TEXT: EN World EN5IDER | Searching the River Styx
  EN World EN5IDER | Searching the River Styx
   
  writing Mike Myler
   color art Ellis Goodson
   
  maps Mike Myler
   
  editing James J. Haeck
   
  layout Eric Life-Putnam
  Searching the
  T
  he PCs have all 
  recently shuffled off their 
  mortal coils and this is 
  their chance to defy death itself! 
  As the adventurers are driven to 
  the River Styx like cattle, prodded 
  and poked at by the daemons of 
  the underworld, a veritable mob 
  of disbelieving zealots find that 
  their god is dead as well and create 
  enough of a ruckus that the party 
  escapes! Running and falling down 
  a steep hill, they are beckoned to a 
  safe place to hide by Sotiria, a fallen 
  angel bound to the lower planes. 
  The celestial needs to acquire the 
  shattered soul of a fellow angel, 
  shards of essence treasured by the 
  fiends inhabiting this realm. Only 
  three of the pieces remain in the 
  hands of the despicable creatures 
  here and though each lairs nearby, 
  Sotiria’s divine abilities have 
  waned and she is too weak to 
  take the precious remains of her 
  kin from the daemon Wehelin, 
  the demon Xadgudbaha, and the 
  devil Aargoosiga. As a reward for 
  finishing this righteous deed on 
  her behalf, Sotiria guarantees that 
  the host celestial will bless all of 
  the adventurers, restoring them to 
  life and granting each a powerful 
  blessing.
  rIver Styx
  A 5E-Compatible Adventure for 4–5 Recently Deceased Characters of 3rd–16th Level
  
  Searching the River Styx | EN World EN5IDER
  Searching the River Styx | EN World EN5IDER
  This adventure is designed to be applicable to 
  PCs of nearly any level, and includes scalable 
  mechanics to reflect its wide level range. Average 
  Party Level (APL) and Average Proficiency Bonus 
  (APB) are used in these mechanics; to calculate 
  these averages, sum the level or proficiency bonus 
  of all PCs, then divide by the number of PCs and 
  round down. 
  The River Styx
  When souls are deemed unworthy of dwelling 
  in the demiplanes of the deities they are devoted 
  to or otherwise diverted after life leaves their 
  body, they are inexorably brought to the River 
  Styx before being delivered by that dimension’s 
  daemons to their final destination. Those bound 
  for the lower planes are brought to the ferries of 
  thanadaemons by manic cacodaemon swarms, 
  then carried down the waterway to one of two 
  ends. The hellbound are diverted to an estuary 
  that splits into many smaller streams that act as 
  bridges to the many layers of Hell, but the rest are 
  taken to the waterfall at the end of the River Styx 
  before being thrown down into the Abyss. Though 
  it is only a waystation of souls, the River Styx 
  exists as a demiplane between the Material Plane 
  and the lower planes, possessing its own rules and 
  planar traits.
   
  ▶ Flowing Time. For each hour spent in the 
  River Styx, 1d20 hours pass on the Material 
  Plane. This time is rolled individually for 
  each creature; companions that manage to 
  escape their fate might return to life weeks 
  away from one another.
   
  ▶ Ghostly. Every creature that dies and 
  awakens in the River Styx is an otherworldly 
  composite of their psyche and soul. While on 
  the demiplane, the creature possesses all of 
  the equipment they died with but gains no 
  special abilities other than those they had in 
  life. Should they use plane shift or find another 
  normal means of escape, on other planes of 
  existence they manifest as spirits, gaining the 
  Ethereal Sight, and Incorporeal Movement, 
  and Etherealness traits and actions of a ghost.
   
  ▶ Inevitable Servants. For every minute spent 
  along the shores of the River Styx, roll 1d20. 
  On a 1 or a 2, one or more daemons native 
  to the demiplane wander nearby. Roll 1d20; 
  on a 1–8: 2d4 + 2 cacodaemons, 9–15: 1d4 + 1 
  hydrodaemons, 16–20: 1d4 thanadaemons. 
  Should they notice creatures not native 
  to the River Styx, the daemons acquire 
  reinforcements then try to subdue trespassers.
   
  ▶ Total Death. Creatures that die on the River 
  Styx are utterly destroyed and cannot be 
  brought back to life. For every 8 hours a 
  creature other than a daemon, demon, devil, 
  or fallen angel spends in the River Styx, it 
  permanently loses 1 hit die. This does not 
  affect their total number of hit points, but hit 
  dice lost in this manner cannot be spent to 
  regain hit points during a short rest, and are 
  not restored after a long rest. Returning to life 
  cures this hit dice loss. A creature with 0 hit 
  dice is utterly destroyed.
   
