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The First Facet
Pleasure is oft a visitant; but pain
Clings cruelly to us. - John Keats, "Endymion" The First Facet is a land of shimmering ruby crystal. It is by far the most passive of the twelve regions that make up the domain of Aggarath. The boxed text, however, does not necessarily reveal this relatively benign state. The heroes may well believe themselves to be in great danger the moment that they appear in Aggarath. In game terms, this facet serves to introduce the characters to their new surroundings and allows them to learn a thing or two about the domain before they truly begin the adventure. They could see the ghost Marble, whom they may recognize from Castle Spulzeer. Further, the heroes very likely will hear the voice of Maleffluent, Chardath's magical battle axe. Exploration of the First Facet can begin with the Dungeon Master reading the following text to the players:
One lay we, you come to your senses in a place unlike any you have ever seen before. The surface beneath you is a sheet of red glass or crystall which glows with a diffuse, rippling tight, It stretches but of sight in all directions with no visible edge or border. Above you, a black sky devoid of stars, clouds, or other features spreads from horizon to horizon. Vast arcs of crimson lightning periodically lance across this void, followed swiftly by tremendous claps of thunder. These mighty reports cause the ground beneath your feet to tremble, yet no echo is ever heard in their wake. The air here feels neither cold nor warm and is without scentormotion. This condition creates a stifling effect that makes this uast, openness seemsomehow close and confining.
Mood and Athmosphere In this scene, the Dungeon Master should play up the sheer strangeness of the region. The heroes are in a realm which is, at the very least, exceedingly unusual. Ruby plains, crimson lightning in a black sky, and a complete lack of geographical features ought to be disorienting and frightening. This is especially true for characters who have agoraphobia (the fear of open spaces) or a similar handicap. Although this place appears very static, a number of events can trigger activity here. For the most part, the results depend upon the actions of the heroes. Standing Around A tried and true method of investigation among player characters is to stand around and do nothing. In general, the theory behind this approach is that whatever comes next in the adventure will happen soon enough. If the players opt to do this, the adventure grinds to a standstill. So long as they remain patiently standing around waiting for something to happen, nothing does. Still, this fact does not mean that such inactivity fails to reveal the nature of this place. After the heroes have wasted a turn or two, the Dungeon Master may read them the following text:
The passing of minutes seems to have no change on this place. It grows neither hotter nor colder, and no sign of life or other visitors becomes apparent. There is no respite from the endless cascade of lighthing and no reprieve from the cacophony of thunder. Still, not everything remains the same. As you linger in this place, you become aware of a distinct feeling of lethargy and weakness. Is this the result of some outside force or only the lingering effects of your arrival in this strange alnd? At the moment, is is impossible to tell.
This lethargy is, of course, the first traces of Aggarath's energy-draining essence taking its toll on the characters. In game terms, it has no effect. It should, however, alert the characters that something is amiss in this place. Breaking Things Another popular way for player characters to find out about things is to start breaking them. This might mean trying to chip away at the surface of one of the monoliths (described in the "Using Magic" section, below) or attempting to dig a hole in the crystalline ground. Attempts to damage the monoliths fail. Should the heroes attempt to break the crystalline ground at their feet, however, they may be in for something of a surprise. Minor blows, scratches, and the like produce no visible effect. But the first person who makes a serious attempt to break the ground (by hitting it with a war hammer or pick axe, for instance) sets off a macabre chain of events. The Dungeon Master may read the following text aloud to describe what the adventurers experience:
As you blow lands, the light radianting from this strange crystalline landscape ripples like a pond hit by a pebble. For a second, you see nothing more, but then a face appears below the surface: a haunting, beautiful image of a slender, sable-haired woman. You cannot tell whether this is merely an image or whether the woman can see you as clearly as you see her. For several seconds, the woman presses at the ruby barrier that separates you. Her eyes show panic and fear contorts her features as apparently unbreakable shet of crimson. She looks like a swimmer who has suddenly found herself trapped beneasth a sheet of ice. Then without ever having made a sound, this strange image fades away. Less than a minute after your blow fell, all is as it was before.
