TEXT:    
   
  An unexpected envoy arrives in Sporedome and offers to give aid against the fire giants of 
  Maerimydra, if you are willing to help his people with a small problem. 
  Adventure Code: DDEX3-13 
   
   
   
  CREDITS                                                                                                          
  Adventure Design: Alan Patrick 
  Development and Editing: Travis Woodall, Claire Hoffman 
  Organized Play: Chris Tulach 
  D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Adam Lee, Chris Lindsay, Matt Sernett, Chris Tulach 
  D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Robert Adducci, Bill Benham, Travis Woodall, Claire Hoffman, 
  Greg Marks, Alan Patrick 
   
   
   
   
   
   
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  Writhing in the Dark 
   
  EVERYTHING HAS ITS WONDERS, even darkness and si-
  lence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein 
  to be content. 
  --Helen Keller 
  Introduction 
  Welcome to Writhing in the Dark, a D&D Expeditions™ 
  adventure, part of the official D&D Adventurers League™ 
  organized play system and the Rage of Demons™ storyline 
  season. 
   This adventure is designed for 5th through 10th-level 
  characters, and is optimized for five 8th-level characters. 
  Characters outside this level range cannot participate in this 
  adventure. 
   The adventure takes place entirely in the Underdark. 
  The D&D Adventurers 
  League 
  This adventure is official for D&D Adventurers League play. 
  The D&D Adventurers League is the official organized play 
  system for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®. Players can create 
  characters and participate in any adventure allowed as a part 
  of the D&D Adventurers League. As they adventure, players 
  track their characters’ experience, treasure, and other rewards, 
  and can take those characters through other adventures that 
  will continue their story. 
   D&D Adventurers League play is broken up into storyline 
  seasons. When players create characters, they attach those 
  characters to a storyline season, which determines what rules 
  they’re allowed to use to create and advance their characters. 
  Players can continue to play their characters after the storyline 
  season has finished, possibly participating in a second or third 
  storyline with those same characters. A character’s level is the 
  only limitation for adventure play. A player cannot use a 
  character of a level higher or lower than the level range of a 
  D&D Adventurers League adventure. 
   If you’re running this adventure as a part of a store event or 
  at certain conventions, you’ll need a DCI number. This 
  number is your official Wizards of the Coast organized play 
  identifier. If you don’t have a number, you can obtain one at a 
  store event. Check with your organizer for details. 
   For more information on playing, running games as a 
  Dungeon Master, and organizing games for the D&D 
  Adventurers League, please visit the D&D Adventurers 
  League home. 
  Preparing the Adventure 
  Before you show up to Dungeon Master this adventure for a 
  group of players, you should do the following to prepare. 
   
  Make sure to have a copy of the most current version of 
  the D&D basic rules or the Player’s Handbook TM. 
   
  Read through the adventure, taking notes of anything 
  you’d like to highlight or remind yourself while running 
  the adventure, such as a way you’d like to portray an 
  NPC or a tactic you’d like to use in a combat. 
   
  Get familiar with the monster statistics in the Appendix. 
   
  Gather together any resources you’d like to use to aid 
  you in Dungeon Mastering, such as notecards, a DM 
  screen, miniatures, battlemaps, etc. 
   
  If you know the composition of the group beforehand, 
  you can make adjustments as noted throughout the ad-
  venture. 
  Before Play at the Table 
  Ask the players to provide you with relevant character 
  information. This includes: 
   
  Character name and level 
   
  Character race and class 
   
  Passive Wisdom (Perception)—the most common pas-
  sive ability check 
   
  Anything notable as specified by the adventure (such as 
  backgrounds, traits, flaws, and so on) 
  Players that have characters outside the adventure’s level 
  range cannot participate in the adventure with those 
  characters. Players can play an adventure they previously 
  played or ran as a Dungeon Master, but not with the same 
  character (if applicable). 
   Ensure that each player has an official adventure logsheet 
  for his or her character (if not, get one from the organizer). 
  The player will fill out the adventure name, session number, 
  date, and your name and DCI number. In addition, the player 
  also fills in the starting values for XP, gold, downtime, 
  renown, and number of permanent magic items. He or she 
  will fill in the other values and write notes at the conclusion 
  of the session. Each player is responsible for maintaining an 
  accurate logsheet. 
   If you have time, you can do a quick scan of a player’s 
  character sheet to ensure that nothing looks out of order. If 
  you see magic items of very high rarities or strange arrays of 
  ability scores, you can ask players to provide documentation 
  for the irregularities. If they cannot, feel free to restrict item 
  use or ask them to use a standard ability score array. Point 
  players to the D&D Adventurers League Player’s Guide for 
  reference. 
   If players wish to spend downtime days and it’s the 
  beginning of an adventure or episode, they can declare their 
  activity and spend the days now, or they can do so at the end 
  of the adventure or episode. 
   Players should select their characters’ spells and other daily 
  options prior to the start of the adventure, unless the 
  adventure specifies otherwise. Feel free to reread the 
  adventure description to help give players hints about what 
  they might face. 
  
  Adjusting the Adventure 
  Throughout this adventure, you may see sidebars to help you 
  make adjustments to this adventure for smaller/larger groups 
  and characters, of higher/lower levels that the optimized 
  group size. Most of the time, this is used for combat 
  encounters. 
   You may adjust the adventure beyond the guidelines given 
  in the adventure, or for other reasons. For example, if you’re 
  playing with a group of inexperienced players, you might 
  want to make the adventure a little easier; for very 
  experienced players, you might want to make it a little harder. 
  Therefore, five categories of party strength have been created 
  for you to use as a guide. Use these as a guide, and feel free to 
  use a different adjustment during the adventure if the 
  recommended party strength feels off for the group. 
   This adventure is optimized for a party of five 8th level 
  characters. To figure out whether you need to adjust the 
  adventure, do the following: 
   
  Add up the total levels of all the characters 
   
  Divide the total by the number of characters 
   
  Round fractions of .5 or greater up; round fractions of 
  less than .5 down 
  You’ve now determined the average party level (APL) for 
  the adventure. To figure out the party strength for the 
  adventure, consult the following table. 
  Determining Party Strength 
  Party Composition Party   
  Strength 
  3-4 characters, APL less than  
  Very weak 
  3-4 characters, APL equivalent  
  Weak 
  3-4 characters, APL greater than  
  Average 
  5 characters, APL less than   
  Weak 
  5 characters, APL equivalent  
  Average 
  5 characters, APL greater than  
  Strong 
  6-7 characters, APL less than  
  Average 
  6-7 characters, APL equivalent  
  Strong 
  6-7 characters, APL greater than  
  Very strong 
  Average party strength indicates no recommended 
  adjustments to the adventure. Each sidebar may or may not 
  offer suggestions for certain party strengths. If a particular 
  recommendation is not offered for your group, you don’t have 
  to make adjustments. 
  Dungeon Mastering the Ad-
  venture 
  As the DM of the session, you have the most important role in 
  facilitating the enjoyment of the game for the players. You 
  help guide the narrative and bring the words on these pages to 
  life. The outcome of a fun game session often creates stories 
  that live well beyond the play at the table. Always follow this 
  golden rule when you DM for a group: 
  Make decisions and adjudications that enhance the fun of 
  the adventure when possible. 
  To reinforce this golden rule, keep in mind the following: 
   
  You are empowered to make adjustments to the adven-
  ture and make decisions about how the group interacts 
  with the world of this adventure. This is especially im-
  portant and applicable outside of combat, but feel free to 
  adjust the adventure for groups that are having too easy 
  or too hard of a time. 
   
  Don’t make the adventure too easy or too difficult for a 
  group. Never being challenged makes for a boring game, 
  and being overwhelmed makes for a frustrating game. 
  Gauge the experience of the players (not the characters) 
  with the game, try to feel out (or ask) what they like in a 
  game, and attempt to give each of them the experience 
  they’re after when they play D&D. Give everyone a 
  chance to shine. 
   
  Be mindful of pacing, and keep the game session moving 
  along appropriately. Watch for stalling, since play loses 
  momentum when this happens. At the same time, make 
  sure that the players don’t finish too early; provide them 
  with a full play experience. Try to be aware of running 
  long or short. Adjust the pacing accordingly. 
   
