For Characters Levels 17+

FOR CHARACTERS LEVELS 17+

Sample file

C1 Hunting the xanathar

Written by Andrew Cawood

Formatted BY CATHARINE CHEN

GraPHIC DesIGN BY JEFF PORTER

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1 Sample file

Table of contents

Skullport ...... 5 Skullport Factions...... 6 C1 Hunting the Xanathar ...... 9 NPCs ...... 28 Encounters ...... 30 Monsters ...... 34 Catwalks Chase Table ...... 37 Caverns Chase Table ...... 38 Maps of Skull Island ...... 39 Maps of the Port ...... 43 Maps of Trade Lanes ...... 47 Maps of the Heart ...... 51 Maps of the Dungeon and Caverns ...... 55 Forgotten Realms Calendar ...... 58 Pre-Generated Characters ...... 59 Sample file

3 Sample file

Sample file

Skullport, also known as the Port of Shadows, is part Population: 2 123 (humans, drow, duergar, goblins, of the Undermountain region in the northern part of orcs, shield dwarves) Faerun. This subterranean town is one of the most Leader: none notorious places in all the lands. Order doesn’t exist in Skullport. It is an extremely chaotic environment. Resources: evil magic, exotic foodstuffs, fish, gems, The 200 year old settlement is a jumble of shops, hirelings, mercenaries, poisons, potion ingredients, markets, and residences resting inside a huge cavern. slaves, smuggling services Filthy doesn’t even begin to describe the foul state of Guard: about a hundred veterans this port. There haven’t even been any attempts to clean this foul mess. Most of the buildings have been Fortifications: magical gate on the Sargauth River, put together with found materials, including rock wall on east side of Skull Island, watch towers from the cavern and wood from shipwrecks. Prison: Skull Island Prison The inhabitants of Skullport are known as Skulkers. They are an introverted people and keep to themselves, wanting to avoid dealing with the The town is filled with a number of competing strange Skulls (see Monsters section) at all cost. factions. The Xanathar Thieves’ Guild is the most Skulkers measure time in ‘bells’ of about four hours. powerful and the Xanathar is their leader. Most of the The streets are in rough shape and the granite slabs slavers have banded together to form a consortium can cause injuries. A poorly built series of catwalks known as the Iron Ring. There are also two rise above the Port district connecting many of the completing drow factions. On one side are the drow buildings on a higher level. Most areas are dimly lit loyal to Lolth and on the other side are a group of by lanterns, torches, pools of fungi and lichen, male drow who worship the Masked Lord. Two containers with glowworms, and bioluminescent groups representing the side of good also have a goldfish in large glass bowls. presence in Skullport. Both the Harpers and the Lords of Waterdeep have a presence in the The town is divided into four districts: settlement. There are several other groups.  Skull Island. This is the area in the south of the town where most visitors arrive first. A magical gate blocks any ships that come down the Sargauth River. Xanathar Thieves’ Guild The town’s prison is found here. Headquarters: Skullport  The Port. This area is found just north of Skull Leader: the Xanathar, the Eye (beholder, LE) Island. Most of the taverns and inns are found in this Allies: The Dark Dagger part of Skullport. Catwalks connect many of the buildings. Two busy markets are also found here, the Rivals: drow, the Harpers, the Lords’ Alliance, The Slave Market and Fish Market. Lords of Waterdeep  Trade Lanes. Most businesses in Skullport are Members: Ahmaergo (see NPC section) assassins, found in this area. It is located in between the Port beholders, blackguards, mages, swashbucklers1 and the Heart. Another busy market, the Cave Symbol: a red eye Market, is found in this district. The most notorious group in Skullport is this  The Heart. Found of the far eastern side of the collection of evildoers. They are a powerful group town. The home of the wealthiest residents, of beholders, mages, pirates, rogues and other including the Xanathar, of Skullport. Several minions led by ‘the Eye’. This guild gets rich from businesses and a number of large manors are found Sampleprotecting the slavers and filesmugglers in the town. here.

6 The Iron Ring The Drow Headquarters: Skullport Headquarters: Menzoberranzan Leader: Quinan Varnaed (male human, 14th level Leader: Lolth, the Queen of Spiders fighter, NE) Allies: None Allies: Xanathar Thieves’ Guild Rivals: The Dark Dagger Rivals: the Harpers, the Lords of Waterdeep Members: drow, driders Members: slavers and their minions Symbol: a black spider Symbol: an iron ring One of the most powerful groups in all the A constortium of the most powerful slavers in Underdark. The majority worship Lolth and female Skullport. The members wear distinctive iron rings drow make up most of the leadership. on their belts. They operate out of the Hall of the Iron Ring on Skull Island. The Harpers and agents of from the Lords of Waterdeep are constantly trying to halt The Harpers their operations. Headquarters: Baldur’s Gate

