Borak dwells comfortably in the ruins of Imer. From the desert tribes, she receives annual tribute to fatten her hoard and satisfy her various appetites for human flesh. The dragon is safeguarded by Rajief—her djinni servant—and her halfdragon guardians, and she is feared and practically worshiped by the scattered descendants of the Imerians. Maintaining her power is her primary concern, of course, but she takes an exceptionally long view. Generations have passed since she laid waste to Imer, and she expects that decades or even centuries more will pass before she is roused sufficiently to destroy another city. The dragon passes the time by taking an interest in obscure arcana. Now and then, a particular item or bit of arcane lore catches her attention, and she decides that she must have it. She usually has the Al-Iborak track such articles down, but if her object is particularly far away or difficult to acquire, she might send Rajief instead. Borak’s servants have practically picked her domain clean of such things, so a character who brings a unique magic item or knowledge of an unusual spell within Borak’s grasp might have the misfortune of attracting her attention. Borak still has two wishes remaining from Rajief. Rather than squandering them on trivial matters, she holds the wishes in reserve as her ultimate “aces in the hole”—particularly the third wish, since granting it will release Rajief from servitude. USING THIS VILLAIN The legendary Thunder Tyrant is best utilized as a campaign’s climactic villain. Even the people dwelling in her domain rarely, if ever, see the dragon. Her isolation allows you to spread intriguing story seeds early on, with hushed tales about Borak’s merciless reign over the desert people and the cruel deeds of her minions. Rajief and the Al-Iborak can provide challenges and opportunities for lower-level adventurers. For example, the PCs might run afoul of the Sons of the Dragon early in their careers, finding the remains of a caravan or village that refused to tithe. Although the PCs do not find the culprits, they start to learn about the Al-Iborak—preparing them for a later encounter with the Sons of the Dragon themselves. During this faceto-face confrontation, you can adjust the quantity, levels and abilities of the half-dragons to suit your needs, giving the PCs a reasonable challenge and piquing their interest in the master dragon behind the Al-Iborak. Once word of the characters reaches Borak’s ears, she might send Rajief to learn more about them, while she uses divinations and other methods for additional research. In this case, the noble djinni sees the party as a means to be rid of Borak once and for all. Perhaps he makes contact with the PCs, or he could simply observe them from a distance at first, quietly helping them from behind the scenes. For her part, Borak determines whether or not the PCs could threaten her reign. If she thinks that they might, she dispatches the Al-Iborak to eliminate them, giving the characters even more reason to oppose her. If assassination attempts and the promise of a dragon’s hoard are not enough to tempt the PCs into action, Rajief might offer them a wish, or an NPC friend of the party might be chosen as a potential sacrifice and taken to the ruined palace. If necessary, you can have the Thunder Tyrant take the offensive and launch direct attacks on the characters, as well as on anyone who aids or shelters them, until they have no choice but to strike back. BORAK IN EBERRON The depths of the Blade Desert in Khorvaire conceal the crumbling city that Borak claims as her own. Parts of the ruins feature cryptic passages from the draconic Prophecy, which the Thunder Tyrant has been studying. The halflings of the Talenta Plains and the elves of Valenar know of the blue dragon and her spawn, but they consider it wise to let sleeping dragons lie as long as Borak preys only on the nomadic desert folk. However, halflings and elves on both sides warn that it is only a matter of time before the Thunder Tyrant becomes more ambitious. BORAK IN FAERÛN Borak’s lair lies in the depths of Calimshan’s Calim Desert, half-buried beneath sands that blow and shift in frequent storms. The