The Sargauth Level is designed for four 7th-level characters, and characters who defeat the monsters on this level should gain enough XP to reach 8th level. This level of Undermountain is connected to the subterranean settlement of Skullport by way of tunnels, as well as the River Sargauth itself (see “Skullport”). More ancient than Skullport is the town of Stromkuhldur, whose ruins lie half-buried in the heart of the Sargauth Level. Goblinoids and drow vie for control of these ruins, which were previously inhabited by the Netherese and the Melairkyn dwarves.
What Dwells Here?
The subterranean town of Stromkuhldur lies divided in chunks by ancient cave-ins that drove away its original inhabitants. Since then, many factions have fought over this outpost. Currently the drow of House Auvryndar and the goblinoids of the Legion of Azrok are teetering on the brink of a war that Halaster and the Xanathar Guild both seek to foment.
House Auvryndar
A drow priestess of Lolth named T’rissa Auvryndar and her retinue have assumed control of a section of Stromkuhldur (area area 20) and converted a temple once dedicated to Dumathoin into a hatchery for giant spiders. Under T’rissa’s command, the drow have begun secret experiments using humanoids as incubators for giant spider eggs.
Legion of Azrok
Azrok, the son of a hobgoblin warlord, was born blind. Such a curse would ordinarily have spelled his doom in hobgoblin society, but Azrok’s mother was a sorcerer, and she refused to allow her son’s misfortune to dictate his destiny. She crafted a
Age granted Azrok wisdom and the desire to carve out a domain of his own. He led his forces to Stromkuhldur, and they rid the place of grimlocks and troglodytes that dwelled there. He sired an heir, ensuring that his legacy would last beyond his lifetime. His son, Azrokkog, chafed at his father’s sedentary nature and left to wage wars of his own, eventually returning to Undermountain with a new name—Doomcrown—and a new purpose (see “Level 14: Arcturiadoom”).
The Legion of Azrok, which has lived in Stromkuhldur for three decades, is in turmoil. Azrok was recently forced to give up a portion of his domain to encroaching drow, and did so with nary a fight. This has sent shock waves through his legion. What caused this strange lack of courage in their great warlord? Has age finally taken its toll?
In reality, a band of duergar thieves posing as merchants recently stole Azrok’s
The hobgoblins under Azrok remain loyal to him, but many of the goblins and bugbears have fled to Skullport to join the Xanathar Guild. Compounding Azrok’s and Lurkana’s woes is the likelihood that House Auvryndar is planning another attack to seize more territory. Fears of a Xanathar Guild offensive emerging from Skullport also play in the back of Azrok’s mind. Meanwhile, Lurkana searches for aid in finding the duergar thieves who stole the
Side Quest: Retrieve Azrok’s Dagger
Adventurers who enter western Stromkuhldur (area area 21) are brought before Azrok and Lurkana (in area area 21n) as a manner of protocol. After Azrok guarantees their safety in his settlement, Lurkana takes them aside and offers a reward for the safe return of her husband’s magic dagger. She emphasizes that without the dagger, the invading drow and the Xanathar Guild might conquer Stromkuhldur and become immensely more powerful. She reminds the adventurers that the Legion of Azrok has never once threatened Waterdeep—but the drow or the guild might leap at the chance to do just that.
Lurkana knows that the thieves who stole the dagger are duergar of Clan Ironeye, and she thinks they might be hiding in Skullport. (Characters who make discreet inquiries in Skullport can learn that a large contingent of duergar from Clan Ironeye resupplied in Skullport and drank ale at a local tavern called the Black Tankard before heading deeper into Undermountain. The tavern’s tight-lipped duergar proprietor, Droon Stonedark, denies everything. The characters can catch up to the duergar of Clan Ironeye on level 6.)
If the characters accept her quest, Lurkana suggests they search Skullport first and points them in the right direction (beyond area area 23). She also suggests that they speak with Skullport’s ambassador to Stromkuhldur (the mind flayer in area area 21g) to see if it knows anything. She cautions them not to harm the ambassador in any way, so as not to fray relations any further.
Reward: In exchange for the dagger, Lurkana is prepared to pay 1,000 gp delivered in a locked chest along with the key. If the characters demand more, she is willing to increase the payment to 1,500 gp and throw in two bugbears and five goblins as bodyguards and scouts. Unknown to Lurkana, two of the goblins have intellect devourers in their skulls and act as secret spies for Xanathar. The bugbears and other goblins serve the adventurers well, but being evil and greedy, they become increasingly difficult to control over time.
Sea Hags of the Sargauth
Eager to expunge the drow occupying his dungeon, Halaster has summoned a coven of sea hags from the frigid waters of the River Sargauth. The hags have gathered followers that oppose the drow, including grimlocks and troglodytes.
Exploring This Level
All location descriptions for this level are keyed to map 3. As one gets closer to the River Sargauth, the echoes of its sluggish waters become ambient.
1. Catacombs
These catacombs are part of a temple complex formerly dedicated to the dwarven god Dumathoin, patron of mining and exploration and the protector of the dwarven dead. The catacombs have the following features:
Carvings. The smooth-carved walls bear engraved imagery of mountains marbled with veins of glittering minerals, and the marble floor is caked in dust.
Tombs. Shelf-like niches carved into the walls are stacked three high. Each of these open tombs contains the dust-covered bones of a long-dead dwarf.
The dwarves laid to rest here were all worshipers of Dumathoin. Characters who search each shelf also find fragments of metal armor so old that they turn to dust at the lightest touch, as well as tiny stone beads with holes bored through them. A character who inspects the beads and succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (
2. Dead Explorer
The partially rotted remains of a male human lie in a corner of this cavern. What’s left of his face is twisted into a silent scream.
A successful DC 13 Wisdom (
3. Grick Ambush
Three Grick hide at the end of this tunnel and attempt to ambush the characters.
4. Webbed Tunnels
Spiderwebs drape across these tunnels, clinging to creatures as they pass until the webs are brushed or burned away. Ghostly faces glimpsed in the webs are actually random patterns among the threads.
Web-covered areas count as difficult terrain, but they’re not strong enough to restrain anyone. A character can use an action to burn a 5-foot cube of web with a torch or to cast a spell that deals fire damage, which clears all the webs in the spell’s area.
4a. Wandering Quaggoths
Three Quaggoth serving as guards for the drow are patrolling this 10-foot-high area. When they detect intruders, one tries to run to area area 5 to sound the alarm while the remaining two attack. On the second round of combat, the clamor attracts the spiders in area area 4b.
4b. Phase Spider Lair
Four Phase Spider lurk in this 20-foot-high cave. If they hear the characters approaching, they shift to the Ethereal Plane and try to ambush the characters.
4c. Gobbled Goblins
Webs. This cave is filled with webs. Several 3-foot-long bundles wrapped in spider silk are suspended in the webs.
Strange Face. Spiders have woven a giant, webbed face of Halaster that looks down from the 20-foot-high ceiling with hollow eyes.
Stained Floor. The uneven floor is stained a rusty red.
The drow feed wandering goblins to the phase spiders. A character who succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (
5. House Auvryndar
This area outside the old temple of Dumathoin marks the beginning of the drow settlement. All the chambers have flat, 10-foot-high ceilings.
5a. Welcoming Committee
Guards. Four Quaggoth guard this entryway. If any quaggoths fled from area area 4a, they are waiting here, along with a male drow mage named Ilnor Telenna, who has come to investigate.
Webs. Thick cobwebs stretch between the walls and form a canopy across the ceiling, from which hundreds of tiny spiders dangle on silken threads.
Web Bundles. Two large bundles of spider silk flank the entry door.
The spider silk bundles are sticky but easily torn open to reveal two stout statues of dwarves—one bearing a pickaxe, the other a chisel and hammer.
5b. Troglodyte Fools
Miners. Sparkling veins of gold stripe this hall. These minerals were preserved by the ancient dwarves for their natural beauty, but currently four Troglodyte—slaves of the drow—are mining the veins with pickaxes. (If the troglodytes hear combat in area area 5a, they drop their pickaxes and flee to area area 6.)
