Scholomance
While the grounds had been brewing with young talented wizards and adepts for some time, no one outside the secretive Cult of the Damned knew its true purpose. The Cult used this place to train its mortal agents and to prepare to unleash the Plague of Undeath upon Lordaeron which would bring upon its destruction and the rise of the Scourge. Kel'Thuzad's service to the Lich King would eventually lead him away from his unholy academy. Though he no longer resides in the crypts, devoted cultists and instructors remain. Chief among them is the mortal necromancer, Darkmaster Gandling, who serves as the school's insidious headmaster.
The Docks
Outside the walls of Caer Darrow lies a small collection of dilapidated buildings built near a set of putrid, waterlogged docks jutting out of the western shore of the island. While most of the buildings have long since collapsed, two remainrelatively intact.
The first is a small house inside of which is an artist's studio filled with many paintings. If the adventurers have the Spectral Essence, they can see and speak with the creator of the paintings, Artist Renfray. She is rather shy and will generally only speak to other females. With her guidance, the party may be able construct a rough map of the Scholomance from several of her paintings that depict the crypts of beneath Caer Darrow (DC 18 History).
The second building looks to be a former blacksmith but has since been filled with refuse of many sorts, likely originating from within the Scholomance. Oddly, this garbage has been impeccably catalogued and sorted. If the adventurers have the Spectral Essence, they can see and speak with the town's resident Waste Management Specialist, Joseph Dirte. The long-winded ghost is always happy to talk trash with anyone who will listen. For every 30 minutes someone speaks with him, they may make a DC 15 Investigation check to learn about either Rattlegore, Doctor Theolen Krastinov, or Professor Slate.
Town Center
Passing through the fallen gates of Caer Darrow, the party enters the City Center. A ring of buildings lines the interior of the castle's walls. Much like the Docks, most of the structures have collapsed with just two still standing. An once ornate fountain, long past its glory days, stands as the town's crumbling centerpiece. A road continues north leading up past the abandoned battlements to the Keep standing atop the northern bluffs of the island.
Near the fountain, the sounds of children playing can be heard. If the adventurers have the Spectral Essence, they can see and speak with Sammy and Melia, the ghosts of two young girls. The children are very competitive and will challenge the party to various games and competitions often using their ability to phase through objects to gain an advantage. If the adventurers are able to best either of the girls in their challenges, Sammy and Melia will give them their Ghastly Dolls. The holder of Sammy's doll cannot be affected by Darkmaster Gandling's Harsh Lesson and the bearer of Melia's doll gains advantage on Perception checks against Jandice Barov and Phantasmal Images.
On the eastern end of the town center is a still standing storefront. The tantalizing scent of fresh baked bread and pastries wafts out from within. If the adventurers have the Spectral Essence, they can see and speak with Baker Masterson. He sells a wide assortment of breads and pastries. While these baked goods are extraordinarily delicious, any who eat them are hungry again after an hour.
Abutting the western walls of Caer Darrow is a blacksmith shop. Despite the town being abandoned for many years, smoke rises from its crumbling chimney and the ring of hammers echo from within the structure. If the adventurers have the Spectral Essence, they can see and speak with Magnus Frostwake. The inconvenience of death has not stopped the dwarven smithy from continuing to ply his trade. He can repair the weapons and armor of the party and will sell the Storm Gauntlets to the adventurers for 5,000 gp.
The Keep
Perched atop the northern bluffs of the Isle of Darrow is the Keep of Caer Darrow. While a shadow of its former self, its faded facade still casts a dark shadow over the town below. Outside the structure, wagons and crates emblazoned with the insignia of the Scourge are scattered about. While there are signs of necromantic activity, the entrance of the Keep seems to be currently abandoned.
Once inside, the hall forks. To the right leads to the upper floors of the keep. These forgotten halls house only bones and rats. There are a few signs of necromantic activity found here and there but, just like the entrance it seems abandoned. The left fork leads down to the lower levels of the keep and within them the ancestral crypts of the family of Barov. Unlike the rest of the keep, these crypts are currently in use. Within in them lies the Scholomance. Descending down into these crypts leads first to a thick dark iron gate. On the other side is the Ossuary.
1. The Reliquary
The shallowest tombs underneath Caer Darrow are known as the Reliquary. Citizens of the town and distant relatives of the Barov family are interred here. In these chambers, the Cult of the Damned established a library where new recruits are taught their first, sometimes fatal, lessons.
1A. The Ossuary
The first chamber of the Barov family crypts is an ossuary containing the remains of the commoners of the Isle of Darrow. Sealed coffins, often marked by names and paintings, line the stone-cut walls of the chamber. These graves extend both above and below the entryway, with a mass grave of bones covering the floor below. A creaking wooden platform spans the room from its entrance to an iron gate on the other side separating this chamber from the Library beyond. Flanking the gate are two Risen Guards who will attack any intruders not affiliated with the Scourge or the Cult of the Damned.