  ▶ Unyielding Current. Creatures moving 
  with the current of the River Styx treat 
  every foot they move toward the end of the 
  waterway as half a foot, effectively doubling 
  their movement speed. Moving against the 
  current and away from the River Styx is more 
  difficult—movement against the current is 
  difficult terrain, and a creature can only move 
  a maximum number of squares against the 
  current each turn equal to their proficiency 
  bonus + Constitution modifier.
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  including maps and illustrations (including illustrations in the public domain), narrative and descriptive 
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  EN World EN5IDER | Searching the River Styx
  EN World EN5IDER | Searching the River Styx
   
  Control of your body returns but is slow at first and 
  in a panic you stumble, tripping and falling down a 
  steep embankment onto the rocky shore of the River 
  Styx below. As you hit the hard stone you spot an un-
  likely creature—an angel of all things, albeit one with 
  cracked skin and ugly violet veins—and she beckons 
  you toward a tunnel nearby before disappearing into 
  the passage herself.
  Each of the PCs takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage + 
  1d6 bludgeoning damage per level from the 
  fall (up to 17d6 for 16th-level adventurers, 
  plummeting from a much taller height). A 
  creature that succeeds on a Dexterity saving throw 
  made with disadvantage (DC 8 + ½ APL) reduces 
  the falling damage taken by half.
   The figure beckoning the party is a fallen angel 
  who leads the PCs down a roughly dug tunnel 
  (clearly burrowed by some crazed beast trying to 
  escape its final fate) for 100 feet before reaching 
  her hideaway, a small cave that is collapsing in 
  Introduction
  The PCs are dead and they awaken as their 
  chained, ephemeral selves are being marched 
  down an incline toward the River Styx. Read the 
  following:
  The last thing you remember was struggling to stay 
  awake as your life ebbed away, then darkness. From 
  that darkness emerges a blackened and blasted 
  landscape, a vast wasteland swarming with legions 
  of the dead. Throughout the craggy valleys ahead of 
  you winds a dark river flowing with the souls of the 
  damned. It is the River Styx, a fell waterway plied 
  upon by skeletal thanadaemons ferrying the dead to 
  their end. Tormented moans fill the air, and in the far 
  distance you can hear the hordes of madness in the 
  Abyss and the screaming warcries of the Hells’ armies. 
  The finality of this awful place weighs upon you like 
  a thousand chains and you are utterly helpless, only 
  able to join in the howling of the condemned along 
  with the ghostly apparitions of your companions 
  nearby as impish cacodaemons flutter above, herding 
  you down toward the shore.
  It’s likely that the adventurers are less than 
  pleased about their current predicament. At first 
  they are unable to control anything but their 
  voices—make sure to give them an opportunity to 
  blame one another, question their faiths or sanity, 
  and fret on what awaits them before setting them 
  free. When the PCs have realized the reality of 
  the River Styx and know with certainty that they 
  are bound for the Abyss or the Hells, read the 
  following:
  Rising from the general torment you overhear a frantic 
  babbling of disbelief and dismay from a large proces-
  sion of similarly robed figures not much further ahead 
  of you. It quickly becomes apparent that a sizable cult 
  of some kind died all at once, and that each of them is 
  only just now learning that their god is as dead as they 
  are. Their primal screams of rage are so potent that 
  they start to take shape, forming into a specter that 
  swats away your jailers—you are freed, your limbs 
  your own once more! 
  Returning to the River Styx
  Hopefully the PCs don’t end up returning to the 
  River Styx, but in the event of another total party 
  kill, they may want to defy mortality once again. 
  The GM should manufacture a new distraction—per-
  haps an actual dead god walks in front of the PCs, a 
  celestial event takes the attentions of their jailers, 
  or Sotiria and Farishta intervene long enough for 
  them to escape—as well as create new entities with 
  themes to replace gluttony, heresy, and avarice 
  (such as other vices like hubris, lust, sloth, or wrath). 
  There should also be a new guardian, preferably 
  one of a different nature and motivation than an 
  angel, such as an Inevitable or a supernaturally 
  lawful entity. This guardian may need items from 
  the three caverns to restore something important 
  somewhere in the Multiverse, such as a clockwork 
  machine that affects fate. Of course, the difficulty 
  of the encounters to acquire these items should 
  be increased to further challenge the adventurers 
  and the GM should treat the average party level as 
  1 higher for calculating the base statistics of the 
  fiends they have to defeat to succeed.
  
  Searching the River Styx | EN World EN5IDER
  Searching the River Styx | EN World EN5IDER
  
