looking forward to the prisoners' executions. If a fight
breaks out here, the githyanki in area 30 investigate.
A detect magic spell reveals an aura of divination
magic around each green crystal. Whenever a cell door
is opened, the crystal above the doorway to that cell
goes dark until the door closes. This is true regardless
of which of a cell's two doors is opened. When Aruut
and Yangol see a crystal go dark, they enter the cell to
make sure nothing is amiss.
Treasure. Each githyanki gish carries a Stardock rod
(see "Stardock Rods," page 214).
- WARRIOR TRAINING
This area extends under area 31, as indicated on map
- Characters who listen at a door to this room before
entering hear a female voice barking commands in Gith
and the sound of warriors in training. The chamber con-
tains the following:
Githyanki. A female githyanki knight named Saziq
leads six githyanki warriors (three females and three
males) in weapon drills.
Training Equipment. Thirty straw dummies shaped
like illithids are arranged throughout the cavern.
Racks of ropes and weights line the walls.
Secret Trapdoor. A secret trapdoor in the 30-foot-high
ceiling leads to area 31. The trapdoor is a 3-foot-
square stone slab that requires a successful DC^13
Strength (Athletics) check to push open.
If combat breaks out here, the githyanki gish in area
29d come to investigate. The githyanki attack anyone
they perceive as an intruder and fight until five of their
number fall, after which the rest retreat to area 2lb.
The straw dummies are used for combat practice.
Each is a Medium object with AC 10,^10 hit points, im-
munity to poison and psychic damage, and vulnerability
to fire damage.
TREASURE
Saziq's plate armor is set with eight red-brown carne-
lians (50 gp each) and four deep green spinels (100 gp
each). She also wears a plumed helm encrusted with
e ight citrines (50 gp each).3 1. OBSERVATION ROOM
This room is devoid of furnishings and occupants. Four
2-foot-long, 6-inch-wide window slits look out toward the
starry void of space.
A secret trapdoor in the floor opens into the ceiling
of area 30. The trapdoor is a 3-foot-square stone slab
that requires a successful DC 13 Strength (Athletics)
check to lift.32. GRA DUATION CHAMBER
Githyanki who attain the rank of warrior by hunting
down and killing their first mind flayer are celebrated
here. This cavern is also used for demonstrations of
githyanki battle prowess, during which prisoners are ex-
ecuted by githyanki knights while young warriors cheer.
This cavern has the following features:LEVEL 16 I CRYSTAL LABYRINTHScrying Eye. When the characters enter this area for
the first time, they see one ofHalaster's scrying eyes
floating in the middle of the cavern (see "HaJaster's
Lair," page 311 ). It studies the characters for a min-
ute or two before disappearing.
Blood. The floor is stained with pools of dry blood.
Alta r. An 8-foot-high, rune-etched s tone altar is situated
in an alcove. It's topped with a life-size statue of a dag-
ger-wielding githyanki warrior slaying a mind flayer.
T he engravings on the altar, written in Gith, tell the
story of how the githyanki freed themselves from the
yoke of their illithid masters, shattered the mind flayer
empires across the multiverse, and carved out their
own ki ngdom on the Astral Plane under the rulership
of Vlaakith the Lich-Queen. The altar conveniently
omits any mention of the githzerai, but specific mention
is made of Gith, the githyanki champion who led her
people to freedom, and the sacrifices she made to en-
sure the future of her people. The statue atop the altar
depicts Gith slaying an illithid oppressor to win her
own freedom.Aftermath
If the party defeats Al'chaia and leaves Urion in charge,
the Crystal Labyrinth and Stardock remain largely
unchanged in the short term. Fearing that his betrayal
of Al'chaia might become known, Urion orders his war-
riors to kill the characters if they ever cross paths with
the githyanki again.
If the characters wipe out the githya nki and the red
dragons, the mind flayers from level 17 are quick to take
over the Crystal Labyrinth. If they acquire a Stardock
rod, the illithids conquer the asteroid as well, hoping to
commandeer the next astral vessel or spelljammer ship
that comes to Stardock and invade new worlds.
The characters can secure Stardock as a base once
the githyanki, dragons, and mind flayers are no longer
threats. The asteroid is a quiet place most of the time,
far removed from the perils and politics of Toril. The
peace is interrupted every month or so by the arrival
of a spelljamming vessel bearing provisions gathered
from far-flung worlds. Such a vessel might be crewed by
githyanki, gnomes, or some other spacefaring race.
About once a year, a githyanki-crewed astral ship de-
livers young githyanki to the creche. A githyanki astral
ship doesn't travel through space but rather shifts in
and out of the Astral Plane, appearing literally out of no-
where next to the asteroid's dock and disappearing back
into the s ilvery void once its delivery is complete. If the
githyanki discover that Creche K'liir has fallen, they re-
treat to the Astral Plane and return in short order with
an overwhelming force to recapture the asteroid.
Halaster cares more about the Crystal Labyrinth than
he does about Stardock. Suddenly unhappy with the
"renovations" the githyanki have made, the Mad Mage
might assert his control over the labyrinth and reshape
it to suit his whims.