- Seneca, Hercules Furens
This facet is the realm of Chardath's "whole self." In a manner of speaking, it is the demilord's throne room or lair, although he did not choose it himself and cannot leave it.
Note that no traveler (the heroes in particular) can possibly escape the gemstone universe without confronting the demilord of Aggarath. Chardath wears a silver key on a chain around his neck; this key, when used in conjunction with any three of the enchanted rubies scattered throughout Aggarath, can open the gate in the Twelfth Facet that leads to the real world.
The following narrative can be read aloud to start this part of the adventure:
You stand upon a cold surface of slick stone that reminds you of dungeon depths and murky tombs. A quick look reveals taht you are at one edge of a vast pentagon some one hundred feet each side. Pentagonal walls, also made of gray stone, rise up from the edges of this floor, sloping away at an angle. Perhaps thirthy-five yards above, they buckle back and rise in another set of penthagons to meet a roof of simular design.
The overall effect is humbling, for you stand at the bottom of an immense dodecahedron which cannot possibly support itself. You are unable to escape the impression taht, in any moment, this vast chamber cold fold in upon itself and bury you under tons of oily gray stone.
A circular column stands in the center of the floor, reching a height of about twenty-five feet. The top of this spire is shaped like and ornate throne. There are no steps or other visible ways by which one might reach this impressive seat. A slender shaft of brilliant white light rains down from the center of the ceiling, washing the pillar in an almost bliding radiance.
Lounging casually upon this seat rests a haggard-looking figure. His face is narrow and feral, making him look like a weasel or ferret. His clothes, althrough regal in the extreme, are wrinkled and disheveled. All in all, he looks rather like a beggar suddenly forced to wear the unfamiliar robes of a king.
Mood and Atmosphere
This place holds untold power. All the energy of the domain courses through Chardath; his mood should be reflected in the descriptions given by the Dungeon Master. If Chardath is brooding and melancholy, an air of heaviness should hang over all of this place. When he becomes angry, his fiery temper makes itself known in every corner.
Chardath is so self-absorbed that it takes him a while to notice the heroes' arrival. Thus, the characters have 1d4 rounds to decide upon a course of action. Needless to say, if they do something to attract Chardath's attention before that time, he reacts accordingly.
During the rounds that Chardath seems unaware of the characters, he is depressed and withdrawn. The Dungeon Master should roll on the following table to determine the mood Chardath assumes once he notices the heroes.
| 1d20 Roll |
Emotional State | |
| 1 | Hot-tempered and antagonistic | |
| 2 | Arrogant and aloof | |
| 3 | Mischievous abd irreverent | |
| 4 | Careless and absentminded | |
| 5 | Courageous and foolhardy | |
| 6 | Curious and prying | |
| 7 | Stern and exacting | |
| 8 | Friendy and trusting | |
| 9 | Covetous and greedy | |
| 10 | Generous and kind | |
| 11 | Morose and vengeful | |
| 12 | Naive and gullible | |
| 13 | Bigoted and blustering | |
| 14 | Cheerful and pleasant | |
| 15 | Cynical and sarcastic | |
| 16 | Quite and retiring | |
| 17 | Level-headed and reverent | |
| 18 | Paranoid and scheming | |
| 19 | Boorish and crude | |
| 20 | Violent and sadistic |
As soon as he establishes Chardath's temperament, the Dungeon Master should roll 1d4 to see how many rounds the demilord's current state of mind lasts. As soon as this time passes, the process is repeated.
Depending upon Chardath's temperament, the encounter can take any number of courses.
The demilord may be willing to speak with the heroes. Of course, his mood will determine the route that this conversation takes. The characters could quite possibly have a very polite and reasonable chat. Of course, all that could then change when the Dungeon Master rolls again to determine his new state of mind.
During a conversation with Chardath, the heroes may be able to learn the following bits of information:
The demilord understands that he has been
imprisoned somehow. After all, he knows that he
cannot leave this facet. He feels that he has
probably died and that this eternal isolation is his
punishment for the terrible things that he did in life.
Chardath blames Kartak for all that has
happened to him. He is obsessed with finding
some way to destroy the lich for his crimes
against the Spulzeer clan. The players may be
able to use this desire to their advantage in
bargaining with the demilord.
Though he is lord of this domain, Chardath
knows nothing about the nature of Aggarath or
its facets. He is not aware of his control over
events in this domain and knows nothing of
what has happened to the characters prior to
their arrival in the Eleventh Facet.
