The Palace of Insanity

The Palace of Insanity is the guildhall of the Cult of Rakdos on The South Pole. It is located in the Northern Alpines under a larger mountain and holds the lava pit in which Rakdos slumbers. The most direct route to The Palace is down an immense stone staircase that leads down an ancient tunnel carved deep into the earth by a wurm and enforced with thick stone pillars. Rakdos members call this subterranean passage the Antechamber of Fiends. The Palace of Insanity stands at the far end of a courtyard, the Festival Grounds, its ornate stone edifice flanked by jagged basalt pillars flowing with lava streams. The façade is the only part of the guildhall that resembles an actual building. Inside is a large natural cavern with ledges and rooms scattered along its walls, home to the Defiler's minions, blood witches, and servants. Rakdos's lava pit is the chamber's central feature and is the size of a large lake, with crisscrossing stone pathways and docks for people to gather and entertain. The high ceiling is adorned with steel cables, cages, and hooks to hang people, who are cut in a way to ensure they bleed out slowly. Their blood is then captured in basins that are scattered around the cavern floor. After death, their bodies are either hurled into the great lava pit or left for the scavenging hellhounds. Inside is the Jester's Crypt, a dark tunnel where Rakdos takes cultists who displease him. Few ever return. The crypt, which is shrouded by a supernatural mist of pure shadow, is also used when blood witches are created, alongside a birthplace for the first Bloodfray Giants.

Ruler

Rakdos has been described as "Big as a dragon, with arms and legs muscled and proportioned like a gigantic wrestler. Two sets of horns, one arcing upward, outward, and backward like a steer's, the other arcing down and curving up like those of a humongous ram. Burning yellow eyes. Razor teeth, locked together in a rictus grin. A beard of bone spurs emerging from a wide jaw. Bat wings. Cloven hooves. Blood-red hide clothed in chains and skulls. And his brow, a wreath of flame."

He is known as the Defiler, the Enslaver, the Demon-God.

Rakdos embodies hedonism and is known for his capricious cruelty and megalomania. Older than the Guildpact itself, Rakdos is an ancient, powerful, and evil demon who personifies the chaotic fury of adventure and entertainment. He is also a consummate entertainer, whose mere appearance is an act of grisly performance art. A monstrous figure standing thirty feet tall, spreading enormous wings, crowned with fire and swinging a flaming scythe, Rakdos demands the spotlight. His every entrance is a showstopper. Rakdos' armour resembles the signet of the Rakdos guild.
Sometimes, after his grand entrance, Rakdos crouches to witness the performances of those who adore him. To them, his opinion is the only one that matters, but he is a demanding spectator. He has seen thousands of years of circus tricks and has no patience for performers who don't give their all. His flaming sword has brought more than one tepid show to a sudden and spectacular close.
Jaded as he is, Rakdos attends his cult's performances only rarely. He often retreats in his lair below Rix Maadi or The Palice of Insanity, for months or years at a time, but his followers know that he might emerge at any time to witness the latest spectacle. Getting him to show approval of a performance, or even actual interest, is regarded as the ultimate test of a Cultist of Rakdos.

Magic Items

Listed here is all of the magical items that reside inside of the Palace of Insanity. 

Blade of the Skulking Flames

Weapon (katana), Legendary (attunement required)
This long, two handed blade was forged by a once honourable paladin who broke his oath of mercy by killing an unarmed, surrendered opponent. For this his deity cursed him to be felled by his own blade, then to have his soul bound to the blade. When he did die, by falling on his own blade in combat, his soul violently exited his body in a fireball. Which charred his sword as it entered, giving the blade a smoky black colour and turning the red hilt wrapping burnt maroon. Frightened of what happened, a witness quickly sheathed the blade and tossed it into a volcano. However, over centuries it merely found its way into a mountain cave. Tainted Steel On a normal attack the blade deals 1d8 slashing damage, doing an additional 1d6 fire damage on a critical. However, the user can sacrifice parts of their soul to the blade to enhance their strikes. In exchange for giving in to the blades curse the wielder can deal an extra 1d6 slashing and 1d4 fire damage until the end of combat.
Curse After prolonged exposure to the blade the wielders soul becomes corrupted, After either 10 successful attacks or 1 hour with the sword unsheathed the wielder gains one short term madness If you already have a short term madness, you are inflicted with long term madness. If you have long term madness, you are then inflicted with indefinite madness. it cannot corrupt the wielder when sheathed.
Sentience. Due to the bound soul the blade is sentient and is Chaotic Evil, as such only a non-lawful or a non-good aligned character can wield the weapon. It has: INT: 20 (+5), WIS: 10 (+0) and CHA: 25 (+7). It also grants advantage on Intimidation (Cha) rolls when the weapon is on your person. The sword knows Common, Abyssal and the languages of the user; The item communicates by transmitting its thoughts to the creature carrying or wielding it.
Personality. The mind inside the sword was once kind and compassionate, but as soon as he died his soul was forever tainted. He has long forgotten his true name, instead calling himself Pyre. He is malicious, manipulative, cynical and spiteful; admiring truly evil acts and people. He will try to convince righteous people to commit more sinful acts; such as killing captives, torturing enemies, insulting good people and other hostile behaviours. If its wielder doesn't give into its manipulations it simply waits for its corruption to twist the wielders mind.

Amulet of the Berserker

Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement) A ruby amulet that depicts a berserker on one side and a defender on the other.
Hyper Defend. If you are holding a melee weapon, when you take damage from a melee attack, as a reaction, you can slightly ward yourself against the attack, reducing the amount of damage you take by the damage die of the melee weapon your holding. On your next turn, your first attack that deals damage with the chosen melee weapon used for hyper defend deals an extra damage die.

Phoenix Rod

 Wondrous item, Very rare (major tier)
This rod can fire a blast of fire that shapes itself like a phoenix upon impact. It is considered a simple weapon, with a range of 60/240, and deals 2d6 damage on a hit. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage roll. In addition, all creatures within 5 feet of the point of impact must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against a DC of 15, or take half the damage dealt against the main target.

Type

Guildhall