Long Dream the Dead
The heroes delve into Dretha's old chambers to stop the Undercitadel's immediate threat. After the heroes encounter the Ghost of Olman Tavish, they receive a dire warning about what lies even deeper in the Inverted Tower.
The fourth level of the Undercitadel of Szitrag is one of the smaller ones overall, yet it’s among the finest, as it once served as Dretha’s personal retreat.
The fourth level of the Undercitadel of Szitrag is one of the smaller ones overall, yet it’s among the finest, as it once served as Dretha’s personal retreat.
Dretha’s Retreat Features
Ceilings in this level are 10 feet tall in halls and 15 feet in rooms. Unless otherwise indicated, rooms are unlit. The doors are iron-banded wood; ephemeral spirits gently shut any door left open for more than a minute.Structure
Exposition
Dretha's Dining Room
Moderate 4
A pair of brightly glowing chandeliers illuminates a long banquet table surrounded by luxurious, high‑backed chairs. The table is still set as if for a grand meal, but some of the place settings are scattered and toppled, as are a few of the chairs. Four skeletons in tattered finery are scattered about the room, some of them clutching their own necks.When the Founders attacked the Fen Watchtower so many years ago, Dretha was dining here with representatives of a now-extinct Mifobi thieves’ guild whom she was courting as potential allies. When word came that the Founders seemed unstoppable, Dretha took no chances. She politely excused herself, bade her guests finish their meal and magically command her chef to poison them all and murder the other servants before taking his own life.
Stairs beyond the north door lead up to the abandoned guard post .
Creatures: The guests died in excruciating pain, then later became havens for corpselights seeking hosts. When a living creature other than Vaidun enters this room, the corpselights within the skeletons begin to glow, and then the skeletons stagger to their feet and attack. Each time a corpselight is forced into wisp form, it flees to one of the adjoining rooms (areas D2, D3, or D6) to claim another corpse and return to the fight.
Corpselight
Corpselight - Creature 2
RAREBLACK, BLUEMEDIUMUNDEAD
Larger CorpselightsA typical corpselight can animate only a Small or Medium corpse, but particularly powerful corpselights can inhabit larger bodies. Their basic abilities remain the same, but the damage they deal and the DC of their Death Light increase as appropriate for their increased level.Pathfinder #163: Ruins of Gauntlight pg. 84 | |
| Perception | +7 , corpse sense (precise) 30 feet, darkvision |
| Languages | Common, Necril |
| Skills | Athletics +7 , Intimidation +8 , Stealth +8 |
STR +3 , DEX +4 , CON +1 , INT +1 , WIS +1 , CHA +2 | |
| AC | 17 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +7 , Negative Healing |
| HP | 40 - Immunities death effects, disease, fear, paralyzed, poison, precision, unconscious - Weaknesses bludgeoning 5 (in skeletal corpses) or slashing 5 (in fleshy corpses) |
| Speed | 25 feet, fly 25 feet (wisp form only) |
| Melee |  pincer +11 +7 / +3 (agile, reach 10 feet) Damage Slashing plus Grab Stinger +11 +6 / +1 Damage Piercing plus giant scorpion venomMelee Single Action jaws +10 [+5/+0], Damage 1d8+6 piercing Melee Single Action claw +10 [+6/+2] (agile), Damage 1d6+6 slashing |
| Special Abilities | Corpse SenseA corpselight can sense dead bodies within range. This is a precise sense that functions through solid barriers less than 5 feet thick. Sunlight Powerlessness A corpselight exposed to sunlight is stunned 2 and clumsy 2, and cannot Claim a Corpse. Wisp Form When a corpselight is reduced to 0 Hit Points while merged with a corpse, it is instead reduced to 1 Hit Point as the corpse collapses to the ground and the corpselight emerges in its wisp form. While in wisp form, a corpselight is Tiny and can take no actions other than Claim Corpse or Fly. A corpselight that starts its turn in wisp form must attempt a DC 16 flat check at the end of its turn; if it fails, it loses 1 Hit Point. A corpselight reduced to 0 Hit Points while in wisp form is destroyed. Claim Corpse (necromancy) Prerequisites The corpselight is in wisp form and is adjacent to a Medium or Small corpse that hasn't been claimed by a corpselight in the past 24 hours Effect The corpselight merges with the corpse, causes the corpse to Stand, and regains Hit Points .Death Light  (emotion, fear, mental, necromancy, occult) Prerequisites The corpselight is in a corpse; Effect The corpselight emits a sickly blue beam of light from its mouth and eyes in a 20-foot cone. All living creatures in this area must attempt a DC 18 Fortitude saving throw. If at least 1 creature fails its save, the corpselight regains Hit Points , gaining any that exceed its maximum as temporary Hit Points that last for 1 minute. The corpselight can't use Death Light again for rounds.
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Kitchen
A strange, squat cast‑iron stove with no chimney sits in the southwest corner of this room, while to the north, a large oak table covered with cooking utensils sits against a wall. A skeletal body slumps at the base of the cupboards along the western wall.The cast-iron stove in this kitchen is a minor magical item that transmutes smoke welling up from its fire into clean air, but it’s built into the stone of this room and far too heavy to be worth the trouble of moving. The body was once Dretha’s cook, who died by suicide after carrying out Dretha’s magical commands to poison the guests and kill the other servants.
A hero who Searches this room and succeeds at a DC 19 Perception check spots a secret door to the north. Some cooking utensils are affixed to the wall; manipulating them in the correct order opens the secret door.
Storage
The walls of this chamber are lined with cupboards, shelves, and cabinets. A few barrels sit in the middle of the room. Two skeletons lie slumped near the barrel.The skeletons were two other servants who retreated to this storage room before being murdered by the chef. Nothing of value remains.
Wine Cellar
A tall wine rack, its bottles thick with dust after so many years, stands against the north wall.Treasure: Nearly all of this wine has gone bad, but a successful DC 18 Society check is enough to note three valuable bottles worth 20 gp each.
Level Four Portal Chamber
The walls of this chamber are decorated with twisting runes carved into the wall and filled with dull, silvery metal. The floor and ceiling are almost completely covered with large, polished metal discs.This room contains an inert teleportation circle like the ones in the Servants Quarters and Library. This teleportation circle must be reactivated with the awaken portal ritual hidden in the Library to connect it to other portal chambers.
XP Award: Award the heroes 30 XP for activating this portal.
Washing Room
A dusty metal washtub with a small skeleton lying inside sits next to a low shelf in this room.As the guests in the Dining Room were dying of poison, one of them managed to stab a halfling servant who staggered into this large dishwashing tub and died. If the skeleton is disturbed, the tub momentarily appears to be clean and filled with soapy water before returning to its actual dusty state. The scent of harsh dish soap clings for a minute before fading.
Disposal Room
Low 4
An open metal hatch lies in the floor against this room’s east wall. Storage bins sit to the north and south, each heaped with old bones, broken tools, and lumps of stone.Several bones in one of the trash bins belong to a human, which a hero Investigating the bones can easily determine. A servant slipped against a trash bin and died here 2 days before Dretha’s last meal in the Dining Room. The other servants hefted her body into the bin.
The hatch opens into a long chute that leads to the disposal pond. Anyone who enters the chute swiftly slides down to the pond in a rough trip that deals 3d6 bludgeoning damage (DC 20 basic Reflex save) upon landing. Anyone in the chute who doesn’t want to slide down can arrest their fall with a successful DC 18 Reflex save to Grab an Edge or with a successful DC 18 Acrobatics or Athletics check to brace in place. In either case, a successful DC 18 Athletics check is required to safely traverse the chute.
