Contents Running the Adventure

Introduction .....................................................................................2 Having the three D&D core rulebooks handy (Player's
Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual)
Trouble at Castle Harklard will make for the smoothest session. These books contain
I. The Adventure Begins...........................................................3 most of the spells, equipment, magic items, and monsters
II. Ascent......................................................................................4 mentioned in this adventure.
III. Inside the Castle..................................................................6
IV. Into the Sky ..........................................................................8 Text that appears in boxes like this is meant to be read aloud
V. Rise and Fall.........................................................................11 to the players when their characters first enter an area.
Aftermath........................................................................................13
When a monster or non-player character (NPC) name
Appendix: Magic Items...............................................................15 appears in bold, that's a visual cue, telling you to get its stat
block ready. Many of the creatures in this adventure can be
found in the Monster Manual. The rest have stat blocks
included alongside the text.
Introduction On page 4, you'll find a map of the floating castle. Feel free
to share the map with your players and let them know what
Castle Harklard: Ascent into the Void is a quick, self- each area is called—but don't tell them about the creatures
contained Dungeons & Dragons adventure. If you or your lurking in any given area!
friends are first-time D&D players, this is a great introduction
to the game. It features that classic D&D combination of Setting
goofy medieval tropes (castles, knights, dragons) and
Lovecraftian weirdness (mind flayers, gibbering mouthers). This adventure takes place in the realm of Harklardia, which
This book is intended for the Dungeon Master (DM). Plan can be anywhere you like. The adventure can also end
on a few hours to get through the whole adventure, not anywhere you like. The drifting castle may crash-land near
counting character creation If you're planning on playing this Waterdeep, Chult, Icewind Dale, or any other setting for
adventure as a character, you should stop reading now! future campaigns.
You can also easily replace Harklardia with another town
Adventure Summary in the Forgotten Realms, or another world. Daggerford, on the
A mysterious force has torn Castle Harklard from its Sword Coast, is a fine substitute, although any small town
foundation and pulled it up into the sky. The castle’s with a castle or keep will do.
occupants escaped, but left behind the royal treasury—
notably the Harklardian crown, which magically grants the
king enough charisma to rule his subjects. Credits
Hoping to avoid a messy political situation, the king's
archmage advisor hires outsiders (the player-characters) to Author (and mapmaker): Daniel Kenis
infiltrate the floating castle, defeat the monsters infesting it, Cover illustration by Fabian Rensh:
and retrieve the royal crown. https://fabianrensch.com/
This adventure is designed for three to five 1st- or 2nd-level Formatting by Homebrewery:
characters. It likely plays out as follows: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/
The party climbs a rope tethered to the floating castle’s DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast,
drawbridge, avoiding ambushes from flying kobolds and Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon
hanging on for dear life as the tether breaks free. ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast
After infiltrating the castle interior, the characters find an product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of
unfortunate scullion boy trapped inside, then face an Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries.
oddly charming red dragon wyrmling who’s taken over the This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of
royal tower. the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with
permission under the Community Content Agreement for
As the untethered castle rises higher, the party risks Dungeon Masters Guild.
altitude sickness to discover its secret—a mind flayer lich All other original material in this work is copyright 2020 by
is trying to pull the castle into space to use as raw Daniel Kenis and published under the Community Content
material for her orbital fortress. Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.

2 INTRODUCTION
Trouble at Castle Harklard

I
n exchange for discreetly serving the Kingdom of If the encounter turns bloody, three lawful neutral human
Harklardia, agents of the royal archmage have knights on warhorses arrive in 2d6 rounds and defuse the
promised each character a 100 gp reward, along with situation. The knights know the royal archmage hired a group
any spoils they find during their quest, “of which of adventurers and tell the characters that they're expected.
there shall be much.” The party heads to Castle Town The old man, if saved, is thankful to human characters but
to learn more about this quest. rude to other races.
It's up to you and the other players how much or
little the characters' backgrounds tie into this setting. If you'd The King’s Missing Crown
like to get started quickly without a lot of backstory, the After the characters introduce themselves and their quest,
characters can easily be wandering adventurers who are just they’re directed toward a large, richly appointed tent at the
passing through this part of the world. outskirts of town, guarded by a palisade and seven knights.
The knights have been instructed to keep their distance
I. The Adventure Begins from the tent, but will let the characters through.
As the characters arrive, describe the scene as follows:
Inside the tent are two men. The first is a spindly, white-
bearded wizard dressed in a deep blue robe and fez, who
Castle Harklard hovers 200 feet above ground like an
stands to greet you politely. The second man sits in a plain
enormous, misshapen balloon, just west of Castle Town’s wall.
wooden chair with his back to you and wears a nightgown. As
It’s tethered to the earth with a long rope that rises from the
you enter the tent, the man in the chair whimpers, “Is that
top of a guard tower. A grappling hook launched from that
them?”
tower has hooked onto the castle’s drawbridge, pulling it out
from the floating fortress like a wooden tongue.
The castle strains against this tether, wanting to rise further The wizard introduces himself as Archideld Tutleaf (neutral
skyward, even as its structure falls apart. One of the five
human archmage). He politely asks the characters to bow to
the pathetic figure sitting in the chair, who he introduces as
original towers has fallen off completely and lies in tumbled
“His Grace, King Rorald Jubert Harklard, third of his name.”
ruins—luckily, just outside the town wall. Drifting chunks of Before the characters can react, the king (neutral human;
stone orbit the castle's bulk, occasionally wandering past use the commoner stat block) turns and angrily says:
some invisible antigravity threshold to begin slow, deadly
descents toward the earth and town below. “Yes, a king without a castle—let alone my crown!” Indeed, he
On the ground, terrified residents surge out from the town’s wears no crown. His face is puffy with tears and mucus drips
main gate, fleeing the falling masonry. Mounted knights from his nose. He looks like he’s been crying all day.
struggle to corral the masses of people and wagons.
The party may ask King Harklard one or two questions
Prowling among the panicked masses outside the town walls before he gets annoyed. The king then tells Archideld that he
are four neutral evil human bandits and their thug leader. If wishes to be alone, and orders the wizard to take the party
you'd like to introduce a quick encounter before plunging into outside.
the adventure proper, these scoundrels are your chance. In Insights. If any characters have the Noble background or
full view of the party, the bandits and thug surround an old proficiency in History, they’ll have either seen or heard of
man struggling with his wheelcart on the side of the road and King Harklard before—and barely recognize the man in front
hold him up with their crossbows. of them now. With a successful DC15 Insight check (made
If a character intervenes, the thug tells him or her to back with advantage if the character has either of the
off, or else. If the party does nothing, the scoundrels follow aforementioned features), a character discerns the following:
and try to rob one of the characters, targeting a nonhuman The king seems to be suffering from an extremely
who doesn't look tough. uncharacteristic lack of confidence.
The king does not wish to be seen by his knights, let alone
The Realm of Harklardia his subjects—hence the secrecy and desire for outsiders
Harklardia is a small, insular human kingdom in to embark on this quest.
northern Faerûn, far inland from the more Archmage Archideld, while deferential to the ruined king,
cosmopolitan Sword Coast. Its overwhelmingly has clearly assumed control during this crisis. The wizard
human population is unaccustomed to outsiders is reluctant to leave the king’s side for very long.
and somewhat prone to xenophobia. Harklardians
openly gawk at any elf, dwarf, halfling, or gnome. Development. If the party is rude to the king, Archideld
They may shun or even throw rocks at dragonborn, quickly defuses the situation, casting suggestion on Rorald as
half-orcs, and tieflings. needed. If characters initiate violence, Archideld casts wall of
force around the party and politely demands that everyone
cool their heels.

