Claugiyliamatar's Lair

“Claugiyliamatar’s Lair” is balanced for characters of 10th level, though characters of 9th level can survive this quest if they rest between encounters. Characters of any level that attempt to fight Claugiyliamatar head-on will likely meet their demise.

This quest does not appear on the Leilon quest board, but the party likely comes here after learning that Claugiyliamatar poses a threat at the Bronze Shrine (see “Bronze Shrine”).

Location Overview

Claugiyliamatar, nicknamed Old Gnawbone, has laired in a cave in Kryptgarden Forest for nearly two centuries. The dragon’s long-term presence makes the cave a place of primal magic that causes nature to flourish. Dangerous fauna and flora guard Claugiyliamatar’s treasure hoard, which includes several Crystal Ball and statues of powerful female humanoids.

A cabal of evil human druids revere Claugiyliamatar, calling themselves the Gnawbones. They live in the lair, caring for the cave’s guardians and doing anything else the dragon demands. The druids have been on edge recently due to increasing undead attacks and the mounting frustration of Claugiyliamatar.

Each day more of Ularan Mortus’s undead minions journey through Kryptgarden Forest and attack Claugiyliamatar’s lair. Though the dragon and her guardians dispatch the undead with ease, Claugiyliamatar has been unable to discover the source of the attacks. Ularan Mortus’s goal is to weaken the dragon’s mental state with anxiety and frustration so Chardansearavitriol the Ebondeath can possess Claugiyliamatar’s body. The necromancer put one of his lieutenants, an undead warlock named Viantha Cruelhex, in charge of organizing these assaults.

Travel to the Lair

Claugiyliamatar’s lair is seventy miles from Leilon. En route to the dragon’s lair, the characters have the following encounter in Kryptgarden Forest.

Myrkul Patrol

Set the scene by reading the following boxed text aloud:

Through dense vines and foliage ahead, you can see a dancing flame surrounding a floating skull. Shadows move in the greenery nearby, indicating that the fiery being is not traveling alone.

Karanor, a flameskull created by Ularan Mortus, leads Ghoul to Claugiyliamatar’s lair. The number of ghouls present equals the number of characters in the party, not including sidekicks. When the undead notice the characters, they attack. Karanor does not reveal details of its mission unless magically compelled to do so. That said, the flameskull does not know the greater purpose of its mission, only that it has orders from Viantha Cruelhex to attack the lair.

Lair Features

Claugiyliamatar’s Lair is a natural cave system enhanced by the dragon’s magical connection to nature. The cave has an earthy smell and is warm and humid. The following features are common throughout.

Ceilings: The ceilings throughout the cave are 40 feet high.

Light: Phosphorescent moss growing on the walls fills the caves with dim green light, imposing disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Stalagmites: Medium-sized stalagmites are found throughout the cave. When using these stalagmites for protection, a Medium or small creature gains half cover.

Statues: Claugiyliamatar has collected statues of powerful female humanoids from places all over Faerûn and placed them in her lair. Each statue is 10 feet tall and weighs 1,000 pounds. A character knows the figure a statue depicts with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (History) check.

Trees: The trees outside of the lair are 1d6 + 10 feet tall and require no ability checks to climb.

Walls: Wild vines grow on the cave’s walls. Climbing the walls without equipment requires a successful DC 11 Strength (Athletics) check.

Arrival

As the characters approach Claugiyliamatar’s lair, read the following boxed text aloud to set the scene:

A few scattered pine trees stand before a vine-covered cliff. Two large cave openings, partly obscured by hanging greenery, are readily apparent in the cliff’s face, one twenty feet high and the other forty feet high. Slightly north of these gaping openings, a much smaller cave entrance is level with the ground. A dim green glow radiates from all of the entrances.

Ten pikes set with skulls and rotting heads stand in a line before the cliff.

Wood Woad (see appendix A), plant guardians created from humanoid remains by Claugiyliamatar, hide behind vines and watch the nearby forest from area area C1. If the wood woads notice the characters attempting to enter the cave, they climb down and attack. There is one wood woad plus one additional wood woad per two members of the party (rounded down), not including sidekicks.

The cave entrance that leads to area C1 is 40 feet high. The cave entrance that leads to area area C4 is 20 feet high. Climbing the walls of the cliff to reach either entrance requires a successful DC 11 Strength (Athletics) check.