Creatures: The spirit of the servant who accidentally died here has returned as a poltergeist wracked with indignation. It’s lurking here, invisible, but it doesn’t attack until it’s spotted or someone approaches the lip of the chute. It hurls debris from the trash bins or uses telekinetic maneuver to Shove foes into the open hatch. It fights until destroyed but can’t leave this room. The poltergeist can be put to rest by disposing of its remains in a respectful manner, such as creating them or saying a word of blessing over them. Poltergeist
Poltergeist - Ghost 5
BLUE, BLACKMEDIUMGHOSTINCORPOREALSPIRITUNDEAD
 | |
| Perception | +11 Darkvision |
| Languages | Common |
| Skills | Acrobatics +14 , Intimidation +15 , Stealth +14 |
STR -5 , DEX +5 , CON +0 , INT -1 , WIS +2 , CHA +4 | |
| AC | 22 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +9, Ref +14, Will +13 |
| HP | 55 rejuvenation - Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, precision, unconscious; Resistances all damage 5 (except force, ghost touch, or positive; double resistance against non-magical) |
| Speed | fly 20 feet |
| Ranged | telekinetic object +13 +8 / +3 (evocation, magical, occult, range increment 60 feet), Damage bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing (depending on object) |
| Special Abilities | Site BoundA poltergeist is tied to a location and can’t travel more than 120 feet from the place where it was created or formed. Some poltergeists are instead bound to a specific room, building, or similar area Natural Invisibility A poltergeist is naturally invisible. It becomes visible only when it uses Frighten. Rejuvenation (necromancy, occult) When a poltergeist is destroyed, it re-forms, fully healed, where it was destroyed after 2d4 days. A poltergeist can be permanently destroyed only if someone determines the reason for its existence and sets right whatever prevents the spirit from resting. Telekinetic Defense  Trigger A creature approaches within 10 feet of the poltergeist. Effect The poltergeist makes a telekinetic object Strike against the triggering creature.Frighten (concentrate, emotion, fear, incapacitation, mental) Requirement The poltergeist must be invisible. Effect The poltergeist becomes visible, appearing as a skeletal, ghostlike humanoid. Each creature within 30 feet must attempt a DC 21 Will save, becoming frightened 2 on a failure. On a critical failure, it’s also fleeing for as long as it’s frightened. On a success, the creature is temporarily immune for 1 minute. At the start of its next turn, the poltergeist becomes invisible again.Telekinetic Storm  (concentrate, evocation, occult) The poltergeist telekinetically throws numerous small objects, such as dozens of pieces of silverware or books, either spreading them out among multiple foes or directing them at one target.
When this effect is spread out among multiple foes, the poltergeist makes a telekinetic object Strike at a –2 penalty against each creature within 30 feet. These count as one attack for the poltergeist’s multiple attack penalty, and the penalty doesn’t increase until after all the attacks.When this effect has only one target, the poltergeist makes a telekinetic object Strike against the target, and the damage increases to 3d12 . It deals 1d12 damage on a failure, and no damage on a critical failure. |
| Spells | Occult Innate Spells DC 23, attack +13 ; 3rd telekinetic maneuver (at will Cantrips (3rd) mage hand |
| Distrubed Rest One of the most common ways for a poltergeist to form is when its burial site is desecrated by the construction of a dwelling. This is usually an accident, but some evil creatures seek out such burial sites, intentionally creating poltergeists to serve as guardians. Poltergeist Treasure A poltergeist needs items to hurl as weapons, and over centuries of use, only durable objects survive its rampages. Silver dinnerware, hatchets, and books might all be found in a poltergeist’s collection. | |
Conflict
Lounge
Severe 4
The walls of this large chamber are hung with grisly paintings depicting various spectral beings cavorting among ruined neighborhoods, overgrown swamps, and foggy graveyards. Three large overstuffed chairs pair with small end tables, upon which sit empty wine glasses. To the south stands a cluttered writing desk with its own chair, while a large iron tub to the west is visible between standing screens depicting shadowy marshes.This large lounge once served as a place for Dretha to relax, but today it functions as a den for her one-time apprentice, the drow Vaidun Magmenor. Most papers on the desk are Vaidun’s disjointed notes. More usefully to the heroes, the papers also include detailed blueprints of the top three levels of the Inverted Tower, including all secret doors.
A hero Searching the room and who succeeds at a DC 20 Perception check finds the secret door in the east wall: a lifelike graveyard painting that swings outward. Every 10 minutes or so, a faint scream issues from the other side of the secret door, though it sounds like it’s emanating from the picture. After the first scream, the DC to find the secret door drops to 12. A hero Searching this room who succeeds at a DC 25 Perception check locates an iron key hidden in one of the desk’s legs; it opens Lasda’s manacles (area D9).
Creatures: Unlike most of the denizens who dwelt in the Inverted Tower in Dretha’s day, Vaidun is still alive—after a fashion. After feeding himself to a vat of ritually prepared leeches, he lives on as a hideous Worm That Walks. Vaidun resembles a roughly drow-shaped mass composed of thousands of slithering leeches.He’s been working with the Voidglutton that now dwells in Drethaa’s old chambers (area D20) to restore the Gauntlight, but he is frustrated that Dretha’s ghost doesn’t speak to him directly. Being forced to do his mistress’s bidding through the will of the voidglutton galls the proud occultist.
Vaidun is reading at his desk when the heroes first arrive. As soon as he notices the heroes’ intrusion, he rises up—a squirming, awful mess—and demands to know who they are and why they’ve come. He has little interest in constructive discourse, but if the heroes let him talk, he can use Intimidation to roll initiative Vaidun Magmenor
Vaidun Magmenor - Worm that Walks 7
UNIQUEBLUE, BLACK, REDMEDIUMABERRATIONSWARM
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| Perception | +15 Darkvision tremorsense (imprecise) 30 feet, all‑around vision |
| Languages | Aklo, Common, Elven, Undercommon |
| Skills | Acrobatics +17 , Crafting +15 , Deception +15 , Intimidation +17 , Occultism +17 , Religion +15 Stealth +15 |
STR +4 , DEX +6 , CON +2 , INT +6 , WIS +4 , CHA +2 | |
| AC | 25 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +13, Ref +17, Will +15 |
| HP | 85 fast healing 7 - Immunities disease, paralyzed, poison, precision, swarm mind, unconscious; - Weaknesses area damage 7, splash damage 7; Resistances physical 7 |
| Speed | 10 feet, swim 25 feet |
| Melee | Melee tendril +18 +13 / +8 (reach 10 feet), Damage persistent piercing damage |
| Special Abilities | Discorporate As worm that walks, but slow‑moving leeches give the heroes 2 rounds, rather than 1 round, to dispatch the fleeing vermin before they escape Hateful Memories (enchantment, emotion, mental, occult, visual) If Vaidun can see an accurate depiction of his former appearance as a living drow at the start of his turn, he must attempt a DC 28 Will save or become filled with self‑loathing and become slowed 1 for 1 round. Squirming Embrace Volluk Strides, ending his movement sharing a space with a creature, and deals [roll:3d8 |piercing
damage] to the creature. The creature can attempt a DC 23 basic Reflex save.Telekinetic Defense Trigger A creature approaches within 10 feet of the poltergeist. Effect The poltergeist makes a telekinetic object Strike against the triggering creature.Swarm Shape (concentrate) Vaidun collapses into a shapeless swarm of leeches. He drops all held, worn, and carried items. While discorporated, he can’t use attack actions and can’t cast spells, but he can move through areas small enough for his individual leeches to fit without having to Squeeze. He can use the same action to coalesce back into his normal form. |
| Spells | Occult Spontaneous Spells DC 25, attack +17 ; 4th (3 slots) dimension door, suggestion, worm’s repast ; 3rd (4 slots) bind undead, mind reading, paralyze, phantom pain; 2nd (4 slots) comprehend language, illusory disguise, mirror image, vomit swarm; 1st (4 slots) alarm, grim tendrils, mindlink, unseen servant; Cantrips (4th) daze, light, mage hand, read aura, shield Divine Innate Spells DC 25; 2nd darkness (at will), faerie fire (at will Cantrips (4th) dancing lights |
| Rituals | Rituals animate object, create undead |
Dalas' Lament
Moderate 4
The walls of this circular chamber are smooth and gray. A flickering, nauseating ribbon of pale blue light churns in the center of the room. Where the light touches the ceiling, the stone bubbles as if it were infected flesh. Below, the light bathes a screaming, thrashing dwarf bound onto a metal table, his body covered in blistersAs in the Servants Quarters' Portal chamber, the ribbon of light is a manifestation of Gauntlight’s growing power. This eerie light churns in a 5-foot-diameter burst at the room’s center. Any living creature ending its turn in it takes negative damage (DC 18 basic Reflex save) and undead creatures regain the same amount.
In order to reactivate Gauntlight for its test firing on the Engleher Kirkyard, Vaidun and the voidglutton needed a living creature as an anchor for the light. While others who touch the light suffer negative damage, the light simultaneously heals its anchor as swiftly as it harms them, keeping the person in a perpetual state of endless agony.
