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Acropolis

Acropolis#

A black marble temple; 3 sided pyramid.
A temple devoted to the worship of the kiaransalee.


500ft above velddrinnsshar

Stood in a lake-filled cavern with its ceiling covered with thousands of skulls, atop a spire of white stone that held a set of spiraling stairs guarded by boneclaws.

A brooding block of black marble veined with red, filled with misshapen corridors, windows, and gaping doorways. Many of the stairs trickled with what seemed to be rancid fat and many of the rooms had their walls covered in murals depicting gruesome scenes painted with dried blood.

Take some inspiration from Arach-Tinilith.
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Arach-Tinilith

Pyramid like paths. Green flame water ways.

TODO:
- spell recharge area gave Mordai chronomancy refresh (once a week)
- something cool connecting these (doesn't need to feel big, just evocative)
- rest spell for them?

Protection#

Necrotic Tempest raging around path to acropolis. DC15 CON save every minute vs 3d6 necro dmg.
Shadow Dragon dead
Vrock

Enemies#

  • Doom Golem CC197 CR10 (bone based construct from Valindra's past) used in oubliette
  • Blood Giants CR8 CC180 (great snipers + obscurers - tactical + they know them)
  • Revenants (explodified)
  • Bladelord?

Lore#

temple built to summon a god
lore on walls; statues of kiaransalee

  • can speak with dead
  • murray

Regional Effects#

The growing presence of kiaransalee causes necromantic effects everywhere.

  • Chance of being grappled by a wall when within 5ft, DC15
  • If sleeping herein, assaulted by n x Dream Wraiths CC135 CR5
  • Locals suffers from healing magic herein.

Entrance#

Looks#

Catacomb like walls. Bones everywhere. But different styles.
Outside, towers with two blood giants trying to snipe down intruders. Immobile sentries.
Spires outside for protection (250m tall). Dungeon inside the big rock. Big. 400m wide.

Conciousness of Kiaransalee Manifests#

  • through skulls; "welcome. welcome. welcome"
  • "more living, yes. so hungry."
  • skulls rearranging
  • ground vibrating (2hz, small amplitude, but enough to make it difficult to walk)
  • "i can see the light. you have helped once again, i am ever in your debt; larloch"
  • "i can feel the darkness, you will be with me to your end; valindra."
  • "i can sense the power, bring him to me"

Entrance (lower end)#

Leads downward from entrance. They can peak outside to see the defensive Towers.

Stairs down. Chamber of deactivated portals. They lead to various chambers and require keys.
Teleports:
- circular <-> cylon room
- singular ones <-> top room (require activation, librarian can help)

Circular teleport room#

Spinning triquetrus symbol. Two parts of it light up green, one red.

Central Room#

Skulls. Reforming as they venture past. Form rubiks cube like art.
Doesn't talk.

Bottom Right Cylon Room#

Eidolon statues 2x sets of 3. One is the old, one is the new.
Actually 3x2 blank statues, stone cylinders that shape into the statues as they move center.
First set has Irae (scythe ready to strike slashing), Larloch (finger out to drain necrotic), Arklem (staff out lightning).
Second set has Larloch (finger), Valindra (hand for ray of frost cold), Dragon (breath, necro)

Center has a large white glowing lever.
Eidolon spirits starts if they activate the light passage.
Spirits look like humanoid, incorporeal, and face looks drawn on like wilson.

Misc Top Rooms#

Murray Skull NPC
A little better mentally than the rest. Happy to join party for a walk and talk.
Provided they do the talking. Stuck here. Kiwi.
Can cast speak with dead. Just does this for a living.

Can tell of the betrayal of Valindra.
- she was making non-humanoids immortl, studying dragons in evernight
And some of Kiaransalee.
- she was the deefinition of an undefeatable maig
- wings, scythe, huge, absolutely inormous.
- any enemies that fell, snap (cant click fingers anymore), her side

River#

Green Acid. Flows with remarkable perturbation given that this appears looks like a small pond.
Actually connected to the chamber below (which ultimately drains out of acropolis).
Light pillars visible, but no paths connecting them, although it feels like there should be, and there's a shadowy remnant where you feel it should be.

