City of Eyes (5e Quest)

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adventure for four adventurers of 13th level

Adventure Background

Hundreds of years ago, a colony of thri-kreen banished from their lands above ground found a passage to the Abyssal Wastelands, and formed a colony there, and since them, lived in a constant struggle for survival. In one of the explorations in the wasteland, a female warrior whose name is lost in time, forgotten, found a symbiotic creature, in the form of a tiny insect, that attached himself to her, forming the entity now known as the Matriarch. Both the symbiote and the Matriarch serve each other on their objectives: the symbiote goal was to reproduce and spread itself through the world, while the Matriarch was to protect her own people from threats and bring prosperity to them.

Together, they formed The Hive, a powerful underground nation, who now controls a significant portion of the Abyssal Wastelands, and aims for the total control over the region. However, for this goal to be accomplished, they face a major opposition in the form of the beholder city of Panoptes, the "City of Eyes". To accomplish their common goals, the Matriarch have been breeding the symbiote and implanting them in creatures found on the underground. With the help of the drow slavers - that are unaware of the true goals of the matriarch - the Hive managed to control a diverse range of creatures to test the symbiote on. She intends to betray the slavers and bring them also under her control, when the time comes.

The Beholders of Panoptes have been struggling to keep the Hive at bay, with their numbers seemingly increasing with each passing day. They also can't risk venturing within the wastelands to bring destruction upon them once for all, since the mind controlling powers of the Matriarch seem to affect them with the same ease as they can control any other creature.

The Hive

The Hive is a dark bleak flavorless abyss of winding passages, slave pens and work stations. Its population is mostly thri-keen, umber hulks and ettercaps but has other insectile inhabitants.

The Hive: Thri-Keen, Umber Hulk, Spiders, Ettercaps, any slave race and any slave buyer race.

Overview

At this point, it should be made obvious that no party could win if they attempted an attack since the ENTIRE population is beholders and beholder kin. Try to get the party before the town master by whatever means possible. Once they arrive they find the wise LG beholder town master by the name of Auge. He does not know what the humanoid party is and asks them if he can probe their minds. If they submit he basically copies and pastes all of the knowledge they have into himself. Seeing that they are a freedom-loving people he tries to recruit them as a task force to assassinate “The Matriarch” which is the queen of the evil Thri-Keen hive several miles away. The Hive is a capital of the slave trade in the region trading with unknown evils.

Synopsis

In the first part of the adventure, the players will meet with the Beholders, and learn about the existence of the Hive, on the depths of the abyssal wastes. Arriving in the wastes, they are free to explore the region, and meet with the threats there:

Exploring the Wastes

The Abyssal Waste is a dangerous environment, filled with monsters and eldritch secrets. The longer they spend on this wild environment, more they will deplete their resources and be forced to face the horrors in the dark.

Slaver's Outpost

A band of Drow Slavers have found a very profitable relation with the Hive. They can and them some low value slaves, receiving in return precious gems, poisons and domesticated giant spiders. They are unaware of the true goals of the Hive: finding the path to the domain of the drows and controlling them.

The Hive

The Deep Fortress and the Matriarch's Stronghold mark the borders of the Hive city, a place where everything that exists have the sole purpose of serving the expansionist goals of the matriarch.

Hook

If the party cannot be easily drawn into the story get them attached to an NPC and have that NPC captured and put them in danger of being sold to whatever dark empire the Hive is trading with.

Transported from Another World

After defeating (insert monster/villain here) you find a cubic gate, on one side is a plane that you are not familiar with. Curiosity gets the best of you and you press it. You appear in a busy street surrounded by beholder kind.

Arriving at Panoptes

Panoptes is a beautifully crafted bright crystal filled settlement carved in stone. Streams of purple fluid similar to water but richer in flavor flow in the streets. The beholders here are all of good alignments, are not paranoid, arrogant or xenophobic at all and are dedicated to peace and freedom.

Inhabitants within Panoptes

beholders, Gazers, Death Kiss, Gauth, Spectators and Mindwitness

Points of Interest

Nectar River

The purple fluid that flows through the cave walls, coming from an underground waterfall and forms a lake in the middle of the city. This fluid, which the beholders call "The Nectar", is a source of food and hydration, supplying all of a living creatures needs for sustenance.