Dalas Feldspar
Dalas Feldspar - Publican 2
UNIQUEWHITE, GREENMEDIUMDWARF
| Barkeeps are often friends and mentors within a community, lending an ear while supplying libations. The best barkeeps have some talent for storytelling and passing on valuable advice. | |
| Perception | +6 Darkvision |
| Languages | Common, Dwarven |
| Skills | Alcohol Lore +9 , Athletics +6 , Deception +6 , Diplomacy +8 , Performance +6 , Society +5 , Thievery +3 |
STR +3 , DEX +0 , CON +2 , INT +0 , WIS +1 , CHA +3 | |
| Items | Items barkeep’s apron (functions as padded armor), flask of whiskey, pewter mug, sap |
| AC | 14 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +6 |
| HP | 25 |
| Speed | 20 feet |
| Melee | Sap +6 +2 / -3 (agile, nonlethal), Damage Bludgeoning Fist +6 +2 / -3 (agile, nonlethal), Damage Bludgeoning |
| Ranged | Mug +3 -2 / -7 (thrown 10 feet), Damage Bludgeoning |
| Special Abilities | Bar Brawler The barkeep has been in enough bar fights to know how to throw a few punches. When fighting in their bar and making a nonlethal attack, the barkeep gains a +1 circumstance bonus to attack rolls and deals an additional 1d4 damage. Barkeep’s Advice (auditory, fortune, linguistic, mental) Frequency once per day; Effect The barkeep gives some pertinent advice to a single
creature other than themself. For 24 hours, when that creature fails a skill check or saving throw, they can recall this advice and reroll the check, using the second result instead. Once that creature uses this ability, its effect ends. A creature that receives the Barkeep’s Advice is temporarily immune to the ability for 1 month. |
| Spells | |
Creatures: The heroes can’t focus on rescuing Dalas without first defeating a will-o’-wisp that has been gorging itself on Dalas' terror. It is invisible when the heroes first arrive, but it flares up in an angry blue glow as soon as the heroes attempt to aid the dwarf. It pursues foes who flee and fights to the death. Will-o'-wisp
Will-o'-Wisp - Aberration 6
BLUE, BLACKSMALLABERRATIONAIR
 Beneath its glow, a will-o’-wisp’s body is a spongy ball approximately 1 foot in diameter and weighing less than 5 pounds. Although most will-o’-wisps are merely translucent, featureless orbs, gaining definition only in the shifting illumination they create, a few have dark mottling that makes them resemble a skull when viewed closely. Will-o’-wisps have no need for mundane nourishment and in fact, cannot consume matter of any kind; they find all the sustenance they need in the terror of nearby creatures. For this reason, they like to work alongside the undead, which produces terror in their victims. Will-o’-wisps are long-lived, if not effectively immortal, and they have good memories. A cowed or defeated will-o’-wisp can be a good source of lore and information, though acquiring such cooperation from such a sinister monster is no easy feat. Will-o’-wisps inhabit desolate swamps and forests and are generally active at twilight and after dark. They are, therefore reluctant to lead victims into immediately fatal areas such as deadfalls but instead prefer hazards where their victims suffer over a long time, such as pockets of stale or poisonous air, patches of quicksand, and dens of bigger monsters. According to will-o’-wisps, different types of fear have subtle differences in flavor. The lurking dread in the pit of the stomach that gnaws at those who slowly become aware of the fact that they’re lost produces a much different taste than the sudden stark terror of imminent death in the face of a towering monster. Because of this, will-o’-wisps try to vary how they induce terror in their prey to ensure they don’t tire of certain flavors of fear. Recall Knowledge - Aberration (Occultism): DC 22 Unspecific Lore: DC 20 Specific Lore: DC 17 | |
| Perception | +16 Darkvision |
| Languages | Aklo, Common |
| Skills | Acrobatics +18 , Deception +12 , Intimidation +12 , Stealth +16 |
STR -5 , DEX +6 , CON +0 , INT +2 , WIS +4 , CHA +2 | |
| AC | 27 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +10, Ref +16, Will +14 |
| HP | 50 - Immunities Magic |
| Speed | fly 50 feet |
| Melee | Shock +17 +12 / +7 (electricity, magical), Damage Electricity |
| Special Abilities | Glow (aura, light) 20 feet. A will-o’-wisp is itself naturally invisible but glows with colored light, casting bright light in the aura and making it visible. Magic Immunity A will-o’-wisp is immune to all spells except faerie fire, glitterdust, magic missile, and maze. Feed on Fear (concentrate) Requirement An enemy is under a fear effect or dying within 15 feet of the will-o’-wisp. Effect The will-o’wisp feeds on the creature’s terror. It regains 2d4 Hit Points, and if it has Gone Dark, its glow reignites. A will-o’-wisp can take this action only once per round. Go Dark (concentrate) The will-o’-wisp extinguishes its glow, becoming invisible. It can end this effect with another use of this action. If it uses its shock attack while invisible, the arc of electricity lets any observer determine its location, making the will-o’-wisp only hidden to all observers until it moves. |
| Eyes of the Dead The elder goddess "Empty Death," is said by many to be the source of all will‑o’‑wisps. Cultists of the Void Casket claim she has no true form, but is merely a presence that can be felt by all in danger of pointless and futile death. These same cultists maintain that all will‑o’‑wisps are Empty Death’s eyes, and it is through these fear‑devouring creatures that she looks upon all worlds from an eldritch realm beyond even the very concept of death. | |
Unless the heroes have some means of working on the locks from a distance, each round a hero works to unlock a manacle (by the key or otherwise), that hero is exposed to the ribbon of necromantic energy. Once freed and removed from the energy ribbon, Dalas recovers his mobility after 2d4 rounds of gasping for breath. Dalas can tell the heroes the harrowing tale of his imprisonment and give a partial description of Dretha's Retreat. The heroes may have heard of Dalas' disappearance if they’ve spoken to his worried mother, Brelda Feldspar, at the Thirsty Carp. If the heroes return Dalas to the Thirsty Carp, his mother is overjoyed and presses upon the heroes a family heirloom, a minor sturdy shield emblazoned with an angry-looking carp, as a reward.
Removing Dalas from the ribbon of light causes the necromantic energy here and in areas up to the light tower to vanish. While this prevents Dretha from firing Gauntlight’s beam again, the reprieve is only temporary. As the heroes will learn from Tavish’s ghost, Dretha continues to prepare Gauntlight for its true purpose far below.
In addition, once Dalas is removed, the haunts on the upper four levels of the Inverted Tower do not reset if they are deactivated or defeated. These effects return if both Vaidun and the voidglutton survive, and they are given several days to find and install a new victim. If they do so, this should be an NPC whose kidnapping spurs the heroes into action!
Scalathrax Pen
Moderate 4
The floor of this rough‑hewn cavern is strewn with bones and scraps of metal and cloth.All three irregular, rocky passages out of this area end in secret doors. All three secret doors are obvious from within the cavern. Creatures: This cavern once merely connected the southwestern and northeastern wings of the level, but it now serves as a pen for a trio of scalathraxes. They are poorly fed and attack the heroes on sight, pursuing them relentlessly. Scalathrax
Scalathrax - Creature 1
UNCOMMONBLACK, GREENMEDIUMABERRATION
While a scalathrax appears feral, it's more intelligent than it seems and is capable of speaking in a wet, slithery voice. The vast majority of scalathraxes are foul-tempered and quick to anger, and most of them enjoy killing. It's possible to forge an alliance with a scalathrax, but doing so requires either constant bribes of new creatures to kill or a particularly intimidating personality—scalathraxes often respect bullies, seeing in them a mirror of their own cruel values. Scalathrax OilScalathrax oil is a valuable alchemical component, but it's difficult to harvest and preserve. By spending 10 minutes and succeeding at a DC 21 Crafting check, a character can extract 1 Bulk of scalathrax oil worth 20 gp from a recently killed scalathrax. If scalathrax oil is used to Craft an alchemical item that deals fire damage or would benefit from the slippery quality of the oil, the crafter gains a +1 item bonus to their Crafting check. Scalathrax oil can be used as lantern oil, though it's often considered too valuable for such a mundane use.Pathfinder #163: Ruins of Gauntlight pg. 86 | |
| Perception | +11 , Darkvision |
| Languages | Undercommon |
| Skills | Acrobatics +11 , Athletics +11 , Stealth +13 |
STR +3 , DEX +5 , CON +3 , INT -2 , WIS +3 , CHA +0 | |
| Items | |
| AC | 21 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +11, Ref +13, Will +9 |
| HP | 60 - Weaknesses fire 5 - Resistances poison 5 |
| Speed | 25 feet, climb 25 feet |
| Melee | Jaws +13 +8 / +3 (finesse) Damage Piercing plus scalathrax venom |
| Ranged | leg quill +13 +8 / +3 (range increment 20 feet) Damage Piercing |
| Special Abilities | Oily Scales A scalathrax constantly sweats a glistening oil that makes it exceptionally slick. It treats the results of Acrobatics checks to Squeeze or of any skill check to Escape as one degree of success greater than the rolled result. A scalathrax loses this benefit for 1 minute after it takes any amount of fire damage. Scalathrax Venom (poison) Saving Throw Fortitude DC 21; Maximum Duration 6 rounds; Stage 1 clumsy 1 (1 round Stage 2 clumsy 1 and slowed 1 (1 round Stage 3 clumsy 1 and slowed 2 (1 round) Spray Toxic Oil (conjuration, primal) The scalathrax disgorges a gout of toxic oil from its mouth in a 15-foot cone. Creatures in the area must attempt a DC 21 Reflex save. The scalathrax can't use Toxic Oil Spray again for rounds .
Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success The creature takes poison damage .
Failure The creature takes poison damage . For 1 minute, the creature gains weakness to fire 5, and whenever the creature critically fails with an attack roll with a wielded weapon, it drops the weapon.
Critical FailureAs failure, but poison damage . |
Torture Chamber
Moderate 4
Three five‑foot‑square iron cages, the bars lined with spikes on the inside, hang from chains in the middle of this room. Blood‑crusted manacles dangle from chains on the west wall. A stout wooden table with more manacles anchored to it stands in the southwest corner, and on it sits a whip made of blood‑red leather with a silver handleHere, Dretha imprisoned and tortured those lacking the qualities she sought for Fleshwarp experiments or arena battles in the levels below. Once she was satisfied her prisoners had nothing left to offer, or once she grew bored, she sent them to the Upper Temple for sacrifice. The dwarf bartender Dalas inhabited the central hanging cage for many months.
The northern cage has silver-lined runes carved into its exterior. This cage is the destination of the inactive teleportation circle in the Library. It can be restored with the Awaken Portal Ritual; if so, it makes a useful way to imprison anyone pushed into the alcove in the area. A hero who Searches the table and succeeds at a DC 20 Perception check spots a hidden switch on its underside that opens the secret door to the south.
Creatures: An Evangelist Velstrac named Vaulgrist has been bound here by Dretha’s magic for centuries. The interminable years instilled a sense of listlessness and ennui in the torturer and she rarely even moves about the room. Her hope of cruel amusements was briefly rekindled when she had Dalas to toy with, but she’d only just begun a few months of laying the groundwork for his torment when he was taken away.
Her ennui has returned even stronger than before. At first, Vaulgrist can hardly stir herself to bother with the heroes. She morosely invites them to depart this chamber and never return. There’s no trick here— if the heroes simply leave at once, the velstrac lets them go. If they persist or question her, she sighs in frustration and attacks; she has no interest in talking. She fights until destroyed but doesn’t leave this area. With all the manacles present here, Vaulgrist can use her animate chains ability from anywhere in this room. Vaulgrist
Chained Evangelist - Fiend 6
WHITE, BLUE, BLACKMEDIUMVELSTRAC
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| Perception | +13 greater darkvision, painsight |
| Languages | Common, Infernal, Shadowtongue |
| Skills | Acrobatics +13 , Athletics +15 , Intimidation +15 , Religion +11 , Torture Lore +12 |
STR +4 , DEX +3 , CON +2 , INT +0 , WIS +1 , CHA +1 | |
| Items | |
| AC | 24 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +15, Ref +14, Will +11 , +1 status to all saves vs. magic |
| HP | 90 regeneration 10 (deactivated by good or silver) - Immunities cold - Weaknesses good 5, silver 5 |
| Speed | 25 feet |
| Melee | Chain +17 +12 / +7 (disarm, evil, magical, reach 10 feet, trip), Damage Piercing and Persistant Bleed and impaling chain |
| Special Abilities | Painsight (divination, divine) A velstrac automatically knows whether a creature it sees has any of the doomed, dying, and wounded conditions, as well as the value of those conditions Unnerving Gaze (aura, divine, enchantment, fear, mental, visual) 30 feet. When a creature ends its turn in the aura, it sees the face of a departed loved one in place of the evangelist's face. The creature must succeed at a DC 21 Will save or become frightened 2 (frightened 3 on a critical failure). Attack of Opportunity Animate Chains (divine, transmutation) Chains in the evangelist's vicinity sprout barbs and writhe menacingly. The evangelist can make chain Strikes against any creature adjacent to an unattended chain within 20 feet, in addition to those within the reach of the evangelist's chain Strike. Focus Gaze (concentrate, divine, enchantment, fear, mental, visual) The evangelist stares at a creature they can see within 30 feet. The target must immediately attempt a Will save against Unnerving gaze. In addition, if the creature was already frightened, on a failed save, the evangelist is concealed from the creature for as long as the creature remains frightened. After attempting this save, the creature is then temporarily immune until the start of the evangelist's next turn.Impaling Chain When the evangelist critically hits with a chain Strike, the target is impaled and anchored in place, becoming grabbed by the chain. The creature cannot recover from persistent bleed damage until it gets free (DC 25 Escape). |
Rising Action
The Ghostwalk
Moderate 4
The ceiling of this wide hall rises to a height of twenty‑five feet. Stone sarcophagi carved with tormented, emaciated figures stand upright in alcoves along its walls. To the northeast, a fifteen‑foot‑wide portion of the wall has crumbled away into a series of ledges that drop down into a cavern. Eerie blue lights glow to the north and south—the light to the south is brighter and constant, while the light to the north flickers softly.This long hallway served as a gruesome trophy hall. Except for the two northernmost alcoves and the alcove leading to the Scalathrax Pen, each sarcophagus contains the defiled remains of one of Dretha’s enemies, stripped of gear and put on display. As soon as anyone steps up to a sarcophagus, its stone lid becomes transparent, providing a view of the long-dead body within. Each corpse is dressed in rags and marked with obviously fatal wounds. Most of these are the remains of long-dead heroes with no significant relation to the story of the Inverted Tower. The corpses here used to be linked to enslaved ghosts that guarded the hall, but their undead presences have been inadvertently drawn into the magical wall at the south end of this hallway.
A large flight of stairs to the south leads down to the fifth level of the Undercitadel of Szitrag. For now, progress to this level is blocked by a shimmering wall of ectoplasm. Now and then, silently shrieking ghosts flit through the swirling mist of this wall. The stairwell beyond remains visible yet tauntingly inaccessible. This wall acts as a wall of force heightened to 9th level and has been forged from the agonized souls of the heroes displayed throughout this hallway—they are the trapped ghosts who silently cry out in agony within the wall. This wall’s creation was an unintended side effect of Gauntlight’s test firing after it had lain dormant for so long. For now, though, the wall blocks progress deeper into the dungeon. Only the icons of Drethaa’s killers can bring it down, as the ghost of Olman Tavish in his doom can explain, though only one icon can be found in this adventure.
The secret door in the alcove, which leads to the Scalathrax Den, is built into the back of the only empty sarcophagus. A hero who Searches the empty sarcophagus and succeeds at a DC 20 Perception check discovers the latch to swing the sarcophagus open like a door. The collapse in the northwest wall leads to a series of 5-foot-high ledges that drop down to the pavilion.