  EN World EN5IDER | Searching the River Styx
  EN World EN5IDER | Searching the River Styx
  on itself and shrinking ever so slightly with every 
  moment spent within. Read the following: 
  The horrible and overwhelming dread of the River 
  Styx seems to abate ever so slightly as you follow the 
  fallen angel into a chamber that has clearly become 
  her home. Votives and blessings galore adorn every 
  inch of the cave but you can see their edges are frayed 
  and the color from the parchment is draining away, 
  shrinking from the corrupting evil all around it. Indeed 
  even after a few moments you realize the walls of the 
  room are literally closing in, pressing ever so slightly 
  closer than when you first entered.
  Sotiria was cast down from the higher planes of 
  existence for violating the laws of the celestial 
  dimensions, condemned to prove her piety by 
  restoring one of her kin. A deva named Farishta 
  attempted to save Sotiria from her fall, but in so 
  doing was caught by the evil entities about to 
  ensnare her, his soul torn to shreds and scattered 
  over the lower planes. The fallen angel has spent 
  many years collecting Farishta’s shards and has 
  only three more to gather, but her powers have 
  waned and the creatures that possess the shards 
  are too powerful for her to defeat in her current 
  state. In exchange for acquiring them for her, 
  Sotiria offers to have her celestial order restore 
  the PCs to life and grant blessings for their good 
  deeds. Should the adventurers resist her offer, she 
  points out that it is only a matter of time before 
  daemons find them and, though she freely offers 
  shelter, she warns that total death is inevitable for 
  mortals that dally too long in the River Styx.
   Once they have accepted the deal, Sotiria tells 
  the party to beware gluttony, heresy, and avarice, 
  but wishes each good fortune and shows them 
  to a passage leading from her hideaway under 
  the water to the other side of the River Styx. The 
  tunnel collapses behind the PCs but conveniently 
  lets them out near their first obstacle: Pagkaulitan, 
  the Cavern of Gluttony.
  Pagkaulitan: 
  Cavern of Gluttony
  Read the following when the PCs begin 
  wandering down the tunnel leading to the lair of 
  the daemon Wehelin:
  The dark rock of the River Styx’s desaturated land-
  scape curves away down a passage redolent with the 
  scent of fine food and drink. Smells savory and sweet 
  tickle at your nose and the further you move down 
  this tunnel, the more you think of the most succulent 
  meals you’ve ever had, your appetite growing with 
  every step...
  Before reaching the end of this curving passage 
  the PCs relive a memory of when they indulged 
  themselves with drink or food—this might be 
  from a bountiful feast of revelry, the first time 
  they had a fine pastry or well-cooked meal, or the 
  last thing they ate as a mortal. Each adventurer 
  makes an Intelligence saving throw (DC 12 + APB) 
  or sees an illusion of their favorite food as they 
  turn the corner of the passage. PCs that see 
  these figments make a Wisdom saving throw 
  (DC 8 + APB) or are overwhelmed with an urge to 
  eat, fattening themselves with the ethereal food. 
  A creature so gorged reduces its speed by 10 feet.
   At the very end of the tunnel the party finds the 
  grotesque daemon Wehelin, a creature consumed 
  by gluttony and well at home in Pagkaulitan. 
  Read the following:
  Sitting in a pile of disgusting slop welled in a depres-
  sion in the cave revealed at the end of this tunnel is a 
  grotesque thing of evil, a daemonic face surrounded 
  by fat that rolls over and over upon itself, over and 
  around even its limbs.  It uses one of its flabby arms 
  to snatch up a golden shard of crystal that lay on the 
  ground, making the item disappear beneath the folds 
  before it looks towards you and grins, its jaw unhing-
  ing in anticipation as it bellows through its slavering 
  maw. “Oh goodness me, a live meal! You will taste 
  delightful!”
  
  Searching the River Styx | EN World EN5IDER
  Searching the River Styx | EN World EN5IDER
  The daemon Wehelin the Glutton (see Monsters) 
  fights to the death, completely unwilling to release 
  its shard of Farishta’s soul. Once defeated, its 
  bloated body explodes, coating the PCs in gore.
  Traveling the River Styx
  In addition to having to fight against the 
  unyielding current of the River Styx, the PCs 
  are likely to come across daemons of some kind 
  because of the Inevitable Servants planar trait. 
  The curses and enchantments within Pagkaulitan, 
  Chisokonezo, and Ukunyoluka cease to activate 
  again after their guardians are dead so retreat 
  into these areas is possible; the PCs might take 
  up defenses to slaughter some monsters or trick 
  them and escape. A party might want to take a 
  long rest to recover abilities and hit points, but 
  after the duration of a short rest they should be 
  warned that they can feel their life force ebbing 
  away, foreshadowing the Total Death planar trait’s 
  effects.
   There are also dangers aside from the nature 
  of the realm—hydrodaemons lurk in the 
  supernatural waters, cacodaemons swoop through 
  the air, and watchful thanadaemons float down 
  the River Styx on their dismal ferries. Other lethal 
  hazards abound on the blighted bank of the River 
  Styx; examples follow.
  Grasping of the Damned
  Souls of those destroyed in the River Styx flow 
  freely through the waterway, crashing into 
  the Abyss at its end and floating back to its 
  supernatural source to repeat the cycle for eternity. 
  The wrath and anger of these bound slivers of 
  being can manifest themselves when they sense 
  life, reaching out to grasp at the existence denied 
  them. Roll 1d20 whenever a creature passes within 
  5 or 10 feet of the river: on a 20, ethereal arms lash 
  out from the water and try to drag them in. 
   The grasping of the damned makes an attack 
  roll (with an attack bonus equal to APB + 4) and 
  grapples the target on a hit. Once grappled, a 
  creature may make a Strength (Athletics) or 
  Dexterity (Athletics) check at the start of their turn 
  to escape (DC 10 + 1 per turn spent grappled) but 
  otherwise they are dragged 5 feet closer to or into 
  the water.  PCs that are dragged into the water roll 
  1d20 upon entering and at the start of their turn; 
  on a result of 16 or greater, they are attacked by 
  1d4 hydrodaemons (EN5ider Conjured Horrors). 
  For every check already made while dragged into 
  the water, add +2 to this d20 roll.
  Soulshriek of Utter Torment
  Every hour the PCs spend in the demiplane of 
  Styx, roll 1d20: on a result of 6 or below, they 
  encounter a Soulshriek of Utter Torment. These 
  echoes of shattered psyches wander along the 
  River Styx, forever terrorized by the total death 
  that has claimed them for eternity. Non-fiend 
  creatures within 100 feet of a Soulshriek of Utter 
  Torment might hear its wail before it appears 
  (passive Perception 16 or higher), but otherwise 
  the Soulshriek’s scream is only heard when it 
  comes within sight of creatures (it has darkvision 
  and truesight with a range of 120 feet). 
   When a Soulshriek of Utter Torment sees a non-
  fiend creature, that creature must make a Wisdom 
  saving throw (DC 10 + APB) or gain the frightened 
  condition for a number of rounds equal to APB. 
   A frightened non-fiend creature seen by a 
  Soulshriek must make a Constitution saving throw 
  (DC 10 + APB) or gain the deafened condition for a 
  number of hours equal to APB. 
   A frightened and deafened non-fiend creature 
  seen by a Soulshriek makes a Charisma saving 
  throw (DC 10 + APB) or gains the blinded 
  condition for a period of time equal to ten minutes 
  times APB. 
   Soulshrieks travel along the River Styx at a 
  rate of 20 feet each round, wandering randomly 
  between the waterway’s sides but always in the 
  direction of the current. They cannot be damaged, 
  dispelled, or otherwise affected by the PCs. 
  Creatures with both the blinded and deafened 
  conditions are immune to its effects, and creatures 
  only ever make one saving throw against a 
  Soulshriek of Utter Torment each round.
  
