Shadow of Ebondeath Background

Deep in an ancient swamp, draconic spellcasters The necromantic surges are originating from deep
command a dark and heinous arcane ritual. In so in a fetid swamp, in a black dragon’s isolated lair.
doing, they release torrents of necromantic energy The dragon possesses an extraordinary intellect
across all the planes of existence, giving rise to and is a master of arcane spells rivaling some of the
endless hordes of undead on every world. Unless world’s most renowned wizards.
the necromantic energy source can be found and
stopped, the undead could overrun the entire
multiverse, and eventually collapse the multiverse The Lost Kingdom
itself into the negative energy plane.
The swamp where the dragon lairs was once

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This adventure is designed for four to six
Myrmoran, a prosperous nation of fantastic magic.
characters of at least 17th-level.
When orcs invaded from the nearby mountains,
the country was brought to the verge of defeat.
Desperate to save their kingdom, the two rulers

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PLACING THE ADVENTURE requested the help of a mad lich who dwelt there,
The Mere of Dead Men is a vast saltwater bog located pleading that he use his magic to destroy the
in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, north invaders. The wicked creature cast a spell that
of Waterdeep and south of Neverwinter. The Sea of reshaped reality, perverting the rulers’ wishes.
Swords forms its western coast and the High Road When the incantation was complete, the oceans
runs parallel to its eastern border, with a few small washed over the land drowning the invaders and
settlements and scattered ruins along the way. citizens alike.
Here are suggestions for where you can place this
adventure in other campaign settings.
The Blighted Mere
Greyhawk. Saltmarsh is a well-known fishing town

to the east. The Drowned Forest deep within the Hool

Marshes is an ideal location for the dragon’s lair.
The necromantic disturbance may have attracted the
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located in the southernmost part of Keoland. Two large
cities are nearby, Burle, to the northwest and Seaton,
The cursed lands where the lich cast his spell are
now a twisted and overgrown mere filled with foul
air and water black as a demon’s soul. Sunken
ruins hide throughout the swamp, long since
reclaimed by the hungering mud. Now, the bog is
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attention of Granny Nightshade, a night hag from the the territory of predatory animals, bloodthirsty
Dreadwood.
monsters, and wandering undead. Bones of fallen
Eberron. The Shadow Marches are a vast marshland
creatures are scattered through the swamp,
region on the western coast of Khorvaire. It is a
dangerous and unsettled land. House Tharashk overgrown with fungus and mold.
controls the nearby capital of Zarash’ak. Deep within
the Vile Marsh to the southeast of the city, a dragon The Dracolich’s Bones
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is fulfilling part of the draconic prophecy that could

release the daelkyr sealed within Khyber. Following the magical cataclysm, an ancient
Planescape. The Swamp of Oblivion is the elemental black dragon ruled the mere. Its name was
plane forming the border where the Plane of Earth Chardansearavitriol, but most called it Ebondeath.
meets the Plane of Water. It is referred to by planar Numerous creatures worshiped Ebondeath as
scholars as the Para-Elemental Plane of Ooze. It is an a god, and with the support of these cultists,
unending swamp, filled with otherworldly monsters, Ebondeath achieved a unique form of undeath. As
swarms of giant insects, and ferocious carnivorous
time went on, this extraordinary dracolich withdrew
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plants. It is an inhospitable place with few established

settlements. into the heart of the mere. During the Time of
Sigil, called the city of doors, is a booming metropolis Troubles, Ebondeath suddenly collapsed into a pile
at the center of the multiverse. Scattered amidst the of bones and dust, but the dragon’s potent spirit
swamp are portals to Sigil’s slums and sewers. lingered, tethered to its bones.
When a dragon comes into contact with these
bones, Ebondeath’s spirit can possess them.
Ebondeath believes that by collapsing the
multiverse into the negative energy plane, it can
ascend to godhood.

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 Adventure Summary
The Eye of Myrkul The characters are gathered in a metropolis,
Shadow of Ebondeath is a spiritual sequel inspired brought together by the adventure patron (see
by The Eye of Myrkul, an adventure written by Eric L. Adventure Hooks). They must locate the source of
Boyd, for D&D advanced second edition, and featured the undead cataclysm and stop it before it’s too
in Dungeon Magazine #73. The Eye of Myrkul contains
late.
a wealth of additional detail related to the characters,
locations, and events described in the background.
After identifying the mere as the area that the
negative energy is originating, they decide how
to travel there. The characters may prefer to use
The Black Dragon powerful magic to teleport close to the source, or
they may use resources available in the city to

