Blood Obelisk of Aerdy

This terrible artifact exists within its own Fading Land (see previous description) which is ac- cessed via a cavern system within the Gull Cliffs (hex 0-60). The cavern system is infested with many monsters, including ghouls, carrion crawlers, rust monsters, deadly puddings, and all manner of molds, oozes, and fungi. Two sources specify that a huge behir lurks close by the area of overlap with the Fading Land.

The Fading Land is a shattered plain of black dust and rocks with livid blood-red banding. Prowling the plain are metal-skinned trolls, iron golems, iron-wheeled juggernauts, and the like. No magic that serves to protect good (negative plane protection, protection from evil, dispel evil, etc.) will function here, and healing spells have minimal effects (1 hp for cure fight wounds, 3 hp for cure serious wounds, etc.). Undead are allowed a saving throw versus spell to negate turning here.

At the center of the plain stands a fifty-foot tall iron obelisk decorated with sigils and runes of Hextor. A thirty-foot radius area around this obelisk is comprised entirely of iron-oxide-saturated rock dust and bones. If any living thing steps within the area, skeletons whose bones are coated in iron (ACO) rise at the rate of six per round to attack. Each is a six-armed monster that attacks with iron-shod claws (6 attacks per round, Dmg ld4 + 1 per hit).

Atop the obelisk is a single glaring red eye, capable of casting spells of the Elemental (fire) school and sphere as an 18th-level wizardlpriest. The obelisk can be affected only by the following spells: transmute metal to wood (causes 25 hp damage any cold-based spell (causes 1 hp damage per level of the spell used, plus 1 hp per two levels of the spellcaster crystalbrittle (inflicts 40 hp damage and reduces AC of the obe- lisk to 10 for one round after casting and Mordenkainen S disjunction (prevents obelisk from using spells for ld4 rounds).

An attack by a rust monster causes 4d6 damage to the obelisk. The obelisk can be struck only by weapons of + 3 or better enchantment, and the only damage caused is equal to the magical bonus of the weapon (thus, a holy avenger +5 causes 5 hp damage per hit). If the weapon user is a worshiper of Heironeous, damage per attack is + 1; if the weapon user is a priest, cleric, or paladin of Heironeous. damage per attack is + 3. The obelisk is AC -2 and has 100 hp.

As soon as the obelisk is attacked, fiends are gated through to defend it. The DM should determine the specifics of the fiends to give PCs a stiff fight, but not overwhelming opposition. If the obelisk is destroyed, it explodes, causing 6d6 damage to all within 30 feet (save versus wands for half damage).

Considerable treasure lies below the obelisk. The magical energies of this treasure are used in its function (but eternally replenished): an amulet of rheplanes, a wand of fire (fully charged), and a cube of force among others (as the DM determines).

Of course, specific details of this artifact will not be known by PCs. They may, however, be able to learn from sages that this obelisk is somehow related to the gating power employed by Ivid in Rauxes, and if the obelisk can be destroyed, that power might be affected. Specifics are again left up to the DM, but if Ivid finds out the identities of those responsible, their lives could be very interesting for some time to come!