The Ascension of Taran'zuul

Adventure Overview

The Ascension of Taran'zuul is intended to be an epic high level adventure. It is designed to be beyond deadly even for a party of four to five 20th level characters. We recommend that the players and DM be experienced at their respective roles and classes, and encourage people on both sides of the DM screen to think outside the box. Characters at this level are able to perform feats that most people would deem impossible. If they decide to do something of the sort, it is generally best to allow it.

Additionally, the adventure is meant to be setting neutral. As the DM, feel free to change the names and locations to fit your campaign setting as you see fit.

Character Creation

When creating characters for this adventure, keep in mind that characters at 20th level are capable of some of the most amazing feats of heroism in any world. Knowing this, we have a few guidelines for you as the DM when discussing character creation with your players. Please keep in mind that these are not requirements, and if you disagree with any or all of it, you are free to completely ignore this section.

For Ability Scores, use either the Standard Array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) or 27-point buy.
Allow multiclassing as per the rules listed in the PHB.
Players may start with 1000 gold pieces each
Disallow the Wish spell. (None of the enemies have the spell either)
Allow each player to choose up to 4 common or uncommon magic items, 2 rare items, and 2 very rare items.
Though not strictly necessary, at least one character should have a positive, trusting history with Lord Conrad Melindor (most likely via the Criminal (Spy) background).
Once created, write down each character's passive Perception and Passive Investigation

Part 1: An Ominous Invitation

The players start out having all received a mysterious summons claiming that only they can stop the end of the world as we know it. This summons (see Appendix A) is from Lord Conrad Melindor, Chief Scribe to the King. In reality, Lord Conrad is, for lack of a better term, a spy.

Where the party meets him is up to you. They could meet in a seedy tavern, a high-class casino, a government conference room, or any other location that fits their backgrounds. Regardless of the location, Lord Conrad is by nature a rather secretive man, and though he knows he must trust the party, it doesn't come easily to him. He has received the following information from a retired colleague named Galvyn Dorn, living in the small village of Falkirk:

Taran'zuul is the leader of the Council of Death, and has come into possession of a Book of Vile Darkness.
He intends to use the book to perform a ritual to ascend his physical form into that of a demigod.
Taran'zuul is a lich, but he must use his phylactery as the material component for the ritual, making him vulnerable.
His two lieutenants are Dal'aran and Zanash, both soldiers from a long dead army. Little is known about them other than they are powerful undead soldiers.
The Council intends to begin the ritual within the next week, and are in the Abshire Manor, several days travel from here.
The ritual takes 12 hours to complete, and can only be performed on the 3 days leading up to (and including) the full moon.
Taran'zuul was a revered member of society, though very long ago. He is incredibly smart and very likely has traps and defenses in place around the manor.
He is an extremely powerful lich, but until recently his whereabouts were unknown.
Should the party succeed in stopping the ritual and defeating the Council, they may keep the manor and anything within its grounds (Appendix B).
Lord Conrad can direct the party to a wizard who will teleport them to Falkirk for a 2000 gp fee.

Upon completing their talk with Lord Conrad, the players have several options for reaching the manor. If they wish to teleport to the manor, they will find that they cannot get inside the grounds via magic. They can, however, teleport to a small village a short distance from the entrance to the grounds. If they decide to go on foot, the manor should be about a weeks travel from where they have their meeting with Lord Conrad. During that week, feel free to add as many or as few encounters as you see fit, but keep in mind that Lord Conrad has informed the party that the clock is ticking.

Part 2: Falkirk

The manor is located about 1 mile north of a tiny village called Falkirk. It is a farming village with about 30 inhabitants, all commoners, with the exception of Lord Conrad's contact, Galvyn Dorn (see below). There is one small tavern, the Foamy Tankard, no inns, a blacksmith, and a general store. Surrounding the tavern are a few small wooden houses and hitching posts, with a scattering of barns and sheds used to hold farm equipment. All of the buildings are freshly rebuilt and in excellent condition.

The residents of Falkirk are loyal to Taran'zuul. They have been promised growth of the village because of the money Taran'zuul has, and as a sign of good faith, he paid to have the whole town renovated. They are cordial and welcoming to the party, but refuse to speak ill of Taran'zuul. They know the following about the manor and Taran'zuul:

The manor property was purchased several years ago by Taran'zuul.
Before that, it had been abandoned for many years. The local children, though forbidden, used to play there.
The manor was very recently constructed, seemingly overnight.
The grounds are quite large. The villagers do not go on the grounds, and are unaware of whatever dangers may lurk there.
The villagers are happy to have Kal'aran, Taran'zuul's representative, around. He makes them feel safe.