Creatures: The two northernmost sarcophagi contain traitorous apprentices transformed into cairn wights. If anyone approaches within 15 feet of them, both lids pop open, and the cairn wights emerge to attack. They relentlessly pursue foes through this level. Cairn Wight
Cairn Wight - Undead 4 4
UNCOMMONBLACKMEDIUMUNDEADWIGHT
 | |
| Perception | Expert , Darkvision |
| Languages | Common, Necril |
| Skills | Athletics Expert , Intimidation Expert , Religion Expert , Stealth Expert |
STR +4 , DEX +2 , CON +4 , INT +1 , WIS +3 , CHA +3 | |
| Items | longsword, studded leather armor |
| AC | 20 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +11 |
| HP | 67 - Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious |
| Speed | 25 ft |
| Melee | longsword +14 +9 / +4 (versatile P), Damage slashing plus drain life
claw +14 +10 / +6 (agile), Damage slashing plus drain life
|
| Special Abilities |
|
| Spells | Funereal Dirge(auditory, divine, emotion, fear, mental, necromancy) The cairn wight chants a low, haunting melody. Living creatures within 50 feet must attempt a DC 21 Will save. The cairn wight can't chant a new Funereal Dirge for 1d4 rounds . Critical Success The creature is unaffected SuccessThe creature is frightened 1. Failure The creature is frightened 2. Critical Failure The creature is frightened 2 and takes a –2 status penalty to saving throws against drain life. |
Cairn Wight DirgesUnlike a typical wight, cairn wights have an unusual affinity for music. The lyrics of their dirges often contain a valuable bit of knowledge or long-lost lore, possibly the greatest treasure a cairn wight guards. There are even brave souls who seek out the creatures to listen to their songs in hopes of finding profit from the dry, rasping words. | |
Wight Spawn (divine, necromancy) A living humanoid slain by a cairn wight's weapon or claw strike rises as a spawned wight after 1d4 rounds. This spawned wight is under the command of the cairn wight that killed it. It doesn't have drain life or wight spawn and is clumsy 2 for as long as it is a spawned wight. If its creator dies, the spawned wight becomes a full-fledged, autonomous cairn wight; it regains its free will, gains drain life and cairn wight spawn, and is no longer clumsy.Upper Temple of Empty Death
Severe 4
This vast octagonal chamber is mostly empty. The walls are carved and painted to resemble a sprawling graveyard half‑sunken into a swampy morass, yet all the graves in the mural are open and empty. Carved images of shrieking ghosts parade upward and into the hungry pupil of a malevolent eye at the apex of this room, thirty feet above. A circular fifteen‑foot‑diameter platform sits in the middle of the room, raised three feet off the surrounding floor. The platform supports an altar stone made of an irregular slab of rock marked by seven deep indentations, almost as if a huge, seven‑fingered hand had gripped the stone with enough force to leave grooves behind. Now and then, a faint blue light flickers and pulses inside one of these indentations. Small objects lie heaped atop the altar.A successful DC 25 Religion check to Recall Knowledge identifies this chamber as a shrine dedicated to Empty Death, the Outer God of despair, ghosts, and swamps. Her shrines are often empty of additional furnishings such as statues or benches, symbolizing the emptiness of death itself. Worshipers typically kneel or prostrate themselves on the stone floor while priests lead sermons and sacrifices at the altar.
The entire shrine is infused with an overwhelming sense of despair and hopelessness. Any living creature who enters this room must succeed at a DC 22 Will save or become Frightened 1 (frightened 2 on a critical failure). A living creature can’t reduce its frightened condition while in this chamber. A critical success grants the creature temporary immunity for 24 hours.
Creatures: A hero who succeeds at a DC 16 Perception check from the room’s entrance identifies the objects on the altar as four severed hands. These undead guardians scuttle forth and attack when the heroes enter this room. When the hands animate, four flickerwisps slither out from indentations on the altar’s sides and join in their attack. The flickerwisps and crawling hands do not pursue foes from the shrine room. If no foes are present, they return to their original places on the altar. They fight until destroyed. Flickerwisps
Flickerwisp - Creature 2
UNCOMMONBLACK, BLUESMALLABERRATIONAIR
Empty CaressesJust as the cult of Empty Death regards will-o'-wisps as their goddess's eyes, their teachings hold that flickerwisps are the gentle caress of her touch. To them, the confusion imposed by a flickerwisp is akin to opening the mind to the goddess's presence, and many cultists of the faith keep flickerwisps around to use in much the same way other faiths use incense or intoxicants to achieve deeper religious ecstasies.Pathfinder #163: Ruins of Gauntlight pg. 83 | |
| Perception | +9 , darkvision |
| Languages | Aklo, Common, |
| Skills | Acrobatics +8 , Deception +7 ,Intimidation +5 , Stealth +8 |
STR -5 , DEX +4 , CON +0 , INT +0 , WIS +3 , CHA +1 | |
| Items | |
| AC | 20 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +6, Ref +10, Will +7 |
| HP | 18 - Immunities magic - Weaknesses bludgeoning 5 (in skeletal corpses) or slashing 5 (in fleshy corpses) |
| Speed | fly 25 feet |
| Melee | Shock +11 +6 / +1 (magical) Damage Electricity |
| Ranged | . |
| Special Abilities | Glow(aura, light) 5 feet. A flickerwisp is itself naturally invisible, but glows with pale yellow light, casting bright light in the aura and making it visible Innocuous A flickerwisp's appearance registers strangely in the minds of creatures who are confused. A creature with the confused condition never targets a flickerwisp with attacks unless the creature has been damaged by the flickerwisp's shock ability within the last 24 hours. Magic Immunity A flickerwisp is immune to all spells except faerie fire, gust of wind, magic missile, and maze. Consume Confusion (concentrate) Frequency once per round Requirement A creature within 15 feet of the flickerwisp is confusedEffect The flickerwisp feeds on the creature's confusion, even as its flashing body and disjointed gyrations cause existing confusion effects to persist. It regains Hit Points , and if the creature's confused condition has a limited duration, it lasts 1 additional round.Flicker (emotion, enchantment, mental, visual) The flickerwisp churns and flits in the air around an adjacent creature's head, and its length flashes and sparkles in a bewildering array of distracting pulsations. The creature must succeed at a DC 18 Will save or become confused for 1 round (2 rounds on a critical failure). On a critical success, the creature is temporarily immune to Flicker for 24 hours. |
Elite Crawling Hand - Undead 0
BLACKTINYUNDEAD
 | |
| Perception | +6 ; lifesense 30 feet, tremorsense (imprecise) 30 feet |
| Languages | Common |
| Skills | Athletics +6 , Stealth +7 , Survival +3 |
STR +1 , DEX +3 , CON +0 , INT -4 , WIS +0 , CHA +0 | |
| AC | 13 |
| Saving Throws | Fort 3, Ref 6, Will 3 , Negative Healing |
| HP | 16 - Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious, visual |
| Speed | 30ft, Climb 30ft |
| Melee | claw +7 +3 -1 (agile, finesse), Damage slashing plus Grab |
| Special Abilities | Grip Throat A Medium or smaller creature that is grabbed by the crawling hand has difficulty speaking and must spend an extra action to perform any action with the verbal trait. Mark Quarry A crawling hand can be assigned a quarry by anointing the hand with a drop of the intended quarry's blood. If the hand ever has no quarry, it automatically gains the next creature it damages as its quarry. The hand gains a +1 circumstance bonus to Perception checks when it Seeks its quarry, to Survival checks when it Tracks its quarry, and damage rolls when it Strikes its quarry. |
| Typically, crawling hands are formed when severed appendages are endowed with crude sentience by evil necromantic energies that turn them into tireless killers. Yet crawling hands can also arise spontaneously, usually when a creature loses an appendage in a place rife with necromantic energy or with a connection to the Negative Energy Plane. | |
Lights from the Altar: The altar produces a new flickerwisp each day at dusk, but no more than four flickerwisps can exist in this chamber at one time. The malevolent aura and flickerwisp generation persist until the heroes place the four Founder icons atop the altar stone, as directed by Olman’s ghost. At this point, the frightening despair in the room ends and the altar produces no more flickerwisps
Climax
Pavilion
Severe 4
This immense cavern is cold and damp. Water drips from condensation above into a large, still lake. Thick patches of moist mushrooms, some nearly four feet tall, grow along the western shore of the lake, while a narrow trickle of water feeds in from a tunnel to the south. A thirty-five-foot-long pavilion made of stone stands in the middle of the lake, elevated ten feet above the water level by more than a dozen stone columns. The entire pavilion is encrusted with damp, pale fungus. Two stone bridges arch from the pavilion—one connecting it to a door set in the northern wall and another to a door to the east. A faintly flickering campfire burns in the middle of the pavilion, its smoke curling to the ceiling.The fungus growing here may look ominous, but it is harmless. The lake has steep banks that drop away into a nearly uniform depth of 15 feet.
Dretha built this pavilion as a place to meditate. The denizens of the Undercitadel don’t visit here, as the lingering presence of Olmani’s Ghost in Olman's Doom subconsciously influences them to stay away. Living creatures (such as the pavilion’s current inhabitants) don’t feel these influences.