Each pike bears the head of a ghoul, skeleton, wight, or zombie. Claugiyliamatar’s servants placed these trophies as a warning, but the grisly display has done nothing to deter the undead attacks.

Lair Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of Claugiyliamatar’s lair.

C1. Lookout Post

Wood woads (see “area Arrival” above) watch for intruders from this point. If the characters battle the wood woads in this area rather than outside the cave, the druids in area area C3 free the owlbears in area area C2, then arrive as backup at the end of the third round of combat.

Green moss grows over the remains of three headless ghouls stuffed into an alcove in the south.

Gnawbones Druids

The Gnawbones are lawful evil female human Druid who speak Common, Draconic, and Druidic and have 45 hit points each. The druids worship Claugiyliamatar as a god, and the dragon teaches them to cast spells.

The druids attack intruders on sight. A character can stop the druids' attacks by claiming to be allies of Claugiyliamatar and succeeding on a DC 15 Charisma (Deception) check made as an action. The druids lead characters they believe to be allies of Claugiyliamatar to the dragon (area area C13). If the characters capture a druid and makes a successful DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation) check the druid leads them to the dragon.

Characters could encounter the following four Gnawbones druids in the lair:

Argina Therrow: The leader of the Gnawbones is a tall, thin human in her late sixties who covers herself in green body paint to honor Claugiyliamatar. The dragon devoured bandits attacking Argina when she was a young girl. Argina sees Claugiyliamatar as a savior of those who devote themselves to the dragon and is fanatical in her loyalty.

Delis Venomcauldron: Delis is a middle-aged human with a shaved head and a face scarred with alchemical burns. She joined the Gnawbones after murdering her cruel husband with poison and fleeing civilization. The alchemist has a wicked sense of humor and an obsession with poisons.

Saija Hurwi: Sajia joined the Gnawbones after hearing tales of Claugiyliamatar’s prowess with nature magic. The eighteen-year old human prefers the company of animals to people and often speaks of her desire to help beasts conquer Faerûn.

Zuri Kimyak: Zuri is a short woman in her twenties with wild black hair dyed with a streak of green. She joined the Gnawbones after learning she had a green dragon ancestor and feels a kinship with Claugiyliamatar. Except for dragons and her fellow Gnawbones, Zuri sees all other creatures as inferior and worthy of only distain.

C2. Owlbear Pens

Two 10-foot-cubic iron cages stand in the north end of this cavern. Unless the druids from area C3 opened the cages to aid with a disturbance in area C1, each cage contains a sleeping owlbear. The cage doors are locked with latches on the outside, which can be undone or relocked as an action.

If the owlbears are freed, they attack the characters. If the owlbears are not in the presence of Claugiyliamatar or a Gnawbones druid, a character who uses an action to make a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling) convinces the owlbear to stop attacking. The owlbear resumes its attack if it is damaged, threatened, or commanded to do so by Claugiyliamatar or a Gnawbones druid.

C3. Gnawbones Camp

A small black iron cauldron bubbles over a low campfire. Four woven moss mats sit on the ground nearby. If the druids have not left to investigate a disturbance in area area C1, Delis Venomcauldron stirs the cauldron while talking with Argina Therrow, who sits on one of the mats. See the “area Gnawbones Druids” sidebar for more information.

Pot of Poison

The cauldron contains an almost finished batch of ten doses of Truth Serum (see “Poisons” in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). A character who is proficient with a poisoner’s kit recognizes the recipe and can spend 10 minutes finishing the poison.

Secret Poison Pit

Delis keeps her poison vials hidden in a 1-foot-deep, 1-foot-diameter hole in the ground covered by her sleeping mat. Creatures with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 14 or higher notice that the mat dips slightly in the middle. A creature that moves the mat disturbs the swarm of poisonous snakes guarding the poisons. In addition to the snakes, the pit contains three vials of Serpent Venom, two vials of Assassin’s Blood, and a vial of Malice (see “Poisons” in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).

C4. Enchanting Spore Cavern

The remains of ghouls, skeletons, zombies, and some other undead lay scattered across this cavern, torn to pieces by Claugiyliamatar. A creature with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 17 of higher notices that the surfaces of the chamber are covered with a very fine green dust. This dust is made of tiny, hallucinogenic spores created by moss in the chamber. A detect magic spell reveals that the moss and spores radiate auras of enchantment magic.

