This adventuring supplement is designed for D&D5e. On out Patreon page you can get it in PDF format (see image). The downloads include hi-res images for the maps. And there is a variant PDF version designed for Shadowdark RPG.
Life is but a cycle blessed or doomed to be repeated. None can truly escape this fate. For to live is to thrive, grow, die, rot, and finally, to be reborn…
Ode to Rebirth
The fabled temple is located by the southeast limits of El-Unore Reaches, it is a beacon of hope and optimism for the worried fey beings in the realm. The Temple of Rebirth houses a magnificent, gilded effigy of a phoenix with seven eyes. The elusive fey creature is the source of legends and tales in the Feywild. The phoenix was chosen for the temple as it symbolizes the return from the ashes; a rebirth that long ago occurred when a dying elvish prince was revived by his sibling, the princess. Her tears brought his soul back from the veil on a new chance at life.
Centaur druids built this temple ages ago to house a fabled relic that is said to be the princess’s solidified tear. The druids split this stone, the Orb of Rebirth, into three parts to protect its power, so easily accessible to mages. According to some legends, the tear can be used to bring back to life any creature that recently perished.
Level 3 Dungeon
- Danger. Risky. Check for a Random Encounter every 20 minutesand after loud noises (4-in-6 chance).
- Light. Some areas have sconces or braziers with permanent light spells. All denizens have darkvision.
- De-Aging. Living beings in the Temple of Rebirth become 1 month younger for each hour spent in the dungeon. If the characters spend large periods within the temple, young adventurers may become too young and frail to continue their adventuring lives for a time.
The Orb of Rebirth
This dungeon houses the Orb of Rebirth, the strongest artifact of the triad. As the embodiment of rebirth, the orb is an iridescent sphere of quartz-like material. The orb is split into three pieces, located in areas 2, 3, and 8. The pieces must be moved to the pedestal in area 10 for the characters to gain access to its power. This valiant task incurs great danger as each chamber poses a deadly challenge. Only a character with spellcasting abilities can interact with the artifact (see below).
A spellcaster can absorb the orb’s power (DC 14 Arcana/ Religion check). On a success, the spellcaster gains two uses of the orb’s power. On a fail, the spellcaster gains a single use. Critical failure wastes the orb’s power. In all three cases, the orb becomes dormant for eons to come. Heroes have advantage in checks related to the orb if they receive the Eladrin’s Blessing before coming here.
The Orb’s Power. The spellcaster can touch the body of a deceased person who has been dead for no longer than 10 days. The subject returns to life. They regenerate any missing limbs and they regain all their memories.
| RANDOM ENCOUNTERS d6 | Details |
| 1 | The dungeon pulses and three shadows emerge from the walls to attack the living. They beg for a swift death. |
| 2 | A vision assails the characters (DC 12 Charisma). In it, two centaur blacksmiths use chisels and hammers to split a large glass-like, iridescent stone into three parts. The three pieces are separated and placed in different chambers for safeguarding. |
| 3 | A character steps on a pressure plate and triggers the release of a barrage of poisoned darts (DC 12 Dexterity / 2d6 damage). |
| 4 | Stepping on a floor tile triggers a deluge of a dark, orange, deadly fluid (DC 12 Perception). An ochre jelly emerges and attacks! |
| 5 | The orb pieces pulse and release a wave of rejuvenating energy. Living creatures within the dungeon become 1d8 years younger. |
| 6 | A satyr named Ironhorn arrives at the dungeon (unless he already is with the party). Ironhorn lives in Satyr Grove and has vowed to defend the realm against the corrupting influence of the Heart of Decay. He wishes to join the party. |
1. Temple’s Entrance
To reach the Temple of Rebirth, the characters must travel southeast of Y’renlune and reach a small elvish hamlet named Lillies’ Pass. From there, it is only a two-hour walk to a strange rock formation in the forest north of town. An opening leads down a meandering passage that ends up at a descending staircase. It leads here.
2. The First Orb Piece
A chunk of iridescent, quartz-like stone floats on a pedestal. It is flanked by bone-littered granite niches.
- Guardians. Before the characters can reach the orb piece, the bones on the niches rattle and coalesce into two skeletons and two zombies. Fast characters (DC 15 Dexterity) can hit a bone pile before they transform.
