DRAGON'S VISION
In this vision, the character is in a great hall buttressed
by six columns (area 32), looming above six blindfolded
adventurers bound to the columns with rope. A hollow
voice (that of Lord Vanrak Moonstar) issues a terrible
command: "Umbraxakar, give these fools the death
they deserve!" A cone of necrotic energy erupts from
the character as the shadow dragon engulfs the nearest
prisoner, a male dwarf stripped of gear, with its breath
weapon. As the dwarf shrivels and dies, an undead
shadow rises from his corpse, and the vision ends.'TREASURE
A character who studies the gem-encrusted gold horn
and succeeds on a DC^25 Intelligence (History) check
recognizes it as a one-of-a-kind warning horn entrusted
to the royal heir of the Thurumbra clan, a family of
shield dwarves thought to have been wiped out by ores
more than a century ago in the distant Sunset Moun-
tains. Dwarf characters have advantage on the check.
The horn is worth 2,500 gp as an art object but can be
sold for 7,500 gp to a buyer who appreciates its status as
a historical relic.- SHADOW'S EDGE
Two tunnels converge on a 20-foot-high chamber that
contains the following features:
Statues. Two 12-foot-tall obsidian statues stand
atop 5-foot-high blocks of stone in alcoves, facing
one another. Each statue depicts a faceless robed
woman holding a silver thread taut between her out-
stretched hands.
Shadow Curtain. A thin, translucent curtain of shadow
stretches between the statues, rippling like black cloth
in a light breeze.
Lock ed Double Door. Beyond the shadowy curtain is a
12-foot-tall arched double door with an ornate carving
of a bronze dragon above it, its wings forming the door
frame. Draconic letters are carved into the floor in
front of the double door.
A detect magic spell reveals an aura of conjuration
magic around each strand of silver thread. The threads
can be cut only by a magic sword. Cutting a thread
causes it to disappear but also causes an elder rune
(see "Elder Runes," page 12) to momentarily appear
between the statue's hands. This elder rune specifically
targets the creature that cut the thread. To determine
which rune appears, draw a card from the Elder Runes
Deck (see appendix B). The shadow curtain disappears
when both silver threads are cut.
The rippling curtain of shadow that stretches between
the two statues extends from fioor to ceiling and radi-
ates a strong aura of necromantic magic under the scru-
tiny of a detect magic spell. The statues are flush with
the walls behind them, so circumventing the curtain is
not possible.
Any creature that moves through the curtain must
make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking^22
(4dl0) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much
damage on a successful one. The greater danger of the
curtain is less obvious: if the double door is forced open,
LEVEL 18 I VANRAKDOOM
six wraiths emerge from the curtain and attack, pursu-
ing creatures that flee. A wraith that has nothing to at·
tack on its turn enters the shadow curtain and vanishes.
The wraiths don't appear once the curtain disappears.LOCKED DOUBLE DOOR
The Draconic inscription on the floor in front of the
double door reads, "The shadow is the key." Carved into
the floor above the inscription is a small, 3 -inch-deep
keyhole that contains no locking mechanism. A silver
rod with a key-shaped end, which can be found in areas
10 and 13b, fits into this keyhole perfectly. Using a light
source.to cast the shadow of a rod-key onto the doors
causes them to swing open, allowing access to area- It is this shadow, not the key itself, that unlocks the
doors. Unless they are held open, the doors close and
lock on their own after being open for 1 minute. The
doors are not locked from the other s ide and can be
opened from area^19 without a rod-key.
The locked doors can also be opened with a knock
spell or similar magic, or forced open with a successful
DC 28 Strength (Athletics) check. - HALL OF DEATH
Characters entering this hall for the first time feel as
though they've crossed a planar threshold of some kind,
but a successful DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check is
needed to confirm that this part of the dungeon resides
in the Shadowfell. All color has been drained from this
hall, which greets visitors with the stench of death (see
"Into the Shadowfell," page 233). The hall's other fea-
tures are as follows:
Ceiling. The ceiling is arched and^30 feet high.
Skulls and Bones. Old skulls and bones (the remains of
dead adventurers and monsters) have been swept into
alcoves along the hall's southern stretch.
Vision. Any character who opens a door leading west or
east experiences one of the shadow dragon's visions.
If the bones are disturbed, a giant spectral mouth with
fangs appears, floating^10 feet in front of the double door
to the south. It recites the following verse in Common
before disappearing:
Welcome to Umbraxakar's lair.
A dragon held in the grip of despair
Conjures memories of his departed friend:
Upon sunlight's blade, he met his end.
DRAGON'S VISION
In this vision, the character is engaged in hand-to-hand
combat with a man wearing a mithral chain shirt (Lord
Vanrak Moonstar). The brawl ends when the man is
knocked to the floor, stumbles to his feet, draws the
bronzed hilt of a sun blade that suddenly burns with
radiance, and says, "Remember this? Your gift to me?
Challenge me again, and I'll carve out that big heart of
yours and eat it!" The viewer's perspective changes as
the character transforms into a bronze dragon and says
in Common, "Vanrak! I am your friend. Listen to me.
She's using the pain of your father's death to lead you
down the darkest of all paths. For the love of SeJUne, do
not follow her!" With that, the vision ends.