Nehirill’s Tower

 Nehirill's Tower is in the Selenica Pass, just inside the Ylari border. Although now named after its current owner, it is much older than her, constructed by a wizard of Ylaruam who wanted to conduct his research in peace but still have some connection to civilization. On the outside it is a relatively conventional if rather tall and impressive tower standing about 200ft high and with a mostly square base and tower shape. There are known to be 4 human inhabitants although nobody outside the tower knows if there are any more, human or otherwise. 

Travellers who have approached the tower have been warded off by elementals (usually earth or air), sometimes accompanied by a human mage, one of Nehirill’s apprentices. One foolish adventuring band thought that there were riches and magic in the tower to plunder, and tried fighting their way past a pack of elementals. They were stopped in their tracks by a second wave, this time of constructs including a bone golem and a pair of iron living statues. The two survivors (out of an initial six) were escorted back to the main road and informed that next time there would be no survivors. A less violent encounter was had by an enthusiastic merchant of Selenica who wanted to show the wizards her wares. She was informed by an apprentice mage (with two earth elementals at his side) that they did not conduct trade at the tower, but they would meet her at the nearby village of Orstinel if she was serious. She did stay at Orstinel for a few days before deciding her prospective customers were a no-show, and headed back to Selenica. However, before she left, she did talk to locals and found that the apprentice with a scarred face did sometimes turn up, perhaps once a month, for supplies. 

The Human Inhabitants

Nehirill

15th level magic user, human female, align Chaotic
Str 6, Int 18, Wis 10,  Dex 11, Con 13, Cha 11

Equipment: includes Dweomersilk Robe of the Arcane Scholar, Wand of Paralyzation, Dagger +2, Ring of Telekinesis + other items
Nehirill is originally from Glantri, and moved away after falling afoul of a more senior mage (an unfortunate episode involving stealing valuable spell components and attacks on each others’ apprentices). While on her way to Ylaruam she encountered Elshar who had already taken over this tower but was looking for an apprentice, and Nehirill was accepted.  Nehirill is not interested in rules or ethics, and certainly not in society or other people’s welfare. However, she is very interested in spell research as well as the construction of magical servants. Despite her alignment she is not interested in either the cosmic forces of Chaos or the associated cults - being Glantrian she considers all religions and cults to be tedious god-bothering. She simply does as she wishes, which most of the time is continuing her former mentor’s investigations into dimensional magic. She has considered dismissing her apprentices but she realises that she needs some sort of connection with humanity, and she can just about tolerate her apprentices - although there is a selection process and a number of former apprentices could not handle her. 

Vantheen

10th level magic user, human male, align Neutral

Str 10, Int 16, Wis 12, Dex 10, Con 12, Cha 14

Equipment: includes Staff of Summoning Elementals, Dweomersilk Robe of Protection +2, Wand of Illusions

Vantheen is Nehirill’s right hand man and majordomo. He ensures that things run smoothly at the tower, and is often the first to investigate intruders and visitors near the tower. He has been Nehirill’s apprentice for over 10 years and although the relationship has been strained (he is among the first to admit she can be difficult to deal with) he is still loyal and is adept at taking her behaviour in his stride. 

 

Dormith the Scarred

9th level magic user , human male, align Neutral

Str 11, Int 17, Wis 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Cha 9

Equipment: includes Libram of Golem Construction: Bone Golems, Libram of Living Statue Construction: Iron Living Statues. 

Dormith is instantly recognisable by the disfigured left side of his face, a result of an unfortunate encounter with green slime. Dormith hails from Thyatis and is an escaped slave - part of his enthusiasm in learning magic is to make sure he can defend himself from such treatment and never be a slave again. He has taken on the role of cook and provisioner, and is the most likely of the humans here to visit Orstinel, with horse and pack mule, to buy food and other supplies. As such he is also the most socially aware and despite his acid-scarred face he often gets on well with those who he does business with. 

Duggoon MacCraddock

9th level magic user, human male, alignment Chaotic

Str 14, Int 18, Wis 9, Dex 10, Con 12, Cha 13

Equipment: Wand of Magic Missiles, Ring of Protection +2, Amulet of Construct Control

Duggoon is from Glenmoorloch in Glantri and has known Nehirill for a long time, having fled Glantri together after an attempt to acquire spell components did not go to plan. He has a remarkable affinity for constructed beings, particularly golems and living statues, and Nehirill appreciates this (fewer humans for her to deal with). He understands Nehirill well, and sometimes can cope with her character quirks better than Vantheen or Dormith.  He has also helped  Vantheen deal with intruders (monstrous or humanoid),  and can bring his bone golems to assist alongside Vantheen’s elementals. 

