Unicorn Blood
Adventure, demiplane and boon
Unicorn Blood
Introduction
The structure of this document is so that several parts of it can be used separately, or it can be used as a whole. Even then, it should slot into most campaigns with minor changes, such as names. The adventure itself is balanced around 4 13th-level characters.
Background
The goddess Oyana, guardian of Knowledge and Death and once one of the three most revered gods in Eregland, is responsible for this demiplane. She created it, along with its inhabitants. Its purpose was simple: to protect the Essence of Life. As its guardian a unicorn was made. To protect the demiplane itself, a great wolf, Valinor, has been responsible.
Lately, meaning the last few hundred years, however, Eregland has been in turmoil. Oyana is squabbling with her mate, Jaster, and such godly rifts always reflect on the mortal world. Politically, the kingdom is in shambles, but more importantly, for the demiplane, Valinor has been left alone and the torment of loneliness has cost his mind dear.
The High Keep
In ages past this grand keep would protect the lands to the south from the horrors that live in the mountains. From here the greatest knights of their time would rally to their warrior-king and take the fight into enemy territory. Whenever it was besieged, by for example a dragon, it never gave in. Its gate could withstand even the mightiest blows.
Such feats were accomplished only because the former king embraced the magic that lies dormant in this world, instead of shunning it. The caves in the mountain were inhabited by a giant wolf named Valinor. It was created and sustained by Oyana to protect one of her realms. Hence, the keep was built under her protection as well, and under Valinor’s. In fact, the Great Wolf even joined in several raids on the dangers in the mountains whenever his goddess deemed the fight worthy and for a good cause.
So, the legends go. What remains of the keep is mostly a mystery. That the building stands is known, but what happened to Valinor or the portal, none can say. The hope is that it still stands of course. It is up to the party to go into this realm and retrieve the essence of eternal life, whilst vanquishing all that stands in their way, even Valinor.
Arrival
Venturing further north, you suddenly notice that you haven’t heard a bird in a while. Furthermore, fog has started rolling in from between the trees over the trail. However, soon after you start seeing what should be your destination: A steep cliff shooting out over the treetops. Everlasting against the sky of wandering clouds. However, it does not seem to have a keep on it. As you close in, it becomes clear you were deceived: the top is in fact the keep, hewn out of the cliff itself. With its back turned to the south-west, it’s very hard to spot indeed.
When the PCs first arrive from the south-west, the first thing they see is the cliff itself. It could be possible to climb up here, but most cracks in the stone are very wide. One would need arms a few tens of feet long. Luckily, if one walks around, there is a road leading up the mountain.
This single lane trail leads all the way from the foot of the mountain to the keep. Now and then it shoots off sharply, resulting in a 90® turn. This would have made the road up the keep easily defendable against any force existing of many foes. On the mountain itself, there are no critters to be found and the otherwise lush vegetation down in the valley is replaced by thorny plants with thick branches.
Entering
As you go up the winding pathway, you finally come to the entrance of the keep. Despite its appearance from the back, what you see now is distressing. The once great gate of the High Keep is in shambles and its walls are crumbling. Its greatness has long since faded.
The keep is made up of two levels. The great walls on the back are hewn out of the grey cliff itself, joined with new stone where the cliff’s height fell short on the front. Its gate, just shy of 25 feet tall, was plated with green bronze and carved into figures of kings and saints alike. Now however, one door lies flat inside the keep and the other stands warped, leaning against its hinges. Clearly, something big finally burst inside the previously impenetrable fortress.
The second level of the keep stands a good 15 yards inside the outer walls. This is the main body of the keep with most of its rooms, excluding the underground ones of course. The inner keep also has a gate, but this too has been blown off its hinges.
This is a big keep. Due to its superb location and defenses, it could have been defended for an extended time by as little as a dozen people, while it could also house as many as 200 in times of good fortune. The rooms of the keep include, among others, a large kitchen with dining room, able to seat up to 100 guests at a time. Lodgings for over a 100 people, as well as space for tents in the courtyards. Meeting and ballrooms, including one with a stage for plays and performances. Underground, there were a number of rooms that seem to have been used as research facilities: laboratories and studies, both magical and general.
