Great Shaboath
PCs may be puzzled why the Aboleth city is no longer submerged. Originally it lay far beneath the Sunless Sea, but when they began to build the Tower of Domination the Savant Aboleth found, to their annoyance, that the complex magics involved were muted by the dark waters. Experimentation revealed that the optimum conditions required that the towers be above water level, so, aided by the intercession of the Bloodqueen, they used their magics to lift the sea floor at this spot all the way to the surface. Water within the city walls ranges from 1 to 2 feet deep, making it easy for them to slither about (although it will reduce player-character movement by half).
These are crafted of stone and have an eerie style. Most buildings are tower-like and have smooth, fluted contours. Many have decorated walls, with what appear to be tentacle fronds; or an almost rubbery appearance (rather like the belly of a blue whale). All the stone of the city is very damp and slightly slimy (-10)% to all Climb Walls rolls). Buildings occupied by ordinary Aboleth are single-story; those occupied by slaves or other creatures (Illithid, etc.) will be d2 stories high. Building occupants not detailed below may be taken from DM Reference Card 6. For space reasons, details of internal decor are not given save for major locations and then only briefly. The DM should embellish these details to give the city more atmosphere and character. Crafted statuettes, alcoves and nooks created by fluted internal walls, wall murals, urns, vases, and so on will be among typical building decor. Remember that, while evil and alien, the Aboleth are an ancient and civilized people, and their object d'art should seem strangely beautiful to PC eyes.
Shaboath is regularly patrolled by Kuo-toa militias, Whenever the PCs move from one street to another (making a turn or passing a crossroads) there is a 25% chance that they will encounter a Kuo-toa patrol. A patrol consists of a Kuo-toa Lieutenant, a Kuo-toa Monitor, a 3rd/3rd level Kuo-toa Whip, and 10 ordinary (2 HO) Kuo-toa.
DM Reference Card 6 gives the DM a profile for the Grand Savant and also a monster roster for creature types encountered in more than one location. Additional monster types in the city that the PCs have already encountered before (Derro and Kuo-toa) have standard stats on DM Reference Card 4 instead. The DM should keep both these cards at hand. Spellcasting types such as Derro Savants have their spell lists given individually. Singular and major creatures have slats given in full. Important treasures are noted in the text, but to conserve space, mundane treasures have not been included (the PCs have better things to do at this point than picking Kuo-toa pockets if needed, standard treasure can be determined. However, for randomly rolled treasures delete all magic items and halve the monetary value; the Aboleth don't pay their dominated slaves.
The PCs have to destroy all four of the peripheral Great Towers (the Towers of Enchantments, Alteration, Necromancy, and Summonings). Finally, they must destroy the The Grand Savant's Tower and the Grand Savant itself, which also necessitates killing the Derro enchanter Darlakanand.
The DM should consider the first day of the PC's attacks on Shaboath as Day Zero. Note that certain reinforcements become available to the Aboleth after this time, as new kidnapping victims are brought into the city, more Giant Moray Eels are recruited from the Sunless Sea, and the like. The monsters should be placed in locations chosen by the DM (morays will have to go into pool locations, of course). The PCs have only 30 days after this initial assault to complete their work. After this time, the final Sacrifices are made in the The Grand Savant's Tower and the five-tower complex of the Tower of Domination becomes active. At this time (midnight on Day 30) every PC must make a saving throw vs. spell or fall under the domination of the Grand Savant. PCs so affected will desert to Shaboath and remain there. The city will now become rapidly filled with all manner of creatures summoned by the Grand Savant and dominated by it - Fomorian Giants, Fire Giants, Morwen, Illithid, Derro, and worse. The PCs can be told that there is now no hope of success for them. The DM is now faced with one of two choices. To prevent this disaster from wreaking enormous upheavals in the campaign world, he or she may decide that mega level NPCs work together to overcome Shaboath, but the PCs have, alas, failed, and the reputation for that failure will forever haunt them. The other choice is to force the PCs to live with results of their failure. The Aboleth now dominate the underdark. The slavers pick up their activity on a much larger scale, enlisting whole tribes of Gnolls and other humanoids to their cause. Encounters with Illithid, Derro, Gotri, Morwen, and other underdark races increase enormouslly as rebellious factions are driven out by the Aboleth and their allies and attempt to carve out new homes for themselves nearer the surface. In this scenario, all the mega-level NPCs can do is seal the known exits to the underdark and counter the Aboleth's incursions as best they can.