powerful blue is a remnant of the dragons that menaced Calimshan centuries ago, now driven into desolation far from ports and cities. Borak and her spawn deal primarily with the nomadic desert tribes, but she is beginning to draw the attention of the pashas and the caliphs, who worry that the dragon will not remain content in her isolation for long. They might recruit explorers to journey into the desert to learn more. pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs BORAK THE CONQUEROR This chapter treats the Thunder Tyrant as a distant but growing menace for a valiant group of adventurers to seek out and destroy. If you prefer a more immediate and epic threat, you can make the Thunder Tyrant’s plans more sweeping and ambitious. In this case, having dwelt in the desert for untold generations, the great dragon has built an army led by her half-dragon offspring, and uses it to conquer the surrounding lands. This plot can make Borak the mastermind villain that defines an entire campaign. For example, an arrogant Al-Iborak commander could lead the army to destroy the homes of the player characters, forcing them into the rootless lives of adventurers. Swearing to learn all they can about the ancient blue dragon, they vow that one day they will seek her lair and slay her. At one point in such a campaign, the djinni Rajief could secretly find a way to spare the player characters from certain death. In return, he gains their friendship, though his ultimate desire is to turn the PCs into cat’s-paws to use against his master. pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs CHAPTER 9 BORAK, THUNDER TYRANT 145
CHAPTER 9 BORAK, THUNDER TYRANT Illus. by M. Phillippi APPEARANCE AND BEHAVIOR The Thunder Tyrant is a gargantuan blue dragon in the prime of her life. Her scales vary in hue from deep cobalt along her back to almost turquoise near her belly and flanks, fading to pale on her underbelly. They also vary in size: Along her back and shoulders, they are bigger than a human’s hand, while along her flanks and tail they are as fine and shimmering as iridescent mail. Borak has dark, curving horns like those of a ram, and a blunt snout filled with teeth as big and as sharp as daggers. Her powerful wings stay furled close to her body when she lies at ease, but when extended to their full span, they nearly brush the walls of the former sultan’s great hall, where she resides. The immense chamber within the palace is large enough to contain the dragon comfortably, and she likes to curl up on the dais, around her hoard. The dragon spends much of her time resting her head on her forelimbs in repose, barely raising it to acknowledge an audience. Only when her curiosity or ire is roused does she lift her great head toward the domed ceiling, and if she stands, it never bodes well for her visitors. On occasion, Borak magically assumes humanoid form. Her typical shape is that of a beautiful female human with long, lustrous black hair, deep blue eyes, and the dark skin of a desert dweller. When in this form, she wears whatever the circumstance requires, from simple clothing when she travels in disguise to the richest finery when she appears in all her glory. Boraksaghegirak CR 21 hp 445 (33 HD); DR 15/magic Female ancient blue dragon LE Gargantuan dragon (earth) Init +0; Senses blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., keen senses; Listen +35, Spot +35 Aura frightful presence (range 300 ft., fewer than 32 HD, Will DC 31 negates) Languages Draconic, Common AC 38, touch 6, flat-footed 38 (–4 size, +32 natural) Immune electricity, sleep, paralysis SR 27 Fort +25, Ref +18, Will +23 Speed 40 ft. (8 squares), burrow 20 ft., fl y 200 ft. (clumsy) Melee bite +33 (4d6+12) and 2 claws +27 each (2d8+6) and 2 wings +27 each (2d6+6) and tail slap +27 (2d8+18) Space 20 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (20 ft. with bite) Base Atk +33; Grp +57 Atk Options Combat Expertise, Great Cleave, Multiattack, Power Attack Special Actions breath weapon, crush, sound imitation, tail sweep Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 13th; 1d20+15 to overcome SR): 6th (4/day)—chain lightning (DC 24), guards and wards (DC 24) 146 Boraksaghegirak
