The evil wizard Tharikthiril was defeated by the dwarves years ago.

But why then

are the groundlings becoming numerous around his ruined tower? And what are
those strange lights seen in the distance coming from the direction of his tower?
Has the wizard somehow cheated death and risen again?

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Be not afraid of death,
for the veil between
the living and the dead
is far weaker than
the draw of love and desire
—attributed to Sameon, the bard lich
The Tower of Tharikthiril is an adventure for a party of
four to five 3rd level player characters (PCs). The
scenario is set in a generic setting, in the mountainous
area around a dwarven stronghold. The scenario is
easily transplantable into most other settings,
including the Forgotten Realms, where one of the
dwarven citadels of the Sword Coast Region can be
used.
This adventure is loosely linked with another
adventure, entitled A Taste of Honey. In that adventure,
the PCs may have encountered a race of creatures
called groundlings and passed by a ruined tower.
This adventure details that ruined tower and the story
of its owner and the groundlings he created. If the DM
is running A Taste of Honey, then this adventure can be
included during that scenario as a side trek. Or, the PCs
could elect to finish that adventure and then turn their
attention to this one.
Nevertheless, this adventure can be run as a stand-
alone scenario, and provisions for doing so are set
forth below.
Where a creature or NPC is mentioned in bold-faced
type, its statistics can be found either in the Monster
Manual or in Appendix B of this adventure.
Throughout the adventure, descriptions of the appearance,
personality, and motivations of important NPCs are
presented in red boxes.
Dialogue is contained in italicized boxed text.
Location descriptions are contained in plain boxed
text.
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The PCs are tasked with investigating the possible
reappearance of an evil wizard who menaced the
dwarves sixteen years ago. They explore the wizard’s
ancient ruined tower and the dungeon below and
discover that, not only has he returned, but he is now a
fiend in league with powerful demons. The PCs
confront Tharikthiril and must end his unlife.
The scenario can be set in any mountain range that
contains a dwarven citadel. Alternately, the DM can
substitute the dwarven stronghold for some other
settlement or fortress in the mountains.
The scenario assumes it is late spring or summer time.
If it is winter, then there will be snow on the ground.
This scenario can take place during or right after the
adventure entitled A Taste of Honey.
In some parts of the adventure, it is assumed there is
increased orc activity in the region, including a recent
assault on the dwarven stronghold. If this does not
work for your campaign, then just ignore all references
to the orcish activity; it does not impinge directly on
this adventure.
Tharikthiril was an evil wizard who delighted in
delving into forbidden mysteries and demonology. In
the course of his research, he discovered a weak point
in the Material Plane where fiends could be more
easily summoned to this world. So he travelled to the
mountains where this weak point was located and
built a tower atop it.
The dwarves of the nearby stronghold of Nirzumbil
were wary of the wizard, but when they saw that he
seemed to represent no threat to them, they traded
with him for a time, sending foodstuffs, gems, and rare
metals for his experiments in exchange for coins and
magic potions.
This changed when one of Tharikthiril’s summoned
creatures escaped his mystic bindings and the tower
and ran loose in the countryside. The creature
Tower of Tharikthiril
happened upon a dwarven prince from Nirzumbil
named Zirik who was out on a falconing hunt with his
small entourage, and the prince and most of his
companions were slaughtered. When news of this deed
reached the dwarves, the dwarves stopped trading
with Tharikthiril, and relations grew more and more
strained until the wizard and dwarves became bitter
enemies.
Tharikthiril at first used the local goblins as slaves and
to contest the now hostile dwarves. He roused these
goblins by a combination of dire threats, displays of his
power, and promises of reward, including dwarven
plunder. These goblin forces were bolstered by the
occasional demon summoned to lead such rabble, but
one demon, a glabrezu named Razkurig’il (not its true
name), bargained with Tharikthiril for his freedom in
exchange for revealing to the wizard a way to use the
dwarves themselves to breed his own army…one more
capable than the goblins with which to contend with
the dwarves.
And so, the groundlings were created from dwarves
kidnapped and twisted in horrid rituals enacted by the
wizard from the lore taught to him by the demon. The
first groundlings were infertile, so the wizard had to
constantly kidnap more dwarves, which drew more
and more ire from Nirzumbil. Finally, even though
Tharikthiril had just managed to successfully breed
groundlings true and no longer needed new dwarves
to increase their numbers, the dwarves had enough
and marched in full army, with aid from other nearby
dwarven strongholds, and defeated the groundlings
and goblins in a great battle. The tower was assaulted
and the wizard was slain, but his body was never
recovered by the dwarves. Although Tharikthiril’s
tower was ruined in the fight, the dwarves were eager
to leave that accursed place and refused to explore it
thoroughly, leaving behind some of their own dead
that were not easily recoverable. Many of the wizard’s
secrets were not found out.
Most of the groundlings were killed in that battle, but
some survived and, in the intervening years, have
begun to breed and repopulate the area.
Tharikthiril did not survive the dwarven assault; he
was, in fact, killed. But so evil was he and so pleased
with all the mayhem he has caused was the demon
who taught him the secret of creating groundlings, that
the wizard was reborn as a fiend. Much of his magical
ability was lost during the rebirth and warping
required to accomplish this, but he still retained a
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semblance of his once potent abilities, This ordeal, his
conversion and rebirth, took many years, and only
recently has he returned to his tower.
Now, the dwarves are concerned that their old enemy
has somehow arisen again. And while they are
embroiled in the midst of an orc uprising, they cannot
spare the dwarves to investigate the wizard’s tower to
see if he has returned. So, they turn to the PCs…
The PCs are in the market, set outside of the gates of
the dwarven stronghold of Nizrumbil. Why they are at
Nirzumbil is up to the DM and/or players. If the PCs
have taken part in the scenarios A Taste of Honey or
The Horns of War, then the PCs may be at the
stronghold in the aftermath of the events presented in
those scenarios.
Otherwise, perhaps they have escorted a cavaran from
the lowlands to the dwarven stronghold and are now
in need of further employment.
Whatever the reason, they are approached by two
dwarves whose very appearance, including symbols
and emblems on their armour and clothing, marks
them as persons of importance.
These two are Krakazlar, the dwarven commander of
the marketplace, and Thelikuk, a dwarven priest, and
they are accompanied by a guard of half a dozen
dwarven warriors. These march up to the PCs in a very
business-like fashion and the commander proclaims in
Common:
You lot are hereby summoned to council within
Nirzumbil. Please attend to it and come with me.
While the PCs are not under arrest and technically
cannot be forced to accompany Krakazlar, the dwarven
commander does not seem like a person who is
accustomed to having his “requests” disobeyed. Should
the PCs refuse to answer such a summons, they will be
expelled from the marketplace, refused future
admittance, and would be regarded as an insult to the
dwarves of Nirzumbil. If necessary, Thelikuk will tell
the PCs of the potential consequences of their refusal
and assure them that the council simply wishes to
speak with the PCs and possibly ask a boon of them.
Tower of Tharikthiril
Assuming the PCs follow, they will be escorted to the
massive gates of Nirzumbil set into the mountainside.
This will attract many stares, as no non-dwarves are
ever allowed inside the front gates of the stronghold
(hence the marketplace set outside). Humans there
will regard the PCs with jealousy, wondering why the
PCs are gaining access to the inner halls, and dwarves
will regard them with bemusement, wondering why
human council is needed at all.
The gates will be opened, revealing a massive hallway
decorated with amazing bas-reliefs and statuary. The
passage, lit by torches and fire beetle glands, runs
straight into the mountain and downward a bit for as
long as the eye can see.
The PCs will, however, be taken into a large archway a
few yards after the entrance gates and ushered into a
large chamber that contains a massive low stone table
and many dwarf-sized stone chairs with cushions
attached to them. Several important-looking dwarves
are seated at the table, and the PCs can see other
dwarves bringing up human-sized wooden chairs for
those PCs who need them.
Krakazlar will salute the seated dwarves, and then he
and his warriors with leave the room, remaining just
outside to escort the PCs back through the gates when
it is time. Meanwhile, Thelikuk will sit near the other
dwarves, and a particularly old dwarf will speak in
Common:
Be seated, please. We have summoned ye here, humans,
because we have a need of your bravery and prowess.
Ye know firsthand the orcs have arisen in the mountains
and that they've been targeting our caravans along the
roadway. And their recent brazen attack upon this
stronghold represents a serious escalation in this
conflict, one that requires every dwarf to be committed
to the defense of our home.
That is why we have asked you here.
With that, another seated dwarf will produce and
unroll across the table a vellum map of the area.
The old dwarf will then proceed:
To the north of here are the ruins of a tower. This tower
once belonged to a human wizard of evil repute called
Tharikthiril. Why he chose to set up his lair in these
mountains or so close to Nirzumbil is not known to us.
However, for a time relations between us were…
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4
strained…but peaceful, and we did some trade with him.
But we knew he was up to strange dealings in his tower,
and many of us knew sooner or later some bad would
come of it.
And it did. One of his fiends, summoned from the
blackest pits of the netherworld, escaped its bonds and
his tower and ran loose in the mountains. Alas, the first
beings this fiend encountered was Prince Zirik and his
party on a falconing hunt. The prince was torn to shreds
and most of his party slain as well, but some escaped to
return the tale of what happened to us here.