The PCs will not know that they have but 30 days. Clues around the city help them learn this, but they should realize that the sands of time are ebbing out and they must move reasonably swiftly.
The Aboleth don't just squat around and take attacks on their city lightly. They respond actively. The DM should move guards and servants around the city to make up for losses in key locations, and the Aboleth will also send out NPCs and creatures to attack the PCs. The Savant Aboleth will always know where the PCs are (given their use of divination spells), so these enemies will attack the PCs if they are within a day's travel of Shaboath. If not, they prepare ambushes as the DM desires. The Aboleth know of the Flux Points in the cavern and will know if the PCs use these; for example, they may stage an ambush in the chasm of the fire giants at Surtr's statue, using dominated servitors led by Illithid.
The first such attack will take place within 24 hours of the second attack the PCs make on the city, or 7 days later than the first attack, whichever is sooner. The Aboleth dispatch their mercenary allies, the Ravaners to attack the PCs.
The second attack will occur d4+1 days later. The Grand Savant will rouse itself, grudgingly, from its work and employ Conjuration/Summoning magic to cause a pack of summoned monsters to appear right in the middle of the PC party. Take three monsters from the Monster Summoning VI table in the MONSTROUS MANUAL and one monster each from the higher-value tables. These creatures are utterly fearless (ML 20) and are, because of the nature of their own summoning, wholly immune to any conjuration or summoning spells, nor can they be dispelled. There are faint traces of a slimy substance on these creatures (if appropriate), suggesting their point of origin.
Further such attacks occur with a 25% probability every day thereafter if the PCs are in an underground location within 40 miles of Shaboath. Protection from Evil will keep these monsters at bay, of course, but the Grand Savant is wily and knows this (and expects the PCs to have such protection). Due to its unique relationship with the Bloodqueen, it can choose which beings it summons; therefore the DM should deliberately select creatures which have special ranged attacks (Basilisks, Pyrohydras, giants, will o'wisps, etc.). The PCs are being relentlessly harassed now, and they have to move swiftly. If attacks weaken them then they need a strategic retreat to the surface world, preferably using Flux Points (which become almost essential to keep up with the time scale for their operations).
However, give the PCs a break and do not have them be attacked in this way on the day before they launch their final assault on Shaboath, as they need to be at full strength to have a decent chance for success. Besides, by this point they will probably find the sudden peace more sinister than any ambush could be!
Lastly, all Savant Aboleth will have Stoneskin precast when the PCs rerum for a second strike.
Several locations in Shaboath have specialized magic resisitance. Aboleth know many arcane secrets, and enchanting magical wards and barriers are but part of them. These are referred to in the following manner: "this area has 75% teleportation resistance." This means that any teleport spell is 75% likely to fail if used to try to enter the area. A special instance is transmutation resistance; this (applied to stonework) means that a wall, building. etc., has resistance to any and all spells which would affect its substance (Stone to Flesh, Transmute Rock to Mud, Stone Shape, etc.). Such resistances can be detected with Detect Magic, which reveals Alteration magic at work. These effects can be dispelled by a successful Dispel Magic cast against 18th level of magic use, save for the Great Towers (which cannot be dispelled), but dispelled effects will be recreated by Savant Aboleth in 12+d12 hours. If a protection is dispeIled and then some damage inflicted (for example, by Transmute Rock to Mud, the Aboleth will repair the damage in 24+3d12 hours for a major effect and d4+4 hours for a minor one (stone shape, etc.). The DM may choose times which he or she considers appropriate, using these examples as guidelines.
All slaves are dominated by Aboleth (the MC entry for the Savant Aboleth in the 8-page booklet details this effect). Dispel Magic, Remove Curse, or removal from the city for a period of time will get rid of the effect. However, the slave in question is still somewhat disorientated for a time equal to 20 hours minus 1 hour per point of Intelligence; it takes time to recover fully from the powerful and prolonged domination effect. Major NPC slaves should receive Dispel Magic or Remove Curse to be of help, but many just need to be taken away and allowed to recover (after all, the PCs cannot have infinite numbers of spells up their sleeves, and they have other uses for them). Again, smart PCs will have paid hirelings to act as couriers to take slaves to safety. Most rescued slaves will be disorientated and confused, unsure of their bearings or whereabouts.
All Derro and Kuo-toa in Shaboath are dominated, save for the enchanter Darlakanand. The Illithid and Ixzan here are willing allies of the Aboleth and so are not dominated. Other races (such as Fomorian Giants) are dominated unless otherwise noted. [p/]
The PCs earn XP for freeing non-evil slaves, provided that they are returned safely to the surface world (or to their homes), and their charm or domination eliminated. The XP award is 250 XP for the party per experience level of the slave, with a minimum award of 500 XP per slave.