Lord Conrad's colleague, Galvyn Dorn, lives in Falkirk as both the barkeeper and a skilled carpenter. He has the statistics of a Priest, with the following changes:

He is neutral-good
He has 45 hit points
He carries a shield, increasing his AC to 15
He has Healing Word prepared instead of Guiding Bolt

In addition to running the tavern, Galvyn has been acting as the towns carpenter/repairman for nearly 20 years. He knows the surrounding area well, though he is terrified of Taran'zuul and will not openly speak against him. With good reason and a successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, he will invite the party into a small private storage room behind the bar to discuss Taran'zuul more openly. He knows the following:

Taran'zuul does indeed possess a Book of Vile Darkness
The manor is quite large, and the only clear way in or out is through a single doorway in the southern wall.
Taran'zuul is as cunning as he is smart. The party should not trust him.
His lieutenants are powerful melee combatants with some spellcasting ability, and are wholly devoted to Taran'zuul.
There is a third lieutenant of Taran'zuul named Kal'aran who stays in town to assure the folk that Taran'zuul cares for them.

Galvyn Dorn knows he is no match for Taran'zuul. However, he can be convinced to accompany the party into the manor, given good reason and a successful DC 25 Charisma (Intimidation) or DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check. Should he enter combat with the party, he stays well away from danger and uses his spells to heal and assist the party. He only attacks with Sacred Flame, and only if he has no other viable alternatives.

Additionally, Taran'zuul has one lieutenant permanently stationed in Falkirk. His name is Kal'aran. Should the party confront Kal'aran, he will speak to them openly about Taran'zuul, even going so far as to feign hatred of Taran'zuul. His real goal is to discover each party members key strengths and weaknesses in combat. Kal'aran is a Death Knight, with the following changes:

He has a Deception skill of +16
He has Sending prepared instead of Elemental Weapon
He has Seeming prepared instead of Destructive Wave
Given that he has two non-combat spells prepared, he knows that his combat ability is significantly diminished and will avoid combat if possible.

Kal'aran typically roams the village at random, speaking to the folk in short conversations and generally making himself as visible as possible in order to give the villagers a sense that Taran'zuul cares for their well-being. He uses the Seeming spell each day to cause his gaunt undead skin to appear as that of a middle-aged human male. He is quick with a joke and smiles maybe a little too much for comfort. Additionally, Kal'aran uses the Sending spell to communicate with Taran'zuul each night, reporting on the state of the village. Should the players leave him peacefully after speaking with him, Kal'aran will immediately use all of his available spell slots on Sending to inform Taran'zuul of the players intentions and abilities.

Part 3: The Abshire Manor

When the players arrive at the manor, the weather has become overcast and gloomy, with a slight drizzle of rain. The picturesque landscape appears beautiful, yet foreboding at the same time.

The grounds around the manor are home to many Votoz guarding the grounds. They roam in packs of 2 to 3 members, and at any given time there are 30 votoz on the grounds. The votoz are vile undead beasts created by Taran'zuul using the Book of Vile Darkness as a first line of defense to protect his ascension ritual. It is likely that the party will encounter at least one pack of votoz as they cross the land towards the mansion. The votoz will generally attack in pairs to take advantage of their Pack Tactics feature, and prefer the target wearing the least armor.

The mansion is situated well within the grounds, over a mile north of Falkirk. The grounds around it are massive, with a low stone wall surrounding the entire property, broken only by an archway on the southern wall allowing access to the grounds. The wall is very old but in remarkably good condition given its age.

The land between the wall and the mansion is open grassland, broken up only by a medium sized lake on the eastern side of the grounds, a heavy forest taking up most of the northwest corner of the grounds, and a scattering of trees throughout the rest of grounds. Other than the wandering votoz, there is no danger posed by the grounds, but without using spells or other effects, there is no way to approach the mansion without being seen.

The mansion itself is small, but the height of luxury. As the party approaches it from any side, they can see glorious stone and brick walls with arched picture windows and stone columns supporting sloping overhangs around the exterior, with raised decks giving occupants beautiful views of the surrounding land.

