LEVEL 22: SHADOWDUSK HOLD
HAOOWOUSK HOLD IS DESIGNED FOR FOUR
17th-level characters, and characters who
defeat the monsters on this level should gain
enough XP to advance halfway to 18th level.What Dwells Here?
A Waterdavian noble family driven into exile
long ago has carved out a home for itself on this level.
THE SHADOWDUSKS ~~
The Shadowdusk family, like many other Waterdavian
noble lineages, made its fortune in trading. Three sisters
named Arandraya, Maelweene, and Yarlithra Shadow-
dusk became famous for sponsoring and then leading
adventuring expeditions into Undermountain. One of
the items they recovered from the dungeon was a tablet
of black crystal that allowed contact with entities of the
Far Realm. Their brother, Xerrion, came to possess the
tablet and used it to contact otherworldly beings in an
attempt to destroy his family's business rivals and po-
litical enemies. This contact drove Xerrion mad, and it
didn't take long for the madness to spread to other mem-
bers of the S hadowdusk family and come into public
view. As the family's behavior grew more bizarre, local
broadsheets circulated rumors that the Shadowdusks
had been replaced by aberrant horrors in human guise.
Their ancestra l villa, S hadowdusk Hold, was burned to
the ground in the Year of the Harp (1355 DR). The Wa-
terdavian authorities who investigated the blaze never
made their findings public, but the commonly held belief
is that the city's Watchful Order of Magists and Protec-
tors was responsible.
All three of Xerrion's sisters were killed in the fire that
consumed Shadowdusk Hold. Xerrion escaped and fled
to his sisters' redoubt in the depths of Undermountain.
From there, he used sending spells to contact Shadow-
dusk family members living abroad and brought them
to live with him in a twisted, underground version of
Shadowdusk Hold. Among those who answered the call
was Margaras te Shadowdusk, a distant cousin whom
Xerrion would later marry.
Level 22 of Undermountain became a safe haven
where the S hadowdusks could treat with Far Realm
horrors away from the prying eyes of their fellow Wa-
terdavians. In the end, Xerrion and Margaraste stepped
through a gateway into the Far Realm and were never
seen again. In their absence, the torch of leadership
passed to Xerrion's niece and nephew, Dezmyr and
Zalthar- the twin children of his late sister Yarlithra.
These former paladins of Torm abandoned their faith
long ago, becoming death knights.
Over the years, Ha laster Blackcloak has kept his eye
on the S hadowdusks and their plots, even as he allows
the family free rein in their corner of his domain. The
Mad Mage has decided that these are the kinds of
nobles that need to be making decisions and wielding
power in Waterdeep-so that he can secretly rule the
city using them as puppets. As such, he encourages the
S hadowdus ks to consolidate power in preparation for a
triumphant and bloody return to Waterdeep, after which
Halaster will seize power as the city's Shadow Lord.LEVEL (^22) I SHADOWOUSK HOLD
277