That was a foul day and, needless to say, it soured
relations between Tharikthiril and us. But we dwarves
are slow to anger, and the deed was determined to have
been…if negligent, not entirely intentional on his part.
Nevertheless, we refused to trade any more with the
wizard, not wishing to further contribute to his foul
rituals, and he became more and more wroth with us,
eventually turning to the goblins of the region and
allying them or enslaving them to make, procure, or
steal from us what he needed.
And so we became enemies, for he had allied himself
with the goblins of the mountains, and that is
unforgivable. Clashes were fought between us and the
goblins, and in these clashes we generally prevailed.
So, the wizard decided he needed a better breed of
minion to fight against us. And who better to fight
against dwarves but dwarves themselves? At first, we
didn't draw a connection between the appearance of the
groundlings and the disappearance of dwarves. But the
connection was eventually made. By some horrific
magic, Tharikthiril had learned how to warp dwarves
physically and mentally…nay spiritually also…into
badger-like creatures that now did his bidding. These
groundlings were strong, tough as dwarves, and were
fiercer and more bendable to his will than the unruly
goblins who served him before. But as his groundlings
appeared, we dwarves stepped up our resistance against
him, and so this caused him to have to create more
groundlings, which further heightened our ire and so a
vicious cycle was created.
Finally, some sixteen years ago, we had had enough. The
goblins were roused and the kidnapping of dwarves had
reached intolerable levels. Word was sent to other
dwarven strongholds in the mountains and an army was
gathered. We marched against the wizard's forces and
defeated both goblin and groundling in a great battle.
We then marched on the wizard's tower and there, at
Tower of Tharikthiril
great cost, we threw down groundling and demon alike
and finally slew the wizard and left his tower in ruin.
And so it was for the last sixteen years. Aye, a few
groundlings escaped, and these haunt the mountains
still. And the goblins are with us as always, but they
went back to their holes and their petty squabbles and
dared not to mass against us.
But now, reports say that the groundlings are becoming
more numerous again, though this time there are no
great numbers of missing dwarves from
Nirzumbil…which is a puzzle to be sure. And travelers
who pass within sight of the tower have begun to report
seeing strange light coming from it at night.
So our suspicion falls once again to Tharikthiril. Yes, I
know I told you he was killed in the battle fought at his
tower…and so we thought. But we never found a body
you know. And we fear now that perhaps he did not die,
but merely escaped to bide his time for revenge.
This is where we come to ye. We need to know if
Tharikthiril is indeed alive. If evil has arisen in the name
of Tharikthiril, we wish it slain.
Now, why do I come to ye with this? The last orc attack
cost us many warriors. What's more, all warriors at
hand are needed to defend Nirzumbil, especially the
mines below where the main orc assault came. We
cannot spare warriors to trek to the tower and
investigate, nor can we replace such warriors with
mercenaries, for only dwarves are allowed into our
mines.
So, you see, we turn to ye. Of course, we do not expect ye
to undertake such danger without return or reward. So I
have spoken with Thelikuk and we offer
ye the following:
Four silvered weapons of your choice from the forges of
Nirzumbil anda suit of plate armour.
In addition, you will have the thanks and grateful
remembrance of the great city of Nirzumbil, which shall
look upon ye with favour.
In exchange for these, you must investigate the wizard's
tower and determine if he or some other evil has arisen
there. In either case, if evil has arisen there, you are to
destroy it or capture it if ye're able and bring it here
dead or alive.
Will ye do this thing?
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If the PCs refuse the offer, then the adventure is
effectively over, unless the PCs intend on investigating
the tower on their own.
If the PCs agree to the proposal, a stone tablet will be
brought in and the terms of the deal chiseled into the
stone. The PCs will then be invited to make their mark
into the stone tablet to seal their end of the deal.
Krakazlar and his warriors will then be summoned
into the chamber and informed that the PCs have
accepted. The dwarven commander will escort the PCs
out of the gates and back into the marketplace with
thanks from the dwarven council.
The journey to the tower is not long at all. It is just
over a day’s travel.. DMs wishing to allow wandering
encounters during this short journey can refer to the
scenario A Taste of Honey for a wandering encounter
chart for the area.
The tower is located about five miles north of
Nirzumbil, and having seen the map at the dwarven
council, there is no chance they will become lost or
miss locating it.
Skirting the High Forest, which pines and firs can be
seen in the valley below as the PCs make their way up
the rugged slopes of Mount Haranzinil, the PCs can
spy, during the day, great wheeling shapes high up the
peak. These are the eagles and giant eagles that nest in
the summit of the mount.
Towards late afternoon, assuming they set out from
Nirzumbil in the morning, the PCs will enter the area
of influence of the tower. If the PCs have already
passed this way during the adventure entitled A Taste
of Honey, then any groundlings they have slain before
will not be met again in the course of the first two
encounters detailed below.
As the sun begins to set behind the mountains, the PCs
will note a particularly large boulder that features
prominent dwarven runes which read:
Accursed land, demesne of Tharikthiril the Eld. Turn
back!
Tower of Tharikthiril
Sometime later, perhaps 15 to 20 minutes after
passing the boulder, the PCs will be spooked by some
small stones clattering down from higher up on the
slope. However, despite any flying familiars or other
capability the PCs might have to quickly ascend the
slope, nothing will be spotted.
It will be just before sundown that the evil groundlings
that haunt this area will attack. There are six
groundlings (see Appendix B), and they will be lying
in wait, hidden. Their hiding place will be about 10 feet
to one side of the PCs’ route, and the evil creatures will
be burrowed into the ground, bursting out of the earth
as the PCs pass by, likely gaining surprise unless they
are somehow detected beforehand.
The groundlings will attempt to move grappled victims
into their 3 ft. diameter tunnels where their Medium or
Small sized victims will be squeezing while the
groundlings use their Tunnel Fighting trait.
That night, the PCs will observe a strange, argent glow
just over the horizon to the north, as if coming from
behind a spur in the slope of the mountain. The glow
comes from the Tower of Tharikthiril.
The next day (or that night if the PCs head towards the
glow at night), the PCs will, at mid-morning, spy atop a
spur of the mountain to the west, a large tower, now
broken, its top sundered and in scattered ruins around
its base. This is the Tower of Tharikthiril.
The evil wizard has placed, at various intervals in a
one mile radius around the tower, some magic stones
that trigger a suggestion spell when approached to
within 30 ft. by sentient beings who are not
groundlings. Those who fail a DC 14 Wisdom saving
throw believe that great treasure and glory await
those who enter the tower. The suggestion will last for
8 hours or until the victim explores the entirety of the
tower.
These stones each operate once, and then its magic
must be renewed by Tharikthiril. The PCs will pass by
1d3 of these stones as they pass through the area
towards the tower, and once they have been exposed
to one of the stones, a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana)
check will allow a PC to identify the runes and
markings on such stones, thereafter allowing the PCs a
DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to identify further
stones before closing to within 30 ft. The magic of the
stones can be automatically dispelled by a dispel magic
spell.
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These stones are designed to lure passersby to the
tower so that the groundlings can take them and
Tharikthiril can question captives, loot them, and
eventually sacrifice them to his demonic masters. Since
the PCs are trying to explore the tower anyways, the
effect of these stones on the PCs will be minimal,
except that those who succumb to the stone swill be
less likely to wish to rest (especially a long rest) before
entering the tower and will want to continue exploring
the tower even after it might be prudent to retreat and
rest.
Whether they succumb to the stones or not, the PCs
will be subject to attack by a group of 8 groundlings
(see Appendix B) as they approach the tower. These
groundlings will use the old groundling tunnels that
crisscross the entire mountain slope in this area to get
below the PCs and burst up to attack, likely with
surprise.
Thereafter, the PCs will be free to approach and enter
the tower.
The tower rests atop a large 20 foot tall structure that
serves as its base. The whole is built into the
mountainside and almost seems to be thrust from out
of the earth itself. The whole seems to be made of a
single piece of stone, for there are no seams
observable anywhere. The base building is partially in
ruins, full of holes made by dwarven siege engines, and
rubble litters the area.
The tower thrusts up like a finger from the center of
the base building. It is square in cross-section, and it is
impossible to tell how high it night have once been,
though it now stands some 35 feet above the base
structure before ending in jagged ruins where the top
of the tower was collapsed during the battle with the
dwarves,
Several small windows look out from both the tower
and the base building. These are unshuttered, mounted
10 feet above the floor of the level they are on, and
measure 3 feet wide by 5 feet tall.
The top of the base building is warded by battlements
with 5 foot merlons spaced 5 feet apart.
Tower of Tharikthiril
A winding path, 10 feet wide, leads up to the center of
the southern wall of the base structure, ending at a Ground Level
large set of double doors, one of which is off-kilter.
At night, an argent glow often emanates from the top
of the ruined tower, spilling up into the night sky and
1. Entryway (2)
slowly diffusing into the air. The double doors leading into the base structure are a-
kilter, allowing a Medium or smaller creature to
Refer to the Tower Map for details. squeeze in without disturbing the doors. The doors are
of plain iron.
Ceilings. In the base structure and ruined tower, all
ceilings are 20 feet high unless stated otherwise. Once inside:

