TEXT: WINDOW TO THE PAST
  When a Thayan research expedition returns from the Glacier of the White Wyrm with 
  only two survivors that are reduced to whispering about an ancient pyramid under the 
  ice, perhaps it is time to discover just what scares the life out of a nation of necromancers. 
  A 4-Hour Adventure for 5th – 10th, 11th – 16th, or 17th – 20th Level Characters
  ALAN PATRICK
  Adventure Designer
  Adventure Code: DDAL00-01
  (formerly DDAO-01)
  Development, Editing, and Cartography: Alan Patrick
  Art: John Latta and Ian Wallace
  Organized Play: Chris Lindsay
  D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Adam Lee, Chris Lindsay, Mike Mearls, Matt Sernett
  D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Robert Adducci, Bill Benham, Travis Woodall, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks,  
  Alan Patrick
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D 
  Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. 
  All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. 
  Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.
  
  1
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Introduction
   
  Welcome to Window to the Past, a D&D Adventurers 
  League™ adventure, part of the official D&D 
  Adventurers League organized play system. This 
  adventure takes place after the events of DDEP2 
  Mulmaster Undone and the entirety of the second 
  season of D&D Adventurers League play, collectively 
  referred to as Elemental Evil and denoted by the 
  DDEX02 codes.  
  This adventure is designed for characters of 
  multiple tiers; specifically, characters of 5th–10th, 
  11th–16th, and 17th–20th level may participate in 
  this adventures. All characters participating in the 
  adventure must be in the same tier (tier 2: 5th – 10th 
  level; tier 3: 11th – 16th level; tier 4: 17th – 20th 
  level). The adventure is optimized for five characters, 
  with target levels of 10 (tier 2), 15 (tier 3), and 20 
  (tier 4). Characters outside these level ranges or that 
  are not in the same tier as their fellow adventurers 
  cannot participate in this adventure.
  Our story begins with the adventurers in Mulmaster 
  after the Devastation, but quickly moves to the icy 
  reaches of the Glacier of the White Wyrm, far to the 
  east and north of the Monastery of the Yellow Rose.
  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. 
  If you’re running this adventure as 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.
  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.
  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 at:
  www.dndadventurersleague.org
  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.
   »
  Read through the adventure, taking notes of 
  anything you’d like to highlight or remind 
  yourself of 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 aid you in running this adventure—such 
  as notecards, a DM screen, miniatures, and 
  battlemaps.
   »
  If you know the composition of the group 
  beforehand, you can make adjustments as noted 
  throughout the adventure.
  
  2
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Before Play at the Table
  Ask the players to provide you with relevant character 
  information:
   »
  Character name and level
   »
  Character race and class
   »
  Passive Wisdom (Perception)—the most 
  common passive ability check
   »
  Anything notable as specified by the adventure 
  (such as backgrounds, traits, flaws, etc.)
  Players that have characters outside the adventure’s 
  level range cannot participate in the adventure with 
  those characters. Players with ineligible characters 
  can make a new 1st-level character or use a 
  pregenerated character. Players can play an adventure 
  they previously played or ran as a Dungeon Master, 
  but not with the same character.
  Ensure that each player has an official adventure 
  logsheet for his or her character (if not, get one from 
  the organizer). The player fills out the adventure 
  name, session number, date, and your name and 
  DCI number. In addition, the player also fills in the 
  starting values for experience, gold, downtime, 
  renown, and number of permanent magic items. He or 
  she can 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. 
  Alternatively, 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, sidebars provide 
  information to assist you in making adjustments for 
  smaller or larger groups and characters of higher or 
  lower levels than the adventure is optimized for. This 
  is typically used exclusively 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 
  characters of specific levels based on their tier: level 
  10 (tier 2), level 15 (tier 3), and level 20 (tier 4). 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. 
   
  
  3
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Determining Party Strength
  Party Composition                                          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.
  Running the Adventure
  As the Dungeon Master 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 
  adventure and make decisions about how the 
  group interacts with the world of this adventure. 
  Doing so is especially important 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 one. 
  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 present. 
   »
  Give the players appropriate hints so they can 
  make informed 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. Doing so encourages 
  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™ 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 
  
  4
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
   »
  Crafting (exception: multiple characters cannot 
  commit to crafting a single item) 
   »
  Practicing a profession 
   »
  Recuperating 
   »
  Spellcasting services
   »
  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, the characters 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. An organization providing 
  spellcasting services can provide no more than three 
  spells per day total, unless otherwise noted.
   
  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
  Spell                                                                          Cost
  Resurrection*
  3,000 gp
  True resurrection*
  50,000 gp
  *These spells require an additional expenditure of 
  downtime days (150 for resurrection and 350 for 
  true resurrection). This cost can be reduced by 50 
  days for each faction rank above 1 that the character 
  possesses. This downtime is spent in community 
  service for the church that provided the spell in 
  question. The Acolyte Background feature does NOT 
  reduce the gp or downtime cost for either of these 
  spells.
  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.
  Acolytes can call upon spellcasting services in 
  Mulmaster as follows:
   
  Cyric, Loviatar, Tempus, Azuth, Tymora
  character DiSeaSe, Death, anD 
  recovery
  Sometimes bad things happen, and characters get 
  poisoned, diseased, or are killed. 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 
  Effects 
  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 
  
  5
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  (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 is killed 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 spell, 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. Faction Charity is not available in 
  this adventure, as the Faction Charity only affects 
  characters of levels 1 to 4.
  Thayan Charity. During this adventure, if the 
  character is unable or unwilling to pay for a 
  raise dead spell and the character’s party is 
  either unable or unwilling to pay for a raise 
  dead spell, the Thayans may choose to recover 
  the character’s body and bestow upon them the 
  effects of a raise dead spell. Should this happen, 
  the character may still choose to return to life—
  though they may not know immediately what 
  or whom is recalling them to life. If they accept 
  the spell effect, they earn the Ally of Thay story 
  award, though they may choose to retire their 
  character instead at their discretion.
  Background
  Before the modern empires were established across 
  Faerun, the gods were old. As powerful and often-
  capricious beings, these deities developed wild 
  personalities and were unrestricted in the exercising 
  of their powers. Some gods were wise and careful, 
  and others were more carefree in their explorations, 
  Worlds were bound by common faiths, and many 
  deities found that they were worshipped by different 
  names across many cultures and civilizations. 
  But these were not idyllic days by any means. Deep 
  rifts had already begun to form in the familial 
  structure of the gods, and resentments were growing 
  to boiling point. Some deities, like Amaunator and 
  Bahamut, sought to protect the mortal souls where 
  other deities, like Shar and Tiamat, wished to control 
  the mortals. And there were some outliers like Kyuss 
  that felt that the worlds were all existing in a lie: that 
  life and death represented change; that change was 
  the ultimate nullifer; that only in undeath could true 
  power and divinity be reached.
  Using rituals that have since been lost (purportedly 
  by intentional acts) to even the gods, Kyuss turned 
  himself into an undead abomination. His most faithful 
  followers soon followed suit but unlike the fledgling 
  liches that had begun to emerge across worlds like 
  Faerun, their transformations had nothing to do 
  
  6
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  with magic – they were perverted divine beings, 
  with only the smallest of divine sparks but powerful 
  nonetheless. As such, the other gods instinctively 
  knew that their privileged positions were imperiled 
  and they had little time to form and execute a plan of 
  action to control the meteoric rise of Kyuss amidst 
  their various pantheons.
  Only by setting aside their differences and 
  confronting the Worm that Walks were the gods able 
  to defeat Kyuss, but they were unable to destroy or 
  kill him. They could only contain him, and to prevent 
  his return to power they trapped his essence in a 
  massive artifact known as the Dark Obelisks. This 
  artifact was then shattered and its fragments were 
  scattered across the many worlds the deities oversaw 
  For a time the gods could rest easy; they felt that their 
  troubles were at an end as their erstwhile brother’s 
  power was safely torn asunder, never to be rejoined. 
  Each fragment of the Dark Obelisk would hold but 
  one aspect of Kyuss. Though each are powerful in 
  their own right, it would be truly terrifying if multiple 
  aspects joined together as one. 
  But in time, the mortal races began to explore and 
  became inquisitive. They found several fragments of 
  the Dark Obelisk. Kyuss’ divine essence railed against 
  the ancient prison, and these fragments became 
  known as Writhing Batteries due to their rhythmic 
  thumping and the intense arcane energies that it 
  possessed. The mortals found ways to harness this 
  energy and, as they say… 
  “Curiosity killed the cat.” 
  Long before the modern empires walked the land, the 
  Empire of Netheril had reached the pinnacle of arcane 
  and cultural perfection. But in their hubris, they were 
  responsible for their own undoing: reckless research, 
  careless warfare, and overextending their resources 
  led to a series of catastrophic losses and ultimately 
  led to the literal crashing of their empire.
  Several hundred years before the Empire’s tumble, 
  though, fragments of the Dark Obelisk were 
  discovered deep in a dwarven mine. One of those 
  fragments was relocated to the area that would 
  in time come to be known as the Moonsea, and as 
  the Netherese arcanists worked with the artifact 
  they began to refer to it as the Writhing Battery. 
  They crafted potent magical items but did not fully 
  comprehend the consequences of their actions. Each 
  time they drew power from the Battery, Kyuss was 
  able to install a small portion of his own essence into 
  the world. And when the gods tremble, no good can 
  come of it.
  In their haste to vacate the facility, the Netherese 
  sought to use powerful enchantments that called 
  upon the divine favor of Amaunator and combined 
  them with the might of their mythal and the lost 
  arcane school of chronomancy, but all things fade 
  with time. These wards are failing, and Kyuss stirs 
  once more.
  Overview
  The events of DDEP2 Mulmaster Undone resulted in 
  terrible geographic upheaval all around the south-
  eastern region of the Moonsea. Massive landslides, 
  earthquakes, tidal waves, and gnashing tornados 
  devastated the land and the city of Mulmaster 
  was nearly scrubbed from the face of Faerun. 
  Fortunately, these events also revealed previously-
  hidden artifacts—trinkets, mostly—from the ancient 
  Netherese all around the city.
  The Thayans have long held an interest in the port 
  city and wasted no time in assisting in the rebuilding 
  efforts. They simply asked that a blind eye be turned 
  to their archaeological interests, and in return they 
  would continue to spend their own resources (at no 
  expense to the Mulmasterites or even the High Blade) 
  to rebuild the city, bigger and better than before. It 
  wasn’t long before their interests paid off with the 
  discovery of a research laboratory beneath the Glacier 
  of the White Worm, far to the east of Mulmaster and 
  nestled in the mountains. 
  The Thayans sent a sizable expeditionary force but 
  only two acolytes returned. The visiting Zulkir has 
  found this particularly troublesome, and with the 
  assistance of Rastol Shan, the head of the Cloaks, has 
  
  7
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  arranged for a mercenary force to perform a more 
  pointed investigation of the area. In return the Thayan 
  noble has promised significant compensation.
  Upon arrival at the dig site, the characters are quick 
  to discover that the laboratory hides ancient and 
  palpable evil. The purpose of the facility can be 
  discerned with careful investigation, and the effect 
  of the still-active fragment of the Dark Obelisk has 
  empowered (some may say attracted) servants of the 
  Worm that Walks. Danger and death await, certainly, 
  though the characters always have the option of 
  running away and living to fight another day…
  Adventure Hooks
  This adventure can run quite long. As such, it is 
  recommended that the characters receive one or 
  more of the following hooks based on their character 
  histories:
  Members of the Cloaks: Any character that has 
  accepted a role in the Mulmaster-specific faction 
  the Cloaks receives a summons from Rastol Shan. 
  The summons is irrefutable, as Rastol Shan is not a 
  person that is declined – he is a vastly powerful mage, 
  and purportedly bears powers far beyond those of a 
  normal arcane caster. 
  Born in Thay: Any character born in Thay, whether 
  they are Thayan nationals or escaped slaves, receives 
  a series of troubling dreams in which they are 
  drawn to Mulmaster. The dreams become more and 
  more intrusive until the character is no longer able 
  to receive the benefits of a rest—though visiting 
  Mulmaster and seeking out the Thayan District will 
  relieve them of this malady.
  Divine sending: Powerful divine characters like 
  high-level clerics and paladins are informed by their 
  god that things are unfolding in the greater Moonsea 
  region that will spell doom for the world at large. 
  They are pointed at one of the many new temples 
  of Ilmater in Mulmaster, though there is a feeling of 
  dread in each missive.
  Rank 3 or above in their factions: The factions are 
  keenly interested in the ongoing rebuilding efforts in 
  Mulmaster – especially as they know that the Thayans 
  are leading these efforts. Their respective faction 
  heads have deployed the characters to Mulmaster to 
  investigate and report back.
  All other characters: The region surrounding 
  Mulmaster has seen devastation unlike that which 
  can be seen anywhere else in Faerun. Opportunities 
  abound, and the promise of ample coin and plentiful 
  fame is too hard to turn down.
   
  
  8
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Part 1. Mulmaster in 
  Ruins
  “OH, MONSTERS ARE SCARED,” said Lettie. “That’s 
  why they’re monsters.”
  —Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane
  Expected Duration: 30 minutes
  DM’s NOTE: This adventure can run quite long for 
  some tables—the more inquisitive they are, the more 
  lore they can learn. However, many D&D Adventurers 
  League games are limited to 4- or 5-hour segments. It 
  is very important that you maintain a very close eye 
  on your remaining time so that the characters receive 
  the full depth and breadth of experience from this 
  adventure, as there are critical events in the wrap-up 
  as well as in the intro and combat encounters alike. 
  Furthermore, creating an air of suspense and danger 
  can heighten this adventure significantly. The use of 
  audio cues (like knocking on the table in a heartbeat 
  fashion) or using reminders (like the fact that the 
  laboratory only holds Netherese writing) can keep the 
  players off-balance.
  Be warned that the combats in this adventure are 
  quite deadly, and players should be encouraged to 
  retreat and regroup as needed.
  wizarDLy intrigue
  The destruction that surrounds Mulmaster is 
  legendary in scale.  Many devastation orbs erupted 
  and spewed their terrible fury across the land.  The 
  Moonsea’s ecology has been turned upside-down, 
  and large swaths of the city lie in ruins. The nation of 
  Thay has been quick to capitalize on this misfortune: 
  they quickly assembled service drives full of basic 
  rations, building materials, and raw labor in the form 
  of tightly-controlled zombies and skeletons.  
  The characters are met by Rastol Shan in person at 
  Southgate Keep, and are informed in no uncertain 
  terms that failing to assist the Thayans will likely 
  result in the death of the city and everyone left in it. 
  Rastol Shan has been masquerading for decades 
  and is experienced at passing himself off as 
  human. Putting him off his game is virtually 
  impossible, given his magical preparations and 
  gift for dissembling.
  Rastol Shan has masked his undead nature using 
  Nystul’s magic aura. Any spells or magical effects 
  (such as the paladin’s divine sense class feature) 
  that detect creature types or alignments reveal 
  that he is a lawful neutral humanoid. This spell 
  has been made permanent, but he also maintains 
  a contingency that will re-apply the aura if it is 
  ever dispelled. Despite his disguises, however, 
  Shan is still subject to spells or abilities that affect 
  undead, such as turn undead.
   
  As the Blades and city guard are justifiably 
  preoccupied with the reconstruction of the 
  city, Rastol has found himself in the unenviable 
  position of guiding the protection of Mulmaster. 
  The Thayans, long content to sit back and work 
  from the shadows in the city, presented the old 
  Cloak with an opportunity he could not refuse: 
  the Red Wizards would provide guard services 
  as well as raw labor for the reconstruction and 
  in return simply ask that their trade convoys be 
  allowed through the gates unrestricted. Rastol 
  had little option but to agree.
  Rastol Shan keeps neither his spellbook nor his 
  phylactery on his person. He has told no one of 
  his current status as a lich, though at the DM’s 
  discretion Zulkir Dar’lon Ma may have arrived at 
  this conclusion already.
   