1B. The Libary
The western entrance of the Library leads out to a double staircase descending into the chamber. The entirety of the chamber can be seen from the top of the staircase. Wooden tables and bookshelves the walls holding the numerous magical tomes used to teach the students of the dark academy. A dozen or so of these students are currently here. At the far eastern end of the room is another iron gate through which is a ramp down deeper into the chambers of Scholomance. An imposing iron chandelier hangs over the center of the room, its dozens of candles casting light and shadows out to the edges to the chamber. Directly beneath it is an arcane construct of crystal and iron, the phylactery of Instructor Chillheart (Religion 15). The cold-hearted lich is currently channeling shadowfrost magic into the phylactery along with a small group of her top students. Roll from The Library's Random
Encounter Table to determine these students.
| 1 | Scholomance Acolytes |
| 2 | 2 Scholomance Acolytes, 1 Scholomance Neophytes |
| 3 | 1 Scholomance Acolytes, 2 Scholomance Neophytes |
| 4 | 3 Scholomance Neophytes |
Introduction to the Dark Arts: Instructor Chillheart journeyed from Northrend to teach aspiring necromancers discipline, harshly punishing those who disappoint her. She commands the icy chill of the north and masterfully uses Scholomance's libraries to deadly effect. Instructor Chillheart (marked by a violet skull on the map) teaches the newest students of the Scholomance. She is known for her heartlessness and will willingly sacrifice her students to protect herself and her phylactery.
2. Hall of Illusions
A dimly lit ramp patrolled by a single Risen Guard leads down from the Reliquary into the Hall of Illusions.
Green light emanating from braziers throughout the hall gives the chamber a sickly glow. The eastern half of the room is divided by two rows of four square columns. Connecting the columns are multitiered stone slabs covered in skeletal remains.
Noami Pawel
"Ooh, it takes some real stones to challenge the Mistress of Illusion. Before we fight tell me your names."
3. Chamber of Summoning
A large stone room lit by green flame flickering in massive braizers with an alter at the far end, behind the alter is a large iron gate that is shut. The room is filled with cockroaches swarming every inch of the room. Once the party have all made their way inside a voice booms with no way to determine the sorce, it seems to come from every corner of the room.
"Ahh Victor, you have returned to me. I can't say I don't owe you a debt you gave me the souls to be freed from that god forsaken axe. If you cut down these interlopers I will let you join us. Numbazi will allow Angelia... he's grown rather fond of Vinnie."
If the party decide they want to fight, the insects swarm around making a whirlwind of flying coachroaches that wrap tighter and tighter together until a shadowy form in the center as the bugs skatter and a large white demon stands in the center holding a large silver and red axe.
4. Butcher's Sanctum
Past the Chamber of Summoning is a cavernous chamber whose tall stone walls are stained scarlet. At first blush, one might assume the red hue is due to the hundreds of crimson colored candles burning around the room. Then comes the horrific smell. Strewn about the room are piles of rotting flesh and mangled corpses, all leaving pools of blood adding to a sickening mural on the stone floor. Scattered amongst the carnage are a number of blood-stained books and diagrams.
Roll from Butcher's Sanctum's Random Encounter Table twice to determine the current occupants, once for the northern end of the room and again for the southern end. These two groups can be engaged separately. Doctor Theolen Krastinov can only appear once and is always in the southern end of his sanctum.
| 1 | 2 Flesh Horrors |
| 2 | 1 Flesh Horror, 2 Krastinovian Carvers |
| 3 | 4 Krastinovian Carvers |
| 4 | Doctor Theolen Krastinov, 2 Krastinovian Carvers |
5. The Bone Vault
The iron gates lead down into a stair case that heads deeper down, the rotting smell still lingers but as they reach the bottom of the stairs the smell does somewhat clear up, covered by the smell of incence, the stairs are flanked by tall walls by as the party steps out into the room at the bottom they are greeted by a large room well lit with by candle light. Incence are covering the room trying to drown of the smell of rot. The room has a few basic sleeping bags and tables with fine foods laid out. A thick barred metal door stands between the party and the next way to progress deeper. Sitting in a chair a blocking the door way with a key around his neck Sylus lends forward resting on his axe. Either side of him he is flanked by two memebers of the Iron Reavers, A tall Goliath with blackned stone skin with molten lava running through the cracks in his form, on the other side a familar face the druid Cleopas who they preivously had a fight with. "I thought it might be you lot, Sounds like you've caused quite the mess up there" Sylus smerks, "Well no matter it's my job to keep you out."
In the room Shelby is being held prisioner with Vinnie Sylas's key will open the main door, but Koli holds a key for the ceil. Koli is waiting for the combat to start perception check 19 will spot her in the rafters.