Webs. The ceiling is covered with webs that conceal a giant spider. It attacks the adventurers from above.
Door. The west door to area area 6 is emblazoned with a bronze relief of a mountain with a fist-sized depression in its center. The door is locked.
Bronze Relief Door
A successful DC 13 Intelligence (
Treasure
The gold veins are actually pyrite (fool’s gold), which a character can determine by succeeding on a DC 13 Intelligence (
5c. Prison
Cells. The west end of this hall has six cells with barred doors of rusted iron.
Grimlocks. Six Grimlock terrorize the prisoners in the cells by reaching between the bars with bone clubs. (They don’t have keys to unlock the cells.)
T’rissa Auvryndar (see area area 6) carries the keys to the cells. The lock on each cell door can be picked with thieves' tools and a successful DC 10 Dexterity check. The rusty bars can be torn away from a door with a successful DC 21 Strength (
- Geldax Breer (NG male half-elf commoner) occupies the easternmost cell. He is a Waterdavian lamplighter abducted several nights ago by the drow (and doomed to become a sacrifice to Lolth unless he escapes).
- Lurrash, an unarmed male hobgoblin, occupies the next cell. He is loyal to Warlord Azrok, and the drow are planning to interrogate him for information.
- The next cell is occupied by the maggot-laced corpse of a grell that starved to death while in captivity.
- The three westernmost cells are occupied by armed male drow named Quave, Narlros, and T’mek. They are being tested by T’rissa Auvryndar, who is hungry for a new consort. The drow are all malnourished and have weeping wounds from the lashes of a scourge. Each has 8 hit points remaining. While locked in their cells, they attack intruders they can see with their hand crossbows.
5d. Sun Elf
The door to this chamber is barred from the outside. Confined inside is a prisoner named Marta Moonshadow. Fascinated by drow culture, Marta hoped to join the ranks of House Auvryndar but was captured and locked up instead. She seeks an opportunity to prove her worth to the drow.
Marta is a sun elf mage, with these changes:
- Marta is neutral evil.
- She has the following racial traits: She speaks Common, Draconic, Dwarvish, Elvish, and Undercommon. She has
darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. She has advantage on saving throws against beingcharmed , and magic can’t put her to sleep. Addray of frost to her list of known cantrips. - Her spellbook and her arcane focus were taken from her. (The characters can find them in area area 20b.)
6. Temple of Dumathoin
This ancient temple of Dumathoin has been converted into a vile hatchery for giant spiders by T’rissa Auvryndar and her followers. It contains the following:
Dais. T’rissa Auvryndar, a drow priestess of Lolth, stands atop a raised dais at the back of the hall, presiding over a group of four drow (two females named Ardulace and Dhessril, and two males named Izzatlab and Yriltorn) and three Giant Spider. If the characters didn’t encounter the drow mage in area area 5a, he is present as well.
Spiders. Scores of tarantula-sized baby giant Spider creep and crawl throughout the room. (Unless they’re destroyed, most of them will mature into full-size giant spiders in a matter of weeks.)
Web Cocoons. Stone pillars hold up the 30-foot-high arched ceiling, which is concealed by a thick canopy of spiderwebs. Strung between the pillars and bas-relief carvings of towering dwarves protruding from the walls are humanoid corpses cocooned in spider silk.
Sacrifice. The back wall of the temple is carved with a towering bas-relief of a mountain. Lashed to the mountain with sticky webs is a struggling and gagged male drow with sacks of spider eggs clinging to his body.
T’rissa is as malevolent as the demonic god she worships and refuses to speak to non-drow, let alone negotiate with them. T’rissa stabilizes dying characters so that they can be implanted with spider eggs (see “Spider Eggs” below).
The male drow lashed to the wall is named Krenrak. He was T’rissa’s consort until she grew bored with him. If set free, he fights against T’rissa and the other drow—but baby spiders burst from his chest 2 rounds after his release, killing him.
T’rissa carries a ring of iron keys that unlock the cells in area area 5d, as well as a separate iron key to area area 20d.
Dead Prisoners
The corpses hanging in the webs are the desiccated husks of prisoners who served as incubators (and later meals) for the spiders crawling about the room. Among the dead hobgoblins, goblins, and grimlocks are humans, dwarves, halflings, tieflings, and gnomes who were kidnapped from Skullport and Waterdeep. They all bear similar wounds, with the skin peeled outward.
Spider Eggs
If the party is defeated, stabilized characters awaken after
Spider eggs implanted in a host hatch in
7. Pain and Pleasure
T’rissa Auvryndar has converted these temple barracks into torture chambers. The screams of the drow in area areas 7d and area 7e echo throughout this space.
7a. Entryway
This room is empty, but cries of pain can be heard coming from beyond the door.
7b. Unused Torture Chamber
The walls of this room are lined with coiled whips, daggers, and other menacing tools. A small table in the center is covered with a pristine, white silk sheet.
7c. Lounge
Guards. Four female drow named Balwiira, Olorgyl, Restryn, and Ulraelle stand guard in the corners of the room, enjoying the screams coming from area areas 7d and area 7e.
Circle. In the middle of the floor is a 10-foot-diameter circle of entrails surrounded with ghastly script written in blood (see “Abyssal Circle” below).
Furnishings. Four chaise longues carved from dark wood and padded with spider silk cushions are spread around the edges of the room.
Tunnel. A natural tunnel splits the middle of the south wall, and howling winds echo from deep within.
The drow guards have orders to kill all non-drow on sight, including driders that fail to heed the terms of their exile. The torturers in area areas 7d and area 7e investigate sounds of combat here, leaving their prisoners tied up in those rooms.
Abyssal Circle
The script around the circle is written in Abyssal. Anyone who understands the language and succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (
7d. Water Torture
Narizmar. A nude male drow named Narizmar Do’ett is strapped to a sturdy table positioned beneath a suspended 80-gallon water barrel. A spider silk hood covers his head. (His weapons, shirt, and armor lie in a pile in the northeast corner.)
Sylkress. Unless she is drawn to area area 7c by sounds of combat there, a female drow elite warrior named Sylkress Auvryndar stands at the far end of the table, gripping a pair of ropes that cause the barrel to tilt and disgorge water when they are pulled.
Sylkress is convinced that Narizmar has pledged his loyalty to another female drow, and she means to learn the identity of this rival for Narizmar’s affections. Narizmar actually spread rumors of the affair himself, so that Sylkress would torture him and thereby see his value. In short, the two are enjoying themselves at each other’s expense.
If he must, Narizmar can free himself from the leather straps with a successful DC 15 Dexterity (
Sylkress defends herself, but if she is reduced to half her hit points or fewer, she calls for mercy and supplies characters with the following information in exchange for her freedom:
- The drow invasion of the Sargauth Level is just a precursor to a full-scale attack on Skullport.
- Sylkress’s older sister, T’rissa, is breeding giant spiders to bolster the drow forces on this level (see area area 6). T’rissa believes her experimental new incubation method will create larger and more formidable spiders.
- Sylkress’s twin sister, Melith, has taken a small force down to the Twisted Caverns (level 4) to establish a presence on that level.
7e. Whipping Room
Unless combat in area area 7c draws their attention, two female drow named Pellanonia Auvryndar and Ghirith Nhilran are engaged in a consensual act of torture in this room, which has the following additional features:
Drow. A large, rotating platform with leather straps takes up most of the room. Pellanonia is strapped to the platform while Ghirith lashes her with a scourge.
Gear. Lying on a chair in the northeast corner are Pellanonia’s armor and weapons.
Pellanonia and Ghirith are lovers. If she must, Pellanonia can slip free of her bonds with a successful DC 15 Dexterity (
- House Auvryndar’s main stronghold in Undermountain is in Muiral’s Gauntlet (level 10) and is under the direct command of her mother, Vlonwelv.
- Her oldest sister, T’rissa, has orders from their mother to secure the Sargauth Level as a prelude to a full-scale attack on Skullport.
- Another of her older sisters, Melith, has gained a foothold in the Twisted Caverns (level 4) and is waging a campaign of violence against the kuo-toa on that level.