If they fought the Eidolons then there are safe passages across, otherwise, flight / acid.

Foreshadowing, put early if possible:

Large tattered brown wing protruding out of the green liquid. Connecting tissue that controlled it has corroded away. Leaving a small layer of salt around.

Right Room; Valindra's chamber and Necro Guarden#

Books in there. Note book from Valindra. 500gp diamond.
Book on necrotic gardening. Grows in acidic soil provided enough perturbations for it to only fleetingly touch the acid.

Pet Kobold Snurka/Rorn Vampirespawn tending to garden. Sleeping atm.
- "welcome to the acropolis"
- "Snurka help Valindra, but she gone now, I tend to her garden"
immune to acid

PERSUASION:
- "they are trying to bring up the revenancer"
- "they said something about needing 3 ancients."

Necro Garden (below Valindra)#

Gloom flowers. 3ft tall. Enormous black tulip with these feeling tendrils.
Influence on necrotic energy. Black bed, where occasionally acid splashes up on it.
Can make necrotic energy more powerful, and (parenthesised also protect you against its effects).
But have to get through first room (where perturbations start acid geysir).

Rorn
Grows on outpost
Gloomflowers CC188 CR3 (Valindra's garden, can be used for necro res potion)

Top left bits#

Entrance path to lower area.
Blood giant (Eddy) + drow favoured consort (Risreth Zaphrune) (MTOF183) patrols here.
Will reverse gravity on the acid if anyone comes close. Blood giant will snipe.

Inner Paths#

Library of the Dead ?#

Put pyramid head librarian there.
Re-run the attempt on Eithne from velddrinnsshar

Books of forbidden knowledge?
Got nothing worth doling out at this point though. Maybe skip if no time.

TODO: some way to give players the Blessing of Kiaransalee?
"Will you court death to receive my blessing?"

DC20 CON save, vs necro death? But then get necro resistance?.

Basement#

Big ass sylinder that powers some things. Treadmill in the bottom with 200 zombies around a flywheel.
Slave driver Revenant with L4D2 zombie tank watches over things.

Maybe they can do something here to release felgolos?
TODO: environmental effects to help them?
TODO: maybe if they die they can end up prisoners here...

Inner Sanctum#

Felgolos chamber#


Entrance Teleport Right

First Room#

Tattered piece of a yellow cloak. INV20; unusually bright. laugh to yourself as you think, oh, the last time you saw something this bright on the human form of felgolos.

Passage is Alarmed. Detect Abjuration magic on passage, extends about 20ft in. Irae alerted.
If they bypass it, they get one extra round.

Atrium#

(Where the extraction happened and is safeguarded.)
3 white circular holes in the wall pointing towards a floating black tetrahedron (locked)
INV10: Tetrahedron is pointed straight up (at mass above dragon)
INV20: Looks like the black tetrahedron is a focus for whatever comes out of the 3 holes
ARC20: Power amplification setup.

Chamber#

A large mass of dark wines wrapped around an oozing black mass, all dangling from the ceiling, and further connected to a platform. Immediately below, you catch the beginnings of an enormous ribcage.
As you peek further, you see enormous skeletal mass slowly shift. An enormous vertebraed neck, with bony coils and shining black adamantine plates attached; together forming a black plate necklace.
Its face, an enormous, but majestic skull, with huge lifted cheekbones, and two dark glowing blue eyes embedded within. Fresh black droopy liquid cover its shiny skeletal body.

As it spots you, you see a shift in its facial bones as it struggles against a lingering chain attached to the platform above. Face tilts to the side, almost like there's a bit of recognition, but then it tilts back.

(felgolos has become a full ancient dracolich. Still attached to placenta.)

If they don't trigger the alarm:
- They have time to see Felgolos, bit of time to recognise the lay of the land
- See that there are rooms on the side, while the dragon looks at them
- As soon as anything is touched, arklem comes

If they trigger the alarm on the way in:
- Arklem comes in, as they watch

50ft tall, 30above platform

Arklem Start#
  • enters with armor of agathys active
  • "you three have been quite the nuisance"
  • "but as you'll soon learn, i only need one life to take care of you, particularly with my little friend here."
  • "i hope you recognise him, he came a long way for this"
  • casts bifurcate: mirror image, freedom of movement
  • summons a small tiny helper, moves in right
  • "as you can see he's fully turned"

Will target for a while, but if nothing happen dragon will claw up north.
Fight until it's scary.