  Read-aloud text is just a suggestion; feel free to modify 
  the text as you see fit, especially when dialogue is pre-
  sent. 
   
  Give the players appropriate hints so they can make in-
  formed choices about how to proceed. Players should be 
  given clues and hints when appropriate so they can 
  tackle puzzles, combat, and interactions without getting 
  frustrated over lack of information. This helps to encour-
  age immersion in the adventure and gives players “little 
  victories” for figuring out good choices from clues. 
  In short, being the DM isn’t about following the adventure’s 
  text word-for-word; it’s about facilitating a fun, challenging 
  game environment for the players. The Dungeon Master’s 
  Guide TM has more information on the art of running a D&D 
  game. 
  Downtime and Lifestyle 
  At the beginning of each play session, players must declare 
  whether or not they are spending any days of downtime. The 
  player records the downtime spent on the adventure logsheet. 
  The following options are available to players during 
  downtime (see the D&D basic rules or the D&D Adventurers 
  League Player’s Guide for more information): 
   
  Catching up 
   
  Crafting (exception: multiple characters cannot commit 
  to crafting a single item) 
   
  Practicing a profession 
   
  Recuperating 
   
  Spellcasting services (end of the adventure only) 
   
  Training 
  Other downtime options might be available during adventures 
  
  or unlocked through play, including faction-specific activities. 
   In addition, whenever a character spends downtime days, 
  that character also spends the requisite expense for his or her 
  lifestyle. Costs are per day, so a character that spends ten days 
  of downtime also spends ten days of expenses maintaining his 
  or her lifestyle. Some downtime activities help with lifestyle 
  expenses or add lifestyle expenses. 
  Spellcasting Services 
  Any settlement the size of a town or larger can provide some 
  spellcasting services. Characters need to be able to travel to 
  the settlement to obtain these services. Alternatively, if the 
  party finishes an adventure, they can be assumed to return to 
  the settlement closest to the adventure location. 
  Spell services generally available include healing and 
  recovery spells, as well as information-gathering spells. Other 
  spell services might be available as specified in the adventure. 
  The number of spells available to be cast as a service is 
  limited to a maximum of three per day total, unless 
  otherwise noted. 
  Spellcasting Services 
  Spell  
   
   
   
  Cost 
  Cure wounds (1st level)  
   
  10 gp 
  Identify   
   
   
  20 gp 
  Lesser restoration   
   
  40 gp 
  Prayer of healing (2nd level)  
  40 gp 
  Remove curse  
   
   
  90 gp 
  Speak with dead   
   
  90 gp 
  Divination  
   
   
  210 gp 
  Greater restoration  
   
  450 gp 
  Raise dead  
   
   
  1,250 gp 
  Acolyte Background 
  A character possessing the acolyte background requesting 
  spellcasting services at a temple of his or her faith may 
  request one spell per day from the Spellcasting Services 
  table for free. The only cost paid for the spell is the base 
  price for the consumed material component, if any. 
   
  Faiths that can call upon spellcasting services in and 
  around Hillsfar include the following: Chauntea, Lliira, 
  Mielikki, and Tempus. 
  Character Disease, Death, and 
  Recovery 
  Sometimes bad things happen, and characters get poisoned, 
  diseased, or die. Since you might not have the same characters 
  return from session to session, here are the rules when bad 
  things happen to characters. 
  Disease, Poison, and Other Debilitating Ef-
  fects 
  A character still affected by diseases, poisons, and other 
  similar effects at the conclusion of an adventure can spend 
  downtime days recuperating until such time as he or she 
  resolves the effect to its conclusion (see the recuperating 
  activity in the D&D basic rules). 
   If a character doesn’t resolve the effect between sessions, 
  that character begins the next session still affected by the 
  debilitating effect. 
  Death 
  A character who dies during the course of the adventure has a 
  few options at the end of the session (or whenever arriving 
  back in civilization) if no one in the adventuring party has 
  immediate access to a raise dead or revivify spell, or similar 
  magic. A character subject to a raise dead spell is affected 
  negatively until all long rests have been completed during an 
  adventure. Alternatively, each downtime day spent after raise 
  dead reduces the penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, and 
  ability checks by 1, in addition to any other benefits the 
  downtime activity might provide. 
   Create a New 1st-Level Character. If the dead character is 
  unwilling or unable to exercise any of the other options, the 
  player creates a new character. The new character does not 
  have any items or rewards possessed by the dead character. 
   Dead Character Pays for Raise Dead. If the character’s 
  body is recoverable (it’s not missing any vital organs and is 
  mostly whole) and the player would like the character to be 
  returned to life, the party can take the body back to 
  civilization and use the dead character’s funds to pay for a 
  raise dead spell. A raise dead spell cast in this manner costs 
  the character 1,250 gp. 
   Character’s Party Pays for Raise Dead. As above, except 
  that some or all of the 1,250 gp for the raise dead spell is paid 
  for by the party at the end of the session. Other characters are 
  under no obligation to spend their funds to bring back a dead 
  party member. 
   Faction Charity. If the character is of level 1 to 4 and a 
  member of a faction, the dead character’s body can be 
  returned to civilization and a patron from the faction ensures 
  that he or she receives a raise dead spell. However, any 
  character invoking this charity forfeits all XP and rewards 
  from that session (even those earned prior to death during that 
  session), and cannot replay that episode or adventure with that 
  character again. Once a character reaches 5th level, this 
  option is not available. 
  Background 
  The adventurers have been sent to Sporedome in order to 
  meet with an emissary that is offering valuable information 
  about the abyssal fire giants in the deepest reaches of the 
  Underdark. While the various factions often work privately 
  and towards very different goals, the faction leaders have 
  openly admitted that the emissary is asking for a 
  representative of the Order of the Gauntlet. 
   Whether or not the Order of the Gauntlet is represented at 
  the meeting in Sporedome, the emissary reveals itself to be a 
  mind flayer - and it asks the characters to hunt down a "rogue 
  thought": in truth, another mind flayer that has walked away 
  
  from the Elder Brain and is instead a warlock beholden to the 
  demon lord Graz'zt. Glorghakt, the emissary, requests that the 
  characters eradicate this rogue from existence with extreme 
  prejudice, as it upsets the delicate balance of their kind. 
   Along the way the characters come across a group of 
  githyanki apparently torturing a male drow - who may look 
  familiar to characters that have already played other Rage of 
  Demons adventures. His head and upper torso are deformed 
  by a fungal growth, and madness has consumed him. 
   Lastly, the characters need to figure out how to enter the 
  mind flayer's inner sanctum and defeat it. It has a very close 
  connection to Graz'zt, and not everything is as it seems! 
  Overview 
  The adventure is designed to run in a 2-hour slot, so time is of 
  the essence!   
  Adventure Hooks 
   The characters begin their adventure having been sent to 
  Sporedome by their faction heads. Consult their backgrounds 
  to build an appropriate hook, or simply inform them that 
  they've been "voluntold" to head here. 
   Alternately, any character with at least one level in the 
  warlock class, previous interactions with the demon lord 
  Graz'zt, or that currently has at least one level of madness 
  could be drawn to Sporedome and Glorghakt. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Part 1. Your Civic Duty 
   
  WHERE ARE OUR MEN OF ABILITIES? Why do they not 
  come forth to save their Country? 
  —George Washington 
  Expected Duration: 15 minutes 
  The characters should have a few moments to meet their 
  contact and receive their mission(s) as appropriate. This is an 
  opportunity to impress upon the characters that time is of the 
  essence, and that terrible and strange things are occurring in 
  the Underdark. Any Order of the Gauntlet faction members 
  should be addressed directly by the envoy before any other 
  character. 
   NOTE: Review of the mind flayer entry in the Monster 
  Manual is strongly recommended. 
  Volunteer?  Volun-told. 
  The characters have been instructed by their respective faction 
  contacts to report to Sporedome, a myconid settlement in the 
  Upperdark (the portion of the Underdark closest to the 
  surface). In the rare occasion that one of the characters does 
  not belong to one of the factions, it is up to the character to 
  determine why he or she may be in Sporedome at the 
  beginning of the adventure. 
  General Features 
  The general features of this area of the city are as follows: 
   Terrain. The terrain in and around Sporedome is spongy - 
  in fact, the entire place is comprised of mushrooms and other 
  fungi. Many buildings are actually built inside of large clots 
  of vegetation, with little actual damage to the plants. 
   Light and Visibility. Due to the permanent humidity there is 
  always a haze in the air and an ankle-deep fog. Thanks to 
  luminescent fungus clinging to most of the available surfaces, 
  the area is shrouded in dim light. 
   Climate. Sporedome is excessively humid. The myconids 
  thrive in this environment and the sweltering temperatures are 
  needed for their ongoing wellbeing. 
  Your respective missions have brought you here, to a 
  mostly stable hollowed-out dead mushroom roughly the 
  size of a small house. Seeing no people or other creatures 
  outside, the windowed doors seem inviting enough. 
   