I. THE ADVENTURE BEGINS 3

 The Plan If the characters ask if anyone else is in the castle,
Archideld says he believes everyone escaped as soon as the
Outside the tent, Archideld produces a rolled-up map of the castle was uprooted, “save perhaps a scullion or two.”
castle and hands it to the character with the highest Treasure. Archideld gives the most magically-adept
Intelligence. The archmage supplements the map with character a spell scroll of feather fall. Once the party retrieves
conjured imagery that yields a relatively accurate picture of the crown, Archideld explains, they can simply leap out of the
the castle’s current condition. He points to the real-life castle castle and cast the spell to land safely. Knights on horseback
in the sky to corroborate what’s on the map. will meet them on the ground, and the party can exchange the
Archideld reveals the following information: crown for their reward.
The king hired the characters for a very specific task:
retrieve his crown from the castle. Archideld believes the II. Ascent
king left it in the royal tower (area C9).
The castle began floating two days ago. Nobody, not even Archideld leads the characters through a disused gate and up
the archmage, knows what caused it. a guard tower, shadowed by the hulking castle above.
If the characters can figure out how to bring the castle At the top of the tower, a knight named Sir Bojun (lawful
back down to earth, they are welcome to as much spoil as good human) and his squire Artan (neutral human guard)
they can carry out on their backs (save the crown). stand beside a ballista. Next to the ballista, wedged against
Flying kobolds have invaded the floating castle and are the tower’s battlement, is a creaking windlass that has been
likely looting it, so time is of the essence. festooned with heavy chains and hastily bolted to the
flagstones. A thick, taut rope extends from this windlass,
rising high into the sky toward the castle’s drawbridge.

4 II. ASCENT
Development. Sir Bojun bows lightly to Archideld, who
introduces the party and explains the situation to the knight
with the vaguest possible detail. The knight expresses Flying Kobold
genuine admiration for the characters, regardless of their Small humanoid (kobold), lawful evil
ancestry. Characters can fill in the clueless knight and his
squire as much as they want. Sir Bojun is hopelessly good- Armor Class 12
natured and weeps upon learning of his king’s distress. (If the Hit Points 5(2d6 –2)
characters egregiously spill the beans, Archideld casts modify Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft.
memory on Sir Bojun and Artan after the party leaves).
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
C1. Grapnel Rope 7 (–2) 15 (+2) 9 (–1) 8 (–1) 7 (–2) 8 (–1)
The grapnel rope is 100 feet long, angled slightly, and doesn't
require a roll to climb. Characters can climb half their speed Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception 8
per turn, or use the Dash action to climb their full speed. Languages Common, Draconic
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
As you awkwardly mount the rope, you see a ballista on the
neighboring guard tower launch a huge grappling hook toward Pack Tactics. The kobold has advantage on an attack
the castle. The grapnel sails through the air, trailing a long rope
roll against a creature if at least one of the kobold's
allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally
behind it—before clanking against the castle’s stone wall and isn't incapacitated.
dropping uselessly to the earth below.
The guards on the other tower begin what you assume is a Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the kobold
has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on
familiar process of winding the rope’s windlass, slowly drawing
Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
the grapnel back up the tower, and trying again. For now, it
seems the rope you’re mounting is the only connection Actions
between Harklard Castle and the earth. Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Flying Kobold Attack Dropped Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit,
When the characters are about halfway up the rope, two one target directly below the kobold. Hit: 5 (1d6 +
flying kobolds (see accompanying stat block) attack with 2) bludgeoning damage.
dropped rocks. Since the characters can't maneuver while
clinging to the rope, the kobolds attack with advantage
(which cancels out their disadvantage from Sunlight
Sensitivity, if the characters are climbing in daylight). To add Transition Point
realism to this encounter, use the following rules: It’s an additional 100 feet from the grapnel to the top of the
While clinging to the rope, characters can attack only with bridge. Clambering from the grapnel rope to the drawbridge
non-somatic spells or one-handed thrown weapons. requires a DC10 Athletics or Acrobatics check. On a failure,
If any characters wielding such weapons are struck by the character suffers a climbing mishap and only manages to
rocks, they must make a DC10 Dexterity saving throw to hang on with a sacrifice (roll a d4):
avoid dropping their weapons.
Climbing Mishap
If the characters were nice to Sir Bojun on the tower
below, the knight attacks the kobolds with his heavy d4 Outcome
crossbow. If one kobold is slain, the other flies away. 1 The character drops their primary weapon.
2 The character drops their offhand weapon or shield.
C2. Drawbridge
3 The character drops their gold pouch.
The rope is tied to a huge wrought-iron grapnel—a lucky shot
that smashed through the drawbridge’s planks in just the 4 The character takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage.
right place to hook securely against an iron brace. The whole
connected structure—chains, drawbridge, grapnel, and rope As the last character makes the transition from rope to
—is pulled taut at the same angle. drawbridge, the grapnel connecting the two suddenly
dislodges. The angled drawbridge, freed from earthbound
The drawbridge is no longer properly attached to the castle. tension, swings ponderously down through the air, then
Torn free from the hinges that once connected it to the
smashes against the castle’s foundation.
Everyone must make a DC15 Dexterity saving throw to
entryway, the bridge has flipped end-over-end. Now it hangs
cling to the swinging drawbridge. On a failure, roll a d4 as
freely from two great iron chains emerging from either side of above to determine what the character must sacrifice. If a
the castle entrance. In ordinary times, these chains would raise character already suffered the result of this roll, they take 1d6
or lower the drawbridge’s far end—which is now its “top.” bludgeoning damage instead.