Dimensional Magic and the Tower

Nehirill’s mentor was Elshar the Explorer, a leading researcher into Dimensional Magic, and she put this into practice in the renovation of the tower when she took it over. The first two floors are relatively conventional (for a wizard’s tower) but the higher up one goes, the stranger the architecture becomes. Selected visitors who have been allowed onto the third floor say that it is bigger on the inside than the outside while the fourth floor is utterly bizarre, with infinite staircases that loop back on themselves and gravity acting in odd directions, built with the help of a Glantrian architectural mage, Maurice Esher. In the centre is incredibly weird shifting cube that Nehirill calls a tesseract - she hopes to create a whole new laboratory based on this tesseract shape. According to Dormith (while drunk in a tavern in Orstinel) the fifth floor has numerous rooms that are actually pocket dimensions that, if in just 3 dimensions, would overlap and conflict with each other. The top floors are locked and even the apprentices are only rarely allowed in by Nehirill. Here are the World Portals, somehow made permanent by Elshar the Explorer. The exact number of portals are unknown but at least 3 have been confirmed by the apprentices, with signs over the portals bearing the names Tekumel, Kaelaross and Dying Earth. There may be many more portals as the top floors are considerably more expansive and convoluted than the outer walls of the tower would suggest. 

Player Characters and the Tower

Under normal circumstances the tower is somewhere to be left alone - Nehirill prefers it that way. However, the PCs may well want access to either things within the tower, or perhaps the portals that lead to other worlds. The two main ways through to the tower are by brute force or by negotiation: brute force would require enough combat power to overcome golems, elementals and high level mages - possible at Companion level (14th level +) but not ideal. Negotiation is far more interesting, and although Nehirill is not happy dealing with greedy, stupid adventurers, there are possible situations where she would consent. 

• Nehirill wants the adventurers to do something beyond the portals for her that she is not happy doing herself or even delegating to her apprentices. This could be something very risky, or something that mages are not good at. 
• Nehirill has gone through one of the portals and has not returned as expected. The apprentices could seek out adventurers to find and rescue or retrieve Nehirill while they maintain the tower. 
• Nehirill wants something done in the rest of Mystara (eliminating a threat from Glantri, retrieving a valuable tome from Norwold, or finding a rare spell component in Alphatia). In return she will grant the PCs a one-time use of one of the World Portals (return trip optional). 

It is unlikely that simple bribery with gold or gems will persuade Nehirill to allow adventurers in to her precious, private abode. An unexpected offer of a powerful magic item or spellbook might change her mind, but she is wary enough that unless she has dealt with these adventurers before, she won’t trust them. Approaching via an apprentice such as Vantheen is possible and the apprentices will do their own investigating and divination to assess whether the request is in good faith or treacherous. Even if Nehirill trusts the adventurers, using the world portals will not be a free gift. 

Image by M C Escher, source

Guardian Gargoyles

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Gargoyles are well known to adventurers as chaotic, evil monsters with horns, fangs, claws and wings. They are clearly unnatural, as they are immune to normal weapons, thus making them even more fearsome to humans without such weaponry. Their fundamental natures are of great curiosity to sages. They are similar to constructs, and like golems and living statues they can appear as inanimate statuary when staying still. Yet it is quite rare for a powerful mage to go to the bother of creating them - the money, time and resources for creating a construct often seem better spent on more powerful minions. 

The evidence is that gargoyles are indeed constructs, but ones twisted from their original forms by forces of Chaos. They can now reproduce, unheard of for nearly all other constructs, albeit asexually (there are no male or female gargoyles, just ugly ones). Although they can be created by powerful mages, usually they are considered too selfish and unpredictable to be reliable guards. Powerful leaders of Chaos such as nagpas can still press them into service. 

Guardian gargoyles are the original gargoyles, the uncorrupted ones. They are quite rare but they are much more conventional as constructed creatures. They are carved from stone and animated by powerful magic. They are typically positioned perched on the tops of grand buildings such as cathedrals, temples, universities and city halls, staying perfectly still and appearing to be an ornate part of the architecture.They still have monstrous appearances, having bestial faces, bat-like wings and taloned hands. Guardian gargoyles also have a few features not seen by their chaotic cousins, namely the ability to detect invisibility in a 60ft range and also they constantly have Detect Ethereal creatures in 60ft range. Like normal gargoyles they can fly, though given their stoney weight this flight is more magical than aerodynamic. They also have one trick they will use in a pinch - once a day they can spew out gutter water from their mouths at an opponent's eyes temporarily blinding it.