Chardath can feel Marble's presence. He knows
that she is near, but does not understand that
she is trapped in the very fabric of this place.
Any suggestion that he might be able to contact
her spirit should get his attention. If his
personality stays amenable, some experiments
along this tine might be possible. Additional
information on this topic can be found in the
"Conversing with Marble" section, below.
Sooner or later, Chardath becomes angry. When that happens, he decides that the time has come to destroy the characters (particularly if he recognizes them from events detailed in Castle Spitlzeerand considers them allies of Kartak).
Chardath has many ways of attacking the characters. Some are orthodox methods that the characters almost certainly expect; others are more esoteric.
Earth Elementals: At any given time, Chardath can call into being an earth elemental. This creature rises from the brick floor and moves about almost like a wave upon the surface of the ocean. The statistics for earth elementals can be found in Appendix Two of this book.
Chardath cannot create more than one earth elemental at once. However, as soon as one of these minions is defeated, he can call another one into being on the next round. Chardath can dismiss these creations at will, causing them to collapse at once back into the stone floor.
This power can be used thrice per day, although each use is less potent than the previous one. The first elemental that Chardath creates has 16 Hit Dice. When that creature is destroyed, the next one he summons has 12 Hit Dice; the third has only 8.
Magical Spells: In addition to his ability to conjure up earth elementals, Chardath can reshape the walls of his prison at will. He uses this ability to cause needle-sharp stalagmites to spring out of the ground and impale his enemies, or to have pillars of stone rise up beneath foes only to collapse and drop them from great heights.
The Dungeon Master should be imaginative in his use of this power. It should be used in response to actions the characters take. When used to attack a hero, the Dungeon Master should require a saving throw vs. breath weapon with failure indicating that the target suffers 4d8 points of damage. A successful roll negates all damage from the attack.
Melee Combat: Chardath can leave his throne (leaping down uninjured) to engage the characters in personal combat. Complete details on his combat skills are presented in his character description at the end of this book.
Because Maleffluent has no desire to see the characters defeated, however, the magical battle axe hinders the demilord's efforts in battle. To reflect this effect, every attack Chardath makes with the battle axe suffers a -4 penalty.
One of the few subjects that can hold Chardath's attention for long is the idea that he might be abte to converse with Marble and make amends for what he has done (see Chardath's character description at the end of this book for details on their history). If this possibility is suggested, the heroes double the amount of time before Chardath's next mood change. Of course, the adventurers must be able to follow through with their promises or the tactic backfires.
To contact Marble from this facet, the characters need a powerful divination spell. While a little leeway should be allowed for inventive players, this action ought to require a commune or contact other plane spell. In a pinch, if the characters have done well to this point, the Dungeon Master might allow a lesser spell like diuination or speak with dead.
It might also be possible for the characters to fool Chardath into thinking they have contacted Marble. This trickery could be accomplished with a combination of powerful illusions and phantasms. Care must be taken, however, for Chardath will not be forgiving of such deceit if he discovers it.
Assuming that contact with Marble can be established, two other problems must be addressed: Marble may not have any reason to trust the heroes, depending upon how events unfolded in the adventure Castle Spulzeer, and Marble is completely insane.
The first problem (if it exists for this particular party) can be overcome with a charm undead or similar spell. Other spells might work at the Dungeon Master's discretion.
The latter problem, however, is less easily addressed. Rules for curing madness are presented in Domains of Dread. To summarize, Marble can be restored to sanity by means of a heal or restoration spell. A psionicist character could also use his psychic surgery talent.
Assuming that the heroes overcome these obstacles, Marble can probably be made to understand what happened to her. If given an explanation, she forgives her brother and the two achieve some modicum of reconciliation. With this done, Marble's spirit becomes free to return to her grave. Her spirit fades away, never to be seen in Aggarath or any human world again.
Following these events, Chardath undergoes an instant change of mood. If the Dungeon Master rolls an emotional state favorable to the heroes, Chardath hands them the silver key (described below) and opens the conduit to the Twelfth Facet. If Chardath's mood swings to a hostile one, he forgets all that the heroes just did on his behalf.
The party might try to capture Chardath's interest by tapping into his hatred of Kartak. They can use this anger to their advantage in several ways, most likely by offering their services as hunters or assassins. Depending upon his mood, this proposition may appeal to Chardath.
If the demilord's mood is especially amenable (say, friendly and trusting), the heroes may even find themselves handed the silver key and ushered through the conduit to the Twelfth Facet.
