“Velcome heroes of light. Vould you like to sacrifice yourself now?” the mistress vampire said in a foreign accent. Preternaturally beautiful, she had darkened eyes and dark grey skin of death. She wore an elegant top and a long flowing skirt of dark colors. Light showed behind her, but her form did not cast a shadow. While her beauty and seductive charm were powerful, her blood-soaked fangs flashed, displaying a lethal, predatory nature. The vampire stood in a western doorway in a cavern with pathways to the east toward the tentacle wall and the north to a large chamber with more of the acid geysers.
“Greetings, creature of the night. Let me confer with my collogues,” Kai said as he looked at the group. Kildo shook his head, Guo Gan gripped Qiekamis tightly, and Scomatch held his hand up, extending a finger in a rude gesture. “Right then. We’ll say no.”
A massive flash of light emanated from the cavern to the north.
“Scomatch, what is that light?” Kai asked.
Shrugging, the halfling responded, “Something magical happened.”
The vampire mistress replied, “Hah, hah, hah. But you’ve already sacrificed yourselves once you entered Castle Qazyldrath.”
“Castle draft?” Guo Gan asked.
“Castle Qazyldrath!” the vampire announced in boastful pride.
“Backdraft?” Scomatch questioned.
“Qazyldrath.”
“Quazzledrath?” Kildo attempted to pronounce, scratching his beard in thought.
The vampire snarled in fury.
“We’re not going to get it,” Kai said and gripped his weapon Wave.
A mighty roar echoed throughout the cavern. A wave of writhing shadows crashed over the party, extinguishing all light and turning the cavern pitch black.
Kildo felt mist droplets form all over his body. His exposed skin stung from acid. While his beard protected his face, a pungent vinegar odor invaded his nostrils from the burning. He maintained concentration on his Bless spell. He prayed to Rigga as he cast, Mass Healing Word. Energy washed out from the dwarven cleric and was absorbed by the party.
“Scomatch!” came Kai's voice from within the gloom.
A moment later, the inky blackness dissipated.
“Where did that blast come from?!” Guo Gan shouted.
“Uh, someplace north,” Scomatch replied, flinging acid droplets from his hands.
“I don’t see it, but I do see this vampire ahead of me! Come Concorde!” Kai said, leveling Wave, and charged the vampire mistress on the back of the Pegasus. The undead screamed as two of the prongs ripped through her dead flesh.
Guo Gan was right behind the charging cavalier. “You suck!” he shouted as he bashed Qiekamis into the vampire mistress rapidly three times.
“Guys!” Scomatch shouted in warning.
Turning, Kildo saw the halfling to the north with his back against the wall. Charmander was right next to him. The familiar’s body trembling in fright. He then saw the cause. A massive, shimmering, golden glowing eye centered on him. It was a colossal dragon, but a kind he’d never seen or read about. Stygian scales covered its body with the strange ability to absorb all light around it. In the dimness, it had an unnatural effect of seemingly vanishing from sight despite its immense form. It was like an unholy celestial creature ripped from the shadow realm.
Its slithering head turned toward Scomatch. It lashed out, clawing and biting the halfling. Shadows pulsed off the gloom dragon’s body, with their own physical presence, and struck Kai across the face. An inky blackness substance blinded him.
The mistress vampire formed into a cloud of crimson mist. It pushed through Kai and Kildo. Their skin sucked in upon itself as the moisture was drank from them. The undead blood-fog reformed next to the gloom dragon Qazyldrath and Scomatch.
“Eep!” Scomatch gasped as he cast, Thunderstep. A thunderous boom followed. A wave of energy crashed into Qazyldrath and the vampire. The halfling and Charmander appeared inside the doorway where the undead had initially exited.
Kai began casting, Lessor Restoration. The inky mask washed away. Taking in the situation, he yelled, “Follow Scomatch into the vampire’s room!”
Guo Gan hesitated but followed the paladin.
Kildo didn’t hesitate as the Qazyldrath and the vampire glared at him. Pushing through the entryway, he slammed the door. They were in a circular chamber. At the southern end was a stone-like altar. On it was a white-furred creature that was a cross between a long-torsoed dragon and a dog. It lay still, and from the numerous bite marks, the vampires were feeding off it and using the creature to regenerate themselves. Trails of drying blood streamed down its body, indicating it was alive recently. Sounds of movement were heard outside from the gloom dragon and the vampire. They were likely trying to figure out what the party was doing as they would know they were all trapped with nowhere to go.
“Right. I don’t know how much time we have, but we need to come up with something,” Kai said as he watched the door nervously.
“I’m completely out of spells. I need to rest for eight hours,” Scomatch said.
“Eight hours? I be doubting we have eight seconds before them creatures out there be a nocking,” Kildo said with his back against the door.
Scomatch was rummaging through his pack and pulled out a potion with red liquid.
