The final major part of book 3 of my conversion of Pathfinder's Kingmaker adventure path conversion to Dark Sun, this deals with the psionic lich beast-headed giant, Vordakai. Not truly the first of his name, this psionic warlord of days past assumed the identity of his master, and was imprisoned by the wemics of the Iobarian lands before their annihilation at the hands of Tectuktitlay. Imprisoned in his tomb, the psionic warlord placed himself in a torpor, to rest until he could be freed. The last surviving wemics of Athas, the Nomen tribe, have guarded his tomb for three and a half thousand years. However, they missed an explorer who slipped through their territory not too long ago- one who chanced upon Vordakai's tomb and tripped an alarm before escaping with one piece of treasure- a jade giant-size ring, mistaken for a bracelet by the humans. This alarm was enough to awaken the now-atrophied Vordakai, his powers much lessened due to his long, long absence. Nevertheless, his power and his collection of artefacts and servant have been enough to utterly empty the town of Dusthold in one horrid evening, and may cast a longer shadow across the Stolen Lands yet...
Vordakai stays in his tomb absorbing the knowledge of the inhabitants of Dusthold, unless he psionically observes an opportunity to expand his territory and crush his enemies. He will use one of his artefacts, an ancient obsidian orb known as the Lens of Abaddon, to summon up a Caller in the Darkness and send it after his foes. These incorporeal psionic monsters steal the essence of their victims and devour them, and the PCs are likely to be the victims of one such attack soon after they learn any hint of his existence. Locations of the Tomb: Locating Vordakai's tomb within a hundred-foot-tall bluff on an island in the silt is not an easy task, but following Xamanthe's trail through Olah-Kakanket may be the easiest way. W3 - Wyvern Bluff: Atop the bluff lair a pair of Desert Wyverns, sandy-coloured and aggressive. W6 - Cairn Entrance: The cairn's entrance has had some collapse in the stonework over the past few milennia, but contains some shattered amphorae spilling golden coins and another giant-sized jade ring, matching the one that Uriusyne Ganus stole away with. W7 - Sepulcher: A pair of Vordakai's servants, giants imprisoned within their own decaying bodies for millennia, guard the region. Their minds have rotted away to near-dust, but some elements of his commands remain. These giants overcame Xamanthe, and bore her away upstairs to area W15. W8 - Pool: The giants' source of water has stayed here for many long years, kept safe from the devastation outside. Within can be found several swarms of Quippers, which will feast on anyone dipping more than a hand or bucket into the silty water. W10 - River trap: This trap originally vented the river above into the chamber. However, the river was long ago replaced with silt, and the trap mechanisms jam open, dropping portcullises at either end and flooding the room with dry, dense sand. This will leave the chamber filling with silt, choking and crushing anyone trapped within, including the two thinking zombie giants. A variety of infant silt horrors, the size of a human's hand, flop about and attack anyone slow enough not to escape. W12 - Psionic focus chamber: This room is made of elegantly-hewn and polished slabs of marble, and decorated with several crystal orbs resting on tripods of polished brass. The orbs can be used to aid concentration, giving advantage on any psychic checks but increasing the time taken to one minute. The doors are inlaid with psionic circuitry, requiring that a user attune themselves to the door using a Charisma saving throw, or be telepathically confronted with a premonition of their own death, taking 10d10 psychic damage. This trap is powerful but can be avoided by using one of the crystal orbs to assist. W14 - Guard chamber: Vordakai entrusted his prisoners to the guardianship of a great crystalline golem built in an age past. It stands down on hearing his name, but will not allow anyone to pass with a prisoner from area W15, no matter how many times they mention his name. Its structure absorbs any psionic power directed its way harmlessly, but it is affected by magical effects. W15 - Prison: Xamanthe has been imprisoned and held paralyzed here since her capture. If freed from her paralysis, she can tell that she has only flashes of memories—periodic visits by other undead giants who brought her foul-tasting food, pain filled dreams and nightmares, and a growing sense of despair. She does say that she has a particularly disturbing memory of a nearly skeletal cyclops with a glowing gem wedged in his otherwise-empty eye socket, who whispered the following to her at some point during her ordeal after she’d been imprisoned here: “You should be honored to be a guest of Vordakai, beastwoman. I shall return once your fear and dread drive all semblance of will and self from your mind, at which point you will thank me for these gifts of pain.” If invited, the headstrong Xamanthe readily joins the PCs in exploring the tomb, but she knows she may well be out of her depth here. Although she has no reward to give them, she describes the spear she brought with her, tipped in a leaf-shaped cold iron blade, and says that they are welcome to it if they can find it in the tomb (currently amid the other treasures at area W27). W16 - Central crypt: Vordakai's minions arose from their repose when Uriusyne Ganus disturbed the tomb. Two Callers in the Darkness have been bound to guard this area, and float in the darkness of the vaulted ceiling. W19 - Lens focus: This chamber is empty. Its walls bear eye-shaped patterns and carvings, all of which seem to be looking at a point on the eastern wall where a single carving of a giant, stylized eye