  QUOTE: “This is the part where I speak and you 
  listen.”
  Roleplaying Rastol Shan
  Rastol is not pleased to admit this, but is very open 
  in the admission that his own resources are nearly 
  exhausted and that the city is teetering on the edge of 
  
  9
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  total collapse. This exchange can be developed further 
  at your discretion, and he will likely be more open 
  with high-ranking members of the Cloaks. Ultimately, 
  he directs the characters to one of the many temples 
  dedicated to Ilmater around the city; specifically, 
  he sends the characters to one such temple (these 
  temples are large canvas tents that look like field 
  hospitals) bordering the Thayan District. 
  It is late afternoon when the characters arrive at the 
  temple.
  The many temples to Ilmater bear a common 
  theme: they are all full of the injured and invalid. 
  Yet this one, near the Thayan District and 
  matching the description as given by Rastol Shan 
  seemingly has no patients. 
  A curtained-off section lies at the rear of the 
  canvas tent, and muffled cries can be briefly 
  heard behind it.
  Should the adventures decide to investigate, they are 
  greeted by a frazzled and nearly panicked priest of 
  Ilmater as they get near the closed-off area. He greets 
  them with rushed words and asks if they have been 
  “appropriately prepared.” Before the characters can 
  respond, he cuts them off and says that he will be 
  back in five minutes and would love to coordinate 
  notes with them. He then rushes off into the street, 
  presumably to either get a breath of fresh air or 
  perhaps simply to clear his head. In truth, he is 
  leaving to fetch Zulkir Dar’lon Ma for this meeting.
  Once the characters enter the curtained-off area, read 
  or paraphrase the following:
  The stark interior of this closed-off space is 
  striking. Two male human patients are strapped 
  to the top of tall metal surgical tables. One is 
  catatonic, while the other thrashes around wildly 
  while his voice rises and falls from hoarse scream 
  to a whisper. 
  They are both covered by thin sheets, and have 
  received grievous injuries. 
  Several wooden creates line the edge of this 
  place. Their lids do not appear to be locked or 
  even fully sealed.
  The thrashing patient is speaking in a mix of both 
  Thayan and Ancient Netherese. Any character that 
  can speak both of these languages can understand 
  the following points. Any character that can only 
  speak one of these languages will struggle to piece 
  together the meaning of the man’s ravings. For those 
  characters that speak neither of these languages, they 
  can pick up hints of ancient Elvish and Common, but 
  know that the words he utters are another language 
  entirely.
  “It waits beneath the ice.”
  “The Lord of Light is LIES! LIIIEEEESSSS!”
  “Hunger hunger, it eats… it waits and eats and 
  waits and eats and…” then breaks off into a 
  choked sob
  “It is old and new; it holds secrets. So many 
  secrets.”
  “The infernal heart. Beating, cracking!”
  Other gibberish, including references to the 
  “walking dead” and the “ancient lore”. 
  Feel free to create your own elements.
  If the characters look at the patients, they can easily 
  see that they both have received terrible wounds. 
  They have black pockmarks that range in size from 
  the head of a pin up to about the width of a finger all 
  over their upper torsos and to the bottom of their 
  jawline, and then again over their forearms and 
  hands. The catatonic patient is missing a leg, but the 
  nub of thighbone can be seen. The raving patient has 
  
  10
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  an arm that looks like it has been equal parts burned 
  and dipped in acid, and has a leg to match. If the 
  characters get close (adjacent), they can attempt a DC 
  14 Wisdom (Medicine) check to learn more: 
   »
  The wounds appear magical in nature.
   »
  There is a flaky appearance around the holes, 
  similar to paper that has been burned but has 
  not yet completely turned into ash.
   »
  The flesh of both patients is slowly turning a 
  slight shade of green, but it does not appear to 
  indicate gangrene. 
  Once the characters have used a Wisdom (Medicine) 
  check (successful or otherwise), they may wish to 
  attempt other investigative techniques. Allow them 
  to be creative, but remind them that they only have 
  5 minutes – ritual casting of spells like comprehend 
  languages will fail due to the time constraint. 
  If the characters succeed on a DC 14 Intelligence 
  (Arcana) check: 
   »
  The wounds appear to have a touch of 
  necromantic energy to them.
   »
  The wounds are not worsening, but the reason 
  is uncertain.
   »
  This appears to be a mix of magical and natural 
  causes.
  If the characters succeed on a DC 14 Intelligence 
  (Nature) check: 
   »
  Some types of worms and burrowing insects can 
  leave similar wounds in a creature.
   »
  If the characters succeed on this check by 5 
  or more, they can spot the tip of a worm deep 
  inside one of the wider wounds.
   »
  The injuries do not appear to be worsening, 
  nor do they appear to be healing. This would 
  seemingly indicate some magical influence, 
  likely necromantic.
  If the characters succeed on a DC 14 Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check: 
   »
  Inside one of the nearby boxes, a wax-sealed 
  jar can be spotted. Contained inside are the 
  discarded husks of dozens of worms. Some 
  characters may know that worms do not 
  typically shed their skins.
   »
  There are some dirty, unkempt robes in the 
  crates. These robes were red at one point but 
  are now quite faded and sport many, many holes 
  of various sizes. Some characters may realize 
  that these holes match the patterns on the 
  patient’s flesh.
   »
  There are two vials of congealed, syrupy golden 
  liquid. Characters that use identify, detect magic, 
  or similar effects on the vials learn that these 
  are healing potions but highly dehydrated. They 
  have lost none of their potency, though. At tier 
  2, they are potions of greater healing; at tier 3, 
  they are potions of superior healing; at tier 4, 
  they are potions of supreme healing.
  If the characters attempt to use healing or restorative 
  spells of less than 6th level on the patients: 
   »
  The character immediately realizes that 
  something is preventing their efforts, as if there 
  is a shield or cocoon of some form shrouding the 
  patients.
   »
  The character casting the spell must succeed on 
  a Wisdom saving throw. The DC for this saving 
  throw is adjusted by their tier: at tier 2, it is DC 
  14; at tier 3, it is DC 16; and at tier 4 it is DC 18.
   »
  Failing this saving throw results in the spell slot 
  being expended and the spell failing outright.
   »
  If the spell would restore hit points and the 
  caster succeeds on the saving throw, the patient 
  regains ½ of the original spell effect instead. 
  They do not regain consciousness, however, as 
  they have experienced severe trauma and they 
  are not hardy adventurers.
   »
  If the spell would remove a disease or poison 
  or functions in a similar manner and the caster 
  is successful on their saving throw, a small 
  number of the holes close and the flesh develops 
  a purple scar. The caster should realize that it 
  would take dozens and dozens of successful 
  castings to cure the patients. If the caster 
  wishes to do this, remind them that they have 
  a 5-minute window. Should this not dissuade 
  
  11
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  them, they should be made aware that there 
  are few other able-bodied clerics in the city and 
  this is not a wise use of resources (those clerics 
  can save more lives working elsewhere). Should 
  they still wish to explore this option, a little 
  Investigation or use of a Medicine check reveals 
  that it would take approximately 200 castings of 
  that spell to cure the patient.
  If the characters to use detect magic, identify, or 
  similar effects: 
   »
  There is indeed a shell of energy surrounding 
  the patients.
   »
  The shell appears to be anchored to the patients 
  at each of the open wounds.
   »
  The shell is a mix of multiple schools of 
  abjuration and conjuration, though necromancy 
  is the strongest sign. A curious thread of magic 
  weaves through them all, binding them together 
  but is not identifiable at this time.
  If the characters attempt to use legend lore: 
   »
  They can experience several of the points that 
  the Zulkir speaks about in the next section, 
  and can even see the inverted pyramid—the 
  Laboratory—and the holy symbols that cover it.
   »
  There is an intense sense of dread throughout 
  the entire vision.
  If the characters attempt to use telepathy, Rary’s 
  Telepathic Bond, or a similar effect or spell to 
  communicate with the patient: 
   »
  Any character who attempts to communicate 
  with a patient (including just listening to their 
  thoughts) must succeed on a Wisdom saving 
  throw: at tier 2, it is DC 14; at tier 3, it is DC 
  16; and at tier 4 it is DC 18. The mind of each 
  patient is racing with fear and imagery that is 
  not sane or coherent. Any character that fails 
  this saving throw grants advantage to attack 
  rolls made by undead creatures for the duration 
  of this adventure, or until they receive a remove 
  curse spell cast by a 15th level or higher caster, 
  whichever happens first. They are unlikely to be 
  aware of the ramification of this failure, though.
   »
  The patients are not capable of rational 
  thoughts.
   »
  The character immediately receives all of the 
  speech points from earlier in this section.
   »
  The character can feel cold, evil eyes upon them 
  at all times.
   »
  The patients share some vile imagery: piles of 
  writhing worms; Red Wizards being enveloped 
  in swarms of insects and devoured in an instant; 
  and a vision-shaking heartbeat that is more felt 
  than heard.
  If the characters attempt to use a spell that would 
  summon a planar creature, or they wish to force a 
  planar creature or familiar to touch the patients: 
   »
  Familiars are terrified and do not wish to leave 
  their masters. They can be forced to do so, but 
  they make their displeasure very clear.
   »
  Summoned planar creatures must be forced to 
  touch the patients. 
   »
  A spell or effect like augury is likely to return 
  a flat “no,” though you are free to embellish a 
  bit—even the spirits are aware that whatever is 
  infesting these two unfortunate souls is foul to 
  the core.
   »
  A spell like planar ally is likely to gate in a 
  creature that immediately admonishes the 
  characters for interfering in the affairs of the 
  gods. “What lies here should be burned and 
  scattered into the ether, the astral, the eternal 
  chambers of Carceri from whence it came.” Such 
  summoned creatures are unwilling to cooperate 
  and return to their home planes as quickly as 
  possible. This is a significant opportunity for 
  roleplay, though, and comes at great cost to 
  the characters so be sure to give them a few 
  moments to enjoy a sort-of victory!
  Once the characters have discovered all that they can 
  in the 5 minutes as allotted, move forward with the 
  following:
  
  12
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  The curtain is thrown open and a very 
  muscular bald man boldly strides into the 
  room. He is clad in ornate red robes and 
  sports many bright blue tattoos on his scalp. 
  Magical trinkets and spell pouches hang from 
  his belt and strap, and he flashes a bright 
  white smile full of large, square teeth at 
  everyone in the room.
  “MY FRIENDS!” he bellows, “My name is 
  Zulkir Dar’lon Ma and I would like to welcome 
  you all to the Jewel of the North, though I wish 
  it were under better circumstances.
  These poor gentlemen were simply doing 
  their jobs when this… malady… befell them. 
  Tell me, what have you learned?”
  He is flanked by a half-dozen bodyguards and 
  the priest of Ilmater that you already met.
  Tall, dark-skinned, and broad shouldered, Dar’lon 
  Ma is one of the elusive Zulkir of Thay – the rulers 
  of that arcane nation. He sports a blindingly white 
  smile and always seems to know exactly what to 
  say when speaking to visitors, be they dignitaries, 
  adventurers, or even the common person. He is 
  friendly and boisterous and prone to speaking 
  quite loudly. Though he speaks often of his desire 
  to restore Mulmaster as “the Jewel of the North,” 
  there is certainly something sinister beneath his 
  honeyed words and casual tone.
  Should the characters become aggressive, he has 
  many high-level magics including permanent 
  spells and contingencies cast and readied. 
  He focuses on enchantment and compulsion 
  spells and would much rather command an 
  opponent to  “walk until your toes fall off” instead 
  of lowering himself to basic fireballs and lightning 
  Roleplaying Dar’lon Ma
  bolts. Characters should be encouraged to avoid 
  combat with him, as his bodyguards are all tier 
  4 combatants and attacking a Zulkir would not 
  only bring down the wrath of the nation of Thay, 
  but would almost certainly cause the Thayans to 
  remove their offer of aid from Mulmaster killing 
  everyone here.
  Sample phrases: 
   »
  “MY FRIENDS!”
   »
  “Are we not all here for the greater good?”
   »
  This place has seen enough death and 
  destruction for many lifetimes. I merely beg 
  your assistance in these simple matters—to 
  improve life for everyone in this region.”
  Sample mannerisms: 
   »
  Claps his hands together, wringing them 
  slightly (to bring attention to his words).
   »
  Offer to shake hands with everyone, keeping 
  his sleeves pushed well up and over his 
  elbows (to show that he is hiding nothing).
   »
  Makes frequent and direct eye contact; this 
  tactic directs his message but also serves as 
  a measure of “alpha” or “leader” status.
  
  13
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Dar’lon Ma is a consummate politician and though he 
  will choose his words carefully, he does not wish to 
  hide the truth of these matters from the characters 
  – though he will refrain from giving full disclosure 
  about the matter at hand as the characters are 
  unlikely to be Thayan, and thus have not yet earned 
  his full trust:
   »
  He is the Zulkir of Enchantment, “but that is 
  merely my job – and Mulmaster is my passion. 
  Friends, I would not deign to use trickery in our 
  discourse.” A DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check 
  reveals that he is telling the truth.
   »
  These acolytes were part of an expedition that 
  originally numbered 8 Red Wizards and 16 
  acolytes. They were heading out into the Glacier 
  of the White Wyrm to investigate a new dig site.
   »
  They were discovered outside Southgate Gate 
  two days ago, but have not gotten worse – or 
  better.
   »
  His wizards and the few available clerics around 
  Mulmaster have been unable to determine the 
  cause of the injuries and are concerned. Because 
  the patients have not gotten better nor worse, 
  they need to identify the source of the condition 
  before proceeding with further treatment. 
  Killing the patients and raising them is a concept 
  that causes the Zulkir to frown and say “I realize 
  that my nation has a certain reputation across 
  the world, but I am afraid that death would only 
  exacerbate their condition.”
   »
  He can confirm that his wizards and clerics have 
  been unable to cast most spells on the two men, 
  and says that they have detected a shield or shell 
  around the men. This is highly disconcerting.
   »
  The nation of Thay will reward the characters 
  expediently and permanently, in measures far 
  beyond mere coin – “for we are all here for the 
  greater good, are we not?” He will not elaborate 
  further until the contract is signed.
  Should the characters ask about the expedition, 
  the Zulkir smiles and commends them on their 
  negotiating and business acumen.
  The expeditions are typically small, resulting 
  in minor items only. Bits of pottery, shards of 
  stone, perhaps a dented coin or useless blade. 
  The devastation wrought by the elemental cults 
  is terrible indeed, but has served to reveal hints 
  of the past that we have not seen in many, many 
  years.
  The records of Thay are complete, rivalling— 
  nay, exceeding, I daresay!—those of vaunted 
  Candlekeep. Word came to us of an intact 
  building beneath the ice of the Glacier of the 
  White Wyrm, a tenday to the east. We were 
  unaware of such a facility existing. These 
  expeditions and this building were certainly of 
  Netherese origin. Should it truly be intact… the 
  value of the knowledge we could glean from it 
  would be immeasurable.
  The Zulkir pauses to gauge your reactions before 
  continuing:
  The Netherese, as you well know, were not an 
  honorable people. They broke what they could 
  not control, and then broke all that they did 
  control. This facility needs to be explored, but 
  carefully. I sent 24 of my best – 8 wizards and 16 
  eager acolytes – and only these two returned.
  I ask that you go there and discover the cause of 
  what befell these two. Nothing is to be removed 
  from the facility, for we know not what we are 
  dealing with – though the knowledge of what lies 
  within is to be brought back to me directly. These 
  are auspicious days, my friends, and your legend 
  will surely grow from this.
  One of the Zulkir’s bodyguards steps forward and 
  unfurls an obscenely long copper scroll. This scroll 
  is a very complex contract and contains the full text 
  of not only what the Zulkir expects of the characters, 
  but also what he will provide to them and what 
  their rewards will be (which are simply “based upon 
  performance”). The right side of the contract shows 
  
  14
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  the true name of each of the characters, their home 
  city or region, and their faction affiliation; there is 
  a lined marked “Signed” beneath their name. The 
  characters may have some time to review the details, 
  but reading the full text would likely take days as the 
  print is exceedingly small and is constructed in such 
  a way as to be nearly akin to jargon. The Zulkir will 
  send a copy of the agreement with the characters 
  once they sign it.
  But I’m a Do-Gooder; a Hero!
  This adventure makes some assumptions about 
  the nature of the characters and their decision to 
  do as the Zulkir has requested. However, canny 
  players that know the lore of the Forgotten 
  Realms will almost certainly know that the 
  Thayans are most assuredly not a nation of good-
  aligned wizards – in fact, much the opposite. Be 
  careful to not be too heavy-handed with Dar’lon 
  Ma’s approach; if the characters do not want to 
  work with him and they decide to decline his 
  offer, it’s easy enough to simply have Rastol Shan 
  approach them later.
  Bear in mind that if the characters decline Zulkir 
  Dar’lon Ma’s offer, they will not be privy to the 
  details of the contract nor will they earn renown 
  or gold at the end of the adventure, save for 
  what Rastol provides them. Renown is typically 
  awarded for the deeds of the characters, and 
  should the characters proceed in a disorderly 
  fashion (which is almost guaranteed to happen) 
  they risk releasing a fragment of an ancient evil 
  into the world.
  Ultimately it is up to you, as the DM, to determine 
  how to handle your table and if they earned 
  the renown. Tread carefully, but the characters 
  should own their actions here!
  Should the characters ask about the details of the dig 
  site:
   »
  The facility is located under the Glacier of the 
  White Wyrm.
   »
  The Glacier is known to be home to a group of 
  white dragons, though he is “fairly certain” that 
  those creatures will not venture near the facility.
   »
  It is a tenday of hard travel to reach the site; he 
  happily provides a map after the characters have 
  signed off on the contract.
   »
  As far as he knows, the site is complete and 
  almost entirely untouched.
   
