Introduction..............................................................................................................................................................................................

Introduction

omethingevilistrappingthesoulsofthedead
anddraininglifefromallwhohavebeenraised
fromdeathbymagic.Thisworldwide“death
curse”notonlypreventstheraisingofthedead
butalsocausescreaturesthatwerepreviously
raisedfromthedeadtowitheranddie.The
sourceofthisdeathcurseliesinatrap-riddled
tombhiddenbeneathalostcityinthedepths
ofavastjungle.
TombofAnnihilationisaDungeons&
Dragonsadventurethattakesplaceonthe
peninsulaofChultintheForgottenRealms.Chultisatropical
wildernesscomposedmostlyofjungles,plateaus,impassable
mountains,andbelchingvolcanoes.Youcansubstitutea
differentjunglesetting,changinglocationnamesasneeded.
AlternativeD&DsettingsincludetheAmedioJungleofOerth,
theSavageCoastofMystara,thejunglesofXen’drikon
Eberron,oracomparablesettingonyourhomecampaign
world.
Thisadventureisdesignedtobeginwithapartyoffourto
six 1 st-levelcharacters,whoshouldadvanceto 11 thlevelor
higherbytheadventure’sconclusion.

StoryOverview....................................................................................................................................................................................

ThecharactersaredrawnintothestorybySyndraSilvane,
aretiredadventurerandmerchantwho,yearsago,wasraised
fromthedead.Now,she’switheringaway.Whenshe
consultedpriests,Syndralearnedthattheafflictionwas
widespreadandthatnospellcouldcureit.Shespoketoher
friendsamongtheHarpers,whodeterminedthesourceofthe
affliction:anungodlynecromanticdevicecalledthe
Soulmonger.TheHarpersreceivedtheirintelligencefroma
lich,buttheydon’tknowmuchabouttheSoulmongerother
thanitsnameandgeneralwhereabouts.Adventurerswilling
tohelpSyndramusttraveltoChult,alandofjunglesand
monsters,tofindtheSoulmongeranddestroyit.
UnknowntoSyndraandherallies,theSoulmongeris
trappingthesoulsofthedeadanddeprivinglichesofthe
meanstotrapsoulsintheirphylacteries.(TheSoulmonger
snatchesupthesoulsbeforetheycanbetrappedelsewhere.)
SzassTam,themostpowerfullichamongtheRedWizardsof
Thay,hassentoperativestoChulttostealtheSoulmongeror,
failingthat,destroyit.LeadingtheThayanexpeditionisSzass
Tam’sdevotedlieutenant,ValindraShadowmantle.Valindra
hasbeenwarnedthatadventurersmightcrossherpath,so
she’spreparedforthem.
AlsolurkingintheheartofChultisRasNsi,amythic,
villainousfigureamongChultans.RasNsiwasahuman
paladinandaswornprotectorofthecityofMezro.He
betrayedhisoathsandwasbanished.Ratherthanredeem
himself,heraisedanundeadarmytoconquerMezro.The
would-betyrantwasdefeatedandbanishedoncemore.Mezro
waslaterdestroyedbytheSpellplague(orsoitseemed),
duringwhichRasNsilosthispowertocreateandcommand
undead.HewithdrewtothecityofOmu,leavingthevestigesof
hisundeadarmytoroamuncheckedthroughoutthejungle.
ThatwasnottheendofRasNsi,however.Bitteroverhisloss
ofpower,heforgedanalliancewiththeyuan-tilurkinginthe
ruinsofOmuandunderwentaritualoftransformation,
becomingayuan-timalison.Asayuan-ti,RasNsiimposedhis
terriblewillontheevilsnakepeopleandbecametheirleader.

BeneaththecrackedandbrokenstreetsofOmuliesa

secretyuan-titemplecalledtheFaneoftheNightSerpent,

whereRasNsiholdsswayandplotstobringabouttheendof

theworld.OmuisalsohometotheTomboftheNineGods.As

thecharactersexplorethismultileveldungeon,theyencounter

thespiritsofOmu’strickstergodsandarepotentially

inhabitedbythem.Eachgodembodiesadifferentalignment,

andanycharacterinhabitedbyonegainsaspecialpoweras

wellasaflaw.Theninetrickstergodsdon’tgetalong,andthey

trytopushoneanotheroutofthecharacters’bodies.Asthe

godsfightovertheirlivinghosts,thecharactersmustdeal

withthedeadlytrapsandmonstersthatguardtheSoulmonger.

Venturingdeeperintothetomb,theyuncovercluesaboutthe

dungeon’sevilarchitect—thearchlichAcererak—andlearn

thattheSoulmongerisfeedingsoulstoanundeadhorror

calledanatropal.Onceitconsumesenoughsouls,theatropal

willtransformintoanevilgod.

DestroyingtheSoulmongerendsthedeathcurseaffecting

theworld,whilekillingtheatropalincursthewrathof

Acererak.Undernormalcircumstances,theenragedarchlich

wouldbefartoogreatafoeformortaladventurersto

overcome,butwiththetrickstergodsofOmuontheirside,the

heroeshaveafightingchance.

RunningtheAdventure.......................................................................................................................................................................

Torunthisadventure,youneedtheD&Dfiftheditioncore

rulebooks(Player’sHandbook,DungeonMaster’sGuide,

andMonsterManual).

Textthatappearsinaboxlikethisismeanttoberead

aloudorparaphrasedfortheplayerswhentheir

charactersfirstarriveatalocationorunderaspecific

circumstance,asdescribedinthetext.

TheMonsterManualandVolo’sGuidetoMonsterscontain

statblocksformostofthecreaturesfoundinthisadventure.

Youdon’tneedthelatterreferencetorunTombof

Annihilation,asallthenecessarystatblocksfromVolo’sGuide

toMonstersareincludedwiththenewmonstersinappendixD.

Whenacreature’snameappearsinboldtype,that’sa

visualcuepointingyoutoitsstatblockintheMonsterManual.

IfastatblockappearsinappendixD,theadventure’stexttells

youso.

Spellsandequipmentmentionedintheadventureare

describedinthePlayer’sHandbook.Magicitemsaredescribed

intheDungeonMaster’sGuide,unlesstheadventure’stext

directsyoutoanitem’sdescriptioninappendixC.

Abbreviations...............................................................................................................................................................................

Thefollowingabbreviationsareusedthroughoutthis

adventure:

hp=hitpoints

LG=Lawfulgood

AC=ArmorClass

CG=Chaoticgood

gp=goldpiece(s)

CN=Chaoticneutral

ep=electrumpiece(s)

LE=Lawfulevil

S