The Tomb of the Tyrant King

The **Tomb of the Tyrant King** is a long-buried place of ancient evil and power in Blackleaf Vale. It served for many eons as a base for agents to safeguard the binding place of Orcus, the Demon Lord of the Undead. The temple and complex has fallen into some ruin since the agents felt themselves being corrupted by the evil presence within.

## History

### The Battle and the Binding

In the final moments of the last battle, Orcus readied a blow to kill Bahamut, the platinum dragon. At that moment, Arkhein, one of Bahamut's disciples cast a spell from the recently-captured Book of Vile Darkness to bind both deities in stasis and distill their powers into separate phylacteries—one, a gem of indescribable brilliance and cosmic depth, the other seeming to drain the light and color from the area around it. The demon's forces abruptly fled, and the two gems were given to separate disciples, who left to live in secrecy.

The disciples who remained built a large temple to Bahamut on the site, and secured the place of binding behind another set of binding spells anchored by three keystones. For some time, it was a place of learning and history. Then the evil buried beneath began to seep out and corrupt those who stayed, since the site was bound by evil magic originally.

### The End of the Order

The leader of the order tried to prevent the spread by making a secret deal with Lolth, a former enemy—the order would end, and the temple would be sealed away from the rest of the world forever. The only way to find it again would be using a magical compass that Lolth entrusted to her most devoted nuns (this is how magic works, you can't have absolute contracts, everyone knows this). In return, the leader of the order led a mass suicide after ensuring the gems were securely hidden across the planes.

One disciple, though, had already turned evil. They used their knowledge to draw power from the others' sacrifices and resurrected themselves after the order's destruction. Lolth had made a deal in secret with this disciple, and left a small passage through the Underdark as an exit from the temple complex. But bound by her word, it was sealed away behind the same lock. Lured by the promise of further power, the evil disciple sought the dark gem, and used it to further their own glory and ends. This disciple was Alsom.

Without the disciples, the history passed into myth and what was written down was misremembered, producing the Tome of the Arkhein. Then the myth passed into legend, and the truth was mostly lost to history. Since then, a colony of mind flayers has established itself in the Underdark passages once used to escape, and the bodies in the catacombs have risen again.

The grand features of the temple began to loom, the gardens withered, statues collapsed, and art twisted as the area was corrupted by the evil within. Similarly, the dark gem further corrupted Alsom and instilled in him one purpose: resurrecting Orcus and killing Bahamut.

## Entrance to the Temple / Temple Grounds

* Compass leads to a small clearing in the woods, south of the main road by several hours' journey
* In the middle of the clearing is a free-standing solid black metal gate
	+ Nothing on either side of the gate
	+ Double doors meet with a padlock in the shape of a skull
		- Cannot be picked without the compass
		- Activating the compass near the padlock will cause the spider to crawl into the lock and pick it after a minute
* When the gate opens, looking through it either way shows a path leading through the forest further
	+ Ahead on the path are dead trees and blighted ground, and an imposing, cold temple
		- Statue of a winged human holding a sword at the front
	+ Image through the gate does not line up with the world around it
		- walking past the gate line has the feeling of missing a step on stairs
	+ Blighted ground appears to be centered around the temple—very clear divide between the blight and the rest of the forest
	+ Looking back through the gate shows the forest beyond seamlessly
* Temple grounds are silent
	+ No birds or animals or wind
	+ Door to temple is a large wrought iron work of spikes and thorns, about 20 feet tall
		- Nestled behind the statue
	+ Temple is smooth black stone that fades to red at the bottom
		- About 40 feet tall
	+ Thick columns line the wall with flutes running their lengths

## Temple Interior

* Atmosphere
	+ Again, silent. Every step clacks and words echo off the high walls and ceiling
	+ Six gothic pillars flank a blood red carpet
	+ No dust or dirt on the carpets
* Mass suicide of keepers here, lined up in rows in front of the altar
	+ All wearing identical robes except the one at the front
	+ Each holds an empty vial
	+ Front one is holding a note written in ancient script
		- Eli can translate a few words: "evil beneath" "seeping out" "cannot contain" "corruption" "all thirteen" "only way"
	+ One body is notably missing from the ranks
	+ Bodies have decomposed entirely to skeletons
* There is a staircase in the northwest that leads down to the Keeper's quarters, Hall of Warning, and Catacombs
* Six sarcophagi sit between the pillars
	+ Inscriptions on them have all been scratched out to the point of illegibility
	+ They are all empty

