The Knot in Time, CoG 1111 CE

Crown of Glass – The Knot in Time
To cordon off the world Eryth, a magical barrier surrounds the plane and its associated Ethereal and Shadow Planes. Such a feat was extraordinary but complex, and it has its flaws. Some of the weavers of this barrier, called the Cordon Gris, were trapped within the bonds they joined. To make matters worse, the knot that ties the Cordon shut and the needle used to make it had to be left within the Cordon, upon Eryth, for the magic to be completed successfully. As such, the people are Eryth are locked in along with the key needed to get out.
The Weavers, being trapped for millennia within the substance of the Cordon Girs, went insane. However, their will to escape it remains coherent. They can only influence Eryth when someone interacts with Curiosity’s Bane, the jet black puzzle sphere that forms the knot in the Cordon. Then, briefly, they can communicate and work powerful, but temporary, magic of shadows and illusion.
Their goal is to eventually get someone to figure out how to use the needle and the knot together to break the Cordon, a feat they have forgotten, if they ever knew. To that end, they test and challenge those they meet to try and increase their power and hope that curiosity will do the rest. These challenges, paired with their madness, are the reason that these artifacts are nicknamed the Sphere of Unending Torment and the Rod of Joined Suffering.
For those brought before Weavers of the Cordon, frightful, mind-bending tasks await, but the rewards in experience, rare gems, and magical items are sometimes worth it, if one can escape the labyrinthine interior of their puzzle, the Knot in Time.
Within the Knot
A twilight blue sky surrounds on all sides, above, and below. Black stone islands float, looking like rough analogues of the sphere's puzzle pieces. While they are distant from each other, landscapes of all types, vast structures, and even little towns seem to be perched randomly on the different islands. Some contains sites difficult to describe or understand.
Each island possesses a monument near where newcomers arrive. This serves as a signpost and names the island, its challenge types, and directs the people to the nearest challenges. Each challenge has a smaller post that directs to other challenges or gateways to other islands.
Isle Arcanos
This is island of stealth and spells. It is intended for casters who favor combat spells (combat spec sorcerers and warmages) as well as any of the stealthy, rogue-type classes. Challenges focus on treading lightly to gain an advantage for spell casters, disarming or bypassing traps that would be devastating for parties with low hit points, bating and blasting foes, and otherwise solving puzzles with stealthy actions or destructive spells.
Brittle Bramble Fields (XP 2000)
The field is filled with dry bramble vines and bushes with very little clear space. The bushes are effectively barriers and the vines limit motion. Anyone making a full move action takes 1d6 damage (fortitude 20 half) and becomes entangled if they do not make the save. Players may avoid this by limiting their move to 10 feet. Any fires started catch the vines which burn on the subsequent turn. Any burning vines go out the following turn and ignite adjacent squares, causing the fair to expend in rings. Passing through a ring or being in a square that is ignited deals 2d6 damage. The field contains party * 2 bramble constructs that initially look like bushes that  grapple (entangle) and deal damage like the terrain. They also burn the same way.
Reward: Rod of Metamagic extend, Wand of Charm Monster (30), Wand of False life (20), Gloves of dexterity +2, +2 Leather Armor of Greater Agility, Wand of Delay Poison (50, arcane), Gold and silver puzzle box (1400gp) contains => black pearl (600gp), amber (100gp), tourmaline (80gp), star ruby (1300gp), alexandrite (300gp), star rose quartz (70gp), violet garnet (500gp), blue quartz (10gp), obsidian (12gp), citrine (30gp), violet garnet (600gp), onyx (50gp).
The Bridges of Adamant Castle (XP 2200)
The party comes upon a ravine ringing a sturdy, shining castle made of adamantine. Powerful looking cloud giants walk on three uncharacteristically flimsy looking bridges or rope, wood, and dilapidated stone, which struggle under the weight. There are 6 guards, but they patrol in such a way that five are often on a bridge at a given time. There is moderate brush coverage leading to all bridges. |Observant players may see that it is possible to drop 3-4 giants if the correct two bridges are destroyed, or five with all three. The ravine is 200 feet across at the narrowest.
