VIZERAN'S S C H EME
Vizeran DeVir invites guests to settle into his study
while unseen servants bring trays of dried mushrooms.
smoked rot he meat, and goblets of spicy liquor. The
drow arch mage takes a cup for himself and makes
a point of drinking first. although he scoffs at any
suggestion that he would try to poison his guests, given
all the trouble he has taken to arrange their meeting.
Within the safe haven of his tower. Vizeran continues
the discussion he began with the characters back at
Graven hollow, speaking more on what he knows of the
demon lords."The only one of my kind who could ever match me in
the Art is Gromph Baenre. I think we knew from the
moment we met that we were destined to be rivals. But
where I sought only to master the Art, Gromph was also
an astute political manipulator. No more devout than I
in the service of the Spider Queen, he arranged for my
disgrace and exile. Deprived of my considerable skills,
my house fell to our rival, House Do'Urden. Gromph
became the Arch mage of Menzoberram:an under the
auspices of his own house, the First House of the
Ruling Council.
"Gromph and I only ever had two things in common:
our passion for the Art, and our hatred of the manner in
which our fellow mages suffer at the hands of the matron
mothers and mistresses of the drow. Gromph has always
hungered for power, and not even becoming Archmage
of Menzoberranzan was enough to satisfy him.
"From this tower of exile, I kept watch on Gromph's
activities. This was no easy task given his suspicious
and circumspect nature. Nonetheless, my observations
revealed that he was crafting a unique ritual-one that
somehow drew on the energy of faerzress to channel
incalculable arcane power. When Gromph performed
this ritual, the walls between the planes shuddered.
Then, as you have by now realized, the demon lords
were wrenched from their layers of the Abyss and cast
about here in the Underdark. What we all witnessed in
Graven hollow confirms this."\'izeran answers questions from the characters as
best he can. then makes his proposal. Use the points
laid out in the following sections to play out the
negotiations, utilizing whatever combination of ability
checks and roleplaying you prefer. Vizcran is sincere in
his willingness to help. even if his motives are entirely
selfish. As such, he's inclined to reach an accord with
the characters.
WHAT V IZERAN KNOWS
The characters can learn the following information
from Vizeran by asking the right questions; he doles out
in formation sparingly, but a successful DC 20 Wisdom
( Insight} check might yield additional information if the
archmage becomes cagey:
Lolth is behind the plot to bring the demon lords to
the Underdark through her manipulation ofGromph
Bacnre. The Spider Queen is using the drow as pawns
in her schemes to dispose of her demonic rivals and
St>ize power in the Abyss.
The demon lords of the Abyss-along with many of
their lesser servants and legions- have been ser loose
in the Underdark following Gromph's ritual.
The presence of the demon lords is warping the fab-
ric of the Underdark. The faerzress that permeates
so much of the subterranean realm has become a
conduit through which the insanity of the demon
lords spreads.
Gromph Bacnre vanished following the ritual. Vizeran
has not been able to detect any trace of his rival arch-
mage using any of the resources at his command.
Dcmogorgon, the Prince of Demons, arrived in the
Claw Rift ofMcnzobcrranzan and rampaged through
the city before escaping into the wider Underdark.
The intended purpose of Gromph's ritual is unclear.
but Vizeran believes that his rival meant to summon
and bind one specific demon lord. Vizeran finds ir dif-
ficult to believe that even Gromph could be arrogant
enough to think he could bind all the demon lords of
the Abyss at once.
The fact that the summoning originated in
Menzoberranzan remains largely unknown. If the
other races of the Underdark knew. they would have
already moved against the drow. The dark elves
almost certainly wish to keep this information a
secret-assuming they even know it themselves.
Vizeran knows of no means by which Gromph
Bacnrc's ritual can be reversed. However, he believes
there might be a different means of sending the
demon lords back to the Abyss (see "Vizeran's Plan").\AlHATVTZERAN WANTS
Like any other sane creature, Vizcran has no wish to
see the Underdark become home to the denizens of
the Abyss. He points out that once the demon lords
establish domains here, nothing will stop them from
surging up to FacrOn to spread their madness and
chaos. Indeed, such an outcome is inevitable given
enough time.
Vizeran wants desperately to destroy his old rival. But
even more so, the arch mage dreams of thwarting Lolth
and of having the Demon Queen of Spiders revealed
to the drow as the treacherous creature she is. His
deepest. burning desire is to watch Menzoberranzan
destroyed by a demonic rampage. Then the ragged
survivors of the drow will turn away from Lolth and her
priestesses to seek Vizeran's guidance. letting him take
his rightful place as a wise leader among his people.WHATVIZERAN OFFERS
Vizeran DeVir offers the adventurers his insight. his
arcane power, and various magical resources that can
help them deal with the demon lords. This includes the
following benefits:CH,\ PTER 12 I THE TOWER or" El'<G EA!'O C 1::