II. ASCENT 5
 Welcoming Cauldron
The now-untethered castle begins drifting up into the sky. Castle Harklard: General Features
Built several hundred years ago, Castle Harklard
Below you, the walls and buildings of Castle Town slowly was once a sturdy fortification. More recently, with
no serious external threats to ward off, the castle
recede. As you cling to the planks of the drawbridge, you can’t
has morphed into a grand palace intended more for
help but take in the view. The setting sun’s golden light luxury than defense.
illuminates the whole kingdom of Harklardia—the gleaming Tilted Floor. The floor slopes upward toward the
curve of the river, the rolling hills, the dark sea of the forest northeast at a varying angle of fifteen to twenty
cradled in the mountains. You can imagine how King Rorald
degrees. The slope’s angle can suddenly change at
any moment, forcing the characters to make a
must have felt overlooking his realm from his royal tower—yet DC10 Dexterity saving throw to stay on their feet.
now you have ascended to an even greater height. On a failure, the character falls prone.
Crumbling Masonry. The stone castle is falling
The first character who approaches the drawbridge's top can apart as it rises. Ceilings that remain intact are ten
make a DC10 Perception check. Grant advantage on this roll feet high unless otherwise noted. Areas on the map
marked with crosshatch patterns are open to the
if the character is looking out for traps and defenses. On a air below.
success, the character hears a pair of snickering flying Dim Lighting. The kobolds inside the castle
kobolds atop the parapet above the castle’s entryway. haven’t bothered to keep the torches lit. But
The kobolds have full cover and are getting ready to tip enough sunlight and moonlight stream through the
over a cauldron of boiling oil. Any character at the top of the many gaps in the crumbling castle’s walls that
bridge when it's poured must make a DC15 Dexterity check, characters can see without darkvision or light
taking 3d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a sources.
successful one. The kobolds are impatient and dump the oil Thin Air. Whenever the characters finish a short
as soon as anyone—or anything—appears to crest the rest inside the castle, they must make a DC15
drawbridge, then fly away. Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they take
one level of Exhaustion from altitude sickness as
Portcullis the castle rises toward the oxygenless void of
Once the characters reach the top of the drawbridge, they can space. This Exhaustion can only be removed if the
easily climb up to the stone ledge on which it formerly rested. character takes a long rest at ground level.
A portcullis separates this ledge from the interior of the
castle. The ledge is only 5 feet wide, so the characters can
barely stand side-by-side.
As an action, characters can attempt to lift the portcullis, If the characters follow the fleeing kobold archers through
which requires a combined Strength score of 32 to raise. As the north doors, they see there is no courtyard beyond—just a
soon as anyone tries to lift the portcullis, two flying kobolds giant gap between the castle walls, opening down into the sky
armed with shortbows (+4 to hit, 1d6 +2 piercing damage) and distant ground below.
appear beyond the gate and loose arrows at the party. The To the right, the southeast tower and much of the hallway
kobolds duck behind stone pillars in the entryway after they have fallen away. Edging around a half-crumbling wall reveals
attack, gaining full cover. (The portcullis also grants both an extremely narrow ledge, completely open to the sky.
sides three-fourths cover.) The next round, two more winged
kobolds fly down from above and drop rocks on the party.
If the party succeeds in opening the portcullis, the kobolds
inside retreat through the northern doors into the “courtyard.”

III. Inside the Castle

The party should be at 2nd level to survive the challenges
inside the castle. You can have the players advance their
characters to 2nd level as soon as they gain entry to the
castle, or you may wish to wait until they take a short rest.
C3. Entryway
The entryway is mostly intact, though some paintings have
been torn from the walls. A rich blue carpet covers the
hallways, scattered with debris. Ahead of you, double doors
open to what once was a courtyard. Doors to the left and right
lead to dark hallways.

6 III. INSIDE THE CASTLE

If the characters try to sidle along the ledge toward area C10,
six flying kobolds attack from above. The kobolds drop rocks
on the characters before retreating behind full cover. A Void-Animated Armor
character struck by a rock must make a DC15 Dexterity Medium construct, unaligned
saving throw or fall off the ledge. An adjacent character can
use their reaction to grab the falling character by the wrist, Armor Class 18
and an action to pull them up to safety. It takes three turns of Hit Points 33 (6d8 +6)
movement for a character to sidle all the way to area C10. Speed 25 ft.