Whenever a creature enters this cavern, it must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a success, the creature is immune to the effect of the spores for 24 hours. On a failed save, the creature is poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned, the creature is delirious and feels the need to frolic. At the start of its turn, the poisoned creature rolls on the Frolic Direction table and moves its full speed in a direction indicated by the roll. The creature moves in a straight line that direction without regard for its own safety, stumbling into hazards and obstacles or over ledges. If a creature runs into a statue, stalagmite, or wall and still has movement left, the creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 feet of remaining movement (rounded down). The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

Frolic Direction

Statues

Four statues in this lair depict the following figures (see the “area Lair Features” sidebar):

Vajra Safahr is a human depicted with short hair, fine but practical clothing, and a thin, wolf-headed, rune-covered staff, which is taller than her. She is the current Blackstaff and Archmage of Waterdeep.

Lady Aribeth de Tylmarande is a half-elf depicted wearing plate armor emblazoned with the symbol of Tyr (balanced scales resting on a warhammer). She was a heroic paladin who attacked Neverwinter when the city’s leaders unjustly executed her lover.

Danica Bonaduce is a lean-muscled human wearing simple clothing. She has her fists raised in an unarmed fighting stance. She was a heroic monk and the lady of the now-ruined Spirit Soaring cathedral in the Snowflake Mountains.

Laerel Silverhand is a human with long hair in elaborate braids, wearing magnificent flowing robes. She is the Open Lord of Waterdeep, and one of the Seven Sisters chosen by Mystra.

C5. Vine Stairway

Assassin Vine hide among the foliage on the walls of this stairway. There is one assassin vine per member of the party, including sidekicks. The vines are controlled by Claugiyliamatar’s magic and attack only intruders.

C6. Phase Spider Den

Webs cover the walls and ceilings of this chamber. Sajia Hurwi and Zuri Kimyak (see the “area Gnawbones Druids” sidebar) feed ghoul remains to the Phase Spider living in this cavern. There is one phase spider plus one additional phase spider per member of the party, not including sidekicks. The spiders and druids attack when they notice the characters. The druids command the spiders to push the characters into the webs.

If the characters defeat Sajia and Zuri and the phase spiders are not in the presence of Claugiyliamatar or other Gnawbones druids, a character who uses an action to make a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling) convinces the spider to stop attacking. The spider resumes its attack if it is damaged, threatened, or commanded to do so by Claugiyliamatar or a Gnawbones druid.

A creature that touches the webs on the walls must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or become restrained. A restrained creature can use its action to try to escape, freeing itself with a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. A creature that can reach the restrained creature can also make this check as an action, freeing the restrained creature on a success.

C7. Slime Pool Overlook

This small ledge overlooks the slime pool with a 10-foot-long, 2-foot-diameter mossy log sitting near the ledge. The log can be used to bridge the slime pool between this area and area C9. Crossing the slippery log requires a successful DC 12 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. A creature that fails this check slips and falls in the slime below.

C8. Slime Pools

These pools bubble with a dark green slime and are 15 feet deep. Swimming through the viscous slime requires a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check. A creature that fails this check is restrained by the slime and sinks 1d4 + 1 feet into the pool. At the start of the creature’s turns, it sinks another 1d4 feet. As long as the creature isn’t completely submerged in the slime, it can escape by using its action and succeeding on a Strength (Athletics) check. The DC is 12 plus the number of feet the creature has sunk into the slime. A creature fully submerged in slime can’t breathe (see “Suffocating” in chapter 8 of the Player’s Handbook).

A creature can pull another creature within its reach out of a slime pool by using its action and succeeding on a Strength (Athletics) check. The DC is 7 plus the number of feet the target creature has sunk into the slime.

A creature that comes into contact with the slime takes 11 (2d10) acid damage. The creature takes this damage again at the start of each of its turns until the slime is scraped off or destroyed.

Pushing Vines

A detect magic spell reveals that the vines directly above the slime pools radiate an aura of transmutation magic. Claugiyliamatar enchanted the vines to unfurl and attack creatures that fly over the pools, other than the dragon herself. When such a creature flies over a slime pool, it must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 11 (2d10) bludgeoning damage and be pushed into the slime pool.

