years, including Sunlight's Wrath and Shar's Bane. A
legend lore spell reveals its true name (Scintilmorn) and
its original purpose: to destroy vampires and other crea-
tures of the night.
Umbraxakar's Projection. If the hilt of the sun blade
is picked up, Umbraxakar's smoky projection forms in
the middle of the room (see "Visions of Umbraxakar,"
page 232). It can't leave the area.- SHADOW VIGIL
Double Door. Carved into the double door to the
north are two figures: a skeletal warrior clutching
the bladeless hilt of a sword on the left door, and
a handsome young man with dragon wings on the
right door. Above the double door is a 3-foot-diameter
disk painted black with a purple metal rim (the sym-
bol of Shar).
Cultists and Rats. Twelve human cultists of Shar are
chanting outside the doors. Crawling around their feet
are four swarms of rats.
Purple Flames. Mounted on the back walls of four wide
alcoves are rusty iron sconces, each holding a torch
coated in black wax that burns with a purple flame.
The walls of the alcoves are cracked and pitted.
The rats attack creatures not dressed as cultists of
Shar. The cultists are chanting to help focus the power
of the ritual taking place in area 10, and they try to kill
anyone they believe is not a Shar worshiper. They chant
the following verse over and over in Common: "Dark-
ness quench the sun. Darkness swallow the moon.
Darkness claim this dungeon and all that dwell within."
Knowing that the ritual in area 10 must not be dis-
turbed, the cultists do everything they can to prevent the
doors to that area from being opened. If characters enter
through the double door, the cultists assume the ritual
has already been interrupted and attack immediately. - RITUAL CHAMBER
Purple F lames. Black wax candles set in niches along
the walls of this 20-foot-high room burn with a purple
flame, filling the room with dim light.
Cult Ritual. Six cult fanatics are chanting in unison.
Each one stands next to a black stone pillar and is
focused on a roiling fog cloud, 8 feet in diameter, that
floats at the center of the room (^10) feet above the floor.
Lines of black energy run between the pillars and
the cloud.
The cult fanatics are named Abberoch, Belora, Liana,
Shanzo, Torfiana, and Uzalyn. They are performing a
ritual designed to anchor one of Umbraxakar's memo-
ries to this room, which will enable the shadow dragon
to pull more of Vanrakdoom into the Shadowfell. They
chant the following verse over and over in Common:
"Darkness quench the sun. Darkness swallow the
moon. Darkness claim this dungeon and all that dwell
within." If attacked, they continue to chant while also
defending themselves.
Killing a cult fanatic deactivates one of the pillars,
destroying the line of energy emanating from it and
weakening the ritual. When all six lines of energy are
destroyed, the fog cloud vanishes.
LEVEL 18 I VANRAKDOOM
As long as at least one column is active, characters
see a faint image in the cloud of an adult bronze dragon
surrounded by figures in black robes wearing the
holy symbol of Shar and reading from scrolls. As the
great creature writhes in pain, its bronze scales begin
to darken.
The lines of black energy between the pillars and the
cloud are 10 feet above the floor and easily avoided. Any
creature that comes into contact with one takes 10 (3d6)
necrotic damage from it.
SURPRISE!
Each time a cult fanatic dies, a shadow assassin (see
appendix A) rises from the fanatic's corpse and joins the
battle, acting on the same initiative count as the fanatic
that "birthed" it. The shadow assassins guard the room
thereafter.
TREASURE
Each cult fanatic carries an obsidian holy symbol of
Shar (25 gp each). The leader, Abberoch, also has a
silver rod with one end formed in the shape of a key (70
gp). The rod unlocks the double door in area 18.
TUNNELS AND CAVERNS
These rough-hewn tunnels are centuries old, but they
offer no clues as to their origin. A tunnel to the north
slopes downward and eventually leads to level 19.
- CANDLELIT HALLS
The walls of these 10 -foot-high corridors and chambers
are lined with shallow niches holding black wax candles
that burn with a purple light.
If the characters have had an easy time thus far, Ker-
esta might send waves of vampire spawn to harangue
them as they make their way through these candlelit
halls. The vampire spawn attack in packs of ld4 + 2
and avoid the pit traps in areas 12c and 12d by crawling
along the walls.
12A. BAT ROOSTS
The bare walls and floors of these connected chambers
are covered with bat guano, and the 10-foot-high ceiling
is made of rough stone. Four swarms of bats gather
here. They shriek in response to intruders and flee the
area if disturbed.
Secret Door. A secret door in the north wall leads
to area 8.12B. MAGIC MOUTH
The first character to move past the midpoint of this
area triggers a magic mouth spell cast on the floor,
which says in Common, "Turn back now, or abandon
hope!" The spell resets after 1 hour.12c. PIT OF DARKNESS
An open 20-foot-deep pit spans the corridor in this loca-
tion. The pit is filled with impenetrable darkness similar
to that created by the darkness spell. A successful dispel
magic spell cast on the magical darkness ends it, though
the darkness reappears after 1 hour. Other than the
darkness, the pit contains nothing.