C4. Southwest Armory Tower STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 11 (+0) 13 (+1) 1 (–5) 3 (–4) 1 (–5)
Once brimming with weapons and armor, this tower appears
to have been raided by kobolds. Weapon racks lay overturned, Damage Immunities poison, psychic
and any remaining arms lie scattered on the flagstones. Two Damage Resistance fire
standing suits of plate armor flank the entryway, and a winding Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius),
passive Perception 6
stone staircase leads to the tower’s second floor.
Languages —
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
The little kobolds left behind plenty of heavier weapons: four
longswords, two halberds, two pikes, a lance, a battleaxe, a Antimagic Susceptibility. The armor is incapacitated
greataxe, a warhammer, a morningstar, and a maul. At your while in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by
discretion, a character who lost a particular weapon or shield dispel magic, the armor must succeed on a
on the ascent can replace it easily enough by rummaging Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell
through the scattered equipment on the floor. save DC or fall unconscious for 1 minute.
On the second story, characters find a complement of False Appearance. While the armor remains
ranged weapons likewise dumped on the floor: two longbows, motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal
four light crossbows, and four heavy crossbows. suit of armor.
The suits of plate armor both have notable features:
The left suit’s breastplate is missing, and its gauntlets are Actions
clasped around empty air. Multiattack. The armor makes two melee attacks.
The right suit's gauntlets clasp a greatsword. The blade's
metal is oddly dark and discolored, and the discoloration Voidforged blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit,
one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) slashing damage, plus 3
has spread to the plate armor's gauntlets and vambraces. (1d6) psychic damage.
Treasure. The greatsword is a voidforged blade (see the
“Appendix: Magic Items” section). Over time, the otherworldly Reaction
magic behind the castle's levitation has pooled in this area Void touch. When a melee attack hits the void-
and collected into the greatsword's metal. A DC15 Arcana animated armor, the attacker must make a DC15
check indicates the sword is both magical and related to the Intelligence save or take 3 (1d6) psychic damage.
castle's levitation. A detect magic spell reveals an aura of
transmutation magic around the weapon.
Development. Once a character touches the magic sword,
or returns to the first floor from the second, the suit of plate
becomes a void-animated armor (see accompanying stat Simon the Scullion
block) and attacks. Characters who successfully attack the Simon is a gangly, terrified 14-year-old boy. He wears a
armor with melee weapons feel a disturbing vertigo-like breastplate and wields a greatsword, but is proficient with
sensation when their weapons strike. The armor fights until neither item. It’s very dark in the room, and Simon attacks
it's destroyed and pursues the characters if they flee the any intruder with wild desperation unless the characters
tower, breaking down doors with its sword as necessary. make it clear they are not kobolds.
(Kobolds flee shrieking from the armor.) If young Simon survives, he explains that he stayed behind
to rescue his friend Miriamele, a washmaid who he thinks is
C5. Scullions’ Quarters also trapped in the castle. When the flying kobolds invaded,
This room housed the castle’s male servants. Both doors to poor Simon had to abandon his search (but not before looting
the room are locked and barricaded from within; they can be a breastplate and greatsword from the armory).
kicked down with a DC20 Strength check.
Characters can try multiple times, but a single failure alerts What Simon Knows
the room’s occupant: a young scullion named Simon (see stat Simon readily shares the following information:
block on following page), who attempts to hide (with Miriamele’s quarters are in the eastern part of the castle
disadvantage) to prepare an ambush. A character with (area C10). Simon couldn’t figure out how to get there.
thieves’ tools can quietly pick a lock with a successful DC15 Miriamele loved hanging around the library in Archideld’s
Dexterity check, but will still need to push aside the tower (area C6), but she wasn’t there when he checked.
mattresses that Simon has piled against the door.
III. INSIDE THE CASTLE 7
 Simon the Scullion Armed Flying Kobold
Human, chaotic good Small humanoid (kobold), lawful evil

Armor Class 15 Armor Class 15 (leather armor, shield)

Hit Points 4 (1d8) Hit Points 5(2d6 –2)
Speed 30 ft. Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
9 (–1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 9 (–1) 10 (+0) 7 (–2) 15 (+2) 9 (–1) 8 (–1) 7 (–2) 8 (–1)

Senses passive Perception 9 Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception 8

Languages Common Languages Common, Draconic
Challenge 0 (10 XP) Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Unproficient. Simon has disadvantage on any ability Pack Tactics. The kobold has advantage on an attack
check, saving throw, or Attack roll that involves roll against a creature if at least one of the kobold's
Strength or Dexterity. allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally
isn't incapacitated.
Actions Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the kobold
Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: –1 to hit (roll has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on
with disadvantage), one target. Hit: 6 (2d6 –1) Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
slashing damage.
Actions
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach
5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Simon was in the Great Hall when the kobolds first
arrived. He’s been hiding in the scullions’ quarters ever Light crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit,
since. range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2)
While fleeing, he thought he heard a much deeper voice piercing damage.
speaking Draconic. This voice sounded distinct from the
squeaky, babbling kobolds.
Despite the crudeness of Simon’s barricades, characters
can discern that his room is defensible against kobolds and Kobolds in the Castle
may be inclined to take a short rest here. If they do, they'll
need to make an altitude sickness check at the end of their Twelve flying kobolds are perched around the
rest. See the “General Features: Thin Air” section on page 6 exterior of the castle at any time, armed as
described in their stat block. These kobolds will
for more details on this check. drop rocks on characters attempting to scale
exterior walls, then fly behind cover.
IV. Into the Sky Deeper into the castle, the kobolds have helped
themselves to the royal armory. Unless otherwise
As the characters make their way deeper into the castle, night noted, they wield shortswords, shields, and light
falls, and the air becomes chill and thin. The howling wind crossbows and wear leather armor.
outside grows faint as the castle drifts inexorably higher. Only
faint moonlight streaming through gaps in the ceiling and
walls illuminates the castle interior.
C6. Northwest Wizards’ Tower One kobold is examining an elaborate tapestry portraying
mounted knights routing a goblin horde. The tapestry comes
alive as a rug of smothering, attacking the nearby kobold
This two-story tower holds Archideld’s library and office. It’s first, then the characters, which it senses with its blindsight.
already been picked over—many of the bookshelves are The second kobold has a wand of magic missiles with six
toppled, and cabinets lay open and rifled through. Books, loose charges left, and the kobold doesn’t hesitate to use it.
papers, and shards of glass cover the floor. The third kobold wears boots of striding and springing and
jumps from bookshelf to bookshelf, knocking everything over
The tower’s second floor is open to the ground floor. On the in the process and gaining half-cover against ranged attacks.
second floor, three armed flying kobolds (see accompanying Books. Each book in the library weighs 5 pounds and is
stat block) are rummaging through Archideld’s ruined office. worth 1d12 gp. If Simon is with the party, he remarks that his
The party can ambush them by stealthily climbing the stairs. friend Miriamele loved books and was teaching him how to
read.

