3 Heart of the Scar 61 Codex of Betrayal: Glasya By Aeryn “Blackdirge” Rudel By Robert J. Schwalb The cultists of Bane thought they had every- She’s daddy’s little girl and the Archduke of thing under control. How wrong they were! Malbolge, the sixth layer of the Nine Hells. Now their fortress has fallen from within, She’s also living proof that beauty runs only and a terrible force threatens to reach be- skin deep. yond its ancient prison to destroy the Nentir Vale. The final D&D Chaos Scar adventure for characters of levels 9–11. 70 Creature Incarnations: Hordelings By Tim Eagon 25 Steading of the Hill Giant Chief Hordelings embody the evil chaos of the By Gary Gygax and Christopher Perkins Abyss. This article expands on the hordel- Yo, Nosnra! We’re in yer house, killin’ yer ings entry in The Book of Vile Darkness with doods! A D&D adventure for characters of larger variants and “build your own hordeling” levels 12–14, and the first of four paragon-tier tables. adventures based on Gary Gygax’s classic Against the Giants series. 52 A Knight in Shadowghast Manor 76 Creature Incarnations: Abyssal By Ken Hart Plague Epic Threats By Mike Shea Arturas Shadowghast, a wanted criminal, has taken refuge in his ancestral home, and it’s The Voidharrow serves the will of Tharizdun your job to bring the blackguard to justice. A by unleashing its greatest creations upon un- D&D Tile Trek adventure for characters of suspecting worlds. levels 5–7, designed for use with Dungeon Tiles: Shadowghast Manor. 82 Ecology of the Satyr of the Night By Rodney Thompson Not all satyrs are decadent and hedonistic. Introducing a sinister new kind of satyr corrupted by shadow’s touch, secretive and paranoid to a fault. 87 Monster Manual Updates: Griffon and Wyvern By Logan Bonner In this article series, we revisit monsters from the 4th Edition Monster Manual, providing new lore and revised stat blocks. 93 Save My Game By Stephen Radnewwy- MacFarland Eventually, every DM needs some advice. Heart of the Scar An adventure for characters of levels 9–11 By Aeryn “Blackdirge” Rudel Illustrations by Eric Belisle, Christopher Burdett, and Peter Tikos Cartography by Jason Engle The time has finally come to assault the fortress- temple standing above the remnants of the ancient meteor that carved the Chaos Scar centuries ago. A horrific creature lurks below the edifice, and this monster has the power to shake the citadel to its foundations and wreak havoc throughout the Nentir Vale. “Heart of the Scar” is an adventure for characters of levels 9–11. It takes place in the Chaos Scar, within Hallowgaunt, a fortress-temple that belongs to the Brotherhood of the Scar, a wayward cult of Bane. BACKGROUND The Far Realm is home to countless alien abomi- nations, some of which rival the mightiest gods in power. Occasionally, these great entities clash over motives and machinations far beyond the ken of mortal minds. Rarer still, one of these terrible beings is defeated, stripped of its power, and hurled into the dark cosmos to wander the void for eternity. TM & © 2011 Wizards of the Coast LLC. All rights reserved. 3 December 2011 | DUNGEON 197 Heart of the Scar Such was the fate of the entity known as Shoth- out its most trusted servants, members of the Brother- ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS Gorag. However, Shoth-Gorag had made inroads hood of the Scar, to capture creatures great and small. into the world of mortals, attracting the attention Any unfortunates these Banites capture are dragged While traveling into or out of the Chaos Scar, the of warlocks and mad cultists. Banished from its back to Hallowgaunt to be tortured out of their wits party discovers a wounded Banite under attack. The domain in the Far Realm, Shoth-Gorag used what and cast down to where Shoth-Gorag dwells deep wounded human is Yorven. His assailants are mem- remained of its power to pass into the mortal world, under the fortress. bers of the Brotherhood of the Scar. After defeating in hopes that it might go unnoticed and slowly Shoth-Gorag absorbs those brought to it, using the members of the Brotherhood of the Scar and, rebuild its strength. their flesh as raw material to construct a horrific perhaps, rescuing Yorven, the party gains most of the Shoth-Gorag’s physical form had been destroyed, body around its heart. Soon, Shoth-Gorag will be information presented in the Background section. and all that remained of the malign entity was its powerful enough to move beyond the temple of Bane Yorven, if he lives, asks the party to travel to Hallow- heart, a calcified chunk of unspeakable evil. This and begin absorbing the myriad creatures dwelling gaunt and destroy