Any non-magical disease affecting a creature who drinks from the nectar is automatically ended. The good nature of the beholders in this city is somewhat linked to this river. A detect evil and good spell cast on the river will reveal a celestial aura.

The Great Hall

The great hall is a gigantic underground gallerie, that serves as a gathering space for the beholders within the community. The gallery is a vast open space, that is dotted by circular caves around and below ground, were the beholders travel. In the cave's northwall there's a purple waterfall, creating a small lake and a river formed by its overflow. The river is barraged and small non-natural ditches have been carved to supply some of the rooms in the city with it.

Journey Through the Abyss

One of the tunnels found in the central gallery leads to the path to the abyss. The path itself is safe, and constantly surveyed by spectators, that oversee the Abyssal Path.

Abyssal Wastes

A 1. Abyss Mouth

Description

Climbing

Skill check

A 2. The Descent

A small path within the walls of this deep abyss leads to the filthy darkness of the hive. The echoes of agony from tortured prisoners and punished slaves can be heard from time to time, alongside with the faint crawl of giant insects. The darkness here seems alive and suffocating.

Inhabitants

7 Thri Kreen are standing guard behind a bunker sculpted on the abyss walls. They are hostile to intruders, but will attempt to escape if more than half of them are killed, to alert the rest of the hive.

Development

If any of the Three Kreen escapes, they will alert the other soldiers on the Deep Fortress. The prepared three kreen will prepare the ballistas and fire against the players as soon as they come into range.

Treasure

Some unsavory worms and mushrooms used as food by the Kreen are stored on this room, alongside with a alcoholic beverage, a viscous grey fluid, that it is toxic to any non thri kreen (A failure on a DC 11 Constitution check after drinking it will poison the target for 1 minute).

A 3. Advanced Hive Camp

The clanking of metal and wood schoking with each other can be heard echoing from the small encampment down below:

"Four large tents made of carapaces of giant insects and hide from unknown monsters are arranged on a semicircle in the cave floor. In the middle of the camp, a small arena, were four thri kreen soldiers are practicing their combat routines. Some ballistas made of rock and bones of underground monsters can be seen pointed upwards, prepared for the Beholder invasion. There are some trenches dug around the camp, and the ballistas are surrounded by protective barriers of stone and bone."

Inhabitants

There are 11 Thri Kreen protecting this military camp. They spend their time checking on the ballistas, practicing combat drills and gathering herbs and worms for food. They also have a improvised brewery hidden on a hole dug below one of the tents, were they produce their disgusting alcoholic beverage.

The thri kreen on the trenches have three-quarters, and those behind the covers on the ballistas get half cover.

Treasure

The hole within the tent have a brewer's kit. There's also a couple of gems, that one of the kreen just carries for finding them beautiful, and they are worth x gp.

On another tent, the players can find a key for the Torture Halls.

Development

If the kreen lose half of their men or more, they will run to B8 and alert their companions.

A5. Mushroom Cave

Poisonous and helpful mushrooms can be found here.

A6. Elder God Idol

Sculpted Idol dedicated to an eldritch god. Summons an aberration when triggered. Entrance to the Elder God Temple.

A7. Death Spores

Underground plants that create a field of deadly spores.

A9. Broodmother Lair

"The rotten smell of the dead corpses hanging from the gigantic Broodmother. Countless threads of web silk spread through the cave, while at the source of those threads, rest a spider big as a elephant, hanging from the ceiling, awaiting for her next meal"

The Broodmother is a

Elder God Temple

B7. Demi-Plane Prison

The dark priests noticed their grave mistake too late, when attempting to summon the entity that communicated with them through the Idol. The arch-priest was possessed by an alien being that was locked on a demiplane prison, a creature named Goth'orok.

Goth'orok is a Yezzogaunt originally imprisoned for an unknown reason. Goth'orok can communicate with any creature within a 30 feet from the Idol. It instructed the priests to perform the rituals that turned them into the pseudonatural abominations players found earlier in this temple, by feeding them with its own tentacles through the portal.

Encounter

Goth'orok can't leave the demiplane, but when the portal is opened, part of the plane leaks into the Portal Room. Closing the portal will suck Goth'orok back into its plane (but not the players). At first, the entity will offer the players the same deal it offered the dark priests: worship him, in exchange for ascending to a higher form of existence (Becoming a Yezzogaunt). If they refuse, Goth'orok will attempt to kill them before they are able to close the portal.