The main entrance to the mansion is in the center of the southern wall. It is a gorgeous, wide door made of a heavy wood, and locked with an expensive looking lock. Picking the lock requires a successful DC 20 dexterity check using thieves tools. Other than being locked, the door is trapped with a Disintegrate Trap (see area 1 below).

If the players decide to enter via different means, there are several ground level windows they can attempt to climb through via a DC12 Athletics or Acrobatics check, and the only other door into the mansion is through the covered patio attached to the master bedroom (area 7).

1 Foyer

This large semi-circular foyer offers a magnificent entrance into the mansion. The wide area is sparsely adorned save for a coat rack on the western side of the entrance, and a massive, gaudy chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Each wall adjacent to the entrance has a large picture window taking up most of the curved wall area, affording a beautiful view of the surrounding manor.

Disintegrate Trap The main door into the area is trapped with a disintegrate spell. The trap is triggered by attempting to open the door or pick the lock. Upon being triggered, each creature within 20 feet must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw. Creatures that fail the save take 75 (10d6+40) force damage. If a creature is reduced to 0 hit points by this damage, its body is turned to ash. As the trap is magical, spotting the trap requires a successful DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check, however, a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check allows a character to see the ashen remains of previous victims of the trap scattered around the immediate area. A detect magic spell reveals the door to be enchanted with transmutation magic. Disabling the trap cannot be accomplished by mechanical means, but casting dispel magic (DC 19) on the door can remove the enchantment from the doors. The trap resets 1 minute after being activated.

2 Dining Room

This spacious room holds a beautifully carved stained oak table as its centerpiece, with matching chairs bearing artistic carvings along their sides. In the northwest corner is a bar area containing all manner of fine wine, liquor, and beer. A few decorative plants adorn the rest of the room.

3 Living Room

The central room of the mansion is the main gathering area. It houses several fine oak chairs, a small table, two plush red couches, and, in the northern wall, a fireplace that is shared with the servants quarters (area 5). In the center of this room is an elaborate magical contraption, 10 feet tall, made of adamantine, and inlaid with many different precious metals. It weighs over 1000 pounds and radiates a powerful aura of conjuration magic perceptible to even the non-magical members of the party. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check will confirm that the contraption is preventing teleportation (including spells such as gate) into or out of the manor and its grounds. The contraption, though apparently weak, is held together by powerful magic and uses a part of the essence of Taran'zuul to function.

It has AC 12, 100 hp, immunity to poison and psychic damage, resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, piercing, radiant, slashing, and thunder damage, and vulnerability to bludgeoning damage. Any player that hits the contraption with a melee attack takes 15 force damage as the magic holding it together lashes out.

If reduced to zero hit points, the contraption explodes in a shower of magic and metal. Each creature in the room must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 15 bludgeoning, 15 piercing, and 15 force damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save. If the party destroys the contraption, reduce Taran'zuul's hit points by 50.

4 Kitchen

The spacious kitchen holds all manner of cooking utensils and areas, allowing what servants used to be here ample space to prepare meals and snacks for dinner parties and gatherings of all sorts. In the northeast corner of the kitchen, a trapdoor opens to reveal stairs leading down to the wine cellar (area 8). The stairs are trapped with an alarm spell which alerts the Council of Death that intruders are coming. The alarm is mentally connected to the Council, and does not make a sound that the characters can perceive. Casting dispel magic on the trap door removes the alarm.

5 Servants Quarters

This small room houses four beds for the servants, plus footlockers at the foot of each bed, and a small table near the fireplace. The room is sparsely adorned, though the furnishing that are there are clearly of a high quality. The northern wall houses a large picture window, allowing the servants a magnificent view of the manor.

Treasure Each footlocker has personal effects from the servants that used to live here, none of which hold any value. The table has a well-worn deck of cards, and an equally well-worn oak dragonchess set on it.

6 Bedrooms

These two bedrooms each have a large plush bed with worn silken sheets and goose down pillows, along with a table, couches, and dressers. Each room has windows looking out over the manor.

Treasure Each of these rooms were used by one member of the Council of Death. Within the dressers of each room are several sets of fine clothing, 2d10x10 platinum pieces, 3d10x10 gold pieces, and one magic item from Table F in the Dungeon Master's Guide.

7 Master Bedroom

The largest of the three bedrooms, this one houses a massive bed with similar adornments to the other two rooms, and has an exquisite purple rug with gold trim covering the center of the floor. An easy chair and a large oaken armoire are also present.

The door on the southern wall of this room opens to a beautiful enclosed porch, adorned with a small two-person chair and several plants.