  “I present to you a binding offer, my friends. 
  Should you perform this service for me—nay, for 
  Mulmaster!—the nation of Thay would be greatly 
  indebted to you. The details of this agreement 
  are set forth in such a way as to protect our 
  relationship and investments, but I give you my 
  word:
  The Thayans believe in rewarding their allies 
  richly, justly, and permanently.”
  DeveLoPment
  The Zulkir has a sincere desire to “do business” with 
  the characters. He is very much an evil being himself, 
  though he understands the importance of working 
  with powerful individuals towards common ends. He 
  does not wish to tip his hand, though, and will not 
  give the characters the full details of what they are 
  potentially facing: he has a theory that the dig site 
  under the Glacier is the refuge of one of the Writhing 
  Batteries, shards of the prison of Kyuss.
  If the characters insult him or the nation of Thay, he 
  will, for a time, parlay and verbally spar with them on 
  the nature of perception. He will point at their current 
  efforts to rebuild Mulmaster as a sign of their desire 
  to increase their social standing.
  If the characters have severe reservations about 
  working with such an “evil” organization, Dar’lon Ma 
  smiles broadly and says that his “is an Art of Words, 
  not the dead.” He then hands the characters two 
  potions of healing (as appropriate for their tier).
  Once the characters agree to the terms in the 
  
  15
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  contract, the Zulkir provides to them a spell scroll of 
  comprehend languages in addition to everything they 
  might need for their journey.
  The core elements of the contract are: remove 
  nothing, discover the source of the infection, and find 
  a cure if possible.
  Should the characters seek out Rastol Shan, he will 
  confirm that the Red Wizards are acting curiously 
  magnanimous. While he is clearly discomforted by the 
  concept, he openly admits that without the assistance 
  of the Thayans, Mulmaster would almost certain 
  cease to survive in a matter of days. He is not aware of 
  other options at this time.
  If he is sufficiently impressed with the characters 
  and their demeanor, he will offer one of his own 
  banners for their trip. Should they decide to fly it, he 
  assures them that no harm will befall them between 
  Mulmaster and the dig site.
  Advance to Part 2: Trekking.
  Goods for the Trip
  Once the characters have agreed to the contract, 
  the Zulkir is overjoyed and tells them that all the 
  necessary gear and goods can be located outside 
  Southgate Keep. Contained in the traveling 
  provisions:
  Essentially everything worth 25 gp or less from 
  the “Adventuring Gear” table from the Player’s 
  Handbook; however, this only includes mundane 
  equipment (no acid vials, druidic focus items, 
  and so on).
  The rations are supremely high-quality and 
  include fresh berries, goat milk, nuts, and 
  artisanal breads. It should become obvious very 
  quickly that the Thayans are not adventurers and 
  may not realize that trail rations are needed.
  Feel free to handwave basic gear for the 
  characters; cold weather gear, climbing kits, and 
  so on would all be included.
  All items are clearly labeled in Common and 
  Thayan.
  The Thayans genuinely wish for the characters 
  to help, and they endeavor to make that as easy 
  a prospect as possible. This should not be a 
  “gotcha” moment as the characters set out.
  If the characters wish to purchase anything else 
  in the city, they should be aware that due to the 
  recent attacks the shops are out of potions of 
  healing, healing kits, and antivenoms. There are 
  no weapons or armor above 50 gp anymore, and 
  all mundane items (that are not provided by the 
  Thayans) are twice the normal cost.
  
  16
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Part 2. Trekking
  Expected Duration: 10 minutes
  The journey from Mulmaster to the Laboratory is an 
  easy one. The Zulkir (or Rastol Shan) has provided a 
  map, and the characters almost certainly have access 
  to all the provisions they need. As such, there is no 
  need for random encounters during the ten day trek.
  Narrative and Resources
  The events that take place between when 
  the characters leave Mulmaster and when 
  they enter the Laboratory are intended as a 
  narrative guide. They can use resources at 
  their discretion, but you should not introduce 
  any “full stop” moments. Guide the characters 
  through the setting and be sure to describe the 
  environmental effects. Handling this information 
  appropriately will certainly increase their 
  apprehension but should not result in them 
  being unable to proceed in the adventure.
   
  The journey from Mulmaster to the Laboratory 
  assumes that the characters travel on mounts 
  provided by Mulmaster or the Zulkir. If they have 
  their own, speedier transportation, feel free to 
  accelerate appropriately. 
  At tier 4 and for high-powered tier 3 tables 
  (such as those that bear Hazirawn) it may be 
  far easier to simply have Dar’lon Ma teleport 
  the characters to the Monastery of the Yellow 
  Rose. This monastery lies at the southern end of 
  the Glacier of the White Wyrm and possesses a 
  teleportation circle. It was last seen and explored 
  in DDEX02-06 Breath of the Yellow Rose by Teos 
  Abadia. In time-sensitive environments like 
  conventions or retail stores you may wish to use 
  the teleportation circle as well.
  croSSing the foothiLLS anD 
  mountainS
  The land surrounding Mulmaster has been rocked 
  and scarred by the recent elemental attacks. The 
  trade roads are decimated, but once some space has 
  been put between the remains of the city and the 
  mountain range to the east, the surroundings begin to 
  return to normal.
  If the characters are flying the banner of Zulkir 
  Dar’lon Ma, they may notice that far off in the distance 
  they can see riders who approach but then turn tail 
  and flee in the opposite direction. If the characters 
  are not flying the banner or did not gain access to the 
  banner, the journey can be described as “curiously 
  quiet” with no traders or other travelers on the road 
  for the entire duration of the trip.
  It quickly becomes apparent that the Thayans who 
  preceded the characters along this same path were 
  not making wise decisions on their trek. Campsites 
  were left after being established, with tents standing 
  empty and fire pits barely covered. The tents all 
  show the sigil of the Zulkir and appear to be made 
  of very fine materials. The characters also quickly 
  find that their rations aren’t trail rations at all: they 
  are comprised of fresh fruits, sugared nuts and figs, 
  lightly-smoked meats, and their skins are filled with 
  excellent wines and fruit juices. Clearly, the Thayans 
  are not hardy adventurers.
  Furthermore, the “ten day trek” as described in 
  Mulmaster is a farce. The characters can clear the 
  three Thayan camps for every two of their own. By 
  the time they hit the mountains to the east, their 
  rations should be beginning to go a bit soft. A DC 10 
  Intelligence (Nature) check reveals that this is a little 
  bit too fast for them to be rotting—the rations should 
  hold for at least another week.
  croSSing the gLacier of the white 
  wyrm
  Whether the characters are coming from the route to 
  
  17
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Mulmaster or from the Monastery of the Yellow Rose 
  at the southern end of the glacier, they are greeted by 
  the blinding white expanse. They may recall stories 
  of a clutch of white dragons—the “White Wyrms” the 
  name indicates—that hunt across the snow surface, 
  but they can journey to the dig site unmolested. This 
  does, however, provide a great opportunity to build 
  into the fears and reservations of the characters. 
  Listen to them carefully, and don’t be shy about 
  verbally playing into their concerns!
  The map that you received appears to be 
  accurate. After trekking across the surface of the 
  freezing chunk of ice known as the Glacier of 
  the White Wyrm, you arrive at what appears to 
  the remains of a research base station. Several 
  mounds of snow and ice dot the landscape 
  surrounding a twenty-foot-wide smooth chute 
  that has been bored into the ice.
  Brushing away the snow and ice, you can easily 
  see that old tents lie beneath the surface. They 
  appear to be incredibly weather-worn, as if they 
  have been out in the elements for years. Dry-
  rotted wooden boxes are half-frozen in the ice, 
  their goods long disposed of—or worse—by 
  time and scavengers. The tattered end of a rope 
  dangles over the edge, its strands frayed and 
  sheared off.
  The shaft is smooth-edged and reflective to a 
  nearly mirror-like finish. It descends straight into 
  the ice.
  Should the characters comment on the age of the 
  tents or boxes and how it does not add up to what 
  the Zulkir told them, ask for an Intelligence (Nature) 
  check. On a check of 8 or above, confirm that the 
  tents and boxes do appear to be breaking down from 
  natural causes. Alternately, characters may attempt a 
  DC 18 Intelligence (Arcana) check or use effects like 
  detect magic; if they do, there is a faint signature of 
  unfamiliar magic in the area but it is fleeting—though 
  it pulses and feels entirely alien.
   
  The edges of the shaft are smooth and unsuitable 
  for climbing, but thankfully the Thayans sent the 
  characters with plenty of rope and climbing kits. The 
  shaft can be climbed easily (no skill checks needed 
  so long as the characters are careful to describe their 
  methods). Should they desire to gauge the depth of 
  the shaft:
   »
  Torches dropped over the edge tumble for what 
  appears to be about 250 feet before coming to a 
  halt.
   »
  Familiars and summoned creatures express 
  extreme fear and do not wish to the leave the 
  summoner’s or master’s side. They can be 
  forced, but it should be clear that they have no 
  interest in doing this.
  BeLow the ice
  Once the characters arrive at the base of the shaft, 
  they find themselves standing in a large dome. 
  The sand beneath their feet is loose and a shade of 
  red that looks like old crumbled blood, but looks 
  undisturbed. There is a spot of light off to the north 
  but no ambient light down here. The cavern is 
  sufficiently large so that it exceeds most instances of 
  darkvision. The characters should feel as if they have 
  dropped into a large dark space with no immediately 
  obvious edges. Strangely, the temperature is mild. 
  The characters can move around without using cold 
  weather gear or similar protections.
  The spot of light off to the north swirls a bit like 
  firelight, and drawing close to it shows that it is an 
  8-foot-wide tunnel similar in scope to the shaft that 
  brought them below the ice. Near the entrance is 
  another pair of broken-down tents and a rickety 
  wooden box. They all display the sigil of the Zulkir. 
  Investigating the box causes it to collapse in a heap 
  of scrap but reveals a wide metal tube inside. This 
  tube holds a beaten metal scroll made of copper. If 
  the characters can read Thayan, they can see that this 
  scroll holds a contact nearly identical to their own but 
  with a few key differences:
   »
  24 names appear on the list of contractors: 8 
  
  18
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Red Wizards and 16 acolytes.
   »
  Where the characters have been tasked with 
  specific duties, the Red Wizards were tasked 
  with the removal of “the Battery” and its return 
  to the Thaymount by way of a teleportation 
  circle beneath the Thayan Embassy in 
  Mulmaster.
   »
  No sentient objects (weapons, armors, or 
  otherwise) were allowed on the journey or 
  inside the Laboratory.
  The tents and box all appear to have decades of 
  exposure to the elements. If the characters detected 
  the seemingly expedited breakdown of the tents 
  on the surface, this looks like much the same. The 
  curious tendril of alien magic weaves through this 
  whole place and seems to be coming from the tunnel 
  and whatever lies beyond.
  The tunnel to the north weaves and twists a bit, 
  with the ends always just a little bit out of sight. The 
  reflected light is indeed firelight but it glitters crazily 
  and feels a bit disorienting. After an hour or so of 
  walking, the characters find that a flagstone path 
  seems to rise directly out of the sand; the stones are 
  cleanly cut and free of sand or debris. It appears to be 
  newly-made. 
  Another hour after that, the tunnel opens into a much 
  larger chamber. The path ahead is flanked by small 
  stone obelisks with braziers atop them; the braziers 
  have continual flame spells cast upon them so that 
  they shed light but no heat. The chamber is immense; 
  easily a half-mile across and just as wide. A massive 
  structure dominates the landscape in the middle of 
  the chamber: an inverted pyramid piercing a stone 
  dome, made of black stone and seemingly carved 
  from a single piece. The walkway leads directly from 
  the tunnel towards the structure, then splits into two 
  paths leading to large double doors in each direction 
  at the base of the dome.
  Should the characters choose to leave the path, they 
  find that the air grows warmer and warmer with each 
  step. For more details, see the Mythals sidebar.
  The ceiling of the dome is covered in clouds, wispy 
  and grey at the edges, but dark and rippling in the 
  center, hovering over the top of the pyramid.
  Mythals
  In ancient times, the elves and the Netherese 
  used powerful enchantments called “mythals” 
  to protect their homes and lands. These 
  mythals often had many specific effects, and 
  the combination of those effects would be 
  engineered to benefit the location where it was 
  anchored. These were great feats of magic and 
  required regular maintenance and upkeep lest 
  their protections begin to unravel as they lost 
  potency.
   
  The mythal here is but a shadow of its former 
  glory. While there is no visual cue that it exists, 
  arcane casters often feel empowered (or 
  dampened) in such areas. The characters likely 
  have a similar sense; feel free to describe it. They 
  can make a DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check to 
  recall some lore about what mythals are and how 
  they work. Some mythals:
   »
  … were keyed to only allow specific races to 
  perform certain types of magic.
   »
  … completely prevented entire schools of 
  magic from working.
   »
  … heightened, extended, or otherwise 
  modified entire schools and their effects.
   »
  Required identify to be cast many times 
  (sometimes dozens) to discover their full 
  range of powers.
   »
  And so on. Feel free to insert your own 
  examples!
  The mythal here has been unraveling for some 
  time, but due to the presence of chronomancy 
  (the alien tendril of magic that the characters 
  have likely already detected) it has been slow to 
  collapse. The powers of this mythal should not be 
  disclosed to the characters. 
  This mythal:
  
  19
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
   »
  Prevents teleport effects from working 
  normally (including spells like dimension 
  door, teleport, misty step, and so on). 
  Anyone casting a spell with a teleport 
  effect or receiving a teleport must succeed 
  on a Constitution saving throw or take 
  force damage and the spell has no effect. 
  A success on this saving throw cuts the 
  damage by half, but the spell functions 
  normally.
  Tier 2: DC 14, 25 (5d10) force damage
  Tier 3: DC 16, 50 (10d10) force damage
  Tier 4: DC 18, 90 (18d10) force damage
   »
  Interferes with magical healing and 
  recovery. Casting a healing or restorative 
  spell below 6th level requires the caster 
  to succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, 
  or else the spell only functions at 50% 
  effectiveness. Sample spells include: cure 
  wounds, greater restoration, and so on. In 
  the case of restoration spells, if the caster 
  fails their saving throw, a condition will 
  not be cured—merely put into ‘stasis’ for 1 
  hour per caster level.
  Tier 2: DC 14
  Tier 3: DC 16
  Tier 4: DC 18
   »
  Potions and scrolls that contain healing 
  or restorative effects work at 50% 
  effectiveness but do not have an associated 
  saving throw.
   »
  Due to a malfunctioning Nystul’s magical 
  aura, all creatures (including the 
  characters) detect as neutral fiends while 
  beneath the Glacier. This does not change 
  the characters or their normal states, but 
  may impact how some spells operate.
   »
  Biodegradable materials break down at an 
  accelerated pace here. Water skins empty 
  in minutes, potions of healing begin to 
  evaporate and become jellies or pastes 
  in mere hours. Potions do not lose their 
  effectiveness, though they may take extra 
  effort to consume (at your discretion). Even 
  items in extradimensional space are 
  affected, though at a slower rate. This 
  explains the rapid breakdown of the tents 
  and boxes, and the characters should realize 
  that their rations are rotten and their skins 
  emptied once they enter the dome.
   »
  Leaving the flagstone path or entering the 
  open air (like from jumping off the top of the 
  pyramid) triggers one of the mythal’s wards. 
  For every five feet that a living creature 
  travels away from the stone they make a 
  Constitution saving throw. Succeeding on 
  this saving throw results in half damage and 
  no exhaustion. The DC of this saving throw 
  increases by +2 and the damage increases 
  for every 5 additional feet that the creature 
  travels off the stone.
  Tier 2: DC 14, 10 (2d10) fire and necrotic 
  damage; damage increases by 5 (1d10) 
  every 5 ft.
  Tier 3: DC 16, 25 (5d10) fire and necrotic 
  damage; damage increases by 10 (2d10) 
  every 5 ft.
  Tier 4: DC 18, 45 (9d10) fire and necrotic 
  damage; damage increases by 20 (4d10) 
  every 5 ft.
   »
  Using spells like antimagic aura or dispel 
  magic will work normally against creatures, 
  summoned effects, and the like but the 
  mythal itself (and the “black masses” that 
  separate the rooms) is immune to such spells.
  Mythals do not interfere with racial abilities or 
  class abilities unless that ability is specifically 
  noted as being magical. For instance, characters 
  can use hit dice, a lay on hands ability, or similar 
  effects without penalty.
  The exterior of the dome and even the surface of the 
  pyramid show massive holy symbols of Lathander 
  and Amanaunator. These deities typically represent 
  sun, dawn, and protection. With a successful DC 
  14 Intelligence (Religion) check, the characters 
  can identify the holy symbols as being from many 
  different ages: from the time of the Netherese through 
  the post-Spellplague years. Furthermore, they know 
  