8 IV. INTO THE SKY

Simon will also remember that Miriamele has been acting Two more flying kobolds stand at either side of the throne.
strangely after she started reading a book about “the void.” A The first is unarmed, dressed in a jester’s outfit, and
DC10 Investigation check reveals that a bookshelf dedicated immediately flees through the north door. The second is
to the Astral Plane and the Far Realm has a conspicuous gap. Larzz (see accompanying stat block) a self-styled kobold
Treasure. A character can make a DC10 Investigation knight. The creature is dressed in what looks like a child’s
check in Archideld’s second-floor office to find three potions suit of half plate armor and draws a beautiful, gleaming
among the detritus: a potion of greater healing, a potion of rapier.
vitality, and a potion of invisibility. Archideld also left behind a
component pouch, a crystal ball, a driftglobe, and a purse Sir Larzz
with 38 gp. Once the kobolds’ initial crossbow salvo is launched, Larzz
Low Oxygen. If the party spends any time investigating for points his sword at the toughest-looking character in the
treasure or looking at books, they must make a saving throw party and, speaking in raspy, stuttering Common, challenges
for altitude sickness at the end of their search (see the them to a duel.
“General Features: Thin Air” section). If the character accepts and the rest of the party stands
down, the other kobolds follow Larzz’s lead and stop
C7. Kitchen attacking. However, there are limits to Larzz’s sense of honor,
The door to this room is unlocked, and squawking sounds and the kobold only participates in the duel until he takes
emanate from within. damage—at which point he abandons this gambit, flees to the
rafters, and attacks from above with his fellows.
Treasure. Larzz carries a purse with 29 gp. The kobold’s
Two flying kobolds are struggling to light a fire underneath a rapier has a spindly gilded handguard and is worth 75 gp.
squawking, birdlike humanoid, who they’ve hogtied on a spit Although Larzz’s half plate is likely too damaged to sell as
over an open hearth. The kobolds haven’t done a good job functional armor, its beautiful gold filigree makes it worth
tying the creature and must dodge its beak and talons as it 200 gp. The half plate armor and rapier belong to King
thrashes. A third kobold has raided the pantry in the northwest Rorald’s 8-year old son, Prince Willrick, who would be
corner and sits in a stupor surrounded by broken eggshells, its
delighted to get them back.
jaws dripping with yolk.

The three unarmed flying kobolds in this room are Sir Larzz
distracted and can easily be ambushed. The creature on the Small humanoid (kobold), neutral evil
spit is a lawful good aarakocra named Beaka. Squawking in
Auran, she swears oaths of vengeance against her kobold Armor Class 17 (half plate)
Hit Points 20 (8d6 –8)
tormentors. Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft.
If the characters free Beaka from her predicament, she
lightly bows, shakes off her singed feathers, and flies out
through a gap in the northern wall. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
7 (–2) 16 (+3) 9 (–1) 8 (–1) 7 (–2) 8 (–1)
C8. Great Hall
The door to the hall is locked and requires a DC15 strength Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception 8
check to break down. A character with thieves’ tools can pick Languages Common, Draconic
the lock with a DC10 Dexterity check. Unless the characters Challenge 2 (450 XP)
have somehow avoided making any noise in the castle, the
creatures here will be ready for them. Pack Tactics. Larzz has advantage on an attack roll
The great hall is grand indeed and airy, with an arched against a creature if at least one of the its allies is
ceiling 30 feet high. The space is crisscrossed by rafters within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't
supported by three spindly wooden pillars. The carpeted floor incapacitated.
is littered with goblets, shattered plates, bones, feathers, and Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the kobold
other detritus from a royal feast and whatever the kobolds has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on
have been eating. Eight long wooden tables are arranged Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
around a wide, semicircular staircase. On top of these stairs
is an oversized, ornately-carved wooden throne. Actions
Six armed flying kobolds are waiting in this room. Four
are stationed behind heavy crossbows mounted on the tables Multiattack. Larzz attacks twice with its rapier.
and immediately attack any characters that enter (+4 to hit, Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
1d10 + 2 piercing damage). If the characters try to rush these one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
kobolds, they fly up to the rafters and attack with their light Light crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit,
crossbow. Two more kobolds are already perched in the range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3)
rafters and attack with light crossbows. Creatures in the piercing damage.
rafters have half cover.

IV. INTO THE SKY 9

 Collapsing the Ceiling This tower barely hangs together. The western stairway leads
The kobolds have a major advantage as long as they stay to a mostly-collapsed second story. The first story floor has
perched in the rafters. Clever characters can bring the fight fallen except for a chunk at the far end. The roof has
to melee range by knocking down one of the three wooden
pillars holding up the rafters. Each pillar has AC 5, 20 hit completely collapsed, so the tower is a hollow cylinder open
points, resistance to piercing damage, and immunity to to the sky above and below.
poison and psychic damage. The castle is now well above the clouds. The stars and moon
If one pillar is destroyed, the ceiling collapses in a 5-foot seem closer in the darkening sky. There's barely any wind; the
radius around it on the following turn. Any creature within air is thin and crystalline. Yet wafting through the frigid night
this area must make a DC15 Dexterity saving throw or take air is a smell like burnt charcoal.
3d6 bludgeoning damage (half as much on a successful save). You hear a deep, surprisingly charming voice that speaks in
Regardless of which pillar was destroyed, all of the rafters
come down too, forcing the kobolds to fight from the ground. Draconic: “Greetings, travelers. Please, come up and join us!
Be our guest.”
Developments
If Simon is with the party, the boy takes courage from the Lounging on the second story atop a small hoard of coins,
characters and charges the kobolds with his greatsword. dinnerware, paintings, and pieces of furniture is Firefang, a
Simon can be reasoned with, however, and will take cover in red dragon wyrmling with 19 Charisma. The dragon holds a
the doorway if told to stay out of the fray. The kobolds, for goblet of wine in one clawed hand and wears a pitted bronze
their part, ignore the boy unless he actually lands a hit. crown on his forearm.
Moving Castle. During the battle, consider having the If the characters move to initiate combat, Firefang gestures
castle tilt unexpectedly, forcing the characters to make a to a couch and says, “Sit, sit! Even if we must fight, I would
Dexterity saving throw of fall prone (see the “General love to chat first. These kobolds are dull company.”
Features: Tilted Floors” section on page 6). Airborne kobolds Meanwhile, the little jester kobold, who seems to be the
don’t need to make this saving throw. dragon’s servant, begins pouring goblets of wine and brings
Oxygen Check. Once the characters deal with Larzz and them over on a silver tray. (The wine is poisoned, though not
the kobolds, have them make a saving throw for altitude obviously so; a character who partakes must make a DC13
sickness (see the “General Features: Thin Air” section). Constitution saving throw immediately before their next
action to determine if the poison worked. On a failure, the
C9. Royal Tower character is poisoned until they finish a short or long rest.)
Unless the party managed to subdue the fleeing jester kobold, What Firefang Has to Say
the door to this tower is wide open. Firefang doesn’t know the cause of the castle’s floating
magic. “Strange times we live in!” he says.
If the characters mention the crown, Firefang asks them
what they know about it and why they were sent to
retrieve it. The dragon thinks it’s hilarious that King
Harklard would send a group of strangers to retrieve his
precious crown. He wonders aloud if the king is planning
on just killing the characters when they land.
If the characters ask about Miriamele, the dragon says
that he hears voices in the northeast tower, and suspects
that a girl is trapped in there. He laughs and says, “If only
I were a smaller dragon, I could fit through the tower
window and eat her!” A DC15 Insight check reveals the
dragon is lying; in fact, Firefang is afraid of going near the
northeast tower. He thinks the voice is creepy.
With an air of charming magnanimity, Firefang invites the
party to bargain for their lives. He offers to let the party live if
they strip themselves of their belongings, place them on his
hoard, and become his scullions and washmaids. If Simon is
with the party, the boy quietly but sternly objects. Firefang is
delighted at the boy’s courage and offers to let Simon fly on
his back if the party surrenders.
Ambush
Firefang continues bargaining ridiculously. In truth, he plans
to kill and eat everyone. The dragon is just trying to get the
party to lower their guard. If anyone suspects foul play, have
them roll Insight, contested by Firefang’s Deception (+4 from
his magic crown).