“What be that?”
“It’s a greater healing potion.”
“Woit? There ain’t be no such thing. Where ye be getting that?” Kildo asked.
“Renwick, the lich from the Sacred Stone Monastery where those earth cultists were held up,” Scomatch replied.
“Don’t be drinking that? Ye don’t be knowing what it be doing,” Kildo stated.
“We’ll unless your goddess Rigga comes to save us. I’m drinking it,” Scomatch said flatly.
Scoffing, Kildo said, “I can’t just be calling up me goddess…”
Downing the potion, the halfling began to glow. The bags under his eyes shrank. He looked fully refreshed.
“That’s the stuff,” Scomatch said, wiping his mount and began casting Crown of Stars. Seven motes of light began to orbit the halfling’s head.
Whispers behind him caught Kildo’s attention. He then turned and saw Guo Gan kneeling and holding Qiekamis. The quarterstaff glowed a sickly green. The monk seemed to be talking to something but couldn’t make out the words. Power pulsed out from the sentient weapon and struck each party member. He felt instantly healed and like he had just slept a full eight hours. All of his spells were back at his disposal. However, his skin had a slimy feel from the source of the healing. It was more like his wounds were being burned away rather than washed clean by Rigga’s healing energy.
“What did you do?” Kai asked with a grave tone in his voice.
“I made a deal with Qiekamis and Belial,” Guo Gan replied.
“You what?” the entire party said in unison.
“You’re welcome, but don’t worry about that now. We have bigger fish to fry,” Guo Gan said as a monstrous roar shook the cavern. The source was neither the gloom dragon nor the vampire mistress. Something gigantic was out there as the sounds of battle raged.
Kai partially opened the door to the chamber beyond with Qazyldrath and the mistress vampire. Outside, a battle did rage. The gloom dragon and a massive king fissure worm battled. Resembling an enormous purple worm, it had dark purple, chitinous plates covering its hide, a mouth full of teeth on one end, and a poisonous stinger on the other. It could easily swallow a horse whole. It moved rhythmically, expanding and contracting its body as it lunged forward, quickly caught the dragon’s hindquarters, and constricted around it. It was a battle of the Titans.
The cavern they were in shook as the two intertwined creatures' bodies smashed into the doorway. Rocks, debris, and dust fell from the ceiling.
“We need to get out of here!” Kai bellowed as he sunk a glowing Wave, from Kildo’s bless spell, into a hunk of the gloom dragon blocking the entrance.
The paladin was in the way and Kildo couldn’t get in a good strike or cast a spell due to the current confined battle. Pulling out his wand of magic missiles, eight magical force bolts went around Kai and slammed into the gloom dragon.
The paladins and the cleric’s attack caused Qazyldrath to roar and roll away from the entrance along with the king fissure worm. The purple worm’s teeth sunk deeper into the dragon, as the gloom wyrm raked and clawed at its opponent.
Scomatch moved out past the doorway and began casting, Meteor Swarm. Reality ripped in the cavern beyond. The sound of a roaring inferno echoed from above. A celestial event was occurring in the heavens. Four enormous meteors appeared, radiating from a single point in the sky. The blazing orbs of fire plummeted toward the battling kaiju. Both creatures stopped and looked on in terror as the asteroids exploded. The impact encompassed the entire area. Rocks and debris exploded into the earth.
As the dust just began to settle. The darkened form of Qazyldrath rose. The dead carcass of the purple worm, unraveled from the gloom dragon. Its entangled body had helped protect the Dark One. As the king fissure worm corpse crashed, numerous sections of it were bashed in or blown away from the meteors. A gushing sound was heard as a five-foot acid wave from the purple worm washed from it and into the party’s cavern. It included the sizzling, bony remains of the mistress vampire. Recognized only by her sharp fangs and tattered clothing.
The wave knocked the Pegasus down and washed over the flying horse. It issued a groaning whinny as it died.
Kai braced himself with Wave as the acid surge struck. He managed to stay on his feet. Moving through the corrosive liquid, he charged out of the cavern and hit the gloom dragon.
Guo Gan followed, batting with Qiekamis three times rapidly.
Avoiding the acid, Kildo also exited, commanding his spiritual hammer to bash the wyrm. Casting Flame Strike, a vertical column of divine righteousness ignited from the heavens. Holy fire engulfed the gloom dragon’s entire form.
Roaring in indignation, the gloom dragon cast out shadows striking Kai. The paladin’s face was covered in inky blackness. Qazyldrath transformed into a blob shadow. It moved into the cavern the party had just vacated.
Plucking a mote of light orbiting his head, Scomatch launched it. It arched and blasted radiant damage into the side of Qazyldrath. The halfling then cast, Cone of Cold. A blast of bitter, freezing air erupted from Scomatch. A thick layer of ice formed in and throughout the gloom dragon blob. It lost control, and it rammed into the far wall. It shattered on impact. Qazyldrath the Dark One was no more.