Light. All locations are unlit, unless stated otherwise Beyond the double doors is a hallway that leads north
(but see below regarding cracks). for 15 feet. The floor is of polished black marble,
chipped and cracked in many places.
Sounds. No sounds will be heard coming from the
tower. Because of the broken walls and warped doors, 2. Main Chamber (0)
sound caries well in the base structure, so that loud
In the center of this chamber is a large, rectangular
noises and fighting may be noted by denizens even at
column measuring 10 feet wide by 15 feet long. Within
the opposite end of the ruin.
this column, an opening to the south leads to a set of
steps going up.
Floors and ceilings are of stone unbuttressed by wood
or beam and seemingly a part of the single stone
The room is littered with detritus, including broken
nature of the entire structure.
weapons, bones, and stone chips. Tattered cobwebs
drape the corners of the room.
Many of the rooms have cracks in the walls or ceilings
or gouges in the same caused by the battle with the
To the far north of the room, once-gilded iron doors lie
dwarves, so some light will filter in during the daytime.
on the floor before a wide opening.
Every room description comes with a roof rating of 0
to 10 shown in its title. A 0 indicates no cracks at all,
To the east and west are ornate archways, once with
while a 5 indicates large cracks allowing daylight to
lintels engraved with runes and studded with gems,
filter in throughout most of the room. A 10 indicates
the former now gouged and smudged and the latter
many large holes, some large enough to allow Medium
pried loose and long gone.
creatures to crawl through.