Those characters who participated in the adventure Castle Spulzeer should recognize this woman as Marble, the sister of Aggarath's demilord, Chardath. Because of her special ties to the creation of the gemstone universe, her spirit has become imprisoned in the very fabric of the place. Whenever characters in the First Facet strike the surface with considerable force, they see the image of Marble. She is, as the narrative suggests, utterly unable to see or otherwise interact with characters caught in the First Facet. Later, as they explore other regions of Aggarath, the adventurers may indeed have an opportunity to speak with her. Wandering At some point, the heroes likely decide to walk around a bit. Although one area is the same as another in the First Facet, the act of traveling actually brings about an encounter of sorts. After the heroes have put a few hundred yards behind them, the Dungeon Master should read the following text aloud:
It is difficult tossy how long you haoe been walking, as one place appears to be the same as another in this strange land. Always there is the crimson glow beneath your feet, the black expanse above you, and the eternal cascade of thunder and lightning around you. Only gradually do you begin to hear a voice in the air. At first, you mistake the faint whispers as nothing more than the fading rumble of thunder. With each passing second, howeiaer, it becomes clear that this murmuring holds something more. Someone - or something - is trying to talk to you.
In order to discern the words of this mysterious speaker, the heroes must make successful detect noise checks (per the thieving skill). If no one in the party has this ability, the Dungeon Master should assign a chance to hear it based upon the nature of the characters and their actions. Rangers, for example, who are assumed to have the keen senses of hunters, would have a good chance of being able to make out the message. Once someone manages to pick out the words from the background of thunder, the Dungeon Master should read the following narrative aloud. These words should be spoken slowly with a shallow, whispering voice to give them feeling and mood.
"We are all prisoners of this place. I must serve one who should obey me. You shall be consumed by the land itself." "Survival is our common goal. We are both in need of allies. As a sign of my good faith, I offer the following advice: Gather the glowing stonesof the land. There are the key to both our salvations. I give you the first so you may know what to look for."
At this statement, a ruby in the form of a perfect one-inch sphere drops into one of the player characters' palms. The voice continues:
"In addition to this counsel, I make you all a gift. Consider the matter; we shall speak again."
This message comes from Maleffluent, the intelligent magical battle axe wielded by Chardath (see description in Appendix Two). Maleffluent longs to be free of Aggarath, for here he cannot overcome the will of the domain lord. As the adventure progresses, the characters receive other messages from the battle axe. For the time being, however, this is all that he has to say. Maleffluent's advice refers to the collection of magical rubies that can enable the heroes to escape from this place; the sphere is the enchanted ruby from this facet. The gift of which he speaks is described under "Shepherd Rings," below. Shepherd Rings: As the message from Maleffluent fades away, a ring of white metal appears on each character's hand. These rings are magical, although their nature may not at first be apparent. The shepherd rings are so named because they will help keep the party together. Whenever one of the heroes finds himself separated from the rest of the party, the ring guides him back to his allies. It does this through a faint pressure that feels almost like a tug. If a character relaxes his arm, the ring gradually (over the course of about one minute) lifts his hand to point toward the rest of the party. For those who remain together, the rings function in reverse. That is, they try to point the direction of strays. If the party splits into more than two groups, the rings point toward a position equidistant from the scattered members. If every individual follows his ring's guidance, they all end up together again. These devices actually have been included in the adventure to help the Dungeon Master. Because of the nature of travel in this realm, a party of adventurers can easily get separated. The Dungeon Master can use the shepherd rings to keep them together. In order to serve this purpose, they need not be used only as described above. If a hero does not know which portal his companions have gone through, for example, the ring can nudge him toward the correct one. The rings can be removed and even discarded by the heroes. If they do so, however, the Dungeon Master should have no sympathy for a character who get himself hopelessly lost. Using Magic The first time that the characters cast a spell or employ a magical item while exploring the First Facet, it fails to operate. Instead, the realm absorbs the energy of the effect (so the spell or charge is expended just as if it had functioned normally). The following narrative describes what happens next:
Suddenly, a great stroke of lightning flashes down from the sky and strikes the ruby ground not fifty feet from you. The deafening thunder that accompanies it hurls you to the ground and leaves your ears ringing. In rapid succession, four more crimson bolts zap the ground around you, tossing you to and fro like a toy boat in a ferocious gale. Where each bolt struck the ground, the crystal glows hotly like molten glass. Gradually, these rise up to form pointed crystalline monoliths some fifteen feet tall and flue feet thick. These stand at equal points around you, forming a loose pentagonal rampart. They appear to be mere outgrowths of the floor with no visible seam or demarcation.