  20
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  that only one of those deities ever exists at one time. 
  It is a common belief that they are merely different 
  faces of the same god, though this is unconfirmed. 
  Upon close inspection, it is plain to see that all the 
  available surfaces here are covered in repeated 
  holy symbols of these deities throughout the ages, 
  some large and some small, all nested together. The 
  carvings all look brand new, as if the smith only 
  finished in the last few days.
  The doors to the dome are nearly ten feet tall and 
  stone, but easy enough to open. They are not locked, 
  and the right-hand set of doors is slightly ajar.
  At the junction in the path, there is a crudely-carved 
  arrow pointing to the right and a parcel that is 
  identical to the packs of rations that the characters 
  have brought with them. The rations inside the 
  wrapper, though, have long since dried away and 
  become inedible (see the Mythals sidebar).
  entering the Queue
  The interior of the dome is hollow, but there are 
  some interesting visual elements inside. Between the 
  doors are two seemingly ancient canvas and leather 
  tents that long ago decomposed opposite a large 
  metal box. The tip of the pyramid has pierced the 
  dome and immediately below the tip is a stone dais 
  measuring 12 feet across and 3 feet tall. All of the 
  surfaces here—the floor, the walls of the dome, the tip 
  of the pyramid —are decorated in the same series of 
  repeating holy symbols of Lathander and Amaunator.
  Should the characters decide to investigate the 
  metal box and the tents, they find that the box once 
  held leather cushions inside, as if intended to safely 
  transport small delicate objects, but those cushions 
  have all turned to dust and brittle scrap. The tents 
  match the design of all the tents previously found 
  as well as the tents that the characters were likely 
  provided by the Zulkir.
  The dais has a number of metal channels carved 
  into the top. There are twice as many channels as 
  characters present. These channels all feed into a 
  central silver bowl. If the characters can read Ancient 
  Netherese, they can read an inscription around the 
  dais, carved three times in succession:
  “From the gift of life, knowledge.”
  This puzzle can be resolved several different ways, 
  but ultimately the channels must be filled with a 
  life-giving fluid. Water is the intended choice, but the 
  waterskins the characters brought with them are all 
  empty at this point Reward a creative use of resources 
  like a create water spell, the use of a decanter of 
  endless water, or even an alchemy jug with a success. 
  Filling the channels in this manner does not alert the 
  Writhing Battery that new visitors have arrived and 
  will weaken the creatures in the first encounter.
  Alternately (and more commonly), the characters may 
  choose to make a blood sacrifice. This will work with 
  a few specific elements: 
   »
  Once cut, a beam of blood tears free from 
  the damaged limb, causing 1 point of 
  necrotic damage (bypassing resistances and 
  immunities). This beam locks the character in 
  place; the damaged limb cannot get any farther 
  from the metal channel, though there is no 
  residual damage. A beam can be interrupted 
  (thus allowing a character to move away from 
  the dais) by holding a shield, the flat of a blade, 
  or something similar between the limb and the 
  dais.
   »
  Summoned creatures, familiars, and the like do 
  not qualify for the dais’ unlocking requirements. 
  Only natural creatures that are native to Faerun 
  will satisfy the requirements.
   »
  A creature may use one limb per channel.
  Once all channels have blood or another liquid in 
  them, the contents all rush into the bowl in the center 
  and it immediately hits a rolling boil. Any characters 
  that had been rooted in place using blood sacrifice 
  are released. The tip of the pyramid rumbles and 
  shudders as it splays open and an ornate metal 
  staircase descends from the structure above and 
  comes to rest on the top of the dais. A booming voice 
  echoes out in Ancient Netherese:
  
  21
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  “The portal to the Laboratory will close in 5… 4…”
  The stairs are wide enough to allow a medium-sized 
  creature to ascend but will hamper the movements of 
  a mount or large creature. After two rounds, the stairs 
  are unusable if the characters did not ascend in time. 
  Be careful to not split the party here!
  DeveLoPment
  Furthermore, when the last character enters the 
  Queue, send this message to them as a private note 
  (or walk with them away from the table):
  The tip of the pyramid hangs open, with a broken 
  and bent metal staircase hanging loosely from 
  it. An oozing mass is pushing through from the 
  chambers above, and as you attempt to puzzle 
  out its origins, it unceremoniously plops onto 
  the dais – a huge ball of green worms, covered in 
  slime and unknowable detritus.  
  You blink, and your vision clears. Nothing 
  appears to be out of place, save for the heavy 
  silence and the disturbing array of holy symbols.
  This vision only occurs once per game, and the 
  other characters do not share this vision. There is no 
  evidence of worms ever dropping into this space, and 
  the other characters do not see a staircase (at least, 
  until they solve the puzzle with the dais).
  
  22
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Level 1. Specimens of All 
  Types
  Expected Duration: 75 minutes
  The Laboratory is of ancient Netherese design, but it 
  quickly becomes apparent that the characters are not 
  the first visitors here. It is strongly suggested that you 
  review the mythal sidebar from the previous section 
  and play up the strange arcane energies of the place!
  General Features
  The features listed here are present for the entire 
  facility.
  Terrain. The stone is expertly cut and exquisitely 
  styled.
  Light. Thanks to the mythal, there is plenty of 
  ambient light. 
  Temperature. The Laboratory is cool and 
  comfortable, though the air is exceedingly dry. There 
  is effectively no humidity here.
  entrance chamBer
  The staircase that brought the characters here has 
  collapsed upon itself, forming the symbol on the 
  floor. Faint channels—the same number as below 
  in the dome—can be seen in the stone. Should the 
  characters decide to leave, they will need to use the 
  same tactic that they used to enter (though they can 
  substitute in water instead of blood if they have it, 
  and vice versa).
   
  There is some graffiti here:
   »
  Six portraits have been drawn in chalk in 
  the northwest corner. They are labeled in 
  Common as “Zan-ki,” “Luth,” “Thurston,” 
  “Chorizo,” “Nimgit,” and “Zahp.” Characters 
  that are members of the Cloaks recognize Zan-
  ki, Luth, Thurston, and Nimgit as members of 
  their organization. With a DC 10 Intelligence 
  (History) check, players can recall that Zahp 
  Tersely was an arrogant (though capable) 
  gnome wizard that participated in the recent 
  defense of Mulmaster against the elemental 
  cults (DDEP2 Mulmaster Undone).
   »
  The southern archway sports a chalk symbol 
  in Orcish (the letter “B”), an arrow indicating 
  travel to the south, and a quick sketch of the 
  constellation known as the Tears of Selune.
  The archways in each direction have a curious light-
  drinking substance that gently wriggles or flutters 
  when viewed in the character’s peripheral vision. Flat 
  black; even effects like devil’s sight and darkvision 
  fail to penetrate it. If the characters throw something 
  through it, it will hang in the air just out of view until 
  the mass moves. To get the mass to move, a living 
  character simply needs to be adjacent to it—at which 
  point it shudders violently and zooms away from 
  them, revealing the chamber beyond. 
  The black mass stops moving at the end of the 
  retention cells, and only rushes up to seal off the 
  entrance chamber when there are no more characters 
  in that room. The same is true for the retention 
  cells—when there are no characters in or adjacent 
  to those spaces, the black mass rushes up to seal off 
  that area. If the characters re-enter a space that has 
  previously been sealed off, they will find that it has 
  been entirely reset —any dropped items are missing, 
  creatures that may have been defeated are placed 
  back in their original positions, and so on.
  Should the characters decide to use effects like divine 
  sense, detect magic, and so on:
   »
  If the Writhing Battery is aware of the 
  characters, then everything detects as evil 
  undead – the walls, the archways, everything.
   »
  There is a mix of magical auras permeating 
  everything in the Laboratory, with heavy signs 
  of conjuration, abjuration, and enchantment. 
  Faint signs of necromancy and evocation can 
  also be detected, but another energy signature 
  can just barely be made out—it has a faint red 
  tinge to it (if the characters can see magical 
  
  23
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  effects) but is unfamiliar.
   »
  The black mass detects heavily as illusion, 
  enchantment, and conjuration. Should the 
  characters attempt to dispel it (as it is a magical 
  effect) they can feel something pushing back 
  against their efforts—the mythal, actually—as 
  their spell is negated.
   »
  So long as a living creature is present in an area, 
  the black mass will not enter that area.
  Southern retention ceLLS
  Each cell contains a skeleton. This skeleton looks as if 
  it simply sat down, but its back to the wall, and waited 
  to die. There is no debris in the cell and no sign of 
  decayed or rotting flesh. Upon close inspection—a DC 
  14 Intelligence (Investigation), Wisdom (Medicine), 
  or Intelligence (Nature) check—the characters can 
  see that the bones all have tiny bite marks on them, 
  like many small creatures stripped this body of its 
  flesh. The skeleton, while creepy, is not undead, 
  though if the Writhing Battery is aware of the 
  characters they may detect it as undead anyhow.
  One of the furthest-south cells has a red-robed figure 
  instead of a skeleton. This figure has its hood drawn 
  over its face and its arms are neatly tucked up into its 
  sleeves. If the characters touch the body at all (even 
  with effects like mage hand), the arms tumble out and 
  the body slumps over, revealing that the flesh on the 
  face has been removed as well as all the muscle and 
  tissue on the arms up to the elbows. The ragged ends 
  of visible skin show a series of black dots identical 
  to those on the patients in Mulmaster. The robes 
  are frayed and tattered and look quite old, but if the 
  characters search the body for one minute they can 
  find a spell tile. This spell tile functions like a potion, 
  but a character needs only break it for its embedded 
  spell to be cast:
   »
  Tier 2: mage armor
   »
  Tier 3: invisibility
   »
  Tier 4: stone skin 
  This spell tile loses all its magic if it leaves the 
  Laboratory, and can only be used a single time.
  The bars on the cells are only three inches apart, but 
  there are control boxes outside each cell that can be 
  easily manipulated by expending an action. Heavy 
  weapons are unable to effectively swing between the 
  bars. Any creature on the opposite side has total cover 
  and its attackers suffer disadvantage on their attack 
  rolls. 
  Once the characters spend two rounds in this hallway, 
  eight black shapes begin to press through the walls 
  and take shape as wraiths. However, the combination 
  of the mythal, the Writhing Battery, and the Netherese 
  magic that still lingers here has caused them to be 
  more powerful than normal. If the Writhing Battery 
  is aware of the characters, the wraiths gain the 
  multiattack action, allowing them to make two life 
  drain attacks. As incorporeal creatures, they can flit 
  through the walls and bars without issue but are 
  intelligent enough to use the bars to their advantage.
  Adjusting the Encounter
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this 
  combat encounter. These are not cumulative. 
  Note that for each sentient weapon that the party 
  bears the difficulty needs to be scaled up as the 
  Writhing Battery is drawn to those items.
   »
  Very weak or weak party: only six wraiths 
  are present, and at tier 2 only three of them 
  are eligible to gain the multiattack feature.
   »
  Strong party or very strong party: the bars 
  do not break line of sight but weapon attacks 
  cannot bypass them unless the character 
  is using a piercing melee weapon or is in a 
  straight line to the target (thus negating some 
  effects and feats like sharpshooter).
  If the Writhing Battery is not already aware of 
  the characters, the wraiths have disadvantage 
  on their attack rolls during the first round of 
  combat.
  
  24
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  DeveLoPment
  This encounter has the potential to be very deadly. 
  The wraiths are quite powerful, especially if they 
  can use their multiattack feature. Characters should 
  quickly realize this and you are certainly empowered 
  to stress that the wraiths are hesitant to come out of 
  the cells and that they do not pursue the characters 
  that leave the hallway of retention cells. You could 
  also encourage characters to use effects like turn 
  undead (channel divinity)—the goal here is to show 
  the characters that powerful enemies lurk here, not to 
  kill them off.
  Furthermore, when the last character enters the 
  hallway, send this message to them as a private note 
  (or walk with them away from the table):
  Just as the black mass swirls up to block off your 
  view of the entrance chamber, you catch a brief 
  vision: a group of adventurers in modern armor 
  and bearing the banner of the Zulkir are holding 
  down a young woman—a druid, you think—
  while a burly half-orc stabs her in the neck three 
  times. She catches your eyes as the black mass 
  washes over her, and though her mouth was open 
  as if to say something nothing can be heard. 
  When next you blink, you cannot see the 
  entrance chamber—only the black, gently waving 
  mass.
  If the characters return to the entrance chamber there 
  is no sign of the party of adventures, nor of the dead 
  druid.
  As soon as combat begins, the Writhing Battery 
  becomes aware of the adventurers. 
  To the south can be seen a chalk arrow pointing 
  further south. The Orcish symbol for “B” and the 
  drawing of the constellation of the Tears of Selune can 
  be spied as well.
  Treasure
  The spell tile hidden inside the robes of the red 
  wizard is the only treasure in this area.
  weStern retention ceLLS
  This area uses the same description as the Southern 
  Retention Cells, though the robed figure does not 
  have a spell tile and the vision does not occur unless 
  the characters enter this space from the Entrance 
  Chamber. This vision only occurs once per game, 
  though the combat can be repeated.
  It is important to note that repeating the combat here 
  does not increase the overall experience gain at the 
  end of the adventure.
  northern retention ceLLS
  This area uses the same description as the Southern 
  Retention Cells, though the robed figure does not 
  have a spell tile and the vision does not occur unless 
  the characters enter this space from the Entrance 
  Chamber. This vision only occurs once per game, 
  though the combat can be repeated.
  There is a slight change to the description, though:
  Large arrows drawn in chalk line the floor here, 
  all pointing to the south.
  It is important to note that repeating the combat here 
  does not increase the overall experience gain at the 
  end of the adventure.
  eaStern retention ceLLS
  This area uses the same description as the Southern 
  Retention Cells, though the robed figure does not 
  have a spell tile and the vision does not occur unless 
  the characters enter this space from the Entrance 
  Chamber. This vision only occurs once per game, 
  though the combat can be repeated.
  
  25
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
   
  It is important to note that repeating the combat here 
  does not increase the overall experience gain at the 
  end of the adventure.
  Southern cataLogue
  The bookcases in this room are stuffed with large 
  tomes. These books are made of metal and stone, with 
  no sign of leather, paper, or traditional book-making 
  materials. Each book is quite heavy (25 pounds each, 
  and measuring 18 inches by 30 inches and 10 inches 
  thick). 
  Each tome on the western section sports two icons: 
  one is the symbol for a piece of equipment (such as 
  ‘helmet,’ ‘shield,’ ‘mace,’ etc) and the other a sigil for 
  one of the schools of magic below. Each shelf holds 
  all of the books for a certain item’s icon, so a shelf 
  can be expected to have the following tomes: shield/
  enchantment, shield/conjuration, shield/evocation, 
  and so on. If the characters can read Ancient 
  Netherese they can see that these tomes hold the 
  records of the researchers in this laboratory as they 
  struggled to create magic items, and later sentient 
  items. Unfortunately all of their efforts to create 
  sentient items failed. There are no books here that 
  bear the sigil for necromancy.
  The tomes on the eastern side of the room are far 
  more interesting. Each shelf is dedicated to a school 
  of magic, and the last tome on each shelf includes a 
  lightly stamped or carved symbol that looks like a 
  diamond or crystal. If the characters can read Ancient 
  Netherese, they can see that these tomes contain 
  details on the incredibly complex arcane rituals that 
  would be used to create sentient items. Regardless of 
  any Arcana check, the characters will not be able to 
  learn these rituals—though a decently high History 
  check may reveal that the Netherese had formerly 
  used 10th-level magic and these rituals are likely 
  related to that. They are incredibly dangerous should 
  they be released to the outside world. There are no 
  books on necromancy here.
   
