Curse of Strahd: Reloaded

A Campaign Guide by /u/DragnaCarta

Chapter 13: The Amber Temple
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Table of Contents
Chapter 13: The Amber Temple
🌙 Strands of Fate - Hooks to the Amber Temple
Resting in the Amber Temple
X1. Temple Facade
X4. Overlook
X5a. God of Secrets
🧟 Know the Monsters - Neferon, Arcanaloth Guardian
X6. Southeast Annex
X15. Southwest Annex
X17. Upper West Hall
X27. Lich’s Lair
X30. Preserved Library
X33. Amber Vaults
Corruption Table
X33. Amber Vaults
X33A. Vault of Shalx.
X33B. Vault of Maverus
X33C. Ghastly Vault
X33D. Breached Vault
X33E. Vault of Harkotha
X33F. Vault of Thangob.
X38. Haunted Room
X42. Amber Vault
Special Events
Neferon’s Judgement

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Chapter 13: The Amber Temple
🌙 Strands of Fate - Hooks to the Amber Temple
Treasures of the Tarokka: If Madam Eva’s Tarokka reading suggested that one of the fated
treasures lies within the Amber Temple, the PCs can find it here or beyond the bridge,
respectively.

Kasimir’s Plea: If the PCs agreed to escort Kasimir to the Amber Temple, he guides them to
its location.

Whispers of Shadow: If one of the PCs has been directed to the Amber Temple by a Dark
Gift resurrection or a shard of amber, they can find the amber sarcophagus of their patron
vestige within the Temple.

Morgantha’s Bargain: If the PCs bargain with her, Morgantha the night hag can reveal that
Strahd gained his knowledge of ancient lore from the Amber Temple, located near the peak of
Mount Ghakis.

The Amber Temple is, in many ways, the true climax of Curse of Strahd. It may not be the
climactic battle, but it is the peak of many PCs’ character arcs - especially those that run the risk
of corruption. Here, the PCs will come face-to-face with the powers that enabled Strahd’s curse,
and have the option of embracing those powers as well.

This chapter changes two primary aspects of the original source material: the origin of its
inhabitants, and the nature of the Dark Gifts of the vestiges. Both aspects are heavily related to
the dark vestiges and the themes of corruption that permeate the temple.

As-written, the Amber Temple is filled with undead, aberrations, and demons. However, the
module never explains how four nothics or ghasts came to reside here, let alone a death
slaad or an arcanaloth. In this rewrite, these monsters didn’t come to the Temple simply to lair
here - instead, they are victims of the vestiges’ corruption. More information on their origins is
detailed in the sections below.

The RAW Dark Gifts given by the vestiges, while theoretically interesting, make for severely un-
fun gameplay. If run RAW, a PC accepting these Dark Gifts can instantly “die” with a single
failed Charisma saving throw, rendering them forevermore as an NPC under the DM’s control.
Many DMs, rightfully, remove this drawback to allow players to retain control of their PCs after
accepting a vestige’s Dark Gift.

However, this comes with its own consequences, with power-hungry PCs scooping up every
Dark Gift they can get their grimy hands on. This reduces the final battle with Strahd to little
more than a farce, with an army of undead, spine-covered, bone-winged, plague-diseased PCs
marching into Castle Ravenloft to fling lightning bolts, command fiery hounds, and generally be
as unpleasant as possible.

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In this revision of the Amber Temple, these Dark Gifts - which, by now, have been heavily
foreshadowed by the amber shards found in Tsolenka Pass, Mount Ghakis, and elsewhere in
Barovia - are instead a constant corrupting force that the PCs know well to avoid. Any PC that
chooses to accept the great power offered by the vestiges is now free to do so at the risk of
great corruption - but in a fairer, reasonable manner.

Resting in the Amber Temple

It is difficult, if not impossible for an ordinary person to find rest in the Amber Temple’s walls.
Any person with a passive Perception of 15 or greater can easily detect that the air of the
temple is infused with a miasma of evil and madness, and that prolonged exposure can lead to
mental harm or madness.

Any humanoid or beast that attempts to take a long rest in the Temple must succeed on a DC
17 Wisdom saving throw or suffer one point of exhaustion and be visited by terrible nightmares.
A creature that fails this saving throw is visited by a suitable vestige in their dreams, which tells
them how to obtain that vestige’s Dark Gift. A character that refuses or falsely accepts a
vestige’s offer gains a random form of short-term madness when they awake, as dictated by the
appropriate table in the Dungeon Master’s Guide.

Regardless of success or failure on this saving throw, no humanoid or beast can gain the
benefits of a long rest (e.g., restoring spell slots, regaining hit points or hit dice, or restoring
class features) for as long as they remain in the Amber Temple. However, a creature can still
sleep, thereby avoiding the threat of further exhaustion due to sleeplessness.

⚠️Note: Additions & Replacements

All content below is an addition to the content in the original module, rather than a
replacement, unless implied or specifically stated. As such, if a specific magic item has a new
description, or if a room contains a new monster encounter, you can assume that this
description and encounter have replaced the original description and encounter.

However, if the room did not originally contain a monster encounter, or if the room originally
contained a puzzle encounter in addition to a monster encounter, you should assume that the
new encounter is an addition to the room’s original description. Similarly, if a room originally
contained a monster encounter, and the revised description of that chamber does not mention
that encounter, you should assume that the encounter is still present unless specifically
removed in this revision.

X1. Temple Facade

The following inscription has been carved into the frame above the front door into the Amber
Temple:

If you seek honor or power, turn back - for these walls hold naught but doom.

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 In amber tombs below, the darkness shelters a timeless evil.

This temple is infected with a scourge of malevolent divinity.

Our arrogance and folly forged this place into our prison.

Leave now, before our damnation becomes yours.

A character with a passive Perception of 15 or greater notices that the snow to the left side of
the temple entrance appears to have been traversed recently. A DC 15 Survival check reveals a
set of human footprints alongside a much larger pair of canine paw prints leading to Area X1a
(Narrow Fissure). A DC 15 Nature check can identify the paw prints as belonging to a winter
wolf.

X4. Overlook
The arcanaloth Neferon does not attack the PCs on sight. Instead, as soon as the PCs enter
area X4 (Overlook), a booming, telepathic voice greets them and demands to know if they have
come to steal the secrets of the Amber Temple. If the PCs respond with hostility, Neferon
demands that they leave, and attacks immediately if they fail to do so. If the PCs appear willing
to negotiate, Neferon demands that each character who wishes to enter the Temple offer a
separate tribute of knowledge or power. As such, if three PCs and two NPCs wish to enter the
Temple together, they must offer a total of five tributes meeting Neferon’s demands. Neferon will
reject any tribute that does not meet his standards, and will allow its offerer to provide a new
tribute.