Attempts to chip, break, or otherwise mark the monoliths fail. These monoliths are the gateways that allow characters to travel to neighboring facets. Details of using the portals appear below. Although the monoliths are identical in appearance, each leads to a different place in the domain of Aggarath. In order to open one of the gates, a magical spell must be cast upon it (from a spellcasting character or magical item). As before, the spell is expended but does not have its desired effect. Instead, it causes the red crystal to glow warmly. In this activated state, the crystal opens into a conduit. The Conduits Traveling from one facet to another is difficult and sometimes dangerous. Each facet connects to exactly five others by a series of magical conduits. How and where one finds these portals varies from facet to facet, as does the process by which they are opened. Entering a Conduit: Those who touch an activated monolith discover that it is unsolid. An arm thrust into it tingles until it is withdrawn. Someone who steps into the monolith (or sticks his head into it) finds a scintillating prismatic corridor beyond it. The following narrative should be read aloud to the first player whose character looks beyond the glowing veil of crimson:
Beyond the surface of the ruby monolith is - a gleaming corridor that bums brightly with all the colors of the rainbow. Unimaginable energies crackle through the air, raising the hair on your arms and down the back of your heck. The bitter smell of electricity tickles your nostrils and burns your eyes. Some twenty yards away, the corridor ends in a sftimnienng wall of white light. It looks incorporeal, but you can see nothing beyond it.
Entering one of these conduits is impossible for reflections (those people native to this domain). Only captives of Aggarath, like the player characters, may move into and through a conduit. Moving Through a Conduit: The corridor feels like glass, although it is impervious to harm. Any character exploring this region experiences a tingle of energy across his entire body until he leaves. Such transits have a detrimental effect on living things, however. Each character must make a saving throw vs. spell. A failed saving throw indicates that the character loses one level for the duration of the adventure. This effect is treated exactly as the level-draining ability of a vampire or other undead creature. Thus, a lOth-level gypsy who enters one of the conduits emerges from the other end as 9th-level. When a character is reduced to 0-level, his form breaks up and he is absorbed by the domain. Such a character is now an integral part of Aggarath and cannot be rescued by any means short of a wish spell. Because the level drain is temporary, Dungeon Masters may want to keep copies of players' original character sheets on hand, or discourage players from erasing (and therefore losing all record of) spells, hit points, etc. lost with the level drain. Lost levels are restored when the characters escape Aggarath and their bodies are magically reconstituted. A successful saving throw indicates that the hero survived his conduit journey unscathed-this time. Exiting the Conduit: When someone reaches the wall of light at the far side of the corridor, he discovers that it is indeed ethereal. A hand can easily pass through it. Should someone step through this wall of light, he is instantly transported to one of the other facets. Because all of the monoliths and conduits are exactly the same (in appearance, at any rate), a character cannot possibly know one from another. As there is no way to determine north or south in this place, the Dungeon Master should assign one of the monoliths to be "number one." Once that is done, the destinations of the others can be determined by counting clockwise around the pentagonal perimeter they form.
When someone steps through the wall of light at the end of the corridor, he is instantly transported to the indicated facet. The events that transpire there are described in that facet's section of this book. It is very important that the player characters hear Maleffluent's message (and receive the shepherd rings} before they leave the First Facet. If they manage to open the conduits before they have done this, the Dungeon Master needs to make a quick alteration to the flow of the adventure. The easiest way to tie up this loose end is to have the message heard by the heroes the first time that they pass through one of the conduits. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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