## Hall of Warning

* Long, wide passage with six stone carved images
	+ Left: (beginning)
		- Dragon and winged demon mid-fight, surrounded by some kind of chain, with triangles pointing to two gems on either side
		- Temple under construction by group of people. Two are leaving, each with a gem, to opposite directions
		- Three stones with glyphs are flanked by people. Each stone is connected to a central circle with a skull on it.
	+ Right: (created just before the suicide)
		- A central circle with skull is surrounded by radiating lines, and miniature skulls along those lines
		- A large stone door—similar to the one at the end of the hallway—is receiving a spell from a person
		- A half-finished mural of a person with a vial in their hand. It looks as if more was to be added, but it's impossible to figure out what it would have meant
	+ Six statues line the hall by the door
		- Miniature versions of the one at the temple front
		- Robes and garments match the skeletons in the main temple
		- One has been destroyed by the blast creating a hole in the wall
* Large stone door at the end is sealed with powerful ancient magic
	+ Cannot be unlocked, dispelled, or broken through from this side
	+ Large skull carved into the door, split between both sides
	+ If PCs attempt to open it, two Eidolons fly out (immediately inhabit the Sacred Statues nearby)
* Built passage to the north leads to the Keeper's Quarters
* Built passage to the south leads to the Catacombs
* Impromptu passage to the north by the door leads to a small rough-hewn passageway
	+ Signs of force used to create the opening
	+ Statue nearby is shattered
	+ Rubble on the floor around it

## Keeper's Quarters

* mundane quarters with beds, training room, and kitchen/dining area
* equipment and furniture looks intentionally busted
* no personal effects or individual setups in this area

## Catacombs & Passages

* undead roam these halls
	+ Catacombs contain Boneclaws (tactics: sneak attacks and drag victims away)
* Tight spaces and twisting passages
	+ PCs need to make survival check in order to skip the catacombs "battle level" and go straight to sealing chamber
* The writing on the tombs is all in the ancient script, but nothing beyond typical tomb information is listed
* Further catacombs have tougher undead and a small sanctuary shrine in the middle

## Caverns & Underdark

* There is a path through the caverns into the Underdark beyond
* PCs can enter the caverns through the hole in the wall by the door
	+ Survival check to make it to the Sealing Chamber or the mind flayer colony
		- Mind Flayers
		- Minions: Kobolds
		- Elder Brain

## Keystones

### Keystone 1

* combat test (solved), keystone missing
* Large construct sits with a conspicuously empty slot for a gem in its chest
* Burn marks and battle signs mar the ground

### Keystone 2

* Test of agility
	+ A large stone pendulum hangs in the center of this room.
		- Beyond it, two wheels of blades are paused in what would be the landing zone
		- Just enough space in the middle for a dextrous person to land
		- In front of it, a hole with spikes at the bottom looks like it was once covered
	+ A raised plinth sits beyond the wheels
		- On further inspection there is an empty slot, about the size of a fist

### Keystone 3

* A maze with various traps in it
* Alsom & Vhondyl are currently solving (door is locked behind them until PCs hit a roadblock)
	+ They entered through the caverns when the barrier was unlocked
	+ Vhondyl simply blasts through the walls in order to reach the plinth

## Sealing Chamber

The hallway from the catacombs opens into a large chamber. In front of you, behind a fence, is a glowing blue stone set into a runic circle. There is a light breeze rushing towards the stone from all directions. The entrance to the chamber is flanked by two statues of acolytes, and the large stone door beyond the sealing stone is flanked by two statues of skulls. Around the room, there are three simple wooden doors: two to east and one to the west.

* stone and door give off heavy Abjuration energy. door also gives off heavy necrotic energy
* door to the northeast and door to the west are unlocked, door to the southeast is locked
	+ Alsom and Vhondyl are in this chamber

### Alsom Encountered

After the PCs have explored to their content, or when they stumble on the explanation that someone is already here, Alsom and Vhondyl enter the room through the locked keystone door. They carry all three keystones and are not surprised to see the PCs. Alsom will happily chat with the PCs as he unseals the door to the Place of Binding. If the PCs want to fight, they are happy to fight and will race to unleash Orcus. Alsom fights as a Lich and Vhondyl fights as a Death Knight.

Alsom will gladly explain the background of the temple, etc, to the PCs as he dissolves the seal on the door. He wants to destroy the gods and take their place. Once the seal is dissolved, he will send Vhondyl/Phyrra to attack the PCs. He has Phyrra under control as the spell Dominate Monster. IMPORTANT: Each time she takes damage, she does a WIS save against the spell. An insightful or perceptive PC may catch sight of a silver star necklace beneath the armor.