Exploring the keep yields little information. There are no signs of battle or complete destruction. A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check yields that the keep was most likely abandoned first and breached later. Most of the valuables have been taken by ravaging orcs or other, more mythical, treasure hoarders. However, a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check spots the following valuables stuffed away:
Treasure: 15 1000gp gems stuffed away behind cupboards, inside a vase, hidden in a small lockbox under a regular tapestry…, 2 Potions of Superior Healing, and a Crystal ball (very rare version) tucked away in one of the laboratories.
Valinor
Huge fey, chaotic evil
- Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 312 (48d12)
- Speed 60 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 20 (+5) 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1)
- Saving Throws Str +10, Dex +7, Int +4, Cha +6
- Senses passive Perception 12
- Languages -
- Challenge 13 (10000 XP)
Phaseshift. At the start of his turn, Valinor shifts into or out of the Material plane to or from the Feywild. When in the Feywild Valinor can still reach into the Material Plane and attack as a spirit with Bite and Claw attacks, but these deal necrotic damage instead.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Valinor fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Corrupted Healing. While in the Feywild Valinor heals 13 (2d12) hit points on initiative count 1 if he wasn't damaged this round.
Actions
Multiattack. Valinor makes three attacks: one with his bite and two with his claws. Alternatively he can make one Tentacle Bite and two with his claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit; reach 10 ft., one target. Hit 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit; reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.
Tentacle Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit; reach 15 ft., one target. Hit 12 (2d6 + 5) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, Valinor can force it to make a DC 20 Strength check. On a failure, the creature is grappled (escape DC 20). When Valinor shifts between planes, the grappled creature shifts with him.
Corruption (Recharge 5-6). Out of Valinor's wounds spews forth a 60-foot cone of bile and corrupted blood. Each creature in the area must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, taking 56 (16d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Legendary Actions
Valinor can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. Valinor regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Detect. Valinor makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Bite. Valinor makes one Bite attack.
Tentacle Bite (Costs 2 Actions). Valinor makes a Tentacle Bite attack.
The Portal
When it comes to finding the portal to Oyana’s realm of the legend, there is a single door in the inner courtyard that leads to a precipitous set of stairs into the caves beneath the mountain.
For the PCs wondering how Valinor enters and leaves these caves, there is an opening in the cliff and Valinor is large and agile enough to scale the cliff.
Valinor, the Great Wolf
Delving ever deeper into the heart of the mountain, the fog that lingered outside becomes ever thicker, as if the air itself is simply mist. The fungi on the smooth and moist cavern walls are ominously black and dark green, instead of white. As if descending into a hell of ice, the temperature of your surroundings keeps dropping.
The cavern Valinor dwells in is wide, but the ceiling is rather low, about 15 feet. Standing upright, the Great Wolf’s back brushes against it. In the cave there is a single, 10 ft. deep pool. This is the portal into Oyana’s realm.
The days of plenty have long since passed for these parts, and Valinor too has suffered of the quarrels between Jaster and Oyana. His goddess has abandoned him and without any support or reassurance from his material patrons either, he was left to insanity and despair. Feelings of anguish, instilled by Al’içmendur, have consumed Valinor’s spirit over the years and this is visible on his physical body. Gaping wounds have torn apart his flesh, coloring his pristine grey fur red and black with dried blood and puss.
These changes have also changed his alignment from Lawful Good to Chaotic Evil. Though, not all is lost. Creatures: 1 Valinor, the Great Wolf
Light: Dark
Location: Underground, inside the mountain
Tactics: Given Valinor’s affliction, he would attack the PCs on sight. However, he has not only lost certainty of his purpose, but also control over his abilities.
Valinor’s lair is a border between the Material Plane and Oyana’s Realm of Eternal Life, which he protects the portal to. Unwillingly, he shifts in and out of Oyana’s realm at the start of his turn. Whenever he is not on the Material Plane, his wounds appear as yawning, teethed mouths, yearning to consume all life that comes before them, and he seems wavering, warped in a way, to anything that is on the Material Plane and does not have Truesight.