10 IV. INTO THE SKY

If the banter goes on for more than a few minutes, make a
Stealth check for the jester kobold, who flies to the northeast All that’s left of the room’s furnishings are three servants’
ledge and arms itself. When Firefang is ready, he effortlessly beds. Much of the room is destroyed or under rubble. A seam
switches to Draconic in mid-speech and instructs the kobold has opened in the floor’s flagstones. The southeast section of
to attack with its crossbow. the room is simply gone. Beyond and below is the yawning
abyss of night.
Fighting Firefang
Firefang begins battle by using his breath attack on the One of the beds is covered in a sticky fluid. The scent evokes
nearest characters. If the dragon can get airborne without the faint rotting smell of a seashore.
provoking an opportunity attack, the open-air tower grants
him plenty of maneuverability. C11. Washing Room
If Firefang loses half his hit points, he flies up and over the
western wall and waits for his breath attack to recharge. At The door to this room is blocked with rubble. If the party tries
your discretion, a few more flying kobolds can harass the to clear the rubble, they must make a DC15 group Athletics
characters while Firefang catches his breath. check. On a failure, the rubble is cleared, but the characters
If close to death, Firefang perches on top of the tower’s must immediately make an altitude sickness check (see the
walls, gaining three-fourths cover, and tries to knock masonry “General Features: Thin Air” section).
onto the characters with his tail. A character targeted by this
attack must make a DC14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 Three large wash tubs stand in this dark and empty room. The
bludgeoning damage on a failure. eastern wall is partly toppled. Rubble lies everywhere. The
A character can provoke Firefang into closing to melee frigid air below the floor seems to suck the life out of your
range by “stealing” from his hoard. The dragon will also not
direct his breath weapon toward his hoard. bodies.
If the party has rescued Beaka, she makes an appearance,
dive-attacking Firefang with her javelin. If anyone has thought All the wash tubs are empty, save one—which is full of
to arm young Simon with a ranged weapon, the boy attacks; mucuslike slime.
otherwise, Simon stays away from the dragon and supports
wounded characters. C12. Northeast Tower
Firefang’s Hoard
A 8-foot wide seam in the floor bisects the hallway leading to
Firefang rests on a pile of 3,028 cp, 565 sp and 207 gp. this tower. Characters can automatically make a running long
Scattered among these coins are a small garnet (20 gp), a jump over the seam if they’re not suffering from Exhaustion.
pearl (30 gp), a gold bracelet (20 gp), a silver engraved ewer A character with one level of Exhaustion must make a
(30 gp), a silver candlestick (10 gp), a silk robe with gold DC10 Athletics check with disadvantage to leap across the
embroidery (250 gp), a heavy ornate scepter that can be seam. A character with two or more levels must make the
wielded as a mace (100 gp), a 20-foot-wide portrait of the same check, and automatically fails unless their Strength is
Harklardian royal family in a gilded frame (150 gp), and a 16 or higher. On a failure, the character plunges to their
wizard’s spellbook containing five 1st-level and three 2nd- death, unless they are tethered to another character or rigid
level spells of the DM’s choice. object with a rope or bedsheet.
The dragon wears the Harklardian crown (see the “Magic A character attuned to the boots of striding and springing
Items” section) on his forearm. A character can remove the automatically makes the leap unless they are suffering from
crown from the dead dragon with a DC15 Dexterity check— five levels of Exhaustion.
or simply hack it off. Tower of Babbling
V. Rise and Fall This ruined tower was once used to house the extended royal
Looting Firefang’s collection of royal treasures makes young family and other honored guests. As you enter, you can sense
Simon uncomfortable, since he works for the royal family. that something within this tower is the epicenter of upside-
The boy is also in a rush to get to the northeastern tower. down gravity. The "string" that is tugging the castle upward is
In any case, the party likely lacks the means to carry much attached here.
of the treasure at this point. If the characters spend a lot of You hear a very faint, high-pitched voice from upstairs. It
time rummaging through the hoard, have them make an sounds like the speaker is babbling.
altitude sickness check (see the “General Features: Thin Air”
section).
A 10-foot wide section of the spiraling staircase has fallen.
C10. Maidservants’ Quarters Exhausted characters will once again need to employ a clever
way to surmount this chasm.
The door to this room is unlocked. The room beyond the door The stairs lead to a dark stone hallway. The rooms on the
is dead quiet. second floor are bedrooms. The north bedroom is dark and
empty. The babbling comes from the southeast bedroom.