8. Wailing Tunnels
Drow who fail the Test of Lolth (see area area 7c) and transform into driders are banished to these tunnels. Foul magic of the demon goddess Lolth creates howling winds in these passages that mimic the anguished wails of drow who failed her divine test.
8a. Webs in the Wind
The winds are loudest here, stirring the thick webs that fill this cave and evoking ghostly shapes.
8b. Mad Drider
A drider driven mad by the wailing winds covers its ears in a futile attempt to block out the noise. When the characters enter the room, it begins shrieking, “Make it stop!” in Elvish. If the characters cast a
8c. Pirate Rhyme
This cave abuts the sluggish River Sargauth and is filled with web curtains that undulate in the howling wind. Behind these curtains, carved into the west wall, is an old pirate rhyme:
If Skullport’s where ye wish to be,
With the Sargauth’s flow go ye.
If pirate booty is what ye crave,
Fight the surge to the captain’s grave.
Downriver
Characters who follow the river southwest eventually reach Skullport.
Upriver
The river’s current is not particularly strong, and characters can easily make their way upriver to area area 9 to find the “pirate booty.”
9. Captain’s Grave
Skullport was once a haven for pirates, one of whom came here to hide her treasure—only to die from a
9a. River’s Edge
This cave at the river’s edge contains a weathered backpack left by an adventurer who met a grisly end in area area 9b. A crowbar and a 50-foot coil of hempen rope are strapped to the outside of the backpack. Inside the pack are five torches too damp to light, a hammer, a tinderbox, a skillet, a half-empty water skin, and seven days' worth of spoiled rations.
9b. Demon-Guarded Treasure
Two Barlgura crawled out of the Underdark and made a home here. Alerted by approaching light or the echoes of footfalls, they turn
Treasure
Slumped against the west wall is the moldy skeleton of a human pirate clutching a rusty shortsword in one hand and a wooden tankard in the other. A shattered wooden cask lies nearby. Careful examination of the wall above the skeleton reveals a slot carved into the stone. The slot has the same width and depth as the pirate’s rusty blade. If this shortsword or one like it is inserted into the slot, a loose rock in the ceiling falls away, and with it comes a moldy old chest. The chest splinters when it hits the floor, spilling out its contents: 500 sp, a sharkskin pouch containing five moss agates (10 gp each), a pair of bone dice (1 gp), a 6-inch-tall empty obsidian bottle carved in the shape of a wizard’s tower with a removable cork roof (50 gp), a pearl necklace (250 gp), and a shriveled sea elf’s head with a
10. Caves of the River Coven
All the caves in this area are cold and damp, with water dripping from the ceiling to form shallow pools of water everywhere.
10a. Black Pebble Cave
This 8-foot-high cave abuts the River Sargauth. Its floor is covered with wet black pebbles that crunch underfoot. The sound of footsteps on the pebbles is loud enough to alert the grimlocks in area area 10b.
10b. Grimlocks
Having eluded the drow so far, ten Grimlock huddle in the back of this 10-foot-high cavern. They feed on fish from the River Sargauth and fight only in self-defense.
10c. Sea Hag Coven
This 30-foot-high natural cave smells like brine and seaweed. It is home to a coven of three Sea Hag in league with Halaster Blackcloak. Each hag has a giant crab pet that follows her around and obeys her commands. The cave’s other features are as follows:
Noise. The sound of splashing geysers (see area area 10d) echoes throughout.
Pools. The uneven floor has many shallow pits filled with dirty water. The hags use these pits as baths and hide in them if they see lights approaching or hear unfamiliar footsteps.
Decor. A vast variety of shells are embedded in the slick, algae-coated walls.
If the characters previously met with Anderian Dusk, the lantern merchant of Skullport, the sea hags are already acquainted with them thanks to the hag eye pendant that Dusk wears. In this case, they address the characters in familiar tones and ask them if they took time to sample some of Skullport’s local ales. Otherwise, they politely introduce themselves as Coral Black, Gurgle Brine, and Caldra Cuttlefingers.
While all three hags are alive, they gain the Shared Spellcasting trait, as described in the “Hag Covens” sidebar in the “Hags” entry in the Monster Manual. The hags aren’t spoiling for a fight with non-drow, because Halaster has tasked them solely with ridding the Sargauth Level of the dark elves. The hags keep their affiliation with Halaster a secret and pretend to be harmless shell collectors with no enemies to speak of. They use adventurers to do their dirty work, promising not only safe passage through their caves but also information meant to turn them against the drow. Throughout the conversation, they supply the following observations:
- “A drow priestess has defiled an ancient dwarven temple on the other side of the river, turning it into a profane breeding pit for spider abominations.”
- “The drow are kidnapping folk from the city above. Those not fed to the spiders are sacrificed to the vile demon goddess worshiped by the drow.”
- “The drow have already infiltrated Skullport and found its defenses lacking. An invasion is imminent. The capture of Skullport will give the drow a firm base from which to strike into the heart of Undermountain. What’s next? Waterdeep?”
10d. Water Geysers
Small geysers bubble throughout this 20-foot-high cave, spouting jets of briny water that soak the roof.
10e. Stone Cauldron
Cauldron. In the middle of this 20-foot-high cave, the floor bulges and forms a 5-foot-diameter stone cauldron.
Decor. Ship rigging and tattered sails hang from the ceiling like web strands and torn curtains.
The stone cauldron, created by Halaster, is filled to the brim with murky water and has five rusty iron keys at the bottom. (These keys unlock the shackles in area area 10g.) The cauldron has AC 17, 60 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. If reduced to 0 hit points, the cauldron cracks and is destroyed. The sea hags use the cauldron as a focus for their
The first time a creature other than a sea hag disturbs the water or damages the cauldron, an elder rune materializes above it (see “area Elder Runes"). Draw from the Elder Runes Deck (see appendix B) to determine which rune appears. The elder rune targets a random creature within 60 feet of it.
Any creature that drinks a pint or more of water from the cauldron must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be
10f. Gnawed Bones
The walls of this cave are stacked neatly with goblin, hobgoblin, troglodyte, and giant spider bones that have been picked clean by the sea hags.
10g. Larder
The sea hags shackle their food here. Old chains bolted to the walls end in five sets of rusty shackles, the keys to which are hidden inside the cauldron in area area 10e. A character with thieves' tools can pick each lock with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check.
Two prisoners are chained here when the characters arrive: an unarmed goblin named Lerk and a 13-year-old boy named Delvin Stormshore (CG male Illuskan human commoner with no weapons).
The hags caught Delvin after he and a friend “borrowed” a rowboat and used it to explore the sea caves near Skullport. When the sea hags attacked, Delvin’s friend leaped out of the boat and managed to swim away, but Delvin wasn’t so lucky. He’s so cold and scared that he stammers when he tries to talk.
For its own amusement, the wicked goblin has been tormenting Delvin by threatening to eat him before the hags return. Since the boy can’t see in the dark, he mistakes the bullying goblin for his jailer, not another prisoner. If rescued, Delvin insists that the characters call him “Del” and gladly offers to carry their gear for them.
Like most goblins, Lerk is a cowardly bully. He’s very hungry and begs characters for food and freedom.
10h. Hags' Hoard
Ceiling. This cave has a jagged, 30-foot-high ceiling.
Wreckage. A 20-foot-high mountain of rotted-out rowboats fills the back 40 feet of this damp cave. Jutting like needles from the mound are shattered, barnacle-covered spars that were once masts. At the top of the mountain of junk is a crow’s nest that contains the sea hags' treasure (see “Treasure” below).
Wall Decor. Hanging from iron spikes pounded into the walls are dozens of captain’s wheels plundered from sunken ships and festooned with skulls.
Figurehead. Leaning against the south wall is a ship’s figurehead carved in the form of a wailing banshee.
The rowboat wreckage is difficult terrain, and sections of it are
The waterlogged figurehead stands 8 feet tall and weighs 1,200 pounds. A
Treasure
The crow’s nest contains 2,000 cp inside a lidless wooden chest, 250 sp inside a tin urn, an umbrella, a set of weaver’s tools, an ebony walking cane with an octopus-shaped handle made of pewter (25 gp), and a cracked spyglass (250 gp).