Slime Tunnel

A 5-foot-diameter tunnel connects the slime pools. A creature with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 15 or higher notices the very top of the tunnel peeking above the pool.

Statues

There are four stone islands in the largest slime pool that hold statues depicting the following figures (see the “area Lair Features” sidebar):

Dynaheir is a human wearing simple robes, with a talisman of a stern-faced man around her neck. She was one of the famed Witches of Rashemen and a hero of Baldur’s Gate.

Alusair Nacacia Obarskyr is a human wearing plate armor and carrying a shield emblazoned with the image of a dragon. She was a brave knight who served as the regent of Cormyr.

Storm Silverhand is a human wearing chain mail and wielding a longsword with a winged hilt. She is one of the Seven Sisters chosen by Mystra.

Dove Falconhand is a human with a longbow strapped across her back. She wears plate armor and wields a longsword. She was one of the Seven Sisters chosen by Mystra.

C9. Zuri’s Hidden Hoard

A 5-foot-square patch of moss in the center of this area hides a spiked pit trap. A creature notices the moss is not actually attached to the ground with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. A Medium or smaller creature that steps on the moss falls 10 feet onto the poisoned spikes at the pit’s bottom, taking 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage and 11 (2d10) piercing damage, and it must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Treasure

A potion of poison, a silvered warhammer, a diamond worth 500 gp, and 238 gp are scattered on the bottom of the pit. Zuri Kimyak (see the “area Gnawbones Druids” sidebar) keeps a hidden stash of treasure for herself in the pit. Zuri knows Claugiyliamatar will kill her if the dragon finds out that the druid keeps her own secret treasure. If Zuri notices the characters poking about her hoard or carrying the potion, warhammer, or diamond from her stash, she attacks with any other allies she can muster, no matter what arrangement the characters have with the dragon or other druids.

C10. Bridge

This bridge hangs 20 feet above the slime pool (see area area C8). A wood woad (see appendix A) stands just west of the bridge, next to a large wooden lever that sticks out of the cave floor. When an intruder crosses the bridge, the wood woad pulls the lever.

As an action, a creature that can reach the lever can pull it, causing the bridge to suddenly part in the middle and both its halves to swing downward. Creatures on the bridge must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a success, the creature runs off of the bridge and onto the safety the closest cave floor. On a failure, the creature falls 20 feet into the slime pool. As an action, the lever can be pulled again, returning the bridge to its original state.

C11. Statue Overlook

Creatures that stand on this small plateau 10 feet above area area C13 might be noticed by Claugiyliamatar.

Statues

Two statues in this area depict the following figures (see the “area Lair Features” sidebar):

Catti-brie is a human wearing a flowing dress that exposes symbols on her arms. One is the seven-pointed star of Mystra. The other is the unicorn symbol of Mielikki. She belongs to a famous adventuring party, the Companions of Mithral Hall.

Ammalia Cassalanter is a human dressed in rich finery. She is a powerful enchanter and noble living in the city of Waterdeep.

C12. Map Room

Read the following boxed text aloud to describe this area:

Vines on the north and south walls of this cavern form almost perfect circles around twenty-foot-diameter patches of moss. The oddly glowing green growth on the north wall depicts a city map, and the south wall displays a map of the Sword Coast. Both maps are dotted with Draconic runes.

Claugiyliamatar’s magical connection to her lair allows her to control the moss in this room to keep track of her various humanoid spies along the Sword Coast. She has a separate map for Waterdeep, where most of her machinations take place. A character who has been to Waterdeep or who succeeds on a DC 12 Intelligence (History) check knows that the north map depicts the city.

A character who understands Draconic knows that each rune is a single letter of the Draconic alphabet. Each depicted rune is different from the others and represents a different agent working for the dragon. There are no runes near Leilon. In addition to Waterdeep, Claugiyliamatar has agents in the cities of Luskan, Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter, and Elturel.

Hidden Message

A character who examines the Sword Coast map notices a message written in tiny carved Draconic runes at the top of the map with a successful DC 19 Wisdom (Perception) check. The message reads, “When the seven are united, the wall falls and the gold flows.” This is a reminder Claugiyliamatar left for herself about how to access her treasure hoard (area area C14), for she believes one day her ancient brain may no longer remember such details.