  The books on the eastern wall that also have 
  the symbol for the crystal are titled as follows: 
  Adjustments for This School Pre-Battery, Incorporating 
  the Battery, and Post-Battery Findings. Each school 
  (aside from necromancy) has all three tomes, and 
  the results inside the Post-Battery Findings tome by 
  the researchers indicate that every experiment was a 
  massive success.
  Additionally, there are three tomes with a magic sigil 
  that is unfamiliar. With an Intelligence (Arcana) check 
  of 20, a character may recognize the sigil as belonging 
  to the “lost” school of chronomancy. 
  Each tome is emanating a faint web of reddish 
  energy (if the characters can see magic, that is) that 
  weaves throughout the entire facility. The books are 
  incredibly advanced and aren’t spellbooks but instead 
  bear notes, proof-of-concept experiment reports, 
  and personal observations. The third tome bears the 
  crystal icon just as the other schools of magic do, and 
  the findings inside the tome are incredibly exciting—
  each object was successfully imbued with the desired 
  properties and many more, but the fourth page in 
  simply says “Experiments terminated by order of the 
  Council.”
  Last, there is a massive tome on the massive southern 
  pedestal. It is titled Principae Antiquus and is made 
  of thinly hammered brass and silver and sports 
  covers made of magically-reinforced stone, each 
  page measures roughly 1/8” thick by 36” by 60”. The 
  tome is massive, and when closed is nearly 48” thick, 
  weighing close to 550 pounds. The tome is currently 
  open and shows the following (all writing is in 
  Ancient Netherese): 
   »
  Left page: a detailed portrait of a middle-aged 
  man in full military dress and wearing ornate 
  mithril armor. Below this are several sections 
  including “History,” “Performance,” “Criteria,” 
  and “Findings.” The page is titled “Lord-General 
  Hazirawn.”
   »
  Right page: a highly detailed schematic of 
  a wickedly barbed greatsword, including 
  necromancy, enchantment, and abjuration 
  sigils. A curious sigil has been scratched off 
  (this matches the “lost school” notes above but 
  
  26
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  cannot be identified solely from these markings 
  due to the damage). A crystal icon has been 
  pressed into the corner of the page.
   »
  All subsequent pages include a portrait on the 
  left and a schematic on the right; some pairings 
  include a priest of Amaunator and a mace, a 
  wizard and a ring, and so on. Some later pages 
  appear to have been in-progress before this 
  place was abandoned; the final pages indicate a 
  spellbook with a scratched-out sigil, a sloop, and 
  a set of lockpicks.
  Should the characters be able to read these pages, 
  they will learn that a person named Lord-General 
  Hazirawn was once a successful military commander 
  for the Netherese Empire. He led numerous 
  skirmishes and rarely suffered a loss. Over a long 
  military career spanning several centuries (thanks 
  to the spells of the Council), he was responsible 
  for many significant protective actions. He was 
  summarily selected for “the process,” and upon 
  reporting to the Laboratory he was pressed into the 
  greatsword as seen on the facing page. The “Findings” 
  section indicates that Hazirawn felt a great sense of 
  betrayal but his value needed to be preserved, and it 
  is only due to the incorporation of the Battery that he 
  can be an eternal instrument of the Empire.
  If any of the characters possess Hazirawn (a sentient 
  greatsword from Hoard of the Dragon Queen), that 
  blade becomes very upset. Deploy this interaction as 
  you see fit, but the sword desires to leave this place—
  but it will return later, once the wielder is not in the 
  Laboratory any more. It tells the bearer that this 
  place is vile and “will be their end.” If not appeased, 
  it teleports away immediately—as an object of 
  Netherese origin, it is unaffected by the mythal. 
  The characters can take these books if they like, 
  though the Principae Antiquus is too large for a bag 
  of holding. Due to their contents they do not have 
  a value that can be counted in mere gold pieces. A 
  successful Appraise check may indicate—at your 
  discretion—that these books would be worth a 
  significant favor at Candlekeep or some other similar 
  institution.
  northern cataLogue
  As with the Southern Catalogue, all the tomes in this 
  space are stone and metal. But, there is no oversized 
  table, nor is there is a massive tome of items here. All 
  the smaller tomes are still quite heavy (25 pounds 
  each, and measuring 18 inches by 30 inches and 10 
  inches thick).
  The shelves are dominated by necromantic tomes. 
  They are not spellbooks but are written in Ancient 
  Netherese. If they are examined (remember that 
  comprehend languages only allows a character to 
  read one page per minute) they all indicate that 
  these experiments took place after the introduction 
  of the Writhing Battery. The results were staggering 
  and the items that were created remained potent for 
  an extended time. There are easily 300 such tomes 
  here and would be worth a significant amount to 
  archmages, Candlekeep, Netherese archwizards, and 
  possibly even some Thayan zulkirs and liches.
  One shelf includes titles such as Life Energy and How 
  to Control It, Sweet and Salty: Vitae from the Young 
  and Old, and so on. These titles, if read, discuss the 
  manipulation of life energy by using necromancy, 
  abjuration, enchantment, and certain magical items to 
  greatly prolong the life (and in some cases, the unlife) 
  of a creature.
  A blue chalk arrow points at the southern archway 
  and black mass, along with the Orcish symbol for “B” 
  and the constellation of the Tears of Selune.
  weStern StairS
  A large set of stairs climbs up the western wall, 
  switching back upon itself and disappearing into the 
  ceiling. Should the characters wish to climb up the 
  stairs, proceed to Level 3: The Writhing Battery.
  From the floor here the characters can spy a foot 
  on the landing of the stairs just before the staircase 
  disappears into the ceiling. If the characters climb 
  up, they discover that it is only a leg and nothing 
  more, but the little flesh that remains is covered in 
  blue tattoos as commonly found on the skin of a Red 
  
  27
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Wizard of Thay. The landing has a dozen discarded 
  worm husks, and the thumping grows much louder 
  here – there is a palpable dread that comes from 
  higher up in the facility.
  Chalk arrows, the Orcish symbol for “B,” and the 
  constellation of the Tears of Selune all point toward 
  the northern hallway.
  eaStern StairS
  A large set of stairs climbs up the eastern wall, 
  switching back upon itself and disappearing into the 
  ceiling. Should the characters wish to climb up the 
  stairs, proceed to Level 2: The Lab Proper.
  In the northwest corner of this space is scrawled 
  “Zahp was here!” in Common. This is a reference 
  to Zahp Tersely (the portrait seen in the Entrance 
  Chamber). Characters that are members of the 
  Cloaks that have not already discovered his identity 
  can make another Intelligence (History) check 
  with advantage at this time. Refer to the Entrance 
  Chamber section for more information about Zahp.
  A red-robed figure is also here, splayed out face-down 
  on the floor. Upon investigation, it can be determined 
  that this figure is a Thayan wizard but has had his 
  flesh removed like the robed figures as-found in the 
  Retention Cell hallways. Underneath this corpse are 
  several discarded worm husks, identical to those seen 
  in Mulmaster in the temple of Ilmater.
  time to reSt?
  The characters can take a short rest on this floor 
  if they retreat to the Entrance Chamber. Once the 
  Writhing Battery is aware of the characters, the 
  rhythmic thumping of that infernal artifact prevents 
  long rests from taking place.
  Be sure to check the Mythal sidebar if the characters 
  wish to use healing or restorative items and effects.
  aDvancing the aDventure
  The characters can proceed to Level 2: The Lab 
  Proper by climbing the eastern stairs or Level 3: The 
  Writhing Battery by climbing the western stairs. 
  Alternately, they can perform the sacrifice ritual and 
  escape the Laboratory entirely through the Entrance 
  Chamber.
  
  28
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Level 2: The Lab Proper
  Expected Duration: 60 minutes 
  Many centuries ago, this floor served as both 
  laboratory and warehouse. The Netherese wizards 
  and alchemists stationed here would run their 
  experiments and then house the results on the 
  various shelves in this space. A massive contraption 
  dominates the center of the room and is surrounded 
  by numerous operating tables. This contraption 
  is directly linked to the Writhing Battery and the 
  thumping sound it makes.
  Is the Writhing Battery Aware?
  The text of this section assumes that the 
  characters explore this area before they go to 
  level 3. It also assumes that the characters have 
  triggered the awareness of the Writhing Battery.
  If the Battery is so far unaware of the characters, 
  it will become aware of them as soon as they get 
  within 40 feet of the Harness at the center of this 
  floor.
  If the characters have already completed Floor 3: 
  The Writhing Battery, you may need to modify 
  the text here as the Battery is likely destroyed 
  (and thus no longer making the rhythmic 
  thumping noises). In this case, you may also 
  wish to remove this combat if the characters 
  have been sufficiently challenged in previous 
  encounters.
   
  General Features
  Light and Visibility. The mythal provides ambient 
  light with no obvious source. While not bright light, 
  it is bright enough to ensure that penalties are not 
  accrued when reading (or in combat) but not quite 
  dim enough to assist with stealth attempts.
  Smells and Sounds. This floor smells heavily of 
  parchment and incense. As these things do not exist 
  within the Laboratory, it is likely that this is an effect 
  of the mythal.
  Tall Ceilings. The entire floor sports 25-foot-tall 
  ceilings. The storage racks also extend to the ceiling 
  where indicated.
  The stairs rise for what seems to be hundreds of 
  feet. Once you emerge from the narrow, stone-
  enclosed path, you can easily hear that the 
  thumping noise has gained in intensity. Peering 
  around, this place looks like a cross between 
  a warehouse and a library. Huge display cases 
  and shelving units rise from floor to ceiling and 
  measure nearly 25 feet tall. Peering down the 
  ten foot walkways, you can see tables and small 
  cabinets nearby. The shelves are stuffed full of 
  deliberately placed pieces of gear and equipment, 
  each sporting a namecard in Netherese.
   
  The center of the chamber is dominated by a 
  massive contraption of glass and metal tubes. 
  The contents of these racks are all carefully sorted but 
  are now rusted beyond use and no longer magical. 
  The placards in front of each item indicate the type of 
  item and the spells used in the attempt to make them 
  magical. The room is sorted into deliberate areas, 
  with all the daggers in one space, helms in another, 
  canteens in another, and so on. Get creative with the 
  characters if they wish to explore!
  the harneSS
   
  The metal and glass contraption at the center of the 
  room is referred to as “the harness” in the books from 
  the lower floor. It is a delicate assembly of arcane 
  components, and while the other items on this floor 
  have long since degraded to uselessness, this artifact 
  still radiates magic. Any amount of interaction with 
  the artifact will cause it to collapse; the Netherese 
  spent many years learning specific, complex rituals 
  simply to begin working with its individual pieces. 
  Several glass pipes and wire filaments bridge the 
  
  29
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  gap between the ancient machine and the circle 
  of metal tables that surrounds it. These blocks all 
  have humanoid-shaped indentations on their upper 
  surface.
   
  A successful Wisdom (Insight) or Intelligence 
  (Arcana) check will confirm what the characters 
  may already suspect: subjects would be strapped 
  here while vile experiments were performed upon 
  them. If the characters investigate this space, allow 
  them to make an Intelligence (Investigation) check 
  at DC 10; on a success, they can spot a loose panel on 
  one of the metal boxes. Inside, a series of adjustable 
  platforms and some additional wiring is found, along 
  with an impressive-looking suit of mithril armor 
  (refer to the certificate and treasure section for more 
  information on this magical item; the characters are 
  free to determine what type of metal armor that it is, 
  including plate mail).
   
  As the characters are examining the metal armor (and 
  before they have a chance to don it), the rhythmic 
  thumping increases in tempo, signaling the arrival of 
  three Spawn of Kyuss. 
  Threat and Lair Actions
  The Spawn of Kyuss here have access to the 
  lair actions as detailed in the monster entry for 
  Kyuss. Be careful that these actions do not result 
  in the characters feeling inconsequential. The 
  intention here is to prompt the characters to 
  either escape or destroy these creatures quickly, 
  but also to inflict some wounds upon their bodies 
  and their pride in the process. If the characters 
  have not already seen the contents of Level 3: 
  The Writhing Battery, play up the grotesque 
  nature of the worms and how they burrow into 
  the flesh of the characters, then wriggle around. 
  Highly narrative descriptions will go a long way 
  towards ensuring that the characters have an 
  appropriate encounter!
  DeveLoPment
  The Spawn of Kyuss seek to devour any character 
  that is not undead. Each Spawn will shed a swarm of 
  rot grubs during the first round on initiative count 20 
  (losing ties). The monsters fight to the death, but do 
  not desire to leave this floor if the characters flee.
  Adjusting the Encounter
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this 
  combat encounter. These are not cumulative.
   
   »
  Very weak party: remove one Spawn of 
  Kyuss
   »
  Strong party: add one Spawn of Kyuss
   »
  Very strong party: as strong party, and 
  treat the monsters as if they were sneaking 
  up on the characters (Passive Perception 
  DC 16/ 18/ 20 to detect).
  Make a note of any character that becomes 
  infested with worms, as they earn the Favored 
  of the Worm story award at the end of the 
  adventure.
  time to reSt?
  The characters may use a short rest here if they 
  like, but there is a 10% chance every ten minutes 
  of encountering two Spawn of Kyuss (using the 
  Development notes above). If the characters attempt 
  to use a long rest, they are guaranteed to have this 
  combat encounter every two hours.
  aDvancing the aDventure
  The characters must return to the main floor before 
  they can move up to Level 3: The Writhing Battery 
  as there is no direct passage between these floors.
  
  30
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Level 3. The Writhing 
  Battery
  Expected Duration: 45 minutes
  The staircase from the main floor to the top of 
  the pyramid rises hundreds of feet and takes the 
  better part of forty minutes of climbing before the 
  characters reach the summit. Once there, they see a 
  chilling vision and must decide if they will give in to 
  their curiosity or if they will decide that caution is the 
  better part of valor.
   
  What lies beyond the door is quite literally the stuff 
  that legends are made of…
  General Features
  This floor works best if you work to describe the 
  floor as undulating, gross, or use other highly-
  descriptive words. The space beyond the doors 
  has been corrupted by the power of Kyuss and is 
  overwhelmingly fouled.
   
  Terrain. The stairs and platform are standard 
  stonework, but the space beyond the door is difficult 
  terrain. It is made of worms and dead, decomposing 
  bodies; any character standing on that section of floor 
  must succeed on a DC 14 (tier 2)/ 16 (tier 3)/ 18 (tier 
  4) Strength saving throw or become restrained as 
  they begin to sink into the pile of worms.
   
  Light. Everything here is dim light thanks to the 
  clouds overhead.
   
  Clouds. The clouds overhead are not rainclouds—
  they are in fact clouds of congealed necrotic energy, 
  held together thanks to the power of the mythal and 
  a hint of chronomancy. Any character that touches 
  the cloud must succeed on a DC 14 (tier 2)/ 16 (tier 
  3)/ 18 (tier 4) Constitution saving throw or take 
  necrotic damage as if they had been hit by a wraith of 
  the appropriate tier (see the wraith’s stat block and 
  Scaling the Wraith in the Appendix). If a character 
  dies due to this damage, they are not raised as an 
  undead creature – instead, they are transported to 
  Carceri (a plane of reality that is commonly used 
  as a prison for powerful divine and blasphemous 
  creatures) and are considered dead unless the Red 
  Wizards (or another suitably powerful character or 
  NPC) uses a wish spell, though for the purposes of this 
  adventure the Red Wizards will rescue the character 
  at the end of the game session.
   
  Worms. The worms on the platform do not pose a 
  threat, and the worms beyond the door merely affect 
  the characters as noted above. 
  the PLatform
  The stairs from the main floor to this upper platform 
  are narrow, and as the characters get closer to the exit 
  they find that more and more worms are smashed 
  into the nooks and crannies of the stone. Many of 
  the worms are dead, and a few are dying and do not 
  post a challenge (though a character may wish to 
  retain one, it dies within a few minutes of leaving the 
  mythal).
   
  The platform, once reached, is fairly large. It measures 
  30 feet by 30 feet and is surrounded by three walls 
  and an open vista to the ice cavern outside. Scrawled 
  at the open edge is a message written in Elven using 
  blue chalk: “Don’t jump.” The walls rise fifteen feet 
  before disappearing into the thick, dark cloud that is 
  now immediately above the heads of the characters. 
  The eastern wall is dominated by a set of double 
  doors held shut by a black iron rod. 
  The doors to the east are bulging outward 
  towards you, but held shut by a thick black iron 
  rod that has been inserted into the stonework 
  handles. Worms are being crushed around the 
  edges of the door and below it, essentially being 
  turned into a foul-smelling slurry. The entire 
  visage pulses in time with the horrible rhythmic 
  thumping noise. The left door has been inset with 
  a flaring holy symbol of Lathander, and the right 
  door has been inset with a flaring holy symbol of 
  Amaunator.
  
  31
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  The black iron rod, though, provides a small 
  spark of sanity and safety when you lay your eyes 
  upon it. For perhaps the first time since you set 
  foot in this facility, you may have finally found a 
  sign of safety.
  The characters are under no compulsion to touch 
  the black iron bar, but if they do they immediately 
  know that it is a Rod of Security (see the certificate 
  and treasure section at the end of the adventure for 
  more details). They are keenly aware of how to use it 
  and that it does not require attunement. Characters 
  that are hesitant may choose to use an Intelligence 
  (Arcana) check; a successful check tells them that it is 
  a powerful magic item and represents safety, but does 
  not bear any mind-affecting enchantment. The mythal 
  has obscured the rod’s properties from detection. 
  Short of touching it, characters would have to use an 
  identify spell to determine what it is. Unfortunately, 
  using identify also requires the character to touch it.
   
  When the characters touch the rod, it shudders free of 
  its tenuous position holding the doors closed and they 
  fly open revealing the foul chamber beyond:
  The scene beyond the doors is the stuff of 
  nightmares. 
   
  Dozens of humanoid figures are arrayed in a 
  loose circle around a massive crystalline pillar, 
  and inside can be seen a thick fleshy mass that 
  flails against the side. Each impact causes a 
  tremendous shuddering “thump” to tear through 
  this place, vibrating your eyes and catching 
  your breath. The figures are deep in a chant and 
  appear to be focused on their task.
   
  The ground between the newly-opened doors 
  and this crystalline pillar is a living undulating 
  carpet of worms. Green, brown, black, and 
  altogether slimy and slick with gore, these 
  creatures seem to pulse and undulate in time 
  with the thumping of the creature trapped in the 
  crystal.
  And at once, a group of those humanoids turns 
  to face you, their hoods pulled up and over their 
  faces. The angry pinpricks of red light where 
  their eyes should be indicates that they are not 
  pleased to see you here.
  The crystalline pillar is the Writhing Battery and it is 
  the physical representation of a portion of the prison 
  that holds an aspect of Kyuss. The Spawn of Kyuss 
  that surround it are intent on releasing their god and 
  do not hesitate to attack the characters. 
  Maps, Challenges, and Stories
  Author’s Note
  It is strongly recommended that you use a 
  printed or drawn tactical map for this encounter. 
  This encounter is designed to feel like a 
  significant challenge, and giving the players 
  something to see will help them frame the 
  decisions that their characters are going to make 
  in an appropriate manner.
   