  The interior of the dwelling is a single large chamber 
  containing several pieces of very basic furniture. A few 
  stools, a low table, and a desk are arranged around the place. 
  A cowled humanoid figure telepathically greets the 
  characters, introduces itself as "Glor", and bids the characters 
  to take a seat as they enter. 
  Roleplaying Glorghakt 
  Glor only uses its full name, "Glorghakt", with its closest 
  allies and confidants. A mind flayer of inestimable age, Glor 
  is driven by a troubling knowledge of both the world outside 
  of the Underdark and hints of knowledge of what will 
  happen in the future. Whether its cryptic and off-putting 
  hints are indeed a foretelling or simply happen to be well-
  made guesses remains to be seen. Glor's skin is a mottled 
  mauve and taupe and its tentacles always appear to be just 
  on the edge of dripping some awful fluid. It only 
  communicates telepathically, but is capable of using 
  Undercommon, Common, and Netherese. 
   
  Glorghakt does not remove its hood voluntarily, but every so 
  often the tips of its tentacles wriggle into view. Exceedingly 
  curious characters may be able to persuade it to show its face 
  if they offer appropriate gifts, but further interaction with Glor 
  outside of the following points is not the focus of this 
  adventure: 
   
  Glor's full name is Glorghakt. It has been sent as an en-
  voy from Ryxyg, a nearby illithid encampment several 
  miles below Sporedome that is involved in peaceful trade 
  with the myconids. 
   
  If pressed, Glor shares that the mind flayers of Ryxyg are 
  not interested in the slaving habits of most other mind 
  flayers. This is not entirely true; they happily enslave any 
  humanoids foolish enough to attack their outpost (though 
  this does not happen often). 
   
  The mind flayers feel that the demon-tainted giants of 
  Maerimydra have been uncharacteristically productive, 
  and have been studying them for some time. During their 
  investigations they discovered a few things: first, that the 
  giants have created a number of significantly devastating 
  arcane siege engines and plan to use them against the 
  surface world, starting with Elventree and Hillsfar; and 
  second, the mind flayers know how to disable those war 
  engines from a distance, using clandestine methods that 
  would leave the perpetrator hidden in secret.  
   
  Glor is prepared to share this information with the Order 
  of the Gauntlet, as they have recently become aware of 
  the Order's concentrated efforts to eradicate the demonic 
  influences in the Underdark by force. If there are no 
  members of the Order present, Glor is pleased to offer 
  this prize to any of the other factions instead. 
   
  In exchange for these secrets, the characters are asked to 
  track down what Glor refers to as "a rogue thought" (in 
  truth, a mind flayer that has pulled away from the Elder 
  Brain and is no longer part of the collective). The mind 
  flayers would like to have this rogue element eliminated-
  -all possessions, holdings, and physical remains should 
  be thoroughly destroyed. 
   
  If asked about the extent that the rogue thought should be 
  destroyed, Glor simply responds that its thoughts "are 
  not conducive to the sept's survival; order must be main-
  tained". 
   
  Glor explains that the mind flayers and their thralls have 
  thus far been unsuccessful in their attempts to destroy the 
  threat, as it has laired inside an area of the Underdark 
  
  heavily permeated by faerzress. The magical energy 
  causes their abilities to falter or even fail entirely. 
   
  It offers a small reward for the return of the rogue's sev-
  ered tentacles. It explains that this is a prize that will go 
  far towards building shared trust between the mind flay-
  ers, myconids, and Order of the Gauntlet. It does not 
  elaborate what the reward is beyond "it will serve your 
  wishes". 
  Glor explains that the location of the lair does not involve a 
  particularly perilous journey, but the true concerns lie in the 
  lair itself. It explains the effects of faerzress and that the 
  rogue thought almost certainly have powers not typical of its 
  kind. 
   At no point does Glorghakt offer or extend thanks to the 
  characters. Instead, it seems to refer to the current situation as 
  a transactional truth; something that simply should be, 
  because other events must logically occur after it. 
  Development 
  Glorghakt is direct and very matter-of-fact. It does not seek to 
  hide information from the characters but it does not offer this 
  wisdom buffet-style; the characters should prove themselves 
  worthy of attaining Glor's goal of the rogue being utterly 
  destroyed. Otherwise, it assumes that the characters are run-
  of-the-mill adventurers that may or may succeed, and it isn't 
  invested in the characters or their success. 
   Should sufficient trust be established, Glorghakt explains 
  that it seeks to build a relationship with the Order of the 
  Gauntlet due to shared long-term plans for the Underdark. It 
  explains those goals as "truths that will reveal themselves in 
  time" and urges the characters to take on their mission as 
  quickly as possible. 
  Treasure 
  Glorghakt provides the characters with a map to the rogue 
  mind flayer's lair. 
  Faerzress 
  Many parts of the Underdark of Faerûn are suffused with a 
  magical radiation that the drow call faerzress. A remnant of 
  the mighty forces that originally shaped the terrain of the 
  Underdark, faerzress distorts and interferes with certain 
  types of magic. Its effects on spells are not widely known 
  among the surface-dwelling peoples. 
   
  Areas of concentrated faerzress can be found here and 
  there throughout the Underdark. The drow have long 
  sought out such places in which to raise their cities, since 
  the magical radiation helps to frustrate spying and protect 
  against enemy assaults. Faerzress is also used in the 
  construction of powerful magical magic items. 
   
  Sometimes creatures that dwell in and around great 
  areas of faerzress find themselves imbued with strange and 
  unpredictable powers. 
   
  The faerzress surrounding the rogue mind flayer's den, 
  though, has one additional and exotic feature: it can cause 
  a spellcaster's energy to become unexpectedly potent. The 
  first time each character casts a spell of 1st level or higher 
  when in one of the chambers in the den, it triggers a wild 
  surge (Player's Handbook, Page 104).  Any character 
  whose madness is higher than one or possesses the Wild 
  Magic sorcerous origin may roll twice and choose which 
  result to use. 
   
  NOTE: Please note that this effect can quickly cause a 
  game to lose focus--use caution!  The challenge should 
  come from the mind flayer and its minions, not an 
  environmental effect! 
   
   
   
  
  Part 2. The Brainbucket 
   
  Expected Duration: 80 minutes 
  Glorghakt's map illustrates the path of least resistance to get 
  to the lair of the rogue mind flayer. The journey takes 
  approximately one tenday and is largely uneventful, save for 
  the increased evidence of faerzress in the area. As there are no 
  encounters, it can be safely assumed that the characters do not 
  have to make Madness saving throws during their trek to the 
  lair. On the final two days of the journey, the faerzress is so 
  prevalent that any characters with arcane spellcasting hear a 
  constant buzz inside their heads, and any character with 
  telepathic ability or other psychic attributes feels drawn to 
  their eventual destination. 
  General Features 
  The cavern has the following general features: 
   Terrain. The floor is rough but does not impede movement. 
  Each of the four caverns that surround Rogue Thought's lair is 
  roughly circular and is approximately 40 feet across. Each has 
  been roughly carved out of the surrounding rock in a vaguely 
  skull-like shape and is saturated with faerzress. The ceiling is 
  approximately 12 feet above the floor. 
   Light and Visibility. Two large pools and a number of 
  small puddles of oily, viscous liquid shimmer through a 
  rotating catalog of colors, but this only provides dim light in 
  the cavern. The liquid is a naturally-occurring oil in the 
  Underdark, but other than being indigestible for most 
  humanoids and a bit bitter is not dangerous. 
   Smells and Sounds. The air is musty and stagnant here, 
  with the unmistakable tang of acid hanging in the air. 
   Secret Door. In each of the four chambers, a secret door 
  leads into Xicvizt's lair. Locating this door requires a 
  successful 30 Wisdom (Perception) check. However, locating 
  it is not enough. The mechanism that opens the doors is 
  located beneath it and the door extends above and below and 
  below the ceiling, so using a pry bar is impossible. Magical 
  means or extreme cleverness aside, there is no way to open 
  the door other than by placing the appropriately-sized brains 
  into the basins in each of the four surrounding chambers. The 
  basins are obvious fixtures in each room, but the doors behind 
  them remain safely hidden away. 
  Madness 
  At the best of times, the Underdark is a bizarre, alien, and 
  inhospitable world, but the influence of the demon lords has 
  transformed it into a domain of madness and chaos. 
  Faerzress acts as a catalyst, spreading the demon lords’ 
  madness throughout the Underdark. Now, it's even starting 
  to spread on the surface. 
   