Attacks that don’t transcend planes deal no damage and have no effect on Valinor while he is in Oyana’s realm, however, there is a way around this. Submerging yourself fully in the pool transfers one into the demiplane. While in this realm, Valinor looks normal, not even wounded, while he is here as well. If Valinor is on the Material Plane though, he does look wounded to PCs in Oyana’s realm. In short, attacks and magic only have an effect on Valinor if they are made or cast by something on the same plane. Unless the effect transcends planes, of course.
Discovering the lair as a border between the planes could be done magically, or with a successful DC 15 Intelligence check. Certain modifiers might apply, depending on how creative the player is. Figuring out that the pool is the portal, but Valinor shifts at will (though uncontrollably) warrants another check when close enough to the pool.
While the fight will most likely be one to the death, given Valinor’s unquenchable rage, it does not have to be. Consecutive castings of greater restoration or similar magic cleanses him of his affliction. When cast within 24h of the last one, the first casting closes most wounds, the second restores his senses and a third restores his abilities. Note, however, that Valinor would most likely have to be restrained for extended periods of time to allow for this cure.
Oyana's Realm of Eternal Life
Once the party has fully submerged themselves in the pool, they are now in the demiplane. If they didn’t kill Valinor, he can give them most of the information here.
The realm takes the form of a sphere and if they leave the cavern upwards, they are at the highest relative point, as the rest of the plane is relatively flat ground. The sphere is about 5 miles in diameter, so its surface area is about 80 miles, but it has more life in it than a regular forest on the Material Plane would. The overall scenery is reminiscent of a deciduous forest in the Feywild, except for the sky. A thick fog hangs above the trees at all times. Depending on the dominating season, this fog might coalesce and cause precipitation.
The residents of this demiplane are special in the sense that they rapidly adapt to the meteorological conditions. The trees lose and grow leaves, flowers bud and whither and animals begin and end their hibernation in a matter of hours.
Even though the demiplane has no connection to the outside world, time does pass here. Furthermore, it seems to have a sun, it has weather and even seasons, which dominate life here. The four elemental qualities – Dry, wet, cold and warm – are represented and their combination results in seasonal weather.
Both sets, dry and wet, and cold and warm, revolve separately from one another while one half grows and the other half shrinks. If the demiplane is a sphere, think of each set as a separate veil that rolls over its inside. This veil is divided in either dry/wet or cold/warm. While one elemental quality might reside, its complement grows on the same veil. Because of this, vastly differently sized areas might constitute a certain season.
Entering the demiplane
Valinor is alive
As you leave Valinor’s lair with the Great Wolf close behind, the treacherous caves on the Material Plane are now simply the entrance to cavern in the hillside. What was a steep cliff is replaced with said hill and the fortified keep is now a majestic oak. Above the treetops hangs a thick fog, shrouding the sun.
When the party first enters the realm, you should roll to see what season it is in this location and perhaps incorporate this in your description.
Since Valinor is still here, he can and would explain to the party what this place is, how it works and where they should be heading. What they are looking for is a unicorn’s glade exactly on the other side of the realm. They could fly or simply walk.
If they choose to fly, it would take them just under 90 minutes at a 30 ft. per round flying speed and can use the sun as a beacon. If they walk, it should be just under two and a half hours. That is, if they don’t lose their way. This isn’t a given, not even for characters with the Keen Mind feat, as the sun is fixed in the exact middle of the sphere. This means that coordinating off the sun, like keeping to a certain side off it, becomes impossible. Nevertheless, this should not be maddeningly difficult, perhaps it doubles or triples travel time if they are really unlucky. Furthermore, every hour travelled through a part where it is winter costs an extra hour.
Valinor himself won’t follow them, as his duty is still to protect the portal, which he can do properly again.
Valinor is dead
As you leave Valinor’s lair, the treacherous caves on the Material Plane are now simply the entrance to cavern in the hillside. What was a steep cliff is replaced with said hill and the fortified keep is now a majestic oak.
You should do most of the same things as you would do when Valinor is still alive, check for seasons and track their movement. However, there is no one to tell them this information.
As soon as Valinor dies, however, on whatever realm, the unicorn instantly knows this, as they were linked through Oyana’s power. As he was the guardian of the portal, the unicorn is the keeper of the realm itself.