V. RISE AND FALL 11

 If Simon is with the party, he calls out Miriamele’s name Then the girl's eyes widen in terror as a viscous mass of
excitedly—but receives no answer except continued babbling. fleshlike slime erupts from her open mouth, expanding
across the stone floor and engulfing her body. In one turn, the
Miriamele girl is subsumed by a gibbering mouther, which attacks
The source of the babbling is Miriamele, a 15-year-old immediately.
washmaid (chaotic neutral human commoner with 14
Intelligence). She lays on her back between the two beds, flat Severing the Tether
on the floor, facing upward. Under her tattered servants’ The void tether still rises from the creature that has engulfed
dress, she is covered in a sheen of mucuslike slime. Miriamele, emerging from a babbling mouth at the crest of its
Miriamele babbles in a strange dialect of a strange amorphous form. Only a character wielding the voidforged
language: Deep Speech. She does not acknowledge the blade can sever the tether. It has AC15, 7 hit points, and emits
characters or answer their calls. a horrifying shriek when struck. If the tether is severed, the
Alien Magic. A DC10 Arcana check reveals that Miriamele gibbering mouther dies instantly.
is babbling something resembling a ritual spell, which must When the mouther dies, it melts into pink slime that
be the cause of the castle’s ascent. With a roll of 15 or higher, puddles around the unconscious form of Miriamele. If the
a character surmises the magic is similar to the levitate spell, party kills the mouther without severing the tether, the tether
but cast through psionic rather than arcane means—and that fades away on its own.
Miriamele is the conduit for the spell, not the caster.
Deadly Book. If Simon is with the party, he tells the Falling Down
characters that Miriamele had been acting strange since she If the party succeeds in severing the tether—either directly or
started reading a new book . Characters can see a thick tome by defeating the mouther—the castle becomes subject to
on the floor by the girl’s feet. The book is called Entities of gravity. At first, the characters won’t notice anything different
the Far Realm. If the party investigated Archideld’s library as the castle coasts along on its momentum. When the castle
(area C6), they know this is the missing book. reaches the apogee of its now-inevitable trajectory, characters
Void Tether. A DC15 Perception check reveals a barely- experience a thrilling sense of weightlessness.
visible cord, dark and writhing, extending from Miriamele’s Then the castle begins plunging to the ground. It takes 5
mouth. This translucent tether rises 5 feet in the air before rounds after the void tether is severed for the castle to reach
fading to invisibility. a terminal velocity of 1,000 feet per second. Characters have
A character attuned to the voidforged blade makes the 10 rounds altogether to escape before the castle crashes
Perception roll with advantage, as the sword emits a faint against the mountains.
resonance when brought near the tether. A character who Fall. Characters can use Archideld’s spell scroll of feather
perceives this tether correctly surmises that it’s the fall after leaping from the castle (or during free fall). If the
mechanism by which the castle is being pulled into space. characters fail to use the scroll—or if you decide the scroll
Many Mouths doesn’t work (see the “Defective Feather Fall” section below)
—Beaka and four other aarakocra appear in mid-air and
Simon, if he is with the party, is initially too terrified to summon an air elemental to cushion the party’s fall.
approach Miriamele. After allowing the characters time to Impact. When the castle crashes against the mountains at
investigate themselves, the boy warily tries to comfort the girl. terminal velocity, its kinetic energy is equivalent to roughly
If Simon or another character touches Miriamele or twenty tons of TNT. The impact releases a blast wave that
attempts to interrupt her chanting, a horrific series of events slams into the drifting party. The characters must make a
occur. An alien shriek—separate from the girl's babbling— DC13 Constitution saving throw or take 2d8 thunder
sounds through the room. damage, or half as much on a success.

12 V. RISE AND FALL

Aftermath

I
f the characters saved Beaka, the aarakocra tend to
any dying characters and help the party make camp. Defective Feather Fall
Surviving characters can search the obliterated Having the characters realize in mid-air that the
castle for any treasure they left behind, although the spell scroll doesn’t work is a fun complication.
search takes time. Depending on where you decide Depending on the direction you’d like the story to
the castle lands, monsters or other interested parties go from here, you can choose a reason why the
may soon make their way to the site of impact. scroll is defective.
Surviving the perils of this adventure should advance the Evil Wizard. Archideld never planned to leave the
party to 3rd level. If you'd like to expand this story into a characters alive. The archmage deliberately
longer campaign, here are some directions you can take. botched the feather fall spell scroll and hid his
intentions from the party during the initial meeting
War for the Crown with a mind blank spell.
Ditzy Wizard. The spell scroll of feather fall
Without a crown or a castle, King Harklard’s hold on power doesn’t work because the absent-minded
becomes tenuous. Rival lords gather their forces and archmage forgot to dot a magical i. The characters
maneuver to claim the throne—and the magic crown that the won’t know this, though, and may well assume
characters now possess. Characters with the Noble their employer intended for them to die.
background or royal ambitions may even be inclined to claim
the Harklardian crown and throne for themselves.
Three lawful evil knights and their squires (guards), all
mounted on warhorses, have trailed the castle on horseback
with instructions to kill the party on sight and retrieve the The Void Empress
crown. The knights may answer to Archideld, or they may be
vassals of a rival noble seeking to usurp power. If the knights A character who examines Miriamele’s book, Entities of the
fail, an assassin is close behind. Far Realm, can piece together what happened to the castle.
The book is a wizardly text about mind flayers, githyanki, and
other beings from worlds beyond. One page is sticky with
mucus. Examining this page reveals a much deadlier threat
than a mere war of royal succession.
Zeblog. The sticky page is dedicated to a powerful illithid
named Zeblog. Styling herself the “Empress of the Void,” she
was the first among her kind to experiment with arcane
magic, earning the wrath of her colony. The tome surmises
that Zeblog fled to the Astral Plane, where she either died or
became stranded.
Spiraling around the margins of this page is a single
sentence written repeatedly in delicate handwriting: Bring
me a fortress.
Contact. Any character with Intelligence 14 or higher who
utters the name Zeblog may draw the attention of the
selfsame Zeblog (see stat block on next page), an illithilich in
orbit around Toril. Zeblog uses detect thoughts, amplified by
her neural cradle (see "Appendix: Magic Items") to spy on the
surface. The illithilich is gathering castles to construct a base
in outer space. She enthralled Miriamele, using the girl as a
psychic conduit for a superpowered levitate spell on Castle
Harklard. With Miriamele unconscious, Zeblog is eager to
make contact with a new potential thrall nearby.
A character who draws Zeblog's attention hears slimy
whispers in Deep Speech, which fade unless the character
concentrates on them. Concentrating enables the character
to use contact other plane directed at Zeblog, as described in
the neural cradle entry on page 15.
Miriamele. Even if she receives magical healing,
Miriamele remains unconscious for 3d6 days. Simon
remains by her side, hopelessly devoted to her protection.
When she wakes up, Miriamele is suffering from the effects
of the feeblemind spell. If the characters can restore her
mind, the girl may be able to help them learn more about
Zeblog—or continue to do the illithilich's bidding in secret.
AFTERMATH 13
 Void Empress Zeblog 5th level (3 slots): scrying, telekinesis
Medium undead, neutral evil 6th level (1 slot): globe of invulnerability, mass
suggestion
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 135(18d8 + 54) 7th level (1 slot): reverse gravity, teleport
Speed 1ft. 8th level (1 slot): antipathy/sympathy, telepathy
9th level (1 slot): weird
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Turn Resistance. The illithilich has advantage on saving
11 (+0) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 20 (+5) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) throws against any effect that turns undead.