  A creature’s madness level starts at 0. When the 
  creature fails a madness saving throw, its madness level 
  increases by 1, and the creature immediately suffers the 
  level’s effect (as determined by rolling on the Short-Term 
  Madness, Long-Term Madness, or Indefinite Madness table 
  in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, as appropriate). When the 
  effect ends, the creature’s madness level doesn’t change. 
  Any time the creature’s madness level increases, it suffers 
  the effect of the new level. 
      If a creature with level 3 madness fails a madness saving 
  throw, its madness level becomes 1. In this way, characters 
  can potentially accumulate multiple forms of madness. If a 
  character accumulates a form madness that they are 
  already suffering from, reroll until a new result is reached. 
      Bouts of short- and long-term madness can be cured as 
  described in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Given the 
  demonic source of the madness, remove curse and dispel 
  evil are also effective as cures. A greater restoration spell 
  or more powerful magic is needed to cure indefinite 
  madness and also resets a creature’s Madness Level to 0. 
   
  In adventures set during Rage of Demons, madness is 
  measured in three levels: 
  Madness Level 
  Level 
  Effect 
  1  
  Short-term madness (lasts 1d10 minutes) 
  2  
  Long-term madness (lasts 1d10 x 10 hours) 
  3  
  Indefinite madness (lasts until cured) 
  Indefinite Madnesses of Graz’zt 
  Graz'zt influence on the region has manifested itself in the 
  different forms of madness that characters may develop. 
  Upon reaching Madness Level 3, instead of rolling on the 
  Indefinite Madness table on page 260 of the Dungeon 
  Master's Guide, roll (or allow the character to roll) on the 
  following table and inform the character to add the flaw 
  associated with the result to his character sheet. 
   
  If the roll results in a form of madness that the character 
  is already suffering for, reroll until a new result is reached. 
   
  01-20 
  Narcissism: "There is nothing in existence that is 
  more important than me." 
  21-40 
  Megalomania: "Anyone who doesn't do exactly 
  what I say does not deserve to live." 
  41-60 
  Messiah Complex: "Mine is the path of 
  redemption; anyone who says otherwise is 
  intentionally misleading you." 
  61-80 
  Infatuation: "I will not rest until I have made 
  someone else mine, and doing so is more 
  important to me than my own life - or the lives of 
  others." 
  81-90 
  Hedonism: "My own pleasure is of paramount 
  importance. Everything else, including social 
  graces, is a triviality." 
  91-100 
  Abomination: "The mores of society are a lie, 
  meant to shackle free thinking people. I will revel 
  in that which others find shocking or disgusting to 
  demonstrate my rebellion." 
  1. This Brain Is Too Small 
   
  Entering this chamber provides a fairly jarring introduction 
  to the lair of the rogue mind flayer: four bodies are 
  arranged around a table, as If they had been seated and in 
  mid-conversation… then just stopped moving. 
  There are a few oddly-colored pools of liquid around the 
  
  room casting dim light and colorful shimmers across the 
  nearby surfaces. It would almost be calming if it weren't for 
  the sense of foreboding. 
   
  The bodies are of three male humans and a female drow. They 
  are obviously dead, and a DC 10 Intelligence (Medicine) 
  check reveals that each of them has four holes bored into the 
  crowns of their skulls. A successful DC15 Intelligence 
  (Medicine) check (this does not have to be a second check) 
  reveals that the brains have been removed from each of the 
  bodies through these wounds. 
  The Table 
  The surface of the table is covered in maps, crumpled 
  parchments, scroll tubes, and the remains of a recent meal - 
  the food still looks fresh. 
   
  Map of Hillsfar. A highly-detailed map of Hillsfar is 
  spread across the tabletop, though it is nearly covered 
  with everything else. It is very large clearly shows every 
  street, building, and bit of infrastructure (sewers and so 
  on). It would be worth a fair amount of gold in the right 
  hands. 
   
  Map of Phlan. As with the map of Hillsfar, it is very de-
  tailed. A DC 10 History check reveals that it is likely 
  only a year or two old--it shows the Thicket; a dense 
  dome of thick brambles and briars erected around the 
  city by Vorgansharax (DDEX1-14 Escape from Phlan), 
  the monstrous green dragon that took the city by force. 
   
  Maps of Mulmaster. Two maps of Mulmaster have been 
  folded into quarters. While detailed, the newer map ap-
  pears to be a token effort: over the harbor, there are big 
  red "X" marks and "Hahaha!" can be seen written repeat-
  edly over certain sections of the map marked as de-
  stroyed. The older map shows trade routes in and out of 
  the city and includes what appears to be guard rotation 
  schedules in the margins. Any character that participated 
  in DDEP2 Mulmaster Undone instantly recognizes the 
  newer map to be indicating the damage caused by the 
  cults of Elemental Evil and their devastation orbs. Other-
  wise a DC 10 Intelligence (History) check reveals that 
  the damage was caused by a massive attack on the city 
  by various elemental cults. Much of Mulmaster is ex-
  pected to starve as a result. The maps are worth a small 
  sum to the right party--likely the Zhentarim or Red Wiz-
  ards, thanks to the guard details. 
   
  Scroll tubes. Sadly, these are all empty. 
   
  Playing Cards. A small deck of Three-Dragon Ante 
  cards can be found here. They are well crafted and are 
  worth a handsome amount of gold. 
   
  Food. The food left on the table appears to be drow trav-
  eling rations; lots of grains and a curious tarry substance, 
  but all of the food should be safe to eat. 
   
  Crumpled Parchments. The parchments are written in 
  Common. They appear to be outlining mercantile agree-
  ments between an unnamed drow outpost and the Red 
  Plumes. 
   
  Bodies: The bodies do not bear any insignia of alle-
  giance, despite the trade agreements on the table. They 
  do not have any valuables and are, in fact, curiously de-
  void of any possessions that might identify where they 
  came from. 
  There is a basin on the northern wall, with a small carved 
  depression inside. A DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) or 
  Wisdom (Medicine) check reveals the carving to be a bottom-
  up view of the underside of a human brain. If the characters 
  place an appropriately-sized brain in each basin in each of the 
  four rooms, the secret door opens and Xicvizt's lair is revealed 
  and can be entered. 
  2. This Brain Is Too Hard 
   
  A chorus of guttural voices can be plainly heard, shouting 
  what sound like angry insults at a voice retorting in 
  Undercommon. A male drow elf appears to be tied to a 
  post, and four strange-looking green-skinned humanoids 
  scream at him. One of the four carries a massive silvery 
  blade, and all of them are wearing ornately carved, exotic 
  armor. 
    
  Three githyanki warriors are accompanied by a githyanki 
  knight and are in the process of tying up a male drow while 
  berating him in their native language, Gith. If the characters 
  delay and observe the githyanki before entering combat, they 
  see that the githyanki are actually poking and prodding him, 
  as if equal parts curious and horrified by his hideous visage. If 
  the characters initiate combat, the drow begs for his life and 
  safety.  
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this combat 
  encounter. These are not cumulative. 
   