11. Recluse
A drider lives here. The sea hags in area area 10 use it to guard the “front door” of their lair.
11a. Petrified Prince
Maw. This yawning cave resembles the maw of some great fish. Natural columns of rock support the 30-foot-high ceiling.
Statue. In the middle of the cave stands a half-crumbled statue of a princely human clad in plate armor, his sword drawn and at the ready.
A medusa lived in these caverns many years ago until adventurers got the better of her. The crumbled statue is all that remains of one of her victims.
11b. Cocoon Forest
Drider Spellcaster. A drider lurks in the smaller cave to the north and emerges to confront intruders who enter by way of area area 11a. This drider has the Spellcasting trait described in the sidebar that appears in the “Drider” entry in the Monster Manual.
Statues. The main cave has a 40-foot-high ceiling filled with the
petrified victims of a medusa that once lived here. The drider has wrapped these statues in thick webs, creating an eerie forest of gray cocoons. Strung between these cocoons are web strands that create difficult terrain.
The drider clings to the walls, staying out of reach of melee weapons while casting spells or shooting its longbow. As it attacks, it says over and over in Elvish, “The queen is mad—mad at me. She is mad as mad can be.”
Pulling apart the web cocoons or setting them on fire reveals the
12. Boo-ty Hunters
The shape of this riverside cavern resembles a clamshell. The Ghost of three human pirates named Algarr Grimtide, Liddie “Slurtongue” Peddlekant, and Fishbone Jim move in and out of the rocks, searching for buried treasure. They attack creatures they perceive as competitors and ignore any others.
The ghosts can’t rest until they find hidden treasure. The characters can get the ghosts' attention by offering to lead them to a hidden hoard (such as the one in area area 9b) or to a location near the river where the characters have buried treasure themselves. The ghosts can follow the party or possess characters but can’t stray more than 100 feet from the River Sargauth. Once they find what they’re looking for, they cackle and dance about madly, then vanish forever. Characters who lay the ghosts to rest in this way should receive XP as if they had defeated them in combat.
13. Riverside Caves
These rooms contain conveyances the characters can use to travel up and down the River Sargauth.
13a. Drow Rafts
The drow use rafts to ply the River Sargauth. Leaning against the walls are two 10-foot-square rafts made of zurkhwood logs lashed together with thick spiderwebs. Resting nearby are six 10-foot poles that the drow use to guide the rafts up and down the river.
13b. Ferryman’s Rest
This 20-foot-high cave abuts the River Sargauth and has the following features:
Door. An ornate stone door embedded in the northwest wall is flanked by bas-reliefs of helmed dwarves, their faces chipped away by vandals. An inscription carved into the door’s molding has also been damaged, rendering it indecipherable.
Ferry. A black gondola, its hull carved with leering eyes, is moored at the river’s edge and ferried by a black-robed tiefling skeleton clutching a 10-foot pole, which it uses to guide the boat.
The gondola and the skeletal ferryman are all creations of Halaster. The gondola, which can hold up to seven Medium creatures and their gear, is a Large object with AC 11, 50 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.
The tiefling skeleton understands Common and Infernal, but can’t speak. It plies the River Sargauth in whichever direction its riders want to go. When the characters reach their destination, the tiefling extends a bony hand, expecting a payment of one coin per passenger. If it doesn’t receive the proper payment, both it and the boat fade away. Characters who destroy the skeleton or use an effect that turns undead against it can commandeer the gondola—but without its proper pilot, the ship is attacked whenever it enters a section of the river marked with a wavy arrow. Roll a
| d6 | Creatures |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Four Minotaur Skeleton rise from the river bottom. |
| 3–4 | Seven Shadow crawl into the boat. |
| 5–6 | Four Will-o'-Wisp materialize above the boat. |
14. Stonecarvers' Hall
The Melairkyn dwarves hauled blocks of unworked stone here to be carved into doors, statues, and other forms.
14a. South Entrance
A 4-foot-square block of stone has fallen from the ceiling of this hall and cracked in two on the floor. The block was released when someone stepped on a hidden pressure plate in the floor. (The trap failed to hit its intended target and no longer poses a danger to anyone.)
Innermost Door
This thick stone door is flanked by bas-relief carvings of dwarves, their faces and beards chipped away. A dwarf can open the door, but no other creatures can do so except by using a
14b. North Entrance
In the middle of the hallway, crushed beneath a 4-foot-square block of stone that has fallen from the ceiling, is a goblin. Only its gangly legs are visible. (The goblin stepped on a pressure plate that caused the block to fall, and the trap no longer poses any danger.)
Innermost Door
This thick stone door has the same appearance and properties as the one in area area 14a.
14c. Hall of Stone
Big Xorn. An unusually large xorn, 10 feet tall and 10 feet wide, sleeps soundly in the middle of the room. While asleep, the creature remains standing, its mouth and eyes closed, its arms hanging limply with knuckles scraping the floor.
Stone Cubes. Twenty cubes of solid granite measuring 8 feet on a side are arranged about the chamber. One cube near the west wall, marked with an X on map 3, is fake (see “Fake Cube” below).
Statues. Four unfinished statues situated around the room have piles of chipped stone around their bases.
Until it escaped captivity and hid here, the xorn was one of Halaster’s prized pets, raised on a steady diet of magic gemstones to dramatically increase its size. It comes and goes by phasing through the walls, and it enjoys the quiet solitude that this chamber provides. A successful DC 16 Dexterity (
The xorn has a challenge rating of 8 (3,900 XP) and the following changes to its statistics:
- The xorn is Large and has 103 (
9d10 + 54 ) hit points. - Its Strength is 20 (+5), and its melee weapon attacks have a +8 bonus to hit. Its claw attacks have a reach of 10 feet and deal 9 (
1d8 + 5 ) slashing damage on a hit, and its bite attack deals 22 (5d6 + 5 ) piercing damage on a hit.
Fake Cube
Although similar in appearance to the granite blocks, this 8-foot cube is hollow with 3-inch-thick plaster sides. A dwarf within 10 feet of the cube can tell at a glance what it’s made of, as can a character who taps the cube with a hammer or a similar tool. Any creature weighing more than 50 pounds that stands on the cube falls into it as the plaster gives way underfoot.
The cube contains a chipped alabaster throne of elven design, sturdy in construction yet elegant in form. It is intricately carved to resemble bundled branches and twigs, with a tiny songbird perched on one end of its back. There used to be five carved songbirds perched atop the throne, but four have been broken off and lost.
The throne was carved by the elves of Illefarn, an ancient kingdom of the North. It disappeared from its capital (located where Waterdeep stands today) shortly before the kingdom’s destruction 2,500 years ago. The Melairkyn dwarves found it in damaged condition and planned to return it to the elves as a gift after repairing it. Dwarven adventurers later found it and hid it in hopes of returning when they had a means of getting it out of the dungeon, but they didn’t make it back. Finding the throne and informing Volo of its whereabouts completes a quest (see “area Throne of the Coronal").
As one of the oldest surviving relics of Illefarn, the throne is priceless. It has two minor magical properties:
- A creature sitting in the throne can’t tell a lie.
- The throne is surprisingly light for its size, weighing only 500 pounds.
Unfinished Statues
Represented by the statue icons on map 3, these four unfinished samples of dwarven stonecraft, from north to south, are:
- A mostly finished statue of a female dwarf priest carrying a stone censer
- A half-finished statue of a cheery dwarf girl riding on the shoulders of her beaming father, whose lower body has not yet been carved
- A half-finished stone door carved with the image of a heavily armored dwarf clashing axes with a minotaur
- A mostly uncarved block of stone from which the features of an ornate stone brazier are emerging
15. Way to Wyllowwood
The drow cornered and killed several troglodytes in these caves after the reptilian creatures refused to be enslaved.