looms. The eye's pupil is an intricately ingraved relief roughly the size of a human palm. The eye carving is actually part of an intricate psionic enchantment binding Vordakai's intellect, and linked to the Lens of Abaddon which he carries. If it is destroyed, Vordakai receives a searing jolt of pain and inflicts a 20% failure chance on an psionic powers he manifests, as well as disabling the powers of the Lens. If this happens, he will immediately mobilize and seek out the PCs, calling up another Seeker in the Darkness if he has time. W20 - Hell pool: This wide chamber is filled with boiling-hot volcanic tar and noxious sulfurous gases, and guarded by Ervil Pendrod- once a member of the Veiled Alliance who had come to Dusthold to study the bracelet recovered by Uriusyne Ganus. He was interrogated by Vordakai and brutally murdered, finding himself transformed unwillingly into a tortured undead monster who needs to feed on humanoid brains to sustain himself. He will attack any living creature travelling through the room, muttering mixed apologies and growls of hunger for brains. W22 - Secondary crypts: This crypt, strewn with rubble and grave-filth, stretches into darkness. Sprawled on the floor is the corpse of a man wearing a Balican toga over leather armour. This was Uriusyne Ganus, who recovered from Vordakai's beckoning just as the feast began, and ran for his life. He fought valiantly for his life with the stone dagger in his hands, but was overcome and his brains devoured by the giants at Vordakai's service. His horror and the madness of the situation caused Ganus's spirit to flee and become a Spectre. W23 - Feasthall: Four of Vordakai's giant thinking zombies stand guard over the corpses of their victims here. More than thirty of Dusthold's inhabitants were horrifically slain here, and their brains devoured by Vordakai and his servants. The victims include Maegar Varn and some other faces, but not everyone known to be missing from Dusthold- many have been imprisoned in Vordakai's Vitality Orbs. W26 - Pool guardian: In ages long past, Vordakai's will dominated a powerful water elemental and imprisoned it here as his final guardian. It has no moral alignment, but after such a long time of imprisonment, it finds a great deal of enjoyment in crushing and drowning mortals. W27 - Throne of Bones: Vordakai's throne room is dominated by a giant-sized throne of thousands of ancient bones, strengthened to take his weight. He spends much of his time here gazing outward and using the Lens of Abaddon to scry the surrounding territories. His arrogrance, even with his reuced power, might surprise the PCs and allow them a chance to overwhelm him if they are quick. However, his psionic powers are by no means weak, and facing him may be their hardest challenge so far. W28 - Dungeon of vitality: This room contains rack upon rack of fist-sized obsidian orbs, lit from within by dim sparks. The sight is eerie and beautiful, and contains the remaining population of Dusthold, their intellect and animating spirits trapped forever in these orbs. When at the peak of his power, Vordakai would have used these to fuel his more powerful psionic enchantments, and any of the Sorcerer-Kings would be willing to pay a small fortune for this hoard. However, even the vilest PCs might balk at the option, as handling one of the orbs gives a small empathic connection to the intellect imprisoned inside. Vordakai, atrophied psionic lich beast-headed giant Large undead, neutral evil Armour Class 16 (natural armour) Hit Points 127 (15d10 + 45) Speed 30ft. Str 22 (+6); Dex 11 (+0); Con 17 (+3); Int 16 (+3); Wis 14 (+2); Cha 20 (+5) Saving Throws Int +7, Wis +6, Charisma +9 Skills Arcana +7, History +11, Insight +6, Perception +6 Damage resistances cold, lightning, necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from non-obsidian weapons Condition immunities charmed, exhausted, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned Senses truesight 60ft., passive Perception 16 Languages Common, Giant, telepathy (60ft.) Challenge 12 (8,400 xp) Legendary Resistance (1/day). If Vordakai fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Limited depth perception. Vordakai takes disadvantage on any ranged attack rolls more than 30 feet away. Rejuvenation. If destroyed, Vordakai can psionically reform himself in 1d10 days, regaining all his hit poitns and becoming active again. The new body appears within 5 feet of his phylactery and focus, at area W19. Psionics. Vordakai's power has atrophied significantly due to his thousands of years out of his body, and his current power level is that of a 12th-level psion. His manifesting ability is Charisma (power save DC 17, +9 to hit with power attacks). Vordakai prefers telepathic powers, which are augmented by the Lens of Abaddon. (Sorry for no specific psionics rules, Tasha's Cauldron hasn't yet released at the time of this publication where I live) Turn Resistance. Vordakai has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead. Actions Paralyzing Touch. Melee spell attack: +9 to hit, reach 10ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) cold damage. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be restrained. A creature which is already restrained instead becomes paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Legendary Actions Vordakai can take 1 legendary action, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action opton can be used at a time, and only at the end of another creature's turn. Vordakai regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Talent: Vordakai can manifest a talent (usually Mind Sliver or Mystic Charm) Recharge: Vordakai regains 1d4 psi points. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 27 November 2020. Comments are closed.
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