“From time immemorial, aboleths have weaved their sinister plots, their memory eternal, outliving empires and gods, a testament to their enduring malevolence”
Fragment of Creatures of Evil Vol. II
In the dark, forgotten depths beneath the sprawling city of Eldoria, lies an ancient, submerged ruin, a place shrouded in enigmatic history and sinister tales. At the heart of these submerged ruins resides Xalathes, the aboleth, a creature of immense evil and arcane prowess.
Time for Wishes
Eldoria, unbeknown to its inhabitants, was built upon the Sunken Citadel, a network of crumbling structures and submerged halls, masking the dark presence lurking beneath. Xalathes was defeated eons ago and stayed dormant for centuries. Its isolation only fueled its hatred and its desire to dominate and control the surface dwellers. And, as the end of the year approaches, a time when the veil between consciousness and the dream world grows thin, Xalathes enacts its sinister plan.
Inception
During the festive celebrations, people’s minds are clouded with joy and merriment. It is then that they are most vulnerable. Xalathes taps into this weakness, weaving potent magic into the dreams of the unsuspecting citizens. These dreams, imbued with the aboleth’s malevolent will, are vivid and surreal, filled with images of ancient, sunken cities, eldritch runes, and the overwhelming presence of a dark, omnipotent god. A fragment of Xalathes’ consciousness is embedded within those affected. They become puppets of the aboleth’s will, their actions and thoughts subtly influenced to further its dark agenda. These are the Dreambound.
The possessed individuals act in ways that undermine the city’s well-being, spreading dissent, sabotaging structures, and performing evil rituals in hidden corners of the city. Xalathes seeks to weaken the city from within, creating chaos and discord, and eventually, when the time is right, to rise from the dark and reclaim the world that was once under the dominion of its kind.
Adventure Hooks
- Crisis. The High Oracle of Eldoria urgently seeks brave adventurers to investigate the source of these nightmarish dreams and put an end to the growing unease among the populace. The city offers nobility titles and a huge reward for this job (10 XP, 6,000 gp).
Level 8 Adventure
- Danger. Risky. Check for a Random Event every 2 crawling rounds and after loud noises (3-in-6 chance).
- Light. The lava glows a little but not enough to illuminate. All areas are dark. The denizens are dark-adapted.
- Dreambound. All of the people in the dungeon are Eldoria’s citizens. They are thralls under Xalathes’s yoke. It is impossible to reason with any of them. Their loyalty toward the aboleth knows no fear, limits, or boundaries.
| RANDOM ENCOUNTERS d6 | Details |
| 1 | The characters hear eerie whispers in their minds. Xalathes speaks in a forgotten tongue yet they understand its message. “Welcome to my lair mortals. Know that our meeting can only have a single outcome. You shall join the Dreambound, and me”. |
| 2 | The characters fail to spot a tripwire and trigger a trap (DC 14 WIS). Poison darts fly. A random hero loses half their Hit Points. |
| 3 | An animated aboleth statue (stone golem) attacks the party. The mindless construct fights until it is reduced to 0 Hit Points. |
| 4 | The heroes stumble upon a small statuette or Ord. They may meditate for 1 crawling round, if they do, they earn a luck token. |
| 5 | Four cloaked men (cultists) guide two new Dreambound recruits (peasants). They go toward one of the shrines (area 8). when they stumble upon the characters. The peasants, willing to show their newly found devotion, charge into battle. |
| 6 | A small tremor causes a boulder to fall on a random hero. They take 1d10 damage if they do not move on time (DC 14 DEX). |
1. Entrance
The High Oracle senses the core of this evil is hidden in the Sunken Citadel below the city. He gives the heroes clear instructions on how to find this place. After a few hours of traveling underground tunnels, they are greeted by dimly lit corridors, lined with intricate carvings that hint at the once-great civilization now lost to time.
2. Main Landing
Four pedestals at each corner hold skulls with gemstone eyes, casting eerie, flickering shadows across the walls. A teleportation circle lies at the center of the room. One mage, accompanied by two cultists and two thugs appears on the circle when the characters pass.
3. Quarters
Even while possessed, the Dreambound need to rest. And Xalathes never fails to strengthen its grip whenever its goons sleep either here or at home. An apprentice, two thieves, and three peasants defend the place from intruders. They help their friends in area 2 if alerted.
4. Foyer
A desk holds cryptic notes and maps, possibly belonging to a servant of the aboleth. The heroes may spend 1 crawling round reading the papers to learn that the aboleth is a few days away from taking over most of the city.
5. Jars of Meditation
These magical jars feature a button. When pressed once, they produce a sweet lavender smell covering a 40-foot area. They stop if the button is pressed once more. The jars are worth 300 gp each (3 XP). A wraith guardian appears when they are moved from their place, though.
- Trap. The chest at the end of the corridor is a clever illusion. Guided by their greed, a hero may fail to spot the concealed spiked pit (DC 15 WIS). Falling creatures get impaled and take 2d10 damage (DC 18 DEX for half).
6. Archive
The shelves’ content is written in ancient scripts that challenge even the most learned scholars to decipher (DC 20 INT). Whoever succeeds unearths a tome of mordanticus as the reward, 2 crawling rounds later.
7. Antechamber
Four animated armors feel the presence of intruders and fight. The noise draws the attention of the people in the shrine, who arrive in the next combat round.
8. Aboleth’s Shrines
The Dreambound perform rituals and initiations in these two chapel-like chambers, just like Xalathes wants. A total of six peasants, three bandits, two cultists, and one mage are scattered among the two areas. They try to stop the intruders but flee to area 9 if things go sour.
9. Underground Level
The stairs lead to a large area with a 50-foot-high ceiling. The T-shaped catwalk surface with two braziers is one inch above the aboleth’s massive pool. A table at the far end holds luxury meat and exotic fruits. Xalathes enjoys being fed some of the mortals’ foods and delicacies.
10. Pool
Xalathes keeps its water crystal-clear and clean. The bones of past victims lie at the bottom of its pool.
- Encounter. Xalathes’s right hand (assassin) and three bandits defend their submerged master. Any survivors from area 8 are here too. The aboleth fights from the safety of the water, enslaving targets to its will.
Defeating Xalathes is no easy task. The aboleth is clever as a demon and sneaky as a slithering snake. It is cruel and shall not hesitate to use its goons as a shield if needed. The entire city and hundreds of lives could be lost if the aboleth is not stopped, but if the heroes persevere and succeed, they shall be named Heroes of Eldoria.
Innocents Involved
The Dreambound look, work, and act like a cult. But it is composed of innocent people. Heroes may be branded murderers if they hack and slash through every area of the dungeon. The characters are aware of this but are free to choose the best path of action for this quagmire.
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