They have a capacity to take orders, and are particularly good at instructions on who to let pass and who to prevent entering, being able to discern race and class (though not a creature's alignment). Guardian gargoyles are popular in both Alphatia and Glantri, guarding the rooftops of wizards' towers and arcane schools. 

Guardian Gargoyle
Armour Class	4
Hit Dice	6*
Avg. HP	30
Movement	90ft/fly 180ft
THAC0	14
Attacks	2 claws/1 bite
Damage	1d6/1d6/2d4
No. Appearing	1-10
Morale	12
Save As	F12
Treasure	none
Alignment	Neutral
Intelligence	7-8 (Low)
Size & Type	Medium Construct
XP Value	500

Features:

• Immune to non-magical weapons (similar to normal gargoyles & golems)
• immune to poison, disease, charm & sleep as constructs
• Detect Invisible & Ethereal 60ft range at will
• Surprises opponents on 1-3 on d6 when staying still and blending in with architecture
• 1/day gutter water spew - target within 20ft must save vs death ray or be blinded for 1 turn

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Mutated Dinosaurs of Davania

On an Alphatian expedition to Davania, the mages of the Skyship Glory of Aar, set off from the flying city Aalthir, as it hovered over the Thyatian town of Cittinova. One of the aims of the expedition was to catalogue and observe the monsters and wildlife of Davania. They flew south beyond Herakanthia and deep into the jungle. While they initially observed many natural dinosaurs, including Brontosaurus, Triceratops, Ankylosaurus and the infamous Tyrannosaurus, when they passed beyond the Ruins of Ervvos they noticed dinosaurs that were anything but normal. Members of the Alphatian expedition agreed that this was the result of experimentation, perhaps one of their countrymen, though nobody knew which wizard might be responsible for these magically mutated dinosaurs. Others have suggested these might have been the result of alchemical enhancement of dinosaurs by pre-human sorcerers such as serpent-men of the Mogreth empire or perhaps the even more ancient Carnifex empire.   

Spewing Baryonx

Armour Class	7
Hit Dice	8+8*
Avg. Hit Points	44
Movement	150ft/Swim 90ft
THAC0	12
Attacks	1 bite/2 claws
Damage	2d10/1d8/1d8
No. Appearing	1
Morale	8
Save As	F4
Alignment	Neutral
Intelligence	2 (animal)
Size & Type	Huge Animal
XP Value	1100

The Spewing Baryonx is a dweller of tropical swamps, rivers and lakesides. It is a piscivore and carnivore, eating most animals smaller than itself, which includes humans - an adult Baryonyx is typically 30ft long and 10ft tall.  It has two prominent sacs on either side of its upper throat - these generate acidic digestive juices, and once per day the Baryonyx lives up to its name as it spews this caustic saliva at opponents that do not die quickly to its claws and jaws. The acid forms a line 20ft long and any creature in this line must save vs dragons breath or suffer 4d8 acid damage. Those that succeed only take half damage. 

Sapient Dakotaraptor

Armour Class	7
Hit Dice	4+4
Avg. Hit Points	22
Movement	180ft
THAC0	15
Attacks	2 claws/1 bite
Damage	1d4/1d4/2d6
No. Appearing	3d4
Morale	8
Save As	F4
Alignment	Chaotic
Intelligence	6-8 (Low)
Size & Type	Large Animal
XP Value	125

The Sapient Dakotaraptor is a relative of the better-known Velociraptor and Deinonychus but larger, standing as tall as a man and nearly as intelligent. They have formed a basic language of whistles and cawing like crows, and can form sophisticated societies as well as very cunning tactics when hunting, usually as a pack. They initially attack with their front claws and teeth, but if both front claws hit an opponent then the dakotaraptor has grasped hold of the opponent, and it will then attack with its bite (same damage but at +4 to hit) and with its raking hind claw (again +4 to hit and for 2d8 slashing damage per hit). Dakotaraptors have a basic tribal society and hunting packs will communicate with each other to establish territory, hunting rights and to attract females from other packs in the mating season. However Dakotaraptors are not interested in talking to other intelligent beings - if it isn't a raptor, it is potential prey. 

