Onyxgate

This site is marked by a simple square keep which appears innocuous. The truth is different. There are dungeon and cavern complexes at least a mile deep below it, disguised by illusions and protected by magical barriers and wards. Spies report that fiends regularly leave Onyxgate for other locations, especially Bloodcrystal. Since the site radiates the presence of conjuration/summoning magic strongly, it is clear that some form of gate to the Abyss must lie beneath the surface. It is also known that several priests of Hextor stay cloistered within the keep, and Nyrondese rumors filter back to western lands whispering that at least one knows the secrets of revivification.

Worse still, there are persistent rumors that a dark magical artifact is responsible for the gate, and that Xaene's inscrutable hand is at work in having placed it here. This may or may not be true, as is usually the case with such fearful whisperings.

Some Nyrondese military men favor a strike on Onyxgate to lessen the threat to Nyrond and weaken Szeffrin, but King Archbold will not countenance this. He believes he cannot order an army or squad to risk a fate worse than death by ordering them to assault this desper ately dangerous place. This is not to say that he wouldn't favor a strike by a small, elite group of high-level PCs.

In addition to priests and fiends, the dungeons of Onyxgate contain both "mundane" undead, such as zombies and skeletons, and more spectral undead, such as wraiths, spectres, and worse. Nabassu here include the least mature type (arriving) and fully matured ones (about to depart for the Abyss).

There are also several spellcasting cambions, including a pair who can use charm monster spells to force monsters of the dungeons—ropers, xorn, and some grey stony skinned basilisks of AC 0—into servitude. Slaves are used to expand the dungeon complex, which is also used as a prison for a handful of Szeffrin's most hated captives, including at least two rival Aerdy generals.

While some form of gate is thought to exist in Bloodcrystal, it is definitely known that a gate to the Abyss exists in the dungeons below this deceptively small castle keep, built by the Overking's priests. The dungeon complexes leading to the gate lie nearly a mile deep and they are overlaid with powerful illusions which hid their very existence from the rulers of Almor when that land knew better days.

Archbold, Younard and Hugarnd are all said to consider a strike against Onyxgate to be a move which would weaken Szeffrin significantly, and thus reduce the threat to Nyrond. Finding anyone willing to mount an attack on this fiend-haunted place is another matter entirely. Archbold will not countenance ordering anyone to do so. A death on the battlefield is one thing. Officers and generals may order their men to take that risk. The fate awaiting any who fall in Onyxgate is too ghastly to imagine, and Archbold could not accept it in good conscience.

Obviously, any high-level group of adventurers who offered their services to Nyrond in this matter would find themselves well rewarded, even if Archbold had to ransack his near empty treasury or even donate magical items of his own in gratitude.

Nyrond is an excellent campaign land. Geographically, it has hills, forests, great rivers, marshland, coasts, and is not far from the Raker mountains. Politically, it has great divisions. Militarily, there are more enemies than even the most determined adventurer could wish for. Here are the major themes for campaigns and adventures, with notes.