Treasure The armoire contains several sets of fine clothing, 4d10x10 platinum pieces, and one magic item from Table G in the Dungeon Masters Guide.

8 Wine Cellar

This 25 ft. x 30 ft. wine cellar has three walls covered in shelves full of wine, whiskey, and other liquors. The age of the bottles increases from left to right, with the bottles on the right wall being nearly 500 years old. Most of the alcohol in the room, however, has been ruined by the trap (see below), however with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, a player can find 2d10 bottles that are not spoiled, with a worth ranging from 50 gp to 5000 gp each.

In the center of the wall opposite the entrance, there is a hidden door behind the wine racks leading down to Taran'zuul's lair. Spotting the door requires a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check. The wine racks near the door are empty, and can be easily moved out of the way of the door.

Cloudkill Trap The hidden door in the cellar is magically trapped with a cloudkill spell (save DC 20). The trap triggers upon a non-undead creature touching the door, and affects the entire cellar, but not the area behind the door. As the trap is magical, noticing it requires a successful DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check, however, a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals several bottles of wine spoiled by the poison damage, and a few small mice laying dead near the door. Removing the trap requires successfully casting dispel magic on the door (DC 15). The trap resets one minute after being triggered.

9 Throne Room

This massive open room has been magically excavated from the earth with elegant marble floors, gorgeous granite walls, and a 40 foot high vaulted ceiling. Four pillars are spread near the corners of the room, and at the far end opposite the stairs is a large dais upon which sits an elaborate throne. Too large for a normal sized man to sit upon, it is clearly meant for Taran'zuul after his ascension is complete.

The Council of Death is in this room. See the Council of Death section below for information on their actions.

10 Library

A short 5 foot staircase leads from the throne room to this equally elaborate room. Long bookshelves cover every wall, with the exception of a large, beautiful mahogany desk in the corner opposite the entrance. The room contains Taran'zuul's entire collection of literature, from mundane books describing long-dead cultures, to magical tomes containing incredibly dark magic.

Treasure The room is a wizard's dream. It includes no less than 6 full spellbooks containing every spell available to a wizard, other than the wish spell. All manner of expensive inks and parchment needed for inscribing spells are strewn about the desk as well. Also on the desk is a Scroll of Wish, laying next to an open spellbook into which the spell is partially inscribed. Resting in the corner atop the desk are a Staff of Power and a Staff of the Magi.

11 Artifact Chamber

This room is accessible only through a hidden door behind the throne. Spotting the door requires a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check. Characters with a passive perception or investigation score of 20 or higher notice the door as well. This door is also trapped with a Disintegrate Trap (see area 1), however there are no ashen remains to tip off a wary adventurer.

The room itself is simple, and shares a similar appearance to the rest of the lair. Several tables and racks are built along the walls of the room, holding all manner of wondrous magic items. Resting upon a stand in the middle of the room are even greater treasures.

Treasure For the racks and tables along the walls, roll 6 times on Magic Item Table H in the Dungeon Master's Guide. For the items on the stand in the middle of the room, roll 4 times on Magic Item Table I in the Dungeon Master's Guide. Alternatively, you can select items individually to fit the characters in the party.

12 Secret Passage

This passage is 15 feet wide and nearly as tall as the lair chamber, clearly intended to give Taran'zuul an exit after his ascension. The tunnel walls are made of similar material to the throne room, with a dirt floor that extends for several hundred yards, sloping gently upward. Spotting the door while in the throne room requires a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check.

13 Votoz Den

(Not pictured) Area 12 opens from the throne room into this large underground dirt floored den. This area is several hundred yards north of the mansion itself, and is large enough to house more than a dozen Votoz, and at any given time there are no less than 6 Votoz in the den. Should the characters search the grounds before entering the mansion, they can find the den with 8 hours of searching the grounds and a successful DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Survival) check.

The Council of Death

The Council of Death is in this chamber. It is a large rectangular room with a 40 foot high vaulted ceiling and four 10 foot diameter pillars spaced evenly near the corners of the room. The floor is a beautiful smooth marble, and the walls are made from the finest granite. At the end of the room opposite the stairs is a large dais upon which rests an elaborate throne. Taran'zuul is performing the ascension ritual near the throne, and cannot move more than 50 feet away from it, though he can move anywhere he likes within that range. No matter when the party arrives, there are 5 rounds left before the ritual is complete. Taran'zuul may fight, but must use a bonus action on his turn to maintain the ritual. This does not require his concentration, however a counterspell of 5th level or higher can interrupt his cast. For every successful counterspell, add one round to the time it takes for the ritual to complete.