15a. Battle Scene
The floor here is stained with blood and strewn with a dozen spent bolts from hand crossbows. A character who inspects the bolts and succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (
15b. Rotting Trogs
Stench. A putrid stench fills this 10-foot-high cave, courtesy of three rotting troglodyte corpses riddled with crossbow bolts. Closer examination reveals nasty puncture wounds (from
poisoned drow shortswords).Arch Gate to Level 5. Embedded in the southeast wall is a stone arch, its keystone and base stones each bearing an engraving of an old man clutching a staff.
The stone arch is one of Halaster’s magic gates (see “Gates”). Its rules are as follows:
- The gate opens for 1 minute when the arch is tapped three times with a staff of any kind.
- Characters must be 8th level or higher to pass through this gate (see “area Jhesiyra Kestellharp"). The first creature to pass through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “area Elder Runes").
- A creature that passes through the gate appears in area area 6i on level 5, in the closest unoccupied space next to the identical gate located there.
16. Crossfire Caves
Four drow sentries watch for river incursions from Skullport. The drow fire crossbows at enemies as they pass between the two caves.
16a. North Ledge
Two male drow hide on this ledge, 6 feet above the water. They are brothers named Varaun and Veszdar. If one is killed, the other flees and alerts the drow in area area 20.
16b. South Ledge
Hidden atop this 8-foot-high ledge are two male drow named Molkoth and Quilolvir and a female drow elite warrior named Meridin Helvirae. Meridin commands this guard post. She carries a 30-foot-long coil of spider silk rope tied to a grappling hook, which the drow use to swing across the river.
A side cave contains the remnants of an old campfire and the skeletal remains of a halfling adventurer who was robbed and killed by his companions. There’s no treasure left to be found here.
17. Dangerous Paths
These caverns stand between the drow and goblinoid settlements on this level.
17a. Contested Cavern
Guards. Eleven Hobgoblin and a hobgoblin captain are stationed in this 20-foot-high cave.
Blood. Bloodstains on the floor hint at violent skirmishes that took place here in the past.
Descending Tunnel. A tunnel to the west slopes steeply downward to area level 4, area 1.
House Auvryndar and the Legion of Azrok have been fighting for control of this cave for months. The faction that controls this cave controls access to level 4 of Undermountain. The goblinoids under Warlord Azrok hold it currently, and the hobgoblins' orders are to defend it against drow incursions. The captain, Kliyuse the Skull Cleaver, has further instructions to direct adventurers northward to the goblinoid settlement (area area 21), denying them access to level 4 until they have met with Azrok and Lurkana. If the characters go where they are directed, Kliyuse assigns two hobgoblins to see that they reach the settlement safely and promptly.
17b. Bugbear Sentries
Hunkered down near the eastern wall of this 15-foot-high cave, gnawing on old bones, are six Bugbear with orders to attack any non-goblinoids traveling through here without an escort.
17c. Keepers of the Purple Worm
This 15-foot-high side cave is mostly empty except for two Goblin huddled at the north end. The goblins, Dribblespit and Zob, found a treasure buried in the ruins of Stromkuhldur (see “Treasure” below) and brought it here to inspect it more closely. The goblins are oblivious to the danger nearby (see area area 17d) and won’t give up their newfound treasure easily.
Treasure
Each goblin has half of a 6-inch-tall purple worm statuette carved out of a lustrous purple stone. If the two halves are reattached using a
17d. Nerozar the Defeated
Floating in the middle of this 30-foot-high cavern is a beholder zombie named Nerozar and three Gas Spore that closely resemble it. Any character who can see the gas spores can discern their true nature with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (
Nerozar has the statistics of a beholder zombie, but its Disintegration Ray is replaced with the following:
Telekinetic Ray
If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw, or the zombie moves it up to 30 feet in any direction. It is
Nerozar uses its Telekinetic Ray to direct the gas spores on collision courses with intruders. The gas spores' poison has no effect on the beholder zombie.
Nerozar challenged Xanathar for lordship of Skullport and lost. Skullport’s mind flayer ambassador (see area area 21g) brought Nerozar’s animated corpse with it to Stromkuhldur, but Azrok wouldn’t allow the beholder zombie to remain in the settlement, so the mind flayer left it here, where it sprouted the gas spores.
17e. Otyugh Lair
This 10-foot-high side cavern is piled high with refuse and rotting corpses, under which hides an otyugh. The otyugh is a friend to the goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears of Azrok’s Hold (area area 21), who supply it with plenty of carrion. It won’t ordinarily attack goblinoids or anyone escorted by them. It will, however, attack any creature that dares to root through its garbage pile.
The corpses in the garbage pile are the remains of drow, quaggoths, bugbears, goblins, and hobgoblins that were killed in skirmishes between the Legion of Azrok and House Auvryndar. The bodies have been stripped of all armor, weapons, and valuables, and some are missing chunks of flesh—a feast for the otyugh.
18. Abandoned Cavern
This 30-foot-high cavern contains part of the ancient settlement of Stromkuhldur. Crumbling, single-story buildings stand empty, their roofs caved in and their insides picked clean. Sections of the cavern ceiling show signs of collapse, with rocks scattered across the floor.
19. Chimera’s Lair
T’rissa Auvryndar’s pet chimera lounges atop a pile of coins in the southern half of this 15-foot-high cavern. The chimera can be placated with food and shiny trinkets; otherwise, it attacks adventurers who come too close to its hoard.
The chimera’s hoard contains 600 ep, 2,000 sp, and 10,000 cp.
20. Drow Town
An ancient earthquake collapsed sections of Stromkuhldur, dividing the town into smaller caverns. After driving the Legion of Azrok out of this eastern cavern, the drow of House Auvryndar assumed control of it. The cavern has the following features:
Ruins. The 30-foot-high cavern is a deathly quiet maze of crumbling stone buildings, many of which have partially collapsed. The buildings' walls are 10 feet high, and their roofs have mostly caved in.
Webs and Spiders. Webs are strung between the buildings, but they’re not thick enough to inhibit movement. Nine Giant Spider roam the alleys between the buildings in search of prey.
The giant spiders creep about in groups of three. Additional forces stationed here include a male drow elite warrior named Ranaghax Auvryndar, twelve male drow, three grimlocks, and three quaggoths. If an alarm is raised, these forces gather with the giant spiders to seek out and destroy intruders.
Buildings not keyed on the map are assumed to be empty rooms. The rest are described below.
20a. Kitchen
Odor. The smell of meat stew wafts from this building.
Servants and Guards. Inside, a manacled bugbear and three Goblin shackled together by the ankles are preparing meals under the watchful eye of three male drow guards named Raelphar, Rizryn, and Xebyl.
Furnishings. Stone counters are spread throughout the room. A large cauldron is hung above a fire in the southwest corner.
Raelphar carries a key to the bugbear’s manacles, and Rizryn has a ring of keys that unlock the goblins' shackles. Without these keys, a successful DC 15 Dexterity check made using thieves' tools opens each lock.
If released from captivity, the goblinoids arm themselves with improvised weapons and flee to area area 17a by way of the south tunnel. The bugbear’s name is Blarg. The goblins' names are Globby, Bootlick, and Earstabber.
What’s for Dinner
The simmering cauldron contains a hearty stew of ripplebark fungus and troglodyte meat.
20b. T’rissa’s Quarters
Two male drow guards named Krivven and Yazdriirn stand outside the door. They deny entry to all but T’rissa and immediately attack intruders. The building holds the following features:
Stuffed Heads. Mounted to the walls are the stuffed heads of several bugbears, hobgoblins, and goblins.
Chest. A locked chest of dark wood, carved in the likeness of a spider with eyes of red crystal, rests in the western alcove. (The key to the chest is hidden in the mouth of a mounted goblin head nearby.)
Furnishings. A bed with a canopy of spiderwebs fills the eastern alcove. Other furnishings include a dresser and a vanity that has an empty frame where the mirror should be.
The chest’s lock can be picked by using thieves' tools and making a successful DC 15 Dexterity check, or opened with a
Treasure
The eight red crystal eyes on the chest can be pried loose and are worth 5 gp each. Inside the chest are three shelves stacked vertically.