Creatures: A grizzled, feral-looking man lives in the pavilion. He is Jaul Mezmin, a violent criminal and murderous Werewolf wanted in the town of Engleher for the slaying of several locals 30 years ago. Jaul’s last victim was a woman named Ayla Nolock, wife of Lathan Nolock, the owner of the Engleher Market. Jaul hid in plain sight as one of the druids of the Stone Ring of Vrur while he committed his murders, but when he was found out, he escaped capture by leaping from the cliffs into the river. The currents pulled him into caves, leaving him nearly drowned, but over the following weeks he recovered and found his way here.
Jaul’s been living here ever since. His skin is pasty and pale, and he reeks of mushrooms and sour sweat. Cave crickets make up the bulk of his diet. His only companions over the years have been a series of loyal wolves; when one perishes, Jaul simply makes his way out through the caves to bond with another. At first, he made plans to return to Engleher, but after living in this cave for so many years, Jaul knows no other life.
The heroes disrupt that life, though. When Jaul notices them, he staggers up to the edge of his pavilion and howls and barks wildly to warn them away. The wolf at his side accompanies his howls with its own. A hero who succeeds at a DC 27 Society check to Recall Knowledge realizes this man is the killer who disappeared from Engleher a generation ago. At your discretion, a hero familiar with Jaul’s legacy treats the result of this check as one degree of success greater than the rolled result.
If the heroes attack Jaul or attempt to enter his pavilion, he assumes his hybrid form and attacks. If the heroes hang back, he continues to bark and howl until someone can calm him down. As soon as the heroes successfully use any skill with the linguistic trait on Jaul (such as to create a convincing Lie, use Diplomacy to Make an Impression, or try to Coerce him), he stops howling and blinks several times as he remembers that he can talk as well. A few moments later, he calls out in a halting voice, warning the heroes that this is his territory and they are not welcome. His initial attitude is hostile, and if the heroes try to talk to him too much he grows frustrated and uses his magic to attack from afar. Depending on the questions the heroes ask, Jaul may reveal his name or who he is, but it’s likely only a matter of time before the paranoid werewolf loses patience and attacks.
If Jaul is reduced to 30 or fewer Hit Points, he begs for mercy and promises to reward the heroes if they spare him. This reward is Ayla’s necklace. Heroes who show Jaul mercy can get him to talk further; Jaul is somewhat familiar with the eastern half of this level. For example, he can warn the heroes of the shadowy ghost on the island to the south and tell them that if they enter the “nightmare stairs” to the north, they’d do well to keep their eyes closed if they want to ever escape them. If the heroes spare Jaul, he uses the caves to emerge near Engleher and flees the region entirely. Whether or not he takes up his murderous ways is left for you to decide. Jaul Mezmin
Jaul Mezmin - Werewolf 6
UNIQUEBLACK, REDMEDIUMBEASTKINHUMAN
 | |
| Perception | +14 low-light vision, scent (imprecise) 30 feet |
| Languages | Common; wolf empathy |
| Skills | Acrobatics +12 , Athletics +15 , Deception +12 , Nature +14 , Survival +14 |
STR +5 , DEX +2 , CON +0 , INT -1 , WIS +4 , CHA +2 | |
| Items | +1 striking katar (2), bejeweled necklace worth 10 gp featuring a porpoise and the engraving, “Ayla, My Beloved” |
| AC | 24 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +12, Ref +14, Will +16 , +1 status vs. poison |
| HP | 120 - Weaknesses silver 7 - Resistances poison 3 |
| Speed | 25 feet |
| Melee | Katar +17 +13 / +9 (agile, deadly d6, magical, monk), Damage Piercing Claw +16 +12 / +8 (agile), Damage Slashing Jaws +16 +11 / +6 , Damage Piercing plus curse of the werewolf |
| Ranged | |
| Special Abilities | Wolf Empathy (divination, primal) Jaul can communicate with lupines. Change Shape (concentrate, polymorph, primal, transmutation) As werecreature; human with fist +16 for 1d6+7 bludgeoning, or wolf with Speed 40 feet and jaws with Knockdown.Curse of the Werewolf (curse, necromancy, primal) This curse only affects humanoids; Saving Throw DC 23 Fortitude. On each full moon, the cursed creature must succeed at another Fortitude save or turn into a werewolf until dawn. The creature is under the GM’s control and goes on a rampage for half the night before falling unconscious at dawn. Moon Frenzy (divine, transmutation) Chains in the evangelist's vicinity sprout barbs and writhe menacingly. The evangelist can make chain Strikes against any creature adjacent to an unattended chain within 20 feet, in addition to those within the reach of the evangelist's chain Strike. Wolf Coordination Jaul’s Strikes deal extra damage to creatures within his wolf’s reach. |
| Spells | Primal Prepared Spells DC 24, attack +15 ; 3rd heal, lightning bolt, wall of thorns; 2nd heal, summon animal, water breathing; 1st feather fall, grease, magic fang; Cantrips (3rd) acid splash, detect magic, produce flame, tanglefoot Animal Order Spells 1 Focus Point, DC 24; 3rd heal animal |
Bonded Wolf - Creature 4
UNCOMMONGREEN BLACKMEDIUMANIMAL
 | |
| Perception | +11 ; low-light vision, scent (imprecise) 30 feet |
| Skills | Acrobatics +9 , Athletics +11 , Stealth +11 , , Survival +9 |
STR +5 , DEX +3 , CON +2 , INT -4 , WIS +3 , CHA +0 | |
| AC | 21 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +10, Ref +13, Will +9 |
| HP | 60 |
| Speed | 35ft |
| Melee | Jaws: +13 / +8 / +3 Damage: Piercing plus Knockdown |
| Special Abilities | Pack Attack: The wolf deals extra damage to creatures within reach of an Ally. |
Twisting Tunnel
Several slippery ledges lead up and out of the pavilion, joining a small complex of caverns that stretches between the Cursed Fens and the Drurzaz River. It was via these tunnels that Jaul Mezmin arrived, and he uses them today to hunt for food. The tunnels connect to the waterways west near Engleher in a cave that’s underwater. The actual contents of these caverns are beyond the scope of this adventure, but they likely contain other predators and dangers. You should feel free to expand them if the heroes wish to explore them and need additional XP.Haunted Stairs
A staircase leads upward from this narrow landing. The south wall, facing the stairs, flickers and glows with ribbons of eerie green luminescence.These stairs lead up to the Library. During his flight through the Undercitadel, Olman Tavish made one of his final stops on this staircase. He waited here for only an hour to patch some wounds and regain his courage, then moved on through the door to The Pavilion, hoping to find an escape route. Unfortunately, he never made it to the cave exit, for the enormous otyugh that dwelt in the cavern in those days attacked him at once. Olman was forced to flee south and made it to Olman's Doom. The otyugh was too large to reach him there but too stubborn to leave, and it’s there that Olman finally perished. As in areas The Servants Quarters and Library , Olman’s spiritual energy remains here. When the heroes reach this point, another message manifests in the glowing light on the wall: “Gauntlight is a weapon, built to raze Irhurma —it must be brought down!” After the message is read, the words slide down into a writhing ribbon of footprints that leads into the Pavilion, then makes a panicked twisting route down through the Disposal Pond and into Olman's Doom. This spectral manifestation can appear once per day.
Disposal Pond
A rusty metal chute protrudes from the ceiling to the west here, coming to an end over a pool of slimy water. A huge mound of fungus lies under the tube against the west wall, resting in a strangely monstrous shape.This chute leads up to The Disposal Room, but it is slick and requires a successful DC 18 Athletics check to Climb. Characters who are dumped into the pool of water here find it cold and unpleasant, but it’s only 3 feet deep. Fortunately, the immense otyugh once kept here for trash disposal purposes died long ago. Its strangely preserved body lies encased in fungus under the pipe. Anyone who examines the remains of the Huge otyugh can identify it with a successful DC 23 Occultism check to Recall Knowledge.
Olman's Doom
Severe 4
The water in this area is dark but only 3 feet deep. A low rocky isle rises less than a foot above the surrounding water here, its surface covered with a fine layer of pale green mushrooms and mold. A human skeleton dressed in rotten leather armor and clutching a rapier lies in a heap at the center of the isle.The skeleton on the island was once Olman Tavish. He survived the battle with Dretha and a desperate flight through the upper levels of the Undercitadel only to become trapped here by the immense otyugh waiting in the Disposal Pond. Already weakened from his ordeal before contracting Filth Fever from the fight with the otyugh, Otari lingered on the tiny islet only 2 days before he perished.