Page 4 and 5:
3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents Introd
Page 6 and 7:
Illus. by J. Zhang s a Dungeon Mast
Page 8 and 9:
worlds, but the PCs find it first a
Page 10 and 11:
them and thwart their efforts. A ri
Page 12 and 13:
VILLAINOUS PLOTS Every great villai
Page 14 and 15:
Envy Envious villains pursue their
Page 16 and 17:
Advancing the Villain A one-shot vi
Page 18 and 19:
Typical Classes: Bard, beguiler, he
Page 20 and 21:
wants, what she expects of you, and
Page 22 and 23:
FEIGN DEATH A clever villain has ma
Page 24 and 25:
Table 1-1: Villainous Feats General
Page 26 and 27:
Benefit: You gain the extraplanar s
Page 28 and 29:
2nd Level Alliance Undone: Suppress
Page 30 and 31:
whose movement rates drop to 0 feet
Page 32 and 33:
cell belongs to a third cell, and s
Page 34 and 35:
Illus. by T. Giorello he orc has fa
Page 36 and 37:
hopes to eventually claim the Eldee
Page 38 and 39:
double axe. He also carries a few s
Page 40 and 41:
CHAPTER 2 ZARGATH HUMAN-BANE DEFENS
Page 42 and 43:
changes each week. Unescorted visit
Page 44 and 45:
FEATURES OF THE AREA The area has t
Page 46 and 47:
If Dwarreg is killed or if more tha
Page 48 and 49:
War Leader Grikfell CR 3 hp 25 (3 H
Page 50 and 51:
effort to embrace this power, but h
Page 52 and 53:
small jars throughout his personal
Page 54 and 55:
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee +1 r
Page 56 and 57:
of the structure are masonry and ha
Page 58 and 59:
CHAPTER 3 EDGAR & KATARIN TOLSTOFF
Page 60 and 61:
After throwing the thunderstone, th
Page 62 and 63:
FEATURES OF THE AREA The room has t
Page 64 and 65:
Fiendish Wolverine CR — hp 34 (3
Page 66 and 67:
fragmented into smaller knots and f
Page 68 and 69:
that protrude from its surface are
Page 70 and 71:
GOALS Pog’s time as a statue has
Page 72 and 73:
of the crew into the hold. The capt
Page 74 and 75:
CHAPTER 4 CAPTAIN GNASH 73
Page 76 and 77:
4 Pseudonatural Hobgoblins CR 1 hp
Page 78 and 79:
FEATURES OF THE AREA The room has t
Page 80 and 81:
TACTICS Once the PCs are aware of t
Page 82 and 83:
way out. They took heavy damage, bu
Page 84 and 85:
organization also includes Sulatar
Page 86 and 87:
umors and courting new business ass
Page 88 and 89:
Ranged +1 hand crossbow +10 (1d4+1
Page 90 and 91:
CHAPTER 5 CALAIS ARCHWINTER among t
Page 92 and 93:
FEATURES OF THE AREA The warehouse
Page 94 and 95:
4 Tomb Spider Broodswarms MM3 CR
Page 96 and 97: On subsequent rounds, Calais employ
Page 98 and 99: significant portion of his treasure
Page 100 and 101: USING FARROR As Emmara’s spy, Far
Page 102 and 103: Melee mwk greataxe +22/+17/+12 (3d6
Page 104 and 105: CHAPTER 6 EMMARA ISHANDRENN 5. Chap
Page 106 and 107: FEATURES OF THE AREA The sea cave h
Page 108 and 109: FEATURES OF THE AREA The lowest cer
Page 110 and 111: 2 Stone Golems CR 11 hp 107 each (1
Page 112 and 113: The young queen set about restrengt
Page 114 and 115: without provocatively revealing any
Page 116 and 117: as Thaden’s way of asserting his
Page 118 and 119: Appearance and Behavior Fire giants
Page 120 and 121: CHAPTER 7 VALBRYN MORLYDD Illus. by
Page 122 and 123: eneath the fortress. Valbryn discov
Page 124 and 125: FEATURES OF THE AREA The gatehouse
Page 126 and 127: 8 Advanced Hell Hounds CR 12 hp 44
Page 128 and 129: this purpose. Decapitating scarf is
Page 130 and 131: Energy Plane, where even the boldes
Page 132 and 133: 4th—Moilian burning blood SC (CL
Page 134 and 135: Frightful Presence (Ex) Albrathax c
Page 136 and 137: are havens for the few inhabitants
Page 138 and 139: CHAPTER 8 KASTYA ZURITH- MOVYA 4. C
Page 140 and 141: 4 Bloodfiend Locust Swarms FF CR 8
Page 142 and 143: FEATURES OF THE AREA The room has t
Page 144 and 145: the way they came, and then uses a
Page 148 and 149: 5th (7/day)—dominate person (DC 2
Page 150 and 151: Rajief CR 12 hp 154 (19 HD) Male ad
Page 152 and 153: CHAPTER 9 BORAK, THUNDER TYRANT 151
Page 154 and 155: FEATURES OF THE AREA The Al-Iborak
Page 156 and 157: FEATURES OF THE AREA The main chamb
Page 158 and 159: FEATURES OF THE AREA The great hall
Page 160: THE SOTH TARNEL IN FAERÛN The Soth
show all

Exemplars of Evil

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?