Waterdeep - Dungeon of the Mad Mage

LEVEL 9: DWEOMERCORE

WEOMERCORE IS AN ACADEMY OF MAGIC DESIGNED

to test, trap, and confound its students. The

level is designed for four 10th-level charac-

ters, and characters who defeat its monsters

and villains should gain enough XP to reach

11th level.

WHAT DWELLS HERE?

An arcanaloth and a night hag preside over this level.

Evil mages in search of arcane knowledge or Halaster's

tutelage come here with their followers to train and

be tested.

ARCANALOTH HEADMASTER

An arcanaloth in league with the Mad Mage runs

Dweomercore's academy of evil mages. The arcaoaloth

keeps its true name secret and uses alter self spells to

appear as Halaster.

The arcanaloth employs nycaloths and mezzoloths as

guards , and it trades safe passage through Dweomer-

core for magic items or for assistance in dealing with an

escaped devil (see "Bone Devil," page 119). It also tries

to tempt adventurers who are arcane spellcasters into

joining its academy- with free tuition!

WORMRIDDLE THE NIGHT HAG

Wormriddle is a night hag who has four flesh golems at

her command. She strikes foul bargains, offering spells

and secrets of magic in exchange for evil acts that allow

her to claim souls.

The night hag wears a mummified kitten's head

around her neck as a talisman, though it has no magical

properties. It testifies to her fear of cats, for Wormriddle

is frightened while there's a feline creature within 30

feet of her that she can see or hear. The night hag also

carries a lustrous black gem and a large black sack-

her heartstone and her soul bag, respectively (see the

"Hags" entry in the Monster Manual).

EVIL STUDENTS

Dweomercore's students are described below. Encoun-

ters with them can occur anywhere at any time, though

they appear most often in their favorite haunts.

SPITE HARROWDALE

Dweomercore's most apt pupil, Spite Harrowdale, is a

centuries-old wizard (NE male Rashemi human arch-

mage who speaks Common, Dwarvish, Elvish, and

Giant). He appears to be a 12-year-old boy, thanks to

imbibing potions of longevity. Spite hides the true mea-

sure of his magical talent by pretending to know only

cantrips and 1st-level spells. This ruse has fooled the

other students and most of his instructors, but not the

arcanaloth, who is keeping a watchful eye on the wizard.

Spite is the only student so far who has discerned that

the headmaster is not in fact Halaster, but an arcanaloth

disguised as him.

Spite has an oni companion that assumes the form of

a female half-ogre named Dumara. The oni's real name

is Kumar, and it has been in Spite's company most of its

LEVEL 9 I OWEO.MERCORE 117