  Very weak party: Remove 1 githyanki warrior 
   
  Weak party: Remove 1 githyanki warrior 
   
   Strong party: Add 1 githyanki warrior 
   
  Very strong party: Add a 2 githyanki warriors 
  Development 
  The drow elf is Arrizz, and it is very likely that one or more 
  characters may have interacted with him in previous 
  adventures in the Rage of Demons storyline. He presents no 
  threat to the characters; he is neither armed nor armored. His 
  head, neck, and upper shoulders are covered in mottled, multi-
  colored fungi--the result of an infection that nearly took his 
  life. If the characters choose to talk to the drow, Arrizz 
  introduces himself and reveals that these creatures were 
  preparing to kill him. If asked why he is here, Arrizz tells the 
  characters that the surface world was too dangerous, and that 
  he was willing to take his chances in the Underdark. He 
  wishes to leave into the Underdark as soon as possible. If 
  Deriel is mentioned, he becomes cold and distant and 
  
  demands that the characters allow him to leave unmolested. 
  Roleplaying Arrizz 
  Although he is typically closed-lipped, Arrizz doesn’t 
  hesitate to criticize foolish or weak behavior. Since 
  becoming ill, he has developed a great distaste for normal 
  food; preferring a diet of mushrooms and fungus, which he 
  frequently munches on. He is at the end of a rather nasty 
  streak of bad luck and is eager to leave the Moonsea 
  region far behind. He has been promised great rewards if 
  his mission is successful. And although he is willing to work 
  with others, he is still evil and abhors weakness. 
   
  Though he managed to fight off the infection that 
  plagued him in DDEX3-1 Harried in Hillsfar, it left its mark 
  on his body and he is plagued with odd, colorful scars and 
  a phlegmy, wracking cough. 
   
  Quote: "I was weak once. Never again."  
   
  If any of the characters can speak or otherwise understand 
  Gith, the following are the phrases they can pick out - the rest 
  are simply too hurried or spoken over by the other assembled 
  githyanki: 
   
  "Your body has poisoned your brain!" 
   
  "Xicvizt demands your sacrifice!" 
   
  "Graz'zt's will is beyond your ken; you will serve as our 
  lord sees fit!" 
  There is a basin on the eastern wall, with a small carved 
  depression inside. A DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) or 
  Wisdom (Medicine) check reveals the carving to be a bottom-
  up view of the underside of a roper's brain. If the characters 
  place an appropriately-sized brain in each basin in each of the 
  four rooms, the secret door opens and Xicvizt's lair is revealed 
  and can be entered. 
  Treasure 
  The characters recover a silvered greatsword and a potion of 
  greater healing from the defeated githyanki. 
  3. This Brain Is Too Greasy 
   
  This chamber is incredibly humid and the air is very stale. 
  A faint acrid odor hangs in the air, similar to freshly-
  harvested alfalfa. Several large orbs hover in the air--
  bobbing gently. More alarmingly, they have a number of 
  stalks growing from their central mass.  
    
  The entirety of this chamber has been covered in fungus and 
  slick moss. The floating balls are actually gas spores that 
  have not yet reached maturity (and thus do not represent a 
  significant threat). The fungus hides a darker treasure, though: 
  half-eaten and discarded brains from a wide variety of 
  sources. Most are from humanoids, but a DC 10 Wisdom 
  (Medicine) check identifies that most are animal in nature, 
  and one is that of a giant. 
   With a passive Perception of 15 or higher, or with a 
  successful DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check, the 
  characters can make out a humanoid shape buried beneath a 
  mound of debris and muck at the far side of the room. If the 
  characters choose to investigate further, they can unearth 
  Theara Gravelthumb, an unconscious duergar woman that 
  has recently been taken over by an intellect devourer. The 
  attack was fairly recent and the devourer is still acclimating to 
  its new host body, so she attempts to thank the party and offer 
  to see herself out of the cave. While she is now completely 
  loyal to Xicvizt, she is no fool and does everything in her 
  power to escape, including alerting the gith from Area 2 if 
  possible by running like mad and screaming for help. Unless 
  the characters discover and awaken Theara, she remains 
  unconscious--combat is not mandatory here! 
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this combat 
  encounter. These are not cumulative. 
   
  Very weak party: Theara is too weak for combat and is 
  not able to fight back. There is no experience for this 
  encounter. 
   
  Weak party: Theara focuses on escape over combat 
  actions, begging forgiveness and mercy the entire time  
   
  Strong party: Unless the characters are unable to 
  have their minds read, Theara gets a surprise round 
  thanks to her telepathy. 
   
  Very strong party: as Strong party above, and: add 
  two intellect devourers to the fight, and two githyanki 
  warriors enter combat at the end of round one. 
   
  This room isn't so much a larder as it is a waste room - and 
  the fungus helps to break down the unwanted bits for the 
  mind flayer; a sort of pickling process. Fortunately, the 
  fungus can't break down everything, and characters that 
  thoroughly search the chamber and succeed on a DC 15 
  Intelligence (Investigation) check turn up a pair of opals and a 
  mithral circlet encrusted with rubies. 
   Additionally, if the characters have figured out the needs of 
  the basins, they can retrieve an intact humanoid brain from 
  the far side of the chamber. Getting to the brain requires 
  crossing slick stones. Characters that succeed on a DC 12 
  Dexterity check manage to get across the stones without 
  falling into the muck. Crossing the stones successfully is not 
  required in order to retrieve the giant brain. 
  Falling into the Muck 
  Any character that falls prone in the muck here or attempts 
  to use the filth to cover their body is drenched in faintly 
  phosphorescent fungus, slime, and bits of brain. A 
  prestidigitation spell or similar magical effect removes this 
  muck from the character's clothing and armor, but standard 
  water does not suffice. Any creature covered in the muck 
  has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks due to the 
  stench. 
   
  There is a basin on the southern wall, with a small carved 
  depression inside. A DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) or 
  Wisdom (Medicine) check reveals the carving to be a bottom-
  up view of the underside of a lizard's brain. If the characters 
  
  place an appropriately-sized brain in each basin in each of the 
  four rooms, the secret door opens and Xicvizt's lair is revealed 
  and can be entered. 
  Roleplaying Theara Gravelthumb 
  Anything that remains of Theara Gravelthumb is purely 
  physical - the intellect devourer that now resides in her 
  body has completely devoured her brain. Theara gladly 
  shares that she was traveling from "an outpost" to 
  Sporedome and was waylaid along the way (this is true), 
  but despite her best efforts she was unable to escape the 
  githyanki patrol (false; Xicvizt rendered her unconscious 
  almost immediately and the intellect devourer took up 
  residence in her body). Xicvizt has tasked Theara with 
  traveling to other drow and dwarven cities in the Underdark 
  in order to spy for it. She is fanatic in her devotion to 
  Xicvizt, and seeks to please it but is wise enough to run 
  from a combat that she clearly cannot win. 
  Treasure 
  Two opals (worth 25 gp each) and a circlet can be found here 
  (worth 250 gp). Additionally, the characters can fish out a 
  chainmail pouch with 35 gp inside. 
  4. This Brain Is TOO MANY 
  BRAINS! 
   
  This room has a much cooler temperature, thanks to the 
  columns of ice around the room. There is a large block of 
  opaque ice near the center, and inside it can be seen a 
  number of curious things: suspended brains, small vials of 
  yellowish liquid, and strange, other-worldly symbols. There 
  is a beaten copper plate emblazoned with symbols on one 
  side. 
    
  The columns are merely for decoration, but the block in the 
  middle is actually an ice chest. It is magically sealed and 
  possesses no mechanical locking mechanism present. The ice 
  is extraplanar in nature and bears a strong aura of abjuration 
  magic; it appears to regenerate from even magical fire effects. 
  If subjected to a casting of dispel magic, it has advantage on 
  the saving throw (with a +8 bonus). If the characters discover 
  a suitably creative way to otherwise melt the ice, they can 
  retrieve a number of items from the debris. 
   In order to open the chest without destroying it, the 
  characters need to complete the rune puzzle as seen on the 
  Player Handout. 
  Running the Brain Teaser 
  Effectively the Brain Teaser puzzle is a game of memory - 
  the characters need to match each of the cards to its 
  identical mate. 
   
  To begin, cut the sections out of the handout and 
  shuffle them, then lay them face down on the table. 
  Two characters should be asked, one character at a 
  time, to select a single card to turn over. 
   
  Cards are flipped over simultaneously. 
   
  A character may attempt a DC 14 skill check of the 
  DM's choice to "peek" at a single card; this check can 
  be attempted up to two total times during this puzzle 
  regardless of the number of characters (ie: one 
  character can "peek" twice, or two can "peek" once 
  each). Further attempts fail. 
   