A tribute of knowledge must be a useful and well-hidden secret about some part of Barovia.
Neferon is not interested in information that is either widely known, such as the existence of Van
Richten’s Tower; information regarding current events, such as the death of Burgomaster
Kolyan Indirovich; or secrets with little value or impact, such as the nature of Stella Wachter’s
madness.

Potential tributes include:

● The true lycanthropic nature of the Keepers of the Feather

● The headquarters and leadership of the Keepers of the Feather
● The identity and location of Mordenkainen
● The contents of the Tome of Strahd
● The true identity of the Abbot
● The history and current status of the Fanes of Barovia

A tribute of power must be a magic item of rare or greater value. A sacrifice of three or more
uncommon magic items will also meet Neferon’s approval. Alternatively, a character can offer
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three amber shards to gain passage to the interior of the Amber Temple. These tributes can be
placed at the base of Area X5a (God of Secrets) by the character that offers it.

Upon accepting the tributes of all who wish to enter into the Temple, Neferon offers the following
promise and warning:

“You shall have safe passage to and from the Temple, so long as you take no treasure that is
not freely given. Be warned - I and my guardians are not the only inhabitants of this place,
and those that dwell deeper within may greet you with hostility or violence. Your safety is your
sole responsibility. And remember - those that break the accords of this Temple shall be
condemned to haunt it forevermore.”

Once the tributes have been made, if any creature attempts to enter the Temple without
Neferon’s permission (e.g., while invisible), or if the PCs attempt to enter the Temple via areas
such as X5 (Temple of Lost Secrets), area X6 (Southeast Annex), or area X15 (Southwest
Annex) without making a sufficient offering, Neferon and the three flameskulls in Area X17
(Upper West Hall) immediately attack.

For as long as the PCs remain in the temple, Neferon will follow invisibly, taking care to keep at
least 30 feet from the party and, wherever possible, hovering 20 feet above the ground at all
times. He will employ his at-will invisibility spell and his Teleport action to avoid the PCs while
monitoring them closely for any evidence of thievery.

For every 30 minutes that the PCs remain in the temple, Neferon must make a Stealth check; if
the passive Perception of the PC or NPC closest to him exceeds his result, that character can
hear the sound of whooshing air behind and above the party, as though a strange breeze is
moving through the air. If detected directly (e.g., via a character with truesight or see invisibility),
Neferon uses his Teleport to swiftly retreat to area X5a (God of Secrets).

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X5a. God of Secrets

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 🧟 Know the Monsters - Neferon, Arcanaloth Guardian
Neferon was once the vice-chancellor of the Amber Temple, but became corrupted when he
grew jealous of Exethanter’s power and accepted several dark gifts from the vestiges below.
Today, he remembers little of his life as a mage, but remains fiercely protective of the
treasures and secrets that lie within the Temple, believing himself to be their caretaker and
sole owner. However, he is willing to share the gifts of the vestiges with others - so long as
they assuage his natural greed as an arcanaloth for magical power or valuable secrets.

In combat, Neferon’s greatest utility tools are his at-will invisibility spell, his 120-ft. truesight
(which allows him to see through all magical darkness, illusions, polymorphs, and
invisibilities), and his fly speed. Unless he is concentrating on heat metal, Neferon should
always focus his concentration on invisibility, renewing the spell whenever he feels
endangered.

If he believes combat to be imminent and he can do so while remaining hidden, Neferon

immediately casts mirror image on himself.

Neferon will not abandon his position in area X5a (God of Secrets) unless the PCs maneuver
to a position beyond his reach such as Area X2 (Entrance), area X15 (Southwest Annex), or
area X17 (Upper West Hall). Whenever he is not within area X5a (God of Secrets), Neferon
will use his fly speed to skim the ceiling of whichever room or corridor he is in, refusing to
allow any floor- or wall-bound enemies to engage him in melee. Neferon will not pursue PCs
into tight, enclosed spaces such as X3 (Empty Barracks), X6 (Southeast Annex), or X39
(Plundered Treasury, preferring instead to use his Teleport and his invisibility to secure a
more advantageous position while the PCs take cover.

If he believes the PCs present a threat, Neferon opens combat with an 8th-level chain
lightning, followed by a 6th-level chain lightning; if the PCs are at 6th level or below, he will
instead open with a pair of 4th-level fireballs as warning shots, escalating his attacks with a
6th- and 8th- level chain lightning if the PCs fail to heed his warnings. He will focus on
clumped-up groups and “thieves” first, but will cast finger of death at 7th-level toward any
isolated character who appears close to escaping the Temple, either via area X2 (Entrance)
or area X15 (Southwest Annex).

Neferon will automatically reserve spell slots for and cast counterspell to block any spell that
threatens to incapacitate him, such as hold monster or hypnotic pattern. If the party does not
appear to have any such status-imposing spells, he will instead use his reaction to cast shield
to defend himself from ranged attacks - but only if he is at half health or lower.

Once his 6th- and greater spell slots are expended, Neferon uses his 5th, 4th, and 3rd spell
slots to cast fireball, though he reserves a single 4th-level spell slot to cast dimension door
and escape to area X31a (West Catacombs) in case he is ever reduced to 26 HP or less.
Once he has no more 3rd-level slots remaining, or if he is forced to hold his 3rd- and 4th-level
slots in reserve to cast counterspell, Neferon switches to casting fire bolt exclusively.

If Neferon is ever engaged in melee by a flying opponent wearing metal armor or bearing a
weapon made of metal and finds it difficult or irritating to escape using his Teleport, he will
cast heat metal to force that enemy to drop their weapon or (in the case of armor) inflict
disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks.
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X6. Southeast Annex
Unlike the flameskulls in area X17 (Upper West Hall), the three flameskulls that reside in area
X33a (Vault of Shalx) are not under Neferon’s command, and immediately attack any intruders
that rouse their attention.

X15. Southwest Annex

The four berserkers that reside in this chamber are members of the Mountain Folk settlement
of Yaedrag, and are led by Helwa, a gladiator and the eldest daughter of Chief Sigrid, making
her the powerful but impatient heir to Yaedrag’s leadership.

These berserkers are Helwa’s Bloodspears - her most trusted companions - and will ascend to
leadership roles within the tribe when she takes her mother’s place. They include:

● Keldei, Helwa’s First Spear, a stubborn, and powerfully loyal warrior.

