3.1 Castellum

Overview

Calus welcomes Fireteam Crescendo onto the Leviathan. He offers to meet with them briefly, during which time he extends his request to have them join his Shadow organization. Should the party decline, they will conclude their meeting with Calus and be escorted from the Leviathan. If they accept, Calus offers them to drink of the Royal Wine (benefit from a long rest) and return to the Castellum for a tour of his Leviathan. From there, the encounter phase begins.

Encounter

Doors

The Castellum contains 4 unique doors. The first that the party will be escorted to is the Axes door. Each door is sealed by a psionic lock that requires 3 keys to open. The keys can be found outside the other doors in the Castellum, though not all of them are available at the same time. The lock on the floor displays the identity of the next key in the sequence, allowing the party to pursue the key once they observe the symbol on the lock.

Keys

The keys come in the form of a large flagless military standard, adorned with the same symbol as the door they were found in front of. One player may use a bonus action to either pick up or drop the key on their turn, as it is large and cumbersome. While the key is held, it is considered to be an improvised melee weapon (+0 to hit, 1d4 bludgeoning damage) with the Reach and Two-Handed properties. A player may insert the key into the lock with a bonus action on their turn, as it requires more effort than an object interaction.

Enemies

Loyalist Troops

While pursuing the keys, Calus' Loyalist troops will offer the party a combat trial. These troops are comprised of Loyalist Legionaries, Loyalist Phalanxes, and Loyalist Gladiators. One Loyalist trooper of each type spawns from the bottom of each staircase at the beginning of the encounter, and a new one replaces any that are killed on initiative 20, losing all speed ties. The goal of the Loyalist Troops is to reach the lock and use an action to activate the Psionic Detonation event. However, they will not attempt to strike the lock and activate Psionic Detonation if a Risen creature is within range to be attacked.

Standard Bearers

These enemies are unchanged Imperial Centurions that must be killed in order to materialize a new key for the lock. One is present at each of the other doors in the Castellum and has with them 1 Loyalist Phalanx and 1 Loyalist Legionary. When the Standard Bearer is defeated, a second Loyalist Legionary will appear

Standard Liberators

These specialized Imperial Incendiors attempt to remove keys from the lock to disrupt the sequence and return them to their original locations. Appearing every 3 rounds once the first key has been added to the lock, Standard Liberators are protected by psionic Counselors and are granted immunity to all forms of damage while the Counselor lives. The Liberator must use its action to remove one of the keys.

Counselors

Every 2 rounds after a key is added to the lock, a psionic Counselor will appear in the vicinity of the lock. The Counselor is surrounded by an energy shield that is immune all forms of damage that originate from outside of the 5-foot sphere around their bodies. As long as the Counselor is alive, any Standard Liberator Incendior units on the battlefield are made immune to all forms of damage. Only 1 Counselor may exist at a time, and once destroyed it reappears on the next even-numbered round in the initiative order.

Psionic Detonation

On the lock in front of the Axes door, the players will note a bubble of purple fluid, similar to the Royal Wine they were offered earlier. This bubble is what contains the symbol indicating which key is next in the sequence to unlock the door. The bubble has an AC of 4 and 1 HP, which regenerates at the end of its turn (initiative 0.1). Loyalist Troops can destroy this bubble with an Unarmed Strike to activate its reaction, Psionic Detonation. If activated, all Risen creatures in the arena must succeed a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take 4d10 psychic damage, or half as much on a success.

Ideal Flow

The party is led to the Axes door by one of Calus' Psion aides. Calus gives them an explanation of Cabal greeting rituals, and how all Shadows must receive a proper welcome if they are to join his legion. He tells the party that in order to proceed with the tour, they must receive his welcome and entertain him with a show of equal parts resilience and expedition to overcome the obstacle before them. He warns that should the lock be broken, they will lose his favor during their stay aboard the Leviathan. The Royal Horn blows, and everybody rolls for initiative.


As the first Loyalist troops arrive, roll 1d3 to determine which key is to be retrieved first.

1. Dog
2. Sun
3. Cup

The party sees this symbol on the lock, and divides into two groups of three. One group (Runners) sets off for the other part of the Castellum, the other group (Guards) defends the lock.


The Runners find the first location and defeat the Standard Bearer to make the key they were protecting tangible. They pick up the key and return it to the lock and insert the key. Upon inserting the key, the second symbol becomes visible and the Counselor/Standard Liberator cycle begins. The Runners repeat this process of seeking and securing the keys while the Guards beat back the Loyalist troops and Standard Liberators until all three keys are secured. Once that is done, Calus will cry out that the ritual is complete, and a final key will materialize and puncture the psionic detonation bubble, unlocking a final keyhole and ending combat. At this moment all Loyalists become non-hostile and the door will open. The players may take a moment to communicate with Calus and receive their rewards from a chest inside the door before proceeding with the tour.

Rewards

• 1 chalice of Royal Wine
• 3,300 glimmer

Parent Plot

3. Grow Fat From Strength