In combat, Goth'orok will first cast darkness, and attack from it, focusing all attacks on any creature that appears to be a spellcaster.

Treasure

Slave Trading Outpost

There's a community of drows the regularly negotiate with the Hive. They built a settlement in the wastelands, and regularly engage in trade with. The drows bring slaves captured in the surface to the Hive, and in exchange, they gain from the hive domesticated giant spiders to serve as guards and mounts, poisons extracted from the multiple venomous beings in within the hive, and gems, that are worthless for the kreen.

NPC Stat Block

All the stat blocks for the drow use the regular NPC statblocks found in the monsters manual, with the following differences:

• Increase its Dex by 2, Cha by 1;
• Give it proficiency in Stealth;
• Give it the Sunlight Sensitivity Trait
• All drow ranged attacks are coated in drow poison (DMG p 258).

C1-1 to C1-3. Vigilance Towers

There are three towers built by drows, guarding the path to their outpost. The towers have all the following characteristics:

Tower Defenses

The tower is 10 by 10 foot in width and 20 feet tall, with windows of all sides that give half cover to those inside it. The entrance to the tower is made through a stair nearby a trapdoor, that requires a DC 15 Strength or Thieve's Tools check to be open.

There's a small opening from which the drows can pour a toxic liquid that poisons the target via contact (DC 15 Constitution save, being poisoned for 1 minute on a failure, repeating the save at the end of each turn).

The drows will throw the poison if they notice any attempt of entering the tower.

Inhabitants

This tower serves as an advanced post for drow protecting the slaver camp. C1 will have three drow Veteran. C2 will have four, and C3 five.

C2. Sigil Trap

Trap on the path to the outpost, activated by stepping on the trap area. The trap serves also as an alarm that intruders managed to pass through the vigilance towers.

Noticing the sigil requires a DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check. Stepping on the trap force all creatures in a 20-foot radius to make a Constitution saving throw, taking 4d8 thunder damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.

Each turn a creature start in the area while the trap is active, it must repeat the save or take the same damage. Also, each turn the trap remains active, roll a d6. On a 5-6, a drow squad appears to fight the players.

Each turn the trap is active also gives the opportunity of the players being noticed by the guards in the Outpost Walls. Each turn, roll a d6. If the number rolled is inferior to the number of turns the trap is active, they will notice the alarm and prepare defenses accordingly.

The trap can be disarmed by a dispel magic spell as if it was a 5th-level spell. It can also be disarmed by someone with proficiency in both Arcana and Thieve's tools, with a successful Intelligence (Arcana) check against a DC 17.

C3. Traitor Gibbets

Four suspended cages can be seen hanging here, with cages made of bones that leave them standing, with almost no space to move. There can be seen two half orcs barely alive, a small skeleton of a gnome or a child and a drow.

Inhabitants

The three prisoners on the suspended cages are "traitors", slaves that either attempted to flee or betrayed their masters. The drow is an enslaver named Melgartz, who attempted to free one of the captives out of pity.

Deep Fortress

D1. Barbed Path

A field of stone thorns extends through the path that leads to the deep fortress. More ahead, paliçades made of bone and stone cover the entrance to the cave that marks the entrance to the domains of the Hive"

The cave that leads to the Deep Fortress, the bastion standing between the wasteland and the hive, is protected by both natural and kreen-made defenses.

Inhabitants

A successful DC 19 Wisdom (Perception) check will reveal a pair of thri-kreen Gladiators patrolling the entrance. They are both bearing blow horns, that will be blown if they perceive the players before he initiative is rolled, alerting the thri-kreen at the Fortress Walls section. After that, they wait the invaders behind the paliçade, throwing spears at them as they attempt to cross the thorny field.

D4. Sculptor's Bastion

If the guards in the slave camps have been alerted by the kreen escaping the slave camps, or hear any trouble there, they will barricade the entrance to the bastion and run to aid fending off the intruders:

"ADD DESCRIPTION TO THE BASTION"

Inhabitants

The thri kreen army is lead by Firstborn Pak'cha, a kreen warrior that leads the fortress and protects the hive. He is accompanied by Gogresh the Sculptor. He is a ruthless Umber Hulk, who rose through the ranks of the Hive due to its sheer brutality and loyalty to the Matriarch. He carved many rooms that compound the Deep Fortress.