● Astrid, an inquisitive and curious tracker.
● Frida, a timid but fierce hunter
● Harald, a proud, stocky fighter

A fifth berserker, Bjorn, was recently killed. His body is watched over by Skald, Helwa’s winter
wolf companion. Skald is capable of basic human speech, though he struggles to speak
through his canine muzzle. However, he does not speak when in the presence of strangers.

This group has come to the Amber Temple to undertake a traditional rite of passage for new
leaders of the tribe at Yaedrag. To pass, they must survive six days and six nights within this
chamber, enduring the madness and darkness of the Temple to prove their strength and
steadfast defiance of the temptations of evil.

The Mountain Folk have recently experienced a tragedy: Last night, their friend, Bjorn, was
killed during his watch. Astrid, who was assigned the watch after him, was the first to discover
the body. A casual inspection of Bjorn’s body reveals massive slashes down the length of his
back; a DC 14 Medicine check also indicates that large chunks of flesh have been torn from the
body’s stomach. A DC 16 Medicine check reveals a pair of puncture wounds along Bjorn’s
shoulder, as well as a distinctive grey-yellow tinge to the skin that indicate that poison was
injected by the fangs of some creature.

Skald has thus far been unable to track the killer, as the only scents within the room and on
Bjorn’s corpse are those belonging to the other Mountain Folk.

Helwa is also upset because her magic spear, Shatterspike (TftYP, page 229), has disappeared
from her belongings. It vanished on the third night of their stay at the Temple, and has not yet
reappeared. As a result of these two incidents, the Mountain Folk are tense and suspicious of
outsiders, and will threaten to attack the PCs on sight, believing them to be monsters or illusions

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of the Temple, unless convinced that the party has been sent by or previously met with Chief
Sigrid.

The true killer and thief is Frida, who located an amber shard of Drizlash in a forgotten corner of
the chamber during her first night’s watch in the Temple. Since then, she has grown terrified of
the darkness that lurks within the Temple, and allowed the voice she hears through the amber
shard to coax her into accepting its gifts. Offering Shatterspike as tribute to Neferon, she
descended into the Amber Temple and accepted Drizlash’s dark gift.

As a result, Frida has obtained the Spider Climb ability and Bite attack of a drider, as well as a
Dexterity score of 16 (+3) and a Stealth modifier of +9. She also has a drider’s Sunlight
Sensitivity feature, and has been infected with a drider’s madness, paranoia, and hunger. Her
spider’s fangs are concealed among the rest of her teeth, but can be detected up with a physical
inspection and a DC 15 Medicine check or a visual inspection and a DC 20 Perception check.
She conceals the amber shard on a cord of leather that hangs around her neck.

If her true nature is revealed, Frida flies into a rage and attacks her accuser. If Helwa and her
companions have not already been convinced that Frida has been corrupted, they fight
alongside her, encouraging Frida to avoid revealing her “gifts.” If bloodied, Frida flees through
Area X1a (Narrow Fissure), hoping to find a hiding place on the slopes of Mount Ghakis where
she can complete her transformation.

If Frida is not dealt with, the first night that the PCs rest after first arriving at the Amber Temple,
she kills Astrid while Astrid is on watch. The following night, Harald is killed. The final night,
Helwa surprises Frida and kills her, though not before Keldei is killed and Skald’s left foreleg is
heavily wounded.

X17. Upper West Hall

The three flameskulls in this chamber will not attack any creature that has made a successful
tribute to Neferon, unless that creature has previously stolen a treasure or magic item from
within the Temple.

The staff of frost on the floor is cursed, and becoming attuned to it extends the curse to you.
As long as you remain cursed, you are unwilling to part with the staff, keeping it on your person
at all times. All nonmagical flames within 30 feet of you automatically extinguish, and fire
damage dealt by you is halved. Additionally, any creature that takes a short or long rest within
thirty feet of you suffers the effects of extreme cold. This curse replaces the flaw described in
the original module.

X27. Lich’s Lair

Formerly the head chancellor of the mages guarding the Amber Temple, Exethanter swiftly
moved to accept the dark gift of Tenebrous as the Temple fell into darkness and temptation.
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However, in the many centuries of isolation and corruption that followed, his mind has decayed
greatly, leaving him in his current pitiable state.

Unlike in the module, Exethanter cannot be found in his lair; instead, he is in area X30
(Preserved Library) when the PCs first meet him. However, his spellbook remains inside this
chamber, as well as an additional arcane laboratory comprising a cabinet full of two dozen
unmarked chemical and magical ingredients, a thick and weighty book titled The Alchemist’s
Almanac, and a potion-brewing set that includes a small cauldron, a balance scale, and all other
appropriate tools.

Exethanter’s spellbook is currently opened to a scribbled recipe for a Potion of Greater

Restoration. The following note has been jotted hastily in the margins.

The weight of the centuries presses upon these old bones like quicksand, devouring every
other thought. Though my skull may be physically whole, I can feel the rot of my mind
progressing like the decay of crawler maggots.

I must locate the final ingredient of the potion. Its creation is beyond my capabilities - a cruel
joke for one capable of commanding the very fabric of reality. It is ironic, perhaps, that divinity
lays beyond the reach of one who has transgressed the laws of Death itself.

I must wait. I have never known faith, save for the sacrifices made to the nameless god
below. Yet now, I can only wait - and pray that there is yet enough time.

The recipe is as follows:

Potion of Greater Restoration

1. Brew a one-quart base of third-degree reagents (1 activator : 2 declinator).
2. Add a pinch of nightfern leaves (NOT blackwort leaves - highly toxic!).
3. Mix in ounce of rimesap for potency (check the hidden compartment)
4. Simmer for five minutes; add wyvern mucus (extra samples in cabinet if needed; taste first
to confirm it’s not pale tincture).
5. Add holy water and stir.

The phrase “holy water” is circled and underlined twice.

In his final years of lucidity, Exethanter sought to do the impossible: to replicate the power of a
divine spell - greater restoration - through purely arcane means. Through much trial and error,
he was able to develop a specific recipe capable of doing so, but with one problem: to instill the
necessary divine energy, it required an infusion of holy water, an ingredient that Exethentar is
wholly incapable of producing.

In the event that the PCs are unable to cast greater restoration to restore Exethanter’s
memories, the party can instead attempt to brew the recipe listed in the lich’s spellbook. If

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brewed successfully, this Potion of Greater Restoration has the same effects of the spell greater
restoration; however, Exethanter’s laboratory has only enough spare ingredients to brew this
potion twice.

If cured of his amnesia, Exethentar thanks the PCs deeply and offers to guide them through the
Temple as described in the original chapter.