Saving Throws Con +10, Int +12, Wis +9 Actions

Skills Arcana +19, History +12, Insight +9, Perception Paralyzing Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +12 to hit, reach
+9 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) cold damage. The
Damage Resistances cold, lightning, necrotic target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving
Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can
slashing from nonmagical attacks repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns,
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, ending the effect on itself on a success.
paralyzed, poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19 Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
Languages Deep Speech, Undercommon, telepathy 120 one creature. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) psychic damage. If
ft. the target is Large or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC
Challenge 22 (41,000 XP) 15) and must succeed on a DC 20 Intelligence saving
throw or be stunned until this grapple ends.
Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). Zeblog's innate Extract Brain. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5
spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 20). It ft., one incapacitated humanoid grappled by the lich.
can innately cast the following spells, requiring no Hit: 55 (10d10) piercing damage. If this damage
components. reduces the target to 0 hit points, the lich kills the
target by extracting and devouring its brain.
At will: detect thoughts, levitate
Mind Blast (Recharge 5–6). The illithilich magically
1/day each: dominate monster, plane shift (self only) emits psychic energy in a 60-foot cone. Each creature
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Zeblog fails a saving in that area must succeed on a DC 18 Intelligence
throw, she can choose to succeed instead. saving throw or take 27 (5d8 + 5) psychic damage and
be stunned for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the
Magic Resistance. Zeblog has advantage on saving saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the
throws against spells and other magical effects. effect on itself on a success.
Rejuvenation. If she has a phylactery, Zeblog gains a
new body in 1d10 days, regaining all her hit points and Legendary Actions
becoming active again. The new body appears within 5 The illithilich can take 3 legendary actions, choosing
feet of the phylactery. from the options below. Only one legendary action can
Spellcasting. Zeblog is an 18th-level spellcaster. Her be used at a time and only at the end of another
spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 20, creature's turn. The illithilich regains spent legendary
+12 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following actions at the start of its turn. Tentacles. The illithilich
wizard spells prepared: makes one attack with its tentacles.
Cantrips (at will): mage hand, mending, ray of frost Extract Brain (Costs 2 Actions). The illithilich uses
1st level (4 slots): detect magic, magic missile, shield, Extract Brain.
thunderwave Mind Blast (Costs 3 Actions). The illithilich recharges
2nd level (3 slots): mirror image, Nystal's magic aura, its Mind Blast and uses it.
see invisibility, suggestion Cast Spell (Costs 1–3 Actions). The illithilich uses a
3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, counterspell, dispel spell slot to cast a 1st-, 2nd-, or 3rd-level spell that it
magic, lightning bolt has prepared. Doing so costs 1 legendary action per
level of the spell.
4th level (3 slots): dimension door, fabricate

Zeblog is a mind flayer who embraced arcane magic and, Over centuries, Zeblog gathered whatever space debris and
eventually, the path to lichdom. Hundreds of years ago, her magical energy she could, building an embryonic fortress and
spelljammer spaceship was destroyed, killing her and her a powerful magic item called the neural cradle. The cradle
crew of worshipful followers and brainwashed thralls. Days greatly enhances the range and power of Zeblog's psionic
later, her body reformed next to her phylactery—adrift in abilities. After drifting closer and closer to Toril, Zeblog's
empty space. fortress now orbits high above the planet—and the illithilich
is searching for new followers and materials.
AFTERMATH
14
Appendix: Magic Items
Any magic items not listed below can be found in the Neural Cradle
Dungeon Master's Guide. Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement)
This device is a 120-foot-wide concave dish made of silvery
Voidforged Blade alien metal with a cocoonlike module affixed to its center. It
Greatsword, very rare (requires attunement) only works while in geostationary orbit (roughly 22,000 miles
This magic greatsword’s inky blade has absorbed energies above the surface of the planet).
from space. When you hit with an attack using this sword, the Zeblog built the neural cradle to extend and focus her
target takes an extra 1d6 psychic damage. In addition, while psionic abilities. While attuned and physically ensconced in
you hold the sword, you have resistance to fire damage. the cocoon structure, it grants Zeblog following abilities.
Curse. The first time you hold the voidforged blade's Psionics range enhancement. Zeblog can use her innate
handle, you must make a DC15 Intelligence saving throw, detect thoughts, dominate monster, or levitate abilities
taking 1d6 psychic damage on a failure. Success or failure, over any vertical range. The radius is five times wider.
you can then instantly attune to the magic weapon. You also Change angle. Zeblog can adjust the cradle's angle to find
gain a randomly determined form of indefinite madness (see or track a target with Intelligence 14 or higher whose
"Madness" in chapter 2 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). thoughts she has detected. Doing so requires a DC15
Intelligence check. On a failure, Zeblog can't use this
Harklardian Crown feature again for 24 hours.
Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement) Contact. Zeblog can enable a creature on the surface to
Your Charisma score is 19 while you wear this pitted open a line of psychic communication to her. She must
bronze crown. It has no effect on you if your Charisma is first probe the creature with detect thoughts. The creature
already 19 or higher without it. can then contact Zeblog as described in the contact other
Curse. If you attune to the crown, you must wear it plane spell (although Zeblog is on the Material Plane).
constantly or become afflicted with a debilitating lack of
confidence. Without the crown on your head, you make any A character with innate psionics who commandeers the
Charisma-based ability checks with disadvantage. neural cradle can potentially attune to it, but will need to
modify the cradle's controls, which only work with tentacles.

APPENDIX 15