Most rooms bear water damage or moisture The steps in the central column lead to a series of
commensurate with their ratings (i.e. more such landings and further steps that wind up the column
damage and moisture with a higher roof rating). and to the first level of the tower.

All doors in the complex, unless stated otherwise, were
once strong wooden doors, but time and neglect have
degraded them such that they are rotted easily burst
apart, though they are warped shut. Assume a DC 10
Strength check is required to open any closed door,
and such a check, if successful, will destroy the door. If
attacked, assume these doors have an AC of 13 and 10
hp and are immune to piercing, poison, and psychic
damage.
Because of the ruined condition of the walls of the
place, climbing them is relatively easy. A DC 7 Strength
(Athletics) check is sufficient to climb to the roof of the
structure.
3. Sludge Room (8)
This room is choked with stone from the ceiling, mud,
water, and dung, forming a thick goop that trails to
nothing halfway down the hall to the southwest.
The goop is 1 ft. thick in this room, and turns it into
difficult terrain.
Within the room dwells a colony of bats which hang
from the ceiling during daylight hours. The bats swarm
into and out of this room at dusk and twilight and are
gone during the night.

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7
There are 50 bats here, and if disturbed by loud
sounds, bright lights, or anything similar, they will flap
around in a flurry. These will cause no damage to the
PCs, but will give them disadvantage on attacks made
in the chamber until the flurry abates, which will take
1d3 minutes after the PCs abandon the room.
If the quasit in room 30 is in trouble, it has the option
of changing into bat form and heading here, to mix in
with the other bats.
Squirming around in the muck are three colonies of
centipedes, which will swarm over anyone disturbing
the muck. Treat each as a swarm of insects. The
creatures will attack one round after the much is first
disturbed. During this round, those in the much will
notice a few small centipedes skittering up their boots
and pant legs.
If the muck is examined by the PCs before they step
into it, allow a DC 8 Wisdom (Perception) check to
notice small wriggling shapes in the goop. If the goop is
stirred or prodded with a spear or staff of other similar
implement, a good number of centipedes will be seen
to scurry deeper into the muck.
4. Sludge Room (6)
This room is choked with stone from the ceiling, mud,
water, and dung, forming a thick goop throughout. A
skeleton of a small humanoid, possibly a kobold, lies
atop the much, gibbets of meat still upon its bones.
This room is similar to room 3, with another 50 bats
present depending upon the time of day.
The goop is 1 ft. thick in this room, and turns it into
difficult terrain.
Four giant centipedes dwell within the muck, and
they will emerge and attack if the muck is entered or
disturbed, looking for prey.
The skeleton is of a kobold that succumbed to one of
the suggestion traps surrounding the tower and was
consumed here.
5. Sealed Room (10)
The door to this room is intact, made of reinforced oak,
and is blocked from the inside by rubble collapsed
from the ceiling.
The room is enterable from the roof through large
holes that look down upon it.
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The door is well secured by the collapse, requiring it to
be smashed to flinders (AC 10, 30 hp, immune to
piercing, poison, and psychic damage) or all of the
rubble to be moved aside (requiring about 1 man
hour). Pushing through from the hallway requires a DC
20 Strength check.
Within is a tremendous amount of moisture and the
floor is coated with a film of mud. There are the
remnants of broken wooden furniture scattered here
and there and scorch marks run along the walls in
streaks and in flower-like blossoms (a DC 10
Intelligence [Arcana] check will reveal these marks to
be caused from lightning bolt and fireball spells
respectively).
In the center of the chamber, exposed only if the
rubble is cleared away, is the partially mummified
corpse of a dwarven priest locked in a death embrace
with some unidentifiable creature. The creature is
some sort of fiend, judging by the strange shape and
combination of parts still evident, but the whole is too
damaged and encrusted to identify precisely. The
dwarven priest’s hands are clutched around a silver
holy symbol to Moradin, which appears to have been
thrust into the creature’s forehead.
The priest’s raiment is tattered and moldy, but in the
muck and litter at his feet is a wand of curing (see
Appendix A).
6. Stairway Room (8)
This room is well exposed to the elements, both from
the gaping hole in the west wall and the condition of
the roof. A spiral staircase, somewhat battered, leads
up to the roof of the base structure.
7. Ruined Chamber (7)
This room saw much battle, judging from the condition
of the outer and inner walls, the missing door to the
northwest, and the condition of the ceiling. Rubble is
strewn everywhere, amidst bones and skulls, twisted
and rusted weapons and bits of armour, and shards of
unidentifiable furnishings. Much broken glass is here
as well.
The skulls and bones are of dwarves and goblins.
Tower of Tharikthiril
8. Collapsed Chamber (10)
The entire roof has collapsed here, and large slabs of it
are on the floor, the remnants of skeletons boking out
from beneath the slabs.
The skeletons are of goblins, though it will be difficult
to tell without moving the slabs. The slabs are quite
heavy, weighing several hundred pounds each.
9. Corner Room (6)
This room is exposed to the outside, as its
southeastern corner has been ripped away and now
lies in rubble spread down the slope of the mountain.
Within the chamber is a large nest of leaves, branches,
and pine needles in the northeast corner, below the
window.
Within this room dwell two groundlings (see
Appendix B). These are a mated pair.
Within the nest are two baby groundlings, blind and
helpless. The nest smells of rancid meat.
The adults will defend their progeny to the death.
10. West Hallway (2)
This hallway’s floor shows the remains of polished
mosaic that seems to involve winged creatures of dark
complexion. The ceiling bears bas-reliefs of
gargoyles that leer unsettlingly at those passing down
the hallway. Some of these are battered, but others are
in fine condition.
The westernmost 15 feet of this hallway shows scorch
marks emanating from the opening in the south.
11. West Chamber (6)
This large chamber is, in the daytime, pierced with
daggers of light that beam down from large cracks and
small holes in the room as well as the window to the
southwest. These alternate with areas of deep shadow.
Within this chamber dwell three shadows, summoned
years ago by Tharikthiril and overlooked by the
dwarven attackers. They have haunted the area
awaiting their master’s return, and now they are eager
to serve and create spawn to serve them.
If sorely pressed, the shadows will flee to room 26 to
take advantage of the effect there.
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9
12. East Hallway (1)
The mosaic on the floor of this hallway looks to have
been purposefully pried up and the floor is now quite
uneven. What pictures the mosaic once formed cannot
be discerned.
The stench of rotting meat comes from the eastern end
of the hallway.
13. East Chamber (5)
This room bears over a dozen large nests of leaves,
branches, and pine needles. Strewn about the place are
the bones of small creatures.
This place smells of rancid meat and serves as a living
chamber for some of the groundlings. The ones living
here are assumed to be the fourteen groundlings
encountered by the PCs prior to arriving at the tower.
If any of the fourteen groundlings were not slain, then
they will be found lairing here.
14. Small Room (5)
The door to this small chamber is blocked on the
outside by a pile of rubble that has obviously been
stacked here on purpose. The rubble extends 5 feet out
into the hall and is mostly stone. The pile is 5 feet high
and would take a few minutes for a couple of able
bodied persons to clear away.
Behind the pile, the door opens in towards the room
(although, like most of the doors here it is stuck).
Within are the remains of a bedroom of some sort,
with a ruined, smashed bed. However, during the
assault, a dwarven warrior was pursued by animated
dwarf skeletons into this chamber. The skeletons slew
the warrior, but his comrades closed the door and
blocked it with rubble rather than face the skeletons.
The skeletons have remained ever since, with no
instructions to clear away the rubble or bash down the
door.
There are four dwarf skeletons in the room, and due
to the years of rain, they have mold and moss growing
on them, giving them a strange, fuzzy appearance and
leaving their bones streaked with green and other
colours. These skeletons were instructed to attack
intruders, and so will attack anyone who opens the
door or who otherwise enters the room. They will
attack dwarves in preference to other creatures, but
will not attack groundlings or Tharikthiril.
The bones of several smashed skeletons that the
warrior slew before he fell litter the floor, as does the
Tower of Tharikthiril
skeletal body of the dwarf warrior, who is wearing
rusted chainmail, with a corroded steel shield strapped
to his left arm and a serviceable, but somewhat rusted
warhammer beneath the shield. This warhammer
functions normally, but will break apart if the attacker
rolls a 1 on his attack roll with the weapon.
15. Charred Chamber (3)
This once-room is now a smashed up alcove. There are
scorch marks everywhere here, along with evidence of
charred furniture and the horribly charred remains of
at least four dwarven warriors.
A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check will
reveal that this damage was likely caused by a fireball
spell.
16. Charred Chamber (3)
This once-room is now a smashed up alcove. There are
scorch marks everywhere here, along with evidence of
charred furniture.
A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check will
reveal that this damage was likely caused by a fireball
spell.
17. Melted Chamber (2)
The door to this chamber is hanging on one hinge, a-
kilter.
The room within is a strange sight, for the floor is
littered with strange pools of hardened materials of
varying colour, most of them brownish or metallic.
The walls look as if they have literally melted in places,
with runnels in the stonework that lead to globs of
stone or drops of stone frozen in time and space.
The entire room was subject to a massive burst of acid
that melted furniture down into puddles that then
solidified once the acid dissipated. Similarly, the walls
succumbed somewhat to the acid, causing the strange
shapes.
A DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check will reveal that
some sort of powerful acid effect caused this.
18. Melted Alcove (2)
The walls of this place show partial melting and the
floor is littered with what look to be melted pieces of
wood and metal.
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10
This area was subjected to the same acid effect as
room 17.
A search of the room will turn up large rat droppings
with a successful DC 7 Intelligence (Investigation)
check.
19. Rat Room (1)
This smallish room is choked with debris, most of it
wooden beams, pieces of furniture both wooden and
metal, and other rubble.
Dwelling within little tunnels and dens within the
rubble are six diseased giant rats. These will emerge
to attack anyone disturbing their lair, which generally
means anyone walking through the rubble or
searching the room.
The dens of the rats can be rooted out with some
heavy lifting. Within are some remains of prey they
have caught (mostly large insects and centipedes) and
four baby rats (treat as normal rats).
20. Chamber (2)
Within this room is stone rubble and smashed wooden
and stone furnishings. Stretched across the floor is a
strange corpse. It has the nude torso of a dwarf, but the
head and legs of a groundling. The arms are dwarven,
but studded with prickly fur and end in nubs before
the elbow. Crossbow bolts pierce its body.
This was a groundling in mind-transformation that
fled its prison during the assault and died in this room.
The attacking dwarves, not sure whether this thing
was still a dwarf, dared not touch it and could not
abide the sight of it, so they closed the door and left it
where it lay.
The transformative magic involved in the dwarf to
groundling conversion process lingered over the
corpse, and have preserved the body. A detect magic
will reveal a faint aura of transmutation magic
emanating from the corpse.
21. Goblin Leader’s Lair (4)
The door to this chamber is not warped or rotted like
most of the ones in this structure, and functions
normally. It also can be barred from the inside with a
stout wooden beam.
Tower of Tharikthiril
This room holds a smelly, wet, feather bed with furs
heaped atop it and a crude tarp strung over it to divert
rain water leaking from the cracks in the roof.
Hanging from the walls are various grisly trophies,
including several dwarf heads, some steel shields
displaying dwarven heraldry, an ugly orc head recently
severed, an orcish greataxe, and a dwarven battleaxe.
Within this room lives the leader of the goblins that
dwell in the tower and serve Tharikthiril. The goblin
boss serves the wizard and runs this level of the
tower, as the groundlings are too stupid to properly
operate on their own.
With the leader are three goblins who serve as the
boss’ concubines. They will fight to the death to
protect their paramour.
22. Goblin Warriors Chamber (3)
The door to this chamber is usually slightly ajar. It is
not warped or rotted like most of the doors in this
structure, and functions normally.
There are four fur pallets here, along with various
trinkets including dead rodents skewered on sticks,
centipedes pinned to bits of wood, and crudely made
bone dice
Four goblins dwell here. They obey their boss in room
21 and will investigate any strange noises in the tower.
23. Goblin Marksmen Chamber (7)
The door to this chamber is not warped or rotted like
most of the doors in this structure, and functions
normally.
There are four fur pallets here, pushed against the
walls, along with various trinkets including dead
rodents skewered on sticks, centipedes pinned to bits
of wood, and crudely made bone dice.
In the center of the ceiling is a hole small enough for a
Small creature to wriggle through. A knotted rope
hangs from the roof, around a knob of stone, and
reaches all the way to the floor in this room.
The knotted rope can be climbed without making any
check.
Other Medium creatures would have to make a DC 20
Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to wriggle through the
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11
hole, with a failure by 5 or more meaning the creature
has become stuck.
Four goblins dwell in this room. These are marksmen
and have had some additional training in firing their
bows. Assume they gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls
with their bows (just as the Fighter’s archery fighting
style).
The goblin marksmen use the knotted rope to climb to
the roof in case of trouble and seek out their enemies
from on high, shooting at them from above. Assume
they can shoot into any room in the base structure that
has a roof rating of 7 or higher, though their targets
will have the benefit of half cover. If the roof rating is 9
or 10, then their targets will have no cover unless
specifically pressing up against the walls where no
clear shot is available.
24. Slave Pen (6)
The door to this chamber is not warped or rotted like
most of the doors in this structure, and functions
normally. A makeshift bar has been attached to the
hallway side.
Within this room is a wooden cage with a wooden roof
that has a heavy pile of stones sitting on top of it,
weighing it down. A door in the cage is locked, with the
key hanging from an iron spike in the wall near the
door.
Within the cage is a kobold, the last slave of the
goblins who has yet to be eaten. This kobold is eager to
leave this place and does not know anything about the
other levels of the tower. She was captured poking
around the tower, which she approached as a result of
one of the suggestion stones.
The kobold, whose name is Draggerit, knows of the
cave in room 33. She will bargain this information for
her freedom. The suggestion has long since worn off,
and the kobold wants nothing more to do with this
place. If freed, she will leave and try to return to her
home.
25. Larder (3)
Thrown into this chamber are the carcasses, partially
rotted, of several deer, some beavers, at least three
goblins, and an orc.
This room serves as the larder of the groundlings that
dwell in room 13.
Tower of Tharikthiril