the horrific evil within. rock shot across the cosmos and impacted the world in the Chaos Scar. Their evil, insanity, and flesh will From information Yorven shares or carries with centuries ago, carving out what is now called the become its own, until nothing remains except Shoth- him, the characters find they can gain access to Chaos Scar. After the heart fell, a group of Banites Gorag and its truest servants. Hallowgaunt through a secret tunnel that runs under- discovered it. Mistaking the heart for a gift from their Although Shoth-Gorag now controls a majority neath. This tunnel is the means by which Yorven and tyrannical deity, they took it. Around it, high on the of the priests and soldiers serving in Hallowgaunt, a some of his allies escaped, but other loyal servants of cliffs above the Chaos Scar, they built a small fortress- small group of temple guards loyal to Bane resisted Bane might remain within the temple and be willing temple they named Hallowgaunt. the Far Realm lord’s growing influence. These faith- to lend a hand against Shoth-Gorag. The adventurers The heart of Shoth-Gorag became the center of ful Banites surreptitiously sought aid from their allies also learn of the warhammer Farbane. If the party can worship for the Banites. From their temple, the heart outside the Chaos Scar, seeking is a means to destroy infiltrate the temple and claim the weapon, Farbane began to exert its influence, inundating the surround- Shoth-Gorag and return the temple to Bane. can help destroy Shoth-Gorag. ing area with its evil. Its presence acted as clarion Another temple sent a potent relic to its allies in Armed with Yorven’s information, the adventurers call to wicked creatures, and such monsters began to the Chaos Scar. This item, a powerful warhammer make their way through the Chaos Scar to the base come to the Chaos Scar in great numbers. Over the called Farbane, was crafted to destroy interlop- of the great cliffs, atop which sits the fortress-temple years, Shoth-Gorag has fed on the constant violence ers from the Far Realm. Shortly after the hammer of Hallowgaunt. They find Yorven’s secret tunnel and and turmoil in the valley. arrived, however, Shoth-Gorag became aware of navigate its dark passages up into the first level of the Shoth-Gorag has also been poisoning the minds of the insurrection. Shoth-Gorag’s loyalists attacked temple. Inside, the characters face the first lines of the Banites in Hallowgaunt. Banite clerics there draw the rebellious Banites and seized Farbane. Most of the Brotherhood of the Scar’s defenses. some of their strength directly from Shoth-Gorag. Its Bane’s true servants were slain or captured for tor- The adventurers then proceed down to the second influence has also begun to twist the bodies of these ture. Shoth-Gorag then called forth a potent aberrant level. Horrific creatures from or polluted by the Far misguided servitors, and some of them have bizarre guardian for Hallowgaunt’s reliquary, where Farbane Realm lurk here. As the characters win through, they deformities indicative of exposure to the Far Realm’s is now stored. can claim Farbane and gain aid from a small group of energy. These Banites have come to call themselves A fraction of the faithful Banites managed to faithful Banites held prisoner here. the Brotherhood of the Scar. escape Shoth-Gorag’s purging. Most perished during Likely with Farbane in hand, the adventurers can While gaining mastery over Hallowgaunt, Shoth- their escape or while crossing the Chaos Scar with make their way to the third level, a cavernous cham- Gorag has also amassed enough power to begin the the Brotherhood of the Scar in pursuit. However, one ber carved from the bedrock of the cliffs. Here awaits final phase of its plans. It is undergoing a hideous made it to the King’s Wall. This surviving Banite, a the cosmic horror of Shoth-Gorag and a battle the resurgence, building a physical body worthy of a Far human named Yorven, hopes to find allies powerful characters will not soon forget . if they survive. Realm lord. To build this physical form, Shoth-Gorag enough to end Shoth-Gorag’s growing threat. requires ample supplies of flesh. It has been sending 4 December 2011 | DUNGEON 197 Heart of the Scar Dark Rumors INTRODUCTION Yorven: “What of my comrades? What have you done with them?” This adventure assumes the characters have prior The adventure starts as the characters near the King’s Priest: “Soon, their flesh shall be added to the mas- experience in the Chaos Scar, and that they are Wall during a journey into or out of the Chaos Scar. ter’s, their knowledge to its knowledge, their strength to its acquainted with its history and perils.