Reward: Twilight Mithral shirt, holy water, Elixir of swimming, Wand of Invisibility (21), Wand of Owls Wisdom (45, arcane), Bag of holding Type I, Sleep Arrow +1 (50), Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds (46), red garnet (120gp), black pearl (200gp), pink pearl (100gp), emerald (1300gp), banded agate (9gp), alexandrite (500gp), azurite (12gp), fiery yellow corundum (800gp), alexandrite (400gp), onyx (80gp), chalcedony (80gp), chrysoberyl (130gp).
Trap Pit (XP 2400)
Within the Adamant Castle, the party encounters a couple of physical traps. After cleaning these, they find cloud giants constructing traps in a big room as they walk around. If the party listens or searches carefully, they may learn that the traps are being keyed to a control mechanism in the other side of the room. They can try to fight the three giants, or may attempt to activate the completed traps, reducing the giants to very low HP.
Reward: Elixir of hiding, Bag of holding Type I, Wand of Enlarge person, Rod of Immovable, Ring of Swimming, Ring of Protection +1, Periapt of health, Eversmoking bottle, Wand of Detect magic, Tunic of Stead Spellcasting, Chronocharm of the Fateweaver, Chronocharm of the Celestial Wanderer, onyx (40gp), onyx (40gp), freshwater (irregular) Pearl (9gp), carnelian (50gp), tourmaline (100gp), tiger eye turquoise (11gp), blue star sapphire (1300gp), blue quartz (6gp), alexandrite (400gp), blue quartz (8gp), blue sapphire (800gp), black pearl (500gp). Queen of the Castle (XP 2500)
After dealing with the giants, the party hears the sounds of three princesses/princes in trouble at the top of the castle. However, when they arrive, there are three spidery mimics waiting to pounce, MMIII (27). Defeating them allows the party to examine the pedestal in the center of the room with three rings under a glass dome. The dome is booby trapped by a DC 25 trap. Settling off the trap starts the collapse of the castle, requiring the party to escape through a portal. If it is the end of the day, they go home, if not, go to a random island with random treasure.
Isle Terralabe
When a party's skills are two diverse or unpredictable to use a more targeted island, the adventures may be brought to Terralabe, the island that tests teamwork and creative thinking. Challenges of the mind and cunning have multiple valid routes so as to be exploitable by different classes and combat generally focuses on finding your foe's weakness. Fjord of the Hydramorph (XP 2000)
Parties entering Terralabe arrive on a beach leading up into a deep fjord, meaning the party may only easily proceed up the narrow coast of the fjord. Deep in the trench lies the hydramorph, an amphibious predator similar to a vampire squid.
It is smarter than a dull animal and will wait until the party seems vulnerable or boxed in by the fjord. It will try to ambush the party from the water, keeping it's main body submerged and sending up two tenticles per party member. The tentacles are spiked and attack for 1d10+2 piercing damage. They have improved grapple and will attempt a grapple on any successful hit. Two tentacles will attempt to work together if possible, providing a grapple assist bonus to the first tentacle on subsequent rounds. On subsequent rounds, the tentacles syphon blood for 1d4 Con damage to grappled characters.
What makes the encounter deadly is that whenever 10 HP of damage is dealt to a tentacle, it is severed and rapidly grows into two tentacles, like the legendary hydra. The only way to avoid this is to destroy the tentacle with fire or acid, or deal at least 1 HP worth of fire or acid damage the round the tentacle is severed.
Escape is also also an option if the PC's can outpace the Swim 30 beast by 100 feet. The tentacle field reaches 50 feat from the beasts core, and it will not attach if it feels the players can easily move out of reach.
Due to the vampiric bite, grappled characters cannot teleport. If defeated, it's corpse contains undigested treasure.
Reward: Buckler +1 (1,165 gp), Potion of Invisiblity (300 gp), Scroll Locate Object (150 GP l2, cl3), Cat's Grace (l2, cl3) (14 charges) (1,260 gp), Magic Missile (l1, cl3) (36 charges) (1,620 gp), Silence (l2, cl3) (2 charges) (180 gp), Nunchaku +1 (2,302 gp), Circlet of persuasion (4,500 gp), Goggles of Minute Seeing (1,000 gp), Hand of the Mage (1,000 gp), Ioun Stone (dull gray) (25 gp), Grey Pearl (100 GP) x Party. Mansion of Trials (XP 2100)
At the narrows of the fjord, there is a precarious stairway up the cliffs to a landing that leads into a grand mansion.