26. Chamber of Gloom (7)
This room bears a gloom that is palpable to those
walking into it. Light sources are only half as bright
and illuminate only half the normal radius. Even
sunlight coming through the cracks and holes in the
roof doesn’t seem to penetrate very far or strongly into
this room.
This room must have been well decorated at one time,
but great pains were apparently made to destroy every
one of them. As such, the walls are entirely smashed
and gouged and scored so that not a trace of the
decorations remains. Similarly, what may have been a
large stone altar of some sort in the center of the place
has been battered and beaten so that it is now a
strangely shaped lump of rock.
This chamber was once a chapel dedicated to the
demons that Tharikthiril once revered. It was
destroyed during the attack, but the power imbued
into the place was such that all of its power could not
be destroyed by the dwarves.
This power has the effect, in addition to muting light
sources, of bolstering undead. All such undead within
this room gain advantage on all saving throws,
including those made against being turned.
Additionally, all undead are treated as under the effect
of a shield of faith spell, granting them a +2 bonus to
armour class. Furthermore, an animate dead spell cast
here will reassert control over six undead instead of
four with a 3rd-level spell slot.
Six zombies are here, a mixture of dwarf and orc. They
are newly created by Tharikthiril and have been
ordered to slay any living creature that enters the
chamber except for Tharikthiril himself or his quasit
(see room 30).
The shadows that dwell in room 11 will come here if
they are able and are sorely pressed.
27. Room of Chains (4)
This room is an abattoir. A great many rusty chains
hang from the above, hooked through iron rings
attacked to the cracked ceiling. These chains end in,
variously, wicked barbed hooks, spiked manacles, and
other horrific means of securing flesh. Many of these
chains still hold the bones of their victims within. None
is a whole skeleton, but here a wrist bone is secured in
a spiked shackle, there a femur is speared by a large
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12
hook, and there is a skull pierced through the jaw with
a sharp spike.
Most of the bones are dwarven in nature and the room
doesn’t seem to have seen much use in years.
28. Fallen Chamber (10)
The roof of this chamber has collapsed entirely, and
the floor is covered in rubble. The door leading to the
room is hanging by a single hinge and can therefore be
pushed open over the rubble on the ground that would
normally block the door from opening. The room is
empty of anything of value or interest.
29. Stairway Room (6)
A crumbling stone staircase leads up to the roof of this
structure. Additionally, the east wall has been
burrowed through, as if some large worm had
tunneled into the room from without. This opening is 3
feet in diameter.
A single groundling (see Appendix B) can be found
here, lounging around and keeping watch on the young
in room 33, for the groundlings fear the goblins may
try to take their young for food or sport, even though
Tharikthiril has forbidden it.
30. Quasit’s Chamber (2)
This chamber is surprisingly well-appointed given the
ruined state of the rest of this level of the structure.
Certainly, there are small cracks in the ceiling and the
walls and floor show signs of water dripping in during
rains, but the chamber is still comfortable.
Rugs of once expensive origin cover the floor, and
upon these have been set pillows of all hues and
fabrics. Covering the center of the room is a 7.5 foot
square tarp of fabric held up by metal tripods 4 feet
tall, forming a dry area and a tent of sorts. Set beneath
this is a small, plush chair sized for a Tiny creature
carved to resemble a half goat, half centipede creature
along the chair back. Behind the chair is a small iron
chest.
This chamber is the personal demesne of Tharikthiril’s
quasit familiar.
The quasit, though bonded to Tharikthiril, is a creature
of the demon Razkurig’il and was given to Tharikthiril
ostensibly as a gift but also to serve as a spy for
Razkurig’il to make sure that the wizard acted in ways
that served the demon’s interests. Because the quasit
Tower of Tharikthiril
is still tied to Razkurig’il, it can act independently of
Tharikthiril and can attack enemies, unlike a normal
familiar.
The demonling usually spends its time here lounging
on the pillows in toad form or sitting on its chair in
quasit form, pretending it is its throne and that it rules
some layer of the Abyss. It sometimes wanders this
level in bat form while invisible, causing minor
mischiefs and spying on Tharikthiril’s servitors or
relaying orders from the wizard himself.
Tharikthiril can sense what his quasit senses as long as
they are within a mile of each other. As such, should
the PCs be noticed by the quasit, Tharikthiril will be
alerted and take appropriate actions in response.
The quasit will respond to any disturbance or strange
goings on it observes or hears in the area. Additionally,
the goblins and groundlings all know that the quasit is
the “eyes and ears of the master”, so that any
suspicious activity noticed by any of those creatures
will be reported to the quasit, thereby alerting
Tharikthiril.
If it needs to investigate trouble, the quasit will turn
invisible and shapechange into a bat in order to fly
around this level, including through holes in the roof to
move from room to room. As a Tiny creature, it can fit
through any roof with a rating of 4 or higher and, as a
centipede, it can even squeeze through cracks in a roof
with a rating of 3.
If the quasit is sorely pressed in this chamber, it will
turn invisible, open the door to room 31, silently sneak
back into this room, and wait until the PCs are
involved with the trap in room 31. It will then flee
down the stairs in room 32 to join its master.
The chest behind the quasit’s chair is trapped. It opens
not from the apparent direction, but from the opposite
side and upside down. This, to open the chest, one
must tip it upside down and open what is normally the
bottom of the chest from the side opposite the lock.
If anyone attempts to pick the false lock or open the
chest from the “proper” direction, the trap will be
sprung. The trap is a curved needle that springs out of
the lock and upward towards the false lid. This needle
is coated with a poison distilled from the quasit’s own
poison and other potent herbs.
The victim of the trap will take 1 point of piercing
damage and must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution
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13
saving throw or take 11 (2d10) poison damage and be
poisoned and paralyzed for 1 hour. If the saving throw
is successful, the victim suffers half of the poison
damage and is neither poisoned nor paralyzed. A
paralyzed creature may repeat the saving throw at the
end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a
success. However, the creature will still remain
poisoned for the full hour.
A successful DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check
will allow a character to deduce the trap’s presence
and the fact that the lock is a false lock and the lid and
hinges are also fake. A second DC 15 Intelligence
(Investigation) check will then allow the character to
determine that the chest opens from the bottom and
opposite side. A DC 15 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) check
will disarm the trap, although there is no need to do so
once the proper method of opening the chest is
determined.
Inside the chest are the following:
 12 gems of various sorts worth 1d6 x 100 gp each
 a glass jar containing Keoghtom’s ointment (with 5
doses)
 a potion of force resistance
 a set of pipes of the sewers
31. False Stairway (0)
The door to this chamber is not warped or rotted like
most of the doors in this structure, and functions
normally.
Behind the wooden door, a 15 foot landing leads to a
set of stone stairs heading down into the darkness.
The stairs seem to wind around a corner 20 ft. down,
turning to the right. In actuality, the turn is a false one,
ending just after the stairs turn out of sight. The false
nature of this turn is only visible from halfway down
the stairs.
These stairs are a trap. When over 15 lbs. of weight are
placed on a pressure plate just before the middle of the
stairs, the stairway splits lengthwise, down the middle,
revealing a 20 ft. deep pit trap.
A very close examination of the stairs will show a
strange seam running down the middle of the stairway
with a successful DC 15 Investigation (Intelligence)
check.
Tower of Tharikthiril
Those caught on the stairs must succeed on a DC 15
Dexterity check or fall down the pit, taking 2d6 points
of bludgeoning damage and landing prone. At the
bottom of the pit are a few bones and gibbets of flesh.
The walls of the pit, the floor of which slopes down so
that it is always 20 feet below the level of the stairway,
are fairly sheer and require a DC 20 Strength
(Athletics) check to scale.
What’s worse for the victim is that two dretches are at
the bottom of the pit, and they will attack anyone who
falls in. These demonlings are stupid but well-trained,
and will use their Fetid Cloud action to further disable
anyone in the pit.
The trap can be reset by pressing on a certain part of
the stone wall just inside the doorway. A DC 14
Wisdom (Perception) check by someone searching
that part of the wall carefully can notice the stone can
be pressed inward. Doing so before the trap is spring
will accomplish nothing, but doing so after it has
sprung will close the steps, possibly trapping a PC
inside the pit. The only way to reopen the stairs is the
put weight back on the pressure plate.
32. Down Stairway (0)
The door to this chamber is not warped or rotted like
most of the doors in this structure, and functions
normally.
Behind the wooden door, a 15 foot landing leads to a
set of stone stairs heading down into the darkness.
After 20 feet, the stairs turn south. Halfway down the
stairs, it can be observed that the stairs legitimately
turn south and continue downward to the first level of
the dungeon.
33. Cave (0)
This cave has been burrowed out of the hard ground
by the groundlings. It has two points of egress. The
western point enters into room 29. The southern point
exits from a 4 foot diameter cave opening in the side of
the slope just east of the base structure. This opening
is hidden by bushes and is difficult to see (requiring a
successful DC 20 Wisdom [Perception] check).
The tunnels within are 3 feet in diameter and meet in a
small cave that is 6 feet tall.
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Any combat in the tunnels will require that Medium
and Small creatures squeeze, which will allow the
groundlings to utilize their Tunnel Fighting trait.
Within is the groundling crèche, containing six baby
groundlings watched over by three groundlings (see
Appendix B). These latter will emit a shrill scream at
the first sign of danger, summoning the groundling
from room 29 and, likely, the other intelligent denizens
of this level.
Level One
The floor of this level of the tower is even with the roof
of the ground level structure, and although egress to
the roof was never intended from here by the tower’s
builder, holes in the walls of this level of the tower
now allow access to and from the roof of the ground
level structure.
1. Room of the Ward (0)
The steps from the ground level exit into this chamber,
which bears a single window in the south wall and
Medium-sized holes in the walls to the east and
southwest that look out upon the roof of the base
structure.
The wall to the northeast has been ripped asunder, but
to the northwest is an iron door that seems intact.
In the middle of the north wall are two adjacent
openings, one has steps that descend to ground level,
and the other has steps that ascend to the upper level
of the tower.
Within this room is an abyssal ravager (see Appendix
B). This demon was summoned by Tharikthiril to ward
the stairs up to the second level of the tower, to make
sure no one enters from below to steal what is hidden
there, and to make sure the deadly warder of that level
does not escape its bonds and attempt to descend into
the rest of the tower.
The ravager is quite bored and will attempt to
converse with the PCs before attacking them if allowed
the chance to do so. However, it is not that intelligent
and although it is willing to engage in small talk, tell
simple riddles, and ask for news and tales of the
outside world, if questioned by the PCs it will simply
say that it serves as a ward for the warder, as a guard
for the guardian, and as a gaoler for the gaoler.
Nevertheless, its primary purpose is to attack
intruders, and at some point it will suddenly tire of
Tower of Tharikthiril
talk and leap to the attack. The ravager will not leave
this level of the tower (nor will it go out onto the roof),
but will try to prevent intruders from escaping back
down the stairs or onto the roof.
2. Wrecked Laboratory (0)
The door leading into this room is made of iron and is
intact and operates normally.
This room appears to have been a laboratory. Ruined
shelves line those walls that are still intact, even
though the entire northwestern corner of the room has
been sheared off. The remains of a large oaken table lie
flush on the floor, showing signs of scorching and great
hack marks. A bewildering variety of glass and metal
items are scattered across the floor, all twisted, melted,
and ruined.
To the northeast is an intact iron door.
There is nothing of value salvageable here.
3. Wrecked Transformation Room (0)
This room is missing a portion of its eastern wall.
Chains with manacles and the remains of battered
tables with limb restraints can be seen here, along
with strange, twisted, and ruined instruments of what
can only be described as elaborate implements of
torture.
To the northwest is an intact iron door.
This is the chamber where the transformations from
dwarf to groundling were initiated. It is a sight of
horrific pain and vile, gruesome procedures, and the
evil committed here has left a mystic residue that will
be discerned by a detect evil and good spell.
4. Library (0)
Both of the doors leading into this chamber are made
of iron and are intact and operate normally.
Within this chamber there is a window along the north
wall. Surrounding it and covering the south wall are
row upon row of bookshelves ascending all the way to
the ceiling. All of these shelves are empty and bashed
and battered and there are signs the contents were
fired, as flakes of burnt pages and ashes still cover the
floor.
A small table is in the center of the room; it looks to be
intact and has seen recent use. Set upon the table is a
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15
book, an ink and quill set, a stack of parchment under a
stone paperweight, and a wooden rack with six vials
set in it, three of them blue coloured vials and three of
them green coloured vials.
Tharikthiril uses this library as a study and to jot down
his notes and thoughts. He intends, one day, to repair
and restock the entire library.
The blue vials in the wooden rack are potions of
healing. The green vials contain potions of endurance
(see Appendix A).
The book is written entirely in Abyssal, and a thorough
examination of it will determine that it contains:
 Partial notes and instructions concerning the
transformation of dwarves into groundlings, along
with notations in the margins indicating that the
author was trying and having difficulty
reconstructing the detailed rituals and
instructions by memory from a now destroyed
volume.
 Initial entries mentioning Tharikthiril’s return
from what seemed like eternal torment and the
need to reestablish his domain after years of
painful absence.
 Notes mentioning the summoning of a jovoc
demon from the netherworld and a detailed
analysis of its aura of retribution, including
descriptions of experiments regarding this aura
conducted upon captive goblins.
 Notes mentioning the reestablishment of the
groundling breeding project and renewed
alliances with the local goblin tribes.
 Recent notes mentioning the prospect of
potentially passing the jovoc’s aura of retribution
into the groundlings and the tactical applications
of having a groundling army with such an aura.
 Notes of failure and frustration regarding the
previous item and resignation to the fact that at
least the jovoc can serve as a guard of “Vanaskil”
until such a time as the secret of its aura can be
unlocked.
 Notes mentioning that the author suspects that his
new friend is less loyal to him than to “Razkurig’il”.
Tower of Tharikthiril