The Council is not surprised by the party's entrance, and Taran'zuul continues the ritual. Taran'zuul will greet the party, congratulating them on finding his lair and getting to the main chamber. This is all a distraction. He is attempting to stall for time to complete the ritual, which he continues attempting to complete.

The Council will not initiate combat, preferring instead to complete the ritual. Dal'aran and Zanash do take up defensive positions between the party and Taran'zuul, however. If the party does initiate combat, the Council fights as a team. Roll initiative for each member separately, but play them as a three-person group with a distinct plan. Dal'aran and Zanash use the statistics of Death Knights while Taran'zuul is a Lich, with the following changes:

He has 254 hit points (25d8+54)
He has his phylactery on his person, as it is the required material component for the ascension ritual.
He has Greater Invisibility prepared instead of Dimension Door
He has Teleport prepared instead of Plane Shift
He is attuned to a Robe of the Archmagi, Book of Vile Darkness, and an Ioun Stone of Mastery, which he has on his person. The Book of Vile Darkness is slung over his shoulder by an adamantine chain.
Because of the above items, his Intelligence score increases to 24, spell Save DC to 25, Spell attack bonus to +17, AC to 18, and his saving throws are: Con +11, Int +15, Wis +10.
He has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
While attuned to the Book of Vile Darkness, Taran'zuul is blinded and deafened when more than 10 feet from it, and all holy water within 10 feet of him is destroyed.
The long term madness effect imposed by the book has worn off by the time the players reach him.

Taran'zuul is supremely confident, both in his abilities and in those of his lieutenants. Once combat breaks out, he will taunt the party mercilessly, and will generally target other wizards with his spells, unless another character gives him reason to choose a different target (such as an Open Hand Monk using Quivering Palm against him). His intent is not only to kill, but to humiliate as well. He will always keep his 7th level spell slot in reserve to cast Teleport if he deems escape necessary. Though he would prefer to bring his lieutenants with him, he has no qualms about leaving them behind. Taran'zuul is able to teleport even if the party didn't destroy the construct in area 3, as the construct was created using his essence.

Use your best judgment to determine how long the players talk to the Council before combat breaks out. If the ritual is completed, Taran'zuul's body, including all items he is wearing or carrying, is churned into necrotic dust. There is a six second (one round) period of horror as the dust of Taran'zuul coalesces into his new form, Destroyer of Worlds. His statistics are in the listed monster stat block below.

Taran'zuul's new form is a huge undead creature, with gaunt skin pulled tightly over a massive frame of sinewy muscle. He has a pair of large, sinewy black wings sprouting from his back, and his eyes are deep-set sockets of blackness. Once ascended, Taran'zuul immediately attacks the party with intent to kill using his Gaze of Death. The only exception to this is his desire to utterly annihilate any and all creatures that can deal radiant damage to him.

The Council of Death and Taran'zuul

The encounter with the Council is intended to to be a race against time for the party. Should they fail and allow Taran'zuul to ascend, it spells doom for the party, and the world. The players are more than capable of fighting an ascended Taran'zuul, but defeating him is extremely unlikely, especially if his two lieutenants are still alive.

Changing the Difficulty

Should you feel the need to change the difficulty of this encounter, you have several options. The simplest way to increase or decrease the difficulty before combat breaks out is to add or remove one Death Knight lieutenant, as necessary. Should you be mid-combat and wish to increase the difficulty, it would be possible to add a Death Knight (perhaps Kal'aran from the town of Falkirk). If instead you wish to decrease the difficulty mid-combat, you may treat Taran'zuul as a normal Lich, without the changes listed on this page.

Votoz

Large undead, Neutral Evil

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)

Hit Points 252 (23d10 + 125)

Speed 40 ft., fly 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Str 17 (+3) Dex 12 (+1) Con 21 (+5) Int 9 (-1) Wis 4 (-3) Cha 6 (-2)

Saving Throws Str +8, Con +10

Skills Perception +7, Stealth +6

Damage Resistances Necrotic, Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from non-magical weapons

Damage Immunities Poison

Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned

Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 17

Languages Understands common but can't speak

Challenge 13 (10,000 xp)

Turn Resistance. The Votoz has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.