“Scomatch! You got him!” Kai cheered.
“Of course I did. I always do.” The halfling shifted through the thousands of ice cubes holding the remains of the gloom dragon’s blob-like form. Where the chest area once was, the halfling dug his hands in and pulled a cross piece of a sword’s hilt, but no blade.
“What did you find?” Guo Gan asked.
“A broken sword. Just the hilt,” Scomatch said and then turned it. “There’s writing on the side.”
“What it be saying?” Kildo asked.
Clearing his throat, Scomatch read, “I am the light to push back the darkness. Wield me and destroy the evil hiding in the shadows. For the night is dark and full of terrors.”
Like the sun, a blade of pure radiance ignited and sprang into existence from the hilt. It blinded the party immediately in the dim cavern. It took several moments for their vision to adjust to the light.
“Woah, this thing is worth keeping, but too bad no one uses longswords,” Scomatch said as his eyes widened at the treasure before him.
The party moved to the cavern to the north. There were more acid geysers, but also a massive rock, worn smooth and sized to fit a dragon. Qazyldrath’s lair loomed before them.
As the party searched the room, there was a long tunnel behind the gloom dragon’s throne. Traveling down, Scomatch used the sun blade as a torch.
Entering, Kildo saw thousands of platinum, gold, silver, and copper pieces reflected in the sun blade’s light. He began to rummage through the room as Scomatch, Guo Gan, and Kai started to scoop up coins. Besides eight labeled magical potions in a black onyx bowl, there was a porcelain vase adorned with stylized draconic art, a dragon-horn comb engraved with gothic imagery and veined with black tourmaline, a gold cup with serpentine handles embedded with emeralds, and a ring inlaid with smooth obsidian surrounded by black diamonds, and in the back, surrounded by large mirrors was a life-sized marble statue of a weeping female human angel with her hands covering black opal eyes.
The party exited Qazyldrath's lair and moved eastward past the inert tentacle room into another large cavern. It had long tables going down the middle. Various body parts of unknown creatures in jars traveled along it. There were also multiple wings severed under the table. More counters were along the north, east, and south walls. Most had diagrams and drawings of syphers and angels trapped by black roots. A large open tomb sat on a table along the eastern wall, a comfortable-looking chair resting near it.
Kildo sat and read.
An ancient creature of nightmares and a manipulator of acid and shadows, Qazyldrath (KAZZ-ill-drath) is a monster who has haunted mortal minds ever since the dragon’s wings first engulfed the light of the sun. This gloom dragon’s venerable age is surpassed only by the fear they command. Also known as the Sun Eater and the Silent Decay, Qazyldrath features heavily in the oral tradition of draconic ancestries; they’re said to be one of the progenitors of lesser dragons and the one responsible for the viciousness of dragonkind.
Though Qazyldrath hasn’t been seen in millennia, their influence is ever-present across the timescape. Many elven dialects still use variations of the dragon’s name for the word “eclipse.” Some people believe darkness amplifies Qazyldrath’s power, and the Sun Eater will one day return to plunge the world into eternal shadow
Qazyldrath lairs in the Coronal Hollow, a demi-plane situated in the cold coronal hole of a sun. The ancient gloom dragon has eclipsed this sun since the dawn of time. In the lightless abyss, Qazyldrath’s power grows ever stronger, and they whisper viciousness and malice into the minds of mortals. Darkness and silence pervade the damp vastness of the hollow, and the servitors inside hungrily consume any remaining traces of light and life.
Many wish to witness the day I swallow the sun with darkness, but none are as eager as vampires. They are more faithful to me than to their own sires, for I offer what even the gods deny—a world where vampires can move about freely.
Whistling to himself at the text, Kildo said, “I for one be glad Qazyldrath be dead.”
Qazyldrath Treasure Hoard
· Sunblade Longsword
· 100,000 cp
· 40,000 sp
· 10,000 gp
· 1,500 pp
· Black onyx bowl (worth 500 gp)
· Porcelain vase adorned with stylized draconic art (worth 2,000 gp)
· Dragon-horn comb engraved with gothic imagery and veined with black tourmaline (3,000 gp)
· Marble statue of a weeping human with black opal eyes (worth 4,500 gp)
· Gold cup with serpentine handles, embedded with emeralds (worth 5,000 gp)
· Ring inlaid with smooth obsidian surrounded by black diamonds (worth 5,000 gp)
· 2 potions of clairvoyance
· 2 potions of flying
· 2 potions of gaseous form
· 2 vials of oil of sharpness
· Cloak of the bat
Party Split:
· 1,500 pp / 5 = 300 pp
· 30,000 gp / 5 = 6,000 gp
· 40,000 sp / 5 = 8,000 sp
· 100,000 cp / 5 = 20,000 cp
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