Entry from the balcony leads into a grand dining room with a banquet of fruit laid out for the characters. Beautiful nymph women encourage the party to eat the fruit. Within 1d8 rounds a player that eats a fruit is polymorphed into a fruit. When one or more people have fallen victim, the nymphs turn into monstrous hags and attempt to eat the fruit people above all over concerns, tearing off flesh and feeding it to the buns in their hair, which are parasitic lifeforms. In time, the fruit curse wears off. There are party - 1 nymphs. The party wins by surviving the nymphs or simply not eating the fruit.
There is a grand ballroom outside of the dining hall that have great doors that lead to the other wings in the castle. Entering one causes the door to close, sealing the party within. The hall is lined with doors and another grand door at the opposite end. Once the party is sealed in, the doors become door demons and the far wall becomes an epic door demon. The epic demon will slowly works its way down the hall, destroying demons on its way. The party must slay a demon and escape into a room to flee the door demon. If they choose a near room, they are going to need to break through a wall, as the grand door demon will wait at the last set of doors. The room they break into will be a jewelry room with the below treasure and a stairwell leading out of the castle into the garden.
Reward: Two fiery yellow corundum (90 gp each) w/ Ioun Stone (Lavendar and Green Ellipsoid), three red spinel worth (40 gp eachI) w/ Ioun Stone (Pale Blue Rhomboid), 8 blue sapphire (60 gp each), carved bone bracelet (empower 1/day, sorcerer only, 40 gp), velvet doll (augery 1/day 30 gp), linen tapestry (80 gp), onyx necklace (60 gp), six hematite (15 gp) w/ Ioun Stone (Orange Prism). The Garden Labyrinth (XP 2400)
Upon leaving the mansion, the party finds itself in the elaborate garden labyrinth attached to the estate. The maze is full of pitfalls and traps, a lot. But the dangers are not fatal, just exhausting. Diseases, poison, minor damaging effects, etc. peck at the party. Worse, the party cannot stop moving. as remaining in place for more than 3 rounds generates a fearful foe as the maze comes to life.
Eventually, the party reaches a peaceful spot, a little fountain with decorated columns that houses the below treasure. However, as the party leaves, space and time invert as they pass through the columns.
Reward: Gold ewer inlaid with silver pearls (400gp), Gold dagger with amber jewel on hilt (600gp), Silver plated dagger (50gp), tiger eye turquoise (9gp), jet (110gp), freshwater (irregular) Pearl (9gp), Potion of Blur, Wand of Darkness X 2, +2 Heavy Steel Shield of Arrow Deflection, +1 Heavy Steel Shield, Hat of disguise, Potion of Remove paralysis, Potion of Enlarge person. Wrong Angles, Center of the Labyrinth (XP 2500)
At the center of the labyrinth is a place where time and space are joined at incorrect planes. The laybrinth twists up and the edges meet in the sky. From the sky descends the giga-lich. The party must tumble, feint, jump, and wheel to avoid his weapons. A spot check reveals a mouth full of treasure, hinting that the way out is through his mouth. However, the eldrich horror must be faced within.
Reward: Alexandrite (200 gp), Amber (80 gp), Azurite (10 gp), Banded Agate (8 gp), Black Pearl (500 gp), Bloodstone (60 gp), Carnelian (40 gp), Deep Blue Spinel (400 gp), Deep Green Spinel (90 gp), Fiery Yellow Corundum (800 gp), Freshwater Pearl (13 gp), Golden Pearl (80 gp), Golden Yellow Topaz (600 gp), Iolite (60 gp), Rhodochrosite (6 gp), Smoky Quartz (60 gp), Turquoise (13 gp), Violet Garnet (200 gp), Cloak of Resistance (+3) (9000 gp), Ring of Counterspells (4000 gp), Cure Light Wounds (l1, cl1) (19 charges) (285 gp), sleep arrow X 20 (132 gp each), boots of elvenkind (2,000 gp), pearl of power (2nd level) (4,000 gp).
Isle Nocturne
This island is used by NIx to show people the future. AS the goddess of night and secrets, she can know when there is something worth knowing, but she usually does not know or cannot share the secret directly. As such, she grants prophesy to others to let them determine what is valuable to them. Nocturne depicts the possible fate of the Empire of Crown.