  If the two cards do not match, the character or 
  characters that selected those cards must succeed on a 
  DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take 11 (2d10) 
  points of psychic damage. Those that succeed take half 
  damage. The cards are then returned face down to their 
  original place on the table. 
   
  A character revealing the demon sigil takes 5 (1d10) 
  points of necrotic damage. Simultaneously revealing 
  two demon sigils results in 11 (2d10) points of necrotic 
  damage to each character that revealed a demon sigil. 
  A successful DC 13 Constitution saving throw reduces 
  this damage by half. If both of the demon sigils are 
  revealed, all of the cards are turned face down, 
  shuffled, and laid out once more. 
   
  If any character is reduced to 0 hit points as a result of 
  interacting with this puzzle, they are not killed and are 
  instead comatose for a full 8 hours. 
   
  If the group is considered weak, or very weak the 
  damage dice are lowered to d8 (4 necrotic damage, or 
  8 necrotic damage when two demon sigils are 
  simultaneously revealed) and remove one of the demon 
  sigils. 
   
  When a character reveals two matching symbols that 
  are not demon sigils, leave those symbols face-up. 
   
  The ice chest opens when puzzle is solved by turning 
  all of the cards except the demon sigils face up. 
   
  If a character has at least one level of madness, they 
  ignore the effect of the first demon sigil they reveal in 
  this encounter. 
   
  If a character has 3 levels of madness, the skill check 
  made to "peek" at a card is made with advantage. 
   
  There is a basin on the western wall, with a carved depression 
  inside. A DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom 
  (Medicine) check reveals the carving to be a bottom-up view 
  of the underside of a giant, bloated brain. If the characters 
  place an appropriately-sized brain in each basin in each of the 
  four rooms, the secret door opens and Xicvizt's lair is revealed 
  and can be entered. 
  Treasure 
  The ice chest contains dozens of brains, of all sorts of sizes. 
  Characters that have seen the basins but have not yet 
  discerned their purpose should be informed that these brains 
  would likely fit in the depressions. 
   There is a potion of greater healing on one of the shelves as 
  well as two potions of poison, magically disguised to look like 
  potions of greater healing. 
   
   
  
  Part 3. Driven by Passion 
   
  Expected Duration: 20 minutes 
  Xicvizt's lair has been explored, and its sanctum has been 
  discovered - but it has been preparing for the arrival of the 
  characters. Time is of the essence! 
  Rogue Thought 
  The mind flayer that Glorghakt described has embraced the 
  moniker "Rogue Thought" whole-heartedly. Clad in dark 
  leather armor and wearing a high collared cloak, it flits about 
  in the dim light playing for advantage. If pulled into brighter 
  light, its skin is dry and withered and its eyes have become 
  shriveled gray spots sunken into its skull. It recognizes its old 
  name of Xicvizt, but does not respond to it. Faerzress has 
  permeated Xicvizt's entire body, and may indeed be the only 
  thing holding its emaciated form together now.  
  General Features 
  Rogue Thought's lair has the following general features: 
   Terrain. The interior of this crystalline skull-shaped 
  chamber is smooth and highly reflective. Bright light is 
  refracted wildly around the space, and a single source of 
  bright light illuminates the entire room. There is a pile of 
  cushions in the middle of the room and an array of six brain 
  jars are set around them. 
   Light. Faerzress has grown through the crystal and is 
  beginning to spread. This provides dim light throughout the 
  chamber. 
   Smells. There is a smell of raw flesh with a faintly acidic 
  undertone. 
   Sounds. Sounds echo crazily around the chamber, and even 
  the quietest of whispers can be plainly heard due to the hard 
  surfaces and excellent acoustics. Rogue Thought's threatening 
  whispers can be heard by all characters regardless of their 
  positioning in the room or distance from the speaker. 
  The Interior of this chamber has been festooned with many 
  graven images of skulls and brains - some small, some 
  large. There is only the faintest of light here, thanks to the 
  shimmering, alien pulse of the concentrated faerzress in 
  these halls and rooms. 
   Three tall decorative jars stand in the center of the room 
  around a large piles of cushions, with a fourth one tiled 
  and leaning on the soft surface. A steady stream of vicious 
  and haunting whispers begins to infiltrate the air, taking 
  equal residence in your ears as well as your minds. 
   
  Rogue Thought is here with a githyanki warrior, supping 
  on the contents of one of four stylish brain jars. It does not 
  appear to be outwardly threatened by the characters, but it has 
  been preparing for this encounter for the duration of their visit 
  to its lair. It cannot be surprised or caught unaware thanks to 
  its telepathy ability (unless all of the characters have gone to 
  great lengths to shield their thoughts) and uses a random Lair 
  Action at the beginning of combat. It endeavors to use one 
  with shadows as the characters open the doors to its chamber 
  and before they enter its inner lair. While Rogue Thought 
  appreciates a deep discussion with the characters, it 
  appreciates fresh brains more. It initiates combat in short 
  order by taking the first action with a readied mind blast. 
   The first time that a character takes psychic damage during 
  this encounter, they must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw 
  with a DC equal to half of the damage taken (rounded down). 
  Failure causes the character's madness level to increase by 1. 
  Roleplaying Xicvizt, aka "Rogue Thought" 
  Rogue Thought has given itself fully and totally to the 
  worship of the demon lord Graz'zt. As such, Rogue 
  Thought has been gifted with six tentacles (four normal as 
  per its mind flayer heritage and two vestigial tentacles) and 
  moves with an unsettling, preternatural grace. It wields 
  formidable warlock powers as a result of its dedication to 
  the demon lord. 
   
  Quote. "Deeeeeelicioouuuuussssssssssss… your fears 
  sustain me..." 
   
  If Theara was not encountered earlier in the adventure, she is 
  present in this encounter regardless of party strength, but she 
  only has half of her maximum hit points. This may make the 
  combat very difficult--proceed carefully, as the characters 
  should not feel that this is an unwinnable situation! 
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this combat 
  encounter. These are not cumulative. 
   
  Very weak party: Rogue Thought cannot use lair 
  actions. 
   
  Weak party: The faerzress sputters and flares out after 
  the first round; it no longer has an impact on this 
  combat.  
   
  Strong party: Add 2 intellect devourers. 
   
  Very strong party: as Strong party, and Theara 
  Gravelthumb joins the fight at the beginning of the 
  second round. If Theara is dead or otherwise 
  unavailable, instead add 3 githyanki warriors. 
   
  Additionally, if the characters are able to employ methods 
  by which they can bring in reinforcements (such as from 
  their faction downtime or rank rewards), an equal 
  number of intellect devourers or githyanki warriors 
  should join the fray as well. Rogue Thought is psychic, 
  after all. 
  Lair Actions 
  At the beginning of combat and on initiative count 20 (losing 
  initiative ties), Rogue Thought must take a lair action to cause 
  one of the following random effects; Rogue Thought can't use 
  the same effect two rounds in a row: 
   
  The faerzress hums and flares loudly. Everything in the 
  main chamber other than Rogue Thought is subject to 
  dispel magic (+4 bonus to spellcasting ability check). 
  
  Rogue Though can only use this effect once per day. 
   
  Spectral, six-fingered hands surround Rogue Thought, 
  granting it a +2 bonus to AC until the end of his next 
  turn. 
   
  Rogue Thought's tentacles temporarily stretch to fright-
  ening proportions. Rogue Thought makes a single tenta-
  cles attack against a target within 20 feet. 
   