Traversing the Demiplane
As stated above, it would take about 90 minutes to fly straight to the glade, and it would take about just under two and a half hours to walk there, given that they don’t get lost, as well as taking an extra hour per hour travelled when the part they’re in is currently winter.
When the party chooses to fly, they might come across the sphere’s sun. In fact, if they take the most direct route, they should. The sun is a faintly glowing crystal ball, about 1 foot wide. During a period of 24 hours, the ball goes through a cycle of glowing more or less, simulating day and night with a full moon. The ball is suspended in the air in the exact middle of the sphere by force of the rest of its contents. Moving it would theoretically involve moving the entire sphere, if it existed inside something else (such as a hamster ball on the Material Plane). However, it can be wrestled free with a DC 30 Strength check, or cut lose with something that can cut planar strings, such as a Sword of Kas. To destroy it, assume it has an AC of 25, is immune to all but magical damage and has 150 hit points.
The demiplane is packed with magical wildlife. Dryads (MM 121), cyclopses (MM 45), satyrs (MM 267), pixies (MM 253), true lycanthropes (that can willingly change; MM 206-11), eladrin (MToF 195-7), treants (MM 299), centaurs (MM 38) and the like, as well as regular wildlife, such as the trees, insects, birds, and beasts. There’s no random table for this, as none of the wildlife is initially aggressive or hostile towards the party.
When facing a more intelligent opponent, their focus would be to capture one or more of the PCs and bring them to the unicorn, so it can mete out justice against the harbinger.
The Unicorn's Glade
Depending on how the PCs travelled, you might want to adjust the following description.
After a few hours of walking through the lush, yet for the most part easily traversable forest, you see a clearing coming up ahead. Guided by birdsong, it opens up before you. It is centered on a shallow pool and about 100 ft. in diameter.
To the left of you, a family of wild boars, with a dozen piglets, are rooting in the ground. On the other side of the clearing, you see a few does, peacefully grazing on some fresh shoots. But most striking of all, near the pool you see a horned horse, with glistening silver fur being tended to by two elves: a unicorn.
The Font of Life
Creatures: Two eladrin, a unicorn, 3 dryads, and some non-combatant wildlife (a family of boars and some does)
Light: Depends on the time of day
Location: Inside a divine demiplane, in a forest clearing
Tactics: If the PCs have so far been malevolent, the unicorn will be hiding, together with the eladrin. Furthermore, there might be more than 2 eladrin ready to defend their keeper. Assume that 2 extra eladrin come to the glade per hour since the PCs acted wickedly, as the unicorn would have sent for them, to a maximum of 20 eladrin.
If the PCs have been benevolent, the unicorn greets them in Common: “Hail, children of Jaster. And welcome to the realm of Oyana.”
When asked about why they are considered children of Jaster and whether or not the unicorn knows what’s going on, it replies that all mortals are offspring of the Eternal Flame. When it comes to the political disputes, it knows nothing, however, it does know that something is wrong between Jaster and Oyana, who are supposed to be loving mates. Additionally, the unicorn knows that such quarrels between the gods can be reflected on the lesser planes (so, the Material Plane) and cause abominations.
Diplomacy: The unicorn, as the keeper of the font of life, decides whether or not the PCs receive it. To do so, they must prove their intentions are good, pure and in line with the teachings of Oyana. To represent the party talking to the unicorn and trying to convince it of this, they’ll need to succeed on a couple of checks. Instead of simply making one check, the PCs make several throughout the conversation.
Each check is a Charisma (Persuasion or Deception, if they are lying) against the unicorn’s Wisdom (Insight) check. Because the unicorn was made to do exactly this, this particular specimen has proficiency on Insight checks, giving it a +6 bonus on these checks. Once the PCs have accumulated 3 successes, they convince the unicorn of their just intentions. If they accumulate 3 failures before the 3 successes, the unicorn denies them.
To guide roleplaying, here are some examples of possible replies:
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When mentioning they are looking for the fountain of life: “Ah yes, the most coveted treasure for all of humanity. For whom would it be destined?”
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When someone else is mentioned as the intended imbiber or task giver: “And where is she? That I may mete out her worth?”