  The included map is merely a suggestion. If you 
  choose to use a unique map or modify it for your 
  party, be sure to give it a sense of age as well as 
  an indication of the dangers that the characters 
  are going to face. I found that the “Ancient 
  Blue Dragon Lair” map from the classic D&D 
  Miniatures line worked very well for this, though 
  at times I also used some of the special tiles from 
  the Wrath of Ashardalon board game. Really, 
  anything that is fairly large, has a bit of a “ruins” 
  or “ancient Egypt” theme, and is more than a 
  simple marker sketch will go a long way towards 
  making the players—and their characters!—
  truly remember this experience!
  Tactics
  The Spawn of Kyuss are focused on releasing their 
  god—Kyuss—from the Writhing Battery. At tier 2 
  they will continue to chant until the characters get 
  
  32
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  within 50 feet, cast a spell, or attack them; at tier 3 
  and 4 they react and enter combat as soon as the 
  doors are opened. 
   
  The Spawn of Kyuss are intelligent undead and will 
  seek to gang up on the most obvious threats as they 
  emerge. They fight to the death. For standard parties, 
  there are six Spawn of Kyuss here at the beginning of 
  combat—the remaining six will stay arrayed around 
  the crystal pillar (the Writhing Battery) as they 
  attempt to release their god unless they are attacked 
  directly or the crystal is broken.
   
  Should Kyuss be released, he is a fierce combatant. 
  He is aware that this is only a fragment of his power 
  and should he be defeated here his divine essence will 
  merely retreat to another fragment of the Writhing 
  Battery elsewhere in the world. He is not affected by 
  the clouds of congealed energy, and is large enough 
  that the characters will almost certainly only see him 
  from the waist down—save for the massive claws that 
  come raking out to attack them!
  Adjusting the Encounter
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this 
  combat encounter. These are not cumulative. 
  This is a very deadly encounter.
   »
  Very weak or weak party: no changes.
   »
  Strong party: add 2 Spawn of Kyuss.
   »
  Very strong party (tiers 3 & 4 only): as 
  Strong party, and Kyuss breaks free of the 
  Writhing Battery at the beginning of the 
  third round of combat.
  This combat has a second round of adjustments 
  based upon the tier of play:
   »
  Tier 2: the Writhing Battery has 100 points, 
  not 50 as per the description below.
   »
  Tier 3: no changes.
   »
  Tier 4: Kyuss uses his full array of divine 
  abilities, targeting characters with low 
  armor classes first. He will not hesitate to 
  throw unconscious bodies off the top of the 
  the top of the pyramid or into the cloud 
  above, as he is fully aware of the effects of 
  the mythal (this causes the death of the 
  thrown character, similar to the effect of a 
  disintegrate spell).
  Kyuss does not provide combat experience to 
  Tier 2 characters. At all tiers, Kyuss seeks to kill: 
  if there is a chance to hit a character that has 
  been reduced to 0 hit points, he will.
  Make a note of any character that becomes 
  infested with worms, as they earn the Favored 
  of the Worm story award at the end of the 
  adventure.
  DeveLoPment
  The Spawn of Kyuss will gang up on individual 
  combatants where possible, and will make liberal 
  use of the Aid action if they are having a difficult 
  time getting through a character’s armor or defenses. 
  They are vicious combatants and seek to destroy the 
  characters.
   
  Starting at the beginning of combat, make sure that 
  the characters know that a number of the Spawn have 
  stayed out of combat and are continuing their chant. 
  These Spawn only enter combat if directly attacked or 
  if the crystal is broken, but if the characters are clever 
  they may be able to silence that area and thus negate 
  the chant’s effect—reward their ingenuity should 
  they discover this or another similar effect!
   
  For each Spawn that continues to chant, mark off 1 
  point from the Writhing Battery at initiative count 
  1 (losing ties); for every 2 points of magical damage 
  dealt to the Writhing Battery, it loses 1 point. The 
  Battery begins this encounter with 50 points; for 
  every five points that it loses, describe or relay the 
  following:
   »
  45 points remaining: “The cracks spiderweb 
  outward and small holes have appeared along 
  the face of the crystal.”
   »
  40 points remaining: “A hand crashes through 
  
  33
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  the crystal, seemingly larger than the hole itself. 
  Something tremendously large is attempting to 
  free itself!”
   »
  30 points remaining: “An entire arm, 
  grotesquely long and robed in dead flesh, bursts 
  forth and slams into the ground. Its bony fingers 
  dig into the carpet of worms as it attempts to 
  pull its body from the crystal.” Kyuss can now 
  make melee attacks at any creature within 15 
  feet of the Writhing Battery if it desires.
   »
  20 points remaining: “A cacophonous roar 
  echoes across the floor—the arm pulls back 
  inside the crystal and a massive face pushes 
  through the crystal. It oozes worms from its 
  hollow eye sockets and it glares malevolently 
  at you.” Kyuss may now use his innate 
  spellcasting ability if he desires.
   »
  10 points remaining: “The massive form of 
  the trapped creature struggles to pull itself 
  free of the crystalline prison. Much of its body 
  is revealed, though it appears to be anchored 
  in place for the time being.” Kyuss can now be 
  attacked and he can move around the map, but 
  must remain adjacent to the crystal.
   »
  0 points remaining: Kyuss is freed, and will 
  attack the party. As soon as the crystal is broken, 
  his anger grants him a full round of actions in 
  addition to his normal place in the initiative 
  order.
  The characters may choose to flee this place; if 
  they do, allow them to do so. The Spawn of Kyuss 
  find more value in releasing their god than they 
  do in chasing down a few meddling mortals. Once 
  the characters descend down to the first floor of 
  the complex, they can feel the stones shudder as a 
  tremendous roar echoes through the halls. The exact 
  details of what they see are show in the Advancing 
  the Adventure section. 
   
  If the characters use the Rod of Security to escape 
  combat, they will return here in time (likely after 
  24 hours have passed). The top of the pyramid is 
  now free of worms and the ominous clouds, though 
  the shattered base of the crystal is still present. At 
  the center of the broken base is a pool of terrible, 
  coagulated matter; touching it causes the character 
  to be sent to Carceri immediately unless they succeed 
  on a DC 30 Constitution saving throw. This pool is the 
  foul essence of Kyuss and is permanently linked to 
  his prison on that plane of existence. The character 
  can be retrieved with a wish spell, though the Red 
  Wizards will negotiate for their release in due time—
  feel free to elaborate on this in your own fashion. As 
  the characters leave the top of the pyramid after using 
  the Rod of Security, they see all the visual elements as 
  detailed in the Advancing the Adventure section.
  time to reSt?
  The characters cannot rest here, even after combat. 
  The presence of the crystal is too vile to allow 
  recuperation.
  aDvancing the aDventure
  Once the combat has been concluded the characters 
  can proceed. If they avoided combat (perhaps by 
  using the Rod of Security) that’s fine, they can attempt 
  to leave the Laboratory or may wish to explore the 
  eastern staircase that leads to Level 2: The Lab 
  Proper. Alternately, if they defeated Kyuss they may 
  need to recuperate – and the only safe place to do that 
  will be outside the Laboratory entirely. 
   
  As the characters re-enter the pyramid they find 
  that things have decidedly changed. The mythal 
  has unraveled quite a bit, and the effects of the 
  chronomantic spells have significantly unraveled. 
  The bars of the retention cells are bent and broken, 
  blast marks from explosive spells and bombs can be 
  seen across the walls, and evidence of heavy weapon 
  blows upon the stone can be seen. At the end of the 
  halls the characters can see robed figures—Spawn 
  of Kyuss—advancing in their direction. The black 
  mass that formerly acted as a gate is now gone, and 
  the Entrance Chamber has been greatly damaged: 
  the floor has been broken out and the metal staircase 
  hangs loosely into the chamber below. The skeletons 
  are missing from the cells in the Retention Hall. If 
  the characters see all of this, they can also easily see 
  that the arrayed holy symbols of Amaunator and 
  Lathander are flaring wildly but weakly, as if their 
  
  34
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  enchantments and protections have been taxed and 
  their power exhausted.
   
  The characters can escape, stand and fight another 
  flood of Spawn of Kyuss (it is the DM’s discretion as to 
  how many Spawn remain, but if the characters choose 
  to remain do not be shy about using a group of six 
  or more), or they can run for the eastern stairs and 
  continue their investigation of the facility. Be sure to 
  allow the characters time to experience the changes 
  and to roleplay through this dramatically different 
  environment. If the characters stay and fight, it is 
  likely that they will all earn the Favored of the Worm 
  story award, as the Spawn of Kyuss is an unrelenting 
  wave of terror and undeath.
  
  35
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Conclusion
  There are several ways that this adventure can end. 
  If all the characters have died or have been sent to 
  Carceri, the Thayans will eventually mount another 
  expedition or rescue—any character who was not 
  worm-infested is eventually rescued and brought 
  back to life (see “Death” on page 5). Any character 
  returned to life in this manner earns experience 
  for each encounter and adversary they successfully 
  overcame and receive Rastol Shan’s gold reward—
  but the Zulkir is disappointed in their progress and 
  provides no additional reward.
  other PotentiaL outcomeS
  If the characters successfully destroyed the 
  Writhing Battery and the Aspect of Kyuss
  The return to Mulmaster and debriefing 
  with Zulkir Dar’lon Ma and Rastol Shan was 
  procedural; almost boring. Riches were showered 
  upon you and the adoration and respect of other 
  experienced adventures is certainly yours, but 
  now… you feel something stir. Something deep in 
  your own mind.
   
  When you sleep, you have the same dream every 
  night. In it, flying citadels hover atop major cities: 
  Waterdeep, Athkatlka, Neverwinter, and more. 
  These citadels appear to crumble and go crashing 
  into those metropole; the death and destruction 
  is nearly incalculable.
   
  But you don’t feel shame or rage or even alarm. 
  Instead, a sinister sense of dread realization 
  washes over you—as if Kyuss itself knows that 
  you are watching and is merely biding its time 
  until these visions can come to pass.
  The Zulkir is of course overjoyed, proclaiming the 
  characters as “great heroes of His Greatness, Szass 
  Tam.” All characters in the party gain the Ally of 
  Thay story award (if a player declines such an honor, 
  the Zulkir comments that their legend has already 
  spread). Furthermore, he offers the characters gold 
  and an additional reward; refer to the “Power to the 
  People” portion of this section.
  If the characters witnessed the Writhing 
  Battery and did not destroy it
  “You… you saw what, now? Be exact.”
   
  The Zulkir seems enraptured by your description. 
  Rastol Shan, expressionless as always, lurks 
  nearby in silence. When you finish your tale, 
  the broad Thayan turns to his companion and 
  exclaims:
   
  “I believe that this is most fortuitous, Master 
  Shan! We must away at once; preparations must 
  be made in short order. For the glory of Szass 
  Tam, indeed!”
   
  The Zulkir busies himself with his journal and 
  Rastol Shan steps forward. Quietly, he adds 
  “What has begun cannot be stopped. Not now. 
  Not here. And definitely not by you. Take great 
  care with the knowledge of what has unfolded 
  here, and know that your hands are just as 
  bloody as ours.” His voice contains a hint of 
  sadness, but the Zulkir appears too ecstatic to 
  have noticed.
  The Zulkir is overjoyed by what the characters can 
  describe. All characters in the party gain the Ally of 
  Thay story award (if a player declines such an honor, 
  the Zulkir comments that their legend has already 
  spread). He also offers gold and an additional reward; 
  refer to the “Power to the People” portion of this 
  section.
  If the characters did not witness the 
  Writhing Battery but can describe the 
  laboratory and its contents
  
  36
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  The Zulkir is wrapped up in your details as you 
  relay them. After your tale, he asks:
   
  “And what of the Battery itself? The Dark 
  Obelisk? Did you see it?” His eyes are wide with 
  excitement.
  He is ultimately disappointed in the result, but knows 
  that the characters have done a great service for Szass 
  Tam and the other Zulkir of Thay. After some small 
  talk, he leaves the room and Rastol Shan approaches:
  As the Cloak approaches, a wave of powerful 
  cologne washes over you. Rastol’s voice is raspy 
  but has an edge of desperation:
   
  “Events are unfolding that will no doubt end in 
  death and destruction. While we cannot afford 
  to sever our agreement with the Thayans here in 
  Mulmaster—my people would certainly perish, 
  to a man—I must strongly urge you to move on to 
  Candlekeep. Tell the Great Readers what you now 
  know, and find out what is on the horizon. Great 
  and terrible events are all about us. Do this for 
  Mulmaster. Do this for yourselves.”
  The elder Cloak turns to leave the room and just 
  before exiting, adds:
   
  “Don’t make the same mistakes that I did.”
  The Zulkir does not offer any additional reward 
  beyond the gold listed in the Rewards section.
  Power to the People
  “My friends,” the hulking Zulkir begins, his teeth 
  blindingly white in the dim light of Southgate 
  Keep. “You have done a great service for this city. 
  Mulmaster will one day return to its glory days as 
  the Jewel of the North.
  But to get there, this fine folk will need capable 
  leaders. My own efforts have significant 
  pushback, and people cannot be truly led if they 
  are forced, yes? To that end, we must admit—you 
  and I, of course—that we are both here for the 
  same reason: the greater good.
   
  I can install you in a position of power. A position 
  of leadership. These good people, these suffering 
  and strong people, need great leaders. I can see 
  you into this position, to lead them and guide 
  them, and to rebuild this city. What say you?”
   
  The Zulkir’s offer is sincere: he wishes to place any 
  that accept this offer into a position of minor power 
  as a low-ranking noble of Mulmaster. Those that 
  accept may enjoy the benefits of a Wealthy lifestyle 
  for 2 gp per day while in Mulmaster, and once per rest 
  receives advantage on a Charisma-based interaction 
  with another character or NPC in Mulmaster. This 
  does not confer any specific title or other privileges. 
   
  Any character that declines the Zulkir’s offer earns 
  the Enmity of Thay story award. This may result in 
  a character earning both the Ally of and Enmity of 
  Thay story awards at the same time; this is normal 
  when dealing with Thay.
  If the characters removed nothing from the 
  facility but saw the Rod or magic armor
  Dar’lon’s smile grows wide, full of teeth and 
  promises. He tells you of another group of 
  adventures (“ne’er-do-wells,” he calls them) that 
  happened to have similar equipment. 
   
  “Should you like those items, I can accommodate 
  that request. They certainly will not be using 
  them anymore.”
  He declines to elaborate on the situation further, but 
  the characters should still gain access to the items 
  (the Rod, the armor, or both at your discretion) as if 
  
  37
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  they kept them when they were first discovered.
  Exceptional roleplaying, members of the Cloaks, or 
  characters that have had positive interactions with 
  the Red Wizards of Thay in the past may be able 
  to discover that Dar’lon’s party of “ne’er-do-wells” 
  came into Mulmaster only a day or so after their 
  party left. The Zulkir says that group was also a party 
  of contractors for the very same task and seemed 
  very confused; out of sorts, and listless. It can be 
  safely assumed that they were held for additional 
  questioning, though for how long is entirely up to you.
  
  38
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  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
  Spawn of Kyuss (tier 2)
  1,800
  Spawn of Kyuss (tier 3)
  5,900
  Spawn of Kyuss (tier 4)
  13,000
  Swarm of Rot Grubs (all tiers)
  100
  Wraith (tier 2)
  1,800
  Wraith (tier 3)
  5,900
  Wraith (tier 4)
  13,000
  Aspect of Kyuss
  75,000
  Non-Combat Awards
                                                                                    XP per  
  Task or Accomplishment                           Character
  Took nothing from lab (tier 2)
  500
  Took nothing from lab (tier 3)
  1,000
  Took nothing from lab (tier 4)
  1,500
  Turned Principae Antiquus over to 
  Candlekeep or another organization 
  (tier 2)
  1,000
  Turned Principae Antiquus over to 
  Candlekeep or another organization 
  (tier 2)
  2,000
  Turned Principae Antiquus over to 
  Candlekeep or another organization 
  (tier 2)
  3,000
  The minimum total award for each character 
  participating in this adventure is listed here by their 
  tier. Please note that Kyuss does not grant experience in 
  tier 2.
   »
  Tier 2: 6,750
   »
  Tier 3: 14,250
   »
  Tier 4: 28,500
   
  The maximum total award for each character 
  participating in this adventure is listed here by their 
  tier. Please note that Kyuss does not grant experience 
  in tier 2.
   