  EN World EN5IDER | Searching the River Styx
  EN World EN5IDER | Searching the River Styx
  Chisokonezo: 
  Altar to Heresy
  Read the following when the PCs head down 
  the passage leading to the lair of the demon 
  Xadgudbaha:
  Your minds turn to dark places as you walk into this 
  cavern and find two stone tunnels before you. To the 
  left is a passage with walls bearing primitive marks 
  that radiate unfettered evil, subtly warping and twist-
  ing even as you look at them to take on shapes that 
  hurt your mind to witness. On the right, there are just 
  as many symbols—but these are not painful to gaze 
  upon, though the light they shine with seems unnatu-
  ral even in this dreadfully strange realm.
  The apparent choice before the party is a false 
  one: both paths are evil, one is just clever about 
  it. PCs traveling down one of these hallways 
  make a Charisma saving throw (DC 12 + APB) or 
  relive a memory of great doubt and skepticism. 
  Adventurers that head down the left tunnel (with 
  obviously evil symbols) gain advantage on this 
  saving throw. PCs that relive these memories decry 
  their personal faiths and the gods they revere if 
  they do not make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 12 
  + APB), are urged to scrawl their own blasphemies 
  on the wall of Chizokonezo. Anyone that commits 
  this heresy against their deity marks their very 
  soul and suffers disadvantage on Charisma checks 
  made with Sotiria the fallen angel.
   When the PCs reach the Altar to Heresy they 
  find the demon Xadgudbaha. Read the following:
  The creature before you radiates pure hatred, the bulk 
  of its crimson body hidden beneath piles upon piles of 
  shredded and torn holy texts defaced with foul sym-
  bols. Scripts drift down from the ceiling to stick to its 
  pulpy mass as torn pages fall away, ground into mulch 
  beneath the feet of this capering demon as it gleefully 
  dances defaming the beliefs of deities from all over 
  existence. Through its whirling motion you spot the 
  telltale golden glint of one of the angelic shards but 
  just as quickly it disappears again, hidden behind veils 
  of heresy.
  The demon Xadgudbaha the Heretic (see 
  Monsters) has no fear of total death and 
  fights until utterly destroyed, keeping the 
  shard of Farishta’s soul obscured by its pulpy 
  accoutrements. Once defeated, the demon’s 
  body incinerates itself, flashing into smoke like 
  magician’s paper, leaving behind the shard.
  Crossing the River Styx
  In order to collect the third remaining shard of 
  Farishta’s soul and return them to Sotiria, at some 
  point or another the PCs will have to cross the 
  River Styx. Magic items and spells that grant a 
  fly speed do not function over the otherworldly 
  waterway and unless one of the adventurers has 
  natural wings, chances are good they will have to 
  utilize one of the following methods:
   
  ▶ Building a Boat. There’s precious little in 
  this demiplane other than stone, daemons, 
  and evil, but the PCs might be able to conjure 
  enough materials to fashion a vessel of their 
  own using magic items or spells. In this case 
  they may make DC 10 Dexterity (Vehicle 
  [water]) checks to ferry themselves across the 
  River Styx, though any items pushed down 
  into the water for momentum or guidance 
  have a 50% chance of being grasped at by a 
  hydrodaemon (DC 15 Strength check to keep 
  the item from being ripped away and taken 
  beneath the water).
   
  ▶ Jump Across. PCs that simply attempt to 
  jump over the River Styx find in midair that 
  gravity over the waterway is increased. Even 
  a creature with a Strength score sufficient 
  to long jump over the river must make a 
  Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) 
  check (DC 12 + APB) in order to make it 
  across. When approaching the shore, the PCs 
  may make a Wisdom (Insight) check (DC 
  10 + APB). On a success, they realize this 
  information. PCs that fail their ability check 
  land in the water and roll 1d20; on a result 
  of 10 or below, they are attacked by 1d4 
  hydrodaemons.
  