C13. Claugiyliamatar’s Cavern

Claugiyliamatar spends most of her time in this cavern, looking into her Crystal Ball to find the source of the undead that attack her lair. When the characters enter this area and can see the green dragon, read the following boxed text aloud to describe this area:

Small puffs of foul-smelling green gas emit from the nostrils of a titanic dragon with dull olive scales. The tips of her massive wings and the edges of the frills along her head and spine are black with age beyond mortal reason. She stares into four glowing crystal balls, her serpentine face curled into a wicked scowl around a humanoid femur bone poking out between her teeth. Attacking such a powerful being would almost surely result in your demise.

Claugiyliamatar is an ancient green dragon of immense power. You can find her stats in Appendix A: Creatures.

Roleplaying Claugiyliamatar

Claugiyliamatar does not attack the characters unless they try to harm or steal from her. The shrewd dragon immediately suspects that the characters are not allied with the undead attacking her lair and believes she might be able to put them to work finding answers for her, especially since they bested her lair’s defenses to reach her.

Claigiyliamatar is jealous of powerful female humanoids who get to participate in the backstabbing, intrigue, and machinations of political nobility. Before she asks the characters why they have come to her lair, she demands that they state where they come from, then demands to hear any gossip or rumors the characters might know from the Sword Coast. If the characters can offer a salacious tidbit (such as rumors about the ghosts of the Swords of Leilon or the people rebuilding the town) and a successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, or they succeed on a DC 20 Charisma (Deception) check to offer a fake rumor, the dragon asks them why they have come to her lair. If the characters mention one of the cities with a Draconic rune depicted in her map room (area C12), they gain advantage on the Charisma check made to influence Claugiyliamatar. If the characters cannot mention a rumor Claugiyliamatar believes or likes, she tells them to go away and return when they have some gossip for her.

Once the characters offer the dragon an appropriate rumor, she answers any questions they have honestly with the following information:

• She explains escalating undead attacks on her lair.
• Claugiyliamatar cannot find the commander of the undead through her crystal balls. The green dragon believes the closest place to search for a necromancer is Leilon, so she had planned to threaten the people there for information (and make good on those threats if no information is offered).
• After meeting the characters, she has decided to modify her plan…for now. The dragon knows from questioning previous undead invaders that they are loyal to an undead mage named Viantha Cruelhex. Claugiyliamatar is so far unable to use her crystal balls to spy on the undead, and all the servants she sent to capture Viantha have not returned. She asks the characters to capture or kill Viantha, returning with the prisoner or the deathlock’s remains for questioning (see “area Finding Viantha"). In exchange for Viantha, Claugiyliamatar agrees to leave Leilon alone.

Treasure

Claugiyliamatar has a crystal ball, a crystal ball of mind reading, a crystal ball of telepathy, and a crystal ball of true seeing. Each is mounted on a 10-foot-high brass pedestal. The green dragon placed a powerful enchantment on her Crystal Ball to deter their theft. If a crystal ball is removed from the lair, it ceases to function until it is returned to the lair.

C14. Claugiyliamatar’s Hoard

The raised plateau that holds Claugiyliamatar’s treasure hoard is 20 feet high. The north and south edges of the plateau’s edge each hold two statues (see “Statues” below). A character who makes a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check notices three slight divots with a 5-foot diameter in the plateau floor between the two pairs of statues. A detect magic spell reveals that these divots radiate auras of abjuration magic.

A permanent floor-to-ceiling wall of force created by Claugiyliamatar runs from the north wall to the south wall, between the statues and the treasure hoard. The area west of the wall of force is obscured by trapped green gas, but a character who makes a successful DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check notices a pile of treasure slightly silhouetted in the gas.

Characters can destroy the wall in the following ways:

• A character who casts the disintegrate spell destroys the wall.
• If the statues of Dove Falconhand (in area area C8” below) in the divots, the wall is destroyed. The wall reforms if any of the statues on the plateau are removed. If a statue other than those three is placed in a divot, the statue explodes with violent force. Each creature within 10 feet of the statue must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 33 (6d10) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

If the wall is destroyed, the gas behind it immediately expands, filling all of area C13 and C14. A creature that enters or starts its turn in the gas must make DC 22 Constitution saving throw, taking 77 (22d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Creatures and objects in the gas are lightly obscured. The gas remains for 24 hours. A moderate wind (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses the gas after 4 hours. A strong wind (at least 20 miles per hour) disperses it after 1 hour.