   »
  Tier 2: 9,000
   »
  Tier 3: 18,000
   »
  Tier 4: 40,000
  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
  Zulkir’s reward (tier 2)
  2,500
  Zulkir’s reward (tier 3)
  5,000
  Zulkir’s reward (tier 4)
  15,000
  Rastol Shan’s reward (tier 2)
  500
  Rastol Shan’s reward (tier 3)
  1,000
  Rastol Shan’s reward (tier 4)
  2,500
  Note that no gp is awarded if the characters fail in 
  their mission, though the Zulkir may choose to pay for 
  
  39
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  their resurrections.
  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. 
  Spell Scroll of Comprehend Languages
  Spell scroll, common
  A description of this item can be found in the Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide. 
  Adamantine Armor
  Armor (any metal), uncommon 
  Appearing almost decorative, this suit of highly-
  polished adamantine armor hails from ancient 
  Netheril and is adorned in minute runes of protection. 
  A description of this item can be found in the Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide.
  Rod of Security
  Rod, very rare 
  This wrought iron rod is covered in tiny padlocks and 
  always cold to the touch. The rod will transport you 
  and up to six willing companions to a comfortable 
  cabin with no exit save for the rod. The windows 
  display a dark and foreboding forest, and a tall-
  spired castle can be seen through the gloom. After 24 
  hours, you and your allies return to the exact location 
  you left though you may choose to leave earlier. A 
  description of this item can be found in the Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide.
  renown
   
  All faction members gain one renown point for 
  completing this adventure. 
  Story awarDS
  All characters with one or more levels in an arcane 
  spellcasting class (sorcerer, wizard, warlock, or 
  other class as appropriate) that is also a member of 
  the Cloaks is granted two additional ranks in that 
  organization. Any such character that is not already a 
  member of the Cloaks is instead offered membership 
  by Senior Cloak Rastol Shan and his associate, 
  Zulkir Dar’lon Ma. these characters begin their next 
  adventure at rank 1 in the Cloaks.
  Favored of the Worm. Any character that became 
  worm-infected during this adventure earns this story 
  award. Their flesh is covered in small black pock 
  marks; even illusion magic does not disguise their 
  presence. These characters feel a bond with insects 
  and bugs (worms specifically) and feels a kinship 
  with undead creatures even though they may not be 
  friendly.
  Ally of Thay. You are known to be an ally of the 
  Thayan Plateau, whether you want to or not. You 
  have advantage on Charisma-based checks with Red 
  Wizards and other non-slaves from Thay, and at the 
  DM’s discretion may have disadvantage when dealing 
  with Harpers and other enemies of Thay.
  Enmity of Thay. You have wronged Zulkir Dar’lon 
  Ma and he has made his displeasure known. Every 
  time you complete an adventure and for each day of 
  downtime you spend, roll a d20. On a roll of 20, you 
  are accosted by agents of the Thay – typically three 
  Red Wizards and two Assassins. Once you die to these 
  agents you may cross this story award off; alternately, 
  you can sacrifice one rare or better permanent magic 
  item and 10,000 gp to pay off your debt of dishonor to 
  the Zulkir. Your DM may choose to have you check for 
  
  40
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  the Thayan attack whenever you begin to take a long 
  rest, if they wish.
  Downtime
  Each character receives ten downtime days at the 
  conclusion of this adventure.
  Dm rewarDS
   
  You receive 10 downtime days and other rewards 
  based on the tier at which you ran this adventure: 
   »
  Tier 2: 2,250 experience, and 1,175 gp.
   »
  Tier 3: 4,500 experience, and 2,250 gp.
   »
  Tier 4: 10,000 experience, and 5,000 gp.
  
  41
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  DM Appendix 1: NPC 
  Summary
  Senior Cloak Rastol Shan (RASS-stole SHANN). Male 
  human lich. The senior Cloak in Mulmaster. Formerly 
  Thurand Tallwand, the senior Cloak during the reign 
  of Selfaril (and later, Rassendyll) Uoumdolphin. 
  Participated in the imprisonment of Selfaril. Uses 
  magic and a mask to conceal his true identity. Appears 
  to be subservient to Zulkir Dar’lon Ma.
  Zulkir Dar’lon Ma (zul-KEER DAHR-lahn MAY). 
  Male human. One of the 12 Zulkir of Thay. Broad-
  shouldered and oozing charisma, Zulkir Dar’lon Ma 
  is a consummate politician; he uses his command 
  of enchantment magic to ensure that he remains 
  in power and to keep his enemies at bay. While his 
  bright smile serves to mark him as approachable, 
  his sizable frame and passive body language clearly 
  indicates that he is a formidable combatant. Currently 
  enjoying a position of considerable influence 
  (political, economic, and social) in Mulmaster.
  Kyuss (KY-uss). Deity, presumed male. Sometimes 
  known as The Worm That Walks, Kyuss seeks to turn 
  the world into a state of being that is neither dead 
  nor living for only in undeath can true divinity be 
  found. Was imprisoned by the other deities in eons 
  past and had his essence trapped in dozens of prisons 
  that would become known as Dark Obelisks (or in the 
  case of this adventure, Writhing Batteries). The other 
  deities fear his power for reasons outside the context 
  of this adventure. For the purposes of this adventure, 
  only one of his many aspects is interacted with.
  
  42
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  DM Appendix 2: The Dark 
  Obelisk
  the Dark oBeLiSk
   
  Kyuss has long been entombed within the Dark 
  Obelisk, but this prison has moved several times 
  over the eons. Only one portion of the Dark Obelisk 
  is present in the world at any one time; the bulk of it 
  remains deep within Carceri. It is certain that agents 
  of the Worm—not to mention the Worm himself—
  are granted phenomenal and dire powers when in 
  proximity to it. The environs surrounding any portion 
  of the Dark Obelisk are festooned with dead bodies, 
  squirming insects, foul green worms, and groups of 
  Spawn of Kyuss.
   
   
  Art: Ian Wallace
  Every world has its own version of the legend of 
  Worm that Walks. If scholars look deep enough into 
  the history of their lands, they may find references 
  to great periods of arcane study or even a purported 
  “enlightened time” in which society and culture hit 
  heights before an inevitable collapse. Many of these 
  stories include references to newly discovered power 
  sources and powerful fonts of arcane might. In truth, 
  these events are often due to the Worm’s promises 
  of might and lore. While the Worm cannot enter the 
  world directly, his agents work tirelessly to bring 
  aspects of his prison—the Dark Obelisk, sometimes 
  known as the Writhing Battery—to powerful mages 
  and sorcerers in the hope of finding a way to release 
  him once more. 
  Lair Actions 
  While within 1,000 feet of the Dark Obelisk and 
  on initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Kyuss 
  and his Spawn take a lair action to cause one of the 
  following effects; the same effect cannot be used two 
  rounds in a row and only a single lair action may be 
  used in any turn regardless of the number of Spawn 
  of Kyuss present (including Kyuss himself): 
   »
  Each unoccupied space adjacent to Kyuss or a 
  single Spawn of Kyuss is filled with a rot grub 
  swarm (maximum 6 new rot grub swarms).
   »
  Any number of swarms explode. Any creature 
  sharing a space with or adjacent to the Swarm 
  must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw 
  or take 21 (6d6) necrotic and acid damage (half 
  damage on a success).
   »
  (Kyuss only) Kyuss raises a corpse that he can 
  detect as a Spawn of Kyuss. The new Spawn 
  retains all its former memories, but loses all 
  abilities it once knew and instead gains the 
  abilities listed in the “Spawn of Kyuss” entry. 
  Nothing short of a wish spell will restore the 
  Spawn its former life. The Spawn is loyal only 
  to Kyuss and will follow his commands without 
  hesitation.
   
  Regional Effects
   
  The presence of Kyuss and the Dark Obelisk is often 
  a portent of terrible things to come.  Insects are more 
  aggressive and plentiful, undead are drawn to the 
  area, and Kyuss’ horrific Spawn can often be found in 
  great quantities in these areas. Additionally, necrotic 
  effects become more and more potent as the Dark 
  Obelisk brings in more faithful followers. 
   »
  While within 500 feet of the Dark Obelisk, 
  healing magic is only half as effective while 
  necrotic magic is twice as potent (double 
  
  43
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  duration or twice the number of dice for a spell’s 
  effect). This does not stack with the effects of 
  the mythal.
   »
  Intelligent, living creatures must make a DC 
  20 Wisdom saving throw when they first see 
  the Dark Obelisk. On a success, the creature is 
  frightened for one minute. On a failure, they are 
  paralyzed for one minute and frightened for one 
  minute after the paralyzed effect ends. Creatures 
  may attempt this save at the end of each of their 
  turns.
   »
  Intelligent undead creatures within 1 mile of the 
  Dark Obelisk have advantage on saving throws 
  versus spells and effects.
  
  44
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  DM Appendix 3: 
  Adventure Guidance
  StoryteLLing tacticS
   
  This adventure lives and dies by the story-telling 
  ability of the Dungeon Master. Without adequate 
  descriptive terms, this can quickly devolve into an 
  oppressive “slug fest” for the characters. Don’t be 
  shy about playing into the desires of the characters 
  should they wish to roleplay more with Dar’lon Ma or 
  investigate the libraries and storerooms within the 
  Laboratory.
        
  Before compiling this adventure into the printed form 
  that you now hold, I ran it nearly 100 times between 
  November 2015 and October 2016. Here are some of 
  the tactics that I used when running those games:  
   »
  Dar’lon is a politician and a skilled wizard. I 
  typically roleplayed him using a mixture of 
  modern politicians and entertainers; one of 
  my favorite versions used bits of a “used car 
  salesman,” United States Vice President Joe 
  Biden, and a touch of Bruce Campbell. Physically, 
  I would often simply compare his build to that of 
  a professional wrestler.
   »
  Rastol Shan is sulking. The Zulkir holds power 
  over him, and he knows that if the Thayans 
  discover that he plans to work against them in 
  the future that their retribution will be swift—
  first against the people of Mulmaster, then 
  the Cloaks, and at last Rastol Shan himself. He 
  cannot abide by this and must work in secret 
  over many years to bring his plans to fruition.
   »
  The Laboratory was built by the Ancient 
  Netherese, and as such all writing in the facility 
  is in that language. This may put parties without 
  a way to use the comprehend languages spell 
  at a disadvantage. Don’t be afraid to include a 
  portion of that spell if needed! The characters 
  should not feel like they missed significant story 
  or thematic moments because of a strange party 
  composition.
   »
  If the characters give a blood sacrifice to gain 
  entrance to the Laboratory, the Writhing Battery 
  is immediately aware of them. Faintly, and 
  very lightly, I would knock my knuckles on the 
  underside of the table in a rhythm like that of a 
  heartbeat. During combat I would increase the 
  tempo and volume, but unless the characters 
  noticed it I would not call attention to it. Once 
  they climb the stairs (either set) from the main 
  floor I would then call it out, saying that it “jars 
  their vision but does not impede their hearing” 
  (like standing in front of a high-powered bass 
  speaker that is broadcasting low-frequency 
  beats and notes).
   »
  The “black mass” is designed to put the 
  characters on edge, but poses no mechanical 
  adjustments aside from preventing line of site to 
  unoccupied rooms.
   »
  Do not suggest that the characters release Kyuss 
  from the Writhing Battery. This needs to be their 
  decision.
   »
  If anyone is wielding Hazirawn, it makes it very 
  clear that this place is horrifying. If the bearer 
  attempts to enter the facility, the blade will leave 
  and return to Mulmaster and await their return. 
  As a sentient weapon, this is acceptable per the 
  rules but may make the adventure difficult for 
  the characters – be sure to make this a story 
  point in-game and not a case of “because the 
  text says so”. 
  Don’t forget about the mythal effects!
  chronomancy
  This adventure gives reference to the lost arcane 
  school of chronomancy. This is intense and powerful 
  magic, and was largely abandoned after the hubris of 
  the Netherese empire resulted in the near-destruction 
  of the world (on one confirmed occasion, and almost 
  a second time after the Spellplague). Tread carefully 
  with this concept, as the players—and certainly their 
  characters!—are likely to become excited by this 
  prospect.
   
  At this time there are no plans to include 
  chronomancy as a valid D&D Adventurers League 
  
  45
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  option, but this adventure does provide some 
  interesting roleplay opportunities in regards to this 
  magic. As the characters explore the facility they may 
  discover that they are not the first party to have come 
  this way; in fact, all of the chalk marks, the drawings, 
  and even the warning “Don’t jump!” on the top of the 
  pyramid were created and left by previous parties 
  that I ran through this adventure. 
   
  I urge you, the DM, to create a log of what your 
  players do and change. As you run this adventure 
  more and more often, include some of those 
  references for future parties to discover. Things in the 
  pyramid are weird due to the mythal, and including 
  these elements will only deepen your story and 
  involvement in this adventure!
  hazirawn
  In the first hardcover adventure for D&D 5th Edition, 
  a sentient weapon named Hazirawn could be 
  obtained. This powerful item was not given much 
  context in that adventure and it was with the blessing 
  of Chris Lindsay at Wizards of the Coast that I began 
  the construction of this adventure with it in mind. 
  The blade was becoming more and more common in 
  public play events and my players were eager to learn 
  more about it…
  Lord-General Hazirawn, Greatsword of 
  the Empire
  Through Lord-General Hazirawn’s (b. -3495 DR, 
  reportedly d. -2097 DR) many skirmishes he 
  learned time and again that despite the hugely 
  destructive power that magic users wield, they 
  “lose their charge” fairly quickly—and when 
  this happens, they are often left defenseless. 
  As such, he refused to employ wizards in his 
  strike forces and would instead seek the clergy 
  of Amaunator for blessings and potions. He 
  believed that the Lord of Law and Order would 
  see the truth and might of his mission and 
  reward him appropriately. This belief would 
  pay off immensely during the Excursion into 
  Extinction, which began in -3145 and resulted in 
  the deaths of over 140,000 orcs. As with many 
  arcane, community, and military leaders of the 
  Empire of Netheril, General Hazirawn was gifted 
  with a magically-enhanced lifespan.
   
  When the elves stole one of the Nether 
  Scrolls in -3095 DR, Lord-General Hazirawn 
  was nominated by the Council to lead the 
  investigation. Though the thieves were never 
  identified, Hazirawn made significant progress 
  (or so the Netherese believed) and even 
  managed to assert non-magical control over a 
  trio of arcanaloths that had been summoned 
  and deployed to aid in the efforts. In recognition 
  for his prowess on the battlefield as a keen 
  commander of men and resources, he was 
  granted command and control of the Mines of 
  Dekanter in -2758 DR.
  Lord-General Hazirawn was long stationed in 
  the demesnes of Dekanter, and oversaw the 
  substantial ores and gemstones that were mined 
  from that location. He was known to spend time 
  with both Ioun and the Chronomancer, and 
  despite his disdain for arcane magic he formed 
  close bonds with both of those men; Ioun would 
  provide many magical items for Hazirawn’s 
  troops and the Chronomancer would provide
  
  46
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  them with riddles and mental training exercises 
  designed to keep their minds sharp during the 
  lonely watch under the mountains.
  Lord-General Hazirawn was joined by the 
  Chronomancer on an expedition far to the east, 
  to a research facility near the Moonsea, in -2097 
  DR. The Chronomancer died two years later 
  of a war wound thought to have been gained 
  during the Battle of Ilusk in -2103 against the 
  orc hordes, but the Lord-General was not seen 
  again and is assumed to have perished during the 
  easterly expedition.
  The information above was drawn from numerous 
  resources, including Hoard of the Dragon Queen, 
  Netheril: Empire of Magic, Chronomancer, several 
  versions of the Forgotten Realms boxed sets, and 
  more. The Netherese provide a lot of menace even 
  in their absence; essentially, they are a font of 
  inspiration for cruelly-intentioned Dungeon Masters!
       
  My thanks and sincere apologies to Wolfgang Bauer 
  and Steve Winter of Kobold Press for their work 
  on Hoard of the Dragon Queen and their decision to 
  include Hazirawn in that adventure.
  comBat tacticS
  Every combat in this adventure is simple to deploy 
  but can easily be considered quite deadly. The 
  characters will not have much opportunity to use a 
  rest period, so be sure to give the players contextual 
  clues about “fleeing and living” as opposed to “smash 
  everything.” Conversely, some parties are simply 
  going to be built in such a way that they prove the 
  combats to be far too easy. In those cases, feel free to 
  upgrade some of the monsters to the next tier or add 
  an extra creature—the wraiths and Spawn can travel 
  through most of the facility without much trouble.
       
  Here are some of the tactics that I used while running 
  combats for my players in this adventure:  
   »
  For very high powered tables, I would manage 
  their hit points as well as attack roll success/
  failure for the monsters. This removes the 
  mechanical responsibility for that character and 
  allows them to focus on the story, but can make 
  the game more complex for other DMs.
   »
  If a character died during this adventure to the 
  wraiths or Spawn, I would give them a copy 
  of the stat block and keep them at their same 
  initiative.
   »
  If Kyuss is released, do not pull punches. 
  Don’t forget about the mythal effects!
  