Dragon#

Stats in felgolos dracolich section.

Breaths on command (always initiative under Arklem)
If they kill him. There will be a diamond at the center of skull.

Irae#

Will come in with a Retriever if things are going south.

Chamber Battle#

music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhUhTdk1Ohc
Arklem and Irae both want to dodge here. Objective is to use Felgolos against them, and hold the line until Irae can retrieve the phylactery. If that fails, maybe Arklem will retreat and sac himself.

Retriever Order#
  • R1+R2, Retriever zooms around from left (80ft dash)
  • R3, Retriever activates button (maybe tries to stun interceptors)
  • R4, retriever moves ready to intercept phylactery (shifts mechanical armor plates to hold it)
  • R5, retriever steps away with phylactery || dimension doors if in danger (if he can plane shift..)
Arklem Order#

Retreats once retriever is gone, or if phylactery is destroyed (knows its Felgy or Him).
Will try to intimidate them and waste time.

See arklem under stats and TACTICS!
Has already cast
- 8th level Armor of Agathys (40 temp HP and reversal cold melee dmg)
- Freedom of Movement (restrain / paralyze immune vs magic / auto escape manacles)

(If he's super fucked, cast Invulnerability as his 9th, and they can interrogate him)

Holds the line near Felgy for 5 rounds.
- R1 Bifurcate: Unstable Singularity
- R2 (probably realising he can be sniped) - snipe against Faey
- R3: Heal at 7th for 80HP

Existential Paradox on GW if he's coming in (and then Felgo on him).

NB: They can probably stun him and run away with him. But difficult. He has luck.

Felgy Order#

Battle will start. They might be hesitant to kill him - it matters little.
However, if they leave him, they technically have an adult dracolich which remains loyal until Kiaransalee awakens.

  • Will Breathe on Arklem's command in optimal locations (maybe we get two in, damage is huge)
  • Use melee on anyone attacking Arklem in melee

Buttom Rooms#

Left#

Entrance has a purple shimmer that's deactivated by a panel in room below.
Wheel in center heel changes damage type (reacts); LG, F, C, N, P (LG default)

Right: Weave Laser Control#

Lever that starts weave laser firing (last 2 rounds).
Laser deals 100 points of damage type.
20s

With 100 dmg, the placenta is dead, and the phylactery can be taken.

Top Left Phylactery#

Large green gem (Valindra's style - done by Irae)
Encased in some protection magic in left altar.
Prismatic Wall? Too slow. Then how does she get it?
Maybe just indigo layer.

music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sVCmeiAacE aldia

If Kiaransalee: Elated Undead Gaining Corporeal Form#

they need to understand that a god is being raised (if they fail to stop Retriever)
ghosts toasting??
skeletons suddenly reassembling, being surprised about it
one saying some equally creepy shit, but then realising that he doesn't need to say things
- "i can sense the light within your sou... wait i can see. by the gods i can see. jimmeeyyy runs"
later down the hallway; two ghosts toasting (body forming, not quite able to drink)
- "do you think we should be toasting already? A: it just feels so good"
- "wouldnt the liquid get stuck as our bodies reshape? A: you are such a killjoy sometimes."
points at PCS:
- "oh, you have found clothes and armor. are you going somewhere already?"
- "i mean, we've been here for so long, take some time to celebrate having your body back, huh?"
what does it mean:
- "what does it mean? what dysfunctional skull did'u have the misfortune of spending eternity with?"
- "it means the Lady is back, the three are uniting, and soon, we will be her vengeful chosen."
irae? "hah, no?"

