heart." The talisman's creation requires a number of
unique components:
- The intact and unhatched egg of a purple worm, for
channeling great physical power. - The central eye of a beholder, to break down magical
resistance and overcome magical forces. - Six feathers from six different angels-the authority
of the celestial realms and a force to enrage fiend-
ish creatures. - The heart of a goristro, to reach and influence the
hearts of other demons.
Thirteen timmasks, also known as "devil's mush-
rooms," sprouted from the footprint of a marilith, a
balor, or a goristro-a lure to draw demons in.
A few drops of blood or ichor from a demon lord, to
connect with the demons the ritual will call.
Gromph Bacnrc's grimoires and notes on his ritual,
to assist in better understanding the power that sum-
moned the demon lords.
In his research, Vizeran has located potential
sources for all these components, and he can direct the
characters to retrieve them as detailed in subsequent
chapters. The purple worm egg and the eye of the
beholder can be found in the Wormwrithings (see
chapter 13). The angel feathers and the demon heart
can be claimed in the Labyrinth (see c hapter 14 ).
The grimoire is found in Menzoberranzan, the City
of Spiders (see chapter 15). Being able to acquire the
rimmask mushrooms and blood from a demon lord
depends on the adventurers' resourcefulness and on the
opportunities fo und in other chapters of the adventure.
You can modify the components list if you wish,
using the encounters in chapters 13 through 15 as
guidelines and opportunities. Additional encounters
can easily be inserted into chapters 13 and 14 for any
other elements you want to add to the ritual.
Vizeran provides the means for the adventurers and
their allies to gather the components for the talisman
and encourages them to get started immediately. See
c hapters 13 through 15 for the sources Vizeran has
found, then chapters 16 and 17 for the endgame battles
against the demon lords.
VICTORY WITHOUT VIZERAN
It is up to you whether or not the adventurers can
succeed against the demon lords without Vizeran's
aid. They might be able to implement his plan on their
own, particularly once he has supplied them with the
necessary components and information. The dark
heart talisman to be crafted for the ritual (see chapter
15) can be placed anywhere to draw the demons to it.
Likewise, the ritual can be performed in any location
in the Underdark imbued with faerzress. Vizeran
has kept this information from the adventurers only
because he sees the ritual as his chance to destroy
~1enzoberranzan and take his revenge on the drow
who cast him out.
A player character spellcaster might be able to
reproduce Vizeran's work to create and perform the
ritual, setting up the scenario in chapter 17, "Against
t he Demon Lords.'' Regardless of how the plan unfolds,
though, the adventurers shouJd get the opportunity to
choose what they'll do about VLzeran when they learn
that the drow arch mage has not been entirely truthful
with them. See chapter 15, "The City of Spiders,"
for details.STE_:U.ING INTO ARAJ
If rhe characters don't take warmly to Vizeran's initial
offer, they might want to enter A raj covertly instead
of at the archmage's invitation. Likewise, once they
realize that they are being used by Vizeran to advance
his plan to destroy Menzoberranzan, the characters
might decide to steal the arch mage's secrets and
resources to use against the demon lords-or even to
slay him just for the sake of looting the place.WARDS
Getting to the tower undetected is all but impossible.
Vizeran knows whenever the secret door accessing the
passage to A raj opens, by way of a permanent magical
effect s imilar to a powerful alarm spell. Intruders also
have to deal with the guards and wards spell active
within the tower, which places arcane lock spells on all
the doors and sets web spells across the central shaft
and stairways. Doors within the Tower of Vengeance
(including the main door) have AC 16, 25 hit points, a
damage threshold of 5, resistance to thunder damage,
and immunity to poison and psychic damage.
A magic mouth spell at the entrance to the tower
activates when intruders try to open the door. shouting:
"You dare to enter here unbidden? Flee for your
lives now, while you still can!" Another magic mouth
placed outside Vizeran's sanctum repeatedly calls out:
"Intruders! Beware!" when any intruder approaches
within 20 feet of the sanctum door.
The tower's twenty-four suits of animated arm o r
attack anyone who enters A raj without Vizeran's
permission, and continue attacking until they are
destroyed or he calls them off. At the first sign of
trouble, the dea t h slaa d Kleve stalks intruders invisibly
and attempts to attack with surprise. If Kleve is reduced
to half its hit points, it retreats to its master's side.
Vizeran casts his protective spells before entering
combat. along with invisibility (renewing the death slaad's
invisibility as well if he has time). As a last-ditch escape.
Vizeran casts time stop and uses the opportunity to flee
or make a risky teleport attempt to a bolt-hole shelter he
has hidden in another Underdark location of your choice.
ln the event the characters have the opportunity to
loot Araj, they find the items listed under "What Vizeran
Offers." along with other treasure suitable for a foe of
the archmage's power. See chapter 7, "Treasure," of
the Dungeon Master's Guide for guidelines on creating
Vizeran's treasury, keeping in mind that the wily drow
has likely trapped his most powerful magic items. If he
survives and escapes, Vizeran adds those who dare to
threaten him and loot his home to the list of people who
will suffer his revenge.CHAPTER 12 I THE lOWf.R OF VENG-EAKCE