  Searching the River Styx | EN World EN5IDER
  Searching the River Styx | EN World EN5IDER
   
  ▶ Take a Ferry. PCs that have something of 
  great value to trade might try to convince 
  one of the ferrymen of the River Styx, a 
  thanadaemon, to take them across the murky 
  water.  Doing so requires a Charisma check 
  (DC 15 + APB) using Deception, Intimidation, 
  or Persuasion. PCs who sweeten the deal by 
  offering something as important to them as 
  their life itself gain advantage on the check. 
  Failure to convince a thanadaemon causes 
  it to cry out for reinforcements and attack, 
  destroying its vessel as its first action in 
  combat. 
   
  ▶ Try to Swim. Getting into the River Styx 
  itself is extremely ill-advised as the waters 
  are home to hydrodaemons beyond count. 
  PCs that enter the water roll 1d20 upon 
  entering and at the start of their turn; on a 
  result of 10 or above, they are attacked by 
  1d4 hydrodaemons. For every check already 
  made while in the water, add +3 to this d20 
  roll.
  Ukunyoluka: 
  Grotto of Avarice
  When the PCs head down the final cavern 
  wherein a shard of Farishta’s soul awaits, read the 
  following:
  Figments of gold and treasure galore shimmer and 
  waver in this tunnel, and though they are obviously 
  illusions, the sight of so much wealth beckons to you, 
  entreating your mind to remember past glories that 
  aggrandized you in some way.
  The PCs likely recall moments of great victory 
  between them and seem to show camaraderie 
  to one another—yet this too is only an illusion. 
  Each and every character is compelled to try to 
  steal from their companions. Every PC makes a 
  Dexterity saving throw (DC 12 + APB) to avoid 
  having one item stolen by another PC. On a 
  success, a PC retains all of their own items. In 
  addition, every PC makes a Wisdom saving 
  throw to resist a secret compulsion to steal from 
  one another at a later date in revenge for the 
  purloining already going on. PCs that succeeded 
  their Dexterity saving throw gain advantage 
  on this save. Failure on this Wisdom saving 
  throw compels a PC to steal from one of their 
  companions after 1d4 + 1 long rests, but anyone 
  who failed both saving throws also attempts to 
  take something from Sotiria’s cave (an act the 
  fallen angel is not likely to look upon with favor).
   When the PCs finally reach the end of 
  Ukunyoluka they find the devil Aargoosiga, 
  bearing witness to the insane greed that drives 
  the fiend’s desire to retain one of the shards of 
  Farishta’s soul.
  Dark orange miasma swirls around the figure in the 
  center of this room, the aura fed by glittering piles of 
  blood-stained gold and treasured heaped about on 
  the floor, some items still clutched by hands unwilling 
  to let them go. A palpable, iron scent of evil wafts from 
  the creature laying upon this splendor, and though 
  the glittering greed floating about it obscures much 
  of the body, its crimson eyes wander toward you—al-
  most as if it can tell that new objects of value have 
  entered the chamber—and you can feel the thing’s 
  vile presence in your very bones. 
  The devil Aargoosiga the Avaricious (see 
  Monsters), a creature of unbridled avarice, is 
  completely unwilling to part with anything, going 
  so far as to demand everything the adventurers 
  own in order to accept their surrender, fighting to 
  the death should they refuse. 
   Unlike the other caves the party has visited, 
  this one has treasure in it in addition to a shard 
  of Farishta’s soul. PCs can collect a number of 
  gold pieces equal to 10d20 times APL and a 
  magical item, but should they take the magical 
  item, roll 1d20 to determine whether they find 
  a genuine item or something cursed: 1–4: armor 
  of vulnerability; 5–9: demon armor (which initially 
  appears angelic), 10–14: shield of missile attraction, 
  15–19: berserker axe, 20: a randomly determined 
  (not cursed) wondrous item.
  