If !Kiaransalee: Guarded Pathway to Palace of Loss#

Essentially soul food for the liches.
Can do similar to above, but never gaining complete corporeal form, and less concrete.
- corpses spawning, collapsing, glitches
- "the lady is almost back, just one more, and we will be her vengeful chosen"

Seed palace of loss in case they die, and need a reset place.
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Palace_of_Loss

Arklem Chase: (If both get away)#

Arklem is low after 119-felgolos-reborn, they can chase him if they use the chronomancy refresh. They'll chase through winding corridors in the acropolis. Multiple glitching skeletons before.
No smoke left from his cloak.

Arklem did a short rest out of sight having an active alarm behind him. (1hr)
Arklem currently channelling (say 9min = 9*10/3=30 lair recharge actions, but not really full lair, so ⅓ relevant) => spells: 7x1, 2x4, 1x5. Roll for some extra if they take longer (some 2s helpful for dim door + hold person). He also doesn't regen as fast, as he's not a true lich anymore. He's a wizard who's dying rapidly.

He can technically Dim Door so maybe he gets to use it once nearby and they follow once more after a few hits. Aztec sewers map after?

SEED DENIAL AT ALL POINTS.

  • Full HP (100) with L1 agathys, but only Ray of Frost + Dominate Person (5) / Cone of Cold (5) + Greater Invis (4) + Dimension Door (4).
  • Retriever faster gets away and starts setting up the finale (takes a while to load)
  • Interrogation possible (but really difficult to lock him down, he can misty step as verbal only if shackled, but he can be stunned now) - max movement == 60dash+30misty

Area. Long walkway across acid river.
Guards? Something light if any. No need to drag this out.

Arklem Reveals#

See orcus -> Wand of Orcus
Wand speaks to them sensing Arklem's imminent demise (too late)

Denial#

"No. This cannot be the end. We are so close. This is so pointless. You are dead anyway. Why do you waste your energy."
"You are too late. You will all suffer beneath her malevolent splendor. A feast for the re-born, or champions of thanatos."
"Her necrotic gaze will obliterate the guilty with her gaze."
(hold dim door 1st)

Bargaining#

!: "Stop. Don't do this. There is so much I can do. There is so much we can do. We are so close to seeing the world enwrapped in the undying grace of the Banshee. We have worked so hard for this."
WHY: "You seek justice, we seek justice. In a world where justice can be enforced perfectly, where death is not the end. You will see that a stable society is inevitable."
HOW: "She sees everything, she senses when retribution is necessary. With an all-seeing vengeance oracle behind us, everyone will be too afraid to work towards their own means."
FURTHER: "Man only knows rule by authority. You just dress up your oppression with words. How many of your monarchs, presidents, archpriests, or councils have you see that ultimately just work towards their own means, at the behest of the people?"
HIS ROLE: "The strongest, and most experienced must help with setting it up. With converting those to cling to their old powers."
THE PEOPLE: "Will be lifted from the burden of their own mortality. They will be free."
SOULS?: "We can feed on our resistance - for a while - then we will do with summoning. It will be a cold in hell once we start using Gate."
ULT: "But if you kill me, you will find yourself having to pay for your sins."
FACE REVEAL?: if asked, will reveal the almost fully gray and stretched skin across a visible cheekbone. multiple dotted adamantine gems across his forehead, each softly emiting a slight stream of gray smoke. soft purple glow emanates from within his eye-sockets.

Central Chamber#


Where irae is birthing kiaransalee to the world using the second egg of felgolos.
It floats in the center, 20m wide, expanded. Pulsating.
Stone shifts as you walk on it. See traces of green between each tile, and their gap, is irregular (difficult terrain spell).
Stream of green energy spinning up to it from a triangular base. Like electons forming a trail.
(Triquetrus attachments like a tetrahedron.)
Center can mimic https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Undying_Temple

If felgolos phylactery is there; Irae will be a Vessel for her when needed.
If the phylactery isn't there. Friede style Irae (see her doc). Maybe with Arklem.
- Irae will fight once (maybe use the amulet and get herself back with gimped revenancer)

Irae Lines#

  • "So, you have come to witness the creation first hand, you'll be pleased to be the first to meet her gaze."

  • START: "Cold Heart. We have give you the three. Please accept the soul residue of this ancient dracolich known as Felgolos."

  • ARKLEM: "What you have done is despicable, and make no mistake, your hour of revenance is at hand, and her gaze will graze your delicate flesh."