Today, his spirit lingers on, both in the form of the strange warnings on the walls throughout the Inverted Tower and also as a Ghost consumed by two linked desires—vengeance on Dretha Scythevex and fear that Gauntlight may yet be used to harm his hometown of Irhurma. As the heroes draw near, Olman’s ghost rises up from his skeleton, appearing much as he did during the late stages of filth fever, albeit with a transparent green shade. Olman can’t leave this area, and since the heroes are the first potentially helpful adventurers to visit his haunted remains, he is eager to provide what aid he can.
Creatures: Before Olman can speak to the heroes, a Will-o'-wisp and two Flickerwisp that have tormented him for years dart forth to protect their fear-laden victim. Olman can do little more than warn the heroes about the “Eyes of the Empty Death” before they swoop forth to attack.
Once combat begins, Olman provides what aid he can. The aberrations long ago learned to stay out of the ghost’s reach, but Olman makes Infested Shadow Strikes against them by momentarily possessing the heroes’ shadows. Once the wisps are defeated, Olman provides the heroes with much more information
Will-o'-Wisp
Will-o'-Wisp - Aberration 6
BLUE, BLACKSMALLABERRATIONAIR
Beneath its glow, a will-o’-wisp’s body is a spongy ball approximately 1 foot in diameter and weighing less than 5 pounds. Although most will-o’-wisps are merely translucent, featureless orbs, gaining definition only in the shifting illumination they create, a few have dark mottling that makes them resemble a skull when viewed closely. Will-o’-wisps have no need for mundane nourishment and in fact, cannot consume matter of any kind; they find all the sustenance they need in the terror of nearby creatures. For this reason, they like to work alongside the undead, which produces terror in their victims. Will-o’-wisps are long-lived, if not effectively immortal, and they have good memories. A cowed or defeated will-o’-wisp can be a good source of lore and information, though acquiring such cooperation from such a sinister monster is no easy feat. Will-o’-wisps inhabit desolate swamps and forests and are generally active at twilight and after dark. They are, therefore reluctant to lead victims into immediately fatal areas such as deadfalls but instead prefer hazards where their victims suffer over a long time, such as pockets of stale or poisonous air, patches of quicksand, and dens of bigger monsters. According to will-o’-wisps, different types of fear have subtle differences in flavor. The lurking dread in the pit of the stomach that gnaws at those who slowly become aware of the fact that they’re lost produces a much different taste than the sudden stark terror of imminent death in the face of a towering monster. Because of this, will-o’-wisps try to vary how they induce terror in their prey to ensure they don’t tire of certain flavors of fear. Recall Knowledge - Aberration (Occultism): DC 22 Unspecific Lore: DC 20 Specific Lore: DC 17 | |
| Perception | +16 Darkvision |
| Languages | Aklo, Common |
| Skills | Acrobatics +18 , Deception +12 , Intimidation +12 , Stealth +16 |
STR -5 , DEX +6 , CON +0 , INT +2 , WIS +4 , CHA +2 | |
| AC | 27 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +10, Ref +16, Will +14 |
| HP | 50 - Immunities Magic |
| Speed | fly 50 feet |
| Melee | Shock +17 +12 / +7 (electricity, magical), Damage Electricity |
| Special Abilities | Glow (aura, light) 20 feet. A will-o’-wisp is itself naturally invisible but glows with colored light, casting bright light in the aura and making it visible. Magic Immunity A will-o’-wisp is immune to all spells except faerie fire, glitterdust, magic missile, and maze. Feed on Fear (concentrate) Requirement An enemy is under a fear effect or dying within 15 feet of the will-o’-wisp. Effect The will-o’wisp feeds on the creature’s terror. It regains 2d4 Hit Points, and if it has Gone Dark, its glow reignites. A will-o’-wisp can take this action only once per round. Go Dark (concentrate) The will-o’-wisp extinguishes its glow, becoming invisible. It can end this effect with another use of this action. If it uses its shock attack while invisible, the arc of electricity lets any observer determine its location, making the will-o’-wisp only hidden to all observers until it moves. |
| Eyes of the Dead The elder goddess "Empty Death," is said by many to be the source of all will‑o’‑wisps. Cultists of the Void Casket claim she has no true form, but is merely a presence that can be felt by all in danger of pointless and futile death. These same cultists maintain that all will‑o’‑wisps are Empty Death’s eyes, and it is through these fear‑devouring creatures that she looks upon all worlds from an eldritch realm beyond even the very concept of death. | |
Flickerwisp - Creature 2
UNCOMMONBLACK, BLUESMALLABERRATIONAIR
Empty CaressesJust as the cult of Empty Death regards will-o'-wisps as their goddess's eyes, their teachings hold that flickerwisps are the gentle caress of her touch. To them, the confusion imposed by a flickerwisp is akin to opening the mind to the goddess's presence, and many cultists of the faith keep flickerwisps around to use in much the same way other faiths use incense or intoxicants to achieve deeper religious ecstasies.Pathfinder #163: Ruins of Gauntlight pg. 83 | |
| Perception | +9 , darkvision |
| Languages | Aklo, Common, |
| Skills | Acrobatics +8 , Deception +7 ,Intimidation +5 , Stealth +8 |
STR -5 , DEX +4 , CON +0 , INT +0 , WIS +3 , CHA +1 | |
| Items | |
| AC | 20 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +6, Ref +10, Will +7 |
| HP | 18 - Immunities magic - Weaknesses bludgeoning 5 (in skeletal corpses) or slashing 5 (in fleshy corpses) |
| Speed | fly 25 feet |
| Melee | Shock +11 +6 / +1 (magical) Damage Electricity |
| Ranged | . |
| Special Abilities | Glow(aura, light) 5 feet. A flickerwisp is itself naturally invisible, but glows with pale yellow light, casting bright light in the aura and making it visible Innocuous A flickerwisp's appearance registers strangely in the minds of creatures who are confused. A creature with the confused condition never targets a flickerwisp with attacks unless the creature has been damaged by the flickerwisp's shock ability within the last 24 hours. Magic Immunity A flickerwisp is immune to all spells except faerie fire, gust of wind, magic missile, and maze. Consume Confusion (concentrate) Frequency once per round Requirement A creature within 15 feet of the flickerwisp is confusedEffect The flickerwisp feeds on the creature's confusion, even as its flashing body and disjointed gyrations cause existing confusion effects to persist. It regains Hit Points , and if the creature's confused condition has a limited duration, it lasts 1 additional round.Flicker (emotion, enchantment, mental, visual) The flickerwisp churns and flits in the air around an adjacent creature's head, and its length flashes and sparkles in a bewildering array of distracting pulsations. The creature must succeed at a DC 18 Will save or become confused for 1 round (2 rounds on a critical failure). On a critical success, the creature is temporarily immune to Flicker for 24 hours. |
Treasure: Olman encourages the heroes to claim and use his gear once he’s done speaking with them. His infiltrator thieves’ tools are one of the four icons required to overcome the barrier in the Ghostwalk. His other gear consists of a dagger of venom, a sneaky key, and +1 studded leather armor
Falling Action
The Forever Stairs
The walls of this five-foot-wide hallway shimmer and ripple with faint whorls of pale blue energy.A staircase to the west leads upward, and the one to the east leads down. Both the ascending and descending stairs reach small landings. While at first glance this hallway might seem unremarkable, it should quickly become clear that something truly strange is going on once the heroes start to travel it. The hallway loops back upon itself; for example, if the heroes choose to go clockwise, the stairs will always lead upward, but they end up at the same place they started after making a complete circuit. Dretha created this distorted spatial effect in the early days of her construction of the Undercitadel as she was experimenting with several magical methods of delivering her monsters directly into the streets of Irhurma. While she ultimately abandoned spatial warping as too inefficient to be used on a sufficiently large scale, she kept this warped square hall as a sort of “moat” around her quarters.
The outside doors to the Upper Temple and Pavilion are always present, but the alcove and door to her suite are concealed by an illusory wall created by a 5th-level illusory object spell. The Will DC to disbelieve the illusion is 26, but the heroes might find the wall in other ways. A hero who succeeds at a DC 20 Perception check while Searching the north hallway or a DC 20 Arcana or Occultism check while Investigating the north hall identifies anomalies in the blue energy that indicate something unusual about that section of the wall.
XP Award: Grant the heroes 30 XP the first time they manage to reach Dretha's Suite.