  EN World EN5IDER | Searching the River Styx
  EN World EN5IDER | Searching the River Styx
  Conclusion: 
  Sotiria’s Rewards
  With the three remaining shards of Farishta’s soul 
  in hand, the party returns to Sotiria’s cave to reap 
  their rewards. The tunnel leading to her abode 
  has contracted however and any PCs larger than 
  Small size need to make a Dexterity check (DC 8 
  + APB) to squeeze through the shrunken passage 
  (any PC of Large or greater size makes this check 
  with disadvantage). This does not change the area 
  on the map, but any creature of Medium size or 
  larger has to crouch to avoid the lowered ceiling, 
  and has disadvantage on Dexterity checks and 
  saving throws. Read the following:  
  As you enter into the fallen angel’s cave once more, 
  you are immediately struck by how much of the divin-
  ity it once retained has been drained away. Sotiria’s 
  cracked and broken skin looks even less angelic, as 
  corrupted and sallow as the sapped blessings cluster-
  ing around her. She eyes you suspiciously as you ap-
  proach and when you meet her gaze it feels as though 
  she is looking into your very soul, searching it for the 
  taint of this dreadful realm. 
  Sotiria knows all too well the dangerous effect 
  that the River Styx can have on creatures and 
  carefully observes the PCs, searching them for 
  corruption, but offers to heal them as well. If any 
  member of the party has both gorged themselves 
  on the illusory food in Pagkaulitan and taken to 
  heresy in Chisokonezo, she specifically tries to 
  touch and heal them but is really only looking 
  to search their thoughts to see if they are too 
  corrupt to revive. Clerics, paladins, and other 
  adventurers with divine power have their faith 
  questioned by the fallen angel but are otherwise 
  unmolested. Should she decide that a PC has been 
  too tainted by the River Styx or should she notice 
  a member of the party trying to steal something 
  from her hideaway (compelled by their trials 
  in Ukunyoluka), Sotiria immediately attacks 
  the adventurers and attempts to take Farishta’s 
  shards by force, refusing to uphold her end of 
  the bargain for so beings so foul—unless the PCs 
  proactively convince her of their righteousness.
   Provided that they have not been too corrupted 
  by the River Styx, the PCs can hand over 
  Farishta’s shards and receive their reward. Sotiria 
  takes the shattered remains of the other angel’s 
  essence and combines them in a flash of light and 
  between the two celestials, all of the adventurers 
  are brought back to life on the Material Plane 
  (rolling their own results for the Flowing Time 
  planar trait). Read the following:
  Sotiria reaches beneath her tarnished gold robes and 
  produces a sack of stark white cotton covered with 
  intricately woven sigils of royal purple. She adds the 
  soul shards you’ve gathered from around the River 
  Styx into the bag and clasps it between her hands, 
  then she draws her hands against her chest and 
  chants purposefully until the bag explodes in a ball 
  of light.  As the blinding energy dissipates, a winged 
  humanoid steps out of it, hugging the fallen angel 
  and healing the faults on her skin with his embrace. 
  “Thank you for helping to restore me,” Farishta says, 
  his voice soothing and warm, “It is only right that we 
  do the same for you.”
  Well She’s Dead. Now What Do We Do?
  If the PCs are found wanting Sotiria attacks them 
  (meaning the complete end of their existence with 
  total death) but some adventurers will certainly 
  defeat her. This doesn’t mean they are doomed to 
  dwindle away in the River Styx however and the 
  party can utilize the shattered essence of Farishta 
  to restore themselves back to life by consuming 
  the soul shards, performing a ritual on them drawn 
  from the information hidden in the blessings and 
  votives around Sotiria’s hideaway, or even use them 
  as a bargaining chip with a thanadaemon moving 
  down the supernatural waterway. Regardless of the 
  exact circumstances, using the disjointed remains 
  of an angel to regain their mortality should be a 
  depraved and harrowing experience for the adven-
  turers and serve as a reminder of why it is critical 
  they avoid a return to this place at all costs.
  
  Searching the River Styx | EN World EN5IDER
  Searching the River Styx | EN World EN5IDER
  The celestials gesture toward you and golden energy 
  emanates from their outstretched arms, wrapping 
  around you with welcoming warmth before it suffuses 
  your being. For a brief moment you are utterly blinded 
  and deafened, the choir of creation cascading around 
  you into a pinpoint of existence until with a sudden 
  lurch you are delivered back to the Material Plane, 
  your consciousness rushing into your body with sav-
  age force. 
  The exact locations of where the PCs return to 
  life is at the discretion of the GM (they might be 
  buried, waking in their coffins!) but they are at 
  full hit points as if they had just finished a long 
  rest and, true to her word, Sotiria and Farishta 
  grant a boon to the PCs as well. Adventurers that 
  failed a saving throw in Pagkaulitan, Chisokonezo, 
  or Ukunyoluka may choose not to gain a blessing 
  and instead remove any curses left by their time 
  in the River Styx. Otherwise, each PC rolls 1d6 
  and gains one of the following graces.
  Celestial Grace
  1d6 Grace Granted
  1
  Grace of Holy Body. You gain immunity to the 
  poisoned condition and gain advantage on saving 
  throws made to avoid the exhausted condition. By 
  permanently expending this grace as a reaction, you 
  gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slash-
  ing damage for 10 minutes.
  1d6 Grace Granted
  2
  Grace of Unyielding Faith. You gain immunity to 
  the charmed condition and gain advantage on sav-
  ing throws made to avoid the frightened condition. 
  By permanently expending this grace as a reaction, 
  you gain immunity to necrotic, radiant, and poison 
  damage for 1 hour.
  3
  Grace of Prowess. You gain a +2 bonus to AC against 
  melee weapon attacks. By permanently expending 
  this grace as a reaction, you gain a +4 bonus to me-
  lee weapon attack rolls and melee weapon damage 
  rolls for 1 minute.
  4
  Grace of Agility. You gain a +2 bonus to AC against 
  ranged weapon attacks. By permanently expend-
  ing this grace as a reaction, you gain a +4 bonus to 
  ranged weapon attack rolls and ranged weapon 
  damage rolls for 1 minute.
  5
  Grace of Magic. Choose either cleric or druid. You 
  learn two cantrips of your choice from that class 
  spell list.  Your spellcasting ability for these cantrips 
  is your highest mental ability score. By permanently 
  expending this grace as part of an action, you may 
  cast any spell on the class spell list of a spell level 
  equal to or less than half your level.
  6
  Grace of Empowerment. Choose one ability score. 
  That ability score increases by 2, up to a maximum 
  of 22. By permanently expending this grace as an 
  action, you temporarily increase that ability score to 
  30 for a number of rounds equal to your proficiency 
  bonus.
  