  47
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Appendix: NPC/Monster 
  Statistics
  SPawn of kyuSS
  Medium undead, chaotic evil
  Armor Class: 10 
  Hit Points: 76 (9d8 + 36)
  Speed: 30 ft.
   
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  16 (+3)
  11 (+0)
  18 (+5)
  5 (-3)
  7 (-2)
  3 (-4)
  Saving Throws: Wis +1
  Damage Immunities: poison
  Condition Immunities: exhaustion, poisoned
  Senses: blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 8
  Languages: understands the languages it knew in life 
  but can’t speak 
  Challenge: 5 (1,800 XP)
  Regeneration. The spawn of Kyuss regains 10 hit 
  points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit 
  point and isn’t in sunlight or a body of running water. 
  If the spawn takes acid, fire, or radiant damage, this 
  trait doesn’t function at the start of the spawn’s next 
  turn. The spawn is destroyed only if it starts its turn 
  with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate. 
  Worms. If the spawn of Kyuss is targeted by an effect 
  that cures disease or removes a curse, all the worms 
  infesting it wither away, and it loses its Burrowing 
  Worm action. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The spawn of Kyuss makes two attacks 
  with its claws and uses Burrowing Worm. 
  Burrowing Worm. A worm launches from the 
  spawn of Kyuss at one humanoid that the spawn can 
  see within 10 feet of it. The worm latches onto the 
  target’s skin unless the target succeeds on a DC 11 
  Dexterity saving throw. The worm is a Tiny undead 
  with AC 6, 1 hit point, a 2 (-4) in every ability score, 
  and a speed of 1 foot. While on the target’s skin, the 
  worm can be killed by normal means or scraped off 
  using an action (the spawn can use this action to 
  launch a scraped-off worm at a humanoid it can see 
  within 10 feet of the worm). Otherwise, the worm 
  burrows under the target’s skin at the end of the 
  target’s next turn, dealing 1 piercing damage to it. 
  At the end of each of its turns thereafter, the target 
  takes 7 (2d6) necrotic damage per worm infesting it 
  (maximum 10d6). A worm-infested target dies if it 
  drops to 0 hit points, then rises 10 minutes later as a 
  spawn of Kyuss. If a worm-infested creature targeted 
  by an effect that cures disease or removes a curse, all 
  the worms infesting it wither away.
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) 
  necrotic damage.
  Scaling the Spawn of Kyuss
  This adventure can be played at multiple tiers 
  but uses the same basic layout and creature 
  selection. As such, the creatures need to be 
  adjusted to provide an appropriate challenge 
  across those tiers. What follows are the 
  suggested changes, and although they are not 
  cumulative you are encouraged to use your best 
  judgment when applying these changes.
   »
  Tier 2 (levels 5 - 10): no changes.
   »
  Tier 3 (levels 11 - 16): hit points 121 
  (14d8 + 61), Strength is 18 (+4), resistant 
  to non-magical weapons, once per day 
  may choose to succeed on a failed saving 
  throw, Burrowing Worm’s Dexterity DC is 
  12, a worm-infected target takes 10 (3d6) 
  necrotic damage per worm (maximum 
  15d6), and the claw attack becomes +8 and 
  deals 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage plus 10 
  (3d6) necrotic damage.
  
  48
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
   »
  Tier 4 (levels 11 - 16): hit points 166 
  (19d8 + 86), Strength is 20 (+5), immune 
  to non-magical weapons and fear, resistant 
  to fire, cold, acid, lightning, thunder; once 
  per day may choose to succeed on a failed 
  saving throw, has advantage on saving 
  throws versus magic and magic effects, 
  Burrowing Worm’s Dexterity DC is 13, 
  a worm-infected target takes 13 (4d6) 
  necrotic damage per worm (maximum 
  20d6), and the claw attack becomes +10 
  and deals 15 (3d6 + 5) slashing damage 
  plus 13 (4d6) necrotic damage.
  For the purposes of this adventure, the effects 
  of a Spawn of Kyuss’ Burrowing Worms action 
  stacks with the effect of a Swarm of Rot Grubs 
  Bite action and vice versa.
  
  49
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Swarm of rot gruBS
  Medium swarm of Tiny beasts, unaligned
  Armor Class: 8
  Hit Points: 22 (5d8)
  Speed: 5 ft., climb 5 ft.
   
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  2 (-4)
  7 (+2)
  10 (+0)
  1 (-5)
  2 (-4)
  1 (-5)
  Damage Resistances: piercing, slashing
  Condition Immunities: charmed, frightened, 
  grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained
  Senses: blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 6
  Languages: —
  Challenge: 1/2 (100 XP)
  Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s 
  space and vice versa, and the swarm can move 
  through any opening large enough for a Tiny maggot. 
  The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary 
  hit points.
  Actions
  Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 0 ft., 
  one creature in the swarm’s space. Hit: the target is 
  infested by 1d4 rot grubs. At the start of each of the 
  target’s turns, the target takes 1d6 piercing damage 
  per rot grub infesting it. Applying fire to the bite 
  wound before the end of the target’s next turn deals 
  1 fire damage to the target and kills these rot grubs. 
  After this time, these rot grubs are too far under the 
  skin to be burned.
   
  If a target infested by rot grubs ends its turn with 
  0 hit points, it dies as the rot grubs burrow into its 
  heart and kill it. Any effect that cures disease kills all 
  rot grubs infesting the target.
   
  Scaling the Swarm of Rot Grubs
  This adventure can be played at multiple tiers 
  but uses the same basic layout and creature 
  selection. As such, the creatures need to be 
  adjusted to provide an appropriate challenge 
  across those tiers. What follows are the 
  suggested changes, and although they are not 
  cumulative you are encouraged to use your best 
  judgement when applying these changes.
   »
  Tier 2 (levels 5 - 10): no changes.
   »
  Tier 3 (levels 11 - 16): speed 10 ft., climb 
  10 ft., resistant to slashing and piercing 
  weapon damage.
   »
  Tier 4 (levels 11 - 16): speed 10 ft., climb 
  10 ft., immune to slashing and piercing 
  weapon damage.
  For the purposes of this adventure, the effect of a 
  Swarm of Rot Grubs’ Bites action stacks with the 
  effects of a Spawn of Kyuss’ Burrowing Worms 
  action and vice versa.
  
  50
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  wraith
  Medium undead, neutral evil
  Armor Class: 13
  Hit Points: 67 (9d8 + 27)
  Speed: 0 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)
   
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  6 (-2)
  16 (+3)
  16 (+3)
  12 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  15 (+2)
  Damage Resistances: acid, cold, fire, lightning, 
  thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from 
  nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered
  Damage Immunities: necrotic, poison
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, 
  paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
  Languages: the languages it knew in life
  Challenge: 5 (1800 XP)
  Incorporeal Movement. The wraith can move 
  through other creatures and objects as if they were 
  difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it 
  ends its turn inside an object.
  Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the wraith has 
  disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
  Actions
  Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one creature. Hit: 21 (4d8 + 3) necrotic damage. 
  The target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution 
  saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by 
  an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction 
  lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target 
  dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
  Create Specter. The wraith targets a humanoid within 
  10 feet of it that has been dead for no longer than 1 
  minute and died violently. The target’s spirit rises as 
  a specter in the space of its corpse or in the nearest 
  unoccupied space. The specter is under the wraith’s 
  control. The wraith can have no more than seven 
  specters under its control at one time.
  Scaling the Wraith
  This adventure can be played at multiple tiers 
  but uses the same basic layout and creature 
  selection. As such, the creatures need to be 
  adjusted to provide an appropriate challenge 
  across those tiers. What follows are the 
  suggested changes, and although they are not 
  cumulative you are encouraged to use your best 
  judgement when applying these changes.
   »
  Tier 2 (levels 5 - 10): no changes.
   »
  Tier 3 (levels 11 - 16): hit points 113 
  (14d8 + 53), Dexterity is 18 (+4), immune 
  to non-magical weapons, once per day has 
  advantage on saving throws versus magic 
  and magic effects, Life Drain’s Constitution 
  DC is 16, and Life Drain becomes +8 and 
  deals 26 (5d8 + 4) necrotic damage.
   »
  Tier 4 (levels 11 - 16): hit points 158 
  (19d8 + 78), Dexterity is 20 (+5), immune 
  to non-magical weapons and fear, resistant 
  to fire, cold, acid, lightning, thunder; has 
  advantage on saving throws versus magic 
  and magic effects, Life Drain’s Constitution 
  DC is 18, and Life Drain becomes +10 and 
  deals 31 (6d8 + 5) necrotic damage.
  
  51
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  aSPect of kyuSS
  Gargantuan fiend, neutral evil
  Armor Class: 25
  Hit Points: 548 (25d20 + 260)
  Speed: 60 ft., burrow 120 ft.
   
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  26 (+8)
  16 (+3)
  26 (+8)
  26 (+8)
  26 (+8)
  26 (+8)
  Saving Throws: Str +17, Dex +15, Wis +17 
  Skills: Arcana +17, Perception +25, Religion +17 
  Damage Immunities: acid, cold, fire, lightning, 
  poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from 
  nonmagical weapons
  Condition Immunities: blinded, deafened, 
  frightened, poisoned, prone, stunned
  Senses: darkvision 240 ft., truesight 120 ft., passive 
  Perception 35
  Languages: Common, Ancient Netherese, Dwarvish, 
  Elvish, Abyssal, Infernal
  Challenge: 25 (75,000 XP)
  Discorporation. When Kyuss drops to 0 hit points 
  or dies, his body is destroyed but his essence travels 
  back to his prison inside the Dark Obelisk, and it is 
  unable to take physical form for a time.
  Innate Spellcasting (3/day). Kyuss can innately cast 
  divine word (spell save 25). His spellcasting ability 
  is Charisma, and he does not require any verbal, 
  material, or somatic components when using this 
  ability.
  Legendary Resistance (3/day). If Kyuss fails a saving 
  throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
  Limited Magic Immunity. Unless he wishes to be 
  affected, Kyuss is immune to spells of 6th level or 
  lower. He has advantage on saving throws against all 
  other spells and magical effects.
  Magic Weapons. Kyuss’ melee and ranged attacks are 
  magical.
  Regeneration. At the start of his turn, every living 
  creature within 100 feet must succeed on a DC 15 
  Constitution saving throw or they lose 5 hit points 
  and Kyuss regains 5 hit points.
  Spawning. Kyuss may generate a rot grub swarm 
  any time he is hit by a melee attack or other physical 
  effect.
  Actions
  Multiattack. Kyuss can use Frightful Presence and 
  make two melee attacks.
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 15 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 22 (4d6 + 8) slashing damage plus 42 
  (12d6) necrotic damage. When Kyuss hits with this 
  attack, the target must succeed on a DC 18 Con save 
  or become infected with rot grubs (use the Burrowing 
  Worm action effect of a Spawn of Kyuss, but the 
  damage +3d6 higher). This damage ignores any of 
  the target’s resistances; if the target is immune to 
  necrotic damage, they are instead merely resistant to 
  necrotic damage for this effect.
  Frightful Presence. Each creature and sentient 
  magical item of Kyuss’ choice that is within 240 feet 
  of Kyuss and aware of it must succeed on a DC 25 
  Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 
  minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the 
  end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. 
  If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect 
  ends for it, the creature is immune to Kyuss’ Frightful 
  Presence for the next 24 hours. If a sentient item is 
  frightened in this manner, its additional abilities fail 
  to function until it is no longer frightened.
  Consume Material. Kyuss can consume non-living, 
  biodegradable matter in an adjacent square. Small 
  objects or corpses restore 3d6 hit points; medium 
  objects or corpses restore 6d6 hit points and 
  advantage on its next attack roll; large or larger 
  objects or corpses restore 10d6 hit points and Kyuss 
  gains 1 additional legendary action.
  
  52
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Legendary Actions
  Kyuss can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the 
  options below. Only one legendary action can be used 
  at a time and only at the end of another creature’s 
  turn. Kyuss regains spent legendary actions at the 
  start of its turn.
  Claw. As per the action above.
  Agitate Rot Grubs (Costs 2 Actions). Kyuss agitates 
  his rot grubs.  Any character infected with a rot grub 
  must immediately succeed on a DC 15 Constitution 
  saving throw or else become infected with another 
  worm, as per the Burrowing Worm action of a Spawn 
  of Kyuss.
  Scaling the Aspect of Kyuss
  Kyuss is a god, and therefore cannot be scaled up 
  or down.
  
  53
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Appendix: Creating a 
  Deity
  The creation of Kyuss is not something that I want to 
  take credit for—in fact, far from it! The Worm that 
  Walks has long been an influence in the worlds of 
  Dungeons & Dragons, and has been sighted in several 
  different published campaigns over the years. This 
  vile being got his start in Greyhawk, and exists largely 
  as a footnote in Forgotten Realms lore… but like the 
  worms beneath the soil, he’s there. 
   
  Lurking.
   
  Waiting.
  There are a lot of story opportunities that D&D 
  games set up, and largely it is up to the Dungeon 
  Master to weave them all into a coherent series of 
  events—for no plan survives contact with the players! 
  The molding of a stat block for Kyuss using the 5th 
  edition rules is no different: while 3rd edition and its 
  successor had a very complex (but appropriate) stat 
  block for this deity, 5th edition offered very little by 
  way of god-guidance during the development of this 
  adventure.
   
  To remedy this, I used the one resource that was 
  available at the time: the Tiamat stat block from the 
  Rise of Tiamat adventure. Much like the presence of 
  Tiamat during that adventure, the characters here 
  only encounter one of the many aspects of Kyuss — 
  each shard of the Dark Obelisk (also known as the 
  Writhing Battery) contains but a portion of his divine 
  presence. As Kyuss is not quite as powerful a deity as 
  the many-headed dragonqueen, I had to make some 
  adjustments.
  Creating and Modifying Kyuss
  As a minor (though powerful) deity, Kyuss uses 
  the Tiamat stat block as a foundation but with 
  the following adjustments:
   »
  Hit Points. 548 (25d20 + 260)
   »
  Strength. 26 (saving throw +17)
   »
  Dexterity. 16 (saving throw +15)
   »
  Constitution. 26
   »
  Charisma. 28
   »
  Perception. +25
   »
  Senses. Passive Perception 35
   »
  Languages. add Ancient Netherese, 
  Dwarvish, Elvish, Abyssal; remove Draconic
   »
  Challenge. 25 (75,000 XP)
  Innate Spellcasting. Adjust saving throw DC to 
  25.
  Regeneration. Replace with: “At the start of his 
  turn, every living creature within 100 feet must 
  succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw 
  or they lose 5 hit points and Kyuss regains 5 hit 
  points.”
  Spawning. Add as follows: Kyuss may generate 
  a rot grub swarm any time he is hit by a melee 
  attack or other physical effect.”
  Frightful Presence. Also affects sentient magical 
  objects
  Melee Attacks. Deals necrotic damage, and uses 
  the worm effect of the Spawn of Kyuss (Volo’s 
  Guide to Monsters).
  Legendary Actions. Reduce from 5 actions to 3, 
  removing all of the “heads” and replacing with 
  “Agitate Rot Grubs,” which duplicates a worm 
  inside of a host.
  
  54
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Map Appendix (Main Level) 
  The “X” sections mark the presence of the black mass (see adventure description). There should be another 
  “X” to the far west (to match the other retention hallways).
   
  
  55
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Map Appendix (Main Level; Entrance Chamber) 
  The “X” sections mark the presence of the black mass (see adventure description).
   
  
  56
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Map Appendix (Main Level; all Retention Cells) 
  The “X” sections mark the presence of the black mass (see adventure description).
   
  
  57
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Map Appendix (Main Level; South Catalogue)
   
  
  58
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Map Appendix (Main Level; North Catalogue) 
  The “X” sections mark the presence of the black mass (see adventure description).
   
  
  59
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Map Appendix (The Lab Proper)
  This map only indicates the scale of the floor. It’s huge! This image is included to give the DM an idea of the 
  scale of the room and for narrative purposes; for completionists, the full map of this floor is available as a 
  separate file.
   
  
  60
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Map Appendix (The Lab Proper; The Harness)
  This is the layout for the tactical encounter when the characters are inside of the lab proper. The spaces off-
  map are filled with shelves, racks, and mundane tables.
   
  
  61
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Map Appendix (The Lab Proper; sample of racks & 
  shelves).
  This map only indicates the scale of the floor. It’s huge. An updated version will show the complete contents 
  when available on dmsguild.com.
   
  
  62
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Map Appendix (The Writhing Battery)
  This map is intentionally incomplete; feel free to adjust and modify this map as befits your players and game!
   
  
  63
  Player Appendix – The Face of Kyuss
  Show this to the characters when they see Kyuss escape from the Writhing Battery, or at the end of the 
  adventure.
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  
  64
  DDAL00-01 Window to the Past
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  Player Appendix – Zulkir Dar’lon Ma
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Adventure League/S00 - Season-Agnostic/DDAL00-01 - Window to the Past.pdf