Dretha's Suite
Extreme 4
A pair of doors provide exits from this room, one of which is set a foot higher than the room’s dusty floor on a semicircular step.When Dretha first began construction of the Inverted tower, these chambers served as her personal suite. She lived here for many years as she oversaw the construction of the dungeons both above and below, but once the project was complete, she abandoned this home for one even deeper underground. She moved her belongings deep below as well, leaving these chambers abandoned and empty, but when she became a ghost, her spiritual energy reacted in much the same way Olman’s did by manifesting lingering images within these rooms where she spent so many hours.
As a result, each time the heroes step into one of these four rooms, they are greeted with a brief ghostly image of the room as it once was. Each time, they also see a vision of Dretha herself within the room.
North This room was once a comfortable sitting room with two chairs and a low-end table between them. In the brief vision, Dretha is meeting with the drow Vaidun (as he was in life, as a drow). Although the image has no sound, Dretha is speaking animatedly about something, and Volluk is listening attentively.
East Originally a lounge with two plush divans, this room flashes an image of Dretha relaxing while reading a large tome. A hero who succeeds at a DC 18 Perception check sees that the book is titled The Whispering Reeds (this book is currently in the Restricted Collection).
South A well-set table reveals this to have once been Dretha’s private dining room. In the image, she sits alone at the table, drinking a glass of wine and enjoying an elegantly plated roast arm that looks disturbingly human.
West Dretha’s bedroom features a large bed along the west wall. The stone archway to the north shimmers as a portal opens and Dretha steps through with a cruel smile on her lips and blood on her hands.
Creatures: A powerful and horrific entity known as a Voidglutton has dwelt within these chambers since Dretha abandoned them. Unlike many of Dretha’s minions, the voidglutton came to her of its own free will, drawn from across the dimensions by echoes of Empty Death’s presence. It volunteered to aid Dretha as a guardian of the upper shrine (area D13), but once she relocated her personal effects to deeper within the Undercitadel, it took over these rooms. It basks in the latent fears and pains of the dungeon’s haunts and ghosts.
When Dretha rose as a ghost, the voidglutton took note and visited her, learning of her plans to reactivate Gauntlight and realizing it would take time to awaken the dormant artifact. The voidglutton helped her refine the plans to testing Gauntlight, and has recently done so with Viadun’s aid (as the heroes experienced at the beginning of Chapter 2). Since then, the voidglutton has lurked here, understanding that it’s just a matter of time before Dretha contacts it again to enact the next stage of her plan.
The voidglutton moves from room to room in this area, as it finds the echoes of Dretha’s spirit soothing. It therefore has an equal chance of being in any of these chambers when the heroes arrive. It notes the heroes’ intrusion immediately, however, and swiftly moves to confront them. The creature has no interest in negotiation; it attacks at once and fights to the death, but it doesn’t pursue heroes who flee these rooms. If the voidglutton clearly has the upper hand over a group of intruders, it might offer to let most of them flee if they leave it a single survivor to torment to death over a few months. Voidglutton
Voidglutton - Aberration 8
RAREBLACKMEDIUMABERRATIONAIR
 | |
| Perception | +18 Darkvision |
| Languages | Aklo, Common |
| Skills | Acrobatics +18 , Deception +15 , Intimidation +15 , Occultism +18 , Stealth +18 |
STR +0 , DEX +6 , CON +3 , INT +6 , WIS +4 , CHA +3 | |
| AC | 30 |
| Saving Throws | Fort +13, Ref +18, Will +16 |
| HP | 90 - Immunities Magic |
| Speed | fly 40 feet |
| Melee | Claw +20 +16 / +12 (agile, finesse), Damage Piercing plus force and fearful strike |
| Ranged | ectoplasmic web +20 +15 / +10 (range increment 10 feet), Effect ectoplasmic web trap |
| Special Abilities | Glow (aura, light) 30 feet. The tips of a voidglutton's fingers and its seven eyes glow, casting bright light in the area and making it visible if it was invisible. Magic Immunity A voidglutton is immune to all spells except faerie fire, glitterdust, magic missile, maze, and spells with the light trait. Consume Light (darkness, evocation, occult) Trigger The voidglutton casts darkness; Effect The voidglutton extinguishes its Glow as part of Casting the Spell. It becomes invisible as long as it remains in the area of darkness. If the voidglutton uses a hostile action, its invisibility ends as soon as the hostile action is completed.Ectoplasmic Web Trap (conjuration, occult) A creature hit by the voidglutton's ectoplasmic web trap is immobilized and stuck to the nearest surface until it succeeds at a DC 26 check to Escape. Ectoplasmic Web Trap can immobilize incorporeal creatures. Fearful Strike (emotion, fear, mental, occult) When the voidglutton damages a creature with its claw Strike, the creature must succeed at a DC 26 Will save or become frightened 1 (frightened 2 on a critical failure). Feed on Fear (concentrate) Frequency once per round; Requirement An enemy is affected by a fear effect or has the frightened or dying condition, and is within 25 feet of the voidglutton; Effect The voidglutton feeds on the creature's terror. It regains Hit Points and its Glow reignites if it had been extinguished. It cannot use Consume Light again for 1d4 rounds, as it is too glutted on fear to suppress its Glow.
|
| Spells | Occult Innate Spells DC 26; 4th darkness (at will) |
| Eyes of the Dead The elder goddess "Empty Death," is said by many to be the source of all will‑o’‑wisps. Cultists of the Void Casket claim she has no true form, but is merely a presence that can be felt by all in danger of pointless and futile death. These same cultists maintain that all will‑o’‑wisps are Empty Death’s eyes, and it is through these fear‑devouring creatures that she looks upon all worlds from an eldritch realm beyond even the very concept of death. | |
Trophy Vault
The walls of this octagonal chamber are sheathed in a foul‑looking moist webbing made of stringy, semi‑transparent slime. The bodies of three creatures have been mounted on the walls in this webbing, as if on display: a lavender-skinned elf, the legless body of a spider-like humanoid, and a hideous humanoid with transparent flesh.Dretha took all of her treasure with her when she left, but the voidglutton has used this place as a den for many years and has placed a few of its favorite trophies here—bodies of creatures whose minds it fed upon and found to be particularly delightful, along with some of their potent gear and treasures.
The bodies themselves are encased on the walls by the voidglutton’s ectoplasmic webbing and must be cut free before they can be searched. Once freed, the bodies swiftly begin to decay, no longer held in stasis by the effects of the voidglutton’s webs.
Treasure: The upper torso of a drider from the fleshwarping labs on the sixth level of the Undercitadel carries a vial with a lesser mistform elixir. A drow outcast from the Vhalthu Outpost on the ninth level of the Undercitadel wears a strand of holy prayer beads on one wrist. The body of an urdefhan from the ninth level of the Undercitadel carries a +1 striking composite longbow in a case.
Resolution
Concluding the Adventure
“Ruins of Fen Watchtower ” doesn’t have a specifically scripted end, but as the heroes explore the first four levels of the Undercitadel of Szitrag, they should learn three key pieces of information: that Dretha has returned as a ghost, that she intends to use Gauntlight to attack Irhurma , and that they can open the way to the levels below by placing four icons once carried by the Founders upon the altar in the Upper Temple. The heroes might complete several other side quests along the way. Even after the heroes open the way to the lower levels, they could still have areas in the upper four levels left to explore.Of course, word should spread through Engleher that the heroes have discovered a sprawling dungeon below the ruins of the Fen Watchtower. At your option, locals in Engleher might approach the heroes with new requests.
Some of these side quests await discovery as the following adventures play out, but feel free to invent new side quests of your own, particularly if the players are ready to press into the deeper levels but aren’t yet 5th level. Perhaps Herbert Ludwig asks the heroes to create detailed maps of the dungeon levels for display in his museum-manor, or maybe Chidi Rivertoes offers healing supplies in exchange for exorcising all of the lost souls and ghosts from the dungeon. Certainly, Reni’s curiosity about the Inverted Tower continues, and while her claustrophobia prevents her from joining the heroes, she asks them to update her with tales of their adventures, promising new discounts on items she purchases from traders in return for their entertaining stories. But for now, the upper levels of the Inverted Tower have been explored. If the heroes wish to proceed deeper, and if they hope to stop Dretha from her nefarious plan, they’ll need to gather up the three remaining Founder icons. This quest is more complicated than it initially appears and kicks off the next adventure in the Inverted Tower Adventure Path, “Claws of Hell ”
Plot type
Adventure Section
Parent Plot
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