A detect magic spell reveals a powerful aura of abju-
ration magic around each sapphire. Close examination
reveals the image of a tiny black spider etched into each
one. Two drow vampires are trapped in the gemstones
and are magically released the first time a creature
other than Ezzat opens the door or pries either gem-
stone out. Each vampire initially appears as a cloud of
mist, then spends its first turn in combat reverting to its
true form. The vampires' names are Sabatene Xilzzrin
and Tebran Madannith. Their houses were destroyed
long ago. They have spent the last fifty years imprisoned
by Ezzat, thirsting for blood.
Neither Sabatene nor Tebran can enter the stalagmite
without Ezzat's invitation, since the tower is his resi-
dence. Far removed from their resting places, they have
nowhere to go if their physical forms are destroyed. A
drow vampire reduced to 72 hit points or fewer attempts
to flee rather than risk destruction. Although they have
common enemies and similar needs, the two vampires
are allies only by circumstance and care nothing for
each other.
Treasure. The black sapphires (500 gp each) can be
pried out of the door with a dagger or similar tool.FOYER
A wooden coat rack stands in the north corner of this
otherwise empty room.- ANIMATED STAFF
Light. Wax candles in stone holders light the room.
Furnishings. In the middle of the room, a wooden chair
faces a small wooden table upon which rests a game
board topped with painted figurines.
Staff. Floating next to the table is a 5-foot-long staff
made of chiseled ice.
Ezzat animated a staff of frost and imbued it with sen-
tience. Because of the alterations made to it, the staff is
a creature and no longer usable as a magic item.
The animated staff is a Medium construct with AC 17,
40 hit points, resistance to cold damage, immunity to
poison damage, a flying speed of 30 feet, and the ability
to hover. It has blindsight out to a range of 60 feet and is
blind beyond this radius. The staff's alignment is neutral
evil. It can speak and understand Common. It has the
following ability scores: Strength 12, Dexterity 12, Con-
stitution 10, Intelligence 18, Wisdom 14 , Charisma 10.
Reducing the staff to 0 hit points destroys it.
The staff is friendly toward Ezzat and Ipses (the lich's
pseudodragon), and hostile toward all other creatures. It
has no concern for its own well-being and fights without
mercy. Ezzat calls off the staff if its destruction seems
likely, or if he has cause to parley with intruders.
The staff can use its action to make a melee weapon
attack against a creature within 5 feet of it: +5 to hit; 7
(2d6) bludgeoning damage plus 1 cold damage on a hit.
The staff has 10 charges. As an action, it can expend
1 or more of its charges to cast one of the following
spells (save DC 12): cone of cold (5 charges), fog cloud (1
charge), ice storm ( 4 charges), or wall of ice ( 4 charges).
It regains ld6 + 4 expended charges daily at dawn. If the
staff expends its last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the staff
turns to water and is destroyed.
LEV.EL 20 I RUNESTONE CAVERNS
RoLEPLAYING EzzAT
Ezzat was a mage who had an opportunity to become
Halaster's apprentice. A good-aligned human priest
discouraged him from pursuing that evil path. After his
priest friend died of old age and Ezzat became a lich to
avoid a similar fate, he became obsessed with finding a
way· not only to destroy Halaster but to gain control over
Undermountain.
Ezzat is a lich who speaks Common, Dwarvish, Dra-
conic, Elvish, Sylvan, and Undercommon. He plans to de-
stroy Halaster when he's good and ready. Until then, he'd
rather not be disturbed. If the characters ask for help in de-
stroying Halaster, the lich shares what he knows about the
Mad Mage but declines to aid them in any other way. As-
sume that Ezzat knows all the information about Halaster
given in appendix A, including the Mad Mage's lair actions
and regional effects, but not his statistics.
If the characters appear intent on destroying Ezzat, the
lich accuses them of being the unwitting tools of the Mad
Mage. He uses all the magic at his disposal to get rid of
them. See areas 16 and 17 for more information.A creature can grab the staff out of the air with a suc-
cessful grapple check against the staff, and grappling
the staff does not reduce the creature's speed. Any crea-
ture that successfully grapples the staff must succeed on
a DC 12 Charisma saving throw or be charmed by the
staff until the staff is no longer in its grasp. While the
creature is charmed, the staff can issue commands to it,
which the creature does its best to obey. The creature
can repeat the saving throw each time it takes damage,
ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that
successfully resists the staff's control can't be charmed
by it for 24 hours.
A creature holding the staff that isn't charmed by it
can use an action to attempt to break the staff over a
knee or against a solid surface, doing so with a success-
ful DC 17 Strength (Athletics) check. Breaking the staff
in this manner destroys it.TREASURE
The game on the table is called Coroniir, more com-
monly known as crowns. A game of strategy like chess,
it enables two players to reenact a battle of the Crown
Wars between two elven coronals. The set features a
varnished oak game board and painted wooden figu-
rines, weighs 5 pounds, and is worth 250 gp intact. The
game board doubles as a carrying case for the figurines.
The position of the figurines on the board suggests
that a game is in progress. The staff is waiting for Ezzat
to return so that they can finish their game, which the
lich is presently four moves away from winning. The
staff moves its own pieces.- LICH'S STUDY
Ezzat the lich spends much of his time in this dusty,
cobweb-filled room, poring over books that claim to
shed light on Halaster's mastery of Undermountain.
The lich's neutral evil pseudodragon companion, lpses,
stays close to its master.
Light. Dozens of wax candles light the room, perched
atop candle holders or affixed to skulls, petrified rats,
and other miscellaneous objects.