The PCs can successfully complete each step as follows:

Step 1. A DC 15 Arcana check can identify the correct potion ingredients in Exethantor’s
cupboard to serve third-degree reagents, including an activator and a declinator, which must be
added in the appropriate proportions. Alternatively, the PCs can locate the proper ingredients by
searching through The Alchemist’s Almanac.

Step 2. Within Exethanter’s ingredients cupboard lies a pair of glass bottles that appear to
contain the leaves of distinct plants. The bottles are unmarked. One contains a number of thick,
curled leaves with an indigo coloration; the other contains a half-dozen needle-thin leaves with a
razor-sharp edge. A successful DC 17 Nature check can identify that the curled leaves are
poisonous blackwort and the needle leaves are nightfern leaves.

If the bottle containing the poisonous blackwort is opened, it immediately emits a cloud of toxic
gas, forcing each creature within a ten-foot radius to make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or
take 4d6 points of poison damage, or half on a success.

Step 3. In the northwest corner of Exethanter’s lair, within the wall close to the ceiling, rests a
hidden compartment no larger than a fist. It can be located with a successful DC 15
Investigation check or one hour of careful searching; if the check result was 20 or higher, the
PCs also locate a poisonous needle trap concealed within the compartment’s door mechanism.

The needle trap can be disarmed with a successful DC 20 Thieves’ Tools check. If the
compartment is opened without first disarming the trap, the opener must make a DC 18
Constitution saving throw, suffering 10d6 poison damage on a failure or half on a success. This
compartment contains a small glass vial containing a brilliant cerulean blue liquid marked
“RIMESAP.”

Step 4. Beside the cauldron rests a glass vial labelled “WYVERN MUCUS.” Though its contents
are empty, a thick film of dried-up grey-colored flakes cling to the sides. A successful DC 16
Medicine check can match the dried-up remnants of this ingredient with a trio of other vials of
grey-white liquid within Exethanter’s component cupboard.

A trio of vials containing a similar liquid are mixed in with the others; these contain concentrated
Pale Tincture. A creature that ingests even a small amount of Pale Tincture must succeed on a
DC 18 Constitution saving throw or take 3d6 poison damage and become poisoned. The
poisoned creature must repeat the saving throw every hour, taking 3d6 poison damage on a
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failed save. This damage cannot be healed by any means, though the poison can be removed
from the creature’s system by means of lay on hands or similar magic. After seven successful
Saving Throws, the effect ends and the creature can heal normally.

Step 5. The potion can only be completed if holy water is added. The PCs may obtain holy
water from Ezmerelda (if she is travelling with the party and still has some available), from the
Ceremony spell, or by some other means.

X30. Preserved Library

Upon entering this chamber, the PCs can find Exethanter standing on the carpet in the center of
the room, looking lost. After greeting them, if the PCs seem friendly, the lich asks if any of the
characters have seen his “book.” If asked, he describes the book as “heavy,” “wrapped in a
smooth, tough material” (leather), and written in ink “the same color as those short, skinny
plants” (green grass). He also recalls that it has the word “Incants” in the title, and that he left it
open on a desk somewhere. He doesn’t know where the desk is, but knows that it isn’t
downstairs.

If the PCs are still being invisibly tailed by Neferon, the arcanaloth, after making the tribute at
the Temple entrance, Exethanter notices its presence using his truesight several minutes after
first encountering the PCs. Though he doesn’t recognize Neferon due to his memory loss,
Exethanter points out the appearance of a strange, fox-faced creature in the air toward the top
of the chamber, and asks the PCs if it’s a friend of theirs. Upon hearing this, Neferon swiftly
retreats from sight.

X33. Amber Vaults

Each time a creature uses a dark gift received from one of the vestiges of the Amber Temple, it
must make a DC 10 Charisma saving throw; on a failure, one of the following consequences
occurs, based on the creature’s level (or twice the creature’s Challenge Rating, if it doesn’t have
a level):

● Level 1 or Lower: The creature is overwhelmed by the malevolent power and is

immediately transformed into a ghoul.
● Level 2 or 3: The creature is overwhelmed by the malevolent power and is immediately
transformed into a nothic.
● Level 4 or Above: The creature gains an additional stage of corruption, depending on
the dark gift it accepted and dictated by the Corruption Table below. Creatures accrue
corruption from different dark gifts separately. (For example, if a creature has two levels
of corruption from Fekre’s dark gift and one level of corruption from Drizlash’s dark gift,
and that creature fails a saving throw while using Drizlash’s dark gift, the creature now
has two levels of corruption from Fekre and two levels of corruption from Drizlash.)

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Each time the creature succeeds on the saving throw for a particular Dark Gift, the DC for that
Dark Gift’s next saving throw increases by 5. The third time the creature makes a successful
saving throw, its new abilities, attributes, and flaws become permanent, and it does not need to
make any more saving throws against that Dark Gift.

When a creature accepts a new dark gift, it begins with zero stages of corruption in that specific
dark gift. However, it also instantly gains a stage of corruption in every other dark gift it had
already accepted.1 For example, assume that a creature has previously accepted a dark gift
from Fekre. If that creature then accepts a dark gift from Drizlash, that creature begins with zero
levels of Drizlash’s corruption, but automatically gains one level of Fekre’s corruption. (You
might present this as the creature becoming increasingly vulnerable to the vestiges’ dark power,
or as a jealous vestige asserting its claim over the creature).

Corruption Table
Wherever a corruption stage lists a specific feature or attack (e.g., the Rotting Presence
feature in the second stage of Fekre’s corruption), assume that it uses the same description and
statistics as the corresponding feature or attack on the stat block of the creature listed in the
third stage of that vestige’s corruption (e.g., the bulezau).

If a creature gains a new attack, but doesn’t have the anatomy necessary to use it (e.g., the
Barbed Tail attack in the second stage of Fekre’s corruption), the creature also gains the
anatomical features needed to use the attack (e.g., a long barbed tail).

Vestige Stage One Stage Two Stage Three

Fekre, Queen The creature gains a +3 The creature gains the The creature
of Poxes bonus to its Constitution Rotting Presence feature, transforms into a
score and the flaw: “I crave the Barbed Tail attack, bulezau under the
violence.” Its flesh is and the flaws “I live for the DM’s control.
covered by maggot- kill,” and “Death holds no
infested open sores. fear for me.”