The top shelf holds an onyx spider figurine (25 gp), eight sticks of incense (1 gp each), and a dagger with a tiny reservoir built into its hilt that holds up to three doses of a liquid poison.
The middle shelf contains a folded spider silk robe, dyed black, with tiny golden spiders sewn into it (90 gp). Hidden in the folds of the robe is a
On the bottom shelf rests a birchwood wand (an arcane focus) and a leather-bound spellbook that belong to Marta Moonshadow (see area area 5d). The book contains the following spells:
20c. Quaggoth Den
Three Quaggoth, one of which is a quaggoth thonot (see the sidebar in the “Quaggoth” entry in the Monster Manual), feast from a trough in the middle of this room. The trough contains bloody troglodyte entrails and other less identifiable fixings. Non-drow intruders are attacked on sight.
20d. Demon Mirror
The door to this building is locked, and T’rissa Auvryndar (see area area 6) carries the only key. The lock is old and can be picked by using thieves' tools and making a successful DC 12 Dexterity check.
The building is full of cobwebs, and a 3-foot-tall oval mirror hangs on the western wall. Eerily realistic spiders are carved into its stone frame, almost appearing to twitch and crawl. When a creature approaches within 5 feet of its reflection in the mirror, the reflection disappears and is replaced with the shadowy face of a giant spider obscured by smoke.
The creature in the mirror is a projection of a yochlol demon in the service of T’rissa’s mother, Vlonwelv. If the figure standing before the mirror is T’rissa or someone who looks exactly like her, the spider offers a warm greeting in Elvish with its clicking mandibles and demands to know why efforts have been started to conquer the Twisted Caverns (level 4) when Stromkuhldur and Skullport have yet to be taken.
If a creature that is clearly not T’rissa stands before it, or if the yochlol realizes it has been fooled, the demon assumes its true waxy form, stares back with its one glaring red eye, and screams in Abyssal, “I know who you are!” The mirror then falls and shatters on the floor.
20e. Treasure Downstream
River of Fish. A vein of turquoise runs through the east wall diagonally, looking like a stream. The granite in the vein has been carved to look like a school of trout.
Stone Basin. A large, empty basin is carved into the floor at the northern end of the room.
The vein of turquoise runs from the top right corner of the east wall to the bottom left, heading down toward the empty basin. The trout carvings appear to be swimming upstream, away from the basin. Close examination of these carvings reveals that the fish can be rotated. The first time all the fish are turned so that they appear to be swimming downstream, a hidden valve in the basin opens and fills the container with 50 gallons of fresh water. Swimming in the water is a tiny emerald fish.
Treasure
The emerald fish swims around the basin until it is scooped out with a successful DC 10 Dexterity check, at which point the fish transforms into an
20f. Unoccupied Quarters
Eleven padded bedrolls are spread throughout this room atop stone slabs. Each bed is paired with a small chest that doubles as a side table. The chests are unlocked and contain simple black clothes.
20g. Drow Barracks
Twelve bedrolls are spread out on the floor of this room. Six off-duty male drow and a male drow elite warrior relax here, but they quickly snatch up their weapons at the first sign of trouble. The drow are named Alybbrin, Chasmas, Jarkorl, K’yordred, Szorth, and Xebrek. The drow elite warrior, Ranaghax Auvryndar, is regaling the other drow with a reenactment of a one-on-one battle he had with a hobgoblin captain of the Legion of Azrok, which ended with the captain catching Ranaghax’s
Ranaghax, T’rissa’s older brother, is subordinate to her and all other female drow in his house. He knows his place and eagerly awaits the opportunity to claim the rest of Stromkuhldur when T’rissa finally gives the order to do so.
Treasure
Ranaghax wears an obsidian scarab brooch inscribed with the insignia of House Auvryndar (25 gp), and he carries 35 gp in a web pouch.
20h. Old Dining Hall
Lanterns. Anchored to the rafters by short chains are four unlit iron lanterns.
Furnishings. A solid stone table fills the west side of the room. The table, sized for dwarves, has shorter legs than most. Stone benches run the length of the table on either side, and a single stone chair stands at each end.
20i. Water Closet
A male drow named Balok sits on a latrine bucket in this chamber and is embarrassed to be caught in such a compromising position. If the characters attack him, he tosses the bucket at one of them as a distraction and flees to area area 20g. (Treat the bucket as an improvised weapon that deals no damage but douses the target in stinky filth on a hit.)
20j. Troglodyte Mob
A horrible stench fills this chamber, the floor of which is covered with loose rocks.
Twelve captured Troglodyte are confined to these quarters, but the guard stationed outside their door has slipped away to area area 20i. If anyone other than a drow opens the door, the troglodytes seize the chance to escape. On their turn, they try to stampede their way to freedom and are loud enough to trigger an alarm. Troglodytes that escape head south and disappear into the dark waters of the River Sargauth.
20k. Gathering of Grimlocks
Stench. This room reeks of death and decay.
Grimlocks. Three Grimlock are picking hair out of their teeth in the middle of the room.
Detritus. The room is strewn with rocks, heaps of splintered armor, and broken weapons. (The armor and weapons were taken from dead goblinoids. None of this gear is salvageable.)
Characters who follow the scent of decay discover a pile of severed goblin and hobgoblin heads tucked behind a wall of rocks near the south end of the room.
21. Azrok’s Hold
The largest unburied section of Stromkuhldur is held by the Legion of Azrok and is called Azrok’s Hold. As rumors of Azrok’s blindness spread quietly through the settlement, fears mount of an impending attack from the drow in Stromkuhldur or from Skullport. A shroud of gloom and anxiety hangs over the normally raucous settlement, which has the following features:
Ruins. The 30-foot-high cavern is a maze of single-story stone buildings, many of which have partially collapsed. Most of the buildings have 10-foot-high walls and no roofs.
Streets. The narrow “streets” between the buildings are strewn with trash and filth. Harmless rats scurry around every corner.
Banners. Hanging from several structures are tattered yellow banners bearing Azrok’s sigil, a bloody handprint inside a hollow red triangle.
Patrols. Four bands of hobgoblins patrol Azrok’s Hold. Each patrol consists of three Hobgoblin and a hobgoblin captain, who interrogates visitors and demands to see their identification papers.
Visitors entering Azrok’s Hold are greeted by two Bugbear. Drow are attacked on sight. Others may enter and move through Azrok’s Hold, provided they have the proper identification papers. Visitors without papers are escorted by the bugbears to area area 21c for processing.
Once each party member has papers, the bugbears take the characters to see Azrok in area area 21n. This meeting is not optional, since tribute must be paid to the hobgoblin warlord in return for his hospitality. Afterward, characters can move freely about Azrok’s Hold, coming and going as they please. (Visitors need to register again only if they lose their papers.) If the characters wander the streets on their own, use the Random Encounters in Azrok’s Hold table as needed.
Random Encounters in Azrok’s Hold
| d10 | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 1 | Halaster’s scrying eye (see “area Halaster’s Lair"), which observes the characters silently for a minute before disappearing |
| 2 | A goblin child (noncombatant) eating a dead rat |
| 3 | A goblin hauling a bucket of garbage to area area 17e |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | A bugbear with an intellect devourer in its skull that tries to lure characters to area area 21f |
| 7 | Preeta Kreepa (see area area 21m) |
| 8–10 | Three Hobgoblin and a hobgoblin captain keeping the peace and checking visitors' identification papers |
Combat behind closed doors probably doesn’t raise an alarm, but any loud disturbance in the streets is likely to put the entire settlement on alert. As it happens, the Legion of Azrok’s military has been winnowed down by recent altercations with the drow. The current defenders of Azrok’s Hold include eight bugbears, thirty-two goblins, twenty hobgoblins, four hobgoblin captains (including Lurkana), Azrok the hobgoblin warlord, and two worgs. These forces don’t include goblinoids in league with the Xanathar Guild or other visitors, nor do they include noncombatants such as children.
Buildings not keyed on the map are assumed to be empty rooms. The rest are described below.
21a. “Krek”
At the end of a street of mostly collapsed buildings is a canted door with a bugbear marionette hanging next to it. Gouged into the door frame is the word “Krek” (a Goblin word meaning “this for that” or “trade”).