If she is defeated or ends the spell, she yields and reveals herself. She is confused and wounded after the fight and yields the armor if asked. She tells the PCs that Alsom is reconfiguring enchanted pillars to resonate the spell he channels, but they can be overpowered or undone if they're fast enough. "You probably have only about a minute left before the gods are unleashed. I'll stay here and fend off his reinforcements—they've been following you but I can hold them."

## The Place of Binding

Beyond the doors, a rough cavern opens up. Immediately, you see two hulking figures in the center—statues, you would think, but for the foul and terrible chains that encircle them. A dragon, platinum blue scales reflecting a brilliance not found in the cavern, is prone on its back in a last, desperate strike. Hovering above it on tattered wings is a bloated abomination with goat's hooves, horns, and fangs the length of an arm. It is mid-swing with an iron beam adorned with a dragon's skull. Whatever was happening, it was stopped almost at the end. Blood red glyphs stain the floor beneath the gods. Rubble, skeletons, and detritus are strewn about.

In front of the divine tableau, a small plinth holds ancient scrolls. Alsom stands, chanting unfamiliar incantations that channel through the pillars and pummel into the deities' bindings. The chains strain to hold their place under the barrage.

* Resonating pillars are active in the space
	+ mechanics
		- Each pillar has an AC of 18 and 150 hit points. Inflicting enough damage to a pillar destroys it. Each attack unleashes 1d10 damage of arcane energy to everyone within 10 feet
		- Each pillar can also be destroyed with two skill checks. The DC is 18. These can be Strength (Athletics), Intelligence (Arcana), or Intelligence (Religion).
		- Each check requires an action. A PC can do so recklessly as a bonus action instead but the DC increases by two and the PC takes 2d10 necrotic damage on a failure.
	+ Each pillar can also be deactivated by a 4x5 mastermind puzzle
		- pillar 1: Blue, Blue, Yellow, Red (red, green, yellow, blue, purple)
		- pillar 2: Circle, Triangle, Square, Triangle (X, circle, square, triangle, dash)
		- pillar 3: A, D, F, A (ABCDF)
		- feedback:
			* Open circle: correct option, wrong place.
			* Filled circle: correct option & place
		- PCs have one minute in game time to solve (10 rounds) before the gods are unleashed
	+ Alsom draws 1d10 of necrotic damage from everyone within 10ft at the start of his turn
* armor mechanics when worn
	+ Aegis - +2 AC, one hand. As a reaction, you can leap to an ally within 10 feet of you who is about to take damage. You take half of the damage they would have received, and block the other half.
	+ Helm - +1 AC. You have advantage on Perception, Nature, and Investigation skill checks while wearing this helm.
	+ Boots - +1 AC. You can use your bonus action to hide while wearing these boots.
	+ Gauntlet - +1 bonus to all ranged spell attacks you make while wearing this gauntlet. In addition, you may cast Scorching Ray three times per day while wearing this gauntlet.
	+ Spyglass - Allows the use of Scry, Divination, or Commune once per day.
	+ Torc - +1 AC. Advantage on insight checks while wearing this necklace
	+ Torchfire Sword - +4 sword that does 1d8/1d10 slash damage (one handed/two handed) and 4d8 radiant or necrotic damage, depending on the wielder's alignment
* Skeletons will reanimate around the chamber and begin fighting each other/PCs
* If PCs do not stop the pillars in time, the gods are unbound
	+ Brilliant light and oppressive darkness blare out of the struggle in the middle of the chamber as the chains around the gods shatter
		- The Wand of Orcus smashes into the ground next to Bahamut, who has rolled out of the way. The sound is of ten thousand hammers driving a nail into a coffin in unison.
		- The dragon roars and lashes back with its tail, catching Orcus's face. A slash across Orcus's cheek oozes boiling acid. Bahamut roars, its breath dissolving the very air
		- Both leap and crash into each other, sending a shockwave up that blasts the top off the cavern.
			* Daylight floods in but is quickly replaced by roiling clouds and storm
			* The cavern, rather than collapsing, expands as the ground above falls
		- Phyrra, limping, approaches and calls "we need to get out of-"
		- A blinding flash erupts from the fight, and the PCs feel briefly lifted off their feet before darkness takes hold
* If the PCs stop the pillars in time, the energy flows out of them randomly. Alsom stops chanting.
	+ Pillars that were reprogrammed now arc energy randomly
		- When you begin a turn in range (10ft), roll a DC 15 DEX save. 2d10 radiant damage on fail or half on successful save.
	+ Alsom rages against the PC and attempts to kill them
		- "We could have been heroes! We could have taken their place!"
	+ Chains binding the deities gradually return to full strength