Leader: Ulvira Snowveins The Dark Dagger Allies: The Lords of Waterdeep Headquarters: Skullport Rivals: Xanathar Thieves’ Guild, the Dark Dagger, Leader: Mardinn Everhath (male drow elite the Iron Ring warrior) Members: spies Allies: Xanathar Thieves’ Guild Symbol: a silver lute in a silver crescent moon Rivals: drow who worship Lolth This group wants to contain all the evil groups in Members: drow (males only) Skullport and not allow their influence to spread. Symbol: a red mask The Harpers want to maintain a balance in Faerun. A guild of drow made up of disaffected male drow They send out individual agents who work on their who don’t worship Lolth. Instead, these dark elf own to further the goals of the faction. males worship the Masked Lord. Recently they’ve begun to forge an alliance with the Xanathar Thieves’ Guild. Fights between this faction and the The Skulls main drow faction break out all the time. Headquarters: Skullport Leader: None Rivals: Any troublemakers in Skullport Members: thirteen skulls1 Symbol: thirteen white skulls These floating skulls are transformed remnants of the original Netherese mages. They share their magical powers and some of their spell slots (see SampleMonsters section). The Skullsfile will intervene if someone destroys property or interferes with the business of trade. One skull will arrive and if there’s trouble, some of the others will arrive in two turns.

7 They are a strange group and will make bizarre School of Necromancy. She often frequents the demands at times. Sometimes they will simply many taverns in the Port district. resort to violence.

The Lords of Waterdeep The Keepers Headquarters: Waterdeep Headquarters: Skullport Leaders: Laeral Silverhand (female human, 13th level Leader: Lochlord Gideona (female human, 17th level wizard/7th level ranger, CG) wizard, N) Allies: the Lord’s Alliance Allies: none Rivals: All the evil groups in Skullport Rivals: Xanathar Thieves’ Guild Members: 21 agents (mostly humans) Members: wizards Symbol: a flaming brazier Symbol: a golden lightning bolt This group also wants to contain all the evil groups A guild of wizards, all of whom are 7th level or in Skullport and not allow their influence to spread. higher. They maintain the magic sea gate on the Laeral Silverhand is pretending to be a mage named Sargauth River. Their leader wants to eventually Thalia Rowen. She has lives in a large manor in the control the slave trade in Skullport. The Keepers Heart district. live in natural caverns to the south of Skullport.

Skulker Gangs The Arcane Brotherhood Headquarters: Skullport Headquarters: Luskan Leader: each gang have their own leader th Leader: Archmage Arklen Greeth (male human, 20 Allies: none level wizard, NE) Rivals: everyone Allies: the Zhentarim, the Knights of the Shield Members: each gang is made up of a single race Rivals: the Harpers, the Lords of Waterdeep Some groups of individuals have banded together in Members: wizards, yuan-ti small gangs to protect themselves. There are human Symbol: a red moon gangs, orc gangs, and many others. A mysterious wizard’s guild and mercantile company. Their main agent in Skullport is Valindra 1 Shadowmantle. This 10th level wizard follows the See Monsters section Sample file

This module is set in the Forgotten Realms campaign Assassinate the Eye! setting. However, the location could easily be altered and could also work with other fantasy RPG systems. The Lords’ Alliance tells you your mission is to kill the crime lord known as the Xanathar, a beholder. A series of horrifying attacks by his Thieves’ Guild has finally written The Adventure the monster’s death sentence. The Alliance sends you off to the town of Skullport in a small sailing ship with a This adventure takes place in Skullport. The players skeleton crew. You are to meet Cephalux the mind flayer are agents of the Lords’ Alliance sent to kill the at Bloodthorn Manor and Gart the duergar in Skull Island beholder known as the Xanathar. Evil is evil, no Prison. matter what way you want to look at it! This is an assassination mission to eliminate the crime lord See the map of the town of Skullport on page 5. after a series of horrific attacks in Waterdeep, Silverymoon, and Neverwinter. The leaders of the Alliance have lost patience with the beholder and his Thieves’ Guild. The party will enter the wild settlement of Skullport and hunt down the Xanathar. Two Alliance spies are already in the settlement and the heroes will meet with them before searching out the monster. A mind flayer by the name of Cephalux and a duergar prisoner named Gart in Skull Island Prison have information for them. The two spies have told the Lords’ Alliance they have information about the location of the Xanathar’s lair. The mind flayer lives at Bloodthorn Manor on Skull Island.

Notes for the Dungeon Master This dangerous module is only for high level Encounters characters. Skullport is a very nasty environment and A. Dealing with Trolls the Xanathar and his minions will put up quite a fight. A beholder called ‘the Eye’ has taken over from the Your ship has been travelling for some time. For several last crime lord and claimed the title of Xanathar. This hours you have made your way along the Sargauth River monster spends some of his time in a hidden which heads through eerie, underground caverns. The underground lair under Skullport. The party must crew are nervous but have been well paid and know that have access to a lightning bolt spell to enter Skullport isn’t much further. Skullport. Swimming in this area are four aquatic trolls (same There are two possible ways the adventuring party stats as trolls, but with a swimming speed of 40 ft.). could handle the situation: The bloodthirsty monsters will quietly climb on board and attack everyone they can find. The twenty- 1. Quietly enter the port and use stealth to find person crew (commoners) will retreat into the ship’s out where the Xanathar is and kill him. hold during the battle. 2. SampleOr they could alert the Xanathar Thieves’ file

Guild and other evil groups and have an all- out war in Skullport.