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When one of the PCs mentions being pledged to a god the unicorn is familiar with (Oyana, Jaster, Voien): “Welcome, fellow devotee. I too have pledged my life to the gods. What led you to your decision?”
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The fact that they killed Valinor is mentioned: “A dreadful act, but perhaps necessary. He had long since been inflicted with most terrible thoughts. Omens that had stolen his mind. It might even have been for the best, for his corruption might have spread into this realm, or your world too.”
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The fact that they cured Valinor is mentioned: “Oyana be praised! Long has he struggled with the most dreadful omens. He came to believe the end of both worlds he sought to protect and it had taken his mind.”
The knowledge that there was a cure for Valinor’s affliction and its execution serve as a token of the party’s good will. If they have done this, this already counts as a successful check. Therefore they would only have to succeed on 2 checks before failing 3. On the other hand, if the PCs have done obviously malicious things, such as destroying the sun, these count as a definite failure.
Receiving the Font
The unicorn might have already hinted at this, but there is no real fountain of life. Instead, she is the keeper of an Essence of Life, which is simply known under various names: The Fountain of Life, The Fountain of Youth, The Font of Life…
If the PCs convince the unicorn of their good intentions, it beckons one of the PCs to reach out its hand and bows forward. From its horn, into the PC’s hand, spawns a small vial containing a glistening silver liquid. The vial, less than two inches in height, contains one portion of Essence of Life. When drank, the imbiber gains
The Eternal Life Boon
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You no longer age physically and can’t die from old age.
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You can no longer die from lack of nourishment. However, you still feel hunger and thirst.
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When focusing yourself before you go to sleep, you can age yourself up to 10 years or become up to 10 years younger by the end of the long rest.
This boon can only be removed with a wish spell or similar magic.
Once the unicorn has given its essence, it urges the PCs to not linger in this realm. It came into existence with the realm, by the power of Oyana, but it knows it will die and it fears the realm will disappear with it. And in fact, it is right. Slowly but surely, the seasonal changes diminish, wildlife dies and the plants wither. Within four hours of the essence being given, everything in the realm is dead, the sun dies out and the demiplane collapses in on itself. The pool which was a portal is now just a shallow pool of water. After all, Oyana is a goddess of death and life is simply death’s delay.
Claiming Life
If the party wasn’t able to convince the unicorn, or already killed it, they can still acquire an Essence of Life. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (History or Nature) check brings to mind a story (perhaps from Count Romilly?) that explains the magical qualities of unicorn blood. Those who drink unicorn blood – which is a dark, gooey silver, almost like mercury –also gain eternal life. However, a successful DC 20 check also reveals that a terrible curse grips those who would slay and desecrate such a holy creature.
Tapping blood from the dead unicorn shouldn’t pose too many problems, so Nature checks aren’t really necessary here.
Those who drink unicorn’s blood gain
Immortality. Seized from the Unwilling
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You no longer age in demeanor and can’t die from old age.
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You can no longer die from lack of nourishment. However, you still feel hunger and thirst.
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While you don’t age in demeanor, your physicality still does. Hence, eventually you suffer from all the ailments of old age.
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You can longer be healed, cured or regain hit points from divine magic.
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You sporadically suffer from Short-term or Long-term Madness (DMG 258-9).
Aging in physicality implies that the character’s immune system, bones and organs do age, however, they can never shut down and have death as a result. However, eventually the character suffers from all the ailments of old age, as its body cannot deal with these itself. This results in the character suffering from arthritis, being perpetually ill, perhaps even attracting cancer, and the like. As the character will not be able to ask any (good) deity for help, pledging itself to an evil deity, arcane immortality (so lichdom) or a merciful death at the end of a dagger become all too tempting.
Furthermore, if the character is pledged to a god with a Good alignment, this god might abandon them, refuse to give them powers (so they lose access to certain features or spells), or even send an angel down to smite them down.
About me
This was made in context of my 5th weekly creation. Apart from working on larger scale campaigns, I make something small like this every week.
If you liked it and would like to see more, consider checking out my Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/Chubby_Alpaca) or my others works, here on GM Binder and on my Homebrewery page (https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/user/Chubby_Alpaca)