Bellowing Dreadnoughtus 

Armour Class	5
Hit Dice	30
Avg. Hit Points	135
Movement	120ft
THAC0	10
Attacks	1 tail swipe or 1 trample
Damage	2d12 or 4d10
No. Appearing	1d10
Morale	10
Save As	F12
Alignment	Neutral
Intelligence	2 (animal)
Size & Type	Gargantuan Animal
XP Value	3000

The Bellowing Dreadnoughtus is one of the largest dinosaurs seen in Davania, rivalling Brachiosaurus and towering over even Brontosaurus. The Bellowing Dreadnoughtus is recognisable from other sauropods due to the two rows of air sacs protruding down both sides of its neck.When agitated or angry, or sometimes as part of a mating display, the Dreadnoughtus will inflate these in one round and the next round exhale the air as a deafening roar. All creatures within 40ft that are not dreadnoughtuses must suffer 2d10 damage and must save vs paralysis or be deafened for 1d10 hours. The dreadnoughtus may also try to trample on any creature at its front, its massive weight inflicting 4d10 damage on a successful hit, while creatures to its rear are apt to get slapped by its big muscular tail. Dreadnoughtuses are herbivores, browsing on the tall trees of Davania and moving around in small family herds. Baby and subadult dreadnoughtuses may have fewer than the full 30hd and do proportionately less damage.  

Long-tongued Megalosaurus 

Armour Class	5
Hit Dice	10
Avg. Hit Points	45
Movement	150ft
THAC0	10
Attacks	2 claws/1 bite or 1 tongue
Damage	1d4/1d4/2d8 or special
No. Appearing	1
Morale	10
Save As	F5
Alignment	Neutral
Intelligence	2 (animal)
Size & Type	Huge Animal
XP Value	900

These are ambush predators that tend to hunt alone. Their skin is a dappled green that blends in with vegetation and while in jungles or forests they surprise other creatures on 1-3 on d6. Similar to chameleons and giant toads, long-tongued megalosauruses have long muscular tongues with sticky grabbing ends that they use to catch prey and drag it towards them. Their tongues can reach up to 20ft from the dinosaur and on a successful hit can grab and pull any target of Large size or smaller. The Megalosaurus can bite any creature captured by its tongue at +4 to hit. Although it can only grab one creature at a time, the tongue stays attached to the target until either the Megalosaurus decides to let go or is killed, during which time the +4 to hit the grabbed target still applies. 

Megalosauruses prefer dense jungle where they have a chance to grab prey before they are detected, and will go after almost anything smaller than themselves, including humanoids such as elves, humans, rakastas and bugbears. These big predators only avoid the largest carnivorous dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus and Allosaurus. 

Scorpion-tailed Pinacosaurus 

Armour Class	3
Hit Dice	9+9
Avg. Hit Points	50
Movement	90ft
THAC0	12
Attacks	1 tail club/possible side spikes
Damage	2d10 + paralysis/1d8
No. Appearing	1d10
Morale	10
Save As	F5
Alignment	Neutral
Intelligence	2 (animal)
Size & Type	Large Animal
XP Value	900

These ornery herbivores are covered in armoured plates and spikes - any creature engaging them in melee must make a save vs wands or be attacked by side spikes (usual to hit roll) for 1d8 damage. Note that the side spikes are a passive thing and the Pinacosaurus does not need to be alert for the attacker to impale themselves. The spiked tail club is very much under conscious control, and the Pinacosaurus’s tail is long and flexible enough that the club can reach over and hit creatures to the Pinacosaurus’s front. Anyone hit by the tail club will take the usual 2d10 piercing damage as well as make a saving throw vs paralysis or be paralysed for 1d6 turns by a toxin exuded from glands on the tail.  

Pinacosauruses are a bit like rhinos and buffalos - they are grazers but they will defend themselves without hesitation, and may become hostile towards creatures they are not sure about. They are found in small herds, typically in light forests and savannah where there is a range of plants to graze on.  They are tolerant of other herbivorous dinosaurs that they recognise as not threats and sometimes mingle with stegosauruses or triceratopses. 

Scintillating Spinosaurus 

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Armour Class	6
Hit Dice	12
Avg. Hit Points	55
Movement	120ft/swim 120ft
THAC0	10
Attacks	1 bite
Damage	3d8
No. Appearing	1 or 1d4
Morale	7
Save As	F6
Alignment	Neutral
Intelligence	3-4 (semi)
Size & Type	Huge Animal
XP Value	2300

These are amphibious predators - usually fish-eating but they can vary their diet with humanoids or other small prey. They are found in swamps, rivers and lakes of Davania and are usually solitary except during the breeding season when they are in small family groups. The most outstanding feature of the Spinosaurus is its sail along its back, which is multicoloured and can change colour like a cuttlefish or chameleon. If the Spinosaurus wants to, it can generate a hypnotic pattern on its sail and any creature seeing it must make a save vs Spells or else be entranced for 1d6 rounds during which it will stand still and not attack (and PCs cannot cast spells or speak). Note that this effect is broken if the entranced creature is attacked (usually by the Spinosaurus) or else becomes affected by another significant effect such as drowning.