Zrin-Hala, the The creature gains a +3 The creature gains the The creature
Howling bonus to its Strength score Serrated Tail attack, the transforms into an
Storm and the flaw: “I long to Magic Weapons feature, armanite under
carve the flesh of my foes.” and the flaw: “Every the DM’s control.
Its feet fuse into cloven creature - friend or foe - is
hooves. an opportunity to prove my
strength.”

Sykane, the The creature gains a +3 The creature gains the The creature
Soul bonus to its Constitution Regeneration feature, the transforms into a
Hungerer score and the flaws: “I Burrowing Worm attack, spawn of Kyuss

1 Mavinus#0903, /r/CurseOfStrahd Discord

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 must devour a pound of and the flaw: “I am under the DM’s
earthworms each day, or incapable of speech, but control.
become incapacitated,” giggle at odd intervals.”
and “I enjoy killing helpless
things.” Its skin becomes
pallid and gray.

Savnok, the The creature gains a +3 The creature gains the The creature
Inscrutable bonus to its Strength score Psychic Mirror feature, transforms into a
and the flaw: “I am prone the Slam attack, and the star spawn hulk
to bouts of madness.” It flaw: “I am apathetic to all under the DM’s
gains six inches in height things, and obey all orders control.
and its flesh becomes given to me.”
transparent, allowing the
veins and muscle below to
become visible.

Tarakemedes, The creature gains a +3 The creature gains a pair The creature
the Grave bonus to its Strength score of vestigial wings that transforms into a
Wyrm and the flaw: “I am envious reduce fall damage to zero bone devil under
of my betters and cruel to and allow it to glide five the DM’s control.
my inferiors.” Its nails feet horizontally per five
become long, bony, and feet fallen, the Sting
white with crimson-tips, attack, and the flaw: “I hate
and small, vestigial wings what I cannot have, and
of bone emerge from its lust for all that is valuable
back. or powerful.”

Shami- The creature gains a +3 The creature gains the The creature
Amourae, the bonus to its Charisma ability to communicate via transforms into an
Lady of score and the flaw:”I can’t telepathy, the Telepathic incubus or
Delights get enough pleasure. I Bond feature, the Charm succubus under
desire others to create action, the Draining Kiss the DM’s control.
beauty for me at all times.” attack, and the flaw: “I
Its hair turns red and demand worship and
grows past its waist, its loyalty from all that I meet.”
feet fusing into cloven
hooves.

Drizlash, the The creature gains a +3 The creature gains the The creature
Nine-Eyed bonus to its Constitution Web Walker ability, the transforms into a
Spider score and the flaw: “Only Bite attack, the Sunlight drider under the
raw flesh can satiate my Sensitivity feature, and DM’s control.
hunger, and I am always the flaw: “I suffer from
hungry.” Its skin becomes extreme paranoia, and am
a pale black, and fangs quick to anger.”
grow in its mouth.

Dahlver-Nar, The creature gains a +3 The creature gains the The creature
He of the bonus to its Dexterity Assume Form feature, the transforms into a

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 Many Teeth score and the flaw: “I have Claws attack, and the maurezhi under
little sense of self - it’s flaw, “I constantly hunger the DM’s control.
hard to remember who I for humanoids’ flesh, and
am or where I’m going.” Its can never sate my urges.”
teeth become long, sharp,
and pointed, and its eyes
glow a pale yellow.

Zantras, the The creature gains a +3 The creature gains the The creature
Kingmaker bonus to its Charisma Fiendish Charm ability, transforms into a
score and the flaw: “I the Fiendish Blessing cambion under
expect my orders to be feature, and the flaw: “I the DM’s control.
obeyed, and am easily exult in every opportunity
enraged by disobedience.” for wickedness and
Its skin turns red, its hands perversion.”
each gain a sixth finger,
and it grows a pair of small
horns on its brow.

Delban, the The creature gains a +3 The creature gains the The creature
Star of Ice bonus to its Strength score Cold Aura feature, the transforms into a
and Hate and the flaw: “Expressions Greatsword attack (which drowned master
of emotion disgust me.” Its manifests as a blade of under the DM’s
face and back grow never-melting ice grown control.
dozens of grotesque blue from one of the creature’s
boils. limbs), and the flaw “Fire
terrifies me.”

Khirad, the The creature gains a +3 The creature gains the The creature
Star of bonus to its Intelligence ability to communicate via transforms into a
Secrets score and the flaw: “I am telepathy from 600 feet mindwitness
obedient to all who would and loses the capacity to under the DM’s
command me.” Its eyes understand all other control.
become a milky-white speech. It gains the
color, its hair falls out, and Tentacles attack and the
its scalp grows several flaw: “I pay no heed to the
pinkish-red tentacles. concerns of creatures
incapable of the psionic
arts.”

Yrrga, the Eye The creature gains a +3 The creature gains the The creature
of Shadows bonus to its Constitution Magic Weapons and transforms into a
score and the flaw: “I enjoy Magic Resistance death slaad
tormenting others.” features, the Bite attack, under the DM’s
Patches of ash-grey scales and the flaw: “I believe that control.
sprout across its skin, and all life is pointless, and
its teeth become sharp look forward to death when
and pointed. it finally comes.”

Great Taar The creature gains a +3 The creature gains the The creature

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15
 Haak, the bonus to its Strength score Reckless ability, a 40-foot transforms into a
Five-Headed and the flaw: “I’m always climb speed, the Bite barlgura under
Destroyer hungry for a fight, and I attack, and the flaw: “I’d the DM’s control.
love taking gruesome tear someone limb from
trophies from my victims.” limb with barely the
Its muscles swell to a slightest provocation.”
larger size, and short,
orange fur covers its body.

Yog the The creature gains a +3 The creature gains the The creature
Invincible bonus to its Strength score Rampage ability, the Tail transforms into a
and the flaw: “Once I’ve Stinger attack, and the shoosuva under
entered battle, I can’t flaw: “I’m always hungry the DM’s control.
distinguish between friend for flesh - but my hunger
and foe.” A line of jagged can never be sated.”
black spikes grows along
its spine, and its eyes grow
a dark, scarlet red.

Norganas, the The creature gains a +3 The creature gains the The creature
Finger of bonus to its Dexterity Aura of Annihilation and transforms into a
Oblivion score and the flaw: Sunlight Hypersensitivity bodak under the
“Expressions of life and joy features, the Withering DM’s control.
disgust me.” Its eyes Gaze attack, and the flaw:
become black voids, and “I seek out undead, and
its jaw unhinges, drooping avoid the living.”
uselessly past its neck.