 Notes indicating that the orc tribes of the area
have aroused for reasons the author cannot divine,
though they seem to be more interested in the
dwarves than him. There have been a few run-ins
between orcs and groundlings, and the orcs have
pillaged from of the goblins allied with the author,
but overall, the author seems to welcome the
distraction the orcs provide to the dwarves and
considers their uprising a fortunate happenstance
or a blessing from his patron and master.
Level Two
1. Room of the Jovoc (3)
Both doors leading into this chamber are intact
wooden doors that operate normally. Both have an
arcane lock spell cast upon them by Tharikthiril, and
only he and the quasit have been designated to open
the doors normally.
This room contains two windows, one to the south of
the eastern door, where it is cut in half by the room
wall, and the other along the western wall.
To the north, stone stairs lead down to the first level of
the tower.
In the southwest corner of the chamber is a small
stone pedestal that sprouts from the floor of the
chamber. The pedestal is 3 ft. tall and 3 ft. square and
atop it is an iron chest that is 1 ft. tall by 1 ft. wide by 3
ft. long.
Within this chamber is the jovoc (see Appendix B).
When the PCs enter, its stench of rotted flesh will
assail them.
The jovoc has been bound to the chamber as part of a
pact between it and Tharikthiril. In reality, the demon
agreed to the pact because of the fearsomeness of
Tharikthiril’s patron, the glabrezu, Razkurig’il. The
jovoc has been assigned to guard the axe in this room
and it is forbidden to leave this level of the tower
except in pursuit of the axe.
Tharikthiril has been experimenting with the demon in
order to determine the nature of its unique Aura of
Retribution trait and whether this can be bred into his
groundlings. This is the cause of the strange lights seen
coming from the tower at night; the wizard will often
cast spells such as scorching ray or lightning bolt at the
jovoc while a goblin or captive is nearby in order to
observe the effects of the aura.
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16
So far, the wizard has met with little success, and the
jovoc is not much interested in his succeeding, as it
considers it wants to keep its aura a power unique to
its kind.
The jovoc presents a very difficult challenge for the
PCs. However, while somewhat cunning, the jovoc is
not very smart and could be outwitted or tricked into a
disadvantageous situation. Smart-thinking PCs should
be able, once they get over the initial shock of its aura,
to figure out how it works and devise ways to combat
it. One way to is make sure only a single PC is within
30 feet of it and that this PC is constantly being healed
or his hit points bolstered. Spells such as heroism and
enhance ability (bear’s endurance) are very useful in
this situation.
If Tharikthiril is slain, the jovoc can be bargained with
to give up the axe it guards. It will require as payment
the sacrifice of innocents or some other comparable
favours.
The chest on the pedestal is closed by an arcane lock
spell cast by Tharikthiril and has no discernible
keyhole. It is trapped by a magical rune that will
activate should anyone other than Tharikthiril touch
the chest (even though gloves or a sack or backpack or
any implement that does not have reach or is no longer
than 5 ft.). The rune will activate each time the chest is
touched or each round if it is touched continually. The
target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or
be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the
saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the
effect on itself on a success.
A successful DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check
by someone closely examining the chest (without
touching it, of course) will reveal the magic rune, and a
DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana) check will determine that
the rune causes paralyzation. The rune cannot be
disarmed, but can be dispelled by a dispel magic
(which will automatically succeed).
Within the chest is a battleaxe. The axe has dwarven
runes inlaid with gold along both sides of the blade.
This is the golden axe of Prince Zirik, (see Appendix A).
2. Smashed Room (8)
The door in this room is an intact wooden door that
operates normally. It has an arcane lock spell cast upon
it by Tharikthiril, and only he and the quasit have been
designated to open the door normally.
Tower of Tharikthiril
This room apparently saw some intense action during
the battle with the dwarves, as the floor is scarred with
gouges and littered with shards of bones. A window in
the east wall remains intact, but there are holes in the
walls and the doorway to the north holds merely a
scrap of iron an inch wide hanging from its hinges. An
opening in the north leads up to stone steps that begin
to ascend to the theoretical next level of the tower, but
the way is completely blocked by rubble.
The stairs do not go anywhere, as there is nothing of
the next higher level except the roof of this level, which
was once the floor of the level above.
3. Battered Room (10)
The door in this room is an intact wooden door that
operates normally. It has an arcane lock spell cast upon
it by Tharikthiril, and only he and the quasit have been
designated to open the door normally.
This room is practically open to the sky and shows
massive damage to the walls despite the intact window
in the middle of the north wall. Skeletons litter the
chamber, still in corroded arms and armour.
The skeletons are of goblins and dwarves.
Dungeon Level One
This level serves as the lair for Tharikthiril’s elite
guardians, as well as the space for his current
research.
The walls, ceiling, and floor are normal dressed stone
hewn from the ground.
Since this level is underground, no rooms have a roof
rating.
All doors on this level are wooden, unless stated
otherwise. They are all intact and operate normally.
Ceilings. Unless otherwise stated, all passages are 10
ft. tall and all rooms are 20 ft. tall.
Light. Unless stated, no areas are lit. Tharikthiril and
his minions all have darkvision.
Sounds. No unusual sounds can be heard.
1. Antechamber
This large chamber’s walls were at one time decorated
with bas-reliefs, most of which have been battered into
unrecognizability, though enough glimpses remain to
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17
determine that they involved various demons
mutilating dwarves and performing foul acts upon
humans.
Gibbets of flesh and half-eaten corpses of
indeterminate origin litter the floor here.
Standing watch here are three abyssal maws, which
serve as watchdogs for Tharikthiril. These creatures
are not bright but make up for it with their
aggressiveness. They will attack anyone who is a
stranger to them unless escorted by Tharikthiril or the
quasit.
2. Current Laboratory
This room has a long worktable covered with
laboratory equipment, including racks, beakers, flasks,
burners, and other tools. Various manuals and books
lie open on the table.
Shelves hung from the walls hold jars of various
substances, all marked with strange symbols.
Along the south wall are five cells each 5 ft. square and
10 ft. tall. Each cell has a solid iron ceiling and floor,
and a door built into one side of its bars. Each door
bears a lock.
All of the cages are empty, except for one that holds a
groundling that is scoured with scars and flayed flesh
wounds. The creature looks to be barely alive.
Chains are attached to the top of each cell and run
through hooks in the ceiling and then to five wheels set
into the western wall. A set of iron keys hangs from a
hook near the wheels.
This is Tharikthiril’s place to perform his ongoing
experiments and to brew magical substances. The
open tomes on the worktable are all alchemical
manuals that are used as references by the wizard.
The substances on the shelves are alchemical
ingredients and reagents, most of them not easily
identifiable. The symbols marked on each jar are
Tharikthiril’s personal codes and, being symbolic, are
not readable by means of a comprehend languages
spell.
The wheels on the western wall are used to raise and
lower the cells, while the keys nearby open the cell
doors.
The groundling (see Appendix B) within the cell is
perpetually at 0 hit points due to failed
Tower of Tharikthiril
experimentation with the jovoc’s Aura of Retribution weighs 5 lbs. This is one of Tharikthiril’s spellbooks
trait. Tharikthiril has been attempting to imbue this and it holds the following spells:
trait into groundlings, but so far has net no success.
This groundling is his latest failure. The creature comprehend languages
essentially has a reversed form of the jovoc’s Fast detect magic
Healing trait. Every round, at the start of its turn, the disguise self
groundling takes 1 point of damage until it reaches 0 false life
hit points, at which point it goes unconscious. Only a find familiar
heal spell can cure the creature, but it can be put out of mage armour
its misery by inflicting any damage on it while it is magic missile
unconscious. protection from evil and good
If the groundling is cured, it will still remain loyal to shield
Tharikthiril. unseen servant
arcane lock
Any PCs captured by the evil wizard will be hold person
imprisoned here in the cells to await questioning, levitate
experimentation, and sacrifice by Tharikthiril. locate object
misty step
3. Tharikthiril’s Quarters scorching ray
The door in the south of this chamber is iron and see invisibility
locked by an arcane lock spell cast by Tharikthiril. suggestion
animate dead
The southern portion of this chamber contains a plain dispel magic
wooden bed with linen covers. Near to it is a wooden lightning bolt
wardrobe. The north of the room contains a wooden magic circle
table and several chairs. Upon the table are the vampiric touch
remains of a meal, the plate holding strips of raw,
bloody meat. A silver goblet stands next to the plate. These spells take up 41 pages of the book, leaving 59
pages blank.
Also on the table is a large book made of leather with
the raised image of a horrific demonic-looking The book is trapped with a shocking grasp rune that
creature upon its face. Near this book is a plain oil causes 2d8 lightning damage per round to anyone but
lamp and several flasks. Tharikthiril who touches the book or comes into close
contact with it (such as touching it with a cloth or
gloves or stowing it into a backpack or sack carried
This room serves as the wizard’s quarters. They are by next to the body). Additionally if the victim is not
no means lavish, as Tharikthiril’s bodily needs have immune to lightning, it cannot take reactions until the
changed and he hasn’t had the chance to fully start of its next turn.
reestablish himself in this place yet.
This rune can be spotted by a close examination of the
The wardrobe contains several changes of clothes for book and a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check,
the wizard, most of them scholar’s robes and wizard and a DC 12 Intelligence (Arcana) check, once it has
garb, but with a few travelling outfits as well. been found, can identify the nature of the trap. The
One of the cloaks in the wardrobe appears to resemble trap cannot be disarmed, but can be ended
a tangle of black cobwebs. This is a cloak of blackflame automatically by dispel magic.
(see Appendix A) which will smooth into a woven
black cloak of coarse threads when donned. This cloak
4. Sanctum
has 12 charges remaining.
The door to this chamber is iron and locked by an
arcane lock spell cast by Tharikthiril.
The silver goblet is worth 15 gp and is full of blood.
The flasks on the table hold lamp oil.
Upon the floor, which is polished jet, is inlaid a circle of
The demonic figure on the face of the leather book is a silver with runes around it. The circle is 5 feet in
glabrezu. The pages are of vellum and the whole diameter and occupies the center of the chamber.

