1. Miesta

The Vortex

Stronghold
The Dragonreach v Material Plane

A maelstrom of awesome power rages eternal in the center of the Dragonreach Sea, north of Argonnessen. Most sea captains call her the Dragon’s Mistress, but a few know the truth about this mighty tempest. Far below her turbulent waters, poised between Seren and the hostile shores of Aerenal, lies the dragons’ underwater stronghold—the Vortex.

The Eyes of Chronepsis see all, know all. They watch every corner of Eberron, including the murky depths of the ocean floor. Aboleths and other allies of the Lords of Dust lurk in the lightless depths, hatching insidious schemes to restore their dark masters. In the Vortex, the Eyes remain vigilant against these fiendish aquatic threats. Also, within this sheltered stronghold Soldiers of the Light prepare to stage their first strike on the Undying Court, if old hostilities commence anew. Surrounded by a magical ring of violently spinning currents and bastions of jagged coral, the dragons watch and wait.

Approach

Even the most seaworthy of vessels is splintered by the mighty storm raging above the Vortex. Once sundered of their transport, visitors must be able to withstand crushing pressure and frigid cold, not to mention the absence of air. These natural obstacles aside, encroachers must also contend with the violent whirl of frothing water circling the stronghold. Swimmers must make a DC 30 Swim check or be dragged down and dashed across walls of razor coral, taking 10d6 points of slashing damage and running the risk of drowning as they are held fast in the whirlpool’s crushing grasp (a DC 30 Reflex save can be made every round to escape).

Once travelers are through the storm, the silence of the deep is broken by the rush of mighty currents. A frothing wall of bubbles and twisting eddies roils. Beyond, a vast forest of kelp and rolling honeycombs of iridescent purple and white coral spreads before the visitor. Farther on, titanic ramparts of dragon turtle shells jut from the ocean floor like something from a naiad’s dream. Dragons, like great leviathans, flit between majestic towers of coral surrounding a yawning crevice descending deep into the heart of the ocean floor

Features

The coral in the fields and structures of the Vortex sheds a hypnotic purple glow that causes lesser creatures to fall into a trance and sink to the ocean floor. A DC 25 Will save negates the effect; dragons and dragonblood creatures are immune. Navigating the coral tunnels and valleys is dangerous as sudden shifts in current buffet Medium or smaller swimmers against jagged walls (DC 20 Swim check every round or take 5d6 points of slashing damage). The crushing pressure of the sea at the depth of this stronghold forces Large or smaller nonaquatic creatures to make a DC 25 Fortitude save every 10 minutes or take 2d6 points of nonlethal damage.

Keyed Locations

The following features correspond to numbered areas on the map.

  1. Turtleback Palisade: A circle of over twenty gargantuan dragon turtle shells, each studded with dragonshards, creates a massive defensive wall around the inner enclave of the Vortex. Elder water elementals reside in these hollowed shells under orders to attack any nondragons who approach. Additionally, these elementals can bind to the turtle shells, transforming them into roving sea carriers capable of housing hundreds of minions such as subjugated merfolk, locathahs, or sahuagin.

  2. Coral Watchtowers: Dragons keep watch over the inner reach of the Vortex from these structures. The towers are infused with powerful transmutation magic and shift position at the command of the watchers within.

  3. Den of Sea’s Shadows: This sprawling complex of dark purple coral is the lair of the Sea’s Shadows, an elite unit of the Light of Siberys. Black dragons to the last, the Shadows stealthily roam the ocean floor when not resting here, vigilant for any sign of fiendish threat, Xoriat invasion, or other hostile force. Many of the Shadows are children of Eberron and have druid levels, allowing them to prowl the ocean depths in the innocuous form of a school of fish, giant squids, or sharks. The Shadows are currently commanded by Radiance Avodrast, a great wyrm black dragon druid 12/rogue 11.

  4. Well of Mirrors: This cavern of alabaster coral contains a magical, air-filled hexagonal chamber with towering walls of shimmering water on all six sides. Each wavering facet of the room shows the viewer a different underwater locale. The walls continuously scry on these remote oceanic vistas, some as far away as the Bitter Sea, the White Sea, or the Sea of Lost Souls. Here the Eyes of Chronepsis keep their vigil, prepared to strike down any threat that emerges from the deep. An enormous opaque dragonshard in the center of the room controls the six scrying surfaces. Any speaker of Draconic can command the shard to transform one of the six walls into a two-way portal (though no air or water passes through). The portal remains open for 1 hour once activated. The current Watcher here is Lovarasinth, a great wyrm gold dragon dispassionate watcher of ChronepsisDr 8.

  5. Feeding Grounds: Locathah thralls of the dragons tend massive schools of fish and dolphins here among sprawling forests of kelp. The animals serve as provisions in case the Vortex should ever fall under siege. Powerful magic is used in the breeding of these sea creatures and, when eaten, different types grant curing, restoration, or other benefits (as potions of various levels). Culinary masters the world over seek these ensorcelled fish for their masterpiece dishes, and will pay any adventurer dearly to make off with some.

  6. Bronze Brigade’s Training Ground: This large flat shelf of coral is where an elite unit of bronze dragon Soldiers of the Light engages in constant wargames. Their eventual mission is to launch a devastating first strike against the Undying Court. The current leader, Radiant Flame Kelrozenatheen (wyrm bronze dragon paladin 14), trains the Brigade day and night with only the occasional break to feast on the speckled dolphins of the feeding grounds. The coral shelf where they fight their mock battles is surrounded by a great crystal dome several feet thick. The dome oscillates, and when open, the crystal is housed in large slits dug into the coral below. When closed, the dome magically converts the water inside it to fresh air allowing the Brigade to train as if on land. In addition, potent illusionary spells generate myriad scenarios including terrain, legions of Undying soldiers, and other variables involved in a full scale assault on Aerenal.

  7. Krakenheart Council: This large circular chamber features walls woven of webbed crimson coral. Here, dragons entreat with other mighty denizens of the sea. Kraken kings, leviathans (MM2 139), sea drake lords (FF 147) and other mighty ocean dwellers convene with the Eyes here to settle disputes, trade information on the ever-changing ocean floor, and hold war councils to deal with common threats. The unfathomable intrigue of unearthly intelligences that transpires here leaves most mortals utterly befuddled. Curbing the subtle machinations of these alien rulers of the deep is a central part of the dragons’ mission to safeguard the world beneath the waves.

  8. Darkreach Crevice: This gaping wound in the ocean floor reaches deep into the festering heart of Khyber. Under-ocean tunnels connect to innumerable strongholds of the Lords of Dust, and the Soldiers of the Light use this crevice to stage daring underground assaults against these enclaves of evil. A contingent of gold dragons stands guard around the crevice at all times, lest the agents of Khyber retaliate.

október 15, 2019