  EN World EN5IDER | Searching the River Styx
  EN World EN5IDER | Searching the River Styx
  Monsters: 
  Under the Hood
  At their hearts we know that monsters (and 
  adventurers) are just arrays of numbers that are 
  given form through a system of rules. What makes 
  these enemies and obstacles memorable are not 
  their statistics but the descriptions that bring them 
  to life; if I really want to play a character bonded 
  with a combat-prone alien symbiont, what’s to say 
  that my monk isn’t just a regular guy who gains 
  their class abilities from a space parasite? At the 
  end of the day does it really make that much of 
  a difference? While sometimes it might, on the 
  whole it normally doesn’t have to and as we’re 
  already shattering one of the certainties of a fifth 
  edition game—the concept of character death—it 
  is only fitting that we bend, explore, and exploit 
  the inner workings of the system to make it so!
   Each of the three central enemies in Searching 
  the River Styx embodies a theme that determines 
  their descriptions and abilities, but the core of 
  their statistics are derived from creatures of a 
  challenge rating equal to the average level of the 
  party + 1. When these new qualities conflict with 
  those of the starting creature (such as a creature 
  with acid vulnerability gaining immunity) 
  provide a new vulnerability for the creature, but 
  aside from making sure the monster still has a 
  weakness any resulting power imbalances should 
  still be well within the party’s ability to overcome. 
  Besides, escaping the afterlife isn’t meant to be 
  easy and the more difficult the obstacles in the 
  way, the more impressive and epic the party’s 
  success—or failure—will be!
  Wehelin the Glutton
  The daemon Wehelin the Glutton is a fiend with an align-
  ment of neutral evil, Intelligence ability score of 15, and 
  the following additions to its statistics: 
  Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning
  Damage Immunities acid, necrotic, poison
  Condition Immunities poisoned
  Senses darkvision 60 ft.
  Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 100 ft.
  Massiveness. Wehelin is always at least Large sized, 
  and cannot be reduced in size. It gains advantage on 
  any ability checks or saving throws made to avoid 
  being moved or gaining the prone condition.
  Meal Mimicking 1/Turn. Wehelin can utilize one class 
  ability possessed by a creature it has swallowed. 
  When using this ability to cast a spell, Wehelin does 
  not require components or focuses and it uses the 
  swallowed creature’s spell attack bonuses and spell 
  save DC. This ability does not expend any spell slots 
  or limited uses from a swallowed creature’s abilities.
  ATTACKs
  Wehelin gains the following attack.
  Engulf. Wehelin makes one Engulf attack (with an 
  attack bonus equal to its highest melee attack bonus) 
  as a bonus action against a Medium or smaller target 
  it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target is swal-
  lowed, and the grapple ends. While swallowed, the 
  target is blinded and restrained, it has total cover 
  against attacks and other effects originating from 
  outside Wehelin’s body, and it gains one level of 
  exhaustion at the end of Wehelin’s turn if it fails a 
  Constitution saving throw (DC 12 + APB). Wehelin 
  can have a number of creatures swallowed at a time 
  equal to half its proficiency bonus. If Wehelin takes 3 
  damage per CR or more on a single turn from swal-
  lowed creatures, it must succeed on a Constitution 
  saving throw (DC equal to the damage dealt) at the 
  end of that turn or regurgitate the creatures, which 
  fall prone in spaces within 10 feet of the daemon. 
  If Wehelin dies, a swallowed creature is no longer 
  restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by 
  using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone. 
  
  Searching the River Styx | EN World EN5IDER
  Searching the River Styx | EN World EN5IDER
  The Demon Xadgudbaha the Heretic
  Xadgubaha the Heretic is a fiend with an alignment 
  of chaotic evil, Intelligence ability score of 15, and the 
  following additions to its statistics: 
  Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire
  Damage Immunities lightning, poison
  Condition Immunities poisoned
  Senses darkvision 60 ft.
  Languages Abyssal, telepathy 100 ft.
  Betrayed Thoughts. Xadgudbaha’s very presence 
  pries precious secrets from even the most pious of 
  hearts. Creatures within 30 feet of the demon must 
  make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 12 + APB) at the 
  start of their turn or shout their innermost skepti-
  cisms and suspicions of disbelief to anyone within 
  earshot.
  ATTACK
  Xadgubaha gains the following attack.
  Blackmail of the Soul. Xadgudbaha can turn souls in 
  on themselves, forcing a creature through unimagina-
  ble agony as their very essence attacks itself. Once a 
  creature has betrayed their thoughts to Xadgudbaha, 
  the demon can spend an action blackmailing their 
  soul, forcing them to make a Wisdom saving throw 
  (DC 12 + APB) or become poisoned and restrained for 
  a number of rounds equal to half of Xadugudbaha’s 
  proficiency bonus. A target that successfully saves is 
  immune to Xadgudbaha’s blackmail of the soul attack 
  for the next 24 hours.
  The Devil Aargoosiga the Avaricious
  Aargoosiga the Avaricious is a fiend with an alignment 
  of lawful evil, Intelligence ability score of 15, and the 
  following additions to its statistics: 
  Damage Resistances acid, cold
  Damage Immunities fire, poison
  Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned
  Senses darkvision 60 ft.
  Languages Infernal, telepathy 100 ft.
  Demanding Selfishness. Aargoosiga’s greed is so all-
  consuming that it vents away from the devil in waves 
  of compulsive energies. Creatures within 30 feet of 
  the devil must make a Charisma saving throw (DC 12 + 
  APB) at the start of their turn or become unwilling to 
  share the benefits of any item that can be consumed 
  (such as a potion of healing) until the end of their 
  next turn. The creature may still use abilities that 
  grant bonuses or bonus actions to an ally but only 
  if the ability cannot target themselves though even 
  then, the use of the ability must directly benefit the 
  creature in some way. 
  ATTACK
  Aargoosiga gains the following attack.
  Overwhelming Avarice. As a bonus action, Aargoosiga 
  directs the greed that fills its dark soul at one crea-
  ture it can see. The creature makes a Charisma saving 
  throw (DC 12 + APB) or spends its next turn attempt-
  ing to take (by force, magic, or other means) the most 
  valuable object possessed by an ally.  A target that 
  successfully saves is immune to Aargoosiga’s over-
  whelming avarice for the next minute.
  