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18

While the circle may appear to be some sort of
protective circle, it is actually a circle of worship and
communing with powerful demons, and this can be
recognized with a DC 16 Intelligence (Arcana) check.
Anyone stepping into the circle, which radiate
divination magic and evil, will be placed in empathic
contact with the glabrezu, Razkurig’il. If the glabrezu
elects to initiate a conversation, then the person can
communicate telepathically with the demon.
Razkurig’il will be extremely curious why someone
other than Tharikthiril is within the circle. However,
the demon is very cunning and will seek to turn the
situation to his advantage. He will try to convince the
PCs to abandon any attempts to slay Tharikthiril,
instead urging an alliance…perhaps even pledging his
and Tharikthiril’s support against the orc uprising.
In any event, unless the PCs agree to ally with the
demon, he will eventually break off contact with a
ghastly laugh.
The secret door to room 5 on the east wall requires a
DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check to find and once it is
found, locating the hidden switch on the nearby wall
requires a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check.
Additionally, there is a hidden switch that bypasses the
trap in room 5. If the Intelligence (Investigation) check
was a 20 or higher, then this bypass switch will also be
located.
5. Treasury
This room is guarded by a wicked wall scythe trap, the
scything blade emerging from the wall south of the
secret doorway, just within the room, and sweeping
across the entire doorway. It is activated when the
doorway is crossed.
The trap can be located once the door is opened by
examining the doorway. A DC 13 Wisdom (Perception)
check will reveal a thin seam along the inside of the
doorway’s south wall and if the check was a 16 or
higher, the glint of a blade can be discerned inside the
seam.
The trap can be disarmed with a DC 18 Dexterity
(Thieves’ Tools) check, but failure springs the trap and
subjects the character making the check to the blade.
The trap can also be bypassed by way of the switch in
room 4.
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19
The scythe will attack the first person crossing the
secret doorway with an attack bonus of +6. If it hits,
the blade will cause 13 (2d8+4) points of slashing
damage. Once the trap is sprung, it must be manually
reset to work again.
Inside the small chamber are the following:
 an unlocked iron chest holding 1,600 cp, 400 sp,
and 900 gp
 a wooden rack holding four oils of slipperiness
 a ceramic pot with a ceramic lid sealed with wax
 a wooden armour stand holding a +1 chain shirt
The ceramic pot holds green slime (refer to page 105
of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).
6. Torture Chamber
This vile chamber contains an iron maiden, various
manacles and other restraining devices, pots of coals,
kilns with various iron rods set within, and an intricate
rack contraption that bears strange tubes that seem to
hang in midair and bears runes across its frame.
Wooden racks attached to the walls hold a bizarre
variety of scalpels, knives, tongs, hooks, and other
implements.
This is a torture chamber for Tharikthiril and also
serves as a vivisection and experimentation room as
well.
The rack is has been magically enhanced to provide
advantage to any Charisma (Intimidation) checks to
reveal information through pain. Assume a victim on
the rack must make a Constitution check opposed by
the torturer’s Charisma (Intimidation) check to
withstand the torture.
The rack radiates evocation magic.
7. Room of the Skulkers
This room is fairly barren, with a bleeding goblin
whelp collapsed in the center of the room surrounded
by the picked over corpses of goblins and other
unidentifiable creatures.
This room is lair to a gang of five abyssal skulkers
(see Appendix B) who serve Tharikthiril. They will
likely hear noise in room 6 or any loud noises on the
rest of this level or may be roused by the quasit or by
Tharikthiril himself. The skulkers will attack fiercely,
Tower of Tharikthiril
selling their material bodies cheaply in the hope of
later reward in the Abyss.
The goblin whelp is freshly dead, having been used as
sport by the skulkers.
8. Chamber of Worship
This room contains a large statue of a fiendish looking
creature. The thing has a goat like head with vicious
fangs and swept back horns set atop a bipedal torso
from which sprout two large arms ending in scorpion-
like pincers and two smaller arms ending in human
hands. The legs end in talon-like claws.
Two large rubies serve as eyes of the statue.
At its base is a rectangular block with restraints for
wrists and ankles. Blood stains cover the face of this
block. Nearby, a rack on the wall holds various
sacrificial knives and collection bowls.
The statue is of a glabrezu, and it is here that
Tharikthiril pledges souls and makes sacrifices to his
demonic master.
9. Stairway
The secret door that leads to these stairs requires a DC
18 Wisdom (Perception) check to notice if the wall
here is carefully searched.
Behind the door, a set of stone stairs descends sharply
into the ground, turning south after a landing. The
stairs lead to Dungeon Level Two.
Dungeon Level Two
This level serves contains the nexus that enticed
Tharikthiril to build his tower here.
The walls, ceiling, and floor are normal dressed stone
hewn from the ground.
Since this level is underground, no rooms have a roof
rating.
Ceilings. Unless otherwise stated, all passages are 10
ft. tall and all rooms are 20 ft. tall.
Light. Unless stated, no areas are lit. Tharikthiril and
his minions all have darkvision.
Sounds. No unusual sounds can be heard.
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20
1. Antechamber
This room is adorned with intact frescoes of
demonlings torturing the souls of the damned in a fiery
landscape. Over all, a giant demonic creature metes out
punishment and devours demon and soul alike.
The double doors to the south are bronze valves
engraved on their face with sigils and decorations that
depict demonic activity.
The giant demonic creature in the frescoes is a
glabrezu.
The double doors are not locked.
2. Nexus Chamber
This large chamber swirls with a vague, sickly bluish-
green glow that comes from nowhere and everywhere
at once.
The floor is covered with intricate mystic diagrams
and circles of runes and complicated patterns.
This room bears an aura of evil that will is detectable
by magic such as detect evil and good.
Examination of the patterns on the floor will reveal,
with a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Arcana) check,
that they involve warding, containment, and
protection.
This room is built over a nexus between the Material
Plane and the Outer Planes. One effect of this is that
Razkurig’il is able to extend some of his power through
the nexus and into this chamber. Tharikthiril and any
demon in this chamber will have advantage on all
attack rolls while here.
The other specifics of this nexus are left to the DM’s
discretion, but it does allow extraplanar creatures to
be more easily summoned to this plane and bound into
service. Tharikthiril has used this property to establish
contact and worship with Razkurig’il and to bring forth
and bind the various minor demons that currently
haunt the tower.
Tharikthiril
Tharikthiril (see Appendix B) was a human wizard
and demonologist from a distant land who spent his
years studying ways to summon and bind demons to
his will. Through extensive research, he noted certain
Tower of Tharikthiril
weaknesses in the fabric of the multiverse - nexuses
where such efforts would be easier. The wizard chose
this spot for its remoteness and the strength of the
nexus present.
After his demise at the hands of the dwarves,
Tharikthiril’s body was spirited away by one of his
demon minions to the custody of the glabrezu,
Razkurig’il. This powerful demon decided that the
ambitious wizard could serve his interests on the
Material Plane and further his influence thereupon. So,
he enacted very costly and, to Tharikthiril, painful,
rituals to revive the wizard and to imbue his soul with
the spirit of a fiend, so that the wizard himself became
both human and fiend.
The process nearly destroyed Tharikthiril’s body and
his sanity, but both eventually prevailed and he was
reborn as a tiefling. However, the ordeal cost him
much of his prodigious spellcasting ability. Now, owing
complete fealty to the glabrezu, the wizard has begun
to develop warlock-like abilities and has been
returned to the Material Plane to continue his research
and to wreak revenge on the dwarves that slew him.
Tharikthiril appears as a human male in his mid-
forties. He has catlike eyes, a forked tongue, and goat-
like legs. Small horns sprout up over each ear. For
purposes of the jovoc’s Aura of Retribution trait and all
effects within the tower, he is treated as a demon.
Tharikthiril always has his Armour of Shadows active.
He also always has his Fiendish Vigour cast. At
midnight of each night he casts an animate dead spell
on the zombies in room 26 of the ground level to
reassert his control over them. Because of this,
between midnight and 9 AM, Tharikthiril will have one
less 3rd level spell slot available.
Additionally, as he does not want to lose control over
those zombies, if it is after 9 AM, he will only use his
last 3rd level spell slot in extremis
Tharikthiril can usually be found in the lower levels of
the place, either in his laboratory (room 2 on Dungeon
Level One) his own room (room 3 on Dungeon Level
One), in his sanctum meditating and communing with
the glabrezu (room 4 on Dungeon Kevel One) or in the
nexus conducting rites (room 2 on Dungeon Level
Two).
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21
If an alarm is raised, Tharikthiril will order his quasit
to direct the defense of the tower and his skulkers to
prowl the dungeon level. He will direct the abyssal
maws to escort him.
The wizard will then grab his spellbook and cloak of
blackflame from room 3 of Dungeon Level One and
then retreat to the nexus (room 2 of Dungeon Level
Two) with the abyssal maws to await intruders. The
abyssal maws will be bolstered by Tharikthiril’s
Bolster Demon trait. He will don his cloak (which
provides resistance to necrotic damage).
If the PCs attack the tower and then retreat to rest,
Tharikthiril will not be idle. He will certainly send the
quasit to tail the PCs invisibly or in animal form (or
both) to find where they have come from and where
they make camp. If possible, he will order a nearby
group of goblins or some groundlings to attack the PCs
while they rest (assume a force of 6 goblins or 3
groundlings, see Appendix B).
Should the PCs return and retreat a second time,
Tharikthiril will send for an entire tribe of goblins to
man the tower, many as archers on the base structure
roof. This force will include 24 goblins, 6 of which are
mounted on worgs and led by a goblin boss. It will
take two days for such a force to arrive. In addition, a
group of 8 groundlings (see Appendix B) will be
summoned from the surrounding lands to guard the
tower.
Should the PCs defeat even this force and return a
third time, Tharikthiril will prepare his defenses as
best as he can and try to set ambushes for the PCs. In
this case, he may even elect to fight the PCs before the
nexus is reached so that the PCs cannot destroy his
troops in detail before confronting him.
When Tharikthiril is slain (or captured and defeated)
and the nexus is entered by the PCs, a dim shape will
suddenly coalesce into the form of a glabrezu. The
glabrezu will laugh mockingly at the PCs and inform
them that they have defeated a minion into whom he
had invested much time and effort, and that he does
not take kindly to the PCs thwarting that effort.
Razkurig’il, will then vow revenge upon the PCs in the
future.
While fearsome looking, Razkurig’il’s form is just a
projection that the demon can manifest here because
of the nexus. The projection cannot in any way harm
the PCs.
Tower of Tharikthiril
The PCs can return to Nirzumbil and be rewarded as
promised should they defeat Tharikthiril. If the wizard
is brought back alive to the dwarves, he will be tried
and executed and his body destroyed in the forges