Pack Tactics. The Votoz has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the votoz's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Actions

Multiattack. The votoz makes three bite attacks

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 14 (2d10+3) piercing damage plus 14 (3d8) necrotic damage

Howl of Undeath. The votoz howls with the ferocity of undeath. Each creature of the votoz's choice that is within 60 feet of it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or take 27 (6d8) necrotic damage and become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to that votoz's Howl of Undeath for the next 24 hours.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
Str 17 (+3)	Dex 12 (+1)	Con 21 (+5)	Int 9 (-1)	Wis 4 (-3)	Cha 6 (-2)

Taran'zuul, Destroyer of Worlds

Huge undead, Chaotic Evil

Armor Class 22 (natural armor)

Hit Points 495 (30d12 + 300)

Speed 40 ft, fly 80 ft

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

30 (+10) 21 (+5) 30 (+10) 30 (+10) 27 (+8) 21 (+5)

Saving Throws Dex +14, Con +19, Int +19, Wis +17, Cha +14

Skills Athletics +19, Arcana +19, Perception +17

Damage Vulnerabilities Radiant

Damage Resistances Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Thunder, Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from magical weapons

Damage Immunities Poison, Necrotic, Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from non-magical weapons

Condition Immunities charmed, exhausted, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned

Senses Truesight 120 ft, passive perception 27

Languages all, telepathy 120 ft

Challenge 30, 155,000 xp

Decayed Weapons Taran'zuul's weapon attacks are magical. When he hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 6d8 necrotic damage (included in the attack).

Legendary Resistance (5/Day). If Taran'zuul fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Regeneration. Taran'zuul regains 30 hit points at the start of his turn. If Taran'zuul takes radiant damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of his next turn. Taran'zuul dies only if he starts his turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate.

Turn Immunity. Taran'zuul is immune to effects that turn undead.

Magic Resistance. Taran'zuul has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Aura of Undeath Taran'zuul emanates an unbearable aura of undeath for 60 feet around him. At the beginning of each of his turns, all non-undead creatures within the aura must make a DC 25 Constitution saving throw, taking 32 (7d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save. Taran'zuul regains 16 hit points for each creature that fails the save.

Actions

Multiattack. Taran'zuul uses Gaze of Death and makes 2 attacks with his greatsword

Greatsword Melee Weapon Attack +19 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit 24 (4d6+10) slashing damage plus 27 (6d8) necrotic damage.

Gaze of Death. Taran'zuul turns his gaze upon an enemy creature he can see within 120 feet. That creature must make a DC 25 wisdom saving throw or take 55 (10d10) necrotic damage, or half as much on a successful save. If the target fails the save by ten or more the target is paralyzed until the end of its next turn. A creature slain by this feature rises 24 hours later as an undead version of itself under Taran'zuul's control, unless the creature is restored to life or its body is destroyed. There is no limit to the number of creatures Taran'zuul can control.

Legendary Actions

Taran'zuul can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. Taran'zuul regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

Undead Swiftness Taran'zuul may move up to his speed without provoking opportunity attacks and make one melee attack with his greatsword.

Gaze of Death (Costs 2 actions) Taran'zuul uses Gaze of Death.

Shriek of Undeath (Costs 3 actions) Taran'zuul unleashes a devastating shriek of undead energy. All non-undead creatures within 30 feet of him must make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or take 55 (10d10) necrotic damage and become frightened for 1 minute. On a successful save, creatures take half as much damage and are not frightened. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
30 (+10)	21 (+5)	30 (+10)	30 (+10)	27 (+8)	21 (+5)

Appendix A

Summons to see Lord Conrad

This simple letter is hand-written on parchment and sealed using high-quality wax and the seal of the Chief Scribe to the King.

Friend

I find myself in an unusual position. Though you do not yet know it, the fate of our world rests in your hands. Please meet me tomorrow evening. Our usual location will do.

Sincerely,

Lord Conrad Melindor, Chief Scribe

Appendix B

Deed to the Abshire Manor

I, Lord Conrad Melindor, Chief Scribe to the King, do declare the undersigned as the lawful and unimpeachable owners of the Abshire Manor, located within the providence of his majesty's land. This document shall be recognized as a strict order from the King and the undersigned to have full control over the construction, utilization, and altogether function of the land and building within as inscribed under Edict 29 of the Land Development Act.

Signed,

Lord Conrad Melindor, Chief Scribe

Name:_______________

Art Credits:

Oramac1968, created with Dungeon Painter Studio & Photoshop

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