The walls of the shop on the other side of the door have caved in, and the space that remains is filled with piles of junk and well-worn adventuring gear. The shop’s proprietor is an oni disguised as an old hobgoblin named Kinrob. If a character is looking to procure an item on the Adventuring Gear table or the Tools table in chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook, there’s a 25 percent chance that Kinrob has the item in question and will trade it for one or more items of equal or greater value.
Kinrob’s true nature is a well-known “secret” in the Legion of Azrok, and fear of the oni has rendered the surrounding neighborhood a ghost town. Azrok placates the oni by giving it newborn goblins to feed on. The first time the characters visit Kinrob, a bugbear enters to deliver a goblin child in a basket, then skulks away. Kinrob puts the meal aside until its business with the characters is concluded, then politely shows them the door.
Princess Doll
One of the items in Kinrob’s junk pile is a sackcloth doll with button eyes and a gold cloth tiara with tiny gemstones sewn into it (2 gp). The characters can trade for this item like any other and return it to its proper owner (see area area 21b).
21b. Sad Huggybug
Huggybug, a goblin child, cries alone in a rubble-strewn passageway. Between sobs, she explains that an older goblin stole her princess doll and traded it for a shovel from the “Gob Gobbler.” If the characters ask where the toy was taken, she leads them to area area 21a but fearfully refuses to go inside.
Treasure
If the characters return the doll to Huggybug, she gives them a turquoise dolphin figurine (25 gp) in gratitude.
21c. Registration Center
Clerks. Six Goblin with ink quills sit behind a row of makeshift desks, ready to scribble the names of visitors into dog-eared ledgers and issue identification papers. Glowing oil lanterns hang above each desk from chains anchored to the ceiling.
Manager. A hobgoblin wearing cracked half-moon spectacles sits behind a stone lectern and greets all those who enter, directing each new arrival to one of the available goblin clerks.
Visitors are required to carry identification papers at all times in Azrok’s Hold. The goblins behind the desks interview visitors, draw crude pictures of them, and fill out papers with their names, races, ages, heights, eye color, skills, and home cities. The same information is also entered in a large ledger. Inquiries about other visitors are met with silent stares, because the goblins have instructions not to reveal any of the information.
Once all the characters are registered and have identification papers, the hobgoblin behind the lectern rings a bell, and two Bugbear appear to escort the visitors to area area 21n, where they are expected to pay deference to Warlord Azrok.
21d. Armory
Two hobgoblin guard racks of mundane weaponry.
21e. Hobgoblin Barracks
The old furnishings were cleared out of this chamber to make room for thirty-two wooden cots. Five Hobgoblin rest here between patrols.
21f. Brain-Dog Kennel
The mind flayer ambassador (see area area 21g) has been luring goblinoids into this building and implanting intellect devourers in their skulls. The chamber has the following features:
Wreckage. The floor is strewn with wrecked furniture and broken crates.
Goblins. Feeding on rats in the middle of the room are two Goblin and a goblin boss, all with Intellect Devourer implanted in their skulls.
Brain-Dogs. Two more Intellect Devourer hide among the wreckage. They target intruders with their Devour Intellect action option.
21g. Xanathar’s Ambassador
A mind flayer named Ulquess resides here, serving as the ambassador from Skullport. Ulquess has been implanting intellect devourers in the skulls of goblinoids, turning them into spies loyal to Xanathar. If its plot is discovered, the mind flayer has no choice but to telepathically summon its thralls from area area 21f to kill anyone who knows its secret. (It hides the bodies in area area 22.)
The room’s centerpiece consists of two elegant chairs made of petrified wood arranged atop a circular rug. On a slender table between the chairs is a makeshift, three-tiered Dragonchess set assembled from myriad pieces of other sets. The mind flayer conducts business here while seated casually in one of the chairs.
If the characters are meeting with the ambassador at Lurkana’s urging (see “area Side Quest: Retrieve Azrok’s Dagger"), the mind flayer politely discourages them from visiting Skullport, claiming that it’s not safe for adventurers. It also tells them an Undermountain secret, hoping they’ll be lured away by the mystery. Draw a card from the Secrets Deck (see appendix C).
Treasure
A thorough search of the room yields an unlocked iron coffer containing 100 gp that the ambassador uses for bribes.
21h. Goblin Den
The door to this structure is ajar, with snores emanating from within. Sleeping in a pile to the north are twelve Goblin. Their weapons and shields lie in a heap to the south. The goblins are reluctant combatants, easily intimidated by shows of strength. If they’re being massacred, the survivors flee to area area 23a.
21i. Visitors' Quarters
Visitors who are on friendly terms with Azrok and Lurkana can rest here. The door has no lock. The chamber contains enough bedroom furniture to accommodate eight guests.
21j. Ale Storehouse
Azrok buys cheap ale from Gyudd’s Distillery in Skullport and stores it here. The door is shut from within and has a small, iron-barred window. Forcing open the door requires a successful DC 22 Strength (
The chamber contains thirty 5-gallon casks. Eight of them hold Wyrmwizz, a muddy swill, and the rest are empty.
21k. Captains' Barracks
The furnishings were cleared out of this room to make space for nine wooden cots. Two Hobgoblin Captain rest here between patrols.
21l. Visitors' Quarters
This chamber is identical to area area 21i.
21m. Preeta Kreepa
Dug out of a mostly collapsed section of Stromkuhldur is a stone hovel in a cave lit by
The door to the hovel is ajar, and harmless rats scurry in and out in a constant stream. Inside the hovel, feeding bits of juicy moss to the rats, is a mage named Preeta Kreepa. She served as an assistant to Arcturia, one of Halaster’s apprentices, until Arcturia transformed her into a monstrous horror. Preeta looks like an old woman with two beholder eyestalks sprouting from her eye sockets. Her mouth, twice as large as it should be, is filled with sharp, pointed teeth. She wears the flayed, slippery, translucent skin of a kuo-toa as a cloak.
For years, the Legion of Azrok left Preeta alone. Now the growing hostilities with the drow have prompted Azrok to call on her for help. Preeta understands the threat posed by the drow and is using
Preeta is a mage, with these changes:
-
Preeta is chaotic neutral.
-
She has
darkvision out to a range of 120 feet, and she speaks Common, Dwarvish, Goblin, and Undercommon. -
As a bonus action or a reaction, she can shoot one of the following eye rays at one target she can see within 120 feet of her:
-
Fear Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be
frightened for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. -
Paralyzing Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be
paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
If the characters promise not to harm her, Preeta shares two Undermountain secrets with them. Determine each secret by drawing a card from the Secrets Deck (see appendix C).
Side Quest: Free Alussiarr
Preeta Kreepa knows that Arcturia uses the blood of a “magical man” named Alussiarr as a material component in her horrid transformation rituals. She suggests that the characters free this man to prevent Arcturia from creating new abominations. Preeta knows that Alussiarr is a prisoner in Arcturiadoom, the fourteenth level of Undermountain, but she doesn’t know that Alussiarr is a rakshasa.
Treasure
Preeta carries a spellbook bound in lizard hide that contains all the spells she has prepared, plus
21n. Azrok’s Hall
Two Hobgoblin stand guard outside this building, one in front of each door. They allow registered visitors to enter after checking their identification papers.
This structure once housed a dwarven smithy, and the decor suggests as much. Its contents are as follows:
Azrok and Lurkana. In the northeast part of the room, Azrok the hobgoblin warlord sits on a throne of bleached skulls, with one foot resting on an iron anvil and one hand on the pommel of his greatsword. He wears a helm that covers most of his face and darkens his eyes. Whispering in his ear is his wife Lurkana, a formidable hobgoblin captain.
Goblinoids. Attending the warlord are two Bugbear, four Hobgoblin, and six Goblin. One of the bugbears has an intellect devourer hidden in its skull and acts as a spy for Xanathar while feigning loyalty to Azrok.
Worgs. Gnawing on humanoid bones in the southwest part of the room are two Worg loyal to Azrok and Lurkana.