  Tendrils of semisolid psychic energy coalesce around a 
  victim of Rogue Thought's choosing, within 120 feet and 
  that it can sense. The victim must make a DC 16 Wis-
  dom saving throw or take 7 (2d6) points of psychic dam-
  age and lose half their speed for the next round; a suc-
  cessful save results in half damage and no reduction in 
  speed. 
  Pacing & Escalation 
  It is very important that the DM track time spent in this 
  encounter carefully. After three rounds or ten minutes of 
  actual gameplay, whichever happens first, if it is still alive 
  Rogue Thought attempts to turn invisible and escape by any 
  means necessary - even if it means abandoning its lair and any 
  potential meals. It may even be willing to go so far as to maim 
  itself by severing tentacles (in the hopes that Graz'zt 
  regenerates them for it later) and casting the still-wriggling 
  appendages at the characters as a distraction. 
   If Rogue Thought escapes, the characters should not be 
  denied the chance to receive the pact rod, but it should be 
  made known that they have made a very powerful enemy - 
  one that can control their minds, eat their sanity, and feast 
  upon their dreams. 
  Treasure 
  Rogue Thought carries nothing of value on its body. 
  However, the four brain jars in this lair are easily worth a 
  small fortune to the right collector--though presenting them to 
  a more reserved buyer may result in the character being 
  thrown out of the shop! 
   When the characters return to a larger settlement such as 
  Elventree, they can attempt to make a DC 10 Charisma check 
  (or any appropriate skill as determined by the DM). If 
  successful, the characters can sell the jars to a passing 
  merchant of questionable intent for 200 gp each; otherwise 
  the jars are only worth 100 gp each. Characters that are 
  members of the Zhentarim automatically succeed on this 
  check. 
  Conclusion 
  When the characters defeat Rogue Thought, they are welcome 
  to explore the lair that has been created. Members of the 
  Order of the Gauntlet should be reminded of their mission. 
  Should any of the characters decide to carry the severed 
  tentacles back to Glorghakt, he or she hears whispered 
  promises of glory and power for the duration of the journey or 
  until they receive a remove curse or dispel magic spell; the 
  voice is actually Graz'zt attempting to cajole and coerce the 
  character into allegiance. Accepting the offer does not have 
  any mechanical benefit, but should be noted on the character's 
  adventure log for future reference. 
   The most significant reward to the characters, though, is 
  that the mind flayers do indeed pay up on their deal: they 
  conduct a series of clandestine meetings with the elders of the 
  Order of the Gauntlet in order to teach them about the fire 
  giants and their siege engines.  While neither the Order nor 
  the mind flayers are particularly willing to speak of the details 
  of those meetings, both sides readily admit that an 
  understanding of sorts has been reached by both sides, and the 
  future of the Underdark may not be so grim after all. 
  Treasure 
  If the characters return to Glorghakt and present it with the 
  severed tentacles of Rogue Thought, it offers to work them 
  into the creation of a rare and powerful item: a rod of the pact 
  keeper +2. It tells the characters that the tentacles will forever 
  twitch and seek sustenance, and that they contain enough of a 
  link to Graz'zt to provide great bursts of power when desired. 
   Glorghakt also tells the characters that "the rod is perfectly 
  safe to use..usually. You should be fine." It refuses to 
  elaborate and wishes (with genuine gratitude) the characters a 
  successful future. 
   
   
   
  
  Rewards 
  Experience 
  Total up all combat experience earned for defeated foes, and 
  divide by the number of characters present in the combat. For 
  non-combat experience, the rewards are listed per character. 
  Give all characters in the party non-combat experience awards 
  unless otherwise noted. 
  Combat Awards 
  Name of Foe 
   
   
  XP per Foe 
  Githyanki Warrior  
   
  700 
  Githyanki Knight 
   
   
  3,900 
  Intellect Devourer  
   
  450 
  Theara Gravelthumb 
   
  2,300 
  Rogue Thought 
   
   
  5,000 
  Non-Combat Awards 
  Task or Accomplishment  
  XP per Character 
  Brain Teaser puzzle 
   
  200 
   The minimum total award for each character participating 
  in this adventure is 2,250 experience points. 
   The maximum total award for each character participating 
  in this adventure is 3,000 experience points. 
  Treasure 
  The characters receive the following treasure, divided up 
  amongst the party. Characters should attempt to divide 
  treasure evenly whenever possible. Gold piece values listed 
  for sellable gear are calculated at their selling price, not their 
  purchase price. 
   Consumable magic items should be divided up however the 
  group sees fit. If more than one character is interested in a 
  specific consumable magic item, the DM can determine who 
  gets it randomly should the group be unable to decide. 
   Permanent magic items are divided according to a system. 
  See the sidebar if the adventure awards permanent magic 
  items. 
  Treasure Awards 
  Item Name 
   
   
  GP value 
  Map of Hillsfar 
   
   
  50 
  Map of Phlan 
   
   
  50 
  Maps of Mulmaster 
   
  50 
  Three-Dragon Ante deck 
   
  50 
  Silvered greatsword 
   
  150 
  Chainmail pouch and coins  
  35 
  Brain Jars 
   
   
  100 to 200 ea. 
  Potion of Greater Healing 
  Potion, uncommon 
  A description of this potion can be found in the Dungeon 
  Master's Guide. 
  Potion of Poison 
  Potion, uncommon 
  A description of this potion can be found in the Dungeon 
  Master's Guide. 
  +2 Rod of the Pact Keeper 
  Rod, rare (requires attunement by a warlock) 
  This rod looks like three tentacles wrapped around each other. 
  Upon speaking the word "Xicvizt", the tentacles writhe as 
  though were alive and are wreathed in purple fire that sheds 
  dim light in a 5-foot radius. A description of this item can be 
  found in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
  Permanent Magic Item Distribution 
  D&D Adventurers League has a system in place to 
  determine who is awarded permanent magic items at the 
  end of a session. Each character’s logsheet contains a 
  column to record permanent magic items for ease of 
  reference. 
   
  If all the players at the table agree on one character 
  taking possession of a permanent magic item, that 
  character gets the item. 
   
  In the event that one or more characters indicate an 
  interest in possessing a permanent magic item, the 
  character that possesses the fewest permanent magic 
  items gets the item. If there is a tie in the total number 
  of permanent magic items owned by contesting 
  characters, the item’s owner is determined randomly 
  by the DM. 
  Renown 
  All faction members earn one renown point for 
  participating in this adventure. 
  Characters that claim membership in the Order of the 
  Gauntlet gain one additional renown point for completing 
  Glorghakt's mission and helping to build trust between their 
  faction and the mind flayers. 
  Downtime 
  Each character receives five downtime days at the conclusion 
  of this adventure. 
  DM Rewards 
  You receive 200 XP, 50gp and five downtime days for 
  running this session. 
   
  
  Appendix. NPC/Monster 
  Statistics  
   
   
  Githyanki Warrior 
  Medium humanoid (gith), lawful evil 
  Armor Class 17 (half plate) 
  Hit Points 49 (9d8 + 9) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   15 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  12 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 13 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 
  Saving Throws Con +3, Int +3, Wis +3 
  Senses passive Perception 11 
  Languages Gith 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
  Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The githyanki's innate 
  spellcasting ability is Intelligence. It can innately cast the 
  following spells, requiring no components: 
  At will: mage hand (the hand is invisible) 
  3/day each: jump, misty step, nondetection (self only) 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The githyanki makes two greatsword attacks. 
  Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) 
  psychic damage. 
   
  Githyanki Knight 
  Medium humanoid (gith), lawful evil 
  Armor Class 18 (plate) 
  Hit Points 91 (14d8 + 28) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  15 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 14 (+2) 
  15 (+2) 
  Saving Throws Con +5, Int +5, Wis +5 
  Senses passive Perception 12 
  Languages Gith 
  Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) 
  Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). Rogue Thought's innate 
  spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). It can 
  innately cast the following spells, requiring no components: 
  At will: mage hand (the hand is invisible) 
  3/day each: jump, misty step, nondetection (self only), 
  tongues 
  1/day each: plane shift, telekinesis 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The githyanki makes two silver greatsword 
  attacks. 
  Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage plus 10 (3d6) 
  psychic damage. This is a magic weapon attack. On a 
  critical hit against a target in an astral body (as with the 
  astral projection spell), the githyanki can cut the silvery cord 
  that tethers the target to its material body, instead of 
  dealing damage. 
   