Vaund the The creature gains a +3 The creature gains the The creature
Evasive bonus to its Dexterity Incorporeal Movement transforms into a
score and the flaw: “I do feature, Life Drain attack, wraith under the
not feel joy, sorrow, or love and the flaw: “I despise DM’s control.
- only hate, rage, and reminders of what I once
apathy.” Its form becomes was, and what I have
ethereal and clouded in become.”
shadow, and its eyes glow
yellow.

Seriach, the The creature gains a +3 The creature gains the The creature
Hell Hound bonus to its Strength score Keen Hearing and Smell transforms into a
Whisperer and the flaw: “I must feature, a 50 foot hell hound under
regularly indulge my movement speed, the Bite the DM’s control.
hunger for killing.” A cloud attack, and the flaw: “A
of smoke and embers weakened ally is little
constantly emits from the better than prey.”
creature’s mouth.

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X33. Amber Vaults2
The dark gifts and accompanying flaws listed in the original module have been replaced by a
new set of dark gifts (listed below) and the risk of progressing through the Corruption Table for
each particular dark gift (see above).

X33A. Vault of Shalx.

West Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to a vast,
dark stone chamber lined with twisted pillars and sculptures of snakes. At the opposite end of
the chamber, upon a dais, rests a dark stone altar that bears a porcelain bowl decorated with
simple swirling patterns. The bowl is filled with a bubbling purple liquid.

Behind the altar stands Fekre, Queen of Poxes, a tall woman with pallid, purple-grey skin and
a dress of deep violet. Her hair resembles a grey-green fungus that extends on either side of
her head, and her eyes are covered with a purple fungus that mimics the shape of a
masquerade mask. She offers the creature her dark gift: the power of spreading disease. To
accept, the creature must drink the potion from the ceramic bowl. The dark gift allows its
beneficiary to cast the contagion spell as an action without components three times per day.

South Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to an

infinite, flat plain of dead vegetation and dry, cracked soil. Overhead, torrential black storm
clouds swirl as immense lances of lightning flash across the sky, followed shortly by pounding
eruptions of thunder. No rain falls.

Amidst the clouds, at the eye of the storm, hovers Zrin-Hala, the Howling Storm, a massive
humanoid apparition formed of dark storm clouds that constantly crackle and hum with lightning.
Its lower body is a black tornado that descends to the ground below, carving deep gouges into
the landscape. Its hands are long, crackling bolts of lightning, and its mouth is a gaping, dark
maw. It offers the creature its dark gift: the power to create lightning. To accept, the creature
must be speared in the chest with one of Zrin-Hala’s lightning bolts. The dark gift allows its
beneficiary to cast the lightning bolt spell as an action without components three times per day.

East Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to a vast,
dark graveyard of twisted, decaying vegetation and sunken, crumbling headstones. The sky is
covered with flat, grey clouds, and the cemetery is interspersed with tall, cast-iron fences that
have rusted and bent with age.

At the center of the graveyard, before an enormous mass grave filled with humanoid corpses,
rests Sykane, the Soul Hungerer, an enormous worm with the mouth of a lamprey. Drifting
clouds of dim golden mist occasionally drift past its cavernous maw, which it greedily devours
whole. Its flesh is not skin, but a writhing mass of millions of tiny earthworms that weave
together like fabric. It offers the creature its dark gift: the power to raise the recently deceased.

2 All credit for the visual descriptions of several of the vestiges in this section goes to /u/fedex777 for their
post “Dark Powers in Barovia.”
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To accept, the PC must devour an earthworm from Sykane’s flesh. This dark gift allows its
beneficiary to cast the raise dead spell once per day without components as an action.

X33B. Vault of Maverus

North Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to a
circular chamber filled with shelves that groan beneath the weight of arcane components,
potions, and devices. The floor, which is forged of glittering lapis-lazuli, is carved in the design
of a pentagram. Each of the pentagram’s points bears the sigil of one of the five elements of
fire, earth, wind, water, and will. At the center of the room, upon a white marble pedestal, rests
an orb carved from an amethyst gem.

Beside the pedestal stands Savnok, the Inscrutable, a figure whose features and limbs are
entirely concealed by the long, cowled violet robe that it wears. It offers the creature its dark gift:
the power to shield the mind. To accept, the PC must place its hand upon the orb upon the
pedestal. This dark gift allows the beneficiary to cast the mind blank spell once per day without
components.

East Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to a vast
ossuary built to resemble a throne room forged entirely with bones. Lightless grey flames burn
in countless sconces carved from skulls and mounted upon the walls, which themselves are
built of interlocking femurs and decorated with rib cages organized in sickening patterns.

At the center of the chamber, behind a throne forged of skulls, ribs, clavicles, and femurs,
towers Tarakamedes, the Grave Wyrm, a serpentine wurm with a body formed of jagged grey
spikes, its head terminating in a massive, tooth-filled maw that extends beyond the edges of its
body, without eyes or other facial features. Twin skeletal wings extend from its back, its vast
wingspan brushing the edges of the chamber. It offers the creature its dark gift: the power of
flight. To accept, the PC must seat itself upon the throne. This dark gift allows the beneficiary to
cast the fly spell three times per day without components, manifesting as a pair of skeletal
wings.

South Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to a

lush windowless parlor lit by flickering candlelight and filled with soft pillows, divans, love seats,
and futons colored pink, pastel green, and scarlet red.

Upon a futon at the center of the room lies Shami-Amourae, the Lady of Delights. Her
beautiful face is painted white, and her lips are a deep, crimson red. Her eyes are jade-green,
and her hair is pulled into a simple, yet neat bun atop her head, kept in place by a pair of ivory
needles. She offers the creature her dark gift: the power of persuasion. To accept, the creature
must accept a kiss from Shami-Amourae. This dark gift allows the beneficiary to cast the
suggestion spell three times per day without components.

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X33C. Ghastly Vault
North Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to a
decrepit stone hall cloaked in thick webbing. The webs are covered in small, silk-woven sacs
that range in volume from the size of a fist to that of a humanoid’s head; if broken, they release
3d4 swarms of spiders that escape into the surrounding webbing. The walls and floor are lined
with ancient bones marked with the prints of many teeth, and rusted weapons and armor are
trapped haphazardly among the webbing.

At the center of the hall looms Drizlash, the Nine-Eyed Spider, an enormous creature with the
upper body of an ancient, wizened crone and the lower body of a bloated, spine-covered
arachnid. Her pale face has eight visible eyes; when offering her gift, a ninth, blind eye opens
atop her forehead. She offers the creature her dark gift: the power to walk on walls and ceilings.
To accept, the creature must swallow a fist-sized egg sac teeming with infant spiders offered by
one of Drizlash’s eight legs. This dark gift allows the beneficiary to cast the spider climb spell
three times per day without components.

East Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to a

circular chamber whose walls, floor, and ceiling are forged entirely of concentric rings of human
teeth. Nine alcoves line the walls, each containing the unconscious and floating body of an
unconscious human, elf, half-elf, half-orc, dwarf, halfling, tiefling, dragonborn, or gnome.
The bodies cannot be woken. At the center of the chamber stands a stone dais upon which
rests a tall stone basin. Within the basin swirls an ever-shifting liquid of wispy strands of grays,
whites, and blues. Visions of dozens of shifting, ever-morphing faces are visible in the liquid’s
surface.

Behind the basin lurks Dahlver-Nar, He of the Many Teeth. Each limb or body part of this
monstrous, ten-foot humanoid splits into a separate mouth - or, in some places, many separate
mouths. Each mouth is filled entirely with molars, fangs, canines, or tusks, and they constantly
drool a thick, viscous saliva onto the floor. Dahlver-Nar offers the creature his dark gift: the
power to live many lives. To accept, the creature must bathe its head in the liquid within the
basin. This dark gift allows the body to reincarnate upon death once per day, as if it was the
target of a reincarnate spell. Any stages of corruption received from this or any other dark gift
are preserved each time the creature reincarnates.

South Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to a

kingly throne room carved of pure marble and decorated by ornate wall hangings and tapestries
of gold and purple. A tall and proud throne sits upon a raised dais at the room’s end, carved of
gold and gilded with platinum. Upon the throne’s seat, resting on a soft violet pillow, rests a
golden crown inset with many beautiful and priceless gems.

Upon the steps of the dais sits Zantras, the Kingmaker, a slender and handsome young man.
He wears fine robes of deep blues and blacks, and bears a simple dagger at his side. Zantras
offers the creature his dark gift: the power of great presence and force of personality. To accept,

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the creature must allow Zantras to place the crown upon its head. This dark gift allows the
beneficiary to reroll any Persuasion, Intimidation, or Deception check up to three times per day.

X33D. Breached Vault

West Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to a vast,
frozen wasteland. Strange, twisted monuments of ice arc unnaturally in leaping spirals and
immense, impossible architectures. Shards of ice swirl on the wind, cutting into any exposed
flesh. Several hundred yards away rests a near-bottomless pit, its sides covered in snow and
frost, its base glowing a faint, weak orange-red several dozen miles below. A constant column
of red-hot magma rises in great, shifting blobs from the base of the pit, swirling in a column of
air into the skies above.

The column of magma rises far into the atmosphere. As it rises, the magma can be seen
darkening, the heat vanishing as it turns black with cold. Above, the magma is devoured by a
dark, gaping crater of Delban, the Star of Ice and Hate, an icy, planetary moon that hangs
overhead. The crater is lined with enormous, miles-long spikes of ice that rim its edges like
teeth. Delban offers the creature its dark gift: the power to unleash deadly cold. To accept, the
creature must step into the column of magma and allow itself to be devoured by Delban’s crater.
This dark gift allows the beneficiary to cast cone of cold without components three times per
day.

East Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to a stone
platform floating in an endless black ocean. The water is rough, but yards-wide pockets of
stillness occasionally bubble up from below, existing for mere seconds before the currents and
waves swallow them up once more. The sky is filled with dark clouds, and the sun is eclipsed by
a dark moon that devours the light around it.

Floating in the air before the platform, haloed by the eclipse above, is the avatar of Khirad, the
Star of Secrets, a tall,cowled figure wearing a long, rippling yellow cloak that conceals all
features. Though the moon overhead is the true vestige, this figure projects its sonorous, yet
whispered voice for the creature to hear. Khirad offers the creature its dark gift: the power of
divination. To accept, the creature must step off of the platform and dive into the ocean. This gift
allows its beneficiary to cast the scrying spell three times per day without components as an
action.

X33E. Vault of Harkotha

North Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to a
circular glass platform floating in an endless, starry void. At the center of the platform, upon a
raised glass pillar, rests a spherical object covered in a simple red cloth.

The creature is soon met by Yrrga, the Eye of Shadows, a woman’s silhouette formed by the
stars and planets of the surrounding void, her eyes a pair of swirling spiral galaxies. She offers
the creature her dark gift: the power of true seeing. To accept, the creature must remove the red

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20
cloth and gaze into the glass orb that lies beneath it. This dark gift grants its beneficiary the
ability to cast the true seeing spell three times per day.

West Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to a

desolate wasteland of mountainous canyons, ridges, and chasms that bubble with streams and
geysers of lava. A great river of lava cuts through the earth nearby, its surface churning with
melting black stone and spouts of hot magma. The river flows into a large lake of lava, framed
by a semicircle of five great mountains that tower above the rest.

Rising from the lake of lava is Great Taar Haak, the Five-Headed Destroyer - an immense,
five-headed hydra of dark platinum scales, each maw wide enough to devour an entire village. It
offers the creature its dark gift: the power of great physical strength. To accept, the creature
must wade into the lake of lava and be baptised beneath the hydra’s monstrous claw. This dark
gift grants its beneficiary the ability to increase its Strength score to 26 as an action for one hour
up to three times per day.

South Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to the
floor of a dark cavern whose arched ceiling rises hundreds of feet overhead. A stone ridge
extends from the floor and extends in dozens of spirals around the edge of the chamber toward
the ceiling. The ridges are dotted with enormous boulders, some of which rival entire houses in
size, while the smashed remains of many stones of similar size lie pulverized on the ground.
The lowest floor of the cavern sinks to a circular, flat depression; at its center, formed by several
converging cracks in the earth, rests a deep, dark hole filled with a thick, bubbling tar.

Perched atop the highest ridge overhead, and slowly descending toward the creature, is Yog
the Invincible, a house-sized wolf whose black fur is like a shell of dark, steel quills. A thick,
oozing tar constantly drips from Yog’s coat, its yellow eyes gleaming in the darkness of the
cave. It offers the creature its dark gift: the power of physical resilience. To accept, the creature
must bathe itself in the pool of tar at the center of the cavern. This dark gift grants its beneficiary
the ability to grant itself 30 temporary hit points three times per day.

X33F. Vault of Thangob.

West Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to a
decrepit chapel carved of black marble. Stone coffins carved with pentagrams fill the sanctuary
in long, perfect rows, their covers removed to reveal the ancient undead that lie within. Atop a
dais at the opposite end of the chapel lies an additional open stone coffin.