Nix may give a preamble, but however it occurs, she displays her mastery of the sphere and sends the party(s) to Nocturne, which resembles the outskirts of Aegirine. There they witness the Vestigial Horror crack open the walls of Aegirine. NIx warns that once the Demi-Lich emerges, he will destroy the Empire, which is the Horror's goal. The party must enter the city and destroy his source of power.
Wave One (CR 7)
Fast moving mini-liches reach the party first. Use Vargouille from MM 254 but swap the shriek for a sonic line attack and make them undead. When possible, they will try to hit multiple targets, possibly even strinking each other.
Wave Two (CR 9)
Soldiers at the wall are fighting Iridi-Liches. Use Wights from MM255 but swap out the energy drain for an elemental line attack. Iridi-Liches hit by another Iridi-Lich's elemental attack are immune unless it is there foil, then they instantly die. This can be used to aid their destruction. The party needs to use strategy and the other soldiers to determine how they will prevail. They can breach the wall without destroying all the liches.
Red Pink: Fire, foiled by cold Thalo Cerulean Orange Yellow: Acid, foiled by wind Green Yellow Yellow Hansa: Electricity, foiled by disintegrate Vermillion Orange Viridian Green: Poison, foiled by dimensional Violet Magenta Ultramarine White: Stone, foiled by acid Orange Yellow Indigo Red: Insanity, foiled by electricity Yellow Hansa Violet Magenta: Dimensional, foiled by insanity Indigo Red Thalo Cerulean: Cold, foiled by fire Red Pink Green Yellow: Wind, foiled by stone Ultramarine White Vermillion Orange: Disintegrate, foiled by poison Viridian Green Red Copper: Random
Find the Phylactery (CR 9)
Once inside, the party will have to find their way to the Demi-Lich's power source. The capital square has been rebuilt into a massive cathedral-like structure and seems a likely place. Wisdom checks allow the party to follow their sense of the willies to the power source.
Use a couple of simple magical traps to keep the party on their toes. If they wonder were everyone is, they only have to look out the window as the countless hordes of the undead pour out towards the walls.
Finally, the party sees the stone sarcophagus with the demi-lich inside, with his phylactery nearby radiating energy. As they go to attack, the gigalich appears.
The gigalich uses the Elita Vampire stats, but its attack mode is a sweeping blast that the party must continuously try to avoid.
Escape (CR whatever)
With the city collapsing as suspended decay takes over, the party must feel for their lives. Use traps to simulate hazards as the party escapes, but swap fortitude and reflex saves for the search checks and reduce the damage.
Reward: Alexandrite (dark green, but transmitted light is red) (94.3 gp), bat cave jasper (chocolate brown to tan) (54.6 gp), beryl (yellow) (514.6 gp), beryl (yellow) (512.3 gp), buergerite (brown tourmaline) (88.2 gp), carnelian (dark brown chalcedony) (38.9 gp), chrysocolla (13 gp), chrysoprase (bright green) (53.6 gp), coral (85.7 gp), garnet peridotite (dark green with deep red spots) (660.4 gp), lilac spinel (purple spinel) (519.7 gp), pele's hair (obsidian filaments) (8.1 gp), purple fluorite (crystals are like intertwined blocks) (7.9 gp), purple fluorite (crystals are like intertwined blocks) (10 gp), purple spodumene (46.9 gp), ravenar (862.2 gp), red quartz (12.3 gp), red spinel (821.2 gp), royal plume jasper (plumed purplish shade) (115 gp), rusteen (305.6 gp), salite (green diopside) (7.5 gp), skydrop (40.4 gp), spessartine (orange through red garnet) (361.9 gp), thulite (pink zoiste) (108.5 gp), topazolite (greenish-yellow to yellow garnets) (491.4 gp), ulvaen (104.5 gp), water opal (clear and colorless with inside opal coloration) (1,054.6 gp), wonderstone (tannish to yellow jasper) (11.9 gp), zoiste (gray) (105.6 gp), zoiste (white) (144 gp), potion of bull's strength (300 gp), potion of endure elements (150 gp), potion of hide from animals (50 gp), potion of invisiblity (300 gp), potion of magic fang (50 gp), Invisibility (l2, cl3) (18 charges) (1,620 gp), ring of climbing, +1 great ax, +1 tower shield, +2 bracers of armor.