  EN World EN5IDER | Searching the River Styx
  EN World EN5IDER | Searching the River Styx
  APL
  Daemon Wehelin
  Demon Xadgubaha
  Devil Aargoosiga
  3rd
  Chuul
  Ettin
  Incubus/Succubus
  4th
  Roper
  Flesh Golem
  Barbed Devil
  5th
  Chimera
  Vrock
  Medusa
  6th
  Giant Ape
  Shield Guardian (no amulet)
  Oni
  7th
  Tyrannosaurus Rex
  Hezrou
  Chain Devil
  8th
  Fire Giant
  Bone Devil
  Glabrezu
  9th
  Aboleth (traits as if underwater)
  Stone Golem
  Guardian Naga
  10th
  Behir
  Gynosphinx
  Horned Devil
  11th
  Archmage
  Storm Giant
  Erinyes
  12th
  Vampire
  Nelfashnee
  Rakshasa
  13th
  Adult Copper Dragon
  Adult Black Dragon
  Ice Devil
  14th
  Adult Green Dragon
  Purple Worm
  Mummy Lord (not in lair)
  15th
  Adult Blue Dragon
  Iron Golem
  Mummy Lord (in lair)
  16th
  Androsphinx
  Adult Red Dragon
  Adult Gold Dragon
  
  Searching the River Styx | EN World EN5IDER
  Searching the River Styx | EN World EN5IDER
  Sotiria the Fallen Angel
  Medium celestial, lawful neutral
  Armor Class 14 + APB (natural armor)
  Hit Points 42 (5d8 + 20) (see sidebar)
  Speed 30 ft.
   STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   18 (+4) 
  18 (+4) 
  18 (+4) 
  17 (+3) 
  20 (+5) 
  20 (+5)
  Saving Throws (5 + APB) Wisdom, Charisma
  Skills (5 + APB) Deception, Insight, Perception
  Damage Resistances fire, radiant (see sidebar)
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, 
  frightened
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15+APB
  Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
  Challenge APB x 3; note that Sotiria’s proficiency 
  bonus is equal to APB
  sPECIAL TRAITs
  Angelic Weapons. Sotiria’s weapon attacks are 
  magical. When she hits with any weapon, the weapon 
  deals an extra 1d10 radiant damage per point of APB.
  Deceptive Healing (3/Day). Sotiria touches another 
  creature. The target magically regains 1d8 + 1 hit 
  points per point of APB and is freed from disease, 
  poison, blindness, or deafness. The target also makes 
  a Wisdom saving throw against Sotiria’s spell save 
  DC or unknowingly reveals their thoughts to her (as 
  detect thoughts).
  Innate Spellcasting. Sotiria’s spellcasting ability 
  is Charisma (spell save DC 15 + APB). She can in-
  nately cast the following spells, requiring only verbal 
  components:
  At will: detect evil and good, locate object
  1/day: commune
  ACTIONs
  Multiattack. Sotiria makes two melee attacks. (see 
  sidebar)
  Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +[4+APB] to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 
  angelic weapon damage.
  Fallen Angel of the River Styx
  Powerful souls are drawn to the heaviest currents 
  of the River Styx and the potency of the beings able 
  to dwell along its shores there is greater as well. 
  Sotiria’s AC, hit points, saving throws, skills, traits, 
  and attacks are all modified by APB (the average 
  proficiency bonus of the party).
  APB of 3
  Hit Points. Sotiria’s hit points change to 85 
  (10d8 + 40).
  Flight. Sotiria gains a fly speed of 40 feet.
  Magic Resistance. Sotiria has advantage on saving 
  throws against spells and other magical effects.
  APB of 4
  Hit Points. Sotiria’s hit points change to 127 
  (15d8 + 60).
  Damage Resistances. Sotiria gains resistance to 
  bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from 
  nonmagical attacks.
  Multiattack. Sotiria gains one additional melee 
  attack each turn (for a total of three).
  APB of 5
  Hit Points. Sotiria’s hit points change to 170 
  (20d8 + 80).
  Regeneration. Sotiria regains 10 hit points at the 
  start of her turn if she has at least 1 hit point.
  Multiattack. Sotiria gains one additional melee 
  attack each turn (for a total of four).
  APB of 6
  Hit Points. Sotiria’s hit points change to 212 
  (25d8 + 100).
  Damage Resistances. In addition to the resis-
  tances she gains at APB 4, Sotiria gains resistance 
  to acid, cold, and lightning damage.
  Multiattack. Sotiria gains one additional melee 
  attack each turn (for a total of five).
   
  e
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/EN World EN5ider/EN5ider 111 - Searching the River Styx.pdf