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Locals know that a black dragon lives in the ease travel through the mere, such as vehicles,
swamp. However, the dragon has a closely mounts, magic, or guides. If they decide to traverse
guarded secret – it has a twin sibling. The two the mere on foot, the journey is slow, complicated,
dragons pretend to be one dragon, going to great and dangerous, and will likely tax their resources

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lengths to preserve this fact and killing anyone significantly.
who discovers their secret. The dragon calls itself The next challenge is narrowing down the precise
Voaraghamanthar, and its secret twin is named location where the negative energy is originating.
Waervaerendor. The characters may possess some abilities that
Scholars mistakenly believe the dragon has lived enable them to track the disturbance directly to
in the swamp since ancient times because legends its source. Otherwise, they will need to look for
often confuse the dragon with Ebondeath, who clues or gather information from the denizens of
ruled the swamp long ago. the swamp. Their investigation may lead them to
For centuries the twin dragons have investigated the dragon’s first lair, which is well known to the
the swamp uncovering its arcane mysteries. Among
the artifacts they have discovered are a pair of
twin crowns that provide an enhanced telepathic
connection between them.
e swamp’s inhabitants, or to the secret lair where the
negative energy ritual is taking place.
If the characters arrive at the first lair, they do
not discover the cataclysm’s source but might
learn of the second lair from the dragon’s minions.
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Ritual of Ruination In either case, the quest eventually brings them
The twin dragons have been searching for a path to directly to the dragon’s hidden lair.
immortality. They recently came into possession Both lairs are inhospitable environments for the
of a legendary relic: the bones of Ebondeath. characters, where movement and rest are grueling,
Unfortunately, they underestimated the power of and mighty guardians impede their progress and
Ebondeath’s undead spirit and became possessed. drain their resources. If the characters survive, they
The twin dragon’s telepathic connection enables discover a profane ritual that utilizes the bones of
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Ebondeath to influence them both at the same Ebondeath.

time. If the characters can destroy Ebondeath’s bones,
Now, they are weaving a world-shattering spell, the dragons are freed from their possession and
sinking the material plane into the Negative Plane. allow the characters to leave their lair unopposed.
An endless cascade of negative energy spews unlife Alternatively, defeating both dragons can end the
and entropy from the bones and ripples out across cataclysmic ritual. If one dragon dies while the
the multiverse. This effect reanimates corpses other lives, the remaining dragon will be driven mad
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from every world, calling them forth as zombies, with bloodlust and seek revenge at any cost.
skeletons, and other undead horrors.

Shorter Adventure: The Dragon’s Lair

To run the adventure in fewer sessions, you can start
the characters at the entrance to either dragon’s lair.
Traversing the lairs provides exploration and social
challenges, and a final battle against the dragons might
last an entire session in some cases.
The adventure hook “Archmages Instruction”, is ideal
in this scenario.

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 Adventure Hooks Archmage’s Instruction
The stakes in Shadow of Ebondeath are The characters are legendary heroes whose
intentionally high, and the literal fate of the great deeds have echoed across the multiverse.
multiverse hangs in the balance. The characters As undead ravage their homeworlds, a powerful
are heroes of myth and legend, likely famous archmage makes contact with them and teleports
throughout their worlds and possibly beyond. If them across the multiverse to the plane where the
they cannot do this, no one can. Any powerful disturbance originates. Regardless of the setting,
entity with the character’s respect could provide the Mordenkainen, Elminster Aumar, and Tasha are
quest for this adventure. If your campaign or the prolific figures known for traveling between worlds.
character’s backgrounds do not contain a suitable Their motives are varied and inscrutable, but the
NPC, consider one of the following hooks to capture destruction of the multiverse is not acceptable to

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the players’ attention. them.
Warrior’s Regret
The Leader’s Request
The characters have been holding the undead

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The characters are famous heroes who have saved hordes at bay. However, it has become apparent
entire kingdoms and continents from inevitable they are numerous beyond counting and that
disaster. With the world facing certain doom, an someone must determine the cataclysm’s source.
influential ruler summons them to court to request Their investigation leads them to meet with a retired
their service. Suppose your characters are from warrior who claims to know what is happening.
the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. In that If your characters are from the Forgotten Realms
case, Lady Laeral Silverhand is the Open Lord of Campaign Setting, the knight is Sir Justin, an
Waterdeep, Dagult Neverember is the Lord Protector elderly Paladin of Helm. Decades ago, he served
of Neverwinter, Ulder Ravengard is the Grand at an outpost near the mere. He recounts a tale of

Shadow Lord of Luskan. e

Duke of Baldur’s Gate, and Jarlaxle Baenre is the being captured by a dragon and explains how the
dragon used him as a bargaining chip to force a
party of adventurers to venture into ancient ruins
and return the bones of Ebondeath in exchange for
his life.
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