If the PCs recover the golden axe of Prince Zirik, the

dwarves will demand its return (assuming they find
out about it…it is instantly recognizable as such by any
Nirzumbil dwarf). They will offer further items in
compensation, including offering to craft a second suit
of plate armour for the PCs. They will also offer
jewelry crafted to the PCs’ specifications and liking
worth 5,000 gp in addition to the plate armour. PCs
turning over the axe will also be looked upon very
favourably by the dwarves of Nirzumbil, while those
who keep it will earn the disfavor of the dwarves
(despite having just defeated Tharikthiril).

Award standard XP for defeated foes.

Additionally, award the PCs 800 XP to be divided

between them should they return the golden axe of
Prince Zirik to the dwarves.

Cover art “Ruins” by Chris Cold. Used with artist’s

permission.

http://www.deviantart.com/art/Ruins-527609223

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dramargu
Tumblr: chris-cold.tumblr.com

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22
Wand, uncommon
This wand is composed of a slender piece of quartz
with an inner mauve glow to it. This wand can be
wielded by anyone without attunement, and when the
wielder concentrates upon the wand and touches a
creature (including himself) that creature regains
1d8+2 hit points. The wand can only be used 10 more
times before it crumbles to dust, and as each charge is
used, the glow within the quartz becomes more muted.

Potion, uncommon
When you drink this potion, your Constitution score
changes to 20 for 1 hour. The potion has no effect on
you if your Constitution is equal to or greater than that
score.
This potion’s light blue liquid has small globules of
blood floating in it.

Weapon, rare (requires attunement by a dwarf)

The blade of this dwarven-forged battleaxe is inlaid

with runes of gold. You gain a +1 bonus to attack and
damage rolls made with this magic weapon. In
addition, if the weapon strikes a creature of the
aberration type, it does an extra 7 (2d6) force damage
to the creature struck.

Wondrous Item, uncommon (requires attunement)

This cloak resembles a tangle of thick, black cobwebs

when not worn, but smooths into a woven black cloak
of coarse threads when donned. The wearer of the
cloak gains resistance to necrotic damage.

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only . Tower of Tharikthiril
23
Groundlings are short and stocky, sharing the build of
dwarves – in fact they can easily be mistaken for
dwarves from a distance. Their stunted ears are buried
in wild fur, and their eyes appear as narrow slits. A
long, bristled snout replaces the dwarven nose, and
large fangs protrude from the extended mouth. A
groundling’s hands end in powerful talons. The
creatures generally stink of spoiled meat.

Created by Wizardry. Groundlings are assassins

magically altered by evil wizards. Originally of
dwarven stock, they have been hideously transformed
to incorporate the features of giant badgers.

Cunning Burrowers. Groundlings are cunning in

combat, using their ability to burrow quickly through
the earth to gain tactical advantage, attacking from
below to gain surprise on their foes. They are known
to use ambushes, feigned retreats, and attacks
converging from various directions against a quarry
whose location is known.

The groundling appeared in Monsters of Faerun for the 3rd edition of

Dungeons & Dragons.

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24
The abyssal ravager is a grotesque hybrid, part demon,
part hyena, and all nasty. The abyssal ravager has
baleful eyes and elongated jaws full of overlarge teeth.
Patches of scaly hide show through its coarse, shaggy
fur, and a row of curving spines juts from its backbone.
Its long, warty tail is equipped with a vicious stinger. A
full-grown specimen stands about 5 feet tall at the
shoulder and weighs almost 2,000 lbs.

Bizarre Origins. Although its exact origins are unclear,

scholars agree that it is likely the result of demonic
lust, which has no bounds and results in all manner of
bizarre crossbreeds.

Aggressive. These demons are notoriously bad-

tempered. They tend to attack anything they see or
smell, striking it repeatedly with their stingers.

Weak Jawed. Despite their formidable-looking teeth,

abyssal ravagers do not use bite attacks. Their weak
jaws are useful only for tearing apart prey that has
already succumbed to their poisonous stings.

The abyssal ravager appeared in the Monster Manual II for the

3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons.

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25
The abyssal maw is a disgusting creature consisting
mainly of teeth. It looks like a huge, toothy mouth
perched on a few stubby appendages. Its hide is a dull
blue shade.

Always Hungry. The appetite of the abyssal maw is

legendary; one maw has been known to consume the
better part of a centaur in less than a minute.

Unsubtle Tactics. Abyssal maws serve as shock troops

in evil armies. Since they lack ranged attacks, they
usually rush into melee combat as soon as possible,
where their gnashing teeth do the rest.

The abyssal maw appeared in the Monster Manual II for the

3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons.

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26
An abyssal skulker resembles a hairless ape with large
hands and feet. Knobs of horn run along the crown of
its head and down its spine. Although capable of
walking upright, it habitually creeps around on all
fours, keeping its body close to the ground.

Small but Mean. Gangs of abyssal skulkers usually

stalk ahead of evil armies and raiding parties to seek
out and eliminate enemy scouts and pickets.

Sneaky. Abyssal skulkers love to sneak up on their

prey, then charge as a group. Their victims rarely have
time to sound an alarm.

The abyssal skulker appeared in the Monster Manual II for the 3rd
edition of Dungeons & Dragons.

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A jovoc is a 4 foot tall, bloated, hairless creature of
humanoid shape. It resembles the bruised and
battered corpse of a gnome left too long to decay in the
heat of summer, and the stench that emanates from its
rough skin lends credence to this impression. Its skin
is dark blue or black, and its eyes are vacant, black
pools. Each of the creature’s long arms ends in a three-
fingered hand with long red fingernails, forever
stained the colour of blood.

Havoc on the battlefield. These vicious little black-

hearted fiends were born to create strife. Their ability
to inflict the damage they take o others makes them
invaluable in the front lines of demonic armies. A unit
of jovocs can absorb repeated blows and spells from
the enemy and still survive to exact punishing revenge.

Ambushers. Jovocs are not especially intelligent, but

they are quick and experienced ambushers who know
how to use their small size to best effect. Years of
training and experience have taught them how to take
advantage of their Aura of Retribution and Fast
Healing traits. Hey often adopt a hit-and-run strategy,
jumping into a group of enemies to do as much damage
as possible, then dashing off for a few rounds to heal.

Group Tactics. Jovocs fighting in pairs and trios can

utilize their favourite tactics. Lurking just beyond the
reach of their enemies (preferably concealed by
darkness, a wall, or some other barrier), they begin to
attack one another, automatically hitting with each
swing. These attacks deal full damage not only on the
jovocs, but also on anyone caught within their Aura of
Retribution. After allowing a round or two for their
fast healing ability to close their wounds, the creatures
begin to claw and bite one another again.

The jovoc appeared in the Monster Manual II for the 3rd edition of
Dungeons & Dragons.

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This section presents statistics for NPCs encountered
in this adventure that are not presented in the Monster
Manual.

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29
 Tower Map

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 Dungeon Map

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