Pak'cha also have a pet a phase spider, that waits resting on the room ceiling.

If the guards in the Torture Halls hear the commotion in this room, they will rush here for help.

Development

Treasure

Matriarch's Stronghold

The Matriarch's stronghold, this tall black stone structure is carved with images of despair and waste. Its halls are guarded by thri-keen, umber hulks, phase spiders and the queen's twisted pet.

E1. The Spider's Nest

Inhabitants

Giant Spiders, Ettercaps

E2. Guardian Halls

Inhabitants

Umber Hulks, Phase Spiders

E4. The Refuge

Inhabitants

Drider

E6. The Hatchery

Inhabitants

Three Kreen

E7. The Farms

Inhabitants

Bugbears

E14. The Matriarch Rooms

The queen's pet is a spider the size of a truck – see Giant Spider Matriarch. Use any primitive traps in the outer layers of the queen's lair, but make them more deadly and intricate as the party progresses towards her. For the matriarch herself, modify the thri-keen stats by adding a flying speed, increases in hp and charisma, and more damage on attacks.

Developments

If the party is good or neutral, and help the beholders, they will infiltrate and overthrow the Hive. If the party is evil, it might join the Hive and have an epic battle with beholder city (probably a partial or total party kill)

Treasure

Treasure in beholder city is mostly art, see DMG 5e for tables to roll for treasure. The Hive will have treasure stolen from slaves, the DM can pick these however (s)he pleases.

Conclusion

If the party kills the Matriarch, they will be given epic boons by the beholder mages. If they fight for the Hive, they will be given titles and a military commission.

Rewards

Listed above.

Experience

Give players XP as it seems fit to, mainly good role play and combat.

The minimum total award for each character participating in this adventure is 1000 experience points.

The maximum total award for each character participating in this adventure is No maximum amount of experience points.

Treasure

If the party overthrows the Hive, they would find a vault with 15d12PP

Enmity

If you kill the Hive and free it’s slaves, the slave keeping factions will hunt you.

Renown

DM call based on parties loyalty to a certain faction.

Downtime

PCs would be given time for rest, training, or other downtime activities.

Appendix

Appendix 1. Treasure

2 common (minor), 3 uncommon (minor), 4 rare (minor), 3 very rare(minor), 1 legendary (minor), 1 uncommon (major), 1 rare (major), 1 very rare (major).

+

Around 144.000 gp

Appendix 2. Hivers

Female Hiver

Wondrous item (symbiote), legendary (requires attunement by a a creature with non-chaotic alignment).

The female hiver is a tiny hexapod being that attaches to a creature's spinal cord by sinking its limbs on its flesh.

Hive Mind. You are in constant communication to any other Hiver Host within 1 mile of your own hiver. If one hiver host is aware of a particular threat, you also are.

If are surprised during an initiative roll, but another hive on the same initiative roll is not surprised, you act on its initiative instead of being surprised.

Attacks against you can't have Advantage while at least one Hiver Host is able to see your attacker.

You can always communicate to any other hiver host telepathically, while within range, regardless of you both sharing or not a language.

Sentience. The Female Hiver is a sentient Lawful neutral being with an Intelligence of 13, Wisdom of 15 and Charisma of 17. It can't see nor hear, but it has blindsight up to a range of 120 feet, being blinded beyond that range.

The hiver cannot speak, but it can communicate telepathically to any creature who can understand a language up to a range of 120 feet.

Destructibility. The Female Hiver has an AC of 19 and 50 hit points. It is resistant to all damage types except radiant, and is vulnerable to psychic. It automatically fails any Strength or Dexterity saving throw, and have a bonus equal to its Charisma modifier on Constitution saving throws.

While attached to an attuned creature, it can only be targeted during critical hits. It will take damage if the host fails a Strength or Dexterity saving throw.

Symbiotic Nature. The hiver can't be removed from you while you're attuned to it, and you can't voluntarily end your attunement to it. If you're targeted by a spell that ends a curse, your attunement to the hiver ends, and it detaches from you.

The hiver requires fresh blood be fed to it. Immediately after you finish any long rest, you must either feed half of your remaining Hit Dice to the armor (round up) or take 1 level of exhaustion.

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