Finally, note that dominated (and indeed charmed) spellcaster servants can cast spells and will do so intelligently, if able, to defend their masters/friends.
Can Shaboath be entered by the PCs in some covert way so that they can spy out the land, see the occupants and defenses, and perhaps mount an initial surprise assault from within? This is possible, but difficult. The guards at the Sluice (area 4) cannot be bribed, but the Derro could be compelled to allow entry with the Crown of Derro Domination. Other guards may be subject to charm, etc. (though this would be difficult with the Illithid inquisitors in area 9 if they are summoned). A plausible excuse will have to be given if charm, etc., is employed - the PCs are delivering slaves, have came to add their numbers to the Ravaners (assuming, of course, that they know of this group's existence), are servants of the baatezu in the city. etc.: the possibilities are limited only by the player characters' ingenuity and gift for deceit.
There are also underwater entrance points to the city listed in the location key. Extensive underwater scouting may reveal these (the one at area 13c is a virtual beacon, but it is a dangerous entry point). Swimming up into the city is possible, but the PCs will then have to destroy whatever creatures they encounter very swiftly to prevent the alarm being raised. The PCs can then enter Shaboath and take a look around.
If the PCs can get into Shaboath, then there are small groups of humans and demihumans wandering around in the place - slaves, evil allies of the Aboleth, and the like. Thus, PQ. will not be conspicuous simply by their nature. However, if they are bristling with weaponry they will be; thus weapons must be kept concealed for the most part. Suspicious Aboleth who encounter them do not approach directly but order slaves and lackeys to interrogate the PCs, find the nearest savant to cast divination spells in their direction, send for the Kuo-toa army in area 10, or generally take whatever precaution seems appropriate. The PCs need to be unobtrusive and not risk any approach too close to the Great Towers.
It is almost impossible to script exactly the options for PCs entering Shaboath covertly or without violence, since resourceful players; (especially those with access to hats of disguise, and Change Self or polymorph spells) can come up with plans of action which no DM could anticipate. Make sure players give the DM a clear plan of what they intend in advance of game play, so that the DM can adjudicate the strengths and weaknesses and the chances for success. After all, there are many genius- and supra-genius creatures in Shaboath, and they can give an optimal response a lot faster than mere humans (including DMs) usually can!
The Savant Aboleth, with Darlakanand and the Grand Savant, are constructing the Tower of Domination to project their domination effect for huge distances. They also wish to weaken the resistances of victims and ensure that only a minimum of them evade their control. This requires developing the following spell effects: the core effects Domination and Ray of Enfeeblement (Enchantment/Charm), Extension (Alteration, an obvious core effect), Enervation ( Necromancy, lowering effective resistance by victims), and an effect similar to the priest Quest spell Conformance ( Conjuration/Summoning, and as a supremely Lawful spell the embodiment of all the tyrannical aspirations of the Aboleth). These opposed magical effects, blended together through the Grand Savant's Tower, will be projected into the world around, bringing sentient creatures to their knees, helpless slaves of the Aboleth. At least, that's the plan. It's up to the PCs to put a stop to it.
Pallestrin will not act to defend Shaboath, or cooperate with the Aboleth. Unless directly attacked, he remains within this embassy. From his scrying, he will see the PCs at work and hope that they will breach the defenses around the Great Towers, thus enabling him to follow them and investigate for himself. He tries to avoid conflict with the PCs even if they have tanar'ri with them, seeking to guide PCs away from his home. If they spot him, he airily passes himself off as "a tourist" and Petrechella as his "charming companion." If directly challenged by Lillianth or one of the PCs, he seems amused and suggests a friendly one-on-one battle to the death, delaying his transformation until just before the duel begins (the better to enjoy the consternation the sight of his true form invariably causes.
After the PCs have made a first strike against the Great Towers, the baatezu ambassador approaches the Aboleth and offers to pick up the pieces if the Aboleth are immediately forthcoming with information on their domination techniques. If the foolish mortals seem taken with Petrechella's charms, he will dispatch her to ply her wiles on them, pumping them of all the information she can in the process. Pallestrin will not ally with the PCs; he is simply too arrogant.
These fiends are wily. Their interest is in getting into the Great Towers and learning all they can. If they can wipe out the PCs en route, that's a bonus. But they will always seek to follow up on PC actions, rather than initiating attacks of their own.
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