Allies
6. The Viewing Room
The party enters the top of a multitiered lecture hall. A narrow set of stairs descends through the three raised levels in the room to the ground floor. Carved into the walls and ceiling of this chamber are thousands of stone skulls, their green glowing eyes illuminating the room and keeping a stern eye on any within. On the raised platforms are 3 (2d2) wooden lab tables, covered in lab equipment, books, and notes. At each table are a pair of Scholomance students, brewing fiery red concoctions in preparation for any intruders.
At the front of the lecture hall stands Professor Slate behind a table filled with many different potions. Behind himis a large bookcase filled with tomes.
Course: Potions 201 — The undead Professor Slate is a scattered brained but talented alchemist. Having once studied under the esteemed Professor Putricide, he now serves the Scourge by teaching up-and-coming necromancers about all forms of blight, plague, ooze, scourge, and death delivery. He is best known for his creation of Polymorphic Acid, a potion which allows the living to appear as undead and the undead to appear as the living.
7. Headmaster's Retreat
The deepest chambers of the Scholomance were once elaborate tombs for the Barov Family. When the crypts were converted into a necromantic academy, these tombs became the personal lairs of the school's most vile faculty and monstrosities, including members of the former ruling family. With the decline of the Scourge, many of these horrors no longer reside within the tombs leaving only the headmaster to manage the academy. Despite their absence, their dark influence can still be felt by the current inhabitants.
The room has a large stair case that leads directly down into a open room, with several doors dotted around, a fine made Dalaran rug has been heavily stained and ruined by blood. Dead center in the room the Hydra sits, cackling manicky it will true to taunt the party in close.
8. Numbazi
As the Hydra falls a swirl of blue is released, accompanied by a synthony of screams of fear, pain by mostly joy as those swallowed by the False Hydra are released from it's being the memories of those lost flood back into the minds of those who have lost someone to this beast.
"Ye did good lad" - Brommils father a man with a weathered and wrinkled face black tattered hair with a messy beard.
"Yes thank you Brother" - Corlanna, short even for a dwarf her face covered in frekkles with wild orange hair.
"Don't forget to look after me shop will ye lad" - The blacksmith.
And with this all the blue energy starts to take form making up hundreds of diffrent people not only Dwarfs but those of all walks of life and creeds.
Brommils father steps forward "Well we best be off now, look after Vast'ole for me".
As his form fades like sand in the wind into a blue spectral energy, as this mist of souls gathers and starts to fade the peaceful release, a posstive hum of energy is violently stop and the screams of those trapped start up again. As the ceiling at the top of the room swirls forming a whirlpool of screaming light.
Vinnie pipes up "We can't have you escaping now can we, I still need you". Removing a ring of disguse Vinnies form shifts into Numbazi.
"Ya father has been gone for quite sometime I'm affraid, He didn't want no'ting to do with what I've been working towards and the others woulda followed him. I'm truely sorry. I was rather fond of da old man".
Numbazi's mechanics are pretty simple he will start by casting Moulded Chaos, then legendary action Nullborn to run into the party with Entropic Implosion on them. He will do this while flying about the action below.
(Explain to players how reality rejects Entropic magic and how the rooms is filled with random bursts of chaos and explosions of all kinds from diffrent planes of existance. Also Explain the mechanics of the fight in full as the peer into the void gives them full understanding if only for a breif moment.)
Phase 2
Four orbs spawn at the top of every round and Chaotic Reordering requires everyone to reroll initiative at the start of every combat round. Numbazi's Lair action to spawn four Orbs will also go off at the top of every round, these orbs have random effects due to the connection to The Oblivion the players will know what effects they have. There are two each per table from a good and a bad table. The orbs need to be run into one of the side rooms which can only be walked into by those holding an orb, the good effect goes off before the bad effect, and only affect those in the room with the orbs. It is an action to pick up an orb and you can only hold one at a time, also you gain 20ft movement speed when holding an orb. If you drop an orb it will respawn in the location it was picked up from. If the orbs aren't run into the side rooms everyone in the main room suffers 3d10 Entropic damage and the affects per orb left.
Good
| 1 | Advantage on all rolls for a round |
| 2 | Temp HP of 20 |
| 3 | Heal for 3 hit die plus con |
| 4 | Auto crit on your next targeted hit |
| 5 | Recover 2 spell slots of max level. |
| 6 | Removes any negative debuffs (poison, exhaustion etc...) |
| 7 | Soul orb (4 souls taken by the Fasle hydra attack at your command bonus action auto hit 1d12 per soul necrotic damage) |
| 8 | Action Surge |
| 1 | Disadvantage on all rolls for one round |
| 2 | Explosion 2d8 per person |
| 3 | Movement halved for one round |
| 4 | Feared of all allies for one round |
| 5 | Suffer one exhaustion point |
| 6 | Loss a death save |
| 7 | Lose all magic buffs (include from good table) |
| 8 | Summon 1d4 shadows (appear from the oblivion in main room) |
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