  Intellect Devourer 
  Tiny aberration, lawful evil 
  Armor Class 12 
  Hit Points 21 (6d4 + 6) 
  Speed 40 ft. 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   6 (-2) 
  14 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 11 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  Skills Perception +2, Stealth +4 
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive 
  Perception 12 
  Languages understands Deep Speech but can't speak, 
  telepathy 60 ft. 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP) 
  Detect Sentience. The intellect devourer can sense the 
  presence and location of any creature within 300 feet of it 
  that has an Intelligence of 3 or higher, regardless of 
  interposing barriers, unless the creature is protected by a 
  mind blank spell. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The intellect devourer makes one attack with 
  its claws and uses Devour Intellect. 
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage. 
  Devour Intellect. The intellect devourer targets one 
  creature it can see within 10 feet of it that has a brain. The 
  target must succeed on a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw 
  against this magic or take 11 (2d10) psychic damage. Also 
  on a failure, roll 3d6: if the total equals or exceeds the 
  target's Intelligence score, that score is reduced to 0. The 
  target is stunned until it regains at least one point of 
  Intelligence. 
  Body Thief. The intellect devourer initiates an Intelligence 
  contest with an incapacitated humanoid within 5 feet of it. If 
  it wins the contest, the intellect devourer magically 
  consumes the target's brain, teleports into the target's skull, 
  and takes control of the target's body. While inside a 
  creature, the intellect devourer has total cover against 
  attacks and other effects originating outside its host. The 
  intellect devourer retains its Intelligence, Wisdom, and 
  Charisma scores, as well as its understanding of Deep 
  Speech, its telepathy, and its traits. It otherwise adopts the 
  target's statistics. It knows everything the creature knew, 
  including spells and languages. 
   If the host body drops to 0 hit points, the intellect 
  devourer must leave it. A protection from evil and good 
  spell cast on the body drives the intellect devourer out. The 
  intellect devourer is also forced out if the target regains its 
  devourer brain by means of a wish. By spending 5 feet of 
  
  its movement, the Intellect devourer can voluntarily leave 
  the body, teleporting to the nearest unoccupied space 
  within 5 feet of it. The body then dies, unless its brain is 
  restored within 1 round.  
   
  Rogue Thought  
  Medium aberration, lawful evil 
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 71 (13d8 + 13) 
  Speed 30 ft.  
   
  STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   11 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  17 (+3) 17 (+3) 
  19 (+4) 
  Damage Resistances slashing from nonmagical weapons 
  Saving Throws Int +6, Wis +6, Cha +7 
  Skills Arcana +5, Deception +7, Insight +6, Perception +6, 
  Persuasion +7, Stealth +4 
  Senses darkvision 120 ft. (can see normally in magical 
  darkness), passive Perception 16 
  Languages Deep Speech, Undercommon, telepathy 120 ft. 
  Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) 
  Magic Resistance. Rogue Thought has advantage on 
  saving throws against spells and other magical effects. 
  Dark One's Blessing. Graz'zt has granted Rogue Thought 
  additional protections. When Rogue Thought reduces a 
  hostile creature to 0 hit points, it gains 14 temporary hit 
  points. 
  Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). Rogue Thought's innate 
  spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). It can 
  innately cast the following spells, requiring no components: 
  At will: detect thoughts, levitate 
  1/day each: dominate monster, plane shift (self only) 
  Spellcasting. Rogue Thought is a 10th-level spellcaster. Its 
  spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit 
  with spell attacks). Rogue Thought has two 5th-level spell 
  slots, which it regains after a long or short rest and has the 
  following warlock spells prepared: 
  Cantrips (at will): chill touch, eldritch blast, prestidigitation, 
  true strike 
  1st level: hex 
  2nd level: crown of madness, mirror image, misty step, ray 
  of enfeeblement 
  3rd level: dispel magic, vampiric touch 
  4th level: banishment 
  5th level: dream, hold monster 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. Rogue Thought makes two tentacle attacks. 
  Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) psychic damage. If the target is 
  Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 15) and must 
  succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or be 
  stunned until this grapple ends. 
  Extract Brain. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one incapacitated humanoid grappled by Rogue Thought. 
  Hit: 55 (10d10) piercing damage. If this damage reduces 
  the target to 0 hit points, the mind flayer kills the target by 
  extracting and devouring its brain. 
  Mind Blast (recharge 5-6). Rogue Thought magically 
  emits psychic energy in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in 
  that area must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence saving 
  throw or take 22 (4d8 + 4) psychic damage and be stunned 
  for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the 
  end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a 
  success.  
  One With Shadows. While it is in an area of dim light or 
  darkness, Rogue Thought becomes invisible. It remains so 
  until it moves or performs an action or a reaction. 
   
  Theara Gravelthumb 
  Medium humanoid (duergar), lawful evil 
  Armor Class 17 (scale mail, shield) 
  Hit Points 97 (15d8 + 15) 
  Speed 25 ft. 
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 
  13 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 11 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  Damage Resistances poison 
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10 
  Languages Dwarvish, Undercommon 
  Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) 
  Duergar Resistance. The duergar has advantage on 
  saving throws against poison, spells, and illusions, as well 
  as to resist being charmed or paralyzed. 
  Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the duergar has 
  disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on sight. 
  Body Thief. Theara is currently the host body for an 
  intellect devourer. The intellect devourer can use the body 
  thief ability (as per the intellect devourer stat block), but 
  only to leave Theara's form. She does not have to reach 0 
  hit points in order to use this ability. 
  Action Surge (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). 
  Theara can take one additional action. 
  Improved Critical. Theara scores weapon critical hits on a 
  roll of 19 or 20. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. Theara makes two attacks. 
  Warpick. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 5) piercing damage, or 12 (2d8 + 5) 
  piercing damage while enlarged. 
  Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 
  5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing 
  damage, or 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage while enlarged. 
  Enlarge (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). For 1 
  minute, the duergar magically increases in size, along with 
  anything it is wearing or carrying. While enlarged, the 
  
  duergar is large, doubles its damage dice on Strength-
  based weapon attacks (included in the attacks), and makes 
  Strength checks and Strength saving throws with 
  advantage. If the duergar lacks the room to become Large, 
  it attains the maximum size possible in the space available. 
  Invisibility (Recharges after a Short or Long rest). The 
  duergar magically turns invisible until it attacks, casts a 
  spell, or uses its Enlarge, or until its concentration is 
  broken, up to 1 hour (as if concentrating on a spell). Any 
  equipment the duergar wears or carries is invisible with it. 
  Bonus Action 
  Second Wind (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest. 
  Theara regains 11 (1d10 + 6) hit points. 
   
   
   
   
  
   
  DM Appendix: NPC Summary 
   
  Glorghakt (GLORE-gakkt). Commonly known as "Glor", 
  Glorghakt is an ambassador from Ryxyg. Although it is 
  normally very brief and concise when dealing with other 
  races, it can become very animated and almost friendly if 
  presented with appropriate gifts (brains from intelligent races, 
  especially if the brain came from a creature that had arcane 
  talent). 
  Arrizz (uh-REEZ). Male drow. Fled from his home in the 
  Underdark and picked up a strange fungal infection in his 
  travels--his mind just hasn't been the same since. May have 
  interacted with the characters in a previous adventure. 
  Theara Gravelthumb (TAR-uh). Theara is a female duergar 
  that was recently slain by a party of githyanki and intellect 
  devourers in the employ of Rogue Thought. One of the 
  devourers has since taken up residence in Theara's corpse and 
  plans to use her form to infiltrate several cities and trading 
  posts in the Underdark. She is cunning and makes every 
  attempt to escape, but is completely beholden to Rogue 
  Thought--she will do anything to please it. 
  Xicvizt, aka "Rogue Thought" (chee-VEET). Xicvizt and 
  Glorghakt hail from the same pool and were brought into 
  existence from the same community, but they could not be 
  more different. Several months ago Xicvizt discovered an 
  alien presence in the Underdark and upon investigation was 
  smitten by its raw power and majesty - for Xicvizt had 
  discovered how to communicate with the demon lord Graz'zt. 
  In short order, it left the pool and turned its back on the elder 
  brain so that it might create a lair in an area of faerzress. 
  Drawing power from the demon lord in the form of warlock 
  powers, Xicvizt does not desire to kill humanoids outright--it 
  would much rather dine upon them…slowly.
   
   
   
  
  Appendix. The Brain Teaser 
  Please refer to the "This Brain is TOO MANY BRAINS!" section of the adventure for full directions on how to run this puzzle 
  encounter for the characters. You may wish to print these symbols on thick cardstock, or place them in dark card sleeves so that the 
  ink does not show through the paper. 
   
   
     
     
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Appendix. Map 1 
   
   
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Adventure League/S03 - Rage of Demons/DDEX3-13 Writhing in the Dark v1.3.pdf