A more neutral attitude might force the characters to prove their skills. After all, why should Chardath hire assassins who are only going to get themselves killed? The heroes might be forced to battle one of Chardath's earth elementals at this point. If they triumph over this beast, the demilord gives them the silver key and sends them on their way (assuming, of course, that Chardath's mood has not changed again by the time the battle is over),
Should Chardath fail to believe that the characters can indeed help him, he simply decides to kili them. The same holds true if he thinks they are trying to trick him or-even worse-if he comes to the conclusion that they are actually working for Kartak.
Chardath's magical battle axe, which has served as something of a mentor for the characters throughout this adventure, rests beside his throne. The demilord has no idea that his own weapon has been aiding these intruders in his domain.
When the characters arrive, Maleffluent does not make his presence known to the party. After all, he can't betray his master until the right opportunity presents itself. During the course of any battle, however, he does his best to offer advice to the heroes. For example, if Chardath is about to call an earth elemental into being, Maieffiuent might warn the party to "beware the living stone." Also, as mentioned above, the weapon imposes a -4 penalty on the demilord's attack rolls.
In the course of battle, the Dungeon Master should give the heroes plenty of clues about the nature of their ally. By the time they have managed to overcome Chardath (if they do), at least one of them should suspect that their ally is the intelligent battle axe being used by their enemy.
Throughout this encounter, Maleffluent does all he can to win the heroes' trust, in addition to the tips he telepathically transmits about Chardath's strategy, he also tries to get out of the demilord's grip so that he might join the party.
At some point in the battle, Maleffluent ought to have a chance to enter the party's possession. Perhaps he gets knocked out of Chardath's grip and scooped up by one of the characters. As soon as an opportunity arises, the magical weapon attempts to dominate the mind of the character who holds him. The complete rules for this occurrence are presented in the "Magical Treasures" section of the Dungeon Master Guide. If the standard dominance tactics fail, he attempts more subtle techniques-suggestions and the like-to control the one who holds him. Should he get an opportunity to dominate another member of the party, he gladly makes the effort.
Once Maleffluent has either won control of a hero or earned the trust of the party, he does alt that he can to help the characters. He offers advice and support, giving the impression that he is a weapon of good alignment and character. He tries everything in his power to convince the heroes that he is not evil. Once the adventurers triumph over the demilord and escape from Aggarath, however, all bets are off.
Chardath wears a silver key on a slender chain around his neck. This was the master key to his private chambers in Castle Spuizeer. In the domain of Aggarath, however, it is the key to the portal in the Twelfth Facet. Without this key, one cannot escape from the gemstone universe.
Getting this key should be an integral part of encounters in this facet. If the heroes strike a deal with Chardath, he just hands over the key. If they manage to defeat the lord of Aggarath, they can claim it for themselves. Other options, like an attempt to palm the relic with a pick pockets check, should be handled by the Dungeon Master as the need arises.
The magical gem for this level is an eleven-sided ruby that forms the heart of the earth elemental. When one of these creatures is defeated, it falls to the floor and shatters. At that second, the heart- stone spills out of the broken beast.
One round later, all the pieces of the monster (including the gem) melt back into the floor. The heroes must act quickly to recover their treasure, though if they miss out on their first chance, they can try again. Each earth elemental holds a similar ruby. The party cannot, however, collect more than one enchanted ruby from this facet.
Should the characters manage to defeat Chardath in combat, they may believe that they have destroyed him (especially if they set a pyre for the body or otherwise try to rid themselves of Chardath's remains). The demilord of Aggarath is not so easily defeated, however.
When Chardath dies, his spirit is absorbed by the gemstone universe. Shortly afterwards (2d6 days), his body re-forms atop the throne. As the new incarnation of the demilord appears, the corpse melts away into the stone floor.
The domain of Aggarath experiences no change while Chardath is between incarnations.
When the heroes have defeated or struck a deal with Chardath, five portals open. They appear as shimmering red doorways at the points of the pentagonal floor.
The following table indicates the facets to which these conduits lead:
| Monolith Number |
Destination Facet |
|
| 1 | 9 | |
| 2 | 12 | |
| 3 | 6 | |
| 4 | 5 | |
| 5 | 3 |
If the characters have some form of alliance with Maleffluent, the magical weapon can help them navigate through the gemstone universe. If they have at least three of the enchanted rubies, he directs them to the second portal - the Twelfth Facet, and an escape from Aggarath.