Statues

Four statues in this area depict the following figures (see the “area Lair Features” sidebar):

Anastra Syluné Silverhand is a human wearing a simple dress and carrying two halves of a broken staff. She died battling three dragons and was one of the Seven Sisters chosen by Mystra.

Lady Alustriel Silverhand is a human wearing long flowing robes and carrying a unicorn-headed staff. She served as the leader of Silverymoon for many years and is one of the Seven Sisters chosen by Mystra.

Alassra Shentrantra Silverhand, also known as Simbul, is a human with long, wild hair and wearing flowing robes. She was the queen of Aglarond and one of the Seven Sisters chosen by Mystra.

Qilué Veladorn is a drow wearing elegant robes, with hair that comes down to her ankles. She was one of the Seven Sisters chosen by Mystra.

Treasure

Claugiyliamatar’s treasure hoard contains a +2 war pick, a wand of magic detection, a spell scroll of speak with dead, seven emeralds worth 1,000 gp each, 1,339 pp, and 14,235 gp. If the characters steal the dragon’s treasure while she still lives, she begins hunting them as soon as she is able to do so.

Finding Viantha

After speaking with Claugiyliamatar in her lair, the characters likely want to find Viantha Cruelhex in Kryptgarden Forest. Each day the characters search the forest, have them choose one character to act as the guide. At the end of each day the guide makes a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check. On a successful check, the characters find Viantha (see “area Viantha Found"). On a check failed by 4 or less, the characters get close and run into undead (see “Undead Encounter”). On a check failed by 5 or more, the characters find nothing.

Undead Encounter

The characters run into random undead from the Undead Encounters table. The undead run amuck in the forest on their way to Claugiyliamatar’s lair and fight the characters to the death. The undead are loyal to Viantha and do not lead the characters to the deathlock unless magically compelled to do so.

Undead Encounters

Viantha Found

When the characters find Viantha, read the following boxed text aloud to set the scene:

A strange, mystical chanting in a dry, crackling voice and a rank smell come from a small clearing ahead. At the center of this area, a robed woman with gray, cracked skin and red points of light where her eyes should be waves a wand made of bone in the air.

Viantha Cruelhex is a deathlock mastermind (see appendix A) in the process of summoning more undead to harass Claugiyliamatar with a magical ritual. Before the characters can attack, Viantha summons specters to her side. There is one specter for every member of the party, not including sidekicks. Viantha and the specters fight until captured or destroyed.

Roleplaying Viantha

If the characters restrain Viantha with chains or manacles, she willingly goes with them to Claugiyliamatar’s lair, but says nothing unless magically compelled to do so. All the deathlock knows of Ularan Mortus’s plans is that the necromancer wants her to keep attacking the dragon’s lair.

Return to the Lair

If the characters return to Claugiyliamatar’s lair with Viantha (or the deathlock’s remains), the green dragon thanks the characters. Unfortunately, the ghost of Ebondeath’s is nearby, waiting for this opportunity. Before she can say anything else, the dragon undergoes a terrible change, which is conveyed by reading the following boxed text aloud to the players:

Claugiyliamatar falls to the floor, and her whole body begins to shake violently. Her tail thrashes, reducing stalagmites to dust and thunderously colliding with the cave’s walls. The dragon foams at the mouth as a dark, swirling shadow flies into the cave and snakes up into her nostrils. Then, as suddenly as Claugiyliamatar’s violent fit started, it stops.

After a short pause, the dragon’s eyes snap open, revealing her once-green irises to be black, lightless pits. “I, Chardansearavitriol the Ebondeath, have returned! Praise be to Myrkul!”

After Chardansearavitriol possesses Claugiyliamatar’s body, the dragon has some initial disorientation while getting used to the new form. Rather than fight in such a state, Chardansearavitriol flees the lair, returning to Ularan Mortus in the Mere of Dead Men.

As the dragon leaves, a sword wraith commander (see appendix A) plus one sword wraith warrior (see appendix A) per two members of the party (rounded down), not including sidekicks, invade the lair. The sword wraiths are loyal to Ularan Mortus and attack the characters, fighting to the death.