Adventurers brought before Azrok are expected to offer tribute. He is more interested in oaths of fealty than in tangible gifts, but he accepts whatever he’s offered. Unless the characters make fools of themselves, Azrok grants them his protection for the duration of their stay in his settlement. Any character who interacts with him and succeeds on a DC 17 Wisdom (
When the characters are done speaking with Azrok, Lurkana takes them aside and offers them a quest (see “area Side Quest: Retrieve Azrok’s Dagger"). If they refuse, Lurkana scowls and kicks them out.
If combat breaks out, the hobgoblins stationed outside immediately raise a general alarm, causing all forces loyal to Azrok to converge on the area.
Lord Rosznar’s Ring
The ring worn around Azrok’s neck bears the symbol of House Rosznar of Waterdeep: a diving white falcon on a field of blue. Inscribed on the inside of the band are the words “To Kres—Fly high and stoop swift.” The ring is worth 25 gp.
The finger upon which the ring rests once belonged to Kressando Rosznar, who came to Azrok’s Hold after failing to make progress in dealings with the Xanathar Guild in Skullport. The young nobleman was looking to set up a slavery ring in Undermountain, with slaves flowing down from Waterdeep and money flowing up into House Rosznar’s coffers as well as Azrok’s war chest.
Azrok was intrigued by the proposition but found Kressando condescending. He killed the nobleman for failing to show the proper respect. Kressando’s gutted corpse was fed to the otyugh in area area 17e, but Azrok kept the finger as a trophy. If the characters want to retrieve the ring to complete a quest (see “Search for area Kressando Rosznar"), they’ll have to kill Azrok, charm him into relinquishing it, or steal it while he’s
Stay a While
If the characters are looking for a safe place to rest and are on good terms with Azrok, Lurkana orders one of the goblins to escort them to area area 21i or area 21l. After showing the characters to their quarters, the goblin tells them where they can buy adventuring gear (area area 21a) and rations (area area 21t).
21o. Goblin Orphanage
The sound of screaming goblin children issues from small cracks in the walls of this building. Inside, two Goblin Boss are minding twenty goblin children (noncombatants). The bigger children are being taught how to bully the smaller ones, shoving them around and hurling insults. The goblin bosses remain here even if an alarm sounds elsewhere.
Trinket
Various broken toys lie scattered about. A thorough search yields an intact trinket (roll on the
21p. Arch Gate to Level 6
Embedded in the west wall of this otherwise empty chamber is an arch gate to level 6 (see “area Gates"). The keystone of this arch is carved to look like a gold dragon wyrmling, its mouth agape. The rules of this gate are as follows:
- The gate opens for 1 minute when a gemstone worth at least 100 gp is placed in the dragon’s mouth, which causes the dragon head to animate and chomp down on the gem (destroying it).
- Characters must be 9th level or higher to pass through this gate (see “area Jhesiyra Kestellharp"). The first creature to pass through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “area Elder Runes").
- A creature that passes through the gate appears in area area 36c on level 6, in the closest unoccupied space next to the identical gate located there.
21q. Morgue
Nine drow Zombie stand perfectly still in the middle of this room, which is cluttered with cobwebs, rubble, and wreckage. The zombies obey Preeta Kreepa (see area area 21m) and attack anyone else who gets too close.
21r. Azrok and Lurkana’s Quarters
Standing in front of the door to this chamber is a tired goblin named Salt Nose, so named because he has white freckles on his broad snout. He’s suffering from three levels of
Lurkana uses the banner as a form of punishment; she makes disobedient or incompetent underlings stand outside these quarters for hours or even days on end with no food, no water, and only the banner to keep them company. Salt Nose spilled a plate of food on Azrok’s lap and fears that he will spend what little remains of his life here. Characters who take pity on him earn his trust, and he readily tells them where to find things in Azrok’s Hold. If information is what the characters seek, Salt Nose suggests they speak with Preeta Kreepa, a strange creature that has lived in Stromkuhldur since before the goblinoids came (see area area 21m).
The building is empty except for a large bed covered with furs. Azrok and Lurkana come here to rest.
21s. Azrok’s War Chest
Two Hobgoblin stand guard outside this chamber, one in front of each door.
What was once a shrine to the dwarven pantheon is now Azrok’s treasury. The room contains the following:
Toppled Idols. Dozens of stone idols of dwarven gods have been toppled from their bases and smashed on the floor.
Altar. A low altar near the west wall is covered in dried blood. Piled around it are drow shortswords, hand crossbows, shields, and skulls.
Statuette. Atop the altar rests a 7-inch-tall statuette of Maglubiyet, the goblin god of war, carved from blood-red stone. It is not valuable.
Chests. Flanking the altar are two iron treasure chests without locks (see “Treasure” below).
Stealing Azrok’s treasure deprives the warlord of the funds he needs to ensure his troops' loyalty. News of the robbery causes most of the bugbears and goblins, as well as half of the hobgoblins, to flee Azrok’s Hold and seek employment as mercenaries in Skullport.
Treasure
One iron chest contains 180 gp, 450 sp, and 600 cp. The other holds a dwarven ear horn made of brass (1 gp), a gold-plated candlestick shaped like a pillar of fire (25 gp), three obsidian scarabs inscribed with the insignia of House Auvryndar (25 gp each), and a stoppered gourd containing a
21t. Rations
A painted wooden sign mounted above this building’s recessed door depicts a goblin chomping down on a rat sandwich. Inside, three Goblin busily assemble packs of rations consisting of baked mushrooms, rat jerky, cakes of dry moss, and other underground edibles. The rations are stored on shelves, and visitors can purchase a small parcel containing 1 day of rations for 5 sp.
Treasure
The goblins keep their proceeds in a small wooden coffer. The coins are added to Azrok’s war chest (see area area 21s) at the end of every day. The coffer currently contains 35 sp.
22. Barrelstalk Garden
Spores. Clouds of harmless and dimly luminescent spores hang in the air.
Fungi. The cave contains a giant garden of barrelstalk fungi (see “area Barrelstalk").
Gardeners. Three Goblin are tending the garden and killing the spiders, rats, and other vermin that infest it. These goblins shy away from any confrontations with the adventurers.
23. Way to Skullport
Weakened by the drow, the Legion of Azrok now fears incursions from Skullport. Azrok has placed sentries here to watch for trouble.
23a. Ripplebark Cavern
Guards. Five Hobgoblin stand watch in the middle of this 20-foot-high cave.
Fungus. A shelf-like fungus resembling a mass of rotting flesh clings to the north wall. The fungus is called ripplebark (see “area Ripplebark").
If the characters approach from the south, heading toward Azrok’s Hold (area area 21), the hobgoblins demand to know their business but allow them to pass if the group’s intentions aren’t hostile. If the party includes one or more drow, the hobgoblins attack instead. Characters traveling away from Azrok’s Hold aren’t questioned, but they are warned not to harm the shriekers in area area 23b.
23b. Immature Shriekers
Conical Roof. This enormous cavern has a conical roof that rises to a peak 50 feet overhead.
Spores and Gardens. The air is full of harmless, dimly luminescent spores that form clouds around gardens of moss and fungi.
Shriekers. Planted among the other fungi are four Small (3-foot-tall) Shrieker with 7 (
2d6 ) hit points each, their locations marked with asterisks on map 3.
Characters who have encountered shriekers before can spot the young ones in this chamber with a successful DC 11 Intelligence (
Aftermath
If the forces of House Auvryndar are defeated but the Legion of Azrok remains, the goblinoids reclaim and fortify their lost caverns (area areas 18 through area 20). If the converse occurs and the Legion of Azrok is wiped out, the drow secure the rest of Stromkuhldur. If both factions are defeated, the level becomes a playground for explorers from Skullport.
Any good fortune visited upon the Legion of Azrok is temporary, as more of Azrok’s goblinoids come under Xanathar’s sway. Once the beholder has implanted intellect devourers in the skulls of Azrok and Lurkana, it uses the Legion of Azrok as a bulwark to halt any drow advancement into Skullport. The sea hags of the River Sargauth join forces with Xanathar to hold the drow at bay.