  • KIARANSALEE: "The Lady of the Dead, the perfect abjudicator of right and wrong. Ruling with a powerful, yet informed hand. Cutting down those who oppose and those who work against the undying."

  • DOMINATE: "Don't you see, XX? You are the chosen right hand now that Arklem is gone. Your knowledge will be limitless. Your quest for moral righteousness will have the perfect source." WIS SAVE DC21

  • NEARDEATH: "Fine, you have forced my hand, and I respect you for it, I guess my path is not to be the hand of the abjudicator, but rather abjudicator herself". (Can do it with high level Invulnerability style protection if they are annoying about it).

  • SACRIFICE: "Cold Heart. Oh, vengeful one. Let me complete the circuit. Take Larloch, Take Valindra, and Take me, you Kiaranshee to bring you from the Demonweb Pits.

end session at transformation? describe wings. do a gaze, force them to escape? end there? less cliffhangery.

Rests#

  • Rest: Friede => Irae -> Moonlight Ward -> Irae + Kiaransalee Baby
  • Short: Weak Irae -> Moonlight? + Ads -> Kiaransalee rebirth

Battle#

Phylactery is brought in, but it's not going perfectly. Irae needs to sacrifice herself.

Classified as Irae's Lair. Initiative 20 Actions. permutation cycle: (2 3 1)

Spell Regen: d8 roll, recover that level of spell.
Tether: The lich targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. A crackling cord of negative energy tethers the lich to the target. Whenever the lich takes damage, the target must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the lich takes half the damage (rounded down), and the target takes the remaining damage. This tether lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round or until the lich or the target is no longer in the lich’s lair.
Necrophos Ult: The lich calls forth the spirits of creatures that died in its lair. These apparitions materialize and attack one creature that the lich can see within 60 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, taking 52 (15d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success. The apparitions then disappear.
Summon a Revenant with Great Reveance. Revenants explode.

NB: Tether out of K-baby egg.

Fight over acid. Acid damage => 8d8 when starting their turn there.

Irae Tactics#

  • Fly under and over platforms, baiting acid / get full cover from Faey.
  • High level Armor of Agathys (40 temp HP)
  • Crown of Stars (bonus)
  • Use Scythe, target people.
  • Counterspell / Shield / Misty Step / Scythe Deflect (roll d20) / LUCK
  • POWER SURGE: +10 FORCE on spell. Needed, she'll die quick.
  • Dominate Person
  • Tether Retriever
  • Glyph of Warding (Acid Rune on Egg)
  • TWIN SPELLS with chronomancy
  • Overcharge: Harm + Singularity / Existential Paradox + Destructive Wave / False Life + Harm / Abi Dalzim + Contagion

Maybe:
- Moonlight ward if too easy (actually a full reset for her though, so maybe not...)

Her chambers#

At the top. Two room with elaborate info on summoning. One teleport circle in middle.
Arklem can port there.

The bag of holding she took is there. Shario's amulet will be used by her if necessary (if they take her on alone), but will otherwise be in her chambers in a locked safe.

Also got a teleport circle, can go to Maerimydra.

Magical components. See 121-kiaransal-three

Notes to seed Kiaransalee#

made this up in 121-kiaransal-three

Arklem notebook#
  • sight of kiaransalee (necrotic version)
  • talks about the orcus heist by undying-soul (describe his capabilities)
  • reporpose DENIAL and BARGAINING sections from acropolis
  • Mordai: attune to Wand of Orcus and gain crazy dmg spells (although that setup is boring for GW)
Irae notebook#
  • pleased that Valindra would be part of the trio

  • but regrets that Larloch did not join plan willingly (backstab)

  • DONE: speaks about revenge goals and how she could be the perfect moral justifier

  • celerom.
  • arklem's phylacetery
  • orcus.

Hazards#

Ward Spell#

Guards and Wards spell (vs non-undead / all with password: vertebrazen).
Fog filled corridors, strong illusion towards wrong directions (hard to interpret).
Stairs with Web everywhere.
Arcane Lock on all doors.
Then:
2x Stinking Clouds or 2x Magic Mouth (invitations to doom rooms)