- The Orb Piece. The orb always floats at the same height. It can be pushed around by a strong creature (DC 13 Athletics). If reunited with another orb piece, both chunks move together but do not join except in area 10.
3. The Second Orb Piece
This chamber is identical to area 2 in how the orb piece is retrieved and the combat challenge that precedes it.
- Wisdom of the Druids. After the characters overcome the combat challenge, the astral projection of two centaur druids appears in the middle of the chamber. They speak to the characters in Sylvan and offer to reveal an important piece of information to each (1d6): A fabled blade lies in the Tomb of the Fey Knights.
- The last emergence of the Heart of Decay occurred 1,200 years ago. It has happened many times.
- The three orbs must be disabled to reach the heart.
- The Orb of Rebirth is the only orb artifact whose powers can be exploited by mere mortals.
- The gem-filled goblets in area 6 are a deadly trap.
- The Avatar of Rot lies in the core of the Heart of Decay. Only the strongest can aspire to defeat it.
4. Fire-Breathing Engines
Bursts of flames hinder passage in this hallway. The fire jets have a strange, difficult-to-predict rhythm.
This trap-filled hallway is the only route to area 5. Four 5-foot-deep alcoves house a clockwork engine. The engines produce 10-foot fire jets. Creatures caught in the flames take 4d6 damage. A character can attempt to cross quickly once the fire stops to avoid the flames (DC 16 Dexterity). The characters can spend 10 minutes to study the pulsing rhythm (DC 14 Intelligence). On a success, they gain advantage on the check.
5. Runic Circle
A spellcaster can spend 10 minutes studying the rune-scribed circle in the middle of the chamber to determine that it can be used with the teleportation circle spell to access this chamber remotely. The rune sequence can be transcribed by a wizard into a spellbook for later use.
6. Gems for Fools
A study-like chamber is attached to a strange structure with six 2-foot-wide passages of varying lengths. A gem-filled goblet sits at the end of each narrow corridor.
- The Lie. Spending 10 minutes inspecting the documents reveals a ledger that registers the six goblets. According to it, the second to last goblet is genuine; denouncing the rest of them as clever illusions.
- The Goblets. In reality, the deceitful goblets are filled with worthless quartz impregnated with a deadly touch poison. Creatures that handle the quartz stones drop to 0 HP and start dying (DC 14 Constitution).
7. Hidden Vault
A detect magic spell reveals a faint aura in the standing vases and the wooden chests in the narrow passages. Alas, they were spell traps that have degraded after the ages. The chests are empty; the documents are rotten.
8. The Third Orb Piece
The floating orb piece pulses erratically as a sliver of dark energy appears to be housed within its crystalline substance. One side is severely cracked.
The Heart of Decay’s influence has caused something that never occurred in past emergences: It has started to take over this chunk of the Orb of Rebirth. Normally, the orb would withstand this imbalance of primal energies but its separation by the centaur druids brought forth this unforeseen consequence. Alas, it may still take a few more occurrences of the Heart of Decay in the millennia to come for it to overtake this magical artifact.
- Treasure. Lying on one of the pedestals is an engraved short-length blade, a dagger of venom.
9. Vault of the Fey
This chamber contains three stone coffers and four clay vases sealed with rope and seared candle wax.
- Treasure. The coffers contain 1,400 gp, 750 sp, one potion of healing, and a +1 longsword. The four vases contain an ancient elvish liquor (100 gp each).
10. Hall of the Great Phoenix
A gilded, phoenix effigy of incredible craftsmanship overtakes this chapel-like chamber. The bird’s visage has seven green eyes that gaze at all who approach.
Pushing the floating orb fragments to the pedestal before the phoenix effigy causes the orb to assemble into one piece. The effigy’s seven eyes glimmer in the haze.
- Guardians. A centaur wight appears (extra 10 HP). It has vowed to eternally keep the orb from mortals. Six skeletons join the battle in round 3 (see area 11).
- The Artifact. The characters now have access to this mighty item (see Orb of Rebirth above). How they make use of its boon may change the course of this campaign.
11. Side Tombs
Each one of these chambers contains three stone sarcophagi. Each enclosure contains a skeleton (six in total). The undead emerged if disturbed or during round 3 of the confrontation that occurs in area 10.
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