79 lines
3.9 KiB
Markdown
79 lines
3.9 KiB
Markdown
---
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type: location
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region: "The Elemental Chaos"
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plane: Material (displaced)
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danger: Extreme
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---
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# Citadel of Sundering
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## Overview
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The floating fortress of the [[The Hand of Ruin|Hand of Ruin]], a massive structure of black stone and elemental energy that drifts between the Material Plane and the Elemental Chaos. Originally a First Sage observatory, it was corrupted 300 years ago when [[High Pontiff Vosseth]] seized it and began channeling the [[Primordial Wrath]]'s power through its foundations. The Citadel is surrounded by permanent elemental storms that make approach without protection nearly impossible.
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## Tier 1 — Outer Ramparts
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- Floating platforms connected by obsidian bridges
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- Elemental storm zone: 4d10 damage/round to airborne creatures (random element)
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- Guarded by 20 cult soldiers, 4 ballistae, 2 summoned storm giants
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- 4 storm anchors (ritual circles) must be disabled to clear the storm
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**Storm Anchor Stats:** AC 16, HP 40, immune to psychic/poison, resistance to nonmagical B/P/S. Each anchor requires a DC 16 Arcana check (action) to disrupt.
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## Tier 2 — Hall of Echoes
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- Anti-magic field covers the entire tier (except artifacts)
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- Guarded by [[Keeper Malachar]] and 6 helmed horrors
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- Upon Malachar's defeat, the anti-magic field drops
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- The hall is a cathedral-like space with a vaulted ceiling 80 feet high
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## Tier 3 — Chamber of Heralds
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A circular arena with six radiating hallways — each leading to a Herald's sanctum.
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| Herald | CR | Type | Sanctum Hazard |
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|--------|-----|------|----------------|
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| Ash | 15 | Fire Sorcerer | Lava pools (2d10 fire/round) |
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| Tide | 16 | Storm Cleric | 10 ft deep water, lightning rods |
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| Bone | 17 | Death Knight | Negative energy zone (healing halved) |
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| Whispers | 15 | Shadow Monk/Assassin | Magical darkness, silence zones |
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| Iron | 18 | Warforged Colossus | Construct repair stations |
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| Mind | 16 | Illithid Arcanist | Psionic interference (disadvantage on INT/WIS/CHA saves) |
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## Tier 4 — Sundering Throne
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- The Hand of Ruin's command center
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- A vast throne room with a ceiling open to the elemental chaos above
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- Boss: [[Morgra, the Ashen Matron]] (if alive) OR [[High Pontiff Vosseth]]
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- The throne itself is a seal anchor — the final one the Hand of Ruin hasn't cracked
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## Tier 5 — Seal Chamber
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- The deepest chamber, directly adjacent to the planar rift
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- The [[Primordial Wrath]] is visible through the rift — a churning mass of elemental chaos the size of a mountain
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- Three remaining seal anchors glow faintly; the other four are shattered, their energy feeding the rift
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- If the ritual completes (5 rounds after party enters), the Wrath is freed
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**Ritual Interruption:** Each round the party spends disrupting a ritual circle reduces the completion counter by 1. Three ritual circles must be disrupted simultaneously to stop the ritual completely (requires coordinated action from 3 party members within the same round).
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## Siege Mechanics (Arc 4)
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The allied army provides background support:
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| Faction | Contribution | Effect |
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|---------|-------------|--------|
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| Crown Concordat | Soldiers, siege engines | Reduces cult soldier numbers by 50% |
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| Kethra | Naval blockade, bombardment | Eliminates airborne cult reinforcements |
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| Verdant Circle | Druidic ritual support | Neutralizes elemental hazards in Tier 1 |
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| Dragon Lords | Aerial assault | Engages storm giants and Morgra's brood |
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| Iron Concord | Breach team | Opens initial entry point |
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If a faction was not recruited, its effect is lost, increasing difficulty.
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## DM Notes
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- This is the final dungeon. It should be epic, exhausting, and rewarding.
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- Allow short rests between tiers but limit long rests to one (after Tier 3).
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- If the party bypasses tiers too easily, add reinforcements from Tiers 1-2 as they move upward.
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- The final fight with the [[Primordial Wrath]] should feel like the world is ending. Use description liberally — the sky crackles, the ground shakes, reality flickers.
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