Clad in twisted darkness behind the elevated coffin is Norganas, the Finger of Oblivion, a
writhing mass of shadows shaped like grasping hands and long, reaching tendrils. Just above
the darkness’ center floats an elaborate helm carved of bone, its visor revealing nothing but a
pair of crimson red eyes. Norganas offers the creature its dark gift: the power to turn life into
undeath. To accept, the creature must crawl into the coffin atop the dais and allow Norganas’

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many hands to pull the cover shut above it. This dark gift grants its beneficiary the power to cast
the finger of death spell as an action once per day.

South Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to an

impenetrable void of perfect blackness. The floor is wet, as though covered by a thin layer of
liquid water. In the distance, a standing silver mirror, taller than the creature, can be seen.

A creature that approaches the mirror, instead of their own reflection, can see a golden mask
fashioned into a smiling human face hovering in the air where another creature’s head might be.
The rest of the mirror is filled with blackness. This mask hides the features of Vaund the
Evasive. It offers the creature its dark gift: the power of evasion. To accept, the PC must step
through the surface of the mirror. The beneficiary can use this dark gift up to three times per day
to either cast the spell nondetection without components or to use their reaction to succeed on a
failed Dexterity saving throw.

East Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to an arid
hellscape forged of black volcanic rock. A crimson sky of impossible heat blazes down from
above, and the ground is split in many places by deep fissures and cracks that allow great gouts
of lava to burst and ooze from beneath the surface. A pair of hell hounds linger beneath a
twisted arch of black earth, smoke and embers steaming from their nostrils as magma drips
from their maws like saliva.

Between and behind the hell hounds stands Seriach, the Hell Hound Whisperer, a figure clad
entirely in black steel armor inlaid with crimson markings and sigils. The armor upon its
shoulders are rimmed with spikes, and its helmet bears a pair of metal horns that thrust into the
air a full foot above the helmet’s top. In its hands, Seriach holds a pair of whips that crackle with
swirling flames. He offers the creature the power to summon and control the beasts of the Nine
Hells. To accept, the PC must allow itself to be devoured by the two hell hounds. The
beneficiary can use this dark gift to summon and control two hell hounds for one hour once per
day.

X38. Haunted Room

Should the PCs encounter the poltergeist that haunts this chamber, rather than forcing the
players to roll initiative, treat the spirit as an active trap or hazard, allowing it to move and attack
the PCs whenever you feel that six seconds (one round) have passed in-game.

X42. Amber Vault

West Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to a dark
field of dead grasses and twisted, dying trees. Littering the ground are thousands of pale,
shriveled corpses, their bodies torn, pierced, and drained of all blood. Tens of thousands of
enormous black bats, each one the size of a small dog, hang from the branches of the trees,
their eyes fixated upon the creature.

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Beneath an enormous black gulthias tree that looms far above the rest crouches Vampyr, a
monstrous humanoid with two long, bat-like wings that extend beyond its arms, a pair of bat-like
ears, and a gaping maw of teeth that culminate in a pair of enormous fangs. It crouches upon
the ground rather than standing, its flesh a pale, blue-tinged gray, and its mouth and face
dripping with blood. Crimson stains mark the flesh of its chest, and its arms end in long, wicked
claws from which blood oozes without end. Vampyr offers the creature its dark gift: the
immortality of undeath, as described in the original module. To accept, the creature must allow
itself to be exsanguinated by Vampyr and its thousands of bats, its flesh torn and mutilated by
the vestige’s great claws.

South Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to a

dark tomb, the walls lined with twisted engravings of undeath and sacrilegious, profane arcane
rites. A pair of pedestals carved from enormous, powder-white bones hold a pair of objects: one,
an ancient grimoire bound in human skin; the other, a small metal box inscribed with hundreds
of intertwining, concentric arcane symbols.

Between the pedestals stands Tenebrous, a towering undead figure whose flesh has decayed
and shriveled, leaving its features sunken, twisted, and sagging. Six red circles have been
carved into the flesh of its bare scalp, and its eyes glow a dim, distant crimson. On a loop of
platinum chain links around its neck, it wears a simple amulet forged of platinum and bearing a
purple gem at its center. Tenebrous offers the creature its dark gift: the secret of lichdom, as
described in the original module. To accept, the creature must open the grimoire upon the
pedestal and read its contents.

East Sarcophagus. A creature that touches this sarcophagus is mentally transported to the
crest of a tall, mountainous hill that overlooks a rugged and desolate landscape. Cold, raised
lines of pale blue curl between each mountain, splitting and rejoining like veins. The sky
overhead is an inky black, filled only with thirteen distant stars whose blue light flickers coldly
across the void.

As the creature obtains its bearings, the hill splits apart at its peak, revealing its true nature: one
of the many, miles-long eyes of Zhudun, the Corpse Star - an aberrant moon-sized planetary
body covered in eyes. Dozens, then hundreds of mounds, mountains, and hills across the
horizon, as far as the eye can see, do the same, revealing hundreds of purple-irised eyes, each
one larger than a city. Zhudun offers the creature its dark gift: the power to raise the ancient
dead, as described in the original module. To accept, the creature must allow itself to fall into
the great dark hole of Zhudun’s pupil.

Special Events
Neferon’s Judgement
The first time that the PCs enter area X17 (Upper West Hall) or area X4 (Overlook), or approach
the southern staircases in area X5 (Temple of Lost Secrets) after taking a treasure or magic

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item from within the Amber Temple, Neferon teleports to area X5a (God of Secrets), condemns
the party for stealing, and attacks - with surprise, if the darkness around the god’s statue
remains in place. The three flameskulls in Area X17 (Upper West Hall) also immediately join
his attack. The only item that the PCs can retrieve without incurring Neferon’s wrath is the wand
of secrets in area X2b (Guard Room), which Neferon does not consider to be a part of the
Temple proper.

However, if the PCs have previously found, cured, and befriended Exethanter, Neferon instead
appears before the PCs as a hovering cloud of darkness before delivering its condemnation. If
Exethanter is not already with the party, he swiftly appears and commands Neferon to cease his
foolish actions. With a snap of Exethanter’s bony fingers, Neferon’s darkness vanishes,
revealing his demonic form to the party. Exethanter scorns Neferon for his opposition, scoffing,
“You made your choice - as I made mine. Now begone, and trouble us no more.” Neferon
hisses at Exethanter in displeasure, vowing that Exethanter’s protection will not shield the PCs
forever, but soon teleports away to hide in area X5a (God of Secrets). Exethanter promises the
PCs that Neferon’s threats are hollow outside of the Temple, and offers to escort them outside.
He refuses to elaborate on his words to Neferon, but will disclose that he and Neferon were
once colleagues if asked.

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